Contractive De-noising Auto-encoder

Auto-encoder is a special kind of neural network based on reconstruction. De-noising auto-encoder (DAE) is an improved auto-encoder which is robust to the input by corrupting the original data first and then reconstructing the original input by minimizing the reconstruction error function. And contractive auto-encoder (CAE) is another kind of improved auto-encoder to learn robust feature by introducing the Frobenius norm of the Jacobean matrix of the learned feature with respect to the original input. In this paper, we combine de-noising auto-encoder and contractive auto- encoder, and propose another improved auto-encoder, contractive de-noising auto- encoder (CDAE), which is robust to both the original input and the learned feature. We stack CDAE to extract more abstract features and apply SVM for classification. The experiment result on benchmark dataset MNIST shows that our proposed CDAE performed better than both DAE and CAE, proving the effective of our method.Comment: Figures edite

Climate change, sea level rise and rice: global market implications

Climate change will influence yields while sea level rise can inundate producing lands. The research reported investigates the individual and simultaneous effects of these factors on production, trade and consumption of rice the world's number one food crop. A global rice trade model is utilized to do this. The results indicate that the combination of yield and sea level effects causes a significant reduction in production and an increase in rice prices which may have important policy implications for food security. Global rice production is reduced by 1.60% to 2.73% while global rice price increases by 7.14% to 12.77%. Sea level rise is particularly a risk factor in Bangladesh, Japan, Taiwan, Egypt, Myanmar and Vietnam. In the face of such developments, adaptation may well be desirable and thus an investigation is done over adaptation options of increased technical progress or trade liberalization with the results showing that both can mitigate such damages

Energy and Structure of Hard-Sphere Bose Gases in three and two dimensions

The energy and structure of dilute gases of hard spheres in three dimensions is discussed, together with some aspects of the corresponding 2D systems. A variational approach in the framework of the Hypernetted Chain Equations (HNC) is used starting from a Jastrow wavefunction that is optimized to produce the best two--body correlation factor with the appropriate long range. Relevant quantities describing static properties of the system are studied as a function of the gas parameter $x=\rho a^d$ where $\rho$, $a$ and $d$ are the density, $s$--wave scattering length of the potential and dimensionality of the space, respectively. The occurrence of a maximum in the radial distribution function and in the momentum distribution is a natural effect of the correlations when $x$ increases. Some aspects of the asymptotic behavior of the functions characterizing the structure of the systems are also investigated.Comment: Proceedings of the QFS2004 conference in Trento. To appear in JLT

Short-term outcomes of fetoscopic laser surgery for severe twin–twin transfusion syndrome from Taiwan single center experience: Demonstration of learning curve effect on the fetal outcomes

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the learning curve effect on fetal outcomes while using fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) for twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) as managed by a newly established single center in Taiwan.Materials and MethodsBetween October 2005 and October 2010, women diagnosed to have TTTS before 26 weeks of gestation were offered FLP surgery. Cases were divided into first-half and second-half groups to evaluate the learning effect on fetal outcomes including at least one survival rate, two survival rate, and gestational age of delivery.ResultsA total of 44 cases with a median gestational age of 20.1 weeks (range 16–25) at operation were included in the study. Overall, both twins survived in 22 (50.0%) cases, whereas only one twin was born alive in 13 (29.5%), and neither was born alive in the remaining nine cases (20.5%). The total survival rate was 64.8%. When comparing the first-half 22 cases and the second-half 22 cases, there were significant improvements in total survival rate (54.7% vs. 75.0%, p = 0.045), a prolonged interval between operation and delivery (62.1 vs. 89.1 days, p = 0.042), and more advanced gestational age of delivery (28.3 vs. 33.0 weeks, p = 0.008) in the second-half 22 cases.ConclusionsWith increasing experience in using fetoscopic guide laser therapy for TTTS, the fetal survival rate could be improved with advanced gestational age at delivery

