Sub- and Supra-Second Timing in Auditory Perception: Evidence for Cross-Domain Relationships

Previous studies indicate that there are at least two levels of temporal processing: the sub- and supra-second domains. The relationship between these domains remains unclear. The aim of this study was to test whether performance on the sub-second level is related to that on the supra-second one, or whether these two domains operate independently. Participants were 118 healthy adults (mean age = 23 years). The sub-second level was studied with a temporal-order judgment task and indexed by the Temporal Order Threshold (TOT), on which lower values corresponded to better performance. On the basis of TOT results, the initial sample was classified into two groups characterized by either higher temporal efficiency (HTE) or lower temporal efficiency (LTE). Next, the efficiency of performance on the supra-second level was studied in these two groups using the subjective accentuation task, in which participants listened to monotonous sequences of beats and were asked to mentally accentuate every n-th beat to create individual rhythmic patterns. The extent of temporal integration was assessed on the basis of the number of beats being united and better performance corresponded to longer units. The novel results are differences between groups in this temporal integration. The HTE group integrated beats in significantly longer units than did the LTE group. Moreover, for tasks with higher mental load, the HTE group relied more on a constant time strategy, whereas the LTE group relied more on mental counting, probably because of less efficient temporal integration. These findings provide insight into associations between sub- and supra-second levels of processing and point to a common time keeping system, which is active independently of temporal domain.

Using a cost-effective approach to increase background ensemble member size within the GSI-based EnVar system for improved radar analyses and forecasts of convective systems

A Valid Time Shifting (VTS) method is explored for the GSI-based ensemble variational (EnVar) system modified to directly assimilate radar reflectivity at convective scales. VTS is a cost-efficient method to increase ensemble size by including subensembles before and after the central analysis time. Additionally, VTS addresses common time and phase model error uncertainties within the ensemble. VTS is examined here for assimilating radar reflectivity in a continuous hourly analysis system for a case study of 1-2 May 2019. The VTS implementation is compared against a 36-member control experiment (ENS-36), to increase ensemble size (3×36 VTS), and as a cost-savings method (3×12 VTS), with time-shifting intervals τ between 15 and 120 min. The 3×36 VTS experiments increased the ensemble spread, with largest subjective benefits in early cycle analyses during convective development. The 3×12 VTS experiments captured analysis with similar accuracy as ENS-36 by the third hourly analysis. Control forecasts launched from hourly EnVar analyses show significant skill increases in 1-h precipitation over ENS-36 out to hour 12 for 3×36 VTS experiments, subjectively attributable to more accurate placement of the convective line. For 3×12 VTS, experiments with τ ≥ 60 min met and exceeded the skill of ENS-36 out to forecast hour 15, with VTS-3×12τ90 maximizing skill. Sensitivity results demonstrate preference to τ = 30–60 min for 3x36 VTS and 60 – 120 min for 3×12 VTS. The best 3×36 VTS experiments add a computational cost of 45-67%, compared to the near tripling of costs when directly increasing ensemble size, while best 3×12 VTS experiments save about 24-41% costs over ENS-36.

Recognizing relationship between groundwater level and hydrological time series (Case study: Ardabil plain)

Two approaches to identify the relation between hydrological time series (rainfall and runoff) and groundwater level (GWL) were used in the Ardabil plain. In this way, Wavelet-entropy measure (WEM) and wavelet transform coherence (WTC) as two approaches of wavelet transform (WT) were used. WEM have been considered as a criterion for the degree of time series fluctuations and WTC present common time-frequency space. In WEM calculation, monthly rainfall, runoff and GWL time series were divided into three different time periods and decomposed to multiple frequent time series and then, the energies of wavelet were calculated for each sub-series. The result showed WEM reduction in rainfall, runoff and GWL. The reduction of WEM presents the natural fluctuations decrease of time series. The reduction of entropy for runoff, rainfall and GWL time series were about 1.58, 1.36 and 29% respectively, it is concluded that fluctuation reduction of hydrological time series has relatively not more effect on the oscillation patterns of GWL signal. In this regard, it could be concluded that the human activities such as water driving from wells can be played main role in the reduction of GWL in Ardabil plain. WTC findings showed that runoff had most coherence (0.9-1) among the hydrological variables with GWL time series in the frequency bands of 4-8 and 8-16 months.

