Academic literature on the topic 'Basse continuo'

The article was based on a fragment of the author’s doctoral dissertation entitled The birth of cello as a solo instrument – instruments, practice, and selected literature examples (Academy of Music in Łódź, chapter The evolution of cello in the 17th century) and consists of two parts. The first part outlines of the evolution of cello from its birth in the 16th century to the 18th century (the text is supplemented with illustrations), whereas the second part describes the role and use of cello in music of that period. The introduction to the article includes a critical reference to the list of academic and popular science publications therein, in Polish and other languages, touching on the cello issue in the 17th and 18th centuries. The historical part touches on the circumstances of how the violin family emerged with a special attention paid to bass representatives of that group of instruments. Following a detailed analysis of preserved instruments, their reliable copies, luthier publications, illustrations and treatises from that period, the author discussed the construction of the earlies cellos. Apart from data concerning sizes and scale length of these instruments, the article includes information about their body, neck, fingerboard (with slope angle), bridge and tailpiece, materials they were made of, and types and gauge of strings used at that time. It also describes cello tuning methods. Moreover, the author mentions different types of cello (piccolo, da spalla, basse de violon) and different ways of how it was held. A separate issue are the bows, especially types of bows, their evolution and ways of holding. This part of the article is concluded with a list of different names of bass variants of the violin used in the 16th and 17th centuries before the name cello/violoncello finally settled. The second part of the article elaborates on the most important functions of cello: as a consort instrument, a universal continuo instrument or a solo instrument. Cello (along with viola da gamba or dulcian/bassoon) managed especially well as a melodic instrument co-rendering the continuo parts, and the result was that the basso continuo became the most important domain of cello in the Baroque, having a significant influence on the shape of playing technique and performance practice of that instrument. As one of melodic bass instruments, cello performed an important role in shaping the concertante style, along with the violin, shawm/oboe, cornet or flute. It was that practice combined with the improvisation practice developed simultaneously (which also influenced the development of the instrument itself) that the idea to write first autonomous compositions for the cello (solo, chamber or with basso continuo) emerged from at the end of the 17th century. Continuation of this article, which shall be devoted to Baroque works for the cello and their composers, will be published in the following issue of “Notes Muzyczny”.

L'angiografia digitale sottratta (ADS) si è confrontata fin dal suo primo apparire con i due problemi tecnici caratteristici della radiologia: risoluzione di contrasto e risoluzione spaziale, suscitando entusiasmi per la prima e perplessità per la seconda. II problema è stato più volte affrontato in questi anni, certo esaurientemente, ma per il continuo aggiornamento delle apparecchiature è necessario rivedere periodicamente le attuali possibilità e limiti, indispensabili per la corretta formulazione di protocolli di studio e di indicazione. Il confronto può essere fatto utilmente solo tra angiografia tradizionale (AT) e ADS arteriosa, in quanto presentano livelli di risoluzione spaziale vicini tra loro. La ADS venosa, che pure presenta vantaggi notevoli di ordine pratico e metodologico ha limiti di risoluzione spaziale notevoli rispetto alla AT; essa presenta un campo di impiego diverso, in quanto sfrutta al massimo le possibilità di risoluzione di contrasto del sistema ed un confronto con la AT è difficilmente proponibile in tema di pura qualità di immagine. La perdita di risoluzione spaziale (qualificabile intorno al 50% per condizioni operative standard) viene largamente compensata dalla possibilità di visualizzare strutture che presentano basse differenze di assorbimento Rx rispetto all'ambiente circostante. Va inoltre notato che per le condizioni operative ottimizzate la perdita di risoluzione spaziale della ADS è sicuramente piú evidente, ma bisogna tener conto dell'attuale utilizzo dell'indagine angiografica perché se la visualizzazione di vasi da 200/300 micron poteva essere importante nella diagnostica angiografica di neoplasia in epoca pre-TAC, attualmente ha perso gran parte della sua importanza. Una angiografia digitale è in grado di risolvere tutti i quesiti angiografici posti dopo la dimostrazione di massa fatta con TC o RMN.

Auteur de nombreux recueils poétiques depuis 1978, Jean-Michel Maulpoix apparaît comme l’un des poètes majeurs de sa génération, dont il est également un défenseur et un théoricien. Si sa poésie se veut pleinement de son temps, dont elle partage les doutes, les inquiétudes et les malaises, elle tente cependant, sans pour autant effacer toute marque personnelle, de porter ceux-ci à une dimension universelle, tout en se montrant tendue vers un idéal d’apaisement. Cette étude, qui conjugue une analyse thématique à des commentaires stylistiques parfois appuyés sur des décomptes statistiques, tente ainsi de montrer que cette tension entre dissonance et apaisement travaille profondément l’écriture des différents recueils, dans leurs thèmes comme dans leur forme, leur énonciation et leur rythme. Elle emprunte à la musique les notions de « basse obstinée » et de « basse continue », non pour suggérer que la poésie soit analysable en termes musicaux, mais en tant que métaphores d’une écriture elle-même obstinée, qui privilégie la continuité plutôt que les ruptures, et une continuité qui n’exclut pas la variation, jusque dans le rythme des phrases et des poèmes
Author of many collections of poems since 1978, Jean-Michel Maulpoix is one of the most important poets of his generation. He is also known as a theoretician. His poetry is influenced by our times, and it shares its doubts and uneasiness. But the poet also gives an universal dimension to his poems, even if all marks of subjectivity are not erased. The poems often seem to search an ideal of appeasement. This dissertation analyses both themes and style : it aims at showing that this tension between uneasiness and appeasement is very important in many collections of poems by Jean-Michel Maulpoix, in their themes, form, enunciation, and rhythm. It uses the musical concepts of “basso ostinato” and “basso continuo”, not to suggest a confusion between poetry and music, but as metaphors of the obstinacy of the writing itself. The poems by Jean-Michel Maulpoix prefer continuity to ruptures, a kind of continuity that does not exclude variation, even into the rhythm of sentences and poems

Entre 1750 et 1800, l’émergence et l’adoption de nouveaux genres musicaux et modèles stylistiques, bouleversent la pratique de l’accompagnement au clavier en France. La basse chiffrée se raréfie dans les œuvres gravées et cède progressivement le pas à des parties de clavier entièrement écrites dans la musique vocale. La première partie de cette thèse définit la place de l’accompagnateur et l’évolution de la notation. La seconde est consacrée à l’enseignement dispensé par les méthodes et traités, et établit des passerelles avec les écoles étrangères et le siècle suivant. Enfin, la troisième partie reconsidère la question de l’accompagnement dans les sonates pour clavier et violon. La confrontation des écrits théoriques et des partitions trouve une application directe dans la pratique de la basse continue et de l’accompagnement au clavier, et permet de proposer des modèles de réalisation conformes aux caractéristiques observées dans les œuvres de cette période
Between 1750 and 1800, the emergence and adoption of new musical genres and stylistic models radically change the accompaniment practice on keyboard instruments in France. Figured bass becomes scarce and is gradually replaced by written-out keyboard parts in vocal music. The first part of this thesis defines the role of the accompanist and the evolution of the notation. The second part is devoted to the instructions given in methods and treatises and establishes links with foreign schools and the following century. Finally, the third part reconsiders the question of the accompaniment in the sonatas for keyboard and violin. The comparison between theoretical writings and scores finds a direct application in the continuo and keyboard accompaniment practice, and leads to the proposition of realisation models in accordance with the characteristics observed in the musical works of that period

Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697) fut organiste à la Marienkirche de Husum (Schleswig-Holstein), et Kapellmeister au service des ducs de Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf. Si nous ne possédons aujourd’hui qu’une poignée de ses pièces pour orgue (quatre praeludia et un choral-fantaisie), nous pouvons apprécier l’ingéniosité de cet auteur à travers sa production d’œuvres sacrées, douze cantates où règne une énergie comparable à celle de son professeur Dietrich Buxtehude.Soucieux de mieux cerner les enjeux de l’identité créatrice, nous proposerons une approche contradictoire, fondée sur deux conceptions opposées de l’œuvre d’art : elle est par voie de conséquence le produit d’une culture (parce qu’elle est liée au contexte artistique qui la précède, au regard des éléments qui la constituent et qui sont facilement identifiables dans les œuvres du passé, toute œuvre peut être perçue et pensée comme une synthèse de différents modèles, une forme d’aboutissement culturel), mais aussi le fruit d’une individualité (une œuvre d’art est une élaboration unique, indépendante de toute autre production, au regard des facteurs d’unité qui la structurent ; toute œuvre peut alors être perçue et pensée comme une entité autonome).Cette étude nous permettra de mettre à jour un soubassement de l’activité psychique : l’estimation de la distance entre le fixe et le muable
Nicolaus Bruhns (1665-1697) was an organist at the Marienkirche in Husum (Schleswig-Holstein), and Kapellmeister to the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf. If we own today only a handful of his pieces for organ (four praeludia and a chorale-fantasia), we can appreciate the cleverness of this author through his production of sacred works, twelve cantatas where the energy which appears is similar to that of his professor Dietrich Buxtehude.With the concern to better define the stakes of creative identity, we shall put forward a contradictory approach based on two opposite conceptions of the work of art : it is in essence the product of a culture (since it is linked to the artistic context which precedes it, according to the elements which constitute it and which are easily identifiable in the works of the past, any work can be perceived and thought as a synthesis of various models, a form of cultural achievement), but also the result of individuality (a work of art is a unique construction, independent from any other production according to the factors of unity which structure it ; any work may then be perceived and thought as an autonomous entity).This study will enable us to bring to light a basis of the psychic activity : the appraisal of the distance between the fixed and the changing

As the core of virtually all vocal and instrumental composition in the Baroque music, the basso continuo group had an extremely important role in the sacred cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). During the Baroque period, the choice of instruments was sometimes indicated by the composer, but frequently the performers had to determine which instruments were most appropriate for the particular environment and context of the music.When performing the sacred cantatas of J.S. Bach, the conductor must identify and make decisions regarding the choices and combinations of instruments for both figured and sustained continuo part. In some cases the conductor may even consider changing continuo instrument(s), movement by movement, in a cantata in which a significant shift occurs in the texture, orchestration, or dramatic function of singer's line. Since Bach's cantatas are an encyclopedia of Baroque musical style, and models of compositional techniques of the time, understanding the cantatas is a practical and effective way to gain understanding regarding his other compositions. These cantatas also present musical challenges and rewards to choirs and orchestras.In an attempt to achieve a greater understanding and establish guidelines, I will examine and propose six principles and parameters regarding choices and combinations of basso continuo instruments and obbligato instruments, examining a variety of movement types from six different sacred cantatas of J.S. Bach ; Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4; Ich hatte viel bekümmernis, BWV 21; Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ, BWV 67; Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericct mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105; Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, and Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172.This study will include:1) A critical review of performance practice and historical evidence regarding the basso continuo part in Bach's sacred cantatas2) Using "4 TAV System: Six Parameters" performance considerations and suggestions for instrument choices in basso continuo group for chorus, solo, recitative, and chorale movements in the selected cantatas3) Examinations and suggestions of several possible choices and combinations of basso continuo instruments

Dans cette thèse nous présentons des mécanismes pour manipuler les données des champs continus d'une manière performante, c'est-à-dire les données décrivant des phénomènes continus comme en météorologie. Lors de la définition des mécanismes proposés, nous avons envisagé les deux aspects suivants. D'une part, l'utilisation des structures d'indexation qui prennent en compte les caractéristiques spatio-temporelles des échantillons ; puisque nous travaillons avec des champs continus, nous considérons aussi le stockage et l'accès indexé aux données nécessaires pour effectuer les estimations. De l'autre part, l'organisation du stockage en regroupant les données pour réduire les espaces de recherche. Dès lors, nous avons défini une stratégie qui s'appuie sur la structuration des données, et de plus, nous présentons la définition d'un système pour manipuler ces données en appliquant cette façon de faire

Dans cette etude l'auteur se propose de determiner la structure d'un convertisseur complexe de facon aussi systematique que possible. Dans ce but, il definit des lois d'association de convertisseurs elementaires. L'application de ces lois et le respect d'un cahier des charges permet d'effectuer la synthese des structures adaptees et aussi d'envisager la generalisation de la methode utilisee. Cette demarche est decrite dans le cadre de la conversion continue (basse tension) alternative (haute tension sinusoidale, basse frequence). Les schemas de structure issus de cette synthese sont ensuite valides par une etude theorique et une simulation analogique. Etudes et realisations des principaux constituants du convertisseur: les interrupteurs basse tension, les interfaces signal-puissance, les circuits de commamde et de gestion de l'ensemble

Les technologies de communication sans fil de courte portée (Bluetooth. . . ) permettent aujourd'hui la mise oeuvre d'interactions directes entre terminaux mobiles (assistants personnels, téléphones cellulaires. . . ) physiquement proches. Il devient ainsi possible de considérer les systèmes d'information nés de la réunion provisoire de ces terminaux. De tels systèmes s'avèrent extrêmement dynamiques de par la nature même des entités qui les composent. Dans ce contexte, les résultats issus d'outils d'interrogation ponctuelle ne restent, le plus souvent, valables que de courts laps de temps. Cette thèse définit un outil d'interrogation adapté aux interactions de proximité. Après avoir proposé une formalisation de ce type d'interactions centrée sur la notion de système d'information de proximité, nous présentons l'application de notre modèle aux bases de données de proximité, transposition des systèmes d'information de proximité au domaine des bases de données relationnelles.

Nel qui presente elaborato vengono descritte le principali caratteristiche del sistema di posizionamento GPS e le tecniche di rilievo. Particolare attenzione viene posta al rilievo cinematico continuo con sensori a basso costo (Ublox EVK 7P). Inotre verra descritta nel dettaglio la strumentazione atta ad acquisire il segnale, e la relativa preparazione. In particolare i dati acquisiti dalla strumentazione verranno elaborati con appositi software, dai quali si otterranno diverse soluzioni. Di seguito sara presente anche la procedura di elaborazione dei dati registrati. In fine le soluzioni ottenute saranno oggetto di confronto.

Die Kantate »La bella fiamma ò Tirsi« gehört zu den wenigen Werken aus einem umfangreichen OEuvre von 63 Kammerkantaten von Johann David Heinichen, deren Entstehungsort und Datierung überliefert sind: »Venetiis. Kal:X.Sept: 1711«. Die Herkunft des Textes ist noch ungeklärt. Er entspricht aber der verbreiteten italienischen Barocklyrik, die seelische Konflikte wie Liebeskummer zumeist metaphorisch in Naturbildern ausspricht. Diese Kantaten gaben offenbar den Ausschlag, dass der Kurprinz, nachdem er die Genehmigung hierfür bei seinem Vater Friedrich August I. aus Dresden eingeholt hatte, Heinichen als sächsischen Hofkapellmeister ab dem 1. August 1716 verpflichte. Zum Geburtstag des Kurprinzen am 17. Oktober 1716 komponierte Heinichen eine Serenata, welche die Musiker in Gondeln auf dem Canale grande aufführten.

