73 research outputs found
Classifying urban public spaces according to their soundscape
Cities are composed of many types of outdoor spaces, each with their distinct soundscape. Some of these
soundscapes can be extraordinary, others are often less memorable. However, most locations in a city are not
visited with the purpose of experiencing the soundscape. Consequently, the soundscape will not necessarily
attract attention. Existing methods based on the circumplex model of affect classify soundscapes according to the pleasure and arousal they evoke, but do not fully take into account the goals and expectations of the
listener. Therefore, in earlier work, a top-level hierarchical classification method was developed, which
distinguishes between spaces based on the degree to which the soundscape creates awareness of the
acoustical environment, matches expectations and arouses the listener. This paper presents the results of an
immersive laboratory experiment, designed to validate this classification method. The experiment involved
40 participants and 50 audiovisual recordings drawn from the Urban Soundscapes of the World database. It is
shown that the proposed classification method results in clearly distinct classes, and that membership to these
classes can be explained well by physical parameters, extracted from the acoustical environment as well as
the visual scene
Spelling in adolescents with dyslexia: errors and modes of assessment
In this study we focused on the spelling of high-functioning students with dyslexia. We made a detailed classification of the errors in a word and sentence dictation task made by 100 students with dyslexia and 100 matched control students. All participants were in the first year of their bachelor’s studies and had Dutch as mother tongue. Three main error categories were distinguished: phonological, orthographic, and grammatical errors (on the basis of morphology and language-specific spelling rules). The results indicated that higher-education students with dyslexia made on average twice as many spelling errors as the controls, with effect sizes of d ≥ 2. When the errors were classified as phonological, orthographic, or grammatical, we found a slight dominance of phonological errors in students with dyslexia. Sentence dictation did not provide more information than word dictation in the correct classification of students with and without dyslexia
Mass ratio from Doppler beaming and R{\o}mer delay versus ellipsoidal modulation in the Kepler data of KOI-74
We present a light curve analysis and radial velocity study of KOI-74, an
eclipsing A star + white dwarf binary with a 5.2 day orbit. Aside from new
spectroscopy covering the orbit of the system, we used 212 days of publicly
available Kepler observations and present the first complete light curve
fitting to these data, modelling the eclipses and transits, ellipsoidal
modulation, reflection, and Doppler beaming. Markov Chain Monte Carlo
simulations are used to determine the system parameters and uncertainty
estimates. Our results are in agreement with earlier studies, except that we
find an inclination of 87.0 \pm 0.4\degree, which is significantly lower than
the previously published value. We find that the mass ratio derived from the
radial velocity amplitude (q=0.104 \pm 0.004) disagrees with that derived from
the ellipsoidal modulation (q=0.052 \pm 0.004} assuming corotation). This was
found before, but with our smaller inclination, the discrepancy is even larger
than previously reported. Accounting for the rapid rotation of the A-star is
found to increase the discrepancy even further by lowering the mass ratio to
q=0.047 \pm 0.004. These results indicate that one has to be extremely careful
in using the amplitude of an ellipsoidal modulation signal in a close binary to
determine the mass ratio, when a proof of corotation is not firmly established.
