Learning about harmony with Harmony Space: an overview

Recent developments are presented in the evolution of Harmony Space, an interface that exploits theories of tonal harmony. The design of the interface draws on Balzano's and Longuet-Higgins' theories of tonal harmony. The interface allows entities of interest (notes, chords, chord progressions, key areas, modulations) to be manipulated via direct manipulation techniques using a single principled spatial metaphor to make a wide range of musical tasks accessible for novices to perform. The interface can also be used by experienced musicians to make a range of expert tasks more tractable than by using conventional tools and notations. The interface is highly interactive and multi-modal, using two pointing devices and spatial, aural and kinaesthetic cues that all map uniformly into the underlying theory. Some recent implementations of Harmony Space are discussed, together with some of the musical tasks which they make tractable for beginners and experienced musicians. Aspects of the simple, consistent, principled framework behind the interface are outlined

Optimizing Jastrow factors for the transcorrelated method

We investigate the optimization of flexible tailored real-space Jastrow factors for use in the transcorrelated (TC) method in combination with highly accurate quantum chemistry methods, such as initiator full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo (FCIQMC). Jastrow factors obtained by minimizing the variance of the TC reference energy are found to yield better, more consistent results than those obtained by minimizing the variational energy. We compute all-electron atomization energies for the challenging first-row molecules C2, CN, N2, and O2 and find that the TC method yields chemically accurate results using only the cc-pVTZ basis set, roughly matching the accuracy of non-TC calculations with the much larger cc-pV5Z basis set. We also investigate an approximation in which pure three-body excitations are neglected from the TC-FCIQMC dynamics, saving storage and computational costs, and show that it affects relative energies negligibly. Our results demonstrate that the combination of tailored real-space Jastrow factors with the multi-configurational TC-FCIQMC method provides a route to obtaining chemical accuracy using modest basis sets, obviating the need for basis-set extrapolation and composite techniques

The effect of low frequency vibration on selected physiological parameters in athletes

Praca przedstawia wpływ krótkotrwałych drgań ogólnych o częstotliwości 3.5 Hz na wybrane parametry fizjologiczne sportowców. W badaniu zastosowano platformę wibracyjną generującą drgania harmoniczne o częstotliwości biegu człowieka-3.5 Hz i wzrastającej amplitudzie od 4 do 5,5 mm. W pracy założono, że stanie na platformie w pozycji swobodnej bez wykonywania żadnych dodatkowych ćwiczeń stanowi dla organizmu człowieka trening fizyczny oraz że platforma wibracyjna jest urządzeniem, które odtwarza bodźce mechaniczne występujące w czasie biegu lub szybkiego marszu.The study is focused on the effect of a short-term general 3.5 Hz frequency vibration on physiological parameters in athletes. The study used a vibration platform designed for the requirements of the experiment, generating harmonic vibration with the frequency of a human run-3.5 Hz, and the amplitude increased from 4 to 5 millimeters. The study assumed that free standing on the platform with no other physical exercises is an exercise for the human organism and that a vibration platform is a device that reproduces mechanical stimuli associated with running or a vigorous march