Automatic transcription of pitched and unpitched sounds from polyphonic music

Automatic transcription of polyphonic music has been an active research field for several years and is considered by many to be a key enabling technology in music signal processing. However, current transcription approaches either focus on detecting pitched sounds (from pitched musical instruments) or on detecting unpitched sounds (from drum kits). In this paper, we propose a method that jointly transcribes pitched and unpitched sounds from polyphonic music recordings. The proposed model extends the probabilistic latent component analysis algorithm and supports the detection of pitched sounds from multiple instruments as well as the detection of unpitched sounds from drum kit components, including bass drums, snare drums, cymbals, hi-hats, and toms. Our experiments based on polyphonic Western music containing both pitched and unpitched instruments led to very encouraging results in multi-pitch detection and drum transcription tasks

Score-Informed Audio Decomposition and Applications

codedemo: http://www.audiolabs-erlangen.de/resources/2013-ACMMM-AudioDecomp/codedemo: http://www.audiolabs-erlangen.de/resources/2013-ACMMM-AudioDecomp/codedemo: http://www.audiolabs-erlangen.de/resources/2013-ACMMM-AudioDecomp/codedemo: http://www.audiolabs-erlangen.de/resources/2013-ACMMM-AudioDecomp

Microstructural characterization and simulation of damage for geared sheet components

The evolution of damage in geared components manufactured from steel sheets was investigated, to analyse the influence of damage caused by the sheet-bulk-metal forming. Due to the inhomogeneous and multi-axial deformation in the investigated parts, different aspects such as the location-dependent shape and size of voids are analysed by means of various microscopic methods. In particular, a method to characterize the state of damage evolution, i. e. void nucleation, growth and coalescence using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is applied. The investigations reveal a strong dependence of the void area fraction, shape of voids and thus damage evolution on the loading mode. The microstructural analysis is complemented with FEM simulations using material models which consider the characteristics of the void evolution. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Contesting authentic practice and ethical authority in adventure tourism

This paper examines the discourses of authenticity and ethics used among adventure tourists regarding the use of the natural environment. In one case, full-time traveling rock climbers use their dedication to the sport and annual visits to the Red River Gorge as evidence for their authoritative voice on ethical climbing practice. While they identify the growing numbers of leisure climbers as a problem for sustainability, many also take up temporary employment as guides and are directly involved in the introduction of new climbers to the area. In another case, two groups of wilderness enthusiasts – “ADK 46ers” and “Summit Stewards” – lament the environmental and social impacts of other recreational users in the Adirondack Park. Despite being visitors themselves, Summit Stewards and 46ers use their sense of place and knowledge of Adirondack history and ecology to substantiate their authority as purveyors of ethical practice. In both cases, senses of responsibility are inspired by senses of place, but are articulated through notions of authenticity and used as justification for ethical authority. While validating their presence in these outdoor spaces, the use of such rhetoric also minimizes their own impacts yielding further tensions among user groups

The Wilderness Expedition: An effective life course intervention to improve young peoples well-being and connectedness to nature

It is well understood that wilderness expeditions improve well-being; however, there is little supporting quantitative data. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of wilderness expeditions on self-esteem (SE) and connectedness to nature (CN) and assess whether benefits varied according to participant and expedition characteristics. SE and CN were assessed pre– and post–wilderness expeditions in 130 adolescents using Rosenberg’s SE scale and the state CN scale. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant increases in SE and CN (p < .001) as a result of single expeditions. There was also an interaction effect of expedition and gender on SE (p < .05). Males had a higher SE at the start but female SE increased most. Linear regression revealed that living environment, gender, and the length and location of the expedition did not contribute to changes in SE and CN. Regular contact with natural environments will improve adolescent well-being, with the largest improvements in females

Avaliação da relação seca/produtividade agrícola em cenário de mudanças climáticas.

As mudanças climáticas alertam para um possível aumento de eventos meteorológicos extremos em todo o mundo, sendo crescente a preocupação de como o clima pode mudar o ambiente e afetar a produção das culturas agrícolas. Este estudo investiga a relação entre a produtividade agrícola e a seca em algumas mesorregiões do estado de Minas Gerais, em cenários de mudanças climáticas. Foram utilizados dados meteorológicos diários projetados pelo modelo ECHAM5/MPI-OM, para o período de 2008 a 2020 para o cenário A1B. Utilizou-se a metodologia da zona agroecológica (AEZ) para estimar a produtividade futura do milho. Empregou-se o índice de seca Z de Palmer em um modelo de regressão linear com a produtividade do milho estimada pela metodologia da AEZ. O desempenho dos modelos foi verificado por meio das estatísticas: coeficiente de determinação (r2), raiz do erro quadrático médio(RMSE), erro absoluto médio (MAE) e índice de concordância de Willmott (d). Os resultados do índice de concordância de Willmott variaram entre 0,48 e 0,90, e os valores de r2 foram pouco expressivos.Contudo, a produtividade estimada pela metodologia AEZ projetou maiores perdas na produtividade do milho devido a limitações por água para os anos agrícolas de 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2014/2015,2018/2019 para as mesorregiões Triângulo/Alto Paranaíba, Central Mineira e Jequitinhonha

