No evidence that averaging voices influences attractiveness

Vocal attractiveness influences important social outcomes. While most research on the acoustic parameters that influence vocal attractiveness has focused on the possible roles of sexually dimorphic characteristics of voices, such as fundamental frequency (i.e., pitch) and formant frequencies (i.e., a correlate of body size), other work has reported that increasing vocal averageness increases attractiveness. Here we investigated the roles these three characteristics play in judgments of the attractiveness of male and female voices. In Study 1, we found that increasing vocal averageness significantly decreased distinctiveness ratings, demonstrating that participants could detect manipulations of vocal averageness in this stimulus set and using this testing paradigm. However, in Study 2, we found no evidence that increasing averageness significantly increased attractiveness ratings of voices. In Study 3, we found that fundamental frequency was negatively correlated with male vocal attractiveness and positively correlated with female vocal attractiveness. By contrast with these results for fundamental frequency, vocal attractiveness and formant frequencies were not significantly correlated. Collectively, our results suggest that averageness may not necessarily significantly increase attractiveness judgments of voices and are consistent with previous work reporting significant associations between attractiveness and voice pitch

No evidence that averaging voices influences attractiveness

Vocal attractiveness influences important social outcomes. While most research on the acoustic parameters that influence vocal attractiveness has focused on the possible roles of sexually dimorphic characteristics of voices, such as fundamental frequency (i.e., pitch) and formant frequencies (i.e., a correlate of body size), other work has reported that increasing vocal averageness increases attractiveness. Here we investigated the roles these three characteristics play in judgments of the attractiveness of male and female voices. In Study 1, we found that increasing vocal averageness significantly decreased distinctiveness ratings, demonstrating that participants could detect manipulations of vocal averageness in this stimulus set and using this testing paradigm. However, in Study 2, we found no evidence that increasing averageness significantly increased attractiveness ratings of voices. In Study 3, we found that fundamental frequency was negatively correlated with male vocal attractiveness and positively correlated with female vocal attractiveness. By contrast with these results for fundamental frequency, vocal attractiveness and formant frequencies were not significantly correlated. Collectively, our results suggest that averageness may not necessarily significantly increase attractiveness judgments of voices and are consistent with previous work reporting significant associations between attractiveness and voice pitch

No evidence that averaging voices influences attractiveness

Vocal attractiveness influences important social outcomes. While most research on the acoustic parameters that influence vocal attractiveness has focused on the possible roles of sexually dimorphic characteristics of voices, such as fundamental frequency (i.e., pitch) and formant frequencies (i.e., a correlate of body size), other work has reported that increasing vocal averageness increases attractiveness. Here we investigated the roles these three characteristics play in judgments of the attractiveness of male and female voices. In Study 1, we found that increasing vocal averageness significantly decreased distinctiveness ratings, demonstrating that participants could detect manipulations of vocal averageness in this stimulus set and using this testing paradigm. However, in Study 2, we found no evidence that increasing averageness significantly increased attractiveness ratings of voices. In Study 3, we found that fundamental frequency was negatively correlated with male vocal attractiveness and positively correlated with female vocal attractiveness. By contrast with these results for fundamental frequency, vocal attractiveness and formant frequencies were not significantly correlated. Collectively, our results suggest that averageness may not necessarily significantly increase attractiveness judgments of voices and are consistent with previous work reporting significant associations between attractiveness and voice pitch

Test beam performance measurements for the Phase I upgrade of the CMS pixel detector

A new pixel detector for the CMS experiment was built in order to cope with the instantaneous luminosities anticipated for the Phase I Upgrade of the LHC. The new CMS pixel detector provides four-hit tracking with a reduced material budget as well as new cooling and powering schemes. A new front-end readout chip mitigates buffering and bandwidth limitations, and allows operation at low comparator thresholds. In this paper, comprehensive test beam studies are presented, which have been conducted to verify the design and to quantify the performance of the new detector assemblies in terms of tracking efficiency and spatial resolution. Under optimal conditions, the tracking efficiency is (99.95 ± 0.05) %, while the intrinsic spatial resolutions are (4.80 ± 0.25) μm and (7.99 ± 0.21) μm along the 100 μm and 150 μm pixel pitch, respectively. The findings are compared to a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the pixel detector and good agreement is found.Peer reviewe

