Disruption avoidance in the SINP-Tokamak by means of electrode-biasing at the plasma edge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basu, Debjyoti [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF-Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064, WB (India); Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares-UNAM, Mexico D.F. 04510 (Mexico); Pal, Rabindranath [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF-Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064, WB (India); Martinell, Julio J. [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares-UNAM, Mexico D.F. 04510 (Mexico); Ghosh, Joydeep; Chattopadhyay, Prabal K. [Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar (India)

2013-05-15

Control of plasma disruption by a biased edge electrode is reported in SINP-Tokamak. The features that characterize a plasma disruption are reduced with increasing bias potential. The disruption can be completely suppressed with the concomitant stabilization of observed MHD modes that are allegedly precursors of the disruption. An m = 3/n = 1 tearing mode, which apparently causes disruption can be stabilized when a negative biasing potential is applied near the edge. These changes in the disruptive behavior with edge biasing are hypothesized to be due to changes in the current density profile.

Disruption avoidance in the SINP-Tokamak by means of electrode-biasing at the plasma edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, Debjyoti; Pal, Rabindranath; Martinell, Julio J.; Ghosh, Joydeep; Chattopadhyay, Prabal K.

2013-01-01

Control of plasma disruption by a biased edge electrode is reported in SINP-Tokamak. The features that characterize a plasma disruption are reduced with increasing bias potential. The disruption can be completely suppressed with the concomitant stabilization of observed MHD modes that are allegedly precursors of the disruption. An m = 3/n = 1 tearing mode, which apparently causes disruption can be stabilized when a negative biasing potential is applied near the edge. These changes in the disruptive behavior with edge biasing are hypothesized to be due to changes in the current density profile

Bias induced transition from an ohmic to a non-ohmic interface in supramolecular tunneling junctions with Ga2O3/EGaIn top electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimbush, Kim S; Fratila, Raluca M; Wang, Dandan; Qi, Dongchen; Liang, Cao; Yuan, Li; Yakovlev, Nikolai; Loh, Kian Ping; Reinhoudt, David N; Velders, Aldrik H; Nijhuis, Christian A

2014-10-07

This study describes that the current rectification ratio, R ≡ |J|(-2.0 V)/|J|(+2.0 V) for supramolecular tunneling junctions with a top-electrode of eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) that contains a conductive thin (0.7 nm) supporting outer oxide layer (Ga2O3), increases by up to four orders of magnitude under an applied bias of >+1.0 V up to +2.5 V; these junctions did not change their electrical characteristics when biased in the voltage range of ±1.0 V. The increase in R is caused by the presence of water and ions in the supramolecular assemblies which react with the Ga2O3/EGaIn layer and increase the thickness of the Ga2O3 layer. This increase in the oxide thickness from 0.7 nm to ∼2.0 nm changed the nature of the monolayer-top-electrode contact from an ohmic to a non-ohmic contact. These results unambiguously expose the experimental conditions that allow for a safe bias window of ±1.0 V (the range of biases studies of charge transport using this technique are normally conducted) to investigate molecular effects in molecular electronic junctions with Ga2O3/EGaIn top-electrodes where electrochemical reactions are not significant. Our findings also show that the interpretation of data in studies involving applied biases of >1.0 V may be complicated by electrochemical side reactions which can be recognized by changes of the electrical characteristics as a function voltage cycling or in current retention experiments.

Operator Bias in the Estimation of Arc Efficiency in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fredrik Sikström

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper the operator bias in the measurement process of arc efficiency in stationary direct current electrode negative gas tungsten arc welding is discussed. An experimental study involving 15 operators (enough to reach statistical significance has been carried out with the purpose to estimate the arc efficiency from a specific procedure for calorimetric experiments. The measurement procedure consists of three manual operations which introduces operator bias in the measurement process. An additional relevant experiment highlights the consequences of estimating the arc voltage by measuring the potential between the terminals of the welding power source instead of measuring the potential between the electrode contact tube and the workpiece. The result of the study is a statistical evaluation of the operator bias influence on the estimate, showing that operator bias is negligible in the estimate considered here. On the contrary the consequences of neglecting welding leads voltage drop results in a significant under estimation of the arc efficiency.

Biased limiter experiments on text

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, P.E.; Wootton, A.J.; Rowan, W.L.; Ritz, C.P.; Rhodes, T.L.; Bengtson, R.D.; Hodge, W.L.; Durst, R.D.; McCool, S.C.; Richards, B.; Gentle, K.W.; Schoch, P.; Forster, J.C.; Hickok, R.L.; Evans, T.E.

1987-01-01

Experiments using an electrically biased limiter have been performed on the Texas Experimental Tokamak (TEXT). A small movable limiter is inserted past the main poloidal ring limiter (which is electrically connected to the vacuum vessel) and biased at V Lim with respect to it. The floating potential, plasma potential and shear layer position can be controlled. With vertical strokeV Lim vertical stroke ≥ 50 V the plasma density increases. For V Lim Lim > 0 the results obtained are inconclusive. Variation of V Lim changes the electrostatic turbulence which may explain the observed total flux changes. (orig.)

Atomic-Scale Simulation of Electrochemical Processes at Electrode/Water Interfaces under Referenced Bias Potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouzid, Assil; Pasquarello, Alfredo

2018-04-19

Based on constant Fermi-level molecular dynamics and a proper alignment scheme, we perform simulations of the Pt(111)/water interface under variable bias potential referenced to the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). Our scheme yields a potential of zero charge μ pzc of ∼0.22 eV relative to the SHE and a double layer capacitance C dl of ≃19 μF cm -2 , in excellent agreement with experimental measurements. In addition, we study the structural reorganization of the electrical double layer for bias potentials ranging from -0.92 eV to +0.44 eV and find that O down configurations, which are dominant at potentials above the pzc, reorient to favor H down configurations as the measured potential becomes negative. Our modeling scheme allows one to not only access atomic-scale processes at metal/water interfaces, but also to quantitatively estimate macroscopic electrochemical quantities.

Observation of self-organized criticality (SOC) behavior during edge biasing experiment on TEXTOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Y.H.; Jachmich, S.; Weynants, R.R. [Ecole Royale Militaire/Koninklijke Militaire School, Laboratory for Plasma Physics, Euratom-Belgian State Association, Brussels, Belgium, Partner in the Trilateral Euregio Cluster (Belgium)

2004-07-01

The self-organized criticality (SOC) behavior of the edge plasma transport has been investigated using the fluctuation data measured in the plasma edge and the scrape-off layer of TEXTOR tokamak before and during the edge electrode biasing experiments. In the 'non-shear' discharge phase before biasing, both the potential and density fluctuations clearly exhibit some of the characteristics associated with SOC: (1) existence of f{sup -1} power-law dependence in the frequency spectrum, (2) slowly decaying long tails in the autocorrelation function, (3) values of Hurst parameters larger than 0.5 at all the detected radial locations, (4) non-Gaussian probability density function of fluctuations and (5) radial propagation of avalanche-like events in the edge plasma area. During the biasing phase, with the generation of an edge radial electric field E{sub r} and hence a sheared E{sub r} x B flow, the local turbulence is found to be well de-correlated by the E{sub r} x B velocity shear, consistent with theoretical predictions. Nevertheless, it is concomitantly found that the Hurst parameters are substantially enhanced in the negative flow shear region and in the scrape-off layer as well, which is contrary to theoretical expectation. Implication of these observations to our understanding of plasma transport mechanisms is discussed. (authors)

Reducing status quo bias in choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonnichsen, Ole; Ladenburg, Jacob

In stated preference literature, the tendency to choose the alternative representing the status quo situation seems to exceed real life status quo effects. Accordingly, status quo bias can be a problem. In Choice Experiments, status quo bias is found to be strongly correlated with protest attitudes...... toward the cost attribute. If economic values are to be elicited, this problem is difficult to remedy. In a split sample framework we test a novel ex-ante entreaty aimed specifically at the cost attribute and find that it effectively reduces status quo bias and improves the internal validity...

Bias polarization study of steam electrolysis by composite oxygen electrode Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ/BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.2O3-δ

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tao; Shaula, Aliaksandr; Pukazhselvan, D.; Ramasamy, Devaraj; Deng, Jiguang; da Silva, E. L.; Duarte, Ricardo; Saraiva, Jorge A.

2017-12-01

The polarization behavior of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ-BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.2O3-δ (BSCF-BCZY) electrode under steam electrolysis conditions was studied in detail. The composite oxygen electrode supported by BCZY electrolyzer has been assessed as a function of temperature (T), water vapor partial pressures (pH2O), and bias polarization voltage for electrodes of comparable microstructure. The Electrochemical impedance spectra show two depressed arcs in general without bias polarization. And the electrode resistance became smaller with the increase of the bias polarization under the same water vapor partial pressures. The total resistance of the electrode was shown to be significantly affected by temperature, with the same level of pH2O and bias polarization voltage. This result highlights BSCF-BCZY as an effective oxygen electrode under moderate polarization and pH2O conditions.

Experimental studies of influence of different electrodes on bridging in contaminated transformer oil

OpenAIRE

Mahmud, S.; Chen, G.; Golosnoy, I.O.; Wilson, G.; Jarman, P.

2015-01-01

Contaminated transformer oil has been tested under non uniform electric fields and the effect of different electrode systems presented in this paper. Three different electric fields were examined i.e. DC, AC and DC biased AC. These experiments revealed that with all the different electrodes arrangements, contaminated particles always formed bridges between electrodes under DC electric field. The bridges were thicker and more particles were attracted with more uniform electric field (spherical...

The role of experience on techno-entrepreneurs’ decision making biases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pouria Nouri

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the prospect and growth of the societies. Sound and wise decisions pave the way for them to carry out these highly important functions. Entrepreneurs are to discover and exploit opportunities. Therefore, they must gather sufficient and pertinent information. Entrepreneurs, like most human beings face complex and ambiguous decision-making situations, not to mention their lack of time and source to gather and process the data. Under these circumstances, entrepreneurs are prone making biases decisions. There are many reasons identified for this entrepreneurial decision making biases, such as the high cost of rational decision making, limitations in information processing, differences in their styles and procedures, or information overload, environmental complexity, environmental uncertainty. These biases are neither totally harmful nor completely useful and have to be seen as natural human characteristics. What makes entrepreneurial decision-making biases important is their effects on the decisions and thus the outcome of the enterprises. Entrepreneurial decision-making biases, deliberate or unintentional can seal the fate of the enterprises, therefore studying them meticulously is crucial. Literature has shown that experience could be an effective factor in decision-making biases. In this paper, we try to find out the impact of experience in Iranian high tech entrepreneurs’ major decision-making biases by a qualitative approach. Finally, it was concluded that experience is influential in shaping overconfidence bias.

Electrode Conduction Processes Segmented Electrode-Insulator Ratio Effects in MHD Power Generation Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pain, H. J.; Fearn, D. G.; Distefano, E. [Imperial College. London (United Kingdom)

1966-10-15

(a) Electrode conduction processes have been investigated using a plasma produced in an electromagnetic shock tube operating with argon at 70 {mu}mHg pressure. Complete voltage-current characteristics were obtained by the variation of load and applied voltage. These indicated the existence of two conduction regimes with a complex transition region. In the first regime the current, controlled by ion mobility, rose linearly with voltage to saturate between 10 mA and 1 A depending on conditions. Electrode contamination was significant. The second regime involved large currents controlled by electron mobility and emission from the cathode. The current again increased linearly with voltage and reached 200 A. Observation of induced voltages in transverse magnetic fields and of plasma deceleration in non-uniform fields showed that in the electromagnetic shock tube the plasma was heated predominantly by the driver discharge. Its conductivity was calculated using properties measured by a Langmuir double probe. In both regimes the plasma conductivity was also found from the gradient of the voltage current characteristics using experimental electric field fringing factors and the experimental values were compared with theory. (b) Larger-scale experiments used a combustion-driven shock tube where argon plasma flow, magnetic field and induced current flow were mutually orthogonal. The supersonic flow velocity and thermodynamic parameters of the plasma were accurately known. The electrode channel consisted of a segmented system of 12 electrode pairs with an electrode insulator ratio ranging from 1 to 21, with electrode plus insulator length remaining constant, and with maximum Hall parameter values of unity. Different electrode load combinations (Faraday and Hall generators) have been studied in measuring the power generated and the flow of longitudinal currents between adjacent electrodes. A maximum power of 0,8 MW was obtained, the power output decreasing inversely with the

Electrode Conduction Processes Segmented Electrode-Insulator Ratio Effects in MHD Power Generation Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pain, H.J.; Fearn, D.G.; Distefano, E.

1966-01-01

(a) Electrode conduction processes have been investigated using a plasma produced in an electromagnetic shock tube operating with argon at 70 μmHg pressure. Complete voltage-current characteristics were obtained by the variation of load and applied voltage. These indicated the existence of two conduction regimes with a complex transition region. In the first regime the current, controlled by ion mobility, rose linearly with voltage to saturate between 10 mA and 1 A depending on conditions. Electrode contamination was significant. The second regime involved large currents controlled by electron mobility and emission from the cathode. The current again increased linearly with voltage and reached 200 A. Observation of induced voltages in transverse magnetic fields and of plasma deceleration in non-uniform fields showed that in the electromagnetic shock tube the plasma was heated predominantly by the driver discharge. Its conductivity was calculated using properties measured by a Langmuir double probe. In both regimes the plasma conductivity was also found from the gradient of the voltage current characteristics using experimental electric field fringing factors and the experimental values were compared with theory. (b) Larger-scale experiments used a combustion-driven shock tube where argon plasma flow, magnetic field and induced current flow were mutually orthogonal. The supersonic flow velocity and thermodynamic parameters of the plasma were accurately known. The electrode channel consisted of a segmented system of 12 electrode pairs with an electrode insulator ratio ranging from 1 to 21, with electrode plus insulator length remaining constant, and with maximum Hall parameter values of unity. Different electrode load combinations (Faraday and Hall generators) have been studied in measuring the power generated and the flow of longitudinal currents between adjacent electrodes. A maximum power of 0,8 MW was obtained, the power output decreasing inversely with the

Target selection biases from recent experience transfer across effectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Moher, Jeff; Song, Joo-Hyun

2016-02-01

Target selection is often biased by an observer's recent experiences. However, not much is known about whether these selection biases influence behavior across different effectors. For example, does looking at a red object make it easier to subsequently reach towards another red object? In the current study, we asked observers to find the uniquely colored target object on each trial. Randomly intermixed pre-trial cues indicated the mode of action: either an eye movement or a visually guided reach movement to the target. In Experiment 1, we found that priming of popout, reflected in faster responses following repetition of the target color on consecutive trials, occurred regardless of whether the effector was repeated from the previous trial or not. In Experiment 2, we examined whether an inhibitory selection bias away from a feature could transfer across effectors. While priming of popout reflects both enhancement of the repeated target features and suppression of the repeated distractor features, the distractor previewing effect isolates a purely inhibitory component of target selection in which a previewed color is presented in a homogenous display and subsequently inhibited. Much like priming of popout, intertrial suppression biases in the distractor previewing effect transferred across effectors. Together, these results suggest that biases for target selection driven by recent trial history transfer across effectors. This indicates that representations in memory that bias attention towards or away from specific features are largely independent from their associated actions.

Advanced Biasing Experiments on the C-2 Field-Reversed Configuration Device

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Matthew; Korepanov, Sergey; Garate, Eusebio; Yang, Xiaokang; Gota, Hiroshi; Douglass, Jon; Allfrey, Ian; Valentine, Travis; Uchizono, Nolan; TAE Team

2014-10-01

The C-2 experiment seeks to study the evolution, heating and sustainment effects of neutral beam injection on field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas. Recently, substantial improvements in plasma performance were achieved through the application of edge biasing with coaxial plasma guns located in the divertors. Edge biasing provides rotation control that reduces instabilities and E × B shear that improves confinement. Typically, the plasma gun arcs are run at ~ 10 MW for the entire shot duration (~ 5 ms), which will become unsustainable as the plasma duration increases. We have conducted several advanced biasing experiments with reduced-average-power plasma gun operating modes and alternative biasing cathodes in an effort to develop an effective biasing scenario applicable to steady state FRC plasmas. Early results show that several techniques can potentially provide effective, long-duration edge biasing.

Pulse-voltammetric glucose detection at gold junction electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rassaei, Liza; Marken, Frank

2010-09-01

A novel glucose sensing concept based on the localized change or "modulation" in pH within a symmetric gold-gold junction electrode is proposed. A paired gold-gold junction electrode (average gap size ca. 500 nm) is prepared by simultaneous bipotentiostatic electrodeposition of gold onto two closely spaced platinum disk electrodes. For glucose detection in neutral aqueous solution, the potential of the "pH-modulator" electrode is set to -1.5 V vs saturated calomel reference electrode (SCE) to locally increase the pH, and simultaneously, either cyclic voltammetry or square wave voltammetry experiments are conducted at the sensor electrode. A considerable improvement in the sensor electrode response is observed when a normal pulse voltammetry sequence is applied to the modulator electrode (to generate "hydroxide pulses") and the glucose sensor electrode is operated with fixed bias at +0.5 V vs SCE (to eliminate capacitive charging currents). Preliminary data suggest good linearity for the glucose response in the medically relevant 1-10 mM concentration range (corresponding to 0.18-1.8 g L(-1)). Future electroanalytical applications of multidimensional pulse voltammetry in junction electrodes are discussed.

Photoelectrocatalytic property of microporous Pt-TiO2/Ti electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, Chung-Hsuang; Wu, Kee-Rong; Yeh, Chung-Wei; Sun, Jui-Ching; Hsu, Chuan-Jen

2013-01-01

This study investigates the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) property of microporous WO 3 -loaded TiO 2 /Ti layer, prepared via micro-arc oxidation (MAO) of Ti plate, followed by sputtering deposition of a thin Pt layer as a Pt-TiO 2 /Ti electrode. The WO 3 -loaded TiO 2 layer which is associated with a more acidic surface forms many local electrochemical cells on its micro-pores immersed in cationic dye solution. The electrocatalytic (EC) reactions can take place in the local cells by the applied electrons. A low resistivity that is accomplished by MAO technique and by platinization offers an easy path for the electron motions in the Pt-TiO 2 /Ti electrode. All these features make the EC oxidation of aqueous dye pollutants practically feasible without using counter electrodes and supporting electrolytes. Our experiments demonstrate that, under PEC condition, the Pt-TiO 2 /Ti shows the highest degradation rate constant of 0.83 h − 1 at an applied bias of 1.0 V and exhibits significantly high PEC and EC oxidation activities at a low applied bias of 0.25 V. This is attributable to high anodic currents generated in the Pt-TiO 2 /Ti even at low bias. The modified microporous electrodes conclusively reveal a very interesting EC property as a two double-sided device that functions the PEC and EC oxidation simultaneously without a need of supporting electrolyte and expensive Pt cathode. - Highlights: ► Pt-TiO 2 /Ti exhibits enhanced photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity at low applied bias. ► The proposed device uses low applied bias (< 1.0 V) with no explicit cathode. ► PEC oxidation can be performed without supporting electrolyte and Pt cathode

Perceptual expertise: can sensorimotor experience change holistic processing and left-side bias?

Science.gov (United States)

Tso, Ricky Van-yip; Au, Terry Kit-fong; Hsiao, Janet Hui-wen

2014-09-01

Holistic processing and left-side bias are both behavioral markers of expert face recognition. By contrast, expert recognition of characters in Chinese orthography involves left-side bias but reduced holistic processing, although faces and Chinese characters share many visual properties. Here, we examined whether this reduction in holistic processing of Chinese characters can be better explained by writing experience than by reading experience. Compared with Chinese nonreaders, Chinese readers who had limited writing experience showed increased holistic processing, whereas Chinese readers who could write characters fluently showed reduced holistic processing. This result suggests that writing and sensorimotor experience can modulate holistic-processing effects and that the reduced holistic processing observed in expert Chinese readers may depend mostly on writing experience. However, both expert writers and writers with limited experience showed similarly stronger left-side bias than novices did in processing mirror-symmetric Chinese characters; left-side bias may therefore be a robust expertise marker for object recognition that is uninfluenced by sensorimotor experience. © The Author(s) 2014.

Multicultural experiences reduce intergroup bias through epistemic unfreezing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tadmor, Carmit T; Hong, Ying-Yi; Chao, Melody M; Wiruchnipawan, Fon; Wang, Wei

2012-11-01

In 6 studies, we systematically explored for the 1st time the ameliorative effects of multicultural experience on intergroup bias and investigated the role of epistemic unfreezing as the motivational mechanism underlying these effects. We found that multicultural exposure led to a reduction in stereotype endorsement (Studies 1, 4, and 6), symbolic racism (Study 5), and discriminatory hiring decisions (Study 2). We further demonstrated that experimental exposure to multicultural experience caused a reduction in need for cognitive closure (NFCC; Studies 3 and 6) and that the ameliorative effects of multiculturalism experience on intergroup bias were fully mediated by lower levels of NFCC (Studies 4, 5, and 6). The beneficial effects of multiculturalism were found regardless of the targeted stereotype group (African Americans, Ethiopians, homosexuals, and native Israelis), regardless of whether multicultural experience was measured or manipulated, and regardless of the population sampled (Caucasian Americans or native Israelis), demonstrating the robustness of this phenomenon. Overall, these results demonstrate that multicultural experience plays a critical role in increasing social tolerance through its relationship to motivated cognitive processes.

Can decision biases improve insurance outcomes? An experiment on status quo bias in health insurance choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Krieger, Miriam; Felder, Stefan

2013-06-19

Rather than conforming to the assumption of perfect rationality in neoclassical economic theory, decision behavior has been shown to display a host of systematic biases. Properly understood, these patterns can be instrumentalized to improve outcomes in the public realm. We conducted a laboratory experiment to study whether decisions over health insurance policies are subject to status quo bias and, if so, whether experience mitigates this framing effect. Choices in two treatment groups with status quo defaults are compared to choices in a neutrally framed control group. A two-step design features sorting of subjects into the groups, allowing us to control for selection effects due to risk preferences. The results confirm the presence of a status quo bias in consumer choices over health insurance policies. However, this effect of the default framing does not persist as subjects repeat this decision in later periods of the experiment. Our results have implications for health care policy, for example suggesting that the use of non-binding defaults in health insurance can facilitate the spread of co-insurance policies and thereby help contain health care expenditure.

Influence of the RF electrode cleanliness on plasma characteristics and dust-particle generation in methane dusty plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Géraud-Grenier, I.; Desdions, W.; Faubert, F.; Mikikian, M.; Massereau-Guilbaud, V.

2018-01-01

The methane decomposition in a planar RF discharge (13.56 MHz) leads both to a dust-particle generation in the plasma bulk and to a coating growth on the electrodes. Growing dust-particles fall onto the grounded electrode when they are too heavy. Thus, at the end of the experiment, the grounded electrode is covered by a coating and by fallen dust-particles. During the dust-particle growth, the negative DC self-bias voltage (VDC) increases because fewer electrons reach the RF electrode, leading to a more resistive plasma and to changes in the plasma chemical composition. In this paper, the cleanliness influence of the RF electrode on the dust-particle growth, on the plasma characteristics and composition is investigated. A cleanliness electrode is an electrode without coating and dust-particles on its surface at the beginning of the experiment.

TCABR Tokamak scrape-off layer turbulence with DC biasing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, M.V.A.P.; Ferreira, A.A.; Caldas, I.L.; Nascimento, I.C.

2004-01-01

Turbulence and particle transport in plasma scrape-off layer have been controlled by external electric fields. This control can be achieved by a biasing electrode located inside the plasma. We investigate plasma turbulence changes in the scrape-off layer of TCABR tokamak introduced by DC biasing an electrode inside the plasma. Our investigation is based on the alterations observed on the wavelet power spectra and on the intermittent burst sequences of plasma potential and density fluctuations measured by a set of Langmuir probes. Biasing the electrode changes the turbulence statistics and the bursts intermittence. With the imposed external electric field, fluctuation amplitudes, phase velocities, and anomalous particle transport are modified. Transport reduction for higher frequencies induced by the biasing could be due to the strong de-phasing between density and potential fluctuations. The mode coupling increases with the perturbation for the high frequency broadband fluctuations. The total (laminar and bursting) radial particle transport is reduced by about 25% by DC biasing. Bursts contribution to total transport is 15% and for the studied conditions this contribution does not change much with the bias perturbation

Can Decision Biases Improve Insurance Outcomes? An Experiment on Status Quo Bias in Health Insurance Choice

Science.gov (United States)

Krieger, Miriam; Felder, Stefan

2013-01-01

Rather than conforming to the assumption of perfect rationality in neoclassical economic theory, decision behavior has been shown to display a host of systematic biases. Properly understood, these patterns can be instrumentalized to improve outcomes in the public realm. We conducted a laboratory experiment to study whether decisions over health insurance policies are subject to status quo bias and, if so, whether experience mitigates this framing effect. Choices in two treatment groups with status quo defaults are compared to choices in a neutrally framed control group. A two-step design features sorting of subjects into the groups, allowing us to control for selection effects due to risk preferences. The results confirm the presence of a status quo bias in consumer choices over health insurance policies. However, this effect of the default framing does not persist as subjects repeat this decision in later periods of the experiment. Our results have implications for health care policy, for example suggesting that the use of non-binding defaults in health insurance can facilitate the spread of co-insurance policies and thereby help contain health care expenditure. PMID:23783222

Can Decision Biases Improve Insurance Outcomes? An Experiment on Status Quo Bias in Health Insurance Choice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Felder

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Rather than conforming to the assumption of perfect rationality in neoclassical economic theory, decision behavior has been shown to display a host of systematic biases. Properly understood, these patterns can be instrumentalized to improve outcomes in the public realm. We conducted a laboratory experiment to study whether decisions over health insurance policies are subject to status quo bias and, if so, whether experience mitigates this framing effect. Choices in two treatment groups with status quo defaults are compared to choices in a neutrally framed control group. A two-step design features sorting of subjects into the groups, allowing us to control for selection effects due to risk preferences. The results confirm the presence of a status quo bias in consumer choices over health insurance policies. However, this effect of the default framing does not persist as subjects repeat this decision in later periods of the experiment. Our results have implications for health care policy, for example suggesting that the use of non-binding defaults in health insurance can facilitate the spread of co-insurance policies and thereby help contain health care expenditure.

Hispanic nurses' experiences of bias in the workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Moceri, Joane T

2014-01-01

The continuing issue of health inequity for Hispanics highlights the importance of retaining Hispanic nurses in the workplace. This article describes the use of short answers such as "Describe the bias you experienced" and "If a patient refused care, what was the reason given?" to increase understandings about bias through the descriptions of Hispanic nurses. In this study, bias was defined as those implicit negative stereotypes and attitudes that negatively affect judgments about, evaluations of, and actions toward others. For this qualitative component of a descriptive study employing both qualitative and quantitative methods, 111 Hispanic nurses responded to open-ended questions about experiences of bias that were included with a survey tool and demographic questionnaire. Three themes emerged: being overlooked and undervalued, having to prove competency, and living with "only-ness." Respect was an overarching concept. The written descriptions of bias provided depth and understanding to the quantitative findings. Nurse leaders are well positioned to develop and implement strategies to more effectively support Hispanic nurses and to promote nonbiased interactions in the workplace. Retaining Hispanic nurses is a vital component to address issues of health inequity for Hispanic patients.

Ultralow-Power Electronic Trapping of Nanoparticles with Sub-10 nm Gold Nanogap Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Barik, Avijit; Chen, Xiaoshu; Oh, Sang-Hyun

2016-10-12

We demonstrate nanogap electrodes for rapid, parallel, and ultralow-power trapping of nanoparticles. Our device pushes the limit of dielectrophoresis by shrinking the separation between gold electrodes to sub-10 nm, thereby creating strong trapping forces at biases as low as the 100 mV ranges. Using high-throughput atomic layer lithography, we manufacture sub-10 nm gaps between 0.8 mm long gold electrodes and pattern them into individually addressable parallel electronic traps. Unlike pointlike junctions made by electron-beam lithography or larger micron-gap electrodes that are used for conventional dielectrophoresis, our sub-10 nm gold nanogap electrodes provide strong trapping forces over a mm-scale trapping zone. Importantly, our technology solves the key challenges associated with traditional dielectrophoresis experiments, such as high voltages that cause heat generation, bubble formation, and unwanted electrochemical reactions. The strongly enhanced fields around the nanogap induce particle-transport speed exceeding 10 μm/s and enable the trapping of 30 nm polystyrene nanoparticles using an ultralow bias of 200 mV. We also demonstrate rapid electronic trapping of quantum dots and nanodiamond particles on arrays of parallel traps. Our sub-10 nm gold nanogap electrodes can be combined with plasmonic sensors or nanophotonic circuitry, and their low-power electronic operation can potentially enable high-density integration on a chip as well as portable biosensing.

Experiment study on four button electrode used to monitor position of high current electron-beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Tiezheng; Wang Huacen; Xie Yutong; Zhang Wenwei

2004-01-01

The button electrode is one that widely used in high energy accelerators, such as storage ring, and the button electrode has many merit like high accuracy, high resolution, resisting magnetic field, simple machinery, without magnetic core and low cost, etc. It's helpful that the button electrode is used as the beam position monitor in the linear induction accelerator. The experimental facilities have been designed and set up and it can simulate the beam of linear induction accelerator. The button electrode beam position monitor experiment have been done on the experimental facilities. The result of the experiment prove that the button electrode has an accuracy of 0.5 mm, and can reflect the wave of electron-beam accurately

Social influence bias: a randomized experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Muchnik, Lev; Aral, Sinan; Taylor, Sean J

2013-08-09

Our society is increasingly relying on the digitized, aggregated opinions of others to make decisions. We therefore designed and analyzed a large-scale randomized experiment on a social news aggregation Web site to investigate whether knowledge of such aggregates distorts decision-making. Prior ratings created significant bias in individual rating behavior, and positive and negative social influences created asymmetric herding effects. Whereas negative social influence inspired users to correct manipulated ratings, positive social influence increased the likelihood of positive ratings by 32% and created accumulating positive herding that increased final ratings by 25% on average. This positive herding was topic-dependent and affected by whether individuals were viewing the opinions of friends or enemies. A mixture of changing opinion and greater turnout under both manipulations together with a natural tendency to up-vote on the site combined to create the herding effects. Such findings will help interpret collective judgment accurately and avoid social influence bias in collective intelligence in the future.

Differential effects of weight bias experiences and internalization on exercise among women with overweight and obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearl, Rebecca L; Puhl, Rebecca M; Dovidio, John F

2015-12-01

This study investigated the effects of experiences with weight stigma and weight bias internalization on exercise. An online sample of 177 women with overweight and obesity (M(age) = 35.48 years, M(BMI) = 32.81) completed questionnaires assessing exercise behavior, self-efficacy, and motivation; experiences of weight stigmatization; weight bias internalization; and weight-stigmatizing attitudes toward others. Weight stigma experiences positively correlated with exercise behavior, but weight bias internalization was negatively associated with all exercise variables. Weight bias internalization was a partial mediator between weight stigma experiences and exercise behavior. The distinct effects of experiencing versus internalizing weight bias carry implications for clinical practice and public health. © The Author(s) 2014.

ALT-II toroidal belt limiter biasing experiments on TEXTOR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doerner, R.; Boedo, J.A.; Gray, D.S.

1991-01-01

Edge electric fields have been related to H-mode-like behaviour. The experiments reported here are an attempt to control the SOL profiles by electrostatic biasing of the full toroidal-belt limiter ALT-II. The specific goals are: influencing the edge particle flows, particle removal, power deposition and the global confinement. The ALT-II pump limiter is a full toroidal belt located at 45 o below the outer midplane and consisting of eight graphite covered blades which can be independently biased. Particle scoops located behind the limiter neutralize and direct the incoming plasma into the pumping ducts. (author) 5 refs., 3 figs

Effect of combined external uniaxial stress and dc bias on the dielectric property of BaTiO3-based dielectrics in multilayer ceramic capacitor: thermodynamics and experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Gang; Yue Zhenxing; Sun Tieyu; Gou Huanlin; Li Longtu

2008-01-01

The dielectric properties of (Nb, Y)-doped BaTiO 3 in a multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) under combined external uniaxial compressive stress and dc bias field were investigated at room temperature by using a modified Ginsburg-Landau-Devonshire thermodynamic theory and the dielectric measurement. It is found that although dc bias decreases the dielectric properties dominantly, the influence of the external uniaixial compressive stress should not be neglected. When applied along a direction perpendicular to the internal electrode layer in the MLCC, the external uniaixal compressive stress will strengthen the negative effect of dc bias. In contrast, the external uniaxial compressive stress along a direction parallel to the internal electrode layer in the MLCC will increase the dielectric permittivity under dc bias field, i.e. improve the ε-V response of the MLCC. Furthermore, although there is a difference between the calculated permittivity and the measured permittivity, the effects of the combined external uniaxial compressive stress and dc bias field on the dielectric permittivity described through two approaches are in good agreement

Open-Source Low-Cost Wireless Potentiometric Instrument for pH Determination Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hao; Qin, Yiheng; Pan, Si; Alam, Arif U.; Dong, Shurong; Ghosh, Raja; Deen, M. Jamal

2018-01-01

pH determination is an essential experiment in many chemistry laboratories. It requires a potentiometric instrument with extremely low input bias current to accurately measure the voltage between a pH sensing electrode and a reference electrode. In this technology report, we propose an open-source potentiometric instrument for pH determination…

Gate-bias and temperature dependence of charge transport in dinaphtho[2,3-b:2‧,3‧-d]thiophene thin-film transistors with MoO3/Au electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Shaari, Safizan; Naka, Shigeki; Okada, Hiroyuki

2018-04-01

We investigated the gate-bias and temperature dependence of the voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of dinaphtho[2,3-b:2‧,3‧-d]thiophene with MoO3/Au electrodes. The insertion of the MoO3 layer significantly improved the device performance. The temperature dependent V-I characteristics were evaluated and could be well fitted by the Schottky thermionic emission model with barrier height under forward- and reverse-biased regimes in the ranges of 33-57 and 49-73 meV, respectively. However, at a gate voltage of 0 V, at which a small activation energy was obtained, we needed to consider another conduction mechanism at the grain boundary. From the obtained results, we concluded that two possible conduction mechanisms governed the charge injection at the metal electrode-organic semiconductor interface: the Schottky thermionic emission model and the conduction model in the organic thin-film layer and grain boundary.

Studying Gender Bias in Physics Grading: The role of teaching experience and country

Science.gov (United States)

Hofer, Sarah I.

2015-11-01

The existence of gender-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) stereotypes has been repeatedly documented. This article examines physics teachers' gender bias in grading and the influence of teaching experience in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects design, with years of teaching experience included as moderating variable, physics teachers (N = 780) from Switzerland, Austria, and Germany graded a fictive student's answer to a physics test question. While the answer was exactly the same for each teacher, only the student's gender and specialization in languages vs. science were manipulated. Specialization was included to gauge the relative strength of potential gender bias effects. Multiple group regression analyses, with the grade that was awarded as the dependent variable, revealed only partial cross-border generalizability of the effect pattern. While the overall results in fact indicated the existence of a consistent and clear gender bias against girls in the first part of physics teachers' careers that disappeared with increasing teaching experience for Swiss teachers, Austrian teachers, and German female teachers, German male teachers showed no gender bias effects at all. The results are discussed regarding their relevance for educational practice and research.

Emissive limiter bias experiment for improved confinement of tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choe, W.; Ono, M.; Darrow, D.S.; Pribyl, P.A.; Liberati, J.R.; Taylor, R.J.

1992-01-01

Experiments have been performed in Ohmic discharges of the UCLA CCT tokamak with a LaB 6 biased limiter, capable of emitting energetic electrons as a technique to improve confinement in tokamaks. To study the effects of emitted electrons, the limiter position, bias voltage, and plasma position were varied. The results have shown that the plasma positioning with respect to the emissive limiter plays an important role in obtaining H-mode plasmas. The emissive cathode must be located close to the last closed flux surface in order to charge up the plasma. As the cathode is moved closer to the wall, the positioning of the plasma becomes more critical since the plasma can easily detach from the cathode and reattach to the wall, resulting in the termination of H-mode. The emissive capability appears to be important for operating at lower bias voltage and reducing impurity levels in the plasma. With a heated cathode, transition to H-mode was observed for V bias ≤ 50 V and I inj ≥ 30 A. At a lower cathode heater current, a higher bias voltage is required for the transition. Moreover, with a lower cathode heater current, the time delay for inducing H-mode becomes longer, which can be attributed to the required time for the self-heating of the cathode to reach the emissive temperature. From this result, we conclude that the capacity for emission can significantly improve the performance of limiter biasing for inducing H-mode transition. With L-mode plasmas, the injection current flowing out of the cathode was generally higher than 100 A

Junction Potentials Bias Measurements of Ion Exchange Membrane Permselectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsbury, Ryan S; Flotron, Sophie; Zhu, Shan; Call, Douglas F; Coronell, Orlando

2018-04-17

Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are versatile materials relevant to a variety of water and waste treatment, energy production, and industrial separation processes. The defining characteristic of IEMs is their ability to selectively allow positive or negative ions to permeate, which is referred to as permselectivity. Measured values of permselectivity that equal unity (corresponding to a perfectly selective membrane) or exceed unity (theoretically impossible) have been reported for cation exchange membranes (CEMs). Such nonphysical results call into question our ability to correctly measure this crucial membrane property. Because weighing errors, temperature, and measurement uncertainty have been shown to not explain these anomalous permselectivity results, we hypothesized that a possible explanation are junction potentials that occur at the tips of reference electrodes. In this work, we tested this hypothesis by comparing permselectivity values obtained from bare Ag/AgCl wire electrodes (which have no junction) to values obtained from single-junction reference electrodes containing two different electrolytes. We show that permselectivity values obtained using reference electrodes with junctions were greater than unity for CEMs. In contrast, electrodes without junctions always produced permselectivities lower than unity. Electrodes with junctions also resulted in artificially low permselectivity values for AEMs compared to electrodes without junctions. Thus, we conclude that junctions in reference electrodes introduce two biases into results in the IEM literature: (i) permselectivity values larger than unity for CEMs and (ii) lower permselectivity values for AEMs compared to those for CEMs. These biases can be avoided by using electrodes without a junction.

No Girls Allowed: Women in Male-Dominated Majors Experience Increased Gender Harassment and Bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresden, Brooke E; Dresden, Alexander Y; Ridge, Robert D; Yamawaki, Niwako

2018-06-01

The prevalence of gender harassment in male-dominated workforces has been well established, but little is known regarding the experiences of women in male-dominated majors within academia. The current study examines the experiences and gender-related biases of 146 male and female students in male-dominated (MD) and gender-equivalent (GE) majors. This study hypothesizes that men from MD majors, as opposed to GE majors, will exhibit more explicit and implicit bias regarding women in positions of power and authority, resulting in a higher prevalence of gender harassment towards women in MD majors. Results showed that there was no significant difference in self-reported explicit bias against women in positions of power and authority between men from MD and GE majors, but there was significantly more implicit bias among men from MD majors as opposed to GE majors. Additionally, women from MD majors experienced significantly more gender harassment than women from GE majors. Implications of these findings and suggestions to assist those working in education to combat these biases and instances of harassment are discussed.

Insulating electrodes: a review on biopotential front ends for dielectric skin–electrode interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spinelli, Enrique; Haberman, Marcelo

2010-01-01

Insulating electrodes, also known as capacitive electrodes, allow acquiring biopotentials without galvanic contact with the body. They operate with displacement currents instead of real charge currents, and the electrolytic electrode–skin interface is replaced by a dielectric film. The use of insulating electrodes is not the end of electrode interface problems but the beginning of new ones: coupling capacitances are of the order of pF calling for ultra-high input impedance amplifiers and careful biasing, guarding and shielding techniques. In this work, the general requirements of front ends for capacitive electrodes are presented and the different contributions to the overall noise are discussed and estimated. This analysis yields that noise bounds depend on features of the available devices as current and voltage noise, but the final noise level also depends on parasitic capacitances, requiring a careful shield and printed circuit design. When the dielectric layer is placed on the skin, the present-day amplifiers allow achieving noise levels similar to those provided by wet electrodes. Furthermore, capacitive electrode technology allows acquiring high quality ECG signals through thin clothes. A prototype front end for capacitive electrodes was built and tested. ECG signals were acquired with these electrodes in direct contact with the skin and also through cotton clothes 350 µm thick. They were compared with simultaneously acquired signals by means of wet electrodes and no significant differences were observed between both output signals

Evaluation of the tripolar electrode stimulation method by numerical analysis and animal experiments for cochlear implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyoshi, S; Sakajiri, M; Ifukube, T; Matsushima, J

1997-01-01

We have proposed the Tripolar Electrode Stimulation Method (TESM) which may enable us to narrow the stimulation region and to move continuously the stimulation site for the cochlear implants. We evaluated whether or not TESM works according to a theory based on numerical analysis using the auditory nerve fiber model. In this simulation, the sum of the excited model fibers were compared with the compound actions potentials obtained from animal experiments. As a result, this experiment showed that TESM could narrow a stimulation region by controlling the sum of the currents emitted from the electrodes on both sides, and continuously move a stimulation site by changing the ratio of the currents emitted from the electrodes on both sides.

DNA-FET using carbon nanotube electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, T K; Ikegami, A; Aoki, N; Ochiai, Y

2006-01-01

We demonstrate DNA field effect transistor (DNA-FET) using multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) as nano-structural source and drain electrodes. The MWNT electrodes have been fabricated by focused ion-beam bombardment (FIBB). A very short channel, approximately 50 nm, was easily formed between the severed MWNT. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of DNA molecules between the MWNT electrodes showed hopping transport property. We have also measured the gate-voltage dependence in the I-V characteristics and found that poly DNA molecules exhibits p-type conduction. The transport of DNA-FET can be explained by two hopping lengths which depend on the range of the source-drain bias voltages

Effect of Particle Size on Electrode Potential and Thermodynamics of Nanoparticles Electrode in Theory and Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yunfeng, Yang; Yongqiang, Xue; Zixiang, Cui; Miaozhi, Zhao

2014-01-01

The particle size of electrode materials has a significant influence on the standard electrode potential and the thermodynamic properties of electrode reactions. In this paper, the size-dependent electrochemical thermodynamics has been theoretically investigated and successfully deduced electrochemical thermodynamics equations for nanoparticles electrode. At the same time, the electrode potential and thermodynamical properties of Ag 2 O/Ag nanoparticles electrode constructed by the solid and spherical Ag 2 O nanoparticles with different sizes further testified that the particle size of nanoparticles has a significant effect on electrochemical thermodynamics. The results show that the electrode potential depends on that of the smallest nanoparticle in a nanoparticles electrode which consisted of different particle sizes of nano-Ag 2 O. When the size of Ag 2 O nanoparticles reduces, the standard electrode potentials and the equilibrium constants of the corresponding electrode reactions increase, and the temperature coefficient, the mole Gibbs energy change, the mole enthalpy change and the mole entropy change decrease. Moreover, these physical quantities are all linearly related with the reciprocal of average particle size (r > 10 nm). The experimental regularities coincide with the theoretical equations

Can a Repeated Opt-Out Reminder mitigate hypothetical bias in discrete choice experiments?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alemu, Mohammed Hussen; Olsen, Søren Bøye

2018-01-01

In this paper, we test whether a Repeated Opt-Out Reminder (ROOR) can mitigate hypothetical bias in stated discrete choice experiments (DCE). The data originate from a field experiment concerning consumer preferences for a novel food product made from cricket flour. Utilising a between...

Electrodes for bio-application: recording and stimulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontes, M B A

2013-01-01

Recording and stimulation electrodes applied on excitable tissue are the basis of electrophysiological research, such as brain, muscles, peripheral nerves or sensory systems. Electrode-electrolyte impedance is one of the important characteristics due to its influence on the signal/noise ratio, signal distortion and built-up voltage. Strategies to lowering and tuning the impedance are achieved by biasing iridium oxide modified platinum microelectrodes. Surface and impedance analysis after pulse stimulation are also addressed.

Rotating ring-ring electrode theory and experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiken, H.K.; Bakkers, E.P.A.M.; Ligthart, H.; Kellyb, J.J.

2000-01-01

A model is presented for the rotating ring-ring electrode. Although the electrode is defined by four characteristic lengths, it is shown that the collection efficiency depends on only two dimensionless parameters. A simple relationship between these and the corresponding parameters for the rotating

Gate-dependent asymmetric transport characteristics in pentacene barristors with graphene electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Wang-Taek; Min, Misook; Jeong, Hyunhak; Kim, Dongku; Jang, Jingon; Yoo, Daekyung; Jang, Yeonsik; Kim, Jun-Woo; Yoon, Jiyoung; Chung, Seungjun; Yi, Gyu-Chul; Lee, Hyoyoung; Wang, Gunuk; Lee, Takhee

2016-11-25

We investigated the electrical characteristics and the charge transport mechanism of pentacene vertical hetero-structures with graphene electrodes. The devices are composed of vertical stacks of silicon, silicon dioxide, graphene, pentacene, and gold. These vertical heterojunctions exhibited distinct transport characteristics depending on the applied bias direction, which originates from different electrode contacts (graphene and gold contacts) to the pentacene layer. These asymmetric contacts cause a current rectification and current modulation induced by the gate field-dependent bias direction. We observed a change in the charge injection barrier during variable-temperature current-voltage characterization, and we also observed that two distinct charge transport channels (thermionic emission and Poole-Frenkel effect) worked in the junctions, which was dependent on the bias magnitude.

Correlation between photoelectrochemical behaviour and photoelectrocatalytic activity and scaling-up of P25-TiO2 electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pablos, Cristina; Marugán, Javier; Grieken, Rafael van; Adán, Cristina; Riquelme, Ainhoa; Palma, Jesús

2014-01-01

The use of TiO 2 electrodes may solve the two main drawbacks of photocatalytic processes: i) the necessity of recovering the catalyst and ii) the low quantum yield in the use of the radiation. This work focuses on the correlation between the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO 2 electrodes and their activity for the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methanol. Particulate TiO 2 electrodes prepared by deposition of P25-TiO 2 nanoparticles on titanium (TiO 2 /Ti) or conductive glass support (TiO 2 /ITO) seem to be effective for charge carrier transference on TiO 2 surface favouring the formation of ·OH radicals and consequently, the oxidation of molecules. In contrast, thermal TiO 2 electrodes prepared by annealing of titanium (Ti) present better properties for charge carrier separation as a consequence of the application of a potential bias. Despite reducing charge carrier recombination by applying an electric potential bias, the activity of thermal electrodes remains lower than that of P25-particulate electrodes. TiO 2 structure of P25-particulate electrodes does not completely allow developing a potential gradient. However, their adequate TiO 2 layer characteristics for charge carrier transfer lead to a reduction in charge carrier recombination making up for the lack of charge carrier separation when applying an electric potential bias. TiO 2 /Ti showed the highest values of activity. Therefore, the combination of the suitable TiO 2 surface properties for charge carrier transfer with an adequate conductive support seems to increase the properties of the electrode for allowing charge carrier separation. The scaling-up calculations for a TiO 2 /ITO electrode do lead to good estimations of the activity and photocurrent of larger electrodes since this photoanode made from ITO as conductive support does not seem to be significantly affected by the applied potential bias

Characterization of 3 mm glass electrodes and development of RPC detectors for INO-ICAL experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaur, Daljeet; Kumar, Ashok; Gaur, Ankit; Kumar, Purnendu; Hasbuddin, Md.; Mishra, Swati; Kumar, Praveen; Naimuddin, Md., E-mail: nayeem@cern.ch

2015-02-21

India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a multi-institutional facility, planned to be built up in South India. The INO facility will host a 51 kton magnetized Iron CALorimeter (ICAL) detector to study atmospheric muon neutrinos. Iron plates have been chosen as the target material whereas Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) have been chosen as the active detector element for the ICAL experiment. Due to the large number of RPCs needed (∼28,000 of 2 m×2 m in size) for ICAL experiment and for the long lifetime of the experiment, it is necessary to perform a detailed R and D such that each and every parameter of the detector performance can be optimized to improve the physics output. In this paper, we report on the detailed material and electrical properties studies for various types of glass electrodes available locally. We also report on the performance studies carried out on the RPCs made with these electrodes as well as the effect of gas composition and environmental temperature on the detector performance. We also lay emphasis on the usage of materials for RPC electrodes and the suitable environmental conditions applicable for operating the RPC detector for optimal physics output at INO-ICAL experiment.

Face Experience and the Attentional Bias for Fearful Expressions in 6- and 9-Month-Old Infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina Safar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Infants demonstrate an attentional bias toward fearful facial expressions that emerges in the first year of life. The current study investigated whether this attentional bias is influenced by experience with particular face types. Six-month-old (n = 33 and 9-month-old (n = 31 Caucasian infants' spontaneous preference for fearful facial expressions when expressed by own-race (Caucasian or other-race (East Asian faces was examined. Six-month-old infants showed a preference for fearful expressions when expressed by own-race faces, but not when expressed by other-race faces. Nine-month-old infants showed a preference for fearful expressions when expressed by both own-race faces and other-race faces. These results suggest that how infants deploy their attention to different emotional expressions is shaped by experience: Attentional biases might initially be restricted to faces with which infants have the most experience, and later be extended to faces with which they have less experience.

Multicenter surgical experience evaluation on the Mid-Scala electrode and insertion tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazibegovic, Dzemal; Bero, Eva M

2017-02-01

The HiFocus Mid-Scala electrode is intended to improve hearing for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss by providing extended electrical coverage of the cochlea while minimizing trauma related to insertion. The electrode is appropriate for use with a wide range of surgical techniques, including either a cochleostomy or round window insertion, and the use of either a free-hand or tool-assisted approach. The objective of this survey was to evaluate how the HiFocus Mid-Scala electrode and insertion tools was used across a population of cochlear implant recipients of differing ages, audiologic profiles, and anatomical characteristics. The intent was to understand the type and frequency of surgical techniques applicable with the electrode, and to provide guidelines for clinical practice. Two questionnaires were completed by surgeons at implant centres located in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Before any surgeries were conducted, surgeons completed a questionnaire that assessed their overall cochlear implant surgical practice and preferences. Following each HiFocus Mid-Scala electrode insertion, surgeons completed a questionnaire that summarized their experience during that surgical procedure. Questionnaires were completed by 32 surgeons from 16 centres for a total of 143 surgeries (112 adults, 31 children). Most surgeons (62 %) preferred to insert the electrode via the round window or an extended round window compared with a cochleostomy (16 %), whereas the remaining 22 % indicated that they made an insertion choice based on presenting anatomy. Sixty-nine percent preferred a free-hand approach over using insertion tools. In 32 procedures, surgeons elected to deviate from an intended round window insertion to either an extended round window or cochleostomy approach.

Studying Gender Bias in Physics Grading: The Role of Teaching Experience and Country

Science.gov (United States)

Hofer, Sarah I.

2015-01-01

The existence of gender-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) stereotypes has been repeatedly documented. This article examines physics teachers' gender bias in grading and the influence of teaching experience in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. In a 2?×?2 between-subjects design, with years of teaching experience included as…

Insulated electrocardiographic electrodes. [without paste electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

David, R. M.; Portnoy, W. A. (Inventor)

1975-01-01

An integrated system is disclosed including an insulated electrode and an impedance transformer which can be assembled in a small plastic housing and used for the acquisition of electrocardiographic data. The electrode may be employed without a paste electrolyte and may be attached to the body for extended usage without producing skin reaction. The electrode comprises a thin layer of suitable nontoxic dielectric material preferably deposited by radio frequency sputtering onto a conductive substrate. The impedance transformer preferably comprises an operational amplifier having an FET input stage connected in the unity gain configuration which provides a very low lower cut-off frequency, a high input impedance with a very small input bias current, a low output impedance, and a high signal-to-noise ratio.

Correspondence between Experiment and Theory of Bulk Electrocrystallisation at Solid Electrodes in Aqueous Electrolyte

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jens Enevold Thaulov

2009-01-01

A model of electrodeposition and electrodissolution at electrode surfaces in aqueous solution is presented. The description is based on the assumption that redox reaction of water is the more important process controlling the electrode kinetics. Chronoamperometric measurements and experiments...... of cyclic voltammetry indicate that the current fundamentally is proportional to inverse time. It was proposed that redox-active species different from water never touch the surface but they predominantly interact with surface-active hydrogen or oxygen formed at the surface by redox processes of water...

Enhanced confinement with plasma biasing in the MST reversed field pinch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, D.; Almagri, A.F.; Anderson, J.K.

