Music Notation Software as a Means to Facilitate the Study of Singing Musical Scores

Introduction. Learning to read music is a complex task which becomes more difficult if it involves students who have different levels of music knowledge. The cognitive load theory maintains that acquiring new knowledge or the development of new abilities imposes a cognitive effort which depends on: a) instructional design; b) complexity of the task and c) previous knowledge. Method. In the present study eleven students varying in previous musical studies participated in a comparative assessment of music reading exercises using two different kinds of help: usual music instrument and music notation software. Load Cognitive Theory was used as a conceptual framework to determine which interface would be better (imposing low cognitive load) according to both exercises’ difficulty levels and students´ previous musical studies. The study involved a mixed factorial experimental design with the following independent within-subjects factors and levels 1) Type of Interface: music instrument and music notation software; 2) Music exercises difficulty: level I and level II. The between-subject factor in this study was: 3) Previous Musical Studies: academic and non-academic music studies. Results. Results showed that for the most of variables related with cognitive load, music notation software seemed that imposes less additional cognitive load than music instrument when students had no academic music studies and especially when they studied high-level music exercises. In these cases music notation software was a useful help to support music score study. Discussion or Conclusion. The music notation software allows to perceive clearly the relationship between written notation and sound and probably it makes easier the memorization of these pairs. This kind of media could be a useful tool for students with difficulties and for those who didn´t because of the options´ software, which allows music edition, composing, etc.Introducción. El aprendizaje de la lectura musical es una tarea compleja cuya dificultad se acentúa más si su enseñanza ha de adaptarse a un alumnado heterogéneo en cuanto a conocimientos previos musicales. Según la Teoría de la Carga Cognitiva el aprendizaje de contenidos complejos o el desarrollo de nuevas habilidades impone un esfuerzo cognitivo que depende de varios factores: el entorno de aprendizaje, la dificultad del material y los conocimientos previos. Método. El presente estudio trató de comparar la calidad de lectura musical de once alumnos con diferentes estudios musicales previos que utilizaron dos medios de ayuda durante el estudio: el instrumento habitual y un programa de edición de partituras. La teoría de la carga cognitiva se utilizó como paradigma para determinar cuál de los medios sería el más efectivo según la dificultad de los ejercicios propuestos y el tipo de preparación musical previa de los alumnos. Para ello se realizó un análisis factorial mixto en el que se contemplaron dos variables independientes intra-grupo: 1) el tipo de medio utilizado y 2) la dificultad de las partituras; y una inter-grupo: el tipo de estudios musicales previos. Resultados. Los resultados sugirieron que, para la mayoría de las variables asociadas a la carga cognitiva, cuando los alumnos no tenían estudios musicales reglados y se enfrentaban a partituras de mayor dificultad, el editor de partituras resultaba más efectivo como ayuda que el instrumento musical habitual. Al parecer, el software de notación musical pudo suponer una menor carga cognitiva adicional en dichas condiciones. Discusión y conclusiones. El hecho de que el editor muestre de una manera directa la relación entre el código escrito y su correspondencia sonora posibilita que los alumnos y alumnas puedan memorizar de una manera más efectiva esta relación. La inclusión de este tipo de herramientas dentro del currículo podría beneficiar tanto a los alumnos con dificultades como aquellos que tienen amplios conocimientos. Las diferentes opciones que ofrece el software entre las que se encuentran la edición de partituras o la composición inducen a pensar de este mod

Estudio fenológico de floración del Jardín Botánico de la Universidad de Málaga.

El establecimiento de las diferentes fenofases permite distinguir las distintas etapas por las que atraviesa una planta a lo largo de su ciclo biológico. La floración es un evento clave para determinar las secuencias estacionales y realizar un seguimiento de los patrones de floración lo cual es de gran importancia debido a su sensibilidad ante el cambio climático. Se han generado datos fenológicos de la floración de 388 especies cultivadas en el Jardín Botánico de la Universidad de Málaga con el objetivo de que sirvan de referencia para la identificación de los granos de polen presentes en la miel y en las cargas de polen. De esta manera, se puede realizar una comparación directa entre los granos de polen de los productos recolectados por las abejas y las especies que se encuentran en flor, lo que permite identificar su contenido polínico de una manera más precisa. Para ello, se ha visitado periódicamente el jardín para la toma de datos, habiéndose definido 3 niveles de intensidad en la fenología de la floración de las diferentes especies que han sido numeradas del 1 al 3, en función del porcentaje de brotes con flores en antesis. Los resultados proporcionan información valiosa para estudios de polinización y de interacción planta-polinizador.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The germplasm bank of the Botanical Garden of the University of Malaga.

