WorldWideScience

Sample records for irrelevant articles discarded

  1. Original article Temperamental variation in learned irrelevance in humans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandra Gruszka

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background Learned irrelevance (LIRR represents one of the mechanisms of attentional set-shifting and refers to the inability to attend to, or to learn about, any aspect of a stimulus previously experienced as irrelevant. Although it has been extensively studied in the context of clinical populations, not much is known about LIRR effects in relation to normal variation in individual differences. The present study was designed to assess how temperamental factors may modulate LIRR. Participants and procedures Sixty-eight healthy volunteers performed a visual discrimination learning task modelled after Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. To test the susceptibility to learned irrelevance, participants were expected to shift their attention either to a dimension that prior to the extra-dimensional shift was completely irrelevant, or to a dimension that was previously partly correlated with reinforcement. Temperamental traits were assessed using the Formal Characteristics of Behaviour-Temperament Inventory (Zawadzki & Strelau, 1997. Intelligence level was stratified according to Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (Raven, Raven, & Court, 2003. Results Low level of Briskness and high level of Perseverance were related to enhanced susceptibility to LIRR. High levels of Activity and Emotional Reactivity were related to the poorer performance on the extra-dimensional set-shifting. No effects of other temperament characteristics or intelligence on LIRR were observed. Conclusions The results confirm a strong variation in LIRR related to individual differences in temperament, which appears to be unrelated to DA function. Our results highlight the importance of considering individual differences in studies on cognitive control.

  2. Discarding Discards: Identification of influential factors and possible mitigation tools in demersal trawl fisheries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feekings, Jordan P.

    Discarding of aquatic organisms is a global problem in the world’s fisheries, where more than 7 million tonnes are caught and subsequently discarded each year. The understanding of what drives discarding can help provide mitigation measures in the future. Altering management measures which result...... in high discard rates/ratios may prove beneficial not only to the economic viability of the fishery but also to the biological functioning of the ecosystem. The present Ph.D. thesis, titled “Discarding Discards: Identification of influential factors and possible mitigation tools in demersal trawl...... an examination of the efficiency of technical regulations currently in force and retrospective analyses of the efficiency of such measures in the past. The thesis consists of a review and 4 papers. Paper I is an investigation of the factors that can potentially influence the discarding of commercial species...

  3. A Re-evaluation of Discarded Deceased Donor Kidneys in the UK: Are Usable Organs Still Being Discarded?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittal, Shruti; Adamusiak, Anna; Horsfield, Catherine; Loukopoulos, Ioannis; Karydis, Nikolaos; Kessaris, Nicos; Drage, Martin; Olsburgh, Jonathon; Watson, Christopher Je; Callaghan, Chris J

    2017-07-01

    A significant proportion of procured deceased donor kidneys are subsequently discarded. The UK Kidney Fast-Track Scheme (KFTS) was introduced in 2012, enabling kidneys at risk of discard to be simultaneously offered to participating centers. We undertook an analysis of discarded kidneys to determine if unnecessary organ discard was still occurring since the KFTS was introduced. Between April and June 2015, senior surgeons independently inspected 31 consecutive discarded kidneys from throughout the United Kingdom. All kidneys were biopsied. Organs were categorized as usable, possibly usable pending histology, or not usable for implantation. After histology reports were available, final assessments of usability were made. There were 19 donors (6 donations after brain death, 13 donations after circulatory death), with a median (range) donor age of 67 (29-83) years and Kidney Donor Profile Index of 93 (19-100). Reasons for discard were variable. Only 3 discarded kidneys had not entered the KFTS. After initial assessment postdiscard, 11 kidneys were assessed as usable, with 9 kidneys thought to be possibly usable. Consideration of histological data reduced the number of kidneys thought usable to 10 (10/31; 32%). The KFTS scheme is successfully identifying organs at high risk of discard, though potentially transplantable organs are still being discarded. Analyses of discarded organs are essential to identify barriers to organ utilization and develop strategies to reduce unnecessary discard.

  4. Irrelevance Reasoning in Knowledge Based Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy, A. Y.

    1993-01-01

    This dissertation considers the problem of reasoning about irrelevance of knowledge in a principled and efficient manner. Specifically, it is concerned with two key problems: (1) developing algorithms for automatically deciding what parts of a knowledge base are irrelevant to a query and (2) the utility of relevance reasoning. The dissertation describes a novel tool, the query-tree, for reasoning about irrelevance. Based on the query-tree, we develop several algorithms for deciding what formulas are irrelevant to a query. Our general framework sheds new light on the problem of detecting independence of queries from updates. We present new results that significantly extend previous work in this area. The framework also provides a setting in which to investigate the connection between the notion of irrelevance and the creation of abstractions. We propose a new approach to research on reasoning with abstractions, in which we investigate the properties of an abstraction by considering the irrelevance claims on which it is based. We demonstrate the potential of the approach for the cases of abstraction of predicates and projection of predicate arguments. Finally, we describe an application of relevance reasoning to the domain of modeling physical devices.

  5. Construct Relevant or Irrelevant? The Role of Linguistic Complexity in the Assessment of English Language Learners' Science Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avenia-Tapper, Brianna; Llosa, Lorena

    2015-01-01

    This article addresses the issue of language-related construct-irrelevant variance on content area tests from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics. We propose that the construct relevance of language used in content area assessments, and consequent claims of construct-irrelevant variance and bias, should be determined according to…

  6. Active Learning with Irrelevant Examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagstaff, Kiri; Mazzoni, Dominic

    2009-01-01

    An improved active learning method has been devised for training data classifiers. One example of a data classifier is the algorithm used by the United States Postal Service since the 1960s to recognize scans of handwritten digits for processing zip codes. Active learning algorithms enable rapid training with minimal investment of time on the part of human experts to provide training examples consisting of correctly classified (labeled) input data. They function by identifying which examples would be most profitable for a human expert to label. The goal is to maximize classifier accuracy while minimizing the number of examples the expert must label. Although there are several well-established methods for active learning, they may not operate well when irrelevant examples are present in the data set. That is, they may select an item for labeling that the expert simply cannot assign to any of the valid classes. In the context of classifying handwritten digits, the irrelevant items may include stray marks, smudges, and mis-scans. Querying the expert about these items results in wasted time or erroneous labels, if the expert is forced to assign the item to one of the valid classes. In contrast, the new algorithm provides a specific mechanism for avoiding querying the irrelevant items. This algorithm has two components: an active learner (which could be a conventional active learning algorithm) and a relevance classifier. The combination of these components yields a method, denoted Relevance Bias, that enables the active learner to avoid querying irrelevant data so as to increase its learning rate and efficiency when irrelevant items are present. The algorithm collects irrelevant data in a set of rejected examples, then trains the relevance classifier to distinguish between labeled (relevant) training examples and the rejected ones. The active learner combines its ranking of the items with the probability that they are relevant to yield a final decision about which item

  7. Coherence of the irrelevant-sound effect: individual profiles of short-term memory and susceptibility to task-irrelevant materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Emily M; Cowan, Nelson

    2005-06-01

    We examined individual and developmental differences in the disruptive effects of irrelevant sounds on serial recall of printed lists. In Experiment 1, we examined adults (N = 205) receiving eight-item lists to be recalled. Although their susceptibility to disruption of recall by irrelevant sounds was only slightly related to memory span, regression analyses documented highly reliable individual differences in this susceptibility across speech and tone distractors, even with variance from span level removed. In Experiment 2, we examined adults (n = 64) and 8-year-old children (n = 63) receiving lists of a length equal to a predetermined span and one item shorter (span-1). We again found significant relationships between measures of span and susceptibility to irrelevant sounds, although in only two of the measures. We conclude that some of the cognitive processes helpful in performing a span task may not be beneficial in the presence of irrelevant sounds.

  8. Recovery and disposal of discarded tires in the Taiwan area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, J S; Roam, G D

    1994-12-01

    Urbanization and industrialization has resulted in a vast amount of artificial water containers in Taiwan, especially discarded automobile tires. 3.5 million automobile tires and several million motorcycle tires are discarded annually. The discarded tires contaminate the environment and also become a substantial number of breeding sites for the dengue vector mosquitoes. In order to establish a sound system for the recovery and disposal of discarded tires and to control dengue fever through source reduction, it has been emphasized that users must pay for their waste. It is necessary to recover and properly dispose of these discarded tired. The commercial firms which sell or manufacture tires are therefore advised to cooperate with the Environmental Protection Administration of the Executive Yuan, R.O.C. and follow the "Regulations of Recovery and Disposal of Discarded Tires". They are requested to establish foundations for the recovery of discarded tires. Those who are willing to join should prepay a deposit or related charge by the size of tire, which is imported or locally manufactured. The foundation utilizes the deposits for the recovery and disposal of discarded tires. From 1991 to 1993 the commercial tire firms had already achieved the 80% recovery rates declared by the authorities concerned. Some of the tires, after having been recovered, were recycled in the original form and the rest were cut into small pieces for recycling after physical treatment. It should be mentioned that the Department of Environmental Protection of Kaohsiung City has collected 80 thousand discarded automobile tires to be used as ocean jetty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  9. Redundancy of einselected information in quantum Darwinism: The irrelevance of irrelevant environment bits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwolak, Michael; Zurek, Wojciech H.

    2017-03-01

    The objective, classical world emerges from the underlying quantum substrate via the proliferation of redundant copies of selected information into the environment, which acts as a communication channel, transmitting that information to observers. These copies are independently accessible, allowing many observers to reach consensus about the state of a quantum system via its imprints in the environment. Quantum Darwinism recognizes that the redundancy of information is thus central to the emergence of objective reality in the quantum world. However, in addition to the "quantum system of interest," there are many other systems "of no interest" in the Universe that can imprint information on the common environment. There is therefore a danger that the information of interest will be diluted with irrelevant bits, suppressing the redundancy responsible for objectivity. We show that mixing of the relevant (the "wheat") and irrelevant (the "chaff") bits of information makes little quantitative difference to the redundancy of the information of interest. Thus, we demonstrate that it does not matter whether one separates the wheat (relevant information) from the (irrelevant) chaff: The large redundancy of the relevant information survives dilution, providing evidence of the objective, effectively classical world.

  10. Discard criteria for mine winder ropes.

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Van Zyl, M

    2000-09-01

    Full Text Available , the most important finding of this report ensued from a thorough analysis of "cut-wire" tests. Very few rope samples from discarded non-spin ropes were, or could be, obtained for the establishment and verification of the discard criteria for non...-spin ropes. The effects of broken wires in non-spin ropes were therefore simulated by testing laboratory prepared specimens with selected wires cut in the outer and inner strands. These tests were a continuation of work carried in two previous SIMRAC...

  11. Bycatch And Discards: Management INdicators, Trends and locatiON (BADMINTON)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vassilopoulou, Vassiliki; Marie-Joëlle Rochet, Marie-Joëlle Rochet; Helmond, A.T.M. van

    2012-01-01

    better integration of national onboard observer programmes. The second approach was to conduct stakeholder interviews and expert consultation, which was meant to complement the data analyses with fishers perspectives on the discard issue, and to provide an integrated approach toward management. Both...... approaches lead to the following two broad conclusions: • Discard patterns exhibited high diversity across regions, countries, gear types, vessel sizes, and species, with variability being more pronounced among regions. Thus, discard management approaches might be devised at a regional level – consistent...... the discards problem. Then, effective discard management strategies should be devised at various scales, from individual fishers implementation of detailed species-, gear- and area-specific tools, to producer organizations, member states, regional levels, and the broad European Union. The project has developed...

  12. Discarded fish in European waters: general patterns and contrasts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Uhlmann, Sebastian S.; Helmond, Aloysius T. M. van; Stefansdottir, Elisabet Kemp

    2014-01-01

    To reduce the practice of discarding commercially fished organisms, several measures such as a discard ban and extra allowances on top of landings quotas (“catch quota”) have been proposed by the European Commission. However, for their development and successful implementation, an understanding...

  13. Task-irrelevant emotion facilitates face discrimination learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenzino, Martina; Caudek, Corrado

    2015-03-01

    We understand poorly how the ability to discriminate faces from one another is shaped by visual experience. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether face discrimination learning can be facilitated by facial emotions. To answer this question, we used a task-irrelevant perceptual learning paradigm because it closely mimics the learning processes that, in daily life, occur without a conscious intention to learn and without an attentional focus on specific facial features. We measured face discrimination thresholds before and after training. During the training phase (4 days), participants performed a contrast discrimination task on face images. They were not informed that we introduced (task-irrelevant) subtle variations in the face images from trial to trial. For the Identity group, the task-irrelevant features were variations along a morphing continuum of facial identity. For the Emotion group, the task-irrelevant features were variations along an emotional expression morphing continuum. The Control group did not undergo contrast discrimination learning and only performed the pre-training and post-training tests, with the same temporal gap between them as the other two groups. Results indicate that face discrimination improved, but only for the Emotion group. Participants in the Emotion group, moreover, showed face discrimination improvements also for stimulus variations along the facial identity dimension, even if these (task-irrelevant) stimulus features had not been presented during training. The present results highlight the importance of emotions for face discrimination learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Reutilization of discarded biomass for preparing functional polymer materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianfeng; Qian, Wenzhen; He, Yufeng; Xiong, Yubing; Song, Pengfei; Wang, Rong-Min

    2017-07-01

    Biomass is abundant and recyclable on the earth, which has been assigned numerous roles to human beings. However, over the past decades, accompanying with the rapid expansion of man-made materials, such as alloy, plastic, synthetic rubber and fiber, a great number of natural materials had been neglected and abandoned, such as straw, which cause a waste of resource and environmental pollution. In this review, based on introducing sources of discarded biomass, the main composition and polymer chains in discarded biomass materials, the traditional treatment and novel approach for reutilization of discarded biomass were summarized. The discarded biomass mainly come from plant wastes generated in the process of agriculture and forestry production and manufacturing processes, animal wastes generated in the process of animal husbandry and fishery production as well as the residual wastes produced in the process of food processing and rural living garbage. Compared with the traditional treatment including burning, landfill, feeding and fertilizer, the novel approach for reutilization of discarded biomass principally allotted to energy, ecology and polymer materials. The prepared functional materials covered in composite materials, biopolymer based adsorbent and flocculant, carrier materials, energy materials, smart polymer materials for medical and other intelligent polymer materials, which can effectively serve the environmental management and human life, such as wastewater treatment, catalyst, new energy, tissue engineering, drug controlled release, and coating. To sum up, the renewable and biodegradable discarded biomass resources play a vital role in the sustainable development of human society, as well as will be put more emphases in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Vulnerability to the Irrelevant Sound Effect in Adult ADHD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelletier, Marie-France; Hodgetts, Helen M; Lafleur, Martin F; Vincent, Annick; Tremblay, Sébastien

    2016-04-01

    An ecologically valid adaptation of the irrelevant sound effect paradigm was employed to examine the relative roles of short-term memory, selective attention, and sustained attention in ADHD. In all, 32 adults with ADHD and 32 control participants completed a serial recall task in silence or while ignoring irrelevant background sound. Serial recall performance in adults with ADHD was reduced relative to controls in both conditions. The degree of interference due to irrelevant sound was greater for adults with ADHD. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between task performance under conditions of irrelevant sound and the extent of attentional problems reported by patients on a clinical symptom scale. The results demonstrate that adults with ADHD exhibit impaired short-term memory and a low resistance to distraction; however, their capacity for sustained attention is preserved as the impact of irrelevant sound diminished over the course of the task. © The Author(s) 2013.

  16. Rational Choice and the Relevance of Irrelevant Alternatives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seidl, C.; Traub, S.

    1996-01-01

    This experimental study investigates the inuence of irrelevant or phantom al- ternatives on subjects' choices in sequential decision making. Using experimental data from 45 subjects, we found that irrelevant alternatives bear significant rele- vance for decision making. We observe that only 38% of

  17. Coastal Discard Logbook Survey (Vessels)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains data on the type and amount of marine resources that are discarded or interacted with by vessels that are selected to report to the Southeast...

  18. Entirely irrelevant distractors can capture and captivate attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forster, Sophie; Lavie, Nilli

    2011-12-01

    The question of whether a stimulus onset may capture attention when it is entirely irrelevant to the task and even in the absence of any attentional settings for abrupt onset or any dynamic changes has been highly controversial. In the present study, we designed a novel irrelevant capture task to address this question. Participants engaged in a continuous task making sequential forced choice (letter or digit) responses to each item in an alphanumeric matrix that remained on screen throughout many responses. This task therefore involved no attentional settings for onset or indeed any dynamic changes, yet the brief onset of an entirely irrelevant distractor (a cartoon picture) resulted in significant slowing of the two (Experiment 1) or three (Experiment 2) responses immediately following distractor appearance These findings provide a clear demonstration of attention being captured and captivated by a distractor that is entirely irrelevant to any attentional settings of the task.

  19. Neural correlate of filtering of irrelevant information from visual working memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasr, Shahin; Moeeny, Ali; Esteky, Hossein

    2008-09-26

    In a dynamic environment stimulus task relevancy could be altered through time and it is not always possible to dissociate relevant and irrelevant objects from the very first moment they come to our sight. In such conditions, subjects need to retain maximum possible information in their WM until it is clear which items should be eliminated from WM to free attention and memory resources. Here, we examined the neural basis of irrelevant information filtering from WM by recording human ERP during a visual change detection task in which the stimulus irrelevancy was revealed in a later stage of the task forcing the subjects to keep all of the information in WM until test object set was presented. Assessing subjects' behaviour we found that subjects' RT was highly correlated with the number of irrelevant objects and not the relevant one, pointing to the notion that filtering, and not selection, process was used to handle the distracting effect of irrelevant objects. In addition we found that frontal N150 and parietal N200 peak latencies increased systematically as the amount of irrelevancy load increased. Interestingly, the peak latency of parietal N200, and not frontal N150, better correlated with subjects' RT. The difference between frontal N150 and parietal N200 peak latencies varied with the amount of irrelevancy load suggesting that functional connectivity between modules underlying fronto-parietal potentials vary concomitant with the irrelevancy load. These findings suggest the existence of two neural modules, responsible for irrelevant objects elimination, whose activity latency and functional connectivity depend on the number of irrelevant object.

  20. Neural correlate of filtering of irrelevant information from visual working memory.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahin Nasr

    Full Text Available In a dynamic environment stimulus task relevancy could be altered through time and it is not always possible to dissociate relevant and irrelevant objects from the very first moment they come to our sight. In such conditions, subjects need to retain maximum possible information in their WM until it is clear which items should be eliminated from WM to free attention and memory resources. Here, we examined the neural basis of irrelevant information filtering from WM by recording human ERP during a visual change detection task in which the stimulus irrelevancy was revealed in a later stage of the task forcing the subjects to keep all of the information in WM until test object set was presented. Assessing subjects' behaviour we found that subjects' RT was highly correlated with the number of irrelevant objects and not the relevant one, pointing to the notion that filtering, and not selection, process was used to handle the distracting effect of irrelevant objects. In addition we found that frontal N150 and parietal N200 peak latencies increased systematically as the amount of irrelevancy load increased. Interestingly, the peak latency of parietal N200, and not frontal N150, better correlated with subjects' RT. The difference between frontal N150 and parietal N200 peak latencies varied with the amount of irrelevancy load suggesting that functional connectivity between modules underlying fronto-parietal potentials vary concomitant with the irrelevancy load. These findings suggest the existence of two neural modules, responsible for irrelevant objects elimination, whose activity latency and functional connectivity depend on the number of irrelevant object.

  1. Attentional Capture and Inhibition of Saccades after Irrelevant and Relevant Cues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heinz-Werner Priess

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Attentional capture is usually stronger for task-relevant than irrelevant stimuli, whereas irrelevant stimuli can trigger equal or even stronger amounts of inhibition than relevant stimuli. Capture and inhibition, however, are typically assessed in separate trials, leaving it open whether or not inhibition of irrelevant stimuli is a consequence of preceding attentional capture by the same stimuli or whether inhibition is the only response to these stimuli. Here, we tested the relationship between capture and inhibition in a setup allowing for estimates of the capture and inhibition based on the very same trials. We recorded saccadic inhibition after relevant and irrelevant stimuli. At the same time, we recorded the N2pc, an event-related potential, reflecting initial capture of attention. We found attentional capture not only for, relevant but importantly also for irrelevant stimuli, although the N2pc was stronger for relevant than irrelevant stimuli. In addition, inhibition of saccades was the same for relevant and irrelevant stimuli. We conclude with a discussion of the mechanisms that are responsible for these effects.

  2. Similarities between the irrelevant sound effect and the suffix effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanley, J Richard; Bourgaize, Jake

    2018-03-29

    Although articulatory suppression abolishes the effect of irrelevant sound (ISE) on serial recall when sequences are presented visually, the effect persists with auditory presentation of list items. Two experiments were designed to test the claim that, when articulation is suppressed, the effect of irrelevant sound on the retention of auditory lists resembles a suffix effect. A suffix is a spoken word that immediately follows the final item in a list. Even though participants are told to ignore it, the suffix impairs serial recall of auditory lists. In Experiment 1, the irrelevant sound consisted of instrumental music. The music generated a significant ISE that was abolished by articulatory suppression. It therefore appears that, when articulation is suppressed, irrelevant sound must contain speech for it to have any effect on recall. This is consistent with what is known about the suffix effect. In Experiment 2, the effect of irrelevant sound under articulatory suppression was greater when the irrelevant sound was spoken by the same voice that presented the list items. This outcome is again consistent with the known characteristics of the suffix effect. It therefore appears that, when rehearsal is suppressed, irrelevant sound disrupts the acoustic-perceptual encoding of auditorily presented list items. There is no evidence that the persistence of the ISE under suppression is a result of interference to the representation of list items in a postcategorical phonological store.

  3. Bayesian spatio-temporal discard model in a demersal trawl fishery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grazia Pennino, M.; Muñoz, Facundo; Conesa, David; López-Quílez, Antonio; Bellido, José M.

    2014-07-01

    Spatial management of discards has recently been proposed as a useful tool for the protection of juveniles, by reducing discard rates and can be used as a buffer against management errors and recruitment failure. In this study Bayesian hierarchical spatial models have been used to analyze about 440 trawl fishing operations of two different metiers, sampled between 2009 and 2012, in order to improve our understanding of factors that influence the quantity of discards and to identify their spatio-temporal distribution in the study area. Our analysis showed that the relative importance of each variable was different for each metier, with a few similarities. In particular, the random vessel effect and seasonal variability were identified as main driving variables for both metiers. Predictive maps of the abundance of discards and maps of the posterior mean of the spatial component show several hot spots with high discard concentration for each metier. We argue how the seasonal/spatial effects, and the knowledge about the factors influential to discarding, could potentially be exploited as potential mitigation measures for future fisheries management strategies. However, misidentification of hotspots and uncertain predictions can culminate in inappropriate mitigation practices which can sometimes be irreversible. The proposed Bayesian spatial method overcomes these issues, since it offers a unified approach which allows the incorporation of spatial random-effect terms, spatial correlation of the variables and the uncertainty of the parameters in the modeling process, resulting in a better quantification of the uncertainty and accurate predictions.

  4. Discarding food vs. starving people: Inefficient and immoral?

    OpenAIRE

    Koester, Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    Intensive discussions about discarding food in recent weeks were prompted by a study commissioned by the German Bundestag and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection. Spiegel online said on March 13, 2012: Europe's waste would suffice twice to feed the world's hungry. This statement startled many people. Food is discarded in Europe and other prosperous countries while many people in poor countries are starving. Hence, it seems that the globa...

  5. Quality indicators for discarding blood in the National Blood Center, Kuala Lumpur

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Morish

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: The implementation of quality system and continuous evaluation of all activities of the Blood Transfusion Services (BTS can help to achieve the maximum quantity and quality of safe blood. Optimizing blood collection and processing would reduce the rate of discard and improve the efficiency of the BTS. The objective of this study is to determine the rate of discard of blood and blood component and identify its reasons at the National Blood Centre (NBC, Kuala Lumpur, during the year of 2007 in order to introduce appropriate intervention. Study Designs and Methods: Data on the number of discarded whole blood units and its components, reasons for discard, and the number of blood components processed as well as the number of collected blood units were obtained from the Blood Bank Information System - NBC database. These were analyzed. Results: The total number of blood units collected in 2007 was 171169 from which 390636 units of components were prepared. The total number of discarded whole blood units and its components was 8968 (2.3%. Platelet concentrate recorded the highest of discard at 6% (3909 followed by whole blood at 3.7% (647, fresh frozen plasma (FFP at 2.5% (2839, and cryoprecipitate at 2% (620. The rate of discarded packed red blood cells RBCs, plasma aphaeresis, and PLT aphaeresis was less than 1% at 0.6% (902, 0.6% (37, and 0.29% (14, respectively. RBC contamination of PLT and plasma were the major cause of discard at 40% (3558. Other causes include leakage (26% - 2306, lipemia (25% - 2208, and underweight (4% - 353. Conclusion: Good donor selection, training and evaluation of the staff, as well as implementation of automation will help to improve processes and output of BTS. This would reduce discard of blood components and wastage caused by non conformance.

  6. Power partial-discard strategy to obtain improved performance for simulated moving bed chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Ji-Woo; Kim, Kyung-Min; Yoon, Tae-Ung; Kim, Seung-Ik; Jung, Tae-Sung; Han, Sang-Sup; Bae, Youn-Sang

    2017-12-22

    A novel power partial-discard (PPD) strategy was developed as a variant of the partial-discard (PD) operation to further improve the separation performance of the simulated moving bed (SMB) process. The PPD operation varied the flow rates of discard streams by introducing a new variable, the discard amount (DA) as well as varying the reported variable, discard length (DL), while the conventional PD used fixed discard flow rates. The PPD operations showed significantly improved purities in spite of losses in recoveries. Remarkably, the PPD operation could provide more enhanced purity for a given recovery or more enhanced recovery for a given purity than the PD operation. The two variables, DA and DL, in the PPD operation played a key role in achieving the desired purity and recovery. The PPD operations will be useful for attaining high-purity products with reasonable recoveries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Weight and see: Loading working memory improves incidental identification of irrelevant faces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David eCarmel

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Are task-irrelevant stimuli processed to a level enabling individual identification? This question is central both for perceptual processing models and for applied settings (e.g., eyewitness testimony. Lavie’s load theory proposes that working memory actively maintains attentional prioritization of relevant over irrelevant information. Loading working memory thus impairs attentional prioritization, leading to increased processing of task-irrelevant stimuli. Previous research has shown that increased working memory load leads to greater interference effects from response competing distractors. Here we test the novel prediction that increased processing of irrelevant stimuli under high working memory load should lead to a greater likelihood of incidental identification of entirely irrelevant stimuli. To test this, we asked participants to perform a word-categorization task while ignoring task-irrelevant images. The categorization task was performed during the retention interval of a working memory task with either low or high load (defined by memory set size. Following the final experimental trial, a surprise question assessed incidental identification of the irrelevant image. Loading working memory was found to improve identification of task-irrelevant faces, but not of building stimuli (shown in a separate experiment to be less distracting. These findings suggest that working memory plays a critical role in determining whether distracting stimuli will be subsequently identified.

  8. Discards of Danish set nets fisheries in the Kattegat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Savina, Esther; Krag, Ludvig Ahm; Frandsen, Rikke

    to the food web. These ecological interactions can be of importance for the surrounding ecosystem, especially regarding small-scale fisheries which take place in relatively shallow waters. Previous studies on gill- or trammel nets discards mostly focus either on commercially valuable fish, or on incidentally...... caught rare or protected species. Data collected by observers aboard commercial fishing vessels gives a first insight into the discards of non-commercial fish and invertebrates in the Danish small-scale set nets fisheries...

  9. Positive and negative affect produce opposing task-irrelevant stimulus preexposure effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazar, Josef; Kaplan, Oren; Sternberg, Terri; Lubow, R E

    2012-06-01

    In three experiments, groups were exposed to either positive or negative affect video clips, after which they were presented with a series of task-irrelevant stimuli. In the subsequent test task, subjects were required to learn an association between the previously irrelevant stimulus and a consequence, and between a new stimulus and a consequence. Induced positive affect produced a latent inhibition effect (poorer evidence of learning with the previously irrelevant stimulus than with the novel stimulus). In opposition to this, induced negative affect resulted in better evidence of learning with a previously irrelevant stimulus than with a novel stimulus. In general, the opposing effects also were present in participants scoring high on self-report questionnaires of depression (Experiments 2 and 3). These unique findings were predicted and accounted for on the basis of two principles: (a) positive affect broadens the attentional field and negative affect contracts it; and (b) task-irrelevant stimuli are processed in two successive stages, the first encodes stimulus properties, and the second encodes stimulus relationships. The opposing influences of negative and positive mood on the processing of irrelevant stimuli have implications for the role of emotion in general theories of cognition, and possibly for resolving some of the inconsistent findings in research with schizophrenia patients.

  10. Kidneys at Higher Risk of Discard: Expanding the Role of Dual Kidney Transplantation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanriover, B.; Mohan, S.; Cohen, D. J.; Radhakrishnan, J.; Nickolas, T. L.; Stone, P. W.; Tsapepas, D. S.; Crew, R. J.; Dube, G. K.; Sandoval, P. R.; Samstein, B.; Dogan, E.; Gaston, R. S.; Tanriover, J. N.; Ratner, L. E.; Hardy, M. A.

    2014-01-01

    Half of the recovered expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys are discarded in the United States. A new kidney allocation system offers kidneys at higher risk of discard, Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) >85%, to a wider geographic area to promote broader sharing and expedite utilization. Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) based on the KDPI is a potential option to streamline allocation of kidneys which otherwise would have been discarded. To assess the clinical utility of the KDPI in kidneys at higher risk of discard, we analyzed the OPTN/UNOS Registry that included the deceased donor kidneys recovered between 2002 and 2012. The primary outcomes were allograft survival, patient survival and discard rate based on different KDPI categories (90%). Kidneys with KDPI >90% were associated with increased odds of discard (OR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.74–2.29) compared to ones with KDPI 90% were associated with lower overall allograft failure (HR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.62–0.89) and better patient survival (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.64–0.98) compared to single ECD kidneys with KDPI >90%. Kidneys at higher risk of discard may be offered in the up-front allocation system as a DKT. Further modeling and simulation studies are required to determine a reasonable KDPI cutoff percentile. PMID:24472195

  11. Entirely irrelevant distractors can capture and captivate attention

    OpenAIRE

    Forster, Sophie; Lavie, Nilli

    2011-01-01

    The question of whether a stimulus onset may capture attention when it is entirely irrelevant to the task and even in the absence of any attentional settings for abrupt onset or any dynamic changes has been highly controversial. In the present study, we designed a novel irrelevant capture task to address this question. Participants engaged in a continuous task making sequential forced choice (letter or digit) responses to each item in an alphanumeric matrix that remained on screen throughout ...

  12. Fishery discards: Factors affecting their variability within a demersal trawl fishery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feekings, Jordan P.; Bartolino, Valerio; Madsen, Niels

    2012-01-01

    the factors that influence discarding within the Danish Kattegat demersal fleet over the period 1997 to 2008. Generalised additive models were used to assess how discards of the 3 main target species, Norway lobster, cod and plaice, and their subcomponents (under and over minimum landings size) are influenced...

  13. Development of response inhibition in the context of relevant versus irrelevant emotions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margot A Schel

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The present study examined the influence of relevant and irrelevant emotions on response inhibition from childhood to early adulthood. Ninety-four participants between 6 and 25 years of age performed two go/nogo tasks with emotional faces (neutral, happy, and fearful as stimuli. In one go/nogo task emotion formed a relevant dimension of the task and in the other go/nogo task emotion was irrelevant and participants had to respond to the color of the faces instead. A special feature of the latter task, in which emotion was irrelevant, was the inclusion of free choice trials, in which participants could freely decide between acting and inhibiting. Results showed a linear increase in response inhibition performance with increasing age both in relevant and irrelevant affective contexts. Relevant emotions had a pronounced influence on performance across age, whereas irrelevant emotions did not. Overall, participants made more false alarms on trials with fearful faces than happy faces, and happy faces were associated with better performance on go trials (higher percentage correct and faster RTs than fearful faces. The latter effect was stronger for young children in terms of accuracy. Finally, during the free choice trials participants did not base their decisions on affective context, confirming that irrelevant emotions do not have a strong impact on inhibition. Together, these findings suggest that across development relevant affective context has a larger influence on response inhibition than irrelevant affective context. When emotions are relevant, a context of positive emotions is associated with better performance compared to a context with negative emotions, especially in young children.

  14. Hind-casting the quantity and composition of discards by mixed demersal fisheries in the North Sea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael R Heath

    Full Text Available Many commercial fisheries seek to maximise the economic value of the catch that they bring ashore and market for human consumption by discarding undersize or low value fish. Information on the quantity, size and species composition of discarded fish is vital for stock assessments and for devising legislation to minimise the practice. However, except for a few major species, data are usually extremely sparse and reliant on observers aboard a small sample of fishing vessels. Expanding these data to estimate total regional discards is highly problematic. Here, we develop a method for utilising additional information from scientific trawl surveys to model the quantities of fish discarded by the commercial fisheries. As a case-study, we apply the model to the North Sea over the period 1978-2011, and show a long-term decline in the overall quantity of fish discarded, but an increase in the proportion of catch which is thrown away. The composition of discarded catch has shifted from predominantly (∼80% roundfish, to >50% flatfish. Undersized plaice constitute the largest single fraction of discards, unchanged from the beginning of the 20th century. Overall, around 60% of discarded fish are rejected on the basis of size rather than for reasons of species value or quota restrictions. The analysis shows that much more information can be gained on discarding by utilising additional sources of data rather than relying solely on information gathered by observers. In addition, it is clear that reducing fishing intensity and rebuilding stocks is likely to be more effective at reducing discards in the long term, than any technical legislation to outlaw the practice in the short term.

  15. Discarding in the shrimp fisheries in Skagerrak and the Norwegian Deep (ICES Divs. IIIa and IVa east)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munch-Petersen, Sten; Ulmestrand, Mats; Søvik, Guldborg

    an important issue in recent years. In some countries’ EEZ a ban on discarding has been in force for many years, for instance in Norway. A discard ban is expected to be enforced in EU waters in the near future. It is therefore highly relevant with estimates of the existing discard practices and discard...... quantities to assess the possible impacts of such measures...

  16. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressed individuals improves suppression of irrelevant mental-sets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenberg, Jonathan; Shapero, Benjamin G; Mischoulon, David; Lazar, Sara W

    2017-04-01

    An impaired ability to suppress currently irrelevant mental-sets is a key cognitive deficit in depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was specifically designed to help depressed individuals avoid getting caught in such irrelevant mental-sets. In the current study, a group assigned to MBCT plus treatment-as-usual (n = 22) exhibited significantly lower depression scores and greater improvements in irrelevant mental-set suppression compared to a wait-list plus treatment-as-usual (n = 18) group. Improvements in mental-set-suppression were associated with improvements in depression scores. Results provide the first evidence that MBCT can improve suppression of irrelevant mental-sets and that such improvements are associated with depressive alleviation.

  17. Irrelevant Singletons in Pop-Out Search: Attentional Capture or Filtering Costs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Stefanie I.

    2007-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate whether costs invoked by the presence of an irrelevant singleton distractor in a visual search task are due to attentional capture by the irrelevant singleton or spatially unrelated filtering costs. Measures of spatial effects were based on distance effects, compatibility effects, and differences…

  18. Relaxing technical regulations under the Landings Obligation – effects on the discard ratio

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Lars O.; Olesen, Hans Jakob; Qvist Eliasen, Søren

    to investigate differences in landings, discards, discard ratio, CPUE, VPUE and DPUE, between conventional (control) and new gears (test). The results showed a varying degree of success, depending both on area and on choices made by the individual fisher. The best results were observed in the Baltic Sea, where......, Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea. Fishers used test and control gears interchangeably or in pairs and were required to sort and weight all discard of seven common target species on a haul by haul basis. All vessels were equipped for Fully Documented Fisheries, including cameras. Collected data were analyzed...

  19. Subcaliber discarding sabot airgun projectiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Matthias; Schönekeß, Holger; Herbst, Jörg; Staats, Hans-Georg; Ekkernkamp, Axel; Nguyen, Thanh Tien; Bockholdt, Britta

    2014-03-01

    Medical literature abounds with reports on injuries and fatalities caused by airgun projectiles. While round balls or diabolo pellets have been the standard projectiles for airguns for decades, today, there are a large number of different airgun projectiles available. A very uncommon--and until now unique--discarding sabot airgun projectile (Sussex Sabo Bullet) was introduced into the market in the 1980s. The projectile, available in 0.177 (4.5 mm) and 0.22 (5.5 mm) caliber, consists of a plastic sabot cup surrounding a subcaliber copper-coated lead projectile in typical bullet shape. Following the typical principle of a discarding sabot projectile, the lightweight sabot is supposed to quickly loose velocity and to fall to the ground downrange while the bullet continues on target. These sabot-loaded projectiles are of special forensic interest due to their non-traceability and ballistic parameters. Therefore, it is the aim of this work to investigate the ballistic performance of these sabot airgun projectiles by high-speed video analyses and by measurement of the kinetic parameters of the projectile parts by a transient recording system as well as observing their physical features after being fired. While the sabot principle worked properly in high-energy airguns (E > 17 J), separation of the core projectile from the sabot cup was also observed when discharged in low-energy airguns (E work is the first study to demonstrate the regular function of this uncommon type of airgun projectile.

  20. Insensitivity of visual short-term memory to irrelevant visual information

    OpenAIRE

    Andrade, Jackie; Kemps, Eva; Werniers, Yves; May, Jon; Szmalec, Arnaud

    2002-01-01

    Several authors have hypothesised that visuo-spatial working memory is functionally analogous to verbal working memory. Irrelevant background speech impairs verbal short-term memory. We investigated whether irrelevant visual information has an analogous effect on visual short-term memory, using a dynamic visual noise (DVN) technique known to disrupt visual imagery (Quinn & McConnell, 1996a). Experiment 1 replicated the effect of DVN on pegword imagery. Experiments 2 and 3 showed no effect of ...

  1. Characterization and recovery of copper values from discarded slag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Bisweswar; Mishra, Barada Kanta; Angadi, Shivakumar; Pradhan, Siddharth Kumar; Prakash, Sandur; Mohanty, Jayakrushna

    2010-06-01

    In any copper smelter large quantities of copper slag are discarded as waste material causing space and environmental problems. This discarded slag contains important amounts of metallic values such as copper and iron. The recovery of copper values from an Indian smelter slag that contains 1.53% Cu, 39.8% Fe and 34.65% SiO(2) was the focus of the present study. A complete investigation of the different phases present in the slag has been carried out by means of optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. It is observed that iron and silica are mostly associated with the fayalite phase whereas copper is present in both oxide and sulfide phases. These oxide and sulfide phases of copper are mostly present within the slag phase and to some extent the slag is also embedded inside the oxide and sulfide phases. The recovery of copper values from the discarded slag has been explored by applying a flotation technique using conventional sodium isopropyl xanthate (SIX) as the collector. The effects of flotation parameters such as pH and collector concentration are investigated. Under optimum flotation conditions, it is possible to achieve 21% Cu with more than 80% recovery.

  2. Irrelevant speech does not interfere with serial recall in early blind listeners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kattner, Florian; Ellermeier, Wolfgang

    2014-01-01

    Phonological working memory is known be (a) inversely related to the duration of the items to be learned (word-length effect), and (b) impaired by the presence of irrelevant speech-like sounds (irrelevant-speech effect). As it is discussed controversially whether these memory disruptions are subject to attentional control, both effects were studied in sighted participants and in a sample of early blind individuals who are expected to be superior in selectively attending to auditory stimuli. Results show that, while performance depended on word length in both groups, irrelevant speech interfered with recall only in the sighted group, but not in blind participants. This suggests that blind listeners may be able to effectively prevent irrelevant sound from being encoded in the phonological store, presumably due to superior auditory processing. The occurrence of a word-length effect, however, implies that blind and sighted listeners are utilizing the same phonological rehearsal mechanism in order to maintain information in the phonological store.

  3. Commercially laid eggs vs. discarded hatching eggs: contamination by Salmonella spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kottwitz, Luciana B M; Leão, Joice Aparecida; Back, Alberto; Rodrigues, Dalia dos P; Magnani, Marciane; de Oliveira, Tereza C R M

    2013-01-01

    Salmonella enterica is frequently associated with outbreaks of human salmonellosis, and products of avian origin, such as eggs and chicken meat, are the main vehicles of its transmission. The present study describes the occurrence of different serovars of Salmonella enterica and phagotypes of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis in eggs destined for human consumption. Four thousand eggs obtained from commercial egg laying farms and one thousand discarded hatching eggs from broiler farms, which were acquired at farmers' markets and informal shops, were analyzed. Salmonella spp. was isolated from 52.0% of the discarded hatching eggs, in which the predominant serovar was Enteritidis (84.6%), and the predominant Salmonella Enteritidis phagotype (PT) was PT7 (26.9%). Salmonella spp. was not isolated from eggs obtained from commercial egg laying farms. The antimicrobial resistance profile showed that 23.1% (n = 6) of the SE strains were resistant to nalidixic acid. The results suggest that the consumption of discarded hatching eggs represents an important source of Salmonella transmission to humans.

  4. The irrelevant sound phenomenon revisited: what role for working memory capacity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaman, C Philip

    2004-09-01

    High-span individuals (as measured by the operation span [OSPAN] technique) are less likely than low-span individuals to notice their own names in an unattended auditory stream (A. R. A. Conway, N. Cowan, & M. F. Bunting, 2001). The possibility that OSPAN accounts for individual differences in auditory distraction on an immediate recall test was examined. There was no evidence that high-OSPAN participants were more resistant to the disruption caused by irrelevant speech in serial or in free recall. Low-OSPAN participants did, however, make more semantically related intrusion errors from the irrelevant sound stream in a free recall test (Experiment 4). Results suggest that OSPAN mediates semantic components of auditory distraction dissociable from other aspects of the irrelevant sound effect. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

  5. International Atomic Energy Agency searches for discarded radioactive sources in Republic of Georgia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    The document informs about the first aerial reconnaissance of the IAEA (planned to take place between 23 May-16 June 2000) to track down discarded radiation sources in the Republic of Georgia. The aim of the IAEA mission is to provide reasonable assurance that there are no serious radiation risk from discarded radiation sources to the population

  6. Potential consequences of discard reform for seabird communities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bicknell, A.W.J.; Oro, D.; Camphuysen, K.; Votier, S.C.

    2013-01-01

    Upcoming reform of the European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy will be the biggest change in European fisheries management for a generation. A central plank of this reform is a proposed ban on discards, to aid the creation of economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries. This, together

  7. Maximum margin semi-supervised learning with irrelevant data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haiqin; Huang, Kaizhu; King, Irwin; Lyu, Michael R

    2015-10-01

    Semi-supervised learning (SSL) is a typical learning paradigms training a model from both labeled and unlabeled data. The traditional SSL models usually assume unlabeled data are relevant to the labeled data, i.e., following the same distributions of the targeted labeled data. In this paper, we address a different, yet formidable scenario in semi-supervised classification, where the unlabeled data may contain irrelevant data to the labeled data. To tackle this problem, we develop a maximum margin model, named tri-class support vector machine (3C-SVM), to utilize the available training data, while seeking a hyperplane for separating the targeted data well. Our 3C-SVM exhibits several characteristics and advantages. First, it does not need any prior knowledge and explicit assumption on the data relatedness. On the contrary, it can relieve the effect of irrelevant unlabeled data based on the logistic principle and maximum entropy principle. That is, 3C-SVM approaches an ideal classifier. This classifier relies heavily on labeled data and is confident on the relevant data lying far away from the decision hyperplane, while maximally ignoring the irrelevant data, which are hardly distinguished. Second, theoretical analysis is provided to prove that in what condition, the irrelevant data can help to seek the hyperplane. Third, 3C-SVM is a generalized model that unifies several popular maximum margin models, including standard SVMs, Semi-supervised SVMs (S(3)VMs), and SVMs learned from the universum (U-SVMs) as its special cases. More importantly, we deploy a concave-convex produce to solve the proposed 3C-SVM, transforming the original mixed integer programming, to a semi-definite programming relaxation, and finally to a sequence of quadratic programming subproblems, which yields the same worst case time complexity as that of S(3)VMs. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed 3C-SVM through systematical experimental comparisons. Copyright

  8. Stimulus-response correspondence effect as a function of temporal overlap between relevant and irrelevant information processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dong-Yuan Debbie; Richard, F Dan; Ray, Brittany

    2016-01-01

    The stimulus-response correspondence (SRC) effect refers to advantages in performance when stimulus and response correspond in dimensions or features, even if the common features are irrelevant to the task. Previous research indicated that the SRC effect depends on the temporal course of stimulus information processing. The current study investigated how the temporal overlap between relevant and irrelevant stimulus processing influences the SRC effect. In this experiment, the irrelevant stimulus (a previously associated tone) preceded the relevant stimulus (a coloured rectangle). The irrelevant and relevant stimuli onset asynchrony was varied to manipulate the temporal overlap between the irrelevant and relevant stimuli processing. Results indicated that the SRC effect size varied as a quadratic function of the temporal overlap between the relevant stimulus and irrelevant stimulus. This finding extends previous experimental observations that the SRC effect size varies in an increasing or decreasing function with reaction time. The current study demonstrated a quadratic function between effect size and the temporal overlap.

  9. A spatial analysis of the physical and social environmental correlates of discarded needles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Montigny, Luc; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Leigh, Barbara C; Kim, Sun-Young

    2011-05-01

    The role that the urban environment plays in influencing drug users' injection and needle disposal decisions is poorly understood. We identified potential attractors and deterrents of needle discarding, and then used a geographic information system (GIS) to quantify these factors for a neighborhood in Montréal, Canada. In multivariate logistic regression, discarded needles were found to have more associations with physical factors than with social factors. Visual exposure and proximity to a single-room occupancy hotel, a pay phone, an adult service or a pawnshop were important physical environmental predictors. These findings are discussed in relation to developing public health and urban design-based harm reduction approaches to needle discarding in public space. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Serial recall of rhythms and verbal sequences: Impacts of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Debbora; Gathercole, Susan E

    2011-08-01

    Rhythmic grouping enhances verbal serial recall, yet very little is known about memory for rhythmic patterns. The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive processes supporting memory for rhythmic and verbal sequences using a range of concurrent tasks and irrelevant sounds. In Experiment 1, both concurrent articulation and paced finger tapping during presentation and during a retention interval impaired rhythm recall, while letter recall was only impaired by concurrent articulation. In Experiments 2 and 3, irrelevant sound consisted of irrelevant speech or tones, changing-state or steady-state sound, and syncopated or paced sound during presentation and during a retention interval. Irrelevant speech was more damaging to rhythm and letter recall than was irrelevant tone sound, but there was no effect of changing state on rhythm recall, while letter recall accuracy was disrupted by changing-state sound. Pacing of sound did not consistently affect either rhythm or letter recall. There are similarities in the way speech and rhythms are processed that appear to extend beyond reliance on temporal coding mechanisms involved in serial-order recall.

  11. Preserved suppression of salient irrelevant stimuli during visual search in Age-Associated Memory Impairment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura eLorenzo-López

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have suggested that older adults with age-associated memory impairment (AAMI may show a significant decline in attentional resource capacity and inhibitory processes in addition to memory impairment. In the present paper, the potential attentional capture by task-irrelevant stimuli was examined in older adults with AAMI compared to healthy older adults using scalp-recorded event-related brain potentials (ERPs. ERPs were recorded during the execution of a visual search task, in which the participants had to detect the presence of a target stimulus that differed from distractors by orientation. To explore the automatic attentional capture phenomenon, an irrelevant distractor stimulus defined by a different feature (color was also presented without previous knowledge of the participants. A consistent N2pc, an electrophysiological indicator of attentional deployment, was present for target stimuli but not for task-irrelevant color stimuli, suggesting that these irrelevant distractors did not attract attention in AAMI older adults. Furthermore, the N2pc for targets was significantly delayed in AAMI patients compared to healthy older controls. Together, these findings suggest a specific impairment of the attentional selection process of relevant target stimuli in these individuals and indicate that the mechanism of top-down suppression of entirely task-irrelevant stimuli is preserved, at least when the target and the irrelevant stimuli are perceptually very different.

  12. Does high memory load kick task-irrelevant information out of visual working memory?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Jun; Zhou, Jifan; Xu, Haokui; Liang, Junying; Gao, Zaifeng; Shen, Mowei

    2012-04-01

    The limited capacity of visual working memory (VWM) requires the existence of an efficient information selection mechanism. While it has been shown that under low VWM load, an irrelevant simple feature can be processed, its fate under high load (e.g., six objects) remains unclear. We explored this issue by probing the "irrelevant-change distracting effect," in which the change of a stored irrelevant feature affects performance. Simple colored shapes were used as stimuli, with color as the target. Using a whole-probe method (presenting six objects in both the memory and test arrays), in Experiment 1 we found that a change to one of the six shapes led to a significant distracting effect. Using a partial-probe method (presenting the probe either at the screen center or at a location selected from the memory array), in Experiment 2 we showed the distracting effect again. These results suggest that irrelevant simple features can be stored into VWM, regardless of memory load.

  13. Effects of drying pretreatment and particle size adjustment on the composting process of discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Gui-Hong; Yu, Yan-Ling; Zhou, Xiang-Tong; Lu, Bin-Yu; Li, Zi-Mu; Feng, Yu-Jie

    2017-05-01

    The main characteristic of discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves is their high nicotine content. Aerobic composting is an effective method to decrease the nicotine level in tobacco leaves and stabilize tobacco wastes. However, high levels of nicotine in discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves complicate tobacco waste composting. This work proposes a drying pretreatment process to reduce the nicotine content in discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves and thus enhance its carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to a suitable level for composting. The effect of another pretreatment method, particle size adjustment, on composting efficiency was also tested in this work. The results indicated that the air-dried (nicotine content: 1.35%) and relatively long discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves (25 mm) had a higher composting efficiency than damp (nicotine content: 1.57%) and short discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves (15 mm). When dry/25 mm discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves mixed with tobacco stems in an 8:2 ratio was composted at a temperature above 55 °C for 9 days, the nicotine content dropped from 1.29% to 0.28%. Since the discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves was successfully composted to a fertile and harmless material, the germination index values increased to 85.2%. The drying pretreatment and particle size adjustment offered ideal physical and chemical conditions to support microbial growth and bioactivity during the composting process, resulting in efficient conversion of discarded flue-cured tobacco leaves into a high quality and mature compost.

