Automatic Music Composition using Answer Set Programming

Music composition used to be a pen and paper activity. These these days music is often composed with the aid of computer software, even to the point where the computer compose parts of the score autonomously. The composition of most styles of music is governed by rules. We show that by approaching the automation, analysis and verification of composition as a knowledge representation task and formalising these rules in a suitable logical language, powerful and expressive intelligent composition tools can be easily built. This application paper describes the use of answer set programming to construct an automated system, named ANTON, that can compose melodic, harmonic and rhythmic music, diagnose errors in human compositions and serve as a computer-aided composition tool. The combination of harmonic, rhythmic and melodic composition in a single framework makes ANTON unique in the growing area of algorithmic composition. With near real-time composition, ANTON reaches the point where it can not only be used as a component in an interactive composition tool but also has the potential for live performances and concerts or automatically generated background music in a variety of applications. With the use of a fully declarative language and an "off-the-shelf" reasoning engine, ANTON provides the human composer a tool which is significantly simpler, more compact and more versatile than other existing systems. This paper has been accepted for publication in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP).Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures. Extended version of our ICLP2008 paper. Formatted following TPLP guideline

Using Answer Set Programming in the Development of Verified Software

Software forms a key component of many modern safety and security critical systems. One approach to achieving the required levels of assurance is to prove that the software is free from bugs and meets its specification. If a proof cannot be constructed it is important to identify the root cause as it may be a flaw in the specification or a bug. Novice users often find this process frustrating and discouraging, and it can be time-consuming for experienced users. The paper describes a commercial application based on Answer Set Programming called Riposte. It generates simple counter-examples for false and unprovable verification conditions (VCs). These help users to understand why problematic VC are false and makes the development of verified software easier and faster

Method and apparatus for selectively annealing heterostructures using microwaves

The present invention discloses a process for selectively annealing heterostructures using microwaves. A heterostructure, comprised of a material having higher microwave absorption and a material having lower microwave absorption, is exposed to microwaves in the cavity. The higher microwave absorbing material absorbs the microwaves and selectively heats while the lower microwave absorbing material absorbs small amounts of microwaves and minimally heats. The higher microwave absorbing material is thereby annealed onto the less absorbing material which is thermally isolated

A pyramid of (formal) software verification

Over the past few years there has been significant progress in the various fields of software verification resulting in many useful tools and successful deployments, both academic and commercial. However much of the work describing these tools and ideas is written by and for the research community. The scale, diversity and focus of the literature can act as a barrier, separating industrial users and the wider academic community from the tools that could make their work more efficient, more certain and more productive. This tutorial gives a simple classification of verification techniques in terms of a pyramid and uses it to describe the six main schools of verification technologies. We have found this approach valuable for building collaborations with industry as it allows us to explain the intrinsic strengths and weaknesses of techniques and pick the right tool for any given industrial application. The model also highlights some of the cultural differences and unspoken assumptions of different areas of verification and illuminates future directions

Hyperoxia results in increased aerobic metabolism following acute brain injury

Acute brain injury is associated with depressed aerobic metabolism. Below a critical mitochondrial pO2 cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal electron acceptor in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, fails to sustain oxidative phosphorylation. After acute brain injury, this ischaemic threshold might be shifted into apparently normal levels of tissue oxygenation. We investigated the oxygen dependency of aerobic metabolism in 16 acutely brain-injured patients using a 120-min normobaric hyperoxia challenge in the acute phase (24–72 h) post-injury and multimodal neuromonitoring, including transcranial Doppler ultrasound-measured cerebral blood flow velocity, cerebral microdialysis-derived lactate-pyruvate ratio (LPR), brain tissue pO2 (pbrO2), and tissue oxygenation index and cytochrome c oxidase oxidation state (oxCCO) measured using broadband spectroscopy. Increased inspired oxygen resulted in increased pbrO2 [ΔpbrO2 30.9 mmHg p < 0.001], reduced LPR [ΔLPR −3.07 p = 0.015], and increased cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) oxidation (Δ[oxCCO] + 0.32 µM p < 0.001) which persisted on return-to-baseline (Δ[oxCCO] + 0.22 µM, p < 0.01), accompanied by a 7.5% increase in estimated cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (p = 0.038). Our results are consistent with an improvement in cellular redox state, suggesting oxygen-limited metabolism above recognised ischaemic pbrO2 thresholds. Diffusion limitation or mitochondrial inhibition might explain these findings. Further investigation is warranted to establish optimal oxygenation to sustain aerobic metabolism after acute brain injury

Utah Air Quality: PM 2.5

Particulate matter two-point-five (PM2.5) is a tiny suspended particle of air pollution that can penetrate deeply into our lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream. The 2.5 unit means that the particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers (a micrometer is one millionth of a meter). In Cache Valley and along the Wasatch Front, these tiny particles form and accumulate to unhealthy levels when air is trapped in the bottom of the valley during cold winter days

An Experimental Examination of Spatial DecisionSupport System Effectiveness: The Roles of Task Complexity and Technology

Alaboratory experiment was used to investigate the effects on decision maker performance of using geographic information system (GIS) technology as a spatial decision support system (SDSS). The research examined two independent variables: task complexity (i.e., low, medium, and high complexity, and SDSS use (i.e., no SDSS versus SDSS support). Professionals who are experienced decision makers completed a site location task that required decisions to be made based upon spatially-referenced information. The results confirm the hypotheses and show that SDSS use and task complexity both have an important impact on decision quality and solution time. The study builds upon and extends image theory as a basis for explaining efficiency differences resulting from differing graphical displays of spatial informatio