Temporal characteristic analysis of laser-modulated pulsed X-ray source for space X-ray communication

Science.gov (United States)

Hang, Shuang; Liu, Yunpeng; Li, Huan; Tang, Xiaobin; Chen, Da

2018-04-01

X-ray communication (XCOM) is a new communication type and is expected to realize high-speed data transmission in some special communication scenarios, such as deep space communication and blackout communication. This study proposes a high-speed modulated X-ray source scheme based on the laser-to-X-ray conversion. The temporal characteristics of the essential components of the proposed laser-modulated pulsed X-ray source (LMPXS) were analyzed to evaluate its pulse emission performance. Results show that the LMPXS can provide a maximum modulation rate up to 100 Mbps which is expected to significantly improve the data rate of XCOM.

Quantum Secure Direct Communication Using W State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Li; Xiu Xiaoming; Gao Yajun; Chi Feng

2008-01-01

A theoretical scheme of quantum secure direct communication using teleportation is proposed. In the scheme, the sender needs to prepare a class of three-particle W states to use as quantum channel. The two communicators may communicate after they test the security of the quantum channel. The security of the protocol is ensured by quantum entanglement and quantum no-cloning theorem. The receiver can obtain the secret message determinately if the quantum channel is secure

Quantum direct communication with authentication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hwayean; Lim, Jongin; Yang, HyungJin

2006-01-01

We propose two quantum direct communication (QDC) protocols with user authentication. Users can identify each other by checking the correlation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states. Alice can directly send a secret message to Bob without any previously shared secret using the remaining GHZ states after authentication. Our second QDC protocol can be used even though there is no quantum link between Alice and Bob. The security of the transmitted message is guaranteed by properties of entanglement of GHZ states

Role of Self-Directed Learning in Communication Competence and Self-Efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Youngshin; Yun, Soon Young; Kim, Sun-Ae; Ahn, Eun-Kyong; Jung, Mi Sook

2015-10-01

Although effective self-directed learning (SDL) has been shown to improve clinical performance, little is known about its role between communication competence and communication self-efficacy in nursing students. This study aimed to identify whether SDL mediates the relationship between communication competence and communication self-efficacy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 213 nursing students taking a basic fundamentals of nursing course. A path diagram, using structural equation modeling, was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of communication competence on communication self-efficacy, controlling for SDL as a mediator. A structural equation model confirmed direct and indirect effects of communication competence on communication self-efficacy when SDL was controlled as a mediator. An appropriate fit to the data was identified in this mediation model of SDL. For enhancing self-efficacy regarding communication skill, the specified SDL program based on the level of communication competence will yield more effective results. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Modeling Geometric-Temporal Context With Directional Pyramid Co-Occurrence for Action Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Chunfeng; Li, Xi; Hu, Weiming; Ling, Haibin; Maybank, Stephen J

2014-02-01

In this paper, we present a new geometric-temporal representation for visual action recognition based on local spatio-temporal features. First, we propose a modified covariance descriptor under the log-Euclidean Riemannian metric to represent the spatio-temporal cuboids detected in the video sequences. Compared with previously proposed covariance descriptors, our descriptor can be measured and clustered in Euclidian space. Second, to capture the geometric-temporal contextual information, we construct a directional pyramid co-occurrence matrix (DPCM) to describe the spatio-temporal distribution of the vector-quantized local feature descriptors extracted from a video. DPCM characterizes the co-occurrence statistics of local features as well as the spatio-temporal positional relationships among the concurrent features. These statistics provide strong descriptive power for action recognition. To use DPCM for action recognition, we propose a directional pyramid co-occurrence matching kernel to measure the similarity of videos. The proposed method achieves the state-of-the-art performance and improves on the recognition performance of the bag-of-visual-words (BOVWs) models by a large margin on six public data sets. For example, on the KTH data set, it achieves 98.78% accuracy while the BOVW approach only achieves 88.06%. On both Weizmann and UCF CIL data sets, the highest possible accuracy of 100% is achieved.

Distributed Optimization of Multi Beam Directional Communication Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-30

Distributed Optimization of Multi-Beam Directional Communication Networks Theodoros Tsiligkaridis MIT Lincoln Laboratory Lexington, MA 02141, USA...based routing. I. INTRODUCTION Missions where multiple communication goals are of in- terest are becoming more prevalent in military applications...Multilayer communications may occur within a coalition; for example, a team consisting of ground vehicles and an airborne set of assets may desire to

Quantum secure direct communication with high-dimension quantum superdense coding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chuan; Li Yansong; Liu Xiaoshu; Deng Fuguo; Long Guilu

2005-01-01

A protocol for quantum secure direct communication with quantum superdense coding is proposed. It combines the ideas of block transmission, the ping-pong quantum secure direct communication protocol, and quantum superdense coding. It has the advantage of being secure and of high source capacity

Maximally efficient protocols for direct secure quantum communication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, Anindita [Department of Physics and Materials Science Engineering, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector-62, Noida, UP-201307 (India); Department of Physics and Center for Astroparticle Physics and Space Science, Bose Institute, Block EN, Sector V, Kolkata 700091 (India); Pathak, Anirban, E-mail: anirban.pathak@jiit.ac.in [Department of Physics and Materials Science Engineering, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector-62, Noida, UP-201307 (India); RCPTM, Joint Laboratory of Optics of Palacky University and Institute of Physics of Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu 12, 77146 Olomouc (Czech Republic)

2012-10-01

Two protocols for deterministic secure quantum communication (DSQC) using GHZ-like states have been proposed. It is shown that one of these protocols is maximally efficient and that can be modified to an equivalent protocol of quantum secure direct communication (QSDC). Security and efficiency of the proposed protocols are analyzed and compared. It is shown that dense coding is sufficient but not essential for DSQC and QSDC protocols. Maximally efficient QSDC protocols are shown to be more efficient than their DSQC counterparts. This additional efficiency arises at the cost of message transmission rate. -- Highlights: ► Two protocols for deterministic secure quantum communication (DSQC) are proposed. ► One of the above protocols is maximally efficient. ► It is modified to an equivalent protocol of quantum secure direct communication (QSDC). ► It is shown that dense coding is sufficient but not essential for DSQC and QSDC protocols. ► Efficient QSDC protocols are always more efficient than their DSQC counterparts.

Controlled and secure direct communication using GHZ state and teleportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, T.

2004-01-01

A theoretical scheme for controlled and secure direct communication is proposed. The communication is based on GHZ state and controlled quantum teleportation. After insuring the security of the quantum channel (a set of qubits in the GHZ state), alice encodes the secret message directly on a sequence of particle states in the GHZ state and transmits them to Bob, supervised by Charlie using controlled quantum teleportation. Bob can read out the encoded messages directly by the measurement on his qubits. In this scheme, the controlled quantum teleportation transmits alice's message without revealing any information to a potential eavesdropper. Because there is not a transmission of the qubit carrying the secret messages between Alice and Bob in the public channel, it is completely secure for controlled and direct secret communication if a perfect quantum channel is used. The feature of this scheme is that the communication between two sides depends on the agreement of a third side. (orig.)

Effects of Hand Proximity and Movement Direction in Spatial and Temporal Gap Discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiemers, Michael; Fischer, Martin H

2016-01-01

Previous research on the interplay between static manual postures and visual attention revealed enhanced visual selection near the hands (near-hand effect). During active movements there is also superior visual performance when moving toward compared to away from the stimulus (direction effect). The "modulated visual pathways" hypothesis argues that differential involvement of magno- and parvocellular visual processing streams causes the near-hand effect. The key finding supporting this hypothesis is an increase in temporal and a reduction in spatial processing in near-hand space (Gozli et al., 2012). Since this hypothesis has, so far, only been tested with static hand postures, we provide a conceptual replication of Gozli et al.'s (2012) result with moving hands, thus also probing the generality of the direction effect. Participants performed temporal or spatial gap discriminations while their right hand was moving below the display. In contrast to Gozli et al. (2012), temporal gap discrimination was superior at intermediate and not near hand proximity. In spatial gap discrimination, a direction effect without hand proximity effect suggests that pragmatic attentional maps overshadowed temporal/spatial processing biases for far/near-hand space.

Quantum Secure Direct Communication with Authentication Expansion Using Single Photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jing; Wang Chuan; Zhang Ru

2010-01-01

In this paper we propose two quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocols with authentication. The authentication key expansion method is introduced to improve the life of the keys with security. In the first scheme, the third party, called Trent is introduced to authenticate the users that participate in the communication. He sends the polarized photons in blocks to authenticate communication parties Alice and Bob using the authentication keys. In the communication process, polarized single photons are used to serve as the carriers, which transmit the secret messages directly. The second QSDC process with authentication between two parties is also discussed.

Quantum secure direct communication network with Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Fuguo; Li Xihan; Li Chunyan; Zhou Ping; Zhou Hongyu

2006-01-01

We discuss the four requirements for a real point-to-point quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) first, and then present two efficient QSDC network schemes with an N ordered Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pairs. Any one of the authorized users can communicate another one on the network securely and directly

Direct cellular vs. indirect pager communication during orthopaedic surgical procedures: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Gil R; Taksali, Sudeep; Smart, Ryan; Baumgaertner, Michael R

2009-01-01

Cellular phone use within the hospital setting has increased as physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff incorporate wireless technologies in improving efficiencies, cost, and maintaining patient safety and high quality healthcare [11]. Through the use of wireless, cellular communication, an overall improvement in communication accuracy and efficiency between intraoperative orthopaedic surgeons and floor nurses may be achieved. Both communication types occurred while the surgeon was scrubbed in the operating room (OR). Indirect communication occurred when the pager call was answered by the OR circulating nurse with communication between the surgeon, circulating nurse, and floor nurse. Direct communication consisted of cell phone and Jabra Bluetooth BT200 wireless ear piece used by the surgeon. The surgeon answered the floor nurse's cellular call by phone ring-activated automatic answering. The study was conducted during scheduled orthopaedic procedures. An independent observer measured time variables with a stop-watch while orthopaedic nurses randomly called via pager or cell phone. The nurses asked for patient caregiver confirmation and answers to 30 different patient-care questions. Sixty trials were performed with 30 cell and 30 page communications. Direct cellular communication showed a better response rate than indirect page (Cell 100%, Page 73%). Indirect page communication allowed a 27% and 33% error rate with patient problem and surgeon solution communications, respectively. There were no reported communication errors while using direct wireless, cellular communication. When compared to page communications, cellular communications showed statistically significant improvements in mean time intervals in response time (Cell = 11s, Page = 211s), correct patient identification (Cell = 5s, Page = 172s), patient problem and solution time (Cell = 13s, Page = 189s), and total communication time (Cell = 32s, Page = 250s) (s = seconds, all P < 0.001). Floor nurse

Directional antenna array (DAA) for communications, control, and data link protection

Science.gov (United States)

Molchanov, Pavlo A.; Contarino, Vincent M.

2013-06-01

A next generation of Smart antennas with point-to-point communication and jam, spoof protection capability by verification of spatial position is offered. A directional antenna array (DAA) with narrow irradiation beam provides counter terrorism protection for communications, data link, control and GPS. Communications are "invisible" to guided missiles because of 20 dB smaller irradiation outside the beam and spatial separation. This solution can be implemented with current technology. Directional antennas have higher gain and can be multi-frequency or have wide frequency band in contrast to phase antenna arrays. This multi-directional antenna array provides a multi-functional communication network and simultaneously can be used for command control, data link and GPS.

32 CFR 705.4 - Communication directly with private organizations and individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Communication directly with private... Communication directly with private organizations and individuals. (a) Questions from the public and requests... current date may be purchased from the National Archives. Details are available from: Audio-Visual Branch...

Risk communication, public participation and the Seveso II directive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, G.; Simmons, P.; Wynne, B.; Irwin, A.

1999-01-01

Risk communication and public participation are considered in the context of the forthcoming requirements of the 'Seveso II' Directive. The discussion draws substantially on the findings of a research project which has investigated public perceptions of the risks from major accident hazards in seven communities in the UK. Implications for the Directive's requirements on emergency information provision, public access to safety reports and consultation on emergency plans are considered. Our conclusions stress the need for risk communication to be seen as a long term and ongoing process, involving active listening to public reasoning about risk and a sensitivity to the context in which communication is taking place. In meeting both needs and rights to information and encouraging and enabling public participation, we conclude that the Directive should contribute in some degree to an improved environment for dialogue and the building of trust. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Secure direct communication based on secret transmitting order of particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Aidong; Zhang Shou; Xia Yan; Fan Qiubo

2006-01-01

We propose the schemes of quantum secure direct communication based on a secret transmitting order of particles. In these protocols, the secret transmitting order of particles ensures the security of communication, and no secret messages are leaked even if the communication is interrupted for security. This strategy of security for communication is also generalized to a quantum dialogue. It not only ensures the unconditional security but also improves the efficiency of communication

Bidirectional communication using delay coupled chaotic directly ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Corresponding author. ... 30 September 2009. Abstract. Chaotic synchronization of two directly modulated semiconductor lasers with ... For InGaAsP lasers used in optical communication systems, the nonlinear gain re- duction is very strong and its ...

Rejuvenating direct modulation and direct detection for modern optical communications

Science.gov (United States)

Che, Di; Li, An; Chen, Xi; Hu, Qian; Shieh, William

2018-02-01

High-speed transoceanic optical fiber transmission using direct modulation (DM) and direct detection (DD) was one of the most stirring breakthroughs for telecommunication in 1990s, which drove the internet as a global phenomenon. However, the later evolution of optical coherent communications in 2000s gradually took over the long-haul applications, due to its superior optical spectral efficiency. Nowadays, DM-DD systems are dominant mainly in cost- and power-sensitive short-reach applications, because of its natural characteristics-the simplicity. This paper reviews the recent advances of DM-DD transceivers from both hardware and signal processing perspectives. It introduces a variety of modified DM and/or DD systems for 3 application scenarios: very-short-reach interconnect with little fiber channel impact; single or a few spans of fiber transmission up to several hundred km; and distance beyond the 2nd scenario. Besides the DM-DD and multi-dimension DM-DD with polarization diversity, this paper focuses on how to rejuvenate traditional DM and DD technologies in order to bridge the transmission application gap between DM-DD and coherent transceivers, using technologies such as dispersion compensation, signal field recovery from the intensity-only DD receiver, and complex direct modulation with coherent detection. More than 30 years since the birth, DM and DD still hold indispensable roles in modern optical communications.

The temporal distribution of directional gradients under selection for an optimum.

Science.gov (United States)

Chevin, Luis-Miguel; Haller, Benjamin C

2014-12-01

Temporal variation in phenotypic selection is often attributed to environmental change causing movements of the adaptive surface relating traits to fitness, but this connection is rarely established empirically. Fluctuating phenotypic selection can be measured by the variance and autocorrelation of directional selection gradients through time. However, the dynamics of these gradients depend not only on environmental changes altering the fitness surface, but also on evolution of the phenotypic distribution. Therefore, it is unclear to what extent variability in selection gradients can inform us about the underlying drivers of their fluctuations. To investigate this question, we derive the temporal distribution of directional gradients under selection for a phenotypic optimum that is either constant or fluctuates randomly in various ways in a finite population. Our analytical results, combined with population- and individual-based simulations, show that although some characteristic patterns can be distinguished, very different types of change in the optimum (including a constant optimum) can generate similar temporal distributions of selection gradients, making it difficult to infer the processes underlying apparent fluctuating selection. Analyzing changes in phenotype distributions together with changes in selection gradients should prove more useful for inferring the mechanisms underlying estimated fluctuating selection. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Multiparty quantum secret sharing of secure direct communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhanjun

2005-01-01

Based on the two-step protocol [F.G. Deng, G.L. Long, X.S. Liu, Phys. Rev. A 68 (2003) 042317], we propose a (n,n)-threshold multiparty quantum secret sharing protocol of secure direct communication. In our protocol, the sender's secure direct communication message can be extracted only if all the sharers collaborate. We show a variant version of this protocol based on the variant two-step protocol. This variant version can considerably reduce the realization difficulty in experiment. In contrast to the use of multi-particle GHZ states in the case that the sharer number is larger than 3, the use and identification of Bell states are enough in our two protocols disregarding completely the sharer number, hence, our protocols are more feasible in technique

Spatio-Temporal Rule Mining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gidofalvi, Gyozo; Pedersen, Torben Bach

2005-01-01

Recent advances in communication and information technology, such as the increasing accuracy of GPS technology and the miniaturization of wireless communication devices pave the road for Location-Based Services (LBS). To achieve high quality for such services, spatio-temporal data mining techniques...... are needed. In this paper, we describe experiences with spatio-temporal rule mining in a Danish data mining company. First, a number of real world spatio-temporal data sets are described, leading to a taxonomy of spatio-temporal data. Second, the paper describes a general methodology that transforms...... the spatio-temporal rule mining task to the traditional market basket analysis task and applies it to the described data sets, enabling traditional association rule mining methods to discover spatio-temporal rules for LBS. Finally, unique issues in spatio-temporal rule mining are identified and discussed....

The role of the temporal sequences in the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems for the Autism Spectrum Disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saverio Fontani

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems (AAC represent a promising integration for more effective models of special education specifically developed for the special educational needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In this paper the historical foundations of the approach are presented, and its implications on the promotion of functional spontaneous communication skills based on the temporal sequences approach are discussed.  

Networked Airborne Communications Using Adaptive Multi Beam Directional Links

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-05

Networked Airborne Communications Using Adaptive Multi-Beam Directional Links R. Bruce MacLeod Member, IEEE, and Adam Margetts Member, IEEE MIT...provide new techniques for increasing throughput in airborne adaptive directional net- works. By adaptive directional linking, we mean systems that can...techniques can dramatically increase the capacity in airborne networks. Advances in digital array technology are beginning to put these gains within reach

Hybrid Polling Method for Direct Link Communication for IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Woo-Yong Choi

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The direct link communication between STAtions (STAs is one of the techniques to improve the MAC performance of IEEE 802.11 infrastructure networks. For the efficient direct link communication, in the literature, the simultaneous polling method was proposed to allow the multiple direct data communication to be performed simultaneously. However, the efficiency of the simultaneous polling method is affected by the interference condition. To alleviate the problem of the lower polling efficiency with the larger interference range, the hybrid polling method is proposed for the direct link communication between STAs in IEEE 802.11 infrastructure networks. By the proposed polling method, we can integrate the sequential and simultaneous polling methods properly according to the interference condition. Numerical examples are also presented to show the medium access control (MAC performance improvement by the proposed polling method.

Quantum secure direct communication scheme using a W state and teleportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Haijing; Song Heshan

2006-01-01

A theoretical scheme for quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) is proposed, where a three-qubit symmetric W state functions as a quantum channel. Two legitimate communicators can transmit their secret information by using quantum teleportation and local measurements

Bi-directional Multi Dimension CAP Transmission for Smart Grid Communication Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Xu; Binti Othman, Maisara; Pang, Xiaodan

2012-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate bi-directional multi dimension carrierless amplitude and phase (CAP) transmission for smart grid communication services based on optical fiber networks. The proposed system is able to support multi-Gb/s transmission with high spectral efficiency.......We experimentally demonstrate bi-directional multi dimension carrierless amplitude and phase (CAP) transmission for smart grid communication services based on optical fiber networks. The proposed system is able to support multi-Gb/s transmission with high spectral efficiency....

Deterministic Secure Direct Communication Using Mixed state

OpenAIRE

Cai, Qing-yu

2003-01-01

We show an improved ping-pong protocol which is based on the protocol showed by Kim Bostrom and Timo Felbinger [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 187902 (2002); quant-ph/0209040]. We show that our protocol is asymptotically secure key distribution and quasisecure direct communication using a single photon resource. And this protocol can be can be carried out with great efficiency and speed using today's technology.

Understanding the role of marketing communications in direct marketing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P. Naik; N. Piersma (Nanda)

2002-01-01

textabstractThe standard RFM models used by direct marketers include behavioral variables, but ignore the role of marketing communications. In addition, RFM models allow customer responsiveness to vary across different customers, but not across diiferent time periods. Hence, the authors first

Reply to 'Comment on 'Secure direct communication with a quantum one-time-pad''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Fuguo; Long Guilu

2005-01-01

We reply to the preceding comment which focused on whether there exists a quantum privacy amplification technique for purifying the unknown single-photon states transmitted. In this Reply, we will show that quantum privacy amplification is principally possible, and a specific scheme for direct communication protocol based on single photons has been constructed and will be published elsewhere. Then the secure direct quantum communication is secure against the attack strategy in the preceding comment by using quantum privacy amplification directly

A Contingency Approach to Communication Skill Importance: The Impact of Occupation, Direction, and Position.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Salvo, Vincent S.; Larsen, Janet K.

1987-01-01

Examines the impact of direction and occupation on the importance of communication skills for entry-level positions in finance, management, engineering, and law. Results substantiate a three-dimensional model (based on direction, occupation, and position) for the examination and application of communication skill importance in organization. (JD)

Direct observation of weight-related communication in primary care: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

McHale, Calum T; Laidlaw, Anita H; Cecil, Joanne E

2016-08-01

Primary care is ideally placed to play an effective role in patient weight management; however, patient weight is seldom discussed in this context. A synthesis of studies that directly observe weight discussion in primary care is required to more comprehensively understand and improve primary care weight-related communication. To systematically identify and examine primary care observational research that investigates weight-related communication and its relationship to patient weight outcomes. A systematic review of literature published up to August 2015, using seven electronic databases (including MEDLINE, Scopus and PsycINFO), was conducted using search terms such as overweight, obese and/or doctor-patient communication. Twenty papers were included in the final review. Communication analysis focused predominantly on 'practitioner' use of specific patient-centred communication. Practitioner use of motivational interviewing was associated with improved patient weight-related outcomes, including patient weight loss and increased patient readiness to lose weight; however, few studies measured patient weight-related outcomes. Studies directly observing weight-related communication in primary care are scarce and limited by a lack of focus on patient communication and patient weight-related outcomes. Future research should measure practitioner and patient communications during weight discussion and their impact on patient weight-related outcomes. This knowledge may inform the development of a communication intervention to assist practitioners to more effectively discuss weight with their overweight and/or obese patients. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fast bi-directional prediction selection in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC temporal scalable video coding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hung-Chih; Hang, Hsueh-Ming; Peng, Wen-Hsiao

2011-12-01

In this paper, we propose a fast algorithm that efficiently selects the temporal prediction type for the dyadic hierarchical-B prediction structure in the H.264/MPEG-4 temporal scalable video coding (SVC). We make use of the strong correlations in prediction type inheritance to eliminate the superfluous computations for the bi-directional (BI) prediction in the finer partitions, 16×8/8×16/8×8 , by referring to the best temporal prediction type of 16 × 16. In addition, we carefully examine the relationship in motion bit-rate costs and distortions between the BI and the uni-directional temporal prediction types. As a result, we construct a set of adaptive thresholds to remove the unnecessary BI calculations. Moreover, for the block partitions smaller than 8 × 8, either the forward prediction (FW) or the backward prediction (BW) is skipped based upon the information of their 8 × 8 partitions. Hence, the proposed schemes can efficiently reduce the extensive computational burden in calculating the BI prediction. As compared to the JSVM 9.11 software, our method saves the encoding time from 48% to 67% for a large variety of test videos over a wide range of coding bit-rates and has only a minor coding performance loss. © 2011 IEEE

Loss of binocular vision as direct cause for misrouting of temporal retinal fibers in albinism.

Science.gov (United States)

Banihani, Saleh M

2015-10-01

In humans, the nasal retina projects to the contralateral hemisphere, whereas the temporal retina projects ipsilaterally. The nasotemporal line that divides the retina into crossed and uncrossed parts coincides with the vertical meridian through the fovea. This normal projection of the retina is severely altered in albinism, in which the nasotemporal line shifted into the temporal retina with temporal retinal fibers cross the midline at the optic chiasm. This study proposes the loss of binocular vision as direct cause for misrouting of temporal retinal fibers and shifting of the nasotemporal line temporally in albinism. It is supported by many observations that clearly indicate that loss of binocular vision causes uncrossed retinal fibers to cross the midline. This hypothesis may alert scientists and clinicians to find ways to prevent or minimize the loss of binocular vision that may occur in some diseases such as albinism and early squint. Hopefully, this will minimize the misrouting of temporal fibers and improve vision in such diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Temporal Semantic Shifts of Peer-to-Peer Communication in a Health-Related Online Community: Implications for Data-driven Health Promotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sridharan, Vishnupriya; Cohen, Trevor; Cobb, Nathan; Myneni, Sahiti

2016-01-01

With online social platforms gaining popularity as venues of behavior change, it is important to understand the ways in which these platforms facilitate peer interactions. In this paper, we characterize temporal trends in user communication through mapping of theoretically-linked semantic content. We used qualitative coding and automated text analysis to assign theoretical techniques to peer interactions in an online community for smoking cessation, subsequently facilitating temporal visualization of the observed techniques. Results indicate manifestation of several behavior change techniques such as feedback and monitoring' and 'rewards'. Automated methods yielded reasonable results (F-measure=0.77). Temporal trends among relapsers revealed reduction in communication after a relapse event. This social withdrawal may be attributed to failure guilt after the relapse. Results indicate significant change in thematic categories such as 'social support', 'natural consequences', and 'comparison of outcomes' pre and post relapse. Implications for development of behavioral support technologies that promote long-term abstinence are discussed.

How do auditory cortex neurons represent communication sounds?

Science.gov (United States)

Gaucher, Quentin; Huetz, Chloé; Gourévitch, Boris; Laudanski, Jonathan; Occelli, Florian; Edeline, Jean-Marc

2013-11-01

A major goal in auditory neuroscience is to characterize how communication sounds are represented at the cortical level. The present review aims at investigating the role of auditory cortex in the processing of speech, bird songs and other vocalizations, which all are spectrally and temporally highly structured sounds. Whereas earlier studies have simply looked for neurons exhibiting higher firing rates to particular conspecific vocalizations over their modified, artificially synthesized versions, more recent studies determined the coding capacity of temporal spike patterns, which are prominent in primary and non-primary areas (and also in non-auditory cortical areas). In several cases, this information seems to be correlated with the behavioral performance of human or animal subjects, suggesting that spike-timing based coding strategies might set the foundations of our perceptive abilities. Also, it is now clear that the responses of auditory cortex neurons are highly nonlinear and that their responses to natural stimuli cannot be predicted from their responses to artificial stimuli such as moving ripples and broadband noises. Since auditory cortex neurons cannot follow rapid fluctuations of the vocalizations envelope, they only respond at specific time points during communication sounds, which can serve as temporal markers for integrating the temporal and spectral processing taking place at subcortical relays. Thus, the temporal sparse code of auditory cortex neurons can be considered as a first step for generating high level representations of communication sounds independent of the acoustic characteristic of these sounds. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives". Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental memory capacity resources of typical children retrieving picture communication symbols using direct selection and visual linear scanning with fixed communication displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Barry T; Jackson, Heather M

2006-02-01

This study examined the cognitive demands of 2 selection techniques in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), direct selection, and visual linear scanning, by determining the memory retrieval abilities of typically developing children when presented with fixed communication displays. One hundred twenty typical children from kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades were randomly assigned to either a direct selection or visual linear scanning group. Memory retrieval was assessed through word span using Picture Communication Symbols (PCSs). Participants were presented various numbers and arrays of PCSs and asked to retrieve them by placing identical graphic symbols on fixed communication displays with grid layouts. The results revealed that participants were able to retrieve more PCSs during direct selection than scanning. Additionally, 3rd-grade children retrieved more PCSs than kindergarten and 1st-grade children. An analysis on the type of errors during retrieval indicated that children were more successful at retrieving the correct PCSs than the designated location of those symbols on fixed communication displays. AAC practitioners should consider using direct selection over scanning whenever possible and account for anticipatory monitoring and pulses when scanning is used in the service delivery of children with little or no functional speech. Also, researchers should continue to investigate AAC selection techniques in relationship to working memory resources.

Supervised Learning Based on Temporal Coding in Spiking Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafa, Hesham

2017-08-01

Gradient descent training techniques are remarkably successful in training analog-valued artificial neural networks (ANNs). Such training techniques, however, do not transfer easily to spiking networks due to the spike generation hard nonlinearity and the discrete nature of spike communication. We show that in a feedforward spiking network that uses a temporal coding scheme where information is encoded in spike times instead of spike rates, the network input-output relation is differentiable almost everywhere. Moreover, this relation is piecewise linear after a transformation of variables. Methods for training ANNs thus carry directly to the training of such spiking networks as we show when training on the permutation invariant MNIST task. In contrast to rate-based spiking networks that are often used to approximate the behavior of ANNs, the networks we present spike much more sparsely and their behavior cannot be directly approximated by conventional ANNs. Our results highlight a new approach for controlling the behavior of spiking networks with realistic temporal dynamics, opening up the potential for using these networks to process spike patterns with complex temporal information.

Quantum secure direct communication network with superdense coding and decoy photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Fuguo; Li Xihan; Li Chunyan; Zhou Ping; Zhou Hongyu

2007-01-01

A quantum secure direct communication network scheme is proposed with quantum superdense coding and decoy photons. The servers on a passive optical network prepare and measure the quantum signal, i.e. a sequence of the d-dimensional Bell states. After confirming the security of the photons received from the receiver, the sender codes his secret message on them directly. For preventing a dishonest server from eavesdropping, some decoy photons prepared by measuring one photon in the Bell states are used to replace some original photons. One of the users on the network can communicate to any other one. This scheme has the advantage of high capacity, and it is more convenient than others as only a sequence of photons is transmitted in quantum line

Deterministic secure direct communication using GHZ states and swapping quantum entanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, T; Yan, F L; Wang, Z X

2005-01-01

We present a deterministic secure direct communication scheme via entanglement swapping, where a set of ordered maximally entangled three-particle states (GHZ states), initially shared by three spatially separated parties, Alice, Bob and Charlie, functions as a quantum information channel. After ensuring the safety of the quantum channel, Alice and Bob apply a series of local operations on their respective particles according to the tripartite stipulation and the secret message they both want to send to Charlie. By three of Alice, Bob and Charlie's Bell measurement results, Charlie is able to infer the secret messages directly. The secret messages are faithfully transmitted from Alice and Bob to Charlie via initially shared pairs of GHZ states without revealing any information to a potential eavesdropper. Since there is no transmission of the qubits carrying the secret message between any two of them in the public channel, it is completely secure for direct secret communication if a perfect quantum channel is used

A Direct Carotid-Cavernous Fistula due to Penetrating Trauma by a Knitting Needle to the Temporal Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selcuk Gocmen

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Traumatic carotid-cavernous and #64257;stulas (CCF usually occur after closed head injuries. In addition, CCFs can also be caused by penetrating injuries with stab or gunshot injuries. We present the case of traumatic CCF that was caused with a knitting needle directly penetrating through the temporal region. A 46-year-old man consulted with a progressive left swollen eye. His head computed tomography (CT revealed a left temporal lobe contusion and fracture of the left temporal bone. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA showed a direct high-flow fistula (Type-A lesion. After the balloon occlusion test, which was well tolerated by the patient, the internal carotid artery was occluded by the interventional radiologist. A review of the literature demonstrated that all of the traumatic CCFs occurred due to penetrating stab injuries through the orbita. To our knowledge, such a case has not been previously reported. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2012; 1(4.000: 261-264

Semi-quantum Secure Direct Communication Scheme Based on Bell States

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Chen; Li, Lvzhou; Situ, Haozhen; He, Jianhao

2018-06-01

Recently, the idea of semi-quantumness has been often used in designing quantum cryptographic schemes, which allows some of the participants of a quantum cryptographic scheme to remain classical. One of the reasons why this idea is popular is that it allows a quantum information processing task to be accomplished by using quantum resources as few as possible. In this paper, we extend the idea to quantum secure direct communication(QSDC) by proposing a semi-quantum secure direct communication scheme. In the scheme, the message sender, Alice, encodes each bit into a Bell state |φ+> = 1/{√2}(|00> +|11> ) or |{Ψ }+> = 1/{√ 2}(|01> +|10> ), and the message receiver, Bob, who is classical in the sense that he can either let the qubit he received reflect undisturbed, or measure the qubit in the computational basis |0>, |1> and then resend it in the state he found. Moreover, the security analysis of our scheme is also given.

Numerical simulation of the effect of dissipation and phase fluctuation in a direct communication scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Fu; Zhu, Shi-Yao; Zhang, Jun-Xiang

2015-01-01

Recently, the direct counterfactual communication protocol, proposed by Salih et al (2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 170502) using a single photon source under ideal conditions (no dissipation, no phase fluctuation and an infinite number of beam splitters), has attracted much interest from a broad range of scientists. In order to put the direct communication protocol into a realistic framework, we numerically simulate the effect of the dissipation and the phase fluctuation with a finite number of beam splitters. Our calculation shows that the dissipation and phase fluctuation will dramatically decrease the reliability and the efficiency of communication, and even corrupt the communication. To counteract the negative effect of dissipation, we propose the balanced dissipation method, which substantially improves the reliability of the protocol at the expense of decreasing communication efficiency. Meanwhile, our theoretical derivation shows that the reliability and efficiency of communication are independent of the input state: a single photon state or a coherent state. (paper)

Numerical simulation of the effect of dissipation and phase fluctuation in a direct communication scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fu; Zhang, Jun-Xiang; Zhu, Shi-Yao

2015-06-01

Recently, the direct counterfactual communication protocol, proposed by Salih et al (2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 170502) using a single photon source under ideal conditions (no dissipation, no phase fluctuation and an infinite number of beam splitters), has attracted much interest from a broad range of scientists. In order to put the direct communication protocol into a realistic framework, we numerically simulate the effect of the dissipation and the phase fluctuation with a finite number of beam splitters. Our calculation shows that the dissipation and phase fluctuation will dramatically decrease the reliability and the efficiency of communication, and even corrupt the communication. To counteract the negative effect of dissipation, we propose the balanced dissipation method, which substantially improves the reliability of the protocol at the expense of decreasing communication efficiency. Meanwhile, our theoretical derivation shows that the reliability and efficiency of communication are independent of the input state: a single photon state or a coherent state.

A Comparison of Assessment Tools: Is Direct Observation an Improvement Over Objective Structured Clinical Examinations for Communications Skills Evaluation?

Science.gov (United States)

Goch, Abraham M; Karia, Raj; Taormina, David; Kalet, Adina; Zuckerman, Joseph; Egol, Kenneth A; Phillips, Donna

2018-04-01

Evaluation of resident physicians' communications skills is a challenging task and is increasingly accomplished with standardized examinations. There exists a need to identify the effective, efficient methods for assessment of communications skills. We compared objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and direct observation as approaches for assessing resident communications skills. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of orthopaedic surgery resident physicians at a single tertiary care academic institution, using the Institute for Healthcare Communication "4 Es" model for effective communication. Data were collected between 2011 and 2015. A total of 28 residents, each with OSCE and complete direct observation assessment checklists, were included in the analysis. Residents were included if they had 1 OSCE assessment and 2 or more complete direct observation assessments. There were 28 of a possible 59 residents (47%) included. A total of 89% (25 of 28) of residents passed the communications skills OSCE; only 54% (15 of 28) of residents passed the direct observation communications assessment. There was a positive, moderate correlation between OSCE and direct observation scores overall ( r  = 0.415, P  = .028). There was no agreement between OSCE and direct observation in categorizing residents into passing and failing scores (κ = 0.205, P  = .16), after adjusting for chance agreement. Our results suggest that OSCE and direct observation tools provide different insights into resident communications skills (simulation of rare and challenging situations versus real-life daily encounters), and may provide useful perspectives on resident communications skills in different contexts.

Improving temporal bone dissection using self-directed virtual reality simulation: results of a randomized blinded control trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yi Chen; Kennedy, Gregor; Yukawa, Kumiko; Pyman, Brian; O'Leary, Stephen

2011-03-01

A significant benefit of virtual reality (VR) simulation is the ability to provide self-direct learning for trainees. This study aims to determine whether there are any differences in performance of cadaver temporal bone dissections between novices who received traditional teaching methods and those who received unsupervised self-directed learning in a VR temporal bone simulator. Randomized blinded control trial. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Twenty novice trainees. After receiving an hour lecture, participants were randomized into 2 groups to receive an additional 2 hours of training via traditional teaching methods or self-directed learning using a VR simulator with automated guidance. The simulation environment presented participants with structured training tasks, which were accompanied by real-time computer-generated feedback as well as real operative videos and photos. After the training, trainees were asked to perform a cortical mastoidectomy on a cadaveric temporal bone. The dissection was videotaped and assessed by 3 otologists blinded to participants' teaching group. The overall performance scores of the simulator-based training group were significantly higher than those of the traditional training group (67% vs 29%; P < .001), with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.93, indicating excellent interrater reliability. Using other assessments of performance, such as injury size, the VR simulator-based training group also performed better than the traditional group. This study indicates that self-directed learning on VR simulators can be used to improve performance on cadaver dissection in novice trainees compared with traditional teaching methods alone.

A Temporal Millimeter Wave Propagation Model for Tunnels Using Ray Frustum Techniques and FFT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Choonghyen Kwon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A temporal millimeter wave propagation model for tunnels is presented using ray frustum techniques and fast Fourier transform (FFT. To directly estimate or simulate effects of millimeter wave channel properties on the performance of communication services, time domain impulse responses of demodulated signals should be obtained, which needs rather large computation time. To mitigate the computational burden, ray frustum techniques are used to obtain frequency domain transfer function of millimeter wave propagation environment and FFT of equivalent low pass signals are used to retrieve demodulated waveforms. This approach is numerically efficient and helps to directly estimate impact of tunnel structures and surfaces roughness on the performance of millimeter wave communication services.

A posteriori model validation for the temporal order of directed functional connectivity maps.

Science.gov (United States)

Beltz, Adriene M; Molenaar, Peter C M

2015-01-01

A posteriori model validation for the temporal order of neural directed functional connectivity maps is rare. This is striking because models that require sequential independence among residuals are regularly implemented. The aim of the current study was (a) to apply to directed functional connectivity maps of functional magnetic resonance imaging data an a posteriori model validation procedure (i.e., white noise tests of one-step-ahead prediction errors combined with decision criteria for revising the maps based upon Lagrange Multiplier tests), and (b) to demonstrate how the procedure applies to single-subject simulated, single-subject task-related, and multi-subject resting state data. Directed functional connectivity was determined by the unified structural equation model family of approaches in order to map contemporaneous and first order lagged connections among brain regions at the group- and individual-levels while incorporating external input, then white noise tests were run. Findings revealed that the validation procedure successfully detected unmodeled sequential dependencies among residuals and recovered higher order (greater than one) simulated connections, and that the procedure can accommodate task-related input. Findings also revealed that lags greater than one were present in resting state data: With a group-level network that contained only contemporaneous and first order connections, 44% of subjects required second order, individual-level connections in order to obtain maps with white noise residuals. Results have broad methodological relevance (e.g., temporal validation is necessary after directed functional connectivity analyses because the presence of unmodeled higher order sequential dependencies may bias parameter estimates) and substantive implications (e.g., higher order lags may be common in resting state data).

A posteriori model validation for the temporal order of directed functional connectivity maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriene M. Beltz

2015-08-01

Full Text Available A posteriori model validation for the temporal order of neural directed functional connectivity maps is rare. This is striking because models that require sequential independence among residuals are regularly implemented. The aim of the current study was (a to apply to directed functional connectivity maps of functional magnetic resonance imaging data an a posteriori model validation procedure (i.e., white noise tests of one-step-ahead prediction errors combined with decision criteria for revising the maps based upon Lagrange Multiplier tests, and (b to demonstrate how the procedure applies to single-subject simulated, single-subject task-related, and multi-subject resting state data. Directed functional connectivity was determined by the unified structural equation model family of approaches in order to map contemporaneous and first order lagged connections among brain regions at the group- and individual-levels while incorporating external input, then white noise tests were run. Findings revealed that the validation procedure successfully detected unmodeled sequential dependencies among residuals and recovered higher order (greater than one simulated connections, and that the procedure can accommodate task-related input. Findings also revealed that lags greater than one were present in resting state data: With a group-level network that contained only contemporaneous and first order connections, 44% of subjects required second order, individual-level connections in order to obtain maps with white noise residuals. Results have broad methodological relevance (e.g., temporal validation is necessary after directed functional connectivity analyses because the presence of unmodeled higher order sequential dependencies may bias parameter estimates and substantive implications (e.g., higher order lags may be common in resting state data.

Quantum Secure Direct Communication with Five-Qubit Entangled State

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Song; Liu Xiao-Fen; Gao Fei

2011-01-01

Recently, a genuine five-qubit entangled state has been achieved by Brown et al.[J. Phys. A 38 (2005) 1119]. Later it was indicated that this state can be used for quantum teleportation and quantum state sharing. Here we build a quantum secure direct communication protocol with this state, and prove that it is secure in ideal conditions. In the protocol, the sender performs unitary transformations to encode a secret message on his/her particles and sends them to the receiver. The receiver then performs projective determinate measurement to decode the secret message directly. Furthermore, this protocol utilizes superdense coding to achieve a high intrinsic efficiency and source capacity. (general)

Teach It, Don’t Preach It: The Differential Effects of Directly-communicated and Self-generated Utility Value Information

Science.gov (United States)

Canning, Elizabeth A.; Harackiewicz, Judith M.

2015-01-01

Social-psychological interventions in education have used a variety of “self-persuasion” or “saying-is-believing” techniques to encourage students to articulate key intervention messages. These techniques are used in combination with more overt strategies, such as the direct communication of messages in order to promote attitude change. However, these different strategies have rarely been systematically compared, particularly in controlled laboratory settings. We focus on one intervention based in expectancy-value theory designed to promote perceptions of utility value in the classroom and test different intervention techniques to promote interest and performance. Across three laboratory studies, we used a mental math learning paradigm in which we varied whether students wrote about utility value for themselves or received different forms of directly-communicated information about the utility value of a novel mental math technique. In Study 1, we examined the difference between directly-communicated and self-generated utility-value information and found that directly-communicated utility-value information undermined performance and interest for individuals who lacked confidence, but that self-generated utility had positive effects. However, Study 2 suggests that these negative effects of directly-communicated utility value can be ameliorated when participants are also given the chance to generate their own examples of utility value, revealing a synergistic effect of directly-communicated and self-generated utility value. In Study 3, we found that individuals who lacked confidence benefited more when everyday examples of utility value were communicated, rather than career and school examples. PMID:26495326

Teach It, Don't Preach It: The Differential Effects of Directly-communicated and Self-generated Utility Value Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Canning, Elizabeth A; Harackiewicz, Judith M

2015-03-01

Social-psychological interventions in education have used a variety of "self-persuasion" or "saying-is-believing" techniques to encourage students to articulate key intervention messages. These techniques are used in combination with more overt strategies, such as the direct communication of messages in order to promote attitude change. However, these different strategies have rarely been systematically compared, particularly in controlled laboratory settings. We focus on one intervention based in expectancy-value theory designed to promote perceptions of utility value in the classroom and test different intervention techniques to promote interest and performance. Across three laboratory studies, we used a mental math learning paradigm in which we varied whether students wrote about utility value for themselves or received different forms of directly-communicated information about the utility value of a novel mental math technique. In Study 1, we examined the difference between directly-communicated and self-generated utility-value information and found that directly-communicated utility-value information undermined performance and interest for individuals who lacked confidence, but that self-generated utility had positive effects. However, Study 2 suggests that these negative effects of directly-communicated utility value can be ameliorated when participants are also given the chance to generate their own examples of utility value, revealing a synergistic effect of directly-communicated and self-generated utility value. In Study 3, we found that individuals who lacked confidence benefited more when everyday examples of utility value were communicated, rather than career and school examples.

Performance Analysis of Mobile Ad Hoc Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Communication Networks with Directional Antennas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdel Ilah Alshbatat

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs have the potential of creating an ad hoc communication network in the air. Most UAVs used in communication networks are equipped with wireless transceivers using omnidirectional antennas. In this paper, we consider a collection of UAVs that communicate through wireless links as a mobile ad-hoc network using directional antennas. The network design goal is to maximize the throughput and minimize the end-to-end delay. In this respect, we propose a new medium access control protocol for a network of UAVs with directional antennas. We analyze the communication channel between the UAVs and the effect of aircraft attitude on the network performance. Using the optimized network engineering tool (OPNET, we compare our protocol with the IEEE 802.11 protocol for omnidirectional antennas. The simulation results show performance improvement in end-to-end delay as well as throughput.

Two-step quantum direct communication protocol using the Einstein- Podolsky-Rosen pair block

CERN Document Server

Fu Guo Deng; Xiao Shu Liu; 10.1103/PhysRevA.68.042317

2003-01-01

A protocol for quantum secure direct communication using blocks of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs is proposed. A set of ordered N EPR pairs is used as a data block for sending secret message directly. The ordered N EPR set is divided into two particle sequences, a checking sequence and a message-coding sequence. After transmitting the checking sequence, the two parties of communication check eavesdropping by measuring a fraction of particles randomly chosen, with random choice of two sets of measuring bases. After insuring the security of the quantum channel, the sender Alice encodes the secret message directly on the message-coding sequence and sends them to Bob. By combining the checking and message-coding sequences together, Bob is able to read out the encoded messages directly. The scheme is secure because an eavesdropper cannot get both sequences simultaneously. We also discuss issues in a noisy channel. (30 refs).

Robust Quantum Secure Direct Communication over Collective Rotating Channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Sujuan; Gao Fei; Wen Qiaoyan; Zhu Fuchen

2010-01-01

A quantum secure direct communication protocol over a collective rotating channel is proposed. The protocol encodes logical bits in noiseless subspaces, and so it can function over a quantum channel subjected to an arbitrary degree of collective rotating noise. Although entangled states are used, both the sender and receiver are only required to perform single-particle product measurement or Pauli operations. The protocol is feasible with present-day technique. (general)

The left middle temporal gyrus in the middle of an impaired social-affective communication network in social anxiety disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Je-Yeon; Kim, Jae-Chang; Ku, Jeonghun; Shin, Jung-Eun; Kim, Jae-Jin; Choi, Soo-Hee

2017-05-01

Previous studies on patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD) reported changed patterns of the resting-state functional connectivity network (rs-FCN) between the prefrontal cortices and other prefrontal, amygdalar or striatal regions. Using a graph theory approach, this study explored the modularity-based community profile and patterns of inter-/intra-modular communication for the rs-FCN in SAD. In total, for 28 SAD patients and 27 healthy controls (HC), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired in resting-state and subjected to a graph theory analysis. The within-module degree z-score for a hub region [out of a total of 10 hub regions ranked using the participation coefficient] named left middle temporal gyrus was impaired in SAD compared to HC, proportional to the severity of clinician-scored and patient-reported functional impairment in SAD. Most of participants included in this study were undergraduate students in their early-to-mid 20's. This study showed the importance of functional communication from the left middle temporal gyrus with other opercular-insular-subcortical regions for better objective functioning and lesser subjective disability in SAD. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A generalized architecture of quantum secure direct communication for N disjointed users with authentication

Science.gov (United States)

Farouk, Ahmed; Zakaria, Magdy; Megahed, Adel; Omara, Fatma A.

2015-11-01

In this paper, we generalize a secured direct communication process between N users with partial and full cooperation of quantum server. So, N - 1 disjointed users u1, u2, …, uN-1 can transmit a secret message of classical bits to a remote user uN by utilizing the property of dense coding and Pauli unitary transformations. The authentication process between the quantum server and the users are validated by EPR entangled pair and CNOT gate. Afterwards, the remained EPR will generate shared GHZ states which are used for directly transmitting the secret message. The partial cooperation process indicates that N - 1 users can transmit a secret message directly to a remote user uN through a quantum channel. Furthermore, N - 1 users and a remote user uN can communicate without an established quantum channel among them by a full cooperation process. The security analysis of authentication and communication processes against many types of attacks proved that the attacker cannot gain any information during intercepting either authentication or communication processes. Hence, the security of transmitted message among N users is ensured as the attacker introduces an error probability irrespective of the sequence of measurement.

