Children view own-age faces qualitatively differently to other-age faces

ike most own-group biases in face recognition, the own-age bias (OAB) is thought to be based either on perceptual expertise or socio-cognitive motivational mechanisms [Wolff, N., Kemter, K., Schweinberger, S. R., & Wiese, H. (2013). What drives social in-group biases in face recognition memory? ERP evidence from the own-gender bias. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. doi:10.1093/scan/nst024]. The present study employed a recognition paradigm with eye-tracking in order to assess whether participants actively viewed faces of their own-age differently to that of other-age faces. The results indicated a significant OAB (superior recognition for own-age relative to other-age faces), provided that they were upright, indicative of expertise being employed for the recognition of own-age faces. However, the eye-tracking results indicate that viewing other-age faces was qualitatively different to the viewing of own-age faces, with more nose fixations for other-age faces. These results are interpreted as supporting the socio-cognitive model of the OAB

Does listening to the sound of yourself chewing increase your enjoyment of food?

BACKGROUND: Anecdotal evidence suggests that listening to oneself eating results in a more pleasurable eating experience. Maximising the sensory experience of eating can result in increased oral intake and is potentially valuable in improving nutritional status in at-risk patients. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigates the association between listening to the sound of oneself eating and the consequences on enjoyment of eating. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled, cross-over trial of 10 fit, adult volunteers. Participants were timed eating a standardised amount of bread, and were randomized to eat in silence or whilst listening to their own amplified chewing and swallowing. Measurements of pulse and blood pressure were recorded throughout the procedure. Subjective pleasure scores were documented and the procedure repeated in the alternate study arm. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship demonstrated between listening to oneself chewing and the enjoyment of eating. CONCLUSION: Although this small pilot study was unable to demonstrate a significant relationship between listening to oneself chewing and enjoyment of eating, other evidence suggests that distraction techniques have a beneficial effect on dietary intake. Such techniques can be applied in a clinical setting and further work in this area has valuable potential

A CPT-based multi-spring model for lateral monopile analysis under SLS conditions in sand

Monopiles are the most common Offshore Wind Turbine (OWT) foundations due to their simplicity in design, fabrication, and installation. However, large new-generation turbines have led to significant changes in monopile dimensions, necessitating extensive finite element analyses and ground investigations to meet design requirements. While Cone Penetration Test (CPT)-based p - y methods can analyse slender pile lateral behaviour, they often miss additional resistance mechanisms relevant to rigid monopiles. This paper introduces CPT-informed resistance mechanisms for monopiles to incorporate additional lateral resistances beyond p - y modelling capabilities. Distributed moment–rotation ( m - θ ) springs are defined by repurposing CPT-based axial capacity estimation methods for piles; and pile tip shear and moment springs are informed by approximating a residual bearing stress post-installation using local CPT q c values. The performance of the multi-spring model is appraised against data reported from monotonic pile pushover tests conducted at two sand sites. Results show that the multi-spring model is capable of predicting pile head deflections reasonably well within serviceability deflection limits against the reported test data, but ultimate failure loads cannot be predicted using the proposed model. A clear sensitivity in pile response to local variations in CPT q c is demonstrated

Great Britain's Energy Vectors and Transmission Level Energy Storage

As an example of the challenges facing many developed countries, the scale of daily energy flows through Great Britain's electrical, gas and transport systems are presented. When this data is expressed graphically it illustrates important differences in the demand characteristics of these different vectors; these include the scale of energy delivered through the networks on a daily basis, and the scale of variability in the different demands over multiple timescales (seasonal, weekly and daily). The paper discusses energy storage in general; the scale of within day stores of energy available to the gas and electrical transmission networks, and suggests Synthetic Natural Gas as an interesting energy carrier that could use existing natural gas infrastructure

Modelling curved-layered printing paths for fabricating large-scale construction components

In this paper, a non-conventional way of additive manufacturing, curved-layered printing, has been applied to large-scale construction process. Despite the number of research works on Curved Layered Fused Deposition Modelling (CLFDM) over the last decade, few practical applications have been reported. An alternative method adopting the CLFDM principle, that generates a curved-layered printing path, was developed using a single scripting environment called Grasshopper – a plugin of Rhinoceros® . The method was evaluated with the 3D Concrete Printing process developed at Loughborough University. The evaluation of the method including the results of simulation and printing revealed three principal benefits compared with existing flat-layered printing paths, which are particularly beneficial to large-scale AM techniques: (i) better surface quality, (ii) shorter printing time and (iii) higher surface strengths

Demonstration of fault detection and diagnosis methods for air-handling units (ASHRAE 1020-RP)

