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This study examines the human gloss perception of printing papers at various illuminances and distances from a light source to the object's surface. Gloss is evaluated based on not only the intensity of reflected light but also the sharpness of specular highlights. The apparent spread of the reflected light source image, which is also used for gloss evaluations, depends on the distance between the light source and the object's surface. Unlike physical variation of specular image properties, the perception of gloss may exhibit constancy similar to color perception. Our results reveal that illuminance has a strong effect on gloss perception. We found cases where low-gloss samples looked glossier than high-gloss ones-the gloss reversal phenomenon. These results suggest that there is a case in which gloss constancy may not work in every condition.

One function of the central executive component of the working memory model is the coordination of two simultaneous tasks (the dual-task method). The concept of a coordination function has proved effective in identifying brain damaged patients with severe behavioural problems and in discriminating the performance of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease from that of healthy elderly. A computerised version of the dual-task method was successfully used in previous laboratory studies but it is not suited to use in a practical, clinical setting. Thus a paper and pencil version of the dual-task method was devised. The present study was aimed at refining the paper and pencil dual-task method; investigating whether or not age per se affects performance; assessing its test-retest reliability and providing norms for the Georgian population. The new paper and pencil version of the dual-task was administered to 64 young and 64 middle-age and elderly participants. A new, modified, simpler version of the paper and pencil dual-task, the "Tbilisi paper and pencil motor task" was developed. This task has high test-retest reliability and correlates with the established computerised version of the task. No age or education effects were detected.

Examined--by means of a Starkiewicz's hand localizer--were 170 right-hand workers of a paper factory working in conditions of excessive noise and high temperature of the surroundings. Analyzed were 140 persons tested 4 times in the period of each production shift (6.00-14.00; 14.00-22.00, and 22.00-6.00). The analysis showed the maximal efficacy of the visual function of the hand localization in the range of the right-hand and in the course of the night shift in both age groups.

A new measure of selective attention was presented to 259 normal volunteers. The test was derived from earlier work which emphasized the importance of controlling the distracting conditions using a selective-attention paradigm. In the present study a paper-and-pencil, digit-cancellation format was introduced and the data documented a significant dissociation between tasks analogous to controlled search and automatic detection, two theoretically important aspects of selective attention. Presented is a discussion of similarities and differences of the new measure and classical methods of discriminating between controlled search and automatic detection and the potential significance of this discrimination in clinical neuropsychological investigations.

Kok (1986) investigated why P3 amplitudes are reduced when stimuli are degraded. He proposed that a positive moment-related component might overlap P3 after intact stimuli and a negative one after degraded stimuli ("MRP overlap" hypothesis). Discussing his findings, it is suggested that MRP overlap can only account for the result if another overlap hypothesis ("nogo overlap") is added. But even this combined hypothesis cannot explain reducing effects of degradation found in other paradigms. While other overlap hypotheses have been proposed in the literature, the most parsimonious hypothesis is to assume that P3 itself gets smaller after degraded stimuli.

The attribution of status carries significant social and reproductive advantages as it reflects individual qualities. However, the traits conveyed and those perceived do not always align with reality. It is crucial to understand how the status associated with different professions can influence the perception of traits, as it assists in decision-making during social interactions. This study aimed to investigate whether the status derived from university education influences the assessment of social status, mate value and personality traits among Brazilians. A quasi-experimental design with nonrandom assignment was used, employing online questionnaires administered through Google Forms. A total of 252 participants, both male and female, over 18 years of age, and residing in Brazil, took part in the study. These participants evaluated the social status, mate value, and personality traits of stimulus subjects with high and low-status university education. The results revealed that stimulus subjects with high-status university education were regarded as possessing higher status in society and scored higher on Dark Triad traits. In contrast, stimulus subjects with low-status university education were perceived as having greater agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness to experiences. In conclusion, university education signals social and personality traits, serving as a parameter to shape social perceptions. • Subjects with high-status backgrounds are rated higher on Dark Triad traits. • Low status indicates greater agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness. • University education serve as an indicator of social and personality traits. • University education affects the perception of the individuals in social hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jigsaw puzzles are ubiquitous developmental toys in Western societies, used here to examine the development of metarepresentation. For jigsaw puzzles this entails understanding that individual pieces, when assembled, produce a picture. In Experiment 1, 3- to 5-year-olds (N = 117) completed jigsaw puzzles that were normal, had no picture, or comprised noninterlocking rectangular pieces. Pictorial puzzle completion was associated with mental and graphical metarepresentational task performance. Guide pictures of completed pictorial puzzles were not useful. In Experiment 2, 3- to 4-year-olds (N = 52) completed a simplified task, to choose the correct final piece. Guide-use associated with age and specifically graphical metarepresentation performance. We conclude that the pragmatically natural measure of jigsaw puzzle completion ability demonstrates general and pictorial metarepresentational development at 4 years., (© 2020 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.)

