Onset Event Decoding Exploiting the Rhythmic Structure of Polyphonic Music

(c)2011 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works. Published version: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing 5(6): 1228-1239, Oct 2011. DOI:10.1109/JSTSP.2011.214622

Reliability-Informed Beat Tracking of Musical Signals

Abstract—A new probabilistic framework for beat tracking of musical audio is presented. The method estimates the time between consecutive beat events and exploits both beat and non-beat information by explicitly modeling non-beat states. In addition to the beat times, a measure of the expected accuracy of the estimated beats is provided. The quality of the observations used for beat tracking is measured and the reliability of the beats is automatically calculated. A k-nearest neighbor regression algorithm is proposed to predict the accuracy of the beat estimates. The performance of the beat tracking system is statistically evaluated using a database of 222 musical signals of various genres. We show that modeling non-beat states leads to a significant increase in performance. In addition, a large experiment where the parameters of the model are automatically learned has been completed. Results show that simple approximations for the parameters of the model can be used. Furthermore, the performance of the system is compared with existing algorithms. Finally, a new perspective for beat tracking evaluation is presented. We show how reliability information can be successfully used to increase the mean performance of the proposed algorithm and discuss how far automatic beat tracking is from human tapping. Index Terms—Beat-tracking, beat quality, beat-tracking reliability, k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) regression, music signal processing. I

Introduction to construction dispute resolution

Leading construction experts have identified Productivity, Innovation, Cost Control, Safety, and Litigation Expenses as critical areas in need of improvement in the construction industry of this next century. In the United States alone, $60 billion are spent every year on lawsuits, of which the construction industry accounts for nearly$5 billion. The fact that these construction litigation expenditures have increased at an average rate of 10% per year for the past ten years is one of the primary motivations for this book. This reality has generated the need to develop new Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Techniques (DART) with the aim of curving this cost spiral and improving productivity. Fueled by this need, and as projects throughout the world continually achieve higher levels of complexity, the field of construction dispute resolution has exploded with innovative ways to prevent conflict and resolve disagreements. Companies have found that in highly competitive markets, the resolution of disputes has become a key to forging stronger and longer-lasting relationships with their clients. As a result, the construction industry has been in the forefront of the development of DART. This book presents and reviews a significant number of new and innovative ways to promote collaborative environments and resolve disputes in construction. This includes some practical applications of DART in the construction industry throughout a number of nations. The aim is to provide the reader with data to support the successes or failures of these techniques in multiple cultures. In effort to ground the material in this book, some examples are presented of how the material relates to current construction projects. These examples will be referred to as cases. Not all the information specific to the project has been presented, as they are only included to correlate theory with practice. They are also not included to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of dispute avoidance and resolution procedures. In addition, some names or facts may have been changed for confidentiality reasons. Each of the relevant chapters will open up with an introduction of facts to the case and leave the reader with some questions to ponder while reading the chapter. At the end of each chapter the case is revisited relating the chapter information to the project situation. This introductory book is divided into 12 chapters. The first chapter describes the construction industry, focusing on its size, structure, relationships and sources of conflicts. Chapter 2 presents a background for the evolution of construction DART. It also presents a brief review of the reasons behind the apparent large number of disputes in the construction industry, and identifies characteristics that make the construction process adversarial in nature. The final section of Chapter 2 looks at two different proposals for the organization of DART in the construction industry. It selects the concept of the “Dispute Resolution Ladder” (DRL) to organize and present different techniques found being used around the world. Chapters 3 through 9 present the state of the art review of DART in the construction industry following each of the stages of the DRL defined in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 reviews techniques in the Prevention Stage with examples of mechanisms that can mitigate and discourage disputes during the construction process. This chapter highlights the role the owner plays in the introduction of dispute avoidance and resolution clauses in construction contracts and as a promoter of honest communications between the parties to the project. Chapter 4 reviews the concept of Partnering. Although not a Stage in the Dispute Resolution Ladder (DRL), Partnering was developed to change the adversarial approach to the construction process, with the aim to improve job performance and reduce conflict and confrontation. This concept integrates dispute resolution with other communication and collaboration techniques that have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of conflicts in those projects in which it is fully implemented. This chapter introduces the essential phases of the system, and its key components. Chapter 5 examines the Negotiation Stage in the process of dispute resolution in construction. This chapter offers three different approaches to improving the outcomes of negotiations: Step Negotiations, Structured Negotiations, and Facilitated Negotiations. The introduction of neutral third parties begins in Chapter 6, with the Standing Neutral Stage; a concept based on the incorporation of an unbiased, knowledgeable party as an instrument to resolve disputes efficiently and effectively as soon as they develop. Chapter 7 examines the Non-Binding Phase of the DRL, covering Mediation, Advisory Opinion, Fact-based Mediation, Minitrial, Summary Jury Trial, and Voluntary Settlement Conference as the available DART techniques. A significant acceptance of non-binding dispute resolution mechanisms is reflected in the number of variations that have developed, as these procedures represent the last stage of the DRL in which the parties have control over the outcome of the dispute. Chapter 8 examines approaches where a third party issues a final award to settle the dispute. These approaches correspond to the Binding Dispute Resolution Stage in the DRL. Arbitration, the most common form of binding resolution procedure, is reviewed, together with three other developments that can prove advantageous to a project that might be inclined to minimize arbitration. Finally, as part of this review of DART in construction, Chapter 9 looks at Alternative Litigation and Litigation as the last Stage in the DRL. This Stage corresponds to a dispute resolution procedure of “last-resort,” and is examined together with three techniques that can help reduce the amount of resources spent on court proceedings (i.e., time and money). Chapter 10 presents the concept of a Conflict Management Plan for projects. In all arenas of construction, conflict is evident, but being able to quantify the degree of conflict is challenging. Taking into consideration, the causes and results of the most common conflict situations, a conflict management plan can be designed from the DART presented in the previous chapters. The probability of conflict occurring is assessed along with the impact that each conflict may have on the project. A preventative strategy is developed to reduce the probability of conflict occurring and a resolution strategy is planned to minimize the impact of conflict if it does occur. The resulting Conflict Management Plan will help owners and contractors to evaluate the interactions among participants and actively involve everyone in the dispute resolution process. Following the presentation of all the material in the book, Chapter 11 analyzes a light rail transit project in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This case study is included to promote discussion on the methods to avoid claims and resolve disputes used in the project. This project made use of preventative measures such as Partnering as well as a predefined dispute resolution system. Analyzing this project allows the reader to envision how new and innovative techniques can be implemented into the industry. Finally, Chapter 12 gathers the conclusions of the book. First, it summarizes the DART techniques. Second, it highlights the importance of alternative dispute resolution in construction worldwide and how cultural conditions have affected the selection of the DART, based on the examples presented throughout the book. Finally, this chapter suggests areas for further study in the field of construction conflict, dispute avoidance, and alternative resolution methodologies

Relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov model for deformed nuclei

The relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov model for axially deformed nuclei (RHFBz) is introduced. The model is based on an effective Lagrangian with density-dependent meson-nucleon couplings in the particle-hole channel, and the central part of the Gogny force is used in the pairing channel. The RHFBz quasiparticle equations are solved by expansion in the basis of a deformed harmonic oscillator. Illustrative RHFBz calculations are performed for carbon, neon, and magnesium isotopes. The effect of explicitly including the pion field is investigated for binding energies, deformation parameters, and charge radii and has an impact on the nuclei’s shape

A strategy for implementing non-perturbative renormalisation of heavy-light four-quark operators in the static approximation

We discuss the renormalisation properties of the complete set of $\Delta B = 2$ four-quark operators with the heavy quark treated in the static approximation. We elucidate the role of heavy quark symmetry and other symmetry transformations in constraining their mixing under renormalisation. By employing the Schroedinger functional, a set of non-perturbative renormalisation conditions can be defined in terms of suitable correlation functions. As a first step in a fully non-perturbative determination of the scale-dependent renormalisation factors, we evaluate these conditions in lattice perturbation theory at one loop. Thereby we verify the expected mixing patterns and determine the anomalous dimensions of the operators at NLO in the Schroedinger functional scheme. Finally, by employing twisted-mass QCD it is shown how finite subtractions arising from explicit chiral symmetry breaking can be avoided completely.Comment: 41 pages, 6 figure

Deficiency of Kruppel-Like Factor KLF4 in Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Inhibits Tumor Pulmonary Metastasis in Mice Accompanied by Decreased Fibrocytes

