Although cricket is played around the world by all ages, very little attention has been focused on junior cricket. The research presented here evaluated the effects on junior cricket of reducing the pitch length, developed a method for scaling the pitch to suit the players and applied this method to the under-11 age group. In the first of four studies it was established that shortening the cricket pitch had positive effects for bowlers, batters and fielders at both club and county standards, consequently resulting in matches that were more engaging. The second study found that top under-10 and under-11 seam bowlers released the ball on average 3.4° further below horizontal on a 16 yard pitch compared with a 19 yard pitch. This was closer to elite adult pace bowlers release angles and should enable junior players to achieve greater success and develop more variety in their bowling. The third study calculated where a good length delivery should be pitched to under-10 and under-11 batters in order to provoke uncertainty, and also examined the influence of pitch length on batters decisions to play front or back foot shots according to the length of the delivery. A shorter pitch should strengthen the coupling between the perception of delivery length and appropriate shot selection, and the increased task demand should lead to improved anticipation; both are key features of skilled batting. In the final study a method of calculating the optimal pitch length for an age group was developed which used age-specific bowling and batting inputs. This was applied to scale the pitch for under-11s giving a pitch length of 16.22 yards (14.83 m), 19% shorter than previously recommended for the age group by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Scaled in this way across the junior age groups, pitch lengths would fit the players better as they develop, enabling more consistent ball release by bowlers and temporal demands for batters, as well as greater involvement for fielders.

The dropped objects are identified as one of the top ten causes of fatalities and serious injuries in the oil and gas industry. It is of importance to understand dynamics of dropped objects under water in order to accurately predict the motion of dropped objects and protect the underwater structures and facilities from being damaged. In this thesis, we study nondimensionalization of dynamic equations of dropped cylindrical objects. Nondimensionalization helps to reduce the number of free parameters, identify the relative size of effects of parameters, and gain a deeper insight of the essential nature of dynamics of dropped cylindrical objects under water. The resulting simulations of dimensionless trajectory confirms that drop angle, trailing edge and drag coefficient have the significant effects on dynamics of trajectories and landing location of dropped cylindrical objects under water.

A series of experiments investigate the roles of relational coding and expectancy in memory for melodies. The focus on memory for melodies was motivated by an argument that research on the evolutionary psychology of music cognition would be improved by further research in this area. Melody length and the use of transposition were identified in a literature review as experimental variables with the potential to shed light on the cognitive mechanisms in memory for melodies; similarly, pitch interval magnitude (PIM), melodic contour, metre, and pulse were identified as musical attributes that appear to be processed by memory for melodies. It was concluded that neither previous models of verbal short term memory (vSTM) nor previous models of memory for melodies are unable to satisfactorily explain current findings on memory for melodies. The model of relational memory for melodies that is developed here aims to explain findings from the memory for melodies literature. This model emphasises the relationship between: a) perceptual processes – specifically, a relational coding mechanism which encodes pitch and temporal information in a relational form; b) a short term store; and c) the redintegration of memory traces using schematic and veridical expectancies. The relational coding mechanism, which focuses on pitch and temporal accents (c.f., Jones, 1993), is assumed to be responsible for the salience of contour direction and note length, while the expectancy processes are assumed to be more responsible for the salience of increases in PIM or deviations from the temporal grid. Using a melody discrimination task, with key transposition within-pairs, in which melody length was manipulated, Experiments 1a, 1b, and 2 investigated the assumption that contour would be more reliant on the relational coding mechanism and PIM would be more reliant on expectancy processes. Experiment 1a confirmed this hypothesis using 8 and 16 note folk melodies. Experiment 1b used the same stimuli as Experiment 1a, except that the within-pair order was reversed in order to reduce the influence of expectancy processes. As expected, while contour was still salient under these conditions, PIM was not. Experiment 2 was similar to Experiment 1b, except that it avoided using the original melodies in same trials in order to specifically reduce the influence of veridical expectancy processes. This led to a floor effect. Overall, the results support the explanation of pitch processing in memory for melodies in the model. Experiments 3 and 4 investigated the assumption in the model that temporal processing in memory for melodies was reliant on the relational coding mechanism. Experiment 3 found that, with key transposition within-pairs, there was little difference between pulse alterations (which deviate more from the temporal grid) and metre alterations (which lengthen the note more) in short melodies, but that pulse alterations were more salient than metre alterations in long melodies. Experiment 4 showed that, with tempo transposition within-pairs, metre alterations were more salient than pulse alterations in short melodies, but that there was no difference in salience in long melodies. That metre alterations are more salient than pulse alterations in Experiment 4 strongly suggests that there is relational coding of temporal information, and that this relational coding uses note length to determine the presence of accents, as the model predicts. Experiments 5a and 5b, using a Garner interference task, transposition within-pairs, and manipulations of melody length, investigated the hypothesis derived from the model that pitch and temporal information would be integrated in the relational coding mechanism. Experiment 5b demonstrated an effect of Garner interference from pitch alterations on the discrimination of temporal alterations; Experiment 5a found a weaker effect of Garner interference from pitch alterations on the discrimination of temporal alterations. The presence of Garner interference in these tasks when there was transposition within melody pairs suggests that pitch and temporal information are integrated in the relational coding mechanism, as predicted in the model. Seven experiments therefore provide support for the assumption that a relational coding mechanism and LTM expectancies play a role in the discrimination of melodies. This has implications for other areas of research in music cognition. Firstly, theories of the evolution of music must be able to explain why features of these processing mechanisms could have evolved. Secondly, research into acquired amusia should have a greater focus on differences between perceptual, cognitive, and LTM processing. Thirdly, research into similarities between music processing and language processing would be improved by further research using PIM as a variable. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This project describes the processes and procedures used in planning and writing a braille music program specifically to assist teachers of visually impaired students instruct their students in basic braille music notation. The experiment was conducted over two terms of the school year with an Itinerant Teacher and her 9 year old braille student. The program was based on a direct instruction model, and material included a Teachers Manual (in print and braille), plus examples and exercises recorded on tape. The recordings emphasised and developed aural skills in pitch and rhythm, ensuring that the subject matter was learned musically. The experiment was a single-case study (A-B-A design) using pre-tests, probes and post tests. The final post test was administered six weeks after the completion of the program. / Master of Education

