The Role of Serial Recognition in Explicating Short-Term Memory

The interrogation of verbal short-term memory processes sometimes makes use of the serial recognition task, which involves two sequential presentations of a list of items. These lists may be identical or differ by the transposition of two adjacent items, thus requiring a same/different judgement. When utilised, this task has primarily been used as a companion to the immediate serial recall task, since many of the task requirements are similar with the exception of requiring a reproduction of each list item (as in the case of recall). Together they have been used to assess contributions of long-term language knowledge to immediate short-term memory. However, literature assessing the operations involved in serial recognition alone is sparse and inconsistent. There is discord over whether or not the task involves a contribution from long-term language knowledge; if it primarily makes use of the order of items and not their identity; or if the task involves the use of only perceptual-gestural mechanisms without reference to the processing of language representations at all. Additionally, some literature suggests that set size may influence the degree to which the task utilises long-term language variables, while other studies suggest the modality of task presentation is a contributing factor. As a consequence, there is no current comprehensive framework that can accommodate this array of findings without significant modification. The present thesis sets out to assess the role of long-term language in serial recognition by testing the role of set size, task difficulty (in terms of list length), and the lexico-semantic variable (concreteness and word frequency) which is manipulated across 5 experiments. Further, it assesses the possibility that measurements typically used in serial recognition are not sensitive to discriminate between levels of lexico-semantic variables in the task. Therefore, reaction time as well as the assessment of transposition location (comparing the positions in which items are switched, as well as overall list differences) are considered. The results across all 5 experiments fit best within a language-based explanation of verbal short-term memory, and in particular the Activated Network model, which suggests item identity and order information interact with each other in such a way that order information, or tasks that primarily focus on order information (such as serial recognition), are affected by item identity information and their long-term language representations. A number of questions arise from the outcomes of these experiments, in particular the influence of articulatory suppression on word frequency in serial recognition and the implications of a replicable word frequency effect in serial recognition for a number of theoretical accounts of verbal short-term memory. How these findings can inform future research is discussed

Small-scale physical modelling of slope failures in sands

This paper deals with small-scale physical and numerical calculation of slope stability. The aim is to define the critical slope angle at which failure occurs. The slope is constructed from material used in tailings dam construction. Many laboratory tests have been made to determine the physical and mechanical properties of the soil. The analyzed results show that the material is classified as silty sand. The first physical model refers to infinite slope with 45° slope angle under loaded conditions which represent an upslope extension. The second model wasn’t subjected to an external load, but raised upward to increase the slope angle until failure. The results show that the first slope fails when 13 kPa external load was applied. In the second case the failure occurs for 62° slope angle. A shallow slope failure occurs in both cases. To better understand the slope failure mechanism in such materials and to obtain more objective and reliable soil parameters for further investigation, a beck analysis method was used

Peasant - Worker Hoseholds as Promoters of Change in the Villages of Polog

Analysing various indicators of the changes taking place in the villages of Polog (Republic of Macedonia), the author finds that in the acceptance of these changes there exist considerable differences between agricultural and peasant — worker households, especially between households where the head of the family is in permanent employment and those households where the head of the family is a farmer. In the opinion of the author it is incorrect to attribute these differences to the effect of one single factor — the type of household as regards the activities of its members. The differences are due in a greater or lesser degree to other factors as well, such as the level of education of the members of the household, nationality and religion (the villages differ in this respect), the age of the head of the household, etc. In spite of all this, the fact remains that the promoters of change in the villages are those categories of the rural population whose members are in permanent employment. In conclusion the author says that further investigations would supply more reliable information on the channels which bring change to the villages. These channels should of course, be further developed and widened by practical actions

