The Right Mutation Strength for Multi-Valued Decision Variables

The most common representation in evolutionary computation are bit strings. This is ideal to model binary decision variables, but less useful for variables taking more values. With very little theoretical work existing on how to use evolutionary algorithms for such optimization problems, we study the run time of simple evolutionary algorithms on some OneMax-like functions defined over $\Omega = \{0, 1, \dots, r-1\}^n$. More precisely, we regard a variety of problem classes requesting the component-wise minimization of the distance to an unknown target vector $z \in \Omega$. For such problems we see a crucial difference in how we extend the standard-bit mutation operator to these multi-valued domains. While it is natural to select each position of the solution vector to be changed independently with probability $1/n$, there are various ways to then change such a position. If we change each selected position to a random value different from the original one, we obtain an expected run time of $\Theta(nr \log n)$. If we change each selected position by either $+1$ or $-1$ (random choice), the optimization time reduces to $\Theta(nr + n\log n)$. If we use a random mutation strength $i \in \{0,1,\ldots,r-1\}^n$ with probability inversely proportional to $i$ and change the selected position by either $+i$ or $-i$ (random choice), then the optimization time becomes $\Theta(n \log(r)(\log(n)+\log(r)))$, bringing down the dependence on $r$ from linear to polylogarithmic. One of our results depends on a new variant of the lower bounding multiplicative drift theorem.Comment: an extended abstract of this work is to appear at GECCO 201

Radio-mode feedback in local AGNs: dependence on the central black hole parameters

Radio mode feedback, in which most of the energy of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is released in a kinetic form via radio-emitting jets, is thought to play an important role in the maintenance of massive galaxies in the present-day Universe. We study the link between radio emission and the properties of the central black hole in a large sample of local radio galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), based on the catalogue of Best and Heckman (2012). Our sample is mainly dominated by massive black holes (mostly in the range $10^8-10^9 M_{\odot}$) accreting at very low Eddington ratios (typically $\lambda < 0.01$). In broad agreement with previously reported trends, we find that radio galaxies are preferentially associated with the more massive black holes, and that the radio loudness parameter seems to increase with decreasing Eddington ratio. We compare our results with previous studies in the literature, noting potential biases. The majority of the local radio galaxies in our sample are currently in a radiatively inefficient accretion regime, where kinetic feedback dominates over radiative feedback. We discuss possible physical interpretations of the observed trends in the context of a two-stage feedback process involving a transition in the underlying accretion modes.Comment: accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

Recommendation Subgraphs for Web Discovery

Recommendations are central to the utility of many websites including YouTube, Quora as well as popular e-commerce stores. Such sites typically contain a set of recommendations on every product page that enables visitors to easily navigate the website. Choosing an appropriate set of recommendations at each page is one of the key features of backend engines that have been deployed at several e-commerce sites. Specifically at BloomReach, an engine consisting of several independent components analyzes and optimizes its clients' websites. This paper focuses on the structure optimizer component which improves the website navigation experience that enables the discovery of novel content. We begin by formalizing the concept of recommendations used for discovery. We formulate this as a natural graph optimization problem which in its simplest case, reduces to a bipartite matching problem. In practice, solving these matching problems requires superlinear time and is not scalable. Also, implementing simple algorithms is critical in practice because they are significantly easier to maintain in production. This motivated us to analyze three methods for solving the problem in increasing order of sophistication: a sampling algorithm, a greedy algorithm and a more involved partitioning based algorithm. We first theoretically analyze the performance of these three methods on random graph models characterizing when each method will yield a solution of sufficient quality and the parameter ranges when more sophistication is needed. We complement this by providing an empirical analysis of these algorithms on simulated and real-world production data. Our results confirm that it is not always necessary to implement complicated algorithms in the real-world and that very good practical results can be obtained by using heuristics that are backed by the confidence of concrete theoretical guarantees

3D cine DENSE MRI: ventricular segmentation and myocardial stratin analysis

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references

Health Plan Member Outreach and Engagement: Best Practices

Health plans can no longer ignore what happens after their members walk out of the doctor’s office. Too often members fail to follow through on the advice given by their primary physicians, leaving prescriptions unfilled or putting off badly needed diet and lifestyle changes. This can lead to costlier health problems and medical procedures down the line. As a result, health plans are ramping up efforts to connect with their members, with the growth of member outreach and engagement filling a significant gap in today’s health care system. Read this white paper to learn best practices that boost outreach and improve outcomes

Alien Registration- Auger, Aileen A. (Auburn, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/30753/thumbnail.jp

Light Nuclei solving Auger puzzles. The Cen-A imprint

Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) map at 60 EeV have been found recently by AUGER group spreading anisotropy signatures in the sky. The result have been interpreted as a manifestation of AGN sources ejecting protons at GZK edges mostly from Super-galactic Plane. The result is surprising due to the absence of much nearer Virgo cluster. Moreover, early GZK cut off in the spectra may be better reconcile with light nuclei (than with protons). In addition a large group (nearly a dozen) of events cluster suspiciously along Cen-A. Finally, proton UHECR composition nature is in sharp disagreement with earlier AUGER claim of a heavy nuclei dominance at 40 EeV. Therefore we interpret here the signals as mostly UHECR light nuclei (He, Be, B, C, O), very possibly mostly the lightest (He,Be) ones, ejected from nearest AGN Cen-A, UHECR smeared by galactic magnetic fields, whose random vertical bending is overlapping with super-galactic arm. The eventual AUGER misunderstanding took place because of such a rare coincidence between the Super Galactic Plane (arm) and the smeared (randomized) signals from Cen-A, bent orthogonally to the Galactic fields. Our derivation verify the consistence of the random smearing angles for He, Be and B, C, O, in reasonable agreement with the AUGER main group events around Cen-A. Only few other rare events are spread elsewhere. The most collimated from Cen-A are the lightest. The most spread the heavier. Consequently Cen-A is the best candidate UHE neutrino tau observable by HEAT and AMIGA as enhanced AUGER array at tens-hundred PeV energy. This model maybe soon tested by new events clustering around the Cen-A and by composition imprint study.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures

Magnetic resonance imaging of myocardial strain after acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction: a systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a clinically relevant, disease-based perspective on myocardial strain imaging in patients with acute myocardial infarction or stable ischemic heart disease. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging uniquely integrates myocardial function with pathology. Therefore, this review focuses on strain imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance. We have specifically considered the relationships between left ventricular (LV) strain, infarct pathologies, and their associations with prognosis. A comprehensive literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Publications were identified that (1) described the relationship between strain and infarct pathologies, (2) assessed the relationship between strain and subsequent LV outcomes, and (3) assessed the relationship between strain and health outcomes. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, circumferential strain predicts the recovery of LV systolic function in the longer term. The prognostic value of longitudinal strain is less certain. Strain differentiates between infarcted versus noninfarcted myocardium, even in patients with stable ischemic heart disease with preserved LV ejection fraction. Strain recovery is impaired in infarcted segments with intramyocardial hemorrhage or microvascular obstruction. There are practical limitations to measuring strain with cardiac magnetic resonance in the acute setting, and knowledge gaps, including the lack of data showing incremental value in clinical practice. Critically, studies of cardiac magnetic resonance strain imaging in patients with ischemic heart disease have been limited by sample size and design. Strain imaging has potential as a tool to assess for early or subclinical changes in LV function, and strain is now being included as a surrogate measure of outcome in therapeutic trials