1,312 research outputs found
Mixtures of Common Skew-t Factor Analyzers
A mixture of common skew-t factor analyzers model is introduced for
model-based clustering of high-dimensional data. By assuming common component
factor loadings, this model allows clustering to be performed in the presence
of a large number of mixture components or when the number of dimensions is too
large to be well-modelled by the mixtures of factor analyzers model or a
variant thereof. Furthermore, assuming that the component densities follow a
skew-t distribution allows robust clustering of skewed data. The alternating
expectation-conditional maximization algorithm is employed for parameter
estimation. We demonstrate excellent clustering performance when our model is
applied to real and simulated data.This paper marks the first time that skewed
common factors have been used
Mixtures of Skew-t Factor Analyzers
In this paper, we introduce a mixture of skew-t factor analyzers as well as a
family of mixture models based thereon. The mixture of skew-t distributions
model that we use arises as a limiting case of the mixture of generalized
hyperbolic distributions. Like their Gaussian and t-distribution analogues, our
mixture of skew-t factor analyzers are very well-suited to the model-based
clustering of high-dimensional data. Imposing constraints on components of the
decomposed covariance parameter results in the development of eight flexible
models. The alternating expectation-conditional maximization algorithm is used
for model parameter estimation and the Bayesian information criterion is used
for model selection. The models are applied to both real and simulated data,
giving superior clustering results compared to a well-established family of
Gaussian mixture models
The Serendiptichord: Reflections on the collaborative design process between artist and researcher
The Serendiptichord is a wearable instrument, resulting from a collaboration crossing fashion, technology, music and dance. This paper reflects on the collaborative process and how defining both creative and research roles for each party led to a successful creative partnership built on mutual respect and open communication. After a brief snapshot of the instrument in performance, the instrument is considered within the context of dance-driven interactive music systems followed by a discussion on the nature of the collaboration and its impact upon the design process and final piece
Parsimonious Shifted Asymmetric Laplace Mixtures
A family of parsimonious shifted asymmetric Laplace mixture models is
introduced. We extend the mixture of factor analyzers model to the shifted
asymmetric Laplace distribution. Imposing constraints on the constitute parts
of the resulting decomposed component scale matrices leads to a family of
parsimonious models. An explicit two-stage parameter estimation procedure is
described, and the Bayesian information criterion and the integrated completed
likelihood are compared for model selection. This novel family of models is
applied to real data, where it is compared to its Gaussian analogue within
clustering and classification paradigms
Emergent interfaces: vague, complex, bespoke and embodied interaction between humans and computers
Most human-computer interfaces are built on the paradigm of manipulating abstract representations. This can be limiting when computers are used in artistic performance or as mediators of social connection, where we rely on qualities of embodied thinking: intuition, context, resonance, ambiguity, fluidity. We explore an alternative approach to designing interaction that we call the emergent interface: interaction leveraging unsupervised machine learning to replace designed abstractions with contextually-derived emergent representations. The approach offers opportunities to create interfaces bespoke to a single individual, to continually evolve and adapt the interface in line with that individual’s needs and affordances, and to bridge more deeply with the complex and imprecise interaction that defines much of our non-digital communication. We explore this approach through artistic research rooted in music, dance and AI with the partially emergent system Sonified Body. The system maps the moving body into sound using an emergent representation of the body derived from a corpus of improvised movement from the first author. We explore this system in a residency with three dancers. We reflect on the broader implications and challenges of this alternative way of thinking about interaction, and how far it may help users avoid being limited by the assumptions of a system’s designer
Interactive music: Balancing creative freedom with musical development.
PhDThis thesis is about interactive music, a musical experience that involves participation
from the listener but is itself a composed piece of music and the Interactive Music
Systems (IMSs) that create these experiences, such as a sound installation that responds
to the movements of its audience. Some IMSs are brief marvels commanding only a few
seconds of attention. Others engage those who participate for considerably longer. Our
goal here is to understand why this difference arises and how we may then apply this
understanding to create better interactive music experiences.
I present a refined perspective of interactive music as an exploration into the relationship
between action and sound. Reasoning about IMSs in terms of how they are
subjectively perceived by a participant, I argue that fundamental to creating a captivating
interactive music is the evolving cognitive process of making sense of a system
through interaction.
I present two new theoretical tools that provide complementary contributions to our
understanding of this process. The first, the Emerging Structures model, analyses how
a participant's evolving understanding of a system's behaviour engages and motivates
continued involvement. The second, a framework of Perceived Agency, refines the notion
of `creative control' to provide a better understanding of how the norms of music establish
expectations of how skill will be demonstrated.
I develop and test these tools through three practical projects: a wearable musical
instrument for dancers created in collaboration with an artist, a controlled user study
investigating the effects of constraining the functionality of a screen-based IMS, and
an interactive sound installation that may only be explored through coordinated movement
with another participant. This final work is evaluated formally through discourse
analysis.
Finally, I show how these tools may inform our understanding of an oft-cited goal
within the field: conversational interaction with an interactive music system.Platform Grant (EPSRC
EP/E045235/1)
Direct health care costs of treating seasonal affective disorder: a comparison of light therapy and fluoxetine.
Objective. To compare the direct mental health care costs between individuals with Seasonal Affective Disorder randomized to either fluoxetine or light therapy. Methods. Data from the CANSAD study was used. CANSAD was an 8-week multicentre double-blind study that randomized participants to receive either light therapy plus placebo capsules or placebo light therapy plus fluoxetine. Participants were aged 18-65 who met criteria for major depressive episodes with a seasonal (winter) pattern. Mental health care service use was collected for each subject for 4 weeks prior to the start of treatment and for 4 weeks prior to the end of treatment. All direct mental health care services costs were analysed, including inpatient and outpatient services, investigations, and medications. Results. The difference in mental health costs was significantly higher after treatment for the light therapy group compared to the medication group-a difference of 75.41 (z = -2.635, P = 0.008). Conclusion. The results suggest that individuals treated with medication had significantly less mental health care cost after-treatment compared to those treated with light therapy
- …