Estudi de casos pel control de síntesi d’instruments musicals virtuals mitjançant la veu cantada

Report for the scientific sojourn carried out at the Music Technology Area (Sound Processing and Control Lab), Faculty of Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, from October to December 2005.The aim of this research is to study the singing voice for controlling virtual musical instrument synthesis. It includes analysis and synthesis algorithms based on spectral audio processing. After digitalising the acoustic voice signal in the computer, a number of expressive descriptors of the singer are extracted. This process is achieved synchronously, thus all the nuance of the singer performance have been tracked. In a second stage, the extracted parameters are mapped to a sound synthesizer, the so-called digital musical instruments. In order achieve it, several tests with music students of the Faculty of Music, McGill University have been developed. These experiments have contributed to evaluate the system and to derive new control strategies to integrate: clarinet synthesis, bass guitar, visual representation of voice signals.

Towards an emotion-driven interactive music system: ridging the gaps between affect, physiology and sound generation

Report for the scientific sojourn at the Stanford University from January until June 2007. Music is well known for affecting human emotional states, yet the relationship between specific musical parameters and emotional responses is still not clear. With the advent of new human-computer interaction (HCI) technologies, it is now possible to derive emotion-related information from physiological data and use it as an input to interactive music systems. Providing such implicit musical HCI will be highly relevant for a number of applications including music therapy, diagnosis, nteractive gaming, and physiologically-based musical instruments. A key question in such physiology-based compositions is how sound synthesis parameters can be mapped to emotional states of valence and arousal. We used both verbal and heart rate responses to evaluate the affective power of five musical parameters. Our results show that a significant correlation exists between heart rate and the subjective evaluation of well-defined musical parameters. Brightness and loudness showed to be arousing parameters on subjective scale while harmonicity and even partial attenuation factor resulted in heart rate changes typically associated to valence. This demonstrates that a rational approach to designing emotion-driven music systems for our public installations and music therapy applications is possible.

Protocol of the COSMIN study: consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments

Background: Choosing an adequate measurement instrument depends on the proposed use of the instrument, the concept to be measured, the measurement properties (e.g. internal consistency, reproducibility, content and construct validity, responsiveness, and interpretability), the requirements, the burden for subjects, and costs of the available instruments. As far as measurement properties are concerned, there are no sufficiently specific standards for the evaluation of measurement properties of instruments to measure health status, and also no explicit criteria for what constitutes good measurement properties. In this paper we describe the protocol for the COSMIN study, the objective of which is to develop a checklist that contains COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments, including explicit criteria for satisfying these standards. We will focus on evaluative health related patient-reported outcomes (HR-PROs), i.e. patient-reported health measurement instruments used in a longitudinal design as an outcome measure, excluding health care related PROs, such as satisfaction with care or adherence. The COSMIN standards will be made available in the form of an easily applicable checklist.Method: An international Delphi study will be performed to reach consensus on which and how measurement properties should be assessed, and on criteria for good measurement properties. Two sources of input will be used for the Delphi study: (1) a systematic review of properties, standards and criteria of measurement properties found in systematic reviews of measurement instruments, and (2) an additional literature search of methodological articles presenting a comprehensive checklist of standards and criteria. The Delphi study will consist of four (written) Delphi rounds, with approximately 30 expert panel members with different backgrounds in clinical medicine, biostatistics, psychology, and epidemiology. The final checklist will subsequently be field-tested by assessing the inter-rater reproducibility of the checklist.Discussion: Since the study will mainly be anonymous, problems that are commonly encountered in face-to-face group meetings, such as the dominance of certain persons in the communication process, will be avoided. By performing a Delphi study and involving many experts, the likelihood that the checklist will have sufficient credibility to be accepted and implemented will increase.

