Pooling Faces: Template based Face Recognition with Pooled Face Images

We propose a novel approach to template based face recognition. Our dual goal is to both increase recognition accuracy and reduce the computational and storage costs of template matching. To do this, we leverage on an approach which was proven effective in many other domains, but, to our knowledge, never fully explored for face images: average pooling of face photos. We show how (and why!) the space of a template's images can be partitioned and then pooled based on image quality and head pose and the effect this has on accuracy and template size. We perform extensive tests on the IJB-A and Janus CS2 template based face identification and verification benchmarks. These show that not only does our approach outperform published state of the art despite requiring far fewer cross template comparisons, but also, surprisingly, that image pooling performs on par with deep feature pooling.Comment: Appeared in the IEEE Computer Society Workshop on Biometrics, IEEE Conf. on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), June, 201

Health Information Technology in US Hospitals: Analysis of Current Status and Development of Future Strategies

Adopting Electronic Health Records (EHR) improves the efficiency and quality of health care systems. However, recent studies reported a slow rate of adoption or conflicting study results regarding EHR implementation in the United States. Even though there appears to be a substantial difference in terms of EHRs implementation and adoption among hospitals with different organizational characteristics and by end-users in different job categories, little has been studied about the relationship between EHR implementation and different organizational and end-users’ characteristics. To evaluate the current status of EHRs implementation and adoption and to compare how differences in organizational and end-user characteristics relate to EHR adoption and implementation, we analyzed secondary data from HIMSS Analytics® annual survey of 2013 and primary data from end-user surveys using various statistical analysis techniques including multivariable regression analysis, multinomial logistic regression analysis, and information theoretic analysis using normalized mutual information (NMI). This study was based on various theories including an organizational learning theory, a theory of organizational readiness for change, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Andersen and Aday’s behavioral model. We found discernable differences in EHR implementation and adoption among hospitals with different organizational contextual factors. Most notable was a strong link between hospital location and EHR implementation. Rural hospitals lagged behind urban hospitals in terms of EHRs implementation demonstrating a lower level of readiness for meaningful use attainment. Hospitals in different locations selected and used different EHR vendors based upon location specific evidence related to attaining meaningful use. We also found that EHR end-users across different job categories had different perceptions toward EHRs, which ultimately influenced their satisfaction with EHRs. For successful EHR implementation and adoption, health care managers need to develop and customize EHR implementation strategies. Instead of applying one uniform strategy, health care managers need to prioritize their resources and focus their efforts according to different organizational contexts and different end-user expectations toward EHRs. As rural areas will be disadvantaged in terms of quality and efficiency if rural hospitals continue to struggle with EHR implementation, we need to pay special attention to EHRs implementation in rural hospitals

Characteristic Analysis of the Built Environment of Ferry Terminals: A Case Study of Mokpo, South Korea

Ferry terminals are an essential facility for those frequently commuting between islands or towns ashore. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure a smooth and efficient flow of passengers and vehicles while guaranteeing safety and convenience at the ferry terminal. This study investigates and evaluates the walking path environment and determines the passengers’ walkability and walking satisfaction of ferry terminals in Korea. As a case study, to measure the passenger’s overall perception and satisfaction of the built environment of the ferry terminal, we conducted an importance–performance analysis for two ferry terminals located in Mokpo city of Korea. The segments of the poor built environment in terms of walking were found. Furthermore, the ANOVA and t-test results confirmed that the satisfaction level of the built environment varied by age and residential location of passengers. There was a significant difference in satisfaction between the groups (age and residential location) in the walking path segments while embarking and disembarking the ferry. Passengers’ perceptions and walking satisfaction were different depending on the features of the built environment, including public transport accessibility, layout, distance, and surface condition of the walking path of the ferry terminal. As a limitation of the study, the case study was conducted only in the Mokpo region due to the impact of COVID-19, and the sample survey was also conducted in a short period of time. In addition, further studies are needed on the generalization of passengers’ walkability in ferry terminals

