Sparse Radial Sampling LBP for Writer Identification

In this paper we present the use of Sparse Radial Sampling Local Binary Patterns, a variant of Local Binary Patterns (LBP) for text-as-texture classification. By adapting and extending the standard LBP operator to the particularities of text we get a generic text-as-texture classification scheme and apply it to writer identification. In experiments on CVL and ICDAR 2013 datasets, the proposed feature-set demonstrates State-Of-the-Art (SOA) performance. Among the SOA, the proposed method is the only one that is based on dense extraction of a single local feature descriptor. This makes it fast and applicable at the earliest stages in a DIA pipeline without the need for segmentation, binarization, or extraction of multiple features.Comment: Submitted to the 13th International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR 2015

Micro-CernVM: Slashing the Cost of Building and Deploying Virtual Machines

The traditional virtual machine building and and deployment process is centered around the virtual machine hard disk image. The packages comprising the VM operating system are carefully selected, hard disk images are built for a variety of different hypervisors, and images have to be distributed and decompressed in order to instantiate a virtual machine. Within the HEP community, the CernVM File System has been established in order to decouple the distribution from the experiment software from the building and distribution of the VM hard disk images. We show how to get rid of such pre-built hard disk images altogether. Due to the high requirements on POSIX compliance imposed by HEP application software, CernVM-FS can also be used to host and boot a Linux operating system. This allows the use of a tiny bootable CD image that comprises only a Linux kernel while the rest of the operating system is provided on demand by CernVM-FS. This approach speeds up the initial instantiation time and reduces virtual machine image sizes by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, security updates can be distributed instantaneously through CernVM-FS. By leveraging the fact that CernVM-FS is a versioning file system, a historic analysis environment can be easily re-spawned by selecting the corresponding CernVM-FS file system snapshot.Comment: Conference paper at the 2013 Computing in High Energy Physics (CHEP) Conference, Amsterda

The Impact of Non-Equilibrium Plasma Distributions on Solar Wind Measurements by Vigil's Plasma Analyser

In order to protect society from space weather impacts, we must monitor space weather and obtain early warnings for extreme events if possible. For this purpose, the European Space Agency is currently preparing to launch the Vigil mission toward the end of this decade as a space-weather monitor at the fifth Lagrange point of the Sun–Earth system. Vigil will carry, amongst other instruments, the Plasma Analyser (PLA) to provide quasi-continuous measurements of solar wind ions. We model the performance of the PLA instrument, considering typical solar wind plasma conditions, to compare the expected observations of PLA with the assumed input conditions of the solar wind. We evaluate the instrument performance under realistic, non-equilibrium plasma conditions, accounting for temperature anisotropies, proton beams, and the contributions from α-particles. We examine the accuracy of the instrument's performance over a range of input solar wind moments. We identify sources of potential errors due to non-equilibrium plasma conditions and link these to instrument characteristics such as its angular and energy resolution and its field of view. We demonstrate the limitations of the instrument and potential improvements such as applying ground-based fitting techniques to obtain more accurate measurements of the solar wind even under non-equilibrium plasma conditions. The use of ground processing of plasma moments instead of on-board processing is crucial for the extraction of reliable measurements

Recognition of affect in the wild using deep neural networks

In this paper we utilize the first large-scale "in-the-wild" (Aff-Wild) database, which is annotated in terms of the valence-arousal dimensions, to train and test an end-to-end deep neural architecture for the estimation of continuous emotion dimensions based on visual cues. The proposed architecture is based on jointly training convolutional (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN) layers, thus exploiting both the invariant properties of convolutional features, while also modelling temporal dynamics that arise in human behaviour via the recurrent layers. Various pre-trained networks are used as starting structures which are subsequently appropriately fine-tuned to the Aff-Wild database. Obtained results show premise for the utilization of deep architectures for the visual analysis of human behaviour in terms of continuous emotion dimensions and analysis of different types of affect

Angle-resolved photoemission study of the role of nesting and orbital orderings in the antiferromagnetic phase of BaFe2As2

We present a detailed comparison of the electronic structure of BaFe2As2 in its paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases, through angle-resolved photoemission studies. Using different experimental geometries, we resolve the full elliptic shape of the electron pockets, including parts of dxy symmetry along its major axis that are usually missing. This allows us to define precisely how the hole and electron pockets are nested and how the different orbitals evolve at the transition. We conclude that the imperfect nesting between hole and electron pockets explains rather well the formation of gaps and residual metallic droplets in the AFM phase, provided the relative parity of the different bands is taken into account. Beyond this nesting picture, we observe shifts and splittings of numerous bands at the transition. We show that the splittings are surface sensitive and probably not a reliable signature of the magnetic order. On the other hand, the shifts indicate a significant redistribution of the orbital occupations at the transition, especially within the dxz/dyz system, which we discuss

Educational differences in the validity of self-reported physical activity

BACKGROUND: The assessment of physical activity for surveillance or population based studies is usually done with self-report questionnaires. However, bias in self-reported physical activity may be greater in lower educated than in higher educated populations. The aim of the present study is to describe educational differences in the validity of self-reported physical activity. METHODS: We included 196 healthy adults (age 57 ± 15.4, of whom 17 % low, 24 % medium and 59 % high educated). Criterion validity of an adapted International Physical Activity Questionnaire was assessed against the ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer. RESULTS: While criterion validity of self-reported physical activity was low to moderate in the total sample (Spearman rho ranged from 0.16 to 0.27, depending on the variables used), the validity in lower educated respondents was poor (-0.07 to 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the hypothesis that self-report physical activity questionnaires are less valid in lower educated populations

Review of Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography as a Screening Modality in the Assessment of Blunt Vascular Neck Injuries

AbstractBlunt vascular neck injuries (BVNI), previously thought to be rare, have demonstrated increasing incidence rates in recent literature and are associated with significant mortality and morbidity. A radiologist needs to efficiently recognize these injuries on preliminary screening to enable initiation of early management. When initiation of accurate management is started promptly, decreased rates of postinjury complications, for example, stroke, have been demonstrated. This article reviews the incidence, pathophysiology, and rationale for screening for these BVNI injuries. The utility of computed tomography angiography (CTA) as the potential new criterion standard as the screening and follow-up imaging modality for BVNI will be discussed. The application of new multidetector CTA techniques available, such as dual-energy CT and iterative reconstruction, are also reviewed. In addition, the characteristic imaging findings on CTA and the associated Denver Grading scale for BVNI will be reviewed to allow readers to become familiar with the injury patterns and to understand the prognostic and clinical implications, respectively. Examples of the spectrum of injuries, potential injury mimics, and different artifacts on multidetector CTA are shown to help familiarize readers and allow them to successfully and confidently recognize a true BVNI

PLANTAR FORCE MEASURES DURING FORWARD SKATING IN ICE HOCKEY

The purpose of this project was to measure plantar pressure patterns during forward skating with ice hockey skates. Six elite ice hockey inter-university players volunteered to participate in the study. There was no significant change in push off force with velocity, but there was a decrease in contact time with increasing velocity. Given the decreased impulse with increasing speed, the increase in propulsion was the result of increasing stride rate. Comparison between anterior and posterior plantar regions as well as the medial and lateral regions revealed proportional loading changes with different speeds