Motivació i eficiència en l'estudi de l'instrument : la pràctica deliberada

En aquest projecte anomenat “Motivació i eficiència en l’estudi de l’instrument” pretenc reflexionar sobre com els estudiants de música de grau superior entenen i aborden l'estudi de l'instrument. El meu repte consisteix en aprofundir i intentar ampliar tot allò que en sabem relacionat amb aquesta pràctica, donant a conèixer les opinions dels experts i les seves investigacions i aportant noves idees i conclusions pròpies. L’objectiu d’això és intentar que la pràctica amb l'instrument resulti més productiva, diversa i sigui susceptible de ser adaptada als objectius de cadascú perquè serveixi per millorar el rendiment dels instrumentistes. En resum, el projecte farà una reflexió per intentar ampliar la visió de la pràctica i de l’autonomia d’estudi i tractarà de plantejar un enfocament reflexionat.

Psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of instruments to measure neck pain disability

Background: The NDI, COM and NPQ are evaluation instruments for disability due to NP. There was no Spanish version of NDI or COM for which psychometric characteristics were known. The objectives of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the Spanish version of the Neck Disability Index Questionnaire (NDI), and the Core Outcome Measure (COM), to validate its use in Spanish speaking patients with non-specific neck pain (NP), and to compare their psychometric characteristics with those of the Spanish version of the Northwick Pain Questionnaire (NPQ).Methods: Translation/re-translation of the English versions of the NDI and the COM was done blindly and independently by a multidisciplinary team. The study was done in 9 primary care Centers and 12 specialty services from 9 regions in Spain, with 221 acute, subacute and chronic patients who visited their physician for NP: 54 in the pilot phase and 167 in the validation phase. Neck pain (VAS), referred pain (VAS), disability (NDI, COM and NPQ), catastrophizing (CSQ) and quality of life (SF-12) were measured on their first visit and 14 days later. Patients' self-assessment was used as the external criterion for pain and disability. In the pilot phase, patients' understanding of each item in the NDI and COM was assessed, and on day 1 test-retest reliability was estimated by giving a second NDI and COM in which the name of the questionnaires and the order of the items had been changed.Results: Comprehensibility of NDI and COM were good. Minutes needed to fill out the questionnaires [median, (P25, P75)]: NDI. 4 (2.2, 10.0), COM: 2.1 (1.0, 4.9). Reliability: [ICC, (95%CI)]: NDI: 0.88 (0.80, 0.93). COM: 0.85 (0.75,0.91). Sensitivity to change: Effect size for patients having worsened, not changed and improved between days 1 and 15, according to the external criterion for disability: NDI: -0.24, 0.15, 0.66; NPQ: -0.14, 0.06, 0.67; COM: 0.05, 0.19, 0.92. Validity: Results of NDI, NPQ and COM were consistent with the external criterion for disability, whereas only those from NDI were consistent with the one for pain. Correlations with VAS, CSQ and SF-12 were similar for NDI and NPQ (absolute values between 0.36 and 0.50 on day 1, between 0.38 and 0.70 on day 15), and slightly lower for COM (between 0.36 and 0.48 on day 1, and between 0.33 and 0.61 on day 15). Correlation between NDI and NPQ: r = 0.84 on day 1, r = 0.91 on day 15. Correlation between COM and NPQ: r = 0.63 on day 1, r = 0.71 on day 15.Conclusion: Although most psychometric characteristics of NDI, NPQ and COM are similar, those from the latter one are worse and its use may lead to patients' evolution seeming more positive than it actually is. NDI seems to be the best instrument for measuring NP-related disability, since its results are the most consistent with patient's assessment of their own clinical status and evolution. It takes two more minutes to answer the NDI than to answer the COM, but it can be reliably filled out by the patient without assistance.