Network-Assisted Device-to-Device (D2D) Direct Proximity Discovery with Underlay Communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pratas, Nuno; Popovski, Petar

2015-01-01

) direct communication between proximate devices. While (ii) is treated extensively in the recent literature, (i) has received relatively little attention. In this paper we analyze a network-assisted underlay proximity discovery protocol, where a cellular device can take the role of: announcer (which......Device-to-Device communications are expected to play an important role in current and future cellular generations, by increasing the spatial reuse of spectrum resources and enabling lower latency communication links. This paradigm has two fundamental building blocks: (i) proximity discovery and (ii......, we consider the case where the announcers underlay their messages in the downlink transmissions that are directed towards the monitoring devices. We propose a power control scheme applied to the downlink transmission, which copes with the underlay transmission via additional power expenditure, while...

Multiparty Quantum Secret Sharing of Secure Direct Communication Using Teleportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jian; Zhang Quan; Tang Chaojing

2007-01-01

We present an (n,n) threshold quantum secret sharing scheme of secure direct communication using Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state and teleportation. After ensuring the security of the quantum channel, the sender encodes the secret message directly on a sequence of particle states and transmits it to the receivers by teleportation. The receivers can recover the secret message by combining their measurement results with the sender's result. If a perfect quantum channel is used, our scheme is completely secure because the transmitting particle sequence does not carry the secret message. We also show our scheme is secure for noise quantum channel.

[Instrumental, directive, and affective communication in hospital leaflets].

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcellos-Silva, Paulo Roberto; Uribe Rivera, Francisco Javier; Castiel, Luis David

2003-01-01

This study focuses on the typical semantic systems extracted from hospital staff communicative resources which attempt to validate information as an "object" to be transferred to patients. We describe the models of textual communication in 58 patient information leaflets from five hospital units in Brazil, gathered from 1996 to 2002. Three categories were identified, based on the theory of speech acts (Austin, Searle, and Habermas): 1) cognitive-instrumental utterances: descriptions by means of technical terms validated by self-referred, incomplete, or inaccessible argumentation, with an implicit educational function; 2) technical-directive utterances: self-referred (to the context of the source domains), with a shifting of everyday acts to a technical terrain with a disciplinary function and impersonal features; and 3) expressive modulations: need for inter-subjective connections to strengthen bonds of trust and a tendency to use childish arguments. We conclude that the three categories displayed: fragmentary sources; assumption of univocal messages and invariable use of information (idealized motivations and interests, apart from individualized perspectives); and assumption of universal interests as generators of knowledge.

A two-step quantum secure direct communication protocol with hyperentanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Bin; Zhang Cheng-Yi; Huang Yu-Gai; Fang Xia

2011-01-01

We propose a two-step quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocol with hyperentanglement in both the spatial-mode and the polarization degrees of freedom of photon pairs which can in principle be produced with a beta barium borate crystal. The secret message can be encoded on the photon pairs with unitary operations in these two degrees of freedom independently. This QSDC protocol has a higher capacity than the original two-step QSDC protocol as each photon pair can carry 4 bits of information. Compared with the QSDC protocol based on hyperdense coding, this QSDC protocol has the immunity to Trojan horse attack strategies with the process for determining the number of the photons in each quantum signal as it is a one-way quantum communication protocol. (general)

Quantum secure direct communication by EPR pairs and entanglement swapping

CERN Document Server

Gao, T; Yan, F L; 10.1393/ncb/i2004-10090-1

2004-01-01

We present, a quantum secure direct communication scheme achieved by swapping quantum entanglement. In this scheme a set of ordered Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (HPIl) pairs is used as a quantum information channel for sending secret messages directly. After insuring the safety of the quantum channel, the sender Alice encodes the secret messages directly by applying a series local operations on her particle sequences according to their stipulation. Using three EPR pairs, three bits of secret classical information can be faithfully transmitted from Alice to remote Bob without revealing any information to a potential eavesdropper. By both Alice and Bob's GHZ state measurement results, Bob is able to read out the encoded secret messages directly. The protocol is completely secure if perfect quantum channel is used, because there is not a transmission of the qubits carrying the secret message between Alice and Bob in the public channel.

A Chaos-Based Secure Direct-Sequence/Spread-Spectrum Communication System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen Xuan Quyen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a chaos-based secure direct-sequence/spread-spectrum (DS/SS communication system which is based on a novel combination of the conventional DS/SS and chaos techniques. In the proposed system, bit duration is varied according to a chaotic behavior but is always equal to a multiple of the fixed chip duration in the communication process. Data bits with variable duration are spectrum-spread by multiplying directly with a pseudonoise (PN sequence and then modulated onto a sinusoidal carrier by means of binary phase-shift keying (BPSK. To recover exactly the data bits, the receiver needs an identical regeneration of not only the PN sequence but also the chaotic behavior, and hence data security is improved significantly. Structure and operation of the proposed system are analyzed in detail. Theoretical evaluation of bit-error rate (BER performance in presence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN is provided. Parameter choice for different cases of simulation is also considered. Simulation and theoretical results are shown to verify the reliability and feasibility of the proposed system. Security of the proposed system is also discussed.

Comment on 'Quantum direct communication with authentication'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhan-jun; Liu, Jun; Wang, Dong; Shi, Shou-hua

2007-01-01

Two protocols of quantum direct communication with authentication [Phys. Rev. A 73, 042305 (2006)] were recently proposed by Lee, Lim, and Yang. In this paper we will show that in the two protocols the authenticator Trent should be prevented from knowing the secret message. The first protocol can be eavesdropped on by Trent using the intercept-measure-resend attack, while the second protocol can be eavesdropped on by Trent using a simple single-qubit measurement. To fix these leaks, we revise the original versions of the protocols by using the Pauli Z operation σ z instead of the original bit-flip operation X. As a consequence, the attacks we present can be prevented and accordingly the protocol securities are improved

Rhythm and Time in Music Epitomize the Temporal Dynamics of Human Communicative Behavior: The Broad Implications of London's Trinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter E. Keller

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Three key issues about rhythm and timing in music are drawn to the attention of linguists in a paper by London (2012. In this commentary, I argue that these issues are relevant not only to linguists, but also to those in any field dealing with the temporal dynamics of human communicative behavior. Thus, the distinction between endogenously and exogenously driven mechanisms of perceptual organization, the active nature of perception, and the presence of multiple time scales are topics that also concern experimental psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists. London’s argument that these three issues play a crucial role in the perception of rhythm and timing implies that they should be considered collectively when attempting to understand diverse communicative acts.

Using the combination refraction-reflection solid to design omni-directional light source used in underwater wireless optical communication

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Jionghui; Yao, Wenming; Wen, Linqiang

2015-10-01

Underwater wireless optical communication is a communication technology which uses laser as an information carrier and transmits data through water. Underwater wireless optical communication has some good features such as broader bandwidth, high transmission rate, better security, anti—interference performance. Therefore, it is promising to be widely used in the civil and military communication domains. It is also suitable for high-speed, short-range communication between underwater mobile vehicles. This paper presents a design approach of omni-directional light source used in underwater wireless optical communication, using TRACEPRO simulation tool to help design a combination solid composed of the lens, conical reflector and parabolic reflector, and using the modulated DPSS green laser in the transmitter module to output the laser beam in small divergence angles, after expanded by the combination refraction-reflection solid, the angle turns into a space divergence angle of 2π, achieving the omni-directional light source of hemisphere space, and test in the air and underwater, the result shows that the effect is fine. This paper analyzes the experimental test in the air and water, in order to make further improvement of the uniformity of light distribution, we optimize the reflector surface parameters of combination refraction-reflection solid and test in the air and water. The result shows that omni-directional light source used in underwater wireless optical communication optimized could achieve the uniformity of light distribution of underwater space divergence angle of 2π. Omni-directional light source used in underwater wireless optical communication designed in this paper has the characteristics of small size and uniformity of light distribution, it is suitable for application between UUVs, AUVs, Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) and other underwater vehicle fleet, it realizes point-to-multipoint communications.

Multi-user bidirectional communication using isochronal synchronisation of array of chaotic directly modulated semiconductor lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishna, Bindu M.; John, Manu P.; Nandakumaran, V.M.

2010-01-01

Isochronal synchronisation between the elements of an array of three mutually coupled directly modulated semiconductor lasers is utilized for the purpose of simultaneous bidirectional secure communication. Chaotic synchronisation is achieved by adding the coupling signal to the self feedback signal provided to each element of the array. A symmetric coupling is effective in inducing synchronisation between the elements of the array. This coupling scheme provides a direct link between every pair of elements thus making the method suitable for simultaneous bidirectional communication between them. Both analog and digital messages are successfully encrypted and decrypted simultaneously by each element of the array.

Medicine, market and communication: ethical considerations in regard to persuasive communication in direct-to-consumer genetic testing services.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaper, Manuel; Schicktanz, Silke

2018-06-05

Commercial genetic testing offered over the internet, known as direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC GT), currently is under ethical attack. A common critique aims at the limited validation of the tests as well as the risk of psycho-social stress or adaption of incorrect behavior by users triggered by misleading health information. Here, we examine in detail the specific role of advertising communication of DTC GT companies from a medical ethical perspective. Our argumentative analysis departs from the starting point that DTC GT operates at the intersection of two different contexts: medicine on the one hand and the market on the other. Both fields differ strongly with regard to their standards of communication practices and the underlying normative assumptions regarding autonomy and responsibility. Following a short review of the ethical contexts of medical and commercial communication, we provide case examples for persuasive messages of DTC GT websites and briefly analyze their design with a multi-modal approach to illustrate some of their problematic implications. We observe three main aspects in DTC GT advertising communication: (1) the use of material suggesting medical professional legitimacy as a trust-establishing tool, (2) the suggestion of empowerment as a benefit of using DTC GT services and (3) the narrative of responsibility as a persuasive appeal to a moral self-conception. While strengthening and respecting the autonomy of a patient is the focus in medical communication, specifically genetic counselling, persuasive communication is the normal mode in marketing of consumer goods, presuming an autonomous, rational, independent consumer. This creates tension in the context of DTC GT regarding the expectation and normative assessment of communication strategies. Our analysis can even the ground for a better understanding of ethical problems associated with intersections of medical and commercial communication and point to perspectives of analysis of

Temporal Pattern of Online Communication Spike Trains in Spreading a Scientific Rumor: How Often, Who Interacts with Whom?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ceyda eSanli

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We study complex time series (spike trains of online user communication while spreading messages about the discovery of the Higgs boson in Twitter. We focus on online social interactions among users such as retweet, mention, and reply, and construct different types of active (performing an action and passive (receiving an action spike trains for each user. The spike trains are analyzed by means of local variation, to quantify the temporal behavior of active and passive users, as a function of their activity and popularity. We show that the active spike trains are bursty, independently of their activation frequency. For passive spike trains, in contrast, the local variation of popular users presents uncorrelated (Poisson random dynamics. We further characterize the correlations of the local variation in different interactions. We obtain high values of correlation, and thus consistent temporal behavior, between retweets and mentions, but only for popular users, indicating that creating online attention suggests an alignment in the dynamics of the two interactions.

Enhanced Visual Temporal Resolution in Autism Spectrum Disorders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Falter, Christine M.; Elliott, Mark A.; Bailey, Anthony J.

2012-01-01

Cognitive functions that rely on accurate sequencing of events, such as action planning and execution, verbal and nonverbal communication, and social interaction rely on well-tuned coding of temporal event-structure. Visual temporal event-structure coding was tested in 17 high-functioning

Bi-directionally protective communication between neurons and astrocytes under ischemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiao-Mei; Qian, Christopher; Zhou, Yu-Fu; Yan, Yick-Chun; Luo, Qian-Qian; Yung, Wing-Ho; Zhang, Fa-Li; Jiang, Li-Rong; Qian, Zhong Ming; Ke, Ya

2017-10-01

The extensive existing knowledge on bi-directional communication between astrocytes and neurons led us to hypothesize that not only ischemia-preconditioned (IP) astrocytes can protect neurons but also IP neurons protect astrocytes from lethal ischemic injury. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that neurons have a significant role in protecting astrocytes from ischemic injury. The cultured medium from IP neurons (IPcNCM) induced a remarkable reduction in LDH and an increase in cell viability in ischemic astrocytes in vitro. Selective neuronal loss by kainic acid injection induced a significant increase in apoptotic astrocyte numbers in the brain of ischemic rats in vivo. Furthermore, TUNEL analysis, DNA ladder assay, and the measurements of ROS, GSH, pro- and anti-apoptotic factors, anti-oxidant enzymes and signal molecules in vitro and/or in vivo demonstrated that IP neurons protect astrocytes by an EPO-mediated inhibition of pro-apoptotic signals, activation of anti-apoptotic proteins via the P13K/ERK/STAT5 pathways and activation of anti-oxidant proteins via up-regulation of anti-oxidant enzymes. We demonstrated the existence of astro-protection by IP neurons under ischemia and proposed that the bi-directionally protective communications between cells might be a common activity in the brain or peripheral organs under most if not all pathological conditions. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bi-directionally protective communication between neurons and astrocytes under ischemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Mei Wu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The extensive existing knowledge on bi-directional communication between astrocytes and neurons led us to hypothesize that not only ischemia-preconditioned (IP astrocytes can protect neurons but also IP neurons protect astrocytes from lethal ischemic injury. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that neurons have a significant role in protecting astrocytes from ischemic injury. The cultured medium from IP neurons (IPcNCM induced a remarkable reduction in LDH and an increase in cell viability in ischemic astrocytes in vitro. Selective neuronal loss by kainic acid injection induced a significant increase in apoptotic astrocyte numbers in the brain of ischemic rats in vivo. Furthermore, TUNEL analysis, DNA ladder assay, and the measurements of ROS, GSH, pro- and anti-apoptotic factors, anti-oxidant enzymes and signal molecules in vitro and/or in vivo demonstrated that IP neurons protect astrocytes by an EPO-mediated inhibition of pro-apoptotic signals, activation of anti-apoptotic proteins via the P13K/ERK/STAT5 pathways and activation of anti-oxidant proteins via up-regulation of anti-oxidant enzymes. We demonstrated the existence of astro-protection by IP neurons under ischemia and proposed that the bi-directionally protective communications between cells might be a common activity in the brain or peripheral organs under most if not all pathological conditions.

Bidirectional Quantum Secure Direct Communication Network Protocol with Hyperentanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Bin; Chen Yulin; Huang Yugai; Fang Xia

2011-01-01

We propose a bidirectional quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) network protocol with the hyperentanglment in both the spatial-mode ad the polarization degrees of freedom of photon pairs which can in principle be produced with a beta barium borate crystal. The secret message can be encoded on the photon pairs with unitary operations in these two degrees of freedom independently. Compared with other QSDC network protocols, our QSDC network protocol has a higher capacity as each photon pair can carry 4 bits of information. Also, we discuss the security of our QSDC network protocol and its feasibility with current techniques. (general)

A New Quantum Secure Direct Communication Scheme with Authentication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dan, Liu; Chang-Xing, Pei; Dong-Xiao, Quan; Nan, Zhao

2010-01-01

A new quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) scheme with authentication is proposed based on polarized photons and EPR pairs. EPR pairs are used to transmit information, while polarized photons are used to detect Eve and their encoding bases are used to transmit authentication information. Alice and Bob have their own identity number which is shared by legal users only. The identity number is encoded on the bases of polarized photons and distilled if there is no Eve. Compared with other QSDC schemes with authentication, this new scheme is considerably easier and less expensive to implement in a practical setting

Models, Entropy and Information of Temporal Social Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Kun; Karsai, Márton; Bianconi, Ginestra

Temporal social networks are characterized by heterogeneous duration of contacts, which can either follow a power-law distribution, such as in face-to-face interactions, or a Weibull distribution, such as in mobile-phone communication. Here we model the dynamics of face-to-face interaction and mobile phone communication by a reinforcement dynamics, which explains the data observed in these different types of social interactions. We quantify the information encoded in the dynamics of these networks by the entropy of temporal networks. Finally, we show evidence that human dynamics is able to modulate the information present in social network dynamics when it follows circadian rhythms and when it is interfacing with a new technology such as the mobile-phone communication technology.

Modelling temporal variance of component temperatures and directional anisotropy over vegetated canopy

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Zunjian; du, yongming; li, hua

2016-04-01

Land surface temperature (LST) as a key variable plays an important role on hydrological, meteorology and climatological study. Thermal infrared directional anisotropy is one of essential factors to LST retrieval and application on longwave radiance estimation. Many approaches have been proposed to estimate directional brightness temperatures (DBT) over natural and urban surfaces. While less efforts focus on 3-D scene and the surface component temperatures used in DBT models are quiet difficult to acquire. Therefor a combined 3-D model of TRGM (Thermal-region Radiosity-Graphics combined Model) and energy balance method is proposed in the paper for the attempt of synchronously simulation of component temperatures and DBT in the row planted canopy. The surface thermodynamic equilibrium can be final determined by the iteration strategy of TRGM and energy balance method. The combined model was validated by the top-of-canopy DBTs using airborne observations. The results indicated that the proposed model performs well on the simulation of directional anisotropy, especially the hotspot effect. Though we find that the model overestimate the DBT with Bias of 1.2K, it can be an option as a data reference to study temporal variance of component temperatures and DBTs when field measurement is inaccessible

High-Capacity Quantum Secure Direct Communication Based on Quantum Hyperdense Coding with Hyperentanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Tie-Jun; Li Tao; Du Fang-Fang; Deng Fu-Guo

2011-01-01

We present a quantum hyperdense coding protocol with hyperentanglement in polarization and spatial-mode degrees of freedom of photons first and then give the details for a quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocol based on this quantum hyperdense coding protocol. This QSDC protocol has the advantage of having a higher capacity than the quantum communication protocols with a qubit system. Compared with the QSDC protocol based on superdense coding with d-dimensional systems, this QSDC protocol is more feasible as the preparation of a high-dimension quantum system is more difficult than that of a two-level quantum system at present. (general)

A Novel Multiparty Quantum Secret Sharing Scheme of Secure Direct Communication Based on Bell States and Bell Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Run-Hua; Huang Liu-Sheng; Yang Wei; Zhong Hong

2011-01-01

We present a novel quantum secret sharing scheme of secure direct communication and analyze its security. This scheme takes Einstein—Podolsky—Rosen (EPR) pairs in Bell states as quantum resources. In order to obtain the direct communication message, all agents only need to perform Bell measurements, not to perform any local unitary operation. The total efficiency in this scheme approaches 100% as the classical information exchanged is unnecessary except for the eavesdropping checks. (general)

Separating temporal and topological effects in walk-based network centrality.

Science.gov (United States)

Colman, Ewan R; Charlton, Nathaniel

2016-07-01

The recently introduced concept of dynamic communicability is a valuable tool for ranking the importance of nodes in a temporal network. Two metrics, broadcast score and receive score, were introduced to measure the centrality of a node with respect to a model of contagion based on time-respecting walks. This article examines the temporal and structural factors influencing these metrics by considering a versatile stochastic temporal network model. We analytically derive formulas to accurately predict the expectation of the broadcast and receive scores when one or more columns in a temporal edge-list are shuffled. These methods are then applied to two publicly available data sets and we quantify how much the centrality of each individual depends on structural or temporal influences. From our analysis, we highlight two practical contributions: a way to control for temporal variation when computing dynamic communicability and the conclusion that the broadcast and receive scores can, under a range of circumstances, be replaced by the row and column sums of the matrix exponential of a weighted adjacency matrix given by the data.

[The Support System for Diabetic Patients at Home with Bi-Directional IT Communication].

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Masakazu; Hosoda, Kiminori; Eguchi, Kyoko; Nishijima, Yuki; Nakao, Kazuwa; Kinoshita, Ayae

2010-12-01

The present study analyzed the effects of bi-directional IT communication on the purpose of preventing diabetes progression and to reduce a caregiver burden. Diabetic patients were informed of the nature and purpose of the study before giving their voluntary consents to participate in the study. For the period of 12 weeks, a diabetic patient and his caregiver were communicated with a nurse through the TV telephone for 30 minutes once a week. Medical staff checked the list of weight change, compliance check, exercise habit, and attached pictures of the plate with a diabetic patient through the TV telephone in real time. We encouraged a diabetic patient to eat properly based on the diet record. The 12-week TV telephone communication resulted in the body weight decrease and HbA1c. There was a consciousness change about their daily eating habit. In the present study, the 12-week TV telephone communication once a week might be useful as an auxiliary therapy for changing a bad daily habit to a good daily habit for a diabetic patient at home.

Visual elements in direct-to-consumer advertising: Messages communicated to patients with arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Erin

2017-01-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising saturates popular health magazines, communicating persuasive messages to readers that may influence attitudes and behaviors. This research used a two-prong approach to investigate the visual elements used in DTC advertising and their influence on consumers' understanding of a disease and its treatment options. An analysis was conducted of DTC advertisements (N = 62) from a population sample of Arthritis Today magazine, 2000-2010. Three panels of people with arthritis were used to validate the findings and discuss implications for health literacy. Pharmaceutical companies have an opportunity to communicate tailored messages to readers of niche publications and improve disease management.

Cryptanalysis of Quantum Secure Direct Communication and Authentication Scheme via Bell States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Fei; Qin Su-Juan; Guo Fen-Zhuo; Wen Qiao-Yan

2011-01-01

The security of the quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) and authentication protocol based on Bell states is analyzed. It is shown that an eavesdropper can invalidate the authentication function, and implement a successful man-in-the-middle attack, where he/she can obtain or even modify the transmitted secret without introducing any error. The particular attack strategy is demonstrated and an improved protocol is presented. (general)

Discovering Communicable Scientific Knowledge from Spatio-Temporal Data

Science.gov (United States)

Schwabacher, Mark; Langley, Pat; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper describes how we used regression rules to improve upon a result previously published in the Earth science literature. In such a scientific application of machine learning, it is crucially important for the learned models to be understandable and communicable. We recount how we selected a learning algorithm to maximize communicability, and then describe two visualization techniques that we developed to aid in understanding the model by exploiting the spatial nature of the data. We also report how evaluating the learned models across time let us discover an error in the data.

Direct comparison of high-temporal-resolution CINE MRI with Doppler ultrasound for assessment of diastolic dysfunction in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Thomas A; Price, Anthony N; Jackson, Laurence H; Taylor, Valerie; David, Anna L; Lythgoe, Mark F; Stuckey, Daniel J

2017-10-01

Diastolic dysfunction is a sensitive early indicator of heart failure and can provide additional data to conventional measures of systolic function. Transmitral Doppler ultrasound, which measures the one-dimensional flow of blood through the mitral valve, is currently the preferred method for the measurement of diastolic function, but the measurement of the left ventricular volume changes using high-temporal-resolution cinematic magnetic resonance imaging (CINE MRI) is an alternative approach which is emerging as a potentially more robust and user-independent technique. Here, we investigated the performance of high-temporal-resolution CINE MRI and compared it with ultrasound for the detection of diastolic dysfunction in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. An in-house, high-temporal-resolution, retrospectively gated CINE sequence was developed with a temporal resolution of 1 ms. Diastolic function in mice was assessed using a custom-made, open-source reconstruction package. Early (E) and late (A) left ventricular filling phases were easily identifiable, and these measurements were compared directly with high-frequency, pulsed-wave, Doppler ultrasound measurements of mitral valve inflow. A repeatability study established that high-temporal-resolution CINE MRI and Doppler ultrasound showed comparable accuracy when measuring E/A in normal control mice. However, when applied in a mouse model of myocardial infarction, high-temporal-resolution CINE MRI indicated diastolic heart failure (E/A = 0.94 ± 0.11), whereas ultrasound falsely detected normal cardiac function (E/A = 1.21 ± 0.11). The addition of high-temporal-resolution CINE MRI to preclinical imaging studies enhances the library of sequences available to cardiac researchers and potentially identifies diastolic heart failure early in disease progression. © 2017 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improved security detection strategy in quantum secure direct communication protocol based on four-particle Green-Horne-Zeilinger state

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Jian; Nie, Jin-Rui; Li, Rui-Fan [Beijing Univ. of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing (China). School of Computer; Jing, Bo [Beijing Univ. of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing (China). School of Computer; Beijing Institute of Applied Meteorology, Beijing (China). Dept. of Computer Science

2012-06-15

To enhance the efficiency of eavesdropping detection in the quantum secure direct communication protocol, an improved quantum secure direct communication protocol based on a four-particle Green-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state is presented. In the protocol, the four-particle GHZ state is used to detect eavesdroppers, and quantum dense coding is used to encode the message. In the security analysis, the method of entropy theory is introduced, and two detection strategies are compared quantitatively by using the constraint between the information that the eavesdroppers can obtain and the interference that has been introduced. If the eavesdropper wants to obtain all the information, the detection rate of the quantum secure direct communication using an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pair block will be 50% and the detection rate of the presented protocol will be 87%. At last, the security of the proposed protocol is discussed. The analysis results indicate that the protocol proposed is more secure than the others. (orig.)

Whole-brain analytic measures of network communication reveal increased structure-function correlation in right temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wirsich, Jonathan; Perry, Alistair; Ridley, Ben; Proix, Timothée; Golos, Mathieu; Bénar, Christian; Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Bartolomei, Fabrice; Breakspear, Michael; Jirsa, Viktor; Guye, Maxime

2016-01-01

The in vivo structure-function relationship is key to understanding brain network reorganization due to pathologies. This relationship is likely to be particularly complex in brain network diseases such as temporal lobe epilepsy, in which disturbed large-scale systems are involved in both transient electrical events and long-lasting functional and structural impairments. Herein, we estimated this relationship by analyzing the correlation between structural connectivity and functional connectivity in terms of analytical network communication parameters. As such, we targeted the gradual topological structure-function reorganization caused by the pathology not only at the whole brain scale but also both in core and peripheral regions of the brain. We acquired diffusion (dMRI) and resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data in seven right-lateralized TLE (rTLE) patients and fourteen healthy controls and analyzed the structure-function relationship by using analytical network communication metrics derived from the structural connectome. In rTLE patients, we found a widespread hypercorrelated functional network. Network communication analysis revealed greater unspecific branching of the shortest path (search information) in the structural connectome and a higher global correlation between the structural and functional connectivity for the patient group. We also found evidence for a preserved structural rich-club in the patient group. In sum, global augmentation of structure-function correlation might be linked to a smaller functional repertoire in rTLE patients, while sparing the central core of the brain which may represent a pathway that facilitates the spread of seizures.

General Temporal Knowledge for Planning and Data Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Robert; Khatib, Lina

2001-01-01

We consider the architecture of systems that combine temporal planning and plan execution and introduce a layer of temporal reasoning that potential1y improves both the communication between humans and such systems, and the performance of the temporal planner itself. In particular, this additional layer simultaneously supports more flexibility in specifying and maintaining temporal constraints on plans within an uncertain and changing execution environment, and the ability to understand and trace the progress of plan execution. It is shown how a representation based on single set of abstractions of temporal information can be used to characterize the reasoning underlying plan generation and execution interpretation. The complexity of such reasoning is discussed.

Direct Marketing Communication at SEAL Communication Company

OpenAIRE

Wachtler, Kamilla Dóra

2010-01-01

The appearance of the Internet and new, rapidly changing emerging online technologies have led to some fundamental changes in marketing -- especially direct marketing. Besides the growing popularity of the Internet, the appearance of databases and one-to-one marketing are challenging traditional marketing methods. This thesis attempts to illustrate how direct marketing techniques can be implemented in an IT company. It starts with an overview of the concepts of direct marketing and its techni...

Does Direct Radiologist-Patient Verbal Communication Affect Follow-Up Compliance of Probably Benign Assessments?

Science.gov (United States)

Bosma, Melissa S; Neal, Colleen H; Klein, Katherine A; Noroozian, Mitra; Patterson, Stephanie K; Helvie, Mark A

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether direct verbal communication of results by a radiologist affected follow-up compliance rates for probably benign breast imaging findings. This study was institutional review board approved and HIPAA compliant. A retrospective search identified all patients from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 who had breast findings newly assessed as probably benign (BI-RADS category 3). Patients were categorized by whether the radiologist or the technologist verbally communicated the result and follow-up recommendation. Patient adherence to 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up imaging recommendations was recorded. Compliance data were available for 770 of 819 patients in the study. Overall compliance was 83.0% (639 of 770) for 6-month examinations, 68.1% (524 of 770) for 6- and 12-month examinations, and 57.4% (442 of 770) for 6-, 12-, and 24-month examinations. For patients who initially underwent diagnostic mammography alone, there was no significant difference in compliance between those who had and those who did not have radiologist-patient communication (6 months, 81.9% vs 80.8% [P = .83]; 6 and 12 months, 70.8% vs 67.3% [P = .58]; 6, 12, and 24 months, 54.2% vs 58.4% [P = .53]). For patients who initially underwent diagnostic mammography alone versus ultrasound with or without diagnostic mammography, there was no significant difference in compliance (6 months, 81.1% vs 84.3% [P = .24]; 6 and 12 months, 68.1% vs 68.0% [P = .96]; 6, 12, and 24 months, 57.4% vs 57.4% [P = .00]). High initial compliance was achieved by radiologist or technologist verbal communication of findings and recommendations. Direct communication by the radiologist did not increase compliance compared with communication by a technologist. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct-to-Earth Communications with Mars Science Laboratory During Entry, Descent, and Landing

Science.gov (United States)

Soriano, Melissa; Finley, Susan; Fort, David; Schratz, Brian; Ilott, Peter; Mukai, Ryan; Estabrook, Polly; Oudrhiri, Kamal; Kahan, Daniel; Satorius, Edgar

2013-01-01

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) undergoes extreme heating and acceleration during Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) on Mars. Unknown dynamics lead to large Doppler shifts, making communication challenging. During EDL, a special form of Multiple Frequency Shift Keying (MFSK) communication is used for Direct-To-Earth (DTE) communication. The X-band signal is received by the Deep Space Network (DSN) at the Canberra Deep Space Communication complex, then down-converted, digitized, and recorded by open-loop Radio Science Receivers (RSR), and decoded in real-time by the EDL Data Analysis (EDA) System. The EDA uses lock states with configurable Fast Fourier Transforms to acquire and track the signal. RSR configuration and channel allocation is shown. Testing prior to EDL is discussed including software simulations, test bed runs with MSL flight hardware, and the in-flight end-to-end test. EDA configuration parameters and signal dynamics during pre-entry, entry, and parachute deployment are analyzed. RSR and EDA performance during MSL EDL is evaluated, including performance using a single 70-meter DSN antenna and an array of two 34-meter DSN antennas as a back up to the 70-meter antenna.

New Directions in the Study of Organizational Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Donald; Farace, Richard V.

For knowledge of organizational communication to increase, new concepts must be developed and correlative or even causal relationships between communication concepts and other organizational variables must be established. Here, meanings of "organization,""information,""communication," and "other organizational variables" are explicated, and three…

Temporally selective processing of communication signals by auditory midbrain neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elliott, Taffeta M; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob; Kelley, Darcy B

2011-01-01

click rates ranged from 4 to 50 Hz, the rate at which the clicks begin to overlap. Frequency selectivity and temporal processing were characterized using response-intensity curves, temporal-discharge patterns, and autocorrelations of reduplicated responses to click trains. Characteristic frequencies...... of the rate of clicks in calls. The majority of neurons (85%) were selective for click rates, and this selectivity remained unchanged over sound levels 10 to 20 dB above threshold. Selective neurons give phasic, tonic, or adapting responses to tone bursts and click trains. Some algorithms that could compute...

Healthcare professionals' self-reported experiences and preferences related to direct healthcare professional communications : a survey conducted in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Piening, Sigrid; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M.; de Graeff, Pieter A.; Straus, Sabine M. J. M.; Mol, Peter G. M.

2012-01-01

Background: In Europe, Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs) are important tools to inform healthcare professionals of serious, new drug safety issues. However, this tool has not always been successful in effectively communicating the desired actions to healthcare professionals.

Event-Triggered Distributed Average Consensus Over Directed Digital Networks With Limited Communication Bandwidth.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huaqing; Chen, Guo; Huang, Tingwen; Dong, Zhaoyang; Zhu, Wei; Gao, Lan

2016-12-01

In this paper, we consider the event-triggered distributed average-consensus of discrete-time first-order multiagent systems with limited communication data rate and general directed network topology. In the framework of digital communication network, each agent has a real-valued state but can only exchange finite-bit binary symbolic data sequence with its neighborhood agents at each time step due to the digital communication channels with energy constraints. Novel event-triggered dynamic encoder and decoder for each agent are designed, based on which a distributed control algorithm is proposed. A scheme that selects the number of channel quantization level (number of bits) at each time step is developed, under which all the quantizers in the network are never saturated. The convergence rate of consensus is explicitly characterized, which is related to the scale of network, the maximum degree of nodes, the network structure, the scaling function, the quantization interval, the initial states of agents, the control gain and the event gain. It is also found that under the designed event-triggered protocol, by selecting suitable parameters, for any directed digital network containing a spanning tree, the distributed average consensus can be always achieved with an exponential convergence rate based on merely one bit information exchange between each pair of adjacent agents at each time step. Two simulation examples are provided to illustrate the feasibility of presented protocol and the correctness of the theoretical results.

Direct counterfactual communication via quantum Zeno effect

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yuan; Li, Yu-Huai; Cao, Zhu; Yin, Juan; Chen, Yu-Ao; Yin, Hua-Lei; Chen, Teng-Yun; Ma, Xiongfeng; Peng, Cheng-Zhi; Pan, Jian-Wei

2017-05-01

Intuition from our everyday lives gives rise to the belief that information exchanged between remote parties is carried by physical particles. Surprisingly, in a recent theoretical study [Salih H, Li ZH, Al-Amri M, Zubairy MS (2013) Phys Rev Lett 110:170502], quantum mechanics was found to allow for communication, even without the actual transmission of physical particles. From the viewpoint of communication, this mystery stems from a (nonintuitive) fundamental concept in quantum mechanics—wave-particle duality. All particles can be described fully by wave functions. To determine whether light appears in a channel, one refers to the amplitude of its wave function. However, in counterfactual communication, information is carried by the phase part of the wave function. Using a single-photon source, we experimentally demonstrate the counterfactual communication and successfully transfer a monochrome bitmap from one location to another by using a nested version of the quantum Zeno effect.

Poor Receptive Joint Attention Skills Are Associated with Atypical Grey Matter Asymmetry in the Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William eHopkins

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Clinical and experimental data have implicated the posterior superior temporal gyrus as an important cortical region in the processing of socially relevant stimuli such as gaze following, eye direction, and head orientation. Gaze following and responding to different socio-communicative signals is an important and highly adaptive skill in primates, including humans. Here, we examined whether individual differences in responding to socio-communicative cues was associated with variation in either grey matter volume and asymmetry in a sample of chimpanzees. MRI scans and behavioral data on receptive joint attention (RJA was obtained from a sample of 191 chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees that performed poorly on the RJA task had more rightward asymmetries in the posterior but not anterior superior temporal gyrus. We further found that middle-aged and elderly chimpanzee performed more poorly on the RJA task and had significantly less grey matter than young-adult and sub-adult chimpanzees. The results are consistent with previous studies implicating the posterior temporal gyrus in the processing of socially relevant information.

Poor receptive joint attention skills are associated with atypical gray matter asymmetry in the posterior superior temporal gyrus of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, William D; Misiura, Maria; Reamer, Lisa A; Schaeffer, Jennifer A; Mareno, Mary C; Schapiro, Steven J

2014-01-01

Clinical and experimental data have implicated the posterior superior temporal gyrus as an important cortical region in the processing of socially relevant stimuli such as gaze following, eye direction, and head orientation. Gaze following and responding to different socio-communicative signals is an important and highly adaptive skill in primates, including humans. Here, we examined whether individual differences in responding to socio-communicative cues was associated with variation in either gray matter (GM) volume and asymmetry in a sample of chimpanzees. Magnetic resonance image scans and behavioral data on receptive joint attention (RJA) was obtained from a sample of 191 chimpanzees. We found that chimpanzees that performed poorly on the RJA task had less GM in the right compared to left hemisphere in the posterior but not anterior superior temporal gyrus. We further found that middle-aged and elderly chimpanzee performed more poorly on the RJA task and had significantly less GM than young-adult and sub-adult chimpanzees. The results are consistent with previous studies implicating the posterior temporal gyrus in the processing of socially relevant information.

NMDA-dependent phase synchronization between septal and temporal CA3 hippocampal networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Ning; Jackson, Jesse; Goutagny, Romain; Lowe, Germaine; Manseau, Frédéric; Williams, Sylvain

2013-05-08

Increasing evidence suggests that synchronization between brain regions is essential for information exchange and memory processes. However, it remains incompletely known which synaptic mechanisms contribute to the process of synchronization. Here, we investigated whether NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity was an important player in synchronization between septal and temporal CA3 areas of the rat hippocampus. We found that both the septal and temporal CA3 regions intrinsically generate weakly synchronized δ frequency oscillations in the complete hippocampus in vitro. Septal and temporal oscillators differed in frequency, power, and rhythmicity, but both required GABAA and AMPA receptors. NMDA receptor activation, and most particularly the NR2B subunit, contributed considerably more to rhythm generation at the temporal than the septal region. Brief activation of NMDA receptors by application of extracellular calcium dramatically potentiated the septal-temporal coherence for long durations (>40 min), an effect blocked by the NMDA antagonist AP-5. This long-lasting NMDA-receptor-dependent increase in coherence was also associated with an elevated phase locking of spikes locally and across regions. Changes in coherence between oscillators were associated with increases in phase locking between oscillators independent of oscillator amplitude. Finally, although the septal CA3 rhythm preceded the oscillations in temporal regions in control conditions, this was reversed during the NMDA-dependent enhancement in coherence, suggesting that NMDA receptor activation can change the direction of information flow along the septotemporal CA3 axis. These data demonstrate that plastic changes in communication between septal and temporal hippocampal regions can arise from the NMDA-dependent phase locking of neural oscillators.

Universities’ visual image and Internet communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Okushova Gulnafist

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Universities of the 21st century are built on digital walls and on the Internet foundation. Their “real virtuality” of M. Castells is represented by information and communication flows that reflect various areas: education, research, culture, leisure, and others. The visual image of a university is the bridge that connects its physical and digital reality and identifies it within the information flow on the Internet. Visual image identification on the Internet and the function that the visual image performs as an electronic communication tool lay the foundation for our research. The key focal point of a university’s visual image on the Internet is its official website. Our research shows that with the development of computer technology, the semantic heterogeneity of universities’ visual images has changed from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. A university’s web portal both reflects and produces its digital life, which is broader and more informative than the physical life alone, as there are no temporal and spatial boundaries in electronic interactions. Polysemy and directed communication through university’s visual images are effective developments for both online and offline communication for the university. The Internet communication reach all spheres of university life and reflect its content. Visual images of universities, based on electronic communication tools, not only “open” them for digital natives and digital immigrants, but also create a cyberspace for scientific and educational discourse.

The emergence of temporal language in Nicaraguan Sign Language.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocab, Annemarie; Senghas, Ann; Snedeker, Jesse

2016-11-01

Understanding what uniquely human properties account for the creation and transmission of language has been a central goal of cognitive science. Recently, the study of emerging sign languages, such as Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL), has offered the opportunity to better understand how languages are created and the roles of the individual learner and the community of users. Here, we examined the emergence of two types of temporal language in NSL, comparing the linguistic devices for conveying temporal information among three sequential age cohorts of signers. Experiment 1 showed that while all three cohorts of signers could communicate about linearly ordered discrete events, only the second and third generations of signers successfully communicated information about events with more complex temporal structure. Experiment 2 showed that signers could discriminate between the types of temporal events in a nonverbal task. Finally, Experiment 3 investigated the ordinal use of numbers (e.g., first, second) in NSL signers, indicating that one strategy younger signers might have for accurately describing events in time might be to use ordinal numbers to mark each event. While the capacity for representing temporal concepts appears to be present in the human mind from the onset of language creation, the linguistic devices to convey temporality do not appear immediately. Evidently, temporal language emerges over generations of language transmission, as a product of individual minds interacting within a community of users. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temporal networks

Science.gov (United States)

Holme, Petter; Saramäki, Jari

2012-10-01

A great variety of systems in nature, society and technology-from the web of sexual contacts to the Internet, from the nervous system to power grids-can be modeled as graphs of vertices coupled by edges. The network structure, describing how the graph is wired, helps us understand, predict and optimize the behavior of dynamical systems. In many cases, however, the edges are not continuously active. As an example, in networks of communication via e-mail, text messages, or phone calls, edges represent sequences of instantaneous or practically instantaneous contacts. In some cases, edges are active for non-negligible periods of time: e.g., the proximity patterns of inpatients at hospitals can be represented by a graph where an edge between two individuals is on throughout the time they are at the same ward. Like network topology, the temporal structure of edge activations can affect dynamics of systems interacting through the network, from disease contagion on the network of patients to information diffusion over an e-mail network. In this review, we present the emergent field of temporal networks, and discuss methods for analyzing topological and temporal structure and models for elucidating their relation to the behavior of dynamical systems. In the light of traditional network theory, one can see this framework as moving the information of when things happen from the dynamical system on the network, to the network itself. Since fundamental properties, such as the transitivity of edges, do not necessarily hold in temporal networks, many of these methods need to be quite different from those for static networks. The study of temporal networks is very interdisciplinary in nature. Reflecting this, even the object of study has many names-temporal graphs, evolving graphs, time-varying graphs, time-aggregated graphs, time-stamped graphs, dynamic networks, dynamic graphs, dynamical graphs, and so on. This review covers different fields where temporal graphs are considered

Effect of Heterogeneity of Vertex Activation on Epidemic Spreading in Temporal Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yixin Zhu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Development of sensor technologies and the prevalence of electronic communication services provide us with a huge amount of data on human communication behavior, including face-to-face conversations, e-mail exchanges, phone calls, message exchanges, and other types of interactions in various online forums. These indirect or direct interactions form potential bridges of the virus spread. For a long time, the study of virus spread is based on the aggregate static network. However, the interaction patterns containing diverse temporal properties may affect dynamic processes as much as the network topology does. Some empirical studies show that the activation time and duration of vertices and links are highly heterogeneous, which means intense activity may be followed by longer intervals of inactivity. We take heterogeneous distribution of the node interactivation time as the research background to build an asynchronous communication model. The two sides of the communication do not have to be active at the same time. One derives the threshold of virus spreading on the communication mode and analyzes the reason the heterogeneous distribution of the vertex interactivation time suppresses the spread of virus. At last, the analysis and results from the model are verified on the BA network.

Healthcare professionals' self-reported experiences and preferences related to direct healthcare professional communications: a survey conducted in the Netherlands

OpenAIRE

Piening, Sigrid; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M.; de Graeff, Pieter A.; Straus, Sabine M. J. M.; Mol, Peter G. M.

2012-01-01

Background: In Europe, Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs) are important tools to inform healthcare professionals of serious, new drug safety issues. However, this tool has not always been successful in effectively communicating the desired actions to healthcare professionals. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore healthcare providers' experiences and their preferences for improvement of risk communication, comparing views of general practitioners (GPs), internists...

16-level differential phase shift keying (D16PSK) in direct detection optical communication systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sambaraju, R.; Tokle, Torger; Jensen, J.B.

2006-01-01

Optical 16-level differential phase shift keying (D16PSK) carrying four bits for every symbol is proposed for direct detection optical communication systems. Transmitter and receiver schematics are presented, and the receiver sensitivity is discussed. We numerically investigate the impact...

An adaptive digital suppression filter for direct-sequence spread-spectrum communications

Science.gov (United States)

Saulnier, G. J.; Das, P. K.; Milstein, L. B.

1985-09-01

This paper describes the structure of a digital implementation of the Widrow-Hoff LMS algorithm which uses a burst processing technique to obtain some hardware simplification. This adaptive system is used to suppress narrow-band interference in a direct-sequence spread-spectrum communication system. Several different narrow-band interferers are considered, and probability of error results are presented for all cases. While, in general, the results show significant improvement in performance when the LMS algorithm is used, certain disadvantages are also present and are discussed in this paper.

Modulation of propagation-invariant Localized Waves for FSO communication systems

KAUST Repository

Salem, Mohamed; Bagci, Hakan

2012-01-01

The novel concept of spatio-Temporal modulation of Nyquist pulses is introduced, and the resulting wave-packets are termed Nyquist Localized Waves (LWs). Ideal Nyquist LWs belong to the generic family of LW solutions and can propagate indefinitely in unbounded media without attenuation or chromatic dispersion. The possibility of modulating Nyquist LWs for free-space optical (FSO) communication systems is demonstrated using two different modulation techniques. The first technique is on-off keying (OOK) with alternate mark inversion (AMI) coding for 1-bit per symbol transmission, and the second one is 16-Ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM) for 4-bits per symbol transmission. Aspects related to the performance, detection and generation of the spatio-Temporally coupled wave-packets are discussed and future research directions are outlined. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

Controlled quantum secure direct communication using a non-symmetric quantum channel with quantum superdense coding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Yan; Song, He-Shan

2007-01-01

We present a controlled quantum secure direct communication protocol that uses a 2-dimensional Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) entangled state and a 3-dimensional Bell-basis state and employs the high-dimensional quantum superdense coding, local collective unitary operations and entanglement swapping. The proposed protocol is secure and of high source capacity. It can effectively protect the communication against a destroying-travel-qubit-type attack. With this protocol, the information transmission is greatly increased. This protocol can also be modified, so that it can be used in a multi-party control system

UHD Video Transmission over Bi-Directional Underwater Wireless Optical Communication

KAUST Repository

Al-Halafi, Abdullah

2018-04-02

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time a bi-directional underwater wireless optical communication system that is capable of transmitting an ultra high definition real-time video using a downlink channel while simultaneously receiving the feedback messages on the uplink channel. The links extend up to 4.5 m using QPSK, 16-QAM and 64-QAM modulations. The system is built using software defined platforms connected to TO-9 packaged pigtailed 520 nm directly modulated green laser diode (LD) with 1.2 GHz bandwidth as the optical transmitter for video streaming on the downlink, and an avalanche photodiode (APD) module as the downlink receiver. The uplink channel is connected to another pigtailed 450 nm directly modulated blue LD with 1.2 GHz bandwidth as the optical uplink transmitter for the feedback channel, and to a second APD as the uplink receiver. We perform laboratory experiments on different water types. The measured throughput is 15 Mbps for QPSK, and 30 Mbps for both 16-QAM and 64-QAM. We evaluate the quality of the received live video streams using Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio and achieve values up to 16 dB for 64-QAM when streaming UHD video in harbor II water and 22 dB in clear ocean.

UHD Video Transmission over Bi-Directional Underwater Wireless Optical Communication

KAUST Repository

Al-Halafi, Abdullah; Shihada, Basem

2018-01-01

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate for the first time a bi-directional underwater wireless optical communication system that is capable of transmitting an ultra high definition real-time video using a downlink channel while simultaneously receiving the feedback messages on the uplink channel. The links extend up to 4.5 m using QPSK, 16-QAM and 64-QAM modulations. The system is built using software defined platforms connected to TO-9 packaged pigtailed 520 nm directly modulated green laser diode (LD) with 1.2 GHz bandwidth as the optical transmitter for video streaming on the downlink, and an avalanche photodiode (APD) module as the downlink receiver. The uplink channel is connected to another pigtailed 450 nm directly modulated blue LD with 1.2 GHz bandwidth as the optical uplink transmitter for the feedback channel, and to a second APD as the uplink receiver. We perform laboratory experiments on different water types. The measured throughput is 15 Mbps for QPSK, and 30 Mbps for both 16-QAM and 64-QAM. We evaluate the quality of the received live video streams using Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio and achieve values up to 16 dB for 64-QAM when streaming UHD video in harbor II water and 22 dB in clear ocean.