Speech signal is basically meant to carry the information about the linguistic message. But, it also contains the speaker-specific information. It is generated by acoustically exciting the cavities of the mouth and nose, and can be used to recognize (identify/verify) a person. This thesis deals with the speaker identification task; i.e., to find the identity of a person using his/her speech from a group of persons already enrolled during the training phase. Listeners use many audible cues in identifying speakers. These cues range from high level cues such as semantics and linguistics of the speech, to low level cues relating to the speaker's vocal tract and voice source characteristics. Generally, the vocal tract characteristics are modeled in modern day speaker identification systems by cepstral coefficients. Although, these coeficients are good at representing vocal tract information, they can be supplemented by using both pitch and voicing information. Pitch provides very important and useful information for identifying speakers. In the current speaker recognition systems, it is very rarely used as it cannot be reliably extracted, and is not always present in the speech signal. In this thesis, an attempt is made to utilize this pitch and voicing information for speaker identification. This thesis illustrates, through the use of a text-independent speaker identification system, the reasonable performance of the cepstral coefficients, achieving an identification error of 6%. Using pitch as a feature in a straight forward manner results in identification errors in the range of 86% to 94%, and this is not very helpful. The two main reasons why the direct use of pitch as a feature does not work for speaker recognition are listed below. First, the speech is not always periodic; only about half of the frames are voiced. Thus, pitch can not be estimated for half of the frames (i.e. for unvoiced frames). The problem is how to account for pitch information for the unvoiced frames during recognition phase. Second, the pitch estimation methods are not very reliable. They classify some of the frames unvoiced when they are really voiced. Also, they make pitch estimation errors (such as doubling or halving of pitch value depending on the method). In order to use pitch information for speaker recognition, we have to overcome these problems. We need a method which does not use the pitch value directly as feature and which should work for voiced as well as unvoiced frames in a reliable manner. We propose here a method which uses the autocorrelation function of the given frame to derive pitch-related features. We call these features the maximum autocorrelation value (MACV) features. These features can be extracted for voiced as well as unvoiced frames and do not suffer from the pitch doubling or halving type of pitch estimation errors. Using these MACV features along with the cepstral features, the speaker identification performance is improved by 45%.

Whilst smaller pitches have become the norm in junior football, they may still be too large for certain ages and levels of skill. To date there has been no research into the relationships between size of the pitch and the technical kicking ability (distance and accuracy) of young players (8 - 14 years of age). The purpose of this investigation was to examine variables that influence actual kicking distance and accuracy and also to measure what differences in play behaviour (passing and dribbling) emerge from self-selected changes in pitch size for different age groups (9 and 10 years of age). Data were collected on 120 (N=120) junior football players: Playing experience (M=2.85 years, SD=2.56), Height (M=1.44 m, SD=1.08), Weight (M=37.8 kg, SD=7.69), Lengths of lower limbs (knee/ankle: M=35.54 cm, SD=4.27; hip/knee: M=35.54 cm, SD=5.25), Step lengths (M=37.66 cm, SD=8.693), Estimated kicking distance (M=31.13 m, SD=16.63). Participants performed a series of three kicks along the ground, using the inside of the foot, and aiming for a target (25 m away). The distance (M=18.04 m; SD=6.56) and accuracy (M=8.32 m; SD=4.38) of each kick were measured. The children (9 and 10 years of age) were then assigned to teams and asked to construct a small-sided game on two different pitch sizes. The first pitch size used was the recommended regulation size. The second pitch size was self-selected by the players. Any changes to the playing dimensions (e.g., width of the pitch) and playing behaviours (e.g., total number of passes, dribbling) were measured and analysed. Kicking distance is best predicted by the player’s height (20.0%, P < 0.000), or a combination of the player’s height and estimated kicking distance (30.0%, P = 0.002). Kicking accuracy can be attributed to the influence of the player’s step lengths (8.1%, P = 0.016) and both their step lengths and estimated kicking distance (15.1%, P = 0.020). Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that the increase in pitch size (18.5% and 25%) resulted in a greater amount of dribbling (63% and 33%) and passing (12%). In general, our results support the idea that young children in New Zealand should be playing on a pitch and at a skill level which matches their football abilities. Grouping young players on a pitch according to their physical (e.g., height) and technical kicking ability (e.g., distance, accuracy) instead of their chronological age, seems to be the key factor to any other set of proposals. The findings of this thesis have important messages that could enhance the effectiveness of coaching, competitive game-play (pitch sizes) and consequently performance at all junior levels of football in New Zealand. Further research should manipulate the number of players per team to see if this factor affects competitive game-play in junior football. Additionally, the mean distances maintained between players in the same team (team-mates) during game play needs to be considered (with regard to the ‘beehive effect’). Further studies should examine different age groups of equivalent skill level and assess their performance in relation to their technical kicking ability on different pitches.