1997-06-01

We report an increase in particle confinement with plasma biasing in a reversed field pinch. Miniature plasma sources are used as electrodes to negatively bias the plasma at the edge (r/a ∼ 0.9). Particle content increases and H α radiation decreases upon application of bias and global particle confinement roughly doubles as a result. Measurements of plasma potential, impurity flow, and floating potential fluctuations indicate that strong flows are produced and that electrostatic fluctuations are reduced

Optical and Electrical Performance of MOS-Structure Silicon Solar Cells with Antireflective Transparent ITO and Plasmonic Indium Nanoparticles under Applied Bias Voltage.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Wen-Jeng; Sue, Ruei-Siang; Lin, Jian-Cheng; Syu, Hong-Jang; Lin, Ching-Fuh

2016-08-10

This paper reports impressive improvements in the optical and electrical performance of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS)-structure silicon solar cells through the incorporation of plasmonic indium nanoparticles (In-NPs) and an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrode with periodic holes (perforations) under applied bias voltage. Samples were prepared using a plain ITO electrode or perforated ITO electrode with and without In-NPs. The samples were characterized according to optical reflectance, dark current voltage, induced capacitance voltage, external quantum efficiency, and photovoltaic current voltage. Our results indicate that induced capacitance voltage and photovoltaic current voltage both depend on bias voltage, regardless of the type of ITO electrode. Under a bias voltage of 4.0 V, MOS cells with perforated ITO and plain ITO, respectively, presented conversion efficiencies of 17.53% and 15.80%. Under a bias voltage of 4.0 V, the inclusion of In-NPs increased the efficiency of cells with perforated ITO and plain ITO to 17.80% and 16.87%, respectively.

Optical and Electrical Performance of MOS-Structure Silicon Solar Cells with Antireflective Transparent ITO and Plasmonic Indium Nanoparticles under Applied Bias Voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Jeng Ho

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper reports impressive improvements in the optical and electrical performance of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS-structure silicon solar cells through the incorporation of plasmonic indium nanoparticles (In-NPs and an indium-tin-oxide (ITO electrode with periodic holes (perforations under applied bias voltage. Samples were prepared using a plain ITO electrode or perforated ITO electrode with and without In-NPs. The samples were characterized according to optical reflectance, dark current voltage, induced capacitance voltage, external quantum efficiency, and photovoltaic current voltage. Our results indicate that induced capacitance voltage and photovoltaic current voltage both depend on bias voltage, regardless of the type of ITO electrode. Under a bias voltage of 4.0 V, MOS cells with perforated ITO and plain ITO, respectively, presented conversion efficiencies of 17.53% and 15.80%. Under a bias voltage of 4.0 V, the inclusion of In-NPs increased the efficiency of cells with perforated ITO and plain ITO to 17.80% and 16.87%, respectively.

How light-harvesting semiconductors can alter the bias of reversible electrocatalysts in favor of H2 production and CO2 reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bachmeier, Andreas; Wang, Vincent C C; Woolerton, Thomas W; Bell, Sophie; Fontecilla-Camps, Juan C; Can, Mehmet; Ragsdale, Stephen W; Chaudhary, Yatendra S; Armstrong, Fraser A

2013-10-09

The most efficient catalysts for solar fuel production should operate close to reversible potentials, yet possess a bias for the fuel-forming direction. Protein film electrochemical studies of Ni-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and [NiFeSe]-hydrogenase, each a reversible electrocatalyst, show that the electronic state of the electrode strongly biases the direction of electrocatalysis of CO2/CO and H(+)/H2 interconversions. Attached to graphite electrodes, these enzymes show high activities for both oxidation and reduction, but there is a marked shift in bias, in favor of CO2 or H(+) reduction, when the respective enzymes are attached instead to n-type semiconductor electrodes constructed from CdS and TiO2 nanoparticles. This catalytic rectification effect can arise for a reversible electrocatalyst attached to a semiconductor electrode if the electrode transforms between semiconductor- and metallic-like behavior across the same narrow potential range (<0.25 V) that the electrocatalytic current switches between oxidation and reduction.

Bias-dependent oscillatory electron transport of monatomic sulfur chains

KAUST Repository

Yu, Jing-Xin; Cheng, Yan; Sanvito, Stefano; Chen, Xiang-Rong

2012-01-01

The bias-dependent oscillatory electron transport of monatomic sulfur chains sandwiched between gold electrodes is investigated with density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function method. At zero bias, in contrast to the typical odd-even oscillations observed in most metallic chains, we find that the conductance oscillates with a period of four atoms. However, as the bias voltage is increased the current displays a two-atom periodicity. This emerges gradually, first for the longer chains and then, at voltages larger than 0.7 V, for lengths. The oscillatory behaviors are analyzed by the density of states and the energy-dependent and bias-dependent transmission coefficients. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Bias-dependent oscillatory electron transport of monatomic sulfur chains

KAUST Repository

Yu, Jing-Xin

2012-01-01

The bias-dependent oscillatory electron transport of monatomic sulfur chains sandwiched between gold electrodes is investigated with density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green\\'s function method. At zero bias, in contrast to the typical odd-even oscillations observed in most metallic chains, we find that the conductance oscillates with a period of four atoms. However, as the bias voltage is increased the current displays a two-atom periodicity. This emerges gradually, first for the longer chains and then, at voltages larger than 0.7 V, for lengths. The oscillatory behaviors are analyzed by the density of states and the energy-dependent and bias-dependent transmission coefficients. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

High Efficient THz Emission From Unbiased and Biased Semiconductor Nanowires Fabricated Using Electron Beam Lithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balci, Soner; Czaplewski, David A.; Jung, Il Woong; Kim, Ju-Hyung; Hatami, Fariba; Kung, Patrick; Kim, Seongsin Margaret

2017-07-01

Besides having perfect control on structural features, such as vertical alignment and uniform distribution by fabricating the wires via e-beam lithography and etching process, we also investigated the THz emission from these fabricated nanowires when they are applied DC bias voltage. To be able to apply a voltage bias, an interdigitated gold (Au) electrode was patterned on the high-quality InGaAs epilayer grown on InP substrate bymolecular beam epitaxy. Afterwards, perfect vertically aligned and uniformly distributed nanowires were fabricated in between the electrodes of this interdigitated pattern so that we could apply voltage bias to improve the THz emission. As a result, we achieved enhancement in the emitted THz radiation by ~four times, about 12 dB increase in power ratio at 0.25 THz with a DC biased electric field compared with unbiased NWs.

The Rotating Ring-Ring Electrode. Theory and Experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuiken, H.K.; Bakkers, E.P.A.M.; Ligthart, H.; Kelly, J.J.

2000-01-01

A model is presented for the rotating ring-ring electrode. Although the electrode is defined by four characteristic lengths, it is shown that the collection efficiency depends on only two dimensionless parameters. A simple relationship between these and the corresponding parameters for the rotating

A LabVIEW based experiment system for the efficient collection and analysis of cyclic voltametry and electrode charge capacity measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Detlefsen, D; Hu, Z; Troyk, P R

2006-01-01

Cyclic voltametry and recording of stimulation electrode voltage excursions are two critical methods of measurement for understanding the performance of implantable electrodes. Because implanted electrodes cannot easily be replaced, it is necessary to have an a-priori understanding of an electrode's implanted performance and capabilities. In-vitro exhaustive tests are often needed to quantify an electrodes performance. Using commonly available equipment, the human labor cost to conduct this work is immense. Presented is an automated experiment system that is highly configurable that can efficiently conduct a battery of repeatable CV and stimulation recording measurements. Results of preparing 96 electrodes prior to an animal implantation are also discussed.

A Simple Hydrogen Electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Eggen, Per-Odd

2009-01-01

This article describes the construction of an inexpensive, robust, and simple hydrogen electrode, as well as the use of this electrode to measure "standard" potentials. In the experiment described here the students can measure the reduction potentials of metal-metal ion pairs directly, without using a secondary reference electrode. Measurements…

Profile Control by Biased Electrodes in Large Diameter RF Produced Pl asma

Science.gov (United States)

Shinohara, Shunjiro; Matsuoka, Norikazu; Yoshinaka, Toshiro

1998-10-01

Control of the plasma profile has been carried out, using the voltage biasing method in the large diameter (45 cm) RF (radio frequency) produced plasma in the presence of the uniform magnetic field (less than 1200 G). Under the low filling pressure condition of 0.16 mTorr, changing the biasing voltages to the three individual end plates with concentric circular ring shapes, the radial electron density (about 10^10 cm-3) profile could be changed from the hollow to the peaked one. On the contrary, the nearly flat electron temperature (several eV) profile did not change appreciably. The azimuthal rotation velocity measured by the Mach probe, i.e. directional probe, showed the different radial profiles (but nearly uniform along the axis) depending on the biasing voltage. This velocity became slower with the low magnetic field (less than 200 G) or in the higher pressure regime up to 20 mTorr with the higher electron density. The experimental results by other biasing methods will also be presented.

Three-dimensional modeling of a negative ion source with a magnetic filter: impact of biasing the plasma electrode on the plasma asymmetry

Science.gov (United States)

Fubiani, G.; Boeuf, J. P.

2015-10-01

The effect on the plasma characteristics of biasing positively the plasma electrode (PE) in negative ion sources with a magnetic filter is analysed using a 3D particle-in-cell model with Monte-Carlo collisions (PIC-MCC). We specialize to the one driver (i.e. one inductively coupled radio-frequency discharge) BATMAN negative ion source and the 4-drivers (large volume) ELISE device. Both are ITER prototype high power tandem-type negative ion sources developed for the neutral beam injector (NBI) system. The plasma is generated in the driver and diffuses inside the second chamber which is magnetized. Asymmetric plasma profiles originate from the formation of an electric field transverse to the electron current flowing through the magnetic filter (Hall effect). The model shows that the importance of the asymmetry increases with the PE bias potential, i.e. with the electron flow from the driver to the extraction region and depends on the shape of the magnetic filter field. We find that although the plasma density and potential profiles may be more or less asymmetric depending on the filter field configuration, the electron current to the plasma grid is always strongly asymmetric.

Three-dimensional modeling of a negative ion source with a magnetic filter: impact of biasing the plasma electrode on the plasma asymmetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fubiani, G; Boeuf, J P

2015-01-01

The effect on the plasma characteristics of biasing positively the plasma electrode (PE) in negative ion sources with a magnetic filter is analysed using a 3D particle-in-cell model with Monte-Carlo collisions (PIC-MCC). We specialize to the one driver (i.e. one inductively coupled radio-frequency discharge) BATMAN negative ion source and the 4-drivers (large volume) ELISE device. Both are ITER prototype high power tandem-type negative ion sources developed for the neutral beam injector (NBI) system. The plasma is generated in the driver and diffuses inside the second chamber which is magnetized. Asymmetric plasma profiles originate from the formation of an electric field transverse to the electron current flowing through the magnetic filter (Hall effect). The model shows that the importance of the asymmetry increases with the PE bias potential, i.e. with the electron flow from the driver to the extraction region and depends on the shape of the magnetic filter field. We find that although the plasma density and potential profiles may be more or less asymmetric depending on the filter field configuration, the electron current to the plasma grid is always strongly asymmetric. (paper)

Advanced divertor experiments on DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaffer, M.J.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Osborne, T.; Petrie, T.W.; Stambaugh, R.D.; Buchenauer, D.; Hill, D.N.; Klepper, C.C.

1991-04-01

The poloidal divertor is presently favored for next-step, high-power tokamaks. The DIII-D Advanced Divertor Program (ADP) aims to gain increased control over the divertor plasma and tokamak boundary conditions. This paper reports experiments done in the first phase of the ADP. The DIII-D lower divertor was modified by the addition of a toroidally symmetric, graphite-armoured, water-cooled divertor-biasing ring electrode at the entrance to a gas plenum. The plenum will eventually contain a He cryogenic loop for active divertor pumping. The separatrix ''strike'' position is controlled by the lower poloidal field shaping coils and can be varied smoothly from the ring electrode upper surface to the divertor floor far from the entrance aperture. External power, at up to 550 V and 8 kA separately, has been applied to the electrode to date. 5 refs., 5 figs

Torso geometry reconstruction and body surface electrode localization using three-dimensional photography.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Alday, Erick A; Thomas, Jason A; Kabir, Muammar; Sedaghat, Golriz; Rogovoy, Nichole; van Dam, Eelco; van Dam, Peter; Woodward, William; Fuss, Cristina; Ferencik, Maros; Tereshchenko, Larisa G

We conducted a prospective clinical study (n=14; 29% female) to assess the accuracy of a three-dimensional (3D) photography-based method of torso geometry reconstruction and body surface electrodes localization. The position of 74 body surface electrocardiographic (ECG) electrodes (diameter 5mm) was defined by two methods: 3D photography, and CT (marker diameter 2mm) or MRI (marker size 10×20mm) imaging. Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement in X (bias -2.5 [95% limits of agreement (LoA) -19.5 to 14.3] mm), Y (bias -0.1 [95% LoA -14.1 to 13.9] mm), and Z coordinates (bias -0.8 [95% LoA -15.6 to 14.2] mm), as defined by the CT/MRI imaging, and 3D photography. The average Hausdorff distance between the two torso geometry reconstructions was 11.17±3.05mm. Thus, accurate torso geometry reconstruction using 3D photography is feasible. Body surface ECG electrodes coordinates as defined by the CT/MRI imaging, and 3D photography, are in good agreement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cobalt phthalocyanine modified electrodes utilised in electroanalysis: nano-structured modified electrodes vs. bulk modified screen-printed electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Christopher W; Pillay, Jeseelan; Metters, Jonathan P; Banks, Craig E

2014-11-19

Cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPC) compounds have been reported to provide electrocatalytic performances towards a substantial number of analytes. In these configurations, electrodes are typically constructed via drop casting the CoPC onto a supporting electrode substrate, while in other cases the CoPC complex is incorporated within the ink of a screen-printed sensor, providing a one-shot economical and disposable electrode configuration. In this paper we critically compare CoPC modified electrodes prepared by drop casting CoPC nanoparticles (nano-CoPC) onto a range of carbon based electrode substrates with that of CoPC bulk modified screen-printed electrodes in the sensing of the model analytes L-ascorbic acid, oxygen and hydrazine. It is found that no "electrocatalysis" is observed towards L-ascorbic acid using either of these CoPC modified electrode configurations and that the bare underlying carbon electrode is the origin of the obtained voltammetric signal, which gives rise to useful electroanalytical signatures, providing new insights into literature reports where "electrocatalysis" has been reported with no clear control experiments undertaken. On the other hand true electrocatalysis is observed towards hydrazine, where no such voltammetric features are witnessed on the bare underlying electrode substrate.

Initial Operative Experience and Short-term Hearing Preservation Results With a Mid-scala Cochlear Implant Electrode Array.

Science.gov (United States)

Svrakic, Maja; Roland, J Thomas; McMenomey, Sean O; Svirsky, Mario A

2016-12-01

To describe our initial operative experience and hearing preservation results with the Advanced Bionics (AB) Mid Scala Electrode (MSE). Retrospective review. Tertiary referral center. Sixty-three MSE implants in pediatric and adult patients were compared with age- and sex-matched 1j electrode implants from the same manufacturer. All patients were severe to profoundly deaf. Cochlear implantation with either the AB 1j electrode or the AB MSE. The MSE and 1j electrodes were compared in their angular depth of insertion and pre to postoperative change in hearing thresholds. Hearing preservation was analyzed as a function of angular depth of insertion. Secondary outcome measures included operative time, incidence of abnormal intraoperative impedance and telemetry values, and incidence of postsurgical complications. Depth of insertion was similar for both electrodes, but was more consistent for the MSE array and more variable for the 1j array. Patients with MSE electrodes had better hearing preservation. Thresholds shifts at four audiometric frequencies ranging from 250 to 2000 Hz were 10, 7, 2, and 6 dB smaller for the MSE electrode than for the 1j (p < 0.05). Hearing preservation at low frequencies was worse with deeper insertion, regardless of array. Secondary outcome measures were similar for both electrodes. The MSE electrode resulted in more consistent insertion depth and somewhat better hearing preservation than the 1j electrode. Differences in other surgical outcome measures were small or unlikely to have a meaningful effect.

Fair Play: A Study of Scientific Workforce Trainers’ Experience Playing an Educational Video Game about Racial Bias

Science.gov (United States)

Kaatz, Anna; Carnes, Molly; Gutierrez, Belinda; Savoy, Julia; Samuel, Clem; Filut, Amarette; Pribbenow, Christine Maidl

2017-01-01

Explicit racial bias has decreased in the United States, but racial stereotypes still exist and conspire in multiple ways to perpetuate the underparticipation of Blacks in science careers. Capitalizing on the potential effectiveness of role-playing video games to promote the type of active learning required to increase awareness of and reduce subtle racial bias, we developed the video game Fair Play, in which players take on the role of Jamal, a Black male graduate student in science, who experiences discrimination in his PhD program. We describe a mixed-methods evaluation of the experience of scientific workforce trainers who played Fair Play at the National Institutes of Health Division of Training Workforce Development and Diversity program directors’ meeting in 2013 (n = 47; 76% female, n = 34; 53% nonwhite, n = 26). The evaluation findings suggest that Fair Play can promote perspective taking and increase bias literacy, which are steps toward reducing racial bias and affording Blacks equal opportunities to excel in science. PMID:28450447

Reducing hypothetical bias in choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ladenburg, Jacob; Olsen, Søren Bøye; Nielsen, Rasmus Christian Fejer

eliminate some of the hypothetical bias. The present paper tests an addition to Cheap Talk, an Opt-Out Reminder. The Opt-Out Reminder is an objective short script presented prior to the choice sets, prompting the respondent to choose the opt-out alternative, if he/she finds the proposed policy generated...... alternatives in a choice set too expensive. The results suggest that adding an Opt-Out Reminder to Cheap Talk can in fact reduce hypothetical bias even further and reduces some of the ineffectiveness of CT in relation to the survey bid range and experienced respondents....

Gender bias in hospital leadership: a qualitative study on the experiences of women CEOs.

Science.gov (United States)

Soklaridis, Sophie; Kuper, Ayelet; Whitehead, Cynthia R; Ferguson, Genevieve; Taylor, Valerie H; Zahn, Catherine

2017-04-10

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of gender bias among women hospital CEOs and explore to what these female leaders attribute their success within a male-dominated hospital executive leadership milieu. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study involved 12 women hospital CEOs from across Ontario, Canada. Purposeful sampling techniques and in-depth qualitative interview methods were used to facilitate discussion around experiences of gender and leadership. Findings Responses fell into two groups: the first group represented the statement "Gender inequality is alive and well". The second group reflected the statement "Gender inequity is not significant, did not happen to me, and things are better now". This group contained a sub-group with no consciousness of systemic discrimination and that claimed having no gendered experiences in their leadership journey. The first group described gender issues in various contexts, from the individual to the systemic. The second group was ambivalent about gender as a factor impacting leadership trajectories. Originality/value Representations of women's leadership have become detached from feminism, with major consequences for women. This study reveals how difficult it is for some women CEOs to identify gender bias. The subtle everyday norms and practices within the workplace make it difficult to name and explain gender bias explicitly and may explain the challenges in understanding how it might affect a woman's career path.

Interior renovation of a general practitioner office leads to a perceptual bias on patient experience for over one year.

Science.gov (United States)

Gauthey, Jérôme; Tièche, Raphaël; Streit, Sven

2018-01-01

Measuring patient experience is key when assessing quality of care but can be biased: A perceptual bias occurs when renovations of the interior design of a general practitioner (GP) office improves how patients assessed quality of care. The aim was to assess the length of perceptual bias and if it could be reproduced after a second renovation. A GP office with 2 GPs in Switzerland was renovated twice within 3 years. We assessed patient experience at baseline, 2 months and 14 months after the first and 3 months after the second renovation. Each time, we invited a sample of 180 consecutive patients that anonymously graded patient experience in 4 domains: appearance of the office; qualities of medical assistants and GPs; and general satisfaction. We compared crude mean scores per domain from baseline until follow-up. In a multivariate model, we adjusted for patient's age, gender and for how long patients had been their GP. At baseline, patients aged 60.9 (17.7) years, 52% females. After the first renovation, we found a regression to the baseline level of patient experience after 14 months except for appearance of the office (pInterior renovation of a GP office probably causes a perceptual bias for >1 year that improves how patients rate quality of care. This bias could be reproduced after a second renovation strengthening a possible causal relationship. These findings imply to appropriately time measurement of patient experience to at least one year after interior renovation of GP practices to avoid environmental changes influences the estimates when measuring patient experience.

Current-Induced Forces and Hot Spots in Biased Nanojunctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Jing Tao; Christensen, Rasmus Bjerregaard; Wang, Jian-Sheng

2015-01-01

We investigate theoretically the interplay of current-induced forces (CIFs), Joule heating, and heat transport inside a current-carrying nanoconductor. We find that the CIFs, due to the electron-phonon coherence, can control the spatial heat dissipation in the conductor. This yields a significant...... asymmetric concentration of excess heating (hot spot) even for a symmetric conductor. When coupled to the electrode phonons, CIFs drive different phonon heat flux into the two electrodes. First-principles calculations on realistic biased nanojunctions illustrate the importance of the effect....

Can a Repeated Opt-Out Reminder remove hypothetical bias in discrete choice experiments?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alemu, Mohammed Hussen; Olsen, Søren Bøye

hypothetical bias in stated DCE. The data originates from a field experiment concerning consumer preferences for a novel food product made from cricket flour. Utilizing a between-subject design with three treatments, we find significantly higher marginal willingness to pay values in hypothetical than...

Flexible electrode belt for EIT using nanofiber web dry electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Tong In; Kim, Tae Eui; Yoon, Sun; Kim, Kap Jin; Woo, Eung Je; Sadleir, Rosalind J

2012-10-01

Efficient connection of multiple electrodes to the body for impedance measurement and voltage monitoring applications is of critical importance to measurement quality and practicality. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) experiments have generally required a cumbersome procedure to attach the multiple electrodes needed in EIT. Once placed, these electrodes must then maintain good contact with the skin during measurements that may last several hours. There is usually also the need to manage the wires that run between the electrodes and the EIT system. These problems become more severe as the number of electrodes increases, and may limit the practicality and portability of this imaging method. There have been several trials describing human-electrode interfaces using configurations such as electrode belts, helmets or rings. In this paper, we describe an electrode belt we developed for long-term EIT monitoring of human lung ventilation. The belt included 16 embossed electrodes that were designed to make good contact with the skin. The electrodes were fabricated using an Ag-plated PVDF nanofiber web and metallic threads. A large contact area and padding were used behind each electrode to improve subject comfort and reduce contact impedances. The electrodes were incorporated, equally spaced, into an elasticated fabric belt. We tested the electrode belt in conjunction with the KHU Mark1 multi-frequency EIT system, and demonstrate time-difference images of phantoms and human subjects during normal breathing and running. We found that the Ag-plated PVDF nanofiber web electrodes were suitable for long-term measurement because of their flexibility and durability. Moreover, the contact impedance and stability of the Ag-plated PVDF nanofiber web electrodes were found to be comparable to similarly tested Ag/AgCl electrodes.

Using respondent uncertainty to mitigate hypothetical bias in a stated choice experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Richard C. Ready; Patricia A. Champ; Jennifer L. Lawton

2010-01-01

In a choice experiment study, willingness to pay for a public good estimated from hypothetical choices was three times as large as willingness to pay estimated from choices requiring actual payment. This hypothetical bias was related to the stated level of certainty of respondents. We develop protocols to measure respondent certainty in the context of a choice...

Initial Operative Experience and Short Term Hearing Preservation Results with a Mid-Scala Cochlear Implant Electrode Array

Science.gov (United States)

Svrakic, Maja; Roland, J. Thomas; McMenomey, Sean O.; Svirsky, Mario A.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE To describe our initial operative experience and hearing preservation results with the Advanced Bionics (AB) Mid Scala Electrode (MSE) STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Sixty-three MSE implants in pediatric and adult patients were compared to age- and gender-matched 1j electrode implants from the same manufacturer. All patients were severe to profoundly deaf. INTERVENTION Cochlear implantation with either the AB 1j electrode or the AB MSE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The MSE and 1j electrode were compared in their angular depth of insertion (aDOI) and pre- to post-operative change in hearing thresholds. Hearing preservation was analyzed as a function of aDOI. Secondary outcome measures included operative time, incidence of abnormal intraoperative impedance and telemetry values, and incidence of postsurgical complications. RESULTS Depth of insertion was similar for both electrodes, but was more consistent for the MSE array and more variable for the 1j array. Patients with MSE electrodes had better hearing preservation. Thresholds shifts at four audiometric frequencies ranging from 250 to 2,000 Hz were 10 dB, 7 dB, 2 dB and 6 dB smaller for the MSE electrode than for the 1j (p<0.05). Hearing preservation at low frequencies was worse with deeper insertion, regardless of array. Secondary outcome measures were similar for both electrodes. CONCLUSIONS The MSE electrode resulted in more consistent insertion depth and somewhat better hearing preservation than the 1j electrode. Differences in other surgical outcome measures were small or unlikely to have a meaningful effect. PMID:27755356

Cobalt Phthalocyanine Modified Electrodes Utilised in Electroanalysis: Nano-Structured Modified Electrodes vs. Bulk Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher W. Foster

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPC compounds have been reported to provide electrocatalytic performances towards a substantial number of analytes. In these configurations, electrodes are typically constructed via drop casting the CoPC onto a supporting electrode substrate, while in other cases the CoPC complex is incorporated within the ink of a screen-printed sensor, providing a one-shot economical and disposable electrode configuration. In this paper we critically compare CoPC modified electrodes prepared by drop casting CoPC nanoparticles (nano-CoPC onto a range of carbon based electrode substrates with that of CoPC bulk modified screen-printed electrodes in the sensing of the model analytes L-ascorbic acid, oxygen and hydrazine. It is found that no “electrocatalysis” is observed towards L-ascorbic acid using either of these CoPC modified electrode configurations and that the bare underlying carbon electrode is the origin of the obtained voltammetric signal, which gives rise to useful electroanalytical signatures, providing new insights into literature reports where “electrocatalysis” has been reported with no clear control experiments undertaken. On the other hand true electrocatalysis is observed towards hydrazine, where no such voltammetric features are witnessed on the bare underlying electrode substrate.

An electrode polarization impedance based flow sensor for low water flow measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Tinghu; Sabic, Darko

2013-01-01

This note describes an electrode polarization impedance based flow sensor for low water flow measurement. It consists of two pairs of stainless steel electrodes set apart and inserted into a non-conductive flow tube with each pair of electrodes placed diametrically at the opposite sides. The flow sensor is modeled as a typical four-electrode system of which two electrodes are current-carrying and the other two serve as output pick ups. The polarization impedances of the two current carrying electrodes are affected by water flows resulting in changes of differential potential between the two pick-up electrodes which are separated by the same fluid. The interrogation of the two excitation electrodes with dc biased ac signals offers significantly higher sensor sensitivities to flow. The prototype flow sensor constructed for a 20 mm diameter pipeline was able to measure water flow rate as low as tested at 1.06 l h −1 and remained sensitive at a flow rate of 25.18 l h −1 when it was driven with a sinusoidal voltage at 1000 Hz with a peak ac amplitude of 2 V and a dc offset of +8 V. The nonlinear characteristics of the sensor response indicate that the sensor is more sensitive at low flows and will not be able to measure at very high flows. Additional experiments are needed to evaluate the influences of impurities, chemical species, ions constituents, conductivity and temperature over a practical range of residential water conditions, the effects of fluctuating ground signals, measurement uncertainty, power consumption, compensation of effects and practical operations. The flow sensor (principle) presented may be used as (in) a secondary sensor in combination with an existing electronic water meter to extend the low end of measurement range in residential water metering. (technical design note)

Numerical experiment on variance biases and Monte Carlo neutronics analysis with thermal hydraulic feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyung, Jin Shim; Beom, Seok Han; Chang, Hyo Kim

2003-01-01

Monte Carlo (MC) power method based on the fixed number of fission sites at the beginning of each cycle is known to cause biases in the variances of the k-eigenvalue (keff) and the fission reaction rate estimates. Because of the biases, the apparent variances of keff and the fission reaction rate estimates from a single MC run tend to be smaller or larger than the real variances of the corresponding quantities, depending on the degree of the inter-generational correlation of the sample. We demonstrate this through a numerical experiment involving 100 independent MC runs for the neutronics analysis of a 17 x 17 fuel assembly of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). We also demonstrate through the numerical experiment that Gelbard and Prael's batch method and Ueki et al's covariance estimation method enable one to estimate the approximate real variances of keff and the fission reaction rate estimates from a single MC run. We then show that the use of the approximate real variances from the two-bias predicting methods instead of the apparent variances provides an efficient MC power iteration scheme that is required in the MC neutronics analysis of a real system to determine the pin power distribution consistent with the thermal hydraulic (TH) conditions of individual pins of the system. (authors)

Sheath and bulk expansion induced by RF bias in atmospheric pressure microwave plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jimo; Nam, Woojin; Lee, Jae Koo; Yun, Gunsu

2017-10-01

A large axial volume expansion of microwave-driven plasma at atmospheric pressure is achieved by applying a low power radio frequency (RF) bias at an axial location well isolated from the original plasma bulk. The evolution of the plasma plume visualized by high speed ICCD imaging suggest that the free electrons drifting toward the bias electrode cause the prodigious expansion of the sheath, creating a stable plasma stream channel between the microwave and the RF electrodes. For argon plasma in ambient air, enhanced emissions of OH and N2 spectral lines are measured in the extended plume region, supporting the acceleration of electrons and subsequent generation of radical species. The coupling of RF bias with microwave provides an efficient way of enlarging the plasma volume and enhancing the production of radicals. Work supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea under BK21+ program and Grant No. 2015R1D1A1A01061556 (Ministry of Education).

Impact of metal artefacts due to EEG electrodes in brain PET/CT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemmens, Catherine; Nuyts, Johan; Dupont, Patrick; Montandon, Marie-Louise; Ratib, Osman; Zaidi, Habib

2008-01-01

The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes on the visual quality and quantification of 18 F-FDG PET images in neurological PET/CT examinations. For this purpose, the scans of 20 epilepsy patients with EEG monitoring were used. The CT data were reconstructed with filtered backprojection (FBP) and with a metal artefact reduction (MAR) algorithm. Both data sets were used for CT-based attenuation correction (AC) of the PET data. Also, a calculated AC (CALC) technique was considered. A volume of interest (VOI)-based analysis and a voxel-based quantitative analysis were performed to compare the different AC methods. Images were also evaluated visually by two observers. It was shown with simulations and phantom measurements that from the considered AC methods, the MAR-AC can be used as the reference in this setting. The visual assessment of PET images showed local hot spots outside the brain corresponding to the locations of the electrodes when using FBP-AC. In the brain, no abnormalities were observed. The quantitative analysis showed a very good correlation between PET-FBP-AC and PET-MAR-AC, with a statistically significant positive bias in the PET-FBP-AC images of about 5-7% in most brain voxels. There was also good correlation between PET-CALC-AC and PET-MAR-AC, but in the PET-CALC-AC images, regions with both a significant positive and negative bias were observed. EEG electrodes give rise to local hot spots outside the brain and a positive quantification bias in the brain. However, when diagnosis is made by mere visual assessment, the presence of EEG electrodes does not seem to alter the diagnosis. When quantification is performed, the bias becomes an issue especially when comparing brain images with and without EEG monitoring

Impact of metal artefacts due to EEG electrodes in brain PET/CT imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemmens, Catherine; Nuyts, Johan; Dupont, Patrick [Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging Center, University Hospital Gasthuisberg and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); Montandon, Marie-Louise; Ratib, Osman; Zaidi, Habib [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, CH-1211 Geneva (Switzerland)], E-mail: catherine.lemmens@uz.kuleuven.be

2008-08-21

The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes on the visual quality and quantification of {sup 18}F-FDG PET images in neurological PET/CT examinations. For this purpose, the scans of 20 epilepsy patients with EEG monitoring were used. The CT data were reconstructed with filtered backprojection (FBP) and with a metal artefact reduction (MAR) algorithm. Both data sets were used for CT-based attenuation correction (AC) of the PET data. Also, a calculated AC (CALC) technique was considered. A volume of interest (VOI)-based analysis and a voxel-based quantitative analysis were performed to compare the different AC methods. Images were also evaluated visually by two observers. It was shown with simulations and phantom measurements that from the considered AC methods, the MAR-AC can be used as the reference in this setting. The visual assessment of PET images showed local hot spots outside the brain corresponding to the locations of the electrodes when using FBP-AC. In the brain, no abnormalities were observed. The quantitative analysis showed a very good correlation between PET-FBP-AC and PET-MAR-AC, with a statistically significant positive bias in the PET-FBP-AC images of about 5-7% in most brain voxels. There was also good correlation between PET-CALC-AC and PET-MAR-AC, but in the PET-CALC-AC images, regions with both a significant positive and negative bias were observed. EEG electrodes give rise to local hot spots outside the brain and a positive quantification bias in the brain. However, when diagnosis is made by mere visual assessment, the presence of EEG electrodes does not seem to alter the diagnosis. When quantification is performed, the bias becomes an issue especially when comparing brain images with and without EEG monitoring.

No Own-Age Bias in 3-Year-Old Children: More Evidence for the Role of Early Experience in Building Face-Processing Biases

Science.gov (United States)

Cassia, Viola Macchi; Pisacane, Antonella; Gava, Lucia

2012-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the presence of an own-age bias in young children who accumulated different amounts of early experience with child faces. Discrimination abilities for upright and inverted adult and child faces were tested using a delayed two-alternative, forced-choice matching-to-sample task in two groups of 3-year-old children,…

Advanced divertor experiments on DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaffer, M.J.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Osborne, T.; Petrie, T.W.; Stambaugh, R.D.; Buchenauer, D.; Hill, D.N.; Klepper, C.C.

1991-01-01

The poloidal divertor is presently favored for next-step, high-power tokamaks. The DIII-D Advanced Divertor Program (ADP) aims to gain increased control over the divertor plasma and tokamak boundary conditions. This paper reports experiments done in the first phase of the ADP. The DIII-D lower divertor was modified by the addition of a toroidally symmetric, graphite-armoured, water-cooled divertor-biasing ring electrode at the entrance to a gas plenum. (In the past DIII-D operated with an open divertor.) The plenum will eventually contain a He cryogenic loop for active divertor pumping. The separatrix 'strike' position is controlled by the lower poloidal field shaping coils and can be varied smoothly from the ring electrode upper surface to the divertor floor far from the entrance aperture. External power, at up to 550 V and 8 kA separately, has been applied to the electrode to date. (author) 5 refs., 5 figs

Manufacturing process and electrode properties of palladium-electroded ionic polymer–metal composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Longfei; Chen, Hualing; Zhu, Zicai; Li, Bo

2012-01-01

This paper primarily focuses on the manufacturing process of palladium-electroded ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC). First, according to the special properties of Pd, many experiments were done to determine several specific procedures, including the addition of a reducing agent and the time consumed. Subsequently, the effects of the core manufacturing steps on the electrode morphology were revealed by scanning electron microscopy studies of 22 IPMC samples treated with different combinations of manufacturing steps. Finally, the effects of electrode characteristics on the electromechanical properties, including the sheet resistivity, the elastic modulus and the electro-active performance, of IPMCs were evaluated experimentally and analyzed according to the electrode morphology. (paper)

Theory and experiment on charging and discharging a capacitor through a reverse-biased diode

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Arijit; Mallick, Abhishek; Adhikari, Aparna; Guin, Priyanka; Chatterjee, Dibyendu

2018-06-01

The beauty of a diode lies in its voltage-dependent nonlinear resistance. The voltage on a charging and discharging capacitor through a reverse-biased diode is calculated from basic equations and is found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements. Instead of the exponential dependence of charging and discharging voltages with time for a resistor-capacitor circuit, a linear time dependence is found when the resistor is replaced by a reverse-biased diode. Thus, well controlled positive and negative ramp voltages are obtained from the charging and discharging diode-capacitor circuits. This experiment can readily be performed in an introductory physics and electronics laboratory.

Evaluation of Niobium as Candidate Electrode Material for DC High Voltage Photoelectron Guns

Science.gov (United States)

BastaniNejad, M.; Mohamed, Abdullah; Elmustafa, A. A.; Adderley, P.; Clark, J.; Covert, S.; Hansknecht, J.; Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Poelker, M.; Mammei, R.;

Bias voltage induced resistance switching effect in single-molecule magnets’ tunneling junction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhengzhong; Jiang, Liang

2014-09-01

An electric-pulse-induced reversible resistance change effect in a molecular magnetic tunneling junction, consisting of a single-molecule magnet (SMM) sandwiched in one nonmagnetic and one ferromagnetic electrode, is theoretically investigated. By applying a time-varying bias voltage, the SMM's spin orientation can be manipulated with large bias voltage pulses. Moreover, the different magnetic configuration at high-resistance/low-resistance states can be ‘read out’ by utilizing relative low bias voltage. This device scheme can be implemented with current technologies (Khajetoorians et al 2013 Science 339 55) and has potential application in molecular spintronics and high-density nonvolatile memory devices.

Bias voltage induced resistance switching effect in single-molecule magnets' tunneling junction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhengzhong; Jiang, Liang

2014-09-12

An electric-pulse-induced reversible resistance change effect in a molecular magnetic tunneling junction, consisting of a single-molecule magnet (SMM) sandwiched in one nonmagnetic and one ferromagnetic electrode, is theoretically investigated. By applying a time-varying bias voltage, the SMM's spin orientation can be manipulated with large bias voltage pulses. Moreover, the different magnetic configuration at high-resistance/low-resistance states can be 'read out' by utilizing relative low bias voltage. This device scheme can be implemented with current technologies (Khajetoorians et al 2013 Science 339 55) and has potential application in molecular spintronics and high-density nonvolatile memory devices.

Critical bias fields for tilting stability in the BETA-II experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalhed, H.E.

1981-01-01

The PEST equilibrium code and the GATO ideal MHD stability code have been modified to study stability properties of Spheromak configurations. Of particular interest is the effect on tilting modes of perfectly conducting walls which do not link the plasma. This paper makes use of equilibria and conducting walls specifically designed to model the BETA-II experiment at LLNL. Onset of the tilting mode is determined as a function of the bias magnetic field. Comparison with available experimental data shows promising agreement with the numerical results

Bias-dependent model of the electrical impedance of ionic polymer-metal composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Youngsu; Porfiri, Maurizio

2013-02-01

In this paper, we analyze the charge dynamics of ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) in response to voltage inputs composed of a large dc bias and a small superimposed time-varying voltage. The IPMC chemoelectrical behavior is described through the modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck framework, in which steric effects are taken into consideration. The physics of charge build-up and mass transfer in the proximity of the high surface electrodes is modeled by schematizing the IPMC as the stacked sequence of five layers, in which the ionomeric membrane is separated from the metal electrodes by two composite layers. The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to derive a semianalytical solution for the concentration of mobile counterions and the electric potential in the IPMC, which is, in turn, used to establish an equivalent circuit model for the IPMC electrical response. The circuit model consists of the series connection of a resistor and two complex elements, each constituted by the parallel connection of a capacitor and a Warburg impedance. The resistor is associated with ion transport in the ionomeric membrane and is independent of the dc bias. The capacitors and the Warburg impedance idealize charge build-up and mass transfer in the vicinity of the electrodes and their value is controlled by the dc bias. The proposed approach is validated against experimental results on in-house fabricated IPMCs and the accuracy of the equivalent circuit is assessed through comparison with finite element results.

Looking into the future: An inward bias in aesthetic experience driven only by gaze cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-Chia; Colombatto, Clara; Scholl, Brian J

2018-07-01

The inward bias is an especially powerful principle of aesthetic experience: In framed images (e.g. photographs), we prefer peripheral figures that face inward (vs. outward). Why does this bias exist? Since agents tend to act in the direction in which they are facing, one intriguing possibility is that the inward bias reflects a preference to view scenes from a perspective that will allow us to witness those predicted future actions. This account has been difficult to test with previous displays, in which facing direction is often confounded with either global shape profiles or the relative locations of salient features (since e.g. someone's face is generally more visually interesting than the back of their head). But here we demonstrate a robust inward bias in aesthetic judgment driven by a cue that is socially powerful but visually subtle: averted gaze. Subjects adjusted the positions of people in images to maximize the images' aesthetic appeal. People with direct gaze were not placed preferentially in particular regions, but people with averted gaze were reliably placed so that they appeared to be looking inward. This demonstrates that the inward bias can arise from visually subtle features, when those features signal how future events may unfold. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Giant rectification in graphene nanoflake molecular devices with asymmetric graphene nanoribbon electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Xiao-Li; Xie, Zhen; Zuo, Xi; Zhang, Guang-Ping; Li, Zong-Liang; Wang, Chuan-Kui

2016-01-01

By applying density functional theory based nonequilibrium Green's function method, we theoretically investigate the electron transport properties of a zigzag-edged trigonal graphene nanoflake (ZTGNF) sandwiched between two asymmetric zigzag graphene nanoribbon (zGNR) and armchair graphene nanoribbon (aGNR) electrodes with carbon atomic chains (CACs) as the anchoring groups. Significant rectifying effects have been observed for these molecular devices in low bias voltage regions. Interestingly, the rectifying performance of molecular devices can be optimized by changing the width of the aGNR electrode and the number of anchoring CACs. Especially, the molecular device displays giant rectification ratios up to the order of 10"4 when two CACs are used as the anchoring group between the ZTGNF and the right aGNR electrode. Further analysis indicates that the asymmetric shift of the perturbed molecular energy levels and the spatial parity of the electron wavefunctions in the electrodes around the Fermi level play key roles in determining the rectification performance. And the spatial distributions of tunneling electron wavefunctions under negative bias voltages can be modified to be very localized by changing the number of anchoring CACs, which is found to be the origin of the giant rectification ratios. - Highlights: • The rectification properties of triangular Graphene nanoflakes are investigated. • The rectifying performance can be optimized by changing the width of the right arm-chaired GNR electrode. • The rectifying performance can also be tuned by varying the number of anchoring carbon atomic chains.

The source of the truth bias: Heuristic processing?

Science.gov (United States)

Street, Chris N H; Masip, Jaume

2015-06-01

People believe others are telling the truth more often than they actually are; this is called the truth bias. Surprisingly, when a speaker is judged at multiple points across their statement the truth bias declines. Previous claims argue this is evidence of a shift from (biased) heuristic processing to (reasoned) analytical processing. In four experiments we contrast the heuristic-analytic model (HAM) with alternative accounts. In Experiment 1, the decrease in truth responding was not the result of speakers appearing more deceptive, but was instead attributable to the rater's processing style. Yet contrary to HAMs, across three experiments we found the decline in bias was not related to the amount of processing time available (Experiments 1-3) or the communication channel (Experiment 2). In Experiment 4 we found support for a new account: that the bias reflects whether raters perceive the statement to be internally consistent. © 2015 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Explicit Bias Toward High-Income-Country Research: A Randomized, Blinded, Crossover Experiment Of English Clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Matthew; Marti, Joachim; Watt, Hillary; Bhatti, Yasser; Macinko, James; Darzi, Ara W

2017-11-01

Unconscious bias may interfere with the interpretation of research from some settings, particularly from lower-income countries. Most studies of this phenomenon have relied on indirect outcomes such as article citation counts and publication rates; few have addressed or proven the effect of unconscious bias in evidence interpretation. In this randomized, blinded crossover experiment in a sample of 347 English clinicians, we demonstrate that changing the source of a research abstract from a low- to a high-income country significantly improves how it is viewed, all else being equal. Using fixed-effects models, we measured differences in ratings for strength of evidence, relevance, and likelihood of referral to a peer. Having a high-income-country source had a significant overall impact on respondents' ratings of relevance and recommendation to a peer. Unconscious bias can have far-reaching implications for the diffusion of knowledge and innovations from low-income countries.

Evaluation of niobium as candidate electrode material for dc high voltage photoelectron guns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. BastaniNejad

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The field emission characteristics of niobium electrodes were compared to those of stainless steel electrodes using a DC high voltage field emission test apparatus. A total of eight electrodes were evaluated: two 304 stainless steel electrodes polished to mirrorlike finish with diamond grit and six niobium electrodes (two single-crystal, two large-grain, and two fine-grain that were chemically polished using a buffered-chemical acid solution. Upon the first application of high voltage, the best large-grain and single-crystal niobium electrodes performed better than the best stainless steel electrodes, exhibiting less field emission at comparable voltage and field strength. In all cases, field emission from electrodes (stainless steel and/or niobium could be significantly reduced and sometimes completely eliminated, by introducing krypton gas into the vacuum chamber while the electrode was biased at high voltage. Of all the electrodes tested, a large-grain niobium electrode performed the best, exhibiting no measurable field emission (<10  pA at 225 kV with 20 mm cathode/anode gap, corresponding to a field strength of 18.7  MV/m.

Long Life Nickel Electrodes for Nickel-Hydrogen Cells: Fiber Substrates Nickel Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Howard H.

2000-01-01

Samples of nickel fiber mat electrodes were investigated over a wide range of fiber diameters, electrode thickness, porosity and active material loading levels. Thickness' were 0.040, 0.060 and 0.080 inches for the plaque: fiber diameters were primarily 2, 4, and 8 micron and porosity was 85, 90, and 95%. Capacities of 3.5 in. diameter electrodes were determined in the flooded condition with both 26 and 31% potassium hydroxide solution. These capacity tests indicated that the highest capacities per unit weight were obtained at the 90% porosity level with a 4 micron diameter fiber plaque. It appeared that the thinner electrodes had somewhat better performance, consistent with sintered electrode history. Limited testing with two-positive-electrode boiler plate cells was also carried out. Considerable difficulty with constructing the cells was encountered with short circuits the major problem. Nevertheless, four cells were tested. The cell with 95% porosity electrodes failed during conditioning cycling due to high voltage during charge. Discharge showed that this cell had lost nearly all of its capacity. The other three cells after 20 conditioning cycles showed capacities consistent with the flooded capacities of the electrodes. Positive electrodes made from fiber substrates may well show a weight advantage of standard sintered electrodes, but need considerably more work to prove this statement. A major problem to be investigated is the lower strength of the substrate compared to standard sintered electrodes. Problems with welding of leads were significant and implications that the electrodes would expand more than sintered electrodes need to be investigated. Loading levels were lower than had been expected based on sintered electrode experiences and the lower loading led to lower capacity values. However, lower loading causes less expansion and contraction during cycling so that stress on the substrate is reduced.

Simulation of a two-dimensional sheath over a flat insulator-conductor interface on a radio-frequency biased electrode in a high-density plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Doosik; Economou, Demetre J.

2004-01-01

A combined fluid/Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was developed to study the two-dimensional (2D) sheath over a flat insulator/conductor interface on a radio-frequency (rf) biased electrode in a high-density plasma. The insulator capacitance increased the local impedance between the plasma and the bias voltage source. Thus, for uniform ion density and electron temperature far away from the wall, the sheath potential over the insulator was only a fraction of that over the conductor, resulting in a thinner sheath over the insulator. The fluid model provided the spatiotemporal profiles of the 2D sheath electric field. These were used as input to the MC simulation to compute the ion energy distribution (IED) and ion angular distribution (IAD) at different locations on the surface. The ion flux, IED, and IAD changed drastically across the insulator/conductor interface due to the diverging rf electric field in the distorted sheath. The ion flux was larger on the conductor at the expense of that on the insulator. Both the ion impact angle and angular spread increased progressively as the material interface was approached. The ion impact energy and energy spread were smaller on the insulator as compared to the conductor. For given plasma parameters, as the insulator thickness was increased, the sheath potential and thickness over the insulator decreased, and sheath distortion became more pronounced

Thermophysical Property Estimation by Transient Experiments: The Effect of a Biased Initial Temperature Distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federico Scarpa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The identification of thermophysical properties of materials in dynamic experiments can be conveniently performed by the inverse solution of the associated heat conduction problem (IHCP. The inverse technique demands the knowledge of the initial temperature distribution within the material. As only a limited number of temperature sensors (or no sensor at all are arranged inside the test specimen, the knowledge of the initial temperature distribution is affected by some uncertainty. This uncertainty, together with other possible sources of bias in the experimental procedure, will propagate in the estimation process and the accuracy of the reconstructed thermophysical property values could deteriorate. In this work the effect on the estimated thermophysical properties due to errors in the initial temperature distribution is investigated along with a practical method to quantify this effect. Furthermore, a technique for compensating this kind of bias is proposed. The method consists in including the initial temperature distribution among the unknown functions to be estimated. In this way the effect of the initial bias is removed and the accuracy of the identified thermophysical property values is highly improved.

An equivalent network representation of a clamped bimorph piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer with circular and annular electrodes using matrix manipulation techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Sammoura, Firas; Smyth, Katherine; Kim, Sang-Gook

2013-09-01

An electric circuit model for a clamped circular bimorph piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) was developed for the first time. The pMUT consisted of two piezoelectric layers sandwiched between three thin electrodes. The top and bottom electrodes were separated into central and annular electrodes by a small gap. While the middle electrode was grounded, the central and annular electrodes were biased with two independent voltage sources. The strain mismatch between the piezoelectric layers caused the plate to vibrate and transmit a pressure wave, whereas the received echo generated electric charges resulting from plate deformation. The clamped pMUT plate was separated into a circular and an annular plate, and the respective electromechanical transformation matrices were derived. The force and velocity vectors were properly selected using Hamilton's principle and the necessary boundary conditions were invoked. The electromechanical transformation matrix for the clamped circular pMUT was deduced using simple matrix manipulation techniques. The pMUT performance under three biasing schemes was elaborated: 1) central electrode only, 2) central and annular electrodes with voltages of the same magnitude and polarity, and 3) central and annular electrodes with voltages of the same magnitude and opposite polarity. The circuit parameters of the pMUT were extracted for each biasing scheme, including the transformer ratio, the clamped electric impedance, and the open-circuit mechanical impedance. Each pMUT scheme was characterized under different acoustic loadings using the theoretically developed model, which was verified with finite element modeling (FEM) simulation. The electrode size was optimized to maximize the electromechanical transformer ratio. As such, the developed model could provide more insight into the design, optimization, and characterization of pMUTs and allow for performance comparison with their cMUT counterparts.

Confinement of nonneutral spheroidal plasmas in multi-ring electrode traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohri, Akihiro; Yuyama, Tetsumori; Michishita, Toshinori; Higaki, Hiroyuki; Tanaka, Hitoshi; Yamazawa, Yohei; Aoyagi, Masayuki

1998-01-01

A nonneutral spheroidal plasma can be settled in a rigid rotor equilibrium inside a closed conducting cell independently of induced image charges on the cell wall if the electrostatic potential distribution on the wall surface is set equal to the sum of the external hyperbolic potential (r 2 -2z 2 ) and the self-potential produced by the plasma. A confinement system equipped with a train of properly biased ring electrodes can approximately generate any axisymmetric potential, including the above field. Experiments on confinement of electron spheroids in such a system showed that the confinement time became the longest when the condition to diminish the image charge effects was satisfied. The observed frequency of the centre-of-mass harmonic oscillation of the plasma in this configuration was in good agreement with the estimated one. (author)

Efficiency enhancement using voltage biasing for ferroelectric polarization in dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sangmo; Song, Myoung Geun; Bark, Chung Wung

2018-01-01

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are one of the most promising third generation solar cells that have been extensively researched over the past decade as alternative to silicon-based solar cells, due to their low production cost and high energy-conversion efficiency. In general, a DSSC consists of a transparent electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte such as dye. To achieve high power-conversion efficiency in cells, many research groups have focused their efforts on developing efficient dyes for liquid electrolytes. In this work, we report on the photovoltaic properties of DSSCs fabricated using a mixture of TiO2 with nanosized Fe-doped bismuth lanthanum titanate (nFe-BLT) powder). Firstly, nFe-BLT powders were prepared using a high-energy ball milling process and then, TiO2 and nFe-BLT powders were stoichiometrically blended. Direct current (DC) bias of 20 MV/m was applied to lab-made DSSCs. With the optimal concentration of nFe-BLT doped in the electrode, their light-to-electricity conversion efficiency could be improved by ∼64% compared with DSSCs where no DC bias was applied.

Effect of Reverse Bias Stress on Leakage Currents and Breakdown Voltages of Solid Tantalum Capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Teverovsky, Alexander A.