Purpose: Cyber-attacks that generate technical disruptions in organisational operations and damage the reputation of organisations have become all too common in the contemporary organisation. This paper explores the reputation repair strategies undertaken by organisations in the event of becoming victims of cyber-attacks. Design/methodology/approach: For developing the authors' contribution in the context of the Internet service providers' industry, the authors draw on a qualitative case study of TalkTalk, a British telecommunications company providing business to business (B2B) and business to customer (B2C) Internet services, which was a victim of a "significant and sustained" cyber-attack in October 2015. Data for the enquiry is sourced from publicly available archival documents such as newspaper articles, press releases, podcasts and parliamentary hearings on the TalkTalk cyber-attack. Findings: The findings suggest a dynamic interplay of technical and rhetorical responses in dealing with cyber-attacks. This plays out in the form of marshalling communication and mortification techniques, bolstering image and riding on leader reputation, which serially combine to strategically orchestrate reputational repair and stigma erasure in the event of a cyber-attack. Originality/value: Analysing a prototypical case of an organisation in dire straits following a cyber-attack, the paper provides a systematic characterisation of the setting-in-motion of strategic responses to manage, revamp and ameliorate damaged reputation during cyber-attacks, which tend to negatively shape the evaluative perceptions of the organisation's salient audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rectangularity and perpendicularity of contours are important properties of 3D shape for the visual system and the visual system can use them asa prioriconstraints for perceivingshape veridically. The presentarticle provides a comprehensive review ofpriorstudiesofthe perception of rectangularity and perpendicularity anditdiscussestheir effects on3D shape perception from both theoretical and empiricalapproaches. It has been shown that the visual system is biased to perceive a rectangular 3D shape from a 2D image. We thought that this bias might be attributable to the likelihood of a rectangular interpretation but this hypothesis is not supported by the results of our psychophysical experiment. Note that the perception ofa rectangular shape cannot be explained solely on the basis of geometry. A rectangular shape is perceived from an image that is inconsistent with a rectangular interpretation. To address thisissue, we developed a computational model that can recover a rectangular shape from an image of a parallelopiped. The model allows the recovered shape to be slightly inconsistent so that the recovered shape satisfies the a priori constraints of maximum compactness and minimal surface area. This model captures someof thephenomenaassociated withthe perception of the rectangular shape that were reported inpriorstudies. This finding suggests that rectangularity works for shape perception by incorporatingitwith someadditionalconstraints., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Contour Integration (CI) is the ability to integrate elemental features into objects and is a basic visual process essential for object perception and recognition, and for functioning in visual environments. It is now well documented that people with schizophrenia (SZ), in addition to having cognitive impairments, also have several visual perceptual deficits, including in CI. Here, we retrospectively characterize the performance of both SZ and neurotypical individuals (NT) on a series of contour shapes, made up of Gabor elements, that varied in terms of closure and curvature. Participants in both groups performed a CI training task that included 7 different families of shapes (Lines, Ellipse, Blobs, Squiggles, Spiral, Circle and Letters) for up to 40 sessions. Two parameters were manipulated in the training task: Orientation Jitter (OJ, i.e., orientation deviations of individual Gabor elements from ideal for each shape) and Inducer Number (IN, i.e., number of Gabor elements defining the shape). Results show that both OJ and IN thresholds significantly differed between the groups, with higher (OJ) and lower (IN) thresholds observed in the controls. Furthermore, we found significant effects as a function of the contour shapes, with differences between groups emerging with contours that were considered more complex, e.g., due to having a higher degree of curvature (Blobs, Spiral, Letters). These data can inform future work that aims to characterize visual integration impairments in schizophrenia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Accounting for the complexity of intercultural interactions in highly multicultural-fluid times requires re-imagining of (a) the fundamental constructs that have shaped our perceptions of interculturality and (b) the factors that contribute to smooth functioning in intercultural situations. Researchers' epistemological and methodological positioning can strongly influence the range of findings and interpretations; thus, examining the theoretical stances embraced in papers in a specific geographical context can propel the rigorousness of its scientific research. Many perspectives and theories in intercultural communication scholarship have signalled a shift from national-wide and generalisable perceptions of cultural-communication dyadic relationship towards a consideration of sense-making processes and intersubjectivity. However, some treatments of interculturality still often reproduce, consciously or not, the same preponderant epistemologies that benchmark intercultural interactions as static and essentialist, especially at the inter-individual level. Liquid interculturality, as a postmodernist alternative responsive to the construction of cultures and identities, responds to the non-linearity of intercultural encounters and considers the fluidity of individuals' representations of themselves and other