WorldWideScience

Sample records for response experiment coare

  1. Simulating suppressed and active convection periods during TOGA COARE

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Bopape, Mary-Jane M

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The two-dimensional Non-hydrostatic s-coordinate Model (NSM) is used to simulate two twelve day periods and an eight day period observed during the Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE...

  2. TOGA COARE Satellite data summaries available on the World Wide Web

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, S. S.; Houze, R. A., Jr.; Mapes, B. E.; Brodzick, S. R.; Yutler, S. E.

    1995-01-01

    Satellite data summary images and analysis plots from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE), which were initially prepared in the field at the Honiara Operations Center, are now available on the Internet via World Wide Web browsers such as Mosaic. These satellite data summaries consist of products derived from the Japanese Geosynchronous Meteorological Satellite IR data: a time-size series of the distribution of contiguous cold cloudiness areas, weekly percent high cloudiness (PHC) maps, and a five-month time-longitudinal diagram illustrating the zonal motion of large areas of cold cloudiness. The weekly PHC maps are overlaid with weekly mean 850-hPa wind calculated from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global analysis field and can be viewed as an animation loop. These satellite summaries provide an overview of spatial and temporal variabilities of the cloud population and a large-scale context for studies concerning specific processes of various components of TOGA COARE.

  3. SEOSAR and CTD Observations During a COARE Surveys Cruise, W9211C, 22 January to 22 February 1993 (NODC Accession 9400067)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — An international Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) was conducted in the warm-pool region of the western equatorial Pacific Ocean over a four-month...

  4. MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) Measurements Taken Onboard the NASAER-2 During the TOGA COARE Intensive Observing Period

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The TOGA COARE Data Information System has responsibility for distributing information about TOGA COAREdatasets and access paths.The MAS data are available upon...

  5. Solar Radiation and Cloud Radiative Forcing in the Pacific Warm Pool Estimated Using TOGA COARE Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Ming-Dah; Chou, Shu-Hsien; Zhao, Wenzhong

    1999-01-01

    The energy budget of the tropical western Pacific (TWP) is particularly important because this is one of the most energetic convection regions on the Earth. Nearly half of the solar radiation incident at the top of atmosphere is absorbed at the surface and only about 22% absorbed in the atmosphere. A large portion of the excess heat absorbed at the surface is transferred to the atmosphere through evaporation, which provides energy and water for convection and precipitation. The western equatorial Pacific is characterized by the highest sea surface temperature (SST) and heaviest rainfall in the world ocean. A small variation of SST associated with the eastward shift of the warm pool during El-Nino/Souther Oscillation changes the atmospheric circulation pattern and affects the global climate. In a study of the TWP surface heat and momentum fluxes during the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) Intensive observing period (IOP) from November 1992 to February have found that the solar radiation is the most important component of the surface energy budget, which undergoes significant temporal and spatial variation. The variations are influenced by the two 40-50 days Madden Julian Oscillations (MJOs) which propagated eastward from the Indian Ocean to the Central Pacific during the IOP. The TWP surface solar radiation during the COARE IOP was investigated by a number of studies. In addition, the effects of clouds on the solar heating of the atmosphere in the TWP was studied using energy budget analysis. In this study, we present some results of the TWP surface solar shortwave or SW radiation budget and the effect of clouds on the atmospheric solar heating using the surface radiation measurements and Japan's Geostationary Meteorological Satellite 4 radiance measurements during COARE IOP.

  6. Precipitation processes developed during TOGA COARE (1992), GATE (1974), SCSMEX (1998), and KWAJEX (1999): 3D Cloud Resolving Model Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, W.-K.

    2006-01-01

    Real clouds and cloud systems are inherently three-dimensional (3D). Because of the limitations in computer resources, however, most cloud-resolving models (CRMs) today are still two-dimensional (2D). A few 3D CRMs have been used to study the response of clouds to large-scale forcing. In these 3D simulations, the model domain was small, and the integration time was 6 hours. Only recently have 3D experiments been performed for multi-day periods for tropical cloud systems with large horizontal domains at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), NOAA GFDL, the U.K. Met. Office, Colorado State University and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. An improved 3D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model was recently used to simulate periods during TOGA COARE (December 19-27, 1992), GATE (september 1-7, 1974), SCSMEX (May 18-26, June 2-11, 1998) and KWAJEX (August 7-13, August 18-21, and August 29-September 12, 1999) using a 512 by 512 km domain and 41 vertical layers. The major objectives of this paper are: (1) to identify the differences and similarities in the simulated precipitation processes and their associated surface and water energy budgets in TOGA COARE, GATE, KWAJEX, and SCSMEX, and (2) to asses the impact of microphysics, radiation budget and surface fluxes on the organization of convection in tropics.

  7. Intercomparison of the Charnock and COARE bulk wind stress formulations for coastal ocean modelling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. M. Brown

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The accurate parameterisation of momentum and heat transfer across the air–sea interface is vital for realistic simulation of the atmosphere–ocean system. In most modelling applications accurate representation of the wind stress is required to numerically reproduce surge, coastal ocean circulation, surface waves, turbulence and mixing. Different formulations can be implemented and impact the accuracy of the instantaneous and long-term residual circulation, the surface mixed layer, and the generation of wave-surge conditions. This, in turn, affects predictions of storm impact, sediment pathways, and coastal resilience to climate change. The specific numerical formulation needs careful selection to ensure the accuracy of the simulation. Two wind stress parameterisations widely used in the ocean circulation and the storm surge communities respectively are studied with focus on an application to the NW region of the UK. Model–observation validation is performed at two nearshore and one estuarine ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler stations in Liverpool Bay, a hypertidal region of freshwater influence (ROFI with vast intertidal areas. The period of study covers both calm and extreme conditions to test the robustness of the 10 m wind stress component of the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE bulk formulae and the standard Charnock relation. In this coastal application a realistic barotropic–baroclinic simulation of the circulation and surge elevation is set-up, demonstrating greater accuracy occurs when using the Charnock relation, with a constant Charnock coefficient of 0.0185, for surface wind stress during this one month period.

  8. Interaction of clouds, radiation, and the tropical warm pool sea surface temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schneider, N.; Zhang, G.J.; Barnett, T.P.; Ramanathan, V. [Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA (United States)] [and others

    1996-04-01

    The primary focus of this study is the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP). In this study, we combine in-situ observations Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere [TOGA]-Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment [COARE] and Central Equatorial Pacific Experiment [CEPEX] with satellite cloud data.

  9. A case study of the intraseasonal oscillation traversing the TOGA-COARE LSD. [large-scale domain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Dayton G.; Schrage, Jon M.; Sliwinski, L. D.

    1993-01-01

    The paper presents examination of tree intraseasonal (30-60 day) oscillations (ISOs) that occurred during the southern summer season (December 1, 1985 - February 28, 1986) traversing the Large-Scale Domain (LSD) TOGA-COARE, the region which also plays an important role in ENSO, Australian monsoon, and extratropical circulations. Data presented include Hovmoeller diagrams of 5-day running means of 250-mb velocity potential anomalies and OLR anomalies; graphs of five-day running means of OLR in precipitable water (W) per sq m, averaged over 10 x 10 deg boxes centered on 5 S and (1) 145 E, (2) 155 E, (3) 165 E, and (4) 165 D, indicating the midpoint of each ISO; and vertical profiles of zonal wind in m/s averaged over the time period that each ISO spends in the 10 x 10 deg box centered at 5 S, and 175 E and 145 E.

  10. Precipitation Processes Developed During ARM (1997), TOGA COARE (1992) GATE (1974), SCSMEX (1998), and KWAJEX (1999): Consistent 3D, Semi-3D and 3D Cloud Resolving Model Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, W.-K.; Hou, A.; Atlas, R.; Starr, D.; Sud, Y.

    2003-01-01

    Real clouds and cloud systems are inherently three-dimensional (3D). Because of the limitations in computer resources, however, most cloud-resolving models (CRMs) today are still two-dimensional (2D) have been used to study the response of clouds to large-scale forcing. IN these 3D simulators, the model domain was small, and the integration time was 6 hours. Only recently have 3D experiments been performed for multi-day periods for tropical clouds systems with large horizontal domains at the National Center of Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and at NASA Goddard Space Center. At Goddard, a 3D cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model was used to simulate periods during TOGA COARE, GATE, SCSMEX, ARM, and KWAJEX using a 512 by 512 km domain (with 2-km resolution). The result indicate that surface precipitation and latent heating profiles are very similar between the 2D and 3D GCE model simulation. The major objective of this paper are: (1) to assess the performance of the super-parametrization technique, (2) calculate and examine the surface energy (especially radiation) and water budget, and (3) identify the differences and similarities in the organization and entrainment rates of convection between simulated 2D and 3D cloud systems.

  11. WATER TEMPERATURE and Other Data from 19920801 to 19930930 (NODC Accession 9600022)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The drifting buoy data from 28 drifting buoys in this accession was collected as part of Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) over a one year period...

  12. Numerical Simulations of TRMM LBA, TOGA, COARE, GATE, ARM and PRESTORM Convective Systems: Sensitivity tests on Microphysical Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, W.-K.; Wang, Y.; Lang, S.; Ferrier, B.; Simpson, J.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The 3D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model was utilized to examine the behavior and response of simulated deep tropical cloud systems that occurred over the west Pacific warm pool region, the Atlantic ocean and the central United States. The periods chosen for simulation were convectively active periods during TOGA-COARE (February 22 1993, December 11-17, 1992; December 19-28, February 9-13, 1993), GATE (September 4, 1974), LBA (January 26 and February 23, 1998), ARM (1997 IOP) and PRESTORM (June 11, 1985). We will examine differences in the microphysics for both warm rain and ice processes (evaporation /sublimation and condensation/ deposition), Q1 (Temperature), Q2 (Water vapor) and Q3 (momentum both U and V) budgets for these three convective events from different large-scale environments. The contribution of stratiform precipitation and its relationship to the vertical shear of the large-scale horizontal wind will also be examined. New improvements to the GCE model (i.e., microphysics: 4ICE two moments and 3ICE one moment; advection schemes) as well as their sensitivity to the model results will be discussed. Preliminary results indicated that various microphysical schemes could have a major impact on stratiform formation as well as the size of convective systems. However, they do not change the major characteristics of the convective systems, such as: arc shape, strong rotational circulation on both ends of system, heavy precipitation along the leading edge of systems.

  13. A Comparison of Cloud Microphysical and Optical Properties during TOGA-COARE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strawa, A. W.; Pueschel, R. F.; Pilewskie, P.; Valero, F. P. J.; Gore, Warren J. (Technical Monitor)

    1996-01-01

    The impact of cirrus clouds on climate is an issue of research interest currently. Whether cirrus clouds heat or cool the Earth-atmosphere system depends on the cloud shortwave albedo and infrared reflectance and absorptance. These in turn are determined by the size distribution, phase, and composition of particles in the clouds. The TOGA-COARE campaign presented an excellent opportunity to study cirrus clouds and their influence on climate. In this campaign, a microphysics instrument package was flown aboard the DC-8 aircraft at medium altitudes in cirrus clouds. This package included a 2D Greyscale Cloud Particle Probe, a Forward Scattering Spectrometer Aerosol Probe, and an ice crystal replicator. At the same time the ER-2 equipped with a radiation measurement system flew coordinated flight tracks above the DC-8 at very high altitude. The radiation measurement made were short and long wave fluxes, as well as narrowband fluxes, both upwelling and downwelling. In addition LIDAR data is available. The existence of these data sets allows for a the comparison of radiation measurement with microphysical measurements. For example, the optical depth and effective radius retrieved from the ER-2 radiation measurements can be compared to the microphysical data. Conversely, the optical properties and fluxes produced by the clouds can be calculated from the microphysical measurements and compared to those measured aboard the ER-2. The assumptions required to make these comparisons are discussed. Typical microphysical results show a prevalence of micron-sized particles, in addition to the cloud particles that exceed 100 mm. The large number of small particles or "haze" cause the effective cloud radii to shift to smaller sizes, leading to changes in optical parameters.

  14. Update on TAO moored ORG array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freitag, H. Paul

    1994-01-01

    During the Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) six TAO moorings were equipped with optical rain gauges (ORG's). In late 1993 moorings deployed on the equator at 154E and 157.5E were recovered and not redeployed as they were augmentations to the TAO array for COARE only. In December 1993, four TAO moorings were equipped with ORG's: one each at 2N, 156E and 2S, 156E and ORG doublets on the equator at 0, 156E and 0, 165E. The 2N, 156E mooring has been lost. By the end of April all sites will have been serviced and six refurbished sensors will again be deployed in the same locations.

  15. Precipitation Processes Developed During ARM (1997), TOGA COARE (1992), GATE (1974), SCSMEX (1998), and KWAJEX (1999): Consistent 2D, Semi-3D and 3D Cloud Resolving Model Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, W-K.

    2003-01-01

    Real clouds and cloud systems are inherently three-dimensional (3D). Because of the limitations in computer resources, however, most cloud-resolving models (CRMs) today are still two-dimensional (2D). A few 3D CRMs have been used to study the response of clouds to large-scale forcing. In these 3D simulations, the model domain was small, and the integration time was 6 hours. Only recently have 3D experiments been performed for multi-day periods for tropical cloud systems with large horizontal domains at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NACAR) and at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center . At Goddard, a 3D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model was used to simulate periods during TOGA COARE, SCSMEX and KWAJEX using 512 by 512 km domain (with 2 km resolution). The results indicate that surface precipitation and latent heating profiles are very similar between the 2D and 3D GCE model simulations. The reason for the strong similarity between the 2D and 3D CRM simulations is that the same observed large-scale advective tendencies of potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and horizontal momentum were used as the main focusing in both the 2D and 3D models. Interestingly, the 2D and 3D versions of the CRM used at CSU showed significant differences in the rainfall and cloud statistics for three ARM cases. The major objectives of this paper are: (1) to assess the performance of the super-parameterization technique, (2) calculate and examine the surface energy (especially radiation) and water budgets, and (3) identify the differences and similarities in the organization and entrainment rates of convection between simulated 2D and 3D cloud systems.

  16. Precipitation Processes developed during ARM (1997), TOGA COARE(1992), GATE(1 974), SCSMEX(1998) and KWAJEX(1999): Consistent 2D and 3D Cloud Resolving Model Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, W.-K.; Shie, C.-H.; Simpson, J.; Starr, D.; Johnson, D.; Sud, Y.

    2003-01-01

    Real clouds and clouds systems are inherently three dimensional (3D). Because of the limitations in computer resources, however, most cloud-resolving models (CRMs) today are still two-dimensional (2D). A few 3D CRMs have been used to study the response of clouds to large-scale forcing. In these 3D simulations, the model domain was small, and the integration time was 6 hours. Only recently have 3D experiments been performed for multi-day periods for tropical cloud system with large horizontal domains at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The results indicate that surface precipitation and latent heating profiles are very similar between the 2D and 3D simulations of these same cases. The reason for the strong similarity between the 2D and 3D CRM simulations is that the observed large-scale advective tendencies of potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and horizontal momentum were used as the main forcing in both the 2D and 3D models. Interestingly, the 2D and 3D versions of the CRM used in CSU and U.K. Met Office showed significant differences in the rainfall and cloud statistics for three ARM cases. The major objectives of this project are to calculate and axamine: (1)the surface energy and water budgets, (2) the precipitation processes in the convective and stratiform regions, (3) the cloud upward and downward mass fluxes in the convective and stratiform regions; (4) cloud characteristics such as size, updraft intensity and lifetime, and (5) the entrainment and detrainment rates associated with clouds and cloud systems that developed in TOGA COARE, GATE, SCSMEX, ARM and KWAJEX. Of special note is that the analyzed (model generated) data sets are all produced by the same current version of the GCE model, i.e. consistent model physics and configurations. Trajectory analyse and inert tracer calculation will be conducted to identify the differences and similarities in the organization of convection between simulated 2D and 3D cloud systems.

  17. Thermotolerance and responses to short duration heat stress in tropical and temperate species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marias, D.; Meinzer, F. C.; Still, C. J.

    2017-12-01

    Temperature and heat waves are predicted to increase throughout the 21st century in both tropical and temperate regions. Tropical species are vulnerable to heat stress because of the higher radiation load and the narrower distribution of temperatures typically experienced compared to extratropical species. Germinant seedlings are also vulnerable to heat stress because they inhabit the boundary layer close to the soil surface where intense heating occurs. We quantified the effect of leaf age and heat stress duration (45 min, 90 min) on leaf thermotolerance and whole plant physiological responses to heat stress in Coffea arabica (COAR) saplings. We also evaluated leaf thermotolerance and whole plant responses to heat stress of seedlings in two populations each of Pinus ponderosa (PIPO) and Pseudotsuga menziesii (PSME) from contrasting climates. Thermotolerance of detached leaves/needles was evaluated using chlorophyll fluorescence (FV/FM, FO) and electrolyte leakage. After exposure of whole plants to a simulated heat wave in a growth chamber, we monitored FV/FM, photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (gs), non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), and carbon isotope ratios (δ13C). In COAR, thermotolerance and rate of recovery increased with leaf age. Following heat treatment, reductions in A and gs led to reduced intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) and increased leaf temperatures. NSC results suggested that starch was converted to sugars for recovery from heat stress and phloem transport was inhibited. Plants failed to flower in both heat stress duration treatments. In PIPO and PSME, heat treatment induced significant reductions in FV/FM and A. NSC results suggested that starch was converted to glucose + fructose to aid recovery from heat-induced damage. Populations from drier sites had greater δ13C values than those from wetter sites, consistent with higher iWUE of populations from drier climates. Thermotolerance and heat stress responses appeared to be

  18. Colombia’s Attempt at Peace: An Analysis of the Demobilization of the Auto-Defensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-03-01

    comprehensive post La Violencia attempt to demobilize IAGs took place in the 1970’s by Colombian presidents Alfonso Lopez Michelsen (1974-1978) and... Independiente Revolucionario-Comandos Armados (MIR-COAR) (January 1997). The agreements evolved over time, each one more complex than its predecessor...1993); Frente Francisco Garnica (June 1994); and the Movimiento Independiente Revolucionario-Comandos Armados (MIR-COAR) (January 1997). The

  19. Response time patterns in a stated choice experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Börjesson, Maria; Fosgerau, Mogens

    2015-01-01

    This paper studies how response times vary between unlabelled binary choice occasions in a stated choice (SC) experiment, with alternatives differing with respect to in-vehicle travel time and travel cost. The pattern of response times is interpreted as an indicator of the cognitive processes...... employed by the respondents when making their choices. We find clear signs of reference-dependence in response times in the form of a strong gain–loss asymmetry. Moreover, different patterns of response times for travel time and travel cost indicate that these attributes are processed in different ways...

  20. Tourists’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior in Response to Climate Change and Tourist Experiences in Nature-Based Tourism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ju Hyoung Han

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Nature-based tourism destinations—locations in which economic viability and environmental responsibility are sought—are sensitive to climate change and its effects on important environmental components of the tourism areas. To meet the dual roles, it is important for destination marketers and resources managers to provide quality experiences for tourists and to induce tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior in such destinations. This study documents the importance of perceptions toward climate change and tourist experiences in determining tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior while enjoying holidays at nature-based tourism destinations in Jeju Island, South Korea. Two hundred and eleven Korean and 204 Chinese tourists marked dominant tourist arrivals to the island, and responded to the survey questionnaire. Results showed that perceptions toward climate change and tourist experiences affect Korean tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior intentions, whereas tourist experiences—not perceptions toward climate change—only significantly affect Chinese tourists’ behavior intention. In a nature-based tourism context under the pressure of climate change and adverse environmental effects as consequences of tourism activities, resources managers and destination marketers need to develop environmental campaigns or informative tourist programs to formulate environmentally responsible behavior as well as to increase tourist quality experiences among domestic and international tourists.

  1. Security-by-experiment : lessons from responsible deployment in cyberspace

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pieters, W.; Hadžiosmanović, D.; Dechesne, F.

    Conceiving new technologies as social experiments is a means to discuss responsible deployment of technologies that may have unknown and potentially harmful side-effects. Thus far, the uncertain outcomes addressed in the paradigm of new technologies as social experiments have been mostly

  2. Security-by-Experiment: Lessons from Responsible Deployment in Cyberspace

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pieters, Wolter; Hadziosmanovic, D.; Dechesne, Francien

    Conceiving new technologies as social experiments is a means to discuss responsible deployment of technologies that may have unknown and potentially harmful side-effects. Thus far, the uncertain outcomes addressed in the paradigm of new technologies as social experiments have been mostly

  3. Security-by-Experiment: Lessons from Responsible Deployment in Cyberspace

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pieters, W.; Hadziosmanovic, D.; Dechesne, F

    2015-01-01

    Conceiving new technologies as social experiments is a means to discuss responsible deployment of technologies that may have unknown and potentially harmful side-effects. Thus far, the uncertain outcomes addressed in the paradigm of new technologies as social experiments have been mostly

  4. Security-by-Experiment : Lessons from Responsible Deployment in Cyberspace

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pieters, W.; Hadžiosmanovi?, D.; Dechesne, F.

    2015-01-01

    onceiving new technologies as social experiments is a means to discuss responsible deployment of technologies that may have unknown and potentially harmful side-effects. Thus far, the uncertain outcomes addressed in the paradigm of new technologies as social experiments have been mostly

  5. Depersonalization experiences in undergraduates are related to heightened stress cortisol responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giesbrecht, Timo; Smeets, Tom; Merckelbach, Harald; Jelicic, Marko

    2007-04-01

    The relationship between dissociative tendencies, as measured with the Dissociative Experiences Scale and its amnesia, absorption/imaginative involvement, and depersonalization/derealization subscales, and HPA axis functioning was studied in 2 samples of undergraduate students (N = 58 and 67). Acute stress was induced by means of the Trier Social Stress Test. Subjective and physiological stress (i.e., cortisol) responses were measured. Individuals high on the depersonalization/derealization subscale of the Dissociative Experiences Scale exhibited more pronounced cortisol responses, while individuals high on the absorption subscale showed attenuated responses. Interestingly, subjective stress experiences, as indicated by the Tension-Anxiety subscale of the Profile of Mood States, were positively related to trait dissociation. The present findings illustrate how various types of dissociation (i.e., depersonalization/derealization, absorption) are differentially related to cortisol stress responses.

  6. Security-by-Experiment: Lessons from Responsible Deployment in Cyberspace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pieters, Wolter; Hadžiosmanović, Dina; Dechesne, Francien

    2016-06-01

    Conceiving new technologies as social experiments is a means to discuss responsible deployment of technologies that may have unknown and potentially harmful side-effects. Thus far, the uncertain outcomes addressed in the paradigm of new technologies as social experiments have been mostly safety-related, meaning that potential harm is caused by the design plus accidental events in the environment. In some domains, such as cyberspace, adversarial agents (attackers) may be at least as important when it comes to undesirable effects of deployed technologies. In such cases, conditions for responsible experimentation may need to be implemented differently, as attackers behave strategically rather than probabilistically. In this contribution, we outline how adversarial aspects are already taken into account in technology deployment in the field of cyber security, and what the paradigm of new technologies as social experiments can learn from this. In particular, we show the importance of adversarial roles in social experiments with new technologies.

  7. [Christian responsibility and experimental medicine. Experiments with and on humans, experiments on animals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosse, Heinrich W

    2002-01-01

    The Jewish-Christian convictions that man was created as the image of God founded the "ethics of unavailability" which contrast with the utilitarian "ethics of interests." As man s nature is imperfect according to biblical understanding, those responsible in the field of experimental medicine should counteract all tendencies in society which promote an utopian definition of health and an eugenic mentality (idea of the "perfection of mankind"). Consequently, scientists must reflect their own image of man and the effects of their actions on this image. The goals of experimental medicine must also be examined under the aspect of fairness: do they only benefit a minority in the rich industrial nations? As in research on humans, the ethical evaluation of animal experiments must consider the question of the underlying image of humanity and the responsibility of mankind connected to it. Because of changes in society's values, the validity of traditional anthropocentrism is increasingly questioned. However, this does not affect the view of the special position of man as the bearer of responsibility. Even though there are different biblical statements on the relationship between man and animal, the Christian maxim to minimise violence towards animals can be derived from them. In the case of animal experiments this means: experiments which cause the animals severe suffering must be avoided by waiving the potential gain of knowledge from them. In general: in an ethical discussion on medical experiments using humans or animals, the public must be informed completely and involved effectively. A moratorium must be possible before plans become facts. Thinking about ethical problems in the area of experimental medicine should not be separated from the far-reaching questions about changes in our lifestyle and consumer behaviour.

  8. Moral responsibility, technology, and experiences of the tragic: from Kierkegaard to offshore engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coeckelbergh, Mark

    2012-03-01

    The standard response to engineering disasters like the Deepwater Horizon case is to ascribe full moral responsibility to individuals and to collectives treated as individuals. However, this approach is inappropriate since concrete action and experience in engineering contexts seldom meets the criteria of our traditional moral theories. Technological action is often distributed rather than individual or collective, we lack full control of the technology and its consequences, and we lack knowledge and are uncertain about these consequences. In this paper, I analyse these problems by employing Kierkegaardian notions of tragedy and moral responsibility in order to account for experiences of the tragic in technological action. I argue that ascription of responsibility in engineering contexts should be sensitive to personal experiences of lack of control, uncertainty, role conflicts, social dependence, and tragic choice. I conclude that this does not justify evading individual and corporate responsibility, but inspires practices of responsibility ascription that are less 'harsh' on those directly involved in technological action, that listen to their personal experiences, and that encourage them to gain more knowledge about what they are doing. © The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

  9. Social anxiety experiences and responses of university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Behiye Akacan

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the responses of university students in social anxiety situations in order to create a psychological counselling program with a structured group based on Cognitive Behavioural and Existential Approaches. These responses involve the behaviour and thoughts of the university students in situations where they experience or anticipate social anxiety. The semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was used in the study during the face-to-face interviews with fifty-one 4th year students from the Guidance and Psychological Counselling (GPC and Pre-School Teaching (PST departments. The scope of the interview form includes the situations where 1 students experience social anxiety in the school setting and their thoughts and behaviours regarding these situations, 2 the situations where they anticipate social anxiety in their future profession, and 3 the situations where they experience social anxiety in their daily lives. Our aim was to collect data from these areas. The data collected were analysed through content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the thoughts regarding the social anxiety situations of the final year students studying in Guidance and Psychological Counselling and Pre-School Teaching departments are generally negative and their behaviour usually presents as desertion or avoidance.

  10. Vantage sensitivity: individual differences in response to positive experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pluess, Michael; Belsky, Jay

    2013-07-01

    The notion that some people are more vulnerable to adversity as a function of inherent risk characteristics is widely embraced in most fields of psychology. This is reflected in the popularity of the diathesis-stress framework, which has received a vast amount of empirical support over the years. Much less effort has been directed toward the investigation of endogenous factors associated with variability in response to positive influences. One reason for the failure to investigate individual differences in response to positive experiences as a function of endogenous factors may be the absence of adequate theoretical frameworks. According to the differential-susceptibility hypothesis, individuals generally vary in their developmental plasticity regardless of whether they are exposed to negative or positive influences--a notion derived from evolutionary reasoning. On the basis of this now well-supported proposition, we advance herein the new concept of vantage sensitivity, reflecting variation in response to exclusively positive experiences as a function of individual endogenous characteristics. After distinguishing vantage sensitivity from theoretically related concepts of differential-susceptibility and resilience, we review some recent empirical evidence for vantage sensitivity featuring behavioral, physiological, and genetic factors as moderators of a wide range of positive experiences ranging from family environment and psychotherapy to educational intervention. Thereafter, we discuss genetic and environmental factors contributing to individual differences in vantage sensitivity, potential mechanisms underlying vantage sensitivity, and practical implications. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  11. Experiments on the lower plenum response during a severe accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henry, Robert E.; Hammersley, Robert J.; Klopp, George T.; Merilo, Mati

    2004-01-01

    Severe accident evaluations for nuclear reactors consider the response when the core materials have been overheated sufficient to melt and change geometry. One possible consequence of this is that molten core debris could drain into the lower plenum, as occurred in the TMI-2 accident. Given this state, several physical processes need to be analyzed, i.e. the extent of debris particulation and cooling, the potential for thermal attack of lower plenum structures, the thermal transient of the RPV and the potential for external cooling of the RPV lower head. These are important and complex processes, the evaluations of which need to be guided by well founded experiments. To support the development of the MAAP codes, recent experiments have been performed on specific issues such as: 1. the response of lower head penetrations submerged in a high temperature melt, 2. the net steam generation rate when molten debris drains into the lower plenum, 3. the formation of a contact resistance when molten debris drains through water and contacts the RPV wall and 4. the potential for external cooling of the RPV lower head. This paper discusses these experiments and their results. More importantly, it discusses how these are used in formulating models to represent the lower plenum response in the MAAP codes. (author)

  12. The effect of musical experience on emotional self-reports and psychophysiological responses to dissonance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dellacherie, Delphine; Roy, Mathieu; Hugueville, Laurent; Peretz, Isabelle; Samson, Séverine

    2011-03-01

    To study the influence of musical education on emotional reactions to dissonance, we examined self-reports and physiological responses to dissonant and consonant musical excerpts in listeners with low (LE: n=15) and high (HE: n=13) musical experience. The results show that dissonance induces more unpleasant feelings and stronger physiological responses in HE than in LE participants, suggesting that musical education reinforces aversion to dissonance. Skin conductance (SCR) and electromyographic (EMG) signals were analyzed according to a defense cascade model, which takes into account two successive time windows corresponding to orienting and defense responses. These analyses suggest that musical experience can influence the defense response to dissonance and demonstrate a powerful role of musical experience not only in autonomic but also in expressive responses to music. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  13. Patient experiences and health system responsiveness in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peltzer Karl

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients' views are being given more and more importance in policy-making. Understanding populations' perceptions of quality of care is critical to developing measures to increase the utilization of primary health care services. Using the data from the South African World Health Survey (WHS, the current study aims to evaluate the degree of health care service responsiveness (both out-patient and in-patient and comparing experiences of individuals who used public and private services in South Africa. Methods A population-based survey of 2352 participants (1116 men and 1236 women was conducted in South Africa in 2003, the WHS – as part of a World Health Organization (WHO project focused on health system performance assessment in member countries. Results Health care utilization was among those who attended in-patient care 72.2% attended a public and 24.3% a private facility, and of those who attended out-patient care 58.7% attended a public and 35.7% a private facility. Major components identified for out-patient care responsiveness in this survey were highly correlated with health care access, communication and autonomy, secondarily to dignity, confidentiality and quality of basic amenities, and thirdly to health problem solution. The degree of responsiveness with publicly provided care was in this study significantly lower than in private health care. Overall patient non-responsiveness for the public out-patient service was 16.8% and 3.2% for private care. Discrimination was also one of the principal reasons for non-responsiveness in all aspects of provided health care. Conclusion Health care access, communication, autonomy, and discriminatory experiences were identified as priority areas for actions to improve responsiveness of health care services in South Africa.

  14. Parents’ Experiences of Caring Responsibility for Their Adult Child with Schizophrenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ann Blomgren Mannerheim

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available As a consequence of the latest psychiatry-related reform in Sweden and its implementation, relatives and family members have taken over from the formal healthcare system significant responsibility for the care of persons with a mental disability and illness. The aim of this study was to systematically describe and analyze the experiences of parents’ informal care responsibility. The questions were, what are the experiences around parents’ informal care activities and responsibilities and how do parents construct and manage their caring responsibility and with what consequences? Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted (16 hours of recorded material with eight parents who were all members of the Interest Association for Schizophrenia (Intresseföreningen för Schizofreni (IFS in Sweden. A mixed hermeneutic deductive and inductive method was used for the interpretation of the material. The parents endow their informal caring responsibility with meaning of being a good, responsible, and accountable parent with respect to their social context and social relationships as well as with respect to the psychiatric care representatives. In this tense situation, parents compromise between elements of struggle, cooperation, avoidance, and adaption in their interaction with the world outside, meaning the world beyond the care provision for their child, as well as with the world inside themselves.

  15. Parents' Experiences of Caring Responsibility for Their Adult Child with Schizophrenia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blomgren Mannerheim, Ann; Siouta, Eleni

    2016-01-01

    As a consequence of the latest psychiatry-related reform in Sweden and its implementation, relatives and family members have taken over from the formal healthcare system significant responsibility for the care of persons with a mental disability and illness. The aim of this study was to systematically describe and analyze the experiences of parents' informal care responsibility. The questions were, what are the experiences around parents' informal care activities and responsibilities and how do parents construct and manage their caring responsibility and with what consequences? Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted (16 hours of recorded material) with eight parents who were all members of the Interest Association for Schizophrenia (Intresseföreningen för Schizofreni (IFS)) in Sweden. A mixed hermeneutic deductive and inductive method was used for the interpretation of the material. The parents endow their informal caring responsibility with meaning of being a good, responsible, and accountable parent with respect to their social context and social relationships as well as with respect to the psychiatric care representatives. In this tense situation, parents compromise between elements of struggle, cooperation, avoidance, and adaption in their interaction with the world outside, meaning the world beyond the care provision for their child, as well as with the world inside themselves. PMID:26966575

  16. Multivariate analysis of behavioural response experiments in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunlop, Rebecca A; Noad, Michael J; Cato, Douglas H; Kniest, Eric; Miller, Patrick J O; Smith, Joshua N; Stokes, M Dale

    2013-03-01

    The behavioural response study (BRS) is an experimental design used by field biologists to determine the function and/or behavioural effects of conspecific, heterospecific or anthropogenic stimuli. When carrying out these studies in marine mammals it is difficult to make basic observations and achieve sufficient samples sizes because of the high cost and logistical difficulties. Rarely are other factors such as social context or the physical environment considered in the analysis because of these difficulties. This paper presents results of a BRS carried out in humpback whales to test the response of groups to one recording of conspecific social sounds and an artificially generated tone stimulus. Experiments were carried out in September/October 2004 and 2008 during the humpback whale southward migration along the east coast of Australia. In total, 13 'tone' experiments, 15 'social sound' experiments (using one recording of social sounds) and three silent controls were carried out over two field seasons. The results (using a mixed model statistical analysis) suggested that humpback whales responded differently to the two stimuli, measured by changes in course travelled and dive behaviour. Although the response to 'tones' was consistent, in that groups moved offshore and surfaced more often (suggesting an aversion to the stimulus), the response to 'social sounds' was highly variable and dependent upon the composition of the social group. The change in course and dive behaviour in response to 'tones' was found to be related to proximity to the source, the received signal level and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This study demonstrates that the behavioural responses of marine mammals to acoustic stimuli are complex. In order to tease out such multifaceted interactions, the number of replicates and factors measured must be sufficient for multivariate analysis.

  17. Chinese experience on medical response to radiation emergencies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Ying; Qin, Bin; Lei, Cuiping; Chen, Huifang; Han, Yuhong

    2008-01-01

    Full text: Chinese Center for Medical Response to Radiation Emergency (CCMRRE) was established in 1992, based on the National Institute for Radiological Protection, China CDC (NIRP, China CDC). CCMRRE is a liaison of WHO/REMPAN and functions as a national and professional institute for medical preparedness and response to emergencies involving radioactive material. CCMRRE participates in drafting National Medical Assistant Program for Radiation Emergency and relevant technical documents, develops preventive measures and technique means of medical preparedness and response to radiation emergency. CCMRRE is responsible for medical response to radiological or nuclear accident on national level. CCMRRE holds training courses, organizes drills and provides technical support to local medical organizations in practicing medical preparedness and response to radiation emergency. CCMRRE collects, analyzes and exchanges information on medical response to radiological and nuclear emergency and establishes relevant database. CCMRRE also guides and participates in radiation pollution monitoring on accident sites. In the past ten years, we accumulate much knowledge and experience on medical response to radiation emergencies. In this context, we will discuss Xinzhou Accident, which took place in 1992 and involved in three deaths, and Ha'erbin Accident that took place in 2005 and involved one death. A father and two brothers in Xinzhou Accident died of over-exposed to 60 Co source and misdiagnosis and improper treatment, which indicates that most general practitioners are uncertain about the health consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation and the medical management of exposed patients. When Ha'erbin Accident happened in 2005, the local hospital gave the right diagnosis and treatment based on the clinic symptoms and signs, which prevent more people suffering from over-expose to 192 Ir source. The distinct changes comes from the education and training to primary doctors related

  18. Analysis of ex-core detector response measured during nuclear ship Mutsu land-loaded core critical experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itagaki, M.; Abe, J.I.; Kuribayashi, K.

    1987-01-01

    There are some cases where the ex-core neutron detector response is dependent not only on the fission source distribution in a core but also on neutron absorption in the borated water reflector. For example, an unexpectedly large response variation was measured during the nuclear ship Mutsu land-loaded core critical experiment. This large response variation is caused largely by the boron concentration change associated with the change in control rod positioning during the experiment. The conventional Crump-Lee response calculation method has been modified to take into account this boron effect. The correction factor in regard to this effect has been estimated using the one-dimensional transport code ANISN. The detector response variations obtained by means of this new calculation procedure agree well with the measured values recorded during the experiment

  19. Moral Responsibility, Technology and Experiences of the Tragic: From Kierkegaard to Offshore Engineering.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coeckelbergh, Mark

    2010-01-01

    The standard response to engineering disasters like the Deepwater Horizon case is to ascribe full moral responsibility to individuals and to collectives treated as individuals. However, this approach is inappropriate since concrete action and experience in engineering contexts seldom meets the

  20. Daily Spiritual Experiences and Adolescent Treatment Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Matthew T; Veta, Paige S; Johnson, Byron R; Pagano, Maria E

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore changes in belief orientation during treatment and the impact of increased daily spiritual experiences (DSE) on adolescent treatment response. One-hundred ninety-five adolescents court-referred to a 2-month residential treatment program were assessed at intake and discharge. Forty percent of youth who entered treatment as agnostic or atheist identified themselves as spiritual or religious at discharge. Increased DSE was associated with greater likelihood of abstinence, increased prosocial behaviors, and reduced narcissistic behaviors. Results indicate a shift in DSE that improves youth self-care and care for others that may inform intervention approaches for adolescents with addiction.

  1. Daily Spiritual Experiences and Adolescent Treatment Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    LEE, MATTHEW T.; VETA, PAIGE S.; JOHNSON, BYRON R.; PAGANO, MARIA E.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore changes in belief orientation during treatment and the impact of increased daily spiritual experiences (DSE) on adolescent treatment response. One-hundred ninety-five adolescents court-referred to a 2-month residential treatment program were assessed at intake and discharge. Forty percent of youth who entered treatment as agnostic or atheist identified themselves as spiritual or religious at discharge. Increased DSE was associated with greater likelihood of abstinence, increased prosocial behaviors, and reduced narcissistic behaviors. Results indicate a shift in DSE that improves youth self-care and care for others that may inform intervention approaches for adolescents with addiction. PMID:25525291

  2. Data from the Hot Serial Cereal Experiment for modeling wheat response to temperature: field experiments and AgMIP-Wheat multi-model simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martre, Pierre; Kimball, Bruce A.; Ottman, Michael J.; Wall, Gerard W.; White, Jeffrey W.; Asseng, Senthold; Ewert, Frank; Cammarano, Davide; Maiorano, Andrea; Aggarwal, Pramod K.; Supit, I.; Wolf, J.

    2018-01-01

    The dataset reported here includes the part of a Hot Serial Cereal Experiment (HSC) experiment recently used in the AgMIP-Wheat project to analyze the uncertainty of 30 wheat models and quantify their response to temperature. The HSC experiment was conducted in an open-field in a semiarid

  3. Response of non-added solutes during nutrient addition experiments in streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Cardona, B.; Wymore, A.; Koenig, L.; Coble, A. A.; McDowell, W. H.

    2015-12-01

    Nutrient addition experiments, such as Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC), have become widely popular as a means to study nutrient uptake dynamics in stream ecosystems. However, the impact of these additions on ambient concentrations of non-added solutes is often overlooked. TASCC addition experiments are ideal for assessing interactions among solutes because it allows for the characterization of multiple solute concentrations across a broad range of added nutrient concentrations. TASCC additions also require the addition of a conservative tracer (NaCl) to track changes in conductivity during the experimental manipulation. Despite its use as a conservative tracer, chloride (Cl) and its associated sodium (Na) might change the concentrations of other ions and non-added nutrients through ion exchange or other processes. Similarly, additions of biologically active solutes might change the concentrations of other non-added solutes. These methodological issues in nutrient addition experiments have been poorly addressed in the literature. Here we examine the response of non-added solutes to pulse additions (i.e. TASCC) of NaCl plus nitrate (NO3-), ammonium, and phosphate across biomes including temperate and tropical forests, and arctic taiga. Preliminary results demonstrate that non-added solutes respond to changes in the concentration of these added nutrients. For example, concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in suburban headwater streams of New Hampshire both increase and decrease in response to NO3- additions, apparently due to biotic processes. Similarly, cations such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium also increase during TASCC experiments, likely due to cation exchange processes associated with Na addition. The response of non-added solutes to short-term pulses of added nutrients and tracers needs to be carefully assessed to ensure that nutrient uptake metrics are accurate, and to detect biotic interactions that may

  4. Experiments in nonlinear dynamics using control-based continuation: Tracking stable and unstable response curves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bureau, Emil; Schilder, Frank; Santos, Ilmar

    2014-01-01

    We show how to implement control-based continuation in a nonlinear experiment using existing and freely available software. We demonstrate that it is possible to track the complete frequency response, including the unstable branches, for a harmonically forced impact oscillator.......We show how to implement control-based continuation in a nonlinear experiment using existing and freely available software. We demonstrate that it is possible to track the complete frequency response, including the unstable branches, for a harmonically forced impact oscillator....

  5. Language experience enhances early cortical pitch-dependent responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishnan, Ananthanarayan; Gandour, Jackson T.; Ananthakrishnan, Saradha; Vijayaraghavan, Venkatakrishnan

    2014-01-01

    Pitch processing at cortical and subcortical stages of processing is shaped by language experience. We recently demonstrated that specific components of the cortical pitch response (CPR) index the more rapidly-changing portions of the high rising Tone 2 of Mandarin Chinese, in addition to marking pitch onset and sound offset. In this study, we examine how language experience (Mandarin vs. English) shapes the processing of different temporal attributes of pitch reflected in the CPR components using stimuli representative of within-category variants of Tone 2. Results showed that the magnitude of CPR components (Na-Pb and Pb-Nb) and the correlation between these two components and pitch acceleration were stronger for the Chinese listeners compared to English listeners for stimuli that fell within the range of Tone 2 citation forms. Discriminant function analysis revealed that the Na-Pb component was more than twice as important as Pb-Nb in grouping listeners by language affiliation. In addition, a stronger stimulus-dependent, rightward asymmetry was observed for the Chinese group at the temporal, but not frontal, electrode sites. This finding may reflect selective recruitment of experience-dependent, pitch-specific mechanisms in right auditory cortex to extract more complex, time-varying pitch patterns. Taken together, these findings suggest that long-term language experience shapes early sensory level processing of pitch in the auditory cortex, and that the sensitivity of the CPR may vary depending on the relative linguistic importance of specific temporal attributes of dynamic pitch. PMID:25506127

  6. Attachment and Jealousy: Understanding the Dynamic Experience of Jealousy Using the Response Escalation Paradigm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huelsnitz, Chloe O; Farrell, Allison K; Simpson, Jeffry A; Griskevicius, Vladas; Szepsenwol, Ohad

    2018-04-01

    Jealousy is a complex, dynamic experience that unfolds over time in relationship-threatening situations. Prior research has used retrospective reports that cannot disentangle initial levels and change in jealousy in response to escalating threat. In three studies, we examined responses to the Response Escalation Paradigm (REP)-a 5-stage hypothetical scenario in which individuals are exposed to increasing levels of relationship threat-as a function of attachment orientations. Highly anxious individuals exhibited hypervigilant, slow escalation response patterns, interfered earlier in the REP, felt more jealousy, sadness, and worry when they interfered, and wanted to engage in more vigilant, destructive, and passive behaviors aimed at their partner. Highly avoidant individuals felt more anger when they interfered in the REP and wanted to engage in more partner-focused, destructive behaviors. The REP offers a dynamic method for inducing and examining jealousy and introduces a novel approach to studying other emotional experiences.

  7. Photoconductive Detectors with Fast Temporal Response for Laser Produced Plasma Experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    M. J. May; C. Halvorson; T. Perry; F. Weber; P. Young; C. Silbernagel

    2008-01-01

    Processes during laser plasma experiments typically have time scales that are less than 100 ps. The measurement of these processes requires X-ray detectors with fast temporal resolution. We have measured the temporal responses and linearity of several different X-ray sensitive Photoconductive Detectors (PCDs). The active elements of the detectors investigated include both diamond (natural and synthetic) and GaAs crystals. The typical time responses of the GaAs PCDs are approximately 60 ps, respectively. Some characterizations using X-ray light from a synchrotron light source are presented

  8. Tornado Warning Perception and Response: Integrating the Roles of Visual Design, Demographics, and Hazard Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumann, Ronald L; Ash, Kevin D; Bowser, Gregg C

    2018-02-01

    Recent advancements in severe weather detection and warning dissemination technologies have reduced, but not eliminated, large-casualty tornado hazards in the United States. Research on warning cognition and behavioral response by the public has the potential to further reduce tornado-related deaths and injuries; however, less research has been conducted in this area compared to tornado research in the physical sciences. Extant research in this vein tends to bifurcate. One branch of studies derives from classic risk perception, which investigates cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors in relation to concern and preparation for uncertain risks. Another branch focuses on psychological, social, and cultural factors implicated in warning response for rapid onset hazards, with attention paid to previous experience and message design. Few studies link risk perceptions with cognition and response as elicited by specific examples of warnings. The present study unites risk perception, cognition, and response approaches by testing the contributions of hypothesized warning response drivers in one set of path models. Warning response is approximated by perceived fear and intended protective action as reported by survey respondents when exposed to hypothetical tornado warning scenarios. This study considers the roles of hazard knowledge acquisition, information-seeking behaviors, previous experience, and sociodemographic factors while controlling for the effects of the visual warning graphic. Findings from the study indicate the primacy of a user's visual interpretation of a warning graphic in shaping tornado warning response. Results also suggest that information-seeking habits, previous tornado experience, and local disaster culture play strong influencing roles in warning response. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  9. Pricing decisions from experience: the roles of information-acquisition and response modes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golan, Hagai; Ert, Eyal

    2015-03-01

    While pricing decisions that are based on experience are quite common, e.g., setting a selling price for a used car, this type of decision has been surprisingly overlooked in psychology and decision research. Previous studies have focused on either choice decisions from experience, or pricing decisions from description. Those studies revealed that pricing involves cognitive mechanisms other than choice, while experience-based decisions involve mechanisms that differ from description-based ones. Thus, the mutual effect of pricing and experience on decision-making remains unclear. To test this effect, we experimentally compared real-money pricing decisions from experience with those from description, and with choices from experience. The results show that the mode of acquiring information affects pricing: the tendency to underprice high-probability prospects and overprice low-probability ones is diminished when pricing is based on experience rather than description. The findings further reveal attenuation of the tendency to underweight rare events, which underlies choices from experience, in pricing decisions from experience. The difference occurs because the response mode affects the search effort and decision strategy in decisions from experience. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Survey Satisficing Inflates Stereotypical Responses in Online Experiment: The Case of Immigration Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miura, Asako; Kobayashi, Tetsuro

    2016-01-01

    Though survey satisficing, grudging cognitive efforts required to provide optimal answers in the survey response process, poses a serious threat to the validity of online experiments, a detailed explanation of the mechanism has yet to be established. Focusing on attitudes toward immigrants, we examined the mechanism by which survey satisficing distorts treatment effect estimates in online experiments. We hypothesized that satisficers would display more stereotypical responses than non-satisficers would when presented with stereotype-disconfirming information about an immigrant. Results of two experiments largely supported our hypotheses. Satisficers, whom we identified through an instructional manipulation check (IMC), processed information about immigrants' personality traits congruently with the stereotype activated by information provided about nationality. The significantly shorter vignette reading time of satisficers corroborates their time-efficient impression formation based on stereotyping. However, the shallow information processing of satisficers can be rectified by alerting them to their inattentiveness through use of a repeated IMC. PMID:27803680

  11. A precise narrow-beam filter infrared radiometer and its use with lidar in the ARM Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Platt, C.M.R.

    1992-05-01

    The first six months of the grant (December 1991--May 1992) have been taken up with the design and specification for the new narrow-beam radiometer. The radiometer will be built and tested at the Division of Atmospheric Research over the next three months. Improved algorithms for obtaining cloud extinction have also been developed. It is proposed during 1993 to use the radiometer in conjunction with a new CSIRO 3-wavelength lidar in the ARM PROBE experiment at Kavieng, New Guinea, which is a test mission under tropical conditions for the ARM CART Tropical West Pacific site, and is part of the TOGA COARE experiment. During the latter part of 1992, the radiometer will be tested thoroughly and tested at the Division of Atmospheric Research, Aspendale

  12. Children’s experiences and responses towards an intervention for psychological preparation for radiotherapy

    OpenAIRE

    Engvall, Gunn; Lindh, Viveca; Mullaney, Tara; Nyholm, Tufve; Lindh, Jack; Ångström-Brännström, Charlotte

    2018-01-01

    Background: Children can experience distress when undergoing radiotherapy as a reaction to being scared of and unfamiliar with the procedure. The aim was to evaluate children's experiences and responses towards an intervention for psychological preparation for radiotherapy. Methods: A case control design with qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews and statistical analysis of anxiety ratings were used for evaluating a strategy for psychological preparation and distraction. ...

  13. Gender Differences in Emotional Response: Inconsistency between Experience and Expressivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Yaling; Chang, Lei; Yang, Meng; Huo, Meng

    2016-01-01

    The present study investigated gender differences in both emotional experience and expressivity. Heart rate (HR) was recorded as an indicator of emotional experience while the participants watched 16 video clips that induced eight types of emotion (sadness, anger, horror, disgust, neutrality, amusement, surprise, and pleasure). We also asked the participants to report valence, arousal, and motivation as indicators of emotional expressivity. Overall, the results revealed gender differences in emotional experience and emotional expressivity. When watching videos that induced anger, amusement, and pleasure, men showed larger decreases in HR, whereas women reported higher levels of arousal. There was no gender difference in HR when the participants watched videos that induced horror and disgust, but women reported lower valence, higher arousal, and stronger avoidance motivation than did men. Finally, no gender difference was observed in sadness or surprise, although there was one exception—women reported higher arousal when watching videos that induced sadness. The findings suggest that, when watching videos that induce an emotional response, men often have more intense emotional experiences, whereas women have higher emotional expressivity, particularly for negative emotions. In addition, gender differences depend on the specific emotion type but not the valence. PMID:27362361

  14. Gender Differences in Emotional Response: Inconsistency between Experience and Expressivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Yaling; Chang, Lei; Yang, Meng; Huo, Meng; Zhou, Renlai

    2016-01-01

    The present study investigated gender differences in both emotional experience and expressivity. Heart rate (HR) was recorded as an indicator of emotional experience while the participants watched 16 video clips that induced eight types of emotion (sadness, anger, horror, disgust, neutrality, amusement, surprise, and pleasure). We also asked the participants to report valence, arousal, and motivation as indicators of emotional expressivity. Overall, the results revealed gender differences in emotional experience and emotional expressivity. When watching videos that induced anger, amusement, and pleasure, men showed larger decreases in HR, whereas women reported higher levels of arousal. There was no gender difference in HR when the participants watched videos that induced horror and disgust, but women reported lower valence, higher arousal, and stronger avoidance motivation than did men. Finally, no gender difference was observed in sadness or surprise, although there was one exception-women reported higher arousal when watching videos that induced sadness. The findings suggest that, when watching videos that induce an emotional response, men often have more intense emotional experiences, whereas women have higher emotional expressivity, particularly for negative emotions. In addition, gender differences depend on the specific emotion type but not the valence.

