Bedömningsportfölj, en studie om elevers reflektioner över ämnet musik i årskurs5 och 6, behandlar mellanstadieelevers arbete med portföljer under en period iskolan. Syftet är att studera hur elevernas reflekterande förmåga kan utvecklas närde skriver en bedömningsportfölj. För att göra detta har elever fått föraportföljanteckningar under varje vecka projektet pågått. Till studien hör ocksåfokusgrupper som arrangerats i slutet av perioden, för att ge en mer allmän inblicki elevernas upplevelse av att arbeta med portföljer. Resultatet visar på djupareförståelse hos eleverna för sitt musikaliska arbete och på förmågor att identifieraoch lösa problem. De kan även formulera förbättringsområden hos sig själva och igruppen, samt föreslå förbättringar. Dessutom kan eleverna identifiera det som deuppskattar i sina arbeten. Vikten av det sociala samspelet mellan eleverna och hurdet kunde påverka lärandet kom också fram i studien. Portföljerna ger en brainblick i elevernas tankegångar och kompletterar det som hörs och syns pålektionerna.

Understanding the energetic and dynamic behavior of natural protein fluctuations is critical to elucidating important information associated with a multitude of protein functions including signaling processes, enzyme behavior, aggregation pathways etc... This information is also critically important in the development of novel and effective strategies aimed at target proteins associated with pathologies and disease. In order to obtain such useful information, tools and techniques are lacking that: 1) permit the efficient quantitative analysis of fluctuation behavior of existing protein structure ensembles and 2) permit computationally generated natural fluctuation states of proteins at relatively large timescales demanded by the need for biologically relevant results. This thesis presents such methods as well as the results of their application to a case study of Aβ40 and pathogenic Aβ42 where we identify key differences in energy interactions between those two isoforms. Additionally, our detailed atom-level analysis, was able to identify very minute differences in Ramachandran angles between the two strains as the cause for these interaction energy differences. We also demonstrate the efficacy of our implicit solvent algorithm in recovering independently, experimentally identified domain motion over a variety of protein systems. Such a system that is medically significant is the HIV-1 protease for which we identified significant motion of a flap domain known to be pharmaceutically important to the protease’s active site in drug targeting strategies. Lastly, we employ the insights thus acquired from the Aβ40/42 case study to see if Aβ42 aggregation inhibitors can be rationally developed and then tested in vitro for their efficacy. Results were very promising with Aβ42 aggregate sizes being significantly reduced by statistically significant margins by the inhibitor compounds. Due to these encouraging results, we have consequently obtained a provisional patent application for our inhibitors.

En la actualidad, no existe gran variedad de herramientas que permitan a la comunidad de desarrolladores Android implementar aplicaciones orientadas a entornos de múltiples pantallas y que, adicionalmente, les permitan cumplir con lo descrito por Ensemble Interactions y los patrones de diseño definidos para estos entornos, los cuales, en conjunto, son conceptos que proponen el trabajo en conjunto de todos los dispositivos disponibles en un mismo entorno. Por otro lado, de las pocas herramientas que permiten el desarrollo de este tipo de aplicaciones, algunas han sido implementadas por grandes empresas desarrolladoras de dispositivos móviles que limitan sus herramientas para que funcionen únicamente con los dispositivos que le pertenecen. Por todo ello, este trabajo busca implementar una herramienta que permita a la comunidad de desarrolladores Android desarrollar aplicaciones móviles orientadas a entornos de múltiples dispositivos y que se alineen a lo definido por Ensemble Interactions y los patrones de diseño. Dicha herramienta basará la interacción entre los dispositivos sobre una red Wi-Fi sin la necesidad que esta cuente con acceso a internet. Asimismo, esta herramienta estará disponible en dos versiones, una para el desarrollo de aplicaciones Android y otra para el desarrollo de aplicaciones en Samsung Smart TVs. A continuación, en el primer capítulo se expondrá el proyecto y su gestión. Luego, se dará paso al marco teórico sobre el que se basa este trabajo. En el tercer capítulo se analizará a detalle la situación actual de todas herramientas y tecnologías que permiten desarrollar aplicaciones orientadas a entornos de múltiples pantallas. A continuación, en el quinto capítulo describirá la metodología de trabajo empleada en el desarrollo de este proyecto y los resultados obtenidos. En el sexto capítulo se presentará el producto final del trabajo y las medidas de gestión tomadas a lo largo de su desarrollo. Finalmente, se listarán las conclusiones y recomendaciones propuestas con este trabajo.

