Inhabiting Sound: Tactile-sonic links in musical meaning

Connections can be suggested between music’s occupation of physical space, its relative ‘presence’ (using Edward Hall’s notion of proxemics), and the various senses of movement which pervade it. Movement might be seen to operate with respect to music at a variety of levels of metaphorisation – as increasingly complex chains of analogy which point back to our early physical experience of the world. But of course music is, fundamentally, action. Humans put energy into systems - external or internal to themselves - which transduce that energy into the movement of air. At the acoustic level music is, emphatically and unmetaphorically, movement. Perhaps such simple physical perceptions form one route through which we might understand and explore shared senses of meaning and their capacity for ‘transduction’ between multiple individuals. Our (developmentally) early sensory models of the world, built from encounters with its physical resistances and affordances, might be a route to understanding our more clearly encultured and abstracted ('higher' level) understandings of music.

Participatory Sonic Arts: towards a socially engaged art of sound in the everyday (The Som da Maré Project)

Participatory and socially engaged art practices have, for a couple of decades, emerged a myriad of aesthetic and methodological strategies across different media. These are artistic practices that have a primary interest in participation, affecting social dynamics, dialogue and at times political activism. Nato Thompson in “Living Form: Socially Engaged Art from 1991-2011” surveys these
practices, which range from theatre to urban planning, visual art to healthcare. Linked to notions such as relational aesthetics (Bourriaud, 1998), community art and public art, socially engaged art often focuses on the development of a sense of ownership by the part of participants. If an artist is working truly collaboratively with participants and addressing the reality of a particular community, the long-term effect of a project lies in the process of engagement as well as in the artwork itself. Projects by New York based artist Pablo Helguera, for example, use different media to engage with social inequalities through participative action while rejecting the notion of art for art sake.

“Socially engaged art functions by attaching itself to subjects and problems that normally belong to other disciplines, moving them temporarily into a space of ambiguity. It is this temporary snatching away of subjects into the realm of art-making that brings new insights to a particular problem or condition and in turn makes it visible to other disciplines.” (Helguera, 2011)

Socially engaged practices develop the notion of artwork about or by a community, to work of a community. In this chapter we address how socially engaged, participatory approaches can form a context for the sonic arts, arguably less explored than practices such as theatre and performance art. The use of sound is clearly present in a wide range of socially engaged work (e.g. Helguera’s “Aelia Media” enabling a nomadic radio station in Bologna or Maria Andueza “Immigrant Sounds – Res(on)Art (Stockholm)” exploring ways of sonically resonating a city, or Sue MacCauley’s “The Housing Project” addressing ways of representing the views of urban dwellers on public scape through sound art. It is nevertheless rare to encounter projects which take our experience of sound in the everyday as a trigger for community social engagement in a participatory context.
We address concepts and methodologies behind the project Som da Maré, a participatory sonic arts project in the favelas of Maré, Rio de Janeiro.

The Local and the Distributed in the Sonic Arts

This paper addresses the relationship between local and distributed strategies with reference to two recent participatory sound art projects in Belfast and Rio de Janeiro. The local concern for site and place is discussed and juxtaposed with distributed practices, which,by definition question and extend the very notion of site or locale. I refer to examples from ethnomusicology, anthropology and education in which participative horizontal research methodologies lead to a dynamic articulation of local conditions and allow for a reflection on how technology impacts on social interaction and relationships with place. The works of Samuel Araújo, Georgina Born and Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire provide a framework of reference in this context.

Can the European low-cost airline boom continue? Implications for regional airports

At a time when the traditional major airlines have struggled to remain viable, the low-cost carriers have become the major success story of the European airline industry. This paper looks behind the headlines to show that although low-cost airlines have achieved much, they too have potential weaknesses and face a number of challenges in the years ahead. The secondary and regional airports that have benefited from low-cost carrier expansion are shown to be vulnerable to future changes in airline economics, government policy and patterns of air service. An analysis of routes from London demonstrates that the low-cost airlines have been more successful in some markets than others. To attractive and historically under-served leisure destinations in Southern Europe they have stimulated dramatic growth and achieved a dominant position. To major hub cities however they typically remain marginal players and to secondary points in Northern Europe their traffic has been largely diverted from existing operators. There is also evidence that the UK market is becoming saturated and new low-cost services are poaching traffic from other low-cost routes. Passenger compensation legislation and possible environmental taxes will hit the low-cost airline industry disproportionately hard. The high elasticities of demand to price in certain markets that these airlines have exploited will operate in reverse. One of the major elements of the low-cost business model involves the use of smaller uncongested airports. These offer faster turn-arounds and lower airport charges. In many cases, local and regional government has been willing to subsidise expansion of air services to assist with economic development or tourism objectives. However, recent court cases against Ryanair now threaten these financial arrangements. The paper also examines the catchment areas for airports with low-cost service. It is shown that as well as stimulating local demand, much traffic is captured from larger markets nearby through the differential in fare levels. This has implications for surface transport, as access to these regional airports often involves long journeys by private car. Consideration is then given to the feasibility of low-cost airlines expanding into the long-haul market or to regional operations with small aircraft. Many of the cost advantages are more muted on intercontinental services.

