TechAndComputer (Nov. 20, 2012) Once upon a time, Spam came in a can and could be easily avoided. Nowadays, spam plagues email inboxes around the world, hawking miracle pills and enticing the gullible with tales of offshore bank accounts containing untold fortunes.
These once text-based email infiltrators have recently turned high-tech, using layers of images to fool automatic filters. Thanks to some sophisticated new cyber-sleuthing, researchers at Concordia University's Institute of Information Systems Engineering are working toward a cure.
PhD candidate Ola Amayri and thesis supervisor, Nizar Bouguila, have conducted a comprehensive study of several spam filters in the process of developing a new and efficient...
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Statistics
Statistics
Statistics
Filtering spam: New method to rid inboxes of unsolicited email
- 20 November 2012
- Editor
A more peaceful world awaits, statistical analysis suggests
- 19 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 19, 2012) Statistical analyses show that the world will be more peaceful in the future. In about 40 years only half as many countries will be in conflict. The decrease will be greatest in the Middle East.
In 1992, almost every fourth country was involved in an armed conflict. In 2009, that proportion had fallen to every sixth country. In 2050, only every twelfth country will be involved in a conflict. In other words, half as many again. This is indicated...
In 1992, almost every fourth country was involved in an armed conflict. In 2009, that proportion had fallen to every sixth country. In 2050, only every twelfth country will be involved in a conflict. In other words, half as many again. This is indicated...
New statistical method offers automatic mitotic cell detection for cancer diagnosis
- 12 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 12, 2012) Scientists have developed a statistical image analysis method which can assist in the grading of breast cancer by automatically segmenting tumour regions and detecting dividing cells in tissue samples.
The system, developed at the University of Warwick, promises to bring objectivity and automation to the cancer grading process which is used to determine the aggressiveness of the treatment offered to the patient.
Number of mitotic cells...
The system, developed at the University of Warwick, promises to bring objectivity and automation to the cancer grading process which is used to determine the aggressiveness of the treatment offered to the patient.
Number of mitotic cells...
Origin of Italian wines is controlled better with multivariate statistics
- 07 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 7, 2012) Wine derives its economic value to a large extent from geographical origin, which has a significant impact on the quality of the wine. According to the food legislation, wines can be without geographical origin (table wine) and with origin. Wines with origin must have characteristics which are essentially due to its region of production and must be produced, processed and prepared exclusively within that region.
The development of fast and...
The development of fast and...
Common math standards supported with new study
- 05 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 5, 2012) A new study analyzing the previous math standards of each state provides strong support for adoption of common standards, which U.S. students desperately need to keep pace with their counterparts around the globe, a Michigan State University scholar argues.
Forty-six states are implementing the Common Core math and reading standards, which nonetheless have come under fire recently by some researchers and would-be politicians.
But William...
Forty-six states are implementing the Common Core math and reading standards, which nonetheless have come under fire recently by some researchers and would-be politicians.
But William...
Were dinosaurs destined to be big? Testing Cope's rule
- 02 November 2012
- Editor
In the evolutionary long run, small critters tend to evolve into bigger beasts -- at least according to the idea attributed to paleontologist Edward Cope, now known as Cope's Rule. Using the latest advanced statistical modeling methods, a new test of this rule as it applies dinosaurs shows that Cope was right -- sometimes. (Credit: © Derrick Neill / Fotolia)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 2, 2012) In the evolutionary long run, small critters tend to evolve into bigger...
TechAndComputer (Nov. 2, 2012) In the evolutionary long run, small critters tend to evolve into bigger...
Predicting what topics will trend on Twitter: Algorithm offers new technique for analyzing data that fluctuate over time
- 01 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 1, 2012) Twitter's home page features a regularly updated list of topics that are "trending," meaning that tweets about them have suddenly exploded in volume. A position on the list is highly coveted as a source of free publicity, but the selection of topics is automatic, based on a proprietary algorithm that factors in both the number of tweets and recent increases in that number.