Connections between athletes and musicians have been drawn recently by scholars, sports psychologists, and musicians. Literature on these connections, however, has focused on individuals rather than exploring connections between teams and ensembles. The broad goal of our study was to determine whether leadership roles like those observed in sports research emerge in chamber music ensembles. We chose to focus on connecting the literatures of leadership in sports and music by using a questionnaire drawn from sports research (Fransen, et al., 2014) in a chamber music setting. Fransen’s model was designed to measure the emergence of four leadership roles (Task, Social, Motivational, and External) in teams. In our study, fifty local musicians responded to an online questionnaire derived from Fransen (2014). We found that all four of Fransen’s leadership roles were identified by respondents as present in chamber ensembles. Respondents were also asked to describe leadership roles in their ensemble that did not fit Fransen’s four leadership roles, where such existed. From their responses, we postulate the roles of “organizational leader” and “leader by example” in chamber ensembles. We interpreted the organizational leader to be an extension of Fransen’s “external leadership” role. We interpret he leader by example role to be a set of attributes as predictors of shared leadership in individuals, rather than as a separate leadership role. In light of our findings, we offer suggestions for improving the functioning of chamber ensembles and for future research in this topic.

We study diversity in classifier ensembles from a broader perspectivethan the 0/1 loss function, the main reason being that the bias-variance decomposition of the 0/1 loss function is not unique, and therefore the relationship between ensemble accuracy and diversity is still unclear. In the parallel field of regression ensembles, where the loss function of interest is the mean squared error, this decomposition not only exists, but it has been shown that diversity can be managed via the Negative Correlation (NC) framework. In the field of probabilistic modelling the expected value of the negative log-likelihood loss function is given by its conditional entropy; this result suggests that interaction information might provide some insight into the trade off between accuracy and diversity. Our objective is to improve our understanding of classifier diversity by focusing on two different loss functions - the mean squared error and the negative log-likelihood. In a study of mean squared error functions, we reformulate the Tumer & Ghosh model for the classification error as a regression problem, and we show how the NC learning framework can be deployed to manage diversity in classification problems. In an empirical study of classifiers that minimise the negative log-likelihood loss function, we discuss model diversity as opposed to error diversity in ensembles of Naive Bayes classifiers. We observe that diversity in low-variance classifiers has to be structurally inferred. We apply interaction information to the problem of monitoring diversity in classifier ensembles. We present empirical evidence that interaction information can capture the trade-off between accuracy and diversity, and that diversity occurs at different levels of interactions between base classifiers. We use interaction information properties to build ensembles of structurally diverse averaged Augmented Naive Bayes classifiers. Our empirical study shows that this novel ensemble approach is computationally more efficient than an accuracy based approach and at the same time it does not negatively affect the ensemble classification performance.

Musica para dos megainstrumentos y grupo de camara (Music for two Megainstruments and Chamber Ensemble) is a six-section piece written for two violins (treated as a megaviolin), two flutes (treated as a megaflute) and chamber ensemble. Both the form and the different tempi of the piece are determined by the interaction of the two mega-instruments and the ensemble. The piece is an original contribution in its concept and use of the megainstruments. A mega-instrument is composed by two single instruments of the same kind. The main function of the mega-instrument is that of expanding the technical possibilities of the individual instruments that constitute it, as well as creating new possibilities, while keeping, at the same time, the specific characteristics or "personality" of the original instruments. In the Primer ensamble and Segundo ensamble sections the two mega-instruments are incorporated into the ensemble and treated as four individual instruments. The basic pitch structure of the piece is represented by SC [014], which is further organized in a six-note scale that is a member of SC [014589]. The six-note scale (used in the piece as an unordered set) and its three available transpositions create a universe of four pitch regions with two different modulation levels to connect them. Pitch Regions are also used simultaneously in the piece. This procedure (that I have called a multi region) includes harmonic and/or melodic intervals that are not available within single pitch regions. The piece could be defined as atonal or without pitch centers. It is characterized by an interaction of the tempered system and the pitch continuum (microtones and glissandi). / Arts, Faculty of / Music, School of / Graduate