interlocutors. This paper, by highlighting the shift from solid to liquid paradigms in intercultural communication theory and research, seeks to (a) situate and critically reflect on Moroccan intercultural communication scholarship with regards to today's relevant research and (b) clarify how researchers tend to conceptualise intercultural encounters in reference to the theoretical underpinnings of liquid interculturality. Findings revealed that most research methods have been based on solid representations of interculturality with few signs of liquid interculturality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of qualitative research is fundamentally different from quantitative research. In depth understanding and exploration of specific phenomena or their significance usually involve a data collection process with a select few participants with whom the researcher interacts over an extended period of time. The participants are not anonymous to the researcher and they also reveal personal information. Research participants' rights need to be protected, even more so in this type of qualitative work. This chapter discusses how ethical decision-making needs to be ongoing during the research process by applying the principles of respect for persons, beneficence and justice. Respecting research participants, involves addressing issues related to informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality while also reflecting on the researcher's impact on the participant and the research context while the research is carried out and also when the research is disseminated. The second principle of beneficence calls for the researcher to ascertain that participants' safety is given utmost importance. Finally, justice refers to ensuring that the burdens and benefits of research are shared fairly without any form of discrimination or manipulation. These principles offer the researcher flexible tools to reflect on ethical decisions as they arise throughout the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The televisual image has played a key role in the first fifty years of human spaceflight and lunar exploration by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As multiple national space agencies and private entities prepare to return humans once again to the surface of the moon as a precursor to eventual planned missions to Mars, television will continue to deeply shape the perception and politics of human spaceflight. This paper presents a history of the televisual image in human spaceflight through analysis of contemporaneous documentary evidence such as spaceflight transcripts and space agency press kits, with a focus also on the technical developments underpinning the broadcasts. The analysis commences with NASA's Apollo missions of the 1960s through to the International Space Station (ISS) era. These televisual images have deep cultural currency but are also fragile and present moments of risk for the agencies involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrimination in the labor market hinders efficient labor allocation, impeding socio-economic health. With the rapid population aging in China, addressing multifaceted discrimination to enhance labor allocation efficiency emerges as a crucial area of research. To explore the relationship between five types of discrimination (age, gender, hukou, educational background, and occupation) and labor misallocation, this paper based on intersectionality theory, employs the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method to conduct a configurational analysis of data from China. The research findings indicate that none of the five forms of discrimination can be deemed a necessary condition for achieving high-level labor misallocation. The study identifies five distinct pathways of multiple discrimination to form high-level labor misallocation, which can be classified into four interaction modes: age-hukou, gender-hukou, gender-occupation, and age-gender-educational background. Meanwhile, there are four configuration paths for the absence of labor misallocation. This study reveals the intricate mechanisms by which multiple forms of discrimination contribute to labor misallocation in China's labor market, and provides valuable insights for addressing employment discrimination and improving the efficiency of labor allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in New Plant Breeding Techniques have emerged as promising tools for enhancing crop productivity, quality, and resilience in the face of global challenges, such as climate change and food security. However, the successful implementation of these techniques relies also on public acceptance of this innovation. Understanding what shapes public perception and acceptance of New Plant Breeding Techniques is crucial for effective science communication, policymaking, and the sustainable adoption of these innovations. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize existing research on the public perception of New Plant Breeding Techniques applied to food crops and explore the psychosocial determinants that influence acceptance. Twenty papers published between 2015 and 2023 were included on various New Plant Breeding Techniques and their reception by the general public. Determinants affecting the acceptance of food crops derived from New Plant Breeding Techniques were categorized into six areas: sociodemographic factors, perceived benefits and risks, attitudes toward science, communication strategies, personal values, and product characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow has been described as a state of optimal performance, experienced universally across a broad range of domains: from art to athletics, gaming to writing. However, its phenomenal characteristics can, at first glance, be puzzling. Firstly, individuals in flow supposedly report a loss of self-awareness, even though they perform in a manner which seems to evince their agency and skill. Secondly, flow states are felt to be effortless, despite the prerequisite complexity of the