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Weighting of cues to categorization of song versus speech in tone-language and non-tone-language speakers
Get PDFOne of the most important auditory categorization tasks a listener faces is determining a sound's domain, a process which is a prerequisite for successful within-domain categorization tasks such as recognizing different speech sounds or musical tones. Speech and song are universal in human cultures: how do listeners categorize a sequence of words as belonging to one or the other of these domains? There is growing interest in the acoustic cues that distinguish speech and song, but it remains unclear whether there are cross-cultural differences in the evidence upon which listeners rely when making this fundamental perceptual categorization. Here we use the speech-to-song illusion, in which some spoken phrases perceptually transform into song when repeated, to investigate cues to this domain-level categorization in native speakers of tone languages (Mandarin and Cantonese speakers residing in the United Kingdom and China) and in native speakers of a non-tone language (English). We find that native tone-language and non-tone-language listeners largely agree on which spoken phrases sound like song after repetition, and we also find that the strength of this transformation is not significantly different across language backgrounds or countries of residence. Furthermore, we find a striking similarity in the cues upon which listeners rely when perceiving word sequences as singing versus speech, including small pitch intervals, flat within-syllable pitch contours, and steady beats. These findings support the view that there are certain widespread cross-cultural similarities in the mechanisms by which listeners judge if a word sequence is spoken or sung
The Ferroxidase centre of Escherichia coli Bacterioferritin plays a key role in the reductive mobilisation of the mineral iron core
Get PDFFerritins are multimeric cage‐forming proteins that play a crucial role in cellular iron homeostasis. All H‐chain‐type ferritins harbour a diiron site, the ferroxidase centre, at the centre of a 4 α–helical bundle, but bacterioferritins are unique in also binding 12 hemes per 24meric assembly. The ferroxidase centre is known to be required for the rapid oxidation of Fe2+ during deposition of an immobilised ferric mineral core within the protein’s hollow interior. In contrast, the heme of bacterioferritin is required for the efficient reduction of the mineral core during iron release, but has little effect on the rate of either oxidation or mineralisation of iron. Thus, the current view is that these two cofactors function in iron uptake and release, respectively, with no functional overlap. However, rapid electron transfer between the heme and ferroxidase centre of bacterioferritin from Escherichia coli was recently demonstrated, suggesting that the two cofactors may be functionally connected. Here we report absorbance and (magnetic) circular dichroism spectroscopies, together with in vitro assays of iron‐release kinetics, which demonstrate that the ferroxidase centre plays an important role in the reductive mobilisation of the bacterioferritin mineral core, which is dependent on the heme‐ferroxidase centre electron transfer pathway
Following Laura Marcus: from autobiography to testimony
Get PDFThe publication of Laura Marcus’s Auto/biographical Discourses: Criticism, Theory, Practice (1994) coincided with a conference that I co-organised with her called ‘Modernity, Culture and “the Jew”’ (1994). We both expected the conference to be a modest event, but it turned out to be over-subscribed with many hundreds in attendance. In the light of our conference, my essay explores some of the reasons why the 1990s was thought of as an ‘age of testimony’ which is addressed in Auto/biographical Discourses and subsequent essays by Laura. The essay will then compare the playfulness of the autobiographical genre with the ethical seriousness of Holocaust testimonies and slave narratives. At the heart of the essay is Laura’s conceptualisation of autobiography and its connections with those who write testimonial memoirs in extremis
A thermoregulation model based on the physical and physiological characteristics of Chinese elderly
Get PDFGiven the increasing aging population and rising living standards in China, developing an accurate and straightforward thermoregulation model for the elderly has become increasingly essential. To address this need, an existing one-segment four-node thermoregulation model for the young was selected as the base model. This study developed the base model considering age-related physical and physiological changes to predict mean skin temperatures of the elderly. Measured data for model optimization were collected from 24 representative healthy Chinese elderly individuals (average age: 67 years). The subjects underwent temperature step changes between neutral and warm conditions with a temperature range of 25–34˚C. The model’s demographic representation was first validated by comparing the subjects’ physical characteristics with Chinese census data. Secondly, sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the influences of passive system parameters on skin and core temperatures and adjustments were implemented using measurement or literature data specific to the Chinese elderly. Thirdly, the active system was modified by resetting the body temperature set points. The active parameters to control thermoregulation activities were further optimized using the TPE (Tree-structured Parzen Estimator) hyperparameter tuning method. The model’s accuracy was further verified using independent experimental data for a temperature range of 18–34˚C for Chinese elderly. By comprehensively considering age-induced thermal response changes, the proposed model has potential applications in designing and optimizing thermal management systems in buildings, as well as informing energy-efficient strategies tailored to the specific needs of the Chinese elderly population
Age, not autism, influences multisensory integration of speech stimuli among adults in a McGurk/MacDonald paradigm
Get PDFDifferences between autistic and non-autistic individuals in perception of the temporal relationships between sights and sounds are theorized to underlie difficulties in integrating relevant sensory information. These, in turn, are thought to contribute to problems with speech perception and higher level social behaviour. However, the literature establishing this connection often involves limited sample sizes and focuses almost entirely on children. To determine whether these differences persist into adulthood, we compared 496 autistic and 373 non-autistic adults (aged 17 to 75 years). Participants completed an online version of the McGurk/MacDonald paradigm, a multisensory illusion indicative of the ability to integrate audiovisual speech stimuli. Audiovisual asynchrony was manipulated, and participants responded both to the syllable they perceived (revealing their susceptibility to the illusion) and to whether or not the audio and video were synchronized (allowing insight into temporal processing). In contrast with prior research with smaller, younger samples, we detected no evidence of impaired temporal or multisensory processing in autistic adults. Instead, we found that in both groups, multisensory integration correlated strongly with age. This contradicts prior presumptions that differences in multisensory perception persist and even increase in magnitude over the lifespan of autistic individuals. It also suggests that the compensatory role multisensory integration may play as the individual senses decline with age is intact. These findings challenge existing theories and provide an optimistic perspective on autistic development. They also underline the importance of expanding autism research to better reflect the age range of the autistic population
Why consumers have impulsive purchase behavior in live streaming: the role of the streamer
Get PDFTo explore the influencing factors of consumers' impulsive purchase behavior in live streaming, based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework, we construct the model of how streamers influence consumers' impulsive purchase behavior by consulting literature. Collected data by means of a questionnaire, and made an empirical study by using the structural equation model to explore the mechanism of streamer affecting consumers' impulsive purchase behavior. The results show that streamer characteristics (personal charisma, professionalism) and streamer performance (interactivity, entertainment) affect consumers' impulsive purchase behavior by affecting consumers' trust and flow experience. The empirical results have important theoretical and practical significance
Does urbanisation lead to parallel demographic shifts across the world in a cosmopolitan plant?
