Ryerson University

About: Ryerson University is a education organization based out in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 7671 authors who have published 20164 publications receiving 394976 citations. The organization is also known as: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute & Ryerson Institute of Technology.

Objective Evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis Lesion Segmentation using a Data Management and Processing Infrastructure

Abstract: We present a study of multiple sclerosis segmentation algorithms conducted at the international MICCAI 2016 challenge. This challenge was operated using a new open-science computing infrastructure. This allowed for the automatic and independent evaluation of a large range of algorithms in a fair and completely automatic manner. This computing infrastructure was used to evaluate thirteen methods of MS lesions segmentation, exploring a broad range of state-of-theart algorithms, against a high-quality database of 53 MS cases coming from four centers following a common definition of the acquisition protocol. Each case was annotated manually by an unprecedented number of seven different experts. Results of the challenge highlighted that automatic algorithms, including the recent machine learning methods (random forests, deep learning, …), are still trailing human expertise on both detection and delineation criteria. In addition, we demonstrate that computing a statistically robust consensus of the algorithms performs closer to human expertise on one score (segmentation) although still trailing on detection scores.

Theory of software reliability based on components

Abstract: We present a foundational theory of software system reliability based on components. The theory describes how component developers can design and test their components to produce measurements that are later used by system designers to calculate composite system reliability — without implementation and test of the system being designed. The theory describes how to make component measurements that are independent of operational profiles, and how to incorporate the overall system-level operational profile into the system reliability calculations. In principle, the theory resolves the central problem of assessing a component, which is: a component developer cannot know how the component will be used and so cannot certify it for an arbitrary use; but if the component buyer must certify each component before using it, component-based development loses much of its appeal. This dilemma is resolved if the component developer does the certification and provides the results in such a way that the component buyer can factor in the usage information later, without repeating the certification. Our theory addresses the basic technical problems inherent in certifying components to be released for later use in an arbitrary system.Most component research has been directed at functional specification of software components; our theory addresses the other, equally important, side of the coin: component quality.

Constructing Crime: Media, Crime, and Popular Culture

Abstract: Arguably one of the most significant and potentially illuminating areas of criminological inquiry is the analysis of crime, media, and popular culture. As residents of a highly technological society undergoing rapid transformations in the conduits for information on crime, we have an increasing array of options in forming our ideas about crime and justice. A staple assertion of introductory texts and lectures is that societal perceptions of crime are formed through exposure to various forms of media, including television, film, video, and Internet services. Our knowledge acquisition has changed dramatically in the past 200 years, from first-hand knowledge of crime and deviance in rural communities and small urban centres to a society in which we are inundated with so much information that it is difficult to assess what specific impacts media have on our ideas and attitudes. Therefore, when we speak of "knowledge of crime," we must also be specific about the type of information we receive and the form in which this information is presented. Crime is central to the production of news in Canadian society (Dowler 2004a: 574; Fleming 1983, 2006). Although crime is considered newsworthy and often produced as informative, it is also a central component in entertainment in Canadian and North American society. It grips the collective imagination of television viewers, theatregoers, Internet browsers, and readers of true-crime books. Moreover, the boundary between crime information and crime entertainment has been increasingly blurred in recent years through the rise of reality crime shows. Crime as entertainment has cemented a place in popular culture, reflected in all the above-mentioned media formats and beyond. Canadian viewers are now exposed to American reality television shows including American Justice, Cold Case Files, COPS, Court TV, and Dallas SWAT, while "cop" shows focus on the investigation and arrest of suspects for a variety of offences. The First 48 tracks cases through the investigative process, showing the arrest and interrogation of suspects. Court TV presents sensational trials that typically focus on murder, serial murder, or sexual assault. The Nancy Grace Show selectively targets specific kidnappings, sex crimes, or murders, with a particular focus on retribution and punishment. Canada boasts its own equivalent of COPS, the less sensational To Serve and Protect, which follows everyday police patrols in various Canadian cities. Ideas about crime emerge not only from news sources and reality television shows but also from dramatic movies and television shows that adopt crime as their subject. The massive popularity of crime shows has spawned some of the most enduringly popular television series of the 1990s and beyond, including Law & Order, DaVinci's Inquest, and CSI. The enormous appeal of crime as entertainment is also reflected in the many spin-offs of these series, all of which are currently running alongside the original series and their re-runs. What is particularly disturbing about these crime drama shows is that they are presented as "realistic" portrayals of crime and justice, which further blurs the lines between fiction and reality. In fact, they often borrow storylines from real-life cases and advertise their programs as "realistic" crime portrayals (Eschholz, Mallard, and Flynn 2004)--so much so that the expression "the CSI Effect" has been bandied about by such media outlets as CNN, National Geographic, USA Today, CBS News, and US News and World Report. Simply put, the CSI Effect relates to the popularity of CSI, Criminal Minds, Crossing Jordan, and other programs that portray scientific and forensic evidence-gathering procedures to catch criminals; the "effect" is the rise in expectations of real-life crime victims and jury members. Prosecutors lament the fact that they have to supply more forensic evidence because jurors expect this type of evidence, having seen it on television. …

Level-shifted PWM for Cascaded Multilevel Inverters with Even Power Distribution

Abstract: Cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters are commonly controlled using multicarrier Phase-Shifted PWM, since it allows an even power distribution among the converter power cells, which can lead to lower harmonic distortion in the input current if an adequate transformer is used. However it is known that other multicarrier methods, like Phase Disposition PWM (PD- PWM) have better output voltage quality with lower distortion. Nevertheless, when used with cascaded inverters, this method produces uneven usage of the converter cells, that disables the harmonic cancelations at the transformer input. This paper presents a modified PD-PWM technique, that combines the benefits of both modulation methods, achieving good output voltage and input current quality.