Intelligent structuring and exploration of digital music collections

In this paper we present a general approach to the automatic content-based organization and visualization of large digital music collections. The general methodology consists in extracting musically and perceptually relevant patterns (‘features’) from the given audio recordings (e.g., mp3 files), using topology-preserving data projection methods to map the entire music collection onto two-dimensional visualization planes (possibly in a hierarchical fashion), and using a new display metaphor (the ‘Islands of Music’) to display the inherent structure of the music collection to the user. It is shown how arbitrary meta-data can be integrated into the visualization process, and how similarity according to different viewpoints can be defined and exploited. The basic methodology is briefly described, three prototype systems are presented, and a general discussion of the practical application possibilities of such technologies is offered.     

Coded exposure HDR light‐field video recording

Capturing exposure sequences to compute high dynamic range (HDR) images causes motion blur in cases of camera movement. This also applies to light‐field cameras: frames rendered from multiple blurred HDR light‐field perspectives are also blurred. While the recording times of exposure sequences cannot be reduced for a single‐sensor camera, we demonstrate how this can be achieved for a camera array. Thus, we decrease capturing time and reduce motion blur for HDR light‐field video recording. Applying a spatio‐temporal exposure pattern while capturing frames with a camera array reduces the overall recording time and enables the estimation of camera movement within one light‐field video frame. By estimating depth maps and local point spread functions (PSFs) from multiple perspectives with the same exposure, regional motion deblurring can be supported. Missing exposures at various perspectives are then interpolated.     

Complexing agent assisted synthesis of high aspect ratio Fe3 +/Mg2 + layered double hydroxides

A new, facile synthesis for Fe^3 +/Mg^2 + LDHs is developed and investigated. The crucial feature of the synthesis is the usage of a complexing agent (diethylenetriamine, DETA) to increase the solubility of iron phases precipitated intermediately. The influences of different synthesis parameter like DETA concentration, pH value, and temperature are investigated. The optimized synthesis route yields high aspect ratio Fe^3 +/Mg^2 + LDHs which are expected to be interesting filler materials for flame retardant nanocomposites.     

International patent data: Their utilization for the analysis of technological developments

The analysis of technological developments for purposes like technological forecasting through the use of leading indicators or ex post evaluation of science and technology oriented policies, nearly always lead to the evaluation of patent statistics.From these the authors established indicators of technological development using numbers of patents applied for or granted worldwide, thus preventing sampling and weighting errors. Account was taken of the effect of patent families as well as connections between technological developments in different fields. Furthermore, methods were established to identify areas with important technological developments.The final part of the paper shows the first results of application of these methods to the comparison of international patenting activities in selected fields.     

Monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in human urine: extraction and purification with a sol-gel glass immunosorbent.

A new, rapid method for selective extraction of hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metabolites (OH-PAHs) in human urine was developed using an immunosorbent of anti-pyrene antibodies which were encapsulated in a sol-gel glass (SGG) matrix. Resulting chromatograms after immunoextraction of urine samples and HPLC analysis of the extracts were free from matrix interferences. The LODs for the determination of OH-PAHs in these difficult samples were in the low-ppt range (1-16 ng/L). In addition to its high selectivity, the immunosorbent proved to be robust and reusable. Obtained recoveries in spiked urine samples ranged from 83 to 107% for the hydroxyphenanthrene and hydroxypyrene compounds under investigation, while recovery for 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene was only 45-62%. In a biomonitoring study, the SGG immunosorbent was successfully used for trace-level analysis of OH-PAHs in 20 human urine samples. Results were compared to data obtained by an independent reference analysis method and revealed good correlation between both methods.     

Untersuchungen zu Herstellungs‐ und Instandhaltungs kosten von unterschiedlichen Konzepten zur Sicherstellung der Dauerhaftigkeit von Parkbauten

