Standard Piece Research Articles

The role of auditory feedback in the motor learning of music in experienced and novice performers

Musical learning is related to the development of audio-visuomotor associations linking gestures with musical sounds. To study the role of auditory feedback in learning, 115 students (56 guitarists, 59 pianists) at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels were recruited. Playing with sound (audio-motor feedback), mute practice (motor feedback), and piece listening (auditory feedback) were compared to first sight reading to assess the role of auditory and motor feedback in procedural learning. The procedure consisted of the execution of a standard piece for determining the students’ level and 4 further music executions (every week for 4 weeks), preceded by different practice conditions (for 12 min, once a day, for 5 days). Real musical pieces (e.g., Segovia, Schubert, Bartók) were used. Performance evaluation focused on four macro-categories: note, rhythm, dynamics and smoothness. For both instruments, first-sight reading (A − M −) was associated with the worst performance: silent motor practice (A − M +) resulted in learning the rhythmic structure of the piece and in a smoother performance. Listening to pieces (A + M −) resulted in learning the agogics and in improving articulation and smoothness. Listening during performance (A + M +) resulted in fewer intonation errors. Interestingly, auditory feedback was more relevant for beginners than for advanced students, as evidenced by the greater benefits of listening during practice.

Notating Traditional Drumming in ‘Makyung’

Makyung is a Malay dance theatre that developed in the state of Kelantan in Malaysia. An oral tradition handed down from teacher to student ('disciple'), the music of Makyung is traditionally not notated and usually learned 'by ear'. This teaching-learning approach can be time-consuming and less effective for the modern classroom, where students are expected to learn and perform many different styles and genres of music in a relatively short period. Currently, there is also an absence of a technique book on the teaching and learning Pergendangan Kelantan (Kelantanese Drumming) in Makyung. This study explores how to notate Pergendangan Kelantan in Makyung based on the drumming technique of two instruments: Gendang Ibu and Gendang Anak with Tetawak. This study aims to notate Pergendangan Kelantan using western notation. This notation will likewise fill in as a significant aspect of the endeavour to document Pergendangan Kelantan in Makyung. Without documentation, the knowledge will perish when the teacher passes away. One standard piece from the repertoire is selected in this study. The piece is determined based on its simple form and rhythmic pattern. The Western notation will be the method to notate each sound produced by the Gendang Ibu, Gendang Anak, and Tetawak. There will also be a few compositions of short exercises that can be used as a warm-up or practice guide.

Bow-Side Kinematics Studies in Violinists: An Experimental Design Tracking Intra- and Inter-Musician Variability by Bow Stroke, String Played, and Tempo.

Comparison of bow-side kinematics in violinists is hindered by the scarcity of studies available. This makes meta-analysis impossible. This paper assesses the effect of music-based variables (bow stroke, tempo, and string played) on intra- and inter-participant variability in joint kinematics. The joint kinematics of nine high-level violinists were acquired via a motion capture system while they played a standardized piece of music involving contrasting bow strokes and strings at different tempi. Results were compared using linear mixed models using the root mean square (RMS) for each joint. We found highly individualized patterns of play, deduced from a low intra- but high inter-musician variability (4.2° vs 13.1° of normalized RMS) in joint kinematics. String played and bow stroke had the greatest effect on joint kinematics. The string played had the greatest impact on shoulder kinematics, and the bow stroke had the greatest impact on elbow and wrist kinematics. Based on these results, we propose guidelines for future research designed to study bow kinematics in the field of biomechanics of violin movements. For ease of comparison between studies and to limit the time and resources required, our main suggestions are to use repeated measures designs with a legato reference condition and to choose pieces of music spanning multiple strings.

Multiphysics Numerical Simulation Model and Hydraulic Model Experiments in the Argon-Stirred Ladle

The argon-stirred ladle is a standard piece of steelmaking refining equipment. The molten steel quality will improve when a good argon-stirred process is applied. In this paper, a Multiphysics model that contained fluid flow, bubble transport, alloy transport, bubble heat flux, alloy heat flux, alloy melting, and an alloy concentration species transport model was established. The fluid model and bubble transport model that were used to calculate the fluid velocity were verified by the hydraulic model of the ladle that was combined with particle image velocimetry measurement results. The numerical simulation results of the temperature fields and steel–slag interface shape were verified by a ladle that contained 25 t of molten steel in a steel plant. The velocity difference between the hydraulic model and numerical model decreased when the CL (integral time-scale constant) increased from 0 to 0.3; then, the difference increased when the CL increased from 0.3 to 0.45. The results showed that a CL of 0.3 approached the experiment results more. The bubble heat flux model was examined by the industrial practice, and the temperature decrease rate was 0.0144 K/s. The simulation results of the temperature decrease rate increased when the initial bubble temperature decreased. When the initial bubble temperature was 800 °C, the numerical simulation results showed that the temperature decrease rate was 0.0147 K/s, and the initial bubble temperature set at 800 °C was more appropriate. The average melting time of the alloy was 12.49 s and 12.71 s, and the mixture time was approximately the same when the alloy was added to two slag eyes individually. The alloy concentration had fewer changes after the alloy was added in the ladle after 100 s.

Application of Metallographic Investigation in Development of Sub-Sized Specimen Testing Techniques

Currently, there is a growing interest in testing of mechanical properties using sub-sized samples. Using these methods, it is possible to measure the current mechanical properties of the component without the necessity of shutting down the device. This is advantageous in the cases, when the residual life (especially in the energy sector) needs to be evaluated. Another advantage of this method is that due to the very small dimensions of the extracted piece of material, only the local properties of the component are tested. Thus, the miniature samples can be extracted from areas that are critical for material failure, e.g. in the transition area of welded joints and thin-walled pipes, in a direction other than axial (for axial direction standard tensile test can be used). Another small specimen application can be found in the development of new materials. Modern materials (e.g. additively processed materials) are usually highly expensive, so miniature samples are an ideal solution. It was observed that the MTT results are fully comparable with the results on standard test pieces without the need for correlation. Mini-Charpy samples (3×4×27 mm) were used to determine transition temperature FATT. In this case a correlation relationship between the Mini- Charpy and standard sample Charpy (10×10×55 mm) constant C = 60 was successfully found

Effect of Extension Piece Design on Catch Patterns in a Mediterranean Bottom Trawl Fishery

The catch composition of bottom trawls is commonly refined and improved through changes in codend design. Measures like reducing the number of meshes in codend circumference or turning diamond netting by 90 degrees are well known to improve the size selectivity of fish species with rounded cross-sectional shape. Based on this we speculated whether the same measures, if applied in other parts of a bottom trawl, would provide similar benefits as in the codend. Therefore, experiments were carried out by deploying these changes to the trawl extension piece in a Mediterranean bottom trawl fishery. However, for European hake and monkfish, results showed no indication of improved selectivity or catch pattern compared to the standard extension piece in the trawl. Contrary, for red mullet, one of the most important species in this fishery, reducing the number of meshes in the circumference of the extension piece jeopardized the size selection obtained in the trawl with a standard extension piece. The lesson learnt from this study was that the design changes that work for the codend do not necessarily work for other parts of the trawl. In fact, they can even have negative effects.

Getting Into the Zone: A Pilot Study of Autonomic-Cardiac Modulation and Flow State During Piano Performance.

BackgroundMusic performance anxiety is a common experience among elite and professional musicians and impedes performers from achieving flow state, or a state of focused, sustained engagement that promotes optimal performance.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to use heart rate variability (HRV) to determine the psychophysiological underpinnings of optimal music performance.MethodsWe assessed HRV to study how autonomic-cardiac modulation was associated with flow during piano performance. Twenty-two pianists (15–22 years) with at least a Grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music certification prepared two standardized pieces and a self-selected piece. Performer heart rate data were measured with a Polar 800 watch in 5-min periods immediately before performances, during performances and post-performance. HRV was employed to assess autonomic modulation of cardiac intervals. HRV indices of sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation of the heart were analyzed in 2.5-min segments to monitor short-term autonomic adjustments using the Kubios HRV Software. Flow state was measured using the 36-item Flow State Scale (FSS). Relationships were analyzed using zero-order correlations and multiple linear regressions.ResultsOur sample consisted of 22 RCM Grade 8 certified pianists. Participants achieved the highest level of flow during performance of the Bach piece. Decreased HRV was observed during performance, as indicated by a significant drop in total power. Flow state was positively associated with High Frequency (HF) power during the pre-performance phase, and inversely associated with Low Frequency (LF) power during performance.ConclusionInverse association of flow with LF-HRV during performance affirms the importance of vagal-HR modulation for achievement of flow state. Increased HF-HRV and reduced LF-HRV immediately prior to performance suggests that flow state may be shaped as much by physiological preparation during pre-performance as it is by physiologic responses during performance. Further research is required to validate the correlation between autonomic modulation of the heart and flow state. Evidence of this correlation between autonomic modulation of the heart and achievement of flow state may pave the way for further research on enhancing musical performance and targeting MPA through HRV-based interventions.

The Effect of Sand Grain Size and Water on The Green Compression Strength for Greensand Casting Mould Mixture

The focus of this research is to investigate the effect of water content and sand grain size on the green compression strength of a greensand casting mould mixture. Grain size is a major determinant of mould and core green compression strength and surface finish of the greensand casting product. Water influences the efficiency of binder which is bentonite clay in bonding the sand grain particles thus improving the green compression strength. The objective of this study is to study the effect of grain size and water on the green compression strength. The specimen is prepared by mechanical size grading and graded into three sizes which are 425 μm, 300 μm and 150 μm. Experiments are carried out in accordance with American Foundrymen Society (AFS) guidelines. Three ramming blows of 6666 grammes with a Ridsdale-Dietert metric standard rammer compact cylindrical test pieces with dimensions of Ø50 mm×50 mm in height made from varied sand grain size–water ratios bound with 5% bentonite. The test pieces are tested for green compression strength with Ridsdale-Dietert Universal Sand Strength Machine. The sand grain size of 150 μm is found to have superiority in green compression strength compared to two other sizes, and 3% water content gives the maximum green compression strength for all three sand samples sizes.

Improvement of the mechanical properties of PLA/coffee residue biocomposites from the liquor industry

This work deals with the revaluation of coffee bean residues from the coffee liquor industry with the aim of developing eco-efficient composite materials with a polymeric matrix of polylactic acid (PLA). The coffee residue is incorporated in a proportion of 20% to the PLA by extrusion. After a grinding process, they are processed by injection to obtain standardized test pieces for their characterization. In order to improve the mechanical properties, as well as the toughness and compatibility between the biopolyester and the lignocellulosic particles of the coffee residue, two oligomers of lactic acid (OLA2 and OLA2mal functionalized with maleic anhydride) are added, together with the particles of the coffee residue during the extrusion process. These "Green composites" show that the incorporation of coffee residue particles from the manufacture of coffee liquor considerably increases the ductility of the samples analyzed by practically 280% due to their high content of oils present in the lignocellulosic residue. In addition, the incorporation of the OLA2 and OLA2mal oligomers contribute to improve the tensile strength of the composite materials studied, by 35% and 60%, respectively. These interesting results show the wide possibilities of this eco-efficient and sustainable material made of PLA and coffee residue. These are biodegradable materials, respectful of the environment and that allow the revaluation of coffee bean residues from the agri-food industry such as coffee liquor.

Balancers Redux

In 1981 I published a note on “Balancers” as part of a series of illustrations drawn from 19th-century physics texts. Some months later a wonderful present arrived from a physics teacher in Japan, showing the range of our journal. This was the Horse and Rider Balancer in Fig. 1 that was just like the woodcut in my note. The little device, only 23 cm high, sits on a shelf in my museum of early physics teaching apparatus, and many visitors are drawn to it. This is a standard piece of early physics demonstration apparatus. The addition to the lead ball attached to the horse brings the center of mass below the point of suspension. Any movement from this equilibrium point raises the gravitational potential energy of the system and it oscillates until it gets into equilibrium once more.

Portable and Highly Versatile Impedance Meter for Very Low Frequency Measurements

Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is a characterization technique that is gaining more and more importance in various fields of research and applications. The frequency range of investigation varies according to the type of application. In some fields (biology, medicine, energy) it is useful to be able to perform measurements at very low frequency values (down to a few mHz or even below). While impedance meters operating at frequencies in the range from a few tens of Hz up to a few MHz can be regarded as quite standard pieces of instrumentation commonly available in many laboratories, instrumentation for measurements at very low frequencies, although commercially available, is less common. The subject of this work is the design, realization and testing of a low frequency impedance measurement platform that has the advantage of being portable, rather inexpensive, and yet highly versatile. In our approach, we exploit a personal computer and a soundboard as a powerful system for digital signal generation and analysis that, with the help of low complexity and low-cost external hardware and a public domain software for the implementation of the core system, allow to tailor the platform for targeting specific applications with minimal effort. As an example, we will demonstrate the application of the system to the investigation of polypyrrole-based supercapacitor structures.

