46,846 research outputs found
The Mechanics of Embodiment: A Dialogue on Embodiment and Computational Modeling
Embodied theories are increasingly challenging traditional views of cognition by arguing that conceptual representations that constitute our knowledge are grounded in sensory and motor experiences, and processed at this sensorimotor level, rather than being represented and processed abstractly in an amodal conceptual system. Given the established empirical foundation, and the relatively underspecified theories to date, many researchers are extremely interested in embodied cognition but are clamouring for more mechanistic implementations. What is needed at this stage is a push toward explicit computational models that implement sensory-motor grounding as intrinsic to cognitive processes. In this article, six authors from varying backgrounds and approaches address issues concerning the construction of embodied computational models, and illustrate what they view as the critical current and next steps toward mechanistic theories of embodiment. The first part has the form of a dialogue between two fictional characters: Ernest, the �experimenter�, and Mary, the �computational modeller�. The dialogue consists of an interactive sequence of questions, requests for clarification, challenges, and (tentative) answers, and touches the most important aspects of grounded theories that should inform computational modeling and, conversely, the impact that computational modeling could have on embodied theories. The second part of the article discusses the most important open challenges for embodied computational modelling
A Study of the Orbits of the Logarithmic Potential for Galaxies
The logarithmic potential is of great interest and relevance in the study of
the dynamics of galaxies. Some small corrections to the work of Contopoulos &
Seimenis (1990) who used the method of Prendergast (1982) to find periodic
orbits and bifurcations within such a potential are presented. The solution of
the orbital radial equation for the purely radial logarithmic potential is then
considered using the p-ellipse (precessing ellipse) method pioneered by Struck
(2006). This differential orbital equation is a special case of the generalized
Burgers equation. The apsidal angle is also determined, both numerically as
well as analytically by means of the Lambert W and the Polylogarithm functions.
The use of these functions in computing the gravitational lensing produced by
logarithmic potentials is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. Accepted by MNRAS Sept 6 201
Precision medicine and artificial intelligence : a pilot study on deep learning for hypoglycemic events detection based on ECG
Tracking the fluctuations in blood glucose levels is important for healthy subjects and crucial diabetic patients. Tight glucose monitoring reduces the risk of hypoglycemia, which can result in a series of complications, especially in diabetic patients, such as confusion, irritability, seizure and can even be fatal in specific conditions. Hypoglycemia affects the electrophysiology of the heart. However, due to strong inter-subject heterogeneity, previous studies based on a cohort of subjects failed to deploy electrocardiogram (ECG)-based hypoglycemic detection systems reliably. The current study used personalised medicine approach and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect nocturnal hypoglycemia using a few heartbeats of raw ECG signal recorded with non-invasive, wearable devices, in healthy individuals, monitored 24 hours for 14 consecutive days. Additionally, we present a visualisation method enabling clinicians to visualise which part of the ECG signal (e.g., T-wave, ST-interval) is significantly associated with the hypoglycemic event in each subject, overcoming the intelligibility problem of deep-learning methods. These results advance the feasibility of a real-time, non-invasive hypoglycemia alarming system using short excerpts of ECG signal
Effects on Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Performance from High-temperature Annealing Pulses in Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Devices
There is a renewed interest in photovoltaic solar thermal (PVT) hybrid
systems, which harvest solar energy for heat and electricity. Typically, a main
focus of a PVT system is to cool the photovoltaic (PV) cells to improve the
electrical performance, however, this causes the thermal component to
under-perform compared to a solar thermal collector. The low temperature
coefficients of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) allow for the PV cells to be
operated at higher temperatures and are a potential candidate for a more
symbiotic PVT system. The fundamental challenge of a-Si:H PV is light-induced
degradation known as the Staebler-Wronski effect (SWE). Fortunately, SWE is
reversible and the a-Si:H PV efficiency can be returned to its initial state if
the cell is annealed. Thus an opportunity exists to deposit a-Si:H directly on
the solar thermal absorber plate where the cells could reach the high
temperatures required for annealing.
