Musicians as entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs as musicians?

This study investigates how Swedish musicians in the non‐profit sector accept the “entrepreneur” label for themselves. The background section describes how identity work among “serious” musicians has, historically, made them shun any facet related to money‐making. The qualitative study shows that there is some remaining reluctance. But it is obvious that freelance musicians recognize the need for entrepreneurial skills. A majority of those interviewed regard themselves as “entrepreneurs”, although in most cases it is out of necessity. It seems that the older generations are more hesitant than the younger. I conclude that it would be beneficial if musicians, during their higher education, were introduced to basic entrepreneurial skills.     

Is active sitting as active as we think?

The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical characteristics of sitting on a stool without a backrest (so as to encourage active sitting), sitting on a conventional office chair and standing in healthy participants. Thirteen healthy participants performed a keyboard-writing task during four (stable and unstable) sitting conditions and standing. Body segment positions and posture, postural sway and muscle activity of neck and trunk muscles were assessed with a motion capture system, a force plate and surface electromyography. The results showed that body segment positions, postural sway and trunk muscle activity were relatively similar for the stools without backrests compared with standing. All sitting conditions showed lower vertical upper body alignment, less anterior pelvic tilt and larger hip angles, compared with standing (p = 0.000). Unexpectedly, the muscle activity levels and total postural sway, sway velocity and sway in M/L and A/P directions were lower (p = 0.000) for the conditions that encouraged active sitting and standing, compared with the conventional office chair conditions.

Practitioner Summary: Thirteen healthy participants performed a keyboard-writing task during different sitting conditions and standing and were analysed regarding posture, postural sway and trunk muscle activity. Surprisingly, less postural sway and less muscle activity were observed during the conditions that encourage active sitting, compared with sitting on a conventional office chair.     

GNU as的移植

汇编器是编译工具链中最贴近芯片的一环。在进行新的芯片设计时，快速开发一个功能强大使用方便的汇编器是保证芯片设计按进度进行的必要条件。移植GNU的汇编器GAS是一个首选的方案。分析了GAS的源程序，指出了移植的关键之处。给出的方法可以更快更好地移植GAS。     

Neurocomputing—neurons as microcomputers

Studies on neurocomputing should be directed in two ways which in turn influence each other; In one direction concrete neural-network solutions for specific important problems should be applied to substantiate its practical significance and, at the same time, the theoretical potentialities and limitations for computation be explored on such network models. Along this direction of study, there is a staggering accumulation of results. The alternative way is to seek a more profound understanding of the algorithms used by the CNS (the central nervous system) to process informations and to know more about the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying specific computations and memory process in neurons and neural networks. From this point of view, artificial neurons developed for neurocomputing are oversimplified to simulate real neurons. Here I will show that neurons are analogous to microcomputers whose characteristics can be classified into over 50 kinds, and that electrical events observed in neurons are a part of the many manifestations associated with neural activities and are regulated by the chemical and conformational processes inside neurons.     

…as new EMV guide released

With less than a year before the January 2005 deadline arrives for conversion to smart card-based EMV technology in Europe, a new guide has been released that answers many of the key questions for card issuers and acquirers.     

Podcasting in education: Are students as ready and eager as we think they are?

Instructors in higher education are disseminating instructional content via podcasting, as many rally behind the technology’s potential benefits. Others have expressed concern about the risks of deleterious effects that might accompany the adoption of podcasting, such as lower class attendance. Yet, relatively few studies have investigated students’ perceptions of podcasting for educational purposes, especially in relation to different podcasting forms: repetitive and supplemental. The present study explored students’ readiness and attitudes towards these two forms of podcasting to provide fundamental information for future researchers and educators. The results indicated that students may not be as ready or eager to use podcasting for repetitive or supplemental educational purposes as much as we think they are, but they could be persuaded.     

Flash交互式课件as脚本开发技巧

利用flash可开发出界面精美、操作灵活、交互式强的课件--其中ActionScript脚本(以下简称AS脚本)是Flash内置的脚本语言,通过AS脚本有效编程、高效整合,可创作交互性更强大的游戏类交互式课件、测试类交互式课件、师生参与互动式课件等等,可大大增强Flash课件的功能性和应用性,提高flash交互式课件的辅助教学效果,促进教育教学质量的提升。     

Community computing as human ‐ computer interaction

There is too little engagement between community computing and human - computer interaction. In the future there should be more. Better integrating community computing and human - computer interaction can help to make HCI richer and more comprehensive, conceptually and methodologically. It can help HCI to have more of an impact on society and on everyday collective life. Six examples are briefly discussed.     

