Early diagnosis of disorders based on behavioural shifts and biomedical signals

There are many disorders that directly affect people’s behaviour. The people that are suffering from such a disorder are not aware of their situation, and too often the disorders are identified by relatives or co-workers because they notice behavioural shifts. However, when these changes become noticeable, it is often too late and irreversible damages have already been produced. Early detection is the key to prevent severe health-related damages and healthcare costs, as well as to improve people’s quality of life. Nowadays, in full swing of ubiquitous computing paradigm, users’ behaviour patterns can be unobtrusively monitored by means of interactions with many electronic devices. The application of this technology for the problem at hand would lead to the development of systems that are able to monitor disorders’ onset and progress in an ubiquitous and unobtrusive way, thus enabling their early detection. Some attempts for the detection of specific disorders based on these technologies have been proposed, but a global methodology that could be useful for the early detection of a wide range of disorders is still missing. This thesis aims to fill that gap by presenting as main contribution a global screening methodology for the early detection of disorders based on unobtrusive monitoring of physiological and behavioural data. The proposed methodology is the result of a cross-case analysis between two individual validation scenarios: stress in the workplace and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) at home, from which conclusions that contribute to each of the two research fields have been drawn. The analysis of similarities and differences between the two case studies has led to a complete and generalized definition of the steps to be taken for the detection of a new disorder based on ubiquitous computing.Jendearen portaeran eragin zuzena duten gaixotasun ugari daude. Hala ere, askotan, gaixotasuna pairatzen duten pertsonak ez dira euren egoerataz ohartzen, eta familiarteko edo lankideek identifikatu ohi dute berau jokabide aldaketetaz ohartzean. Portaera aldaketa hauek nabarmentzean, ordea, beranduegi izan ohi da eta atzerazeinak diren kalteak eraginda egon ohi dira. Osasun kalte larriak eta gehiegizko kostuak ekiditeko eta gaixoen bizi kalitatea hobetzeko gakoa, gaixotasuna garaiz detektatzea da. Gaur egun, etengabe zabaltzen ari den Nonahiko Konputazioaren paradigmari esker, erabiltzaileen portaera ereduak era diskretu batean monitorizatu daitezke, gailu teknologikoekin izandako interakzioari esker. Eskuartean dugun arazoari konponbidea emateko teknologi hau erabiltzeak gaixotasunen sorrera eta aurrerapena nonahi eta era diskretu batean monitorizatzeko gai diren sistemak garatzea ekarriko luke, hauek garaiz hautematea ahalbidetuz. Gaixotasun konkretu batzuentzat soluzioak proposatu izan dira teknologi honetan oinarrituz, baina metodologia orokor bat, gaixotasun sorta zabal baten detekzio goiztiarrerako erabilgarria izango dena, oraindik ez da aurkeztu. Tesi honek hutsune hori betetzea du helburu, mota honetako gaixotasunak garaiz hautemateko, era diskretu batean atzitutako datu fisiologiko eta konportamentalen erabileran oinarritzen den behaketa sistema orokor bat proposatuz. Proposatutako metodologia bi balidazio egoera desberdinen arteko analisi gurutzatu baten emaitza da: estresa lantokian eta Alzheimerra etxean, balidazio egoera bakoitzari dagozkion ekarpenak ere ondorioztatu ahal izan direlarik. Bi kasuen arteko antzekotasun eta desberdintasunen analisiak, gaixotasun berri bat nonahiko konputazioan oinarrituta detektatzeko jarraitu beharreko pausoak bere osotasunean eta era orokor batean definitzea ahalbidetu du