The collection of the Germplasm Bank of the University of Malaga began recently associated with its Botanical Garden, in October 2021. The collection is made up of diaspores (fruits/seeds) of plant species belonging to the botanical garden itself and other native species of the vegetation of different areas of the province of Malaga. After the identification of the plants and the collection of the samples, standardized procedures are applied for their adequate conservation in the short and medium term in refrigerators at 4ºC, since the objective is to maintain a dynamic collection. Additionally, the database allows international exchanges and research activities such as viability studies or the elaboration of a photo atlas supported by morphometric studies of the preserved structures. The biodiversity conserved in this germplasm bank will be also very useful in a scenario of global change in which many species are being threatened, or even disappearing, since it constitutes a reservoir that guarantees the possible recovery of the different species whose diasporas have been preserved. Currently, the germplasm bank contains a total of 155 samples belonging to 115 taxa subject to strict protocols that guarantees the maintenance of their viability and genetic integrity, the sanitary conditions of the germplasm, its availability and the physical security of the collections.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Seasonal and intradaily variations of Parietaria pollen in the atmosphere of Málaga.

Parietaria pollen is one of the main causes of hay fever and asthma in the population, presenting a high allergenicity. That is why, in order to inform the population, it is important to determine whether its behaviour pattern is different in different parts of the city. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the behaviour pattern of the Parietaria pollen type in two different points within the city of Malaga and to analyze the existing correlation between pollen concentrations and the main meteorological parameters. We used two Hirst-type volumetric pollen traps, one of them installed in the periphery and the other in the city center, between 2017 and 2019. The samples were mounted and counted following the recommendations of the Spanish Aerobiology Network. To calculate the annual pollen integral, the sum of the mean daily concentrations throughout the year was used. To calculate the intradaily variations, the values were accumulated every two hours, expressed as percentages of the daily total. In order to study the relationships between meteorological parameters and pollen concentrations, Spearman correlation tests have been carried out. The values of the annual pollen integral were always much higher in the centre. Daily mean concentrations showed the presence of this pollen type in the atmosphere throughout the year. Regarding the intraday pattern, a more pronounced peak was observed in the city centre, while in the periphery, the distribution is more homogeneous throughout the day. The meteorological parameters play an important role in determining the daily concentrations in the atmosphere. In the light of these results, we can conclude that it is necessary to install several sampling points within the same city, due to its heterogeneity and different land uses, in order to inform the population with a greater precision and, in this way, prevent respiratory allergies.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Airborne pollen concentrations in Sierra de las Nieves National Park (southern Spain) and its allergenic potential.

Sierra de las Nieves was declared National Park in 2021. Around 100 000 people visit the park every year and a high percentage of them may suffer allergy symptoms due to the presence of some pollen types in the atmosphere. The aim of this study was to determine the allergenic potential of the concentrations registered in the atmosphere of Sierra de las Nieves National Park as well as the seasonality of different pollen types. Airborne pollen was sampled by means of a Hirst-type volumetric pollen trap installed in “Las Conejeras” recreational area. In this study, data of the year 2022 were considered. Pollen samples were mounted and counted following the methodology proposed by the Spanish Aerobiology Network. Data were managed by means of the AeRobiology package, implemented in R software. Spearman correlations test between daily pollen concentrations and the main meteorological parameters were performed. Airborne pollen was detected during almost the whole year, with the highest concentrations being reached during the period April-June (89.19% of the total annual pollen integral). The pollen type with the highest number of days with concentrations of high allergenic potential was Quercus (25 days), followed by Castanea and Poaceae (8 days), the period with the highest risk for allergy sufferers being April-July. High temperatures favour pollen release, increasing the airborne pollen concentrations, but precipitation and high relative humidity favour pollen precipitation, reducing airborne pollen concentrations. Wind dynamics play different roles depending on the pollen type considered, due to the heterogeneous distribution of the pollen emission sources. Allergy sufferers should consider the pollination period of the pollen types which they are allergic to when planning their visits to the National Park, especially on days with high temperatures and low relative humidity, meteorological conditions that tend to increase pollen concentrations.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech