Detection of keyboard vibrations and effects on perceived piano quality

Two experiments were conducted on an upright and a grand piano, both either producing string vibrations or conversely being silent after the initial keypress, while pianists were listening to the feedback from a synthesizer through insulating headphones. In a quality experiment, participants unaware of the silent mode were asked to play freely and then rate the instrument according to a set of attributes and general preference. Participants preferred the vibrating over the silent setup, and preference ratings were associated to auditory attributes of richness and naturalness in the low and middle ranges. Another experiment on the same setup measured the detection of vibrations at the keyboard, while pianists played notes and chords of varying dynamics and duration. Sensitivity to string vibrations was highest in the lowest register and gradually decreased up to note D5. After the percussive transient, the tactile stimuli exhibited spectral peaks of acceleration whose perceptibility was demonstrated by tests conducted in active touch conditions. The two experiments confirm that piano performers perceive vibratory cues of strings mediated by spectral and spatial summations occurring in the Pacinian system in their fingertips, and suggest that such cues play a role in the evaluation of quality of the musical instrument

Odorant-Binding Proteins OBP57d and OBP57e Affect Taste Perception and Host-Plant Preference in Drosophila sechellia

Despite its morphological similarity to the other species in the Drosophila melanogaster species complex, D. sechellia has evolved distinct physiological and behavioral adaptations to its host plant Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as Tahitian Noni. The odor of the ripe fruit of M. citrifolia originates from hexanoic and octanoic acid. D. sechellia is attracted to these two fatty acids, whereas the other species in the complex are repelled. Here, using interspecies hybrids between D. melanogaster deficiency mutants and D. sechellia, we showed that the Odorant-binding protein 57e (Obp57e) gene is involved in the behavioral difference between the species. D. melanogaster knock-out flies for Obp57e and Obp57d showed altered behavioral responses to hexanoic acid and octanoic acid. Furthermore, the introduction of Obp57d and Obp57e from D. simulans and D. sechellia shifted the oviposition site preference of D. melanogaster Obp57d/e(KO) flies to that of the original species, confirming the contribution of these genes to D. sechellia's specialization to M. citrifolia. Our finding of the genes involved in host-plant determination may lead to further understanding of mechanisms underlying taste perception, evolution of plant–herbivore interactions, and speciation

Do consumers dream of digital advertising? New communication rules in social media

