Seeing with sound? Exploring different characteristics of a visual-to-auditory sensory substitution device

Sensory substitution devices convert live visual images into auditory signals, for example with a web camera (to record the images), a computer (to perform the conversion) and headphones (to listen to the sounds). In a series of three experiments, the performance of one such device (‘The vOICe’) was assessed under various conditions on blindfolded sighted participants. The main task that we used involved identifying and locating objects placed on a table by holding a webcam (like a flashlight) or wearing it on the head (like a miner’s light). Identifying objects on a table was easier with a hand-held device, but locating the objects was easier with a head-mounted device. Brightness converted into loudness was less effective than the reverse contrast (dark being loud), suggesting that performance under these conditions (natural indoor lighting, novice users) is related more to the properties of the auditory signal (ie the amount of noise in it) than the cross-modal association between loudness and brightness. Individual differences in musical memory (detecting pitch changes in two sequences of notes) was related to the time taken to identify or recognise objects, but individual differences in self-reported vividness of visual imagery did not reliably predict performance across the experiments. In general, the results suggest that the auditory characteristics of the device may be more important for initial learning than visual associations

Is Strategy Different for Very Small and New Firms?

In this paper, we argue that much of the small business strategic management literature has drawn too heavily from work done on large, established firms. We build upon the notions of the liabilities of smallness and newness to discuss how microenterprises and very new firms are different in regards to their strategic analysis, strategic content, strategic resources, and strategic processes. We note that there are a number of important and non-obvious questions that need to be asked that have implications for the most common firms in the world, those that are very small

Not Just a Free Lunch a logic model and evidence review for the Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunch programme

Ka Ora, Ka Ako provides free, healthy lunches for 220,000 learners in low-equity New Zealand schools. Costing over $260 million annually, it represents the largest government investment in child nutrition in generations. Early evaluations indicate success in achieving programme aims of delivering nutritious food, improving learners’ wellbeing, and easing financial stress for families. However, international evidence and emerging local data indicate the programme can achieve the above and more. This article presents a programme logic model drawing on local data and a review of relevant international literature on universal school food provision with the aim of identifying potential long-term outcomes and impacts at multiple levels: for learners, wh`ānau, schools, communities, and food systems. Findings indicate that the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme has the potential to:• improve children’s nutrition and educational outcomes, as well as improve child and wh`ānau food security;• enrich school learning environments; • boost local economies (through creation of jobs paying a living wage) and enhance local foodscapes (including availability and affordability of healthy foods) through food system engagement in schools, with whänau and communities; and• increase food system resilience (e.g., shorter supply chains and relationship building), and encourage broader food system transformation (e.g., reformulation, waste and packaging solutions) with leverage from new procurement models.While Ka Ora, Ka Ako can contribute to these pathways, some implementation areas within the programme demand further attention to achieve optimal results. Recognised areas for improvement include ensuring high quality of food, providing more avenues for engagement from children and parents, addressing perceived challenges to integrate Ka Ora, Ka Ako effectively with mātauranga Māori, and improving waste management. Given the high potential for Ka Ora, Ka Ako to contribute to multiple beneficial outcomes, continued investment and expansion of the programme is warranted

The Mate Workbench - a tool for annotating XML corpora

This paper describes the design and implementation of the MATE workbench, a program which provides support for flexible display and editing of XML annotations, and complex querying of a set of linked files. The workbench was designed to support the annotation of XML coded linguistic corpora, but it could be used to annotate any kind of data, as it is not dependent on any particular annotation scheme. Rather than being a general purpose XMLaware editor it is a system for writing specialised editors tailored to a particular annotation task. A particular editor is defined using a transformation language, with suitable display formats and allowable editing operations. The workbench is written in Java, which means that it is platform-independent. This paper outlines the design of the workbench software and compares it with other annotation programs. 1. Introduction The annotation or markup of files with linguistic or other complex information usually requires either human coding or human ..

The Ursinus Weekly, May 2, 1955

Spring play May 12-14 in T-G gym • Y installs officers at vespers Sunday • Pre-meds to hear polio expert tonite • Hamilton to head pre-legal society • Meistersingers end season with Music for you • National music frat installed at Ursinus • Mass rehearsals listed for May Day • Y retreat at Mensch Mill; New cabinet assumes duties • Pictures taken of college X-day • Mr. L. Krug heads C-T school district • Sasha Siemal tells of jaguar hunting • \u2756 Ruby will take Spring sports pictures tomorrow • Editorials: Here\u27s a spot for you • Letters to the editor • Dining-room has unusual guest • Fraternity row • Thinclads lose again despite victories by Herwig, Lawhead • Fords blank Bruin netmen in 9-0 rout • Girls tie record with 3-2 net win • Bruins smash Dickinson; Edge Fords in 4-3 contest • Sholl\u27s hit wins 1-0 mound duel • Dr. Franklin Watts speaks to WRC • Canterbury Club visits Preventorium • A.P.O. waits until Fall for charter • Debaters beat Haverfordhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1473/thumbnail.jp

HI Rich but Low Star Formation galaxies in MaNGA: Physical Properties and Comparison to Control Samples