  14. Emotional prosody of task-irrelevant speech interferes with the retention of serial order.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kattner, Florian; Ellermeier, Wolfgang

    2018-04-09

    Task-irrelevant speech and other temporally changing sounds are known to interfere with the short-term memorization of ordered verbal materials, as compared to silence or stationary sounds. It has been argued that this disruption of short-term memory (STM) may be due to (a) interference of automatically encoded acoustical fluctuations with the process of serial rehearsal or (b) attentional capture by salient task-irrelevant information. To disentangle the contributions of these 2 processes, the authors investigated whether the disruption of serial recall is due to the semantic or acoustical properties of task-irrelevant speech (Experiment 1). They found that performance was affected by the prosody (emotional intonation), but not by the semantics (word meaning), of irrelevant speech, suggesting that the disruption of serial recall is due to interference of precategorically encoded changing-state sound (with higher fluctuation strength of emotionally intonated speech). The authors further demonstrated a functional distinction between this form of distraction and attentional capture by contrasting the effect of (a) speech prosody and (b) sudden prosody deviations on both serial and nonserial STM tasks (Experiment 2). Although serial recall was again sensitive to the emotional prosody of irrelevant speech, performance on a nonserial missing-item task was unaffected by the presence of neutral or emotionally intonated speech sounds. In contrast, sudden prosody changes tended to impair performance on both tasks, suggesting an independent effect of attentional capture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Blood Discards in a Nigerian Transfusion Service Centre: The ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Blood discards have not attracted much attention in transfusion practice in Nigeria, where pre-donation screening is the practice in most health facilities with its attendant deferral of donors reactive to transfusion transmissible infections. The National Blood Transfusion Service of Nigeria lays emphasis on ...

  16. Independence of irrelevant alternatives and revealed group preferences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wakker, P.P.; Peters, H.J.M.; Ichiishi, A.N.; Neyman, A.; Tauman, Y.

    1990-01-01

    It is shown that a Pareto optimal and continuous single-valued choice function defined on the compact convex subsets of the positive orthant of the plane maximizes a real-valued function if and only if it satisfies the independence of irrelevant alternatives condition. Further, this real-valued

  17. Effects of dietary inclusion of discarded cabbage (Brassica oleracea ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Douglas Nkosi

    2016-02-16

    Feb 16, 2016 ... unaffordable feed costs in this country, resource-poor farmers are resorting to ... that i) derive from processing food for human consumption; ii) are discarded for human food consumption ..... Proceedings of the Animal Waste Management Symposium, October 5-7, ... In: Animal Nutrition, 7th ed., Chapter 11.

  18. The fate of task-irrelevant visual motion: perceptual load versus feature-based attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taya, Shuichiro; Adams, Wendy J; Graf, Erich W; Lavie, Nilli

    2009-11-18

    We tested contrasting predictions derived from perceptual load theory and from recent feature-based selection accounts. Observers viewed moving, colored stimuli and performed low or high load tasks associated with one stimulus feature, either color or motion. The resultant motion aftereffect (MAE) was used to evaluate attentional allocation. We found that task-irrelevant visual features received less attention than co-localized task-relevant features of the same objects. Moreover, when color and motion features were co-localized yet perceived to belong to two distinct surfaces, feature-based selection was further increased at the expense of object-based co-selection. Load theory predicts that the MAE for task-irrelevant motion would be reduced with a higher load color task. However, this was not seen for co-localized features; perceptual load only modulated the MAE for task-irrelevant motion when this was spatially separated from the attended color location. Our results suggest that perceptual load effects are mediated by spatial selection and do not generalize to the feature domain. Feature-based selection operates to suppress processing of task-irrelevant, co-localized features, irrespective of perceptual load.

  19. An artificial vision solution for reusing discarded parts resulted after a manufacturing process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohal, V.; Cohal, A.

    2016-08-01

    The profit of a factory can be improved by reusing the discarded components produced. This paper is based on the case of a manufacturing process where rectangular metallic sheets of different sizes are produced. Using an artificial vision system, the shapes and the sizes of the produced parts can be determined. Those sheets which do not respect the requirements imposed are labeled as discarded. Instead of throwing these parts, a decision algorithm can analyze if another metallic sheet with smaller dimensions can be obtained from these. Two methods of decision are presented in this paper, considering the restriction that the sides of the new sheet has to be parallel with the axis of the coordinate system. The coordinates of each new part obtained from a discarded sheet are computed in order to be delivered to a milling machine. Details about implementing these algorithms (image processing and decision respectively) in the MATLAB environment using Image Processing Toolbox are given.

  20. Relevance of the Irrelevant : Using Task-Irrelevant Emotional Stimuli to Test the Load-Hypothesis through ERP’s

    OpenAIRE

    Andersson, Per

    2010-01-01

    The role of attention and perceptual resources were studied in a one-back task and a letter-search task, both using the same stimuli. In the letter task, pictures were used as task-irrelevant and distracting emotional stimuli. The emotional processing of the pictures was measured through the Late Positive Potential (LPP), an event-related potential (ERP) recorded with EEG. LPP activity was significantly greater to emotional than neutral stimuli during the one-back task; this shows that emotio...

  1. Insensitivity of visual short-term memory to irrelevant visual information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Jackie; Kemps, Eva; Werniers, Yves; May, Jon; Szmalec, Arnaud

    2002-07-01

    Several authors have hypothesized that visuo-spatial working memory is functionally analogous to verbal working memory. Irrelevant background speech impairs verbal short-term memory. We investigated whether irrelevant visual information has an analogous effect on visual short-term memory, using a dynamic visual noise (DVN) technique known to disrupt visual imagery (Quinn & McConnell, 1996b). Experiment I replicated the effect of DVN on pegword imagery. Experiments 2 and 3 showed no effect of DVN on recall of static matrix patterns, despite a significant effect of a concurrent spatial tapping task. Experiment 4 showed no effect of DVN on encoding or maintenance of arrays of matrix patterns, despite testing memory by a recognition procedure to encourage visual rather than spatial processing. Serial position curves showed a one-item recency effect typical of visual short-term memory. Experiment 5 showed no effect of DVN on short-term recognition of Chinese characters, despite effects of visual similarity and a concurrent colour memory task that confirmed visual processing of the characters. We conclude that irrelevant visual noise does not impair visual short-term memory. Visual working memory may not be functionally analogous to verbal working memory, and different cognitive processes may underlie visual short-term memory and visual imagery.

  2. Construction of discard estimates from survey and market samples

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keeken, van O.A.; Grift, R.E.; Dickey-Collas, M.

    2004-01-01

    Most stock assessments in the North Sea, like those of plaice and sole, are currently based on catch statistics of landings into ports and not on the catch by the fleets. Discarding is the process where part of the catch (usually undersized fish) is thrown back into the sea immediately after being

  3. Chassis organism from Corynebacterium glutamicum--a top-down approach to identify and delete irrelevant gene clusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unthan, Simon; Baumgart, Meike; Radek, Andreas; Herbst, Marius; Siebert, Daniel; Brühl, Natalie; Bartsch, Anna; Bott, Michael; Wiechert, Wolfgang; Marin, Kay; Hans, Stephan; Krämer, Reinhard; Seibold, Gerd; Frunzke, Julia; Kalinowski, Jörn; Rückert, Christian; Wendisch, Volker F; Noack, Stephan

    2015-02-01

    For synthetic biology applications, a robust structural basis is required, which can be constructed either from scratch or in a top-down approach starting from any existing organism. In this study, we initiated the top-down construction of a chassis organism from Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032, aiming for the relevant gene set to maintain its fast growth on defined medium. We evaluated each native gene for its essentiality considering expression levels, phylogenetic conservation, and knockout data. Based on this classification, we determined 41 gene clusters ranging from 3.7 to 49.7 kbp as target sites for deletion. 36 deletions were successful and 10 genome-reduced strains showed impaired growth rates, indicating that genes were hit, which are relevant to maintain biological fitness at wild-type level. In contrast, 26 deleted clusters were found to include exclusively irrelevant genes for growth on defined medium. A combinatory deletion of all irrelevant gene clusters would, in a prophage-free strain, decrease the size of the native genome by about 722 kbp (22%) to 2561 kbp. Finally, five combinatory deletions of irrelevant gene clusters were investigated. The study introduces the novel concept of relevant genes and demonstrates general strategies to construct a chassis suitable for biotechnological application. © 2014 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivs Licence, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non- commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

  4. An alternative option for "resect and discard" strategy, using magnifying narrow-band imaging: a prospective "proof-of-principle" study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeuchi, Yoji; Hanafusa, Masao; Kanzaki, Hiromitsu; Ohta, Takashi; Hanaoka, Noboru; Yamamoto, Sachiko; Higashino, Koji; Tomita, Yasuhiko; Uedo, Noriya; Ishihara, Ryu; Iishi, Hiroyasu

    2015-10-01

    The "resect and discard" strategy is beneficial for cost savings on screening and surveillance colonoscopy, but it has the risk to discard lesions with advanced histology or small invasive cancer (small advanced lesion; SALs). The aim of this study was to prove the principle of new "resect and discard" strategy with consideration for SALs using magnifying narrow-band imaging (M-NBI). Patients undergoing colonoscopy at a tertiary center were involved in this prospective trial. For each detected polyp <10 mm, optical diagnosis (OD) and virtual management ("leave in situ", "discard" or "send for pathology") were independently made using non-magnifying NBI (N-NBI) and M-NBI, and next surveillance interval were predicted. Histological and optical diagnosis results of all polyps were compared. While the management could be decided in 82% of polyps smaller than 10 mm, 24/31 (77%) SALs including two small invasive cancers were not discarded based on OD using M-NBI. The sensitivity [90% confidence interval (CI)] of M-NBI for SALs was 0.77 (0.61-0.89). The risk for discarding SALs using N-NBI was significantly higher than that using M-NBI (53 vs. 23%, p = 0.02). The diagnostic accuracy (95% CI) of M-NBI in distinguishing neoplastic from non-neoplastic lesions [0.88 (0.86-0.90)] was significantly better than that of N-NBI [0.84 (0.82-0.87)] (p = 0.005). The results of our study indicated that our "resect and discard" strategy using M-NBI could work to reduce the risk for discarding SALs including small invasive cancer (UMIN-CTR, UMIN000003740).

  5. Is focusing on the triad in suspected child abuse cases really irrelevant and of no practical use?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynøe, Niels; Eriksson, Anders

    2018-06-11

    Since its publication in 2016, the report by the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services on the diagnostic accuracy of the triad for determining traumatic shaking (1) has been criticised, mainly by paediatricians. One repeated criticism has been that the report focused on the triad of symptoms, namely subdural haematoma, retinal haemorrhages and encephalopathy, in cases without signs of impact. This focus has been described by some critics as one that has been created by lawyers to use in court cases and the triad itself has been dismissed as irrelevant and of no practical or clinical use (2-3) This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  6. Distinct Temporal Processing of Task-Irrelevant Emotional Facial Expressions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, Peter J.; Koster, Ernst H. W.; Wessel, Ineke; Martens, Sander

    There is an ongoing debate concerning the extent to which emotional faces automatically attract attention. Using a single-target Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) methodology, it has been found that presentation of task-irrelevant positive or negative emotionally salient stimuli (e. g.,

  7. Remedy for radiation fear - discard the politicized science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuttler, J.M. [Cuttler and Associates Inc., Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)

    2013-12-15

    While seeking a remedy for the ongoing crisis of radiation fear in Japan and everywhere else, the author reread a recent article on radiation hormesis. It describes the political motivation for creating this fear and mentions the evidence, in the first UNSCEAR report, of a factor of 3 reduction in leukemia incidence of the Hiroshima a-bomb survivors in the low dose zone. Producing a graph of the tabulated data reveals that they fit a hormetic J-curve, not a straight line as reported. UNSCEAR data on the lifespan reduction of mice and Guinea pigs exposed continuously to radium gamma rays indicate a threshold at about 2 gray per year. This information contradicts the conceptual basis for radiation protection and risk determination that was established in 1956-58. In this paper, beneficial effects and thresholds for harmful effects are discussed, and the biological mechanism is explained. The key point is the discovery that the rate of spontaneous DNA damage (double-strand breaks) is more than 1000 times the rate caused by average background radiation. It is the effect of radiation on an organism's very powerful adaptive protection systems that determines the dose-response characteristic. Low radiation up-regulates adaptive protection systems, while high radiation impairs these systems. The remedy for radiation fear is to expose and discard the politicized science. (author)

  8. Increased Early Processing of Task-Irrelevant Auditory Stimuli in Older Adults.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erich S Tusch

    Full Text Available The inhibitory deficit hypothesis of cognitive aging posits that older adults' inability to adequately suppress processing of irrelevant information is a major source of cognitive decline. Prior research has demonstrated that in response to task-irrelevant auditory stimuli there is an age-associated increase in the amplitude of the N1 wave, an ERP marker of early perceptual processing. Here, we tested predictions derived from the inhibitory deficit hypothesis that the age-related increase in N1 would be 1 observed under an auditory-ignore, but not auditory-attend condition, 2 attenuated in individuals with high executive capacity (EC, and 3 augmented by increasing cognitive load of the primary visual task. ERPs were measured in 114 well-matched young, middle-aged, young-old, and old-old adults, designated as having high or average EC based on neuropsychological testing. Under the auditory-ignore (visual-attend task, participants ignored auditory stimuli and responded to rare target letters under low and high load. Under the auditory-attend task, participants ignored visual stimuli and responded to rare target tones. Results confirmed an age-associated increase in N1 amplitude to auditory stimuli under the auditory-ignore but not auditory-attend task. Contrary to predictions, EC did not modulate the N1 response. The load effect was the opposite of expectation: the N1 to task-irrelevant auditory events was smaller under high load. Finally, older adults did not simply fail to suppress the N1 to auditory stimuli in the task-irrelevant modality; they generated a larger response than to identical stimuli in the task-relevant modality. In summary, several of the study's findings do not fit the inhibitory-deficit hypothesis of cognitive aging, which may need to be refined or supplemented by alternative accounts.

  9. Task-irrelevant auditory feedback facilitates motor performance in musicians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virginia eConde

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available An efficient and fast auditory–motor network is a basic resource for trained musicians due to the importance of motor anticipation of sound production in musical performance. When playing an instrument, motor performance always goes along with the production of sounds and the integration between both modalities plays an essential role in the course of musical training. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of task-irrelevant auditory feedback during motor performance in musicians using a serial reaction time task (SRTT. Our hypothesis was that musicians, due to their extensive auditory–motor practice routine during musical training, have a superior performance and learning capabilities when receiving auditory feedback during SRTT relative to musicians performing the SRTT without any auditory feedback. Here we provide novel evidence that task-irrelevant auditory feedback is capable to reinforce SRTT performance but not learning, a finding that might provide further insight into auditory-motor integration in musicians on a behavioral level.

  10. Socio-economic and institutional incentives influencing fishers’ behaviour in relation to fishing practices and discard

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eliasen, Soren Q.; Papadopoulou, K. Nadia; Vassilopoulou, Vassiliki

    2014-01-01

    of the underlying socio-economic and institutional incentives causing discard at the fisher level. The paper presents an approach which views discards as a result of decisions made both on deck and at earlier stages of the fishing planning and implementation process. Decisions made by fishers resulting in a more...... selective fishery are considered “selective behaviour”. It is argued that fishing practices are institutionally embedded within three institutional spheres: “state”, “market”, and “community”, which together with “natural conditions” create incentives and frameworks for discard and selective behaviour...

  11. 50 CFR Table 1b to Part 679 - Discard and Disposition Codes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    .... 63 Deadloss (crab only). 79 Halibut retained for future sale (Halibut only). 87 Overage (Specify... processing by shoreside processors, stationary floating processors, and buying stations and in-plant discard...

  12. Health status of birds fed diets containing three differently processed discarded vegetable-bovine blood-rumen content mixtures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekunseitan, D A; Balogun, O O; Sogunle, O M; Yusuf, A O; Ayoola, A A; Egbeyale, L T; Adeyemi, O A; Allison, I B; Iyanda, A I

    2013-04-01

    This study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding three differently processed mixtures on health status of broilers. A total of 1080 day-old Marshal broilers were fed; discarded vegetable-fresh bovine blood-fresh rumen digesta (P1), discarded vegetable-ensiled bovine blood-fresh rumen digesta (P2) and discarded vegetable-fresh bovine blood-ensiled rumen digesta (P3) at three levels of inclusion (0, 3 and 6%). Data on blood parameters was taken and were subjected to 3 x 3 factorial arrangements in a completely randomized design. Birds fed P1 had least values (p rumen digesta (P3) up to 6% level of inclusion.

  13. Remedy for Radiation Fear — Discard the Politicized Science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuttler, J.

    2014-01-01

    While seeking a remedy for the crisis of radiation fear in Japan, the author reread a recent article on radiation hormesis. It describes the motivation for creating this fear and mentions the evidence, in the first UNSCEAR report, of a factor of 3 reduction in leukemia incidence of the Hiroshima atom-bomb survivors in the low dose zone. Drawing a graph of the data reveals a hormetic J-curve, not a straight line as reported. UNSCEAR data on the lifespan reduction of mice and Guinea pigs exposed continuously to radium gamma rays indicate a threshold at about 2 gray per year. This contradicts the conceptual basis for radiation protection and risk determination that was established in 1956-58. In this paper, beneficial effects and thresholds for harmful effects are discussed, and the biological mechanism is explained. The key point: the rate of spontaneous DNA damage (double-strand breaks) is more than 1000 times the rate caused by background radiation. It is the effect of radiation on an organism's very powerful adaptive protection systems that determines the dose-response characteristic. Low radiation up-regulates the adaptive protection systems, while high radiation impairs these systems. The remedy for radiation fear is to expose and discard the politicized science

  14. Cognitive conflict increases processing of negative, task-irrelevant stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ligeza, Tomasz S; Wyczesany, Miroslaw

    2017-10-01

    The detection of cognitive conflict is thought to trigger adjustments in executive control. It has been recently shown that cognitive conflict increases processing of stimuli that are relevant to the ongoing task and that these modulations are exerted by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). However, it is still unclear whether such control influences are unspecific and might also affect the processing of task-irrelevant stimuli. The aim of the study was to examine if cognitive conflict affects processing of neutral and negative, task-irrelevant pictures. Participants responded to congruent (non-conflict) or to incongruent (conflict-eliciting) trials of a modified flanker task. Each response was followed by a presentation of a neutral or negative picture. The late positive potential (LPP) in response to picture presentation was used to assess the level of picture processing after conflict vs non-conflict trials. Connectivity between the DLPFC and attentional and perceptual areas during picture presentation was analysed to check if the DLPFC might be a source of these modulations. ERP results showed an effect of cognitive conflict only on processing of negative pictures: LPP in response to negative pictures was increased after conflict trials, whereas LPP in response to neutral pictures remained unchanged. Cortical connectivity analysis showed that conflict trials intensified information flow from the DLPFC towards attentional and perceptual regions. Results suggest that cognitive conflict increases processing of task-irrelevant stimuli; however, they must display high biological salience. Increase in cognitive control exerted by the DLPFC over attentional and perceptual regions is a probable mechanism of the effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Synchronized brain activity during rehearsal and short-term memory disruption by irrelevant speech is affected by recall mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopp, Franziska; Schröger, Erich; Lipka, Sigrid

    2006-08-01

    EEG coherence as a measure of synchronization of brain activity was used to investigate effects of irrelevant speech. In a delayed serial recall paradigm 21 healthy participants retained verbal items over a 10-s delay with and without interfering irrelevant speech. Recall after the delay was varied in two modes (spoken vs. written). Behavioral data showed the classic irrelevant speech effect and a superiority of written over spoken recall mode. Coherence, however, was more sensitive to processing characteristics and showed interactions between the irrelevant speech effect and recall mode during the rehearsal delay in theta (4-7.5 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (13-20 Hz), and gamma (35-47 Hz) frequency bands. For gamma, a rehearsal-related decrease of the duration of high coherence due to presentation of irrelevant speech was found in a left-lateralized fronto-central and centro-temporal network only in spoken but not in written recall. In theta, coherence at predominantly fronto-parietal electrode combinations was indicative for memory demands and varied with individual working memory capacity assessed by digit span. Alpha coherence revealed similar results and patterns as theta coherence. In beta, a left-hemispheric network showed longer high synchronizations due to irrelevant speech only in written recall mode. EEG results suggest that mode of recall is critical for processing already during the retention period of a delayed serial recall task. Moreover, the finding that different networks are engaged with different recall modes shows that the disrupting effect of irrelevant speech is not a unitary mechanism.

  16. Identification of volatile compounds in thinning discards from plum trees (Prunus salicina Lindl. cultivar Harry Pickstone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rossana Podestá

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl. cv. Harry Pickstone, a China indigenous fruit, is widely produced and consumed in countries such as Japan and Brazil. The practice of thinning is common in horticulture and the fruits removed are discarded as waste. Like the great majority of vegetables, these thinning discards also contain essential oils which have not been investigated until the present time. The extraction of the plum thinning discards volatile oil, through the hydrodistillation method, produced a yield of 0.06% (m/m and a total of 21 components were identified, with 11 of them being responsible for 72,9% of the total oil composition. The major compounds determined through GC and GC-MS were Z-α-bisabolene (13.7%, n-hexadecanoic acid (12.7%, phytol (12.7%, and β-caryophyllene (10.4%.

  17. Fabrication of Simple Indoor Air Haze Purifier using Domestic Discarded Substances and Its Haze Removal Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhou; Cao, Haoshu; Zhao, Shuang

    2018-01-01

    Based on the concept of circular economy, discarded plastic bottles stuffed with discarded cotton, clothing and sofa cushion were used as pre-filter to remove big particles (dust and coal dust) in air and 4 L tap water in discarded plastic bottle was worked as an absorbing medium to dissolve the water soluble ions in air (SO4 2-, NO3-, NH4+, Cl- and Ca2+). Moreover, the internet control design was used in this homemade indoor air haze purifier to achieve the performance of remote control and intelligent management. The experimental results showed that this indoor air haze purifier can effectively reduce the level of indoor air haze and the air quality after 20 minutes treatment is higher than that of two commercial well-known air haze purifier

  18. Intelligent Stale-Frame Discards for Real-Time Video Streaming over Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheu Tsang-Ling

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This paper presents intelligent early packet discards (I-EPD for real-time video streaming over a multihop wireless ad hoc network. In a multihop wireless ad hoc network, the quality of transferring real-time video streams could be seriously degraded, since every intermediate node (IN functionally like relay device does not possess large buffer and sufficient bandwidth. Even worse, a selected relay node could leave or power off unexpectedly, which breaks the route to destination. Thus, a stale video frame is useless even if it can reach destination after network traffic becomes smooth or failed route is reconfigured. In the proposed I-EPD, an IN can intelligently determine whether a buffered video packet should be early discarded. For the purpose of validation, we implement the I-EPD on Linux-based embedded systems. Via the comparisons of performance metrics (packet/frame discards ratios, PSNR, etc., we demonstrate that video quality over a wireless ad hoc network can be substantially improved and unnecessary bandwidth wastage is greatly reduced.

  19. On the irrelevance of the leverage effect

    OpenAIRE

    Nippel, Peter

    2001-01-01

    Financial leverage increases the expected return on equity. We show that this leverage effect is not only irrelevant for shareholders' present wealth but also for the return on their investments. This result is straightforward if we do not only look at the return on equity but at the return on shareholders' total wealth. Any relevance leverage may have is definitely due to market imperfections. These may simply cause differences in market access for firms and individuals or lead to agency pro...

  20. Using waterjet in reverse logistic operations in discarded munitions processing

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hloch, S.; Tozan, H.; Yagimli, M.; Valíček, Jan; Rokosz, K.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 2 (2011), s. 267-271 ISSN 1330-3651 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : abrasive waterjet * anti tank bullet * automatic line Subject RIV: JQ - Machines ; Tools Impact factor: 0.347, year: 2011 http://hrcak.srce.hr/search/?q=Using+waterjet+in+reverse+logistic+operations+in+discarded+munitions+processing

  1. Population model for nickel-like gold which transitions to discard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Busquet, M.; Bruneau, J.

    1986-04-01

    We have started studies of an extensive population model for gold ionized 49 to 52 times. We shall present in this paper a discussion on the effects of discarding low-rate transitions such as cascades, dielectronic transitions,... Their accounting for, even in a crude way, allow some understanding of typical features of gold spectra

  2. Attentional control during visual search: The effect of irrelevant singletons

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Theeuwes, J.; Burger, R.

    1998-01-01

    Four experiments investigated whether a highly salient color singleton can be ignored during serial search. Observers searched for a target letter among nontarget letters and were instructed to ignore an irrelevant, highly salient color singleton that was either compatible or incompatible with the

  3. Hazardous waste status of discarded electronic cigarettes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krause, Max J.; Townsend, Timothy G., E-mail: ttown@ufl.edu

    2015-05-15

    Highlights: • Electronic cigarettes were tested using TCLP and WET. • Several electronic cigarette products leached lead at hazardous waste levels. • Lead was the only element that exceeded hazardous waste concentration thresholds. • Nicotine solution may cause hazardous waste classification when discarded unused. - Abstract: The potential for disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to be classified as hazardous waste was investigated. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) was performed on 23 disposable e-cigarettes in a preliminary survey of metal leaching. Based on these results, four e-cigarette products were selected for replicate analysis by TCLP and the California Waste Extraction Test (WET). Lead was measured in leachate as high as 50 mg/L by WET and 40 mg/L by TCLP. Regulatory thresholds were exceeded by two of 15 products tested in total. Therefore, some e-cigarettes would be toxicity characteristic (TC) hazardous waste but a majority would not. When disposed in the unused form, e-cigarettes containing nicotine juice would be commercial chemical products (CCP) and would, in the United States (US), be considered a listed hazardous waste (P075). While household waste is exempt from hazardous waste regulation, there are many instances in which such waste would be subject to regulation. Manufactures and retailers with unused or expired e-cigarettes or nicotine juice solution would be required to manage these as hazardous waste upon disposal. Current regulations and policies regarding the availability of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes worldwide were reviewed. Despite their small size, disposable e-cigarettes are consumed and discarded much more quickly than typical electronics, which may become a growing concern for waste managers.

  4. Hazardous waste status of discarded electronic cigarettes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krause, Max J.; Townsend, Timothy G.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Electronic cigarettes were tested using TCLP and WET. • Several electronic cigarette products leached lead at hazardous waste levels. • Lead was the only element that exceeded hazardous waste concentration thresholds. • Nicotine solution may cause hazardous waste classification when discarded unused. - Abstract: The potential for disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to be classified as hazardous waste was investigated. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) was performed on 23 disposable e-cigarettes in a preliminary survey of metal leaching. Based on these results, four e-cigarette products were selected for replicate analysis by TCLP and the California Waste Extraction Test (WET). Lead was measured in leachate as high as 50 mg/L by WET and 40 mg/L by TCLP. Regulatory thresholds were exceeded by two of 15 products tested in total. Therefore, some e-cigarettes would be toxicity characteristic (TC) hazardous waste but a majority would not. When disposed in the unused form, e-cigarettes containing nicotine juice would be commercial chemical products (CCP) and would, in the United States (US), be considered a listed hazardous waste (P075). While household waste is exempt from hazardous waste regulation, there are many instances in which such waste would be subject to regulation. Manufactures and retailers with unused or expired e-cigarettes or nicotine juice solution would be required to manage these as hazardous waste upon disposal. Current regulations and policies regarding the availability of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes worldwide were reviewed. Despite their small size, disposable e-cigarettes are consumed and discarded much more quickly than typical electronics, which may become a growing concern for waste managers

  5. Attention to irrelevant cues is related to positive symptoms in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Richard; Griffiths, Oren; Le Pelley, Michael E; Weickert, Thomas W

    2013-05-01

    Many modern learning theories assume that the amount of attention to a cue depends on how well that cue predicted important events in the past. Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in attention and recent theories of psychosis have argued that positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations are related to a failure of selective attention. However, evidence demonstrating that attention to irrelevant cues is related to positive symptoms in schizophrenia is lacking. We used a novel method of measuring attention to nonpredictive (and thus irrelevant) cues in a causal learning test (Le Pelley ME, McLaren IP. Learned associability and associative change in human causal learning. Q J Exp Psychol B. 2003;56:68-79) to assess whether healthy adults and people with schizophrenia discriminate previously predictive and nonpredictive cues. In a series of experiments with independent samples, we demonstrated: (1) when people with schizophrenia who had severe positive symptoms successfully distinguished between predictive and nonpredictive cues during training, they failed to discriminate between predictive and nonpredictive cues relative to healthy adults during subsequent testing and (2) learning about nonpredictive cues was correlated with more severe positive symptoms scores in schizophrenia. These results suggest that positive symptoms of schizophrenia are related to increased attention to nonpredictive cues during causal learning. This deficit in selective attention results in learning irrelevant causal associations and may be the basis of positive symptoms in schizophrenia.

  6. Task-irrelevant memory load induces inattentional blindness without temporo-parietal suppression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuyoshi, Daisuke; Ikeda, Takashi; Sawamoto, Nobukatsu; Kakigi, Ryusuke; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Osaka, Naoyuki

    2010-08-01

    We often fail to consciously detect an unexpected object when we are engaged in an attention-demanding task (inattentional blindness). The inattentional blindness which is induced by visual short-term memory (VSTM) load has been proposed to result from a suppression of temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) activity that involves stimulus-driven attention. However, the fact that, inversely proportional to TPJ activity, intraparietal sulcus (IPS) activity correlates with VSTM load renders questionable the account of inattentional blindness based only on TPJ activity. Here, we investigated whether the TPJ is solely responsible for inattentional blindness by decoupling IPS and TPJ responses to VSTM load and then using the same manipulation to test the behavioral inattentional blindness performance. Experiment 1 showed that TPJ activity was not suppressed by task-irrelevant load while the IPS responded to both task-relevant and task-irrelevant load. Although the TPJ account of inattentional blindness predicts that the degree of inattentional blindness should track TPJ activity, we found in Experiment 2 that inattentional blindness was induced not only by task-relevant load but also by task-irrelevant load, showing inconsistency between the extent of inattentional blindness and TPJ response. These findings suggest that inattentional blindness can be induced without suppression of TPJ activity and seem to offer the possibility that the IPS contributes to conscious perception. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Actions of radiation protection in the collection of discarded radioactive material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neri, E.P.M.; Silva, F.C.A. da

    2017-01-01

    Brazil has approximately 2000 radiative facilities that use radiation sources in their processes and are controlled by The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission - CNEN through standards, authorizations and inspections. These radioactive materials, whether in the form of waste or radioactive source, used in medical, industrial, research, etc. are sometimes discarded and found in inappropriate places, such as garbage dumps, industrial waste, streets, squares, etc. found by urban cleaning professionals without the proper knowledge of them. The work presents the radiation protection actions required for the safe collection of radioactive material to be performed by these professionals. According to the type of radioactive material the main actions of radiation protection are, among others: recognition of a radioactive material; correct use of personal protective equipment to contain possible radiation contamination; implementation of an area control etc. In order for the actions of recognition and collection of discarded radioactive material to be effective, there is a need to implement a training program in radiation protection for urban cleaning professionals

  8. Processing irrelevant location information: practice and transfer effects in a Simon task.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan B Welch

    Full Text Available How humans produce cognitively driven fine motor movements is a question of fundamental importance in how we interact with the world around us. For example, we are exposed to a constant stream of information and we must select the information that is most relevant by which to guide our actions. In the present study, we employed a well-known behavioral assay called the Simon task to better understand how humans are able to learn to filter out irrelevant information. We trained subjects for four days with a visual stimulus presented, alternately, in central and lateral locations. Subjects responded with one hand moving a joystick in either the left or right direction. They were instructed to ignore the irrelevant location information and respond based on color (e.g. red to the right and green to the left. On the fifth day, an additional testing session was conducted where the task changed and the subjects had to respond by shape (e.g. triangle to the right and rectangle to the left. They were instructed to ignore the color and location, and respond based solely on the task relevant shape. We found that the magnitude of the Simon effect decreases with training, however it returns in the first few trials after a break. Furthermore, task-defined associations between response direction and color did not significantly affect the Simon effect based on shape, and no significant associative learning from the specific stimulus-response features was found for the centrally located stimuli. We discuss how these results are consistent with a model involving route suppression/gating of the irrelevant location information. Much of the learning seems to be driven by subjects learning to suppress irrelevant location information, however, this seems to be an active inhibition process that requires a few trials of experience to engage.

  9. Removal of irrelevant information from working memory: sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and sometimes not at all.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberauer, Klaus

    2018-03-12

    To function properly, working memory must be rapidly updated. Updating requires the removal of information no longer relevant. I present six experiments designed to explore the boundary conditions and the time course of removal. A condition in which three out of six memory items can be removed was compared to two baseline conditions in which either three or six items were encoded and maintained in working memory. The time for removal was varied. In experiment 1, in the removal condition, a distinct subset of three words was cued to be irrelevant after encoding all six words. With longer removal time, response times in the removal condition approximated those in the set-size 3 baseline, but accuracies stayed at the set-size 6 level. In experiment 2, in which a random subset of three words was cued as irrelevant, there was no evidence for removal. Experiments 3 and 4 showed that when each item is cued as relevant or irrelevant after its encoding, irrelevant items can be removed rapidly and completely. Experiments 5 and 6 showed that complete removal was no longer possible when words had to be processed before being cued as irrelevant. The pattern of findings can be explained by distinguishing two forms of removal: deactivation removes working-memory contents from the set of competitors for retrieval; unbinding contents from their contexts removes them from working memory entirely, so that they also cease to compete for limited capacity. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

  10. Are There Ways out of the Self-inflicted Irrelevance of the Qualitative Off-stream?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norbert Groeben

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available The qualitative paradigm is relatively irrelevant in psychological research and teaching, which is not only due to the hegemony of the quantitative paradigm. This irrelevance also arises from the fragmentation within the qualitative research paradigm, which is a result of the principle of a close interdependence of research object and method; this fragmentation is evident in the lack of a systematic approach to the concept of method. The conviction to conduct a superior psychological approach leads to destructive competition both within the qualitative paradigm and in relation to the quantitative paradigm. Instead, I recommend the pursuit of approaches that attempt to integrate qualitative and quantitative research methods on the basis of the idea of ontological layers, clearly distinct from esoteric approaches. Above all, the development of sophisticated and complex methods of statistical analysis appears a promising way to overcome the self-inflicted irrelevance of the qualitative research paradigm. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0604347

  11. Irrelevant Auditory and Visual Events Induce a Visual Attentional Blink

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van der Burg, Erik; Nieuwenstein, Mark R.; Theeuwes, Jan; Olivers, Christian N. L.

    2013-01-01

    In the present study we investigated whether a task-irrelevant distractor can induce a visual attentional blink pattern. Participants were asked to detect only a visual target letter (A, B, or C) and to ignore the preceding auditory, visual, or audiovisual distractor. An attentional blink was

  12. A Proof-Irrelevant Model of Martin-Löf's Logical Framework

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fridlender, Daniel

    2003-01-01

    objects with different degree of relevance: those that denote proofs are irrelevant whereas those that denote types are not. In fact a whole hierarchy of relevance exists. Another difference is the higher level of detail in the formulation of the formal theory, such as the explicit manipulation...

  13. Open-plan office noise: The susceptibility and suitability of different cognitive tasks for work in the presence of irrelevant speech

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Jahncke

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to test which tasks are suitable for work in open-plan offices according to how susceptible they are to disruption produced by the mere presence of irrelevant speech. The tasks were chosen to tap fundamental capacities of office work involving: search for relevant information, remembering material, counting, and generation of words. The hypothesis was that tasks requiring semantic processing should be impaired by irrelevant speech. To determine the magnitude of performance decrease, two sound conditions (quiet, irrelevant speech were compared. The results showed that tasks based on episodic short-term-memory and rehearsal of the presented material were more sensitive to disruption by irrelevant speech than tasks which did not require rehearsal or were based on long-term memory retrieval. The present study points to the inappropriateness of tasks, such as information search and remembering of material, for work environments within which irrelevant speech is ubiquitous.

  14. Rational over-imitation: Preschoolers consider material costs and copy causally irrelevant actions selectively.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keupp, Stefanie; Bancken, Christin; Schillmöller, Jelka; Rakoczy, Hannes; Behne, Tanya

    2016-02-01

    Children's strong tendency to over-imitate - i.e., to reproduce causally irrelevant actions - presents a well-documented, yet puzzling, phenomenon. On first sight this instrumentally inefficient behavior seems maladaptive and different accounts have been put forward to explain it. Causal accounts claim that children are misled by an adult's demonstration, mistake the superfluous actions as causally necessary, and therefore imitate them. Other accounts emphasize cognitive-motivational aspects underlying over-imitation, e.g. social motivations to affiliate with the model, or to adhere to normative conventions. Since all accounts predict the occurrence of over-imitation under typical conditions, different parameters and circumstances have to be considered to distinguish between them. Thus, we investigated children's over-imitation and their spontaneous verbal reactions to a puppet's behavior, in contexts in which a causally irrelevant action either led to the destruction of a valuable object belonging to the experimenter, or not. In addition, children saw the full action sequence being demonstrated either with an instrumental or a conventional focus. Causal accounts predict no flexibility across these contexts, because over-imitation is said to occur automatically. Normative accounts claim that different normative considerations affect children's behavior and action parsing, and therefore predict different response patterns across conditions. We found that over-imitation was less frequent in costly and instrumental conditions. Children criticized the puppet for omitting irrelevant actions more often in the non-costly condition, but criticized her more often for performing irrelevant actions in the costly condition, often expressing their moral concern. The results support the rational normative action interpretation account of over-imitation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Risk Sensitivity, Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives and Continuity of Bargaining Solutions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.B.M. de Koster (René); H.J.M. Peters (Hans); S.H. Tijs; P.P. Wakker (Peter)

    1983-01-01

    textabstractBargaining solutions are considered which have the following four properties: individual rationality, Pareto optimality, independence of equivalent utility representations, and independence of irrelevant alternatives. A main result of this paper is a simple proof of the fact that all

  16. Bottom trawl fishery discards in the Black Sea coast of Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. CEYLAN

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the amount of bycatch and discardfish caught by bottom trawlers used in the Black Sea coasts of Turkey anddiscard changes depending on the depth. The study was conducted during theSeptember 2009 – April 2010 fishing season. Twenty-one bottom trawleroperations were sampled and the catch composition was determined. A total of 26species were caught, which included 22 species of fish, 2 species of arthropods,1 species of gastropods and 1 species of bivalves. Two of these were targetspecies (Mullusbarbatus, Merlangius merlangus, while 25 species werediscarded including trash fish and specimens below the legal size. A total of2142.76 kg of biomass was caught during the operations, of which 53.99 % bycatch.The weighted discard rate was determined as 42.06% and two different groupswere identified in discards (T1: 10-57 m, T2: 72-118 m based on the depth. Significantdifferences were identified between these depth groups (p0.05 between theecological parameters of landings.

  17. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence of discarded tire samples, using a Si-PIN detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopes, Fabio; Appoloni, C.R.; Melquiades, Fabio L.

    2007-01-01

    The determination of zinc concentration in samples of discarded tires is of great environmental interest because the process for manufacturing tyres uses S for rubber vulcanization, and ZnO is the reaction catalyst. Discarded tyres are being used in asphalt paving, in the burning process of thermoelectric and cement industries and also for controlling erosion in agricultural areas. Analysis of tyre samples usually requires chemical digestion which is slow and expensive. Aiming to eliminate those limitations, this work uses energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) with a portable equipment, once it is a simultaneous multi-element analytical technique, requiring minimal sample preparation. Five samples of discarded tyres have been ground and analysed in the form of pastilles, using a mini X-ray tube (Ag target, MO filter, 25 kV/20 μA) for 200 s, and a Si-PIN semiconductor detector coupled to a multichannel analyser. Zinc concentrations in the range of 40.6 to 44.2 μg g -1 have been obtained, representing 0.4% of the tire composition, which is below the maximum value (2%) recommended by the European Tyre Recycling Association. Concentrations between 0.15 and 0.52 μg g -1 were obtained for Fe

  18. Trigger Foods: The Influence of “Irrelevant†Alternatives in School Lunchrooms

    OpenAIRE

    Hanks, Andrew S.; Just, David R.; Wansink, Brian

    2012-01-01

    Rational choice theory commonly assumes that the presence of unselected choices cannot impact which among the remaining choices is selected–-often referred to as “independence of irrelevant alternatives.†We show that such seemingly irrelevant alternatives influence choice in a school lunch setting. In these lunchrooms, we provide evidence that the presence of specific side dishes-–trigger foods-–can strongly increase the sales of unhealthy à la carte options, even when the trigger foods a...

  19. Preferential processing of task-irrelevant beloved-related information and task performance: Two event-related potential studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langeslag, Sandra J E; van Strien, Jan W

    2017-09-18

    People who are in love have better attention for beloved-related information, but report having trouble focusing on other tasks, such as (home)work. So, romantic love can both improve and hurt cognition. Emotional information is preferentially processed, which improves task performance when the information is task-relevant, but hurts task performance when it is task-irrelevant. Because beloved-related information is highly emotional, the effects of romantic love on cognition may resemble these effects of emotion on cognition. We examined whether beloved-related information is preferentially processed even when it is task-irrelevant and whether this hurts task performance. In two event-related potential studies, participants who had recently fallen in love performed a visuospatial short-term memory task. Task-irrelevant beloved, friend, and stranger faces were presented during maintenance (Study 1), or encoding (Study 2). The Early Posterior Negativity (EPN) reflecting early automatic attentional capturing and the Late Positive Potential (LPP) reflecting sustained motivated attention were largest for beloved pictures. Thus, beloved pictures are preferentially processed even when they are task-irrelevant. Task performance and reaction times did not differ between beloved, friend, and stranger conditions. Nevertheless, self-reported obsessive thinking about the beloved tended to correlate negatively with task performance, and positively with reaction times, across conditions. So, although task-irrelevant beloved-related information does not impact task performance, more obsessive thinking about the beloved might relate to poorer and slower overall task performance. More research is needed to clarify why people experience trouble focusing on beloved-unrelated tasks and how this negative effect of love on cognition could be reduced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Saving emissions trading from irrelevance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tindale, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    Uncontrolled climate change is the greatest risk that humanity faces. The main burden will fall on developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. But Europe and its residents will also be damaged in many ways, including extreme weather, heat waves, and the spread of tropical diseases. Climate change is a quintessentially global challenge. If pollution shifts from one part of the world to another - from Europe to China, for example - the global climate is no better off. The main EU climate policy, the Emissions Trading System, now stipulates such a low carbon price that it has become essentially irrelevant. The European Commission should propose a Europe-wide carbon price floor of euro 30 per tonne, high enough to influence investment decisions and encourage energy efficiency and low-carbon energy supply. The Commission should also propose border tax adjustments, with the revenue returned to the country of origin

  1. Comparing the catch composition, profitability and discard survival from different trammel net designs targeting common spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas in a Mediterranean fishery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaetano Catanese

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In the Balearic Islands, different trammel net designs have been adopted to promote fisheries sustainability and reduce discards. Here, we compare the catch performance of three trammel net designs targeting the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in terms of biomass, species composition and revenue from commercial catches and discards. Designs differ in the netting fiber type (standard polyfilament, PMF, or a new polyethylene multi-monofilament, MMF and the use of a guarding net or greca, a mesh piece intended to reduce discards. Catches were surveyed by an on-board observer from 1,550 netting walls corresponding to 70 nets. The number of marketable species captured indicated that the lobster trammel net fishery has multiple targets, which contribute significantly to the total revenue. The discarded species ranged from habitat-forming species to elasmobranches, but the magnitude of gear-habitat interactions on the long term dynamics of benthos remains unclear. No relevant differences in revenue and weight of discards were detected after Bayesian analyses. However, the species composition of discards was different when using greca. Interestingly, high immediate survival was found for discarded undersized lobsters, while a seven day survival assessment, using captive observation, gave an asymptotic estimate of survival probability as 0.64 (95% CI [0.54–0.76]. Therefore, it is recommended that it would be beneficial for this stock if an exemption from the EU landing obligation regulation was sought for undersized lobsters in the Balearic trammel net fishery.

  2. Comparing the catch composition, profitability and discard survival from different trammel net designs targeting common spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) in a Mediterranean fishery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catanese, Gaetano; Hinz, Hilmar; Gil, Maria Del Mar; Palmer, Miquel; Breen, Michael; Mira, Antoni; Pastor, Elena; Grau, Amalia; Campos-Candela, Andrea; Koleva, Elka; Grau, Antoni Maria; Morales-Nin, Beatriz

    2018-01-01

    In the Balearic Islands, different trammel net designs have been adopted to promote fisheries sustainability and reduce discards. Here, we compare the catch performance of three trammel net designs targeting the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in terms of biomass, species composition and revenue from commercial catches and discards. Designs differ in the netting fiber type (standard polyfilament, PMF, or a new polyethylene multi-monofilament, MMF) and the use of a guarding net or greca , a mesh piece intended to reduce discards. Catches were surveyed by an on-board observer from 1,550 netting walls corresponding to 70 nets. The number of marketable species captured indicated that the lobster trammel net fishery has multiple targets, which contribute significantly to the total revenue. The discarded species ranged from habitat-forming species to elasmobranches, but the magnitude of gear-habitat interactions on the long term dynamics of benthos remains unclear. No relevant differences in revenue and weight of discards were detected after Bayesian analyses. However, the species composition of discards was different when using greca . Interestingly, high immediate survival was found for discarded undersized lobsters, while a seven day survival assessment, using captive observation, gave an asymptotic estimate of survival probability as 0.64 (95% CI [0.54-0.76]). Therefore, it is recommended that it would be beneficial for this stock if an exemption from the EU landing obligation regulation was sought for undersized lobsters in the Balearic trammel net fishery.

  3. When Does Between-Sequence Phonological Similarity Promote Irrelevant Sound Disruption?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsh, John E.; Vachon, Francois; Jones, Dylan M.

    2008-01-01

    Typically, the phonological similarity between to-be-recalled items and TBI auditory stimuli has no impact if recall in serial order is required. However, in the present study, the authors have shown that the free recall, but not serial recall, of lists of phonologically related to-be-remembered items was disrupted by an irrelevant sound stream…

  4. Effects of visual working memory on brain information processing of irrelevant auditory stimuli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiagui Qu

    Full Text Available Selective attention has traditionally been viewed as a sensory processing modulator that promotes cognitive processing efficiency by favoring relevant stimuli while inhibiting irrelevant stimuli. However, the cross-modal processing of irrelevant information during working memory (WM has been rarely investigated. In this study, the modulation of irrelevant auditory information by the brain during a visual WM task was investigated. The N100 auditory evoked potential (N100-AEP following an auditory click was used to evaluate the selective attention to auditory stimulus during WM processing and at rest. N100-AEP amplitudes were found to be significantly affected in the left-prefrontal, mid-prefrontal, right-prefrontal, left-frontal, and mid-frontal regions while performing a high WM load task. In contrast, no significant differences were found between N100-AEP amplitudes in WM states and rest states under a low WM load task in all recorded brain regions. Furthermore, no differences were found between the time latencies of N100-AEP troughs in WM states and rest states while performing either the high or low WM load task. These findings suggested that the prefrontal cortex (PFC may integrate information from different sensory channels to protect perceptual integrity during cognitive processing.

  5. Effects of visual working memory on brain information processing of irrelevant auditory stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Jiagui; Rizak, Joshua D; Zhao, Lun; Li, Minghong; Ma, Yuanye

    2014-01-01

    Selective attention has traditionally been viewed as a sensory processing modulator that promotes cognitive processing efficiency by favoring relevant stimuli while inhibiting irrelevant stimuli. However, the cross-modal processing of irrelevant information during working memory (WM) has been rarely investigated. In this study, the modulation of irrelevant auditory information by the brain during a visual WM task was investigated. The N100 auditory evoked potential (N100-AEP) following an auditory click was used to evaluate the selective attention to auditory stimulus during WM processing and at rest. N100-AEP amplitudes were found to be significantly affected in the left-prefrontal, mid-prefrontal, right-prefrontal, left-frontal, and mid-frontal regions while performing a high WM load task. In contrast, no significant differences were found between N100-AEP amplitudes in WM states and rest states under a low WM load task in all recorded brain regions. Furthermore, no differences were found between the time latencies of N100-AEP troughs in WM states and rest states while performing either the high or low WM load task. These findings suggested that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) may integrate information from different sensory channels to protect perceptual integrity during cognitive processing.

  6. Numeracy moderates the influence of task-irrelevant affect on probability weighting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traczyk, Jakub; Fulawka, Kamil

    2016-06-01

    Statistical numeracy, defined as the ability to understand and process statistical and probability information, plays a significant role in superior decision making. However, recent research has demonstrated that statistical numeracy goes beyond simple comprehension of numbers and mathematical operations. On the contrary to previous studies that were focused on emotions integral to risky prospects, we hypothesized that highly numerate individuals would exhibit more linear probability weighting because they would be less biased by incidental and decision-irrelevant affect. Participants were instructed to make a series of insurance decisions preceded by negative (i.e., fear-inducing) or neutral stimuli. We found that incidental negative affect increased the curvature of the probability weighting function (PWF). Interestingly, this effect was significant only for less numerate individuals, while probability weighting in more numerate people was not altered by decision-irrelevant affect. We propose two candidate mechanisms for the observed effect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. From capture to inhibition: How does irrelevant information influence visual search? Evidence from a spatial cuing paradigm.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine eMertes

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Even though information is spatially and temporally irrelevant, it can influence the processing of subsequent information. The present study used a spatial cuing paradigm to investigate the origins of this persisting influence by means of event-related potentials (ERPs of the EEG. An irrelevant color cue that was either contingent (color search or non-contingent (shape search on attentional sets was presented prior to a target array with different stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOA; 200, 400, 800 ms. Behavioral results indicated that color cues captured attention only when they shared target-defining properties. These same-location effects persisted over time but were pronounced when cue and target array were presented in close succession. N2pc showed that the color cue generally drew attention, but was strongest in the contingent condition. A subsequently emerging contralateral posterior positivity referred to the irrelevant cue (i.e. distractor positivity; Pd was unaffected by the attentional set and therefore interpreted as an inhibitory process required to enable a re-direction of the attentional focus. CDA was only observable in the contingent condition, indicating the transfer of spatial information into working memory and thus providing an explanation for the same-location effect for longer SOAs. Inhibition of this irrelevant information was reflected by a second contralateral positivity triggered through target presentation. The results suggest that distracting information is actively maintained when it resembles a sought-after object. However, two independent attentional processes are at work to compensate for attentional distraction: The timely inhibition of attentional capture and the active inhibition of mental representation of irrelevant information.

  8. Irrelevant sound disrupts speech production: exploring the relationship between short-term memory and experimentally induced slips of the tongue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Satoru; Baddeley, Alan

    2004-10-01

    To explore the relationship between short-term memory and speech production, we developed a speech error induction technique. The technique, which was adapted from a Japanese word game, exposed participants to an auditory distractor word immediately before the utterance of a target word. In Experiment 1, the distractor words that were phonologically similar to the target word led to a greater number of errors in speaking the target than did the dissimilar distractor words. Furthermore, the speech error scores were significantly correlated with memory span scores. In Experiment 2, memory span scores were again correlated with the rate of the speech errors that were induced from the task-irrelevant speech sounds. Experiment 3 showed a strong irrelevant-sound effect in the serial recall of nonwords. The magnitude of the irrelevant-sound effects was not affected by phonological similarity between the to-be-remembered nonwords and the irrelevant-sound materials. Analysis of recall errors in Experiment 3 also suggested that there were no essential differences in recall error patterns between the dissimilar and similar irrelevant-sound conditions. We proposed two different underlying mechanisms in immediate memory, one operating via the phonological short-term memory store and the other via the processes underpinning speech production.

