Effects of addiction-associated and affective stimuli on the attentional blink in a sample of abstinent opiate dependent patients

The attentional blink reveals the limits of the brain's ability in information processing. It has been extensively studied in people with neurological and psychiatric disturbances to explore the temporal characteristics of information processing and exami

One style does not fit all

The different types of outsourcing and the management requirements for each of them are discussed. An outsourcing has a high strategic importance to the buying company when it is aligned with the organization's long term strategies and when its results are either positive or negative. Functional outsourcings are characterized by both low strategic importance and financial impact, and the products/services that fall in this category belong to support activities which are highly standardized. Leverage outsourcings are those that have a low strategic importance, but high financial impact to the outsourcer, and they concentrate on operational aspects, leaving strategic issues.

Empathy for pain involves the affective but not sensory components of pain.

Our ability to have an experience of another's pain is characteristic of empathy. Using functional imaging, we assessed brain activity while volunteers experienced a painful stimulus and compared it to that elicited when they observed a signal indicating that their loved one--present in the same room--was receiving a similar pain stimulus. Bilateral anterior insula (AI), rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), brainstem, and cerebellum were activated when subjects received pain and also by a signal that a loved one experienced pain. AI and ACC activation correlated with individual empathy scores. Activity in the posterior insula/secondary somatosensory cortex, the sensorimotor cortex (SI/MI), and the caudal ACC was specific to receiving pain. Thus, a neural response in AI and rostral ACC, activated in common for "self" and "other" conditions, suggests that the neural substrate for empathic experience does not involve the entire "pain matrix." We conclude that only that part of the pain network associated with its affective qualities, but not its sensory qualities, mediates empathy.

A VSLMS Style Tap-length Learning Algorithm for Structure Adaptation

Compared with the ordinary adaptive filter, the variable-length adaptive filter is more efficient (including smaller., lower power consumption and higher computational complexity output SNR) because of its tap-length learning algorithm, which is able to dynamically adapt its tap-length to the optimal tap-length that best balances the complexity and the performance of the adaptive filter. Among existing tap-length algorithms, the LMS-style Variable Tap-Length Algorithm (also called Fractional Tap-Length Algorithm or FT Algorithm) proposed by Y.Gong has the best performance because it has the fastest convergence rates and best stability. However, in some cases its performance deteriorates dramatically. To solve this problem, we first analyze the FT algorithm and point out some of its defects. Second, we propose a new FT algorithm called 'VSLMS' (Variable Step-size LMS) Style Tap-Length Learning Algorithm, which not only uses the concept of FT but also introduces a new concept of adaptive convergence slope. With this improvement the new FT algorithm has even faster convergence rates and better stability. Finally, we offer computer simulations to verify this improvement.

Optimization of Global Signal Networks for Island-Style FPGAs

We present a staggered buffer connection method that provides flexibility for buffer insertion while designing global signal networks using the tile-based FPGA design methodology. An exhaustive algorithm is used to analyze the trade-off between area and speed of the global signal networks for this staggered buffer insertion scheme, and the criterion for determining the design parameters is presented. The comparative analytic result shows that the methods in this paper are proven to be more efficient for FPGAs with a large array size.

SR型野外人工模拟降雨装置

SR型人工降雨装置是一种多喷头、多单元组合式的间歇降雨装置。选用目前国内外较理想的喷头 ,在喷头处辅以可改变喷头降水方式的机械传动装置 ,以间歇方式降雨来满足其降雨强度 ,雨滴直径大小及其分布与自然降雨相似。每个单元的有效降雨面积为 2 m× 5 m;如果 4个单元组合成 ,其长度可增加 4倍 ,有效降雨面积即 2 m× 2 0 m。装置采用轻型铝合金材料制成 ,结构简单 ,易于安装拆卸 ,适用于野外工作。

