Efficient duration modelling in the hierarchical hidden semi-Markov models and their applications

Modeling patterns in temporal data has arisen as an important problem in engineering and science. This has led to the popularity of several dynamic models, in particular the renowned hidden Markov model (HMM) [Rabiner, 1989]. Despite its widespread success in many cases, the standard HMM often fails to model more complex data whose elements are correlated hierarchically or over a long period. Such problems are, however, frequently encountered in practice. Existing efforts to overcome this weakness often address either one of these two aspects separately, mainly due to computational intractability. Motivated by this modeling challenge in many real world problems, in particular, for video surveillance and segmentation, this thesis aims to develop tractable probabilistic models that can jointly model duration and hierarchical information in a unified framework. We believe that jointly exploiting statistical strength from both properties will lead to more accurate and robust models for the needed task. To tackle the modeling aspect, we base our work on an intersection between dynamic graphical models and statistics of lifetime modeling. Realizing that the key bottleneck found in the existing works lies in the choice of the distribution for a state, we have successfully integrated the discrete Coxian distribution [Cox, 1955], a special class of phase-type distributions, into the HMM to form a novel and powerful stochastic model termed as the Coxian Hidden Semi-Markov Model (CxHSMM). We show that this model can still be expressed as a dynamic Bayesian network, and inference and learning can be derived analytically.Most importantly, it has four superior features over existing semi-Markov modelling: the parameter space is compact, computation is fast (almost the same as the HMM), close-formed estimation can be derived, and the Coxian is flexible enough to approximate a large class of distributions. Next, we exploit hierarchical decomposition in the data by borrowing analogy from the hierarchical hidden Markov model in [Fine et al., 1998, Bui et al., 2004] and introduce a new type of shallow structured graphical model that combines both duration and hierarchical modelling into a unified framework, termed the Coxian Switching Hidden Semi-Markov Models (CxSHSMM). The top layer is a Markov sequence of switching variables, while the bottom layer is a sequence of concatenated CxHSMMs whose parameters are determined by the switching variable at the top. Again, we provide a thorough analysis along with inference and learning machinery. We also show that semi-Markov models with arbitrary depth structure can easily be developed. In all cases we further address two practical issues: missing observations to unstable tracking and the use of partially labelled data to improve training accuracy. Motivated by real-world problems, our application contribution is a framework to recognize complex activities of daily livings (ADLs) and detect anomalies to provide better intelligent caring services for the elderly.Coarser activities with self duration distributions are represented using the CxHSMM. Complex activities are made of a sequence of coarser activities and represented at the top level in the CxSHSMM. Intensive experiments are conducted to evaluate our solutions against existing methods. In many cases, the superiority of the joint modeling and the Coxian parameterization over traditional methods is confirmed. The robustness of our proposed models is further demonstrated in a series of more challenging experiments, in which the tracking is often lost and activities considerably overlap. Our final contribution is an application of the switching Coxian model to segment education-oriented videos into coherent topical units. Our results again demonstrate such segmentation processes can benefit greatly from the joint modeling of duration and hierarchy

A Deeper Insight into Strain for the Sila-bi[6]prismane (Si\u3csub\u3e18\u3c/sub\u3eH\u3csub\u3e12\u3c/sub\u3e) Cluster with its Endohedrally Trapped Silicon Atom, Si\u3csub\u3e19\u3c/sub\u3eH\u3csub\u3e12\u3c/sub\u3e

A new family of over-coordinated hydrogenated silicon nanoclusters with outstanding optical and mechanical properties has recently been proposed. For one member of this family, namely the highly symmetric Si19H12 nanocrystal, strain calculations have been presented with the goal to question its thermal stability and the underlying mechanism of ultrastability and electron-deficiency aromaticity. Here, the invalidity of these strain energy (SE) calculations is demonstrated mainly based on a fundamentally wrong usage of homodesmotic reactions, the miscounting of atomic bonds, and arithmetic errors. Since the article in question is entirely anchored on those erroneous SE values, all of its conclusions and predictions become without meaning. We provide evidence here that the nanocrystal in question suffers from such low levels of strain that its thermodynamical stability should be largely sufficient for device fabrication in a realistic plasma reactor. Most remarkably, the two “alternative,” irregular isomers explicitly proposed in the aforementioned article are also electron-deficient, nontetrahedral, ultrastable, and aromatic nicely underlining the universality of the ultrastability concept for nanometric hydrogenated silicon clusters. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Floquet stroboscopic divisibility in non-Markovian dynamics

We provide a general discussion of the Liouvillian spectrum for a system coupled to a non-Markovian bath using Floquet theory. This approach is suitable when the system is described by a time-convolutionless master equation with time-periodic rates. Surprisingly, the periodic nature of rates allow us to have a stroboscopic divisible dynamical map at discrete times, which we refer to as Floquet stroboscopic divisibility. We illustrate the general theory for a Schr\"odinger cat which is roaming inside a non-Markovian bath, and demonstrate the appearance of stroboscopic revival of the cat at later time after its death. Our theory may have profound implications in entropy production in non-equilibrium systems.Comment: We changed the title and explained in more detail the definition of non-Markovian dynamics used in the manuscrip

