Contribution to the problem of computer-aided orchestration with the support of audio descriptors

Orientadores: Jônatas Manzolli, Stéphan Oliver SchaubTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de ArtesResumo: Dentro da linha de pesquisa em Suportes instrumentais e materiais para composição e, em especial, à orquestração assistida por computador, a Tese descreve um estudo sobre o processo de combinação instrumental utilizando-se um ambiente computacional projetado com descritores de áudio, o qual denominamos como "Sound Shizuku Composition" ou SSC. Para tanto, implementamos o SSC em Pure Data (PD), utilizando a biblioteca de funções "PDescriptors" para analisar as características sonoras de um banco de dados de arquivos de áudio com diversos instrumentos musicais e técnicas expandidas. A pesquisa apoia-se, principalmente, em três aspectos fundamentais: a) o estudo de descritores de áudio como ferramenta de análise sonora à orquestração musical assistida por computador; b) a análise de obras e procedimentos desenvolvidos por compositores que servirão de referência para o desenvolvimento de modelos de escritura e; c) a criação de estudos composicionais, nos quais serão testadas as hipóteses de orquestração. A partir do estudo sobre os descritores de áudio como ferramenta de análise, item "a", a etapa centrou-se na geração de um universo de combinações instrumentais descrito a partir de suas características sonoras. Tal procedimento auxilia a tomada de decisão relacionada à orquestração e técnicas expandidas. Com relação ao item "b", utilizamos os descritores de áudio para analisar as características sonoras das seguintes obras: o Primeiro Movimento das "Quattro Pezzi per Orchestra", de Giacinto Scelsi; as três peças solo "Guero", "Pression" e "Dal Niente - Interieur III", de Helmut Lachenmann e; "Reflexões", de Jônatas Manzolli. No que refere-se ao item "c", apresentamos um portfólio de composições musicais, cujo planejamento orquestral baseou-se no diálogo entre os resultados obtidos a partir dos estudos dos descritores de áudio com as análises das obras dos compositores de referência. Espera-se que todo o processo de pesquisa aqui reportado contribua com o desenvolvimento na área de orquestração musical assistida por computador, estabelecendo uma mescla mais refinada da diversidade sonora enquanto um método de combinação de instrumentos musicais e técnicas expandidasAbstract: This Thesis describes an investigation into the instrumental combination process using a computing environment designed with audio descriptors, which we refer to as Sound Shizuku Composition or SSC. To this end, we implemented the SSC in PureData programming language (PD) using the library of functions "PDescriptors" to analyze the sound characteristics of a sound database with a myriad of musical instruments and extended techniques. The research relies mainly on three fundamental aspects: a) the study of audio descriptors such as sound analysis tool for computer-assisted musical orchestration; b) the analysis of works by composers and procedures developed to serve as a reference for the development of compositional models; c) the creation of compositional studies, in which the orchestrations will be tested. From the study on the audio descriptors as an analytical tool, item "a" focused on the generation of a universe of instrumental combinations described from their sonic characteristics. This procedure helps the decision making related to the orchestration and extended techniques. Regarding to item "b", we use the audio descriptors to analyze the sound characteristics of the following works: the First Movement of "Quattro Pezzi per Orchestra" by Giacinto Scelsi; the three solo pieces "Guero", "Pression" and "Dal Niente - Interieur III" by Helmut Lachenmann and "Reflexões" by Jônatas Manzolli. As refers to the item "c", we present a portfolio of original musical works, whose orchestral planning was based on the dialogue between the results obtained from studies of audio descriptors with the analysis of the works of reference composers. It is expected that the whole process of research reported here will increase the field of computer-assisted musical orchestration research area, establishing a more refined blend of sound diversity as a method of combination of musical instruments and extended techniquesDoutoradoProcessos CriativosDoutor em Música2011/23972-2FAPES

Spatial variation in coda Q and stressing rate around the Atotsugawa fault zone in a high strain rate zone, central Japan

We investigated a detailed spatial distribution of coda Q around the Atotsugawa fault zone in a high strain rate zone, central Japan, using waveform data from dense seismic observations. Low coda Q at lower frequencies is localized along the fault zone, showing a good spatial correlation with a low velocity zone in the lower crust. On the other hand, we find no characteristic spatial pattern of coda Q at higher frequencies. The spatial correlation between the low coda Q at the lower frequencies, and the low velocity zone, suggests that ductile deformations below the brittle-ductile transition zone in the crust contribute to the variation in coda Q at lower frequencies. We estimated a spatial variation in the stressing rate of 15-18 kPa/year in the crust from that of coda Q in the analyzed region. This value is greater than that estimated from GPS data. We conclude, therefore, that a high deformation rate below the brittle-ductile transition zone causes the high stressing rate, which results in the high strain rate along the fault zone observed by GPS. © The Society of Geomagnetism and Earth Planetary and Space Sciences (SGEPSS) The Seismological Society of Japan The Volcanological Society of Japan The Geodetic Society of Japan The Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences TERRAPUB

