New tonalities with the Thummer and The Viking

In this paper we explain the theoretical background of Dynamic Tonality using the Thummer, a new musical interface, and The Viking, a software synthesizer written especially for it. Dynamic Tonality is a musical audio routine that allows for novel tunings and enables the user to relate – to an arbitrary degree – these tunings with the partials of their notes. The Viking features Dynamic Tonality and works with any MIDI instrument, but when paired with the Thummer (or another two-dimensional interface) it creates a system of fingering invariance across chords and tunings. Thus, the Thummer and The Viking render non-standard tunings more physically, pedagogically, and aesthetically accessible

Spectral pitch distance and microtonal melodies

We present an experiment designed to test the effectiveness of spectral pitch distance at modeling the degree of “affinity” or “fit” of pairs of successively played tones or chords (spectral pitch distance is the cosine distance between salience-weighted, Gaussian-smoothed, pitch domain embeddings of spectral pitches—typically the first eight to ten partials of a tone). The results of a previously conducted experiment, which collected ratings of the perceived similarity and fit of root-position major and minor triads, suggest the model works well for pairs of triads in standard 12-tone equal temperament tunings. The new experiment has been designed to test the effectiveness of spectral pitch distance at modeling the affinity of tones in microtonal melodies where the partials of the tones can be variably tempered between being perfectly harmonic and perfectly matched to the underlying microtonal tuning. The use of microtonal tunings helps to disambiguate innate perceptual (psychoacoustical) responses from learned (cultural) responses. Participants are presented with a software synthesizer containing two unlabeled controls: one adjusts the precise tuning of the tones; the other adjusts the extent to which the spectrum is tempered to match the tuning (as set by the first control). A selection of microtonal melodies are played in different tunings, and the participants adjust one, or both, controls until they find a “sweet spot” at which the music sounds most “in-tune” and the notes best “fit” together. The results of these experiments will be presented and discussed

Coding Labour

As well as introducing the Coding Labour section, the authors explore the diffusion of code across the material contexts of everyday life, through the objects and tools of mediation, the systems and practices of cultural production and organisational management, and in the material conditions of labour. Taking code beyond computation and software, their specific focus is on the increasingly familiar connections between code and labour with a focus on the codification and modulation of affect through technologies and practices of management within the contemporary work organisation. In the grey literature of spreadsheets, minutes, workload models, email and the like they identify a violence of forms through which workplace affect, in its constant flux of crisis and ‘prodromal’ modes, is regulated and governed

Hex Player—a virtual musical controller

In this paper, we describe a playable musical interface for tablets and multi-touch tables. The interface is a generalized keyboard, inspired by the Thummer, and consists of an array of virtual buttons. On a generalized keyboard, any given interval always has the same shape (and therefore fingering); furthermore, the fingering is consistent over a broad range of tunings. Compared to a physical generalized keyboard, a virtual version has some advantages—notably, that the spatial location of the buttons can be transformed by shears and rotations, and their colouring can be changed to reflect their musical function in different scales. We exploit these flexibilities to facilitate the playing not just of conventional Western scales but also a wide variety of microtonal generalized diatonic scales known as moment of symmetry, or well-formed, scales. A user can choose such a scale, and the buttons are automatically arranged so their spatial height corresponds to their pitch, and buttons an octave apart are always vertically above each other. Furthermore, the most numerous scale steps run along rows, while buttons within the scale are light-coloured, and those outside are dark or removed. These features can aid beginners; for example, the chosen scale might be the diatonic, in which case the piano’s familiar white and black colouring of the seven diatonic and five chromatic notes is used, but only one scale fingering need ever be learned (unlike a piano where every key needs a different fingering). Alternatively, it can assist advanced composers and musicians seeking to explore the universe of unfamiliar microtonal scales

The Distance to the Vela Supernova Remnant

We have obtained high resolution Ca II and Na I absorption line spectra toward 68 OB stars in the direction of the Vela Supernova Remnant. The stars lie at distances of 190 -- 2800 pc as determined by Hipparcos and spectroscopic parallax estimations. The presence of high velocity absorption attributable to the remnant along some of the sight lines constrains the remnant distance to 250+/-30 pc. This distance is consistent with several recent investigations that suggest that the canonical remnant distance of 500 pc is too large.Comment: To be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters Figure 1 y-axis labels correcte

Responses to an isometric leg-exercise test predicts sex-specific training-induced reductions in resting blood pressure after isometric leg training

