Abstract phonological structure in language production: Evidence from Spanish.

In this study, 4 experiments were carried out to investigate if segmental and structural information are represented separately in phonological encoding in speech production. In Experiments 1 and 2, a picture-word interference paradigm was used. Participants had to name a picture while a word was auditorily presented 150 ms after the onset of the target. In Experiments 3 and 4, participants had to read aloud lists of printed words (inductors) and then had to name a picture. Results of the first 3 experiments indicate that naming latencies are faster when target and interfering stimulus (in the first 2 experiments) and inductors (in the 3rd) share the same abstract phonological structure. The 4th experiment showed that the priming effect observed previously is due to facilitation of the first-syllable structure, supporting the notion that an abstract syllabic structure is used in phonological encoding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of chain extender on the morphology,thermal, viscoelastic,and dielectric behavior of soybean polyurethane

The objective of this work was to determine the influence of different chain extenders (CEs) on the morphology, thermal, viscoelastic, and dielectric properties of soybean polyurethane (PU). The PU with ethane-1.2-diol showed a more organized structure, which was attributed to the smaller amount of methylene groups ( CH₂ ) and the shorter distance between the hydrogen bonds. While, PUs with dipropylene glycol, the free volume increased due to the less effective interactions formed between the hard and soft domains. The α, β, and γ transitions dipolar by conductive process, are probably associated with (a) local motions of the main chain, (b) the smaller groups rotation motions in the fatty acid chains in the soft phase, and (c) the  CH₂ group rotation motion in the amorphous region. The phase-separated morphology is most evident at high temperatures due to the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars interfacial polarization process.     

Vibrational energy scavenging with Si technology electromagnetic inertial microgenerators

In this work, we present the design and optimization of an electromagnetic inertial microgenerator for energy scavenging applications, compatible with Si technology. It consists of a fixed micromachined coil and a movable magnet (inertial mass) mounted on a resonant structure (Kapton^® membrane). The modeling of the device, based on a velocity damped resonator, has allowed to make a quantitative analysis of the capabilities of this simple device structure for the development of power generators for autonomous microsystem applications. The characterization of a first (not optimized) prototype has allowed the validation of the model, which is then used as a roadmap for a number of optimizations for the final device design. For this design, the model developed shows the possibility to achieve power levels up to hundreds of μW’s, with voltage levels compatible with the requirements of standard rectifying circuits.     

Two Triangulation Methods Based on Edge Refinement

In this paper two curvature adaptive methods of surface triangulation are presented. Both methods are based on edge refinement to obtain a triangulation compatible with the curvature requirements. The first method applies an incremental and constrained Delaunay triangulation and uses curvature bounds to determine if an edge of the triangulation is admissible. The second method uses this function also in the edge refinement process, i.e. in the computation of the location of a refining point, and in the re-triangulation needed after the insertion of this refining point. Results are presented, comparing both approaches.     

Anaerobic Palladium‐Catalyzed Chemoselective Oxidation of Allylic and Benzylic Alcohols with α‐Bromo Sulfoxide as a Co‐oxidant

A chemoselective palladium‐catalyzed anaerobic oxidation of allylic and benzylic alcohols using an α‐bromo sulfoxide as a co‐oxidant is described for the first time. The catalyst system is simple and has a long life because of the allowance of phosphane ligands under the non‐aerobic conditions. The advantages of the described method include no overoxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids because of the mild conditions applied, the tolerance of oxygen‐sensitive functionalities such as a carbon‐carbon double bond, an organothio group, or a diorganoamino group and the effective preparation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, resulting from the oxidation of primary and secondary allylic alcohols, since a competitive Heck reaction with the co‐oxidant does not occur.     

Symbiotic human–robot collaborative approach for increased productivity and enhanced safety in the aerospace manufacturing industry

The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology - Robots are perfect substitutes for skilled workforce on some repeatable, general, and strategically important tasks, but this...     

Fuzzy Free Path Detection from Disparity Maps by Using Least-Squares Fitting to a Plane

A method to detect obstacle-free paths in real-time which works as part of a cognitive navigation aid system for visually impaired people is proposed. It is based on the analysis of disparity maps obtained from a stereo vision system which is carried by the blind user. The presented detection method consists of a fuzzy logic system that assigns a certainty to be part of a free path to each group of pixels, depending on the parameters of a planar-model fitting. We also present experimental results on different real outdoor scenarios showing that our method is the most reliable in the sense that it minimizes the false positives rate.     

Frequency dispersion model of the complex permeability of soft ferrites in the microwave frequency range

The complex permeability of Cu-doped nickel-zinc polycrystalline ferrites is strongly dependent on microstructure, particularly, on relative density () and average grain size (). In this study, a mathematical model, able to fit the measured magnetic permeability spectra from 10⁶ to 10⁹ Hz, is proposed and validated for a width range of average grain sizes (3.40–23.15 μm) and relative densities (0.83–0.96). To the authors’ knowledge, domain-wall motion and spin rotation contributions to magnetic permeability have been integrated jointly with the microstructure for the first time in the proposed model, highlighting the relative influence of each magnetizing mechanism and microstructure on the magnetic permeability at different angular frequencies.