Establishing rational networking using the DL04 quantum secure direct communication protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Huawang; Tang, Wallace K. S.; Tso, Raylin

2018-06-01

The first rational quantum secure direct communication scheme is proposed, in which we use the game theory with incomplete information to model the rational behavior of the participant, and give the strategy space and utility function. The rational participant can get his maximal utility when he performs the protocol faithfully, and then the Nash equilibrium of the protocol can be achieved. Compared to the traditional schemes, our scheme will be more practical in the presence of rational participant.

Quantum Secure Direct Communication by Using Three-Dimensional Hyperentanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jin; Gong Yanxiao; Xu Ping; Zhu Shining; Zhan Youbang

2011-01-01

We propose two schemes for realizing quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) by using a set of ordered two-photon three-dimensional hyperentangled states entangled in two degrees of freedom (DOFs) as quantum information channels. In the first scheme, the photons from Bob to Alice are transmitted only once. After insuring the security of the quantum channels, Bob encodes the secret message on his photons. Then Alice performs single-photon two-DOF Bell bases measurements on her photons. This scheme has better security than former QSDC protocols. In the second scheme, Bob transmits photons to Alice twice. After insuring the security of the quantum channels, Bob encodes the secret message on his photons. Then Alice performs two-photon Bell bases measurements on each DOF. The scheme has more information capacity than former QSDC protocols. (general)

Direct estimation of functionals of density operators by local operations and classical communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Carolina Moura; Horodecki, Pawel; Oi, Daniel K. L.; Kwek, L. C.; Ekert, Artur K.

2003-01-01

We present a method of direct estimation of important properties of a shared bipartite quantum state, within the ''distant laboratories'' paradigm, using only local operations and classical communication. We apply this procedure to spectrum estimation of shared states, and locally implementable structural physical approximations to incompletely positive maps. This procedure can also be applied to the estimation of channel capacity and measures of entanglement

Sleep enforces the temporal order in memory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spyridon Drosopoulos

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Temporal sequence represents the main principle underlying episodic memory. The storage of temporal sequence information is thought to involve hippocampus-dependent memory systems, preserving temporal structure possibly via chaining of sequence elements in heteroassociative networks. Converging evidence indicates that sleep enhances the consolidation of recently acquired representations in the hippocampus-dependent declarative memory system. Yet, it is unknown if this consolidation process comprises strengthening of the temporal sequence structure of the representation as well, or is restricted to sequence elements independent of their temporal order. To address this issue we tested the influence of sleep on the strength of forward and backward associations in word-triplets. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Subjects learned a list of 32 triplets of unrelated words, presented successively (A-B-C in the center of a screen, and either slept normally or stayed awake in the subsequent night. After two days, retrieval was assessed for the triplets sequentially either in a forward direction (cueing with A and B and asking for B and C, respectively or in a backward direction (cueing with C and B and asking for B and A, respectively. Memory was better for forward than backward associations (p<0.01. Sleep did not affect backward associations, but enhanced forward associations, specifically for the first (AB transitions (p<0.01, which were generally more difficult to retrieve than the second transitions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data demonstrate that consolidation during sleep strengthens the original temporal sequence structure in memory, presumably as a result of a replay of new representations during sleep in forward direction. Our finding suggests that the temporally directed replay of memory during sleep, apart from strengthening those traces, could be the key mechanism that explains how temporal order is integrated and maintained in

High-capacity quantum secure direct communication with two-photon six-qubit hyperentangled states

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, FangZhou; Yang, GuoJian; Wang, HaiBo; Xiong, Jun; Alzahrani, Faris; Hobiny, Aatef; Deng, FuGuo

2017-12-01

This study proposes the first high-capacity quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) with two-photon six-qubit hyper-entangled Bell states in two longitudinal momentum and polarization degrees of freedom (DOFs) of photon pairs, which can be generated using two 0.5 mm-thick type-I β barium borate crystal slabs aligned one behind the other and an eight-hole screen. The secret message can be independently encoded on the photon pairs with 64 unitary operations in all three DOFs. This protocol has a higher capacity than previous QSDC protocols because each photon pair can carry 6 bits of information, not just 2 or 4 bits. Our QSDC protocol decreases the influence of decoherence from environment noise by exploiting the decoy photons to check the security of the transmission of the first photon sequence. Compared with two-way QSDC protocols, our QSDC protocol is immune to an attack by an eavesdropper using Trojan horse attack strategies because it is a one-way quantum communication. The QSDC protocol has good applications in the future quantum communication because of all these features.

Knowledge acquisition for temporal abstraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, A; Musen, M A; Shahar, Y

1996-01-01

Temporal abstraction is the task of detecting relevant patterns in data over time. The knowledge-based temporal-abstraction method uses knowledge about a clinical domain's contexts, external events, and parameters to create meaningful interval-based abstractions from raw time-stamped clinical data. In this paper, we describe the acquisition and maintenance of domain-specific temporal-abstraction knowledge. Using the PROTEGE-II framework, we have designed a graphical tool for acquiring temporal knowledge directly from expert physicians, maintaining the knowledge in a sharable form, and converting the knowledge into a suitable format for use by an appropriate problem-solving method. In initial tests, the tool offered significant gains in our ability to rapidly acquire temporal knowledge and to use that knowledge to perform automated temporal reasoning.

Parents' Child-Directed Communication and Child Language Development: A Longitudinal Study with Italian Toddlers

Science.gov (United States)

Majorano, Marinella; Rainieri, Chiara; Corsano, Paola

2013-01-01

The present study focuses on the characteristics of parental child-directed communication and its relationship with child language development. For this purpose, thirty-six toddlers (18 males and 18 females) and their parents were observed in a laboratory during triadic free play at ages 1;3 and 1;9. The characteristics of the maternal and…

Semi-quantum communication: protocols for key agreement, controlled secure direct communication and dialogue

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Chitra; Thapliyal, Kishore; Pathak, Anirban

2017-12-01

Semi-quantum protocols that allow some of the users to remain classical are proposed for a large class of problems associated with secure communication and secure multiparty computation. Specifically, first-time semi-quantum protocols are proposed for key agreement, controlled deterministic secure communication and dialogue, and it is shown that the semi-quantum protocols for controlled deterministic secure communication and dialogue can be reduced to semi-quantum protocols for e-commerce and private comparison (socialist millionaire problem), respectively. Complementing with the earlier proposed semi-quantum schemes for key distribution, secret sharing and deterministic secure communication, set of schemes proposed here and subsequent discussions have established that almost every secure communication and computation tasks that can be performed using fully quantum protocols can also be performed in semi-quantum manner. Some of the proposed schemes are completely orthogonal-state-based, and thus, fundamentally different from the existing semi-quantum schemes that are conjugate coding-based. Security, efficiency and applicability of the proposed schemes have been discussed with appropriate importance.

Temporal motifs in time-dependent networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovanen, Lauri; Karsai, Márton; Kaski, Kimmo; Kertész, János; Saramäki, Jari

2011-01-01

Temporal networks are commonly used to represent systems where connections between elements are active only for restricted periods of time, such as telecommunication, neural signal processing, biochemical reaction and human social interaction networks. We introduce the framework of temporal motifs to study the mesoscale topological–temporal structure of temporal networks in which the events of nodes do not overlap in time. Temporal motifs are classes of similar event sequences, where the similarity refers not only to topology but also to the temporal order of the events. We provide a mapping from event sequences to coloured directed graphs that enables an efficient algorithm for identifying temporal motifs. We discuss some aspects of temporal motifs, including causality and null models, and present basic statistics of temporal motifs in a large mobile call network

Exploring bi-directional and SMS messaging for communications between Public Health Agencies and their stakeholders: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Revere, Debra; Calhoun, Rebecca; Baseman, Janet; Oberle, Mark

2015-07-08

Communication technologies that enable bi-directional/two-way communications and cell phone texting (SMS) between public health agencies and their stakeholders may improve public health surveillance, ensure targeted distribution of alerts to hard-to-reach populations, reduce mortality and morbidity in an emergency, and enable a crucial feedback loop between public health agencies and the communities they serve. Building on prior work regarding health care provider preferences for receiving one-way public health communications by email, fax or SMS, we conducted a formative, exploratory study to understand how a bi-directional system and the incorporation of SMS in that system might be used as a strategy to send and receive messages between public health agencies and community-based organizations which serve vulnerable populations, health care providers, and public health workers. Our research question: Under what conditions and/or situations might public health agencies utilize bi-directional and/or SMS messaging for disseminating time-sensitive public health information (alerts, advisories, updates, etc.) to their stakeholders? A mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) study was conducted between April and July 2014. Data collection included a survey distributed to health care providers and semi-structured interviews with providers, community- and government-based organization leaders and directors, and public health agency internal workforce staff. Survey respondents and interviewees were asked about their exposure to public health messages, how these messages are received and how the information in these messages are handled, and in what situations (for example, a local vs. a national event, a pandemic or emergency vs. a health update) a bi-directional and/or SMS messaging system might improve communications between public health agencies and their stakeholder group. Interview and survey data were qualitatively analyzed. Thematic codes were quantitized into

Analysis and Improvement of Large Payload Bidirectional Quantum Secure Direct Communication Without Information Leakage

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhi-Hao; Chen, Han-Wu

2018-02-01

As we know, the information leakage problem should be avoided in a secure quantum communication protocol. Unfortunately, it is found that this problem does exist in the large payload bidirectional quantum secure direct communication (BQSDC) protocol (Ye Int. J. Quantum. Inf. 11(5), 1350051 2013) which is based on entanglement swapping between any two Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states. To be specific, one half of the information interchanged in this protocol is leaked out unconsciously without any active attack from an eavesdropper. Afterward, this BQSDC protocol is revised to the one without information leakage. It is shown that the improved BQSDC protocol is secure against the general individual attack and has some obvious features compared with the original one.

Three-party quantum secret sharing of secure direct communication based on χ-type entangled states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu-Guang, Yang; Wei-Feng, Cao; Qiao-Yan, Wen

2010-01-01

Based on χ-type entangled states and the two-step protocol [Deng F G, Long G L and Liu X S 2003 Phys. Rev. A 68 042317], a quantum secret sharing protocol of secure direct communication based on χ-type entangled states |χ 00 ) 3214 is proposed. Using some interesting entanglement properties of this state, the agent entirety can directly obtain the secret message from the message sender only if they collaborate together. The security of the scheme is also discussed. (general)

Direct Numerical Simulation of a Compressible Reacting Boundary Layer using a Temporal Slow Growth Homogenization

Science.gov (United States)

Topalian, Victor; Oliver, Todd; Ulerich, Rhys; Moser, Robert

2013-11-01

A DNS of a compressible, reacting boundary layer flow at Reθ ~ 430 was performed using a temporal slow-growth homogenization, for a multispecies flow model of air at supersonic regime. The overall scenario parameters are related to those of the flow over an ablating surface of a space capsule upon Earth's atmospheric re-entry. The simulation algorithm features Fourier spatial discretization in the streamwise and spanwise directions, B-splines in the wall normal direction, and is marched semi-implicitly in time using the SMR91 scheme. Flow statistics will be presented for relevant flow quantities, in particular those related with RANS modeling. Since analogous slow growth computations can be performed using RANS to predict the flow mean profiles, the use of data gathered from this type of simulation as a vehicle for the calibration and uncertainty quantification of RANS models will be discussed. This work is supported by the Department of Energy [National Nuclear Security Administration] under Award Number [DE-FC52-08NA28615].

The role of temporal structure in human vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Randolph; Lee, Sang-Hun

2005-03-01

Gestalt psychologists identified several stimulus properties thought to underlie visual grouping and figure/ground segmentation, and among those properties was common fate: the tendency to group together individual objects that move together in the same direction at the same speed. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge of interest in visual grouping based on other time-dependent sources of visual information, including synchronized changes in luminance, in motion direction, and in figure/ ground relations. These various sources of temporal grouping information can be subsumed under the rubric temporal structure. In this article, the authors review evidence bearing on the effectiveness of temporal structure in visual grouping. They start with an overview of evidence bearing on temporal acuity of human vision, covering studies dealing with temporal integration and temporal differentiation. They then summarize psychophysical studies dealing with figure/ground segregation based on temporal phase differences in deterministic and stochastic events. The authors conclude with a brief discussion of neurophysiological implications of these results.

Two-baryon systems from HAL QCD method and the mirage in the temporal correlation of the direct method

Science.gov (United States)

Iritani, Takumi

2018-03-01

Both direct and HAL QCD methods are currently used to study the hadron interactions in lattice QCD. In the direct method, the eigen-energy of two-particle is measured from the temporal correlation. Due to the contamination of excited states, however, the direct method suffers from the fake eigen-energy problem, which we call the "mirage problem," while the HAL QCD method can extract information from all elastic states by using the spatial correlation. In this work, we further investigate systematic uncertainties of the HAL QCD method such as the quark source operator dependence, the convergence of the derivative expansion of the non-local interaction kernel, and the single baryon saturation, which are found to be well controlled. We also confirm the consistency between the HAL QCD method and the Lüscher's finite volume formula. Based on the HAL QCD potential, we quantitatively confirm that the mirage plateau in the direct method is indeed caused by the contamination of excited states.

A communication training perspective on AND versus DNR directives.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Tomer T; Coyle, Nessa

2015-04-01

From a communication perspective, the term "do not resuscitate" (DNR) is challenging to use in end-of-life discussions because it omits the goals of care. An alternative, "Allow Natural Death" (AND), has been proposed as a better way of framing this palliative care discussion. We present a case where a nurse unsuccessfully discusses end-of-life goals of care using the term DNR. Subsequently, with the aid of a communication trainer, he is coached to successfully use the term "AND" to facilitate this discussion and advance his goal of palliative care communication and planning. We contrast the advantages and disadvantages of the term AND from the communication training perspective and suggest that AND-framing language replace DNR as a better way to facilitate meaningful end-of-life communication. One well-designed, randomized, controlled simulation study supports this practice. We also consider the communication implications of "natural" versus "unnatural" death.

Public understanding of One Health messages: The role of temporal framing.

Science.gov (United States)

Roh, Sungjong; Rickard, Laura N; McComas, Katherine A; Decker, Daniel J

2018-02-01

Building on research in motivated reasoning and framing in science communication, we examine how messages that vary attribution of responsibility (human vs animal) and temporal orientation (now vs in the next 10 years) for wildlife disease risk influence individuals' conservation intentions. We conducted a randomized experiment with a nationally representative sample of US adults ( N = 355), which revealed that for people low in biospheric concern, messages that highlighted both human responsibility for and the imminent nature of the risk failed to enhance conservation intentions compared with messages highlighting animal responsibility. However, when messages highlighting human responsibility placed the risk in a temporally distal frame, conservation intentions increased among people low in biospheric concern. We assess the underlying mechanism of this effect and discuss the value of temporal framing in overcoming motivated skepticism to improve science communication.

Wild orangutan males plan and communicate their travel direction one day in advance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carel P van Schaik

Full Text Available The ability to plan for the future beyond immediate needs would be adaptive to many animal species, but is widely thought to be uniquely human. Although studies in captivity have shown that great apes are capable of planning for future needs, it is unknown whether and how they use this ability in the wild. Flanged male Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii emit long calls, which females use to maintain earshot associations with them. We tested whether long calls serve to communicate a male's ever-changing predominant travel direction to facilitate maintaining these associations. We found that the direction in which a flanged male emits his long calls predicts his subsequent travel direction for many hours, and that a new call indicates a change in his main travel direction. Long calls given at or near the night nest indicate travel direction better than random until late afternoon on the next day. These results show that male orangutans make their travel plans well in advance and announce them to conspecifics. We suggest that such a planning ability is likely to be adaptive for great apes, as well as in other taxa.

26 CFR 56.4911-2 - Lobbying expenditures, direct lobbying communications, and grass roots lobbying communications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... rebuttable presumption regarding certain paid mass media communications) and § 56.4911-5 (special, more... mass media communications about highly publicized legislation. Paragraph (d) of this section contains... the farm economy. The advertisement is not a mass media communication described in paragraph (b)(5)(ii...

Clients' psychosocial communication and midwives' verbal and nonverbal communication during prenatal counseling for anomaly screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Linda; Gitsels-van der Wal, Janneke T; Pereboom, Monique T R; Spelten, Evelien R; Hutton, Eileen K; van Dulmen, Sandra

2016-01-01

This study focuses on facilitation of clients' psychosocial communication during prenatal counseling for fetal anomaly screening. We assessed how psychosocial communication by clients is related to midwives' psychosocial and affective communication, client-directed gaze and counseling duration. During 184 videotaped prenatal counseling consultations with 20 Dutch midwives, verbal psychosocial and affective behavior was measured by the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). We rated the duration of client-directed gaze. We performed multilevel analyses to assess the relation between clients' psychosocial communication and midwives' psychosocial and affective communication, client-directed gaze and counseling duration. Clients' psychosocial communication was higher if midwives' asked more psychosocial questions and showed more affective behavior (β=0.90; CI: 0.45-1.35; pcommunication was not related to midwives" client-directed gaze. Additionally, psychosocial communication by clients was directly, positively related to the counseling duration (β=0.59; CI: 0.20-099; p=0.004). In contrast with our expectations, midwives' client-directed gaze was not related with psychosocial communication of clients. In addition to asking psychosocial questions, our study shows that midwives' affective behavior and counseling duration is likely to encourage client's psychosocial communication, known to be especially important for facilitating decision-making. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Teaching Children with Autism to Engage in Peer-Directed Mands Using a Picture Exchange Communication System

Science.gov (United States)

Paden, Amber R.; Kodak, Tiffany; Fisher, Wayne W.; Gawley-Bullington, Elizabeth M.; Bouxsein, Kelly J.

2012-01-01

We evaluated differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) plus prompting to increase peer-directed mands for preferred items using a picture exchange communication system (PECS). Two nonvocal individuals with autism participated. Independent mands with a peer increased with the implementation of DRA plus prompting for both…

NASA space communications R and D (Research and Development): Issues, derived benefits, and future directions

Science.gov (United States)

1989-02-01

Space communication is making immense strides since ECHO was launched in 1962. It was a simple passive reflector of signals that demonstrated the concept. Today, satellites incorporating transponders, sophisticated high-gain antennas, and stabilization systems provide voice, video, and data communications to millions of people nationally and worldwide. Applications of emerging technology, typified by NASA's Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) to be launched in 1992, will use newer portions of the frequency spectrum (the Ka-band at 30/20 GHz), along with antennas and signal-processing that could open yet new markets and services. Government programs, directly or indirectly, are responsible for many space communications accomplishments. They are sponsored and funded in part by NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense since the early 1950s. The industry is growing rapidly and is achieving international preeminence under joint private and government sponsorship. Now, however, the U.S. space communications industry - satellite manufacturers and users, launch services providers, and communications services companies - are being forced to adapt to a different environment. International competition is growing, and terrestrial technologies such as fiber optics are claiming markets until recently dominated by satellites. At the same time, advancing technology is opening up opportunities for new applications and new markets in space exploration, for defense, and for commercial applications of several types. Space communications research, development, and applications (RD and A) programs need to adjust to these realities, be better coordinated and more efficient, and be more closely attuned to commercial markets. The programs must take advantage of RD and A results in other agencies - and in other nations.

Temporal motifs reveal collaboration patterns in online task-oriented networks

Science.gov (United States)

Xuan, Qi; Fang, Huiting; Fu, Chenbo; Filkov, Vladimir

2015-05-01

Real networks feature layers of interactions and complexity. In them, different types of nodes can interact with each other via a variety of events. Examples of this complexity are task-oriented social networks (TOSNs), where teams of people share tasks towards creating a quality artifact, such as academic research papers or software development in commercial or open source environments. Accomplishing those tasks involves both work, e.g., writing the papers or code, and communication, to discuss and coordinate. Taking into account the different types of activities and how they alternate over time can result in much more precise understanding of the TOSNs behaviors and outcomes. That calls for modeling techniques that can accommodate both node and link heterogeneity as well as temporal change. In this paper, we report on methodology for finding temporal motifs in TOSNs, limited to a system of two people and an artifact. We apply the methods to publicly available data of TOSNs from 31 Open Source Software projects. We find that these temporal motifs are enriched in the observed data. When applied to software development outcome, temporal motifs reveal a distinct dependency between collaboration and communication in the code writing process. Moreover, we show that models based on temporal motifs can be used to more precisely relate both individual developer centrality and team cohesion to programmer productivity than models based on aggregated TOSNs.

Cortico-cortical communication dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Per E Roland

2014-05-01

Full Text Available IIn principle, cortico-cortical communication dynamics is simple: neurons in one cortical area communicate by sending action potentials that release glutamate and excite their target neurons in other cortical areas. In practice, knowledge about cortico-cortical communication dynamics is minute. One reason is that no current technique can capture the fast spatio-temporal cortico-cortical evolution of action potential transmission and membrane conductances with sufficient spatial resolution. A combination of optogenetics and monosynaptic tracing with virus can reveal the spatio-temporal cortico-cortical dynamics of specific neurons and their targets, but does not reveal how the dynamics evolves under natural conditions. Spontaneous ongoing action potentials also spread across cortical areas and are difficult to separate from structured evoked and intrinsic brain activity such as thinking. At a certain state of evolution, the dynamics may engage larger populations of neurons to drive the brain to decisions, percepts and behaviors. For example, successfully evolving dynamics to sensory transients can appear at the mesoscopic scale revealing how the transient is perceived. As a consequence of these methodological and conceptual difficulties, studies in this field comprise a wide range of computational models, large-scale measurements (e.g., by MEG, EEG, and a combination of invasive measurements in animal experiments. Further obstacles and challenges of studying cortico-cortical communication dynamics are outlined in this critical review.

Intertextuality and Directionality in the Communication Discourse of a Translation Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Wang

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on a study based on a corpus of written professional discourses. Both e-mails and doumails (a specific sort of e-mail used at the website of douban between a translator and several editors from a publishing house during a translation activity on book publication are collected as data for the analysis. The purpose of compiling the corpus is to describe professional literacy by means of identifying the different types of intertextuality found as well as the directionality of intertextuality in discourse flows. Intertextuality is signaled, and some frequent-occurred phraseologies are found within the corpus. The study also quantifies the types and the directionality of intertextuality by distinguishing prior, current, and predicting intertextual references. The prevalence of intertextuality could thus be identified. It is expected that this study could shed some light on researches in professional discourses and the training of novice professionals with communication skills. In addition, this study also reveals the power relationship between the translator and editors, and would be helpful to the description of translation activities.

Short-Term Depression, Temporal Summation, and Onset Inhibition Shape Interval Tuning in Midbrain Neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Christa A.

2014-01-01

A variety of synaptic mechanisms can contribute to single-neuron selectivity for temporal intervals in sensory stimuli. However, it remains unknown how these mechanisms interact to establish single-neuron sensitivity to temporal patterns of sensory stimulation in vivo. Here we address this question in a circuit that allows us to control the precise temporal patterns of synaptic input to interval-tuned neurons in behaviorally relevant ways. We obtained in vivo intracellular recordings under multiple levels of current clamp from midbrain neurons in the mormyrid weakly electric fish Brienomyrus brachyistius during stimulation with electrosensory pulse trains. To reveal the excitatory and inhibitory inputs onto interval-tuned neurons, we then estimated the synaptic conductances underlying responses. We found short-term depression in excitatory and inhibitory pathways onto all interval-tuned neurons. Short-interval selectivity was associated with excitation that depressed less than inhibition at short intervals, as well as temporally summating excitation. Long-interval selectivity was associated with long-lasting onset inhibition. We investigated tuning after separately nullifying the contributions of temporal summation and depression, and found the greatest diversity of interval selectivity among neurons when both mechanisms were at play. Furthermore, eliminating the effects of depression decreased sensitivity to directional changes in interval. These findings demonstrate that variation in depression and summation of excitation and inhibition helps to establish tuning to behaviorally relevant intervals in communication signals, and that depression contributes to neural coding of interval sequences. This work reveals for the first time how the interplay between short-term plasticity and temporal summation mediates the decoding of temporal sequences in awake, behaving animals. PMID:25339741

Practical low-cost visual communication using binary images for deaf sign language.

Science.gov (United States)

Manoranjan, M D; Robinson, J A

2000-03-01

Deaf sign language transmitted by video requires a temporal resolution of 8 to 10 frames/s for effective communication. Conventional videoconferencing applications, when operated over low bandwidth telephone lines, provide very low temporal resolution of pictures, of the order of less than a frame per second, resulting in jerky movement of objects. This paper presents a practical solution for sign language communication, offering adequate temporal resolution of images using moving binary sketches or cartoons, implemented on standard personal computer hardware with low-cost cameras and communicating over telephone lines. To extract cartoon points an efficient feature extraction algorithm adaptive to the global statistics of the image is proposed. To improve the subjective quality of the binary images, irreversible preprocessing techniques, such as isolated point removal and predictive filtering, are used. A simple, efficient and fast recursive temporal prefiltering scheme, using histograms of successive frames, reduces the additive and multiplicative noise from low-cost cameras. An efficient three-dimensional (3-D) compression scheme codes the binary sketches. Subjective tests performed on the system confirm that it can be used for sign language communication over telephone lines.

Improvement on Quantum Secure Direct Communication with W State in Noisy Channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Li; Xiu Xiaoming; Gao Yajun; Chi Feng

2009-01-01

An improvement (Y-protocol) [Commun. Theor. Phys. 49 (2008) 103] on the quantum secure direct communication with W state (C-protocol) [Chin. Phys. Lett. 23 (2006) 290] is proposed by Yuan et al. The quantum bit error rate induced by eavesdropper is 4.17% in C-protocol and 6.25% in Y-protocol. In this paper, another improvement on C-protocol is given. The quantum bit error rate of the eavesdropping will increase to 8.75%, which is 1.1 times larger than that in C-protocol and 0.4 times larger than that in Y-protocol.

Statistically validated mobile communication networks: the evolution of motifs in European and Chinese data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ming-Xia; Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Palchykov, Vasyl; Kaski, Kimmo; Kertész, János; Miccichè, Salvatore; Tumminello, Michele; N Mantegna, Rosario

2014-01-01

Big data open up unprecedented opportunities for investigating complex systems, including society. In particular, communication data serve as major sources for computational social sciences, but they have to be cleaned and filtered as they may contain spurious information due to recording errors as well as interactions, like commercial and marketing activities, not directly related to the social network. The network constructed from communication data can only be considered as a proxy for the network of social relationships. Here we apply a systematic method, based on multiple-hypothesis testing, to statistically validate the links and then construct the corresponding Bonferroni network, generalized to the directed case. We study two large datasets of mobile phone records, one from Europe and the other from China. For both datasets we compare the raw data networks with the corresponding Bonferroni networks and point out significant differences in the structures and in the basic network measures. We show evidence that the Bonferroni network provides a better proxy for the network of social interactions than the original one. Using the filtered networks, we investigated the statistics and temporal evolution of small directed 3-motifs and concluded that closed communication triads have a formation time scale, which is quite fast and typically intraday. We also find that open communication triads preferentially evolve into other open triads with a higher fraction of reciprocated calls. These stylized facts were observed for both datasets. (paper)

Statistically validated mobile communication networks: the evolution of motifs in European and Chinese data

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming-Xia; Palchykov, Vasyl; Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Kaski, Kimmo; Kertész, János; Miccichè, Salvatore; Tumminello, Michele; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Mantegna, Rosario N.

2014-08-01

Big data open up unprecedented opportunities for investigating complex systems, including society. In particular, communication data serve as major sources for computational social sciences, but they have to be cleaned and filtered as they may contain spurious information due to recording errors as well as interactions, like commercial and marketing activities, not directly related to the social network. The network constructed from communication data can only be considered as a proxy for the network of social relationships. Here we apply a systematic method, based on multiple-hypothesis testing, to statistically validate the links and then construct the corresponding Bonferroni network, generalized to the directed case. We study two large datasets of mobile phone records, one from Europe and the other from China. For both datasets we compare the raw data networks with the corresponding Bonferroni networks and point out significant differences in the structures and in the basic network measures. We show evidence that the Bonferroni network provides a better proxy for the network of social interactions than the original one. Using the filtered networks, we investigated the statistics and temporal evolution of small directed 3-motifs and concluded that closed communication triads have a formation time scale, which is quite fast and typically intraday. We also find that open communication triads preferentially evolve into other open triads with a higher fraction of reciprocated calls. These stylized facts were observed for both datasets.

Unsolicited Communication in Social Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trzaskowski, Jan

2014-01-01

This article discusses whether commercial communication in social media is covered by the European opt in-model concerning unsolicited electronic mail for direct marketing purposes found in the directive on privacy and electronic communications (2002/58). It is concluded that messages in social...... the consumer ombudsmen questioned inter alia whether unsolicited commercial communications sent to users’ news feeds should be considered electronic mail or other un-solicited communications for the purposes of direct marketing. This and other related questions are dealt with in this article....... found in the distance selling directive (1997/7). Now, the use of electronic mail for direct marketing purposes in social media must be assessed in accordance with the full harmonisation in the unfair commercial practices directive (2005/29). This directive does not contain a ban on »unsolicited...

Temporal Synchrony Detection and Associations with Language in Young Children with ASD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Patten

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Temporally synchronous audio-visual stimuli serve to recruit attention and enhance learning, including language learning in infants. Although few studies have examined this effect on children with autism, it appears that the ability to detect temporal synchrony between auditory and visual stimuli may be impaired, particularly given social-linguistic stimuli delivered via oral movement and spoken language pairings. However, children with autism can detect audio-visual synchrony given nonsocial stimuli (objects dropping and their corresponding sounds. We tested whether preschool children with autism could detect audio-visual synchrony given video recordings of linguistic stimuli paired with movement of related toys in the absence of faces. As a group, children with autism demonstrated the ability to detect audio-visual synchrony. Further, the amount of time they attended to the synchronous condition was positively correlated with receptive language. Findings suggest that object manipulations may enhance multisensory processing in linguistic contexts. Moreover, associations between synchrony detection and language development suggest that better processing of multisensory stimuli may guide and direct attention to communicative events thus enhancing linguistic development.

Temporal bone trauma and imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turetschek, K.; Czerny, C.; Wunderbaldinger, P.; Steiner, E.

1997-01-01

Fractures of the temporal bone result from direct trauma to the temporal bone or occur as one component of a severe craniocerebral injury. Complications of temporal trauma are hemotympanon, facial nerve paralysis, conductive or sensorineur hearing loss, and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. Erly recognition and an appropiate therapy may improve or prevent permanent deficits related to such complications. Only 20-30% of temporal bone fractures can be visualized by plain films. CT has displaced plain radiography in the investigation of the otological trauma because subtle bony details are best evaluated by CT which even can be reformatted in multiple projections, regardless of the original plane of scanning. Associated epidural, subdural, and intracerebral hemorrhagic lesions are better defined by MRI. (orig.) [de

Characteristics of spectro-temporal modulation frequency selectivity in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Oetjen, Arne; Verhey, Jesko L

2017-03-01

There is increasing evidence that the auditory system shows frequency selectivity for spectro-temporal modulations. A recent study of the authors has shown spectro-temporal modulation masking patterns that were in agreement with the hypothesis of spectro-temporal modulation filters in the human auditory system [Oetjen and Verhey (2015). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137(2), 714-723]. In the present study, that experimental data and additional data were used to model this spectro-temporal frequency selectivity. The additional data were collected to investigate to what extent the spectro-temporal modulation-frequency selectivity results from a combination of a purely temporal amplitude-modulation filter and a purely spectral amplitude-modulation filter. In contrast to the previous study, thresholds were measured for masker and target modulations with opposite directions, i.e., an upward pointing target modulation and a downward pointing masker modulation. The comparison of this data set with previous corresponding data with the same direction from target and masker modulations indicate that a specific spectro-temporal modulation filter is required to simulate all aspects of spectro-temporal modulation frequency selectivity. A model using a modified Gabor filter with a purely temporal and a purely spectral filter predicts the spectro-temporal modulation masking data.

Selective attention modulates the direction of audio-visual temporal recalibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikumi, Nara; Soto-Faraco, Salvador

2014-01-01

Temporal recalibration of cross-modal synchrony has been proposed as a mechanism to compensate for timing differences between sensory modalities. However, far from the rich complexity of everyday life sensory environments, most studies to date have examined recalibration on isolated cross-modal pairings. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention might provide an effective filter to help resolve which stimuli are selected when multiple events compete for recalibration. We addressed this question by testing audio-visual recalibration following an adaptation phase where two opposing audio-visual asynchronies were present. The direction of voluntary visual attention, and therefore to one of the two possible asynchronies (flash leading or flash lagging), was manipulated using colour as a selection criterion. We found a shift in the point of subjective audio-visual simultaneity as a function of whether the observer had focused attention to audio-then-flash or to flash-then-audio groupings during the adaptation phase. A baseline adaptation condition revealed that this effect of endogenous attention was only effective toward the lagging flash. This hints at the role of exogenous capture and/or additional endogenous effects producing an asymmetry toward the leading flash. We conclude that selective attention helps promote selected audio-visual pairings to be combined and subsequently adjusted in time but, stimulus organization exerts a strong impact on recalibration. We tentatively hypothesize that the resolution of recalibration in complex scenarios involves the orchestration of top-down selection mechanisms and stimulus-driven processes.

Selective attention modulates the direction of audio-visual temporal recalibration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nara Ikumi

Full Text Available Temporal recalibration of cross-modal synchrony has been proposed as a mechanism to compensate for timing differences between sensory modalities. However, far from the rich complexity of everyday life sensory environments, most studies to date have examined recalibration on isolated cross-modal pairings. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention might provide an effective filter to help resolve which stimuli are selected when multiple events compete for recalibration. We addressed this question by testing audio-visual recalibration following an adaptation phase where two opposing audio-visual asynchronies were present. The direction of voluntary visual attention, and therefore to one of the two possible asynchronies (flash leading or flash lagging, was manipulated using colour as a selection criterion. We found a shift in the point of subjective audio-visual simultaneity as a function of whether the observer had focused attention to audio-then-flash or to flash-then-audio groupings during the adaptation phase. A baseline adaptation condition revealed that this effect of endogenous attention was only effective toward the lagging flash. This hints at the role of exogenous capture and/or additional endogenous effects producing an asymmetry toward the leading flash. We conclude that selective attention helps promote selected audio-visual pairings to be combined and subsequently adjusted in time but, stimulus organization exerts a strong impact on recalibration. We tentatively hypothesize that the resolution of recalibration in complex scenarios involves the orchestration of top-down selection mechanisms and stimulus-driven processes.

Digital Game Playing and Direct and Indirect Aggression in Early Adolescence: The Roles of Age, Social Intelligence, and Parent-Child Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Wallenius, Marjut; Punamaki, Raija-Leena; Rimpela, Arja

2007-01-01

The roles of age, social intelligence and parent-child communication in moderating the association between digital game playing and direct and indirect aggression were examined in 478 Finnish 10- and 13-year-old schoolchildren based on self-reports. The results confirmed that digital game violence was directly associated with direct aggression,…

Visual and tactile interfaces for bi-directional human robot communication

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Daniel; Lackey, Stephanie; Reinerman-Jones, Lauren; Hudson, Irwin

2013-05-01

Seamless integration of unmanned and systems and Soldiers in the operational environment requires robust communication capabilities. Multi-Modal Communication (MMC) facilitates achieving this goal due to redundancy and levels of communication superior to single mode interaction using auditory, visual, and tactile modalities. Visual signaling using arm and hand gestures is a natural method of communication between people. Visual signals standardized within the U.S. Army Field Manual and in use by Soldiers provide a foundation for developing gestures for human to robot communication. Emerging technologies using Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) enable classification of arm and hand gestures for communication with a robot without the requirement of line-of-sight needed by computer vision techniques. These devices improve the robustness of interpreting gestures in noisy environments and are capable of classifying signals relevant to operational tasks. Closing the communication loop between Soldiers and robots necessitates them having the ability to return equivalent messages. Existing visual signals from robots to humans typically require highly anthropomorphic features not present on military vehicles. Tactile displays tap into an unused modality for robot to human communication. Typically used for hands-free navigation and cueing, existing tactile display technologies are used to deliver equivalent visual signals from the U.S. Army Field Manual. This paper describes ongoing research to collaboratively develop tactile communication methods with Soldiers, measure classification accuracy of visual signal interfaces, and provides an integration example including two robotic platforms.

Dispersion compensation of fiber optic communication system with direct detection using artificial neural networks (ANNs)

Science.gov (United States)

Maghrabi, Mahmoud M. T.; Kumar, Shiva; Bakr, Mohamed H.

2018-02-01

This work introduces a powerful digital nonlinear feed-forward equalizer (NFFE), exploiting multilayer artificial neural network (ANN). It mitigates impairments of optical communication systems arising due to the nonlinearity introduced by direct photo-detection. In a direct detection system, the detection process is nonlinear due to the fact that the photo-current is proportional to the absolute square of the electric field intensity. The proposed equalizer provides the most efficient computational cost with high equalization performance. Its performance is comparable to the benchmark compensation performance achieved by maximum-likelihood sequence estimator. The equalizer trains an ANN to act as a nonlinear filter whose impulse response removes the intersymbol interference (ISI) distortions of the optical channel. Owing to the proposed extensive training of the equalizer, it achieves the ultimate performance limit of any feed-forward equalizer (FFE). The performance and efficiency of the equalizer is investigated by applying it to various practical short-reach fiber optic communication system scenarios. These scenarios are extracted from practical metro/media access networks and data center applications. The obtained results show that the ANN-NFFE compensates for the received BER degradation and significantly increases the tolerance to the chromatic dispersion distortion.

Temporal analysis of laser beam propagation in the atmosphere using computer-generated long phase screens.

Science.gov (United States)

Dios, Federico; Recolons, Jaume; Rodríguez, Alejandro; Batet, Oscar

2008-02-04

Temporal analysis of the irradiance at the detector plane is intended as the first step in the study of the mean fade time in a free optical communication system. In the present work this analysis has been performed for a Gaussian laser beam propagating in the atmospheric turbulence by means of computer simulation. To this end, we have adapted a previously known numerical method to the generation of long phase screens. The screens are displaced in a transverse direction as the wave is propagated, in order to simulate the wind effect. The amplitude of the temporal covariance and its power spectrum have been obtained at the optical axis, at the beam centroid and at a certain distance from these two points. Results have been worked out for weak, moderate and strong turbulence regimes and when possible they have been compared with theoretical models. These results show a significant contribution of beam wander to the temporal behaviour of the irradiance, even in the case of weak turbulence. We have also found that the spectral bandwidth of the covariance is hardly dependent on the Rytov variance.

Massive Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak of the Temporal Bone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giannicola Iannella

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF leakage of the temporal bone region is defined as abnormal communications between the subarachnoidal space and the air-containing spaces of the temporal bone. CSF leak remains one of the most frequent complications after VS surgery. Radiotherapy is considered a predisposing factor for development of temporal bone CSF leak because it may impair dural repair mechanisms, thus causing inadequate dural sealing. The authors describe the case of a 47-year-old man with a massive effusion of CSF which extended from the posterior and lateral skull base to the first cervical vertebrae; this complication appeared after a partial enucleation of a vestibular schwannoma (VS with subsequent radiation treatment and second operation with total VS resection.

Behavioral and physiological responses to child-directed speech as predictors of communication outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Linda R; Baranek, Grace T; Roberts, Jane E; David, Fabian J; Perryman, Twyla Y

2010-08-01

To determine the extent to which behavioral and physiological responses during child-directed speech (CDS) correlate concurrently and predictively with communication skills in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-two boys with ASD (initial mean age: 35 months) participated in a longitudinal study. At entry, behavioral (i.e., percentage looking) and physiological (i.e., vagal activity) measures were collected during the presentation of CDS stimuli. A battery of standardized communication measures was administered at entry and readministered 12 months later. Percentage looking during CDS was strongly correlated with all entry and follow-up communication scores; vagal activity during CDS was moderately to strongly correlated with entry receptive language, follow-up expressive language, and social-communicative adaptive skills. After controlling for entry communication skills, vagal activity during CDS accounted for significant variance in follow-up communication skills, but percentage looking during CDS did not. Behavioral and physiological responses to CDS are significantly related to concurrent and later communication skills of children with ASD. Furthermore, higher vagal activity during CDS predicts better communication outcomes 12 months later, after initial communication skills are accounted for. Further research is needed to better understand the physiological mechanisms underlying variable responses to CDS among children with ASD.

Fault-tolerant controlled quantum secure direct communication over a collective quantum noise channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chun-Wei; Hwang, Tzonelih; Tsai, Chia-Wei

2014-01-01

This work proposes controlled quantum secure direct communication (CQSDC) over an ideal channel. Based on the proposed CQSDC, two fault-tolerant CQSDC protocols that are robust under two kinds of collective noises, collective-dephasing noise and collective-rotation noise, respectively, are constructed. Due to the use of quantum entanglement of the Bell state (or logical Bell state) as well as dense coding, the proposed protocols provide easier implementation as well as better qubit efficiency than other CQSDC protocols. Furthermore, the proposed protocols are also free from correlation-elicitation attack and other well-known attacks. (paper)

Barriers to Real-Time Medical Direction via Cellular Communication for Prehospital Emergency Care Providers in Gujarat, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindquist, Benjamin; Strehlow, Matthew C; Rao, G V Ramana; Newberry, Jennifer A

2016-07-08

Many low- and middle-income countries depend on emergency medical technicians (EMTs), nurses, midwives, and layperson community health workers with limited training to provide a majority of emergency medical, trauma, and obstetric care in the prehospital setting. To improve timely patient care and expand provider scope of practice, nations leverage cellular phones and call centers for real-time online medical direction. However, there exist several barriers to adequate communication that impact the provision of emergency care. We sought to identify obstacles in the cellular communication process among GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI) EMTs in Gujarat, India. A convenience sample of practicing EMTs in Gujarat, India were surveyed regarding the barriers to call initiation and completion. 108 EMTs completed the survey. Overall, ninety-seven (89.8%) EMTs responded that the most common reason they did not initiate a call with the call center physician was insufficient time. Forty-six (42%) EMTs reported that they were unable to call the physician one or more times during a typical workweek (approximately 5-6 twelve-hour shifts/week) due to their hands being occupied performing direct patient care. Fifty-eight (54%) EMTs reported that they were unable to reach the call center physician, despite attempts, at least once a week. This study identified multiple barriers to communication, including insufficient time to call for advice and inability to reach call center physicians. Identification of simple interventions and best practices may improve communication and ensure timely and appropriate prehospital care.

Verbal working memory-related neural network communication in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kustermann, Thomas; Popov, Tzvetan; Miller, Gregory A; Rockstroh, Brigitte

2018-04-19

Impaired working memory (WM) in schizophrenia is associated with reduced hemodynamic and electromagnetic activity and altered network connectivity within and between memory-associated neural networks. The present study sought to determine whether schizophrenia involves disruption of a frontal-parietal network normally supporting WM and/or involvement of another brain network. Nineteen schizophrenia patients (SZ) and 19 healthy comparison subjects (HC) participated in a cued visual-verbal Sternberg task while dense-array EEG was recorded. A pair of item arrays each consisting of 2-4 consonants was presented bilaterally for 200 ms with a prior cue signaling the hemifield of the task-relevant WM set. A central probe letter 2,000 ms later prompted a choice reaction time decision about match/mismatch with the target WM set. Group and WM load effects on time domain and time-frequency domain 11-15 Hz alpha power were assessed for the cue-to-probe time window, and posterior 11-15 Hz alpha power and frontal 4-8 Hz theta power were assessed during the retention period. Directional connectivity was estimated via Granger causality, evaluating group differences in communication. SZ showed slower responding, lower accuracy, smaller overall time-domain alpha power increase, and less load-dependent alpha power increase. Midline frontal theta power increases did not vary by group or load. Network communication in SZ was characterized by temporal-to-posterior information flow, in contrast to bidirectional temporal-posterior communication in HC. Results indicate aberrant WM network activity supporting WM in SZ that might facilitate normal load-dependent and only marginally less accurate task performance, despite generally slower responding. © 2018 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

A method exploiting direct communication between phasor measurement units for power system wide-area protection and control algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Almas, Muhammad Shoaib; Vanfretti, Luigi

2017-01-01

Synchrophasor measurements from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are the primary sensors used to deploy Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) systems. PMUs stream out synchrophasor measurements through the IEEE C37.118.2 protocol using TCP/IP or UDP/IP. The proposed method establishes a direct communication between two PMUs, thus eliminating the requirement of an intermediate phasor data concentrator, data mediator and/or protocol parser and thereby ensuring minimum communication latency without considering communication link delays. This method allows utilizing synchrophasor measurements internally in a PMU to deploy custom protection and control algorithms. These algorithms are deployed using protection logic equations which are supported by all the PMU vendors. Moreover, this method reduces overall equipment cost as the algorithms execute internally in a PMU and therefore does not require any additional controller for their deployment. The proposed method can be utilized for fast prototyping of wide-area measurements based protection and control applications. The proposed method is tested by coupling commercial PMUs as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) with Opal-RT's eMEGAsim Real-Time Simulator (RTS). As illustrative example, anti-islanding protection application is deployed using proposed method and its performance is assessed. The essential points in the method are: •Bypassing intermediate phasor data concentrator or protocol parsers as the synchrophasors are communicated directly between the PMUs (minimizes communication delays).•Wide Area Protection and Control Algorithm is deployed using logic equations in the client PMU, therefore eliminating the requirement for an external hardware controller (cost curtailment)•Effortless means to exploit PMU measurements in an environment familiar to protection engineers.

Markup of temporal information in electronic health records.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyun, Sookyung; Bakken, Suzanne; Johnson, Stephen B

2006-01-01

Temporal information plays a critical role in the understanding of clinical narrative (i.e., free text). We developed a representation for marking up temporal information in a narrative, consisting of five elements: 1) reference point, 2) direction, 3) number, 4) time unit, and 5) pattern. We identified 254 temporal expressions from 50 discharge summaries and represented them using our scheme. The overall inter-rater reliability among raters applying the representation model was 75 percent agreement. The model can contribute to temporal reasoning in computer systems for decision support, data mining, and process and outcomes analyses by providing structured temporal information.

Increasing the temporal resolution of direct normal solar irradiance forecasted series

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Peruchena, Carlos M.; Gastón, Martin; Schroedter-Homscheidt, Marion; Marco, Isabel Martínez; Casado-Rubio, José L.; García-Moya, José Antonio

2017-06-01

A detailed knowledge of the solar resource is a critical point in the design and control of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants. In particular, accurate forecasting of solar irradiance is essential for the efficient operation of solar thermal power plants, the management of energy markets, and the widespread implementation of this technology. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are commonly used for solar radiation forecasting. In the ECMWF deterministic forecasting system, all forecast parameters are commercially available worldwide at 3-hourly intervals. Unfortunately, as Direct Normal solar Irradiance (DNI) exhibits a great variability due to the dynamic effects of passing clouds, 3-h time resolution is insufficient for accurate simulations of CSP plants due to their nonlinear response to DNI, governed by various thermal inertias due to their complex response characteristics. DNI series of hourly or sub-hourly frequency resolution are normally used for an accurate modeling and analysis of transient processes in CSP technologies. In this context, the objective of this study is to propose a methodology for generating synthetic DNI time series at 1-h (or higher) temporal resolution from 3-h DNI series. The methodology is based upon patterns as being defined with help of the clear-sky envelope approach together with a forecast of maximum DNI value, and it has been validated with high quality measured DNI data.

The impact of a parent-directed intervention on parent-child communication about tobacco and alcohol.

