Effect of material properties on emotion: a virtual reality study

IntroductionDesigners know that part of the appreciation of a product comes from the properties of its materials. These materials define the object’s appearance and produce emotional reactions that can influence the act of purchase. Although known and observed as important, the affective level of a material remains difficult to assess. While many studies have been conducted regarding material colors, here we focus on two material properties that drive how light is reflected by the object: its metalness and smoothness. In this context, this work aims to study the influence of these properties on the induced emotional response.MethodWe conducted a perceptual user study in virtual reality, allowing participants to visualize and manipulate a neutral object – a mug. We generated 16 material effects by varying it metalness and smoothness characteristics. The emotional reactions produced by the 16 mugs were evaluated on a panel of 29 people using James Russel’s circumplex model, for an emotional measurement through two dimensions: arousal (from low to high) and valence (from negative to positive). This scale, used here through VR users’ declarative statements allowed us to order their emotional preferences between all the virtual mugs.ResultStatistical results show significant positive effects of both metalness and smoothness on arousal and valence. Using image processing features, we show that this positive effect is linked to the increasing strength (i.e., sharpness and contrast) of the specular reflections induced by these material properties.DiscussionThe present work is the first to establish this strong relationship between specular reflections induced by material properties and aroused emotions

Adaptive optics imaging of the MBM 12 association

We report adaptive optics (AO) observations of the young and nearby association MBM 12 obtained with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Our main observational result is the discovery of six new binary systems, LkHa 264, E 0255+2018, RX J0255.4+2005, S18, MBM 12-10, RX J0255.3+1915, and the confirmation of HD 17332, already known as a binary. We also detected a possible quadruple system. It is composed of the close binary LkHa 263 AB (separation of 0.41 ''), of LkH\alpha 262 located 15.25 '' from LkHa 263 A, and of LkHa 263 C, located 4.1 '' from LkH\alpha 263 A. A preliminary study of the binary fraction suggests a binary excess in the MBM 12 association as compared to the field and IC 348. Because of the high binarity rate, previous estimations of spectral types and measurements of IR excesses for several candidate members of MBM 12 have to be revised. LkH\alpha 263 C is a nebulous object that we interpret as a disk oriented almost perfectly edge-on and seen in scattered light. This object has already been reported by Jayawardhana et al. (2002). Scattered light models allow us to estimate some of the structural parameters (i.e. inclination, diameter and to a lesser extent dust mass) of the circumstellar disk. We find an inclination of 89^o and a outer radius for the disk, 165 AU if the distance to MBM 12 is 275 pc. With the present data set, we do not attempt to re-assess the distance to MBM 12. We estimate however that the distance to the candidate member RX J0255.3+1915 is d > 175 pc.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure postscript, 6 figures .gi

Studying the Underlying Event in Drell-Yan and High Transverse Momentum Jet Production at the Tevatron

We study the underlying event in proton-antiproton collisions by examining the behavior of charged particles (transverse momentum pT > 0.5 GeV/c, pseudorapidity |\eta| < 1) produced in association with large transverse momentum jets (~2.2 fb-1) or with Drell-Yan lepton-pairs (~2.7 fb-1) in the Z-boson mass region (70 < M(pair) < 110 GeV/c2) as measured by CDF at 1.96 TeV center-of-mass energy. We use the direction of the lepton-pair (in Drell-Yan production) or the leading jet (in high-pT jet production) in each event to define three regions of \eta-\phi space; toward, away, and transverse, where \phi is the azimuthal scattering angle. For Drell-Yan production (excluding the leptons) both the toward and transverse regions are very sensitive to the underlying event. In high-pT jet production the transverse region is very sensitive to the underlying event and is separated into a MAX and MIN transverse region, which helps separate the hard component (initial and final-state radiation) from the beam-beam remnant and multiple parton interaction components of the scattering. The data are corrected to the particle level to remove detector effects and are then compared with several QCD Monte-Carlo models. The goal of this analysis is to provide data that can be used to test and improve the QCD Monte-Carlo models of the underlying event that are used to simulate hadron-hadron collisions.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.

Measurement of the W+W−W^+W^- Production Cross Section and Search for Anomalous WWγWW\gamma and WWZWWZ Couplings in ppˉp \bar p Collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

This Letter describes the current most precise measurement of the $W$ boson pair production cross section and most sensitive test of anomalous $WW\gamma$ and $WWZ$ couplings in $p \bar p$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The $WW$ candidates are reconstructed from decays containing two charged leptons and two neutrinos, where the charged leptons are either electrons or muons. Using data collected by the CDF II detector from 3.6 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity, a total of 654 candidate events are observed with an expected background contribution of $320 \pm 47$ events. The measured total cross section is $\sigma (p \bar p \to W^+ W^- + X) = 12.1 \pm 0.9 \textrm{(stat)} ^{+1.6}_{-1.4} \textrm{(syst)}$ pb, which is in good agreement with the standard model prediction. The same data sample is used to place constraints on anomalous $WW\gamma$ and $WWZ$ couplings.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Interleukin-1 Stimulates β-Cell Necrosis and Release of the Immunological Adjuvant HMGB1

