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With the virtual environment developed here, the characteristic
sound radiation patterns of musical instruments can be experienced
in real-time. The user may freely move around a musical instrument, thereby receiving acoustic and visual feedback in real-time. The perception of auditory and visual effects is intensified by the combination of acoustic and visual elements, as well as the option of user interaction. The simulation of characteristic sound radiation patterns is based on interpolating the intensities of a multichannel recording and offers a near-natural mapping of the sound radiation patterns. Additionally, a simple filter has been developed, enabling the qualitative simulation of an instrument’s characteristic sound radiation patterns to be easily implemented within real-time 3D applications. Both methods of simulating sound radiation patterns have been evaluated for a saxophone with respect to their functionality and validity by means of spectral analysis and an auditory experiment.
The Sound Spatialization Framework is a C++ toolkit and development environment for providing advanced sound spatialization for virtual reality and multimedia applications. The Sound Spatialization Framework provides many powerful display and user-interface features not found in other sound spatialization software packages. It provides facilities that go beyond simple sound source spatialization: visualization and editing of the soundscape, multiple sinks, clustering of sound sources, monitoring and controlling resource management, support for various spatialization backends, and classes for MIDI animation and handling.
The Sound Spatialization Framework is a C++ toolkit and development environment for providing advanced sound spatialization for virtual reality and multimedia applications. The Sound Spatialization Framework provides many powerful display and user-interface features not found in other sound spatialization software packages. It provides facilities that go beyond simple sound source spatialization: visualization and editing of the soundscape, multiple sinks, clustering of sound sources, monitoring and controlling resource management, support for various spatialization backends, and classes for MIDI animation and handling.
Keywords:
sound spatialization, resource management, virtual environments, spatial sound authoring, user interface design, human-machine interfaces
In a virtual reality environment users are immersed in a scene with objects which might produce sound. The responsibility of a VR environment is to present these objects, but a system has only limited resources, including spatialization channels (mixels), MIDI/audio channels, and processing power. The sound spatialization resource manager controls sound resources and optimizes fidelity (presence) under given conditions. For that a priority scheme based on human psychophysical hearing is needed. Parameters for spatialization priorities include intensity calculated from volume and distance, orientation in the case of non-uniform radiation patterns, occluding objects, frequency spectrum (low frequencies are harder to localize), expected activity, and others. Objects which are spatially close together (depending on distance and direction) can be mixed. Sources that can not be spatialized can be treated as a single ambient sound source. Important for resource management is the resource assignment, i.e., minimizing swap operations, which makes it desirable to look-ahead and predict upcoming events in a scene. Prediction is achieved by monitoring objects’ speed and past evaluation values. Fidelity is contrasted for Zifferent kind of resource restrictions and optimal resource assignment based upon unlimited dynamic scene look-ahead. To give standard and comparable results, the VRML 2.0 specification is used as an application programmer interface. Applicability is demonstrated with a helical keyboard, a polyphonic MIDI stream driven animation including user interaction (user moves around, playing together with programmed notes). The developed sound spatialization resource manager gives improved spatialization fidelity under runtime constraints. Application programmers and virtual reality scene designers are freed from the burden of assigning and predicting the sound sources.
Using spatial audio successfully for augmented reality (AR) applications is a challenge, but is awarded with an improved user experience. Thus, we have extended the AR/VR framework \sc Morgan with spatial audio to improve users orientation in an AR application. In this paper, we investigate the users’ capability to localize and memorize spatial sounds (registered with virtual or real objects). We discuss two scenarios. In the first scenario, the user localizes only sound sources and in the second scenario the user memorizes the location of audio-visual objects. Our results reflect spatial audio performance within the application domain and show which technology pitfalls still exist. Finally, we provide design recommendations for spatial audio AR environments.