tasks that engender them. In this paper, we unpick these features of flow, as well as others, through the active inference framework, which posits that action and perception are forms of active Bayesian inference directed at sustained self-organisation; i.e., the minimisation of variational free energy. We propose that the phenomenology of flow is rooted in the deployment of high precision weight over (i) the expected sensory consequences of action and (ii) beliefs about how action will sequentially unfold. This computational mechanism thus draws the embodied cognitive system to minimise the ensuing (i.e., expected) free energy through the exploitation of the pragmatic affordances at hand. Furthermore, given the challenging dynamics the flowinducing situation presents, attention must be wholly focussed on the unfolding task whilst counterfactual planning is restricted, leading to the attested loss of the sense of self-as-object. This involves the inhibition of both the sense of self as a temporally extended object and higher-order, meta-cognitive forms of self-conceptualisation. Nevertheless, we stress that self-awareness is not entirely lost in flow. Rather, it is pre-reflective and bodily. Our approach to bodily-action-centred phenomenology can be applied to similar facets of seemingly agentive experience beyond canonical flow states, providing insights into the mechanisms of so-called selfless experiences, embodied expertise and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The artificial intelligence required to create self-directed automobiles relies heavily on the capability of precisely perceiving the environment around oneself. Most self-driving automobiles include several detectors, which work together to form a multi-source perception of the surroundings. Extended use of a system that drives autonomously will introduce a variety of worldwide and local failure indications due to the extreme sensitivity of the instruments involved to ambient or environmental situations. These failure indications pose significant risks to the technique's security. The paper presents a real-time information synthesis system incorporating techniques for identifying flaws and accepting faults. The compact connection can be recognized if the qualities mentioned above are provided, and the input information properties may be retrieved in real-time. One way to use the newly introduced method for assessing device reliability is to compute the detectors' worldwide and local degrees of trustworthiness. In order to ensure the precision and dependability of information combination, problem data is filtered out, and monitor duplication is used to assess both the worldwide and local assurance levels of data from sensors at the moment. The chronological and geographic association of data from sensors allows for this. Experimental findings show that the network's algorithms can outperform current techniques in terms of both rapidity and precision and can pinpoint the object's location even when specific sensors are blurry or broken. This research established that the proposed hybrid structure benefits autonomous vehicles' real-time reliability and speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The paper examines preferences for nutritional and health‐related food attributes, the importance placed on intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of food and the individual, household and psychographic determinants when making choices. To address the lack of empirical studies, the paper estimates Poisson, negative binomial and linear regressions using data from 457 young Chinese adults between 18 and 30 years. The results show a strong preference for nutritional and health‐related food attributes. Gender and unemployment are associated with a decrease in the number of nutritional features valued in food choices. In contrast, a higher income and a positive perception of body shape are associated with an increase in the number of valued nutritional features. Also, older individuals assign lower importance to intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics in evaluating food, while larger household size, higher income, and positive body shape perception increase the importance placed on intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics in evaluating food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density dominates current urban discussions, especially in light of still-developing understandings of Covid-19's impact on urban populations. This paper argues that critical scrutiny of visual representations of urban density is both missing from academic focus and critically important for understanding how perceptions of density are both created and reproduced. The political rhetoric of density shapes public perceptions as much as it responds to them, and scrutiny of visual density politics adds a new lens to critical density debates. This research takes the speculative imagery of imagined future density created for a public ballot referendum in Zurich, Switzerland as the main focus, and compares the verbal and written campaign rhetoric to the visual images produced as tools of public persuasion. By assessing the gap between what the campaigns claim and what the campaign imagery represents, the research finds embedded in conventional rhetoric a deep-seated and self-defeating assumption that the electorate unilaterally fears density and the changes it might bring. As a winning electoral strategy assuming fear of density worked; as a tool of persuasion it failed, and risks amplifying or creating the perception it assumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional body classification methods are usually based on three-dimensional human body data. With the development of computer vision technology, two-dimensional (2D) anthropometry technology has garnered a great deal of research attention in the field of anthropometry. This paper presents a body shape classification and discrimination method using 2D images based on computer vision technology. The research included three