Science.gov (United States)

Beatty, Shelley E; Cross, Donna S; Shaw, Thérèse M

2008-11-01

Given the likelihood of engaging in the hazardous use of tobacco and alcohol increases during teenage years, pre-adolescence is a critical time to implement prevention programmes. While social factors other than those associated with parenting play a role in determining a child's risk for initiation of tobacco and alcohol use, parents can have a significant influence on their children's decisions about these issues. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an in-home parent-directed drug education intervention on parent-child communication about tobacco and alcohol. A group randomised intervention trial was conducted in Perth, Western Australia. Schools were selected using stratified random sampling and randomised to three study conditions. A total of 1201 parents of 10- 11-year-old children were recruited from 20 schools. The impact of a self-help intervention, comprised of five communication sheets containing information and activities designed to encourage parents to talk with their 10- 11-year-old child about issues related to smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, was assessed. Intervention-group parents were more likely to have spoken with their children, to have spoken more recently, to have engaged the child during the discussion and to have addressed the topics identified as being protective of children's involvement in tobacco and alcohol. In addition, the duration of talks about alcohol was longer than for parents in the comparison group. Parents of 10- 11-year-old children appear to be receptive to participating in a home-based drug-related educational intervention and the parent-directed intervention seems to have enhanced parent-child tobacco- and alcohol-related communication.

Role of scientific experts and communication experts at the inhabitants briefing session for the risk communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sano, Kazumi

2012-01-01

After the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, enormous amount of waste contaminated by radioactive cesium has been produced. Burned ash that contained radiocesium ( 137 Cs) more than 8,000 Bq/kg will be stored at the not-yet-located final deposit. Until the final deposit is finally constructed, however, the radioactive ash should be stored safely at temporal deposits. Inhabitants briefing sessions for locating the temporal deposits are held at many places in the east Japan. But, they met difficulty in establishing smooth communication between citizens and the administrations. In this paper, I classify the questions arose from citizens at the inhabitants briefing session at Tokatsu area, Chiba prefecture, and discuss what role could scientists and science communicators play at this session. In addition, I classified the voices of inhabitants reported in the newspapers and discuss the media bias. (author)

All-optical temporal integration of ultrafast pulse waveforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yongwoo; Ahn, Tae-Jung; Dai, Yitang; Yao, Jianping; Azaña, José

2008-10-27

An ultrafast all-optical temporal integrator is experimentally demonstrated. The demonstrated integrator is based on a very simple and practical solution only requiring the use of a widely available all-fiber passive component, namely a reflection uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG). This design allows overcoming the severe speed (bandwidth) limitations of the previously demonstrated photonic integrator designs. We demonstrate temporal integration of a variety of ultrafast optical waveforms, including Gaussian, odd-symmetry Hermite Gaussian, and (odd-)symmetry double pulses, with temporal features as fast as ~6-ps, which is about one order of magnitude faster than in previous photonic integration demonstrations. The developed device is potentially interesting for a multitude of applications in all-optical computing and information processing, ultrahigh-speed optical communications, ultrafast pulse (de-)coding, shaping and metrology.

Percepção de limitações de atividades comunicativas, resolução temporal e figura-fundo em perda auditiva unilateral Perception of limitations on communicative activities, temporal resolution and figure-to-ground in unilateral hearing loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcia Ribeiro Vieira

2011-12-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar os comportamentos auditivos de figura-fundo e resolução temporal, e a auto-percepção das limitações de atividades comunicativas de crianças e adolescentes portadores de perda auditiva unilateral. MÉTODOS: Participaram do estudo 38 indivíduos, com idades entre 8 e 19 anos, divididos em: grupo estudo (portadores de perda auditiva unilateral e grupo controle (ouvintes normais, cada um formado por 19 indivíduos, pareados conforme gênero, idade e escolaridade. Todos foram submetidos à anamnese, avaliação audiológica e aos procedimentos do estudo: questionário de auto-avaliação das limitações de atividades comunicativas, testes de processamento auditivo Gaps-in-Noise e Pediatric Speech Intelligibility Test. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio de testes não paramétricos. RESULTADOS: No grupo estudo, a perda auditiva unilateral na maioria dos participantes foi de grau profundo, com início na fase pré-escolar, com etiologias desconhecidas ou identificadas como meningite, traumas, caxumba e sarampo. A maioria dos indivíduos apresentou queixa de dificuldades de aprendizagem e mostrou limitações de atividades comunicativas de grau moderado predominantemente, e principalmente em situações ruidosas. No grupo estudo foram observadas as piores respostas tanto para os limiares de detecção de gap como no teste Pediatric Speech Intelligibility Test obtidas na orelha normal. Não houve correlação significativa entre os limiares de detecção de gap na orelha normal e o lado da orelha com perda auditiva. CONCLUSÃO: Indivíduos com perda auditiva unilateral apresentam limitações de atividades comunicativas, principalmente em ambientes ruidosos associadas a piores habilidades auditivas de resolução temporal e de figura-fundo.PURPOSE: To evaluate the hearing behavior of figure-to-ground and temporal resolution, and the self-perception of limitations on communicative activities of children and

Deterministic Quantum Secure Direct Communication with Dense Coding and Continuous Variable Operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Lianfang; Chen Yueming; Yuan Hao

2009-01-01

We propose a deterministic quantum secure direct communication protocol by using dense coding. The two check photon sequences are used to check the securities of the channels between the message sender and the receiver. The continuous variable operations instead of the usual discrete unitary operations are performed on the travel photons so that the security of the present protocol can be enhanced. Therefore some specific attacks such as denial-of-service attack, intercept-measure-resend attack and invisible photon attack can be prevented in ideal quantum channel. In addition, the scheme is still secure in noise channel. Furthermore, this protocol has the advantage of high capacity and can be realized in the experiment. (general)

Double C-NOT attack and counterattack on `Three-step semi-quantum secure direct communication protocol'

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Jun; Lin, Po-hua; Hwang, Tzonelih

2018-07-01

Recently, Zou and Qiu (Sci China Phys Mech Astron 57:1696-1702, 2014) proposed a three-step semi-quantum secure direct communication protocol allowing a classical participant who does not have a quantum register to securely send his/her secret message to a quantum participant. However, this study points out that an eavesdropper can use the double C-NOT attack to obtain the secret message. To solve this problem, a modification is proposed.

Automatic methods for long-term tracking and the detection and decoding of communication dances in honeybees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando eWario

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The honeybee waggle dance communication system is an intriguing example of abstract animal communication and has been investigated thoroughly throughout the last seven decades. Typically, observables such as durations or angles are extracted manually directly from the observation hive or from video recordings to quantify dance properties, particularly to determine where bees have foraged. In recent years, biology has profited from automation, improving measurement precision, removing human bias, and accelerating data collection. As a further step, we have developed technologies to track all individuals of a honeybee colony and detect and decode communication dances automatically. In strong contrast to conventional approaches that focus on a small subset of the hive life, whether this regards time, space, or animal identity, our more inclusive system will help the understanding of the dance comprehensively in its spatial, temporal, and social context. In this contribution, we present full specifications of the recording setup and the software for automatic recognition and decoding of tags and dances, and we discuss potential research directions that may benefit from automation. Lastly, to exemplify the power of the methodology, we show experimental data and respective analyses for a continuous, experimental recording of nine weeks duration.

Statistical Mechanics of Temporal and Interacting Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Kun

In the last ten years important breakthroughs in the understanding of the topology of complexity have been made in the framework of network science. Indeed it has been found that many networks belong to the universality classes called small-world networks or scale-free networks. Moreover it was found that the complex architecture of real world networks strongly affects the critical phenomena defined on these structures. Nevertheless the main focus of the research has been the characterization of single and static networks. Recently, temporal networks and interacting networks have attracted large interest. Indeed many networks are interacting or formed by a multilayer structure. Example of these networks are found in social networks where an individual might be at the same time part of different social networks, in economic and financial networks, in physiology or in infrastructure systems. Moreover, many networks are temporal, i.e. the links appear and disappear on the fast time scale. Examples of these networks are social networks of contacts such as face-to-face interactions or mobile-phone communication, the time-dependent correlations in the brain activity and etc. Understanding the evolution of temporal and multilayer networks and characterizing critical phenomena in these systems is crucial if we want to describe, predict and control the dynamics of complex system. In this thesis, we investigate several statistical mechanics models of temporal and interacting networks, to shed light on the dynamics of this new generation of complex networks. First, we investigate a model of temporal social networks aimed at characterizing human social interactions such as face-to-face interactions and phone-call communication. Indeed thanks to the availability of data on these interactions, we are now in the position to compare the proposed model to the real data finding good agreement. Second, we investigate the entropy of temporal networks and growing networks , to provide

PC communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Jae Cheol

1992-03-01

This text book is comprised of five charters, which is about PC communication for beginners who need to learn manners and how to use Ketel and PC serve. So it introduces first, conception of PC and precautions on using PC communication, second, preparation for PC communication with Modem, its program, install, kinds of protocol and how to use protocol, third directions of emulator of PC communication and super session, fourth, instruction of Ketel with join and access, basic command of Ketel, list of Ketel's menu, Ketel editor, service guide, directions of News service, Stock and bond service business and economic figures, exchange rate and interest rate, tax culture and leisure, Ketel BBS service and posting. The last part has a instruction of PC-serve about join, basic command of PC-serve, service guide and practical guideline.

PC communication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Jae Cheol

1992-03-15

This text book is comprised of five charters, which is about PC communication for beginners who need to learn manners and how to use Ketel and PC serve. So it introduces first, conception of PC and precautions on using PC communication, second, preparation for PC communication with Modem, its program, install, kinds of protocol and how to use protocol, third directions of emulator of PC communication and super session, fourth, instruction of Ketel with join and access, basic command of Ketel, list of Ketel's menu, Ketel editor, service guide, directions of News service, Stock and bond service business and economic figures, exchange rate and interest rate, tax culture and leisure, Ketel BBS service and posting. The last part has a instruction of PC-serve about join, basic command of PC-serve, service guide and practical guideline.

Temporal auditory processing in elders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azzolini, Vanuza Conceição

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In the trial of aging all the structures of the organism are modified, generating intercurrences in the quality of the hearing and of the comprehension. The hearing loss that occurs in consequence of this trial occasion a reduction of the communicative function, causing, also, a distance of the social relationship. Objective: Comparing the performance of the temporal auditory processing between elderly individuals with and without hearing loss. Method: The present study is characterized for to be a prospective, transversal and of diagnosis character field work. They were analyzed 21 elders (16 women and 5 men, with ages between 60 to 81 years divided in two groups, a group "without hearing loss"; (n = 13 with normal auditive thresholds or restricted hearing loss to the isolated frequencies and a group "with hearing loss" (n = 8 with neurosensory hearing loss of variable degree between light to moderately severe. Both the groups performed the tests of frequency (PPS and duration (DPS, for evaluate the ability of temporal sequencing, and the test Randon Gap Detection Test (RGDT, for evaluate the temporal resolution ability. Results: It had not difference statistically significant between the groups, evaluated by the tests DPS and RGDT. The ability of temporal sequencing was significantly major in the group without hearing loss, when evaluated by the test PPS in the condition "muttering". This result presented a growing one significant in parallel with the increase of the age group. Conclusion: It had not difference in the temporal auditory processing in the comparison between the groups.

Direct observation of mother-child communication in pediatric cancer: assessment of verbal and non-verbal behavior and emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Madeleine J; Rodriguez, Erin M; Miller, Kimberly S; Gerhardt, Cynthia A; Vannatta, Kathryn; Saylor, Megan; Scheule, C Melanie; Compas, Bruce E

2011-06-01

To examine the acceptability and feasibility of coding observed verbal and nonverbal behavioral and emotional components of mother-child communication among families of children with cancer. Mother-child dyads (N=33, children ages 5-17 years) were asked to engage in a videotaped 15-min conversation about the child's cancer. Coding was done using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scale (IFIRS). Acceptability and feasibility of direct observation in this population were partially supported: 58% consented and 81% of those (47% of all eligible dyads) completed the task; trained raters achieved 78% agreement in ratings across codes. The construct validity of the IFIRS was demonstrated by expected associations within and between positive and negative behavioral/emotional code ratings and between mothers' and children's corresponding code ratings. Direct observation of mother-child communication about childhood cancer has the potential to be an acceptable and feasible method of assessing verbal and nonverbal behavior and emotion in this population.

Temporal Segmentation of MPEG Video Streams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janko Calic

2002-06-01

Full Text Available Many algorithms for temporal video partitioning rely on the analysis of uncompressed video features. Since the information relevant to the partitioning process can be extracted directly from the MPEG compressed stream, higher efficiency can be achieved utilizing information from the MPEG compressed domain. This paper introduces a real-time algorithm for scene change detection that analyses the statistics of the macroblock features extracted directly from the MPEG stream. A method for extraction of the continuous frame difference that transforms the 3D video stream into a 1D curve is presented. This transform is then further employed to extract temporal units within the analysed video sequence. Results of computer simulations are reported.

Directedness of information flow in mobile phone communication networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Peruani

Full Text Available Without having direct access to the information that is being exchanged, traces of information flow can be obtained by looking at temporal sequences of user interactions. These sequences can be represented as causality trees whose statistics result from a complex interplay between the topology of the underlying (social network and the time correlations among the communications. Here, we study causality trees in mobile-phone data, which can be represented as a dynamical directed network. This representation of the data reveals the existence of super-spreaders and super-receivers. We show that the tree statistics, respectively the information spreading process, are extremely sensitive to the in-out degree correlation exhibited by the users. We also learn that a given information, e.g., a rumor, would require users to retransmit it for more than 30 hours in order to cover a macroscopic fraction of the system. Our analysis indicates that topological node-node correlations of the underlying social network, while allowing the existence of information loops, they also promote information spreading. Temporal correlations, and therefore causality effects, are only visible as local phenomena and during short time scales. Consequently, the very idea that there is (intentional information spreading beyond a small vecinity is called into question. These results are obtained through a combination of theory and data analysis techniques.

Digital Marketing Communication

OpenAIRE

Margherita Corniani

2006-01-01

Digital marketing communication is directed to profiled targets, which are active in the communication process. Every communication flow can ask for an information answer from the market. This opportunity grants immediate feed-backs and feed-forwards, so that digital communication can be easily and cheaply measured; digital communication flows are diffused at costs that are getting lower and lower, but it asks specialized and deep competences to communication managers. The ease in the flowing...

PMD compensation in fiber-optic communication systems with direct detection using LDPC-coded OFDM.

Science.gov (United States)

Djordjevic, Ivan B

2007-04-02

The possibility of polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) compensation in fiber-optic communication systems with direct detection using a simple channel estimation technique and low-density parity-check (LDPC)-coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is demonstrated. It is shown that even for differential group delay (DGD) of 4/BW (BW is the OFDM signal bandwidth), the degradation due to the first-order PMD can be completely compensated for. Two classes of LDPC codes designed based on two different combinatorial objects (difference systems and product of combinatorial designs) suitable for use in PMD compensation are introduced.

Lossless quantum data compression and secure direct communication

Science.gov (United States)

Boström, Kim

2004-07-01

This thesis deals with the encoding and transmission of information through a quantum channel. A quantum channel is a quantum mechanical system whose state is manipulated by a sender and read out by a receiver. The individual state of the channel represents the message. The two topics of the thesis comprise 1) the possibility of compressing a message stored in a quantum channel without loss of information and 2) the possibility to communicate a message directly from one party to another in a secure manner, that is, a third party is not able to eavesdrop the message without being detected. The main results of the thesis are the following. A general framework for variable-length quantum codes is worked out. These codes are necessary to make lossless compression possible. Due to the quantum nature of the channel, the encoded messages are in general in a superposition of different lengths. It is found to be impossible to compress a quantum message without loss of information if the message is not apriori known to the sender. In the other case it is shown that lossless quantum data compression is possible and a lower bound on the compression rate is derived. Furthermore, an explicit compression scheme is constructed that works for arbitrarily given source message ensembles. A quantum cryptographic protocol - the “ping-pong protocol” - is presented that realizes the secure direct communication of classical messages through a quantum channel. The security of the protocol against arbitrary eavesdropping attacks is proven for the case of an ideal quantum channel. In contrast to other quantum cryptographic protocols, the ping-pong protocol is deterministic and can thus be used to transmit a random key as well as a composed message. The protocol is perfectly secure for the transmission of a key, and it is quasi-secure for the direct transmission of a message. The latter means that the probability of successful eavesdropping exponentially decreases with the length of the

Differential sensory cortical involvement in auditory and visual sensorimotor temporal recalibration: Evidence from transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Science.gov (United States)

Aytemür, Ali; Almeida, Nathalia; Lee, Kwang-Hyuk

2017-02-01

Adaptation to delayed sensory feedback following an action produces a subjective time compression between the action and the feedback (temporal recalibration effect, TRE). TRE is important for sensory delay compensation to maintain a relationship between causally related events. It is unclear whether TRE is a sensory modality-specific phenomenon. In 3 experiments employing a sensorimotor synchronization task, we investigated this question using cathodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). We found that cathodal tDCS over the visual cortex, and to a lesser extent over the auditory cortex, produced decreased visual TRE. However, both auditory and visual cortex tDCS did not produce any measurable effects on auditory TRE. Our study revealed different nature of TRE in auditory and visual domains. Visual-motor TRE, which is more variable than auditory TRE, is a sensory modality-specific phenomenon, modulated by the auditory cortex. The robustness of auditory-motor TRE, unaffected by tDCS, suggests the dominance of the auditory system in temporal processing, by providing a frame of reference in the realignment of sensorimotor timing signals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Musical Communication of Core Affect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole eFlaig

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Is there something special about the way music communicates feelings? Theorists since Meyer (1956 have attempted to explain how music could stimulate varied and subtle affective experiences by violating learned expectancies, or by mimicking other forms of social interaction. Our proposal is that music speaks to the brain in its own language; it need not imitate any other form of communication. We review recent theoretical and empirical literature, which suggests that all conscious processes consist of dynamic neural events, produced by spatially dispersed processes in the physical brain. Intentional thought and affective experience arise as dynamical aspects of neural events taking place in multiple brain areas simultaneously. At any given moment, this content comprises a unified scene that is integrated into a dynamic core through synchrony of neuronal oscillations. We propose that 1 neurodynamic synchrony with musical stimuli gives rise to musical qualia including tonal and temporal expectancies, and that 2 music-synchronous responses couple into core neurodynamics, enabling music to directly modulate core affect. Expressive music performance, for example, may recruit rhythm-synchronous neural responses to support affective communication. We suggest that the dynamic relationship between musical expression and the experience of affect presents a unique opportunity for the study of emotional experience. This may help elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying arousal and valence, and offer a new approach to exploring the complex dynamics of the how and why of emotional experience.

Selective Attention Modulates the Direction of Audio-Visual Temporal Recalibration

OpenAIRE

Ikumi, Nara; Soto-Faraco, Salvador

2014-01-01

Temporal recalibration of cross-modal synchrony has been proposed as a mechanism to compensate for timing differences between sensory modalities. However, far from the rich complexity of everyday life sensory environments, most studies to date have examined recalibration on isolated cross-modal pairings. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention might provide an effective filter to help resolve which stimuli are selected when multiple events compete for recalibration. We addressed this qu...

Auditory properties in the parabelt regions of the superior temporal gyrus in the awake macaque monkey: an initial survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajikawa, Yoshinao; Frey, Stephen; Ross, Deborah; Falchier, Arnaud; Hackett, Troy A; Schroeder, Charles E

2015-03-11

The superior temporal gyrus (STG) is on the inferior-lateral brain surface near the external ear. In macaques, 2/3 of the STG is occupied by an auditory cortical region, the "parabelt," which is part of a network of inferior temporal areas subserving communication and social cognition as well as object recognition and other functions. However, due to its location beneath the squamous temporal bone and temporalis muscle, the STG, like other inferior temporal regions, has been a challenging target for physiological studies in awake-behaving macaques. We designed a new procedure for implanting recording chambers to provide direct access to the STG, allowing us to evaluate neuronal properties and their topography across the full extent of the STG in awake-behaving macaques. Initial surveys of the STG have yielded several new findings. Unexpectedly, STG sites in monkeys that were listening passively responded to tones with magnitudes comparable to those of responses to 1/3 octave band-pass noise. Mapping results showed longer response latencies in more rostral sites and possible tonotopic patterns parallel to core and belt areas, suggesting the reversal of gradients between caudal and rostral parabelt areas. These results will help further exploration of parabelt areas. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/354140-11$15.00/0.

Temporal node centrality in complex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyoungshick; Anderson, Ross

2012-02-01

Many networks are dynamic in that their topology changes rapidly—on the same time scale as the communications of interest between network nodes. Examples are the human contact networks involved in the transmission of disease, ad hoc radio networks between moving vehicles, and the transactions between principals in a market. While we have good models of static networks, so far these have been lacking for the dynamic case. In this paper we present a simple but powerful model, the time-ordered graph, which reduces a dynamic network to a static network with directed flows. This enables us to extend network properties such as vertex degree, closeness, and betweenness centrality metrics in a very natural way to the dynamic case. We then demonstrate how our model applies to a number of interesting edge cases, such as where the network connectivity depends on a small number of highly mobile vertices or edges, and show that our centrality definition allows us to track the evolution of connectivity. Finally we apply our model and techniques to two real-world dynamic graphs of human contact networks and then discuss the implication of temporal centrality metrics in the real world.

Communicative versus strategic rationality: Habermas theory of communicative action and the social brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Michael; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Rotte, Michael; Denke, Claudia

2013-01-01

In the philosophical theory of communicative action, rationality refers to interpersonal communication rather than to a knowing subject. Thus, a social view of rationality is suggested. The theory differentiates between two kinds of rationality, the emancipative communicative and the strategic or instrumental reasoning. Using experimental designs in an fMRI setting, recent studies explored similar questions of reasoning in the social world and linked them with a neural network including prefrontal and parietal brain regions. Here, we employed an fMRI approach to highlight brain areas associated with strategic and communicative reasoning according to the theory of communicative action. Participants were asked to assess different social scenarios with respect to communicative or strategic rationality. We found a network of brain areas including temporal pole, precuneus, and STS more activated when participants performed communicative reasoning compared with strategic thinking and a control condition. These brain regions have been previously linked to moral sensitivity. In contrast, strategic rationality compared with communicative reasoning and control was associated with less activation in areas known to be related to moral sensitivity, emotional processing, and language control. The results suggest that strategic reasoning is associated with reduced social and emotional cognitions and may use different language related networks. Thus, the results demonstrate experimental support for the assumptions of the theory of communicative action.

Revisiting Communicative Competence in Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Meng-Ju

2016-01-01

This tutorial paper is to explore the novel nature of communicative competence in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practice by comparing it to communicative competence in naturally verbal dyadic communication. This paper first reviews the four domains of communicative competence in AAC practice. Second, it examines competence in dyadic communications between naturally verbal people without disabilities, deriving new insights and using these to analyze the evolution of communicative competence in AAC practice. Communicative competence in AAC practice should be reconceptualized from a new perspective as dyadic, learned, co-constructed, and of relative value, ascertained through performance. In the past decades, the study of communicative competence in AAC practice has primarily focused on individual persons who use AAC. However, the conceptualization of communicative competence should shift away from an individualized construct toward a dyadic construct. This leads to a discussion of potential implications and future research directions. This paper might offer AAC researchers and practitioners an opportunity to deepen their understanding of communicative competence and promote more positive outcomes for people who use AAC. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Linking Contextual Factors with Rhetorical Pattern Shift: Direct and Indirect Strategies Recommended in English Business Communication Textbooks in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junhua; Zhu, Pinfan

2011-01-01

Scholars have consistently claimed that rhetorical patterns are culturally bound, and indirectness is a defining characteristic of Chinese writing. Through examining how the rhetorical mechanism of directness and indirectness is presented in 29 English business communication textbooks published in China, we explore how English business…

Organizational Communication: Communication and Motivation in The Workplace

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sari Ramadanty

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Every human activity was basically driven by the motivation. Work motivation was a condition or an energy that directed employees to achieve organizational goals of the company. Nowadays, the development of organizational communication saw the communication as one of the most dominant and important activity in the organization and it could be able to motivate employees. The purpose of this study was to reveal how the role of the communication that occurs within the organization could give the motivation to employee. The problem of the research was the relationship employee motivation with factors of communication, such as nonverbal communication, interpersonal communication leadership and communication climate. The method used descriptive qualitative method. Methods of data collection of this study were literature study. Research finds that nonverbal communication, interpersonal communication leadership and communication climate have a significant role to form employee motivation. Nonverbal communication has slightly strong role in shaping the positive motivation to employee. The role includes body communication, facial communication and eye communication. Interpersonal communication leader is based on the satisfaction level of information between management and employees. Management and transparency in openness in downward communication under the form of information from superiors are by listening the communication between supervisors and employees are running smoothly. 

Perspectives on Individual Differences Affecting Therapeutic Change in Communication Disorders. New Directions in Communication Disorders Research

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Amy L., Ed.

2009-01-01

This volume examines the ramifications of individual differences in therapy outcomes for a wide variety of communication disorders. In an era where evidence-based practice is the clinical profession's watchword, each chapter attacks this highly relevant issue from a somewhat different perspective. In some areas of communication disorders,…

Myths on Bi-direction Communication of Web 2.0 Based Social Networks: Is Social Network Truly Interactive?

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-10

more and more social interactions are happening on the on-line. Especially recent uptake of the social network sites (SNSs), such as Facebook (http...Smart phones • Live updates within social networks • Facebook & Twitters Solution: WebMon for Risk Management Need for New WebMon for Social Networks ...Title: Myths on bi-direction communication of Web 2.0 based social networks : Is social network truly interactive

Efficient Placement of Directional Antennas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Feng [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kasiviswanathan, Shiva [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-09-20

Directional antenna is an technology for the proliferation of wireless networks. In centralized wireless network, wireless devices communicate through base stations. Directed antennas are placed on base stations and form a backbone of communication. The communication between base stations and wireless devices can be interfered due to a large number of wireless device. Methodically positioning and orienting directed antennas can help to reduce the interference while saving energy. An integer linear programming is developed for siting and directing antennas on multiple base stations, and this formulation can be extended to model non-overlapping channels. Through the integer programming formulation, optimal antenna positions can be used to analyze the performance of directed antennas with different parameters like the number base stations and the number of non-overlapping channels.

Radar spectrum opportunities for cognitive communications transmission

OpenAIRE

Wang, L; McGeehan, JP; Williams, C; Doufexi, A

2008-01-01

In relation to opportunistic access to radar spectrum, the impact of the radar on a communication system is investigated in this paper. This paper illustrates that by exploring the spatial and temporal opportunities in the radar spectrum and therefore improving the tolerance level to radar interference, a substantial increase on the throughput of a communication system is possible. Results are presented regarding the impact of swept radars on a WiMAX system. The results show the impact of SIR...

Communication Strategies in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising (DTCA): Application of the Six Segment Message Strategy Wheel.

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Ilwoo; Park, Jin Seong

2015-01-01

This study addresses a void in the literature on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising (DTCA) with a theory-based content analysis. The findings indicate that Taylor's communication strategy wheel provides insight into what and how pharmaceutical marketers communicate with consumers by means of DTCA. Major findings are summarized as follows: (a) In most DTC ads, informational and transformational message themes and creative approaches were simultaneously used, indicating a combination strategy; (b) DTCA message themes were associated with creative strategies in alignment with Taylor's framework; and (c) message themes and creative strategies varied across therapeutic categories and DTCA categories with different levels of ad spending. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

When direct health-care professional communications have an impact on inappropriate and unsafe use of medicines : A retrospective analysis of determinants of impact of safety warnings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reber, K.C.; Piening, S.; Wieringa, J.E.; Straus, S.M.J.M.; Raine, J.M.; de Graeff, Pauline; Haaijer-Ruskamp, F.M.; Mol, Peter G. M.

Serious safety issues relating to drugs are communicated to health-care professionals via Direct Health-Care Professional Communications (DHPCs). We explored which characteristics determined the impact of DHPCs issued in the Netherlands for ambulatory-care drugs (2001-2008). With multiple linear

Direct estimation and correction of bias from temporally variable non-stationary noise in a channelized Hotelling model observer.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterly, Kenneth A; Favazza, Christopher P

2016-08-07

Channelized Hotelling model observer (CHO) methods were developed to assess performance of an x-ray angiography system. The analytical methods included correction for known bias error due to finite sampling. Detectability indices ([Formula: see text]) corresponding to disk-shaped objects with diameters in the range 0.5-4 mm were calculated. Application of the CHO for variable detector target dose (DTD) in the range 6-240 nGy frame(-1) resulted in [Formula: see text] estimates which were as much as 2.9×  greater than expected of a quantum limited system. Over-estimation of [Formula: see text] was presumed to be a result of bias error due to temporally variable non-stationary noise. Statistical theory which allows for independent contributions of 'signal' from a test object (o) and temporally variable non-stationary noise (ns) was developed. The theory demonstrates that the biased [Formula: see text] is the sum of the detectability indices associated with the test object [Formula: see text] and non-stationary noise ([Formula: see text]). Given the nature of the imaging system and the experimental methods, [Formula: see text] cannot be directly determined independent of [Formula: see text]. However, methods to estimate [Formula: see text] independent of [Formula: see text] were developed. In accordance with the theory, [Formula: see text] was subtracted from experimental estimates of [Formula: see text], providing an unbiased estimate of [Formula: see text]. Estimates of [Formula: see text] exhibited trends consistent with expectations of an angiography system that is quantum limited for high DTD and compromised by detector electronic readout noise for low DTD conditions. Results suggest that these methods provide [Formula: see text] estimates which are accurate and precise for [Formula: see text]. Further, results demonstrated that the source of bias was detector electronic readout noise. In summary, this work presents theory and methods to test for the

Brain mechanisms underlying human communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthijs L Noordzij

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Human communication has been described as involving the coding-decoding of a conventional symbol system, which could be supported by parts of the human motor system (i.e. the “mirror neurons system”. However, this view does not explain how these conventions could develop in the first place. Here we target the neglected but crucial issue of how people organize their non-verbal behavior to communicate a given intention without pre-established conventions. We have measured behavioral and brain responses in pairs of subjects during communicative exchanges occurring in a real, interactive, on-line social context. In two fMRI studies, we found robust evidence that planning new communicative actions (by a sender and recognizing the communicative intention of the same actions (by a receiver relied on spatially overlapping portions of their brains (the right posterior superior temporal sulcus. The response of this region was lateralized to the right hemisphere, modulated by the ambiguity in meaning of the communicative acts, but not by their sensorimotor complexity. These results indicate that the sender of a communicative signal uses his own intention recognition system to make a prediction of the intention recognition performed by the receiver. This finding supports the notion that our communicative abilities are distinct from both sensorimotor processes and language abilities.

Brain mechanisms underlying human communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Noordzij, Matthijs L; Newman-Norlund, Sarah E; de Ruiter, Jan Peter; Hagoort, Peter; Levinson, Stephen C; Toni, Ivan

2009-01-01

Human communication has been described as involving the coding-decoding of a conventional symbol system, which could be supported by parts of the human motor system (i.e. the "mirror neurons system"). However, this view does not explain how these conventions could develop in the first place. Here we target the neglected but crucial issue of how people organize their non-verbal behavior to communicate a given intention without pre-established conventions. We have measured behavioral and brain responses in pairs of subjects during communicative exchanges occurring in a real, interactive, on-line social context. In two fMRI studies, we found robust evidence that planning new communicative actions (by a sender) and recognizing the communicative intention of the same actions (by a receiver) relied on spatially overlapping portions of their brains (the right posterior superior temporal sulcus). The response of this region was lateralized to the right hemisphere, modulated by the ambiguity in meaning of the communicative acts, but not by their sensorimotor complexity. These results indicate that the sender of a communicative signal uses his own intention recognition system to make a prediction of the intention recognition performed by the receiver. This finding supports the notion that our communicative abilities are distinct from both sensorimotor processes and language abilities.

Engineering and Narrative: Literary Prerequisites as Indirect Communication for Technical Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Jeyaraj, Joseph

2014-01-01

While Engineering values direct communication, indirect communication produces a kind of literacy salient for engineers that direct communication may not offer in the way indirect communication does. This article emphasizes the inadequacies of overly emphasizing direct communication for Engineering majors and explains how teaching indirect…

Brain 'talks over' boring quotes: top-down activation of voice-selective areas while listening to monotonous direct speech quotations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Bo; Belin, Pascal; Scheepers, Christoph

2012-04-15

In human communication, direct speech (e.g., Mary said, "I'm hungry") is perceived as more vivid than indirect speech (e.g., Mary said that she was hungry). This vividness distinction has previously been found to underlie silent reading of quotations: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that direct speech elicited higher brain activity in the temporal voice areas (TVA) of the auditory cortex than indirect speech, consistent with an "inner voice" experience in reading direct speech. Here we show that listening to monotonously spoken direct versus indirect speech quotations also engenders differential TVA activity. This suggests that individuals engage in top-down simulations or imagery of enriched supra-segmental acoustic representations while listening to monotonous direct speech. The findings shed new light on the acoustic nature of the "inner voice" in understanding direct speech. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding onsets of rainfall in Southern Africa using temporal probabilistic modelling

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Cheruiyot, D

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This research investigates an alternative approach to automatically evolve the hidden temporal distribution of onset of rainfall directly from multivariate time series (MTS) data in the absence of domain experts. Temporal probabilistic modelling...

Then and Now: Examining How Consumer Communication and Attitudes of Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising Have Changed in the Last Decade.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Kelly S; Cronley, Maria L

2014-09-01

This study examines changes over a 10-year period in consumer reports of communication with health care providers about direct-to-consumer advertised (DTCA) medications. Two rounds of survey data were collected in 2003 and 2012 using repeated cross-sectional procedures to examine consumer willingness to discuss DTCA medications, content and tone of those conversations, and attitudes about the advertisements. In total, 472 surveys were analyzed. Generally, we found physician-patient conversations, attitudes, and behaviors regarding DTCA have changed. Consumers in 2012 reported talking significantly less about the names of the advertised drug, comparing the advertised drug with their current medication, and sharing general information than consumers in 2003. Attitudes toward the advertisements were significantly more negative in 2012 compared to 2003. Of those who specifically asked for a prescription, the proportion of patients who received the prescription was significantly lower in 2012, despite research suggesting increased rates of prescriptions. These results are interpreted in light of previous research about the lack of research examining the actual communication between physicians and patients on this topic. Limitations of the study are provided along with directions for future research about DTCA and physician-patient communication.

Direct prediction of spatially and temporally varying physical properties from time-lapse electrical resistance data

Science.gov (United States)

Hermans, Thomas; Oware, Erasmus; Caers, Jef

2016-09-01

Time-lapse applications of electrical methods have grown significantly over the last decade. However, the quantitative interpretation of tomograms in terms of physical properties, such as salinity, temperature or saturation, remains difficult. In many applications, geophysical models are transformed into hydrological models, but this transformation suffers from spatially and temporally varying resolution resulting from the regularization used by the deterministic inversion. In this study, we investigate a prediction-focused approach (PFA) to directly estimate subsurface physical properties with electrical resistance data, circumventing the need for classic tomographic inversions. First, we generate a prior set of resistance data and physical property forecast through hydrogeological and geophysical simulations mimicking the field experiment. We reduce the dimension of both the data and the forecast through principal component analysis in order to keep the most informative part of both sets in a reduced dimension space. Then, we apply canonical correlation analysis to explore the relationship between the data and the forecast in their reduced dimension space. If a linear relationship can be established, the posterior distribution of the forecast can be directly sampled using a Gaussian process regression where the field data scores are the conditioning data. In this paper, we demonstrate PFA for various physical property distributions. We also develop a framework to propagate the estimated noise level in the reduced dimension space. We validate the results by a Monte Carlo study on the posterior distribution and demonstrate that PFA yields accurate uncertainty for the cases studied.

Clients’ psychosocial communication and midwives’ verbal and nonverbal communication during prenatal counseling for anomaly screening.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martin, L.; Gitsels-van der Wal, J.T.; Pereboom, M.T.R.; Spelten, E.R.; Hutton, E.K.; Dulmen, S. van

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study focuses on facilitation of clients’ psychosocial communication during prenatal counseling for fetal anomaly screening. We assessed how psychosocial communication by clients is related to midwives’ psychosocial and affective communication, client-directed gaze and counseling

A Comparative Case Study of Electric Utility Companies’ Use of Energy Democracy in Strategic Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meaghan McKasy

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A substantial increase in distributed renewable energy resources is changing the face of the energy environment, leading to strategic communication efforts by key stakeholders. The energy democracy movement supports this transformation from fossil fuels to distributed renewable energy and aims for equitable involvement of publics in energy decision making. These tenets challenge utility company earnings as they are directly related to energy sales and infrastructure returns on investment. Proposals by electric utility companies to restructure net-metering policies as a solution to financial issues have been criticized as prohibitive to the success of renewable energy advancement. To address these disagreements, the Edison Electric Institute and a communication firm, Maslansky & Partners, created The Future of Energy: A Working Communication Guide for Discussion. This handbook provides utility companies with strategic communication guidelines to portray themselves as supportive of renewables within a dynamic energy industry. We posit that aspects of the energy democracy movement have been employed by electric utility companies, as shown through the use of the handbook, as a strategy for communicating with customers in discussions around net metering. We examine two case studies in states with recent controversial net-metering policy changes by analyzing utility company websites and press releases for the use of the communication handbook terminology. We found that, in both cases, the suggested language was used to position their companies as pro-renewable energy and their utility-scale projects as more equitable for their customers. In addition, we found differences between each company’s use of key terms from the handbook. We posit that this is due to the temporal context of each net-metering debate at the time of the handbook release. Conclusions and future directions for research in the growing area of energy democracy are discussed.

A communication-theory based view on telemedical communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Schall, Thomas; Roeckelein, Wolfgang; Mohr, Markus; Kampshoff, Joerg; Lange, Tim; Nerlich, Michael

2003-01-01

Communication theory based analysis sheds new light on the use of health telematics. This analysis of structures in electronic medical communication shows communicative structures with special features. Current and evolving telemedical applications are analyzed. The methodology of communicational theory (focusing on linguistic pragmatics) is used to compare it with its conventional counterpart. The semiotic model, the roles of partners, the respective message and their relation are discussed. Channels, sender, addressee, and other structural roles are analyzed for different types of electronic medical communication. The communicative processes are shown as mutual, rational action towards a common goal. The types of communication/texts are analyzed in general. Furthermore the basic communicative structures of medical education via internet are presented with their special features. The analysis shows that electronic medical communication has special features compared to everyday communication: A third participant role often is involved: the patient. Messages often are addressed to an unspecified partner or to an unspecified partner within a group. Addressing in this case is (at least partially) role-based. Communication and message often directly (rather than indirectly) influence actions of the participants. Communication often is heavily regulated including legal implications like liability, and more. The conclusion from the analysis is that the development of telemedical applications so far did not sufficiently take communicative structures into consideration. Based on these results recommendations for future developments of telemedical applications/services are given.

Mesial temporal sclerosis in children Esclerose mesial temporal em crianças

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliana Maria Domingues Brandão

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Mesial temporal sclerosis is the most frequent cause of drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy but has a satisfactory response to surgery, and is considered infrequent in children. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical, electrographic and radiological spectrum of the disease in children. METHOD: Retrospective study by review of charts of 44 children with a diagnosis of mesial temporal sclerosis on magnetic resonance imaging, attended at the "Hospital das Clínicas" of the University of São Paulo Faculty of Medicine. RESULTS: Febrile seizure was identified in the history of 54% of the patients. Injuries at the left side predominated in patients with schooling difficulties (p=0.049, in those with the first seizures between six months and five years (p=0.021 and in those with complex febrile seizure (p=0.032. Thirteen patients were submitted to surgery and of these, eight remained without seizures. CONCLUSION: Febrile seizure may be related in a more direct way to the presence of left-side mesial temporal sclerosis.Em adultos, esclerose mesial temporal é a causa mais freqüente de epilepsia do lobo temporal intratável por medicamentos e que responde satisfatoriamente a cirurgia, sendo considerada pouco freqüente em criança. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o espectro clínico, eletrográfico e radiológico desta patologia em crianças. MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo, por revisão de prontuário de 44 crianças com diagnóstico de esclerose mesial temporal na ressonância magnética, atendidos no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de São Paulo. RESULTADO: Foi identificado que 54% dos pacientes apresentaram antecedente de crise febril. Lesão no lado esquerdo predominou nos pacientes com dificuldade escolar (p=0.049, naqueles com primeiras crises entre seis meses e cinco anos (p=0,021 e naqueles com crise febril complicada (p=0,032. Treze pacientes foram operados, dos quais oito ficaram livres de crises. CONCLUSÃO: Crise febril pode estar

Target selection for direct marketing.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bult, Jan Roelf

1993-01-01

In this thesis we concentrated on the use ol direct mail for targeting potential buyers. The major characteristics that influences the success of a plomotional direct mail campaign are the of-fbr,the communication elements, the timing or sequence of these communication elements, and the list of

Cascading Events, Technology and the Floods Directive: future challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pescaroli Gianluca

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cascading events can be referred to multidimensional disasters, where a primary trigger generates a nonlinear series of secondary emergencies that escalate in time, becoming eventually the priority to tackle. In this process, critical infrastructure can be handled as roots of vulnerabilities, because they accumulate both physical attributes and functional nodes. When compromised, they produce widespread breakdowns of society, but also orient emergency responses and long-term recovery. Although floods have been widely associated to the failure of vulnerable equipments or to the disruption of strategic sectors such as energy, communication and transportation, their integration with the emerging concept of cascading has been limited. This open topic presents many challenges for scholars, researchers and practitioners, in particular when the implementation of the EU Floods Directive is considered. The paper presents an overview of the Floods Directive and its relation with the cascading events, using case studies and examples from the existing literature to point out missing links and gaps in the legislation. Conclusions argue that the Directive considers only local geographical scales and limited temporal horizons, which can be result inadequate to limit the escalation of events.

Temporal Proof Methodologies for Real-Time Systems,

Science.gov (United States)

1990-09-01

real time systems that communicate either through shared variables or by message passing and real time issues such as time-outs, process priorities (interrupts) and process scheduling. The authors exhibit two styles for the specification of real - time systems . While the first approach uses bounded versions of temporal operators the second approach allows explicit references to time through a special clock variable. Corresponding to two styles of specification the authors present and compare two fundamentally different proof

Eye wash water flow direction study: an evaluation of the effectiveness of eye wash devices with opposite directional water flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogt, Jennifer S; Jones-Jordan, Lisa A; Barr, Joseph T

2018-01-01

New designs of eye wash stations have been developed in which the direction of water flow from the fountain has been reversed, with two water streams originating nasally in both eyes and flowing toward the temporal side of each eye. No study has been done to determine the ideal direction of water flow coming from the eye wash in relation to the eye. Ophthalmic eye examinations were conducted before and after the use of two eye wash stations with opposite water flow directionality. Fluorescein was instilled in both eyes before using an eye wash to measure the effectiveness of the water flow. Subjects were surveyed upon their experiences using the eye washes. Ophthalmic examination found no significant difference in the efficacy of the eye washes with nasal-to-temporal water flow when compared to temporal-to-nasal water flow direction.

Ka-band Technologies for Small Spacecraft Communications via Relays and Direct Data Downlink

Science.gov (United States)

Budinger, James M.; Niederhaus, Charles; Reinhart, Richard; Downey, Joe; Roberts, Anthony

2016-01-01

As the scientific capabilities and number of small spacecraft missions in the near Earth region increase, standard yet configurable user spacecraft terminals operating in Ka-band are needed to lower mission cost and risk and enable significantly higher data return than current UHF or S-band terminals. These compact Ka-band terminals are intended to operate with both the current and next generation of Ka-band relay satellites and via direct data communications with near Earth tracking terminals. This presentation provides an overview of emerging NASA-sponsored and commercially provided technologies in software defined radios (SDRs), transceivers, and electronically steered antennas that will enable data rates from hundreds of kbps to over 1 Gbps and operate in multiple frequency bands (such as S- and X-bands) and expand the use of NASA's common Ka-bands frequencies: 22.55-23.15 GHz for forward data or uplink; and 25.5-27.0 GHz for return data or downlink. Reductions in mass, power and volume come from integration of multiple radio functions, operations in Ka-band, high efficiency amplifiers and receivers, and compact, flat and vibration free electronically steered narrow beam antennas for up to + 60 degrees field of regard. The software defined near Earth space transceiver (SD-NEST) described in the presentation is intended to be compliant with NASA's space telecommunications radio system (STRS) standard for communications waveforms and hardware interoperability.

Searches over graphs representing geospatial-temporal remote sensing data

Science.gov (United States)

Brost, Randolph; Perkins, David Nikolaus

2018-03-06

Various technologies pertaining to identifying objects of interest in remote sensing images by searching over geospatial-temporal graph representations are described herein. Graphs are constructed by representing objects in remote sensing images as nodes, and connecting nodes with undirected edges representing either distance or adjacency relationships between objects and directed edges representing changes in time. Geospatial-temporal graph searches are made computationally efficient by taking advantage of characteristics of geospatial-temporal data in remote sensing images through the application of various graph search techniques.

A Remote Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Communications Lab Utilising the Emona DATEx

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cosmas Mwikirize

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Remote labs have become popular learning aids due to their versatility and considerable ease of utilisation as compared to their physical counterparts. At Makerere University, the remote labs are based on the standard Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT iLabs Shared Architecture (ISA - a scalable and generic platform. Presented in this paper is such a lab, addressing the key practical aspects of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS communication. The lab is built on the National Instruments Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite (NI ELVIS with the Emona Digital and Analog Telecommunications Experimenter (DATEx add-on board. It also incorporates switching hardware. The lab facilitates real-time control of the equipment, with users able to set, manipulate and observe signal parameters in both the frequency and the time domains. Simulation and data Acquisition modes of the experiment are supported to provide a richer learning experience.

Marxism and Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Daley, Patrick J.; Soloski, John

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels had little to say specifically about communication and language, but their works hint at the direction their critique of communication might have taken. Language and consciousness are conditioned by specific means of production and sociopolitical circumstances and are therefore ideological. The domain of ideology…

Embryo-maternal communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østrup, Esben; Hyttel, Poul; Østrup, Olga

2011-01-01

Communication during early pregnancy is essential for successful reproduction. In this review we address the beginning of the communication between mother and developing embryo; including morphological and transcriptional changes in the endometrium as well as epigenetic regulation mechanisms dire...... directing the placentation. An increasing knowledge of the embryo-maternal communication might not only help to improve the fertility of our farm animals but also our understanding of human health and reproduction.......Communication during early pregnancy is essential for successful reproduction. In this review we address the beginning of the communication between mother and developing embryo; including morphological and transcriptional changes in the endometrium as well as epigenetic regulation mechanisms...

Dynamic (2, 3) Threshold Quantum Secret Sharing of Secure Direct Communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai Hong; Xiao Jing-Hua; Mehmet, Orgun A.; Josef, Pieprzyk; Xue Li-Yin

2015-01-01

In this paper, we show that a (2, 3) discrete variable threshold quantum secret sharing scheme of secure direct communication can be achieved based on recurrence using the same devices as in BB84. The scheme is devised by first placing the shares of smaller secret pieces into the shares of the largest secret piece, converting the shares of the largest secret piece into corresponding quantum state sequences, inserting nonorthogonal state particles into the quantum state sequences with the purpose of detecting eavesdropping, and finally sending the new quantum state sequences to the three participants respectively. Consequently, every particle can on average carry up to 1.5-bit messages due to the use of recurrence. The control codes are randomly prepared using the way to generate fountain codes with pre-shared source codes between Alice and Bob, making three participants can detect eavesdropping by themselves without sending classical messages to Alice. Due to the flexible encoding, our scheme is also dynamic, which means that it allows the participants to join and leave freely. (paper)

Quantum direct communication protocol strengthening against Pavičić’s attack

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bo; Shi, Wei-Xu; Wang, Jian; Tang, Chao-Jing

2015-12-01

A quantum circuit providing an undetectable eavesdropping of information in message mode, which compromises all two-state ψ-ϕ quantum direct communication (QDC) protocols, has been recently proposed by Pavičić [Phys. Rev. A 87 (2013) 042326]. A modification of the protocol’s control mode is proposed, which improves users’ 25% detection probability of Eve to 50% at best, as that in ping-pong protocol. The modification also improves the detection probability of Wójcik’s attack [Phys. Rev. Lett 90 (2003) 157901] to 75% at best. The resistance against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack as well as the discussion of security for four Bell state protocols is presented. As a result, the protocol security is strengthened both theoretically and practically, and quantum advantage of superdense coding is restored.