Un instrument per a la política de recerca i innovació a Catalunya en l'Europa del coneixement: el Pla de Recerca i Innovació 2005-2008

El 25 de gener d’enguany el Consell Executiu de la Generalitat va aprovar el Pla de Recerca i Innovació (PRI) 2005-2008. El PRI és un dels principals instruments de la Generalitat per impulsar les activitats de recerca, desenvolupament i innovació en els sectors públic i privat, i per poder assolir l’objectiu d’inversió d’un 2,1% en recerca respecte al producte interior brut català l’any 2008. El PRI ha estat elaborat durant l’any 2004 pel Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació, el Departament de Treball i Indústria. El Consell Interdepartamental de Recerca i Innovació Tecnològica, n’ha coordinat l’elaboració, alhora que ha facilitat la col·laboració dels altres departaments de la Generalitat. L’article descriu la importància de la recerca, el desenvolupament i la innovació per al progrés econòmic, social i cultural, en el que ja s’anomena societat o economia del coneixement. Es fa un repàs dels criteris i mecanismes emprats per elaborar el Pla, així com una anàlisi de la situació de la ciència, la innovació i la transferència de coneixements i de tecnologia a Catalunya. Es descriuen a continuació els principals trets d’aquest pla: missió, objectius, programes transversals i complementaris, línies prioritàries, estratègia sectorial. Finalment, es descriuen els disset indicadors genèrics de recerca i innovació que seran emprats pel seu seguiment, juntament amb el pressupost destinat a l’execució del PRI

Poden ser els pactes successoris un instrument al servei de la continuïtat de l'Empresa Familiar?

En aquest treball es pretén indicar l'existència d'alguns instruments, com són els Pactes Successoris, en aquest cas a Catalunya, que poden ser utilitzats per proporcionar un plus d'estabilitat a un dels reptes fonamentals de les EF, la successió. També es posa l'accent en la introducció de la poda de l'arbre familiar com una opció poc a tenir en compte en la dinàmica pròpia de l'Empresa Familiar.

Validation of an instrument to evaluate quality of life in the aging population: WHOQOL-AGE.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for short, specific instruments that assess quality of life (QOL) adequately in the older adult population. The aims of the present study were to obtain evidence on the validity of the inferences that could be drawn from an instrument to measure QOL in the aging population (people 50+ years old), and to test its psychometric properties. METHODS: The instrument, WHOQOL-AGE, comprised 13 positive items, assessed on a five-point rating scale, and was administered to nationally representative samples (n = 9987) from Finland, Poland, and Spain. Cronbach's alpha was employed to assess internal consistency reliability, whereas the validity of the questionnaire was assessed by means of factor analysis, graded response model, Pearson's correlation coefficient and unpaired t-test. Normative values were calculated across countries and for different age groups. RESULTS: The satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices confirmed that the factorial structure of WHOQOL-AGE comprises two first-order factors. Cronbach's alpha was 0.88 for factor 1, and 0.84 for factor 2. Evidence supporting a global score was found with a second-order factor model, according to the goodness-of-fit indices: CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.073. Convergent validity was estimated at r = 0.75 and adequate discriminant validity was also found. Significant differences were found between healthy individuals (74.19 ± 13.21) and individuals with at least one chronic condition (64.29 ± 16.29), supporting adequate known-groups validity. CONCLUSIONS: WHOQOL-AGE has shown good psychometric properties in Finland, Poland, and Spain. Therefore, considerable support is provided to using the WHOQOL-AGE to measure QOL in older adults in these countries, and to compare the QOL of older and younger adults.