Die Kantate »La bella fiamma ò Tirsi« gehört zu den wenigen Werken aus einem umfangreichen OEuvre von 63 Kammerkantaten von Johann David Heinichen, deren Entstehungsort und Datierung überliefert sind: »Venetiis. Kal:X.Sept: 1711«. Die Herkunft des Textes ist noch ungeklärt. Er entspricht aber der verbreiteten italienischen Barocklyrik, die seelische Konflikte wie Liebeskummer zumeist metaphorisch in Naturbildern ausspricht. Diese Kantaten gaben offenbar den Ausschlag, dass der Kurprinz, nachdem er die Genehmigung hierfür bei seinem Vater Friedrich August I. aus Dresden eingeholt hatte, Heinichen als sächsischen Hofkapellmeister ab dem 1. August 1716 verpflichte. Zum Geburtstag des Kurprinzen am 17. Oktober 1716 komponierte Heinichen eine Serenata, welche die Musiker in Gondeln auf dem Canale grande aufführten.

Abstract Orthonormal bases of isotropic vectors for indefinite square matrices are proposed and solved. A necessary and sufficient condition is that the matrix must have zero trace. A recursive algorithm is presented for computer applications. The isotropic vectors of 3 × 3 matrices are solved explicitly. Deviatoric stresses in continuum mechanics, the existence of isotropic vectors (particularly in screw space), and stiffness synthesis by springs are shown to be related to the isotropic vector problem.

Hanne Darboven’s (1941-2009) Opus 17a is a composition for solo double bass that is rarely performed due to the physical and mental challenges involved in its performance. It is one of four opuses from the composers monumental 1008 page Wünschkonzert (1984), and was composed during her period of making “mathematical music” based on mathematical systems where numbers were assigned to certain notes and translated to musical scores. It can be described as large-scale minimalism and it is highly repetitive, but even though the same notes and intervals keep repeating, the patterns slightly change throughout the piece. This is an attempt to unfold the many challenges of both interpreting, preparing and performing this 70 minute long solo piece for double bass consisting of a continuous stream of eight notes. It is largely based on my own experiences of preparing, rehearsing and performing Opus 17a, but also on interviews I have conducted with fellow bass players Robert Black and Tom Peters, who have both made recordings of this piece as well as having performed it live. One is met with few instrumental technical challenges such as fingering, string crossing and bowing when performing Opus 17a, but because of its long duration what one normally would take for granted could possibly prove to be challenging.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.

Los procedimientos quirúrgicos orales no están exentos de situaciones relacionadas con accidentes o complicaciones propias del procedimiento. El desenlace favorable depende del abordaje adecuado. La presente guía se elaboró para orientar al estudiante de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia en el manejo de los accidentes y/o complicaciones intraoperatorias en cirugía oral. El objetivo es establecer el manejo de accidentes y/o complicaciones intraoperatorias en pacientes atendidos en la clínica de cirugía oral. Entre las complicaciones más frecuentes se encuentran: la laceración en tejidos blandos, las asociadas a las técnicas anestésicas y las relacionadas a la extracción de dientes, que pueden ser consecuencia de equivocaciones propias de la inexperiencia. Es por esta razón que se recomienda a la institución universitaria continuar con prácticas que promuevan el desarrollo de habilidades como la motricidad fina y otras destrezas en los estudiantes que, sumado a las adecuadas bases teóricas, asegure un servicio de calidad.

Adaptive programming and management principles focused on learning, experimentation, and evidence-based decision making are gaining traction with donor agencies and implementing partners in international development. Adaptation calls for using learning to inform adjustments during project implementation. This requires information gathering methods that promote reflection, learning, and adaption, beyond reporting on pre-specified data. A focus on adaptation changes traditional thinking about program cycle. It both erases the boundaries between design, implementation, and evaluation and reframes thinking to consider the complexity of development problems and nonlinear change pathways.Supportive management structures and processes are crucial for fostering adaptive management. Implementers and donors are experimenting with how procurement, contracting, work planning, and reporting can be modified to foster adaptive programming. Well-designed monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems can go beyond meeting accountability and reporting requirements to produce data and learning for evidence-based decision making and adaptive management. It is important to continue experimenting and learning to integrate adaptive programming and management into the operational policies and practices of donor agencies, country partners, and implementers. We need to devote ongoing effort to build the evidence base for the contributions of adaptive management to achieving international development results.

