Social network extraction and analysis based on multimodal dyadic interaction

Social interactions are a very important component in people"s lives. Social network analysis has become a common technique used to model and quantify the properties of social interactions. In this paper, we propose an integrated framework to explore the characteristics of a social network extracted from multimodal dyadic interactions. For our study, we used a set of videos belonging to New York Times" Blogging Heads opinion blog. The Social Network is represented as an oriented graph, whose directed links are determined by the Influence Model. The links" weights are a measure of the"influence" a person has over the other. The states of the Influence Model encode automatically extracted audio/visual features from our videos using state-of-the art algorithms. Our results are reported in terms of accuracy of audio/visual data fusion for speaker segmentation and centrality measures used to characterize the extracted social network.

Study of criteria influencing the success rate of DNA swabs in operational conditions: a contribution to an evidence-based approach to crime scene investigation and triage

DNA is nowadays swabbed routinely to investigate serious and volume crimes, but research remains scarce when it comes to determining the criteria that may impact the success rate of DNA swabs taken on different surfaces and situations. To investigate these criteria in fully operational conditions, DNA analysis results of 4772 swabs taken by the forensic unit of a police department in Western Switzerland over a 2.5-year period (2012-2014) in volume crime cases were considered. A representative and random sample of 1236 swab analyses was extensively examined and codified, describing several criteria such as whether the swabbing was performed at the scene or in the lab, the zone of the scene where it was performed, the kind of object or surface that was swabbed, whether the target specimen was a touch surface or a biological fluid, and whether the swab targeted a single surface or combined different surfaces. The impact of each criterion and of their combination was assessed in regard to the success rate of DNA analysis, measured through the quality of the resulting profile, and whether the profile resulted in a hit in the national database or not. Results show that some situations - such as swabs taken on door and window handles for instance - have a higher success rate than average swabs. Conversely, other situations lead to a marked decrease in the success rate, which should discourage further analyses of such swabs. Results also confirm that targeting a DNA swab on a single surface is preferable to swabbing different surfaces with the intent to aggregate cells deposited by the offender. Such results assist in predicting the chance that the analysis of a swab taken in a given situation will lead to a positive result. The study could therefore inform an evidence-based approach to decision-making at the crime scene (what to swab or not) and at the triage step (what to analyse or not), contributing thus to save resource and increase the efficiency of forensic science efforts.

Features extraction based on the Discrete Hartley Transform for closed contour

In this paper the authors propose a new closed contour descriptor that could be seen as a Feature Extractor of closed contours based on the Discrete Hartley Transform (DHT), its main characteristic is that uses only half of the coefficients required by Elliptical Fourier Descriptors (EFD) to obtain a contour approximation with similar error measure. The proposed closed contour descriptor provides an excellent capability of information compression useful for a great number of AI applications. Moreover it can provide scale, position and rotation invariance, and last but not least it has the advantage that both the parameterization and the reconstructed shape from the compressed set can be computed very efficiently by the fast Discrete Hartley Transform (DHT) algorithm. This Feature Extractor could be useful when the application claims for reversible features and when the user needs and easy measure of the quality for a given level of compression, scalable from low to very high quality.

The Role of Surfactant Properties of Extractants in Hydrometallurgical LiquidLiquid Extraction Processes

The amphiphilic nature of metal extractants causes the formation of micelles and other microscopic aggregates when in contact with water and an organic diluent. These phenomena and their effects on metal extraction were studied using carboxylic acid (Versatic 10) and organophosphorus acid (Cyanex 272) based extractants. Special emphasis was laid on the study of phase behaviour in a pre neutralisation stage when the extractant is transformed to a sodium or ammonium salt form. The pre neutralised extractants were used to extract nickel and to separate cobalt and nickel. Phase diagrams corresponding to the pre neutralisation stage in a metal extraction process were determined. The maximal solubilisation of the components in the system water(NH3)/extractant/isooctane takes place when the molar ratio between the ammonia salt form and the free form of the extractant is 0.5 for the carboxylic acid and 1 for the organophosphorus acid extractant. These values correspond to the complex stoichiometry of NH4A•HA and NIi4A, respectively. When such a solution is contacted with water a microemulsion is formed. If the aqueous phase contains also metal ions (e.g. Ni²+), complexation will take place on the microscopic interface of the micellar aggregates. Experimental evidence showing that the initial stage of nickel extraction with pre neutralised Versatic 10 is a fast pseudohomogeneous reaction was obtained. About 90% of the metal were extracted in the first 15 s after the initial contact. For nickel extraction with pre neutralised Versatic 10 it was found that the highest metal loading and the lowest residual ammonia and water contents in the organic phase are achieved when the feeds are balanced so that the stoichiometry is 2NH4+(org) = Nit2+(aq). In the case of Co/Ni separation using pre neutralised Cyanex 272 the highest separation is achieved when the Co/extractant molar ratio in the feeds is 1 : 4 and at the same time the optimal degree of neutralisation of the Cyanex 272 is about 50%. The adsorption of the extractants on solid surfaces may cause accumulation of solid fine particles at the interface between the aqueous and organic phases in metal extraction processes. Copper extraction processes are known to suffer of this problem. Experiments were carried out using model silica and mica particles. It was found that high copper loading, aromacity of the diluent, modification agents and the presence of aqueous phase decrease the adsorption of the hydroxyoxime on silica surfaces.

Reactions of Chlorambucil and its main metabolite, Phenylacetic Acid Mustard, with 2’-deoxyribonucleosides and Calf Thymus DNA

Chlorambucil is an anticancer agent used in the treatment of a variety of cancers, especially in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, chlorambucil is potentially mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. The high antitumor activity and high toxicity of chlorambucil and its main metabolite, phenylacetic acid mustard, to normal tissues have been known for a long time. Despite this, no detailed chemical data on their reactions with biomolecules in aqueous media have been available. The aim of the work described in this thesis was to analyze reactions of chlorambucil with 2’-deoxyribonucleosides and calf thymus DNA in aqueous buffered solution, at physiological pH, and to identify and characterize all adducts by using modern analyzing methods. Our research was also focused on the reactions of phenylacetic acid mustard with 2’-deoxynucleosides under similar conditions. A review of the literature consisting of general background of nucleic acids, alkylating agents and ultraviolet spectroscopy used to identify the purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, as well as the results from experimental work are presented and discussed in this doctoral thesis.

A reliable method of quantification of trace copper in beverages with and without alcohol by spectrophotometry after cloud point extraction

A new cloud point extraction (CPE) method was developed for the separation and preconcentration of copper (II) prior to spectrophotometric analysis. For this purpose, 1-(2,4-dimethylphenyl) azonapthalen-2-ol (Sudan II) was used as a chelating agent and the solution pH was adjusted to 10.0 with borate buffer. Polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether (Triton X-114) was used as an extracting agent in the presence of sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS). After phase separation, based on the cloud point of the mixture, the surfactant-rich phase was diluted with acetone, and the enriched analyte was spectrophotometrically determined at 537 nm. The variables affecting CPE efficiency were optimized. The calibration curve was linear within the range 0.285-20 µg L-1 with a detection limit of 0.085 µg L-1. The method was successfully applied to the quantification of copper in different beverage samples.

Ligandless cloud point extraction of trace amounts of palladium and rhodium in road dust samples using Span 80 prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In this study, a procedure is developed for cloud point extraction of Pd(II) and Rh(III) ions in aqueous solution using Span 80 (non-ionic surfactant) prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. This method is based on the extraction of Pd(II) and Rh(III) ions at a pH of 10 using Span 80 with no chelating agent. We investigated the effect of various parameters on the recovery of the analyte ions, including pH, equilibration temperature and time, concentration of Span 80, and ionic strength. Under the best experimental conditions, the limits of detection based on 3Sb for Pd(II) and Rh(III) ions were 1.3 and 1.2 ng mL-1, respectively. Seven replicate determinations of a mixture of 0.5 µg mL-1 palladium and rhodium ions gave a mean absorbance of 0.058 and 0.053 with relative standard deviations of 1.8 and 1.6%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of the palladium and rhodium ions in road dust and standard samples and satisfactory results were obtained.

Solid phase extraction of zinc with octadecyl silica membrane disks modified by N,N'-disalicylidene-1,2-phenylendiamine and determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A procedure for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of Zn(II) from aqueous media is proposed. The procedure is based on the adsorption of Zn2+ on octadecyl bonded silica membrane disk modified with N,N'-disalicylidene-1,2-phenylendiamine at pH 7. The retained zinc ions were then stripped from the disk with a minimal amount of 1.5 mol L-1 hydrochloric acid solution as eluent, and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Maximum capacity of the membrane disk modified with 5 mg of the ligand was found to be 226 µg Zn2+. The relative standard deviation of zinc for ten replicate extraction of 10 µg zinc from 1000 mL samples was 1.2%. The limit of detection of the proposed method was 14 ng of Zn2+ per 1000 mL. The method was successfully applied to the determination of zinc in natural water samples and accuracy was examined by recovery experiments and independent analysis by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS).

