under conditions which are very close to the necessary ones. Here N(T) is the number of crossings of the level u in (0, T) by the stationary Gaussian process x(t), with covariance function r(r). The symbol £ denotes expectation. The treatment of this problem given by Bulinskaya is essentially a rigorization of the method used by Grenander and Rosenblatt [4], which in turn extends an argument du...

In the eighties the problem of the lack of an efficient algorithm to train multilayer Rosenblatt perceptrons was solved by sigmoidal neural networks and backpropagation. But should we still try to find an efficient algorithm to train multilayer hardlimit neuronal networks, a task known as a NP-Complete problem? In this work we show that this would not be a waste of time by means of a counter ex...

The inadequacy of the traditional highbrow-popular dichotomy as it has been applied to audiences is well emphasised by the subsidiary category of middlebrow. It provides a straightforward description for a zone between elite culture and entertainment that is in truth vastly more complex. In this article, three empirical research projects with connections to music are examined. Each classifies c...

Much recent work has studied the means of achieving stable yet high performance control of haptic interfaces. Such interfaces provide compelling force feedback in virtual reality simulations for medical training, advanced computer aided design (CAD), entertainment, and other applications. This paper reports experimental testing of a new method of stable haptic interface control, the Passivity O...

Acknowledgments: Parts of this conference background paper were modified from a conference background paper entitled “Rural Health Professionals” that was presented at the Rural Health Research Agenda Setting Conference hosted by the National Rural Health Association, Washington, DC, August 13, 2000 (authors: Drs. Gary Hart, Edward Salsberg and Debra Phillips). I acknowledge the contributions o...

In 1978, Wolfgang Iser wrote his most influential book, The Act of Reading, which details his theories about aesthetic reader response. Since the publishing of The Act of Reading, the pervasive use of personal computers and the internet has introduced new forms of fiction, including collaborative hyperfictions. This paper presents an analysis of Iser's theories in relation to collaborative hype...

Sulfur mustard is a synthetic organic compound. It was first manufactured in 1822 by the action of ethene on sulfur monochloride or dichloride. Since then, the methods of manufacture have been refined, although they have not been changed substantially. Three main processes have been used. The Germans produced sulfur mustard using the Meyer process, which involved treating ethylene with hypochlo...