In this study, this opportunity is explored experimentally. First a-Si:H PV
cells were annealed for 1 hour at 100\degreeC on a 12 hour cycle and for the
remaining time the cells were degraded at 50\degreeC in order to simulate
stagnation of a PVT system for 1 hour once a day. It was found that, when
comparing the cells after stabilization at normal 50\degreeC degradation, this
annealing sequence resulted in a 10.6% energy gain when compared to a cell that
was only degraded at 50\degreeC
36 degree step size of proton-driven c-ring rotation in FoF1-ATP synthase
Synthesis of the biological "energy currency molecule" adenosine triphosphate
ATP is accomplished by FoF1-ATP synthase. In the plasma membrane of Escherichia
coli, proton-driven rotation of a ring of 10 c subunits in the Fo motor powers
catalysis in the F1 motor. While F1 uses 120 degree stepping, Fo models predict
a step-by-step rotation of c subunits 36 degree at a time, which is here
demonstrated by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur
The development of metaphorical language comprehension in typical development and in Williams syndrome
The domain of figurative language comprehension was used to probe the developmental relation between language and cognition in typically developing individuals and individuals with Williams syndrome. Extending the work of Vosniadou and Ortony, the emergence of nonliteral similarity and category knowledge was investigated in 117 typically developing children between 4 and 12 years of age, 19 typically developing adults, 15 children with Williams syndrome between 5 and 12 years of age, and 8 adults with Williams syndrome. Participants were required to complete similarity and categorization statements by selecting one of two words (e.g., either “The sun is like ___” or “The sun is the same kind of thing as ___”) with word pairs formed from items that were literally, perceptually, or functionally similar to the target word or else anomalous (e.g., moon, orange, oven, or chair, respectively). Results indicated that individuals with Williams syndrome may access different, less abstract knowledge in figurative language comparisons despite the relatively strong verbal abilities found in this disorder
Change in hematologic indices over time in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease treated with azathioprine
Azathioprine leads to changes in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and white blood cell (WBC) indices reflecting efficacy or toxicity. Understanding the interactions between bone marrow stem cells and azathioprine could highlight abnormal response patterns as forerunners for hematologic malig-nancies. This study gives a statistical description of factors influencing the relationship between MCV and WBC in children with inflammatory bowel disease treated with azathioprine. We found that leukopenia preceded macro¬cytosis. Macrocytosis is therefore not a good predictor of leukopenia. Further studies will be necessary to determine the subgroup of patients at increased risk of malignancies based on bone marrow response
Inadequate reporting of research ethics review and informed consent in cluster randomized trials : review of random sample of published trials
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Ultraviolet/X-ray variability and the extended X-ray emission of the radio-loud broad absorption line quasar PG 1004+130
We present the results of recent Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Hubble Space
Telescope observations of the radio-loud (RL), broad absorption line (BAL)
quasar PG 1004+130. We compare our new observations to archival X-ray and UV
data, creating the most comprehensive, high signal-to-noise, multi-epoch,
spectral monitoring campaign of a RL BAL quasar to date. We probe for
variability of the X-ray absorption, the UV BAL, and the X-ray jet, on
month-year timescales. The X-ray absorber has a low column density of
cm when it is assumed to be fully
covering the X-ray emitting region, and its properties do not vary
significantly between the 4 observations. This suggests the observed absorption
is not related to the typical "shielding gas" commonly invoked in BAL quasar
models, but is likely due to material further from the central black hole. In
contrast, the CIV BAL shows strong variability. The equivalent width (EW) in
2014 is EW=11.240.56 \AA, showing a fractional increase of =1.160.11 from the 2003 observation, 3183 days earlier
in the rest-frame. This places PG 1004+130 among the most highly variable BAL
quasars. By combining Chandra observations we create an exposure 2.5 times
deeper than studied previously, with which to investigate the nature of the
X-ray jet and extended diffuse X-ray emission. An X-ray knot, likely with a
synchrotron origin, is detected in the radio jet ~8 arcsec (30 kpc) from the
central X-ray source with a spatial extent of ~4 arcsec (15 kpc). No similar
X-ray counterpart to the counterjet is detected. Asymmetric, non-thermal
diffuse X-ray emission, likely due to inverse Compton scattering of Cosmic
Microwave Background photons, is also detected.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap
The International Urban Energy Balance Models Comparison Project: First Results from Phase 1
A large number of urban surface energy balance models now exist with different assumptions about the
important features of the surface and exchange processes that need to be incorporated. To date, no com-
parison of these models has been conducted; in contrast, models for natural surfaces have been compared
extensively as part of the Project for Intercomparison of Land-surface Parameterization Schemes. Here, the
methods and first results from an extensive international comparison of 33 models are presented. The aim of
the comparison overall is to understand the complexity required to model energy and water exchanges in
urban areas. The degree of complexity included in the models is outlined and impacts on model performance
are discussed. During the comparison there have been significant developments in the models with resulting
improvements in performance (root-mean-square error falling by up to two-thirds). Evaluation is based on a
dataset containing net all-wave radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat flux observations for an industrial area in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The aim of the comparison is twofold: to identify those modeling ap-
proaches that minimize the errors in the simulated fluxes of the urban energy balance and to determine the
degree of model complexity required for accurate simulations. There is evidence that some classes of models
perform better for individual fluxes but no model performs best or worst for all fluxes. In general, the simpler
models perform as well as the more complex models based on all statistical measures. Generally the schemes
have best overall capability to model net all-wave radiation and least capability to model latent heat flux
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