Inside the Factory: Observing Musical Production

The last two decades have seen an intense research effort concerning multilevel power conversion technology. This is because multilevel systems are capable of operating at high voltage levels while producing switched waveforms with low levels of spectral distortion, even at low switching rates. The development paths have considered two distinct aspects of the technology, the first being the structure of the converter topologies, while the second concerns the switching processes (i.e. modulation) that control these topologies. Not all modulation processes can be applied to all converter topologies and this is called the topological dependence of multilevel modulation methods. The prime objective of this thesis is the elimination of this dependence because this allows developments for one switching process to be applied to all topologies without differentiation. A general method for analytically calculating the spectral components produced by a multilevel modulation process has been developed. This technique maps the rules of a modulation process to a series of Fourier double integrals, the solutions of which represent the spectral components of the switched waveform. The use of modulation rules means that this analysis tool is ideal for the description of multilevel Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) methods with the aim of eliminating their topological dependence. It has been shown how the analysis technique can account for the effects of natural and regular sampling for both linear and non-linear modulation depths. Two approaches are proposed to solve the Fourier Double integral expressions. The first approach uses numerical integration of the outer integral terms, while the second approach uses Jacobi-Anger series expansions to develop closed form solutions for the case of sinusoidal Naturally Sampled PWM. The analytical method was then applied to the Phase Shifted Carrier PWM (PSCPWM) method for Cascaded inverters. This led to a mathematical understanding of the harmonic cancellation process that occurs within a Cascaded phase leg, and this allowed for the determination of the required carrier phase shift between H-Bridges to optimise the harmonic cancellation process. The mathematical results show that this cancellation is not effected by overmodulation and is not dependent on the sampling process used. Disposition modulation was analysed and this explained the spectral superiority of the Phase Disposition (PD) method compared to the Phase Opposition Disposition (POD) and Alternative Phase Opposition Disposition (APOD) methods. PD is spectrally superior because it places harmonic energy into a carrier component and relies on the common mode cancellation of this term when forming the line to line voltage. The other Disposition methods were shown to place spectral energy into carrier sideband terms only and so can not benefit from carrier cancellation. The analytical spectral performance of the PSCPWM method for Cascaded inverters, the APOD method for Diode Clamped inverters and the PWM of a Hybrid inverter were compared. When the carrier frequencies for the three PWM methods were normalised to achieve the same overall number of switching transitions the spectra were found to be identical. This result demonstrated that the modulation of Cascaded and Hybrid inverters is sub-optimal. The understanding that the PD method achieves its better performance by placing spectral energy into a carrier component which then cancels in the line to line voltage was exploited to develop a form of Bipolar Discontinuous PWM for Cascaded and Hybrid inverters. This PWM method was shown to achieve identical performance to the PD method, thus eliminating the topological dependence of the PD technique. Space Vector Modulation (SVM) was considered to determine if a link to carrier based modulation could be established. The optimal space vector switching sequences were determined for a Diode Clamped system based on minimising the number of switching transitions per cycle. It was found that to optimise the spectral profile of the switched waveform the middle space vectors in the switching sequence must be centered in the switching interval. Each Disposition method was examined to determine the implicit space vector sequences selected, revealing that PD is the only method that selects the same sequences as an optimal space vector modulator. A common mode injection signal was then determined for the PD technique that centers the space vector states in the half carrier period. An experimental implementation of this approach using the Bipolar Discontinuous methods for Cascaded and Hybrid inverters confirmed that this achieves equivalent SVM performance.

This paper presents a solution for building and implementing data processing models and experimentally evaluates new possibilities for improving ensemble methods based on multilevel data processing models. This study proposes a model to reduce the cost of retraining models when transforming data properties. The research objective is to improve the quality indicators of machine learning models when solving classification problems. The novelty is a method that uses a multilevel architecture of data processing models to determine the current data properties in segments at different levels and assign algorithms with the best quality indicators. This method differs from the known ones by using several model levels that analyze data properties and assign the best models to individual segments of data and training. The improvement consists of using unsupervised clustering of data samples. The resulting clusters are separate subsamples for assigning the best machine-learning models and algorithms. Experimental values of quality indicators for different classifiers on the whole sample and different segments were obtained. The findings show that unsupervised clustering using multilevel models can significantly improve the quality indicators of “weak” classifiers. The quality indicators of individual classifiers improve when the number of data clusters is increased to a certain threshold. The results obtained are applicable to classification when developing models and machine learning methods. The proposed method improved the classification quality indicators by 2–9% due to segmentation and the assignment of models with the best quality indicators in individual segments. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-01-025 Full Text: PDF

