Emotional Devaluation of Distracting Patterns and Faces: A Consequence of Attentional Inhibition During Visual Search?

Visual search has been studied extensively, yet little is known about how its constituent processes affect subsequent emotional evaluation of searched-for and searched-through items. In 3 experiments, the authors asked observers to locate a colored pattern or tinted face in an array of other patterns or faces. Shortly thereafter, either the target or a distractor was rated on an emotional scale (patterns, cheerfulness; faces, trustworthiness). In general, distractors were rated more negatively than targets. Moreover, distractors presented near the target during search were rated significantly more negatively than those presented far from the target. Target-distractor proximity affected distractor ratings following both simple-feature and difficult-conjunction search, even when items appeared at different locations during evaluation than during search and when faces previously tinted during search were presented in grayscale at evaluation. An attentional inhibition account is offered to explain these effects of attention on emotional evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Current Understanding of Structure–Processing–Property Relationships in BaTiO3–Bi(M)O3 Dielectrics

As part of a continued push for high permittivity dielectrics suitable for use at elevated operating temperatures and/or large electric fields, modifications of BaTiO₃ with Bi(M)O₃, where M represents a net‐trivalent B‐site occupied by one or more species, have received a great deal of recent attention. Materials in this composition family exhibit weakly coupled relaxor behavior that is not only remarkably stable at high temperatures and under large electric fields, but is also quite similar across various identities of M. Moderate levels of Bi content (as much as 50 mol%) appear to be crucial to the stability of the dielectric response. In addition, the presence of significant Bi reduces the processing temperatures required for densification and increases the required oxygen content in processing atmospheres relative to traditional X7R‐type BaTiO₃‐based dielectrics. Although detailed understanding of the structure–processing–property relationships in this class of materials is still in its infancy, this article reviews the current state of understanding of the mechanisms underlying the high and stable values of both relative permittivity and resistivity that are characteristic of BaTiO₃‐Bi(M)O₃ dielectrics as well as the processing challenges and opportunities associated with these materials.     

Decision rules for determining terrestrial movement and the consequences for filtering high-resolution global positioning system tracks: a case study using the African lion (Panthera leo)

The combined use of global positioning system (GPS) technology and motion sensors within the discipline of movement ecology has increased over recent years. This is particularly the case for instrumented wildlife, with many studies now opting to record parameters at high (infra-second) sampling frequencies. However, the detail with which GPS loggers can elucidate fine-scale movement depends on the precision and accuracy of fixes, with accuracy being affected by signal reception. We hypothesized that animal behaviour was the main factor affecting fix inaccuracy, with inherent GPS positional noise (jitter) being most apparent during GPS fixes for non-moving locations, thereby producing disproportionate error during rest periods. A movement-verified filtering (MVF) protocol was constructed to compare GPS-derived speed data with dynamic body acceleration, to provide a computationally quick method for identifying genuine travelling movement. This method was tested on 11 free-ranging lions (Panthera leo) fitted with collar-mounted GPS units and tri-axial motion sensors recording at 1 and 40 Hz, respectively. The findings support the hypothesis and show that distance moved estimates were, on average, overestimated by greater than 80% prior to GPS screening. We present the conceptual and mathematical protocols for screening fix inaccuracy within high-resolution GPS datasets and demonstrate the importance that MVF has for avoiding inaccurate and biased estimates of movement.     

Enhancement of Spatial Sound Quality: A New Reverberation-Extraction Audio Upmixer

A system for the extraction of uncorrelated reverberation from two-channel (stereo) audio signals is proposed and evaluated. Applications for the new system vary from surround-sound multichannel loudspeaker upmixers for home-theater or automotive audio systems, to headphone-based auralization for enhancing the spatial sound quality of a listening experience. The new system uses the normalized-least-mean-square (NLMS) algorithm to equalize the two input signals with respect to both spectral magnitude and phase before differencing to remove correlated components. A theoretical model of the system based on a stochastic room impulse response model was validated by empirical measurements made in a reverberant hall with a microphone pair, and from a formal subjective evaluation the system is shown to be an effective approach to extracting reverberation from audio recordings.     

Reading speech and hearing print: Constraining models of visual word recognition by exploring connections with speech perception.

Current models of reading and speech perception differ widely in their assumptions regarding the interaction of orthographic and phonological information during language perception. The present experiments examined this interaction through a 2-alternative, forced-choice paradigm, and explored the nature of the connections between graphemic and phonemic processing subsystems. Exps 1 and 2 demonstrated a facilitation-dominant influence (i.e., benefits exceed costs) of graphemic contexts on phoneme discrimination, which is interpreted as a sensitivity effect. Exps 3 and 4 demonstrated a symmetrical influence (i.e., benefits equal costs) of phonemic contexts on grapheme discrimination, which can be interpreted as either a bias effect, or an equally facilitative/inhibitory sensitivity effect. General implications for the functional architecture of language processing models are discussed, as well as specific implications for models of visual word recognition and speech perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Technology adoption in the BIM implementation for lean architectural practice

Justification for researchThe construction companies are facing barriers and challenges in BIM adoption as there is no clear guidance or best practice studies from which they can learn and build up their capacity for BIM use in order to increase productivity, efficiency, quality, and to attain competitive advantages in the global market and to achieve the targets in environmental sustainability.

Purpose

This paper aims to explain a comprehensive and systemic evaluation and assessment of the relevant BIM technologies as part of the BIM adoption and implementation to demonstrate how efficiency gains have been achieved towards a lean architectural practice.Design/methodology/approachThe research is undertaken through a KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) project between the University of Salford and the John McCall Architects based in Liverpool, which is an SME (Small Medium Enterprise). The overall aim of KTP is to develop a lean design practice through the BIM adoption and implementation. The overall BIM implementation approach uses a socio-technical view in which it does not only consider the implementation of technology but also considers the socio-cultural environment that provides the context for its implementation. The technology adoption methodology within the BIM implementation approach is the action research oriented qualitative and quantitative research for discovery, comparison, and experimentation as the KTP project with JMA provides an environment for “learning by doing”.

Findings

Research has proved that BIM technology adoption should be undertaken with a bottom-up approach rather than top-down approach for successful change management and dealing with the resistance to change. As a result of the BIM technology adoption, efficiency gains are achieved through the piloting projects and the design process is improved through the elimination of wastes and value generation.

Originality/value

Successful BIM adoption needs an implementation strategy. However, at operational level, it is imperative that professional guidelines are required as part of the implementation strategy. This paper introduces a systematic approach for BIM technology adoption based on a case study implementation and it demonstrates a guideline at the operational level for other architectural companies of architectural practices.