Feature synchrony-asynchrony and rate of change in visual search

Attention is known to be sensitive to the temporal structure of scenes. We initially tested whether feature synchrony, an attribute with potential special status because of its association with objecthood, is something which draws attention. Search items were surrounded by colours which periodically changed either in synchrony or out-of synchrony with periodic changes in their shape. Search for a target was notably faster when the target location contained a unique synchronous feature change amongst asynchronous changes. However, the reverse situation produced no search advantage. A second experiment showed that this effect of unique synchrony was actually a consequence of the lower rate of perceived flicker in the synchronous compared to the asynchronous items, not the synchrony itself. In our displays it seems that attention is drawn towards a location which has a relatively low rate of change. Overall, the pattern of results suggested the attentional bias we find is for relative temporal stability. Results stand in contrast to other work which has found high and low flicker rates to both draw attention equally [Cass, J., Van der Burg, E., & Alais, D. (2011). Finding flicker: Critical differences in temporal frequency capture attention. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 320]. Further work needs to determine the exact conditions under which this bias is and is not found when searching in complex dynamically-changing displays

The now-moment is believed privileged because now is when happening is experienced: Commentary on BBS target article: Thinking in and about time, by Hoerl and McCormack

Hoerl and McCormack (H&M) risk misleading about the cognitive underpinnings of the belief in a privileged now-moment because they do not explicitly acknowledge that the sense of existing in the now-moment is an intrinsically temporally dynamic one. The sense of happening that is exclusive to the now-moment is a better candidate for the source of belief in a privileged now

The effect of spatial competition between object-level representations of target and mask on object substitution masking

One of the processes determining object substitution masking (OSM) is thought to be the spatial competition between independent object file representations of the target and mask (e.g., Kahan & Lichtman, 2006). In a series of experiments, we further examined how OSM is influenced by this spatial competition by manipulating the overlap between the surfaces created by the modal completion of the target (an outline square with a gap in one of its sides) and the mask (a four-dot mask). The results of these experiments demonstrate that increasing the spatial overlap between the surfaces of the target and mask increases OSM. Importantly, this effect is not caused by the mask interfering with the processing of the target features it overlaps. Overall, the data indicate, consistent with Kahan and Lichtman, that OSM can arise through competition between independent target and mask representation

Attentional guidance from unique faster/slower discrete and smooth feature changes in visual search

Two studies examine the circumstances in which singletons, defined by unique feature-change rate, guide attention in visual search. Participants searched for a static vertical/horizontal white target bar amidst tilted distractors. Bars were contained inside surround shapes with periodically oscillating features. In Experiment 1, displays consisted of surrounds with abrupt (discrete) or continuous (smooth) changes between two values (red–blue, square–diamond). For discrete displays, target surrounds did not guide attention when uniquely faster-oscillating than distractor surrounds, but did in smooth displays. For unique-slow oscillating target surrounds, the opposite guidance pattern was found across discrete and smooth displays. In Experiment 2, displays had a mixture of discrete and smooth surrounds. Here, only unique slow-oscillating discrete surrounds guided attention. No guidance was found for smooth surrounds. Findings suggest that faster oscillations are masked by higher-frequency harmonic signals from slower changing discrete items, and there is attentional prioritization of discrete over smooth changes

Parikh's Theorem: A simple and direct automaton construction

Parikh's theorem states that the Parikh image of a context-free language is semilinear or, equivalently, that every context-free language has the same Parikh image as some regular language. We present a very simple construction that, given a context-free grammar, produces a finite automaton recognizing such a regular language.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Uncertainty of the rate parameters of several important elementary reactions of the H2 and syngas combustion systems

Abstract Re-evaluation of the temperature-dependent uncertainty parameter f(T) of elementary reactions is proposed by considering all available direct measurements and theoretical calculations. A procedure is presented for making f(T) consistent with the form of the recommended Arrhenius expression. The corresponding uncertainty domain of the transformed Arrhenius parameters (ln A, n, E/R) is convex and centrally symmetric around the mean parameter set. The f(T) function can be stored efficiently using the covariance matrix of the transformed Arrhenius parameters. The calculation of the uncertainty of a backward rate coefficient from the uncertainty of the forward rate coefficient and thermodynamic data is discussed. For many rate coefficients, a large number of experimental and theoretical determinations are available, and a normal distribution can be assumed for the uncertainty of ln k. If little information is available for the rate coefficient, equal probability of the transformed Arrhenius parameters within their domain of uncertainty (i.e. uniform distribution) can be assumed. Algorithms are provided for sampling the transformed Arrhenius parameters with either normal or uniform distributions. A suite of computer codes is presented that allows the straightforward application of these methods. For 22 important elementary reactions of the H2 and syngas (wet CO) combustion systems, the Arrhenius parameters and 3rd body collision efficiencies were collected from experimental, theoretical and review publications. For each elementary reaction, kmin and kmax limits were determined at several temperatures within a defined range of temperature. These rate coefficient limits were used to obtain a consistent uncertainty function f(T) and to calculate the covariance matrix of the transformed Arrhenius parameters

