Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Ding Ma

Publications and source records attributed to Ding Ma.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2019

TCDCaps: Visual Tracking via Cascaded Dense Capsules

The critical challenge in tracking-by-detection framework is how to avoid drift problem during online learning, where the robust features for a variety of appearance changes are difficult to be learned and a reasonable intersection over union (IoU) threshold that defines the true/false positives is hard to set. This paper presents the TCDCaps method to address the problems above via a cascaded dense capsule architecture. To get robust features, we extend original capsules with dense-connected routing, which are referred as DCaps. Depending on the preservation of part-whole relationships in the Capsule Networks, our dense-connected capsules can capture a variety of appearance variations. In addition, to handle the issue of IoU threshold, a cascaded DCaps model (CDCaps) is proposed to improve the quality of candidates, it consists of sequential DCaps trained with increasing IoU thresholds so as to sequentially improve the quality of candidates. Extensive experiments on 3 popular benchmarks demonstrate the robustness of the proposed TCDCaps.

cs.CV↗
arXiv2018

Why Topology Matters in Predicting Human Activities

Geographic space is better understood through the topological relationship of the underlying streets (note: entire streets rather than street segments), which enables us to see scaling or fractal or living structure of far more less-connected streets than well-connected ones. It is this underlying scaling structure that makes human activities predictable, albeit in the sense of collective rather than individual human moving behavior. This topological analysis has not yet received its deserved attention in the literature, as many researchers continue to rely on segment analysis for predicting human activities. The segment-analysis-based methods are essentially geometric, with a focus on geometric details of locations, lengths, and directions, and are unable to reveal the scaling property, which means they cannot be used for human activities prediction. We conducted a series of case studies using London streets and tweet location data, based on related concepts such as natural streets, and natural street segments (or street segments for short), axial lines, and axial line segments (or line segments for short). We found that natural streets are the best representation in terms of human activities or traffic prediction, followed by axial lines, and that neither street segments nor line segments bear a good correlation between network parameters and tweet locations. These findings point to the fact that the reason why axial lines-based space syntax, or the kind of topological analysis in general, works has little to do with individual human travel behavior or ways that human conceptualize distances or spaces. Instead, it is the underlying scaling hierarchy of streets - numerous least-connected, a very few most-connected, and some in between the least- and most-connected - that makes human activities predictable.

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2018

Creation and analysis of biochemical constraint-based models: the COBRA Toolbox v3.0

COnstraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA) provides a molecular mechanistic framework for integrative analysis of experimental data and quantitative prediction of physicochemically and biochemically feasible phenotypic states. The COBRA Toolbox is a comprehensive software suite of interoperable COBRA methods. It has found widespread applications in biology, biomedicine, and biotechnology because its functions can be flexibly combined to implement tailored COBRA protocols for any biochemical network. Version 3.0 includes new methods for quality controlled reconstruction, modelling, topological analysis, strain and experimental design, network visualisation as well as network integration of chemoinformatic, metabolomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and thermochemical data. New multi-lingual code integration also enables an expansion in COBRA application scope via high-precision, high-performance, and nonlinear numerical optimisation solvers for multi-scale, multi-cellular and reaction kinetic modelling, respectively. This protocol can be adapted for the generation and analysis of a constraint-based model in a wide variety of molecular systems biology scenarios. This protocol is an update to the COBRA Toolbox 1.0 and 2.0. The COBRA Toolbox 3.0 provides an unparalleled depth of constraint-based reconstruction and analysis methods.