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a forma recente de comunicação e as regras retóricas utilizadas atualmente para otimizar o impacto publicitário nas mídias sociais. Depois de ter descrito, com a ajuda da literatura, as principais diretrizes comunicativas para novas mídias e mídias sociais, as recentes regras de comunicação serão testadas com os consumidores. Portanto, para melhor elaborar esses tópicos, faremos uso de uma pesquisa exploratória realizada na Universidade Iulm de Milão, na primavera de 2019. A pesquisa responderá aos gostos e desgostos em relação à comunicação na mídia social e publicidade. Assim, as descobertas da pesquisa sobre o consumidor podem ajudar pesquisadores e profissionais de marketing a entender melhor o nascimento dessas novas formas de comunicação. Outro foco desta pesquisa será analisar se a tecnologia social é um viés e, se for, até que ponto. Por fim, os consumidores adoram a publicidade digital nas mídias sociais? Na verdade, toda nova tecnologia requer novas linguagens e, com efeito, isso deve acontecer quando o impacto tecnológico estiver relacionado à mídia. Em suma, as mídias sociais parecem ser um bom terreno para explorar as mudanças recentes na comunicação e, especificamente, na publicitária. As descobertas da pesquisa exploratória podem levar a outras questões, tais como: a comunicação e a propaganda mudam da mesma forma? No mesmo ritmo? Elas vão na mesma direção? Em que medida? A publicidade simplesmente tem que seguir as novas regras de comunicação ou é forçada a usar e inventar novas formas de comunicação? O presente artigo somente será capaz de delinear e rapidamente esquematizar possíveis respostas para as questões que, de fato, estão destinadas a desenvolver outras considerações e pesquisas adicionais.El presente artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la actual forma de comunicación y las normas retóricas utilizadas para optimizar el impacto de la publicidad en los medios sociales. Con base en la literatura, se describieron las principales directrices comunicativas de los nuevos medios y de los medios sociales, y se sometieron las nuevas normas de comunicación a los consumidores. Para elaborar estos temas, se hizo una investigación exploratoria realizada en la Universidad Iulm de Milán, en la primavera de 2019. En la encuesta tenían que contestar las preferencias y las no preferencias en relación a la comunicación en los medios sociales y la publicidad. Se espera que los hallazgos de la investigación sobre el consumidor puedan aportar más informaciones a los investigadores y profesionales de marketing para mejor entender el surgimiento de esas nuevas formas de comunicación. Otro objetivo de esta investigación es analizar si la tecnología social es una tendencia y hasta qué punto lo es. Y por último es conocer si los consumidores les gusta la publicidad digital en los medios sociales. Cada nueva tecnología requiere nuevos lenguajes, y esto debe suceder cuando se vincule el nuevo impacto tecnológico con los medios. En resumen, los medios sociales parecen ser una buena forma de explorar los recientes cambios en la comunicación, más específicamente en la comunicación publicitaria. Los hallazgos de la investigación exploratoria pueden llevar a nuevos cuestionamientos, tales como: ¿La comunicación y la propaganda pasan por los mismos cambios? ¿En el mismo ritmo? ¿Van hacia la misma dirección? ¿En qué punto? ¿La publicidad simplemente debe seguir las nuevas normas de comunicación o es obligada a utilizar e inventar nuevas formas de comunicarse? El presente artículo solamente puede delinear y esquematizar posibles respuestas a estos cuestionamientos, que pueden desarrollarse en otras consideraciones e investigaciones adicionales.This paper aims to analyze the recent forms of communication and the rhetoric rules that are used nowadays to optimize the advertising impact on social media. After having described, with the help of the literature, the main communicative guidelines for new media and social media, the new communication rules will be tested with the consumers. Therefore, to better elaborate on these topics, we will make use of an exploratory research conducted in the IULM University of Milan in spring 2019. The research will provide answers as to the likes and dislikes regarding the social media communication and advertising. Thus, the consumer research findings can help researchers and marketers to better understand the rise of those new forms of communication. This research will also focus on analyzing whether the social technology is a bias and to what extent. Finally, do consumers love digital advertising on social media? Actually, every new technology requires new languages and, a fortiori, this must happen when the new technology impact is related with the media. In sum, the social media seem to be fertile ground to explore recent changes in communication, and specifically in advertising communication. The findings of the exploratory research can lead to new questions, such as: do communication and advertising change in the same manner? At the same pace? Do they go in the same direction? And to what extent? Does advertising simply have to follow the new communication rules or is it forced to use and invent new forms of communication? This paper will only be able to outline and quickly schematize possible answers to the questions that, indeed, are bound to lead to further considerations and further researches

Host Shifts from Lamiales to Brassicaceae in the Sawfly Genus Athalia

Plant chemistry can be a key driver of host shifts in herbivores. Several species in the sawfly genus Athalia are important economic pests on Brassicaceae, whereas other Athalia species are specialized on Lamiales. These host plants have glucosides in common, which are sequestered by larvae. To disentangle the possible direction of host shifts in this genus, we examined the sequestration specificity and feeding deterrence of iridoid glucosides (IGs) and glucosinolates (GSs) in larvae of five species which either naturally sequester IGs from their hosts within the Plantaginaceae (Lamiales) or GSs from Brassicaceae, respectively. Furthermore, adults were tested for feeding stimulation by a neo-clerodane diterpenoid which occurs in Lamiales. Larvae of the Plantaginaceae-feeders did not sequester artificially administered p-hydroxybenzylGS and were more deterred by GSs than Brassicaceae-feeders were by IGs. In contrast, larvae of Brassicaceae-feeders were able to sequester artificially administered catalpol (IG), which points to an ancestral association with Lamiales. In line with this finding, adults of all tested species were stimulated by the neo-clerodane diterpenoid. Finally, in a phylogenetic tree inferred from genetic marker sequences of 21 Athalia species, the sister species of all remaining 20 Athalia species also turned out to be a Lamiales-feeder. Fundamental physiological pre-adaptations, such as the establishment of a glucoside transporter, and mechanisms to circumvent activation of glucosides by glucosidases are therefore necessary prerequisites for successful host shifts between Lamiales and Brassicaceae