Time-Resolved Measurements and Master Equation Modelling of the Unimolecular Decomposition of CH3OCH2

The rate coefficient for the unimolecular decomposition of CH3OCH2,k(1), has been measured in time-resolved experiments by monitoring the HCHO product. CH3OCH2 was rapidly and cleanly generated by 248 nm excimer photolysis of oxalyl chloride, (ClCO)(2), in an excess of CH3OCH3, and an excimer pumped dye laser tuned to 353.16 nm was used to probe HCHO via laser induced fluorescence. k(1)(T,p) was measured over the ranges: 573-673 K and 0.1-4.3 x 10(18) molecule cm(-3) with a helium bath gas. In addition, some experiments were carried out with nitrogen as the bath gas. Ab initio calculations on CH3OCH2 decomposition were carried out and a transition-state for decomposition to CH3 and H2CO was identified. This information was used in a master equation rate calculation, using the MESMER code, where the zero-point-energy corrected barrier to reaction, Delta E-0,E-1, and the energy transfer parameters, x T-n, were the adjusted parameters to best fit the experimental data, with helium as the buffer gas. The data were combined with earlier measurements by Loucks and Laidler (Can J. Chem. 1967, 45, 2767), with dimethyl ether as the third body, reinterpreted using current literature for the rate coefficient for recombination of CH3OCH2. This analysis returned Delta E-0,E-1 = (112.3 +/- 0.6) kJ mol(-1), and leads to k(1)(infinity)(T) = 2.9 x 10(12) (T/300)(2)(.5) exp(-106.8 kJ mol(-1)/RT). Using this model, limited experiments with nitrogen as the bath gas allowed N-2 energy transfer parameters to be identified and then further MESMER simulations were carried out, where N-2 was the buffer gas, to generate k(1)(T,p) over a wide range of conditions: 300-1000 K and N-2 = 10(12) -10(25) molecule cm(-3). The resulting k(1)(T,p) has been parameterized using a Troe-expression, so that they can be readily be incorporated into combustion models. In addition, k(1)(T,p) has been parametrized using PLOG for the buffer gases, He, CH3OCH3 and N-2.Peer reviewe

OH yields from the CH3CO+O-2 reaction using an internal standard

Laser flash photolysis of CH3C(O)OH at 248 nm was used to create equal zero time yields of CH3CO and OH. The absolute OH yield from the CH3CO + O2 (+M) reaction was determined by following the OH temporal profile using the zero time OH concentration as an internal standard. The OH yield from CH3CO + O2 (+M) was observed to decrease with increasing pressure with an extrapolated zero pressure yield close to unity (1.1 ± 0.2, quoted uncertainties correspond to 95% confidence limits). The results are in quantitative agreement with those obtained from 248 nm acetone photolysis in the presence of O2

Object substitution masking and it's relationship with visual crowding

Object substitution masking (OSM) occurs when the perceptibility of a brief target is reduced by a trailing surround mask typically composed of four dots. Camp et al. (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 41, 940–957, 2015) found that crowding a target by adding adjacent flankers, in addition to OSM, had a more deleterious effect on performance than expected based on the combined individual effects of crowding and masking alone. The current experiments test why OSM and crowding interact in this way. In three experiments, target-flanker distance is manipulated whilst also varying mask duration in a digit identification task. The OSM effect—as indexed by the performance difference between unmasked and masked conditions—had a quadratic function with respect to target-flanker distance. Results suggest it is OSM affecting crowding rather than the converse: Masking seems to amplify crowding at intermediate target-distractor distances at the edge of the crowding interference zone. These results indicate that OSM and crowding share common mechanisms. The effect of OSM is possibly a consequence of changes to the types of feature detectors which are pooled together for target identification when that target must compete for processing with a trailing mask in addition to competition from adjacent flankers