scholarly journals Fractal Analysis of the Long-Term Memory in Precipitation over Bénin (West Africa)

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Medard Noukpo Agbazo ◽  
Gabin Koto N’Gobi ◽  
Eric Alamou ◽  
Basile Kounouhewa ◽  
Abel Afouda

This study analyzed the long-term memory (LTM) in precipitation over Bénin synoptic stations from 1951 to 2010 using the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) method. Results reveal the existence of positive long-term memory characteristic in rainfall field. DFA exponent values are different regarding the concerned synoptic stations, reflecting the effect of geographical position and climate on the LTM. These values were related to the type of climate. The best DFA1-4 method depends on the geographical position of the studied station. However, DFA2 is generally the best in terms of spatial average from DFA1 to DFA4. In Bénin synoptic stations, except the Parakou station, the long-term temporal correlations are systematically the source of multifractality in rainfall. Except Natitingou, the strength of long-term memory characteristic decreases each twenty years in the study period. Considering the fractal approach, our results show that the subperiod 1991–2010 is not really a transition period as shown before. Thus, the drought is prolonging until 2010. So, fractal theory reveals more Bénin climatic characteristics.

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (18) ◽  
pp. 5021-5029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuhua Zhu ◽  
Klaus Fraedrich ◽  
Zhengyu Liu ◽  
Richard Blender

Abstract Climate forecast skills are evaluated for surface temperature time series at grid points of a millennium control simulation from a state-of-the-art global circulation model [ECHAM5–Max Planck Institute Ocean Model (MPI-OM)]. First, climate predictability is diagnosed in terms of potentially predictable variance fractions and the fluctuation power-law exponent (using detrended fluctuation analysis). Long-term memory (LTM) with a fluctuation exponent (or Hurst exponent) close to 0.9 occurs mainly in high-latitude oceans, which are also characterized by high potential predictability. Next, explicit prediction experiments for various time steps are conducted on a gridpoint basis using an autocorrelation predictor. In regions with LTM, prediction skills are beyond that expected from red noise persistence—exceptions occur in some areas in the southern oceans and over the Northern Hemisphere continents. Extending the predictability analysis to the fully forced simulation shows a large improvement in prediction skills.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. Potter

AbstractRapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of words or pictured scenes provides evidence for a large-capacity conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) that momentarily provides rich associated material from long-term memory, permitting rapid chunking (Potter 1993; 2009; 2012). In perception of scenes as well as language comprehension, we make use of knowledge that briefly exceeds the supposed limits of working memory.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607


2011 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muriel Fanget ◽  
Catherine Thevenot ◽  
Caroline Castel ◽  
Michel Fayol

In this study, we used a paradigm recently developed ( Thevenot, Fanget, & Fayol, 2007 ) to determine whether 10-year-old children solve simple addition problems by retrieval of the answer from long-term memory or by calculation procedures. Our paradigm is unique in that it does not rely on reaction times or verbal reports, which are known to potentially bias the results, especially in children. Rather, it takes advantage of the fact that calculation procedures degrade the memory traces of the operands, so that it is more difficult to recognize them when they have been involved in the solution of an addition problem by calculation rather than by retrieval. The present study sharpens the current conclusions in the literature and shows that, when the sum of addition problems is up to 10, children mainly use retrieval, but when it is greater than 10, they mainly use calculation procedures.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márk Molnár ◽  
Roland Boha ◽  
Balázs Czigler ◽  
Zsófia Anna Gaál

This review surveys relevant and recent data of the pertinent literature regarding the acute effect of alcohol on various kinds of memory processes with special emphasis on working memory. The characteristics of different types of long-term memory (LTM) and short-term memory (STM) processes are summarized with an attempt to relate these to various structures in the brain. LTM is typically impaired by chronic alcohol intake but according to some data a single dose of ethanol may have long lasting effects if administered at a critically important age. The most commonly seen deleterious acute effect of alcohol to STM appears following large doses of ethanol in conditions of “binge drinking” causing the “blackout” phenomenon. However, with the application of various techniques and well-structured behavioral paradigms it is possible to detect, albeit occasionally, subtle changes of cognitive processes even as a result of a low dose of alcohol. These data may be important for the consideration of legal consequences of low-dose ethanol intake in conditions such as driving, etc.


Author(s):  
Ian Neath ◽  
Jean Saint-Aubin ◽  
Tamra J. Bireta ◽  
Andrew J. Gabel ◽  
Chelsea G. Hudson ◽  
...  

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