The radial velocities that can be inferred from the detected Doppler beaming in
the light curve are found to be in agreement with our spectroscopic radial
velocity determination. We also report the first measurement of R{\o}mer delay
in a light curve of a compact binary. This delay amounts to -56 \pm 17 s and is
consistent with the mass ratio derived from the radial velocity amplitude. The
firm establishment of this mass ratio at q=0.104 \pm 0.004 leaves little doubt
that the companion of KOI-74 is a low mass white dwarf.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in MNRA
The evolutionary state of Miras with changing pulsation periods
Context: Miras are long-period variables thought to be in the asymptotic
giant branch (AGB) phase of evolution. In about one percent of known Miras, the
pulsation period is changing. It has been speculated that this changing period
is the consequence of a recent thermal pulse in these stars. Aims: We aim to
clarify the evolutionary state of these stars, and to determine in particular
whether or not they are in the thermally-pulsing (TP-)AGB phase. Methods: One
important piece of information that has been neglected so far when determining
the evolutionary state is the presence of the radio-active s-process element
technetium (Tc). We obtained high-resolution, high signal-to-noise-ratio
optical spectra of a dozen prominent Mira variables with changing pulsation
period to search for this indicator of TPs and dredge-up. We also use the
spectra to measure lithium (Li) abundances. Furthermore, we establish the
evolutionary states of our sample stars by means of their present-day periods
and luminosities. Results: Among the twelve sample stars observed in this
programme, five were found to show absorption lines of Tc. BH Cru is found to
be a carbon-star, its period increase in the past decades possibly having
stopped by now. We report a possible switch in the pulsation mode of T UMi from
Mira-like to semi-regular variability in the past two years. R Nor, on the
other hand, is probably a fairly massive AGB star, which could be true for all
meandering Miras. Finally, we assign RU Vul to the metal-poor thick disk with
properties very similar to the short-period, metal-poor Miras. Conclusions: We
conclude that there is no clear correlation between period change class and Tc
presence. The stars that are most likely to have experienced a recent TP are BH
Cru and R Hya, although their rates of period change are quite different.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in A&
Time resolved spectroscopy of BD+46 442: gas streams and jet creation in a newly discovered evolved binary with a disk
Previous studies have shown that many post-AGB stars with dusty disks are
associated with single-lined binary stars. To verify the binarity hypothesis on
a larger sample, we started a high-resolution spectral monitoring of about 40
field giants, whose binarity was suspected based on either a light curve, an
infrared excess, or a peculiar chemical composition. Here we report on the
discovery of the periodic RV variations in BD+46 442, a high-latitude F giant
with a disk. We interpret the variations due to the motion around a faint
companion, and deduce the following orbital parameters: Porb = 140.77 d, e =
0.083, asini=0.31 AU. We find it to be a moderately metal-poor star
([M/H]=-0.7) without a strong depletion pattern in the photospheric abundances.
Interestingly, many lines show periodic changes with the orbital phase: Halpha
switches between a double-peak emission and a PCyg-like profiles, while strong
metal lines appear split during the maximum redshift. Similar effects are
likely visible in the spectra of other post-AGB binaries, but their regularity
is not always realized due to sporadic observations. We propose that these
features result from an ongoing mass transfer from the evolved giant to the
companion. In particular, the blue-shifted absorption in Halpha, which occurs
only at superior conjunction, may result from a jet originating in the
accretion disk around the companion and seen in absorption towards the luminous
primary.Comment: 16 pages, accepted in A&
Customer satisfaction and price tolerance
This study investigates the association between customer satisfaction and willingness-to-pay or price tolerance. The goal is not only to determine whether the association between customer satisfaction and price tolerance is positive or negative but also to gauge the degree of association. The Swedish Customer Satisfaction Barometer provides the data. The empirical analysis indicates a negative association between the level of customer satisfaction provided by the firm and the degree of price tolerance exhibited by its customers. However, a positive association is found between year-to-year changes in the levels of customer satisfaction and price tolerance.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47216/1/11002_2004_Article_BF00435742.pd
Cognitive Profile of Students Who Enter Higher Education with an Indication of Dyslexia
For languages other than English there is a lack of empirical evidence about the cognitive profile of students entering higher education with a diagnosis of dyslexia. To obtain such evidence, we compared a group of 100 Dutch-speaking students diagnosed with dyslexia with a control group of 100 students without learning disabilities. Our study showed selective deficits in reading and writing (effect sizes for accuracy between d = 1 and d = 2), arithmetic (d≈1), and phonological processing (d>0.7). Except for spelling, these deficits were larger for speed related measures than for accuracy related measures. Students with dyslexia also performed slightly inferior on the KAIT tests of crystallized intelligence, due to the retrieval of verbal information from long-term memory. No significant differences were observed in the KAIT tests of fluid intelligence. The profile we obtained agrees with a recent meta-analysis of English findings suggesting that it generalizes to all alphabetic languages. Implications for special arrangements for students with dyslexia in higher education are outlined
Application of Quality of Experience in Networked Services: Review, Trend & Perspectives
Full text embargoed until 17.10.2019 (publisher's embargo period, 12 months
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