Comment: Monitoring Networked Applications With Incremental Quantile Estimation

Our comments are in two parts. First, we make some observations regarding the methodology in Chambers et al. [arXiv:0708.0302]. Second, we briefly describe another interesting network monitoring problem that arises in the context of assessing quality of service, such as loss rates and delay distributions, in packet-switched networks.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/088342306000000600 in the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

SOME FORENSIC ASPECTS OF BALLISTIC IMAGING

Analysis of ballistics evidence (spent cartridge casings and bullets) has been a staple of forensic criminal investigation for almost a century. Computer-assisted databases of images of ballistics evidence have been used since the mid-1980s to help search for potential matches between pieces of evidence. In this article, we draw on the 2008 National Research Council Report Ballistic Imaging to assess the state of ballistic imaging technology. In particular, we discuss the feasibility of creating a national reference ballistic imaging database (RBID) from test-fires of all newly manufactured or imported firearms. A national RBID might aid in using crime scene ballistic evidence to generate investigative leads to a crime gun’s point of sale. We conclude that a national RBID is not feasible at this time, primarily because existing imaging methodologies have insufficient discriminatory power. We also examine the emerging technology of micro- stamping for forensic identification purposes: etching a known identifier on firearm or ammunition parts so that they can be directly read and recovered from crime scene evidence. Microstamping could provide a stronger basis for identification based on ballistic evidence than the status quo, but substantial further research is needed to thoroughly assess its practical viability

Changes in the total protein, carbohydtate and lipid contents in selected tissues of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. under the influence of a juvenoid R394

Η νεανική ορμόνη R394 (ethyl 9-cyclohexyl-3,7-dimethyl-2,4-nonadienoate) εφαρμόστηκε τοπικά σε προνύμφες 5Π" σταδίου του μεταξοσκώληκα Bombyx mori L. (υβρίδιο: ΚΑ χ NB4D2) σε δόση 0,039η1/προνύμφη vta 24, 48, 72 και 96 ώρες, για την βελτίωση της παραγωγής μεταξιού. Επιλέχθηκαν τρεις κύριοι ιστοί, ο οπίσθιος μεταξογόνος αδένας (PSG). η αιμολέμφος και το λιπώδες σώμα, οι οποίοι συλλέχθηκαν από πλήρως αναπτυγμένες προ νύμφες και υπολογίστηκε η περιεκτικότητα τους σε ολικές πρωτεΐνες, ολίκούς υδατάνθρακες Kar ολικά λιπίδια. Το αποτέλεσμα έδειξε ότι η περιεκτικότητα των κύριων μεταβολιτών διέφερε σημαντικά στους παραπάνω ιστούς, ανάλογα με τον χρόνο εφαρμογής της νεανικής ορμόνης. Η υψηλότερη περιεκτικότητα σε πρωτεΐνες παρατηρήθηκε στην αιμολεμφο και το μεταξογόνο αδένα των προνυμφών που δέχτηκαν την επέμβαση για 72 ώρες, ενώ η περιεκτικότητα σε πρωτεΐνες του λιπώδους σώματος ήταν η μικρότερη στην ίδια μεταχείριση. Η χαμηλότερη ολική περιεκτικότητα σε υδατάνθρακες καταγράφηκε στις προνύμφες ποι> δέχτηκαν την επέμβαση για 72 ώρες, ενώ η υψηλότερη στον μάρτυρα τόσο στην αιμολεμφο όσο και στο λιπώδες σώμα, χωρίς να παρατηρείται σημαντική μεταβολή στον μεταξογόνο αδένα. Η ολική περιεκτικότητα σε λιπίδια δεν εμφάνισε αξιοσημείωτη παραλλακτικότητα κατά την εφαρμογή της νεανικής ορμόνης, με εξαίρεση τον μεταξογόνο αδένα σε προνύμφες που δέχτηκαν την επέμβαση για μέχρι 72 ώρες, όπου παρατηρήθηκε μείωση. Το αποτέλεσμα υποδηλώνει ότι η νεανική ορμόνη προκαλεί εξειδικευμένες για κάθε ιστό αντιδράσεις από άποψη μεταβολής της περιεκτικότητας σε κύριους μεταβολίτες, η οποία είναι ανάλογη με τις αντίστοιχες μεταβολές που παρατηρήθηκαν στο βάρος του βομβυκίου και το βάρος του κελύφους του βομβυκίου.A juvenoid. R394 (Ethyl 9-cyclohexyl-3,7-dimethyl-2,4-nonadienoate) was applied topically to 5th instar silkworm, Bombyx mori L. larvae (Hybrid: KA x NB4D2) at a dose of 0.039 nl/larva at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, for silk yield improvement. Three major selected tissues viz., posterior silk gland (PSG), haemolymph and fat body were collected from fully-grown larvae and the total protein, total carbohydrate and total lipid contents were estimated following standard procedures. The result indicated that the content of these primary metabolites varied significantly in the selected tissues depending on the time of juvenoid application. The highest protein content was observed in the haemolymph and silk gland in the larvae treated at 72 h whereas the fat body protein content was lowest for the same treatment. The total carbohydrate was recorded lowest in the 72 h treated larvae as against the highest in the control both in haemolymph and fat body with no significant change in PSG. The total lipid content did not show any notable variation in the concentration on juvenoid administration except in the silk gland treated up to 72 h which showed a decline. The results indicate that the juvenoid induces tissue-specific responses in terms of turnover in primary metabolites which commensurates with the corresponding changes observed in the cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight

Data Quality Management: Trade-offs in Data Characteristics to Maintain Data Quality

We are living in an age of information in which organizations are crumbling under the pressure of exponentially growing data. Increased data quality ensures better decision making, thereby enabling companies to stay competitive in the market. To improve data quality, it is imperative to identify all the characteristics that describe data. And, building on one characteristic results in compromising another, creating a trade-off. There are many well established and interesting theories regarding data quality and data characteristics. However, we found that there is a lack of research and literature regarding how trade-offs are handled between the different types of data that is stored by an organization. To understand how organisations deal with trade-offs, we chose a framework formulated by Eppler, where various data characteristics trade-offs are discussed. After a pre-study with experts in this field, we narrowed it down to three main data characteristic trade-offs and these were further analysed through interviews. Based on the interviews conducted and the literature review, we could prioritize data types under different data characteristics. This research gives insight to how data characteristics trade-offs should be accomplished in organizations

Person Identification from Streaming Surveillance Video using Mid-Level Features from Joint Action-Pose Distribution

We propose a real time person identification algorithm for surveillance based scenarios from low-resolution streaming video, based on mid-level features extracted from the joint distribution of various types of human actions and human poses. The proposed algorithm uses the combination of an auto-encoder based action association framework which produces per-frame probability estimates of the action being performed, and a pose recognition framework which gives per-frame body part locations. The main focus in this manuscript is to effectively combine these per-frame action probability estimates and pose trajectories from a short temporal window to obtain mid-level features. We demonstrate that these mid-level features captures the variation in the action performed with respect to an individual and can be used to distinguish one person from the next. Preliminary analysis on the KTH action dataset where each sequence is annotated with a specific person and a specific action is provided and shows some interesting results which verify this concept

Using Model-Based Trees with Boosting to Fit Low-Order Functional ANOVA Models

Low-order functional ANOVA (fANOVA) models have been rediscovered in the machine learning (ML) community under the guise of inherently interpretable machine learning. Explainable Boosting Machines or EBM (Lou et al. 2013) and GAMI-Net (Yang et al. 2021) are two recently proposed ML algorithms for fitting functional main effects and second-order interactions. We propose a new algorithm, called GAMI-Tree, that is similar to EBM, but has a number of features that lead to better performance. It uses model-based trees as base learners and incorporates a new interaction filtering method that is better at capturing the underlying interactions. In addition, our iterative training method converges to a model with better predictive performance, and the embedded purification ensures that interactions are hierarchically orthogonal to main effects. The algorithm does not need extensive tuning, and our implementation is fast and efficient. We use simulated and real datasets to compare the performance and interpretability of GAMI-Tree with EBM and GAMI-Net.Comment: 25 pages plus appendi

Learning about marine cloud brightening: detectability of field experiments, benefits and risks of implementation

The main objectives of the thesis are to learn about the detection of a hypothetical marine cloud brightening (MCB) field experiment and to assess the benefits and risks of an actual implementation using model simulations. The first aim of the thesis is to assess the detectability of MCB from the natural variability of clouds using satellite data. The analysis uses two approaches, i) an analytical method, assessing the radiative forcing by aerosol-cloud interactions for an idealised perturbation of the droplet concentration and ii) a stochastic method, including the radiative forcing and the cloud adjustment effects of perturbing the cloud droplet number concentration. One of the main findings of the study is that in the analytical method, detection of an MCB experiment in the North Pacific region requires longer duration, larger domain and larger intensity of the Nd perturbation than in the South Pacific and the South Atlantic regions. In the Stochastic method, larger domain size as well as longer duration are required for the detection of the hypothetical field experiments compared to the analytical method. We found that increasing the duration of the experiment and intensity of Nd perturbation has more influence in detectability than increasing the domain size. Secondly, we analyse the detection of MCB using ECHAM GCM simulations. Two methods are used for the analysis, i) a temporal method, using temporal reference of nine years for the analysis, and ii) a spatial method, where a surrounding unperturbed regions are used as a reference for the analysis. In the temporal method, the detectability of the MCB experiment over the North Pacific region is most difficult. Our calculations suggest that for an experiment to be cost effective, it is preferable to design an experiment of longer duration with smaller domain sizes as well as less intensity of perturbation of Nd. Finally, we investigate the effectiveness of MCB in alleviating the changes in the mean and extremes for surface air temperature and precipitation. We compare these results with another climate engineering technique, namely stratospheric aerosol injection. The study is based on an existing multi model simulation of three Earth system models. The main conclusion from the study is that the two solar radiation management techniques are rather effective in mitigating the climate change driven increases in the mean and extremes of temperature and precipitation according to the climate simulations. However, the potential to mitigate differs around the globe and seasonally. The strong increases in lower temperature extremes, especially in the Arctic, are not well dampened with the solar radiation management implementation