Bowing the violin : a case study for auditory-motor pattern modelling in the context of music performance

This project addresses methodological and technological challenges in the development of multi-modal data acquisition and analysis methods for the representation of instrumental playing technique in music performance through auditory-motor patterning models. The case study is violin playing: a multi-modal database of violin performances has been constructed by recording different musicians while playing short exercises on different violins. The exercise set and recording protocol have been designed to sample the space defined by dynamics (from piano to forte) and tone (from sul tasto to sul ponticello), for each bow stroke type being played on each of the four strings (three different pitches per string) at two different tempi. The data, containing audio, video, and motion capture streams, has been processed and segmented to facilitate upcoming analyses. From the acquired motion data, the positions of the instrument string ends and the bow hair ribbon ends are tracked and processed to obtain a number of bowing descriptors suited for a detailed description and analysis of the bow motion patterns taking place during performance. Likewise, a number of sound perceptual attributes are computed from the audio streams. Besides the methodology and the implementation of a number of data acquisition tools, this project introduces preliminary results from analyzing bowing technique on a multi-modal violin performance database that is unique in its class. A further contribution of this project is the data itself, which will be made available to the scientific community through the repovizz platform.

Personal redistribution and the regional allocation of public investment

How should an equity-motivated policy-marker allocate public capital (infrastructure) across regions. Should it aim at reducing interregional differences in per capita output, or at maximizing total output? Such a normative question is examined in a model where the policy-marker is exclusively concerned about personal inequality and has access to two policy instruments. (i) a personal tax-transfer system (taxation is distortionary), and (ii) the regional allocation of public investment. I show that the case for public investment as a significant instrument for interpersonal redistribution is rather weak. In the most favorable case, when the tax code is constrained to be uniform across regions, it is optimal to distort the allocation of public investment in favor of the poor regions, but only to a limited extent. The reason is that poor individuals are relatively more sensitive to public trans fers, which are maximized by allocating public investment efficiently. If! the tax code can vary across regions then the optimal policy may involve an allocation of public investment distorted in favor of the rich regions.

The role of central bank operating procedures in an economy with productive government spending

The choice of either the rate of monetary growth or the nominal interest rate as the instrument controlled by monetary authorities has both positive and normative implications for economic performance. We reexamine some of the issues related to the choice of the monetary policy instrument in a dynamic general equilibrium model exhibiting endogenous growth in which a fraction of productive government spending is financed by means of issuing currency. When we evaluate the performance of the two monetary instruments attending to the fluctuations of endogenous variables, we find that the inflation rate is less volatile under nominal interest rate targeting. Concerning the fluctuations of consumption and of the growth rate, both monetary policy instruments lead to statistically equivalent volatilities. Finally, we show that none of these two targeting procedures displays unambiguously higher welfare levels.

Aproximació al disseny de procediments i instruments per a la personalització de l'ensenyament a l'etapa primària des d'una perspectiva inclusiva

The main objective of this research is to found a new process about the personalization's curriculum for pupils with especial educational needs. In this research there are two objectives: the first objective is to describe a procedure for to do the individual planning for this pupils. This procedure is called "Procediment per cartes de personalització" (Pedragosa 2002). The other objective is centered to validate this procedure for teachers who are in active service in primary's etapa and to check if it's a good process for to do the individual planning in an inclusive approach. The procedure's cobcretion is about three basic referents: In the first, we consult with the current regulations, in the second we incorporate the inclusion's approach and the fundamentals of universal learning design, and finally we consult Ruiz's (1999) provides. We obtain the information for the research until, during and after of the formation's course (in 2003/2004). We introduced two questionnaire (until and after of formation sessions) and we register all of the sessions with a parlimentary report. About the main research results we can to affirm that the procedure is a good option for the professional's practice. It's an organized, ordered and coherent design with our curriculum. But, in spite of, we can to probate that there some interesting variables which are to influence to the procedure's efficiency.

Environmental regulation: choice of instruments under imperfect compliance

Compliance is an important issue in environmental regulation. In this paper, we discuss some of the key elements of the problem and analyze a situation where emissions are not random and firms are risk-neutral. We study the firm's decision on emissions and compliance when the environmental regulation is based on standards and the enforcement agency audits the firm with a certain probability. We then compare total emissions when environmental regulation is based on different instruments: standards, taxes, and tradable permits. We show that when compliance is an issue, environmental taxes are superior to the other instruments. We also analyze the (static) efficiency of the solution.