Relay interlayer synchronisation: invariance and stability conditions

In this paper, the existence (invariance) and stability (locally and globally) of relay interlayer synchronisation (RIS) are investigated in a chain of multiplex networks. The local dynamics of the nodes in the symmetric positions layers on both sides of the non-identical middlemost layer(s) are identical. The local and global stability conditions for this synchronisation state are analytically derived based on the master stability function approach and by constructing a suitable Lyapunov function, respectively. We propose an appropriate demultiplexing process for the existence of the RIS state. Then the variational equation transverse to the RIS manifold for demultiplexed networks is derived. In numerical simulations, the impact of interlayer and intralayer coupling strengths, variations of the system parameter in the relay layers and demultiplexing on the emergence of RIS in triplex and pentaplex networks are explored. Interestingly, in this multiplex network, enhancement of RIS is observed when a type of impurity via parameter mismatch in the local dynamics of the nodes is introduced in the middlemost layer. A common time-lag with small amplitude shift between the symmetric positions and central layers plays an important role for the enhancing of relay interlayer synchrony. This analysis improves our understanding of synchronisation states in multiplex networks with nonidentical layers.

Lesson Learned from the Development and Implementation of an Interprofessional Case Learning Project (ICLP)

Interprofessional collaboration is essential for our students’ success in their selected program/s and postgraduate life. These types of experiences have been shown to improve students’ interprofessional competencies - communication skills, teamwork abilities, ethical practices and understanding other team members’ roles and responsibilities; they also can increase their theoretical knowledge acquisition within their discipline. We developed and tested a pedagogical idea, the interprofessional case learning project (ICLP,) that encompassed a multi-disciplinary approach involving biology, chemistry and public health. The goal was to provide students and faculty with the opportunity to experience interprofessional collaborative practices that would encourage questioning, discredit misconception, connect concepts and make inferences, generate new ideas and encourage shared decision making. Feedback indicated that the goals established aligned well with the development of interprofessional competencies. Student engagement with this project lead to in-depth questions beyond the scope of an individual discipline, with resulting impact affecting decisions about coursework, and professional and career development. This project also fostered collaboration between faculty, which promoted creative curriculum development and facilitated the development of scholarship that lead to publications. Our major challenge to this project was time – to pause, reflect and participate individually or as a group. Another challenge was overcoming logistical barriers such as incorporating the ICLP in our courses and scheduling the multi-disciplinary discussion that required a common time and large enough space for everyone.

The Decline of Small Cities: Increased Competition from External Shopping Malls or Long-Term Negative Trends?

We use the entry of 17 external shopping malls in Sweden to investigate how they have affected the performance of incumbent firms located in the city centres of small cities. Estimating a traditional fixed effects regression model while controlling for firm-specific heterogeneity, we find that entry by external shopping malls decreased the labour productivity of incumbent firms in city centres by 5.31%. Revenues decrease by 6.62%, while the reduction in the number of employees (0.45%) is small and not significantly different from zero. However, using time-specific fixed effects to control for common time trends in retailing in small cities, we find that the impact on labour productivity, revenues and the number of employees due to the entry of external shopping malls becomes insignificant. Thus, incumbent firms in small cities have a negative development path mainly due to long-term economic trends, possibly because of the combination of urbanization effects and a lack of local investments.

Partial discharge monitoring using deep neural networks with acoustic emission

The occurrence of partial discharge (PD) indicates failures in electrical equipment. Depending on the equipment and operating conditions, each type of PD has its own acoustic characteristics and a wide frequency spectrum. To detect PD, electrical equipment is often monitored using various sensors, such as microphones, ultrasonic, and transient-earth voltage, whose signals are then analyzed manually by experts using signal processing techniques. This process requires significant expertise and time, both of which are costly. Advancements in machine learning, aim to address this issue by automatically learning a representation of the signal, minimizing the need for expert analysis. To this end, we propose a deep learning-based solution for the automatic detection of PD using airborne sound emission in the audible to the ultrasonic range. As input to our proposed model, we evaluate common time-frequency representations of the acoustic signal, such as short-time Fourier, continuous wavelet transform and Mel spectrograms. The extracted spectrum from the PD signal pulses is used to train and evaluate the proposed deep neural network models for the detection of different types of PD. Compared to the manual process, the automatic solution is seen as beneficial for maintenance processes and measurement technology.

