Arising out of the avant-garde jazz tradition, a particular genre of solo saxophone music has emerged that combines stylistic attributes of avant-garde jazz and improvisation with minimalism, and is dependent on circular breathing, harmonic manipulation, and other techniques. To distinguish the music and the saxophonists and composers associated with it I have referred to this genre as "post avant-garde." With its roots ultimately in avant-garde jazz of the 1960s, this genre arose through the solo improvisation work of Evan Parker from the 1970s to present, and the music has since been an influence on the work of Colin Stetson and other artists, as well as composers including Gordon Fitzell and Alex Mincek. This document examines a previously unacknowledged but distinct genre of solo saxophone music, as well as the music of associated artists and composers.

Introduction and rationale: Clinical experience with infants presenting with feeding difficulties and increasing referrals of infants with colic led to this study. There is uncertainty whether the speechlanguage therapist should play a role in the management of this condition. Despite extensive clinical research into the multiple factors related to the condition, the etiology of infantile colic has not yet been established. Suck- swallow-breathing coordination (SSBC), which is key to successful feeding, has not yet been investigated as a factor in this condition. Goals: The goal of the study was to give a comprehensive description of the symptoms and the SSBC of a group of young infants with colic. Sub-goal 1 was to compile a list of symptoms based on a description by parents of infants with infantile colic, which could be used to compare symptoms of a group of infants with the condition to a group without the condition. Sub-goal 2 was to describe SSBC, in a group of infants with the condition, by conducting a clinical assessment. Sub-goal 3 was to compare SSBC in a group of infants with colic to a group without the condition of the same age. Method: A descriptive survey design and interview guide was used in Phase 1. The parents of 60 infants with colic participated in this study. A correlation research design (Phase 2) and the List of symptoms for Infantile Colic (compiled in Phase 1) as well as the Assessment Protocol for SSBC (compiled in Phase 2) were used. A new research group of 50 participants with infantile colic and a control group of 28 participants with the condition, whose ages correlated with those of the research group, was selected. An interview was conducted with the parents of all participants. SSBC was clinically assessed in all the participants. Results: Parental description of infantile colic resulted in a comprehensive list of 27 symptoms. Audible swallowing of air and a feeding duration of more than 20 minutes were described more by parents than found in the literature. Statistically significant differences were found when the postural control and SSBC of the research group were compared with the control group. The difficulties with SSBC differed across the age categories of the participants. Conclusion: The study indicated that infantile colic is related to a disturbance in postural control and components of SSBC, and infants with the condition have subtle feeding difficulties. The speech-language therapist therefore has a role to play in the clinical assessment of infantile colic and the development of treatment strategies. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MA / Unrestricted

The use of the Alexander Technique in teaching, performing and practicing the flute is investigated, in order to determine how to apply the Technique to the art of producing a good flute tone. The author's application of the Alexander Technique to teaching and playing the flute is described. Knowledge was acquired both through doing case studies on two flute pupils, and through the integration of personal experience, gained through taking Alexander Technique lessons, into flute lessons. This is set out in detail. The decision to work intensively on the technique of sound production on the flute, made the author aware of the fact that we. as teachers and performers, encounter a large number of different problems in teaching and playing. Matters are complicated by a pupil's eagerness and "wanting to do things right". This can cause a certain amount of apprehension and even anxiety. Often the habits which inhibit progress prove very difficult for the teacher to correct. This study is aimed at detecting and solving these problems by using the Alexander Technique; hopefully leading to a better understanding of how the Technique can be applied to flute teaching and playing. Posture, breathing and embouchure control are specifically addressed. For the teacher or performer who has little understanding of his/her own problems in playing the flute - e.g. in coping with the loss of a good tone caused by stage fright and other anxieties - the use of the Alexander Technique can mean the creation a new sense of physical freedom and mental flexibility. A knowledge of how to work on changing faulty habits and the creating of new and better means of body use, can be gained through the taking of Alexander IV Technique lessons. The general principles and various applications of the Technique are described. The problems musicians face - e.g. postural problems from sitting or standing for hours while practicing the instrument, instrument-specific problems such as pain in the arms or shoulders, or physical tension caused by anxiety - are all habitual difficulties which can be detected, weakened and, hopefully, even erased through the use of the Alexander Technique. This study aims to show that mind-body awareness work is fundamental for the teacher, the pupil and the performer. Very often, what appear to be simple problems in musical performance are bound to deeply-felt and long-standing emotions and experiences. Therefore, the seemingly simple problems associated with producing a good flute tone cannot be addressed without dealing with the person as a whole. It is thus crucial for us as musicians to attend to the whole person - as we practice, perform and teach. This study attempts to lead musicians to a better understanding of all facets of themselves and others, through the application of the Alexander Technique. / Dissertation (MMus (Performing Arts))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Music / unrestricted

