Australian National University

About: Australian National University is a education organization based out in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 34419 authors who have published 109261 publications receiving 4315448 citations. The organization is also known as: The Australian National University & ANU.

Support vector machines

Abstract: My first exposure to Support Vector Machines came this spring when heard Sue Dumais present impressive results on text categorization using this analysis technique. This issue's collection of essays should help familiarize our readers with this interesting new racehorse in the Machine Learning stable. Bernhard Scholkopf, in an introductory overview, points out that a particular advantage of SVMs over other learning algorithms is that it can be analyzed theoretically using concepts from computational learning theory, and at the same time can achieve good performance when applied to real problems. Examples of these real-world applications are provided by Sue Dumais, who describes the aforementioned text-categorization problem, yielding the best results to date on the Reuters collection, and Edgar Osuna, who presents strong results on application to face detection. Our fourth author, John Platt, gives us a practical guide and a new technique for implementing the algorithm efficiently.

A-type granites: geochemical characteristics, discrimination and petrogenesis

Abstract: New analyses of 131 samples of A-type (alkaline or anorogenic) granites substantiate previously recognized chemical features, namely high SiO2, Na2O+K2O, Fe/Mg, Ga/Al, Zr, Nb, Ga, Y and Ce, and low CaO and Sr. Good discrimination can be obtained between A-type granites and most orogenic granites (M-, I and S-types) on plots employing Ga/Al, various major element ratios and Y, Ce, Nb and Zr. These discrimination diagrams are thought to be relatively insensitive to moderate degrees of alteration. A-type granites generally do not exhibit evidence of being strongly differentiated, and within individual suites can show a transition from strongly alkaline varieties toward subalkaline compositions. Highly fractionated, felsic I- and S-type granites can have Ga/Al ratios and some major and trace element values which overlap those of typical A-type granites. A-type granites probably result mainly from partial melting of F and/or Cl enriched dry, granulitic residue remaining in the lower crust after extraction of an orogenic granite. Such melts are only moderately and locally modified by metasomatism or crystal fractionation. A-type melts occurred world-wide throughout geological time in a variety of tectonic settings and do not necessarily indicate an anorogenic or rifting environment.

Mild cognitive impairment--beyond controversies, towards a consensus: report of the International Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Abstract: The First Key Symposium was held in Stockholm, Sweden, 2-5 September 2003. The aim of the symposium was to integrate clinical and epidemiological perspectives on the topic of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). A multidisciplinary, international group of experts discussed the current status and future directions of MCI, with regard to clinical presentation, cognitive and functional assessment, and the role of neuroimaging, biomarkers and genetics. Agreement on new perspectives, as well as recommendations for management and future research were discussed by the international working group. The specific recommendations for the general MCI criteria include the following: (i) the person is neither normal nor demented; (ii) there is evidence of cognitive deterioration shown by either objectively measured decline over time and/or subjective report of decline by self and/or informant in conjunction with objective cognitive deficits; and (iii) activities of daily living are preserved and complex instrumental functions are either intact or minimally impaired.

Changes in the global value of ecosystem services

Abstract: In 1997, the global value of ecosystem services was estimated to average $33 trillion/yr in 1995 $US ($46 trillion/yr in 2007 $US). In this paper, we provide an updated estimate based on updated unit ecosystem service values and land use change estimates between 1997 and 2011. We also address some of the critiques of the 1997 paper. Using the same methods as in the 1997 paper but with updated data, the estimate for the total global ecosystem services in 2011 is $125 trillion/yr (assuming updated unit values and changes to biome areas) and $145 trillion/yr (assuming only unit values changed), both in 2007 $US. From this we estimated the loss of eco-services from 1997 to 2011 due to land use change at $4.3–20.2 trillion/yr, depending on which unit values are used. Global estimates expressed in monetary accounting units, such as this, are useful to highlight the magnitude of eco-services, but have no specific decision-making context. However, the underlying data and models can be applied at multiple scales to assess changes resulting from various scenarios and policies. We emphasize that valuation of eco-services (in whatever units) is not the same as commodification or privatization. Many eco-services are best considered public goods or common pool resources, so conventional markets are often not the best institutional frameworks to manage them. However, these services must be (and are being) valued, and we need new, common asset institutions to better take these values into account.