Pavao Vuk-Pavlović\u27s Cognitional Theory

Pavao Vuk-Pavlović svojom djelatnošću daleko prevazilazi ne samo sve filozofe u Hrvatskoj između dva rata, već, zajedno sa Branislavom Petronijevićem i Francetom Veberom, predstavlja jednog od najznačajnijih mislilaca u Jugoslaviji. Najznačajniji njegov rad je Spoznaja i spoznajna teorija, a ovaj tekst predstavlja razradu osnovnih postavki Vuka-Povlovića iznijetih u tome djelu.Pavao Vuk-Pavlović with his work has not only gone far beyond all the philosophers in Croatia between the two world wars, but is one of the most important thinkers in Yugoslavia, along with Branislav Petronijević and France Veber. His most significant work is Spoznaja i spoznajna teorija (Cognition and Cognition Theory), and this text is an elaboration of Vuk-Pavlović\u27s basic postulates as put forth in this work

Nondestructive IN SITU quality assessment method used for testing wooden structures in architectural objects

Процена квалитета дрвених конструкција је у суштини испитивање њихове статичке постојаности и стабилности. Задаци оваквих процена по својој природи захтевају in situ испитивања, а због техничких специфичности механичког тестирања, првенствено су усмерена на недеструктивне методолошке приступе. Високи стандарди који се постављају за испитивање архитектонских објеката од културно-историјског значаја, што се пре свега односи на очување њиховог интегритета и аутентичности, усмерили су и ово истраживање ка успостављању једне поуздане, недеструктивне методе која ће бити коришћена у те сврхе. Успостављање такве методе je подразумевало њено калибрисање, јер у досадашњој пракси није било директне еквилизације параметара механички и недеструктивно одређене чврстоће уграђеног дрвета. Ултразвучни и стрес-звучни таласи који се иначе примењују за недеструктивне процене механичких потенцијала дрвета – на основу брзине пропагације њихових таласа, давали су само могућност израчунавања динамичког модула еластичности. Добијање и статичког модула еластичности ради корелисања параметара различитих модалитета тестирања, подразумевало је и паралелно механичко испитивање датог дрвеног материјала. Баждарењем стрес-звучне методе испитивања дрвета – по аналогном принципу усмеравања силе притиска и звучних таласа, a у односу на правац тока дрвних влаканаца, постигнута је еквилизација параметара брзине пропагације звука и параметара чврстоће дрвета. Овим је била успостављена метода за in situ процену чврстоће носећих елемената дрвених архитектонских конструкција, поређењем са стандрадом прописаним допуштеним напрезањима (JUS U.C9.200/300) који је дат спрам врсте, класе дрвета и њихових димензија. Узимајући у обзир да је баждарење стрес-звучне методе вршено на епруветама исецаним од здравог дрвета одређене хигроскопне влажности, in situ процена чврстоће носећих конструктивних елемата је могла да се врши и на основу познатих брзина пропагације звука кроз здраво дрво. Резултати рада овог истраживања, на основу спектралне анализе пропагације звучних таласа, показују да је њиховом применом могућа директна процена чврстоће носећих 6 дрвених греда, а тиме и стабилности конструкција, чиме је постигнут циљ овог истраживања.Wooden structures’ quality assessment is, basically, testing their static strength and stability. This kind of assessment, by its nature, requires in situ testing, and due to specific technical characteristics of mechanical testing, it is primarily based on using uninvasive methodological approaches. High standards set to test architectural objects of cultural and historical significance, which, above all, refer to preserving their integrity and authenticity, directed this research towards establishing a reliable uninvasive method which will be used for that purpose. Establishing such a method required its calibrating since there had not been a direct equalisation of mechanically and uninvasively set parameters for the hardness of inbuilt wood. Ultrasound and stress waves commonly used in uninvasive assessment of mechanical potentials of wood based on the speed of their waves’ propagation only enabled calculating the dynamic elasticity modulus. Getting the static elasticity modulus, in order to correlate the parameters of different testing modalities, required parallel mechanical testing of that particular wooden material. The scaling of stress sound method for testing the hardness of wood, using the analogue principle of directing pressure force and sound waves in accordance with wood fibers direction, resulted in the speed of sound propagation and the hardness of wood parameters’ equalisation. In this way a method for in situ assessments of the hardness of carrying elements in wooden architectural structures was established, by comparing it with the standard based on the strain limits (JUS U.C9.200/300), in accordance with the kind, class and dimensions of timber. Considering the fact that stress sound method scaling was done on test tubes cut out of healthy wood with particular hygroscopic moisture, in situ assessment of carrying structural elements could be done based on known speed values of sound propagation in healthy wood. The results of our research, based on the spectral analysis of sound wave propagation, show that their application enables a direct assessment of the carrying wooden beams’ hardness and, therefore, a direct assessment of the structure stability itself, thus meeting the objective of this research

