Composition Language Research Articles

Piano pieces by Marian Stârcea in the repertoire of piano students at the AMTFA

The article analyzes two piano works of M. Stârcea – Variations in G major and Two Preludes, which are used in the pedagogical practice of the AMTFA. The author thoroughly examines the features of the composition, dramaturgy, and musical language of these pieces, identifies the performance difficulties, and offers an interpretation option. It is concluded that the high methodical and didactic potential of these works by M. Stârcea is due to the synthesis of the classical-romantic traditions of the genres of variations and prelude with the musical language of contemporary Moldovan compositional creation.

ChatOps for microservice systems: A low-code approach using service composition and large language models

The Microservice Architecture (MSA) plays a pivotal role in contemporary e-business, promoting service independence, autonomy, and continual evolution in line with the principles of DevOps. However, the distributed nature of the MSA introduces additional complexity, which requires familiarity with multiple DevOps (Development and Operations) tools, thereby increasing the learning curve. This paper presents a specialized ChatOps (Chat Operations) approach that allows MSA developers to compose new ChatOps capabilities in a low-code way (i.e., with minimal coding). The proposed ChatOps4Msa approach leverages established ChatOps functionalities to facilitate the real-time monitoring of service status, conduct service testing, track issues, and receive alerts using natural language or the proposed ChatOps Query Language (CQL). The use of large language models (LLMs) for functional intents also enhances the usability of the DevOps toolchain in microservices systems to streamline implementation.

Screen Time and its Relation to Toddlers’ Development

Abstract Background Screen-time or digital-screen exposure is the duration of time spent by the individual in using electronic/digital media like television (TV), smartphone, tablet or computer. Even background television exposure has been shown to impact development by reducing the amount and quality of interactions between parents and children. Studies showed that while babies do not absorb content from TV, it can catch and hold their attention. Aim of the Work The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of screen time on different developmental aspects of toddlers. Patients and Methods This was a cross sectional observational study that was conducted in the outpatients’ and Neurodevelopment Clinics, Children’s Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University on 83 toddlers aged from 1 year to 3 years old who were exposed to screens for a longer duration than the recommended according to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) guidelines. Of 13 months’ time frame, total duration of screen exposure was calculated in minutes/day and was correlated to the composite scores of Bayley scales of infants’ and toddlers’ development third edition. Results A significant negative correlations were found between duration of screen time exposure and all Bayley scales (cognitive, language and motor) composite scores and language scale is more affected. Conclusion The results of this study supported the directional association between screen time and child development. Parents and all the society should be educated about the hazards of screen time exposure on infants and toddlers’ development.

Association of germinal matrix hemorrhage volume with neurodevelopment and hydrocephalus.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether volumetric measurements on early cranial ultrasound (CUS) in high-grade germinal matrix hemorrhage-intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) are associated with hydrocephalus and neurodevelopmental metrics. A retrospective case series analysis of infants with high-grade GMH-IVH admitted to the St. Louis Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit between 2007 and 2015 who underwent neurodevelopmental testing using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition (Bayley-III) at 2 years of corrected age was performed. GMH volume, periventricular hemorrhagic infarction volume, and frontotemporal horn ratio were obtained from direct review of neonatal CUS studies. Univariate and multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the association between hemorrhage volumes and hydrocephalus requiring permanent CSF diversion with ventricular shunt or endoscopic third ventriculostomy with or without choroid plexus cauterization and composite Bayley-III cognitive, language, and motor scores. Forty-three infants (29 males, mean gestational age 25 weeks) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at time of the CUS with the largest hemorrhage volume or first diagnosis of highest grade was 6.2 days. Nineteen patients underwent treatment for hydrocephalus with permanent CSF diversion. In multivariable analyses, larger GMH volume was associated with worse estimated Bayley-III cognitive (left-sided GMH volume: p = 0.048, total GMH volume: p = 0.023) and motor (left-sided GMH volume: p = 0.010; total GMH volume: p = 0.014) scores. Larger periventricular hemorrhagic infarction volume was associated with worse estimated Bayley-III motor scores (each side p < 0.04). Larger left-sided (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.10-5.88; p = 0.028) and total (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.01-1.79; p = 0.041) GMH volumes correlated with hydrocephalus. There was no relationship between early ventricular volume and hydrocephalus or neurodevelopmental outcomes. Location-specific hemorrhage volume on early CUS may be prognostic for neurodevelopmental and hydrocephalus outcomes in high-grade GMH-IVH.

Meta-2OM: A multi-classifier meta-model for the accurate prediction of RNA 2'-O-methylation sites in human RNA.

2'-O-methylation (2-OM or Nm) is a widespread RNA modification observed in various RNA types like tRNA, mRNA, rRNA, miRNA, piRNA, and snRNA, which plays a crucial role in several biological functional mechanisms and innate immunity. To comprehend its modification mechanisms and potential epigenetic regulation, it is necessary to accurately identify 2-OM sites. However, biological experiments can be tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. Furthermore, currently available computational methods face challenges due to inadequate datasets and limited classification capabilities. To address these challenges, we proposed Meta-2OM, a cutting-edge predictor that can accurately identify 2-OM sites in human RNA. In brief, we applied a meta-learning approach that considered eight conventional machine learning algorithms, including tree-based classifiers and decision boundary-based classifiers, and eighteen different feature encoding algorithms that cover physicochemical, compositional, position-specific and natural language processing information. The predicted probabilities of 2-OM sites from the baseline models are then combined and trained using logistic regression to generate the final prediction. Consequently, Meta-2OM achieved excellent performance in both 5-fold cross-validation training and independent testing, outperforming all existing state-of-the-art methods. Specifically, on the independent test set, Meta-2OM achieved an overall accuracy of 0.870, sensitivity of 0.836, specificity of 0.904, and Matthew's correlation coefficient of 0.743. To facilitate its use, a user-friendly web server and standalone program have been developed and freely available at http://kurata35.bio.kyutech.ac.jp/Meta-2OM and https://github.com/kuratahiroyuki/Meta-2OM.

Analysis of dreamcore music composing based on Nyquist

As a matter of fact, computer music composition serves as a potent tool for musicians in the process of sound synthesis. More of their ideas and imaginations can be realized, more innovative exploration could be fostered in the field of music. Dreamcore is an art style that presents a kind of surreal nostalgia, and dreamcore music is a relatively new musical style related to the feeling of dreamcore. Being attracted by this musical style, the author aimed to compose a piece of dreamcore music by Nyquist, which is an interactive language for music composition. After summarizing and imitating the music styles and characteristics of the selected sample music, this study used the score, code it in Nyquist, and use musical effects to create a piece of music that is dreamy. The research obtained a music demo after the composition. The piece of music did embody the dreamcore aesthetic, and the basic requirements that the author made were met, but further exploration and enhancement could still be done to the music.

The emergence of enhanced intelligence in a brain-inspired cognitive architecture.

The Causal Cognitive Architecture is a brain-inspired cognitive architecture developed from the hypothesis that the navigation circuits in the ancestors of mammals duplicated to eventually form the neocortex. Thus, millions of neocortical minicolumns are functionally modeled in the architecture as millions of "navigation maps." An investigation of a cognitive architecture based on these navigation maps has previously shown that modest changes in the architecture allow the ready emergence of human cognitive abilities such as grounded, full causal decision-making, full analogical reasoning, and near-full compositional language abilities. In this study, additional biologically plausible modest changes to the architecture are considered and show the emergence of super-human planning abilities. The architecture should be considered as a viable alternative pathway toward the development of more advanced artificial intelligence, as well as to give insight into the emergence of natural human intelligence.

Composition Methods of the Soviet Architectural Avant-Garde

This paper explores the composition logic of the creativity of the Avant-garde masters and to identify the principles of the composition language of the architecture of modernism.To characterize the composition language of Avant-garde architecture, systemic, historical-genetic and semiotic methods of research are used. Architectural composition is interpreted as an activity that has its own semantic, morphological and syntactic features. In the example of Svoboda Square (the former Dzerzhinsky Square) in Kharkiv, the logical methods of artistic activity and thinking of the architects of the Soviet Avant-garde of the 1920-1930s are studied.At the beginning of the 20th century avant-garde movements were created artificially, consciously, by an act of will, and they strove to dictate their ideas, concepts and principles as universal and general. The architectural language of the Avant-garde is normative, ascetic and rigidly organized. Distinctive features of the artistic movements of the Avant-garde are the deep analyticity of thinking and the normativity of the declared requirements, abstract concepts and symbols. The logical principles of composition are often repeated thanks to stable semantic associations and are reflected in geometric structures and forms. Thus, the methods of compositional thinking of the Avant-garde form a monological system, i.e. they are internally holistic and normative, not allowing alternatives. It was possible to identify and show that the Avant-garde, as a monological language system, is characterized by the following features: internal integrity, self-sufficiency, normativity; stability of figurative language devices; restriction of freedom of artistic expression with the help of a concept, declaration, slogan, clear conceptual system.Researchers and designers should treat the phenomenon under study not as a “closed”, stylistically defined object, but see it as a complex historical process of structure formation based on an even more complex process of development of thinking and activity of architects and builders of a particular period.

Long-Term Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Neonates Infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 Pandemic at 18–24 Months Corrected Age: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: During the early coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, researchers cautioned about the potential neuroinvasive capability of the virus and long-term neurological consequences. Although a few preliminary studies have found delayed communication, fine motor, and problem-solving skills in infants after COVID-19 infection, there continues to be a paucity of data on long-term development of neonates diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 20 neonates who acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the first wave of the pandemic (April–July 2020). At 18–24 months corrected age, we assessed neurodevelopment by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, the third edition (BSID-III), along with growth, hearing, and vision evaluation. Results: The mean corrected age at assessment was 21 months 11 days ± 1 month 28 days. We found developmental delay in nearly half of the children with scores below one standard deviation in either of the BSID-III domains. Mild delay in either motor, cognitive, or language domains was found in 9 (45%) children and moderate delay in 2 (10%). Expressive language, fine motor, and receptive language were predominantly affected. None of the children had hearing impairment, blindness, or significant growth faltering including clinically severe microcephaly. The mean composite cognitive, language, and motor scores were significantly lower in those with neurodevelopmental delay (p value – 0.02, 0.000, and 0.03, respectively) without any differences in their disease characteristics. Conclusion: Neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2 have an increased risk of developmental delays in expressive language, fine motor, and receptive language skills at 18–24 months of age. The severity of delays is predominantly mild.

Resilience evaluation of low-carbon supply chain based on improved matter-element extension model.

How to evaluate the resilience level and change trend of supply chain is an important research direction in current supply chain management practice. This paper proposes a new method of supply chain resilience assessment based on hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) and matter element extension theory. Firstly, based on the research status quo at home and abroad, a low-carbon enterprise supply chain resilience assessment index system is established, which includes six first-level indicators and corresponding 21 second-level indicators of product supply resilience, resource resilience, partner resilience, information response resilience, financial resilience and knowledge resilience. Secondly, HFLTS was used to collect expert opinions and Ordered Weighted Arithmetic (OWA) to calculate the expert composite language, by which the fuzzy evaluation matrix of supply chain resilience assessment indicators was obtained. Once again, the resilience indicator weights are determined based on a game-theoretic portfolio assignment method combining the best-worst method (BWM) and the CRITIC method. Finally, the nearness degree function is combined with the extension comprehensive evaluation method to improve the matter element extension model, and the supply chain resilience assessment model of low-carbon enterprises based on the game theory combination assignment-improved matter element extension is established. Taking X low-carbon enterprise as an example, the evaluation results show that the supply chain resilience level of this enterprise is II, and the eigenvalue of the grade variable is 2.69, and the supply chain resilience is shifting to III, and the supply chain resilience is shifting to III, which indicates that the supply chain resilience of this enterprise is being enhanced. Therefore, the improved matter element extension not only ensures the accuracy of the evaluation results, but also has higher prediction accuracy.

Gestalt Modeling of Ponteio No. 28 by Camargo Guarnieri

Abstract: In this work, the analytical-compositional methodology called Gestalt Modeling (hereinafter GM) is used to analyze Camargo Guarnieri’s Ponteio No. 28 , from the perspective of three laws of perceptual organization according to Gestalt Psychology. The objective of the analysis is to provide some definitions of the hypothetical system that generated this musical work by Guarnieri and to plan a musical composition for solo piano entitled Aboio . This planning will be described in detail in this paper. GM comes from the convergence between two fields of knowledge, Gestalt Theory and Systemic Modeling, whose definitions will be introduced in this work. From the structural dispositions of an intertext (a pre-existing musical work), according to certain Gestalt laws of perceptual organization, it is possible to create new works based on these structures. GM basically consists of two phases: 1) analysis from the perspective of Gestalt Theory; and 2) relational generalization, which consists of considering only the relationships between objects detected in the analytical phase, disregarding their particular values. The result of this methodology is a hypothetical compositional system that generates the work used in the planning of the new work Aboio . There are aesthetic similarities at a deep level between this work and the intertext, and there are significant differences related to aspects not included in the compositional system and to the filling of relational structures contained in the system. As final results, GM presents itself as: 1) a useful and differentiated resource for the analysis of musical works and also for compositional purposes, for coherently presenting new ways of organizing musical elements; and 2) possible methodology for compositional pedagogy as it provides subsidies for a conscious practice and the development of the student’s own compositional language.

The Suite for Piano in the Creation of George Enescu and Constantin Silvestri - Tradition and Originality

The composers George Enescu and Constantin Silvestri played an important role in the evolution of the piano suite genre in the Romanian music of the 20th century. The Piano Suite in D major op. 10 (1901-1903) by G. Enescu combines elements of baroque origins with elements of French music (present especially in the music of Ravel and Debussy) and elements of folklore influence from genres of Romanian traditional folk music (doinas and dances ). The Suite III op.6 no. 1 (1933) by Constantin Silvestri includes pieces that feature an Expressionist theme. The melody is defined by a fusion between improvisation and rigorous organization. The presence within the same piece of some songs of diatonic structure with intensely chromatic songs stands out. The two suites for piano reflect the concern of the composers G. Enescu and C. Silvestri to widen the sphere of expression of a traditional framework, achieving this through the originality of their compositional language.

Composition of “Karma” based on the Gestalt Modeling of “Ponteio No. 29” by Camargo Guarnieri

This work consists of two parts, the first being the analysis of “Ponteio No. 29”, by Camargo Guarnieri, based on the methodology called Gestalt Modeling (hereinafter GM). The analysis was carried out from the perspective of Gestalt Theory based on two laws of perceptual organization. It aimed to stipulate the general guidelines for the hypothetical system that created that work by Guarnieri and, finally, to generate subsidies for the planning of a new composition using this same compositional system. The compositional planning of the new work consists of the second part of this paper. The final conclusions indicate that GM is: 1) a useful and distinctive resource for the analysis of musical works and composition, as it coherently presents new ways of organizing musical elements; and 2) a possible methodology for compositional pedagogy, as it provides subsidies for a conscious practice and the development of students’ own compositional language.

Engaging primary care physicians is critical in the screening and diagnosis of colorectal cancer at safety-net hospital systems

BackgroundPrimary care physicians (PCP) play a key role in offering colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings, particularly amongst underserved populations. Given potential delays in or omission of CRC screening in the absence of a PCP, we aimed to determine stage of CRC at diagnosis in an underserved population. MethodsA retrospective chart review was conducted at two Los Angeles County safety-net hospitals. Inclusion criteria were a CRC diagnosis between 2018 and 2021 and age between 50 and 75 years at diagnosis time. The primary outcome was the cancer stage at diagnosis. ResultsA total of 373 patients were included, of those, 52.5 % had a PCP. Compared to others, PCP was similar in age, racial composition, and primary spoken language (Table 1). Of patients with a PCP, 52.0% were diagnosed by screening. After screening, the most common indication for colonoscopy were blood per rectum (24.9 %) and imaging findings (18.0 %). Patients with a PCP had a significantly lower rate of late stage CRC than those without a PCP (42.4 % vs. 68.0 %, p < 0.001). After adjustment, having a PCP was associated with significantly reduced odds of late stage CRC (Adjusted Odds Ratio 0.83, 95 % Confidence Interval [0.68–1.04]). Having a PCP was not associated with any adjusted increase in number of adenomas or tumor size. ConclusionsPatients with a PCP, irrespective of undergoing screening, were diagnosed at earlier CRC stages. This underlines the crucial role of PCPs in CRC and diagnosis, reinforcing the need for their active involvement in these processes.

The invention of the “chromosound”: challenges for the development of a possible language

This article describes the Chromossonium, the project of an interactive environment conceived to host performances of Chromossonia, a synesthetic language for performance and composition. Chromossonia is based in a theoretical particle named Chromossound, which unites sound and color in a non-hierarchical way, and with which we expect creators to be able to compose scored pieces to be staged and performed in the Chromossonium. Following a description of how these elements are conceived, and which are its theoretical demands, the paper discusses the many potential directions of research the project offers, and the promises it brings. Then we discuss the technical challenges we found in the process of its implementation, choosing to generate the Chromossound as the output of a neural network, according to some technical choices and a defined architecture.

Learning language: An experiment

We develop a method for random assignment of language to participants in a controlled laboratory experiment, and use this to test the learning efficiency hypothesis (LEH henceforth), that languages are learned more quickly when they can be determined with fewer number of observations according to theory. This hypothesis plays a crucial role in the development of the theory of learning efficiency of compositional languages. Despite this, evidence on the empirical validity of the LEH has been elusive. Here we develop a novel extension of a coordination game within which languages emerge endogenously. We show that one can control features of an emergent language by varying the game's incentives. This enables us to compare speed of learning across participants randomly assigned to different languages. Our data provide cogent evidence supporting the LEH: languages with structures that theory implies can be determined with fewer observations are learned more quickly in the lab, and are in this sense more efficient.

The Telephone Language Screener (TLS): standardization of a novel telephone-based screening test for language impairment.

This study aimed at developing and standardizing the Telephone Language Screener (TLS), a novel, disease-nonspecific, telephone-based screening test for language disorders. The TLS was developed in strict pursuance to the current psycholinguistic standards. It comprises nine tasks assessing phonological, lexical-semantic and morpho-syntactic components, as well as an extra Backward Digit Span task. The TLS was administered to 480 healthy participants (HPs), along with the Telephone-based Semantic Verbal Fluency (t-SVF) test and a Telephone-based Composite Language Index (TBCLI), as well as to 37 cerebrovascular/neurodegenerative patients-who also underwent the language subscale of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-L). An HP subsample was also administered an in-person language battery. Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability were tested. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. The capability of the TLS to discriminate patients from HPs and to identify, among the patient cohort, those with a defective TICS-L, was also examined. The TLS was underpinned by a mono-component structure and converged with the t-SVF (p < .001), the TBCLI (p < .001) and the in-person language battery (p = .002). It was internally consistent (McDonald's ω = 0.67) and reliable between raters (ICC = 0.99) and at retest (ICC = 0.83). Age and education, but not sex, were predictors of TLS scores. The TLS optimally discriminated patients from HPs (AUC = 0.80) and successfully identified patients with an impaired TICS-L (AUC = 0.92). In patients, the TLS converged with TICS-L scores (p = 0.016). The TLS is a valid, reliable, normed and clinically feasible telephone-based screener for language impairment.

Transformer-Based Composite Language Models for Text Evaluation and Classification

Parallel natural language processing systems were previously successfully tested on the tasks of part-of-speech tagging and authorship attribution through mini-language modeling, for which they achieved significantly better results than independent methods in the cases of seven European languages. The aim of this paper is to present the advantages of using composite language models in the processing and evaluation of texts written in arbitrary highly inflective and morphology-rich natural language, particularly Serbian. A perplexity-based dataset, the main asset for the methodology assessment, was created using a series of generative pre-trained transformers trained on different representations of the Serbian language corpus and a set of sentences classified into three groups (expert translations, corrupted translations, and machine translations). The paper describes a comparative analysis of calculated perplexities in order to measure the classification capability of different models on two binary classification tasks. In the course of the experiment, we tested three standalone language models (baseline) and two composite language models (which are based on perplexities outputted by all three standalone models). The presented results single out a complex stacked classifier using a multitude of features extracted from perplexity vectors as the optimal architecture of composite language models for both tasks.

From Compositional Petri Net Modeling to Macro and Micro Simulation by Means of Stochastic Simulation and Agent-Based Models

Computational modeling has become a widespread approach for studying real-world phenomena by using different modeling perspectives, in particular, the microscopic point of view concentrates on the behavior of the single components and their interactions from which the global system evolution emerges, while the macroscopic point of view represents the system’s overall behavior abstracting as much as possible from that of the single components. The preferred point of view depends on the effort required to develop the model, on the detail level of the available information about the system to be modeled, and on the type of measures that are of interest to the modeler; each point of view may lead to a different modeling language and simulation paradigm. An approach adequate for the microscopic point of view is Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation, which has gained popularity in the last few decades but lacks a formal definition common to the different tools supporting it. This may lead to modeling mistakes and wrong interpretation of the results, especially when comparing models of the same system developed according to different points of view. The aim of the work described in this paper is to provide a common compositional modeling language from which both a macro and a micro simulation model can be automatically derived: these models are coherent by construction and may be studied through different simulation approaches and tools. A framework is thus proposed in which a model can be composed using a Petri Net formalism and then studied through both an Agent-Based Simulation and a classical Stochastic Simulation Algorithm, depending on the study goal.

Heterotopia of the Practice Room: Casting and Breaking the Illusion of Tristan Murail’s Tellur for Solo Guitar

A combination of highly unusual extended playing techniques with open intabulated notation makes the solo guitar work Tellur altogether unique in Tristan Murail’s catalogue. When placed in the broader discursive context of Murail’s compositional philosophy, this unique configuration of elements causes a quandary. The composer aims to integrate “the totality of sonic phenomena” into his compositional language, and within this context he maintains a traditional view of musical authorship. However, how does a performer reconcile this perspective with a score of which the combination of unconventional techniques and open notation leaves so much of the sonic material to their individual discretion and know-how? This exposition offers the first performance-led study of this conundrum in Murail’s music and writings. Using Lydia Goehr’s historical study of the work-concept as a point of orientation, I explore the functioning of Werktreue in Tellur. I show that the processual structures that should make up its “ideal” score are correlative with the composer’s abstraction of the guitar, which is in its turn correlative with the guitarist’s unconventioned heuristics. I argue that confronting traditional musical authorship with this system of correlation creates a discursive aporia, but not a practical impossibility. Rather the discursive aporia brings to light what I call the “heterotopia of the practice room.” In this heterotopia, I as a performer navigate a musical reality that simultaneously reflects and contests a tradition of classical music performance built around the regulative work-concept.