Learning noisy linear classifiers via adaptive and selective sampling

We introduce efficient margin-based algorithms for selective sampling and filtering in binary classification tasks. Experiments on real-world textual data reveal that our algorithms perform significantly better than popular and similarly efficient competitors. Using the so-called Mammen-Tsybakov low noise condition to parametrize the instance distribution, and assuming linear label noise, we show bounds on the convergence rate to the Bayes risk of a weaker adaptive variant of our selective sampler. Our analysis reveals that, excluding logarithmic factors, the average risk of this adaptive sampler converges to the Bayes risk at rate N ^{−(1+α)(2+α)/2(3+α)} where N denotes the number of queried labels, and α>0 is the exponent in the low noise condition. For all $\alpha>\sqrt{3}-1\approx0.73$\alpha>\sqrt{3}-1\approx0.73 this convergence rate is asymptotically faster than the rate N ^{−(1+α)/(2+α)} achieved by the fully supervised version of the base selective sampler, which queries all labels. Moreover, for α→∞ (hard margin condition) the gap between the semi- and fully-supervised rates becomes exponential.     

The modular logic of private international law

We provide a logical analysis of private international law, a rather esoteric, but increasingly important, domain of the law. Private international law addresses overlaps and conflicts between legal systems by distributing cases between the authorities of such systems (jurisdiction) and establishing what rules these authorities have to apply to each case (choice of law). A formal model of the resulting interactions between legal systems is proposed based on modular argumentation. It is argued that this model may also be useful for governing the interactions between heterogeneous agents, belonging to different and differently regulated virtual societies, without recourse to a central regulatory agency. The model also provides for multiple interpretations concerning rules of private international law as well as substantive rules of the different legal systems.     

A DVB-MHP web browser to pursue convergence between Digital Terrestrial Television and Internet

In the last decade with the growth of Interactive Digital Television (IDTV) we have seen the end of passive television. An example of this trend is Internet access through television by means of the last generation Set Top Boxes (STBs). The chance to enjoy web contents through digital television Set Top Boxes, delivering a satisfying browsing experience across this platform, could provide the opportunity to promote social inclusion and bridging the “digital divide”. In this paper we present WebClimb, a web browser that would pursue an effective integration of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Internet in the DVB-MHP platform. WebClimb is a Java-based web browser that enables users to browse the web by interacting with an easy to use Graphical User Interface (GUI), driven by a common TV remote control without asking for reformatting such a content on the server side. In addition to this, the main requirement has been to design and develop an MHP browser application to be broadcast through a TV channel and not embedded in a specific device, though it could be too. Experimental results and a comparison with other possible solutions are provided.     

TCP Libra: Derivation,analysis, and comparison with other RTT-fair TCPs

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the most widely used transport protocol over the Internet, has been advertised to implement fairness between flows competing for the same narrow link. However, when session round-trip-times (RTTs) radically differ, the share may be anything but fair. This RTT-unfairness represents a problem that severely affects the performance of long-RTT flows and whose solution requires a revision of TCP’s congestion control scheme. To this aim, we discuss TCP Libra, a new transport protocol able to ensure fairness and scalability regardless of the RTT, while remaining friendly towards legacy TCP. As main contributions of this paper: (i) we focus on the model derivation and show how it leads to the design of TCP Libra; (ii) we analyze the role of its parameters and suggest how they may be adjusted to lead to asymptotic stability and fast convergence; (iii) we perform model-based, simulative, and real testbed comparisons with other TCP versions that have been reported as RTT-fair in the literature. Results demonstrate the ability of TCP Libra in ensuring RTT-fairness while remaining throughput efficient and friendly towards legacy TCP.     

A Synthetic Control Chart for Monitoring the Ratio of Two Normal Variables

Very recently, monitoring the ratio of two normal random variables by means of control charts has been investigated in statistical process control literature. The industrial implementation of these control charts involves monitoring of processes where the correct proportion of two ingredients or elements within a product should be maintained under statistical control, monitoring of quality characteristics measuring the performance of a product as the ratio before and after some specific operation, for example, a chemical reaction following the introduction of an additive in a product, and monitoring of a chemical or physical property of a product, which is itself defined and computed as a ratio. This paper presents a Phase II synthetic control chart with each subgroup consisting of n > 1 sample units. Several tables are generated and commented to show the statistical performance of the investigated chart for known and random shift sizes affecting the in‐control ratio. A performance comparison with another control chart already proposed in literature shows the advantages associated to the implementation of the synthetic control chart. An illustrative example from the food industry is given for illustration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the small signal modeling of advanced microwave FETs: A comparative study

Although many successful techniques have been proposed in the last decades for extracting the small signal equivalent circuit for microwave transistors from scattering parameter measurements, small signal modeling is still object of intense research. Further improvement and development of the proposed methods are incessantly required to take into account the continuous and rapid evolution of the transistor technology. The purpose of this article is to facilitate the choice of the most appropriate strategy for each particular case. For that, we present a brief but thorough comparative study of analytical techniques developed for modeling different types of advanced microwave transistors: GaAs HEMTs, GaN HEMTs, and FinFETs. It will be shown that a crucial step for a successful modeling is to adapt accurately the small signal equivalent circuit topology under “cold” condition to each investigated technology. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2008.     

Design and Experimental Evaluation of an Adaptive Playout Delay Control Mechanism for Packetized Audio for Use over the Internet

We describe the design and the experimental evaluation of a playout delay control mechanism we have developed in order to support unicast, voice-based audio communications over the Internet. The proposed mechanism was designed to dynamically adjust the talkspurt playout delays to the traffic conditions of the underlying network without assuming either the existence of an external mechanism for maintaining an accurate clock synchronization between the sender and the receiver during the audio communication, or a specific distribution of the audio packet transmission delays. Performance figures derived from several experiments are reported that illustrate the adequacy of the proposed mechanism in dynamically adjusting the audio packet playout delay to the network traffic conditions while maintaining a small percentage of packet loss.     

Environmentally Friendly Photocatalytic Oxidation of Aromatic Alcohol to Aldehyde in Aqueous Suspension of Brookite TiO2

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been applied to the study pertaining to preparation and characterization of catalysts used in propylene polymerization. The analysis has indicated support/donor interaction in active support (adduct) and active support/TiCl₄ interaction during catalyst preparation process. A systematic study has been made to identify suitable adduct from a set of three adducts for catalyst synthesis. Precise binding energy of Titanium species on catalyst surface has been measured and its dispersion on support has been evaluated to correlate catalyst performance with the surface spectroscopic parameters.     

Prospective memory impairment in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

This study investigated prospective memory and its relationship to executive and memory functions in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty-three individuals with PD and 25 healthy comparison participants participated in the study. In the prospective memory tasks, participants were asked to execute 3 actions after 20 min (time-based condition) or after a timer ring (event-based condition). A score was computed for the correct recall of the intention to perform the actions (prospective component) and for the correct execution of the actions (retrospective component). Participants with PD also received an extensive neuropsychological test battery. PD participants were less accurate than comparison participants in the prospective component of the time-based but not the event-based task. Individuals with PD were also impaired on the retrospective component of both tasks. In the PD group, a general trend toward significant correlations was found between performance level on the prospective memory component of the time-based task and scores on executive and working memory measures. These results document that prospective memory is impaired in PD possibly in relation to a dysregulation of cognitive functions associated with frontal systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)