A fuzzy rule model for high level musical features on automated composition systems

Algorithmic composition systems are now well-understood. However, when they are used for specific tasks like creating material for a part of a piece, it is common to prefer, from all of its possible outputs, those exhibiting specific properties. Even though the number of valid outputs is huge, many times the selection is performed manually, either using expertise in the algorithmic model, by means of sampling techniques, or some times even by chance. Automations of this process have been done traditionally by using machine learning techniques. However, whether or not these techniques are really capable of capturing the human rationality, through which the selection is done, to a great degree remains as an open question. The present work discusses a possible approach, that combines expert’s opinion and a fuzzy methodology for rule extraction, to model high level features. An early implementation able to explore the universe of outputs of a particular algorithm by means of the extracted rules is discussed. The rules search for objects similar to those having a desired and pre-identified feature. In this sense, the model can be seen as a finder of objects with specific properties.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

An innovative cooperative model for the Master Degree Project of Architecture. Overcoming the traditional system.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.6713Although the Bologna’s process has highlighted the need to develop deep and structural changes in the educational institutions, there is a scarce bibliography on innovation projects in Master Degree Projects, specifically in the field of Architecture. This paper is part of a educational innovative reaserch project that is proposing a cooperative process-and-product model-based for MDP. The model is developed in three stages, from collaborative learning action groups to indivual project. At the end of the process the student has developed three documents: a presentation, a product and a daily-portfolio. Finally, MDP assessment is the sum of three evaluationsUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

A near zero consumption building as an urban acupuncture for a vertical slum. A case study in the city of Malaga, Spain

Vertical slum is defined as a particularly vulnerable height building, with serious problems of functionality, safety and habitability. Venezuela’s Tower of David is a famous example. Vertical slums are associated with an important level of physical degradation, coupled with a precarious socioeconomic situation of its occupants. Their inability to create a community for proper and mandatory maintenance increases their physical deterioration. The abandonment of the original owners is replaced by a system of occupation and illegal activities. In many cases, with an interest in maintaining the building in a state of precariousness, which annuls any attempt to rehabilitate it Facing this situation, the intervention is proposed through an urban acupuncture project, understood as a project of expropriation and physical rehabilitation of the building, associated to a project of social rehabilitation in a disadvantaged environment. It is about creating a hybrid building associated with four objectives 1- Create a hybrid building with a mixed offer of social and housing services: sheltered housing for seniors, residence and accommodation for young entrepreneurs. The idea of a social condenser is related to studies of the hybrid building such as the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, or the Rokade Tower and Maartenshof residence (Groningen, The Netherlands). 2- Incorporate the sustainability parameters directed to a building almost zero. 3- Incorporate a model of provision of housing services, managed by the municipality, but with the possibility of incorporating NGOs 4- Design a social rehabilitation project that facilitates the creation of a web of social-based companies or cooperatives that fosters entrepreneurship, and that can actively participate in the rehabilitation and maintenance of the neighborhood itself. This paper applies these principles to a building in Malaga as a case study and 10 strategies are developed and analysed in regards to its physical, social and sustainable transformation.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

A methodological approach for algorithmic composition systems' parameter spaces aesthetic exploration

Algorithmic composition is the process of creating musical material by means of formal methods. As a consequence of its design, algorithmic composition systems are (explicitly or implicitly) described in terms of parameters. Thus, parameter space exploration plays a key role in learning the system's capabilities. However, in the computer music field, this task has received little attention. This is due in part, because the produced changes on the human perception of the outputs, as a response to changes on the parameters, could be highly nonlinear, therefore models with strongly predictable outputs are needed. The present work describes a methodology for the human perceptual (or aesthetic) exploration of generative systems' parameter spaces. As the systems' outputs are intended to produce an aesthetic experience on humans, audition plays a central role in the process. The methodology starts from a set of parameter combinations which are perceptually evaluated by the user. The sampling process of such combinations depends on the system under study and possible on heuristic considerations. The evaluated set is processed by a compaction algorithm able to generate linguistic rules describing the distinct perceptions (classes) of the user evaluation. The semantic level of the extracted rules allows for interpretability, while showing great potential in describing high and low-level musical entities. As the resulting rules represent discrete points in the parameter space, further possible extensions for interpolation between points are also discussed. Finally, some practical implementations and paths for further research are presented.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Diferencias en la predicción afectiva entre población normal y clínica: un estudio preliminar.