Genotype characterization of Haematobia irritans from different Brazilian geographic regions based on randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis

Blood-sucking diptera are important parasites in bovine production systems, especially regarding confinement conditions. Haematobia irritans, the horn fly, is one of the most troublesome species within bovine production systems, due to the intense stress imposed to the animals. An important aspect while studying the variability within a species is the study of the geographic structure of its populations and, attempting to find out the genetic flow of Brazilian populations of horn fly, the RAPD technique, which is suited for this purpose, has been used. The use of molecular markers generated from RAPD made it possible to identify the geographic origin of samples from different Brazilian geographic regions, as well as to estimate the genotypic flow among the different Brazilian populations of the horn fly.

Recovery of carboxylic acids from aqueous streams by extraction and back extraction

Separation of carboxylic acids from aqueous streams is an important part of their manufacturing process. The aqueous solutions are usually dilute containing less than 10 % acids. Separation by distillation is difficult as the boiling points of acids are only marginally higher than that of water. Because of this distillation is not only difficult but also expensive due to the evaporation of large amounts of water. Carboxylic acids have traditionally been precipitated as calcium salts. The yields of these processes are usually relatively low and the chemical costs high. Especially the decomposition of calcium salts with sulfuric acid produces large amounts of calcium sulfate sludge. Solvent extraction has been studied as an alternative method for recovery of carboxylic acids. Solvent extraction is based on mixing of two immiscible liquids and the transfer of the wanted components form one liquid to another due to equilibrium difference. In the case of carboxylic acids, the acids are transferred from aqueous phase to organic solvent due to physical and chemical interactions. The acids and the extractant form complexes which are soluble in the organic phase. The extraction efficiency is affected by many factors, for instance initial acid concentration, type and concentration of the extractant, pH, temperature and extraction time. In this paper, the effects of initial acid concentration, type of extractant and temperature on extraction efficiency were studied. As carboxylic acids are usually the products of the processes, they are wanted to be recovered. Hence the acids have to be removed from the organic phase after the extraction. The removal of acids from the organic phase also regenerates the extractant which can be then recycled in the process. The regeneration of the extractant was studied by back-extracting i.e. stripping the acids form the organic solution into diluent sodium hydroxide solution. In the solvent regeneration, the regenerability of different extractants and the effect of initial acid concentration and temperature were studied.

Actively crafting customer value or merely representing a solution? Linking value-based selling to salesperson performance

Value-based selling is a salesperson behavioral mode which concentrates on generating superior customer value. Although service dominant logic emphasizes customer value as a central tenet for achieving strategic objectives, sales management literature has predominantly circumvented the subject matter of customer value. The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the distinctiveness and positive sales performance outcomes of value-based selling. Additionally, performance outcomes of value-based selling are contrasted with other key sales behaviors, selling skills and motivational orientations. As a part of this thesis, large-scale survey of 730 respondents was collected. The survey was tailored for the needs of a value-based selling research group led by Ph.D. Harri Terho. The research group used convenience sampling to select the salespeople of 25 medium- and large-scale companies in Finland which currently either practice value-based selling or consider developing these activities. This thesis contains three key findings: value-based selling is established as a distinct sales behavior, it relates directly and positively to salesperson performance and it explains the link between customer-oriented selling and salesperson performance. Value-based selling relates to salesperson performance especially in the following GICS-sectors: energy, industrials and materials. However, relationship selling relates to performance strongest in the energy sector and adaptive selling in industrials sector. In sum, it is evident that actively crafting customer value is a successful sales behavior in many business-to-business marketing environments while other sales behaviors, excluding customer-oriented selling, still uphold their significance.