main parts. (1) Index extraction of body shape classification based on computer vision. The orthogonal 2D human body image information of 362 young female samples was extracted. After normalizing the body height, three body shape classification indexes were separated: the body height pixel value (H), the feature of the projected unit area (ρ), and the feature of the projected area ratio of the front and side of the human body (F). (2) Two-dimensional human body shape classification based on the two-step cluster model. The optimal classification number was determined, and the characteristics of each type of body shape were analyzed. (3) Automatic discrimination of the 2D human body shape based on the Bayesian algorithm. The correct rate of recognition was 94.8%. The results indicate that the body shape classification method based on computer vision technology and the selection of the proposed classification indexes are effective, and the accuracy of body shape recognition is high. In this paper, the classification of human body shape based on 2D digital images was realized, and this method can be applied to 2D anthropometry and other related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the logic for using the concept of gender-related violence (GRV) as a broad category that problematises homophobia, transphobia and the policing of gender norms and the gender binary, as well as gender-based violence—understood as primarily violence against women and girls (VAWG). It then evaluates the utility of this concept and its capacity to introduce theoretical refinement to the study of gendered violence, by reviewing its reception within a large international feminist project on gendered violence in the lives of children and young people. The aim of this study was to improve knowledge and understanding of forms of violence and discrimination among practitioners who have everyday contact with general populations of children and young people. It sought to improve their ability to identify and challenge sexist, sexualising, homophobic or transphobic language or behaviour, and their knowledge of how and when to refer children and young people to appropriate support. The paper reports my view of the contribution that the concept of gender-related violence made in each of the four project sites: Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK. The findings are mixed: in Spain and the UK the concept seemed helpful, but in Italy and Ireland it was initially expected to be helpful but, in practice, a conceptualisation closer to gender-based violence plus homophobia was employed. It is tentatively concluded that where LGBTQIA+ rights were well-established as well as the problematisation of VAWG, this framework was successful, but that it was less successful in more heteronormative sites where homophobia was less problematised. It is suggested that, as a concept, GRV can make a valuable intervention in sites like the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper explores the significant – albeit little-known – impact that physicist Albert Einstein's theory of relativity had on the development of the science of linguistics. Both Max Talmey, a physician who played a key role in the development of early twentieth-century constructed-language movements, and Benjamin Lee Whorf, who is closely associated with the notion of 'linguistic relativity', drew on their understanding of relativity to develop their ideas (and, in Talmey's case, also on his personal relationship with Einstein). Linguistic relativity, which posits that humans' linguistic categories shape their perceptions of nature, has often been tied to 'relativism' in the social sciences and humanities. In contrast, Talmey's commitment to reformulating the language of Einsteinian relativity – especially through a constructed language he built in the 1920s and 1930s – emphasized the significance of 'invariance' simultaneously in the scientific doctrine and in the language in which it was discussed. The semiotic flexibility of Einstein's 'relativity theory' as it was widely (and wildly) appropriated outside the small community of theoretical physicists enabled the two opposing moves, while obscuring the historical linkage between physics and linguistics for both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity and representation in sport governing bodies has become an issue for both public discussion and academic debate in recent times. Previous work has primarily centered on gender inequalities within the forever changing masculine terrain of sport. However, no work has yet examined the representation and participation of young people in the decision-making structures of sporting bodies. This paper holds up England's Rugby Union for organizational analysis, using the notion of homologous reproduction as a heuristic framework. In doing so, it explores the reproduction of this governing body for the systematic exclusion of young people in decision-making processes over the last few decades. This framework is then twined with Article 11 of the United Nation's Convention for the Rights of the Child, to make the case that the RFU desires homologous reproduction in order to avoid dealing with what youth are currently concerned with –head injuries. Given such a high proportion of rugby's participants being under twenty-five years of age, we conclude the lack of young people within the decision-making process represents a form of willful discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of continuum robotics is rapidly developing. The development of new kinematic structures, locomotion principles and control strategies is driving the development of new types of sensors and sensing methodologies. The sensing in continuum robots can be divided into shape perception and environment perception. The environment perception is focusing on sensing the interactions between the robot and environment. These sensors are often embedded on an outer layer of the robots, so the interactions can be detected. The shape perception is sensing the robot's shape using