Kinds Of Sets Research Articles

Variations on a Theme by a Rogue A.I.: Music, Gameplay, and Storytelling in Portal 2 (Part 2 of 2)

This two-video series explores how the scoring to the video game Portal 2, published by Valve Corporation, not only helps tell the game’s story, but also comments on the game developers’ philosophy of puzzle design. The first video explores how the game’s title theme 9999999, including its texture, voice leadings, and chord qualities, musically enacts dual aspects of the character of the game’s central antagonist GlaDOS: once human, her personality was uploaded into a computer mainframe where she has become a sociopathic, homicidal artificial intelligence who takes delight in subjecting humans to hazardous scientific experimentation. The second video demonstrates that 9999999 serves as the theme for a set of double variations in the game’s middle act. Since Valve’s philosophy of player training centers on iterative puzzle-design that systematically increase in complexity, and the musical accompaniments for these puzzles feature coordinated developments in musical complexity, the scoring here lets us parse the puzzle design into a kind of set of gameplay theme-and-variations.

Strategies for developing a writing community for doctoral students

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present considerations for developing a writing community for doctoral students. Design/methodology/approach The paper reflects on data from a self-study of a writing seminar in which the authors were involved. The authors examined students’ writing samples and peer-review comments, email correspondence, online discussion board postings, meeting minutes and participants’ reflections on their participation in the seminar. Findings While doctoral students described benefits from their participation in the writing seminar, the paper provides a cautionary tale concerning the challenges that can arise in the development and delivery of interventions that focus on developing writing communities involving doctoral students. Research limitations/implications This article draws on findings from an examination of a writing intervention to consider potential challenges that faculty and students face in developing writing communities. Findings may not apply to other kinds of settings, and they are limited by the small number of participants involved. Practical implications The paper discusses strategies that might be used to inform faculty in the development of writing communities for doctoral students. Social implications The authors’ experiences in developing and delivering a writing seminar highlight the importance of the process of trust-building for students to perceive the value of feedback from others so that they can respond to the technical demands of doctoral writing. Originality/value There is a growing body of work on the value of writing interventions for doctoral students such as retreats and writing groups. These are frequently facilitated by faculty whose area of expertise is in teaching writing. This paper contributes understanding to what is needed for faculty who are not writing instructors to facilitate groups of this sort. Participants must demonstrate a sufficient level of competence as writers to review others’ work; develop trusting, collegial relationships with one another; and be willing to contribute to others’ development and make a commitment to accomplishing the required tasks.

Darning and Gluing of Diffusions

We study darning of compact sets (darning and gluing of finite unions of compact sets), which are not thin at any of their points, in a potential-theoretic framework which may be described, analytically, in terms of harmonic kernels/harmonic functions or, probabilistically, in terms of a diffusion. This is accomplished without leaving our kind of setting so that the procedure can be iterated without any problem. It applies to darning and gluing of compacts in Euclidean spaces (manifolds) of different dimensions, which is of interest pertaining to recent studies on heat kernels.

Technical Note: On the impact of the incident electron beam energy on the primary dose component of flattening filter free photon beams.

