Machine Learning Mandolin

Musicians combine their knowledge with intent to compose new musical pieces. Artists are endlessly creating more music, even though instruments have a limited set of sounds. Now, computer programs like Google’s Magenta project use machine learning to assist musicians in creating new songs. This is achieved by exposing a program to large amounts of music, and having the program learn patterns on its own rather than needing prior knowledge about music. The scope of this project will include researching how machine learning is applied to music generation and using a model to achieve this. Machine learning has been applied to music generation in many different styles, from classical piano, to jazz, and to video game music. This project’s focus will be on mandolin music, specifically Vietnamese folk music. The objective is to input audio files into a program that after training on the data, will generate new music using the patterns that were detected

Why are some reviews perceived as more helpful than others?

User-generated reviews (UGR) are valuable in online markets, but not all reviews impact prospective customers equally. Reviews rated more helpful are more persuasive and valuable than others. Literature has examined how consumers evaluate the helpfulness of online reviews. We examine and demonstrate that content and non-content cues are important to driving the helpfulness of online reviews and that these two cues are incongruently influential to perceived helpfulness regarding salience stimuli readers’ attention. Specifically, a high salience of content cues (acceptable long and concrete content) and a high salience of non-content cues draw readers\u27 attention, subsequently influencing the higher perceived helpfulness compared with the low and the high content and non-content cues, respectively. Our findings provided evidence that information cues stemming from attributes of UGR can compensate interchangeably with information cues retrieved from the content of UGR

The application of Nano-silica gel in sealing well micro-annuli and cement channeling

The possibility for hydrocarbon fluids to migrate through debonded micro-annuli wells is a major concern in the petroleum industry. With effective permeability of 0.1-1.0 mD, the existence of channels in a cement annulus with apertures of 10-300 micrometer constitutes a major threat. Squeeze cement is typically difficult to repair channels-leakage with small apertures; hence, a low-viscosity sealer that can be inserted into these channels while producing a long-term resilient seal is sought. A novel application using nano-silica sealants could be the key to seal these channels. In the construction and sealing of hydrocarbon wells, cementing is a critical phase. Cement is prone to cracking during the life cycle of a well because of the changes in downhole conditions. The usage of micro-sized cross-linked nano-silica gel as a sealant material to minimize damaged cement sheaths is investigated in this study. Fluid leakage through channels in the cement was investigated using an experimental system. With a diameter of 0.05 inches, the impact of the cement channel size was explored. The sealing efficiency increased from 86 percent to 95 percent when the nano-silica concentration of the sealing gel increased from 13 percent to 25 percent. This demonstrates that the concentration of nano-silica in the sealing gel affects the gel's ability to seal against fluid flow. This research proposes a new way for improving cement zonal isolation and thereby lowering the impact of cement failure in the oil and gas industry.Comment: 10 page

Meeting Report: Soybean Genomics Assessment and Strategy Workshop

http://www.soybiotechcenter.org/archives/?id=195&id2=12On July 19 - 20, 2005, approximately 50 researchers and administrators with expert knowledge of soybean genomics participated in a workshop in St.Louis, MO, which was hosted by the Soybean Genetics Executive Committee and supported by the United Soybean Board. The workshop began with a series of presentations by experts in the topics discussed below. Each presentation was designed to update the audience on the current status of soybean resources and related genomics technologies. Following the presentations the participants divided into discussion groups to assess the status of soybean genomics, identify needs, and identify milestones to achieve objectives. The discussion groups included the general areas of Functional Genomics A (Transcriptome and Proteome), Functional Genomic B (Reverse Genetics), Physical and Genetic Maps, and Bioinformatics. After each discussion section the entire group reconvened to hear group reports and to further discuss each topic. The following is the report from this Workshop. It represents a consensus of the participants of the Workshop and it is structured to integrate with a White Paper generated in 2003 so that progress can be better monitored over time. The results of this report are consistent with those of a National Science Foundation soybean genomics workshop held in 2004 (St. Louis, MO) and a Cross-Legume workshop also held in 2004 (Santa Fe, NM).National Science Foundatio

Black-Box Analysis: GPTs Across Time in Legal Textual Entailment Task

The evolution of Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) models has led to significant advancements in various natural language processing applications, particularly in legal textual entailment. We present an analysis of GPT-3.5 (ChatGPT) and GPT-4 performances on COLIEE Task 4 dataset, a prominent benchmark in this domain. The study encompasses data from Heisei 18 (2006) to Reiwa 3 (2021), exploring the models' abilities to discern entailment relationships within Japanese statute law across different periods. Our preliminary experimental results unveil intriguing insights into the models' strengths and weaknesses in handling legal textual entailment tasks, as well as the patterns observed in model performance. In the context of proprietary models with undisclosed architectures and weights, black-box analysis becomes crucial for evaluating their capabilities. We discuss the influence of training data distribution and the implications on the models' generalizability. This analysis serves as a foundation for future research, aiming to optimize GPT-based models and enable their successful adoption in legal information extraction and entailment applications.Comment: ISAILD@KSE 202

A negation detection assessment of GPTs: analysis with the xNot360 dataset

Negation is a fundamental aspect of natural language, playing a critical role in communication and comprehension. Our study assesses the negation detection performance of Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) models, specifically GPT-2, GPT-3, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4. We focus on the identification of negation in natural language using a zero-shot prediction approach applied to our custom xNot360 dataset. Our approach examines sentence pairs labeled to indicate whether the second sentence negates the first. Our findings expose a considerable performance disparity among the GPT models, with GPT-4 surpassing its counterparts and GPT-3.5 displaying a marked performance reduction. The overall proficiency of the GPT models in negation detection remains relatively modest, indicating that this task pushes the boundaries of their natural language understanding capabilities. We not only highlight the constraints of GPT models in handling negation but also emphasize the importance of logical reliability in high-stakes domains such as healthcare, science, and law

Development and Evaluation of a Peer Mentorship Program for Aboriginal University Students

Although Aboriginal students encounter educational challenges, few post-secondary mentorship programs that facilitate positive educational and mental health outcomes within this population are described in the literature. This study describes the development and evaluation of a mentorship program for Aboriginal university students. Program development was informed by a literature review and needs assessment. Using a mixed-methods design, 12 Aboriginal students completed pre- and post-program measures of resilience and ethnic identity awareness. Post-program, improvements in social competence resiliency, other-group ethnic orientation, and school engagement were identified. Research and community stakeholders are encouraged to develop mentorship programs to improve the well-being of Aboriginal students.