  9. Involuntary top-down control by search-irrelevant features: Visual working memory biases attention in an object-based manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foerster, Rebecca M; Schneider, Werner X

    2018-03-01

    Many everyday tasks involve successive visual-search episodes with changing targets. Converging evidence suggests that these targets are retained in visual working memory (VWM) and bias attention from there. It is unknown whether all or only search-relevant features of a VWM template bias attention during search. Bias signals might be configured exclusively to task-relevant features so that only search-relevant features bias attention. Alternatively, VWM might maintain objects in the form of bound features. Then, all template features will bias attention in an object-based manner, so that biasing effects are ranked by feature relevance. Here, we investigated whether search-irrelevant VWM template features bias attention. Participants had to saccade to a target opposite a distractor. A colored cue depicted the target prior to each search trial. The target was predefined only by its identity, while its color was irrelevant. When target and cue matched not only in identity (search-relevant) but also in color (search-irrelevant), saccades went more often and faster directly to the target than without any color match (Experiment 1). When introducing a cue-distractor color match (Experiment 2), direct target saccades were most likely when target and cue matched in the search-irrelevant color and least likely in case of a cue-distractor color match. When cue and target were never colored the same (Experiment 3), cue-colored distractors still captured the eyes more often than different-colored distractors despite color being search-irrelevant. As participants were informed about the misleading color, the result argues against a strategical and voluntary usage of color. Instead, search-irrelevant features biased attention obligatorily arguing for involuntary top-down control by object-based VWM templates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Bycatch And Discards: Management INdicators, Trends and locatiON (BADMINTON): Final report

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vassilopoulou, V.; Rochet, M.J.; Helmond, van A.T.M.

    2012-01-01

    Discarding keeps being an important issue in world fisheries; it is a way for fishers to adjust their landings to the legal and market constraints, but is largely considered as a waste of rare natural resources and as contributing to the depletion of stocks bearing a high fishing pressure. Many

  11. Emotion and false memory: How goal-irrelevance can be relevant for what people remember.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Damme, Ilse; Kaplan, Robin L; Levine, Linda J; Loftus, Elizabeth F

    2017-02-01

    Elaborating on misleading information concerning emotional events can lead people to form false memories. The present experiment compared participants' susceptibility to false memories when they elaborated on information associated with positive versus negative emotion and pregoal versus postgoal emotion. Pregoal emotion reflects appraisals that goal attainment or failure is anticipated but has not yet occurred (e.g., hope and fear). Postgoal emotion reflects appraisals that goal attainment or failure has already occurred (e.g., happiness and devastation). Participants watched a slideshow depicting an interaction between a couple and were asked to empathise with the protagonist's feelings of hope (positive pregoal), happiness (positive postgoal), fear (negative pregoal), or devastation (negative postgoal); in control conditions, no emotion was mentioned. Participants were then asked to reflect on details of the interaction that had occurred (true) or had not occurred (false), and that were relevant or irrelevant to the protagonist's goal. Irrespective of emotional valence, participants in the pregoal conditions were more susceptible to false memories concerning goal-irrelevant details than were participants in the other conditions. These findings support the view that pregoal emotions narrow attention to information relevant to goal pursuit, increasing susceptibility to false memories for irrelevant information.

  12. [The references in articles published in biomedical journals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, H

    2001-04-01

    Bibliographic citations or "references" are an important component of all scientific manuscripts. The authors are responsible for their accuracy and they should follow the format and style requested by the journal where they are submitting their paper. Revista Médica de Chile adheres to the "Uniform Requirements" established by the Vancouver Group of Medical Editors. Equally important is a correct choice of references, including those original articles strictly connected to the content of the manuscript. The number of citations usually vary according to the specific character of the study: research article, or case reports, review article, etc. Common mistakes are due to an excessive number of repetitive or irrelevant citations, or the omission of important articles sometimes not found in bibliographic indexes, or an erroneous claim of priority in reporting an observation. Finally, in developing countries the authors should include previous reports appeared in their own local journals, therefore improving their opportunities of achieving international visibility.

  13. Over-imitation is not automatic: context sensitivity in children's overimitation and action interpretation of causally irrelevant actions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keupp, Stefanie; Behne, Tanya; Zachow, Joanna; Kasbohm, Alina; Rakoczy, Hannes

    2015-02-01

    Recent research has documented the robust tendency of children to "over-imitate," that is, to copy causally irrelevant action elements in goal-directed action sequences. Different explanations for over-imitation have been proposed. Causal accounts claim that children mistakenly perceive such action elements as causally relevant and, therefore, imitate them. Affiliation accounts claim that children over-imitate to affiliate with the model. Normative accounts claim that children conceive of causally irrelevant actions as essential parts of an overarching conventional activity. These different accounts generally hold the same predictions regarding children's imitative response. However, it is possible to distinguish between them when one considers additional parameters. The normative account predicts wide-ranging flexibility with regard to action interpretation and the occurrence of over-imitation. First, it predicts spontaneous protest against norm violators who omit the causally irrelevant actions. Second, children should perform the causally irrelevant actions less frequently, and criticize others less frequently for omitting them, when the actions take place in a different context from the one of the initial demonstration. Such flexibility is not predicted by causal accounts and is predicted for only a limited range of contexts by affiliation accounts. Study 1 investigated children's own imitative response and found less over-imitation when children acted in a different context from when they acted in the same context as the initial demonstration. In Study 2, children criticized a puppet less frequently for omitting irrelevant actions when the puppet acted in a different context. The results support the notion that over-imitation is not an automatic and inflexible phenomenon. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. From Capture to Inhibition: How does Irrelevant Information Influence Visual Search? Evidence from a Spatial Cuing Paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mertes, Christine; Wascher, Edmund; Schneider, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Even though information is spatially and temporally irrelevant, it can influence the processing of subsequent information. The present study used a spatial cuing paradigm to investigate the origins of this persisting influence by means of event-related potentials (ERPs) of the EEG. An irrelevant color cue that was either contingent (color search) or non-contingent (shape search) on attentional sets was presented prior to a target array with different stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOA; 200, 400, 800 ms). Behavioral results indicated that color cues captured attention only when they shared target-defining properties. These same-location effects persisted over time but were pronounced when cue and target array were presented in close succession. N2 posterior contralateral (N2pc) showed that the color cue generally drew attention, but was strongest in the contingent condition. A subsequently emerging contralateral posterior positivity referred to the irrelevant cue (i.e., distractor positivity, Pd) was unaffected by the attentional set and therefore interpreted as an inhibitory process required to enable a re-direction of the attentional focus. Contralateral delay activity (CDA) was only observable in the contingent condition, indicating the transfer of spatial information into working memory and thus providing an explanation for the same-location effect for longer SOAs. Inhibition of this irrelevant information was reflected by a second contralateral positivity triggered through target presentation. The results suggest that distracting information is actively maintained when it resembles a sought-after object. However, two independent attentional processes are at work to compensate for attentional distraction: the timely inhibition of attentional capture and the active inhibition of mental representation of irrelevant information.

  15. Successful Dual Kidney Transplantation After Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion of Discarded Human Kidneys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravaioli, Matteo; De Pace, Vanessa; Comai, Giorgia; Busutti, Marco; Gaudio, Massimo Del; Amaduzzi, Annalisa; Cucchetti, Alessandro; Siniscalchi, Antonio; La Manna, Gaetano; D’Errico, Antonietta A.D.; Pinna, Antonio Daniele

    2017-01-01

    Patient: Female, 58 Final Diagnosis: Nephroangiosclerosis Symptoms: Renal failure Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Resuscitation of grafts by hypothermic oxygenated perfusion Specialty: Transplantology Objective: Challenging differential diagnosis Background: The recovery of discarded human kidneys has increased in recent years and impels to use of unconventional organ preservation strategies that improve graft function. We report the first case of human kidneys histologically discarded and transplanted after hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE). Case Report: Marginal kidneys from a 78-year-old woman with brain death were declined by Italian transplant centers due to biopsy score (right kidney: 6; left kidney: 7). We recovered and preserved both kidneys through HOPE and we revaluated their use for transplantation by means of perfusion parameters. The right kidney was perfused for 1 h 20 min and the left kidney for 2 h 30 min. During organ perfusion, the renal flow increased progressively. We observed an increase of 34% for the left kidney (median flow 52 ml/min) and 50% for the right kidney (median flow 24 ml/min). Both kidneys had low perfusate’s lactate levels. We used perfusion parameters as important determinants of the organ discard. Based on our previous organ perfusion experience, the increase of renal flow and the low level of lactate following 1 h of HOPE lead us to declare both kidneys as appropriate for dual kidney transplantation (DKT). No complications were reported during the transplant and in the post-transplant hospital stay. The recipient had immediate graft function and serum creatinine value of 0.95 mg/dL at 3 months post-transplant. Conclusions: HOPE provides added information in the organ selection process and may improve graft quality of marginal kidneys. PMID:28928357

  16. Neural networks engaged in short-term memory rehearsal are disrupted by irrelevant speech in human subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopp, Franziska; Schröger, Erich; Lipka, Sigrid

    2004-01-02

    Rehearsal mechanisms in human short-term memory are increasingly understood in the light of both behavioural and neuroanatomical findings. However, little is known about the cooperation of participating brain structures and how such cooperations are affected when memory performance is disrupted. In this paper we use EEG coherence as a measure of synchronization to investigate rehearsal processes and their disruption by irrelevant speech in a delayed serial recall paradigm. Fronto-central and fronto-parietal theta (4-7.5 Hz), beta (13-20 Hz), and gamma (35-47 Hz) synchronizations are shown to be involved in our short-term memory task. Moreover, the impairment in serial recall due to irrelevant speech was preceded by a reduction of gamma band coherence. Results suggest that the irrelevant speech effect has its neural basis in the disruption of left-lateralized fronto-central networks. This stresses the importance of gamma band activity for short-term memory operations.

  17. Tracking Multiple Topics for Finding Interesting Articles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pon, R K; Cardenas, A F; Buttler, D J; Critchlow, T J

    2008-01-03

    We introduce multiple topic tracking (MTT) for iScore to better recommend news articles for users with multiple interests and to address changes in user interests over time. As an extension of the basic Rocchio algorithm, traditional topic detection and tracking, and single-pass clustering, MTT maintains multiple interest profiles to identify interesting articles for a specific user given user-feedback. Focusing on only interesting topics enables iScore to discard useless profiles to address changes in user interests and to achieve a balance between resource consumption and classification accuracy. iScore is able to achieve higher quality results than traditional methods such as the Rocchio algorithm. We identify several operating parameters that work well for MTT. Using the same parameters, we show that MTT alone yields high quality results for recommending interesting articles from several corpora. The inclusion of MTT improves iScore's performance by 25% in recommending news articles from the Yahoo! News RSS feeds and the TREC11 adaptive filter article collection. And through a small user study, we show that iScore can still perform well when only provided with little user feedback.

  18. Measuring the Interestingness of News Articles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pon, R K; Cardenas, A F; Buttler, D J

    2007-09-24

    An explosive growth of online news has taken place. Users are inundated with thousands of news articles, only some of which are interesting. A system to filter out uninteresting articles would aid users that need to read and analyze many articles daily, such as financial analysts and government officials. The most obvious approach for reducing the amount of information overload is to learn keywords of interest for a user (Carreira et al., 2004). Although filtering articles based on keywords removes many irrelevant articles, there are still many uninteresting articles that are highly relevant to keyword searches. A relevant article may not be interesting for various reasons, such as the article's age or if it discusses an event that the user has already read about in other articles. Although it has been shown that collaborative filtering can aid in personalized recommendation systems (Wang et al., 2006), a large number of users is needed. In a limited user environment, such as a small group of analysts monitoring news events, collaborative filtering would be ineffective. The definition of what makes an article interesting--or its 'interestingness'--varies from user to user and is continually evolving, calling for adaptable user personalization. Furthermore, due to the nature of news, most articles are uninteresting since many are similar or report events outside the scope of an individual's concerns. There has been much work in news recommendation systems, but none have yet addressed the question of what makes an article interesting.

  19. High post-capture survival for sharks, rays and chimaeras discarded in the main shark fishery of Australia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braccini, Matias; Van Rijn, Jay; Frick, Lorenz

    2012-01-01

    Most sharks, rays and chimaeras (chondrichthyans) taken in commercial fisheries are discarded (i.e. returned to the ocean either dead or alive). Quantifying the post-capture survival (PCS) of discarded species is therefore essential for the improved management and conservation of this group. For all chondrichthyans taken in the main shark fishery of Australia, we quantified the immediate PCS of individuals reaching the deck of commercial shark gillnet fishing vessels and applied a risk-based method to semi-quantitatively determine delayed and total PCS. Estimates of immediate, delayed and total PCS were consistent, being very high for the most commonly discarded species (Port Jackson shark, Australian swellshark, and spikey dogfish) and low for the most important commercial species (gummy and school sharks). Increasing gillnet soak time or water temperature significantly decreased PCS. Chondrichthyans with bottom-dwelling habits had the highest PCS whereas those with pelagic habits had the lowest PCS. The risk-based approach can be easily implemented as a standard practice of on-board observing programs, providing a convenient first-step assessment of the PCS of all species taken in commercial fisheries.

  20. Inhibition in movement plan competition: reach trajectories curve away from remembered and task-irrelevant present but not from task-irrelevant past visual stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moehler, Tobias; Fiehler, Katja

    2017-11-01

    The current study investigated the role of automatic encoding and maintenance of remembered, past, and present visual distractors for reach movement planning. The previous research on eye movements showed that saccades curve away from locations actively kept in working memory and also from task-irrelevant perceptually present visual distractors, but not from task-irrelevant past distractors. Curvature away has been associated with an inhibitory mechanism resolving the competition between multiple active movement plans. Here, we examined whether reach movements underlie a similar inhibitory mechanism and thus show systematic modulation of reach trajectories when the location of a previously presented distractor has to be (a) maintained in working memory or (b) ignored, or (c) when the distractor is perceptually present. Participants performed vertical reach movements on a computer monitor from a home to a target location. Distractors appeared laterally and near or far from the target (equidistant from central fixation). We found that reaches curved away from the distractors located close to the target when the distractor location had to be memorized and when it was perceptually present, but not when the past distractor had to be ignored. Our findings suggest that automatically encoding present distractors and actively maintaining the location of past distractors in working memory evoke a similar response competition resolved by inhibition, as has been previously shown for saccadic eye movements.

  1. Determination of as-discarded methane potential in residential and commercial municipal solid waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chickering, Giles W; Krause, Max J; Townsend, Timothy G

    2018-06-01

    Methane generation potential, L 0 , is a primary parameter of the first-order decay (FOD) model used for prediction and regulation of landfill gas (LFG) generation in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The current US EPA AP-42 default value for L 0 , which has been in place for almost 20 years, is 100 m 3 CH 4 /Mg MSW as-discarded. Recent research suggests the yield of landfilled waste could be less than 60 m 3 CH 4 /Mg MSW. This study aimed to measure the L 0 of present-day residential and commercial as-discarded MSW. In doing so, 39 waste collection vehicles were sorted for composition before samples of each biodegradable fraction were analyzed for methane generation potential. Methane yields were determined for over 450 samples of 14 different biodegradable MSW fractions, later to be combined with moisture content and volatile solids data to calculate L 0 values for each waste load. An average value of 80 m 3 CH 4 /Mg MSW was determined for all samples with 95% of values in the interval 74-86 m 3 CH 4 /Mg MSW as-discarded. While no statistically significant difference was observed, commercial MSW yields (mean 85, median 88 m 3 CH 4 /Mg MSW) showed a higher average L 0 than residential MSW (mean 75, median 71 m 3 CH 4 /Mg MSW). Many methane potential values for individual fractions described in previous work were found within the range of values determined by BMP in this study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The pharmaceutics used in medicine, using fields and discarding of wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oezyurt, M.

    2009-01-01

    Radioisotopes are being used in medicine, industry, environmental pollution, agriculture, hydrology etc. The medical diagnosis by radiation is the main source of synthetic radiation exposure source of public. Radioisotopes are used in different topics both for diagnosis and therapy. Naturally as a result of the usage of these radioactive elements, radioactive wastes are formed and discarding rules of these wastes must be applied very carefully. Solid or liquid all the radioactive medical wastes are subject to utmost care of disposing process under control of the health physics authorities. Pharmaceutics used in humans are consumed at high amounts in the world. Pharmaceutical compounds discharged into surface waters threaten the water life and reenter the water cycle. At a thesis work, it was showed that the medical drugs were absorbed by the active sludge in specific ratios. Therefore, the waters and treated sludges discharged from wastewater treatment plants must never be used for agricultural purposes without the necessary analysis. The receptor media where wastewaters are discharged , also at the places where advanced treatment technologies are not used, presence of medical drug residues cause potential risk for the livings and human health. At this work, the characteristics of radio pharmaceutics, the using places and also discarding ways are told.

  3. Impacts of discarded coffee waste on human and environmental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, A S; Mello, F V C; Thode Filho, S; Carpes, R M; Honório, J G; Marques, M R C; Felzenszwalb, I; Ferraz, E R A

    2017-07-01

    Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages throughout the world. So far, many studies have shown the properties of coffee beverages, but little is known about its impacts on human and environmental health from its discard in the environment. So, the present work aims to investigate the mutagenic, genotoxic, cytotoxic and ecotoxic effects of leached (LE) and solubilized (SE) extracts from coffee waste, simulating the disposal of this residue in landfills and via sewage systems, respectively. Chemical analyses were also carried out. LE and SE induced mutagenicity in the TA98 Salmonella strain with and without exogenous metabolization (S9). In the TA100 only SE induced mutagenicity, what was observed without S9. An increase in the frequency of micronuclei was observed in HepG2 cell line after 3 and 24h of exposure to both extracts. No cytotoxic effects were observed in HepG2 cells by WST-1 assay. The EC50 values for the LE and SE were 1.5% and 11.26% for Daphnia similis, 0.12% and 1.39% for Ceriodaphnia dubia and 6.0% and 5.5% for Vibrio fischeri, respectively. Caffeine and several transition metals were found in both extracts. Coffee waste discarded in the environment may pose a risk to human and environmental health, since this compound can cause DNA damage and present toxicity to aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Improved curdlan production with discarded bottom parts of Asparagus spear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anane, Rex Frimpong; Sun, Huifang; Zhao, Lamei; Wang, Le; Lin, Chun; Mao, Zichao

    2017-04-07

    This work evaluated the improvement of curdlan production of Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 by using culture medium containing juice of discarded bottom part of green Asparagus spear (MJDA). Curdlan production was carried out using Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 in flasks with different volumes of MJDA and its non-juice-adding control (CK) incubated in shaker at 30 °C, 200 rpm rotation for 168 h. All MJDA media increased Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 cell mass and enhanced the cells' ability to utilise sucrose, the carbon source for curdlan biosynthesis, and thereby produced higher concentration of curdlan than CK which is used for commercial production of curdlan. After 168 h of fermentation, 10% MJDA produced 40.2 g/l of curdlan whiles CK produced 21.1 g/l. Curdlan production was increased by 90.4% higher in 10% MJDA than CK. Curdlan produced by 10% MJDA contains 1.2 and 1.5 µg/ml of Asparagus flavonoids and saponins respectively as additives which have wide range of health benefits. The mass of sucrose needed to produce 1.0 g curdlan by Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 in CK is 1.7-fold more than in 10% MJDA. The results strongly revealed that 5-10% MJDA is a good curdlan fermentation media which increase curdlan production yield with cheaper cost of production and simultaneously reduce environmental waste resulting from the large scaled discarded bottom parts of green Asparagus spear during Asparagus production.

  5. The effects of meaningful irrelevant speech and road traffic noise on teachers' attention, episodic and semantic memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enmarker, Ingela

    2004-11-01

    The aim of the present experiment was to examine the effects of meaningful irrelevant speech and road traffic noise on attention, episodic and semantic memory, and also to examine whether the noise effects were age-dependent. A total of 96 male and female teachers in the age range of 35-45 and 55-65 years were randomly assigned to a silent or the two noise conditions. Noise effects found in episodic memory were limited to a meaningful text, where cued recall contrary to expectations was equally impaired by the two types of noise. However, meaningful irrelevant speech also deteriorated recognition of the text, whereas road traffic noise caused no decrement. Retrieval from two word fluency tests in semantic memory showed strong effects of noise exposure, one affected by meaningful irrelevant speech and the other by road traffic noise. The results implied that both acoustic variation and the semantic interference could be of importance for noise impairments. The expected age-dependent noise effects did not show up.

  6. Preventive maintenance: optimization of time - based discard decisions at the bruce nuclear generating station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyle, E.K.; Jardine, A.K.S.

    2001-01-01

    The use of various maintenance optimization techniques at Bruce has lead to cost effective preventive maintenance applications for complex systems. As previously reported at ICONE 6 in New Orleans, 1996, several innovative practices reduced Reliability Centered Maintenance costs while maintaining the accuracy of the analysis. The optimization strategy has undergone further evolution and at the present an Integrated Maintenance Program (IMP) is in place where an Expert Panel consisting of all players/experts proceed through each system in a disciplined fashion and reach agreement on all items under a rigorous time frame. It is well known that there are essentially 3 maintenance based actions that can flow from a Maintenance Optimization Analysis: condition based maintenance, time based maintenance and time based discard. The present effort deals with time based discard decisions. Maintenance data from the Remote On-Power Fuel Changing System was used. (author)

  7. Facilitation of responses by task-irrelevant complex deviant stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schomaker, J; Meeter, M

    2014-05-01

    Novel stimuli reliably attract attention, suggesting that novelty may disrupt performance when it is task-irrelevant. However, under certain circumstances novel stimuli can also elicit a general alerting response having beneficial effects on performance. In a series of experiments we investigated whether different aspects of novelty--stimulus novelty, contextual novelty, surprise, deviance, and relative complexity--lead to distraction or facilitation. We used a version of the visual oddball paradigm in which participants responded to an occasional auditory target. Participants responded faster to this auditory target when it occurred during the presentation of novel visual stimuli than of standard stimuli, especially at SOAs of 0 and 200 ms (Experiment 1). Facilitation was absent for both infrequent simple deviants and frequent complex images (Experiment 2). However, repeated complex deviant images did facilitate responses to the auditory target at the 200 ms SOA (Experiment 3). These findings suggest that task-irrelevant deviant visual stimuli can facilitate responses to an unrelated auditory target in a short 0-200 millisecond time-window after presentation. This only occurs when the deviant stimuli are complex relative to standard stimuli. We link our findings to the novelty P3, which is generated under the same circumstances, and to the adaptive gain theory of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system (Aston-Jones and Cohen, 2005), which may explain the timing of the effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. High Post-Capture Survival for Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras Discarded in the Main Shark Fishery of Australia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braccini, Matias; Van Rijn, Jay; Frick, Lorenz

    2012-01-01

    Most sharks, rays and chimaeras (chondrichthyans) taken in commercial fisheries are discarded (i.e. returned to the ocean either dead or alive). Quantifying the post-capture survival (PCS) of discarded species is therefore essential for the improved management and conservation of this group. For all chondrichthyans taken in the main shark fishery of Australia, we quantified the immediate PCS of individuals reaching the deck of commercial shark gillnet fishing vessels and applied a risk-based method to semi-quantitatively determine delayed and total PCS. Estimates of immediate, delayed and total PCS were consistent, being very high for the most commonly discarded species (Port Jackson shark, Australian swellshark, and spikey dogfish) and low for the most important commercial species (gummy and school sharks). Increasing gillnet soak time or water temperature significantly decreased PCS. Chondrichthyans with bottom-dwelling habits had the highest PCS whereas those with pelagic habits had the lowest PCS. The risk-based approach can be easily implemented as a standard practice of on-board observing programs, providing a convenient first-step assessment of the PCS of all species taken in commercial fisheries. PMID:22384270

  9. Preemptive kidney transplantation in elderly recipients with kidneys discarded of very old donors: A good alternative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enrique Morales

    2015-05-01

    Conclusions: Elderly patients with end stage of renal disease non-dialysis may benefit from PKT elderly deceased donors whose kidneys were to be discarded for there are not patients in the waiting list.

  10. Attentional capture by irrelevant transients leads to perceptual errors in a competitive change detection task

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel eSchneider

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Theories on visual change detection imply that attention is a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for aware perception. Misguidance of attention due to salient irrelevant distractors can therefore lead to severe deficits in change detection. The present study investigates the mechanisms behind such perceptual errors and their relation to error processing on higher cognitive levels. Participants had to detect a luminance change that occasionally occurred simultaneously with an irrelevant orientation change in the opposite hemi-field (conflict condition. By analyzing event-related potentials in the EEG separately in those error prone conflict trials for correct and erroneous change detection, we demonstrate that only correct change detection was associated with the allocation of attention to the relevant luminance change. Erroneous change detection was associated with an initial capture of attention towards the irrelevant orientation change in the N1 time window and a lack of subsequent target selection processes (N2pc. Errors were additionally accompanied by an increase of the fronto-central N2 and a kind of error negativity (Ne or ERN, which, however, peaked prior to the response. These results suggest that a strong perceptual conflict by salient distractors can disrupt the further processing of relevant information and thus affect its aware perception. Yet, it does not impair higher cognitive processes for conflict and error detection, indicating that these processes are independent from awareness.

  11. Evidence for habituation of the irrelevant-sound effect on serial recall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Röer, Jan P; Bell, Raoul; Buchner, Axel

    2014-05-01

    Working memory theories make opposing predictions as to whether the disruptive effect of task-irrelevant sound on serial recall should be attenuated after repeated exposure to the auditory distractors. Although evidence of habituation has emerged after a passive listening phase, previous attempts to observe habituation to to-be ignored distractors on a trial-by-trial basis have proven to be fruitless. With the present study, we suggest that habituation to auditory distractors occurs, but has often been overlooked because past attempts to measure habituation in the irrelevant-sound paradigm were not sensitive enough. In a series of four experiments, the disruptive effects of to-be-ignored speech and music relative to a quiet control condition were markedly reduced after eight repetitions, regardless of whether trials were presented in blocks (Exp. 1) or in a random order (Exp. 2). The auditory distractor's playback direction (forward, backward) had no effect (Exp. 3). The same results were obtained when the auditory distractors were only presented in a retention interval after the presentation of the to-be-remembered items (Exp. 4). This pattern is only consistent with theoretical accounts that allow for attentional processes to interfere with the maintenance of information in working memory.

  12. Load-Dependent Increases in Delay-Period Alpha-Band Power Track the Gating of Task-Irrelevant Inputs to Working Memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew J. Heinz

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Studies exploring the role of neural oscillations in cognition have revealed sustained increases in alpha-band power (ABP during the delay period of verbal and visual working memory (VWM tasks. There have been various proposals regarding the functional significance of such increases, including the inhibition of task-irrelevant cortical areas as well as the active retention of information in VWM. The present study examines the role of delay-period ABP in mediating the effects of interference arising from on-going visual processing during a concurrent VWM task. Specifically, we reasoned that, if set-size dependent increases in ABP represent the gating out of on-going task-irrelevant visual inputs, they should be predictive with respect to some modulation in visual evoked potentials resulting from a task-irrelevant delay period probe stimulus. In order to investigate this possibility, we recorded the electroencephalogram while subjects performed a change detection task requiring the retention of two or four novel shapes. On a portion of trials, a novel, task-irrelevant bilateral checkerboard probe was presented mid-way through the delay. Analyses focused on examining correlations between set-size dependent increases in ABP and changes in the magnitude of the P1, N1 and P3a components of the probe-evoked response and how such increases might be related to behavior. Results revealed that increased delay-period ABP was associated with changes in the amplitude of the N1 and P3a event-related potential (ERP components, and with load-dependent changes in capacity when the probe was presented during the delay. We conclude that load-dependent increases in ABP likely play a role in supporting short-term retention by gating task-irrelevant sensory inputs and suppressing potential sources of disruptive interference.

  13. Better models by discarding data?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diederichs, K.; Karplus, P. A.

    2013-01-01

    Making the most of hard-won data in protein crystallography: to keep or not to keep, that is the question. In macromolecular X-ray crystallography, typical data sets have substantial multiplicity. This can be used to calculate the consistency of repeated measurements and thereby assess data quality. Recently, the properties of a correlation coefficient, CC 1/2 , that can be used for this purpose were characterized and it was shown that CC 1/2 has superior properties compared with ‘merging’ R values. A derived quantity, CC*, links data and model quality. Using experimental data sets, the behaviour of CC 1/2 and the more conventional indicators were compared in two situations of practical importance: merging data sets from different crystals and selectively rejecting weak observations or (merged) unique reflections from a data set. In these situations controlled ‘paired-refinement’ tests show that even though discarding the weaker data leads to improvements in the merging R values, the refined models based on these data are of lower quality. These results show the folly of such data-filtering practices aimed at improving the merging R values. Interestingly, in all of these tests CC 1/2 is the one data-quality indicator for which the behaviour accurately reflects which of the alternative data-handling strategies results in the best-quality refined model. Its properties in the presence of systematic error are documented and discussed

  14. Discarding the first of three nurse-auscultatory or oscillometric blood pressure measurements does not improve the association of office blood pressure with ABPM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graves, John W; Grossardt, Brandon R

    2010-06-01

    Guidelines for office blood pressure (BP) measurements recommend two or more readings at each visit. It has been suggested that discarding the first reading may improve the diagnostic utility of office readings. We compare two methods of office BP measurement to determine whether discarding the first BP affects their association with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) readings. We studied measurements in 313 mildly hypertensive patients (181 men, median age 51 years) at the end of the washout phase of a hypertension treatment trial. All patients had three auscultatory readings by a trained nurse using a mercury manometer before a 24-h ABPM and three automated readings (Omron 705 CP) to American Heart Association standards after ABPM. Daytime ABPM (09:00-21:00) of systolic BP and diastolic BP were compared with office methods using first only, second and third only, and all three readings. Associations were assessed using Bland-Altman plots and Pearson's correlations. Bland-Altman plots revealed no differences between office methods and daytime ABPM regardless of whether the first reading was included or discarded. Results were similar for both systolic BP and diastolic BP. The Pearson correlations of office method readings with ABPM readings were lowest using the first measurement alone; however, discarding the first measurement did not improve the correlation compared with using all three readings. Discarding the first office BP reading does not change the association of office BP with ABPM or improve the correlation with ABPM values in hypertensive patients.

  15. Suppressing Irrelevant Information from Working Memory: Evidence for Domain-Specific Deficits in Poor Comprehenders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimperton, Hannah; Nation, Kate

    2010-01-01

    Previous research has suggested that children with specific reading comprehension deficits (poor comprehenders) show an impaired ability to suppress irrelevant information from working memory, with this deficit detrimentally impacting on their working memory ability, and consequently limiting their reading comprehension performance. However, the…

  16. Not all choices are created equal: Task-relevant choices enhance motor learning compared to task-irrelevant choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Michael J; Ste-Marie, Diane M

    2017-12-01

    Lewthwaite et al. (2015) reported that the learning benefits of exercising choice (i.e., their self-controlled condition) are not restricted to task-relevant features (e.g., feedback). They found that choosing one's golf ball color (Exp. 1) or choosing which of two tasks to perform at a later time plus which of two artworks to hang (Exp. 2) resulted in better retention than did being denied these same choices (i.e., yoked condition). The researchers concluded that the learning benefits derived from choice, whether irrelevant or relevant to the to-be-learned task, are predominantly motivational because choice is intrinsically rewarding and satisfies basic psychological needs. However, the absence of a group that made task-relevant choices and the lack of psychological measures significantly weakened their conclusions. Here, we investigated how task-relevant and task-irrelevant choices affect motor-skill learning. Participants practiced a spatiotemporal motor task in either a task-relevant group (choice over feedback schedule), a task-irrelevant group (choice over the color of an arm-wrap plus game selection), or a no-choice group. The results showed significantly greater learning in the task-relevant group than in both the task-irrelevant and no-choice groups, who did not differ significantly. Critically, these learning differences were not attributed to differences in perceptions of competence or autonomy, but instead to superior error-estimation abilities. These results challenge the perspective that motivational influences are the root cause of self-controlled learning advantages. Instead, the findings add to the growing evidence highlighting that the informational value gained from task-relevant choices makes a greater relative contribution to these advantages than motivational influences do.

  17. The utilization of discarded oil from potato chip factories in toilet soap making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Girgis, Adel Y.

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Palm oil that was discarded as waste from chip factories after the frying of potatoes was used for the production of toilet soap. The discarded oil was purified with a brine solution and bleached with H2O2 . Purified bleached discarded palm oil (P.B.D.P.O. was mixed with two materials commonly used in toilet soap manufacturing, i.e., inedible tallow (I.T. and palm kernel oil (P.K.O. at different ratios for the preparation of toilet soap. The data revealed that using P.B.D.P.O. up to 30 % as a substitute for I.T. produced fine toilet soaps from the view point of; hard consistency, soft surface, good hand lather preference and medium erosion from hand washing. The soap samples containing more than 30 % P.B.D.P.O. as a substitute for I. T. gave bad quality. After the storage of soap samples for 6 months at room temperature, significant improvements in the physical properties of the soap samples at different ratios were found. It could be recommended that discarded palm oil from chip frying factories can be used after purification and bleaching in place of inedible tallow up to 30 % to produce a fine toilet soap.El aceite de palma que se desecha de las fábricas de patatas chips se utilizó para producir jabón de tocador. Dicho aceite se purificó mediante lavado con una salmuera y blanqueado con H2O2 . El aceite ya purificado (P.B.D.P.O. se mezcló en diferentes proporciones con dos materiales normalmente utilizados en la fabricación de jabón de tocador, sebo no comestible (I.T y aceite de semilla de palma (P.K.O., obteniéndose los jabones correspondientes. Los datos demostraron que la utilización de P.B.D.P.O. hasta una proporción del 30 % como sustituto del I.T. producía un jabón de tocador fino a juzgar por su consistencia, superficie suave, formación de espuma en las manos y erosión media en el lavado a mano. Las muestras de los jabones que contenían más del 30 % de P.B.D.P.O. ya daban calidades deficientes. Después de un

  18. Impact of discards of beam trawl fishing on the nematode community from the Tagus estuary (Portugal)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franco, M.A. [Marine Biology Section, Biology Department, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Gent (Belgium); Oceanography Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Steyaert, M. [Marine Biology Section, Biology Department, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Gent (Belgium); Cabral, H.N. [Oceanography Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Tenreiro, R.; Chambel, L. [Instituto de Ciencia Aplicada e Tecnologia, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Vincx, M. [Marine Biology Section, Biology Department, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Gent (Belgium); Costa, M.J. [Oceanography Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Vanaverbeke, J. [Marine Biology Section, Biology Department, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Gent (Belgium)], E-mail: jan.vanaverbeke@ugent.be

    2008-10-15

    The impact of dead discards, originating from beam trawl fishing on the nematode community from the Tagus estuary was investigated in terms of vertical distribution of the dominant nematode groups. Sediment cores were collected from a mud-flat from the Tagus estuary. Crangoncrangon (Linnaeus, 1758) carcasses were added to the surface of the cores, simulating the settling of dead discards on the sediment. The vertical distribution of the dominant nematode groups was determined up to 4 cm deep at four different moments in time post deposition (0, 2, 4 and 6 h) and compared to control cores. The C.crangon addition to the sediment led to the formation of black spots and therefore oxygen depleted areas at the sediment surface. The Chromadora/Ptycholaimellus group, normally dominant at the surface layer, migrated downwards due to their high sensibility to toxic conditions. Sabatieria presented the opposite trend and became the dominant group at the surface layer. Since Sabatieria is tolerant to oxygen stressed conditions and high sulphide concentrations, we suggest that it migrated opportunistically towards an unoccupied niche. Daptonema, Metachromadora and Terschellingia did not show any vertical migration, reflecting their tolerance to anoxic and high sulphidic conditions. Our study showed that an accumulation of dead discards at the sediment surface might therefore alter the nematode community vertical distribution. This effect is apparently closely related to toxic conditions in the sediment, induced by the deposition of C.crangon at the sediment surface. These alterations might be temporal and reflect an adaptation of the nematode community to dynamic intertidal environments.

  19. Impact of discards of beam trawl fishing on the nematode community from the Tagus estuary (Portugal)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franco, M.A.; Steyaert, M.; Cabral, H.N.; Tenreiro, R.; Chambel, L.; Vincx, M.; Costa, M.J.; Vanaverbeke, J.

    2008-01-01

    The impact of dead discards, originating from beam trawl fishing on the nematode community from the Tagus estuary was investigated in terms of vertical distribution of the dominant nematode groups. Sediment cores were collected from a mud-flat from the Tagus estuary. Crangoncrangon (Linnaeus, 1758) carcasses were added to the surface of the cores, simulating the settling of dead discards on the sediment. The vertical distribution of the dominant nematode groups was determined up to 4 cm deep at four different moments in time post deposition (0, 2, 4 and 6 h) and compared to control cores. The C.crangon addition to the sediment led to the formation of black spots and therefore oxygen depleted areas at the sediment surface. The Chromadora/Ptycholaimellus group, normally dominant at the surface layer, migrated downwards due to their high sensibility to toxic conditions. Sabatieria presented the opposite trend and became the dominant group at the surface layer. Since Sabatieria is tolerant to oxygen stressed conditions and high sulphide concentrations, we suggest that it migrated opportunistically towards an unoccupied niche. Daptonema, Metachromadora and Terschellingia did not show any vertical migration, reflecting their tolerance to anoxic and high sulphidic conditions. Our study showed that an accumulation of dead discards at the sediment surface might therefore alter the nematode community vertical distribution. This effect is apparently closely related to toxic conditions in the sediment, induced by the deposition of C.crangon at the sediment surface. These alterations might be temporal and reflect an adaptation of the nematode community to dynamic intertidal environments

  20. Approach-avoidance of facial affect is moderated by the presence of an observer-irrelevant trigger

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Renard, S.B.; de Jong, P.J.; Pijnenborg, G.H.M.

    This study examined whether approach-avoidance related behaviour elicited by facial affect is moderated by the presence of an observer-irrelevant trigger that may influence the observer's attributions of the actor's emotion. Participants were shown happy, disgusted, and neutral facial expressions.

  1. Obligatory encoding of task-irrelevant features depletes working memory resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Louise; Bays, Paul M

    2013-02-18

    Selective attention is often considered the "gateway" to visual working memory (VWM). However, the extent to which we can voluntarily control which of an object's features enter memory remains subject to debate. Recent research has converged on the concept of VWM as a limited commodity distributed between elements of a visual scene. Consequently, as memory load increases, the fidelity with which each visual feature is stored decreases. Here we used changes in recall precision to probe whether task-irrelevant features were encoded into VWM when individuals were asked to store specific feature dimensions. Recall precision for both color and orientation was significantly enhanced when task-irrelevant features were removed, but knowledge of which features would be probed provided no advantage over having to memorize both features of all items. Next, we assessed the effect an interpolated orientation-or color-matching task had on the resolution with which orientations in a memory array were stored. We found that the presence of orientation information in the second array disrupted memory of the first array. The cost to recall precision was identical whether the interfering features had to be remembered, attended to, or could be ignored. Therefore, it appears that storing, or merely attending to, one feature of an object is sufficient to promote automatic encoding of all its features, depleting VWM resources. However, the precision cost was abolished when the match task preceded the memory array. So, while encoding is automatic, maintenance is voluntary, allowing resources to be reallocated to store new visual information.

  2. Irrelevant sensory stimuli interfere with working memory storage: evidence from a computational model of prefrontal neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bancroft, Tyler D; Hockley, William E; Servos, Philip

    2013-03-01

    The encoding of irrelevant stimuli into the memory store has previously been suggested as a mechanism of interference in working memory (e.g., Lange & Oberauer, Memory, 13, 333-339, 2005; Nairne, Memory & Cognition, 18, 251-269, 1990). Recently, Bancroft and Servos (Experimental Brain Research, 208, 529-532, 2011) used a tactile working memory task to provide experimental evidence that irrelevant stimuli were, in fact, encoded into working memory. In the present study, we replicated Bancroft and Servos's experimental findings using a biologically based computational model of prefrontal neurons, providing a neurocomputational model of overwriting in working memory. Furthermore, our modeling results show that inhibition acts to protect the contents of working memory, and they suggest a need for further experimental research into the capacity of vibrotactile working memory.

  3. Rumination impairs the control of stimulus-induced retrieval of irrelevant information, but not attention, control, or response selection in general.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colzato, Lorenza S; Steenbergen, Laura; Hommel, Bernhard

    2018-01-23

    The aim of the study was to throw more light on the relationship between rumination and cognitive-control processes. Seventy-eight adults were assessed with respect to rumination tendencies by means of the LEIDS-r before performing a Stroop task, an event-file task assessing the automatic retrieval of irrelevant information, an attentional set-shifting task, and the Attentional Network Task, which provided scores for alerting, orienting, and executive control functioning. The size of the Stroop effect and irrelevant retrieval in the event-five task were positively correlated with the tendency to ruminate, while all other scores did not correlate with any rumination scale. Controlling for depressive tendencies eliminated the Stroop-related finding (an observation that may account for previous failures to replicate), but not the event-file finding. Taken altogether, our results suggest that rumination does not affect attention, executive control, or response selection in general, but rather selectively impairs the control of stimulus-induced retrieval of irrelevant information.

  4. Socially anxious individuals with low working memory capacity could not inhibit the goal-irrelevant information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moriya, Jun; Sugiura, Yoshinori

    2013-01-01

    Socially anxious individuals are interfered by distractors. Recent work has suggested that low working memory capacity and inappropriate temporary goal induce attention to distractors. We investigated the effects of working memory capacity and temporary goal on attention to distractors in social anxiety. Participants viewed a rapid serial visual presentation, in which participants reported the identity of a single target letter drawn in red. Distractors appeared before the target was presented. When the color of distractors was red (i.e., goal-relevant stimuli), low-capacity individuals were strongly interfered by the distractors compared to high-capacity individuals regardless of social anxiety. When the color of distractors was goal-irrelevant, low-capacity and high socially anxious individuals were strongly interfered by the distractors. These results suggest that socially anxious individuals with low working memory capacity could not inhibit the goal-irrelevant information and direct attention to distractors.

  5. Socially Anxious Individuals with Low Working Memory Capacity Could Not Inhibit the Goal-Irrelevant Information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun eMoriya

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Socially anxious individuals are interfered by distractors. Recent work has suggested that low working memory capacity and inappropriate temporary goal induce attentional capture to distractors. We investigated the effects of working memory capacity and temporary goal on attentional capture to distractors in social anxiety. Participants viewed a rapid serial visual presentation, in which participants reported the identity of a single target letter drawn in red. Distractors appeared before the target was presented. When the color of distractors was red (i.e., goal-relevant stimuli, low-capacity individuals were strongly interfered by the distractors compared to high-capacity individuals regardless of social anxiety. When the color of distractors was goal-irrelevant, low-capacity and high socially anxious individuals were strongly interfered by the distractors. These results suggest that socially anxious individuals with low working memory capacity could not inhibit the goal-irrelevant information and direct attention to distractors.

  6. Task-irrelevant novel sounds improve attentional performance in children with and without ADHD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana eTegelbeckers

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Task-irrelevant salient stimuli involuntarily capture attention and can lead to distraction from an ongoing task, especially in children with ADHD. However, there has been tentative evidence that the presentation of novel sounds can have beneficial effects on cognitive performance. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the influence of novel sounds compared to no sound and a repeatedly presented standard sound on attentional performance in children and adolescents with and without ADHD. We therefore had 32 patients with ADHD and 32 typically developing children and adolescents (8 to 13 years executed a flanker task in which each trial was preceded either by a repeatedly presented standard sound (33%, an unrepeated novel sound (33% or no auditory stimulation (33%. Task-irrelevant novel sounds facilitated attentional performance similarly in children with and without ADHD, as indicated by reduced omission error rates, reaction times, and reaction time variability without compromising performance accuracy. By contrast, standard sounds, while also reducing omission error rates and reaction times, led to increased commission error rates. Therefore, the beneficial effect of novel sounds exceeds cueing of the target display by potentially increased alerting and/or enhanced behavioral control.

  7. Effects of irrelevant speech and traffic noise on speech perception and cognitive performance in elementary school children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klatte, Maria; Meis, Markus; Sukowski, Helga; Schick, August

    2007-01-01

    The effects of background noise of moderate intensity on short-term storage and processing of verbal information were analyzed in 6 to 8 year old children. In line with adult studies on "irrelevant sound effect" (ISE), serial recall of visually presented digits was severely disrupted by background speech that the children did not understand. Train noises of equal Intensity however, had no effect. Similar results were demonstrated with tasks requiring storage and processing of heard information. Memory for nonwords, execution of oral instructions and categorizing speech sounds were significantly disrupted by irrelevant speech. The affected functions play a fundamental role in the acquisition of spoken and written language. Implications concerning current models of the ISE and the acoustic conditions in schools and kindergardens are discussed.

  8. fMRI correlates of object-based attentional facilitation versus suppression of irrelevant stimuli, dependent on global grouping and endogenous cueing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elliot D Freeman

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Theories of object-based attention often make two assumptions: that attentional resources are facilitatory, and that they spread automatically within grouped objects. Consistent with this, ignored visual stimuli can be easier to process, or more distracting, when perceptually grouped with an attended target stimulus. But in past studies, the ignored stimuli often shared potentially relevant features or locations with the target. In this fMRI study, we measured the effects of attention and grouping on Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD responses in the human brain to entirely task-irrelevant events.Two checkerboards were displayed each in opposite hemifields, while participants responded to check-size changes in one pre-cued hemifield, which varied between blocks. Grouping (or segmentation between hemifields was manipulated between blocks, using common (versus distinct motion cues. Task-irrelevant transient events were introduced by randomly changing the colour of either checkerboard, attended or ignored, at unpredictable intervals. The above assumptions predict heightened BOLD signals for irrelevant events in attended versus ignored hemifields for ungrouped contexts, but less such attentional modulation under grouping, due to automatic spreading of facilitation across hemifields. We found the opposite pattern, in primary visual cortex. For ungrouped stimuli, BOLD signals associated with task-irrelevant changes were lower, not higher, in the attended versus ignored hemifield; furthermore, attentional modulation was not reduced but actually inverted under grouping, with higher signals for events in the attended versus ignored hemifield.

  9. Termination of international safeguards on nuclear material discards: An IAEA update

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larrimore, J.A.

    1995-01-01

    The IAEA adopted a policy for termination of international safeguards on measured discards in mid-1994. The policy addresses a broad range of termination of safeguards on nuclear material in waste with a focus on conditioned waste arising from reprocessing. The safeguards relevant aspects of waste handling up to the point of termination must be approved, and a determination made that the waste type, form of conditioning and nuclear material concentration satisfy specific criteria. In addition, the State where the terminated waste will be stored is requested to notify the IAEA of future movement or processing of the waste. Cases of international transfers of conditioned waste are also addressed

  10. An optimised multi-host trematode life cycle: fishery discards enhance trophic parasite transmission to scavenging birds

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Born-Torrijos, A.; Poulin, R.; Pérez-del-Olmo, A.; Culurgioni, J.; Raga, J. A.; Holzer, Astrid S.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 46, č. 1 (2016), s. 745-753 ISSN 0020-7519 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP505/12/G112 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Cardiocephaloides longicollis * fishery discards * human-induced impact * host specificity * Mediterranean * trematodes Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 3.730, year: 2016

  11. With task experience students learn to ignore the content, not just the location of irrelevant information

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rop, Gertjan; Verkoeijen, Peter P J L; van Gog, Tamara

    2017-01-01

    Presentation of irrelevant additional information hampers learning. However, using a word-learning task, recent research demonstrated that an initial negative effect of mismatching pictures on learning no longer occurred once learners gained task experience. It is unclear, however, whether learners

  12. The importance of lipid-rich fish prey for Cape gannet chick growth : are fishery discards an alternative?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mullers, Ralf H. E.; Navarro, Rene A.; Crawford, Robert J. M.; Underhill, Les G.

    2009-01-01

    A recent decline in population numbers of Cape gannets (Morus capensis) breeding off the west coast of South Africa coincided with decreased availability of lipid-rich fish prey: anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardinops sagax). Seabirds can use fishery discards as an alternative, but

  13. Diamond vs. square mesh codend in a multi-species trawl fishery of the western Mediterranean: effects on catch composition, yield, size selectivity and discards

    OpenAIRE

    Ordines, F. (Francesc); Massutí, E. (Enric); Guijarro, B. (Beatriz); Mas, R. (Ramon)

    2006-01-01

    Selectivity studies usually describe the effects on target species, whereas information on by-catch and discards is scarce. Nevertheless, large quantities of undersized individuals and invertebrates are discarded in the Mediterranean multi-species bottom trawl fishery. The present work analyses the data from two surveys carried out on the shallow and deep continental shelf (50–78 m, and 147–189 m, respectively) off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). In these surveys, the traditiona...

  14. Oculomotor guidance and capture by irrelevant faces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christel Devue

    Full Text Available Even though it is generally agreed that face stimuli constitute a special class of stimuli, which are treated preferentially by our visual system, it remains unclear whether faces can capture attention in a stimulus-driven manner. Moreover, there is a long-standing debate regarding the mechanism underlying the preferential bias of selecting faces. Some claim that faces constitute a set of special low-level features to which our visual system is tuned; others claim that the visual system is capable of extracting the meaning of faces very rapidly, driving attentional selection. Those debates continue because many studies contain methodological peculiarities and manipulations that prevent a definitive conclusion. Here, we present a new visual search task in which observers had to make a saccade to a uniquely colored circle while completely irrelevant objects were also present in the visual field. The results indicate that faces capture and guide the eyes more than other animated objects and that our visual system is not only tuned to the low-level features that make up a face but also to its meaning.

  15. Discarding of cod in the Danish Fully Documented Fisheries trials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ulrich, Clara; Olesen, Hans Jakob; Bergsson, Heidrikur

    2015-01-01

    Denmarkwas the first nation in Europe to promote the use of Fully Documented Fisheries (FDF) through Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) and CCTV camera systems, with pilot schemes in place since 2008. In theory, such a scheme could supplement and even potentially replace expensive control...... and monitoring programmes; and when associated with a catch quota management (CQM) system, incentivize positive changes in fishing patterns in a results-based management approach. Newdata flows are, however, required to ensure the practical implementation of such a scheme. This paper reviews the quality...... have remained. Regular validation of weight estimation methods and close collaboration between scientific monitoring and control are important to support the use of reported discards as a reliable source of information. We discuss the potential of electronic monitoring in the context of the EU landing...