  15. Gender Differences in Emotional Response: Inconsistency between Experience and Expressivity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaling Deng

    Full Text Available The present study investigated gender differences in both emotional experience and expressivity. Heart rate (HR was recorded as an indicator of emotional experience while the participants watched 16 video clips that induced eight types of emotion (sadness, anger, horror, disgust, neutrality, amusement, surprise, and pleasure. We also asked the participants to report valence, arousal, and motivation as indicators of emotional expressivity. Overall, the results revealed gender differences in emotional experience and emotional expressivity. When watching videos that induced anger, amusement, and pleasure, men showed larger decreases in HR, whereas women reported higher levels of arousal. There was no gender difference in HR when the participants watched videos that induced horror and disgust, but women reported lower valence, higher arousal, and stronger avoidance motivation than did men. Finally, no gender difference was observed in sadness or surprise, although there was one exception-women reported higher arousal when watching videos that induced sadness. The findings suggest that, when watching videos that induce an emotional response, men often have more intense emotional experiences, whereas women have higher emotional expressivity, particularly for negative emotions. In addition, gender differences depend on the specific emotion type but not the valence.

  16. Experience of dealing with moral responsibility as a mother with cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmberger, Eva; Bolund, Christina; Lützén, Kim

    2005-05-01

    This study explored how women with a diagnosis of cancer (lymphoma) deal with moral concerns related to their responsibility as parents. Ten women with cancer and who had children living at home were interviewed. The interviews were analysed according to the constant comparative method used in grounded theory. In order to provide a focus for the analysis, the ethics of care and the concept of mothering were used as sensitizing concepts. The core concept 'experience of dealing with moral responsibility of being a parent with cancer by redefining oneself as a mother was identified. The processes involved were: interrupted mothering; facing the life-threatening illness and children's reactions; striving to be a good mother; attempting to deal with moral responsibility; and coming to terms with being a mother.

  17. Canonical decomposition of magnetotelluric responses: Experiment on 1D anisotropic structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Ze-qiu; Wei, Wen-bo; Ye, Gao-feng; Jin, Sheng; Jing, Jian-en

    2015-08-01

    Horizontal electrical heterogeneity of subsurface earth is mostly originated from structural complexity and electrical anisotropy, and local near-surface electrical heterogeneity will severely distort regional electromagnetic responses. Conventional distortion analyses for magnetotelluric soundings are primarily physical decomposition methods with respect to isotropic models, which mostly presume that the geoelectric distribution of geological structures is of local and regional patterns represented by 3D/2D models. Due to the widespread anisotropy of earth media, the confusion between 1D anisotropic responses and 2D isotropic responses, and the defects of physical decomposition methods, we propose to conduct modeling experiments with canonical decomposition in terms of 1D layered anisotropic models, and the method is one of the mathematical decomposition methods based on eigenstate analyses differentiated from distortion analyses, which can be used to recover electrical information such as strike directions, and maximum and minimum conductivity. We tested this method with numerical simulation experiments on several 1D synthetic models, which turned out that canonical decomposition is quite effective to reveal geological anisotropic information. Finally, for the background of anisotropy from previous study by geological and seismological methods, canonical decomposition is applied to real data acquired in North China Craton for 1D anisotropy analyses, and the result shows that, with effective modeling and cautious interpretation, canonical decomposition could be another good method to detect anisotropy of geological media.

  18. Keeping the door open: Exploring experiences of, and responses to, university students who disclose mental illness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donna McAuliffe

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available University educators increasingly manage situations where students disclose serious mental health issues. This is a significant issue, particularly for health and human service professions, as the importance of valuing the lived experience of mental illness lies alongside concerns for professional practice standards. Thus the responsibilities of students to disclose their mental health status and the responsibilities of Universities to provide appropriate support within established disability frameworks must be clear. However, students often do not know who they should disclose to, what will happen to disclosed information, and who has access to this information. Student's often fear embarrassment, stigma, and shame about disclosing mental illness, which is compounded by the diverse attitudes, experiences, and beliefs of educators. Consequently, this paper will review existing literature on university responses to, and students’ experiences of, mental illness in order to set a research agenda for this topic. The authors argue that such research must be undertaken urgently, in a context of inclusivity in higher education that gives voice to the experiences of students, their families and carers, university staff, and practitioners in the field.

  19. Presentation and response timing accuracy in Adobe Flash and HTML5/JavaScript Web experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reimers, Stian; Stewart, Neil

    2015-06-01

    Web-based research is becoming ubiquitous in the behavioral sciences, facilitated by convenient, readily available participant pools and relatively straightforward ways of running experiments: most recently, through the development of the HTML5 standard. Although in most studies participants give untimed responses, there is a growing interest in being able to record response times online. Existing data on the accuracy and cross-machine variability of online timing measures are limited, and generally they have compared behavioral data gathered on the Web with similar data gathered in the lab. For this article, we took a more direct approach, examining two ways of running experiments online-Adobe Flash and HTML5 with CSS3 and JavaScript-across 19 different computer systems. We used specialist hardware to measure stimulus display durations and to generate precise response times to visual stimuli in order to assess measurement accuracy, examining effects of duration, browser, and system-to-system variability (such as across different Windows versions), as well as effects of processing power and graphics capability. We found that (a) Flash and JavaScript's presentation and response time measurement accuracy are similar; (b) within-system variability is generally small, even in low-powered machines under high load; (c) the variability of measured response times across systems is somewhat larger; and (d) browser type and system hardware appear to have relatively small effects on measured response times. Modeling of the effects of this technical variability suggests that for most within- and between-subjects experiments, Flash and JavaScript can both be used to accurately detect differences in response times across conditions. Concerns are, however, noted about using some correlational or longitudinal designs online.

  20. Coupled interactions of organized deep convection over the tropical western pacific

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, X.; Raman, S. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

    1996-04-01

    The relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and deep convection is complex. In general, deep convection occurs more frequently and with more intensity as SSTs become higher. This theory assumes that the atmospheric stability is sufficiently reduced to allow the onset of moist convection. However, the amount and intensity of convection observed tends to decrease with increasing SST because very warm SSTs. A reason for such decrease is the enhancements to surface fluxes of heat and moisture out of the ocean surface because of the vertical overturning associated with deep convection. Early studies used the radiative-convective models of the atmosphere to examine the role of the convective exchange of heat and moisture in maintaining the vertical temperature profile. In this paper we use a Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) to simulate a squall line over a tropical ocean global atmosphere/coupled ocean atmosphere response experiment (TOGA/COARE) area and to investigate how the ocean cooling mechanisms associated with organized deep convection act to limit tropical SSTs.

  1. INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF STATE REGULATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP: EXPERIENCE FOR UKRAINE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludmila Batchenko

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The subject of the study is the socio-economic aspects of the social responsibility of business (CSR in 4 countries. The purpose of the article is to study the experience in regulating the socio-economic responsibility of entrepreneurship in the United States, Sweden, India, and China to determine the direction of formation of the state mechanism of socio-economic responsibility of entrepreneurship (SERE in Ukraine. The methodology of the article became theoretical researches of foreign scientists, their synthesis, systematization, and analysis for the development of the application of experience in Ukrainian realities. The analysis showed how different states of CSR policy differ in each of these countries and made it possible to draw conclusions about the application in Ukraine. So, the experience of Sweden is useful in reviewing the social reporting obligation, as well as the experience of China. In the case of the USA, the role of the state in regulating CSRs in enterprises should be noted but, at the same time, the significant social consciousness of American entrepreneurs as recognized philanthropists, who are actively introducing ethical codes and key stewards from the implementation of CSR, are seen by society and aimed at improving the well-being of society. In China, the government plays an important role in the implementation of CSR for state-owned enterprises. In addition, laws are adopted to improve the rights of employees, to equalize gender differences, to increase the level of production, quality of products, which leads to an improvement in the quality of life of the country’s population. All this becomes relevant for Ukraine and can be used in our country as well. Indian experience draws attention through the adoption of a unique decision on the indifference of charity activities by Indian companies with a certain level of profit and the adoption of them by the rules of corporate social responsibility. In entrepreneurship

  2. The iso-response method: measuring neuronal stimulus integration with closed-loop experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gollisch, Tim; Herz, Andreas V. M.

    2012-01-01

    Throughout the nervous system, neurons integrate high-dimensional input streams and transform them into an output of their own. This integration of incoming signals involves filtering processes and complex non-linear operations. The shapes of these filters and non-linearities determine the computational features of single neurons and their functional roles within larger networks. A detailed characterization of signal integration is thus a central ingredient to understanding information processing in neural circuits. Conventional methods for measuring single-neuron response properties, such as reverse correlation, however, are often limited by the implicit assumption that stimulus integration occurs in a linear fashion. Here, we review a conceptual and experimental alternative that is based on exploring the space of those sensory stimuli that result in the same neural output. As demonstrated by recent results in the auditory and visual system, such iso-response stimuli can be used to identify the non-linearities relevant for stimulus integration, disentangle consecutive neural processing steps, and determine their characteristics with unprecedented precision. Automated closed-loop experiments are crucial for this advance, allowing rapid search strategies for identifying iso-response stimuli during experiments. Prime targets for the method are feed-forward neural signaling chains in sensory systems, but the method has also been successfully applied to feedback systems. Depending on the specific question, “iso-response” may refer to a predefined firing rate, single-spike probability, first-spike latency, or other output measures. Examples from different studies show that substantial progress in understanding neural dynamics and coding can be achieved once rapid online data analysis and stimulus generation, adaptive sampling, and computational modeling are tightly integrated into experiments. PMID:23267315

  3. Looking for the GAP effect in manual responses and the role of contextual influences in reaction time experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faria Jr. A.J.P.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available When the offset of a visual stimulus (GAP condition precedes the onset of a target, saccadic reaction times are reduced in relation to the condition with no offset (overlap condition - the GAP effect. However, the existence of the GAP effect for manual responses is still controversial. In two experiments using both simple (Experiment 1, N = 18 and choice key-press procedures (Experiment 2, N = 12, we looked for the GAP effect in manual responses and investigated possible contextual influences on it. Participants were asked to respond to the imperative stimulus that would occur under different experimental contexts, created by varying the array of warning-stimulus intervals (0, 300 and 1000 ms and conditions (GAP and overlap: i intervals and conditions were randomized throughout the experiment; ii conditions were run in different blocks and intervals were randomized; iii intervals were run in different blocks and conditions were randomized. Our data showed that no GAP effect was obtained for any manipulation. The predictability of stimulus occurrence produced the strongest influence on response latencies. In Experiment 1, simple manual responses were shorter when the intervals were blocked (247 ms, P < 0.001 in relation to the other two contexts (274 and 279 ms. Despite the use of choice key-press procedures, Experiment 2 produced a similar pattern of results. A discussion addressing the critical conditions to obtain the GAP effect for distinct motor responses is presented. In short, our data stress the relevance of the temporal allocation of attention for behavioral performance.

  4. Experiences of faculty and students using an audience response system in the classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Christine M; Monturo, Cheryl; Conroy, Katherine

    2011-07-01

    The advent of innovative technologies, such as the audience response system, provides an opportunity to engage students and enhance learning. Based on their experiences, three nursing faculty evaluated the use of an audience response system in four distinct nursing courses through the use of informal survey results. When using the audience response system, the faculty experienced an increased perception of student attentiveness and engagement, high level of class attendance, and enhanced learning. Faculty feelings were mixed concerning the burden in adapting to increased classroom time and increased preparation time. Students' perception of the value of audience response system use was mostly positive, except when responses were included as part of the grade. The majority of the students indicated that use of the audience response system enhanced learning and was a helpful learning method when used with NCLEX-style questions. Overall, faculty believed that the benefits of student engagement and enhanced learning outweighed the burdens of incorporating this new technology in the classroom.

  5. Mentoring health researchers globally: Diverse experiences, programmes, challenges and responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Donald C; Johnson, Nancy; Mejia, Raul; McCullough, Hazel; Turcotte-Tremblay, Anne-Marie; Barnoya, Joaquin; Falabella Luco, María Soledad

    2016-10-01

    Mentoring experiences and programmes are becoming increasingly recognised as important by those engaged in capacity strengthening in global health research. Using a primarily qualitative study design, we studied three experiences of mentorship and eight mentorship programmes for early career global health researchers based in high-income and low- and middle-income countries. For the latter, we drew upon programme materials, existing unpublished data and more formal mixed-method evaluations, supplemented by individual email questionnaire responses. Research team members wrote stories, and the team assembled and analysed them for key themes. Across the diverse experiences and programmes, key emergent themes included: great mentors inspire others in an inter-generational cascade, mentorship is transformative in personal and professional development and involves reciprocity, and finding the right balance in mentoring relationships and programmes includes responding creatively to failure. Among the challenges encountered were: struggling for more level playing fields for new health researchers globally, changing mindsets in institutions that do not have a culture of mentorship and building collaboration not competition. Mentoring networks spanning institutions and countries using multiple virtual and face-to-face methods are a potential avenue for fostering organisational cultures supporting quality mentorship in global health research.

  6. Experiences of Playscan: Interviews with users of a responsible gambling tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Forsström

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Online gambling, encompassing a wide variety of activities and around-the-clock access, can be a potential risk factor for gamblers who tend to gamble excessively. Yet, the advent of online gambling has enabled responsible gambling (RG features that may help individuals to limit their gambling behaviour. One of these features is RG tools that track gamblers' behaviour, performs risk assessments and provides advice to gamblers. This study investigated users' views and experiences of the RG tool Playscan from a qualitative perspective using a semi-structured interview. The tool performs a risk assessment on a three-step scale (low, medium and high risk. Users from every risk category were included. Twenty interviews were carried out and analysed using thematic analysis. Two main themes with associated sub-themes were identified: “Usage of Playscan and the gambling site” and “Experiences of Playscan”. Important experiences in the sub-themes were lack of feedback from the tool and confusion when signing up to use Playscan. These experiences counteracted positive attitudes that should have promoted usage of the tool. Providing more feedback directly to users is a suggested solution to increase usage of the RG tool.

  7. Determination of tolerance dose uncertainties and optimal design of dose response experiments with small animal numbers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karger, C.P.; Hartmann, G.H.

    2001-01-01

    Background: Dose response experiments aim to determine the complication probability as a function of dose. Adjusting the parameters of the frequently used dose response model P(D)=1/[1+(D 50 /D) k ] to the experimental data, 2 intuitive quantities are obtained: The tolerance dose D 50 and the slope parameter k. For mathematical reasons, however, standard statistic software uses a different set of parameters. Therefore, the resulting fit parameters of the statistic software as well as their standard errors have to be transformed to obtain D 50 and k as well as their standard errors. Material and Methods: The influence of the number of dose levels on the uncertainty of the fit parameters is studied by a simulation for a fixed number of animals. For experiments with small animal numbers, statistical artifacts may prevent the determination of the standard errors of the fit parameters. Consequences on the design of dose response experiments are investigated. Results: Explicit formulas are presented, which allow to calculate the parameters D 50 and k as well as their standard errors from the output of standard statistic software. The simulation shows, that the standard errors of the resulting parameters are independent of the number of dose levels, as long as the total number of animals involved in the experiment, remains constant. Conclusion: Statistical artifacts in experiments containing small animal numbers may be prevented by an adequate design of the experiment. For this, it is suggested to select a higher number of dose levels, rather than using a higher number of animals per dose level. (orig.) [de

  8. SEX, SELF-ESTEEM, DEPENDENCY AND EXTRADYADIC SEXUAL EXPERIENCE AS RELATED TO JEALOUSY RESPONSES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    BUUNK, BP

    A study of a heterogeneous sample of 250 mostly married individuals examined the impact of sex, self-esteem, emotional dependency and extradyadic sexual experience upon betrayal-anger, disappointment and self-doubt as responses to extradyadic sexual behavior of the partner. Women scored higher in

  9. Deleting 'irrational' responses from discrete choice experiments: a case of investigating or imposing preferences?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lancsar, Emily; Louviere, Jordan

    2006-08-01

    Investigation of the 'rationality' of responses to discrete choice experiments (DCEs) has been a theme of research in health economics. Responses have been deleted from DCEs where they have been deemed by researchers to (a) be 'irrational', defined by such studies as failing tests for non-satiation, or (b) represent lexicographic preferences. This paper outlines a number of reasons why deleting responses from DCEs may be inappropriate after first reviewing the theory underpinning rationality, highlighting that the importance placed on rationality depends on the approach to consumer theory to which one ascribes. The aim of this paper is not to suggest that all preferences elicited via DCEs are rational. Instead, it is to suggest a number of reasons why it may not be the case that all preferences labelled as 'irrational' are indeed so. Hence, deleting responses may result in the removal of valid preferences; induce sample selection bias; and reduce the statistical efficiency and power of the estimated choice models. Further, evidence suggests random utility theory may be able to cope with such preferences. Finally, we discuss a number of implications for the design, implementation and interpretation of DCEs and recommend caution regarding the deletion of preferences from stated preference experiments. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. HECTR [Hydrogen Event: Containment Transient Response] analyses of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) premixed combustion experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, C.C.

    1988-11-01

    The HECTR (Hydrogen Event: Containment Transient Response) computer code has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories to predict the transient pressure and temperature responses within reactor containments for hypothetical accidents involving the transport and combustion of hydrogen. Although HECTR was designed primarily to investigate these phenomena in LWRs, it may also be used to analyze hydrogen transport and combustion experiments as well. It is in this manner that HECTR is assessed and empirical correlations, such as the combustion completeness and flame speed correlations for the hydrogen combustion model, if necessary, are upgraded. In this report, we present HECTR analyses of the large-scale premixed hydrogen combustion experiments at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and comparison with the test results. The existing correlations in HECTR version 1.0, under certain conditions, have difficulty in predicting accurately the combustion completeness and burn time for the NTS experiments. By combining the combustion data obtained from the NTS experiments with other experimental data (FITS, VGES, ACUREX, and Whiteshell), a set of new and better combustion correlations was generated. HECTR prediction of the containment responses, using a single-compartment model and EPRI-provided combustion completeness and burn time, compares reasonably well against the test results. However, HECTR prediction of the containment responses using a multicompartment model does not compare well with the test results. This discrepancy shows the deficiency of the homogeneous burning model used in HECTR. To overcome this deficiency, a flame propagation model is highly recommended. 16 refs., 84 figs., 5 tabs

  11. QUANTIFYING SUBGRID POLLUTANT VARIABILITY IN EULERIAN AIR QUALITY MODELS

    Science.gov (United States)

    In order to properly assess human risk due to exposure to hazardous air pollutants or air toxics, detailed information is needed on the location and magnitude of ambient air toxic concentrations. Regional scale Eulerian air quality models are typically limited to relatively coar...

  12. The Effects of Recreation Experience, Environmental Attitude, and Biospheric Value on the Environmentally Responsible Behavior of Nature-Based Tourists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Tsung Hung; Jan, Fen-Hauh

    2015-07-01

    The scientific understanding of the recreation experience and the environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists is limited. This study examines the relationship among the recreation experience, environmental attitude, biospheric value, and the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists in Taomi, Liuqiu Island, and Aowanda and Najenshan in Taiwan. A total of 1342 usable questionnaires were collected for this study. The empirical results indicate that the recreation experience influences biospheric value and environmental attitude; subsequently, it then indirectly influences the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists. Our theoretical behavioral model elucidates previously proposed but unexamined behavioral models among nature-based tourists, and it offers a theoretical framework for researchers, decision makers, managers, and tourists in the field of nature-based tourism. We conclude that when an individual participates in nature-based tourism as described here, these recreation experiences strengthen their environmental attitude and biospheric value, and consequently increase their engagement in both general and site-specific environmentally responsible behaviors.

  13. The effects of recreation experience, environmental attitude, and biospheric value on the environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Tsung Hung; Jan, Fen-Hauh

    2015-07-01

    The scientific understanding of the recreation experience and the environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists is limited. This study examines the relationship among the recreation experience, environmental attitude, biospheric value, and the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists in Taomi, Liuqiu Island, and Aowanda and Najenshan in Taiwan. A total of 1342 usable questionnaires were collected for this study. The empirical results indicate that the recreation experience influences biospheric value and environmental attitude; subsequently, it then indirectly influences the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists. Our theoretical behavioral model elucidates previously proposed but unexamined behavioral models among nature-based tourists, and it offers a theoretical framework for researchers, decision makers, managers, and tourists in the field of nature-based tourism. We conclude that when an individual participates in nature-based tourism as described here, these recreation experiences strengthen their environmental attitude and biospheric value, and consequently increase their engagement in both general and site-specific environmentally responsible behaviors.

  14. A replicated climate change field experiment reveals rapid evolutionary response in an ecologically important soil invertebrate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bataillon, Thomas; Galtier, Nicolas; Bernard, Aurelien

    2016-01-01

    to climate change in a common annelid worm using a controlled replicated experiment where climatic conditions were manipulated in a natural setting. Analyzing the transcribed genome of 15 local populations, we found that about 12% of the genetic polymorphisms exhibit differences in allele frequencies......Whether species can respond evolutionarily to current climate change is crucial for the persistence of many species. Yet, very few studies have examined genetic responses to climate change in manipulated experiments carried out innatural field conditions. We examined the evolutionary response...... associated to changes in soil temperature and soil moisture. This shows an evolutionaryresponse to realistic climate change happening over short-time scale, and calls for incorporating evolution into modelspredicting future response of species to climate change. It also shows that designed climate change...

  15. An Insecticide Further Enhances Experience-Dependent Increased Behavioural Responses to Sex Pheromone in a Pest Insect.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoine Abrieux

    Full Text Available Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used to protect plants against pest insects, and insecticide residues remaining in the environment affect both target and non-target organisms. Whereas low doses of neonicotinoids have been shown to disturb the behaviour of pollinating insects, recent studies have revealed that a low dose of the neonicotinoid clothianidin can improve behavioural and neuronal sex pheromone responses in a pest insect, the male moth Agrotis ipsilon, and thus potentially improve reproduction. As male moth behaviour depends also on its physiological state and previous experience with sensory signals, we wondered if insecticide effects would be dependent on plasticity of olfactory-guided behaviour. We investigated, using wind tunnel experiments, whether a brief pre-exposure to the sex pheromone could enhance the behavioural response to this important signal in the moth A. ipsilon at different ages (sexually immature and mature males and after different delays (2 h and 24 h, and if the insecticide clothianidin would interfere with age effects or the potential pre-exposure-effects. Brief pre-exposure to the pheromone induced an age-independent significant increase of sex pheromone responses 24 h later, whereas sex pheromone responses did not increase significantly 2 h after exposure. However, response delays were significantly shorter compared to naïve males already two hours after exposure. Oral treatment with clothianidin increased sex pheromone responses in sexually mature males, confirming previous results, but did not influence responses in young immature males. Males treated with clothianidin after pre-exposure at day 4 responded significantly more to the sex pheromone at day 5 than males treated with clothianidin only and than males pre-exposed only, revealing an additive effect of experience and the insecticide. Plasticity of sensory systems has thus to be taken into account when investigating the effects of sublethal doses

  16. An Insecticide Further Enhances Experience-Dependent Increased Behavioural Responses to Sex Pheromone in a Pest Insect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrieux, Antoine; Mhamdi, Amel; Rabhi, Kaouther K; Egon, Julie; Debernard, Stéphane; Duportets, Line; Tricoire-Leignel, Hélène; Anton, Sylvia; Gadenne, Christophe

    2016-01-01

    Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used to protect plants against pest insects, and insecticide residues remaining in the environment affect both target and non-target organisms. Whereas low doses of neonicotinoids have been shown to disturb the behaviour of pollinating insects, recent studies have revealed that a low dose of the neonicotinoid clothianidin can improve behavioural and neuronal sex pheromone responses in a pest insect, the male moth Agrotis ipsilon, and thus potentially improve reproduction. As male moth behaviour depends also on its physiological state and previous experience with sensory signals, we wondered if insecticide effects would be dependent on plasticity of olfactory-guided behaviour. We investigated, using wind tunnel experiments, whether a brief pre-exposure to the sex pheromone could enhance the behavioural response to this important signal in the moth A. ipsilon at different ages (sexually immature and mature males) and after different delays (2 h and 24 h), and if the insecticide clothianidin would interfere with age effects or the potential pre-exposure-effects. Brief pre-exposure to the pheromone induced an age-independent significant increase of sex pheromone responses 24 h later, whereas sex pheromone responses did not increase significantly 2 h after exposure. However, response delays were significantly shorter compared to naïve males already two hours after exposure. Oral treatment with clothianidin increased sex pheromone responses in sexually mature males, confirming previous results, but did not influence responses in young immature males. Males treated with clothianidin after pre-exposure at day 4 responded significantly more to the sex pheromone at day 5 than males treated with clothianidin only and than males pre-exposed only, revealing an additive effect of experience and the insecticide. Plasticity of sensory systems has thus to be taken into account when investigating the effects of sublethal doses of insecticides

  17. Brain responses to repeated visual experience among low and high sensation seekers: role of boredom susceptibility

    OpenAIRE

    Jiang, Yang; Lianekhammy, Joann; Lawson, Adam; Guo, Chunyan; ynam, Donald; Joseph, Jane E.; Gold, Brian T.; Kelly, Thomas H.

    2009-01-01

    To better understand individual differences in sensation seeking and its components, including boredom susceptibility and experience seeking, we examined brain responses of high and low sensation seekers during repeated visual experience. Individuals scoring in the top and bottom quartiles from a college-aged population on the Brief Sensation-Seeking Scale (BSSS) participated in an event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment. Line drawings of common objects were randomly intermixed and present...

  18. Experimental design and model choice the planning and analysis of experiments with continuous or categorical response

    CERN Document Server

    Toutenburg, Helge

    1995-01-01

    This textbook gives a representation of the design and analysis of experiments, that comprises the aspects of classical theory for continuous response and of modern procedures for categorical response, and especially for correlated categorical response. Complex designs, as for example, cross-over and repeated measures, are included. Thus, it is an important book for statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry as well as for clinical research in medicine and dentistry.

  19. Numerical experiments on the atmospheric response to cold Equatorial Pacific conditions ('La Nina') during northern summer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Storch, H. von; Schriever, D.; Arpe, K.; Branstator, G.W.; Legnani, R.; Ulbrich, U.

    1993-01-01

    The effect of cold conditions in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific during Northern Summer is examined in a series of numerical experiments with the low resolution (T21) atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM2. Anomalous sea surface temperatures (SST) as observed in June 1988 were prescribed and the effect on the global circulation is examined. In the model atmosphere, the anomalous cold water in the Equatorial Pacific excites a strong and stable response over the tropical Central and East Pacific. From here stationary Rossby waves radiate into both hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere wave train is weak and affects only the Northeast Pacific area; the Southern Hemisphere wave train arches from the Central Pacific over the southern tip of South America to the South Atlantic. This response is not only present in the basic anomaly experiment with the T21 GCM but also in experiments with SST anomalies confined to the tropics and with an envelope-formulation of the SST anomalies, in experiments with a linear model, and in high resolution (T42) model experiments. The model output is also compared to the actually observed atmospheric state in June 1988. (orig./KW)

  20. Application of the results of excavation response experiments at climax and the Colorado School of Mines to the development of an experiment for the underground research laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ubbes, W.F.; Yow, J.L. Jr.; Hustrulid, W.A.

    1988-01-01

    Large-scale underground experiment programs to examine excavation response have been performed at the Climax facility in Nevada and at the Colorado School of Mines. These two programs provided fundamental information on the behavior of rock and the effects of excavation; on instrument performance and configuration; and on the relationship between test geometry and test behavior. This information is being considered in the development of a major excavation response experiment to be carried out in the Canadian Underground Research Laboratory. 11 refs., 3 figs

  1. Incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability into a Business Course: A Shared Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persons, Obeua

    2012-01-01

    The author discusses how corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability were incorporated into a business course by using 4 assignments, a project with a CSR question, 7 ethics cases, and 17 ethics scenarios tied to a corporate code of ethics. The author also discusses student evaluation of CSR learning experience, strengths and…

  2. Consumer experience of formal crisis-response services and preferred methods of crisis intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boscarato, Kara; Lee, Stuart; Kroschel, Jon; Hollander, Yitzchak; Brennan, Alice; Warren, Narelle

    2014-08-01

    The manner in which people with mental illness are supported in a crisis is crucial to their recovery. The current study explored mental health consumers' experiences with formal crisis services (i.e. police and crisis assessment and treatment (CAT) teams), preferred crisis supports, and opinions of four collaborative interagency response models. Eleven consumers completed one-on-one, semistructured interviews. The results revealed that the perceived quality of previous formal crisis interventions varied greatly. Most participants preferred family members or friends to intervene. However, where a formal response was required, general practitioners and mental health case managers were preferred; no participant wanted a police response, and only one indicated a preference for CAT team assistance. Most participants welcomed collaborative crisis interventions. Of four collaborative interagency response models currently being trialled internationally, participants most strongly supported the Ride-Along Model, which enables a police officer and a mental health clinician to jointly respond to distressed consumers in the community. The findings highlight the potential for an interagency response model to deliver a crisis response aligned with consumers' preferences. © 2014 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

  3. Modeling of uranium alloy response in plane impact and reverse ballistic experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrmann, B.; Landau, A.; Shvarts, D.; Favorsky, V.; Zaretsky, E.

    2002-01-01

    The dynamic behavior of a solution heat-treated, water-quenched and aged U-0.75wt%Ti alloy was studied in planar (disk-on-disk) and reverse ballistic (disk-on-rod) impact experiments performed with a 25 mm light-gas gun. The impact velocity ranged from 100 to 500 m/sec. The impacted samples were softly recovered for further metallographic examination. The VISAR records of the sample free surface velocity, obtained in planar impact experiments, were simulated with 1-D hydrocode for calibrating the parameters of modified Steinberg-Cochran-Guinan (SCG) constitutive equation of the alloy. The same SCG equation was employed in 2-D AUTODYN simulation of the alloy response in the reverse ballistic experiments, with VISAR monitoring of the lateral sample surface velocity. Varying the parameters of the strain-dependent failure model allows relating the features of the recorded velocity profiles with the results of the examination of the damaged samples

  4. Can current moisture responses predict soil CO2 efflux under altered precipitation regimes? A synthesis of manipulation experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vicca, S.; Bahn, M.; Estiarte, M.

    2014-01-01

    to fluctuations in soil temperature and soil water content can be used to predict SCE under altered rainfall patterns. Of the 58 experiments for which we gathered SCE data, 20 were discarded because either too few data were available or inconsistencies precluded their incorporation in the analyses. The 38...... remaining experiments were used to test the hypothesis that a model parameterized with data from the control plots (using soil temperature and water content as predictor variables) could adequately predict SCE measured in the manipulated treatment. Only for 7 of these 38 experiments was this hypothesis...... strongly on establishing response functions across a broader range of precipitation regimes and soil moisture conditions. Such experiments should make accurate measurements of water availability, should conduct high-frequency SCE measurements, and should consider both instantaneous responses...

  5. Psychophysiological response in parachute jumps, the effect of experience and type of jump.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clemente-Suárez, Vicente Javier; Robles-Pérez, José Juan; Fernández-Lucas, Jesús

    2017-10-01

    We aimed to analyse the effect of experience and type of parachute jump on the psychophysiological responses of jumpers. We analysed blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood glucose, lactate and creatinkinase, leg strength, isometric hand strength, cortical arousal, specific fine motor skills, self-confidence and cognition, and somatic and state anxiety, before and after four different parachute jumps: a sport parachute jump, a manual tactical parachute jump, tandem pilots, and tandem passengers. Independently of the parachute jump, the psychophysiological responses of experienced paratroopers were not affected by the jumps, except for an increase in anaerobic metabolism. Novice parachute jumpers presented a higher psychophysiological stress response than the experienced jumpers, together with a large anticipatory anxiety response before the jump; however, this decreased after the jump, although the high physiological activation was maintained. This information could be used by civil and military paratroopers' instructors to improve their training programmes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Dissimilarity between two skeletal trees in a context

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baseski, Emre; Erdem, Aykut; Tari, Sibel

    2009-01-01

    Skeletal trees are commonly used in order to express geometric properties of the shape. Accordingly, tree-edit distance is used to compute a dissimilarity between two given shapes. We present a new tree-edit based shape matching method which uses a recent coarse skeleton representation. The coars...

  7. Emergency response preparedness: the French experience of large scale exercises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chanson, D.; Desnoyers, B.; Chabane, J.M.

    2004-01-01

    In compliance with the IAEA regulations for the transport of radioactive material in the event of accidents during transport of radioactive material, emergency provisions to protect persons, property and environment have to be established and developed by the relevant national organisations. In France, the prefect of the department where the accident occurs is responsible for decisions and measures required to ensure the protection of both population and property at risk owing to the accident. During an accident, the ministers concerned provide the prefect with recommendations and information, in order to help him take the requisite decisions. On their side, the nuclear industry and transport companies also have to be prepared to intervene and to support the authorities at their request, depending on their capacities and their specialities. To prepare the emergency teams properly and acquire effective emergency plans, training exercises have to be conducted regularly with every ministerial department involved, the nuclear industry and transport companies, members of the public and the media. Then, the feedback from such exercises shall be taken into account to improve the emergency procedures. This paper will introduce: - emergency response preparedness: what is required by the relevant regulations? - emergency response preparedness: how is France organised? - the French experience of conducting large training exercises simulating accidents involving the transport of radioactive material; - the main difficulties and lessons learned; - the perspectives

  8. Drivers of Organizational Responsiveness: Experiences of a Military Crisis Response Organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erik De Waard

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The topic of organizational responsiveness – where organizations need to flexibly react to strategic and operational demands simultaneously – has been under-explored in strategic management research. Our study was initiated to shed more light on this topic, primarily by studying an organization specifically designed to handle crises. By definition, crisis response organizations have to be prepared to react to unpredictable events. Moreover, the volatility of the crisis situation itself requires a high degree of flexibility to get or keep the situation under control. The study hypothesizes modular organizing and organizational sensing to be key drivers of organizational responsiveness. Empirically, we examine the effect these two variables have on the responsiveness of the Netherlands armed forces for crisis response deployment. Findings indicate that modular organizing and organizational sensing are drivers of responsiveness. In addition, our study uncovered the importance of an organization’s level of system decomposition to responsiveness. A high degree of system granularity can lead to a predominantly inward focus whereas organizational responsiveness calls for a strong external orientation.

  9. Nonlinear response of dense colloidal suspensions under oscillatory shear: mode-coupling theory and Fourier transform rheology experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brader, J M; Siebenbürger, M; Ballauff, M; Reinheimer, K; Wilhelm, M; Frey, S J; Weysser, F; Fuchs, M

    2010-12-01

    Using a combination of theory, experiment, and simulation we investigate the nonlinear response of dense colloidal suspensions to large amplitude oscillatory shear flow. The time-dependent stress response is calculated using a recently developed schematic mode-coupling-type theory describing colloidal suspensions under externally applied flow. For finite strain amplitudes the theory generates a nonlinear response, characterized by significant higher harmonic contributions. An important feature of the theory is the prediction of an ideal glass transition at sufficiently strong coupling, which is accompanied by the discontinuous appearance of a dynamic yield stress. For the oscillatory shear flow under consideration we find that the yield stress plays an important role in determining the nonlinearity of the time-dependent stress response. Our theoretical findings are strongly supported by both large amplitude oscillatory experiments (with Fourier transform rheology analysis) on suspensions of thermosensitive core-shell particles dispersed in water and Brownian dynamics simulations performed on a two-dimensional binary hard-disk mixture. In particular, theory predicts nontrivial values of the exponents governing the final decay of the storage and loss moduli as a function of strain amplitude which are in good agreement with both simulation and experiment. A consistent set of parameters in the presented schematic model achieves to jointly describe linear moduli, nonlinear flow curves, and large amplitude oscillatory spectroscopy.

  10. Empirical Relationship between particulate matter and Aerosol Optical Depth over Northern Tien-Shan, Central Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Measurements were obtained at two sites in northern Tien-Shan in Central Asia during a 1-year period beginning July 2008 to examine the statistical relationship between aerosol optical depth (AOD) and of fine [PM2.5, particles less than 2.5 μm aerodynamic diameter (AD)] and coars...

  11. The experiences of employees participating in organisational corporate social responsibility initiatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gretha Cook

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: This article is about the experiences of employees who actively participate in organisational corporate social responsibility (CSR initiatives.   Research purpose: The general aim of this study was to explore the experiences of employees who participate in CSR initiatives within an organisation where a well-developed framework exists.   Motivation for the study: Whilst an emergent number of studies have considered the various dimensions of CSR initiatives, the focus appears to be on stakeholders such as the recipients of CSR, organisations, consumers and shareholders but not the perspective of the employees who actively participate in CSR initiatives.   Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research approach was employed with the intent of exploring the experiences of employees participating in organisational CSR initiatives. Data were collected and analysed from a purposive sample of 12 employees, by means of interactive qualitative analysis.   Main findings: The study revealed that the primary driver that motivates employees to participate in CSR is love. Love sparks a sense of compassion. Compassion, coupled with an enabling environment, stimulates generosity. By being generous, a feeling of hope and inspiration is induced in both the givers and receivers of generosity. A secondary outcome of generosity and hope and inspiration is bringing about change to others, and whilst going through this journey and making a difference in the lives of others, participants experience a progressive change within themselves. This change evokes a feeling of fulfilment, and ultimately a feeling of complete joy.   Contributions or value-add: This research complements existing CSR literature by focussing and reporting on the experiences of the employee as an important stakeholder.

  12. Using Norm-Based Appeals to Increase Response Rates in Evaluation Research: A Field Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Shalini; Stokols, Daniel; Marino, Anne Heberger

    2012-01-01

    A field experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of norm-based persuasive messages for increasing response rates in online survey research. Participants in an interdisciplinary conference were asked to complete two successive postconference surveys and randomly assigned to one of two groups at each time point. The experimental group…

  13. Extra Credit Micro-Incentives and Response Rates for Online Course Evaluations: Two Quasi-Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundstrom, Eric D.; Hardin, Erin E.; Shaffer, Matthew J.

    2016-01-01

    To extend prior findings on the motivational value of tiny, nonfinancial incentives, we conducted two quasi-experiments on the relationship of extra credit micro-incentives (ECMIs, worth =1% of course grade) and response rates for online course evaluations. Study 1 involved two advanced undergraduate psychology courses taught by the same…

  14. Training for the medical response in radiological emergency experiences and results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardenas Herrera, J.; Lopez Forteza, Y.

    2003-01-01

    The use of the nuclear techniques int he social practice confers a special imporatnce to the relative aspects to the safety of the practices and radiationsources, for what the implementation of efficient programs of radiation protection constitutes a priority. However in spite of the will before expressed, regrettably radiological situations happen accidental assocaited to multiple causes taht suggest the creation of response capacities to intervention before these fortuitous facts. The experiences accumulated in the last decades related with accidental exposures have evidenced the convenience of having properly qualified human resources for the Medical Response in Radiological Emergencies. The training in the medical aspects of the radiological emergencies acquires a singular character. In such a sense when valuing the national situation put onof manifest deficiences as for the training in medical aspects of the radiological emergencies that advised the development of training programs in such aspects for the different response groups linked to the topic. After identified the training necessities and the scope of the same ones, the contents of the training program were elaborated. The program has as general purpose the invigoration of the capacity of the medical response in front of accidental radiological situations, by means of actions that they bear to prepare groups of medical response in the handling of people accident victims and to the identification of potentials,accidental scenarios, as well as of the necessary resources to confront them. The program content approaches theoretical and paractical aspects to the medical aspect to radiological emergencies. The program include the different topics about fundamental of physical biological to radiation protection, radiation protection during exposure of radiological accidents, medical care for overexposed or contaminated persons, drill, exercises and concludes with designation of a strategy as preparation and

  15. LOFT fuel module structural response during loss-of-coolant experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saffell, B.F. Jr.; Selcho, H.S.

    1979-01-01

    The structural response of the reactor fuel modules installed in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility have been analyzed for subcooled blowdown loading conditions associated with loss-of-coolant experiments (LOCE). Three independent analyses using the WHAM, SHOCK, and SAP computer codes have been interfaced to calculate the transient mechanical behavior of the LOFT fuel. Test data from two LOCEs indicate the analysis method is conservative. Structural integrity of the fuel modules has been assessed by monitoring guide tube temperatures and control rod drop times during the LOCEs. The analysis and experimental test data indicate the fuel module structural integrity will be maintained for the duration of the LOFT experimental program

  16. Acknowledging individual responsibility while emphasizing social determinants in narratives to promote obesity-reducing public policy: a randomized experiment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeff Niederdeppe

    Full Text Available This study tests whether policy narratives designed to increase support for obesity-reducing public policies should explicitly acknowledge individual responsibility while emphasizing social, physical, and economic (social determinants of obesity. We use a web-based, randomized experiment with a nationally representative sample of American adults (n = 718 to test hypotheses derived from theory and research on narrative persuasion. Respondents exposed to narratives that acknowledged individual responsibility while emphasizing obesity's social determinants were less likely to engage in counterargument and felt more empathy for the story's main character than those exposed to a message that did not acknowledge individual responsibility. Counterarguing and affective empathy fully mediated the relationship between message condition and support for policies to reduce rates of obesity. Failure to acknowledge individual responsibility in narratives emphasizing social determinants of obesity may undermine the persuasiveness of policy narratives. Omitting information about individual responsibility, a strongly-held American value, invites the public to engage in counterargument about the narratives and reduces feelings of empathy for a character that experiences the challenges and benefits of social determinants of obesity.

  17. Acknowledging individual responsibility while emphasizing social determinants in narratives to promote obesity-reducing public policy: a randomized experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niederdeppe, Jeff; Roh, Sungjong; Shapiro, Michael A

    2015-01-01

    This study tests whether policy narratives designed to increase support for obesity-reducing public policies should explicitly acknowledge individual responsibility while emphasizing social, physical, and economic (social) determinants of obesity. We use a web-based, randomized experiment with a nationally representative sample of American adults (n = 718) to test hypotheses derived from theory and research on narrative persuasion. Respondents exposed to narratives that acknowledged individual responsibility while emphasizing obesity's social determinants were less likely to engage in counterargument and felt more empathy for the story's main character than those exposed to a message that did not acknowledge individual responsibility. Counterarguing and affective empathy fully mediated the relationship between message condition and support for policies to reduce rates of obesity. Failure to acknowledge individual responsibility in narratives emphasizing social determinants of obesity may undermine the persuasiveness of policy narratives. Omitting information about individual responsibility, a strongly-held American value, invites the public to engage in counterargument about the narratives and reduces feelings of empathy for a character that experiences the challenges and benefits of social determinants of obesity.

  18. Modeling the Responses to Resistance Training in an Animal Experiment Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antony G. Philippe

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to test whether systems models of training effects on performance in athletes can be used to explore the responses to resistance training in rats. 11 Wistar Han rats (277 ± 15 g underwent 4 weeks of resistance training consisting in climbing a ladder with progressive loads. Training amount and performance were computed from total work and mean power during each training session. Three systems models relating performance to cumulated training bouts have been tested: (i with a single component for adaptation to training, (ii with two components to distinguish the adaptation and fatigue produced by exercise bouts, and (iii with an additional component to account for training-related changes in exercise-induced fatigue. Model parameters were fitted using a mixed-effects modeling approach. The model with two components was found to be the most suitable to analyze the training responses (R2=0.53; P<0.001. In conclusion, the accuracy in quantifying training loads and performance in a rodent experiment makes it possible to model the responses to resistance training. This modeling in rodents could be used in future studies in combination with biological tools for enhancing our understanding of the adaptive processes that occur during physical training.

  19. Finite-element modelling of geomechanical and hydraulic responses to the room 209 heading extension excavation response experiment 2: post-excavation analysis of experimental results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, T; Griffith, P; Nakka, B W; Khair, K R

    1993-07-01

    An in situ excavation response test was conducted at the 240 Level of the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in conjunction with the excavation of a tunnel (Room 209) through a narrow, near-vertical, water-bearing fracture oriented almost perpendicular to the tunnel axis. This report presents a post-excavation analysis of the predicted mechanical response of the granitic rock mass to the tunnel excavation and the near-field hydraulic response of the fracture zone, compares the numerical modelling predictions with the actual measured response, provides information on the rock mass and fracture from back-analysis of the responses, and makes recommendations for future experiments. Results indicate that displacements and stress changes were reasonably well predicted. Pressure drops at hydrology boreholes and inflow to the tunnel were overpredicted, and fracture permeability changes were underpredicted. The permeability change is considered too large to be solely stress-induced. The back-calculated deformation modulus indicated nonlinear softening of the rock within 3.5 m of the tunnel wall. This is likely due to both excavation damage and the confining stress dependence of the modulus. For future excavation experiments it is recommended that mechanical excavation should replace the drill-and-blast technique; excavation damage should be incorporated into mechanical models; an improved hydraulic fracture model should be developed; and a coupled geomechanical-hydraulic analysis of fracture flow should be developed. (author). 16 refs., 15 tabs., 156 figs.

  20. Finite-element modelling of geomechanical and hydraulic responses to the room 209 heading extension excavation response experiment 2: post-excavation analysis of experimental results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, T.; Griffith, P.; Nakka, B.W.; Khair, K.R.

    1993-07-01

    An in situ excavation response test was conducted at the 240 Level of the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in conjunction with the excavation of a tunnel (Room 209) through a narrow, near-vertical, water-bearing fracture oriented almost perpendicular to the tunnel axis. This report presents a post-excavation analysis of the predicted mechanical response of the granitic rock mass to the tunnel excavation and the near-field hydraulic response of the fracture zone, compares the numerical modelling predictions with the actual measured response, provides information on the rock mass and fracture from back-analysis of the responses, and makes recommendations for future experiments. Results indicate that displacements and stress changes were reasonably well predicted. Pressure drops at hydrology boreholes and inflow to the tunnel were overpredicted, and fracture permeability changes were underpredicted. The permeability change is considered too large to be solely stress-induced. The back-calculated deformation modulus indicated nonlinear softening of the rock within 3.5 m of the tunnel wall. This is likely due to both excavation damage and the confining stress dependence of the modulus. For future excavation experiments it is recommended that mechanical excavation should replace the drill-and-blast technique; excavation damage should be incorporated into mechanical models; an improved hydraulic fracture model should be developed; and a coupled geomechanical-hydraulic analysis of fracture flow should be developed. (author). 16 refs., 15 tabs., 156 figs

  1. Managing electrical demand through difficult periods: California's experience with demand response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wikler, G.; Ghosh, D.Ph.D.

    2010-01-01

    This paper provides a brief overview of California's electricity situation and the relevance of Demand Response (DR) in addressing some of the challenges faced by the State's electricity system. It then discusses California's experience with DR, market rules that influence what role DR plays and attempts to integrate wholesale-retail level program offerings in the State, and some of the key drivers that are likely to enhance the role of DR. Lastly, the paper identifies some of the key challenges facing implementers of DR programs and discusses how many of those challenges could potentially be overcome. (authors)

  2. Public Health Response Systems In-Action: Learning from Local Health Departments’ Experiences with Acute and Emergency Incidents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Jennifer C.; Yang, Jane E.; Crawley, Adam W.; Biesiadecki, Laura; Aragón, Tomás J.

    2013-01-01

    As part of their core mission, public health agencies attend to a wide range of disease and health threats, including those that require routine, acute, and emergency responses. While each incident is unique, the number and type of response activities are finite; therefore, through comparative analysis, we can learn about commonalities in the response patterns that could improve predictions and expectations regarding the resources and capabilities required to respond to future acute events. In this study, we interviewed representatives from more than 120 local health departments regarding their recent experiences with real-world acute public health incidents, such as infectious disease outbreaks, severe weather events, chemical spills, and bioterrorism threats. We collected highly structured data on key aspects of the incident and the public health response, particularly focusing on the public health activities initiated and community partners engaged in the response efforts. As a result, we are able to make comparisons across event types, create response profiles, and identify functional and structural response patterns that have import for future public health preparedness and response. Our study contributes to clarifying the complexity of public health response systems and our analysis reveals the ways in which these systems are adaptive to the character of the threat, resulting in differential activation of functions and partners based on the type of incident. Continued and rigorous examination of the experiences of health departments throughout the nation will refine our very understanding of what the public health response system is, will enable the identification of organizational and event inputs to performance, and will allow for the construction of rich, relevant, and practical models of response operations that can be employed to strengthen public health systems. PMID:24236137

  3. Responses of Study Abroad Students in Australia to Experience-Based Pedagogy in Sport Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Light, Richard; Georgakis, Steve

    2008-01-01

    This paper contributes to research on the scholarship of teaching in the physical education/sport studies fields by examining the responses of study abroad students from overseas studying in Australia to a unit of study in sport studies that placed the interpretation of experience as the centre of the learning process. It draws on research…

  4. Asymmetric responses of primary productivity to precipitation extremes: A synthesis of grassland precipitation manipulation experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, Kevin R; Shi, Zheng; Gherardi, Laureano A; Lemoine, Nathan P; Koerner, Sally E; Hoover, David L; Bork, Edward; Byrne, Kerry M; Cahill, James; Collins, Scott L; Evans, Sarah; Gilgen, Anna K; Holub, Petr; Jiang, Lifen; Knapp, Alan K; LeCain, Daniel; Liang, Junyi; Garcia-Palacios, Pablo; Peñuelas, Josep; Pockman, William T; Smith, Melinda D; Sun, Shanghua; White, Shannon R; Yahdjian, Laura; Zhu, Kai; Luo, Yiqi

    2017-10-01

    Climatic changes are altering Earth's hydrological cycle, resulting in altered precipitation amounts, increased interannual variability of precipitation, and more frequent extreme precipitation events. These trends will likely continue into the future, having substantial impacts on net primary productivity (NPP) and associated ecosystem services such as food production and carbon sequestration. Frequently, experimental manipulations of precipitation have linked altered precipitation regimes to changes in NPP. Yet, findings have been diverse and substantial uncertainty still surrounds generalities describing patterns of ecosystem sensitivity to altered precipitation. Additionally, we do not know whether previously observed correlations between NPP and precipitation remain accurate when precipitation changes become extreme. We synthesized results from 83 case studies of experimental precipitation manipulations in grasslands worldwide. We used meta-analytical techniques to search for generalities and asymmetries of aboveground NPP (ANPP) and belowground NPP (BNPP) responses to both the direction and magnitude of precipitation change. Sensitivity (i.e., productivity response standardized by the amount of precipitation change) of BNPP was similar under precipitation additions and reductions, but ANPP was more sensitive to precipitation additions than reductions; this was especially evident in drier ecosystems. Additionally, overall relationships between the magnitude of productivity responses and the magnitude of precipitation change were saturating in form. The saturating form of this relationship was likely driven by ANPP responses to very extreme precipitation increases, although there were limited studies imposing extreme precipitation change, and there was considerable variation among experiments. This highlights the importance of incorporating gradients of manipulations, ranging from extreme drought to extreme precipitation increases into future climate change

  5. Optimal color design of psychological counseling room by design of experiments and response surface methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wenjuan; Ji, Jianlin; Chen, Hua; Ye, Chenyu

    2014-01-01

    Color is one of the most powerful aspects of a psychological counseling environment. Little scientific research has been conducted on color design and much of the existing literature is based on observational studies. Using design of experiments and response surface methodology, this paper proposes an optimal color design approach for transforming patients' perception into color elements. Six indices, pleasant-unpleasant, interesting-uninteresting, exciting-boring, relaxing-distressing, safe-fearful, and active-inactive, were used to assess patients' impression. A total of 75 patients participated, including 42 for Experiment 1 and 33 for Experiment 2. 27 representative color samples were designed in Experiment 1, and the color sample (L = 75, a = 0, b = -60) was the most preferred one. In Experiment 2, this color sample was set as the 'central point', and three color attributes were optimized to maximize the patients' satisfaction. The experimental results show that the proposed method can get the optimal solution for color design of a counseling room.