Spatial precision and recall indices to assess the performance of instance segmentation algorithms
(2022)
We present a novel metric Spatial Recall Index to assess the performance of machine-learning (ML) algorithms for automotive applications, focusing on where in the image which performance occurs. Typical metrics like intersection-over-union (IoU), precisionrecallcurves or average precision (AP) quantify the performance over a whole database of images, neglecting spatial performance variations. But as the optics of camera systems are spatially variable over the field of view, the performance of ML-based algorithms is also a function of space, which we show in simulation: A realistic objective lens based on a Cooke-triplet that exhibits typical optical aberrations like astigmatism and chromatic aberration, all variable over field, is modeled. The model is then applied to a subset of the BDD100k dataset with spatially-varying kernels. We then quantify local changes in the performance of the pre-trained Mask R-CNN algorithm. Our examples demonstrate the spatial dependence of the performance of ML-based algorithms from the optical quality over field, highlighting the need to take the spatial dimension into account when training ML-based algorithms, especially when looking forward to autonomous driving applications.
Spec2Vec: Improved mass spectral similarity scoring through learning of structural relationships
(2021)
Spectral similarity is used as a proxy for structural similarity in many tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) based metabolomics analyses such as library matching and molecular networking. Although weaknesses in the relationship between spectral similarity scores and the true structural similarities have been described, little development of alternative scores has been undertaken. Here, we introduce Spec2Vec, a novel spectral similarity score inspired by a natural language processing algorithm-Word2Vec. Spec2Vec learns fragmental relationships within a large set of spectral data to derive abstract spectral embeddings that can be used to assess spectral similarities. Using data derived from GNPS MS/MS libraries including spectra for nearly 13,000 unique molecules, we show how Spec2Vec scores correlate better with structural similarity than cosine-based scores. We demonstrate the advantages of Spec2Vec in library matching and molecular networking. Spec2Vec is computationally more scalable allowing structural analogue searches in large databases within seconds.
Texturen können als Oberflächenstrukturen realer Objekt aufgefasst werden und sind Variationen in Farbe, Geometrie, Transparenz, usw.. Im Gegensatz zu Algorithmen für die künstliche Generierung von Texturen gibt es nur wenige Ansätze zu Textur-Synthese-Sprachen oder zu Hilfsmittel für die Textur-Beschreibung. Die bekannten Werkzeuge decken zudem jeweils nur Teilgebiete der Generierung ab. Mit HiLDTe (Hierachical Language for the Description of Textures) ist nun eine Sprache entwickelt worden, mit der möglichst alle bekannten Texturtypen beschrieben werden können. HiLDTe basiert auf einem am Fachgebiet GRIS entwickelten Texturmodell, in dem Texturen generische, eventuell komplex zusammengesetzte Objekte repräsentieren. Aufgabe dieser Arbeit war es nun, Konzepte für die Sprache HiLDTe zu entwickeln, eine entsprechende Grammatik aufzubauen und mit Hilfe der UNIX-Werkzeuge LEX und YACC einen Compiler zu implementieren, mit dem ein ausführbarer Zwischen-Code für die in HiLDTe spezifizierten Texturen erstellt wird.
A visual and spatial feedback system for orientation in virtual sets of virtual TV studios was developed and evaluated. It is based on a green proxy object, which moves around in the acting space by way of four transparent wires. A separate unit controls four winches and is connected to an engine, which renders the virtual set. A new developed plugin registers a virtual object’s position with the proxy object which imitates the virtual object’s movement on stage. This will allow actors to establish important eye contact with a virtual object and feel more comfortable in a virtual set. Furthermore, interaction with the virtual object and its proxy can be realised through a markerless actor tracking system. Several possible scenarios for user application were recorded and presented to experts in the broadcast industry, who evaluated the potential of SpiderFeedback in interviews and by questionnaires.
Sporting Aces and the Military: Performance, Discipline, and Nationalism in the Fields of Honor
(2009)
Live video streaming is becoming increasingly popular as a form of interaction in social applications. One of its main advantages is an ability to immediately create and connect a community of remote users on the spot. In this paper we discuss how this feature can be used for crowdsourced completion of simple visual search tasks (such as finding specific objects in libraries and stores, or navigating around live events) and social interactions through mobile mixed reality telepresence interfaces. We present a prototype application that allows users to create a mixed reality space with a photospherical imagery as a background and interact with other connected users through viewpoint, audio, and video sharing, as well as realtime annotations in mixed reality space. Believing in the novelty of our system, we conducted a short series of interviews with industry professionals on the possible applications of our system. We discuss proposed use-cases for user evaluation, as well as outline future extensions of our system.
The optimization of full-scale biogas plant operation is of great importance to make biomass a competitive source of renewable energy. The implementation of innovative control and optimization algorithms, such as Nonlinear Model Predictive Control, requires an online estimation of operating states of biogas plants. This state estimation allows for optimal control and operating decisions according to the actual state of a plant. In this paper such a state estimator is developed using a calibrated simulation model of a full-scale biogas plant, which is based on the Anaerobic Digestion Model No.1. The use of advanced pattern recognition methods shows that model states can be predicted from basic online measurements such as biogas production, CH4 and CO2 content in the biogas, pH value and substrate feed volume of known substrates. The machine learning methods used are trained and evaluated using synthetic data created with the biogas plant model simulating over a wide range of possible plant operating regions. Results show that the operating state vector of the modelled anaerobic digestion process can be predicted with an overall accuracy of about 90%. This facilitates the application of state-based optimization and control algorithms on full-scale biogas plants and therefore fosters the production of eco-friendly energy from biomass.
In the present contribution, the utilization of steel-mill gases for an industrial methanol synthesis process is described. The focus of this work is on the influence of syngas compositions derived from steel-mill gases on an industrial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. Elevated CO2 and H2O concentrations seem to have an irreversible impact on the activity of the catalyst. In order to obtain realistic gas composition for the catalyst tests, a process simulation of the methanol synthesis was conducted. The calculated gas compositions at the reactor inlet were applied in a practical test in order to evaluate the catalyst stability under steel mill gas conditions. No noticeable deactivation was observed.
Actors in virtual studio productions are faced with the challenge that they have to interact with invisible virtual objects because these elements are rendered separately and combined with the real image later in the production process. Virtual sets typically use static virtual elements or animated objects with predefined behavior so that actors can practice their performance and errors can be corrected in the post production. With the demand for inexpensive live recording and interactive TV productions, virtual objects will be dynamically rendered at arbitrary positions that cannot be predicted by the actor. Perceptive aids have to be employed to support a natural interaction with these objects. In our work we study the effect of haptic feedback for a simple form of interaction. Actors are equipped with a custom built haptic belt and get vibrotactile feedback during a small navigational task (path following). We present a prototype of a wireless vibrotactile feedback device and a small framework for evaluating haptic feedback in a virtual set environment. Results from an initial pilot study indicate that vibrotactile feedback is a suitable non-visual aid for interaction that is at least comparable to audio-visual alternatives used in virtual set productions.
We present a system that exploits mobile rotational tracking and photospherical imagery to allow users to share their environment with remotely connected peers “on the go.” We surveyed related interfaces and developed a unique groupware application that shares a mixed reality space with spatially-oriented live video feeds. Users can collaborate through realtime audio, video, and drawings in a virtual space. The developed system was tested in a preliminary user study, which confirmed an increase in spatial and situational awareness among viewers as well as reduction in cognitive workload. Believing that our system provides a novel style of collaboration in mixed reality environments, we discuss future applications and extensions of our prototype.
Markerless talent tracking is widely used for interactions and animations within virtual environments. In a virtual (tv) studio talents could be overburden by interaction tasks because camera and text require extensive attention. We take a look into animations and inter- actions within a studio, which do not require any special attention or learning. We show the generation of an artificial shadow from a talent, which ease the keying process, where separation of real shadows from the background is a difficult task. We also demonstrate animations of footsteps and dust. Furthermore, capturing talents’ height can also be used to adjust the parameters of elements in the virtual environment, like the position and scaling of a virtual display. In addition to the talents, a rigid body was tracked as placeholder for graphics, easing the interaction tasks for a talent. Two test productions show the possibilities, which subtle animations offer. In the second production, the rendering was improved (shadows, filtering, normal maps, ...) and instead of using the rigid body to move an object (a flag), the animation was only controlled by the hand’s position.
Synthesis and Analysis of a Novel Linkage Mechanism with the Helical Motion of the End-Effector
(2020)
Synthesis and release of the bacterial compatible solute 5-hydroxyectoine in Hansenula polymorpha
(2013)
Ectoine and 5-hydroxyectoine belong to the family of compatible solutes which are known to mainly contribute to the adaptation of the cell to osmotic stress by mediation of a constant turgor. In addition the cell's essential functions are maintained under stress conditions like high salinity, heat or aridity stress. Hansenula polymorpha was engineered to catalyze the transformation of monomeric substrates to 5-hydroxyectoine. For this purpose four genes encoding the enzymes of the 5-hydroxyectoine biosynthesis pathway of Halomonas elongata, EctA, EctB, EctC, and EctD, were inserted into the genome of H. polymorpha. Subsequently the syntheses of ectoine and 5-hydroxyectoine were analyzed and optimized. We showed that H. polymorpha is a suitable system for recombinant 5-hydroxyectoine synthesis in gram per liter scale (2.8 g L⁻¹ culture supernatant, 365 μmol/g dcw) in which almost 100% conversion of ectoine to 5-hydroxyectoine without necessity of high salinity were achieved.
The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is an established thermodynamic process that converts waste heat to electric energy. Due to the wide range of organic working fluids available the fluid selection adds an additional degree of freedom to the early design phase of an ORC process. Despite thermodynamic aspects such as the temperature level of the heat source, other technical, economic and safety aspects have to be considered. For the fluid selection process in this paper, 22 criteria were identified in six main categories while distinguishing between elimination and tolerance criteria. For an ORC design, the suggested method follows a practical engineering approach and can be used as a structured way to limit the number of interesting working fluids before starting a detailed performance analysis of the most promising candidates. For the first time the selection process is applied to a two-stage reference cycle which uses the waste heat of a large reciprocating engine for cogeneration power plants. It consists of a high temperature and a low temperature cycle in which the condensation heat of the high temperature (HT) cycle provides the heat input of the low temperature (LT) cycle. After the fluid selection process the detailed thermodynamic cycle design is carried out with a thermodynamic design tool that also includes a database for organic working fluids. The investigated ORC cycle shows a net thermal efficiency of about 17,4% in the high temperature cycle with Toluene as the working fluid and 6,2% in low temperature cycle with iso-Butane as the working fluid. The electric efficiency of the cogeneration plant increases from 40,4% to 46,97% with the both stages of the two-stage ORC in operation.
The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is an established thermodynamic process that converts waste heat to electric energy. Due to the wide range of organic working fluids available the fluid selection adds an additional degree-of-freedom to the early design phase of an ORC process. Despite thermodynamic aspects such as the temperature level of the heat source, other technical, economic, and safety aspects have to be considered. For the fluid selection process in this paper, 22 criteria were identified in six main categories while distinguishing between elimination (EC) and tolerance criteria (TC). For an ORC design, the suggested method follows a practical engineering approach and can be used as a structured way to limit the number of interesting working fluids before starting a detailed performance analysis of the most promising candidates. For the first time, the selection process is applied to a two-stage reference cycle, which uses the waste heat of a large reciprocating engine for cogeneration power plants. It consists of a high temperature (HT) and a low temperature (LT) cycle in which the condensation heat of the HT cycle provides the heat input of the LT cycle. After the fluid selection process, the detailed thermodynamic cycle design is carried out with a thermodynamic design tool that also includes a database for organic working fluids. The investigated ORC cycle shows a net thermal efficiency of about 17.4% in the HT cycle with toluene as the working fluid and 6.2% in LT cycle with isobutane as the working fluid. The electric efficiency of the cogeneration plant increases from 40.4% to 46.97% with the both stages of the two-stage ORC in operation.
Heterogeneous catalysts usually consist of porous, inorganic materials. Especially in the mobile application, e.g., in exhaust gas catalysis as a part of the gas line of an engine, there are loads due to vibrations and high gas velocities. It can be assumed that physical stress will lead to a loss of the catalytically active coating. The present contribution describes experimental setups and methods for a systematic and reproducible investigation of the main influences to the mass loss due to vibrational and fluid‐mechanical stress caused by particle‐free gas flows.
The Long Tail theory serves as an explanation for market change triggered through evolving online market conditions. However, it is often referred to without empirical validation, or with inconsistent findings on its applicability. Therefore, this paper analyses the applicability of the Long Tail theory to German online media offerings as of 2014 and 2016, focusing on offerings that serve information purposes (information offerings). Based on a unique dataset of commercially oriented online media offerings (Longitudinal IntermediaPlus 2014–2016), an analysis for three Long Tail characteristics (variety increase, opposing concentration between hit and niche offerings and niche market share increase) is conducted. By additionally distinguishing between political and entertainment-oriented information offerings as boundaries of democratized online market conditions the analysis reveals that the Long Tail theory is not fully applicable to any market sample, and especially not to politically oriented offerings.
This article is on a university course called Engineering Conferences. It has been developed by the authors and installed as a mandatory part of the curriculum in three master’s degree programs for engineering students. The participants of the course are postgraduates with different nationalities, mostly German, and different technical backgrounds. They study Mechanical Engineering, Simulation and Experimental Technology, or International Business Engineering. The basic idea of the course concept goes far beyond simply teaching the standards of academic writing and skills for using scientific publications. By using a learnercentered approach, the students get engaged in typical activities around an active attendance of a real conference. Students learn to locate the field of their bachelor thesis or project report in the world of research communities, scientific journals and engineering conferences. They learn about conferences matching their bachelor/project topic. They write a paper complying with common academic standards, submit it to a mock-up conference, and review submissions of their fellow students. Students also produce a poster and have to defend it in a poster session held publicly on the campus. Engineering Conferences is a course on scientific communication and presentation that also aims at the development of other skills and competences needed in the world of modern engineering.
The standard definition of creativity is based on a tension between originality and effectiveness. Borrowing from the wave-particle duality in physics one could say that there is an originality-effectiveness duality at work for creativity. The paper explores how this tension pervades Amabile's (1997) componential theory of organizational creativity with the components organizational motivation, management practices (including work assignment and work control) and resources. As a method the so called value square (" Wertequadrat ") developed by Helwig (1967) and Schulz von Thun (1998) is used which balances a value with its countervalue. The author identifies a tension of corporate tradition and corporate change for organizational motivation, a tension of skills and challenges for work assignment, a tension of management by control and management by loss of control for work control as well as a tension of organizational efficiency and organizational slack for resources. Additionally different implications of these tensions for the resistance of a company to creativity, for an organizational climate conducive to creativity as well as for resource allocation in creative endeavours are discussed.
The definition of individual creativity is based on a tension between novelty on the one side and usefulness respectively appropriateness on the other side. The paper explores how this tension pervades the stage and componential theories of creativity. To achieve this, the so called value square (“Wertequadrat”) developed by Helwig (1967) and Schulz von Thun (1998)is used which balances a value with its countervalue to analyze creativity. The author identifies tensions of action and inaction, expertise and mindfulness, precision and ambiguity as well as immersion and detachment permeating the creative process and the components of creativity. As a conclusion a morphological box for creativity is presented which allows one to show which combination of characteristics of the tensions support different stages of creativity. Furthermore implications for development and time management are discussed.
This paper explores the tensions in team creativity. The tensions in team creativity are based on a tension between originality and effectiveness in the standard definition of creativity. To display the tensions in team creativity, the value square (“Wertequadrat”) developed by Schulz von Thun (1998) is used which balances a value with its countervalue. The author identifies tensions for cohesion, consensus and conformity. Cohesion is described as a tension between team diversity and team safety, consensus as a tension between constructive controversy and participatory decision-making and conformity as a tension between support for innovation and task orientation. Finally, the connection of individual and team creativity is described as an interplay between solitary and interactive components.
Multimediale Technologien werden in der Marktforschung immer stärker eingesetzt, um flexible und kostengünstige Studien durchzuführen. Im Innovationsprozess kann dabei auf die langjährigen Erfahrungen zurückgegriffen werden, die durch den Einsatz der Computersimulation in der technischen Produktentwicklung zustande gekommen sind. In sehr frühen Phasen des Innovationsprozesses können durch Einsatz der neuen Technologien die Markteinführungskonzepte für neue Produkte getestet werden. Die Applikationen der virtuellen Realität bieten ein einzigartiges Potential, neue Produkte einschlieï‚lich des Marketingkonzeptes zu testen, ohne dass dieses Produkt bereits physisch vorhanden sein muss. Am Beispiel eines Elementes des Marketingkonzeptes, der Preispolitik, zeigt die vorliegende Studie auf, welches Potential die virtuelle Kaufsituation von Produkten bietet. Der Fokus des Projektes liegt auf der interaktiven Produktpräsentation in einer virtuellen Umgebung, die in eine Online-Befragung mit zusätzlichen Werbefilmen eingebettet ist. Visuell hochwertige 3D-Produktpräsentationen versetzen den Probanden in eine virtuelle Einkaufsumgebung, die einem realen Szenario entspricht. Die virtuellen Produkte werden in mehreren Kaufentscheidungsrunden zu unterschiedlichen Preisen angeboten. Der Preisuntersuchung geht eine Präsentation ausgewählter Werbespots sowie eine produktbezogene Befragung voraus. Im Anschluss an die virtuellen Preisentscheidungen werden die Eindrücke sowie einige Kontrollgröen abgefragt. In weitergehenden Studien dieser Art können die Wirkungen mehrerer Marketing-Instrumente zu einem Zeitpunkt untersucht werden, in dem sich die Produkte noch im Entwicklungsprozess befinden. Auf diesem Weg lassen sich auch Wettbewerbsvorteile bestehender Produkte effizienter erkennen und nutzen. Mit den hoch entwickelten Computer- und Visualisierungstechnologien ist ein mächtiges Werkzeug entstanden, das bereits für kommerzielle Präsentationen und Produktstudien eingesetzt wird. Zukünftig kann es auch in Kombination mit Internetanwendungen und klassischen Methoden der Marktforschung zu einem sehr frühen Zeitpunkt umfassende Erkenntnisse über ein Produkt liefern.
Music-related decision-making encompasses a wide range of behaviours including those associated with listening choices, composition and performance, and decisions involving music education and therapy. Although research programmes in psychology and economics have contributed to an improved understanding of music-related behaviour, historically, these disciplines have been unconnected. Recently, however, researchers have begun to bridge this gap by employing tools from behavioural economics. This article contributes to the literature by providing a discussion about the benefits of using behavioural economics in music-decision research. We achieve this in two ways. First, through a systematic review, we identify the current state of the literature within four key areas of behavioural economics-heuristics and biases, social decision-making, behavioural time preferences, and dual-process theory. Second, taking findings of the literature as a starting point, we demonstrate how behavioural economics can inform future research. Based on this, we propose the Behavioural Economics of Music (BEM), an integrated research programme that aims to break new ground by stimulating interdisciplinary research in the intersection between music, psychology, and economics.
The conductor's philosophy
(2013)
The article argues that European innovators can profit from some of the concepts of philosophical Daoism, namely "wu-wei" (non-interference) and "ziran" ("go with the flow"). Whereas most Western approaches to innovation emphasize the different stages of the creative process as well as tools to enhance creativity, the Daoist world view allows for the mind to just wander and thus spontaneously discover the solution to a problem in a rather detached state of mind. Creative minds need space for personal development and the permission to wander around without being exposed to control and instant judgement on the results. Training individuals in the tools and techniques of problem solving and creativity as the common approach in innovation management is certainly necessary, but in the end it is the intellectual accomplishment of a creative mind that produces innovation. Managers can allow this to happen when they get the balance of control and non-interference right.
A central question for managers in charge of innovation is to what extent creativity and inno-vation can be controlled and supervised, or whether they just have to be set free and allowed to take shape. In assessing this dilemma the authors conclude that there is a contradiction of action versus inaction on the personal level as well as a contradiction of control versus loss of control on the organizational level. What European innovators can learn from philosophical Daoism is an attitude that allows a process to just develop “naturally” and refrains from prem-ature interference with the intention to permanently be in control. In business structures that judge everything according to its usefulness, i.e. profitability for the company, a look at the laid-back attitude of Daoism where usefulness and uselessness are relative qualities might relief the pressure on people to perform in a premeditated way. Innovation can be supported, but creativity cannot be forced. It can only be allowed to happen when control, interference, and action are balanced out with non-interference, and go-with-the-flow. This attitude in not an excuse for stressed-out managers to neglect their duty, but a time honoured worldview of one of the oldest civilizations in the world that can give them the sovereignty to “get out of the way” and let innovation happen.
In German music education, the focus has historically been on formal music education in schools. Participatory music making in the community, or community music, has so far received little attention in theory or practice. This thesis constitutes the first in-depth analysis of the development of community music in Germany, conducted using empirical data and literature analysis. The development of the Munich Community Music Action Research Group is highlighted as an example of the potential of community music in the German context. The research shows that the context-specific development of a framework for community music in Germany, within the community music spirit of participation reflected in the action research methodology, gives voice to and connects community musicians, and has contributed considerably to the development of community music theory and practice, not only in Munich, but across Germany.
The effect of inattention and cognitive load on unpleasantness judgments of environmental sounds
(2020)
A 3-stage model of a low pressure steam turbine has been equipped with extensive instrumentation to assess aerodynamic performance and for validation of numerical methods. Emphasis was placed on detailed measurements at the inlet and exit of the last stage guide vane. Two configurations were examined – the first used a guide vane with lean in the last stage and a the second used a guide vane combining both lean and sweep. The experimental results from the two configurations have been compared with data from various design methods, ranging from through-flow to 3D multistage viscous simulations with mixing planes. Despite the challenges in modelling complex rotating blades in a wet steam environment, good agreement between the numerical and experimental results was obtained, and the new stator vane combining lean and sweep achieved the desired increase in reaction at the hub section.
The German banking system and the global financial crisis: causes, developments and policy responses
(2009)
Germany’s banking sector has been severely hit by the global financial crisis. In a German context as of February, 2009, this paper reviews briefly the structure of the banking industry, quantifies effects of the crisis on banks and surveys responses of economic policy. It is argued that policy design needs to enhance transparency and enforce the liability principle. In addition, economic policy should not eclipse principles of competition policy.
The groupuscularization of neo-Nazism in Germany: the case of the Aktionsbüro Norddeutschland
(2004)
Auditory displays with the ability to dynamically spatialize virtual sound sources under real-time conditions enable advanced applications for art and music. A listener can be deeply immersed while interacting and participating in the experience. We review some of those applications while focusing on the Helical Keyboard project and discussing the required technology. Inspired by the cyclical nature of octaves and helical structure of a scale, a model of a piano-style keyboard was prepared, which was then geometrically warped into a helicoidal configuration, one octave/revolution, pitch mapped to height and chroma. It can be driven by MIDI events, real-time or sequenced, which stream is both synthesized and spatialized by a spatial sound display. The sound of the respective notes is spatialized with respect to sinks, avatars of the human user, by default in the tube of the helix. Alternative coloring schemes can be applied, including a color map compatible with chromastereoptic eyewear. The graphical display animates polygons, interpolating between the notes of a chord across the tube of the helix. Recognition of simple chords allows directionalization of all the notes of a major triad from the position of its musical root. The system is designed to allow, for instance, separate audition of harmony and melody, commonly played by the left and right hands, respectively, on a normal keyboard. Perhaps the most exotic feature of the interface is the ability to fork oneÃs presence, replicating subject instead of object by installing multiple sinks at arbitrary places around a virtual scene so that, for example, harmony and melody can be separately spatialized, using two heads to normalize the octave; such a technique effectively doubles the helix from the perspective of a single listener. Rather than a symmetric arrangement of the individual helices, they are perceptually superimposed in-phase, co-extensively, so that corresponding notes in different registers are at the same azimuth.
The PSFC, or Pioneer sound field control system, is a DSP-driven hemispherical 14-loudspeaker array, installed at the University of Aizu Multimedia Center. Collocated with a large screen rear-projection stereographic display the PSFC features realtime control of virtual room characteristics and direction of two separate sound channels, smoothly steering them around a configurable soundscape. The PSFC controls an entire sound field, including sound direction, virtual distance, and simulated environment (reverb level, room size and liveness) for each source. It can also configure a dry (DSP-less) switching matrix for direct directionalization. The PSFC speaker dome is about 14 m in diameter, allowing about twenty users at once to comfortably stand or sit near its sweet spot.
