Music symbol recognition

This paper focuses on optical music recognition (OMR) system that recognizes the musical symbols on a digitized music sheet and converts them into symbolic music representation. Two main stages are distinguished ? pre-processing and symbol analysis. In the pre-processing stage, staves are detected and removed; while in the symbol analysis stage, each musical symbol is recognized and analyzed. The musical semantics are then determined and converted into symbolic music representation stored in text form

XAX: a multi-ton, multi-target detection system for dark matter, double beta decay and pp solar neutrinos

A multi-target detection system XAX, comprising concentric 10 ton targets of 136Xe and 129/131Xe, together with a geometrically similar or larger target of liquid Ar, is described. Each is configured as a two-phase scintillation/ionization TPC detector, enhanced by a full 4pi array of ultra-low radioactivity Quartz Photon Intensifying Detectors (QUPIDs) replacing the conventional photomultipliers for detection of scintillation light. It is shown that background levels in XAX can be reduced to the level required for dark matter particle (WIMP) mass measurement at a 10^-10 pb WIMP-nucleon cross section, with single-event sensitivity below 10^-11 pb. The use of multiple target elements allows for confirmation of the A^2 dependence of a coherent cross section, and the different Xe isotopes provide information on the spin-dependence of the dark matter interaction. The event rates observed by Xe and Ar would modulate annually with opposite phases from each other for WIMP mass >~100 GeV/c^2. The large target mass of 136Xe and high degree of background reduction allow neutrinoless double beta decay to be observed with lifetimes of 10^27-10^28 years, corresponding to the Majorana neutrino mass range 0.01-0.1 eV, the most likely range from observed neutrino mass differences. The use of a 136Xe-depleted 129/131Xe target will also allow measurement of the pp solar neutrino spectrum to a precision of 1-2%.Comment: 16 pages with 17 figure

Hydrogels that listen to cells:a review of cell-responsive strategies in biomaterial design for tissue regeneration

The past decade has seen a decided move from static and passive biomaterials to biodegradable, dynamic, and stimuli responsive materials in the laboratory and the clinic. Recent advances towards the rational design of synthetic cell-responsive hydrogels-biomaterials that respond locally to cells or tissues without the input of an artificial stimulus-have provided new strategies and insights on the use of artificial environments for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. These materials can often approximate responsive functions of a cell's complex natural extracellular environment, and must respond to the small and specific stimuli provided within the vicinity of a cell or tissue. In the current literature, there are three main cell-based stimuli that can be harnessed to create responsive hydrogels: (1) enzymes (2) mechanical force and (3) metabolites/small molecules. Degradable bonds, dynamic covalent bonds, and non-covalent or supramolecular interactions are used to provide responsive architectures that enable features ranging from cell selective infiltration to control of stem-cell differentiation. The growing ability to spatiotemporally control the behavior of cells and tissue with rationally designed responsive materials has the ability to allow control and autonomy to future generations of materials for tissue regeneration, in addition to providing understanding and mimicry of the dynamic and complex cellular niche

High Aspect Pattern Formation by Integration of Micro Inkjetting and Electroless Plating

This paper reports on formation of high aspect micro patterns on low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates by integrating micro inkjetting with electroless plating. Micro inkjetting was realized by using an inkjetting printer that ejects ink droplets from a printhead. This printhead consists of a glass nozzle with a diameter of 50 micrometers and a piezoelectric transducer that is coated on the nozzle. The silver colloidal solution was inkjetted on a sintered CT800 ceramic substrate, followed by curing at 200 degrees C for 60 minutes. As a result, the silver trace with a thickness of 200 nm was obtained. The substrate, with the ejected silver thin film as the seed layer, was then immersed into a preinitiator solution to coat a layer of palladium for enhancing the deposition of nickel. Electroless nickel plating was successfully conducted at a rate of 0.39 micrometers /min, and the thickness of traces was plated up to 84 micrometers. This study demonstrates that the integration of inkjetting with plating is an effective method to form high aspect patterns at the demand location.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/handle/2042/16838

Development of Taenia saginata asiatica metacestodes in SCID mice and its infectivity in human and alternative definitive hosts

Development of Taenia saginata asiatica metacestodes in SCID mice, and its infectivity in humans, golden hamsters, and Mongolian gerbils as alternative definitive hosts, were investigated. Cysticerci were recovered from SCID mice that were subcutaneously injected with hatched oncospheres of T. s. asiatica. The morphological changes of metacestodes were observed. The recovered cysticerci were fed to gerbils, hamsters and humans, to check for their infectivity. Tapeworms were recovered from gerbils and hamsters fed with 20 to 45 week-old cysticerci, and proglottids excretions were observed in human volunteers fed with 45 week-old cysticerci. However, no tapeworms were recovered from gerbils fed with 10 week-old cysticerci. Our results suggest that T. s. asiatica oncospheres needed more than 20 weeks to develop to maturity in SCID mice to be infective to both their natural and alternative definitive hosts

Effects of Escherichia coli vaccination in gilts on piglet performance in a farm in Perak

