Imitating individualized facial expressions in a human-like avatar through a hybrid particle swarm optimization - tabu search algorithm

This thesis describes a machine learning method for automatically imitating a particular person\u27s facial expressions in a human-like avatar through a hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization - Tabu Search algorithm. The muscular structures of the facial expressions are measured by Ekman and Friesen\u27s Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Using a neutral face as a reference, the minute movements of the Action Units, used in FACS, are automatically tracked and mapped onto the avatar using a hybrid method. The hybrid algorithm is composed of Kennedy and Eberhart\u27s Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) and Glover\u27s Tabu Search (TS). Distinguishable features portrayed on the avatar ensure a personalized, realistic imitation of the facial expressions. To evaluate the feasibility of using PSO-TS in this approach, a fundamental proof-of-concept test is employed on the system using the OGRE avatar. This method is analyzed in-depth to ensure its proper functionality and evaluate its performance compared to previous work

Couplet Care

Abstract In many recent studies, maternity units in hospitals have been making the transition from traditional separate care for the mother and baby to couplet care for the mother and baby. (Brenneman, 2014; Abney-Roberts, 2012; Backus, 2017) Couplet care is family-centered care in which the mother and the baby stay together from childbirth until discharge. (Emory-Decatur, 2019) Studies have shown that this form of care has many benefits for both the mother and the baby. Parents become more educated on how to care for their newborn and infants gain the foundation for how they will develop socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. “Healthy child development is dependent upon the parent/caregiver responding to signals from the child in a loving and dependable manner, starting from the moment of birth.” (Qaiser, 2014) Keywords: Couplet Care, newbor

Time course and robustness of ERP object and face differences

Conflicting results have been reported about the earliest “true” ERP differences related to face processing, with the bulk of the literature focusing on the signal in the first 200 ms after stimulus onset. Part of the discrepancy might be explained by uncontrolled low-level differences between images used to assess the timing of face processing. In the present experiment, we used a set of faces, houses, and noise textures with identical amplitude spectra to equate energy in each spatial frequency band. The timing of face processing was evaluated using face–house and face–noise contrasts, as well as upright-inverted stimulus contrasts. ERP differences were evaluated systematically at all electrodes, across subjects, and in each subject individually, using trimmed means and bootstrap tests. Different strategies were employed to assess the robustness of ERP differential activities in individual subjects and group comparisons. We report results showing that the most conspicuous and reliable effects were systematically observed in the N170 latency range, starting at about 130–150 ms after stimulus onset

Ink, Paper, Scissors: Experiments in Cutting Campus Printing Costs

Universities are always looking for ways to economize, both because of rising costs and because of growing awareness of ecological issues. Printing is a common target. Indiana University’s Pervasive Technology Institute (PTI) compared several typefaces, looking at ink usage, paper usage, and readability. PTI chose to standardize on 11-point Times New Roman for printed documentation such as internal reports and white papers. PowerPoint presentations and other items with relatively small blocks of text are done in Century Gothic. Reports for external audiences will include a mix of fonts with deliberate mindfulness toward ink and paper usage. In short, if a message is rendered ineffective by its presentation, any ink or paper used can be considered wasted

Molecular Evolution of APP Gene in Alzheimer\u27s Disease

The purpose of my study is to examine the role of the APP gene in Alzheimer\u27s Disease. Also this study intends to explore the interactions between the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes in the molecular pathways related to the Alzheimer\u27s disease . My central theme of research is to decipher the molecular evolution of the APP gene and utilize the phylogenetic analyses to examine specific molecular domains involved in the molecular pathways related to Alzheimer\u27s disease . Current research indicates the role of several types of mutations discovered in the APP gene related to disease. My study intends to look at the mutations of the APP gene and also the interactions between the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes

Ethnic group affiliation and social exclusion in Cornwall; analysis, adjustment and extension of the 2001 England and Wales Census data

This thesis provides a critical understanding of the size and relative position of the Cornish in Cornwall, a county in the south-west of the UK. Cornwall is a region which has experienced increased levels of disadvantage for a prolonged period of time. The indigenous people, whilst seeing a rise in their inclusion in ethnicity variables in the region, have remained under-researched in terms of their socio-economic position relative to the non-Cornish in the same geographic area. This thesis addresses this gap in the literature and represents the first in-depth examination of the group. The 2001 Census included an option to ‘write-in’ a Cornish ethnic identity, however whilst accurate in the responses it recorded the result was almost certainly an under-enumeration due to the lack of a dedicated tick-box selection. This thesis is a rigorous examination of the Cornish, starting with these data, estimating their size and socio-economic position (in terms of social exclusion) relative to non-Cornish individuals. Three stages of primary analysis sought to; analyse, adjust and extend the 2001 Census result to broadly estimate the size, links with exclusion and the causal processes behind these links. Firstly, an accurate picture of the size of the Cornish population was estimated using an innovative weighting strategy, developed to collate all other data referring to the Cornish and to derive weights for application to the raw Census data. Secondly, a stage of primary survey research examined this group more directly for links with social exclusion factors; and thirdly, a stage of qualitative interviews with knowledgeable individuals in the region lent depth to the findings and provided a more coherent explanatory framework. The results indicate that the Cornish are certainly more numerous than the 2001 Census had indicated. The proportion of individuals self-identifying as Cornish is likely to be closer to a quarter of the population rather than the 6.7% indicated in the 2001 ii data. There was some discrepancy in the data between the belief amongst the group of social exclusion and the reality. In order to explain the discrepancy, a model was used which explores the difference between personal-level experience and group level discrimination (Taylor et al 1990). The results of this thesis highlight the complex and multi-dimensional processes inherent in, firstly, the methodological and practical process of ethnicity measurement and, secondly, its use as an explanatory variable for social exclusion experience. Overall, this thesis represents the first and most comprehensive examination of the indigenous people of Cornwall and their relative lived experience compared to non-Cornish in the same area

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What are the health and well-being impacts of community gardening for adults and children: a mixed method systematic review protocol

Background Community gardening is defined by its shared nature; gardeners work collectively to manage a garden for shared benefit. Although communal gardening activities, and recognition of their perceived benefits have a long history, it is in recent years that interest has developed in assessing the potential of the approach to address many of the threats to health and wellbeing faced by global populations. Community gardening may address chronic and non-communicable disease through the provision of opportunities for physical activity, improved nutrition and reduced stress. Participation in the gardening activities may improve wellbeing through increased social contact, culturally valued activities and mitigation of food poverty. The benefits of community gardening are argued to extend beyond the participants themselves through more coherent and cohesive communities, improved physical environments and the sharing of the products of the labour. While there are many claims made and an emerging body of research, no previous systematic review has sought to identify and synthesise the evidence in a global context. Methods The objectives of the mixed method systematic review are to understand the health and wellbeing impacts of active participation in community gardening. Both quantitative and qualitative evidence will be sought using a broad and diverse search strategy to address the four review questions: 1) does active involvement in community gardening lead to improved health or wellbeing; 2) if so, how does active involvement in community gardening affect health and wellbeing; 3) are there different impacts for different population groups (for instance according to age, socio-economic status or sex); and 4) do different types of community gardening (for example producing vegetables or a flower garden) or in different contexts have different types of impacts? A theoretical framework, informed by an initial theory of change model, will illustrate the outcomes of participation and any mechanisms of action (i.e. how such impacts are achieved). The synthesis will be sensitive to factors which may affect the impacts, such as the context of the activities, the demographics of participants, and the implementation and specifics of the community gardening interventions.European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013Social Fund Convergence Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scill