Objective: Understand the challenges that exist in the Zimbabwe health systems, that could be addressed through the integration of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).Understand key aspects for consideration when selecting and adapting a LIMS in a resource limited setting.Showcase improvements in laboratory information management processes following adoption of a LIMS.Introduction: Zimbabwe's National Health Laboratory Services faces multiple challenges related to inadequate financial support and skilled human resources, insufficient infrastructure, and inefficient tracking of clinical samples collected by health facilities. The slow turnaround time and poor management of the sample testing process, as well as delivery of results remain critical challenges. Compounding these problems further is a manual system for tracking large volumes of samples. This laborious and time-consuming process is inefficient for management of high amounts of incoming medical samples, frequently resulting in incomplete and inaccurate data. Additionally, health facilities are unable to monitor clinical samples and results in transit, leading to misplaced samples and missing results. Furthermore, although the laboratory service runs on a tiered network system - with lower level laboratories referring surveillance samples to higher level laboratories, processing of samples is not fulfilled promptly. The solutions to these challenges are divergent - sometimes even pointing in different directions. To this end, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has identified and integrated a LIMS to improve tracking of samples from the time of collection through results delivery.Methods: Our methods included an environmental needs assessment, user requirement analysis, followed by a LIMS customization and integration. The overarching aim has been to integrate the electronic open source BIKA LIMS into Zimbabwe’s national health information systems (HIS), to improve laboratory information management.The user requirements gathering exercise, included focus group discussion meetings with potential LIMS users, and direct observations, to guide the establishment of LIMS specifications. The needs assessment focused on the system functionality. Specifically, it investigated those aspects that would improve the ability: to track clinical samples such as creating and activating an ‘alerting’ capability when results are not reported within the set turnaround time; for users to see lists and counts of clinical samples at various testing levels; to uniquely identify samples received in the laboratories. Guided by these requirements, an environmental scan of off-the-shelf and open source LIMS platforms was conducted to identify a few options for the Zimbabwe context. Primary factors for shortlisting included: an existing community of practice for support; interoperability; customizability and configurability; and local awareness of the platform. In a LIMS national user’s meeting, involving relevant levels of the health system (Laboratories, Central, Provincial and District hospitals), a review of LIMS platform options was performed to narrow down selections. It evaluated the extent to which the user requirements (Workflow, equipment interface, result management, inter-operable, quality control, and stock management) were being met. Based on the evaluation, a single system (LIMS) was selected, adopted and adapted for use at six representative laboratories, including Zimbabwe’s National Microbiology Reference Laboratory.On-Site classroom and desk-side training, for knowledge transfer to local LIMS users, characterised the implementation phase. Local champions were identified from laboratory technicians and equipped to offer first line support. Both on-site and remote support was provided to LIMS users. The monitoring phase is ongoing, using interview guides and LIMS user meetings to understand challenges and ways to improve the system.Results: A LIMS was successfully customized and integrated into Zimbabwe’s national health information system infrastracture in six regional laboratories, to improve overall laboratory information management, timeliness of reporting and quality control. Since its full implementation between 2013 and 2017, average turnaround time for results improved significantly from 10 to 21 days in 2013 to only 3 days in 2017. Data quality improved; the number of untested clinical samples reduced from an average of 6 in 100 in 2013, to average of less or equal to 1 in 100, in 2017 . Also, there have been observed improvements in Zimbabwe's laboratory information management workflow and results reporting. High user satisfaction and increased LIMS use have led to the demand for LIMS expansion to additional laboratories. The LIMS has also managed to reduce the time required to produce disease notification reports.Conclusions: LIMS are proving to be an effective method for tracking samples and laboratory results in low resource settings like Zimbabwe. LIMS has provided an efficient way for record, store, and track timely reporting of laboratory data, allowing for improved quality of data. Overall, LIMS has increased efficiency in laboratory workflow and introduced the ability to adequately track samples from time of collection.

This study aims to evaluate the level of microbial contamination in street food sold and to conduct direct observations on environmental sanitation and hygiene practices carried out by street vendors in elementary school environments in Kecamatan Tarakan Tengah. The microbial contamination levels in 15 research samples, consisting of 9 types of food and 6 types of beverages, were randomly obtained from five different sub-districts and measured using the Total Plate Count (TPC) method. During the sampling process, observations and documentation of activities and conditions around the sales locations were conducted. The results of this study indicate that (1) all samples had TPC values far exceeding the limits set by BPOM, with the highest contamination found in pentol ayam goreng (8.69 × 10¹⁰ CFU/g) and es nutrijel stroberi (4.79 × 10¹⁰ CFU/ml); (2) The main factors contributing to the high microbial contamination, based on direct observations during sampling, include poor sanitation practices, exposure to an open environment, and the use of unhygienic equipment. Therefore, it can be concluded that street food sold in the vicinity of elementary schools in Kecamatan Tarakan Tengah presents a significant health risk to students due to the high level of microbial contamination.

Direct observation, through surveys, underpins nearly all aspects of environmental sciences. Survey design theory has evolved to make sure that sampling is as efficient as possible whilst remaining robust and fit-for-purpose. However, these methods frequently focus on theoretical aspects and often increase the logistical difficulty of performing the survey. Usually, the survey design process will place individual sampling locations one-by-one throughout the sampling area (e.g. random sampling). A consequence of these approaches is that there is usually a large cost in travel time between locations. This can be a huge problem for surveys that are large in spatial scale or are in inhospitable environments where travel is difficult and/or costly. Our solution is to constrain the sampling process so that the sample consists of spatially clustered observations, with all sites within a cluster lying within a predefined distance. The spatial clustering is achieved by a two-stage sampling process: first cluster centres are sampled and then sites within clusters are sampled. A novelty of our approach is that these clusters are allowed to overlap and we present the necessary calculations required to adjust the specified inclusion probabilities so that they are respected in the clustered sample. The process is illustrated with a real and on-going large-scale ecological survey. We also present simulation results to assess the methods performance. Spatially clustered survey design provides a formal statistical framework for grouping sample sites in space whilst maintaining multiple levels of spatial-balance. These designs reduce the logistical burden placed on field workers by decreasing total travel time and logistical overheads.Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear on-line.

The direct observation method is commonly used for data collection in family business case studies. Nevertheless, in research on family business succession that is mainly based on retrospective data, it is difficult to directly observe an event or situation at a given time. This paper thus first explores the application of observation data in the published research results of some family business case studies through a literature review. It then describes our observation methodology, i.e., sampling process, method, observation process, and reevaluation of our interview data, through a case study. Finally, the conclusion offers suggestions for using these observation methods, i.e., employing different types of observation, by considering running time and financial cost, familiarizing observers with various observation occasions, and seeking the assistance of relevant professionals for a research topic.

This article is the result of the investigation Caimanera: a world of opportunities through ecotourism whose objective was to conduct a socio-economic analysis of households in the Swamp Caimanera Covenas municipality, department of Sucre Colombia, and ecotourism potential. It is based on the analytical empirical paradigm, with quantitative approach, its design is not of the experimental type applied and descriptive level, the population consisted of 137 households, the sample was 98 households, the sampling process was probabilistic (simple random sampling). The research techniques used were: the survey and direct observation. The results show a lack of physical infrastructure which is evident in the satisfaction of basic needs: education, health, housing, drinking water, basic sanitation and additionally a job with little chance of entering the labor market, albeit in possession of a high ecotourism potential represented by the presence of basins, pipes, streams and marshes, standing Basin Swamp Caimanera, with an area of 430 hectares. Inadequate and deficient public services infrastructure hampers the use of ecotourism as a potential development of the community.

Hierarchical models for describing space-for-time variations in insect population size and sex-ratio along a primary succession