The importance of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) bearing monocyte markers in tumor metastasis has been well established. Recently, it was reported that these cells possess phenotypic plasticity and differentiate into fibrocytes, very distinct cells that are precursors of tumorigenic myofibroblasts. However, the importance of this transdifferentiation in tumor metastasis has not been explored. Here, we describe the role of MDSC-derived fibrocytes in tumor metastasis that is regulated by Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a transcription factor that is critical to monocyte differentiation and to promotion of cancer development. Using mouse metastasis models of melanoma and breast cancer, we found that KLF4 knockout was associated with significantly reduced pulmonary metastasis, which was accompanied by decreased populations of MDSCs, fibrocytes and myofibroblasts in the lung. Cause-effect studies by adoptive transfer revealed that KLF4 deficiency in MDSCs led to significantly reduced lung metastasis that was associated with fewer MDSC-derived fibrocytes and myofibroblasts. Mechanistically, KLF4 deficiency significantly compromised the generation of fibrocytes from MDSCs in vitro. During this process, KLF4 expression levels were tightly linked with those of fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1), deficiency of which resulted in no metastasis in mice as has been previously reported. In addition, KLF4 bound directly to the FSP-1 promoter as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and overexpression of KLF4 increased the FSP-1 promoter activities. Taken together, our results suggest that MDSCs not only execute their immunosuppressive function to promote metastatic seeding as reported before, but also boost metastatic tumor growth after they adopt a fibrocyte fate. Therefore, KLF4-mediated fibrocyte generation from MDSCs may represent a novel mechanism of MDSCs contributing to tumor metastasis and supports the feasibility of inhibiting KLF4 or FSP-1 to prevent tumor metastasis

Brownian Entanglement

We show that for two classical brownian particles there exists an analog of continuous-variable quantum entanglement: The common probability distribution of the two coordinates and the corresponding coarse-grained velocities cannot be prepared via mixing of any factorized distributions referring to the two particles in separate. This is possible for particles which interacted in the past, but do not interact in the present. Three factors are crucial for the effect: 1) separation of time-scales of coordinate and momentum which motivates the definition of coarse-grained velocities; 2) the resulting uncertainty relations between the coordinate of the brownian particle and the change of its coarse-grained velocity; 3) the fact that the coarse-grained velocity, though pertaining to a single brownian particle, is defined on a common context of two particles. The brownian entanglement is a consequence of a coarse-grained description and disappears for a finer resolution of the brownian motion. We discuss possibilities of its experimental realizations in examples of macroscopic brownian motion.Comment: 18 pages, no figure

Lesions of lateral or central amygdala abolish aversive Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer in rats

Aversive Pavlovian conditioned stimuli (CSs) elicit defensive reactions (e.g., freezing) and motivate instrumental actions like active avoidance (AA). Pavlovian reactions require connections between the lateral (LA) and central (CeA) nuclei of the amygdala, whereas AA depends on LA and basal amygdala (BA). Thus, the neural circuits mediating conditioned reactions and motivation appear to diverge in the amygdala. However, AA is not ideal for studying conditioned motivation, because Pavlovian and instrumental learning are intermixed. Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) allows for the study of conditioned motivation in isolation. PIT refers to the ability of a Pavlovian CS to modulate a separately-trained instrumental action. The role of the amygdala in aversive PIT is unknown. We designed an aversive PIT procedure in rats and tested the effects of LA, BA, and CeA lesions. Rats received Pavlovian tone-shock pairings followed by Sidman shock-avoidance training. PIT was assessed by comparing shuttling rates in the presence and absence of the tone. Tone presentations facilitated instrumental responding. Aversive PIT was abolished by lesions of LA or CeA, but was unaffected by lesions of BA. These results suggest that LA and CeA are essential for aversive conditioned motivation. More specifically, the results are consistent with a model of amygdala processing in which the CS is encoded in the LA and then, via connections to CeA, the motivation to perform the aversive task is enhanced. These findings have implications for understanding the contribution of amygdala circuits to aversive instrumental motivation, but also for the relation of aversive and appetitive behavioral control

Soil Health – It\u27s Not All Biology

Soil Health research tends to bias to a biology/microbiology emphasis. We believe this bias neglects important physical and chemical interactions in soil that are crucial to soil function. We offer several examples illustrating this bias, and how it may misrepresent management practices that have the greatest influence on Soil Health. Four suggestions are given as approaches to mitigate this bias. By appreciating soil structure as a foundation for Soil Health and its microbial community, we believe better recommendations can be made to assist the farm community in its stewardship of soil as a critical natural resource