Collaborative Music Making with Live Algorithms

All Copyright remains with the author © Copyright 2007This paper discusses developments of ENSEMBLE, an interactive improvisation environment based on the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma. The main emphasis of this paper is on the interactive version of ENSEMBLE, and its development for the work ‘fr@gm3nT’ [fragment], a collaboration between the author and saxophonist Derek Pascoe. Some of the lessons learned from non real-time, generative versions of ENSEMBLE are also discussed, along with the implications of the approach for algorithmic composition and live interactive computer music performance.Luke Harral

Impact of New Madrid Seismic Zone Earthquakes on the Central USA, Vol. 1 and 2

The information presented in this report has been developed to support the Catastrophic Earthquake Planning Scenario workshops held by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Four FEMA Regions (Regions IV, V, VI and VII) were involved in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) scenario workshops. The four FEMA Regions include eight states, namely Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri. The earthquake impact assessment presented hereafter employs an analysis methodology comprising three major components: hazard, inventory and fragility (or vulnerability). The hazard characterizes not only the shaking of the ground but also the consequential transient and permanent deformation of the ground due to strong ground shaking as well as fire and flooding. The inventory comprises all assets in a specific region, including the built environment and population data. Fragility or vulnerability functions relate the severity of shaking to the likelihood of reaching or exceeding damage states (light, moderate, extensive and near-collapse, for example). Social impact models are also included and employ physical infrastructure damage results to estimate the effects on exposed communities. Whereas the modeling software packages used (HAZUS MR3; FEMA, 2008; and MAEviz, Mid-America Earthquake Center, 2008) provide default values for all of the above, most of these default values were replaced by components of traceable provenance and higher reliability than the default data, as described below. The hazard employed in this investigation includes ground shaking for a single scenario event representing the rupture of all three New Madrid fault segments. The NMSZ consists of three fault segments: the northeast segment, the reelfoot thrust or central segment, and the southwest segment. Each segment is assumed to generate a deterministic magnitude 7.7 (Mw7.7) earthquake caused by a rupture over the entire length of the segment. US Geological Survey (USGS) approved the employed magnitude and hazard approach. The combined rupture of all three segments simultaneously is designed to approximate the sequential rupture of all three segments over time. The magnitude of Mw7.7 is retained for the combined rupture. Full liquefaction susceptibility maps for the entire region have been developed and are used in this study. Inventory is enhanced through the use of the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP) 2007 and 2008 Gold Datasets (NGA Office of America, 2007). These datasets contain various types of critical infrastructure that are key inventory components for earthquake impact assessment. Transportation and utility facility inventories are improved while regional natural gas and oil pipelines are added to the inventory, alongside high potential loss facility inventories. The National Bridge Inventory (NBI, 2008) and other state and independent data sources are utilized to improve the inventory. New fragility functions derived by the MAE Center are employed in this study for both buildings and bridges providing more regionally-applicable estimations of damage for these infrastructure components. Default fragility values are used to determine damage likelihoods for all other infrastructure components. The study reports new analysis using MAE Center-developed transportation network flow models that estimate changes in traffic flow and travel time due to earthquake damage. Utility network modeling was also undertaken to provide damage estimates for facilities and pipelines. An approximate flood risk model was assembled to identify areas that are likely to be flooded as a result of dam or levee failure. Social vulnerability identifies portions of the eight-state study region that are especially vulnerable due to various factors such as age, income, disability, and language proficiency. Social impact models include estimates of displaced and shelter-seeking populations as well as commodities and medical requirements. Lastly, search and rescue requirements quantify the number of teams and personnel required to clear debris and search for trapped victims. The results indicate that Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri are most severely impacted. Illinois and Kentucky are also impacted, though not as severely as the previous three states. Nearly 715,000 buildings are damaged in the eight-state study region. About 42,000 search and rescue personnel working in 1,500 teams are required to respond to the earthquakes. Damage to critical infrastructure (essential facilities, transportation and utility lifelines) is substantial in the 140 impacted counties near the rupture zone, including 3,500 damaged bridges and nearly 425,000 breaks and leaks to both local and interstate pipelines. Approximately 2.6 million households are without power after the earthquake. Nearly 86,000 injuries and fatalities result from damage to infrastructure. Nearly 130 hospitals are damaged and most are located in the impacted counties near the rupture zone. There is extensive damage and substantial travel delays in both Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, thus hampering search and rescue as well as evacuation. Moreover roughly 15 major bridges are unusable. Three days after the earthquake, 7.2 million people are still displaced and 2 million people seek temporary shelter. Direct economic losses for the eight states total nearly $300 billion, while indirect losses may be at least twice this amount. The contents of this report provide the various assumptions used to arrive at the impact estimates, detailed background on the above quantitative consequences, and a breakdown of the figures per sector at the FEMA region and state levels. The information is presented in a manner suitable for personnel and agencies responsible for establishing response plans based on likely impacts of plausible earthquakes in the central USA.Armu W0132T-06-02unpublishednot peer reviewe

Software Subcontracting and the Cost to the Mature Organization,

This paper describes research done to determine the effort expended by organizations in overseeing software subcontracts and the implications for predicting costs of proposed projects

Podpora kritičnemu multi-organizacijskemu sodelovanju v primeru odziva na katastrofične dogodke

