Autobiography and Invention: Towards a Critical Understanding of Identity, Dialogue and Resistance in Improvised Musics

In this article I will argue that acts of improvisation are not productively understood in opposition to other practices which form our wider musical culture. Improvisation might be better understood as both rooted in, but not limited by, personal and cultural memory. Improvisational activities are legible to the performer and audience through a shared understanding of social norms, but only become a singular instance of improvisation through unique performative actions. This tension between experience and invention is played out in a dialogue between performer and listener, demanding a response that crucially takes the form of self-articulation, or autobiography. Finally, I contend that it is from this position that improvisation offers the possibility to transgress established personal and cultural identities

Transposing Musical Skill: Sonification of movement as concurrent augmented feedback enhances learning in a bimanual task

Concurrent feedback provided during acquisition can enhance performance of novel tasks. The ‘guidance hypothesis’ predicts that feedback provision leads to dependence and poor performance in its absence. However, appropriately-structured feedback information provided through sound (‘sonification’) may not be subject to this effect. We test this directly using a rhythmic bimanual shape-tracing task in which participants learned to move at a 4:3 timing ratio. Sonification of movement and demonstration was compared to two other learning conditions: (1) sonification of task demonstration alone and (2) completely silent practice (control). Sonification of movement emerged as the most effective form of practice, reaching significantly lower error scores than control. Sonification of solely the demonstration, which was expected to benefit participants by perceptually unifying task requirements, did not lead to better performance than control. Good performance was maintained by participants in the sonification condition in an immediate retention test without feedback, indicating that the use of this feedback can overcome the guidance effect. On a 24-hour retention test, performance had declined and was equal between groups. We argue that this and similar findings in the feedback literature are best explained by an ecological approach to motor skill learning which places available perceptual information at the highest level of importance

Virtual-Acoustic Instrument Design: Exploring the Parameter Space of a String-Plate Model

Exploration is an intrinsic element of designing and engaging with acoustic as well as digital musical instruments. This paper reports on the ongoing development of a virtual-acoustic instrument based on a physical model of a string coupled nonlinearly to a plate. The performer drives the model by tactile interaction with a string-board controller fitted with piezo-electric sensors. The string-plate model is formulated in a way that prioritises its parametric explorability. Where the roles of creating performance gestures and designing instruments are traditionally separated, such a design provides a continuum across these domains. The string-plate model, its real-time implementation, and the control interface are described, and the system is preliminarily evaluated through informal observations of how musicians engage with the system

ROSIE Findings 6: a summary of 3-year outcomes.

The Research Outcome Study in Ireland (ROSIE) is the first national, prospective, longitudinal, multi-site drug treatment outcome study in the country. The National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) commissioned this research in 2002 as required by the National Drugs Strategy Action 99. The aim of the study was to recruit and follow opiate users entering treatment over a period of time, documenting the changes observed. The study recruited 404 opiate users entering treatment. Outcomes at 3-years for drug use, involvement in crime, injecting-related behaviour, physical and mental health, among others, are presented in this paper. Statistically significant differences are given emphasis in this document

Co-tuning virtual-acoustic performance ecosystems: observations on the development of skill and style in the study of musician-instrument relationships

In this paper we report preliminary observations from an ongoing study into how musicians explore and adapt to the parameter space of a virtual-acoustic string bridge plate instrument. These observations inform (and are informed by) a wider approach to understanding the development of skill and style in interactions between musicians and musical instruments. We discuss a performance-driven ecosystemic approach to studying musical relationships, drawing on arguments from the literature which emphasise the need to go beyond simplistic notions of control and usability when assessing exploratory and performatory musical interactions. Lastly, we focus on processes of perceptual learning and co-tuning between musician and instrument, and how these activities may contribute to the emergence of personal style as a hallmark of skilful music-making

Analogues of Disulfides from Allium stipitatum demonstrate potent anti-tubercular activities through drug efflux pump and Biofilm inhibition