Factors influencing the experience of sexual and reproductive healthcare for female adolescents with perinatally-acquired HIV: a qualitative case study

Background: Young people living with perinatally-acquired HIV require age-appropriate support regarding sex and relationships as they progress towards adulthood. HIV affects both genders but evidence suggests that young women are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and more prone to engaging in sexual behaviours to meet their daily survival needs. This can result in poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. HIV services in Malawi provide support for young women’s HIV-related clinical needs, but it is unclear whether there is sufficient provision for their SRH needs as they become adults. This paper explores the sex and relationship experiences of young women growing up with perinatally-acquired HIV in order to understand how to improve SRH care and associated outcomes. Methods: A qualitative case study approach was adopted in which each ‘case’ comprised a young woman (15–19 years) with perinatally acquired HIV, a nominated caregiver and service provider. Participants were purposively selected from three multidisciplinary centres providing specialised paediatric/adolescent HIV care in Malawi. Data was collected for 14 cases through in-depth interviews (i.e. a total of 42 participants) and analysed using within-case and cross-case approaches. The interviews with adolescents were based on an innovative visual method known as ‘my story book’ which encouraged open discussion on sensitive topics. Results: Young women reported becoming sexually active at an early age for different reasons. Some sought a sense of intimacy, love, acceptance and belonging in these relationships, noting that they lacked this at home and/or within their peer groups. For others, their sexual activity was more functional – related to meeting survival needs. Young women reported having little control over negotiating safer sex or contraception. Their priority was preventing unwanted pregnancies yet several of the sample already had babies, and transfer to antenatal services created major disruptions in their HIV care. In contrast, caregivers and nurses regarded sexual activity from a clinical perspective, fearing onward transmission of HIV and advocating abstinence or condoms where possible. In addition, a cultural silence rooted in dominant religious and traditional norms closed down possibilities for discussion about sexual matters and prevented young women from accessing contraception. Conclusion: The study has shown how young women, caregivers and service providers have contrasting perspectives and priorities around SRH care. Illumination of these differences highlights a need for service improvement. It is suggested that young women themselves are involved in future service improvement initiatives to encourage the development of culturally and socially acceptable pathways of care

Urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of soil contaminant risks

Although urban community gardening can offer health, social, environmental, and economic benefits, these benefits must be weighed against the potential health risks stemming from exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals that may be present in urban soils. Individuals who garden at or eat food grown in contaminated urban garden sites may be at risk of exposure to such contaminants. Gardeners may be unaware of these risks and how to manage them. We used a mixed quantitative/qualitative research approach to characterize urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of risks related to soil contaminant exposure. We conducted surveys with 70 gardeners from 15 community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, and semi-structured interviews with 18 key informants knowledgeable about community gardening and soil contamination in Baltimore. We identified a range of factors, challenges, and needs related to Baltimore community gardeners' perceptions of risk related to soil contamination, including low levels of concern and inconsistent levels of knowledge about heavy metal and organic chemical contaminants, barriers to investigating a garden site's history and conducting soil tests, limited knowledge of best practices for reducing exposure, and a need for clear and concise information on how best to prevent and manage soil contamination. Key informants discussed various strategies for developing and disseminating educational materials to gardeners. For some challenges, such as barriers to conducting site history and soil tests, some informants recommended city-wide interventions that bypass the need for gardener knowledge altogether

