Teaching a digital performing agent: artificial neural network and hidden Markov Model for recognising and performing dance movement

For a Digital Performing Agent to be able to perform live with a human dancer, it would be useful for the agent to be able to contextualize the movement the dancer is performing and to have a suitable movement vocabulary with which to contribute to the performance. In this paper we will discuss our research into the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as a means of allowing a software agent to learn a shared vocabulary of movement from a dancer. The agent is able to use the learnt movements to form an internal representation of what the dancer is performing, allowing it to follow the dancer, generate movement sequences based on the dancer's current movement and dance independently of the dancer using a shared movement vocabulary. By combining the ANN with a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) the agent is able to recognize short full body movement phrases and respond when the dancer performs these phrases. We consider the relationship between the dancer and agent as a means of supporting the agent's learning and performance, rather than developing the agent's capability in a self-contained fashion.

Hidden Markov models for cancer classification using gene expression profiles

This paper introduces an approach to cancer classification through gene expression profiles by designing supervised learning hidden Markov models (HMMs). Gene expression of each tumor type is modelled by an HMM, which maximizes the likelihood of the data. Prominent discriminant genes are selected by a novel method based on a modification of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Unlike conventional AHP, the modified AHP allows to process quantitative factors that are ranking outcomes of individual gene selection methods including t-test, entropy, receiver operating characteristic curve, Wilcoxon test and signal to noise ratio. The modified AHP aggregates ranking results of individual gene selection methods to form stable and robust gene subsets. Experimental results demonstrate the performance dominance of the HMM approach against six comparable classifiers. Results also show that gene subsets generated by modified AHP lead to greater accuracy and stability compared to competing gene selection methods, i.e. information gain, symmetrical uncertainty, Bhattacharyya distance, and ReliefF. The modified AHP improves the classification performance not only of the HMM but also of all other classifiers. Accordingly, the proposed combination between the modified AHP and HMM is a powerful tool for cancer classification and useful as a real clinical decision support system for medical practitioners.

Noise level classification for EEG using Hidden Markov Models

EEG signal is one of the most important signals for diagnosing some diseases. EEG is always recorded with an amount of noise, the more noise is recorded the less quality is the EEG signal. The included noise can represent the quality of the recorded EEG signal, this paper proposes a signal quality assessment method for EEG signal. The method generates an automated measure to detect the noise level of the recorded EEG signal. Mel-Frequency Cepstrum Coefficient is used to represent the signals. Hidden Markov Models were used to build a classification model that classifies the EEG signals based on the noise level associated with the signal. This EEG quality assessment measure will help doctors and researchers to focus on the patterns in the signal that have high signal to noise ratio and carry more information. Moreover, our model was applied on an uncontrolled environment and on controlled environment and a result comparison was applied.

Winning the Accreditation Game: The Library as Key Player and Hidden Gold Mine

Libraries are a central hub of information resources supporting college and university curricula. Several library strategies, cross-campus collaborations, and philosophical considerations of electronic and print offerings led to successful accreditations in business and engineering programs.

Mémoires d'une attente inachevée : le temps dans Malone Meurt, L'innommable et En Attendant Godot de Samuel Beckett

Minha dissertação consiste em desenvolver a relação estabelecida entre o texto e o leitor no processo de leitura literária como produtividade, considerada como um conjunto, compreendendo o produtor do texto e seu leitor. A leitura vista como ‘‘jogo", em que o retorno do diferente não desdenha a tradição da leitura, conduz o leitor à produzir um texto múltiplo, plural. O texto é o mesmo e um outro ao mesmo tempo. Este estudo compreende três textos singulares da obra de Samuel Beckett: Malone meurt, L’Innommable e En attendant Godot. Tudo o que é assimilado, assim como refutado por Beckett, é convidado a entrar em cena no decorrer deste trabalho. Como via de acesso para a composisão da escritura becketiana, foi necessário seguir os passos da memória de leitura do autor para chegar a uma conclusão, segundo minha própria leitura, a partir da leitura dos três textos escolhidos. Por isso, reencontrei em Proust, a idéia do leitor ‘‘livre’’ e ‘‘independente’’ mantido por Beckett. Seguindo os traços da tradição, foi possível desenvolver uma memória de leitura como uma repetição, conduzindo a um resultado imprevisto. Balzac é a primeira referência da leitura beketiana. O autor é trabalhado como fonte principal da leitura becketiana. Assim, a composição da memória em Beckett não pode ser recuperada senão na articulação dos estudos textuais como ‘‘produção’’ e, cujas imagens repetitivas fornecidas pelos três textos de Samuel Beckett asseguram a continuidade, a produtividade de leitura, em que, esta memória, torna-se inevitavelmente, memória do texto.

Exercícios do tempo : Dias felizes e Esperando Godot, de Samuel Beckett; O marinheiro, de Fernando Pessoa

Resumo não disponível.

