Practical Amount Of Time Research Articles

Conceptions of woodwind students regarding the process of learning a piece of music

The way in which students and teachers conceive the nature of knowledge and its acquisition has been deeply investigated in recent decades since these conceptions underlie teaching and learning processes themselves. In this study, we analysed how woodwind students from different levels of expertise conceive the process of learning a musical piece. As in previous studies about learning processes in music, we divide it into three stages: the beginning (first sessions of study of the new piece), the middle of the process (the student continues practising) and the end (the sessions before the performance). Sixty-eight Spanish woodwind students from three different levels of instruction completed an open-ended questionnaire. A statistical analysis of textual data was applied to the responses, in order to identify lexical differences among groups of participants about their learning conceptions. Statistically significant lexical differences were found for the variable ‘Level’, and three lexical groups were identified for each stage of learning, corresponding to the three levels. Elementary students held a conception of learning in which there is a linear relationship between conditions (amount of practice time, repetition) and outcomes (mainly related to notational elements), giving a small presence to the learner’s agency. Intermediate students began to consider the internal structure of the piece and its expressive function, and they particularly emphasised mental processes involved in learning. Advanced students suggested activities requiring a greater degree of autonomy and reflection, considering the piece as an element for the performer’s expression. Changes in goals and activities mentioned for the different stages of learning were also identified for each level. Results suggest that as level of instruction progress, it becomes more probable to find more sophisticated conceptions, which is consistent with previous research in several knowledge domains. Implications for education are discussed.

Optimizing 4D cone beam computed tomography acquisition by varying the gantry velocity and projection time interval

Four dimensional cone beam computed tomography (4DCBCT) is an emerging clinical image guidance strategy for tumour sites affected by respiratory motion. In current generation 4DCBCT techniques, both the gantry rotation speed and imaging frequency are constant and independent of the patient’s breathing which can lead to projection clustering. We present a mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) model for respiratory motion guided-4DCBCT (RMG-4DCBCT) which regulates the gantry velocity and projection time interval, in response to the patient’s respiratory signal, so that a full set of evenly spaced projections can be taken in a number of phase, or displacement, bins during the respiratory cycle. In each respiratory bin, an image can be reconstructed from the projections to give a 4D view of the patient’s anatomy so that the motion of the lungs, and tumour, can be observed during the breathing cycle. A solution to the full MIQP model in a practical amount of time, 10 s, is not possible with the leading commercial MIQP solvers, so a heuristic method is presented. Using parameter settings typically used on current generation 4DCBCT systems (4 min image acquisition, 1200 projections, 10 respiratory bins) and a sinusoidal breathing trace with a 4 s period, we show that the root mean square (RMS) of the angular separation between projections with displacement binning is 2.7° using existing constant gantry speed systems and 0.6° using RMG-4DCBCT. For phase based binning the RMS is 2.7° using constant gantry speed systems and 2.5° using RMG-4DCBCT. The optimization algorithm presented is a critical step on the path to developing a system for RMG-4DCBCT.

REBALANCE SCHEDULE OPTIMIZATION OF A LARGE SCALE PORTFOLIO UNDER TRANSACTION COST

This paper is concerned with an optimization problem associated with a rebalancing schedule of a large scale fund subject to nonconvex transaction cost. We will formulate this problem as a 0-1 mixed integer programming problem under linear constraints using absolute deviation as the measure of risk. This problem can be solved by an integer programming software if the size of the universe is small. However, it is still beyond the reach of the state-of-the-art technology to solve a large scale rebalancing problem. We will show that we can now solve these problems almost exactly within a practical amount of time by using an elaborate heuristic approach.

Recording Density Limitation Explored by Head/Media Co-Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm and GPU-Accelerated LLG

Designs of write-head geometry and multilayer recording-media composition (10-30 design variables) were optimized using a multiobjective genetic algorithm (GA) so as to maximize/minimize read/write (R/W) performance measures such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), magnetic write width (MWW), and thermal stability of media. A head-media co-design system using a general-purpose graphic processing unit (GPGPU)-accelerated Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) simulator and conventional finite element method (FEM) electromagnetic analysis enables thousands of R/W simulations required for GA to be performed within a practical amount of time. GA optimization of the write head showed recording density limitations and the impact of vertically scaling media/head-disk interface (HDI) dimensions on it. GA optimization of recording media showed a tradeoff relationship (trilemma) among MWW, SNR, and the thermal stability of media. The effectiveness of increasing complexity in media design such as the number of layers and the variable range of material properties on overcoming the trilemma were clarified. Design variables for optimization results scatter over relatively wide ranges, suggesting a wide variety of head-media designs. Finally, results of head-media co-designing suggested the importance of matching between write head and recording media.

Sassena — X-ray and neutron scattering calculated from molecular dynamics trajectories using massively parallel computers

Massively parallel computers now permit the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of multi-million atom systems on time scales up to the microsecond. However, the subsequent analysis of the resulting simulation trajectories has now become a high performance computing problem in itself. Here, we present software for calculating X-ray and neutron scattering intensities from MD simulation data that scales well on massively parallel supercomputers. The calculation and data staging schemes used maximize the degree of parallelism and minimize the IO bandwidth requirements. The strong scaling tested on the Jaguar Petaflop Cray XT5 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory exhibits virtually linear scaling up to 7000 cores for most benchmark systems. Since both MPI and thread parallelism is supported, the software is flexible enough to cover scaling demands for different types of scattering calculations. The result is a high performance tool capable of unifying large-scale supercomputing and a wide variety of neutron/synchrotron technology. Program summaryProgram title: SassenaCatalogue identifier: AELW_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AELW_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queenʼs University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: GNU General Public License, version 3No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1 003 742No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 798Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: C++, OpenMPIComputer: Distributed Memory, Cluster of Computers with high performance network, SupercomputerOperating system: UNIX, LINUX, OSXHas the code been vectorized or parallelized?: Yes, the code has been parallelized using MPI directives. Tested with up to 7000 processorsRAM: Up to 1 Gbytes/coreClassification: 6.5, 8External routines: Boost Library, FFTW3, CMAKE, GNU C++ Compiler, OpenMPI, LibXML, LAPACKNature of problem: Recent developments in supercomputing allow molecular dynamics simulations to generate large trajectories spanning millions of frames and thousands of atoms. The structural and dynamical analysis of these trajectories requires analysis algorithms which use parallel computation and IO schemes to solve the computational task in a practical amount of time. The particular computational and IO requirements very much depend on the particular analysis algorithm. In scattering calculations a very frequent pattern is that the trajectory data is used multiple times to compute different projections and aggregates this into a single scattering function. Thus, for good performance the trajectory data has to be kept in memory and the parallel computer has to have enough RAM to store a volatile version of the whole trajectory. In order to achieve high performance and good scalability the mapping of the physical equations to a parallel computer needs to consider data locality and reduce the amount of the inter-node communication.Solution method: The physical equations for scattering calculations were analyzed and two major calculation schemes were developed to support any type of scattering calculation (all/self). Certain hardware aspects were taken into account, e.g. high performance computing clusters and supercomputers usually feature a 2 tier network system, with Ethernet providing the file storage and infiniband the inter-node communication via MPI calls. The time spent loading the trajectory data into memory is minimized by letting each core only read the trajectory data it requires. The performance of inter-node communication is maximized by exclusively utilizing the appropriate MPI calls to exchange the necessary data, resulting in an excellent scalability. The partitioning scheme developed to map the calculation onto a parallel computer covers a wide variety of use cases without negatively effecting the achieved performance. This is done through a 2D partitioning scheme where independent scattering vectors are assigned to independent parallel partitions and all communication is local to the partition.Additional comments: !!!!! The distribution file for this program is approximately 36 Mbytes and therefore is not delivered directly when download or E-mail is requested. Instead an html file giving details of how the program can be obtained is sent. !!!!!Running time: Usual runtime spans from 1 min on 20 nodes to 2 h on 2000 nodes. That is 0.5–4000 CPU hours per execution.

Evaluating the Modulation Transfer Function of Auditory Steady State Responses in the 65 Hz to 120 Hz Range

Auditory steady state response (ASSR) tests allow frequency-specific assessment of the auditory system. The responses can be elicited with long-duration tones that are modulated at particular rates. The literature has reported that some rates may evoke larger responses than others. Modulation transfer functions (MTFs), which show ASSR response as a function of modulation rate, can be created by presenting a fixed carrier with a modulation rate that is swept over time. Here, we explore the profiles of MTFs with particular effort made toward examining (1) the rates in the MTF that provided the maximum and minimum values, (2) the means and ranges of ASSRs within each MTF, and (3) MTF test-retest repeatability. Because recording ASSRs to a 500-Hz carrier frequency is often difficult at 60 dB SPL or less, we focused our efforts on this frequency. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using MTFs for the purpose of identifying both optimal and unfavorable modulation rates. Fifty-four normal hearing adult subjects were allocated to one of four experimental conditions. The first two conditions used a 500-Hz carrier and generated MTFs where modulation rate was varied continuously across a low (66 to 102 Hz) or high (86 to 121 Hz) range. In two additional conditions, a 500-Hz carrier having a modulation rate fixed at 82 Hz and a 2000-Hz carrier having a swept modulation rate (66- to 102-Hz range) were also obtained for comparison. Stimuli were presented at 60 dB SPL. The two ranges of modulation were used because these have implications for the generators and characteristics of the evoked responses. Responses were analyzed for each condition using a Fourier analyzer. To assess the stability of the MTF, two recordings, of 25 mins each, were obtained for each subject. MTF profiles and modulation rates associated with maximum and minimum amplitudes clearly demonstrated repeatability between the two recordings. More specifically, modulation rates for the maximum and minimum amplitudes showed correlations above 0.92 between the two recordings. Using combined data from the two replications, we found that differences between maximum and minimum amplitudes were between 34 and 51 nV when modulation rate was varied. For the fixed modulation rate condition, the difference was only 22 nV, which was due to fluctuations in noise. Response amplitude and noise estimates obtained in this study suggest that approximately 30% of individuals would require at least 10 mins more recording time if an actual hearing test was performed using the modulation rate associated with the ASSR amplitude minimum rather than the maximum. For some individuals, the ASSR would not be detected in a practical amount of time if the wrong modulation rate were relied upon during a clinical test. In research applications requiring repeated measurements, or clinical contexts such as intraoperative monitoring or assessment of aided hearing, setting stimulus modulation rate parameters based on a previous analysis of an individual's MTF could be extremely beneficial. Sufficient time must be spent in recording the MTF to adequately attenuate the contribution of noise to the ASSR amplitude estimates.

Compressed sensing of remotely detected MRI velocimetry in microfluidics

NMR and MRI can yield detailed chemical and dynamic information about flow at microscopic resolutions, but suffer from low signal to noise relative to alternative techniques for flow measurements. In porous media and microfluidic devices, this sensitivity problem is further exacerbated by magnetic susceptibility broadening and low coil filling factor. Fortunately, remote detection can mitigate these issues by physically separating signal detection from the other steps of the experiment. The technique requires, however, that any measured interactions be encoded in indirectly sampled dimensions, leading to experiments of high dimensionality and correspondingly long acquisition times. We have applied compressed sensing, a reconstruction technique used in MRI, to dramatically reduce these experiment times by 8–64× through partial sampling (sub-sampling) of k-space, allowing for the collection of images with significantly higher resolutions in reasonable amounts of time. Here, we demonstrate this reconstruction technique to remotely detected flow measurements in a serpentine mixing chip and in a microfluidic channel harboring a constriction. We find that compressed sensing allows for significantly higher resolution images to be collected in a practical amount of time, thus significantly enhancing the applicability of remote detection to flow imaging.

Cgaln: fast and space-efficient whole-genome alignment

BackgroundWhole-genome sequence alignment is an essential process for extracting valuable information about the functions, evolution, and peculiarities of genomes under investigation. As available genomic sequence data accumulate rapidly, there is great demand for tools that can compare whole-genome sequences within practical amounts of time and space. However, most existing genomic alignment tools can treat sequences that are only a few Mb long at once, and no state-of-the-art alignment program can align large sequences such as mammalian genomes directly on a conventional standalone computer.ResultsWe previously proposed the CGAT (Coarse-Grained AlignmenT) algorithm, which performs an alignment job in two steps: first at the block level and then at the nucleotide level. The former is "coarse-grained" alignment that can explore genomic rearrangements and reduce the sizes of the regions to be analyzed in the next step. The latter is detailed alignment within limited regions. In this paper, we present an update of the algorithm and the open-source program, Cgaln, that implements the algorithm. We compared the performance of Cgaln with those of other programs on whole genomic sequences of several bacteria and of some mammalian chromosome pairs. The results showed that Cgaln is several times faster and more memory-efficient than the best existing programs, while its sensitivity and accuracy are comparable to those of the best programs. Cgaln takes less than 13 hours to finish an alignment between the whole genomes of human and mouse in a single run on a conventional desktop computer with a single CPU and 2 GB memory.ConclusionsCgaln is not only fast and memory efficient but also effective in coping with genomic rearrangements. Our results show that Cgaln is very effective for comparison of large genomes, especially of intact chromosomal sequences. We believe that Cgaln provides novel viewpoint for reducing computational complexity and will contribute to various fields of genome science.

Endurance of Multiplication Fact Fluency for Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This study examines the relationship between a critical learning outcome of behavioral fluency and endurance, by comparing the effects of two practice procedures on multiplication facts two through nine. The first procedure, called whole time practice trial, consisted of an uninterrupted 1 minute practice time. The second procedure, endurance building practice trials, had three 20 second practice trials. A total of 3 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder participated. Results indicated that multiplication facts with the endurance building practice trials produced more efficient learning when compared to the whole time practice trial procedure for all 3 participants. Additionally, results show that even with the amount of practice time being equal, 1 minute in both conditions, on average participants practiced 30% more problems with the endurance building practice trials procedure than they did with the whole time practice trial procedure.

Optimal In Silico Target Gene Deletion through Nonlinear Programming for Genetic Engineering

BackgroundOptimal selection of multiple regulatory genes, known as targets, for deletion to enhance or suppress the activities of downstream genes or metabolites is an important problem in genetic engineering. Such problems become more feasible to address in silico due to the availability of more realistic dynamical system models of gene regulatory and metabolic networks. The goal of the computational problem is to search for a subset of genes to knock out so that the activity of a downstream gene or a metabolite is optimized.Methodology/Principal FindingsBased on discrete dynamical system modeling of gene regulatory networks, an integer programming problem is formulated for the optimal in silico target gene deletion problem. In the first result, the integer programming problem is proved to be NP-hard and equivalent to a nonlinear programming problem. In the second result, a heuristic algorithm, called GKONP, is designed to approximate the optimal solution, involving an approach to prune insignificant terms in the objective function, and the parallel differential evolution algorithm. In the third result, the effectiveness of the GKONP algorithm is demonstrated by applying it to a discrete dynamical system model of the yeast pheromone pathways. The empirical accuracy and time efficiency are assessed in comparison to an optimal, but exhaustive search strategy.SignificanceAlthough the in silico target gene deletion problem has enormous potential applications in genetic engineering, one must overcome the computational challenge due to its NP-hardness. The presented solution, which has been demonstrated to approximate the optimal solution in a practical amount of time, is among the few that address the computational challenge. In the experiment on the yeast pheromone pathways, the identified best subset of genes for deletion showed advantage over genes that were selected empirically. Once validated in vivo, the optimal target genes are expected to achieve higher genetic engineering effectiveness than a trial-and-error procedure.

Expertise of Team Leaders in Analysing Team Conflicts

Team leaders are expected to adequately analyse team conflicts. Both content and analytical depth of cognitive processes determine team leaders’ performance and are assumed to differ with level of expertise. A study is reported in which team leaders at four different levels of expertise (novices, semi-experts, experts, mediators) were compared in their analysis of a team conflict presented in a computer-based simulation. Few differences were found between novices and semi-experts, whereas team leaders and mediators differed both in content and in analytical depth of cognitive processes. It is not the amount of practice time itself, which substantially impacts the content and depth of team leaders’ analyses of conflicts. Rather the quality of experience is crucial for developing the ability to conduct an elaborated analysis of team conflicts.

Multigrid Method for Numerical Simulation of Faraday Probe Measurements

An axisymmetric hybrid electron fluid particle-in-cell computational method is used extensively to simulate Faraday probe measurements for a range of plasma conditions and probe techniques. A new multigrid (MG) method is developed and implemented to speed up the simulations and allow larger domains to be simulated in a practical amount of time. The first study considers how different flowing ion distributions affect the current measurements at a planar Faraday probe surface. The second study considers variations of the standard probe technique and includes varying a uniform bias voltage and varying the guard-ring bias relative to the collecting surface bias. These studies indicate that the standard Faraday probe technique is very robust, and measurements accurately reflect the ion current for a broad range of conditions. The new MG method obtains an overall speedup slightly better than a factor of two, enabling a study of a reversed Faraday probe configuration. This study indicates that the plasma flow behind a reversed probe has strong gradients and complex structure. It is recommended that the probe-body potential should be allowed to float, in order to minimize the focusing effects of sheaths along the side of the probe.

