On recommendation problems beyond points of interest

Recommendation systems aim to recommend items or packages of items that are likely to be of interest to users. Previous work on recommendation systems has mostly focused on recommending points of interest (POI), to identify and suggest top-k items or packages that meet selection criteria and satisfy compatibility constraints on items in a package, where the (packages of) items are ranked by their usefulness to the users. As opposed to prior work, this paper investigates two issues beyond POI recommendation that are also important to recommendation systems. When there exist no sufficiently many POI that can be recommended, we propose (1) query relaxation recommendation to help users revise their selection criteria, or (2) adjustment recommendation to guide recommendation systems to modify their item collections, such that the users׳ requirements can be satisfied.We study two related problems, to decide (1) whether the query expressing the selection criteria can be relaxed to a limited extent, and (2) whether we can update a bounded number of items, such that the users can get desired recommendations. We establish the upper and lower bounds of these problems, all matching, for both combined and data complexity, when selection criteria and compatibility constraints are expressed in a variety of query languages, for both item recommendation and package recommendation. To understand where the complexity comes from, we also study the impact of variable sizes of packages, compatibility constraints and selection criteria on the analyses of these problems. Our results indicate that in most cases the complexity bounds of query relaxation and adjustment recommendation are comparable to their counterparts of the basic recommendation problem for testing whether a given set of (resp. packages of) items makes top-k items (resp. packages). In other words, extending recommendation systems with the query relaxation and adjustment recommendation functionalities typically does not incur extra overhead.     

On the solution of the optimal linear control problems under conflict of interest

In the control of multi-input plants, the optimal choice of the feedback control inputs depends upon the choice of disturbance inputs by the competitor, enemy, or nature. Under that viewpoint, the formulation of the control problem under conflict of interest is translated to a differential game. This study considers a two-person conflicting situation, described by linear plant dynamics, while the performance indices are quadratic functionals. A theorem and an iterative numerical technique, based on Newton's method, are developed, for the actual computation of the closed-loop solution in the stationary case of the nonzero and zero-sum differential game. Explicit solutions are also presented for the finite terminal time problem arising in the zero-sum linear differential game, and a simple sufficient condition for the existence of such solutions is included. Two examples are solved to illustrate the procedures described.     

Evolutionary-computer-assisted design of image operators that detect interest points using genetic programming

This work describes a way of designing interest point detectors using an evolutionary-computer-assisted design approach. Nowadays, feature extraction is performed through the paradigm of interest point detection due to its simplicity and robustness for practical applications such as: image matching and view-based object recognition. Genetic programming is used as the core functionality of the proposed human-computer framework that significantly augments the scope of interest point design through a computer assisted learning process. Indeed, genetic programming has produced numerous interest point operators, many with unique or unorthodox designs. The analysis of those best detectors gives us an advantage to achieve a new level of creative design that improves the perspective for human-machine innovation. In particular, we present two novel interest point detectors produced through the analysis of multiple solutions that were obtained through single and multi-objective searches. Experimental results using a well-known testbed are provided to illustrate the performance of the operators and hence the effectiveness of the proposal.     

Contexts that promote interest,self-determination,and learning: lasting impressions and lingering questions

Across eight narratives, each capturing unique characteristics of a particular after-school or out-of-school computer program, we identified several unifying themes. We offer those themes as lingering questions that merit exploration by those invested in these ‘club’ settings. Specifically, we ask about the conceptions of learning held by authors, examine the distinctions between learning about and learning with technology, and question the degree of choice required to sustain the interest and engagement portrayed in these narratives.     

On a class of generalized eigenvalue problems and equivalent eigenvalue problems that arise in systems and control theory

Systems and control theory has long been a rich source of problems for the numerical linear algebra community. In many problems, conditions on analytic functions of a complex variable are usually evaluated by solving a special generalized eigenvalue problem. In this paper we develop a general framework for studying such problems. We show that for these problems, solutions can be obtained by either solving a generalized eigenvalue problem, or by solving an equivalent eigenvalue problem. A consequence of this observation is that these problems can always be solved by finding the eigenvalues of a Hamiltonian (or discrete-time counterpart) matrix, even in cases where an associated Hamiltonian matrix, cannot (normally) be defined. We also derive a number of new compact tests for determining whether or not a transfer function matrix is strictly positive real. These tests, which are of independent interest due to the fact that many problems can be recast as SPR problems, are defined even in the case when the matrix D+D^∗ is singular, and can be formulated without requiring inversion of the system matrix A.     

Invariant and attracting sets of Hopfield neural networks with delay

This paper studies invariant and attracting sets of Hopfield neural networks system with delay. Sufficient criteria are given for the invariant and attracting sets. In particular, we provide an estimate of the existence range of attractors by using invariant and attracting sets. Moreover, when the system has an equilibrium point, we obtain the sufficient conditions of global asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point. Several examples are also worked out to demonstrate the advantages of our results.     

