Similar CNV Neurodynamic Patterns between Sub- and Supra-Second Time Perception

In the field of time psychology, the functional significance of the contingent negative variation (CNV) component in time perception and whether the processing mechanisms of sub- and supra-second are similar or different still remain unclear. In the present study, event-related potential (ERP) technology and classical temporal discrimination tasks were used to explore the neurodynamic patterns of sub- and supra-second time perception. In Experiment 1, the standard interval (SI) was fixed at 500 ms, and the comparison interval (CI) ranged from 200 ms to 800 ms. In Experiment 2, the SI was fixed at 2000 ms, and the CI ranged from 1400 ms to 2600 ms. Participants were required to judge whether the CI was longer or shorter than the SI. The ERP results showed similar CNV activity patterns in the two experiments. Specifically, CNV amplitude would be more negative when the CI was longer or closer to the memorized SI. CNV peak latency increased significantly until the CI reached the memorized SI. We propose that CNV amplitude might reflect the process of temporal comparison, and CNV peak latency might represent the process of temporal decision-making. To our knowledge, it is the first ERP task explicitly testing the two temporal scales, sub- and supra-second timing, in one study. Taken together, the present study reveals a similar functional significance of CNV between sub- and supra-second time perception.

ASSESSMENT OF THE GEOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF THE ROAD USING A MOBILE ROAD LABORATORY

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that any complex laboratory equipment requires the appropriate qualifications of staff. A successfully mastered operator training course is sufficient for most standard situations, but does not provide comprehensive ideas about the features of the equipment and software in difficult field conditions, which in turn can cause difficulties in the operation of the device and an increase in the share of subjective decisions in the result. A more complete study of the operation of complex equipment is possible only having practical experience in its operation in different conditions. This article reveals the features of the Geometry complex of the mobile road laboratory KP-514 SMP Highway, which is used to determine the parameters of geometric characteristics, evenness of the coating, the strength of the pavement, and so on. The leading approach to the study of this problem is a descriptive method, which allowed to identify the features of the geometric characteristics of the road. The authors studied in detail the transport interchange on 73 km of the A-290 Novorossiysk - Kerch Strait highway. During the study, it was found that the Geometry module is sufficient to confirm safe traffic conditions and restore lost information about the geometry of the road, since information on the presence and parameters of transition curves is not contained in the description of the route plan. In addition, the authors came to the conclusion that the software settings affect the accuracy of processing the initial path and adjust it using the “comparison interval” parameter of the “setup” window of the Road-PRO software and measuring complex. The materials of the article imply practical significance for university professors in engineering specialties.

Time Dilation Caused by Oddball Serial Position and Pitch Deviancy

When a deviant stimulus is presented within a stream of homogeneous stimuli, its duration tends to be overestimated. Two experiments investigated the effects of oddball serial position and pitch deviancy on perceived duration. In Experiment 1, the oddball method was used, in which an oddball stimulus is embedded in a series of standard stimuli and randomly positioned in each trial. In Experiment 2, the oddball position was stable and its deviancy varied from trial to trial. Musician and nonmusician participants were asked to judge whether the comparison interval was shorter or longer than the standards. The study indicates that for nonmusicians, the duration of an oddball stimulus appears longer than the repeated standard stimuli. Moreover, the oddballs occurring in later positions in the stream of stimuli are perceived to be longer than oddballs occurring in earlier positions in the stream. Also, a higher degree of oddball deviancy results in a greater dilation of perceived duration. In contrast with the results of nonmusicians, there is neither a position nor a deviancy effect with musician participants; the subjective duration remains constant. Several explanations are discussed in order to account for these group differences.

LONG - TERM VARIATIONS IN MACROBENTHOS DIVERSITY AT THE ISTANBUL STRAIT’S (BOSPORUS) OUTLET AREA OF THE BLACK SEA

This work continues a series of studies on deep-water benthos in the Istanbul Strait’s (Bosporus) outlet area of the Black Sea, conducted within the framework of the EU 7th FP project HYPOX (In situ monitoring of oxygen depletion in hypoxic ecosystems of coastal and open seas, and land-locked water bodies) EC Grant 226213. The aim of that study was the analysis of long-term changes in diversity and structure of the benthic fauna inhabiting the depth zone where the oxic/anoxic interface zone meets the sea floor. Time comparison interval covers the period from 1958 to 2010. In general, the diversity or densities of macrozoobenthos were positively related with environmental factors such as sediment, depth and oxygen concentration. Outcome of the long- term environmental degradation period was the loss of diversity. Macrobenthos communities Terebellides stroemi – Amphiura stepanovi and Modiolula phaseolina essentially rebuilt its structure. Unstable hydrodynamics and oxygen depletion are two crucial factors of decrease diversity in T. stroemi – A. stepanovi community. The species composition of M. phaseolina community at the border of the hydrogen sulfide area is distinct from those dwelling in oxic areas of the Black Sea. Living organisms of macrobenthos were not found at the oxygen content near 12 μmol L-1 (160 m). This confirms that oxygen depletion at great depths is the limiting factor of life in the Black Sea. During MSM/15-cruise (2010) was found a large species of the polychaete Sabella pavonina (Savigny, 1822). This species was new record for the Black Sea.