various principles. There are three main groups of sensors that use the properties of electricity, magnetism and optics to measure the shape of the continuum robots. The sensors based on measuring the properties of electricity are often based on measuring the electrical resistance or capacitance of the flexible sensor. Sensors based on magnetism use properties of permanent magnets or coils that are attached to the robot. Their magnetic field, flux or other properties are then tracked, and shape reconstruction can be performed. The last group of sensors is mostly based on leveraging the properties of traveling light through optical fibers. There are multiple objectives of this work. Objective number one is to clearly categorize the sensors and make a clear distinction between them. Objective number two is to determine the trend and progress of the sensors used in continuum robotics. And finally, the third objective is to define the challenges that the researchers are currently facing. The challenges of sensing the shape or the interaction with the environment of continuum robots are currently in the miniaturization of existing sensors and the development of novel sensing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the construction industry, there are a large number of project-based organizations (PBOs), where the efficiency of communication and collaboration among organizational members greatly impacts the success of projects. For PBOs employing both centralized and decentralized communication networks, it is worth delving into the question of under what circumstances which type of network will yield better results. Based on the IMO model and organizational learning theory, this paper conducts a grouped communication experiment involving 598 engineering management personnel to explore the differences in collective effectiveness of varying communication networks from the perspective of task urgency. Beyond task performance assessments, we have included organizational member perception to form evaluation criteria for collective effectiveness. Our research results show that under conditions of weak task urgency, decentralized networks yield higher collective effectiveness. Conversely, under conditions of strong task urgency, centralized networks demonstrate superior collective effectiveness. Furthermore, this study also verifies the mediating role of knowledge sharing behavior when task urgency is strong. This research provides significant managerial insights for the establishment of appropriate communication networks for PBOs in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the reader and the text plays a fundamental role during the act of reading. The book transition from the print to the digital format entails significant changes in how the reader interacts with the text and ascribes meaning to the reading process. These changes, driven by new technological advancements, can profoundly impact the reading experience, eliciting a range of responses from reader acceptance to dissatisfaction with the chosen medium. Despite new electronic devices attempting to emulate the reading experience provided by paper books, the digital realm continues to shape our perception of reading, highlighting the differences in manipulating a physical text compared to one displayed on an e-reader screen. The paper puts forward several themes that have emerged from a case study on the perception of digital reading at the University of Salamanca (ES). The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of and insight into the preferences, expectations, and behaviors of contemporary readers, highlighting the gap that has emerged between analog and digital reading, primarily driven by the structural and aesthetic differences between the two reading formats and, consequently, their interaction with the reader. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a novel design approach for shaping a teleoperator's expectations and behaviors when teleoperating a robot. Just as how people may drive a car differently based on their expectations of it (e.g., the brakes may be poor), we assert that teleoperators may likewise operate a robot differently based on expectations of robot capability and robustness. We present 3 novel interaction designs that proactively shape teleoperator perceptions, and the results from formal studies that demonstrate that these techniques do indeed shape operator perceptions, and in some cases, measures of driving behavior such as changes in collisions. Our methods shape operator perceptions of a robot's speed, weight, or overall safety, designed to encourage them to drive more safely. This approach shows promise as an avenue for improving teleoperator effectiveness without requiring changes to a robot, novel sensors, algorithms, or other functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape is an objective characteristic of an object. A boundary separates a physical object from its surroundings. It defines the shape and regulates energy flux into and from an object. Visual perception of a definite shape (geometry) of physical objects is an abstraction. While the perceived geometry at an object's sharp interface (macro) creates a Euclidian illusion of actual shape, the notion of diffuse interfaces (micro) allows an understanding of the realistic form of objects. Here, we formulate a dimensionless geometric entropy of plant leaves (SL) by a 2-D description of a phase-field function. We applied this method to 112 tropical plant leaf images. SL was estimated from the leaf perimeter (P) and leaf area (A). It correlates positively with a fractal dimensional measure of leaf complexity, viz., segmental fractal complexity. Leaves with a higher P: A ratio have higher SL and possess complex morphology. The univariate cluster analysis of SL reveals the taxonomic relationship among the leaf shapes at the genus level. An increase in SL of plant leaves could be an evolutionary strategy. The results of morphological complexity presented in this paper will trigger discussion on the causal links