Optimization and validation of the solid-liquid extraction technique for determination of picloram in soils by high performance liquid chromatography

The objective of this study was to optimize and validate the solid-liquid extraction (ESL) technique for determination of picloram residues in soil samples. At the optimization stage, the optimal conditions for extraction of soil samples were determined using univariate analysis. Ratio soil/solution extraction, type and time of agitation, ionic strength and pH of extraction solution were evaluated. Based on the optimized parameters, the following method of extraction and analysis of picloram was developed: weigh 2.00 g of soil dried and sieved through a sieve mesh of 2.0 mm pore, add 20.0 mL of KCl concentration of 0.5 mol L-1, shake the bottle in the vortex for 10 seconds to form suspension and adjust to pH 7.00, with alkaline KOH 0.1 mol L-1. Homogenate the system in a shaker system for 60 minutes and then let it stand for 10 minutes. The bottles are centrifuged for 10 minutes at 3,500 rpm. After the settlement of the soil particles and cleaning of the supernatant extract, an aliquot is withdrawn and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. The optimized method was validated by determining the selectivity, linearity, detection and quantification limits, precision and accuracy. The ESL methodology was efficient for analysis of residues of the pesticides studied, with percentages of recovery above 90%. The limits of detection and quantification were 20.0 and 66.0 mg kg-1 soil for the PVA, and 40.0 and 132.0 mg kg-1 soil for the VLA. The coefficients of variation (CV) were equal to 2.32 and 2.69 for PVA and TH soils, respectively. The methodology resulted in low organic solvent consumption and cleaner extracts, as well as no purification steps for chromatographic analysis were required. The parameters evaluated in the validation process indicated that the ESL methodology is efficient for the extraction of picloram residues in soils, with low limits of detection and quantification.

Main features of DNA-based immunization vectors

DNA-based immunization has initiated a new era of vaccine research. One of the main goals of gene vaccine development is the control of the levels of expression in vivo for efficient immunization. Modifying the vector to modulate expression or immunogenicity is of critical importance for the improvement of DNA vaccines. The most frequently used vectors for genetic immunization are plasmids. In this article, we review some of the main elements relevant to their design such as strong promoter/enhancer region, introns, genes encoding antigens of interest from the pathogen (how to choose and modify them), polyadenylation termination sequence, origin of replication for plasmid production in Escherichia coli, antibiotic resistance gene as selectable marker, convenient cloning sites, and the presence of immunostimulatory sequences (ISS) that can be added to the plasmid to enhance adjuvanticity and to activate the immune system. In this review, the specific modifications that can increase overall expression as well as the potential of DNA-based vaccination are also discussed.

Expression of anti-Z-DNA single chain antibody variable fragment on the filamentous phage surface

We describe the expression of an anti-Z-DNA single chain variable region antibody fragment (scFv) on a filamentous phage surface. Four vectors for phage display were constructed. Two of them are able to display multiple copies of the antibody fragment, and the others can be used to make monovalent libraries. The vectors use different promoter/leader sequences to direct the expression of the fused proteins. All were able to promote the assembly of fusion virion particles. In this paper we also show the affinity selection (biopanning) of those phage-antibodies based on the capacity of their products to recognize the antigen. We used biotinylated Z-DNA and the selection was performed in a solution phase fashion. The data presented here indicate that these vectors can be further used to construct anti-nucleic acid antibody fragment libraries that can be used to study the basis of nucleic acid-protein interaction and its role in autoimmunity mechanisms.

Value-based selling of the column connection solution as part of project sales

The objective of this study was to find out how third party influencers can facilitate value-based selling in a network and how suppliers should aim to impact on these third party influencers to facilitate value-based selling. The study considers construction industry, selling the column connection solution and third party influencers. Third party influencers examined in this study were structural designers. The study also aims to find out structural designers’ value drivers and the differences between the market areas that this study related to. The theoretical part of the study focuses on two separate areas. The first part of the theory focuses on a value-based selling concept: what it is, what it requires and what are the main barriers for value-based selling. The second part of the theory examines value creation in networks. The present knowledge over value creation in networks and different network actors are presented. Project marketing is also discussed briefly because this study’s topic, which is highly related to project business. The results reveal structural designers’ value drivers considering the usage of the column connection solution and present ways how suppliers should aim to impact structural designers to facilitate value-based selling. The main result of the study indicates that third party influencers can have a positive impact on facilitating value-based selling. Structural designers are communicating more or less with all the salient actors in different project phases and they can act as sponsors to support the sales of Peikko’s column connection solution and promote solution to other actors involved to the project. This requires that structural designers can understand the actual benefits of how the solution can improve their and their customers’ business.