Get PDFUrbanisation is occurring globally, leading to dramatic environmental changes that are altering the ecology and evolution of species. In particular, the expansion of human infrastructure and the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats in cities is predicted to increase genetic drift and reduce gene flow by reducing the size and connectivity of populations. Alternatively, the ‘urban facilitation model’ suggests that some species will have greater gene flow into and within cities leading to higher diversity and lower differentiation in urban populations. These alternative hypotheses have not been contrasted across multiple cities. Here, we used the genomic data from the GLobal Urban Evolution project (GLUE), to study the effects of urbanisation on non‐adaptive evolutionary processes of white clover (Trifolium repens) at a global scale. We found that white clover populations presented high genetic diversity and no evidence of reduced Ne linked to urbanisation. On the contrary, we found that urban populations were less likely to experience a recent decrease in effective population size than rural ones. In addition, we found little genetic structure among populations both globally and between urban and rural populations, which showed extensive gene flow between habitats. Interestingly, white clover displayed overall higher gene flow within urban areas than within rural habitats. Our study provides the largest comprehensive test of the demographic effects of urbanisation. Our results contrast with the common perception that heavily altered and fragmented urban environments will reduce the effective population size and genetic diversity of populations and contribute to their isolation
Zerox machine: punk, post-punk and fanzines in Britain, 1976-88
No full textZerox Machine is an immersive journey through the vibrant history of British punk and its associated fanzines from 1976 to 1988. Drawing on an extensive range of previously unpublished materials sourced from private collections across the United Kingdom, Matthew Worley describes and analyses this transformative era, providing an intimate glimpse into the hopes and anxieties that shaped a generation. Far more than a showcase of covers, Zerox Machine examines the fanzines themselves, offering a rich tapestry of first-hand accounts, personal stories, and subcultural reflections. With meticulous research and insightful analysis, this book captures the spirit and essence of British youth culture, shedding new light on a pivotal movement in music history and offering a unique alternative history of Britain in the 1970s and '80s
Insect declines: an exploration of diversity in trends and traits through time
Get PDFBiodiversity is undergoing rapid transformation due to human activities, and yet
healthy, biodiverse systems are essential for humankind. Although evidence is lacking
for most parts of the world and many species groups, the evidence we do have for
biodiversity change shows that not only are vulnerable species disappearing at
unprecedented rates, but the abundance of what were once common species is
declining. This is potentially disrupting the processes on which the functioning of
ecosystems relies. Insects and other arthropods are diverse organisms that are
essential for providing ecosystem functions and are under threat from an array of
environmental pressures. Yet, the scope of declines and their wider impacts are not
fully understood. In this thesis, I aim to address knowledge gaps around the extent of
insect declines and the relationship between insect abundance, diversity, and
ecosystem functions, by focussing on functional traits. Chapter 1 introduces the
current literature around the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function
and the recent exploding interest in insect declines, pointing out the major sources of
controversy in this area. In Chapter 2, I explore how the abundance of freshwater insects
and other invertebrates has changed over time in England. I reveal heterogeneity in
trends amongst different taxa, trophic groups and across different river systems,
warning against sweeping statements of declines. In Chapter 3, I investigate how
environmental pressures impact insect communities, quantifying change in abundance
and biomass of Diptera under intensive agriculture in Québec, Canada. Chapter 4
expands on this, using theoretical relationships between body size, population size and
the number of species to predict declines in the number and population sizes of large
species and a positive impact on small species of Diptera. Chapter 5 demonstrates that
diversity in functional traits, such as body size, can contribute to resilience in insect
communities by being positively associated with population asynchrony. In Chapter 6,
I predict how functional diversity described by trait spaces has changed over the past
few decades under abundance change for a variety of insect taxa in the UK. The final
chapter summarises the key findings and presents thoughts on the direction of future
research and conservation actions. Overall, the thesis extends our understanding of the
consequences of insect declines, imparting evidence that links environmental drivers
of biodiversity change through to the undermining of long-term functional resilience