Cette thèse présente une étude acoustique des instruments de musique de type flûte, enrichie par l'analyse de la respiration chez les flûtistes.Le flûtiste acquiert au cours de son parcours musical un contrôle expert du jeu de son instrument. Les contrôles développés par le musicien dépendent des libertés et contraintes apportées par son expertise musicale, sa physiologie respiratoire, la consigne musicale et la réponse acoustique de la flûte. Etudier les techniques de jeu nécessite de considérer le flûtiste et son instrument comme un ensemble.D'une part, ce travail porte sur l'étude de la réponse acoustique de la flûte à travers deux études: l'une concernant l'apport de l'acoustique linéaire lors de la conception d'un nouvel instrument par un facteur, l'autre portant sur l'influence de la position des lèvres du flûtiste. Ce travail permet de mettre en lumière les irrégularités du comportement acoustique de la flûte selon le doigté et amène à étudier comment le flûtiste les compense.D'autre part, nous étudions les stratégies respiratoires développées par le musicien au cours du jeu, afin d'obtenir une analyse et une compréhension fines des relations entre les paramètres de contrôle respiratoires et aéro-acoustiques dans un contexte musical. Nous répondons à deux questions : comment le flûtiste adapte sa respiration aux consignes musicales, et quand commence le jeu musical. Enfin, nous nous sommes intéressés aux efforts respiratoires développés par le musicien, en termes de travail et puissance. Une nouvelle question est posée : comment le flûtiste met à profit son système respiratoire afin de réaliser et/ou de faire entendre une intention musicale. / This thesis presents an acoustical study of flute-like instruments, which is developed by the analysis of flautist’s breathing. The flautist acquires during his musical background an expert control of his instrument. The control developed by the musician directly depends on the freedoms and constraints provided by the musician musical expertise, his respiratory physiology, the musical tasks and the acoustic behavior of the flute. Studying the playing techniques requires us to consider the flautist and the instrument as a whole.First, this work focuses on the study of the acoustic response of the flute through two studies: one on the contribution of the linear acoustics in the design of a new instrument with a flute-maker, the other on the influence of the position of the flautist’s lips. This work allows us to highlight irregularities in the acoustic behavior of the flute according to the fingerings, and leads us to study how the flautist compensates them. Secondly, we study the respiratory strategies developed by the musician while playing, in order to obtain detailed analysis and understanding of relationships between respiratory and aeroacoustic control parameters in a musical context. We answer two questions: how does a flute player adapt his breathing and playing to musical tasks, and when does the musical playing begin. Finally, we were interested in the respiratory efforts developed by the musician, in terms of work and power. A new question is asked: how does the flautist use his respiratory system in order to achieve and/or to highlight a musical intention.

L'imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM) de diffusion est une technique permettant de sensibiliser un signal de résonance magnétique au mouvement brownien des molécules d'eau. Cette méthode a été utilisée pour accéder à l'information structurelle des tissus en neurologie et est devenu un outil crucial de prise en charge des patients à la phase aigüe de l'accident vasculaire cérébral pour la détection de la zone d'ischémie cérébrale. Il est pressenti que de disposer de ce type d'imagerie en cardiologie pourrit compléter avantageusement les outils d'IRM cardiaque pour le diagnostic de pathologie cardiovasculaire courantes, à la phase aigüe ou chronique de l'infarctus du myocarde mais aussi pour le suivi de toutes cardiomyopathies. Cependant cette technique, sensible au mouvement des molécules d'eau, est confrontée en cardiologie aux mouvements cardiaques et respiratoires. Les méthodes présentées actuellement dans la littérature pour faire face à ces mouvements nécessitent des temps d'acquisition considérables et donc incompatible avec une application clinique de l'IRM de diffusion en cardiologie. L'objectif de la thèse est de développer l'IRM de diffusion cardiaque compatible avec les contraintes clinique pour en permettre le transfert vers une application en routine clinique. Notre travail s'est tout d'abord concentré sur le développement d'une technique séquence et d'une stratégie d'acquisition en respiration libre permettant une acquisition continue pendant toute la totalité du cycle respiratoire. Cette séquence de diffusion, utilise l'écho navigateur, image 1D fournissant prospectivement l'information de position de l'interface foie/poumon en temps réel, pour adapter en temps réel la position de coupe en fonction de la phase respiratoire, permettant ainsi de compenser le déplacement tête-pied du coeur induit par la respiration. Cette méthode appelé « slice-following » a été validée pour l'imagerie de diffusion cardiaque dans une étude de reproductibilité conduite sur 10 volontaires / Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging is a technic allowing a sensitization of the magnetic resonance signal to Brownian motion of water molecules. This method was used to probe structural information of tissue in neuroimaging and became a tool of paramount importance in the management of patient with acute cerebral vascular accident for the detection of ischemic cerebral zone. The motivation is high to develop diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in cardiology which could complete actual cardiac MR method for the diagnostic of acute infarct or myocarditis. However this technique is very sensitive to motion and face in cardiology to breathing and cardiac motion. Until now, the methods proposed to take care of these motions increased considerably the scan time and are not compatible with clinical constraints. The aim of this thesis is to develop cardiac diffusion magnetic resonance imaging compatible with such constraints which could be used for clinical applications. We proposed a new approach of free-breathing technique allowing scanning during all the respiratory cycle. This new diffusion sequence is based on echo navigator, a 1D image given prospectively and in real time the lung/liver interface. The information given by the navigator is used to adapt the slice position according to breathing phase in real time. This method called “slice-following” correct the head foot displacement of the heart induced by the breathing and was validated on a reproducibility study on 10 volunteers