The Taylor rule under inquiry: Hidden states

This work empirically evaluates the Taylor rule for the US and Brazil using Markov-Switching Regimes. I find that the inflation parameter of the US Taylor rule is less than one in many periods, contrasting heavily with Clarida, Gal´ı and Gertler (2000), and the same happens with Brazilian data. When the inflation parameter is greater than one, it encompasses periods that these authors considered they should be less than one. Brazil is used for comparative purposes because it experienced a high level inflation until 1994 and then a major stabilization plan reduced the growth in prices to civilized levels. Thus, it is a natural laboratory to test theories designed to work in any environment. The findings point to a theoretical gap that deserves further investigation and show that monetary policy in Brazil has been ineffective, which is coherent with the general attitude of population in relation to this measure.

Taylor rule with hidden states

This work evaluates empirically the Taylor rule for the US and Brazil using Kalman Filter and Markov-Switching Regimes. We show that the parameters of the rule change significantly with variations in both output and output gap proxies, considering hidden variables and states. Such conclusions call naturally for robust optimal monetary rules. We also show that Brazil and US have very contrasting parameters, first because Brazil presents time-varying intercept, second because of the rigidity in the parameters of the Brazilian Taylor rule, regardless the output gap proxy, data frequency or sample data. Finally, we show that the long-run inflation parameter of the US Taylor rule is less than one in many periods, contrasting strongly with Orphanides (forthcoming) and Clarida, Gal´i and Gertler (2000), and the same happens with Brazilian monthly data.

Combating shoulder-surfing: a hidden button gesture based scheme

This project describes an authentication technique that is shoulder-surfing resistant. Shoulder surfing is an attack in which an attacker can get access to private information by observing the user’s interaction with a terminal, or by using recording tools to record the user interaction and study the obtained data, with the objective of obtaining unauthorized access to a target user’s personal information. The technique described here relies on gestural analysis coupled with a secondary channel of authentication that uses button pressing. The thesis presents and evaluates multiple alternative algorithms for gesture analysis, and furthermore assesses the effectiveness of the technique.

Corpo e fronteira: o diário de Samuel Fritz e a conquista do espaço amazônico

Considering that the Jesuitical tradition which Father Samuel Fritz belonged, has a clear political and institutional dimension that reveals itself in the missionary initiative placed since the Trento Council, his journal is a experience story as missionary at Maynás region during the period from 1686 until 1725. In his narrative, a series of data related to the conquer of Amazonia, conflicts among the Iberic Kingdoms and french, dutches and british, transformation of culture and space close the period of the Madrid Deal. I´ll explore the men and space relationship, in this case, the missionary in his special practice, therefore an effective and geometrical politic for border control was only applied at 1750 with reformist governments and that Amazônia was, until now, an object of autonomous initiatives, not being until now a priority focused state politics action like the ones in the central regions (silver mines) and that the missionary action of Samuel Fritz represented ant that moment represented the most important border advance to the Spanish Kingdom, coinciding with the end of the borders previously set in Madrid and Santo Idelfonso, I´ll put the question of how and with which politics the experience of Fritz in Maynás could represent an advance about Amazônia space. Then I´ll approach the problem about three aspects that are chapters: The first one was focused to the Iberic Kingdoms atlantic politics and the internal geopolitical relationships they created as the centre and the border emerging a new order; in the second chapter I studied the special transformation cause by the encounter and conflicts between the Indian and European order generating a new organization; in the third chapter I´ll examined the political border of the state and the emergency of the missionary body as an institution, with the tradition and missionary action as support, or not, to the exploration of the east border of Spanish America influencing the delimitation process of the border between Portugal and Spain

Sistema de agentes poligínicos para esteganálise de imagens digitais

In this work, we propose a multi agent system for digital image steganalysis, based on the poliginic bees model. Such approach aims to solve the problem of automatic steganalysis for digital media, with a case study on digital images. The system architecture was designed not only to detect if a file is suspicious of covering a hidden message, as well to extract the hidden message or information regarding it. Several experiments were performed whose results confirm a substantial enhancement (from 67% to 82% success rate) by using the multi-agent approach, fact not observed in traditional systems. An ongoing application using the technique is the detection of anomalies in digital data produced by sensors that capture brain emissions in little animals. The detection of such anomalies can be used to prove theories and evidences of imagery completion during sleep provided by the brain in visual cortex areas

Circuit board accident - organizational dimension hidden by prescribed safety

This study analyzes an accident in which two maintenance workers suffered severe burns while replacing a circuit breaker panel in a steel mill, following model of analysis and prevention of accidents (MAPA) developed with the objective of enlarging the perimeter of interventions and contributing to deconstruction of blame attribution practices. The study was based on materials produced by a health service team in an in-depth analysis of the accident. The analysis shows that decisions related to system modernization were taken without considering their implications in maintenance scheduling and creating conflicts of priorities and of interests between production and safety; and also reveals that the lack of a systemic perspective in safety management was its principal failure. To explain the accident as merely non-fulfillment of idealized formal safety rules feeds practices of blame attribution supported by alibi norms and inhibits possible prevention. In contrast, accident analyses undertaken in worker health surveillance services show potential to reveal origins of these events incubated in the history of the system ignored in practices guided by the traditional paradigm.

DNA barcoding reveals hidden diversity in the Neotropical freshwater fish Piabina argentea (Characiformes: Characidae) from the Upper Parana Basin of Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)