Intersection of Longest Paths in Graph Theory and Predicting Performance in Facial Recognition

A set of subsets is said to have the Helly property if the condition that each pair of subsets has a non-empty intersection implies that the intersection of all subsets has a non-empty intersection. In 1966, Gallai noticed that the set of all longest paths of a connected graph is pairwise intersecting and asked if the set had the Helly property. While it is not true in general, a number of classes of graphs have been shown to have the property. In this dissertation, we show that K4-minor-free graphs, interval graphs, circular arc graphs, and the intersection graphs of spider graphs are classes that have this property. The accuracy of facial recognition algorithms on images taken in controlled conditions has improved significantly over the last two decades. As the focus is turning to more unconstrained or relaxed conditions and toward videos, there is a need to better understand what factors influence performance. If these factors were better understood, it would be easier to predict how well an algorithm will perform when new conditions are introduced. Previous studies have studied the effect of various factors on the verification rate (VR), but less attention has been paid to the false accept rate (FAR). In this dissertation, we study the effect various factors have on the FAR as well as the correlation between marginal FAR and VR. Using these relationships, we propose two models to predict marginal VR and demonstrate that the models predict better than using the previous global VR

The Role of the Black Market in China\u27s International Financial System

The dichotomy between China\u27s political theory and its administrative reality is nowhere more apparent than in the system China has developed to manage the inflow of foreign reserves into the country. In order to avoid disturbing the domestic economy, the government developed an elaborate two-tiered currency system. In addition, the government issued a set of Foreign Control Regulations which placed restrictions on the use of exchange. The regulations purported to place the use of foreign exchange under a unified national plan. In reality, however, beyond the reaches of the officially promulgated regulations, a thriving black market for foreign currency, foreign goods, and Foreign Exchange Certificates ( FECs ) has developed, over which the PRC government does not exercise any control. This Comment will examine the realities of the Chinese international financial system by going beyond the theoretical operation of the Chinese two-tiered banking system. The Comment will focus on the function of the black market in facilitating international trade by examining the reasons for the black market\u27s existence and the mechanics of its operation. It is hypothesized that the Chinese government tolerates the operation of the black market because it provides the Chinese consumer with a channel through which to acquire foreign durable goods, without the Chinese government having to expend foreign reserves to finance the transaction. Finally, it will be argued that, despite China\u27s current use of the black market as a means of acquiring many foreign imports, the future market in China for United States manufacturers and exporters holds great potential

Reflections on social media participation in young people and parents during the COVID-19 global pandemic: towards an understanding of the barriers and facilitators to use that support wellbeing

Aims: This study aimed to (1) explore perspectives of young people and parents on social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) better understand how young people can use social media in ways that support wellbeing. Methods: Nine parents and eight young people participated in semi-structured interviews remotely via video in July 2020. Thematic analysis was performed on the data. Results: Four main themes were derived: (1) impact of the pandemic on social media use, (2) role of social media in young people’s lives, (3) challenges of social media, and (4) supporting young people to use social media in ways that promote wellbeing. Fourteen sub-themes were identified. Conclusions: Social media use increased within families during the pandemic, and was perceived as crucial for maintaining social connections. Benefits of social media were acknowledged. However, fear of missing out, exclusion, and comparisons were identified as challenges to wellbeing. School support was thought by young people to lack relevance. Barriers to parental support included lack of knowledge and experience, and young people favoured peer support. Findings implicate peer- based models to promote social media use that supports wellbeing, led by young people and in line with rights-based perspectives on digital technology use

Poor by Comparison: Report on Illinois Poverty

A report that examines how Illinois compares to other states on over 25 key metrics associated with poverty and hardship. In addition to addressing the state budget's structural deficit and tax policy, the report offers additional recommendations that, if implemented, would help ensure the people of Illinois can live the best lives possible and make Illinois more competitive in the process

2015 State Rankings Data

This companion to the report Poor by Comparison contains state rankings on over 25 different indicators related to poverty

Combining Efforts: A Subject Librarian and a Generalist Team Up for Research Instruction