Structural health monitoring systems have a great potential for cost saving and safety improvement in different types of structures. One of the most important tasks of these systems is to identify damage at an early stage of its development. A variety of methods may be used to identify, locate, or quantify the extent of damage or fault in a structural or mechanical component. However, the preferable method is the one which maximises the probability of detecting the flaw, while also considering feasibility of in-situ testing, ease of use and economic factors. Cracks are one of the common defects in structural components that may ultimately lead to failure of structures if not detected. The presence of cracks in a structure brings about local variations in the stiffness of the structure. These variations cause the dynamic behaviour of the cracked structure to be different from that of a healthy one. Vibration-based damage detection methods have attracted considerable attention over the past few decades. These methods generally use changes to the physical properties of structures for the purpose of crack detection. In this thesis, two new vibration-based methods have been developed for damage detection in beam-like and rotor-type structures. The first method performs the entire signal processing required for crack detection in time domain. It is based on assessing the normality of vibration responses using the normal probability plot (NPP). The amount of deviation between the actual and normal distribution of measured vibration responses was calculated along the length of the structure to localise the crack. The second proposed method converts the vibration responses into frequency domain for further processing. Excitation of the cracked structure at a given frequency always generates higher harmonic components of the exciting frequency due to the breathing of the crack. This method uses the operational deflection shape of the structure at the exciting frequency and its higher harmonics to identify the crack location. Avoiding complicated signal processing in frequency domain is the main advantage of the first method. However, more precise identification of crack locations can be obtained through the second method. Generally, both methods have the advantage of being easy, reference-free and applicable to in-situ testing for any structure. The concept and computational approach of both methods along with their validations through numerical and experimental examples have been presented. Moreover, different input excitations have been used to evaluate the capability of the developed methods in detecting the crack location(s).

Contact-less human detection and monitoring using radar technology has been recently applied in many areas including search-and-rescue for earthquake victims, fall detection, gait analysis and detection of other human activities. Radars can also provide important information about a persons state of health by monitoring the level of activities, heart and breathing rate. Also it can be used to generate warnings if some of the monitored parameters are outside of predefined limits. The major application of this work is for monitoring in-mates and their activities. This thesis deals with characterizing the performance of the radar system used for monitoring a single person in a contained environment. This thesis is experimentally based and during the thesis a large number of experiments were performed in order to monitor subjects in realistic conditions. The thesis explores feasibility of using the radar with a single radio-frequency channel input and two algorithms for breathing and heart rate estimation when the subject is at different relative orientation towards the radar as well as in different postures. Algorithm one is using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) and algorithm two is using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) with Minkowski distance. We also detect the zones where the subject is when the subject is moving. Since this exploratory analysis provides initial features for classifications and algorithms for breathing and heart beat estimation, it can represent a foundation for future works on designing systems that track subjects and their breathing in real-time.