  6. International Experience of the Development of Corporate Social Responsibility: Comparative Analysis of the Influence of the State

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Rybalko

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper aims to provide analysis of the international experience of the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR and to provide stimulation methods used by the state to develop CSR in Russia. The study is based on the identification of characteristics of CSR development in Russia; it subsequently concludes the most appropriate methods for the Russian state and business interaction in this sphere. Determination of the level and stage of the development of CSR in Russia is carried out by multivariate statistical (cluster analysis. The results of the study of international experience in the development of corporate responsibility and the results of the cluster analysis were used for the further improvement of the state policy in this field in Russia. This paper proposes a number of measures aimed both at improving conditions for socially responsible companies and at increasing the disclosure of information in the field of CSR and improvement of its quality.

  7. Media awards for responsible reporting of suicide: Experiences from Australia, Belgium and Denmark

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meier Michella

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Media awards to encourage responsible reporting of suicide have been introduced in several countries, including Australia, Belgium and Denmark. Aims This study aimed to examine the experiences of Australian, Belgian and Danish award recipients in preparing stories on suicide, and consider the impacts of the awards for these recipients and for media professionals more broadly. Method We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with the majority (14 out of 15 of past recipients of the awards in the three countries of interest. Results Media awards appear to show promise as a method of reinforcing national and international media guidelines on reporting suicide. The recipients of awards were proud to have had their achievements recognized in this way, and had developed a heightened awareness of the issues inherent in reporting suicide. Although relatively few had prepared subsequent stories on suicide, a number had been given opportunities to provide advice to other media professionals about how best to approach this sensitive topic. Recipients viewed the awards as an important means by which good quality reporting can be rewarded, and a springboard for raising community awareness about suicide. Conclusion The experience from Australia, Belgium and Denmark suggests that media awards which recognize responsible reporting of suicide are extremely worthwhile.

  8. Marine CDOM accumulation during a coastal Arctic mesocosm experiment: No response to elevated pCO2 levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlov, Alexey K.; Silyakova, Anna; Granskog, Mats A.; Bellerby, Richard G. J.; Engel, Anja; Schulz, Kai G.; Brussaard, Corina P. D.

    2014-06-01

    A large-scale multidisciplinary mesocosm experiment in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard; 78°56.2'N) was used to study Arctic marine food webs and biogeochemical elements cycling at natural and elevated future carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. At the start of the experiment, marine-derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominated the CDOM pool. Thus, this experiment constituted a convenient case to study production of autochthonous CDOM, which is typically masked by high levels of CDOM of terrestrial origin in the Arctic Ocean proper. CDOM accumulated during the experiment in line with an increase in bacterial abundance; however, no response was observed to increased pCO2 levels. Changes in CDOM absorption spectral slopes indicate that bacteria were most likely responsible for the observed CDOM dynamics. Distinct absorption peaks (at 330 and 360 nm) were likely associated with mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). Due to the experimental setup, MAAs were produced in absence of ultraviolet exposure providing evidence for MAAs to be considered as multipurpose metabolites rather than simple photoprotective compounds. We showed that a small increase in CDOM during the experiment made it a major contributor to total absorption in a range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) and, therefore, is important for spectral light availability and may be important for photosynthesis and phytoplankton groups composition in a rapidly changing Arctic marine ecosystem.

  9. Impulsive response of an automatic transmission system with multiple clearances: Formulation, simulation and experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowther, Ashley R.; Singh, Rajendra; Zhang, Nong; Chapman, Chris

    2007-10-01

    Impulsive responses in geared systems with multiple clearances are studied when the mean torque excitation and system load change abruptly, with application to a vehicle driveline with an automatic transmission. First, torsional lumped-mass models of the planetary and differential gear sets are formulated using matrix elements. The model is then reduced to address tractable nonlinear problems while successfully retaining the main modes of interest. Second, numerical simulations for the nonlinear model are performed for transient conditions and a typical driving situation that induces an impulsive behaviour simulated. However, initial conditions and excitation and load profiles have to be carefully defined before the model can be numerically solved. It is shown that the impacts within the planetary or differential gears may occur under combinations of engine, braking and vehicle load transients. Our analysis shows that the shaping of the engine transient by the torque converter before reaching the clearance locations is more critical. Third, a free vibration experiment is developed for an analogous driveline with multiple clearances and three experiments that excite different response regimes have been carried out. Good correlations validate the proposed methodology.

  10. Small Flux Buoy for Characterizing Marine Surface Layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-01

    platform for air-sea interaction study since early 1960s (Fisher and Spiess 1963). It was designed to be a stable platform for mounting various types of...COARE algorithm. J. of Climate, 16, 571–591. Fisher F. H., and F. N. Spiess , 1963: FLIP-floating instrument platform. J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 35, 1633

  11. Demand response evaluation and forecasting — Methods and results from the EcoGrid EU experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Emil Mahler; Pinson, Pierre; Leimgruber, Fabian

    2017-01-01

    Understanding electricity consumers participating in new demand response schemes is important for investment decisions and the design and operation of electricity markets. Important metrics include peak response, time to peak response, energy delivered, ramping, and how the response changes...... with respect to external conditions. Such characteristics dictate the services DR is capable of offering, like primary frequency reserves, peak load shaving, and system balancing. In this paper, we develop methods to characterise price-responsive demand from the EcoGrid EU demonstration in a way that was bid...... into a real-time market. EcoGrid EU is a smart grid experiment with 1900 residential customers who are equipped with smart meters and automated devices reacting to five-minute electricity pricing. Customers are grouped and analysed according to the manufacturer that controlled devices. A number of advanced...

  12. Technical summary of AECL's Mine-by Experiment phase I: Excavation response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Read, R.S.; Martin, C.D.

    1996-02-01

    The first phase of the Mine-by Experiment was conducted at the 420 Level of the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) to investigate the response induced in the rock mass by excavating a 3.5-m-diameter circular tunnel using a non-explosive technique. The main objective of the experiment was to study the processes involved in progressive failure and the development of excavation-induced damage around underground openings. To this end, state-of-the-art geomechanical and geophysical instrumentation was used to monitor the excavation of the 46-m-long Mine-by Experiment test tunnel. The results from the experiment show that progressive failure in compressive regions around the tunnel initiates at stresses about 50% of the rock strength measured in uniaxial compression tests in the laboratory. The difference between the laboratory and in situ behaviour is attributed to complex stress changes that occur during excavation of the tunnel, especially in the vicinity of the advancing face. These effects are not simulated in standard laboratory tests. Numerical modelling and in situ characterization studies were conducted to establish the extent and characteristics of the damaged zone around the test tunnel. As part of this study, in situ stresses and material properties were established through back analysis of measured displacements and strains. Using these boundary conditions, it was shown that the damaged zone was limited to within 1 m of the original tunnel perimeter. The characteristics of the damaged zone, however, were found to be highly variable around the tunnel, and were dependent on the nature of the stress concentrations, geology, stress magnitudes and orientations and, to a lesser extent, the excavation method and sequence. (author) 136 refs., 14 tabs., 103 figs

  13. Rainfall Simulator Experiments to Investigate Macropore Impacts on Hillslope Hydrological Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yvonne Smit

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Understanding hillslope runoff response to intense rainfall is an important topic in hydrology, and is key to correct prediction of extreme stream flow, erosion and landslides. Although it is known that preferential flow processes activated by macropores are an important phenomena in understanding runoff processes inside a hillslope, hydrological models have generally not embraced the concept of an extra parameter that represents ‘macropores’ because of the complexity of the phenomenon. Therefore, it is relevant to investigate the influence of macropores on runoff processes in an experimental small artificial hillslope. Here, we report on a controlled experiment where we could isolate the influence of macropores without the need for assumptions regarding their characteristics. Two identical hillslopes were designed, of which one was filled with artificial macropores. Twelve artificial rainfall events were applied to the two hillslopes and results of drainage and soil moisture were investigated. After the experiments, it could be concluded that the influence of macropores on runoff processes was minimal. The S90 sand used for this research caused runoff to respond fast to rainfall, leading to little or no development of saturation near the macropores. In addition, soil moisture data showed a large amount of pendular water in the hillslopes, which implies that the soil has a low air entry value, and, in combination with the lack of vertical flow, could have caused the pressure difference between the matrix and the macropores to vanish sooner and result in equilibrium being reached in a relatively short time. Nevertheless, a better outline is given to determine a correct sand type for these types of experiments and, by using drainage recession analysis to investigate the influences of macropores on runoff, heterogeneity in rainfall intensity can be overcome. This study is a good point of reference to start future experiments from concerning

  14. Temporal and Spatial Variation in Peatland Carbon Cycling and Implications for Interpreting Responses of an Ecosystem-Scale Warming Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natalie A. Griffiths; Paul J. Hanson; Daniel M. Ricciuto; Colleen M. Iversen; Anna M. Jensen; Avni Malhotra; Karis J. McFarlane; Richard J. Norby; Khachik Sargsyan; Stephen D. Sebestyen; Xiaoying Shi; Anthony P. Walker; Eric J. Ward; Jeffrey M. Warren; David J. Weston

    2017-01-01

    We are conducting a large-scale, long-term climate change response experiment in an ombrotrophic peat bog in Minnesota to evaluate the effects of warming and elevated CO2 on ecosystem processes using empirical and modeling approaches. To better frame future assessments of peatland responses to climate change, we characterized and compared spatial...

  15. Evaluating price-based demand response in practice – with application to the EcoGrid EU Experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Le Ray, Guillaume; Larsen, Emil Mahler; Pinson, Pierre

    2016-01-01

    users is exploited in the power system, e.g. for system balancing. However, very few real-world experiments have been carried out and price-based demand response has consistently been found difficult to assess and quantify. It is our aim here to describe an approach to do so, as motivated by the large......Increased emphasis is placed today on various types of demand response, motivated by the integration of renewable energy generation and efficiency improvements in electricity markets. Some advocated for the development of price-based approaches, where the conditional dynamic elasticity of final...

  16. X-ray transport and radiation response assessment (XTRRA) experiments at the National Ignition Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fournier, K. B., E-mail: fournier2@llnl.gov; Brown, C. G.; Yeoman, M. F.; Compton, S.; Holdener, F. R.; Kemp, G. E.; Blue, B. E. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94551 (United States); Fisher, J. H.; Newlander, C. D.; Gilliam, R. P.; Froula, N. [Fifth Gait Technologies, Inc., 14040 Camden Circle, Huntsville, Alabama 35803 (United States); Seiler, S. W.; Davis, J. F.; Lerch, MAJ. A. [Defense Threat Reduction Agency, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060-6201 (United States); Hinshelwood, D. [Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Lilly, M. [Dynasen, Inc., 20 Arnold Pl., Goleta, California 93117 (United States)

    2016-11-15

    Our team has developed an experimental platform to evaluate the x-ray-generated stress and impulse in materials. Experimental activities include x-ray source development, design of the sample mounting hardware and sensors interfaced to the National Ignition Facility’s diagnostics insertion system, and system integration into the facility. This paper focuses on the X-ray Transport and Radiation Response Assessment (XTRRA) test cassettes built for these experiments. The test cassette is designed to position six samples at three predetermined distances from the source, each known to within ±1% accuracy. Built-in calorimeters give in situ measurements of the x-ray environment along the sample lines of sight. The measured accuracy of sample responses as well as planned modifications to the XTRRA cassette is discussed.

  17. Analysis of reciprocal-transfer experiments to estimate the length of phases having different responses to temperature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yin, X.

    2008-01-01

    Background and Aims: The responsiveness of plant ontogeny to temperature may change with plant age. These changes may best be identified by experiments in which individual plants are transferred in a time series from low temperature (LT) to high temperature (HT), and vice versa. Any change in the

  18. Leaf trait response to nutrients and herbivore exclusion across a globally replicated grassland experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Firn, Jennifer

    2017-04-01

    Leaf trait response to nutrients and herbivore exclusion across a globally replicated grassland experiment Jennifer Firn1, James McGree2, Eric Lind3, Elizabeth Borer3, Eric Seabloom3, Lauren Sullivan3, Kimberly Lapierre4 and the Nutrient Network 1Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty, Brisbane, QLD, 4001 Australia 2Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Mathematical Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty, Brisbane, QLD, 4001 Australia 3Universtiy of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, 1479 Gortner Avenue, 140 Gortner Laboratory, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA 4Department of integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA Functional trait research has developed with the aim of finding general patterns in how the function of plant assemblages changes with respect to different land-uses. Most studies have compared sites within and across regions with variations in land-use history, but not necessarily with standardized treatments in an experimental framework. The trends that have emerged from this research is that characteristics of leaf traits such as specific leaf area (SLA) correlate with carbon acquisition strategies known to influence ecosystem functioning. SLA has been found to represent a plant's investment in growing light-capturing area per dry mass content. Species with a relatively high SLA tend to have a higher rate of return on the resources invested into making tissue (cheaper leaves in terms of energy and resources needed to produce them) when compared to species with a lower SLA (more expensive leaves to produce). Few studies have examined quantitatively measured traits in an experimental framework. The Nutrient Network experiment, globally distributed experiment, presents a unique opportunity to examine the response of functional traits across grassland ecosystems characterised by a diverse range of

  19. Performance of a CW double electric discharge for supersonic CO lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanton, A. C.; Hanson, R. K.; Mitchner, M.

    1980-01-01

    The results of an experimental investigation of a CW double discharge in supersonic CO mixtures are reported. Stable discharges in CO/N2 and CO/Ar mixtures, with a maximum energy loading of 0.5 eV/CO molecule, were achieved in a small-scale continuous-flow supersonic channel. Detailed measurements of the discharge characteristics were performed, including electrostatic probe measurements of floating potential and electron number density and spectroscopic measurements of the CO vibrational population distributions. The results of these measurements indicate that the vibrational excitation efficiency of the discharge is approximately 60%, for moderate levels of main discharge current. These experiments, on a small scale, demonstrate that the double-discharge scheme provides adequate vibrational energy loading for efficient CO laser operation under CW supersonic flow conditions.

  20. [Effects of the recipient's response on the emotions and cognitions of female undergraduates disclosing negative emotional experiences in interpersonal relationships].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endo, Hiroko; Yukawa, Shintaro

    2013-04-01

    The relationship between a recipient's response to a disclosure of negative emotional experiences, and the resulting negative emotions, hesitation in self-disclosure (interpersonal and intra-personal hesitation), and negatively-confused thoughts of the person making the disclosure were investigated. Female undergraduates (N=271) were asked to write about angry or sad events in their interpersonal relationships that they had disclosed to someone. Then they completed a questionnaire assessing the recipient's responses, negative emotions such as anger and depression caused by the recipient's responses, hesitation in self-disclosure about the events, and negatively-confused thoughts about the events. The results of covariance structure analysis indicated that a recipient's rejection in response to the disclosure of negative emotional experiences resulted in negative thoughts caused by an increase of negative emotions and hesitation in self-disclosure. The results also showed that a recipient's acceptance also increased depression in the person making the self-disclosure, which intensified the intra-personal hesitation, and increased negatively-confused thoughts.

  1. Health Professionals' Responses to Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse History: Female Child Sexual Abuse Survivors' Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGregor, Kim; Julich, Shirley; Glover, Marewa; Gautam, Jeny

    2010-01-01

    This study reports on a postal questionnaire, conducted in 2004, with female survivors of historic child sexual abuse. The questionnaire explored their experiences of health professionals' responsiveness to disclosure of child sexual abuse history. Of 61 participants, aged between 22 and 65, 69% had disclosed to health professionals. Those who had…

  2. Effects of pre-experience of social exclusion on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and catecholaminergic responsiveness to public speaking stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weik, Ulrike; Kuepper, Yvonne; Hennig, Juergen; Deinzer, Renate

    2013-01-01

    Being socially excluded is associated with a variety of psychological changes and with an increased risk of disease. Today, the immediate physiological consequences of being socially excluded are not well understood. In two recent studies employing a standardized exclusion paradigm (Cyberball) we found social exclusion in this virtual game did not alter cortisol secretion directly. However, exclusion pre-experience suppresses the normal cortisol response to public speaking stress in women. The present study aims to replicate our previous finding and further elucidate it by analyzing for the first time whether this alteration of cortisol-responsiveness is associated to ACTH and whether the catecholaminergic system is affected as well. Women were randomly assigned to Cyberball-induced exclusion (SE, n = 22) or inclusion (SI, n = 21), respectively. Immediately afterwards they were subjected to public speaking stress. Salivary cortisol, plasma ACTH, catecholamines and estradiol were assessed as were psychological distress and mood. Cyberball exclusion led to a highly significant immediate increase in negative affect in excluded women. After public speaking negative affect in included women increased as well and groups no longer differed. We replicate our previous finding of cortisol non-responsiveness to public speaking stress after exclusion pre-experience and find this effect to be significantly correlated with ACTH alterations. No such effects are observed for catecholamines. We replicated our previous study result of a suppressed cortisol stress response after a short exclusion experience via Cyberball, thereby underlining the profound effects of social exclusion on a subsequent cortisol stress response. This further demonstrates that these alterations are associated with ACTH. Lack of effects on catecholamines is discussed in view of the tend-and-befriend hypothesis but also from a methodological perspective.

  3. Circumnutation and its dependence on the gravity response in rice, morning glory and pea plants: verification by spaceflight experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Hideyuki; Kobayashi, Akie; Fujii, Nobuharu; Yano, Sachiko; Shimazu, Toru; Kim, Hyejeong; Tomita, Yuuta; Miyazawa, Yutaka

    Plant organs display helical growth movement known as circumnutation. This movement helps plant organs find suitable environmental cues. The amplitude, period and shape of the circumnutation differ depending on plant species or organs. Although the mechanism for circumnutation is unclear, it has long been argued whether circumnutation is involved with gravitropic response. Previously, we showed that shoots of weeping morning glory (we1 and we2) are impaired in not only the differentiation of endodermis (gravisensing cells) and gravitropic response, but also winding and circumnutation (Kitazawa et al., PNAS 102: 18742-18747, 2005). Here, we report a reduced circumnutation in the shoots of rice and the roots of pea mutants defective in gravitropic response. Coleoptiles of clinorotated rice seedlings and decapped roots of pea seedlings also showed a reduction of their circumnutational movement. These results suggest that circumnutation is tightly related with gravitropic response. In the proposed spaceflight experiments, “Plant Rotation”, we will verify the hypothesis that circumnutation requires gravity response, by using microgravity environment in KIBO module of the International Space Station. We will grow rice and morning glory plants under both muG and 1G conditions on orbit and monitor their growth by a camera. The downlinked images will be analyzed for the measurements of plant growth and nutational movements. This experiment will enable us to answer the question whether circumnutation depends on gravity response or not.

  4. Moral identity and the experience of moral elevation in response to acts of uncommon goodness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquino, Karl; McFerran, Brent; Laven, Marjorie

    2011-04-01

    Four studies using survey and experimental designs examined whether people whose moral identity is highly self-defining are more susceptible to experiencing a state of moral elevation after being exposed to acts of uncommon moral goodness. Moral elevation consists of a suite of responses that motivate prosocial action tendencies. Study 1 showed that people higher (vs. lower) in moral identity centrality reported experiencing more intense elevating emotions, had more positive views of humanity, and were more desirous of becoming a better person after reading about an act of uncommon goodness than about a merely positive situation or an act of common benevolence. Study 2 showed that those high in moral identity centrality were more likely to recall acts of moral goodness and experience moral elevation in response to such events more strongly. These experiences were positively related to self-reported prosocial behavior. Study 3 showed a direct effect on behavior using manipulated, rather than measured, moral identity centrality. Study 4 replicated the effect of moral identity on the states of elevation as well as on self-reported physical sensations and showed that the elevation mediates the relationship between moral identity, witnessing uncommon goodness, and prosocial behavior.

  5. Developing a response to family violence in primary health care: the New Zealand experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gear, Claire; Koziol-McLain, Jane; Wilson, Denise; Clark, Faye

    2016-08-20

    Despite primary health care being recognised as an ideal setting to effectively respond to those experiencing family violence, responses are not widely integrated as part of routine health care. A lack of evidence testing models and approaches for health sector integration, alongside challenges of transferability and sustainability, means the best approach in responding to family violence is still unknown. The Primary Health Care Family Violence Responsiveness Evaluation Tool was developed as a guide to implement a formal systems-led response to family violence within New Zealand primary health care settings. Given the difficulties integrating effective, sustainable responses to family violence, we share the experience of primary health care sites that embarked on developing a response to family violence, presenting the enablers, barriers and resources required to maintain, progress and sustain family violence response development. In this qualitative descriptive study data were collected from two sources. Firstly semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted during 24-month follow-up evaluation visits of primary health care sites to capture the enablers, barriers and resources required to maintain, progress and sustain a response to family violence. Secondly the outcomes of a group activity to identify response development barriers and implementation strategies were recorded during a network meeting of primary health care professionals interested in family violence prevention and intervention; findings were triangulated across the two data sources. Four sites, representing three PHOs and four general practices participated in the focus group interviews; 35 delegates from across New Zealand attended the network meeting representing a wider perspective on family violence response development within primary health care. Enablers and barriers to developing a family violence response were identified across four themes: 'Getting started', 'Building effective

  6. Students’ experiences of university social responsibility and perceptions of satisfaction and quality of service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Luis Vázquez

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The principal aim of this paper is to identify the factors that define students’ perceptions of university social responsibility (USR in a Spanish university, and analyse the impact of that view on their perceptions of satisfaction and quality of service. Particularly, it is hypothesized that the overall perception of university social responsibility has a positive effect on students’ experiences of satisfaction, partially mediated by the assessment regarding the quality of university services. In doing that, a self-report study was conducted with a total sample of 400 undergraduate students of the University of León, in Spain. Structural equation modeling with PLS was used to test the students’ overall perception of USR in order to achieve higher standards of quality of service and satisfaction. Results supported a structure of six factors explaining students’ views regarding university social responsibility, of which only internal management affects the overall perception. Likewise, quality of service and satisfaction are strongly correlated among them. Implications of these findings for marketing in university settings are discussed.

  7. The Spatial Musical Association of Response Codes does not depend on a normal visual experience: A study with early blind individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattaneo, Zaira; Lega, Carlotta; Rinaldi, Luca; Fantino, Micaela; Ferrari, Chiara; Merabet, Lotfi B; Vecchi, Tomaso

    2018-02-26

    Converging evidence suggests that the perception of auditory pitch exhibits a characteristic spatial organization. This pitch-space association can be demonstrated experimentally by the Spatial Musical Association of Response Codes (SMARC) effect. This is characterized by faster response times when a low-positioned key is pressed in response to a low-pitched tone, and a high-positioned key is pressed in response to a high-pitched tone. To investigate whether the development of this pitch-space association is mediated by normal visual experience, we tested a group of early blind individuals on a task that required them to discriminate the timbre of different instrument sounds with varying pitch. Results revealed a comparable pattern in the SMARC effect in both blind participants and sighted controls, suggesting that the lack of prior visual experience does not prevent the development of an association between pitch height and vertical space.

  8. Sharing experiences: towards an evidence based model of dengue surveillance and outbreak response in Latin America and Asia.

    OpenAIRE

    Badurdeen, Shiraz; Valladares, David; Farrar, Jeremy; Gozzer, Ernesto; Kroeger, Axel; Kuswara, Novia; Ranzinger, Silvia; Tinh, Hien; Leite, Priscila; Mahendradhata, Yodi; Skewes, Ronald; Verrall, Ayesha

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND\\ud The increasing frequency and intensity of dengue outbreaks in endemic and non-endemic countries requires a rational, evidence based response. To this end, we aimed to collate the experiences of a number of affected countries, identify strengths and limitations in dengue surveillance, outbreak preparedness, detection and response and contribute towards the development of a model contingency plan adaptable to country needs.\\ud \\ud METHODS\\ud The study was undertaken in five Latin ...

  9. Sizing Up a Superstorm: Exploring the Role of Recalled Experience and Attribution of Responsibility in Judgments of Future Hurricane Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickard, Laura N; Yang, Z Janet; Schuldt, Jonathon P; Eosco, Gina M; Scherer, Clifford W; Daziano, Ricardo A

    2017-12-01

    Research suggests that hurricane-related risk perception is a critical predictor of behavioral response, such as evacuation. Less is known, however, about the precursors of these subjective risk judgments, especially when time has elapsed from a focal event. Drawing broadly from the risk communication, social psychology, and natural hazards literature, and specifically from concepts adapted from the risk information seeking and processing model and the protective action decision model, we examine how individuals' distant recollections, including attribution of responsibility for the effects of a storm, attitude toward relevant information, and past hurricane experience, relate to risk judgment for a future, similar event. The present study reports on a survey involving U.S. residents in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York (n = 619) impacted by Hurricane Sandy. While some results confirm past findings, such as that hurricane experience increases risk judgment, others suggest additional complexity, such as how various types of experience (e.g., having evacuated vs. having experienced losses) may heighten or attenuate individual-level judgments of responsibility. We suggest avenues for future research, as well as implications for federal agencies involved in severe weather/natural hazard forecasting and communication with public audiences. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  10. Effects of pre-experience of social exclusion on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and catecholaminergic responsiveness to public speaking stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrike Weik

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Being socially excluded is associated with a variety of psychological changes and with an increased risk of disease. Today, the immediate physiological consequences of being socially excluded are not well understood. In two recent studies employing a standardized exclusion paradigm (Cyberball we found social exclusion in this virtual game did not alter cortisol secretion directly. However, exclusion pre-experience suppresses the normal cortisol response to public speaking stress in women. The present study aims to replicate our previous finding and further elucidate it by analyzing for the first time whether this alteration of cortisol-responsiveness is associated to ACTH and whether the catecholaminergic system is affected as well. METHODS: Women were randomly assigned to Cyberball-induced exclusion (SE, n = 22 or inclusion (SI, n = 21, respectively. Immediately afterwards they were subjected to public speaking stress. Salivary cortisol, plasma ACTH, catecholamines and estradiol were assessed as were psychological distress and mood. RESULTS: Cyberball exclusion led to a highly significant immediate increase in negative affect in excluded women. After public speaking negative affect in included women increased as well and groups no longer differed. We replicate our previous finding of cortisol non-responsiveness to public speaking stress after exclusion pre-experience and find this effect to be significantly correlated with ACTH alterations. No such effects are observed for catecholamines. CONCLUSIONS: We replicated our previous study result of a suppressed cortisol stress response after a short exclusion experience via Cyberball, thereby underlining the profound effects of social exclusion on a subsequent cortisol stress response. This further demonstrates that these alterations are associated with ACTH. Lack of effects on catecholamines is discussed in view of the tend-and-befriend hypothesis but also from a methodological

  11. Load shift incentives for household demand response: A model to evaluate effects from a Danish field experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Katz, Jonas; Møller Andersen, Frits; Morthorst, Poul Erik

    2015-01-01

    We use a long-term electricity market equilibrium model to assess the impact of variable price products for household electricity customers. The analysed product structures resemble a rebate provided to customers within a field experiment in Southern Denmark. The developed model provides a clearer...... picture of what to expect from household demand response under spot pricing schemes as compared and simplified product schemes; it also prepares for interpreting the field experiment results. Using preliminary assumptions we estimate both short-term and long-term welfare effects of a shift of customers...

  12. Response ofMeteorus leviventris, (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to mustard oils in field trapping experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pivnick, K A

    1993-09-01

    Trapping experiments were carried out near Saskatoon, Canada, from May through August 1990 to assess the response of the braconid wasp,Meteorus leviventris, to four selected mustard oils or isothiocyanates (IC) at a release rate of 4 mg/day, and for allyl IC only, at 40 mg/day. Only allyl IC at 4 mg/day was significantly attractive when trap captures were compared to the captures in the control traps. The others (n-propyl IC, 2-phenylethyl IC., and ethyl IC) were not attractive, nor was allyl IC at the higher dose, although trap captures with the latter bait were the second highest.

  13. Shared social responsibility: a field experiment in pay-what-you-want pricing and charitable giving.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gneezy, Ayelet; Gneezy, Uri; Nelson, Leif D; Brown, Amber

    2010-07-16

    A field experiment (N = 113,047 participants) manipulated two factors in the sale of souvenir photos. First, some customers saw a traditional fixed price, whereas others could pay what they wanted (including $0). Second, approximately half of the customers saw a variation in which half of the revenue went to charity. At a standard fixed price, the charitable component only slightly increased demand, as similar studies have also found. However, when participants could pay what they wanted, the same charitable component created a treatment that was substantially more profitable. Switching from corporate social responsibility to what we term shared social responsibility works in part because customized contributions allow customers to directly express social welfare concerns through the purchasing of material goods.

  14. AMPR BRIGHTNESS TEMPERATURE (TB) TOGA COARE V2

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) data set was part of the atmospheric measurements collected during the intensive observation period of the...

  15. Model-experiment synthesis at two FACE sites in the southeastern US. Forest ecosystem responses to elevated CO[2]. (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, A. P.; Zaehle, S.; De Kauwe, M. G.; Medlyn, B. E.; Dietze, M.; Hickler, T.; Iversen, C. M.; Jain, A. K.; Luo, Y.; McCarthy, H. R.; Parton, W. J.; Prentice, C.; Thornton, P. E.; Wang, S.; Wang, Y.; Warlind, D.; Warren, J.; Weng, E.; Hanson, P. J.; Oren, R.; Norby, R. J.

    2013-12-01

    Ecosystem observations from two long-term Free-Air CO[2] Enrichment (FACE) experiments (Duke forest and Oak Ridge forest) were used to evaluate the assumptions of 11 terrestrial ecosystem models and the consequences of those assumptions for the responses of ecosystem water, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes to elevated CO[2] (eCO[2]). Nitrogen dynamics were the main constraint on simulated productivity responses to eCO[2]. At Oak Ridge some models reproduced the declining response of C and N fluxes, while at Duke none of the models were able to maintain the observed sustained responses. C and N cycles are coupled through a number of complex interactions, which causes uncertainty in model simulations in multiple ways. Nonetheless, the major difference between models and experiments was a larger than observed increase in N-use efficiency and lower than observed response of N uptake. The results indicate that at Duke there were mechanisms by which trees accessed additional N in response to eCO[2] that were not represented in the ecosystem models, and which did not operate with the same efficiency at Oak Ridge. Sequestration of the additional productivity under eCO[2] into forest biomass depended largely on C allocation. Allocation assumptions were classified into three main categories--fixed partitioning coefficients, functional relationships and a partial (leaf allocation only) optimisation. The assumption which best constrained model results was a functional relationship between leaf area and sapwood area (pipe-model) and increased root allocation when nitrogen or water were limiting. Both, productivity and allocation responses to eCO[2] determined the ecosystem-level response of LAI, which together with the response of stomatal conductance (and hence water-use efficiency; WUE) determined the ecosystem response of transpiration. Differences in the WUE response across models were related to the representation of the relationship of stomatal conductance to CO[2] and

  16. Context specificity of the ANS stress response during two regrouping experiments in goats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonia Patt

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to analyze whether the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS differs between two regrouping procedures in goats, which would indicate stimulus specificity of these stressors. Applying two regrouping procedures, we evaluated heart rate and heart rate variability (RMSSD, SDNN, RMSSD/SDNN. The two regrouping procedures were 1 introduction of individual goats into established groups (introduction experiment and 2 temporary separation and subsequent reintegration of individuals from/into their group with two levels of contact during separation (separation experiment. In the introduction experiment, the heart rate of introduced goats while lying decreased continuously from an average 78 beats/minute to 68 beats/minute from before the introduction to the last day of the introduction period. Inversely, RMSSD increased continuously from 41 ms to 62 ms, which, on its own, would indicate an adaptation to the situation. During the separation experiment, heart rate while lying was higher when goats were separated in the acoustic contact treatment (82 beats/minute on average compared with the restricted physical contact treatment (75 beats/minute on average. This difference reflected a higher level of arousal during the acoustic contact treatment. However, heart rate activity did not allow detecting effects of separation or reintegration. Even though it can be assumed that both the separation and introduction of goats are stressful for goats, the ANS reactions observed in the present study differed between the two management procedures indicating that the ANS activation was specific to each situation. In addition, we discuss the ANS results in context with earlier findings of variables of the HPA-axis (fecal cortisol metabolites and behavior (lying and feeding. As correspondence between ANS, HPA, and behavioral reactions was limited both within and across experiments, the results of the present study underline the

  17. Producer responsibility for e-waste management: key issues for consideration - learning from the Swiss experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khetriwal, Deepali Sinha; Kraeuchi, Philipp; Widmer, Rolf

    2009-01-01

    E-waste, a relatively recent addition to the waste stream in the form of discarded electronic and electric equipment, is getting increasing attention from policy makers as the quantity being generated is rising rapidly. One of the most promising policy options to address this issue is to extend the producers responsibility for their products beyond the point of sale, until end-of-product-life. This paper briefly introduces the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and its applicability in the area of the end-of-life management of electronic and electrical equipment (EEE). It then examines the decade-long experience of Switzerland in using EPR to manage its e-waste, elaborating on the experience of the Swiss system in overcoming specific issues, and finally wrapping up with a synopsis of the lessons for policy makers. We consider each issue as an enquiry of questions confronting a policy maker and the choices that may present themselves. The five issues discussed are: (i) the challenges in getting an EPR based system started; (ii) securing financing to ensure a self-sustaining and smooth functioning system; (iii) organising a logistics network for the take back and collection of the e-waste; (iv) ensuring compliance of the various actors involved; and finally (v) reducing the threat of monopolistic practices.

  18. A survey of utility experience with real time pricing: implications for policymakers seeking price responsive demand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbose, Galen; Goldman, Charles; Neenan, Bernard

    2005-01-01

    Economists and policy makers frequently propose real time pricing (RTP) as a strategy for facilitating price responsive demand, thereby improving the performance of electricity markets and regional networks. While theoretically appealing, many practical and empirical issues related to RTP remain unresolved or poorly understood. Over the past two decades, more than 70 utilities in the U.S. have offered voluntary RTP tariffs, on either a pilot or permanent basis. However, most have operated in relative obscurity, and little information has made its way into the public domain. To address this gap, we conducted a conducted a comprehensive review of voluntary RTP programs in the U.S. by surveying 43 U.S. utilities and reviewing regulatory documents, tariffs, program evaluations, and other publicly available sources. Based on this review of RTP program experience, we identify key trends related to utilities' motivations and goals for implementing RTP, evolution of RTP tariff design, program participation, participant price response, and program outlook. Experience with voluntary RTP programs has been mixed. Several utilities have demonstrated that voluntary RTP programs are capable of generating significant load reductions. However, most programs have attracted relatively few participants and therefore have generated quite limited load reductions. About 2700 non-residential customers were enrolled in RTP programs in 2003, representing more than 11 000 MW of load. We then draw from these findings to identify implications for policy makers and regulators that are currently considering RTP as a strategy for facilitating price responsive demand

  19. Vibration response of a pipe subjected to two-phase flow: Analytical formulations and experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ortiz-Vidal, L. Enrique, E-mail: leortiz@sc.usp.br [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sao Carlos School of Engineering, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av., Trabalhador São-carlense, 400, 13566-970 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Mureithi, Njuki W., E-mail: njuki.mureithi@polymtl.ca [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Département de Géniemécanique 2900, H3T 1J7 Montreal, QC (Canada); Rodriguez, Oscar M.H., E-mail: oscarmhr@sc.usp.br [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sao Carlos School of Engineering, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Av., Trabalhador São-carlense, 400, 13566-970 São Carlos, SP (Brazil)

    2017-03-15

    Highlights: • Analytical formulations for two-phase flow-induced vibration (2-FIV) are presented. • Standard deviation of acceleration pipe response is a function of the square of shear velocity. • Peak frequency is correlated to hydrodynamic mass and consequently to void fraction. • Dynamic pipe response increases with increasing mixture velocity and void fraction. • Hydrodynamic mass in 2-FIV in horizontal pipe is proportional to mixture density. - Abstract: This paper treats the two-phase flow-induced vibration in pipes. A broad range of two-phase flow conditions, including bubbly, dispersed and slug flow, were tested in a clamped-clamped straight horizontal pipe. The vibration response of both transversal directions for two span lengths was measured. From experimental results, an in-depth discussion on the nature of the flow excitation and flow-parameters influence is presented. The hydrodynamic mass parameter is also studied. Experimental results suggest that it is proportional to mixture density. On the other hand, two analytical formulations were developed and tested against experimental results. One formulation predicts the quadratic trend between standard deviation of acceleration and shear velocity found in experiments. The other formulation indicates that the peak-frequency of vibration response depends strongly on void fraction. It provides accurate predictions of peak-frequency, predicting 97.6% of the data within ±10% error bands.

  20. Soil life in reconstructed ecosystems: initial soil food web responses after rebuilding a forest soil profile for a climate change experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul T. Rygiewicz; Vicente J. Monleon; Elaine R. Ingham; Kendall J. Martin; Mark G. Johnson

    2010-01-01

    Disrupting ecosystem components, while transferring and reconstructing them for experiments can produce myriad responses. Establishing the extent of these biological responses as the system approaches a new equilibrium allows us more reliably to emulate comparable native systems. That is, the sensitivity of analyzing ecosystem processes in a reconstructed system is...

  1. Quantifying differences in responses of aquatic insects to trace metal exposure in field studies and short-term stream mesocosm experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwasaki, Yuichi; Schmidt, Travis S.; Clements, William H.

    2018-01-01

    Characterizing macroinvertebrate taxa as either sensitive or tolerant is of critical importance for investigating impacts of anthropogenic stressors in aquatic ecosystems and for inferring causality. However, our understanding of relative sensitivity of aquatic insects to metals in the field and under controlled conditions in the laboratory or mesocosm experiments is limited. In this study, we compared the response of 16 lotic macroinvertebrate families to metals in short-term (10-day) stream mesocosm experiments and in a spatially extensive field study of 154 Colorado streams. Comparisons of field and mesocosm-derived EC20 (effect concentration of 20%) values showed that aquatic insects were generally more sensitive to metals in the field. Although the ranked sensitivity to metals was similar for many families, we observed large differences between field and mesocosm responses for some groups (e.g., Baetidae and Heptageniidae). These differences most likely resulted from the inability of short-term experiments to account for factors such as dietary exposure to metals, rapid recolonization in the field, and effects of metals on sensitive life stages. Understanding mechanisms responsible for differences among field, mesocosm, and laboratory approaches would improve our ability to predict contaminant effects and establish ecologically meaningful water-quality criteria.

  2. Extratropical response to Fast and Slow episodes of Madden-Julian Oscillation in observation and using intervention experiments with CFSv2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, P.; Straus, D. M.

    2017-12-01

    The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a potential source of predictability in the extratropics in extended range weather forecasting. The nature of MJO is sporadic and therefore, the mid-latitude response may depend on the nature of the MJO event, in particular the phase speed. We discuss the results of our observational and modeling study of mid-latitude circulation response to Fast and Slow MJO episodes using wintertime ERA-Interim reanalysis data and the CFSv2 coupled model of NOAA. The observational study shows that the mid-latitude response to different propagating speeds is not the same. The propagation speed is defined by the time the OLR takes to propagate from phase 3 to phase 6. The mid-latitude response is assessed in terms of composite maps and frequency of occurrence of robust circulation regimes. Fast episode composite anomalies of 500hPa height show a developing Rossby wave in the mid-Pacific with downstream propagation through MJO phases 2- 4. Development of NAO+ teleconnection pattern is stronger in Slow that in Fast MJO episodes, and occurs with a greater time lag after MJO heating is in the Indian Ocean (phase 3). Previous results find an increase in occurrence of NAO- regime following phase 6. We have found that much of this behavior is due to the slow episodes. Based on these observational results, intervention experiments using CFSv2 are designed to better understand the impact of heating/cooling and to estimate mid-latitude response to Fast and Slow MJO episodes. The added heating experiments consist of 31 year reforecasts for December 1 initial conditions from CFS reanalysis (1980-2011) in which the identical MJO evolution of three-dimensional diabatic heating has been added, thus producing fast and slow MJO episodes with well-defined phase speeds. We will discuss the results of these experiments with a focus on understanding the role of phase speed and interference in setting up the response, and to understand the mechanisms that

  3. Sharing ESA's knowledge and experience - the Erasmus Experiment Archive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isakeit, Dieter; Sabbatini, Massimo; Carey, William

    2004-11-01

    The Erasmus Experiment Archive is an electronic database, that collects all experiments performed to date in the faciliteis that fall under the responsibility of the ESA (human spaceflight, microgravity, exploration).

  4. Experiences in planning and response for the radiological emergencies in a radioactive facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amador B, Z.H.; Perez P, S.; Torres B, M.B.; Ayra P, F.E.

    2006-01-01

    It is internationally recognized the importance of the planning and the assurance for the effective response to the radiological emergencies. In the work those experiences on this thematic one in the Isotopes Center (CENTIS), the radioactive facility where the biggest radioactive inventory is manipulated in Cuba are presented. Due to CENTIS is also the sender and main transport of radioactive materials, it is included this practice. The revision of the abnormal situations during the years 1997 at the 2005, starting from the classification adopted by the Regulatory Authority of the country is carried out. Its are register the details of these occurrences in the Radiological Events Database (BDSR). A correspondence among the radiological impact evaluated in the Emergency Plan for the possible events and that of the registered ones is obtained. The complete training programs and realization of the exercises are carried out. Those results of 3 mockeries made to full scale are picked up. It was concluded that the operational experience and the maintained infrastructure, determine the answer capacity for radiological emergencies in the CENTIS. (Author)

  5. Key experiences of community engagement and social mobilization in the Ebola response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laverack, G.; Manoncourt, Erma

    2016-01-01

    The ongoing outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa is the largest on record; it has undermined already fragile healthcare systems and presented new challenges to contain the spread of the disease. Based on our observations in the field and insights from referenced sources, we aimed to identify...... key experiences of community engagement and social mobilization efforts in the current Ebola response. We concluded that there is no excuse not to actively involve local people and that the United Nations (UN) agencies and other partners did learn from their earlier mistakes to make a genuine attempt...... and health. This commentary can provide a guide to agencies to understand an appropriate way forward when the next Ebola outbreak inevitably occurs. © The Author(s) 2015....

  6. On a problematic procedure to manipulate response biases in recognition experiments: the case of "implied" base rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bröder, Arndt; Malejka, Simone

    2017-07-01

    The experimental manipulation of response biases in recognition-memory tests is an important means for testing recognition models and for estimating their parameters. The textbook manipulations for binary-response formats either vary the payoff scheme or the base rate of targets in the recognition test, with the latter being the more frequently applied procedure. However, some published studies reverted to implying different base rates by instruction rather than actually changing them. Aside from unnecessarily deceiving participants, this procedure may lead to cognitive conflicts that prompt response strategies unknown to the experimenter. To test our objection, implied base rates were compared to actual base rates in a recognition experiment followed by a post-experimental interview to assess participants' response strategies. The behavioural data show that recognition-memory performance was estimated to be lower in the implied base-rate condition. The interview data demonstrate that participants used various second-order response strategies that jeopardise the interpretability of the recognition data. We thus advice researchers against substituting actual base rates with implied base rates.

  7. School climate for transgender youth: a mixed method investigation of student experiences and school responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuire, Jenifer K; Anderson, Charles R; Toomey, Russell B; Russell, Stephen T

    2010-10-01

    Transgender youth experience negative school environments and may not benefit directly from interventions defined to support Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) youth. This study utilized a multi-method approach to consider the issues that transgender students encounter in school environments. Using data from two studies, survey data (total n = 2260, 68 transgender youth) from study 1 and focus groups (n = 35) from study 2, we examine transgender youth's experience of school harassment, school strategies implemented to reduce harassment, the protective role of supportive school personnel, and individual responses to harassment, including dropping out and changing schools. In both studies, we found that school harassment due to transgender identity was pervasive, and this harassment was negatively associated with feelings of safety. When schools took action to reduce harassment, students reported greater connections to school personnel. Those connections were associated with greater feelings of safety. The indirect effects of school strategies to reduce harassment on feelings of safety through connection to adults were also significant. Focus group data illuminate specific processes schools can engage in to benefit youth, and how the youth experience those interventions.

  8. Experiences with non-intrusive monitoring of distribution transformers based on the on-line frequency response

    OpenAIRE

    Eduardo Gomez Luna

    2015-01-01

    The following article presents the results obtained in experiences that use the Impulse Frequency Response Analysis (IFRA) method with a transformer in service. The IFRA method has been implemented in order to transform the transient signals to the frequency domain using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). However, it can be considered that the DFT is not the most suitable tool for this type of analysis, since, by definition, this tool is useful for processing stationary signals. Taking that in...

  9. Recent Visual Experience Shapes Visual Processing in Rats through Stimulus-Specific Adaptation and Response Enhancement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinken, Kasper; Vogels, Rufin; Op de Beeck, Hans

    2017-03-20

    From an ecological point of view, it is generally suggested that the main goal of vision in rats and mice is navigation and (aerial) predator evasion [1-3]. The latter requires fast and accurate detection of a change in the visual environment. An outstanding question is whether there are mechanisms in the rodent visual system that would support and facilitate visual change detection. An experimental protocol frequently used to investigate change detection in humans is the oddball paradigm, in which a rare, unexpected stimulus is presented in a train of stimulus repetitions [4]. A popular "predictive coding" theory of cortical responses states that neural responses should decrease for expected sensory input and increase for unexpected input [5, 6]. Despite evidence for response suppression and enhancement in noninvasive scalp recordings in humans with this paradigm [7, 8], it has proven challenging to observe both phenomena in invasive action potential recordings in other animals [9-11]. During a visual oddball experiment, we recorded multi-unit spiking activity in rat primary visual cortex (V1) and latero-intermediate area (LI), which is a higher area of the rodent ventral visual stream. In rat V1, there was only evidence for response suppression related to stimulus-specific adaptation, and not for response enhancement. However, higher up in area LI, spiking activity showed clear surprise-based response enhancement in addition to stimulus-specific adaptation. These results show that neural responses along the rat ventral visual stream become increasingly sensitive to changes in the visual environment, suggesting a system specialized in the detection of unexpected events. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Can current moisture responses predict soil CO2 efflux under altered precipitation regimes? A synthesis of manipulation experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vicca, S.; Bahn, M.; Estiarte, M.

    2014-01-01

    dependencies of SCE. Hence, the most justified answer to the question of whether current moisture responses of SCE can be extrapolated to predict SCE under altered precipitation regimes is 'no' - as based on the most reliable data sets available. We strongly recommend that future experiments focus more...

  11. Demand response experience in Europe: Policies, programmes and implementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torriti, Jacopo; Hassan, Mohamed G.; Leach, Matthew

    2010-01-01

    Over the last few years, load growth, increases in intermittent generation, declining technology costs and increasing recognition of the importance of customer behaviour in energy markets have brought about a change in the focus of Demand Response (DR) in Europe. The long standing programmes involving large industries, through interruptible tariffs and time of day pricing, have been increasingly complemented by programmes aimed at commercial and residential customer groups. Developments in DR vary substantially across Europe reflecting national conditions and triggered by different sets of policies, programmes and implementation schemes. This paper examines experiences within European countries as well as at European Union (EU) level, with the aim of understanding which factors have facilitated or impeded advances in DR. It describes initiatives, studies and policies of various European countries, with in-depth case studies of the UK, Italy and Spain. It is concluded that while business programmes, technical and economic potentials vary across Europe, there are common reasons as to why coordinated DR policies have been slow to emerge. This is because of the limited knowledge on DR energy saving capacities; high cost estimates for DR technologies and infrastructures; and policies focused on creating the conditions for liberalising the EU energy markets. (author)

  12. Blowdown hydraulic influence on core thermal response in LOFT nuclear experiment L2-3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reeder, D.L.

    1979-01-01

    Experimental research into pressurized water reactor (PWR) loss-of-coolant phenomena conducted in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility has given results indicating that for very large pipe breaks the core thermal response is tightly coupled to the fluid hydraulic phenomena during the blowdown phase of the loss-of-coolant transient. This summary presents and discusses data supporting this conclusion. LOFT Loss-of-Coolant Experiment (LOCE) L2-3 simulated a complete double-ended offset shear break of a primary coolant reactor vessel inlet pipe in a commercial PWR. The LOFT system conditions at experiment initiation were: fuel rod maximum linear heat generation rate (MLHGR) of 39.4 +- 3 kW/m, hot leg temperature of 593 +- 3 K, core ΔT of 32.2 +- 4 K, system pressure of 15.06 +- 0.03 MPa, and flow rate/system volume of 25.6 +- 0.8 kg/m 3 . These conditions are typical of those in commercial PWR systems at normal operating conditions

  13. Experience in training of health personnel for response to radiological and nuclear accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurmo, Alexandre M.; Leite, Teresa C.S.B.