between leaf adaptive stability/efficiency and complexity. We present SL as a derived plant trait to describe plant leaf complexity and adaptive stability. Integrating SL into other leaf physiological measures will help to understand the dynamics of energy flow between plants and their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid negative societal implications from water management actions, the complex interrelations between water and conflict need to be understood. Assessment of such links in complex adaptive systems, characterized by various factors which mutually influence each other, is challenging. This paper explores how the use of participatory methods can support the identification of water-related conflict risks in one such complex adaptive system: the Inner Niger Delta in Mali. We find that participatory analysis not only facilitated the identification of systemic risks in a complex adaptive system, but also shapes the perceptions of these interlinkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the significant impact of social media on travel decision-making processes. With the rapid proliferation of social media platforms, individuals now have access to an extensive array of user-generated content and peer recommendations that greatly influence their travel choices. This study seeks to analyze the ways in which social media platforms shape perceptions, preferences, and decisions related to travel. The research delves into the mechanisms through which social media exerts its influence on travel decisions. It investigates how travelers use platforms like Instagram, Face book, Twitter, and travel-focused review sites to gather information, exchange experiences, and connect with other travelers. Furthermore, the study examines the role of influencers and content creators in shaping travel aspirations and choices. The interactive nature of social media platforms, including the ability to seek real-time advice and engage with travel-related content, adds a layer of immediacy and personalization to the decision-making process. The research on the influence of social media in travel decision making holds significant importance for several key stakeholders, including travelers, the travel industry, and researchers. Understanding the impact of social media on travel decisions empowers travelers to make more informed choices. By recognizing the role of social media, individuals can better navigate the vast array of travel information available and make decisions that align with their preferences and interests. Travelers can use the insights gained from this research to enhance their travel planning processes. They can identify reliable sources of information, seek real-time recommendations, and learn how to effectively engage with content and communities on social media to optimize their travel experiences. Applying the "Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS)" method, those making decisions are able to evaluate possibilities based on a wide range of parameters. It involves providing criteria weights, determining scores for every potential and summing the results to determine the most suitable option. From the result Destination A is in first rank where as Destination E is lower rank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated senior South African high school students' levels of knowledge, perception, attitude, and awareness toward nuclear energy using paper-based, semi-structured questionnaires and digital data collection instruments through online Google forms. The sample consisted of 100 high school students from two schools. Fifty students were chosen from a public school, and fifty students were selected from a private/independent school. It was found that regardless of the type of school, students showed little to no knowledge, low awareness, and significant ignorance of nuclear energy. The majority of students had never heard of nuclear energy. In terms of initial exposure to the concept of nuclear energy, private school learners seemed to have been exposed to the industry more through television. In contrast, for public school learners, educators were their main sources of introduction. Conversely, the perception of this form of energy is much more positive in private schools than in public schools. This study highlights the existence of a severe gap in high school education regarding the teaching and learning of nuclear energy. Hence, an energy-cognizant curriculum is needed to bridge the gap in both public and private schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this response paper, we start by addressing the main points made by the commentators on the target article's main theoretical conclusions: the existence and characteristics of the intermediate shape-centered representations (ISCRs) in the visual system, their emergence from edge detection mechanisms operating on different types of visual properties, and how they are eventually reunited in higher order frames of reference underlying conscious visual perception. We also address the much-commented issue of the possible neural mechanisms of the ISCRs. In the final section, we address more specific and general comments, questions, and suggestions which, albeit very interesting, were less directly focused on the main conclusions of the target paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of 'sharp power' has recently emerged as a reaction to the assertiveness of authoritarian regimes. It serves to underline the complexity of challenges which are posed by authoritarian regimes, referring to diverse front lines in the overall 'battle', be they culture, education, or the media. The latter, according to Dmitri Trenin, "has become such a crowded battlefield". This paper attempts to fill in the information gap regarding Russia's 'sharp power' manifestations in Lithuania's mass media and focuses on NATO related messages in particular. The paper presupposes that messages which evoke an air of support for Russia's foreign and security policy tend to pass through to Lithuania's mass media, and argues that, as a result of the insufficient activity by Lithuania's mass media in terms of forming an independent perception of Russia vis-à-vis NATO, the preconditions for possible manifestations of Russia's use of sharp power are therefore created. The article is organised into four parts. The first section sets out a theoretical framework for the analysis which focuses on the concept of sharp power. Then the research methodology is outlined. The third section presents features of the informational environment of Lithuania in 2016 and 2019. The final, and most elaborated, section investigates messages which apparently serve to support Russia's foreign and security policy in terms of the NATO's topic in Lithuania's mass media based on the aforementioned criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

