Attentional blink modulation during sustained and after discrete lead stimuli presented in three sensory modalities

Previous studies found larger attentional modulation of acoustic blinks during task-relevant than during task-irrelevant acoustic or visual, but not tactile, lead stimuli. Moreover, blink modulation was larger overall during acoustic lead stimuli. The present experiment investigated whether these results reflect modality specificity of attentional blink modulation or effects of continuous stimulation. Participants performed a discrimination and counting task with acoustic, visual, or tactile lead stimuli. Stimuli were presented Sustained or consisted of two short discrete stimuli. The sustained condition replicated previous results. In the discrete condition, blinks were larger during task-relevant than during task-irrelevant stimuli in all groups regardless of lead stimulus modality. Thus, previous results that seemed consistent with modality-specific accounts of attentional blink modulation reflect effects of continuous stimulus input.

Analysis of the free vibration of rectangular plates with central cut-outs using the discrete Ritz method

We present an analysis of the free vibration of plates with internal discontinuities due to central cut-outs. A numerical formulation for a basic L-shaped element which is divided into appropriate sub-domains that are dependent upon the location of the cut-out is used as the basic building element. Trial functions formed to satisfy certain boundary conditions are employed to define the transverse deflection of each sub-domain. Mathematical treatments in terms of the continuities in displacement, slope, moment, and higher derivatives between the adjacent sub-domains are enforced at the interconnecting edges. The energy functional results, from the proper assembly of the coupled strain and kinetic energy contributions of each sub-domain, are minimized via the Ritz procedure to extract the vibration frequencies and. mode shapes of the plates. The procedures are demonstrated by considering plates with central cut-outs that are subjected to two types of boundary conditions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Warranty and discrete preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance actions over the warranty period have an impact on the warranty servicing cost to the manufacturer and the cost to the buyer of fixing failures over the life of the product after the warranty expires. However, preventive maintenance costs money and is worthwhile only when these costs exceed the reduction in other costs. The paper deals with a model to determine when preventive maintenance actions (which rejuvenate the unit) carried out at discrete time instants over the warranty period are worthwhile. The cost of preventive maintenance is borne by the buyer. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Steiner trade spectra of complete partite graphs

The Steiner trade spectrum of a simple graph G is the set of all integers t for which there is a simple graph H whose edges can be partitioned into t copies of G in two entirely different ways. The Steiner trade spectra of complete partite graphs were determined in all but a few cases in a recent paper by Billington and Hoffman (Discrete Math. 250 (2002) 23). In this paper we resolve the remaining cases. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A low-complexity lattice-based low-PAR transmission scheme for DSL channels

This paper presents a new low-complexity multicarrier modulation (MCM) technique based on lattices which achieves a peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) as low as three. The scheme can be viewed as a drop in replacement for the discrete multitone (DMT) modulation of an asymmetric digital subscriber line modem. We show that the lattice-MCM retains many of the attractive features of sinusoidal-MCM, and does so with lower implementation complexity, O(N), compared with DMT, which requires O(N log N) operations. We also present techniques for narrowband interference rejection and power profiling. Simulation studies confirm that performance of the lattice-MCM is superior, even compared with recent techniques for PAR reduction in DMT.

The relationship between the auditory brain-stem response and its reconstructed waveforms following discrete wavelet transformation