Delayed Mechanical Response to Chemical Kinetics in Self-Oscillating Hydrogels Driven by the Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction.

We show experimentally that chemical and mechanical self-oscillations in Belousov–Zhabotinsky hydrogels are inherently asynchronous, that is, there is a detectable delay in swelling–deswelling response after a change in the chemical redox state. This phenomenon is observable in many previous experimental studies and potentially has far-reaching implications for the functionality and response time of the material in future applications; however, so far, it has not been quantified or reported systematically. Here, we provide a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative description of the chemical-to-mechanical delay, and we propose to explain it as a consequence of the slow nonequilibrium swelling–deswelling dynamics of the polymer material. Specifically, standard hydrogel pieces are large enough that transport processes, for example, counterion migration and water diffusion, cannot occur instantaneously throughout the entire gel piece, as opposed to previous theoretical considerations. As a result, the volume response of the polymer to a chemical change may be governed by a characteristic response time, which leads to the emergence of delay in mechanical oscillation. This is supported by our theoretical calculations.

The effects of chair intervention on lower back pain, discomfort and trunk muscle activation in office workers: a systematic review

Objectives. The chair is a standard piece of workstation equipment in an office. Previous studies showed that a suitable chair may reduce musculoskeletal symptoms. This review investigated the effect of chair intervention on lower back pain (LBP), discomfort and trunk muscle activation among office workers. Methods. Five electronic databases from 1980 to May 2020 were searched for relevant randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the 13-item Cochrane risk of bias tool. Quality of evidence was assessed and rated according to Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) guidelines. Results. Two randomized controlled trials, 10 repeated-measures studies and two prospective cohort studies were included in this review. Nine studies were rated as high quality. The results indicated very low-quality to low-quality evidence for the conflicting effect of chair intervention on pain and discomfort reduction as well as trunk muscle activation among office workers. When stratified by chair type, the level of evidence for health benefits derived from any type of chair was still of very low to low quality. Conclusion. Unless supplementary high-quality studies provide different evidence, chair interventions are not recommended to reduce LBP or discomfort and activate trunk muscles.

Raw data processing techniques for material classification of objects in dual energy X-ray baggage inspection systems

Dual energy based X-Ray baggage inspection system (XBIS) are widely deployed for the detection of objects for security applications. We have presented a comprehensive approach for processing of the raw image data obtained from X-ray detectors for material classification and for pseudo-color representation in three classes of materials. Monte Carlo simulation studies were carried out to understand the variation of R-values with atomic number of materials. Since the R-values show dependence on the thickness of materials, an overlap of R values has been observed for materials of different atomic number. Hence, for material classification, an algorithm was developed to process the raw image data obtained from the detector system hardware using test objects. The dual energy data, i.e. low energy and high energy data obtained was integrated as one data using a wavelet based data fusion algorithm. The fused image was represented as a pseudo-colored image to indicate material classification of various objects. Standard Test Piece image and other images obtained through various processing steps were analyzed for accuracy of material classification. The data processing methods presented in this paper show improved accuracy and speed for material classification of objects in XBIS.

Research on self-insulating block composed of ground rice husk and recycled aggregate in severe cold area

Aiming at severe cold areas, this paper replaces 5% cement and 30% natural gravel with the same amount of ground rice husks and recycled aggregates respectively, and designs a new self-insulating block structure model compared with traditional blocks. This new block is easy to assemble, short construction period and good seismic performance. The 28d splitting strength of concrete and 28d compressive strength of blocks are determined. The results showed that this mate is better than the cracking strength of the block that can act as a MU10 non-load-bearing wall, and the standard test piece is better than ordinary concrete.

A mapping model between the workpiece geometric tolerance and the end pose error of CNC machine tool considering structure distortion of cutting process system

Aiming at the problem that the geometric accuracy design index of machine tools is difficult to be determined reasonably in the geometric precision design process of CNC machine tools, this paper presents a mapping model between geometric tolerance of the workpiece and end pose error (positional and orientational error of the tool relative to the workpiece) of the machine tool considering structure distortion of cutting process system. Only considering the factors of the machine tool geometric errors, this paper first establishes the relationship between the geometric tolerance requirements of the workpiece and relative pose error at the end of machine tools, and completes the estimation of the machine tools end pose error. Then this paper analyzes the elastic deformations of the cutting process system caused by the cutting force. These elastic deformations produce machining errors. Based on the above analysis, the estimated variation range of the end pose error can be adjusted by the emulation of the geometric tolerance of the workpiece and used as the geometric accuracy design index of machine tools. This paper takes the international standard small size contour processing test piece as an example to explain the application process of the proposed model.