Inter- and intra-specific genomic divergence in Drosophila montana shows evidence for cold adaptation

The genomes of species that are ecological specialists will likely contain signatures of genomic adaptation to their niche. However, distinguishing genes related to ecological specialism from other sources of selection and more random changes is a challenge. Here we describe the genome of Drosophila montana, which is the most extremely cold-adapted Drosophila species. We use branch tests to identify genes showing accelerated divergence in contrasts between cold- and warm adapted species and identify about 250 genes that show differences, possibly driven by a lower synonymous substitution rate in cold-adapted species. We look for evidence of accelerated divergence between D. montana and D. virilis, a previously sequenced relative, and do not find strong evidence for divergent selection on coding sequence variation. Divergent genes are involved in a variety of functions, including cuticular and olfactory processes. We also re-sequenced three populations of D. montana from its ecological and geographic range. Outlier loci were more likely to be found on the X chromosome and there was a greater than expected overlap between population outliers and those genes implicated in cold adaptation between Drosophila species, implying some continuity of selective process at these different evolutionary scales

ANP - SWOT approach to minimize environmental impacts due mining activities

The debate surrounding sustainable development in the mining industry is a drawn-out one, which has long gained considerable attention from a wide range of parties. Minimizing adverse environmental impacts is an important goal for all industries keen on contributing to sustainable development. The realization of sustainable development requires the use of different disciplinary approaches to the impact assessment of development proposals. This paper examines sustainable development in the corporate mining context, and provides some guidelines for mining companies seeking to operate more sustainably. Since mining processes have the potential to impact a diverse group of environmental entities, and are of interest to a wide range of stakeholder groups, there is ample opportunity for the industry to operate more sustainably. The present study proposes an integrated and hybrid approach based on SWOT Analysis and Analytic Network Process (ANP). The analysis prescribes policy recommendations both for the government and industry which, if adopted, could facilitate improving of environmental performance developing a framework for sustainable development indicators for the mining industry. In fact the combined use of ANP method and SWOT analysis is a promising approach in supporting strategic decision-making processes

Novel Control System for the LHCb Scintillating Fibre Tracker Detector Infrastructure

During the Long Shutdown 2 of the LHC at CERN, the LHCb detector is upgraded to cope with higher instantaneous luminosities. The largest of the new trackers is based on the scintillating fibres (SciFi) read out by SIlicon PhotoMultipliers (SiPMs). The SiPMs will be cooled down to -40°C to minimize noise. For performance and space reasons, the cooling lines are vacuum insulated. Ionizing radiation requires detaching and displace the readout electronics from Pirani gauges to a lower radiation area. To avoid condensation inside the SiPM boxes, the atmosphere inside must have a dew point of at most -45°C. The low dew point will be achieved by flushing a dry gas through the box. 576 flowmeters devices will be installed to monitor the gas flow continuously. A Condensation Prevention System (CPS) has been introduced as condensation was observed. The CPS powers heating wires installed around the SiPM boxes and the vacuum bellows isolating the cooling lines. The CPS also includes 672 temperature sensors to monitor that all parts are warmer than the cavern dew point. The temperature readout systems are based on multiplexing technology at the in the front-end and a PLC in the back-end

Selective leaching of elements associated with Mn - Fe oxides in forest soil, and comparison of two sequential extraction methods

For selective dissolution of Mn oxides as components of soil (easily reducible oxides) 0.05 mol L-1 and 0.1 mol L-1 (NH2OHHCl)-H-. acidified to pH 2 and for dissolution of Fe oxides (crystalline form of the oxides) 0.25 mol L-1 NH2OH . HCl in 25% acetic acid, 0.2 mol L-1 oxalate buffer and 0.1 mot L-1 ascorbic acid in oxalate buffer were tested. Dissolved elements were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-OES. The studies indicate that the use of 0.05 mol L-1 NH2OH . HCl in nitric acid solution (pH 2) and 0.1 mot L-1 ascorbic acid in 0.2 mot L-1 oxalate buffer led to selective leaching of trace metals bound by Mn and Fe oxide phases in soil. Comparison of different extraction schemes indicates that the trace elements investigated are mainly bound to minerals consisting of crystalline Fe oxides and insoluble minerals (under the extraction conditions used). The studies also indicate that Mn oxides and organic matter retain a major mobile fraction of the elements investigated in the soil