…as Ingenico complies with Finread specs

Ingenico has successfully complied with specifications laid down by Finread, an international standard for secure smart card readers performing interoperable transactions on the internet.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

…as Brisbane places US$95 million order

As London’s Oyster project gets underway, the Queensland Government in Australia is embarking on an ambitious smart card based travel plan of its own. It has just signed a US$95 million contract with Cubic Transportation Systems-Australia, a subsidiary of Cubic Corporation, requiring the transportation company to design, build, operate and maintain the region’s first smart card-based integrated ticketing system.This is a short news story only. Visit www.compseconline.com for the latest computer security industry news.     

基于MCX314as的运动控制器设计

文章介绍了用C8051F120单片机和MCX314as组成运动控制器的方案.该方案应用存储器扩展的方法为运动控制芯片MCX314as和液晶显示模块MT22G06B的内部寄存器分配地址空间.从而实现C8051F120单片机对运动控制芯片和液晶模块的控制作用.文章还给出了MCX314和MT22G06B的驱动程序架构.     

Intention Maintenance as Conflict Resolution upon a Means-Network

This paper presents a model for intention maintenance.It assumes that an intention is associated with a means network,and intention maintenance is a conflict resolution upon means networks.The difference between the viewpoints of AI planning and intention maintenance is explained first,then a model of intention,the conditions under which conflicts between the means occur and the algorithms for determining the influence of removing a means away from a means network are presented.     

Virtuality as a basis for problem solving?

This paper is an attempt to develop a paradigm in problem solving where the notion of virtuality plays a central role. Following a brief discussion on virtual simulation, the paper attempts to identify a notion of virtuality based on the identification of the self (man or computer) with the problem solver. It is shown that such an identification/distinction possibly violates some general principle of the problem environment.To deal with this violation, a new problem is generated and a new virtualization act is required, in order to attain a correspondence between virtuality and reality. A better understanding of this approach requires a combination of analog and digital reasoning: the analog being related to the environment in which the problem solving is required, and the digital to the problem solver's mental activities.We will briefly analyze the recursive approach to problem solving and suggest a possible problem solving methodology based on virtuality. The paper concludes with comments on the relation between etnology and virtual reality.     

…as the Dutch specify smart football card

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has selected Bell ID to implement a nationwide smart ID card solution for season tickets and so-called Club Cards.     

Data privacy as a tool to combat discrimination?

This article will show how data privacy is legally recognized and treated in Japan and argue in particular how it can (not) play a role as a tool to combat discrimination in the workplace. The first part will depict a brief history of the development of the ‘right to privacy’ in Japan. This part will also take a look at the national Act on Protection of Personal Information and its complicated enforcement, paying attention to the general legal culture in Japan. The second part will observe other laws which are related to personal data protection and legal protection against discrimination. At the end of this article the author will make a comment on the Japanese data privacy law and its desirable development.     

Logical Object as a Basis of Knowledge Based Systems

This paper presents a framework called logical knowledge object (LKO),which is taken as a basis of the dependable development of knowledge based systems(KBSs).LKO combines logic programming and object-oriented programming paradigms,where objects are viewed as abstractions with states,constraints,behaviors and inheritance.The operational semantics defined in the style of natural semantics is simple and clear.A hybrid knowledge representation amalgamating rule,frame,semantic network and blackboard is available for both most structured and flat knowledge.The management of knowledge bases has been formally specified.Accordingly,LKO is well suited for the formal representation of knowledge and requirements of KBSs.Based on the framework,verification techniques are also explored to enhance the analysis of requirement specifications and the validation of KBSs.In addition,LKO provides a methodology for the development of KBSs,applying the concepts of rapid prototyping and top-down design to deal with changing and incomplete requirements,and to provide multiple abstract models of the domain,where formal methods might be used at each abstract level.     

Computing differential invariants of hybrid systems as fixedpoints

We introduce a fixedpoint algorithm for verifying safety properties of hybrid systems with differential equations whose right-hand sides are polynomials in the state variables. In order to verify nontrivial systems without solving their differential equations and without numerical errors, we use a continuous generalization of induction, for which our algorithm computes the required differential invariants. As a means for combining local differential invariants into global system invariants in a sound way, our fixedpoint algorithm works with a compositional verification logic for hybrid systems. With this compositional approach we exploit locality in system designs. To improve the verification power, we further introduce a saturation procedure that refines the system dynamics successively with differential invariants until safety becomes provable. By complementing our symbolic verification algorithm with a robust version of numerical falsification, we obtain a fast and sound verification procedure. We verify roundabout maneuvers in air traffic management and collision avoidance in train control and car control.