For commercially available linear accelerators (Linacs), the electron energies of flattening filter free (FFF) and flattened (FF) beams are either identical or the electron energy of the FFF beam is increased to match the percentage depth dose curve (PDD) of the FF beam (in reference geometry). This study focuses on the primary dose components of FFF beams for both kinds of settings, studied on the same Linac. The measurements were conducted on a VersaHD Linac (Elekta, Crawley, UK) for both FF and FFF beams with nominal energies of 6 and 10 MV. In the clinical setting of the VersaHD, the energy of FFFM (Matched) beams is set to match the PDDs of the FF beams. In contrast the incident electron beam of the FFFU beam was set to the same energy as for the FF beam. Half value layers (HVLs) and a dual parameter beam quality specifier (DPBQS) were determined. For the 6 MV FFFM beam, HVL and DPBQS values were very similar compared to those of the 6 MV FF beam, while for the 10 MV FFFM and FF beams, only %dd(10)x and HVL values were comparable (differences below 1.5%). This shows that matching the PDD at one depth does not guarantee other beam quality dependent parameters to be matched. For FFFU beams, all investigated beam quality specifiers were significantly different compared to those for FF beams of the same nominal accelerator potential. The DPBQS of the 6 MV FF and FFFM beams was equal within the measurement uncertainty and was comparable to published data of a machine with similar TPR20,10 and %dd(10)x. In contrast to that, the DPBQS's two parameters of the 10 MV FFFM beam were substantially higher compared to those for the 10 MV FF beam. PDD-matched FF and FFF beams of both nominal accelerator potentials were observed to have similar HVL values, indicating similarity of their primary dose components. Using the DPBQS revealed that the mean attenuation coefficient was found to be the same within the uncertainty of 0.8% for 6 MV FF and 6 MV FFFM beams, while for 10 MV beams, they differed by 6.4%. This shows that the DPBQS can provide a differentiation of photon beam characteristics that would remain hidden by the use of a single beam quality specifier, such as %dd(10)x or HVL.

Variations on a Theme by a Rogue A.I.: Music, Gameplay, and Storytelling in Portal 2 (Part 1 of 2)

This two-video series explores how the scoring to the video game Portal 2, published by Valve Corporation, not only helps tell the game’s story, but also comments on the game developers’ philosophy of puzzle design. The first video explores how the game’s title theme 9999999, including its texture, voice leadings, and chord qualities, musically enacts dual aspects of the character of the game’s central antagonist GlaDOS: once human, her personality was uploaded into a computer mainframe where she has become a sociopathic, homicidal artificial intelligence who takes delight in subjecting humans to hazardous scientific experimentation. The second video demonstrates that 9999999 serves as the theme for a set of double variations in the game’s middle act. Since Valve’s philosophy of player training centers on iterative puzzle-design that systematically increase in complexity, and the musical accompaniments for these puzzles feature coordinated developments in musical complexity, the scoring here lets us parse the puzzle design into a kind of set of gameplay theme-and-variations.

Automated Physical Testbeds for Emulation of Wireless Networks

Institute of Reliable Embedded Systems and Communication Electronics, Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany has developed an automated testing environment, Automated Physical TestBeds (APTB), for analyzing the performance of wireless systems and its supporting protocols. Wireless physical networking nodes can connect to this APTB and the antenna output of this attaches with the RF waveguides. To model the RF environment this RF waveguides then establish wired connection among RF elements like splitters, attenuators and switches. In such kind of set up it’s well possible to vary the path characteristics by altering the attenuators and switches. The major advantage of using APTB is the possibility of isolated, well controlled, repeatable test environment in various conditions to run statistical analysis and even to execute regression tests. This paper provides an overview of the design and implementation of APTB, demonstrates its ability to automate test cases, and its efficiency.

Some applications of Dα-closed sets in topological spaces

In this paper, a new kind of sets called Dα-open sets are introduced and studied in a topological spaces. The class of all Dα-open sets is strictly between the class of all α-open sets and g-open sets. Also, as applications we introduce and study Dα-continuous, Dα-open, and Dα-closed functions between topological spaces. Finally, some properties of Dα-closed and strongly Dα-closed graphs are investigated.

