Co-Training for Visual Object Recognition Based on Self-Supervised Models Using a Cross-Entropy Regularization

Automatic recognition of visual objects using a deep learning approach has been successfully applied to multiple areas. However, deep learning techniques require a large amount of labeled data, which is usually expensive to obtain. An alternative is to use semi-supervised models, such as co-training, where multiple complementary views are combined using a small amount of labeled data. A simple way to associate views to visual objects is through the application of a degree of rotation or a type of filter. In this work, we propose a co-training model for visual object recognition using deep neural networks by adding layers of self-supervised neural networks as intermediate inputs to the views, where the views are diversified through the cross-entropy regularization of their outputs. Since the model merges the concepts of co-training and self-supervised learning by considering the differentiation of outputs, we called it Differential Self-Supervised Co-Training (DSSCo-Training). This paper presents some experiments using the DSSCo-Training model to well-known image datasets such as MNIST, CIFAR-100, and SVHN. The results indicate that the proposed model is competitive with the state-of-art models and shows an average relative improvement of 5% in accuracy for several datasets, despite its greater simplicity with respect to more recent approaches.     

On-line Method for Montelukast Determination in Bile Salt Medium with Multivariate Optimization and Fluorescent Detection

Journal of Analytical Chemistry - The present development involved a flow injection strategy using a mini-column of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and fluorescent detection (λex of 283 nm,...     

Antiphytopathogenic activity of Psoralea glandulosa (Fabaceae) against Botrytis cinerea and Phytophthora cinnamomi

The resinous exudate, three meroterpenes, namely bakuchiol (1), 3-hydroxybakuchiol (2), 12-hydroxyisobakuchiol (3), and one furanocoumarin, psoralen (4), were isolated from the leaves of culen (Psoralea glandulosa). In addition to these, two semi-synthetic derivatives, bakuchiol acetate (5) and bakuchiol methyl eter (6), were obtained from 1, and were subsequently evaluated in vitro for the inhibitory effect of resin and compounds on the mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr. and Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands. The resinous exudate inhibited the mycelial growth of both the pathogens, while bakuchiol (1) exhibited an inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of B. cinerea up to 94% at a concentration of 150 mg/L and psoralen (4) reduced the mycelial growth of P. cinnamomi up to 80% at a concentration of 150 mg/L. These compounds have the ability of blocking the development of mycelial growth and may be used as a potential biopesticide in the agricultural sector once the in vivo test results have been validated.     

Effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy in Elimination of HPV‐16 and HPV‐18 Associated with CIN I in Mexican Women

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT), using δ‐aminolevulinic acid (5‐ALA), in the elimination of premalignant cervical lesions in Mexican patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and/or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Thirty women diagnosed with CIN I and/or positive for HPV participated in the study. Topical 6% 5‐ALA in gel form was applied to the uterine cervix; after 4 h, the lesion area was irradiated with a light dose of 200 J cm^?2 at 635 nm. This procedure was performed three times at 48‐h intervals. Clinical follow‐up was performed at 3, 6, and 12 months after the initial PDT administration, by colposcopy, cervical cytology, histopathological analysis, polymerase chain reaction, and hybrid capture. Of HPV‐infected patients without evidence of CIN I, 80% cleared the infection, while HPV associated with CIN I was eliminated in 83% of patients (P < 0.05). At 12 months, CIN I had regressed in 57% of patients, although this response was not statistically significant. PDT using 6% 5‐ALA is concluded to be effective in eliminating HPV infection associated or not with CIN I.     

A solution to Tingley’s problem for isometries between the unit spheres of compact C*-algebras and JB*-triples

Let f : S(E) → S(B) be a surjective isometry between the unit spheres of two weakly compact JB*-triples not containing direct summands of rank less than or equal to 3. Suppose E has rank greater than or equal to 5. Applying techniques developed in JB*-triple theory, we prove that f admits an extension to a surjective real linear isometry T : E → B. Among the consequences, we show that every surjective isometry between the unit spheres of two compact C*-algebras A and B, without assuming any restriction on the rank of their direct summands(and in particular when A = K(H) and B = K(H′)), extends to a surjective real linear isometry from A into B. These results provide new examples of infinite-dimensional Banach spaces where Tingley's problem admits a positive answer.     

Encapsulation of complementary model drugs in spray-dried nanostructured materials

Two model drugs of different physico-chemical and pharmaceutical properties (ibuprofen, acetaminophen) have been incorporated together or separately in silica-based microspheres using sol–gel and spray-drying processes. A variable amount of a neutral surfactant Brij-56© has also been added. The properties of the microspheres vary significantly depending on their composition. Three kinds of texture are identified: (1) silica containing spheroid nano-domains (formed by ibuprofen; diameters between 20 and 100 nm), (2) silica containing worm-like mesophases (formed by Brij-56© and both model drugs, typical correlation distances ~6 nm), (3) silica intimately mixed with the drug (acetaminophen) without visible phase-separation. The kinetics of drug release in simulated intestinal fluid strongly depend on these textures. The association of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in a single type of microsphere and without surfactant favours a concomitant release. Possible mechanisms of materials’ formation are discussed.     

Von Neumann Regularity and Quadratic Conorms in JB^＊-triples and C^＊-algebras

We revise the notion of von Neumann regularity in JB^＊-triples by finding a new characterisation in terms of the range of the quadratic operator Q（a）. We introduce the quadratic conorm of an element a in a JB^＊-triple as the minimum reduced modulus of the mapping Q（a）. It is shown that the quadratic conorm of a coincides with the infimum of the squares of the points in the triple spectrum of a. It is established that a contractive bijection between JBW^＊-triples is a triple isomorphism if, and only if, it preserves quadratic conorms. The continuity of the quadratic conorm and the generalized inverse are discussed. Some applications to C^＊-algebras and von Neumann algebras are also studied.     

An XAS study of the binding and reduction of Au(III) by hop biomass

Previous studies have shown that hop biomass is capable of adsorbing significant amounts of Au(III) from aqueous solutions. Hop biomass was chemically modified to determine the contributions that the different functional groups on the biomass have on the binding and reduction of Au(III). Previously, performed batch studies showed that Au(III) binding is fast, occurring within the first 5 min of contact and in a pH dependent manner. However, esterified hop biomass behaved in a pH independent manner and the binding was found not to change with changing pH. However, the hydrolyzed biomass had a similar Au(III) binding to the native hops biomass, showing a pH dependent binding trend. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis, XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure), and EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) were used to determine the oxidation state, coordination environment, and the average radii of the gold nanoparticles bound to the hops biomass. The XAS data confirmed the presence of Au(0) in both the native and chemically modified hop biomasses. XANES fittings show that the Au(III) was reduced to Au(0) by approximately 81%, 70%, and 83% on the native, esterified, and hydrolyzed hop biomass, respectively. In addition, the calculation of the particle radius was also in agreement with the results of previously performed transmission electron microscopy studies. The average particle could only be calculated for the native and esterified hops biomass, which showed average particle radii of 17.3 Å and 9.2 Å, respectively.