Étude des mécanismes moléculaires induits par Sonic hedgehog lors du guidage axonal des neurones commissuraux de la moelle épinière

Le morphogène Sonic hedgehog (Shh) est requis pour le guidage axonal des neurones commissuraux lors du développement de la moelle épinière, phénomène impliquant des événements de réorganisation du cytosquelette d’actine. Bien qu’il soit généralement admis que le cytosquelette d’actine soit régulé via les petites GTPases de la famille Rho, un effet de Shh sur ces protéines n’a jamais été observé dans aucun contexte physiologique. Nous démontrons que Shh active les petites GTPases Rac1 et Cdc42 et que cette activation est rapide et donc, compatible avec les effets de guidage induits par Shh sur les neurones commissuraux. En parallèle, nous avons étudié l’activation de la protéine Boc, qui est un récepteur de Shh requis pour le guidage axonal des neurones commissuraux. Ces résultats contribuent à raffiner notre compréhension de la transduction cellulaire induite par Shh lors du guidage axonal des neurones commissuraux.

Étude de la signalisation Sonic Hedgehog dans le guidage des axones de la rétine lors de l’établissement de la vision binoculaire

Chez les animaux à vision binoculaire, la vision tridimensionnelle permet la perception de la profondeur grâce à l'intégration de l'information visuelle en provenance des deux yeux. La première étape de cette intégration est rendue possible anatomiquement par la ségrégation des axones controlatéraux et ipsilatéraux des cellules ganglionnaires de la rétine (CGR) au niveau du chiasma optique. Les axones controlatéraux croisent la ligne médiane au chiasma en route du nerf optique vers le cerveau. À l’inverse, les axones ipsilatéraux s'écartent du chiasma et continuent dans le tractus optique ipsilatéral, en évitant la ligne médiane vers leurs cibles cérébrales. Les mécanismes moléculaires à la base de ce phénomène ne sont pas complètement compris. Les études présentées dans cette thèse montrent que Boc, le récepteur de Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) dans le guidage axonal, est enrichi dans les CGRs ipsilatérales de la rétine en développement. La présence de Shh sur la ligne médiane, et le mode d'expression complémentaire du récepteur nous ont conduit à émettre l'hypothèse que Shh pourrait repousser les axones ipsilatéraux au niveau du chiasma en activant le récepteur Boc. Conformément à cette hypothèse, nous avons constaté que seulement les CGR exprimant Boc se rétractent in vitro en réponse à Shh et que cette réponse est perdue dans les CGR mutantes pour Boc. In vivo, nous démontrons que Boc est requis pour la ségrégation normale des axones ipsilatéraux au niveau du chiasma optique et, inversement, que l'expression ectopique de Boc dans les CGR contralatérales empêche leurs axones de traverser le chiasma optique. Dans l’ensemble, ces résultats suggèrent que Shh repousse les axones ipsilatéraux au niveau du chiasma optique par son récepteur Boc. Cette première partie de notre travail identifie un nouveau couple ligand-récepteur requis pour la ségrégation des axones au niveau du chiasma optique. Une interaction moléculaire impliquée dans cette ségrégation implique l’éphrine-B2 et ses récepteurs EphB (EphB1). Dans la deuxième partie de notre travail, nous montrons, in vivo, en utilisant des souris doubles et quadruples mutantes pour les récepteurs Boc, EphB1 ou les trois récepteurs EphB, que l’abrogation des deux voies de signalisation Shh et éphrine-B2 conduit à l'absence de projections ipsilatérales. Ceci indique que les deux signalisations agissent de façon indépendante dans des voies parallèles. De manière intéressante, ces souris mutantes ont été utilisées comme modèle génétique pour démontrer des défauts dans la perception de la profondeur de champs chez des animaux dépourvus de projections visuelles ipsilatérales. Ainsi, les travaux présentés dans cette thèse démontrent pour la première fois que la formation des projections rétiniennes ipsilatérales est essentielle à l’établissement de la vision binoculaire et dépend des voies induites par les récepteurs d’éphrine-B2 et Shh.