English

AbstractA set of positive integers A is called a B h [g] set if there are at mostg different sums of h elements from A with the same result. Thisdefinition has a generalization to abelian groups and the mainproblem related to this kind of sets, is to find B h [g] maximal setsi.e. those with larger cardinality.We construct B h [g] modular sets from B h modular sets usinghomomorphisms and analyze the constructions of B h sets by Boseand Chowla, Ruzsa, and Gomez and Trujillo look at for the suitablehomomorphism that allows us to preserve the cardinal of this types ofsets. Key words and phrases. Sidon sets, B h sets, B h [g] sets, finite fields,homomorphism of groups.2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 11B50, 12E20, 20K01, 20K30. 1 Introduction Let G be an abelian group with additive notation, A ⊆ G numerable, andh,g ∈ Z + , with h ≥ 2. A is a B h [g] set on G, denoted by A ∈ B h [g](G), ifeach b ∈ G has at most g distinct representations asb = a i 1 +··· +a i h , with a i 1 ,...,a i ∈ A y i

Investigating heart rate and rhythm changes in an infant’s music education course: A case study

Music research focusing on infants shows that there are functional specializations for music processing in the human brain, and that, for infants and toddlers, music education starting at an early stage is important in their development. However, research has not yet provided solid evidence on what developmental (biopsychological) potential the educational ‘tools’ used in these kind of settings may carry, considering that these settings or educational practices constantly vary. This study focuses on the musical elements of tempo (rhythmical pace) and beat (sound impulse), and investigates the way these are handled by an educator in a formally structured early years (0–2) music education course of seven episodes. The study also examines how two different age groups of participants biologically perceive the specific aforementioned rhythmical elements. In contradiction to relevant communication theories and the hypothesis followed in this study, results show no significant differences in the way the specific educator handles rhythm for the two groups, following a similarly increasing trajectory of rhythmical development for each session per group. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the way the infants physiologically reacted to the above rhythmical handling, presenting an overall increasing heart rate trajectory.

Tolerance – a Culturally Dependent Concept?

This article presents research on Japanese interpretations of the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a point of departure for discussing how the Japanese cultural contexts present an alternative understanding of tolerance to the Western liberal. According to Rainer Forst, tolerance is a normatively dependent concept (Forst 2010). This implies that the specific cultural values or the ‘normative context’ and environment become relevant. Since the praxis of tolerance always takes place in a specific cultural and moral environment, the cultural context influences how tolerance is carried out in practice as well as the norms defining its limits. Japanese informants held that cultural norms and values in Japan differ somewhat from those in the West. They perceived the human rights discourse as culturally dependent and culturally marked and clearly considered the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be a product of Western thought. It states that ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in the spirit of brotherhood’ (United Nations 1948). While the role of tolerance in Western political philosophy seems to be attached to liberal values of autonomy and freedom, the Confucian-influenced environment in Japan places more emphasis on inter-dependency, cultivation, and learning social rules and proper-place-occupation as bases for moral conduct and deserving of respect. According to the Japanese informants, people are not ‘born with rights’ or ‘born free and equal’. Maintaining harmony, consensus, and proper behaviour according to relationships and hierarchy creates a different kind of setting for tolerance. The inter-dependent perspectives of Japanese culture may restrain freedom and can thus be expected to limit toleration of divergent views or behaviour. The culture-specific perception of human nature with an ‘inter-dependent construal of self’, counts as a context for tolerance. Also, it could be argued that Japanese religion is less doctrinal and absolute, and particularistic morality prevails. In the Japanese setting, the coexistence of competing truth systems seems to be more easily tolerated. This may broaden the room for tolerance. The cultural values defining ‘the good’ vary, implying that culture counts when the limits for tolerance are drawn. What is valued is culturally dependent, thus directing what is tolerated.

A Multivalued Strong Law of Large Numbers

We prove a strong law of large numbers for random closed sets in a separable Banach space. It improves upon and unifies the laws of large numbers with convergence in the Wijsman, Mosco and slice topologies, without requiring extra assumptions on either the properties of the space or the kind of sets that can be taken on by the random set as values.

A Newton formula for generalized Berzolari-Radon sets

We introduce an extension of the Newton formula for bivariate generalized Berzolari-Radon sets and suggest a generalization of the divided differences for that kind of sets. We apply this formula to two bivariate problems where the nodes are distributed on lines or concentric circles respectively. Some examples are provided.

