Steepest descent algorithms in a space of measures

The paper describes descent type algorithms suitable for solving optimisation problems for functionals that depend on measures. We mention several examples of such problems that appear in optimal design, cluster analysis and optimisation of spatial distribution of coverage processes.     

The soil seed bank and its relationship to the aboveground vegetation in deciduous forests in New York City

The soil seed bank was studied in two deciduous forests in Bronx (New York City), NY. The purpose of this study was to determine how the biotic andabiotic differences between urban and rural forests arereflected in urban forest seed banks. Soil samples werecollected in two consecutive years and monitored for emergencein the greenhouse over two years. In 1993, the mean number ofemergents ranged from 4636 to 5373 m^-2 (excluding ferns), or from 6972 to 9651 m^-2 (including ferns). In 1994, the mean number of emergents ranged from 1656 to 2013 m^-2 (excluding ferns), or from 5019 to 5992 m^-2 (including ferns). Graminoids and fernscombined accounted for approximately 70% of all emergents eachyear. Three taxa, Rubus spp., Betula lenta, and Liriodendron tulipifera, comprised 60–80% of the woody emergents and were theonly woody taxa to exhibit delayed germination. A substantialnumber of forbs, graminoids and ferns (15–50%) exhibiteddelayed germination. The nonnative woody species Ailanthusaltissima, Morus alba, and Celastrus orbiculatus were absentfrom the aboveground vegetation of some forest plots yet werepresent at low densities in the seed bank. A greater meandensity of emergents and the presence of nonnative species arethe main differences between the seed banks of these urbanforests and those reported for similar nonurban forests in thisregion.     

Big Data and Predictive Analytics in Fire Risk Using Weather Data

The objective of this article is to study the impact of weather on the damage caused by fire incidents across the United States. The article uses two sets of big data—-fire incidents data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—to obtain a single comprehensive data set for prediction and analysis of fire risk. In the article, the loss is referred to as “Total Percent Loss,” a metric that is calculated based on the content and property loss incurred by an owner over the total value of content and property. Gradient boosting tree (GBT), a machine learning algorithm, is implemented on the processed data to predict the losses due to fire incidents. An R² value of 0.933 and mean squared error (MSE) of 124.641 out of 10,000 signify the extent of high predictive accuracy obtained by implementing the GBT model. In addition to this, an excellent predictive performance demonstrated by the GBT model is further validated by a strong fitting between the predicted loss and the actual loss for the test data set, with an R² value of 0.97. While analyzing the influence of each input variable on the output, it is observed that the state in which a fire incident takes place plays a major role in determining fire risk. This article provides useful insights to fire managers and researchers in the form of a detailed framework of big data and predictive analytics for effective management of fire risk.     

for misspecified regression models

The authors propose minimax robust designs for regression models whose response function is possibly misspecified. These designs, which minimize the maximum of the mean squared error matrix, can control the bias caused by model misspecification and provide the desired efficiency through one parameter. The authors call on a nonsmooth optimization technique to derive these designs analytically. Their results extend those of Heo, Schmuland & Wiens (2001). The authors also discuss several examples for approximately polynomial regression.     

冗余提升不可分离小波的图像融合方法

提出了一种基于冗余提升不可分离小波的多源图像融合方法。该方法不仅能很好地提取图像的细节信息,而且具有平移不变性,非常适合于图像融合;同时,采用基于局部邻域梯度的融合规则对分解后的高频和低频小波系数作不同的处理。对多光谱红外图像以及不同类型的医学图像进行了融合试验,结果表明该方法可以取得更好的融合效果。     

低渗透油田反九点井网面积波及效率影响研究

根据低渗透油藏面积注水开发的特点,在流管模型的基础上,推导出了考虑启动压力梯度的反九点井网面积波及效率和油井见水时间计算公式,解决了低速非达西渗流不同于达西渗流的面积波及效率理论计算问题。研究表明,低渗透油田反九点井网中角井和边井的见水时间和面积波及效率不同,需要对边井和角井采取不同的工作制度以调节水驱均匀程度。为低渗透油藏反九点井网的开发设计和评价提供了理论依据。     

辽宁省服务业发展创新模式研究

为促进辽宁省服务业更好地发展、加大服务业对国民经济发展的推动力量,从辽宁省服务业存在的问题入手,通过大量的数据和图表对辽宁省服务业进行全方位分析,提出一种适合辽宁省服务业发展的梯度产业发展模式,并对每个城市的服务业发展进行定位,从而为辽宁省服务贸易创新研究奠定基础。     

污水处理厂机器学习综合评价

对污水处理厂的运营情况进行综合评价,既可以找出现有污水处理厂存在的不足,指明改进方向和目标,又可为今后建立新厂提供参考和借鉴。通过指标体系和随机线性评价模型层次分析法（analytical hierarchy process,AHP）权重,得到机器学习评价样本;采用随机森林、随机梯度Boosting和支持向量等六种机器学习方法和六种评价结果的平均值,对天津市14家污水处理厂运营情况进行排名。     

An integrated approach to evaluating urban forest functionality

Despite the fact that forests in urban areas play multiple and often conflicting roles, research and management efforts are typically geared towards a single role or purpose. Urban ecology addresses this multiplicity of function by viewing human and natural systems in urban areas not as separate entities, but as interacting components of an integrated whole. We present an interdisciplinary approach for evaluating the different ways that forests are often valued: economically, socially, and ecologically in residential areas of King County, WA. Economic function is measured as the change in housing prices attributed to location on the gradient, using a hedonic price model. For social function we use a survey to measure (1) residents’ use of parks and forests, and (2) satisfaction with their neighborhoods. We measure ecological function as songbird species richness, using bird survey data. Overlaying the curves of economic, social, and ecological function on the common axis of our urban gradient allows for relationships and tradeoffs to be qualitatively evaluated. Each function responds differently to the gradient. The housing price response is strongest at high and low levels of urbanization, with positive premiums in both areas. Satisfaction with neighborhood attributes decreases with increasing urbanization, while the likelihood of mentioning ‘parks’ as an important element of a resident’s neighborhood increases. Songbird richness peaks in less-developed areas. Evaluating the different functions together is an important step in recognizing and understanding the multiple roles forested areas play.     

A shared parameter model of longitudinal measurements and survival time with heterogeneous random-effects distribution

Typical joint modeling of longitudinal measurements and time to event data assumes that two models share a common set of random effects with a normal distribution assumption. But, sometimes the underlying population that the sample is extracted from is a heterogeneous population and detecting homogeneous subsamples of it is an important scientific question. In this paper, a finite mixture of normal distributions for the shared random effects is proposed for considering the heterogeneity in the population. For detecting whether the unobserved heterogeneity exits or not, we use a simple graphical exploratory diagnostic tool proposed by Verbeke and Molenberghs [34] to assess whether the traditional normality assumption for the random effects in the mixed model is adequate. In the joint modeling setting, in the case of evidence against normality (homogeneity), a finite mixture of normals is used for the shared random-effects distribution. A Bayesian MCMC procedure is developed for parameter estimation and inference. The methodology is illustrated using some simulation studies. Also, the proposed approach is used for analyzing a real HIV data set, using the heterogeneous joint model for this data set, the individuals are classified into two groups: a group with high risk and a group with moderate risk.