Two-stage hybrid feature selection algorithms for diagnosing erythemato-squamous diseases

This paper proposes two-stage hybrid feature selection algorithms to build the stable and efficient diagnostic models where a new accuracy measure is introduced to assess the models. The two-stage hybrid algorithms adopt Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a classification tool, and the extended Sequential Forward Search (SFS), Sequential Forward Floating Search (SFFS), and Sequential Backward Floating Search (SBFS), respectively, as search strategies, and the generalized F-score (GF) to evaluate the importance of each feature. The new accuracy measure is used as the criterion to evaluated the performance of a temporary SVM to direct the feature selection algorithms. These hybrid methods combine the advantages of filters and wrappers to select the optimal feature subset from the original feature set to build the stable and efficient classifiers. To get the stable, statistical and optimal classifiers, we conduct 10-fold cross validation experiments in the first stage; then we merge the 10 selected feature subsets of the 10-cross validation experiments, respectively, as the new full feature set to do feature selection in the second stage for each algorithm. We repeat the each hybrid feature selection algorithm in the second stage on the one fold that has got the best result in the first stage. Experimental results show that our proposed two-stage hybrid feature selection algorithms can construct efficient diagnostic models which have got better accuracy than that built by the corresponding hybrid feature selection algorithms without the second stage feature selection procedures. Furthermore our methods have got better classification accuracy when compared with the available algorithms for diagnosing erythemato-squamous diseases

η\eta-meson in nuclear matter

The $\eta$-nucleon ($\eta$N) interactions are deduced from the heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory up to the next-to-leading-order terms. Combining the relativistic mean-field theory for nucleon system, we have studied the in-medium properties of $\eta$-meson. We find that all the elastic scattering $\eta$N interactions come from the next-to-leading-order terms. The $\eta$N sigma term is found to be about 280$\pm$130 MeV. The off-shell terms are also important to the in-medium properties of $\eta$-meson. On application of the latest determination of the $\eta$N scattering length, the ratio of $\eta$-meson effective mass to its vacuum value is near $0.84\pm0.015$, while the optical potential is about $-(83\pm5)$ MeV, at the normal nuclear density.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, to appear in PRC, many modification

Long range scattering effects on spin Hall current in pp-type bulk semiconductors

Employing a nonequilibrium Green's function approach, we examine the effects of long-range hole-impurity scattering on spin-Hall current in $p$-type bulk semiconductors within the framework of the self-consistent Born approximation. We find that, contrary to the null effect of short-range scattering on spin-Hall current, long-range collisions do produce a nonvanishing contribution to the spin-Hall current, which is independent of impurity density in the diffusive regime and relates only to hole states near the Fermi surface. The sign of this contribution is opposite to that of the previously predicted disorder-independent spin-Hall current, leading to a sign change of the total spin-Hall current as hole density varies. Furthermore, we also make clear that the disorder-independent spin-Hall effect is a result of an interband polarization directly induced by the dc electric field with contributions from all hole states in the Fermi sea.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Vertical distributions of non-methane hydrocarbons and halocarbons in the lower troposphere over northeast China

Vertical distributions of air pollutants are crucial for understanding the key processes of atmospheric transport and for evaluating chemical transport models. In this paper, we present measurements of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and halocarbons obtained from an intensive aircraft study over northeast (NE) China in summer 2007. Most compounds exhibited a typical negative profile of decreasing mixing ratios with increasing altitude, although the gradients differed with different species. Three regional plumes with enhanced VOC mixing ratios were discerned and characterized. An aged plume transported from the northern part of the densely populated North China Plain (NCP; i.e. Beijing-Tianjin area) showed relatively higher levels of HCFC-22, 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) and toluene. In comparison, the plume originating from Korea had higher abundances of CFC-12, tetrachloroethene (C2Cl4) and methyl chloride (CH3Cl), while regional air masses from NE China contained more abundant light alkanes. By comparing these results with the earlier PEM-West B (1994) and TRACE-P (2001) aircraft measurements, continuing declining trends were derived for methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3), tetrachloromethane (CCl4) and C2Cl4 over the greater China-northwestern Pacific region, indicating the accomplishment of China in reducing these compounds under the Montreal protocol. However, the study also provided evidence for the continuing emissions of several halocarbons in China in 2007, such as CFCs (mainly from materials in stock) and HCFCs. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd

A climatology of the F-layer equivalent winds derived from ionosonde measurements over two decades along the 120°-150°E sector