Introduction Point-of-care testing (POCT) entails conducting a test near a patient, delivering rapid results outside the traditional laboratory setting. Even though point-of-care testing offers the advantage of rapid test results and enables quicker medical decisions, it also introduces unique risks of errors, raising concerns regarding the quality and reliability of these results. This study focuses on a comprehensive risk assessment of POCT devices in a tertiary care setting to evaluate performance, identify potential errors, categorize risks, and implement strategies to enhance their safety and effectiveness. Method The study was conducted as a prospective, observational, nonrandomized study in a tertiary care hospital. A total of 53 devices were selected purposively which were used across various departments of the hospital, including emergency, intensive care unit (ICU), critical care unit (CCU), operation theatre (OT), maternity, and obstetrics. The assessment covered a range of POCT devices: blood gas analyzers, cardiac biomarkers, coagulation analyzers, and glucometers. In POCT devices, risk assessment identifies potential hazards that may arise throughout the entire testing process, encompassing the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases. Performance of the devices was evaluated using comparison with standard guidelines and errors were identified using direct observations and incident reports. The Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) template served as a tool for on-site risk assessment, facilitating the systematic identification and evaluation of potential failure modes and their corresponding effects. A comparison of the scored risk priority number (RPN) before and after interventions was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the implemented suggestions or action plans for mitigating the identified risks. Results Inaccurate patient identification, clotted samples due to improper mixing, patient injury, and delays in sample transportation were the key risks identified during the pre-analytical phase. Delays in sample processing, improper handling of internal quality control materials, improper handling of external quality assessment scheme samples, failure to adhere to original equipment manufacturer instrument maintenance protocols, mishandling of patient samples, and inadequate quality checks were a few observations during the analytical phase. Reporting errors, delayed turnaround times (TAT), and delays in reporting panic values were observed during the post-analytical phase. Implementing quality control measures, real-time monitoring, automation, comprehensive staff training, and risk mitigation strategies served to enhance the reliability and efficiency of POCT devices. Conclusion In point-of-care testing devices, risk assessment identifies potential hazards that may arise throughout the entire testing process, encompassing the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases. Continuous monitoring and improvement efforts are essential for adapting to evolving risks in POCT devices.

Music is certainly a way to express or reinforce our identity, but is it possible to represent and recreate an identity through the process of sampling? Our author says yes and mentions Stregoni, an Italian refugee project. Stregoni offers an experimental space for music production to its participants. The smartphones of the refugees are used as sample libraries for the following process of improvisation. Stregoni creates, our author argues, both subjective and collective identity, even if transitory.

We present, for the first time, the direct observation of the dynamic reading process in central aperture detection (CAD) magnetic super resolution (MSR) media. The stroboscopic images taken by a 10ns exposure time high speed Kerr microscope system on an airbearing spin stand are compared with the corresponding CNR measurements on a MO spin stand. Dynamics of the reading process in samples with and without an intermediate layer and at different reading conditions are studied. Our analysis indicates that the intermediate layer sharpens the threshold for copying the data into the readout layer. We find that optimizing the reading power in CAD MSR readout is critical in order to achieve fast copy speed and provide clear and complete copying. The optimal reading power increases with the increase of the linear velocity of the disk, as expected. Higher disk velocity results in a smaller thermal aperture, which is shifted further from the center ofthe optical aperture, resulting in a decrease in CNR.

Proper prediction of long‐term extreme values for operating wind turbine loads and deflections is a critical component of wind turbine design. Direct observations or simulations of long‐term extremes are not yet available; therefore, these predictions rely on some combination of large numbers of simulations and extrapolation. Extrapolation methods themselves can have significant uncertainty, and they also require that the wind turbine designer have a greater level of statistical expertise—factors that make the methods less attractive for industrial application. As an alternative to extrapolation, safety factors can be calibrated using techniques that allow designers to use smaller data sets. To calculate such factors, a series of simulations was used to extrapolate 50 year extreme values for a 5 MW wind turbine. Two methods are proposed for calculating such safety factors: one based on the mean and standard deviation of extreme values, and one based on the median of extreme values. Through a process of random sampling without replacement, the safety factor based on the median of extreme values was found to be less variable and also more independent of the number of simulations. The safety factors required were as large as 1.7, or were only 1.25 if rotor thrust loads were considered the dominant design drivers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The atomic scale solid–liquid interfacial process dominates the macro‐dissolution of silica, yet its direct experimental observation is challenging. Here we employed the reactive molecular dynamics to model this process in alkaline condition. An elevated temperature strategy under canonical ensemble (NVT) was applied to accelerate the process for sufficient sampling at temporal domain. A stepwise transformation from fully linked SiO 4 network (Q 3 and Q 4 ) to reduced linkage and eventually aqueous species (Q 0 ) was revealed. The simulated dissolution rate agrees well with the value predicted by empirical model. By tracing hydrogen atoms, we found that the dehydroxylated silica surfaces in alkaline electrolyte solutions underwent a transition from Si–O–Si bond cleavage‐dominated (mainly reacted with OH − ) to hydroxylation‐dominated surface reactions. The free‐energy reconstruction of well‐tempered metadynamics reveals that 1500 K accelerates dissolution without altering the reaction pathways. These findings offer novel insights into the evolution of atomic‐scale surface configurations during the dissolution kinetics of silica.