Invariant and attracting sets of Volterra difference equations with delays

We will be concerned with the invariant and asymptotic properties of Volterra difference equations with delays. Sufficient conditions for determining the invariant and attracting sets of the equations are obtained. Examples are given to illustrate the obtained results.     

A new implemented version of program MIR (MIR II): analysis and identification of mathematical models in enzyme and transport kinetic studies

The computer program MIR previously described (R. Bianchi, G.M. Hanozet and M. Pilone Simonetta, Comput. Prog. Biomed. 16 (1983) 189) that fits trial rate laws to enzyme and transport steady-state kinetic data by the least-squares method has been enhanced. The new version MIR II is an interactive program and it consists of five major routines and a larger number of smaller program elements to perform the linear (three different functional forms) and non-linear (eleven mathematical models) regression analysis of kinetic data from enzyme and transmembrane transport experiments, also in the presence of inhibitors. Other features of the new program include a set of statistics and tests useful for the model building process, for the development of the mathematical model and for its validation and maintenance. An algorithm for fitting a straight line taking into account errors in both x and y is also provided.     

Why do you keep doing that? The biasing effects of mental states on IT continued usage intentions

Information Technology (IT) continued use decisions are typically assumed to be based on the results of a rational evaluation of the users' IT use experience, yet, recent findings suggest that continued use decisions might not be purely rational. In the current work, we build on the expectation-confirmation theory as well as cognitive dissonance theory to investigate possible mechanisms driving the continued use decisions of mobile phones. As an attempt to extend the existing paradigm in the IT continuance literature beyond rational decision making, we theorize three possible alternative mechanisms that might drive IT continued use decisions, namely psychological states (i.e., a cognitive and affective states of mind), reasoned action, and affective response. According to cognitive dissonance theory, human beings tend to reduce experienced cognitive dissonance by assimilating their post-behavior perceptions toward their prior expectations. As a result, in the context of IT continued use, we argue that experiencing psychological states such as technology addiction and excessive technostress might bias users' evaluations of their IT use experience, which in turn influence their post-use perceptions on the cognitive and affective levels, and consequently will influence the users' continued use decisions. A partial least squares analysis of 436 responses was used to validate and test our model. The study results generally support our model. The theoretical and practical implications of our study are discussed.     

Recognition of facial expressions and measurement of levels of interest from video

This paper presents a spatio-temporal approach in recognizing six universal facial expressions from visual data and using them to compute levels of interest. The classification approach relies on a two-step strategy on the top of projected facial motion vectors obtained from video sequences of facial expressions. First a linear classification bank was applied on projected optical flow vectors and decisions made by the linear classifiers were coalesced to produce a characteristic signature for each universal facial expression. The signatures thus computed from the training data set were used to train discrete hidden Markov models (HMMs) to learn the underlying model for each facial expression. The performances of the proposed facial expressions recognition were computed using five fold cross-validation on Cohn-Kanade facial expressions database consisting of 488 video sequences that includes 97 subjects. The proposed approach achieved an average recognition rate of 90.9% on Cohn-Kanade facial expressions database. Recognized facial expressions were mapped to levels of interest using the affect space and the intensity of motion around apex frame. Computed level of interest was subjectively analyzed and was found to be consistent with "ground truth" information in most of the cases. To further illustrate the efficacy of the proposed approach, and also to better understand the effects of a number of factors that are detrimental to the facial expression recognition, a number of experiments were conducted. The first empirical analysis was conducted on a database consisting of 108 facial expressions collected from TV broadcasts and labeled by human coders for subsequent analysis. The second experiment (emotion elicitation) was conducted on facial expressions obtained from 21 subjects by showing the subjects six different movies clips chosen in a manner to arouse spontaneous emotional reactions that would produce natural facial expressions.     

认知视角下的舆论观点句情感计算

针对目前观点分析方法局限于传统的文本分析技术,只能将舆论观点句分为肯定和否定两极或确定每一极的程度（粗粒度）,不能进一步给出舆论观点句是积极的还是消极的程度的问题。本文从认知学角度研究细粒度语义情感计算框架。提出了一种舆情观点句的定量分析方法,该方法将对于某话题的文本集合作为输入,输出一个实数表示文本中所表达观点的能量。本文在NLPIR共享平台上进行了相关实验,给出了粗粒度情感和细粒度情感对观点句识别的对比实验,实验表明,两种方法对观点句的识别性能相差不大;对非观点句细粒度方法好于粗粒度方法。     

Invariant and attracting sets of impulsive delay difference equations with continuous variables

The aim of this paper is to study the invariant and attracting sets of impulsive delay difference equations with continuous variables. Some criteria for the invariant and attracting sets are obtained by using the decomposition approach and delay difference inequalities with impulsive initial conditions.     

