Categorizing facial expressions: a comparison of computational models

Recognizing expressions is a key part of human social interaction, and processing of facial expression information is largely automatic for humans, but it is a non-trivial task for a computational system. The purpose of this work is to develop computational models capable of differentiating between a range of human facial expressions. Raw face images are examples of high-dimensional data, so here we use two dimensionality reduction techniques: principal component analysis and curvilinear component analysis. We also preprocess the images with a bank of Gabor filters, so that important features in the face images may be identified. Subsequently, the faces are classified using a support vector machine. We show that it is possible to differentiate faces with a prototypical expression from the neutral expression. Moreover, we can achieve this with data that has been massively reduced in size: in the best case the original images are reduced to just 5 components. We also investigate the effect size on face images, a concept which has not been reported previously on faces. This enables us to identify those areas of the face that are involved in the production of a facial expression.     

Depth-dependent anisotropies of amides and sugar in perpendicular and parallel sections of articular cartilage by Fourier transform infrared imaging

Full thickness blocks of canine humeral cartilage were microtomed into both perpendicular sections and a series of 100 parallel sections, each 6 μm thick. Fourier transform infrared (IR) imaging was used to image each tissue section eleven times under different IR polarizations (from 0° to 180° polarization states in 20° increments and with an additional 90° polarization), at a spatial resolution of 6.25 μm and a wavenumber step of 8 cm^?1. With increasing depth from the articular surface, amide anisotropies increased in the perpendicular sections and decreased in the parallel sections. Both types of tissue sectioning identified a 90° difference between amide I and amide II in the superficial zone (SZ) of cartilage. The fibrillar distribution in the parallel sections from the SZ was shown to not be random. Sugar had a weak but recognizable anisotropy in the upper part of the radial zone (RZ) in the perpendicular sections. The depth‐dependent anisotropic data were fitted with a theoretical equation that contained three signature parameters, which illustrate the arcade structure of collagens with the aid of a fibril model. Fourier‐transform IR imaging of both perpendicular and parallel sections provides the possibility of determining the three‐dimensional macromolecular structures in articular cartilage. Being sensitive to the orientation of the macromolecular structure in healthy articular cartilage aids the prospect of detecting the early onset of the tissue degradation that may lead to pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74:122–132, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A Group Technology Based Classification and Coding System for Reinforced Concrete Structures

Abstract: This paper presents an application of Group Technology, a technique used in the manifacturing industry, to code and classifv the components of a reinforced concrete building structure. Given this classification scheme, a designer can search the database for design components that are similar and standardize them, retrieve previous similar design solutions and minimize the constructed cost of the structure. This paper reviews current construction classification schemes, provides an overview of group technology, and develops a classification and coding scheme for mid rise reinforced concrete building structural components. The scheme is implemented on software and a case study illustrates the utility of such a system to the industry.     

Solubility Properties of Chlorhexidine Salts

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is effective in treating oral bacterial infections. The solubility was shown to be highly dependent on the salt present in solution. Gluconate enhances the amount of CHX diacetate in solution possibly through mixed micelles formation, because the solubility product is such that the concentration of CHX will exceed the critical micelle concentration. However, only low concentrations of CHX dichloride can be obtained, which is not appreciably solubilized by gluconate ions. The low concentration of CHX that can be achieved in physiological concentrations of chloride in the oral cavity may be problematic for dental, slow release formulations.     

Lipid Profiling Reveals Tissue-Specific Differences for Ethanolamide Lipids in Mice Lacking Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase

N-Acylethanolamines (NAE) are fatty acid derivatives, some of which function as endocannabinoids in mammals. NAE metabolism involves common (phosphatidylethanolamines, PEs) and uncommon (N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines, NAPEs) membrane phospholipids. Here we have identified and quantified more than a hundred metabolites in the NAE/endocannabinoid pathway in mouse brain and heart tissues, including many previously unreported molecular species of NAPE. We found that brain tissue of mice lacking fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH ^−/−) had elevated PE and NAPE molecular species in addition to elevated NAEs, suggesting that FAAH activity participates in the overall regulation of this pathway. This perturbation of the NAE pathway in brain was not observed in heart tissue of FAAH ^−/− mice, indicating that metabolic regulation of the NAE pathway differs in these two organs and the metabolic enzymes that catabolize NAEs are most likely differentially distributed and/or regulated. Targeted lipidomics analysis, like that presented here, will continue to provide important insights into cellular lipid signaling networks.     

Electronically conducting montmorillonite-Cu2S and montmorillonite-Cu2S-polypyrrole nanocomposites

By making use of cation-exchange approach, montmorillonite-Cu₂S (MMT-Cu₂S) nanocomposite was prepared and characterized. Its conductivity was found to be 3.03 × 10⁻⁴ S m⁻¹. Pyrrole was introduced to MMT-Cu₂S and polymerized within the interlayer to obtain MMT-Cu₂S-polypyrrole (MMT-Cu₂S-PPY) nanocomposite. The materials were characterized by XRD, FT-IR and ac impedance measurements. The conductivities of both materials were found to be mainly electronic as confirmed by the dc polarization analysis but the former has a slight ionic conductivity due to mobile protons. In the latter the negatively charged clay sheet serves as a giant immobile anion and hence has no ionic component for the conductivity. The electronic conductivity is 2.65 S m⁻¹.     

Stability and Hydrogenation of “Bare” Gadolinium Nanoparticles

Gadolinium nanoparticles, deposited via an inert gas evaporation method, show improved stability towards oxidation and it is therefore possible to carry out an ex‐situ investigation on “bare” Gd nanoparticles, i.e., in the absence of a protective Pd layer, for the first time. A size‐induced structural transformation from hexagonal close packing to the higher‐symmetry face‐centered cubic structure is observed. The important observation of hydrogen–Gd‐nanoparticle interaction at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, without a Pd catalytic layer, makes Gd nanoparticles a potential candidate for hydrogen‐sensing, switching, and storage applications.     

Improved differential evolution based on multi-armed bandit for multimodal optimization problems

Applied Intelligence - The main aim of multimodal optimization problems (MMOPs) is to find and deal with multiple optimal solutions using an objective function. MMOPs perform the exploration and...