A combined electrocoagulation–electrooxidation treatment for industrial wastewater

This study addresses the elimination of persistent organic compounds in industrial wastewater using a synergistic combination of electrocoagulation and electrooxidation. Electrocoagulation is a relatively quick process (30 min), which is very effective in removing colloidal and suspended particles, as seen in changes in coliforms, turbidity, and color and in the general absorbance by UV–vis spectroscopy. However, it is relatively ineffective in eliminating stable persistent organic compounds—in this work, only half of the COD was eliminated from wastewater and an oxidation peak in the cyclic voltammetry scan remained. Electrooxidation is very effective in breaking down organic compounds through oxidation as reflected in the elimination of COD, BOD 5, and oxidative peak in cyclic voltammetry, but requires so much time (21 h) that it has very limited practicality, especially when colloidal and suspended particles are present. Electrooxidative mineralization of electrocoagulated wastewater, in which most of the colloids and charged species have been removed, takes less than 2 h. In the coupled technique, electrocoagulation quickly coagulates and removes the colloidal and suspended particles, as well as many charged species, then electrooxidation oxidizes the remaining organics. The coupled process eliminates COD, BOD 5, color, turbidity, and coliforms in a practical amount of time (2 h).

MedlineRanker: flexible ranking of biomedical literature

The biomedical literature is represented by millions of abstracts available in the Medline database. These abstracts can be queried with the PubMed interface, which provides a keyword-based Boolean search engine. This approach shows limitations in the retrieval of abstracts related to very specific topics, as it is difficult for a non-expert user to find all of the most relevant keywords related to a biomedical topic. Additionally, when searching for more general topics, the same approach may return hundreds of unranked references. To address these issues, text mining tools have been developed to help scientists focus on relevant abstracts. We have implemented the MedlineRanker webserver, which allows a flexible ranking of Medline for a topic of interest without expert knowledge. Given some abstracts related to a topic, the program deduces automatically the most discriminative words in comparison to a random selection. These words are used to score other abstracts, including those from not yet annotated recent publications, which can be then ranked by relevance. We show that our tool can be highly accurate and that it is able to process millions of abstracts in a practical amount of time. MedlineRanker is free for use and is available at http://cbdm.mdc-berlin.de/tools/medlineranker.

Mastery learning of thoracentesis skills by internal medicine residents using simulation technology and deliberate practice

Thoracentesis has been identified as a core competency for hospitalists. Residency training may not provide adequate preparation to perform this procedure. Our aim was to use a thoracentesis simulation to assess graduating residents' proficiency in thoracentesis procedural skills and to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on skill development to mastery standards. This was a pretest-posttest mastery learning design without a control group. Participants were 40 third-year internal medicine residents in a university-affiliated program. Using an observational checklist, each resident underwent baseline assessment of thoracentesis skill using a standardized clinical history, radiograph, and thoracentesis simulation. After baseline testing, residents received two 2-hour education sessions featuring a videotaped presentation and deliberate practice with the thoracentesis simulator. Residents were retested after the intervention. Skill mastery was defined as meeting or exceeding the minimum passing score (MPS) set by an expert panel at thoracentesis posttest. Those who did not achieve the MPS had additional deliberate practice and were retested until the MPS was reached. Performance improved 71% from pretest to posttest on the clinical skills examination. All residents met or exceeded the mastery standard. The amount of practice time needed to reach the MPS was the only predictor (negative) of posttest performance. The education program was rated highly. A curriculum featuring deliberate practice dramatically increased the skills of residents in thoracentesis. Residents enjoy training and receiving evaluation and feedback in a simulated clinical environment. This mastery program illustrates a feasible and reliable mechanism to achieve procedural competency.

An Efficient Algorithm for Solving Convex–Convex Quadratic Fractional Programs

This paper is concerned with an efficient algorithm for solving a convex-convex type quadratic fractional program whose objective function is defined as the ratio of two convex quadratic functions and whose constraints are linear. This is a typical nonconcave maximization problem with multiple local maxima. The algorithm to be proposed here is a combination of (i) the classical Dinkelbach approach, (ii) the integer programming approach for solving nonconvex quadratic programming problems and (iii) the standard nonlinear programming algorithm. It will be shown that an exact algorithm which is a combination of (i) and (ii) above can solve problems much larger than those solved by an earlier algorithm based on a branch and bound algorithm. It addition, the combination of (i)–(iii) can solve much larger problems within a practical amount of time.

Teaching surgical skills: what kind of practice makes perfect?: a randomized, controlled trial.