    2013-01-01

    Eletronuclear Healthcare Foundation is the Institution responsible for the actions of health response involving ionizing radiation in the area of Nuclear Power Plant Almirante Alvaro Alberto in Angra dos Reis. Because of their specific assignments and references for being in training health manpower in the field of ionizing radiation developed a range of Training Courses for Professionals Area Health to prepare them for Response to Radiological and Nuclear Accidents. Modules are proposed specifically for the professional response of the Technical Level and Higher Level, the level Pre-hospital and hospital. These modules are further divided into specific levels or modules, Basic or Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced. Are applied pretests and post tests to monitor the content of fixing, maintaining a historical series of reviews. Your content is theoretical and practical applications developed in 30 to 48 hours, with simulations (drills) and distribution of educational materials. We already have more than 80 applications training, focusing on internal staff and external to the institution, developing interesting partner with the Armed Forces and Civil Defense. It still maintained a link on the institution seeking access and download over 400 titles on the subject and exchange of information and experiences. For improving the teaching material, the authors launched in 2011 the first manual in Portuguese on the subject with new revised edition in 2013: 'Manual of Medical Actions In Radiological Emergencies'. The results indicate increased knowledge and appropriateness of the themes and the strategy proposed for this activity, demonstrating yet passed that information can be multiplied and meets the growing demand of the country that has hosted and will host international events relevant at QBNRE risk. (author)

  14. Response time distributions in rapid chess: A large-scale decision making experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariano Sigman

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Rapid chess provides an unparalleled laboratory to understand decision making in a natural environment. In a chess game, players choose consecutively around 40 moves in a finite time budget. The goodness of each choice can be determined quantitatively since current chess algorithms estimate precisely the value of a position. Web-based chess produces vast amounts of data, millions of decisions per day, incommensurable with traditional psychological experiments. We generated a database of response times and position value in rapid chess games. We measured robust emergent statistical observables: 1 Response time (RT distributions are long-tailed and show qualitatively distinct forms at different stages of the game, 2 RT of successive moves are highly correlated both for intra- and inter-player moves. These findings have theoretical implications since they deny two basic assumptions of sequential decision making algorithms: RTs are not stationary and can not be generated by a state function. Our results also have practical implications. First, we characterized the capacity of blunders and score fluctuations to predict a player strength, which is yet an open problem in chess softwares. Second, we show that the winning likelihood can be reliably estimated from a weighted combination of remaining times and position evaluation.

  15. Rationalising the 'irrational': a think aloud study of discrete choice experiment responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Mandy; Watson, Verity; Entwistle, Vikki

    2009-03-01

    Stated preference methods assume respondents' preferences are consistent with utility theory, but many empirical studies report evidence of preferences that violate utility theory. This evidence is often derived from quantitative tests that occur naturally within, or are added to, stated preference tasks. In this study, we use qualitative methods to explore three axioms of utility theory: completeness, monotonicity, and continuity. We take a novel approach, adopting a 'think aloud' technique to identify violations of the axioms of utility theory and to consider how well the quantitative tests incorporated within a discrete choice experiment are able to detect these. Results indicate that quantitative tests classify respondents as being 'irrational' when qualitative statements would indicate they are 'rational'. In particular, 'non-monotonic' responses can often be explained by respondents inferring additional information beyond what is presented in the task, and individuals who appear to adopt non-compensatory decision-making strategies do so because they rate particular attributes very highly (they are not attempting to simplify the task). The results also provide evidence of 'cost-based responses': respondents assumed tests with higher costs would be of higher quality. The value of including in-depth qualitative validation techniques in the development of stated preference tasks is shown.

  16. The Influence of Gustatory and Olfactory Experiences on Responsiveness to Reward in the Honeybee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez, Gabriela P.; Martínez, Andrés S.; Fernández, Vanesa M.; Corti Bielsa, Gonzalo; Farina, Walter M.

    2010-01-01

    Background Honeybees (Apis mellifera) exhibit an extraordinarily tuned division of labor that depends on age polyethism. This adjustment is generally associated with the fact that individuals of different ages display different response thresholds to given stimuli, which determine specific behaviors. For instance, the sucrose-response threshold (SRT) which largely depends on genetic factors may also be affected by the nectar sugar content. However, it remains unknown whether SRTs in workers of different ages and tasks can differ depending on gustatory and olfactory experiences. Methodology Groups of worker bees reared either in an artificial environment or else in a queen-right colony, were exposed to different reward conditions at different adult ages. Gustatory response scores (GRSs) and odor-memory retrieval were measured in bees that were previously exposed to changes in food characteristics. Principal Findings Results show that the gustatory responses of pre-foraging-aged bees are affected by changes in sucrose solution concentration and also to the presence of an odor provided it is presented as scented sucrose solution. In contrast no differences in worker responses were observed when presented with odor only in the rearing environment. Fast modulation of GRSs was observed in older bees (12–16 days of age) which are commonly involved in food processing tasks within the hive, while slower modulation times were observed in younger bees (commonly nurse bees, 6–9 days of age). This suggests that older food-processing bees have a higher plasticity when responding to fluctuations in resource information than younger hive bees. Adjustments in the number of trophallaxis events were also found when scented food circulated inside the nest, and this was positively correlated with the differences in timing observed in gustatory responsiveness and memory retention for hive bees of different age classes. Conclusions This work demonstrates the accessibility of

  17. Nuclear emergency response exercises and decision support systems - integrating domestic experience with international reference systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slavnicu, D.S.; Vamanu, D.V.; Gheorghiu, D.; Acasandrei, V.T.; Slavnicu, E.

    2010-01-01

    The paper glosses on the experience of a research-oriented team routinely involved in emergency preparedness and response management activities, with the assimilation, implementation, and application of decision support systems (DSS) of continental reference in Europe, and the development of supportive, domestic radiological assessment tools. Two exemplary nuclear alert exercises are discussed, along with solutions that emerged during drill planning and execution, to make decision support tools of various origins and strength to work synergistically and complement each other. (authors)

  18. Millet response to water and soil fertility management in the Sahelian Niger : experiments and modeling

    OpenAIRE

    Akponikpe, Pierre

    2008-01-01

    In the 400-600 mm annual rainfall zone of the Sahel, soil fertility is the main determinant of yield in rainfed millet cropping systems in all but the driest years. Numerous on-farm and on-station experiments have addressed the issue of improving soil fertility. Yet the widespread use of the experimental results is restricted by the highly site specific millet response to fertility management practices due to high spatially variable soil properties as well as high intra- and inter-annual rain...

  19. Children's experiences and responses towards an intervention for psychological preparation for radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engvall, Gunn; Lindh, Viveca; Mullaney, Tara; Nyholm, Tufve; Lindh, Jack; Ångström-Brännström, Charlotte

    2018-01-22

    Children can experience distress when undergoing radiotherapy as a reaction to being scared of and unfamiliar with the procedure. The aim was to evaluate children's experiences and responses towards an intervention for psychological preparation for radiotherapy. A case control design with qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews and statistical analysis of anxiety ratings were used for evaluating a strategy for psychological preparation and distraction. Fifty-seven children aged 2 to 18 years and their parents participated - 30 children in the baseline group and 27 in the intervention group. Child interviews were performed and the child and their parents rated the child's anxiety. The intervention was most appropriate for the younger children, who enjoyed the digital story, the stuffed animal and training with their parents. There were some technical problems and the digital story was not detailed enough to fit exactly with various cancer diagnoses. Children described suggestions for improvement of the intervention. The ratings of the child's anxiety during radiation treatment showed no differences between the baseline group and the intervention group. The children of all the age groups experienced their interventions as positive. The strength of the intervention was that it encouraged interaction within the family and provided an opportunity for siblings and peers to take part in what the child was going through. Future research on children's experiences to interventions should be encouraged. The intervention and the technical solutions could improve by further development. The study design was structured as an un-matched case-control study, baseline group vs. intervention group. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02993978 , Protocol Record 2012-113-31 M. Retrospectively registered - 21 November 2016.

  20. Social responsibility in the banking sector: Experience from Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stojanović-Aleksić Vesna

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we analyze the level of social responsibility, including its basic dimensions, in the banking sector in the Republic of Serbia. The main research goal is to stress the importance of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR and to determine the level of development of specific dimensions and aspects of corporate social responsibility in the domestic banking sector. Therefore, we provide an insight into the most developed aspects, such as responsibility to the community and customers, within the external dimensions, and those aspects that banks should pay more attention to and invest more resources in, such as internal social responsibility and CSR disclosure. Consideration of the social responsibility of banks from this perspective represents an original research approach and the derived findings are significant in many ways in both theoretical and practical terms.

  1. Pioneering corporate responsibility in Italy: the Enel experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Comin, Gianluca

    2007-07-01

    Enel, the largest Italian utility for production, distribution of electricity and the second largest for natural gas distribution has started its Corporate Responsibility practice in 2002 and ever since has gained a leading role within the Italian sustainability scene. By rapidly integrating Corporate Responsibility in its strategic planning and in its reporting procedures, Enel also could develop a state of the art sustainability plan, a wide array of key performance indicators to monitor it and an outstanding knowledge in Corporate Responsibility mainstreaming. The acceleration imposed by Enel's management in implementing Corporate Responsibility as a basic integrator into its corporate procedures also allowed the company to be acknowledged as one of the best practices in the world. Along the implementation of Corporate Responsibility Enel also developed traditional and intranet based training programs that impacted on 4,500 middle managers and 48,000 employees. International sustainability indices recognised the company's effort including it in their listings as of 2003. Active in stakeholder dialogue, Enel is also implementing a way to gather fresh and direct opinions from an esteemed universe of 60,000 people with an unprecedented web based polling tool derived from multidimensional scaling techniques aimed at questioning appreciation on 25 topics of mutual concern. (auth)

  2. Effects of galvanic skin response feedback on user experience in gaze-controlled gaming: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larradet, Fanny; Barresi, Giacinto; Mattos, Leonardo S

    2017-07-01

    Eye-tracking (ET) is one of the most intuitive solutions for enabling people with severe motor impairments to control devices. Nevertheless, even such an effective assistive solution can detrimentally affect user experience during demanding tasks because of, for instance, the user's mental workload - using gaze-based controls for an extensive period of time can generate fatigue and cause frustration. Thus, it is necessary to design novel solutions for ET contexts able to improve the user experience, with particular attention to its aspects related to workload. In this paper, a pilot study evaluates the effects of a relaxation biofeedback system on the user experience in the context of a gaze-controlled task that is mentally and temporally demanding: ET-based gaming. Different aspects of the subjects' experience were investigated under two conditions of a gaze-controlled game. In the Biofeedback group (BF), the user triggered a command by means of voluntary relaxation, monitored through Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and represented by visual feedback. In the No Biofeedback group (NBF), the same feedback was timed according to the average frequency of commands in BF. After the experiment, each subject filled out a user experience questionnaire. The results showed a general appreciation for BF, with a significant between-group difference in the perceived session time duration, with the latter being shorter for subjects in BF than for the ones in NBF. This result implies a lower mental workload for BF than for NBF subjects. Other results point toward a potential role of user's engagement in the improvement of user experience in BF. Such an effect highlights the value of relaxation biofeedback for improving the user experience in a demanding gaze-controlled task.

  3. Self-Responsibility and Responsibility for Others

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip Buckley

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Because of the transcendent nature of the experience of my own self, responsibility for myself necessarily leads to responsibility for others. The aim of this paper is to approach this experience of the transcendence of the self and to show how it relates to a new sense of responsibility which transcends the self through a number of stages. First, the author outlines what might be called the "standard" view of authenticity in Husserl and how this particular view yields a certain view of responsibility as the ability to answer completely for "who" one is and "what" one does. Second, this standard view is challenged with another reading of the "self" in Husserl – one that emphasizes a necessary and productive division within the self. Thus, the author suggests that it is this second view of the self which is developed by Heidegger. Third, he demonstrates how this different view of the "authentic" self, that is inextricably linked to a "loss" of self, leads to a radically distinct view of responsibility for oneself, and for others.

  4. Exercises Abroad: How Differing National Experiences are Reflected in Emergency Response Planning and Exercises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marianno, Craig

    2007-01-01

    Recently a member of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Consequence Management Response Team took part in outreaches and an exercise in different foreign countries. In Brazil and South Korea, the outreaches revolved around a nuclear power plant exercise. In Canada, participation was limited to a table top Consequence Management exercise. This talk will briefly discuss each event and resulting pertinent observations. In each case, it became evident that governments respond to disasters very differently, and that these differences are not only culturally based, but also influenced by each government's respective experience in dealing with natural disasters

  5. Wild trout responses to a stress experience following confinement conditions during the spawning season

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilberto Forneris

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Salmo (trutta marmoratus is an endemic specie in the North of Italy, subjected to hybridization with domesticated strains of trout. Native populations are managed by supportive release in the rivers. Wild breeders are captured, confined in facility for short periods and then released in the river after artificial fertilization. Premature mortality during confinement and post release mortality in river have been observed in breeders supporting the view that confinement stress could be the cause. Twenty-six adult individuals of trout were captured from a river by electrofishing and stocked in two tanks, the first one (RF provided with artificial refuges to simulate the natural environment and covered by dark panels; the second tank (TR was only partially covered by dark panels and without artificial refuges. All the other conditions were identical and animals were fed ad libitum with natural food collected in the same river. After 50 days, from a third group of 8 trout (WD captured in the same river by a 5 minute electrofishing session, blood samples were sequentially collected for the assessment of serum cortisol response to serial repeated handlings. With the same sequential method, individuals of the RF and TR experimental groups were sampled. Cortisol levels were compared between groups by ANOVA. Biomass densities decreased during the experiment due to premature mortality of the largest individuals in both the RF (7.69% and TR (30.77% groups. At the end of the experiment, data clearly demonstrated that after a stressing confinement, the TR group shown a reduced poststress response to the successive serial handlings. Vice versa the group RF, that experienced a more careful confinement, responded to the second serial acute stressing manipulation in conformity as the group WD that was not confined. Cortisol data support the hypothesis of impaired cortisol response as a consequence of oversecretion due to uneasiness during the short

  6. Social Anxiety Experiences and Responses of University Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akacan, Behiye; Secim, Gurcan

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to examine the responses of university students in social anxiety situations in order to create a psychological counselling program with a structured group based on Cognitive Behavioural and Existential Approaches. These responses involve the behaviour and thoughts of the university students in situations where they…

  7. Amazon rainforest responses to elevated CO2: Deriving model-based hypotheses for the AmazonFACE experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rammig, A.; Fleischer, K.; Lapola, D.; Holm, J.; Hoosbeek, M.

    2017-12-01

    Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration is assumed to have a stimulating effect ("CO2 fertilization effect") on forest growth and resilience. Empirical evidence, however, for the existence and strength of such a tropical CO2 fertilization effect is scarce and thus a major impediment for constraining the uncertainties in Earth System Model projections. The implications of the tropical CO2 effect are far-reaching, as it strongly influences the global carbon and water cycle, and hence future global climate. In the scope of the Amazon Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment, we addressed these uncertainties by assessing the CO2 fertilization effect at ecosystem scale. AmazonFACE is the first FACE experiment in an old-growth, highly diverse tropical rainforest. Here, we present a priori model-based hypotheses for the experiment derived from a set of 12 ecosystem models. Model simulations identified key uncertainties in our understanding of limiting processes and derived model-based hypotheses of expected ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 that can directly be tested during the experiment. Ambient model simulations compared satisfactorily with in-situ measurements of ecosystem carbon fluxes, as well as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stocks. Models consistently predicted an increase in photosynthesis with elevated CO2, which declined over time due to developing limitations. The conversion of enhanced photosynthesis into biomass, and hence ecosystem carbon sequestration, varied strongly among the models due to different assumptions on nutrient limitation. Models with flexible allocation schemes consistently predicted an increased investment in belowground structures to alleviate nutrient limitation, in turn accelerating turnover rates of soil organic matter. The models diverged on the prediction for carbon accumulation after 10 years of elevated CO2, mainly due to contrasting assumptions in their phosphorus cycle representation. These differences define the expected

  8. Sandbar Response in Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona, Following the 2008 High-Flow Experiment on the Colorado River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazel, Joseph E.; Grams, Paul E.; Schmidt, John C.; Kaplinski, Matt

    2010-01-01

    A 60-hour release of water at 1,203 cubic meters per second (m3/s) from Glen Canyon Dam in March 2008 provided an opportunity to analyze channel-margin response at discharge levels above the normal, diurnally fluctuating releases for hydropower plant operations. We compare measurements at sandbars and associated campsites along the mainstem Colorado River, downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, at 57 locations in Marble and Grand Canyons. Sandbar and main-channel response to the 2008 high-flow experiment (2008 HFE) was documented by measuring bar and bed topography at the study sites before and after the controlled flood and twice more in the following 6 months to examine the persistence of flood-formed deposits. The 2008 HFE caused widespread deposition at elevations above the stage equivalent to a flow rate of 227 m3/s and caused an increase in the area and volume of the high-elevation parts of sandbars, thereby increasing the size of campsite areas. In this study, we differentiate between four response styles, depending on how sediment was distributed throughout each study site. Then, we present the longitudinal pattern relevant to the different response styles and place the site responses in context with two previous high-release experiments conducted in 1996 and 2004. We find that (1) nearly every measured sandbar aggraded above the 227-m3/s water-surface elevation, resulting in sandbars as large or larger than occurred following previous high flows; (2) reaches closest to Glen Canyon Dam were characterized by a greater percentage of sites that incurred net erosion, although the total sand volume in all sediment-flux monitoring reaches was greater following the 2008 HFE than following previous high flows; and (3) longitudinal differences in topographic response in eddies and in the channel suggest a greater and more evenly distributed sediment supply than existed during previous controlled floods from Glen Canyon Dam.

  9. Analysis of ground response data at Lotung large-scale soil- structure interaction experiment site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, C.Y.; Mok, C.M.; Power, M.S.

    1991-12-01

    The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), in cooperation with the Taiwan Power Company (TPC), constructed two models (1/4-scale and 1/2-scale) of a nuclear plant containment structure at a site in Lotung (Tang, 1987), a seismically active region in northeast Taiwan. The models were constructed to gather data for the evaluation and validation of soil-structure interaction (SSI) analysis methodologies. Extensive instrumentation was deployed to record both structural and ground responses at the site during earthquakes. The experiment is generally referred to as the Lotung Large-Scale Seismic Test (LSST). As part of the LSST, two downhole arrays were installed at the site to record ground motions at depths as well as at the ground surface. Structural response and ground response have been recorded for a number of earthquakes (i.e. a total of 18 earthquakes in the period of October 1985 through November 1986) at the LSST site since the completion of the installation of the downhole instruments in October 1985. These data include those from earthquakes having magnitudes ranging from M L 4.5 to M L 7.0 and epicentral distances range from 4.7 km to 77.7 km. Peak ground surface accelerations range from 0.03 g to 0.21 g for the horizontal component and from 0.01 g to 0.20 g for the vertical component. The objectives of the study were: (1) to obtain empirical data on variations of earthquake ground motion with depth; (2) to examine field evidence of nonlinear soil response due to earthquake shaking and to determine the degree of soil nonlinearity; (3) to assess the ability of ground response analysis techniques including techniques to approximate nonlinear soil response to estimate ground motions due to earthquake shaking; and (4) to analyze earth pressures recorded beneath the basemat and on the side wall of the 1/4 scale model structure during selected earthquakes

  10. John Dewey's Conception of Educative Experience: A Response to Donald Vandenberg's "Education or Experience?"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambliss, J. J.

    1982-01-01

    Responding to an article by Donald Vandenberg (Educational Theory, Summer 1980) on the meaning of the phrase "educative experience" in John Dewey's "Democracy in Education," Chambliss says that Vandenberg misunderstands Dewey's conception of both education and experience. Social and educational implications of Dewey's thought…

  11. Medical preparedness and response in nuclear accidents. The health team's experience in joint work with the radiological protection area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurmo, Alexandre Mesquita

    2007-01-01

    The interaction between the health and the radiological protection areas has proved fundamental, in our work experience, for the quality of response to victims of accidents, involving ionizing radiation. The conceptions and basic needs comprehension of the adequate response, on these two areas, have brought changes to the essential behavior related to the victim's care, the protection response, the environment and waste production. The joint task of health professionals and radiological protection staff, as first responders, demonstrates that it is possible to adjust practices and procedures. The training of professionals of the radiological protection area by health workers, has qualified them on the basic notions of pre-hospital attendance, entitling the immediate response to the victim prior to the health team arrival, as well as the discussion on the basic concepts of radiological protection with the health professionals, along with the understanding of the health area with its specific needs on the quick response to imminent death risk, or even the necessary procedures of decontamination. (author)

  12. Analysis of tracer responses in the BULLION Forced-Gradient Experiment at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul W. Reimus; Marc J. Haga

    1999-10-01

    This report presents an analysis of the tracer data from the BULLION forced-gradient experiment (FGE) conducted on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site from June 2, 1997 through August 28, 1997, for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Program. It also serves to document the polystyrene microsphere data from the FGE. The FGE involved the injection of solute and colloid tracers into wells ER-20-6 No. 1 and ER-20-6 No. 2 while ER-20-6 No. 3 was pumped at approximately 116 gallons per minute (gpm). The experimental configuration and test design are described briefly in this report; more details are provided elsewhere (IT, 1996, 1997, 1998). The tracer responses in the various wells yielded valuable information about transport processes such as longitudinal dispersion, matrix diffusion and colloid transport in the hydrogeologic system in the vicinity of the BULLION nuclear test cavity. Parameter values describing these processes are derived from the semi-analytical model interpretations presented in this report. A companion report (IT, 1998) presents more detailed numerical modeling interpretations of the solute tracer responses.

  13. Analysis of tracer responses in the BULLION Forced-Gradient Experiment at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reimus, Paul W.; Haga, Marc J.

    1999-01-01

    This report presents an analysis of the tracer data from the BULLION forced-gradient experiment (FGE) conducted on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site from June 2, 1997 through August 28, 1997, for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Program. It also serves to document the polystyrene microsphere data from the FGE. The FGE involved the injection of solute and colloid tracers into wells ER-20-6 No. 1 and ER-20-6 No. 2 while ER-20-6 No. 3 was pumped at approximately 116 gallons per minute (gpm). The experimental configuration and test design are described briefly in this report; more details are provided elsewhere (IT, 1996, 1997, 1998). The tracer responses in the various wells yielded valuable information about transport processes such as longitudinal dispersion, matrix diffusion and colloid transport in the hydrogeologic system in the vicinity of the BULLION nuclear test cavity. Parameter values describing these processes are derived from the semi-analytical model interpretations presented in this report. A companion report (IT, 1998) presents more detailed numerical modeling interpretations of the solute tracer responses

  14. Framework of product experience

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Desmet, P.; Hekkert, P.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, we introduce a general framework for product experience that applies to all affective responses that can be experienced in human-product interaction. Three distinct components or levels of product experiences are discussed: aesthetic experience, experience of meaning, and emotional

  15. Local geology determines responses of stream producers and fungal decomposers to nutrient enrichment: A field experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mykrä, Heikki; Sarremejane, Romain; Laamanen, Tiina; Karjalainen, Satu Maaria; Markkola, Annamari; Lehtinen, Sirkku; Lehosmaa, Kaisa; Muotka, Timo

    2018-04-16

    We examined how short-term (19 days) nutrient enrichment influences stream fungal and diatom communities, and rates of leaf decomposition and algal biomass accrual. We conducted a field experiment using slow-releasing nutrient pellets to increase nitrate (NO 3 -N) and phosphate (PO 4 -P) concentrations in a riffle section of six naturally acidic (naturally low pH due to catchment geology) and six circumneutral streams. Nutrient enrichment increased microbial decomposition rate on average by 14%, but the effect was significant only in naturally acidic streams. Nutrient enrichment also decreased richness and increased compositional variability of fungal communities in naturally acidic streams. Algal biomass increased in both stream types, but algal growth was overall very low. Diatom richness increased in response to nutrient addition by, but only in circumneutral streams. Our results suggest that primary producers and decomposers are differentially affected by nutrient enrichment and that their responses to excess nutrients are context dependent, with a potentially stronger response of detrital processes and fungal communities in naturally acidic streams than in less selective environments.

  16. Diagnostic modeling of the ARM experimental configuration. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Somerville, R.C.J.

    1998-04-01

    A major accomplishment of this work was to demonstrate the viability of using in-situ data in both mid-continent North America (SGP CART site) and Tropical Western Pacific (TOGA-COARE) locations to provide the horizontal advective flux convergences which force and constrain the Single-Column Model (SCM) which was the main theoretical tool of this work. The author has used TOGA-COARE as a prototype for the ARM TWP site. Results show that SCMs can produce realistic budgets over the ARM sites without relying on parameterization-dependent operational numerical weather prediction objective analyses. The single-column model is diagnostic rather than prognostic. It is numerically integrated in time as an initial value problem which is forced and constrained by observational data. The input is an observed initial state, plus observationally derived estimates of the time-dependent advection terms in the conservation equations, provided at all model layers. Its output is a complete heat and water budget, including temperature and moisture profiles, clouds and their radiative properties, diabatic heating terms, surface energy balance components, and hydrologic cycle elements, all specified as functions of time. These SCM results should be interpreted in light of the original motivation and purpose of ARM and its goal to improve the treatment of cloud-radiation interactions in climate models.

  17. Pressurization Risk Assessment of CO2 Reservoirs Utilizing Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guyant, E.; Han, W. S.; Kim, K. Y.; Park, E.; Han, K.

    2015-12-01

    Monitoring of pressure buildup can provide explicit information on reservoir integrity and is an appealing tool, however pressure variation is dependent on a variety of factors causing high uncertainty in pressure predictions. This work evaluated pressurization of a reservoir system in the presence of leakage pathways as well as exploring the effects of compartmentalization of the reservoir utilizing design of experiments (Definitive Screening, Box Behnken, Central Composite, and Latin Hypercube designs) and response surface methods. Two models were developed, 1) an idealized injection scenario in order to evaluate the performance of multiple designs, and 2) a complex injection scenario implementing the best performing design to investigate pressurization of the reservoir system. A holistic evaluation of scenario 1, determined that the Central Composite design would be used for the complex injection scenario. The complex scenario evaluated 5 risk factors: reservoir, seal, leakage pathway and fault permeabilities, and horizontal position of the pathway. A total of 60 response surface models (RSM) were developed for the complex scenario with an average R2 of 0.95 and a NRMSE of 0.067. Sensitivity to the input factors was dynamic through space and time; at the earliest time (0.05 years) the reservoir permeability was dominant, and for later times (>0.5 years) the fault permeability became dominant for all locations. The RSM's were then used to conduct a Monte Carlo Analysis to further analyze pressurization risks, identifying the P10, P50, P90 values. This identified the in zone (lower) P90 values as 2.16, 1.77, and 1.53 MPa and above zone values of 1.35, 1.23, 1.09 MPa for monitoring locations 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In summary, the design of experiments and response surface methods allowed for an efficient sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to be conducted permitting a complete evaluation of the pressurization across the entire parameter space.

  18. Taiwan's Experience in Hospital Preparedness and Response for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Hui-Yun; Ko, Hai-Yun; Guo, Peng; Chen, Chang-Hsun; Chou, Su-Mei

    The Communicable Disease Control Medical Network (CDCMN), established in 2003 after the SARS outbreak in Taiwan, has undergone several phases of modification in structure and activation. The main organizing principles of the CDCMN are centralized isolation of patients with severe highly infectious diseases and centralization of medical resources, as well as a network of designated regional hospitals like those in other countries. The CDCMN is made up of a command system, responding hospitals, and supporting hospitals. It was tested and activated in response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009-10 and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2016, and it demonstrated high-level functioning and robust capacity. In this article, the history, structure, and operation of the CDCMN is introduced globally for the first time, and the advantages and challenges of this system are discussed. The Taiwanese experience shows an example of a collaboration between the public health system and the medical system that may help other public health authorities plan management and hospital preparedness for highly infectious diseases.

  19. Spirituality, illness and personal responsibility: the experience of Jordanian Muslim men with coronary artery disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabolsi, Manar M; Carson, Alexander M

    2011-12-01

    Spiritual care is an aspect of nursing in many parts of the world; however, there is very little evidence of this in an Arab Muslim country. This qualitative study explores the meaning of spirituality as experienced by Jordanian Muslim men living with coronary artery disease. A hermeneutical phenomenological orientation was used to explore the experience of spirituality as lived by Arab Muslim men with coronary artery disease. A purposive sample of 19 men was selected from the Coronary care Unit (CCU) in a teaching hospital in Jordan. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's steps of phenomenological analysis. Four themes emerged from the data. The participants explained that faith facilitated their acceptance of illness and enhanced their coping strategies, that seeking medical treatment did not conflict with their belief in fate, that spirituality enhanced their inner strength, hope and acceptance of self-responsibility and it helped to them to find meaning and purpose in their life. In this study, Parse's theory of human becoming served as the foundation for understanding the paradoxical rhythmical pattern of the human experience of spirituality in illness. The findings suggest that patients' faith plays a central role in the choices they make either healthy or unhealthy, or accepting or rejecting their personal responsibility in promoting their future health and well-being. In addition, it provide nurses with the basis for providing spiritual care and developing a culturally sensitive healthcare plans in this population. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2011 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  20. Deflection-based method for seismic response analysis of concrete walls: Benchmarking of CAMUS experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basu, Prabir C.; Roshan, A.D.

    2007-01-01

    A number of shake table tests had been conducted on the scaled down model of a concrete wall as part of CAMUS experiment. The experiments were conducted between 1996 and 1998 in the CEA facilities in Saclay, France. Benchmarking of CAMUS experiments was undertaken as a part of the coordinated research program on 'Safety Significance of Near-Field Earthquakes' organised by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Technique of deflection-based method was adopted for benchmarking exercise. Non-linear static procedure of deflection-based method has two basic steps: pushover analysis, and determination of target displacement or performance point. Pushover analysis is an analytical procedure to assess the capacity to withstand seismic loading effect that a structural system can offer considering the redundancies and inelastic deformation. Outcome of a pushover analysis is the plot of force-displacement (base shear-top/roof displacement) curve of the structure. This is obtained by step-by-step non-linear static analysis of the structure with increasing value of load. The second step is to determine target displacement, which is also known as performance point. The target displacement is the likely maximum displacement of the structure due to a specified seismic input motion. Established procedures, FEMA-273 and ATC-40, are available to determine this maximum deflection. The responses of CAMUS test specimen are determined by deflection-based method and analytically calculated values compare well with the test results

  1. Authors’ reply: Response to “Older cancer patients’ user experiences with web-based health information tools: A think-aloud study"

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bolle, S.; Romijn, G.; Smets, E.M.A; Loos, E.F.; Kunneman, M.; van Weert, J.C.M.

    2016-01-01

    We greatly appreciate the thoughtful comments of Gokani and colleagues [1] in response to our article “Older Cancer Patients’ User Experiences With Web-Based Health Information Tools: A Think-Aloud Study” [2]. We are happy to elaborate on the points for which they request further clarification.

  2. Dynamic Response and Failure Mechanism of Brittle Rocks Under Combined Compression-Shear Loading Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yuan; Dai, Feng

    2018-03-01

    A novel method is developed for characterizing the mechanical response and failure mechanism of brittle rocks under dynamic compression-shear loading: an inclined cylinder specimen using a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. With the specimen axis inclining to the loading direction of SHPB, a shear component can be introduced into the specimen. Both static and dynamic experiments are conducted on sandstone specimens. Given carefully pulse shaping, the dynamic equilibrium of the inclined specimens can be satisfied, and thus the quasi-static data reduction is employed. The normal and shear stress-strain relationships of specimens are subsequently established. The progressive failure process of the specimen illustrated via high-speed photographs manifests a mixed failure mode accommodating both the shear-dominated failure and the localized tensile damage. The elastic and shear moduli exhibit certain loading-path dependence under quasi-static loading but loading-path insensitivity under high loading rates. Loading rate dependence is evidently demonstrated through the failure characteristics involving fragmentation, compression and shear strength and failure surfaces based on Drucker-Prager criterion. Our proposed method is convenient and reliable to study the dynamic response and failure mechanism of rocks under combined compression-shear loading.

  3. Actual measurement, hygrothermal response experiment and growth prediction analysis of microbial contamination of central air conditioning system in Dalian, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Yang; Hu, Guangyao; Wang, Chunyang; Yuan, Wenjie; Wei, Shanshan; Gao, Jiaoqi; Wang, Boyuan; Song, Fangchao

    2017-04-03

    The microbial contamination of central air conditioning system is one of the important factors that affect the indoor air quality. Actual measurement and analysis were carried out on microbial contamination in central air conditioning system at a venue in Dalian, China. Illumina miseq method was used and three fungal samples of two units were analysed by high throughput sequencing. Results showed that the predominant fungus in air conditioning unit A and B were Candida spp. and Cladosporium spp., and two fungus were further used in the hygrothermal response experiment. Based on the data of Cladosporium in hygrothermal response experiment, this paper used the logistic equation and the Gompertz equation to fit the growth predictive model of Cladosporium genera in different temperature and relative humidity conditions, and the square root model was fitted based on the two environmental factors. In addition, the models were carried on the analysis to verify the accuracy and feasibility of the established model equation.

  4. Newcomers' Experiences of MERGA 36

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semler, Yvette; Cavanagh, Michael

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on the experiences of newcomers at the 36th Annual MERGA Conference. The paper applies Wenger's (1998) social learning theory to explore the kinds of feedback that might assist newcomers. Questionnaire responses to describe the experience of ten newcomers and interview responses from five of the ten are reported. The…

  5. How training and experience affect the benefits of autonomy in a dirty-bomb experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    David J. Bruemmer; Curtis W. Nielsen; David I. Gertman

    2008-03-01

    A dirty-bomb experiment conducted at the INL is used to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of three different modes of robot control. The experiment uses three distinct user groups to understand how participants’ background and training affect the way in which they use and benefit from autonomy. The results show that the target mode, which involves automated mapping and plume tracing together with a point and click tasking tool, provides the best performance for each group. This is true for objective performance such as source detection and localization accuracy as well as subjective measures such as perceived workload, frustration and preference. The best overall performance is achieved by the Explosive Ordinance Disposal group which has experience in both robot teleoperation and dirty bomb response. The user group that benefits least from autonomy is the Nuclear Engineers that have no experience with either robot operation or dirty bomb response. The group that benefits most from autonomy is the Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Response Team that has extensive experience related to the task, but no robot training.

  6. Complexities in barrier island response to sea level rise: Insights from numerical model experiments, North Carolina Outer Banks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Laura J.; List, Jeffrey H.; Williams, S. Jeffress; Stolper, David

    2010-09-01

    Using a morphological-behavior model to conduct sensitivity experiments, we investigate the sea level rise response of a complex coastal environment to changes in a variety of factors. Experiments reveal that substrate composition, followed in rank order by substrate slope, sea level rise rate, and sediment supply rate, are the most important factors in determining barrier island response to sea level rise. We find that geomorphic threshold crossing, defined as a change in state (e.g., from landward migrating to drowning) that is irreversible over decadal to millennial time scales, is most likely to occur in muddy coastal systems where the combination of substrate composition, depth-dependent limitations on shoreface response rates, and substrate erodibility may prevent sand from being liberated rapidly enough, or in sufficient quantity, to maintain a subaerial barrier. Analyses indicate that factors affecting sediment availability such as low substrate sand proportions and high sediment loss rates cause a barrier to migrate landward along a trajectory having a lower slope than average barrier island slope, thereby defining an "effective" barrier island slope. Other factors being equal, such barriers will tend to be smaller and associated with a more deeply incised shoreface, thereby requiring less migration per sea level rise increment to liberate sufficient sand to maintain subaerial exposure than larger, less incised barriers. As a result, the evolution of larger/less incised barriers is more likely to be limited by shoreface erosion rates or substrate erodibility making them more prone to disintegration related to increasing sea level rise rates than smaller/more incised barriers. Thus, the small/deeply incised North Carolina barriers are likely to persist in the near term (although their long-term fate is less certain because of the low substrate slopes that will soon be encountered). In aggregate, results point to the importance of system history (e

  7. Complexities in barrier island response to sea level rise: Insights from numerical model experiments, North Carolina Outer Banks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Laura J.; List, Jeffrey H.; Williams, S. Jeffress; Stolper, David

    2010-01-01

    Using a morphological-behavior model to conduct sensitivity experiments, we investigate the sea level rise response of a complex coastal environment to changes in a variety of factors. Experiments reveal that substrate composition, followed in rank order by substrate slope, sea level rise rate, and sediment supply rate, are the most important factors in determining barrier island response to sea level rise. We find that geomorphic threshold crossing, defined as a change in state (e.g., from landward migrating to drowning) that is irreversible over decadal to millennial time scales, is most likely to occur in muddy coastal systems where the combination of substrate composition, depth-dependent limitations on shoreface response rates, and substrate erodibility may prevent sand from being liberated rapidly enough, or in sufficient quantity, to maintain a subaerial barrier. Analyses indicate that factors affecting sediment availability such as low substrate sand proportions and high sediment loss rates cause a barrier to migrate landward along a trajectory having a lower slope than average barrier island slope, thereby defining an “effective” barrier island slope. Other factors being equal, such barriers will tend to be smaller and associated with a more deeply incised shoreface, thereby requiring less migration per sea level rise increment to liberate sufficient sand to maintain subaerial exposure than larger, less incised barriers. As a result, the evolution of larger/less incised barriers is more likely to be limited by shoreface erosion rates or substrate erodibility making them more prone to disintegration related to increasing sea level rise rates than smaller/more incised barriers. Thus, the small/deeply incised North Carolina barriers are likely to persist in the near term (although their long-term fate is less certain because of the low substrate slopes that will soon be encountered). In aggregate, results point to the importance of system history (e

  8. Experiences with non-intrusive monitoring of distribution transformers based on the on-line frequency response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Gomez Luna

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The following article presents the results obtained in experiences that use the Impulse Frequency Response Analysis (IFRA method with a transformer in service. The IFRA method has been implemented in order to transform the transient signals to the frequency domain using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT. However, it can be considered that the DFT is not the most suitable tool for this type of analysis, since, by definition, this tool is useful for processing stationary signals. Taking that into consideration, the analysis of transient signals could be hypothetically improved by using continuous wavelet transform (CWT, given their variable time/frequency resolution. The analysis of transient signals in Wavelet domain has improved the repeatability of the frequency response curves, as it has been ob-served in experimental results. The proposed on-line IFRA method, based on Wavelet transform, was validated under load and no-load conditions on a 150 kVA three-phase transformer 13200/225 Volts, in the Campus of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.

  9. Simulator experiments: effects of NPP operator experience on performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beare, A.N.; Gray, L.H.

    1984-01-01

    During the FY83 research, a simulator experiment was conducted at the control room simulator for a GE Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) NPP. The research subjects were licensed operators undergoing requalification training and shift technical advisors (STAs). This experiment was designed to investigate the effects of senior reactor operator (SRO) experience, operating crew augmentation with an STA and practice, as a crew, upon crew and individual operator performance, in response to anticipated plant transients. Sixteen two-man crews of licensed operators were employed in a 2 x 2 factorial design. The SROs leading the crews were split into high and low experience groups on the basis of their years of experience as an SRO. One half of the high- and low-SRO experience groups were assisted by an STA. The crews responded to four simulated plant casualties. A five-variable set of content-referenced performance measures was derived from task analyses of the procedurally correct responses to the four casualties. System parameters and control manipulations were recorded by the computer controlling the simulator. Data on communications and procedure use were obtained from analysis of videotapes of the exercises. Questionnaires were used to collect subject biographical information and data on subjective workload during each simulated casualty. For four of the five performance measures, no significant differences were found between groups led by high (25 to 114 months) and low (1 to 17 months as an SRO) experience SROs. However, crews led by low experience SROs tended to have significantly shorter task performance times than crews led by high experience SROs. The presence of the STA had no significant effect on overall team performance in responding to the four simulated casualties. The FY84 experiments are a partial replication and extension of the FY83 experiment, but with PWR operators and simulator

  10. Coarse Thinking and Pricing a Financial Option

    OpenAIRE

    Siddiqi, Hammad

    2009-01-01

    Mullainathan et al [Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 2008] present a formalization of the concept of coarse thinking in the context of a model of persuasion. The essential idea behind coarse thinking is that people put situations into categories and the values assigned to attributes in a given situation are affected by the values of corresponding attributes in other co-categorized situations. We derive a new option pricing formula based on the assumption that the market consists of coars...

  11. Design of modern experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sung Hweon

    1984-03-01

    This book is for researchers and engineers, which is written to focus on practical design of experiments. It gives descriptions of conception of design of experiments, basic statistics theory, one way design of experiment, two-way layout without repetition, two-way layout with repetition, partition, a correlation analysis and regression analysis, latin squares, factorial design, design of experiment by table of orthogonal arrays, design of experiment of response surface, design of experiment on compound, Evop, and design of experiment of taguchi.

  12. Thermal responses in underground experiments in a dome salt formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Llewellyn, G.H.

    1977-01-01

    To provide design information for a radwaste repository in dome salt, in-situ experiments with nonradioactive heat sources are planned. Three such experiments using electrical heat sources are scheduled to be carried out in a salt dome. The purpose of these experiments is to acquire rock mechanics data to ascertain the structural deformation due to the thermal load imposed, to study brine migration and corrosion, and to provide thermal data. A data acquisition system is provided with these experiments to monitor temperatues, heat fluxes, stresses, and ground displacement. A thermal analysis was made on models of each of these experiments. The objective of the analysis is to verify the capability of making accurate transient temperature predictions by the use of computer modeling techniques. Another purpose is to measure in-situ thermal conductivity and compare the results with measurements taken from core samples. The HEATING5 computer program was used to predict transient temperatures around the experiments for periods up to 2 years using two-dimensional and three-dimensional heat transfer models. The results of analysis are presented with the associated boundary conditions used in the individual models

  13. Experiences from exercises associated with nuclear emergency response in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, D.E.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: Responsibilities Regarding Emergency Response in Germany - In the Federal Republic of Germany, the 16 federal state Ministries of the Interior are responsible for emergency response (threat through weapons, explosives, etc.). In the case of threats due to radioactive material experts of the competent federal state radiological protection authorities are consulted. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection assists in serious cases of defence against nuclear hazards (nuclear fuels, criticality, risk of dispersion). Currently, exercises are being performed in all 16 federal states to co-ordinate the ways of behaviour, action and thinking of the various necessary organisational units, like police, deactivators, prosecution officials, radiological protection experts and fire brigade. The joint exercises serve the purpose to practice the total chain of necessary measures like: notification chain, organisation at the place of action, co-ordination of appropriate search strategy, investigation of who was responsible, analysis (X-ray pictures, radiological analysis), activity determination, assessment of possible effects due to deactivation measures, determination of dispersion conditions, recommendation of measures for the protection of responders and the general population and measures to limit the consequences. Given Exercise Scenario - Via the emergency emergency call a situation is transmitted that urgently demands joint and co-ordinated action of prosecution authority, emergency response and radiation protection authority, to be able to master the situation successfully. As a rule this means that one deals with an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) secured by a booby trap with added radioactive substances. Organisation at the Place of Action - Experience shows that as a rule the patrol police and the local fire brigade will be the first to arrive at the place of action, already after a few minutes. Gradually, the other experts arrive. Depending on distance

  14. The spectral response of Buxus sempervirens to different types of environmental stress - A laboratory experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jong, Steven M.; Addink, Elisabeth A.; Hoogenboom, Priscilla; Nijland, Wiebe

    2012-11-01

    The European Mediterranean regions are expected to encounter drier summer conditions and warmer temperatures for the winter of +2 °C and of +5 °C for the summer in the next six decennia. As a result the natural vegetation will face harsher conditions due to lower water availability, longer summer droughts and higher temperatures resulting in plant stress conditions. To monitor vegetation conditions like stress and leaf area index dynamics in our study area in Mediterranean France we use earth observation techniques like imaging spectroscopy. To assist image analysis interpretation we carried out a laboratory experiment to investigate the spectral and visible response of Buxus sempervirens, a common Mediterranean species, to five different types of stress: drought, drought-and-heat, light deprivation, total saturation and chlorine poisoning. For 52 days plants were subjected to stress. We collected data on the visible and spectral signs, and calculated thirteen vegetation indices. The plant's response time to different stress types varied from 10 to 32 days. Spectroscopic techniques revealed plant stress up to 15 days earlier than visual inspection. Visible signs of stress of the plants included curling and shrinking of the leaves, de-colouring of the leaves, leaves becoming breakable, opening up of the plant's canopy and sagging of the branches. Spectral signs of stress occurred first in the water absorption bands at 1450 and 1940 nm, followed by reduced absorption in the visible wavelengths, and next by reduced reflectance in near infrared. Light deprivation did not result in any stress signs, while drought, drought and heat and chlorine poisoning resulted in significant stress. The spectral response did not show differences for different stress types. Analysis of the vegetation indices identified the Carter-2 (R695/R760), the Red-Green Index (R690/R550) and the Vogelman-2 (R734 - R747)/(R715 + R726) as the best performing ones to identify stress. The lab

  15. Response-related potentials during semantic priming: the effect of a speeded button response task on ERPs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marijn van Vliet

    Full Text Available This study examines the influence of a button response task on the event-related potential (ERP in a semantic priming experiment. Of particular interest is the N400 component. In many semantic priming studies, subjects are asked to respond to a stimulus as fast and accurately as possible by pressing a button. Response time (RT is recorded in parallel with an electroencephalogram (EEG for ERP analysis. In this case, the response occurs in the time window used for ERP analysis and response-related components may overlap with stimulus-locked ones such as the N400. This has led to a recommendation against such a design, although the issue has not been explored in depth. Since studies keep being published that disregard this issue, a more detailed examination of influence of response-related potentials on the ERP is needed. Two experiments were performed in which subjects pressed one of two buttons with their dominant hand in response to word-pairs with varying association strength (AS, indicating a personal judgement of association between the two words. In the first experiment, subjects were instructed to respond as fast and accurately as possible. In the second experiment, subjects delayed their button response to enforce a one second interval between the onset of the target word and the button response. Results show that in the first experiment a P3 component and motor-related potentials (MRPs overlap with the N400 component, which can cause a misinterpretation of the latter. In order to study the N400 component, the button response should be delayed to avoid contamination of the ERP with response-related components.

  16. Introducing a standard method for experimental determination of the solvent response in laser pump, x-ray probe time-resolved wide-angle x-ray scattering experiments on systems in solution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjær, Kasper Skov; Brandt van Driel, Tim; Kehres, Jan

    2013-01-01

    In time-resolved laser pump, X-ray probe wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments on systems in solution the structural response of the system is accompanied by a solvent response. The solvent response is caused by reorganization of the bulk solvent following the laser pump event, and in order...... response-the solvent term-experimentally when applying laser pump, X-ray probe time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering. The solvent term describes difference scattering arising from the structural response of the solvent to changes in the hydrodynamic parameters: pressure, temperature and density. We...... is demonstrated to exhibit first order behaviour with respect to the amount of energy deposited in the solution. We introduce a standardized method for recording solvent responses in laser pump, X-ray probe time-resolved X-ray wide-angle scattering experiments by using dye mediated solvent heating. Furthermore...

  17. experience in school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria da Graça B. B. Dias

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available An experiment investigated the effect of a make-believe fantasy mode of problem presentation on reasoning about valid conditional syllogisms in three groups of 5-year-old children: a school children from middle-class families in England; b school children from middle-class families in Brazil; and, c children from low SES families in Brazil who had never gone to school. Previous investigations had reported that the use of a fantasy context elicited significantly more logically appropriate responses from school children than did other contexts, and that children with school experiences made significantly more logically appropriate responses than did children without school experience. The present investigation extended these findings to show that the beneficial effects of a fantasy context extended to lower-class illiterate children who never had been exposed to schooling

  18. Understory fern community structure, growth and spore production responses to a large-scale hurricane experiment in a Puerto Rico rainforest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joanne M. Sharpe; Aaron B. Shiels

    2014-01-01

    Ferns are abundant in most rainforest understories yet their responses to hurricanes have not been well studied. Fern community structure, growth and spore production were monitored for two years before and five years after a large-scale experiment that simulated two key components of severe hurricane disturbance: canopy openness and debris deposition. The canopy was...

  19. Emotional response to musical repetition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingstone, Steven R; Palmer, Caroline; Schubert, Emery

    2012-06-01

    Two experiments examined the effects of repetition on listeners' emotional response to music. Listeners heard recordings of orchestral music that contained a large section repeated twice. The music had a symmetric phrase structure (same-length phrases) in Experiment 1 and an asymmetric phrase structure (different-length phrases) in Experiment 2, hypothesized to alter the predictability of sensitivity to musical repetition. Continuous measures of arousal and valence were compared across music that contained identical repetition, variation (related), or contrasting (unrelated) structure. Listeners' emotional arousal ratings differed most for contrasting music, moderately for variations, and least for repeating musical segments. A computational model for the detection of repeated musical segments was applied to the listeners' emotional responses. The model detected the locations of phrase boundaries from the emotional responses better than from performed tempo or physical intensity in both experiments. These findings indicate the importance of repetition in listeners' emotional response to music and in the perceptual segmentation of musical structure.

  20. Experiences in the development of an emergency response facility (ERF) system for a nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seisdedos, A.; Sanchez-Fornie, M.A.

    1985-01-01

    The TMI-2 accident gave rise to a series of new requirements with which Nuclear Power Plants must comply and amongst which the implementation of emergency response facilities, particularly the SPDS, has received special attention. This paper covers the experience and problems encountered in the developing of the engineering necessary for the detailed definition of the ERF in a Nuclear Power Plant in the commercial operation phase. Also, a real example is provided for the case of a plant in the last phase of construction and installation. This will serve to illustrate each of the topics covered. (author)

  1. Mechanical response of common millet (Panicum miliaceum) seeds under quasi-static compression: Experiments and modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasseldine, Benjamin P J; Gao, Chao; Collins, Joseph M; Jung, Hyun-Do; Jang, Tae-Sik; Song, Juha; Li, Yaning

    2017-09-01

    The common millet (Panicum miliaceum) seedcoat has a fascinating complex microstructure, with jigsaw puzzle-like epidermis cells articulated via wavy intercellular sutures to form a compact layer to protect the kernel inside. However, little research has been conducted on linking the microstructure details with the overall mechanical response of this interesting biological composite. To this end, an integrated experimental-numerical-analytical investigation was conducted to both characterize the microstructure and ascertain the microscale mechanical properties and to test the overall response of kernels and full seeds under macroscale quasi-static compression. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to examine the microstructure of the outer seedcoat and nanoindentation was performed to obtain the material properties of the seedcoat hard phase material. A multiscale computational strategy was applied to link the microstructure to the macroscale response of the seed. First, the effective anisotropic mechanical properties of the seedcoat were obtained from finite element (FE) simulations of a microscale representative volume element (RVE), which were further verified from sophisticated analytical models. Then, macroscale FE models of the individual kernel and full seed were developed. Good agreement between the compression experiments and FE simulations were obtained for both the kernel and the full seed. The results revealed the anisotropic property and the protective function of the seedcoat, and showed that the sutures of the seedcoat play an important role in transmitting and distributing loads in responding to external compression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Impact of thermostatically controlled loads' demand response activation on aggregated power: A field experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lakshmanan, Venkatachalam; Marinelli, Mattia; Kosek, Anna Magdalena

    2015-01-01

    activation. The outcome of this experimental study quantifies the actual flexibility of household TCLs and the consequence for the different parties with respect to power behaviour. Each DR activation method adopts different scenarios to meet the power reduction, and has different impacts on the parameters......This paper describes the impacts of different types of DR (demand response) activation on TCLs' (thermostatically controlled loads) aggregated power. The different parties: power system operators, DR service providers (or aggregators) and consumers, have different objectives in relation to DR....... The experiments are conducted with real domestic refrigerators representing TCL. Activating refrigerators for DR with a delay reduces the ISE (integral square error) in power limitation by 28.46%, overshoot by 7.69%. The delay in refrigerator activation causes reduction in power ramp down rate by 39.90%, ramp up...