  16. Effects of mesh size and escape gaps on discarding in an Australian giant mud crab (Scylla serrata trap fishery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matt K Broadhurst

    Full Text Available In response to concerns over excessive discarding from Australian recreational round traps (with four funnel entrances used to target giant mud crabs, Scylla serrata, an experiment was done to assess the independent and cumulative utility of paired, bottom-located horizontal escape gaps (46×120 mm and increasing mesh size (from 51 to 101 mm. Compared to conventional traps comprising 51-mm mesh throughout, those with the same mesh size and escape gaps caught significantly fewer (by 95% undersize (<85 mm carapace length--CL crabs while maintaining legal catches. Traps made from 101-mm mesh (but with the same funnel entrances as conventional designs and with and without escape gaps similarly retained fewer undersize crabs and also yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis (the key bycatch species by up to 94%, but there were concomitant reductions in fishing power for legal sizes of S. serrata. Although there were no immediate mortalities among any discarded crabs, there was a greater bias towards wounding among post molts than late inter-molts and less damage to individuals in the 101-mm conventional than 51-mm conventional traps (without escape gaps. The results support retrospectively fitting escape gaps in conventional S. serrata traps as a means for reducing discarding, but additional work is required to determine appropriate mesh sizes/configurations that maximize species and size selectivity.

  17. Reuse of polyethylene fibres from discarded fishing nets as reinforcement in gypsym-based materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bertelsen, Ida Maria Gieysztor; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

    In this study, the potential of reusing plastic fibres from discarded waste fishing nets of polyethylene (PE) as fibre reinforcement in gypsum-based building materials is investigated. The fishing nets were not reprocessed, but simply washed and cut to monofilament fibres by an industrial operation...... cylinders and prisms were determined by laboratory-scale testing. A decrease in first-crack strength of the prisms was observed. However, the addition of waste PE fibres resulted in improved post-crack behaviour....

  18. The Effect of Task-Irrelevant Fearful-Face Distractor on Working Memory Processing in Mild Cognitive Impairment versus Healthy Controls: An Exploratory fMRI Study in Female Participants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amer M. Burhan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In mild cognitive impairment (MCI, a risk state for Alzheimer’s disease, patients have objective cognitive deficits with relatively preserved functioning. fMRI studies have identified anomalies during working memory (WM processing in individuals with MCI. The effect of task-irrelevant emotional face distractor on WM processing in MCI remains unclear. We aim to explore the impact of fearful-face task-irrelevant distractor on WM processing in MCI using fMRI. Hypothesis. Compared to healthy controls (HC, MCI patients will show significantly higher BOLD signal in a priori identified regions of interest (ROIs during a WM task with a task-irrelevant emotional face distractor. Methods. 9 right-handed female participants with MCI and 12 matched HC performed a WM task with standardized task-irrelevant fearful versus neutral face distractors randomized and counterbalanced across WM trials. MRI images were acquired during the WM task and BOLD signal was analyzed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM to identify signal patterns during the task response phase. Results. Task-irrelevant fearful-face distractor resulted in higher activation in the amygdala, anterior cingulate, and frontal areas, in MCI participants compared to HC. Conclusions. This exploratory study suggests altered WM processing as a result of fearful-face distractor in MCI.

  19. Differential impact of relevant and irrelevant dimension primes on rule-based and information-integration category learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimm, Lisa R; Maddox, W Todd

    2013-11-01

    Research has identified multiple category-learning systems with each being "tuned" for learning categories with different task demands and each governed by different neurobiological systems. Rule-based (RB) classification involves testing verbalizable rules for category membership while information-integration (II) classification requires the implicit learning of stimulus-response mappings. In the first study to directly test rule priming with RB and II category learning, we investigated the influence of the availability of information presented at the beginning of the task. Participants viewed lines that varied in length, orientation, and position on the screen, and were primed to focus on stimulus dimensions that were relevant or irrelevant to the correct classification rule. In Experiment 1, we used an RB category structure, and in Experiment 2, we used an II category structure. Accuracy and model-based analyses suggested that a focus on relevant dimensions improves RB task performance later in learning while a focus on an irrelevant dimension improves II task performance early in learning. © 2013.

  20. A crossmodal crossover: opposite effects of visual and auditory perceptual load on steady-state evoked potentials to irrelevant visual stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacoby, Oscar; Hall, Sarah E; Mattingley, Jason B

    2012-07-16

    Mechanisms of attention are required to prioritise goal-relevant sensory events under conditions of stimulus competition. According to the perceptual load model of attention, the extent to which task-irrelevant inputs are processed is determined by the relative demands of discriminating the target: the more perceptually demanding the target task, the less unattended stimuli will be processed. Although much evidence supports the perceptual load model for competing stimuli within a single sensory modality, the effects of perceptual load in one modality on distractor processing in another is less clear. Here we used steady-state evoked potentials (SSEPs) to measure neural responses to irrelevant visual checkerboard stimuli while participants performed either a visual or auditory task that varied in perceptual load. Consistent with perceptual load theory, increasing visual task load suppressed SSEPs to the ignored visual checkerboards. In contrast, increasing auditory task load enhanced SSEPs to the ignored visual checkerboards. This enhanced neural response to irrelevant visual stimuli under auditory load suggests that exhausting capacity within one modality selectively compromises inhibitory processes required for filtering stimuli in another. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Control processes through the suppression of the automatic response activation triggered by task-irrelevant information in the Simon-type tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sanga; Lee, Sang Ho; Cho, Yang Seok

    2015-11-01

    The congruency sequence effect, one of the indices of cognitive control, refers to a smaller congruency effect after an incongruent than congruent trial. Although the effect has been found across a variety of conflict tasks, there is not yet agreement on the underlying mechanism. The present study investigated the mechanism underlying cognitive control by using a cross-task paradigm. In Experiments 1, 2, and 3, participants performed a modified Simon task and a spatial Stroop task alternately in a trial-by-trial manner. The task-irrelevant dimension of the two tasks was perceptually and conceptually identical in Experiment 1, whereas it was perceptually different but conceptually identical in Experiment 2. The response sets for both tasks were different in Experiment 3. In Experiment 4, participants performed two Simon tasks with different task-relevant dimensions. In all experiments in which the task-irrelevant dimension and response mode were shared, significant congruency sequence effects were found between the two different congruencies, indicating that Simon-type conflicts were resolved by a control mechanism, which is specific to an abstract task-irrelevant stimulus spatial dimension. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Task-irrelevant expectation violations in sequential manual actions: Evidence for a “check-after-surprise” mode of visual attention and eye-hand decoupling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Martina Foerster

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available When performing sequential manual actions (e.g., cooking, visual information is prioritized according to the task determining where and when to attend, look, and act. In well-practiced sequential actions, long-term memory (LTM-based expectations specify which action targets might be found where and when. We have previously demonstrated (Foerster and Schneider, 2015b that violations of such expectations that are task-relevant (e.g., target location change cause a regression from a memory-based mode of attentional selection to visual search. How might task-irrelevant expectation violations in such well-practiced sequential manual actions modify attentional selection? This question was investigated by a computerized version of the number-connection test. Participants clicked on nine spatially-distributed numbered target circles in ascending order while eye movements were recorded as proxy for covert attention. Target’s visual features and locations stayed constant for 65 prechange-trials, allowing practicing the manual action sequence. Consecutively, a task-irrelevant expectation violation occurred and stayed for 20 change-trials. Specifically, action target number 4 appeared in a different font. In 15 reversion-trials, number 4 returned to the original font. During the first task-irrelevant change trial, manual clicking was slower and eye scanpaths were larger and contained more fixations. The additional fixations were mainly checking fixations on the changed target while acting on later targets. Whereas the eyes repeatedly revisited the task-irrelevant change, cursor-paths remained completely unaffected. Effects lasted for 2-3 change trials and did not reappear during reversion. In conclusion, an unexpected task-irrelevant change on a task-defining feature of a well-practiced manual sequence leads to eye-hand decoupling and a check-after-surprise mode of attentional selection.

  3. Brain processing of task-relevant and task-irrelevant emotional words: an ERP study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Villar, Alberto J; Triñanes, Yolanda; Zurrón, Montserrat; Carrillo-de-la-Peña, María T

    2014-09-01

    Although there is evidence for preferential perceptual processing of written emotional information, the effects of attentional manipulations and the time course of affective processing require further clarification. In this study, we attempted to investigate how the emotional content of words modulates cerebral functioning (event-related potentials, ERPs) and behavior (reaction times, RTs) when the content is task-irrelevant (emotional Stroop Task, EST) or task-relevant (emotional categorization task, ECT), in a sample of healthy middle-aged women. In the EST, the RTs were longer for emotional words than for neutral words, and in the ECT, they were longer for neutral and negative words than for positive words. A principal components analysis of the ERPs identified various temporospatial factors that were differentially modified by emotional content. P2 was the first emotion-sensitive component, with enhanced factor scores for negative nouns across tasks. The N2 and late positive complex had enhanced factor scores for emotional relative to neutral information only in the ECT. The results reinforce the idea that written emotional information has a preferential processing route, both when it is task-irrelevant (producing behavioral interference) and when it is task-relevant (facilitating the categorization). After early automatic processing of the emotional content, late ERPs become more emotionally modulated as the level of attention to the valence increases.

  4. Algorithmic modeling of the irrelevant sound effect (ISE) by the hearing sensation fluctuation strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlittmeier, Sabine J; Weissgerber, Tobias; Kerber, Stefan; Fastl, Hugo; Hellbrück, Jürgen

    2012-01-01

    Background sounds, such as narration, music with prominent staccato passages, and office noise impair verbal short-term memory even when these sounds are irrelevant. This irrelevant sound effect (ISE) is evoked by so-called changing-state sounds that are characterized by a distinct temporal structure with varying successive auditory-perceptive tokens. However, because of the absence of an appropriate psychoacoustically based instrumental measure, the disturbing impact of a given speech or nonspeech sound could not be predicted until now, but necessitated behavioral testing. Our database for parametric modeling of the ISE included approximately 40 background sounds (e.g., speech, music, tone sequences, office noise, traffic noise) and corresponding performance data that was collected from 70 behavioral measurements of verbal short-term memory. The hearing sensation fluctuation strength was chosen to model the ISE and describes the percept of fluctuations when listening to slowly modulated sounds (f(mod) background sounds, the algorithm estimated behavioral performance data in 63 of 70 cases within the interquartile ranges. In particular, all real-world sounds were modeled adequately, whereas the algorithm overestimated the (non-)disturbance impact of synthetic steady-state sounds that were constituted by a repeated vowel or tone. Implications of the algorithm's strengths and prediction errors are discussed.

  5. Descarte de peixes na pesca comercial em Tefé, médio Solimões, Amazônia Central = Discarded catches from commercial fisheries in the middle Solimões river, Central Amazon region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vandick da Silva Batista

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Descartes são comuns na pesca comercial, sendo avaliados para apoiar o manejo da pesca na região. Por meio de acompanhamentos diários das pescarias da frota comercial de Tefé, foi descrito o descarte de pescado no médio Solimões. Utilizando análises de correlação e covariância, foram avaliados fatores que determinam o descarte com três modalidades distintas de pesca. Os pescadores selecionaram o pescado no momento da captura por espécie e tamanho. As espécies de pescados mais descartados foram jaraquis, tucunarés e branquinhas, porém os mais freqüentes, no descarte, foram espécies dos Siluriformes. Os apetrechos de pesca analisados apresentaram diferenças nas características de seu descarte. O descarte foi menor na enchente-cheia (5-17% da captura, conforme apetrecho que durante a vazante-seca (20-62%, conforme apetrecho. Discards are common in commercial fishery, and are evaluated in order to support fisheries management in the region. Fish discards in themiddle Solimões River were described through daily monitoring of fishing activities by the commercial fleet of the town of Tefé. By making use of analyses of correlation and covariance, determinant factors for discards in three different types of fisheries wereevaluated. The crew selected the fish at the moment of capture, by species and size. Among the most discarded fish species were jaraquis Semaprochilodus spp., tucunarés Cichla spp. and branquinhas Curimatidae; however, the most frequently discarded were Siluriform species. The fishing gear analyzed featured differences in their discarding characteristics. Discard was lower during the flood period (5-17% of catches, depending on gear than during the dry season (20-62% of catches, depending on gear.

  6. Enhanced discriminative fear learning of phobia-irrelevant stimuli in spider-fearful individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carina eMosig

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Avoidance is considered as a central hallmark of all anxiety disorders. The acquisition and expression of avoidance which leads to the maintenance and exacerbation of pathological fear is closely linked to Pavlovian and operant conditioning processes. Changes in conditionability might represent a key feature of all anxiety disorders but the exact nature of these alterations might vary across different disorders. To date, no information is available on specific changes in conditionability for disorder-irrelevant stimuli in specific phobia (SP. The first aim of this study was to investigate changes in fear acquisition and extinction in spider-fearful individuals as compared to non-fearful participants by using the de novo fear conditioning paradigm. Secondly, we aimed to determine whether differences in the magnitude of context-dependent fear retrieval exist between spider-fearful and non-fearful individuals. Our findings point to an enhanced fear discrimination in spider-fearful individuals as compared to non-fearful individuals at both the physiological and subjective level. The enhanced fear discrimination in spider-fearful individuals was neither mediated by increased state anxiety, depression, nor stress tension. Spider-fearful individuals displayed no changes in extinction learning and/or fear retrieval. Surprisingly, we found no evidence for context-dependent modulation of fear retrieval in either group. Here we provide first evidence that spider-fearful individuals show an enhanced discriminative fear learning of phobia-irrelevant (de novo stimuli. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of fear acquisition and expression for the development and maintenance of maladaptive responses in the course of SP.

  7. Altered visual-spatial attention to task-irrelevant information is associated with falls risk in older adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagamatsu, Lindsay S.; Munkacsy, Michelle; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Handy, Todd C.

    2014-01-01

    Executive cognitive functions play a critical role in falls risk – a pressing health care issue in seniors. In particular, intact attentional processing is integral for safe mobility and navigation. However, the specific contribution of impaired visual-spatial attention in falls remains unclear. In this study, we examined the association between visual-spatial attention to task-irrelevant stimuli and falls risk in community-dwelling older adults. Participants completed a visual target discrimination task at fixation while task-irrelevant probes were presented in both visual fields. We assessed attention to left and right peripheral probes using event-related potentials (ERPs). Falls risk was determined using the valid and reliable Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA). We found a significantly positive association between reduced attentional facilitation, as measured by the N1 ERP component, and falls risk. This relationship was specific to probes presented in the left visual field and measured at ipsilateral electrode sites. Our results suggest that fallers exhibit reduced attention to the left side of visual space and provide evidence that impaired right hemispheric function and/or structure may contribute to falls. PMID:24436970

  8. Hazardous waste status of discarded electronic cigarettes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krause, Max J; Townsend, Timothy G

    2015-05-01

    The potential for disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to be classified as hazardous waste was investigated. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) was performed on 23 disposable e-cigarettes in a preliminary survey of metal leaching. Based on these results, four e-cigarette products were selected for replicate analysis by TCLP and the California Waste Extraction Test (WET). Lead was measured in leachate as high as 50mg/L by WET and 40mg/L by TCLP. Regulatory thresholds were exceeded by two of 15 products tested in total. Therefore, some e-cigarettes would be toxicity characteristic (TC) hazardous waste but a majority would not. When disposed in the unused form, e-cigarettes containing nicotine juice would be commercial chemical products (CCP) and would, in the United States (US), be considered a listed hazardous waste (P075). While household waste is exempt from hazardous waste regulation, there are many instances in which such waste would be subject to regulation. Manufactures and retailers with unused or expired e-cigarettes or nicotine juice solution would be required to manage these as hazardous waste upon disposal. Current regulations and policies regarding the availability of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes worldwide were reviewed. Despite their small size, disposable e-cigarettes are consumed and discarded much more quickly than typical electronics, which may become a growing concern for waste managers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Individual differences in the influence of task-irrelevant Pavlovian cues on human behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garofalo, Sara; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe

    2015-01-01

    Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) refers to the process of a Pavlovian reward-paired cue acquiring incentive motivational proprieties that drive choices. It represents a crucial phenomenon for understanding cue-controlled behavior, and it has both adaptive and maladaptive implications (i.e., drug-taking). In animals, individual differences in the degree to which such cues bias performance have been identified in two types of individuals that exhibit distinct Conditioned Responses (CR) during Pavlovian conditioning: Sign-Trackers (ST) and Goal-Trackers (GT). Using an appetitive PIT procedure with a monetary reward, the present study investigated, for the first time, the extent to which such individual differences might affect the influence of reward-paired cues in humans. In a first task, participants learned an instrumental response leading to reward; then, in a second task, a visual Pavlovian cue was associated with the same reward; finally, in a third task, PIT was tested by measuring the preference for the reward-paired instrumental response when the task-irrelevant reward-paired cue was presented, in the absence of the reward itself. In ST individuals, but not in GT individuals, reward-related cues biased behavior, resulting in an increased likelihood to perform the instrumental response independently paired with the same reward when presented with the task-irrelevant reward-paired cue, even if the reward itself was no longer available (i.e., stronger PIT effect). This finding has important implications for developing individualized treatment for maladaptive behaviors, such as addiction.

  10. Individual differences in the influence of task-irrelevant Pavlovian cues on human behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara eGarofalo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT refers to the process of a Pavlovian reward-paired cue acquiring incentive motivational proprieties that drive choices. It represents a crucial phenomenon for understanding cue-controlled behavior, and it has both adaptive and maladaptive implications (i.e., drug-taking. In animals, individual differences in the degree to which such cues bias performance have been identified in two types of individuals that exhibit distinct Conditioned Responses during Pavlovian conditioning: Sign-Trackers (ST and Goal-Trackers (GT. Using an appetitive PIT procedure with a monetary reward, the present study investigated, for the first time, the extent to which such individual differences might affect the influence of reward-paired cues in humans. In a first task, participants learned an instrumental response leading to reward; then, in a second task, a visual Pavlovian cue was associated with the same reward; finally, in a third task, PIT was tested by measuring the preference for the reward-paired instrumental response when the task-irrelevant reward-paired cue was presented, in the absence of the reward itself. In ST individuals, but not in GT individuals, reward-related cues biased behavior, resulting in an increased likelihood to perform the instrumental response independently paired with the same reward when presented with the task-irrelevant reward-paired cue, even if the reward itself was no longer available (i.e., stronger PIT effect. This finding has important implications for developing individualized treatment for maladaptive behaviors, such as addiction.

  11. Individual differences in the influence of task-irrelevant Pavlovian cues on human behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garofalo, Sara; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe

    2015-01-01

    Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) refers to the process of a Pavlovian reward-paired cue acquiring incentive motivational proprieties that drive choices. It represents a crucial phenomenon for understanding cue-controlled behavior, and it has both adaptive and maladaptive implications (i.e., drug-taking). In animals, individual differences in the degree to which such cues bias performance have been identified in two types of individuals that exhibit distinct Conditioned Responses (CR) during Pavlovian conditioning: Sign-Trackers (ST) and Goal-Trackers (GT). Using an appetitive PIT procedure with a monetary reward, the present study investigated, for the first time, the extent to which such individual differences might affect the influence of reward-paired cues in humans. In a first task, participants learned an instrumental response leading to reward; then, in a second task, a visual Pavlovian cue was associated with the same reward; finally, in a third task, PIT was tested by measuring the preference for the reward-paired instrumental response when the task-irrelevant reward-paired cue was presented, in the absence of the reward itself. In ST individuals, but not in GT individuals, reward-related cues biased behavior, resulting in an increased likelihood to perform the instrumental response independently paired with the same reward when presented with the task-irrelevant reward-paired cue, even if the reward itself was no longer available (i.e., stronger PIT effect). This finding has important implications for developing individualized treatment for maladaptive behaviors, such as addiction. PMID:26157371

  12. What characterizes changing-state speech in affecting short-term memory? An EEG study on the irrelevant sound effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlittmeier, Sabine J; Weisz, Nathan; Bertrand, Olivier

    2011-12-01

    The irrelevant sound effect (ISE) describes reduced verbal short-term memory during irrelevant changing-state sounds which consist of different and distinct auditory tokens. Steady-state sounds lack such changing-state features and do not impair performance. An EEG experiment (N=16) explored the distinguishing neurophysiological aspects of detrimental changing-state speech (3-token sequence) compared to ineffective steady-state speech (1-token sequence) on serial recall performance. We analyzed evoked and induced activity related to the memory items as well as spectral activity during the retention phase. The main finding is that the behavioral sound effect was exclusively reflected by attenuated token-induced gamma activation most pronounced between 50-60 Hz and 50-100 ms post-stimulus onset. Changing-state speech seems to disrupt a behaviorally relevant ongoing process during target presentation (e.g., the serial binding of the items). Copyright © 2011 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  13. The problem of latent attentional capture: Easy visual search conceals capture by task-irrelevant abrupt onsets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaspelin, Nicholas; Ruthruff, Eric; Lien, Mei-Ching

    2016-08-01

    Researchers are sharply divided regarding whether irrelevant abrupt onsets capture spatial attention. Numerous studies report that they do and a roughly equal number report that they do not. This puzzle has inspired numerous attempts at reconciliation, none gaining general acceptance. The authors propose that abrupt onsets routinely capture attention, but the size of observed capture effects depends critically on how long attention dwells on distractor items which, in turn, depends critically on search difficulty. In a series of spatial cuing experiments, the authors show that irrelevant abrupt onsets produce robust capture effects when visual search is difficult, but not when search is easy. Critically, this effect occurs even when search difficulty varies randomly across trials, preventing any strategic adjustments of the attentional set that could modulate probability of capture by the onset cue. The authors argue that easy visual search provides an insensitive test for stimulus-driven capture by abrupt onsets: even though onsets truly capture attention, the effects of capture can be latent. This observation helps to explain previous failures to find capture by onsets, nearly all of which used an easy visual search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Cost-effective Isolation of Bioactive Compounds from a Discarded Bioresource – Defatted Seeds of Camellia oleifera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Ye

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The Camellia oleifera oil industry is the economic mainstay in many high-poverty mountain regions of China, but the defatted seeds are currently discarded, leading to a waste of bioresources. In this work, a cost-effective technique was designed to isolate the flavonoid, saponins, and polysaccharides by ultrasonic-assisted acid-base alternative extraction. The activities of these compounds were evaluated by their DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities in vitro and inflammatory inhibition in mice, and the economic efficiency was assessed. The optimal extraction conditions by response surface design were 1.6% HCl, water/seed ratio 16, extraction time 89 min, and ultrasonic power 310 W. The yields of the flavonoid, saponin, and polysaccharide were, respectively, 1.4 ± 0.2%, 6.7 ± 0.8%, and 22.5 ± 1.7%. The extracts could eliminate DPPH and ABTS radicals and alleviate inflammation with concentration dependence, and showed excellent capacity in the order of flavonoid ≥ saponin > polysaccharides. The residue after extraction was cellulose, with a yield of 63.0 ± 2.4%. The defatted seeds could produce a value of $11.35 per kilogram after production of the four valuable extracts, which would greatly increase the income in these high-poverty areas. This integrated extraction technique provides valuable recycling utilization of a typically discarded bioresource.

  15. Monetary reward modulates task-irrelevant perceptual learning for invisible stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascucci, David; Mastropasqua, Tommaso; Turatto, Massimo

    2015-01-01

    Task Irrelevant Perceptual Learning (TIPL) shows that the brain's discriminative capacity can improve also for invisible and unattended visual stimuli. It has been hypothesized that this form of "unconscious" neural plasticity is mediated by an endogenous reward mechanism triggered by the correct task performance. Although this result has challenged the mandatory role of attention in perceptual learning, no direct evidence exists of the hypothesized link between target recognition, reward and TIPL. Here, we manipulated the reward value associated with a target to demonstrate the involvement of reinforcement mechanisms in sensory plasticity for invisible inputs. Participants were trained in a central task associated with either high or low monetary incentives, provided only at the end of the experiment, while subliminal stimuli were presented peripherally. Our results showed that high incentive-value targets induced a greater degree of perceptual improvement for the subliminal stimuli, supporting the role of reinforcement mechanisms in TIPL.

  16. Task-Based Listening Assessment and the Influence of Construct-Irrelevant Variance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arshya Keyvanfar

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Task-based listening tests such as IELTS require testees to listen to some information on a CD and simultaneously answer the related items. To answer such items, testees are expected to comprehend, analyze, compare and infer pieces of information while listening to the incoming audio material. The present research attempted to investigate whether the two major characteristics of question type and consecutive/simultaneous performance have any impact on the listening performance of Iranian EFL learners. Findings indicated that participants had a significantly better performance when they tackled the tasks consecutively, and performed even better in listening MC items rather than in listening task-based items. The researchers, thus, concluded that task-based listening tests such as IELTS listening module may be under the influence of construct-irrelevant variance.

  17. Effects of task-irrelevant grouping on visual selection in partial report

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lunau, Rasmus; Habekost, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    and the selection criterion was luminance. This effect was accompanied by impaired selectivity in unsorted-color trials. Overall, the results suggest that the benefit of task-irrelevant color grouping of targets is contingent on the processing locus of the selection criterion....... the color of the elements in these trials. In the sorted-color condition, the color of the display elements was arranged according to the selection criterion, and in the unsorted-color condition, colors were randomly assigned. The distractor cost was inferred by subtracting performance in partial......-report trials from performance in a control condition that had no distractors in the display. Across five experiments, we manipulated trial order, selection criterion, and exposure duration, and found that attentional selectivity was improved in sorted-color trials when the exposure duration was 200 ms...

  18. SURVIVAL ESTIMATES OF BYCATCH INDIVIDUALS DISCARDED FROM BIVALVE DREDGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Leitão

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The fate of released bycatch is an issue of great interest for fisheries research and management. Survival experiments were carried out to assess the survival capacity of animals damaged and discarded during clam dredging operations. Three common bycatch species, two fish (Trachinus vipera; Dicologlossa cuneata and one crab (Polybius henslowii, were collected during the sorting of catches from a commercial dredging boat. An arbitrary score scale was used to quantify the type and extent of damage to the organisms. Onboard, damaged individuals were placed in tanks containing seawater which were subsequently transferred to the laboratory. Survival experiments were conducted during the subsequent 48h. D. cuneata exhibited the lowest mortality after 48h (54%, followed by P. henslowii (65% and T. vipera (81%. Despite the magnitude of the percentage mortalities determined, the average number of individuals estimated to die during a 15 minutes tow (standard commercial fishing time was relatively small: 1.2, 3.24 and 11 for D. cuneata, T. vipera and P. henslowii, respectively. Nevertheless, when these figures are extrapolated to cover all the dredging fleet the impact of this practice on the populations of the species studied can be significant, particulary for D. cuneata.

  19. [Hemoglobin variants in Colombian patients referred to discard hemoglobinopathies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero-Sánchez, Consuelo; Gómez Gutiérrez, Alberto; Duarte, Yurani; Amazo, Constanza; Manosalva, Clara; Chila M, Lorena; Casas-Gómez, María Consuelo; Briceño Balcázar, Ignacio

    2015-10-01

    Oxygen transport is altered in hemoglobinopathies. To study the distribution of hemoglobinopathies in Andean subjects without African ancestry. We analyzed blood samples of 1,407 subjects aged 18 to 59 years (58% females), living in the central Andean region of Colombia, referred to discard hemoglobinopathies. The frequency and type of hemoglobinopathy was established by capillary and agarose gel electrophoresis. The frequency of hemoglobinopathies was 34.5% and higher among females. The structural variants found were: AS-heterozygous hemoglobin (8.1%), homozygous SS (3.7%), heterozygous SC (2.2%), AC heterozygotes (0.5%) and heterozygous AE (0.3%). Quantitative variants found were Hb A-Beta thalassemia (13.91%) and Hb H (0.06%), Beta-thalassemia heterozygotes C (0.88%), S-Beta thalassemia heterozygotes (6.07%) and compound heterozygous SC/Beta thalassemia (0.25%), with a persistence of fetal hemoglobin 0. Composite thalassemia was also found in 31%. All techniques showed good correlation and capillary electrophoresis demonstrated a greater detection of hemoglobin variants. The frequency of hemoglobin variants in the analyzed population was high, which is an important public health indicator. The most common hemoglobin variant was HbA/Increased structural Hb A2 and the mos frequent structural hemoglobinopathy was sickle cell trait. Capillary electrophoresis can discern any Hb variants present in the population.

  20. Monetary reward modulates task-irrelevant perceptual learning for invisible stimuli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Pascucci

    Full Text Available Task Irrelevant Perceptual Learning (TIPL shows that the brain's discriminative capacity can improve also for invisible and unattended visual stimuli. It has been hypothesized that this form of "unconscious" neural plasticity is mediated by an endogenous reward mechanism triggered by the correct task performance. Although this result has challenged the mandatory role of attention in perceptual learning, no direct evidence exists of the hypothesized link between target recognition, reward and TIPL. Here, we manipulated the reward value associated with a target to demonstrate the involvement of reinforcement mechanisms in sensory plasticity for invisible inputs. Participants were trained in a central task associated with either high or low monetary incentives, provided only at the end of the experiment, while subliminal stimuli were presented peripherally. Our results showed that high incentive-value targets induced a greater degree of perceptual improvement for the subliminal stimuli, supporting the role of reinforcement mechanisms in TIPL.

  1. Retroactive effects of irrelevant speech on serial recall from short-term memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norris, Dennis; Baddeley, Alan D; Page, Michael P A

    2004-09-01

    The authors report 5 serial-recall experiments. In 4 of the 5 experiments, they show that irrelevant sound (IS) has a retroactive effect on material already in memory. In Experiment 1, IS presented during a filled retention interval had a reliable effect on list recall. Four further experiments, 3 of which used retroactive IS, showed that IS continued to-have an effect on recall following a long, filled retention interval. Articulatory suppression during visual input was found to abolish the long-lasting, retroactive effect of IS, supporting the idea that IS affects the phonological-loop component of short-term memory. IS also, therefore, seems to affect a longer term memory system with which the loop interacts. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

  2. Utilization of Probabilistic Cues in the Presence of Irrelevant Information: A Comparison of Risky Choice in Children and Adults

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betsch, Tilmann; Lang, Anna

    2013-01-01

    We studied risky choices in preschoolers, elementary schoolers, and adults using an information board paradigm crossing two options with two cues that differ in their probability of making valid predictions (p = 0.50 vs. p = 0.83). We also varied the presence of normatively irrelevant information. Choice patterns indicate that preschoolers were…

  3. Falling out of time: enhanced memory for scenes presented at behaviorally irrelevant points in time in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levy-Gigi, Einat; Kéri, Szabolcs

    2012-01-01

    Spontaneous encoding of the visual environment depends on the behavioral relevance of the task performed simultaneously. If participants identify target letters or auditory tones while viewing a series of briefly presented natural and urban scenes, they demonstrate effective scene recognition only when a target, but not a behaviorally irrelevant distractor, appears together with the scene. Here, we show that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who witnessed the red sludge disaster in Hungary, show the opposite pattern of performance: enhanced recognition of scenes presented together with distractors and deficient recognition of scenes presented with targets. The recognition of trauma-related and neutral scenes was not different in individuals with PTSD. We found a positive correlation between memory for scenes presented with auditory distractors and re-experiencing symptoms (memory intrusions and flashbacks). These results suggest that abnormal encoding of visual scenes at behaviorally irrelevant events might be associated with intrusive experiences by disrupting the flow of time.

  4. Falling out of time: enhanced memory for scenes presented at behaviorally irrelevant points in time in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Einat Levy-Gigi

    Full Text Available Spontaneous encoding of the visual environment depends on the behavioral relevance of the task performed simultaneously. If participants identify target letters or auditory tones while viewing a series of briefly presented natural and urban scenes, they demonstrate effective scene recognition only when a target, but not a behaviorally irrelevant distractor, appears together with the scene. Here, we show that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, who witnessed the red sludge disaster in Hungary, show the opposite pattern of performance: enhanced recognition of scenes presented together with distractors and deficient recognition of scenes presented with targets. The recognition of trauma-related and neutral scenes was not different in individuals with PTSD. We found a positive correlation between memory for scenes presented with auditory distractors and re-experiencing symptoms (memory intrusions and flashbacks. These results suggest that abnormal encoding of visual scenes at behaviorally irrelevant events might be associated with intrusive experiences by disrupting the flow of time.

  5. Food words distract the hungry: Evidence of involuntary semantic processing of task-irrelevant but biologically-relevant unexpected auditory words.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parmentier, Fabrice B R; Pacheco-Unguetti, Antonia P; Valero, Sara

    2018-01-01

    Rare changes in a stream of otherwise repeated task-irrelevant sounds break through selective attention and disrupt performance in an unrelated visual task by triggering shifts of attention to and from the deviant sound (deviance distraction). Evidence indicates that the involuntary orientation of attention to unexpected sounds is followed by their semantic processing. However, past demonstrations relied on tasks in which the meaning of the deviant sounds overlapped with features of the primary task. Here we examine whether such processing is observed when no such overlap is present but sounds carry some relevance to the participants' biological need to eat when hungry. We report the results of an experiment in which hungry and satiated participants partook in a cross-modal oddball task in which they categorized visual digits (odd/even) while ignoring task-irrelevant sounds. On most trials the irrelevant sound was a sinewave tone (standard sound). On the remaining trials, deviant sounds consisted of spoken words related to food (food deviants) or control words (control deviants). Questionnaire data confirmed state (but not trait) differences between the two groups with respect to food craving, as well as a greater desire to eat the food corresponding to the food-related words in the hungry relative to the satiated participants. The results of the oddball task revealed that food deviants produced greater distraction (longer response times) than control deviants in hungry participants while the reverse effect was observed in satiated participants. This effect was observed in the first block of trials but disappeared thereafter, reflecting semantic saturation. Our results suggest that (1) the semantic content of deviant sounds is involuntarily processed even when sharing no feature with the primary task; and that (2) distraction by deviant sounds can be modulated by the participants' biological needs.

  6. Stimulus-response correspondence in go-nogo and choice tasks: Are reactions altered by the presence of an irrelevant salient object?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lien, Mei-Ching; Pedersen, Logan; Proctor, Robert W

    2016-11-01

    In 2-choice tasks, responses are faster when stimulus location corresponds to response location, even when stimulus location is irrelevant. Dolk et al. (J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 39:1248-1260, 2013a) found this stimulus-response correspondence effect with a single response location in a go-nogo task when an irrelevant Japanese waving cat was present. They argued that salient objects trigger spatial coding of the response relative to that object. We examined this claim using both behavioral and lateralized readiness potential (LRP) measures. In Experiment 1 participants determined the pitch of a left- or right-positioned tone, whereas in Experiment 2 they determined the color of a dot within a centrally located hand pointing left, right, or straight ahead. In both experiments, participants performed a go-nogo task with the right-index finger and a 2-choice task with both index fingers, with a left-positioned Japanese waving cat present or absent. For the go-nogo task, the cat induced a correspondence effect on response times (RT) to the tones (Experiment 1) but not the visual stimuli (Experiment 2). For the 2-choice task, a correspondence effect was evident in all conditions in both experiments. Cat's presence/absence did not significantly modulate the effect for right and left responses, although there was a trend toward increased RT and LRP for right responses in Experiment 1. The results imply that a salient, irrelevant object could provide a reference frame for response coding when attention is available to process it, as is likely in an auditory task (Experiment 1) but not a visual task (Experiment 2).

  7. Answering PICO Clinical Questions: a Semantic Graph-Based Approach

    OpenAIRE

    Znaidi , Eya; Tamine , Lynda; Latiri , Chiraz

    2015-01-01

    International audience; In this paper, we tackle the issue related to the retrieval of the best evidence that fits with a PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome) question. We propose a new document ranking algorithm that relies on semantic based query expansion bounded by the local search context to better discard irrelevant documents. Experiments using a standard dataset including 423 PICO questions and more than 1,2 million of documents, show that our aproach is promising.

  8. Discarded seeds from red pepper (Capsicum annum) processing industry as a sustainable source of high added-value compounds and edible oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azabou, Samia; Taheur, Fadia Ben; Jridi, Mourad; Bouaziz, Mohamed; Nasri, Moncef

    2017-10-01

    The chemical composition and the antioxidant properties of Capsicum annum discarded seeds from processing industry with their corresponding extracted oil were investigated. C. annum seeds had high levels of crude proteins (18.30%), crude oil (11.04%), and dietary fibers (60.96%). The lipophilic fraction of C. annum seeds showed higher radical scavenging activity compared to their hydrophilic fraction, while this latter exhibited the highest reducing power. The results of fatty acid composition showed that fatty acids present in C. annum seed oil were mainly polyunsaturated (84.23%), with linoleic acid being the major polyunsaturated fatty acid (70.93%). The major monounsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (12.18%), while the main saturated fatty acid was palmitic acid (11.90%). C. annum seed oil showed high absorbance in the UV-B, UV-A, and visible ranges. Owing to their composition, C. annum seeds discarded from pepper processing industry as by-product could be potentially used as high added-value ingredients in some food or nutraceutical formulations because they are well endowed with essential nutriments required for human health.

  9. Notes on relevant, irrelevant, marginal and extremal double trace perturbations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Porrati, Massimo; Yu, Cedric C.Y. [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics,Department of Physics, New York University,4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States)

    2016-11-08

    Double trace deformations, that is products of two local operators, define perturbations of conformal field theories that can be studied exactly in the large-N limit. Even when the double trace deformation is irrelevant in the infrared, it is believed to flow to an ultraviolet fixed point. In this note we define the Källen-Lehmann representation of the two-point function of a local operator O in a theory perturbed by the square of such operator. We use such representation to discover potential pathologies at intermediate points in the flow that may prevent to reach the UV fixed point. We apply the method to an “extremal” deformation that naively would flow to a UV fixed point where the operator O would saturate the unitarity bound Δ=(d/2)−1. We find that the UV fixed point is not conformal and that the deformed two-point function propagates unphysical modes. We interpret the result as showing that the flow to the UV fixed point does not exist. This resolves a potential puzzle in the holographic interpretation of the deformation.

  10. Valorization of postharvest sweet cherry discard for the development of dehydrated fruit ingredients: compositional, physical, and mechanical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franceschinis, Lorena; Sette, Paula; Salvatori, Daniela; Schebor, Carolina

    2018-04-20

    Sweet cherries are an excellent source of phenolic compounds, which may contribute to a healthy diet. The objective of this work was to generate dehydrated ingredients from postharvest discard of sweet cherries. Four dried ingredients were obtained from fresh sweet cherry discard (Lapins var.) using an osmotic dehydration pretreatment and freeze drying or air drying. The ingredients showed an important phenolic contribution (2.8-6.6 g gallic acid kg -1 of product) and preserved the natural color of the fruit to a great extent. Freeze-dried ingredients were less hygroscopic than air-dried ones, and presented with a softer texture. All the ingredients were in a supercooled state at room temperature (T g range: -23.0 to -18.8 °C). Sugar infusion pretreatment caused a decrease in water sorption capacity and molecular mobility; it also reduced the initial rehydration rate. Relevant differences in nutritional and structural characteristics of the ingredients were observed depending on the processing method used. These ingredients could be incorporated into different processed foods, such as snacks, cereal mixtures, cereal bars, and bakery and confectionery products. Air-dried control ingredients presented better nutritional qualities and air-dried sweet cherries with sugar infusion pretreatment could be appropriate ingredients for applications where sweet flavor and slow rehydration rate are required. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. Technical note: Discard the specimen collection swab directly at point of care to improve extensive automated processing in clinical microbiology laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avolio, Manuela; Grosso, Shamanta; Bruschetta, Graziano; Camporese, Alessandro

    2016-10-01

    We compared, in terms of microorganisms recovery, the discard of specimen collection swab, after swirling into its medium, directly at point of care, with its placing into the medium and vortexing on arrival in the laboratory. Our results show that these two procedures are overlapped in terms of bacterial recovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Task-irrelevant distractors in the delay period interfere selectively with visual short-term memory for spatial locations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marini, Francesco; Scott, Jerry; Aron, Adam R; Ester, Edward F

    2017-07-01

    Visual short-term memory (VSTM) enables the representation of information in a readily accessible state. VSTM is typically conceptualized as a form of "active" storage that is resistant to interference or disruption, yet several recent studies have shown that under some circumstances task-irrelevant distractors may indeed disrupt performance. Here, we investigated how task-irrelevant visual distractors affected VSTM by asking whether distractors induce a general loss of remembered information or selectively interfere with memory representations. In a VSTM task, participants recalled the spatial location of a target visual stimulus after a delay in which distractors were presented on 75% of trials. Notably, the distractor's eccentricity always matched the eccentricity of the target, while in the critical conditions the distractor's angular position was shifted either clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the target. We then computed estimates of recall error for both eccentricity and polar angle. A general interference model would predict an effect of distractors on both polar angle and eccentricity errors, while a selective interference model would predict effects of distractors on angle but not on eccentricity errors. Results showed that for stimulus angle there was an increase in the magnitude and variability of recall errors. However, distractors had no effect on estimates of stimulus eccentricity. Our results suggest that distractors selectively interfere with VSTM for spatial locations.

  13. Selective attention to task-irrelevant emotional distractors is unaffected by the perceptual load associated with a foreground task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hindi Attar, Catherine; Müller, Matthias M

    2012-01-01

    A number of studies have shown that emotionally arousing stimuli are preferentially processed in the human brain. Whether or not this preference persists under increased perceptual load associated with a task at hand remains an open question. Here we manipulated two possible determinants of the attentional selection process, perceptual load associated with a foreground task and the emotional valence of concurrently presented task-irrelevant distractors. As a direct measure of sustained attentional resource allocation in early visual cortex we used steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) elicited by distinct flicker frequencies of task and distractor stimuli. Subjects either performed a detection (low load) or discrimination (high load) task at a centrally presented symbol stream that flickered at 8.6 Hz while task-irrelevant neutral or unpleasant pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) flickered at a frequency of 12 Hz in the background of the stream. As reflected in target detection rates and SSVEP amplitudes to both task and distractor stimuli, unpleasant relative to neutral background pictures more strongly withdrew processing resources from the foreground task. Importantly, this finding was unaffected by the factor 'load' which turned out to be a weak modulator of attentional processing in human visual cortex.

  14. Selective attention to task-irrelevant emotional distractors is unaffected by the perceptual load associated with a foreground task.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Hindi Attar

    Full Text Available A number of studies have shown that emotionally arousing stimuli are preferentially processed in the human brain. Whether or not this preference persists under increased perceptual load associated with a task at hand remains an open question. Here we manipulated two possible determinants of the attentional selection process, perceptual load associated with a foreground task and the emotional valence of concurrently presented task-irrelevant distractors. As a direct measure of sustained attentional resource allocation in early visual cortex we used steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs elicited by distinct flicker frequencies of task and distractor stimuli. Subjects either performed a detection (low load or discrimination (high load task at a centrally presented symbol stream that flickered at 8.6 Hz while task-irrelevant neutral or unpleasant pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS flickered at a frequency of 12 Hz in the background of the stream. As reflected in target detection rates and SSVEP amplitudes to both task and distractor stimuli, unpleasant relative to neutral background pictures more strongly withdrew processing resources from the foreground task. Importantly, this finding was unaffected by the factor 'load' which turned out to be a weak modulator of attentional processing in human visual cortex.

  15. Practices of pharmaceutical waste generation and discarding in households across Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias-Ferreira, Celia; Valente, Susana; Vaz, João

    2016-10-01

    This work is the first nationwide study in Portugal on pharmaceutical waste generated at households, exploring people's attitudes and risk perception. The waste audit was carried out from September to November 2014, targeting pharmaceutical products kept by a sample of families (n = 244). This campaign was an assignment of VALORMED, the non-profit association that manages waste and packaging from expired and unused pharmaceutical products collected by the pharmacies. On average, each household kept at home 1097 g of pharmaceutical products, of which 20% were in use, 72% were not in use, and 8% were mostly expired products ready to discard. Face-to-face interviews with householders showed that 69% of the respondents claimed returning pharmaceutical waste to the local pharmacy. However, this figure is overrated, probably owing to a possible 'good answer' effect. The barriers identified to proper disposal were mainly established routines and lack of close disposal points. This study also provides an insight into the Portuguese awareness and daily practices concerning pharmaceutical waste, which is the cornerstone of any future strategy to reduce the release of active pharmaceutical ingredients into ecosystems. © The Author(s) 2016.

  16. Illumination on “Reserving Phloem and Discarding Xylem” and Quality Evaluation of Radix polygalae by Determining Oligosaccharide Esters, Saponins, and Xanthones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fan Yang

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. or Polygala sibirica L. exhibits protective effects on the central nervous system and is frequently used to treat insomnia, amnesia, and other cognitive dysfunction. In our study, we studied nine bioactive compounds spanning oligosaccharide esters, saponins, and xanthones by using a sensitive, efficient, and validated method established on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The quantified result of interesting compounds proved that accumulation of those compounds were found in phloem rather than in xylem. By taking the standardized result of nine compound contents into account, the “Spider-web” analytical result of xylem and phloem from Radix polygalae (RP unveiled the rationality of RP’s classical use in clinic including discarding the xylem and reserving the phloem. Moreover, the remarkable variation was also revealed from the quantitative result of 45 samples with different diameters from the different origins, which did not significantly correlate with the variation of RP’s diameter. Our study could shed the light on the quality assessment of RP for further research and illustrate the scientific connotation of the processing method of “discarding the xylem and reserving the phloem”.

  17. Increasing Working Memory Load Reduces Processing of Cross-Modal Task-Irrelevant Stimuli Even after Controlling for Task Difficulty and Executive Capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Sharon S; Tusch, Erich S; Holcomb, Phillip J; Daffner, Kirk R

    2016-01-01

    The classic account of the load theory (LT) of attention suggests that increasing cognitive load leads to greater processing of task-irrelevant stimuli due to competition for limited executive resource that reduces the ability to actively maintain current processing priorities. Studies testing this hypothesis have yielded widely divergent outcomes. The inconsistent results may, in part, be related to variability in executive capacity (EC) and task difficulty across subjects in different studies. Here, we used a cross-modal paradigm to investigate whether augmented working memory (WM) load leads to increased early distracter processing, and controlled for the potential confounders of EC and task difficulty. Twenty-three young subjects were engaged in a primary visual WM task, under high and low load conditions, while instructed to ignore irrelevant auditory stimuli. Demands of the high load condition were individually titrated to make task difficulty comparable across subjects with differing EC. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to measure neural activity in response to stimuli presented in both the task relevant modality (visual) and task-irrelevant modality (auditory). Behavioral results indicate that the load manipulation and titration procedure of the primary visual task were successful. ERPs demonstrated that in response to visual target stimuli, there was a load-related increase in the posterior slow wave, an index of sustained attention and effort. Importantly, under high load, there was a decrease of the auditory N1 in response to distracters, a marker of early auditory processing. These results suggest that increased WM load is associated with enhanced attentional engagement and protection from distraction in a cross-modal setting, even after controlling for task difficulty and EC. Our findings challenge the classic LT and offer support for alternative models.

  18. Increasing working memory load reduces processing of cross-modal task-irrelevant stimuli even after controlling for task difficulty and executive capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharon Sanz Simon

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The classic account of the Load Theory (LT of attention suggests that increasing cognitive load leads to greater processing of task-irrelevant stimuli due to competition for limited executive resource that reduces the ability to actively maintain current processing priorities. Studies testing this hypothesis have yielded widely divergent outcomes. The inconsistent results may, in part, be related to variability in executive capacity (EC and task difficulty across subjects in different studies. Here, we used a cross-modal paradigm to investigate whether augmented working memory (WM load leads to increased early distracter processing, and controlled for the potential confounders of EC and task difficulty. Twenty-three young subjects were engaged in a primary visual WM task, under high and low load conditions, while instructed to ignore irrelevant auditory stimuli. Demands of the high load condition were individually titrated to make task difficulty comparable across subjects with differing EC. Event-related potentials (ERPs were used to measure neural activity in response to stimuli presented in both the task relevant modality (visual and task-irrelevant modality (auditory. Behavioral results indicate that the load manipulation and titration procedure of the primary visual task were successful. ERPs demonstrated that in response to visual target stimuli, there was a load-related increase in the posterior slow wave, an index of sustained attention and effort. Importantly, under high load, there was a decrease of the auditory N1 in response to distracters, a marker of early auditory processing. These results suggest that increased WM load is associated with enhanced attentional engagement and protection from distraction in a cross-modal setting, even after controlling for task difficulty and EC. Our findings challenge the classic LT and offer support for alternative models.

  19. Control of methylxanthines in the competition horse: pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies on caffeine, theobromine and theophylline for the assessment of irrelevant concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machnik, Marc; Kaiser, Simone; Koppe, Sophie; Kietzmann, Manfred; Schenk, Ina; Düe, Michael; Thevis, Mario; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Toutain, Pierre-Louis

    2017-09-01

    Methylxanthines positives in competition samples have challenged doping control laboratories and racing jurisdictions since methylxanthines are naturally occurring prohibited substances and often constituents of feed. For theobromine, an international threshold (renamed in International Residue Limit, IRL) of 2 µg/mL in urine has been established. On the basis of the data presented herein, a threshold or rather an IRL for theobromine in plasma of 0.3 µg/mL was proposed and was thereupon approved by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). Official recommendations for reporting caffeine and theophylline are still lacking. The aim of the study was to investigate IRLs for theobromine in blood and for caffeine and theophylline in blood and urine. Therefore, a set of six administrations were carried out including both single i.v. and single oral administrations of caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Plasma and urine concentrations were determined using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Applying the Toutain model approach an effective plasma concentration (EPC) of caffeine was estimated at 3.05 µg/mL, irrelevant concentrations in blood (IPC) and urine (IUC) approached 6 and 12 ng/mL, respectively. EPC of theobromine was calculated with 3.80 µg/mL, and irrelevant concentrations of theobromine were determined at 8 ng/mL in plasma and at 142 ng/mL in urine. Toutain modelling of the theophylline data produced an EPC, IPC, and IUC of 3.20 µg/mL, 6 ng/mL, and 75 ng/mL, respectively. The obtained irrelevant concentrations were used to postulate IRLs for theobromine in plasma and for caffeine and theophylline in plasma and urine. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. ‘It’s Something Posh People Do’: Digital Distinction in Young People’s Cross-Media News Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jannie Møller Hartley

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In this article, I analyse digital distinction mechanisms in young people’s cross media engagement with news. Using a combination of open online diaries and qualitative interviews with young Danes aged 15 to 18 who differ in social background and education, and with Bourdieu’s field theory as an analytical framework, the article investigates how cultural capital (CC operates in specific tastes and distastes for news genres, platforms and providers. The article argues that distinction mechanism not only works on the level of news providers and news genres but also on the level of engagement practices—the ways in which people enact and describe their own news engagement practices. Among those rich in CC, physical, analogue objects in the form of newspapers and physical conversations about news are seen as ‘better’ that digital ones, resulting in a feeling of guilt when they mostly engage with news on social media. Secondly, young people with lower CC discard legacy news, which they see as elitist and irrelevant. Thirdly, those rich in CC are media and news genre savvy in the sense that it makes them able to critically evaluate the news they engage with across platforms and sites.