2011-01-01

The majority of solid tantalum capacitors are produced by high-temperature sintering of a fine tantalum powder around a tantalum wire followed by electrolytic anodization that forms a thin amorphous Ta2O5 dielectric layer and pyrolysis of manganese nitrite on the oxide to create a conductive manganese dioxide electrode. A contact to tantalum wire is used as anode terminal and to the manganese layer as a cathode terminal of the device. This process results in formation of an asymmetric Ta -- Ta2O5 -- MnO2 capacitor that has different characteristics at forward (positive bias applied to tantalum) and reverse (positive bias applied to manganese cathode) voltages. Reverse bias currents might be several orders of magnitude larger than forward leakage currents so I-V characteristics of tantalum capacitors resemble characteristics of semiconductor rectifiers. Asymmetric I-V characteristics of Ta -- anodic Ta2O5 systems have been observed at different top electrode materials including metals, electrolytes, conductive polymers, and manganese oxide thus indicating that this phenomenon is likely related to the specifics of the Ta -- Ta2O5 interface. There have been multiple attempts to explain rectifying characteristics of capacitors employing anodic tantalum pentoxide dielectrics. A brief review of works related to reverse bias (RB) behavior of tantalum capacitors shows that the mechanism of conduction in Ta -- Ta2O5 systems is still not clear and more testing and analysis is necessary to understand the processes involved. If tantalum capacitors behave just as rectifiers, then the assessment of the safe reverse bias operating conditions would be a relatively simple task. Unfortunately, these parts can degrade with time under reverse bias significantly, and this further complicates analysis of the I-V characteristics and establishing safe operating areas of the parts. On other hand, time dependence of reverse currents might provide additional information for investigation of

A retrieval-based approach to eliminating hindsight bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Boekel, Martin; Varma, Keisha; Varma, Sashank

2017-03-01

Individuals exhibit hindsight bias when they are unable to recall their original responses to novel questions after correct answers are provided to them. Prior studies have eliminated hindsight bias by modifying the conditions under which original judgments or correct answers are encoded. Here, we explored whether hindsight bias can be eliminated by manipulating the conditions that hold at retrieval. Our retrieval-based approach predicts that if the conditions at retrieval enable sufficient discrimination of memory representations of original judgments from memory representations of correct answers, then hindsight bias will be reduced or eliminated. Experiment 1 used the standard memory design to replicate the hindsight bias effect in middle-school students. Experiments 2 and 3 modified the retrieval phase of this design, instructing participants beforehand that they would be recalling both their original judgments and the correct answers. As predicted, this enabled participants to form compound retrieval cues that discriminated original judgment traces from correct answer traces, and eliminated hindsight bias. Experiment 4 found that when participants were not instructed beforehand that they would be making both recalls, they did not form discriminating retrieval cues, and hindsight bias returned. These experiments delineate the retrieval conditions that produce-and fail to produce-hindsight bias.

Light addressable gold electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khalid, Waqas

2011-07-01

The main objective carried out in this dissertation was to fabricate Light Amplified Potentiometric sensors (LAPS) based upon the semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) instead of its bulk form. Quantum dots (QDs) were opted for this device fabrication because of their superior fluorescent, electric and catalytic properties. Also in comparison to their bulk counterparts they will make device small, light weighted and power consumption is much lower. QDs were immobilized on a Au substrate via 1,4 benzene dithiol (BDT) molecule. Initially a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of BDT was established on Au substrate. Because of SAM, the conductivity of Au substrate decreased dramatically. Furthermore QDs were anchored with the help of BDT molecule on Au substrate. When QDs immobilized on Au substrate (QD/Au) via BDT molecule were irradiated with UV-visible light, electron-hole pairs were generated in QDs. The surface defect states in QDs trapped the excited electrons and long lived electron-hole pairs were formed. By the application of an appropriate bias potential on Au substrate the electrons could be supplied or extracted from the QDs via tunneling through BDT. Thus a cathodic or anodic current could be observed depending upon bias potential under illumination. However without light illumination the QD/Au electrode remained an insulator. To improve the device different modifications were made, including different substrates (Au evaporated on glass, Au evaporated on mica sheets and Au sputtered on SiO{sub 2}/Si) and different dithiol molecules (capped and uncapped biphenyl 4,4' dithiol and capped and uncapped 4,4' dimercaptostilbenes) were tried. Also different QD immobilization techniques (normal incubation, spin coating, layer by layer assembly (LbL) of polyelectrolytes and heat immobilization) were employed. This device was able to detect electrochemically different analytes depending upon the QDs incorporated. For example CdS QDs were able to detect 4

Reducing Bias in Citizens’ Perception of Crime Rates: Evidence From a Field Experiment on Burglary Prevalence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Martin Vinæs; Olsen, Asmus Leth

2018-01-01

Citizens are on average too pessimistic when assessing the trajectory of current crime trends. In this study, we examine whether we can correct this perceptual bias with respect to burglaries. Using a field experiment coupled with a large panel survey (n=4,895), we explore whether a public...... information campaign can reduce misperceptions about the prevalence of burglaries. Embedding the correct information about burglary rates in a direct mail campaign, we find that it is possible to substantially reduce citizens’ misperceptions. The effects are not short lived – they are detectable several weeks...... after the mailer was sent, but they are temporary. Eventually the perceptual bias re-emerges. Our results suggest that if citizens were continually supplied with correct information about crime rates they would be less pessimistic. Reducing bias in citizens’ perception of crime rates might therefore...

Bias polarity-sensitive electrical failure characteristics of ZnSe nanowire in metal–semiconductor–metal nanostructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Tan

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The effect of bias polarity on the electrical breakdown behavior of the single ZnSe nanowire (NW in the metal–semiconductor–metal (M–S–M nanostructure under high current density and high bias conditions has been studied in the present paper. The experimental results show that the failure of the ZnSe NW in M–S–M nanostructure was sensitive to bias polarity since the NW commonly collapsed at the negatively biased Au metal electrode due to high Joule heat produced in NW at the reversely biased Schottky barrier. Thus, the electrical breakdown behavior of the ZnSe NW was highly dominated by the cathode-controlled mode due to the high resistance of the depletion region of ZnSe NW at the reversely biased Schottky contact.

Experience of automation failures in training: effects on trust, automation bias, complacency and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, Juergen; Chavaillaz, Alain; Wastell, David

2016-06-01

This work examined the effects of operators' exposure to various types of automation failures in training. Forty-five participants were trained for 3.5 h on a simulated process control environment. During training, participants either experienced a fully reliable, automatic fault repair facility (i.e. faults detected and correctly diagnosed), a misdiagnosis-prone one (i.e. faults detected but not correctly diagnosed) or a miss-prone one (i.e. faults not detected). One week after training, participants were tested for 3 h, experiencing two types of automation failures (misdiagnosis, miss). The results showed that automation bias was very high when operators trained on miss-prone automation encountered a failure of the diagnostic system. Operator errors resulting from automation bias were much higher when automation misdiagnosed a fault than when it missed one. Differences in trust levels that were instilled by the different training experiences disappeared during the testing session. Practitioner Summary: The experience of automation failures during training has some consequences. A greater potential for operator errors may be expected when an automatic system failed to diagnose a fault than when it failed to detect one.

Cognitive biases and decision making in gambling.

Science.gov (United States)

Chóliz, Mariano

2010-08-01

Heuristics and cognitive biases can occur in reasoning and decision making. Some of them are very common in gamblers (illusion of control, representativeness, availability, etc.). Structural characteristics and functioning of games of chance favor the appearance of these biases. Two experiments were conducted with nonpathological gamblers. The first experiment was a game of dice with wagers. In the second experiment, the participants played two bingo games. Specific rules of the games favored the appearance of cognitive bias (illusion of control) and heuristics (representativeness and availability) and influence on the bets. Results and implications for gambling are discussed.

High voltage performance of a dc photoemission electron gun with centrifugal barrel-polished electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Bullard, D.; Hannon, F.; Wang, Y.; Poelker, M.

2017-09-01

The design and fabrication of electrodes for direct current (dc) high voltage photoemission electron guns can significantly influence their performance, most notably in terms of maximum achievable bias voltage. Proper electrostatic design of the triple-point junction shield electrode minimizes the risk of electrical breakdown (arcing) along the insulator-cable plug interface, while the electrode shape is designed to maintain work, we describe a centrifugal barrel-polishing technique commonly used for polishing the interior surface of superconducting radio frequency cavities but implemented here for the first time to polish electrodes for dc high voltage photoguns. The technique reduced polishing time from weeks to hours while providing surface roughness comparable to that obtained with diamond-paste polishing and with unprecedented consistency between different electrode samples. We present electrode design considerations and high voltage conditioning results to 360 kV (˜11 MV/m), comparing barrel-polished electrode performance to that of diamond-paste polished electrodes. Tests were performed using a dc high voltage photogun with an inverted-geometry ceramic insulator design.

Monte Carlo learning/biasing experiment with intelligent random numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, T.E.

1985-01-01

A Monte Carlo learning and biasing technique is described that does its learning and biasing in the random number space rather than the physical phase-space. The technique is probably applicable to all linear Monte Carlo problems, but no proof is provided here. Instead, the technique is illustrated with a simple Monte Carlo transport problem. Problems encountered, problems solved, and speculations about future progress are discussed. 12 refs

Control of secondary electrons from ion beam impact using a positive potential electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crowley, T. P., E-mail: tpcrowley@xanthotechnologies.com; Demers, D. R.; Fimognari, P. J. [Xantho Technologies, LLC, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 (United States)

2016-11-15

Secondary electrons emitted when an ion beam impacts a detector can amplify the ion beam signal, but also introduce errors if electrons from one detector propagate to another. A potassium ion beam and a detector comprised of ten impact wires, four split-plates, and a pair of biased electrodes were used to demonstrate that a low-voltage, positive electrode can be used to maintain the beneficial amplification effect while greatly reducing the error introduced from the electrons traveling between detector elements.

Microbial electrode sensor for alcohols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hikuma, M [Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki, Japan; Kubo, T; Yasuda, T; Karube, I; Suzuki, S

1979-10-01

A microbial electrode consisting of immobilized microorganisms, a gas permeable Teflon membrane, and an oxygen electrode was prepared for the continuous determination of methyl and ethyl alcohols. Immobilized Trichosporon brassicae was employed for a microbial electrode sensor for ethyl alcohol. When a sample solution containing ethyl alcohol was injected into a microbial electrode system, the current of the electrode decreased markedly with time until a steady state was reached. The response time was within 10 min by the steady state method and within 6 min by the pulse method. A linear relationship was observed between the current decrease and the concentration of ethyl alcohol below 22.5 mg/liter. The current was reproducible within +- 6% of the relative error when a sample solution containing 16.5 mg/liter ethyl alcohol. The standard deviation was 0.5 mg/liter in 40 experiments. The selectivity of the microbial electrode sensor for ethyl alcohol was satisfactory. The microbial electrode sensor was applied to a fermentation broth of yeasts and satisfactory comparative results were obtained (correlation coefficient 0.98). The current output of the microbial electrode sensor was almost constant for more than three weeks and 2100 assays. A microbial electrode sensor using immobilized bacteria for methyl alcohol was also described.

Attentional bias for craving-related (chocolate) food cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2009-12-01

In this study, we investigated attentional biases for craving-related food cues. A pictorial dot probe task was used to assess selective attentional processing of one particular highly desired food, namely chocolate, relative to that of other highly desired foods. In Experiment 1, we examined biased processing of chocolate cues in habitual (trait) chocolate cravers, whereas in Experiment 2 we investigated the effect of experimentally induced (state) chocolate cravings on such processing. As predicted, habitual chocolate cravers (Experiment 1) and individuals in whom a craving for chocolate was temporarily induced (Experiment 2) showed speeded detection of probes replacing chocolate-related pictures, demonstrating an attentional bias for chocolate cues. Subsequent examination indicated that in both experiments the observed attentional biases stemmed from difficulty in disengaging attention from chocolate cues rather than from a shift of attention toward such cues. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications.

How we categorize objects is related to how we remember them: The shape bias as a memory bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlach, Haley A

2016-12-01

The "shape bias" describes the phenomenon that, after a certain point in development, children and adults generalize object categories based on shape to a greater degree than other perceptual features. The focus of research on the shape bias has been to examine the types of information that learners attend to in one moment in time. The current work takes a different approach by examining whether learners' categorical biases are related to their retention of information across time. In three experiments, children's (N=72) and adults' (N=240) memory performance for features of objects was examined in relation to their categorical biases. The results of these experiments demonstrated that the number of shape matches chosen during the shape bias task significantly predicted shape memory. Moreover, children and adults with a shape bias were more likely to remember the shape of objects than the color and size of objects. Taken together, this work suggests that the development of a shape bias may engender better memory for shape information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suppression and excitation of MHD activity with an electrically polarized electrode at the TCABR tokamak plasma edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, I.C.; Kuznetsov, Yu.K.; Guimaraes-Filho, Z.O.; Chamaa-Neto, I. El; Usuriaga, O.; Fonseca, A.M.M.; Galvao, R.M.O.; Caldas, I.L.; Severo, J.H.F.; Semenov, I.B.; Ribeiro, C.; Heller, M.V.P.; Bellintani, V.; Elizondo, J.I.; Sanada, E.

2007-01-01

Two reproducible regimes of tokamak operation, with excitation or suppression of MHD activity can be obtained using a voltage-biased electrode inside the edge of the TCABR tokamak. The experiment was carried out adjusting the tokamak parameters to obtain two types of discharges: with strong or weak MHD activity, without biasing in both cases. The plasma current was adjusted to cover a range of safety factor from 2.9 up to 3.5, so that when biasing was applied the magnetic island (3,1) could interact with the edge barrier. The application of biasing in subsequent discharges of each type resulted in excitation or suppression of the MHD activity. The results show that the dominant modes are m = 2, n = 1 and m = 3, n = 1 for excitation and partial suppression, respectively. In both regimes a strong decrease in the radial electric field is detected with destruction of the transport barrier and of the improved confinement caused by different mechanisms. The measurements include temporal behaviour of edge transport, turbulence, poloidal electric and magnetic fields, edge density, radial electric fields and radial profile of H α line intensity. The explanation of the excitation and suppression processes is discussed in the paper

Cognitive Biases and Nonverbal Cue Availability in Detecting Deception

Science.gov (United States)

Burgoon, Judee K.; Blair, J. Pete; Strom, Renee E.

2008-01-01

In potentially deceptive situations, people rely on mental shortcuts to help process information. These heuristic judgments are often biased and result in inaccurate assessments of sender veracity. Four such biases--truth bias, visual bias, demeanor bias, and expectancy violation bias--were examined in a judgment experiment that varied nonverbal…

Stable Molecular Diodes Based on π-π Interactions of the Molecular Frontier Orbitals with Graphene Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Peng; Guerin, Sarah; Tan, Sherman Jun Rong; Annadata, Harshini Venkata; Yu, Xiaojiang; Scully, Micheál; Han, Ying Mei; Roemer, Max; Loh, Kian Ping; Thompson, Damien; Nijhuis, Christian A

2018-03-01

In molecular electronics, it is important to control the strength of the molecule-electrode interaction to balance the trade-off between electronic coupling strength and broadening of the molecular frontier orbitals: too strong coupling results in severe broadening of the molecular orbitals while the molecular orbitals cannot follow the changes in the Fermi levels under applied bias when the coupling is too weak. Here, a platform based on graphene bottom electrodes to which molecules can bind via π-π interactions is reported. These interactions are strong enough to induce electronic function (rectification) while minimizing broadening of the molecular frontier orbitals. Molecular tunnel junctions are fabricated based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of Fc(CH 2 ) 11 X (Fc = ferrocenyl, X = NH 2 , Br, or H) on graphene bottom electrodes contacted to eutectic alloy of gallium and indium top electrodes. The Fc units interact more strongly with graphene than the X units resulting in SAMs with the Fc at the bottom of the SAM. The molecular diodes perform well with rectification ratios of 30-40, and they are stable against bias stressing under ambient conditions. Thus, tunnel junctions based on graphene with π-π molecule-electrode coupling are promising platforms to fabricate stable and well-performing molecular diodes. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ion-selective electrodes

CERN Document Server

Mikhelson, Konstantin N

2013-01-01

Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) have a wide range of applications in clinical, environmental, food and pharmaceutical analysis as well as further uses in chemistry and life sciences. Based on his profound experience as a researcher in ISEs and a course instructor, the author summarizes current knowledge for advanced teaching and training purposes with a particular focus on ionophore-based ISEs. Coverage includes the basics of measuring with ISEs, essential membrane potential theory and a comprehensive overview of the various classes of ion-selective electrodes. The principles of constructing I

Fabrication and characterization of a micromachined swirl-shaped ionic polymer metal composite actuator with electrodes exhibiting asymmetric resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Guo-Hua; Liu, Kim-Min

2014-05-12

This paper presents a swirl-shaped microfeatured ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator. A novel micromachining process was developed to fabricate an array of IPMC actuators on a glass substrate and to ensure that no shortcircuits occur between the electrodes of the actuator. We demonstrated a microfluidic scheme in which surface tension was used to construct swirl-shaped planar IPMC devices of microfeature size and investigated the flow velocity of Nafion solutions, which formed the backbone polymer of the actuator, within the microchannel. The unique fabrication process yielded top and bottom electrodes that exhibited asymmetric surface resistance. A tool for measuring surface resistance was developed and used to characterize the resistances of the electrodes for the fabricated IPMC device. The actuator, which featured asymmetric electrode resistance, caused a nonzero-bias current when the device was driven using a zero-bias square wave, and we propose a circuit model to describe this phenomenon. Moreover, we discovered and characterized a bending and rotating motion when the IPMC actuator was driven using a square wave. We observed a strain rate of 14.6% and a displacement of 700 μm in the direction perpendicular to the electrode surfaces during 4.5-V actuation.

TiN coated aluminum electrodes for DC high voltage electron guns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, Md Abdullah A.; Elmustafa, Abdelmageed A.; Taus, Rhys; Forman, Eric; Poelker, Matthew

2015-01-01

Preparing electrodes made of metals like stainless steel, for use inside DC high voltage electron guns, is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. In this paper, the authors report the exceptional high voltage performance of aluminum electrodes coated with hard titanium nitride (TiN). The aluminum electrodes were comparatively easy to manufacture and required only hours of mechanical polishing using silicon carbide paper, prior to coating with TiN by a commercial vendor. The high voltage performance of three TiN-coated aluminum electrodes, before and after gas conditioning with helium, was compared to that of bare aluminum electrodes, and electrodes manufactured from titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). Following gas conditioning, each TiN-coated aluminum electrode reached −225 kV bias voltage while generating less than 100 pA of field emission (<10 pA) using a 40 mm cathode/anode gap, corresponding to field strength of 13.7 MV/m. Smaller gaps were studied to evaluate electrode performance at higher field strength with the best performing TiN-coated aluminum electrode reaching ∼22.5 MV/m with field emission less than 100 pA. These results were comparable to those obtained from our best-performing electrodes manufactured from stainless steel, titanium alloy and niobium, as reported in references cited below. The TiN coating provided a very smooth surface and with mechanical properties of the coating (hardness and modulus) superior to those of stainless steel, titanium-alloy, and niobium electrodes. These features likely contributed to the improved high voltage performance of the TiN-coated aluminum electrodes

Large Magnetoresistance at High Bias Voltage in Double-layer Organic Spin Valves

Science.gov (United States)

Subedi, R. C.; Liang, S. H.; Geng, R.; Zhang, Q. T.; Lou, L.; Wang, J.; Han, X. F.; Nguyen, T. D.

We report studies of magnetoresistance (MR) in double-layer organic spin valves (DOSV) using tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq3) spacers. The device exhibits three distinct resistance levels depending on the relative magnetizations of the ferromagnetic electrodes. We observed a much weaker bias voltage dependence of MR in the device compared to that in the conventional organic spin valve (OSV). The MR magnitude reduces by the factor of two at 0.7 V bias voltage in the DOSV compared to 0.02 V in the conventional OSV. Remarkably, the MR magnitude reaches 0.3% at 6 V bias in the DOSVs, the largest MR response ever reported in OSVs at this bias. Our finding may have a significant impact on achieving high efficient bipolar OSVs strictly performed at high voltages. University of Georgia start-up fund, Ministry of Education, Singapore, National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Tailored ion energy distributions on plasma electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Economou, Demetre J.

2013-01-01

As microelectronic device features continue to shrink approaching atomic dimensions, control of the ion energy distribution on the substrate during plasma etching and deposition becomes increasingly critical. The ion energy should be high enough to drive ion-assisted etching, but not too high to cause substrate damage or loss of selectivity. In many cases, a nearly monoenergetic ion energy distribution (IED) is desired to achieve highly selective etching. In this work, the author briefly reviews: (1) the fundamentals of development of the ion energy distribution in the sheath and (2) methods to control the IED on plasma electrodes. Such methods include the application of “tailored” voltage waveforms on an electrode in continuous wave plasmas, or the application of synchronous bias on a “boundary electrode” during a specified time window in the afterglow of pulsed plasmas

Sequential injection of domain walls into ferroelectrics at different bias voltages: Paving the way for “domain wall memristors”

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whyte, J. R.; McQuaid, R. G. P.; Einsle, J. F.; Gregg, J. M., E-mail: m.gregg@qub.ac.uk [Centre for Nanostructured Media (CNM), School of Maths and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Ashcroft, C. M. [Centre for Nanostructured Media (CNM), School of Maths and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Canalias, C. [Department of Applied Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, Roslagstullsbacken 21, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Gruverman, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska 68588–0299 (United States)

2014-08-14

Simple meso-scale capacitor structures have been made by incorporating thin (∼300 nm) single crystal lamellae of KTiOPO{sub 4} (KTP) between two coplanar Pt electrodes. The influence that either patterned protrusions in the electrodes or focused ion beam milled holes in the KTP have on the nucleation of reverse domains during switching was mapped using piezoresponse force microscopy imaging. The objective was to assess whether or not variations in the magnitude of field enhancement at localised “hot-spots,” caused by such patterning, could be used to both control the exact locations and bias voltages at which nucleation events occurred. It was found that both the patterning of electrodes and the milling of various hole geometries into the KTP could allow controlled sequential injection of domain wall pairs at different bias voltages; this capability could have implications for the design and operation of domain wall electronic devices, such as memristors, in the future.

Theoretical study on new bias factor methods to effectively use critical experiments for improvement of prediction accuracy of neutronic characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugo, Teruhiko; Mori, Takamasa; Takeda, Toshikazu

2007-01-01

Extended bias factor methods are proposed with two new concepts, the LC method and the PE method, in order to effectively use critical experiments and to enhance the applicability of the bias factor method for the improvement of the prediction accuracy of neutronic characteristics of a target core. Both methods utilize a number of critical experimental results and produce a semifictitious experimental value with them. The LC and PE methods define the semifictitious experimental values by a linear combination of experimental values and the product of exponentiated experimental values, respectively, and the corresponding semifictitious calculation values by those of calculation values. A bias factor is defined by the ratio of the semifictitious experimental value to the semifictitious calculation value in both methods. We formulate how to determine weights for the LC method and exponents for the PE method in order to minimize the variance of the design prediction value obtained by multiplying the design calculation value by the bias factor. From a theoretical comparison of these new methods with the conventional method which utilizes a single experimental result and the generalized bias factor method which was previously proposed to utilize a number of experimental results, it is concluded that the PE method is the most useful method for improving the prediction accuracy. The main advantages of the PE method are summarized as follows. The prediction accuracy is necessarily improved compared with the design calculation value even when experimental results include large experimental errors. This is a special feature that the other methods do not have. The prediction accuracy is most effectively improved by utilizing all the experimental results. From these facts, it can be said that the PE method effectively utilizes all the experimental results and has a possibility to make a full-scale-mockup experiment unnecessary with the use of existing and future benchmark

How we categorize objects is related to how we remember them: The shape bias as a memory bias

Science.gov (United States)

Vlach, Haley A.

2016-01-01

The “shape bias” describes the phenomenon that, after a certain point in development, children and adults generalize object categories based upon shape to a greater degree than other perceptual features. The focus of research on the shape bias has been to examine the types of information that learners attend to in one moment in time. The current work takes a different approach by examining whether learners' categorical biases are related to their retention of information across time. In three experiments, children's (N = 72) and adults' (N = 240) memory performance for features of objects was examined in relation to their categorical biases. The results of these experiments demonstrated that the number of shape matches chosen during the shape bias task significantly predicted shape memory. Moreover, children and adults with a shape bias were more likely to remember the shape of objects than they were the color and size of objects. Taken together, this work suggests the development of a shape bias may engender better memory for shape information. PMID:27454236

Ion-selective electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikhelson, Konstantin N. [St. Petersburg State Univ. (Russian Federation). Ion-Selective Electrode Laboratory

2013-06-01

Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) have a wide range of applications in clinical, environmental, food and pharmaceutical analysis as well as further uses in chemistry and life sciences. Based on his profound experience as a researcher in ISEs and a course instructor, the author summarizes current knowledge for advanced teaching and training purposes with a particular focus on ionophore-based ISEs. Coverage includes the basics of measuring with ISEs, essential membrane potential theory and a comprehensive overview of the various classes of ion-selective electrodes. The principles of constructing ISEs are outlined, and the transfer of methods into routine analysis is considered.

Orientation- and position-controlled alignment of asymmetric silicon microrod on a substrate with asymmetric electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Shibata, Akihide; Watanabe, Keiji; Sato, Takuya; Kotaki, Hiroshi; Schuele, Paul J.; Crowder, Mark A.; Zhan, Changqing; Hartzell, John W.; Nakatani, Ryoichi

2014-03-01

In this paper, we demonstrate the orientation-controlled alignment of asymmetric Si microrods on a glass substrate with an asymmetric pair of electrodes. The Si microrods have the shape of a paddle with a blade and a shaft part, and the pair of electrodes consists of a narrow electrode and a wide electrode. By applying AC bias to the electrodes, the Si microrods suspended in a fluid align in such a way to settle across the electrode pair, and over 80% of the aligned Si microrods have an orientation with the blade and the shaft of the paddle on the wide and the narrow electrodes, respectively. When Si microrods have a shell of dielectric film and its thickness on the top face is thicker than that on the bottom face, 97.8% of the Si microrods are aligned with the top face facing upwards. This technique is useful for orientation-controlled alignment of nano- and microsized devices that have polarity or a distinction between the top and bottom faces.

Limiter biasing experiments on the tokamak ISTTOK

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Silva, C.; Nedzelskiy, I.; Figueiredo, H.; Cabral, J. A. C.; Varandas, C. A. F.; Stöckel, Jan

2003-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 10 (2003), s. 937-944 ISSN 0011-4626. [Workshop "Electric Fields Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas"/6th./. St. Petersburg, 13.06.2003-14.06.2003] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2043910 Keywords : biasing, edge plasma, particle confinement Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.263, year: 2003

Observation of electrostatically released DNA from gold electrodes with controlled threshold voltages.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeishi, Shunsaku; Rant, Ulrich; Fujiwara, Tsuyoshi; Buchholz, Karin; Usuki, Tatsuya; Arinaga, Kenji; Takemoto, Kazuya; Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka; Tornow, Marc; Fujita, Shozo; Abstreiter, Gerhard; Yokoyama, Naoki

2004-03-22

DNA oligo-nucleotides, localized at Au metal electrodes in aqueous solution, are found to be released when applying a negative bias voltage to the electrode. The release was confirmed by monitoring the intensity of the fluorescence of cyanine dyes (Cy3) linked to the 5' end of the DNA. The threshold voltage of the release changes depending on the kind of linker added to the DNA 3'-terminal. The amount of released DNA depends on the duration of the voltage pulse. Using this technique, we can retain DNA at Au electrodes or Au needles, and release the desired amount of DNA at a precise location in a target. The results suggest that DNA injection into living cells is possible with this method. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics

Junctionless Diode Enabled by Self-Bias Effect of Ion Gel in Single-Layer MoS2 Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Atif; Rathi, Servin; Park, Jinwoo; Lim, Dongsuk; Lee, Yoontae; Yun, Sun Jin; Youn, Doo-Hyeb; Kim, Gil-Ho

2017-08-16

The self-biasing effects of ion gel from source and drain electrodes on electrical characteristics of single layer and few layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) field-effect transistor (FET) have been studied. The self-biasing effect of ion gel is tested for two different configurations, covered and open, where ion gel is in contact with either one or both, source and drain electrodes, respectively. In open configuration, the linear output characteristics of the pristine device becomes nonlinear and on-off ratio drops by 3 orders of magnitude due to the increase in "off" current for both single and few layer MoS 2 FETs. However, the covered configuration results in a highly asymmetric output characteristics with a rectification of around 10 3 and an ideality factor of 1.9. This diode like behavior has been attributed to the reduction of Schottky barrier width by the electric field of self-biased ion gel, which enables an efficient injection of electrons by tunneling at metal-MoS 2 interface. Finally, finite element method based simulations are carried out and the simulated results matches well in principle with the experimental analysis. These self-biased diodes can perform a crucial role in the development of high-frequency optoelectronic and valleytronic devices.

Electrode-electrolyte interface model of tripolar concentric ring electrode and electrode paste.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasrollaholhosseini, Seyed Hadi; Steele, Preston; Besio, Walter G

2016-08-01

Electrodes are used to transform ionic currents to electrical currents in biological systems. Modeling the electrode-electrolyte interface could help to optimize the performance of the electrode interface to achieve higher signal to noise ratios. There are previous reports of accurate models for single-element biomedical electrodes. In this paper we develop a model for the electrode-electrolyte interface for tripolar concentric ring electrodes (TCRE) that are used to record brain signals.

Liberal bias and the five-factor model.

Science.gov (United States)

Charney, Evan

2015-01-01

Duarte et al. draw attention to the "embedding of liberal values and methods" in social psychological research. They note how these biases are often invisible to the researchers themselves. The authors themselves fall prey to these "invisible biases" by utilizing the five-factor model of personality and the trait of openness to experience as one possible explanation for the under-representation of political conservatives in social psychology. I show that the manner in which the trait of openness to experience is conceptualized and measured is a particularly blatant example of the very liberal bias the authors decry.

Effects of Electrode Distances on Geometric Structure and Electronic Transport Properties of Molecular 4,4'-Bipyridine Junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zongliang; Zou Bin; Wang Chuankui; Luo Yi

2006-01-01

Influences of electrode distances on geometric structure of molecule and on electronic transport properties of molecular junctions have been investigated by means of a generalized quantum chemical approach based on the elastic scattering Green's function method. Numerical results show that, for organic molecule 4,4'-bipyridine, the geometric structure of the molecule especially the dihedral angle between the two pyridine rings is sensitive to the distances between the two electrodes. The currents of the molecular junction are taken nonlinearly increase with the increase of the bias. Shortening the distance of the metallic electrodes will result in stronger coupling and larger conductance

Determination and Correction of Persistent Biases in Quantum Annealers

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-25

for all of the qubits. Narrowing of the bias distribution. To show the correctability of the persistent biases , we ran the experiment described above...this is a promising application for bias correction . Importantly, while the J biases determined here are in general smaller than the h biases , numerical...1Scientific RepoRts | 6:18628 | DOI: 10.1038/srep18628 www.nature.com/scientificreports Determination and correction of persistent biases in quantum

In-line monitoring of Li-ion battery electrode porosity and areal loading using active thermal scanning - modeling and initial experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Rupnowski, Przemyslaw; Ulsh, Michael; Sopori, Bhushan; Green, Brian G.; Wood, David L.; Li, Jianlin; Sheng, Yangping

2018-01-01

This work focuses on a new technique called active thermal scanning for in-line monitoring of porosity and areal loading of Li-ion battery electrodes. In this technique a moving battery electrode is subjected to thermal excitation and the induced temperature rise is monitored using an infra-red camera. Static and dynamic experiments with speeds up to 1.5 m min-1 are performed on both cathodes and anodes and a combined micro- and macro-scale finite element thermal model of the system is developed. It is shown experimentally and through simulations that during thermal scanning the temperature profile generated in an electrode depends on both coating porosity (or area loading) and thickness. It is concluded that by inverting this relation the porosity (or areal loading) can be determined, if thermal response and thickness are simultaneously measured.

Improvement of stability of sinusoidally driven atmospheric pressure plasma jet using auxiliary bias voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-Jin Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, we have proposed the auxiliary bias pulse scheme to improve the stability of atmospheric pressure plasma jets driven by an AC sinusoidal waveform excitation source. The stability of discharges can be significantly improved by the compensation of irregular variation in memory voltage due to the effect of auxiliary bias pulse. From the parametric study, such as the width, voltage, and onset time of auxiliary bias pulse, it has been demonstrated that the auxiliary bias pulse plays a significant role in suppressing the irregular discharges caused by the irregular variation in memory voltage and stable discharge can be initiated with the termination of the auxiliary bias pulse. As a result of further investigating the effects of the auxiliary pulse scheme on the jet stability under various process conditions such as the distance between the jet head and the counter electrode, and carrier gas flow, the jet stability can be improved by adjusting the amplitude and number of the bias pulse depending on the variations in the process conditions.

Probing Biased Signaling in Chemokine Receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amarandi, Roxana Maria; Hjortø, Gertrud Malene; Rosenkilde, Mette Marie

2016-01-01

The chemokine system mediates leukocyte migration during homeostatic and inflammatory processes. Traditionally, it is described as redundant and promiscuous, with a single chemokine ligand binding to different receptors and a single receptor having several ligands. Signaling of chemokine receptors...... of others has been termed signaling bias and can accordingly be grouped into ligand bias, receptor bias, and tissue bias. Bias has so far been broadly overlooked in the process of drug development. The low number of currently approved drugs targeting the chemokine system, as well as the broad range...... of failed clinical trials, reflects the need for a better understanding of the chemokine system. Thus, understanding the character, direction, and consequence of biased signaling in the chemokine system may aid the development of new therapeutics. This review describes experiments to assess G protein...

Comprehensive ecosystem model-experiment synthesis using multiple datasets at two temperate forest free-air CO2 enrichment experiments: model performance and compensating biases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Anthony P [ORNL; Hanson, Paul J [ORNL; DeKauwe, Martin G [Macquarie University; Medlyn, Belinda [Macquarie University; Zaehle, S [Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry; Asao, Shinichi [Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Dietze, Michael [University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Hickler, Thomas [Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; Huntinford, Chris [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom; Iversen, Colleen M [ORNL; Jain, Atul [University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Lomas, Mark [University of Sheffield; Luo, Yiqi [University of Oklahoma; McCarthy, Heather R [Duke University; Parton, William [Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Prentice, I. Collin [Macquarie University; Thornton, Peter E [ORNL; Wang, Shusen [Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS); Wang, Yingping [CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research; Warlind, David [Lund University, Sweden; Weng, Ensheng [University of Oklahoma, Norman; Warren, Jeffrey [ORNL; Woodward, F. Ian [University of Sheffield; Oren, Ram [Duke University; Norby, Richard J [ORNL

2014-01-01

Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a remarkable wealth of data to test the sensitivities of terrestrial ecosystem models (TEMs). In this study, a broad set of 11 TEMs were compared to 22 years of data from two contrasting FACE experiments in temperate forests of the south eastern US the evergreen Duke Forest and the deciduous Oak Ridge forest. We evaluated the models' ability to reproduce observed net primary productivity (NPP), transpiration and Leaf Area index (LAI) in ambient CO2 treatments. Encouragingly, many models simulated annual NPP and transpiration within observed uncertainty. Daily transpiration model errors were often related to errors in leaf area phenology and peak LAI. Our analysis demonstrates that the simulation of LAI often drives the simulation of transpiration and hence there is a need to adopt the most appropriate of hypothesis driven methods to simulate and predict LAI. Of the three competing hypotheses determining peak LAI (1) optimisation to maximise carbon export, (2) increasing SLA with canopy depth and (3) the pipe model the pipe model produced LAI closest to the observations. Modelled phenology was either prescribed or based on broader empirical calibrations to climate. In some cases, simulation accuracy was achieved through compensating biases in component variables. For example, NPP accuracy was sometimes achieved with counter-balancing biases in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen uptake. Combined analysis of parallel measurements aides the identification of offsetting biases; without which over-confidence in model abilities to predict ecosystem function may emerge, potentially leading to erroneous predictions of change under future climates.

Examining Event-Related Potential (ERP) correlates of decision bias in recognition memory judgments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Holger; Windmann, Sabine

2014-01-01

Memory judgments can be based on accurate memory information or on decision bias (the tendency to report that an event is part of episodic memory when one is in fact unsure). Event related potentials (ERP) correlates are important research tools for elucidating the dynamics underlying memory judgments but so far have been established only for investigations of accurate old/new discrimination. To identify the ERP correlates of bias, and observe how these interact with ERP correlates of memory, we conducted three experiments that manipulated decision bias within participants via instructions during recognition memory tests while their ERPs were recorded. In Experiment 1, the bias manipulation was performed between blocks of trials (automatized bias) and compared to trial-by-trial shifts of bias in accord with an external cue (flexibly controlled bias). In Experiment 2, the bias manipulation was performed at two different levels of accurate old/new discrimination as the memory strength of old (studied) items was varied. In Experiment 3, the bias manipulation was added to another, bottom-up driven manipulation of bias induced via familiarity. In the first two Experiments, and in the low familiarity condition of Experiment 3, we found evidence of an early frontocentral ERP component at 320 ms poststimulus (the FN320) that was sensitive to the manipulation of bias via instruction, with more negative amplitudes indexing more liberal bias. By contrast, later during the trial (500-700 ms poststimulus), bias effects interacted with old/new effects across all three experiments. Results suggest that the decision criterion is typically activated early during recognition memory trials, and is integrated with retrieved memory signals and task-specific processing demands later during the trial. More generally, the findings demonstrate how ERPs can help to specify the dynamics of recognition memory processes under top-down and bottom-up controlled retrieval conditions.

Examining Event-Related Potential (ERP) Correlates of Decision Bias in Recognition Memory Judgments

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Holger; Windmann, Sabine

2014-01-01

Memory judgments can be based on accurate memory information or on decision bias (the tendency to report that an event is part of episodic memory when one is in fact unsure). Event related potentials (ERP) correlates are important research tools for elucidating the dynamics underlying memory judgments but so far have been established only for investigations of accurate old/new discrimination. To identify the ERP correlates of bias, and observe how these interact with ERP correlates of memory, we conducted three experiments that manipulated decision bias within participants via instructions during recognition memory tests while their ERPs were recorded. In Experiment 1, the bias manipulation was performed between blocks of trials (automatized bias) and compared to trial-by-trial shifts of bias in accord with an external cue (flexibly controlled bias). In Experiment 2, the bias manipulation was performed at two different levels of accurate old/new discrimination as the memory strength of old (studied) items was varied. In Experiment 3, the bias manipulation was added to another, bottom-up driven manipulation of bias induced via familiarity. In the first two Experiments, and in the low familiarity condition of Experiment 3, we found evidence of an early frontocentral ERP component at 320 ms poststimulus (the FN320) that was sensitive to the manipulation of bias via instruction, with more negative amplitudes indexing more liberal bias. By contrast, later during the trial (500–700 ms poststimulus), bias effects interacted with old/new effects across all three experiments. Results suggest that the decision criterion is typically activated early during recognition memory trials, and is integrated with retrieved memory signals and task-specific processing demands later during the trial. More generally, the findings demonstrate how ERPs can help to specify the dynamics of recognition memory processes under top-down and bottom-up controlled retrieval conditions. PMID

Examining Event-Related Potential (ERP correlates of decision bias in recognition memory judgments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holger Hill

Full Text Available Memory judgments can be based on accurate memory information or on decision bias (the tendency to report that an event is part of episodic memory when one is in fact unsure. Event related potentials (ERP correlates are important research tools for elucidating the dynamics underlying memory judgments but so far have been established only for investigations of accurate old/new discrimination. To identify the ERP correlates of bias, and observe how these interact with ERP correlates of memory, we conducted three experiments that manipulated decision bias within participants via instructions during recognition memory tests while their ERPs were recorded. In Experiment 1, the bias manipulation was performed between blocks of trials (automatized bias and compared to trial-by-trial shifts of bias in accord with an external cue (flexibly controlled bias. In Experiment 2, the bias manipulation was performed at two different levels of accurate old/new discrimination as the memory strength of old (studied items was varied. In Experiment 3, the bias manipulation was added to another, bottom-up driven manipulation of bias induced via familiarity. In the first two Experiments, and in the low familiarity condition of Experiment 3, we found evidence of an early frontocentral ERP component at 320 ms poststimulus (the FN320 that was sensitive to the manipulation of bias via instruction, with more negative amplitudes indexing more liberal bias. By contrast, later during the trial (500-700 ms poststimulus, bias effects interacted with old/new effects across all three experiments. Results suggest that the decision criterion is typically activated early during recognition memory trials, and is integrated with retrieved memory signals and task-specific processing demands later during the trial. More generally, the findings demonstrate how ERPs can help to specify the dynamics of recognition memory processes under top-down and bottom-up controlled retrieval conditions.

Electron beam dynamics in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope with Wehnelt electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Bücker, K; Picher, M; Crégut, O; LaGrange, T; Reed, B W; Park, S T; Masiel, D J; Banhart, F

2016-12-01

High temporal resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques have shown significant progress in recent years. Using photoelectron pulses induced by ultrashort laser pulses on the cathode, these methods can probe ultrafast materials processes and have revealed numerous dynamic phenomena at the nanoscale. Most recently, the technique has been implemented in standard thermionic electron microscopes that provide a flexible platform for studying material's dynamics over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. In this study, the electron pulses in such an ultrafast transmission electron microscope are characterized in detail. The microscope is based on a thermionic gun with a Wehnelt electrode and is operated in a stroboscopic photoelectron mode. It is shown that the Wehnelt bias has a decisive influence on the temporal and energy spread of the picosecond electron pulses. Depending on the shape of the cathode and the cathode-Wehnelt distance, different emission patterns with different pulse parameters are obtained. The energy spread of the pulses is determined by space charge and Boersch effects, given by the number of electrons in a pulse. However, filtering effects due to the chromatic aberrations of the Wehnelt electrode allow the extraction of pulses with narrow energy spreads. The temporal spread is governed by electron trajectories of different length and in different electrostatic potentials. High temporal resolution is obtained by excluding shank emission from the cathode and aberration-induced halos in the emission pattern. By varying the cathode-Wehnelt gap, the Wehnelt bias, and the number of photoelectrons in a pulse, tradeoffs between energy and temporal resolution as well as beam intensity can be made as needed for experiments. Based on the characterization of the electron pulses, the optimal conditions for the operation of ultrafast TEMs with thermionic gun assembly are elaborated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing Electrode Heterogeneity Using Fourier-Transformed Alternating Current Voltammetry: Application to a Dual-Electrode Configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Sze-Yin; Unwin, Patrick R; Macpherson, Julie V; Zhang, Jie; Bond, Alan M

2017-03-07

Quantitative studies of electron transfer processes at electrode/electrolyte interfaces, originally developed for homogeneous liquid mercury or metallic electrodes, are difficult to adapt to the spatially heterogeneous nanostructured electrode materials that are now commonly used in modern electrochemistry. In this study, the impact of surface heterogeneity on Fourier-transformed alternating current voltammetry (FTACV) has been investigated theoretically under the simplest possible conditions where no overlap of diffusion layers occurs and where numerical simulations based on a 1D diffusion model are sufficient to describe the mass transport problem. Experimental data that meet these requirements can be obtained with the aqueous [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+/2+ redox process at a dual-electrode system comprised of electrically coupled but well-separated glassy carbon (GC) and boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Simulated and experimental FTACV data obtained with this electrode configuration, and where distinctly different heterogeneous charge transfer rate constants (k 0 values) apply at the individual GC and BDD electrode surfaces, are in excellent agreement. Principally, because of the far greater dependence of the AC current magnitude on k 0 , it is straightforward with the FTACV method to resolve electrochemical heterogeneities that are ∼1-2 orders of magnitude apart, as applies in the [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+/2+ dual-electrode configuration experiments, without prior knowledge of the individual kinetic parameters (k 0 1 and k 0 2 ) or the electrode size ratio (θ 1 :θ 2 ). In direct current voltammetry, a difference in k 0 of >3 orders of magnitude is required to make this distinction.

The Mochi LabJet Experiment for Measurements of Canonical Helicity Injection in a Laboratory Astrophysical Jet

Science.gov (United States)

You, Setthivoine; von der Linden, Jens; Sander Lavine, Eric; Carroll, Evan Grant; Card, Alexander; Quinley, Morgan; Azuara-Rosales, Manuel

2018-06-01

The Mochi device is a new pulsed power plasma experiment designed to produce long, collimated, stable, magnetized plasma jets when set up in the LabJet configuration. The LabJet configuration aims to simulate an astrophysical jet in the laboratory by mimicking an accretion disk threaded by a poloidal magnetic field with concentric planar electrodes in front of a solenoidal coil. The unique setup consists of three electrodes, each with azimuthally symmetric gas slits. Two of the electrodes are biased independently with respect to the third electrode to control the radial electric field profile across the poloidal bias magnetic field. This design approximates a shear azimuthal rotation profile in an accretion disk. The azimuthally symmetric gas slits provide a continuously symmetric mass source at the footpoint of the plasma jet, so any azimuthal rotation of the plasma jet is not hindered by a discrete number of gas holes. The initial set of diagnostics consists of current Rogowski coils, voltage probes, magnetic field probe arrays, an interferometer and ion Doppler spectroscopy, supplemented by a fast ion gauge and a retarding grid energy analyzer. The measured parameters of the first plasmas are ∼1022 m‑3, ∼0.4 T, and 5–25 eV, with velocities of ∼20–80 km s‑1. The combination of a controllable electric field profile, a flared poloidal magnetic field, and azimuthally symmetric mass sources in the experiment successfully produces short-lived (∼10 μs, ≳5 Alfvén times) collimated magnetic jets with a ∼10:1 aspect ratio and long-lived (∼100 μs, ≳40 Alfvén times) flow-stabilized, collimated, magnetic jets with a ∼30:1 aspect ratio.

Bias against research on gender bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Cislak, Aleksandra; Formanowicz, Magdalena; Saguy, Tamar

2018-01-01

The bias against women in academia is a documented phenomenon that has had detrimental consequences, not only for women, but also for the quality of science. First, gender bias in academia affects female scientists, resulting in their underrepresentation in academic institutions, particularly in higher ranks. The second type of gender bias in science relates to some findings applying only to male participants, which produces biased knowledge. Here, we identify a third potentially powerful source of gender bias in academia: the bias against research on gender bias. In a bibliometric investigation covering a broad range of social sciences, we analyzed published articles on gender bias and race bias and established that articles on gender bias are funded less often and published in journals with a lower Impact Factor than articles on comparable instances of social discrimination. This result suggests the possibility of an underappreciation of the phenomenon of gender bias and related research within the academic community. Addressing this meta-bias is crucial for the further examination of gender inequality, which severely affects many women across the world.

Decoupling Action Potential Bias from Cortical Local Field Potentials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen V. David

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Neurophysiologists have recently become interested in studying neuronal population activity through local field potential (LFP recordings during experiments that also record the activity of single neurons. This experimental approach differs from early LFP studies because it uses high impendence electrodes that can also isolate single neuron activity. A possible complication for such studies is that the synaptic potentials and action potentials of the small subset of isolated neurons may contribute disproportionately to the LFP signal, biasing activity in the larger nearby neuronal population to appear synchronous and cotuned with these neurons. To address this problem, we used linear filtering techniques to remove features correlated with spike events from LFP recordings. This filtering procedure can be applied for well-isolated single units or multiunit activity. We illustrate the effects of this correction in simulation and on spike data recorded from primary auditory cortex. We find that local spiking activity can explain a significant portion of LFP power at most recording sites and demonstrate that removing the spike-correlated component can affect measurements of auditory tuning of the LFP.

Evaluation of bias associated with high-multiplex, target-specific pre-amplification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven T. Okino

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We developed a novel PCR-based pre-amplification (PreAmp technology that can increase the abundance of over 350 target genes one million-fold. To assess potential bias introduced by PreAmp we utilized ERCC RNA reference standards, a model system that quantifies measurement error in RNA analysis. We assessed three types of bias: amplification bias, dynamic range bias and fold-change bias. We show that our PreAmp workflow introduces only minimal amplification and fold-change bias under stringent conditions. We do detect dynamic range bias if a target gene is highly abundant and PreAmp occurred for 16 or more PCR cycles; however, this type of bias is easily correctable. To assess PreAmp bias in a gene expression profiling experiment, we analyzed a panel of genes that are regulated during differentiation using the NTera2 stem cell model system. We find that results generated using PreAmp are similar to results obtained using standard qPCR (without the pre-amplification step. Importantly, PreAmp maintains patterns of gene expression changes across samples; the same biological insights would be derived from a PreAmp experiment as with a standard gene expression profiling experiment. We conclude that our PreAmp technology can facilitate analysis of extremely limited samples in gene expression quantification experiments.

Virtual electrodes for high-density electrode arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Cela, Carlos J.; Lazzi, Gianluca

2015-10-13

The present embodiments are directed to implantable electrode arrays having virtual electrodes. The virtual electrodes may improve the resolution of the implantable electrode array without the burden of corresponding complexity of electronic circuitry and wiring. In a particular embodiment, a virtual electrode may include one or more passive elements to help steer current to a specific location between the active electrodes. For example, a passive element may be a metalized layer on a substrate that is adjacent to, but not directly connected to an active electrode. In certain embodiments, an active electrode may be directly coupled to a power source via a conductive connection. Beneficially, the passive elements may help to increase the overall resolution of the implantable array by providing additional stimulation points without requiring additional wiring or driver circuitry for the passive elements.

Carbon electrode for desalination purpose in capacitive deionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endarko,; Fadilah, Nurul; Anggoro, Diky

2016-01-01

Carbon electrodes for desalination purpose have been successfully synthesized using activated carbon powder (BET surface area=700 – 1400 m 2 /g), carbon black and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder by cross-linking method with glutaric acid (GA) at 120 °C. The electrochemical properties of the carbon electrodes were analyzed using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) whilst the physical properties were observed with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). In order to assess the desalting performance, salt removal experiments were performed by constructing a capacitive deionization unit cell with five pairs of carbon electrodes. For each pair consisted of two parallel carbon electrodes separated by a spacer. Desalination and regeneration processes were also observed in the salt-removal experiments. The salt-removal experiments were carried out in single-pass mode using a solution with 0.1 M NaCl at a flow rate of 10 mL/min. A voltage of 3 V was applied to the cell for 60 minutes for both processes in desalination and regeneration. The result showed that the percentage value of the salt-removal was achieved at 20%.

Carbon electrode for desalination purpose in capacitive deionization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Endarko,, E-mail: endarko@physics.its.ac.id; Fadilah, Nurul; Anggoro, Diky [Physics Department, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Kampus ITS, Sukolilo Surabaya 60111, Jawa Timur (Indonesia)

2016-03-11

Carbon electrodes for desalination purpose have been successfully synthesized using activated carbon powder (BET surface area=700 – 1400 m{sup 2}/g), carbon black and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder by cross-linking method with glutaric acid (GA) at 120 °C. The electrochemical properties of the carbon electrodes were analyzed using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) whilst the physical properties were observed with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). In order to assess the desalting performance, salt removal experiments were performed by constructing a capacitive deionization unit cell with five pairs of carbon electrodes. For each pair consisted of two parallel carbon electrodes separated by a spacer. Desalination and regeneration processes were also observed in the salt-removal experiments. The salt-removal experiments were carried out in single-pass mode using a solution with 0.1 M NaCl at a flow rate of 10 mL/min. A voltage of 3 V was applied to the cell for 60 minutes for both processes in desalination and regeneration. The result showed that the percentage value of the salt-removal was achieved at 20%.

The foreign language effect on the self-serving bias: A field experiment in the high school classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

van Hugten, Joeri; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen

2018-01-01

The rise of bilingual education triggers an important question: which language is preferred for a particular school activity? Our field experiment (n = 120) shows that students (aged 13-15) who process feedback in non-native English have greater self-serving bias than students who process feedback in their native Dutch. By contrast, literature on the foreign-language emotionality effect suggests a weaker self-serving bias in the non-native language, so our result adds nuance to that literature. The result is important to schools as it suggests that teachers may be able to reduce students' defensiveness and demotivation by communicating negative feedback in the native language, and teachers may be able to increase students' confidence and motivation by communicating positive feedback in the foreign language.