Korean parents' disciplinary practices and socioeconomic status : an investigation based on disciplinary domains and language functions

"The purpose of the study was to examine the culture-specific parenting processes in terms of socioeconomic status using Bronfenbrenner's PPCT model. Kohn's theory of parental values and Bernstein's sociolinguistic theory were applied to deepen the understanding of proximal processes in Korean parenting. Ten mothers of young children were selected from middle and working classes in Korea. Questionnaire and videotaped data were collected. For the survey of parental beliefs, data from 63 mothers were used. Filming was conducted for 2 hours in naturally occurring situations. Korean mothers' parental values and verbal disciplinary practices varied as a function of a social class. Middle-class mothers valued talking more and talked more than did working-class mothers. Mothers' preferences for disciplinary domains differed by the social class, supporting Kohn's thesis. Working-class mothers valued strictness in parenting and used stricter language functions than did middle-class mothers, which is consistent with Bernstein's sociolinguistic approach toward parenting."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Estimation of Magnetic Field Strength in the Turbulent Warm Ionized Medium

We studied Faraday rotation measure (RM) in turbulent media with the rms Mach number of unity, using isothermal, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence simulations. Four cases with different values of initial plasma beta were considered. Our main findings are as follows. (1) There is no strong correlation between the fluctuations of magnetic field strength and gas density. So the magnetic field strength estimated with RM/DM (DM is the dispersion measure) correctly represents the true mean strength of the magnetic field along the line of sight. (2) The frequency distribution of RMs is well fitted to the Gaussian. In addition, there is a good relation between the width of the distribution of RM/$\bar{\rm RM}$ ($\bar{\rm RM}$ is the average value of RMs) and the strength of the regular field along the line of sight; the width is narrower, if the field strength is stronger. We discussed the implications of our findings in the warm ionized medium where the Mach number of turbulent motions is around unity.Comment: To appear in ApJ Letter

Poly(2-oxazoline) with pendant hydroxyl groups via a silyl ether-based protecting group

The introduction of a functionality onto a poly(2-oxazoline) (POx) chain has been widely explored, yet reports of POx bearing hydroxyl side chains in a well-defined manner have not. Here, we report a simple yet elegant approach for the synthesis of POx with pendant hydroxyl groups through use of silyl protecting groups. First, a hydroxyl group containing 2-oxazoline monomer was synthesized from ε-caprolactone, which on its own results in poorly defined polymers. Moreover, protecting the hydroxy group with silyl ether-based protecting group led to well-defined polymers with free hydroxyl groups on the side chains upon deprotection. Finally, copolymers with 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline resulted in polymers with tunable hydrophilicity, and copolymers with 2-n-propyl-2-oxazoline resulted in polymers with tunable thermoresponsive behavior in water

SIMS : Self Sovereign Identity Management System with Preserving Privacy in Blockchain

Blockchain, which is a useful tool for providing data integrity, has emerged as an alternative to centralized servers. Concentrating on the integrity of the blockchain, many applications have been developed. Specifically, a blockchain can be utilized in proving the user\u27s identity using its strong integrity. However, since all data in the blockchain is publicly available, it can cause privacy problems if the user\u27s identity is stored in the blockchain unencrypted. Although the encryption of the private information can diminish privacy problems in the blockchain, it is difficult to transparently utilize encrypted user information in the blockchain. To provide integrity and privacy of user information simultaneously in the blockchain, we propose a SIMS (Self-Sovereign Identity Management System) framework based on a zk-SNARK (zero-knowledge Succinct Non-interactive ARgument of Knowledge). In our proposed SIMS, the user information is employed in a privacy-preserving way due to the zero-knowledge property of the zk-SNARK. We construct a SIMS scheme and prove its security. We describe applications of SIMS and demonstrate its practicality through efficient implementations