Academic librarians often work with students in diverse subject areas who make use of a wide range of the library’s resources and services. In order to best serve user needs, it can be important to look for opportunities to work across the units of the library. In keeping with this approach, an Information Services Librarian in the university library and an Architecture Librarian in a branch library joined forces to offer what they thought was a one-time thesis session for graduate students in architecture and planning. It turned out to be the beginning a collaboration that would take them into classrooms in a variety of disciplines to deliver instruction to students at all levels of the curriculum. These two librarians have collaborated on research instruction sessions online for architecture and planning students working on internships and face-to-face sessions in the classroom with art history and art education students working on class projects, including a Spanish class embarking on a research assignment to study the visual culture of Spain. They will take you through their planning process, interactions with faculty members, and how they work to collaborate in a productive way while keeping their own philosophies of research instruction. They will discuss why they choose particular tools and approaches to the session, how they talk about their choices to students, and the importance of sharing more than one approach to research with students. They will also include suggestions for planning and delivering instruction sessions with librarians outside of your area

Inequalities in mortality amenable to healthcare intervention in Scotland

Mortality amenable to health care intervention are premature deaths which, theoretically, should not occur in the presence of timely and effective health care. As Scotland has a universal health care system, where health care is freely provided at the point of access to all residents, there should be no socioeconomic inequalities in rates of amenable mortality (AM). However, gradients in rates of AM have been found in many countries, using various measures of socioeconomic position. The routine monitoring of rates of AM, and subgroups of amenable conditions, will contribute towards an indicator of health care performance. Records of all deaths occurring between 1980 and 2013, records of hospitalisations for amenable conditions, and mid-year population estimates were used to calculate rates of age standardised mortality and incident hospitalisations respectively. Absolute and relative inequalities in both rates for the total population were estimated using an area based measure of material deprivation, the Carstairs index. Individual level measurements of socioeconomic position, such as educational attainment, were used to measure inequalities in rates of deaths for a sample of the population, allowing for some comparison with European countries. Rates of AM in Scotland and England were compared in two natural experiments in the final two chapters, aiming to explore the direct and indirect effects of policy changes on health care systems abilities to effectively prevent amenable deaths. Rates of AM in Scotland have been found to be decreasing for both men and women. Mortality rates within two of the three subgroups of amenable conditions have also declined, with the third having too few deaths to comment on trends. The rates of incident hospitalisations of amenable conditions between 1996 and 2013 have remained relatively stable, suggesting that rates of AM may be reflecting improvements in the detection, treatment, and management of amenable conditions. Absolute and relative inequalities in mortality rates were largest when estimated using educational attainment, whilst occupational measures produced the smallest inequalities. The rate of decline in rates of AM slowed in Scotland, relative to England, following devolution, however the attempts to adequately control for differing levels of deprivation were unsuccessful. The final chapter saw step increase in rates of AM in England, compared to Scotland, following the publication of a White Paper for the Health and Social Care Act - however, this failed to reach statistical significance. This thesis concludes that the continued study of amenable mortality in Scotland is worthwhile, given that mortality rates continued to decline against stable rates of incident hospitalisations, and relative inequalities in mortality rates were found to be increasing, despite decreasing absolute inequalities. The monitoring of inequalities in rates of AM provides the potential for weaknesses in the provision and delivery of care to be identified and corrected

Do entrepreneurs do good deeds to maximize wins or avoid losses? A regulatory focus perspective

Researchers and practitioners generally agree that small businesses are important contributors to social responsibility within their communities and beyond. Despite the well-documented importance of small businesses in carrying out social responsibility, particularly locally, little is known about the motivation orientation underlying such behavior. Further, there is little agreement about what constitutes social responsibility in the small business context. Using regulatory focus theory as a theoretical lens, we examine how promotion focus versus prevention focus of the small business owner motivates social responsibility engagement targeted at society, employees, and customers. We find that regulatory focus of the small business owner does not play a role in motivating society-focused social responsibility engagement; however, prevention focus plays an important role in motivating engagement in employee- and customer-oriented social responsibility

More than Knowledge Transfer? Alumni Perspectives on the Value of Postgraduate Study for International Development

This article considers findings from the ‘More Than Knowledge Transfer’ research project, which was concerned with understanding the personal and professional trajectories of alumni from postgraduate programmes in education and international development. The article reflects on qualitative data to explore four key questions: what alumni value about their postgraduate study; the perceived usefulness of different types of learnings; how these are seen as connected to, or disconnected from, development practice; and how they are shaped by the expectations that students bring with them to the programme and their existing experiences in the international development field. The article suggests a need to problematize assumed dichotomies between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ or ‘skills’ and ‘criticality’ and instead consider how these relationships may be shaped by students’ own backgrounds and positionalities. It argues that supporting students to engage critically with, and move and build connections between, different spaces of learning and practice is key for engendering and sustaining critical and reflective approaches as they complete their studies and develop their careers in the development sector