BackgroundConventional bacterial stool culture is one of the more time-consuming tests in a routine clinical microbiology laboratory. In addition, less than 5 % of stool cultures yield positive results. A molecular platform, the BD MAX™ System (BD Diagnostics, Sparks, MD) offers the potential for significantly more rapid results and less hands-on time. Time-motion analysis of the BD MAX Enteric Bacterial Panel (EBP) (BD Diagnostics, Quebec, Canada) on the BD MAX System was compared to conventional stool culture in the microbiology laboratory of a tertiary care pediatric hospital.MethodsThe process impact analysis of time-motion studies of conventional cultures were compared to those of EBP with 86 stool specimens. Sample flow, hands-on time, processing steps, and overall turnaround time were determined and analyzed. Data were obtained and analyzed from both standard operating procedures and direct observation. A regression analysis was performed to ensure consistency of measurements. Time and process measurements started when the specimens were logged into the accessioning area of the microbiology laboratory and were completed when actionable results were generated.ResultsWith conventional culture, negative culture results were available from 41:14:27 (hours:minutes:seconds) to 54:17:19; with EBP, positive and negative results were available from 2:28:40 to 3:33:39.ConclusionsThis study supports the suggestion that use of the EBP to detect commonly encountered stool pathogens can result in significant time savings and a shorter time-to-result for patients with acute bacterial diarrhea.

Contents: Introduction Part I Production, Performance and Aesthetics: When sound meets movement: performance in electronic dance music, Pedro Peixoto Ferreira From refrain to rave: the decline of figure and the rise of ground, Philip Tagg Conceptualizing rhythm and meter in electronic dance music, Mark J. Butler Producing kwaito: nkosi sikelel' iAfrika after apartheid, Gavin Steingo The disc jockey as composer, or how I became a composing DJ, Kai Fikentscher On the process and aesthetics of sampling in electronic music production, Tara Rodgers The aesthetics of failure: 'post-digital' tendencies in contemporary computer music, Kim Cascone 'A pixel is a pixel. A club is a club': toward a hermeneutics of Berlin style DJ and VJ culture, Sebastian Klotz. Part II The Body, the Spirit and (the Regulation of ) Pleasure: In defence of disco, Richard Dyer In the empire of the beat: discipline and disco, Walter Hughes 'I want to see all my friends at once': Arthur Russell and the queering of gay disco, Tim Lawrence I feel love: disco and its discontents, Tavia Nyong'o Sampling sexuality: gender, technology and the body in dance music, Barbara Bradby Sampling (hetero)sexuality: diva-ness and discipline in electronic dance music, Susana Loza Dancing with desire: cultural embodiment in Tijuana's nor-tec music and dance, Alejandro L. Madrid The spiritual economy of nightclubs and raves: osho sannyasins as party promoters in Ibiza and Pune/Goa, Anthony D'Andrea Electronic dance music culture and religion: an overview, Graham St John Soundtrack to an uncivil society: rave culture, the Criminal Justice Act and the politics of modernity, Jeremy Gilbert. Part III Identities, Belongings and Distinctions: Genres, subgenres, sub-subgenres and more: musical and social differentiation within electronic/dance music communities, Kembrew McLeod Exploring the meaning of the mainstream (or why Sharon and Tracy dance around their handbags), Sarah Thornton Women and the early British rave scene, Maria Pini Roomful of Asha: gendered productions of ethnicity in Britaina (TM)s 'Asian Underground', Falu Bakrania 'I want muscles': house music, homosexuality and masculine signification, Stephen Amico Mr Mesa's ticket: memory and dance at the Body Positive T-dance, Fiona Buckland The death of the dance party, Kane Race Post-soul futurama: African American cultural politics and early Detroit techno, Sean Albiez Music tourism and factions of bodies in Goa, Arun Saldanha The dancer from the dance: the musical and dancing crowds of clubbing, Ben Malbon Name index.