Digital communication system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Union, D.C.

1980-01-01

A digital communication system for communicating among two central consoles and a plurality of local controllers, e.g. in a radiation and monitoring system, provides communication between each of the consoles and all of the local controllers via dual paths. Each path is independent of the other and each extends from one of the consoles to all of the local controllers from opposite directions, thereby forming a unique non-continuous loop. (author)

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Epidemic Phenomena Using the R Package surveillance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Meyer

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The availability of geocoded health data and the inherent temporal structure of communicable diseases have led to an increased interest in statistical models and software for spatio-temporal data with epidemic features. The open source R package surveillance can handle various levels of aggregation at which infective events have been recorded: individual-level time-stamped geo-referenced data (case reports in either continuous space or discrete space, as well as counts aggregated by period and region. For each of these data types, the surveillance package implements tools for visualization, likelihoood inference and simulation from recently developed statistical regression frameworks capturing endemic and epidemic dynamics. Altogether, this paper is a guide to the spatio-temporal modeling of epidemic phenomena, exemplified by analyses of public health surveillance data on measles and invasive meningococcal disease.

Multilingual Communication and Language Acquisition: New Research Directions

Science.gov (United States)

Canagarajah, A. Suresh; Wurr, Adrian J.

2011-01-01

In this article, we outline the differences between a monolingual and multilingual orientation to language and language acquisition. The increasing contact between languages in the context of globalization motivates such a shift of paradigms. Multilingual communicative practices have remained vibrant in non-western communities for a long time. We…

Centrality measures in temporal networks with time series analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qiangjuan; Zhao, Chengli; Zhang, Xue; Wang, Xiaojie; Yi, Dongyun

2017-05-01

The study of identifying important nodes in networks has a wide application in different fields. However, the current researches are mostly based on static or aggregated networks. Recently, the increasing attention to networks with time-varying structure promotes the study of node centrality in temporal networks. In this paper, we define a supra-evolution matrix to depict the temporal network structure. With using of the time series analysis, the relationships between different time layers can be learned automatically. Based on the special form of the supra-evolution matrix, the eigenvector centrality calculating problem is turned into the calculation of eigenvectors of several low-dimensional matrices through iteration, which effectively reduces the computational complexity. Experiments are carried out on two real-world temporal networks, Enron email communication network and DBLP co-authorship network, the results of which show that our method is more efficient at discovering the important nodes than the common aggregating method.

Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xi

2018-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC): real-time communication that takes place between human beings…

Using Visual Scene Displays as Communication Support Options for People with Chronic, Severe Aphasia: A Summary of AAC Research and Future Research Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Beukelman, David R; Hux, Karen; Dietz, Aimee; McKelvey, Miechelle; Weissling, Kristy

2015-01-01

Research about the effectiveness of communicative supports and advances in photographic technology has prompted changes in the way speech-language pathologists design and implement interventions for people with aphasia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of photographic images as a basis for developing communication supports for people with chronic aphasia secondary to sudden-onset events due to cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). Topics include the evolution of AAC-based supports as they relate to people with aphasia, the development and key features of visual scene displays (VSDs), and future directions concerning the incorporation of photographs into communication supports for people with chronic and severe aphasia.

Pathways of seizure propagation from the temporal to the occipital lobe.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Julia; Dubeau, François; Olivier, André; Andermann, Frederick

2008-12-01

Propagation of ictal epileptic discharges influences the clinical appearance of seizures. Fast propagation from the occipital to temporal lobe has been well described, but until now the reverse direction of spread has not been emphasized. We describe two patients who experienced ictal propagation from temporal to occipital regions. One case presented with amaurosis during a seizure with temporal onset and temporal-occipital spread. In the second, temporal-occipital spread was documented during a seizure, which continued in the occipital lobe for six minutes. Depth electrode studies suggested the temporal ictal onset of seizures in both patients. Propagation from temporal to occipital lobe structures must be considered in the assessment of patients who have seizures with both temporal and occipital features. The propagation may have predictive value for their surgical outcome. The underlying anatomical structure might be the inferior longitudinal fasciculus.

Quantum secure communication models comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgi Petrov Bebrov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper concerns the quantum cryptography, more specifically, the quantum secure communication type of schemes. The main focus here is on making a comparison between the distinct secure quantum communication models – quantum secure direct communication and deterministic secure quantum communication, in terms of three parameters: resource efficiency, eavesdropping check efficiency, and security (degree of preserving the confidentiality.

Semantics for Communicating Actors with Interdependent Real-Time Deadlines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knoll, Istvan; Ravn, Anders Peter; Skou, Arne

2009-01-01

on the results, these tools must use consistent semantics for the model. Yet, a monolithic semantic model is just as complex as the entity it describes. In order to circumvent this issue, we define a three level semantics giving independent definitions of the functionality of actors, the temporal properties...... of communications, and finally imposing deadlines on the timing of dependent actors. With this approach the semantics is used directly in developing a simulator supporting the nondeterminism of the abstract semantics such that e.g. potential race conditions can be detected. The layers are also planned to underpin...... independent specialized verification tools. The verification task for timed, hybrid systems can thus be divided into the continuous, discrete, and timing domains with automated translation to specialized tools, and this promises better scalability than simulation or model checking of one complex model....

Integrated marketing communications in sport organizations

OpenAIRE

Gašović Milan

2011-01-01

Integrated marketing communications represent the unification of organization's marketing and communication activities. Sports organizations have the emphasized need for effective communication with their environment (the public, the media, advertisers, sponsors, and other subjects interested in their offer). Elements of the integrated marketing communications are: advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, publicity, public relations, direct marketing, Internet communications etc. Each ...

Information Aggregation and Communication in Organizations

OpenAIRE

Philippe Jehiel

1999-01-01

Operating units must communicate their private information regarding decisions to be taken in organizations. This paper characterizes the optimal communication structures assuming that (i) a decision maker is fired whenever he makes a decision that proves wrong ex post relative to the status quo; and (ii) direct communication in a group of kunits may result in the loss of messages with a probability that solely depends on the group size. Several levels of partitioning with direct communicatio...

Temporal stability of the psychological determinants of trust: Implications for communication about food risks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frewer, L.J.; Miles, S.

2003-01-01

There has been much debate about the role of trust in information sources in risk communication. Recent food scares have highlighted the need for both the development of effective risk communication strategies and investigation into whether trust differs between different information sources. In the

Multiscale Interactive Communication: Inside and Outside Thun Castle

Science.gov (United States)

Massari, G. A.; Luce, F.; Pellegatta, C.

2011-09-01

The applications of informatics to architecture have become, for professionals, a great tool for managing analytical phases and project activities but also, for the general public, new ways of communication that may relate directly present, past and future facts. Museums in historic buildings, their installations and the recent experiences of eco-museums located throughout the territory provide a privileged experimentation field for technical and digital representation. On the one hand, the safeguarding and the functional adaptation of buildings use 3D computer graphics models that are real spatially related databases: in them are ordered, viewed and interpreted the results of archival, artistic-historical, diagnostic, technological-structural studies and the assumption and feasibility of interventions. On the other hand, the disclosure of things and knowledge linked to collective memory relies on interactive maps and hypertext systems that provide access to authentic virtual museums; a sort of multimedia extension of the exhibition hall is produced to an architectural scale, but at landscape scale the result is an instrument of cultural development so far unpublished: works that are separated in direct perception find in a zenith view of the map a synthetic relation, related both to spatial parameters and temporal interpretations.

Theory, Method and Games in Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, Malcolm S., Jr.

The thesis that the methods in mass communication research for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data should relate directly to the theoretical models of communication is argued in this speech. Communication models indicate that a source can usually communicate more effectively in the presence of feedback from relevant receivers on their…

Chronic Media Worlds: Social Media and the Problem of Pain Communication on Tumblr

OpenAIRE

Gonzalez-Polledo, E.

2016-01-01

This paper explores dynamics of pain communication in the social media platform Tumblr. As a device of health communication, the Tumblr platform brings together a network of behaviors, technologies and media forms through which pain experience is reimaged through and against mainstream biomedical frameworks. The article develops an interpretative approach to analyze how, as social media platforms reorganize affective, emotional, physical and temporal frames of experience, communication about ...

Impersonation attack on a quantum secure direct communication and authentication protocol with improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Amerimehr, Ali; Hadain Dehkordi, Massoud

2018-03-01

We analyze the security of a quantum secure direct communication and authentication protocol based on single photons. We first give an impersonation attack on the protocol. The cryptanalysis shows that there is a gap in the authentication procedure of the protocol so that an opponent can reveal the secret information by an undetectable attempt. We then propose an improvement for the protocol and show it closes the gap by applying a mutual authentication procedure. In the improved protocol single photons are transmitted once in a session, so it is easy to implement as the primary protocol. Furthermore, we use a novel technique for secret order rearrangement of photons by which not only quantum storage is eliminated also a secret key can be reused securely. So the new protocol is applicable in practical approaches like embedded system devices.

Semantic memory is impaired in patients with unilateral anterior temporal lobe resection for temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambon Ralph, Matthew A; Ehsan, Sheeba; Baker, Gus A; Rogers, Timothy T

2012-01-01

Contemporary clinical and basic neuroscience studies have increasingly implicated the anterior temporal lobe regions, bilaterally, in the formation of coherent concepts. Mounting convergent evidence for the importance of the anterior temporal lobe in semantic memory is found in patients with bilateral anterior temporal lobe damage (e.g. semantic dementia), functional neuroimaging and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation studies. If this proposal is correct, then one might expect patients with anterior temporal lobe resection for long-standing temporal lobe epilepsy to be semantically impaired. Such patients, however, do not present clinically with striking comprehension deficits but with amnesia and variable anomia, leading some to conclude that semantic memory is intact in resection for temporal lobe epilepsy and thus casting doubt over the conclusions drawn from semantic dementia and linked basic neuroscience studies. Whilst there is a considerable neuropsychological literature on temporal lobe epilepsy, few studies have probed semantic memory directly, with mixed results, and none have undertaken the same type of systematic investigation of semantic processing that has been conducted with other patient groups. In this study, therefore, we investigated the semantic performance of 20 patients with resection for chronic temporal lobe epilepsy with a full battery of semantic assessments, including more sensitive measures of semantic processing. The results provide a bridge between the current clinical observations about resection for temporal lobe epilepsy and the expectations from semantic dementia and other neuroscience findings. Specifically, we found that on simple semantic tasks, the patients' accuracy fell in the normal range, with the exception that some patients with left resection for temporal lobe epilepsy had measurable anomia. Once the semantic assessments were made more challenging, by probing specific-level concepts, lower frequency

Digital, Satellite-Based Aeronautical Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Davarian, F.

1989-01-01

Satellite system relays communication between aircraft and stations on ground. System offers better coverage with direct communication between air and ground, costs less and makes possible new communication services. Carries both voice and data. Because many data exchanged between aircraft and ground contain safety-related information, probability of bit errors essential.

Tuning for temporal interval in human apparent motion detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bours, Roger J E; Stuur, Sanne; Lankheet, Martin J M

2007-01-08

Detection of apparent motion in random dot patterns requires correlation across time and space. It has been difficult to study the temporal requirements for the correlation step because motion detection also depends on temporal filtering preceding correlation and on integration at the next levels. To specifically study tuning for temporal interval in the correlation step, we performed an experiment in which prefiltering and postintegration were held constant and in which we used a motion stimulus containing coherent motion for a single interval value only. The stimulus consisted of a sparse random dot pattern in which each dot was presented in two frames only, separated by a specified interval. On each frame, half of the dots were refreshed and the other half was a displaced reincarnation of the pattern generated one or several frames earlier. Motion energy statistics in such a stimulus do not vary from frame to frame, and the directional bias in spatiotemporal correlations is similar for different interval settings. We measured coherence thresholds for left-right direction discrimination by varying motion coherence levels in a Quest staircase procedure, as a function of both step size and interval. Results show that highest sensitivity was found for an interval of 17-42 ms, irrespective of viewing distance. The falloff at longer intervals was much sharper than previously described. Tuning for temporal interval was largely, but not completely, independent of step size. The optimal temporal interval slightly decreased with increasing step size. Similarly, the optimal step size decreased with increasing temporal interval.

Remote direct memory access over datagrams

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Ryan Eric; Rashti, Mohammad Javad; Balaji, Pavan; Afsahi, Ahmad

2014-12-02

A communication stack for providing remote direct memory access (RDMA) over a datagram network is disclosed. The communication stack has a user level interface configured to accept datagram related input and communicate with an RDMA enabled network interface card (NIC) via an NIC driver. The communication stack also has an RDMA protocol layer configured to supply one or more data transfer primitives for the datagram related input of the user level. The communication stack further has a direct data placement (DDP) layer configured to transfer the datagram related input from a user storage to a transport layer based on the one or more data transfer primitives by way of a lower layer protocol (LLP) over the datagram network.

Cryptanalysis and improvement of quantum secure communication network protocol with entangled photons for mobile communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Gan

2014-01-01

Recently, a communication protocol called controlled bidirectional quantum secret direct communication for mobile networks was proposed by Chou et al (2014 Mobile Netw. Appl. 19 121). We study the security of the proposed communication protocol and find that it is not secure. The controller, Telecom Company, may eavesdrop secret messages from mobile devices without being detected. Finally, we give a possible improvement of the communication protocol. (paper)

Usefulness of PET in non-lesional temporal lobe epilepsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertuluchi, M.; Arganaraz, R.; Buznick, J.; Pomata, H.

2011-01-01

Objective. To evaluate the usefulness of PET in patients with refractory non-lesional temporal lobe epilepsy. Material and methods. We present three patients with features of temporal lobe epilepsy refractory to medication, where high definition MRI was normal. Results. These patients had PET hypometabolism in the temporal areas related to clinical and neurophysiological findings. Two of these patients were implanted with subdural grids to confirm the diagnosis and the third was operated directly based on the findings of PET. Encourage the presentation of the importance in recent years is acquiring the PET. Conclusion. In those patients in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy with suspected temporal lobe, but in the MRI images show no structural lesions, PET can play an important role defining the diagnosis. (authors)

CNTRO: A Semantic Web Ontology for Temporal Relation Inferencing in Clinical Narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Cui; Wei, Wei-Qi; Solbrig, Harold R; Savova, Guergana; Chute, Christopher G

2010-11-13

Using Semantic-Web specifications to represent temporal information in clinical narratives is an important step for temporal reasoning and answering time-oriented queries. Existing temporal models are either not compatible with the powerful reasoning tools developed for the Semantic Web, or designed only for structured clinical data and therefore are not ready to be applied on natural-language-based clinical narrative reports directly. We have developed a Semantic-Web ontology which is called Clinical Narrative Temporal Relation ontology. Using this ontology, temporal information in clinical narratives can be represented as RDF (Resource Description Framework) triples. More temporal information and relations can then be inferred by Semantic-Web based reasoning tools. Experimental results show that this ontology can represent temporal information in real clinical narratives successfully.

Temporal Visualization for Legal Case Histories.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Chanda; Allen, Robert B.; Plaisant, Catherine; Shneiderman, Ben

1999-01-01

Discusses visualization of legal information using a tool for temporal information called "LifeLines." Explores ways "LifeLines" could aid in viewing the links between original case and direct and indirect case histories. Uses the case of Apple Computer, Inc. versus Microsoft Corporation and Hewlett Packard Company to…

Constructive biology and approaches to temporal grounding in postreactive robotics

Science.gov (United States)

Nehaniv, Chrystopher L.; Dautenhahn, Kerstin; Loomes, Martin J.

1999-08-01

Constructive Biology means understanding biological mechanisms through building systems that exhibit life-like properties. Applications include learning engineering tricks from biological system, as well as the validation in biological modeling. In particular, biological system in the course of development and experience become temporally grounded. Researchers attempting to transcend mere reactivity have been inspired by the drives, motivations, homeostasis, hormonal control, and emotions of animals. In order to contextualize and modulate behavior, these ideas have been introduced into robotics and synthetic agents, while further flexibility is achieved by introducing learning. Broadening scope of the temporal horizon further requires post-reactive techniques that address not only the action in the now, although such action may perhaps be modulated by drives and affect. Support is needed for expressing and benefitting from pats experiences, predictions of the future, and form interaction histories of the self with the world and with other agents. Mathematical methods provide a new way to support such grounding in the construction of post-reactive systems. Moreover, the communication of such mathematical encoded histories of experience between situated agents opens a route to narrative intelligence, analogous to communication or story telling in societies.

Peer Communication in Online Mental Health Forums for Young People: Directional and Nondirectional Support

Science.gov (United States)

Hanley, Terry; Ujhelyi, Katalin

2017-01-01

Background The Internet has the potential to help young people by reducing the stigma associated with mental health and enabling young people to access services and professionals which they may not otherwise access. Online support can empower young people, help them develop new online friendships, share personal experiences, communicate with others who understand, provide information and emotional support, and most importantly help them feel less alone and normalize their experiences in the world. Objective The aim of the research was to gain an understanding of how young people use an online forum for emotional and mental health issues. Specifically, the project examined what young people discuss and how they seek support on the forum (objective 1). Furthermore, it looked at how the young service users responded to posts to gain an understanding of how young people provided each other with peer-to-peer support (objective 2). Methods Kooth is an online counseling service for young people aged 11-25 years and experiencing emotional and mental health problems. It is based in the United Kingdom and provides support that is anonymous, confidential, and free at the point of delivery. Kooth provided the researchers with all the online forum posts between a 2-year period, which resulted in a dataset of 622 initial posts and 3657 initial posts with responses. Thematic analysis was employed to elicit key themes from the dataset. Results The findings support the literature that online forums provide young people with both informational and emotional support around a wide array of topics. The findings from this large dataset also reveal that this informational or emotional support can be viewed as directive or nondirective. The nondirective approach refers to when young people provide others with support by sharing their own experiences. These posts do not include explicit advice to act in a particular way, but the sharing process is hoped to be of use to the poster. The

Peer Communication in Online Mental Health Forums for Young People: Directional and Nondirectional Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Prescott, Julie; Hanley, Terry; Ujhelyi, Katalin

2017-08-02

The Internet has the potential to help young people by reducing the stigma associated with mental health and enabling young people to access services and professionals which they may not otherwise access. Online support can empower young people, help them develop new online friendships, share personal experiences, communicate with others who understand, provide information and emotional support, and most importantly help them feel less alone and normalize their experiences in the world. The aim of the research was to gain an understanding of how young people use an online forum for emotional and mental health issues. Specifically, the project examined what young people discuss and how they seek support on the forum (objective 1). Furthermore, it looked at how the young service users responded to posts to gain an understanding of how young people provided each other with peer-to-peer support (objective 2). Kooth is an online counseling service for young people aged 11-25 years and experiencing emotional and mental health problems. It is based in the United Kingdom and provides support that is anonymous, confidential, and free at the point of delivery. Kooth provided the researchers with all the online forum posts between a 2-year period, which resulted in a dataset of 622 initial posts and 3657 initial posts with responses. Thematic analysis was employed to elicit key themes from the dataset. The findings support the literature that online forums provide young people with both informational and emotional support around a wide array of topics. The findings from this large dataset also reveal that this informational or emotional support can be viewed as directive or nondirective. The nondirective approach refers to when young people provide others with support by sharing their own experiences. These posts do not include explicit advice to act in a particular way, but the sharing process is hoped to be of use to the poster. The directive approach, in contrast, involves

The direct, not V1-mediated, functional influence between the thalamus and middle temporal complex in the human brain is modulated by the speed of visual motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaglianese, A; Costagli, M; Ueno, K; Ricciardi, E; Bernardi, G; Pietrini, P; Cheng, K

2015-01-22

The main visual pathway that conveys motion information to the middle temporal complex (hMT+) originates from the primary visual cortex (V1), which, in turn, receives spatial and temporal features of the perceived stimuli from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). In addition, visual motion information reaches hMT+ directly from the thalamus, bypassing the V1, through a direct pathway. We aimed at elucidating whether this direct route between LGN and hMT+ represents a 'fast lane' reserved to high-speed motion, as proposed previously, or it is merely involved in processing motion information irrespective of speeds. We evaluated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses elicited by moving visual stimuli and applied connectivity analyses to investigate the effect of motion speed on the causal influence between LGN and hMT+, independent of V1, using the Conditional Granger Causality (CGC) in the presence of slow and fast visual stimuli. Our results showed that at least part of the visual motion information from LGN reaches hMT+, bypassing V1, in response to both slow and fast motion speeds of the perceived stimuli. We also investigated whether motion speeds have different effects on the connections between LGN and functional subdivisions within hMT+: direct connections between LGN and MT-proper carry mainly slow motion information, while connections between LGN and MST carry mainly fast motion information. The existence of a parallel pathway that connects the LGN directly to hMT+ in response to both slow and fast speeds may explain why MT and MST can still respond in the presence of V1 lesions. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Xi Huang

2018-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC): real-time communication that takes place between human beings via the instrumentality of computers in forms of text, audio and video communication, such as live chat and chatrooms as socially-oriented meaning c...

Astrocyte uncoupling as a cause of human temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedner, Peter; Dupper, Alexander; Hüttmann, Kerstin; Müller, Julia; Herde, Michel K; Dublin, Pavel; Deshpande, Tushar; Schramm, Johannes; Häussler, Ute; Haas, Carola A; Henneberger, Christian; Theis, Martin; Steinhäuser, Christian

2015-05-01

Glial cells are now recognized as active communication partners in the central nervous system, and this new perspective has rekindled the question of their role in pathology. In the present study we analysed functional properties of astrocytes in hippocampal specimens from patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy without (n = 44) and with sclerosis (n = 75) combining patch clamp recording, K(+) concentration analysis, electroencephalography/video-monitoring, and fate mapping analysis. We found that the hippocampus of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with sclerosis is completely devoid of bona fide astrocytes and gap junction coupling, whereas coupled astrocytes were abundantly present in non-sclerotic specimens. To decide whether these glial changes represent cause or effect of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with sclerosis, we developed a mouse model that reproduced key features of human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with sclerosis. In this model, uncoupling impaired K(+) buffering and temporally preceded apoptotic neuronal death and the generation of spontaneous seizures. Uncoupling was induced through intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide, prevented in Toll-like receptor4 knockout mice and reproduced in situ through acute cytokine or lipopolysaccharide incubation. Fate mapping confirmed that in the course of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with sclerosis, astrocytes acquire an atypical functional phenotype and lose coupling. These data suggest that astrocyte dysfunction might be a prime cause of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with sclerosis and identify novel targets for anti-epileptogenic therapeutic intervention. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of noise on speech recognition: Challenges for communication by service members.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Prell, Colleen G; Clavier, Odile H

2017-06-01

Speech communication often takes place in noisy environments; this is an urgent issue for military personnel who must communicate in high-noise environments. The effects of noise on speech recognition vary significantly according to the sources of noise, the number and types of talkers, and the listener's hearing ability. In this review, speech communication is first described as it relates to current standards of hearing assessment for military and civilian populations. The next section categorizes types of noise (also called maskers) according to their temporal characteristics (steady or fluctuating) and perceptive effects (energetic or informational masking). Next, speech recognition difficulties experienced by listeners with hearing loss and by older listeners are summarized, and questions on the possible causes of speech-in-noise difficulty are discussed, including recent suggestions of "hidden hearing loss". The final section describes tests used by military and civilian researchers, audiologists, and hearing technicians to assess performance of an individual in recognizing speech in background noise, as well as metrics that predict performance based on a listener and background noise profile. This article provides readers with an overview of the challenges associated with speech communication in noisy backgrounds, as well as its assessment and potential impact on functional performance, and provides guidance for important new research directions relevant not only to military personnel, but also to employees who work in high noise environments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interdisciplinary team communication among forensic nurses and rape victim advocates.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Debra

2014-01-01

Victim advocates and forensic nurses provide integrated care to address the complex legal, medical, and mental health needs of rape survivors. Research suggests that conflict exists between nurses and advocates, but it remains unknown how their communication patterns contribute to or resolve these conflicts. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach, the current study interviewed 24 nurses and advocates from a Midwest organization to better understand team communication patterns when addressing conflicts. The findings suggest that most nurses communicate concerns directly while advocates avoid direct communication. Factors that influenced direct and indirect communication and their implications for practice will be discussed.

Introduction to information and communication engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Seung Jo; Park, Jong An; Shin, Yeong Suk; Byun, Jae Yeong; Han, Jae Gyun; Lee, Sang Deok; Kim, Hyeong Jong; Lee, Jong Deuk

2006-03-01

This book introduces to information and communication engineering. It is divided into 13 chapters, which deals with Information - oriented society : meaning, specialty and function of the society, Elements of information and communication, Data transmit technology, Information and communication system, optical communication, Data communication network, local area network, wide area network and communications network, TCP/IP, Internet : Service, PGP, multimedia internet service and electronic commerce, Technology of data protection like DRM, Mobile Communication, and home network of summary and the direction of network technology of next generation.

Introduction to information and communication engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Seung Jo; Park, Jong An; Shin, Yeong Suk; Byun, Jae Yeong; Han, Jae Gyun; Lee, Sang Deok; Kim, Hyeong Jong; Lee, Jong Deuk

2006-03-15

This book introduces to information and communication engineering. It is divided into 13 chapters, which deals with Information - oriented society : meaning, specialty and function of the society, Elements of information and communication, Data transmit technology, Information and communication system, optical communication, Data communication network, local area network, wide area network and communications network, TCP/IP, Internet : Service, PGP, multimedia internet service and electronic commerce, Technology of data protection like DRM, Mobile Communication, and home network of summary and the direction of network technology of next generation.

Digital Game Violence and Direct Aggression in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study of the Roles of Sex, Age, and Parent-Child Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Wallenius, Marjut; Punamaki, Raija-Leena

2008-01-01

This study investigated the roles of sex, age, and parent-child communication in moderating the association between digital game violence and direct aggression in a two-year longitudinal study. Finnish 12- and 15-year-old adolescents (N = 316) participated in the follow-up survey. As hypothesized, digital game violence was linked to direct…

Enlarged right superior temporal gyrus in children and adolescents with autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Jou, Roger J; Minshew, Nancy J; Keshavan, Matcheri S; Vitale, Matthew P; Hardan, Antonio Y

2010-11-11

The superior temporal gyrus has been implicated in language processing and social perception. Therefore, anatomical abnormalities of this structure may underlie some of the deficits observed in autism, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication. In this study, volumes of the left and right superior temporal gyri were measured using magnetic resonance imaging obtained from 18 boys with high-functioning autism (mean age=13.5±3.4years; full-scale IQ=103.6±13.4) and 19 healthy controls (mean age=13.7±3.0years; full-scale IQ=103.9±10.5), group-matched on age, gender, and handedness. When compared to the control group, right superior temporal gyral volumes was significantly increased in the autism group after controlling for age and total brain volume. There was no significant difference in the volume of the left superior temporal gyrus. Post-hoc analysis revealed a significant increase of the right posterior superior temporal gyral volume in the autism group, before and after controlling for age and total brain volume. Examination of the symmetry index for the superior temporal gyral volumes did not yield statistically significant between-group differences. Findings from this preliminary investigation suggest the existence of volumetric alterations in the right superior temporal gyrus in children and adolescents with autism, providing support for a neuroanatomical basis of the social perceptual deficits characterizing this severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

COMMUNICATING FOR SUCCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brindusa Maria Popa

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Organizational communication, both internal and external, affects organizational efficiency and effectiveness and consequently, the objectives of the organization. Communication is one the elements of the organizational life which is taken for granted and most of the times overlooked. It is pervasive and inherent in all activities thus, it cannot be analyzed in isolation, but in an organizational context. A well structured communication system will impact the performance of the organization through the quantity, but mostly the quality of the information it transports. Information should be clear, concise, specific, open, multi-directional.

Temporal encoding in a nervous system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zane N Aldworth

2011-05-01

Full Text Available We examined the extent to which temporal encoding may be implemented by single neurons in the cercal sensory system of the house cricket Acheta domesticus. We found that these neurons exhibit a greater-than-expected coding capacity, due in part to an increased precision in brief patterns of action potentials. We developed linear and non-linear models for decoding the activity of these neurons. We found that the stimuli associated with short-interval patterns of spikes (ISIs of 8 ms or less could be predicted better by second-order models as compared to linear models. Finally, we characterized the difference between these linear and second-order models in a low-dimensional subspace, and showed that modification of the linear models along only a few dimensions improved their predictive power to parity with the second order models. Together these results show that single neurons are capable of using temporal patterns of spikes as fundamental symbols in their neural code, and that they communicate specific stimulus distributions to subsequent neural structures.

Healthcare professionals' self-reported experiences and preferences related to direct healthcare professional communications: a survey conducted in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Piening, Sigrid; Haaijer-Ruskamp, Flora M; de Graeff, Pieter A; Straus, Sabine M J M; Mol, Peter G M

2012-11-01

In Europe, Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs) are important tools to inform healthcare professionals of serious, new drug safety issues. However, this tool has not always been successful in effectively communicating the desired actions to healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore healthcare providers' experiences and their preferences for improvement of risk communication, comparing views of general practitioners (GPs), internists, community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists. A questionnaire was developed and pilot tested to assess experiences and preferences of Dutch healthcare professionals with DHPCs. The questionnaire and two reminders were sent to a random sample of 3488 GPs, internists and community and hospital pharmacists in the Netherlands. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics of the respondents. Chi squares, ANOVAs and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used, when appropriate, to compare healthcare professional groups. The overall response rate was 34% (N = 1141, ranging from 24% for internists to 46% for community pharmacists). Healthcare providers trusted safety information more when provided by the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) than by the pharmaceutical industry. This was more the case for GPs than for the other healthcare professionals. Respondents preferred safety information to be issued by the MEB, the Dutch Pharmacovigilance Center or their own professional associations. The preferred alternative channels of drug safety information were e-mail, medical journals and electronic prescribing systems. Safety information of drugs does not always reach healthcare professionals through DHPCs. To improve current risk communication of drug safety issues, alternative and/or additional methods of risk communication should be developed using electronic methods and medical journals. Moreover, (additional) risk communication coming from an independent source such as the

Topographical gradients of semantics and phonology revealed by temporal lobe stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Miozzo, Michele; Williams, Alicia C; McKhann, Guy M; Hamberger, Marla J

2017-02-01

Word retrieval is a fundamental component of oral communication, and it is well established that this function is supported by left temporal cortex. Nevertheless, the specific temporal areas mediating word retrieval and the particular linguistic processes these regions support have not been well delineated. Toward this end, we analyzed over 1000 naming errors induced by left temporal cortical stimulation in epilepsy surgery patients. Errors were primarily semantic (lemon → "pear"), phonological (horn → "corn"), non-responses, and delayed responses (correct responses after a delay), and each error type appeared predominantly in a specific region: semantic errors in mid-middle temporal gyrus (TG), phonological errors and delayed responses in middle and posterior superior TG, and non-responses in anterior inferior TG. To the extent that semantic errors, phonological errors and delayed responses reflect disruptions in different processes, our results imply topographical specialization of semantic and phonological processing. Specifically, results revealed an inferior-to-superior gradient, with more superior regions associated with phonological processing. Further, errors were increasingly semantically related to targets toward posterior temporal cortex. We speculate that detailed semantic input is needed to support phonological retrieval, and thus, the specificity of semantic input increases progressively toward posterior temporal regions implicated in phonological processing. Hum Brain Mapp 38:688-703, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Communication Facilities for Distributed Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Barladeanu

1997-01-01

Full Text Available The design of physical networks and communication protocols in Distributed Systems can have a direct impact on system efficiency and reliability. This paper tries to identify efficient mechanisms and paradigms for communication in distributed systems.

75 FR 17324 - Communication Management Units

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-06

... communication opportunities of inmates who are: (1) Charged with, convicted of, or detained in relation to an... prison facilities, or protection of the public, as a result of the inmate's communication with persons in... members of the public. Inmates may incur additional limitations on their communications as the direct...

Cooperative communication within and between single nanocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Ningmu; Zhou, Xiaochun; Chen, Guanqun; Andoy, Nesha May; Jung, Won; Liu, Guokun; Chen, Peng

2018-06-01

Enzymes often show catalytic allostery in which reactions occurring at different sites communicate cooperatively over distances of up to a few nanometres. Whether such effects can occur with non-biological nanocatalysts remains unclear, even though these nanocatalysts can undergo restructuring and molecules can diffuse over catalyst surfaces. Here we report that phenomenologically similar, but mechanistically distinct, cooperative effects indeed exist for nanocatalysts. Using spatiotemporally resolved single-molecule catalysis imaging, we find that catalytic reactions on a single Pd or Au nanocatalyst can communicate with each other, probably via hopping of positively charged holes on the catalyst surface, over 102 nanometres and with a temporal memory of 101 to 102 seconds, giving rise to positive cooperativity among its surface active sites. Similar communication is also observed between individual nanocatalysts, however it operates via a molecular diffusion mechanism involving negatively charged product molecules, and its communication distance is many micrometres. Generalization of these long-range intra- and interparticle catalytic communication mechanisms may introduce a novel conceptual framework for understanding nanoscale catalysis.

A prelinguistic gestural universal of human communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Liszkowski, Ulf; Brown, Penny; Callaghan, Tara; Takada, Akira; de Vos, Conny

2012-01-01

Several cognitive accounts of human communication argue for a language-independent, prelinguistic basis of human communication and language. The current study provides evidence for the universality of a prelinguistic gestural basis for human communication. We used a standardized, semi-natural elicitation procedure in seven very different cultures around the world to test for the existence of preverbal pointing in infants and their caregivers. Results were that by 10-14 months of age, infants and their caregivers pointed in all cultures in the same basic situation with similar frequencies and the same proto-typical morphology of the extended index finger. Infants' pointing was best predicted by age and caregiver pointing, but not by cultural group. Further analyses revealed a strong relation between the temporal unfolding of caregivers' and infants' pointing events, uncovering a structure of early prelinguistic gestural conversation. Findings support the existence of a gestural, language-independent universal of human communication that forms a culturally shared, prelinguistic basis for diversified linguistic communication. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Processamento auditivo em indivíduos com epilepsia de lobo temporal Auditory processing in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Meneguello

2006-08-01

Full Text Available A epilepsia do lobo temporal ocasiona descargas elétricas excessivas onde a via auditiva tem sua estação final. É uma das formas mais comuns e de mais difícil controle da doença. O correto processamento dos estímulos auditivos necessita da integridade anatômica e funcional de todas as estruturas envolvidas na via auditiva. OBJETIVO: Verificar o Processamento Auditivo de pacientes portadores de epilepsia do lobo temporal quanto aos mecanismos de discriminação de sons em seqüência e de padrões tonais, discriminação da direção da fonte sonora e atenção seletiva para sons verbais e não-verbais. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados oito indivíduos com epilepsia do lobo temporal confirmada e com foco restrito a essa região, através dos testes auditivos especiais: Teste de Localização Sonora, Teste de Padrão de Duração, Teste Dicótico de Dígitos e Teste Dicótico Não-Verbal. O seu desempenho foi comparado ao de indivíduos sem alteração neurológica (estudo caso-controle. RESULTADO: Os sujeitos com epilepsia do lobo temporal apresentaram desempenho semelhante aos do grupo controle quanto ao mecanismo de discriminação da direção da fonte sonora e desempenho inferior quanto aos demais mecanismos avaliados. CONCLUSÃO: Indivíduos com epilepsia do lobo temporal apresentaram maior prejuízo no processamento auditivo que os sem danos corticais, de idades semelhantes.Temporal epilepsy, one of the most common presentation of this pathology, causes excessive electrical discharges in the area where we have the final station of the auditory pathway. Both the anatomical and functional integrity of the auditory pathway structures are essential for the correct processing of auditory stimuli. AIM: to check the Auditory Processing in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy regarding the auditory mechanisms of discrimination from sequential sounds and tone patterns, discrimination of the sound source direction and selective attention to verbal

The role of teacher-child interaction in promoting peer communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denisenkova, Natalia S.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available It is well-known that communication is the main source and necessity of human development and activity. It promotes social relationships, self-image and a wide range of cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Preschoolers communicate both with their peers and adults. It is traditionally assumed that peer communication greatly depends on the teacher-child interaction, leading role of the adult, and the child’s own activity, which are the main elements of the Russian preprimary education system. Changes in social situations, reductions in available play time, greater engagement of children in activities and many other factors can affect modern preschoolers’ peer communication. Therefore, the effect of teacher-directed and child-directed teacherchild interactions on preschoolers’ peer communication important to study. The following methods were applied: peer-communication observation, the behavioral tests ‘Magic room’ and ‘Mosaic’, and the sociometric procedure ‘Two houses’. The sample included 49 Moscow preprimary students aged 4 to 6 year old (25 girls and 24 boys. The research proved that preschoolers showed better results in child-directed interactions, such as playing skills, compared with a similar situation in which the children were directed by the teachers. Additionally, the level of proactiveness, communication success, conflict resolution, prosocial behavior and emotional response to peer influence did not differ among children. Thus, the child-directed approach is more beneficial to preschoolers’ communication development than a teacher-directed approach.

Nursing and conflict communication: avoidance as preferred strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahon, Margaret M; Nicotera, Anne M

2011-01-01

An exploratory study was conducted to examine nurses' (n = 57) selection of strategies to confront conflict in the workplace. Communication competence is the conceptual framework, defining competent conflict communication as joint problem-solving communication that is both effective and appropriate. Items were drawn from tools assessing nurses' conflict management strategies. Nurses reported a strong preference not to confront conflict directly; nurse managers were less likely to avoid direct communication. Nurses who do choose to confront conflict are more likely to use constructive than destructive strategies. The integration of the social science of health communication into nursing education and practice and other implications are discussed.

Temporal Bone Fracture Causing Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin A. Peng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Importance. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD is a third window lesion of the inner ear causing symptoms of vertigo, autophony, tinnitus, and hearing loss. A “two-hit” hypothesis has traditionally been proposed, whereby thinly developed bone overlying the superior canal is disrupted by a sudden change in intracranial pressure. Although the symptoms of SCD may be precipitated by head injury, no previous reports have described a temporal bone fracture directly causing SCD. Observations. Two patients sustained temporal bone fractures after closed head trauma, and developed unilateral otologic symptoms consistent with SCD. In each instance, computed tomography imaging revealed fractures extending through the bony roof of the superior semicircular canal. Conclusions and Relevance. Temporal bone fractures, which are largely treated nonoperatively, have not previously been reported to cause SCD. As it is a potentially treatable entity, SCD resulting from temporal bone fracture must be recognized as a possibility and diagnosed promptly if present.

Patterns of interhemispheric correlation during human communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Grinberg-Zylberbaum, J; Ramos, J

1987-09-01

Correlation patterns between the electroencephalographic activity of both hemispheres in adult subjects were obtained. The morphology of these patterns for one subject was compared with another subject's patterns during control situations without communication, and during sessions in which direct communication was stimulated. Neither verbalization nor visual or physical contact are necessary for direct communication to occur. The interhemispheric correlation patterns for each subject were observed to become similar during the communication sessions as compared to the control situations. These effects are not due to nonspecific factors such as habituation or fatigue. The results support the syntergic theory proposed by one of the authors (Grinberg-Zylberbaum).

Integrated marketing communications in sport organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gašović Milan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Integrated marketing communications represent the unification of organization's marketing and communication activities. Sports organizations have the emphasized need for effective communication with their environment (the public, the media, advertisers, sponsors, and other subjects interested in their offer. Elements of the integrated marketing communications are: advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, publicity, public relations, direct marketing, Internet communications etc. Each of these elements has some specifics which marketing specialists in sports organizations need to understand.

Communications Officer | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Job Scope. Under the direction and supervision of the program leader, this position is responsible for managing communications and public relations activities. Manages communications and public relations, including media relations for the GHRI. Major activities include: preparing and implementing annual and specific ...

Influencing feelings of cancer risk: direct and moderator effects of affectively laden phrases in risk communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Eva; van Osch, Liesbeth; Lechner, Lilian; de Vries, Hein

2015-01-01

Evidence is accumulating for the importance of feelings of risk in explaining cancer preventive behaviors, but best practices for influencing these feelings are limited. This study investigated the direct and moderational influence of affectively laden phrases in cancer risk messages. Two experimental studies were conducted in relation to different cancer-related behaviors--sunbed use (n = 112) and red meat consumption (n = 447)--among student and nonstudent samples. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) a cognitive message using cognitively laden phrases or (b) an affective message using affectively laden phrases. The results revealed that affective phrases did not directly influence feelings of risk in both studies. Evidence for a moderational influence was found in Study 2, suggesting that affective information strengthened the relation between feelings of risk and intention (i.e., participants relied more on their feelings in the decision-making process after exposure to affective information). These findings suggest that solely using affective phrases in risk communication may not be sufficient to directly influence feelings of risk and other methods need to be explored in future research. Moreover, research is needed to replicate our preliminary indications for a moderational influence of affective phrases to advance theory and practice.

Simultaneous spatio-temporal focusing for tissue manipulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Squier J.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Simultaneous spatiotemporal focusing (SSTF is applied to lens tissue and compared directly with standard femtosecond micromachining of the tissue at the same numerical aperture. Third harmonic generation imaging is used for spatio-temporal characterization of the processing conditions obtained with both a standard and SSTF focus.

Directional loudness perception

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sivonen, Ville Pekka

developed. The research and modeling of loudness have mainly been concerned with the temporal and spectral aspects of sounds, while the spatial aspects have mostly been overlooked. This PhD thesis investigates the spatial aspects of loudness perception, namely, how does the direction from which a sound...

7 CFR 959.102 - Communications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Communications. 959.102 Section 959.102 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulations General § 959.102 Communications. Unless otherwise provided in the order, or by specific direction...

Temporal Dependency and the Structure of Early Looking.

Science.gov (United States)

Messinger, Daniel S; Mattson, Whitney I; Todd, James Torrence; Gangi, Devon N; Myers, Nicholas D; Bahrick, Lorraine E

2017-01-01

Although looking time is used to assess infant perceptual and cognitive processing, little is known about the temporal structure of infant looking. To shed light on this temporal structure, 127 three-month-olds were assessed in an infant-controlled habituation procedure and presented with a pre-recorded display of a woman addressing the infant using infant-directed speech. Previous individual look durations positively predicted subsequent look durations over a six look window, suggesting a temporal dependency between successive infant looks. The previous look duration continued to predict the subsequent look duration after accounting for habituation-linked declines in look duration, and when looks were separated by an inter-trial interval in which no stimulus was displayed. Individual differences in temporal dependency, the strength of associations between consecutive look durations, are distinct from individual differences in mean infant look duration. Nevertheless, infants with stronger temporal dependency had briefer mean look durations, a potential index of stimulus processing. Temporal dependency was evident not only between individual infant looks but between the durations of successive habituation trials (total looking within a trial). Finally, temporal dependency was evident in associations between the last look at the habituation stimulus and the first look at a novel test stimulus. Thus temporal dependency was evident across multiple timescales (individual looks and trials comprised of multiple individual looks) and persisted across conditions including brief periods of no stimulus presentation and changes from a familiar to novel stimulus. Associations between consecutive look durations over multiple timescales and stimuli suggest a temporal structure of infant attention that has been largely ignored in previous work on infant looking.

[Theraplay--a direct communication play therapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Franke, U

1990-01-01

This paper introduces the basic concepts and the application of the directive short-term play therapy called Theraplay. Goals and methods are illustrated by examples from the assessment (Marschak Interaction Method) and by sessions with a 6 year old regressive noncompliant mutistic twin.

Spatio-temporal coherence of free-electron laser radiation in the extreme ultraviolet determined by a Michelson interferometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hilbert, V.; Rödel, C.; Zastrau, U., E-mail: ulf.zastrau@uni-jena.de [Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena (Germany); Brenner, G.; Düsterer, S.; Dziarzhytski, S.; Harmand, M.; Przystawik, A.; Redlin, H.; Toleikis, S. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany); Döppner, T.; Ma, T. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Fletcher, L. [Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Förster, E. [Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena (Germany); Helmholtz-Institut Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena (Germany); Glenzer, S. H.; Lee, H. J. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Hartley, N. J. [Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Kazak, L.; Komar, D.; Skruszewicz, S. [Institut für Physik, Universität Rostock, 18051 Rostock (Germany); and others

2014-09-08

A key feature of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation from free-electron lasers (FELs) is its spatial and temporal coherence. We measured the spatio-temporal coherence properties of monochromatized FEL pulses at 13.5 nm using a Michelson interferometer. A temporal coherence time of (59±8) fs has been determined, which is in good agreement with the spectral bandwidth given by the monochromator. Moreover, the spatial coherence in vertical direction amounts to about 15% of the beam diameter and about 12% in horizontal direction. The feasibility of measuring spatio-temporal coherence properties of XUV FEL radiation using interferometric techniques advances machine operation and experimental studies significantly.

Radiation-induced perturbation of cell-to-cell signalling and communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mariotti, L.; Facoetti, A.; Bertolotti, A.; Ranza, E.; Alloni, D.; Ottolenghi, A.

2011-01-01

The investigation of the bystander phenomena (i.e. the induction of damage in cells not directly traversed by radiation) is strictly related to the study of the mechanisms of intercellular communication and of the perturbative effects of radiation. A new possible way to try to solve the bystander puzzle is through a 'systems radiation biology' approach with the total integration of experimental and theoretical activities. In particular, this contribution will focus on: (1) 'ad hoc' experiments designed to quantify key parameters involved in intercellular signalling (focusing, as a pilot study, on release, decay and internalization of interleukin-6 molecules, their modulation by radiation, and possible differences between in vivo/in vitro behaviour); (2) the implementation and the development of two different modelling approaches: a stochastic model (based on a Monte Carlo code) that takes account of the local mechanisms of release and internalization of signalling molecules (e.g. cytokines) and an analytical model where signal molecules are treated as a population and their temporal behaviour is described by differential equations. This approach provided instruments to investigate the complex phenomena of signal transmission and the role of cell communication to guarantee (maintain) the robustness of the in vitro experimental systems against the effects of perturbations. (authors)

Evidence Suggesting that the Buccal and Zygomatic Branches of the Facial Nerve May Contain Parasympathetic Secretomotor Fibers to the Parotid Gland by Means of Communications from the Auriculotemporal Nerve.