  1. Determining the relative importance of figures in journal articles to find representative images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Henning; Foncubierta-Rodríguez, Antonio; Lin, Chang; Eggel, Ivan

    2013-03-01

    When physicians are searching for articles in the medical literature, images of the articles can help determining relevance of the article content for a specific information need. The visual image representation can be an advantage in effectiveness (quality of found articles) and also in efficiency (speed of determining relevance or irrelevance) as many articles can likely be excluded much quicker by looking at a few representative images. In domains such as medical information retrieval, allowing to determine relevance quickly and accurately is an important criterion. This becomes even more important when small interfaces are used as it is frequently the case on mobile phones and tablets to access scientific data whenever information needs arise. In scientific articles many figures are used and particularly in the biomedical literature only a subset may be relevant for determining the relevance of a specific article to an information need. In many cases clinical images can be seen as more important for visual appearance than graphs or histograms that require looking at the context for interpretation. To get a clearer idea of image relevance in articles, a user test with a physician was performed who classified images of biomedical research articles into categories of importance that can subsequently be used to evaluate algorithms that automatically select images as representative examples. The manual sorting of images of 50 journal articles of BioMedCentral with each containing more than 8 figures by importance also allows to derive several rules that determine how to choose images and how to develop algorithms for choosing the most representative images of specific texts. This article describes the user tests and can be a first important step to evaluate automatic tools to select representative images for representing articles and potentially also images in other contexts, for example when representing patient records or other medical concepts when selecting

  2. The effect of age on involuntary capture of attention by irrelevant sounds: a test of the frontal hypothesis of aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrés, Pilar; Parmentier, Fabrice B R; Escera, Carles

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aging on the involuntary capture of attention by irrelevant sounds (distraction) and the use of these sounds as warning cues (alertness) in an oddball paradigm. We compared the performance of older and younger participants on a well-characterized auditory-visual distraction task. Based on the dissociations observed in aging between attentional processes sustained by the anterior and posterior attentional networks, our prediction was that distraction by irrelevant novel sounds would be stronger in older adults than in young adults while both groups would be equally able to use sound as an alert to prepare for upcoming stimuli. The results confirmed both predictions: there was a larger distraction effect in the older participants, but the alert effect was equivalent in both groups. These results give support to the frontal hypothesis of aging [Raz, N. (2000). Aging of the brain and its impact on cognitive performance: integration of structural and functional finding. In F.I.M. Craik & T.A. Salthouse (Eds.) Handbook of aging and cognition (pp. 1-90). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum; West, R. (1996). An application of prefrontal cortex function theory to cognitive aging. Psychological Bulletin, 120, 272-292].

  3. 64 original article optimization of rna extraction in mycobacterium

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr Oboro VO

    ... on thick 7H10 agar plates supplemented with 10% oleic acid- ... RNA lysis solution (0.15 M sucrose, 10 mM sodium acetate [pH 5.2] .... medium was discarded and the infected macrophage ..... Clin Invest 1995, 96(1):245-249. 18. Buchmeier ...

  4. The capture of attention by entirely irrelevant pictures of calorie-dense foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Corbin A; Egeth, Howard E

    2018-04-01

    Inborn preference for palatable energy-dense food is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation. One way this preference manifests itself is through the control of visual attention. In the present study, we investigated how attentional capture is influenced by changes in naturally occurring goal-states, in this case desire for energy-dense foods (typically high fat and/or high sugar). We demonstrate that even when distractors are entirely irrelevant, participants were significantly more distracted by energy-dense foods compared with non-food objects and even low-energy foods. Additionally, we show the lability of these goal-states by having a separate set of participants consume a small amount of calorie-dense food prior to the task. The amount of distraction by the energy-dense food images in this case was significantly reduced and no different than distraction by images of low-energy foods and images of non-food objects. While naturally occurring goal-states can be difficult to ignore, they also are highly flexible.

  5. Resistance irrelevant CYP417A2v2 was found degrading insecticide in Laodelphax striatellus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miah, Mohammad Asaduzzaman; Elzaki, Mohammed Esmail Abdalla; Han, Zhaojun

    2017-07-01

    Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) usually overexpressed in resistant strain were found involved in oxidative detoxification of insecticides. In this study, an investigation was conducted to confirm if resistance irrelevant CYPs which were not overexpressed in resistant strain before, were capable of degrading insecticides. Three resistance irrelevant CYPs viz. CYP417A2v2, CYP425A1v2, and CYP4DJ1 from CYP4 family of Laodelphax striatellus were randomly selected for experiments. CYP417A2v2 and CYP425A1v2 were found expressed successfully in Sf9 cell line while CYP4DJ1 was not expressed successfully and out of two expressed CYPs, only CYP417A2v2 showed its efficient catalytic activity. For catalytic activity, three traditional model probe substrates and five insecticides were assayed. For the probe substrates screened, p -nitroanisole and ethoxycoumarin were preferentially metabolized by CYP417A2v2 (specific activity 3.76 ± 1.22 and 1.63 ± 0.37 nmol min -1  mg protein -1 , respectively) and they may be potential diagnostic probes for this enzyme. Among insecticides, only imidacloprid was efficiently degraded by CYP417A2v2. Incubation of imidacloprid with CYP417A2v2 of L. striatellus and subsequent HPLC, LC-MS, and MS/MS analysis revealed the formation of imidacloprid metabolites, that is, 4' or 5'hydroxy-imidacloprid by hydroxylation. This result implies the exemption of CYPs character that it is not always, all the CYPs degrading insecticides being selected and overexpressed in resistant strains and the degrading CYPs without mutations to upregulate could be candidates during insecticide resistance evolution. This characterization of individual insect CYPs in insecticide degradation can provide insight for better understand of insecticide resistance development.

  6. Discarded cell phone lithium ion batteries state of health quick method analysis by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT concept

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Rogério Catarini

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The state of health (SOH is a important evaluation parameter to rechargeable batteries, because determine its cycle life and help on electric devices supplied by batteries maintenance. In this work the lithium ion discards cell phones batteries state of health and apparent diffusion coefficient (Dap were measured and correlated which purpose is diminish the batteries analyze time. The apparent diffusion coefficient is a ionic diffusion coefficient modification from GITT technique. The SOH and Dap correlation is well behaved, disclosing a cubic dependency. The time analyze was reduced by more than 1 h.

  7. Evaluating the treatment of E-waste a case study of discarded refrigerators

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    DENG Jian-jun; WEN Xue-feng; ZHAO Yue-min

    2008-01-01

    Disassembly and recycling of E-waste creates a series of environmental problems. The selection of a technologically reliable, environmentally friendly, economically affordable and socially acceptable recycling technology for E-waste is a significant question. This study establishes a Monte-Carlo mathematical model of cost minimization, given the constraints of environmentally sound handling of the e-waste, in the context of Crystal Ball risk assessment and evaluation software. By following the streams of the different treatment processes, which consist of various technologies including disassembly, recycling and disposal, the econom-ics of various possibilities were identified and the optimal recycling technology proposed. The key factors of the proposed scenarios were determined by using sensitivity analysis. The results of this study show that, for discarded refrigerators, the operating life span plays the key role. The model supports maintenance and resale of the short lived refrigerators. For the longer lived refrigerators material recycling is recommended by the model. Sensitivity analysis shows that purchase cost, plastic sale price, condenser sale price and disassembly costs are the main effects. This study provides a significant technical support for policy making in E-waste management.

  8. Are physicists' philosophies irrelevant idiosyncrasies?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Regt, H.W.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/112827802

    1996-01-01

    This article argues that individual philosophical commitments of scientists can decisively influence scientific practice. To support this claim, two historical examples are presented, concerning controversies between physicists about central problems in their field. Confrontation of the theories of

  9. A revisionist history of adult marrow stem cell biology or 'they forgot about the discard'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quesenberry, P; Goldberg, L

    2017-08-01

    The adult marrow hematopoietic stem cell biology has largely been based on studies of highly purified stem cells. This is unfortunate because during the stem cell purification the great bulk of stem cells are discarded. These cells are actively proliferating. The final purified stem cell is dormant and not representative of the whole stem cell compartment. Thus, a large number of studies on the cellular characteristics, regulators and molecular details of stem cells have been carried on out of non-represented cells. Niche studies have largely pursued using these purified stem cells and these are largely un-interpretable. Other considerations include the distinction between baseline and transplant stem cells and the modulation of stem cell phenotype by extracellular vesicles, to cite a non-inclusive list. Work needs to proceed on characterizing the true stem cell population.

  10. Is there proof that backreaction of inhomogeneities is irrelevant in cosmology?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchert, T; Ostrowski, J J; Roukema, B F; Carfora, M; Ellis, G F R; Kolb, E W; MacCallum, M A H; Räsänen, S; Andersson, L; Coley, A A; Wiltshire, D L

    2015-01-01

    No. In a number of papers, Green and Wald argue that the standard FLRW model approximates our Universe extremely well on all scales, except close to strong-field astrophysical objects. In particular, they argue that the effect of inhomogeneities on average properties of the Universe (backreaction) is irrelevant. We show that this latter claim is not valid. Specifically, we demonstrate, referring to their recent review paper, that (i) their two-dimensional example used to illustrate the fitting problem differs from the actual problem in important respects, and it assumes what is to be proven; (ii) the proof of the trace-free property of backreaction is unphysical and the theorem about it fails to be a mathematically general statement; (iii) the scheme that underlies the trace-free theorem does not involve averaging and therefore does not capture crucial non-local effects; (iv) their arguments are to a large extent coordinate-dependent, and (v) many of their criticisms of backreaction frameworks do not apply to the published definitions of these frameworks. It is therefore incorrect to infer that Green and Wald have proven a general result that addresses the essential physical questions of backreaction in cosmology. (paper)

  11. Attendance of scavenging seabirds at trawler discards off Galicia, Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julio Valeiras

    2003-07-01

    Full Text Available The occurrence of scavenger seabirds at fishing trawlers was studied off Galicia, Spain. A total of 9,368 seabirds of 23 species were recorded during 92 fishing operations in 1998 and 1999. The most common species were the yellow-legged and lesser black-backed gull (Larus cachinnans and L. fuscus, Sabine´s gull (L. sabini, the northern gannet (Morus bassanus, the great shearwater (Puffinus gravis, sooty shearwater (P. griseus, the Manx and Balearic shearwater (P. puffinus and P. mauretanicus, the great skua (Catharacta skua and terns (mainly Sterna hirundo and S. paradisaea. Other species occurred in small numbers: Leach´s petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa, the storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus, the little shearwater (Puffinus assimilis, Cory´s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea, the parasitic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus, the pomarine skua (S. pomarinus, the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus, the glaucous gull (L. hyperboreus, the kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla, the sandwich tern (Sterna sandvicensis, the black tern (Chlidonias niger, the guillemot (Uria aalge and the little auk (Alle alle. The maximum number of seabirds recorded at a haul was 320. The maximum number of a particular species ranged from 120 great shearwaters to 250 yellow-legged/lesser black-backed gulls during a single haul. The differences in ship-follower species abundance are related to migratory movements but fisheries could also have a strong influence at a smaller scale on the distribution of seabirds off Galicia. The degree to which seabirds rely on fishery discards as food was not quantified, but may be important for several species.

  12. Actions of radiation protection in the collection of discarded radioactive material; Ações de proteção radiológica no recolhimento de material radioativo descartado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neri, E.P.M.; Silva, F.C.A. da, E-mail: dasilva@ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Riode Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2017-07-01

    Brazil has approximately 2000 radiative facilities that use radiation sources in their processes and are controlled by The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission - CNEN through standards, authorizations and inspections. These radioactive materials, whether in the form of waste or radioactive source, used in medical, industrial, research, etc. are sometimes discarded and found in inappropriate places, such as garbage dumps, industrial waste, streets, squares, etc. found by urban cleaning professionals without the proper knowledge of them. The work presents the radiation protection actions required for the safe collection of radioactive material to be performed by these professionals. According to the type of radioactive material the main actions of radiation protection are, among others: recognition of a radioactive material; correct use of personal protective equipment to contain possible radiation contamination; implementation of an area control etc. In order for the actions of recognition and collection of discarded radioactive material to be effective, there is a need to implement a training program in radiation protection for urban cleaning professionals.

  13. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence of discarded tire samples, using a Si-PIN detector; Fluorescencia de raios X por dispersao em energia de amostras de pneus inserviveis com detector de Si-Pin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopes, Fabio; Appoloni, C.R., E-mail: bonn@uel.b [Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), PR (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica. Lab. de Fisica Nuclear Aplicada; Melquiades, Fabio L. [Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO), Guarapuava, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica

    2007-07-01

    The determination of zinc concentration in samples of discarded tires is of great environmental interest because the process for manufacturing tyres uses S for rubber vulcanization, and ZnO is the reaction catalyst. Discarded tyres are being used in asphalt paving, in the burning process of thermoelectric and cement industries and also for controlling erosion in agricultural areas. Analysis of tyre samples usually requires chemical digestion which is slow and expensive. Aiming to eliminate those limitations, this work uses energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) with a portable equipment, once it is a simultaneous multi-element analytical technique, requiring minimal sample preparation. Five samples of discarded tyres have been ground and analysed in the form of pastilles, using a mini X-ray tube (Ag target, MO filter, 25 kV/20 muA) for 200 s, and a Si-PIN semiconductor detector coupled to a multichannel analyser. Zinc concentrations in the range of 40.6 to 44.2 mug g{sup -1} have been obtained, representing 0.4% of the tire composition, which is below the maximum value (2%) recommended by the European Tyre Recycling Association. Concentrations between 0.15 and 0.52 mug g{sup -1} were obtained for Fe

  14. Registered Replication Report: Testing Disruptive Effects of Irrelevant Speech on Visual-Spatial Working Memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Kvetnaya

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available A Partial Replication of “Functional Equivalence of Verbal and Spatial Information in Serial Short-Term Memory (Jones, Farrand, Stuart, & Morris, 1995; Experiment 4” The irrelevant speech effect (ISE—the phenomenon that background speech impairs serial recall of visually presented material—has been widely used for examining the structure of short-term memory. In Experiment 4, Jones, Farrand, Stuart, and Morris (1995 employed the ISE to demonstrate that impairment of performance is determined by the changing-state characteristics of the material, rather than its modality of origin. The present study directly replicated the spatial condition of Experiment 4 with 'N' = 40 German participants. In contrast to the original findings, no main effect of sound type was observed, 'F'(2, 78 = 0.81, 'p' = .450, η2'p' = .02. The absence of an ISE in the spatial domain does not support the changing state hypothesis.

  15. Characterization of ceramic electrical insulators discarded by the electricity distribution networks and compared with similar products without use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franco, C.S.; Mantovani, V.A.; Favero, M.; Morales, J.; Hasegawa, H.L.

    2010-01-01

    The maintenance of distribution networks for electricity generates a large amount of waste. Among these, one of the most representative weights is from porcelain, found in para-rays, braces, insulators. The aim of this study was to evaluate the recycling potential of two models of ceramic insulators, new and used. It had been subjected to comparative tests of scanning electron microscopy, coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, contact angle, volatile content and density. In general, samples of new and used ceramic showed no differences that might be associated of material degradation by using. This indicates that the materials discarded and new ones are very close, which may encourage the reuse and recycling. (author)

  16. Descarte de peixes na pesca comercial em Tefé, médio Solimões, Amazônia Central - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v30i1.1471 Discarded catches from commercial fisheries in the middle Solimões river, Central Amazon region - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v30i1.1471

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wuerles Bessa Barbosa

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Descartes são comuns na pesca comercial, sendo avaliados para apoiar o manejo da pesca na região. Por meio de acompanhamentos diários das pescarias da frota comercial de Tefé, foi descrito o descarte de pescado no médio Solimões. Utilizando análises de correlação e covariância, foram avaliados fatores que determinam o descarte com três modalidades distintas de pesca. Os pescadores selecionaram o pescado no momento da captura por espécie e tamanho. As espécies de pescados mais descartados foram jaraquis, tucunarés e branquinhas, porém os mais freqüentes, no descarte, foram espécies dos Siluriformes. Os apetrechos de pesca analisados apresentaram diferenças nas características de seu descarte. O descarte foi menor na enchente-cheia (5-17% da captura, conforme apetrecho que durante a vazante-seca (20-62%, conforme apetrechoDiscards are common in commercial fishery, and are evaluated in order to support fisheries management in the region. Fish discards in the middle Solimões River were described through daily monitoring of fishing activities by the commercial fleet of the town of Tefé. By making use of analyses of correlation and covariance, determinant factors for discards in three different types of fisheries were evaluated. The crew selected the fish at the moment of capture, by species and size. Among the most discarded fish species were silver prochilodus, peacock bass, and curimata inormata; however, the most frequently discarded were Siluriform species. The fishing gear analyzed featured differences in their discarding characteristics. Discard was lower during the flood period (5-17% of catches, depending on gear than during the dry season (20-62% of catches, depending on gear

  17. Solving complex fisheries management problems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petter Johnsen, Jahn; Eliasen, Søren Qvist

    2011-01-01

    A crucial issue for the new EU common fisheries policy is how to solve the discard problem. Through a study of the institutional set up and the arrangements for solving the discard problem in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, the article identifies the discard problem as related...

  18. Irrelevant stimulus processing in ADHD: catecholamine dynamics and attentional networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco eAboitiz

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available A cardinal symptom of Attenion Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD is a general distractibility where children and adults shift their attentional focus to stimuli that are irrelevant to the ongoing behavior. This has been attributed to a deficit in dopaminergic signaling in cortico-striatal networks that regulate goal-directed behavior. Furthermore, recent imaging evidence points to an impairment of large scale, antagonistic brain networks that normally contribute to attentional engagement and disengagement, such as the task-positive networks and the Default Mode Network (DMN. Related networks are the ventral attentional network (VAN involved in attentional shifting, and the salience network (SN related to task expectancy. Here we discuss the tonic-phasic dynamics of catecholaminergic signaling in the brain, and attempt to provide a link between this and the activities of the large-scale cortical networks that regulate behavior. More specifically, we propose that a disbalance of tonic catecholamine levels during task performance produce an emphasis of phasic signaling and increased excitability of the VAN, yielding distractibility symptoms. Likewise, immaturity of the SN may relate to abnormal tonic signaling and an incapacity to build up a proper executive system during task performance. We discuss different lines of evidence including pharmacology, brain imaging and electrophysiology, that are consistent with our proposal. Finally, restoring the pharmacodynamics of catecholaminergic signaling seems crucial to alleviate ADHD symptoms; however, the possibility is open to explore cognitive rehabilitation strategies to top-down modulate network dynamics compensating the pharmacological deficits.

  19. Technical assessment of discarded tires gasification as alternative technology for electricity generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machin, Einara Blanco; Pedroso, Daniel Travieso; de Carvalho, João Andrade

    2017-10-01

    Concern about contamination associated with the disposal of tires has led to the search for technologies to reuse discarded tires, which include the use of Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) as fuel in advanced thermal-conversion processes, this allows the energy use of these wastes at affordable costs and reduces the environmental impact on scrap tires disposal. A theoretical assessment of the technical viability of TDF gasification for electric and thermal power generation, from the producer gas combustion in an internal combustion engine and in a gas turbine, was performed. The combustion of producer gas derived from the gasification of TDF in an internal combustion engine driving a generator (ICE-G) appears as the more efficient route for electricity generation when compared with the efficiency obtained with the use of gas turbine (GT-G). A higher global efficiency, considering the electric and thermal generation efficiency can be expected with the use of TDF producer gas in GT-G, where is expected an overall efficiency of 77.49%. The assessment shows that is possible produces up to 7.67MJ and 10.62MJ of electric and thermal energy per kilogram of TDF gasified using an ICE-G and up to 6.06MJ and 13.03MJ of electric and thermal energy respectively per kilogram of gasified TDF using a GT-G. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Doubly sparse factor models for unifying feature transformation and feature selection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katahira, Kentaro; Okanoya, Kazuo; Okada, Masato; Matsumoto, Narihisa; Sugase-Miyamoto, Yasuko

    2010-01-01

    A number of unsupervised learning methods for high-dimensional data are largely divided into two groups based on their procedures, i.e., (1) feature selection, which discards irrelevant dimensions of the data, and (2) feature transformation, which constructs new variables by transforming and mixing over all dimensions. We propose a method that both selects and transforms features in a common Bayesian inference procedure. Our method imposes a doubly automatic relevance determination (ARD) prior on the factor loading matrix. We propose a variational Bayesian inference for our model and demonstrate the performance of our method on both synthetic and real data.

  1. Doubly sparse factor models for unifying feature transformation and feature selection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katahira, Kentaro; Okanoya, Kazuo; Okada, Masato [ERATO, Okanoya Emotional Information Project, Japan Science Technology Agency, Saitama (Japan); Matsumoto, Narihisa; Sugase-Miyamoto, Yasuko, E-mail: okada@k.u-tokyo.ac.j [Human Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki (Japan)

    2010-06-01

    A number of unsupervised learning methods for high-dimensional data are largely divided into two groups based on their procedures, i.e., (1) feature selection, which discards irrelevant dimensions of the data, and (2) feature transformation, which constructs new variables by transforming and mixing over all dimensions. We propose a method that both selects and transforms features in a common Bayesian inference procedure. Our method imposes a doubly automatic relevance determination (ARD) prior on the factor loading matrix. We propose a variational Bayesian inference for our model and demonstrate the performance of our method on both synthetic and real data.

  2. Temporal and spatial predictability of an irrelevant event differently affect detection and memory of items in a visual sequence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junji eOhyama

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available We examined how the temporal and spatial predictability of a task-irrelevant visual event affects the detection and memory of a visual item embedded in a continuously changing sequence. Participants observed 11 sequentially presented letters, during which a task-irrelevant visual event was either present or absent. Predictabilities of spatial location and temporal position of the event were controlled in 2 × 2 conditions. In the spatially predictable conditions, the event occurred at the same location within the stimulus sequence or at another location, while, in the spatially unpredictable conditions, it occurred at random locations. In the temporally predictable conditions, the event timing was fixed relative to the order of the letters, while in the temporally unpredictable condition, it could not be predicted from the letter order. Participants performed a working memory task and a target detection reaction time task. Memory accuracy was higher for a letter simultaneously presented at the same location as the event in the temporally unpredictable conditions, irrespective of the spatial predictability of the event. On the other hand, the detection reaction times were only faster for a letter simultaneously presented at the same location as the event when the event was both temporally and spatially predictable. Thus, to facilitate ongoing detection processes, an event must be predictable both in space and time, while memory processes are enhanced by temporally unpredictable (i.e., surprising events. Evidently, temporal predictability has differential effects on detection and memory of a visual item embedded in a sequence of images.

  3. In search of educational efficiency: 30 years of Medical Education's top-cited articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rangel, J Cristian; Cartmill, Carrie; Martimianakis, Maria Athina; Kuper, Ayelet; Whitehead, Cynthia R

    2017-09-01

    Academic journals represent shared spaces wherein the significance of thematic areas, methodologies and paradigms are debated and shaped through collective engagement. By studying journals in their historical and cultural contexts, the academic community can gain insight into the ways in which authors and audiences propose, develop, harness, revise and discard research subjects, methodologies and practices. Thirty top-cited articles published in Medical Education between 1986 and 2014 were analysed in a two-step process. First, a descriptive classification of articles allowed us to quantify the frequency of content areas over the time span studied. Secondly, a discourse analysis was conducted to identify the continuities, disruptions and tensions within the three most prominent content areas. The top-cited articles in Medical Education focused on three major areas of interest: problem-based learning, simulation and assessment. In each of these areas of interest, we noted a tension between the desire to produce and apply standardised tools, and the recognition that the contexts of medical education are highly variable and influenced by political and financial considerations. The general preoccupation with achieving efficiency may paradoxically jeopardise the ability of medical schools to address the contextual needs of students, teachers and patients. Understanding the topics of interest for a journal's scholarly audience and how these topics are discursively positioned, provides important information for researchers in deciding how they wish to engage with the field, as well as for educators as they assess the relevance of educational products for their local contexts. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  4. Two-step bioleaching of copper and gold from discarded printed circuit boards (PCB).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Işıldar, Arda; van de Vossenberg, Jack; Rene, Eldon R; van Hullebusch, Eric D; Lens, Piet N L

    2016-11-01

    An effective strategy for environmentally sound biological recovery of copper and gold from discarded printed circuit boards (PCB) in a two-step bioleaching process was experimented. In the first step, chemolithotrophic acidophilic Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were used. In the second step, cyanide-producing heterotrophic Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas putida were used. Results showed that at a 1% pulp density (10g/L PCB concentration), 98.4% of the copper was bioleached by a mixture of A. ferrivorans and A. thiooxidans at pH 1.0-1.6 and ambient temperature (23±2°C) in 7days. A pure culture of P. putida (strain WCS361) produced 21.5 (±1.5)mg/L cyanide with 10g/L glycine as the substrate. This gold complexing agent was used in the subsequent bioleaching step using the Cu-leached (by A. ferrivorans and A. thiooxidans) PCB material, 44.0% of the gold was mobilized in alkaline conditions at pH 7.3-8.6, and 30°C in 2days. This study provided a proof-of-concept of a two-step approach in metal bioleaching from PCB, by bacterially produced lixiviants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Why Do Irrelevant Alternatives Matter? An fMRI-TMS Study of Context-Dependent Preferences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Hui-Kuan; Sjöström, Tomas; Lee, Hsin-Ju; Lu, Yi-Ta; Tsuo, Fu-Yun; Chen, Tzai-Shuen; Chang, Chi-Fu; Juan, Chi-Hung; Kuo, Wen-Jui; Huang, Chen-Ying

    2017-11-29

    Both humans and animals are known to exhibit a violation of rationality known as "decoy effect": introducing an irrelevant option (a decoy) can influence choices among other (relevant) options. Exactly how and why decoys trigger this effect is not known. It may be an example of fast heuristic decision-making, which is adaptive in natural environments, but may lead to biased choices in certain markets or experiments. We used fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate the neural underpinning of the decoy effect of both sexes. The left ventral striatum was more active when the chosen option dominated the decoy. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the presence of a decoy option influences the valuation of other options, making valuation context-dependent even when choices appear fully rational. Consistent with the idea that control is recruited to prevent heuristics from producing biased choices, the right inferior frontal gyrus, often implicated in inhibiting prepotent responses, connected more strongly with the striatum when subjects successfully overrode the decoy effect and made unbiased choices. This is further supported by our transcranial magnetic stimulation experiment: subjects whose right inferior frontal gyrus was temporarily disrupted made biased choices more often than a control group. Our results suggest that the neural basis of the decoy effect could be the context-dependent activation of the valuation area. But the differential connectivity from the frontal area may indicate how deliberate control monitors and corrects errors and biases in decision-making. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Standard theories of rational decision-making assume context-independent valuations of available options. Motivated by the importance of this basic assumption, we used fMRI to study how the human brain assigns values to available options. We found activity in the valuation area to be consistent with the hypothesis that values depend on irrelevant aspects

  6. Wastewater reclamation using discarded reverse osmosis membranes for reuse in irrigation in Djibouti, an arid country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awaleh, Mohamed Osman; Ahmed, Moussa Mahdi; Soubaneh, Youssouf Djibril; Hoch, Farhan Bouraleh; Bouh, Samatar Mohamed; Dirieh, Elias Said

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to establish the feasibility of recovering discarded reverse osmosis (RO) membranes in order to reduce the salinity of domestic treated wastewater. This study shows that the reuse of RO membranes is of particular interest for arid countries having naturally high mineralized water such as Djibouti. The pilot desalination unit reduces the electrical conductivity, the turbidity and the total dissolved salt respectively at 75-85, 96.7 and 95.4%. The water produced with this desalination unit contains an average of 254 cfu/100 mL total coliforms and 87 cfu/100 mL fecal coliforms. This effluent meets the World Health Organization standards for treated wastewater reuse for agricultural purposes. The annual cost of the desalination unit was evaluated as US $/m(3) 0.82, indicating the relatively high cost of this process. Nevertheless, such processes are required to produce an effluent, with a high reuse potential.

  7. Socio-emotionally Significant Experience and Children’s Processing of Irrelevant Auditory Stimuli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schermerhorn, Alice C.; Bates, John E.; Puce, Aina; Molfese, Dennis L.

    2017-01-01

    Theory and research indicate considerable influence of socio-emotionally significant experiences on children’s functioning and adaptation. In the current study, we examined neurophysiological correlates of children’s allocation of information processing resources to socio-emotionally significant events, specifically, simulated marital interactions. We presented 9- to 11-year-old children (n = 24; 11 females) with 15 videos of interactions between two actors posing as a married couple. Task-irrelevant brief auditory probes were presented during the videos, and event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited to the auditory probes were measured. As hypothesized, exposure to higher levels of interparental conflict was associated with smaller P1, P2, and N2 ERPs to the probes. This finding is consistent with the idea that children who had been exposed to more interparental conflict attended more to the videos and diverted fewer cognitive resources to processing the probes, thereby producing smaller ERPs to the probes. In addition, smaller N2s were associated with more child behavior problems, suggesting that allocating fewer processing resources to the probes was associated with more problem behavior. Results are discussed in terms of implications of socio-emotionally significant experiences for children’s processing of interpersonal interactions. PMID:27993611

  8. [Development of a paté formulation basis on rainbow trout discards].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarroel, Mario; Hazbun, Julia; Morales, Pamela

    2010-06-01

    An optimized formulation of pate was developed using rainbow trout discard with the employment ofTaguchi methodology, taking into account that the health-promoting benefits of this resource makes it a viable alternative as a functional foods to help consumers to get a healthy lifestyle. The optimization process utilizing Taguchi methodology was carried out in two phases. First, an orthogonal array L(8)2(7) with seven independent variables was chosen to select the control factors with a significant effect on the sensory quality (SQ). As a result, the following independent variables were selected: merkén pepper, sodium chloride, vegetal lard and margarine. In the second stage the L(9)3(4) orthogonal array was used. Data were analysed using differences between average values of factors according working levels, and also ANOVA, summing up that merken pepper, sodium chloride and margarine showed a significant effect (p > 0.05) on the SQ. Best combination turned to be: merkén 0.7%, sodium chloride 1.3%, vegetal lard 5.2% and margarine 5.2%. Among the chemical characteristics highlighted protein 13.8%, lipid 10.21%, caloric density 175 Kcal/100 g and cholesterol 46 mg/100 g. Shelf life study during a period of time of 6 weeks at 5 degrees C expressed as mesophyl aerobic count (MAC) and peroxide index were 1.6E+0.4 ufc/g and 8.44 meg O2/Kg respectively, both characteristics lower than the maximum limits allowed for chilean regulations. Concerning to the acceptability of the optimized product the hedonic test showed 91% approval and also 87% of consumers would be well disposed to buy this product.

  9. Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells from Discarded Neonatal Sternal Tissue: In Vitro Characterization and Angiogenic Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuyun Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Autologous and nonautologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs are being evaluated as proangiogenic agents for ischemic and vascular disease in adults but not in children. A significant number of newborns and infants with critical congenital heart disease who undergo cardiac surgery already have or are at risk of developing conditions related to inadequate tissue perfusion. During neonatal cardiac surgery, a small amount of sternal tissue is usually discarded. Here we demonstrate that MSCs can be isolated from human neonatal sternal tissue using a nonenzymatic explant culture method. Neonatal sternal bone MSCs (sbMSCs were clonogenic, had a surface marker expression profile that was characteristic of bone marrow MSCs, were multipotent, and expressed pluripotency-related genes at low levels. Neonatal sbMSCs also demonstrated in vitro proangiogenic properties. Sternal bone MSCs cooperated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs to form 3D networks and tubes in vitro. Conditioned media from sbMSCs cultured in hypoxia also promoted HUVEC survival and migration. Given the neonatal source, ease of isolation, and proangiogenic properties, sbMSCs may have relevance to therapeutic applications.

  10. Proper understanding of relevant articles in RCC-M and PANE G-7-002

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Zaozhan

    2005-01-01

    The French code, 'Design and construction rules for mechanical components of PWR nuclear island' RCC-M and the Russian code 'Regulations for strength analysis of equipment and pipelines of atomic power plants' PANE G-7-002, both for nuke plant design, are sometimes used in China, and discrepancies in understanding some articles of such foreign design codes will some times give different conclusions as 'acceptable' or 'unacceptable' the concerned material or product. Section IV of RCC-M concerns with qualification and performance of welding operations. Article S 3150 in this section covers the retesting procedures and article S 3152 in it relates to destructive tests. One sentence in Article S 3152 reads like this, 'Where an unsatisfactory result is due to the poor execution of the test or the presence of a defect in the specimen, the relevant result must be discarded and the test shall be repeated.' The 'presence of a defect' arose discrepancies in understanding the sentence because there is no definition in RCC-M to clarify their scopes such as how big a defect should be considered as a 'defect' that can invalidate the test results. Section 5.5 of PANE G-7-002 concerns the determination of critical brittle temperature. It stipulates that critical brittle temperature T k is a temperature at which the impact strength values must be higher than the specified ones. The specified criterion values of impact strength are related to the yield strength but it is not quite definite that the yield strength values in the table should be the documented minimum values for different materials or that they should be the tested results of the concerned lots of materials the specimen represents. The two different understandings of the yield strength values will sometimes give contrary conclusions. This paper introduces the different opinions in understanding the code texts, makes clear what it supports, and states in detail the reasons it so believes. (authors)

  11. Learning the preferences of physicians for the organization of result lists of medical evidence articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Sullivan, D; Wilk, S; Michalowski, W; Slowinski, R; Thomas, R; Kadzinski, M; Farion, K

    2014-01-01

    Online medical knowledge repositories such as MEDLINE and The Cochrane Library are increasingly used by physicians to retrieve articles to aid with clinical decision making. The prevailing approach for organizing retrieved articles is in the form of a rank-ordered list, with the assumption that the higher an article is presented on a list, the more relevant it is. Despite this common list-based organization, it is seldom studied how physicians perceive the association between the relevance of articles and the order in which articles are presented. In this paper we describe a case study that captured physician preferences for 3-element lists of medical articles in order to learn how to organize medical knowledge for decision-making. Comprehensive relevance evaluations were developed to represent 3-element lists of hypothetical articles that may be retrieved from an online medical knowledge source such as MEDLINE or The Cochrane Library. Comprehensive relevance evaluations asses not only an article's relevance for a query, but also whether it has been placed on the correct list position. In other words an article may be relevant and correctly placed on a result list (e.g. the most relevant article appears first in the result list), an article may be relevant for a query but placed on an incorrect list position (e.g. the most relevant article appears second in a result list), or an article may be irrelevant for a query yet still appear in the result list. The relevance evaluations were presented to six senior physicians who were asked to express their preferences for an article's relevance and its position on a list by pairwise comparisons representing different combinations of 3-element lists. The elicited preferences were assessed using a novel GRIP (Generalized Regression with Intensities of Preference) method and represented as an additive value function. Value functions were derived for individual physicians as well as the group of physicians. The results show

  12. Discarded human fetal tissue and cell cultures for transplantation research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hay, R.J.; Phillips, T.; Thompson, A.; Vilner, L.; Cleland, M.; Tchaw-ren Chen; Zabrenetzky, V.

    1999-01-01

    A feasibility study has been performed to explore the utility of various tissues from discarded human abortuses for transplantation and related research. Specifically, aborted fetuses plus parental blood samples and all relevant clinical data were obtained through a local hospital complex. Whenever possible, pancreas, skin and skeletal muscle, heart, liver, kidney, cartilage and lung tissues were removed, dissociated and subfractionated for cryopreservation, characterization and cultivation trials in vitro. Existing protocols for these manipulations were compared and improved upon as required. Clonal culture, cell aggregate maintenance techniques and use of feeder cell populations have been utilized where appropriate to develop quantitative comparative data. Histological and biochemical assays were applied both to evaluate separation/cultivation methods and to identify optimal culture conditions for maintaining functional cells. Immunochemical and molecular biological procedures were applied to study expression of Major Histocompatibility Vomplex (MHC) class 1 and 11 molecules on cell lines derived. Tissue and cell culture populations were examined for infections with bacteria, ftingi, mycoplasma, HIV, CMV, hepatitis B and other viruses. Only 1% of the abortuses tested were virally infected. Cytogenetic analyses confin-ned the normal diploid status in the vast majority (>98%) of lines tested. A total of over 250 abortuses have been obtained and processed. Only 25 were found to be contaminated with bacteria or fungi and unsuitable for further cultivation trials. A total of over 200 cell populations were isolated, characterized and cryopreserved for further study. Included were kidney, lung, liver and epidermal epithelia: cartilage-derived cells from the spine and epiphyses plus myogenic myoblasts. Selected lines have been immortalized using HPV I 6E6/E7 sequences. Epithelia from the liver and pancreas and cardiac myocytes were the most problematic in that initial

  13. Risks of toxic ash from artisanal mining of discarded cellphones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hibbert, Kathleen [School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Ogunseitan, Oladele A., E-mail: Oladele.Ogunseitan@uci.edu [School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)

    2014-08-15

    − 09 cases/kg of ash, respectively. The results reveal hazards of burning discarded cellphones to recover precious metals, and pinpoints opportunities for manufacturers to reduce toxic materials used in specific electronic components marketed globally.

  14. Risks of toxic ash from artisanal mining of discarded cellphones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hibbert, Kathleen; Ogunseitan, Oladele A.

    2014-01-01

    /kg of ash, respectively. The results reveal hazards of burning discarded cellphones to recover precious metals, and pinpoints opportunities for manufacturers to reduce toxic materials used in specific electronic components marketed globally

  15. Hábitos relacionados ao descarte pós-consumo de aparelhos e baterias de telefones celulares em uma comunidade acadêmica Habits related to the post-consumption discard of mobile phones and their batteries within an academic community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Barbosa Zuquer Giaretta

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Cada vez mais a sociedade contemporânea incorpora em seu cotidiano equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos, muitos deles contendo substâncias perigosas, que representam ameaças ao meio ambiente e riscos à saúde humana. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa exploratória com o objetivo de relacionar comportamento de descarte pós-consumo de aparelhos e baterias de celulares, em um grupo de consumidores de telefonia móvel, que tem proximidade em seu cotidiano de trabalho e de estudo com informações sobre saúde pública e ambiental. Os resultados da pesquisa indicam que informação pode aproximar as pessoas do problema, porém não levam por si só à produção de alterações significativas sobre o que e como fazer com o descarte pós-consumo. Os participantes do estudo possibilitaram identificar, que além da informação e acesso a coletores específicos, outros aspectos e critérios pessoais ou coletivos interferem no procedimento de descarte: percepção sobre risco, valor econômico disponibilizado na compra do aparelho e vínculos afetivos, entre outros. Esses fatores podem produzir diferentes respostas dos usuários sobre como lidar com as inovações tecnológicas de uso pessoal.The contemporary society increasingly incorporates electric and electronic equipments (EEE in its everyday life, many of them containing dangerous substances that represent threats to the environment and risks to human health. This article presents the results of an exploratory research with the objective of investigating the behavior of post-consumption discard of mobile phones and their batteries in a group of consumers of mobile phones who are in contact, in their work and study, with information about public and environmental health. The results of the research indicate that information can approximate the people to the problem; however, it does not lead, by itself, to the production of significant alterations on how to perform the post

  16. Blocking of irrelevant memories by posterior alpha activity boosts memory encoding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Hyojin; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Eunjoo; Kang, Hyejin; Hahm, Jarang; Kim, June Sic; Chung, Chun Kee; Jensen, Ole

    2014-08-01

    In our daily lives, we are confronted with a large amount of information. Because only a small fraction can be encoded in long-term memory, the brain must rely on powerful mechanisms to filter out irrelevant information. To understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying the gating of information into long-term memory, we employed a paradigm where the encoding was directed by a "Remember" or a "No-Remember" cue. We found that posterior alpha activity increased prior to the "No-Remember" stimuli, whereas it decreased prior to the "Remember" stimuli. The sources were localized in the parietal cortex included in the dorsal attention network. Subjects with a larger cue-modulation of the alpha activity had better memory for the to-be-remembered items. Interestingly, alpha activity reflecting successful inhibition following the "No-Remember" cue was observed in the frontal midline structures suggesting preparatory inhibition was mediated by anterior parts of the dorsal attention network. During the presentation of the memory items, there was more gamma activity for the "Remember" compared to the "No-Remember" items in the same regions. Importantly, the anticipatory alpha power during cue predicted the gamma power during item. Our findings suggest that top-down controlled alpha activity reflects attentional inhibition of sensory processing in the dorsal attention network, which then finally gates information to long-term memory. This gating is achieved by inhibiting the processing of visual information reflected by neuronal synchronization in the gamma band. In conclusion, the functional architecture revealed by region-specific changes in the alpha activity reflects attentional modulation which has consequences for long-term memory encoding. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. EXTRACTION OF COPPER FROM LEACH LIQUOR OF METALLIC COMPONENT IN DISCARDED CELL PHONE BY CYANEX® 272

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ALAFARA A. BABA

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Discarded cell phones contribute significantly to the amount of electronic waste generation whilst some of its components are toxic and recoverable. Also, due to the increasing demand for Cu(II in building/construction, electrical and as chemical tool in freshwater, it is imperative to develop low cost and ecofriendly technique as a substitute for the conventional treatments such as reduction-roasting route at elevated temperatures. In the present study, the hydrometallurgical operations involving leaching, solvent extraction and precipitation for the recovery of Cu(II by Cyanex® 272 in kerosene was examined. Various parameters affecting the extraction of Cu(II such as pH, extractant concentration and phase ratio were optimized. At optimal conditions, about 96.3 % Cu(II was extracted into the organic phase by 0.2 mol/L Cyanex® 272 at equilibrium pH 5.0 and aqueous to organic phase ratio 1:1. The stripping of the loaded organic was carried out by 0.1 mol/L HCl solution and stripping efficiency of 98 % was obtained. By McCabe Thiele diagram, four stages are required for complete extraction of Cu(II.

  18. Inhibition of irrelevant information is not necessary to performance of expert chess players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postal, Virginie

    2012-08-01

    Some studies on expertise have demonstrated that the difference between novices and experts can be partly due to a lack of knowledge about which information is relevant for a given situation. This lack of knowledge seems to be associated with the selection of correct information and with inhibitory processes. However, while the efficiency of inhibitory processes can lead to better performance in the normal population, it seems that experts in chess do not base their performance on this process but rather on an automatic and parallel encoding of information. Two experiments investigated the processes involved in a check detection task. The congruence of the information was manipulated in a Stroop situation similar to Reingold, Charness, Scheltetus, & Stampe (2001). The results showed that the experts did not benefit from cuing with a congruent cue and that they did not show any interference effect by the incongruent cue, contrary to less skilled chess players who benefited from cuing (Exp. 1). An attentional priming procedure confirmed the automatic encoding of chess relations in the more skilled chess players by showing no advantage from the prime in this group (Exp. 2). Taken together, the results indicate that the processing was serial for the less skilled chess players and that it was automatic and parallel for the more expert chess players. The inhibition of irrelevant information does not seem necessary to process information rapidly and efficiently.

  19. Mental Schemas Hamper Memory Storage of Goal-Irrelevant Information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweegers, C C G; Coleman, G A; van Poppel, E A M; Cox, R; Talamini, L M

    2015-01-01

    . An important determinant in this matter is likely related to momentary goals, such that mental schemas facilitate memory processing of goal-relevant input, but suppress processing of goal-irrelevant information. - Schema-congruent information suffers from shallow encoding.- Schema congruency induces poor item and context memory.- The parietal old/new effect is less pronounced for schema-congruent items.- Schemas exert different influences on memory formation depending on current goals.

  20. Descarte de lámparas ahorradoras de energía y su relación con la exposición a mercurio. Caso: Bella Vista, estado Aragua, Venezuela | Discard of energy-saving bulbs and relationship with mercury exposure. Case: Bella Vista, Aragua state, Venezuela

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreína Reyes

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Mercury is a toxic element used in the manufacture of energy-saving bulbs, which is a source of pollution both for the environment and humans when they are improperly disposed of. Mercury entering the organism is mainly eliminated by urinary excretion. The discard of energy-saving bulbs and its relation with mercury environmental exposure in Bella Vista population (Aragua, Venezuela was studied. Research was descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional and field. For a group of 36 possibly exposed and 37 control group individuals, the discarding methods for energy-saving bulbs were identified, mercury levels in urine by cold vapor spectrophotometry and creatinine levels by Jaffe modified method were quantified. Permissive limit for non-exposed persons is 5 μg Hg/g creatinine. Signs and symptoms associated with exposure to mercury were described and the variable discard of energy-saving bulbs with urinary mercury levels was related. An analysis of variance was applied on the results of urine mercury levels classified by study group (possibly exposed and control and age groups, with statistically significant differences for urine mercury levels classified according to study groups (p = 0.001 but not for age group (p = 0.946.

  1. Article Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012-12-03

    Dec 3, 2012 ... Article. The use of standardised patients (SPs) in medical education is well ... those taught using inpatients6 and virtual patients.7 The use of the ..... the reality that principles taught in theory do not always translate into the.

  2. Medicines discarded in household garbage: analysis of a pharmaceutical waste sample in Vienna.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogler, Sabine; Leopold, Christine; Zuidberg, Christel; Habl, Claudia

    2014-01-01

    To analyze a sample of pharmaceutical waste drawn from household garbage in Vienna, with the aim to learn whether and which medicines end up unused in normal household waste. We obtained a pharmaceutical waste sample from the Vienna Municipal Waste Department. This was drawn by their staff in a representative search in October and November 2009. We did a manual investigation of the sample which contained packs and loose blisters, excluded medical devices and traced loose blisters back to medicines packs. We reported information on the prescription status, origin, therapeutic group, dose form, contents and expiry date. We performed descriptive statistics for the total data set and for sub-groups (e.g. items still containing some of original content). In total, 152 packs were identified, of which the majority was prescription-only medicines (74%). Cardiovascular medicines accounted for the highest share (24%). 87% of the packs were in oral form. 95% of the packs had not expired. 14.5% of the total data set contained contents but the range of content left in the packs varied. Results on the packs with contents differed from the total: the shares of Over-the Counter medicines (36%), of medicines of the respiratory system (18%) and of the musculo-skeletal system (18%), for dermal use (23%) and of expired medicines (19%) were higher compared to the full data set. The study showed that some medicines end up unused or partially used in normal household garbage in Vienna. Our results did not confirm speculations about a high percentage of unused medicines improperly discarded. There is room for improved patient information and counseling to enhance medication adherence and a proper discharge of medicines.

  3. Leaching of hydrophobic Cu and Zn from discarded marine antifouling paint residues: Evidence for transchelation of metal pyrithiones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmes, Luke; Turner, Andrew

    2009-01-01

    Leaching of Cu and Zn from a composite of discarded antifouling paint residues ([Cu] = 288 mg g -1 ; [Zn] = 96 mg g -1 ) into natural sea water has been studied over a period of 75 h. Total Cu and Zn were released according to a pseudo first-order reaction, with rate constants on the order of 0.3 and 2.5 (mg L -1 ) -1 h -1 , respectively, and final concentrations equivalent to the dissolution of about 8 and 2% of respective concentrations in the composite. Time-distributions of hydrophobic metals, determined by solid phase extraction-methanol elution, were more complex. Net release of hydrophobic Cu was greater in the absence of light than under a sequence of light-dark cycles; however, hydrophobic Zn release was not detected under the former conditions but contributed up to 50% of total aqueous Zn when light was present. These observations are interpreted in terms of the relative thermodynamic and photolytic stabilities of biocidal pyrithione complexes. - Hydrophobic Cu and Zn leached from antifouling paint particles into sea water appear to be pyrithione complexes.

  4. [Excise taxes on tobacco and the problem of smuggling - concerning the credibility of the tobacco industry's "Discarded-Cigarette-Packages-Study"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, M; Effertz, T

    2011-10-01

    The consumption of tobacco products is one of the main causes of illnesses. An often neglected but highly effective instrument for fiscal and preventive purposes is higher taxes on tobacco products. The tobacco industry however claims that higher taxes have tremendous effects on smuggling activity with additional costs with regard to law enforcement. The claim appears to be substantiated by a study which collects and documents the amounts of discarded empty cigarette packs, and which is used to estimate the fraction of illegally imported cigarettes. We show that this study makes use of systematic misspecifications and impreciseness and thus seems to pursue the aim of showing an exaggerated high amount of illegally imported cigarettes. The industry's claim that two thirds of non-taxed cigarettes in Germany are imported illegally, thus lacks any sound, well-grounded empirical corroboration. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. Effect of discarded keratin-based biocomposite hydrogels on the wound healing process in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Mira [Department of Organic Materials & Fiber Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561–756 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Hye Kyoung [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 100 Inharo, Incheon 402–751 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Byoung-Suhk [Department of BIN fusion technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561–756 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Myung Jin; Kim, In-Shik [Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-safety Research institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561–756 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Byung-Yong, E-mail: parkb@jbnu.ac.kr [Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-safety Research institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561–756 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hak-Yong, E-mail: khy@jbnu.ac.kr [Department of BIN fusion technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561–756 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-01

    Biocompatible keratin-based hydrogels prepared by electron beam irradiation (EBI) were examined in wound healing. As the EBI dose increased to 60 kGy, the tensile strength of the hydrogels increased, while the percentage of elongation of the hydrogels decreased. After 7 days, the dehydrated wool-based hydrogels show the highest mechanical properties (the % elongation of 1341 and the tensile strength of 6030 g/cm{sup 2} at an EBI dose of 30 kGy). Excision wound models were used to evaluate the effects of human hair-based hydrogels and wool-based hydrogels on various phases of healing. On post-wounding days 7 and 14, wounds treated with either human hair-based or wool-based hydrogels were greatly reduced in size compared to wounds that received other treatments, although the hydrocolloid wound dressing-treated wound also showed a pronounced reduction in size compared to an open wound as measured by a histological assay. On the 14th postoperative day, the cellular appearances were similar in the hydrocolloid wound dressing and wool-based hydrogel-treated wounds, and collagen fibers were substituted with fibroblasts and mixed with fibroblasts in the dermis. Furthermore, the wound treated with a human hair-based hydrogel showed almost complete epithelial regeneration, with the maturation of immature connective tissue and hair follicles and formation of a sebaceous gland. - Highlights: • Biocompatible keratin-based hydrogels were examined for wound healing process. • Human hair-based hydrogel is superior to wool-based hydrogel in wound healing. • Discarded keratin-based hydrogels are expected more eco-friendly therapeutic agents.

  6. Article and process for producing an article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Jacala, Ariel Caesar Prepena; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu; Schick, David Edward

    2017-10-24

    An article and a process of producing an article are provided. The article includes a base material, a cooling feature arrangement positioned on the base material, the cooling feature arrangement including an additive-structured material, and a cover material. The cooling feature arrangement is between the base material and the cover material. The process of producing the article includes manufacturing a cooling feature arrangement by an additive manufacturing technique, and then positioning the cooling feature arrangement between a base material and a cover material.

  7. Article and method of forming an article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu; Dutta, Sandip; Schick, David Edward

    2017-12-26

    Provided are an article and a method of forming an article. The method includes providing a metallic powder, heating the metallic powder to a temperature sufficient to joint at least a portion of the metallic powder to form an initial layer, sequentially forming additional layers in a build direction by providing a distributed layer of the metallic powder over the initial layer and heating the distributed layer of the metallic powder, repeating the steps of sequentially forming the additional layers in the build direction to form a portion of the article having a hollow space formed in the build direction, and forming an overhang feature extending into the hollow space. The article includes an article formed by the method described herein.

