Abstract
We present D'accord, a generative music system for creating harmonically compatible accompaniments of symbolic and musical audio inputs with any number of voices, instrumentation, and complexity. The main novelty of our approach centers on offering multiple ranked solutions between a database of pitch configurations and a given musical input based on tonal pitch relatedness and consonance indicators computed in a perceptually motivated Tonal Interval Space. Furthermore, we detail a method to estimate the key of symbolic and musical audio inputs based on attributes of the space, which underpins the generation of key-related pitch configurations. The system is controlled via an adaptive interface implemented for Ableton Live, MAX, and Pure Data, which facilitates music creation for users regardless of music expertise and simultaneously serves as a performance, entertainment, and learning tool. We perform a threefold evaluation of D'accord, which assesses the level of accuracy of our key-finding algorithm, the user enjoyment of generated harmonic accompaniments, and the usability and learnability of the system.

Abstract
Ongoing declines in biodiversity caused by global environmental changes call for adaptive conservation management, including the assessment of habitat suitability spatiotemporal dynamics potentially affecting species persistence. Remote sensing (RS) provides a wide-range of satellite-based environmental variables that can be fed into species distribution models (SDMs) to investigate species-environment relations and forecast responses to change. We address the spatiotemporal dynamics of species' habitat suitability at the landscape level by combining multi-temporal RS data with SDMs for analysing inter-annual habitat suitability dynamics. We implemented this framework with a vulnerable plant species (Veronica micrantha), by combining SDMs with a time-series of RS-based metrics of vegetation functioning related to primary productivity, seasonality, phenology and actual evapotranspiration. Besides RS variables, predictors related to landscape structure, soils and wildfires were ranked and combined through multi-model inference (MMI). To assess recent dynamics, a habitat suitability time-series was generated through model hindcasting. MMI highlighted the strong predictive ability of RS variables related to primary productivity and water availability for explaining the test-species distribution, along with soil, wildfire regime and landscape composition. The habitat suitability time-series revealed the effects of short-term land cover changes and inter-annual variability in climatic conditions. Multi-temporal SDMs further improved predictions, benefiting from RS time-series. Overall, results emphasize the integration of landscape attributes related to function, composition and spatial configuration for improving the explanation of ecological patterns. Moreover, coupling SDMs with RS functional metrics may provide early-warnings of future environmental changes potentially impacting habitat suitability. Applications discussed include the improvement of biodiversity monitoring and conservation strategies.

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract
The increase of demand side participation in reserve service (RS) requires the extension of the markets' activity to the millions of consumers present in the residential sector. This paper proposes a method that performs a bottom-up aggregation of residential demand-side flexibility associated with domestic appliances, namely Thermostatically Controlled Loads (TCL). The flexibility profiles provided by each residential consumer are transformed into aggregated reserve bids to be offered in the day ahead tertiary reserve markets. A case study involving 1500 end-users associated with an aggregator bidding in the Portuguese tertiary reserve market will be used to illustrate the method. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Abstract
A fiber-optic refractive index (RI) sensor based on a long period fiber grating (LPFG) coated with a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film was fabricated and characterized. A method to overcoat the LPFG's with a homogeneous ZnO thin films was developed. Characterization of ZnO thin films, deposited simultaneously on silicon (Si) planar substrates, was performed using Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The LPFGs with ZnO coatings from 29 to 145 nm of thickness were characterized and compared in terms of the wavelength shift and the intensity of the attenuation bands changing the surrounding refractive index (SRI) from 1.300 to 1.600. An average wavelength sensitivity of similar to 7162 nm/RIU was achieved in the RI range from 1.440 to 1.456 and more than 12,000 nm/RIU at 1.440 RI. Using a ZnO film thickness of 116 nm and in the RI region between 1.320 and 1.360 the average sensitivity of similar to 806 nm/RIU was measured for a 145 nm thick film. Working as an intensity sensing device, the 87 nm coated LPFG shows a linear sensitivity of 216.4 dB/RIU in a wide range of RI from 1.340 to 1.420.