q-bio.QM↗
arXiv2018

A Smooth Curve as a Fractal Under the Third Definition

It is commonly believed in the literature that smooth curves, such as circles, are not fractal, and only non-smooth curves, such as coastlines, are fractal. However, this paper demonstrates that a smooth curve can be fractal, under the new, relaxed, third definition of fractal - a set or pattern is fractal if the scaling of far more small things than large ones recurs at least twice. The scaling can be rephrased as a hierarchy, consisting of numerous smallest, a very few largest, and some in between the smallest and the largest. The logarithmic spiral, as a smooth curve, is apparently fractal because it bears the self-similar property, or the scaling of far more small squares than large ones recurs multiple times, or the scaling of far more small bends than large ones recurs multiple times. A half-circle or half-ellipse and the UK coastline (before or after smooth processing) are fractal, if the scaling of far more small bends than large ones recurs at least twice. Keywords: Third definition of fractal, head/tail breaks, bends, ht-index, scaling hierarchy

math.GM↗
arXiv2017

How Complex Is a Fractal? Head/tail Breaks and Fractional Hierarchy

A fractal bears a complex structure that is reflected in a scaling hierarchy, indicating that there are far more small things than large ones. This scaling hierarchy can be effectively derived using head/tail breaks - a clustering and visualization tool for data with a heavy-tailed distribution - and quantified by an ht-index, indicating the number of clusters or hierarchical levels, a head/tail breaks-induced integer. However, this integral ht-index has been found to be less precise for many fractals at their different phrases of development. This paper refines the ht-index as a fraction to measure the scaling hierarchy of a fractal more precisely within a coherent whole, and further assigns a fractional ht-index - the fht-index - to an individual data value of a data series that represents the fractal. We developed two case studies to demonstrate the advantages of the fht-index, in comparison with the ht-index. We found that the fractional ht-index or fractional hierarchy in general can help characterize a fractal set or pattern in a much more precise manner. The index may help create intermediate map scales between two consecutive map scales. Keywords: Ht-index, fractal, scaling, complexity, fht-index

physics.data-an↗
arXiv2016

A Socio-geographic Perspective on Human Activities in Social Media

Location-based social media make it possible to understand social and geographic aspects of human activities. However, previous studies have mostly examined these two aspects separately without looking at how they are linked. The study aims to connect two aspects by investigating whether there is any correlation between social connections and users' check-in locations from a socio-geographic perspective. We constructed three types of networks: a people-people network, a location-location network, and a city-city network from former location-based social media Brightkite and Gowalla in the U.S., based on users' check-in locations and their friendships. We adopted some complexity science methods such as power-law detection and head/tail breaks classification method for analysis and visualization. Head/tail breaks recursively partitions data into a few large things in the head and many small things in the tail. By analyzing check-in locations, we found that users' check-in patterns are heterogeneous at both the individual and collective levels. We also discovered that users' first or most frequent chec-in locations can be the representatives of users' spatial information. The constructed networks based on these locations are very heterogeneous, as indicated by the high ht-index. Most importantly, the node degree of the networks correlates highly with the population at locations (mostly with R-square being 0.7) or cities (above 0.9). This correlation indicates that the geographic distributions of the social media users relate highly to their online social connections. Keywords: social networks, check-in locations, natural cities, power law, head/tail breaks, ht-index

nlin.AO↗
arXiv2016

Reliable and efficient solution of genome-scale models of Metabolism and macromolecular Expression

Constraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA) is currently the only methodology that permits integrated modeling of Metabolism and macromolecular Expression (ME) at genome-scale. Linear optimization computes steady-state flux solutions to ME models, but flux values are spread over many orders of magnitude. Standard double-precision solvers may return inaccurate solutions or report that no solution exists. Exact simplex solvers are extremely slow and hence not practical for ME models that currently have 70,000 constraints and variables and will grow larger. We have developed a quadruple-precision version of our linear and nonlinear optimizer MINOS, and a solution procedure (DQQ) involving Double and Quad MINOS that achieves efficiency and reliability for ME models. DQQ enables extensive use of large, multiscale, linear and nonlinear models in systems biology and many other applications.

q-bio.MN↗
arXiv2016

Quantifying the eddy-jet feedback strength of the annular mode in an idealized GCM and reanalysis data