私の見たアメリカ合衆國(昭和五年十一月小樽市教育會主催講演會講演)

説

Heat Stress Affects Seed Set and Grain Quality of Vietnamese Rice Cultivars during Heading and Grain Filling Period

Environmental stress trigger a variety of rice plant response, ranging from alters seed set, grain yield and grain quality during flowering and grain filling stage.  Efforts are required to improve our understanding of the impact of heat stress on rice production, which are essential strategies in rice cultivation. This article investigated the seed set, yield components and grain yield of Vietnamese rice cultivars (Indica germplasm) under high temperature environment during the flowering and grain filling stage. Six rice cultivars, including popular cultivars and new cultivars of Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, and one popular extraneous cultivar with differences in maturing time, were grown in pots at high temperature (HT) and natural temperature condition as control (CT). All rice cultivars were subjected to the high temperature starting from the heading stage to the harvest maturity, applied by greenhouse effect. The greenhouse has about 25 cm window opening on 3 sides for air ventilation. The seed set rate of the heat-sensitive rice genotypes decreased significantly under HT, leading to a significant reduction in grain yield. The lowest seed set was recorded in “OM4900” (44.3%) and “OM18” (39.9%) under high temperature environment. The lower yield in all rice cultivars at an elevated temperature resulted in a dramatic decrease of filled grains and contributed to a loss of 1000-grain weight. ‘“OM892” is a potential rice cultivar for heat tolerant breeding program due to the seed set percentage was above 80% in both HT and CT conditions. High temperature during the grain filling stage resulted in a decreased amylose and increased chalkiness for all OM cultivars

Grain size limits derived from 3.6 {\mu}m and 4.5 {\mu}m coreshine

Recently discovered scattered light from molecular cloud cores in the wavelength range 3-5 {\mu}m (called "coreshine") seems to indicate the presence of grains with sizes above 0.5 {\mu}m. We aim to analyze 3.6 and 4.5 {\mu}m coreshine from molecular cloud cores to probe the largest grains in the size distribution. We analyzed dedicated deep Cycle 9 Spitzer IRAC observations in the 3.6 and 4.5 {\mu}m bands for a sample of 10 low-mass cores. We used a new modeling approach based on a combination of ratios of the two background- and foreground-subtracted surface brightnesses and observed limits of the optical depth. The dust grains were modeled as ice-coated silicate and carbonaceous spheres. We discuss the impact of local radiation fields with a spectral slope differing from what is seen in the DIRBE allsky maps. For the cores L260, ecc806, L1262, L1517A, L1512, and L1544, the model reproduces the data with maximum grain sizes around 0.9, 0.5, 0.65, 1.5, 0.6, and > 1.5 {\mu}m, respectively. The maximum coreshine intensities of L1506C, L1439, and L1498 in the individual bands require smaller maximum grain sizes than derived from the observed distribution of band ratios. Additional isotropic local radiation fields with a spectral shape differing from the DIRBE map shape do not remove this discrepancy. In the case of Rho Oph 9, we were unable to reliably disentangle the coreshine emission from background variations and the strong local PAH emission. Considering surface brightness ratios in the 3.6 and 4.5 {\mu}m bands across a molecular cloud core is an effective method of disentangling the complex interplay of structure and opacities when used in combination with observed limits of the optical depth.Comment: 23 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The empirical evaluation of thermal conduction coefficient of some liquid composite heat insulating materials

We experimentally determined the coefficients of thermal conductivity of some ultra thin liquid composite heat insulating coatings, for sample 1 [lambda]=0.086 W/(m [x] C), for sample 2 [lambda]= 0.091 W/(m [x] C). We performed the measurement error calculation. The actual thermal conduction coefficient of the studied samples was higher than the declared one. The manufactures of liquid coatings might have used some "ideal" conditions when defining heat conductivity in the laboratory or the coefficient was obtained by means of theoretical solution of heat conduction problem in liquid composite insulating media. However, liquid insulating coatings are of great interest to builders, because they allow to warm objects of complex geometric shapes (valve chambers, complex assemblies, etc.), which makes them virtually irreplaceable. The proper accounting of heating qualities of paints will allow to avoid heat loss increase above the specified limits in insulated pipes with heat transfer materials or building structures, as well as protect them from possible thawing in the period of subzero weather

First-principles study on the structural and electronic properties of single-layer MoSi2N4

Motivated by the successful exfoliation of a novel two-dimensional MoSi2N4 materials, in this work, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of a novel single-layer MoSi2N4 and the effect of strain engineering by using the first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory. The single-layer MoSi2N4 has a hexagonal structure with a space group of P6m1, which is dynamically stable. The material exhibits a semiconducting characteristic with an indirect band gap of 1.80/2.36 eV calculated by using the PBE/HSE functional. The conduction band minimum at the K point of the material originates from the Mo atom, while its valence band maximum at the G point is contributed by the hybridization between the Mo and N atoms. The electronic properties of the single-layer MoSi2N4 can be modulated with strain engineering, giving rise to a transition from a semiconductor to a metal and tending to a change in the band gap. Our results demonstrate that the single-layer MoSi2N4 is a promising candidate for electronic and optoelectronic applications