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Speech perception is challenged by indexical variability. A litany of studies on talker normalization have demonstrated that hearing multiple talkers incurs processing costs (e.g., lower accuracy, increased response time) compared to hearing a single talker. However, when reframing these studies in terms of stimulus structure, it is evident that past tests of multiple-talker (i.e., low structure) and single-talker (i.e., high structure) conditions are not representative of the graded nature of indexical variation in the environment. Here we tested the hypothesis that processing costs incurred by multiple-talker conditions would abate given increased stimulus structure. We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the degree to which talkers' voices differed acoustically (Experiment 1) and also the frequency with which talkers' voices changed (Experiment 2) in multiple-talker conditions. Listeners performed a speeded classification task for words containing vowels that varied in acoustic-phonemic ambiguity. In Experiment 1, response times progressively decreased as acoustic variability among talkers' voices decreased. In Experiment 2, blocking talkers within mixed-talker conditions led to more similar response times among single-talker and multiple-talker conditions. Neither result interacted with acoustic-phonemic ambiguity of the target vowels. Thus, the results showed that indexical structure mediated the processing costs incurred by hearing different talkers. This is consistent with the Efficient Coding Hypothesis, which proposes that sensory and perceptual processing are facilitated by stimulus structure. Defining the roles and limits of stimulus structure on speech perception is an important direction for future research.Cognitive control over information processing can be implemented by selective attention, but it is often suboptimal, as indicated by congruency effects arising from processing of irrelevant stimulus features. Research has revealed that congruency effects in some tasks are larger when subjects are more alert, and it has been suggested that this alerting-congruency interaction might be associated with spatial information processing. The author investigated the generality of the interaction by conducting a preregistered set of four experiments in which alertness was manipulated in variants of the spatial Stroop task, which involved classifying the spatial meaning of a stimulus presented at an irrelevant position. Regardless of stimulus type (arrows or words) and spatial dimension (horizontal or vertical), significant alerting-congruency interactions for response times were found in all experiments. The results are consistent with the suggestion that spatial attention and spatial information processing are important sources of the interaction, with implications for understanding how alertness is related to cognitive control.Holistic processing of visual words (i.e., obligatory encoding of/attending to all letters of a word) could be a marker of expert word recognition. In the present study, we thus examined for the first time whether there is a direct relation between the word-composite effect (i.e., all parts of a visual word are fully processed when observers perform a task on a word part) and fast access to the orthographic lexicon by visual word experts (i.e., fluent adult readers). We adopted an individual differences approach and used the word-frequency effect (i.e., faster recognition of high- than low-frequency words) in an independent lexical decision task as a proxy of fast access to lexical orthographic representations. Fluent readers with larger word-composite effect showed smaller word-frequency effect. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/pf-07104091.html This correlation was mainly driven by an association between a larger composite effect and faster lexical decision on low-frequency words, probably because these lexical representations are less stable and integrated/unitized, hence allowing differentiating among fluent readers. We thus showed that holistic processing of visual words is indeed related to higher efficiency in visual word recognition by skilled readers.Participation in ultramarathons continues to grow, especially among older individuals and among younger runners who may have less running and wilderness experience than many past participants. While ultramarathons tend to have relatively few serious medical issues, adverse medical incidents do occur. These factors make it increasingly important that appropriate safety precautions and medical support are defined and implemented at these events to enhance the safety of participants, spectators, and volunteers. This document establishes the minimum recommended level of medical support that should be available at ultramarathons based on current knowledge and the experience of the authors. It offers a balance that is intended to avoid excessive stress on the local medical system while also precluding undue burden on events to provide medical support beyond that which is practical. We propose a three-level classification system to define the extent of medical services, personnel, systems, supplies, and equipment in place and recommend the level of medical support based on event size, distance/duration, remoteness, and environmental conditions that may be encountered during the event. This document also outlines the recommended education and training of medical providers and discusses other medical and logistical considerations related to the provision of medical support at ultramarathons. We suggest that ultramarathon organizers review and adopt these recommendations to enhance safety and reduce the risk of adverse events to participants.Assessment tool is a key point to evaluate balance disturbances in children. The aim of this study was to analyze reliability and validity of Turkish version of pediatric balance scale. The present study included 34 children (13 girls; 21 boys) with balance impairments. The scale consists of 14 items. Eight observers assessed the video records of the participants for interrater agreement. One observer evaluated the records twice in 2 weeks for intrarater agreement. Intraclass correlation coefficient was used for the interobserver and intraobserver agreement. The Functional Reach Test was used to calculate concurrent validity. Mean age of the sample was 11.68 ± 3.53 years. The Turkish version of the scale was found to be reliable, perfectly (intraclass correlation coefficient for interobserver agreement = 0.915). Intraobserver agreement was also reliable, perfectly (ICC = 0.927). The strong correlation between pediatric balance scale and functional reach test was found (r = 0.692; p  less then  0.001). The Turkish version of the scale is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate children with balance impairments.