Science.gov (United States)

Tansatit, Tanvaa; Apinuntrum, Prawit; Phetudom, Thavorn

2015-12-01

The auriculotemporal nerve is one of the peripheral nerves that communicates with the facial nerve. However, the function of these communications is poorly understood. Details of how these communications form and connect with each other are still unclear. In addition, a reliable anatomical landmark for locating these communications during surgery has not been sufficiently described. Microdissection was performed on 20 lateral hemifaces of 10 soft-embalmed cadavers to investigate facial-auriculotemporal nerve communications with emphasis on determining their function. The auriculotemporal nerve was identified in the retromandibular space and traced towards its terminations. The communicating branches were followed and the anatomical relationships to surrounding structures observed. The auriculotemporal nerve is suspended above the maxillary artery in the dense retromandibular fascia behind the mandibular ramus. It forms a knot and fans out, providing multiple branches in all directions in the sagittal plane. Inferiorly, it connects the maxillary periarterial plexus, while minute branches supply the temporomandibular joint anteriorly. The larger branches mainly communicate with the branches of the temporofacial division of the facial nerve, and the auricular branches enter the fascia of the auricular cartilage posteriorly. The temporal branches and occasionally the zygomatic branches arise superiorly to distribute within the temporoparietal fascia. The auriculotemporal nerve forms the parotid retromandibular plexus through two types of communication. It sends one to three branches to join the zygomatic and buccal branches of the facial nerve at the branching area of the temporofacial division. It also communicates with the periarterial plexus of the superficial temporal and maxillary arteries. This plexus continues anteriorly along the branches of the facial nerve and the periarterial plexus of the transverse facial artery as the parotid periductal autonomic plexus

Spatio-temporal change detection from multidimensional arrays: Detecting deforestation from MODIS time series

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Meng; Pebesma, Edzer; Sanchez, Alber; Verbesselt, Jan

2016-07-01

Growing availability of long-term satellite imagery enables change modeling with advanced spatio-temporal statistical methods. Multidimensional arrays naturally match the structure of spatio-temporal satellite data and can provide a clean modeling process for complex spatio-temporal analysis over large datasets. Our study case illustrates the detection of breakpoints in MODIS imagery time series for land cover change in the Brazilian Amazon using the BFAST (Breaks For Additive Season and Trend) change detection framework. BFAST includes an Empirical Fluctuation Process (EFP) to alarm the change and a change point time locating process. We extend the EFP to account for the spatial autocorrelation between spatial neighbors and assess the effects of spatial correlation when applying BFAST on satellite image time series. In addition, we evaluate how sensitive EFP is to the assumption that its time series residuals are temporally uncorrelated, by modeling it as an autoregressive process. We use arrays as a unified data structure for the modeling process, R to execute the analysis, and an array database management system to scale computation. Our results point to BFAST as a robust approach against mild temporal and spatial correlation, to the use of arrays to ease the modeling process of spatio-temporal change, and towards communicable and scalable analysis.

Salutogenesis, globalization, and communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Petzold, Theodor Dierk; Lehmann, Nadja

2011-12-01

Achieving successful communication in transcultural contexts means integrating emotional communication patterns into a global context. Professional, rational communication is characteristic of the cultural dimension, and emotions are characteristic of the direct, interpersonal dimension of human existence. Humans strive to achieve coherence in all dimensions of their lives; this goal is in the end the most essential aspect of psychophysical self-regulation. A major role in integrating emotional needs and cultural features in global coherence is played by the attractor 'global affinity'. The transitions from emotional coherence to cultural coherence, and likewise from cultural coherence to global coherence, can cause considerable insecurity as well as psychological problems, which previously went by the name 'adjustment disorders'. However, instead of pathologizing these processes, we should understand them in a salutogenic sense as challenges important for both individual and collective development. The development of more coherence is regulated by the neuropsychological approach and avoidance system. This system can be consciously fostered by directing our attention to the commonalities of all human beings. Such a global salutogenic orientation furthers both communication and creativity in teamwork. This article introduces a consequent salutogenic and evolutionary systemic view of transcultural communication and demonstrates its effectiveness in a number of case examples.

Face processing regions are sensitive to distinct aspects of temporal sequence in facial dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinl, Maren; Bartels, Andreas

2014-11-15

Facial movement conveys important information for social interactions, yet its neural processing is poorly understood. Computational models propose that shape- and temporal sequence sensitive mechanisms interact in processing dynamic faces. While face processing regions are known to respond to facial movement, their sensitivity to particular temporal sequences has barely been studied. Here we used fMRI to examine the sensitivity of human face-processing regions to two aspects of directionality in facial movement trajectories. We presented genuine movie recordings of increasing and decreasing fear expressions, each of which were played in natural or reversed frame order. This two-by-two factorial design matched low-level visual properties, static content and motion energy within each factor, emotion-direction (increasing or decreasing emotion) and timeline (natural versus artificial). The results showed sensitivity for emotion-direction in FFA, which was timeline-dependent as it only occurred within the natural frame order, and sensitivity to timeline in the STS, which was emotion-direction-dependent as it only occurred for decreased fear. The occipital face area (OFA) was sensitive to the factor timeline. These findings reveal interacting temporal sequence sensitive mechanisms that are responsive to both ecological meaning and to prototypical unfolding of facial dynamics. These mechanisms are temporally directional, provide socially relevant information regarding emotional state or naturalness of behavior, and agree with predictions from modeling and predictive coding theory. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communicating shared knowledge in infancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Egyed, Katalin; Király, Ildikó; Gergely, György

2013-07-01

Object-directed emotion expressions provide two types of information: They can convey the expressers' person-specific subjective disposition toward objects, or they can be used communicatively as referential symbolic devices to convey culturally shared valence-related knowledge about referents that can be generalized to other individuals. By presenting object-directed emotion expressions in communicative versus noncommunicative contexts, we demonstrated that 18-month-olds can flexibly assign either a person-centered interpretation or an object-centered interpretation to referential emotion displays. When addressed by ostensive signals of communication, infants generalized their object-centered interpretation of the emotion display to other individuals as well, whereas in the noncommunicative emotion-expression context, they attributed to the emoting agent a person-specific subjective dispositional attitude without generalizing this attribution as relevant to other individuals. The findings indicate that, as proposed by natural pedagogy theory, infants are prepared to learn shared cultural knowledge from nonverbal communicative demonstrations addressed to them at a remarkably early age.

Advance directives from haematology departments: the patient's freedom of choice and communication with families. A qualitative analysis of 35 written documents.

Science.gov (United States)

Trarieux-Signol, S; Bordessoule, D; Ceccaldi, J; Malak, S; Polomeni, A; Fargeas, J B; Signol, N; Pauliat, H; Moreau, S

2018-01-02

In France, advance directives are favourably perceived by most of the population, although the drafting rate is low. This ambivalence is challenging because advance directives are meant to promote the autonomy and freedom of choice of patients. The purpose of this study was to analyse the content of advance directives written by patients suffering from malignant haemopathies to better understand how patients put them into practice. These could be relevant as early as the initial diagnosis of haematological malignancies because of the uncertain course of the disease. This was a multicentre, qualitative, descriptive study. The advance directives written by patients with malignant haemopathies treated in one of the six French hospital departments were included in the study from 01/06/2008 to 15/04/2016. A thematic analysis of the advance directives was performed by two researchers: a senior haematologist and a research assistant. The median age of the patients was 69. Most were women (sex ratio: 0.59), living as a couple (57%), with lymphoid pathologies (66%), who were still alive two years after the instructions were written (63%) and had nominated a health care proxy (88.6%). Free texts (62.9%) were richer in content than pre-defined forms. The advance directives were used in three ways: for a purely legal purpose, to focus on medical treatments or actions, or to communicate a message to the family. Three main themes emerged: (1) refusal of medical treatment (100%), in which patients express refusal of life-sustaining care (97.1%). The actual treatments or the moment when they should be limited or stopped were not always mentioned in detail. (2) A desire for effective pain relief to avoid suffering (57.1%) and (3) messages for their family (34.3%), such as funeral arrangements (17.1%) and messages of love or trust (14.3%). Patients who write advance directives are not necessarily at the end of their lives. Their content mainly conveys treatment wishes, although

Temporal abstraction and temporal Bayesian networks in clinical domains: a survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Orphanou, Kalia; Stassopoulou, Athena; Keravnou, Elpida

2014-03-01

unified methodology for clinical systems. The surveyed contributions are evaluated using frameworks of respective key features. In addition, for the evaluation of TBN methods, a unifying clinical domain (diabetes) is used. The main conclusion transpiring from this review is that techniques/methods from these two areas, that so far are being largely used independently of each other in clinical domains, could be effectively integrated in the context of medical decision-support systems. The anticipated key benefits of the perceived integration are: (a) during problem solving, the reasoning can be directed at different levels of temporal and/or conceptual abstractions since the nodes of the TBNs can be complex entities, temporally and structurally and (b) during model building, knowledge generated in the form of basic and/or complex abstractions, can be deployed in a TBN. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal variation of light inside peach trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genard, M.; Baret, F.

1994-01-01

Gap fractions measured with hemispherical photographs were used to describe spatial and temporal variations of diffuse and direct light fractions transmitted to shoots within peach trees. For both cultivars studied, spatial variability of daily diffuse and direct light transmitted to shoots was very high within the tree. Diffuse and daily direct light fractions transmitted to shoots increased with shoot height within the tree and for more erect shoots. Temporal variations of hourly direct light were also large among shoots. Hourly direct light fractions transmitted to shoots were analyzed using recent developments in multivariate exploratory analysis. A gradient was observed between shoots sunlit almost all day and other shoots almost never sunlit. Well sunlit shoots were mostly located at the top of the tree and were more erect. Shoots located in the outer parts of the tree crown were slightly but significantly more sunlit than others for one cultivar. Principal component analysis additionally discriminated shoots according to the time of the day they were sunlit. This classification was related to shoot compass position for one cultivar. Spatial location of the shoot in the tree explained only a small part of light climate variability. Consequences of modeling light climate within the tree are discussed

Early Left Parietal Activity Elicited by Direct Gaze: A High-Density EEG Study

Science.gov (United States)

Burra, Nicolas; Kerzel, Dirk; George, Nathalie

2016-01-01

Gaze is one of the most important cues for human communication and social interaction. In particular, gaze contact is the most primary form of social contact and it is thought to capture attention. A very early-differentiated brain response to direct versus averted gaze has been hypothesized. Here, we used high-density electroencephalography to test this hypothesis. Topographical analysis allowed us to uncover a very early topographic modulation (40–80 ms) of event-related responses to faces with direct as compared to averted gaze. This modulation was obtained only in the condition where intact broadband faces–as opposed to high-pass or low-pas filtered faces–were presented. Source estimation indicated that this early modulation involved the posterior parietal region, encompassing the left precuneus and inferior parietal lobule. This supports the idea that it reflected an early orienting response to direct versus averted gaze. Accordingly, in a follow-up behavioural experiment, we found faster response times to the direct gaze than to the averted gaze broadband faces. In addition, classical evoked potential analysis showed that the N170 peak amplitude was larger for averted gaze than for direct gaze. Taken together, these results suggest that direct gaze may be detected at a very early processing stage, involving a parallel route to the ventral occipito-temporal route of face perceptual analysis. PMID:27880776

Spatial-Temporal Data Collection with Compressive Sensing in Mobile Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Haifeng; Li, Jiayin; Feng, Xinxin; Guo, Wenzhong; Chen, Zhonghui; Xiong, Neal

2017-11-08

Compressive sensing (CS) provides an energy-efficient paradigm for data gathering in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, the existing work on spatial-temporal data gathering using compressive sensing only considers either multi-hop relaying based or multiple random walks based approaches. In this paper, we exploit the mobility pattern for spatial-temporal data collection and propose a novel mobile data gathering scheme by employing the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with delayed acceptance, an improved random walk algorithm for a mobile collector to collect data from a sensing field. The proposed scheme exploits Kronecker compressive sensing (KCS) for spatial-temporal correlation of sensory data by allowing the mobile collector to gather temporal compressive measurements from a small subset of randomly selected nodes along a random routing path. More importantly, from the theoretical perspective we prove that the equivalent sensing matrix constructed from the proposed scheme for spatial-temporal compressible signal can satisfy the property of KCS models. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can not only significantly reduce communication cost but also improve recovery accuracy for mobile data gathering compared to the other existing schemes. In particular, we also show that the proposed scheme is robust in unreliable wireless environment under various packet losses. All this indicates that the proposed scheme can be an efficient alternative for data gathering application in WSNs .

Hotspots of Community Change: Temporal Dynamics Are Spatially Variable in Understory Plant Composition of a California Oak Woodland.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erica N Spotswood

Full Text Available Community response to external drivers such climate and disturbance can lead to fluctuations in community composition, or to directional change. Temporal dynamics can be influenced by a combination of drivers operating at multiple spatial scales, including external landscape scale drivers, local abiotic conditions, and local species pools. We hypothesized that spatial variation in these factors can create heterogeneity in temporal dynamics within landscapes. We used understory plant species composition from an 11 year dataset from a California oak woodland to compare plots where disturbance was experimentally manipulated with the removal of livestock grazing and a prescribed burn. We quantified three properties of temporal variation: compositional change (reflecting the appearance and disappearance of species, temporal fluctuation, and directional change. Directional change was related most strongly to disturbance type, and was highest at plots where grazing was removed during the study. Temporal fluctuations, compositional change, and directional change were all related to intrinsic abiotic factors, suggesting that some locations are more responsive to external drivers than others. Temporal fluctuations and compositional change were linked to local functional composition, indicating that environmental filters can create subsets of the local species pool that do not respond in the same way to external drivers. Temporal dynamics are often assumed to be relatively static at the landscape scale, provided disturbance and climate are continuous. This study shows that local and landscape scale factors jointly influence temporal dynamics creating hotspots that are particularly responsive to climate and disturbance. Thus, adequate predictions of response to disturbance or to changing climate will only be achieved by considering how factors at multiple spatial scales influence community resilience and recovery.

Hotspots of Community Change: Temporal Dynamics Are Spatially Variable in Understory Plant Composition of a California Oak Woodland.

Science.gov (United States)

Spotswood, Erica N; Bartolome, James W; Allen-Diaz, Barbara

2015-01-01

Community response to external drivers such climate and disturbance can lead to fluctuations in community composition, or to directional change. Temporal dynamics can be influenced by a combination of drivers operating at multiple spatial scales, including external landscape scale drivers, local abiotic conditions, and local species pools. We hypothesized that spatial variation in these factors can create heterogeneity in temporal dynamics within landscapes. We used understory plant species composition from an 11 year dataset from a California oak woodland to compare plots where disturbance was experimentally manipulated with the removal of livestock grazing and a prescribed burn. We quantified three properties of temporal variation: compositional change (reflecting the appearance and disappearance of species), temporal fluctuation, and directional change. Directional change was related most strongly to disturbance type, and was highest at plots where grazing was removed during the study. Temporal fluctuations, compositional change, and directional change were all related to intrinsic abiotic factors, suggesting that some locations are more responsive to external drivers than others. Temporal fluctuations and compositional change were linked to local functional composition, indicating that environmental filters can create subsets of the local species pool that do not respond in the same way to external drivers. Temporal dynamics are often assumed to be relatively static at the landscape scale, provided disturbance and climate are continuous. This study shows that local and landscape scale factors jointly influence temporal dynamics creating hotspots that are particularly responsive to climate and disturbance. Thus, adequate predictions of response to disturbance or to changing climate will only be achieved by considering how factors at multiple spatial scales influence community resilience and recovery.

Temporal disconnectivity of the energy landscape in glassy systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lempesis, Nikolaos; Boulougouris, Georgios C.; Theodorou, Doros N.

2013-03-01

An alternative graphical representation of the potential energy landscape (PEL) has been developed and applied to a binary Lennard-Jones glassy system, providing insight into the unique topology of the system's potential energy hypersurface. With the help of this representation one is able to monitor the different explored basins of the PEL, as well as how - and mainly when - subsets of basins communicate with each other via transitions in such a way that details of the prior temporal history have been erased, i.e., local equilibration between the basins in each subset has been achieved. In this way, apart from detailed information about the structure of the PEL, the system's temporal evolution on the PEL is described. In order to gather all necessary information about the identities of two or more basins that are connected with each other, we consider two different approaches. The first one is based on consideration of the time needed for two basins to mutually equilibrate their populations according to the transition rate between them, in the absence of any effect induced by the rest of the landscape. The second approach is based on an analytical solution of the master equation that explicitly takes into account the entire explored landscape. It is shown that both approaches lead to the same result concerning the topology of the PEL and dynamical evolution on it. Moreover, a "temporal disconnectivity graph" is introduced to represent a lumped system stemming from the initial one. The lumped system is obtained via a specially designed algorithm [N. Lempesis, D. G. Tsalikis, G. C. Boulougouris, and D. N. Theodorou, J. Chem. Phys. 135, 204507 (2011), 10.1063/1.3663207]. The temporal disconnectivity graph provides useful information about both the lumped and the initial systems, including the definition of "metabasins" as collections of basins that communicate with each other via transitions that are fast relative to the observation time. Finally, the two examined

Social communication with virtual agents: The effects of body and gaze direction on attention and emotional responding in human observers.

Science.gov (United States)

Marschner, Linda; Pannasch, Sebastian; Schulz, Johannes; Graupner, Sven-Thomas

2015-08-01

In social communication, the gaze direction of other persons provides important information to perceive and interpret their emotional response. Previous research investigated the influence of gaze by manipulating mutual eye contact. Therefore, gaze and body direction have been changed as a whole, resulting in only congruent gaze and body directions (averted or directed) of another person. Here, we aimed to disentangle these effects by using short animated sequences of virtual agents posing with either direct or averted body or gaze. Attention allocation by means of eye movements, facial muscle response, and emotional experience to agents of different gender and facial expressions were investigated. Eye movement data revealed longer fixation durations, i.e., a stronger allocation of attention, when gaze and body direction were not congruent with each other or when both were directed towards the observer. This suggests that direct interaction as well as incongruous signals increase the demands of attentional resources in the observer. For the facial muscle response, only the reaction of muscle zygomaticus major revealed an effect of body direction, expressed by stronger activity in response to happy expressions for direct compared to averted gaze when the virtual character's body was directed towards the observer. Finally, body direction also influenced the emotional experience ratings towards happy expressions. While earlier findings suggested that mutual eye contact is the main source for increased emotional responding and attentional allocation, the present results indicate that direction of the virtual agent's body and head also plays a minor but significant role. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Team learning : New insights through a temporal lens

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lehmann-Willenbrock, N.

2017-01-01

Team learning is a complex social phenomenon that develops and changes over time. Hence, to promote understanding of the fine-grained dynamics of team learning, research should account for the temporal patterns of team learning behavior. Taking important steps in this direction, this special issue

24 CFR 180.215 - Ex parte communications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CONSOLIDATED HUD HEARING PROCEDURES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS MATTERS Administrative Law Judge § 180.215 Ex parte communications. (a) An ex parte communication is any direct or indirect...

Functional connectivity evidence of cortico-cortico inhibition in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tracy, Joseph I; Osipowicz, Karol; Spechler, Philip; Sharan, Ashwini; Skidmore, Christopher; Doucet, Gaelle; Sperling, Michael R

2014-01-01

Epileptic seizures can initiate a neural circuit and lead to aberrant neural communication with brain areas outside the epileptogenic region. We focus on interictal activity in focal temporal lobe epilepsy and evaluate functional connectivity (FC) differences that emerge as function of bilateral versus strictly unilateral epileptiform activity. We assess the strength of FC at rest between the ictal and non-ictal temporal lobes, in addition to whole brain connectivity with the ictal temporal lobe. Results revealed strong connectivity between the temporal lobes for both patient groups, but this did not vary as a function of unilateral versus bilateral interictal status. Both the left and right unilateral temporal lobe groups showed significant anti-correlated activity in regions outside the epileptogenic temporal lobe, primarily involving the contralateral (non-ictal/non-pathologic) hemisphere, with precuneus involvement prominent. The bilateral groups did not show this contralateral anti-correlated activity. This anti-correlated connectivity may represent a form of protective and adaptive inhibition, helping to constrain epileptiform activity to the pathologic temporal lobe. The absence of this activity in the bilateral groups may be indicative of flawed inhibitory mechanisms, helping to explain their more widespread epileptiform activity. Our data suggest that the location and build up of epilepsy networks in the brain are not truly random, and are not limited to the formation of strictly epileptogenic networks. Functional networks may develop to take advantage of the regulatory function of structures such as the precuneus to instantiate an anti-correlated network, generating protective cortico-cortico inhibition for the purpose of limiting seizure spread or epileptogenesis. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MIMO Based Multimedia Communication System

OpenAIRE

Kandar, D.; Dhar, Sourav; Bera, Rabindranath; Sarkar, C. K.

2009-01-01

High data rate is required for multimedia communication. But the communication at high data rate is always challenging. In this work we have successfully performed data chatting, Voice chatting and high quality video transmission between two distant units using MIMO adapter, Direct sequence spread spectrum system and MATLAB/SIMULINK platform.

The use of visual and verbal means of communication across psychological distance.

Science.gov (United States)

Amit, Elinor; Wakslak, Cheryl; Trope, Yaacov

2013-01-01

The current study investigated the effect of distance on medium preferences in interpersonal communication. Five experiments showed that people's preference for using pictures (vs. words) is increasingly higher when communicating with temporally, socially, or geographically proximal (vs. distal) others. In contrast, preference for words is increasingly higher when communicating with those who were distal. A sixth experiment showed that communication's medium influences distance preferences, such that people's preference for communicating a message to a distant (vs. proximal) target is greater for verbal compared with pictorial communications. A seventh experiment showed that recipients are more likely to heed a sender's suggestions when the medium and distance are congruent. These findings reflect the suitability of pictures for communication with proximal others and words with distal others. Implications of these findings for construal-level theory, perspective taking, embodied cognition, the development of language, and social skills with children are discussed.

Intrateam Communication and Performance in Doubles Tennis

Science.gov (United States)

Lausic, Domagoj; Tennebaum, Gershon; Eccles, David; Jeong, Allan; Johnson, Tristan

2009-01-01

Verbal and nonverbal communication is a critical mediator of performance in team sports and yet there is little extant research in sports that involves direct measures of communication. Our study explored communication within NCAA Division I female tennis doubles teams. Video and audio recordings of players during doubles tennis matches captured…

Temporal compression in episodic memory for real-life events.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeunehomme, Olivier; Folville, Adrien; Stawarczyk, David; Van der Linden, Martial; D'Argembeau, Arnaud

2018-07-01

Remembering an event typically takes less time than experiencing it, suggesting that episodic memory represents past experience in a temporally compressed way. Little is known, however, about how the continuous flow of real-life events is summarised in memory. Here we investigated the nature and determinants of temporal compression by directly comparing memory contents with the objective timing of events as measured by a wearable camera. We found that episodic memories consist of a succession of moments of prior experience that represent events with varying compression rates, such that the density of retrieved information is modulated by goal processing and perceptual changes. Furthermore, the results showed that temporal compression rates remain relatively stable over one week and increase after a one-month delay, particularly for goal-related events. These data shed new light on temporal compression in episodic memory and suggest that compression rates are adaptively modulated to maintain current goal-relevant information.

Direct radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis of the Darra-i-Kur (Afghanistan) human temporal bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Douka, Katerina; Slon, Viviane; Stringer, Chris; Potts, Richard; Hübner, Alexander; Meyer, Matthias; Spoor, Fred; Pääbo, Svante; Higham, Tom

2017-06-01

The temporal bone discovered in the 1960s from the Darra-i-Kur cave in Afghanistan is often cited as one of the very few Pleistocene human fossils from Central Asia. Here we report the first direct radiocarbon date for the specimen and the genetic analyses of DNA extracted and sequenced from two areas of the bone. The new radiocarbon determination places the find to ∼4500 cal BP (∼2500 BCE) contradicting an assumed Palaeolithic age of ∼30,000 years, as originally suggested. The DNA retrieved from the specimen originates from a male individual who carried mitochondrial DNA of the modern human type. The petrous part yielded more endogenous ancient DNA molecules than the squamous part of the same bone. Molecular dating of the Darra-i-Kur mitochondrial DNA sequence corroborates the radiocarbon date and suggests that the specimen is younger than previously thought. Taken together, the results consolidate the fact that the human bone is not associated with the Pleistocene-age deposits of Darra-i-Kur; instead it is intrusive, possibly re-deposited from upper levels dating to much later periods (Neolithic). Despite its Holocene age, the Darra-i-Kur specimen is, so far, the first and only ancient human from Afghanistan whose DNA has been sequenced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Auditory temporal processing in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavasani, Azam Navaei; Mohammadkhani, Ghassem; Motamedi, Mahmoud; Karimi, Leyla Jalilvand; Jalaei, Shohreh; Shojaei, Fereshteh Sadat; Danesh, Ali; Azimi, Hadi

2016-07-01

Auditory temporal processing is the main feature of speech processing ability. Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, despite their normal hearing sensitivity, may present speech recognition disorders. The present study was carried out to evaluate the auditory temporal processing in patients with unilateral TLE. The present study was carried out on 25 patients with epilepsy: 11 patients with right temporal lobe epilepsy and 14 with left temporal lobe epilepsy with a mean age of 31.1years and 18 control participants with a mean age of 29.4years. The two experimental and control groups were evaluated via gap-in-noise and duration pattern sequence tests. One-way ANOVA was run to analyze the data. The mean of the threshold of the GIN test in the control group was observed to be better than that in participants with LTLE and RTLE. Also, it was observed that the percentage of correct responses on the DPS test in the control group and in participants with RTLE was better than that in participants with LTLE. Patients with TLE have difficulties in temporal processing. Difficulties are more significant in patients with LTLE, likely because the left temporal lobe is specialized for the processing of temporal information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovative tool of direct marketing

OpenAIRE

T.S. Maksymova

2010-01-01

The aspects of direct marketing activation on the basis of interactive applications introduction are examined. Basic advantages, linked with the use of the integrated marketing communications during formation of direct marketing strategies are open up.

Representation of activity in images using geospatial temporal graphs

Science.gov (United States)

Brost, Randolph; McLendon, III, William C.; Parekh, Ojas D.; Rintoul, Mark Daniel; Watson, Jean-Paul; Strip, David R.; Diegert, Carl

2018-05-01

Various technologies pertaining to modeling patterns of activity observed in remote sensing images using geospatial-temporal graphs are described herein. Graphs are constructed by representing objects in remote sensing images as nodes, and connecting nodes with undirected edges representing either distance or adjacency relationships between objects and directed edges representing changes in time. Activity patterns may be discerned from the graphs by coding nodes representing persistent objects like buildings differently from nodes representing ephemeral objects like vehicles, and examining the geospatial-temporal relationships of ephemeral nodes within the graph.

Information and Language for Effective Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Pitoy, Sammy P.

2012-01-01

Information and Language for Effective Communication (ILEC) is a language teaching approach emphasizing learners' extensive exposure in different language communicative sources. In ILEC, the language learners will first receive instructions of ILEC principles and application. Afterwards, they will receive autonomous, direct, purposeful, and…

The temporal-relevance temporal-uncertainty model of prospective duration judgment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zakay, Dan

2015-12-15

A model aimed at explaining prospective duration judgments in real life settings (as well as in the laboratory) is presented. The model is based on the assumption that situational meaning is continuously being extracted by humans' perceptual and cognitive information processing systems. Time is one of the important dimensions of situational meaning. Based on the situational meaning, a value for Temporal Relevance is set. Temporal Relevance reflects the importance of temporal aspects for enabling adaptive behavior in a specific moment in time. When Temporal Relevance is above a certain threshold a prospective duration judgment process is evoked automatically. In addition, a search for relevant temporal information is taking place and its outcomes determine the level of Temporal Uncertainty which reflects the degree of knowledge one has regarding temporal aspects of the task to be performed. The levels of Temporal Relevance and Temporal Uncertainty determine the amount of attentional resources allocated for timing by the executive system. The merit of the model is in connecting timing processes with the ongoing general information processing stream. The model rests on findings in various domains which indicate that cognitive-relevance and self-relevance are powerful determinants of resource allocation policy. The feasibility of the model is demonstrated by analyzing various temporal phenomena. Suggestions for further empirical validation of the model are presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal ecology in the Anthropocene.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolkovich, E M; Cook, B I; McLauchlan, K K; Davies, T J

2014-11-01

Two fundamental axes - space and time - shape ecological systems. Over the last 30 years spatial ecology has developed as an integrative, multidisciplinary science that has improved our understanding of the ecological consequences of habitat fragmentation and loss. We argue that accelerating climate change - the effective manipulation of time by humans - has generated a current need to build an equivalent framework for temporal ecology. Climate change has at once pressed ecologists to understand and predict ecological dynamics in non-stationary environments, while also challenged fundamental assumptions of many concepts, models and approaches. However, similarities between space and time, especially related issues of scaling, provide an outline for improving ecological models and forecasting of temporal dynamics, while the unique attributes of time, particularly its emphasis on events and its singular direction, highlight where new approaches are needed. We emphasise how a renewed, interdisciplinary focus on time would coalesce related concepts, help develop new theories and methods and guide further data collection. The next challenge will be to unite predictive frameworks from spatial and temporal ecology to build robust forecasts of when and where environmental change will pose the largest threats to species and ecosystems, as well as identifying the best opportunities for conservation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

'Doctor' or 'darling'? Decoding the communication partner from ECoG of the anterior temporal lobe during non-experimental, real-life social interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna eDerix

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Human brain processes underlying real-life social interaction in everyday situations have been difficult to study and have, until now, remained largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether electrocorticography (ECoG recorded for pre-neurosurgical diagnostics during the daily hospital life of epilepsy patients could provide a way to elucidate the neural correlates of non-experimental social interaction. We identified time periods in which patients were involved in conversations with either their respective life partners (Condition 1; C1 or attending physicians (Condition 2; C2. These two conditions can be expected to differentially involve subfunctions of social interaction which have been associated with activity in the anterior temporal lobe (ATL, including the temporal poles (TP. Therefore, we specifically focused on ECoG recordings from this brain region and investigated spectral power modulations in the alpha (8-12 Hz and theta (3-5 Hz frequency ranges, which have been previously assumed to play an important role in the processing of social interaction. We hypothesized that brain activity in this region might be sensitive to differences in the two interaction situations and tested whether these differences can be detected by single-trial decoding. Condition-specific effects in both theta and alpha bands were observed: the left and right TP exclusively showed increased power in C1 compared to C2, whereas more posterior parts of the ATL exhibited similar (C1 > C2 and also contrary (C2 > C1 effects. Single-trial decoding accuracies for classification of these effects were highly above chance. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to study the neural correlates of human social interaction in non-experimental conditions. Decoding the identity of the communication partner and adjusting the speech output accordingly may be useful in the emerging field of brain- machine interfacing for restoration of expressive speech.

A Study of an Optical Lunar Surface Communications Network with High Bandwidth Direct to Earth Link

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, K.; Biswas, A.; Schoolcraft, J.

2011-01-01

Analyzed optical DTE (direct to earth) and lunar relay satellite link analyses, greater than 200 Mbps downlink to 1-m Earth receiver and greater than 1 Mbps uplink achieved with mobile 5-cm lunar transceiver, greater than 1Gbps downlink and greater than 10 Mpbs uplink achieved with 10-cm stationary lunar transceiver, MITLL (MIT Lincoln Laboratory) 2013 LLCD (Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration) plans to demonstrate 622 Mbps downlink with 20 Mbps uplink between lunar orbiter and ground station; Identified top five technology challenges to deploying lunar optical network, Performed preliminary experiments on two of challenges: (i) lunar dust removal and (ii)DTN over optical carrier, Exploring opportunities to evaluate DTN (delay-tolerant networking) over optical link in a multi-node network e.g. Desert RATS.

Spatial and temporal variations in shallow wetland groundwater quality

Science.gov (United States)

Schot, Paul P.; Pieber, Simone M.

2012-02-01

SummaryWetlands worldwide are threatened by environmental change. Differences in groundwater composition is one of the factors affecting wetland terrestrial floristic biodiversity. However, few studies discuss variations in wetland groundwater composition. This study presents an analysis of local-scale spatial and short-term temporal variations in 15 groundwater composition parameters of the 7 km2 Naardermeer wetland nature reserve in The Netherlands. Data is available from a network of 35 groundwater wells with 2-4 filters each, at depths between 50 and 800 cm, which were sampled about monthly over a 1-year period, totalling 1042 chemical analysis from 103 filter screens. Relative standard deviations indicate large differences in variation between parameters. Largest spatial and temporal variations were found for nutrients (NO3-, PO43-, NH4+) and redox sensitive parameters (Fe, Mn), and lowest variations for macroions and SiO2. A horizontal zonation in groundwater concentrations has been found related to soil type and soil wetness, with largest horizontal decrease in NO3- and SO42-, and largest increase in Fe and SiO2, going in the groundwater flow direction from dry sandy soils to wet peat/clay soils. No clear horizontal patterns have been found for the macroions. Spatial zonations in the north-south direction and with depth are absent for all parameters. Spatial and temporal variations were found to be related. 3D-maps indicate highest temporal fluctuations at filter screens with lowest median concentrations for NO3-, SO42- and Fe, but the reverse pattern for SiO2. High temporal variations of nutrients and redox sensitive parameters could not be traced back to a seasonal trend. The spatial and temporal variability of groundwater quality parameters as presented in this study, together with their reported effects on different vegetation types, may be used to design efficient monitoring schemes by nature managers having set specific vegetation development targets

Understanding communicative actions: a repetitive TMS study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolk, Arjen; Noordzij, Matthijs L; Volman, Inge; Verhagen, Lennart; Overeem, Sebastiaan; van Elswijk, Gijs; Bloem, Bas; Hagoort, Peter; Toni, Ivan

2014-02-01

Despite the ambiguity inherent in human communication, people are remarkably efficient in establishing mutual understanding. Studying how people communicate in novel settings provides a window into the mechanisms supporting the human competence to rapidly generate and understand novel shared symbols, a fundamental property of human communication. Previous work indicates that the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) is involved when people understand the intended meaning of novel communicative actions. Here, we set out to test whether normal functioning of this cerebral structure is required for understanding novel communicative actions using inhibitory low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). A factorial experimental design contrasted two tightly matched stimulation sites (right pSTS vs left MT+, i.e., a contiguous homotopic task-relevant region) and tasks (a communicative task vs a visual tracking task that used the same sequences of stimuli). Overall task performance was not affected by rTMS, whereas changes in task performance over time were disrupted according to TMS site and task combinations. Namely, rTMS over pSTS led to a diminished ability to improve action understanding on the basis of recent communicative history, while rTMS over MT+ perturbed improvement in visual tracking over trials. These findings qualify the contributions of the right pSTS to human communicative abilities, showing that this region might be necessary for incorporating previous knowledge, accumulated during interactions with a communicative partner, to constrain the inferential process that leads to action understanding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observational fear learning in degus is correlated with temporal vocalization patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Lidhar, Navdeep K; Insel, Nathan; Dong, June Yue; Takehara-Nishiuchi, Kaori

2017-08-14

Some animals learn to fear a situation after observing another individual come to harm, and this learning is influenced by the animals' social relationship and history. An important but sometimes overlooked factor in studies of observational fear learning is that social context not only affects observers, but may also influence the behavior and communications expressed by those being observed. Here we sought to investigate whether observational fear learning in the degu (Octodon degus) is affected by social familiarity, and the degree to which vocal expressions of alarm or distress contribute. 'Demonstrator' degus underwent contextual fear conditioning in the presence of a cagemate or stranger observer. Among the 15 male pairs, observers of familiar demonstrators exhibited higher freezing rates than observers of strangers when returned to the conditioning environment one day later. Observer freezing during testing was, however, also related to the proportion of short- versus long- inter-call-intervals (ICIs) in vocalizations recorded during prior conditioning. In a regression model that included both social relationship and ICI patterns, only the latter was significant. Further investigation of vocalizations, including use of a novel, directed k-means clustering approach, suggested that temporal structure rather than tonal variations may have been responsible for communicating danger. These data offer insight into how different expressions of distress or fear may impact an observer, adding to the complexity of social context effects in studies of empathy and social cognition. The experiments also offer new data on degu alarm calls and a potentially novel methodological approach to complex vocalizations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Vitality of Business Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruhet Genc

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Communication entails the transfer of ideas, thoughts or feelings by the sender to receivervia verbal or nonverbal means. This transfer gains special significance in business especially in theservice sector, since the service providers work with humans and what distinguishes humans from anyother species is their ability to communicate with others. Communication affects a wide variety ofbusiness issues including productivity and job satisfaction via improving the conveyance ofinformation in every level of the organization. Thus, in order to establish effective communication,the managers in an organization has to channel the receiver what they mean to communicate in asimple, direct and precise manner whether it be on the oral or written modality. To achieve this end,they should also take into consideration the gender and cultural variations in terms of communication.

A hierarchical Bayesian spatio-temporal model for extreme precipitation events

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Souparno; Mallick, Bani K.

2011-01-01

We propose a new approach to model a sequence of spatially distributed time series of extreme values. Unlike common practice, we incorporate spatial dependence directly in the likelihood and allow the temporal component to be captured at the second level of hierarchy. Inferences about the parameters and spatio-temporal predictions are obtained via MCMC technique. The model is fitted to a gridded precipitation data set collected over 99 years across the continental U.S. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd..

A hierarchical Bayesian spatio-temporal model for extreme precipitation events

KAUST Repository

Ghosh, Souparno

2011-03-01

We propose a new approach to model a sequence of spatially distributed time series of extreme values. Unlike common practice, we incorporate spatial dependence directly in the likelihood and allow the temporal component to be captured at the second level of hierarchy. Inferences about the parameters and spatio-temporal predictions are obtained via MCMC technique. The model is fitted to a gridded precipitation data set collected over 99 years across the continental U.S. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd..

Social communication with virtual agents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marschner, Linda; Pannasch, Sebastian; Schulz, Johannes

2015-01-01

In social communication, the gaze direction of other persons provides important information to perceive and interpret their emotional response. Previous research investigated the influence of gaze by manipulating mutual eye contact. Therefore, gaze and body direction has been changed as a whole...

Vibration noise control in laser satellite communication

Science.gov (United States)

Saksonov, Avigdor; Shlomi, Arnon; Kopeika, Norman S.

2001-08-01

Laser satellite communication has become especially attractive in recent years. Because the laser beam width is narrow than in the RF or microwave range, the transmitted optical power may be significantly reduced. This leads to development of miniature communication systems with extremely low power consumption. On the other hand, the laser communication channel is very sensitive to vibrations of the optical platform. These vibrations cause angular noise in laser beam pointing, comparable to the laser beam width. As result, as significant portion of the optical power between transmitter and receiver is lost and the bit error rate is increased. Consequently, vibration noise control is a critical problem in laser satellite communication. The direction of the laser beam is corrected with a fast steering mirror (FSM). In this paper are presented two approaches for the FSM control. One is the feedback control that uses an LQG algorithm. The second is the direct feed- forward control when vibration noise is measured by three orthogonal accelerometers and drives directly the F SM. The performances of each approach are evaluated using MATLAB simulations.

Movies as Political Communication: A Theory of Popular Representation.

Science.gov (United States)

Combs, James

To understand film as a form of political communication, movies must be regarded as an art form made both with commercial and aesthetic considerations and with cultural, industrial, and artistic traditions in mind. Filmmaking must also be viewed as a process or as a temporal activity of a culture. Through political mediation, or the process of…

Temporal expectancy in the context of a theory of visual attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Vangkilde, Signe; Petersen, Anders; Bundesen, Claus

2013-10-19

Temporal expectation is expectation with respect to the timing of an event such as the appearance of a certain stimulus. In this paper, temporal expectancy is investigated in the context of the theory of visual attention (TVA), and we begin by summarizing the foundations of this theoretical framework. Next, we present a parametric experiment exploring the effects of temporal expectation on perceptual processing speed in cued single-stimulus letter recognition with unspeeded motor responses. The length of the cue-stimulus foreperiod was exponentially distributed with one of six hazard rates varying between blocks. We hypothesized that this manipulation would result in a distinct temporal expectation in each hazard rate condition. Stimulus exposures were varied such that both the temporal threshold of conscious perception (t0 ms) and the perceptual processing speed (v letters s(-1)) could be estimated using TVA. We found that the temporal threshold t0 was unaffected by temporal expectation, but the perceptual processing speed v was a strikingly linear function of the logarithm of the hazard rate of the stimulus presentation. We argue that the effects on the v values were generated by changes in perceptual biases, suggesting that our perceptual biases are directly related to our temporal expectations.

Temporal expectancy in the context of a theory of visual attention

Science.gov (United States)

Vangkilde, Signe; Petersen, Anders; Bundesen, Claus

2013-01-01

Temporal expectation is expectation with respect to the timing of an event such as the appearance of a certain stimulus. In this paper, temporal expectancy is investigated in the context of the theory of visual attention (TVA), and we begin by summarizing the foundations of this theoretical framework. Next, we present a parametric experiment exploring the effects of temporal expectation on perceptual processing speed in cued single-stimulus letter recognition with unspeeded motor responses. The length of the cue–stimulus foreperiod was exponentially distributed with one of six hazard rates varying between blocks. We hypothesized that this manipulation would result in a distinct temporal expectation in each hazard rate condition. Stimulus exposures were varied such that both the temporal threshold of conscious perception (t0 ms) and the perceptual processing speed (v letters s−1) could be estimated using TVA. We found that the temporal threshold t0 was unaffected by temporal expectation, but the perceptual processing speed v was a strikingly linear function of the logarithm of the hazard rate of the stimulus presentation. We argue that the effects on the v values were generated by changes in perceptual biases, suggesting that our perceptual biases are directly related to our temporal expectations. PMID:24018716

Do Indicators Influence Communication in SEA?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gao, Jingjing; Kørnøv, Lone; Christensen, Per

2013-01-01

Indicators have become one of the primary tools for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the Chinese context, but what does this use of indicators mean for communication within the SEA processes? This article explores how the selection and use of indicators influence the communication...... between different stakeholders involved in SEA. The article provides a conceptual communication model covering directions and level of communication. Using this model on empirical findings from interviews with two specific SEA cases and from general experience collected through an online survey...

The right hemisphere's contribution to discourse processing: A study in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomlomdjian, Carolina; Múnera, Claudia P; Low, Daniel M; Terpiluk, Verónica; Solís, Patricia; Abusamra, Valeria; Kochen, Silvia

2017-08-01

Discourse skills - in which the right hemisphere has an important role - enables verbal communication by selecting contextually relevant information and integrating it coherently to infer the correct meaning. However, language research in epilepsy has focused on single word analysis related mainly to left hemisphere processing. The purpose of this study was to investigate discourse abilities in patients with right lateralized medial temporal lobe epilepsy (RTLE) by comparing their performance to that of patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy (LTLE). 74 pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients were evaluated: 34 with RTLE and 40 with LTLE. Subjects underwent a battery of tests that measure comprehension and production of conversational and narrative discourse. Disease related variables and general neuropsychological data were evaluated. The RTLE group presented deficits in interictal conversational and narrative discourse, with a disintegrated speech, lack of categorization and misinterpretation of social meaning. LTLE group, on the other hand, showed a tendency to lower performance in logical-temporal sequencing. RTLE patients showed discourse deficits which have been described in right hemisphere damaged patients due to other etiologies. Medial and anterior temporal lobe structures appear to link semantic, world knowledge, and social cognition associated areas to construct a contextually related coherent meaning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using Linear and Non-Linear Temporal Adjustments to Align Multiple Phenology Curves, Making Vegetation Status and Health Directly Comparable

Science.gov (United States)

Hargrove, W. W.; Norman, S. P.; Kumar, J.; Hoffman, F. M.

2017-12-01

National-scale polar analysis of MODIS NDVI allows quantification of degree of seasonality expressed by local vegetation, and also selects the most optimum start/end of a local "phenological year" that is empirically customized for the vegetation that is growing at each location. Interannual differences in timing of phenology make direct comparisons of vegetation health and performance between years difficult, whether at the same or different locations. By "sliding" the two phenologies in time using a Procrustean linear time shift, any particular phenological event or "completion milestone" can be synchronized, allowing direct comparison of differences in timing of other remaining milestones. Going beyond a simple linear translation, time can be "rubber-sheeted," compressed or dilated. Considering one phenology curve to be a reference, the second phenology can be "rubber-sheeted" to fit that baseline as well as possible by stretching or shrinking time to match multiple control points, which can be any recognizable phenological events. Similar to "rubber sheeting" to georectify a map inside a GIS, rubber sheeting a phenology curve also yields a warping signature that shows at every time and every location how many days the adjusted phenology is ahead or behind the phenological development of the reference vegetation. Using such temporal methods to "adjust" phenologies may help to quantify vegetation impacts from frost, drought, wildfire, insects and diseases by permitting the most commensurate quantitative comparisons with unaffected vegetation.

Advanced communication methods developed for nuclear data communication applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, Akash; Tiwari, Railesha; Tiwari, S.S.; Panday, Lokesh; Suri, Nitin; Takle, Tarun Rao; Jain, Sanjeev; Gupta, Rishi; Sharma, Dipeeka; Takle, Rahul Rao; Gautam, Rajeev; Bhargava, Vishal; Arora, Himanshu; Agarwal, Ankur; Rupesh; Chawla, Mohit; Sethi, Amardeep Singh; Gupta, Mukesh; Gupta, Ankit; Verma, Neha; Sood, Nitin; Singh, Sunil; Agarwal, Chandresh

2004-01-01

We conducted various experiments and tested data communications methods that may be useful for various applications in nuclear industries. We explored the following areas. I. Scientific data communication among scientists within the laboratory and inter-laboratory data exchange. 2.Data from sensors from remote and wired sensors. 3.Data from multiple sensors with small zone. 4.Data from single or multiple sensors from distances above 100 m and less than 10 km. No any single data communication method was found to be the best solution for nuclear applications and multiple modes of communication were found to be advantageous than any single mode of data communication. Network of computers in the control room and in between laboratories connected with optical fiber or an isolated Ethernet coaxial LAN was found to be optimum. Information from multiple analog process sensors in smaller zones like reactor building and laboratories on 12C LAN and short-range wireless LAN were found to be advantageous. Within the laboratory sensor data network of 12C was found to be cost effective and wireless LAN was comparatively expansive. Within a room infrared optical LAN and FSK wireless LAN were found to be highly useful in making the sensors free from wires. Direct sensor interface on FSK wireless link were found to be fast accurate, cost effective over large distance data communication. Such links are the only way to communicate from sea boy and balloons hardware. 1-wire communication network of Dallas Semiconductor USA for weather station data communication Computer to computer communication using optical LAN links has been tried, temperature pressure, humidity, ionizing radiation, generator RPM and voltage and various other analog signals were also transported o FSK optical and wireless links. Multiple sensors needed a dedicated data acquisition system and wireless LAN for data telemetry. (author)

Uni-, bi- and tri-modal warning signals: effects of temporal parameters and sensory modality on perceived urgency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Erp, Johannes Bernardus Fransiscus; Toet, Alexander; Janssen, Joris B.

Multi-sensory warnings can potentially enhance risk communication. Hereto we investigated how temporal signal parameters affect perceived urgency within and across modalities. In an experiment, 78 observers rated the perceived urgency of uni-, bi-, and/or tri-modal stimuli as function of 25

Uni-, bi- and tri-modal warning signals : Effects of temporal parameters and sensory modality on perceived urgency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erp, J.B.F. van; Toet, A.; Janssen, J.B.

2015-01-01

Multi-sensory warnings can potentially enhance risk communication. Hereto we investigated how temporal signal parameters affect perceived urgency within and across modalities. In an experiment, 78 observers rated the perceived urgency of uni-, bi-, and/or tri-modal stimuli as function of 25

Optical space communication: An overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, V.K.

1994-01-01

In this paper, importance of the optical space communication has been highlighted. Its merits and demerits over the conventional microwave system has been presented. In contrast to coherent systems, use of an optical preamplifier in direct detection system has been emphasized. Status of some of the ongoing/future space communication projects has been given. (author). 9 refs, 5 figs

The Use of Post-Purchase Communication to Reduce Dissonance and Improve Direct Marketing Effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Milliman, Ronald E.; Decker, Phillip J.

1990-01-01

Demonstrates the use and potentially positive effects of postpurchase communication on order refund requests and reorder rates. Finds that dissonance was effectively reduced through postpurchase communication. (MG)

Multi-way Communications: An Information Theoretic Perspective

KAUST Repository

Chaaban, Anas; Sezgin, Aydin

2015-01-01

Multi-way communication is a means to significantly improve the spectral efficiency of wireless networks. For instance, in a bi-directional (or two-way) communication channel, two users can simultaneously use the transmission medium to exchange

Post-traumatic stress disorder: a right temporal lobe syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

Engdahl, B.; Leuthold, A. C.; Tan, H.-R. M.; Lewis, S. M.; Winskowski, A. M.; Dikel, T. N.; Georgopoulos, A. P.