Gas rich galaxies are typically star-forming. We make use of HI-MaNGA, a program of HI follow-up for the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys to construct a sample of unusual neutral hydrogen (HI, 21cm) rich galaxies which have low Star Formation Rates (SFRs); using infra-red color from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) as a proxy for specific SFR. Out of a set of 1575 MaNGA galaxies with HI-MaNGA detections, we find 83 (5%) meet our selection criteria to be HI rich with low SFR. We construct two stellar mass-matched control samples: HI rich galaxies with typical SFR (High SF Control) and HI poor galaxies with low SFR (Low HI Control). We investigate the properties of each of these samples, comparing physical parameters such as ionization state maps, stellar and ionized gas velocity and dispersion, environment measures, metallicity, and morphology to search for the reasons why these unusual HI rich galaxies are not forming stars. We find evidence for recent external accretion of gas in some galaxies (via high counter-rotating fractions), along with some evidence for AGN feedback (from a high cLIER and/or red geyser fraction), and bar quenching (via an enhanced strong bar fraction). Some galaxies in the sample are consistent with simply having their HI in a high angular momentum, large radius, low density disc. We conclude that no single physical process can explain all HI rich, low SFR galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, in press MNRAS. v2 following corrections noticed in proof

Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and cardiovascular outcomes according to diabetes status in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. A report from the Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Trial (I-Preserve)

Background—In patients with HF and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), little is known about the characteristics of and outcomes in those with and without diabetes. Methods—We examined clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and outcomes in the Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction trial (I-Preserve), according to history of diabetes. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for cardiovascular outcomes adjusted for known predictors, including age, sex, natriuretic peptides, and comorbidity. Echocardiographic data were available in 745 patients and were additionally adjusted for in supplementary analyses. Results—Overall, 1134 of 4128 patients (27%) had diabetes. Compared to those without diabetes, they were more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction (28% vs. 22%), higher BMI (31kg/m2 vs. 29kg/m2), worse Minnesota living with HF score (48 vs. 40), higher median NT-proBNP concentration (403 vs 320 pg/ml; all p<0.01), more signs of congestion but no significant difference in LVEF. Patients with diabetes had a greater left ventricular (LV) mass and left atrial area than patients without diabetes. Doppler E wave velocity (86 vs 76 cm/sec, p<0.0001) and the ratio of E/e' (11.7 vs 10.4, p=0.010) were higher in patients with diabetes. Over a median follow-up of 4.1 years, cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization occurred in 34% of patients with diabetes vs. 22% of those without diabetes; adjusted HR 1.75 (95% CI 1.49-2.05) and 28% vs. 19% of patients with and without diabetes died; adjusted HR 1.59 (1.33-1.91). Conclusions—In HFpEF, patients with diabetes have more signs of congestion, worse quality of life, higher NT-proBNP levels, and a poorer prognosis. They also display greater structural and functional echocardiographic abnormalities. Further investigation is needed to determine the mediators of the adverse impact of diabetes on outcomes in HFPEF, and whether they are modifiable

The Ursinus Weekly, May 16, 1955

Shinehouse crowned queen during Magic hour pageant • Women elect dorm officers and senator • WSGA banquet this evening; New officers will be installed • Frank Brown named Curtain Club pres. • APO reveals plans for future projects • Fellowship House Choir concert on Wednesday night • Sigma Xi honors Dr. James C. Hirst • Pre-meds end year with dinner-dance • These are your candidates for class officers: Vote!!! • Editorials: Let\u27s be fair; Carrying fun too far • Fraternity row • Sorority news • My three angels is a smash hit; New players captivate audiences • Band concert a hit; Given again tonight • Universal military training: Yes or no? • Belles rout Temple, Drexel; Beaten 4-1 in Bryn Mawr tilt • Bruins maul Haverford, 12-2 • WAA banquet to be held Wednesday • Wow! Girls lose softball thriller, 2-1 • Harris named outstanding athlete at sports banquet • Intramural softball • Bruins face LaSalle, Moravian, Lehigh after edging Rutgers-SJ 2-1, PMC 9-4 • Improving racketmen drop Drexel, LaSalle; Whitewashed by Swarthmore • Final examination schedulehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1475/thumbnail.jp

SDSS-IV MaNGA: the indispensable role of bars in enhancing the central star formation of low-zz galaxies

We analyse two-dimensional maps and radial profiles of EW(H$\alpha$), EW(H$\delta_A$), and D$_n$(4000) of low-redshift galaxies using integral field spectroscopy from the MaNGA survey. Out of $\approx1400$ nearly face-on late-type galaxies with a redshift $z<0.05$, we identify 121 "turnover" galaxies that each have a central upturn in EW(H$\alpha$), EW(H$\delta_A$) and/or a central drop in D$_n$(4000), indicative of ongoing/recent star formation. The turnover features are found mostly in galaxies with a stellar mass above $\sim$10$^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$ and NUV-$r$ colour less than $\approx5$. The majority of the turnover galaxies are barred, with a bar fraction of 89$\pm$3\%. Furthermore, for barred galaxies the radius of the central turnover region is found to tightly correlate with one third of the bar length. Comparing the observed and the inward extrapolated star formation rate surface density, we estimate that the central SFR have been enhanced by an order of magnitude. Conversely, only half of the barred galaxies in our sample have a central turnover feature, implying that the presence of a bar is not sufficient to lead to a central SF enhancement. We further examined the SF enhancement in paired galaxies, as well as the local environment, finding no relation. This implies that environment is not a driving factor for central SF enhancement in our sample. Our results reinforce both previous findings and theoretical expectation that galactic bars play a crucial role in the secular evolution of galaxies by driving gas inflow and enhancing the star formation and bulge growth in the center.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, MNRAS accepte