Teaching Compositionality to CNNs

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown great success in computer vision, approaching human-level performance when trained for specific tasks via application-specific loss functions. In this paper, we propose a method for augmenting and training CNNs so that their learned features are compositional. It encourages networks to form representations that disentangle objects from their surroundings and from each other, thereby promoting better generalization. Our method is agnostic to the specific details of the underlying CNN to which it is applied and can in principle be used with any CNN. As we show in our experiments, the learned representations lead to feature activations that are more localized and improve performance over non-compositional baselines in object recognition tasks.Comment: Preprint appearing in CVPR 201

Maple Leaf Rag / music by Scott Joplin; words by Scott Joplin

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/sharris_b/1034/thumbnail.jp

Liquefaction Analysis of Lower San Fernando Darn Using Strength Ratios

Olson (2000) evaluated 33 liquefaction flow failure case histories to assess the yield strength ratio and liquefied strength ratio mobilized during the failures. Using back-analysis procedures developed by Olson (2000), yield and liquefied shear strengths are shown to be proportional to the pre-failure vertical effective stress and are related to standard and cone penetration resistances. This paper examines the triggering of liquefaction and subsequent flow failure of Lower San Fernando Dam using yield and liquefied strength ratios. The yield strength ratio is used to correctly predict the occurrence of liquefaction in the upstream hydraulic fill of the dam, and the liquefied shear strength ratio is used to correctly predict the subsequent flow failure of the upstream slope. The relationships for the yield and liquefied ratios are presented, and their application to existing or new structures is illustrated using the Lower San Fernando Dam case history

PORTFOLIOS OF AGRICULTURAL MARKET ADVISORY SERVICES: HOW MUCH DIVERSIFICATION IS ENOUGH?

Agricultural market advisory services offer specific advice to farmers on how to market their commodities. Farmers can subscribe to one or more of these services and follow their advice as a way of managing price risk. According to portfolio theory, a combination of these services may have risk/return benefits compared to individual services. This report analyzes the potential risk reduction gains from naïve diversification among market advisory services for corn and soybeans. Results show that increasing the number of (equal-weighting) services reduces portfolio expected risk, but the marginal decrease in risk from adding a new service decreases rapidly with portfolio size. The risk reduction benefits of naïve diversification among advisory services is relatively small compared to the results obtained in previous studies for stock portfolios, and this is mainly because advisory prices, on average, are highly correlated. A one service portfolio has only a 20%, 16% and 32% higher expected standard deviation than the minimum risk naïve portfolio for corn, soybeans and 50/50 revenue, respectively. Most risk reduction benefits are achieved with small portfolios. For instance, a four service portfolio has only 5%, 4% and 9% higher expected standard deviation than the minimum risk naïve portfolio for corn, soybeans and 50/50 revenue, respectively. Based on these results, there does not appear to be strong justification for farmers adopting portfolios with a large number of advisory services. Farmers may well choose portfolios with as few as two or three programs, since the relatively high total subscription costs associated with larger portfolios can be avoided while obtaining most of the benefits from diversification.Marketing,

Preventing pain on injection of propofol: A comparison between lignocaine pre-treatment and lignocaine added to propofol

Publisher's copy made available with the permission of the publisherA randomized double-blind study compared two methods of preventing the pain from injection of propofol, lignocaine pre-treatment followed by propofol and lignocaine added to propofol. One hundred patients received a 4 ml solution intravenously with a venous tourniquet for 1 minute, followed by propofol mixed with 2 ml of solution. Patients were divided into two treatment groups of 50 patients each: 4 ml 1% lignocaine pre-treatment followed by propofol and 2 ml saline, or 4 ml saline followed by propofol and 2 ml 2% lignocaine. Pain was assessed with a 100 mm visual analogue scale after induction and in recovery. The incidence of injection pain was 8% in the propofol mixed with lignocaine group, and 28% in the lignocaine pre-treatment group. This difference is statistically significant (P=0.017). For those patients who had pain, the mean pain score was 26.5 on induction for the propofol with lignocaine group (n=4), while the mean score was 44.4 for the pre-treatment group (n=13). The difference was not statistically significant (P=0.25). None of the propofol mixed with lignocaine group recalled pain, while 13 of the pre-treatment group did so. Lignocaine pre-treatment does not improve the immediate or the recalled comfort of patients during propofol induction when compared to lignocaine added to propofol. It is recommended that lignocaine should be added to propofol for induction rather than given before induction.P. Lee, W. J. Russellhttp://www.aaic.net.au/Article.asp?D=200339

Shifting new media: from content to consultancy, from heterarchy to hierarchy

This is a detailed case history of one of London’s iconic new media companies, AMX Studios. Some of the changes in this firm, we assume, are not untypical for other firms in this sector. Particularly we want to draw attention to two transformations. The first change in AMX and in London’s new media industry more generally refers to the field of industrial relations. What can be observed is a shift from a rather heterarchical towards a more hierarchical organized new media industry, a shift from short-term project networks to long-term client dependency. The second change refers to new media products and services. We want to argue for a shift from cool content production towards consultancy and interactive communications solutions

Multi-Level Effects of Low Dose Rate Ionizing Radiation on Southern Toad, \u3cem\u3eAnaxyrus [Bufo] terrestris\u3c/em\u3e

Despite their potential vulnerability to contaminants from exposure at multiple life stages, amphibians are one of the least studied groups of vertebrates in ecotoxicology, and research on radiation effects in amphibians is scarce. We used multiple endpoints to assess the radiosensitivity of the southern toad (Anaxyrus [Bufo] terrestris) during its pre-terrestrial stages of development -embryonic, larval, and metamorphic. Toads were exposed, from several hours after oviposition through metamorphosis (up to 77 days later), to four low dose rates of 137Cs at 0.13, 2.4, 21, and 222 mGy d-1, resulting in total doses up to 15.8 Gy. Radiation treatments did not affect hatching success of embryos, larval survival, or the length of the larval period. The individual family variation in hatching success of embryos was larger than the radiation response. In contrast, newly metamorphosed individuals from the higher dose-rate treatments had higher mass and mass/length body indices, a measure which may relate to higher post-metamorphic survival. The increased mass and index at higher dose rates may indicate that the chronic, low dose rate radiation exposures triggered secondary responses. Additionally, the increases in growth were linked to a decrease in DNA damage (as measured by the Comet Assay) in red blood cells at a dose rate of 21 mGy d-1 and a total dose of 1.1 Gy. In conclusion, the complex effects of low dose rates of ionizing radiation may trigger growth and cellular repair mechanisms in amphibian larvae

Technical Data Package Independent Assessment

Symposium PresentationApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Technical Data Package Independent Assessment

Excerpt from the Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Acquisition Research SymposiumThe Program Management Office (PMO) is responsible for the quality and integrity of the data associated with system delivery and performance. When competing a new system or system update, the Program Manager (PM) is required to complete acquisition planning activities for a specific procurement and to develop a well-conceived acquisition strategy. This activity includes developing and validating Technical Data Package (TDP) requirements. Often, the program staff are committed to managing the current system and do not have the resources to fully review and validate the TDP for a major competition. Therefore, the TDP may not represent the best product to industry. A PMO may consider having an outside entity conduct a review of their technical data to assess the readiness and viability of the TDP. An Independent Assessment (IA) may provide significant information for understanding what technical data is available, what data is missing for a competitive solicitation, and what needs to be purchased under a new or follow-on contract. An IA can assist with conducting the first steps in the competitive process of developing requirements and conducting market research. The purpose of an IA is to provide the PMO with additional validation that the TDP is sound for a solicitation and subsequent contract