Performing edge detection by difference of Gaussians using q-Gaussian kernels

In image processing, edge detection is a valuable tool to perform the extraction of features from an image. This detection reduces the amount of information to be processed, since the redundant information (considered less relevant) can be unconsidered. The technique of edge detection consists of determining the points of a digital image whose intensity changes sharply. This changes are due to the discontinuities of the orientation on a surface for example. A well known method of edge detection is the Difference of Gaussians (DoG). The method consists of subtracting two Gaussians, where a kernel has a standard deviation smaller than the previous one. The convolution between the subtraction of kernels and the input image results in the edge detection of this image. This paper introduces a method of extracting edges using DoG with kernels based on the q-Gaussian probability distribution, derived from the q-statistic proposed by Constantino Tsallis. To demonstrate the method's potential, we compare the introduced method with the traditional DoG using Gaussians kernels. The results showed that the proposed method can extract edges with more accurate details.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, IC-MSQUARE 201

Effect of wood aging on wine mineral composition and 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratio

The evolution of mineral composition and wine strontium isotopic ratio 87Sr/86Sr (Sr IR) during wood aging were investigated. A red wine was aged in stainless steel tanks with French oak staves (Quercus sessiliflora Salisb.), with three industrial scale replicates. Sampling was carried out after 30, 60, and 90 days of aging, and the wines were evaluated in terms of general analysis, phenolic composition, total polysaccharides, multielement composition, and Sr IR. Li, Be, Mg, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Mo, Sb, Cs, Ba, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Lu, Tl, and Pb elements and 87Sr/86Sr were determined by quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS) and Na, K, Ca, and Fe by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Two-way ANOVA was applied to assess wood aging and time effect on Sr IR and mineral composition. Wood aging resulted in significantly higher concentrations of Mg, V, Co, Ni, and Sr. At the end of the aging period, wine exhibited statistically identical Sr IR compared to control. Study suggests that wood aging does not affect 87Sr/86Sr, not precluding the use of this parameter for wine traceability purposesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Behavior Alignment via Reward Function Optimization

Designing reward functions for efficiently guiding reinforcement learning (RL) agents toward specific behaviors is a complex task. This is challenging since it requires the identification of reward structures that are not sparse and that avoid inadvertently inducing undesirable behaviors. Naively modifying the reward structure to offer denser and more frequent feedback can lead to unintended outcomes and promote behaviors that are not aligned with the designer's intended goal. Although potential-based reward shaping is often suggested as a remedy, we systematically investigate settings where deploying it often significantly impairs performance. To address these issues, we introduce a new framework that uses a bi-level objective to learn \emph{behavior alignment reward functions}. These functions integrate auxiliary rewards reflecting a designer's heuristics and domain knowledge with the environment's primary rewards. Our approach automatically determines the most effective way to blend these types of feedback, thereby enhancing robustness against heuristic reward misspecification. Remarkably, it can also adapt an agent's policy optimization process to mitigate suboptimalities resulting from limitations and biases inherent in the underlying RL algorithms. We evaluate our method's efficacy on a diverse set of tasks, from small-scale experiments to high-dimensional control challenges. We investigate heuristic auxiliary rewards of varying quality -- some of which are beneficial and others detrimental to the learning process. Our results show that our framework offers a robust and principled way to integrate designer-specified heuristics. It not only addresses key shortcomings of existing approaches but also consistently leads to high-performing solutions, even when given misaligned or poorly-specified auxiliary reward functions.Comment: (Spotlight) Thirty-seventh Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2023

Influence of physical exercise and sodium intake on arterial pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in rats

Há evidências de que a hipertrofia cardíaca (HC) seja um fator de risco para várias doenças cardiovasculares. Uma variedade de estímulos pode levar à HC, entre os quais estão condições que gerem sobrecarga de volume ou pressão, como o exercício físico e a dieta rica em cloreto de sódio (NaCl). Com o objetivo de verificar a possibilidade de o exercício físico e a ingestão de dieta rica em NaCl influenciarem na pressão arterial e trofismo miocárdico, realizou-se o presente estudo. Foram utilizados 36 ratos Holtzman, do sexo feminino, pesando entre 200 e 300 gramas, e divididos nos seguintes grupos (n=6): Grupo I (dieta com água sem NaCl), Grupo II (dieta com água sem NaCl), Grupo III (dieta com solução de NaCl a 2,5%), Grupo IV (dieta com solução de NaCl a 5%), Grupo V (dieta com solução de NaCl a 2,5%), Grupo VI (dieta com solução de NaCl a 5%). Os animais dos grupos II, III e IV praticaram natação durante 100 minutos ao dia, por cinco semanas, após as quais foram mortos e seus corações pesados. As medidas de pressão arterial (PA) e de peso durante o experimento foram comparadas. Houve diminuição do peso dos grupos submetidos a exercício físico e / ou dieta salina: Grupo I (229,0 g), Grupo II (201,17 g), Grupo III (207,0 g), Grupo IV (149,17 g) e Grupo V (156,17 g). Ao final do experimento, o grupo que foi submetido à dieta mais rica em sódio juntamente com exercício mostrou uma PA significativamente maior (102,67 mmHg) que o Grupo I (88,83 mmHg), sem fatores de risco. Houve uma maior relação peso do coração/peso corporal nos grupos III (0,452 %) e IV (0,417 %), em comparação com o Grupo I (0,337%). Concluindo, houve indícios de hipertrofia cardíaca e aumento da pressão arterial nos animais que ingeriram solução salina e realizaram exercício físico.Evidence shows that cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is a risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases. Several stimuli may cause CH-like manifestations and promote volume or pressure overload. Exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy is an expected adaptation to regular exercise training. Salt intake has been shown to be the most important determinant of blood pressure in different populations. The purpose of the present work was to verify the influence of physical exercise and sodium intake on the blood pressure and myocardium. The study was performed on 36 rats divided into six groups: Group I (diet without salt overload), Group II (diet without salt overload and swimming), Group III (diet with 2.5% NaCl solution and swimming), Group IV (diet with 5% NaCl solution and swimming), Group V (diet with 2.5% NaCl solution without exercise), Group VI (diet with 5% NaCl solution without exercise). The arterial pressure was significantly lower in Group I when compared with Group IV. The ratio of cardiac mass/body mass was increased in Groups III and IV. In conclusion, there was evidence that exercise training and NaCl intake promotes arterial hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy

Rethinking Leahy’s Emotional Schema Scale (LESS): Results from the Portuguese Adaptation of the LESS

This study aims to contribute to the study of emotional schemas, through the adaptation of the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS) to Portuguese. The LESS is a 50 item self-report with 14 theoretical dimensions, representing concepts, evaluations, attributions of emotions, and strategies of emotion regulation (Leahy in Cognit Behav Pract 9(3):177–190, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1077-7229(02)80048- 7). Translation, back-translation and pilot assessment of LESS’s Portuguese version were completed. Data was collected online with 396 participants. An exploratory principal component analysis was conducted. Parallel analysis revealed a 5-component structure, which after the deletion of eight items generated a fnal solution explaining 48% of the variance. Components internal consistency was adequate and convergent validity supported with signifcant correlations with difculties in emotional regulation and emotional processing, and psychopathology. It presents dimensions that are highly relevant for assessment, case conceptualization and clinical decision making. Although this scale is related to a specifc cognitive theory, the construct and its subscales may be useful beyond the psychotherapeutic model, stressing the transtheoretical potential of the scale.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio