Modeling Beat Perception with a Nonlinear Oscillator

The perception of beat and meter is fundamental to the perception of rhythm, yet modeling this phenomenon has proven a formidable problem. This paper outlines a dynamic model of beat perception in complex, metrically structured rhythms that has been described in detail elsewhere (Large, 1994; Large & Kolen, 1994). A study is described in which pianists performed notated melodies and improvised variations on these same melodies. The performances are analyzed in terms of amount of rubato and rhythmic complexity, and the model's ability to simulate beat perception in these melodies is assessed

Relationships between cognitive styles and written composition of African American ninth grade students in a metropolitan school district in Western Michigan /

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships that exist between cognitive styles, and written composition. The procedure included testing 200 ninth grade students in six high schools in a metropolitan school district in western Michigan, with the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). The median for the GEFT scores was the criterion used to form two categories of cognitive styles, low field-independent and high field-independent. The writing items of the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) Eighth Grade Writing Test, provided the measures for writing comprehension. Analyses of one-way ANOVA were performed to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between low field-independent and high field-independent subjects in written composition. The analysis of the data revealed a statistically significant difference for the measure of written comprehension, F (l, 198) = 214.62, P \u3c .05. The written comprehension of raw scores were higher for high field-independent subjects than for low field-independent subjects. The result of the styles were manifested in written composition. The data suggested that written comprehension is likely to differ remarkably as a function of cognitive styles. The disposition to process information in a more articulated or less articulated manner is reflected in writing

Models of Metrical Structure in Music

Recent models of metrical structure in music rely upon notions of oscillation and synchronization. Such resonance models U-eat the perception of metrical structure as a dynamic process in which the temporal organization of musical events synchronizes, or entrains, a listener's internal processing mechanisms. The entrainment of a network of oscillators to an afferent rhythmic pattern models the perception of metrical structure. In this paper, 1 compare one resonance model with several previously proposed models of meter perception. Although the resonance model is consistent with previous models in a number of ways, mathematical analysis reveals properties that are quite distinct from properties of the previously proposed models

Special Problems of the Deaf Under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

With the benefit of these years of hindsight, the purpose of this Article is fourfold: (1) To explore the anticipated problems of the Act\u27s implementation and to show that several problems have been more severe than was predicted by most writers. (2) To analyze the Act\u27s basic assumption regarding placement of handicapped children as nearly as possible in a normal situationcommonly known as mainstreaming -and to show that, in many situations, that assumption has proven to be more harmful than helpful. (3) To distinguish between types of handicaps, showing how the Act-by not distinguishing between types of handicaps-produces different effects for different groups of children. (4) To explain the unique nature of deafness as a handicapping condition and to discuss the special problems of deaf children under the Act

SUMSS: A Wide-Field Radio Imaging Survey of the Southern Sky. I. Science goals, survey design and instrumentation

The Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, operating at 843 MHz with a 5 square degree field of view, is carrying out a radio imaging survey of the sky south of declination -30 deg. This survey (the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey, or SUMSS) produces images with a resolution of 43" x 43" cosec(Dec.) and an rms noise level of about 1 mJy/beam. SUMSS is therefore similar in sensitivity and resolution to the northern NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS; Condon et al. 1998). The survey is progressing at a rate of about 1000 square degrees per year, yielding individual and statistical data for many thousands of weak radio sources. This paper describes the main characteristics of the survey, and presents sample images from the first year of observation.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures (figures 2, 8, 10 in jpg format); AJ, in pres

Hydropyrolysis: implications for radiocarbon pre-treatment and characterization of Black Carbon

Charcoal is the result of natural and anthropogenic burning events, when biomass is exposed to elevated temperatures under conditions of restricted oxygen. This process produces a range of materials, collectively known as pyrogenic carbon, the most inert fraction of which is known as Black Carbon (BC). BC degrades extremely slowly, and is resistant to diagenetic alteration involving the addition of exogenous carbon making it a useful target substance for radiocarbon dating particularly of more ancient samples, where contamination issues are critical. We present results of tests using a new method for the quantification and isolation of BC, known as hydropyrolysis (hypy). Results show controlled reductive removal of non-BC organic components in charcoal samples, including lignocellulosic and humic material. The process is reproducible and rapid, making hypy a promising new approach not only for isolation of purified BC for 14C measurement but also in quantification of different labile and resistant sample C fractions

A Terraced Scanning Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Susceptometer with Sub-Micron Pickup Loops

Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) can have excellent spin sensitivity depending on their magnetic flux noise, pick-up loop diameter, and distance from the sample. We report a family of scanning SQUID susceptometers with terraced tips that position the pick-up loops 300 nm from the sample. The 600 nm - 2 um pickup loops, defined by focused ion beam, are integrated into a 12-layer optical lithography process allowing flux-locked feedback, in situ background subtraction and optimized flux noise. These features enable a sensitivity of ~70 electron spins per root Hertz at 4K.Comment: See http://stanford.edu/group/moler/publications.html for an auxiliary document containing additional fabrication details and discussio