Asymptotic structure of the Rarita-Schwinger theory in four spacetime dimensions at spatial infinity

We investigate the asymptotic structure of the free Rarita-Schwinger theory in four spacetime dimensions at spatial infinity in the Hamiltonian formalism. We impose boundary conditions for the spin-3/2 field that are invariant under an infinite-dimensional (abelian) algebra of non-trivial asymptotic fermionic symmetries. The compatibility of this set of boundary conditions with the invariance of the theory under Lorentz boosts requires the introduction of boundary degrees of freedom in the Hamiltonian action, along the lines of electromagnetism. These boundary degrees of freedom modify the symplectic structure by a surface contribution appearing in addition to the standard bulk piece. The Poincaré transformations have then well-defined (integrable, finite) canonical generators. Moreover, improper fermionic gauge symmetries, which are also well-defined canonical transformations, are further enlarged and turn out to be parametrized by two independent angle-dependent spinor functions at infinity, which lead to an infinite-dimensional fermionic algebra endowed with a central charge. We extend next the analysis to the supersymmetric spin-(1, 3/2) and spin-(2, 3/2) multiplets. First, we present the canonical realization of the super-Poincaré algebra on the spin-(1, 3/2) multiplet, which is shown to be consistently enhanced by the infinite-dimensional abelian algebra of angle-dependent bosonic and fermionic improper gauge symmetries associated with the electromagnetic and the Rarita-Schwinger fields, respectively. A similar analysis of the spin-(2, 3/2) multiplet is then carried out to obtain the canonical realization of the super-Poincaré algebra, consistently enhanced by the abelian improper bosonic gauge transformations of the spin-2 field (BMS supertranslations) and the abelian improper fermionic gauge transformations of the spin-3/2 field.

Frequency properties of a flexible printed circuit coil and inductive measurement of conductivity

This study investigated the frequency properties of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) coil and applied it to detect conductivity change of non-ferromagnetic metal materials. Theoretical analysis and measurements showed that the coil’s resistance and inductance are almost frequency-invariant in a particular frequency range; the coil circuit resonates at its self-resonant frequency. With no concern for its thickness, the conductivity of a test object can be measured with high sensitivity and accuracy by using the coil in its frequency-invariant range, based on the “same ωσ, same impedance” principle. In the case that the influence of thickness has to be eliminated, the variation of conductivity can be sensitively detected by using the coil’s resonant properties. The proposed methods have been verified with measurement of standard test pieces whose conductivities were given in advance, and applied to detect conductivity change of deteriorated tube.

The Rucio File Catalog in DIRAC implemented for Belle II

DIRAC and Rucio are two standard pieces of software widely used in the HEP domain. DIRAC provides Workload and Data Management functionalities, among other things, while Rucio is a dedicated, advanced Distributed Data Management system. Many communities that already use DIRAC have expressed their interest in using DIRAC for Workload Management in combination with Rucio for Data Management. In this paper, we describe the integration of the Rucio File Catalog into DIRAC that was initially developed for the Belle II collaboration.

Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study

The effect of tropical deforestation on heat exposure and subsequent human health outcomes remains understudied, especially among an increasingly vulnerable population—healthy, adult subsistence workers in rural industrializing tropical countries. We report on a field experiment that estimated the short-term effects of heat exposure from deforestation on cognitive performance. We randomly assigned rural, adult subsistence workers in East Kalimantan, Indonesia to deforested or forested settings, and standard or high incentive piece rate payments. Participants worked in forested or deforested settings for up to 90 min, where ambient and black globe temperatures in deforested areas were, on average, 2.1 °C and 10 °C higher. After completing the experimental task, participants were asked to take a validated general cognitive assessment test (CAT) and episodic memory test (EMT). We found participants in deforested settings had statistically significant lower scores on both CAT and EMT. Effects were largely driven by heat effects on male participants and those working after noon. Our results highlight how heat exposure from tropical deforestation may lead to declines in cognitive performance even in favorable work settings. Policymakers should consider how land use planning that takes into account the cooling services of trees can play a significant role in increasing resilience to heat from climate and land use change in the tropics.