VLBI Detections of Parsec-Scale Nonthermal Jets in Radio-Loud Broad Absorption Line Quasars

We conducted radio detection observations at 8.4 GHz for 22 radio-loud broad absorption line (BAL) quasars, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Third Data Release, by a very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) technique. The VLBI instrument we used was developed by the Optically ConnecTed Array for VLBI Exploration project (OCTAVE), which is operated as a subarray of the Japanese VLBI Network (JVN). We aimed at selecting BAL quasars with nonthermal jets suitable for measuring their orientation angles and ages by subsequent detailed VLBI imaging studies to evaluate two controversial issues of whether BAL quasars are viewed nearly edge-on, and of whether BAL quasars are in a short-lived evolutionary phase of quasar population. We detected 20 out of 22 sources using the OCTAVE baselines, implying brightness temperatures greater than 10^5 K, which presumably come from nonthermal jets. Hence, BAL outflows and nonthermal jets can be generated simultaneously in these central engines. We also found four inverted-spectrum sources, which are interpreted as Doppler-beamed, pole-on-viewed relativistic jet sources or young radio sources: single edge-on geometry cannot describe all BAL quasars. We discuss the implications of the OCTAVE observations for investigations for the orientation and evolutionary stage of BAL quasars.Comment: 10 pages, no figure, 3 tables, accepted for publication in PAS

Genetic and clinical landscape of breast cancers with germline BRCA1/2 variants

遺伝性乳癌の遺伝学的・臨床学的特徴を解明 --BRCA1/2 変異乳癌は両アレルの不活化の有無により異なった特徴を持つ--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-10-26.The genetic and clinical characteristics of breast tumors with germline variants, including their association with biallelic inactivation through loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) and second somatic mutations, remain elusive. We analyzed germline variants of 11 breast cancer susceptibility genes for 1, 995 Japanese breast cancer patients, and identified 101 (5.1%) pathogenic variants, including 62 BRCA2 and 15 BRCA1 mutations. Genetic analysis of 64 BRCA1/2-mutated tumors including TCGA dataset tumors, revealed an association of biallelic inactivation with more extensive deletions, copy neutral LOH, gain with LOH and younger onset. Strikingly, TP53 and RB1 mutations were frequently observed in BRCA1- (94%) and BRCA2- (9.7%) mutated tumors with biallelic inactivation. Inactivation of TP53 and RB1 together with BRCA1 and BRCA2, respectively, involved LOH of chromosomes 17 and 13. Notably, BRCA1/2 tumors without biallelic inactivation were indistinguishable from those without germline variants. Our study highlights the heterogeneity and unique clonal selection pattern in breast cancers with germline variants

Optimization of prediction methods for risk assessment of pathogenic germline variants in the Japanese population

Predicting pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in breast cancer patients is important for selecting optimal therapeutics and implementing risk reduction strategies. However, PGV risk factors and the performance of prediction methods in the Japanese population remain unclear. We investigated clinicopathological risk factors using the Tyrer-Cuzick (TC) breast cancer risk evaluation tool to predict BRCA PGVs in unselected Japanese breast cancer patients (n = 1, 995). Eleven breast cancer susceptibility genes were analyzed using target-capture sequencing in a previous study; the PGV prevalence in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 was 0.75%, 3.1%, and 0.45%, respectively. Significant associations were found between the presence of BRCA PGVs and early disease onset, number of familial cancer cases (up to third-degree relatives), triple-negative breast cancer patients under the age of 60, and ovarian cancer history (all P < .0001). In total, 816 patients (40.9%) satisfied the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for recommending multigene testing. The sensitivity and specificity of the NCCN criteria for discriminating PGV carriers from noncarriers were 71.3% and 60.7%, respectively. The TC model showed good discrimination for predicting BRCA PGVs (area under the curve, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.81). Furthermore, use of the TC model with an optimized cutoff of TC score ≥0.16% in addition to the NCCN guidelines improved the predictive efficiency for high-risk groups (sensitivity, 77.2%; specificity, 54.8%; about 11 genes). Given the influence of ethnic differences on prediction, we consider that further studies are warranted to elucidate the role of environmental and genetic factors for realizing precise prediction