The Resonant Dynamics of Speech Perception: Interword Integration and Duration-Dependent Backward Effects

How do listeners integrate temporally distributed phonemic information into coherent representations of syllables and words? During fluent speech perception, variations in the durations of speech sounds and silent pauses can produce different pereeived groupings. For exarnple, increasing the silence interval between the words "gray chip" may result in the percept "great chip", whereas increasing the duration of fricative noise in "chip" may alter the percept to "great ship" (Repp et al., 1978). The ARTWORD neural model quantitatively simulates such context-sensitive speech data. In AHTWORD, sequential activation and storage of phonemic items in working memory provides bottom-up input to unitized representations, or list chunks, that group together sequences of items of variable length. The list chunks compete with each other as they dynamically integrate this bottom-up information. The winning groupings feed back to provide top-down supportto their phonemic items. Feedback establishes a resonance which temporarily boosts the activation levels of selected items and chunks, thereby creating an emergent conscious percept. Because the resonance evolves more slowly than wotking memory activation, it can be influenced by information presented after relatively long intervening silence intervals. The same phonemic input can hereby yield different groupings depending on its arrival time. Processes of resonant transfer and competitive teaming help determine which groupings win the competition. Habituating levels of neurotransmitter along the pathways that sustain the resonant feedback lead to a resonant collapsee that permits the formation of subsequent. resonances.Air Force Office of Scientific Research (F49620-92-J-0225); Defense Advanced Research projects Agency and Office of Naval Research (N00014-95-1-0409); National Science Foundation (IRI-97-20333); Office of Naval Research (N00014-92-J-1309, NOOO14-95-1-0657

Mid-Wave and Long-Wave Single Uni-polar Barrier Infrared Detectors Based on Antimonide Material Systems

Infrared detectors are very important technological tools for many different applications. Infrared detectors have existed as far back as the late 1700s but received a tremendous push 200 years later during World War II. Both thermal and photon based infrared detectors have had significant advancements with many different varieties becoming available with varying degrees of sensitivity, speed, and wavelength sensitivity. One of the best performing technologies is based on Mercury Cadmium Telluride. However, it still has limitations with regard to low operating temperature, material yield and processing difficulties. A newer material technology known as type-II indium arsenide/gallium antimonide strain-layered superlattice has received much attention for its potential superior performance from lower dark current, mature III-V material fabrication techniques, and design versatility. However, superior dark current performance has yet to be realized due to large Shockley-Read-Hall generation-recombination current. To overcome this, researchers have taken advantage of the versatile bandstructure of the superlattice material and have created heterostructure designs to reduce dark current. These designs include the nBn, CBIRD, pMp, and pBiBn. These designs have enabled detectors have dark current behavior to be within a factor of 2 of HgCdTe based detectors. The more basic of these designs, the nBn, has been utilized in InAs detectors, InAsSb detectors, HgCdTe detectors, and both mid and long-wave superlattice detectors with success. However, questions and optimization remain regarding dark current and photocurrent behavior, band alignment, and photoconductive gain. Mid-wave InAsSb nBn detector designs with different barrier composition and doping conditions have been investigated to help elucidate effects on dark current and photoresponse. Mid-wave superlattice nBn detectors with different absorber doping conditions have been studied as well. Dark current was found to be decreased by lightly doping the barrier layer n-type. variations of the nBn design, such as the pBn and pBp have been implemented with long-wave superlattice detectors and their bias and temperature dependent dark current and photoresponse have been studied. Also, the photoconductive gain of a long-wave pBp detector have been measured and found to be slightly less than unity

The design of sonically-enhanced widgets

This paper describes the design of user-interface widgets that include non-speech sound. Previous research has shown that the addition of sound can improve the usability of human–computer interfaces. However, there is little research to show where the best places are to add sound to improve usability. The approach described here is to integrate sound into widgets, the basic components of the human–computer interface. An overall structure for the integration of sound is presented. There are many problems with current graphical widgets and many of these are difficult to correct by using more graphics. This paper presents many of the standard graphical widgets and describes how sound can be added. It describes in detail usability problems with the widgets and then the non-speech sounds to overcome them. The non-speech sounds used are earcons. These sonically-enhanced widgets allow designers who are not sound experts to create interfaces that effectively improve usability and have coherent and consistent sounds

Effects of a standardised extract of Trifolium pratense (Promensil) at a dosage of 80 mg in the treatment of menopausal hot flushes : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To critically assess the evidence for a specific standardised extract of Trifolium pratense isoflavones (Promensil) at a dosage of 80 mg/day in the treatment of menopausal hot flushes. Data sources Systematic literature searches were performed in Medline, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane, AMED and InforRMIT and citations obtained from 1996 to March 2016. Reference lists were checked; corresponding authors contacted and the grey literature searched for additional publications. Review methods Studies were selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All randomised clinical trials of a specific standardised extract of Trifolium pratense isoflavones (Promensil) used as a mono-component at 80 mg/day and measuring vasomotor symptoms were included. The data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by one reviewer and validated by a second with any disagreements being settled by discussion. Weighted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for continuous data using the fixed-effects model. Results Twenty potentially relevant papers were identified, with only five studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis demonstrated a statistical and clinically relevant reduction in hot flush frequency in the active treatment group compared to placebo. Weighted mean difference 3.63 hot flushes per day: [95% CI 2.70–4.56]; p ˂ 0.00001). Due to a lack of homogeneity a priori defined sub-group analyses were performed demonstrating a substantive difference between cross-over and parallel-arm clinical trial designs. Conclusion There is evidence for a statistical and clinically significant benefit for using a specific standardised extract of red clover isoflavones (Promensil) at 80 mg/day for treating hot flushes in menopausal women across the 3 studies included in the meta-analysis. The preparation was safe over the short-term duration of the studies (3 months)

The state of the evidence for whole-system, multi-modality naturopathic medicine : a systematic scoping review

Objective: To summarize the current state of the research evidence for whole-system, multi-modality naturopathic medicine. Design: A systematic search for research articles from around the world was undertaken using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, and WHO regional indexes. Naturopathic journals and gray literature were hand searched. No language restrictions were imposed. Interventions: All human research evaluating the effectiveness of naturopathic medicine, where two or more naturopathic modalities are delivered by naturopathic clinicians, were included in the review. Case studies of five or more cases were included. Results: Thirty-three published studies (n = 9859) met inclusion criteria (11 American; 4 Canadian; 6 German; 7 Indian; 3 Australian; 1 United Kingdom; and 1 Japanese) across a range of mainly chronic clinical conditions. The studies predominantly showed evidence for the efficacy of naturopathic medicine for the conditions and settings in which they were based. Conclusions: To date, research in whole-system, multi-modality naturopathic medicine shows that it is effective for treating cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal pain, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, depression, anxiety, and a range of complex chronic conditions

THE EFFECT OF TIGHTNESS OF FIT OF A BACKPACK ON ENERGY COST, LUNG FUNCTION AND POST-JUMP BALANCE

INTRODUCTION: The carriage of heavy loads by military personnel is associated with increased energy consumption, fatigue and discomfort. Together these may reduce performance. In extreme cases, injuries can occur. Since movements of the body are a consequence of bipedal gait, any load carried on the body also moves. As walking speed increases, the displacement of the body, particularly in the vertical axis, increases. Previous studies (Legg & Mahanty, 1985, Legg et al, 1992, Soule et al, 1978) found increases in walking speed had a greater impact on energy consumption than increases in load. Studies into different modes of carrying loads have shown no significant effect on cardiorespiratory and metabolic costs. One way to minimise the energy consumption of load carriage might be to provide a suspension system that minimises the excursion of the load being carried. However, there are insufficient data to indicate whether such a system, even if it could be built, would significantly reduce energy consumption and thus maintain desired performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether changing the tightness with which a backpack was fitted to the torso had any consequence on the energy consumption and biomechanics of gait

Solution-processed bilayer photovoltaic devices with nematic liquid crystals

The cross-linking of polymerisable liquid crystalline semiconductors is a promising approach to solution-processable, multilayer, organic photovoltaics. Here we demonstrate an organic bilayer photovoltaic with an insoluble electron-donating layer formed by cross-linking a nematic reactive mesogen. We investigate a range of perylene diimide (PDI) materials, some of which are liquid crystalline, as the overlying electron acceptor layer. We find that carrier mobility of the acceptor materials is enhanced by liquid crystallinity and that mobility limits the performance of photovoltaic devices. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis

Quality of life in people with ongoing symptoms of coeliac disease despite adherence to a strict gluten-free diet

People with Coeliac disease who suffer persistent symptoms despite adherence to a gluten-free diet are at a greater risk of a reduced health related quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to report the quality of life experienced by this specific group of patients in Australia. A Coeliac Disease Specific Questionnaire (CDQ) was administered to 45 people who were enrolled in a clinical trial and reported persistent symptoms of Coeliac disease despite adherence to a strict gluten free diet. The clinical trial was based in New South Wales, Australia. The instrument used was a subscale and total scores of a CDQ measuring health related quality of life. At baseline the overall mean CDQ score was 147 ± 3.31 (optimum 196) consisting of 4 subscales; gastrointestinal 33 ± 0.88, emotional 32.9 ± 0.99, worries 39.8 ± 0.79 and social 41 ± 6.12 each with a potential score of 49. The health related quality of life of people reporting persistent symptoms of Coeliac disease despite adherence to a gluten free diet is sub-optimal with concerningly low scores for emotional quality