  3. A multimedia situational judgment test with a constructed-response item format: Its relationship with personality, cognitive ability, job experience, and academic performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oostrom, J.K.; Born, M.Ph.; Serlie, A.W.; Van der Molen, H.T.

    2011-01-01

    Advances in computer technology have created opportunities for the development of a multimedia situational test in which responses are filmed with a webcam. This paper examined the relationship of a so-called webcam test with personality, cognitive ability, job experience, and academic performance.

  4. CRITICISM AND SUPPORT TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH BASED ON THE WORKERS’ EXPERIENCE AND A QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JUAN ANTONIO NAVARRO PRADOS

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims at presenting partial results and process of an investigation which analyzes the experience of a groupof employees, namely the experience of the implementation process of the corporate social responsibility policy of amedium-sized service company. For the case study participant observation, analysis of corporate documents and indepthinterviews to 64 employees across all organisational levels were employed. AtlasTi software was used to analyseand feed back the information received. This analysis produced a matrix of 161 content codes further analysed bymeans of network analysis methodology. Eventually, content network data were compared to the corporate sociogram.The investigation has been carried out during the last three years.

  5. Do Victimization Experiences Accentuate Reactions to Ostracism? An Experiment Using Cyberball

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruggieri, Sabrina; Bendixen, Mons; Gabriel, Ute; Alsaker, Françoise

    2013-01-01

    Based on the notion that the history of victimization has an impact on the sensitivity to current victimization situations this study investigated whether victims of bullying show more pronounced responses to single episodes of social exclusion. We examined whether victimization experiences in school are associated with responses to ostracism in a…

  6. Simulating moist convection with a quasi-elastic sigma coordinate model

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Bopape, Mary-Jane M

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available : Corrected TOGA COARE Sounding Humidity Data: Impact on Diagnosed Properties of Convection and Climate over the Warm Pool. Journal of Climate, 12, 2370-2384. WW, X Wu and MW Moncrieff, 1996: Cloud-Resolving Modeling of Tropical Cloud Systems during Phase... during the suppressed phase of a Madden-Julian Oscillation: Comparing single-column models with cloud resolving models. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 1-22. Sun S and W Sun, 2002: A One-dimensional Time Dependent Cloud Model...

  7. Context Specificity of the ANS Stress Response during Two Regrouping Experiments in Goats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patt, Antonia; Gygax, Lorenz; Wechsler, Beat; Hillmann, Edna; Langbein, Jan; Keil, Nina M.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze whether the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) differs between two regrouping procedures in goats, which would indicate stimulus specificity of these stressors. Applying two regrouping procedures, we evaluated heart rate and heart rate variability (RMSSD, SDNN, and RMSSD/SDNN). The two regrouping procedures were (1) introduction of individual goats into established groups (“introduction experiment”) and (2) temporary separation and subsequent reintegration of individuals from/into their group with two levels of contact during separation (“separation experiment”). In the “introduction experiment,” the heart rate of introduced goats while lying decreased continuously from an average 78 to 68 beats/min from before the introduction to the last day of the introduction period. Inversely, RMSSD increased continuously from 41 to 62 ms, which, on its own, would indicate an adaptation to the situation. During the “separation experiment,” heart rate while lying was higher when goats were separated in the “acoustic contact treatment” (82 beats/min on average) compared with the “restricted physical contact treatment” (75 beats/min on average). This difference reflected a higher level of arousal during the “acoustic contact treatment.” However, heart rate activity did not allow detecting effects of separation or reintegration. Even though it can be assumed that both the separation and introduction of goats are stressful for goats, the ANS reactions observed in this study differed between the two management procedures indicating that the ANS activation was specific to each situation. In addition, we discuss the ANS results in context with earlier findings of variables of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis (fecal cortisol metabolites) and behavior (lying and feeding). As correspondence between ANS, HPA, and behavioral reactions was limited both within and across experiments, the results

  8. Baseline response rates affect resistance to change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuroda, Toshikazu; Cook, James E; Lattal, Kennon A

    2018-01-01

    The effect of response rates on resistance to change, measured as resistance to extinction, was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, responding in transition from a variable-ratio schedule and its yoked-interval counterpart to extinction was compared with pigeons. Following training on a multiple variable-ratio yoked-interval schedule of reinforcement, in which response rates were higher in the former component, reinforcement was removed from both components during a single extended extinction session. Resistance to extinction in the yoked-interval component was always either greater or equal to that in the variable-ratio component. In Experiment 2, resistance to extinction was compared for two groups of rats that exhibited either high or low response rates when maintained on identical variable-interval schedules. Resistance to extinction was greater for the lower-response-rate group. These results suggest that baseline response rate can contribute to resistance to change. Such effects, however, can only be revealed when baseline response rate and reinforcement rate are disentangled (Experiments 1 and 2) from the more usual circumstance where the two covary. Furthermore, they are more cleanly revealed when the programmed contingencies controlling high and low response rates are identical, as in Experiment 2. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  9. Nuclear emergency planning and response in the Netherlands: Experiences obtained from large scale exercises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smetsers, R.C.G.M.; Pruppers, M.J.M.; Sonderen, J.F. van

    2000-01-01

    In 1986 the Chernobyl accident led the Dutch Government to a reconsideration of their possibilities for managing nuclear emergencies. It was decided to improve both the national emergency management organization and the infrastructure for collecting and presenting technical information. The first improvement resulted in the National Plan for Nuclear Emergency Planning and Response (EPR) and the second in a series of technical facilities for the assessment of radiation doses. Since 1990, following the implementation of the EPR and most of the technical facilities, several emergency exercises have taken place to test the effectiveness of organization and infrastructure. Special emphasis has been given to the early phase of the simulated accidents. This paper summarises the experiences obtained from these exercises. Major obstacles appear to be: (1) keeping all participants properly informed during the process, (2) the difference in working attitude of technical experts and decision-makers, (3) premature orders for countermeasures and (4) the (too) large number of people involved in the decision-making process. From these experiences requirements for instruments can be deduced. Such instruments include predictive models, to be used for dose assessment in the early phase of an accident which, apart from being fast, should yield uncomplicated results suitable for decision-makers. Refinements of models, such as taking into account the specific nature of the (urban) environment, are not needed until the recovery phase of a nuclear accident. (author)

  10. Salix response to different flow regimes in controlled experiments: first results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorla, Lorenzo; Signarbieux, Constant; Buttler, Alexandre; Perona, Paolo

    2013-04-01

    Dams and water management for hydropower production, agriculture and other human activities alter the natural flow regime of rivers. The new river hydrograph components depend on the type of impoundment and the policy of regulation but such a different flow regime will likely affect the riparian environment. The main challenge in order to define sustainable flow releases is to quantify hydrological effects in terms of geomorphology and ecosystem response. A considerable lack of knowledge still affects the link hydrology-ecology and inadequate flow rules (e.g., minimal or residual flows) are consequently still widespread: further research in this direction is urgently required. We present an experiment, which aims to investigate the effects of different water stage regimes on riparian vegetation (salix Viminalis cuttings) development in a temperate region (Switzerland). This work describes the installation setup, together with the first results concerning the first of the two scheduled seasons of campaign. Sixty Salix cuttings were planted in non-cohesive sandy-gravel sediment within 1 meter tall plastic pots installed outside in the EPFL campus. After grouping them in three batteries, the water level within them has been varying following three river regimes simulated by adjusting the water level within the pots by means of an automatic hydraulic system. The three water level regimes reproduce a natural flow regime, a minimum residual flow policy, which only conserves peaks during flooding conditions, and an artificial regime conserving only low frequencies (e.g., seasonality) of the natural dynamic. The natural flow regime of the first battery has been applied for two months to the entire system; the three regimes above said started in June 2012. This triggered a plant response transitory regime, which we monitored by measuring plant growth, soil and atmospheric variables. Particularly, measures concern with branches development leaves photosynthesis and

  11. Transplant experiments uncover Baltic Sea basin-specific responses in bacterioplankton community composition and metabolic activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindh, Markus V; Figueroa, Daniela; Sjöstedt, Johanna; Baltar, Federico; Lundin, Daniel; Andersson, Agneta; Legrand, Catherine; Pinhassi, Jarone

    2015-01-01

    Anthropogenically induced changes in precipitation are projected to generate increased river runoff to semi-enclosed seas, increasing loads of terrestrial dissolved organic matter and decreasing salinity. To determine how bacterial community structure and functioning adjust to such changes, we designed microcosm transplant experiments with Baltic Proper (salinity 7.2) and Bothnian Sea (salinity 3.6) water. Baltic Proper bacteria generally reached higher abundances than Bothnian Sea bacteria in both Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea water, indicating higher adaptability. Moreover, Baltic Proper bacteria growing in Bothnian Sea water consistently showed highest bacterial production and beta-glucosidase activity. These metabolic responses were accompanied by basin-specific changes in bacterial community structure. For example, Baltic Proper Pseudomonas and Limnobacter populations increased markedly in relative abundance in Bothnian Sea water, indicating a replacement effect. In contrast, Roseobacter and Rheinheimera populations were stable or increased in abundance when challenged by either of the waters, indicating an adjustment effect. Transplants to Bothnian Sea water triggered the initial emergence of particular Burkholderiaceae populations, and transplants to Baltic Proper water triggered Alteromonadaceae populations. Notably, in the subsequent re-transplant experiment, a priming effect resulted in further increases to dominance of these populations. Correlated changes in community composition and metabolic activity were observed only in the transplant experiment and only at relatively high phylogenetic resolution. This suggested an importance of successional progression for interpreting relationships between bacterial community composition and functioning. We infer that priming effects on bacterial community structure by natural episodic events or climate change induced forcing could translate into long-term changes in bacterial ecosystem process rates.

  12. Maternal affect and quality of parenting experiences are related to amygdala response to infant faces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, Jennifer; Wonch, Kathleen E; Gonzalez, Andrea; Ali, Nida; Steiner, Meir; Hall, Geoffrey B; Fleming, Alison S

    2012-01-01

    We examined how individual differences in mood and anxiety in the early postpartum period are related to brain response to infant stimuli during fMRI, with particular focus on regions implicated in both maternal behavior and mood/anxiety, that is, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and the amygdala. At approximately 3 months postpartum, 22 mothers completed an affect-rating task (ART) during fMRI, where their affective response to infant stimuli was explicitly probed. Mothers viewed/rated four infant face conditions: own positive (OP), own negative (ON), unfamiliar positive (UP), and unfamiliar negative (UN). Mood and anxiety were measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version (STAI-T); maternal factors related to parental stress and attachment were also assessed. Brain-imaging data underwent a random-effects analysis, and cluster-based statistical thresholding was applied to the following contrasts: OP-UP, ON-UN, OP-ON, and UP-UN. Our main finding was that poorer quality of maternal experience was significantly related to reduced amygdala response to OP compared to UP infant faces. Our results suggest that, in human mothers, infant-related amygdala function may be an important factor in maternal anxiety/mood, in quality of mothering, and in individual differences in the motivation to mother. We are very grateful to the staff at the Imaging Research Center of the Brain-Body Institute for their contributions to this project. This work was supported by an Ontario Mental Health Foundation operating grant awarded to Alison Fleming and a postdoctoral fellowship awarded to Jennifer Barrett.

  13. Causes of variation among rice models in yield response to CO2 examined with Free-Air CO2 Enrichment and growth chamber experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Toshihiro; Li, Tao; Yin, Xinyou; Zhu, Yan; Boote, Kenneth; Baker, Jeffrey; Bregaglio, Simone; Buis, Samuel; Confalonieri, Roberto; Fugice, Job; Fumoto, Tamon; Gaydon, Donald; Kumar, Soora Naresh; Lafarge, Tanguy; Marcaida Iii, Manuel; Masutomi, Yuji; Nakagawa, Hiroshi; Oriol, Philippe; Ruget, Françoise; Singh, Upendra; Tang, Liang; Tao, Fulu; Wakatsuki, Hitomi; Wallach, Daniel; Wang, Yulong; Wilson, Lloyd Ted; Yang, Lianxin; Yang, Yubin; Yoshida, Hiroe; Zhang, Zhao; Zhu, Jianguo

    2017-11-01

    The CO 2 fertilization effect is a major source of uncertainty in crop models for future yield forecasts, but coordinated efforts to determine the mechanisms of this uncertainty have been lacking. Here, we studied causes of uncertainty among 16 crop models in predicting rice yield in response to elevated [CO 2 ] (E-[CO 2 ]) by comparison to free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) and chamber experiments. The model ensemble reproduced the experimental results well. However, yield prediction in response to E-[CO 2 ] varied significantly among the rice models. The variation was not random: models that overestimated at one experiment simulated greater yield enhancements at the others. The variation was not associated with model structure or magnitude of photosynthetic response to E-[CO 2 ] but was significantly associated with the predictions of leaf area. This suggests that modelled secondary effects of E-[CO 2 ] on morphological development, primarily leaf area, are the sources of model uncertainty. Rice morphological development is conservative to carbon acquisition. Uncertainty will be reduced by incorporating this conservative nature of the morphological response to E-[CO 2 ] into the models. Nitrogen levels, particularly under limited situations, make the prediction more uncertain. Improving models to account for [CO 2 ] × N interactions is necessary to better evaluate management practices under climate change.

  14. Responsive design high performance

    CERN Document Server

    Els, Dewald

    2015-01-01

    This book is ideal for developers who have experience in developing websites or possess minor knowledge of how responsive websites work. No experience of high-level website development or performance tweaking is required.

  15. The Burden of Power: Construing Power as Responsibility (Rather Than as Opportunity) Alters Threat-Challenge Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholl, Annika; de Wit, Frank; Ellemers, Naomi; Fetterman, Adam K; Sassenberg, Kai; Scheepers, Daan

    2018-07-01

    Power usually lowers stress responses. In stressful situations, having high (vs. low) power heightens challenge and lowers threat. Yet, even power-holders may experience threat when becoming aware of the responsibility that accompanies their power. Power-holders can construe (i.e., understand) a high-power position primarily as opportunity to "make things happen" or as responsibility to "take care of things." Power-holders construing power as responsibility (rather than opportunity) may be more likely to experience demands-such as taking care of important decisions under their control-as outweighing their resources, resulting in less challenge and more threat. Four experiments with subjective and cardiovascular threat-challenge indicators support this. Going beyond prior work on structural aspects (e.g., power instability) that induce stress, we show that merely the way how power-holders construe their power can evoke stress. Specifically, we find that power construed as responsibility (vs. opportunity) is more likely to imply a "burden" for the power-holder.

  16. Pros and cons of conjoint analysis of discrete choice experiments to define classification and response criteria in rheumatology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, William J

    2016-03-01

    Conjoint analysis of choice or preference data has been used in marketing for over 40 years but has appeared in healthcare settings much more recently. It may be a useful technique for applications within the rheumatology field. Conjoint analysis in rheumatology contexts has mainly used the approaches implemented in 1000Minds Ltd, Dunedin, New Zealand, Sawtooth Software, Orem UT, USA. Examples include classification criteria, composite response criteria, service prioritization tools and utilities assessment. Limitations imposed by very many attributes can be managed using new techniques. Conjoint analysis studies of classification and response criteria suggest that the assumption of equal weighting of attributes cannot be met, which challenges traditional approaches to composite criteria construction. Weights elicited through choice experiments with experts can derive more accurate classification criteria, than unweighted criteria. Studies that find significant variation in attribute weights for composite response criteria for gout make construction of such criteria problematic. Better understanding of various multiattribute phenomena is likely to increase with increased use of conjoint analysis, especially when the attributes concern individual perceptions or opinions. In addition to classification criteria, some applications for conjoint analysis that are emerging in rheumatology include prioritization tools, remission criteria, and utilities for life areas.

  17. Seismic and aseismic fault slip in response to fluid injection observed during field experiments at meter scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cappa, F.; Guglielmi, Y.; De Barros, L.; Wynants-Morel, N.; Duboeuf, L.

    2017-12-01

    During fluid injection, the observations of an enlarging cloud of seismicity are generally explained by a direct response to the pore pressure diffusion in a permeable fractured rock. However, fluid injection can also induce large aseismic deformations which provide an alternative mechanism for triggering and driving seismicity. Despite the importance of these two mechanisms during fluid injection, there are few studies on the effects of fluid pressure on the partitioning between seismic and aseismic motions under controlled field experiments. Here, we describe in-situ meter-scale experiments measuring synchronously the fluid pressure, the fault motions and the seismicity directly in a fault zone stimulated by controlled fluid injection at 280 m depth in carbonate rocks. The experiments were conducted in a gallery of an underground laboratory in south of France (LSBB, http://lsbb.eu). Thanks to the proximal monitoring at high-frequency, our data show that the fluid overpressure mainly induces a dilatant aseismic slip (several tens of microns up to a millimeter) at the injection. A sparse seismicity (-4 laws, we simulated an experiment and investigated the relative contribution of the fluid pressure diffusion and stress transfer on the seismic and aseismic fault behavior. The model reproduces the hydromechanical data measured at injection, and show that the aseismic slip induced by fluid injection propagates outside the pressurized zone where accumulated shear stress develops, and potentially triggers seismicity. Our models also show that the permeability enhancement and friction evolution are essential to explain the fault slip behavior. Our experimental results are consistent with large-scale observations of fault motions at geothermal sites (Wei et al., 2015; Cornet, 2016), and suggest that controlled field experiments at meter-scale are important for better assessing the role of fluid pressure in natural and human-induced earthquakes.

  18. Using E-Portfolios in a Field Experience Placement: Examining Student-Teachers' Attitudes towards Learning in Relationship to Personal Value, Control and Responsibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shroff, Ronnie H.; Trent, John; Ng, Eugenia M. W.

    2013-01-01

    This study extends the ownership of learning model by using e-portfolios in a field experience placement to examine student-teachers' attitudes towards learning in relationship to personal value, feeling in control and taking responsibility. A research model is presented based on research into ownership of learning. The student e-portfolio…

  19. Counterconditioned Fear Responses Exhibit Greater Renewal than Extinguished Fear Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Nathan M.; Leung, Hiu T.; Westbrook, R. Frederick

    2016-01-01

    This series of experiments used rats to compare counterconditioning and extinction of conditioned fear responses (freezing) with respect to the effects of a context shift. In each experiment, a stimulus was paired with shock in context A, extinguished or counterconditioned through pairings with sucrose in context B, and then tested for renewal…

  20. Explicating Experience: Development of a Valid Scale of Past Hazard Experience for Tornadoes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demuth, Julie L

    2018-03-23

    People's past experiences with a hazard theoretically influence how they approach future risks. Yet, past hazard experience has been conceptualized and measured in wide-ranging, often simplistic, ways, resulting in mixed findings about its relationship with risk perception. This study develops a scale of past hazard experiences, in the context of tornadoes, that is content and construct valid. A conceptual definition was developed, a set of items were created to measure one's most memorable and multiple tornado experiences, and the measures were evaluated through two surveys of the public who reside in tornado-prone areas. Four dimensions emerged of people's most memorable experience, reflecting their awareness of the tornado risk that day, their personalization of the risk, the intrusive impacts on them personally, and impacts experienced vicariously through others. Two dimensions emerged of people's multiple experiences, reflecting common types of communication received and negative emotional responses. These six dimensions are novel in that they capture people's experience across the timeline of a hazard as well as intangible experiences that are both direct and indirect. The six tornado experience dimensions were correlated with tornado risk perceptions measured as cognitive-affective and as perceived probability of consequences. The varied experience-risk perception results suggest that it is important to understand the nuances of these concepts and their relationships. This study provides a foundation for future work to continue explicating past hazard experience, across different risk contexts, and for understanding its effect on risk assessment and responses. © 2018 Society for Risk Analysis.

  1. Transplant experiments uncover Baltic Sea basin-specific responses in bacterioplankton community composition and metabolic activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markus V Lindh

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Anthropogenically induced changes in precipitation are projected to generate increased river runoff to semi-enclosed seas, intensifying loads of terrestrial dissolved organic matter and decreasing salinity. To determine how bacterial community structure and functioning adjust to such changes, we designed microcosm transplant experiments with Baltic Proper (salinity 7.2 and Bothnian Sea (salinity 3.6 water. Baltic Proper bacteria generally reached higher abundance than Bothnian Sea bacteria in both Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea water, indicating a higher adaptability. Moreover, Baltic Proper bacteria growing in Bothnian Sea water consistently showed highest bacterial production and beta-glucosidase activity. These metabolic responses were accompanied by basin-specific changes in bacterial community structure. For example, Baltic Proper Pseudomonas and Limnobacter populations increased markedly in relative abundance in Bothnian Sea water, indicating replacement. In contrast, Roseobacter and Rheinheimera populations were stable or increased in abundance when challenged by either of the waters, indicating adjustment. Transplants to Bothnian Sea water triggered the initial emergence of particular Burkholderiaceae populations, and transplants to Baltic Proper water triggered Alteromonadaceae populations. Notably, in the subsequent re-transplant experiment, the original triggering, or priming effect, resulted in further increases to dominance of these populations. Correlated changes in community composition and metabolic activity were observed only in the transplant experiment, and only at relatively high phylogenetic resolution. This suggested an importance of successional progression for interpreting relationships between bacterial community composition and functioning. We infer that priming effects on bacterial community structure by natural episodic events or climate change induced forcing could translate into long-term changes in bacterial

  2. Addressing Energy Demand through Demand Response. International Experiences and Practices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Bo [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ghatikar, Girish [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ni, Chun Chun [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Dudley, Junqiao [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Martin, Phil [Enernoc, Inc., Boston, MA (United States); Wikler, Greg

    2012-06-01

    Demand response (DR) is a load management tool which provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional supply-side solutions to address the growing demand during times of peak electrical load. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), demand response reflects “changes in electric usage by end-use customers from their normal consumption patterns in response to changes in the price of electricity over time, or to incentive payments designed to induce lower electricity use at times of high wholesale market prices or when system reliability is jeopardized.” 1 The California Energy Commission (CEC) defines DR as “a reduction in customers’ electricity consumption over a given time interval relative to what would otherwise occur in response to a price signal, other financial incentives, or a reliability signal.” 2 This latter definition is perhaps most reflective of how DR is understood and implemented today in countries such as the US, Canada, and Australia where DR is primarily a dispatchable resource responding to signals from utilities, grid operators, and/or load aggregators (or DR providers).

  3. Response-reinforcer dependency and resistance to change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cançado, Carlos R X; Abreu-Rodrigues, Josele; Aló, Raquel Moreira; Hauck, Flávia; Doughty, Adam H

    2018-01-01

    The effects of the response-reinforcer dependency on resistance to change were studied in three experiments with rats. In Experiment 1, lever pressing produced reinforcers at similar rates after variable interreinforcer intervals in each component of a two-component multiple schedule. Across conditions, in the fixed component, all reinforcers were response-dependent; in the alternative component, the percentage of response-dependent reinforcers was 100, 50 (i.e., 50% response-dependent and 50% response-independent) or 10% (i.e., 10% response-dependent and 90% response-independent). Resistance to extinction was greater in the alternative than in the fixed component when the dependency in the former was 10%, but was similar between components when this dependency was 100 or 50%. In Experiment 2, a three-component multiple schedule was used. The dependency was 100% in one component and 10% in the other two. The 10% components differed on how reinforcers were programmed. In one component, as in Experiment 1, a reinforcer had to be collected before the scheduling of other response-dependent or independent reinforcers. In the other component, response-dependent and -independent reinforcers were programmed by superimposing a variable-time schedule on an independent variable-interval schedule. Regardless of the procedure used to program the dependency, resistance to extinction was greater in the 10% components than in the 100% component. These results were replicated in Experiment 3 in which, instead of extinction, VT schedules replaced the baseline schedules in each multiple-schedule component during the test. We argue that the relative change in dependency from Baseline to Test, which is greater when baseline dependencies are high rather than low, could account for the differential resistance to change in the present experiments. The inconsistencies in results across the present and previous experiments suggest that the effects of dependency on resistance to change are

  4. In vivo kinetic analysis of the penicillin biosynthesis pathway using PAA stimulus response experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshmukh, Amit T; Verheijen, Peter J T; Maleki Seifar, Reza; Heijnen, Joseph J; van Gulik, Walter M

    2015-11-01

    In this study we combined experimentation with mathematical modeling to unravel the in vivo kinetic properties of the enzymes and transporters of the penicillin biosynthesis pathway in a high yielding Penicillium chrysogenum strain. The experiment consisted of a step response experiment with the side chain precursor phenyl acetic acid (PAA) in a glucose-limited chemostat. The metabolite data showed that in the absence of PAA all penicillin pathway enzymes were expressed, leading to the production of a significant amount of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6APA) as end product. After the stepwise perturbation with PAA, the pathway produced PenG within seconds. From the extra- and intracellular metabolite measurements, hypotheses for the secretion mechanisms of penicillin pathway metabolites were derived. A dynamic model of the penicillin biosynthesis pathway was then constructed that included the formation and transport over the cytoplasmic membrane of pathway intermediates, PAA and the product penicillin-G (PenG). The model parameters and changes in the enzyme levels of the penicillin biosynthesis pathway under in vivo conditions were simultaneously estimated using experimental data obtained at three different timescales (seconds, minutes, hours). The model was applied to determine changes in the penicillin pathway enzymes in time, calculate fluxes and analyze the flux control of the pathway. This led to a reassessment of the in vivo behavior of the pathway enzymes and in particular Acyl-CoA:Isopenicillin N Acyltransferase (AT). Copyright © 2015 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Response procedure, memory, and dichotic emotion recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voyer, Daniel; Dempsey, Danielle; Harding, Jennifer A

    2014-03-01

    Three experiments investigated the role of memory and rehearsal in a dichotic emotion recognition task by manipulating the response procedure as well as the interval between encoding and retrieval while taking into account order of report. For all experiments, right-handed undergraduates were presented with dichotic pairs of the words bower, dower, power, and tower pronounced in a sad, angry, happy, or neutral tone of voice. Participants were asked to report the two emotions presented on each trial by clicking on the corresponding drawings or words on a computer screen, either following no delay or a five second delay. Experiment 1 applied the delay conditions as a between-subjects factor whereas it was a within-subject factor in Experiment 2. In Experiments 1 and 2, more correct responses occurred for the left than the right ear, reflecting a left ear advantage (LEA) that was slightly larger with a nonverbal than a verbal response. The LEA was also found to be larger with no delay than with the 5s delay. In addition, participants typically responded first to the left ear stimulus. In fact, the first response produced a LEA whereas the second response produced a right ear advantage. Experiment 3 involved a concurrent task during the delay to prevent rehearsal. In Experiment 3, the pattern of results supported the claim that rehearsal could account for the findings of the first two experiments. The findings are interpreted in the context of the role of rehearsal and memory in models of dichotic listening. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The ERASMUS experiment archive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isakeit, Dieter; Sabbatini, Massimo; Carey, William

    2005-08-01

    The Erasmus Experiment Archive is an electronic database, accessible through the Internet, that collects in a single reference repository scientific, technical and operational information regarding the experiments performed in the experiment facilities which fall under the responsibility of the ESA Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration. The archive is operated, filled with content and kept up-to-date by the Erasmus User Centre. which forms part of the Directorate. The archive shares its records and is interoperable with similar experiment archives of the partner agencies NASA USA) and JAXA (Japan) through a mutually agreed standard for experiment records called the International Distributed Experiment Archive (IDEA).

  7. Emotional Responses to Music: Experience, Expression, and Physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundqvist, Lars-Olov; Carlsson, Fredrik; Hilmersson, Per; Juslin, Patrik N.

    2009-01-01

    A crucial issue in research on music and emotion is whether music evokes genuine emotional responses in listeners (the emotivist position) or whether listeners merely perceive emotions expressed by the music (the cognitivist position). To investigate this issue, we measured self-reported emotion, facial muscle activity, and autonomic activity in…

  8. Low emotional response to traumatic footage is associated with an absence of analogue flashbacks: an individual participant data meta-analysis of 16 trauma film paradigm experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Ian A; Mackay, Clare E; Holmes, Emily A

    2015-01-01

    Most people will experience or witness a traumatic event. A common occurrence after trauma is the experience of involuntary emotional memories of the traumatic event, herewith "flashbacks". Some individuals, however, report no flashbacks. Prospective work investigating psychological factors associated with an absence of flashbacks is lacking. We performed an individual participant data meta-analysis on 16 experiments (n = 458) using the trauma film paradigm to investigate the association of emotional response to traumatic film footage and commonly collected baseline characteristics (trait anxiety, current depression, trauma history) with an absence of analogue flashbacks. An absence of analogue flashbacks was associated with low emotional response to the traumatic film footage and, to a lesser extent, low trait anxiety and low current depression levels. Trauma history and recognition memory for the film were not significantly associated with an absence of analogue flashbacks. Understanding why some individuals report an absence of flashbacks may aid preventative treatments against flashback development.

  9. How does a neuron know to modulate its epigenetic machinery in response to early-life environment/experience?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carley A Karsten

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Exciting information is emerging about epigenetic mechanisms and their role in long-lasting changes of neuronal gene expression. Whereas these mechanisms are active throughout life, recent findings point to a critical window of early postnatal development during which neuronal gene expression may be persistently re-programmed via epigenetic modifications. However, it remains unclear how the epigenetic machinery is modulated. Here we focus on an important example of early-life programming: the effect of sensory input from the mother on expression patterns of key stress-related genes in the developing brain. We focus on the lasting effects of this early life experience on corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH gene expression in the hypothalamus, and describe recent work that integrates organism-wide signals with cellular signals that in turn impact epigenetic regulation. We describe the operational brain networks that convey sensory input to CRH-expressing cells, and highlight the resulting re-wiring of synaptic connectivity to these neurons. We then move from intercellular to intracellular mechanisms, speculating about the induction and maintenance of lifelong CRH repression provoked by early-life experience. Elucidating such pathways is critical for understanding the enduring links between experience and gene expression. In the context of responses to stress, such mechanisms should contribute to vulnerability or resilience to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD and other stress-related disorders.

  10. Do romantic partners' responses to entry dyspareunia affect women's experience of pain? The roles of catastrophizing and self-efficacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemieux, Ashley J; Bergeron, Sophie; Steben, Marc; Lambert, Bernard

    2013-09-01

    Entry dyspareunia is a sexual health concern which affects about 21% of women in the general population. Characterized by pain provoked during vaginal penetration, introital dyspareunia has been shown by controlled studies to have a negative impact on the psychological well-being, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of afflicted women. Many cognitive and affective variables may influence the experience of pain and associated psychosexual problems. However, the role of the partner's cognitive responses has been studied very little. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between partners' catastrophizing and their perceptions of women's self-efficacy at managing pain on one side and women's pain intensity, sexual function, and sexual satisfaction on the other. One hundred seventy-nine heterosexual couples (mean age for women = 31, SD = 10.0; mean age for men = 33, SD = 10.6) in which the woman suffered from entry dyspareunia participated in the study. Both partners completed quantitative measures. Women completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Painful Intercourse Self-Efficacy Scale. Men completed the significant-other versions of these measures. Dependent measures were women's responses to (i) the Pain Numeric Visual Analog Scale; (ii) the Female Sexual Function Index; and (iii) the Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction scale. Controlled for women's pain catastrophizing and self-efficacy, results indicate that higher levels of partner-perceived self-efficacy and lower levels of partner catastrophizing are associated with decreased pain intensity in women with entry dyspareunia, although only partner catastrophizing contributed unique variance. Partner-perceived self-efficacy and catastrophizing were not significantly associated with sexual function or satisfaction in women. The findings suggest that partners' cognitive responses may influence the experience of entry dyspareunia for women, pointing

  11. Experiment prediction for Loft Nonnuclear Experiment L1-4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, J.R.; Berta, V.T.; Holmstrom, H.L.O.

    1977-04-01

    A computer analysis, using the WHAM and RELAP4 computer codes, was performed to predict the LOFT system thermal-hydraulic response for Experiment L1-4 of the nonnuclear (isothermal) test series. Experiment L1-4 will simulate a 200 percent double-ended offset shear in the cold leg of a four-loop large pressurized water reactor. A core simulator will be used to provide a reactor vessel pressure drop representative of the LOFT nuclear core. Experiment L1-4 will be initiated with a nominal isothermal primary coolant temperature of 282.2 0 C, a pressurizer pressure of 15.51 MPa, and a primary coolant flow of 270.9 kg/s. In general, the predictions of saturated blowdown for Experiment Ll-4 are consistent with the expected system behavior, and predicted trends agree with results from Semiscale Test S-01-4A, which simulated the Ll-4 experiment conditions

  12. Fire-Induced Response in Foam Encapsulants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borek, T.T.; Chu, T.Y.; Erickson, K.L.; Gill, W.; Hobbs, M.L.; Humphries, L.L.; Renlund, A.M.; Ulibarri, T.A.

    1999-04-02

    The paper provides a concise overview of a coordinated experimental/theoretical/numerical program at Sandia National Laboratories to develop an experimentally validated model of fire-induced response of foam-filled engineered systems for nuclear and transportation safety applications. Integral experiments are performed to investigate the thermal response of polyurethane foam-filled systems exposed to fire-like heat fluxes. A suite of laboratory experiments is performed to characterize the decomposition chemistry of polyurethane. Mass loss and energy associated with foam decomposition and chemical structures of the virgin and decomposed foam are determined. Decomposition chemistry is modeled as the degradation of macromolecular structures by bond breaking followed by vaporization of small fragments of the macromolecule with high vapor pressures. The chemical decomposition model is validated against the laboratory data. Data from integral experiments is used to assess and validate a FEM foam thermal response model with the chemistry model developed from the decomposition experiments. Good agreement was achieved both in the progression of the decomposition front and the in-depth thermal response.

  13. Learning to inhibit the response during instrumental (operant) extinction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouton, Mark E; Trask, Sydney; Carranza-Jasso, Rodrigo

    2016-07-01

    Five experiments tested implications of the idea that instrumental (operant) extinction involves learning to inhibit the learned response. All experiments used a discriminated operant procedure in which rats were reinforced for lever pressing or chain pulling in the presence of a discriminative stimulus (S), but not in its absence. In Experiment 1, extinction of the response (R) in the presence of S weakened responding in S, but equivalent nonreinforced exposure to S (without the opportunity to make R) did not. Experiment 2 replicated that result and found that extinction of R had no effect on a different R that had also been reinforced in the stimulus. In Experiments 3 and 4, rats first learned to perform several different stimulus and response combinations (S1R1, S2R1, S3R2, and S4R2). Extinction of a response in one stimulus (i.e., S1R1) transferred and weakened the same response, but not a different response, when it was tested in another stimulus (i.e., S2R1 but not S3R2). In Experiment 5, extinction still transferred between S1 and S2 when the stimuli set the occasion for R's association with different types of food pellets. The results confirm the importance of response inhibition in instrumental extinction: Nonreinforcement of the response in S causes the most effective suppression of responding, and response suppression is specific to the response but transfers and influences performance of the same response when it is occasioned by other stimuli. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Learning to inhibit the response during instrumental (operant) extinction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouton, Mark E.; Trask, Sydney; Carranza-Jasso, Rodrigo

    2016-01-01

    Five experiments tested implications of the idea that instrumental (operant) extinction involves learning to inhibit the learned response. All experiments used a discriminated operant procedure in which rats were reinforced for lever pressing or chain pulling in the presence of a discriminative stimulus (S), but not in its absence. In Experiment 1, extinction of the response (R) in the presence of S weakened responding in S, but equivalent nonreinforced exposure to S (without the opportunity to make R) did not. Experiment 2 replicated that result and found that extinction of R had no effect on a different R that had also been reinforced in the stimulus. In Experiments 3 and 4, rats first learned to perform several different stimulus and response combinations (S1R1, S2R1, S3R2, and S4R2). Extinction of a response in one stimulus (i.e., S1R1) transferred and weakened the same response, but not a different response, when it was tested in another stimulus (i.e., S2R1 but not S3R2). In Experiment 5, extinction still transferred between S1 and S2 when the stimuli set the occasion for R's association with different types of food pellets. The results confirm the importance of response inhibition in instrumental extinction: Nonreinforcement of the response in S causes the most effective suppression of responding, and response suppression is specific to the response but transfers and influences performance of the same response when it is occasioned by other stimuli. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PMID:27379715

  15. Clinical Experience of Auditory Brainstem Response Testing on Pediatric Patients in the Operating Room

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guangwei Zhou

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. To review our experience of conducting auditory brainstem response (ABR test on children in the operating room and discuss the benefits versus limitations of this practice. Methods. Retrospective review study conducted in a pediatric tertiary care facility. A total of 267 patients identified with usable data, including ABR results, medical and surgical notes, and follow-up evaluation. Results. Hearing status successfully determined in all patients based on the ABR results form the operating room. The degrees and the types of hearing loss also documented in most of the cases. In addition, multiple factors that may affect the outcomes of ABR in the operating room identified. Conclusions. Hearing loss in children with complicated medical issues can be accurately evaluated via ABR testing in the operating room. Efforts should be made to eliminate adverse factors to ABR recording, and caution should be taken when interpreting ABR results from the operating room.

  16. Response time distributions in rapid chess: a large-scale decision making experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigman, Mariano; Etchemendy, Pablo; Slezak, Diego Fernández; Cecchi, Guillermo A

    2010-01-01

    Rapid chess provides an unparalleled laboratory to understand decision making in a natural environment. In a chess game, players choose consecutively around 40 moves in a finite time budget. The goodness of each choice can be determined quantitatively since current chess algorithms estimate precisely the value of a position. Web-based chess produces vast amounts of data, millions of decisions per day, incommensurable with traditional psychological experiments. We generated a database of response times (RTs) and position value in rapid chess games. We measured robust emergent statistical observables: (1) RT distributions are long-tailed and show qualitatively distinct forms at different stages of the game, (2) RT of successive moves are highly correlated both for intra- and inter-player moves. These findings have theoretical implications since they deny two basic assumptions of sequential decision making algorithms: RTs are not stationary and can not be generated by a state-function. Our results also have practical implications. First, we characterized the capacity of blunders and score fluctuations to predict a player strength, which is yet an open problem in chess softwares. Second, we show that the winning likelihood can be reliably estimated from a weighted combination of remaining times and position evaluation.

  17. Measuring decision weights in recognition experiments with multiple response alternatives: comparing the correlation and multinomial-logistic-regression methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Huanping; Micheyl, Christophe

    2012-11-01

    Psychophysical "reverse-correlation" methods allow researchers to gain insight into the perceptual representations and decision weighting strategies of individual subjects in perceptual tasks. Although these methods have gained momentum, until recently their development was limited to experiments involving only two response categories. Recently, two approaches for estimating decision weights in m-alternative experiments have been put forward. One approach extends the two-category correlation method to m > 2 alternatives; the second uses multinomial logistic regression (MLR). In this article, the relative merits of the two methods are discussed, and the issues of convergence and statistical efficiency of the methods are evaluated quantitatively using Monte Carlo simulations. The results indicate that, for a range of values of the number of trials, the estimated weighting patterns are closer to their asymptotic values for the correlation method than for the MLR method. Moreover, for the MLR method, weight estimates for different stimulus components can exhibit strong correlations, making the analysis and interpretation of measured weighting patterns less straightforward than for the correlation method. These and other advantages of the correlation method, which include computational simplicity and a close relationship to other well-established psychophysical reverse-correlation methods, make it an attractive tool to uncover decision strategies in m-alternative experiments.

  18. Experiences of an Engineer working in Reactor Safety and Emergency Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osborn, Douglas

    2015-04-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center Consequence Management Home Team (FRMAC/CMHT) Assessment Scientist's roles, responsibilities incorporate the FRMAC with other federal, state, and local agencies during a nuclear/radiological emergency. Before the Consequence Management Response Team arrives on-site, the FRMAC/CMHT provides technical and logistical support to the FRMAC and to state, local, and tribal authorities following a nuclear/radiological event. The FRMAC/CMHT support includes analyzing event data, evaluating hazards that relate to protection of the public, and providing event information and data products to protective action decision makers. The Assessment Scientist is the primary scientist responsible for performing calculations and analyses and communicating results to the field during any activation of the FRMAC/CMHT assets. As such, the FRMAC/CMHT Assessment Scientist has a number of different roles and responsibilities to fill depending upon the type of response that is required. Additionally, the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Consequence Assessment Team (CAT) Consequence Assessor roles, responsibilities involve hazardous materials operational emergency at SNL New Mexico facilities (SNL/NM) which include loss of control over radioactive, chemical, or explosive hazardous materials. When a hazardous materials operational emergency occurs, key decisions must be made in order to regain control over the hazards, protect personnel from the effects of the hazards, and mitigate impacts on operations, facilities, property, and the environment. Many of these decisions depend in whole or in part on the evaluation of potential consequences from a loss of control over the hazards. As such, the CAT has a number of different roles and responsibilities to fill depending upon the type of response that is required. Primary consequence-based decisions supported by the CAT during a hazardous materials operational

  19. Combining short-term manipulative experiments with long-term palaeoecological investigations at high resolution to assess the response of Sphagnum peatlands to drought, fire and warming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Lamentowicz

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Northern hemisphere peatlands are substantial carbon stores. However, recent climate change and human impacts (e.g., drainage and atmospheric nutrient deposition may trigger the emission of their stored carbon to the atmosphere. Biodiversity losses are also an important consequence of those changes. Therefore, there is a need to recognise these processes in space and time. Global change experiments are often conducted to improve our understanding of the potential responses of various ecosystems to global warming and drought. Most of the experiments carried out in peatlands are focused on carbon balance and nitrogen deposition. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how fast peatlands respond to temperature changes and water-table lowering in the continental climate setting. This is important because continental regions account for a significant proportion of all northern hemisphere peatlands. A combination of short-term and long-term approaches in a single research project is especially helpful because it facilitates the correct interpretation of experimental data. Here we describe the CLIMPEAT project - a manipulative field experiment in a Sphagnum-dominated peatland supported by a high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoecological study. The design of the field experiment (e.g., treatments, methodology and biogeographical setting are presented. We suggest it is beneficial to support field experiments with an investigation of past environmental changes in the studied ecosystem, as human impacts during the past 300 years have already caused substantial changes in ecosystem functioning which may condition the response in experimental studies.

  20. General Practitioners' Experiences of, and Responses to, Uncertainty in Prostate Cancer Screening: Insights from a Qualitative Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristen Pickles

    Full Text Available Prostate-specific antigen (PSA testing for prostate cancer is controversial. There are unresolved tensions and disagreements amongst experts, and clinical guidelines conflict. This both reflects and generates significant uncertainty about the appropriateness of screening. Little is known about general practitioners' (GPs' perspectives and experiences in relation to PSA testing of asymptomatic men. In this paper we asked the following questions: (1 What are the primary sources of uncertainty as described by GPs in the context of PSA testing? (2 How do GPs experience and respond to different sources of uncertainty?This was a qualitative study that explored general practitioners' current approaches to, and reasoning about, PSA testing of asymptomatic men. We draw on accounts generated from interviews with 69 general practitioners located in Australia (n = 40 and the United Kingdom (n = 29. The interviews were conducted in 2013-2014. Data were analysed using grounded theory methods. Uncertainty in PSA testing was identified as a core issue.Australian GPs reported experiencing substantially more uncertainty than UK GPs. This seemed partly explainable by notable differences in conditions of practice between the two countries. Using Han et al's taxonomy of uncertainty as an initial framework, we first outline the different sources of uncertainty GPs (mostly Australian described encountering in relation to prostate cancer screening and what the uncertainty was about. We then suggest an extension to Han et al's taxonomy based on our analysis of data relating to the varied ways that GPs manage uncertainties in the context of PSA testing. We outline three broad strategies: (1 taking charge of uncertainty; (2 engaging others in managing uncertainty; and (3 transferring the responsibility for reducing or managing some uncertainties to other parties.Our analysis suggests some GPs experienced uncertainties associated with ambiguous guidance and the

  1. Atmospheric boundary layer response to sea surface temperatures during the SEMAPHORE experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giordani, Hervé; Planton, Serge; Benech, Bruno; Kwon, Byung-Hyuk

    1998-10-01

    The sensitivity of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) subjected to sea surface temperatures (SST) during the Structure des Echanges Mer-Atmosphere, Proprietes des Heterogeneites Oceaniques: Recherche Experimentale (SEMAPHORE) experiment in 1993 has been studied. Atmospheric analyses produced by the Action de Recherche, Petite Echelle, Grande Echelle (ARPEGE) operational model at the French meteorological weather service assimilated data sets collected between October 7 and November 17, 1993, merged with the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) data. Analyses were validated against independent data from aircraft instruments collected along a section crossing the Azores oceanic front, not assimilated into the model. The responses of the mean MABL in the aircraft cross section to changes in SST gradients of about 1°C/100 km were the presence of an atmospheric front with horizontal gradients of 1°C/100 km and an increase of the wind intensity from the cold to the warm side during an anticyclonic synoptic situation. The study of the spatiotemporal characteristics of the MABL shows that during 3 days of an anticyclonic synoptic situation the SST is remarkably stationary because it is principally controlled by the Azores ocean current, which has a timescale of about 10 days. However, the temperature and the wind in the MABL are influenced by the prevailing atmospheric conditions. The ocean does not appear to react to the surface atmospheric forcing on the timescale of 3 days, whereas the atmospheric structures are modified by local and synoptic-scale advection. The MABL response appears to be much quicker than that of the SSTs. The correlation between the wind and the thermal structure in the MABL is dominated by the ageostrophic and not by the geostrophic component. In particular, the enhancement of the wind on either side of the SST front is mainly due to the ageostrophic component. Although the surface heat fluxes are not the only cause of ageostrophy, the

  2. Bird-community responses to habitat creation in a long-term, large-scale natural experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whytock, Robin C; Fuentes-Montemayor, Elisa; Watts, Kevin; Barbosa De Andrade, Patanjaly; Whytock, Rory T; French, Paul; Macgregor, Nicholas A; Park, Kirsty J

    2018-04-01

    Ecosystem function and resilience are compromised when habitats become fragmented due to land-use change. This has led to national and international conservation strategies aimed at restoring habitat extent and improving functional connectivity (i.e., maintaining dispersal processes). However, biodiversity responses to landscape-scale habitat creation and the relative importance of spatial and temporal scales are poorly understood, and there is disagreement over which conservation strategies should be prioritized. We used 160 years of historic post-agricultural woodland creation as a natural experiment to evaluate biodiversity responses to habitat creation in a landscape context. Birds were surveyed in 101 secondary, broadleaf woodlands aged 10-160 years with ≥80% canopy cover and in landscapes with 0-17% broadleaf woodland cover within 3000 m. We used piecewise structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect relationships between bird abundance and diversity, ecological continuity, patch characteristics, and landscape structure and quantified the relative conservation value of local and landscape scales for bird communities. Ecological continuity indirectly affected overall bird abundance and species richness through its effects on stand structure, but had a weaker influence (effect size near 0) on the abundance and diversity of species most closely associated with woodland habitats. This was probably because woodlands were rapidly colonized by woodland generalists in ≤10 years (minimum patch age) but were on average too young (median 50 years) to be colonized by woodland specialists. Local patch characteristics were relatively more important than landscape characteristics for bird communities. Based on our results, biodiversity responses to habitat creation depended on local- and landscape-scale factors that interacted across time and space. We suggest that there is a need for further studies that focus on habitat creation in a landscape

  3. Development and use of a master health facility list: Haiti's experience during the 2010 earthquake response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose-Wood, Alyson; Heard, Nathan; Thermidor, Roody; Chan, Jessica; Joseph, Fanor; Lerebours, Gerald; Zugaldia, Antonio; Konkel, Kimberly; Edwards, Michael; Lang, Bill; Torres, Carmen-Rosa

    2014-08-01

    Master health facility lists (MHFLs) are gaining attention as a standards-based means to uniquely identify health facilities and to link facility-level data. The ability to reliably communicate information about specific health facilities can support an array of health system functions, such as routine reporting and emergency response operations. MHFLs support the alignment of donor-supported health information systems with county-owned systems. Recent World Health Organization draft guidance promotes the utility of MHFLs and outlines a process for list development and governance. Although the potential benefits of MHFLs are numerous and may seem obvious, there are few documented cases of MHFL construction and use. The international response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake provides an example of how governments, nongovernmental organizations, and others can collaborate within a framework of standards to build a more complete and accurate list of health facilities. Prior to the earthquake, the Haitian Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population [MSPP]) maintained a list of public-sector health facilities but lacked information on privately managed facilities. Following the earthquake, the MSPP worked with a multinational group to expand the completeness and accuracy of the list of health facilities, including information on post-quake operational status. This list later proved useful in the response to the cholera epidemic and is now incorporated into the MSPP's routine health information system. Haiti's experience demonstrates the utility of MHFL formation and use in crisis as well as in the routine function of the health information system.

  4. Information-integration category learning and the human uncertainty response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, Erick J; Boomer, Joseph; Smith, J David; Ashby, F Gregory

    2011-04-01

    The human response to uncertainty has been well studied in tasks requiring attention and declarative memory systems. However, uncertainty monitoring and control have not been studied in multi-dimensional, information-integration categorization tasks that rely on non-declarative procedural memory. Three experiments are described that investigated the human uncertainty response in such tasks. Experiment 1 showed that following standard categorization training, uncertainty responding was similar in information-integration tasks and rule-based tasks requiring declarative memory. In Experiment 2, however, uncertainty responding in untrained information-integration tasks impaired the ability of many participants to master those tasks. Finally, Experiment 3 showed that the deficit observed in Experiment 2 was not because of the uncertainty response option per se, but rather because the uncertainty response provided participants a mechanism via which to eliminate stimuli that were inconsistent with a simple declarative response strategy. These results are considered in the light of recent models of category learning and metacognition.

  5. Atmospheric response in aurora experiment: Observations of E and F region neutral winds in a region of postmidnight diffuse aurora

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsen, M.F.; Marshall, T.R.; Mikkelsen, I.S.

    1995-01-01

    The goal of the Atmospheric Response in Aurora (ARIA) experiment carried out at Poker Flat, Alaska, on March 3, 1992, was to determine the response of the neutral atmosphere to the long-lived, large-scale forcing that is characteristic of the diffuse aurora in the postmidnight sector. A combination of chemical release rocket wind measurements, intrumented rocket composition measurements, and ground-based optical measurements were used to characterize the response of the neutral atmosphere. The rocket measurements were made at the end of a 90-min period of strong Joule heating. We focus on the neutral wind measurements made with the rocket. The forcing was determined by running the assimilated mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics (AMIE) analysis procedure developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The winds expected at the latitude and longitude of the experiment were calculated using the spectral thermospheric general circulation model developed at the Danish Meteorological Institute. Comparisons of the observations and the model suggest that the neutral winds responded strongly in two height ranges. An eastward wind perturbation of ∼100 m s -1 developed between 140 and 200 km altitude with a peak near 160 km. A southwestward wind with peak magnitude of ∼150 m s -1 developed near 115 km altitude. The large amplitude winds at the lower altitude are particularly surprising. They appear to be associated with the upward propagating semidiurnal tide. However, the amplitude is much larger than predicted by any of the tidal models, and the shear found just below the peak in the winds was nomially unstable with a Richardson number of ∼0.08. 17 refs., 12 figs

  6. Velocity Feedback Experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiu Choi

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Transient response such as ringing in a control system can be reduced or removed by velocity feedback. It is a useful control technique that should be covered in the relevant engineering laboratory courses. We developed velocity feedback experiments using two different low cost technologies, viz., operational amplifiers and microcontrollers. These experiments can be easily integrated into laboratory courses on feedback control systems or microcontroller applications. The intent of developing these experiments was to illustrate the ringing problem and to offer effective, low cost solutions for removing such problem. In this paper the pedagogical approach for these velocity feedback experiments was described. The advantages and disadvantages of the two different implementation of velocity feedback were discussed also.