O Transtorno Bipolar (TB) é uma das doenças mais incapacitantes no mundo. É frequentemente acompanhado de comorbidades, tanto clínicas quanto psiquiátricas. Ansiedade é uma das comorbidades mais prevalente em TB, e o tratamento é difícil, pois as medicações podem induzir mania. Portanto, os métodos alternativos com potencial para melhorar sintomas ansiosos são muito importantes. Respiração profunda (RP) é uma técnica simples, que não necessita de grandes investimentos, não precisa de espaço específico. A respiração profunda tem grande potencial para o tratamento de transtornos psicológicos, porém a literatura ainda carece de avaliações dos benefícios e um protocolo definido de RP, com tempo de duração e frequência dos exercícios respiratórios. Essa dissertação tem como objetivo geral avaliar os efeitos de um protocolo de exercícios de respiração profunda em pacientes com Transtorno Bipolar. Os pacientes realizaram sete encontros, sendo três destes para avaliação (antes e após aplicação do protocolo e um mês após protocolo) e quatro para intervenção. Foi utilizado o programa estatístico R para compilação e análise dos dados. Vinte pacientes aceitaram participar do estudo e realizaram a avaliação pré-intervenção, porém quatorze pacientes completaram o protocolo, sendo que 3 desistiram devido a questões de logística e 3 foram excluídos do estudo por não atenderem todos os critérios de inclusão. As escalas HAM-A, BECK-A, HAM-D e YMRS tiveram diferenças significativas pré, pós-intervenção e follow-up. Os resultados indicam que o protocolo de Respiração Profunda é efetivo na redução dos níveis de ansiedade em pacientes com Transtorno Bipolar. O protocolo de Respiração Profunda não tem efeitos colaterais e pode ser aplicado para aliviar os sintomas de ansiedade em pacientes com Transtorno Bipolar. / Bipolar Disorder (BD) is one of the most disabling diseases in the world. It is often accompanied by comorbidities, both clinical and psychiatric. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent comorbidities in BD, and treatment is difficult as medications can induce mania. Therefore, alternative methods with potential for improving anxiety symptoms are very important. Deep breathing (DB) is a simple technique that does not require large investments, does not need specific space. Deep breathing has great potential for the treatment of psychological disorders, but the literature still lacks benefits assessments and a defined DB protocol, with duration and frequency of breathing exercises. This project aims to evaluate the effects of a protocol of deep breathing exercises in patients with Bipolar Disorder. The patients performed seven meetings, three of which were for evaluation (before and after the application of the protocol and one day after the protocol) and four for the intervention. The statistical program R was used for data compilation and analysis. Twenty patients accepted to participate in the study and carried out the pre-intervention evaluation, but fourteen patients completed the protocol, three of whom gave up due to logistics issues and three were excluded from the study because they did not meet all the inclusion criteria. The HAM-A, BECK-A, HAM-D and YMRS scales had significant pre, post-intervention, and follow-up differences. The results indicate that the Deep Breathing protocol is effective in reducing anxiety levels in patients with Bipolar Disorder. The Deep Breathing protocol has no negative side effects and can be applied to alleviate anxiety symptoms in patients with Bipolar Disorder.

Une étude des modes d'oscillations d'une gaz de Bose unidimensionnel dans la piège est présentée. Les oscillations sont initiées par une changement instantanée de la fréquence de piégeage. Dans la thèse il est considéré d'un gaz de Bose quantique 1D dans un piège parabolique à la température nulle, et il est expliqué, analytiquement et numériquement, comment la fréquence d'oscillation dépend du nombre de particules, leur interaction répulsive, et les paramètres de piège. Nous sommes concentres sur la description spectrale, en utilisant les règles de somme. La fréquence d'oscillation est identifiée comme la différence d'énergie entre l'état fondamental et un état excité donne. L'existence de trois régimes est démontrée, à savoir le régime de Tonks, le régime de Thomas-Fermi et le régime de Gauss. La transition entre les régime de Tonks et de Thomas-Fermi est décrite dans l'approximation de la densité locale (LDA). Pour la transition entre le régime de Thomas-Fermi et le régime de Gauss l'approximation de Hartree est utilisée. Dans les deux cas, nous avons calculé les paramètres pour quelles les transitions se produisent. Les simulations extensif de Monte Carlo de diffusion pour un gaz contenant jusqu'à N = 25 particules ont été effectuées. Lorsque le nombre de particules augmente, les prédictions des simulations convergent vers celles d'Hartree et LDA dans ces régimes. Cela rend les résultats des modes d'oscillation applicables pour des valeurs arbitraires du nombre de particule et de l'interaction. L'analyse est complétée par les résultats perturbatifs dans les cas limites avec N finis. La théorie prédit le comportement réentrant de la fréquence de mode d'oscillation lors de la transition du régime de Tonks au régime de Gauss et explique bien les données de l'expérience récente du groupe d'Innsbruck. / A study of breathing oscillations of a one-dimensional trapped interacting Bose gas is presented. Oscillations are initiated by an instantaneous change of the trapping frequency. In the thesis a 1D quantum Bose gas in a parabolic trap at zero temperature is considered, and it is explained, analytically and numerically, how the oscillation frequency depends on the number of particles, their repulsive interaction, and the trap parameters. We have focused on the many-body spectral description, using the sum rules approximation. The oscillation frequency is identified as the energy difference between the ground state and a particular excited state. The existence of three regimes is demonstrated, namely the Tonks regime, the Thomas-Fermi regime and the Gaussian regime. The transition from the Tonks to the Thomas-Fermi regime is described in the terms of the local density approximation (LDA). For the description of the transition from the Thomas-Fermi to the Gaussian regime the Hartree approximation is used. In both cases the parameters where the transitions happen are found. The extensive diffusion Monte Carlo simulations for a gas containing up to N = 25 particles is performed. As the number of particles increases, predictions from the simulations converge to the ones from the Hartree and LDA in the corresponding regimes. This makes the results for the breathing mode frequency applicable for arbitrary values of the particle number and interaction. The analysis is completed with the finite N perturbative results in the limiting cases. The theory predicts the reentrant behavior of the breathing mode frequency when moving from the Tonks to the Gaussian regime and fully explains the recent experiment of the Innsbruck group.

