NetNeg: A connectionist-agent integrated system for representing musical knowledge

The system presented here shows the feasibility of modeling the knowledge involved in a complex musical activity by integrating sub-symbolic and symbolic processes. This research focuses on the question of whether there is any advantage in integrating a neural network together with a distributed artificial intelligence approach within the music domain. The primary purpose of our work is to design a model that describes the different aspects a user might be interested in considering when involved in a musical activity. The approach we suggest in this work enables the musician to encode his knowledge, intuitions, and aesthetic taste into different modules. The system captures these aspects by computing and applying three distinct functions: rules, fuzzy concepts, and learning. As a case study, we began experimenting with first species two-part counterpoint melodies. We have developed a hybrid system composed of a connectionist module and an agent-based module to combine the sub-symbolic and symbolic levels to achieve this task. The technique presented here to represent musical knowledge constitutes a new approach for composing polyphonic music. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Person categories and social perception: Testing some boundaries of the processing effect of prior knowledge.

Investigated whether stereotypic knowledge would influence social perception in a more realistic setting. In Exp I, 96 undergraduates watched a videotape of a target woman identified either as a waitress or a librarian; Ss more accurately remembered features of the woman that were consistent with their prototype of a waitress (librarian) than features that were inconsistent. The prototype-consistency effect did not interact with the delay time before recognition memory was assessed. In Exp III, 56 Ss learned the occupational information either before or after watching the tape. The prototype-consistency effect from Exp I was replicated. In addition, knowing the target's occupation while watching her led to increased accuracy for both consistent and inconsistent information. The probable role of both encoding and retrieval processes in contributing to this effect is noted. Perceivers' stereotypic prior knowledge influenced their memory of a target person's behavior even in a realistic person-perception situation. Conditions that favor the memorability of consistent vs inconsistent information are discussed. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negative dielectric relaxation of hot electrons in CdTe

A direct measurement of negative dielectric relaxation in CdTe at room temperature is presented at electric fields where electrons exhibit negative differential mobility. Data have been obtained with the time-of-flight technique, which is suitable to investigate electron diffusion process and space charge effects by means of an analysis of the time and space evolution of an electron charge layer drifting in a semiconductor material exhibiting either positive or negative differential mobility.     

Effects of probability mode on preference reversal.

Estimated verbally and numerically the chances that specific events will occur using 6 analysts. 60 decision makers used each type of estimate to make binary-choice decisions and to bid for lotteries based on the events. The usual reversal of preference between choice and bidding procedures was found in the numerical condition, but the frequency of preference reversals was significantly reduced in the verbal condition. This reduction occurred because risk aversion was reduced in choice when verbal estimates were given, whereas bidding was unaffected by presentation mode. The pattern of results was predicted by and supports the hypothesis that the relative importance given to the dimensions of a prospect depends on the form in which the information is displayed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavior patterns of young children and their offspring: A two-generation study.

Data from a random cohort of residents in a 2-county area were used to determine the stability in 2 major dimensions of childhood behavior between 2 generations. The 1st generation was assessed at mean age 7, and their offspring were assessed at age 2 years. Measures were used in latent-variable structural equation models to test the hypotheses. Strong stability in these behavior patterns in the 1st generation was shown between early childhood and a reassessment 8 years later. There was a significant stability between generations in the inhibited behavior pattern but not in the difficult pattern. This relationship was stronger when parents had been assessed at an age closer to that of their toddler offspring. Findings are consistent for mother–offspring, father–offspring, and daughter and son subsamples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

IMPROVING THE COMPUTATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF THE BAYESIAN DECOMPOSITION OF A TIME SERIES: A COMMENT

Abstract. This note describes an improvement of Ishiguro's algorithm for the Bayesian decomposition of a time series based on the use of a specialized band Cholesky factorization.     

Gold-based gate-sinking enhanced by inhomogeneities in power MESFETs

Gate contact degradation of power MESFETs with gold-based gate metallisations is enhanced by local inhomogeneities, such as thermal gradients and border effects.     

Unusual Marine Pathogens Causing Cellulitis and Bacteremia in Hemodialysis Patients: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

Cellulitis in immunocompetent hosts is usually caused by skin organisms and responds to oral antibiotics. In immunocompromised hosts, such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, unusual organisms with unpredictable pathogenicity can cause infections. We present two cases with isolates that are usually encountered in coastal waters. The first case describes a 71-year-old African-American ESRD patient who presented with bacteremia secondary to a wound infection after exposure to flood waters in a tropical storm. The second case describes a 70-year-old Caucasian male ESRD patient who developed septic shock after a trivial wound inflicted while on a shrimp boat. Both patients were successfully treated with appropriate antibiotics and supportive measures.
The infective agents in both cases belong to the halophilic Vibrio species. The causative agent of cellulitis and bacteremia in the first hemodialysis patient was identified as Vibrio alginolyticus, a non-lactose-fermenting gram-negative bacillus that is rarely isolated from blood. The second patient presented with septic shock owing to Vibrio vulnificus, which is a lactose-fermenting bacillus known to produce severe localized or systemic illness. In both cases, the common features were ESRD-related immunocompromised state and exposure to marine environments. These two cases of life-threatening cellulitis and bacteremia are presented as examples of environmental pathogens common to a marine environment in coastal areas and the imperative need of rapid identification and prompt initiation of treatment in immunocompromised hosts.