Applying the breaks to non-performing loans in Ghana

PurposeThis paper acknowledges the rising levels of non-performing loans (NPLs) and the consequences associated with such patterns to an emerging economy like Ghana. In theory, one would expect rising NPLs to have a negative impact on an economy, especially regarding credit creation and private sector growth. This research, consistent with empirical literature, constructs a measure of financial market development to investigate its effect on Ghana's NPLs.Design/methodology/approachThe fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) econometric technique is used as a way of addressing common time series identification issues such as endogeneity and serial correlation.FindingsThe study finds that the growth of the financial market has a negative and statistically significant relationship with NPLs in Ghana. Therefore, building a stable financial sector is key to addressing Ghana’s rising rates of NPLs.Practical implicationsApplying the breaks to Ghana's NPLs would involve deepening credit and improving efficiency through good governance. The study suggests that such a mechanism would increase financial sector performance and reduce the growth risks arising from the industry.Originality/valueThe study analyzes the influence of financial market development on the quarterly growth of NPLs in Ghana. Most studies only focus on annual growth of NPLs.

Upstream of hydroclimate extremes : maxima of moisture transport

<p>The prevailing westerly winds provide Europe with an average flow of moisture from the North Atlantic. We document the climatological transport of water vapour across Europe's western border, from the south of the Iberic Peninsula to Northern Scandinavia. Four state-of-the-art reanalyses (NCEP CFSR, JRA 55, MERRA 2 and ERA 5) are confronted to satellite observations (QUIKSCAT and ASCAT) and to radiosoundings (IGRA) from six coastal sites.  Over the datasets' common time range (2000-2011), the agreement is generally good in terms of yearly and monthly fluxes. The satellite products have generally lower values than the rest of the ensemble. Some disparities appear on the vertical. A longer time range (1980-2020) excludes satellite data but allows to detect local increases in moisture transport in the later years.</p><p>Beyond the climatological picture, day to day moisture fluxes present significant fluctuations, both in the dry and wet directions. The variability is consistent between reanalyses and radiosondes but slightly weaker in the satellite data. The fluxes on pressure levels are strongly correlated to their vertically integrated counterpart. We take advantage of the vertical coherence to stratify humidity and wind profiles according to quantiles of integrated moisture transport. The respective role of humidity and wind changes becomes apparent. Wind speed and direction determines the moisture transport more than the humidity field on a short term basis. On the scale of decades, there was no discernable change of circulation. It was moistening that drove the increase in water vapour transport. The effect was disproportionate for higher quantiles as a consequence of the non-linear Clausius-Clapeyron equation.</p>

Management Challenges and Outcomes of Traumatic Brain Injury due to Bear Maul in Tribal Areas of Chhattisgarh, India—Man versus Wild

Objectives Neurosurgeons working in the vicinity of tribal areas face traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases due to bear maul which is on the rise in Chhattisgarh. Most of the literature is focused on the management of maxillofacial injuries. This study intends to describe the challenges in management and outcomes of TBI due to bear maul. Materials and Methods A retrospective review was conducted from May 2018 to April 2020. The patients without TBI were excluded. The variables studied were age, gender, timing and mode of conflict, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at arrival, injury spectrum, hospital stay, the modified Rankin score (MRS), mini mental status examination (MMSE), and surgical site infections (SSI). Results Twenty-eight patients were eligible for analysis. The mean age of presentation was 40.67 ± 13.99 years. There were 23 males (82.15%). Most common time of attack was during dawn (n = 11, 39.28%) followed by dusk (n = 9, 32.14%) and day (n = 8, 28.57%) time. Provoked conflicts were seen in 64.28%. The mean preoperative GCS was 11.07 ± 3.54 and hospital stay was 18.71 ± 9.51 days. Skull fractures were found in 24/28 (85.71%). The mean MRS was 1.67 ± 1.38 at a mean follow-up of 14.53 ± 6.59 months. Favorable outcome (MRS ≤ 2) was seen in 64.28% of patients. The mean MMSE score was 22.28 ± 5.36. Eight patients developed SSI (28.57%). Conclusion Outcomes of TBI due to bear maul depend on preoperative GCS. There are higher incidences of skull fractures and SSI. Humans need to avoid infiltration in wildlife territory to reduce the number of conflicts.