The past two years have shown both the power of nature and the complexity of preparing for and responding to extreme events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes/typhoons, and floods. These events, and future catastrophic events, will require coordination and collaboration between multiple government and non government organizations across national and state borders. This collaboration will require the discipline necessary to share common processes and procedures, and the agility to improvise plans and actions as situationally required. Information technology must be used to create an eRegion, enabling the shared situational assessments and adequately supporting the collaborative, distributed decision making to produce required decisions and future action plans. The role of information technology in developing these capabilities is discussed in the context of two seismic scenarios, the US New Madrid Seismic Zone, and the Adriatic Seismic region.Zadnji dve leti smo bili priča tako môči narave kot tudi zapletenosti priprav na odziv in tudi samemu odzivu na nekatere ekstremne dogodke kot so potresi, cunamiji, orkani/tajfuni in poplave. Ti in pa bodoči katastrofalni dogodki bodo zahtevali usklajevanje in sodelovanje med mnogimi vladnimi in nevladnimi organizacijami prek nacionalnih in državnih mejá. To sodelovanje bo zahtevalo disciplino, ki je potrebna pri delitvi skupnih postopkov in procedur in pa prožnost pri improviziranju načrtov in ukrepov z ozirom na situacijo. Za vzpostavitev e-regije se mora uporabiti informacijska tehnologija, s čimer bi se omogočilo skupno ocenjevanje situacije in ustrezna podpora medsebojnemu sodelovanju in porazdelitvi pri sprejemanju odločitev, kar naj bi pripeljalo do ustreznih odločitev in bodočim akcijskim načrtom. Vloga informacijske tehnologije pri razvoju teh zmožnosti je obravnavana v kontekstu dveh potresnih scenarijev, v ameriški potresni coni New Madrid in v jadranski potresni regiji

Structural studies of hydrated samples of amorphous calcium phosphate and phosphoprotein nanoclusters

There are abundant examples of nanoclusters and inorganic microcrystals in biology. Their study under physiologically relevant conditions remains challenging due to their heterogeneity, instability, and the requirements of sample preparation. Advantages of using neutron diffraction and contrast matching to characterize biomaterials are highlighted in this article. We have applied these and complementary techniques to search for nanocrystals within clusters of calcium phosphate sequestered by bovine phosphopeptides, derived from osteopontin or casein. The neutron diffraction patterns show broad features that could be consistent with hexagonal hydroxyapatite crystallites smaller than 18.9 Å. Such nanocrystallites are, however, undetected by the complementary X-ray and FTIR data, collected on the same samples. The absence of a distinct diffraction pattern from the nanoclusters supports the generally accepted amorphous calcium phosphate structure of the mineral core

Iso-duration determination of D´ and CS under laboratory and field conditions

Whilst Critical Speed (CS) has been successfully translated from the laboratory into the field, this translation is still outstanding for the related maximum running distance (D´). Using iso-duration exhaustive laboratory and field runs, this study investigated the potential interchangeable use of both parameters, D´ and CS. After an incremental exercise test, ten male participants (age: 24.9±2.1 yrs; height: 180.8±5.8 cm; body mass: 75.3±8.6 kg; V ̇O2peak 52.9±3.1 mL∙min-1∙kg-1) performed three time-to-exhaustion runs on a treadmill followed by three exhaustive time-trial runs on a 400 m athletics outdoor track. Field time-trial durations were matched to their respective laboratory time-to-exhaustion runs. D´ and CS were calculated using the inverse-time model (speed=D´/t+CS). Laboratory and field values of D´ and CS were not significantly different (221±7 m vs. 225±72 m; P = 0.73 and 3.75±0.36 m∙s-1 vs. 3.77±0.35 m∙s-1, P = 0.68), and they were significantly correlated (r = 0.86 and 0.94). The 95% LoA were ±75.5m and ±0.24 m∙s-1 for D´ and CS, respectively. Applying iso-durations provides non-significant differences for D´ and CS and a significant correlation between conditions. This novel translation testing method can consequently be recommended to coaches and practitioners, however a questionable level of agreement indicates to use D´ with caution

Fight or Flight: Towards the modelling of emergent ensemble dynamics

This paper explored the 'ENSEMBLE' system, an agent based musical 'Prisoner's Dilemma' tournament designed by the author and implemented in Cycling 74's MAXMSP programming environment. The aims for this system are wide ranging, with initial experiments focusing on an algorithmic composer's assistant that works in both real and non-real time and is able to manipulate both auditory and visual media. Extensions of the system involve the incorporation of real-time interaction with live performers allowing for collaborative music making. The main premise behind this system is the modelling of the ensemble dynamics produced through the use of performance indeterminacy, pioneered by the 'New York School' (Earl Brown, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Christian Wolff) in the 1950s, and equally having profound effect on experimental music through the 1960s (Morgan, 1991: 359). Also often broadly referred to as non-idiomatic improvisation, the term performance indeterminacy is preferred by the author to avoid confusion with Jazz based forms of improvisation which tend to dominate peoples perception of the nature of these situations.Harrald, Lukehttp://www.acma.asn.au/acmc05/program.htm

Hidden city: 'Being with' in improvised performance

This paper explores group improvisation and interaction through the concept of Mitsein (being with). The activities of the electro-acoustic ensemble ‘Hidden City’ are discussed, with emphasis on the way the group’s approach to improvisation has expanded through the use of technology to incorporate not only the ensemble members, but collaborative machines and the audience.Stephen Whittington and Luke Harraldhttp://www.icmc2009.org

Understanding the consequences of diversification on financial stability

In this paper, we study the consequences of diversification on financial stability and social welfare using an agent based model that couples the real economy and a financial system. We validate the model against its ability to reproduce several stylized facts reported in real economies. We find that the risk of an isolated bank failure (i.e. idiosyncratic risk) is decreasing with diversification. In contrast, the probability of joint failures (i.e. systemic risk) is increasing with diversification which results in more downturns in the real sector. Additionally, we find that the system displays a “robust yet fragile” behaviour particularly for low diversification. Moreover, we study the impact of introducing preferential attachment into the lending relationships between banks and firms. Finally, we show that a regulatory policy that promotes bank–firm credit transactions that reduce similarity between banks can improve financial stability whilst permitting diversification