Mindfulness meditation: creative musical performance through awareness

Musicians spend countless hours practicing their instruments over the course of a lifetime. These hours are primarily spent learning how to manipulate the instrument through scale studies, etudes, and repertoire. However, despite intense and diligent effort, many musicians find themselves unable to perform for an audience without some kind of interruption in creativity in the form of mental and/or physical distractions. The symptoms of such distractions can include heart palpitations, muscle tension, shaking, feelings of fear and panic, and an inability to focus on the task at hand. The presence of these symptoms, typically referred to as “performance anxiety,” is, to some extent, common among performers of all ability levels. The literature on performance anxiety is extensive, and suggests a wide range of coping strategies. Although many of these techniques are effective to some degree, they do not typically address the problem of how to cope with anxiety during the performance, which is the key to being creative and free of distractions in the performance. I think the practice of mindfulness meditation can be effective in coping with performance anxiety, both on and off stage. In its simplest form, mindfulness meditation can be practiced in everyday activities, such as walking or washing the dishes. Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Buddhist monk and author of several books on meditation, describes the practice of mindfulness as being aware of what one is doing while doing it. By being more aware in all aspects of our lives, we can better deal with both the physical and mental distractions that occur onstage. Though musicians recognize performance anxiety as something that happens during performance, the anxiety (and how one deals with it) is not limited to just the performance, but is linked to everything else in one’s life. The practice of mindfulness may be one way of learning to feel and accept what is happening in the present moment, and ultimately we may be able to apply that attitude to performance

Use of seismic refraction in determining rock mass anisotropy

Seismic refraction is a popular method used by geological/geotechnical engineers to understand subsurface conditions. This method along with information collected from borings produce a realistic image of the ground beneath us. The goal of this study is to define and test a set of procedures to use seismic refraction alone to create high quality images of subsurface conditions. The focus is on areas with several meters of soil overlain by bedrock. The application of these procedures will minimize construction costs by eliminating the need for multiple boreholes. The results show that two important criteria must be met for successful application of the method: a bedrock outcrop near the survey area and an area wide enough for geophone spacing to reach the bedrock. Seismic profiles are to be laid radially in an orthogonal position preferably intersecting in the middle or in a quarter position but not at the end. Single channel geode is used for data acquisition and Rayfract® for data processing. Surfer® and Voxler® are used for graphical representations. Seismic refraction procedures are tested at two different sites: a road cut and an abandoned quarry. In one case (road cut) analysis did not show any anisotropy which resulted from failure to meet the second criterion (geophone spacing). Analysis from second area (quarry) exhibited a clear anisotropic nature of bedrock confirmed by observations on the exposed outcrop in the quarry. This is a qualitative study that can predict the orientation of major joint sets if the above criteria have been met

Inelastic Strain Analysis of Solder Joint in NASA Fatigue Specimen

The solder fatigue specimen designed by NASA-GSFC/UNISYS is analyzed in order to obtain the inelastic strain history during two different representative temperature cycles specified by UNISYS. In previous reports (dated July 25, 1990, and November 15, 1990), results were presented of the elastic-plastic and creep analysis for delta T = 31 C cycle, respectively. Subsequent results obtained during the current phase, from viscoplastic finite element analysis of the solder fatigue specimen for delta T = 113 C cycle are summarized. Some common information is repeated for self-completeness. Large-deformation continuum formulations in conjunction with a standard linear solid model is utilized for modeling the solder constitutive creep-plasticity behavior. Relevant material properties are obtained from the literature. Strain amplitudes, mean strains, and residual strains (as well as stresses) accumulated due to a representative complete temperature cycle are obtained as a result of this analysis. The partitioning between elastic strains, time-independent inelastic (plastic) strains, and time-dependent inelastic (creep) strains is also explicitly obtained for two representative cycles. Detailed plots are presented for two representative temperature cycles. This information forms an important input for fatigue damage models, when predicting the fatigue life of solder joints under thermal cyclin

Liszt ve Senfonik Şiir: Mazeppa’ya Analitik Bakış

“Liszt ve Senfonik Şiir: Mazeppa’ya Analitik Bakış” adlı bu çalışma, F. Liszt’in senfonik şiirlerinden Mazeppa adlı eserinin program, armoni ve biçim arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektedir. Bu ilişkiyi derinden ve açıkça analiz etmek için yapısal ve içeriksel analiz en uygun biçimiyle geliştirilmiştir. Tarihsel olarak Liszt’in senfonik şiirlerine sonat formu içinde yaklaşmak ya da sadece eklenmiş programla beraber ele alındığında anlam bulacak bir form olarak görme düşüncesi kolaya kaçılan bir düşünce olmuştur. Bu yüzden her iki fikir de bu analiz içinde dikkatlice ele alınıp incelenmiştir. Her bir senfonik şiirin derin analizi öncesinde motiflerin, bölmelerin ve ton merkezlerinin fonksiyonlarını ve birbirileriyle ilişkisini gösteren bir grafik eklenmiştir. Bu şiirlerin analizleri sonat formu üzerine kolaylıkla oturtulamadığından ve her bir şiirin, doğrudan programından aldığı kendine has bir yapısı olduğu düşüncesi, senfonik şiirlerin detaylı analizinde zor bir ayrım olmuştur. Bu yüzden program ortak bir noktada desteklenememiştir. Bu doğrultuda bestecinin programlarının genellikle motif tipleri ve genellikle sekvensler içinde ifade edilen uygun armoni açısından ifade edildiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Yani, program daha geleneksel ve biçimsel yapıların özelliklerini, sunan şiirlerin bireyin bütünsel düşünüşü ile sentezlenerek farklı bir bakış açısıyla ifade edilmiştir

Feasibility Assessment of Warm Mix Asphalt in Arkansas

The future of Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technologies is promising in the U.S. However, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) does not have any specific guidelines to implement them in the field. This research aims to provide necessary baseline data for WMA as a proof of concept. In this study, three ARDOT approved Performance Grade (PG) binders namely PG 64-22, PG 70-22, and PG 76-22 were investigated. Each of these binders was obtained from two different sources. They were modified by varying doses of four selected additives: Sasobit®, Advera®, Evotherm®, and Rediset®. Additionally, four different types of aggregates (sandstone, limestone, gravel, and dolomite) from different quarries in Arkansas were evaluated for their compatibility with modified binders. Empirical test (Penetration test), Superpave Performance tests such as Rotational Viscometer, Rolling Thin-Film Oven (RTFO), Pressure-Aging Vessel (PAV), Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR), and Bending Beam Rheometer), PG Plus tests such as Multiple Stress Creep Recovery and Frequency Sweep, chemical analyses (SARA analysis, FTIR, pH), science-based test (Surface Free Energy), and Texas Boiling Test on loose mixture samples were conducted at different aging conditions. Based on the RV test results, reduced mixing and compaction temperatures have been observed for Sasobit®, Evotherm®, and Rediset® modified samples. The DSR test results suggest that both Sasobit® and Advera® can reduce rut potential. On the other hand, BBR test results indicate that both Evotherm® and Rediset® have the capabilities of improved resistances against fatigue and low-temperature thermal cracking. Binder samples modified by these have also demonstrated minimal stripping in SFE and Texas Boiling Test. Advera® has modified the chemical compositions of the neat binders, which was also observed in the SARA analysis. The findings of this study will help the agency to select the most appropriate WMA additive along with its application rate

A drone-facilitated disaster response system with first aid delivery: Intelligent healthcare

Capstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering, May 2022The use of drones has become prevalent, especially for big tech companies like Google, Amazon, DHL and so on. It is now becoming the future form of delivery services. In sub- Saharan countries that are developing, UAVs can be used to deliver certain products to parts of the country that vehicles cannot operate or for faster, uninterrupted delivery. Building a system that will be used for natural disaster response (especially fire disasters) and first aid delivery is the focus of this project. In an article discussing fire accident trends in Ghana [1], the researchers discovered that the rate of fire incidences increased each year. A major factor to this increase was negligence and amongst the several causes of fire accidents, 41% of them were due to domestic fires. About 379 deaths and 5489 fire incidents were recorded in the year 2013. This year, about 5 fire accidents have already been recorded in regions like Kumasi, Accra, Apiate and Tema [2]. This project integrates the use of a website application called "Drone Aid" to order drone delivery services and circuitry to build an efficient disaster response and delivery drone. It is also important that the fire response system implements long range communication technology that is also low power and energy efficient. The drone prototype in this project is built from a drone frame kit and further customized for first aid delivery and circuit carriage. While developing this system, other constraints such as cost of materials, drone capacity/payload and drone flight range are considered.Ashesi Universit

ANALISIS PENDAPATAN PADA USAHATANI JAGUNG DENGAN IRIGASI TETES (STUDI KASUS) DI LABORATORIUM LAPANGAN TERPADU LAHAN KERING KEPULAUAN (LLTLKK) UNIVERSITAS NUSA CENDANA KOTA KUPANG