  8. New Hybrid Features Selection Method: A Case Study on Websites Phishing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khairan D. Rajab

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Phishing is one of the serious web threats that involves mimicking authenticated websites to deceive users in order to obtain their financial information. Phishing has caused financial damage to the different online stakeholders. It is massive in the magnitude of hundreds of millions; hence it is essential to minimize this risk. Classifying websites into “phishy” and legitimate types is a primary task in data mining that security experts and decision makers are hoping to improve particularly with respect to the detection rate and reliability of the results. One way to ensure the reliability of the results and to enhance performance is to identify a set of related features early on so the data dimensionality reduces and irrelevant features are discarded. To increase reliability of preprocessing, this article proposes a new feature selection method that combines the scores of multiple known methods to minimize discrepancies in feature selection results. The proposed method has been applied to the problem of website phishing classification to show its pros and cons in identifying relevant features. Results against a security dataset reveal that the proposed preprocessing method was able to derive new features datasets which when mined generate high competitive classifiers with reference to detection rate when compared to results obtained from other features selection methods.

  9. Are objects the same as groups? ERP correlates of spatial attentional guidance by irrelevant feature similarity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasai, Tetsuko; Moriya, Hiroki; Hirano, Shingo

    2011-07-05

    It has been proposed that the most fundamental units of attentional selection are "objects" that are grouped according to Gestalt factors such as similarity or connectedness. Previous studies using event-related potentials (ERPs) have shown that object-based attention is associated with modulations of the visual-evoked N1 component, which reflects an early cortical mechanism that is shared with spatial attention. However, these studies only examined the case of perceptually continuous objects. The present study examined the case of separate objects that are grouped according to feature similarity (color, shape) by indexing lateralized potentials at posterior sites in a sustained-attention task that involved bilateral stimulus arrays. A behavioral object effect was found only for task-relevant shape similarity. Electrophysiological results indicated that attention was guided to the task-irrelevant side of the visual field due to achromatic-color similarity in N1 (155-205 ms post-stimulus) and early N2 (210-260 ms) and due to shape similarity in early N2 and late N2 (280-400 ms) latency ranges. These results are discussed in terms of selection mechanisms and object/group representations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Preprocessing in a Tiered Sensor Network for Habitat Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanbiao Wang

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available We investigate task decomposition and collaboration in a two-tiered sensor network for habitat monitoring. The system recognizes and localizes a specified type of birdcalls. The system has a few powerful macronodes in the first tier, and many less powerful micronodes in the second tier. Each macronode combines data collected by multiple micronodes for target classification and localization. We describe two types of lightweight preprocessing which significantly reduce data transmission from micronodes to macronodes. Micronodes classify events according to their cross-zero rates and discard irrelevant events. Data about events of interest is reduced and compressed before being transmitted to macronodes for target localization. Preliminary experiments illustrate the effectiveness of event filtering and data reduction at micronodes.

  11. System and method for implementing periodic early discard in on-chip buffer memories of network elements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francini, Andrea

    2013-05-14

    An advance is made over the prior art in accordance with the principles of the present invention that is directed to a new approach for a system and method for a buffer management scheme called Periodic Early Discard (PED). The invention builds on the observation that, in presence of TCP traffic, the length of a queue can be stabilized by selection of an appropriate frequency for packet dropping. For any combination of number of TCP connections and distribution of the respective RTT values, there exists an ideal packet drop frequency that prevents the queue from over-flowing or under-flowing. While the value of the ideal packet drop frequency may quickly change over time and is sensitive to the series of TCP connections affected by past packet losses, and most of all is impossible to compute inline, it is possible to approximate it with a margin of error that allows keeping the queue occupancy within a pre-defined range for extended periods of time. The PED scheme aims at tracking the (unknown) ideal packet drop frequency, adjusting the approximated value based on the evolution of the queue occupancy, with corrections of the approximated packet drop frequency that occur at a timescale that is comparable to the aggregate time constant of the set of TCP connections that traverse the queue.

  12. Leaching of hydrophobic Cu and Zn from discarded marine antifouling paint residues: Evidence for transchelation of metal pyrithiones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holmes, Luke [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Turner, Andrew, E-mail: aturner@plymouth.ac.u [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom)

    2009-12-15

    Leaching of Cu and Zn from a composite of discarded antifouling paint residues ([Cu] = 288 mg g{sup -1}; [Zn] = 96 mg g{sup -1}) into natural sea water has been studied over a period of 75 h. Total Cu and Zn were released according to a pseudo first-order reaction, with rate constants on the order of 0.3 and 2.5 (mg L{sup -1}){sup -1} h{sup -1}, respectively, and final concentrations equivalent to the dissolution of about 8 and 2% of respective concentrations in the composite. Time-distributions of hydrophobic metals, determined by solid phase extraction-methanol elution, were more complex. Net release of hydrophobic Cu was greater in the absence of light than under a sequence of light-dark cycles; however, hydrophobic Zn release was not detected under the former conditions but contributed up to 50% of total aqueous Zn when light was present. These observations are interpreted in terms of the relative thermodynamic and photolytic stabilities of biocidal pyrithione complexes. - Hydrophobic Cu and Zn leached from antifouling paint particles into sea water appear to be pyrithione complexes.

  13. Reuse of discarded deactivated bleaching earth in the bleaching of oils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Girgis, Adel Y.

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Discarded bleaching earth was used after its reactivation for the bleaching of sunflower, soybean and corn oils. The efficiency of reactivated bleaching earth was compared to the efficiency of virgin activated bleaching earth. Acid reactivated earth (pH 2.5-3 had a slightly higher content in silicone than virgin activated or neutralized reactivated earths. The best results in the color of sunflower and corn oils were obtained when neutralized earth (pH 6–7 was used at 1 and 2 % levels. Acid reactivated earth used at 2 % achieved a higher reduction in soybean oil color than virgin earth (pH 3 at the same dosage. Both reactivated earths reduced peroxide value, iron, conjugated dienes and soap, while they increased acidity and conjugated trienes. Furthermore, these reactivated earths determined higher decrements in the oil induction period than virgin earth. Reactivated earth could be used for 5 cycles for the bleaching of soybean or corn oils and for more than 6 cycles for sunflower oil.Tierra decolorante desechada, fue empleada, tras su reactivación para decolorar aceites de girasol, soja y maíz. La eficiencia de la tierra decolorante reactivada fue comparada con la de la virgen activada. La tierra reactivada ácida (pH 2,5–3 tuvo ligeramente mayor contenido en silicona que la tierra virgen o la reactivada neutra. Los mejores resultados en el color de los aceites de girasol y maíz fueron obtenidos cuando se emplearon niveles del 1 y 2 % de tierra reactivada neutra (pH 6-7. La tierra ácida reactivada, usada al 2 % consiguió una mayor reducción del color del aceite de soja, que una misma dosis de tierra virgen (pH 3. Ambas tierras reactivadas redujeron el índice de peróxidos, hierro, dienos conjugados y jabón de los aceites, mientras que hicieron aumentar la acidez y los trienos conjugados. Además, estas tierras reactivadas determinaron mayores descensos en los periodos de inducción del aceite que la tierra virgen. Las tierras

  14. New graduate registered nurses' knowledge of patient safety and practice: A literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Melanie; Sundin, Deborah; Cope, Vicki

    2018-01-01

    To critically appraise available literature and summarise evidence pertaining to the patient safety knowledge and practices of new graduate registered nurses. Responsibility for patient safety should not be limited to the practice of the bedside nurses, rather the responsibility of all in the healthcare system. Previous research identified lapses in safety across the health care, more specifically with new practitioners. Understanding these gaps and what may be employed to counteract them is vital to ensuring patient safety. A focused review of research literature. The review used key terms and Boolean operators across a 5-year time frame in CINAHL, Medline, psycINFO and Google Scholar for research articles pertaining to the area of enquiry. Eighty-four articles met the inclusion criteria, 39 discarded due to irrelevant material and 45 articles were included in the literature review. This review acknowledges that nursing has different stages of knowledge and practice capabilities. A theory-practice gap for new graduate registered nurses exists, and transition to practice is a key learning period setting new nurses on the path to becoming expert practitioners. Within the literature, there was little to no acknowledgement of patient safety knowledge of the newly registered nurse. Issues raised in the 1970s remain a concern for today's new graduate registered nurses. Research has recognised several factors affecting transition from nursing student to new graduate registered nurse. These factors are leaving new practitioners open to potential errors and risking patient safety. Understanding the knowledge of a new graduate registered nurse upon entering clinical practice may assist in organisations providing appropriate clinical and theoretical support to these nurses during their transition. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. 7 CFR 319.37-12 - Prohibited articles accompanying restricted articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prohibited articles accompanying restricted articles... Stock, Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other Plant Products 1,2 § 319.37-12 Prohibited articles accompanying restricted articles. A restricted article for importation into the United States shall not be...

  16. Chemical Warfare Materiel in Sediment at a Deep-Water Discarded Military Munitions Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briggs, C. W.; Bissonnette, M. C.; Edwards, M.; Shjegstad, S. M.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding the release and transformation of chemical agent (CA) at underwater discarded military munitions (DMM) sites is essential to determine the potential risk to human health and impact on the ocean environment; yet few studies have been conducted at sites in excess of 250 m, the depth at which most U.S. CA munitions were disposed. Maritime construction workers installing cables or pipelines at a CA DMM site, as well as fishermen and scientific researchers deploying bottom-contact gear, represent possible exposure pathways to human receptors. The Hawai`i Undersea Military Munitions Assessment (HUMMA) sought to characterize a historic munitions sea-disposal site at depths between 400-650 m. During the 2014 HUMMA Sampling Survey, the Jason 2 remotely operated vehicle was used to collect sediments within two meters of suspected World War II chemical munitions, confirmed to be 100-lb M47 series bombs containing sulfur mustard. When environmental media was brought to the surface, samples were screened for distilled sulfur mustard (HD) and related agent breakdown products (ABP) (collectively referred to as chemical warfare materiel [CWM]). Detectable concentrations of HD and/or its ABP 1,4-dithiane were found in sediments collected at all CA DMM sites; HD was also detected at two control sites. The location and extent of munitions casing deterioration strongly influenced the distribution and level of CWM in sediment. The interior of the casing contained levels of CWM orders of magnitudes higher than that observed in the surrounding sediment at one meter distance, indicating the majority of the CWM is hydrolyzed as it is released from the munitions casing and a fraction of the fill materiel persists in the environment for decades following disposal. Although the potential for future site users to become exposed to CWA in recovered sediments and debris exists, the level of risk is significantly mitigated by the depth and location of the sea-disposal site.

  17. A simple approach to ignoring irrelevant variables by population decoding based on multisensory neurons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, HyungGoo R.; Pitkow, Xaq; Angelaki, Dora E.

    2016-01-01

    Sensory input reflects events that occur in the environment, but multiple events may be confounded in sensory signals. For example, under many natural viewing conditions, retinal image motion reflects some combination of self-motion and movement of objects in the world. To estimate one stimulus event and ignore others, the brain can perform marginalization operations, but the neural bases of these operations are poorly understood. Using computational modeling, we examine how multisensory signals may be processed to estimate the direction of self-motion (i.e., heading) and to marginalize out effects of object motion. Multisensory neurons represent heading based on both visual and vestibular inputs and come in two basic types: “congruent” and “opposite” cells. Congruent cells have matched heading tuning for visual and vestibular cues and have been linked to perceptual benefits of cue integration during heading discrimination. Opposite cells have mismatched visual and vestibular heading preferences and are ill-suited for cue integration. We show that decoding a mixed population of congruent and opposite cells substantially reduces errors in heading estimation caused by object motion. In addition, we present a general formulation of an optimal linear decoding scheme that approximates marginalization and can be implemented biologically by simple reinforcement learning mechanisms. We also show that neural response correlations induced by task-irrelevant variables may greatly exceed intrinsic noise correlations. Overall, our findings suggest a general computational strategy by which neurons with mismatched tuning for two different sensory cues may be decoded to perform marginalization operations that dissociate possible causes of sensory inputs. PMID:27334948

  18. Effect of tDCS on task relevant and irrelevant perceptual learning of complex objects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Meel, Chayenne; Daniels, Nicky; de Beeck, Hans Op; Baeck, Annelies

    2016-01-01

    During perceptual learning the visual representations in the brain are altered, but these changes' causal role has not yet been fully characterized. We used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to investigate the role of higher visual regions in lateral occipital cortex (LO) in perceptual learning with complex objects. We also investigated whether object learning is dependent on the relevance of the objects for the learning task. Participants were trained in two tasks: object recognition using a backward masking paradigm and an orientation judgment task. During both tasks, an object with a red line on top of it were presented in each trial. The crucial difference between both tasks was the relevance of the object: the object was relevant for the object recognition task, but not for the orientation judgment task. During training, half of the participants received anodal tDCS stimulation targeted at the lateral occipital cortex (LO). Afterwards, participants were tested on how well they recognized the trained objects, the irrelevant objects presented during the orientation judgment task and a set of completely new objects. Participants stimulated with tDCS during training showed larger improvements of performance compared to participants in the sham condition. No learning effect was found for the objects presented during the orientation judgment task. To conclude, this study suggests a causal role of LO in relevant object learning, but given the rather low spatial resolution of tDCS, more research on the specificity of this effect is needed. Further, mere exposure is not sufficient to train object recognition in our paradigm.

  19. Feature Article

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Feature Article. Articles in Resonance – Journal of Science Education. Volume 1 Issue 1 January 1996 pp 80-85 Feature Article. What's New in Computers Windows 95 · Vijnan Shastri · More Details Fulltext PDF. Volume 1 Issue 1 January 1996 pp 86-89 Feature ...

  20. Simon and Garner effects with color and location: Evidence for two independent routes by which irrelevant location influences performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitousi, Daniel

    2016-11-01

    Classic theories of attention assume that the processing of a target's featural dimension (e.g., color) is contingent on the processing of its spatial location. The present study challenges this maxim. Three experiments evaluated the dimensional independence of spatial location and color using a combined Simon (Simon & Rudell Journal of Applied Psychology: 51, 300-304, 1967) and Garner (Garner, 1974) design. The results showed that when the stimulus's spatial location was rendered more discriminable than its color (Experiment 1 and 2), both Simon and Garner effects were obtained, and location interfered with color judgments to a larger extent than color intruded on location. However, when baseline discriminabilities of location and color were matched (Experiment 3), no Garner interference was obtained from location to color, yet Simon effects still emerged, proving resilient to manipulations of discriminability. Further correlational and distributional analyses showed that Garner and Simon effects have dissociable effects. A triple-route model is proposed to account for the results, according to which irrelevant location can influence performance via two independent location routes/codes.

  1. Neutron absorbing article and method for manufacture of such article

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McMurty, C.H.; Naum, R.G.; Owens, D.P.; Hortman, M.T.

    1981-01-01

    A neutron absorbing article is described which comprises boron carbide particles and an irreversibly-cured phenol aldehyde condensation polymer cured to a continuous matrix about the boron carbide particles. Such an article may be used in spent fuel storage racks. It can be manufactured by mixing together a curable phenolic resin with boron carbide particles, compacting the mixture to an article of desired shape, curing the resin at an elevated temperature, impregnating the cured article with curable phenolic resin in liquid state, and curing the article again

  2. Motivos do descarte de córneas captadas pelo banco de olhos do Hospital São Paulo em dois anos Discarding causes of cornea collected by eye bank of São Paulo hospital in two years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Galluzzi dos Santos

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar os motivos do descarte ou não utilização de córneas doadas, cujos tecidos foram captados, preservados e avaliados pelo Banco de Olhos do Hospital São Paulo no período de outubro de 2002 a setembro de 2004. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo analisando os prontuários com as seguintes informações sobre as doações: história clínica e ocular do doador, idade, causa mortis, resultados de exames sorológicos, avaliação do corpo do doador, avaliação biomicroscópica da morfologia do globo ocular e da córnea e contagem celular endotelial. RESULTADOS: De 1.116 córneas doadas no período, 518 (46,41% foram descartadas antes de serem preservadas, sendo 288 (25,80% devido à causa mortis, 56 (5,01% pelo histórico clínico do doador e 174 (15,59% pela avaliação do tecido. Das 598 córneas preservadas, 317 (28,40% foram destinadas ao transplante óptico e 168 (15,05% indicadas para transplantes tectônicos. CONCLUSÃO: A análise do prontuário hospitalar e história clínica do doador foi um importante fator de descarte de córneas antes da preservação. Já a avaliação biomicroscópica realizada na lâmpada de fenda é uma etapa fundamental para qualificação e classificação do tecido adequando-o para o paciente e garantindo um bom resultado cirúrgico.PURPOSE: To analyze causes of discarded donor corneas which were collected and preserved by São Paulo Hospital Eye Bank in a period of two years. METHODS: Retrospective study based in the investigation of donor's medical records, for clinical and ocular factors, age, death cause, serology results, body conditions, slit lamp corneal examination and endothelial cells counting. RESULTS: 1,116 corneas were donated and included in the study, 518 (46.41% were discarded before preservation, 168 (15.05% were not transplanted for optical purpose, but used for tectonic indication. The main reason of cornea discard was the cause of death in 288 (25.80% corneas, second the slit

  3. Blinded by Irrelevance: Pure Irrelevance Induced "Blindness"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eitam, Baruch; Yeshurun, Yaffa; Hassan, Kinneret

    2013-01-01

    To what degree does our representation of the immediate world depend solely on its relevance to what we are currently doing? We examined whether relevance per se can cause "blindness," even when there is no resource limitation. In a novel paradigm, people looked at a colored circle surrounded by a differently colored ring--the task relevance of…

  4. Article, component, and method of forming an article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Itzel, Gary Michael; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu; Dutta, Sandip; Schick, David Edward

    2018-05-22

    An article and method of forming an article are provided. The article includes a body portion separating an inner region and an outer region, an aperture in the body portion, the aperture fluidly connecting the inner region to the outer region, and a conduit extending from an outer surface of the body portion at the aperture and being arranged and disposed to controllably direct fluid from the inner region to the outer region. The method includes providing a body portion separating an inner region and an outer region, providing an aperture in the body portion, and forming a conduit over the aperture, the conduit extending from an outer surface of the body portion and being arranged and disposed to controllably direct fluid from the inner region to the outer region. The article is arranged and disposed for insertion within a hot gas path component.

  5. Influence of kidney offer acceptance behavior on metrics of allocation efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wey, Andrew; Salkowski, Nicholas; Kasiske, Bertram L; Israni, Ajay K; Snyder, Jon J

    2017-09-01

    We investigated associations of deceased donor kidney offer acceptance with likelihood of the kidney being discarded, cold ischemia time at transplant (CIT), and likelihood of the kidney being exported outside the donation service area (DSA). We used kidney offers from donors in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016, and a stratified logistic regression to estimate odds ratios of acceptance for candidates wait-listed in a DSA. We estimated associations between these ratios and likelihood of discard or export and CIT at transplant. Approximately 0.50 kidneys were discarded per donor; lower DSA-specific offer acceptance ratios were associated with more discards (R=-0.20; P=0.006). For a median donor, the DSA with the highest acceptance ratio would place 0.12 more kidneys per donor than the DSA with the lowest ratio. Low acceptance ratios were associated with higher CIT (R=-0.23; Poffer acceptance would likely reduce discards, CIT, and exports. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  6. Distribution of chemical warfare agent, energetics, and metals in sediments at a deep-water discarded military munitions site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briggs, Christian; Shjegstad, Sonia M.; Silva, Jeff A. K.; Edwards, Margo H.

    2016-06-01

    There is a strong need to understand the behavior of chemical warfare agent (CWA) at underwater discarded military munitions (DMM) sites to determine the potential threat to human health or the environment, yet few studies have been conducted at sites in excess of 250 m, the depth at which most U.S. chemical munitions were disposed. As part of the Hawai'i Undersea Military Munitions Assessment (HUMMA), sediments adjacent to chemical and conventional DMM at depths of 400-650 m were sampled using human occupied vehicles (HOVs) in order to quantify the distribution of CWA, energetics, and select metals. Sites in the same general area, with no munitions within 50 m in any direction were sampled as a control. Sulfur mustard (HD) and its degradation product 1,4-dithiane were detected at each CWA DMM site, as well as a single sample with the HD degradation product 1,4-thioxane. An energetic compound was detected in sediment to a limited extent at one CWA DMM site. Metals common in munitions casings (i.e., Fe, Cu, and Pb) showed similar trends at the regional and site-wide scales, likely reflecting changes in marine sediment deposition and composition. This study shows HD and its degradation products can persist in the deep-marine environment for decades following munitions disposal.

  7. Article and method for making an article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Schick, David Edward; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu

    2018-04-03

    An article and a method for making shaped cooling holes in an article are provided. The method includes the steps of providing a metal alloy powder; forming an initial layer with the metal alloy powder, the initial layer having a preselected thickness and a preselected shape, the preselected shape including at least one aperture; sequentially forming an additional layer over the initial layer with the metal alloy powder, the additional layer having a second preselected thickness and a second preselected shape, the second preselected shape including at least one aperture corresponding to the at least one aperture in the initial layer; and joining the additional layer to the initial layer, forming a structure having a predetermined thickness, a predetermined shape, and at least one aperture having a predetermined profile. The structure is attached to a substrate to make the article.

  8. Characterization of industrial broccoli discards (Brassica oleracea var. italica) for their glucosinolate, polyphenol and flavonoid contents using UPLC MS/MS and spectrophotometric methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Minty; Badr, Ashraf; Desjardins, Yves; Gosselin, Andre; Angers, Paul

    2018-04-15

    The agrifood industry produces tons of waste and substandard products that are discarded at great expense. Valorization of industrial residues curbs issues related to food security and environmental problems. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is associated with varied beneficial health effects, but its production yields greater than 25% rejects. We aimed to characterize and quantify industrial broccoli by-products for their glucosinolate and polyphenol contents as a first step towards industrial bio-refining. Broccoli segments and rejected lots of 10 seed cultivars were analyzed using UPLC MS/MS. Variability in the contents of bioactive molecules was observed within and between the cultivars. Broccoli by-products were rich in glucosinolates (0.2-2% dry weight sample), predominantly glucoraphanin (32-64% of the total glucosinolates), whereas the polyphenolic content was less than 0.02% dry weight sample. Valorization of industrial residues facilitates the production of high value functional food ingredients along with socio-economic sustainability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Article and method for making an article

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Schick, David Edward; Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu

    2018-04-03

    An article and a method for making shaped cooling holes in an article are provided. The method includes the steps of depositing a metal alloy powder to form an initial layer including at least one aperture, melting the metal alloy powder with a focused energy source to transform the powder layer to a sheet of metal alloy, sequentially depositing an additional layer of the metal alloy powder to form a layer including at least one aperture corresponding to the at least one aperture in the initial layer, melting the additional layer of the metal alloy powder with the focused energy source to increase the sheet thickness, and repeating the steps of sequentially depositing and melting the additional layers of metal alloy powder until a structure including at least one aperture having a predetermined profile is obtained. The structure is attached to a substrate to make the article.

  10. Wind climate estimation using WRF model output: method and model sensitivities over the sea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hahmann, Andrea N.; Vincent, Claire Louise; Peña, Alfredo

    2015-01-01

    setup parameters. The results of the year-long sensitivity simulations show that the long-term mean wind speed simulated by the WRF model offshore in the region studied is quite insensitive to the global reanalysis, the number of vertical levels, and the horizontal resolution of the sea surface...... temperature used as lower boundary conditions. Also, the strength and form (grid vs spectral) of the nudging is quite irrelevant for the mean wind speed at 100 m. Large sensitivity is found to the choice of boundary layer parametrization, and to the length of the period that is discarded as spin-up to produce...... a wind climatology. It is found that the spin-up period for the boundary layer winds is likely larger than 12 h over land and could affect the wind climatology for points offshore for quite a distance downstream from the coast....

  11. Passage-Based Bibliographic Coupling: An Inter-Article Similarity Measure for Biomedical Articles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Rey-Long

    2015-01-01

    Biomedical literature is an essential source of biomedical evidence. To translate the evidence for biomedicine study, researchers often need to carefully read multiple articles about specific biomedical issues. These articles thus need to be highly related to each other. They should share similar core contents, including research goals, methods, and findings. However, given an article r, it is challenging for search engines to retrieve highly related articles for r. In this paper, we present a technique PBC (Passage-based Bibliographic Coupling) that estimates inter-article similarity by seamlessly integrating bibliographic coupling with the information collected from context passages around important out-link citations (references) in each article. Empirical evaluation shows that PBC can significantly improve the retrieval of those articles that biomedical experts believe to be highly related to specific articles about gene-disease associations. PBC can thus be used to improve search engines in retrieving the highly related articles for any given article r, even when r is cited by very few (or even no) articles. The contribution is essential for those researchers and text mining systems that aim at cross-validating the evidence about specific gene-disease associations. PMID:26440794

  12. Passage-Based Bibliographic Coupling: An Inter-Article Similarity Measure for Biomedical Articles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rey-Long Liu

    Full Text Available Biomedical literature is an essential source of biomedical evidence. To translate the evidence for biomedicine study, researchers often need to carefully read multiple articles about specific biomedical issues. These articles thus need to be highly related to each other. They should share similar core contents, including research goals, methods, and findings. However, given an article r, it is challenging for search engines to retrieve highly related articles for r. In this paper, we present a technique PBC (Passage-based Bibliographic Coupling that estimates inter-article similarity by seamlessly integrating bibliographic coupling with the information collected from context passages around important out-link citations (references in each article. Empirical evaluation shows that PBC can significantly improve the retrieval of those articles that biomedical experts believe to be highly related to specific articles about gene-disease associations. PBC can thus be used to improve search engines in retrieving the highly related articles for any given article r, even when r is cited by very few (or even no articles. The contribution is essential for those researchers and text mining systems that aim at cross-validating the evidence about specific gene-disease associations.

  13. ARTICLES RECEIVED

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    1994-01-01

    The following articles have been submitted for possible publication in Teaching English in China. For reasons of space or priority they have not been able to be included. If you are interested in further information about an article please contact the author direct at the address given below.

  14. Technologies for the marking of fishing gear to identify gear components entangled on marine animals and to reduce abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Pingguo; Suuronen, Petri

    2018-04-01

    Fishing gears are marked to establish and inform origin, ownership and position. More recently, fishing gears are marked to aid in capacity control, reduce marine litter due to abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and assist in its recovery, and to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Traditionally, physical marking, inscription, writing, color, shape, and tags have been used for ownership and capacity purposes. Buoys, lights, flags, and radar reflectors are used for marking of position. More recently, electronic devices have been installed on marker buoys to enable easier relocation of the gear by owner vessels. This paper reviews gear marking technologies with focus on coded wire tags, radio frequency identification tags, Automatic Identification Systems, advanced electronic buoys for pelagic longlines and fish aggregating devices, and re-location technology if the gear becomes lost. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Potentiation of latent inhibition by haloperidol and clozapine is attenuated in Dopamine D2 receptor (Drd-2)-deficient mice: Do antipsychotics influence learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli via both Drd-2 and non-Drd-2 mechanisms?

    Science.gov (United States)

    O’Callaghan, Matthew J; Bay-Richter, Cecilie; O’Tuathaigh, Colm MP; Heery, David M; Waddington, John L; Moran, Paula M

    2014-01-01

    Whether the dopamine Drd-2 receptor is necessary for the behavioural action of antipsychotic drugs is an important question, as Drd-2 antagonism is responsible for their debilitating motor side effects. Using Drd-2 null mice (Drd2 -/-) it has previously been shown that Drd-2 is not necessary for antipsychotic drugs to reverse D-amphetamine disruption of latent inhibition (LI), a behavioural measure of learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli. Weiner’s ‘two-headed’ model indicates that antipsychotics not only reverse LI disruption, ‘disrupted LI’, but also potentiate LI when low/absent in controls, ‘persistent’ LI. We investigated whether antipsychotic drugs haloperidol or clozapine potentiated LI in wild-type controls or Drd2 -/-. Both drugs potentiated LI in wild-type but not in Drd2-/- mice, suggesting moderation of this effect of antipsychotics in the absence of Drd-2. Haloperidol potentiated LI similarly in both Drd1-/- and wild-type mice, indicating no such moderation in Drd1-/-. These data suggest that antipsychotic drugs can have either Drd-2 or non-Drd-2 effects on learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli, depending on how the abnormality is produced. Identification of the non-Drd-2 mechanism may help to identify novel non-Drd2 based therapeutic strategies for psychosis. PMID:25122042

  16. Visualizing Article Similarities via Sparsified Article Network and Map Projection for Systematic Reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Xiaonan; Machiraju, Raghu; Ritter, Alan; Yen, Po-Yin

    2017-01-01

    Systematic Reviews (SRs) of biomedical literature summarize evidence from high-quality studies to inform clinical decisions, but are time and labor intensive due to the large number of article collections. Article similarities established from textual features have been shown to assist in the identification of relevant articles, thus facilitating the article screening process efficiently. In this study, we visualized article similarities to extend its utilization in practical settings for SR researchers, aiming to promote human comprehension of article distributions and hidden patterns. To prompt an effective visualization in an interpretable, intuitive, and scalable way, we implemented a graph-based network visualization with three network sparsification approaches and a distance-based map projection via dimensionality reduction. We evaluated and compared three network sparsification approaches and the visualization types (article network vs. article map). We demonstrated the effectiveness in revealing article distribution and exhibiting clustering patterns of relevant articles with practical meanings for SRs.

  17. Embryo disposition and the new death scene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellison, David

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In the IVF clinic - a place designed principally for the production and implantation of embryos - scientists and IVF recipients are faced with decisions regarding the disposition of frozen embryos. At this time there are hundred of thousands of cryopreserved embryos awaiting such determinations. They may be thawed for transfer to the woman herself, they may be donated for research or for use by other infertile couples, they may remain in frozen storage, or they may variously be discarded by being allowed to 'succumb', or 'perish'. Where the choice is discard, some IVF clients have chosen to formalise the process through ceremony. A new language is emerging in response to the desires of the would-be-parents who might wish to characterise the discard experience as a ‘good death’. This article examines the procedure known as ‘compassionate transfer’ where the embryo to be discarded is placed in the woman’s vagina where it is clear that it will not develop further. An alternate method has the embryo transferred in the usual manner but without the benefit of fertility-enhancing hormones at a point in the cycle unreceptive to implantation. The embryo destined for disposal is thus removed from the realm of technological possibility and ‘returned’ to the female body for a homely death. While debates continue about whether or not embryos constitute life, new practices are developing in response to the emotional experience of embryo discard. We argue that compassionate transfer is a death scene taking shape. In this article, we take the measure of this new death scene’s fabrication, and consider the form, significance, and legal complexity of its ceremonies.

  18. [Unconnected, possibly irrelevant for the nursing profession, but mandatory readings not to lose the focus in 2015, and beyond].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tognoni, Gianni

    2015-01-01

    Unconnected, possibly irrelevant for the nursing profession, but mandatory readings not to lose the focus in 2015, and beyond. The recent, and chronologically concomitant publication of two reports - on the specific and dramatic violence against women in war situations; on the experience and results of resilience of cultural, health, academic palestinian institutions under Israeli State repression - has suggested their joint, very synthetic presentation, which explains the somehow henigmatic formulation of the title, and provides the opportunity for possibly relevant comments for the nursing profession and research. Two main points are underlined: a) beyond their clear heterogeneity, in terms of content and format, the two publications have a common, reciprocally complementary objective and message: the importance, and the concrete rarity, of visibility for scenarios which are most of the time left to the fragmentation of the chronicle, though they touch the roots of the interests of those who are working in fields which are close to the rights to life and dignity. b) The specific relevance of becoming aware of strategies contrasting massive violations of fundamental rights could and should be tested by the nursing profession with cultural and field projects targeted to the populations who in many scenarios of care and life are threatened by the violence of marginalization.

  19. Publishing International Counseling Articles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hohenshil, Thomas H.; Amundson, Norman E.

    2011-01-01

    This article begins with a rationale for including international articles in the "Journal of Counseling & Development." Then, 2 general categories of international articles are described. First are articles that provide a general overview of counseling in a particular country. The 2nd category is more general and might involve international…

  20. Design of a trigger layout and the corresponding implementation of a 200 GB/s readout network for the ALICE transition radiation detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, Rolf

    2008-01-01

    Through the use of modern information technology, intelligent trigger systems are gaining more and more importance in high-energy physics. Particularly in heavy ion experiments, the large number of generated particles results in an enormous amount of data. By filtering the data at an early stage and discarding irrelevant events, the efficiency of the entire system can be raised significantly. The ALICE experiment at CERN breaks new ground in this respect. With the Transition Radiation Detector, the acquired signals are processed parallel right on the detector using more than 65 000 multi-chip modules. Via a readout network, the preprocessed data arrives at a global track reconstruction unit, which contributes to the decision whether an event is discarded or further processed. In this thesis, a trigger concept for the Transition Radiation Detector is developed and the readout network is implemented. A special challenge is to achieve an efficient interaction of the above processing stages. By means of simulations and analyses, the entire system is optimized in this regard. It turns out that the read-out process plays a decisive role. In this context, a design flow for the used ASIC is developed. The analyses show that through optimizations the extremely high demands made on this complex system can be met. During a beam time, first prototypes have successfully been tested. The entire system is currently being assembled and will be brought on line in 2008. (orig.)

  1. Design of a trigger layout and the corresponding implementation of a 200 GB/s readout network for the ALICE transition radiation detector; Entwicklung des Triggerkonzepts und die entsprechende Implementierung eines 200-GB/s-Auslesenetzwerks fuer den ALICE-Uebergangsstrahlungsdetektor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schneider, Rolf

    2008-05-19

    Through the use of modern information technology, intelligent trigger systems are gaining more and more importance in high-energy physics. Particularly in heavy ion experiments, the large number of generated particles results in an enormous amount of data. By filtering the data at an early stage and discarding irrelevant events, the efficiency of the entire system can be raised significantly. The ALICE experiment at CERN breaks new ground in this respect. With the Transition Radiation Detector, the acquired signals are processed parallel right on the detector using more than 65 000 multi-chip modules. Via a readout network, the preprocessed data arrives at a global track reconstruction unit, which contributes to the decision whether an event is discarded or further processed. In this thesis, a trigger concept for the Transition Radiation Detector is developed and the readout network is implemented. A special challenge is to achieve an efficient interaction of the above processing stages. By means of simulations and analyses, the entire system is optimized in this regard. It turns out that the read-out process plays a decisive role. In this context, a design flow for the used ASIC is developed. The analyses show that through optimizations the extremely high demands made on this complex system can be met. During a beam time, first prototypes have successfully been tested. The entire system is currently being assembled and will be brought on line in 2008. (orig.)

  2. DisArticle: a web server for SVM-based discrimination of articles on traditional medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sang-Kyun; Nam, SeJin; Kim, SangHyun

    2017-01-28

    Much research has been done in Northeast Asia to show the efficacy of traditional medicine. While MEDLINE contains many biomedical articles including those on traditional medicine, it does not categorize those articles by specific research area. The aim of this study was to provide a method that searches for articles only on traditional medicine in Northeast Asia, including traditional Chinese medicine, from among the articles in MEDLINE. This research established an SVM-based classifier model to identify articles on traditional medicine. The TAK + HM classifier, trained with the features of title, abstract, keywords, herbal data, and MeSH, has a precision of 0.954 and a recall of 0.902. In particular, the feature of herbal data significantly increased the performance of the classifier. By using the TAK + HM classifier, a total of about 108,000 articles were discriminated as articles on traditional medicine from among all articles in MEDLINE. We also built a web server called DisArticle ( http://informatics.kiom.re.kr/disarticle ), in which users can search for the articles and obtain statistical data. Because much evidence-based research on traditional medicine has been published in recent years, it has become necessary to search for articles on traditional medicine exclusively in literature databases. DisArticle can help users to search for and analyze the research trends in traditional medicine.

  3. Article-level metrics and the periphery: an exploration of articles by Brazilian authors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, I.V.P.; Gouveia, F.C.

    2016-07-01

    This work-in-progress paper describes an ongoing PhD study that aims to explore article-level metrics from a set of articles published by Brazilian researchers. It is argued that article-level metrics can offer a more nuanced and accurate picture of the influence of a particular work in comparison to journal-level metrics. However, if these new metrics rely on sources that exclude a large part of research from the periphery, they are at risk of simply preserving the present inequalities in the scholarly communication system. In order to understand how article-level metrics are or could be useful to the scientific community in the peripheries, we need to see what metrics are currently available, identify possible biases, and understand their meaning. We aim to contribute to this discussion with a case study focused on exploring a set of both traditional and alternative article-level metrics related to publications authored by Brazilian researchers. So far, few studies analyse article-level metrics for Brazilian publications, and most focus on Brazilian journals instead of researcher's affiliation. Our study will collect articles with DOIs registered by Brazilian researchers at the Lattes Platform, an information system maintained by the national Science, Technologies and Communications ministry. This exploration aims to address the following questions: (a) Which are the main article-level metrics available for journal articles authored by Brazilian researchers? What are the main sources of ALM data for Brazilian publications?; (b) Are there any disciplines, institutions, locations etc. that attract more mentions in the case of Brazilian articles? How do these metrics compare among themselves?; and (c) Do articlelevel metrics of publications by Brazilian researchers reflect patterns and trends observed in studies with researchers from other countries? (Author)

  4. Article Review: Advanced Change Theory Revisited: An Article Critique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Scott Pochron

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The complexity of life in 21st century society requires new models for leadingand managing change. With that in mind, this paper revisits the model for AdvancedChange Theory (ACT as presented by Quinn, Spreitzer, and Brown in their article,“Changing Others Through Changing Ourselves: The Transformation of HumanSystems” (2000. The authors present ACT as a potential model for facilitating change incomplex organizations. This paper presents a critique of the article and summarizesopportunities for further exploring the model in the light of current trends indevelopmental and integral theory.

  5. Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2009-06-22

    Jun 22, 2009 ... of the 80% of pregnant women having access to prevention of mother-to-child ... breviation for a complicated statement that includes, among other things, moral ... duce an outcome where frustrations of welfare interests become .... Article abortion and its related issues of moral status in prenatal life. The.

  6. Neutron absorbing article and method for manufacture of such article

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hortman, M.T.; Mcmurtry, C.H.; Naum, R.G.; Owens, D.P.

    1980-01-01

    A neutron absorbing article, preferably in long, thin, flat form , suitable for but not necessarily limited to use in storage racks for spent nuclear fuel at locations between volumes of such stored fuel, to absorb neutrons from said spent fuel and prevent uncontrolled nuclear reaction of the spent fuel material, is composed of finely divided boron carbide particles and a solid, irreversibly cured phenolic polymer, forming a continuous matrix about the boron carbide particles, in such proportions that at least 6% of b10 from the boron carbide content is present therein. The described articles withstand thermal cycling from repeated spent fuel insertions and removals, withstand radiation from said spent nuclear fuel over long periods of time without losing desirable neutron absorbing and physical properties, are sufficiently chemically inert to water so as to retain neutron absorbing properties if brought into contact with it, are not galvanically corrodible and are sufficiently flexible so as to withstand operational basis earthquake and safe shutdown earthquake seismic events, without loss of neutron absorbing capability and other desirable properties, when installed in storage racks for spent nuclear fuel. The disclosure also relates to a plurality of such neutron absorbing articles in a storage rack for spent nuclear fuel and to a method for the manufacture of the articles

  7. Opposing effects of 5,7-DHT lesions to the core and shell of the nucleus accumbens on the processing of irrelevant stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Andrew J D; Thur, Karen E; Marsden, Charles A; Cassaday, Helen J

    2012-05-01

    There is good evidence that forebrain serotonergic systems modulate cognitive flexibility. Latent inhibition (LI) is a cross-species phenomenon which manifests as poor conditioning to a stimulus that has previously been experienced without consequence and is widely considered an index of the ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli. While much research has focused on dopaminergic mechanisms underlying LI, there is also considerable evidence of serotonergic modulation. However, the neuroanatomical locus of these effects remains poorly understood. Previous work has identified the nucleus accumbens (NAc) as a key component of the neural circuit underpinning LI and furthermore, this work has shown that the core and shell subregions of the NAc contribute differentially to the expression of LI. To examine the role of the serotonergic input to NAc in LI, we tested animals with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) lesions to the core and shell subregions on LI assessed under experimental conditions that produce LI in shams and subsequently with weak stimulus pre-exposure designed to prevent the emergence of LI in shams. We found that serotonergic deafferentation of the core disrupted LI whereas 5,7-DHT lesions to the shell produced the opposite effect and potentiated LI.

  8. Surface treatment of ceramic articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komvopoulos, K.; Brown, I.G.; Wei, B.; Anders, S.; Anders, A.; Bhatia, C.S.

    1998-01-01

    A process is disclosed for producing an article with improved ceramic surface properties including providing an article having a ceramic surface, and placing the article onto a conductive substrate holder in a hermetic enclosure. Thereafter a low pressure ambient is provided in the hermetic enclosure. A plasma including ions of solid materials is produced the ceramic surface of the article being at least partially immersed in a macroparticle free region of the plasma. While the article is immersed in the macroparticle free region, a bias of the substrate holder is biased between a low voltage at which material from the plasma condenses on the surface of the article and a high negative voltage at which ions from the plasma are implanted into the article. 15 figs

  9. Selected Track and Field Articles. Sports Articles Reprint Series. First Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harkins, Dorothy, Ed.

    This is a collection of articles from the 1962-70 DGWS Track and Field Guides and from National Institute Proceedings on the subject of girl's track and field activity. Included among the selections are articles on teaching outlines for track and field; distance running for girls and women; athletic injuries; hurdling for girls and women; adaption…

  10. Intranasal oxytocin impedes the ability to ignore task-irrelevant facial expressions of sadness in students with depressive symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbogen, Mark A; Linnen, Anne-Marie; Cardoso, Christopher; Joober, Ridha

    2013-03-01

    The administration of oxytocin promotes prosocial behavior in humans. The mechanism by which this occurs is unknown, but it likely involves changes in social information processing. In a randomized placebo-controlled study, we examined the influence of intranasal oxytocin and placebo on the interference control component of inhibition (i.e. ability to ignore task-irrelevant information) in 102 participants using a negative affective priming task with sad, angry, and happy faces. In this task, participants are instructed to respond to a facial expression of emotion while simultaneously ignoring another emotional face. On the subsequent trial, the previously-ignored emotional valence may become the emotional valence of the target face. Inhibition is operationalized as the differential delay between responding to a previously-ignored emotional valence and responding to an emotional valence unrelated to the previous one. Although no main effect of drug administration on inhibition was observed, a drug × depressive symptom interaction (β = -0.25; t = -2.6, p < 0.05) predicted the inhibition of sad faces. Relative to placebo, participants with high depression scores who were administered oxytocin were unable to inhibit the processing of sad faces. There was no relationship between drug administration and inhibition among those with low depression scores. These findings are consistent with increasing evidence that oxytocin alters social information processing in ways that have both positive and negative social outcomes. Because elevated depression scores are associated with an increased risk for major depressive disorder, difficulties inhibiting mood-congruent stimuli following oxytocin administration may be associated with risk for depression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Understanding the sources and effects of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear on marine turtles in northern Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, Chris; Heathcote, Grace; Goldberg, Jennifer; Gunn, Riki; Peel, David; Hardesty, Britta Denise

    2015-02-01

    Globally, 6.4 million tons of fishing gear are lost in the oceans annually. This gear (i.e., ghost nets), whether accidently lost, abandoned, or deliberately discarded, threatens marine wildlife as it drifts with prevailing currents and continues to entangle marine organisms indiscriminately. Northern Australia has some of the highest densities of ghost nets in the world, with up to 3 tons washing ashore per kilometer of shoreline annually. This region supports globally significant populations of internationally threatened marine fauna, including 6 of the 7 extant marine turtles. We examined the threat ghost nets pose to marine turtles and assessed whether nets associated with particular fisheries are linked with turtle entanglement by analyzing the capture rates of turtles and potential source fisheries from nearly 9000 nets found on Australia's northern coast. Nets with relatively larger mesh and smaller twine sizes (e.g., pelagic drift nets) had the highest probability of entanglement for marine turtles. Net size was important; larger nets appeared to attract turtles, which further increased their catch rates. Our results point to issues with trawl and drift-net fisheries, the former due to the large number of nets and fragments found and the latter due to the very high catch rates resulting from the net design. Catch rates for fine-mesh gill nets can reach as high as 4 turtles/100 m of net length. We estimated that the total number of turtles caught by the 8690 ghost nets we sampled was between 4866 and 14,600, assuming nets drift for 1 year. Ghost nets continue to accumulate on Australia's northern shore due to both legal and illegal fishing; over 13,000 nets have been removed since 2005. This is an important and ongoing transboundary threat to biodiversity in the region that requires attention from the countries surrounding the Arafura and Timor Seas. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  12. Eventos adversos e motivos de descarte relacionados ao reuso de produtos médicos hospitalares em angioplastia coronária Adverse events and reasons for discard related to the reuse of cardiac catheters in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margarete Ártico Batista

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Descrever os eventos adversos ocorridos durante e após angioplastia coronária (ATC, possivelmente relacionados ao reuso de produtos médico-hospitalares, além de quantificar e identificar os motivos de descarte em relação ao primeiro uso e ao reuso. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 60 pacientes, sendo que 29 (48,3% apresentavam angina instável, 27 (45% IAM e quatro (6,7% outros diagnósticos. Durante o procedimento e na permanência na Unidade Intensiva Coronariana, atentou-se à possibilidade de ocorrência dos eventos adversos febre, hipertensão, hipotensão, calafrios, sudorese, sangramento, náuseas e vômitos. Foram avaliados sete produtos médico-hospitalares: introdutor, cateter-guia, fio-guia 0.35, fio-guia 0.014, cateter- balão para angioplastia, seringa com manômetro para insuflar balão (indeflator e torneira de três vias (manifold. No total de produtos (76 de primeiro uso e 410 reprocessados, verificou-se se houve descarte e se isto ocorreu antes ou durante o procedimento e quais os motivos para tanto. Utilizou-se o teste Qui Quadrado, admitindo-se erro alfa de 5%. RESULTADOS: Vinte e seis pacientes apresentaram eventos adversos. A hipotensão foi o evento mais prevalente e ocorreu em 11(18,3% casos. Não houve, porém, significância estatística entre o evento adverso hipotensão e reuso ou não dos produtos médico-hospitalares. Por não estarem íntegros, foram descartados três produtos de primeiro uso e 55 produtos dos reutilizados. CONCLUSÃO: Os eventos adversos apresentados pelos pacientes submetidos à angioplastia não estão associados ao reuso dos produtos médico-hospitalares. A integridade e funcionalidade foram os motivos principais de descarte.OBJECTIVE: To describe the adverse effects that occur during and after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA possibly related to the reuse of medical equipment. An additional objective is to quantify and identify the reasons of discard in respect to

  13. Neutron absorbing article

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naum, R.G.; Owens, D.P.; Dooher, G.I.

    1979-01-01

    A neutron absorbing article, in flat plate form and suitable for use in a storage rack for spent fuel, includes boron carbide particles, diluent particles and a solid, irreversibly cured phenolic polymer cured to a continuous matrix binding the boron carbide and diluent particles. The total conent of boron carbide and diluent particles is a major proportion of the article and the content of cured phenolic polymer present is a minor proportion. By regulation of the ratio of boron carbide particles to diluent particles, normally within the range of 1:9 and 9:1 and preferably within the range of 1:5 to 5:1, the neutron absorbing activity of the product may be controlled, which facilitates the manufacture of articles of particular absorbing activities best suitable for specific applications

  14. Process of producing a ceramic matrix composite article and article formed thereby

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corman, Gregory Scot [Ballston Lake, NY; McGuigan, Henry Charles [Duanesburg, NY; Brun, Milivoj Konstantin [Ballston Lake, NY

    2011-10-25

    A CMC article and process for producing the article to have a layer on its surface that protects a reinforcement material within the article from damage. The method entails providing a body containing a ceramic reinforcement material in a matrix material that contains a precursor of a ceramic matrix material. A fraction of the reinforcement material is present and possibly exposed at a surface of the body. The body surface is then provided with a surface layer formed of a slurry containing a particulate material but lacking the reinforcement material of the body. The body and surface layer are heated to form the article by converting the precursor within the body to form the ceramic matrix material in which the reinforcement material is contained, and by converting the surface layer to form the protective layer that covers any fraction of the reinforcement material exposed at the body surface.

  15. Effect of Carbon Black Nanoparticles from the Pyrolysis of Discarded Tires on the Performance of Asphalt and its Mixtures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuangmin Li

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available It is of great benefit to the environment and the economy to use discarded tires pyrolysis carbon black (TPCB nanoparticles as a modifier for asphalt binders. A base asphalt binder with 60/80 penetration (GF-70 was selected to prepare the TPCB-modified asphalt binder (TPCB/GF-70 with a 15% dosage of TPCB by the melt blending method. The test instruments, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, laser particle size analyzer, and thermogravimetric analyzer, were used to study the characteristics of TPCB. The physical performance of GF-70 and TPCB/GF-70 were tested and the rheological properties were also tested with a dynamic shear rheometer to investigate TPCB’s effect on the performance of GF-70. In addition, the aromatic hydrocarbon oil (AHO was used as the softening agent for TPCB/GF-70. The pavement performance of AC-13 and AC-20 was studied to evaluate the comprehensive effect of TPCB and AHO on the pavement performance of asphalt mixtures. Results show that a 15% dosage of TPCB can significantly improve the anti-rutting performance of GF-70, and decrease the low-temperature performance of GF-70 within one PG grade. AHO can obviously improve the low-temperature performance of TPCB/GF-70, but does not significantly decrease the high-temperature performance. With the addition of AHO and a 0.1% higher oil aggregate ratio, TPCB tends to significantly improve the anti-rutting performance and the low-temperature performance of TPCB-modified mixtures; the moisture stability of TPCB and AHO composite modified mixtures satisfies the requirement of water stability.

  16. Recompressed exfoliated graphite articles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhamu, Aruna; Shi, Jinjun; Guo, Jiusheng; Jang, Bor Z

    2013-08-06

    This invention provides an electrically conductive, less anisotropic, recompressed exfoliated graphite article comprising a mixture of (a) expanded or exfoliated graphite flakes; and (b) particles of non-expandable graphite or carbon, wherein the non-expandable graphite or carbon particles are in the amount of between about 3% and about 70% by weight based on the total weight of the particles and the expanded graphite flakes combined; wherein the mixture is compressed to form the article having an apparent bulk density of from about 0.1 g/cm.sup.3 to about 2.0 g/cm.sup.3. The article exhibits a thickness-direction conductivity typically greater than 50 S/cm, more typically greater than 100 S/cm, and most typically greater than 200 S/cm. The article, when used in a thin foil or sheet form, can be a useful component in a sheet molding compound plate used as a fuel cell separator or flow field plate. The article may also be used as a current collector for a battery, supercapacitor, or any other electrochemical cell.

