A voice interface for sound generators: adaptive and automatic mapping of gestures to sound

Sound generators and synthesis engines expose a large set of parameters, allowing run-time timbre morphing and exploration of sonic space. However, control over these high-dimensional interfaces is constrained by the physical limitations of performers. In this paper we propose the exploitation of vocal gesture as an extension or alternative to traditional physical controllers. The approach uses dynamic aspects of vocal sound to control variations in the timbre of the synthesized sound. The mapping from vocal to synthesis parameters is automatically adapted to information extracted from vocal examples as well as to the relationship between parameters and timbre within the synthesizer. The mapping strategy aims to maximize the breadth of the explorable perceptual sonic space over a set of the synthesizer\u27s real-valued parameters, indirectly driven by the voice-controlled interface

Two experiences of digital storytelling in education: read it and rights projects

Este documento ofrece una visión general del potencial educativo del uso de la técnica narrativa digital y se basa en los objetivos y primeros resultados de dos proyectos:READ IT “Formación de profesores para leer divertiendose a través de la narración digital” y RIGHTS “Promover la educación a la ciudadanía global a través la narración de cuentos “,  ambos financiados con el apoyo de la Comisión Europea por el Programa de Aprendizaje Permanente Comenius. El documentoquiere describir los beneficios educativos, pedagógicos,  culturales y motivacionales derivados de la utilización de la técnica de DS en un entorno educativo aplicado a dos sectores diferentes. Permitir que los estudiantes tengan una voz y  participen activamente en el proceso de aprendizaje es un instrumento muy eficaz para empeñarlos y para hacierlos reflexionar sobre lo que estan construyendo y, por fin, aprendiendo

Caracterización electrofisiológica de los canales de Cx47 oligodendrocitarios y del sincitio panglial: Efecto de las mutaciones asociadas a leucodistrofia hipomielinizante(enfermedad de Pelizaeus-Merzbacher)

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia. Fecha de lectura: 21 febrero 201

Computational model for survey and trend analysis of patients with endometriosis : a decision aid tool for EBM

Endometriosis is increasingly collecting worldwide attention due to its medical complexity and social impact. The European community has identified this as a “social disease”. A large amount of information comes from scientists, yet several aspects of this pathology and staging criteria need to be clearly defined on a suitable number of individuals. In fact, available studies on endometriosis are not easily comparable due to a lack of standardized criteria to collect patients’ informations and scarce definitions of symptoms. Currently, only retrospective surgical stadiation is used to measure pathology intensity, while the Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) requires shareable methods and correct statistical models for disease classification and prognosis. We addressed this issue by setting up a unified evaluation model designated “Endometriosis Index” (EI), obtained from a real-time software using 32 clinical indicators after homotetic transformation. The indicators, collected by the gynecologists are expressed as normalised scores. Normalised variables are cumulated in order to obtain the EI value. The entire panel of variables is then expressed by a unique number to possibly suggest a) grade of the disease, b) indication to surgery, c) trend of disease recurrence and d) prognostic indications . The model of the EI construction has been conceived to be easily applicable and interpretable by all doctors under different clinical protocols. Moreover, all variables were considered as discrete scores, computed to reliably and simultaneously express three concurrent elements: a) patient pain self-assessment, b) physician examination and 3) laboratory diagnostics. This work briefly explains the mathematical model, describes its software functional features and reports its practical application in a group of patients with endometriosis. A summary of the statistics of an observational study is also cited in order to explain the multi-centre consensus validation of the model

Visible Light Production of Hydrogen by Ablated Graphene: Water Splitting or Carbon Gasification?

Reduced graphene oxide modified by pulsed laser ablation causes water splitting under visible light illumination (532 nm). When the light source is a pulsed laser, water splitting is accompanied by carbon gasification (CO formation); however, conventional (LED) light sources produce water splitting exclusively

conservation of endangered species androsace mathildae levier primulaceae in central italy

Climate change influences the distribution of species, causing the displacement of distribution areas, both in altitude and latitude. The potentially most climate change-susceptible taxa are those of mountain peaks, with limited distribution areas, such as rare or endemic species. In this paper, we deepened the study of Androsace mathildae Levier, a plant that lives in Central Italy over 2500 m asl. This species, classified as a rare plant according to the Red List of Plants of Italy, is included in Appendix I of the Bern Convention, Annex II and IV Habitats Directive 92/43 CEE, and is protected under Regional Law n. 45/79 of the Abruzzo Italian Region. In order to preserve A. mathildae, morphological observations and ex situ preservation have been performed. Results indicate that the germination of seeds increases in the presence of extracts of humic acids obtained by the decomposition of the lower leaves of the plant. The presence of Pyrenophora bromi (Ascomyta) on the leaves as a decomposition agent, has never been reported either on A. mathildae or at these altitudes. A number of experiments to obtain callus induction and neomorphogenesis were conducted to identify suitable procedures for in vitro stabilization. The obtained shoots had a high number of lateral buds (6.3 per plant, on average) which were used to increase the number of clones present in the growth chamber within a few sub-culture passages. This in vitro material will be used in cryopreservation and to improve the restocking activity of A. mathildae