Safety of atrial fibrillation ablation with novel multi-electrode array catheters on uninterrupted anticoagulation-a single-center experience.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Hayes, Christopher Ruslan

2012-02-01

INTRODUCTION: A recent single-center report indicated that the performance of atrial fibrillation ablation in patients on uninterrupted warfarin using a conventional deflectable tip electrode ablation catheter may be as safe as periprocedural discontinuation of warfarin and bridging with heparin. Novel multi-electrode array catheters for atrial fibrillation ablation are currently undergoing clinical evaluation. While offering the possibility of more rapid atrial fibrillation ablation, they are stiffer and necessitate the deployment of larger deflectable transseptal sheaths, and it remains to be determined if they increase the risk of cardiac perforation and vascular injury. Such potential risks would have implications for a strategy of uninterrupted periprocedural anticoagulation. METHOD AND RESULTS: We audited the safety outcomes of our atrial fibrillation ablation procedures using multi-electrode array ablation catheters in patients on uninterrupted warfarin (CHADS2 score>or=2) and in patients not on warfarin (uninterrupted aspirin). Two bleeding complications occurred in 49 patients on uninterrupted warfarin, both of which were managed successfully without longterm sequelae, and no bleeding complication occurred in 32 patients not on warfarin (uninterrupted aspirin). There were no thromboembolic events or other complication with either anticoagulant regimen. CONCLUSION: Despite the larger diameter and increased stiffness of multi-electrode array catheters and their deflectable transseptal sheaths, their use for catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation on uninterrupted warfarin in this single-center experience does not appear to be unsafe, and thus, an adequately powered multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial should be considered.

AC bias operation of the perpendicular biased ferrite tuned cavity for the TRIUMF KAON Factory booster synchrotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, R.L.; Enegren, T.A.; Enchevich, I.B.

1991-05-01

The RF cavity for the booster synchrotron requires a frequency swing from 46 MHz at a repetition rate of 50 Hz and a maximum accelerating gap voltage of 65 kV. A DC biased prototype cavity built at LANL using perpendicular-biased yttrium-garnet ferrites, rather than the more conventional parallel-biased NiZn ferrites, has now undergone major reconstruction at TRIUMF for AC bias operation. RF signal level measurements have shown that the frequency swing at a repetition rate of 50 Hz can be accomplished and still handle the eddy current losses in the cavity structures with minimal effect on the magnetizing field. The prototype cavity is now undergoing high power RF tests with full power AC bias operation. The results of these tests and operational experience is reported. (Author) ref., 6 figs

3 keys to defeating unconscious bias watch, think, act

CERN Document Server

Thiederman, Sondra

2015-01-01

Have you ever had a biased thought? If the answer is “yes,” join the club. Everybody has biases and, although that doesn’t make us bad people, it does mean we compromise our ability to get along with people who are different from us. The good news is, there’s a lot we can do to defeat bias. Calling on Dr. Sondra Thiederman’s twenty-five years of experience in the diversity/inclusion field, the book lays out an innovative WATCH, THINK, ACT strategy that each of us can immediately apply to the task. Easy-to-read and filled with anecdotes and activities, 3 Keys shows the reader: • How to WATCH their thoughts, experiences, and actions to identify unconscious biases and target them for extinction. • How to THINK in such a way as to weaken and control our biases. • How to ACT to defeat our biases and cultivate the kind of common ground that we know to be inhospitable to the survival of bias. Designed to motivate real change, the answer to defeating our biases is in these pages. The rest is up to you...

Electrode placement during electro-desalination of

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Andersson, Lovisa C. H.

2017-01-01

Carved stone sculptures and ornaments can be severely damaged by salt induced decay. Often the irregular surfaces are decomposed, and the artwork is lost. The present paper is an experimental investigation on the possibility for using electro-desalination for treatment of stone with irregular shape....... Electro-desalination experiments were made with different duration to follow the progress. Successful desalination of the whole stone piece was obtained, showing that also parts not being placed directly between the electrodes were desalinated. This is important in case of salt damaged carved stones......, where the most fragile parts thus can be desalinated without physically placing electrodes on them. The Cl removal rate was higher in the areas closest to the electrodes and slowest in the part, which was not placed directly between the electrodes. This is important to incorporate in the monitoring...

Transmission of Cognitive Bias and Fear From Parents to Children: An Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Remmerswaal, Danielle; Muris, Peter; Huijding, Jorg

2016-01-01

This study explored the role of parents in the development of a cognitive bias and subsequent fear levels in children. In Experiment 1, nonclinical children ages 8-13 (N = 122) underwent a training during which they worked together with their mothers on an information search task. Mothers received instructions to induce either a positive or negative information search bias in their children. Experiment 2 investigated to what extent mothers own cognitive bias predicted children's information search bias. Mothers of 49 nonclinical children ages 9-12 received no explicit training instructions before working together with their child on an information search task. Experiment 1 demonstrated that mothers had a significant impact on children's cognitive bias and fear. More precisely, children who had received a negative parental training displayed an increase in negative information search bias and fear, whereas children who had received a positive parental training showed an increase in positive information search bias and a decrease in fear. In Experiment 2, it was found that children's information search biases after working together with their mothers were predicted by their mothers' initial cognitive bias scores. These findings can be taken as support for the intergenerational transmission of cognitive biases from mothers to children.

A Principal Components Analysis of Dynamic Spatial Memory Biases

Science.gov (United States)

Motes, Michael A.; Hubbard, Timothy L.; Courtney, Jon R.; Rypma, Bart

2008-01-01

Research has shown that spatial memory for moving targets is often biased in the direction of implied momentum and implied gravity, suggesting that representations of the subjective experiences of these physical principles contribute to such biases. The present study examined the association between these spatial memory biases. Observers viewed…

Internal bias field in glycine phosphite crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nayeem, Jannatul; Wakabayashi, Hiroshi; Kikuta, Toshio; Yamazaki, Toshinari; Nakatani, Noriyuki

2003-01-01

The distributions of internal bias field E b have been investigated under the carbon-powder pattern and mercury electrode techniques in GPI ferroelectric crystals. Polarity and intensity of E b are distributed depending on crystal growth sectors. Crystal symmetry 2/m is observed obviously in the distribution of E b . The polarities of E b are head-to-head manner in those growth sectors where a surface is growing parallel to the crystallographic a-axis and tail-to-tail manner in the other growth sectors in the crystal. The maximum intensity of E b is found in the sectors (010) where the growing surfaces are perpendicular to the ferroelectric b-axis

Comparison of electron cloud simulation and experiments in the high-current experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, R.H.; Friedman, A.; Covo, M. Kireeff; Lund, S.M.; Molvik, A.W.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Seidl, P.A.; Vay, J.-L.; Verboncoeur, J.; Stoltz, P.; Veitzer, S.

2004-01-01

A set of experiments has been performed on the High-Current Experiment (HCX) facility at LBNL, in which the ion beam is allowed to collide with an end plate and thereby induce a copious supply of desorbed electrons. Through the use of combinations of biased and grounded electrodes positioned in between and downstream of the quadrupole magnets, the flow of electrons upstream into the magnets can be turned on or off. Properties of the resultant ion beam are measured under each condition. The experiment is modeled via a full three-dimensional, two species (electron and ion) particle simulation, as well as via reduced simulations (ions with appropriately chosen model electron cloud distributions, and a high-resolution simulation of the region adjacent to the end plate). The three-dimensional simulations are the first of their kind and the first to make use of a timestep-acceleration scheme that allows the electrons to be advanced with a timestep that is not small compared to the highest electron cyclotron period. The simulations reproduce qualitative aspects of the experiments, illustrate some unanticipated physical effects, and serve as an important demonstration of a developing simulation capability

Hippocampal morphology mediates biased memories of chronic pain

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Sara E.; Vachon-Presseau, Étienne; Abdullah, Taha B.; Baria, Alex T.; Schnitzer, Thomas J.; Apkarian, A. Vania

2018-01-01

Experiences and memories are often mismatched. While multiple studies have investigated psychological underpinnings of recall error with respect to emotional events, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the divergence between experiences and memories remain relatively unexplored in the domain of chronic pain. Here we examined the discrepancy between experienced chronic low back pain (CBP) intensity (twice daily ratings) and remembered pain intensity (n = 48 subjects) relative to psychometric properties, hippocampus morphology, memory capabilities, and personality traits related to reward. 77% of CBP patients exaggerated remembered pain, which depended on their strongest experienced pain and their most recent mood rating. This bias persisted over nearly 1 year and was related to reward memory bias and loss aversion. Shape displacement of a specific region in the left posterior hippocampus mediated personality effects on pain memory bias, predicted pain memory bias in a validation CBP group (n = 21), and accounted for 55% of the variance of pain memory bias. In two independent groups (n = 20/group), morphology of this region was stable over time and unperturbed by the development of chronic pain. These results imply that a localized hippocampal circuit, and personality traits associated with reward processing, largely determine exaggeration of daily pain experiences in chronic pain patients. PMID:29080714

Enhancing emotional experiences to dance through music: the role of valence and arousal in the cross-modal bias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia F. Christensen

2014-10-01

Full Text Available It is well established that emotional responses to stimuli presented to one perceptive modality (e.g. visual are modulated by the concurrent presentation of affective information to another modality (e.g. auditory – an effect known as the cross-modal bias. However, the affective mechanisms mediating this effect are still not fully understood. It remains unclear what role different dimensions of stimulus valence and arousal play in mediating the effect, and to what extent cross-modal influences impact not only our perception and conscious affective experiences, but also our psychophysiological emotional response. We addressed these issues by measuring participants’ subjective emotion ratings and their Galvanic Skin Responses in a cross-modal affect perception paradigm employing videos of ballet dance movements and instrumental classical music as the stimuli. We chose these stimuli to explore the cross-modal bias in a context of stimuli (ballet dance movements that most participants would have relatively little prior experience with. Results showed (i that the cross-modal bias was more pronounced for sad than for happy movements, whereas it was equivalent when contrasting high vs. low arousal movements, and (ii that movement valence did not modulate participants’ GSR, while movement arousal did such that GSR was potentiated in the case of low arousal movements with sad music and when high arousal movements were paired with happy music. Results are discussed in the context of the cross-modal affect perception literature and with regards to implications for the art community.

Enhancing emotional experiences to dance through music: the role of valence and arousal in the cross-modal bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Julia F; Gaigg, Sebastian B; Gomila, Antoni; Oke, Peter; Calvo-Merino, Beatriz

2014-01-01

It is well established that emotional responses to stimuli presented to one perceptive modality (e.g., visual) are modulated by the concurrent presentation of affective information to another modality (e.g., auditory)-an effect known as the cross-modal bias. However, the affective mechanisms mediating this effect are still not fully understood. It remains unclear what role different dimensions of stimulus valence and arousal play in mediating the effect, and to what extent cross-modal influences impact not only our perception and conscious affective experiences, but also our psychophysiological emotional response. We addressed these issues by measuring participants' subjective emotion ratings and their Galvanic Skin Responses (GSR) in a cross-modal affect perception paradigm employing videos of ballet dance movements and instrumental classical music as the stimuli. We chose these stimuli to explore the cross-modal bias in a context of stimuli (ballet dance movements) that most participants would have relatively little prior experience with. Results showed (i) that the cross-modal bias was more pronounced for sad than for happy movements, whereas it was equivalent when contrasting high vs. low arousal movements; and (ii) that movement valence did not modulate participants' GSR, while movement arousal did, such that GSR was potentiated in the case of low arousal movements with sad music and when high arousal movements were paired with happy music. Results are discussed in the context of the affective dimension of neuroentrainment and with regards to implications for the art community.

HVDC Ground Electrodes and Tectonic Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Freire, P. F.; Pereira, S. Y.

2017-12-01

Ground electrodes in HVDC transmission are huge grounding systems for the DC part of the converter substation, about 1 km wide, sized to inject in the ground DC currents up to 3.5 kA. This work presents an analysis of how the tectonic setting at converter substation location is determinant for the search of the best electrode location (Site Selection) and on its design and performance. It will briefly present the author experience on HVDC electrode design, summarized as follows: Itaipu - Foz do Iguaçu electrodes (transmitter side) located in the middle of Paraná Sedimentary Basin, and Ibiúna electrodes (receiving side) on the border of the basin, 6 km from the geological strike, where the crystalline basement outcrops in São Paulo state; Madeira River - North electrodes (transmitting side) located on the Northwest border of South Amazon Craton, where the crystalline basement is below a shallow sediments layer, and South electrodes (receiving side) located within Paraná Sedimentary Basin; Chile - electrodes located on the Andean forearc, where the Nazca Plate plunges under the South American Plate; Kenya - Ethiopia - electrodes located in the African Rift; Belo Monte - North electrodes (transmitter side) located within the Amazonian Sedimentary Basin, about 35 km of its South border, and South electrodes (receiving side) within Paraná Sedimentary Basin (bipole 1) and on crystalline metamorphic terrain "Brasília Belt" (bipole 2). This diversity of geological conditions results on ground electrodes of different topologies and dimensions, with quite different electrical and thermal performances. A brief study of the geology of the converter stations regions, the so-called Desktop Study, allows for the preview of several important parameters for the site selection and design of the electrodes, such as localization, type, size and estimate of the interference area, which are important predictors of the investment to be made and indications of the design to be

RETGEM with polyvinylchloride (PVC) electrodes

CERN Document Server

Razin, V I; Reshetin, A I; Filippov, S N

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new design of the RETGEM (Resistive Electrode Thick GEM) based on electrodes made of a polyvinylchloride material (PVC). Our device can operate with gains of 10E5 as a conventional TGEM at low counting rates and as RPC in the case of high counting rates without of the transit to the violent sparks. The distinct feature of present RETGEM is the absent of the metal coating and lithographic technology for manufacturing of the protective dielectric rms. The electrodes from PVC permit to do the holes by a simple drilling machine. Detectors on a RETGEM basis could be useful in many fields of an application requiring a more cheap manufacturing and safe operation, for example, in a large neutrino experiments, in TPC, RICH systems.

Feasibility of Parylene Coating for Planar Electroporation Copper Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitalij NOVICKIJ

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper is focused on the feasibility study of parylene as a biocompatible coating for planar electroporation microelectrodes. The planar parallel and the circular interdigitated electrodes are applied in the analysis. The electrodes feature 100 μm width with a 300 μm gap between anode and cathode. The parylene coating thickness was varied in the 250 nm – 2 μm range. The resultant electric field distribution evaluation has been performed using the finite element method. The electrodes have been applied in electroporation experiments with Saprolegnia parasitica. For reference the additional experiments using conventional electroporation cuvette (1 mm gap have been performed. It has been determined that the parylene coating with hydrophobic properties has limited applicability for the passivation of the planar electroporation electrodes.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.2.14953

Electronic Transport in Single Molecule Junctions: Control of the Molecule-Electrode Coupling Through Intramolecular Tunneling Barriers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danilov, Andrey; Kubatkin, Sergey; Kafanov, Sergey

2008-01-01

We report on single molecule electron transport measurements of two oligophenylenevinylene (OPV3) derivatives placed in a nanogap between gold (Au) or lead (Pb) electrodes in a field effect transistor device. Both derivatives contain thiol end groups that allow chemical binding to the electrodes....... One derivative has additional methylene groups separating the thiols from the delocalized -electron system. The insertion of methylene groups changes the open state conductance by 3-4 orders of magnitude and changes the transport mechanism from a coherent regime with finite zero-bias conductance...

Apparatus bias and place conditioning with ethanol in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Christopher L; Ferree, Nikole K; Howard, MacKenzie A

2003-12-01

Although the distinction between "biased" and "unbiased" is generally recognized as an important methodological issue in place conditioning, previous studies have not adequately addressed the distinction between a biased/unbiased apparatus and a biased/unbiased stimulus assignment procedure. Moreover, a review of the recent literature indicates that many reports (70% of 76 papers published in 2001) fail to provide adequate information about apparatus bias. This issue is important because the mechanisms underlying a drug's effect in the place-conditioning procedure may differ depending on whether the apparatus is biased or unbiased. The present studies were designed to assess the impact of apparatus bias and stimulus assignment procedure on ethanol-induced place conditioning in mice (DBA/2 J). A secondary goal was to compare various dependent variables commonly used to index conditioned place preference. Apparatus bias was manipulated by varying the combination of tactile (floor) cues available during preference tests. Experiment 1 used an unbiased apparatus in which the stimulus alternatives were equally preferred during a pre-test as indicated by the group average. Experiment 2 used a biased apparatus in which one of the stimuli was strongly preferred by most mice (mean % time on cue = 67%) during the pre-test. In both studies, the stimulus paired with drug (CS+) was assigned randomly (i.e., an "unbiased" stimulus assignment procedure). Experimental mice received four pairings of CS+ with ethanol (2 g/kg, i.p.) and four pairings of the alternative stimulus (CS-) with saline; control mice received saline on both types of trial. Each experiment concluded with a 60-min choice test. With the unbiased apparatus (experiment 1), significant place conditioning was obtained regardless of whether drug was paired with the subject's initially preferred or non-preferred stimulus. However, with the biased apparatus (experiment 2), place conditioning was apparent only when

Comparison of unusual carbon-based working electrodes for electrochemiluminescence sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Noman, Muhammad; Sanginario, Alessandro; Jagadale, Pravin; Demarchi, Danilo; Tagliaferro, Alberto

2017-06-01

In this work, unconventional carbon-based materials were investigated for use in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) working electrodes. Precursors such as bamboo, pistachio shells, kevlar ® fibers and camphor were differently treated and used as working electrodes in ECL experiments. After a proper process they were assembled as electrodes and tested in an electrochemical cell. Comparison among them and with a commercial glassy carbon electrode (GCE) shows a very good response for all of them thus demonstrating their potential use as disposable low-cost electrodes for early detection electrochemical analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface potential distribution and airflow performance of different air-exposed electrode plasma actuators at different alternating current/direct current voltages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Liang; Yan, Hui-Jie; Qi, Xiao-Hua; Hua, Yue; Ren, Chun-Sheng, E-mail: rchsh@dlut.edu.cn [School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Key laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China)

2015-04-15

Asymmetric surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma actuators have been intensely studied for a number of years due to their potential applications for aerodynamic control. In this paper, four types of actuators with different configurations of exposed electrode are proposed. The SDBD actuators investigated are driven by dual-power supply, referred to as a fixed AC high voltage and an adjustable DC bias. The effects of the electrode structures on the dielectric surface potential distribution, the electric wind velocity, and the mean thrust production are studied, and the dominative factors of airflow acceleration behavior are revealed. The results have shown that the actions of the SDBD actuator are mainly dependent on the geometry of the exposed electrode. Besides, the surface potential distribution can effectively affect the airflow acceleration behavior. With the application of an appropriate additional DC bias, the surface potential will be modified. As a result, the performance of the electric wind produced by a single SDBD can be significantly improved. In addition, the work also illustrates that the actuators with more negative surface potential present better mechanical performance.

Surface potential distribution and airflow performance of different air-exposed electrode plasma actuators at different alternating current/direct current voltages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Liang; Yan, Hui-Jie; Qi, Xiao-Hua; Hua, Yue; Ren, Chun-Sheng

2015-01-01

Asymmetric surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma actuators have been intensely studied for a number of years due to their potential applications for aerodynamic control. In this paper, four types of actuators with different configurations of exposed electrode are proposed. The SDBD actuators investigated are driven by dual-power supply, referred to as a fixed AC high voltage and an adjustable DC bias. The effects of the electrode structures on the dielectric surface potential distribution, the electric wind velocity, and the mean thrust production are studied, and the dominative factors of airflow acceleration behavior are revealed. The results have shown that the actions of the SDBD actuator are mainly dependent on the geometry of the exposed electrode. Besides, the surface potential distribution can effectively affect the airflow acceleration behavior. With the application of an appropriate additional DC bias, the surface potential will be modified. As a result, the performance of the electric wind produced by a single SDBD can be significantly improved. In addition, the work also illustrates that the actuators with more negative surface potential present better mechanical performance

Study of electrode pattern design for a CZT-based PET detector.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Y; Levin, C S

2014-06-07

We are developing a 1 mm resolution small animal positron emission tomography (PET) system using 3D positioning cadmium zinc telluride photon detectors comprising 40 mm × 40 mm × 5 mm crystals metalized with a cross-strip electrode pattern with a 1 mm anode strip pitch. We optimized the electrode pattern design for intrinsic sensitivity and spatial, energy and time resolution performance using a test detector comprising cathode and steering electrode strips of varying dimensions. The study found 3 and 5 mm width cathode strips locate charge-shared photon interactions near cathode strip boundaries with equal precision. 3 mm width cathode strips exhibited large time resolution variability as a function of photon interaction location between the anode and cathode planes (~26 to ~127.5 ns full width at half maximum (FWHM) for 0.5 mm and 4.2 mm depths, respectively). 5 mm width cathode strips by contrast exhibited more stable time resolution for the same interaction locations (~34 to ~83 ns FWHM), provided more linear spatial positioning in the direction orthogonal to the electrode planes, and as much as 68.4% improvement in photon sensitivity over the 3 mm wide cathode strips. The results were understood by analyzing the cathode strips' weighting functions, which indicated a stronger 'small pixel' effect in the 3 mm wide cathode strips. Photon sensitivity and anode energy resolution were seen to improve with decreasing steering electrode bias from 0 to -80 V w.r.t. the anode potential. A slight improvement in energy resolution was seen for wider steering electrode strips (400 versus 100 µm) for charge-shared photon interactions. Although this study successfully focused on electrode pattern features for PET performance, the results are generally applicable to semiconductor photon detectors employing cross-trip electrode patterns.

Nonequilibrium Kondo effect by the equilibrium numerical renormalization group method: The hybrid Anderson model subject to a finite spin bias

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Tie-Feng; Guo, Ai-Min; Sun, Qing-Feng

2018-06-01

We investigate Kondo correlations in a quantum dot with normal and superconducting electrodes, where a spin bias voltage is applied across the device and the local interaction U is either attractive or repulsive. When the spin current is blockaded in the large-gap regime, this nonequilibrium strongly correlated problem maps into an equilibrium model solvable by the numerical renormalization group method. The Kondo spectra with characteristic splitting due to the nonequilibrium spin accumulation are thus obtained at high precision. It is shown that while the bias-induced decoherence of the spin Kondo effect is partially compensated by the superconductivity, the charge Kondo effect is enhanced out of equilibrium and undergoes an additional splitting by the superconducting proximity effect, yielding four Kondo peaks in the local spectral density. In the charge Kondo regime, we find a universal scaling of charge conductance in this hybrid device under different spin biases. The universal conductance as a function of the coupling to the superconducting lead is peaked at and hence directly measures the Kondo temperature. Our results are of direct relevance to recent experiments realizing a negative-U charge Kondo effect in hybrid oxide quantum dots [Nat. Commun. 8, 395 (2017), 10.1038/s41467-017-00495-7].

Whiteliness and Institutional Racism: Hiding behind (Un)Conscious Bias

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, Shirley Anne; Page, Damien

2018-01-01

'Unconscious bias happens by our brains making incredibly quick judgements and assessments without us realising. Biases are influenced by background, cultural environment and experiences and we may not be aware of these views and opinions, or of their full impact and implications. This article opposes this point of view by arguing that bias is not…

Biased lineups: sequential presentation reduces the problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, R C; Lea, J A; Nosworthy, G J; Fulford, J A; Hector, J; LeVan, V; Seabrook, C

1991-12-01

Biased lineups have been shown to increase significantly false, but not correct, identification rates (Lindsay, Wallbridge, & Drennan, 1987; Lindsay & Wells, 1980; Malpass & Devine, 1981). Lindsay and Wells (1985) found that sequential lineup presentation reduced false identification rates, presumably by reducing reliance on relative judgment processes. Five staged-crime experiments were conducted to examine the effect of lineup biases and sequential presentation on eyewitness recognition accuracy. Sequential lineup presentation significantly reduced false identification rates from fair lineups as well as from lineups biased with regard to foil similarity, instructions, or witness attire, and from lineups biased in all of these ways. The results support recommendations that police present lineups sequentially.

Maritime Continent seasonal climate biases in AMIP experiments of the CMIP5 multimodel ensemble

Science.gov (United States)

Toh, Ying Ying; Turner, Andrew G.; Johnson, Stephanie J.; Holloway, Christopher E.

2018-02-01

The fidelity of 28 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) models in simulating mean climate over the Maritime Continent in the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) experiment is evaluated in this study. The performance of AMIP models varies greatly in reproducing seasonal mean climate and the seasonal cycle. The multi-model mean has better skill at reproducing the observed mean climate than the individual models. The spatial pattern of 850 hPa wind is better simulated than the precipitation in all four seasons. We found that model horizontal resolution is not a good indicator of model performance. Instead, a model's local Maritime Continent biases are somewhat related to its biases in the local Hadley circulation and global monsoon. The comparison with coupled models in CMIP5 shows that AMIP models generally performed better than coupled models in the simulation of the global monsoon and local Hadley circulation but less well at simulating the Maritime Continent annual cycle of precipitation. To characterize model systematic biases in the AMIP runs, we performed cluster analysis on Maritime Continent annual cycle precipitation. Our analysis resulted in two distinct clusters. Cluster I models are able to capture both the winter monsoon and summer monsoon shift, but they overestimate the precipitation; especially during the JJA and SON seasons. Cluster II models simulate weaker seasonal migration than observed, and the maximum rainfall position stays closer to the equator throughout the year. The tropics-wide properties of these clusters suggest a connection between the skill of simulating global properties of the monsoon circulation and the skill of simulating the regional scale of Maritime Continent precipitation.

The Electrode Modality Development in Pulsed Electric Field Treatment Facilitates Biocellular Mechanism Study and Improves Cancer Ablation Efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cen, Chao; Chen, Xinhua

2017-01-01

Pulsed electric field treatment is now widely used in diverse biological and medical applications: gene delivery, electrochemotherapy, and cancer therapy. This minimally invasive technique has several advantages over traditional ablation techniques, such as nonthermal elimination and blood vessel spare effect. Different electrodes are subsequently developed for a specific treatment purpose. Here, we provide a systematic review of electrode modality development in pulsed electric field treatment. For electrodes invented for experiment in vitro, sheet electrode and electrode cuvette, electrodes with high-speed fluorescence imaging system, electrodes with patch-clamp, and electrodes with confocal laser scanning microscopy are introduced. For electrodes invented for experiment in vivo, monopolar electrodes, five-needle array electrodes, single-needle bipolar electrode, parallel plate electrodes, and suction electrode are introduced. The pulsed electric field provides a promising treatment for cancer.

Bipolar Electrode Array Embedded in a Polymer Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jun; Chen, Shulun; AlTal, Faleh; Hu, Shiyu; Bouffier, Laurent; Wantz, Guillaume

2017-09-20

A linear array of aluminum discs is deposited between the driving electrodes of an extremely large planar polymer light-emitting electrochemical cell (PLEC). The planar PLEC is then operated at a constant bias voltage of 100 V. This promotes in situ electrochemical doping of the luminescent polymer from both the driving electrodes and the aluminum discs. These aluminum discs function as discrete bipolar electrodes (BPEs) that can drive redox reactions at their extremities. Time-lapse fluorescence imaging reveals that p- and n-doping that originated from neighboring BPEs can interact to form multiple light-emitting p-n junctions in series. This provides direct evidence of the working principle of bulk homojunction PLECs. The propagation of p-doping is faster from the BPEs than from the positive driving electrode due to electric field enhancement at the extremities of BPEs. The effect of field enhancement and the fact that the doping fronts only need to travel the distance between the neighboring BPEs to form a light-emitting junction greatly reduce the response time for electroluminescence in the region containing the BPE array. The near simultaneous formation of multiple light-emitting p-n junctions in series causes a measurable increase in cell current. This indicates that the region containing a BPE is much more conductive than the rest of the planar cell despite the latter's greater width. The p- and n-doping originating from the BPEs is initially highly confined. Significant expansion and divergence of doping occurred when the region containing the BPE array became more conductive. The shape and direction of expanded doping strongly suggest that the multiple light-emitting p-n junctions, formed between and connected by the array of metal BPEs, have functioned as a single rod-shaped BPE. This represents a new type of BPE that is formed in situ and as a combination of metal, doped polymers, and forward-biased p-n junctions connected in series.

In-situ Raman spectroscopy as a characterization tool for carbon electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panitz, J -C; Joho, F B; Novak, P [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1999-08-01

Lithium intercalation and de-intercalation into/from graphite electrodes in a nonaqueous electrolyte has been studied using in-situ Raman spectroscopy. Our experiments give information on the electrode-electrolyte interface with improved spatial resolution. The spectra taken from the electrode surface change with electrode potential. In this way, information on the nature of the chemical species present during charging and discharging half cycles is gained. For the first time, mapping techniques were applied to investigate if lithium intercalation proceeds homogeneously on the carbon electrode. (author) 3 figs., 1 tab., 4 refs.

Potentiometric determination of sulfate with EDTA and the cupric-selective electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumann, E.W.

1976-11-01

Sulfate was indirectly determined by precipitating sulfate as BaSO 4 and then dissolving BaSO 4 in excess ammoniacal EDTA. The excess EDTA was titrated potentiometrically with La 3+ . A cupric-selective electrode was used to detect the end point. About 10 -3 M SO 4 2- was determined in 3M HCl solutions of metal oxides with a relative standard deviation of 3.5 percent and a bias of +4 percent

The risk of bias of animal experiments in implant dentistry: a methodological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Diaz, Karla Tatiana; Aranda, Luisiana; Gabel, Frank; Listl, Stefan; Alarcón, Marco Antonio

2017-07-01

To evaluate the risk of bias (ROB) in reports of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of animal experiments published in implant dentistry, and to explore the association between animal experiment characteristics and ROB. We searched the MEDLINE (via PubMed), SCOPUS and SciELO databases from 2010 to March 2015 for reports of RCTs of animal experiments published in implant dentistry. We evaluated independently and in duplicate the ROB of these experiments by the use of a tool specifically developed to evaluate ROB in animal studies, the SYRCLE's tool. ROB was judged as low, high or unclear (when there was not enough information to judge ROB). We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association of specific study characteristics and extent of ROB. We initially selected 850 publications and 161 reports of animal experiments were included. For a total of 1449 entries (records), 486 (34%) were rated as low ROB. High ROB was attributed to 80 (6%) of entries, and 883 (60%) entries were rated as unclear ROB. The characteristics "impact factor" (IF), reporting of standard error (SE) and reporting of confidence interval (CI) were significantly associated with low ROB in some SYRCLE domains. A substantial number of items with unclear ROB were observed in this sample of animal experiments in implant dentistry. Furthermore, the present findings suggest that implant dentistry animal experiments published in journals with higher IF and better report of measures of precision; that is, CI and SE may have lower ROB than those not having these characteristics. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Detection of surface EMG signal using active electrode].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qinghua; Peng, Chenglin; Wu, Baoming; Wang, He

2003-09-01

Research of surface electromyogram(EMG) signal is important in rehabilitation medicine, sport medicine and clinical diagnosis, accurate detection of signal is the base of quantitative analysis of surface EMG signal. In this article were discussed how to reduce possible noise in the detection of surface EMG. Considerations on the design of electrode unit were presented. Instrumentation amplifier AD620 was employed to design a bipolar active electrode for use in surface EMG detection. The experiments showed that active electrode could be used to improve signal/noise ratio, reduce noise and detect surface EMG signal effectively.

Electrode spanning with partial tripolar stimulation mode in cochlear implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ching-Chih; Luo, Xin

2014-12-01

The perceptual effects of electrode spanning (i.e., the use of nonadjacent return electrodes) in partial tripolar (pTP) mode were tested on a main electrode EL8 in five cochlear implant (CI) users. Current focusing was controlled by σ (the ratio of current returned within the cochlea), and current steering was controlled by α (the ratio of current returned to the basal electrode). Experiment 1 tested whether asymmetric spanning with α = 0.5 can create additional channels around standard pTP stimuli. It was found that in general, apical spanning (i.e., returning current to EL6 rather than EL7) elicited a pitch between those of standard pTP stimuli on main electrodes EL8 and EL9, while basal spanning (i.e., returning current to EL10 rather than EL9) elicited a pitch between those of standard pTP stimuli on main electrodes EL7 and EL8. The pitch increase caused by apical spanning was more salient than the pitch decrease caused by basal spanning. To replace the standard pTP channel on the main electrode EL8 when EL7 or EL9 is defective, experiment 2 tested asymmetrically spanned pTP stimuli with various α, and experiment 3 tested symmetrically spanned pTP stimuli with various σ. The results showed that pitch increased with decreasing α in asymmetric spanning, or with increasing σ in symmetric spanning. Apical spanning with α around 0.69 and basal spanning with α around 0.38 may both elicit a similar pitch as the standard pTP stimulus. With the same σ, the symmetrically spanned pTP stimulus was higher in pitch than the standard pTP stimulus. A smaller σ was thus required for symmetric spanning to match the pitch of the standard pTP stimulus. In summary, electrode spanning is an effective field-shaping technique that is useful for adding spectral channels and handling defective electrodes with CIs.

Biased lineup instructions and face identification from video images.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, W Burt; Johnson, Jaime

2008-01-01

Previous eyewitness memory research has shown that biased lineup instructions reduce identification accuracy, primarily by increasing false-positive identifications in target-absent lineups. Because some attempts at identification do not rely on a witness's memory of the perpetrator but instead involve matching photos to images on surveillance video, the authors investigated the effects of biased instructions on identification accuracy in a matching task. In Experiment 1, biased instructions did not affect the overall accuracy of participants who used video images as an identification aid, but nearly all correct decisions occurred with target-present photo spreads. Both biased and unbiased instructions resulted in high false-positive rates. In Experiment 2, which focused on video-photo matching accuracy with target-absent photo spreads, unbiased instructions led to more correct responses (i.e., fewer false positives). These findings suggest that investigators should not relax precautions against biased instructions when people attempt to match photos to an unfamiliar person recorded on video.

Influence of ion bombardment induced patterning of exchange bias in pinned artificial ferrimagnets on the interlayer exchange coupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmalhorst, Jan; Reiss, Guenter; Hoenik, V. [Thin Films and Nanostructures, Department of Physics, Univ. Bielefeld (Germany); Weis, Tanja; Engel, Dieter; Ehresmann, Arno [Institute of Physics and Center for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology, Kassel Univ. (Germany)

2007-07-01

Artificial ferrimagnets (AFi) have many applications as, e.g., pinned reference electrodes in magnetic tunnel junctions. It is known that the application of ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning with He ions on a single layer reference electrode of magnetic tunnel junctions is possible. For some applications a combination of ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning and artificial ferrimagnets as a reference electrode is desirable. The effect of ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning on pinned artificial ferrimagnets with a Ru interlayer which is frequently used in magnetic tunnel junctions as well as pinned AFis with a Cu interlayer has been tested. Special attention has been given to the question whether the antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling can withstand the ion dose necessary to turn the exchange bias.

Inappropriate use of the quasi-reversible electrode kinetic model in simulation-experiment comparisons of voltammetric processes that approach the reversible limit.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonov, Alexandr N; Morris, Graham P; Mashkina, Elena A; Bethwaite, Blair; Gillow, Kathryn; Baker, Ruth E; Gavaghan, David J; Bond, Alan M

2014-08-19

Many electrode processes that approach the "reversible" (infinitely fast) limit under voltammetric conditions have been inappropriately analyzed by comparison of experimental data and theory derived from the "quasi-reversible" model. Simulations based on "reversible" and "quasi-reversible" models have been fitted to an extensive series of a.c. voltammetric experiments undertaken at macrodisk glassy carbon (GC) electrodes for oxidation of ferrocene (Fc(0/+)) in CH3CN (0.10 M (n-Bu)4NPF6) and reduction of [Ru(NH3)6](3+) and [Fe(CN)6](3-) in 1 M KCl aqueous electrolyte. The confidence with which parameters such as standard formal potential (E(0)), heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant at E(0) (k(0)), charge transfer coefficient (α), uncompensated resistance (Ru), and double layer capacitance (CDL) can be reported using the "quasi-reversible" model has been assessed using bootstrapping and parameter sweep (contour plot) techniques. Underparameterization, such as that which occurs when modeling CDL with a potential independent value, results in a less than optimal level of experiment-theory agreement. Overparameterization may improve the agreement but easily results in generation of physically meaningful but incorrect values of the recovered parameters, as is the case with the very fast Fc(0/+) and [Ru(NH3)6](3+/2+) processes. In summary, for fast electrode kinetics approaching the "reversible" limit, it is recommended that the "reversible" model be used for theory-experiment comparisons with only E(0), Ru, and CDL being quantified and a lower limit of k(0) being reported; e.g., k(0) ≥ 9 cm s(-1) for the Fc(0/+) process.

Inappropriate Use of the Quasi-Reversible Electrode Kinetic Model in Simulation-Experiment Comparisons of Voltammetric Processes That Approach the Reversible Limit

KAUST Repository

Simonov, Alexandr N.

2014-08-19

Many electrode processes that approach the "reversible" (infinitely fast) limit under voltammetric conditions have been inappropriately analyzed by comparison of experimental data and theory derived from the "quasi-reversible" model. Simulations based on "reversible" and "quasi-reversible" models have been fitted to an extensive series of a.c. voltammetric experiments undertaken at macrodisk glassy carbon (GC) electrodes for oxidation of ferrocene (Fc0/+) in CH3CN (0.10 M (n-Bu)4NPF6) and reduction of [Ru(NH 3)6]3+ and [Fe(CN)6]3- in 1 M KCl aqueous electrolyte. The confidence with which parameters such as standard formal potential (E0), heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant at E0 (k0), charge transfer coefficient (α), uncompensated resistance (Ru), and double layer capacitance (CDL) can be reported using the "quasi- reversible" model has been assessed using bootstrapping and parameter sweep (contour plot) techniques. Underparameterization, such as that which occurs when modeling CDL with a potential independent value, results in a less than optimal level of experiment-theory agreement. Overparameterization may improve the agreement but easily results in generation of physically meaningful but incorrect values of the recovered parameters, as is the case with the very fast Fc0/+ and [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ processes. In summary, for fast electrode kinetics approaching the "reversible" limit, it is recommended that the "reversible" model be used for theory-experiment comparisons with only E0, R u, and CDL being quantified and a lower limit of k 0 being reported; e.g., k0 ≥ 9 cm s-1 for the Fc0/+ process. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Inappropriate Use of the Quasi-Reversible Electrode Kinetic Model in Simulation-Experiment Comparisons of Voltammetric Processes That Approach the Reversible Limit

KAUST Repository

Simonov, Alexandr N.; Morris, Graham P.; Mashkina, Elena A.; Bethwaite, Blair; Gillow, Kathryn; Baker, Ruth E.; Gavaghan, David J.; Bond, Alan M.

2014-01-01

Many electrode processes that approach the "reversible" (infinitely fast) limit under voltammetric conditions have been inappropriately analyzed by comparison of experimental data and theory derived from the "quasi-reversible" model. Simulations based on "reversible" and "quasi-reversible" models have been fitted to an extensive series of a.c. voltammetric experiments undertaken at macrodisk glassy carbon (GC) electrodes for oxidation of ferrocene (Fc0/+) in CH3CN (0.10 M (n-Bu)4NPF6) and reduction of [Ru(NH 3)6]3+ and [Fe(CN)6]3- in 1 M KCl aqueous electrolyte. The confidence with which parameters such as standard formal potential (E0), heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant at E0 (k0), charge transfer coefficient (α), uncompensated resistance (Ru), and double layer capacitance (CDL) can be reported using the "quasi- reversible" model has been assessed using bootstrapping and parameter sweep (contour plot) techniques. Underparameterization, such as that which occurs when modeling CDL with a potential independent value, results in a less than optimal level of experiment-theory agreement. Overparameterization may improve the agreement but easily results in generation of physically meaningful but incorrect values of the recovered parameters, as is the case with the very fast Fc0/+ and [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ processes. In summary, for fast electrode kinetics approaching the "reversible" limit, it is recommended that the "reversible" model be used for theory-experiment comparisons with only E0, R u, and CDL being quantified and a lower limit of k 0 being reported; e.g., k0 ≥ 9 cm s-1 for the Fc0/+ process. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 6: risk of bias assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Waddington, Hugh; Aloe, Ariel M; Becker, Betsy Jane; Djimeu, Eric W; Hombrados, Jorge Garcia; Tugwell, Peter; Wells, George; Reeves, Barney

2017-09-01

Rigorous and transparent bias assessment is a core component of high-quality systematic reviews. We assess modifications to existing risk of bias approaches to incorporate rigorous quasi-experimental approaches with selection on unobservables. These are nonrandomized studies using design-based approaches to control for unobservable sources of confounding such as difference studies, instrumental variables, interrupted time series, natural experiments, and regression-discontinuity designs. We review existing risk of bias tools. Drawing on these tools, we present domains of bias and suggest directions for evaluation questions. The review suggests that existing risk of bias tools provide, to different degrees, incomplete transparent criteria to assess the validity of these designs. The paper then presents an approach to evaluating the internal validity of quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables. We conclude that tools for nonrandomized studies of interventions need to be further developed to incorporate evaluation questions for quasi-experiments with selection on unobservables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of Biased Scanning in Counterattitudinal Advocacy

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, John D.; Collins, Barry E.

1977-01-01

Experiments tested biased-scanning hypothesis that high financial inducement leads to greater cognitive contact with counterattitudinal arguments and thus to greater attitude change. No differences in biased scanning or attitude change were observed as a function of financial inducement. Results were interpreted in framework of reactance and…

The characteristic of twin-electrode TIG coupling arc pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leng Xuesong; Zhang Guangjun; Wu Lin

2006-01-01

The coupling arc of twin-electrode TIG (T-TIG) is a particular kind of arc, which is achieved through the coupling of two arcs generated from two insulated electrodes in the same welding torch. It is therefore different from the single arc of conventional TIG in its physical characteristics. This paper studies the distribution of T-TIG coupling arc pressure, and analyses the influences of welding current, arc length, the distance between electrode tips and electrode shape upon arc pressure on the basis of experiment. It is expected that the T-TIG welding method can be applied in high efficiency welding according to its low arc pressure

Cognitive constraints increase estimation biases: Cognitive load and delay in judgments

OpenAIRE

Allred, Sarah; Crawford, L. Elizabeth; Duffy, Sean; Smith, John

2014-01-01

Previous work has demonstrated that memory for simple stimuli can be biased by information about the category of which the stimulus is a member. These biases have been interpreted as optimally integrating noisy sensory information with category information. A separate literature has demonstrated that cognitive load can lead to biases in social cognition. Here we link the two, asking whether delay (Experiment 1) and cognitive load (Experiment 2) affect the extent to which observers' memories f...

Human preferences for symmetry: subjective experience, cognitive conflict and cortical brain activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David W Evans

Full Text Available This study examines the links between human perceptions, cognitive biases and neural processing of symmetrical stimuli. While preferences for symmetry have largely been examined in the context of disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorders, we examine various these phenomena in non-clinical subjects and suggest that such preferences are distributed throughout the typical population as part of our cognitive and neural architecture. In Experiment 1, 82 young adults reported on the frequency of their obsessive-compulsive spectrum behaviors. Subjects also performed an emotional Stroop or variant of an Implicit Association Task (the OC-CIT developed to assess cognitive biases for symmetry. Data not only reveal that subjects evidence a cognitive conflict when asked to match images of positive affect with asymmetrical stimuli, and disgust with symmetry, but also that their slowed reaction times when asked to do so were predicted by reports of OC behavior, particularly checking behavior. In Experiment 2, 26 participants were administered an oddball Event-Related Potential task specifically designed to assess sensitivity to symmetry as well as the OC-CIT. These data revealed that reaction times on the OC-CIT were strongly predicted by frontal electrode sites indicating faster processing of an asymmetrical stimulus (unparallel lines relative to a symmetrical stimulus (parallel lines. The results point to an overall cognitive bias linking disgust with asymmetry and suggest that such cognitive biases are reflected in neural responses to symmetrical/asymmetrical stimuli.

Self-face Captures, Holds, and Biases Attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Wójcik, Michał J; Nowicka, Maria M; Kotlewska, Ilona; Nowicka, Anna

2017-01-01

The implicit self-recognition process may take place already in the pre-attentive stages of perception. After a silent stimulus has captured attention, it is passed on to the attentive stage where it can affect decision making and responding. Numerous studies show that the presence of self-referential information affects almost every cognitive level. These effects may share a common and fundamental basis in an attentional mechanism, conceptualized as attentional bias: the exaggerated deployment of attentional resources to a salient stimulus. A gold standard in attentional bias research is the dot-probe paradigm. In this task, a prominent stimulus (cue) and a neutral stimulus are presented in different spatial locations, followed by the presentation of a target. In the current study we aimed at investigating whether the self-face captures, holds and biases attention when presented as a task-irrelevant stimulus. In two dot-probe experiments coupled with the event-related potential (ERP) technique we analyzed the following relevant ERPs components: N2pc and SPCN which reflect attentional shifts and the maintenance of attention, respectively. An inter-stimulus interval separating face-cues and probes (800 ms) was introduced only in the first experiment. In line with our predictions, in Experiment 1 the self-face elicited the N2pc and the SPCN component. In Experiment 2 in addition to N2pc, an attentional bias was observed. Our results indicate that unintentional self-face processing disables the top-down control setting to filter out distractors, thus leading to the engagement of attentional resources and visual short-term memory.

Self-face Captures, Holds, and Biases Attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał J. Wójcik

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The implicit self-recognition process may take place already in the pre-attentive stages of perception. After a silent stimulus has captured attention, it is passed on to the attentive stage where it can affect decision making and responding. Numerous studies show that the presence of self-referential information affects almost every cognitive level. These effects may share a common and fundamental basis in an attentional mechanism, conceptualized as attentional bias: the exaggerated deployment of attentional resources to a salient stimulus. A gold standard in attentional bias research is the dot-probe paradigm. In this task, a prominent stimulus (cue and a neutral stimulus are presented in different spatial locations, followed by the presentation of a target. In the current study we aimed at investigating whether the self-face captures, holds and biases attention when presented as a task-irrelevant stimulus. In two dot-probe experiments coupled with the event-related potential (ERP technique we analyzed the following relevant ERPs components: N2pc and SPCN which reflect attentional shifts and the maintenance of attention, respectively. An inter-stimulus interval separating face-cues and probes (800 ms was introduced only in the first experiment. In line with our predictions, in Experiment 1 the self-face elicited the N2pc and the SPCN component. In Experiment 2 in addition to N2pc, an attentional bias was observed. Our results indicate that unintentional self-face processing disables the top-down control setting to filter out distractors, thus leading to the engagement of attentional resources and visual short-term memory.

Does social distance modulate adults' egocentric biases when reasoning about false beliefs?

Science.gov (United States)

Farrar, Benjamin G; Ostojić, Ljerka

2018-01-01

When given privileged information of an object's true location, adults often overestimate the likelihood that a protagonist holding a false belief will search in the correct location for that object. This type of egocentric bias is often labelled the 'curse of knowledge'. Interestingly, the magnitude of this bias may be modulated by the social distance between the perspective taker and target. However, this social distance effect has yet to be fully demonstrated when adults reason about false beliefs. Using a continuous false belief task, we investigated i) whether adults were biased by their own knowledge when reasoning about another's false belief, ii) whether the magnitude of this egocentric bias was modulated by social distance, and iii) whether this social distance effect extended to a heterospecific out-group, namely a dog. To test these hypotheses we conducted three experiments. In Experiment 1 (N = 283), we used an established continuous false belief task, in Experiment 2 (N = 281) we modified this task, and Experiment 3 (N = 744) was a direct replication of Experiment 2. Across these experiments, the curse of knowledge effect was reliably replicated when adults mentalised about an in-group protagonist, and replicated in two of the three studies (Experiments 1 and 3) when adults mentalised about out-group protagonists. In an internal-meta analysis, the curse of knowledge effect was present across all conditions, and there was no effect of social distance. Hence, overall these data are not consistent with the hypothesis that social distance modulates adults' egocentric biases when reasoning about false beliefs. The finding that egocentric biases of a similar magnitude were observed when adults mentalised about an in-group protagonist and a dog suggests that interpersonal dissimilarity is not in itself sufficient to reduce egocentric bias when reasoning about false beliefs.

Effects of electrode material and configuration on the characteristics of planar resistive switching devices

KAUST Repository

Peng, H.Y.

2013-11-13

We report that electrode engineering, particularly tailoring the metal work function, measurement configuration and geometric shape, has significant effects on the bipolar resistive switching (RS) in lateral memory devices based on self-doped SrTiO3 (STO) single crystals. Metals with different work functions (Ti and Pt) and their combinations are used to control the junction transport (either ohmic or Schottky-like). We find that the electric bias is effective in manipulating the concentration of oxygen vacancies at the metal/STO interface, influencing the RS characteristics. Furthermore, we show that the geometric shapes of electrodes (e.g., rectangular, circular, or triangular) affect the electric field distribution at the metal/oxide interface, thus plays an important role in RS. These systematic results suggest that electrode engineering should be deemed as a powerful approach toward controlling and improving the characteristics of RS memories. 2013 Author(s).

Adaptable history biases in human perceptual decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahamyan, Arman; Silva, Laura Luz; Dakin, Steven C; Carandini, Matteo; Gardner, Justin L

2016-06-21

When making choices under conditions of perceptual uncertainty, past experience can play a vital role. However, it can also lead to biases that worsen decisions. Consistent with previous observations, we found that human choices are influenced by the success or failure of past choices even in a standard two-alternative detection task, where choice history is irrelevant. The typical bias was one that made the subject switch choices after a failure. These choice history biases led to poorer performance and were similar for observers in different countries. They were well captured by a simple logistic regression model that had been previously applied to describe psychophysical performance in mice. Such irrational biases seem at odds with the principles of reinforcement learning, which would predict exquisite adaptability to choice history. We therefore asked whether subjects could adapt their irrational biases following changes in trial order statistics. Adaptability was strong in the direction that confirmed a subject's default biases, but weaker in the opposite direction, so that existing biases could not be eradicated. We conclude that humans can adapt choice history biases, but cannot easily overcome existing biases even if irrational in the current context: adaptation is more sensitive to confirmatory than contradictory statistics.

Time-dependent ion selectivity in capacitive charging of porous electrodes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhao, R.; Soestbergen, M.; Rijnaarts, H.H.M.; Wal, van der A.F.; Bazant, M.Z.; Biesheuvel, P.M.

2012-01-01

In a combined experimental and theoretical study, we show that capacitive charging of porous electrodes in multicomponent electrolytes may lead to the phenomenon of time-dependent ion selectivity of the electrical double layers (EDLs) in the electrodes. This effect is found in experiments on

Implied Dynamics Biases the Visual Perception of Velocity

Science.gov (United States)

La Scaleia, Barbara; Zago, Myrka; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Lacquaniti, Francesco; Viviani, Paolo

2014-01-01

We expand the anecdotic report by Johansson that back-and-forth linear harmonic motions appear uniform. Six experiments explore the role of shape and spatial orientation of the trajectory of a point-light target in the perceptual judgment of uniform motion. In Experiment 1, the target oscillated back-and-forth along a circular arc around an invisible pivot. The imaginary segment from the pivot to the midpoint of the trajectory could be oriented vertically downward (consistent with an upright pendulum), horizontally leftward, or vertically upward (upside-down). In Experiments 2 to 5, the target moved uni-directionally. The effect of suppressing the alternation of movement directions was tested with curvilinear (Experiment 2 and 3) or rectilinear (Experiment 4 and 5) paths. Experiment 6 replicated the upright condition of Experiment 1, but participants were asked to hold the gaze on a fixation point. When some features of the trajectory evoked the motion of either a simple pendulum or a mass-spring system, observers identified as uniform the kinematic profiles close to harmonic motion. The bias towards harmonic motion was most consistent in the upright orientation of Experiment 1 and 6. The bias disappeared when the stimuli were incompatible with both pendulum and mass-spring models (Experiments 3 to 5). The results are compatible with the hypothesis that the perception of dynamic stimuli is biased by the laws of motion obeyed by natural events, so that only natural motions appear uniform. PMID:24667578

Implied dynamics biases the visual perception of velocity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara La Scaleia

Full Text Available We expand the anecdotic report by Johansson that back-and-forth linear harmonic motions appear uniform. Six experiments explore the role of shape and spatial orientation of the trajectory of a point-light target in the perceptual judgment of uniform motion. In Experiment 1, the target oscillated back-and-forth along a circular arc around an invisible pivot. The imaginary segment from the pivot to the midpoint of the trajectory could be oriented vertically downward (consistent with an upright pendulum, horizontally leftward, or vertically upward (upside-down. In Experiments 2 to 5, the target moved uni-directionally. The effect of suppressing the alternation of movement directions was tested with curvilinear (Experiment 2 and 3 or rectilinear (Experiment 4 and 5 paths. Experiment 6 replicated the upright condition of Experiment 1, but participants were asked to hold the gaze on a fixation point. When some features of the trajectory evoked the motion of either a simple pendulum or a mass-spring system, observers identified as uniform the kinematic profiles close to harmonic motion. The bias towards harmonic motion was most consistent in the upright orientation of Experiment 1 and 6. The bias disappeared when the stimuli were incompatible with both pendulum and mass-spring models (Experiments 3 to 5. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that the perception of dynamic stimuli is biased by the laws of motion obeyed by natural events, so that only natural motions appear uniform.