At the Interdisciplinary Workshop on Information and Decision in Social...
At the Interdisciplinary Workshop on Information and Decision in Social...
Professor claims that operations management theory is the key to sports success
- 24 July 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (July 24, 2012) THE victory of Bradley Wiggins and the expertly assembled Sky cycling team in the Tour de France could be a model for success in many arenas, according to a University of Huddersfield professor who is pioneering the use of operations management theory in the field of sport.
When his ideas are adopted, the results could be better-managed stadiums and competitions, providing a more rewarding experience for larger numbers of fans, cheering on teams...
When his ideas are adopted, the results could be better-managed stadiums and competitions, providing a more rewarding experience for larger numbers of fans, cheering on teams...
Mitigating disasters by hunting down Dragon Kings: Forecasting natural or economic disasters by identifying statistical anomalies
- 03 May 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (May 3, 2012) Professional Dragon King hunter Didier Sornette from the Department of Management, Technology and Economics, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, together with his colleague Guy Ouillon, present the many facets of Dragon Kings in a review about to be published in EPJ ST. Their work will appear alongside nineteen other contributions exploring the ways in which this emerging field of statistical analysis could become further established.
Dragon Kings are events...
Dragon Kings are events...
Inequality and investment bubbles: A clearer link is established
- 19 April 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Apr. 19, 2012) "Money, it's a gas," says the sixties rock group Pink Floyd in their song "Money." Indeed, physics professor Victor Yakovenko is an expert in statistical physics and studies how the flow of money and the distribution of incomes in American society resemble the flow of energy between molecules in a gas. In his lectures to be delivered on April 19 at New York University and April 20 at the New School for Social Research, Yakovenko will bring his...
Research examines momentum in the NFL
- 15 March 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Mar. 15, 2012) New research out of the University of Cincinnati supports the argument that momentum is more like a myth in the NFL. The research by Michael J. Fry, a UC associate professor of operations and business analytics, and UC alumnus F. Alan Shukairy, who earned his master's of science in business analytics, is published in the current issue of the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports.
The word, "momentum," is often described by coaches, players...
The word, "momentum," is often described by coaches, players...
Barriers to the use of fingerprint evidence in court is unlocked by statistical model
- 09 February 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Feb. 9, 2012) Fingerprints that are potential key pieces of evidence in court currently are not being considered due to shortcomings in the way this evidence is reported, according to a report by a Penn State Assistant Professor of Forensic Science and Statistics Cedric Neumann, published recently in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association. Neumann has devised a statistical model to enable the weight of...
Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are bright star clusters
- 19 December 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Dec. 19, 2011) Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing the results of a detailed investigation of how many 'ultra-compact dwarf galaxies' (UCDs) can be found in nearby galaxy clusters. UCDs were recognized as a populous and potentially distinct class of stellar systems about a decade ago. But they are still mysterious objects that are characterized by a compact morphology (30-300 light-years in size) and high masses (more...
TechAndComputer (Dec. 19, 2011) Astronomy...
TechAndComputer (Dec. 19, 2011) Astronomy...
Social media sites may reveal information about problem drinking among college students
- 03 October 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Oct. 3, 2011) Social media websites, such as Facebook and MySpace, may reveal information that could identify underage college students who may be at risk for problem drinking, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to background information in the article, alcohol is a major cause of injury and death among U.S. college...
TechAndComputer (Oct. 3, 2011) Social media...
According to background information in the article, alcohol is a major cause of injury and death among U.S. college...
TechAndComputer (Oct. 3, 2011) Social media...
Tracing an elusive killer parasite in Peru
- 27 September 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Sep. 27, 2011) Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, not all epidemics involve people suffering from zombie-like symptoms--some can only be uncovered through door-to-door epidemiology and advanced mathematics.
Michael Levy, PhD, assistant professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, along with other collaborators from Penn, Johns Hopkins University, the...