Surgical skills laboratories have become an important venue for early skill acquisition. The principles that govern training in this novel educational environment remain largely unknown; the commonest method of training, especially for continuing medical education (CME), is a single multihour event. This study addresses the impact of an alternative method, where learning is distributed over a number of training sessions. The acquisition and transfer of a new skill to a life-like model is assessed. Thirty-eight junior surgical residents, randomly assigned to either massed (1 day) or distributed (weekly) practice regimens, were taught a new skill (microvascular anastomosis). Each group spent the same amount of time in practice. Performance was assessed pretraining, immediately post-training, and 1 month post-training. The ultimate test of anastomotic skill was assessed with a transfer test to a live, anesthetized rat. Previously validated computer-based and expert-based outcome measures were used. In addition, clinically relevant outcomes were assessed. Both groups showed immediate improvement in performance, but the distributed group performed significantly better on the retention test in most outcome measures (time, number of hand movements, and expert global ratings; all P values <0.05). The distributed group also outperformed the massed group on the live rat anastomosis in all expert-based measures (global ratings, checklist score, final product analysis, competency for OR; all P values <0.05). Our current model of training surgical skills using short courses (for both CME and structured residency curricula) may be suboptimal. Residents retain and transfer skills better if taught in a distributed manner. Despite the greater logistical challenge, we need to restructure training schedules to allow for distributed practice.

Mastery learning of advanced cardiac life support skills by internal medicine residents using simulation technology and deliberate practice.

Internal medicine residents must be competent in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) for board certification. To use a medical simulator to assess postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2) residents' baseline proficiency in ACLS scenarios and evaluate the impact of an educational intervention grounded in deliberate practice on skill development to mastery standards. Pretest-posttest design without control group. After baseline evaluation, residents received 4, 2-hour ACLS education sessions using a medical simulator. Residents were then retested. Residents who did not achieve a research-derived minimum passing score (MPS) on each ACLS problem had more deliberate practice and were retested until the MPS was reached. Forty-one PGY-2 internal medicine residents in a university-affiliated program. Observational checklists based on American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines with interrater and internal consistency reliability estimates; deliberate practice time needed for residents to achieve minimum competency standards; demographics; United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 scores; and resident ratings of program quality and utility. Performance improved significantly after simulator training. All residents met or exceeded the mastery competency standard. The amount of practice time needed to reach the MPS was a powerful (negative) predictor of posttest performance. The education program was rated highly. A curriculum featuring deliberate practice dramatically increased the skills of residents in ACLS scenarios. Residents needed different amounts of training time to achieve minimum competency standards. Residents enjoy training, evaluation, and feedback in a simulated clinical environment. This mastery learning program and other competency-based efforts illustrate outcome-based medical education that is now prominent in accreditation reform of residency education.

Deterministic Delay Fault BIST Using Adjacency Test Pattern Generation

In delay fault BIST (Built-In-Self-Test), an adjacency test pattern generation scheme effectively generates robust test patterns. The traditional adjacency test pattern generation schemes use LFSR to generate first patterns, and thus they cannot generate test patterns for circuits with more than 30 inputs with high fault coverage in a practical amount of time. This paper proposes a deterministic delay fault BIST method using adjacency test pattern generation. The proposed scheme uses first patterns generated by a deterministic algorithm based on the analysis of independent partial circuits on the circuit under test. Experiments show that test patterns generated by the proposed method have both high fault coverage and short test length, resulting in a short test time.

Investigating Performance-related Problems of Young Musicians

Many investigators have expressed concern about the paucity of research literature on the subject of younger musicians, particularly adolescents, and little is known about their performance-related injuries. This study was undertaken to explore this neglected area. Ninety-seven students in four youth orchestras in a midsized midwestern city were surveyed to examine the relationships between such factors as practice time and pain, to explore what students do when they experience pain while playing, and to determine whether students have been exposed to any injury prevention education. Few reported accepting the belief of playing through pain, while performance anxiety was reported at a higher-than-expected rate. The older students had more awareness of possible causes of playing-related pain and strategies for its elimination than did the younger students. The older students also discussed their pain with teachers more frequently than did the younger students. It appeared that those students who sought help from teachers for their performance-related problems received information that was beneficial in reducing or solving the problem. Two statistically significant relationships were found; one between amount of practice time and grade of pain reported in the youngest orchestra, and the other comparing females by age and grade of pain reported.