The rehabilitation nurse then and now: From technical support to human potential catalyst by Caring- Disability Creation Process Model in an interprofessional team

This article traces the historical development of the role of the rehabilitation nurse. This development highlights the importance of the caring approach in the humanization of nursing cares. The Caring-DCP model (Disability Creation Process) presents effectively a relational approach that combines care and rehabilitation which could be efficient in this kind of setting. The alliance of these two concepts provides to nurses a unique way to work in the bosom of the interprofessional team that focusing on the patient social participation.

Our Unstable Artistry

This article considers how technical communication practitioners and teachers can approach Donald Schön’s notion of problem setting as rhetorical and reflective work that offers us a richer, more precise language for articulating the technologies, narratives, and values from which problems appear as problems in the first place. The author posits that problem setting, when foregrounded in our work, adds value to the knowledge we make in practice rather than the knowledge we gain from stepping back and abstracting. After briefly describing problem setting as a significant yet invisible practice already underlying technical communication, he then describes a vignette from a digital marketing and design firm to foreground problem setting as creative, on-the-spot reflective work that we often use to invent, rather than discern, problems in unstable situations. The larger goal of this article is to further investigate Schön’s past construction in order to examine how the practice of problem setting affects our ability to act within the instability of digital, divergent, and knowledge-intensive settings—the kinds of settings we regularly face in the workplace and the classroom.

Supporting online collaborative learning in small groups: Teacher feedback on learning content, academic task and social participation

The aim of the present study is to contribute to the understanding of the assistance provided by the teacher through feedback to support knowledge building among higher education students working in small groups in an online collaborative learning environment. The analysis examines 145 contributions made by a teacher to two groups of postgraduate students (group 1: 5 students; group 2: 4 students) of the same course whose task was to develop collaboratively a rubric for assessing teacher competencies by means of the Knowledge Forum platform. The results show that the teacher offered both elaboration and verification feedback, not only regarding the learning content but also the students' approach to the academic task and their social participation in the group. This would seem appropriate in terms of supporting the process of knowledge building in this kind of setting. The results also highlight that, when evaluating whether the feedback given is well matched to the needs of student groups engaged in online collaborative learning, it is important to take into account the timing of the teacher's interventions.

Seroprevalence of Cytomegalo Virus (CMV) among pregnant women in Thika, Kenya.

BackgroundThe fetal consequences of CMV infection have made it one of the most serious infections contracted during pregnancy. Despite the posed teratogenic risk during pregnancy, there is no national screening test for CMV infection is available during pregnancy in Kenya. Thus little is known on its epidemiological data that is necessary for health planners and care providers.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted at Thika district level 5 hospital, Kenya to investigate seroprevalence of CMV infections and associated possible risk factors among pregnant women. Structured questionnaires were used to gather socio-demographic data and ELISA was used to detect CMV infections using IgG and IgM.ResultsOut of 260 pregnant women, 201 (77.3%) were CMV IgG 21(8.1%) CMV IgM being on acute stage of the disease. Marital status (OR = 3.7533, 95% CI =3.0231-6.9631, P < 0.0001), parity (OR = 3.7533, 95% CI = 3.0231-6.9631, P < 0.0001), and education (OR = 3.7533, 95% CI = 3.0231-6.9631, P < 0.0001), history of blood transfusion (OR = 0.0374, 95% CI = 0.00120-0.1168, OR = 0.3804) were found to significantly influence seropostivity in univariate analysis.ConclusionThe 88.4% CMV prevalence rate being detected among pregnant women calls for vaccine and routine screening for CMV infections and its associated risk factors in this kind of settings.

