Abstract
Introduction:The lack of engagement and the shortage of motivation and drive, also referred to as apathy, negatively impacts the effectiveness and adherence to treatment and the general well-being of people with neurocognitive disorders (NCDs), such as dementia. Methodology:The hypothesis raised states that the engagement of people with dementia during their non-invasive treatments for NCDs is affected by the noisy source levels and negative auditory stimuli present within environmental treatment settings. An online survey was conducted with the study objectives to assess 1) the engagement levels of dementia patients while interacting with others at home versus in therapy facilities, 2) the emotions perceived when interacting with people at home compared to therapy sessions, 3) the perceived loudness of the environment at home versus in therapy facilities, and 4) which source sounds negatively impact the patients at home and during therapy sessions. A purposive sampling (n=62) targeting relatives, friends, and caregivers of dementia patients was conducted via online community forums in the DACH region. Moreover, a recording session was conducted in a psychotherapist’s office to verify the answer tothe questionnaire on the noise sources perceived in therapy facilities. Results and Discussion:The raised hypothesis that disruptive auditory stimuli and noise levels influence the engagement levels of demented individuals during treatment is confirmed as the engagement is affected by the perceived noise disruptions when comparing perceived noise levels and engagement at home to those in treatment facilities.Significant statistical results were found between the lower engagement of demented individuals when interacting with people during therapy sessions compared to higher engagement in-home interactions. Furthermore, negatively perceived sound sources can be found in both therapy facilities and home settings. The noise sound sources identified, such as human voices, household appliances and household noises, while recording inthe psychotherapist’s office align with the questionnaire responses received on this topic. The findings indicate that the perceived heightened noise levels in therapy facilities stand in correlation with the lowered engagement rate perceived during the therapy session compared to the lower noise level and higher engagement encountered when demented individuals interact at home. Conclusion:If the identified noise elements are masked or replaced by other auditory stimuli that promote a soothing soundscape, the original disturbances encountered during therapy and the lack of engagement can possibly be minimized. Further studies need to be conducted in the prototyping of a noise intervention tool to analyze the impact on lack of engagement through noise disturbances.Keywords. Noise, Engagement, Dementia, Therapy, Apathy.INTRODUCTIONNeurocognitive disorders (NCDs) are a steadily rising global public health concern. In 2020, around 50 million people worldwide lived with major NCDs, specifically dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases per year1NCDs can be found in many diseases, including Alzheimer, Parkinson, Huntington, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob (Reith, 2018). The causes of NCDs are typically associated with advanced age. Still, it can occur from incidents such as traumatic brain injuries, infections, thyroid problems, damage to the blood vessels, and other causes (Kane et al., 2017), increasingly affecting a wide range of people and age groups. Successful treatment methods are limited and can be split into two main categories, invasive and non-invasive methods.Invasive treatment methods are surgical procedures, such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a neurosurgical procedure in which a neurotransmitter is placed in the brain to send electrical 1World Health Organization, Dementia [website] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia(accessed 12 April 2021)

Abstract
In this paper, we advance a multimodal optimization music mashup creation model for loop recombination at scale. The motivation to pursue such a model is to 1) tackle current scalability limitations in state-of-the-art (brute force) models while enforcing the 2) compatibility, i.e., recombination quality, of audio loops, and 3) a pool of diverse solutions that can accommodate personal user preferences or promote different musical styles. To this end, we adopt the Artificial Immune System (AIS) opt-aiNet algorithm to efficiently compute a population of compatible and diverse mashups from loop recombinations. Optimal mashups result from local minima in a feature space that objectively represents harmonic and rhythmic compatibility. We implemented our model as a prototype application named Mixmash-AIS, and conducted an objective evaluation that tackles three dimensions: loop recombination compatibility, mashups diversity, and computational model efficiency. The conducted evaluation compares the proposed system to a standard genetic algorithm (GA) and a brute force (BF) approach. While the GA stands as the most efficient algorithm, its poor results in terms of compatibility reinforce the primacy of the AIS opt-aiNet in efficiently finding optimal compatible loop mashups. Furthermore, the AIS opt-aiNet showed to promote a diverse mashup population, outperforming both GA or BF approaches. © 2021 Owner/Author.