This study aimed to observe the effects of Escherichia coli (Neocoliporvaccine – Merial) vaccination on diarrhoea percentages, growth parameters (average weight per piglet and average daily gain) and mortality rate in new-born piglets. A field trial was conducted in 35 litters of piglets from gilts selected from a farm in Perak. They were randomly allocated into Treatment (16 litters from E. coli vaccinated gilts) and Control (19 litters) groups respectively. Body weights of the piglets were measured at days 1, 7, 14 and 21 of age and the episodes of diarrhoea and piglet mortality were monitored daily for each pen. The Treatment group had significantly lower Day 1 neonatal diarrhoea percentage (p 0.05)in the overall diarrhoea percentages (1 - 14 days) and weekly growth parameters between both groups. Environmental stress and inevitable routine treatment of diarrhoea with antimicrobials within the farm may have affected the significance of the diarrhoea percentages and growth parameters in this study. In conclusion, E. coli vaccination in gilts was shown to significantly reduce piglet mortality from Day 1 to Day 7 and neonatal diarrhoeal percentageson1-day-old piglets under typical farm conditions in this pilot study in Malaysia

Effects of Aspect Ratio in Moulded Packaging Considering Fluid/Structure Interaction: A CFD Modelling Approach

The fluid/structure interaction (FSI) investigations of stacked chip in encapsulation process of moulded underfill packaging using the two-way Coupling method with ANSYS Fluent and ANSYS Structural solvers are presented. The FSI study is executed with different aspect ratio of stacked chip on the mould filling during the encapsulation process. The simulation results in the FSI study is well validated with experimental setup. The epoxy moulding compound (EMC) and structure (chip) interaction is analyzed for better understanding the FSI phenomenon.Von Mises stresses experienced by the chip also be monitored for risk of chip cracking. The proposed analysis is anticipated to be a recommendation in the chip design and improvement of 3D integration packages

Pressure Dependence of the Irreversibility Line in Bi2_{2}Sr2_{2}CaCu2_{2}O8+δ_{8+\delta}:Role of Anisotropy in Flux-Line Formation

One of the important problems of high-temperature superconductivity is to understand and ultimately to control fluxoid motion. We present the results of a new technique for measuring the pressure dependence of the transition to superconductivity in a diamond anvil cell. By measuring the third harmonic of the {\it ac} susceptibility, we determine the onset of irreversible flux motion. This enables us to study the effects of pressure on flux motion. The application of pressure changes interplanar spacing, and hence the interplanar coupling, without significantly disturbing the intraplanar superconductivity. Thus we are able to separate the effects of coupling from other properties that might affect the flux motion. Our results directly show the relationship between lattice spacing, effective- mass anisotropy, and the irreversibility line in Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+\delta}$. Our results also demonstrate that an application of 2.5 GPa pressure causes a dramatic increase in interplanar coupling.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Global three-dimensional flow of a neutron superfluid in a spherical shell in a neutron star

We integrate for the first time the hydrodynamic Hall-Vinen-Bekarevich-Khalatnikov equations of motion of a $^{1}S_{0}$-paired neutron superfluid in a rotating spherical shell, using a pseudospectral collocation algorithm coupled with a time-split fractional scheme. Numerical instabilities are smoothed by spectral filtering. Three numerical experiments are conducted, with the following results. (i) When the inner and outer spheres are put into steady differential rotation, the viscous torque exerted on the spheres oscillates quasiperiodically and persistently (after an initial transient). The fractional oscillation amplitude ($\sim 10^{-2}$) increases with the angular shear and decreases with the gap width. (ii) When the outer sphere is accelerated impulsively after an interval of steady differential rotation, the torque increases suddenly, relaxes exponentially, then oscillates persistently as in (i). The relaxation time-scale is determined principally by the angular velocity jump, whereas the oscillation amplitude is determined principally by the gap width. (iii) When the mutual friction force changes suddenly from Hall-Vinen to Gorter-Mellink form, as happens when a rectilinear array of quantized Feynman-Onsager vortices is destabilized by a counterflow to form a reconnecting vortex tangle, the relaxation time-scale is reduced by a factor of $\sim 3$ compared to (ii), and the system reaches a stationary state where the torque oscillates with fractional amplitude $\sim 10^{-3}$ about a constant mean value. Preliminary scalings are computed for observable quantities like angular velocity and acceleration as functions of Reynolds number, angular shear, and gap width. The results are applied to the timing irregularities (e.g., glitches and timing noise) observed in radio pulsars.Comment: 6 figures, 23 pages. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

Development of platform-independent web-based telecardiology application for pilot case study

Telecardiology is one of the branches from telemedicine that transmits cardiac data such as electrocardiogram (ECG) and medical records from the patient site to cardiologist for the purpose of diagnosis by using telecommunication and information technologies. Most of the current commercialized telecardiology applications are cost expensive, vendor-specific, and dependent on computing platform and operating system (OS). There are plenty of research have been done on web-based telecardiology application either in real-time transmission or store - And-forward. In this paper, a platform-independent and OS-independent web-based telecardiology application, named VirtualDave System, is developed. The proposed system allow users to log on and access from any computer or mobile communication devices such as smart phone as long as they have internet access and web browser. The developed application allows users in categories of patient, administrator, medical officer and cardiologist, to communicate and get medical consultation without long distance traveling. With the improvement to the system dependency and functionality enhancement such as instant messaging, this web-based telecardiology could significantly help to improve the health care services especially in rural area