High-throughput avian molecular sexing by SYBR green-based real-time PCR combined with melting curve analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Combination of <it>CHD </it>(chromo-helicase-DNA binding protein)-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with electrophoresis (PCR/electrophoresis) is the most common avian molecular sexing technique but it is lab-intensive and gel-required. Gender determination often fails when the difference in length between the PCR products of <it>CHD-Z </it>and <it>CHD-W </it>genes is too short to be resolved.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we are the first to introduce a PCR-melting curve analysis (PCR/MCA) to identify the gender of birds by genomic DNA, which is gel-free, quick, and inexpensive. <it>Spilornis cheela hoya </it>(<it>S. c. hoya</it>) and <it>Pycnonotus sinensis </it>(<it>P. sinensis</it>) were used to illustrate this novel molecular sexing technique. The difference in the length of <it>CHD </it>genes in <it>S. c. hoya </it>and <it>P. sinensis </it>is 13-, and 52-bp, respectively. Using Griffiths' P2/P8 primers, molecular sexing failed both in PCR/electrophoresis of <it>S. c. hoya </it>and in PCR/MCA of <it>S. c. hoya </it>and <it>P. sinensis</it>. In contrast, we redesigned sex-specific primers to yield 185- and 112-bp PCR products for the <it>CHD-Z </it>and <it>CHD-W </it>genes of <it>S. c. hoya</it>, respectively, using PCR/MCA. Using this specific primer set, at least 13 samples of <it>S. c. hoya </it>were examined simultaneously and the Tm peaks of <it>CHD-Z </it>and <it>CHD-W </it>PCR products were distinguished.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this study, we introduced a high-throughput avian molecular sexing technique and successfully applied it to two species. This new method holds a great potential for use in high throughput sexing of other avian species, as well.</p

PHP61 The Financial Impacts of Pharmacist Intervention in Inpatient Department of a Local Hospital in Taiwan

Morphometric analysis of S. mortenseni. (DOC 44 kb

Current and Emerging Pharmacotherapies for Primary CNS Lymphoma

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) constitutes a rare group of extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) primarily of B cell origin. It occurs in both immuno-competent and immune-compromised patients. High dose m ethotrexate (HD-MTX) based chemotherapy is the standard therapy. Chemotherapy with whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) improves response rates and survival compared with WBRT alone. However, due to the increased risk for neurotoxicity with WBRT, recent studies have focused on using chemotherapy alone. Methotrexate based multi-agent chemotherapy without WBRT is associated with similar t reatment rates and survival compared with regimens that include WBRT although controlled trials have not been performed. Because of the low incidence of this disease, it is difficult to conduct randomized controlled trials. In this article we have discussed about the past, present and emerging treatment options in patients with PCNSL

Full-length sequence analysis of a distinct isolate of Bidens mottle virus infecting sunflower in Taiwan

The full-length genome of a potyvirus, previously known as sunflower chlorotic spot virus isolate SF-1 (SCSV-SF-1) which causes novel symptoms on sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), was sequenced and analyzed. The genome of SCSV-SF-1 is 9,741 nucleotides long, encoding a polyprotein of 3,071 amino acids containing the consensus motifs of potyviruses. Sequence comparison revealed that the 3'-terminus of SCSV-SF-1 shared over 96% similarities with isolates of Bidens mottle virus (BiMoV). However, SCSV-SF-1 has a very narrow host range, excluding the diagnostic host species for BiMoV, Bidens pilosa and Zinnia elegans. Therefore, SCSV-SF-1 is a distinct isolate of BiMoV. This is the first report of the full-length nucleotide sequence of BiMoV infecting sunflower in Taiwan

Efficiency-Based Recruitment Plan for Chained Quick-Service Enterprise.

[[abstract]]This paper describes a research method called two-stage design consisting of the determination of the efficiency for each quick-service restaurant of chained enterprise at the first stage by using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and then proposes an approach of Recruitment and Allocation (RA) plan for supporting the everlasting running of the enterprise in the second stage. The technical efficiency, the scale efficiency, the production efficiency, and the return to scale are conducted in the first stage of this two-stage research design. In addition, this study also proposes the potentially improved value to promote the relative efficiency of each chained restaurant through the improvement of inputs or outputs items. Besides, the RA plan is proposed in the second stage of the two-stage design. The RA plan is an fficiency-based quantitative approach to recruit employees as well as to determine the allocation of those recruited employees. This study indeed provides a constructive and quantitative approach of solving the dilemma issue “how to reasonably recruit and allocate employees” for decision makers with profound insight in the quick-service enterprise.[[incitationindex]]EI[[booktype]]紙本[[booktype]]電子