2010-12-01

In a recent paper (Georgopoulos et al 2010 J. Neural Eng. 7 016011) we reported on the power of the magnetoencephalography (MEG)-based synchronous neural interactions (SNI) test to differentiate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subjects from healthy control subjects and to classify them with a high degree of accuracy. Here we show that the main differences in cortical communication circuitry between these two groups lie in the miscommunication of temporal and parietal and/or parieto-occipital right hemispheric areas with other brain areas. This lateralized temporal-posterior pattern of miscommunication was very similar but was attenuated in patients with PTSD in remission. These findings are consistent with observations (Penfield 1958 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 44 51-66, Penfield and Perot 1963 Brain 86 595-696, Gloor 1990 Brain 113 1673-94, Banceaud et al 1994 Brain 117 71-90, Fried 1997 J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 9 420-8) that electrical stimulation of the temporal cortex in awake human subjects, mostly in the right hemisphere, can elicit the re-enactment and re-living of past experiences. Based on these facts, we attribute our findings to the re-experiencing component of PTSD and hypothesize that it reflects an involuntarily persistent activation of interacting neural networks involved in experiential consolidation.

Store-directed price promotions and communications strategies improve healthier food supply and demand: impact results from a randomized controlled, Baltimore City store-intervention trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Budd, Nadine; Jeffries, Jayne K; Jones-Smith, Jessica; Kharmats, Anna; McDermott, Ann Yelmokas; Gittelsohn, Joel

2017-12-01

Small food store interventions show promise to increase healthy food access in under-resourced areas. However, none have tested the impact of price discounts on healthy food supply and demand. We tested the impact of store-directed price discounts and communications strategies, separately and combined, on the stocking, sales and prices of healthier foods and on storeowner psychosocial factors. Factorial design randomized controlled trial. Twenty-four corner stores in low-income neighbourhoods of Baltimore City, MD, USA. Stores were randomized to pricing intervention, communications intervention, combined pricing and communications intervention, or control. Stores that received the pricing intervention were given a 10-30 % price discount by wholesalers on selected healthier food items during the 6-month trial. Communications stores received visual and interactive materials to promote healthy items, including signage, taste tests and refrigerators. All interventions showed significantly increased stock of promoted foods v. There was a significant treatment effect for daily unit sales of healthy snacks (β=6·4, 95 % CI 0·9, 11·9) and prices of healthy staple foods (β=-0·49, 95 % CI -0·90, -0·03) for the combined group v. control, but not for other intervention groups. There were no significant intervention effects on storeowner psychosocial factors. All interventions led to increased stock of healthier foods. The combined intervention was effective in increasing sales of healthier snacks, even though discounts on snacks were not passed to the consumer. Experimental research in small stores is needed to understand the mechanisms by which store-directed price promotions can increase healthy food supply and demand.

A little more conversation - The influence of communicative context on syntactic priming in brain and behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lotte eSchoot

2014-03-01

Full Text Available We report on an fMRI syntactic priming experiment in which we measure brain activity for participants who communicate with another participant outside the scanner. We investigated whether syntactic processing during overt language production and comprehension is influenced by having a (shared goal to communicate. Although theory suggests this is true, the nature of this influence remains unclear. Two hypotheses are tested: i. syntactic priming effects (fMRI and RT are stronger for participants in the communicative context than for participants doing the same experiment in a non-communicative context, and ii. syntactic priming magnitude (RT is correlated with the syntactic priming magnitude of the speaker’s communicative partner. Results showed that across conditions, participants were faster to produce sentences with repeated syntax, relative to novel syntax. This behavioral result converged with the fMRI data: we found repetition suppression effects in the left insula extending into left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 47/45, left middle temporal gyrus (BA 21, left inferior parietal cortex (BA 40, left precentral gyrus (BA 6, bilateral precuneus (BA 7, bilateral supplementary motor cortex (BA 32/8 and right insula (BA 47. We did not find support for the first hypothesis: having a communicative intention does not increase the magnitude of syntactic priming effects (either in the brain or in behavior per se. We did find support for the second hypothesis: if speaker A is strongly/weakly primed by speaker B, then speaker B is primed by speaker A to a similar extent. We conclude that syntactic processing is influenced by being in a communicative context, and that the nature of this influence is bi-directional: speakers are influenced by each other.

Multidimensional human dynamics in mobile phone communications.

Science.gov (United States)

Quadri, Christian; Zignani, Matteo; Capra, Lorenzo; Gaito, Sabrina; Rossi, Gian Paolo

2014-01-01

In today's technology-assisted society, social interactions may be expressed through a variety of techno-communication channels, including online social networks, email and mobile phones (calls, text messages). Consequently, a clear grasp of human behavior through the diverse communication media is considered a key factor in understanding the formation of the today's information society. So far, all previous research on user communication behavior has focused on a sole communication activity. In this paper we move forward another step on this research path by performing a multidimensional study of human sociality as an expression of the use of mobile phones. The paper focuses on user temporal communication behavior in the interplay between the two complementary communication media, text messages and phone calls, that represent the bi-dimensional scenario of analysis. Our study provides a theoretical framework for analyzing multidimensional bursts as the most general burst category, that includes one-dimensional bursts as the simplest case, and offers empirical evidence of their nature by following the combined phone call/text message communication patterns of approximately one million people over three-month period. This quantitative approach enables the design of a generative model rooted in the three most significant features of the multidimensional burst - the number of dimensions, prevalence and interleaving degree - able to reproduce the main media usage attitude. The other findings of the paper include a novel multidimensional burst detection algorithm and an insight analysis of the human media selection process.

Multidimensional human dynamics in mobile phone communications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Quadri

Full Text Available In today's technology-assisted society, social interactions may be expressed through a variety of techno-communication channels, including online social networks, email and mobile phones (calls, text messages. Consequently, a clear grasp of human behavior through the diverse communication media is considered a key factor in understanding the formation of the today's information society. So far, all previous research on user communication behavior has focused on a sole communication activity. In this paper we move forward another step on this research path by performing a multidimensional study of human sociality as an expression of the use of mobile phones. The paper focuses on user temporal communication behavior in the interplay between the two complementary communication media, text messages and phone calls, that represent the bi-dimensional scenario of analysis. Our study provides a theoretical framework for analyzing multidimensional bursts as the most general burst category, that includes one-dimensional bursts as the simplest case, and offers empirical evidence of their nature by following the combined phone call/text message communication patterns of approximately one million people over three-month period. This quantitative approach enables the design of a generative model rooted in the three most significant features of the multidimensional burst - the number of dimensions, prevalence and interleaving degree - able to reproduce the main media usage attitude. The other findings of the paper include a novel multidimensional burst detection algorithm and an insight analysis of the human media selection process.

Multiple concurrent temporal recalibrations driven by audiovisual stimuli with apparent physical differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Xiangyong; Bi, Cuihua; Huang, Xiting

2015-05-01

Out-of-synchrony experiences can easily recalibrate one's subjective simultaneity point in the direction of the experienced asynchrony. Although temporal adjustment of multiple audiovisual stimuli has been recently demonstrated to be spatially specific, perceptual grouping processes that organize separate audiovisual stimuli into distinctive "objects" may play a more important role in forming the basis for subsequent multiple temporal recalibrations. We investigated whether apparent physical differences between audiovisual pairs that make them distinct from each other can independently drive multiple concurrent temporal recalibrations regardless of spatial overlap. Experiment 1 verified that reducing the physical difference between two audiovisual pairs diminishes the multiple temporal recalibrations by exposing observers to two utterances with opposing temporal relationships spoken by one single speaker rather than two distinct speakers at the same location. Experiment 2 found that increasing the physical difference between two stimuli pairs can promote multiple temporal recalibrations by complicating their non-temporal dimensions (e.g., disks composed of two rather than one attribute and tones generated by multiplying two frequencies); however, these recalibration aftereffects were subtle. Experiment 3 further revealed that making the two audiovisual pairs differ in temporal structures (one transient and one gradual) was sufficient to drive concurrent temporal recalibration. These results confirm that the more audiovisual pairs physically differ, especially in temporal profile, the more likely multiple temporal perception adjustments will be content-constrained regardless of spatial overlap. These results indicate that multiple temporal recalibrations are based secondarily on the outcome of perceptual grouping processes.

X-ray diagnosis in temporal bone anomalies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schratter, M.; Canigiani, G.; Swoboda, H.; Brunner, E.

1988-01-01

The X-ray findings in temporal bone anomalies are reviewed. Radiological procedure and examination technique are presented, as are symptoms of important anomalies. The methods available are plain film X-ray of temporal bone, multi-directional tomography, and high-resolution CT. Although some of the abnormalities are visible even in plain films, consistent use of conventional tomography or CT is necessary for correct diagnosis. This procedure is indicated not only when an abnormality is clinically obvious, but also in all cases of unexplained hearing loss without evidence of acquired disease. The advantage of CT over conventional tomography is that soft tissue anomalies, such as primary cholesteatoma or tumor simulating vascular abnormalities, can be demonstrated. In these cases CT is obligatory. (orig.) [de

Acceptance of governmental communication in catastrophes and media coverage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruhrmann, G.; Kohring, M.

1997-01-01

Technology policy - like every political field - has to deal with conflicts, in which different partial interests are negotiated. Technological catastrophes are based on past decisions in technology policy. From there specific problems of acceptance in catastrophes can only be understood according to this social and temporal context. Acceptance deficits of the government result from the insufficient consideration of the interests non-governmental actors express(ed) with regard to technological risk decisions. Therefore governmental risk and crisis communication should communicate the rationales underlying technology decisions, at the same time giving other actors the possibility of further negotiation. The media coverage plays an important role in this communication process. Following their own specific rules the media create a public sphere, in order to give different groups and institutions an orientation for their social acting. Governmental communication should not consider journalism as a transmission belt for its information policy - rather, in order to be effective, it should respect the specific journalistic conduct. (orig.) [de

Temporal plus epilepsy is a major determinant of temporal lobe surgery failures.

Science.gov (United States)

Barba, Carmen; Rheims, Sylvain; Minotti, Lorella; Guénot, Marc; Hoffmann, Dominique; Chabardès, Stephan; Isnard, Jean; Kahane, Philippe; Ryvlin, Philippe

2016-02-01

Reasons for failed temporal lobe epilepsy surgery remain unclear. Temporal plus epilepsy, characterized by a primary temporal lobe epileptogenic zone extending to neighboured regions, might account for a yet unknown proportion of these failures. In this study all patients from two epilepsy surgery programmes who fulfilled the following criteria were included: (i) operated from an anterior temporal lobectomy or disconnection between January 1990 and December 2001; (ii) magnetic resonance imaging normal or showing signs of hippocampal sclerosis; and (iii) postoperative follow-up ≥ 24 months for seizure-free patients. Patients were classified as suffering from unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy, bitemporal epilepsy or temporal plus epilepsy based on available presurgical data. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate the probability of seizure freedom over time. Predictors of seizure recurrence were investigated using Cox proportional hazards model. Of 168 patients included, 108 (63.7%) underwent stereoelectroencephalography, 131 (78%) had hippocampal sclerosis, 149 suffered from unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (88.7%), one from bitemporal epilepsy (0.6%) and 18 (10.7%) from temporal plus epilepsy. The probability of Engel class I outcome at 10 years of follow-up was 67.3% (95% CI: 63.4-71.2) for the entire cohort, 74.5% (95% CI: 70.6-78.4) for unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy, and 14.8% (95% CI: 5.9-23.7) for temporal plus epilepsy. Multivariate analyses demonstrated four predictors of seizure relapse: temporal plus epilepsy (P temporal lobe surgery failure was 5.06 (95% CI: 2.36-10.382) greater in patients with temporal plus epilepsy than in those with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy. Temporal plus epilepsy represents a hitherto unrecognized prominent cause of temporal lobe surgery failures. In patients with temporal plus epilepsy, anterior temporal lobectomy appears very unlikely to control seizures and should not be advised. Whether larger

Teachers' understanding of the communicative language teaching ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Teachers' understanding of the communicative language teaching approach: The case of English language teachers in Thohoyandou. ... with CLT theories and practice. Keywords: communicative competence, approach versus method, Grammar translation method, direct method, first additional language, second language ...

A hybrid spatio-temporal data indexing method for trajectory databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Shengnan; Gong, Jun; Li, Songnian; Zhu, Qing; Liu, Xintao; Zhang, Yeting

2014-07-21

In recent years, there has been tremendous growth in the field of indoor and outdoor positioning sensors continuously producing huge volumes of trajectory data that has been used in many fields such as location-based services or location intelligence. Trajectory data is massively increased and semantically complicated, which poses a great challenge on spatio-temporal data indexing. This paper proposes a spatio-temporal data indexing method, named HBSTR-tree, which is a hybrid index structure comprising spatio-temporal R-tree, B*-tree and Hash table. To improve the index generation efficiency, rather than directly inserting trajectory points, we group consecutive trajectory points as nodes according to their spatio-temporal semantics and then insert them into spatio-temporal R-tree as leaf nodes. Hash table is used to manage the latest leaf nodes to reduce the frequency of insertion. A new spatio-temporal interval criterion and a new node-choosing sub-algorithm are also proposed to optimize spatio-temporal R-tree structures. In addition, a B*-tree sub-index of leaf nodes is built to query the trajectories of targeted objects efficiently. Furthermore, a database storage scheme based on a NoSQL-type DBMS is also proposed for the purpose of cloud storage. Experimental results prove that HBSTR-tree outperforms TB*-tree in some aspects such as generation efficiency, query performance and query type.

A Hybrid Spatio-Temporal Data Indexing Method for Trajectory Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengnan Ke

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been tremendous growth in the field of indoor and outdoor positioning sensors continuously producing huge volumes of trajectory data that has been used in many fields such as location-based services or location intelligence. Trajectory data is massively increased and semantically complicated, which poses a great challenge on spatio-temporal data indexing. This paper proposes a spatio-temporal data indexing method, named HBSTR-tree, which is a hybrid index structure comprising spatio-temporal R-tree, B*-tree and Hash table. To improve the index generation efficiency, rather than directly inserting trajectory points, we group consecutive trajectory points as nodes according to their spatio-temporal semantics and then insert them into spatio-temporal R-tree as leaf nodes. Hash table is used to manage the latest leaf nodes to reduce the frequency of insertion. A new spatio-temporal interval criterion and a new node-choosing sub-algorithm are also proposed to optimize spatio-temporal R-tree structures. In addition, a B*-tree sub-index of leaf nodes is built to query the trajectories of targeted objects efficiently. Furthermore, a database storage scheme based on a NoSQL-type DBMS is also proposed for the purpose of cloud storage. Experimental results prove that HBSTR-tree outperforms TB*-tree in some aspects such as generation efficiency, query performance and query type.

A Hybrid Spatio-Temporal Data Indexing Method for Trajectory Databases

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Shengnan; Gong, Jun; Li, Songnian; Zhu, Qing; Liu, Xintao; Zhang, Yeting

2014-01-01

In recent years, there has been tremendous growth in the field of indoor and outdoor positioning sensors continuously producing huge volumes of trajectory data that has been used in many fields such as location-based services or location intelligence. Trajectory data is massively increased and semantically complicated, which poses a great challenge on spatio-temporal data indexing. This paper proposes a spatio-temporal data indexing method, named HBSTR-tree, which is a hybrid index structure comprising spatio-temporal R-tree, B*-tree and Hash table. To improve the index generation efficiency, rather than directly inserting trajectory points, we group consecutive trajectory points as nodes according to their spatio-temporal semantics and then insert them into spatio-temporal R-tree as leaf nodes. Hash table is used to manage the latest leaf nodes to reduce the frequency of insertion. A new spatio-temporal interval criterion and a new node-choosing sub-algorithm are also proposed to optimize spatio-temporal R-tree structures. In addition, a B*-tree sub-index of leaf nodes is built to query the trajectories of targeted objects efficiently. Furthermore, a database storage scheme based on a NoSQL-type DBMS is also proposed for the purpose of cloud storage. Experimental results prove that HBSTR-tree outperforms TB*-tree in some aspects such as generation efficiency, query performance and query type. PMID:25051028

Motivations, aims and communication around advance directives A mixed-methods study into the perspective of their owners and the influence of a current illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Wijmen, M.P.S.; Pasman, H.R.W.; Widdershoven, G.A.M.; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.D.

2014-01-01

Objective: What are motivations of owners of an advance directive (AD) to draft an AD, what do they aim for with their AD and do they communicate about their AD? Methods: Written questionnaires were sent to a cohort of people owning different types of ADs (n= 5768). A purposive sample of people

Quantitative analysis of intraoperative communication in open and laparoscopic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevdalis, Nick; Wong, Helen W L; Arora, Sonal; Nagpal, Kamal; Healey, Andrew; Hanna, George B; Vincent, Charles A

2012-10-01

Communication is important for patient safety in the operating room (OR). Several studies have assessed OR communications qualitatively or have focused on communication in crisis situations. This study used prospective, quantitative observation based on well-established communication theory to assess similarities and differences in communication patterns between open and laparoscopic surgery. Based on communication theory, a standardized proforma was developed for assessment in the OR via real-time observation of communication types, their purpose, their content, and their initiators/recipients. Data were collected prospectively in real time in the OR for 20 open and 20 laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs. Assessors were trained and calibrated, and their reliability was established statistically. During 1,884 min of operative time, 4,227 communications were observed and analyzed (2,043 laparoscopic vs 2,184 open communications). The mean operative duration (laparoscopic, 48 min vs open, 47 min), mean communication frequency (laparoscopic, 102 communications/procedure vs open, 109 communications/procedure), and mean communication rate (laparoscopic, 2.13 communications/min vs open, 2.23 communications/min) did not differ significantly across laparoscopic and open procedures. Communications were most likely to be initiated by surgeons (80-81 %), to be received by either other surgeons (46-50%) or OR nurses (38-40 %), to be associated with equipment/procedural issues (39-47 %), and to provide direction for the OR team (38-46%) in open and laparoscopic cases. Moreover, communications in laparoscopic cases were significantly more equipment related (laparoscopic, 47 % vs open, 39 %) and aimed significantly more at providing direction (laparoscopic, 46 % vs open, 38 %) and at consulting (laparoscopic, 17 % vs open, 12 %) than at sharing information (laparoscopic, 17 % vs open, 31 %) (P communications were found in both laparoscopic and open cases during a relatively low

An executable model of the interaction between verbal and non-verbal communication.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonker, C.M.; Treur, J.; Wijngaards, W.C.A.

2000-01-01

In this paper an executable generic process model is proposed for combined verbal and non-verbal communication processes and their interaction. The model has been formalised by three-levelled partial temporal models, covering both the material and mental processes and their relations. The generic

An Executable Model of the Interaction between Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonker, C.M.; Treur, J.; Wijngaards, W.C.A.; Dignum, F.; Greaves, M.

2000-01-01

In this paper an executable generic process model is proposed for combined verbal and non-verbal communication processes and their interaction. The model has been formalised by three-levelled partial temporal models, covering both the material and mental processes and their relations. The generic

Linear Narratives, Arbitrary Relationships: Arbitrary Relationships: Mimesis and Direct Communication for Effectively Representing Engineering Realities Multimodally

Science.gov (United States)

Jeyaraj, Joseph

2017-01-01

Engineers communicate multimodally using written and visual communication, but there is not much theorizing on why they do so and how. This essay, therefore, examines why engineers communicate multimodally, what, in the context of representing engineering realities, are the strengths and weaknesses of written and visual communication, and how,…

Steal phenomenon through the anterior communicating artery in Moyamoya disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Soo Mee [Ewha Womans University, Department of Radiology, Mok-dong Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Chae, Eun Jin; Kim, Min Yeong; Kim, Sang Joon; Choi, Choong Gon; Pyun, Hae Wook; Suh, Dae Chul [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Seoul (Korea); Kim, Jae Kyun [Seoul Veterans Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea); Ahn, Jae Sung; Ra, Young-Shin [University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea); Kim, Jong-Uk; Hahm, Kyung Don [University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea)

2007-01-15

Branch occlusion of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) is regarded as a part of Moyamoya disease. The purpose of this study is to define the ACA steal phenomenon (SP) in Moyamoya disease and to evaluate temporal changes according to the disease progression. From 139 Moyamoya patients we defined ACASP as narrowing of the ipsilateral A1-2 junction while preserving the anterior communicating artery and supplying the contralateral ACA cortical branches with the development of leptomeningeal collaterals by the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery into the hypoperfused ipsilateral ACA territory. Direction of the steal related to the stage in both hemispheres by Suzuki classification was statistically analyzed using the binomial test based on binomial distribution. Follow-ups of ACASP were evaluated in five patients. We identified ACASP in 13 (9%) patients (male:female=7:6, mean age 18 years, range: 2-58 years) of the 139 study patients. The presenting pattern was ischemic in 12 and hemorrhagic in one. The direction of SP occurred from the hemisphere in the lower to the higher stage of Suzuki classification (two-tail P value=0.0002). After revascularization surgery, ACASP disappeared or diminished. ACASP may occur in bilaterally different stages of Moyamoya disease as a transient self-adaptive process. It regresses after revascularization surgery. (orig.)

Communication strategies and timeliness of response to life critical telemetry alarms.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonzheim, Kimberly A; Gebara, Rani I; O'Hare, Bridget M; Ellis, R Darin; Brand, Monique A; Balar, Salil D; Stockman, Rita; Sciberras, Annette M; Haines, David E

2011-05-01

A centralized electrocardiogram telemetry monitoring system (TMS) facilitates early identification of critical arrhythmias and acute medical decompensation. Timely intervention can only be performed if abnormalities are communicated rapidly to the direct caregiver. The study objectives were to measure effectiveness of bi-directional voice communication badges versus one-way alphanumeric pagers for telemetry alarm response and communication loop closure. A sequential observational pilot study of nursing response to TMS alarms compared communication technologies on four nursing units in a 1,061 bed tertiary care hospital with 264 TMS channels of telemetry over a 2-year period. Subsequently, the communication technologies were compared in a randomized fashion on a 68-bed progressive cardiac care unit. Caregivers were blinded to the protocol. All alarm responses were recorded during two periods using either pagers or voice communication devices. Alarm response time and closure of the communication loop were analyzed in a blinded fashion. The direct communication functionality of the badge significantly shortened the time to first contact, time to completion, and rate of closure of the communication loop in both the pilot and study phases. Median time to first contact with the communication badge was 0.5  min, compared to 1.6  min with pager communication (p Communication loop closure was achieved in 100% of clinical alarms using the badge versus 19% with the pager (p Communication badge technology reduced alarm time to first contact and completion as well as facilitated communication loop closures. Immediate two-way communication significantly impacted practice, alarm management, and resulted in faster bedside care.

Non-Gaussian Statistical Communication Theory

CERN Document Server

Middleton, David

2012-01-01

The book is based on the observation that communication is the central operation of discovery in all the sciences. In its "active mode" we use it to "interrogate" the physical world, sending appropriate "signals" and receiving nature's "reply". In the "passive mode" we receive nature's signals directly. Since we never know a prioriwhat particular return signal will be forthcoming, we must necessarily adopt a probabilistic model of communication. This has developed over the approximately seventy years since it's beginning, into a Statistical Communication Theory (or SCT). Here it is the set or

Quality of Communication and Types of Communicators in German Veterinary Authorities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludwig Arens

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Recent crises in the agricultural sector, such as the 2011 German dioxin scandal and deaths from EHEC or the last swine fever outbreak in Germany in 2006, have caused immense economic damage. As a result, German veterinary authorities at the district, state, and federal levels have been put in charge as crisis managers and leaders of active preventative organizations. To perform their tasks successfully, they require effective communication skills as well as close cooperation with stakeholders in the agribusiness sector. However, despite clear evidence that identifies these relationships as crucial, there is only very little research that directly addresses communication quality and intensity of public authorities responsible for food safety. The relevant literature so far primarily deals with the technical design and implementation of new information and communication systems. However, it often fails to address the particular needs and communication behaviour of individual users. It is the objective of this study to identify determinants of communication quality and to differentiate between types of communicators in order to shed light on the construct of communication behaviour in veterinary authorities. To do so, the determinants of the quality of communication between public authorities and their external stakeholders were identified based on a causal model. These determinants were used as cluster-building variables in a cluster analysis to determine different types of communicators in veterinary services. The data reveals that the personal aspects of communication are of greater relevance than its content. This knowledge could be helpful to identify measures that could be implemented in order to improve the quality of communication of veterinary authorities

Operative team communication during simulated emergencies: Too busy to respond?

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, W Austin; Jones, Seth; Crowell-Kuhnberg, Adrianna M; O'Keeffe, Dara; Boyle, Kelly M; Klainer, Suzanne B; Smink, Douglas S; Yule, Steven

2017-05-01

Ineffective communication among members of a multidisciplinary team is associated with operative error and failure to rescue. We sought to measure operative team communication in a simulated emergency using an established communication framework called "closed loop communication." We hypothesized that communication directed at a specific recipient would be more likely to elicit a check back or closed loop response and that this relationship would vary with changes in patients' clinical status. We used the closed loop communication framework to code retrospectively the communication behavior of 7 operative teams (each comprising 2 surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses) during response to a simulated, postanesthesia care unit "code blue." We identified call outs, check backs, and closed loop episodes and applied descriptive statistics and a mixed-effects negative binomial regression to describe characteristics of communication in individuals and in different specialties. We coded a total of 662 call outs. The frequency and type of initiation and receipt of communication events varied between clinical specialties (P communication events than anesthesiologists. For the average participant, directed communication increased the likelihood of check back by at least 50% (P = .021) in periods preceding acute changes in the clinical setting, and exerted no significant effect in periods after acute changes in the clinical situation. Communication patterns vary by specialty during a simulated operative emergency, and the effect of directed communication in eliciting a response depends on the clinical status of the patient. Operative training programs should emphasize the importance of quality communication in the period immediately after an acute change in the clinical setting of a patient and recognize that communication patterns and needs vary between members of multidisciplinary operative teams. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavioral sensitivity of temporally modulated striatal neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George ePortugal

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Recent investigations into the neural mechanisms that underlie temporal perception have revealed that the striatum is an important contributor to interval timing processes, and electrophysiological recording studies have shown that the firing rates of striatal neurons are modulated by the time in a trial at which an operant response is made. However, it remains unclear whether striatal firing rate modulations are related to the passage of time alone (i.e., whether temporal information is represented in an abstract manner independent of other attributes of biological importance, or whether this temporal information is embedded within striatal activity related to co-occurring contextual information, such as motor behaviors. This study evaluated these two hypotheses by recording from striatal neurons while rats performed a temporal production task. Rats were trained to respond at different nosepoke apertures for food reward under two simultaneously active reinforcement schedules: a variable-interval (VI-15 sec schedule and a fixed-interval (FI-15 sec schedule of reinforcement. Responding during a trial occurred in a sequential manner composing 3 phases; VI responding, FI responding, VI responding. The vast majority of task-sensitive striatal neurons (95% varied their firing rates associated with equivalent behaviors (e.g., periods in which their snout was held within the nosepoke across these behavioral phases, and 96% of cells varied their firing rates for the same behavior within a phase, thereby demonstrating their sensitivity to time. However, in a direct test of the abstract timing hypothesis, 91% of temporally modulated hold cells were further modulated by the overt motor behaviors associated with transitioning between nosepokes. As such, these data are inconsistent with the striatum representing time in an abstract’ manner, but support the hypothesis that temporal information is embedded within contextual and motor functions of the

A Brain–Computer Interface for Potential Nonverbal Facial Communication Based on EEG Signals Related to Specific Emotions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koji eKashihara

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Unlike assistive technology for verbal communication, the brain–machine or brain–computer interface (BMI/BCI has not been established as a nonverbal communication tool for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS patients. Face-to-face communication enables access to rich emotional information, but individuals suffering from neurological disorders, such as ALS and autism, may not express their emotions or communicate their negative feelings. Although emotions may be inferred by looking at facial expressions, emotional prediction for neutral faces necessitates advanced judgment. The process that underlies brain neuronal responses to neutral faces and causes emotional changes remains unknown. To address this problem, therefore, this study attempted to decode conditioned emotional reactions to neutral face stimuli. This direction was motivated by the assumption that if electroencephalogram (EEG signals can be used to detect patients’ emotional responses to specific inexpressive faces, the results could be incorporated into the design and development of BMI/BCI-based nonverbal communication tools. To these ends, this study investigated how a neutral face associated with a negative emotion modulates rapid central responses in face processing and then identified cortical activities. The conditioned neutral face-triggered event-related potentials that originated from the posterior temporal lobe statistically significantly changed during late face processing (600–700 ms after stimulus, rather than in early face processing activities, such as P1 and N170 responses. Source localization revealed that the conditioned neutral faces increased activity in the right fusiform gyrus. This study also developed an efficient method for detecting implicit negative emotional responses to specific faces by using EEG signals.

Communication Games Reveal Preparation Contextuality

Science.gov (United States)

Hameedi, Alley; Tavakoli, Armin; Marques, Breno; Bourennane, Mohamed

2017-12-01

A communication game consists of distributed parties attempting to jointly complete a task with restricted communication. Such games are useful tools for studying limitations of physical theories. A theory exhibits preparation contextuality whenever its predictions cannot be explained by a preparation noncontextual model. Here, we show that communication games performed in operational theories reveal the preparation contextuality of that theory. For statistics obtained in a particular family of communication games, we show a direct correspondence with correlations in spacelike separated events obeying the no-signaling principle. Using this, we prove that all mixed quantum states of any finite dimension are preparation contextual. We report on an experimental realization of a communication game involving three-level quantum systems from which we observe a strong violation of the constraints of preparation noncontextuality.

Semantics of Temporal Models with Multiple Temporal Dimensions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kraft, Peter; Sørensen, Jens Otto

ending up with lexical data models. In particular we look upon the representations by sets of normalised tables, by sets of 1NF tables and by sets of N1NF/nested tables. At each translation step we focus on how the temporal semantic is consistently maintained. In this way we recognise the requirements...... for representation of temporal properties in different models and the correspondence between the models. The results rely on the assumptions that the temporal dimensions are interdependent and ordered. Thus for example the valid periods of existences of a property in a mini world are dependent on the transaction...... periods in which the corresponding recordings are valid. This is not the normal way of looking at temporal dimensions and we give arguments supporting our assumption....

Multiple Temporalities, Layered Histories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Pearson

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In Quotational Practices: Repeating the Future in Contemporary Art, Patrick Greaney asserts, “the past matters not only because of what actually happened but also because of the possibilities that were not realized and that still could be. Quotation evokes those possibilities. By repeating the past, artists and writers may be attempting to repeat that past’s unrealized futures.”[1]  In the information age, the Internet, for instance, provides us an expanded collection of visual information—quite literally available at our fingertips—summoning together aspects of the past and possibilities of the future into a boundless present. Sketchbook Revisions (2014–2015, a series of mixed-media paintings, represents my attempt to communicate the ways in which I experience my contemporary moment constructed from multiple temporalities excavated from my past. This body of work combines fragments of representational paintings created between 1995 and 2003 and nonrepresentational renderings produced between 2003 and 2014. Using traditional tracing paper and graphic color, I randomly select moments of my previous work to transfer and layer over selected areas of already-filled pages of a sketchbook I used from 2003 to 2004. These sketches depict objects I encountered in studio art classrooms and iconic architecture on the campus of McDaniel College, and often incorporate teaching notes. The final renditions of fragmented and layered histories enact the ways that we collectively experience multiple temporalities in the present. Quoting my various bodies of work, Sketchbook Revisions challenges both material and conceptual boundaries that determine fixed notions of artistic identity.

Marketing Communication Strategies of the Industrial Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Wodyński

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Industrial market, created by companies, which buy and sell goods which are not directly for consumption, but are used in production process, communicates with the environment in a specific way. Many industrial companies supply only the customers of non consumption goods market and hence they do not enter into direct contact with a final consumer. In such cases recognizing the customers needs is even more difficult. Such environment requires efficiently functioning and planned communication of the company with the market. This study presents methods and strategies of marketing communication really used in industrial companies. While analysing marketing strategies of industrial companies, the author draws the attention to the fact that even though there was system transformation, the state still has significant impact on functioning and development of industry and that in a way directs and created barriers in companies functioning. Such conditions force even more active marketing communication as well as searching new solutions. As there are more and more sophisticated marketing techniques related to digital media, there is also a growing demand for strategic solutions in marketing communication. Digital media, first of all the Internet, provide so far unavailable possibilities of researching consumers behaviours and ways of using media. They also give a chance to follow the behaviour of smaller, unique and often social groups of consumers.

Temporal networks

CERN Document Server

Saramäki, Jari

2013-01-01

The concept of temporal networks is an extension of complex networks as a modeling framework to include information on when interactions between nodes happen. Many studies of the last decade examine how the static network structure affect dynamic systems on the network. In this traditional approach  the temporal aspects are pre-encoded in the dynamic system model. Temporal-network methods, on the other hand, lift the temporal information from the level of system dynamics to the mathematical representation of the contact network itself. This framework becomes particularly useful for cases where there is a lot of structure and heterogeneity both in the timings of interaction events and the network topology. The advantage compared to common static network approaches is the ability to design more accurate models in order to explain and predict large-scale dynamic phenomena (such as, e.g., epidemic outbreaks and other spreading phenomena). On the other hand, temporal network methods are mathematically and concept...

Soviet satellite communications science and technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birch, J.N.; Campanella, S.J.; Gordon, G.D.; McElroy, D.R.; Pritchard, W.L.; Stamminger, R.

1991-08-01

This is a report by six US scientists and engineers concerning the current state of the art and projections of future Soviet satellite communications technologies. The panel members are experts in satellite stabilization, spacecraft environments, space power generation, launch systems, spacecraft communications sciences and technologies, onboard processing, ground stations, and other technologies that impact communications. The panel assessed the Soviet ability to support high-data-rate space missions at 128 Mbps by evaluating current and projected Soviet satellite communications technologies. A variety of space missions were considered, including Earth-to-Earth communications via satellites in geostationary or highly elliptical orbits, those missions that require space-to-Earth communications via a direct path and those missions that require space-to-Earth communications via a relay satellite. Soviet satellite communications capability, in most cases, is 10 years behind that of the United States and other industrialized nations. However, based upon an analysis of communications links needed to support these missions using current Soviet capabilities, it is well within the current Soviet technology to support certain space missions outlined above at rates of 128 Mbps or higher, although published literature clearly shows that the Soviet Union has not exceeded 60 Mbps in its current space system. These analyses are necessary but not sufficient to determine mission data rates, and other technologies such as onboard processing and storage could limit the mission data rate well below that which could actually be supported via the communications links. Presently, the Soviet Union appears to be content with data rates in the low-Earth-orbit relay via geostationary mode of 12 Mbps. This limit is a direct result of power amplifier limits, spacecraft antenna size, and the utilization of K{sub u}-band frequencies. 91 refs., 16 figs., 15 tabs.

Directing Creativity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Darsø, Lotte; Ibbotson, Piers

2008-01-01

In this article we argue that leaders facing complex challenges can learn from the arts, specifically that leaders can learn by examining how theatre directors direct creativity through creative constraints. We suggest that perceiving creativity as a boundary phenomenon is helpful for directing it....... Like leaders, who are caught in paradoxical situations where they have to manage production and logistics simultaneously with making space for creativity and innovation, theatre directors need to find the delicate balance between on one hand renewal of perceptions, acting and interaction...... and on the other hand getting ready for the opening night. We conclude that the art of directing creativity is linked to developing competencies of conscious presence, attention and vigilance, whereas the craft of directing creativity concerns communication, framing and choice....

Spatial-Temporal Similarity Correlation between Public Transit Passengers Using Smart Card Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamed Faroqi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The increasing availability of public transit smart card data has enabled several studies to focus on identifying passengers with similar spatial and/or temporal trip characteristics. However, this paper goes one step further by investigating the relationship between passengers’ spatial and temporal characteristics. For the first time, this paper investigates the correlation of the spatial similarity with the temporal similarity between public transit passengers by developing spatial similarity and temporal similarity measures for the public transit network with a novel passenger-based perspective. The perspective considers the passengers as agents who can make multiple trips in the network. The spatial similarity measure takes into account direction as well as the distance between the trips of the passengers. The temporal similarity measure considers both the boarding and alighting time in a continuous linear space. The spatial-temporal similarity correlation between passengers is analysed using histograms, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hexagonal binning. Also, relations between the spatial and temporal similarity values with the trip time and length are examined. The proposed methodology is implemented for four-day smart card data including 80,000 passengers in Brisbane, Australia. The results show a nonlinear spatial-temporal similarity correlation among the passengers.

Research on synchronization technology of frequency hopping communication system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiangwu; Quan, Houde; Cui, Peizhang

2018-05-01

Frequency Hopping (FH) communication is a technology of spread spectrum communication. It has strong anti-interference, anti-interception and security capabilities, and has been widely applied in the field of communications. Synchronization technology is one of the most crucial technologies in frequency hopping communication. The speed of synchronization establishment and the reliability of synchronous system directly affect the performance of frequency hopping communication system. Therefore, the research of synchronization technology in frequency hopping communication has important value.

Public relations – the tools for unilateral communication and dialogue on the Internet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dariusz Tworzydło

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The development of technology and IT tools have brought about an extraordinary acceleration of the public relations branch around the whole world. We live in the times of revolution in communication, in which one year is whole eternity. Messages, the speed of their publication, the tools are changing. The sender and the recipient, who have become used to the dynamics of the message and the fact that it is and will be distributed without spatial and temporal limitations, are changing too. Netscape browser, wp.pl, the era of Wikipedia, Facebook, dynamically developing YouTube, or Nasza Klasa, Twitter and a whole range of other tools from the scope of social media, as well as monitoring systems – these are just chosen stages, or as others think, milestones in the pursuit of novelty and new forms of distribution of information. It is in times like these that public relations experts have to create, send and receive messages. Back at the end of 1990’s hardly anyone expected that such changes could take place. It is also hard to predict what we will see in a few, or a dozen years. One thing is certain, namely, that changes will be taking place and will be even faster than now. As the currently modern media already have a significant impact on voting decisions, or social transformation, the process is analysed and studied in detail. Moreover, what is subject to research is the question whether communication on the Internet should be based on mass communication, or rather on an individual approach. Private individuals make decisions based on their own needs, but companies have to analyse many factors that influence final decisions concerning the choice of tools, or the very decision concerning communication. Among these factors there are: scope, availability of tools, even the branch in which a company is active. This article includes a presentation of chosen tools used in the process of unilateral communication with the environment, but also tools

Natural asynchronies in audiovisual communication signals regulate neuronal multisensory interactions in voice-sensitive cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrodin, Catherine; Kayser, Christoph; Logothetis, Nikos K; Petkov, Christopher I

2015-01-06

When social animals communicate, the onset of informative content in one modality varies considerably relative to the other, such as when visual orofacial movements precede a vocalization. These naturally occurring asynchronies do not disrupt intelligibility or perceptual coherence. However, they occur on time scales where they likely affect integrative neuronal activity in ways that have remained unclear, especially for hierarchically downstream regions in which neurons exhibit temporally imprecise but highly selective responses to communication signals. To address this, we exploited naturally occurring face- and voice-onset asynchronies in primate vocalizations. Using these as stimuli we recorded cortical oscillations and neuronal spiking responses from functional MRI (fMRI)-localized voice-sensitive cortex in the anterior temporal lobe of macaques. We show that the onset of the visual face stimulus resets the phase of low-frequency oscillations, and that the face-voice asynchrony affects the prominence of two key types of neuronal multisensory responses: enhancement or suppression. Our findings show a three-way association between temporal delays in audiovisual communication signals, phase-resetting of ongoing oscillations, and the sign of multisensory responses. The results reveal how natural onset asynchronies in cross-sensory inputs regulate network oscillations and neuronal excitability in the voice-sensitive cortex of macaques, a suggested animal model for human voice areas. These findings also advance predictions on the impact of multisensory input on neuronal processes in face areas and other brain regions.

DSTiPE Algorithm for Fuzzy Spatio-Temporal Risk Calculation in Wireless Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurt Derr; Milos Manic

2008-09-01

Time and location data play a very significant role in a variety of factory automation scenarios, such as automated vehicles and robots, their navigation, tracking, and monitoring, to services of optimization and security. In addition, pervasive wireless capabilities combined with time and location information are enabling new applications in areas such as transportation systems, health care, elder care, military, emergency response, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement. A person/object in proximity to certain areas for specific durations of time may pose a risk hazard either to themselves, others, or the environment. This paper presents a novel fuzzy based spatio-temporal risk calculation DSTiPE method that an object with wireless communications presents to the environment. The presented Matlab based application for fuzzy spatio-temporal risk cluster extraction is verified on a diagonal vehicle movement example.

Integrated marketing communications paradigm in digital environment: The five pillars of integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakić Beba

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is focused on the paradigm of integrated marketing communications (IMC in digital environment. The integration is analysed through five aspects. First, integration in terms of media; it means that IMC are performed through the mix of traditional media (print - newspapers, magazines; radio; television; direct-response media - telephone, direct mail, catalogue marketing; billboards; other 'specific media': product - especially brand, packaging; price; place; people; process; physical evidence; traditional/offline consumers - WOM communications and digital media ( the Internet; mobile phones and other mobile devices; digital newspapers and magazines through the Internet and mobile devices; digital radio; digital TV; digital consumers - digital WOM communications. Second, integration in terms of communication methods, it means that IMC are a mix of traditional promotion (advertising, personal selling, public relations & publicity, direct marketing, sales promotion, digital communications/interactions (Internet communications, mobile communications, communications via digital radio and TV and WOM communications/interactions (offline and online. Third, integration in terms of time of communications and possibilities for interaction, it means that IMC are a mix of traditionalstatic communications ('monologue' towards the target audience and dynamic communications ('dialogue' in real time. Fourth, integration in terms of actors, it means that IMC are a mix of communications initiated both by consumers (WOM communications - offline and online/e/digital and organizations. Fifth, integration in terms of content creation, it means that IMC are a mix of communications based on consumer generated content and marketing content (created by organisations.

Communication in Pipes Using Acoustic Modems that Provide Minimal Obstruction to Fluid Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Archer, Eric D. (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A plurality of phased array acoustic communication devices are used to communicate data along a tubulation, such as a well. The phased array acoustic communication devices employ phased arrays of acoustic transducers, such as piezoelectric transducers, to direct acoustic energy in desired directions along the tubulation. The system is controlled by a computer-based controller. Information, including data and commands, is communicated using digital signaling.

Temporal Frequency Modulates Reaction Time Responses to First-Order and Second-Order Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, Claire V.; Ledgeway, Tim

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effect of temporal frequency and modulation depth on reaction times for discriminating the direction of first-order (luminance-defined) and second-order (contrast-defined) motion, equated for visibility using equal multiples of direction-discrimination threshold. Results showed that reaction times were heavily…

Temporal Ventriloquism Reveals Intact Audiovisual Temporal Integration in Amblyopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Michael D; Goltz, Herbert C; Wong, Agnes M F

2018-02-01

We have shown previously that amblyopia involves impaired detection of asynchrony between auditory and visual events. To distinguish whether this impairment represents a defect in temporal integration or nonintegrative multisensory processing (e.g., cross-modal matching), we used the temporal ventriloquism effect in which visual temporal order judgment (TOJ) is normally enhanced by a lagging auditory click. Participants with amblyopia (n = 9) and normally sighted controls (n = 9) performed a visual TOJ task. Pairs of clicks accompanied the two lights such that the first click preceded the first light, or second click lagged the second light by 100, 200, or 450 ms. Baseline audiovisual synchrony and visual-only conditions also were tested. Within both groups, just noticeable differences for the visual TOJ task were significantly reduced compared with baseline in the 100- and 200-ms click lag conditions. Within the amblyopia group, poorer stereo acuity and poorer visual acuity in the amblyopic eye were significantly associated with greater enhancement in visual TOJ performance in the 200-ms click lag condition. Audiovisual temporal integration is intact in amblyopia, as indicated by perceptual enhancement in the temporal ventriloquism effect. Furthermore, poorer stereo acuity and poorer visual acuity in the amblyopic eye are associated with a widened temporal binding window for the effect. These findings suggest that previously reported abnormalities in audiovisual multisensory processing may result from impaired cross-modal matching rather than a diminished capacity for temporal audiovisual integration.

Quantum Temporal Imaging

OpenAIRE

Tsang, Mankei; Psaltis, Demetri

2006-01-01

The concept of quantum temporal imaging is proposed to manipulate the temporal correlation of entangled photons. In particular, we show that time correlation and anticorrelation can be converted to each other using quantum temporal imaging.

Effects of picture exchange communication system on communication and behavioral anomalies in autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Malhotra, Shahzadi; Rajender, Gaurav; Bhatia, Manjeet S; Singh, Tej B

2010-07-01

Communication skills deficits and stereotyped behaviors are frequently found among people with pervasive developmental disabilities like autism. These communication and behavioral oddities of autism are often considered to be difficult to treat and are challenging. Picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a six-phase picture system based on applied behavior analysis and is specially designed to overcome these communication difficulties in children with autism by encouraging the child to be the communication initiator. The present paper throws light on the process of using PECS along with other traditional behavioral approaches in managing communication deficits and behavioral stereotypies in a seven-year-old male child diagnosed as having childhood autism. The identified target behaviors of repeated head turning, flapping his hands, poor communication skills were assessed using various rating scales including visual analogue scale as per clinician observation and parental reports and managed using PECS as an adjunct to traditional behavioral techniques of contingency management, differential reinforcement, task direction and reprimand. Outcome was assessed using same tools after thirty-two sessions of interventions spread over three months. Significant improvements of around 60% were observed in the target behaviors.

Effect of correlating adjacent neurons for identifying communications: Feasibility experiment in a cultured neuronal network

OpenAIRE

Yoshi Nishitani; Chie Hosokawa; Yuko Mizuno-Matsumoto; Tomomitsu Miyoshi; Shinichi Tamura

2017-01-01

Neuronal networks have fluctuating characteristics, unlike the stable characteristics seen in computers. The underlying mechanisms that drive reliable communication among neuronal networks and their ability to perform intelligible tasks remain unknown. Recently, in an attempt to resolve this issue, we showed that stimulated neurons communicate via spikes that propagate temporally, in the form of spike trains. We named this phenomenon “spike wave propagation”. In these previous studies, using ...

Computed tomography of temporal bone fractures and temporal region anatomy in horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pownder, S; Scrivani, P V; Bezuidenhout, A; Divers, T J; Ducharme, N G

2010-01-01

In people, specific classifications of temporal bone fractures are associated with clinical signs and prognosis. In horses, similar classifications have not been evaluated and might be useful establishing prognosis or understanding pathogenesis of certain types of trauma. We hypothesized associations between temporal bone fracture location and orientation in horses detected during computed tomography (CT) and frequency of facial nerve (CN7) deficit, vestibulocochlear nerve (CN8) deficit, or temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO). Complex temporal region anatomy may confound fracture identification, and consequently a description of normal anatomy was included. All horses undergoing temporal region CT at our hospital between July 1998 and May 2008. Data were collected retrospectively, examiners were blinded, and relationships were investigated among temporal bone fractures, ipsilateral THO, ipsilateral CN7, or ipsilateral CN8 deficits by Chi-square or Fischer's exact tests. Seventy-nine horses had CT examinations of the temporal region (158 temporal bones). Sixteen temporal bone fractures were detected in 14 horses. Cranial nerve deficits were seen with fractures in all parts of the temporal bone (petrosal, squamous, and temporal) and, temporal bone fractures were associated with CN7 and CN8 deficits and THO. No investigated fracture classification scheme, however, was associated with specific cranial nerve deficits. Without knowledge of the regional anatomy, normal structures may be mistaken for a temporal bone fracture or vice versa. Although no fracture classification scheme was associated with the assessed clinical signs, simple descriptive terminology (location and orientation) is recommended for reporting and facilitating future comparisons.