Mirid feeding preference as influenced by light and temperature mediated changes in plant nutrient concentration in cocoa

Cocoa mirids are the most important insect pests of cocoa in West Africa. This study investigated the effect of environmental parameters that are modulated by overhead shade, i.e. light intensity and temperature, on nutrient and phenolic concentrations in cocoa and their subsequent effect on mirid feeding. Eight-month-old cocoa seedlings were maintained for 50 days in two growth chambers set to day temperatures of 25oC or 30oC. Each chamber had sections with different light intensities (541, 365 and 181 µmolm-2s-1 PAR). For the field studies at Akim-Tafo in Ghana, eight-month-old plants of three cocoa clones were subjected to shaded (PAR= 180 µmol m-² s-1, between 11:00 and 12:00) and unshaded (PAR= 1767 µmol m-² s-1 between 11:00 and 12:00) treatments for 50 days after which nutrient measurements and mirid choice tests were carried out. No significant effect of environment was observed on the phenolic concentration of stems under controlled environment chamber conditions. However, in the field, the phenolic concentration of stems was significantly greater for unshaded compared with shaded plants (P=0.04). Under controlled conditions, the leaf nitrogen concentration increased slightly with light intensity (P=0.003). The same trend was seen in stems but only at 30oC. In the field, the impact of overhead shade on nitrogen varied between cocoa clones. The concentration of carbohydrates in both leaves and stems in the field was higher under unshaded conditions. When subjected to feeding tests, stems from unshaded cocoa had significantly more mirid feeding lesions (P=0.003) after 24 hours exposure to mirids compared to shaded cocoa. Mirid feeding therefore appears not to be deterred by the higher phenolic levels but rather there was a preference for cocoa tissue grown under unshaded conditions. These findings highlight the need to consider the growing environment of cocoa clones when screening for varieties with resistance to mirids

Armed Rollers: Does Nestling’s Vomit Function as a Defence against Predators?

Chemical defences against predators are widespread in the animal kingdom although have been seldom reported in birds. Here, we investigate the possibility that the orange liquid that nestlings of an insectivorous bird, the Eurasian roller (Coracias garrulus), expel when scared at their nests acts as a chemical defence against predators. We studied the diet of nestling rollers and vomit origin, its chemical composition and deterrent effect on a mammal generalist predator. We also hypothesized that nestling rollers, as their main prey (i.e. grasshoppers) do from plants, could sequester chemicals from their prey for their use. Grasshoppers, that also regurgitate when facing to a threat, store the harmful substances used by plants to defend themselves against herbivores. We found that nestling rollers only vomit after being grasped and moved. The production of vomit depended on food consumption and the vomit contained two deterrent chemicals (hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids) stored by grasshoppers and used by plants to diminish herbivory, suggesting that they originate from the rollers’ prey. Finally, we showed for the first time that the oral secretion of a vertebrate had a deterrent effect on a model predator because vomit of nestling rollers made meat distasteful to dogs. These results support the idea that the vomit of nestling rollers is a chemical defence against predators.Financial support was provided by the Junta de Andalucía (project P06-RNM-02177) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education/FEDER (projects CGL2008-00718 and CGL2011-27561)

Call-by-Value Is Dual to Call-by-Name – Reloaded

Abstract. We consider the relation of the dual calculus of Wadler (2003) to the λµ-calculus of Parigot (1992). We give translations from the λµ-calculus into the dual calculus and back again. The translations form an equational correspondence as defined by Sabry and Felleisen (1993). In particular, translating from λµ to dual and then ‘reloading ’ from dual back into λµ yields a term equal to the original term. Composing the translations with duality on the dual calculus yields an involutive notion of duality on the λµ-calculus. A previous notion of duality on the λµ-calculus has been suggested by Selinger (2001), but it is not involutive. Note This paper uses color to clarify the relation of types and terms, and of source and target calculi. If the URL below is not in blue please download the color version fro