Neural network-based shape retrieval using moment invariants and Zernike moments.

Shape is one of the fundamental image features for use in Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). Compared with other visual features such as color and texture, it is extremely powerful and provides capability for object recognition and similarity-based image retrieval. In this thesis, we propose a Neural Network-Based Shape Retrieval System using Moment Invariants and Zernike Moments. Moment Invariants and Zernike Moments are two region-based shape representation schemes and are derived from the shape in an image and serve as image features. k means clustering is used to group similar images in an image collection into k clusters whereas Neural Network is used to facilitate retrieval against a given query image. Neural Network is trained by the clustering result on all of the images in the collection using back-propagation algorithm. In this scheme, Neural Network serves as a classifier such that moments are inputs to the Neural Network and the output is one of the k classes that have the largest similarities to the query image. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2005 .C444. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, page: 1396. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005

The Relationship Between Observers' Self-Attractiveness and Preference for Physical Dimorphism: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Many studies have reported an association between observers' self-attractiveness and their preference for sexual dimorphism across different physical domains, including the face, voice, and body. However, the results of these studies are inconsistent. Here, a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the association between observers' own attractiveness and their dimorphic preference.Methods: Major electronic databases including PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched during April 2017 (the first time) and April 2018 (the second time). The effect size computation and moderating effect analyses were conducted separately for masculine and feminine preferences.Results: We identified 5,359 references, of which we included 25 studies (x = 55, x = number of the effect size) with 6,853 participants in the meta-analysis. Across these studies, the correlation between observers' own attractiveness and their sexual dimorphic preference was 0.095 (x = 55) and that for preference for masculinity (x = 39) and femininity (x = 16) were 0.102 and 0.076, respectively. The results of the funnel plot, Egger's regression method, and fail-safe number suggested that there was no obvious publication bias. The relationship depended on the relationship context (short or long-term), opposite or same sex (the gender of the observer and host), measures of observers' self-attractiveness (subject or objective), and preference task (e.g., attractiveness rating, forced-choice, and face sequence test). Furthermore, for female participants, using a hormonal contraceptive also influenced their masculinity preference. The effect size for the preference for a masculine body and voice was larger than that for facial masculinity.Conclusion: We found a small but significant correlation between self-attractiveness and physical dimorphic preference, the relationship was moderated by the relationship context, same/opposite-sex, and contraceptive using. These three moderating effects represented the observer's trade-off on good genes, good provider and good father (3Gs) consistent with the life history strategies. Besides, measurement of observers' attractiveness, type of preference task and stimuli may also involve the relationship

Symptoms of problematic pornography use among help-seeking male adolescents: Latent profile and network analysis

Background and aims: Little data exist on exploring the subgroups and characteristics of problematic pornography use (PPU) in help-seeking adolescents. The aims of the study were to classify the subgroups among help-seeking male adolescents, explore their similarities and differences, and uncover their core symptoms. Methods: A total of 3,468 Chinese male adolescents (Mage 5 16.64 years, SD 5 1.24) who were distressed about their pornography use were recruited. The Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, the Brief Pornography Screen Scale, and Moral Disapproval of Pornography Use were used to classify them. The General Health Questionnaire, the Pornography Craving Questionnaire, and the Sexual Compulsivity Scale were used to investigate participants’ negative consequence related to their pornography use; and the Online Sexual Activity Questionnaire (OSAs) and time spent on pornography use every week were considered as quantitative indicators. Results: Help-seeking male adolescents could be divided into 3 profiles, namely, self-perceived problematic (SP, n 5 755), impaired control (IC, n 5 1,656), and problematic use groups (PPU, n 5 1,057). Frequency of OSAs was important for the identification of SP individuals, while negative consequences were more effective in identifying individuals with objective dysregulated behavior. Salience and mood modification were shared by all groups; however, in addition to this, the SP and PPU groups also showed withdrawal symptoms. Discussion and conclusion: This study’s results provide support for the presence of different profiles of help-seeking individuals and information on potential intervention targets among adolescents which is lacking in the literature

Transmission of TE-polarized light through metallic nanoslit arrays assisted by a quasi surface wave

Optically thick metallic nanoslit arrays are opaque to TE-polarized light, in contrast to enhanced transmission of TM-polarized light. Here, we numerically show that, by introducing an ultrathin high-index dielectric coating on the metal surfaces, a quasi surface wave can be excited at the metasurfaces to enhance the transmission of TE-polarized light. The quasi surface wave is shown to behave like surface plasmon waves, and enhance the transmission in similar mechanisms as surface plasmon waves do for TM-polarized light. In this work, we suggest a way of manipulating TE-polarized light in metallic subwavelength structures. ? 2014 The Japan Society of Applied Physics

