Sampling algebraic sets in local intrinsic coordinates

Numerical data structures for positive dimensional solution sets of polynomial systems are sets of generic points cut out by random planes of complimentary dimension. We may represent the linear spaces defined by those planes either by explicit linear equations or in parametric form. These descriptions are respectively called extrinsic and intrinsic representations. While intrinsic representations lower the cost of the linear algebra operations, we observe worse condition numbers. In this paper we describe the local adaptation of intrinsic coordinates to improve the numerical conditioning of sampling algebraic sets. Local intrinsic coordinates also lead to a better stepsize control. We illustrate our results with Maple experiments and computations with PHCpack on some benchmark polynomial systems.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 algorithms, 2 table

Image Forgery Localization Based on Multi-Scale Convolutional Neural Networks

In this paper, we propose to utilize Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and the segmentation-based multi-scale analysis to locate tampered areas in digital images. First, to deal with color input sliding windows of different scales, a unified CNN architecture is designed. Then, we elaborately design the training procedures of CNNs on sampled training patches. With a set of robust multi-scale tampering detectors based on CNNs, complementary tampering possibility maps can be generated. Last but not least, a segmentation-based method is proposed to fuse the maps and generate the final decision map. By exploiting the benefits of both the small-scale and large-scale analyses, the segmentation-based multi-scale analysis can lead to a performance leap in forgery localization of CNNs. Numerous experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our method.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Electrical neurostimulation for chronic pain: on selective relay of sensory neural activities in myelinated nerve fibers

Chronic pain affects about 100 million adults in the US. Despite their great need, neuropharmacology and neurostimulation therapies for chronic pain have been associated with suboptimal efficacy and limited long-term success, as their mechanisms of action are unclear. Yet current computational models of pain transmission suffer from several limitations. In particular, dorsal column models do not include the fundamental underlying sensory activity traveling in these nerve fibers. We developed a (simple) simulation test bed of electrical neurostimulation of myelinated nerve fibers with underlying sensory activity. This paper reports our findings so far. Interactions between stimulation-evoked and underlying activities are mainly due to collisions of action potentials and losses of excitability due to the refractory period following an action potential. In addition, intuitively, the reliability of sensory activity decreases as the stimulation frequency increases. This first step opens the door to a better understanding of pain transmission and its modulation by neurostimulation therapies

Research on Exhibition Service Quality Improvement Based on Exhibitors’ Perspective—Take the 42nd China Shandong Medical Expo as an Example

Exhibitors are the main body of the exhibition, and improving the exhibition’s service quality to win the exhibition’s satisfaction is an essential condition for the exhibition to obtain and maintain a competitive advantage. This paper introduces information into the SERVQUAL model, constructs an evaluation scale of 21 items, including six dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and information, and takes the 42nd Shandong Medical Expo as an example to evaluate and analyze the service quality of the exhibition. It is found that the expectation perception gap between reliability and responsiveness is the largest, the expectation perception gap between assurance and empathy is more significant, and the expectation perception gap between tangibles and information is the smallest. Finally, some suggestions and countermeasures are put forward from the aspects of improving the exhibition design, highlighting the characteristics of the exhibition, broadening the content of exhibition activities, enhancing the value of exhibitors, attaching importance to the perception of exhibitors, improving the level of service, using digital technology and strengthening the effect of exhibitors

Adapting an American Non-Profit Model to an International For-Profit Model: A Case Study of Clean the World Business Model in Hong Kong

The non-profit sector in the United States had grown at a fast pace in the recent decades, partially as a result of the economic development and the influence of social and political factors. By pursuing mission rather other bottom line, nonprofit organizations faced fierce competition for government grants and private donations. Limited financial resources constrained their efforts to create social and environmental value. The emerging hybrid nonprofit business model offered a new approach for nonprofits to pursuing self-sustainable development both domestically and internationally. However, adapting a unique American nonprofit model into an international for-profit model could be challenging because of the creation of the for-profit organization in an international setting. Thus, the purpose of this case study was to show how an American hybrid nonprofit business model adapted its mission and operational approach to an Asian licensing for-profit business model. A comparative analysis was conducted on both nonprofit and for-profit operations of Clean the World operated respectively in the United States and Hong Kong, including expansion drivers in Hong Kong, differences and commonalities, advantages and disadvantages, and lessons learned thus far. This case study demonstrated that a hybrid nonprofit could seek self-sustainable growth in a foreign country under certain circumstances

Do Degradation of Urban Greenery and Increasing Land Prices Often Come along with Urbanization?

In the wake of urbanization, driven by a variety of individual and socio-economic merits, human’s basic residential needs and standard of living may be compromised in the urban areas, as the population agglomerates. However, the knowledge of the associations of urbanization with urban greenery and residential land prices is still in the pursuing process. This empirical research aims to contribute whether the degradation of essential living conditions is a trade-off for the pursued urban life. Hence, Taiwan is selected as the case to analyze the associated relations primarily between 1976 and 2016. The research methods involve descriptive statistics, the panel data analysis, and the cluster analysis. The panel data analysis demonstrates that degraded urban greenery and increasing residential land prices came along with the urbanization in Taiwan between 2001 and 2016. Policy implications include rethinking of the building coverage rate for renewed buildings for more plant-friendly ground, the adoption of building setback policy for more accessible mid-air mini-parks, and avoiding residential units as an investment commodity