This research was conducted from March to August 2017 at the Integrated Field Laboratory of  Archipelagic Dryland (LLTLKK) Nusa Cendana University, Kupang City. The method of this research is case study. Data collection this research are primary data and secondary data. Primary data is obtained through observation and participation in production process and market survey. While secondary data obtained from LLTLKK Nusa Cendana University, BPS and other sources related to the objectives of the study. This research aims to determine the amount of corn farm income and relative profit of corn farming using drip irrigation.The results showed that there are three types of corn cultivated in LLTLKK namely bisi-2 corn, sweet corn and baby corn. Income of sweet corn is the highest is the sweet corn of Rp 872.599 per are, bisi-2 is Rp 836.234 per are, baby corn is Rp 254.860 per are. The relative profit of the three types of maize is more than one (> 1), it means to be feasible. Based on the results of market survey, the price of Baby Corn at Hypermart is Rp 80.000 per kg is higher than the price at LLTLKK Undana is Rp 25.000 per kg. To increase the income of baby corn farming is suggested to LLTLKK to increase the price close to Hypermart price. Penelitian ini telah dilaksanakan pada bulan Maret sampai Agustus 2017 di Laboratorium Lapangan Terpadu Lahan Kering Kepulauan (LLTLKK) Universitas Nusa Cendana Kota Kupang. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode studi kasus. Jenis data yang dikumpulkan terdiri dari data primer dan data sekunder. Data primer diperoleh melalui observasi peran serta atau pelibatan dalam proses produksi. Sedangkan data sekunder diperoleh dari LLTLKK Universitas Nusa Cendana, BPS dan sumber lain yang berhubungan dengan tujuan penelitian. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui besarnya pendapatan usahatani jagung dan keuntungan relatif dari usahatani jagung menggunakan irigasi tetes. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa ada tiga jenis jagung yang diusahakan di LLTLKK yaitu jagung bisi-2, jagung manis dan baby corn. Pendapatan  jagung manis adalah yang tertinggi, yaitu sebesar Rp 872.599,- per are, dibandingkan pendapatan bisi-2 sebesar Rp 836.234,- per are, sedangkan baby corn sebesar Rp 254.860,- per are. keuntungan relatif dari masing-masing ketiga jenis jagung yang diusahakan di LLTLKK lebih dari satu (> 1) yang berarti layak untuk diusahakan. Berdasarkan hasil survey pasar, harga jual Baby Corn di Hypermart lebih  tinggi yaitu sebesar Rp 80.000,- sedangkan di LLTLKK sebesar Rp 25.000,- per kg. Untuk meningkatkan pendapatan usahatani baby corn disarankan kepada LLTLKK untuk meningkatkan harga jual mendekati harga Hypermar

Congestive cardiac failure in a patient with systemic sclerosis: Case report and literature review

Background: Systemic sclerosis and other connective tissue diseases are thought to be rare in Nigerians and are not common causes of heart failure compared to hypertensive heart disease. The presence of cardiac involvement in a patient with systemic sclerosis generally portends poor outcome. We therefore present a report of congestive cardiac failure in a patient with systemic sclerosis.Methods: The case records of a patient with systemic sclerosis and congestive cardiac failure and a review of the literature utilizing Medline, PubMed and google search engines was utilized.Result: A 68 year old female with ACR criteria for the diagnosis of SSe presented in CCF. Cardiac evaluation revealed findings suggestive of primary cardiac disease of SSe. The presence of CCF in patients with SSe is a poor prognostic marker andcause of mortality and morbidity,Conclusion: Early detection of cardiovascular manifestations should be a priority insystemic sclerosis. To the best of our knowledge, CCF due to SSe has not been reported in Nigerians.Keywords: Systemic sclerosis; Primary Cardiac Disease; Heart failure; Nigerian

Petrolgy of the volcanic/subvolcanic members of the volcanosedimentary Maden Complex in Eastern Turkey

Maden Complex exposed in Eastern Turkey, is a succession of volcano-sedimentary rocks and tectonically overlain by Bitlis Metamorphics and Cretaceous ophiolitic rocks. The succession includes shallow-water deposits and deep marine pelagic sediments intercalated with pillow lavas ranging from a few centimeters to ten meters in diameter. The planktonic foraminiferal assemblages from micritic limestones and zircon U-Pb ages from selected sedimentary rocks indicate the age of Late Ypresian - Early Lutetian. Plagioclase and clinopyroxenes are the main mineral phases, olivine rarely found as altered phenocrysts. Clinopyroxenes are augite and diopside, and their compositions are ranging between Wo44-51, En27-43, Fe10-21. The anorthite contents of plagioclases are between 32- 67 % in unaltered grains. The crystallization temperatures and pressures obtained from clinopyroxene chemistry are ranging from 1126 to 1250oC and 3 to 8 Kbar, respectively. The majority of the volcanic/subvolcanic rocks are subalkaline-tholeiitic basalts however; a few andesitic and rhyolitic derivatives are also present. The whole – rock and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions reveal that the basaltic rocks are originated from E-MORB like asthenospheric mantle source without a subduction component