A Simple and Sensitive Method for Measuring Tumor-Specific T Cell Cytotoxicity

A simple and sensitive method to quantitatively measure the cytolytic effect of tumor-specific T killer cells is highly desirable for basic and clinical studies. Chromium (51Cr) release assay has been the “gold standard” for quantifying cytolytic activities of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) against target cells and this method is still being used in many laboratories. However, a major drawback of this method is the use of radioactive materials, which is inconvenient to handle because of environmental safety concerns and expensive due to the short half-life of the isotope. Consequently, several nonradioactive methods have been reported recently. Here we report a new method that we recently developed for quantifying antigen-specific cytolytic activity of CTLs. This method fully exploits the high sensitivity and the relative simplicity of luciferase quantitative assay. We initially expected the released luciferase in the supernatant to be the adequate source for monitoring cell death. However, to our total surprise, incubation of these killer T cells with the tumor cell targets did not result in significant release of luciferase in the culture medium. Instead, we found that the remaining luciferase inside the cells could accurately reflect the overall cell viability

Computing the frequency fluctuation dynamics of highly coupled vibrational transitions using neural networks

The description of frequency fluctuations for highly coupled vibrational transitions has been a challenging problem in physical chemistry. In particular, the complexity of their vibrational Hamiltonian does not allow us to directly derive the time evolution of vibrational frequencies for these systems. In this paper, we present a new approach to this problem by exploiting the artificial neural network to describe the vibrational frequencies without relying on the deconstruction of the vibrational Hamiltonian. To this end, we first explored the use of the methodology to predict the frequency fluctuations of the amide I mode of N-methylacetamide in water. The results show good performance compared with the previous experimental and theoretical results. In the second part, the neural network approach is used to investigate the frequency fluctuations of the highly coupled carbonyl stretch modes for the organic carbonates in the solvation shell of the lithium ion. In this case, the frequency fluctuation predicted by the neural networks shows a good agreement with the experimental results, which suggests that this model can be used to describe the dynamics of the frequency in highly coupled transitions

Investigating the Associations of ADHD Symptoms, Impulsivity, Physical Exercise, and Problematic Pornography Use in a Chinese Sample

Investigating the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and impulsivity will benefit our understanding of the concept of problematic pornography use (PPU), and revealing predisposing and malleable moderators of PPU will be beneficial for its prevention and intervention. The current study not only aimed to observe these relationships, but also explored the potential moderating role of physical exercise in the general population. A total of 600 Chinese adults (Mage = 32.31, SDage = 12.40, 39.8% women) were recruited and completed an online survey. The results showed that participants with regular exercise scored lower than those without exercise on ADHD, impulsivity, and PPU (all ps < 0.001). Using latent moderated structural equations (LMS), the findings revealed that the relationship between ADHD symptoms and PPU was mediated by impulsivity, and physical exercise moderated this relationship (B = −0.14, p = 0.048). Specifically, when individuals’ physical exercise was higher than 0.84 standard deviations above the mean, the positive predictive effect of impulsivity on PPU was not significant. These findings indicate the important role of impulsivity in the relationship between ADHD and PPU, and physical exercise could be a meaningful component of interventions among individuals experiencing PPU

A Mix Inexact-Quadratic Fuzzy Water Resources Management Model of Floodplain (IQT-WMMF) for Regional Sustainable Development of Dahuangbaowa, China

In this study, a mix inexact-quadratic fuzzy water resources management model of floodplain (IQT-WMMF) has developed, through incorporating techniques of credibility-constrained programming (CP), two-stage programming (TP), interval-parameter programming (IPP) and quadratic programming (QP) within a general framework for limited data availability. The IQT-WMMF can provide an effective linkage between system benefit and the associated economic penalty attributed to the violation of the pre-regulated water target under limited data availabilities expressed probabilistic distributions and interval values; meanwhile, imprecise and no-linear economic data would be resolved. The developed method is applied to a real case of planning water resources in the Dahuangbaowa floodplain, China, with the aim to develop a sustainable water resources management in the study region. A number of scenarios with wet land expansion strategies under various credibility levels are analyzed, implying that different policies can lead to varied water-allocation patterns, system benefits, and system-failure risks. The results discover that water deficits and flood damages have brought negative effects on economic development synchronously, which need to effective plans to reduce losses of shortages and floods for achieving higher system benefits. Tradeoffs between economic benefit and system-failure risk can support generating an increased robustness in risk control for water resources allocation under uncertainties, which is beneficial to adjust the current water-allocation sustainably