String Measure Applied to String Self-Organizing Maps and Networks of Evolutionary Processors

* Supported by projects CCG08-UAM TIC-4425-2009 and TEC2007-68065-C03-02

Assuming identities online:experimental linguistics applied to the policing of online paedophile activity

This article uses a research project into the online conversations of sex offenders and the children they abuse to further the arguments for the acceptability of experimental work as a research tool for linguists. The research reported here contributes to the growing body of work within linguistics that has found experimental methods to be useful in answering questions about representation and constraints on linguistic expression (Hemforth 2013). The wider project examines online identity assumption in online paedophile activity and the policing of such activity, and involves dealing with the linguistic analysis of highly sensitive sexual grooming transcripts. Within the linguistics portion of the project, we examine theories of idiolect and identity through analysis of the ‘talk’ of perpetrators of online sexual abuse, and of the undercover officers that must assume alternative identities in order to investigate such crimes. The essential linguistic question in this article is methodological and concerns the applicability of experimental work to exploration of online identity and identity disguise. Although we touch on empirical questions, such as the sufficiency of linguistic description that will enable convincing identity disguise, we do not explore the experimental results in detail. In spite of the preference within a range of discourse analytical paradigms for ‘naturally occurring’ data, we argue that not only does the term prove conceptually problematic, but in certain contexts, and particularly in the applied forensic context described, a rejection of experimentally elicited data would limit the possible types and extent of analyses. Thus, it would restrict the contribution that academic linguistics can make in addressing a serious social problem.

Quality assessment of video transmission in heterogeneous networks as applied to real-time telecare

This work looks into video quality assessment applied to the field of telecare and proposes an alternative metric to the more traditionally used PSNR based on the requirements of such an application. We show that the Pause Intensity metric introduced in [1] is also relevant and applicable to heterogeneous networks with a wireless last hop connected to a wired TCP backbone. We demonstrate through our emulation testbed that the impairments experienced in such a network architecture are dominated by continuity based impairments rather than artifacts, such as motion drift or blockiness. We also look into the implication of using Pause Intensity as a metric in terms of the overall video latency, which is potentially problematic should the video be sent and acted upon in real-time. We conclude that Pause Intensity may be used alongside the video characteristics which have been suggested as a measure of the overall video quality. © 2012 IEEE.

Should topical opioid analgesics be regarded as effective and safe when applied to chronic cutaneous lesions?

Objectives: The induction of analgesia for many chronic cutaneous lesions requires treatment with an opioid analgesic. In many patients suffering with these wounds such drugs are either contraindicated or shunned because of their association with death. There are now case reports involving over 100 patients with many different types of chronic superficial wounds, which suggest that the topical application of an opioid in a suitable gel leads to a significant reduction in the level of perceived pain. Key findings: Some work has been undertaken to elucidate the mechanisms by which such a reduction is achieved. To date there have been no proven deleterious effects of such an analgesic system upon wound healing. Although morphine is not absorbed through the intact epidermis, an open wound provides no such barrier and for large wounds drug absorption can be problematic. However, for most chronic cutaneous lesions, where data has been gathered, the blood levels of the drug applied ranges from undetectable to below that required for a systemic effect. Summary If proven, the use of opioids in this way would provide adequate analgesia for a collection of wounds, which are difficult to treat in patients who are often vulnerable. Proof of this concept is now urgently required. © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

A new SOS-DFPT approximation for NMR shielding calculations : the Loc.3 correction applied to the catalytic mechanism of Serine Proteases

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

A Comparative Review of Computational Methods as Applied to Gold(I) Complexes and Mechanisms

In the last two decades, the field of homogeneous gold catalysis has been

extremely active, growing at a rapid pace. Another rapidly-growing field—that of

computational chemistry—has often been applied to the investigation of various gold-

catalyzed reaction mechanisms. Unfortunately, a number of recent mechanistic studies

have utilized computational methods that have been shown to be inappropriate and

inaccurate in their description of gold chemistry. This work presents an overview of

available computational methods with a focus on the approximations and limitations

inherent in each, and offers a review of experimentally-characterized gold(I) complexes

and proposed mechanisms as compared with their computationally-modeled

counterparts. No aim is made to identify a “recommended” computational method for

investigations of gold catalysis; rather, discrepancies between experimentally and

computationally obtained values are highlighted, and the systematic errors between

different computational methods are discussed.