Predicting the location and timing of rainfall events has important social and economic impacts. It is also important to have the ability to predict the amount of rainfall accurately. In operational centres forecasters use deterministic model output data as guidance for a subjective probabilistic rainfall forecast. The aim of this research is to determine the skill in an objective multi-model, multi-institute objective probabilistic forecast system. This was done by obtaining the rainfall forecast of two high-resolution regional models operational in South Africa. The first model is the Unified Model (UM) which is operational at the South African Weather Service. The UM contributed three members which differ in physics, data assimilation techniques and horisontal resolution. The second model is the Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) which is operational at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research which in turn contributed two members to the ensemble system differing in horisontal resolution. A single-model ensemble was constructed for the UM and CCAM models respectively with each of the individual members having equal weights. The UM and CCAM single-model ensemble prediction models have been used in turn to construct a multi-model ensemble prediction system, using simple un-weighted averaging. The multi-model system was used to predict the 24-hour rainfall totals for three austral summer half-year seasons of 2006/07 to 2008/09. The forecast of this system was rigorously tested using observed rainfall data for the same period. From the multi-model system it has been found that the probabilistic forecast has good significant skill in predicting rainfall. The multi-model system proved to have skill and shows discrimination between events and non-events. This study has shown that it is possible to make an objective probabilistic rainfall forecast by constructing a multi-model, multi-institute system with high resolution regional models currently operational in South Africa. Thus, probabilistic rainfall forecasts with usable skill can be made with the use of a multi-model short-range ensemble prediction system over the South African domain. Such a system is not currently operational in South Africa. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / Unrestricted

abstract: Patterns and Soundscapes explores the concept album format, popularized in the late 1960s and into modern times by artists such as the Who, Pink Floyd, and Frank Zappa. Specifically, I sought to adapt this format as a compositional process aimed towards the completion of a large-scale work that can be presented in album format and live performance. Further influenced by the concept album, I sought to create pieces consisting of similar musical techniques, motivic ideas, and harmonic language, so that each piece could be performed on its own or be combined as a multi-movement work. I began writing this work in the spring of 2019, with “Colored Red Currents” for string quartet and “Conspiracy Wall” for two drum sets. After realizing that both pieces had a similar sound and style, I began to consider how they could function within an album format, and how they could also work together to form a large-scale musical work. I then decided that each subsequent piece, in addition to being composed of similar musical ideas, would be written in a manner that allowed for seamless transitions between the end of one and the beginning of another, and would also introduce the instrumentation making up the full ensemble in the last movement. This work begins with the sparkling and rapid string quartet, “Colored Red Currents,” then moves to the energetic and groove based “Conspiracy Wall” for two drum sets, the meditative “Interlude” for solo viola and electronics, and the quick and mechanical “Beat Frequency” for alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and electronics. The work ends with “ALL IN,” where the full ensemble is finally formed, and all of the patterns and soundscapes come together to form a bombastic and wild finale. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Composition 2020

[pt] A classificação de litologias e uma tarefa importante na caracterização de reservatorios de petróleo. Um de seus principais objetivos e dar suporte ao planejamento e as atividades de perfuracao de poços. Dessa forma, quanto mais rapidos e eficazes sejam os algoritmos de classificacao, mais confiavel ser a as decisoes tomadas pelos geologos e geofısicos. Esta dissertação analisa os metodos ensemble aplicados a classificacao automática de litologias. Para isso, foi realizada uma comparação entre classificadores individuais (Support Vector Machine e Multilayer Perceptron) e estes mesmos classificadores com métodos Ensemble (Bagging e Adaboost). Assim, concluımos com uma avaliação comparativa entre as técnicas, bem como apresentamos o trade-off em utilizar métodos Ensemble em substituição aos classificadores individuais. / [en] Lithology classification is an important task in oil reservoir characterization, one of its major purposes is to support well planning and drilling activities. Therefore, faster and more effective classification algorithms will increase the speed and reliability of decisions made by geologists and geophysicists. This work analises ensemble methods applied to automatic lithology classification. For this, we performed a comparison between single classifiers (Support Vector Machine and Multilayer Perceptron) and these classifiers with ensemble methods (Bagging and Boost). Thus, we conclude with a comparative evaluation of techniques and present the trade-off in using Ensemble methods to replace single classifiers.

Of Variegated Shadows is an original composition for wind ensemble. The purpose of the composition is to contribute a work to college level wind ensemble literature which employs established instrumental techniques and explores the various colors or timbres of the ensemble. The work is a single movement of approximately 15 - 20 minutes duration. It is divided into three continuous sections, each reflecting a different character or mood. A transition couples the first and second sections and a coda concludes the composition with a brief return of the opening section. Textures of the piece are transparent with an emphasis given to the blending of different colors in the ensemble. Instrumentation includes antique cymbals, vibraphone and tam-tam to add subtle shades of color. Thematic materials woven into the texture are linearly constructed as well as vertically layered and fragmented. There is no order or system in which pitches occur, although intervals used reflect the motivic structures in the work.