A class of problems that can be solved using interval algorithms

The paper discusses several theoretical and implementational problems of interval branch-and-bound methods. A trial to define a class of problems that can be solved with such methods is done. Features and variants of the method are presented. Useful data structures and shared-memory parallelization issues are considered.     

Comparison of fire temperature and fractional area modeled from SWIR, MIR, and TIR multispectral and SWIR hyperspectral airborne data

Spectral mixture modeling has previously been used to retrieve fire temperature and fractional area from multiband radiance data containing emitted radiance from fires. While this type of temperature modeling has potential for improving understanding of fire behavior and emissions, modeled temperature and fractional area may depend on the wavelength region used for modeling. Using airborne hyperspectral (Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer; AVIRIS) and multispectral (MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator; MASTER) data acquired simultaneously over the 2008 Indians Fire in California, we examined changes in modeled fire temperature and fractional area that occurred when input wavelength regions were varied. Temperature and fractional area modeled from multiple MASTER runs were directly compared. Incompatible spatial resolutions prevented direct comparison of the AVIRIS and MASTER model runs, so total area modeled at each temperature was used to indirectly compare temperature and fractional area retrieved from these two sensors. AVIRIS and MASTER model runs using shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands produced consistent fire temperatures and fractional areas when modeled temperatures exceeded 800 K. Temperatures and fire fractional areas were poorly correlated for temperatures below 800 K and when the SWIR bands were excluded as model inputs. The single temperature blackbody assumption commonly used in mixing model retrieval of fire temperature is potentially useful for modeling higher temperature fires, but is likely not valid for lower temperature smoldering combustion due to mixed radiance from multiple fuel elements combusting at different temperatures. SWIR data contain limited emitted radiance from combustion at lower temperatures, and are thus essential for consistent modeling of fire temperature and fractional area at higher fire temperatures.     

MIRRE approach: nonlinear and multimodal exploration of MIR aggregated search results

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Nowadays, web users frequently explore multimedia contents to satisfy their information needs. The exploration approaches usually provide linear interaction...     

Discovering places of interest in everyday life from smartphone data

In this paper, a new framework to discover places-of-interest from multimodal mobile phone data is presented. Mobile phones have been used as sensors to obtain location information from users’ real lives. A place-of-interest is defined as a location where the user usually goes and stays for a while. Two levels of clustering are used to obtain places of interest. First, user location points are grouped using a time-based clustering technique which discovers stay points while dealing with missing location data. The second level performs clustering on the stay points to obtain stay regions. A grid-based clustering algorithm has been used for this purpose. To obtain more user location points, a client-server system has been installed on the mobile phones, which is able to obtain location information by integrating GPS, Wifi, GSM and accelerometer sensors, among others. An extensive set of experiments has been performed to show the benefits of using the proposed framework, using data from the real life of a significant number of users over almost a year of natural phone usage.     

The influence of user cognition on consumption decision-making from the perspective of bounded rationality

Consumer decision-making is related to the success or failure of enterprises, and products that cater to the cognitive preferences of users have become a focus of current research. Based on the theory of bounded rationality, this paper explores the cognitive process of consumer decision-making. Then, how product shape affects consumption decision-making is analyzed with eye-tracking technology. Finally, the design principle of the product form is further explored. The results demonstrate the following: (1) the perceptual cognition of users has a driving effect on consumption behavior; (2) as a key factor affecting the perceptual cognition of users, product form affects consumer decision-making by influencing the degree of approach motivation; (3) by establishing the mapping relationship between product form elements and user images, the principles of product form design can be more consistent with user image preferences. This study provides useful suggestions for how to increase the purchase behavior of users from the perspective of bounded rationality.     

A two-level strategy for segmenting center of interest from pictures

Segmenting center of interests (COIs) from pictures is an important but highly challenging problem for researchers in computer vision and image processing. The capability of understanding the meanings of pictures by computers can lead to breakthroughs in a wide range of applications including Web image search and online picture-sharing communities. In this paper, a two-level strategy is presented, which consists of a rough segmentation stage and a fine segmentation stage. In the first level, a picture is partitioned into four regions by using a block clustering method based on color and texture features, and the COI within the picture is distinguished from the background according to the principles of photographic composition. This stage aims to determine the approximate region of the target. In the second level, a novel active contour model is established based on shape information and vector method, where the image energy is defined by a hue gradient and the external energy is generated from either a triangular inner force or a supplementary force. This stage tries to extract the boundary of the target accurately. Experimental results on photos downloaded from the Internet show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.