Notation Sequence Generation and Sound Synthesis in Interactive Spectral Music

Notation sequence generation and sound synthesis in interactive spectral music This thesis consists of a preliminary analysis of existing spectral music paradigms and proposes a methodology to address issues that arise in real-time spectral music composition and performance scenarios. This exploration involves an overview of meaning in spectral music with a particular focus on the ‘sonic object’ as a vehicle for expression. A framework for the production of ‘interactive spectral music’ was created. This framework takes form as a group of software based compositional tools called SpectraScore developed for the Max for Live platform. Primarily, these tools allow the user to analyse incoming audio and directly apply the collected data towards the generation of synthesised sound and notation sequences. Also presented is an extension of these tools, a novel system of correlation between emotional descriptors and spectrally derived harmonic morphemes. The final component is a portfolio of works created as examples of the techniques explored in scored and recorded form. As a companion to these works, an analysis component outlines the programmatic aspects of each piece and illustrates how they are executed within the music. Each scored piece corresponds with a recording of a live performance or performances of the work included in the attached DVD, which comprises individual realisations of the interactive works. Keywords: Spectralism, Music and Emotion, Electronic Music, Spectral Music, Algorithmic Music, Real-time Notatio

Notation Sequence Generation and Sound Synthesis in Interactive Spectral Music

Notation sequence generation and sound synthesis in interactive spectral music This thesis consists of a preliminary analysis of existing spectral music paradigms and proposes a methodology to address issues that arise in real-time spectral music composition and performance scenarios. This exploration involves an overview of meaning in spectral music with a particular focus on the ‘sonic object’ as a vehicle for expression. A framework for the production of ‘interactive spectral music’ was created. This framework takes form as a group of software based compositional tools called SpectraScore developed for the Max for Live platform. Primarily, these tools allow the user to analyse incoming audio and directly apply the collected data towards the generation of synthesised sound and notation sequences. Also presented is an extension of these tools, a novel system of correlation between emotional descriptors and spectrally derived harmonic morphemes. The final component is a portfolio of works created as examples of the techniques explored in scored and recorded form. As a companion to these works, an analysis component outlines the programmatic aspects of each piece and illustrates how they are executed within the music. Each scored piece corresponds with a recording of a live performance or performances of the work included in the attached DVD, which comprises individual realisations of the interactive works. Keywords: Spectralism, Music and Emotion, Electronic Music, Spectral Music, Algorithmic Music, Real-time Notatio

Music evoked emotions are different-more often aesthetic than utilitarian

We disagree with Juslin & Västfjäll's (J&V's) thesis that music-evoked emotions are indistinguishable from other emotions in both their nature and underlying mechanisms and that music just induces some emotions more frequently than others. Empirical evidence suggests that frequency differences reflect the specific nature of music-evoked emotions: aesthetic and reactive rather than utilitarian and proactive. Additional mechanisms and determinants are suggested as predictors of emotions triggered by musi

Models and analysis of vocal emissions for biomedical applications: 5th International Workshop: December 13-15, 2007, Firenze, Italy

The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies. The Workshop has the sponsorship of: Ente Cassa Risparmio di Firenze, COST Action 2103, Biomedical Signal Processing and Control Journal (Elsevier Eds.), IEEE Biomedical Engineering Soc. Special Issues of International Journals have been, and will be, published, collecting selected papers from the conference

Design and semantics of form and movement (DeSForM 2006)

Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM) grew from applied research exploring emerging design methods and practices to support new generation product and interface design. The products and interfaces are concerned with: the context of ubiquitous computing and ambient technologies and the need for greater empathy in the pre-programmed behaviour of the ‘machines’ that populate our lives. Such explorative research in the CfDR has been led by Young, supported by Kyffin, Visiting Professor from Philips Design and sponsored by Philips Design over a period of four years (research funding £87k). DeSForM1 was the first of a series of three conferences that enable the presentation and debate of international work within this field: • 1st European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM1), Baltic, Gateshead, 2005, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. • 2nd European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM2), Evoluon, Eindhoven, 2006, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. • 3rd European conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement (DeSForM3), New Design School Building, Newcastle, 2007, Feijs L., Kyffin S. & Young R.A. eds. Philips sponsorship of practice-based enquiry led to research by three teams of research students over three years and on-going sponsorship of research through the Northumbria University Design and Innovation Laboratory (nuDIL). Young has been invited on the steering panel of the UK Thinking Digital Conference concerning the latest developments in digital and media technologies. Informed by this research is the work of PhD student Yukie Nakano who examines new technologies in relation to eco-design textiles

Speech technologies for the audiovisual and multimedia interaction environments

361 p