2,009 research outputs found
Optomechanical coupling in photonic crystal supported nanomechanical waveguides
We report enhanced optomechanical coupling by embedding a nano-mechanical
beam resonator within an optical race-track resonator. Precise control of the
mechanical resonator is achieved by clamping the beam between two low-loss
photonic crystal waveguide couplers. The low insertion loss and the rigid
mechanical support provided by the couplers yield both high mechanical and
optical Q-factors for improved signal quality
Towards a theory of individual differences in statistical learning
Published 21 November 2016http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/372/1711/20160059In recent years, statistical learning (SL) research has seen a growing interest in tracking individual performance in SL tasks, mainly as a predictor of linguistic abilities. We review studies from this line of research and outline three presuppositions underlying the experimental approach they employ: (i) that SL is a unified theoretical construct; (ii) that current SL tasks are interchangeable, and equally valid for assessing SL ability; and (iii) that performance in the standard forced-choice test in the task is a good proxy of SL ability. We argue that these three critical presuppositions are subject to a number of theoretical and empirical issues. First, SL shows patterns of modality- and informational-specificity, suggesting that SL cannot be treated as a unified construct. Second, different SL tasks may tap into separate sub-components of SL that are not necessarily interchangeable. Third, the commonly used forced-choice tests in most SL tasks are subject to inherent limitations and confounds. As a first step, we offer a methodological approach that explicitly spells out a potential set of different SL dimensions, allowing for better transparency in choosing a specific SL task as a predictor of a given linguistic outcome. We then offer possible methodological solutions for better tracking and measuring SL ability. Taken together, these discussions provide a novel theoretical and methodological approach for assessing individual differences in SL, with clear testable predictions.
This article is part of the themed issue âNew frontiers for statistical learning in the cognitive sciencesâ.This article was supported by the Israel Science Foundation
(Grant No. 217/14, awarded to R.F.), by the National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development (Grant Nos. RO1 HD
067364, awarded to Ken Pugh and R.F., and PO1-HD 01994, awarded
to Haskins Laboratories), and by the ERC (project 692502, awarded
to R.F.). L.B. is a research fellow of the Fyssen Foundation
Is there such a thing as a âgood statistical learnerâ?
Available online 19 November 2021A growing body of research investigates individual differences in the learning of
statistical structure, tying them to variability in cognitive (dis)abilities. This
approach views statistical learning (SL) as a general individual ability that underlies
performance across a range of cognitive domains. But is there a general SL capacity
that can sort individuals from âbadâ to âgoodâ statistical learners? Explicating
the suppositions underlying this approach, we suggest that current evidence
supporting it is meager. We outline an alternative perspective that considers
the variability of statistical environments within different cognitive domains.
Once we focus on learning that is tuned to the statistics of real-world sensory
inputs, an alternative view of SL computations emerges with a radically different
outlook for SL research.This article was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant Project 692502-L2STAT and the Israel
Science Foundation (ISF) Grant Project 705/20, awarded to R.F. L.B. received funding from the ERC Advanced Grant Project
833029-LEARNATTEND. N.S. received funding from the ISF, grant number 48/2
Influence of music therapy on coping skills and anger management in forensic psychiatric patients: An exploratory study
The effect of music therapy on anger management and coping skills is an innovative subject in the field of forensic psychiatry. This study explores the following research question: Can music therapy treatment contribute to positive changes in coping skills, anger management, and dysfunctional behavior of forensic psychiatric patients? To investigate this question, first a literature review is offered on music therapy and anger management in forensic psychiatry. Then, an explorative study is presented. In the study, a pre- and post-test design was used with a random assignment of patients to either treatment or control condition. Fourteen participantsâ complete datasets were collected. All participants received âtreatment as usual.â Nine of the participants received a standardized, music therapy anger management program; the five controls received, unplanned, an aggression management program. Results suggested that anger management skills improved for all participants. The improvement of positive coping skills and diminishing of avoidance as a coping skill were measured to show greater changes in music therapy participants. When controlling for the exact number of treatment hours, the outcomes suggested that music therapy might accelerate the process of behavioral changes
8x14Gb/s ring WDM modulator array with integrated tungsten heaters and Ge monitor photodetectors
An 8x14Gb/s wavelength-division multiplexed Si ring modulator array is presented with uniform channel performance. Tungsten heaters and Ge monitor photodetectors at the ring modulator drop ports are co-integrated to track and control the modulation quality
Literacy improves short-term serial recall of spoken verbal but not visuospatial items - Evidence from illiterate and literate adults
© 2019 Elsevier B.V. This manuscript is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). For further details please see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/It is widely accepted that specific memory processes, such as serial-order memory, are involved in written language development and predictive of reading and spelling abilities. The reverse question, namely whether orthographic abilities also affect serial-order memory, has hardly been investigated. In the current study, we compared 20 illiterate people with a group of 20 literate matched controls on a verbal and a visuospatial version of the Hebb paradigm, measuring both short- and long-term serial-order memory abilities. We observed better short-term serial-recall performance for the literate compared with the illiterate people. This effect was stronger in the verbal than in the visuospatial modality, suggesting that the improved capacity of the literate group is a consequence of learning orthographic skills. The long-term consolidation of ordered information was comparable across groups, for both stimulus modalities. The implications of these findings for current views regarding the bi-directional interactions between memory and written language development are discussed.Peer reviewe
Ultra-short silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) modulator for bidirectional polarization-independent operation
We propose a bidirectional, polarization-independent, recirculating IQ-modulator scheme based on the silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) platform. We demonstrate the viability of the concept by using an SOH Mach-Zehnder modulator, operated at 10 GBd BPSK and 2ASK-2PSK
Comparison of quantum mechanical and classical trajectory calculations of cross sections for ion-atom impact ionization of negative - and positive -ions for heavy ion fusion applications
Stripping cross sections in nitrogen have been calculated using the classical
trajectory approximation and the Born approximation of quantum mechanics for
the outer shell electrons of 3.2GeV I and Cs ions. A large
difference in cross section, up to a factor of six, calculated in quantum
mechanics and classical mechanics, has been obtained. Because at such high
velocities the Born approximation is well validated, the classical trajectory
approach fails to correctly predict the stripping cross sections at high
energies for electron orbitals with low ionization potential.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
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