M.I.N.G., Mars Investment for a New Generation: Robotic construction of a permanently manned Mars base

A basic procedure for robotically constructing a manned Mars base is outlined. The research procedure was divided into three areas: environment, robotics, and habitat. The base as designed will consist of these components: two power plants, communication facilities, a habitat complex, and a hangar, a garage, recreation and manufacturing facilities. The power plants will be self-contained nuclear fission reactors placed approx. 1 km from the base for safety considerations. The base communication system will use a combination of orbiting satellites and surface relay stations. This system is necessary for robotic contact with Phobos and any future communication requirements. The habitat complex will consist of six self-contained modules: core, biosphere, science, living quarters, galley/storage, and a sick bay which will be brought from Phobos. The complex will be set into an excavated hole and covered with approximately 0.5 m of sandbags to provide radiation protection for the astronauts. The recreation, hangar, garage, and manufacturing facilities will each be transformed from the four one-way landers. The complete complex will be built by autonomous, artificially intelligent robots. Robots incorporated into the design are as follows: Large Modular Construction Robots with detachable arms capable of large scale construction activities; Small Maneuverable Robotic Servicers capable of performing delicate tasks normally requiring a suited astronaut; and a trailer vehicle with modular type attachments to complete specific tasks; and finally, Mobile Autonomous Rechargeable Transporters capable of transferring air and water from the manufacturing facility to the habitat complex

Cyclooxygenase-2 mediates microglial activation and secondary dopaminergic cell death in the mouse MPTP model of Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation plays an important role in the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Among many inflammatory factors found in the PD brain, cyclooxygenase (COX), specifically the inducible isoform, COX-2, is believed to be a critical enzyme in the inflammatory response. Induction of COX-2 is also found in an experimental model of PD produced by administration of 1-methy-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). METHOD: COX-2-deficient mice or C57BL/6 mice were treated with MPTP to investigate the effects of COX-2 deficiency or by using various doses of valdecoxib, a specific COX-2 inhibitor, which induces inhibition of COX-2 on dopaminergic neuronal toxicity and locomotor activity impairment. Immunohistochemistry, stereological cell counts, immunoblotting, an automated spontaneous locomotor activity recorder and rotarod behavioral testing apparatus were used to assess microglial activation, cell loss, and behavioral impariments. RESULTS: MPTP reduced tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cell counts in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc); total distance traveled, vertical activity, and coordination on a rotarod; and increased microglia activation. Valdecoxib alleviated the microglial activation, the loss of TH-positive cells and the decrease in open field and vertical activity. COX-2 deficiency attenuated MPTP-induced microglial activation, degeneration of TH-positive cells, and loss of coordination. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that reducing COX-2 activity can mitigate the secondary and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons as well as the motor deficits induced by MPTP, possibly by suppression of microglial activation in the SNpc

Dynamic Valgus Alignment and Functional Strength in Males and Females During Maturation

Context: Sex differences in dynamic measures have been established in physically mature populations. Gaining information on maturation's effect on dynamic performance measures implicated in injury risk may enable us to better design injury prevention programs. Objective: To examine sex differences in dynamic valgus alignment and triple-hop distance measures across maturational stages in males and females. A secondary purpose was to determine if a field test of strength and power predicts dynamic valgus alignment. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: 157 young athletes (78 females, 79 males) aged 9 to 18 years. Intervention(s): Subjects performed drop-jump landings and single-leg triple-hop tests as part of a broader injury screening. Main Outcome Measure(s): Maturational status was ascertained from self-report questionnaires and grouped according to Tanner stages 1 and 2 (MatGrp1 ), 3 and 4 (MatGrp2), and 5 (MatGrp3). Frontal-plane knee valgus displacement, which served as a measure of dynamic val gus alignment, and single-leg triple-hop distance were assessed. Results: Males demonstrated less dynamic valgus alignment during drop jumps in the latter maturational stages (MatGrp1 = 13.1° ± 8.7°, MatGrp2 = 9.0° ± 6.2", MatGrp3 = 9.2° ± 9.4°), whereas females increased dynamic valgus alignment throughout maturation (MatGrp1 = 11.5° ± 6.9°, MatGrp2 12.8° ± 8.8°, MatGrp3 = 15.5° ± 8.7°). Thus, in the more mature groups, males had less dynamic valgus alignment than females. Both males (MatGrp1 = 393.5 ± 63.7 cm, MatGrp2 = 491.8 ± 95.1 cm, MatGrp3 = 559,3 ± 76.3 cm) and females (MatGrp1 = 360.3 ± 37.1 cm, MatGrp2 = 380.1 ± 44.3 cm, MatGrp3 = 440.0 ± 66.2 cm) increased triple-hop distance, but males increased more, Within each subgroup of MatGrp and sex, triple-hop distance had no predictive ability for dynamic malalignment. Conclusions: When dynamic valgus alignment and strength were assessed, sex and maturational status displayed an interaction. However, functional strength did not predict degree of dynamic valgus alignment