  7. A qualitative study exploring the experiences and emotional responses of female community continence link workers and female patients in relation to performing clean intermittent self-catheterisation

    OpenAIRE

    Ramm, Dianne; Kane, Ros

    2011-01-01

    Aim: This paper represents a report of a study designed to explore the experiences of female community continence link nurses in relation to female catheterisation and their psychological and educational preparedness to teach it. The lived experiences and emotional responses of female patients learning to perform Clean Intermittent Self-Catheterisation (CISC) are also examined. Background: There is general consensus that CISC should be considered in preference to indwelling catheterisat...

  8. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for Teachers of Color

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gist, Conra D.

    2017-01-01

    This study utilizes the conceptual framework of culturally responsive pedagogy and theoretical suppositions about the culturally responsive teacher educator to examine the learning experiences of teacher candidates of color. Findings from the case study of a teacher educator's and teacher candidates' of color teaching and learning experiences in a…

  9. The unsilencing of military wives: wartime deployment experiences and citizen responsibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Jennifer; Ward, David B; Storm, Cheryl

    2011-01-01

    One of therapists' contemporary moral imperatives is to support American service members and their families regardless of personal position on the Global War on Terrorism. One way therapists can respond to this imperative is by seeking to understand Army wives' experiences during their husbands' wartime deployments. Therefore, this study utilized a combination of individual interviews with Army wives and a reflecting team of military wives and civilians to explore military wives' experiences. Two main themes were identified: the wives' experience was an emotional roller coaster and they felt silenced--and could be unsilenced--in their interactions with civilians. Therapists working with Army wives should (a) normalize the roller-coaster experience; (b) encourage wives to recognize negative and positive influencers and explore their idiosyncratic coping skills; (c) support positive civilian-military connections; and (d) as a civilian and as a therapist, seek to be a positive civilian connection by proactively showing support. © 2011 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  10. Experience with RTD response time testing in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashemian, H.M.; Kerlin, T.W.

    1985-01-01

    The reactor coolant temperatures in pressurized water reactors are measured with platinum resistance temperature detectors (RTDs). The information furnished by these RTDs is used for plant protection as well as control. As a part of the plant protection system, the RTDs must respond to temperature changes in a timely fashion. The RTD response time requirements are different for the various plant types. These requirements are specified in the plant technical specifications in terms of an RTd time constant. The current time constant requirements for nuclear plant RTDs varies from 0.5 seconds to 13.0 seconds depending on the type of the plant. Therefore, different types of RTDs are used in different plants to achieve the required time constants. In addition, in-situ response time tests are periodically performed on protective system RTDs to ensure that the in-service time constants are within acceptable limits as the plant is operating. The periodic testing is important because response time degradation may occur while the RTD ages in the process. Recent response time tests in operating plants revealed unacceptable time constants for several protection system RTDs. As a result, these plants had to be shut down to resolve the problem which in one case was due to improper installation and in another case was because of degradation of a thermal compound used in the thermowell

  11. Experience and Its Generation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Chen Youqing

    2006-01-01

    Experience iS an activity that arouses emotions and generates meanings based on vivid sensation and profound compreh ension.It iS emotional,meaningful,and personal,playing a key role in the course of forming and developing one'S qualities.The psychological process of experience generation consists of such links as sensing things,arousing emotions,promoting comprehension and association,generating insights and meanings,and deepening emotional responses.Undergoing things personally by means of direct sensation,taking part in activities,and living life are the most important preconditions of experience generation.Emotional influence,situational edification,and arts edification ale extemal factors that induce experience generation.

  12. Simulator experiments: effects of NPP operator experience on performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beare, A.N.; Gray, L.H.

    1985-01-01

    Experiments are being conducted on nuclear power plant (NPP) control room training simulators by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, its subcontractor, General Physics Corporation, and participating utilities. The experiments are sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Human Factors and Safeguards Branch, Division of Risk Analysis and Operations, and are a continuation of prior research using simulators, supported by field data collection, to provide a technical basis for NRC human factors regulatory issues concerned with the operational safety of nuclear power plants. During the FY83 research, a simulator experiment was conducted at the control room simulator for a GE boiling water reactor (BWR) NPP. The research subjects were licensed operators undergoing requalification training and shift technical advisors (STAs). This experiment was designed to investigate the effects of (a) senior reactor operator (SRO) experience, (b) operating crew augmentation with an STA and (c) practice, as a crew, upon crew and individual operator performance, in response to anticipated plant transients. The FY84 experiments are a partial replication and extension of the FY83 experiment, but with PWR operators and simulator. Methodology and results to date are reported

  13. Design of modern experiments(revised version)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sung Hweon

    1984-03-01

    This book mentions design of modern experiments. It includes conception of design of experiments, a key statistics theory, one way design of experiment, two-way layout without repetition and with repetition, multi layout and analysis of enumerated data, partition, correlation and regression analysis, latin squares, factorial design, design of experiment by table of orthogonal arrays I, II, incomplete block design, design of response surface, design of compound experiment, Evop and steepest ascent or descent method and design of experiment of taguchi.

  14. The inter-relationship between mood, self-esteem and response styles in adolescent offspring of bipolar parents: an experience sampling study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlickova, Hana; Turnbull, Oliver H; Myin-Germeys, Inez; Bentall, Richard P

    2015-02-28

    The response styles theory of depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) proposes three main strategies individuals employ in response to low mood: rumination, active coping (distraction and problem-solving) and risk taking. Although recent research has suggested this theory has utility in understanding the symptoms of bipolar disorder (BD), the role of these processes in conferring vulnerability to the condition is poorly understood. Twenty-three adolescent children of patients with BD and 25 offspring of well parents completed the Experience Sampling Method (ESM; Csikszentmihalyi and Larson, 1987) diary for six days. Longitudinal analyses were carried out to examine inter-relationships between mood, self-esteem and response styles. Increased negative as well as positive mood resulted in greater rumination in both groups. Low self-esteem triggered greater risk-taking at the subsequent time point in the at-risk group, while negative affect instigated increased active coping in the control group. In both groups, engagement in risk-taking improved mood at the subsequent time point, whilst rumination dampened self-esteem. Differential longitudinal associations between mood, self-esteem and response styles between at-risk and control children suggest early psychological vulnerability in the offspring of BD parents, with important indications for early intervention. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Demand response from the non-domestic sector: Early UK experiences and future opportunities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grünewald, Philipp; Torriti, Jacopo

    2013-01-01

    Demand response is believed by some to become a major contributor towards system balancing in future electricity networks. Shifting or reducing demand at critical moments can reduce the need for generation capacity, help with the integration of renewables, support more efficient system operation and thereby potentially lead to cost and carbon reductions for the entire energy system. In this paper we review the nature of the response resource of consumers from different non-domestic sectors in the UK, based on extensive half hourly demand profiles and observed demand responses. We further explore the potential to increase the demand response capacity through changes in the regulatory and market environment. The analysis suggests that present demand response measures tend to stimulate stand-by generation capacity in preference to load shifting and we propose that extended response times may favour load based demand response, especially in sectors with significant thermal loads. - Highlights: • Empirical demand response data from non-domestic sector evaluated. • Load profiles suggest strong sector dependence on availability response at system peak. • Majority of aggregated demand response still stems from stand-by generation, not from demand turn down. • Scope for substantial increase in demand response capacity if response times were extended

  16. Radiation protection issues on preparedness and response for a severe nuclear accident: experiences of the Fukushima accident.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Homma, T; Takahara, S; Kimura, M; Kinase, S

    2015-06-01

    Radiation protection issues on preparedness and response for a severe nuclear accident are discussed in this paper based on the experiences following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The criteria for use in nuclear emergencies in the Japanese emergency preparedness guide were based on the recommendations of International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publications 60 and 63. Although the decision-making process for implementing protective actions relied heavily on computer-based predictive models prior to the accident, urgent protective actions, such as evacuation and sheltering, were implemented effectively based on the plant conditions. As there were no recommendations and criteria for long-term protective actions in the emergency preparedness guide, the recommendations of ICRP Publications 103, 109, and 111 were taken into consideration in determining the temporary relocation of inhabitants of heavily contaminated areas. These recommendations were very useful in deciding the emergency protective actions to take in the early stages of the Fukushima accident. However, some suggestions have been made for improving emergency preparedness and response in the early stages of a severe nuclear accident. © The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers 2014.

  17. Behavioral Responses to Epidemics in an Online Experiment: Using Virtual Diseases to Study Human Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Frederick; Griffith, Amanda; Cottrell, Allin; Wong, Yue-Ling

    2013-01-01

    We report the results of a study we conducted using a simple multiplayer online game that simulates the spread of an infectious disease through a population composed of the players. We use our virtual epidemics game to examine how people respond to epidemics. The analysis shows that people's behavior is responsive to the cost of self-protection, the reported prevalence of disease, and their experiences earlier in the epidemic. Specifically, decreasing the cost of self-protection increases the rate of safe behavior. Higher reported prevalence also raises the likelihood that individuals would engage in self-protection, where the magnitude of this effect depends on how much time has elapsed in the epidemic. Individuals' experiences in terms of how often an infection was acquired when they did not engage in self-protection are another factor that determines whether they will invest in preventive measures later on. All else being equal, individuals who were infected at a higher rate are more likely to engage in self-protective behavior compared to those with a lower rate of infection. Lastly, fixing everything else, people's willingness to engage in safe behavior waxes or wanes over time, depending on the severity of an epidemic: when prevalence is high, people are more likely to adopt self-protective measures as time goes by; when prevalence is low, a ‘self-protection fatigue’ effect sets in whereby individuals are less willing to engage in safe behavior over time. PMID:23326360

  18. Characterizing preservice Teacherʼs responses to literacy: Read alouds a way to experience the joy for reading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judith Castellanos

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available This article reports on a small-scale project which central purpose was to incorporate read-alouds in a pre-intermediate English as a foreign language class of preservice teachers during three weeks. Students responded orally and in a written way on their journals to these readings showing understanding of the texts, relating their personal experiences and / or making connections to them. The project involved students of the undergraduate program in English teaching at Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá. In all, 19 students were involved in the project. Data collection sources for this project include studentsʼ journals, after the fact notes on studentsʼ oral interactions and a group interview. Among the findings observed in this inquiry project include the intertextual connections (Short, 1993 students make across the texts read in class with their personal experiences. Most studentsʼ oral responses were characterized by code-switching; in general most students code switched depending on the difficulty of the answer. Students benefited from the reading-alouds in terms of opportunities to interact among themselves, practice their oral and written skills, and enjoy the pleasures of reading, thus building ground to a positive experience that may be emulated in their future teaching exercise. Finally, I discuss some implications of read-alouds with preservice teachers and teacher education programs in Colombia.

  19. Control of the phytoplankton response during the SAGE experiment: A synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peloquin, Jill; Hall, Julie; Safi, Karl; Ellwood, Michael; Law, Cliff S.; Thompson, Karen; Kuparinen, Jorma; Harvey, Michael; Pickmere, Stuart

    2011-03-01

    The SOLAS Air-Sea Gas Exchange (SAGE) experiment was conducted in Sub-Antarctic waters off the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand in the late summer of 2004. This mesoscale iron enrichment experiment was unique in that chlorophyll a (chl a) and primary productivity were only 2× OUT stations values toward the end of the experiment and this enhancement was due to increased activity of non-diatomaceous species. In addition, this enhancement in activity appeared to occur without a significant build up of particulate organic carbon. Picoeukaryotes (statistically significant increase, a doubling in biomass. To better understand the controls of phytoplankton growth and biomass, we present results from a series of on-deck perturbation experiments conducted during SAGE. Results suggest that the pico-dominated phytoplankton assemblage was only weakly inhibited by iron. Diatoms with high growth rates comprised a small (food web. A primary implication of this study is that any iron-mediated gain in fixed carbon with this set of environmental conditions has a high probability of being recycled in surface waters.

  20. Investigation of Millennial Students' Responses to a Shelter-in-Place Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Thomas C.; Frick, Melodie H.

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated millennial students' responses to an armed gunman threat and shelter-in-place warnings that occurred on a university campus. Using descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis, several significant differences were found for students' responses for sheltering-in-place and engaging in protective behaviors. Baxter Magolda'…

  1. Phonetic Accounts of Timed Responses in Syllable Monitoring Experiments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rietveld, A.C.M.; Schiller, N.O.; Caspers, J.; Chen, Y.; Heeren, W.; Pacilly, J.; Schiller, N.O.; Zanten, E. van

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports a syllable monitoring experiment that examines the role of segmental phonetic information in Dutch. Participants were presented with lists of spoken words and were required to detect auditorily specified targets that matched or did not match the initial syllable of the spoken

  2. Item difficulty of multiple choice tests dependant on different item response formats – An experiment in fundamental research on psychological assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KLAUS D. KUBINGER

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Multiple choice response formats are problematical as an item is often scored as solved simply because the test-taker is a lucky guesser. Instead of applying pertinent IRT models which take guessing effects into account, a pragmatic approach of re-conceptualizing multiple choice response formats to reduce the chance of lucky guessing is considered. This paper compares the free response format with two different multiple choice formats. A common multiple choice format with a single correct response option and five distractors (“1 of 6” is used, as well as a multiple choice format with five response options, of which any number of the five is correct and the item is only scored as mastered if all the correct response options and none of the wrong ones are marked (“x of 5”. An experiment was designed, using pairs of items with exactly the same content but different response formats. 173 test-takers were randomly assigned to two test booklets of 150 items altogether. Rasch model analyses adduced a fitting item pool, after the deletion of 39 items. The resulting item difficulty parameters were used for the comparison of the different formats. The multiple choice format “1 of 6” differs significantly from “x of 5”, with a relative effect of 1.63, while the multiple choice format “x of 5” does not significantly differ from the free response format. Therefore, the lower degree of difficulty of items with the “1 of 6” multiple choice format is an indicator of relevant guessing effects. In contrast the “x of 5” multiple choice format can be seen as an appropriate substitute for free response format.

  3. Bleaching response of coral species in the context of assemblage response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swain, Timothy D.; DuBois, Emily; Goldberg, Scott J.; Backman, Vadim; Marcelino, Luisa A.

    2017-06-01

    Caribbean coral reefs are declining due to a mosaic of local and global stresses, including climate change-induced thermal stress. Species and assemblage responses differ due to factors that are not easily identifiable or quantifiable. We calculated a novel species-specific metric of coral bleaching response, taxon- α and - β, which relates the response of a species to that of its assemblages for 16 species over 18 assemblages. By contextualizing species responses within the response of their assemblages, the effects of environmental factors are removed and intrinsic differences among taxa are revealed. Most corals experience either a saturation response, overly sensitive to weak stress ( α > 0) but under-responsive compared to assemblage bleaching ( β bleaching ( β > 1). This metric may help reveal key factors of bleaching susceptibility and identify species as targets for conservation.

  4. Microbial community response during the iron fertilization experiment LOHAFEX

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Thiele, S.; Fuchs, B.M.; Ramaiah, N.; Amanna, R.

    of the experiment. The globe and the inset map were generated with the M_Map package for Matlab (version 7.12.0.635; MathWorks, Natick, MA). The chlorophyll a data were downloaded from the NASA website http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Thiele et al. 8804 aem...

  5. Phenomenology between Pathos and Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernhard Waldenfels

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The author calls phenomenological intentionality, into question while taking it, nevertheless, as a starting point. From the analysis of the meaning of phenomena he goes back to a pathic dimension which precedes them. What happens to us or affects us and to what we respond in different ways cannot be reduced to previous horizons. Between pathos and response, there is an irreducible cleft which constitutes a special sort of time-lag. What happens to us comes is always too early; our responses always come too late. Our experience is never completely up to date. In order to explore this pre-semantic and pre-pragmatic depth of experience we need a sort of responsive reduction, which guides all meaning toward something we respond to. In conclusion, the author evokes some areas in which such a revision of phenomenology shows its effects, namely the genesis of life in bioethics, the historical elaboration of memory and the experience of the Other.  

  6. Operating experience feedback in TVO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piirto, A [Teollisuuden Voima Oy (Finland)

    1997-12-31

    TVO is a power company operating with two 710 MW BWR units at Olkiluoto. For operating experience feedback TVO has not established a separate organizational unit but rather relies on a group of persons representing various technical disciplines. The ``Operating Experience Group`` meets at about three-week intervals to handle the reports of events (in plant and external) which have been selected for handling by an engineer responsible for experience feedback. 7 charts.

  7. 'What makes an excellent mental health doctor?' A response integrating the experiences and views of service users with critical reflections of psychiatrists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunasekara, Imani; Patterson, Sue; Scott, James G

    2017-11-01

    While therapeutic relationships are appropriately recognised as the foundation of mental health service, service users commonly report suboptimal experiences. With shared understanding critical to improvement in practice, we explored service users' experiences and expectations of psychiatrists and consultations, engaging psychiatrists throughout the process. Using an iterative qualitative approach we co-produced a response to the question 'what makes an excellent mental health doctor?' Experiences and expectations of psychiatrists were explored in interviews with 22 service users. Data collection, analysis and interpretation were informed by consultation with peer workers. Findings were contextualised in formal consultations with psychiatrists. As 'masters of their craft', excellent mental health doctors engage authentically with service users as people (not diagnoses). They listen, validate experiences and empathise affectively and cognitively. They demonstrate phronesis, applying clinical knowledge compassionately. Psychiatrists share service users' aspiration of equitable partnership but competing demands and 'professional boundaries' constrain engagement. Consistent delivery of the person-centred, recovery-oriented care promoted by policy and sought by service users will require substantial revision of the structure and priorities of mental health services. The insights and experiences of service users must be integral to medical education, and systems must provide robust support to psychiatrists. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. The Heterotrophic Bacterial Response During the Meso-scale Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliver, J. L.; Barber, R. T.; Ducklow, H. W.

    2002-12-01

    Previous meso-scale iron enrichments have demonstrated the stimulatory effect of iron on primary productivity and the accelerated flow of carbon into the surface ocean foodweb. In stratified waters, heterotrophic activity can work against carbon export by remineralizing POC and/or DOC back to CO2, effectively slowing the biological pump. To assess the response of heterotrophic activity to iron enrichment, we measured heterotrophic bacterial production and abundance during the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX). Heterotrophic bacterial processes primarily affect the latter of the two carbon export mechanisms, removal of DOC to the deep ocean. Heterotrophic bacterial production (BP), measured via tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) and leucine (3H-Leu) incorporation, increased ~40% over the 18-d observation period in iron fertilized waters south of the Polar Front (South Patch). Also, South Patch BP was 61% higher than in the surrounding unfertilized waters. Abundance, measured by flow cytometry (FCM) and acridine orange direct counts (AODC), also increased in the South Patch from 3 to 5 x 108 cells liter-1, a 70% increase. Bacterial biomass increased from ~3.6 to 6.3 μg C liter-1, a clear indication that production rates exceeded removal rates (bactivory, viral lysis) over the course of 18 days. Biomass within the fertilized patch was 11% higher than in surrounding unfertilized waters reflecting a similar trend. This pattern is in contrast to SOIREE where no accumulation of biomass was observed. High DNA-containing (HDNA) cells detected by FCM also increased over time in iron fertilized waters from 20% to 46% relative to the total population suggesting an active subpopulation of cells that were growing faster than the removal rates. In iron fertilized waters north of the Polar Front (North Patch), BP and abundance were ~90% and 80% higher, respectively, than in unfertilized waters. Our results suggest an active bacterial population that responded to iron fertilization

  9. Placebo-like analgesia via response imagery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peerdeman, K.J.; Laarhoven, A.I.M. van; Bartels, D.J.P.; Peters, M.L.; Evers, A.W.M.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Placebo effects on pain are reliably observed in the literature. A core mechanism of these effects is response expectancies. Response expectancies can be formed by instructions, prior experiences and observation of others. Whether mental imagery of a response can also induce placebo-like

  10. Health as Submission and Social Responsibilities: Embodied Experiences of Javanese Women With Type II Diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitaloka, Dyah; Hsieh, Elaine

    2015-08-01

    By examining women's experiences with type II diabetes, we explore how illness can provide resources to construct meanings of everyday life in Javanese culture. We conducted in-depth interviews with 30 female participants in Central Java, Indonesia, and adopted grounded theory for data analysis. We identified four themes that diabetes serves as resources for women in Indonesia to (a) normalize suffering, (b) resist social control, (c) accept fate, and (d) validate faith. We concluded by noting three unique aspects of Javanese women's illness management. First, through the performance of submission, our participants demonstrated spirituality and religiosity as essential elements of health. Second, diabetes empowers individuals in everyday suffering through two divergent processes: embracing submission and resisting control. Finally, diabetes provides opportunities for individuals within a social network to (re)negotiate social responsibilities. In summary, diabetes provides unique resources to empower our participants to obtain voices that they otherwise would not have had. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. Puerto Rico Seismic Network Operations During and After the Hurricane Maria: Response, Continuity of Operations, and Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanacore, E. A.; Baez-Sanchez, G.; Huerfano, V.; Lopez, A. M.; Lugo, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) is an integral part of earthquake and tsunami monitoring in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The PRSN conducts scientific research as part of the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, conducts the earthquake monitoring for the region, runs extensive earthquake and tsunami education and outreach programs, and acts as a Tsunami Warning Focal Point Alternate for Puerto Rico. During and in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the PRSN duties and responsibilities evolved from a seismic network to a major information and communications center for the western side of Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria effectively destroyed most communications on island, critically between the eastern side of the island where Puerto Rico's Emergency Management's (PREMA) main office and the National Weather Service (NWS) is based and the western side of the island. Additionally, many local emergency management agencies on the western side of the island lost a satellite based emergency management information system called EMWIN which provides critical tsunami and weather information. PRSN's EMWIN system remained functional and consequently via this system and radio communications PRSN became the only information source for NWS warnings and bulletins, tsunami alerts, and earthquake information for western Puerto Rico. Additionally, given the functional radio and geographic location of the PRSN, the network became a critical communications relay for local emergency management. Here we will present the PRSN response in relation to Hurricane Maria including the activation of the PRSN devolution plan, adoption of duties, experiences and lessons learned for continuity of operations and adoption of responsibilities during future catastrophic events.

  12. Response time in online stated choice experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Campbell, Danny; Mørkbak, Morten Raun; Olsen, Søren Bøye

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we use paradata relating to the length of time respondents required in a self-administered online stated preference surveys. Although this issue has been previously explored, there is little guidance on how to identify and deal with ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ respondents. In this paper, we...... in Denmark. Results from our analysis corroborate that response latency has a bearing on the estimates of utility coefficients and the error variance. Although the results highlight the non-triviality of identifying fast and slow respondents, they signal the need to estimate a large number of candidate...... models to identify the most appropriate ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ thresholds. Not doing so is likely to lead to an inferior model and has repercussions for marginal willingness to pay estimates and choice predictions....

  13. Amazon forest ecosystem responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 and alterations in nutrient availability: filling the gaps with model-experiment integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florian eHofhansl

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The impacts of elevated CO2 (eCO2 and alterations in nutrient availability on the carbon (C storage capacity and resilience of the Amazon forest remain highly uncertain. Carbon dynamics are controlled by multiple eco-physiological processes responding to environmental change, but we lack solid experimental evidence, hampering theory development and thus representation in ecosystem models. Here, we present two ecosystem-scale manipulation experiments, to be carried out in the Amazon, that examine tropical ecosystem responses to eCO2 and nutrient addition and thus will elucidate the representation of crucial ecological processes by ecosystem models. We highlight current gaps in our understanding of tropical ecosystem responses to projected global changes in light of the eco-physiological assumptions considered by current ecosystem models. We conclude that a more detailed process-based representation of the spatial (e.g. soil type; plant functional type and temporal (seasonal and inter-annual variation diversity of tropical forests is needed to enhance model predictions of ecosystem responses to projected global environmental change.

  14. Mesoscale model response to random, surface-based perturbations — A sea-breeze experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garratt, J. R.; Pielke, R. A.; Miller, W. F.; Lee, T. J.

    1990-09-01

    The introduction into a mesoscale model of random (in space) variations in roughness length, or random (in space and time) surface perturbations of temperature and friction velocity, produces a measurable, but barely significant, response in the simulated flow dynamics of the lower atmosphere. The perturbations are an attempt to include the effects of sub-grid variability into the ensemble-mean parameterization schemes used in many numerical models. Their magnitude is set in our experiments by appeal to real-world observations of the spatial variations in roughness length and daytime surface temperature over the land on horizontal scales of one to several tens of kilometers. With sea-breeze simulations, comparisons of a number of realizations forced by roughness-length and surface-temperature perturbations with the standard simulation reveal no significant change in ensemble mean statistics, and only small changes in the sea-breeze vertical velocity. Changes in the updraft velocity for individual runs, of up to several cms-1 (compared to a mean of 14 cms-1), are directly the result of prefrontal temperature changes of 0.1 to 0.2K, produced by the random surface forcing. The correlation and magnitude of the changes are entirely consistent with a gravity-current interpretation of the sea breeze.

  15. "Responsibility in Mobility": International Students and Social Responsibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Ly Thi; Vu, Thao Thi Phuong

    2017-01-01

    Enhancing the educational experience and social connectedness for international students is the responsibility of different involved parties among whom international students themselves and host institutions play a key role. However, the question of how the condition of cross-border mobility has shaped and re-shaped international students'…

  16. Do global change experiments overestimate impacts on terrestrial ecosystems?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leuzinger, Sebastian; Luo, Yiqi; Beier, Claus

    2011-01-01

    In recent decades, many climate manipulation experiments have investigated biosphere responses to global change. These experiments typically examined effects of elevated atmospheric CO2, warming or drought (driver variables) on ecosystem processes such as the carbon and water cycle (response...... of the responses to decline with higher-order interactions, longer time periods and larger spatial scales. This means that on average, both positive and negative global change impacts on the biosphere might be dampened more than previously assumed....

  17. More insight into the interplay of response selection and visual attention in dual-tasks: masked visual search and response selection are performed in parallel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reimer, Christina B; Schubert, Torsten

    2017-09-15

    Both response selection and visual attention are limited in capacity. According to the central bottleneck model, the response selection processes of two tasks in a dual-task situation are performed sequentially. In conjunction search, visual attention is required to select the items and to bind their features (e.g., color and form), which results in a serial search process. Search time increases as items are added to the search display (i.e., set size effect). When the search display is masked, visual attention deployment is restricted to a brief period of time and target detection decreases as a function of set size. Here, we investigated whether response selection and visual attention (i.e., feature binding) rely on a common or on distinct capacity limitations. In four dual-task experiments, participants completed an auditory Task 1 and a conjunction search Task 2 that were presented with an experimentally modulated temporal interval between them (Stimulus Onset Asynchrony, SOA). In Experiment 1, Task 1 was a two-choice discrimination task and the conjunction search display was not masked. In Experiment 2, the response selection difficulty in Task 1 was increased to a four-choice discrimination and the search task was the same as in Experiment 1. We applied the locus-of-slack method in both experiments to analyze conjunction search time, that is, we compared the set size effects across SOAs. Similar set size effects across SOAs (i.e., additive effects of SOA and set size) would indicate sequential processing of response selection and visual attention. However, a significantly smaller set size effect at short SOA compared to long SOA (i.e., underadditive interaction of SOA and set size) would indicate parallel processing of response selection and visual attention. In both experiments, we found underadditive interactions of SOA and set size. In Experiments 3 and 4, the conjunction search display in Task 2 was masked. Task 1 was the same as in Experiments 1 and 2

  18. Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Faculty Experiences and Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Susan K.

    2012-01-01

    This study examines workplace bullying in a university setting. Specifically it examines how faculty members' tenure status is related to having been targets and witnesses of bullying at work and their responses to dissatisfaction at work. The research literature reveals a correlation between being a target of workplace bullying and the target's…

  19. Real Life Experiences with Experience Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgård, Peter; Halskov, Kim

    2006-01-01

    technologies for knowledge dissemination and marketing, in cooperation with public institutions and businesses. We argue that collaborative formulation of core design intentions and values is a valuable instrument in guiding experience design processes, and present three cases from this project, two of which...... resulted in interactive installations. The case installations range from walk-up-and-use consoles, to immersive, responsive, environments based on bodily interaction. We compare the installations, and discuss the interrelations between the resulting interfaces and the intentions for creating...

  20. Sharing experiences: towards an evidence based model of dengue surveillance and outbreak response in Latin America and Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badurdeen, Shiraz; Valladares, David Benitez; Farrar, Jeremy; Gozzer, Ernesto; Kroeger, Axel; Kuswara, Novia; Ranzinger, Silvia Runge; Tinh, Hien Tran; Leite, Priscila; Mahendradhata, Yodi; Skewes, Ronald; Verrall, Ayesha

    2013-06-24

    The increasing frequency and intensity of dengue outbreaks in endemic and non-endemic countries requires a rational, evidence based response. To this end, we aimed to collate the experiences of a number of affected countries, identify strengths and limitations in dengue surveillance, outbreak preparedness, detection and response and contribute towards the development of a model contingency plan adaptable to country needs. The study was undertaken in five Latin American (Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru) and five in Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam). A mixed-methods approach was used which included document analysis, key informant interviews, focus-group discussions, secondary data analysis and consensus building by an international dengue expert meeting organised by the World Health Organization, Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR). Country information on dengue is based on compulsory notification and reporting ("passive surveillance"), with laboratory confirmation (in all participating Latin American countries and some Asian countries) or by using a clinical syndromic definition. Seven countries additionally had sentinel sites with active dengue reporting, some also had virological surveillance. Six had agreed a formal definition of a dengue outbreak separate to seasonal variation in case numbers. Countries collected data on a range of warning signs that may identify outbreaks early, but none had developed a systematic approach to identifying and responding to the early stages of an outbreak. Outbreak response plans varied in quality, particularly regarding the early response. The surge capacity of hospitals with recent dengue outbreaks varied; those that could mobilise additional staff, beds, laboratory support and resources coped best in comparison to those improvising a coping strategy during the outbreak. Hospital outbreak management plans were present in 9

  1. Measuring client experiences in maternity care under change: development of a questionnaire based on the WHO Responsiveness model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marisja Scheerhagen

    Full Text Available Maternity care is an integrated care process, which consists of different services, involves different professionals and covers different time windows. To measure performance of maternity care based on clients' experiences, we developed and validated a questionnaire.We used the 8-domain WHO Responsiveness model, and previous materials to develop a self-report questionnaire. A dual study design was used for development and validation. Content validity of the ReproQ-version-0 was determined through structured interviews with 11 pregnant women (≥28 weeks, 10 women who recently had given birth (≤12 weeks, and 19 maternity care professionals. Structured interviews established the domain relevance to the women; all items were separately commented on. All Responsiveness domains were judged relevant, with Dignity and Communication ranking highest. Main missing topic was the assigned expertise of the health professional. After first adaptation, construct validity of the ReproQ-version-1 was determined through a web-based survey. Respondents were approached by maternity care organizations with different levels of integration of services of midwives and obstetricians. We sent questionnaires to 605 third trimester pregnant women (response 65%, and 810 women 6 weeks after delivery (response 55%. Construct validity was based on: response patterns; exploratory factor analysis; association of the overall score with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, known group comparisons. Median overall ReproQ score was 3.70 (range 1-4 showing good responsiveness. The exploratory factor analysis supported the assumed domain structure and suggested several adaptations. Correlation of the VAS rating and overall ReproQ score (antepartum, postpartum supported validity (r = 0.56; 0.59, p<0.001 Spearman's correlation coefficient. Pre-stated group comparisons confirmed the expected difference following a good vs. adverse birth outcome. Fully integrated organizations performed

  2. The strain path dependence of plastic deformation response of AA5754: Experiment and modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pham, Minh-Son; Hu, Lin; Iadicola, Mark; Creuziger, Adam; Rollett, Anthony D.

    2013-01-01

    This work presents modeling of experiments on a balanced biaxial (BB) pre-strained AA5754 alloy, subsequently reloaded uniaxially along the rolling direction and transverse direction. The material exhibits a complex plastic deformation response during the change in strain path due to 1) crystallographic texture, 2) aging (interactions between dislocations and Mg atoms) and 3) recovery (annihilation and re-arrangement of dislocations). With a BB prestrain of about 5 %, the aging process is dominant, and the yield strength for uniaxially deformed samples is observed to be higher than the flow stress during BB straining. The strain hardening rate after changing path is, however, lower than that for pre-straining. Higher degrees of pre-straining make the dynamic recovery more active. The dynamic recovery at higher strain levels compensates for the aging effect, and results in: 1) a reduction of the yield strength, and 2) an increase in the hardening rate of re-strained specimens along other directions. The yield strength of deformed samples is further reduced if these samples are left at room temperature to let static recovery occur. The synergistic influences of texture condition, aging and recovery processes on the material response make the modeling of strain path dependence of mechanical behavior of AA5754 challenging. In this study, the influence of crystallographic texture is taken into account by incorporating the latent hardening into a visco-plastic self-consistent model. Different strengths of dislocation glide interaction models in 24 slip systems are used to represent the latent hardening. Moreover, the aging and recovery effects are also included into the latent hardening model by considering strong interactions between dislocations and dissolved atom Mg and the microstructural evolution. These microstructural considerations provide a powerful capability to successfully describe the strain path dependence of plastic deformation behavior of AA5754

  3. The temporal response to drought in a Mediterranean evergreen tree: comparing a regional precipitation gradient and a throughfall exclusion experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin-Stpaul, Nicolas K; Limousin, Jean-Marc; Vogt-Schilb, Hélène; Rodríguez-Calcerrada, Jesus; Rambal, Serge; Longepierre, Damien; Misson, Laurent

    2013-08-01

    Like many midlatitude ecosystems, Mediterranean forests will suffer longer and more intense droughts with the ongoing climate change. The responses to drought in long-lived trees differ depending on the time scale considered, and short-term responses are currently better understood than longer term acclimation. We assessed the temporal changes in trees facing a chronic reduction in water availability by comparing leaf-scale physiological traits, branch-scale hydraulic traits, and stand-scale biomass partitioning in the evergreen Quercus ilex across a regional precipitation gradient (long-term changes) and in a partial throughfall exclusion experiment (TEE, medium term changes). At the leaf scale, gas exchange, mass per unit area and nitrogen concentration showed homeostatic responses to drought as they did not change among the sites of the precipitation gradient or in the experimental treatments of the TEE. A similar homeostatic response was observed for the xylem vulnerability to cavitation at the branch scale. In contrast, the ratio of leaf area over sapwood area (LA/SA) in young branches exhibited a transient response to drought because it decreased in response to the TEE the first 4 years of treatment, but did not change among the sites of the gradient. At the stand scale, leaf area index (LAI) decreased, and the ratios of stem SA to LAI and of fine root area to LAI both increased in trees subjected to throughfall exclusion and from the wettest to the driest site of the gradient. Taken together, these results suggest that acclimation to chronic drought in long-lived Q. ilex is mediated by changes in hydraulic allometry that shift progressively from low (branch) to high (stand) organizational levels, and act to maintain the leaf water potential within the range of xylem hydraulic function and leaf photosynthetic assimilation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Modeling Users' Experiences with Interactive Systems

    CERN Document Server

    Karapanos, Evangelos

    2013-01-01

    Over the past decade the field of Human-Computer Interaction has evolved from the study of the usability of interactive products towards a more holistic understanding of how they may mediate desired human experiences.  This book identifies the notion of diversity in usersʼ experiences with interactive products and proposes methods and tools for modeling this along two levels: (a) interpersonal diversity in usersʽ responses to early conceptual designs, and (b) the dynamics of usersʼ experiences over time. The Repertory Grid Technique is proposed as an alternative to standardized psychometric scales for modeling interpersonal diversity in usersʼ responses to early concepts in the design process, and new Multi-Dimensional Scaling procedures are introduced for modeling such complex quantitative data. iScale, a tool for the retrospective assessment of usersʼ experiences over time is proposed as an alternative to longitudinal field studies, and a semi-automated technique for the analysis of the elicited exper...

  5. Effects of Diversity Experiences on Socially Responsible Leadership over Four Years of College

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Eugene T., III; Pascarella, Ernest T.

    2013-01-01

    Regarding collegiate experiences, several studies have examined the effects of diversity experiences on educational, psychosocial, and other college outcomes (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). However, there exists a limited body of research, which has focused on the impact of those types of experiences on leadership development among students…

  6. Thermogravimetric experiments with titanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porter, L.J.; Longhurst, G.R.

    1991-02-01

    In the process of preparing for pyrophoricity experiments involving uranium, we conducted hydriding and air-exposure experiments on titanium. In these experiments the hydriding reactions and response to air-exposure was generally within the range expected based on work reported by others. One aberrant behavior was a sudden weight gain followed by a significant weight loss. We speculate that loss may be due to hydrogen evolution from the TiH 2 resulting from local heating by oxidation reactions. We verified that titanium is not pyrophoric at temperatures less than 750 degree C. 18 refs. 1 fig

  7. Low-dose neutron dose response of zebrafish embryos obtained from the Neutron exposure Accelerator System for Biological Effect Experiments (NASBEE) facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ng, C.Y.P.; Kong, E.Y.; Konishi, T.; Kobayashi, A.; Suya, N.; Cheng, S.H.; Yu, K.N.

    2015-01-01

    The dose response of embryos of the zebrafish, Danio rerio, irradiated at 5 h post fertilization (hpf) by 2-MeV neutrons with ≤100 mGy was determined. The neutron irradiations were made at the Neutron exposure Accelerator System for Biological Effect Experiments (NASBEE) facility in the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Chiba, Japan. A total of 10 neutron doses ranging from 0.6 to 100 mGy were employed (with a gamma-ray contribution of 14% to the total dose), and the biological effects were studied through quantification of apoptosis at 25 hpf. The responses for neutron doses of 10, 20, 25, and 50 mGy approximately fitted on a straight line, while those for neutron doses of 0.6, 1 and 2.5 mGy exhibited neutron hormetic effects. As such, hormetic responses were generically developed by different kinds of ionizing radiations with different linear energy transfer (LET) values. The responses for neutron doses of 70 and 100 mGy were significantly below the lower 95% confidence band of the best-fit line, which strongly suggested the presence of gamma-ray hormesis. - Highlights: • Neutron dose response was determined for embryos of the zebrafish, Danio rerio. • Neutron doses of 0.6, 1 and 2.5 mGy led to neutron hormetic effects. • Neutron doses of 70 and 100 mGy accompanied by gamma rays led to gamma-ray hormesis

  8. Variability of electricity load patterns and its effect on demand response: A critical peak pricing experiment on Korean commercial and industrial customers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Dongsik; Eom, Jiyong; Jae Park, Min; Jeung Rho, Jae

    2016-01-01

    To the extent that demand response represents an intentional electricity usage adjustment to price changes or incentive payments, consumers who exhibit more-variable load patterns on normal days may be capable of altering their loads more significantly in response to dynamic pricing plans. This study investigates the variation in the pre-enrollment load patterns of Korean commercial and industrial electricity customers and their impact on event-day loads during a critical peak pricing experiment in the winter of 2013. Contrary to conventional approaches to profiling electricity loads, this study proposes a new clustering technique based on variability indices that collectively represent the potential demand–response resource that these customers would supply. Our analysis reveals that variability in pre-enrollment load patterns does indeed have great predictive power for estimating their impact on demand–response loads. Customers in relatively low-variability clusters provided limited or no response, whereas customers in relatively high-variability clusters consistently presented large load impacts, accounting for most of the program-level peak reductions. This study suggests that dynamic pricing programs themselves may not offer adequate motivation for meaningful adjustments in load patterns, particularly for customers in low-variability clusters. - Highlights: • A method of clustering customers by variability indices is developed. • Customers in high-variability clusters provide substantial peak reductions. • Low-variability clusters exhibit limited reductions. • For low-variability customers, alternative policy instruments is well advised. • A model of discerning customer's demand response potential is suggested.

  9. The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, Frederick S; Bradstreet, Matthew P; Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie S; Johnson, Matthew W; Griffiths, Roland R

    2016-12-01

    Acute adverse psychological reactions to classic hallucinogens ("bad trips" or "challenging experiences"), while usually benign with proper screening, preparation, and support in controlled settings, remain a safety concern in uncontrolled settings (such as illicit use contexts). Anecdotal and case reports suggest potential adverse acute symptoms including affective (panic, depressed mood), cognitive (confusion, feelings of losing sanity), and somatic (nausea, heart palpitation) symptoms. Responses to items from several hallucinogen-sensitive questionnaires (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, the States of Consciousness Questionnaire, and the Five-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire) in an Internet survey of challenging experiences with the classic hallucinogen psilocybin were used to construct and validate a Challenging Experience Questionnaire. The stand-alone Challenging Experience Questionnaire was then validated in a separate sample. Seven Challenging Experience Questionnaire factors (grief, fear, death, insanity, isolation, physical distress, and paranoia) provide a phenomenological profile of challenging aspects of experiences with psilocybin. Factor scores were associated with difficulty, meaningfulness, spiritual significance, and change in well-being attributed to the challenging experiences. The factor structure did not differ based on gender or prior struggle with anxiety or depression. The Challenging Experience Questionnaire provides a basis for future investigation of predictors and outcomes of challenging experiences with classic hallucinogens. © The Author(s) 2016.

  10. Analysis of recent fuel-disruption experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kramer, J.M.; Kraft, T.E.; DiMelfi, R.J.; Fenske, G.R.; Gruber, E.E.

    1982-01-01

    Recent USDOE-sponsored DEH, FGR, and TREAT F series fuel-disruption experiments are analyzed with existing analytical models. The experiments are interpreted and the results used to evaluate the models. Calculations are presented using the FRAS3 fission-gas-behavior code and the DiMelfi-Deitrich fuel-response model

  11. Radiografía de las interacciones institucionales de cooperación académica y científica entre Argentina y España

    OpenAIRE

    Sebastián, Jesús; Díaz, Celia; Fernández Esquinas, Manuel; Sancho, Rosa

    2010-01-01

    El presente artículo es un resultado del Proyecto COARES "Análisis comparado de las políticas científicas, las interacciones institucionales y las relaciones de cooperación entre Argentina y España" auspiciado por el Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) de Argentina y el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) de España. El análisis de las relaciones entre los dos países comprende los primeros años del siglo veintiuno y ha permitido establecer ta...

  12. Response to dynamic language tasks among typically developing Latino preschool children with bilingual experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Janet L; Rodríguez, Barbara L; Dale, Philip S

    2013-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether typically developing preschool children with bilingual experience show evidence of learning within brief dynamic assessment language tasks administered in a graduated prompting framework. Dynamic assessment has shown promise for accurate identification of language impairment in bilingual children, and a graduated prompting approach may be well-suited to screening for language impairment. Three dynamic language tasks with graduated prompting were presented to 32 typically developing 4-year-olds in the language to which the child had the most exposure (16 Spanish, 16 English). The tasks were a novel word learning task, a semantic task, and a phonological awareness task. Children's performance was significantly higher on the last 2 items compared with the first 2 items for the semantic and the novel word learning tasks among children who required a prompt on the 1st item. There was no significant difference between the 1st and last items on the phonological awareness task. Within-task improvements in children's performance for some tasks administered within a brief, graduated prompting framework were observed. Thus, children's responses to graduated prompting may be an indicator of modifiability, depending on the task type and level of difficulty.

  13. Stepping Into Their Shoes: The Ostomy Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Donna G; Haskins, Tara L; Roberson, Sherrie C

    2018-04-01

    Empathetic patient care and reflective practice are linked to improved patient outcomes. Nurse educators play a key role in facilitating the development of empathy in nursing students. Research reveals an interest in reflective learning using a variety of approaches. Taking cues from the previous literature, "The Ostomy Experience" was developed, implemented, and evaluated qualitatively. The Ostomy Experience included paired learning, simulated ostomy stories, skills application in a laboratory setting, personal experience of an ostomate appliance, and structured reflective journaling throughout the process. Responses were evaluated for emerging themes. Data analysis revealed themes of Encountering Emotions, Becoming Aware, and Impacting Personal Practice. The structured reflective journaling yielded rich student learning data. Responses were evident of self-proclaimed change in attitudes, deeper understanding of the patient experience, and achievement of the learning objectives. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(4):233-236.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  14. Moments of disaster response in the emergency department (ED).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammad, Karen S; Arbon, Paul; Gebbie, Kristine; Hutton, Alison

    2017-11-01

    We experience our lives as a series of memorable moments, some good and some bad. Undoubtedly, the experience of participating in disaster response, is likely to stand out as a memorable moment in a nurses' career. This presentation will describe five distinct moments of nursing in the emergency department (ED) during a disaster response. A Hermeneutic Phenomenological approach informed by van Manen underpins the research process. Thirteen nurses from different countries around the world participated in interviews about their experience of working in the ED during a disaster. Thematic analysis resulted in five moments of disaster response which are common to the collective participant experience. The 5 themes emerge as Notification (as a nurse finds out that the ED will be receiving casualties), Waiting (waiting for the patients to arrive to the ED), Patient Arrival (the arrival of the first patients to the ED), Caring for patients (caring for people affected by the disaster) and Reflection (the moment the disaster response comes to an end). This paper provides an in-depth insight into the experience of nursing in the ED during a disaster response which can help generate awareness and inform future disaster preparedness of emergency nurses. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Sulfur Speciation in Peat: a Time-zero Signature for the " Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climate and Environmental Change" Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furman, O.; Toner, B. M.; Sebestyen, S. D.; Kolka, R. K.; Nater, E. A.

    2014-12-01

    As part of the "Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climate and Environmental Change" (SPRUCE) experiment, we made initial measurements of sulfur speciation in peat. These observations represent a "time-zero" relative to the intended soil warming experiment which begins in 2015. Total sulfur and sulfur speciation were measured in peat cores (solid phase) from nine plots (hollows and hummocks) to a depth of 2 m. Peat samples were packed under nitrogen and frozen in the field immediately after collection. All subsequent sample storage, handling, and processing were conducted under inert gas. Sulfur speciation was measured using bulk sulfur 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the SXRMB instrument at the Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, SK, Canada and at the 9-BM instrument, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, IL, USA. Total sulfur concentrations ranged from 968 to 4077 mg sulfur / kg dry peat. Sulfur content increased with depth from 2 g sulfur / m2 in the 0-10 cm increment to a maximum value of 38 g sulfur / m2 in the 50-60 cm increment. These sulfur loadings produced high quality XANES spectra. The nine cores exhibited reproducible trends with depth in both total sulfur and specific sulfur species; however, variability in sulfur speciation was greatest in the top 40 cm. All sulfur detected within the peat solids was in an organic form. The most abundant sulfur species group was composed of organic mono-sulfide and thiol forms, representing approximately half of the total sulfur at all depths. Sulfonate and ester-sulfate species were 10-15 mol% of sulfur and exhibited low variability with depth. A subsurface maximum in organic di-sulfide was observed in the 20-30 cm depth increment, which is the transition zone between transiently oxidized acrotelm and permanently saturated anaerobic catotelm. Quantification of major sulfur pools is important for the SPRUCE experiment as they are likely to be indicators of changes in the

  16. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Response Data & Statistics (WISQARS) Funded Programs Press Room Social Media Publications ... experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong ...

  17. Response tree evaluation: experimental assessment of an expert system for nuclear reactor operators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, W.R.; Blackman, H.S.

    1985-09-01

    The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) sponsored a project performed by EG and G Idaho, Inc., at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to evaluate different display concepts for use in nuclear reactor control rooms. Included in this project was the evaluation of the response tree computer-based decision aid and its associated displays. The response tree evaluation task was deisgned to (1) assess the merit of the response tree decision aid and (2) develop a technical basis for recommendations, guidelines, and criteria for the design and evaluation of computerized decision aids for use in reactor control rooms. Two major experiments have been conducted to evaluate the response tree system. This report emphasizes the conduct and results of the second experiment. An enhanced version of the response tree system, known as the automated response tree system, was used in a controlled experiment using trained reactor operators as test subjects. This report discusses the automated response tree system, the design of the evaluation experiment, and the quantitative results of the experiment. The results of the experiment are compared to the results of the previous experiment to provide an integrated perspective of the response tree evaluation project. In addition, a subjective assessment of the results addresses the implications for the use of advanced, ''intelligent'' decision aids in the reactor control room

  18. Parental responses to child experiences of trauma following presentation at emergency departments: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Victoria; Creswell, Cathy; Butler, Ian; Christie, Hope; Halligan, Sarah L

    2016-11-07

    Parents are often children's main source of support following fear-inducing traumatic events, yet little is known about how parents provide that support. The aim of this study was to examine parents' experiences of supporting their child following child trauma exposure and presentation at an emergency department (ED). Semistructured qualitative interviews analysed using thematic analysis. The setting for this study was two National Health Service EDs in England. 20 parents whose child experienced a traumatic event and attended an ED between August 2014 and October 2015. Parents were sensitive to their child's distress and offered reassurance and support for their child to resume normal activities. However, parental beliefs often inhibited children's reinstatement of pretrauma routines. Support often focused on preventing future illness or injury, reflective of parents' concerns for their child's physical well-being. In a minority of parents, appraisals of problematic care from EDs contributed to parents' anxiety and perceptions of their child as vulnerable post-trauma. Forgetting the trauma and avoidance of discussion were encouraged as coping strategies to prevent further distress. Parents highlighted their need for further guidance and support regarding their child's physical and emotional recovery. This study provides insight into the experiences of and challenges faced by parents in supporting their child following trauma exposure. Perceptions of their child's physical vulnerability and treatment influenced parents' responses and the supportive strategies employed. These findings may enable clinicians to generate meaningful advice for parents following child attendance at EDs post-trauma. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  19. Psychosocial investigation of individual and community responses to the experience of Ovine Johne's Disease in rural Victoria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Bernadette; Seedsman, Terence

    2004-04-01

    economic losses with less recognition of the other psychosocial loss experiences that accompany the experience of rural disaster. This paper achieves a clear description of the experiences for individuals (trauma, stigma, sense of personal failure, loss of identity, diminished self esteem and family disruption) and communities (destroyed social cohesion, economic disharmony) caught up in the OJD disaster and explores the factors that individuals perceive as responsible for these outcomes. The mental health outcomes for individuals, such as, loss, grief and depression are also explored within this paper. This paper highlights the psychosocial complexity of the experience of rural disaster for individuals and communities significantly extending the current knowledge base in this area.