International audienceThe vertical equivalent winds (VEWs) at the F-layer are analyzed along the 120°-150°E longitude sector with an emphasis on their latitudinal dependence. The VEWs are derived from the monthly median data of fourteen ionosonde stations over two decades. The results show that the VEWs have considerable dependences on the magnetic latitude with an approximate symmetry about the magnetic equator. They are mostly controlled by the electric field drifts in the magnetic equatorial region, and shift to be mostly contributed by neutral winds at mid-latitudes. The relative contribution of the two dynamic factors is regulated by the magnetic dip in addition to their own magnitudes. The VEWs generally have opposite directions and different magnitudes between lower and higher latitudes. At solar minimum, the magnitudes of VEWs are only between -20 and 20m/s at lower latitudes, while at higher latitudes they tend to increase with latitudes, typically having magnitudes between 20-40m/s. At solar maximum, the VEWs are reduced by about 10-20m/s in magnitudes during some local times at higher latitudes. A tidal analysis reveals that the relative importance of major tidal components is also different between lower and higher latitudes. The VEWs also depend on local time, season and solar activity. At higher latitudes, the nighttime VEWs have larger magnitude during post-midnight hours and so do the daytime ones before midday. The VEWs tend to have an inverse relationship with solar activity not only at night, but also by day, which is different from the meridional winds predicted by the HWM93 model. The latitudinal dependence of VEWs has two prevailing trends: one is a maximum at the highest latitudes (as far as the latitudes concerned in the present work); the other is a mid-latitude maximum. These two latitudinal trends are mostly dependent on season, while they depend relatively weakly on local time and solar activity. The latitudinal gradients of VEWs also show a tendency of a mid-latitude maximum, except that there are much stronger latitudinal gradients at southern higher mid-latitudes in some seasons. The gradients during daytime are much smaller at solar maximum than minimum, whereas they are generally comparable at night under both solar activity levels

A new approach to the derivation of dynamic information from ionosonde measurements

International audienceA new approach is developed to derive dynamic information near the peak of the ionospheric F-layer from ionosonde measurements. This approach avoids deducing equivalent winds from the displacement of the observed peak height from a no-wind equilibrium height, so it need not determine the no-wind equilibrium height which may limit the accuracy of the deduced winds, as did the traditional servo theory. This approach is preliminarily validated with comparisons of deduced equivalent winds with the measurements from the Fabry-Perot interferometer, the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and with previous works. Examples of vertical components of equivalent winds (VEWs), over Wuhan (114.4° E, 30.6° N, 45.2° dip), China in December 2000 are derived from Wuhan DGS-256 Digisonde data. The deduced VEWs show large day-to-day variations during the winter, even in low magnetic activity conditions. The diurnal pattern of average VEWs is more complicated than that predicted by the empirical Horizontal Wind Model (HWM). Using an empirical electric field model based on the observations from Jicamarca radar and satellites, we investigate the contributions to VEWs from neutral winds and from electric fields at the F-layer peak. If the electric field model is reasonable for Wuhan during this period, the neutral winds contribute mostly to the VEWs, and the contribution from the E × B drifts is insignificant

Preparation and application of nano-TiO2 catalyst in dye electrochemical treatment

This paper reports results of an investigation into the removal of ARB (Acid Red B) dye in an electrochemical oxidation reactor with semi-conductor suspended in the electrolyte. TiO2 nano-powders spiked with various elements, including Si, Co, Zn, La, Ag, Ce, W and Bi, were prepared by sol-gel method to improve colour removal efficiency. Through the L16(44) orthogonal experiment, the optimised preparation conditions of nano-TiO2 catalyst were obtained, namely prepared at 400ºC and spiked with 10% Co(in molar ratio). The XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis indicated that TiO2 prepared at 400ºC occurred predominantly in the anatase crystalline form and the particle size was below 20 nm. The BET (Brunauer, Emmet and Teller) surface area was 69.2m2/g. The decolourisation efficiency using Co (10%)/TiO2 as catalyst was 33.1% and increased by 5.7% (about 1.21 times) compared with the colour removal without catalyst. The DRS (diffuse reflectance spectroscopy) demonstrated that the improvement of colour removal of Co(10%)/TiO2 compared with pure TiO2 was probably due to its better light absorption and photocatalytic activity in the visible region. Water SA Vol. 32(2) 2006: pp.205-21