SuPP & MaPP: Adaptable Structure-Based Representations For Mir Tasks

Accurate and flexible representations of music data are paramount to addressing MIR tasks, yet many of the existing approaches are difficult to interpret or rigid in nature. This work introduces two new song representations for structure-based retrieval methods: Surface Pattern Preservation (SuPP), a continuous song representation, and Matrix Pattern Preservation (MaPP), SuPP’s discrete counterpart. These representations come equipped with several user-defined parameters so that they are adaptable for a range of MIR tasks. Experimental results show MaPP as successful in addressing the cover song task on a set of Mazurka scores, with a mean precision of 0.965 and recall of 0.776. SuPP and MaPP also show promise in other MIR applications, such as novel-segment detection and genre classification, the latter of which demonstrates their suitability as inputs for machine learning problems

Use of Microcalorimetry to Determine the Costs and Benefits to Pseudomonas Putida Strain KT2440 of Harboring Cadmium Efflux Genes

A novel microcalorimetric approach was used to analyze the responses of a metal-tolerant soil bacterium (Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440) to metal resistance gene deletions in cadmium-amended media. As hypothesized, under cadmium stress, the wild-type strain benefited from the resistance genes by entering the exponential growth phase earlier than two knockout strains. In the absence of cadmium, strain KT1, carrying a deletion in the main component (czcA1) of a Cd/Zn chemiosmotic efflux transporter (CzcCBA1), grew more efficiently than the wild type and released similar to 700 kJ (per mole of biomass carbon) less heat than the wild-type strain, showing the energetic cost of maintaining CzcCBA1 in the absence of cadmium. A second mutant strain (KT4) carrying a different gene deletion, Delta cadA2, which encodes the main Cd/Pb efflux transporter (a P-type ATPase), did not survive beyond moderate cadmium concentrations and exhibited a decreased growth yield in the absence of cadmium. Therefore, CadA2 plays an essential role in cadmium resistance and perhaps serves an additional function. The results of this study provide direct evidence that heavy metal cation efflux mechanisms facilitate shorter lag phases in the presence of metals and that the maintenance and expression of tolerance genes carry quantifiable energetic costs and benefits

Towards a Meta-Model to Specify and Design Human-Agent Teams

This paper describes work towards developing a meta-model useful in the design and specification of Human-Agent Teams. The meta-model adapts components from the cognitive systems, human factors, software and systems engineering literature to form a model and language which can be applied early in the system design process. The resulting model provides a description of desired system behavior. More importantly, the model produces artifacts useful in deriving requirements for both the human and the artificial agents, as well as for the software/hardware human interface. Insight is also provided for manpower, training, and personnel requirements; as well as, requirements for agent sensing, processing, and actuating. This method has been developed to support student projects in a graduate human-agent teaming course at the Air Force Institute of Technology and has been useful in describing systems employing both embodied and disaggregated agents

Viewing Air Battle Management Through the Lens of Interdependence

Recent work has shown the importance of understanding and supporting interdependence relationships among agents engaging in complex, joint activities. Building on the Coactive Design Method of Johnson, the goal of this research was to determine the impact of providing operators with real-time information of team interdependencies. It was hypothesized that allowing operators to focus on maximizing the opportunities for team synergy would result in better planning in a dynamic environment. Operators in the Air Battle Management field used a decision aid that provided information on team interdependence during three combat scenarios. Effectiveness of the decision aid was measured by expert assessment of the operator’s decisions. The results of this study could help to inform future training aids and interface design for command and control systems