Objective: To examine the relationship between the auditory brain-stem response (ABR) and its reconstructed waveforms following discrete wavelet transformation (DWT), and to comment on the resulting implications for ABR DWT time-frequency analysis. Methods: ABR waveforms were recorded from 120 normal hearing subjects at 90, 70, 50, 30, 10 and 0 dBnHL, decomposed using a 6 level discrete wavelet transformation (DWT), and reconstructed at individual wavelet scales (frequency ranges) A6, D6, D5 and D4. These waveforms were then compared for general correlations, and for patterns of change due to stimulus level, and subject age, gender and test ear. Results: The reconstructed ABR DWT waveforms showed 3 primary components: a large-amplitude waveform in the low-frequency A6 scale (0-266.6 Hz) with its single peak corresponding in latency with ABR waves III and V; a mid-amplitude waveform in the mid-frequency D6 scale (266.6-533.3 Hz) with its first 5 waves corresponding in latency to ABR waves 1, 111, V, VI and VII; and a small-amplitude, multiple-peaked waveform in the high-frequency D5 scale (533.3-1066.6 Hz) with its first 7 waves corresponding in latency to ABR waves 1, 11, 111, IV, V, VI and VII. Comparisons between ABR waves 1, 111 and V and their corresponding reconstructed ABR DWT waves showed strong correlations and similar, reliable, and statistically robust changes due to stimulus level and subject age, gender and test ear groupings. Limiting these findings, however, was the unexplained absence of a small number (2%, or 117/6720) of reconstructed ABR DWT waves, despite their corresponding ABR waves being present. Conclusions: Reconstructed ABR DWT waveforms can be used as valid time-frequency representations of the normal ABR, but with some limitations. In particular, the unexplained absence of a small number of reconstructed ABR DWT waves in some subjects, probably resulting from 'shift invariance' inherent to the DWT process, needs to be addressed. Significance: This is the first report of the relationship between the ABR and its reconstructed ABR DWT waveforms in a large normative sample. (C) 2004 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Bazhanov-Stroganov model from 3D approach

We apply a three-dimensional approach to describe a new parametrization of the L-operators for the two-dimensional Bazhanov-Stroganov (BS) integrable spin model related to the chiral Potts model. This parametrization is based on the solution of the associated classical discrete integrable system. Using a three-dimensional vertex satisfying a modified tetrahedron equation, we construct an operator which generalizes the BS quantum intertwining matrix S. This operator describes the isospectral deformations of the integrable BS model.

Ultra-cold fermions in optical lattices

We summarize recent theoretical results for the signatures of strongly correlated ultra-cold fermions in optical lattices. In particular, we focus on collective mode calculations, where a sharp decrease in collective mode frequency is predicted at the onset of the Mott metal-insulator transition; and correlation functions at finite temperature, where we employ a new exact technique that applies the stochastic gauge technique with a Gaussian operator basis.

Automated layout of small lattices using layer diagrams

Good quality concept lattice drawings are required to effectively communicate logical structure in Formal Concept Analysis. Data analysis frameworks such as the Toscana System use manually arranged concept lattices to avoid the problem of automatically producing high quality lattices. This limits Toscana systems to a finite number of concept lattices that have been prepared a priori. To extend the use of formal concept analysis, automated techniques are required that can produce high quality concept lattice drawings on demand. This paper proposes and evaluates an adaption of layer diagrams to improve automated lattice drawing. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.

Convergence analysis of a discrete-time single-unit gradient ICA algorithm

We revisit the one-unit gradient ICA algorithm derived from the kurtosis function. By carefully studying properties of the stationary points of the discrete-time one-unit gradient ICA algorithm, with suitable condition on the learning rate, convergence can be proved. The condition on the learning rate helps alleviate the guesswork that accompanies the problem of choosing suitable learning rate in practical computation. These results may be useful to extract independent source signals on-line.

Neuromuscular-skeletal constraints on the acquisition of skill in a discrete torque production task

The organisation of the human neuromuscular-skeletal system allows an extremely wide variety of actions to be performed, often with great dexterity. Adaptations associated with skill acquisition occur at all levels of the neuromuscular-skeletal system although all neural adaptations are inevitably constrained by the organisation of the actuating apparatus (muscles and bones). We quantified the extent to which skill acquisition in an isometric task set is influenced by the mechanical properties of the muscles used to produce the required actions. Initial performance was greatly dependent upon the specific combination of torques required in each variant of the experimental task. Five consecutive days of practice improved the performance to a similar degree across eight actions despite differences in the torques required about the elbow and forearm. The proportional improvement in performance was also similar when the actions were performed at either 20 or 40% of participants' maximum voluntary torque capacity. The skill acquired during practice was successfully extrapolated to variants of the task requiring more torque than that required during practice. We conclude that while the extent to which skill can be acquired in isometric actions is independent of the specific combination of joint torques required for target acquisition, the nature of the kinetic adaptations leading to the performance improvement in isometric actions is influenced by the neural and mechanical properties of the actuating muscles.