Evaluating the performance of iPhoto facial recognition at the biometric verification task

2012 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.The Faces feature of Apple's iPhoto '09 software uses facial recognition techniques to help people organize their digital photographs. This work seeks to measure the facial recognition performance of iPhoto Faces in order to gain insight into the progress of facial recognition systems in commercial software. A common performance evaluation protocol is explained and performance values are presented. The protocol is based on performance measurements of academic and biometric facial recognition systems performed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It uses the data set developed for the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Face Recognition Challenge Problem which contains images with varying levels of facial recognition difficulty. Results show high performance on the hardest faces to recognize, less than peak performance on the easier faces, and overall less variation in performance across varying levels of difficulty than is observed for alternative baseline algorithms

New insights into the biological role of mammalian ADARs; the RNA editing proteins

The ADAR proteins deaminate adenosine to inosine in double-stranded RNA which is one of the most abundant modifications present in mammalian RNA. Inosine can have a profound effect on the RNAs that are edited, not only changing the base-pairing properties, but can also result in recoding, as inosine behaves as if it were guanosine. In mammals there are three ADAR proteins and two ADAR-related proteins (ADAD) expressed. All have a very similar modular structure; however, both their expression and biological function differ significantly. Only two of the ADAR proteins have enzymatic activity. However, both ADAR and ADAD proteins possess the ability to bind double-strand RNA. Mutations in ADARs have been associated with many diseases ranging from cancer, innate immunity to neurological disorders. Here, we will discuss in detail the domain structure of mammalian ADARs, the effects of RNA editing, and the role of ADARs in human diseases

The Impact of Polarization on the Political Engagement of Generation Z Elementary Preservice Teachers and Their Teaching

This instrumental case study of Generation Z preservice teachers enrolled in elementary teaching methods courses in social studies and literacy explores the impact of polarization on their political engagement and teaching. Using the 2020 presidential election as a teachable moment, participants developed and taught literacy-infused civics units in order to bring to light their understandings of their role in preparing elementary students as political actors. This study has important implications for how teacher educators can better facilitate elementary preservice teachers’ own political engagement, thereby ensuring equitable democratic learning opportunities for students

Progress report on the ultra heavy cosmic ray experiment (AO178)

The Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE) is based on a modular array of 192 side-viewing solid state nuclear track detector stacks. These stacks were mounted in sets of four in 48 pressure vessels employing sixteen peripheral Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) trays. The extended duration of the LDEF mission has resulted in a greatly enhanced scientific yield from the UHCRE. The geometry factor for high energy cosmic ray nuclei, allowing for Earth shadowing, was 30 sq m-sr, giving a total exposure factor of 170 sq m-sr-y at an orbital inclination of 28.4 degrees. Scanning results indicate that about 3000 cosmic ray nuclei in the charge region with Z greater than 65 were collected. This sample is more than ten times the current world data in the field (taken to be the data set from the HEAO-3 mission plus that from the Ariel-6 mission) and is sufficient to provide the world's first statistically significant sample of actinide (Z greater than 88) cosmic rays. Results to date are presented including details of ultra-heavy cosmic ray nuclei, analysis of pre-flight and post-flight calibration events and details of track response in the context of detector temperature history. The integrated effect of all temperature and age related latent track variations cause a maximum charge shift of +/- 0.8 e for uranium and +/- 0.6 e for the platinum-lead group. The precision of charge assignment as a function of energy is derived and evidence for remarkably good charge resolution achieved in the UHCRE is considered. Astrophysical implications of the UHCRE charge spectrum are discussed

The LDEF ultra heavy cosmic ray experiment

The LDEF Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE) used 16 side viewing LDEF trays giving a total geometry factor for high energy cosmic rays of 30 sq m sr. The total exposure factor was 170 sq m sr y. The experiment is based on a modular array of 192 solid state nuclear track detector stacks, mounted in sets of four in 48 pressure vessels. The extended duration of the LDEF mission has resulted in a greatly enhanced potential scientific yield from the UHCRE. Initial scanning results indicate that at least 1800 cosmic ray nuclei with Z greater than 65 were collected, including the world's first statistically significant sample of actinides. Post flight work to date and the current status of the experiment are reviewed

Transfer of in vivo primed transgenic T cells supports allergic lung inflammation and FIZZ1 and Ym1 production in an IL-4Rα and STAT6 dependent manner

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD4+ T helper type 2 (T_H2) cells, their cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 and the transcription factor STAT6 are known to regulate various features of asthma including lung inflammation, mucus production and airway hyperreactivity and also drive alternative activation of macrophages (AAM). However, the precise roles played by the IL-4/IL-13 receptors and STAT6 in inducing AAM protein expression and modulating specific features of airway inflammation are still unclear. Since T_H2 differentiation and activation plays a pivotal role in this disease, we explored the possibility of developing an asthma model in mice using T cells that were differentiated <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we monitored the activation and proliferation status of adoptively transferred allergen-specific naïve or <it>in vivo </it>primed CD4+ T cells. We found that both the naïve and <it>in vivo </it>primed T cells expressed similar levels of CD44 and IL-4. However, <it>in vivo </it>primed T cells underwent reduced proliferation in a lymphopenic environment when compared to naïve T cells. We then used these <it>in vivo </it>generated effector T cells in an asthma model. Although there was reduced inflammation in mice lacking IL-4Rα or STAT6, significant amounts of eosinophils were still present in the BAL and lung tissue. Moreover, specific AAM proteins YM1 and FIZZ1 were expressed by epithelial cells, while macrophages expressed only YM1 in RAG2^-/-mice. We further show that FIZZ1 and YM1 protein expression in the lung was completely dependent on signaling through the IL-4Rα and STAT6. Consistent with the enhanced inflammation and AAM protein expression, there was a significant increase in collagen deposition and smooth muscle thickening in RAG2^-/-mice compared to mice deficient in IL-4Rα or STAT6.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results establish that transfer of <it>in vivo </it>primed CD4+ T cells can induce allergic lung inflammation. Furthermore, while IL-4/IL-13 signaling through IL-4Rα and STAT6 is essential for AAM protein expression, lung inflammation and eosinophilia are only partially dependent on this pathway. Further studies are required to identify other proteins and signaling pathways involved in airway inflammation.</p

Oral History Conversation with Tyler Norris (SOULR)

This is an oral history interview with Tyler Norris conducted on March 28, 2017

Reproducibility of coronary artery diameter assessments in magnetic resonance coronary angiography: phantom study

This report describes the development of a deformable model for the automatic delineation of coronary artery cross-sectional areas with magnetic resonance imaging. The method is validated with coronary artery phantoms of varying diameters and images with different levels of signal-to-noise ratios. The reproducibility of the technique was examined with simulated geometrical shifts and motions during data acquisition. The experimental results indicate a very high reproducibility and low inter-observers variability of the technique, suggesting its suitability for non-invasive assessment of serial changes of vessel dilatation following pharmacological intervention