Les troubles respiratoires du sommeil, notamment le syndrome d’apnée du sommeil, représentent un problème de santé publique. Ils contribuent aux symptômes diurnes comme la somnolence sévère et sont associés à des maladies chroniques.Depuis quelques années, une variété d’appareils de traitement ventilatoire a été développée pour traiter les troubles respiratoires du sommeil, principalement les maladies liées à l’obstruction de la voie aérienne supérieure (apnée obstructive) ou à la commande centrale (apnée centrale). Ces appareils fonctionnent suivant des principes différents, en raison de leurs propres algorithmes, qui sont souvent mal connus et protégés par les fabricants. Les évaluations des appareils de ventilation sont effectuées pendant les traitements cliniques chez des patients. Il est donc difficile de comparer ces différents appareils dans les mêmes conditions à cause des variabilités inter- et intra-patient. Un banc d’essai pourrait permettre de tester les réponses des appareils dans les conditions standardisées et reproductibles.Cette thèse a consisté à construire un banc d’essai qui permet de reproduire les signaux de patients et de respecter de la physiologie humaine. La réaction du banc d’essai prend aussi en compte la réaction de l’appareil à tester sur le système, i.e., ce modèle fonctionne en « boucle fermée ». Avec le banc d’essai construit, les différentes machines de pression positive continue (PPC) autopilotée disponibles sur le marché ont été évaluées pour leurs algorithmes ainsi pour leurs modes confort. De plus, trois machines de ventilation auto-asservie (ASV) ont été soumises aux différents événements respiratoires du sommeil créés par un autre modèle d’un principe similaire. Nous avons montré que les machines de PPC autopilotée ne sont pas équivalentes pour l’efficacité du traitement et la précision des données du rapport. Les modes confort pourraient éventuellement dégrader l’efficacité du traitement de PPC si la pression thérapeutique n’est pas ajustée lors de leur introduction au traitement. Pour les machines ASV, leurs réponses ne sont pas suffisantes pour normaliser la respiration et les réglages des machines peuvent influencer l’efficacité du traitement. Les résultats pourraient compléter les données cliniques et fournir une option complémentaire pour le processus futur de certification de ces dispositifs médicaux. / Sleep disordered breathing including sleep apnea is a major public health problem. It contributes to daytime sleepiness and is associated with chronic diseases. In recent years, a variety of ventilation devices have been developed with the objective of treating sleep disorders related to the upper airway obstruction (obstructive apnea) or the central command (central apnea). These devices operate with different algorithms, which are little known and protected by the device manufacturers. Since most devices are evaluated during patient treatment, it is difficult to compare them in the same conditions due to inter- and intra-patient variability. Bench test has been proposed to evaluate the device responses in standardized and reproducible conditions. This thesis was aimed to develop a respiratory bench model able to reproduce patients’ signals and also in concordance with human physiology. The bench model can take into account the pressure responses of tested devices and works in a “closed loop” setting.With this bench model, several commercially available auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure devices were evaluated for their auto-titration algorithms as well as their pressure-relief modes. Also, three adaptive servo-ventilation devices were evaluated by subjecting various sleep disordered breathing events that were generated by another bench model of a similar principle. We demonstrated that eleven auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure devices were not equivalent in terms of their treatment efficacy and the data accuracy in the device report. The pressure-relief modes may attenuate the efficacy if not adjusted at the time of their introduction. The responses of adaptive servo-ventilation devices were not sufficient to normalize the breathing flow and their efficacy depended on the initial settings.The current certification process of these ventilatory devices, which focus mainly on clinical aspects, may be completed by the results of our bench.