  17. Review Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012-09-27

    Sep 27, 2012 ... rationalism vs. irrationalism and emancipation vs. deconstruction. This article tries to critically .... conceptions of time, limitations of modern culture, exaggerated rationality ... and organizational mastery of empirical processes” ...

  18. A multi-objective optimization framework for offshore wind farm layouts and electric infrastructures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Rodrigues (Silvio); C. Restrepo (Carlos); G. Katsouris (George); R. Teixeira Pinto (Rodrigo); M. Soleimanzadeh (Maryam); P.A.N. Bosman (Peter); P. Bauer (Pavol)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractCurrent offshore wind farms (OWFs) design processes are based on a sequential approach which does not guarantee system optimality because it oversimplifies the problem by discarding important interdependencies between design aspects. This article presents a framework to integrate,

  19. A Multi-Objective Optimization Framework for Offshore Wind Farm Layouts and Electric Infrastructures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fragoso Rodrigues, S.M.; Restrepo, C.; Katsouris, G.; Teixeira Pinto, R.; Soleimanzadeh, M.; Bosman, P; Bauer, P.

    2016-01-01

    Current offshore wind farms (OWFs) design processes are based on a sequential approach which does not guarantee system optimality because it oversimplifies the problem by discarding important interdependencies between design aspects. This article presents a framework to integrate, automate and

  20. Communications article

    KAUST Repository

    Fariborzi, Hossein

    2017-01-01

    Seamless, covert communications using a communications system integrated or incorporated within an article of clothing is described. In one embodiment, the communications system is integrated or incorporated into a shoe insole and includes a haptic

  1. Method for fabricating boron carbide articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ardary, Z.; Reynolds, C.

    1980-01-01

    Described is a method for fabricating an essentially uniformly dense boron carbide article of a length-to-diameter or width ratio greater than 2 to 1 comprising the steps of providing a plurality of article segments to be joined together to form the article with each of said article segments having a length-to-diameter or width ratio less than 1.5 to 1. Each segment is fabricated by hot pressing a composition consisting of boron carbide powder at a pressure and temperature effective to provide the article segment with a density greater than about 85% of theoretical density, providing each article segment with parallel planar end surfaces, placing a plurality of said article segments in a hot-pressing die in a line with the planar surfaces of adjacent article segments being disposed in intimate contact, and hot pressing the aligned article segments at a temperature and pressure effective to provide said article with a density over the length thereof in the range of about 94 to 98 percent theoretical density and greater than the density provided in the discrete hot pressing of each of the article segments and to provide a bond between adjacent article segments with said bond being at least equivalent in hardness, strength and density to a remainder of said article

  2. Articles about MedlinePlus

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... MedlinePlus → Articles about MedlinePlus URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/bibliography.html Articles about MedlinePlus To ... Dec 29]; 3(5):256-60. Available from: http://ecp.acponline.org/sepoct00/nlm.htm . Marill JL, ...

  3. On the Irrelevance of Ethnicity in Children's Organization of Their Social World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedano, Livia Jimenez

    2012-01-01

    When studying the ways of structuring social life in general, and the socialization processes of children in particular, ethnicity is often taken for granted as a basic axis along which people distribute themselves into groups. Most anthropological studies describe and classify agents in ethnic terms. This article argues that ethnicity is not…

  4. Original Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administratör

    Original Article. Prevalence of Gall Bladder Stones among Type 2 Diabetic ... Increasing age, female gender, overweight, familial history of the disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus is all associated ... GBS development in diabetics. An Italian ...

  5. Red Card Article 17?

    OpenAIRE

    Molenaar, Dick

    2012-01-01

    textabstractIn this article, the authors assess the current position regarding the debate over article 17 of the OECD Model (2010) and whether or not the provision should be amended, or even be considered for removal from the OECD Model.

  6. Research Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-06-13

    Jun 13, 2016 ... emerging drug-resistant pathogens in research programme around the world. This article reviews the history of antibiotics, different types of antibiotics, .... of the plasma membrane; these changes result in the loss of important ...

  7. ORIGINAL ARTICLE

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    (with and without its frailty) in Estimating Survival Time of Patients with Colorectal Cancer ..... ACKNOWLEDGMENT. This article is a part of research project approved ... rectal cancer survival trends in Norway 1958. –1997. European Journal of ...

  8. Neutron absorbing article

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naum, R.G.; Owens, D.P.; Dooker, G.I.

    1981-01-01

    A neutron-absorbing article suitable for use in spent fuel racks is described. It comprises boron carbide particles, diluent particles, and a phenolic polymer cured to a continuous matrix. The diluent may be silicon carbide, graphite, amorphous carbon, alumina, or silica. The combined boron carbide-diluent phase contains no more than 2 percent B 2 O 3 , and the neutron-absorbing article contains from 20 to 40 percent phenol resin. The ratio of boron carbide to diluent particles is in the range 1:9 to 9:1

  9. ORIGINAL ARTICLE

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    One of the concerns among mothers for delivery is labor pain. There are various ... Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences (2017) 6(2): 11-16. © UDS Publishers ... ORIGINAL ARTICLE ..... effective than a placebo during the first stage of.

  10. Review Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012-09-20

    Sep 20, 2012 ... same years indicating a yield gain from extensive farming system. The production ... capacity to process the sesame and/or oil seeds in the country. Article History: ..... on: Area and production of crops (private peasant holdings ...

  11. Research Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-06-18

    Jun 18, 2016 ... In the present article, aspect oriented programming and design patterns are ... works have been devoted to solve the problems it is going to face. ... utilized as an architecture concept in C++ language and then the book GOF ...

  12. What's My Line?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, Donna

    1994-01-01

    Presents a humorous approach to the question of how to recycle catalog cards necessitated by the results of library automation and online catalogs. A sidebar summarizes an article that appeared in the "New Yorker" magazine regarding the discard of card catalogs. (LRW)

  13. ORIGINAL ARTICLES

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ORIGINAL ARTICLES. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE OF. INTERNS TO BLOOD IN AN AREA. OF HIGH HIV SEROPREVALENCE. A S Karstaedt, L Pantanowitz. Objective. To determine the epidemiology of work-related exposure to blood among interns. Design. Interns were invited to complete anonymously a questionnaire ...

  14. Mathematical Articles for the general public

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Vagn Lundsgaard

    2003-01-01

    Report on an article competition for mathematical articles addressing the general public arranged by the European Mathematical Society.......Report on an article competition for mathematical articles addressing the general public arranged by the European Mathematical Society....

  15. Apparatus for orientating cylindrical articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauder, D.R.; Bailey, A.

    1984-01-01

    First and second chambers, each having a rotor, are interconnected by a passage. The first chamber has a contoured periphery to receive articles and the passage is shaped and dimensioned to permit travel therealong only of those articles which are orientated in the first chamber with their longitudinal axes either in the direction of travel or normal to the direction of travel. Articles in other orientations are carried round the first chamber by the rotor for representation at the passage. The rotor in the second chamber permits the passage of those articles which have their longitudinal axes in the direction of travel and topples by means of blades, the articles having their axes normal to the direction of travel into positions in which the axes are in the direction of travel. (author)

  16. Does the Pulsatile Preservation Machine Have Any Impact in the Discard Rate of Kidneys From Older Donors After Brain Death?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paredes-Zapata, D; Ruiz-Arranz, A; Rodriguez-Villar, C; Roque-Arda, R; Peri-Cusi, L; Saavedra-Escobar, S; Vizcaino-Elias, F; Garcia-Rodriguez, X; Bohils-Valle, M; Rodriguez-Peña, S; Quijada-Martorell, M; Gonzalez-Rodriguez, J-J; Oppenheimer-Salinas, F; Alcaraz-Asensio, A; Adalia-Bartolome, R

    2015-10-01

    Donors after brain death (DBD) older than 60 years have become 46.8% of our current activity, with higher risk of renal discard rate (RDR). Assessment of kidney suitability requires complementary strategies: macroscopic evaluation, kidney biopsy score (KBS), and renal hemodynamic evaluation with the Pulsatile Perfusion Machine (PPM). Descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study of kidneys procured and RDR, comparing 3 time periods: 2000 to June 2004, when only KBS were used; July 2004 to 2008 (introduction of PPM and learning period); and 2009 to 2013 (experienced use of PPM). Transplantation criteria were KBS 70 mL/min. Between 2000 and 2013, a 59.2% reduction in DBD kidneys was observed. However, older kidneys had an increase from 33.5% to 46.8%. The RDR had increased, comparing the first to the third period from 25.4% to 38.3%. However, the RDR was lower when kidneys were evaluated with PPM than those evaluated only with KBS and preserved in cold storage (CS) (21.4% versus 43.7%). There was a significant difference in cold ischemia time, because CS kidney was grafted before PPM. During the third period, more kidneys with KBS ≥4 were assigned to PPM. Notwithstanding the decrease in DBD-procured kidneys and the increase in older kidneys during last period, the use of PPM allowed low DR compared with CS. A bias in the results of PPM could be generated when kidneys with higher KBS were excluded from PPM. The use of KBS only to decide acceptance could preclude the use of an additional tool to evaluate suitability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. 7 CFR 301.45-7 - Assembly and inspection of regulated articles and outdoor household articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Assembly and inspection of regulated articles and outdoor household articles. 301.45-7 Section 301.45-7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... QUARANTINE NOTICES Gypsy Moth § 301.45-7 Assembly and inspection of regulated articles and outdoor household...

  18. Bioaccumulation of chemical warfare agents, energetic materials, and metals in deep-sea shrimp from discarded military munitions sites off Pearl Harbor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koide, Shelby; Silva, Jeff A. K.; Dupra, Vilma; Edwards, Margo

    2016-06-01

    The bioaccumulation of munitions-related chemicals at former military deep-water disposal sites is poorly understood. This paper presents the results of human-food-item biota sampling to assess the potential for bioaccumulation of chemical warfare agents, energetic materials, arsenic, and additional munitions-related metals in deep-sea shrimp tissue samples collected during the Hawai'i Undersea Military Munitions Assessment (HUMMA) project to date. The HUMMA investigation area is located within a former munitions sea-disposal site located south of Pearl Harbor on the island of O'ahu, Hawai'i, designated site Hawaii-05 (HI-05) by the United States Department of Defense. Indigenous deep-sea shrimp (Heterocarpus ensifer) were caught adjacent to discarded military munitions (DMM) and at control sites where munitions were absent. Tissue analysis results showed that chemical warfare agents and their degradation products were not present within the edible portions of these samples at detectable concentrations, and energetic materials and their degradation products were detected in only a few samples at concentrations below the laboratory reporting limits. Likewise, arsenic, copper, and lead concentrations were below the United States Food and Drug Administration's permitted concentrations of metals in marine biota tissue (if defined), and their presence within these samples could not be attributed to the presence of DMM within the study area based on a comparative analysis of munitions-adjacent and control samples collected. Based on this current dataset, it can be concluded that DMM existing within the HUMMA study area is not contributing to the bioaccumulation of munitions-related chemicals for the biota species investigated to date.

  19. 27 CFR 46.208 - Unmerchantable articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.208 Unmerchantable articles. Articles that the... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Unmerchantable articles.... However, the dealer must segregate any such unmerchantable articles and include them in a separate section...

  20. 19 CFR 148.4 - Accompanying articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Accompanying articles. 148.4 Section 148.4 Customs... (CONTINUED) PERSONAL DECLARATIONS AND EXEMPTIONS General Provisions § 148.4 Accompanying articles. (a) Generally. Articles shall be considered as accompanying a passenger or brought in by him if the articles...

  1. From Unclaimed Heritage to a European Opportunity : The 1915 War Cemeteries of Galicia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ashworth, Gregory J.

    2009-01-01

    There have been many cases of multiply claimed contested heritage but this article deals with discarded and unclaimed, potential heritage It also treats the most sensitive of heritage resources namely, dead human bodies A consequence of the Austro-Hungarian / German offensive at Gorlice-Tarnow in

  2. The Accuracy Enhancing Effect of Biasing Cues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    W. Vanhouche (Wouter); S.M.J. van Osselaer (Stijn)

    2009-01-01

    textabstractExtrinsic cues such as price and irrelevant attributes have been shown to bias consumers’ product judgments. Results in this article replicate those findings in pretrial judgments but show that such biasing cues can improve quality judgments at a later point in time. Initially biasing

  3. Assessing the significance of borders and territoriality in a globalized Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Castan Pinos, Jaume

    2013-01-01

    During the 1990s emerged a de-territorialization, or ‘borderless world’ trend which tended to dismiss borders as increasingly irrelevant to the human experience. Thus, the idea that borders were becoming increasingly fuzzy became popular in political discourse, particularly in Europe. This article...

  4. 42 CFR 35.35 - Unsalable articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Unsalable articles. 35.35 Section 35.35 Public... HOSPITAL AND STATION MANAGEMENT Disposition of Articles Produced by Patients § 35.35 Unsalable articles. Articles having no commercial value shall be stored, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of as the officer in...

  5. Exploring the evolutionary origins of overimitation: a comparison across domesticated and non-domesticated canids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Angie M; Holden, Paul C; Santos, Laurie R

    2017-07-01

    When learning from others, human children tend to faithfully copy - or 'overimitate' - the actions of a demonstrator, even when these actions are irrelevant for solving the task at hand. We investigate whether domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) and dingoes (Canis dingo) share this tendency to overimitate in three experiments. In Experiment 1, dogs and dingoes had the opportunity to solve a puzzle after watching an ostensive demonstrator who used both a relevant action and an irrelevant action. We find clear evidence against overimitation in both species. In contrast to human children (Horner & Whiten, 2005), dogs and dingoes used the irrelevant action less often across trials, suggesting that both species were filtering out the irrelevant action as they gained experience with the puzzle (like chimpanzees; Horner & Whiten, 2005). Experiments 2 and 3 provide further evidence against overimitation, demonstrating that both species' behavior is better characterized by individual exploration than overimitation. Given that both species, particularly dogs, show human-like social learning in other contexts, these findings provide additional evidence that overimitation may be a unique aspect of human social learning. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/g2mRniJZ7aU. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Tweeting News Articles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Toledo Bastos

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In this article we investigate the impact of social media readership to the editorial profile of newspapers. We analyze tweets containing links to news articles from eight of the largest national newspapers in the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, and Germany. The data collection follows the first two weeks of October 2012 and includes 2,842,699 tweets with links to news articles. Twitter-shortened links were resolved using a three-pass routine and assigned to 1 of the 21 newspaper sections. We found the concentration of links to news articles posted by top users to be lower than reported in the literature and the strategy of relaying headlines on Twitter via automatic news aggregators (feeds to be inefficient. The results of this investigation show which sections of a newspaper are the most and least read by readers in different parts of the world, with German readers placing greater emphasis on Politics and Economy; Brazilians on Sports and Arts; Spaniards on Local and National news; Britons and Americans on Opinion and World news. We also found that German and Spanish readers are more likely to read multiple national newspapers, while British readers more often resort to foreign sources of news. The results confirm that feedback to news items from a large user base is pivotal for the replication of content and that newspapers and news items can be clustered according to the editorial profile and principles of newsworthiness inherited from legacy media. The results of this investigation shed light onto the networked architecture of journalism that increasingly depends on readership agency.

  7. ORIGINAL ARTICLES

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ORIGINAL ARTICLES. Cost to patients of obtaining treatment for HIV/AIDS in. South Africa. Sydney Rosen, Mpefe Ketlhapile, Ian Sanne, Mary Bachman DeSilva. Background. South Africa is providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV I AIDS free of charge in order to increase access for poorer patients and promote ...

  8. ORIGINAL ARTICLES

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ORIGINAL ARTICLES could be chosen to link to action policy decisions. In the. Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) programme, such a screening test would also remind the health provider to prescribe an iron tonic and to emphasise the importance of a balanced diet. A potential disadvantage of copper ...

  9. SERIES ARTICLES

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Microscale Experiments in Chemistry - The Need of the New Millenium. Experiments Which Bring Theory Closer to Laboratories. Shriniwas L Kelkar and Dilip D Dhavale. GENERAL ARTICLES. Chandra's X-ray Vision. K P Singh. Space-Filling Curves. R C Mittal. DNA Chip. The Whats, the Whys and the Hows. Bhismadev ...

  10. Original Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Arab Journal of Nephrology and Transplantation. 2013 Sep;6(3):153-60. Original Article. AJNT. Abstract. Introduction: Dense Deposit Disease (DDD) is a devastating renal disease that leads to renal failure within. 10 years of diagnosis in about half of affected patients. In this study, we evaluated the relative prevalence and.

  11. ORIGINAL ARTICLES

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ORIGINAL ARTICLES. References. 1. UNAIDS. Report on the Global HTV/AIDS Epidemic. Geneva: June 2000. 2. Connor E..\\1, Sperling RS, Gelber R. et al. Reduction of maternal-infant transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 with zidovu dine treatment. N Eng! J Med 1994; 331:1173-1180. 3. Undegren ML ...

  12. Dense ceramic articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cockbain, A.G.

    1976-01-01

    A method is described for the manufacture of articles of substantially pure dense ceramic materials, for use in severe environments. Si N is very suitable for use in such environments, but suffers from the disadvantage that it is not amenable to sintering. Some disadvantages of the methods normally used for making articles of Si N are mentioned. The method described comprises mixing a powder of the substantially pure ceramic material with an additive that promotes densification, and which is capable of nuclear transmutation into a gas when exposed to radiation, and hot pressing the mixture to form a billet. The billet is then irradiated to convert the additive into a gas which is held captive in the billet, and it is then subjected to a hot forging operation, during which the captive gas escapes and an article of substantially pure dense ceramic material is forged. The method is intended primarily for use for Si N, but may be applied to other ceramic materials. The additive may be Li or Be or their compounds, to the extent of at least 5 ppm and not more than 5% by weight. Irradiation is effected by proton or neutron bombardment. (UK)

  13. Popular Science Articles for Chemistry Teaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketevan Kupatadze

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The presented paper reviews popular science articles (these articles are published in online magazine “The Teacher” as one of the methods of chemistry teaching. It describes which didactic principles they are in line with and how this type of articles can be used in order to kindle the interest of pupils, students and generally, the readers of other specialties, in chemistry.  The articles review the main topics of inorganic/organic chemistry, biochemistry and ecological chemistry in a simple and entertaining manner. A part of the articles is about "household" chemistry. Chemical topics are related to poetry, literature, history of chemistry or simply, to fun news. The paper delineates the structure of popular science articles and the features of engaging students. It also reviews the teachers' and students' interview results about the usage of popular science articles in chemistry teaching process. The aforementioned pedagogical study revealed that the popular science articles contain useful information not only for the students of other specialties, but also for future biologists and ecologists (having chemistry as a mandatory subject at their universities. The articles are effectively used by teachers on chemistry lessons to kindle students' interest in this subject. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v9i3.960 

  14. Further evidence for the case against neuropsychoanalysis: How Yovell, Solms, and Fotopoulou's response to our critique confirms the irrelevance and harmfulness to psychoanalysis of the contemporary neuroscientific trend.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blass, Rachel B; Carmeli, Zvi

    2015-12-01

    In their paper "The case for neuropsychoanalysis" Yovell, Solms, and Fotopoulou (2015) respond to our critique of neuropsychoanalysis (Blass & Carmeli, 2007), setting forth evidence and arguments which, they claim, demonstrate why neuroscience is relevant and important for psychoanalysis and hence why dialogue between the fields is necessary. In the present paper we carefully examine their evidence and arguments and demonstrate how and why their claim is completely mistaken. In fact, Yovell, Solms, and Fotopoulou's paper only confirms our position on the irrelevance and harmfulness to psychoanalysis of the contemporary neuroscientific trend. We show how this trend perverts the essential nature of psychoanalysis and of how it is practiced. The clinical impact and its detrimental nature is highlighted by discussion of clinical material presented by Yovell et al (2015). In the light of this we argue that the debate over neuropsychoanalysis should be of interest to all psychoanalysts, not only those concerned with biology or interdisciplinary dialogue. Copyright © 2016 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

  15. How to write an original article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mateu Arrom, L; Huguet, J; Errando, C; Breda, A; Palou, J

    2018-05-17

    A correctly drafted original article gives information on what was done, why it was done, how it was done, the result of what was done, and the significance of what was done. Many articles fail to report their results effectively. To describe the characteristics of an original article and to give practical recommendations to prevent the most common errors in our environment. We performed a systematic search of the terms "how to write a scientific article", "structure of the original article" and "publishing an article" in the databases PubMed and SCOPUS. We analysed the structure of an original article and the characteristics of its parts and prepared advice on the publication of an article. The journal's guidelines for authors should be read. It is usual for the original article to follow the IMRAD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. The introduction states briefly why the study was performed. The methods' section should give a detailed explanation of how the study was performed. The results should be clearly presented, with the help of tables, without repeating information. The discussion explains the relevance of the results and contrasts them with those of other authors. Any limitations and a conclusion supported by the results must be included. Writing an original article correctly requires practice and it must be supported by a good research work in order to be published. Copyright © 2018 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  16. Review Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2007-12-02

    Dec 2, 2007 ... Introduction. What prompted this review article is because of the wrong notion that the only standard abdominal incision is the midline incision. Cases have been seen in which an abdominal incision extends from the xyphoid process to the symphysis pubis just to remove a perforated appendix! The reason ...

  17. Neural Correlates of Task-Irrelevant First and Second Language Emotion Words — Evidence from the Face-Word Stroop Task

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Fan

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Emotionally valenced words have thus far not been empirically examined in a bilingual population with the emotional face-word Stroop paradigm. Chinese-English bilinguals were asked to identify the facial expressions of emotion with their first (L1 or second (L2 language task-irrelevant emotion words superimposed on the face pictures. We attempted to examine how the emotional content of words modulates behavioral performance and cerebral functioning in the bilinguals’ two languages. The results indicated that there were significant congruency effects for both L1 and L2 emotion words, and that identifiable differences in the magnitude of Stroop effect between the two languages were also observed, suggesting L1 is more capable of activating the emotional response to word stimuli. For event-related potentials (ERPs data, an N350-550 effect was observed only in L1 task with greater negativity for incongruent than congruent trials. The size of N350-550 effect differed across languages, whereas no identifiable language distinction was observed in the effect of conflict slow potential (conflict SP. Finally, more pronounced negative amplitude at 230-330 ms was observed in L1 than in L2, but only for incongruent trials. This negativity, likened to an orthographic decoding N250, may reflect the extent of attention to emotion word processing at word-form level, while N350-550 reflects a complicated set of processes in the conflict processing. Overall, the face-word congruency effect has reflected identifiable language distinction at 230-330 and 350-550 ms, which provides supporting evidence for the theoretical proposals assuming attenuated emotionality of L2 processing.

  18. Thermally stable sintered porous metal articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gombach, A.L.; Thellmann, E.L.

    1980-01-01

    A sintered porous metal article is provided which is essentially thermally stable at elevated temperatures. In addition, a method for producing such an article is also provided which method comprises preparing a blend of base metal particles and active dispersoid particles, forming the mixture into an article of the desired shape, and heating the so-formed article at sintering temperatures

  19. ORIGINAL ARTICLES

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ORIGINAL ARTICLES. Illnesses of Herod the Great. Francois P Retief, Johan F G Cilliers. Herod the Great, ldumean by birth, was king ofthe Jews from 40 to 4 BC. An able statesman, builder and warrior, he ruthlessly stamped out all perceived opposition to his rule. His last decade was characterised by vicious strife within ...

  20. ORIGINAL ARTICLES

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ORIGINAL ARTICLES. References. 1. McCarthy D, Amos A, Zimmet P. The rising global burden of diabetes and its complications: estimates and projections to the year 2010. Diabet Med 1997; 14: suppl 5, Sl-585. 2. Zgibor JC, Songer TJ, Kelsey SF, et al. The association of diabetes specialist care with health care practices ...

  1. Research Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-05-01

    May 1, 2018 ... In addition, the accounting information system plays a major role in providing ... being studied, which we will review in this article. the impact of information technology ... taking into account the form of traditional controls and roles. in other words ... among sectors and individuals. the use of e-mail, the internal ...

  2. Rethink, Reimagine, Reinvent: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Incorporating Reclaimed Materials in Children's Artworks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckhoff, Angela; Spearman, Mindy

    2009-01-01

    Introducing reclaimed materials into the art classroom provides students with unique opportunities to connect ordinary, discarded objects with unique, personal artistic creations. In an effort to better understand this connection, this article explores existing pedagogical precedents that support the role of the inclusion of reclaimed materials in…

  3. Automatic Imitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyes, Cecilia

    2011-01-01

    "Automatic imitation" is a type of stimulus-response compatibility effect in which the topographical features of task-irrelevant action stimuli facilitate similar, and interfere with dissimilar, responses. This article reviews behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging research on automatic imitation, asking in what sense it is "automatic"…

  4. Dilemmas and Discarded Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dana, Joyce A.

    2009-01-01

    Women are challenged most by cultural norms, particularly sex-role norms, religious and political ideologies, and gender-structured opportunities that favor men. Although some stereotypes have loosened a bit, dilemmas remain for women who aspire to fill school district leadership positions. The author's predicament is not unique. It is something…

  5. Research Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SAMSUNG

    2016-06-05

    Jun 5, 2016 ... for civil engineers (in terms of gravity and lateral load) in developed countries. Despite the relatively significant growth of LSF structures during the last decade in our country, the studies in this field have been still done neither in our country nor in abroad. In this article, we try to study LSF structures from the ...

  6. Download article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    tions made in this article about outer texts in an electronic sign language dictionary serve as part of a complete concept model suggested specifically for the De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester,. South Africa (Fourie 2013). The purpose of the proposed dictionary is to give the learners of the De la Bat School electronic ...

  7. The 100 most cited articles in dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feijoo, Javier F; Limeres, Jacobo; Fernández-Varela, Marta; Ramos, Isabel; Diz, Pedro

    2014-04-01

    To identify the 100 most cited articles published in dental journals. A search was performed on the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science for the most cited articles in all the journals included in the Journal Citation Report (2010 edition) in the category of "Dentistry, Oral Surgery, and Medicine". Each one of the 77 journals selected was analyzed using the Cited Reference Search tool of the ISI Web of Science database to identify the most cited articles up to June 2012. The following information was gathered from each article: names and number of authors, journal, year of publication, type of study, methodological design, and area of research. The number of citations of the 100 selected articles varied from 326 to 2050. All articles were published in 21 of the 77 journals in the category. The journals with the largest number of the cited articles were the Journal of Clinical Periodontology (20 articles), the Journal of Periodontology (18 articles), and the Journal of Dental Research (16 articles). There was a predominance of clinical research (66 %) over basic research (34 %). The most frequently named author was Socransky SS, with 9 of the top 100 articles, followed by Lindhe J with 7. The decades with most articles published of the 100 selected were 1980-1989 (26 articles) and 1990-1999 (25 articles). The most common type of article was the case series (22 %), followed by the narrative review/expert opinion (19 %). The most common area of study was periodontology (43 % of articles). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the top-cited articles in Dentistry. There is a predominance of clinical studies, particularly case series and narrative reviews/expert opinions, despite their low-evidence level. The focus of the articles has mainly been on periodontology and implantology, and the majority has been published in the highest impact factor dental journals. The number of citations that an article receives does not necessarily reflect the

  8. Method of producing silicon carbide articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milewski, J.V.

    1985-01-01

    A method of producing articles comprising reaction-bonded silicon carbide (SiC) and graphite (and/or carbon) is given. The process converts the graphite (and/or carbon) in situ to SiC, thus providing the capability of economically obtaining articles made up wholly or partially of SiC having any size and shape in which graphite (and/or carbon) can be found or made. When the produced articles are made of an inner graphite (and/or carbon) substrate to which SiC is reaction bonded, these articles distinguish SiC-coated graphite articles found in the prior art by the feature of a strong bond having a gradual (as opposed to a sharply defined) interface which extends over a distance of mils. A method for forming SiC whisker-reinforced ceramic matrices is also given. The whisker-reinforced articles comprise SiC whiskers which substantially retain their structural integrity

  9. Shared Responsibility under Article 80 CISG

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neumann, Thomas

    2009-01-01

    Article 80 exempts from liability in the situation where the promisor's failure to perform has been caused by the promisee. The Article has been insufficiently dealt with in the literature and has been overlooked in case law. The paper demonstrates that article 80 has an independent scope compared...... to articles 77, 79 and 80. Five areas are investigated in this regard; the placement in CISG, the focus of the Articles, the cause of the detriment or loss, the affected remedies and the duty to overcome the detriment or loss. Further more, the paper outlines the issues related to the particular situation...... of shared responsibility in which both the promisor and the promisee seem to have caused the promisor's failure to perform. Article 80 applies to three different case types. Firstly, cases of sole causation by the promisee. Secondly, cases of joint causation by both parties where the consequences of each...

  10. Editorial: Journal article reporting standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazak, Anne E

    2018-01-01

    In this editorial, the author notes that this issue of American Psychologist features a pair of important articles related to newly updated standards for reporting research in psychology in scientific journals, covering both quantitative (Appelbaum et al., 2018) and qualitative (Levitt et al., 2018) research. The increasing breadth and complexity of research, and the importance of communicating it effectively, requires user-friendly resources that can be applied widely to scientific studies. These two articles are intended to serve that purpose, and to encourage thoroughness and accuracy in research reporting, for psychologists and other scientists in broader academic communities. The articles, known as the Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) reports, are based on the work of a task force appointed by the American Psychological Association (APA) Publications and Communications Board in 2015. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. 48 CFR 225.104 - Nonavailable articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nonavailable articles. 225.104 Section 225.104 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM... Nonavailable articles. (a) DoD has determined that the following articles also are nonavailable in accordance...

  12. 19 CFR 134.14 - Articles usually combined.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles usually combined. 134.14 Section 134.14... TREASURY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MARKING Articles Subject to Marking § 134.14 Articles usually combined. (a) Articles combined before delivery to purchaser. When an imported article is of a kind which is usually...

  13. [Articles on elderly in Serbian medical journals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Despotović, Nebojsa; Milosević, Dragoslav P; Erceg, Predrag; Davidović, Mladen

    2009-01-01

    Population aging is a feature of all countries in the world. According to statistics, the Republic of Serbia is one of the countries with the majority of the elderly. Taking this into account, are articles on the elderly well represented in domestic medical journals? The aim of the paper was to determine whether there was a sufficient number of articles on the elderly in domestic medical journals. The articles on the elderly were searched using search engines in domestic and foreign medical journals for the last 5 years compared with the number of articles on children in the same publications for the same period. In the Serbian Citation Index, 11 articles on the topic of the elderly, and 487 on children were registered. In Srpski arhivza celokupno lekarstvo, there was registered only one article on the topic of the elderly, and 30 on children. In Vojnosanitetskipregled, 2 articles on the elderly and 13 on children were registered (p articles on the elderly and 759 articles on children; in the JAMA, there were 63 articles on the elderly and 303 articles on children; and in The Lancet, in the last five years, 46 articles on the elderly and 148 articles on children were published. The themes of the elderly were rarely represented in Serbian medical journals.This has reduced the interest of physicians in medical problems of this growing population of patients and further sent them away from making standards in the diagnosis and treatment of the elderly.

  14. Scientific Journal Articles

    Science.gov (United States)

    These are abstracts of peer-reviewed articles, authored by Office of Children's Health Protection staff. They cover topics including risk assessment for early life stages, inhalation dosimetry, and manganese in drinking water.

  15. Die vermyding van etniese spanning en konflik in Suid-Afrika: Wat ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Test

    7 Jun 2011 ... This article investigates Paul's approach to the issue of ethnic identity with reference to ethnicity and social identity theory. Initially, Paul adopted a radical approach, which basically rendered ethnic identity irrelevant. However, he came to realise that ethnic differences need to be accommodated within the ...

  16. Rethinking Privacy Online and Human Rights : The Internet’s Standardisation Bodies as the Guardians of Privacy Online in the Face of Mass Surveillance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rachovitsa, Adamantia; Binder, Christina; d'Argent, Pierre; Pazartzis, Photini

    2016-01-01

    There is a growing literature revolving around the role of non-state actors in the international law-making process. The starting point of this article is that, although informal international law-making may not be legally binding, it would be unwise to dismiss it as legally irrelevant. Informal

  17. Critique and Politics: A Sociomaterialist Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Richard; Fenwick, Tara

    2015-01-01

    Sociomaterial theories, including actor-network theory (ANT), materialist feminism and posthumanism, are sometimes argued to not be addressing or unable to address sufficiently the political and are therefore dismissed as irrelevant to educational research. Through an extended discussion of writers across the social sciences, this article seeks to…

  18. Priorite a la comprehension ecrite (Priority for Reading Comprehension).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Anna Maria Lucena V.; And Others

    1991-01-01

    After finding that French language learning was declining in Rio de Janeiro schools because of inadequate resources, oversized classes, and irrelevant curricula, several teachers turned to a magazine for adolescents for motivating students to read. Extracts from an article and a series of exercises developing varied competencies illustrate the…

  19. 48 CFR 825.104 - Nonavailable articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nonavailable articles. 825... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Buy American Act-Supplies 825.104 Nonavailable articles. The following items are added to the list of nonavailable articles contained in FAR 25.104: Glass, lead Insulin...

  20. Citation rates for experimental psychology articles published between 1950 and 2004: top-cited articles in behavioral cognitive psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Kit W; Tse, Chi-Shing; Neely, James H

    2012-10-01

    From citation rates for over 85,000 articles published between 1950 and 2004 in 56 psychology journals, we identified a total of 500 behavioral cognitive psychology articles that ranked in the top 0.6% in each half-decade, in terms of their mean citations per year using the Web of Science. Thirty nine percent [corrected] of these articles were produced by 78 authors who authored three or more of them, and more than half were published by only five journals.The mean number of cites per year and the total number of citations necessary for an article to achieve various percentile rankings are reported for each journal. The mean number of citations necessary for an article published within each half-decade to rank at any given percentile has steadily increased from 1950 to 2004. Of the articles that we surveyed, 11% had zero total citations, and 35% received fewer than four total citations. Citations for post-1994 articles ranking in the 50th-75th and 90th-95th percentiles have generally continued to grow across each of their 3-year postpublication bins. For pre-1995 articles ranking in the 50th-75th and 90th-95th percentiles, citations peaked in the 4- to 6- or 7- to 9-year postpublication bins and decreased linearly thereafter, until asymptoting. In contrast, for the top-500 articles, (a) for pre-1980 articles, citations grew and peaked 10-18-year postpublication bins, and after a slight decrease began to linearly increase again; (b) for post-1979 articles, citations have continually increased across years in a nearly linear fashion. We also report changes in topics covered by the top-cited articles over the decades.

  1. Predicting clicks of PubMed articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Yuqing; Lu, Zhiyong

    2013-01-01

    Predicting the popularity or access usage of an article has the potential to improve the quality of PubMed searches. We can model the click trend of each article as its access changes over time by mining the PubMed query logs, which contain the previous access history for all articles. In this article, we examine the access patterns produced by PubMed users in two years (July 2009 to July 2011). We explore the time series of accesses for each article in the query logs, model the trends with regression approaches, and subsequently use the models for prediction. We show that the click trends of PubMed articles are best fitted with a log-normal regression model. This model allows the number of accesses an article receives and the time since it first becomes available in PubMed to be related via quadratic and logistic functions, with the model parameters to be estimated via maximum likelihood. Our experiments predicting the number of accesses for an article based on its past usage demonstrate that the mean absolute error and mean absolute percentage error of our model are 4.0% and 8.1% lower than the power-law regression model, respectively. The log-normal distribution is also shown to perform significantly better than a previous prediction method based on a human memory theory in cognitive science. This work warrants further investigation on the utility of such a log-normal regression approach towards improving information access in PubMed.

  2. Article separation apparatus and method for unit operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pardini, Allan F.; Gervais, Kevin L.; Mathews, Royce A.; Hockey, Ronald L.

    2010-06-22

    An apparatus and method are disclosed for separating articles from a group of articles. The apparatus includes a container for containing one or more articles coupled to a suitable fluidizer for suspending articles within the container and transporting articles to an induction tube. A portal in the induction tube introduces articles singly into the induction tube. A vacuum pulls articles through the induction tube separating the articles from the group of articles in the container. The apparatus and method can be combined with one or more unit operations or modules, e.g., for inspecting articles, assessing quality of articles, or ascertaining material properties and/or parameters of articles, including layers thereof.

  3. 19 CFR 4.69 - Shipping articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Shipping articles. 4.69 Section 4.69 Customs... VESSELS IN FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TRADES Foreign Clearances § 4.69 Shipping articles. No vessel of the U.S... officer, of the shipping articles agreements, including any seaman's allotment agreement, required by 46 U...

  4. 27 CFR 20.191 - Bulk articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bulk articles. 20.191... Users of Specially Denatured Spirits Operations by Users § 20.191 Bulk articles. Users who convey articles in containers exceeding one gallon may provide the recipient with a photocopy of subpart G of this...

  5. 22 CFR 120.6 - Defense article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Defense article. 120.6 Section 120.6 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS § 120.6 Defense article. Defense article means any item or technical data designated in § 121.1 of this subchapter...

  6. The top 50 cited articles on chordomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikpeze, Tochukwu; Mesfin, Addisu

    2018-03-01

    Chordomas are rare malignant primary tumors of the spine. In the mobile spine and sacrum an en-bloc resection is associated with decreased rates of recurrence. Our objective was to identify the top cited articles in chordoma research and to further analyze characteristics of these articles. In March 2017, we used ISI Web of Science (v5.11, Thomas Reuter, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) to search for the following key word: "chordoma". Articles were searched from 1900 to 2017. Articles were ranked based on number of citations. The results were evaluated to determine articles most clinically relevant to the management of chordomas. The top 50 articles that met the search criteria were further characterized on the basis of: title, author, citation density, journal of publication, year (and decade) of publication, institution and country of origin and paper topic. A total of 1,043 articles matched the search criteria. The most influential 50 articles were cited 65 to 290 times. The articles were published between 1926 and 2012, and all articles were published in English. Thirty-three publications (66%) originated from the United States and seven (14%) from Italy. Cancer accounted for the most frequent (n=9) destination journal followed by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (n=4). A total of 41 institutions contributed to the top 50 articles. The most common article types were: clinical 44% (n=22), papers that combined clinical and pathology findings 18% (n=9) and basic science research 14% (n=7). The top 50 cited articles on chordomas are predominantly clinical papers, arising from the United States and most frequently published in Cancer and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery .

  7. Radiation cured silicone rubber articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DuPont, J.G.; Goodwin, P.A.

    1984-01-01

    A process for making radiation cured silicone rubber articles is disclosed wherein a hydroxyl-terminated polysilaxane having a molecular weight from about 50,000 to about 2,000,000, optionally modified by mixing with up to 85% of an end-stopped silicone rubber, is mixed with from about 10 to about 70 parts per hundred of rubber of a finely divided silica filler with a particle size in the reinforcing range and other inert fillers as determined by desired final properties; the composition so prepared is formed into the desired shape at room temperature; the article so formed is precured to improve the mechanical properties of the material with which it is made by exposure to ammonia gas, ammonium hydroxide, or to the vapors or solutions of a volatile amine at room temperature; and the precured article is irradiated with high energy electrons or gamma radiation to effect a permanent cure of the material from which the article is formed

  8. Quality of life in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia: A literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miranda-Castillo Claudia

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A couple of decades ago, hospitals or psychiatric institutions were in charge of caring for patients with schizophrenia; however, nowadays this role is performed by one or more patient's relatives. Evidence shows that informal caregivers experience negative changes in their quality of life (QOL. The aim of this study is to review the main factors associated with the QOL of caregivers of people with schizophrenia. Methods A search through databases from journals published last decade between 1998 and 2008 was performed. In accordance with the inclusion criteria, titles and abstracts of citations obtained from the search were examined independently by two authors and irrelevant articles discarded. The full text of those studies considered relevant by either reviewer were obtained and assessed independently. Where differences of opinion rose they were resolved by discussion. Out of the 258 references, 37 were included in the review. Studies which assessed factors associated with caregivers of people with schizophrenia's quality of life were included and the information summarized. Results Evidence suggest that physical, emotional and economic distress affect negatively caregiver's QOL as a result of a number of unfulfilled needs such as, restoration of patient functioning in family and social roles, economic burden, lack of spare time, among other factors. Conclusion Decreased QOL may be associated with caregivers' burden, lack of social support, course of the disease and family relationships problems. In addition, in developing countries, QOL is affected by caregivers' economic burden. High quality research is needed in order to identify factors associated with QOL over time and testing the efficacy of interventions aiming to improve QOL in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia.

  9. How Do Private Sector Schools Serve the Public Good by Fostering Inclusive Service Delivery Models?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scanlan, Martin; Tichy, Karen

    2014-01-01

    Conversations about promoting educational reforms that redress educational inequities often ignore private schools as irrelevant. Yet pursuits of inclusivity in private sector schools serve the public interest. This article focuses on how the system of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis has been purposefully striving for 2 decades to…

  10. Security, Extremism and Education: Safeguarding or Surveillance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Lynn

    2016-01-01

    This article analyses how education is positioned in the current concerns about security and extremism. This means firstly examining the different meanings of security (national, human and societal) and who provides security for whom. Initially, a central dilemma is acknowledged: that schooling appears to be simultaneously irrelevant to the huge…

  11. Growing Social Capital in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arriaza, Gilberto; Rocha, Christie

    2016-01-01

    Sharing school supplies appears, indeed, a simple, even an irrelevant routine activity, but upon closer examination one realizes that deeper and complex issues are at stake. This article aims at explaining how seemingly uneventful classroom activities contain the potential to building social capital in the classroom, which occurs when and if…

  12. Mode of Interference, Set and Selective Attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagen, John William; Zukier, Henry

    This study investigated the effects of distractors on children's task-relevant (central) and task-irrelevant (incidental) recall on a short term visual memory task involving pictures of familiar animals and household articles. The effect of mode of distractor (auditory or visual) and the effect of developmental level were also studied. Subjects…

  13. Kafkaesque Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khagurov, T. A.

    2015-01-01

    The article examines not-so-evident influences of postmodernism on modern Russian education, its values and norms. At school, children have to face inadequate competitions and carry out projects, which are irrelevant to their experience and even age. During holiday festivities, the rejection and oblivion of traditional culture and core human…

  14. Power failure in the free market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wyman, V.

    1992-01-01

    Two leading British energy academics are calling on the United Kingdom government to abandon its strict free-market approach to energy as irrelevant and damaging. They want conscious management of the long-term development of the energy sector - in effect an energy policy. Their arguments are summarized in this article. (author)

  15. Auditory Attentional Capture: Effects of Singleton Distractor Sounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalton, Polly; Lavie, Nilli

    2004-01-01

    The phenomenon of attentional capture by a unique yet irrelevant singleton distractor has typically been studied in visual search. In this article, the authors examine whether a similar phenomenon occurs in the auditory domain. Participants searched sequences of sounds for targets defined by frequency, intensity, or duration. The presence of a…

  16. HighWire Free Online Full-text Articles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal of Lipid Research all articles after 12 months Journal of Medical Ethics all articles 1 Jan 1975 Anticancer Research all articles after 2 years every Jan. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy all articles BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care free site BMJ Open Gastroenterology free site BMJ Open

  17. 27 CFR 19.471 - Manufacture of articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manufacture of articles..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS DISTILLED SPIRITS PLANTS Denaturing Operations and Manufacture of Articles Articles § 19.471 Manufacture of articles. Proprietors shall manufacture, label, mark, and dispose of...

  18. 7 CFR 301.51-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.51-2 Section 301.51-2... Regulated articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) Firewood (all hardwood species), and green... (sycamore), Populus (poplar), Salix (willow), Sorbus (mountain ash), and Ulmus (elm). (b) Any other article...

  19. 66 ORIGINAL ARTICLE

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    boaz

    ORIGINAL ARTICLE. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY JAN 2016 ISBN 1595-689X VOL 17 No.1 ..... WOMEN. Social characteristics. No. examined (n = 310). No. positive. (n=30) (%). Education. Illiterate. Primary. Secondary. Tertiary. Occupation. Civil servant. House wife. Students.

  20. 7 CFR 319.77-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 319.77-2 Section 319.77-2....77-2 Regulated articles. In order to prevent the spread of gypsy moth from Canada into noninfested... section are designated as regulated articles. Regulated articles may be imported into the United States...

  1. 7 CFR 301.91-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.91-2 Section 301.91-2... Regulations § 301.91-2 Regulated articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) Logs, pulpwood, branches...) Any other product, article, or means of conveyance, of any character whatsoever, not covered by...

  2. 7 CFR 301.50-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.50-2 Section 301.50-2... articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) Pine products (Pinus spp.), as follows: Bark products... pine wreaths and garlands; and stumps. (b) Any article, product, or means of conveyance not covered by...

  3. 27 CFR 447.46 - Articles in transit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles in transit. 447... WAR Permits § 447.46 Articles in transit. Articles subject to the import permit procedures of this subpart which enter the United States for temporary deposit pending removal therefrom and such articles...

  4. 7 CFR 301.55-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.55-2 Section 301.55-2... Regulated articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) The South American cactus moth, in any living..., Nopalea, and Opuntia. (c) Any other product, article, or means of conveyance not listed in paragraphs (a...

  5. 7 CFR 301.81-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.81-2 Section 301.81-2... Regulations § 301.81-2 Regulated articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) Imported fire ant queens... other articles, except potting soil that is shipped in original containers in which the soil was placed...

  6. 7 CFR 301.53-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.53-2 Section 301.53-2... articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) The emerald ash borer; firewood of all hardwood (non... article, product, or means of conveyance not listed in paragraph (a) of this section may be designated as...

  7. On Reviewing and Writing a Scholarly Article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bettis, Jerry L., Sr.

    2012-01-01

    This article provides guidelines for reviewing and writing scholarly articles for the professional who reads and writes them for his/her own work and/or for publication in scientific journals. It outlines the purpose and contents of each section of a research article and provides a checklist for reviewing and writing a research article. This…

  8. Protective articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wardley, R.B.

    1983-01-01

    This patent specification describes an article affording protection against radiation, and especially against X-rays comprising at least one flexible layer of lead filled material in an envelope of, or sandwiched between two layers of a knitted, woven or non-woven fabric preferably of synthetic fibrous material, carrying on its outer surface a coating of flexible polyurethane. The outer fabric provides a resilient, extremely tough and cut resistant covering for the relatively soft lead filled material. (author)

  9. A Threshold Concept in Managing: What Students in Introductory Management Courses Must Know

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donovan, Paul

    2017-01-01

    In the field of management, a practice--theory gap has developed and consequently, management education has been criticized for being irrelevant to the needs of stakeholders. This article argues that introduction to management courses in higher education perpetuate this gap by not teaching what managers do. These courses fail to communicate well…

  10. Art Education Today: Neither Millennium nor Mirage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisner, Elliot W.

    1997-01-01

    Reprints the 1966 article as a representative example of thinking about art education during the 1960s. Primarily answers criticisms raised by Victor D'Amico in his attack on the current state of art education, and art education research in particular. Defends this research against charges of irrelevancy and academic indulgence. (MJP)

  11. Can Certainties Be Acquired at Will? Implications for Children's Assimilation of a World-Picture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariso, Jose Maria

    2016-01-01

    After describing Wittgenstein's notion of "certainty", in this article I provide four arguments to demonstrate that no certainty can be acquired at will. Specifically, I argue that, in order to assimilate a certainty, it is irrelevant whether the individual concerned (1) has found a ground that seemingly justifies that certainty; (2) has…

  12. Apparatus for controlling the conveyance of articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billington, A.J.; Rice, T.G.

    1987-01-01

    A selector mechanism for controlling transfer of articles from a plurality of upstream feed lines to at least one downstream feed line comprises a plurality of transfer passages each provided with a gate and at least one stop. The gates are operable to block the leading article in the respective transfer passages while the stops are operable to arrest movement of a trailing article and hence the articles that follow it. Operation of the gates and stops is co-ordinated so that the stops are operative when the gates are operated to unblock the leading article. In this way, the number of articles freed for onward movement each time the gates are operated to unblock the path of conveyance can be controlled. (author)

  13. Article n_TOF : rectificatif

    CERN Multimedia

    2008-01-01

    Une erreur s’est malencontreusement glissée dans la version française de la dernière édition du Bulletin papier. L’introduction (en gras) de l’article « Les neutrons sur la piste de décollage » était celle de l’article sur le Linac 4 paru dans l’édition précédente. Le paragraphe correct est le suivant : « Au repos depuis quatre ans, les neutrons volent à nouveau dans l’installation n_TOF (mesure du temps de vol des neutrons), qui vient d’être remise en service avec une nouvelle cible. » Veuillez nous excuser pour cette erreur.

  14. 7 CFR 322.28 - General requirements; restricted articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General requirements; restricted articles. 322.28... EQUIPMENT Importation and Transit of Restricted Articles § 322.28 General requirements; restricted articles. (a) The following articles from any region are restricted articles: (1) Dead bees of any genus; (2...

  15. Article retracted, but the message lives on.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greitemeyer, Tobias

    2014-04-01

    The retraction of an original article aims to ensure that readers are alerted to the fact that the findings are not trustworthy. However, the present research suggests that individuals still believe in the findings of an article even though they were later told that the data were fabricated and that the article was retracted. Participants in a debriefing condition and a no-debriefing condition learned about the scientific finding of an empirical article, whereas participants in a control condition did not. Afterward, participants in the debriefing condition were told that the article had been retracted because of fabricated data. Results showed that participants in the debriefing condition were less likely to believe in the findings than participants in the no-debriefing condition but were more likely to believe in the findings than participants in the control condition, suggesting that individuals do adjust their beliefs in the perceived truth of a scientific finding after debriefing-but insufficiently. Mediational analyses revealed that the availability of generated causal arguments underlies belief perseverance. These results suggest that a retraction note of an empirical article in a scientific journal is not sufficient to ensure that readers of the original article no longer believe in the article's conclusions.

  16. Selected Tennis and Badminton Articles. Sports Articles Reprint Series. Third Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyler, Jo Ann, Ed.

    Presented is a collection of articles from "The Division for Girls and Women's Sports (DGWS) Guides 1964-1970,""Research Quarterly 1962-1969," and "Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 1962-1969." It is the latest in the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation…

  17. The role of research-article writing motivation and self-regulatory strategies in explaining research-article abstract writing ability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Ming-Chia; Cheng, Yuh-Show; Lin, Sieh-Hwa; Hsieh, Pei-Jung

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of research-article writing motivation and use of self-regulatory writing strategies in explaining second language (L2) research-article abstract writing ability, alongside the L2 literacy effect. Four measures were administered: a L2 literacy test, a research abstract performance assessment, and inventories of writing motivation and strategy. Participants were L2 graduate students in Taiwan (N=185; M age=25.8 yr., SD=4.5, range=22-53). Results of structural equation modeling showed a direct effect of motivation on research-article writing ability, but no direct effect of strategy or indirect effect of motivation via strategy on research-article writing ability, with L2 literacy controlled. The findings suggest research-article writing instruction should address writing motivation, besides L2 literacy.