Good tone is one of an alto saxophone player's greatest assets and consequently deserves high priority in training and pedagogy. The current pedagogical literature gives little attention to tone production on the saxophone. The mouthpiece is the link between the player and the saxophone. This study examined the effect of the normal mouthpiece pitch and the pitch range produced on the saxophone mouthpiece on alto saxophone tone quality . In this experimental study, recordings were made of forty-three student alto saxophone players who performed tasks consisting of three saxophone mouthpiece exercises and four short musical phrases on the saxophone. The tape recordings were used to provide a spectral analysis of the tone samples by Fast Fourier Transform Analysis, and to allow qualitative analysis by five expert judges. The judges used a saxophone listening profile to provide qualitative evaluation of the recordings. Cluster analysis produced three groups of subjects according to combinations of the mouthpiece pitch and range produced. The mean sustained mouthpiece pitch and mouthpiece range of the groups were: Cluster 1 - 790 Hz and 550 cents; Cluster 2 1023 Hz and 150 cents: and Cluster 3 - 820 Hz and 1203 cents. Analysis of variance was used to test for statistically significant differences between the clusters. Discriminant analysis was used to identify other variables which contributed to the formation of the three clusters. The quantitative analysis of both mouthpiece and saxophone tones provided no insight into the spectra of the student subjects. The qualitative analysis using bipolar descriptors provided valid criteria which could be applied consistently for the analysis of student saxophone tone. A Tonal Index was computed from the judges' ratings in order to test for differences in tone between the clusters. Analysis of variance tests showed significant differences in the tone produced by the clusters on both the mouthpiece and the saxophone. The tone produced by Cluster 3 was significantly different to that produced by Clusters 1 and 2 at the p < .05 level. Discriminant analysis identified the use of saxophone tone models (through comparative critical listening) and small group performance as significant predictor variables (at the p < .05 level) in the formation of the clusters. The results of this study suggest that tone production on the alto saxophone is improved through the development of control on the mouthpiece. It was concluded that routine practice with the mouthpiece can serve in the development of a flexible and responsive embouchure and oral cavity and that students need to develop a mental concept of saxophone tone as part of the development of tone production. Also, experience in small group performance needs to be sought and provided for saxophone students. Finally, this study focussed on an area of mouthpiece behaviour which can easily be included into any instructional design and monitored by teachers.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre des travaux de recherche entrepris par la division R&D de France Telecom dans le domaine de la synthèse de la parole à partir du texte. Elle concerne plus particulièrement le domaine de la conversion de voix, technologie visant à transformer le signal de parole d'un locuteur de référence dit locuteur source, de telle façon qu'il semble, à l'écoute, avoir été prononcé par un autre locuteur cible, identifié au préalable, dit locuteur cible. Le but de cette thèse est donc la diversification de voix de synthèse via la conception et le développement d'un système de conversion de voix de haute qualité. Les approches étudiées dans cette thèse se basent sur des techniques de classification par GMM (Gaussian Mixture Model) et une modélisation du signal de parole par HNM (Harmonic plus Noise Model). Dans un premier temps, l'influence de la paramétrisation spectrale sur la performance de conversion de voix par GMM est analysée. Puis, la dépendance entre l'enveloppe spectrale et la fréquence fondamentale est mise en évidence. Deux méthodes de conversion exploitant cette dépendance sont alors proposées et évaluées favorablement par rapport à l'état de l'art existant. Les problèmes liés à la mise en oeuvre de la conversion de voix sont également abordés. Le premier problème est la complexité élevée du processus de conversion par rapport au processus de synthèse lui-même (entre 1,5 et 2 fois le coût de calcul de la synthèse elle-même). Pour cela, une technique de conversion a été développée et conduit à une réduction de la complexité d'un facteur compris entre 45 et 130. Le deuxième problème concerne la mise en oeuvre de la conversion de voix lorsque les corpus d'apprentissage source et cible sont différents. Une méthodologie a ainsi été proposée rendant possible l'apprentissage de la fonction de transformation à partir d'enregistrements quelconques.

L'objectif de la thèse est l'analyse des signaux audio-numériques basée sur la modélisation sinusoïdale. La première partie de la thèse est dédiée à l'estimation des paramètres sinusoïdaux, et en particulier aux méthodes basées sur la transformée de Fourier. Les avantages de cette famille de méthodes sont une faible complexité algorithmique et une grande facilité d'utilisation. Un état de l'art complet des méthodes d'estimation sinusoïdale basées sur la transformée de Fourier est présenté. Nous parlons ensuite des nouveaux estimateurs qui ont été développé pendant la thèse, en particulier deux nouvelles méthodes qui permettent d'estimer tous les paramètres d'une sinusoïde modulée à la fois en amplitude et en fréquence, et dont les performances se sont révélées meilleures que la seule méthode équivalente de l'état de l'art existante, l'interpolation quadratique de la transformée de Fourier (QIFFT). L'indexation sonore est un domaine assez vaste dont la problématique est de répondre aux besoins d'accès par le contenu des documents audio. Dans la deuxième partie de la thèse nous nous sommes attachés à appliquer la modélisation sinusoïdale à deux tâches d'indexation audio pour lesquelles cette modélisation est particulièrement adaptée: l'estimation de pitch et la détection d'objets sonores. Les deux algorithmes développés font intervenir des principes similaires : un appariement des pics sinusoïdaux estimés dans le flux audio avec ceux de l'objet sonore de référence, ainsi qu'une mesure de vraisemblance de l'appariement.

<p>At Saab Bofors Dynamics there are projects running which purpose are to develop simulators for various weapon systems like RBS 70. In order to manage creating real working simulators Saab Bofors Dynamics has to do more research and this final thesis is a part of this process.</p><p>This final thesis has been performed at Saab Bofors Dynamics in the department of modelling and simulation, RTRKM, in Karlskoga. The purpose was to develop a control algorithm which makes it possible for an aircraft to behave real when controlling through a joystick.</p><p>The conclusions show that further improvements are needed before the aircraft behaves entirely by the laws of physics. Among other things it is necessary to decrease the number of delimitations that have been done.</p>