PWIDB: A framework for learning to classify imbalanced data streams with incremental data re-balancing technique

The performance of classification algorithms with highly imbalanced streaming data depends upon efficient balancing strategy. Some techniques of balancing strategy have been applied using static batch data to resolve the class imbalance problem, which is difficult if applied for massive data streams. In this paper, a new Piece-Wise Incremental Data re-Balancing (PWIDB) framework is proposed. The PWIDB framework combines automated balancing techniques using Racing Algorithm (RA) and incremental rebalancing technique. RA is an active learning approach capable of classifying imbalanced data and can provide a way to select an appropriate re-balancing technique with imbalanced data. In this paper, we have extended the capability of RA for handling imbalanced data streams in the proposed PWIDB framework. The PWIDB accumulates previous knowledge with increments of re-balanced data and captures the concept of the imbalanced instances. The PWIDB is an incremental streaming batch framework, which is suitable for learning with streaming imbalanced data. We compared the performance of PWIDB with a well-known FLORA technique. Experimental results show that the PWIDB framework exhibits an improved and stable performance compared to FLORA and accumulative re-balancing techniques

Determinants of first-time utilization of long-term care services in the Netherlands:An observational record linkage study

Background: Since in an ageing society more long-term care (LTC) facilities are needed, it is important to understand the main determinants of first-time utilization of (LTC) services. Methods: The Andersen service model, which distinguishes predisposing, enabling and need factors, was used to develop a model for first-time utilization of LTC services among the general population of the Netherlands. We used data on 214,821 persons registered in a database of general practitioners (NIVEL Primary Care Database). For each person the medical history was known, as well as characteristics such as ethnicity, income, home-ownership, and marital status. Utilization data from the national register on long-term care was linked at a personal level. Generalized Linear Models were used to determine the relative importance of factors of incident LTC-service utilization. Results: Top 5 determinants of LTC are need, measured as the presence of chronic diseases, age, household size, household income and homeownership. When controlling for all other determinants, the presence of an additional chronic disease increases the probability of utilizing any LTC service by 45% among the 20+ population (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.41–1.49), and 31% among the 65+ population (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.27–1.36). With respect to the 20+ population, living in social rent (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 2.25–2.67, ref. = home-owner) had a large impact on utilizing any LTC service. In a lesser degree this was the case for living alone (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.52–1.75, ref. = not living alone). A higher household income was linked with a lower utilization of any LTC service. Conclusions: All three factors of the Anderson model, predisposing, enabling, and need determinants influence the likelihood of future LTC service utilization. This implies that none of these factors can be left out of the analysis of what determines this use. New in our analysis is the focus on incident utilization. This provides a better estimate of the effects of predictors than a prevalence based analysis, as there is less confounding by changes in determinants occurring after LTC initiation. Especially the need of care is a strong factor. A policy implication of this relative importance of health status is therefore that LTC reforms should take health aspects into account. (aut. ref.

Vacuum fused deposition modelling system to improve tensile strength of 3D printed parts

Functional parts require high a level of strength and the current Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) cannot be fully utilized as the end used parts. The poor mechanical strength is caused by the incomplete layer bonding during the printing process. In the printing process, the interlayer bonding is made too quick thus the layers are not fully fused together causing the reduced tensile strength. This paper presents a possible solution to this problem by incorporating vacuum technology in FDM system to improve tensile strength of 3D printed specimens. In this study, a desktop FDM machine was placed and operated inside a low pressure vacuum chamber. The results obtained show an improvement of 12.83 % of tensile strength compared to the standard specimen. This paper concludes that the low pressure environment is useful in reducing the heat loss due to convection of air, hence directly improves the specimen’s tensile strength.Keywords: additive manufacturing; fused deposition modelling; vacuum system; mechanical strength

State permutations from manipulation of near level-crossings

We discuss some systematic methods for implementing state manipulations in systems formally similar to chains of a few spins with nearest-neighbor interactions, arranged such that there are strong and weak scales of coupling links. States are permuted by means of bias potentials applied to a few selected sites. This generic structure is then related to an atoms-in-a-cavity model that has been proposed in the literature as a way of achieving a decoherence free subspace. A new method using adiabatically varying laser detuning to implement a CNOT gate in this model is proposed.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Substantial revision and extension of the introduction and the atoms-in-a-cavity section

Immunotoxin Against a Donor MHC Class II Molecule Induces Indefinite Survival of Murine Kidney Allografts