A new SOS-DFPT approximation for NMR shielding calculations : the Loc.3 correction applied to the catalytic mechanism of Serine Proteases

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Rapid prototyping applied to a new development in moulds for rotational moulding

Rotational moulding is a unique manufacturing technique for the production of hollow plastic parts manufacturing. Moulds for rotational moulding are generally not standardized, such as for injection moulding, so each new mould must be completely manufactured except for a few ancillary parts like screws or clamps. The aim of this work has been to adapt and apply the advantages of rapid prototyping and electroforming technologies to try to achieve an innovative mould design for rotational moulding. The new innovative design integrates an electroformed shell, manufactured starting from a rapid prototyping mandrel, with different designed standard aluminium tools. The shell holder enables mould assembly with high precision a shell in a few minutes with the advantage of changing different geometries of the electroformed shells in the same tool. The overall mould cost is significantly decreased because it is only necessary to manufacture one or two shells each time, however the rest of the elements of the mould are standard and usable for an infinite number of shells, depending on size. The rapid prototyping of the mandrel enables a significant decrease the global cost of mould manufacturing as well. © 2008 Taylor & Francis Group.

Balancing related model order reduction applied to linear controlled evolution equations with Lévy Noise

Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Fakultät für Mathematik, Dissertation, 2016

A Parameter Estimation and Identifiability Analysis Methodology Applied to a Street Canyon Air Pollution Model

Mathematical models are increasingly used in environmental science thus increasing the importance of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. In the present study, an iterative parameter estimation and identifiability analysis methodology is applied to an atmospheric model – the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPMr). To assess the predictive validity of the model, the data is split into an estimation and a prediction data set using two data splitting approaches and data preparation techniques (clustering and outlier detection) are analysed. The sensitivity analysis, being part of the identifiability analysis, showed that some model parameters were significantly more sensitive than others. The application of the determined optimal parameter values was shown to succesfully equilibrate the model biases among the individual streets and species. It was as well shown that the frequentist approach applied for the uncertainty calculations underestimated the parameter uncertainties. The model parameter uncertainty was qualitatively assessed to be significant, and reduction strategies were identified.

Spatial modeling of data with excessive zeros applied to reindeer pellet-group counts

We analyze a real data set pertaining to reindeer fecal pellet-group counts obtained from a survey conducted in a forest area in northern Sweden. In the data set, over 70% of counts are zeros, and there is high spatial correlation. We use conditionally autoregressive random effects for modeling of spatial correlation in a Poisson generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), quasi-Poisson hierarchical generalized linear model (HGLM), zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP), and hurdle models. The quasi-Poisson HGLM allows for both under- and overdispersion with excessive zeros, while the ZIP and hurdle models allow only for overdispersion. In analyzing the real data set, we see that the quasi-Poisson HGLMs can perform better than the other commonly used models, for example, ordinary Poisson HGLMs, spatial ZIP, and spatial hurdle models, and that the underdispersed Poisson HGLMs with spatial correlation fit the reindeer data best. We develop R codes for fitting these models using a unified algorithm for the HGLMs. Spatial count response with an extremely high proportion of zeros, and underdispersion can be successfully modeled using the quasi-Poisson HGLM with spatial random effects.

Determination of a Total Body Model of Efficiency Applied to a Rowing Movement in Humans

Efficiency represents the ratio of work done to energy expended. In human movement, it is desirable to maximise the work done or minimise the energy expenditure. Whilst research has examined the efficiency of human movement for the lower and upper body, there is a paucity of research which considers the efficiency of a total body movement. Rowing is a movement which encompasses all parts of the body to generate locomotion and is a useful modality to measure total body efficiency. It was the aim of this research to develop a total body model of efficiency and explore how skill level of participants and assumptions of the modelling process affected the efficiency estimates Three studies were used to develop and evaluate the efficiency model. Firstly, the efficiency of ten healthy males was established using rowing, cycling and arm cranking. The model included internal work from motion capture and efficiency estimates were comparable to published literature, indicating the suitability of the model to estimate efficiency. Secondly, the model was developed to include a multi-segmented trunk and twelve novice and twelve skilled participants were assessed for efficiency. Whilst the efficiency estimates were similar to published results, novice participants were assessed as more efficient. Issues such as the unique physiology of trained rowers and a lack of energy transfers in the model were considered contributing factors. Finally the model was redeveloped to account for energy transfers, where skilled participants had higher efficiency at large workloads. This work presents a novel model for estimating efficiency during a rowing motion. The specific inclusion of energy transfers expands previous knowledge of internal work and efficiency, demonstrating a need to include energy transfers in the assessment of efficiency of a total body action.