A linear response function (LRF) that relates the temporal tendency of zonal mean temperature and zonal wind to their anomalies and external forcing is used to accurately quantify the strength of the eddy-jet feedback associated with the annular mode in an idealized GCM. Following a simple feedback model, the results confirm the presence of a positive eddy-jet feedback in the annular mode dynamics, with a feedback strength of 0.137 day$^{-1}$ in the idealized GCM. Statistical methods proposed by earlier studies to quantify the feedback strength are evaluated against results from the LRF. It is argued that the mean-state-independent eddy forcing reduces the accuracy of these statistical methods because of the quasi-oscillatory nature of the eddy forcing. A new method is proposed to approximate the feedback strength as the regression coefficient of low-pass filtered eddy forcing onto low-pass filtered annular mode index, which converges to the value produced by the LRF when timescales longer than 200 days are used for the low-pass filtering. Applying the new low-pass filtering method to the reanalysis data, the feedback strength in the Southern annular mode is found to be 0.121 day$^{-1}$, which is presented as an improvement over previous estimates. This work also highlights the importance of using sub-daily data in the analysis by showing the significant contribution of medium-scale waves of periods less than 2 days to the annular mode dynamics, which was under-appreciated in most of previous research. The present study provides a framework to quantify the eddy-jet feedback strength in models and reanalysis data.

physics.flu-dyn↗
arXiv2016

High-Q silk fibroin whispering gallery microresonator

We have experimentally demonstrated an on-chip all-silk fibroin whispering gallery mode microresonator by using a simple molding and solution-casting technique. The quality factors of the fabricated silk protein microresonators are up to 10^5. A high-sensitivity thermal sensor was realized in this silk fibroin microtoroid with sensitivity of 1.17 nm/K, 8 times higher than previous WGM resonator based thermal sensors. This opens the way to fabricate biodegradable and biocompatible protein based microresonators on a flexible chip for biophotonics applications.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2016

Spatial Distribution of City Tweets and Their Densities

Social media outlets such as Twitter constitute valuable data sources for understanding human activities in the virtual world from a geographic perspective. This paper examines spatial distribution of tweets and densities within cities. The cities refer to natural cities that are automatically aggregated from a country's small street blocks, so called city blocks. We adopted street blocks (rather than census tracts) as the basic geographic units and topological center (rather than geometric center) in order to assess how tweets and densities vary from the center to the peripheral border. We found that, within a city from the center to the periphery, the tweets first increase and then decrease, while the densities decrease in general. These increases and decreases fluctuate dramatically, and differ significantly from those if census tracts are used as the basic geographic units. We also found that the decrease of densities from the center to the periphery is less significant, and even disappears, if an arbitrarily defined city border is adopted. These findings prove that natural cities and their topological centers are better than their counterparts (conventionally defined cities and city centers) for geographic research. Based on this study, we believe that tweet densities can be a good surrogate of population densities. If this belief is proved to be true, social media data could help solve the dispute surrounding exponential or power function of urban population density. Keywords: Big data, natural cities, street blocks, urban density, topological distance

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2015

Connections between Double Zeta Values relative to $μ_N$, Hecke Operators $T_N$, and Newforms of Level $Γ_0(N)$ for $N=2,3$

In this paper, we will study various connections between double zeta values relative to $μ_N$, Hecke operators $T_N$, and newforms of level $Γ_0(N)$ for $N=2,3$. Those various connections generalize the well-known of Baumard and Schneps. We also give a conjecture about the Eichler-Shimura-Manin correspondence between $\mathcal{S}_k^{\textrm{new}}(Γ_0(2))^{\pm}$, $\mathcal{S}_k^{\textrm{new}}(Γ_0(3))^{\pm}$ and some period polynomial spaces.

math.NT↗
arXiv2015

Inverse of a matrix related to double zeta values of odd weight

In this paper, we give a proof of a conjecture made by Zagier about the inverse of some matrix related to double zeta values of parity $(\mathrm{even},\mathrm{odd})$. As a result, we obtain a family of Bernoulli number identities. We further generalize this family to a more general setting involving binomial coefficients of negative arguments.