Research of production and maintenance costs for alternative concepts to ensure the durability of parking buildings There is currently an intense discussion about how to ensure the durability of parking buildings. Without having carried out a comprehensive cost analysis for the alternatives for durability concepts costs are nevertheless used as an argument for or against a certain execution. In this publication the costs of various execution concepts are compared on the basis of a virtual two‐storey underground garage with standard dimensions for the two major components of ”suspended ceiling“ and ”baseplate“. For instance the cost analysis includes the production costs for the minimum reinforcement in dependence of the examined surface protection or of the waterproofing system respectively. Furthermore the costs for maintenance, inspection and repair among other aspects are compared in dependence of the surface protecting system for a service life of 50 years. This cost approach takes into account consists of market fluctuations as well as scheduled maintenance cycles by considering medium, minimum and maximum costs. For the suspended ceiling the following coating or waterproofing systems respectively are examined: surface protection system ”OS 11“; ”mastic asphalt (single/double layer) with asphalt sheeting ”; ”mastic asphalt (single/double layer) with surface protection systems OS 10“ and ”PMMA“ protecting surface system. For the base plate two load cases are investigated: ”water exchange zone“ (WW) and ”water pressure“ (WD) in combination with the following surface protection systems: ”OS 11“, ”mastic asphalt (single/double layer) with asphalt sheeting“ and ”OS 8 with accompanying crack treatment“. For the ongoing maintenance costs, engineering values are chosen in accordance to the current state of knowledge. It is expected that current research projects are going to provide scientific results in the near future allowing an update of this cost analysis.     

Evaluation in Music Information Retrieval

The field of Music Information Retrieval has always acknowledged the need for rigorous scientific evaluations, and several efforts have set out to develop and provide the infrastructure, technology and methodologies needed to carry out these evaluations. The community has enormously gained from these evaluation forums, but we have reached a point where we are stuck with evaluation frameworks that do not allow us to improve as much and as well as we want. The community recently acknowledged this problem and showed interest in addressing it, though it is not clear what to do to improve the situation. We argue that a good place to start is again the Text IR field. Based on a formalization of the evaluation process, this paper presents a survey of past evaluation work in the context of Text IR, from the point of view of validity, reliability and efficiency of the experiments. We show the problems that our community currently has in terms of evaluation, point to several lines of research to improve it and make various proposals in that line.     

Mutations in gld-1, a female germ cell-specific tumor suppressor gene in Caenorhabditis elegans, affect a conserved domain also found in Src-associated protein Sam68

The gld-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans is a germ-line-specific tumor suppressor gene that is essential for oogenesis. We have cloned the gld-1 gene and find that it encodes two proteins that differ by 3 amino acids. The predicted proteins contain a approximately 170-amino-acid region that we term the GSG domain (GRP33/Sam68/GLD-1), on the basis of significant similarity between GLD-1, GRP33 from shrimp, and the Src-associated protein Sam68 from mouse (also described as GAPap62 from humans). A conserved structural motif called the KH domain is found within the larger GSG domain, suggesting a biochemical function for GLD-1 protein in binding RNA. The importance of the GSG domain to the function of gld-1 in vivo is revealed by mutations that affect 5 different conserved GSG domain residues. These include missense mutations in an absolutely conserved residue of the KH domain that eliminate the tumor suppressor function of gld-1.     

The bluetail transposon: evidence for independent cis-regulatory domains and domain boundaries in the bithorax complex

An extremely large cis-regulatory region generates the parasegment-specific expression patterns of the homeotic genes in the bithorax complex. We present evidence supporting the idea that this cis-regulatory region is subdivided into independent cis-regulatory domains. We describe a Ubx-lacZ transposon which is inserted into one of these domains, iab-7. The PS12-specific pattern of LacZ expression from this reporter indicates that it is subject to the control of the iab-7 cis-regulatory domain, but is protected from the effects of adjacent regulatory domains. Protection on the proximal side appears to be provided by the Fab-7 boundary element. Deletion of this boundary results in the ectopic activation of iab-7 in PS11 (where the iab-6 cis-regulatory domain normally functions). We show that the Fab-7 boundary, like other boundaries, has an unusual chromatin structure.     

A yeast artificial chromosome covering the tyrosinase gene confers copy number-dependent expression in transgenic mice

Expression of transgenes in mice often fails to follow the normal temporal and spatial pattern and to reach the same level as the endogenous copies. Only in exceptional cases has position-independent and copy number-dependent expression been reproduced. The size constraint of standard constructs may prevent the inclusion of important remote regulatory elements. Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) provide a means of cloning large DNA fragments and the transfer of YAC DNA into somatic cells has been reported. We have previously produced transgenic mice carrying a 35 kilobase YAC construct. Here we report the transfer of a 250 kilobase YAC covering the mouse tyrosinase gene into mice by pronuclear injection of gel-purified YAC DNA. The YAC was inserted into the mouse genome without major rearrangements and expression of the YAC-borne tyrosinase gene resulted in complete rescue of the albino phenotype of the recipient mice. Expression from the transgene reached levels comparable to that of the endogenous gene and showed copy number dependence and position independence.