社会发展与中国人人格变迁——控制测验理论与工具的变异后不同时期的中国人人格差异研究

In non-western society，researches on social development and personality change focused on economic development and social modernization. The present study is aimed at exploring the relationship between the social transformation and personality changes of Chinese people by using so-called indigenous personality measurement of CPAI (Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory). Meanwhile, the influence of CPAI measurement itself and measurement theory were also taken into consideration. In study 1, two sets of CPAI data collected in a 10 year interval were analyzed. At the same time, the CPAI-2 data was analyzed in terms of modernization level of various cities from which the data were collected. However, this study didn’t consider the importance of “equivalence” of the measurement, CPAI. In study 2, we detected DIF (Differential item functioning) across the different period groups to confirm if CPAI was equal to people in different period. In this process, both CTT and IRT method were used. The outcome reminded us that there were some DIF items. In study 3, to make sure that the personality measurement is fair to people in different period, we only saved those items whose DIF effect size lower than 0.01, and used IRT method to estimate test-taker’s personality. Then, cohort analysis was used to explore the pattern of personality change of Chinese people. In study 4, we factor-analyzed the DIF items to find the relation between social transformation and the latent personality variable which were composed of DIF items. From these 4 studies, we could got the following conclusions: (1) The CPAI 22 traits could be divided into two categories, with the changing of age, period and cohort, type I traits didn’t change, they were Logical vs Affective Orientation, Enterprise, Responsibility, Inferiority vs Self-Acceptance, Optimism vs Pessimism, Face, Family, Defensive, Graciousness vs Meanness; While with the changing of age, period and cohort, type II traits changed, they were Leadership, Self vs. Social Orientation, Veraciousness vs Slickness, Traditionalism vs Modernity, Harmony, Renqing, Meticulousness, Extraversion vs Introversion, Emotionality, Practical Mindedness, Internal vs External Locus of Control, Thrift vs Extravagance, Discipline. Meanwhile DIF items measured 5 psychologycial characteristics which changed greatly with the changing of age, period and cohort, they were Life attitude of Cynicism-realism, Psychological maladjustment, Coping style of Waiyuanneifang, Self-efficacy, the value of Individualism. (2) In sum, Chinese people in 1992 were more traditional than those in 2001, and with the 10-year of rapid development, according to the market economy’s needs, Chinese people became more individualism. (3) The DIF method of CTT and IRT were comparable. But, in generally, IRT method was more accurate and valid in detecting DIF as were as estimating personality. (4) The DIF outcomes showed that CPAI had good item validity. Meanwhile, it’s possible to develop a subscale by using CPAI items to assess some psychological characteristics. In this current study, according to their stability and variability, we could divided personality traits and psychological characteristics into 3 categories, and the outcome supported the hypothesis of “Six Factor Model”, these foundings were of some theoretic meanings. Meanwhile, as the relation between social development and personality change being explored, it certain help Chinese people cope with the rapid changing society. In this study, we also found that it’s possible to develop a subscale by using CPAI items to assess obverse personality traits and it had some practical use. Furthermore, the use of different measurement theory and cohort analysis embodied some innovation in methodology.

Dealing with affective needs in e-learning: Contrasting two cases in two cultures.

This chapter presents and contrasts descriptions of two cases of online affective support provided to support students engaged in higher level learning tasks. The cases are set in different cultures, centre upon different intended learning outcomes, and follow different tutorial styles. One (Eastern) tutor acted as a “shepherd leader” in response to needs arising in the Confucian Heritage Culture as the teacher promoted critical thinking, according to the Western model. The other (Western) tutor provided Rogerian facilitation of reflective learning journals, kept by students seeking to develop personal and professional capabilities. In both styles, affective support features strongly. The cultural and pedagogical comparisons between the cases have proved useful to the writers. These distinctions together with the similarities between the two online styles emerge in the comparisons. Keywords: affective needs, asynchronous discussion, Confucian Heritage Culture, constructivism, critical thinking, facilitation, reflection, reflective learning journals, Rogerian, shepherd leadership, social-constructivist, student-centred, support.

An impression of home: player nostalgia and the impulse to explore game worlds

This is the accepted version of the paper following peer review.

Dynamics of learner affective development in early FLL

Affective learner factors were first considered as a cause of success in language learning. This was followed by a change in approach and recently authors (e.g., Edelenbos, Johnstone, & Kubanek, 2006) have considered them an important outcome, especially in early foreign language learning (FLL). Current research into affective learner factors in early FLL tries to catch the developmental aspects too, and studies are emerging that take a contextual view as well. This paper describes a study on affective characteristics of young FL learners that combines the developmental and contextual perspectives. Using the case study methodology the author analyses the affective profiles of three young learners of English as a foreign language who were followed for 4 years. The analyses are done taking into account their immediate language learning environment, home support, out-of-school exposure to English and language achievement. The findings suggest that affective learner factors contribute to the dynamic complexity of early FLL.

Análise Biográfica, do Estilo de Vinculação e da Personalidade, em Indivíduos com História de Abuso de Substâncias e Condutas Delinquentes

Tese de Doutoramento apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Ciências Sociais.

Automatic detection of learner-style for adaptive eLearning

The advent of modern wireless technologies has seen a shift in focus towards the design and development of educational systems for deployment through mobile devices. The use of mobile phones, tablets and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) is steadily growing across the educational sector as a whole. Mobile learning (mLearning) systems developed for deployment on such devices hold great significance for the future of education. However, mLearning systems must be built around the particular learner’s needs based on both their motivation to learn and subsequent learning outcomes. This thesis investigates how biometric technologies, in particular accelerometer and eye-tracking technologies, could effectively be employed within the development of mobile learning systems to facilitate the needs of individual learners. The creation of personalised learning environments must enable the achievement of improved learning outcomes for users, particularly at an individual level. Therefore consideration is given to individual learning-style differences within the electronic learning (eLearning) space. The overall area of eLearning is considered and areas such as biometric technology and educational psychology are explored for the development of personalised educational systems. This thesis explains the basis of the author’s hypotheses and presents the results of several studies carried out throughout the PhD research period. These results show that both accelerometer and eye-tracking technologies can be employed as an Human Computer Interaction (HCI) method in the detection of student learning-styles to facilitate the provision of automatically adapted eLearning spaces. Finally the author provides recommendations for developers in the creation of adaptive mobile learning systems through the employment of biometric technology as a user interaction tool within mLearning applications. Further research paths are identified and a roadmap for future of research in this area is defined.