Introducción: Las predicciones emocionales que hacemos frente a acontecimientos futuros son conocidas como predicciones afectivas (Wilson y Gilbert, 2003). Diversos estudios han identificado que tendemos a sobreestimar la intensidad de nuestras emociones (e.g., Loewenstein, 2011; Wilson y Gilbert, 2003); esto es definido como sesgo de intensidad (Loewenstein, 2011). Objetivo: someter a prueba la predicción afectiva de población normal y clínica ante futuros eventos positivos. Método: Participaron 20 voluntarios de los cuales 11 concluyeron el estudio (80 % mujeres). Los participantes realizaron una tarea en la que imaginaron y visualizaron su futuro de la mejor forma posible (best self). Posteriormente, se les pidió que estimaran la intensidad de varias emociones (felicidad, tristeza, ansiedad y enfado) en caso de que ocurriera alguno de los eventos que habían imaginado. Seis meses después, y en caso de que hubiera ocurrido lo que imaginaron, se evaluó la intensidad real de sus emociones. Resultados: Fueron identificadas diferencias significativas solo entre la predicción y la emoción real en felicidad y en la población normal, lo cual sugiere que solo se ha generado el «sesgo de intensidad» en esa emoción, y que la población normal pudo haber sobreestimado su intensidad. Conclusiones: La presencia del «sesgo de intensidad» en la población normal sugiere que la sobreestimación de la emoción de felicidad podría estar asociada con padecer o no un problema de salud físico o psicológico. Por otro lado, los resultados sugieren que las emociones negativas podrían presentar un mejor ajuste entre la predicción y la emoción real, respecto a las emociones positivas.Introduction: The forecast that we do about the emotions in the face of future events are known as «affective forecasting» (Wilson & Gilbert, 2003). Several studies have found that we tend to overestimate the intensity of our emotions (e.g., Loewenstein, 2011; Wilson & Gilbert, 2003); this is defined as «intensity bias» (Loewenstein, 2011). Objective: To test the affective forecasting in normal and clinic population in the face of positive future events. Method: Twenty volunteers participated of which only eleven completed the study (80 % female). The participants carried out a task in which they imagined and visualized their future in the best possible way (best self). Later, they were asked to forecast the intensity of various emotions (happiness, sadness, anxiety, and anger) in case of any of the events they imagined would happen. Six months later, and in case that the event they imagined happened, the real intensity of their emotions was assessed. Results: Significant differences were found between the predicted emotion and the real emotion in happiness and in the normal population; this suggests that only was generated the «intensity bias» in that emotion and that the normal population could have overestimated its intensity. Conclusions: The presence of the «intensity bias» in the normal population suggests that the overestimation of happiness could be associated with suffering or not a physical or psychological health problem. Furthermore, the results suggest that the negative emotions could present a better fit between the predicted emotion and the real emotion compared to positive emotions

Parameter selection in the design of displacement and motion functions by means of B-splines

This work analyses the incidence of the parameter selection of B-spline curves, used in the design of displacement and motion functions, on its degree of freedom and shape. A complete design process based on the use of non-parametric B-spline curves and the convenience of selecting the curve parameters from the point of view of its practical application is shown. In order to make easy the design and use of the displacement function, the algorithms for derivation and integration of the B-splines used are presented. Three case studies validate the proposed design process and the selection of the adequate parameters. The first case presents the design of a displacement function of a roller follower driven by a disk cam; the corresponding cam profile and its prototype are shown. The second case presents the design of the motion function corresponding to the cutting unit of a manufacturing cardboard tube machine. The third case exposes the design of the displacement function of the bar feeding mechanism in a single-spindle automatic lathe, to produce a partial thread screw of hexagonal head.Postprint (author's final draft

Evolving mass tourism constructs and capitalist exploitation of the coast: from sustainable density and urban morphology to iconic megastructure.

T he tourism construct is a disruptive capitalist production of space that has generated and is generating new urban forms. Many architectural and morphological studies have specifically analysed its different models, but there is a lack of studies comparing their features. This comparative study examines four types of tourism construct related to the evolution of capitalism (including pre-Fordism, Fordism, and post-Fordism) and different types of tourist cities. Architectural iconicity, morphological patterns, and spatial metrics are analysed in relation to the economic, social, and cultural characteristics generated. The results suggest that high-density pre-Fordist and Fordist tourism constructs facilitate social relations and a greater capacity to generate the city, whereas lower-density post-Fordist constructs have higher environmental costs (an increase in private green areas and bodies of water) and social costs due to architectural iconicity. The article assesses the relationship between the architectural and urban variables to be considered in the planning tourist destinations in the capitalist production of tourist space.This article presents some of the findings of the research project Residence and Residential Tourism: Processes and Conflicts (CSO201348155-P), funded by the Ministry of the Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (Spain)