  20. Directing Improvements in Primary Care Patient Experience through Analysis of Service Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudson Smith, Mel; Smith, David

    2018-06-03

    To examine the influence of dimensions of service quality on patient experience of primary care. Data from the national GP Patient Survey in England 2014/15, with responses from 858,351 patients registered at 7,918 practices. Expert panel and principal component analysis helped identify relevant dimensions of service quality. Regression was then used to examine the relationships between these dimensions and reported patient experience. Aggregated scores for each practice were used, comprising the proportion of positive responses to each element of the study. Of eight service quality dimensions identified, six have statistically significant impacts on patient experience but only two have large effects. Patient experience is highly influenced by practice responsiveness and the interactions with the physician. Other dimensions have small or even slightly negative influence. Service quality provided by nurses has negligible effect on patient experience. To improve patient experience in primary health care, efforts should focus on practice responsiveness and interactions with the physician. Other areas have little influence over patient experience. This suggests a gap in patients' perspectives on health care, which has policy implications for patient education. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  1. Culturally Responsive Pedagogies in the Classroom: Indigenous Student Experiences across the Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, Catherine; Hindle, Rawiri; Meyer, Luanna H.; Hynds, Anne; Penetito, Wally; Sleeter, Christine E.

    2011-01-01

    There is agreement that teaching practices should be responsive to the cultural identities of their students, but less clarity regarding both the specifics of culturally responsive pedagogies and effective strategies for implementing them in classrooms across the curriculum. A mixed-methods research approach evaluated the impact of teacher…

  2. Mine-by experiment final design report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Read, R.S.; Martin, C.D.

    1991-12-01

    The Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Mine-by Experiment is designed to provide information on rock mass response to excavation that will be used to assess important aspects of the design of a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault in a granitic pluton. The final experiment design is the result of a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on experience gained at other sites as well as the URL, and using both internal expertise and the external consultants. The final experiment design, including details on characterization, construction, instrumentation, and numerical modelling, is presented along with final design drawings

  3. Nitrogen Release in Pristine and Drained Peat Profiles in Response to Water Table Fluctuations: A Mesocosm Experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Merjo P. P. Laine

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In the northern hemisphere, variability in hydrological conditions was suggested to increase as a consequence of climate warming, which may result in longer droughts than the area has experienced before. Due to their predominately anoxic conditions, peatlands are expected to respond to changes in hydrological conditions, such as successive drying and rewetting periods. As peatlands are rich in organic matter, any major changes in water table may influence the decomposition of it. The hydrological conditions may also influence release of nutrients from peat profiles as well as affect their transport to downstream ecosystems. In our mesocosm experiment, artificial water table fluctuations in pristine peat profiles caused an increase in dissolved organic nitrogen (DON and ammonium (NH4+-N concentrations, while no response was found in drained peat profiles, although originating from the same peatland complex.

  4. Retrival experience as an accurate indicator of person identification in line-ups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María José Contreras

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Responses in eyewitness identification of a person in a line-up may be based on two types of recovery experiences, remember and know experiences. Remember responses involve eyewitness identification of the target person as an episodic memory task, because it implies retrieving information about the target person in the place and at the time of the event. Know responses, in contrast, engage recognition based on familiarity or perceptual facilitation, that is, as a semantic memory task. To explore the relation between retrieval experiences and recognition accuracy, 86 participants took part in a recognition task with two conditions: one with an interpolated target absent line-up and the other only with the target present line-up. Accuracy of recognition and retrieval experience was measured. The results showed that, having previously participated in a target-absent line-up, increased omissions, while the number of hits decreased. Furthermore, participants’ know responses were associated to false recognition, whilst remember responses were associated to hits in recognition. Thus, asking eyewitnesses to inform about the kind of retrieval experience in which they based their recognition responses, may serve as a reliable indicator of accuracy in recognition. Future studies are needed to investigate whether this is also the case in natural settings.

  5. Early results of experiments with responsive open learning environments

    OpenAIRE

    Friedrich, M.; Wolpers, M.; Shen, R.; Ullrich, C.; Klamma, R.; Renzel, D.; Richert, A.; Heiden, B. von der

    2011-01-01

    Responsive open learning environments (ROLEs) are the next generation of personal learning environments (PLEs). While PLEs rely on the simple aggregation of existing content and services mainly using Web 2.0 technologies, ROLEs are transforming lifelong learning by introducing a new infrastructure on a global scale while dealing with existing learning management systems, institutions, and technologies. The requirements engineering process in highly populated test-beds is as important as the t...

  6. Olkiluoto 3 Experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiippana, Petteri

    2011-01-01

    This paper discusses the experience from the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant project from regulator's point of view. There are certain factors that have affected greatly the project progress. First, Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant is the first European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) being constructed. Secondly, construction of the unit started after a fairly long break in nuclear power plant construction in Europe, which had resulted in loss of experienced and qualified engineering and manufacturing resources. These factors have to be kept in mind when evaluating the experience from Olkiluoto 3. Experience discussed in this paper have to do with the licensing and regulatory oversight process, completion of the design prior to construction, experience and know-how of the participating organisations, quality management in a nuclear construction project, advanced manufacturing and construction technologies, turnkey contract with regard to licensee's responsibility, safety culture aspects in a nuclear construction project, and the role and importance of regulator's oversight. (author)

  7. Corporate social responsibility and hospitals: US theory, Japanese experiences, and lessons for other countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Toshiro; Ellen, Moriah; Brown, Adalsteinn

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines the role that corporate social responsibility can play in advancing hospital management. Corporate social responsibility is the integration of social and environmental concerns within business operations. The authors discuss how corporate social responsibility can help hospitals and provide suggestions to hospitals in deciding which corporate social responsibility initiatives to pursue.

  8. A Delay Time Measurement of ULTRAS (Ultra-high Temperature Ultrasonic Response Analysis System) for a High Temperature Experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koo, Kil Mo; Kim, Sang Baik

    2010-01-01

    The temperature measurement of very high temperature core melt is of importance in a high temperature as the molten pool experiment in which gap formation between core melt and the reactor lower head, and the effect of the gap on thermal behavior are to be measured. The existing temperature measurement techniques have some problems, which the thermocouple, one of the contact methods, is restricted to under 2000 .deg. C, and the infrared thermometry, one of the non-contact methods, is unable to measure an internal temperature and very sensitive to the interference from reacted gases. In order to solve these problems, the delay time technique of ultrasonic wavelets due to high temperature has two sorts of stage. As a first stage, a delay time measurement of ULTRAS (Ultra-high Temperature Ultrasonic Response Analysis System) is suggested. As a second stage, a molten material temperature was measured up to 2300 .deg. C. Also, the optimization design of the UTS (ultrasonic temperature sensor) with persistence at the high temperature was suggested in this paper. And the utilization of the theory suggested in this paper and the efficiency of the developed system are performed by special equipment and some experiments supported by KRISS (Korea Research Institute of Standard and Science)

  9. THERMAL RESPONSE OF A SOLAR-LIKE ATMOSPHERE TO AN ELECTRON BEAM FROM A HOT JUPITER: A NUMERICAL EXPERIMENT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, P.-G.; Suzuki, Takeru K.

    2009-01-01

    We investigate the thermal response of the atmosphere of a solar-type star to an electron beam injected from a hot Jupiter by performing a one-dimensional MHD numerical experiment with nonlinear wave dissipation, radiative cooling, and thermal conduction. In our experiment, the stellar atmosphere is non-rotating and is modeled as a one-dimensional open flux tube expanding super-radially from the stellar photosphere to the planet. An electron beam is assumed to be generated from the reconnection site of the planet's magnetosphere. The effects of the electron beam are then implemented in our simulation as dissipation of the beam momentum and energy at the base of the corona where the Coulomb collisions become effective. When the sufficient energy is supplied by the electron beam, a warm region forms in the chromosphere. This warm region greatly enhances the radiative fluxes corresponding to the temperature of the chromosphere and transition region. The warm region can also intermittently contribute to the radiative flux associated with the coronal temperature due to the thermal instability. However, owing to the small area of the heating spot, the total luminosity of the beam-induced chromospheric radiation is several orders of magnitude smaller than the observed Ca II emissions from HD 179949.

  10. Review of off-site emergency preparedness and response plan of Indian NPPs based on experience of Fukushima nuclear accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Hukum; Dash, M.; Shukla, Vikas; Vijayan, P.; Krishnamurthy, P.R.

    2012-01-01

    Nuclear power plants in India are designed, constructed and operated based on the principle of the highest priority to nuclear safety. To deal with any unlikely situation of radiological emergency, the emergency preparedness and response plans are ensured to be in place at all NPPs prior to their commissioning. These plans are periodically reviewed and tested by conducting emergency exercise with the participation of various agencies such as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, NDMA, district authorities, regulatory body and general public. On March 11, 2011 an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni followed by tsunami waves of height 15 meters above reference sea level. This resulted in large scale release of radioactive material from Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS. This led to the evacuation of a large number of people from the areas surrounding the affected nuclear power plants. The event was rated as level 7 event in International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The event also revealed the challenges in handling radiological emergency situation in adverse environmental conditions, The experience of managing radiological emergency situation during Fukushima nuclear accident provides opportunities to review and improve emergency preparedness and response programme. The present paper presents the chronology of the emergency situation, challenges faced and handled in Fukushima. Even though the possibility of a Fukushima type nuclear accident in India is very remote due to the low probability of a high intensity earthquake followed by tsunami at NPP sites, the efforts needs to be initiated from the regulatory point of view for an effective Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans of NPP sites were reviewed in the light of unique challenges of accident at Fukushima. It is realized that multi unit events are the realities that must be addressed as part of Emergency

  11. Review of off-site emergency preparedness and response plan of Indian NPPs based on experience of Fukushima nuclear accident

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Hukum; Dash, M.; Shukla, Vikas; Vijayan, P.; Krishnamurthy, P.R., E-mail: vshukla@aerb.gov.in [Operating Plants Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Mumbai (India)

    2012-07-01

    Nuclear power plants in India are designed, constructed and operated based on the principle of the highest priority to nuclear safety. To deal with any unlikely situation of radiological emergency, the emergency preparedness and response plans are ensured to be in place at all NPPs prior to their commissioning. These plans are periodically reviewed and tested by conducting emergency exercise with the participation of various agencies such as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, NDMA, district authorities, regulatory body and general public. On March 11, 2011 an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni followed by tsunami waves of height 15 meters above reference sea level. This resulted in large scale release of radioactive material from Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS. This led to the evacuation of a large number of people from the areas surrounding the affected nuclear power plants. The event was rated as level 7 event in International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The event also revealed the challenges in handling radiological emergency situation in adverse environmental conditions, The experience of managing radiological emergency situation during Fukushima nuclear accident provides opportunities to review and improve emergency preparedness and response programme. The present paper presents the chronology of the emergency situation, challenges faced and handled in Fukushima. Even though the possibility of a Fukushima type nuclear accident in India is very remote due to the low probability of a high intensity earthquake followed by tsunami at NPP sites, the efforts needs to be initiated from the regulatory point of view for an effective Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans of NPP sites were reviewed in the light of unique challenges of accident at Fukushima. It is realized that multi unit events are the realities that must be addressed as part of Emergency

  12. Gulf of Mexico offshore operations monitoring experiment (GOOMEX), phase I : sublethal responses to contaminant exposure - introduction and overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennicutt, M.C.; Green, R.H.; Montagna, P.

    1996-01-01

    The Gulf of Mexico Offshore Operations Monitoring Experiment (GOOMEX) is a three-phase study to test and evaluate a range of biological, biochemical, and chemical methodologies to detect and assess chronic sublethal biological impacts in the vicinity of long-duration activities associated with oil and gas exploration and production. A chronic impact is defined as an effect on the biota caused by exposure to the long-term accumulation of chemicals in the environment. The basic program, comprising four field activities over a 2-yr period, was designed to detect nearfield impacts and contaminant gradients extending out from each site. Five test sites were evaluated and three selected as most appropriate for long-term study: MU-A85, MAI-686, and HI-A389. The sampling design included a radial pattern with stations at 30-50, 100, 200, 500, and 3000 m distance and employed a dose-response model to test the hypotheses that biological, chemical, and biochemical variations are due to platform-derived contaminants. Study components included contaminant (trace metals and hydrocarbons) analysis in sediments, pore waters, and biological tissues; assemblage analysis of benthic meiofauna, infauna, and epifauna, assessment of community health based on life history and reproduction studies; and the induction of detoxification responses. (author). 57 refs., 9 tabs., 5 figs

  13. Chores and Responsibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... out on some valuable learning experiences, and their development of a sense of responsibility and initiative may not happen until later in life, if ever. As a result, whenever demands are placed upon these children, they appear to procrastinate or dawdle, never having ...

  14. The response dynamics of preferential choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koop, Gregory J; Johnson, Joseph G

    2013-12-01

    The ubiquity of psychological process models requires an increased degree of sophistication in the methods and metrics that we use to evaluate them. We contribute to this venture by capitalizing on recent work in cognitive science analyzing response dynamics, which shows that the bearing information processing dynamics have on intended action is also revealed in the motor system. This decidedly "embodied" view suggests that researchers are missing out on potential dependent variables with which to evaluate their models-those associated with the motor response that produces a choice. The current work develops a method for collecting and analyzing such data in the domain of decision making. We first validate this method using widely normed stimuli from the International Affective Picture System (Experiment 1), and demonstrate that curvature in response trajectories provides a metric of the competition between choice options. We next extend the method to risky decision making (Experiment 2) and develop predictions for three popular classes of process model. The data provided by response dynamics demonstrate that choices contrary to the maxim of risk seeking in losses and risk aversion in gains may be the product of at least one "online" preference reversal, and can thus begin to discriminate amongst the candidate models. Finally, we incorporate attentional data collected via eye-tracking (Experiment 3) to develop a formal computational model of joint information sampling and preference accumulation. In sum, we validate response dynamics for use in preferential choice tasks and demonstrate the unique conclusions afforded by response dynamics over and above traditional methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Effect of input compression and input frequency response on music perception in cochlear implant users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halliwell, Emily R; Jones, Linor L; Fraser, Matthew; Lockley, Morag; Hill-Feltham, Penelope; McKay, Colette M

    2015-06-01

    A study was conducted to determine whether modifications to input compression and input frequency response characteristics can improve music-listening satisfaction in cochlear implant users. Experiment 1 compared three pre-processed versions of music and speech stimuli in a laboratory setting: original, compressed, and flattened frequency response. Music excerpts comprised three music genres (classical, country, and jazz), and a running speech excerpt was compared. Experiment 2 implemented a flattened input frequency response in the speech processor program. In a take-home trial, participants compared unaltered and flattened frequency responses. Ten and twelve adult Nucleus Freedom cochlear implant users participated in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Experiment 1 revealed a significant preference for music stimuli with a flattened frequency response compared to both original and compressed stimuli, whereas there was a significant preference for the original (rising) frequency response for speech stimuli. Experiment 2 revealed no significant mean preference for the flattened frequency response, with 9 of 11 subjects preferring the rising frequency response. Input compression did not alter music enjoyment. Comparison of the two experiments indicated that individual frequency response preferences may depend on the genre or familiarity, and particularly whether the music contained lyrics.

  16. Creating an infrastructure for training in the responsible conduct of research: the University of Pittsburgh's experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Barbara E; Friedman, Charles P; Rosenberg, Jerome L; Russell, Joanne; Beedle, Ari; Levine, Arthur S

    2006-02-01

    In response to public concerns about the consequences of research misconduct, academic institutions have become increasingly cognizant of the need to implement comprehensive, effective training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) for faculty, staff, students, and external collaborators. The ability to meet this imperative is challenging as universities confront declining financial resources and increasing complexity of the research enterprise. The authors describe the University of Pittsburgh's design, implementation, and evaluation of a Web-based, institution-wide RCR training program called Research and Practice Fundamentals (RPF). This project, established in 2000, was embedded in the philosophy, organizational structure, and technology developed through the Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems grant from the National Library of Medicine. Utilizing a centralized, comprehensive approach, the RPF system provides an efficient mechanism for deploying content to a large, diverse cohort of learners and supports the needs of research administrators by providing access to information about who has successfully completed the training. During its first 3 years of operation, the RPF served over 17,000 users and issued more than 38,000 training certificates. The 18 modules that are currently available address issues required by regulatory mandates and other content areas important to the research community. RPF users report high levels of satisfaction with content and ease of using the system. Future efforts must explore methods to integrate non-RCR education and training into a centralized, cohesive structure. The University of Pittsburgh's experience with the RPF demonstrates the importance of developing an infrastructure for training that is comprehensive, scalable, reliable, centralized, affordable, and sustainable.

  17. Understanding maladaptive responses to rejection: Aggression with an audience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeBono, Amber; Layton, Rebekah L; Freeman, Nicholas; Muraven, Mark

    2017-01-01

    Logically, responding aggressively to rejection is maladaptive because one is unlikely to seek a relationship with an aggressor. We predict that when concealed, the illogical aggressive response to rejection is more likely, whereas when the rejected individuals' aggressive responses are perceived as public, the aggressive acts may be reduced. Participants were rejected by others (Experiment 1) or were either accepted or rejected during an online ball-tossing game (Experiment 2) and were then given an opportunity to aggress publicly or privately. Across experiments, when the opportunity to aggress was made public, rejected participants exhibited less aggressive behavior. When concerned about the perception of their public aggressive responses by others, rejected individuals' aggressive responses diminished compared with those whose actions were private. Crucially, this extended to aggression visible only to neutral others, suggesting that effects cannot solely be due to fear of retribution.

  18. The Role of Common Motor Responses in Stimulus Categorization by Preschool Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahoney, Amanda M; Miguel, Caio F; Ahearn, William H; Bell, Julianne

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the role of common motor responses as the “speaker” behavior on stimulus class formation, and the emergence of functional classes. Experiment 1 examined whether training one motor response to a set of three stimuli and a second motor response to another set of three stimuli would result in correct category-sort responses for 5 typically developing preschool children. Three of the children passed the categorization tests. Experiment 2 examined whether the classes formed in Experiment 1 were functional classes, and whether participants who did not pass categorization tests in Experiment 1 would do so following common vocal tact training. The 2 participants who failed categorization tests in Experiment 1 passed these tests in Experiment 2, although none of the participants passed the tests for functional classes. The results of the current study did not unequivocally support the naming hypothesis. Future research should therefore evaluate other possible sources of control that aid in stimulus categorization. PMID:21541124

  19. Spouses of Military Members' Experiences and Insights: Qualitative Analysis of Responses to an Open-Ended Question in a Survey of Health and Wellbeing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Runge, Catherine E.; Waller, Michael; MacKenzie, Alison; McGuire, Annabel C. L.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction There are few studies on the experiences of spouses of military members, with most focused on adverse impacts of deployment. Responses to an open-ended question in a survey of spouses' health and wellbeing enabled access to perceptions and insights on a broad range of topics. The objective of this investigation was to examine how respondents used the open-ended question and what they discussed, in aim of informing support service agencies and spouses of military members. Methods Thematic analysis was conducted on responses to the open-ended question. Descriptive analysis was performed on the demographics, military member characteristics and self-reported health of respondents and non-respondents to the open-ended question. Findings Over a quarter (28.5%) of the 1,332 survey participants answered the open-ended question, with respondents having a significantly higher level of education than non–respondents. Respondents expressed negative and positive experiences and insights on military life, provided personal information, commented on the survey, and qualified their responses to closed-ended questions. Topics included ‘inadequate support’, ‘deployment impacts’, ‘suggestions for supporting agencies’, ‘appraisal of experiences’ and ‘coping strategies’. Conclusions This investigation uncovered issues of importance to spouses of military members that were not included or identified in a quantitative study. The findings provide a platform from which to explore these issues further, particularly the impact of military life on the non-serving spouse's career. The findings also provide support agencies with evidence to strengthen their services and they give spouses an opportunity to reflect on their own and others' feelings and evaluations of military life. PMID:25479135

  20. Effects of Emotional Experience in Lexical Decision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul D Siakaluk

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Previous research has examined the effects of emotional experience (i.e., the ease with which words evoke emotion information in semantic categorization, word naming, and Stroop tasks (Moffat, Siakaluk, Sidhu, & Pexman, 2015; Newcombe, Campbell, Siakaluk, & Pexman, 2012; Siakaluk, Knol, & Pexman, 2014. However, to date there are no published reports on whether emotional experience influences performance in the lexical decision task (LDT. In the present study, we examined the influence of emotional experience in LDT using three different stimulus sets. In Experiment 1 we used a stimulus set used by both Kousta, Vinson, and Vigliocco (2009; Experiment 1 and Yap and Seow (2014 that is comprised of 40 negative, 40 positive, and 40 neutral words; in Experiment 2 we used a stimulus set comprised of 150 abstract nouns; and in Experiment 3 we used a stimulus set comprised of 373 verbs. We observed facilitatory effects of emotional experience in each of the three experiments, such that words with higher emotional experience ratings were associated with faster response latencies. These results are important because the influence of emotional experience: (a is observed in stimulus sets comprised of different types of words, demonstrating the generalizability of the effect in LDT; (b accounts for LDT response latency variability above and beyond the influences of valence and arousal, and is thus a robust dimension of conceptual knowledge; (c suggests that a richer representation of emotional experience provides more reliable evidence that a stimulus is a word, which facilitates responding in LDT; and (d is consistent with grounded cognition frameworks that propose that emotion information may be grounded in bodily experience with the world (Barsalou, 2003, 2009; Vigliocco, Meteyard, Andrews, & Kousta, 2009.

  1. Using Biometric Data to Assess Affective Response to Media Experiences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Charlotte Thodberg; Jessen, Anne Mette Karnøe; Jørgensen, Lotte Ishoy

    2016-01-01

    . This is observed in the biometric GSR data, which shows a clear correlation between GSR measures and the interruptions, showing an average of 30 seconds to return to “normal” after interruptions. The intervention group’s experience evaluation of the video content also support this effect, showing statistical...

  2. Gaming industry employees' responses to responsible gambling training: a public health imperative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaPlante, Debi A; Gray, Heather M; LaBrie, Richard A; Kleschinsky, John H; Shaffer, Howard J

    2012-06-01

    Gaming industry employees work in settings that create personal health risks. They also have direct contact with customers who might engage in multiple risky activities (e.g., drinking, smoking, and gambling) and might need to facilitate help-seeking by patrons or co-workers who experience problems. Consequently, the empirical examination of the processes and procedures designed to prepare employees for such complex situations is a public health imperative. In the current study we describe an evaluation of the Casino, Inc. Play Responsibly responsible gaming program. We surveyed 217 employees prior to and 1 month after (n = 116) they completed a multimedia driven responsible gambling training program. We observed that employees improved their knowledge of responsible gambling concepts from baseline to follow-up. The Play Responsibly program was more successful in providing new knowledge than it was in correcting mistaken beliefs that existed prior to training. We conclude, generally, that Play Responsibly is associated with increases in employees' responsible gambling knowledge.

  3. Energy crop (Sida hermaphrodita) fertilization using digestate under marginal soil conditions: A dose-response experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabel, Moritz; Bueno Piaz Barbosa, Daniela; Horsch, David; Jablonowski, Nicolai David

    2014-05-01

    The global demand for energy security and the mitigation of climate change are the main drivers pushing energy-plant production in Germany. However, the cultivation of these plants can cause land use conflicts since agricultural soil is mostly used for plant production. A sustainable alternative to the conventional cultivation of food-based energy-crops is the cultivation of special adopted energy-plants on marginal lands. To further increase the sustainability of energy-plant cultivation systems the dependency on synthetic fertilizers needs to be reduced via closed nutrient loops. In the presented study the energy-plant Sida hermaphrodita (Malvaceae) will be used to evaluate the potential to grow this high potential energy-crop on a marginal sandy soil in combination with fertilization via digestate from biogas production. With this dose-response experiment we will further identify an optimum dose, which will be compared to equivalent doses of NPK-fertilizer. Further, lethal doses and deficiency doses will be observed. Two weeks old Sida seedlings were transplanted to 1L pots and fertilized with six doses of digestate (equivalent to a field application of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160t/ha) and three equivalent doses of NPK-fertilizer. Control plants were left untreated. Sida plants will grow for 45 days under greenhouse conditions. We hypothesize that the nutrient status of the marginal soil can be increased and maintained by defined digestate applications, compared to control plants suffering of nutrient deficiency due to the low nutrient status in the marginal substrate. The dose of 40t/ha is expected to give a maximum biomass yield without causing toxicity symptoms. Results shall be used as basis for further experiments on the field scale in a field trial that was set up to investigate sustainable production systems for energy crop production under marginal soil conditions.

  4. Temperature profile and other data collected using microstructure profiler (JMSP) from the HAKUHO-MARU as part of the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE), from 01 November 1992 - 30 November 1992 (NODC Accession 9600028)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Temperature profile and other data were collected using microstructure profiler (JMSP) from the HAKUHO-MARU in the TOGA Area - Pacific Ocean (30 N to 30 S) from...

  5. Brazilian responses to violence and new forms of mediation: the case of the Grupo Cultural AfroReggae and the experience of the project "Youth and the Police"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sílvia Ramos

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses some aspects of the Brazilian response to urban violence, focusing both official public safety policies and actions of the civil society. The text identifies the lack of a national public safety policy, indicates successful governmental experiences carried out in some states and municipalities, and concentrates on the actions of the police. Analyzing the responses of the civil society, the paper is emphasizing the campaign for disarming the population and the role played by the media. It shows the appearance of groups of young people living in the favelas, organized in turn of cultural experiences that, in multiple aspects, are characterized as "new mediators" in society. These groups thematize violence and try to build new stereotypes dissociating them from the image of criminality. The article describes in particular the cases of the Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, of Rio de Janeiro, and the pilot experience carried out in collaboration with the Minas Gerais Military Police, called "Youth and the Police". The AfroReggae group is a typical example of such a "new mediator", and the initiative of carrying out a work in cooperation with the police opens new perspectives for the traditionally scarce participation of civil organizations engaged in public safety in cooperative projects with the police.

  6. The interpersonal dimension of patient forums: How patients share their knowledge and experiences in response to posted questions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fage-Butler, Antoinette Mary; Nisbeth Jensen, Matilde

    Abstract: The interpersonal dimension of patient forums: How patients share their knowledge and experiences in response to posted questions Antoinette Fage-Butler & Matilde Nisbeth Jensen The internet has revolutionized the way that patients acquire medical information, freeing them of reliance...... on their doctor; seeking out health information online is now the third most popular activity after internet searches and e-mail (Timimi 2012). This paper examines one of these sources of online information, namely, the patient forum where patients provide other patients with information and support...... of implications for existing models of health communication which have yet to catch up with the impact of recent technological developments such as online patient forums. Keywords • Online patient forums • Patient-patient communication • Relationship formation References Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using...

  7. Sensitivity of Surface Temperature to Oceanic Forcing via q-Flux Green’s Function Experiments. Part I: Linear Response Function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Fukai; Lu, Jian; Garuba, Oluwayemi A.; Leung, Lai-Yung; Luo, Yiyong; Wan, Xiuquan

    2018-05-01

    This paper explores the use of linear response function (LRF) to relate the mean sea surface temperature (SST) response to prescribed ocean heat convergence (q-flux) forcings. Two methods for constructing the LRF based on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) and Green’s function (GRF) are examined. A 900-year preindustrial simulation from the Community Earth System Model with a slab ocean (CESM-SOM) is used to estimate the LRF using FDT. For GRF, 106 pairs of CESM-SOM simulations with warm and cold q-flux patches are performed. FDT is found to have skill in estimating the SST response to a q-flux forcing when the local SST response is strong, but it fails in inverse estimation of the q-flux forcing for a given SST pattern. In contrast, GRF is shown to be reasonably accurate in estimating both SST response and q-flux forcing. Possible degradation in FDT may be attributed to insufficient data sampling, significant departures of the SST data from Gaussian, and the non-normality of the constructed operator. The accurately estimated GRF-based LRF is used to (i) generate a global surface temperature sensitivity map that shows the q-flux forcing in higher latitudes to be three to four times more effective than in low latitudes in producing global surface warming; (ii) identify the most excitable SST mode (neutral vector) resembling Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation; and (iii) estimate a time-invariant q-flux forcing needed for maintaining the GHG-induced SST warming pattern. The GRF experiments will be used to construct LRF for other variables to further explore climate sensitivities and feedbacks.

  8. An analysis of recent fuel disruption experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kramer, J.M.; Kraft, T.E.; Dimelfi, R.J.; Fenske, G.R.; Gruber, E.E.

    1982-01-01

    Recent USDOE-Sponsored DEH, FGR, and TREAT F series fuel disruption experiments are analyzed with existing analytical models. The experiments are interpreted and the results used to evaluate the models. Calculations are presented using the FRAS3 fission gas behavior code and the DiMelfi-Deitrich fuel response model

  9. Prepulse inhibition of auditory change-related cortical responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inui Koji

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prepulse inhibition (PPI of the startle response is an important tool to investigate the biology of schizophrenia. PPI is usually observed by use of a startle reflex such as blinking following an intense sound. A similar phenomenon has not been reported for cortical responses. Results In 12 healthy subjects, change-related cortical activity in response to an abrupt increase of sound pressure by 5 dB above the background of 65 dB SPL (test stimulus was measured using magnetoencephalography. The test stimulus evoked a clear cortical response peaking at around 130 ms (Change-N1m. In Experiment 1, effects of the intensity of a prepulse (0.5 ~ 5 dB on the test response were examined using a paired stimulation paradigm. In Experiment 2, effects of the interval between the prepulse and test stimulus were examined using interstimulus intervals (ISIs of 50 ~ 350 ms. When the test stimulus was preceded by the prepulse, the Change-N1m was more strongly inhibited by a stronger prepulse (Experiment 1 and a shorter ISI prepulse (Experiment 2. In addition, the amplitude of the test Change-N1m correlated positively with both the amplitude of the prepulse-evoked response and the degree of inhibition, suggesting that subjects who are more sensitive to the auditory change are more strongly inhibited by the prepulse. Conclusions Since Change-N1m is easy to measure and control, it would be a valuable tool to investigate mechanisms of sensory gating or the biology of certain mental diseases such as schizophrenia.

  10. Response-Retrieval in Identity Negative Priming is Modulated by Temporal Discriminability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias eMittner

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Reaction times to previously ignored information are often delayed, a phenomenon referred to as negative priming (NP. Rothermund, Wentura & De Houwer (2005 proposed that negative priming is caused by the retrieval of incidental stimulus-response associations when consecutive displays share visual features but require different responses. In two experiments we examined whether the features (color, shape that reappear in consecutive displays, or their level of processing (early-perceptual, late-semantic moderate the likelihood that stimulus-response associations are retrieved. Using a perceptual matching task (experiment 1, negative priming occurred independently of whether responses were repeated or switched. Only when implementing a semantic-matching task (experiment 2, negative priming was determined by response-repetition as predicted by response-retrieval theory. The results can be explained in terms of a task-dependent temporal discrimination process (Milliken et al., 1998: Response-relevant features are encoded more strongly and/or are more likely to be retrieved than irrelevant features.

  11. Response Expectancy and the Placebo Effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsch, Irving

    2018-01-01

    In this chapter, I review basic tenets of response expectancy theory (Kirsch, 1985), beginning with the important distinction between response expectancies and stimulus expectancies. Although both can affect experience, the effects of response expectancies are stronger and more resistant to extinction than those of stimulus expectancies. Further, response expectancies are especially important to understanding placebo effects. The response expectancy framework is consistent with and has been amplified by the Bayesian model of predictive coding. Clinical implications of these phenomena are exemplified. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Oral Polio Vaccine Influences the Immune Response to BCG Vaccination. A Natural Experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sartono, E.; Lisse, I.M.; Terveer, E.M.

    2010-01-01

    not receive OPV at birth, but only BCG. We investigated the effect of OPV given simultaneously with BCG at birth on the immune response to BCG vaccine. Methods and Findings: We compared the in vitro and the in vivo response to PPD in the infants who received OPV and BCG with that of infants who received BCG...... only. At age 6 weeks, the in vitro cytokine response to purified protein derivate (PPD) of M. Tuberculosis was reduced in LBW and NBW infants who had received OPV with BCG. In a pooled analysis receiving OPV with BCG at birth was associated with significantly lower IL-13 (p = 0.041) and IFN-gamma (p...... = 0.004) and a tendency for lower IL-10 (p = 0.054) in response to PPD. Furthermore, OPV was associated with reduced in vivo response to PPD at age 2 months, the prevalence ratio (PR) of having a PPD reaction being 0.75 (0.58-0.98), p = 0.033, and with a tendency for reduced likelihood of having a BCG...

  13. Oral polio vaccine influences the immune response to BCG vaccination. A natural experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sartono, Erliyani; Lisse, Ida M; Terveer, Elisabeth M

    2010-01-01

    not receive OPV at birth, but only BCG. We investigated the effect of OPV given simultaneously with BCG at birth on the immune response to BCG vaccine. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We compared the in vitro and the in vivo response to PPD in the infants who received OPV and BCG with that of infants who received BCG...... only. At age 6 weeks, the in vitro cytokine response to purified protein derivate (PPD) of M. Tuberculosis was reduced in LBW and NBW infants who had received OPV with BCG. In a pooled analysis receiving OPV with BCG at birth was associated with significantly lower IL-13 (p = 0.041) and IFN-gamma (p...... = 0.004) and a tendency for lower IL-10 (p = 0.054) in response to PPD. Furthermore, OPV was associated with reduced in vivo response to PPD at age 2 months, the prevalence ratio (PR) of having a PPD reaction being 0.75 (0.58-0.98), p = 0.033, and with a tendency for reduced likelihood of having a BCG...

  14. Regulatory challenges in using nuclear operating experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    There can be no doubt that the systematic evaluation of operating experience by the operator and the regulator is essential for continued safe operation of nuclear power plants. Recent concerns have been voiced that the operating experience information and insights are not being used effectively to promote safety. If these concerns foreshadow a real trend in OECD countries toward complacency in reporting and analysing operating events and taking corrective actions, then past experience suggests that similar or even more serious events will recur. This report discusses how the regulator can take actions to assure that operators have effective programmes to collect and analyse operating experience and, just as important, for taking steps to follow up with actions to prevent the events and conditions from recurring. These regulatory actions include special inspections of an operator operating experience programme and discussion with senior plant managers to emphasize the importance of having an effective operating experience programme. In addition to overseeing the operator programmes, the regulator has the broader responsibility for assuring that industry-wide trends, both national and international are monitored. To meet these responsibilities, the regulatory body must have its own operating experience programme, and this report discusses the important attributes of such regulatory programmes. It is especially important for the regulator to have the capability for assessing the full scope of operating experience issues, including those that may not be included in an operator operating experience programme, such as new research results, international operating experience, and broad industry trend information. (author)

  15. The influence of cochlear traveling wave and neural adaptation on auditory brainstem responses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Junius, D.; Dau, Torsten

    2005-01-01

    of the responses to the single components, as a function of stimulus level. In the first experiment, a single rising chirp was temporally and spectrally embedded in two steady-state tones. In the second experiment, the stimulus consisted of a continuous alternating train of chirps: each rising chirp was followed...... by the temporally reversed (falling) chirp. In both experiments, the transitions between stimulus components were continuous. For stimulation levels up to approximately 70 dB SPL, the responses to the embedded chirp corresponded to the responses to the single chirp. At high stimulus levels (80-100 dB SPL......), disparities occurred between the responses, reflecting a nonlinearity in the processing when neural activity is integrated across frequency. In the third experiment, the effect of within-train rate on wave-V response was investigated. The response to the chirp presented at a within-train rate of 95 Hz...

  16. Assessing the role of urban developments on storm runoff response through multi-scale catchment experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Mark; Owen, Gareth; Geris, Josie; Soulsby, Chris; Quinn, Paul

    2015-04-01

    Many communities across the world face the increasing challenge of balancing water quantity and quality issues with accommodating new growth and urban development. Urbanisation is typically associated with detrimental changes in water quality, sediment delivery, and effects on water storage and flow pathways (e.g. increases in flooding). In particular for mixed rural and urban catchments where the spatio-temporal variability of hydrological responses is high, there remains a key research challenge in evaluating the timing and magnitude of storage and flow pathways at multiple scales. This is of crucial importance for appropriate catchment management, for example to aid the design of Green Infrastructure (GI) to mitigate the risk of flooding, among other multiple benefits. The aim of this work was to (i) explore spatio-temporal storm runoff generation characteristics in multi-scale catchment experiments that contain rural and urban land use zones, and (ii) assess the (preliminary) impact of Sustainable Drainage (SuDs) as GI on high flow and flood characteristics. Our key research catchment, the Ouseburn in Northern England (55km2), has rural headwaters (15%) and an urban zone (45%) concentrated in the lower catchment area. There is an intermediate and increasingly expanding peri-urban zone (currently 40%), which is defined here as areas where rural and urban features coexist, alongside GIs. Such a structure is typical for most catchments with urban developments. We monitored spatial precipitation and multiscale nested (five gauges) runoff response, in addition to the storage dynamics in GIs for a period of 6 years (2007-2013). For a range of events, we examined the multiscale nested runoff characteristics (lag time and magnitude) of the rural and urban flow components, assessed how these integrated with changing land use and increasing scale, and discussed the implications for flood management in the catchment. The analyses indicated three distinctly different

  17. Long-term ecophysiological responses to climate change

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boesgaard, Kristine Stove; Ro-Poulsen, Helge

    Plant physiology is affected by climate change. Acclimations of photosynthetic processes are induced by short-term changes in climatic conditions. Further acclimation can be caused by longterm adjustments to climate change due to ecosystem-feedbacks. The aim of this PhD was to investigate plant...... term responses of plant physiology to the climate change factors were investigated. In the CLIMAITE-experiment it has been shown that 2 years of treatment altered physiological responses in Deschampsiaand Calluna. In the work of this PhD similar responses were observed after 6 years of treatment...... physiological responses to climate change in a seasonal and long-term perspective. The effects of elevated CO2, passive night time warming and periodic summer drought as single factor and in combination, on plant physiology were investigated in the long-term multifactorial field experiment CLIMAITE in a Danish...

  18. Combining Passive Microwave Rain Rate Retrieval with Visible and Infrared Cloud Classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Shawn William

    The relation between cloud type and rain rate has been investigated here from different approaches. Previous studies and intercomparisons have indicated that no single passive microwave rain rate algorithm is an optimal choice for all types of precipitating systems. Motivated by the upcoming Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), an algorithm which combines visible and infrared cloud classification with passive microwave rain rate estimation was developed and analyzed in a preliminary manner using data from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere-Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA-COARE). Overall correlation with radar rain rate measurements across five case studies showed substantial improvement in the combined algorithm approach when compared to the use of any single microwave algorithm. An automated neural network cloud classifier for use over both land and ocean was independently developed and tested on Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. The global classifier achieved strict accuracy for 82% of the test samples, while a more localized version achieved strict accuracy for 89% of its own test set. These numbers provide hope for the eventual development of a global automated cloud classifier for use throughout the tropics and the temperate zones. The localized classifier was used in conjunction with gridded 15-minute averaged radar rain rates at 8km resolution produced from the current operational network of National Weather Service (NWS) radars, to investigate the relation between cloud type and rain rate over three regions of the continental United States and adjacent waters. The results indicate a substantially lower amount of available moisture in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains than in the Midwest or in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

  19. Using eddy covariance to measure the dependence of air-sea CO2 exchange rate on friction velocity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landwehr, Sebastian; Miller, Scott D.; Smith, Murray J.; Bell, Thomas G.; Saltzman, Eric S.; Ward, Brian

    2018-03-01

    Parameterisation of the air-sea gas transfer velocity of CO2 and other trace gases under open-ocean conditions has been a focus of air-sea interaction research and is required for accurately determining ocean carbon uptake. Ships are the most widely used platform for air-sea flux measurements but the quality of the data can be compromised by airflow distortion and sensor cross-sensitivity effects. Recent improvements in the understanding of these effects have led to enhanced corrections to the shipboard eddy covariance (EC) measurements.Here, we present a revised analysis of eddy covariance measurements of air-sea CO2 and momentum fluxes from the Southern Ocean Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) study. We show that it is possible to significantly reduce the scatter in the EC data and achieve consistency between measurements taken on station and with the ship underway. The gas transfer velocities from the EC measurements correlate better with the EC friction velocity (u*) than with mean wind speeds derived from shipboard measurements corrected with an airflow distortion model. For the observed range of wind speeds (u10 N = 3-23 m s-1), the transfer velocities can be parameterised with a linear fit to u*. The SOAP data are compared to previous gas transfer parameterisations using u10 N computed from the EC friction velocity with the drag coefficient from the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) model version 3.5. The SOAP results are consistent with previous gas transfer studies, but at high wind speeds they do not support the sharp increase in gas transfer associated with bubble-mediated transfer predicted by physically based models.

  20. Oral polio vaccine influences the immune response to BCG vaccination. A natural experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sartono, Erliyani; Lisse, Ida M; Terveer, Elisabeth M; van de Sande, Paula J M; Whittle, Hilton; Fisker, Ane B; Roth, Adam; Aaby, Peter; Yazdanbakhsh, Maria; Benn, Christine S

    2010-05-21

    Oral polio vaccine (OPV) is recommended to be given at birth together with BCG vaccine. While we were conducting two trials including low-birth-weight (LBW) and normal-birth-weight (NBW) infants in Guinea-Bissau, OPV was not available during some periods and therefore some infants did not receive OPV at birth, but only BCG. We investigated the effect of OPV given simultaneously with BCG at birth on the immune response to BCG vaccine. We compared the in vitro and the in vivo response to PPD in the infants who received OPV and BCG with that of infants who received BCG only. At age 6 weeks, the in vitro cytokine response to purified protein derivate (PPD) of M. Tuberculosis was reduced in LBW and NBW infants who had received OPV with BCG. In a pooled analysis receiving OPV with BCG at birth was associated with significantly lower IL-13 (p = 0.041) and IFN-gamma (p = 0.004) and a tendency for lower IL-10 (p = 0.054) in response to PPD. Furthermore, OPV was associated with reduced in vivo response to PPD at age 2 months, the prevalence ratio (PR) of having a PPD reaction being 0.75 (0.58-0.98), p = 0.033, and with a tendency for reduced likelihood of having a BCG scar (0.95 (0.91-1.00), p = 0.057)). Among children with a scar, OPV was associated with reduced scar size, the regression coefficient being -0.24 (-0.43-0.05), p = 0.012. This study is the first to address the consequences for the immune response to BCG of simultaneous administration with OPV. Worryingly, the results indicate that the common practice in low-income countries of administering OPV together with BCG at birth may down-regulate the response to BCG vaccine.

  1. Oral polio vaccine influences the immune response to BCG vaccination. A natural experiment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erliyani Sartono

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Oral polio vaccine (OPV is recommended to be given at birth together with BCG vaccine. While we were conducting two trials including low-birth-weight (LBW and normal-birth-weight (NBW infants in Guinea-Bissau, OPV was not available during some periods and therefore some infants did not receive OPV at birth, but only BCG. We investigated the effect of OPV given simultaneously with BCG at birth on the immune response to BCG vaccine. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We compared the in vitro and the in vivo response to PPD in the infants who received OPV and BCG with that of infants who received BCG only. At age 6 weeks, the in vitro cytokine response to purified protein derivate (PPD of M. Tuberculosis was reduced in LBW and NBW infants who had received OPV with BCG. In a pooled analysis receiving OPV with BCG at birth was associated with significantly lower IL-13 (p = 0.041 and IFN-gamma (p = 0.004 and a tendency for lower IL-10 (p = 0.054 in response to PPD. Furthermore, OPV was associated with reduced in vivo response to PPD at age 2 months, the prevalence ratio (PR of having a PPD reaction being 0.75 (0.58-0.98, p = 0.033, and with a tendency for reduced likelihood of having a BCG scar (0.95 (0.91-1.00, p = 0.057. Among children with a scar, OPV was associated with reduced scar size, the regression coefficient being -0.24 (-0.43-0.05, p = 0.012. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to address the consequences for the immune response to BCG of simultaneous administration with OPV. Worryingly, the results indicate that the common practice in low-income countries of administering OPV together with BCG at birth may down-regulate the response to BCG vaccine.

  2. Subseabed Disposal Program In-Situ Heat Transfer Experiment (ISHTE)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Percival, C.M.

    1983-05-01

    A heat transfer experiment is being developed in support of the Subseabed Disposal Program. The primary objectives of this experiment are: to provide information on the in situ response of seabed sediment to localized heating; to provide an opportunity to evaluate theoretical models of the response and to observe any unanticipated phenomena which may occur; and to develop and demonstrate the technology necessary to perform waste isolation oriented experiments on the seafloor at depths up to 6000 m. As presently envisaged, the heat transfer experiment will be conducted at a location in the central North Pacific though it could be performed anywhere that the ocean bottom is of the type deemed suitable for the disposal of nuclear waste material. The experiment will be conducted of the seafloor from a recoverable space-frame platform at a depth of approximately 6000 m. A 400-W isotopic heat source will be implanted in the illite sediment and the subsequent response of the sediment to the induced thermal field evaluated. After remote initiation of the experiment, a permanent record of the data obtained will be recorded on board the platform, with selected information transmitted to a surface vessel by acoustic telemetry. The experiment will be operational for one year, after which the entire platform will be recovered. Current plans call for the deployment of the experiment in 1986. Specific activities which will be pursued during the course of the experiment include: measurement of the thermal field; determination of the effective thermal conductivity of the sediment; measurement of pore pressure; evaluation of radionuclide migration processes; pore water sampling; sediment chemistry studies; sediment shear strength measurements; and coring operations in the immediate vicinity of the experiment for postexperiment analysis

  3. Structural and containment response to LMFBR accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchaterre, J.F.; Fistedis, S.H.; Baker, L. Jr.; Stepnewski, D.D.; Peak, R.D.; Gluekler, E.L.

    1978-01-01

    The results of current developments in analysing the response of reactor structures and containment to LMFBR accidents are presented. The current status of analysis of the structural response of LMFBR's to core disruptive accidents, including head response, potential missile generation and the effects of internal structures are presented. The results of recent experiments to help clarify the thermal response of reactor structures to molten core debris are summarized, including the use of this data to calculate the response of the secondary containment. (author)

  4. Reactor dynamics experiment of nuclear ship Mutsu using pseudo random signal (II). The second experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Koji; Shimazaki, Junya; Nabeshima, Kunihiko; Ochiai, Masaaki; Shinohara, Yoshikuni; Inoue, Kimihiko.

    1995-01-01

    In order to investigate dynamics of the reactor plant of the nuclear ship Mutsu, the second reactor noise experiment using pseudo random binary sequences (PRBS) was performed on August 30, 1991 in the third experimental navigation. The experiments using both reactivity and load disturbances were performed at 50% of reactor power and under a quiet sea condition. Each PRBS was applied by manual operation of the control rod or the main steam valve. Various signals of the plant responses and of the acceleration of ship motion were measured. Furthermore, natural reactor noise signals were measured after each PRBS experiment in order to evaluate the effects of the PRBS disturbances. This paper summarizes the planning of the experiment, the instruction for the experiment and logs, the data recording conditions, recorded signal wave forms and the results of power spectral analysis. (author)

  5. Reactor dynamics experiment of nuclear ship Mutsu using pseudo random signal (III). The third experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Koji; Shimazaki, Junya; Nabeshima, Kunihiko; Ochiai, Masaaki; Shinohara, Yoshikuni; Inoue, Kimihiko.

    1995-03-01

    In order to investigate dynamics of the reactor plant of the nuclear ship Mutsu, the third reactor noise experiment using pseudo random binary sequences (PRBS) was performed on September 16, 1991 in the third experimental navigation. The experiments using both reactivity and load disturbances were performed at 70% of reactor power and under a normal sea condition. Each PRBS was applied by manual operation of the control rod or the main steam valve. Various signals of the plant responses and of the acceleration of ship motion were measured. Furthermore, natural reactor noise signals were measured after each PRBS experiment in order to evaluate the effects of the PRBS disturbances. This paper summarizes the planning of the experiment, the instruction for the experiment and logs, the data recording conditions, recorded signal wave forms and the results of power spectral analysis. (author)

  6. Grain yield and crop N offtake in response to residual fertilizer N in long-term field experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Jens; Thomsen, Ingrid Kaag; Mattsson, L.

    2010-01-01

    in four long-term (>35 yr) field experiments, we measured the response of barley (grain yield and N offtake at crop maturity) to six rates (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg N/ha) of mineral fertilizer N (Nnew) applied in subplots replacing the customary long-term plot treatments of fertilizer inputs (Nprev......). Rates of Nprev above 50-100 kg N/ha had no consistent effect on the soil N content, but this was up to 20% greater than that in unfertilized treatments. Long-term unfertilized plots should not be used as control to test the residual value of N in modern agriculture with large production potentials....... Although the effect of mineral Nprev on grain yield and N offtake could be substituted by Nnew within a range of previous inputs, the value of Nprev was not eliminated irrespective of Nnew rate. Provided a sufficient supply of plant nutrients other than N, the use-efficiency of Nnew did not change...

  7. Price responsive load programs: U.S. experience in creating markets for peak demand reductions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldberg, Miriam L.; Michelman, Thomas; Rosenberg, Mitchell

    2003-01-01

    Demand response programs use a variety of pricing mechanisms to induce end-use customers to reduce demand at specified periods. U.S. distribution utilities, regional market operators, and their regulators have implemented demand response programs with the objectives of improving electric system reliability, avoiding price spikes, and relieving local transmission congestion. This paper reviews the design and performance of market-linked demand response programs operated in 2001 and 2002, focusing on the relationship between program design and customer participation and the development of accurate and feasible methods to measure demand response at the facility level

  8. Responsability of nuclear industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cadiz Deleito, J.C.

    1985-01-01

    Since the beginning of nuclear industry, civil responsibility with damages to the public health and properties was a critical problem, because the special conditions of this industry (nuclear accident, damages could be very high but probability of these events is very low). Legal precepts, universally accepted, in the first 60 years for all countries interested in nuclear energy are being revised, then 20 years of experience. The civil responsibility limited is being questioned and indemnities updated. (author)

  9. A Coordinated Mental Health Crisis Response: Lessons Learned from Three Colorado School Shootings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crepeau-Hobson, Franci; Sievering, Kathryn S.; Armstrong, Charlotte; Stonis, Julie

    2012-01-01

    This article describes a crisis response framework based on the authors' first-hand experience following three Colorado school shootings. During each crisis response, one or more of the authors joined school and/or district crisis teams, providing direct assistance and leadership. The authors' experiences helped guide subsequent responses and…

  10. Evidence from Individual Inference for High-Dimensional Coexistence: Long-Term Experiments on Recruitment Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, James S.; Soltoff, Benjamin D.; Powell, Amanda S.; Read, Quentin D.

