NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

musical properties like pitch and biological parameters. such as the percent of muscle usage. This study explores the reliability
of EMG in quantifying the activities of Rectus Abdominis, two muscles essential to respiration during singing. Such a
quantitative method is desired by practitioners for identifying one s innate singing abilities, or talent. This study also proposes
a method of quantitatively identifying efficient pedagogy by comparing pre-training and post-training EMG. Our goals were
to validate the method and to provide reliable criticisms for analysis of strengths and weaknesses in singing. A NORAXON
wireless EMG was used to measure the muscle activities of a female voice professor as she sang the notes F3 (low pitch), F,
(medium pitch) and F5 (high pitch). The results showed a non-linear, but noteworthy and consistent increase in muscle
activity. as the pitches became higher. They confirmed our hypothesis that EMG can be used as a quantitative assessment of
singing and showed that there exists a reliable connection between the level of muscle activity and musical pitch. Most
importantly, this study showed that EMG has the potential for better teaching method and could increase the reliability of
talent searches in singing.
Author
Activity (Biology); Electromyography; Muscular Function; Hypotheses; Acoustics; Audio Frequencies
72
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
Includes atomic and molecular structure, electron properties, and atomic and molecular spectra. For elementary particle physics see 73
Nuclear Physics.
20060001801 California Univ., Santa Barbara, CA USA
Biological Sensing with Terahertz Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy
Plaxco, Kevin W.; Allen, S. J.; May 31, 2005; 18 pp.; In English; Original contains color illustrations
Contract(s)/Grant(s): DAAD19-02-1-0080
Report No.(s): AD-A440274; ARO-42628-EL.2.00; No Copyright; Avail.: Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)
We have developed a circular dichroism spectrometer working in the terahertz (THz) frequency regime. As THz
spectroscopy is specific to collective vibrational modes in macromolecules (and collective modes in condensed, polar media
such as water), the spectrometer should provide spectral fingerprints of biological materials. Moreover, by focusing on circular
dichroism the spectrometer should provide fingerprints of these materials uncontaminated by the strong background
absorbance of water and other polar materials. We have built this spectrometer and have pushed its signal to noise down to
1 part in 10^4. While this is more than sufficient to detect the strong circular dichroism of macroscopic, chiral objects, it is
apparently insufficient to observe circular dichroism arising from common biological materials. Current efforts are aimed at
1-2 orders of magnitude improvements on this detection limit.
DTIC
Detection; Dichroism; Spectroscopy; Warfare
74
OPTICS
Includes light phenomena and the theory of optical devices; for specific optical devices see also 35 Instrumentation and Photography.
For lasers see 36 Lasers and Masers.
20060000072 Gemini Observatory, Hilo, HI, USA
ALTAIR Upgrades Report
Rignaut, Francois; Gemini Focus: Newsletter of the Gemini Observatory; December 2005, pp. 61-63; In English; See also
20060000060; Copyright; Avail.: Other Sources
There has been a flurry of activity on and around the ALTAIR adaptive optics (AO) system during 2005A. First and
foremost, we have been commissioning the laser and launch systems (described on page 34 of the June 2005 issue of
GeminiFocus), and upgraded ALTAIR to work in Laser Guide Star (LGS) mode. This effort continued into 2005B with two
runs, in August and September. ALTAIR’S upgrade included a tip-tilt/focus wavefront sensor system, designed at the Herzberg
Institute of Astrophysics (HIA) in Canada, and installed by Gemini personnel. All of the work to date has concentrated on
commissioning the many new functions necessary for LGS AO. We have proven that we can efficiently acquire both the laser
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