Time and information in perceptual adaptation to speech

Presubmission manuscript and supplementary files (stimuli, stimulus presentation code, data, data analysis code).Perceptual adaptation to a talker enables listeners to efficiently resolve the many-to-many mapping between variable speech acoustics and abstract linguistic representations. However, models of speech perception have not delved into the variety or the quantity of information necessary for successful adaptation, nor how adaptation unfolds over time. In three experiments using speeded classification of spoken words, we explored how the quantity (duration), quality (phonetic detail), and temporal continuity of talker-specific context contribute to facilitating perceptual adaptation to speech. In single- and mixed-talker conditions, listeners identified phonetically-confusable target words in isolation or preceded by carrier phrases of varying lengths and phonetic content, spoken by the same talker as the target word. Word identification was always slower in mixed-talker conditions than single-talker ones. However, interference from talker variability decreased as the duration of preceding speech increased but was not affected by the amount of preceding talker-specific phonetic information. Furthermore, efficiency gains from adaptation depended on temporal continuity between preceding speech and the target word. These results suggest that perceptual adaptation to speech may be understood via models of auditory streaming, where perceptual continuity of an auditory object (e.g., a talker) facilitates allocation of attentional resources, resulting in more efficient perceptual processing.NIH NIDCD (R03DC014045

Unreimbursed Medical Expense Tax Deductions in Light of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Per– and Ployfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have been used in a wide variety of products due to their ability to reduce friction. However, studies have shown that exposure to PFAS can cause harmful effects in humans. In fact, it has been called a “national emergency” in testimony before Congress. As a result, there have been efforts to limit exposure to the disease-causing substances through abatement and avoidance. The Internal Revenue Code, through the unreimbursed medical expense tax deduction of I.R.C. § 213, may offer one policy solution for individuals seeking to participate in abatement activities. This comment explores the development and implementation of I.R.C. § 213, applies the interpretation and application of I.R.C. § 213 to efforts individuals can take to limit their exposure to PFAS, and makes recommendations that the Internal Revenue Service, the judiciary, and Congress could take to clarify the application of I.R.C. § 213 as it relates to the avoidance of PFAS and other disease-causing substances

Do the Tactics of Armed Groups Affect Organizational Behavior? The Case of Kidnap for Ransom

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Scintillator-based ion beam profiler for diagnosing laser-accelerated ion beams

Next generation intense, short-pulse laser facilities require new high repetition rate diagnostics for the detection of ionizing radiation. We have designed a new scintillator-based ion beam profiler capable of measuring the ion beam transverse profile for a number of discrete energy ranges. The optical response and emission characteristics of four common plastic scintillators has been investigated for a range of proton energies and fluxes. The scintillator light output (for 1 MeV > Ep < 28 MeV) was found to have a non-linear scaling with proton energy but a linear response to incident flux. Initial measurements with a prototype diagnostic have been successful, although further calibration work is required to characterize the total system response and limitations under the high flux, short pulse duration conditions of a typical high intensity laser-plasma interaction

Neck-cooling improves repeated sprint performance in the heat

The present study evaluated the effect of neck-cooling during exercise on repeated sprint ability in a hot environment. Seven team-sport playing males completed two experimental trials involving repeated sprint exercise (5 × 6 s) before and after two 45 min bouts of a football specific intermittent treadmill protocol in the heat (33.0 ± 0.2°C; 53 ± 2% relative humidity). Participants wore a neck-cooling collar in one of the trials (CC). Mean power output and peak power output declined over time in both trials but were higher in CC (540 ± 99 v 507 ± 122 W, d = 0.32; 719 ± 158 v 680 ± 182 W, d = 0.24 respectively). The improved power output was particularly pronounced (d = 0.51–0.88) after the 2nd 45 min bout but the CC had no effect on % fatigue. The collar lowered neck temperature and the thermal sensation of the neck (P 0.05). There were no trial differences but interaction effects were demonstrated for prolactin concentration and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Prolactin concentration was initially higher in the collar cold trial and then was lower from 45 min onwards (interaction trial × time P = 0.04). RPE was lower during the football intermittent treadmill protocol in the collar cold trial (interaction trial × time P = 0.01). Neck-cooling during exercise improves repeated sprint performance in a hot environment without altering physiological or neuroendocrinological responses. RPE is reduced and may partially explain the performance improvement

GOES-R Stereoscopic Cloud Top Retrieval Algorithm Using Normalized Cross-Correlation for 1-min Overshoot Analysis

Satellite-based cloud top height (CTH) analyses are instrumental in understanding storm dynamics which can be utilized for severe and tornado warnings. Currently, CTHs are derived using IR imagery which are subject to errors. Some assumptions used when determining CTHs solely from IR produce less reliable CTHs such as knowledge of cloud emissivity, ambient temperature, lapse rate, and that the cloud is in thermodynamic equilibrium which is least true around intense thunderstorms. A method proposed for obtaining more accurate CTHs is stereoscopy since it is dependent on geometric relationships. Stereoscopy is a scientific technique used to combine two images to enhance the illusion of depth. This technique can be applied to weather phenomena using visible or infrared satellite images to retrieve CTHs. GOES-16 and GOES-17 mesoscale sector scans are time synchronized and can be used to take images of the same field of view with different viewing points. Conducting stereoscopy on this data can ultimately determine an offset between the two GOES images which is proportional to the corresponding CTH. Previous stereoscopy studies to calculate CTHs using American satellites have been conducted on thunderstorms and hurricanes in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Since then, satellites have advanced and the spatial and temporal resolution of visible and infrared images from new-era GOES are now available at 0.5 km and 2 km resolution, respectively, every minute. It is hypothesized this increase in resolution will allow cloud height calculations accurate to within 500 m which is higher than the accuracy found in past studies of 1500 m. Retrieved CTHs are compared to echo top heights from GridRad to determine validity of the height estimate. The nature of analyzing storms through stereoscopy presents several constraints. Visible imagery from GOES constrains analyses to storms during the day. In addition, using GOES-16 and GOES-17 as the two satellites only allows for analyses of storms over the central U.S. since it is where both mesoscale floating domains overlap. These CTH analyses alongside radar data and storm reports can be used to further investigate severe storm dynamics

Call Me BIG PAPA: An Extension of Mason’s Information Ethics Framework to Big Data

In 1986, Richard Mason proposed the PAPA framework to address four ethical issues society would likely face in the information age: privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility. In this paper, we propose an extension to the PAPA framework by appending three additional issues relevant to information ethics in the big data era. First, we outline the four components of Mason’s original PAPA. Second, we briefly review the major technological changes that have occurred since Mason proposed his framework. Third, we outline concepts relevant to the big data context. Fourth, we propose and discuss our extension by appending three ethical issues related to behavioral surveillance, interpretation, and governance to Mason’s original PAPA framework, forming BIG PAPA. Lastly, we discuss how these issues impact practice and how they can inform future research