Baby-boom, baby-bust and the Great Depression

The baby-boom and subsequent baby-bust have shaped much of the history of the second half of the 20th century; yet it is still largely unclear what caused them. This paper presents a new unified explanation of the fertility Boom-Bust that links the latter to the Great Depression and the subsequent economic recovery. We show that the 1929 Crash attracted young married women 20 to 34 years old in 1930 (whom we name D-cohort) in the labor market possibly via an added worker effect. Using several years of Census micro data, we further document that the same cohort kept entering into the market in the 1940s and 1950s as economic conditions improved, decreasing wages and reducing work incentives for younger women. Its retirement in the late 1950s and in the 1960s instead freed positions and created employment opportunities. Finally, we show that the entry of the D-cohort is associated with increased births in the 1950s, while its retirement turned the fertility Boom into a Bust in the 1960s. The work behavior of this cohort explains a large share of the changes in both yearly births and completed fertility of all cohorts involved.

Literatura y política en Argentina, entre el "boom" y la posmodernidad

Màster Oficial en Construcció i Representació d'Identitats Curturals (CRIC), Curs 2008-2009, Directora: Dra. Nora Elena Catelli Quiroga

Drastic variation in the surface boundary layer parameters over Cochin during the annular solar eclipse: Analysis using sonic anemometer data

Atmospheric surface boundary layer parameters vary anomalously in response to the occurrence of annular solar eclipse on 15th January 2010 over Cochin. It was the longest annular solar eclipse occurred over South India with high intensity. As it occurred during the noon hours, it is considered to be much more significant because of its effects in all the regions of atmosphere including ionosphere. Since the insolation is the main driving factor responsible for the anomalous changes occurred in the surface layer due to annular solar eclipse, occurred on 15th January 2010, that played very important role in understanding dynamics of the atmosphere during the eclipse period because of its coincidence with the noon time. The Sonic anemometer is able to give data of zonal, meridional and vertical wind as well as the air temperature at a temporal resolution of 1 s. Different surface boundary layer parameters and turbulent fluxes were computed by the application of eddy correlation technique using the high resolution station data. The surface boundary layer parameters that are computed using the sonic anemometer data during the period are momentum flux, sensible heat flux, turbulent kinetic energy, frictional velocity (u*), variance of temperature, variances of u, v and w wind. In order to compare the results, a control run has been done using the data of previous day as well as next day. It is noted that over the specified time period of annular solar eclipse, all the above stated surface boundary layer parameters vary anomalously when compared with the control run. From the observations we could note that momentum flux was 0.1 Nm 2 instead of the mean value 0.2 Nm-2 when there was eclipse. Sensible heat flux anomalously decreases to 50 Nm 2 instead of the mean value 200 Nm 2 at the time of solar eclipse. The turbulent kinetic energy decreases to 0.2 m2s 2 from the mean value 1 m2s 2. The frictional velocity value decreases to 0.05 ms 1 instead of the mean value 0.2 ms 1. The present study aimed at understanding the dynamics of surface layer in response to the annular solar eclipse over a tropical coastal station, occurred during the noon hours. Key words: annular solar eclipse, surface boundary layer, sonic anemometer

Organized Retail Market Boom and the Indian Society

IT and related services played a major role for India’s current 9.2. GDP growth. Organized retailing in India is one more example for its open economy. The IT industries where able develop a demand for Indian talents all over the world and improved their living standards. It directly impacts only a small minority of Indian population while organized retail affects every single Indian and every sector of Indian society. The paper gives a glimpse of the slow evolution of retail market over the years in India and its contribution for economic growth. The likely positive impact of this revolution in different sectors is enumerated. Paper addresses its ability to manipulate consumption pattern of society, increased customer satisfaction and likely change in the market shares of the different types of sellers. Paper discusses its flip sides like increasing social tension among families below poverty line and greater loss of self employment opportunities by this revolution. The main theme of enquiry of this paper is what it all means for the Indian society.

Sonic Labyrinths - 3 upon a ground (dance mix)

Electronic music based on an algorithm, but with a good deal of human influence. See other items with keywords 'sonic labyrinths' for details.

Sonic Labyrinths

A web page describing how the music was composed, including a diagram of the labyrinth that forms its basis.

Sonic Labyrinths - 3 upon a ground (minimal mix)

Electronic music based on an algorithm, but with a good deal of human influence. See other items with keywords 'sonic labyrinths' for details.

El boom dels fems. 'El boom de la basura'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación