Narratiiv ja topos Heino Elleri “Sümfoonilises legendis”

This article focuses on the narrative analysis of late-romantic instrumental music. Having adopted the structuralist-semiotic conception of musical narrative as proposed by Byron Almén (2008) as the transvaluation of an opposing hierarchy, and the concept of the musical topic as musical elements with specific stylistic-cultural associations, I analyse the expressive form of Heino Eller’s early symphonic poem “Symphonic Legend” (1923). Narrative logic was found to permeate the musical work despite its collage or suite-like form, as the composer introduces characteristic musical actors that re-appear in different musical contexts. These actors are largely distinguished by musical topics, the conventional stylistic associations related with their musical characteristics as Eller’s piece presents a wide synthesis of styles – from musical impressionism and expressionism to lyrical or chromatic late-romantic; and various topics, such as fantastic, ombra, apassionata, pianto, heroic, and pastoral. Further, I propose a layered narrative structure for the “Symphonic Legend”, as the jarring and abrupt changes in musical material, affect and topic between different movements of the piece suggest shifts in the level of musical discourse and a framed narrative, as proposed by Hatten (1994). The primary order-imposing hierarchy is identified as the pastoral-impressionist topic that acts as the introduction and coda to the entire piece while the transgressive hierarchy is carried by antagonistic musical material associated with fantastical and dysphoric topics (whole-tone scale, chromaticism, fanfare-like brass and ombra) and with the main theme-actor of the piece (a theme strongly resembling the main theme of the first part of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherezade”). While the pastoral beginning and end of the piece (1st and 11th sections) suggest a narrative trajectory of a romance or “the victory of the order-imposing hierarchy over the transgression”, the abrupt shifts that occur between those sections and the middle-sections of the piece suggest that these take place at a different level of discourse, placing the narrative weight in sections 2–10, where the primary conflict seems to be between the antagonistic material and the theme-actor. In the middle sections Eller seems to problematize the typical narrative trajectory of dysphoric to euphoric in 19th-century symphonic poems, as the theme-actor’s heroic apotheosis in the 9th section is undermined by its reprise in section 10 and ultimate inability to be united with the order-imposing hierarchy in the coda, suggesting an ironic narrative. This reading is hopefully the first of many narrative analyses of Eller’s and other Estonian composers’ unique late-romantic and early modern symphonic poems.

Chemically reactive MHD micropolar nanofluid flow with velocity slips and variable heat source/sink

The two-dimensional electrically conducting magnetohydrodynamic flow of micropolar nanofluid over an extending surface with chemical reaction and secondary slips conditions is deliberated in this article. The flow of nanofluid is treated with heat source/sink and nonlinear thermal radiation impacts. The system of equations is solved analytically and numerically. Both analytical and numerical approaches are compared with the help of figures and tables. In order to improve the validity of the solutions and the method convergence, a descriptive demonstration of residual errors for various factors is presented. Also the convergence of an analytical approach is shown. The impacts of relevance parameters on velocity, micro-rotation, thermal, and concentration fields for first- and second-order velocity slips are accessible through figures. The velocity field heightens with the rise in micropolar, micro-rotation, and primary order velocity parameters, while other parameters have reducing impact on the velocity field. The micro-rotation field reduces with micro-rotation, secondary order velocity slip, and micropolar parameters but escalates with the primary order velocity slip parameter. The thermal field heightens with escalating non-uniform heat sink/source, Biot number, temperature ratio factor, and thermal radiation factor. The concentration field escalates with the increasing Biot number, while reduces with heightening chemical reaction and Schmidt number. The assessment of skin factor, thermal transfer, and mass transfer are calculated through tables.

A three-order-parameter bistable magnetoelectric multiferroic metal

Using first-principles calculations we predict that the layered-perovskite metal Bi5Mn5O17 is a ferromagnet, ferroelectric, and ferrotoroid which may realize the long sought-after goal of a room-temperature ferromagnetic single-phase multiferroic with large, strongly coupled, primary-order polarization and magnetization. Bi5Mn5O17 has two nearly energy-degenerate ground states with mutually orthogonal vector order parameters (polarization, magnetization, ferrotoroidicity), which can be rotated globally by switching between ground states. Giant cross-coupling magnetoelectric and magnetotoroidic effects, as well as optical non-reciprocity, are thus expected. Importantly, Bi5Mn5O17 should be thermodynamically stable in O-rich growth conditions, and hence experimentally accessible.

Palaeobiology of the reclining rangeomorph Beothukis from the Ediacaran Mistaken Point Formation of southeastern Newfoundland

Beothukis mistakensis from the Ediacaran System of Newfoundland, Canada demonstrates complex fractal-like morphology through the development of primary-, secondary- and tertiary-order Rangea-like units. The primary-order rangeomorph units observed in B. mistakensis are tightly juxtaposed, show no evidence of being independent of one another and are made up of chamber-like secondary-order – probably mesoglea-filled – units. The growth of these rangeomorph units demonstrates that the frond developed from the tip towards the basal region through ontogeny. The tertiary-order units of Beothukis are considered to represent surface morphology on the secondary-order units. This is in contrast to palaeobiological reconstructions of Beothukis that invoke three-dimensional fractal-like branches with independent units, which has been used to infer an osmotrophic mode of life. It is considered here that the fractal-like morphology of the lower surface of B. mistakensis was an adaptation to increase surface area to volume ratio. The quilted morphology of Beothukis proposed here is consistent with a sessile, reclining, phagocytotic and/or chemosymbiotic mode of life similar to that invoked for the reclining rangeomorph Fractofusus.

Cross-Validation and Application of a Scale Assessing School Band Performance

This is the sixth and culminating study in a series whose purpose has been to acquire a conceptual understanding of school band performance and to develop an assessment based on this understanding. With the present study, we cross-validated and applied a rating scale for school band performance. In the cross-validation phase, college students rated recordings of two high school concert band performances using a scale developed for mid-level band performance. The result was a 25-item School Band Performance Rating Scale (SBPRS) for use at middle and high school levels. Consistent with previous research, the scale was unidimensional, containing one strong second-order factor and three distinct primary-order factors: Rhythm–Technique, Tone Quality–Intonation, and Expressiveness–Musicianship. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency. In a field test, adjudicators used an online version of the SBPRS to assess school band performances. The online form allowed adjudicators to view other adjudicators’ ratings in real time. Good interrater agreement resulted. In another field test, judges used a nonlive version of the SBPRS, and lower interrater agreement resulted. The SBPRS reflects the conceptual structure of school band performance and can be applied advantageously to serve adjudicators and school band ensembles.

Improper Ferroelectric Domain Walls

This chapter focuses on the specific physical properties at domain walls in ferroelectric materials where the spontaneous electric polarization appears as a by-product of a structural or magnetic phase transition, and not as its primary order parameter. The chapter begins with a short introduction to the fundamentals of improper ferroelectricity, followed by a discussion of emergent functional domain wall properties in different improper ferroelectric model systems. It then covers the broad variety of electronic states and application opportunities associated with improper ferroelectric domain walls in hexagonal manganites. Next, this chapter addresses the electronic transport and manipulation of domain walls in boracites, and presents additional magnetoelectric coupling phenomena that arise when the interaction of magnetic spins and electric charges gives rise to improper ferroelectricity. A perspective regarding future research and application opportunities of improper ferroelectric domain walls is given last.

The ultrathin limit of improper ferroelectricity

The secondary nature of polarization in improper ferroelectrics promotes functional properties beyond those of conventional ferroelectrics. In technologically relevant ultrathin films, however, the improper ferroelectric behavior remains largely unexplored. Here, we probe the emergence of the coupled improper polarization and primary distortive order parameter in thin films of hexagonal YMnO3. Combining state-of-the-art in situ characterization techniques separately addressing the improper ferroelectric state and its distortive driving force, we reveal a pronounced thickness dependence of the improper polarization, which we show to originate from the strong modification of the primary order at epitaxial interfaces. Nanoscale confinement effects on the primary order parameter reduce the temperature of the phase transition, which we exploit to visualize its order-disorder character with atomic resolution. Our results advance the understanding of the evolution of improper ferroelectricity within the confinement of ultrathin films, which is essential for their successful implementation in nanoscale applications.

Pressure-induced phase transitions in Na2B12H12, structural investigation on a candidate for solid-state electrolyte

closo-Borates, such as Na2B12H12, are an emerging class of ionic conductors that show promising chemical, electrochemical and mechanical properties as electrolytes in all-solid-state batteries. Motivated by theoretical predictions, high-pressure in situ powder X-ray diffraction on Na2B12H12 was performed and two high-pressure phases are discovered. The first phase transition occurs at 0.5 GPa and it is persistent to ambient pressure, whereas the second transition takes place between 5.7 and 8.1 GPa and it is fully reversible. The mechanisms of the transitions by means of group theoretical analysis are unveiled. The primary-order parameters are identified and the stability at ambient pressure of the first polymorph is explained by density functional theory calculations. Finally, the parameters relevant to engineer and build an all-solid-state battery, namely, the bulk modulus and the coefficient of the thermal expansion are reported. The relatively low value of the bulk modulus for the first polymorph (14 GPa) indicates a soft material which allows accommodation of the volume change of the cathode during cycling.

Cyfrowi komunikatorzy – twórcy czy odtwórcy?

Mirosław Wobalis, Digital Communicators – creators or imitators?, Interdisciplinary Contexts of Special Pedagogy, No. 23, Poznań 2018. Pp. 117–133. Adam Mickiewicz University Press. ISSN 2300-391X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/ikps.2018.23.07 The article touches upon the issue of influence of modern digital media on the attitudes of recipients/ broadcasters (digital communicators) related to their creative activities. The first indication applies to the fact that the development of digital technologies introduces a new digital order of communication (from the primary order, through the secondary and hybrid order, to the digital order), which in turn provides communicators with a broad spectrum of new methods and tools of communication 0 including tools permitting creative activities. Second of all, it is noted that despite the mentioned rich offer of digital tools and the promotion of creative attitudes, digital media, in particular global social media, are dominated by attitudesof re-production related both to common re-distribution of existing content (sharing, copying and pasting, etc.), and even limiting creativity entirely (likes, tags). The remarks made are compared to opinions of digital media researchers and neurobiologists indicating on the one hand the weakening/ dissolution of the reception of content by digital media (the negative effect of multi-tasking), and on the other hand, the supersaturation of emotions related to the reception of content (negative influence of computer games). In conclusion, attention is turned to the necessity of establishing in contemporary communicators (on all levels of education) of digital communication competences, in particular the promotion of creative attitudesrelated to these competences.