Climatic impacts of land-use change due to crop yield increases and a universal carbon tax from a scenario model*

Future land cover will have a significant impact on climate and is strongly influenced by the extent of agricultural land use. Differing assumptions of crop yield increase and carbon pricing mitigation strategies affect projected expansion of agricultural land in future scenarios. In the representative concentration pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), the carbon effects of these land cover changes are included, although the biogeophysical effects are not. The afforestation in RCP4.5 has important biogeophysical impacts on climate, in addition to the land carbon changes, which are directly related to the assumption of crop yield increase and the universal carbon tax. To investigate the biogeophysical climatic impact of combinations of agricultural crop yield increases and carbon pricing mitigation, five scenarios of land-use change based on RCP4.5 are used as inputs to an earth system model [Hadley Centre Global Environment Model, version 2-Earth System (HadGEM2-ES)]. In the scenario with the greatest increase in agricultural land (as a result of no increase in crop yield and no climate mitigation) there is a significant -0.49 K worldwide cooling by 2100 compared to a control scenario with no land-use change. Regional cooling is up to -2.2 K annually in northeastern Asia. Including carbon feedbacks from the land-use change gives a small global cooling of -0.067 K. This work shows that there are significant impacts from biogeophysical land-use changes caused by assumptions of crop yield and carbon mitigation, which mean that land carbon is not the whole story. It also elucidates the potential conflict between cooling from biogeophysical climate effects of land-use change and wider environmental aims

Analysing urban heat island patterns and simulating potential future changes

Climate change is interpreted as one of the most serious environmental problems for the 21st century. Changes in climate are now generally accepted. However, the rate of change has spatial characteristics and is highly uncertain. The Himalaya is experiencing abrupt change; so vulnerability and adaptation studies have become crucial. This pilot study presents initial findings of the research project entitled ‘Human Ecological Implications of Climate Change in the Himalaya.’ A study of climate change perceptions, vulnerability, and adaptation strategies of farming communities of the cool-wet temperate (Lumle) and the hot-wet sub-tropical (Meghauli) villages in Central Nepal was conducted. The findings are derived from the analysis of temperature and precipitation data of last 40 years, and primary data collected in September 2012. Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews, and Historical Timeline Calender were applied. The changes perceived by the communities are fairly consistent with the meteorological observations and are challenging the sustainability of social-ecological systems and communities’ livelihoods. Farming communities have adopted some strategies to minimize the vulnerability. But the adopted strategies have produced both negative and positive results. Strategies like flood control, shifting crop calendars, occupational changes and labour migrations have produced positive results in livelihood security. Occupational changes and labour migration have negatively impacted local agro-ecology and agricultural economies. Early-harvesting strategies to reduce losses from hailstorm have reduced the food and fodder security. Lack of irrigation for rice-seedlings is severely affecting the efficacy of shifting the rice-transplantation calendar. Conclusions suggest that while farmers have practiced strategies to better management of farms, livelihood sustainabilities are reaching thresholds due to the changing conditions.Rishikesh Pandey, Douglas K Bardsle

Sights and insights: Vocational outdoor students’ learning

Outdoor leader and adventure sport education in the United Kingdom has been characterized by an over-emphasis on technical skills at the expense of equally important, but often marginalized intra- and inter-personal skills necessary for contemporary outdoor employment. This study examined the lived experience of vocational outdoor students in order, firstly, to identify what was learned about the workplace through using reflective practice and, secondly, what was learned about reflective practice through this experience. The study used a purposive sample of students (n=15) who were invited to maintain reflective journals during summer work experience, and this was followed up with semi-structured interviews. Manual Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed that in the workplace setting students used reflective practice to understand and develop technical proficiency, support awareness of the value of theory, and acted as a platform to express emergent concepts of ‘professionalism’. Lessons about reflective practice emphasized its value in social settings, acknowledging different ways of reflection, and understanding and managing professional life beyond graduation