Istituzioni e crisi COVID-19 in Italia: agende e (de)politicizzazione nella governance dell’Intelligenza Artificiale

Obiettivo dell’articolo è capire come la crisi COVID-19 in corso sta influenzando i processi politici e di regolazione in Italia. A questo fine sono messe a fuoco alcune caratteristiche e conseguenze politiche dell’iniziativa governativa finalizzata a supportare, attraverso la tecnologia di intelligenza artificiale (AI) “Immuni” per il contact tracing della popolazione, la transizione a una fase di maggiore mobilità dopo quella di lockdown. Le azioni di policy e la discussione nella sfera pubblica durante la crisi sono messe a confronto con il modo in cui opportunità e rischi dell’AI erano stati trattati in Italia fino a pochi giorni prima, per iniziativa del Governo e di attori economici, sullo sfondo del confronto e delle azioni sviluppati dall’Unione europea e nel mondo all’interno di un’embrionale policy community dell’AI, costituita da attori politici, economici e delle conoscenze. A fini interpretativi sono utilizzati i concetti di regolazione, governance e metagovernance, la coppia concettuale politicizzazione/depoliticizzazione e il Multiple Stream Approach per l’analisi dei processi di formazione dell’agenda. Osservate da questa prospettiva, le modalità di ingresso di “Immuni” nell’agenda istituzionale in un contesto di emergenza e le poste in gioco politiche ad essa collegate, introdotte dall'ampliamento della policy community, spiegano la (ri)politicizzazione della governance e della metagovernance dell’AI in Italia che è stato sinora possibile osservare.The aim of the article is to understand how the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is influencing the political and regulatory processes in Italy. To this end, we focus on some features and political consequences of the government initiative “Immuni”, an artificial intelligence (AI) technology for contact tracing of the population purposed to support the transition to a phase of greater mobility after lockdown. Policy actions and discussion in the public sphere during the crisis are compared with the way in which AI opportunities and risks had been debated in Italy by governmental, economic and knowledge actors until a few days before. This happened in the meanwhile an embryonic stage AI policy community was developing discussions and actions within the European Union and on a global scale. The concepts of regulation, governance and metagovernance, as well as the conceptual pair politicization/depoliticization and the Multiple Stream Approach are used to understand this agenda setting process. Observed from this perspective, the emergency context and the related political stakes brought by the enlargement of the policy community explain the (re)politicization of AI governance and metagovernance in Italy that has been observed so far

Chemical Characterization of Narcissus poeticus from Sirente -Velino (Apennines - Italy): Galantamine Accumulation and Distribution of Allergenic Compounds in the Flower.

Species of Narcissus (family Amaryllidaceae) are a potential source for large-scale extraction of alkaloids and fragrances. The bulbs typically accumulate a large number of alkaloids, including galantamine, a benzazepine alkaloid proven to be a cholinesterase inhibitor and which is used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The presence of galantamine in N. poeticus L. collected in Abruzzo (Italy) was assessed and several levels of alkaloid were found in all parts of the plant (flower, stem, bulb and root) and not only in the bulb. The amount of galantamine obtained was tested by using two different extraction solvents. Extraction of N. poeticus absolute from the flowers was also performed, as this product is an important floral note in perfumery, and the distribution of allergenic compounds in the coronas and in the tepals was assessed. Moreover, the in vitro propagation of N. poeticus was tested as it may be a valuable resource from which to produce biomolecules, as an alternative to chemical synthetic processes

Thermoplasmonic ssDNA Dynamic Release from Gold Nanoparticles Examined with Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy

Plasmon excitation of spherical gold nanoparticles carrying a fluorescent labeled 30 bp dsDNA cargo, with one chain covalently attached through two S–Au bonds to the surface, results in release of the complementary strand as ssDNA that can be examined in situ using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. The release is dependent on the total energy delivered, but not the rate of delivery, an important property for plasmonic applications in medicine, sensors, and plasmon-induced PCR