The concept of smart architecture in Serbia - one Belgrade expirience

The concept of smart architecture has become quite accepted as one of the established standards in architectural design. Already long-established concept but also a platform of contemporary architecture which is necessary for further experimentation. The rapid development and use of computers and accompanying digitalization, primarily low-current, enabled the installation control and achieved more rational consumption and energy savings, while on the other hand, we have also controlled regimes and comfortable way of using space. Fields that open the concept of smart houses are much broader spectrum than it was originally thought. Smart House is not only architecture supported by modern technologies that performs energy saving, but more comfortable use than its own potential, only to allow users with limited needs, the elderly as well as to specific categories of patients in home care receive adequate, maximum comfortable and safe operating space. With the additional use of "e" technology, this space offers entirely new possibilities and forms of functioning in the cities. In addition to working from home, there is the option of doing business on the move, and all this through a new mapping of the city in terms of business and movement. This minimizes the need of public transport, introducing remote nursing care at specific categories and increase the safety of life. In Serbia, the concept of smart houses is primarily based on the use of novelty which, as it is, can help achieve quality and increase the value of real estate which has been offered as a product of smart architecture. Introduction smart technology is an expensive proposition for a richer environment, because as such must be supported by systemic reforms and interventions. The framework of this paper is a case study - one Serbian experience in the design and construction of residential and commercial building in Dobra�����ina Street in Belgrade who joined the family of smart architecture

Representation Abstractions as Incentives for Reinforcement Learning Agents: A Robotic Grasping Case Study

Choosing an appropriate representation of the environment for the underlying decision-making process of the RL agent is not always straightforward. The state representation should be inclusive enough to allow the agent to informatively decide on its actions and compact enough to increase sample efficiency for policy training. Given this outlook, this work examines the effect of various state representations in incentivizing the agent to solve a specific robotic task: antipodal and planar object grasping. A continuum of state representation abstractions is defined, starting from a model-based approach with complete system knowledge, through hand-crafted numerical, to image-based representations with decreasing level of induced task-specific knowledge. We examine the effects of each representation in the ability of the agent to solve the task in simulation and the transferability of the learned policy to the real robot. The results show that RL agents using numerical states can perform on par with non-learning baselines. Furthermore, we find that agents using image-based representations from pre-trained environment embedding vectors perform better than end-to-end trained agents, and hypothesize that task-specific knowledge is necessary for achieving convergence and high success rates in robot control.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Empirical Sociological Research in SR Macedonia

In the first part of their report, the authors make a survey of empirical sociological research in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia which began to be conducted in a more organized way and in teams with the formation of the Institute for Sociological and Politico-legal Research in Skopje in 1966. According to data which they cite, empirical sociological research has recently stagnated in this Republic. The reasons for such a state are varied and the authors point to some which follow from the studies themselves as well as from the specific situations created by societal development. According to the authors, in order to overcome the present unfavorable status of empirical sociological research, it is necessary: first, that the budgetary position of science be more consistently abandoned and its development linked more directly with the needs of associated social labor, particularly in the area of the economy, second, that empirical sociological research be less clearly descriptive and strive to penetrate into the essence of investigated social phenomena, third, that empirical sociological research be planned as parts of set programs, the goals of which would not only be investigation and explanation of given social phenomena but also their changes in harmony with the results of research and the goals of social development, and fourth, that the legal and socio-economic status of sociologists at faculties and institutes be equalized in order to lessen the existing fluctuations in personnel in the institutes