Determining disinfection efficiency on E. faecalis in saltwater by photolysis of H2O2: Implications for ballast water treatment

Organisms carried with ballast water can find a way that enables them to spread into a new habitat, becoming invasive species. This can generate large impacts threatening the ecosystem and human activities. The effectiveness of microbiological disinfection by UV/H2O2 treatment on Enterococcus faecalis has been evaluated in this study at laboratory scale, in both buffered distilled water (DW) and saltwater (SW). A Collimated Beam Reactor was used to determine optimal H2O2 concentration with DW and a Continuous Flow Reactor was tested with DW and SW. The optimal concentration of hydrogen peroxide found was 5 mg/L. The improvement of adding H2O2 increased efficacy by 28.9% in SW compared with UV alone; while results indicated that water salinity did not induce strong interference in treatment. In addition, re-growth of surviving bacteria was prevented 24 h after the treatment; even an additional one-log inactivation was obtained. The results suggest that the addition of small concentrations of H2O2 leads to an improvement in UV treatment. Finally, the operational costs were estimated for typical cargo vessels; UV/H2O2 treatment was considered to be competitive for ballast water treatment, since it could improve the effectiveness of the process with similar costs per 1000 m3 of treated water: 14 € for UV treatment and 16 € for UV/H2O2 treatmen

Development of a geometrical model for the determination of the average intensity in a flow-through UV-LED reactor and validation with biodosimetry and actinometry

Ultraviolet (UV) treatment is widely used for water disinfection. The recent development and improvement of the light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the UVC range makes them an alternative to the traditional mercury vapor UV lamps in the middle or long term. Determining the UV intensity applied by a reactor is essential for evaluating its efficacy. Although doing so is relatively straightforward in simple laboratory reactors, such as a collimated beam reactor (CBR), its calculation for more complex devices, such as a flow-through reactor (FTR), requires indirect approaches. The objective in this study is determining the UV intensity in FTRs equipped with UV-C LEDs by utilizing indirect approaches such as the geometrical modeling of the intensity distribution, chemical actinom-etry, and biodosimetry using a CBR as a reference. With this method, the inactivation of four bacterial indicators in both the CBR and FTR have also been addressed. The three approaches that were used reported similar values of mean intensity with an average value of 0.86 mW cm-2. Determining the mean intensity enabled calculating the UV doses that were applied to the target water and then determining the inactivation kinetics parameters. The UV dose that was necessary to achieve four-log reductions from the initial bacterial concentration ranged from 5.8 to 17.5 mJ cm-2 depending on the target species. Additionally, the geometrical model developed in this study introduces new possibilities into the optimization of the reactor design

On the Efficacy of H2O2 or S2O82- at Promoting the Inactivation of a Consortium of Cyanobacteria and Bacteria in Algae-Laden Water

Harmful algal blooms in coastal areas can significantly impact a water source. Microorganisms such as cyanobacteria and associated pathogenic bacteria may endanger an ecosystem and human health by causing significant eco-hazards. This study assesses the efficacy of two different reagents, H2O2 and S2O82-, as (pre-)treatment options for algae-laden waters. Anabaena sp. and Vibrio alginolyticus have been selected as target microorganisms. With the objective of activating H2O2 or S2O82-, additional experiments have been performed with the presence of small amounts of iron (18 mu mol/L). For the cyanobacterial case, H2O2-based processes demonstrate greater efficiency over that of S2O82-, as Anabaena sp. is particularly affected by H2O2, for which >90% of growth inhibition has been achieved with 0.088 mmol/L of H2O2 (at 72 h of exposure). The response of Anabaena sp. as a co-culture with V alginolyticus implies the use of major H2O2 amounts for its inactivation (0.29 mmol/L of H2O2), while the effects of H2O2/Fe(II) suggests an improvement of similar to 60% compared to single H2O2. These H2O2 doses are not sufficient for preventing the regrowth of V alginolyticus after 24 h. The effects of S2O82- (+ Fe(II)) are moderate, reaching maximum inhibition growth of similar to 50% for Anabaena sp. at seven days of exposure. Nevertheless, doses of 3 mmol/L of S2O82- can prevent the regrowth of V alginolyticus. These findings have implications for the mitigation of HABs but also for the associated bacteria that threaten many coastal ecosystems