News about celebrity athlete transgressions is nearly an everyday occurrence in today's media channels. Whether the public stigmatizes these individuals as a result of these indiscretions and how this process is enacted is not yet evident in the literature. This paper seeks to answer the question of whether and how the psychological process of stigma formation occurs with regard to celebrity athletes who transgress. Further, the paper also seeks to clarify the impact of this stigmatization in the context of sponsorship and celebrity endorsement. A total of 219 US residents who were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk participated in this experimental study. We employed structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. The results show that the impact of negative moral emotions on stigma formation for transgressed athletes is partially mediated by internal attribution. Moreover, negative moral emotions and stigmas have a direct positive (negative) impact on moral coupling (moral decoupling and rationalization), and ultimately influence the attitude toward the transgressed athlete and sponsored brand. The findings suggest that brand managers should consider the transgression history as a key determinant for endorsement decisions because sport consumers may have already formed a strong perception of stigma toward those athletes and those perceptions in turn determine the overall evaluations of endorsed athletes and sponsored brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental perception forms the basis of intelligent driving systems and is a prerequisite for path planning and vehicle control. Among them, dynamic multi-obstacle tracking is the key to environmental perception. In order to solve the problem of a large amount of correlation calculations and false correlations in the process of dynamic multi-obstacle tracking, and to obtain more accurate surrounding environment information, this paper first designs an obstacle data correlation algorithm based on improving the joint probabilistic data-association algorithm. Then, in order to solve the problem of obstacle movement mobility and the poor filtering effect of a single model, the interacting multiple model is designed to complete the filtering of multiple behavior patterns of obstacles. An obstacle state estimation algorithm based on the unscented Kalman filter is designed to solve the nonlinear problem of obstacle motion. Finally, an experimental prototype is built and tested. The results show that the data association algorithm designed in this paper can complete the data association of obstacles at different times, and there is no problem of obstacle loss and association error. The average running time of each frame is 51.63 ms. The result comparison between the proposed method and the traditional method shows that the proposed method is more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Population ageing has rapidly increased the number of people requiring end-of-life care across the globe. Governments have responded by promoting end-of-life in the community. Partly as a consequence, older spouses are frequently providing for their partner's end-of-life care at home, despite potentially facing their own health issues. While there is an emerging literature on young-old caregivers, less is known about spouse carers over 75 who are likely to face specific challenges associated with their advanced age and relationship status. The aim of this review, therefore, is to identify and synthesise the literature concerning the experiences of caregiver's aged 75 and over whose partner is approaching end-of-life. We conducted a mixed-method systematic review and narrative synthesis of the empirical literature published between 1985 and May 2019, identified from six databases: Medline, PsychINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Sociological Abstracts and Social Service Abstracts. Hand searching and reference checking were also conducted. Gough's Weight of Evidence and Morgan's Feminist Quality Appraisal tool used to determine the quality of papers. From the initial 7819 titles, 10 qualitative studies and 9 quantitative studies were included. We identified three themes: 1) "Embodied impact of care" whereby caring was found to negatively impact carers physical and psychological health, with adverse effects continuing into bereavement; 2) "Caregiving spouse's conceptualisation of their role" in which caregiver's navigated their self and marriage identities in relation to their partner's condition and expectations about gender and place; 3) "Learning to care" which involved learning new skills and ways of coping to remain able to provide care. We identified a recent up-surge in published papers about very old spousal caregivers, which now comprise a small, medium-quality evidence base. This review outlines a range of potential lines of inquiry for future research including further clarification of the impact of caregiving on the likelihood of mortality, the incidence of men and women providing end-of-life care amongst this age group, and the role of anticipatory grief in shaping their perceptions of their relationship and their own longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]