Direct Social Contacts Override Auditory Information in the Song-Learning Process in Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Social influence on song acquisition was studied in 3 groups of young European starlings raised under different social conditions but with the same auditory experience of adult song. Attentional focusing on preferred partners appears the most likely explanation for differences found in song acquisition in relation to experience, sex, and song categories. Thus, pair-isolated birds learned from each other and not from broadcast live songs, females did not learn from the adult male tutors, and sharing occurred more between socially associated peers. On the contrary, single-isolated birds clearly copied the adult songs that may have been the only source of attention stimulation. Therefore, social preference appears as both a motor for song learning and a potential obstacle for acquisition from nonpreferred partners, including adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Replica Management in the European DataGrid Project

Within the European DataGrid project, Work Package 2 has designed and implemented a set of integrated replica management services for use by data intensive scientific applications. These services, based on the web services model, enable movement and replication of data at high speed from one geographical site to another, management of distributed replicated data, optimization of access to data, and the provision of a metadata management tool. In this paper we describe the architecture and implementation of these services and evaluate their performance under demanding Grid conditions.This work was partially funded by the European Commission program IST- 2000-25182 through the European DataGrid Project.     

Self-Organising Map for Data Imputation and Correction in Surveys

This paper is dedicated to erroneous data detection and imputation methods in surveys. We describe experiments conducted under the scope of a European project for studying new statistical methods based on neural networks. We show that the self-organising map can be used successfully for these tasks. A self-organising map is calibrated according to the available observations, described through a set of correlated variables handled together. The map can then be used both to detect erroneous data and to impute values to partial observations. We apply these principles to a real size transport survey database. We show that the performance of our imputation model compares well to other classical methods, and that the use of a self-organising map for data correction provides a performing system fordata validation, data correction and data analysis.     

Stability analysis for linear systems with input backlash through sufficient LMI conditions

This paper addresses the problem of stability analysis for a given class of nonlinear systems resulting from the connection of a linear system with an isolated backlash operator. Constructive conditions based on LMIs to ensure closed-loop stability are proposed by using some suitable Lyapunov functionals with quadratic terms and Lure type terms, and generalized sector conditions. Additionally, the boundary of the associated set of all the admissible equilibrium points is precisely defined.     

Graph-based tools for microscopic cellular image segmentation

We propose a framework of graph-based tools for the segmentation of microscopic cellular images. This framework is based on an object oriented analysis of imaging problems in pathology. Our graph tools rely on a general formulation of discrete functional regularization on weighted graphs of arbitrary topology. It leads to a set of useful tools which can be combined together to address various image segmentation problems in pathology. To provide fast image segmentation algorithms, we also propose an image simplification based on graphs as a pre processing step. The abilities of this set of image processing discrete tools are illustrated through automatic and interactive segmentation schemes for color cytological and histological images segmentation problems.     

Study of the performance of multi-behaviour agents for supply chain planning

In today's industrial context, competitiveness is closely associated to supply chain performance. Coordination between business units is essential to increase this performance, in order to produce and deliver products on time to customers, at a competitive price. While planning systems usually follow a single straightforward production planning process, this paper proposes that partners adapt together their local planning process (i.e. planning behaviours) to the different situations met in the supply chain environment. Because each partner can choose different behaviour and all behaviours will have an impact on the overall performance, it is difficult to know which is preferable for each partner to increase their performance. Using agent-based technology, simulation experiments have been undertaken to verify if multi-behaviour planning agents who can change planning behaviours to adapt to their environment can increase supply chain performance. These agents have been implemented in an agent-based planning platform, using a case study illustrating a lumber supply chain. The performance analysis shows that advanced planning systems can take advantage of using multiple planning processes, because of the dynamic context of supply chains.     

RFID-driven situation awareness on TangiSense, a table interacting with tangible objects

Interactive tables are increasingly present not only in a research context but also in everyday life. One challenge still has to be taken up concerning interaction with several people around an interactive table. The framework of our research relates to an interactive table named TangiSense, which is equipped with RFID technology. The interaction is no longer the result of touching the table, but comes from handling tangible objects placed on the table. The use is closer to the natural use of a table. This technology makes it possible to identify the objects, which can be coupled with the users. Starting from this principle, the article proposes the use of RFID tags to collect the elements of context awareness in order to adapt the workspaces to the various possible situations around a table (work alone or with several users, on a common or individual space). An algorithm of space division is proposed, and evaluations are carried out in order to assess its global contribution. The article ends with a conclusion and some prospects.     

Motivations to identify with social groups: A look at their positive and negative consequences.

Social identity is considered a key social psychological variable to understanding intergroup behaviors. Given that social identity has been associated with both positive (e.g., well-being, helping behaviors) and negative consequences (e.g., ingroup bias, nationalism), it remains to be explained which dimensions of social identification yield these divergent consequences. To this aim, these studies apply self-determination theory to understanding the reasons why group members identify with their ingroup. We hypothesized that when group members identify with their ingroup for self-determined reasons, this should predict more positive consequences. In contrast, identifying with one's ingroup for non–self-determined reasons should predict more negative consequences. Three studies tested these hypotheses among members of different social groups, namely, University of Queensland students (n = 272), residents of Québec (n = 196), and members of an online community (n = 278). Controlling for degree of identification, these hypotheses were supported when predicting the positive consequences, and mostly supported for the negative consequences. Results are interpreted in light of social identity theory and self-determination theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Further evidence for temporal decay in working memory: Reply to Lewandowsky and Oberauer (2009).

The sources of forgetting in working memory (WM) are a matter of intense debate: Is there a time-related decay of memory traces, or is forgetting uniquely due to representation-based interference? In a previous study, we claimed to have provided evidence supporting the temporal decay hypothesis (S. Portrat, P. Barrouillet, & V. Camos, 2008). However, reanalyzing our data, S. Lewandowsky and K. Oberauer (2009) demonstrated that they do not provide compelling evidence for temporal decay and suggested a class of alternative models favoring a representation-based interference account. In this article, we develop from the most recent proposals made by Lewandowsky and Oberauer 2 of the most plausible extensions of these alternative models. We show that neither of these extensions can account for recent findings related to between-domain WM performance and that both lead to predictions that are contradicted by new empirical evidence. Finally, we show that recent studies that have been claimed to rule out the temporal decay hypothesis do not resist close scrutiny. We conclude that the time-based resource-sharing model remains the most parsimonious way to account for forgetting and restoration of memory traces in WM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurements of an ultra-low loss polarizer for λ = 1064 nm using a high finesse optical cavity

Abstract

We present experiments performed on a specially designed calcite polarizer based around a modified Nicol prism optimized for use at 1064 nm. The polarizer combines the physics of birefringence, Brewster's angle and total internal reflection to achieve a combination of close to zero insertion loss and high extinction ratio for one of the incident light polarizations, limited in theory only by absorption losses in the calcite. We describe optical cavity based measurements which reveal the loss properties to be around 220 ppm, setting an upper limit on the bulk absorptance of calcite at 1064 nm, and offering a polarizer with lower loss than high grade anti-reflection coated components.