Implied dynamics biases the visual perception of velocity.

Science.gov (United States)

La Scaleia, Barbara; Zago, Myrka; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Lacquaniti, Francesco; Viviani, Paolo

2014-01-01

We expand the anecdotic report by Johansson that back-and-forth linear harmonic motions appear uniform. Six experiments explore the role of shape and spatial orientation of the trajectory of a point-light target in the perceptual judgment of uniform motion. In Experiment 1, the target oscillated back-and-forth along a circular arc around an invisible pivot. The imaginary segment from the pivot to the midpoint of the trajectory could be oriented vertically downward (consistent with an upright pendulum), horizontally leftward, or vertically upward (upside-down). In Experiments 2 to 5, the target moved uni-directionally. The effect of suppressing the alternation of movement directions was tested with curvilinear (Experiment 2 and 3) or rectilinear (Experiment 4 and 5) paths. Experiment 6 replicated the upright condition of Experiment 1, but participants were asked to hold the gaze on a fixation point. When some features of the trajectory evoked the motion of either a simple pendulum or a mass-spring system, observers identified as uniform the kinematic profiles close to harmonic motion. The bias towards harmonic motion was most consistent in the upright orientation of Experiment 1 and 6. The bias disappeared when the stimuli were incompatible with both pendulum and mass-spring models (Experiments 3 to 5). The results are compatible with the hypothesis that the perception of dynamic stimuli is biased by the laws of motion obeyed by natural events, so that only natural motions appear uniform.

Reducing the impact bias in judgments of post-decisional affect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nick Sevdalis

2009-06-01

Full Text Available People overestimate their affective reactions to future events and decisions --- a phenomenon that has been termed ``impact bias.'' Evidence suggests that completing a diary detailing events contemporaneous with the focal one de-biases judgments of affect. It is generally assumed that this is because diary completion helps people to realize that they will be distracted from the focal event. However, there is another possibility: de-biasing may occur because diary completion interferes with the processing responsible for the bias. In a first experiment, we showed that diary completion also lowers affect associated with past decisions. In a second experiment, we showed that solving anagrams has the same effect. A third experiment demonstrates that this is not because affect judgments are influenced by mood changes brought about by solving anagrams. Indeed, monitoring moods lowered affect in the same way as diary completion. It appears that cognitive tasks of any sort interfere with the processing required by judgments of affect.

A surface-electrode quadrupole guide for electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffrogge, Johannes Philipp

2012-12-19

This thesis reports on the design and first experimental realization of a surface-electrode quadrupole guide for free electrons. The guide is based on a miniaturized, planar electrode layout and is driven at microwave frequencies. It confines electrons in the near-field of the microwave excitation, where strong electric field gradients can be generated without resorting to resonating structures or exceptionally high drive powers. The use of chip-based electrode geometries allows the realization of versatile, microstructured potentials with the perspective of novel quantum experiments with guided electrons. I present the design, construction and operation of an experiment that demonstrates electron confinement in a planar quadrupole guide for the first time. To this end, electrons with kinetic energies from one to ten electron-volts are guided along a curved electrode geometry. The stability of electron guiding as a function of drive parameters and electron energy has been studied. A comparison with numerical particle tracking simulations yields good qualitative agreement and provides a deeper understanding of the electron dynamics in the guiding potential. Furthermore, this thesis gives a detailed description of the design of the surface-electrode layout. This includes the development of an optimized coupling structure to inject electrons into the guide with minimum transverse excitation. I also discuss the extension of the current setup to longitudinal guide dimensions that are comparable to or larger than the wavelength of the drive signal. This is possible with a modified electrode layout featuring elevated signal conductors. Electron guiding in the field of a planar, microfabricated electrode layout allows the generation of versatile and finely structured guiding potentials. One example would be the realization of junctions that split and recombine a guided electron beam. Furthermore, it should be possible to prepare electrons in low-lying quantum mechanical

A surface-electrode quadrupole guide for electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffrogge, Johannes Philipp

2012-01-01

This thesis reports on the design and first experimental realization of a surface-electrode quadrupole guide for free electrons. The guide is based on a miniaturized, planar electrode layout and is driven at microwave frequencies. It confines electrons in the near-field of the microwave excitation, where strong electric field gradients can be generated without resorting to resonating structures or exceptionally high drive powers. The use of chip-based electrode geometries allows the realization of versatile, microstructured potentials with the perspective of novel quantum experiments with guided electrons. I present the design, construction and operation of an experiment that demonstrates electron confinement in a planar quadrupole guide for the first time. To this end, electrons with kinetic energies from one to ten electron-volts are guided along a curved electrode geometry. The stability of electron guiding as a function of drive parameters and electron energy has been studied. A comparison with numerical particle tracking simulations yields good qualitative agreement and provides a deeper understanding of the electron dynamics in the guiding potential. Furthermore, this thesis gives a detailed description of the design of the surface-electrode layout. This includes the development of an optimized coupling structure to inject electrons into the guide with minimum transverse excitation. I also discuss the extension of the current setup to longitudinal guide dimensions that are comparable to or larger than the wavelength of the drive signal. This is possible with a modified electrode layout featuring elevated signal conductors. Electron guiding in the field of a planar, microfabricated electrode layout allows the generation of versatile and finely structured guiding potentials. One example would be the realization of junctions that split and recombine a guided electron beam. Furthermore, it should be possible to prepare electrons in low-lying quantum mechanical

Redox poly[Ni(saldMp)] modified activated carbon electrode in electrochemical supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao Fei [Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Li Jianling, E-mail: lijianling@ustb.edu.c [Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhang Yakun; Wang Xindong [Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Kang Feiyu [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083 (China)

2010-08-01

The complex (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediaminebis(salicylideneaminato))-nickel(II), [Ni(saldMp)], was oxidatively electropolymerized on activated carbon (AC) electrode in acetonitrile solution. The poly[Ni(saldMp)] presented an incomplete coated film on the surface of carbon particles of AC electrode by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical behaviors of poly[Ni(saldMp)] modified activated carbon (PAC) electrode were evaluated in different potential ranges by cyclic voltammetry. Counterions and solvent swelling mainly occurred up to 0.6 V for PAC electrode by the comparison of D{sup 1/2}C values calculated from chronoamperometry experiments. Both the Ohmic resistance and Faraday resistance of PAC electrode gradually approached to those of AC electrode when its potential was ranging from 1.2 V to 0.0 V. Galvanostatic charge/discharge experiments indicated that both the specific capacitance and energy density were effectively improved by the reversible redox reaction of poly[Ni(saldMp)] film under the high current density up to 10 mA cm{sup -2} for AC electrode. The specific capacitance of PAC electrode decreased during the first 50 cycles but thereafter it remained constant for the next 200 cycles. This study showed the redox polymer may be an attractive material in supercapacitors.

Transparent electrodes in the terahertz regime – a new approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malureanu, Radu; Song, Z.; Zalkovskij, Maksim

We suggest a new possibility for obtaining a transparent metallic film, thus allowing for completely transparent electrodes. By placing a complementary composite layer on top of the electrode, we can cancel the back-scattering of the latter thus obtaining a perfectly transparent structure. For ea...... of fabrication, we performed the first experiments in the THz regime, but the concept is applicable to the entire electromagnetic waves spectrum. We show that the experiments and theory match each other perfectly....

A MORET tool to assist code bias estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernex, F.; Richet, Y.; Letang, E.

2003-01-01

This new Graphical User Interface (GUI) developed in JAVA is one of the post-processing tools for MORET4 code. It aims to help users to estimate the importance of the k eff bias due to the code in order to better define the upper safety limit. Moreover, it allows visualizing the distance between an actual configuration case and evaluated critical experiments. This tool depends on a validated experiments database, on sets of physical parameters and on various statistical tools allowing interpolating the calculation bias of the database or displaying the projections of experiments on a reduced base of parameters. The development of this tool is still in progress. (author)

Ceramic carbon electrode-based anodes for use in the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranganathan, S.; Easton, E.B.

2009-01-01

Sol-gel chemistry is becoming more popular for the synthesis of electrode materials. For example, the sol-gel reaction can be performed in the presence of a carbon black to form a ceramic carbon electrode (CCE). The resultant CCE structure contains electronically conductive carbon particle pathways that are bound together via the ceramic binder, which can also promote ion transport. Furthermore, the CCE structure has a high active surface area and is chemical and thermally robust. We have investigated CCE materials prepared using 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane. Electrochemical experiments (cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) were performed to characterize their suitability as anode electrode materials for use in the electrochemical step of the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle. Our initial results have shown that CCE-based electrodes vastly outperform a bare carbon electrode, and thus are highly promising and cost-effective electrode material. Subsequent experiments involved the manipulation of the relative ratio of organosilane carbon precursors to gauge its impact on electrode properties and performance. An overview of the materials characterization and electrochemical measurements will be presented. (author)

Ceramic carbon electrode-based anodes for use in the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranganathan, S.; Easton, E.B. [Faculty of Science, Univ. of Ontario Inst. of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)], E-mail: ranga@uoit.ca, Brad.Easton@uoit.ca

2009-07-01

Sol-gel chemistry is becoming more popular for the synthesis of electrode materials. For example, the sol-gel reaction can be performed in the presence of a carbon black to form a ceramic carbon electrode (CCE). The resultant CCE structure contains electronically conductive carbon particle pathways that are bound together via the ceramic binder, which can also promote ion transport. Furthermore, the CCE structure has a high active surface area and is chemical and thermally robust. We have investigated CCE materials prepared using 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane. Electrochemical experiments (cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) were performed to characterize their suitability as anode electrode materials for use in the electrochemical step of the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle. Our initial results have shown that CCE-based electrodes vastly outperform a bare carbon electrode, and thus are highly promising and cost-effective electrode material. Subsequent experiments involved the manipulation of the relative ratio of organosilane carbon precursors to gauge its impact on electrode properties and performance. An overview of the materials characterization and electrochemical measurements will be presented. (author)

On the relative independence of thinking biases and cognitive ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanovich, Keith E; West, Richard F

2008-04-01

In 7 different studies, the authors observed that a large number of thinking biases are uncorrelated with cognitive ability. These thinking biases include some of the most classic and well-studied biases in the heuristics and biases literature, including the conjunction effect, framing effects, anchoring effects, outcome bias, base-rate neglect, "less is more" effects, affect biases, omission bias, myside bias, sunk-cost effect, and certainty effects that violate the axioms of expected utility theory. In a further experiment, the authors nonetheless showed that cognitive ability does correlate with the tendency to avoid some rational thinking biases, specifically the tendency to display denominator neglect, probability matching rather than maximizing, belief bias, and matching bias on the 4-card selection task. The authors present a framework for predicting when cognitive ability will and will not correlate with a rational thinking tendency. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Enhanced electrochemical activity using vertically aligned carbon nanotube electrodes grown on carbon fiber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evandro Augusto de Morais

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes were successfully grown on flexible carbon fibers by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The diameter of the CNT is controllable by adjusting the thickness of the catalyst Ni layer deposited on the fiber. Vertically aligned nanotubes were grown in a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Deposition system (PECVD at a temperature of 630 ºC, d.c. bias of -600 V and 160 and 68 sccm flow of ammonia and acetylene, respectively. Using cyclic voltammetry measurements, an increase of the surface area of our electrodes, up to 50 times higher, was observed in our samples with CNT. The combination of VACNTs with flexible carbon fibers can have a significant impact on applications ranging from sensors to electrodes for fuel cells.

Nanodomain Engineering in Ferroelectric Capacitors with Graphene Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Haidong; Wang, Bo; Li, Tao; Lipatov, Alexey; Lee, Hyungwoo; Rajapitamahuni, Anil; Xu, Ruijuan; Hong, Xia; Farokhipoor, Saeedeh; Martin, Lane W; Eom, Chang-Beom; Chen, Long-Qing; Sinitskii, Alexander; Gruverman, Alexei

2016-10-12

Polarization switching in ferroelectric capacitors is typically realized by application of an electrical bias to the capacitor electrodes and occurs via a complex process of domain structure reorganization. As the domain evolution in real devices is governed by the distribution of the nucleation centers, obtaining a domain structure of a desired configuration by electrical pulsing is challenging, if not impossible. Recent discovery of polarization reversal via the flexoelectric effect has opened a possibility for deterministic control of polarization in ferroelectric capacitors. In this paper, we demonstrate mechanical writing of arbitrary-shaped nanoscale domains in thin-film ferroelectric capacitors with graphene electrodes facilitated by a strain gradient induced by a tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM). A phase-field modeling prediction of a strong effect of graphene thickness on the threshold load required to initiate mechanical switching has been confirmed experimentally. Deliberate voltage-free domain writing represents a viable approach for development of functional devices based on domain topology and electronic properties of the domains and domain walls.

In situ electrical probing and bias-mediated manipulation of dielectric nanotubes in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golberg, D.; Mitome, M.; Kurashima, K.; Zhi, C.Y.; Tang, C.C.; Bando, Y.; Lourie, O.

2006-01-01

Boron nitride nanotubes filled with magnesium oxides [MgO, MgO 2 ] and/or hydroxide [Mg(OH) 2 ] are electrically probed and delicately manipulated inside a 300 kV JEOL-3000F high-resolution transmission analytical electron microscope equipped with a side-entry 'Nanofactory Instruments' piezoholder. At a low bias the nanotubes demonstrate truly insulating behavior. At a high bias of ±30 V they show reversible breakdown current of several dozens of nA. Under 300 kV electron beam irradiation the nanotubes are positively charged that allows us to perform on-demand manipulation with them through tuning of polarity and/or value of a bias voltage on a gold counterelectrode from -140 to +140 V, owing to the prominent electrostatic nanotube-electrode interactions

Radiofrequency ablation in the liver using two cooled-wet electrodes in the bipolar mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Joon Koo; Lee, Jeong Min; Kim, Se Hyung; Lee, Jae Young; Park, Hee Sun; Eo, Hong; Choi, Byung Ihn

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of bipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using cooled-wet electrodes inducing coagulation in ex vivo bovine livers and in in vivo canine livers. In ex vivo experiments, 20 coagulations were created by monopolar (group A), and bipolar RFA (group B) using a 200 W generator (Valleylab) and one or two cooled-wet electrodes. In in vivo experiments, one coagulation was created by bipolar RFA in each of eight dogs via laparotomy. In ex vivo and in vivo experiments, RF was applied to one or two electrodes at 100 W for 10 min. The dimensions of the coagulations were compared in the two groups. In ex vivo experiments, the mean volumes of the coagulations produced in group B (54.0±16.5 cm 3 ) were greater than those produced in group A (33.9±12.7 cm 3 ) (P=0.007). In in vivo experiments, bipolar RFA produced a coagulation of 39.4±15.6 cm 3 without a major complication. The present study showed that a RF electrode system using two cooled-wet electrodes in the bipolar mode created larger coagulation volumes than the monopolar mode, and this system can be used to create large coagulation without major complications. (orig.)

Automation bias: empirical results assessing influencing factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Goddard, Kate; Roudsari, Abdul; Wyatt, Jeremy C

2014-05-01

To investigate the rate of automation bias - the propensity of people to over rely on automated advice and the factors associated with it. Tested factors were attitudinal - trust and confidence, non-attitudinal - decision support experience and clinical experience, and environmental - task difficulty. The paradigm of simulated decision support advice within a prescribing context was used. The study employed within participant before-after design, whereby 26 UK NHS General Practitioners were shown 20 hypothetical prescribing scenarios with prevalidated correct and incorrect answers - advice was incorrect in 6 scenarios. They were asked to prescribe for each case, followed by being shown simulated advice. Participants were then asked whether they wished to change their prescription, and the post-advice prescription was recorded. Rate of overall decision switching was captured. Automation bias was measured by negative consultations - correct to incorrect prescription switching. Participants changed prescriptions in 22.5% of scenarios. The pre-advice accuracy rate of the clinicians was 50.38%, which improved to 58.27% post-advice. The CDSS improved the decision accuracy in 13.1% of prescribing cases. The rate of automation bias, as measured by decision switches from correct pre-advice, to incorrect post-advice was 5.2% of all cases - a net improvement of 8%. More immediate factors such as trust in the specific CDSS, decision confidence, and task difficulty influenced rate of decision switching. Lower clinical experience was associated with more decision switching. Age, DSS experience and trust in CDSS generally were not significantly associated with decision switching. This study adds to the literature surrounding automation bias in terms of its potential frequency and influencing factors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indirect assessment of an interpretation bias in humans: Neurophysiological and behavioral correlates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita eSchick

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Affective state can influence cognition leading to biased information processing, interpretation, attention, and memory. Such bias has been reported to be essential for the onset and maintenance of different psychopathologies, particularly affective disorders. However, empirical evidence has been very heterogeneous and little is known about the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive bias and its time-course. We therefore investigated the interpretation of ambiguous stimuli as indicators of biased information processing with an ambiguous cue-conditioning paradigm. In an acquisition phase, participants learned to discriminate two tones of different frequency, which acquired emotional and motivational value due to subsequent feedback (monetary gain or avoidance of monetary loss. In the test phase, three additional tones of intermediate frequencies were presented, whose interpretation as positive (approach of reward or negative (avoidance of punishment, indicated by a button press, was used as an indicator of the bias. Twenty healthy volunteers participated in this paradigm while a 64-channel electroencephalogram was recorded. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing individual differences in depression and rumination. Overall, we found a small positive bias, which correlated negatively with reflective pondering, a type of rumination. As expected, reaction times were increased for intermediate tones. ERP amplitudes between 300 – 700 ms post-stimulus differed depending on the interpretation of the intermediate tones. A negative compared to a positive interpretation led to an amplitude increase over frontal electrodes. Our study provides evidence that in humans, as in animal research, the ambiguous cue-conditioning paradigm is a valid procedure for indirectly assessing ambiguous cue interpretation and a potential interpretation bias, which is sensitive to individual differences in affect-related traits.

No arousal-biased competition in focused visuospatial attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Ásgeirsson, Árni Gunnar; Nieuwenhuis, Sander

2017-11-01

Arousal sometimes enhances and sometimes impairs perception and memory. A recent theory attempts to reconcile these findings by proposing that arousal amplifies the competition between stimulus representations, strengthening already strong representations and weakening already weak representations. Here, we report a stringent test of this arousal-biased competition theory in the context of focused visuospatial attention. Participants were required to identify a briefly presented target in the context of multiple distractors, which varied in the degree to which they competed for representation with the target, as revealed by psychophysics. We manipulated arousal using emotionally arousing pictures (Experiment 1), alerting tones (Experiment 2) and white-noise stimulation (Experiment 3), and validated these manipulations with electroencephalography and pupillometry. In none of the experiments did we find evidence that arousal modulated the effect of distractor competition on the accuracy of target identification. Bayesian statistics revealed moderate to strong evidence against arousal-biased competition. Modeling of the psychophysical data based on Bundesen's (1990) theory of visual attention corroborated the conclusion that arousal does not bias competition in focused visuospatial attention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A split-cavity design for the incorporation of a DC bias in a 3D microwave cavity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cohen, M.A.; Yuan, M.; de Jong, B.W.A.; Beukers, Ewout; Bosman, S.J.; Steele, G.A.

2017-01-01

We report on a technique for applying a DC bias in a 3D microwave cavity. We achieve this by isolating the two halves of the cavity with a dielectric and directly using them as DC electrodes. As a proof of concept, we embed a variable capacitance diode in the cavity and tune the resonant

Raman mapping and in situ SERS spectroelectrochemical studies of 6-mercaptopurine SAMs on the gold electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Haifeng; Liu, Yanli; Liu, Zhimin; Yang, Yu; Jiang, Jianhui; Zhang, Zongrang; Shen, Guoli; Yu, Ruqin

2005-02-24

The self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) were formed at the roughened polycrystalline gold surfaces in acid and alkaline media. The time-dependent Raman mapping spectral analysis in conjunction with the quantum calculations for the vibrational modes using ab initio BLYP/6-31G method suggested that both of the resulted 6MP SAMs adopted the same adsorption mode through the S atom of pyrimidine moiety and the N7 atom of the imidazole moiety anchoring the gold surface in a vertical way. The in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroelectrochemical experiment was conducted to examine the stability of the SAMs at various bias potentials. It was found that the detaching process of the 6MP SAMs from the surface involved one electron reduction as the voltage was applied at ca. 0.7 V vs a standard calomel electrode.

Challenging stereotyping and bias: a voice simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dearing, Karen S; Steadman, Sheryl

2008-02-01

Stigma is a barrier to mental health care access for patients with schizophrenia and can interfere with developing therapeutic relationships. This study demonstrates success of a voice simulation experience during orientation in changing the biases of nursing students and the effect on the development of the nurse-patient relationship. Ninety-four individuals participated; 52 received a voice simulation experience during orientation, and 42 received orientation with no voice simulation experience. The Medical Condition Regard Scale was administered before and after orientation. Posttest paired t test results show significant differences in attitudes toward patients with voice hearing experiences between the two groups. The themes of personal growth from the focus groups postorientation include Affective Experience, Physical Experience, and Empathy. Findings demonstrate that the orientation process should include methods to challenge stereotyping and bias to decrease stigma, improve service access, and enhance the ability to develop therapeutic relationships.

Catoptric electrodes: transparent metal electrodes using shaped surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kik, Pieter G

2014-09-01

An optical electrode design is presented that theoretically allows 100% optical transmission through an interdigitated metallic electrode at 50% metal areal coverage. This is achieved by redirection of light incident on embedded metal electrode lines to an angle beyond that required for total internal reflection. Full-field electromagnetic simulations using realistic material parameters demonstrate 84% frequency-averaged transmission for unpolarized illumination across the entire visible spectral range using a silver interdigitated electrode at 50% areal coverage. The redirection is achieved through specular reflection, making it nonresonant and arbitrarily broadband, provided the electrode width exceeds the optical wavelength. These findings could significantly improve the performance of photovoltaic devices and optical detectors that require high-conductivity top contacts.

Numerical value biases sound localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Golob, Edward J; Lewald, Jörg; Getzmann, Stephan; Mock, Jeffrey R

2017-12-08

Speech recognition starts with representations of basic acoustic perceptual features and ends by categorizing the sound based on long-term memory for word meaning. However, little is known about whether the reverse pattern of lexical influences on basic perception can occur. We tested for a lexical influence on auditory spatial perception by having subjects make spatial judgments of number stimuli. Four experiments used pointing or left/right 2-alternative forced choice tasks to examine perceptual judgments of sound location as a function of digit magnitude (1-9). The main finding was that for stimuli presented near the median plane there was a linear left-to-right bias for localizing smaller-to-larger numbers. At lateral locations there was a central-eccentric location bias in the pointing task, and either a bias restricted to the smaller numbers (left side) or no significant number bias (right side). Prior number location also biased subsequent number judgments towards the opposite side. Findings support a lexical influence on auditory spatial perception, with a linear mapping near midline and more complex relations at lateral locations. Results may reflect coding of dedicated spatial channels, with two representing lateral positions in each hemispace, and the midline area represented by either their overlap or a separate third channel.

Assessing the degradation of compliant electrodes for soft actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Rosset, Samuel; de Saint-Aubin, Christine; Poulin, Alexandre; Shea, Herbert R.

2017-10-01

We present an automated system to measure the degradation of compliant electrodes used in dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) over millions of cycles. Electrodes for DEAs generally experience biaxial linear strains of more than 10%. The decrease in electrode conductivity induced by this repeated fast mechanical deformation impacts the bandwidth of the actuator and its strain homogeneity. Changes in the electrode mechanical properties lead to reduced actuation strain. Rather than using an external actuator to periodically deform the electrodes, our measurement method consists of measuring the properties of an electrode in an expanding circle DEA. A programmable high voltage power supply drives the actuator with a square signal up to 1 kHz, periodically actuating the DEA, and thus stretching the electrodes. The DEA strain is monitored with a universal serial bus camera, while the resistance of the ground electrode is measured with a multimeter. The system can be used for any type of electrode. We validated the test setup by characterising a carbon black/silicone composite that we commonly use as compliant electrode. Although the composite is well-suited for tens of millions of cycles of actuation below 5%, we observe important degradation for higher deformations. When activated at a 20% radial strain, the electrodes suffer from important damage after a few thousand cycles, and an inhomogeneous actuation is observed, with the strain localised in a sub-region of the actuator only.

Plane-parallel biases computed from inhomogeneous Arctic clouds and sea ice

Science.gov (United States)

Rozwadowska, Anna; Cahalan, Robert F.

2002-10-01

Monte Carlo simulations of the expected influence of nonuniformity in cloud structure and surface albedo on shortwave radiative fluxes in the Arctic atmosphere are presented. In particular, plane-parallel biases in cloud albedo and transmittance are studied for nonabsorbing, low-level, all-liquid stratus clouds over sea ice. The "absolute bias" is defined as the difference between the cloud albedo or transmittance for the uniform or plane-parallel case, and the albedo or transmittance for nonuniform conditions with the same mean cloud optical thickness and the same mean surface albedo, averaged over a given area (i.e., bias > 0 means plane-parallel overestimates). Ranges of means and standard deviations of input parameters typical of Arctic conditions are determined from the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment Artic Cloud Experiment (FIRE/ACE)/Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) experiment, a cooperative effort of the Department of Energy, NASA, NSF, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Research, and the Atmospheric Environment Service. We determine the sensitivity of the bias with respect to the following: domain averaged means and spatial variances of cloud optical thickness and surface albedo, shape of the surface reflectance function, presence of a scattering layer under the clouds, and solar zenith angle. The simulations show that the biases in Arctic conditions are generally lower than in subtropical stratocumulus. The magnitudes of the absolute biases are unlikely to exceed 0.02 for albedo and 0.05 for transmittance. The "relative bias" expresses the absolute bias as a percentage of the actual cloud albedo or transmittance. The magnitude of the relative bias in albedo is typically below 2% over the reflective Arctic surface, while the magnitude of the relative bias in transmittance can exceed 10%.

EXPERIMENT WITH A BIASED DISK AT THE KVI ECRIS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

GAMMINO, S; SIJBRING, J; DRENTJE, AG

Some measurements have been done on the source ECRIS 1 at K.V.I., showing the beneficial effect to the output currents when a biased disk is positioned in the first stage, as reported by the Grenoble ECRIS group. The increase is in the order of 40% and it can be explained by the enrichment of the

Music for a Brighter World: Brightness Judgment Bias by Musical Emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Joydeep; Lindsen, Job P

2016-01-01

A prevalent conceptual metaphor is the association of the concepts of good and evil with brightness and darkness, respectively. Music cognition, like metaphor, is possibly embodied, yet no study has addressed the question whether musical emotion can modulate brightness judgment in a metaphor consistent fashion. In three separate experiments, participants judged the brightness of a grey square that was presented after a short excerpt of emotional music. The results of Experiment 1 showed that short musical excerpts are effective emotional primes that cross-modally influence brightness judgment of visual stimuli. Grey squares were consistently judged as brighter after listening to music with a positive valence, as compared to music with a negative valence. The results of Experiment 2 revealed that the bias in brightness judgment does not require an active evaluation of the emotional content of the music. By applying a different experimental procedure in Experiment 3, we showed that this brightness judgment bias is indeed a robust effect. Altogether, our findings demonstrate a powerful role of musical emotion in biasing brightness judgment and that this bias is aligned with the metaphor viewpoint.

High performance current and spin diode of atomic carbon chain between transversely symmetric ribbon electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yao-Jun; Wang, Xue-Feng; Yang, Shuo-Wang; Wu, Xue-Mei

2014-08-21

We demonstrate that giant current and high spin rectification ratios can be achieved in atomic carbon chain devices connected between two symmetric ferromagnetic zigzag-graphene-nanoribbon electrodes. The spin dependent transport simulation is carried out by density functional theory combined with the non-equilibrium Green's function method. It is found that the transverse symmetries of the electronic wave functions in the nanoribbons and the carbon chain are critical to the spin transport modes. In the parallel magnetization configuration of two electrodes, pure spin current is observed in both linear and nonlinear regions. However, in the antiparallel configuration, the spin-up (down) current is prohibited under the positive (negative) voltage bias, which results in a spin rectification ratio of order 10(4). When edge carbon atoms are substituted with boron atoms to suppress the edge magnetization in one of the electrodes, we obtain a diode with current rectification ratio over 10(6).

Large gap plasma display cell with auxiliary electrodes: macro-cell experiments and two-dimensional modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, J T; Callegari, Th; Caillier, B; Boeuf, J-P

2003-01-01

In this paper we use a two-dimensional fluid model and a 'macroscopic' PDP cell to investigate the possibility of using large gap configurations with auxiliary electrodes to improve the efficiency of PDP discharge cells. The large gap allows operation in a transient positive column regime where energy is more efficiently deposited into xenon excitation, while the auxiliary electrodes are used to keep reasonable values of the operating voltage. Two types of auxiliary electrode configurations (floating and powered) are considered. The discharge characteristics and the discharge efficiency in exciting xenon are studied with simulations and by measuring the intensity of infrared emission from xenon and visible emission from neon in a macroscopic PDP cell. The results show that an efficient positive column regime can be achieved at reasonably low operating voltages when the auxiliary electrode configuration is carefully designed

[Verification of skin paste electrodes used in wireless polysomnography].

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Y D; Huang, D; Chen, Y F; Jiang, H Y; Liu, J H; Sun, H Q; Li, Z H

2018-04-18

To explore an electrode suitable for wireless portable sleep monitoring equipment and analyze the result of the signals of electrooculogram (EOG) and electroencephalography (EEG) collected by this kind of flexible electrodes. The flexible electrodes were prepared by microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. This kind of electrodes consisted parylene, chromium, and gold. Parylene, the flexible substrate of this kind of flexible electrodes, was of biocompatibility. Between parylene and gold there was an adhesion layer of chromium, which connected parylene and gold tightly. Then the flexible electrodes were stuck to medical adhesive tape. The electrodes were designed and made into a grid to make sure that the medical adhesive tape could tape on the skin tightly, so that the contact impedance between the electrodes and the skin would be reduced. Then the alternating current impedance of the electrode were tested by the CHI660E electrochemical workstation after the electrode was achieved. To make sure that this kind of electrodes could be used in EOG monitoring, the electrodes were connected to a wireless signal acquisition suite containing special biological signal acquisition and digital processing chip to gather different sites around the eyes and the electrical signals of different directions of the eye movements, then analyzed the signal-to-noise ratio of the EOG. At the end, the Philips A6 polysomnography was used to compare the noise amplitude of the EEG signals collected by the flexible electrode and the gold cup electrode. The electrodes stuck to the skin tightly, and these electrodes could collect signals that we wanted while the experiment was performed. The alternating current impedance of the flexible electrode was between 4 kΩ and 13 kΩ while with the frequency of alternating current under 100 Hz, most EEG signal frequencies were at this range. The EOG signals collected by the flexible electrodes were in line with the clinical requirements. The

Role of the antiferromagnetic bulk spins in exchange bias

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuller, Ivan K. [Center for Advanced Nanoscience and Physics Department, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Morales, Rafael, E-mail: rafael.morales@ehu.es [Department of Chemical-Physics & BCMaterials, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao (Spain); Batlle, Xavier [Departament Física Fonamental and Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia, Universitat de Barcelona, c/ Martí i Franqués s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain); Nowak, Ulrich [Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz (Germany); Güntherodt, Gernot [Physics Institute (IIA), RWTH Aachen University, Campus RWTH-Melaten, 52074 Aachen (Germany)

2016-10-15

This “Critical Focused Issue” presents a brief review of experiments and models which describe the origin of exchange bias in epitaxial or textured ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers. Evidence is presented which clearly indicates that inner, uncompensated, pinned moments in the bulk of the antiferromagnet (AFM) play a very important role in setting the magnitude of the exchange bias. A critical evaluation of the extensive literature in the field indicates that it is useful to think of this bulk, pinned uncompensated moments as a new type of a ferromagnet which has a low total moment, an ordering temperature given by the AFM Néel temperature, with parallel aligned moments randomly distributed on the regular AFM lattice. - Highlights: • We address the role of bulk antiferromagnetic spins in the exchange bias phenomenon. • Significant experiments on how bulk AFM spins determine exchange bias are highlighted. • We explain the model that accounts for experimental results.

Role of the antiferromagnetic bulk spins in exchange bias

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuller, Ivan K.; Morales, Rafael; Batlle, Xavier; Nowak, Ulrich; Güntherodt, Gernot

2016-01-01

This “Critical Focused Issue” presents a brief review of experiments and models which describe the origin of exchange bias in epitaxial or textured ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers. Evidence is presented which clearly indicates that inner, uncompensated, pinned moments in the bulk of the antiferromagnet (AFM) play a very important role in setting the magnitude of the exchange bias. A critical evaluation of the extensive literature in the field indicates that it is useful to think of this bulk, pinned uncompensated moments as a new type of a ferromagnet which has a low total moment, an ordering temperature given by the AFM Néel temperature, with parallel aligned moments randomly distributed on the regular AFM lattice. - Highlights: • We address the role of bulk antiferromagnetic spins in the exchange bias phenomenon. • Significant experiments on how bulk AFM spins determine exchange bias are highlighted. • We explain the model that accounts for experimental results.

Biased but in Doubt: Conflict and Decision Confidence

Science.gov (United States)

De Neys, Wim; Cromheeke, Sofie; Osman, Magda

2011-01-01

Human reasoning is often biased by intuitive heuristics. A central question is whether the bias results from a failure to detect that the intuitions conflict with traditional normative considerations or from a failure to discard the tempting intuitions. The present study addressed this unresolved debate by using people's decision confidence as a nonverbal index of conflict detection. Participants were asked to indicate how confident they were after solving classic base-rate (Experiment 1) and conjunction fallacy (Experiment 2) problems in which a cued intuitive response could be inconsistent or consistent with the traditional correct response. Results indicated that reasoners showed a clear confidence decrease when they gave an intuitive response that conflicted with the normative response. Contrary to popular belief, this establishes that people seem to acknowledge that their intuitive answers are not fully warranted. Experiment 3 established that younger reasoners did not yet show the confidence decrease, which points to the role of improved bias awareness in our reasoning development. Implications for the long standing debate on human rationality are discussed. PMID:21283574

Auditory hindsight bias: Fluency misattribution versus memory reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Higham, Philip A; Neil, Greg J; Bernstein, Daniel M

2017-06-01

We report 4 experiments investigating auditory hindsight bias-the tendency to overestimate the intelligibility of distorted auditory stimuli after learning their identity. An associative priming manipulation was used to vary the amount of processing fluency independently of prior target knowledge. For hypothetical designs, in which hindsight judgments are made for peers in foresight, we predicted that judgments would be based on processing fluency and that hindsight bias would be greater in the unrelated- compared to related-prime context (differential-fluency hypothesis). Conversely, for memory designs, in which foresight judgments are remembered in hindsight, we predicted that judgments would be based on memory reconstruction and that there would be independent effects of prime relatedness and prior target knowledge (recollection hypothesis). These predictions were confirmed. Specifically, we found support for the differential-fluency hypothesis when a hypothetical design was used in Experiments 1 and 2 (hypothetical group). Conversely, when a memory design was used in Experiments 2 (memory group), 3A, and 3B, we found support for the recollection hypothesis. Together, the results suggest that qualitatively different mechanisms create hindsight bias in the 2 designs. The results are discussed in terms of fluency misattributions, memory reconstruction, anchoring-and-adjustment, sense making, and a multicomponent model of hindsight bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Ceramic carbon electrode-based anodes for use in the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranganathan, Santhanam; Easton, E. Bradley [Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)

2010-05-15

We have investigated CCE materials prepared using 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane. Electrochemical experiments were performed to characterize their suitability as anode electrode materials for use in the electrochemical step of the Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle. CCE-based electrodes vastly outperform a bare carbon electrode. Optimization of the organosilicate loading revealed maximum electrode performance was achieved with 36 wt% and was explained in terms of the optimal balance of active area and anion transport properties. (author)

Reducing Prejudice With Labels: Shared Group Memberships Attenuate Implicit Bias and Expand Implicit Group Boundaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Scroggins, W Anthony; Mackie, Diane M; Allen, Thomas J; Sherman, Jeffrey W

2016-02-01

In three experiments, we used a novel Implicit Association Test procedure to investigate the impact of group memberships on implicit bias and implicit group boundaries. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that categorizing targets using a shared category reduced implicit bias by increasing the extent to which positivity was associated with Blacks. Results from Experiment 2 revealed that shared group membership, but not mere positivity of a group membership, was necessary to reduce implicit bias. Quadruple process model analyses indicated that changes in implicit bias caused by shared group membership are due to changes in the way that targets are evaluated, not to changes in the regulation of evaluative bias. Results from Experiment 3 showed that categorizing Black targets into shared group memberships expanded implicit group boundaries. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Working memory and spatial judgments: Cognitive load increases the central tendency bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Allred, Sarah R; Crawford, L Elizabeth; Duffy, Sean; Smith, John

2016-12-01

Previous work demonstrates that memory for simple stimuli can be biased by information about the distribution of which the stimulus is a member. Specifically, people underestimate values greater than the distribution's average and overestimate values smaller than the average. This is referred to as the central tendency bias. This bias has been explained as an optimal use of both noisy sensory information and category information. In largely separate literature, cognitive load (CL) experiments attempt to manipulate the available working memory of participants in order to observe the effect on choice or judgments. In two experiments, we demonstrate that participants under high cognitive load exhibit a stronger central tendency bias than when under a low cognitive load. Although not anticipated at the outset, we also find that judgments exhibit an anchoring bias not described previously.

A new dynamical downscaling approach with GCM bias corrections and spectral nudging

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhongfeng; Yang, Zong-Liang

2015-04-01

To improve confidence in regional projections of future climate, a new dynamical downscaling (NDD) approach with both general circulation model (GCM) bias corrections and spectral nudging is developed and assessed over North America. GCM biases are corrected by adjusting GCM climatological means and variances based on reanalysis data before the GCM output is used to drive a regional climate model (RCM). Spectral nudging is also applied to constrain RCM-based biases. Three sets of RCM experiments are integrated over a 31 year period. In the first set of experiments, the model configurations are identical except that the initial and lateral boundary conditions are derived from either the original GCM output, the bias-corrected GCM output, or the reanalysis data. The second set of experiments is the same as the first set except spectral nudging is applied. The third set of experiments includes two sensitivity runs with both GCM bias corrections and nudging where the nudging strength is progressively reduced. All RCM simulations are assessed against North American Regional Reanalysis. The results show that NDD significantly improves the downscaled mean climate and climate variability relative to other GCM-driven RCM downscaling approach in terms of climatological mean air temperature, geopotential height, wind vectors, and surface air temperature variability. In the NDD approach, spectral nudging introduces the effects of GCM bias corrections throughout the RCM domain rather than just limiting them to the initial and lateral boundary conditions, thereby minimizing climate drifts resulting from both the GCM and RCM biases.

Judging Managerial Actions as Ethical or Unethical: Decision Bias and Domain Relevant Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey J. Bailey, Ph.D.

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This is an empirical study comparing the susceptibility of managers and students to a decision-making bias when making judgments about ethical business practices. The managers and students read through vignettes and made judgments about how ethical they perceived the described business actions to be. Half of the participants (half of the managers and half of the students were exposed to three situations in which the actions being judged were clearly unethical. The other half of each group was exposed to situations in which the actions being judged were clearly ethical. All were exposed to the same fourth situation of a business decision. In this ambiguous situation it was not clear if the business decision being evaluated was ethical or unethical. The decision bias examined here addressed the question of ‘to what extent does exposure to prior unethical (or ethical actions influence one’s evaluation of how ethical a particular business decision is when it is not a clearly right or wrong action. The results demonstrated that students’ ethical judgments about the action in the fourth scenario (the same scenario for everyone differed depending on what they were previously exposed to. Significant assimilation effects were found in the student sample suggesting support for the perceptual readiness models. The managerial sample yielded differences in the opposite direction, one of a contrast effect, but these did not reach statistical significance. Assimilation effects occurred in the sample without domain relevant experience and contrast effects occurred with the experienced sample. Implications are discussed.

The effect of dust on electron heating and dc self-bias in hydrogen diluted silane discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schüngel, E; Mohr, S; Iwashita, S; Schulze, J; Czarnetzki, U

2013-01-01

In capacitive hydrogen diluted silane discharges the formation of dust affects plasma processes used, e.g. for thin film solar cell manufacturing. Thus, a basic understanding of the interaction between plasma and dust is required to optimize such processes. We investigate a highly diluted silane discharge experimentally using phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy to study the electron dynamics, laser light scattering on the dust particles to relate the electron dynamics with the spatial distribution of dust, and current and voltage measurements to characterize the electrical symmetry of the discharge via the dc self-bias. The measurements are performed in single and dual frequency discharges. A mode transition from the α-mode to a bulk drift mode (Ω-mode) is found, if the amount of silane and, thereby, the amount of dust and negative ions is increased. By controlling the electrode temperatures, the dust can be distributed asymmetrically between the electrodes via the thermophoretic force. This affects both the electron heating and the discharge symmetry, i.e. a dc self-bias develops in a single frequency discharge. Using the Electrical Asymmetry Effect (EAE), the dc self-bias can be controlled in dual frequency discharges via the phase angle between the two applied frequencies. The Ω-mode is observed for all phase angles and is explained by a simple model of the electron power dissipation. The model shows that the mode transition is characterized by a phase shift between the applied voltage and the electron conduction current, and that the plasma density profile can be estimated using the measured phase shift. The control interval of the dc self-bias obtained using the EAE will be shifted, if an asymmetric dust distribution is present. However, the width of the interval remains unchanged, because the dust distribution is hardly affected by the phase angle. (paper)

Layered Cu-based electrode for high-dielectric constant oxide thin film-based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, W.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-01-01

Ti-Al/Cu/Ta multilayered electrodes were fabricated on SiO 2 /Si substrates by ion beam sputtering deposition, to overcome the problems of Cu diffusion and oxidation encountered during the high dielectric constant (κ) materials integration. The Cu and Ta layers remained intact through the annealing in oxygen environment up to 600 deg. C. The thin oxide layer, formed on the Ti-Al surface, effectively prevented the oxygen penetration toward underneath layers. Complex oxide (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the layered Ti-Al/Cu/Ta electrodes using rf magnetron sputtering. The deposited BST films exhibited relatively high permittivity (150), low dielectric loss (0.007) at zero bias, and low leakage current -8 A/cm 2 at 100 kV/cm

Two-dimensional Cu2Si sheet: a promising electrode material for nanoscale electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Meng Yam, Kah; Guo, Na; Zhang, Chun

2018-06-01

Building electronic devices on top of two-dimensional (2D) materials has recently become one of most interesting topics in nanoelectronics. Finding high-performance 2D electrode materials is one central issue in 2D nanoelectronics. In the current study, based on first-principles calculations, we compare the electronic and transport properties of two nanoscale devices. One device consists of two single-atom-thick planar Cu2Si electrodes, and a nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) molecule in the middle. The other device is made of often-used graphene electrodes and a NiPc molecule. Planer Cu2Si is a new type of 2D material that was recently predicted to exist and be stable under room temperature [11]. We found that at low bias voltages, the electric current through the Cu2Si–NiPc–Cu2Si junction is about three orders higher than that through graphene–NiPc–graphene. Detailed analysis shows that the surprisingly high conductivity of Cu2Si–NiPc–Cu2Si originates from the mixing of the Cu2Si state near Fermi energy and the highest occupied molecular orbital of NiPc. These results suggest that 2D Cu2Si may be an excellent candidate for electrode materials for future nanoscale devices.

AZO-Ag-AZO transparent electrode for amorphous silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theuring, Martin; Vehse, Martin; Maydell, Karsten von; Agert, Carsten

2014-01-01

Metal-based transparent electrodes can be fabricated at low temperatures, which is crucial for various substrate materials and solar cells. In this work, an oxide-metal-oxide (OMO) transparent electrode based on aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) and silver is compared to AZO layers, fabricated at different temperatures and indium tin oxides. With the OMO structure, a sheet resistance of 7.1/square and a transparency above 80% for almost the entire visible spectrum were achieved. The possible application of such electrodes on a textured solar cell was demonstrated on the example of a rough ZnO substrate. An OMO structure is benchmarked in a n-i-p amorphous silicon solar cell against an AZO front contact fabricated at 200 °C. In the experiment, the OMO electrode shows a superior performance with an efficiency gain of 30%. - Highlights: • Multilayer transparent electrode based on aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) and Ag • Comparison of AZO-Ag-AZO transparent electrode to AZO and indium tin oxide • Performance of AZO-Ag-AZO transparent electrodes on textured surfaces • Comparison of amorphous silicon solar cells with different transparent electrodes

Simulation of new p-type strip detectors with trench to enhance the charge multiplication effect in the n-type electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernández-Martínez, P.; Pellegrini, G.; Balbuena, J.P.; Quirion, D.; Hidalgo, S.; Flores, D.; Lozano, M.; Casse, G.

2011-01-01

This paper shows the simulation results of new p-type strip detectors with trench electrodes to enhance the charge multiplication effect in the irradiated detector. The new design includes baby microstrip detectors (area=1 cm 2 ) with a strip pitch of 80 μm and p-stop isolation structures. The strip has a 5 μm-wide trench along all its length, filled and doped with polysilicon to create a deep N + contact into the material bulk. The trench depth can be varied in order to study the influence of the electric field on the charge multiplication effect in heavily irradiated samples. Some alternative designs have also been studied to establish a comparison between various structures using different technologies. Simulation reproduce the electrical behaviour under different irradiation conditions, taking into account the damage accumulated after irradiation with neutrons and protons with several fluence values. The investigation of these effects provides important indications on the ability of this modified electrode geometry to control and optimise the charge multiplication effect, in order to fully recover the collection efficiency of heavily irradiated microstrip detectors, at reasonable bias voltage compatible with the voltage feed limitation of the CERN SLHC experiments.

Visual attention and the neuroimage bias.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D A Baker

Full Text Available Several highly-cited experiments have presented evidence suggesting that neuroimages may unduly bias laypeople's judgments of scientific research. This finding has been especially worrisome to the legal community in which neuroimage techniques may be used to produce evidence of a person's mental state. However, a more recent body of work that has looked directly at the independent impact of neuroimages on layperson decision-making (both in legal and more general arenas, and has failed to find evidence of bias. To help resolve these conflicting findings, this research uses eye tracking technology to provide a measure of attention to different visual representations of neuroscientific data. Finding an effect of neuroimages on the distribution of attention would provide a potential mechanism for the influence of neuroimages on higher-level decisions. In the present experiment, a sample of laypeople viewed a vignette that briefly described a court case in which the defendant's actions might have been explained by a neurological defect. Accompanying these vignettes was either an MRI image of the defendant's brain, or a bar graph depicting levels of brain activity-two competing visualizations that have been the focus of much of the previous research on the neuroimage bias. We found that, while laypeople differentially attended to neuroimagery relative to the bar graph, this did not translate into differential judgments in a way that would support the idea of a neuroimage bias.

Comparison of Enamel and Stainless Steel Electron Cloud Clearing Electrodes Tested in the CERN Proton Synchrotron

CERN Document Server

Caspers, Friedhelm; Mahner, C; Wendel, JC

2010-01-01

During the 2007 run with the nominal LHC proton beam, electron cloud has been clearly identified and characterized in the PS using a dedicated setup with shielded button-type pickups. Efficient electron cloud suppression could be achieved with a stainless steel stripline-type electrode biased to negative and positive voltages up to ± 1 kV. For the 2008 run, a second setup was installed in straight section 84 of the PS where the stainless steel was replaced by a stripline composed of an enamel insulator with a resistive coating. In contrast to ordinary stripline electrodes this setup presents a very low beam coupling impedance and could thus be envisaged for long sections of high-intensity machines. Here, we present first comparative measurements with this new type of enamel clearing electrode using the nominal LHC beam with 72 bunches and 25 ns bunch spacing.

Study on Carbon Nano composite Counter electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Zhang, H.; Lin, J.

2012-01-01

Carbon nano composite electrodes were prepared by adding carbon nano tubes (CNTs) into carbon black as counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The morphology and structure of carbon nano composite electrodes were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The influence of CNTs on the electrochemical performance of carbon nano composite electrodes is investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Carbon nano composite electrodes with CNTs exhibit a highly interconnected network structure with high electrical conductivity and good catalytic activity. The influence of different CNTs content in carbon nano composite electrodes on the open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and filling factor of DSSCs is also investigated. DSSCs with 10% CNTs content exhibit the best photovoltaic performance in our experiments.

Can free-viewing perceptual asymmetries be explained by scanning, pre-motor or attentional biases?

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Michael E R; Roberts, Georgina R

2002-04-01

Judgments of relative magnitude between the left and right sides of a stimulus are generally weighted toward the features contained on the left side. This leftward perceptual bias could be the result of, (a) left-to-right scanning biases, (b) pre-motor activation of the right hemisphere, or (c) a left hemispatial attentional bias. The relative merits of these explanations of perceptual asymmetry were investigated. In Experiment 1, English and Hebrew readers made luminance judgements for two left/right mirror-reversed luminance gradients (greyscales task). Despite different reading/scanning habits, both groups exhibited a leftward perceptual bias. English and Hebrew readers also performed a line bisection task. Scanning biases were controlled by asking participants to follow a marker as it moved left-to-right or right-to-left and then stop it as it reached the midpoint of the line. Despite controlling scanning, a leftward bias was observed in both groups. In Experiment 2, peripheral spatial cues were presented prior to the greyscales stimuli. English readers showed a reduction in the leftward bias for right-sided cues as compared to left-sided and neutral cues. Right-side cues presumably overcame a pre-existing leftward attentional bias. In both experiments, pre-motor activation was controlled using bimanual responses. Despite this control, a leftward bias was observed throughout the study. The data support the attentional bias account of leftward perceptual biases over the scanning and pre-motor activation accounts. Whether or not unilateral hemispheric activation provides an adequate account of this attentional bias is discussed.

Music for a Brighter World: Brightness Judgment Bias by Musical Emotion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joydeep Bhattacharya

Full Text Available A prevalent conceptual metaphor is the association of the concepts of good and evil with brightness and darkness, respectively. Music cognition, like metaphor, is possibly embodied, yet no study has addressed the question whether musical emotion can modulate brightness judgment in a metaphor consistent fashion. In three separate experiments, participants judged the brightness of a grey square that was presented after a short excerpt of emotional music. The results of Experiment 1 showed that short musical excerpts are effective emotional primes that cross-modally influence brightness judgment of visual stimuli. Grey squares were consistently judged as brighter after listening to music with a positive valence, as compared to music with a negative valence. The results of Experiment 2 revealed that the bias in brightness judgment does not require an active evaluation of the emotional content of the music. By applying a different experimental procedure in Experiment 3, we showed that this brightness judgment bias is indeed a robust effect. Altogether, our findings demonstrate a powerful role of musical emotion in biasing brightness judgment and that this bias is aligned with the metaphor viewpoint.