Rejection of donor organs depends on the trafficking of donor passenger leukocytes to the secondary lymphoid organs of the recipient to elicit an immune response via the direct antigen presentation pathway. Therefore, the depletion of passenger leukocytes may be clinically applicable as a strategy to improve graft survival. Because major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II(+) cells are most efficient at inducing immune responses, selective depletion of this population from donor grafts may dampen the alloimmune response and prolong graft survival. In a fully MHC mismatched mouse kidney allograft model, we describe the synthesis of an immunotoxin, consisting of the F(ab′)(2) fragment of a monoclonal antibody against the donor MHC class II molecule I‐A(k) conjugated with the plant‐derived ribosomal inactivating protein gelonin. This anti–I‐A(k) gelonin immunotoxin depletes I‐A(k) expressing cells specifically in vitro and in vivo. When given to recipients of kidney allografts, it resulted in indefinite graft survival with normal graft function, presence of Foxp3(+) cells within donor grafts, diminished donor‐specific antibody formation, and delayed rejection of subsequent donor‐type skin grafts. Strategies aimed at the donor arm of the immune system using agents such as immunotoxins may be a useful adjuvant to existing recipient‐orientated immunosuppression

Three-body decay of the d* dibaryon

Under certain circumstances, a three-body decay width can be approximated by an integral involving a product of two off-shell two-body decay widths. This ``angle-average'' approximation is used to calculate the $\pi NN$ decay width of the $d^*(J^\pi=3^+, T=0)$ dibaryon in a simple $\Delta^2$ model for the most important Feynman diagrams describing pion emissions with baryon-baryon recoil and meson retardation. The decay width is found to be about 0.006 (0.07, 0.5) MeV at the $d^*$ mass of 2065 (2100, 2150) MeV for input dynamics derived from the Full Bonn potential. The smallness of this width is qualitatively understood as the result of the three-body decay being ``third forbidden''. The concept of $\ell$ forbiddenness and the threshold behavior of a three-body decay are further studied in connection with the $\pi NN$ decay of the dibaryon $d'(J^\pi=0^-, T=0 or 2)$ where the idea of unfavorness has to be introduced. The implications of these results are briefly discussed.Comment: 15 pages, RevTeX, two-column journal style, six figure

Crack paths under mixed mode loading

Long fatigue cracks that initially experience mixed mode displacements usually change direction in response to cyclic elastic stresses. Eventually the cracks tend to orient themselves into a pure mode I condition, but the path that they take can be complex and chaotic. In this paper, we report on recent developments in techniques for tracking the crack path as it grows and evaluating the strength of the mixed mode crack tip stress field

Emission of thermal photons and the equilibration time in Heavy-Ion collisions

The emission of hard real photons from thermalized expanding hadronic matter is dominated by the initial high-temperature expansion phase. Therefore, a measurement of photon emission in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions provides valuable insights into the early conditions realized in such a collision. In particular, the initial temperature of the expanding fireball or equivalently the equilibration time of the strongly interacting matter are of great interest. An accurate determination of these quantities could help to answer the question whether or not partonic matter (the quark gluon plasma) is created in such collisions. In this work, we investigate the emission of real photons using a model which is based on the thermodynamics of QCD matter and which has been shown to reproduce a large variety of other observables. With the fireball evolution fixed beforehand, we are able to extract limits for the equilibration time by a comparison with photon emission data measured by WA98.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication at Phys. Rev.

Effective action approach and Carlson-Goldman mode in d-wave superconductors

We theoretically investigate the Carlson-Goldman (CG) mode in two-dimensional clean d-wave superconductors using the effective ``phase only'' action formalism. In conventional s-wave superconductors, it is known that the CG mode is observed as a peak in the structure factor of the pair susceptibility $S(\Omega, \mathbf{K})$ only just below the transition temperature T_c and only in dirty systems. On the other hand, our analytical results support the statement by Y.Ohashi and S.Takada, Phys.Rev.B {\bf 62}, 5971 (2000) that in d-wave superconductors the CG mode can exist in clean systems down to the much lower temperatures, $T \approx 0.1 T_c$. We also consider the manifestations of the CG mode in the density-density and current-current correlators and discuss the gauge independence of the obtained results.Comment: 23 pages, RevTeX4, 12 EPS figures; final version to appear in PR

Generation of entangled states and error protection from adiabatic avoided level crossings

We consider the environment-affected dynamics of $N$ self-interacting particles living in one-dimensional double wells. Two topics are dealt with. First, we consider the production of entangled states of two-level systems. We show that by adiabatically varying the well biases we may dynamically generate maximally entangled states, starting from initially unentangled product states. Entanglement degradation due to a common type of environmental influence is then computed by solving a master equation. However, we also demonstrate that entanglement production is unaffected if the system-environment coupling is of the type that induces ``motional narrowing''. As our second but related topic, we construct a different master equation that seamlessly merges error protection/detection dynamics for quantum information with the environmental couplings responsible for producing the errors in the first place. Adiabatic avoided crossing schemes are used in both topics.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. Minor changes. To appear in Phys. Rev.