This research aims to build a system that estimates assessment expressions to others by machine learning, collects them in real time, and feeds them back to the participants, and this study proposes two techniques that are necessary for this purpose. First, we propose a method to estimate the evaluative behavior to others, which is simplified to positive, negative, and neutral, from the facial images and head acceleration of participants in the conversation. The supervised machine learning algorithm requires ground-truth labeling. To analyze the expression of a large number of people, such as in a classroom, ground-truth labeling becomes a challenge in analysis and system construction. Second, to ease the labeling process we propose and implement a method to recommend the estimated labels on the labeling software. The accuracy of the proposed method is approximately 0.45 in F-value. Considering the time-series information, the proposed method recognizes major changes in positive evaluation behaviors. Presenting recommended labels on our labeling support system increase with time for the ground-truth labeling. However, the accuracy of labeling positive assessments improve in five out of six subjects.

The graph Laplacian plays key roles in information processing of relational data, and has analogies with the Laplacian in differential geometry. In this paper, we generalize the analogy between graph Laplacian and differential geometry to the hypergraph setting, and propose a novel hypergraph p-Laplacian. Unlike the existing two-node graph Laplacians, this generalization makes it possible to analyze hypergraphs, where the edges are allowed to connect any number of nodes. Moreover, we propose a semi-supervised learning method based on the proposed hypergraph p-Laplacian, and formalize them as the analogue to the Dirichlet problem, which often appears in physics. We further explore theoretical connections to normalized hypergraph cut on a hypergraph, and propose normalized cut corresponding to hypergraph p-Laplacian. The proposed p-Laplacian is shown to outperform standard hypergraph Laplacians in the experiment on a hypergraph semi-supervised learning and normalized cut setting.

This paper proposes CMOS VLSI implementation of a chaotic Boltzmann machine (CBM) model, which uses analog nonlinear dynamics instead of stochastic operation as in the original Boltzmann machine model. The CBM model is suitable for efficient VLSI implementation of Boltzmann machines because it requires no random number generator circuits, which consume a considerable footprint on a VLSI chip as well as considerable power. We describe the design results of CMOS circuits of neuron and synapse units. The neuron circuit uses subthreshold operation of MOSFETs to realize the exponential function used in the CBM model. We also provide measurement results of a fabricated CMOS chip for single-neuron unit circuit operation and demonstrate chaotic behavior in a three-neuron network.

To support astronomy education, we developed a tangible learning environment called the tangible earth system. To clarify its problems, we defined an assessment framework from the aspects of curriculum guidelines, design guidelines of tangible learning environments, and epistemology of agency. Based on the analysis of our small-scale user study, we identified problems of the system in terms of location, dynamics, and correspondence parameters.

SUMMARY: High-accuracy mass values detected by high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis enable prediction of elemental compositions, and thus are used for metabolite annotations in metabolomic studies. Here, we report an application of a relational database to significantly improve the rate of elemental composition predictions. By searching a database of pre-calculated elemental compositions with fixed kinds and numbers of atoms, the approach eliminates redundant evaluations of the same formula that occur in repeated calculations with other tools. When our approach is compared with HR2, which is one of the fastest tools available, our database search times were at least 109 times shorter than those of HR2. When a solid-state drive (SSD) was applied, the search time was 488 times shorter at 5 ppm mass tolerance and 1833 times at 0.1 ppm. Even if the search by HR2 was performed with 8 threads in a high-spec Windows 7 PC, the database search times were at least 26 and 115 times shorter without and with the SSD. These improvements were enhanced in a low spec Windows XP PC. We constructed a web service 'MFSearcher' to query the database in a RESTful manner. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Available for free at http://webs2.kazusa.or.jp/mfsearcher. The web service is implemented in Java, MySQL, Apache and Tomcat, with all major browsers supported. CONTACT: [email protected] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

UNLABELLED: Using a large dataset (10 022 assays) obtained from public plant microarray databases, we developed the CoP database for associating co-expressed gene modules with biological information such as gene ontology terms and, if available, metabolic pathway names. The Confeito algorithm developed previously in our laboratory, which is suitable to calculate the interconnectivity between genes in co-expressed gene network, was applied to extract co-expressed gene modules. The database includes the gene modules for Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) and seven crops, Glycine max (soybean), Hordeum vulgare (barley), Oryza sativa (rice), Populus trichocarpa (poplar), Triticum aestivum (wheat), Vitis vinifera (grape) and Zea mays (maize). AVAILABILITY: The CoP database is available at: http://webs2.kazusa.or.jp/kagiana/cop0911/.

Deals with basic research on underwater docking of flexible underwater structures using an active control system. The actively controlled underwater docking has such potentials on the installation or construction of underwater structures at deep water depth that the structures can be installed precisely on the desired point of seabed. For very large structure automated construction, it can be possible to assemble the onshore fabricated partitioned structures on site. In the paper, the H/sup /spl infin// controller is used for flexible structural control to avoid spillovers. Basin tests were executed using two types of neutrally buoyant flexible models with ultrasound ranging system and thrusters.