K-Space at TRECVID 2008

In this paper we describe K-Space’s participation in TRECVid 2008 in the interactive search task. For 2008 the K-Space group performed one of the largest interactive video information retrieval experiments conducted in a laboratory setting. We had three institutions participating in a multi-site multi-system experiment. In total 36 users participated, 12 each from Dublin City University (DCU, Ireland), University of Glasgow (GU, Scotland) and Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica (CWI, the Netherlands). Three user interfaces were developed, two from DCU which were also used in 2007 as well as an interface from GU. All interfaces leveraged the same search service. Using a latin squares arrangement, each user conducted 12 topics, leading in total to 6 runs per site, 18 in total. We officially submitted for evaluation 3 of these runs to NIST with an additional expert run using a 4th system. Our submitted runs performed around the median. In this paper we will present an overview of the search system utilized, the experimental setup and a preliminary analysis of our results

Computer supported argument maps as a policy memory

This paper investigates to what extent Computer Supported Argument Visualisation can be designed to encourage debate and deliberation by citizens on public issues. Such argument maps use icons and arrows to represent the structure of a series of related viewpoints, reducing the amount of text necessary to convey the ideas, thereby clarifying the issue under consideration. Argument maps have the potential to provide a readily accessible medium by which citizens can follow and join in public debates on policy issues. In this paper we describe our approach, type of maps we have chosen to use and then demonstrate the potential of a collection of maps to form a ‘policy memory’ to support policy development. Our case study is the development of the ‘Smoking in Public Places’ policy in the Scottish Parliament. Our overall aim is to engage citizens in democratic decision-making leading to better policy-making and a more engaged citizenry

FACTORS AFFECTING THE POSTOPERATIVE EXERCISE CAPACITY OF PATIENTS WITH MITRAL-STENOSIS AND AORTIC REGURGITATION

Factors affecting the exercise capacity of patients with mitral stenosis (MS) and aortic regurgitation (AR) are incompletely understood. Accordingly, exercise capacity was assessed in 13 patients with MS and in 13 with AR by means of cardiopulmonary exercise testing before as well as 3, 6 and 12 months after valve replacement. Left- and right-ventricular function were evaluated echocardiographically. Both in MS and in AR exercise capacity expressed by maximal oxygen consumption (V-O2max) increased significantly after valve replacement and was directly related to right ventricular (RV) function assessed by the ratio of RV acceleration time to RV ejection time (r = 0.87, p < 0.001 and r = 0.74, p < 0.001, respectively) and inversely related to left atrial diameter (r = -0.72, p < 0.001 and r = -0.76, p < 0.001, respectively). No relation between V-O2max and resting left-ventricular function was found. Thus, the postoperative improvement in the exercise capacity both in mitral stenosis and in aortic regurgitation is associated with an improvement in right-ventricular function and a decrease in left-atrial size

HARNESS: a next generation distributed virtual machine

Heterogeneous Adaptable Reconfigurable Networked SystemS (HARNESS) is an experimental metacomputing system [L. Smarr, C.E. Catlett, Communications of the ACM 35 (6) (1992) 45–52] built around the services of a highly customizable and reconfigurable Distributed Virtual Machine (DVM). The successful experience of the HARNESS design team with the Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) project has taught us both the features which make the DVM model so valuable to parallel programmers and the limitations imposed by the PVM design. HARNESS seeks to remove some of those limitations by taking a totally different approach to creating and modifying a DVM. ©1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Metacomputing; Message-passing library; Distributed application; Distributed virtual machine; PVM 1

The University of the West Indies-Seismic Research Centre Volcano Monitoring Network: Evolution since 1953 and Challenges in Maintaining a State-of-the-Art Network in a Small Island Economy

The Seismic Research Centre (SRC), formerly known as the Seismic Research Unit (SRU), of the University of the West Indies is located on the island of Trinidad in the Eastern Caribbean. The centre has been operating its volcanological and seismological surveillance network since 1953. Since that time, the network has been upgraded five times resulting in five generations of seismic network topologies (i.e., Classes). Class 1 consisted of autonomously operated photographic recording stations, a purely analogue configuration. From Class 2 to Class 5 (current class) the network has continuously grown in scope, sophistication and capability. The evolution of the network was carried out using a combination of state-of-the-art instruments as well as trailing edge technology (e.g., analogue transmission) used in a manner that allows for sustainability. In this way, the network has been able to address the scientific and technical challenges associated with operating in an island arc subduction zone which is exposed to other natural hazards such as hurricanes. To counter its operational constrains the SRC has developed several strategies, which contribute to: (i) expand the network to meet the demand for more timely and accurate surveillance of geohazards, (ii) broaden the range of monitoring techniques (e.g., cGPS, geochemical), (iii) capture research grade scientific data and (iv) reduce operational costs