BACKGROUND: There are at least two phases of β-cell death during the development of autoimmune diabetes: an initiation event that results in the release of β-cell-specific antigens, and a second, antigen-driven event in which β-cell death is mediated by the actions of T lymphocytes. In this report, the mechanisms by which the macrophage-derived cytokine interleukin (IL)-1 induces β-cell death are examined. IL-1, known to inhibit glucose-induced insulin secretion by stimulating inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and increased production of nitric oxide by β-cells, also induces β-cell death. METHODS AND FINDINGS: To ascertain the mechanisms of cell death, the effects of IL-1 and known activators of apoptosis on β-cell viability were examined. While IL-1 stimulates β-cell DNA damage, this cytokine fails to activate caspase-3 or to induce phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization; however, apoptosis inducers activate caspase-3 and the externalization of PS on β-cells. In contrast, IL-1 stimulates the release of the immunological adjuvant high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1; a biochemical maker of necrosis) in a nitric oxide-dependent manner, while apoptosis inducers fail to stimulate HMGB1 release. The release of HMGB1 by β-cells treated with IL-1 is not sensitive to caspase-3 inhibition, while inhibition of this caspase attenuates β-cell death in response to known inducers of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that IL-1 induces β-cell necrosis and support the hypothesis that macrophage-derived cytokines may participate in the initial stages of diabetes development by inducing β-cell death by a mechanism that promotes antigen release (necrosis) and islet inflammation (HMGB1 release)

Search for Technicolor Particles Produced in Association with a W Boson at CDF

submitted to Phys. Rev. LettWe present a search for the technicolor particles $\rho_{T}$ and $\pi_{T}$ in the process $p\bar{p} \to \rho_{T} \to W\pi_{T}$ at a center of mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=1.96 \mathrm{TeV}$. The search uses a data sample corresponding to approximately $1.9 \mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity accumulated by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The event signature we consider is $W\to \ell\nu$ and $\pi_{T} \to b\bar{b}, b\bar{c}$ or $b\bar{u}$ depending on the $\pi_{T}$ charge. We select events with a single high-$p_T$ electron or muon, large missing transverse energy, and two jets. Jets corresponding to bottom quarks are identified with multiple $b$-tagging algorithms. The observed number of events and the invariant mass distributions are consistent with the standard model background expectations, and we exclude a region at 95% confidence level in the $\rho_T$-$\pi_T$ mass plane. As a result, a large fraction of the region $m(\rho_T) = 180$ - $250 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ and $m(\pi_T) = 95$ - $145 \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ is excluded.We present a search for the technicolor particles ρT and πT in the process pp̅ →ρT→WπT at a center of mass energy of √s=1.96  TeV. The search uses a data sample corresponding to approximately 1.9  fb-1 of integrated luminosity accumulated by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The event signature we consider is W→ℓν and πT→bb̅ , bc̅ or bu̅ depending on the πT charge. We select events with a single high-pT electron or muon, large missing transverse energy, and two jets. Jets corresponding to bottom quarks are identified with multiple b-tagging algorithms. The observed number of events and the invariant mass distributions are consistent with the standard model background expectations, and we exclude a region at 95% confidence level in the ρT-πT mass plane. As a result, a large fraction of the region m(ρT)=180–250  GeV/c2 and m(πT)=95–145  GeV/c2 is excluded.Peer reviewe

First Measurement of the b-jet Cross Section in Events with a W Boson in p-pbar Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

8 pages, 2 figures. Slight change to abstract per PRL referee requests. A few additional citations as well per PRL referee request.The cross section for jets from b quarks produced with a W boson has been measured in ppbar collision data from 1.9/fb of integrated luminosity recorded by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron. The W+b-jets process poses a significant background in measurements of top quark production and prominent searches for the Higgs boson. We measure a b-jet cross section of 2.74 +- 0.27(stat.) +- 0.42(syst.) pb in association with a single flavor of leptonic W boson decay over a limited kinematic phase space. This measured result cannot be accommodated in several available theoretical predictions.The cross section for jets from b quarks produced with a W boson has been measured in pp̅ collision data from 1.9  fb-1 of integrated luminosity recorded by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron. The W+b-jets process poses a significant background in measurements of top quark production and prominent searches for the Higgs boson. We measure a b-jet cross section of 2.74±0.27(stat)±0.42(syst)  pb in association with a single flavor of leptonic W boson decay over a limited kinematic phase space. This measured result cannot be accommodated in several available theoretical predictions.Peer reviewe

Measurement of dσ/dyd\sigma/dy of Drell-Yan e+e−e^+e^- pairs in the ZZ Mass Region from ppˉp\bar{p} Collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

Submitted to Phys. Letter BWe report on a CDF measurement of the total cross section and rapidity distribution, $d\sigma/dy$, for $q\bar{q}\to \gamma^{*}/Z\to e^{+}e^{-}$ events in the $Z$ boson mass region ($66M_{ee}We report on a CDF measurement of the total cross section and rapidity distribution, dσ/dy, for γ*/Z→e+e− events in the Z boson mass region (66<Mee<116 GeV/c2) produced in p pbar collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV with 2.1 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The measured cross section of 257±16 pb and dσ/dy distribution are compared with Next-to-Leading-Order (NLO) and Next-to-Next-to-Leading-Order (NNLO) QCD theory predictions with CTEQ and MRST/MSTW parton distribution functions (PDFs). There is good agreement between the experimental total cross section and dσ/dy measurements with theoretical calculations with the most recent NNLO PDFs.Peer reviewe

Search for New Bottomlike Quark Pair Decays Q(Q)over-bar -\u3e (tW +/-)((t)over-barW +/- in Same-Charge Dileption Events

We report the most restrictive direct limits on masses of fourth- generation down- type quarks b0, and quarklike composite fermions (B or T5= 3), decaying promptly to tW -/+. We search for a significant excess of events with two same- charge leptons (e, mu), several hadronic jets, and missing transverse energy. An analysis of data from pp collisions with an integrated luminosity of 2: 7 fb = 1 collected with the CDF II detector at Fermilab yields no evidence for such a signal, setting mass limits mb0, mB \u3e 338 GeV= c2 and mT5= 3 \u3e 365 GeV= c2 at 95% confidence level