Disulfides from Allium stipitatum, commonly known as Persian shallot, were previously reported to possess antibacterial properties. Analogues of these compounds, produced by S-methylthiolation of appropriate thiols using S-methyl methanethiosulfonate, exhibited antimicrobial activity, with one compound inhibiting the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis at 17 µM (4 mg L-1) and other compounds inhibiting Escherichia coli and multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations ranging between 32-138 µM (8-32 mg L-1). These compounds also displayed moderate inhibitory effects on Klebsiella and Proteus species. Whole-cell phenotypic bioassays such as the spot-culture growth inhibition assay (SPOTi), drug efflux inhibition, biofilm inhibition and cytotoxicity assays were used to evaluate these compounds. Of particular note was their ability to inhibit mycobacterial drug efflux and biofilm formation, while maintaining a high selectivity towards M. tuberculosis H37Rv. These results suggest that methyl disulfides are novel scaffolds which could lead to the development of new drugs against tuberculosis (TB)

Apolipoprotein A–I binding to anionic vesicles and lipopolysaccharides: Role for lysine residues in antimicrobial properties

AbstractHuman apolipoprotein A–I (apoA–I) is a 28kDa protein and a major component of high-density lipoproteins, mediating several essential metabolic functions related to heart disease. In the present study the potential protective role against bacterial pathogens was explored. ApoA–I suppressed bacterial growth of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The protein was able to bind lipopolysaccharides and showed a strong preference for bilayer vesicles made of phosphatidylglycerol over phosphatidylcholine. Lysine side chains of apoA–I were acetylated to evaluate the importance of electrostatic forces in the binding interaction with both membrane components. Electrophoresis properties, dot blot analysis, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy to probe for changes in protein structure indicated that the acetylated protein displayed a strongly reduced lipopolysaccharide and phosphatidylglycerol binding. A mutant containing only the N-terminal domain of apoA–I also showed a reduced ability to interact with the membrane components, although to a lesser extent. These results indicate the potential for apoA–I to function as an antimicrobial protein and exerts this function through lysine residues

MicroStrain Pattern Analysis of the Canine Patellar Tendon Following a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy

This study investigates the change in strain patterns of the canine patellar tendon following a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). The TPLO is a procedure used to minimize anterior tibial translation in canines following a cranial cruciate rupture. A noted clinical deficiency randomly seen with the TPLO is an inflammation of the patellar tendon. In some instances, the inflammation results in material damage resulting in a calcification of the tendon and in worst cases, a fracture of the patella. In order to investigate the strain patterns, four fresh frozen canine cadaver stifles were used. The cadavers were mounted for stabilization and a motor was attached to the patella to simulate the quadriceps contraction. Tendonous material is not ideal for direct measurement of strain; therefore, a rectangular rubber section was attached to the anterior patella and the insertion of the quadriceps femoris complex of the anterior tibial crest. A strain gage was then applied to the center of the rubber aligned axially with the line of applied force. The stifle was put through a simulated extension using the motor attached to the patella. A controlled intact knee was used as the baseline for all four specimens, independently. Following the control data acquisition, a simulated cranial cruciate rupture was performed and the strain values collected in the same manner. Finally, the TPLO was performed. Two specimens used an 18 mm biradial saw, whereas, the other two used a 24 mm biradial saw. Five measurements of strain were recorded for the control, a simulated ruptured cranial cruciate, and 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm of tibial plateau rotation following a TPLO. It was found that there is a statistically significant increase in strain experienced by the patellar tendon following a TPLO at nearly every angle of rotation for both cuts. Whereas, a simulated ruptured cranial cruciate ligament resulted in no statistically significant difference in 3 out of 4 of the samples. Strain values increased by as much as 96 and 81 percent for the 18 mm cut at 8 mm of rotation and the 24 mm cut at 12 mm of rotation, respectively. This study will provide a basis for improvements to be made with respect to the TPLO. Further research may result in a more concise and clinically relevant data set that will continue the advancement of this common surgical technique