Impact of Selection Bias on Estimation of Subsequent Event Risk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, Yi Juan; Schmidt, Amand F.; Dudbridge, Frank; Holmes, Michael V; Brophy, James M.; Tragante, Vinicius; Li, Ziyi; Liao, Peizhou; Quyyumi, Arshed A.; McCubrey, Raymond O.; Horne, Benjamin D.; Hingorani, Aroon D; Asselbergs, Folkert W; Patel, Riyaz S.; Long, Qi; Åkerblom, Axel; Algra, Ale; Allayee, Hooman; Almgren, Peter; Anderson, Jeffrey L.; Andreassi, Maria G.; Anselmi, Chiara V.; Ardissino, Diego; Arsenault, Benoit J.; Ballantyne, Christie M.; Baranova, Ekaterina V.; Behloui, Hassan; Bergmeijer, Thomas O; Bezzina, Connie R; Bjornsson, Eythor; Body, Simon C.; Boeckx, Bram; Boersma, Eric H.; Boerwinkle, Eric; Bogaty, Peter; Braund, Peter S; Breitling, Lutz P.; Brenner, Hermann; Briguori, Carlo; Brugts, Jasper J.; Burkhardt, Ralph; Cameron, Vicky A.; Carlquist, John F.; Carpeggiani, Clara; Carruthers, Kathryn F.; Casu, Gavino; Condorelli, Gianluigi; Cresci, Sharon; Danchin, Nicolas; de Faire, Ulf; Deanfield, John; Delgado, Graciela; Deloukas, Panos; Direk, Kenan; Doughty, Robert N.; Drexel, Heinz; Duarte, Nubia E.; Dubé, Marie Pierre; Dufresne, Line; Engert, James C; Eriksson, Niclas; Fitzpatrick, Natalie; Foco, Luisa; Ford, Ian; Fox, Keith A; Gigante, Bruna; Gijsberts, Crystel M.; Girelli, Domenico; Gong, Yan; Gudbjartsson, Daniel F.; Hagström, Emil; Hartiala, Jaana; Hazen, Stanley L.; Held, Claes; Helgadottir, Anna; Hemingway, Harry; Heydarpour, Mahyar; Hoefer, Imo E.; Hovingh, G. Kees; Hubacek, Jaroslav A; James, Stefan; Johnson, Julie A; Jukema, J Wouter; Kaczor, Marcin P.; Kaminski, Karol A.; Kettner, Jiri; Kiliszek, Marek; Kleber, Marcus; Klungel, Olaf H.; Kofink, Daniel; Kohonen, Mika; Kotti, Salma; Kuukasjärvi, Pekka; Lagerqvist, Bo; Lambrechts, Diether; Lang, Chim C; Laurikka, Jari O.; Leander, Karin; Lee, Vei Vei; Lehtimäki, Terho; Leiherer, Andreas; Lenzini, Petra A.; Levin, Daniel; Lindholm, Daniel; Lokki, Marja-Liisa; Lotufo, Paulo A; Lyytikäinen, Leo-Pekka; Mahmoodi, B. Khan; Maitland-Van Der Zee, Anke H.; Martinelli, Nicola; März, Winfried; Marziliano, Nicola; McPherson, Ruth; Melander, Olle; Mons, Ute; Muehlschlegel, Jochen D.; Muhlestein, Joseph B.; Nelson, Cristopher P.; Cheh, Chris Newton; Olivieri, Oliviero; Opolski, Grzegorz; Palmer, Colin Na; Pare, Guillaume; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Pepine, Carl J; Pepinski, Witold; Pereira, Alexandre C.; Pilbrow, Anna P.; Pilote, Louise; Pitha, Jan; Ploski, Rafal; Richards, A. Mark; Saely, Christoph H.; Samani, Nilesh J; Samman-Tahhan, Ayman; Sanak, Marek; Sandesara, Pratik B.; Sattar, Naveed; Scholz, Markus; Siegbahn, Agneta; Simon, Tabassome; Sinisalo, Juha; Smith, J. Gustav; Spertus, John A.; Stefansson, Kari; Stewart, Alexandre F R; Stott, David J.; Szczeklik, Wojciech; Szpakowicz, Anna; Tanck, Michael W.T.; Tang, Wilson H.; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Ten Berg, Jur M.; Teren, Andrej; Thanassoulis, George; Thiery, Joachim; Thorgeirsson, Gudmundur; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Timmis, Adam; Trompet, Stella; Van de Werf, Frans; van der Graaf, Yolanda; Van Der Haarst, Pim; van der Laan, Sander W; Vilmundarson, Ragnar O.; Virani, Salim S.; Visseren, Frank L J; Vlachopoulou, Efthymia; Wallentin, Lars; Waltenberger, Johannes; Wauters, Els; Wilde, Arthur A M

2017-01-01

Background - Studies of recurrent or subsequent disease events may be susceptible to bias caused by selection of subjects who both experience and survive the primary indexing event. Currently, the magnitude of any selection bias, particularly for subsequent time-to-event analysis in genetic

Performance capabilities of EDM of high carbon high chromium steel with copper and brass electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Surekha, B.; Swain, Sudiptha; Suleman, Abu Jafar; Choudhury, Suvan Dev

2017-07-01

The paper address the statistical modeling of input-output relationships of electric discharge machining. In the present work, peak current (I) pulse on time (T) and gap voltage of electric discharge machining (EDM) process are chosen as control parameters to analyze the performance of the process. The output characteristics, namely radial overcut, electrode wear rate (EWR) and metal removal rate (MRR) are treated as the responses. A full factorial design (FFD) of experiments has been used to conduct the experiments and linear regression models are developed for different process characteristics. While conducting the experiments, high carbon and high chromium steel is considered as work piece material and brass and copper are used as electrode material. It is important to note that the experimental conditions are kept similar while machining with the help of different electrode materials. The data obtained from the experiments has been used to develop the regression models for three process parameters for two electrode materials.

On the hydrophilicity of electrodes for capacitive energy extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian, Cheng; East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai; Kong, Xian; Tsinghua University, Beijing; Liu, Honglai; Wu, Jianzhong

2016-01-01

The so-called Capmix technique for energy extraction is based on the cyclic expansion of electrical double layers to harvest dissipative energy arising from the salinity difference between freshwater and seawater. Its optimal performance requires a careful selection of the electrical potentials for the charging and discharging processes, which must be matched with the pore characteristics of the electrode materials. While a number of recent studies have examined the effects of the electrode pore size and geometry on the capacitive energy extraction processes, there is little knowledge on how the surface properties of the electrodes affect the thermodynamic efficiency. In this paper, we investigate the Capmix processes using the classical density functional theory for a realistic model of electrolyte solutions. The theoretical predictions allow us to identify optimal operation parameters for capacitive energy extraction with porous electrodes of different surface hydrophobicity. Finally, in agreement with recent experiments, we find that the thermodynamic efficiency can be much improved by using most hydrophilic electrodes.

A new method for mapping perceptual biases across visual space.

Science.gov (United States)

Finlayson, Nonie J; Papageorgiou, Andriani; Schwarzkopf, D Samuel

2017-08-01

How we perceive the environment is not stable and seamless. Recent studies found that how a person qualitatively experiences even simple visual stimuli varies dramatically across different locations in the visual field. Here we use a method we developed recently that we call multiple alternatives perceptual search (MAPS) for efficiently mapping such perceptual biases across several locations. This procedure reliably quantifies the spatial pattern of perceptual biases and also of uncertainty and choice. We show that these measurements are strongly correlated with those from traditional psychophysical methods and that exogenous attention can skew biases without affecting overall task performance. Taken together, MAPS is an efficient method to measure how an individual's perceptual experience varies across space.

Local Helicity Injection Systems for Non-solenoidal Startup in the PEGASUS Toroidal Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, J. M.; Barr, J. L.; Bongard, M. W.; Fonck, R. J.; Hinson, E. T.; Lewicki, B. T.; Redd, A. J.

2013-10-01

Local helicity injection is being developed in the PEGASUS Toroidal Experiment for non-solenoidal startup in spherical tokamaks. The effective loop voltage due to helicity injection scales with the area of the injectors, requiring the development of electron current injectors with areas much larger than the 2 cm2 plasma arc injectors used to date. Solid and gas-effused metallic electrodes were found to be unusable due to reduced injector area utilization from localized cathode spots and narrow operational regimes. An integrated array of 8 compact plasma arc sources is thus being developed for high current startup. It employs two monolithic power systems, for the plasma arc sources and the bias current extraction system. The array effectively eliminates impurity fueling from plasma-material interaction by incorporating a local scraper-limiter and conical-frustum bias electrodes to mitigate the effects of cathode spots. An energy balance model of helicity injection indicates that the resulting 20 cm2 of total injection area should provide sufficient current drive to reach 0.3 MA. At that level, helicity injection drive exceeds that from poloidal induction, which is the relevant operational regime for large-scale spherical tokamaks. Future placement of the injector array near an expanded boundary divertor region will test simultaneous optimization of helicity drive and the Taylor relaxation current limit. Work supported by US DOE Grant DE-FG02-96ER54375.

A magnetically levitated electrode ionization chamber of the noncontact measurement type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawaguchi, Toshiro; Yoshimura, Atsushi

2002-01-01

A new type of ionization chamber with levitated electrode has been developed. In this ionization chamber, an ion-collection electrode levitates in the air without getting any physical support from the insulator. The electrode is charged by an electrostatic charger without physical contact. The charge of the electrode is read out at a Faraday cage periodically at a given time interval without physical contact. Because its electrode levitates, the ionization chamber produces no background current caused by leaks or piezo current. In addition, as the charging of its electrode and the read-out of its charge are carried out without physical contact, no irregular charge or contact potential difference due to the chattering between electrode and contact point occurs. Through experiments, it was found that this ionization chamber was able to measure the γ-ray dose such as the environmental radiation with a high degree of sensitivity. The minimum detectable value of ionization current when accumulated for 1 h is about 1.3x10 -17 A

A magnetically levitated electrode ionization chamber of the noncontact measurement type

CERN Document Server

Kawaguchi, T

2002-01-01

A new type of ionization chamber with levitated electrode has been developed. In this ionization chamber, an ion-collection electrode levitates in the air without getting any physical support from the insulator. The electrode is charged by an electrostatic charger without physical contact. The charge of the electrode is read out at a Faraday cage periodically at a given time interval without physical contact. Because its electrode levitates, the ionization chamber produces no background current caused by leaks or piezo current. In addition, as the charging of its electrode and the read-out of its charge are carried out without physical contact, no irregular charge or contact potential difference due to the chattering between electrode and contact point occurs. Through experiments, it was found that this ionization chamber was able to measure the gamma-ray dose such as the environmental radiation with a high degree of sensitivity. The minimum detectable value of ionization current when accumulated for 1 h is a...

Time scales of bias voltage effects in FE/MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with voltage-dependent perpendicular anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lytvynenko, Ia.M.; Hauet, T.; Montaigne, F.; Bibyk, V.V.; Andrieu, S.

2015-01-01

Interplay between voltage-induced magnetic anisotropy transition and voltage-induced atomic diffusion is studied in epitaxial V/Fe (0.7 nm)/ MgO/ Fe(5 nm)/Co/Au magnetic tunnel junction where thin Fe soft electrode has in-plane or out-of-plane anisotropy depending on the sign of the bias voltage. We investigate the origin of the slow resistance variation occurring when switching bias voltage in opposite polarity. We demonstrate that the time to reach resistance stability after voltage switching is reduced when increasing the voltage amplitude or the temperature. A single energy barrier of about 0.2 eV height is deduced from temperature dependence. Finally, we demonstrate that the resistance change is not correlated to a change in soft electrode anisotropy. This conclusion contrasts with observations recently reported on analogous systems. - Highlights: • Voltage-induced time dependence of resistance is studied in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe. • Resistance change is not related to the bottom Fe/MgO interface. • The effect is thermally activated with an energy barrier of the order of 0.2 eV height

Dimensionally stable PbO{sub 2} electrodes for lead acid batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Devilliers, D.; Devos, B.; Groult, H. [Pierre et Marie Curie Univ., Paris (France). Laboratoire LI2C-Electrochimie

2007-07-15

Dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) are regularly used in industrial electrolytic cells. The titanium substrate in these electrodes is covered by an electrocatalytic layer containing a precious metal oxide. The concept of PbO{sub 2}-dimensionally stable electrodes with a light metal substrate may also be applied to generators, particularly for bipolar lead acid batteries. However, one of the issues with bipolar lead-acid batteries is the stability of the bipolar electrode substrate, particularly on the side onto which the positive active mass is deposited. This article presented the results of a study that characterized the performance of different electrode substrates onto which PbO{sub 2} was electrodeposited using cyclic voltammetry performed with PbO{sub 2} in sulphuric acid. The article discussed the experiment with reference to the titanium substrates; modification of the substrates; x-ray diffraction; and cyclic voltammetry experiments with PbO{sub 2} electrodes. It also presented a discussion of the results. The study concluded that titanium covered by the mixed oxides layer titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2})-tin dioxide (SnO{sub 2})-antimony oxide (Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3}) constitutes a suitable substrate for PbO{sub 2} electrodes. It can be used in lead acid batteries and allows the preparation of compact bipolar batteries. 36 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs.

Selective observation of charge storing ions in supercapacitor electrode materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Forse, Alexander C; Griffin, John M; Grey, Clare P

2018-02-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a useful technique for probing the structure and dynamics of the electrode-electrolyte interface in supercapacitors, as ions inside the pores of the carbon electrodes can be studied separately from bulk electrolyte. However, in some cases spectral resolution can limit the information that can be obtained. In this study we address this issue by showing how cross polarisation (CP) NMR experiments can be used to selectively observe the in-pore ions in supercapacitor electrode materials. We do this by transferring magnetisation from 13 C nuclei in porous carbons to nearby nuclei in the cations ( 1 H) or anions ( 19 F) of an ionic liquid. Two-dimensional NMR experiments and CP kinetics measurements confirm that in-pore ions are located within Ångströms of sp 2 -hybridised carbon surfaces. Multinuclear NMR experiments hold promise for future NMR studies of supercapacitor systems where spectral resolution is limited. Copyright © 2017 University of Cambridge. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A method for additive bias correction in cross-cultural surveys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scholderer, Joachim; Grunert, Klaus G.; Brunsø, Karen

2001-01-01

additive bias from cross-cultural data. The procedure involves four steps: (1) embed a potentially biased item in a factor-analytic measurement model, (2) test for the existence of additive bias between populations, (3) use the factor-analytic model to estimate the magnitude of the bias, and (4) replace......Measurement bias in cross-cultural surveys can seriously threaten the validity of hypothesis tests. Direct comparisons of means depend on the assumption that differences in observed variables reflect differences in the underlying constructs, and not an additive bias that may be caused by cultural...... differences in the understanding of item wording or response category labels. However, experience suggests that additive bias can be found more often than not. Based on the concept of partial measurement invariance (Byrne, Shavelson and Muthén, 1989), the present paper develops a procedure for eliminating...

Perceptual Biases in Relation to Paranormal and Conspiracy Beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

van Elk, Michiel

2015-01-01

Previous studies have shown that one's prior beliefs have a strong effect on perceptual decision-making and attentional processing. The present study extends these findings by investigating how individual differences in paranormal and conspiracy beliefs are related to perceptual and attentional biases. Two field studies were conducted in which visitors of a paranormal conducted a perceptual decision making task (i.e. the face/house categorization task; Experiment 1) or a visual attention task (i.e. the global/local processing task; Experiment 2). In the first experiment it was found that skeptics compared to believers more often incorrectly categorized ambiguous face stimuli as representing a house, indicating that disbelief rather than belief in the paranormal is driving the bias observed for the categorization of ambiguous stimuli. In the second experiment, it was found that skeptics showed a classical 'global-to-local' interference effect, whereas believers in conspiracy theories were characterized by a stronger 'local-to-global interference effect'. The present study shows that individual differences in paranormal and conspiracy beliefs are associated with perceptual and attentional biases, thereby extending the growing body of work in this field indicating effects of cultural learning on basic perceptual processes.

Perceptual Biases in Relation to Paranormal and Conspiracy Beliefs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiel van Elk

Full Text Available Previous studies have shown that one's prior beliefs have a strong effect on perceptual decision-making and attentional processing. The present study extends these findings by investigating how individual differences in paranormal and conspiracy beliefs are related to perceptual and attentional biases. Two field studies were conducted in which visitors of a paranormal conducted a perceptual decision making task (i.e. the face/house categorization task; Experiment 1 or a visual attention task (i.e. the global/local processing task; Experiment 2. In the first experiment it was found that skeptics compared to believers more often incorrectly categorized ambiguous face stimuli as representing a house, indicating that disbelief rather than belief in the paranormal is driving the bias observed for the categorization of ambiguous stimuli. In the second experiment, it was found that skeptics showed a classical 'global-to-local' interference effect, whereas believers in conspiracy theories were characterized by a stronger 'local-to-global interference effect'. The present study shows that individual differences in paranormal and conspiracy beliefs are associated with perceptual and attentional biases, thereby extending the growing body of work in this field indicating effects of cultural learning on basic perceptual processes.

Understanding the tropical warm temperature bias simulated by climate models

Science.gov (United States)

Brient, Florent; Schneider, Tapio

2017-04-01

The state-of-the-art coupled general circulation models have difficulties in representing the observed spatial pattern of surface tempertaure. A majority of them suffers a warm bias in the tropical subsiding regions located over the eastern parts of oceans. These regions are usually covered by low-level clouds scattered from stratus along the coasts to more vertically developed shallow cumulus farther from them. Models usually fail to represent accurately this transition. Here we investigate physical drivers of this warm bias in CMIP5 models through a near-surface energy budget perspective. We show that overestimated solar insolation due to a lack of stratocumulus mostly explains the warm bias. This bias also arises partly from inter-model differences in surface fluxes that could be traced to differences in near-surface relative humidity and air-sea temperature gradient. We investigate the role of the atmosphere in driving surface biases by comparing historical and atmopsheric (AMIP) experiments. We show that some differences in boundary-layer characteristics, mostly those related to cloud fraction and relative humidity, are already present in AMIP experiments and may be the drivers of coupled biases. This gives insights in how models can be improved for better simulations of the tropical climate.

High Temperature Electrolysis using Electrode-Supported Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.

2010-01-01

An experimental study is under way to assess the performance of electrode-supported solid-oxide cells operating in the steam electrolysis mode for hydrogen production. The cells currently under study were developed primarily for the fuel cell mode of operation. Results presented in this paper were obtained from single cells, with an active area of 16 cm2 per cell. The electrolysis cells are electrode-supported, with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes (∼10 (micro)m thick), nickel-YSZ steam/hydrogen electrodes (∼1400 (micro)m thick), and manganite (LSM) air-side electrodes (∼90 (micro)m thick). The purpose of the present study was to document and compare the performance and degradation rates of these cells in the fuel cell mode and in the electrolysis mode under various operating conditions. Initial performance was documented through a series of DC potential sweeps and AC impedance spectroscopy measurements. Degradation was determined through long-duration testing, first in the fuel cell mode, then in the electrolysis mode over more than 500 hours of operation. Results indicate accelerated degradation rates in the electrolysis mode compared to the fuel cell mode, possibly due to electrode delamination. The paper also includes details of the single-cell test apparatus developed specifically for these experiments.

Extraction of network topology from multi-electrode recordings: Is there a small-world effect?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe eGerhard

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurons poses challenges for multivariate data analysis. Here, we propose a general scheme of reconstruction of the functional network from spike train recordings. Effective, causal interactions are estimated by fitting Generalized Linear Models (GLMs on the neural responses, incorporating effects of the neurons' self-history, of input from other neurons in the recorded network and of modulation by an external stimulus. The coupling terms arising from synaptic input can be transformed by thresholding into a binary connectivity matrix which is directed. Each link between two neurons represents a causal influence from one neuron to the other, given the observation of all other neurons from the population. The resulting graph is analyzed with respect to small-world and scale-free properties using quantitative measures for directed networks. Such graph-theoretic analyses have been performed on many complex dynamic networks, including the connectivity structure between different brain areas. Only few studies have attempted to look at the structure of cortical neural networks on the level of individual neurons. Here, using multi-electrode recordings from the visual system of the awake monkey, we find that cortical networks lack scale-free behavior, but show a small, but significant small-world structure. Assuming a simple distance-dependent probabilistic wiring between neurons, we find that this connectivity structure can account for all of the networks' observed small-world-ness. Moreover, for multi-electrode recordings the sampling of neurons is not uniform across the population. We show that the small-world-ness obtained by such a localized sub-sampling overestimates the strength of the true small-world-structure of the network. This bias is likely to be present in all previous experiments based on multi-electrode recordings.

Investigations on structural iron electrochemical properties in layered silicates using massive mica electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadi, J.; Ignatiadis, I.; Tournassat, C.; Charlet, L.; Silvester, E.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Nuclear waste repositories are being installed in deep excavated rock formations in some places in Europe to isolate and store radioactive waste. In France, the Callovo-Oxfordian formation (COx) is a potential candidate for a nuclear waste repository. The redox reactivity of COx clay rock samples are already under study using microscopic, spectrometric and wet analysis techniques. In order to cross and overcome certain limits by improvement in the knowledge, specific electrodes should be constructed and devoted to the deepening of the electrochemical behaviour of the COx system in different situations. Iron is one of the most common redox species in soils and sedimentary rocks. Iron-bearing phyllosilicates play key roles in various biogeochemical processes. The complexity of the physical and chemical changes involving their structural iron makes the studies of its redox properties challenging. Most of the recent reported efforts were focused on probing Fe redox on finely powdered clay particles, and have been hampered by inadequate interactions between particles and electrodes. Moreover, such experiments usually involve redox probe ions, thus adding supplementary difficulties in the determination of structural iron redox parameters such as redox potential (Eh) and kinetics. The present study aims at qualitatively investigating the above mentioned phenomena on minerals like iron-bearing micas. In the current work, we present initial insights regarding efforts to build a direct electrical interface between solid electrodes and conveniently shaped macroscopic mica crystals in order to investigate the redox properties of structural iron in dry and aqueous environments, in the presence of representative perturbations. A classical three electrode system has been used for voltammetric measurements. Platinum plate was the counter electrode. Potentials have been measured against either silver-silver chloride electrode or

Electrodes Modification Based on Metal-Free Phthalocyanine: Example of Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Acetic Acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amadou L. Ndiaye

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Electroanalytical properties of tetra-tert-butyl phthalocyanine (PcH2-tBu modified electrodes are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV. The modified electrodes are obtained by CV deposition techniques on gold (Au and glassy carbon (C screen-printed electrodes (SPEs and used for the electrochemical detection of acetic acid (AA. Based on the CV experiments, the electrodeposition mechanism is detailed. The modified PcH2-tBu electrodes reveal one oxidation and one reduction peak within the potential window of the working electrodes. In the presence of the analyte (acetic acid, the modified electrodes show sensitivity in the range of 10 mM to 400 mM. For the PcH2-tBu modified Au electrode, a limit of detection (LOD of 5.89 mM (based on the +0.06 V peak was obtained while for the PcH2-tBu modified C electrode a LOD of 17.76 mM (based on the +0.07 V peak was achieved. A signal decay of 17%, based on 20 experiments, is obtained when gold is used as working electrode. If carbon is used as working electrode a value of 7% is attained. A signal decay is observed after more than 50 cycles of experiments and is more pronounced when higher concentrations of acetic acid are used. A mechanism of sensing is proposed at the end.

Effects of nicotine and nicotine expectancy on attentional bias for emotional stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Sally; Attwood, Angela S; Munafò, Marcus R

2015-06-01

Nicotine's effects on mood are thought to enhance its addictive potential. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of nicotine on affect regulation have not been reliably demonstrated in human laboratory studies. We investigated the effects of nicotine abstinence (Experiment 1), and nicotine challenge and expectancy (Experiment 2) on attentional bias towards facial emotional stimuli differing in emotional valence. In Experiment 1, 46 nicotine-deprived smokers were randomized to either continue to abstain from smoking or to smoke immediately before testing. In Experiment 2, 96 nicotine-deprived smokers were randomized to smoke a nicotinized or denicotinized cigarette and to be told that the cigarette did or did not contain nicotine. In both experiments participants completed a visual probe task, where positively valenced (happy) and negatively valenced (sad) facial expressions were presented, together with neutral facial expressions. In Experiment 1, there was evidence of an interaction between probe location and abstinence on reaction time, indicating that abstinent smokers showed an attentional bias for neutral stimuli. In Experiment 2, there was evidence of an interaction between probe location, nicotine challenge and expectation on reaction time, indicating that smokers receiving nicotine, but told that they did not receive nicotine, showed an attentional bias for emotional stimuli. Our data suggest that nicotine abstinence appears to disrupt attentional bias towards emotional facial stimuli. These data provide support for nicotine's modulation of attentional bias as a central mechanism for maintaining affect regulation in cigarette smoking. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Performance Improvement of a Magnetized Coaxial Plasma Gun by adopting Iron-core Bias Coil and New Pre-Ionization System

Science.gov (United States)

Edo, Takahiro; Asai, T.; Tanaka, F.; Yamada, S.; Hosozawa, A.; Gota, H.; Roche, T.; Allfrey, I.; Matsumoto, T.

2017-10-01

A magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) is a device used to generate a compact toroid (CT), which has a spheromak-like configuration. A typical MCPG consists of a set of axisymmetric cylindrical electrodes, bias coil, and gas-puff valves. In order to expand the CT operating range, the distributions of the bias magnetic field and neutral gas have been investigated. We have developed a new means of generating stuffing flux. By inserting an iron core into the bias coil, the magnetic field increases dramatically; even a small current of a few Amps produces a sufficient bias field. According to a simulation result, it was also suggested that the radial distribution of the bias field is easily controlled. The ejected CT and the target FRC are cooled by excess neutral gas that typical MCPGs require to initiate a breakdown; therefore, we have adopted a miniature gun as a new pre-ionization (PI) system. By introducing this PI system, the breakdown occurs at lower neutral gas density so that the amount of excess neutral gas can be reduced.

Collisional effects on ion energy and angular distributions incident on RF-biased electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Huatan; Wang Younian; Ma Tengcai

2002-01-01

Taking into account elastic collisions and charge-exchange collisions between ions and neutral particles, the authors established a self-consistent model describing the dynamics of radio-frequency (RF) sheath driven by a sinusoidal current source, and also, using the Monte-Carlo Method, simulated energy and angle distributions of ions bombarding on RF-biased substrates. It has been shown from numerical results that as increasing the discharge pressure, bimodal-peaks distributions for the ion energy become gradually a single-peak distribution, and low-energy ions increase. The authors also found that the angle distribution of ions is narrow and almost do not change with increasing the discharge pressure

The self-attribution bias and paranormal beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

van Elk, Michiel

2017-03-01

The present study investigated the relation between paranormal beliefs, illusory control and the self-attribution bias, i.e., the motivated tendency to attribute positive outcomes to oneself while negative outcomes are externalized. Visitors of a psychic fair played a card guessing game and indicated their perceived control over randomly selected cards as a function of the congruency and valence of the card. A stronger self-attribution bias was observed for paranormal believers compared to skeptics and this bias was specifically related to traditional religious beliefs and belief in superstition. No relation between paranormal beliefs and illusory control was found. Self-report measures indicated that paranormal beliefs were associated to being raised in a spiritual family and to anomalous experiences during childhood. Thereby this study suggests that paranormal beliefs are related to specific cognitive biases that in turn are shaped by socio-cultural factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-related emotional bias in processing two emotionally valenced tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Philip A; Lien, Mei-Ching; Jardin, Elliott

2017-01-01

Previous studies suggest that older adults process positive emotions more efficiently than negative emotions, whereas younger adults show the reverse effect. We examined whether this age-related difference in emotional bias still occurs when attention is engaged in two emotional tasks. We used a psychological refractory period paradigm and varied the emotional valence of Task 1 and Task 2. In both experiments, Task 1 was emotional face discrimination (happy vs. angry faces) and Task 2 was sound discrimination (laugh, punch, vs. cork pop in Experiment 1 and laugh vs. scream in Experiment 2). The backward emotional correspondence effect for positively and negatively valenced Task 2 on Task 1 was measured. In both experiments, younger adults showed a backward correspondence effect from a negatively valenced Task 2, suggesting parallel processing of negatively valenced stimuli. Older adults showed similar negativity bias in Experiment 2 with a more salient negative sound ("scream" relative to "punch"). These results are consistent with an arousal-bias competition model [Mather and Sutherland (Perspectives in Psychological Sciences 6:114-133, 2011)], suggesting that emotional arousal modulates top-down attentional control settings (emotional regulation) with age.

An experimental study of spider-related covariation bias in 8-to 13-year-old children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muris, Peter; de Jong, Peter J.; Meesters, Cor; Waterreus, Bregje; van Lubeck, Janet

2005-01-01

Covariation bias can be defined as phobic subjects' tendency to overestimate the association between phobic stimuli and aversive outcomes. The current study presents two experiments that examined this type of cognitive bias in children aged 8-13 years (N = 147 in Experiment 1, N = 240 in Experiment

Comparison of joint torque evoked with monopolar and tripolar-cuff electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarler, Matthew D; Mortimer, J Thomas

2003-09-01

Using a self-sizing spiral-cuff electrode placed on the sciatic nerve of the cat, the joint torque evoked with stimulation applied to contacts in a monopolar configuration was judged to be the same as the torque evoked by stimulation applied to contacts in a tripolar configuration. Experiments were carried out in six acute cat preparations. In each experiment, a 12-contact electrode was placed on the sciatic nerve and used to effect both the monopolar and tripolar electrode configurations. The ankle torque produced by electrically evoked isometric muscle contraction was measured in three dimensions: plantar flexion, internal rotation, and inversion. Based on the recorded ankle torque, qualitative and quantitative comparisons were performed to determine if any significant difference existed in the pattern or order in which motor nerve fibers were recruited. No significant difference was found at a 98% confidence interval in either the recruitment properties or the repeatability of the monopolar and tripolar configurations. Further, isolated activation of single fascicles within the sciatic nerve was observed. Once nerve fibers in a fascicle were activated, recruitment of that fascicle was modulated over the full range before "spill-over" excitation occurred in neighboring fascicles. These results indicate that a four contact, monopolar nerve-cuff electrode is a viable substitute for a 12 contact, tripolar nerve-cuff electrode. The results of this study are also consistent with the hypothesis that multicontact self-sizing spiral-cuff electrodes can be used in motor prostheses to provide selective control of many muscles. These findings should also apply to other neuroprostheses employing-cuff electrodes on nerve trunks.

Kondo effect in a deformed molecule coupled asymmetrically to ferromagnetic electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rui-Qiang, Wang; Kai-Ming, Jiang

2009-01-01

The nonequilibrium Kondo effect is studied in a molecule quantum dot coupled asymmetrically to two ferromagnetic electrodes by employing the nonequilibrium Green function technique. The current-induced deformation of the molecule is taken into account, modeled as interactions with a phonon system, and phonon-assisted Kondo satellites arise on both sides of the usual main Kondo peak. In the antiparallel electrode configuration, the Kondo satellites can be split only for the asymmetric dot-lead couplings, distinguished from the parallel configuration where splitting also exists, even though it is for symmetric case. We also analyze how to compensate the splitting and restore the suppressed zero-bias Kondo resonance. It is shown that one can change the TMR ratio significantly from a negative dip to a positive peak only by slightly modulating a local external magnetic field, whose value is greatly dependent on the electron–phonon coupling strength. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Development of DBD plasma actuators: The double encapsulated electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Erfani, Rasool; Zare-Behtash, Hossein; Hale, Craig; Kontis, Konstantinos

2015-04-01

Plasma actuators are electrical devices that generate a wall bounded jet without the use of any moving parts. For aerodynamic applications they can be used as flow control devices to delay separation and augment lift on a wing. The standard plasma actuator consists of a single encapsulated (ground) electrode. The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of varying the number and distribution of encapsulated electrodes in the dielectric layer. Utilising a transformer cascade, a variety of input voltages are studied for their effect. In the quiescent environment of a Faraday cage the velocity flow field is recorded using particle image velocimetry. Through understanding of the mechanisms involved in producing the wall jet and the importance of the encapsulated electrode a novel actuator design is proposed. The actuator design distributes the encapsulated electrode throughout the dielectric layer. The experiments have shown that actuators with a shallow initial encapsulated electrode induce velocities greater than the baseline case at the same voltage. Actuators with a deep initial encapsulated electrode are able to induce the highest velocities as they can operate at higher voltages without breakdown of the dielectric.

The persistence of the attentional bias to regularities in a changing environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ru Qi; Zhao, Jiaying

2015-10-01

The environment often is stable, but some aspects may change over time. The challenge for the visual system is to discover and flexibly adapt to the changes. We examined how attention is shifted in the presence of changes in the underlying structure of the environment. In six experiments, observers viewed four simultaneous streams of objects while performing a visual search task. In the first half of each experiment, the stream in the structured location contained regularities, the shapes in the random location were randomized, and gray squares appeared in two neutral locations. In the second half, the stream in the structured or the random location may change. In the first half of all experiments, visual search was facilitated in the structured location, suggesting that attention was consistently biased toward regularities. In the second half, this bias persisted in the structured location when no change occurred (Experiment 1), when the regularities were removed (Experiment 2), or when new regularities embedded in the original or novel stimuli emerged in the previously random location (Experiments 3 and 6). However, visual search was numerically but no longer reliably faster in the structured location when the initial regularities were removed and new regularities were introduced in the previously random location (Experiment 4), or when novel random stimuli appeared in the random location (Experiment 5). This suggests that the attentional bias was weakened. Overall, the results demonstrate that the attentional bias to regularities was persistent but also sensitive to changes in the environment.

The effects of rehabilitative voir dire on juror bias and decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Crocker, Caroline B; Kovera, Margaret Bull

2010-06-01

During voir dire, judges frequently attempt to "rehabilitate" venirepersons who express an inability to be impartial. Venirepersons who agree to ignore their biases and base their verdict on the evidence and the law are eligible for jury service. In Experiment 1, biased and unbiased mock jurors participated in either a standard or rehabilitative voir dire conducted by a judge and watched a trial video. Rehabilitation influenced insanity defense attitudes and perceptions of the defendant's mental state, and decreased scaled guilt judgments compared to standard questioning. Although rehabilitation is intended to correct for partiality among biased jurors, rehabilitation similarly influenced biased and unbiased jurors. Experiment 2 found that watching rehabilitation did not influence jurors' perceptions of the judge's personal beliefs about the case.

Novel graphene-like electrodes for capacitive deionization.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Haibo; Zou, Linda; Pan, Likun; Sun, Zhuo

2010-11-15

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a novel technology that has been developed for removal of charged ionic species from salty water, such as salt ions. The basic concept of CDI, as well as electrosorption, is to force charged ions toward oppositely polarized electrodes through imposing a direct electric field to form a strong electrical double layer and hold the ions. Once the electric field disappears, the ions are instantly released back to the bulk solution. CDI is an alternative low-energy consumption desalination technology. Graphene-like nanoflakes (GNFs) with relatively high specific surface area have been prepared and used as electrodes for capacitive deionization. The GNFs were synthesized by a modified Hummers' method using hydrazine for reduction. They were characterized by atomic force microscopy, N2 adsorption at 77 K and electrochemical workstation. It was found that the ratio of nitric acid and sulfuric acid plays a vital role in determining the specific surface area of GNFs. Its electrosorption performance was much better than commercial activated carbon (AC), suggesting a great potential in capacitive deionisation application. Further, the electrosorptive performance of GNFs electrodes with different bias potentials, flow rates and ionic strengths were measured and the electrosorption isotherm and kinetics were investigated. The results showed that GNFs prepared by this process had the specific surface area of 222.01 m²/g. The specific electrosorptive capacity of the GNFs was 23.18 µmol/g for sodium ions (Na+) when the initial concentration was at 25 mg/L, which was higher than that of previously reported data using graphene and AC under the same experimental condition. In addition, the equilibrium electrosorption capacity was determined as 73.47 µmol/g at 2.0 V by fitting data through the Langmuir isotherm, and the rate constant was found to be 1.01 min⁻¹ by fitting data through pseudo first-order adsorption. The results suggested that the

Electron beam dynamics in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope with Wehnelt electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bücker, K.; Picher, M.; Crégut, O. [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg (France); LaGrange, T. [Interdisciplinary Centre for Electron Microscopy, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Reed, B.W.; Park, S.T.; Masiel, D.J. [Integrated Dynamic Electron Solutions, Inc., 5653 Stoneridge Drive 117, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (United States); Banhart, F., E-mail: florian.banhart@ipcms.unistra.fr [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg (France)

2016-12-15

High temporal resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques have shown significant progress in recent years. Using photoelectron pulses induced by ultrashort laser pulses on the cathode, these methods can probe ultrafast materials processes and have revealed numerous dynamic phenomena at the nanoscale. Most recently, the technique has been implemented in standard thermionic electron microscopes that provide a flexible platform for studying material's dynamics over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. In this study, the electron pulses in such an ultrafast transmission electron microscope are characterized in detail. The microscope is based on a thermionic gun with a Wehnelt electrode and is operated in a stroboscopic photoelectron mode. It is shown that the Wehnelt bias has a decisive influence on the temporal and energy spread of the picosecond electron pulses. Depending on the shape of the cathode and the cathode-Wehnelt distance, different emission patterns with different pulse parameters are obtained. The energy spread of the pulses is determined by space charge and Boersch effects, given by the number of electrons in a pulse. However, filtering effects due to the chromatic aberrations of the Wehnelt electrode allow the extraction of pulses with narrow energy spreads. The temporal spread is governed by electron trajectories of different length and in different electrostatic potentials. High temporal resolution is obtained by excluding shank emission from the cathode and aberration-induced halos in the emission pattern. By varying the cathode-Wehnelt gap, the Wehnelt bias, and the number of photoelectrons in a pulse, tradeoffs between energy and temporal resolution as well as beam intensity can be made as needed for experiments. Based on the characterization of the electron pulses, the optimal conditions for the operation of ultrafast TEMs with thermionic gun assembly are elaborated. - Highlights: • A detailed characterization of electron

Bias correction of daily satellite precipitation data using genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Pratama, A. W.; Buono, A.; Hidayat, R.; Harsa, H.

2018-05-01

Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) was producted by blending Satellite-only Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation (CHIRP) with Stasion observations data. The blending process was aimed to reduce bias of CHIRP. However, Biases of CHIRPS on statistical moment and quantil values were high during wet season over Java Island. This paper presented a bias correction scheme to adjust statistical moment of CHIRP using observation precipitation data. The scheme combined Genetic Algorithm and Nonlinear Power Transformation, the results was evaluated based on different season and different elevation level. The experiment results revealed that the scheme robustly reduced bias on variance around 100% reduction and leaded to reduction of first, and second quantile biases. However, bias on third quantile only reduced during dry months. Based on different level of elevation, the performance of bias correction process is only significantly different on skewness indicators.

Electrode phenomena, tensor conductivity and electrode heating in seeded argon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Croitoru, Z.; de Montardy, A.

1963-04-15

Contact potential drops along the electrodes often prevent measurements of ionized gas conductivity. In order to avoid such potential drops, a measurement cell using double probe technique was realized. By adding a third probe, it is also possible to measure the conductivity tensor components. Formulas commonly used are shown to be incorrect. In order to evaluate non- equilibrium conductivity, the excitation temperature of the seed is to be considered, rather than electron temperature, especially in small scale experiments, where charged particle losses by ambipolar diffusion are to be expected. (auth)

Simultaneous perceptual and response biases on sequential face attractiveness judgments

Science.gov (United States)

Pegors, Teresa K.; Mattar, Marcelo G.; Bryan, Peter B.; Epstein, Russell A.

2015-01-01

Face attractiveness is a social characteristic that we often use to make first-pass judgments about the people around us. However, these judgments are highly influenced by our surrounding social world, and researchers still understand little about the mechanisms underlying these influences. In a series of three experiments, we used a novel sequential rating paradigm that enabled us to measure biases on attractiveness judgments from the previous face and the previous rating. Our results revealed two simultaneous and opposing influences on face attractiveness judgments that arise from our past experience of faces: a response bias in which attractiveness ratings shift towards a previously given rating, and a stimulus bias in which attractiveness ratings shift away from the mean attractiveness of the previous face. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the contrastive stimulus bias (but not the assimilative response bias) is strengthened by increasing the duration of the previous stimulus, suggesting an underlying perceptual mechanism. These results demonstrate that judgments of face attractiveness are influenced by information from our evaluative and perceptual history and that these influences have measurable behavioral effects over the course of just a few seconds. PMID:25867223

Bias and Causation Models and Judgment for Valid Comparisons

CERN Document Server

Weisberg, Herbert I

2010-01-01

A one-of-a-kind resource on identifying and dealing with bias in statistical research on causal effects. Do cell phones cause cancer? Can a new curriculum increase student achievement? Determining what the real causes of such problems are, and how powerful their effects may be, are central issues in research across various fields of study. Some researchers are highly skeptical of drawing causal conclusions except in tightly controlled randomized experiments, while others discount the threats posed by different sources of bias, even in less rigorous observational studies. Bias and Causation pre

Confirmation bias in human reinforcement learning: Evidence from counterfactual feedback processing

Science.gov (United States)

Lefebvre, Germain; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne

2017-01-01

Previous studies suggest that factual learning, that is, learning from obtained outcomes, is biased, such that participants preferentially take into account positive, as compared to negative, prediction errors. However, whether or not the prediction error valence also affects counterfactual learning, that is, learning from forgone outcomes, is unknown. To address this question, we analysed the performance of two groups of participants on reinforcement learning tasks using a computational model that was adapted to test if prediction error valence influences learning. We carried out two experiments: in the factual learning experiment, participants learned from partial feedback (i.e., the outcome of the chosen option only); in the counterfactual learning experiment, participants learned from complete feedback information (i.e., the outcomes of both the chosen and unchosen option were displayed). In the factual learning experiment, we replicated previous findings of a valence-induced bias, whereby participants learned preferentially from positive, relative to negative, prediction errors. In contrast, for counterfactual learning, we found the opposite valence-induced bias: negative prediction errors were preferentially taken into account, relative to positive ones. When considering valence-induced bias in the context of both factual and counterfactual learning, it appears that people tend to preferentially take into account information that confirms their current choice. PMID:28800597

Confirmation bias in human reinforcement learning: Evidence from counterfactual feedback processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Palminteri, Stefano; Lefebvre, Germain; Kilford, Emma J; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne

2017-08-01

Previous studies suggest that factual learning, that is, learning from obtained outcomes, is biased, such that participants preferentially take into account positive, as compared to negative, prediction errors. However, whether or not the prediction error valence also affects counterfactual learning, that is, learning from forgone outcomes, is unknown. To address this question, we analysed the performance of two groups of participants on reinforcement learning tasks using a computational model that was adapted to test if prediction error valence influences learning. We carried out two experiments: in the factual learning experiment, participants learned from partial feedback (i.e., the outcome of the chosen option only); in the counterfactual learning experiment, participants learned from complete feedback information (i.e., the outcomes of both the chosen and unchosen option were displayed). In the factual learning experiment, we replicated previous findings of a valence-induced bias, whereby participants learned preferentially from positive, relative to negative, prediction errors. In contrast, for counterfactual learning, we found the opposite valence-induced bias: negative prediction errors were preferentially taken into account, relative to positive ones. When considering valence-induced bias in the context of both factual and counterfactual learning, it appears that people tend to preferentially take into account information that confirms their current choice.

Molybdenum coated SU-8 microneedle electrodes for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Soltanzadeh, Ramin; Afsharipour, Elnaz; Shafai, Cyrus; Anssari, Neda; Mansouri, Behzad; Moussavi, Zahra

2017-11-21

Electrophysiological devices are connected to the body through electrodes. In some applications, such as nerve stimulation, it is needed to minimally pierce the skin and reach the underneath layers to bypass the impedance of the first layer called stratum corneum. In this study, we have designed and fabricated surface microneedle electrodes for applications such as electrical peripheral nerve stimulation. We used molybdenum for microneedle fabrication, which is a biocompatible metal; it was used for the conductive layer of the needle array. To evaluate the performance of the fabricated electrodes, they were compared with the conventional surface electrodes in nerve conduction velocity experiment. The recorded signals showed a much lower contact resistance and higher bandwidth in low frequencies for the fabricated microneedle electrodes compared to those of the conventional electrodes. These results indicate the electrode-tissue interface capacitance and charge transfer resistance have been increased in our designed electrodes, while the contact resistance decreased. These changes will lead to less harmful Faradaic current passing through the tissue during stimulation in different frequencies. We also compared the designed microneedle electrodes with conventional ones by a 3-dimensional finite element simulation. The results demonstrated that the current density in the deep layers of the skin and the directivity toward a target nerve for microneedle electrodes were much more than those for the conventional ones. Therefore, the designed electrodes are much more efficient than the conventional electrodes for superficial transcutaneous nerve stimulation purposes.

Design of a new electrode array for cochlear implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kha, H.; Chen, B.

2010-01-01

Full text: This study aims to design a new electrode array which can be precisely located beneath the basilar membrane within the cochlear scala tympani. This placement of the electrode array is beneficial for increasing the effectiveness of the electrical stimulation of the audi tory nerves and maximising the growth factors delivered into the cochlea for regenerating the progressively lost auditory neurons, thereby significantly improving performance of the cochlear implant systems. Methods The design process involved two steps. First, the biocom patible nitinol-based shape memory alloy, of which mechanical deformation can be controlled using electrical cUTents/fields act vated by body temperature, was selected. Second, five different designs of the electrode array with embedded nitinol actuators were studied (Table I). The finite element method was employed to predict final positions of these electrode arrays. Results The electrode array with three 6 mm actuators at 2-8, 8-J4 and 14-20 mm from the tip (Fig. I) was found to be located most closely to the basilar membrane, compared with those in the other four cases. Conclusions A new nitinol cochlear implant electrode array with three embedded nitinol actuators has been designed. This electrode array is expected to be located beneath the basilar membrane for maximising the delivery of growth factors. Future research will involve the manufacturing of a prototype of this electrode array for use in insertion experiments and neurotrophin release tests.

Assessing Projection Bias in Consumers' Food Preferences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiziana de-Magistris

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to test whether projection bias exists in consumers' purchasing decisions for food products. To achieve our aim, we used a non-hypothetical experiment (i.e., experimental auction, where hungry and non-hungry participants were incentivized to reveal their willingness to pay (WTP. The results confirm the existence of projection bias when consumers made their decisions on food products. In particular, projection bias existed because currently hungry participants were willing to pay a higher price premium for cheeses than satiated ones, both in hungry and satiated future states. Moreover, participants overvalued the food product more when they were delivered in the future hungry condition than in the satiated one. Our study provides clear, quantitative and meaningful evidence of projection bias because our findings are based on economic valuation of food preferences. Indeed, the strength of this study is that findings are expressed in terms of willingness to pay which is an interpretable amount of money.

Biased Monte Carlo optimization: the basic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campioni, Luca; Scardovelli, Ruben; Vestrucci, Paolo

2005-01-01

It is well-known that the Monte Carlo method is very successful in tackling several kinds of system simulations. It often happens that one has to deal with rare events, and the use of a variance reduction technique is almost mandatory, in order to have Monte Carlo efficient applications. The main issue associated with variance reduction techniques is related to the choice of the value of the biasing parameter. Actually, this task is typically left to the experience of the Monte Carlo user, who has to make many attempts before achieving an advantageous biasing. A valuable result is provided: a methodology and a practical rule addressed to establish an a priori guidance for the choice of the optimal value of the biasing parameter. This result, which has been obtained for a single component system, has the notable property of being valid for any multicomponent system. In particular, in this paper, the exponential and the uniform biases of exponentially distributed phenomena are investigated thoroughly

Multi-Electrode Impedance Method for Detection of Regional Ventilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuya, Norio; Sakamoto, Katsuyuki

2013-01-01

By means of computer simulation and experiment, we investigated the feasibility of simultaneously measuring the transfer impedance changes in the right apex, left apex, right base and left base of the lungs using the multi-electrode impedance method. To obtain the transfer impedance in each region, while suppressing the effects of other regions, changing the amplitude and polarity of the applied current must localize the high sensitivity areas in the interest region. Twelve current and eight voltage electrodes were equidistantly arranged on the anterior and posterior chest walls. The amplitudes and polarities of the currents that were simultaneously applied to the current electrodes, and which provided the appropriate sensitivity distribution, were theoretically obtained. The effects of the localized sensitivity distribution were verified by comparing the simulation results of the investigated method with the results of the conventional four-electrode method. From the results of the computer simulation, we developed a multi-electrode impedance pneumography and applied it to healthy adult volunteers who were both in sitting position and in left decubitus. We found that the measurement results were physiologically reasonable.

Evaluation of FOXFET biased ac-coupled silicon strip detector prototypes for CDF SVX upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laakso, M. (Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (United States) Research Inst. for High Energy Physics (SEFT), Helsinki (Finland))

1992-03-01

Silicon microstrip detectors for high-precision charged particle position measurements have been used in nuclear and particle physics for years. The detectors have evolved from simple surface barrier strip detectors with metal strips to highly complicated double-sided AC-coupled junction detectors. The feature of AC-coupling the readout electrodes from the diode strips necessitates the manufacture of a separate biasing structure for the strips, which comprises a common bias line together with a means for preventing the signal from one strip from spreading to its neighbors through the bias line. The obvious solution to this is to bias the strips through individual high value resistors. These resistors can be integrated on the detector wafer by depositing a layer of resistive polycrystalline silicon and patterning it to form the individual resistors. To circumvent the extra processing step required for polysilicon resistor processing and the rather difficult tuning of the process to obtain uniform and high enough resistance values throughout the large detector area, alternative methods for strip biasing have been devised. These include the usage of electron accumulation layer resistance for N{sup +}{minus} strips or the usage of the phenomenon known as the punch-through effect for P{sup +}{minus} strips. In this paper we present measurement results about the operation and radiation resistance of detectors with a punch-through effect based biasing structure known as a Field OXide Field-Effect Transistor (FOXFET), and present a model describing the FOXFET behavior. The studied detectors were prototypes for detectors to be used in the CDF silicon vertex detector upgrade.

Evaluation of FOXFET biased ac-coupled silicon strip detector prototypes for CDF SVX upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, M.

1992-03-01

Silicon microstrip detectors for high-precision charged particle position measurements have been used in nuclear and particle physics for years. The detectors have evolved from simple surface barrier strip detectors with metal strips to highly complicated double-sided AC-coupled junction detectors. The feature of AC-coupling the readout electrodes from the diode strips necessitates the manufacture of a separate biasing structure for the strips, which comprises a common bias line together with a means for preventing the signal from one strip from spreading to its neighbors through the bias line. The obvious solution to this is to bias the strips through individual high value resistors. These resistors can be integrated on the detector wafer by depositing a layer of resistive polycrystalline silicon and patterning it to form the individual resistors. To circumvent the extra processing step required for polysilicon resistor processing and the rather difficult tuning of the process to obtain uniform and high enough resistance values throughout the large detector area, alternative methods for strip biasing have been devised. These include the usage of electron accumulation layer resistance for N + - strips or the usage of the phenomenon known as the punch-through effect for P + - strips. In this paper we present measurement results about the operation and radiation resistance of detectors with a punch-through effect based biasing structure known as a Field OXide Field-Effect Transistor (FOXFET), and present a model describing the FOXFET behavior. The studied detectors were prototypes for detectors to be used in the CDF silicon vertex detector upgrade

Through the Eyes of the Beholder: Simulated Eye-movement Experience ("SEE") Modulates Valence Bias in Response to Emotional Ambiguity.

Science.gov (United States)

Neta, Maital; Dodd, Michael D

2018-02-01

Although some facial expressions provide clear information about people's emotions and intentions (happy, angry), others (surprise) are ambiguous because they can signal both positive (e.g., surprise party) and negative outcomes (e.g., witnessing an accident). Without a clarifying context, surprise is interpreted as positive by some and negative by others, and this valence bias is stable across time. When compared to fearful expressions, which are consistently rated as negative, surprise and fear share similar morphological features (e.g., widened eyes) primarily in the upper part of the face. Recently, we demonstrated that the valence bias was associated with a specific pattern of eye movements (positive bias associated with faster fixation to the lower part of the face). In this follow-up, we identified two participants from our previous study who had the most positive and most negative valence bias. We used their eye movements to create a moving window such that new participants viewed faces through the eyes of one our previous participants (subjects saw only the areas of the face that were directly fixated by the original participants in the exact order they were fixated; i.e., Simulated Eye-movement Experience). The input provided by these windows modulated the valence ratings of surprise, but not fear faces. These findings suggest there are meaningful individual differences in how people process faces, and that these differences impact our emotional perceptions. Furthermore, this study is unique in its approach to examining individual differences in emotion by creating a new methodology adapted from those used primarily in the vision/attention domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Overgeneral autobiographical memory bias in clinical and non-clinical voice hearers.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobsen, Pamela; Peters, Emmanuelle; Ward, Thomas; Garety, Philippa A; Jackson, Mike; Chadwick, Paul

2018-03-14

Hearing voices can be a distressing and disabling experience for some, whilst it is a valued experience for others, so-called 'healthy voice-hearers'. Cognitive models of psychosis highlight the role of memory, appraisal and cognitive biases in determining emotional and behavioural responses to voices. A memory bias potentially associated with distressing voices is the overgeneral memory bias (OGM), namely the tendency to recall a summary of events rather than specific occasions. It may limit access to autobiographical information that could be helpful in re-appraising distressing experiences, including voices. We investigated the possible links between OGM and distressing voices in psychosis by comparing three groups: (1) clinical voice-hearers (N = 39), (2) non-clinical voice-hearers (N = 35) and (3) controls without voices (N = 77) on a standard version of the autobiographical memory test (AMT). Clinical and non-clinical voice-hearers also completed a newly adapted version of the task, designed to assess voices-related memories (vAMT). As hypothesised, the clinical group displayed an OGM bias by retrieving fewer specific autobiographical memories on the AMT compared with both the non-clinical and control groups, who did not differ from each other. The clinical group also showed an OGM bias in recall of voice-related memories on the vAMT, compared with the non-clinical group. Clinical voice-hearers display an OGM bias when compared with non-clinical voice-hearers on both general and voices-specific recall tasks. These findings have implications for the refinement and targeting of psychological interventions for psychosis.