Parental communication and life satisfaction in adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Cava, María-Jesús; Buelga, Sofía; Musitu, Gonzalo

2014-12-29

This study aims to analyze the influence of communication with the mother and father on adolescents' life satisfaction, as well as possible indirect effects through self-esteem, feelings of loneliness, and perceived classroom environment. These relationships, and possible gender differences, were analyzed in a sample of 1,795 adolescents (52% male, 48% female) aged 11 to 18 years-old (M = 14.2, SD = 1.68), using structural equation modeling. Results indicate a direct effect of communication-mother (girls: β = .19, p communication-father (girls: β = .22, p communication-mother: girls, β = .18, p communication-father: girls: β = .28, p communication-mother: girls: β = -.19, p communication-father: girls: β = -.31, p < .001; boys: β = -.20, p < .01). The results and implications of this study are discussed.

Motivations, aims and communication around advance directives: a mixed-methods study into the perspective of their owners and the influence of a current illness.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wijmen, Matthijs P S; Pasman, H Roeline W; Widdershoven, Guy A M; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Bregje D

2014-06-01

What are motivations of owners of an advance directive (AD) to draft an AD, what do they aim for with their AD and do they communicate about their AD? Written questionnaires were sent to a cohort of people owning different types of ADs (n=5768). A purposive sample of people suffering from an illness was selected from the cohort for an in-depth interview (n=29). About half of our population had no direct motivation to draft their AD. Most mentioned motivation for the other half was an illness of a family member or friend. Many different and specific aims for drafting an AD were mentioned. An often mentioned more general aim in people with different ADs was to prevent unnecessary lengthening of life or treatment (14-16%). Most respondents communicated about having an AD with close-ones (63-88%) and with their GP (65-79%). In the interviews people gave vivid examples of experiences of what they hoped to prevent at the end of life. Some mentioned difficulties foreseeing the future and gave examples of response shift. ADs can give directions to caregivers about what people want at the end of life. ADs have to be discussed in detail by their owners and caregivers, since owners often have specific aims with their AD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cortical oscillations in auditory perception and speech: evidence for two temporal windows in human auditory cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huan eLuo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Natural sounds, including vocal communication sounds, contain critical information at multiple time scales. Two essential temporal modulation rates in speech have been argued to be in the low gamma band (~20-80 ms duration information and the theta band (~150-300 ms, corresponding to segmental and syllabic modulation rates, respectively. On one hypothesis, auditory cortex implements temporal integration using time constants closely related to these values. The neural correlates of a proposed dual temporal window mechanism in human auditory cortex remain poorly understood. We recorded MEG responses from participants listening to non-speech auditory stimuli with different temporal structures, created by concatenating frequency-modulated segments of varied segment durations. We show that these non-speech stimuli with temporal structure matching speech-relevant scales (~25 ms and ~200 ms elicit reliable phase tracking in the corresponding associated oscillatory frequencies (low gamma and theta bands. In contrast, stimuli with non-matching temporal structure do not. Furthermore, the topography of theta band phase tracking shows rightward lateralization while gamma band phase tracking occurs bilaterally. The results support the hypothesis that there exists multi-time resolution processing in cortex on discontinuous scales and provide evidence for an asymmetric organization of temporal analysis (asymmetrical sampling in time, AST. The data argue for a macroscopic-level neural mechanism underlying multi-time resolution processing: the sliding and resetting of intrinsic temporal windows on privileged time scales.

Eternity in Each Moment: Temporal Strategies in Ravel's "Le Gibet"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fillerup, Jessie

2013-01-01

of “moment form” (further developed by Jonathan Kramer), revealing multiply directed temporal strategies that assert points of stasis, nonlinearity, continuity, and discontinuity. In the poem by Aloysius Bertrand that inspired Ravel’s music, the poetic devices typical of French Romanticism contrast...

PIC Simulation of Laser Plasma Interactions with Temporal Bandwidths

Science.gov (United States)

Tsung, Frank; Weaver, J.; Lehmberg, R.

2015-11-01

We are performing particle-in-cell simulations using the code OSIRIS to study the effects of laser plasma interactions in the presence of temperal bandwidths under conditions relevant to current and future shock ignition experiments on the NIKE laser. Our simulations show that, for sufficiently large bandwidth, the saturation level, and the distribution of hot electrons, can be effected by the addition of temporal bandwidths (which can be accomplished in experiments using smoothing techniques such as SSD or ISI). We will show that temporal bandwidth along play an important role in the control of LPI's in these lasers and discuss future directions. This work is conducted under the auspices of NRL.

Direct marketing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Čičić Muris

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Direct Marketing (DM is usually treated as unworthy activity, with actions at the edge of legality and activities minded cheating. Despite obvious problems regarding ethics and privacy threat, DM with its size, importance and role in a concept of integrated marketing communication deserves respect and sufficient analysis and review

Communications: A Literature Review for Future Communications Mitigations

Science.gov (United States)

Wilder, Anderson

2015-01-01

There are many concerns with humans living and working in space. These are only compounded by the length of time and distance from Earth that the humans are travelling. For NASA to figure out countermeasures to these problems, they need to be looked at from different directions from a variety of domains. Psychological concerns will be one of the determining factors to whether or not humans will be able to successfully make a journey to Mars or beyond. Communications will be one of the pivotal factors that will affect a crew from a psychological standpoint. During this summer internship, this intern was tasked with looking into delving into this problem. The intern was tasked with performing a literature review on the topic of comparing communications from how they are conducted now to how they will be carried out in the future. These communications have many methods and functions for when and where they happen. A matrix was created to illustrate how these specific communications methods and functions currently are and could be carried out in the future from a time/location perspective. This research will used to help determine what future research will need to focus on in a psychological and technological aspect to better help the crew of a long duration mission.

User requirements for geo-collaborative work with spatio-temporal data in a web-based virtual globe environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yovcheva, Zornitza; van Elzakker, Corné P J M; Köbben, Barend

2013-11-01

Web-based tools developed in the last couple of years offer unique opportunities to effectively support scientists in their effort to collaborate. Communication among environmental researchers often involves not only work with geographical (spatial), but also with temporal data and information. Literature still provides limited documentation when it comes to user requirements for effective geo-collaborative work with spatio-temporal data. To start filling this gap, our study adopted a User-Centered Design approach and first explored the user requirements of environmental researchers working on distributed research projects for collaborative dissemination, exchange and work with spatio-temporal data. Our results show that system design will be mainly influenced by the nature and type of data users work with. From the end-users' perspective, optimal conversion of huge files of spatio-temporal data for further dissemination, accuracy of conversion, organization of content and security have a key role for effective geo-collaboration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Trust and New Communication Technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ess, Charles

2010-01-01

I approach philosophical analyses of the phenomenon of trust vis-à-vis online communication, beginning with an overview from within the framework of computer-mediated communication (CMC) of concerns and paradigmatic failures of trust in the history of online communication. I turn to more directly...... the perspective of virtue ethics and phenomenological approaches to how we know and navigate the world as embodied beings - I then take up three major arguments in recent work in favor of the possibilities of trust online, followed by three vicious circles that run counter to more optimistic views. I close...

All-optical switching using a new photonic crystal directional coupler

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Vakili

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper all-optical switching in a new photonic crystal directional coupler is performed.  The structure of the switch consists of a directional coupler and a separate path for a control signal called “control waveguide”. In contrast to the former reported structures in which the directional couplers are made by removing a row of rods entirely, the directional coupler in our optical switch is constructed by two reduced-radius line-defect waveguides separated by the control waveguide. Furthermore, in our case the background material has the nonlinear Kerr property. Therefore, in the structure of this work, no frequency overlap occurs between the control waveguide mode and the directional coupler modes. It is shown that such a condition provides a very good isolation between the control and the probe signals at the output ports. In the control waveguide, nonlinear Kerr effect causes the required refractive index change by the presence of a high power control (pump signal. Even and odd modes of the coupler are investigated by applying the distribution of the refractive index change in the nonlinear region of a super-cell so that a switching length of about 94 µm is obtained at the wavelength of 1.55 µm. Finally, all-optical switching of the 1.55 µm probe signal using a control signal at the wavelength of 1.3 µm, is simulated through the finite-difference time-domain method, where both signals are desirable in optical communication systems. A very high extinction ratio of 67 dB is achieved and the temporal characteristics of the switch are demonstrated.

MEASURING TEMPORAL PHOTON BUNCHING IN BLACKBODY RADIATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, P. K.; Poh, H. S.; Kurtsiefer, C. [Center for Quantum Technologies, 3 Science Drive 2, 117543 (Singapore); Yeo, G. H.; Chan, A. H., E-mail: pengkian@physics.org, E-mail: phyck@nus.edu.sg [Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, 117551 (Singapore)

2014-07-01

Light from thermal blackbody radiators such as stars exhibits photon bunching behavior at sufficiently short timescales. However, with available detector bandwidths, this bunching signal is difficult to observe directly. We present an experimental technique to increase the photon bunching signal in blackbody radiation via spectral filtering of the light source. Our measurements reveal strong temporal photon bunching from blackbody radiation, including the Sun. This technique allows for an absolute measurement of the photon bunching signature g {sup (2)}(0), and thereby a direct statement on the statistical nature of a light source. Such filtering techniques may help revive the interest in intensity interferometry as a tool in astronomy.

Research of Cadastral Data Modelling and Database Updating Based on Spatio-temporal Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Feng

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The core of modern cadastre management is to renew the cadastre database and keep its currentness,topology consistency and integrity.This paper analyzed the changes and their linkage of various cadastral objects in the update process.Combined object-oriented modeling technique with spatio-temporal objects' evolution express,the paper proposed a cadastral data updating model based on the spatio-temporal process according to people's thought.Change rules based on the spatio-temporal topological relations of evolution cadastral spatio-temporal objects are drafted and further more cascade updating and history back trace of cadastral features,land use and buildings are realized.This model implemented in cadastral management system-ReGIS.Achieved cascade changes are triggered by the direct driving force or perceived external events.The system records spatio-temporal objects' evolution process to facilitate the reconstruction of history,change tracking,analysis and forecasting future changes.

Spatial-Temporal Clustering of Tornadoes

Science.gov (United States)

Malamud, Bruce D.; Turcotte, Donald L.; Brooks, Harold E.

2017-04-01

individual tornadoes with specified supercell thunderstorms. Our analysis of the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak directly associated linear features in the largely random spatial-temporal analysis with several supercell thunderstorms, which we then confirmed using model scenarios of synthetic tornado outbreaks. We suggest that it may be possible to develop a semi-automated modelling of tornado touchdowns to match the type of observations made on the 3 May 1999 outbreak.

Microphone directionality, pre-emphasis filter, and wind noise in cochlear implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, King; McKibben, Nicholas

2011-10-01

Wind noise can be a nuisance or a debilitating masker for cochlear implant users in outdoor environments. Previous studies indicated that wind noise at the microphone/hearing aid output had high levels of low-frequency energy and the amount of noise generated is related to the microphone directionality. Currently, cochlear implants only offer either directional microphones or omnidirectional microphones for users at-large. As all cochlear implants utilize pre-emphasis filters to reduce low-frequency energy before the signal is encoded, effective wind noise reduction algorithms for hearing aids might not be applicable for cochlear implants. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effect of microphone directionality on speech recognition and perceived sound quality of cochlear implant users in wind noise and to derive effective wind noise reduction strategies for cochlear implants. A repeated-measure design was used to examine the effects of spectral and temporal masking created by wind noise recorded through directional and omnidirectional microphones and the effects of pre-emphasis filters on cochlear implant performance. A digital hearing aid was programmed to have linear amplification and relatively flat in-situ frequency responses for the directional and omnidirectional modes. The hearing aid output was then recorded from 0 to 360° at flow velocities of 4.5 and 13.5 m/sec in a quiet wind tunnel. Sixteen postlingually deafened adult cochlear implant listeners who reported to be able to communicate on the phone with friends and family without text messages participated in the study. Cochlear implant users listened to speech in wind noise recorded at locations that the directional and omnidirectional microphones yielded the lowest noise levels. Cochlear implant listeners repeated the sentences and rated the sound quality of the testing materials. Spectral and temporal characteristics of flow noise, as well as speech and/or noise characteristics before

Some Protocols For Optical-Fiber Digital Communications

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Cavour; Gerla, Mario

1989-01-01

One works best in heavy traffic, another, in light traffic. Three protocols proposed for digital communications among stations connected by passive taps to pair of uni-directional optical-fiber buses. Mediate round-robin, bounded-delay access to buses by all stations and particularly suited to fast transmission. Partly because transmission medium passive (no relay stations) and partly because protocols distribute control of network among all stations with provision for addition and deletion of stations (no control stations), communication network able to resist and recover from failures. Implicit token propagates in one direction on one bus and in opposite direction on other bus, minimizing interval of silence between end of one round and beginning of next.

Family Communication Patterns and Relational Maintenance Behavior: Direct and Mediated Associations with Friendship Closeness

Science.gov (United States)

Ledbetter, Andrew M.

2009-01-01

In this study, both face-to-face and online relational maintenance behaviors were tested as mediators of family communication patterns and closeness with a same-sex friend. Participants included 417 young adults recruited from communication courses at a large university in the Midwestern United States. The obtained structural model demonstrated…

Using Social Network Analysis to Investigate Positive EOL Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jiayun; Yang, Rumei; Wilson, Andrew; Reblin, Maija; Clayton, Margaret F; Ellington, Lee

2018-04-30

End of life (EOL) communication is a complex process involving the whole family and multiple care providers. Applications of analysis techniques that account for communication beyond the patient and patient/provider, will improve clinical understanding of EOL communication. To introduce the use of social network analysis to EOL communication data, and to provide an example of applying social network analysis to home hospice interactions. We provide a description of social network analysis using social network analysis to model communication patterns during home hospice nursing visits. We describe three social network attributes (i.e. magnitude, directionality, and reciprocity) in the expression of positive emotion among hospice nurses, family caregivers, and hospice cancer patients. Differences in communication structure by primary family caregiver gender and across time were also examined. Magnitude (frequency) in the expression of positive emotion occurred most often between nurses and caregivers or nurses and patients. Female caregivers directed more positive emotion to nurses, and nurses directed more positive emotion to other family caregivers when the primary family caregiver was male. Reciprocity (mutuality) in positive emotion declined towards day of death, but increased on day of actual patient death. There was variation in reciprocity by the type of positive emotion expressed. Our example demonstrates that social network analysis can be used to better understand the process of EOL communication. Social network analysis can be expanded to other areas of EOL research, such as EOL decision-making and health care teamwork. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Huang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC: real-time communication that takes place between human beings via the instrumentality of computers in forms of text, audio and video communication, such as live chat and chatrooms as socially-oriented meaning construction. This review begins by considering the adoption of social interactionist views to identify key paradigms and supportive principles of computer-supported collaborative learning. A special focus on two components of communicative competence is then presented to explore interactional variables in synchronous computer-mediated communication along with a review of research. There follows a discussion on a synthesis of interactional variables in negotiated interaction and co-construction of knowledge from psycholinguistic and social cohesion perspectives. This review reveals both possibilities and disparities of language socialization in promoting intersubjective learning and diversifying the salient use of interactively creative language in computer-supported collaborative learning environments in service of communicative competence.

Cooperative Exploration for USAR Robots with Indirect Communication

OpenAIRE

Ziparo, V. A.; Kleiner, Alexander; Farinelli, A.; Marchetti, L.; Nardi, D.

2007-01-01

To coordinate a team of robots for exploration is a challenging problem, particularly in unstructured areas, as for example post-disaster scenarios where direct communication is severely constrained. Furthermore, conventional methods of SLAM, e.g. those performing data association based on visual features, are doomed to fail due to bad visibility caused by smoke and fire. We use indirect communication (based on RFIDs), to share knowledge and use a gradient-like local search to direct robots t...

What Type of Communication during Conflict is Beneficial for Intimate Relationships?

Science.gov (United States)

Overall, Nickola C; McNulty, James K

2017-02-01

What constitutes effective communication during conflict? Answering this question requires (a) clarifying whether communication expresses opposition versus cooperation and is direct versus indirect, (b) assessing the mechanisms through which communication effects relationships, and (c) identifying the contextual factors that determine the impact of communication. Recent research incorporating these components illustrates that direct opposition is beneficial when serious problems need to be addressed and partners are able to change, but can be harmful when partners are not confident or secure enough to be responsive. In contrast, cooperative communication involving affection and validation can be harmful when serious problems need to changed, but may be beneficial when problems are minor, cannot be changed, or involve partners whose defensiveness curtails problem solving.

A model for emergency department end-of-life communications after acute devastating events--part I: decision-making capacity, surrogates, and advance directives.

Science.gov (United States)

Limehouse, Walter E; Feeser, V Ramana; Bookman, Kelly J; Derse, Arthur

2012-09-01

Making decisions for a patient affected by sudden devastating illness or injury traumatizes a patient's family and loved ones. Even in the absence of an emergency, surrogates making end-of-life treatment decisions may experience negative emotional effects. Helping surrogates with these end-of-life decisions under emergent conditions requires the emergency physician (EP) to be clear, making medical recommendations with sensitivity. This model for emergency department (ED) end-of-life communications after acute devastating events comprises the following steps: 1) determine the patient's decision-making capacity; 2) identify the legal surrogate; 3) elicit patient values as expressed in completed advance directives; 4) determine patient/surrogate understanding of the life-limiting event and expectant treatment goals; 5) convey physician understanding of the event, including prognosis, treatment options, and recommendation; 6) share decisions regarding withdrawing or withholding of resuscitative efforts, using available resources and considering options for organ donation; and 7) revise treatment goals as needed. Emergency physicians should break bad news compassionately, yet sufficiently, so that surrogate and family understand both the gravity of the situation and the lack of long-term benefit of continued life-sustaining interventions. EPs should also help the surrogate and family understand that palliative care addresses comfort needs of the patient including adequate treatment for pain, dyspnea, or anxiety. Part I of this communications model reviews determination of decision-making capacity, surrogacy laws, and advance directives, including legal definitions and application of these steps; Part II (which will appear in a future issue of AEM) covers communication moving from resuscitative to end-of-life and palliative treatment. EPs should recognize acute devastating illness or injuries, when appropriate, as opportunities to initiate end-of-life discussions and to

Creating Feedback Channels With Optical Communications For Information Operations (IO)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

amphibious operations. Optical communications technologies, direct marketing principles , and current IO shortfalls are explored to determine whether...technology. First, these concepts are applied to show covert amphibious operations. Optical communications technologies, direct marketing principles , and...power, as per Appendix A. A major portion of the marketing campaign comes in the form of advertising. The correlating principles of advertising in

Estimating interevent time distributions from finite observation periods in communication networks

Science.gov (United States)

Kivelä, Mikko; Porter, Mason A.

2015-11-01

A diverse variety of processes—including recurrent disease episodes, neuron firing, and communication patterns among humans—can be described using interevent time (IET) distributions. Many such processes are ongoing, although event sequences are only available during a finite observation window. Because the observation time window is more likely to begin or end during long IETs than during short ones, the analysis of such data is susceptible to a bias induced by the finite observation period. In this paper, we illustrate how this length bias is born and how it can be corrected without assuming any particular shape for the IET distribution. To do this, we model event sequences using stationary renewal processes, and we formulate simple heuristics for determining the severity of the bias. To illustrate our results, we focus on the example of empirical communication networks, which are temporal networks that are constructed from communication events. The IET distributions of such systems guide efforts to build models of human behavior, and the variance of IETs is very important for estimating the spreading rate of information in networks of temporal interactions. We analyze several well-known data sets from the literature, and we find that the resulting bias can lead to systematic underestimates of the variance in the IET distributions and that correcting for the bias can lead to qualitatively different results for the tails of the IET distributions.

Temporal coding of brain patterns for direct limb control in humans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gernot Mueller-Putz

2010-06-01

Full Text Available For individuals with a high spinal cord injury (SCI not only the lower limbs, but also the upper extremities are paralyzed. A neuroprosthesis can be used to restore the lost hand and arm function in those tetraplegics. The main problem for this group of individuals, however, is the reduced ability to voluntarily operate device controllers. A Brain-Computer Interface provides a non-manual alternative to conventional input devices by translating brain activity patterns into control commands. We show that the temporal coding of individual mental imagery pattern can be used to control two independent degrees of freedom – grasp and elbow function - of an artificial robotic arm by utilizing a minimum number of EEG scalp electrodes. We describe the procedure from the initial screening to the final application. From eight naïve subjects participating on-line feedback experiments, four were able to voluntarily control an artificial arm by inducing one motor imagery pattern derived from one EEG derivation only.

Pictorial communication: Pictures and the synthetic universe

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Stephen R.

1989-01-01

Principles for the design of dynamic spatial instruments for communicating quantitative information to viewers are considered through a brief review of the history of pictorial communication. Pictorial communication is seen to have two directions: (1) from the picture to the viewer; and (2) from the viewer to the picture. Optimization of the design of interactive instruments using pictorial formats requires an understanding of the manipulative, perceptual, and cognitive limitations of human viewers.

Communication is the key. : Part 2 : Direct to consumer genetics in our future daily life ?

Science.gov (United States)

Perbal, Bernard

2014-12-01

The considerable advances of genome sequencing over the past decades have had a profound impact on our daily life and opened up new avenues for the public to have access to their genetic information and learn more about their ancestry, genealogy and other traits that make each of us unique individuals. A very large number of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated to diseases whereas others have no known phenotype. For example, among the SNPs mapped within ccn1(cyr61), ccn2(ctgf), ccn3(nov), ccn4(wisp-1), ccn5(wisp-2) and ccn6 (wisp-3), only mutations within ccn4 were associated to PPD (the autosomal recessive skeletal disorder Progressive Pseudorheumatoid Dysplasia). On the occasion of this JCCS special issue on the roles of hormetic responses in adaptation, and response of living species to the modifications of their environment, it appeared that it was a good time to briefly review a topic that has been the subject of passionate discussions for the past few years, that is Direct to Consumer genetic tests (DTC GT). Based on the use of DNA analysis and identification of polymorphisms, DTC GT have been developed by several companies in the USA and in countries where there was no legal obstacle for customers to have direct access to their genetic information and manage their healthcare. Problems that arose and decisions that have been taken by regulatory agencies are presented and discussed in this editorial. The « freeze » of health-oriented DTC GT in the USA neither implies the end of DNA analysis nor « fun » applications, which are not aimed at providing risks estimates for particular illnesses. As shown in the example which is discussed in this editorial, DTC GT for cosmetic applications might be considered a fun application of great interest for companies such as L'Oréal, who recently developed the Makeup Genius mobile application. Other fun applications of DTC GT are discussed but there is no doubt that nothing will stop

Energy efficiency in wireless communication systems

Science.gov (United States)

Caffrey, Michael Paul; Palmer, Joseph McRae

2012-12-11

Wireless communication systems and methods utilize one or more remote terminals, one or more base terminals, and a communication channel between the remote terminal(s) and base terminal(s). The remote terminal applies a direct sequence spreading code to a data signal at a spreading factor to provide a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signal. The DSSS signal is transmitted over the communication channel to the base terminal which can be configured to despread the received DSSS signal by a spreading factor matching the spreading factor utilized to spread the data signal. The remote terminal and base terminal can dynamically vary the matching spreading factors to adjust the data rate based on an estimation of operating quality over time between the remote terminal and base terminal such that the amount of data being transmitted is substantially maximized while providing a specified quality of service.

Modern temporal network theory: a colloquium

Science.gov (United States)

Holme, Petter

2015-09-01

The power of any kind of network approach lies in the ability to simplify a complex system so that one can better understand its function as a whole. Sometimes it is beneficial, however, to include more information than in a simple graph of only nodes and links. Adding information about times of interactions can make predictions and mechanistic understanding more accurate. The drawback, however, is that there are not so many methods available, partly because temporal networks is a relatively young field, partly because it is more difficult to develop such methods compared to for static networks. In this colloquium, we review the methods to analyze and model temporal networks and processes taking place on them, focusing mainly on the last three years. This includes the spreading of infectious disease, opinions, rumors, in social networks; information packets in computer networks; various types of signaling in biology, and more. We also discuss future directions.

Towards General Temporal Aggregation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boehlen, Michael H.; Gamper, Johann; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard

2008-01-01

associated with the management of temporal data. Indeed, temporal aggregation is complex and among the most difficult, and thus interesting, temporal functionality to support. This paper presents a general framework for temporal aggregation that accommodates existing kinds of aggregation, and it identifies...

Consensus Making in Requirements Negotiation: the communication perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Price

2005-11-01

Full Text Available When developing an Information System (IS, organizational goals of various stakeholders are commonly in direct conflict. Furthermore, individuals often rank their private objectives well over their management's directions. Recognising and reconciling all these diverse goals, and reaching agreement among the stakeholders, are prerequisite to establishing project cooperation and collaboration. This paper focuses, in particular, on the negotiation and consensus making during requirements elicitation - the earliest stages of the IS development process. As requirements elicitation involves rich communication between project stakeholders, we therefore explore negotiation and consensus making from the communication perspective. The resulting model assists our understanding of the communication factors that influence the consensus process during requirements negotiation.

DYMAC communications system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindsey, K.A.

1980-01-01

The DYMAC Communications System is part of a nuclear safeguards system called DYMAC - short for DYnamic Materials ACcountability - that gathers accountability information at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Plutonium Processing Facility. The communications system handles transmissions between data-entry terminals and nondestructive assay (NDA) instruments located in the facility, and a computer located in an adjacent building. System design emphasizes reliability rather than high speed to ensure the integrity of data transmissions. This manual is directed toward the person responsible for maintaining the DYMAC Communication System. It describes the components that make up the communications network, explains how they operate, and gives detailed information about all of the connections. Many of the system components are commercially available; some have been modified at LASL for DYMAC purposes; others were designed and fabricated at LASL. This manual provides circuit diagrams for all of the LASL modifications and LASL-fabricated equipment. In addition, it provides a series of procedures for tracing cables, reconfiguring various parts of the system, testing data transmissions, and troubleshooting malfunctions.

DYMAC communications system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindsey, K.A.

1980-01-01

The DYMAC Communications System is part of a nuclear safeguards system called DYMAC - short for DYnamic Materials ACcountability - that gathers accountability information at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Plutonium Processing Facility. The communications system handles transmissions between data-entry terminals and nondestructive assay (NDA) instruments located in the facility, and a computer located in an adjacent building. System design emphasizes reliability rather than high speed to ensure the integrity of data transmissions. This manual is directed toward the person responsible for maintaining the DYMAC Communication System. It describes the components that make up the communications network, explains how they operate, and gives detailed information about all of the connections. Many of the system components are commercially available; some have been modified at LASL for DYMAC purposes; others were designed and fabricated at LASL. This manual provides circuit diagrams for all of the LASL modifications and LASL-fabricated equipment. In addition, it provides a series of procedures for tracing cables, reconfiguring various parts of the system, testing data transmissions, and troubleshooting malfunctions

Temporal probabilistic shaping for mitigation of nonlinearities in optical fiber systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yankov, Metodi Plamenov; Larsen, Knud J.; Forchhammer, Søren

2017-01-01

In this paper, finite state machine sources (FSMSs) are used to shape quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) for nonlinear transmission in optical fiber communication systems. The previous optimization algorithm for FSMSs is extended to cover an average power constraint, thus enabling temporal...... optimization with multiamplitude constellations output, such as QAM. The optimized source results in increased received SNR and, thereby, increased achievable information rates (AIR)s under memoryless assumption. The AIR is increased even further when taking the channel and transmitter memory into account via...

A Case for Leveraging 802.11p for Direct Phone-to-Phone Communications

OpenAIRE

Choi, Pilsoon; Gao, Jason Hao; Ramanathan, Nadesh; Mao, Mengda; Xu, Shipeng; Boon, Chirn-Chye; Fahmy, Suhaib A.; Peh, Li-Shiuan

2014-01-01

WiFi cannot effectively handle the demands of device-to-device communication between phones, due to insufficient range and poor reliability. We make the case for using IEEE 802.11p DSRC instead, which has been adopted for vehicle-to-vehicle communications, providing lower latency and longer range. We demonstrate a prototype motivated by a novel fabrication process that deposits both III-V and CMOS devices on the same die. In our system prototype, the designed RF front-end is interfaced with a...

Phase-Modulated Optical Communication Systems

CERN Document Server

Ho, Keang-Po

2005-01-01

Fiber-optic communication systems have revolutionized our telecommunication infrastructures – currently, almost all telephone land-line, cellular, and internet communications must travel via some form of optical fibers. In these transmission systems, neither the phase nor frequency of the optical signal carries information – only the intensity of the signal is used. To transmit more information in a single optical carrier, the phase of the optical carrier must be explored. As a result, there is renewed interest in phase-modulated optical communications, mainly in direct-detection DPSK signals for long-haul optical communication systems. When optical amplifiers are used to maintain certain signal level among the fiber link, the system is limited by amplifier noises and fiber nonlinearities. Phase-Modulated Optical Communication Systems surveys this newly popular area, covering the following topics: The transmitter and receiver for phase-modulated coherent lightwave systems Method for performance analysis o...

Project Temporalities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tryggestad, Kjell; Justesen, Lise; Mouritsen, Jan

2013-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how animals can become stakeholders in interaction with project management technologies and what happens with project temporalities when new and surprising stakeholders become part of a project and a recognized matter of concern to be taken...... into account. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a qualitative case study of a project in the building industry. The authors use actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze the emergence of animal stakeholders, stakes and temporalities. Findings – The study shows how project temporalities can...... multiply in interaction with project management technologies and how conventional linear conceptions of project time may be contested with the emergence of new non-human stakeholders and temporalities. Research limitations/implications – The study draws on ANT to show how animals can become stakeholders...

Image encryption a communication perspective

CERN Document Server

Abd El-Samie, Fathi E; Elashry, Ibrahim F; Shahieen, Mai H; Faragallah, Osama S; El-Rabaie, El-Sayed M; Alshebeili, Saleh A

2013-01-01

Presenting encryption algorithms with diverse characteristics, Image Encryption: A Communication Perspective examines image encryption algorithms for the purpose of secure wireless communication. It considers two directions for image encryption: permutation-based approaches encryption and substitution-based approaches.Covering the spectrum of image encryption principles and techniques, the book compares image encryption with permutation- and diffusion-based approaches. It explores number theory-based encryption algorithms such as the Data Encryption Standard, the Advanced Encryption Standard,

Communication management between architects and clients

Science.gov (United States)

Taleb, Hala; Ismail, Syuhaida; Wahab, Mohammad Hussaini; Rani, Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd.

2017-10-01

Architectural projects are initiated with the designing phase, that tends to translate and materialize the client's requirements and needs. This phase is highly and directly affected by the exchanged information and communication between architects with their clients. Nevertheless, despite of its importance, studies have proven that communication management, being a significant field of project management, is distinctly overlooked by architects in the architectural industry. Thus, this paper highlights the current practices and attributes of communication management in the context of architectural design phase. It outlines the different aspects' definitions of communication, as well as communication management standards and practices. By the end of this paper, the findings are expected to increase the communication management knowledge amongst architects to achieve success in projects by promoting the relationships between them and their clients. Finally, this paper uncover the architects' need for significant improvement of communication management as an insistent matter to ultimately fulfill project success.

The Medial Temporal Lobe – Conduit of Parallel Connectivity: A model for Attention, Memory, and Perception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian B. Mozaffari

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Based on the notion that the brain is equipped with a hierarchical organization, which embodies environmental contingencies across many time scales, this paper suggests that the medial temporal lobe (MTL – located deep in the hierarchy – serves as a bridge connecting supra to infra – MTL levels. Bridging the upper and lower regions of the hierarchy provides a parallel architecture that optimizes information flow between upper and lower regions to aid attention, encoding, and processing of quick complex visual phenomenon. Bypassing intermediate hierarchy levels, information conveyed through the MTL ‘bridge’ allows upper levels to make educated predictions about the prevailing context and accordingly select lower representations to increase the efficiency of predictive coding throughout the hierarchy. This selection or activation/deactivation is associated with endogenous attention. In the event that these ‘bridge’ predictions are inaccurate, this architecture enables the rapid encoding of novel contingencies. A review of hierarchical models in relation to memory is provided along with a new theory, Medial-temporal-lobe Conduit for Parallel Connectivity (MCPC. In this scheme, consolidation is considered as a secondary process, occurring after a MTL-bridged connection, which eventually allows upper and lower levels to access each other directly. With repeated reactivations, as contingencies become consolidated, less MTL activity is predicted. Finally, MTL bridging may aid processing transient but structured perceptual events, by allowing communication between upper and lower levels without calling on intermediate levels of representation.

Do learning collaboratives strengthen communication? A comparison of organizational team communication networks over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunger, Alicia C; Lengnick-Hall, Rebecca

Collaborative learning models were designed to support quality improvements, such as innovation implementation by promoting communication within organizational teams. Yet the effect of collaborative learning approaches on organizational team communication during implementation is untested. The aim of this study was to explore change in communication patterns within teams from children's mental health organizations during a year-long learning collaborative focused on implementing a new treatment. We adopt a social network perspective to examine intraorganizational communication within each team and assess change in (a) the frequency of communication among team members, (b) communication across organizational hierarchies, and (c) the overall structure of team communication networks. A pretest-posttest design compared communication among 135 participants from 21 organizational teams at the start and end of a learning collaborative. At both time points, participants were asked to list the members of their team and rate the frequency of communication with each along a 7-point Likert scale. Several individual, pair-wise, and team level communication network metrics were calculated and compared over time. At the individual level, participants reported communicating with more team members by the end of the learning collaborative. Cross-hierarchical communication did not change. At the team level, these changes manifested differently depending on team size. In large teams, communication frequency increased, and networks grew denser and slightly less centralized. In small teams, communication frequency declined, growing more sparse and centralized. Results suggest that team communication patterns change minimally but evolve differently depending on size. Learning collaboratives may be more helpful for enhancing communication among larger teams; thus, managers might consider selecting and sending larger staff teams to learning collaboratives. This study highlights key future

CURRENT DIRECTIONS OF RESEARCH IN INFORMATION- COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE FIELD OF PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCE.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.N. Spirin

2010-11-01

Full Text Available In the publication modern research areas of information-communication technologies in pedagogical science are identified. The basic requirements of the new passport for the specialty 13.00.10 - Information and Communication Technologies in Education are described. On this specialty the defence of the degree of doctor and candidate of pedagogical science may be carried out.

Real-Time Control of a Video Game Using Eye Movements and Two Temporal EEG Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Belkacem, Abdelkader Nasreddine; Saetia, Supat; Zintus-art, Kalanyu; Shin, Duk; Kambara, Hiroyuki; Yoshimura, Natsue; Berrached, Nasreddine; Koike, Yasuharu

2015-01-01

EEG-controlled gaming applications range widely from strictly medical to completely nonmedical applications. Games can provide not only entertainment but also strong motivation for practicing, thereby achieving better control with rehabilitation system. In this paper we present real-time control of video game with eye movements for asynchronous and noninvasive communication system using two temporal EEG sensors. We used wavelets to detect the instance of eye movement and time-series characteristics to distinguish between six classes of eye movement. A control interface was developed to test the proposed algorithm in real-time experiments with opened and closed eyes. Using visual feedback, a mean classification accuracy of 77.3% was obtained for control with six commands. And a mean classification accuracy of 80.2% was obtained using auditory feedback for control with five commands. The algorithm was then applied for controlling direction and speed of character movement in two-dimensional video game. Results showed that the proposed algorithm had an efficient response speed and timing with a bit rate of 30 bits/min, demonstrating its efficacy and robustness in real-time control.

Organizational Communication: An Analysis of the Main Perspectives, Main Concepts and Future Directions of the Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuf Yüksel

2013-09-01

Full Text Available There is a scholarly debate since the 1980s regarding the content, theory, methodology and applications that define the scope of organizational communication and separate it from other related disciplines. This debate is critical in the sense that it enables to identity organizational communication in a rich manner and helps us define the scope of the field and its unique characteristics. Based on this main assumption, this study addressed the major theoretical/methodological dimensions of the field (functional, interpretive, and critical, conceptualization of the most critical concepts (organization, communication, culture, voice/control in these dimensions, and current gaps and future directions of the field. This study revealed that the field of organizational communication has made great improvements since the field emerged in the last three decade with its own content, methodology, and applications and generated an adequate body of research within these different perspectives. It is shown that representation of the field by different perspectives provides richness to the field compared with the time when organizational communication was solely dominated by functional, positivist research. Key words: Functional/interpretive/critical perspectives, communication, organization, culture, control, effectiveness. Örgütsel İletişim: Alanın Ana Yaklaşımları, Ana Kavramları ve Gelecek Yönelimlerinin AnaliziÖzÖrgütsel iletişim alanının kapsamı ve bu alanı ilgili displinlerden ayıracak içerik, teori, yöntem, ve uygulamalar üzerine akademik tartışmalar 1980’li yıllardan beri devam etmektedir. Bu tartışmalar, örgütsel iletişim alanının derinlemesine anlaşılması, sınırlarının belirlenmesi ve diğer disiplinlerden ayrılan özelliklerinin anlaşılması noktasında hayati öneme sahiptir. Bu temel varsayımdan hareketle, bu çalışma alandaki temel teorik/yöntemsel yaklaşımları (işlevsel, yorumlayıcı, ele

Quantum Communication Scheme Using Non-symmetric Quantum Channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Haijing; Chen Zhonghua; Song Heshan

2008-01-01

A theoretical quantum communication scheme based on entanglement swapping and superdense coding is proposed with a 3-dimensional Bell state and 2-dimensional Bell state function as quantum channel. quantum key distribution and quantum secure direct communication can be simultaneously accomplished in the scheme. The scheme is secure and has high source capacity. At last, we generalize the quantum communication scheme to d-dimensional quantum channel

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE COMPLEX MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS ELEMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Kovalenko

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose and objectives of the article are detailed characterization of marketing communication’s elements and characteristics of synthetic and communications. Methods: The stages of the campaign and main advantages and disadvantages of advertising have been disclosed and analyzed in the article. The marketing communication and some elements of marketing communications, the issues of formation and development of the theory of marketing communications have been studied. Results: This article describes the elements of marketing communications factors and basic tools of marketing communications: advertising, personal selling, complex sales promotion, publicity and public relation, direct marketing. Discussion: Companies must also transmit information to customers and carefully carry out selection of such information. For this order is a complex system of marketing communications. Often marketing communications identified with the products promotion which leads to a false understanding of the nature and, consequently, to the irrational use potential of marketing communications in market activity.

Optimal One Bit Time Reversal For UWB Impulse Radio In Multi-User Wireless Communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Hung Tuan

2008-01-01

In this paper, with the purpose of further reducing the complexity of the system, while keeping its temporal and spatial focusing performance, we investigate the possibility of using optimal one bit time reversal (TR) system for impulse radio ultra wideband multi-user wireless communications...

Do indicators influence communication in SEA? — Experience from the Chinese practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Jingjing; Kørnøv, Lone; Christensen, Per

2013-01-01

Indicators have become one of the primary tools for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the Chinese context, but what does this use of indicators mean for communication within the SEA processes? This article explores how the selection and use of indicators influence the communication between different stakeholders involved in SEA. The article provides a conceptual communication model covering directions and level of communication. Using this model on empirical findings from interviews with two specific SEA cases and from general experience collected through an online survey, the results suggest that indicators are used mainly in internal communication although a change of approach, with more external communication and stakeholder engagement, is taking place as a consequence of working with indicators in the SEA. However, the external communication mainly involves the experts and other relevant sectors (planning, energy, land use, forestry, etc.), the involvement of the public and NGOs is still not well implemented in Chinese SEA practice, and the direction of communication is mainly one-way channel of providing information rather than a two-way channel of dialogue and participation. Highlights: • Exploring indicators' influence on the communication in SEA with Chinese experience. • Providing a conceptual model covering directions and level of communication in SEA. • Empirical findings from two specific SEA cases and collected general experience. • The external communication mainly involves the experts and other sectors. • More one-way information provision than two-way dialogue and participation

Do indicators influence communication in SEA? — Experience from the Chinese practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Jingjing, E-mail: jingjing@plan.aau.dk; Kørnøv, Lone, E-mail: lonek@plan.aau.dk; Christensen, Per, E-mail: pc@plan.aau.dk

2013-11-15

Indicators have become one of the primary tools for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the Chinese context, but what does this use of indicators mean for communication within the SEA processes? This article explores how the selection and use of indicators influence the communication between different stakeholders involved in SEA. The article provides a conceptual communication model covering directions and level of communication. Using this model on empirical findings from interviews with two specific SEA cases and from general experience collected through an online survey, the results suggest that indicators are used mainly in internal communication although a change of approach, with more external communication and stakeholder engagement, is taking place as a consequence of working with indicators in the SEA. However, the external communication mainly involves the experts and other relevant sectors (planning, energy, land use, forestry, etc.), the involvement of the public and NGOs is still not well implemented in Chinese SEA practice, and the direction of communication is mainly one-way channel of providing information rather than a two-way channel of dialogue and participation. Highlights: • Exploring indicators' influence on the communication in SEA with Chinese experience. • Providing a conceptual model covering directions and level of communication in SEA. • Empirical findings from two specific SEA cases and collected general experience. • The external communication mainly involves the experts and other sectors. • More one-way information provision than two-way dialogue and participation.

COMMUNICATION AND GRAMMATICALIZATION. THE CASE OF (CROATIAN DEMONSTRATIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Brala-Vukanović

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The focus of this paper is on the role that shared reference plays in communication and, relatedly, on the way in which communicative needs drive the formation and development of grammatical categories. The system used to illustrate and analyse the theoretical positions addressed in the paper is that of Croatian demonstratives, a three-way paradigm which – it is claimed – helps us identify the cognitive elements underlying the anchoring of shared reference. In the first part of the paper we explore the pointing gesture from the perspectives of developmental psychology, language acquisition and that of cognitive and linguistic universals. We observe that communicative pointing is a universal communicative device found in all cultures which serves to refer, locate in space or indicate direction of motion. In fact, pointing has been recognized as one of the earliest and most common mechanisms for establishing joint reference. Next, we explore the possible ways in which communicative pointing might have influenced the formation of ‘pointing words’ i.e. demonstratives. A continuum of referential devices is identified: from direct pointing with gesture, direct (pronominal pointing, via referentiality through (adjectival and adverbial modification, all the way to discoursal pointing. We investigate the communicative sequence that takes us from the pointing gesture to various types of ‘pointing words’ (see Diessel, 2006, by exploring the underlying linguistic and, possibly, cognitive universal elements and domains. In final analysis the identified sequence is put into relation with the referential (identificational, via the modificational (qualificational, to the predicative (informative segments of language.

Temporal resolution and motion artifacts in single-source and dual-source cardiac CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Schöndube, Harald; Allmendinger, Thomas; Stierstorfer, Karl; Bruder, Herbert; Flohr, Thomas

2013-03-01

The temporal resolution of a given image in cardiac computed tomography (CT) has so far mostly been determined from the amount of CT data employed for the reconstruction of that image. The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of such measures to the newly introduced modality of dual-source CT as well as to methods aiming to provide improved temporal resolution by means of an advanced image reconstruction algorithm. To provide a solid base for the examinations described in this paper, an extensive review of temporal resolution in conventional single-source CT is given first. Two different measures for assessing temporal resolution with respect to the amount of data involved are introduced, namely, either taking the full width at half maximum of the respective data weighting function (FWHM-TR) or the total width of the weighting function (total TR) as a base of the assessment. Image reconstruction using both a direct fan-beam filtered backprojection with Parker weighting as well as using a parallel-beam rebinning step are considered. The theory of assessing temporal resolution by means of the data involved is then extended to dual-source CT. Finally, three different advanced iterative reconstruction methods that all use the same input data are compared with respect to the resulting motion artifact level. For brevity and simplicity, the examinations are limited to two-dimensional data acquisition and reconstruction. However, all results and conclusions presented in this paper are also directly applicable to both circular and helical cone-beam CT. While the concept of total TR can directly be applied to dual-source CT, the definition of the FWHM of a weighting function needs to be slightly extended to be applicable to this modality. The three different advanced iterative reconstruction methods examined in this paper result in significantly different images with respect to their motion artifact level, despite exactly the same amount of data being used

Temporal resolution and motion artifacts in single-source and dual-source cardiac CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schöndube, Harald; Allmendinger, Thomas; Stierstorfer, Karl; Bruder, Herbert; Flohr, Thomas

2013-01-01

Purpose: The temporal resolution of a given image in cardiac computed tomography (CT) has so far mostly been determined from the amount of CT data employed for the reconstruction of that image. The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of such measures to the newly introduced modality of dual-source CT as well as to methods aiming to provide improved temporal resolution by means of an advanced image reconstruction algorithm. Methods: To provide a solid base for the examinations described in this paper, an extensive review of temporal resolution in conventional single-source CT is given first. Two different measures for assessing temporal resolution with respect to the amount of data involved are introduced, namely, either taking the full width at half maximum of the respective data weighting function (FWHM-TR) or the total width of the weighting function (total TR) as a base of the assessment. Image reconstruction using both a direct fan-beam filtered backprojection with Parker weighting as well as using a parallel-beam rebinning step are considered. The theory of assessing temporal resolution by means of the data involved is then extended to dual-source CT. Finally, three different advanced iterative reconstruction methods that all use the same input data are compared with respect to the resulting motion artifact level. For brevity and simplicity, the examinations are limited to two-dimensional data acquisition and reconstruction. However, all results and conclusions presented in this paper are also directly applicable to both circular and helical cone-beam CT. Results: While the concept of total TR can directly be applied to dual-source CT, the definition of the FWHM of a weighting function needs to be slightly extended to be applicable to this modality. The three different advanced iterative reconstruction methods examined in this paper result in significantly different images with respect to their motion artifact level, despite exactly the same

BioNet Digital Communications Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, Kevin; Kuzminsky, Sebastian; Williams, Shea

2010-01-01

BioNet v2 is a peer-to-peer middleware that enables digital communication devices to talk to each other. It provides a software development framework, standardized application, network-transparent device integration services, a flexible messaging model, and network communications for distributed applications. BioNet is an implementation of the Constellation Program Command, Control, Communications and Information (C3I) Interoperability specification, given in CxP 70022-01. The system architecture provides the necessary infrastructure for the integration of heterogeneous wired and wireless sensing and control devices into a unified data system with a standardized application interface, providing plug-and-play operation for hardware and software systems. BioNet v2 features a naming schema for mobility and coarse-grained localization information, data normalization within a network-transparent device driver framework, enabling of network communications to non-IP devices, and fine-grained application control of data subscription band width usage. BioNet directly integrates Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) as a communications technology, enabling networked communications with assets that are only intermittently connected including orbiting relay satellites and planetary rover vehicles.

Evaluation of coherence interference in optical wireless communication through multiscattering channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Kedar, Debbie; Arnon, Shlomi

2006-05-10

Optical wireless communication has been the subject of much research in recent years because of the increasing interest in laser satellite-ground links and urban optical wireless communication. The major sources of performance degradation have been identified as the spatial, angular, and temporal spread of the propagating beam when the propagation channel is multiscattering, resulting in reduced power reception and intersignal interference, as well as turbulence-induced scintillations and noise due to receiver circuitry and background illumination. However, coherence effects due to multipath interference caused by a scattering propagation channel do not appear to have been treated in detail in the scientific literature. We attempt a theoretical analysis of coherence interference in optical wireless communication through scattering channels and try to quantify the resultant performance degradation for different media. We conclude that coherence interference is discernible in optical wireless communication through scattering channels and is highly dependent on the microscopic nature of the propagation medium.

2.3 Gbit/s underwater wireless optical communications using directly modulated 520 nm laser diode

KAUST Repository

Oubei, Hassan M.; Li, Changping; Park, Kihong; Ng, Tien Khee; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Ooi, Boon S.

2015-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate a record high-speed underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) over 7 m distance using on-off keying non-return-to-zero (OOK-NRZ) modulation scheme. The communication link uses a commercial TO-9 packaged pigtailed