Five-day planetary waves as seen by the Odin satellite and the ground-based Kiruna millimeter wave radiometer in January–March 2005

The signature of five-day planetary waves in ozone and temperature data from the advanced sub-millimeter radiometer aboard the Odin satellite is examined. The period January–March 2005 and heights from 24–56 km are used. We find highest wave amplitudes in both temperature and ozone in the winter hemisphere at 60°N-70°N. The relative phases between ozone and temperature perturbations show the expected antiphase behaviour in the photochemistry-dominated region at about 40 km altitude. We compare the global planetary wave properties from Odin with five-day perturbations in ozone measured by the millimeter wave radiometer in Kiruna (KIMRA, 67°N, 20°E). In the early part of the comparison interval (January–February) at 40 km, we find good correlation between the two in terms of both phase and amplitude of the perturbations. In the latter part of the comparison interval (March) where mean ozone levels are higher, the amplitudes of the ozone five-day perturbations over Kiruna are much higher than the wave amplitudes found using Odin. We conclude that five-day variations in ozone due to planetary waves can be detected by KIMRA in some circumstances, but that other sources of variability dominate at other heights and times. PACS No.: 94.10.Jd

Late Glacial 14C Ages from a Floating, 1382-Ring Pine Chronology

We built a floating, 1382-ring pine chronology covering the radiocarbon age interval of 12,000 to 10,650 BP. Based on the strong rise of Δ14C at the onset of the Younger Dryas (YD) and wiggle-matching of the decadal-scale Δ14C fluctuations, we can anchor the floating chronology to the Cariaco varve chronology. We observe a marine reservoir correction higher than hitherto assumed for the Cariaco site, of up to 650 yr instead of 400 yr, for the full length of the comparison interval. The tree-ring Δ14C shows several strong fluctuations of short duration (a few decades) at 13,800; 13,600; and 13,350 cal BP. The amplitude of the strong Δ14C rise at the onset of the YD is about 40, whereas in the marine data set the signal appears stronger due to a re-adjustment of the marine mixed-layer Δ14C towards the atmospheric level.

Asymmetries in the Discrimination of Musical Intervals: Going Out-of-Tune Is More Noticeable Than Going In-Tune

Listeners were tested on their ability to discriminate "standard" and "comparison" pure-tone musical intervals that differed in size by 20 cents (1/ 5 of an equal-tempered semitone). Some of the intervals were prototypic, equal-tempered perfect fifths (exactly 7 semitones, or 700 cents). Others were mistuned to various degrees (660, 680, 720, or 740 cents). The intervals were melodic (sequential) in Experiments 1 and 2 and harmonic (simultaneous) in Experiment 3. Performance was neither enhanced nor impaired in comparisons that included the prototype. In other words, no "perceptual magnet" or "perceptual anchor" effects were observed. Nonetheless, performance was markedly asymmetric. Regardless of listeners' musical expertise, discrimination was superior when the standard interval was more accurately tuned than the comparison interval (e.g., 700- cent standard, 680-cent comparison), compared with when the comparison was more accurately tuned than the standard (e.g., 680-cent standard, 700-cent comparison).

Stereo Depth Perception Uses First-Order Phase and Second-Order Position Disparities

We examined the nature and variety of cues underlying the use of binocular disparity in depth perception. Stimuli were Gabor patches (Gaussian-windowed sine-wave gratings, 2 cycles deg−1) and horizontal disparities were produced by varying the phase of the carrier grating or the position of the Gaussian envelope (SD=24 min arc), or both. Disparity varied from −180° to +180° of carrier phase (or the positional equivalent) at carrier orientations 0°, 30°, 60° or 90° from vertical. Direction and magnitude of perceived depth were reported in a 2IFC procedure where the comparison interval contained a zero disparity vertical patch. Use of different orientations allowed phase disparity to be distinguished from horizontal position disparity. Two main conditions were tested. (1) In the ‘patch’ condition carrier and envelope disparity varied together, and perceived depth was found to vary monotonically with positional disparity. When carrier disparity was ambivalent (at ±180° phase disparity) or zero (with horizontal orientation) perceived depth followed envelope disparity, showing that 2nd-order (envelope) disparity alone can produce depth. (2) When carrier disparity was varied with the envelope held fixed, perceived depth and discrimination thresholds depended on phase disparity rather than horizontal position disparity, lending support to the phase-based theory of De Angelis, Ohzawa, and Freeman (1995 Perception24 3 – 31). At the larger crossed disparities (−90° to −180°) depth reversed sign, suggesting a role for occlusion cues as well as phase and envelope disparity in stereo depth coding.