Niepewność i niejasność jako uwarunkowania decyzji ekonomicznych

Typically, three kinds of settings, under which decisions are made, are distinguished, certainty, uncertainty, and risk. In this view, uncertainty is defined narrowly, as a situation, in which the probability distribution is unknown. However, D. Ellsberg’s studies showed that ambiguity, defi ned as an intermediate condition between uncertainty and risk, could be considered as the fourth type of decision settings. Seen from this perspective, uncertainty is a more complex notion and it is commonly experienced with regard to important issues other than only total or partial lack of knowledge of probability. Following the review of concepts of uncertainty, we present examples of their impact on everyday life economic decisions that are made in the domains of consumer behaviour, saving, investment, and entrepreneurship. Finally, we present some methods of coping with different kinds of uncertainty.

Le aggressioni nei confronti degli infermieri dei dipartimenti di emergenza: revisione della letteratura internazionale

Workplace violence is a widespread phenomenon in every kind of settings. Among these ones there are emergency departments (ED), that have distinctive features as like the large daily number of patients' presentations, and high emotional content or stressing situations related to the management of diagnostic-therapeutic priorities. We reviewed the medical and nursing literature to quantify the international widespread of aggressions towards nurses working in EDs, distinguish the typologies and the perpetrators, and identify the consequences on victims and healthcare organizations. Original papers were searched using Medline, CINHAL, and Medscape databases. 35 research articles met the inclusion criteria, but 6 were not retrieved. The rate of verbal abuses reported by ED nurses varies from 50% to 100% of those who were surveyed, while physical violence ranges between 16.7% and 72%. Patients and relatives are the main perpetrators, followed by doctors, and, only in lower percentages, by nurses colleagues. Alcohol, drugs abuse, and overcrowding in EDs are acknowledged as motivating factors for violent events. Under-reporting of aggressions is frequent up to the 80% of victims, and some papers report that nurses consider assaults as a normal part of their work. There is a direct relation between aggressions and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disturb syndrome. Moreover there is a sense of continuous fear in nurses, causing the likelihood of workplace leaving. Special educational courses seem to be effective in diminishing the number of aggressions and to adopt adequate adaptive behaviors.

Process parameter definition with respect to the behaviour of complex kinematic machine tools

The definition of machining processes with respect to complex kinematic machine tool behaviour involves the control of machine accuracy and kinematic performances. The aim is to propose process settings and tool paths which guarantee the required machining quality while maximizing productivity. This article presents an experimental protocol which enables the determination of machine tool structure behaviours which have an influence on machining quality. In parallel, an experimental analysis of the different kinds of settings which can improve machining quality is carried out. Two kinds of settings appear: the first class of settings improves machining quality or machining time, and the second class has an antagonistic influence on machining quality and machining time. Thus, the definition of the second class of settings arises from an optimisation between first-order defects, second-order defects and machining time. The developed method is illustrated on a parallel kinematic machine tool, the Tripteor X7. Note that this study is a first step towards controlling machine tool behaviour during machining.

Naturally Occurring Interactions and Guidance Codifications in Healthcare Communication Analysis: the Case of Praising Obese Patients

Abstract: Studies of face-to-face communication illuminate the ways in which the conduct and outcome of healthcare encounters is contingent on the interactions that occur within them. Work in this field benefits from the increasing availability and acceptance of recording technologies for data collection, enabling the production of richly detailed investigations of real-time healthcare communication. At the same time the growing interest within healthcare professions in inter-personal communication has lead to codification of interactional practices in guidance and training documents. This article argues that the intersection of these two developments presents a significant opportunity for fruitful research: analyses of naturally occurring communication in consultations can take the interactional practices prescribed in guidance and training documents as a topic or starting point for investigation. The subsequent results enhance empirical and conceptual knowledge whilst also offering a commentary on the guidance prescriptions. To demonstrate this, the article reports on a conversation analytic investigation of compliments in specialist obesity consultations prompted by guidance recommending the praise of these patients ‘every opportunity’. The findings reveal that the actions of praise-giving and response are interactionally complex in this kind of setting and closely associated with certain institutional and normative dynamics, thereby the guidance is less straightforwardly positive than it at first appears. By advancing analytic understanding and offering practical implications this kind of approach makes a substantial contribution to the interpersonal level of healthcare communication analysis.