TechAndComputer (Sep. 27, 2011) Despite...
Michael Levy, PhD, assistant professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, along with other collaborators from Penn, Johns Hopkins University, the...
TechAndComputer (Sep. 27, 2011) Despite...
Mathematically ranking ranking methods
- 24 May 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (May 24, 2011) In a world where everything from placement in a Google search result to World Cup eligibility depends on ranking and numerical ratings of some kind, it is becoming increasingly important to analyze the algorithms and techniques that underlie such ranking methods in order to ensure fairness, eliminate bias, and tailor them to specific applications.
In a paper published this month in the SIAM Journal on Scientific...
TechAndComputer (May 24, 2011) In a...
In a paper published this month in the SIAM Journal on Scientific...
TechAndComputer (May 24, 2011) In a...
Odds are against ESP: New statistical approach doesn't support claims that extra-sensory perception exists
- 18 May 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (May 18, 2011) Can people truly feel the future? Not according to new research by Jeffrey Rouder from the University of Missouri and Richard Morey from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Their study uses a novel statistical approach that doesn't support claims that extra-sensory perception exists.
Their work appears online in the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, published by Springer.
Although extra-sensory...
TechAndComputer (May 18, 2011) Can people...
Their work appears online in the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, published by Springer.
Although extra-sensory...
TechAndComputer (May 18, 2011) Can people...
Physicist accelerates simulations of thin film growth
- 17 May 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (May 17, 2011) A Toledo, Ohio, physicist has implemented a new mathematical approach that accelerates some complex computer calculations used to simulate the formation of micro-thin materials.
Jacques Amar, Ph.D., professor of physics at the University of Toledo (UT), studies the modeling and growth of materials at the atomic level. He uses Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) resources and Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods to...
TechAndComputer (May 17, 2011) A Toledo...
Jacques Amar, Ph.D., professor of physics at the University of Toledo (UT), studies the modeling and growth of materials at the atomic level. He uses Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) resources and Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods to...
TechAndComputer (May 17, 2011) A Toledo...
Poorly presented risk statistics could misinform health decisions
- 16 March 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Mar. 21, 2011) Choosing the appropriate way to present risk statistics is key to helping people make well-informed decisions. A new Cochrane Systematic Review found that health professionals and consumers may change their perceptions when the same risks and risk reductions are presented using alternative statistical formats.
Risk statistics can be used persuasively to present health interventions in different lights. The...
TechAndComputer (Mar. 21, 2011) Choosing the...
Risk statistics can be used persuasively to present health interventions in different lights. The...
TechAndComputer (Mar. 21, 2011) Choosing the...
Statistics can help us avoid counterfeit goods on the Internet, study shows
- 14 March 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Mar. 14, 2011) Consumers need to know the true perils of purchasing artwork or luxury goods on the Internet, say statisticians in a paper published March 14 in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association.
Currently the operators of internet auction sites are not required to guarantee the authenticity of items listed. The new Significance article, which is a preview of a...
TechAndComputer (Mar. 14, 2011) ...
Currently the operators of internet auction sites are not required to guarantee the authenticity of items listed. The new Significance article, which is a preview of a...
TechAndComputer (Mar. 14, 2011) ...
Real March Madness is relying on seedings to determine Final Four
- 08 March 2011
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Mar. 9, 2011) Think picking all the top-seeded teams as the Final Four in your March Madness bracket is your best bet for winning the office pool? Think again.
According to an operations research analysis model developed by Sheldon H. Jacobson, a professor of computer science and the director of the simulation and optimization laboratory at the University of Illinois, you're better off picking a combination of two top-seeded...
TechAndComputer (Mar. 9, 2011) Think...
According to an operations research analysis model developed by Sheldon H. Jacobson, a professor of computer science and the director of the simulation and optimization laboratory at the University of Illinois, you're better off picking a combination of two top-seeded...
TechAndComputer (Mar. 9, 2011) Think...