Isometric training, using either isometric handgrip (IHG) or isometric bilateral-leg (IBL) protocols, is an effective method of lowering resting systolic blood pressure (SBPrest). However, the reductions in SBPrest seen after training vary widely between individuals. Predicting likely training-induced reductions in SBPrest could make it possible to optimise the effects of the training in all participants. It is known that post-IHG training reductions in SBPrest can be predicted by SBP responses to a 2 minute IHG task in both hypertensive and older normotensives (Millar et al., 2009; Badrov et al., 2013). However, the predictability of such a test in younger individuals and when using a comparable IBL task, has not been established. Furthermore, it is not known whether these simple isometric tests can predict reductions in ambulatory SBP (mean 24-hour, SBPamb) as well as SBPrest. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether an IBL test can be used to predict training-induced reductions in SBPrest and SBPamb following 10 weeks of IBL training in young men and women.Resting and ambulatory BP (SBPrest and SBPamb) were measured prior to and following 10 weeks of IBL training using an isokinetic dynamometer (4, 2-minute contractions at 20% MVC with 2 minute rest periods, 3/week) in 20 normotensive individuals (10 men, age=21 ± 4 years; 10 women, age=23 ± 5 years). SBP responses to the IBL test (single 2-minute period of IBL exercise) was derived by calculating the difference between peak SBP and mean baseline SBPrest. Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the blood pressure responses to a short 2-minute IBL test and the magnitude of the reductions in SBPrest and SBPamb after IBL training.ResultsThere were significant reductions in men and women’s SBPrest (7.4±5.1mmHg, p=0.0001 & 5.7±4.1mmHg, p=0.001) and SBPamb (4.0±1.9mmHg, p=0.011 & 6.1±5.8mmHg, p=0.0001) following training. These changes in SBPrest were strongly correlated with pre-training SBP response to the IBL test in both men (r=-0.83, p=0.003, SEE=3.03) and women (r = -0.81, p=0.004, SEE=2.56). However, the magnitude of the reductions in SBPamb were not correlated with SBP response to the IBL test (men, r=-0.44, p=0.199, SEE=1.76; women, r=-0.23, p=0.517, SEE=6.01).These results support previous research which has identified that IBL training is an effective tool for lowering both resting and ambulatory BP. Furthermore, a simple isometric exercise test can be used as a tool to predict reductions in resting SBP, but not ambulatory SBP, after IBL training in both men and women. This test could be used to optimise the effects of this type of training in a wider range of participants, perhaps through modification of the training, to suit the anticipated effects in different individuals

Establishing Equivalent Training Intensities for Isometric Bilateral-Leg and Handgrip Exercise Using the Category Ratio Scale

Isometric handgrip (IHG) training is commonly undertaken at an exercise intensity of 30% of a subject’s maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) (McGowan et al., 2007). Matching this intensity with isometric bilateral-leg (IBL) exercise is difficult due to the different muscle mass involved. Comparative studies (Howden et al., 2002) have tended to use different exercise intensities without providing a strong rationale. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use the Category Ratio Scale (CR-10) to establish equivalent exercise intensities for IHG and IBL, based on participant effort perception and to test the extent to which intensity can be matched, when using this method during training sessions. A total of 26 healthy participants (male, n = 18; female, n = 8) undertook two minutes of unilateral IHG to establish the mean CR-10 values. Then, performed IBL exercise at 15, 20 and 25%MVC. The IBL intensity at which CR-10 most-closely matched the values for IHG, was identified as 20%MVC. Subsequently, an IHG and IBL training session was used, to test the extent to which the intensities were matched, according to effort perception. Ten participants (male, n = 6; female, n = 4) undertook 4 x 2 minutes unilateral IHG (30%MVC) and IBL (20%MVC) training, with 2 minutes recovery between contractions with CR-10 measured at the end of each exercise bout. A one-way independent ANOVA was used to identify the IHG and IBL intensities that were most-closely matched. To determine whether CR-10 values were significantly different during the IHG and IBL training sessions, a two-way mixed-model ANOVA was used.The intensity at which CR-10 was most-closely matched between IHG and IBL was 20%MVC. There were significant differences in the CR-10 values between IHG contractions at 30%MVC and IBL at 25%MVC and 15%MVC (P > 0.05) but not at 20%MVC (P 0.05).These results suggest when performing IBL exercise, the intensity most closely matching the IHG intensity (30%MVC) is 20%MVC. Furthermore, it can be seen from the simulated training sessions that CR-10 does not significantly differ between the two intensities until the final 2-minute bout. Therefore, it may be advantageous when undertaking one-off IBL exercise or IBL training protocols with the purpose of comparing data to that from IHG, to use 20%MVC. However, when a 4 x 2 minute training protocol is used, it may be necessary to attenuate the intensity of the 4th bout of IBL

