Assessing neural network scene classification from degraded images

Scene recognition is an essential component of both machine and biological vision. Recent advances in computer vision using deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated impressive sophistication in scene recognition, through training on large datasets of labeled scene images (Zhou et al. 2018, 2014). One criticism of CNN-based approaches is that performance may not generalize well beyond the training image set (Torralba and Efros 2011), and may be hampered by minor image modifications, which in some cases are barely perceptible to the human eye (Goodfellow et al. 2015; Szegedy et al. 2013). While these “adversarial examples” may be unlikely in natural contexts, during many real-world visual tasks scene information can be degraded or limited due to defocus blur, camera motion, sensor noise, or occluding objects. Here, we quantify the impact of several image degradations (some common, and some more exotic) on indoor/outdoor scene classification using CNNs. For comparison, we use human observers as a benchmark, and also evaluate performance against classifiers using limited, manually selected descriptors. While the CNNs outperformed the other classifiers and rivaled human accuracy for intact images, our results show that their classification accuracy is more affected by image degradations than human observers. On a practical level, however, accuracy of the CNNs remained well above chance for a wide range of image manipulations that disrupted both local and global image statistics. We also examine the level of image-by-image agreement with human observers, and find that the CNNs' agreement with observers varied as a function of the nature of image manipulation. In many cases, this agreement was not substantially different from the level one would expect to observe for two independent classifiers. Together, these results suggest that CNN-based scene classification techniques are relatively robust to several image degradations. However, the pattern of classifications obtained for ambiguous images does not appear to closely reflect the strategies employed by human observers

Infiltrating ductal carcinoma breast with central necrosis closely mimicking ductal carcinoma in situ (comedo type): a case series

Here we present a series of infiltrative ductal carcinoma breast cases (infiltrative ductal carcinoma with central necrosis) so closely mimicking \u27DCIS with central comedo necrosis\u27 that on initial morphological analysis these foci of tumors were labeled as DCIS (high grade, comedo). However on further histological work up and by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for myoepithelial markers it was later confirmed that these were foci of infiltrative ductal carcinoma breast with central necrosis. This case series gives the realization that a breast carcinoma may be partly or entirely DCIS like yet invasive. In such a dilemma IHC especially for assessment of myoepithelial lining is very useful to differentiate DCIS comedo from invasive carcinoma with central necrosis

The elliptic genus from split flows and Donaldson-Thomas invariants

We analyze a mixed ensemble of low charge D4-D2-D0 brane states on the quintic and show that these can be successfully enumerated using attractor flow tree techniques and Donaldson-Thomas invariants. In this low charge regime one needs to take into account worldsheet instanton corrections to the central charges, which is accomplished by making use of mirror symmetry. All the charges considered can be realized as fluxed D6-D2-D0 and anti-D6-D2-D0 pairs which we enumerate using DT invariants. Our procedure uses the low charge counterpart of the picture developed Denef and Moore. By establishing the existence of flow trees numerically and refining the index factorization scheme, we reproduce and improve some results obtained by Gaiotto, Strominger and Yin. Our results provide appealing evidence that the strong split flow tree conjecture holds and allows to compute exact results for an important sector of the theory. Our refined scheme for computing indices might shed some light on how to improve index computations for systems with larger charges.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figure

Are intuitions about moral relevance susceptible to framing effects?

Various studies have reported that moral intuitions about the permissibility of acts are subject to framing effects. This paper reports the results of a series of experiments which further examine the susceptibility of moral intuitions to framing effects. The main aim was to test recent speculation that intuitions about the moral relevance of certain properties of cases might be relatively resistent to framing effects. If correct, this would provide a certain type of moral intuitionist with the resources to resist challenges to the reliability of moral intuitions based on such framing effects. And, fortunately for such intuitionists, although the results can’t be used to mount a strident defence of intuitionism, the results do serve to shift the burden of proof onto those who would claim that intuitions about moral relevance are problematically sensitive to framing effects

Non-simply-laced Lie algebras via F theory strings

In order to describe the appearance in F theory of the non--simply--laced Lie algebras, we use the representation of symmetry enhancements by means of string junctions. After an introduction to the techniques used to describe symmetry enhancement, that is algebraic geometry, BPS states analysis and string junctions, we concentrate on the latter. We give an explicit description of the folding of D_{2n} to B_n of the folding of E_6 to F_4 and that of D_4 to G_2 in terms of junctions and Jordan strings. We also discuss the case of C_n, but we are unable in this case to provide a string interpretation.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure

Survey of Nutrition Management Practices in Centers for Pediatric Intestinal Rehabilitation

Background: Nutrition management of pediatric intestinal failure (IF) requires interdisciplinary coordination of parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN) support. Nutrition strategies used by specialists in pediatric intestinal rehabilitation to promote gut adaptation and manage complications have not been previously summarized. Methods: A practice survey was distributed to members of the dietitian subgroup of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Pediatric Intestinal Failure Section. The survey included 24 open‐ended questions related to PN and enteral feeding strategies, nutrition management of PN‐associated liver disease, and laboratory monitoring. Results: Dietitians from 14 centers completed the survey. Management components for patients at risk for cholestasis were consistent and included fat minimization, trace element modification, avoiding PN overfeeding, and providing EN. Parenteral amino acid solutions designed for infants/young children are used in patients <1 or 2 years of age. Trace minerals are dosed individually in 10 of 14 centers. Eleven centers prescribe a continuous infusion of breast milk or elemental formula 1–2 weeks after resection while 3 centers determine the formula type by the extent of resection. Most (86%) centers do not have a protocol for initiating oral/motor therapy. Laboratory panel composition varied widely by center. The selection and frequency of use depended on clinical variables, including cholestatic status, exclusive vs partial PN dependence, postrepletion verification vs routine monitoring, intestinal anatomy, and acuity of care. Conclusion: EN and PN management strategies are relatively consistent among U.S. centers. Collaborative initiatives are necessary to define better practices and establish laboratory monitoring guidelines.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145220/1/ncp10040_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145220/2/ncp10040.pd

Numerical Hermitian Yang-Mills Connections and Vector Bundle Stability in Heterotic Theories

A numerical algorithm is presented for explicitly computing the gauge connection on slope-stable holomorphic vector bundles on Calabi-Yau manifolds. To illustrate this algorithm, we calculate the connections on stable monad bundles defined on the K3 twofold and Quintic threefold. An error measure is introduced to determine how closely our algorithmic connection approximates a solution to the Hermitian Yang-Mills equations. We then extend our results by investigating the behavior of non slope-stable bundles. In a variety of examples, it is shown that the failure of these bundles to satisfy the Hermitian Yang-Mills equations, including field-strength singularities, can be accurately reproduced numerically. These results make it possible to numerically determine whether or not a vector bundle is slope-stable, thus providing an important new tool in the exploration of heterotic vacua.Comment: 52 pages, 15 figures. LaTex formatting of figures corrected in version 2

Numerical Hermitian Yang-Mills Connections and Kahler Cone Substructure

We further develop the numerical algorithm for computing the gauge connection of slope-stable holomorphic vector bundles on Calabi-Yau manifolds. In particular, recent work on the generalized Donaldson algorithm is extended to bundles with Kahler cone substructure on manifolds with h^{1,1}>1. Since the computation depends only on a one-dimensional ray in the Kahler moduli space, it can probe slope-stability regardless of the size of h^{1,1}. Suitably normalized error measures are introduced to quantitatively compare results for different directions in Kahler moduli space. A significantly improved numerical integration procedure based on adaptive refinements is described and implemented. Finally, an efficient numerical check is proposed for determining whether or not a vector bundle is slope-stable without computing its full connection.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figure

Friedreich ataxia patient tissues exhibit increased 5-hydroxymethylcytosine modification and decreased CTCF binding at the FXN locus

© 2013 Al-Mahdawi et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is caused by a homozygous GAA repeat expansion mutation within intron 1 of the FXN gene, which induces epigenetic changes and FXN gene silencing. Bisulfite sequencing studies have identified 5-methylcytosine (5 mC) DNA methylation as one of the epigenetic changes that may be involved in this process. However, analysis of samples by bisulfite sequencing is a time-consuming procedure. In addition, it has recently been shown that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5 hmC) is also present in mammalian DNA, and bisulfite sequencing cannot distinguish between 5 hmC and 5 mC.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement number 242193/EFACTS (CS), the Wellcome Trust [089757] (SA) and Ataxia UK (RMP) to MAP