Theoretical Verification of Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation Using Nanocrystalline TiO2 Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shozo Yanagida

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Mesoscopic anatase nanocrystalline TiO2 (nc-TiO2 electrodes play effective and efficient catalytic roles in photoelectrochemical (PEC H2O oxidation under short circuit energy gap excitation conditions. Interfacial molecular orbital structures of (H2O3 &OH(TiO29H as a stationary model under neutral conditions and the radical-cation model of [(H2O3&OH(TiO29H]+ as a working nc-TiO2 model are simulated employing a cluster model OH(TiO29H (Yamashita/Jono’s model and a H2O cluster model of (H2O3 to examine excellent H2O oxidation on nc-TiO2 electrodes in PEC cells. The stationary model, (H2O3&OH(TiO29H reveals that the model surface provides catalytic H2O binding sites through hydrogen bonding, van der Waals and Coulombic interactions. The working model, [(H2O3&OH(TiO29H]+ discloses to have a very narrow energy gap (0.3 eV between HOMO and LUMO potentials, proving that PEC nc-TiO2 electrodes become conductive at photo-irradiated working conditions. DFT-simulation of stepwise oxidation of a hydroxide ion cluster model of OH−(H2O3, proves that successive two-electron oxidation leads to hydroxyl radical clusters, which should give hydrogen peroxide as a precursor of oxygen molecules. Under working bias conditions of PEC cells, nc-TiO2 electrodes are now verified to become conductive by energy gap photo-excitation and the electrode surface provides powerful oxidizing sites for successive H2O oxidation to oxygen via hydrogen peroxide.

A procedure for eliminating additive bias from cross-cultural survey data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scholderer, Joachim; Grunert, Klaus G.; Brunsø, Karen

2005-01-01

additive bias from cross-cultural data. The procedure involves four steps: (1) embed a potentially biased item in a factor-analytic measurement model, (2) test for the existence of additive bias between populations, (3) use the factor-analytic model to estimate the magnitude of the bias, and (4) replace......Measurement bias in cross-cultural surveys can seriously threaten the validity of hypothesis tests. Direct comparisons of means depend on the assumption that differences in observed variables reflect differences in the underlying constructs, and not an additive bias that may be caused by cultural...... differences in the understanding of item wording or response category labels. However, experience suggests that additive bias can be found more often than not. Based on the concept of partial measurement invariance (Byrne, Shavelson and Muthén 1989), the present paper develops a procedure for eliminating...

NOx removal enhancement by a Jerks - and - Jumps type electrode in a dielectric barrier discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercado-Cabrera, A; Villar, E L del; Valencia-Alvarado, R; Lopez-Callejas, R; Barocio, S R; Pena-Eguiluz, R; Munozoz-Castro, A; Jaramillo-Sierra, B; Piedad-Beneitez, A de la

2008-01-01

In this study, the electrode surface of a NOx removal treatment reactor has been modified in order to reduce its electric potential level and, at the same time, to increase its removal capacity by generating a cold plasma using a non-homogenous electric field on the electrode surface. This electric field has been achieved by means of a jerks and jumps-like electrode profile. The other electrode conserves the original flat form. Then, experiments on the removal of NOx were carried out in this 22.4 cm 3 reactor. Concentrations of 30-80 μmol/mol of NOx in nitrogen were used with 1 SLPM flows. The exhaust gases were analysed as well as characterised by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Additional experiments were also carried out in a second reactor of the same reaction volume but where two conventional flat and parallel electrodes were used, in order to compare the results. The NO removal efficiency in the two flat electrode case approached 87% while ∼98% in the jerks and jumps reactor

Estimation and correction of visibility bias in aerial surveys of wintering ducks

Science.gov (United States)

Pearse, A.T.; Gerard, P.D.; Dinsmore, S.J.; Kaminski, R.M.; Reinecke, K.J.

2008-01-01

Incomplete detection of all individuals leading to negative bias in abundance estimates is a pervasive source of error in aerial surveys of wildlife, and correcting that bias is a critical step in improving surveys. We conducted experiments using duck decoys as surrogates for live ducks to estimate bias associated with surveys of wintering ducks in Mississippi, USA. We found detection of decoy groups was related to wetland cover type (open vs. forested), group size (1?100 decoys), and interaction of these variables. Observers who detected decoy groups reported counts that averaged 78% of the decoys actually present, and this counting bias was not influenced by either covariate cited above. We integrated this sightability model into estimation procedures for our sample surveys with weight adjustments derived from probabilities of group detection (estimated by logistic regression) and count bias. To estimate variances of abundance estimates, we used bootstrap resampling of transects included in aerial surveys and data from the bias-correction experiment. When we implemented bias correction procedures on data from a field survey conducted in January 2004, we found bias-corrected estimates of abundance increased 36?42%, and associated standard errors increased 38?55%, depending on species or group estimated. We deemed our method successful for integrating correction of visibility bias in an existing sample survey design for wintering ducks in Mississippi, and we believe this procedure could be implemented in a variety of sampling problems for other locations and species.

Unclaimed Prize Information Biases Perceptions of Winning in Scratch Card Gambling.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Alexander C; Stange, Madison; Fugelsang, Jonathan A; Koehler, Derek J; Dixon, Mike J

2018-03-29

Unclaimed prize information (i.e., the number of prizes still available to be won) is information commonly provided to scratch card gamblers. However, unless the number of tickets remaining to be purchased is also provided, this information is uninformative. Despite its lack of utility in assisting gamblers in choosing the most favourable type of scratch card to play, we hypothesized that unclaimed prize information would bias participants' judgments within a scratch card gambling context. In Experiment 1 (N = 201), we showed that participants are influenced by this information such that they felt more likely to win, were more excited to play, and preferred to hypothetically purchase more of the scratch card with the greatest number of unclaimed prizes. In Experiment 2 (N = 201), we attempted to ameliorate this bias by providing participants with the number of tickets remaining to be purchased and equating the payback percentages of all three games. The bias, although attenuated, still persisted in these conditions. Finally, in Experiment 3 (N = 200), we manipulated the hypothetical scratch cards such that games with the highest number of unclaimed prizes were the least favourable, and vice versa. As in Experiment 2, participants still favoured cards with greater numbers of unclaimed prizes. Possible mechanisms underlying this bias are discussed. In conclusion, across three experiments, we demonstrate that salient unclaimed prize information is capable of exerting a strong effect over judgments related to scratch card games.

Observational drawing biases are predicted by biases in perception: Empirical support of the misperception hypothesis of drawing accuracy with respect to two angle illusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrofsky, Justin; Kozbelt, Aaron; Cohen, Dale J

2015-01-01

We tested the misperception hypothesis of drawing errors, which states that drawing accuracy is strongly influenced by the perceptual encoding of a to-be-drawn stimulus. We used a highly controlled experimental paradigm in which nonartist participants made perceptual judgements and drawings of angles under identical stimulus exposure conditions. Experiment 1 examined the isosceles/scalene triangle angle illusion; congruent patterns of bias in the perception and drawing tasks were found for 40 and 60° angles, but not for 20 or 80° angles, providing mixed support for the misperception hypothesis. Experiment 2 examined shape constancy effects with respect to reproductions of single acute or obtuse angles; congruent patterns of bias in the perception and drawing tasks were found across a range of angles from 29 to 151°, providing strong support for the misperception hypothesis. In both experiments, perceptual and drawing biases were positively correlated. These results are largely consistent with the misperception hypothesis, suggesting that inaccurate perceptual encoding of angles is an important reason that nonartists err in drawing angles from observation.

"Fair Play": A Videogame Designed to Address Implicit Race Bias Through Active Perspective Taking.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Belinda; Kaatz, Anna; Chu, Sarah; Ramirez, Dennis; Samson-Samuel, Clem; Carnes, Molly

2014-12-01

Having diverse faculty in academic health centers will help diversify the healthcare workforce and reduce health disparities. Implicit race bias is one factor that contributes to the underrepresentation of Black faculty. We designed the videogame "Fair Play" in which players assume the role of a Black graduate student named Jamal Davis. As Jamal, players experience subtle race bias while completing "quests" to obtain a science degree. We hypothesized that participants randomly assigned to play the game would have greater empathy for Jamal and lower implicit race bias than participants randomized to read narrative text describing Jamal's experience. University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate students were recruited via e-mail and randomly assigned to play "Fair Play" or read narrative text through an online link. Upon completion, participants took an Implicit Association Test to measure implicit bias and answered survey questions assessing empathy toward Jamal and awareness of bias. As hypothesized, gameplayers showed the least implicit bias but only when they also showed high empathy for Jamal (P=0.013). Gameplayers did not show greater empathy than text readers, and women in the text condition reported the greatest empathy for Jamal (P=0.008). However, high empathy only predicted lower levels of implicit bias among those who actively took Jamal's perspective through gameplay (P=0.014). A videogame in which players experience subtle race bias as a Black graduate student has the potential to reduce implicit bias, possibly because of a game's ability to foster empathy through active perspective taking.

Estimating Production Potentials: Expert Bias in Applied Decision Making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, L.J.; Burggraf, L.K.; Reece, W.J.

1998-01-01

A study was conducted to evaluate how workers predict manufacturing production potentials given positively and negatively framed information. Findings indicate the existence of a bias toward positive information and suggest that this bias may be reduced with experience but is never the less maintained. Experts err in the same way non experts do in differentially processing negative and positive information. Additionally, both experts and non experts tend to overestimate production potentials in a positive direction. The authors propose that these biases should be addressed with further research including cross domain analyses and consideration in training, workplace design, and human performance modeling

Sympathetic bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, David M; Peart, Sandra J

2008-06-01

We wish to deal with investigator bias in a statistical context. We sketch how a textbook solution to the problem of "outliers" which avoids one sort of investigator bias, creates the temptation for another sort. We write down a model of the approbation seeking statistician who is tempted by sympathy for client to violate the disciplinary standards. We give a simple account of one context in which we might expect investigator bias to flourish. Finally, we offer tentative suggestions to deal with the problem of investigator bias which follow from our account. As we have given a very sparse and stylized account of investigator bias, we ask what might be done to overcome this limitation.

Bias modification training can alter approach bias and chocolate consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Sophie E; Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2016-01-01

Recent evidence has demonstrated that bias modification training has potential to reduce cognitive biases for attractive targets and affect health behaviours. The present study investigated whether cognitive bias modification training could be applied to reduce approach bias for chocolate and affect subsequent chocolate consumption. A sample of 120 women (18-27 years) were randomly assigned to an approach-chocolate condition or avoid-chocolate condition, in which they were trained to approach or avoid pictorial chocolate stimuli, respectively. Training had the predicted effect on approach bias, such that participants trained to approach chocolate demonstrated an increased approach bias to chocolate stimuli whereas participants trained to avoid such stimuli showed a reduced bias. Further, participants trained to avoid chocolate ate significantly less of a chocolate muffin in a subsequent taste test than participants trained to approach chocolate. Theoretically, results provide support for the dual process model's conceptualisation of consumption as being driven by implicit processes such as approach bias. In practice, approach bias modification may be a useful component of interventions designed to curb the consumption of unhealthy foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Politics of Affirmation Theory: When Group-Affirmation Leads to Greater Ingroup Bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, Gaven A; Gramzow, Richard H

2015-08-01

It has been well established in the literature that affirming the individual self reduces the tendency to exhibit group-favoring biases. The limited research examining group-affirmation and bias, however, is inconclusive. We argue that group-affirmation can exacerbate group-serving biases in certain contexts, and in the current set of studies, we document this phenomenon directly. Unlike self-affirmation, group-affirmation led to greater ingroup-favoring evaluative judgments among political partisans (Experiment 1). This increase in evaluative bias following group-affirmation was moderated by political party identification and was not found among those who affirmed a non-political ingroup (Experiment 2). In addition, the mechanism underlying these findings is explored and interpreted within the theoretical frameworks of self-categorization theory and the multiple self-aspects model (Experiments 2 and 3). The broader implications of our findings for the understanding of social identity and affirmation theory are discussed. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Theoretical investigation of phase-controlled bias effect in capacitively coupled plasma discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Deuk-Chul; Yoon, Jung-Sik

2011-01-01

We theoretically investigated the effect of phase difference between powered electrodes in capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharges. Previous experimental result has shown that the plasma potential could be controlled by using a phase-shift controller in CCP discharges. In this work, based on the previously developed radio frequency sheath models, we developed a circuit model to self-consistently determine the bias voltage from the plasma parameters. Results show that the present theoretical model explains the experimental results quite well and there is an optimum value of the phase difference for which the V dc /V pp ratio becomes a minimum.

Motion, identity and the bias toward agency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris eFields

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The well-documented human bias toward agency as a cause and therefore an explanation of observed events is typically attributed to evolutionary selection for a social brain. Based on a review of developmental and adult behavioral and neurocognitive data, it is argued that the bias toward agency is a result of the default human solution, developed during infancy, to the computational requirements of object re-identification over gaps in observation of more than a few seconds. If this model is correct, overriding the bias toward agency to construct mechanistic explanations of observed events requires structure-mapping inferences, implemented by the pre-motor action planning system, that replace agents with mechanisms as causes of unobserved changes in contextual or featural properties of objects. Experiments that would test this model are discussed.

Recognition bias and the physical attractiveness stereotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohner, Jean-Christophe; Rasmussen, Anders

2012-06-01

Previous studies have found a recognition bias for information consistent with the physical attractiveness stereotype (PAS), in which participants believe that they remember that attractive individuals have positive qualities and that unattractive individuals have negative qualities, regardless of what information actually occurred. The purpose of this research was to examine whether recognition bias for PAS congruent information is replicable and invariant across a variety of conditions (i.e. generalizable). The effects of nine different moderator variables were examined in two experiments. With a few exceptions, the effect of PAS congruence on recognition bias was independent of the moderator variables. The results suggest that the tendency to believe that one remembers information consistent with the physical attractiveness stereotype is a robust phenomenon. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2012 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Boron doped diamond electrodes for the dopamine identification by anodic stripping voltammetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojs, M.; Behul, M.; Michniak, P.; Rehacek, V.; Tvarozek, V.; Vesely, M.; Rossberg, M.; Schaaf, P.

2012-01-01

Polycrystalline BDD films 200-280 nm thick (Fig. 1) were produced in the double bias enhanced HF CVD reactor with sheet resistivity ∼ 100 Ω/sq. As a substrate, highly conductive (0.008-0.024 Ωcm) N (100) type silicon substrate was used with ∼ 200 nm wet SiO 2 oxide. Throughout the deposition, gas flows in reaction chamber were controlled to be 1 % CH 4 in H 2 and trymethylboron (TMB) in the range of 0-200 sccm (corresponding to 0-13 333 ppm of B/C). We have compared different measurements in presence of biological molecules (DA) with various BDD electrodes. These electrodes exhibited very high sensitivity, long-therm stability and high reproducibility. A very good performance (LOD = 6.02, R 2 =0.9921) of the BDD surface has been demonstrated only for very high 10 000 ppm B/C ratio (B doping levels n = 3.6·10 21 cm -3 ) for surface sensitive reactions in complex biological matrices. (authors)

Modified lead titanate thin films for pyroelectric infrared detectors on gold electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Moinuddin; Butler, Donald P.

2015-07-01

Pyroelectric infrared detectors provide the advantage of both a wide spectral response and dynamic range, which also has enabled systems to be developed with reduced size, weight and power consumption. This paper demonstrates the deposition of lead zirconium titanate (PZT) and lead calcium titanate (PCT) thin films for uncooled pyroelectric detectors with the utilization of gold electrodes. The modified lead titanate thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on gold electrodes. The PZT and PCT thins films deposited and annealed at temperatures of 650 °C and 550 °C respectively demonstrated the best pyroelectric performance in this work. The thin films displayed a pyroelectric effect that increased with temperature. Poling of the thin films was carried out for a fixed time periods and fixed dc bias voltages at elevated temperature in order to increase the pyroelectric coefficient by establishing a spontaneous polarization of the thin films. Poling caused the pyroelectric current to increase one order of magnitude.

An apparatus for studying electrical breakdown in liquid helium at 0.4 K and testing electrode materials for the neutron electric dipole moment experiment at the Spallation Neutron Source.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, T M; Ramsey, J C; Yao, W; Beck, D H; Cianciolo, V; Clayton, S M; Crawford, C; Currie, S A; Filippone, B W; Griffith, W C; Makela, M; Schmid, R; Seidel, G M; Tang, Z; Wagner, D; Wei, W; Williamson, S E

2016-04-01

We have constructed an apparatus to study DC electrical breakdown in liquid helium at temperatures as low as 0.4 K and at pressures between the saturated vapor pressure and ∼600 Torr. The apparatus can house a set of electrodes that are 12 cm in diameter with a gap of 1-2 cm between them, and a potential up to ±50 kV can be applied to each electrode. Initial results demonstrated that it is possible to apply fields exceeding 100 kV/cm in a 1 cm gap between two electropolished stainless steel electrodes 12 cm in diameter for a wide range of pressures at 0.4 K. We also measured the current between two electrodes. Our initial results, I 5 × 10(18) Ω cm. This lower bound is 5 times larger than the bound previously measured. We report the design, construction, and operational experience of the apparatus, as well as initial results.

Efficacy of attention bias modification using threat and appetitive stimuli: a meta-analytic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Beard, Courtney; Sawyer, Alice T; Hofmann, Stefan G

2012-12-01

Attention bias modification (ABM) protocols aim to modify attentional biases underlying many forms of pathology. Our objective was to conduct an effect size analysis of ABM across a wide range of samples and psychological problems. We conducted a literature search using PubMed, PsycInfo, and author searches to identify randomized studies that examined the effects of ABM on attention and subjective experiences. We identified 37 studies (41 experiments) totaling 2,135 participants who were randomized to training toward neutral, positive, threat, or appetitive stimuli or to a control condition. The effect size estimate for changes in attentional bias was large for the neutral versus threat comparisons (g=1.06), neutral versus appetitive (g=1.41), and neutral versus control comparisons (g=0.80), and small for positive versus control (g=0.24). The effects of ABM on attention bias were moderated by stimulus type (words vs. pictures) and sample characteristics (healthy vs. high symptomatology). Effect sizes of ABM on subjective experiences ranged from 0.03 to 0.60 for postchallenge outcomes, -0.31 to 0.51 for posttreatment, and were moderated by number of training sessions, stimulus type, and stimulus orientation (top/bottom vs. left/right). Fail-safe N calculations suggested that the effect size estimates were robust for the training effects on attentional biases, but not for the effect on subjective experiences. ABM studies using threat stimuli produced significant effects on attention bias across comparison conditions, whereas appetitive stimuli produced changes in attention only when comparing appetitive versus neutral conditions. ABM has a moderate and robust effect on attention bias when using threat stimuli. Further studies are needed to determine whether these effects are also robust when using appetitive stimuli and for affecting subjective experiences. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Plasma structures in front of a floated emissive electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishiguro, S.; Sato, N.

1993-01-01

A particle simulation with plasma source is carried out on plasma structures generated by an electron emissive electrode floated in a collisionless plasma. When low-temperature, high-density thermal electrons are emitted, there appears a negative potential dip in front of the electrode, which is always accompanied by a low-frequency oscillation. On the other hand, three regimes of plasma structures appear for an electron beam injection. When a high-flux electron beam is injected, an electron sheath is generated in front of the electrode. The sheath reflects ions flowing to the electrode, providing an increase in the plasma density. When a low-flux electron beam is injected, no electron sheath is generated. When an intermediate-flux beam is injected, the electron sheath structure appears periodically in time. The lifetime of the sheath is proportional to the system length. These results of beam injection are almost consistent with those of a Q-machine experiment

Working memory biasing of visual perception without awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yi; Lin, Bingyuan; Zhao, Yajun; Soto, David

2014-10-01

Previous research has demonstrated that the contents of visual working memory can bias visual processing in favor of matching stimuli in the scene. However, the extent to which such top-down, memory-driven biasing of visual perception is contingent on conscious awareness remains unknown. Here we showed that conscious awareness of critical visual cues is dispensable for working memory to bias perceptual selection mechanisms. Using the procedure of continuous flash suppression, we demonstrated that "unseen" visual stimuli during interocular suppression can gain preferential access to awareness if they match the contents of visual working memory. Strikingly, the very same effect occurred even when the visual cue to be held in memory was rendered nonconscious by masking. Control experiments ruled out the alternative accounts of repetition priming and different detection criteria. We conclude that working memory biases of visual perception can operate in the absence of conscious awareness.

Combination of biased forecasts: Bias correction or bias based weights?

OpenAIRE

Wenzel, Thomas

1999-01-01

Most of the literature on combination of forecasts deals with the assumption of unbiased individual forecasts. Here, we consider the case of biased forecasts and discuss two different combination techniques resulting in an unbiased forecast. On the one hand we correct the individual forecasts, and on the other we calculate bias based weights. A simulation study gives some insight in the situations where we should use the different methods.

Chewing Stimulation Reduces Appetite Ratings and Attentional Bias toward Visual Food Stimuli in Healthy-Weight Individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Akitsu; Miyamoto, Jun J; Usui, Nobuo; Taira, Masato; Moriyama, Keiji

2018-01-01

Based on the theory of incentive sensitization, the exposure to food stimuli sensitizes the brain's reward circuits and enhances attentional bias toward food. Therefore, reducing attentional bias to food could possibly be beneficial in preventing impulsive eating. The importance of chewing has been increasingly implicated as one of the methods for reducing appetite, however, no studies to investigate the effect of chewing on attentional bias to food. In this study, we investigated whether chewing stimulation (i.e., chewing tasteless gum) reduces attentional bias to food as well as an actual feeding (i.e., ingesting a standardized meal) does. We measured reaction time, gaze direction and gaze duration to assess attentional bias toward food images in pairs of food and non-food images that were presented in a visual probe task (Experiment 1, n = 21) and/or eye-tracking task (Experiment 2, n = 20). We also measured appetite ratings using visual analog scale. In addition, we conducted a control study in which the same number of participants performed the identical tasks to Experiments 1 and 2, but the participants did not perform sham feeding with gum-chewing/actual feeding between tasks and they took a rest. Two-way ANOVA revealed that after actual feeding, subjective ratings of hunger, preoccupation with food, and desire to eat significantly decreased, whereas fullness significantly increased. Sham feeding showed the same trends, but to a lesser degree. Results of the visual probe task in Experiment 1 showed that both sham feeding and actual feeding reduced reaction time bias significantly. Eye-tracking data showed that both sham and actual feeding resulted in significant reduction in gaze direction bias, indexing initial attentional orientation. Gaze duration bias was unaffected. In both control experiments, one-way ANOVAs showed no significant differences between immediately before and after the resting state for any of the appetite ratings, reaction time bias, gaze

Chewing Stimulation Reduces Appetite Ratings and Attentional Bias toward Visual Food Stimuli in Healthy-Weight Individuals

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Akitsu; Miyamoto, Jun J.; Usui, Nobuo; Taira, Masato; Moriyama, Keiji

2018-01-01

Based on the theory of incentive sensitization, the exposure to food stimuli sensitizes the brain’s reward circuits and enhances attentional bias toward food. Therefore, reducing attentional bias to food could possibly be beneficial in preventing impulsive eating. The importance of chewing has been increasingly implicated as one of the methods for reducing appetite, however, no studies to investigate the effect of chewing on attentional bias to food. In this study, we investigated whether chewing stimulation (i.e., chewing tasteless gum) reduces attentional bias to food as well as an actual feeding (i.e., ingesting a standardized meal) does. We measured reaction time, gaze direction and gaze duration to assess attentional bias toward food images in pairs of food and non-food images that were presented in a visual probe task (Experiment 1, n = 21) and/or eye-tracking task (Experiment 2, n = 20). We also measured appetite ratings using visual analog scale. In addition, we conducted a control study in which the same number of participants performed the identical tasks to Experiments 1 and 2, but the participants did not perform sham feeding with gum-chewing/actual feeding between tasks and they took a rest. Two-way ANOVA revealed that after actual feeding, subjective ratings of hunger, preoccupation with food, and desire to eat significantly decreased, whereas fullness significantly increased. Sham feeding showed the same trends, but to a lesser degree. Results of the visual probe task in Experiment 1 showed that both sham feeding and actual feeding reduced reaction time bias significantly. Eye-tracking data showed that both sham and actual feeding resulted in significant reduction in gaze direction bias, indexing initial attentional orientation. Gaze duration bias was unaffected. In both control experiments, one-way ANOVAs showed no significant differences between immediately before and after the resting state for any of the appetite ratings, reaction time bias

Control of Compact-Toroid Characteristics by External Copper Shell

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, T.; Sekiguchi, J.; Asai, T.; Gota, H.; Roche, T.; Allfrey, I.; Cordero, M.; Garate, E.; Kinley, J.; Valentine, T.; Waggoner, W.; the TAE Team

2015-11-01

A collaborative research project by Tri Alpha Energy and Nihon University has been conducted for several years, which led to the development of a new compact toroid (CT) injector for efficient FRC particle refueling in the C-2U experiment. The CT is formed by a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), consisting of coaxial cylindrical electrodes. In CT formation via MCPG, the magnetic helicity content of the generated CT is one of the critical parameters. A bias coil is inserted into the inner electrode to generate a poloidal flux. The resultant bias magnetic field is spread out of MCPG with time due to its low-frequency bias current. To obtain a more effectively distributed bias magnetic field as well as to improve the voltage breakdown between electrodes, the MCPG incorporates a novel ~ 1 mm thick copper shell mounted outside of the outer electrode. This allows for reliable and controlled operation and more robust CT generation. A detailed discussion of the copper shell and experimental test results will be presented.

Development of gas ionization chambers with coplanar electrodes for alpha-ray spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasaki, Kenta; Tanaka, Naomichi; Murakami, Kohei; Hasebe, Nobuyuki; Kusano, Hiroki; Shibamura, Eido; Miyajima, Mitsuhiro

2016-01-01

A large-area alpha-ray spectrometer is required to measure the low level alpha emitters in environmental samples, which may be distributed in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. A gas ionization chamber with a coplanar electrode has attractive features such as with mechanical ruggedness, easy handling, easy fabrication of large electrode, and relatively well-known performance. We have investigated the performance of a gas ionization chamber with a coplanar electrode for alpha-ray spectrometry, particularly in the energy resolution. The present experiment shows that the energy resolution in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) is 129 keV (= 2.7%) for alpha-rays from Np with an energy of 4.78 MeV, 120 keV (= 2.2%) for those with 5.49 MeV from Am, and 109 keV (= 1.9%) for those with 5.81 MeV from Cm. It is found that the energy resolution obtained at the present experiment is dominated in the electronic noise caused by the large capacitance existed between the collecting anode (CA) and non-collecting anode (NCA) in the coplanar electrode. (author)

Testing electrode suitability for field stimulation of high-threshold biological preparations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hugo Fernando Maia Milan

Full Text Available IntroductionA problem posed by electrical field (E stimulation of biological preparations with high excitation threshold is that the E intensity required for excitation is likely to induce water electrolysis at the electrode surface, which can alter the extracellular medium and cause deleterious effects on the cells. In this study, different electrode materials and geometries were tested aiming at identifying electrode configurations that could transduce the E intensity required for exciting ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from neonatal rats (threshold E ~30 V/cm without causing water electrolysis.MethodsWire and plate electrodes made of platinum, stainless steel and nickel/chrome alloy were used. The effect of blasting the electrode surface with sand and NaHCO3 solution was also tested. Electrodes were inserted into a cell perfusion chamber containing the saline solution routinely used for physiological experiments. During E application for 5 min, the electrode surface and its surroundings were examined at high magnification for the presence of microbubbles, which indicates the occurrence of water electrolysis. The greatest E intensity applied that failed to generate microbubbles (En was estimated.ResultsWhile nickel/chrome and stainless steel electrodes resulted in low En values, the best performance was observed for sandblasted platinum wire (2 mm diameter and plate (25 mm x 5 mm; 0.1 mm thickness electrodes, for which Enwas ≥40 V/cm.ConclusionThese electrode configurations are suitable for effective and safe stimulation of isolated neonatal cardiomyocytes.

Estimation bias and bias correction in reduced rank autoregressions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Heino Bohn

2017-01-01

This paper characterizes the finite-sample bias of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) in a reduced rank vector autoregression and suggests two simulation-based bias corrections. One is a simple bootstrap implementation that approximates the bias at the MLE. The other is an iterative root...

Design, fabrication and skin-electrode contact analysis of polymer microneedle-based ECG electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

O'Mahony, Conor; Grygoryev, Konstantin; Ciarlone, Antonio; Giannoni, Giuseppe; Kenthao, Anan; Galvin, Paul

2016-08-01

Microneedle-based ‘dry’ electrodes have immense potential for use in diagnostic procedures such as electrocardiography (ECG) analysis, as they eliminate several of the drawbacks associated with the conventional ‘wet’ electrodes currently used for physiological signal recording. To be commercially successful in such a competitive market, it is essential that dry electrodes are manufacturable in high volumes and at low cost. In addition, the topographical nature of these emerging devices means that electrode performance is likely to be highly dependent on the quality of the skin-electrode contact. This paper presents a low-cost, wafer-level micromoulding technology for the fabrication of polymeric ECG electrodes that use microneedle structures to make a direct electrical contact to the body. The double-sided moulding process can be used to eliminate post-process via creation and wafer dicing steps. In addition, measurement techniques have been developed to characterize the skin-electrode contact force. We perform the first analysis of signal-to-noise ratio dependency on contact force, and show that although microneedle-based electrodes can outperform conventional gel electrodes, the quality of ECG recordings is significantly dependent on temporal and mechanical aspects of the skin-electrode interface.

Design, fabrication and skin-electrode contact analysis of polymer microneedle-based ECG electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O’Mahony, Conor; Grygoryev, Konstantin; Ciarlone, Antonio; Giannoni, Giuseppe; Kenthao, Anan; Galvin, Paul

2016-01-01

Microneedle-based ‘dry’ electrodes have immense potential for use in diagnostic procedures such as electrocardiography (ECG) analysis, as they eliminate several of the drawbacks associated with the conventional ‘wet’ electrodes currently used for physiological signal recording. To be commercially successful in such a competitive market, it is essential that dry electrodes are manufacturable in high volumes and at low cost. In addition, the topographical nature of these emerging devices means that electrode performance is likely to be highly dependent on the quality of the skin-electrode contact.This paper presents a low-cost, wafer-level micromoulding technology for the fabrication of polymeric ECG electrodes that use microneedle structures to make a direct electrical contact to the body. The double-sided moulding process can be used to eliminate post-process via creation and wafer dicing steps. In addition, measurement techniques have been developed to characterize the skin-electrode contact force. We perform the first analysis of signal-to-noise ratio dependency on contact force, and show that although microneedle-based electrodes can outperform conventional gel electrodes, the quality of ECG recordings is significantly dependent on temporal and mechanical aspects of the skin-electrode interface. (paper)

Servo scanning 3D micro EDM for array micro cavities using on-machine fabricated tool electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Hao; Li, Yong; Zhang, Long

2018-02-01

Array micro cavities are useful in many fields including in micro molds, optical devices, biochips and so on. Array servo scanning micro electro discharge machining (EDM), using array micro electrodes with simple cross-sectional shape, has the advantage of machining complex 3D micro cavities in batches. In this paper, the machining errors caused by offline-fabricated array micro electrodes are analyzed in particular, and then a machining process of array servo scanning micro EDM is proposed by using on-machine fabricated array micro electrodes. The array micro electrodes are fabricated on-machine by combined procedures including wire electro discharge grinding, array reverse copying and electrode end trimming. Nine-array tool electrodes with Φ80 µm diameter and 600 µm length are obtained. Furthermore, the proposed process is verified by several machining experiments for achieving nine-array hexagonal micro cavities with top side length of 300 µm, bottom side length of 150 µm, and depth of 112 µm or 120 µm. In the experiments, a chip hump accumulates on the electrode tips like the built-up edge in mechanical machining under the conditions of brass workpieces, copper electrodes and the dielectric of deionized water. The accumulated hump can be avoided by replacing the water dielectric by an oil dielectric.

Bioelectrocatalytic mediatorless dioxygen reduction at carbon ceramic electrodes modified with bilirubin oxidase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogala, Wojciech; Celebanska, Anna; Szot, Katarzyna; Wittstock, Gunther; Opallo, Marcin

2010-01-01

Carbon ceramic electrodes were prepared by sol-gel processing of a hydrophobic precursor - methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMOS) - together with dispersed graphite microparticles according to a literature procedure. Bilirubin oxidase (BOx) was adsorbed on this electrode from buffer solution and this process was followed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrodes exhibited efficient mediatorless electrocatalytic activity towards dioxygen reduction. The activity depends on the time of adsorption of the enzyme and the pH. The electrode remains active in neutral solution. The bioelectrocatalytic activity is further increased when a fraction of the carbon microparticles is replaced by sulfonated carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). This additive enhances the electrical communication between the enzyme and the electronic conductor. At pH 7 the carbon ceramic electrode modified with bilirubin oxidase retains ca. half of its highest activity. The role of the modified nanoparticles is confirmed by experiments in which a film embedded in a hydrophobic silicate matrix also exhibited efficient mediatorless biocatalytic dioxygen reduction. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) of the studied electrodes indicated a rather even distribution of the catalytic activity over the electrode surface.

High performance cermet electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Isenberg, Arnold O.; Zymboly, Gregory E.

1986-01-01

Disclosed is a method of increasing the operating cell voltage of a solid oxide electrochemical cell having metal electrode particles in contact with an oxygen-transporting ceramic electrolyte. The metal electrode is heated with the cell, and oxygen is passed through the oxygen-transporting ceramic electrolyte to the surface of the metal electrode particles so that the metal electrode particles are oxidized to form a metal oxide layer between the metal electrode particles and the electrolyte. The metal oxide layer is then reduced to form porous metal between the metal electrode particles and the ceramic electrolyte.

Magnetoresistance and negative differential resistance in Ni/graphene/Ni vertical heterostructures driven by finite bias voltage: a first-principles study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saha, Kamal K.; Blom, Anders; Thygesen, Kristian S.

2012-01-01

Using the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory, we study finite bias quantum transport in Ni/Grn/Ni vertical heterostructures where n graphene layers are sandwiched between two semi-infinite Ni(111) electrodes. We find that the recently predicted “pess...... differential resistance as the bias voltage is increased from Vb=0 V to Vb≃0.5 V. We confirm that both of these nonequilibrium transport effects hold for different types of bonding of Gr on the Ni(111) surface while maintaining Bernal stacking between individual Gr layers....... “pessimistic” magnetoresistance of 100% for n≥5 junctions at zero bias voltage Vb→0 persists up to Vb≃0.4 V, which makes such devices promising for spin-torque-based device applications. In addition, for parallel orientations of the Ni magnetizations, the n=5 junction exhibits a pronounced negative...

A fundamental residue pitch perception bias for tone language speakers

Science.gov (United States)

Petitti, Elizabeth

A complex tone composed of only higher-order harmonics typically elicits a pitch percept equivalent to the tone's missing fundamental frequency (f0). When judging the direction of residue pitch change between two such tones, however, listeners may have completely opposite perceptual experiences depending on whether they are biased to perceive changes based on the overall spectrum or the missing f0 (harmonic spacing). Individual differences in residue pitch change judgments are reliable and have been associated with musical experience and functional neuroanatomy. Tone languages put greater pitch processing demands on their speakers than non-tone languages, and we investigated whether these lifelong differences in linguistic pitch processing affect listeners' bias for residue pitch. We asked native tone language speakers and native English speakers to perform a pitch judgment task for two tones with missing fundamental frequencies. Given tone pairs with ambiguous pitch changes, listeners were asked to judge the direction of pitch change, where the direction of their response indicated whether they attended to the overall spectrum (exhibiting a spectral bias) or the missing f0 (exhibiting a fundamental bias). We found that tone language speakers are significantly more likely to perceive pitch changes based on the missing f0 than English speakers. These results suggest that tone-language speakers' privileged experience with linguistic pitch fundamentally tunes their basic auditory processing.

Multi electrode semiconductors detectors

CERN Document Server

Amendolia, S R; Bertolucci, Ennio; Bosisio, L; Bradaschia, C; Budinich, M; Fidecaro, F; Foà, L; Focardi, E; Giazotto, A; Giorgi, M A; Marrocchesi, P S; Menzione, A; Ristori, L; Rolandi, Luigi; Scribano, A; Stefanini, A; Vincelli, M L

1981-01-01

Detectors with very high space resolution have been built in this laboratory and tested at CERN in order to investigate their possible use in high energy physics experiments. These detectors consist of thin layers of silicon crystals acting as ionization chambers. Thin electrodes, structured in strips or in more fancy shapes are applied to their surfaces by metal coating. The space resolution which could be reached is of the order of a few microns. An interesting feature of these solid state detectors is that they can work under very high or low external pressure or at very low temperature. The use of these detectors would strongly reduce the dimensions and the cost of high energy experiments. (3 refs).

Multi electrode semiconductor detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amendolia, S.R.; Batignani, G.; Bertolucci, E.; Bosisio, L.; Budinich, M.; Bradaschia, C.; Fidecaro, F.; Foa, L.; Focardi, E.; Giazotto, A.; Giorgi, M.A.; Marrocchesi, P.S.; Menzione, A.; Ristori, L.; Rolandi, L.; Scribano, A.; Stefanini, A.; Vincelli, M.L.

1981-01-01

Detectors with very high space resolution have been built in the laboratory and tested at CERN in order to investigate their possible use in high energy physics experiments. These detectors consist of thin layers of silicon crystals acting as ionization chambers. Thin electrodes, structured in strips or in more fancy shapes are applied to their surfaces by metal coating. The space resolution which could be reached is of the order of a few microns. An interesting feature of these solid state detectors is that they can work under very high or low external pressure or at very low temperature. The use of these detectors would strongly reduce the dimensions and the cost of high energy experiments. (Auth.)

Gas shielded metal arc welding with fusible electrode wire. First returns on experience and opportunities in nuclear maintenance and fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huguet, Fr.; Joly, P.; Leconte, F.; Baritaux, S.; Prin, C.

2013-06-01

In a brief text and a Power Point Presentation, the authors report a return on experience for the implementation of two applications using gas shielded metal arc welding process (GMAW): the on-site welding of the final joint of steam generators, and the coating of a tubing flare. In the first case, the authors analyze not only the compliance with specified technical requirements, but also outline the need to support the process with new verification methods in real time, associated development and validation efforts, and organisational and decisional measures to guarantee a good implementation of the process on site. In the second case, they analyze the process ability to meet technical specifications requiring dilution control, a perfect reproducibility, as well a good control of the welding bath. The authors outline that these two applications which are both using the same term (gas shielded metal arc welding with fusible electrode wire), implement two different transfer regimes and processes. They also discuss operational constraints, and technical opportunities and constraints of fusible electrode wire

[Negative bias on self-referent processing in depression: focused on mood congruent effects].

Science.gov (United States)

Tagami, Kyoko

2002-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate negative bias on self-referent processing in depression, focused on the mood congruent effects in a natural depressed state and an experimentally induced transient depressed mood state. In Experiment 1, autobiographical memories and self-relevant ratings of personality trait words were examined in a natural depressed state or non-depressed state, which were measured by Beck Depression Inventory. Results revealed the mood congruent effects on both tasks. In Experiment 2, the same tasks as Experiment 1 were conducted in a transient depressed mood state or non-depressed mood state, which were induced through listening music. Unlike Experiment 1, there were no effects in both tasks, and a positive bias was observed in both mood states. It was suggested that transient mood state did not bias self-referent processing in depression, and Beck's schema hypothesis was supported.

Liquid electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Ekechukwu, A.A.

1994-07-05

A dropping electrolyte electrode is described for use in electrochemical analysis of non-polar sample solutions, such as benzene or cyclohexane. The liquid electrode, preferably an aqueous salt solution immiscible in the sample solution, is introduced into the solution in dropwise fashion from a capillary. The electrolyte is introduced at a known rate, thus, the droplets each have the same volume and surface area. The electrode is used in making standard electrochemical measurements in order to determine properties of non-polar sample solutions. 2 figures.

Lay Evaluation of Financial Experts: The Action Advice Effect and Confirmation Bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaleskiewicz, Tomasz; Gasiorowska, Agata; Stasiuk, Katarzyna; Maksymiuk, Renata; Bar-Tal, Yoram

2016-01-01

The goal of this experimental project was to investigate lay peoples' perceptions of epistemic authority (EA) in the field of finance. EA is defined as the extent to which a source of information is treated as evidence for judgments independently of its objective expertise and based on subjective beliefs. Previous research suggested that EA evaluations are biased and that lay people tend to ascribe higher EA to experts who advise action (in the case of medical experts) or confirm clients' expectations (in the case of politicians). However, there has been no research into biases in lay evaluations of financial experts and this project is aimed to fill this gap. Experiment 1 showed that lay people tended to ascribe greater authority to financial consultants who gave more active advice to clients considering taking out a mortgage. Experiment 2 confirmed the action advice effect found in Experiment 1. However, the outcomes of Experiments 2 and - particularly - 3 suggested that this bias might also be due to clients' desire to confirm their own opinions. Experiment 2 showed that the action advice effect was moderated by clients' own opinions on taking loans. Lay people ascribed the greatest EA to the advisor in the scenario in which he advised taking action and where this coincided with the client's positive opinion on the advisability of taking out a loan. In Experiment 3 only participants with a positive opinion on the financial product ascribed greater authority to experts who recommended it; participants whose opinion was negative tended to rate consultants who advised rejecting the product more highly. To conclude, these three experiments revealed that lay people ascribe higher EA to financial consultants who advise action rather than maintenance of the status quo , but this effect is limited by confirmation bias: when the client's a priori opinion is salient, greater authority is ascribed to experts whose advice confirms it. In this sense, results presented in the

Scanning of speechless comics changes spatial biases in mental model construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Román, Antonio; Flumini, Andrea; Santiago, Julio

2018-08-05

The mental representation of both time and number shows lateral spatial biases, which can be affected by habitual reading and writing direction. However, this effect is in place before children begin to read. One potential early cause is the experiences of looking at picture books together with a carer, as those images also follow the directionality of the script. What is the underlying mechanism for this effect? In the present study, we test the possibility that such experiences induce spatial biases in mental model construction, a mechanism which is a good candidate to induce the biases observed with numbers and times. We presented a speechless comic in either standard (left-to-right) or mirror-reversed (right-to-left) form to adult Spanish participants. We then asked them to draw the scene depicted by sentences like 'the square is between the cross and the circle'. The position of the lateral objects in these drawings reveals the spatial biases at work when building mental models in working memory. Under conditions of highly consistent directionality, the mirror comic changed pre-existing lateral biases. Processes of mental model construction in working memory stand as a potential mechanism for the generation of spatial biases for time and number.This article is part of the theme issue 'Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Mixed signals: The effect of conflicting reward- and goal-driven biases on selective attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Preciado, Daniel; Munneke, Jaap; Theeuwes, Jan

2017-07-01

Attentional selection depends on the interaction between exogenous (stimulus-driven), endogenous (goal-driven), and selection history (experience-driven) factors. While endogenous and exogenous biases have been widely investigated, less is known about their interplay with value-driven attention. The present study investigated the interaction between reward-history and goal-driven biases on perceptual sensitivity (d') and response time (RT) in a modified cueing paradigm presenting two coloured cues, followed by sinusoidal gratings. Participants responded to the orientation of one of these gratings. In Experiment 1, one cue signalled reward availability but was otherwise task irrelevant. In Experiment 2, the same cue signalled reward, and indicated the target's most likely location at the opposite side of the display. This design introduced a conflict between reward-driven biases attracting attention and goal-driven biases directing it away. Attentional effects were examined comparing trials in which cue and target appeared at the same versus opposite locations. Two interstimulus interval (ISI) levels were used to probe the time course of attentional effects. Experiment 1 showed performance benefits at the location of the reward-signalling cue and costs at the opposite for both ISIs, indicating value-driven capture. Experiment 2 showed performance benefits only for the long ISI when the target was at the opposite to the reward-associated cue. At the short ISI, only performance costs were observed. These results reveal the time course of these biases, indicating that reward-driven effects influence attention early but can be overcome later by goal-driven control. This suggests that reward-driven biases are integrated as attentional priorities, just as exogenous and endogenous factors.

Enhanced performance of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistors using different metals for source/drain electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Pyo, Ju-Young; Cho, Won-Ju

2017-09-01

In this paper, we propose an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with off-planed source/drain electrodes. We applied different metals for the source/drain electrodes with Ni and Ti to control the work function as high and low. When we measured the configuration of Ni to drain and source to Ti, the a-IGZO TFT showed increased driving current, decreased leakage current, a high on/off current ratio, low subthreshold swing, and high mobility. In addition, we conducted a reliability test with a gate bias stress test at various temperatures. The results of the reliability test showed the Ni drain and Ti drain had an equivalent effective energy barrier height. Thus, we confirmed that the proposed off-planed structure improved the electrical characteristics of the fabricated devices without any degradation of characteristics. Through the a-IGZO TFT with different source/drain electrode metal engineering, we realized high-performance TFTs for next-generation display devices.

Editorial Bias in Crowd-Sourced Political Information.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua L Kalla

Full Text Available The Internet has dramatically expanded citizens' access to and ability to engage with political information. On many websites, any user can contribute and edit "crowd-sourced" information about important political figures. One of the most prominent examples of crowd-sourced information on the Internet is Wikipedia, a free and open encyclopedia created and edited entirely by users, and one of the world's most accessed websites. While previous studies of crowd-sourced information platforms have found them to be accurate, few have considered biases in what kinds of information are included. We report the results of four randomized field experiments that sought to explore what biases exist in the political articles of this collaborative website. By randomly assigning factually true but either positive or negative and cited or uncited information to the Wikipedia pages of U.S. senators, we uncover substantial evidence of an editorial bias toward positivity on Wikipedia: Negative facts are 36% more likely to be removed by Wikipedia editors than positive facts within 12 hours and 29% more likely within 3 days. Although citations substantially increase an edit's survival time, the editorial bias toward positivity is not eliminated by inclusion of a citation. We replicate this study on the Wikipedia pages of deceased as well as recently retired but living senators and find no evidence of an editorial bias in either. Our results demonstrate that crowd-sourced information is subject to an editorial bias that favors the politically active.

Editorial Bias in Crowd-Sourced Political Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalla, Joshua L; Aronow, Peter M

2015-01-01

The Internet has dramatically expanded citizens' access to and ability to engage with political information. On many websites, any user can contribute and edit "crowd-sourced" information about important political figures. One of the most prominent examples of crowd-sourced information on the Internet is Wikipedia, a free and open encyclopedia created and edited entirely by users, and one of the world's most accessed websites. While previous studies of crowd-sourced information platforms have found them to be accurate, few have considered biases in what kinds of information are included. We report the results of four randomized field experiments that sought to explore what biases exist in the political articles of this collaborative website. By randomly assigning factually true but either positive or negative and cited or uncited information to the Wikipedia pages of U.S. senators, we uncover substantial evidence of an editorial bias toward positivity on Wikipedia: Negative facts are 36% more likely to be removed by Wikipedia editors than positive facts within 12 hours and 29% more likely within 3 days. Although citations substantially increase an edit's survival time, the editorial bias toward positivity is not eliminated by inclusion of a citation. We replicate this study on the Wikipedia pages of deceased as well as recently retired but living senators and find no evidence of an editorial bias in either. Our results demonstrate that crowd-sourced information is subject to an editorial bias that favors the politically active.

Ion-selective electrode reviews

CERN Document Server

Thomas, J D R

1983-01-01

Ion-Selective Electrode Reviews, Volume 5 is a collection of articles that covers ion-speciation. The book aims to present the advancements of the range and capabilities of selective ion-sensors. The topics covered in the selection are neutral carrier based ion-selective electrodes; reference electrodes and liquid junction effects in ion-selective electrode potentiometry; ion transfer across water/organic phase boundaries and analytical; and carbon substrate ion-selective electrodes. The text will be of great use to chemists and chemical engineers.

The electrochemical Peltier heat of the standard hydrogen electrode reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Zheng; Wang Shaofen; Zhang Zhenghua; Qiu Guanzhou

2008-01-01

A method for measuring the electrochemical Peltier heat (EPH) of a single electrode reaction has been developed and an absolute scale is suggested to obtain EPH of the standard hydrogen electrode. The scale is based on φ 0 * = 0 and ΔS 0 * = 0 for any electrode reaction at zero Kelvin, in accord with the third law of thermodynamics. The relationships between entropy, enthalpy and free energy changes on this scale and on the conventional scale are derived. Calorimetric experiments were made on the Fe(CN) 6 3- /Fe(CN) 6 4- system at five different concentrations at 298.15 K, and EPH for the standard hydrogen electrode reaction is obtained. EPHs and the entropy change on the absolute scale for the studied redox are linearly related to concentration of electrolyte. The reversible electric work is almost concentration independent in the range of concentration studied

Recovery Of Electrodic Powder From Spent Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shin S.M.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study was focused on recycling process newly proposed to recover electrodic powder enriched in cobalt (Co and lithium (Li from spent lithium ion battery. In addition, this new process was designed to prevent explosion of batteries during thermal treatment under inert atmosphere. Spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs were heated over the range of 300°C to 600°C for 2 hours and each component was completely separated inside reactor after experiment. Electrodic powder was successfully recovered from bulk components containing several pieces of metals through sieving operation. The electrodic powder obtained was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA and furthermore image of the powder was taken by scanning electron microscopy (SEM. It was finally found that cobalt and lithium were mainly recovered to about 49 wt.% and 4 wt.% in electrodic powder, respectively.

A theoretical model for analysing gender bias in medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Risberg, Gunilla; Johansson, Eva E; Hamberg, Katarina

2009-08-03

During the last decades research has reported unmotivated differences in the treatment of women and men in various areas of clinical and academic medicine. There is an ongoing discussion on how to avoid such gender bias. We developed a three-step-theoretical model to understand how gender bias in medicine can occur and be understood. In this paper we present the model and discuss its usefulness in the efforts to avoid gender bias. In the model gender bias is analysed in relation to assumptions concerning difference/sameness and equity/inequity between women and men. Our model illustrates that gender bias in medicine can arise from assuming sameness and/or equity between women and men when there are genuine differences to consider in biology and disease, as well as in life conditions and experiences. However, gender bias can also arise from assuming differences when there are none, when and if dichotomous stereotypes about women and men are understood as valid. This conceptual thinking can be useful for discussing and avoiding gender bias in clinical work, medical education, career opportunities and documents such as research programs and health care policies. Too meet the various forms of gender bias, different facts and measures are needed. Knowledge about biological differences between women and men will not reduce bias caused by gendered stereotypes or by unawareness of health problems and discrimination associated with gender inequity. Such bias reflects unawareness of gendered attitudes and will not change by facts only. We suggest consciousness-rising activities and continuous reflections on gender attitudes among students, teachers, researchers and decision-makers.

Characterisation of nano-interdigitated electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skjolding, L H D; Ribayrol, A; Montelius, L [Division of Solid State Physics, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Spegel, C [Department of Analytical Chemistry Lund University, Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Emneus, J [MIC - Department of Micro and Nanotechnology, DTU - Building 345 East, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)], E-mail: lars_henrik.daehli_skjolding@ftf.lth.se

2008-03-15

Interdigitated electrodes made up of two individually addressable interdigitated comb-like electrode structures have frequently been suggested as ultra sensitive electrochemical biosensors. Since the signal enhancement effects due to cycling of the reduced and oxidized species are strongly dependent on the inter electrode distances, since the nature of the enhancement is due to overlying diffusion layers, interdigitated electrodes with an electrode separation of less then one micrometer are desired for maximum signal amplification. Fabrication of submicron structures can only be made by advanced lithography techniques. By use of electron beam lithography we have fabricated arrays of interdigitated electrodes with an electrode separation distance of 200 nm and an electrode finger width of likewise 200 nm. The entire electrode structure is 100 micrometre times 100 micrometre, and the active electrode area is dictated by the opening in the passivation layer, that is defined by UV lithography. Here we report measurements of redox cycling of ferrocyanide by coupled cyclic voltammograms, where the potential at one of the working electrodes are varied and either an oxidising or reducing potential is applied to the complimentary interdigitated electrode. The measurements show fast conversion and high collection efficiency round 87% as expected for nano-interdigitated electrodes.

Distinguishing bias from sensitivity effects in multialternative detection tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sridharan, Devarajan; Steinmetz, Nicholas A; Moore, Tirin; Knudsen, Eric I

2014-08-21

Studies investigating the neural bases of cognitive phenomena increasingly employ multialternative detection tasks that seek to measure the ability to detect a target stimulus or changes in some target feature (e.g., orientation or direction of motion) that could occur at one of many locations. In such tasks, it is essential to distinguish the behavioral and neural correlates of enhanced perceptual sensitivity from those of increased bias for a particular location or choice (choice bias). However, making such a distinction is not possible with established approaches. We present a new signal detection model that decouples the behavioral effects of choice bias from those of perceptual sensitivity in multialternative (change) detection tasks. By formulating the perceptual decision in a multidimensional decision space, our model quantifies the respective contributions of bias and sensitivity to multialternative behavioral choices. With a combination of analytical and numerical approaches, we demonstrate an optimal, one-to-one mapping between model parameters and choice probabilities even for tasks involving arbitrarily large numbers of alternatives. We validated the model with published data from two ternary choice experiments: a target-detection experiment and a length-discrimination experiment. The results of this validation provided novel insights into perceptual processes (sensory noise and competitive interactions) that can accurately and parsimoniously account for observers' behavior in each task. The model will find important application in identifying and interpreting the effects of behavioral manipulations (e.g., cueing attention) or neural perturbations (e.g., stimulation or inactivation) in a variety of multialternative tasks of perception, attention, and decision-making. © 2014 ARVO.

Window of cold nuclear fusion and biased-pulse electrolysis experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Akito; Jida, Toshiyuki; Maekawa, Fujio; Sugimoto, Hisashi; Yoshida, Shigeo

1989-01-01

Based on the electron screening effect and the excitation of deuteron harmonic oscillators in palladium lattice, theoretical aspects are given to explain the cold fusion phenomena and the possibility of nuclear heating. A narrow window is proposed to meet ≅ 10 watts per cubic centimeter for the nuclear heating, by the hypothetical excitation-screening model. A relatively wide window is feasible to meet a few fusion events per second per cc under the non-stationary conditions of deuteron-charging and discharging. For stationary lattice conditions, the probability of cold fusion is not feasible at all. To confirm the cold fusion phenomena, a heavy water electrolysis experiment was carried out using biased-pulse-electrolytic currents, expecting the enhancement of cold fusion events under charging and discharging of deuterons. For the neutron detection, a cross-checking system between a recoil-proton scintillation detector and a 3 He thermal neutron detector was employed to see coincident time-patterns of neutron emission from an electrolysis cell. To check the energy of emitted neutrons, pulse height spectrum of the recoil-proton detector was monitored. Up to the D-charging time of 300 hr, neutron yields of 1-2 n/s/cc were obtained for time-intervals of 60-200 hr. From the recoil-proton spectra, it was confirmed that 2.45 MeV neutrons by the D(d, n) 3 He fusion branch were emitted. The observed time-patterns of neutron emission suggest the existence of cold fusion under the charging and discharging conditions. (orig.)

Angry facial expressions bias gender categorization in children and adults: behavioral and computational evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Bayet, Laurie; Pascalis, Olivier; Quinn, Paul C.; Lee, Kang; Gentaz, Édouard; Tanaka, James W.

2015-01-01

Angry faces are perceived as more masculine by adults. However, the developmental course and underlying mechanism (bottom-up stimulus driven or top-down belief driven) associated with the angry-male bias remain unclear. Here we report that anger biases face gender categorization toward “male” responding in children as young as 5–6 years. The bias is observed for both own- and other-race faces, and is remarkably unchanged across development (into adulthood) as revealed by signal detection analyses (Experiments 1–2). The developmental course of the angry-male bias, along with its extension to other-race faces, combine to suggest that it is not rooted in extensive experience, e.g., observing males engaging in aggressive acts during the school years. Based on several computational simulations of gender categorization (Experiment 3), we further conclude that (1) the angry-male bias results, at least partially, from a strategy of attending to facial features or their second-order relations when categorizing face gender, and (2) any single choice of computational representation (e.g., Principal Component Analysis) is insufficient to assess resemblances between face categories, as different representations of the very same faces suggest different bases for the angry-male bias. Our findings are thus consistent with stimulus-and stereotyped-belief driven accounts of the angry-male bias. Taken together, the evidence suggests considerable stability in the interaction between some facial dimensions in social categorization that is present prior to the onset of formal schooling. PMID:25859238

Angry facial expressions bias gender categorization in children and adults: behavioral and computational evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie eBayet

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Angry faces are perceived as more masculine by adults. However, the developmental course and underlying mechanism (bottom-up stimulus driven or top-down belief driven associated with the angry-male bias remain unclear. Here we report that anger biases face gender categorization towards male responding in children as young as 5-6 years. The bias is observed for both own- and other-race faces, and is remarkably unchanged across development (into adulthood as revealed by signal detection analyses (Experiments 1-2. The developmental course of the angry-male bias, along with its extension to other-race faces, combine to suggest that it is not rooted in extensive experience, e.g. observing males engaging in aggressive acts during the school years. Based on several computational simulations of gender categorization (Experiment 3, we further conclude that (1 the angry-male bias results, at least partially, from a strategy of attending to facial features or their second-order relations when categorizing face gender, and (2 any single choice of computational representation (e.g., Principal Component Analysis is insufficient to assess resemblances between face categories, as different representations of the very same faces suggest different bases for the angry-male bias. Our findings are thus consistent with stimulus-and stereotyped-belief driven accounts of the angry-male bias. Taken together, the evidence suggests considerable stability in the interaction between some facial dimensions in social categorization that is present prior to the onset of formal schooling.

An experimental verification of laser-velocimeter sampling bias and its correction

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, D. A.; Modarress, D.; Owen, F. K.

1982-01-01

The existence of 'sampling bias' in individual-realization laser velocimeter measurements is experimentally verified and shown to be independent of sample rate. The experiments were performed in a simple two-stream mixing shear flow with the standard for comparison being laser-velocimeter results obtained under continuous-wave conditions. It is also demonstrated that the errors resulting from sampling bias can be removed by a proper interpretation of the sampling statistics. In addition, data obtained in a shock-induced separated flow and in the near-wake of airfoils are presented, both bias-corrected and uncorrected, to illustrate the effects of sampling bias in the extreme.

Counteracting estimation bias and social influence to improve the wisdom of crowds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Albert B; Berdahl, Andrew M; Hartnett, Andrew T; Lutz, Matthew J; Bak-Coleman, Joseph B; Ioannou, Christos C; Giam, Xingli; Couzin, Iain D

2018-04-01

Aggregating multiple non-expert opinions into a collective estimate can improve accuracy across many contexts. However, two sources of error can diminish collective wisdom: individual estimation biases and information sharing between individuals. Here, we measure individual biases and social influence rules in multiple experiments involving hundreds of individuals performing a classic numerosity estimation task. We first investigate how existing aggregation methods, such as calculating the arithmetic mean or the median, are influenced by these sources of error. We show that the mean tends to overestimate, and the median underestimate, the true value for a wide range of numerosities. Quantifying estimation bias, and mapping individual bias to collective bias, allows us to develop and validate three new aggregation measures that effectively counter sources of collective estimation error. In addition, we present results from a further experiment that quantifies the social influence rules that individuals employ when incorporating personal estimates with social information. We show that the corrected mean is remarkably robust to social influence, retaining high accuracy in the presence or absence of social influence, across numerosities and across different methods for averaging social information. Using knowledge of estimation biases and social influence rules may therefore be an inexpensive and general strategy to improve the wisdom of crowds. © 2018 The Author(s).

Cognitive bias in action: evidence for a reciprocal relation between confirmation bias and fear in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Remmerswaal, Danielle; Huijding, Jorg; Bouwmeester, Samantha; Brouwer, Marlies; Muris, Peter

2014-03-01

Some cognitive models propose that information processing biases and fear are reciprocally related. This idea has never been formally tested. Therefore, this study investigated the existence of a vicious circle by which confirmation bias and fear exacerbate each other. One-hundred-and-seventy-one school children (8-13 years) were first provided with threatening, ambiguous, or positive information about an unknown animal. Then they completed a computerized information search task during which they could collect additional (negative, positive, or neutral) information about the novel animal. Because fear levels were repeatedly assessed during the task, it was possible to examine the reciprocal relationship between confirmation bias and fear. A reciprocal relation of mutual reinforcement was found between confirmation bias and fear over the course of the experiment: increases in fear predicted subsequent increases in the search for negative information, and increases in the search for negative information further enhanced fear on a later point-in-time. In addition, the initial information given about the animals successfully induced diverging fear levels in the children, and determined their first inclination to search for additional information. As this study employed a community sample of primary school children, future research should test whether these results can be generalized to clinically anxious youth. These findings provide first support for the notion that fearful individuals may become trapped in a vicious circle in which fear and a fear-related confirmation bias mutually strengthen each other, thereby maintaining the anxiety pathology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Description of corrections on electrode polarization impedance using isopotential interface factor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Alexander Gomez Sanchez

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose an equation and define the Isopotential Interface Factor (IIF to quantify the contribution of electrode polarization impedance in two tetrapolar electrode shapes. The first tetrapolar electrode geometry shape was adjacent and the second axial concentric, both probes were made of stainless steel (AISI 304. The experiments were carried out with an impedance analyzer (Solartron 1260 using a frequency range between 0.1 Hz and 8 MHz. Based on a theoretical simplification, the experimental results show a lower value of the IIF in the axial concentric tetrapolar electrode system which caused a lower correction of interface value. The higher value of the IIF in the adjacent electrode system was KEEI (1Hz, 0.28 mS/cm = 1.41 and decreased when the frequency and conductance were increased, whereas in the axial concentric electrode system was KEEI (1Hz, 0.28 mS/cm = 0.08. The average isopotential interface factor throughout the whole range of conductivities and frequencies was 0.23 in the adjacent electrode system and 0.02 in the axial concentric electrode system. The index of inherent electrical anisotropy (IEA was used to present an analysis of electrical anisotropy of biceps brachii muscle in vitro using the corrections of both tetrapolar electrode systems. A higher IEA was present in lower frequency where the variation below 1 kHz was 15 % in adjacent electrode configuration and 26 % in the axial concentric probe with respect to full range. The IIF is then shown that it can be used to describe the quality of an electrode system.

Electrode assemblies, plasma apparatuses and systems including electrode assemblies, and methods for generating plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Peter C; Grandy, Jon D; Detering, Brent A; Zuck, Larry D

2013-09-17

Electrode assemblies for plasma reactors include a structure or device for constraining an arc endpoint to a selected area or region on an electrode. In some embodiments, the structure or device may comprise one or more insulating members covering a portion of an electrode. In additional embodiments, the structure or device may provide a magnetic field configured to control a location of an arc endpoint on the electrode. Plasma generating modules, apparatus, and systems include such electrode assemblies. Methods for generating a plasma include covering at least a portion of a surface of an electrode with an electrically insulating member to constrain a location of an arc endpoint on the electrode. Additional methods for generating a plasma include generating a magnetic field to constrain a location of an arc endpoint on an electrode.

Near-Electrode Imager

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathke, Jerome W.; Klingler, Robert J.; Woelk, Klaus; Gerald, Rex E.,II

1999-05-01

An apparatus, near-electrode imager, for employing nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to provide in situ measurements of electrochemical properties of a sample as a function of distance from a working electrode. The near-electrode imager use the radio frequency field gradient within a cylindrical toroid cavity resonator to provide high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectral information on electrolyte materials.

Exposure to sexism can decrease implicit gender stereotype bias

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramos, Miguel R.; Barreto, Manuela; Ellemers, Naomi; Moya, Miguel; Ferreira, Lucia; Calanchini, Jimmy

Two studies examined the effect of exposure to sexism on implicit gender bias, focusing specifically on stereotypes of men as competent and women as warm. Male and female participants were exposed to sexism or no sexism. In both Experiment 1 (Implicit Association Task; N = 115) and Experiment 2

Biases in spatial bisection induced by viewing male and female faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattaneo, Zaira; Schiavi, Susanna; Lega, Carlotta; Renzi, Chiara; Tagliaferri, Matteo; Boehringer, Jana; Carbon, Claus-Christian; Vecchi, Tomaso

2014-01-01

Research on visual attention triggered by face gender is still relatively sparse. In the present study, three experiments are reported in which male and female participants were required to estimate the midpoint of a line (i.e., the "line bisection task"): at each end of the line a face was presented. Depending on the experimental condition, faces could be of the same gender (i.e., two males or two females) or the opposite gender. Experiments 1 and 2 converged in showing that when a male face was presented at the right and a female face at the left endpoint of the line, a clear rightward bias emerged compared to the other experimental conditions, indicating that male faces captured attention more than female faces. Importantly, male faces used across Experiments 1 and 2 were rated as more threatening than female faces, suggesting that perceived level of threat may have been responsible for the observed bias toward the male face. Experiment 3 corroborated this hypothesis by finding an attentional bias toward the male face with high threat (angry) faces but not with low threat (smiling) faces.

Both physical exercise and progressive muscle relaxation reduce the facing-the-viewer bias in biological motion perception.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Heenan

Full Text Available Biological motion stimuli, such as orthographically projected stick figure walkers, are ambiguous about their orientation in depth. The projection of a stick figure walker oriented towards the viewer, therefore, is the same as its projection when oriented away. Even though such figures are depth-ambiguous, however, observers tend to interpret them as facing towards them more often than facing away. Some have speculated that this facing-the-viewer bias may exist for sociobiological reasons: Mistaking another human as retreating when they are actually approaching could have more severe consequences than the opposite error. Implied in this hypothesis is that the facing-towards percept of biological motion stimuli is potentially more threatening. Measures of anxiety and the facing-the-viewer bias should therefore be related, as researchers have consistently found that anxious individuals display an attentional bias towards more threatening stimuli. The goal of this study was to assess whether physical exercise (Experiment 1 or an anxiety induction/reduction task (Experiment 2 would significantly affect facing-the-viewer biases. We hypothesized that both physical exercise and progressive muscle relaxation would decrease facing-the-viewer biases for full stick figure walkers, but not for bottom- or top-half-only human stimuli, as these carry less sociobiological relevance. On the other hand, we expected that the anxiety induction task (Experiment 2 would increase facing-the-viewer biases for full stick figure walkers only. In both experiments, participants completed anxiety questionnaires, exercised on a treadmill (Experiment 1 or performed an anxiety induction/reduction task (Experiment 2, and then immediately completed a perceptual task that allowed us to assess their facing-the-viewer bias. As hypothesized, we found that physical exercise and progressive muscle relaxation reduced facing-the-viewer biases for full stick figure walkers only. Our

The professional socialization of collegiate female athletic trainers: navigating experiences of gender bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazerolle, Stephanie M; Borland, John F; Burton, Laura J

2012-01-01

Female athletic trainers (ATs) experience gender discrimination in the workplace due to stereotypical gender roles, but limited information is available regarding the topic. To understand the challenges and obstacles faced by young female ATs working in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletics. Exploratory study using semistructured interviews. Division I clinical setting. A total of 14 female ATs were included in the study, using both criterion and snowball-sampling techniques. Their mean age was 27 ± 2 years, with 5 ± 2 years of overall clinical experience. Criteria included employment at the Division I clinical setting, being a full-time assistant AT, and at least 3 years of working experience but no more than 9 years to avoid role continuance. Analysis of the interview data followed inductive procedures as outlined by a grounded theory approach. Credibility was established by member checks, multiple-analyst triangulation, and peer review. Clear communication with both coaches and players about expectations and philosophies regarding medical care, a supportive head AT in terms of clinical competence, and having and serving as a role model were cited as critical tools to alleviate gender bias in the workplace. The female ATs in this study stressed the importance of being assertive with coaches early in the season with regard to the AT's role on the team. They reasoned that these actions brought forth a greater perception of congruity between their roles as ATs and their gender and age. We suggest that female athletic training students seek mentors in their field while they complete their coursework and practicums. The ATs in the current study indicated that a mentor, regardless of sex, helped them feel empowered to navigate the male-centric terrain of athletic departments by encouraging them to be assertive and not second-guess their decisions.

A Self-diagnostic Method for the Electrode Adhesion of an Electromagnetic Flow-meter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Hua Cui

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Electrodes of electromagnetic flow-meter are subject to contamination in sewage measurement. In this paper, the relationship between the internal resistance of the flow-induced voltage and the electrode contamination is analyzed on the basis of numerical analysis. A new self- diagnostic method for electrode adhesion with additional excitation based on photovoltaic cell is proposed, in which magnetic excitation for flow-rate measurement and electric excitation for electrode self-diagnosis is divided in both time domain and frequency domain. A dual-excited electromagnetic flow-meter with electrode self-diagnosis was designed and validated. Simulation experiments based on the change of the internal resistance of the flow-induced voltage were carried out. And the experimental results fully show that this new method is feasible and promising.

Comparative risk perception and foods: The impact of optimistic bias on risk communication and health promotion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miles, S.; Frewer, L.J.

2003-01-01

Optimistic bias is a phenomenon in which people believe they are less likely to experience negative events, and more likely to experience positive ones, than other people. There is evidence that optimistic bias reduces people's motivation to undertake self-protective behaviour, as well as reducing

Surgical implications of perimodiolar cochlear implant electrode design: avoiding intracochlear damage and scala vestibuli insertion.

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, R J; Tykocinski, M; Saunders, E; Hellier, W; Dahm, M; Pyman, B; Clark, G M

2001-09-01

To review the mechanisms and nature of intracochlear damage associated with cochlear implant electrode array insertion, in particular, the various perimodiolar electrode designs. Make recommendations regarding surgical techniques for the Nucleus Contour electrode to ensure correct position and minimal insertion trauma. The potential advantages of increased modiolar proximity of intracochlear multichannel electrode arrays are a reduction in stimulation thresholds, an increase in dynamic range and more localized neural excitation. This may improve speech perception and reduce power consumption. These advantages may be negated if increased intracochlear damage results from the method used to position the electrodes close to the modiolus. A review of the University of Melbourne Department of Otolaryngology experience with temporal bone safety studies using the Nucleus standard straight electrode array and a variety of perimodiolar electrode array designs; comparison with temporal bone insertion studies from other centres and postmortem histopathology studies reported in the literature. Review of our initial clinical experience using the Nucleus Contour electrode array. The nature of intracochlear damage resulting from electrode insertion trauma ranges from minor, localized, spiral ligament tear to diffuse organ of Corti disruption and osseous spiral lamina fracture. The type of damage depends on the mechanical characteristics of the electrode array, the stiffness, curvature and size of the electrode in relation to the scala, and the surgical technique. The narrow, flexible, straight arrays are the least traumatic. Pre-curved or stiffer arrays are associated with an incidence of basilar membrane perforation. The cochleostomy must be correctly sited in relation to the round window to ensure scala tympani insertion. A cochleostomy anterior to the round window rather than inferior may lead to scala media or scala vestibuli insertion. Proximity of electrodes to the modiolus

Determinants of Colour Constancy and the Blue Bias

Science.gov (United States)

Gegenfurtner, Karl

2017-01-01

We investigated several sensory and cognitive determinants of colour constancy across 40 illumination hues. In the first experiment, we measured colour naming for the illumination and for the colour induced by the illumination on the colorimetric grey. Results confirmed that the induced colours are approximately complementary to the colour of the illumination. In the second experiment, we measured colour constancy using achromatic adjustments. Average colour constancy was perfect under the blue daylight illumination and decreased in colour directions away from the blue daylight illumination due to undershooting and a strong blue bias. Apart from this blue bias, colour constancy was not related to illumination discrimination and to chromatic detection measured previously with the same setup and stimuli. We also observed a strong negative relationship between the degree of colour constancy and the consensus of naming the illumination colour. Constancy coincided with a low naming consensus, in particular because bluish illumination colours were sometimes seen as achromatic. Blue bias and category consensus alone explained >68%, and all determinants together explained >94% of the variance of achromatic adjustments. These findings suggest that colour constancy is optimised for blue daylight. PMID:29348910

Emotion Regulation Predicts Attention Bias in Maltreated Children At-Risk for Depression

Science.gov (United States)

Romens, Sarah E.; Pollak, Seth D.

2012-01-01

Background: Child maltreatment is associated with heightened risk for depression; however, not all individuals who experience maltreatment develop depression. Previous research indicates that maltreatment contributes to an attention bias for emotional cues, and that depressed individuals show attention bias for sad cues. Method: The present study…

Studying the thermal performance of a bipolar radiofrequency ablation with an improved electrode matrix system: In vitro experiments and modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, Y.L.; Leo, H.L.; Chua, K.J.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We made judicious modification to the Penne’s equation in the process of developing our model. We consider the liver to consist of tumor and health tissue. The model has been validated with experimental data. • The proposed electrode system can reduce the tissue volume damage outside the electrodes. The designed building unit with 10 mm inter-electrode distance is the optimal choice to achieve desired ablation zone. • The influence of blood vessel is relatively small for using this electrode system. A spatial distance of 13 mm is deemed as the safe distance between the wall of the central probe and the large vessel. • This proposed electrode system demonstrated higher ablation stability even for tissue regions that are close to blood vessels. The system is better suited for matrix-type RFA. - Abstract: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is becoming an effective treatment method for both primary tumors and tumors that have metastasized. Large tumors in difficult anatomic locations can be treated by RFA technologies. However, constant size and regular shape of damage zones cannot be obtained by recent RFA technologies. The aim of this study is to optimize the stability of RFA treatment by employing a newly proposed bipolar electrode system. A hepatic RFA mathematical model is developed by the finite element method approach. The model is validated with the experimental data. This model is then used to verify the reliability and stability of the proposed electrode system. Simulated results showed the cross section of the ablation zone utilizing designed electrode system approximates a square. In addition, the fraction of the necrosed tissue with this electrode pattern turned out to be larger than the fraction with single-probe RFA techniques. This system demonstrated higher ablation stability even for tissue regions that are close to blood vessels. The proposed electrode system is better suited for matrix-type RFA.

An apparatus for studying electrical breakdown in liquid helium at 0.4 K and testing electrode materials for the neutron electric dipole moment experiment at the Spallation Neutron Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, T. M., E-mail: ito@lanl.gov; Ramsey, J. C.; Clayton, S. M.; Currie, S. A.; Griffith, W. C.; Makela, M.; Tang, Z.; Wei, W. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Yao, W.; Cianciolo, V. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Beck, D. H.; Williamson, S. E. [Loomis Laboratory of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Crawford, C.; Wagner, D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506 (United States); Filippone, B. W.; Schmid, R. [W. K. Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Seidel, G. M. [Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)

2016-04-15

We have constructed an apparatus to study DC electrical breakdown in liquid helium at temperatures as low as 0.4 K and at pressures between the saturated vapor pressure and ∼600 Torr. The apparatus can house a set of electrodes that are 12 cm in diameter with a gap of 1–2 cm between them, and a potential up to ±50 kV can be applied to each electrode. Initial results demonstrated that it is possible to apply fields exceeding 100 kV/cm in a 1 cm gap between two electropolished stainless steel electrodes 12 cm in diameter for a wide range of pressures at 0.4 K. We also measured the current between two electrodes. Our initial results, I < 1 pA at 45 kV, correspond to a lower bound on the effective volume resistivity of liquid helium of ρ{sub V} > 5 × 10{sup 18} Ω cm. This lower bound is 5 times larger than the bound previously measured. We report the design, construction, and operational experience of the apparatus, as well as initial results.

Nickel foam/polyaniline-based carbon/palladium composite electrodes for hydrogen storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skowronski, Jan M.; Urbaniak, Jan

2008-01-01

The sandwich-like nickel/palladium/carbon electrodes exhibiting ability to absorb hydrogen in alkaline solution are presented. Electrodes were prepared by successive deposition of palladium and polyaniline layers on nickel foam substrate followed by heat treatment to give Ni/Pd/C electrode. It was shown that thermal conversion of polymer into carbon layer and subsequent thermal activation of carbon component bring about the modification of the mechanism of reversible hydrogen sorption. It was proven that carbon layer, interacting with Pd catalyst, plays a considerable role in the process of hydrogen storage. In the other series of experiments, Pd particles were dispersed electrochemically on carbon coating leading to Ni/C/Pd system. The adding of the next carbon layer resulted in Ni/C/Pd/C electrodes. Electrochemical properties of the electrodes depend on both the sequence of Pd and C layers and the preparation/activation of carbon coating. Electrochemical behavior of sandwich-like electrodes in the reaction of hydrogen sorption/desorption was characterized in 6 M KOH using the cyclic voltammetry method and the results obtained were compared to those for Ni/Pd electrode. The anodic desorption of hydrogen from electrodes free and containing carbon layer was considered after the potentiodynamic as well as potentiostatic sorption of hydrogen. The influence of the sorption potential and the time of rest of electrodes at a cut-off circuit on the kinetics of hydrogen recovery were examined. The results obtained for Ni/Pd/C electrodes indicate that the displacement of hydrogen between C and Pd phase takes place during the rest at a cut-off circuit. Electrodes containing carbon layer require longer time for hydrogen electrosorption. On the other hand, the presence of carbon layer in electrodes is advantageous because a considerable longer retention of hydrogen is possible, as compared to Pd/Ni electrode. Hydrogen stored in sandwich-like electrodes can instantly be

Asymmetrical effects of adaptation to left- and right-shifting prisms depends on pre-existing attentional biases.

Science.gov (United States)

Goedert, Kelly M; Leblanc, Andrew; Tsai, Sen-Wei; Barrett, Anna M

2010-09-01

Proposals that adaptation with left-shifting prisms induces neglect-like symptoms in normal individuals rely on a dissociation between the postadaptation performance of individuals trained with left- versus right-shifting prisms (e.g., Colent, Pisella, & Rossetti, 2000). A potential problem with this evidence is that normal young adults have an a priori leftward bias (e.g., Jewell & McCourt, 2000). In Experiment 1, we compared the line bisection performance of young adults to that of aged adults, who as a group may lack a leftward bias in line bisection. Participants trained with both left- and right-shifting prisms. Consistent with our hypothesis, while young adults demonstrated aftereffects for left, but not right prisms, aged adults demonstrated reliable aftereffects for both prisms. In Experiment 2, we recruited a larger sample of young adults, some of whom were right-biased at baseline. We observed an interaction between baseline bias and prism-shift, consistent with the results of Experiment 1: Left-biased individuals showed a reduced aftereffect when training with right-shifting prisms and right-biased individuals showed a reduced aftereffect when training with left-shifting prisms. These results suggest that previous failures to find generalizable aftereffects with right-shifting prisms may be driven by participants' baseline biases rather than specific effects of the prism itself.

Process Optimization of EDM Cutting Process on Tool Steel using Zinc Coated Electrode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanizam H.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In WEDM machining process, surface finish quality depends on intensity and duration of spark plasma. Electrode wire diameter has significant effect on the spark intensity and yet the studies on this matter still less. Therefore, the main objectives of this studies are to compare the different diameters of zinc coated and uncoated brass electrode on H13 tool steel surface roughness. The experiments were conducted on Sodick VZ300L WEDM and work piece material of tool steel AISI H13 block. Electrode of zinc coated brass with diameters of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm and uncoated brass 0.2 mm were used. The surface roughness of cutting was measured using the SUR-FTEST SJ-410 Mitutoyo, surface roughness tester. The results suggest that better surface roughness quality can be achieved through smaller electrode wire diameter. The zinc coated improves flushing ability and sparks intensity resulting in better surface finish of H13 tool steel. New alloys and coating materials shall be experimented to optimized the process further.

Lithium manganese oxide spinel electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Darling, Robert Mason

Batteries based oil intercalation eletrodes are currently being considered for a variety of applications including automobiles. This thesis is concerned with the simulation and experimental investigation of one such system: spinel LiyMn2O4. A mathematical model simulating the behavior of an electrochemical cell containing all intercalation electrode is developed and applied to Li yMn2O4 based systems. The influence of the exchange current density oil the propagation of the reaction through the depth of the electrode is examined theoretically. Galvanostatic cycling and relaxation phenomena on open circuit are simulated for different particle-size distributions. The electrode with uniformly sized particles shows the best performance when the current is on, and relaxes towards equilibrium most quickly. The impedance of a porous electrode containing a particle-size distribution at low frequencies is investigated with all analytic solution and a simplified version of the mathematical model. The presence of the particle-size distribution leads to an apparent diffusion coefficient which has all incorrect concentration dependence. A Li/1 M LiClO4 in propylene carbonate (PC)/ LiyMn 2O4 cell is used to investigate the influence of side reactions oil the current-potential behavior of intercalation electrodes. Slow cyclic voltammograms and self-discharge data are combined to estimate the reversible potential of the host material and the kinetic parameters for the side reaction. This information is then used, together with estimates of the solid-state diffusion coefficient and main-reaction exchange current density, in a mathematical model of the system. Predictions from the model compare favorably with continuous cycling results and galvanostatic experiments with periodic current interruptions. The variation with respect to composition of' the diffusion coefficient of lithium in LiyMn2O4 is estimated from incomplete galvanostatic discharges following open-circult periods. The

Schiff Base modified on CPE electrode and PCB gold electrode for selective determination of silver ion

Science.gov (United States)

Leepheng, Piyawan; Suramitr, Songwut; Phromyothin, Darinee

2017-09-01

The schiff base was synthesized by 2,5-thiophenedicarboxaldehyde and 1,2,4-thiadiazole-3,5-diamine with condensation method. There was modified on carbon paste electrode (CPE) and Printed circuit board (PCB) gold electrode for determination silver ion. The schiff base modified electrodes was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The electrochemical study was reported by cyclic voltammetry method and impedance spectroscopy using modified electrode as working electrode, platinum wire and Ag/AgCl as counter electrode and reference electrode, respectively. The modified electrodes have suitable detection for Ag+. The determination of silver ions using the modified electrodes depended linearly on Ag+ concentration in the range 1×10-10 M to 1×10-7 M, with cyclic voltammetry sensitivity were 2.51×108 μAM-1 and 1.88×108 μAM-1 for PCB gold electrode and CPE electrode, respectively, limits of detection were 5.33×10-9 M and 1.99×10-8 M for PCB gold electrode and CPE electrode, respectively. The modified electrodes have high accuracy, inexpensive and can applied to detection Ag+ in real samples.

Arc plasma assisted rotating electrode process for preparation of metal pebbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohanty, T.; Tripathi, B.M.; Mahata, T.; Sinha, P.K.

2014-01-01

Spherical beryllium pebbles of size ranging from 0.2-2 mm are required as neutron multiplying material in solid Test Blanket Module (TBM) of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Rotating electrode process (REP) has been identified as a suitable technique for preparation of beryllium pebbles. In REP, arc plasma generated between non-consumable electrode (cathode) and rotating metal electrode (anode) plays a major role for continuous consumption of metal electrode and preparation of spherical metal pebbles. This paper focuses on description of the process, selection of sub-systems for development of REP experimental set up and optimization of arc parameters, such as, cathode geometry, arc current, arc voltage, arc gap and carrier gas flow rate for preparation of required size spherical metal pebbles. Other parameters which affect the pebbles sizes are rotational speed, metal electrode diameter and physical properties of the metal. As beryllium is toxic in nature its surrogate metals such as stainless steel (SS) and Titanium (Ti) were selected to evaluate the performance of the REP equipment. Several experiments were carried out using SS and Ti electrode and process parameters have been optimized for preparation of pebbles of different sizes. (author)

Voltammetry at micro-mesh electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wadhawan Jay D.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The voltammetry at three micro-mesh electrodes is explored. It is found that at sufficiently short experimental durations, the micro-mesh working electrode first behaves as an ensemble of microband electrodes, then follows the behaviour anticipated for an array of diffusion-independent micro-ring electrodes of the same perimeter as individual grid-squares within the mesh. During prolonged electrolysis, the micro-mesh electrode follows that behaviour anticipated theoretically for a cubically-packed partially-blocked electrode. Application of the micro-mesh electrode for the electrochemical determination of carbon dioxide in DMSO electrolyte solutions is further illustrated.

Attentional and affective biases for attractive females emerge early in development.

Science.gov (United States)

Rennels, Jennifer Lynn; Verba, Stephanie Ann

2017-01-01

Predominant experience with females early in development results in infants developing an attractive, female-like facial representation that guides children's attention toward and affective preferences for attractive females. When combined with increased interest in the other sex at puberty, these early emerging biases might help explain the robust prosocial and financial biases men exhibit toward attractive women during adulthood.

Cultural and biological factors modulate spatial biases over development.

Science.gov (United States)

Girelli, Luisa; Marinelli, Chiara Valeria; Grossi, Giuseppe; Arduino, Lisa S

2017-11-01

Increasing evidence supports the contribution of both biological and cultural factors to visuospatial processing. The present study adds to the literature by exploring the interplay of perceptual and linguistic mechanisms in determining visuospatial asymmetries in adults (Experiment 1) and children (Experiment 2). In particular, pre-schoolers (3 and 5 year-olds), school-aged children (8 year-old), and adult participants were required to bisect different types of stimuli, that is, lines, words, and figure strings. In accordance with the literature, results yielded a leftward bias for lines and words and a rightward bias for figure strings, in adult participants. More critically, different biases were found for lines, words, and figure strings in children as a function of age, reflecting the impact of both cultural and biological factors on the processing of different visuospatial materials. Specifically, an adult-like pattern of results emerged only in the older group of children (8 year-old), but not in pre-schoolers. Results are discussed in terms of literacy, reading habits exposure, and biological maturation.

Preparation and characterization of PbO2–ZrO2 nanocomposite electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Yingwu; Zhao Chunmei; Zhu Jin

2012-01-01

PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes were prepared by the anodic codeposition in the lead nitrate plating bath containing ZrO 2 nanoparticles. The influences of the ZrO 2 nanoparticles concentration, current density, temperature and stirring rate of the plating bath on the composition of the nanocomposite electrodes were investigated. The surface morphology and the structure of the nanocomposite electrodes were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The experimental results show that the addition of ZrO 2 nanoparticles in the electrodeposition process of lead dioxide significantly increases the lifetime of nanocomposite electrodes. The PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes have a service life of 141 h which is almost four times longer than that of the pure PbO 2 electrodes. The morphology of PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes is more compact and finer than that of PbO 2 electrodes. The relative surface area of the composite electrodes is approximately 2 times that of the pure PbO 2 electrodes. The structure test shows that the addition of ZrO 2 nanoparticles into the plating bath decreases the grain size of the PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes. The anodic polarization curves show that the oxygen evolution overpotential of PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes is higher than PbO 2 electrodes. The pollutant anodic oxidation experiment show that the PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrode exhibited the better performance for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol than PbO 2 electrode, the removal ratio of COD reached 96.2%.

Finite-element modelling and preliminary validation of microneedle-based electrodes for enhanced tissue electroporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Houlihan, Ruth; Grygoryev, Konstantin; Zhenfei Ning; Williams, John; Moore, Tom; O'Mahony, Conor

2017-07-01

This paper investigates the use of microneedle-based electrodes for enhanced testis electroporation, with specific application to the production of transgenic mice. During the design phase, finite-element software has been used to construct a tissue model and to compare the relative performance of electrodes employing a) conventional flat plates, b) microneedle arrays, and c) invasive needles. Results indicate that microneedle-based electrodes can achieve internal tissue field strengths which are an order of magnitude higher than those generated using conventional flat electrodes, and which are comparable to fields produced using invasive needles. Using a double-sided etching process, conductive microneedle arrays were then fabricated and used in prototype electrodes. In a series of mouse model experiments involving injection of a DNA vector expressing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), the performance of flat and microneedle electrodes was compared by measuring GFP expression after electroporation. The main finding, supported by experimental and simulated data, is that use of microneedle-based electrodes significantly enhanced electroporation of testis.

Surprise, Memory, and Retrospective Judgment Making: Testing Cognitive Reconstruction Theories of the Hindsight Bias Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Ash, Ivan K.

2009-01-01

Hindsight bias has been shown to be a pervasive and potentially harmful decision-making bias. A review of 4 competing cognitive reconstruction theories of hindsight bias revealed conflicting predictions about the role and effect of expectation or surprise in retrospective judgment formation. Two experiments tested these predictions examining the…

Zero bias thermally stimulated currents in synthetic diamond

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, R.; Miglio, S.; Bruzzi, M.; Bogani, F.; De Sio, A.; Pace, E.

2009-06-01

Zero bias thermally stimulated currents (ZBTSCs) have been observed in single crystal high pressure high temperature (HPHT) and polycrystalline chemical vapor deposited (pCVD) diamond films. The ZBTSC technique is characterized by an increased sensitivity with respect to a standard TSC analysis. Due to the absence of the thermally activated background current, new TSC peaks have been observed in both HPHT and pCVD diamond films, related to shallow activation energies usually obscured by the emission of the dominant impurities. The ZBTSC peaks are explained in terms of defect discharge in the nonequilibrium potential distribution created by a nonuniform traps filling at the metal-diamond junctions. The electric field due to the charged defects has been estimated in a quasizero bias TSC experiment by applying an external bias.

Biasing of Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers.

Science.gov (United States)

Caliano, Giosue; Matrone, Giulia; Savoia, Alessandro Stuart

2017-02-01

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) represent an effective alternative to piezoelectric transducers for medical ultrasound imaging applications. They are microelectromechanical devices fabricated using silicon micromachining techniques, developed in the last two decades in many laboratories. The interest for this novel transducer technology relies on its full compatibility with standard integrated circuit technology that makes it possible to integrate on the same chip the transducers and the electronics, thus enabling the realization of extremely low-cost and high-performance devices, including both 1-D or 2-D arrays. Being capacitive transducers, CMUTs require a high bias voltage to be properly operated in pulse-echo imaging applications. The typical bias supply residual ripple of high-quality high-voltage (HV) generators is in the millivolt range, which is comparable with the amplitude of the received echo signals, and it is particularly difficult to minimize. The aim of this paper is to analyze the classical CMUT biasing circuits, highlighting the features of each one, and to propose two novel HV generator architectures optimized for CMUT biasing applications. The first circuit proposed is an ultralow-residual ripple (generator that uses an extremely stable sinusoidal power oscillator topology. The second circuit employs a commercially available integrated step-up converter characterized by a particularly efficient switching topology. The circuit is used to bias the CMUT by charging a buffer capacitor synchronously with the pulsing sequence, thus reducing the impact of the switching noise on the received echo signals. The small area of the circuit (about 1.5 cm 2 ) makes it possible to generate the bias voltage inside the probe, very close to the CMUT, making the proposed solution attractive for portable applications. Measurements and experiments are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new approaches presented.

Speed Biases With Real-Life Video Clips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federica Rossi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We live almost literally immersed in an artificial visual world, especially motion pictures. In this exploratory study, we asked whether the best speed for reproducing a video is its original, shooting speed. By using adjustment and double staircase methods, we examined speed biases in viewing real-life video clips in three experiments, and assessed their robustness by manipulating visual and auditory factors. With the tested stimuli (short clips of human motion, mixed human-physical motion, physical motion and ego-motion, speed underestimation was the rule rather than the exception, although it depended largely on clip content, ranging on average from 2% (ego-motion to 32% (physical motion. Manipulating display size or adding arbitrary soundtracks did not modify these speed biases. Estimated speed was not correlated with estimated duration of these same video clips. These results indicate that the sense of speed for real-life video clips can be systematically biased, independently of the impression of elapsed time. Measuring subjective visual tempo may integrate traditional methods that assess time perception: speed biases may be exploited to develop a simple, objective test of reality flow, to be used for example in clinical and developmental contexts. From the perspective of video media, measuring speed biases may help to optimize video reproduction speed and validate “natural” video compression techniques based on sub-threshold temporal squeezing.

A theoretical model for analysing gender bias in medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johansson Eva E

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract During the last decades research has reported unmotivated differences in the treatment of women and men in various areas of clinical and academic medicine. There is an ongoing discussion on how to avoid such gender bias. We developed a three-step-theoretical model to understand how gender bias in medicine can occur and be understood. In this paper we present the model and discuss its usefulness in the efforts to avoid gender bias. In the model gender bias is analysed in relation to assumptions concerning difference/sameness and equity/inequity between women and men. Our model illustrates that gender bias in medicine can arise from assuming sameness and/or equity between women and men when there are genuine differences to consider in biology and disease, as well as in life conditions and experiences. However, gender bias can also arise from assuming differences when there are none, when and if dichotomous stereotypes about women and men are understood as valid. This conceptual thinking can be useful for discussing and avoiding gender bias in clinical work, medical education, career opportunities and documents such as research programs and health care policies. Too meet the various forms of gender bias, different facts and measures are needed. Knowledge about biological differences between women and men will not reduce bias caused by gendered stereotypes or by unawareness of health problems and discrimination associated with gender inequity. Such bias reflects unawareness of gendered attitudes and will not change by facts only. We suggest consciousness-rising activities and continuous reflections on gender attitudes among students, teachers, researchers and decision-makers.

In situ electrochemical atomic force microscope study on graphite electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirasawa, K.A.; Sato, Tomohiro; Asahina, Hitoshi; Yamaguchi, Shoji; Mori, Shoichiro [Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., Inashiki, Ibaraki (Japan). Tsukuba Research Center

1997-04-01

Interest in the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film on graphite electrodes has increased recently in the quest to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Topographic and frictional changes on the surface of a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite electrode in 1 M LiCiO{sub 4} ethylene carbonate/ethylmethyl carbonate (1:1) electrolyte were examined during charge and discharge by in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy and friction force microscopy simultaneously in real-time. Solid electrolyte interphase film formation commenced at approximately 2 V vs. Li/Li{sup +} and stable film formation with an island-like morphology was observed below approximately 0.9 V vs. Li/Li{sup +}. Further experiments on a KS-44 graphite/polyvinylidene difluoride binder composite electrode showed similar phenomena.

Are Health State Valuations from the General Public Biased? A Test of Health State Reference Dependency Using Self-assessed Health and an Efficient Discrete Choice Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonker, Marcel F; Attema, Arthur E; Donkers, Bas; Stolk, Elly A; Versteegh, Matthijs M

2017-12-01

Health state valuations of patients and non-patients are not the same, whereas health state values obtained from general population samples are a weighted average of both. The latter constitutes an often-overlooked source of bias. This study investigates the resulting bias and tests for the impact of reference dependency on health state valuations using an efficient discrete choice experiment administered to a Dutch nationally representative sample of 788 respondents. A Bayesian discrete choice experiment design consisting of eight sets of 24 (matched pairwise) choice tasks was developed, with each set providing full identification of the included parameters. Mixed logit models were used to estimate health state preferences with respondents' own health included as an additional predictor. Our results indicate that respondents with impaired health worse than or equal to the health state levels under evaluation have approximately 30% smaller health state decrements. This confirms that reference dependency can be observed in general population samples and affirms the relevance of prospect theory in health state valuations. At the same time, the limited number of respondents with severe health impairments does not appear to bias social tariffs as obtained from general population samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Structural evolution of bias sputtered LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 thin film cathodes for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Shih-Hsuan; Chiu, Kuo-Feng; Leu, Hoang-Jyh

2014-01-01

LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) thin films have been deposited on stainless steel substrates using radio frequency (f = 13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering, followed by thermal annealing in ambient atmosphere. Various negative biases were applied on the substrates during deposition. The structural evolution of LNMO thin films under different negative biases has been investigated and characterized by X-ray diffraction. All of the deposited films exhibit a crystalline spinel structure with a space group of Fd-3m, which is a so-called disordered phase. The results also indicate that particle size decreases with increasing negative bias. The electrochemical properties of the LNMO thin films as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries were investigated. Two distinctive voltage plateaus at ∼ 4.7 V and at ∼ 4.0 V (vs. Li + /Li) can be observed in the discharge curves, corresponding to the reactions of the disordered phase. The capacity of LNMO thin film electrodes under suitable negative bias can be optimized. - Highlights: • LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 thin films have been deposited on stainless steel substrates. • Various negative biases were applied on the substrates during deposition. • The particle sizes of LNMO thin films decrease with increasing negative bias

Electrode assembly for a lithium ion battery, process for the production of such electrode assembly, and lithium ion battery comprising such electrode assemblies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, F.M.; Wagemaker, M.

2013-01-01

The invention provides an electrode assembly for a lithium ion battery, the electrode assembly comprising a lithium storage electrode layer on a current collector, wherein the lithium storage electrode layer is a porous layer having a porosity in the range of -35 %, with pores having pore widths in

Applying signal-detection theory to the study of observer accuracy and bias in behavioral assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerman, Dorothea C; Tetreault, Allison; Hovanetz, Alyson; Bellaci, Emily; Miller, Jonathan; Karp, Hilary; Mahmood, Angela; Strobel, Maggie; Mullen, Shelley; Keyl, Alice; Toupard, Alexis

2010-01-01

We evaluated the feasibility and utility of a laboratory model for examining observer accuracy within the framework of signal-detection theory (SDT). Sixty-one individuals collected data on aggression while viewing videotaped segments of simulated teacher-child interactions. The purpose of Experiment 1 was to determine if brief feedback and contingencies for scoring accurately would bias responding reliably. Experiment 2 focused on one variable (specificity of the operational definition) that we hypothesized might decrease the likelihood of bias. The effects of social consequences and information about expected behavior change were examined in Experiment 3. Results indicated that feedback and contingencies reliably biased responding and that the clarity of the definition only moderately affected this outcome.

Preparation and Performance of Sb-SnO2 / Ti Electrode Modified with Carbon Nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WEI Jin-zhi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the electro-catalytic oxidation activity and stability of Sb-SnO2 /Ti electrode，the CNTs-Sb-SnO2 /Ti electrode was prepared by sol-gel-thermal decomposition method. The microstructure and electrochemical properties of the modified electrode was characterized via SEM electrochemical impedance spectroscope ( EIS ，polarization curve and congo red degradation experiments. Furthermore，its the stability was investigated by accelerated life test. The results indicate that when the optimal doping amount of CNTs is 2. 0 g /L the congo red removal rate increases by 14. 7% using the CNTs-Sb-SnO2 /Ti electrode compared with the Sb-SnO2 /Ti electrode. Meanwhile pore structure appears and roughness increases on the surface of modified electrodes leading to larger specific surface area of electrode. Then the modified electrodes exhibit higher oxygen evolution potential and lower charge transfer resistance. Additionally，accelerated life tests reveal that the modified electrode has better electro-catalytic stability while the service life increases by

The effect of cathode bias (field effect) on the surface leakage current of CdZnTe detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolotnikov, A.E.; Hubert Chen, C.M.; Cook, W.R.; Harrison, F.A.; Kuvvetli, I.; Schindler, S.M.; Stahle, C.M.; Parker, B.H.

2003-01-01

Surface resistivity is an important parameter of multi-electrode CZT detectors such as coplanar-grid, strip, or pixel detectors. Low surface resistivity results in a high leakage current and affects the charge collection efficiency in the areas near contacts. Thus, it is always desirable to have the surface resistivity of the detector as high as possible. In the past the most significant efforts were concentrated to develop passivation techniques for CZT detectors. However, as we found, the field-effect caused by a bias applied on the cathode can significantly reduce the surface resistivity even though the detector surface was carefully passivated. In this paper we illustrate that the field-effect is a common feature of the CZT multi-electrode detectors, and discuss how to take advantage of this effect to improve the surface resistivity of CZT detectors

Influence of BaO in perovskite electrodes for the electrochemical reduction of NOx

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Vibe Louise Ernlund; Johnsen, M.M.; Kammer Hansen, Kent

2007-01-01

Using the point electrode method, the effect of BaO on electrochemical reduction of NO (x) was investigated using the perovskites La0.85Sr0.15MnO3 (LSM15) and La0.85Sr0.15CoO3 (LSCo15) as electrode materials. The experiments were carried out in the temperature range 400-600 degrees C in 1% NO and...... favored oxygen reduction compared to reduction of nitric oxide. The LSCO15 electrode containing BaO reacted to form a K2NiF4-structure and was not tested further....

Modeling of electrodes and implantable pulse generator cases for the analysis of implant tip heating under MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acikel, Volkan; Atalar, Ergin; Uslubas, Ali

2015-01-01

Purpose: The authors’ purpose is to model the case of an implantable pulse generator (IPG) and the electrode of an active implantable medical device using lumped circuit elements in order to analyze their effect on radio frequency induced tissue heating problem during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. Methods: In this study, IPG case and electrode are modeled with a voltage source and impedance. Values of these parameters are found using the modified transmission line method (MoTLiM) and the method of moments (MoM) simulations. Once the parameter values of an electrode/IPG case model are determined, they can be connected to any lead, and tip heating can be analyzed. To validate these models, both MoM simulations and MR experiments were used. The induced currents on the leads with the IPG case or electrode connections were solved using the proposed models and the MoTLiM. These results were compared with the MoM simulations. In addition, an electrode was connected to a lead via an inductor. The dissipated power on the electrode was calculated using the MoTLiM by changing the inductance and the results were compared with the specific absorption rate results that were obtained using MoM. Then, MRI experiments were conducted to test the IPG case and the electrode models. To test the IPG case, a bare lead was connected to the case and placed inside a uniform phantom. During a MRI scan, the temperature rise at the lead was measured by changing the lead length. The power at the lead tip for the same scenario was also calculated using the IPG case model and MoTLiM. Then, an electrode was connected to a lead via an inductor and placed inside a uniform phantom. During a MRI scan, the temperature rise at the electrode was measured by changing the inductance and compared with the dissipated power on the electrode resistance. Results: The induced currents on leads with the IPG case or electrode connection were solved for using the combination of the MoTLiM and

Multi-electrode double layer capacitor having single electrolyte seal and aluminum-impregnated carbon cloth electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Farahmandi, C. Joseph; Dispennette, John M.; Blank, Edward; Kolb, Alan C.

1999-01-19

A single cell, multi-electrode high performance double layer capacitor includes first and second flat stacks of electrodes adapted to be housed in a closeable two-part capacitor case which includes only a single electrolyte seal. Each electrode stack has a plurality of electrodes connected in parallel, with the electrodes of one stack being interleaved with the electrodes of the other stack to form an interleaved stack, and with the electrodes of each stack being electrically connected to respective capacitor terminals. A porous separator sleeve is inserted over the electrodes of one stack before interleaving to prevent electrical shorts between the electrodes. The electrodes are made by folding a compressible, low resistance, aluminum-impregnated carbon cloth, made from activated carbon fibers, around a current collector foil, with a tab of the foils of each electrode of each stack being connected in parallel and connected to the respective capacitor terminal. The height of the interleaved stack is somewhat greater than the inside height of the closed capacitor case, thereby requiring compression of the interleaved electrode stack when placed inside of the case, and thereby maintaining the interleaved electrode stack under modest constant pressure. The closed capacitor case is filled with an electrolytic solution and sealed. A preferred electrolytic solution is made by dissolving an appropriate salt into acetonitrile (CH.sub.3 CN). In one embodiment, the two parts of the capacitor case are conductive and function as the capacitor terminals.

Cognitive bias in forensic anthropology: visual assessment of skeletal remains is susceptible to confirmation bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakhaeizadeh, Sherry; Dror, Itiel E; Morgan, Ruth M

2014-05-01

An experimental study was designed to examine cognitive biases within forensic anthropological non-metric methods in assessing sex, ancestry and age at death. To investigate examiner interpretation, forty-one non-novice participants were semi randomly divided into three groups. Prior to conducting the assessment of the skeletal remains, two of the groups were given different extraneous contextual information regarding the sex, ancestry and age at death of the individual. The third group acted as a control group with no extraneous contextual information. The experiment was designed to investigate if the interpretation and conclusions of the skeletal remains would differ amongst participants within the three groups, and to assess whether the examiners would confirm or disagree with the given extraneous context when establishing a biological profile. The results revealed a significant biasing effect within the three groups, demonstrating a strong confirmation bias in the assessment of sex, ancestry and age at death. In assessment of sex, 31% of the participants in the control group concluded that the skeleton remains were male. In contrast, in the group that received contextual information that the remains were male, 72% concluded that the remains were male, and in the participant group where the context was that the remains were of a female, 0% of the participants concluded that the remains were male. Comparable results showing bias were found in assessing ancestry and age at death. These data demonstrate that cognitive bias can impact forensic anthropological non-metric methods on skeletal remains and affects the interpretation and conclusions of the forensic scientists. This empirical study is a step in establishing an evidence base approach for dealing with cognitive issues in forensic anthropological assessments, so as to enhance this valuable forensic science discipline. Copyright © 2013 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

Effects of sertraline, duloxetine, vortioxetine, and idazoxan in the rat affective bias test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Refsgaard, Louise Konradsen; Haubro, Kia; Pickering, Darryl S