3D point of interest detection via spectral irregularity diffusion

This paper presents a method for detecting points of interest on 3D meshes. It comprises two major stages. In the first, we capture saliency in the spectral domain by detecting spectral irregularities of a mesh. Such saliency corresponds to the interesting portions of surface in the spatial domain. In the second stage, to transfer saliency information from the spectral domain to the spatial domain, we rely on spectral irregularity diffusion (SID) based on heat diffusion. SID captures not only the information about neighbourhoods of a given point in a multiscale manner, but also cues related to the global structure of a shape. It thus preserves information about both local and global saliency. We finally extract points of interest by looking for global and local maxima of the saliency map. We demonstrate the advantages of our proposed method using both visual and quantitative comparisons based on a publicly available benchmark.     

An interleaved sampling scheme for the characterization of single qubit dynamics

In this paper, we demonstrate that interleaved sampling techniques can be used to characterize the Hamiltonian of a qubit and its environmental decoherence rate. The technique offers a significant advantage in terms of the number of measurements that are required to characterize a qubit. When compared to the standard Nyquist?CShannon sampling rate, the saving in the total measurement time for the interleaved method is approximately proportional to the ratio of the sample rates.     

Services via mobility portals

This paper examines the importance of mobility portal services and the technologies that will be essential in delivering content over next generation network technologies. A broad range of related issues is discussed, from the devices the service user can employ and the underlying technology and infrastructure required, through to the challenges faced by the providers of such services     

Contracting for treatment termination to reduce illicit drug use among methadone maintenance treatment failures.

Evaluated the effectiveness of a contingency contracting intervention on reducing illicit drug use by 21 25–60 yr old male methadone maintenance patients selected on the basis of positive urinalysis results during a 60-day baseline. The intervention consisted of a 30-day contract, which stated that Ss would continue to receive a specified dosage of methadone, would not be asked to leave the program or detoxify, and would not use illicit drugs during the contract period. Illicit drug use was significantly reduced during the 30-day intervention and remained below baseline levels during a 60-day follow-up. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Item response theory modeling of substance use: An index based on 10 drug categories.

This study examined the psychometric characteristics of an index of substance use involvement using item response theory. The sample consisted of 292 men and 140 women who qualified for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis and 293 men and 445 women who did not qualify for a SUD diagnosis. The results indicated that men ha4 a higher probability of endorsing substance use compared with women. The index significantly predicted health, psychiatric, and psychosocial disturbances as well as level of substance use behavior and severity of SUD after a 2-year follow-up. Finally, this index is a reliable and useful prognostic indicator of the risk for SUD and the medical and psychosocial sequelae of drug consumption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Imaging defects and junctions in single-walled carbon nanotubes by voltage-contrast scanning electron microscopy

Voltage-contrast scanning electron microscopy is demonstrated as a new technique to locate and characterize defects in single-walled carbon nanotubes. This method images the surface potential along and surrounding a nanotube in device configuration and it is used here to study the following: (a) structural point-defects formed during nanotube growth, (b) nano-scale gap formed by high-current electrical breakdown, (c) electronic defect such as electron-irradiation induced metal-insulator transition, and (d) charge injection into the substrate which causes hysteresis in nanotube devices. The in situ characterization of defect healing under high bias is also shown. The origin of voltage-contrast, the influence of the above defects on the contrast profiles and optimum imaging conditions are discussed.