Spectral tools for Dynamic Tonality and audio morphing

The analysis-resynthesis method used by the spectral toolbox allows the independent control of both frequency and amplitude for every partial in a given sound. The spectral toolbox begins by separating the 'signal' from the 'noise' which allows the peaks in the spectrum to be treated differently from the wide-band components. The spectral mapping technology is used to map the input to a fixed destination spectrum G like the SpT.Ntet routine maps all partials of the input sound to scale steps of the N-tone equal tempered scale that can be used to create sounds that are particularly appropriate for use in a given N-TET scale. Spectral morphing generates sound that moves smoothly between a source spectrum F and a destination spectrum G over a specified time t. A Dynamic Tonality synthesizer like Trans-FormSynth has a small number of parameters that enable many musically useful, and relatively, unexplored features like the continuous parameters α,β and γ move the tuning between a number of equal temperaments, non-equal temperaments and circulating temperaments

Remotely sensed indicators of habitat heterogeneity and biological diversity: A preliminary report

The relationship between habitat area, spatial dynamics of the landscape, and species diversity is an important theme in population and conservation biology. Of particular interest is how populations of various species are affected by increasing habitat edges due to fragmentation. Over the last decade, assumptions regarding the effects of habitat edges on biodiversity have fluctuated wildly, from the belief that they have a positive effect to the belief that they have a clearly negative effect. This change in viewpoint has been brought about by an increasing recognition of the importance of geographic scale and a reinterpretation of natural history observations. In this preliminary report from an ongoing project, we explore the use of remote sensing technology and geographic information systems to further our understanding of how species diversity and population density are affected by habitat heterogeneity and landscape composition. A primary feature of this study is the investigation of SAR for making more rigorous investigations of habitat structure by exploiting the interaction between radar backscatter and vegetation structure and biomass. A major emphasis will be on the use of SAR data to define relative structural types based on measures of structural consolidation using the vegetation surface area to volume ratio (SA/V). Past research has shown that SAR may be sensitive to this form of structural expression which may affect biodiversity

The Mechanism Underlying the Hypotensive Effect of Isometric Handgrip Training: Is it Cardiac Output Mediated?

Isometric handgrip (IHG) training lowers blood pressure (BP) in normotensive individuals yet the mechanisms remain equivocal, and some evidence suggests that men and women respond differently to training. To date, non-sex specific mechanisms influencing total peripheral resistance, either in response to a single IHG bout or with training, have been a primary research focus, and the effects of acute and chronic IHG on cardiac output (Q) in either sex are under-explored. The purpose of the current study was two-fold: 1) to investigate the effects of IHG training (4, 2-minute sustained bilateral isometric contractions at 30% of maximal contraction, 1-minute rest between, 3X/week for 10 weeks) on resting Q, and 2) to examine the Q response to an IHG bout, and the effects of training on this response. Resting BP (Dinamap Carescape v100, Critikon) was measured after 10 minutes of seated rest in twenty-two normotensive participants (10 women; mean age= 24 ± 5.0 years). To assess Q, aortic root diameter (ARD; 3S-RS probe; Vivid I, GE Healthcare), velocity-timed integral (VTI; P2D probe; Vivid I), and HR (Dinamap) were measured pre- and post- an IHG bout. Both variables were re-assessed post-training. Reductions in resting systolic BP of a similar magnitude (p>0.05) were observed in both men (2.4 ± 6.2 mmHg) and women (2.9 ± 4.6 mmHg) following 10 weeks of training (p=0.04). This was accompanied by reductions in resting Q (p=0.007) in both men (6.6 ± 2.2 to 6.3 ± 1.8 L/min) and women (5.8 ± 0.7 to 5.1 ± 0.8 L/min) and reductions in HR (p=0.036), both of which were similar between sexes (all p>0.05). In both groups, no changes in Q were observed in response to an IHG bout, and this response was similar pre- and post- training (all p>0.05). In conclusion, resting Q is reduced with training, potentially implicating it as a mechanism of post-training BP reductions. The acute response to an IHG bout remains unchanged with training