Background. Timely discharge of hospitalized patients can prevent patient harm, improve patient satisfaction and quality of life, and reduce costs. Numerous strategies have been tested to improve the efficiency and safety of patient recovery and discharge, but hospitals continue to face challenges. Purpose. This Technical Brief aimed to identify and synthesize current knowledge and emerging concepts regarding systematic strategies that hospitals and health systems can implement to reduce length of stay (LOS), with emphasis on medically complex or vulnerable patients at high risk for prolonged LOS due to clinical, social, or economic barriers to timely discharge. Methods. We conducted a structured search for published and unpublished studies and conducted interviews with Key Informants representing vulnerable patients, hospitals, health systems, and clinicians. The interviews provided guidance on our research protocol, search strategy, and analysis. Due to the large and diverse evidence base, we limited our evaluation to systematic reviews of interventions to decrease hospital LOS for patients at potentially higher risk for delayed discharge; primary research studies were not included, and searches were restricted to reviews published since 2010. We cataloged the characteristics of relevant interventions and assessed evidence of their effectiveness. Findings. Our searches yielded 4,364 potential studies. After screening, we included 19 systematic reviews reported in 20 articles. The reviews described eight strategies for reducing LOS: discharge planning; geriatric assessment or consultation; medication management; clinical pathways; inter- or multidisciplinary care; case management; hospitalist services; and telehealth. All reviews included adult patients, and two reviews also included children. Interventions were frequently designed for older (often frail) patients or patients with chronic illness. One review included pregnant women at high risk for premature delivery. No reviews focused on factors linking patient vulnerability with social determinants of health. The reviews reported few details about hospital setting, context, or resources associated with the interventions studied. Evidence for effectiveness of interventions was generally not robust and often inconsistent—for example, we identified six reviews of discharge planning; three found no effect on LOS, two found LOS decreased, and one reported an increase. Many reviews also reported patient readmission rates and mortality but with similarly inconsistent results. Conclusions. A broad range of strategies have been employed to reduce LOS, but rigorous systematic reviews have not consistently demonstrated effectiveness within medically complex, high-risk, and vulnerable populations. Health system leaders, researchers, and policymakers must collaborate to address these needs.

Symphonies Reframed recreates symphonies as chamber music. The project aims to capture the features that are unique for chamber music, at the juncture between the “soloistic small” and the “orchestral large”. A new ensemble model, the “triharmonic ensemble” with 7-9 musicians, has been created to serve this purpose. By choosing this size range, we are looking to facilitate group interplay without the need of a conductor. We also want to facilitate a richness of sound colours by involving piano, strings and winds. The exact combination of instruments is chosen in accordance with the features of the original score. The ensemble setup may take two forms: nonet with piano, wind quartet and string quartet (with double bass) or septet with piano, wind trio and string trio. As a group, these instruments have a rich tonal range with continuous and partly overlapping registers. This paper will illuminate three core questions: What artistic features emerge when changing from large orchestral structures to mid-sized chamber groups? How do the performers reflect on their musical roles in the chamber ensemble? What educational value might the reframing unfold? Since its inception in 2014, the project has evolved to include works with vocal, choral and soloistic parts, as well as sonata literature. Ensembles of students and professors have rehearsed, interpreted and performed our transcriptions of works by Brahms, Schumann and Mozart. We have also carried out interviews and critical discussions with the students, on their experiences of the concrete projects and on their reflections on own learning processes in general. Chamber ensembles and orchestras are exponents of different original repertoire. The difference in artistic output thus hinges upon both ensemble structure and the composition at hand. Symphonies Reframed seeks to enable an assessment of the qualities that are specific to the performing corpus and not beholden to any particular piece of music. Our transcriptions have enabled comparisons and reflections, using original compositions as a reference point. Some of our ensemble musicians have had first-hand experience with performing the original works as well. Others have encountered the works for the first time through our productions. This has enabled a multi-angled approach to the three central themes of our research. This text is produced in 2018.