Abstract
Sound design has been a fundamental component of audiovisual storytelling in linear media. However, with recent technological developments and the shift towards non-linear and immersive media, things are rapidly changing. More sensory information is available and, at the same time, the user is gaining agency upon the narrative, being offered the possibility of navigating or making other decisions. These new characteristics of immersive environments bring new challenges to storytelling in interactive narratives and require new strategies and techniques for audiovisual narrative progression. Can technology offer an immersive environment where the user has the sensation of agency, of choice, where her actions are not mediated by evident controls but subliminally induced in a way that it is ensured that a narrative is being followed? Can sound be a subliminal element that induces attentional focus on the most relevant elements for the narrative, inducing storytelling and biasing search in an immersive non-linear audiovisual environment? Herein, we present a literature review that has been guided by this prospect. With these questions in view, we present our exploration process in finding possible answers and potential solution paths. We point out that consistency, in terms of coherency across sensory modalities and emotional matching may be a critical aspect. Finally, we consider that this review may open up new paths for experimental studies that could, in the future, provide new strategies in the practice of sound design in the context of non-linear media.

Abstract
Since the beginning of the XXI century, we have been witnessing a significant shift in the media landscape towards enhanced immersive audiovisual manifestations, from controlled research environments to gradual production market penetration. Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, extended reality, 360 degrees video, and digital games are representative examples of these immersive technologies. Spatial audio design and production are instrumental to the immersive experience. As Ambisonics techniques do potentially mean more expense - in memory, processing power, and production budget -, limited exploration in the development of new composition and production methodologies across popular music production has been considered beyond the traditional stereophonic format. Our work details a post-production case study using spatial audio, namely High Order Ambisonics. The case study is a Brazilian popular song, remixed using 3rd order Ambisonics from a multitrack recording session composed of monophonic and stereophonic audio tracks. The song encompasses a unique approach for audio spatialization guided by hierarchical audio content attributes across multiple structural time scales and musical contexts. The evaluation of our production process adopted iterative heuristic assessments comparing technical decisions and aesthetic intentions in fostering an augmented spatial audio song. A set of technical guidelines and good practices on how and why to positioning audio in space are abstracted from our case study evaluation, which critically advances the theory and practice of popular musical audio production in immersive technologies.

Abstract
Sap flow measurements of trees are today the most common method to determine evapotranspiration at the tree and the forest/crop canopy level. They provide independent measurements for flux comparisons and model validation. The most common approach to measure the sap flow is based on intrusive solutions with heaters and thermal sensors. This sap flow sensor technology is not very reliable for more than one season crop; it is intrusive and not adequate for low diameter trunk trees. The non-invasive methods comprise mostly Radio-frequency (RF) technologies, typically using satellite or air-born sources. This system can monitor large fields but cannot measure sap levels of a single plant (precision agriculture). This article studies the hypothesis to use of RF signals attenuation principle to detect variations in the quantity of water present in a single plant. This article presents a well-defined experience to measure water content in leaves, by means of high gains RF antennas, spectrometer, and a robotic arm. Moreover, a similar concept is studied with an off-the-shelf radar solution-for the automotive industry-to detect changes in the water presence in a single plant and leaf. The conclusions indicate a novel potential application of this technology to precision agriculture as the experiments data is directly related to the sap flow variations in plant.

Abstract
Ocean related activities are often supported by offshore equipment with particular power demands. These are usually deployed at remote locations and have limited space, thus small energy harvesting technologies, such as photovoltaic panels or wind turbines, are used to power their instruments. However, the inherent energy sources are intermittent and have lower density and predictability than an alternative source: wave energy. Here, we propose and critically assess triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as a promising technology for integration into wave buoys. Three TENGs based on rolling-spheres were developed and their performance compared in both a "dry" bench testing system under rotating motions, and in a large-scale wave basin under realistic sea-states installed within a scaled navigation buoy. Both experiments show that the electrical outputs of these TENGs increase with decreasing wave periods and increasing wave amplitudes. However, the wave basin tests clearly demonstrated a significant dependency of the electrical outputs on the pitch degree of freedom and the need to take into account the full dynamics of the buoy, and not only that of TENGs, when subjected to the excitations of waves. This work opens new horizons and strategies to apply TENGs in marine applications, considering realistic hydrodynamic behaviors of floating bodies.