math.NT↗
arXiv2015

Period polynomial relations between formal double zeta values of odd weight

For odd $k$, we give a formula for the relations between double zeta values $ζ(r,k-r)$ with $r$ even. This formula provides a connection with the space of cusp forms on $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$. This is the odd weight analogue of a result by Gangl, Kaneko and Zagier. We also provide an answer of a question asked by Zagier about the left kernel of some matrix. Although the restricted sum statement fails in the odd weight case, we provide an asymptotical statement that replaces it. Our statement works more generally for restricted sums with any congruence condition on the first entry of the double zeta value.

math.NT↗
arXiv2015

Characterizing the Heterogeneity of the OpenStreetMap Data and Community

OpenStreetMap (OSM) constitutes an unprecedented, free, geographic information source contributed by millions of individuals, resulting in a database of great volume and heterogeneity. In this study, we characterize the heterogeneity of the entire OSM database and historical archive in the context of big data. We consider all users, geographic elements, and user contributions from an eight-year data archive, at a size of 692 GB. We rely on some nonlinear methods such as power-law statistics and head/tail breaks to uncover and illustrate the underlying scaling properties. All three aspects (users, elements, and contributions) demonstrate striking power laws or heavy-tailed distributions. The heavy-tailed distributions imply that there are far more small elements than large ones, far more inactive users than active ones, and far more lightly edited elements than heavily edited ones. Furthermore, about 500 users in the core group of the OSM are highly networked in terms of collaboration. Keywords: OpenStreetMap, big data, power laws, head/tail breaks, ht-index

cs.SI↗
arXiv2015

Defining Least Community as a Homogeneous Group in Complex Networks

This paper introduces a new concept of least community that is as homogeneous as a random graph, and develops a new community detection algorithm from the perspective of homogeneity or heterogeneity. Based on this concept, we adopt head/tail breaks - a newly developed classification scheme for data with a heavy-tailed distribution - and rely on edge betweenness given its heavy-tailed distribution to iteratively partition a network into many heterogeneous and homogeneous communities. Surprisingly, the derived communities for any self-organized and/or self-evolved large networks demonstrate very striking power laws, implying that there are far more small communities than large ones. This notion of far more small things than large ones constitutes a new fundamental way of thinking for community detection. Keywords: head/tail breaks, ht-index, scaling, k-means, natural breaks, and classification

physics.soc-ph↗
arXiv2008

Distribution Function of Dark Matter with Constant Anisotropy

N-body simulations of dark matter halos show that the density is cusped near the center of the halo. The density profile behaves as $r^{-γ}$ in the inner parts, where $γ\simeq 1$ for the NFW model and $γ\simeq 1.5$ for the Moore's model, but in the outer parts, both models agree with each other in the asymptotic behavior of the density profile. The simulations also show the information about anisotropy parameter $β(r)$ of velocity distribution. $β\approx 0$ in the inner part and $β\approx 0.5$ (radially anisotropic) in the outer part of the halo. We provide some distribution functions $F(E,L)$ with the constant anisotropy parameter $β$ for the two spherical models of dark matter halos: a new generalized NFW model and a generalized Moore model. There are two parameters $α$ and $ε$ for those two generalized models to determine the asymptotic behavior of the density profile. In this paper, we concentrate on the situation of $β(r)=1/2$ from the viewpoint of the simulation.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2008

Distribution Function in Center of Dark Matter Halo

N-body simulations of dark matter halos show that the density profiles of halos behave as $ρ(r)\propto r^{-α(r)}$, where the density logarithmic slope $α\simeq 1\sim1.5$ in the center and $α\simeq 3\sim 4$ in the outer parts of halos. However, some observations are not in agreement with simulations in the very central region of halos. The simulations also show that velocity dispersion anisotropy parameter $β\approx 0$ in the inner part of the halo and the so called "pseudo phase-space density" $ρ/σ^3$ behaves as a power-law in radius $r$. With these results in mind, we study the distribution function and the pseudo phase-space density $ρ/σ^3$ of the center of dark matter halos and find that they are closely-related.

astro-ph↗