  18. Don't Throw It Away!: Raise Recycling Awareness through Communications Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazaros, Edward J.; Shackelford, Ray

    2008-01-01

    Americans discard a huge amount of material everyday. The activity described in this article--determining how much waste is thrown out or recycled in the school cafeteria over a five-day period--dramatically increases students' awareness of this fact of contemporary life. Armed with the information they've gathered, students go on to the…

  19. Confession and Carrying into Execution of Foreign Arbitration Courts' Decisions: Reciprocity and Public Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarina, Salima A.; Nukusheva, Aigul A.; Kalmagambetov, Kassym S.; Kumysbekova, Zhanara T.; Nesterova, Elena V.

    2016-01-01

    The article contains a comparative analysis of foreign arbitration courts' decisions, ensuring the reciprocity and public policy. The aim of the study is to explore such aspects as reciprocity and public policy of arbitration courts. The result is the view of the public policy, despite its apparent irrelevance in today's Kazakhstan, which is of…

  20. 27 CFR 46.236 - Articles in a warehouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles in a warehouse... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Filing Requirements § 46.236 Articles in a warehouse. (a) Articles... articles will be offered for sale. (b) Articles offered for sale at several locations must be reported on a...

  1. Retrieval of articles in personal computer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Byung Gil; Park, Seog Hee; Kim, Sung Hoon; Shinn, Kyung Sub

    1994-01-01

    Although many useful articles appear in the journals published in Korea, they are not always cited by researchers mainly due to absence of efficient searching system. The authors made a program with 6 predefined filtering forms to detect published articles rapidly and accurately. The programs was coded using database management system CA-Clipper Version 5.2 (Computer Associates International, Inc.) through preliminary work for 1 year. We used 486 DX II (8 Mbyte RAM, VGA, 200 Mbyte Hard Disk). Ink-jet Printer (Hewlett Packard Company), and MS-DOS Version 5.0 (Microsoft Co). We inputted total of 1986 articles published in the Journal of Korea Radiological Society from 1981 to 1993. The searching time was 10 to 15 seconds for each use. We had very flexible user interfaces and simplified searching methods, but more complicated filtering could also be performed. Although the previous version have had some bugs, this upgrade version resolved the problems and fitted in searching articles. The program would be valuable for radiologist in searching articles published not only in the Journal of the Korean Radiological Society, but also in the Journal of the Korean Society of Medicine Ultrasound and the Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine

  2. 7 CFR 301.89-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.89-2 Section 301.89-2... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES Karnal Bunt § 301.89-2 Regulated articles. The following are regulated articles: (a) Conveyances, including trucks, railroad cars, and other...

  3. 48 CFR 425.104 - Nonavailable articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Nonavailable articles. 425.104 Section 425.104 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Buy American Act-Supplies 425.104 Nonavailable articles. Information required...

  4. What makes a Scientific Article influential?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H.P. van Dalen (Hendrik); K. Henkens

    2000-01-01

    textabstractIn this paper we examine, by means of a citation analysis, which factors influence the impact of articles published in demography journals between 1990 and 1992. Several quantifiable characteristics of the articles (characteristics with respect to authors, visibility, content and

  5. The classic. Review article: Traffic accidents. 1966.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tscherne, H

    2013-09-01

    This Classic Article is a translation of the original work by Prof. Harald Tscherne, Der Straßenunfall [Traffic Accidents]. An accompanying biographical sketch of Prof. Tscherne is available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-013-3011-x . An online version of the original German article is available as supplemental material. The Classic Article is reproduced with permission from Brüder Hollinek & Co. GesmbH, Purkersdorf, Austria. The original article was published in Wien Med Wochenschr. 1966;116:105-108. (Translated by Dr. Roman Pfeifer.).

  6. Identifying diffusion patterns of research articles on Twitter: A case study of online engagement with open access articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alperin, Juan Pablo; Gomez, Charles J; Haustein, Stefanie

    2018-03-01

    The growing presence of research shared on social media, coupled with the increase in freely available research, invites us to ask whether scientific articles shared on platforms like Twitter diffuse beyond the academic community. We explore a new method for answering this question by identifying 11 articles from two open access biology journals that were shared on Twitter at least 50 times and by analyzing the follower network of users who tweeted each article. We find that diffusion patterns of scientific articles can take very different forms, even when the number of times they are tweeted is similar. Our small case study suggests that most articles are shared within single-connected communities with limited diffusion to the public. The proposed approach and indicators can serve those interested in the public understanding of science, science communication, or research evaluation to identify when research diffuses beyond insular communities.

  7. On Time in Just War Theory:From Chronos to Kairos

    OpenAIRE

    Thaler, Mathias

    2014-01-01

    This article examines the role of time in Just War theory. It maintains that contemporary Just War theory’s legalist focus on rules and principles, rather than judgment and interpretation, makes a serious engagement with timing appear quite irrelevant. To deal with this shortcoming, the article clarifies the dual nature of political time as both chronos and kairos, and argues that a cogent account of the justice of warfare needs to incorporate the two faces of political time. In addition, the...

  8. 14 CFR 21.8 - Approval of articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Approval of articles. 21.8 Section 21.8 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR PRODUCTS AND PARTS General § 21.8 Approval of articles. If an article is required to be...

  9. 19 CFR 134.34 - Certain repacked articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Certain repacked articles. 134.34 Section 134.34... TREASURY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MARKING Exceptions to Marking Requirements § 134.34 Certain repacked articles. (a) Exception for repacked articles. An exception under § 134.32(d) may be authorized in the...

  10. Referent Salience Affects Second Language Article Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trenkic, Danijela; Pongpairoj, Nattama

    2013-01-01

    The effect of referent salience on second language (L2) article production in real time was explored. Thai (-articles) and French (+articles) learners of English described dynamic events involving two referents, one visually cued to be more salient at the point of utterance formulation. Definiteness marking was made communicatively redundant with…

  11. ECOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY THROUGH POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketevan KUPATADZE

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Popularization of Ecological Chemistry is the aim of scientific-popular articles, which are published in the online journal for teachers. With the articles of this type Ecological Chemistry is linked with literature and history. Due to this linkage articles, this module turns into an easily comprehensible one and it becomes fun. In all articles there is also included very useful and interesting information pertaining to Ecological Chemistry. It must be underlined the titles of such articles, because they should not only show the common meaning of article, but they should also attract readers.The utmost interest is generated by the historical papers, where chemical issues are connected with history. The period of alchemy is more popular and that’s why the alchemical stories are described in the articles.The outcome of the pedagogical experiment has made it clear, that such a method of teaching of Ecological Chemistry with scientific popular articles affects positively on school students motivation and changes their attitude towards the environmental pollution.CHIMIA ECOLOGICĂ ÎN ARTICOLELE ȘTIINȚIFICO-POPULAREPopularizarea Chimiei ecologice este scopul articolelor științifico-populare, care sunt publicate în reviste online pentru profesori. Prin intermediul articolelor de acest tip, Chimia ecologică este legată de literatură și istorie. Datorită respectivelor publicaţii, acest modul este ușor de înțeles și el devine distractiv. Toate articolele conțin informații foarte utile și interesante referitoarela Chimiaecologică. Trebuie de subliniat importanţa titlurilor acestor articole, deoarece ele ar trebui nu doar să redea succint înțelesul articolului, dar şi să atragă cititorul.Un interes deosebit trezesc documentele istorice, în cazul în care problemele chimiei sunt legate de istorie. Perioada alchimiei este mai populară, de aceea şi sunt descrise în articole poveștile alchimice.Rezultatul experimentului

  12. Ceramic matrix composite article and process of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cairo, Ronald Robert; DiMascio, Paul Stephen; Parolini, Jason Robert

    2016-01-12

    A ceramic matrix composite article and a process of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite are disclosed. The ceramic matrix composite article includes a matrix distribution pattern formed by a manifold and ceramic matrix composite plies laid up on the matrix distribution pattern, includes the manifold, or a combination thereof. The manifold includes one or more matrix distribution channels operably connected to a delivery interface, the delivery interface configured for providing matrix material to one or more of the ceramic matrix composite plies. The process includes providing the manifold, forming the matrix distribution pattern by transporting the matrix material through the manifold, and contacting the ceramic matrix composite plies with the matrix material.

  13. Ethical Values in Education and Society

    OpenAIRE

    Carl Edwin Lindgren; Blount La Wanna Lease

    2011-01-01

    Today, many educators, administrators, and parents are concerned over the startling rise in teen violence. Theories are expounded and old concepts are discarded. Still, within most school systems, violence, disrespect, and moral decay are quickly becoming the norm. This article provides some insight into how these concerns may be addressed within the school environment by teachers, parents, and administrators.

  14. Broad and Visionary. Commentary on Allen Kent (1977) Information Science. (Journal of Education for Librarianship, 17(3), 131-139)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Marcia J.

    2015-01-01

    Allen Kent was a pioneer in many aspects of library and information science (LIS), and yet, as this author reads Kent's 1977 article, there is not much in it that has become ancient, irrelevant history. The questions he discusses are still alive in the discipline in 2014, whether it is called LIS (library and information science), information…

  15. 7 CFR 301.87-2 - Regulated articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Regulated articles. 301.87-2 Section 301.87-2... Regulations § 301.87-2 Regulated articles. (a) Sugarcane plants, whole or in part, including true seed and...) Any other product, article, or means of conveyance, of any character whatsoever, not covered by...

  16. 27 CFR 26.194 - Detention of articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Detention of articles. 26..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LIQUORS AND ARTICLES FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Shipment of... Detention of articles. (a) Upon receiving a notification in accordance with § 26.193(b), the appropriate TTB...

  17. 19 CFR 145.36 - Articles for institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles for institutions. 145.36 Section 145.36... TREASURY (CONTINUED) MAIL IMPORTATIONS Special Classes of Merchandise § 145.36 Articles for institutions. Books and other articles classifiable under subheading 4903.00.00, 4904.00.00, 4905.91.00, 4905.99.00...

  18. The Top-100 Most-Cited Articles on Meningioma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almutairi, Othman; Albakr, Abdulrahman; Al-Habib, Amro; Ajlan, Abdulrazag

    2017-11-01

    There is an abundance of articles published on meningioma. To identify the 100 most-cited articles on meningioma and to perform a bibliometric analysis. In November 2016, we performed a title-specific search of the Scopus database using "meningioma" as our search query term without publication date restrictions. The top 100 most cited articles were obtained and reviewed. The top 100 most cited articles received a mean 198 citations per paper. Publication dates ranged from 1953 to 2013; most articles were published between 1994 and 2003, with 50 articles published during that period. NEUROSURGERY published the greatest number of top cited articles (22 of 100). The most frequent study categories were laboratorial studies (31 of 100) and natural history studies (28 of 100). Nonoperative management studies were twice as common as operative management studies in the top-cited articles. Neurosurgery as a specialty contributed to 50% of the top 100 list. The most contributing institute was the Mayo Clinic (11%); the majority of the top cited articles originated in the United States (53%). We identified the top 100 most-cited articles on meningioma that may be considered significant and impactful works, as well as the most noteworthy. In addition, we recognized the historical development and advances in meningioma research and the important contributions of various authors, specialty fields, and countries. A large proportion of the most cited articles were written by authors other than neurosurgeons, and many of these articles were published in non-neurosurgery journals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Shaped articles of cross-linked fluorocarbon polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gotcher, A.J.; Germeraad, P.B.

    1981-01-01

    A process is described which comprises (1) contacting (a) a shaped article of a polymeric composition wherein the polymer is a fluorocarbon polymer having a melting point of at least 200 0 C, the article having a tensile strength of at least 3,000 psi, with (b) a fluid composition comprising a cross-linking agent, until the article contains at least 2.5% by weight of the cross-linking agent; and (2) irradiating the shaped article with ionising radiation to a dosage not exceeding 50 Mrads under conditions such that the composition is cross-linked sufficiently to impart thereto an M 100 value of at least 300 psi, while maintaining a tensile strength of at least 3000 psi, the shaped article containing a specified proportion of the cross-linking agent. (author)

  20. Linkage of Maternity Hospital Episode Statistics data to birth registration and notification records for births in England 2005-2014: Quality assurance of linkage of routine data for singleton and multiple births.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, Gillian

    2018-03-01

    To quality assure a Trusted Third Party linked data set to prepare it for analysis. Birth registration and notification records from the Office for National Statistics for all births in England 2005-2014 linked to Maternity Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) delivery records by NHS Digital using mothers' identifiers. All 6 676 912 births that occurred in England from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2014. Every link between a registered birth and an HES delivery record for the study period was categorised as either the same baby or a different baby to the same mother, or as a wrong link, by comparing common baby data items and valid values in key fields with stepwise deterministic rules. Rates of preserved and discarded links were calculated and which features were more common in each group were assessed. Ninety-eight per cent of births originally linked to HES were left with one preserved link. The majority of discarded links were due to duplicate HES delivery records. Of the 4854 discarded links categorised as wrong links, clerical checks found 85% were false-positives links, 13% were quality assurance false negatives and 2% were undeterminable. Births linked using a less reliable stage of the linkage algorithm, births at home and in the London region, and with birth weight or gestational age values missing in HES were more likely to have all links discarded. Linkage error, data quality issues, and false negatives in the quality assurance procedure were uncovered. The procedure could be improved by allowing for transposition in date fields, and more discrimination between missing and differing values. The availability of identifiers in the datasets supported clerical checking. Other research using Trusted Third Party linkage should not assume the linked dataset is error-free or optimised for their analysis, and allow sufficient resources for this. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved

  1. 19 CFR 148.33 - Articles acquired abroad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles acquired abroad. 148.33 Section 148.33... Articles acquired abroad. (a) Exemption. Each returning resident is entitled to bring in free of duty and..., Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202), articles for his personal or household use...

  2. 100 articles every ecologist should read.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Courchamp, Franck; Bradshaw, Corey J A

    2018-02-01

    Reading scientific articles is a valuable and major part of the activity of scientists. Yet, with the upsurge of currently available articles and the increasing specialization of scientists, it becomes difficult to identify, let alone read, important papers covering topics not directly related to one's own specific field of research, or that are older than a few years. Our objective was to propose a list of seminal papers deemed to be of major importance in ecology, thus providing a general 'must-read' list for any new ecologist, regardless of particular topic or expertise. We generated a list of 544 papers proposed by 147 ecology experts (journal editorial members) and subsequently ranked via random-sample voting by 368 of 665 contacted ecology experts, covering 6 article types, 6 approaches and 17 fields. Most of the recommended papers were not published in the highest-ranking journals, nor did they have the highest number of mean annual citations. The articles proposed through the collective recommendation of several hundred experienced researchers probably do not represent an 'ultimate', invariant list, but they certainly contain many high-quality articles that are undoubtedly worth reading-regardless of the specific field of interest in ecology-to foster the understanding, knowledge and inspiration of early-career scientists.

  3. 27 CFR 46.204 - Articles in transit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Tubes Held for Sale on April 1, 2009 Inventories § 46.204 Articles in transit. The dealer must include articles subject to floor stocks tax that are in transit in the inventory if the dealer holds title to... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles in transit. 46...

  4. 50 CFR 14.22 - Certain antique articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Certain antique articles. 14.22 Section 14....22 Certain antique articles. Any person may import at any Customs Service port designated for such purpose, any article (other than scrimshaw, defined in 16 U.S.C 1539(f)(1)(B) and 50 CFR 217.12 as any art...

  5. PREPARATION OF A POLYMER ARTICLE FOR SELECTIVE METALLIZATION

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2008-01-01

    The present invention relates to the field of selective metallization, and in particular to preparing a polymer article for selective metallization by submerging the article in a first liquid, and while submergedirradiate the article by a laser beam the area of the article on which the metal...... is to be deposited. An activation step, prior to the selective metallization, comprises submerging the article in an activation liquid for depositing seedparticles in the selected area. The irradiation of the selected area is proportionate so as to cause a temporary meltingof the polymer in the surface...... of the selected area of the polymer article. The invention is advantageous in that the preparation may be performed with a relatively high scan rate across the polymer article, and in that a quite limited use of toxic chemicals....

  6. 46 CFR 205.5 - Contracts containing disputes article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contracts containing disputes article. 205.5 Section 205... AUDIT APPEALS; POLICY AND PROCEDURE § 205.5 Contracts containing disputes article. When a contract contains a disputes article, the disputes article will govern the bases for negotiating disputes regarding...

  7. [Top-cited academic articles in acupuncture and moxibustion research].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Shengfeng; Zou, Ying; Wang, Rudong; Yu, Meiling

    2017-08-12

    To identify the 100 top-cited articles published in journals dedicated to acupuncture & moxibustion research and analyze their characteristics so as to explore its academic state. All the articles were collected from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, January 1, 1943 to December 25, 2016), Web of Science (January 1, 1950 to December 25, 2016), WANFANG Database (January 1, 1998 to December 25, 2016). The top-cited articles were selected and analyzed with regard to publication year, number of citations, journals, authors, country or region, institution, title, type and subject. One hundred and two articles were included, 43 Chinese articles and 59 English articles, cited between 146 and 505 times, and the average number of citation was 222. Of the 10 articles cited in the top 10, China and the United States had 4 articles respectively. These articles appeared in 44 journals, 24 articles in Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion , followed by 8 articles in Pain . All the articles belonged to 9 countries and regions, 47 articles from mainland China and 21 articles from the United State. Of the 14 institutes whose article number ranked at top 10, Tianjing University of TCM had 8 articles. The first authors published most papers were professor HAN Jisheng and Cherkin DC, each of whom had 4 articles. All the articles were categorized into basic science article (n=27), clinical research (n=33) and literature study (n=42). The main topics were pain diseases and brain impairment. This analysis of high cited articles reveals academic trends and directions of acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupuncture and moxibustion are more and more recognized by mainstream medicine in the world, but the academic dominance of China has been increasingly challenged by the United States, Germany and so on.

  8. Aaron Journal article datasets

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — All figures used in the journal article are in netCDF format. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Sims, A., K. Alapaty , and S. Raman....

  9. 19 CFR 10.18 - Valuation of assembled articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of assembled articles. 10.18 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.18 Valuation of assembled articles. As in the case of...

  10. 19 CFR 10.9 - Articles exported for processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles exported for processing. 10.9 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Exported and Returned § 10.9 Articles exported for processing. (a) Except as otherwise provided for in this...

  11. 27 CFR 19.753 - Record of article manufacture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Record of article... Account § 19.753 Record of article manufacture. Each processor qualified to manufacture articles shall maintain daily records arranged by the name and authorized use code of the article to show the following...

  12. Teaching the Anatomy of a Scientific Journal Article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schinske, Jeffrey N.; Clayman, Karen; Busch, Allison K.; Tanner, Kimberly D.

    2008-01-01

    To promote inquiry-based learning, the authors integrate the anatomy of a scientific journal article into their secondary science curriculum. In this article, they present three classroom activities used to teach students about the function and format of scientific journal articles. The first focuses on journal article figures, the second on…

  13. Citing Journal Articles in Social Sciences Blogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid Reza Jamali

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to analyze motivations behind social sciences blog posts citing journal articles in order to find out whether blog citations of scholarly journal articles are good indicators for the societal impact of research. A random sample of 300 social sciences blog posts (out of 1,233 blog posts from ResearchBlogging published between 01/01/2012 to 18/06/2014 were subjected to content analysis. An existing categorization scheme was used and modified inductively. The 300 blog posts had 472 references including 424 journal articles from 269 different journals. Sixty-one (22.68% of all journals cited were from the category of social sciences and most of the journals with high frequency were highly cited general science journals such as PNAS and Science. Seventy-five percent of all journals were referenced only once. The average age of articles cited was 5.8 years. The most frequent (38, 12.67% motivation was to ‘neutrally presenting details of a study’. Overall, social science blogs were rather subject-oriented than article oriented. This means a considerable number of blog posts were not driven simply by writing about an article, instead bloggers tend to write about their subject of interest and use references to support their argument. The study shows the potential of blog citations as an altmetric measure and as a proxy for assessing the research impact.

  14. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    of Management. Published online: 1 May 2018. ABSTRACT. The article ... Achieving high financial performance is a priority for the country. .... developing at an advanced rate, and there is a hierarchy of entrepreneurial development types.

  15. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... The article also discusses the process and results of computer modeling, an error that arises ..... Prediction positioning quality .... topocentric and angular coordinates of the selected navigational satellites can determine if this.

  16. 19 CFR 148.46 - Sale of exempted articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Sale of exempted articles. 148.46 Section 148.46... exempted articles. (a) Sale resulting in forfeiture. The following articles or their value (to be recovered... paragraph (b) of this section is followed: (1) Any jewelry or similar articles of personal adornment having...

  17. Impact of Article Page Count and Number of Authors on Citations in Disability Related Fields: A Systematic Review Article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Abubakar; Adam, Mastura; Ghafar, Norafida A; Muhammad, Murtala; Ebrahim, Nader Ale

    2016-09-01

    Citation metrics and total publications in a field has become the gold standard for rating researchers and viability of a field. Hence, stimulating demand for citation has led to a search for useful strategies to improve performance metric index. Meanwhile, title, abstract and morphologic qualities of the articles attract researchers to scientific publications. Yet, there is relatively little understanding of the citation trend in disability related fields. We aimed to provide an insight into the factors associated with citation increase in this field. Additionally, we tried to know at what page number an article might appear attractive to disability researchers needs. Thus, our focus is placed on the article page count and the number of authors contributing to the fields per article. To this end, we evaluated the quantitative characteristics of top cited articles in the fields with a total citation (≥50) in the Web of Science (WoS) database. Using one-way independent ANOVA, data extracted spanning a period of 1980-2015 were analyzed, while the non-parametric data analysis uses Kruskal-Walis test. Articles with 11 to 20 pages attract more citations followed by those within the range of zero to 10. Articles with upward 21 pages are the least cited. Surprisingly, articles with more than two authors are significantly ( P <0.05) less cited and the citation decreases as the number of authors increased. Collaborative studies enjoy wider utilization and more citation, yet discounted merit of additional pages and limited collaborative research in disability field is revealed in this study.

  18. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-07-16

    Jul 16, 2016 ... The companies with high level of customer satisfaction always are more powerful ... This article studies the impact of e-customer relationship .... 2- The multiple interactive value-added customer points with the organization.

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-07-16

    Jul 16, 2016 ... counterfeiting of currency and monetary instruments, money ... the term economic corruption which is frequently used by researchers in .... mentioned in the provisions and legislator also added fraud to this list under Article.

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... The article is devoted to the experimental studies of the effect of elastic operating elements of a ... Keywords: multicomponent granular mixture, mixer with elastic ... physico-mechanical properties and design features, without ...

  1. An ensemble self-training protein interaction article classifier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yifei; Hou, Ping; Manderick, Bernard

    2014-01-01

    Protein-protein interaction (PPI) is essential to understand the fundamental processes governing cell biology. The mining and curation of PPI knowledge are critical for analyzing proteomics data. Hence it is desired to classify articles PPI-related or not automatically. In order to build interaction article classification systems, an annotated corpus is needed. However, it is usually the case that only a small number of labeled articles can be obtained manually. Meanwhile, a large number of unlabeled articles are available. By combining ensemble learning and semi-supervised self-training, an ensemble self-training interaction classifier called EST_IACer is designed to classify PPI-related articles based on a small number of labeled articles and a large number of unlabeled articles. A biological background based feature weighting strategy is extended using the category information from both labeled and unlabeled data. Moreover, a heuristic constraint is put forward to select optimal instances from unlabeled data to improve the performance further. Experiment results show that the EST_IACer can classify the PPI related articles effectively and efficiently.

  2. Database citation in full text biomedical articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kafkas, Şenay; Kim, Jee-Hyub; McEntyre, Johanna R

    2013-01-01

    Molecular biology and literature databases represent essential infrastructure for life science research. Effective integration of these data resources requires that there are structured cross-references at the level of individual articles and biological records. Here, we describe the current patterns of how database entries are cited in research articles, based on analysis of the full text Open Access articles available from Europe PMC. Focusing on citation of entries in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), UniProt and Protein Data Bank, Europe (PDBe), we demonstrate that text mining doubles the number of structured annotations of database record citations supplied in journal articles by publishers. Many thousands of new literature-database relationships are found by text mining, since these relationships are also not present in the set of articles cited by database records. We recommend that structured annotation of database records in articles is extended to other databases, such as ArrayExpress and Pfam, entries from which are also cited widely in the literature. The very high precision and high-throughput of this text-mining pipeline makes this activity possible both accurately and at low cost, which will allow the development of new integrated data services.

  3. If the results of an article are noteworthy, read the entire article; do not rely on the abstract alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dal-Ré, R; Castell, M V; García-Puig, J

    2015-11-01

    Clinicians typically update their knowledge by reading articles on the Internet. Easy access to the articles' abstracts and a lack of time to access other information sources creates a risk that therapeutic or diagnostic decisions will be made after reading just the abstracts. Occasionally, however, the abstracts of articles from clinical trials that have not obtained statistically significant differences in the primary study endpoint have reported other positive results, for example, of a secondary endpoint or a subgroup analysis. The article, however, correctly reports all results, including those of the primary endpoint. In the abstract, the safety information of the experimental treatment is usually deficient. The whole article should be read if a clinical decision is to be made. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.

  4. Biaxially textured articles formed by powder metallurgy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit; Williams, Robert K.; Kroeger, Donald M.

    2003-07-29

    A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100} orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.

  5. Biaxially textured articles formed by power metallurgy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit; Williams, Robert K.; Kroeger, Donald M.

    2003-08-26

    A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100} orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.

  6. Biaxially textured articles formed by powder metallurgy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit; Williams, Robert K.; Kroeger, Donald M.

    2003-08-05

    A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of ternary mixtures consisting of: Ni powder, Cu powder, and Al powder, Ni powder, Cr powder, and Al powder; Ni powder, W powder and Al powder; Ni powder, V powder, and Al powder; Ni powder, Mo powder, and Al powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100} orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.

  7. 36 CFR 327.16 - Lost and found articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lost and found articles. 327... CHIEF OF ENGINEERS § 327.16 Lost and found articles. All articles found shall be deposited by the finder at the Manager's office or with a ranger. All such articles shall be disposed of in accordance with...

  8. Top-cited articles in traumatic brain injury.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhanu eSharma

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available A review of the top-cited articles in a scientific discipline can identify areas of research that are well established and those in need of further development, and may, as a result, inform and direct future research efforts. Our objective was to identify and characterize the top-cited articles in traumatic brain injury (TBI. We used publically available software to identify the 50 TBI articles with the most lifetime citations, and the 50 TBI articles with the highest annual citation rates. A total of 73 articles were included in this review, with 27 of the 50 papers with the highest annual citation rates common to the cohort of 50 articles with the most lifetime citations. All papers were categorized by their primary topic or focus, namely: predictor of outcome, pathology/natural history, treatment, guidelines and consensus statements, epidemiology, assessment measures, or experimental model of TBI. The mean year of publication of the articles with the most lifetime citations and highest annual citation rates was, respectively, 1990 ± 14.9 years and 2003 ± 6.7 years. The 50 articles with the most lifetime citations typically studied predictors of outcome (34.0%, 17/50 and were specific to severe TBI (38.0%, 19/50. In contrast, the most common subject of papers with the highest annual citation rates was treatment of brain injury (22.0%, 11/50, and these papers most frequently investigated mild TBI (36.0%, 18/50. These findings suggest an intensified focus on mild TBI, which is perhaps a response to the dedicated attention these injuries are currently receiving in the context of sports and war, and because of their increasing incidence in developing nations. Our findings also indicate increased focus on treatment of TBI, possibly due to the limited efficacy of current interventions for TBI. This review provides a cross-sectional summary of some of the most influential articles in TBI, and a bibliometric examination of the current status of TBI

  9. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-02-01

    Feb 1, 2018 ... The main goal of this article is to analyze methodological issues in .... methodology and theory and historiology (theory of historic process) whose goal is to .... internal branches of sociology and interdisciplinary links of ...

  10. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... Research Article. Special Issue ... In myriad studies implemented, the quality of life has been defined in different ways among which the .... service and trading users in living area. ... market, bakery, barber shop, restaurant, etc.

  11. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... where the operations of all sorts of searches and sorting are the most complex ones. Existing ... The object of this article development and research is an associative ..... ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

  12. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... This article is devoted to the modeling of sound absorption .... two-channel sound level meter, 6 - white noise generator. ... sound pressure was perceived by two microphones 3, 4, connected with the sound level meter. 5.

  13. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... P. V. Vasiliev, V. M. Mikhelev, V. V. Muromtcev and D. S. Batischev ... Annotation This article describes algorithm for solving ultimate pit limit ... It is simplified version of the production-scheduling problem that details the.

  14. Process for preparing polyolefin gel articles as well as for preparing herefrom articles having a high tensile strength and modulus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1990-01-01

    A process is described for the preparation of highly stretchable high-molecular weight polyolefin gel articles and polyolefin gel articles prepared therefrom having combined high tensile strength and high modulus, wherein an initial shaped article of the polyolefin is exposed to or contacted with a

  15. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... In this article, to improve the performance of metal cylindrical mesh shells used ... Finite element models are designed taking into account ... IFI type unit is used to increase the bearing capacity and reduce the deformation of.

  16. Suggestions for Structuring a Research Article

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, James D.; Reiser, Robert A.

    2014-01-01

    Researchers often experience difficulty as they attempt to prepare journal articles that describe their work. The purpose of this article is to provide researchers in the field of education with a series of suggestions as to how to clearly structure each section of a research manuscript that they intend to submit for publication in a scholarly…

  17. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-10-17

    Oct 17, 2017 ... In simple chronology, it is always true to say that better fluency .... Thus, in this research, GPL is used as the back-end software from the .... However, to present the quantitative measurement would be more .... Article title.

  18. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... ethical issues behind the retrieval of organs (commitment to ... The article reviews the practices of European countries and attitude of the EU citizens to the .... knowledge that the purchase and sale of donor organs is prohibited ...

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... he achieves in innocence or guilt of the accused. ... exertion of influence by the prosecutor over the interrogator in a variety of ways ..... for decision-making and Article 75 onwards in French Code of Criminal Procedure gives.

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... FEDERAL UNIVERSITY (FROM EMOTIONAL EDUCATION TO GLOBAL. THINKING ... ANNOTATION. The article highlights the topical issues of human education of the future humanistic- ... conditions (continuous self-education, updating and integration of educational resources on the basis of the ...

  1. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-05-01

    May 1, 2018 ... This article proposed to develop problem-oriented system of decision support based on artifi- ... use hard-to-recover oil reserves and gas. The main .... of a drilling rig when organizing a system for supplying drilling spare parts.

  2. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-05-15

    May 15, 2016 ... AND CIVIL ENGINEERING (CASE STUDY: AMIRIYEH REGION OF SHAHRIAR ... Keywords: suburbanization; urban economics; urban development; AHP ... Analytical Network Process method was used to achieve the effect of ... Harstad, 2014 in an article titled, "imitation or innovation and Cooperation.

  3. Citation Semantic Based Approaches to Identify Article Quality

    OpenAIRE

    S. Sendhilkumar; E. Elakkiya; G.S. Mahalakshmi

    2013-01-01

    Analyzing the structure of research articles and th e relationship between the articles has always been important in bibliometrics research area. One of the methods for analyzing articles is by its citation. Normally researchers rank the article based on the citation count. But this quantity based evaluation is not sufficient due to various c itation types like Random citation, Guest citation. Our paper aims in providing a new me...

  4. The 100 most-cited articles in the imaging literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinjikji, Waleed; Klunder, Alexa; Kallmes, David F

    2013-10-01

    To characterize the 100 most-cited articles in medical imaging. The Scopus database was searched for citations to articles published in any of the 116 journals in the subject category "radiology, nuclear medicine, and medical imaging" at the Institute of Science Information Web of Science that the authors termed "imaging literature." Using the Scopus database, two authors searched electronic and print versions of these journals to determine the 100 most-cited articles. The following data were collected for each article: journal name, journal impact factor, number of authors, publication year, country in which the study was performed, department of all authors, article type, imaging modality, grant funding, and clinical subspecialty. Statistical and/or mathematic, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique, image processing and/or analysis and computer science, new imaging technique, and basic science articles were considered "preclinical." Using the Pearson correlation coefficient, the authors examined the relationship between journal impact factor and the number of top 100 cited articles included in the list. Most studies were classified as preclinical (n = 75). Fifty-eight of the 100 articles were neuroradiology articles. NeuroImage had the most highly cited articles (n = 22). MR imaging was the most commonly studied imaging modality (n = 69). The authors of 51 articles were from radiology departments. Most articles were published from 1990 to the present (n = 87). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between journal impact factor and the number of top 100 cited articles (r = 0.46, P < .001). Preclinical articles, primarily in the field of neurologic MR imaging, were highly represented in the top 100 cited articles in the medical imaging literature. © RSNA, 2013.

  5. 19 CFR 147.31 - Articles to be kept separate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles to be kept separate. 147.31 Section 147... THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) TRADE FAIRS Customs Supervision § 147.31 Articles to be kept separate. Articles for exhibit at a fair shall be segregated from domestic articles and from imported articles...

  6. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-08-08

    Aug 8, 2017 ... The article considers problem of educational individualization within the .... learning in a higher educational institution, when professional preferences are ... determination of students' personal qualities correspondence to ... A high index by the “Modeling” criterionsuggeststhe ability to correlate models of ...

  7. Top-100 cited articles on headache disorders: A bibliometric analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kang Min; Park, Bong Soo; Park, Sihyung; Yoon, Dae Young; Bae, Jong Seok

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the most-cited articles on headache disorders published in journals that have made key contributions in the field. We performed a search of journals and selected the top-100 cited articles by utilizing the Institute for Scientific Information database available under the banner of the Web of Science, which provides the most relevant bibliometric information on scientific articles published since 1950. The top-100 cited articles were published in 20 journals. The most frequently cited journal was Neurology (19 articles), and followed by Cephalagia (15 articles) and Headache (15 articles). Migraine was the most common topic subject (81 articles), and original articles predominated (91 articles). The topics of the classic articles had varied from decade to decade. The most common topic subject was epidemiology (37 articles), followed by pathophysiology (20 articles), treatment (18 articles), review (10 articles), neuroimaging (11 articles), genetics (3 articles), and diagnostic tools (2 articles). The present study has produced a detailed list of the most-cited articles on headache disorders, which is the first such study in this field. This list makes it possible to recognize the classic articles on headache disorders as well as research trends and academic achievements in this field. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Gender-biased perceptions of important ecology articles

    OpenAIRE

    Courchamp, Franck; Bradshaw, Corey

    2017-01-01

    Gender bias is still unfortunately rife in the sciences, and men co-author most articles (> 70%) in ecology. Whether ecologists subconsciously rate the quality of their peers' work more favourably if men are the dominant co-authors is still unclear. To test this hypothesis, we examined how expert ecologists ranked important ecology articles based on a previously compiled list. Women proposed articles with a higher average proportion of women co-authors (0.18) than did men proposers (0.07)....

  9. [How to write an article: formal aspects].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corral de la Calle, M A; Encinas de la Iglesia, J

    2013-06-01

    Scientific research and the publication of the results of the studies go hand in hand. Exquisite research methods can only be adequately reflected in formal publication with the optimum structure. To ensure the success of this process, it is necessary to follow orderly steps, including selecting the journal in which to publish and following the instructions to authors strictly as well as the guidelines elaborated by diverse societies of editors and other institutions. It is also necessary to structure the contents of the article in a logical and attractive way and to use an accurate, clear, and concise style of language. Although not all the authors are directly involved in the actual writing, elaborating a scientific article is a collective undertaking that does not finish until the article is published. This article provides practical advice about formal and not-so-formal details to take into account when writing a scientific article as well as references that will help readers find more information in greater detail. Copyright © 2012 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  10. Keeping Food Safe during an Emergency

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... over 2 hours MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ground meats Refreeze Discard Poultry and ground poultry Refreeze Discard Variety meats (liver, kidney, heart, chitterlings) Refreeze Discard Casseroles, stews, soups Refreeze Discard Fish, shellfish, breaded seafood products ...

  11. Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... over 2 hours MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD Beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ground meats Refreeze Discard Poultry and ground poultry Refreeze Discard Variety meats (liver, kidney, heart, chitterlings) Refreeze Discard Casseroles, stews, soups Refreeze Discard Fish, shellfish, breaded seafood products ...

  12. Adaptive strategies for the elderly in inhibiting irrelevant and conflict no-go trials while performing the go/no-go task

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shulan eHsieh

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to differentiate whether or not older adults are more prone to distraction or conflict, as induced by irrelevant and conflict no-go stimuli (irNOGO and cfNOGO, respectively. This study also aimed to determine whether or not older adults would devote more effort to withholding a no-go trial in the higher-control demand condition (20% no-go trials’ probability as compared to the lower-control demand condition (50% and 80% no-go trials’ probability. A total of 96 individuals were recruited, and each of the three no-go trials’ probability conditions included 32 participants (16 younger adults and 16 older adults. Both behavioral and event-related potential (ERP data were measured. The behavioral results showed that the older adults performed more poorly than the younger adults for the go trials, as reflected by slower reaction times and higher numbers of omission errors in the go trials. In contrast, in the no-go trials, the older adults counter-intuitively exhibited similar behavioral performance (i.e., equivalent commission errors as compared to the younger adults. The ERP data further showed that the older adults (but not the younger adults exhibited larger P3 peak amplitudes for the irNOGO than cfNOGO trials. Yet, on the other hand, the older adults performed more poorly (i.e., had more commission errors in the cfNOGO than irNOGO trials. These results seem to suggest that the older adults recruited more control processes in order to conquer the commitment of responses in the no-go trials, especially in the irNOGO trials. This age-related compensatory response of recruiting more control processes was specifically seen in the 20% no-go trial probability condition. This study therefore provides a deeper understanding into how older adults adopt strategies for performing the go/no-go task such as devoting more control processes to inhibiting the irNOGO trials compared to the cfNOGO trials in order to cope with their deficient

  13. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-02-01

    Feb 1, 2018 ... the Russian philosophical and sociological thought. The thoughts of the Russian scientist ... Research Article. Special Issue. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0. International License. Libraries Resource Directory. We are ...

  14. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-02-15

    Feb 15, 2017 ... various geographical, economic, and social problems with the protection of the environment, and. Fragmentation and chaos rules, are: lack of adopting an integrated ... Keywords: Air Pollution, Legal System, International Law, Legal .... According to Article 12, construction of new factories and workshops ...

  15. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-08-08

    Aug 8, 2017 ... Research Article ... drying rate of the fluid materials also have a great influence on the quality of films. ... film's thickness versus spin speeds with speeds, th. 2. 4. 6. 8. 1500 ... where t is thickness and ω is angular velocity [19].

  16. Top-Cited Articles in Implant Dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fardi, Anastasia; Kodonas, Konstantinos; Lillis, Theodoros; Veis, Alexander

    Citation analysis is the field of bibliometrics that uses citation data to evaluate the scientific recognition and the influential performance of a research article in the scientific community. The aim of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the top-cited articles pertaining to implant dentistry, to analyze the main characteristics, and to display the most interesting topics and evolutionary trends. The 100 top-cited articles published in "Dentistry, Oral Surgery, and Medicine" journals were identified using the Science Citation Index Database. The articles were further reviewed, and basic information was collected, including the number of citations, journals, authors, publication year, study design, level of evidence, and field of study. The highly cited articles in implant dentistry were cited between 199 and 2,229 times. The majority of them were published in four major journals: Clinical Oral Implants Research, International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, and Journal of Periodontology. The publication year ranged from 1981 to 2009, with 45% published in a nine-year period (2001 to 2009). Publications from the United States (29%) were the most heavily cited, followed by those from Sweden (23%) and Switzerland (17%). The University of Göteborg from Sweden produced the highest number of publications (n = 19), followed by the University of Bern in Switzerland (n = 13). There was a predominance of clinical papers (n = 42), followed by reviews (n = 25), basic science research (n = 21), and proceedings papers (n = 12). Peri-implant tissue healing and health (24%), implant success/failures (19.2%), and biomechanical topics (16.8%) were the most common fields of study. Citation analysis in the field of implant dentistry reveals interesting information about the topics and trends negotiated by researchers and elucidates which characteristics are required for a paper to attain a "classic" status. Clinical

  17. 19 CFR 133.21 - Articles bearing counterfeit trademarks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articles bearing counterfeit trademarks. 133.21... Recorded Trademarks or Recorded Trade Names § 133.21 Articles bearing counterfeit trademarks. (a... substantially indistinguishable from, a registered trademark. (b) Seizure. Any article of domestic or foreign...

  18. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-10-05

    Oct 5, 2017 ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. ISSN 1112-9867. Available online at http://www.jfas.info. Research Article. Special Issue .... of use. Three critical success factors of e-learning (instructor characteristics, student characteristics .... Total of 95 questionnaires were used for further data analysis.

  19. Underground processing method for radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, Yoshihiro

    1998-01-01

    In the present invention, even a processing vessel not having a satisfactory radiation shielding property can be covered by a waterproof material easily and safety. Namely, a large number of small waterproof blocks are laid on the bottom of a discarding hole of a shaft and then a large number of the above-mentioned blocks are stacked along the inner surface of the discarding hole to an appropriate height. A discarding vessel containing radioactive wastes is inserted to the containing space surrounded by each of the blocks, and then a single large waterproof block is settled on the upper portion of the discarding vessel and the discarding hole is closed. The discarding vessel is thus surrounded by the blocks. With such procedures, the small waterproof blocks are disposed while being reliably positioned with no gap by manual operation by operators before containing the discarding vessel into the discarding hole and then the large waterproof blocks can be settled simply by a remote control after containing the discarding vessel. (N.H.)

  20. Method for manufacture of neutron absorbing articles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Owens, D.

    1980-01-01

    A one-step curing method for the manufacture of a neutron absorbing article which comprises irreversibly curing, in desired article form, a form-retaining mixture of boron carbide particles, curable phenolic resin in solid state and in particula te form and a minor proportion of a liquid medium, which boils at a temperature below 200*c., at an elevated temperature so as to obtain bonding of the irreversibly cured phenolic polymer resulting to the boron carbide particles and production of the neutron absorbing article in desired form

  1. How to Write a Journal Article for PSN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hotta, Tracey

    Are you considering writing a journal article for Plastic Surgical Nursing? This official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses presents the latest advances in plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing practice. The journal features clinical articles covering a wide variety of surgical and nonsurgical procedures. Patient education techniques and research findings are also included, as well as articles discussing the ethical issues and trends in this expanding clinical nursing specialty. This is a perfect forum to share your knowledge with others in the plastic surgery field, resulting in improved patient care. The editorial board is established and available to assist you in the writing process. It is important to know that you do not have to be an academic scholar to write an article; instead, you have information that you would like to share. This article is intended to provide key points to follow to make sure that writing your article is a positive experience.

  2. Storage-stable photosensitive composition and article

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorenz, W.J.; Larson, W.K.

    1986-01-01

    A presensitized article having a radiation-sensitive layer comprising an adduct of an amorphous sulfopolyester and a diazonium resin is described which does not exhibit blocking on being stored in stacks for prolonged periods of time. The article can be exposed to radiation and developed via aqueous solvents to provide a lithographic plate that provides clean, scum-free copies, and that can be stored in a high humidity atmosphere without failure

  3. Die vermyding van etniese spanning en konflik in Suid-Afrika: Wat kan Paulus se ervaring ons leer?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markus Cromhout

    2011-04-01

    The dream of a ‘rainbow nation’ in South Africa appears to be on the wane as ethnic tension and conflict seem to simmer just beneath the surface. This article investigates Paul’s approach to the issue of ethnic identity with reference to ethnicity and social identity theory. Initially, Paul adopted a radical approach, which basically rendered ethnic identity irrelevant. However, he came to realise that ethnic differences need to be accommodated within the group of Jesus followers. The article applies these insights in calling for strong, moral, visionary and discerning leadership in South Africa.

  4. 22 CFR 121.3 - Aircraft and related articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Aircraft and related articles. 121.3 Section 121.3 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS THE UNITED STATES MUNITIONS LIST Enumeration of Articles § 121.3 Aircraft and related articles. In Category VIII...

  5. Learning to Read Empirical Articles in General Psychology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sego, Sandra A.; Stuart, Anne E.

    2016-01-01

    Many students, particularly underprepared students, struggle to identify the essential information in empirical articles. We describe a set of assignments for instructing general psychology students to dissect the structure of such articles. Students in General Psychology I read empirical articles and answered a set of general, factual questions…

  6. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-05-15

    May 15, 2016 ... Research Article. Special Issue. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0. International License. ... innovation is defined as: accepting ideas or behaviors in the organization that are novel and unfamiliar. Innovation can be in form ...

  7. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-03-07

    Mar 7, 2018 ... This study is a review article designed to explore and explain the role of social ... Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 ... Iranmedex, Magiran, Irandoc and MedLib, and four international ... as follows: Hard, severe and distorted thinking patterns (thoughts) 2.

  8. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2017-11-24

    Nov 24, 2017 ... information educational space, are considered in the article. ... The analysis of the behavior of such systems "far from equilibrium" found that ... development and qualitative changes of the student's personality. ..... processing and testing the source codes of programs is similar to loading the source codes of.

  9. Recovering recyclable materials from shredder residue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jody, Bassam J.; Daniels, Edward J.; Bonsignore, Patrick V.; Brockmeier, Norman F.

    1994-02-01

    Each year, about 11 million tons of metals are recovered in the United States from about 10 million discarded automobiles. The recovered metals account for about 75 percent of the total weight of the discarded vehicles. The balance of the material, known as shredder residue, amounts to about three million tons annually and is currently landfilled. The residue contains a diversity of potentially recyclable materials, including polyurethane foams, iron oxides, and certain thermoplastics. This article discusses a process under development at Argonne National Laboratory to separate and recover the recyclable materials from this waste stream. The process consists essentially of two stages. First, a physical separation is used to recover the foams and the metal oxides, followed by a chemical process to extract certain thermoplastics. The status of the technology and the process economics are reviewed here.

  10. The 25 most cited articles in arthroscopic orthopaedic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassar Gheiti, Adrian J; Downey, Richard E; Byrne, Damien P; Molony, Diarmuid C; Mulhall, Kevin J

    2012-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to use Web of Knowledge to determine which published arthroscopic surgery-related articles have been cited most frequently by other authors by ranking the 25 most cited articles. We furthermore wished to determine whether there is any difference between a categorical "journal-by-journal" analysis and an "all-database" analysis in arthroscopic surgery and whether such a search methodology would alter the results of previously published lists of "citation classics" in the field. We analyzed the characteristics of these articles to determine what qualities make an article important to this subspecialty of orthopaedic surgery. Web of Knowledge was searched on March 7, 2011, using the term "arthroscopy" for citations to articles related to arthroscopy in 61 orthopaedic journals and using the all-database function. Each of the 61 orthopaedic journals was searched separately for arthroscopy-related articles to determine the 25 most cited articles. An all-database search for arthroscopy-related articles was carried out and compared with a journal-by-journal search. Each article was reviewed for basic information including the type of article, authorship, institution, country, publishing journal, and year published. The number of citations ranged from 189 to 567 in a journal-by-journal search and from 214 to 1,869 in an all-database search. The 25 most cited articles on arthroscopic surgery were published in 11 journals: 8 orthopaedic journals and 3 journals from other specialties. The most cited article in arthroscopic orthopaedic surgery was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which was not previously identified by a journal-by-journal search. An all-database search in Web of Knowledge gives a more in-depth methodology of determining the true citation ranking of articles. Among the top 25 most cited articles, autologous chondrocyte implantation/transplantation is currently the most cited and most popular topic in arthroscopic

  11. 50 CFR 25.22 - Lost and found articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lost and found articles. 25.22 Section 25.22 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... Lost and found articles. Lost articles or money found on a national wildlife refuge are to be...

  12. 7 CFR 319.75-2 - Restricted articles. 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Restricted articles. 1 319.75-2 Section 319.75-2... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES Khapra Beetle § 319.75-2 Restricted articles. 1 1 The importation of restricted articles may be subject to prohibitions or restrictions under...

  13. 14 CFR 21.9 - Replacement and modification articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Replacement and modification articles. 21.9... CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR PRODUCTS AND PARTS General § 21.9 Replacement and modification articles. (a) If a person knows, or should know, that a replacement or modification article is reasonably likely to be...

  14. Rhetorical Structure of Education Research Article Methods Sections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Baoya; Wannaruk, Anchalee

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the rhetorical move structure of the education research article genre within the framework of Swales' (1981, 1990, 2004) move analysis. A corpus of 120 systematically sampled empirical education research articles served as data input for the analysis. The results indicate that the education research article methods section…

  15. Highly cited orthodontic articles from 2000 to 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prevezanos, Panagiotis; Tsolakis, Apostolos I; Christou, Panagiotis

    2018-01-01

    Identification of highly cited articles based on the h-index and its properties is important for the evaluation of the past, present, and future of any research discipline. In this study, we aimed to identify the h-classic articles in orthodontics. One search on the Web of Science identified all articles from 2000 to 2015 in the 89 journals indexed by the 2015 InCites Journal Citation Reports in the scientific area "dentistry, oral surgery, and medicine." A second search was performed in the Web of Science using all mesh terms related to orthodontics. Then, we applied the h-classic method to select the recent articles with the greatest scientific impact in orthodontics. Eighty articles were considered as h-classic articles. They were published in 20 of the 89 dental journals of the 2015 InCites Journal Citation Reports list. Only 36 articles appeared in orthodontic journals: 23 in the American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics (28.8%), 7 in The Angle Orthodontist (8.8%), and 6 in European Journal of Orthodontics (7.5%). Thirty-eight articles originated from Europe, 28 from the Americas, and 14 from the Middle East and Asia. More than half of fundamental orthodontic research is published in nonorthodontic journals showing that our field is currently limited, and interactions with other research fields should be sought to increase orthodontic research importance and appeal. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. 27 CFR 20.95 - Developmental samples of articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... articles. 20.95 Section 20.95 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE... Statements of Process § 20.95 Developmental samples of articles. (a) A user may use limited quantities of specially denatured spirits in the manufacture of samples of articles for submission in accordance with § 20...

  17. 22 CFR 401.30 - Proceedings under Article X.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Proceedings under Article X. 401.30 Section 401... References § 401.30 Proceedings under Article X. When a question or matter of difference arising between the... Article X of the Treaty, the Commission, after consultation with the said Governments, will adopt such...

  18. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-01-15

    Jan 15, 2018 ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Scienc. ISSN 1112-9867 ... (0.9623, 0.3857) and (0.9975, ity, temperature, CO, UVB and. 10 concentration. In by using ANN or Fit model. Research Article. Special Issue .... The EM algorithm is a simple computational implementation to find the posterior mode. Fig.

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-08-08

    Aug 8, 2017 ... dak Campus, 21300 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia ... performance of an athlete as opposed to views or self-report by the athlete, ... reliably does out the same score to people or articles with equivalent values, the instrument is ... sepak takraw youth athlete team (Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sport ...

  20. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2016-06-05

    Jun 5, 2016 ... because Amir al- Mu'minin's(peace be upon him) name is related to human perfection and. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. ISSN 1112-9867. Available online at http://www.jfas.info. Research Article. Special Issue. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences is licensed under a Creative ...