In many application areas of machine learning, prior knowledge concerning the monotonicity of relations between the response variable and predictor variables is readily available. Monotonicity may also be an important model requirement with a view toward explaining and justifying decisions, such as acceptance/rejection decisions. We propose a modified nearest neighbour algorithm for the constru...

This paper proposes the Mesh Neural Network (MNN), a novel architecture which allows neurons to be connected in any topology, efficiently route information. In MNNs, information is propagated between throughout state transition function. State and error gradients are then directly computed from updates without backward computation. The MNN propagation schema formalized derived tensor algebra. p...

Background: Using validated measures of individuals’ perceptions of their neighborhood built environment is important for accurately estimating effects on physical activity. However, no studies to date have examined the factorial validity of a measure of perceived neighborhood environment among older adults in the United States. The purpose of this measurement study was to test the factorial va...

BACKGROUND Using validated measures of individuals' perceptions of their neighborhood built environment is important for accurately estimating effects on physical activity. However, no studies to date have examined the factorial validity of a measure of perceived neighborhood environment among older adults in the United States. The purpose of this measurement study was to test the factorial val...

The weighted sampling methods based on k-nearest neighbors have been demonstrated to be effective in solving the class imbalance problem. However, they usually ignore positional relationship between a sample and heterogeneous samples its neighborhood when calculating weight. This paper proposes novel neighborhood-weighted method named NWBBagging improve Bagging algorithm's performance imbalance...

This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810) at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing residential address and demographic info...

There is significant interest worldwide to identify new antiferromagnetic materials suitable for device applications. Key requirements such are: relatively high magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant, low cost, corrosion resistance and the ability induce a large exchange bias, i.e., loop shift, when grown adjacent ferromagnetic layer. In this article, review of recent developments on novel mate...

The aim of this study was to examine the separate and combined relationships of neighborhood social norms and neighborhood social cohesion with smoking behavior in a cohort of adult Mexican smokers. Neighborhood anti-smoking norms were measured as the proportion of residents in each neighborhood who believed that society disapproves of smoking. Perceived social cohesion was measured using a 5-i...