In the intersection of technology and music listening, understanding user experiences is paramount. This research employed the Experience Sampling Method via the smartphone app MuPsych to continuously capture real-time data on individuals' music listening behaviors and related emotional responses. Over a span of two weeks, participants from Germany were prompted to report on various factors as they engaged in music listening, resulting in a rich dataset. Results indicate that Spotify Premium was the most frequently used music application, with personal playlists being the preferred listening format. To unravel the intricacies of these responses and their determinants, linear mixed-effects model analysis was utilized. Among the critical findings, the Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use, two of the central constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model, emerged as significant predictors for the valence and enjoyment of the music experienced by users during the onset of music listening sessions. This highlights the imperative role of user-friendly interfaces in enhancing positive emotional states even before fully engaging with the music, underscoring the need for designers and developers of music-related apps to prioritise usability and useful functions.
The Security Twin Peaks
(2011)
The Sound of Success: Investigating Cognitive and Behavioral Effects of Motivational Music in Sports
(2017)
Listening to music before, during, or after sports is a common phenomenon, yet its functions and effects on performance, cognition, and behavior remain to be investigated. Listening to music before, during, or after sports is a common phenomenon, yet its functions and effects on performance, cognition, and behavior remain to be investigated. In this study we present a novel approach to the role of music in sports and exercise that focuses on the notion of musical self-enhancement (Elvers, 2016). We derived the following hypotheses from this framework: listening to motivational music will (i) enhance self-evaluative cognition, (ii) improve performance in a ball game, and (iii) evoke greater risk-taking behavior. To evaluate the hypotheses, we conducted a between-groups experiment (N = 150) testing the effectiveness of both an experimenter playlist and a participant-selected playlist in comparison to a no-music control condition. All participants performed a ball-throwing task developed by Decharms and Davé (1965), consisting of two parts: First, participants threw the ball from fixed distances into a funnel basket. During this task, performance was measured. In the second part, the participants themselves chose distances from the basket, which allowed their risk-taking behavior to be assessed. The results indicate that listening to motivational music led to greater risk taking but did not improve ball-throwing performance. This effect was more pronounced in male participants and among those who listened to their own playlists. Furthermore, self-selected music enhanced state self-esteem in participants who were performing well but not in those who were performing poorly. We also discuss further implications for the notion of musical self-enhancement. // Listening to music before, during, or after sports is a common phenomenon, yet its functions and effects on performance, cognition, and behavior remain to be investigated. In this study we present a novel approach to the role of music in sports and exercise that focuses on the notion of musical self-enhancement (Elvers, 2016). We derived the following hypotheses from this framework: listening to motivational music will (i) enhance self-evaluative cognition, (ii) improve performance in a ball game, and (iii) evoke greater risk-taking behavior. To evaluate the hypotheses, we conducted a between-groups experiment (N = 150) testing the effectiveness of both an experimenter playlist and a participant-selected playlist in comparison to a no-music control condition. All participants performed a ball-throwing task developed by Decharms and Davé (1965), consisting of two parts: First, participants threw the ball from fixed distances into a funnel basket. During this task, performance was measured. In the second part, the participants themselves chose distances from the basket, which allowed their risk-taking behavior to be assessed. The results indicate that listening to motivational music led to greater risk taking but did not improve ball-throwing performance. This effect was more pronounced in male participants and among those who listened to their own playlists. Furthermore, self-selected music enhanced state self-esteem in participants who were performing well but not in those who were performing poorly. We also discuss further implications for the notion of musical self-enhancement.
The Soundtrack Of Your Life
(2012)
The synthesis of Nb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles by spray drying: an efficient and scalable method
(2011)
The use of highly expressed FTH1 as carrier protein for cytosolic targeting in Hansenula polymorpha
(2012)
The iron storage protein ferritin is a member of the non-heme iron protein family. It can store and release iron, therefore it prevents the cell from damage caused by iron-dioxygen reactions as well as it provides iron for biological processing. To study whether the human ferritin heavy chain (FTH1) can be expressed in Hansenula polymorpha, we integrated an expression cassette for FTH1 and analyzed the protein expression. We found very efficient expression of FTH1 and obtained yields up to 1.9 g/L under non-optimized conditions. Based on this result we designed a FTH1-PTH fusion protein to successfully express the parathyroid hormone fragment 1-34 (PTH) for the first time intracellular in H. polymorpha.