187 research outputs found
Simulating Vocal Imitation in Infants, using a Growth Articulatory Model and Speech Robotics
In order to shed lights on the cognitive representations
likely to underlie early vocal imitation, we tried to simulate
Kuhl and Meltzoff's experiment (1996), using Bayesian
robotics and a statistical model of the vocal tract that had
been fitted to pre-babblers' actual vocalizations. It was
shown that audition is compulsory to account for infants'
early vocal imitation performance, inasmuch as the
simulation of purely visual imitation failed to reproduce
infants' score and pattern of imitation. Further, a small
number of vocalizations (less than 100!) appeared to be
enough for a learning process to provide scores at least as
high as those of pre-babblers. Thus, early vocal imitation
lies in the reach of a baby robot, with only a few
assumptions about learning and imitation
Estimating the Number of Solutions of Cardinality Constraints through range and roots Decompositions
International audienceThis paper introduces a systematic approach for estimating the number of solutions of cardinality constraints. A main difficulty of solutions counting on a specific constraint lies in the fact that it is, in general, at least as hard as developing the constraint and its propaga-tors, as it has been shown on alldifferent and gcc constraints. This paper introduces a probabilistic model to systematically estimate the number of solutions on a large family of cardinality constraints including alldifferent, nvalue, atmost, etc. Our approach is based on their decomposition into range and roots, and exhibits a general pattern to derive such estimates based on the edge density of the associated variable-value graph. Our theoretical result is finally implemented within the maxSD search heuristic, that aims at exploring first the area where there are likely more solutions
Galaxy interactions are the dominant trigger for local type 2 quasars
The triggering mechanism for the most luminous, quasar-like active galactic
nuclei (AGN) remains a source of debate, with some studies favouring triggering
via galaxy mergers, but others finding little evidence to support this
mechanism. Here, we present deep Isaac Newton Telescope/Wide Field Camera
imaging observations of a complete sample of 48 optically-selected type 2
quasars the QSOFEED sample (L10; ). Based on visual inspection by eight classifiers, we find clear evidence
that galaxy interactions are the dominant triggering mechanism for quasar
activity in the local universe, with 65 per cent of the type 2
quasar hosts showing morphological features consistent with galaxy mergers or
encounters, compared with only 22 per cent of a stellar-mass- and
redshift-matched comparison sample of non-AGN galaxies a 5
difference. The type 2 quasar hosts are a factor 3.0 more
likely to be morphologically disturbed than their matched non-AGN counterparts,
similar to our previous results for powerful 3CR radio AGN of comparable [OIII]
emission-line luminosity and redshift. In contrast to the idea that quasars are
triggered at the peaks of galaxy mergers as the two nuclei coalesce, and only
become visible post-coalescence, the majority of morphologically-disturbed type
2 quasar sources in our sample are observed in the pre-coalescence phase
(61 per cent). We argue that much of the apparent ambiguity that
surrounds observational results in this field is a result of differences in the
surface brightness depths of the observations, combined with the effects of
cosmological surface brightness dimming.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 17 pages, 7 figure
Consistency Checking for the Evolution of Cardinality-based Feature Models
International audienceFeature models (FMs) are a widely used approach to specify the commonalities and variability in variable systems and software product lines. Various works have addressed edits to FMs for FM evolution and tool support to ensure consistency of FMs. An important extension to FMs are feature cardinalities and related constraints, as extensively used e.g., when modeling variability of cloud computing environments. Since cardinality-based FMs pose additional complexity, additional support for evolution and consistency checking with respect to feature cardinalities would be desirable, but has not been addressed yet. In this paper, we discuss common cardinality-based FM edits and resulting inconsistencies based on experiences with FMs in cloud domain. We introduce tool-support for automated inconsistency detection and explanation based on an off-the-shelf solver. We demonstrate the feasibility of the approach by an empirical evaluation showing the performance of the tool
Conjunctions of Among Constraints
Many existing global constraints can be encoded as a conjunction of among
constraints. An among constraint holds if the number of the variables in its
scope whose value belongs to a prespecified set, which we call its range, is
within some given bounds. It is known that domain filtering algorithms can
benefit from reasoning about the interaction of among constraints so that
values can be filtered out taking into consideration several among constraints
simultaneously. The present pa- per embarks into a systematic investigation on
the circumstances under which it is possible to obtain efficient and complete
domain filtering algorithms for conjunctions of among constraints. We start by
observing that restrictions on both the scope and the range of the among
constraints are necessary to obtain meaningful results. Then, we derive a
domain flow-based filtering algorithm and present several applications. In
particular, it is shown that the algorithm unifies and generalizes several
previous existing results.Comment: 15 pages plus appendi
Do AGN triggering mechanisms vary with radio power? – II. The importance of mergers as a function of radio power and optical luminosity
Investigation of the triggering mechanisms of radio active galactic nuclei (radio AGN) is important for improving our general understanding of galaxy evolution. In the first paper in this series, detailed morphological analysis of high-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs) with intermediate radio powers suggested that the importance of triggering via galaxy mergers and interactions increases strongly with AGN radio power and weakly with optical emission-line luminosity. Here, we use an online classification interface to expand our morphological analysis to a much larger sample of 155 active galaxies (3CR radio galaxies, radio-intermediate HERGs, and Type 2 quasars) that covers a broad range in both 1.4 GHz radio power and [O III] λ5007 emission-line luminosity. All active galaxy samples are found to exhibit excesses in their rates of morphological disturbance relative to 378 stellar-mass- and redshift-matched non-active control galaxies classified randomly and blindly alongside them. These excesses are highest for the 3CR HERGs (4.7σ) and Type 2 quasar hosts (3.9σ), supporting the idea that galaxy mergers provide the dominant triggering mechanism for these subgroups. When the full active galaxy sample is considered, there is clear evidence to suggest that the enhancement in the rate of disturbance relative to the controls increases strongly with [O III] λ5007 emission-line luminosity but not with 1.4 GHz radio power. Evidence that the dominant AGN host types change from early-type galaxies at high radio powers to late-type galaxies at low radio powers is also found, suggesting that triggering by secular, disc-based processes holds more importance for lower-power radio AGN
A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use
Abstract
Background and aims
Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior.
Methods
Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents' perceptions of problematic use.
Results
The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use.
Conclusions
The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to “virtual addictions”
The involvement of miR-100 in bladder urothelial carcinogenesis changing the expression levels of mRNA and proteins of genes related to cell proliferation, survival, apoptosis and chromosomal stability
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