Results are presented from controlled field tests of two methods for detecting and diagnosing faults in HVAC equipment. The tests were conducted in a unique research building that featured two air-handling units serving matched sets of unoccupied rooms with adjustable internal loads. Tests were also conducted in the same building on a third air handler serving areas used for instruction and by building staff. One of the two fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) methods used first-principles-based models of system components. The data used by this approach were obtained from sensors typically installed for control purposes. The second method was based on semiempirical correlations of submetered electrical power with flow rates or process control signals. Faults were introduced into the air-mixing, filter-coil, and fan sections of each of the three air-handling units. In the matched air-handling units, faults were implemented over three blind test periods (summer, winter, and spring operating conditions). In each test period, the precise timing of the implementation of the fault conditions was unknown to the researchers. The faults were, however, selected from an agreed set of conditions and magnitudes, established for each season. This was necessary to ensure that at least some magnitudes of the faults could be detected by the FDD methods during the limited test period. Six faults were used for a single summer test period involving the third air-handling unit. These fault conditions were completely unknown to the researchers and the test period was truly blind. The two FDD methods were evaluated on the basis of their sensitivity, robustness, the number of sensors required, and ease of implementation. Both methods detected nearly all of the faults in the two matched air-handling units but fewer of the unknown faults in the third air-handling unit. Fault diagnosis was more difficult than detection. The first-principles-based method misdiagnosed several faults. The electrical power correlation method demonstrated greater success in diagnosis, although the limited number of faults addressed in the tests contributed to this success. The first-principles-based models require a larger number of sensors than the electrical power correlation models, although the latter method requires power meters that are not typically installed. The first-principles-based models require training data for each subsystem model to tune the respective parameters so that the model predictions more precisely represent the target system. This is obtained by an open-loop test procedure. The electrical power correlation method uses polynomial models generated from data collected from “normal” system operation, under closed-loop control.Both methods were found to require further work in three principal areas: to reduce the number of parameters to be identified; to assess the impact of less expensive or fewer sensors; and to further automate their implementation. The first-principles-based models also require further work to improve the robustness of predictions

Reducing and managing faecal incontinence in people with advanced dementia who are resident in care homes: protocol for a realist synthesis.

INTRODUCTION: Faecal incontinence (FI) is the involuntary loss of liquid or solid stool that is a social or hygienic problem. The prevalence of FI in residents of care homes is high, but it is not an inevitable consequence of old age or dementia. There is good evidence on risk factors, but few studies provide evidence about effective interventions. There is a need to understand how, why, and in what circumstances particular programmes to reduce and manage FI are effective (or not) for people with dementia. The purpose of this review is to identify which (elements of the) interventions could potentially be effective, and examine the barriers and facilitators to the acceptability, uptake and implementation of interventions designed to address FI in people with dementia who are resident in care homes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A realist synthesis approach to review the evidence will be used which will include studies on continence, person-centred care, implementation research in care homes, workforce and research on care home culture. An iterative four-stage approach is planned. Phase 1: development of an initial programme theory or theories that will be 'tested' through a first scoping of the literature and consultation with five stakeholder groups (care home providers, user representatives, academics and practice educators, clinicians with a special interest in FI and continence specialists). Phase 2: a systematic search and analysis of published and unpublished evidence to test and develop the programme theories identified in phase 1. Phase 3: validation of programme theory/ies with a purposive sample of participants from phase 1. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The overall protocol does not require ethical review. The University research ethics committee will review interviews conducted as part of phase 1 and 3. The final fourth phase will synthesise and develop recommendations for practice and develop testable hypotheses for further research

Eye movements during scene inspection: A test of the saliency map hypothesis

What attracts attention when we inspect a scene? Two experiments recorded eye movements while viewers inspected pictures of natural office scenes in which two objects of interest were placed. One object had low contour density and uniform colouring (a piece of fruit), relative to another that was visually complex (for example, coffee mugs and commercial packages). In each picture the visually complex object had the highest visual saliency according to the Itti and Koch algorithm. Two experiments modified the task while the pictures were inspected, to determine whether visual saliency is invariably dominant in determining the pattern of fixations, or whether the purpose of inspection can provide a cognitive override that renders saliency secondary. In the first experiment viewers inspected the scene in preparation for a memory task, and the more complex objects were potent in attracting early fixations, in support of a saliency map model of scene inspection. In the second experiment viewers were set the task of detecting the presence of a low saliency target, and the effect of a high saliency distractor was negligible, supporting a model in which the saliency map can be built with cognitive influences that override low-level visual features

Geometric quality assurance for 3D concrete printing and hybrid construction manufacturing using a standardised test part for benchmarking capability

The need for quality control and assurance in 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) is widely recognised. Achieving geometric accuracy to a specified tolerance is a cornerstone of component-based production and assembly. Although published work within the field recognises such issues, these fall short of proposing systematic methods to evaluate, diagnose, improve, monitor and compare system performance. This work takes inspiration from the test geometry approach readily deployed in Additive Manufacturing and develops a full-scale test part to establish a reproducible benchmark for evaluating and assuring part geometric quality of 3DCP systems. The approach is used to evaluate the benefits of a new fabrication approach that combines subtractive milling on green cement mortar in combination with 3DCP. It was demonstrated to yield useful information for direct comparison of different processes and diagnosing problems for performance improvement. The test part and measurement approach offer the 3DCP community a means of cross-platform benchmarking of 3DCP system performance