    2012-01-01

    Background For competing species to coexist, individuals must compete more with others of the same species than with those of other species. Ecologists search for tradeoffs in how species might partition the environment. The negative correlations among competing species that would be indicative of tradeoffs are rarely observed. A recent analysis showed that evidence for partitioning the environment is available when responses are disaggregated to the individual scale, in terms of the covariance structure of responses to environmental variation. That study did not relate that variation to the variables to which individuals were responding. To understand how this pattern of variation is related to niche variables, we analyzed responses to canopy gaps, long viewed as a key variable responsible for species coexistence. Methodology/Principal Findings A longitudinal intervention analysis of individual responses to experimental canopy gaps with 12 yr of pre-treatment and 8 yr post-treatment responses showed that species-level responses are positively correlated – species that grow fast on average in the understory also grow fast on average in response to gap formation. In other words, there is no tradeoff. However, the joint distribution of individual responses to understory and gap showed a negative correlation – species having individuals that respond most to gaps when previously growing slowly also have individuals that respond least to gaps when previously growing rapidly (e.g., Morus rubra), and vice versa (e.g., Quercus prinus). Conclusions/Significance Because competition occurs at the individual scale, not the species scale, aggregated species-level parameters and correlations hide the species-level differences needed for coexistence. By disaggregating models to the scale at which the interaction occurs we show that individual variation provides insight for species differences. PMID:22393349

  11. Evidence from individual inference for high-dimensional coexistence: long-term experiments on recruitment response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James S Clark

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: For competing species to coexist, individuals must compete more with others of the same species than with those of other species. Ecologists search for tradeoffs in how species might partition the environment. The negative correlations among competing species that would be indicative of tradeoffs are rarely observed. A recent analysis showed that evidence for partitioning the environment is available when responses are disaggregated to the individual scale, in terms of the covariance structure of responses to environmental variation. That study did not relate that variation to the variables to which individuals were responding. To understand how this pattern of variation is related to niche variables, we analyzed responses to canopy gaps, long viewed as a key variable responsible for species coexistence. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A longitudinal intervention analysis of individual responses to experimental canopy gaps with 12 yr of pre-treatment and 8 yr post-treatment responses showed that species-level responses are positively correlated--species that grow fast on average in the understory also grow fast on average in response to gap formation. In other words, there is no tradeoff. However, the joint distribution of individual responses to understory and gap showed a negative correlation--species having individuals that respond most to gaps when previously growing slowly also have individuals that respond least to gaps when previously growing rapidly (e.g., Morus rubra, and vice versa (e.g., Quercus prinus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Because competition occurs at the individual scale, not the species scale, aggregated species-level parameters and correlations hide the species-level differences needed for coexistence. By disaggregating models to the scale at which the interaction occurs we show that individual variation provides insight for species differences.

  12. The Sociological Imagination and Social Responsibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hironimus-Wendt, Robert J.; Wallace, Lora Ebert

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we maintain that sociologists should deliberately teach social responsibility as a means of fulfilling the promise that C. Wright Mills envisioned. A key aspect of the sociological imagination includes a sense of social responsibility, but that aspect is best learned through a combination of experience and academic knowledge.…

  13. Extreme rainfall and snowfall alter responses of soil respiration to nitrogen fertilization: a 3-year field experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zengming; Xu, Yehong; Zhou, Xuhui; Tang, Jianwu; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Yu, Hongyan; Fan, Jianling; Ding, Weixin

    2017-08-01

    Extreme precipitation is predicted to be more frequent and intense accompanying global warming and may have profound impacts on soil respiration (Rs) and its components, that is, autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic (Rh) respiration. However, how natural extreme rainfall or snowfall events affect these fluxes are still lacking, especially under nitrogen (N) fertilization. In this study, extreme rainfall and snowfall events occurred during a 3-year field experiment, allowing us to examine their effects on the response of Rs, Rh, and Ra to N supply. In normal rainfall years of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, N fertilization significantly stimulated Rs by 23.9% and 10.9%, respectively. This stimulation was mainly due to the increase of Ra because of N-induced increase in plant biomass. In the record wet year of 2013/2014, however, Rs was independent on N supply because of the inhibition effect of the extreme rainfall event. Compared with those in other years, Rh and Ra were reduced by 36.8% and 59.1%, respectively, which were likely related to the anoxic stress on soil microbes and decreased photosynthates supply. Although N supply did not affect annual Rh, the response ratio (RR) of Rh flux to N fertilization decreased firstly during growing season, increased in nongrowing season and peaked during spring thaw in each year. Nongrowing season Rs and Rh contributed 5.5-16.4% to their annual fluxes and were higher in 2012/2013 than other years due to the extreme snowfall inducing higher soil moisture during spring thaw. The RR of nongrowing season Rs and Rh decreased in years with extreme snowfall or rainfall compared to those in normal years. Overall, our results highlight the significant effects of extreme precipitation on responses of Rs and its components to N fertilization, which should be incorporated into models to improve the prediction of carbon-climate feedbacks. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Seismic response and resistance capacity of 'as built' WWER 440-230 NPP Kozloduy: Verification of the results by experiments and real earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sachanski, S.

    1993-01-01

    Although Kozloduy NPP units 1 and 2 were not designed for earthquakes they have withstood successfully the Vrancea Earthquake in 1977 with sire peak ground acceleration of 83 sm/s 2 . Both units as well as units 3 and 4 were later recalculated for maximum peak acceleration of 0.1 g. According to values calculated by two-dimensional model, in 1980 reactor buildings had sufficient earthquake resistance capacity for the accepted design seismic excitation. The non symmetric design of WWER-440 structures in plan and elevation, the large eccentricity between the center of rigidities and masses as well as technological connections between the separate substructures and units led to complicated space response and rotational effects which cannot be calculated by two-dimensional models. Three dimensional detailed 'as built' mathematical models were established and verified by series of experiments and real earthquake for: detailed analysis of 'as built' structural response, comparing the results of two and three dimensional models, detailed analyses of seismic safety margins

  15. Ecology-centered experiences among children and adolescents: A qualitative and quantitative analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orton, Judy

    The present research involved two studies that considered ecology-centered experiences (i.e., experiences with living things) as a factor in children's environmental attitudes and behaviors and adolescents' ecological understanding. The first study (Study 1) examined how a community garden provides children in an urban setting the opportunity to learn about ecology through ecology-centered experiences. To do this, I carried out a yearlong ethnographic study at an urban community garden located in a large city in the Southeastern United States. Through participant observations and informal interviews of community garden staff and participants, I found children had opportunities to learn about ecology through ecology-centered experiences (e.g., interaction with animals) along with other experiences (e.g., playing games, reading books). In light of previous research that shows urban children have diminished ecological thought---a pattern of thought that privileges the relationship between living things---because of their lack of ecology-centered experiences (Coley, 2012), the present study may have implications for urban children to learn about ecology. As an extension of Study 1, I carried out a second study (Study 2) to investigate how ecology-centered experiences contribute to adolescents' environmental attitudes and behaviors in light of other contextual factors, namely environmental responsibility support, ecological thought, age and gender. Study 2 addressed three research questions. First, does ecological thought---a pattern of thought that privileges the relationship between living things---predict environmental attitudes and behaviors (EAB)? Results showed ecological thought did not predict EAB, an important finding considering the latent assumptions of previous research about the relationship between these two factors (e.g., Brugger, Kaiser, & Roczen, 2011). Second, do two types of contextual support, ecology-centered experiences (i.e., experiences with

  16. Training for the medical response in radiological emergency experiences and results; Capacitacion para la respuesta medica en emergencias radiologicas experiencias y resultados

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardenas Herrera, J.; Lopez Forteza, Y.

    2003-07-01

    The use of the nuclear techniques in the social practice confers a special imporatnce to the relative aspects to the safety of the practices and radiationsources, for what the implementation of efficient programs of radiation protection constitutes a priority. However in spite of the will before expressed, regrettably radiological situations happen accidental assocaited to multiple causes taht suggest the creation of response capacities to intervention before these fortuitous facts. The experiences accumulated in the last decades related with accidental exposures have evidenced the convenience of having properly qualified human resources for the Medical Response in Radiological Emergencies. The training in the medical aspects of the radiological emergencies acquires a singular character. In such a sense when valuing the national situation put onof manifest deficiences as for the training in medical aspects of the radiological emergencies that advised the development of training programs in such aspects for the different response groups linked to the topic. After identified the training necessities and the scope of the same ones, the contents of the training program were elaborated. The program has as general purpose the invigoration of the capacity of the medical response in front of accidental radiological situations, by means of actions that they bear to prepare groups of medical response in the handling of people accident victims and to the identification of potentials,accidental scenarios, as well as of the necessary resources to confront them. The program content approaches theoretical and paractical aspects to the medical aspect to radiological emergencies. The program include the different topics about fundamental of physical biological to radiation protection, radiation protection during exposure of radiological accidents, medical care for overexposed or contaminated persons, drill, exercises and concludes with designation of a strategy as preparation and

  17. School Mental Health's Response to Terrorism and Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weist, Mark D.; Sander, Mark A.; Lever, Nancy A.; Rosner, Leah E.; Pruitt, David B.; Lowie, Jennifer Axelrod; Hill, Susan; Lombardo, Sylvie; Christodulu, Kristin V.

    2002-01-01

    Explores the response of school mental health to terrorism and disaster, reviewing literature on child and adult reactions to trauma, discussing the development of crisis response teams, and presenting strategies for schools to respond to crises and disaster. One elementary school's experiences in response to the September 11th attacks are…

  18. What is health systems responsiveness? Review of existing knowledge and proposed conceptual framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirzoev, Tolib; Kane, Sumit

    2017-01-01

    Responsiveness is a key objective of national health systems. Responsive health systems anticipate and adapt to existing and future health needs, thus contributing to better health outcomes. Of all the health systems objectives, responsiveness is the least studied, which perhaps reflects lack of comprehensive frameworks that go beyond the normative characteristics of responsive services. This paper contributes to a growing, yet limited, knowledge on this topic. Herewith, we review the current frameworks for understanding health systems responsiveness and drawing on these, as well as key frameworks from the wider public services literature, propose a comprehensive conceptual framework for health systems responsiveness. This paper should be of interest to different stakeholders who are engaged in analysing and improving health systems responsiveness. Our review shows that existing knowledge on health systems responsiveness can be extended along the three areas. First, responsiveness entails an actual experience of people’s interaction with their health system, which confirms or disconfirms their initial expectations of the system. Second, the experience of interaction is shaped by both the people and the health systems sides of this interaction. Third, different influences shape people’s interaction with their health system, ultimately affecting their resultant experiences. Therefore, recognition of both people and health systems sides of interaction and their key determinants would enhance the conceptualisations of responsiveness. Our proposed framework builds on, and advances, the core frameworks in the health systems literature. It positions the experience of interaction between people and health system as the centrepiece and recognises the determinants of responsiveness experience both from the health systems (eg, actors, processes) and the people (eg, initial expectations) sides. While we hope to trigger further thinking on the conceptualisation of health

  19. What is health systems responsiveness? Review of existing knowledge and proposed conceptual framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirzoev, Tolib; Kane, Sumit

    2017-01-01

    Responsiveness is a key objective of national health systems. Responsive health systems anticipate and adapt to existing and future health needs, thus contributing to better health outcomes. Of all the health systems objectives, responsiveness is the least studied, which perhaps reflects lack of comprehensive frameworks that go beyond the normative characteristics of responsive services. This paper contributes to a growing, yet limited, knowledge on this topic. Herewith, we review the current frameworks for understanding health systems responsiveness and drawing on these, as well as key frameworks from the wider public services literature, propose a comprehensive conceptual framework for health systems responsiveness. This paper should be of interest to different stakeholders who are engaged in analysing and improving health systems responsiveness. Our review shows that existing knowledge on health systems responsiveness can be extended along the three areas. First, responsiveness entails an actual experience of people's interaction with their health system, which confirms or disconfirms their initial expectations of the system. Second, the experience of interaction is shaped by both the people and the health systems sides of this interaction. Third, different influences shape people's interaction with their health system, ultimately affecting their resultant experiences. Therefore, recognition of both people and health systems sides of interaction and their key determinants would enhance the conceptualisations of responsiveness. Our proposed framework builds on, and advances, the core frameworks in the health systems literature. It positions the experience of interaction between people and health system as the centrepiece and recognises the determinants of responsiveness experience both from the health systems (eg, actors, processes) and the people (eg, initial expectations) sides. While we hope to trigger further thinking on the conceptualisation of health system

  20. Vibrational experiments at the HDR [Heissdampfreaktor] German/US cooperation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kot, C.A.; Malcher, L.; Costello, J.F.

    1987-04-01

    As part of an overall effort on the validation of seismic calculational methods, the US NRC/RES is collaborating with the Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, FRG, in the vibrational/earthquake experiments conducted at the HDR (Heissdampfreaktor) Test Facility in Kahl/Main, FRG. In the most recent experiments (SHAG), high level excitations were produced in the HDR by means of an eccentric-mass coastdown shaker capable of developing 1000 tons of force. The purpose of the experiments was to investigate full-scale structural response, soil-structure interaction, and piping and equipment response. Data obtained in the tests serve to evaluate analysis methods. In the SHAG experiments, loadings of the HDR soil-structure system approached incipient failure levels as evidenced by high peak accelerations and displacements, local damage, nonlinear behavior, soil subsidence, and wall strains which exceeded estimated limit values. Also, the performance of different pipe hanger configurations for the VKL piping system was compared in these tests under high excitation levels. The support configurations ranged from very rigid systems (strut/snubbers) to very flexible configurations (spring and constant force supports). Pretest and post-test analyses for the building/soil and piping response were performed and are being validated with the test data

  1. CATERING STUDENTS' NEEDS TO PROMOTE AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE IN EFL LITERATURE CLASS WITH REFERENCE TO RESPONSE-CENTRED CURRICULUM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ishkak Said

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The success of literature instruction is dependent upon not only the teaching strategies, but also the well-developed curriculum, which accommodates student needs. Teaching practice of literature in the multicultural contexts has to do with teachers' belieft in approaching to their day-to-day practice endowed in the curriculum they are concerned with. In this respect, the existing literature curricula should ideally reflect aesthetic experiences that enhance students' freedom and enjoyment with literary works assigned The present study examines how three case High School English teachers from different sites with different multicultural entities in West Java, Indonesia, developed literature curricula in such a way that their students got 'free room' to express what they wanted and needed to say and to do. Following the traditions of a qualitative multi-case and -site study, the present study investigated the process of teaching literature in language studies streams of the three sites by occupying classroom observation and interview, and administering questionnaires as well. The findings revealed that, in their classroom practices, the three cases endeavored to cater their students' needs through developing negotiated response-based literature curriculum that led to varied and unique activities in the forms of celebrations showing their personal engagements in responding to.Jiterature assigned. Yet, their different schooling systems and contextual factors, and the subjects' perspectives in literature pedagogy and their lived-through literary. reading experiences, have made each case indicate typical and unique phenomena, which is in accordance with the spirit of school-based curriculum.

  2. Wigner-Kirkwood expansion of the quasi-elastic nuclear responses and application to spin-isospin responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chanfray, G.

    1988-01-01

    We derive a semi-classical Wigner-Kirkwood expansion (Planck constant expansion) of the linear response functions. We find that the semi-classical results compare very well to the quantum mechanical calculations. We apply our formalism to the spin-isospin responses and show that surface-peaked Planck constant 2 corrections considerably decrease the ratio longitudinal/transverse as obtained through the Los Alamos (longitudinal momentum) experiment

  3. Early Adverse Caregiving Experiences and Preschoolers' Current Attachment Affect Brain Responses during Facial Familiarity Processing: An ERP Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kungl, Melanie T; Bovenschen, Ina; Spangler, Gottfried

    2017-01-01

    When being placed into more benign environments like foster care, children from adverse rearing backgrounds are capable of forming attachment relationships to new caregivers within the first year of placement, while certain problematic social behaviors appear to be more persistent. Assuming that early averse experiences shape neural circuits underlying social behavior, neurophysiological studies on individual differences in early social-information processing have great informative value. More precisely, ERP studies have repeatedly shown face processing to be sensitive to experience especially regarding the caregiving background. However, studies on effects of early adverse caregiving experiences are restricted to children with a history of institutionalization. Also, no study has investigated effects of attachment security as a marker of the quality of the caregiver-child relationship. Thus, the current study asks how adverse caregiving experiences and attachment security to (new) caregivers affect early- and mid-latency ERPs sensitive to facial familiarity processing. Therefore, pre-school aged foster children during their second year within the foster home were compared to an age matched control group. Attachment was assessed using the AQS and neurophysiological data was collected during a passive viewing task presenting (foster) mother and stranger faces. Foster children were comparable to the control group with regard to attachment security. On a neurophysiological level, however, the foster group showed dampened N170 amplitudes for both face types. In both foster and control children, dampened N170 amplitudes were also found for stranger as compared to (foster) mother faces, and, for insecurely attached children as compared to securely attached children. This neural pattern may be viewed as a result of poorer social interactions earlier in life. Still, there was no effect on P1 amplitudes. Indicating heightened attentional processing, Nc amplitude responses

  4. Early Adverse Caregiving Experiences and Preschoolers' Current Attachment Affect Brain Responses during Facial Familiarity Processing: An ERP Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie T. Kungl

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available When being placed into more benign environments like foster care, children from adverse rearing backgrounds are capable of forming attachment relationships to new caregivers within the first year of placement, while certain problematic social behaviors appear to be more persistent. Assuming that early averse experiences shape neural circuits underlying social behavior, neurophysiological studies on individual differences in early social-information processing have great informative value. More precisely, ERP studies have repeatedly shown face processing to be sensitive to experience especially regarding the caregiving background. However, studies on effects of early adverse caregiving experiences are restricted to children with a history of institutionalization. Also, no study has investigated effects of attachment security as a marker of the quality of the caregiver-child relationship. Thus, the current study asks how adverse caregiving experiences and attachment security to (new caregivers affect early- and mid-latency ERPs sensitive to facial familiarity processing. Therefore, pre-school aged foster children during their second year within the foster home were compared to an age matched control group. Attachment was assessed using the AQS and neurophysiological data was collected during a passive viewing task presenting (foster mother and stranger faces. Foster children were comparable to the control group with regard to attachment security. On a neurophysiological level, however, the foster group showed dampened N170 amplitudes for both face types. In both foster and control children, dampened N170 amplitudes were also found for stranger as compared to (foster mother faces, and, for insecurely attached children as compared to securely attached children. This neural pattern may be viewed as a result of poorer social interactions earlier in life. Still, there was no effect on P1 amplitudes. Indicating heightened attentional processing, Nc

  5. Early Adverse Caregiving Experiences and Preschoolers' Current Attachment Affect Brain Responses during Facial Familiarity Processing: An ERP Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kungl, Melanie T.; Bovenschen, Ina; Spangler, Gottfried

    2017-01-01

    When being placed into more benign environments like foster care, children from adverse rearing backgrounds are capable of forming attachment relationships to new caregivers within the first year of placement, while certain problematic social behaviors appear to be more persistent. Assuming that early averse experiences shape neural circuits underlying social behavior, neurophysiological studies on individual differences in early social-information processing have great informative value. More precisely, ERP studies have repeatedly shown face processing to be sensitive to experience especially regarding the caregiving background. However, studies on effects of early adverse caregiving experiences are restricted to children with a history of institutionalization. Also, no study has investigated effects of attachment security as a marker of the quality of the caregiver-child relationship. Thus, the current study asks how adverse caregiving experiences and attachment security to (new) caregivers affect early- and mid-latency ERPs sensitive to facial familiarity processing. Therefore, pre-school aged foster children during their second year within the foster home were compared to an age matched control group. Attachment was assessed using the AQS and neurophysiological data was collected during a passive viewing task presenting (foster) mother and stranger faces. Foster children were comparable to the control group with regard to attachment security. On a neurophysiological level, however, the foster group showed dampened N170 amplitudes for both face types. In both foster and control children, dampened N170 amplitudes were also found for stranger as compared to (foster) mother faces, and, for insecurely attached children as compared to securely attached children. This neural pattern may be viewed as a result of poorer social interactions earlier in life. Still, there was no effect on P1 amplitudes. Indicating heightened attentional processing, Nc amplitude responses

  6. Mycorrhizal Dependency and Response of Tomato ( Lycopersicon ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A pot experiment was conducted on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) to evaluate the responses of tomato to inoculation of mycorrhiza (AMF) under different levels of soil phosphorus (P) concentrations in a greenhouse study. The results showed different responses on dry matter yield, shoot phosphorus concentration, ...

  7. Qualitative experiments in psychology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wagoner, Brady

    2015-01-01

    In this article, I explore the meaning of experiments in early twentieth century psychology, focusing on the qualitative experimental methodology of psychologist Frederic BARTLETT. I begin by contextualizing BARTLETT's experiments within the continental research tradition of his time, which...... was in a state of transition from a focus on elements (the concern of psychophysics) to a focus on wholes (the concern of Gestalt psychology). The defining feature of BARTLETT's early experiments is his holistic treatment of human responses, in which the basic unit of analysis is the active person relating...... to some material within the constraints of a social and material context. This manifests itself in a number of methodological principles that contrast with contemporary understandings of experimentation in psychology. The contrast is further explored by reviewing the history of "replications...

  8. The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, Frederick S.; Bradstreet, Matthew P.; Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie S.; Johnson, Matthew W.; Griffiths, Roland R.

    2017-01-01

    Acute adverse psychological reactions to classic hallucinogens (“bad trips”, or “challenging experiences”), while usually benign with proper screening, preparation, and support in controlled settings, remain a safety concern in uncontrolled settings (such as illicit use contexts). Anecdotal and case reports suggest potential adverse acute symptoms including affective (panic, depressed mood), cognitive (confusion, feelings of losing sanity), and somatic (nausea, heart palpitation) symptoms. Responses to items from several hallucinogen-sensitive questionnaires (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, the States of Consciousness Questionnaire, and the 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire) in an internet survey of challenging experiences with the classic hallucinogen psilocybin were used to construct and validate a Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The stand-alone CEQ was then validated in a separate sample. Seven CEQ factors (grief, fear, death, insanity, isolation, physical distress, and paranoia) provide a phenomenological profile of challenging aspects of experiences with psilocybin. Factor scores were associated with the difficulty, meaningfulness, spiritual significance, and change in well-being attributed to the challenging experiences. The factor structure did not differ based on gender or prior struggle with anxiety or depression. The CEQ provides a basis for future investigation of predictors and outcomes of challenging experiences with psilocybin, and should be explored as a measure of challenging experiences with the broad class of classic hallucinogens. PMID:27856683

  9. Measurements and improvements of the response of the anti PANDA-EMC prototype PROTO 60 to high energetic particles and photons in accelerator experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moritz, Markus

    2013-01-01

    The anti PANDA experiment at FAIR will provide an opportunity to achieve a better understanding of complex hadronic systems. Measurements will be performed with antiprotons using a fi xed-target setup. In order to reconstruct most of the reactions, a precise measurement of electromagnetic probes and their energies are crucial. An important and major component of the detector is therefore the electromagnetic calorimeter. Due to the lack of commercial availability of such ambitious, complex and highly specialized detector systems, detailed research and development are necessary, including prototype development, testing and optimization. The investigation of the response of a homogeneous electromagnetic calorimeter prototype is the main scope of the present thesis. This prototype, called PROTO 60, is composed out of 60 truncated pyramidal shaped PWO-II crystals, cooled down to -25 C and read out with one Large Area Avalanche Photodiode (LAAPDs). The PROTO 60 represents a small section of the central barrel part of the anti PANDA calorimeter. Its response is being investigated for the first time over an extensive energy range from 52.34 MeV up to 15 GeV within several experiments measuring the response to energy marked photons or positrons at the highest energy, respectively. The study verified the principle detector concept. A linear response was observed. The achieved overall resolution can be parameterized as: (σ)/(E)=√(((1.86%)/(√ E/GeV )) 2 + ((0.25%)/(E/GeV)) 2 + 1.46% 2 ). Due to the use of only one single LAAPD per crystal with the effective surface of 1 cm 2 and a not linearized light collection within the crystals, these parameters represent an upper performance limit of the final anti PANDA calorimeter. A detailed GEANT based model of the prototype was developed in order to investigate the calibration based on cosmic radiation or a 150 GeV muon beam and to understand the impact of the detailed geometry and light collection on the achieved performance

  10. Emergency planning and response - role nad responsibilities of the regulatory body

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nizamska, M.

    1999-01-01

    The development of a emergency plan and organisation of adequate emergency preparedness in case of radiological accident in NPP cannot be effective without the appropriate preparatory work. In most countries, also in Republic of Bulgaria, several organisations are identified to have a potential role to play in a radiological emergency. For these reason is very important to have a national organisation, with a mandate to organise, inspect and co-ordinate the possibility of ministries and institution to react in case of radiological emergency, i.e. to quarantine the possibility for implementation of adequate counter measure for protection of the population and environment in case of radiological emergency in NPP. For the purposes of the emergency planning and response the NPP operator, ministries and the institutions developed an Emergency plan - NPP Emergency Plan and National Emergency Plan. The development of the emergency plans will be impossible without the good co-operation of the organisations which have a responsibilities in a radiological emergency. Once emergency plans are adopted, each individual organisation, also the NPP operator, must ensure that in can carry out its role effectively in accordance with the emergency plan and can develop the appropriate organisation for action and implementation of protection counter measures. For testing the emergency plans a regular exercise must be organised. Periodic reviews of the plan and modifications, based on actual events and exercise experience must be performed. The main aim of these report is to present the Bulgarian emergency planning organisation and response by explaining the national emergency panning and response legislation, implementation of IAEA recommendations and exercise experience

  11. Data-driven Demand Response Characterization and Quantification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Le Ray, Guillaume; Pinson, Pierre; Larsen, Emil Mahler

    2017-01-01

    Analysis of load behavior in demand response (DR) schemes is important to evaluate the performance of participants. Very few real-world experiments have been carried out and quantification and characterization of the response is a difficult task. Nevertheless it will be a necessary tool for portf...

  12. Recent U.S. reactor operating experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stello, V. Jr.

    1977-01-01

    A qualitative assessment of U.S. and foreign reactor operating experience is provided. Recent operating occurrences having potentially significant safety impacts on power operation are described. An evaluation of the seriousness of each of these issues and the plans for resolution is discussed. A quantitative report on U.S. reactor operational experience is included. The details of the NRC program for evaluating and applying operating reactor experience in the regulatory process is discussed. A review is made of the adequacy of operating reactor safety and environmental margins based on actual operating experience. The Regulatory response philosophy to operating reactor experiences is detailed. This discussion indicates the NRC emphasis on the importance of a balanced action plan to provide for the protection of public safety in the national interest

  13. What makes or mars the facility-based childbirth experience: thematic analysis of women's childbirth experiences in western Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afulani, Patience A; Kirumbi, Leah; Lyndon, Audrey

    2017-12-29

    Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for approximately 66% of global maternal deaths. Poor person-centered maternity care, which emphasizes the quality of patient experience, contributes both directly and indirectly to these poor outcomes. Yet, few studies in low resource settings have examined what is important to women during childbirth from their perspective. The aim of this study is to examine women's facility-based childbirth experiences in a rural county in Kenya, to identify aspects of care that contribute to a positive or negative birth experience. Data are from eight focus group discussions conducted in a rural county in western Kenya in October and November 2016, with 58 mothers aged 15 to 49 years who gave birth in the preceding nine weeks. We recorded and transcribed the discussions and used a thematic approach for data analysis. The findings suggest four factors influence women's perceptions of quality of care: responsiveness, supportive care, dignified care, and effective communication. Women had a positive experience when they were received well at the health facility, treated with kindness and respect, and given sufficient information about their care. The reverse led to a negative experience. These experiences were influenced by the behavior of both clinical and support staff and the facility environment. This study extends the literature on person-centered maternity care in low resource settings. To improve person-centered maternity care, interventions need to address the responsiveness of health facilities, ensure women receive supportive and dignified care, and promote effective patient-provider communication.

  14. Spill response exercises and lessons learned : a response organization's perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, E.; Green, M.

    2001-01-01

    In the past five years, Burrard Clean Operations (BCO) has demonstrated its' oil spill response capabilities through different types of exercises. Such exercises are necessary for certification of Response Organizations in Canada. The exercises can be performed through actual response to spills or through simulated situations. Both can provide an opportunity to practice different levels of response to a range of conditions in various settings. They also provide the opportunity to focus on specific themes that can be part of a response and to identify areas for improvement in response actions. They also make it possible to interface with government agencies, industry and others that participate in spill responses. The exercise program for BCO is aimed at maintaining certification and to assist the Canadian Coast Guard. The exercises broaden the lessons learned and set a course for future enhancement to spill readiness should a real incident occur. The goals of the exercise program are to provide real time drills that show the operational capability of a representative sample of BCO equipment, management and trained spill responders. The response functions of the BCO exercise program are: notification, response organization activation, contractor activation, situation analysis, strategy development for marine oil spill response, site safety, equipment deployment, containment, recovery, shoreline assessment, cleanup, communications, decontamination, logistics, and financial management. The BCO experience has led to the basic conclusions that there is a need to vary the exercise design and format and that there is a need to implement follow-up actions provided during exercise evaluations. 7 refs., 3 tabs

  15. Nurses’ roles, knowledge and experience in national disaster pre-paredness and emergency response: A literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Grochtdreis

    2016-12-01

    Results: The sub-themes of the first main theme (a roles of nurses during emergency response include the expectations of the hospital and the public, general and special roles of nurses, assignments of medical tasks, special role during a pandemic influenza, role conflicts during a disaster, willingness to respond to a disaster. For (b disaster preparedness knowledge of nurses, the corresponding sub-themes include the definition of a disaster, core competencies and curriculum, undergraduate nursing education and continuing education programs, disaster drills, training and exercises, preparedness. The sub-themes for the last theme (c disaster experiences of nurses include the work environment, nursing care, feelings, stressors, willingness to respond as well as lessons learned and impacts. Conclusion: There is consensus in the literature that nurses are key players in emergency response. However, no clear mandate for nurses exists concerning their tasks during a disaster. For a nurse, to be able to respond to a disaster, personal and professional preparedness, in terms of education and training, are central. The Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies of the WHO and ICN, broken down into national core competencies, will serve as a sufficient complement to the knowledge and skills of nurses already acquired through basic nursing curricula. During and after a disaster, attention should be applied to the work environment, feelings and stressors of nurses, not only to raise the willingness to respond to a disaster. Where non-existent, national directives and concepts for disaster nursing should be developed and nurses should be aware of their duties. Nursing educators should prepare nurses for disasters, by adjusting the curricula and by meeting the increased need for education and training in disaster nursing for all groups of nurses. The appropriateness of theoretical and practical preparation of disaster nursing competencies in undergraduate nursing courses and

  16. Radio-adaptive response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikushima, T.

    1992-01-01

    Knowledge about cellular events in mammalian cells exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation is meager. Recent works showed that human lymphocytes become resistant to radiation-induced chromosomal damage after exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation. Experimental evidence for radio-adaptive response (RAR) in cultured mammalian cells was obtained. Exposure to very low doses of gamma-rays or tritium beta-rays make cells less susceptible to the induction of micronuclei and sister chromatid exchanges by subsequent higher doses. Many important characteristics of the novel response suggest that RAR is a stress response resulting in the enhanced repair of chromosomal DNA damage in cell under restricted conditions. Experiments are still in progress in order to elucidate the molecular basis for RAR processes. (author). 13 refs.; 2 figs., 1 tab

  17. Neural processing of speech in children is influenced by bilingual experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krizman, Jennifer; Slater, Jessica; Skoe, Erika; Marian, Viorica; Kraus, Nina

    2014-01-01

    Language experience fine-tunes how the auditory system processes sound. For example, bilinguals, relative to monolinguals, have more robust evoked responses to speech that manifest as stronger neural encoding of the fundamental frequency (F0) and greater across-trial consistency. However, it is unknown whether such enhancements increase with increasing second language experience. We predict that F0 amplitude and neural consistency scale with dual-language experience during childhood, such that more years of bilingual experience leads to more robust F0 encoding and greater neural consistency. To test this hypothesis, we recorded auditory brainstem responses to the synthesized syllables ‘ba’ and ‘ga’ in two groups of bilingual children who were matched for age at test (8.4+/−0.67 years) but differed in their age of second language acquisition. One group learned English and Spanish simultaneously from birth (n=13), while the second group learned the two languages sequentially (n=15), spending on average their first four years as monolingual Spanish speakers. We find that simultaneous bilinguals have a larger F0 response to ‘ba’ and ‘ga’ and a more consistent response to ‘ba’ compared to sequential bilinguals. We also demonstrate that these neural enhancements positively relate with years of bilingual experience. These findings support the notion that bilingualism enhances subcortical auditory processing. PMID:25445377

  18. Phytoplankton community response to carbon dioxide enrichment in winter incubation experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coastal waters are experiencing changes in carbonate chemistry, including pH, in response to increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration and the microbial degradation of surplus organic matter associated with nutrient enrichment. The effects of this change on plankton communities ...

  19. The Functional Measurement Experiment Builder suite: two Java-based programs to generate and run functional measurement experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mairesse, Olivier; Hofmans, Joeri; Theuns, Peter

    2008-05-01

    We propose a free, easy-to-use computer program that does not requires prior knowledge of computer programming to generate and run experiments using textual or pictorial stimuli. Although the FM Experiment Builder suite was initially programmed for building and conducting FM experiments, it can also be applied for non-FM experiments that necessitate randomized, single, or multifactorial designs. The program is highly configurable, allowing multilingual use and a wide range of different response formats. The outputs of the experiments are Microsoft Excel compatible .xls files that allow easy copy-paste of the results into Weiss's FM CalSTAT program (2006) or any other statistical package. Its Java-based structure is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, and its compactness (< 1 MB) makes it easily distributable over the Internet.

  20. Dose-response-a challenge for allelopathy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belz, Regina G; Hurle, Karl; Duke, Stephen O

    2005-04-01

    The response of an organism to a chemical depends, among other things, on the dose. Nonlinear dose-response relationships occur across a broad range of research fields, and are a well established tool to describe the basic mechanisms of phytotoxicity. The responses of plants to allelochemicals as biosynthesized phytotoxins, relate as well to nonlinearity and, thus, allelopathic effects can be adequately quantified by nonlinear mathematical modeling. The current paper applies the concept of nonlinearity to assorted aspects of allelopathy within several bioassays and reveals their analysis by nonlinear regression models. Procedures for a valid comparison of effective doses between different allelopathic interactions are presented for both, inhibitory and stimulatory effects. The dose-response applications measure and compare the responses produced by pure allelochemicals [scopoletin (7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one); DIBOA (2,4-dihydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxaxin-3(4H)-one); BOA (benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one); MBOA (6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one)], involved in allelopathy of grain crops, to demonstrate how some general principles of dose responses also relate to allelopathy. Hereupon, dose-response applications with living donor plants demonstrate the validity of these principles for density-dependent phytotoxicity of allelochemicals produced and released by living plants (Avena sativa L., Secale cereale L., Triticum L. spp.), and reveal the use of such experiments for initial considerations about basic principles of allelopathy. Results confirm that nonlinearity applies to allelopathy, and the study of allelopathic effects in dose-response experiments allows for new and challenging insights into allelopathic interactions.

  1. Forest response to carbon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitelka, L.

    1992-01-01

    It has been suggested that planting trees could help slow the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Since elevated levels of CO 2 are known to enhance photosynthesis and growth in many plants, it is possible that trees could become progressively more effective in storing carbon as atmospheric CO 2 increases. However, early results from experiments with ponderosa and loblolly pines indicate that the relationship between tree growth and rising CO 2 concentrations may be more complex than scientists once thought. In these experiments, the response to elevated CO 2 has been highly dependent both on species and on mineral nutrient levels in the soil. Further work is necessary to clarify the mechanisms involved. This research will ultimately contribute to an integrated model for predicting forest ecosystem response to elevated CO 2

  2. Understanding customer experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Christopher; Schwager, Andre

    2007-02-01

    Anyone who has signed up for cell phone service, attempted to claim a rebate, or navigated a call center has probably suffered from a company's apparent indifference to what should be its first concern: the customer experiences that culminate in either satisfaction or disappointment and defection. Customer experience is the subjective response customers have to direct or indirect contact with a company. It encompasses every aspect of an offering: customer care, advertising, packaging, features, ease of use, reliability. Customer experience is shaped by customers' expectations, which largely reflect previous experiences. Few CEOs would argue against the significance of customer experience or against measuring and analyzing it. But many don't appreciate how those activities differ from CRM or just how illuminating the data can be. For instance, the majority of the companies in a recent survey believed they have been providing "superior" experiences to customers, but most customers disagreed. The authors describe a customer experience management (CEM) process that involves three kinds of monitoring: past patterns (evaluating completed transactions), present patterns (tracking current relationships), and potential patterns (conducting inquiries in the hope of unveiling future opportunities). Data are collected at or about touch points through such methods as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and online forums. Companies need to involve every function in the effort, not just a single customer-facing group. The authors go on to illustrate how a cross-functional CEM system is created. With such a system, companies can discover which customers are prospects for growth and which require immediate intervention.

  3. Sex Differences in Jealousy in Response to Actual Infidelity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John E. Edlund

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The present studies address two criticisms of the theory of evolved sex differences in jealousy: (a that the sex difference in jealousy emerges only in response to hypothetical infidelity scenarios, and (b that the sex difference emerges only using forced-choice measures. In two separate studies, one a paper-and-pencil survey with a student sample and the other a web-based survey targeting a non-student sample, men and women showed significant sex differences in jealousy in response to actual infidelity experiences; men experienced more jealousy in response to the sexual aspects of an actual infidelity, whereas women experienced more jealousy in response to the emotional aspects of the infidelity. Sex differences emerged using both continuous measures of jealousy as well as the traditional forced-choice measure. Overall, our results demonstrate that sex differences in jealousy are not limited to responses to hypothetical infidelity scenarios; they also emerge in response to actual infidelity experiences.

  4. Rainfall Simulator Experiments to Investigate Macropore Impacts on Hillslope Hydrological Response

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, Y.; Teuling, Adriaan J.; van der Ploeg, Martine J.

    2016-01-01

    Understanding hillslope runoff response to intense rainfall is an important topic in hydrology, and is key to correct prediction of extreme stream flow, erosion and landslides. Although it is known that preferential flow processes activated by macropores are an important phenomena in understanding

  5. Placebo versus "standard" hypnosis rationale: attitudes, expectancies, hypnotic responses, and experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accardi, Michelle; Cleere, Colleen; Lynn, Steven Jay; Kirsch, Irving

    2013-10-01

    In this study participants were provided with either the standard rationale that accompanies the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: A (Shor & Orne, 1962) or a rationale that presented hypnosis as a nondeceptive placebo, consistent with Kirsch's (1994) sociocognitive perspective of hypnosis. The effects of the placebo and standard rationales were highly comparable with respect to hypnotic attitudes; prehypnotic expectancies; objective, subjective, and involuntariness measures of hypnotic responding; as well as a variety of subjective experiences during hypnosis, as measured by the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (Pekala, 1982). Differences among correlations were not evident when measures were compared across groups. However, indices of hypnotic responding were correlated with attitudes in the hypnosis but not the placebo condition, and, generally speaking, the link between subjective experiences during hypnosis and measures of hypnotic responding were more reliable in the placebo than the hypnosis group. Researcher findings are neutral with respect to providing support for altered state versus sociocognitive models of hypnosis.

  6. Reversible Experiments : Putting Geological Disposal to the Test

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bergen, J.P.

    2015-01-01

    Conceiving of nuclear energy as a social experiment gives rise to the question of what to do when the experiment is no longer responsible or desirable. To be able to appropriately respond to such a situation, the nuclear energy technology in question should be reversible, i.e. it must be possible to

  7. Teenage experiments contaminate suburban property

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lall, P.; Jensen, L.; Mitchell, J.; Sass, W.; Skowronek, R.; Minnaar, D.

    1999-01-01

    In August 1994, 18-year-old David Hahn (David) was detained by police in Clinton Township, Michigan. When the police searched his car, they discovered a locked tool box and other containers that David said contained radioactive materials resulting from experiments he had conducted with the radioactive materials from, primarily, consumer products. From the ages 14 to 18, David spent his spare time at his Union Lake, Michigan, home attempting to concentrate, bum, chemically alter, and experiment with: the thorium from hundreds of lantern mantles, radium from various luminescent sources and clock dials, americium from smoke detector sources, and radioactive materials from natural ores. In the process, he had contaminated a wooden shed in his backyard and his bedroom, and exposed himself. In 1995, EPA, their emergency response contractor, and the Michigan Department of Public Health (MDPH) performed an emergency assessment and removal at the property. The response and removal were conducted cost-effectively and generated approximately 10 cubic yards of radioactive waste. (author)

  8. How do general practice registrars learn from their clinical experience? A critical incident study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmwood, C

    1997-01-01

    This preliminary study of RACGP registrars in the period of subsequent general practice experience examines the types of clinical experiences from which registrars learn, what they learn from the experiences and the process of learning from such experiences. A critical incident method was used on a semi structured interview process. Registrars were asked to recall clinical incidents where they had learnt something of importance. Data were sorted and categorised manually. Nine registrars were interviewed before new categories of data ceased to develop. Registrars learnt from the opportunity to follow up patients. An emotional response to the interaction was an important part of the learning process. Learning from such experiences is haphazard and unstructured. Registrars accessed human resources in response to their clinical difficulties rather than text or electronic based information sources. Registrars should be aware of their emotional responses to interactions with patients; these emotional responses often indicate important learning opportunities. Clinical interactions and resultant learning could be made less haphazard by structuring consultations with patients with specific problems. These learning opportunities should be augmented by the promotion of follow up of patients.

  9. Shared responsibility: school nurses' experience of collaborating in school-based interprofessional teams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuterswärd, Marina; Hylander, Ingrid

    2017-06-01

    The Swedish Education Act (2011) mandated a new combination of services to boost students' physical health, their mental health and special education through interprofessional pupil health and well-being (PH) teams. For Swedish school nurses, providing these services presents new challenges. To describe how Swedish school nurses experience their work and collaboration within the interprofessional PH teams. Twenty-five school nurses (SNs) were interviewed in five focus groups. Content analysis was used to examine the data and to explore SNs' workplace characteristics by using the components of the sense of coherence (SOC) framework. SNs' experiences of work and collaboration within PH teams can be described using three domains: the expectations of others regarding SNs' roles, SNs' contributions to pupils' health and well-being, and collaboration among SNs within PH teams. The results indicate a discrepancy between SNs' own experiences of their contribution and their experiences of other professionals' expectations regarding those contributions. Some duties were perceived as expected, comprehensible, manageable and meaningful, while other duties - though expected - were perceived as less meaningful, taking time away from school-related matters. Other duties that were not explicitly expected - promoting general health and creating safety zones for pupils, teachers and parents, for example - were nonetheless perceived as meaningful. Collaboration within PH teams was considered meaningful, comprehensible and manageable only if the objectives of the team meetings were clear, if other professionals were available and if professional roles on the team were clearly communicated. The SNs reported a lack of clarity regarding their role in PH and its implementation in schools, indicating that professionals in PH teams need to discuss collaboration so as to find their niche given the new conditions. SOC theory emerged as a useful framework for discussing concrete work

  10. LabVIEW-based control and data acquisition system for cathodoluminescence experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bok, J; Schauer, P

    2011-11-01

    Computer automation of cathodoluminescence (CL) experiments using equipment developed in our laboratory is described. The equipment provides various experiments for CL efficiency, CL spectra, and CL time response studies. The automation was realized utilizing the graphical programming environment LabVIEW. The developed application software with procedures for equipment control and data acquisition during various CL experiments is presented. As the measured CL data are distorted by technical limitations of the equipment, such as equipment spectral sensitivity and time response, data correction algorithms were incorporated into the procedures. Some examples of measured data corrections are presented. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  11. More Life-Science Experiments For Spacelab

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, P. D., Jr.; Dalton, B.; Hogan, R.; Leon, H.

    1991-01-01

    Report describes experiments done as part of Spacelab Life Sciences 2 mission (SLS-2). Research planned on cardiovascular, vestibular, metabolic, and thermal responses of animals in weightlessness. Expected to shed light on effects of prolonged weightlessness on humans.

  12. On the use of personalization to enhance compliance in experience sampling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Markopoulos, P.; Batalas, N.; Timmermans, A.

    2015-01-01

    This paper argues that allowing personalization can increase respondent adherence in experience sampling studies. We report a one week long field experiment (N=36), which compared response rates when respondents select the times at which they are prompted to report in an experience sampling protocol

  13. Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Studerus, Erich; Gamma, Alex; Kometer, Michael; Vollenweider, Franz X

    2012-01-01

    Responses to hallucinogenic drugs, such as psilocybin, are believed to be critically dependent on the user's personality, current mood state, drug pre-experiences, expectancies, and social and environmental variables. However, little is known about the order of importance of these variables and their effect sizes in comparison to drug dose. Hence, this study investigated the effects of 24 predictor variables, including age, sex, education, personality traits, drug pre-experience, mental state before drug intake, experimental setting, and drug dose on the acute response to psilocybin. The analysis was based on the pooled data of 23 controlled experimental studies involving 409 psilocybin administrations to 261 healthy volunteers. Multiple linear mixed effects models were fitted for each of 15 response variables. Although drug dose was clearly the most important predictor for all measured response variables, several non-pharmacological variables significantly contributed to the effects of psilocybin. Specifically, having a high score in the personality trait of Absorption, being in an emotionally excitable and active state immediately before drug intake, and having experienced few psychological problems in past weeks were most strongly associated with pleasant and mystical-type experiences, whereas high Emotional Excitability, low age, and an experimental setting involving positron emission tomography most strongly predicted unpleasant and/or anxious reactions to psilocybin. The results confirm that non-pharmacological variables play an important role in the effects of psilocybin.

  14. Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erich Studerus

    Full Text Available Responses to hallucinogenic drugs, such as psilocybin, are believed to be critically dependent on the user's personality, current mood state, drug pre-experiences, expectancies, and social and environmental variables. However, little is known about the order of importance of these variables and their effect sizes in comparison to drug dose. Hence, this study investigated the effects of 24 predictor variables, including age, sex, education, personality traits, drug pre-experience, mental state before drug intake, experimental setting, and drug dose on the acute response to psilocybin. The analysis was based on the pooled data of 23 controlled experimental studies involving 409 psilocybin administrations to 261 healthy volunteers. Multiple linear mixed effects models were fitted for each of 15 response variables. Although drug dose was clearly the most important predictor for all measured response variables, several non-pharmacological variables significantly contributed to the effects of psilocybin. Specifically, having a high score in the personality trait of Absorption, being in an emotionally excitable and active state immediately before drug intake, and having experienced few psychological problems in past weeks were most strongly associated with pleasant and mystical-type experiences, whereas high Emotional Excitability, low age, and an experimental setting involving positron emission tomography most strongly predicted unpleasant and/or anxious reactions to psilocybin. The results confirm that non-pharmacological variables play an important role in the effects of psilocybin.

  15. Data report on reflood experiment, 8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugimoto, Jun; Murao, Yoshio; Iguchi, Tadashi; Sudoh, Takashi; Sudo, Yukio

    1979-03-01

    Heat transfer behavior in series 6 reflood experiment is reported including test conditions and data processing. To develop an analysis code, the purpose of the series 6 reflood experiment was as follows: (1) Overall reflood phenomena in a 4 x 4 array indirectly heated heater rod bundle. Sheathed thermocouples were completely embedded in the heater rod cladding. (2) Quench characteristics at low flooding rate. (3) Differential pressure response in the core. (4) Heat transfer coefficients downstream of the quench point. (5) Water effluence behavior at outlet of the core. (6) Effect of non-heated rod in the core. (7) System response under intermittent-flow-rate core forced injection. The tests were in three groups according to the water injection methods to the core: (1) Constant-flow-rate core forced injection, (2) intermittent-flow-rate core forced injection, and (3) system effect test. (author)

  16. What Makes Women Experience Desire?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Laan, Ellen; Both, Stephanie

    2008-01-01

    What makes women experience sexual desire? According to Kaplan, normal sexual response starts with desire, progresses through excitement or arousal, and ends with orgasm (Kaplan, 1974). This model implies that sexual desire is something you either have or don't have, and, if you don't have it, there

  17. Using Rapid Improvement Events for Disaster After-Action Reviews: Experience in a Hospital Information Technology Outage and Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Charles M; McStay, Christopher; Oeth, Justin; Koehler, April; Bookman, Kelly

    2018-02-01

    The use of after-action reviews (AARs) following major emergency events, such as a disaster, is common and mandated for hospitals and similar organizations. There is a recurrent challenge of identified problems not being resolved and repeated in subsequent events. A process improvement technique called a rapid improvement event (RIE) was used to conduct an AAR following a complete information technology (IT) outage at a large urban hospital. Using RIE methodology to conduct the AAR allowed for the rapid development and implementation of major process improvements to prepare for future IT downtime events. Thus, process improvement methodology, particularly the RIE, is suited for conducting AARs following disasters and holds promise for improving outcomes in emergency management. Little CM , McStay C , Oeth J , Koehler A , Bookman K . Using rapid improvement events for disaster after-action reviews: experience in a hospital information technology outage and response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(1):98-100.

  18. An in-beam test study of the response of calorimeters in the ATLAS Experiment of LHC to charged pions of 3 to 350 GeV energy range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giangiobbe Vincent

    2006-11-01

    ATLAS is one of the four main experiments under way of installing within the Large Hadron Project (LHC). LHC will provide two proton beams of high luminosity (1 x 10 34 cm -2 s -1 at peak), colliding in the center of ATLAS detector at a 14 TeV rated COM energy. The aim of this study is an in-beam test characterization of the response of calorimeters in the central part of ATLAS. The study will be focused on the response to pions as main jet components. In the beginning a short presentation of the ATLAS program of physics is given enlightening the basic theoretical and experimental aspects of the experiment. A description of the ATLAS detector is also presented. The second chapter is devoted to detailed description of the central calorimetry of ATLAS. One starts from the mechanism of signal production in calorimeters, through the electronic processing up to the reconstruction of the released energy. The third chapter deals with the processing electronics of the TileCal hadron calorimeter the installation and certification at CERN of which was in charge of Clermont-Ferrand team. The chapter 4 gives a description of the SPS beam line and of the associated instrumentation tested in-beam in 2004. The chapters 6 and 7 are devoted to the study of the response of calorimeters to high energy pions (within 20 to 350 GeV range). The pion selection is described in the chapter 5. In the eighth chapter the calorimeter response to low energy pions (up to 9 GeV) is examined. In conclusion this study has shown that the data concerning pions obtained in-beam in 2004 are usable for energies within 3 to 350 GeV. The response and the energy resolution of LAr and TileCal were measured with a satisfactory accuracy,. A systematic comparison of these results with simulations (in the configuration of in-beam test) can now be done. Should the agreement be satisfying, the modelling could be used for the study of calibration of calorimeter response for the case of works with the jets

  19. An integrated biomarker response index for the mussel Mytilus edulis based on laboratory exposure to anthracene and field transplantation experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Mengqi; Wang, You; Zhou, Bin; Jian, Xiaoyang; Dong, Wenlong; Tang, Xuexi

    2017-09-01

    Organic pollution is a serious environmental problem in coastal areas and it is important to establish quantitative methods for monitoring this pollution. This study screened a series of sensitive biomarkers to construct an integrated biomarker response (IBR) index using Mytilus edulis. Mussels were exposed to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon anthracene under controlled laboratory conditions and the activities of components of the glutathione antioxidant system, and the concentrations of oxidative-damage markers, were measured in the gills and digestive glands. Anthracene exposure resulted in increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide radicals (O 2 • ), indicating that oxidative damage had occurred. Correspondingly, anthracene exposure induced increased activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in digestive glands, and GPx and glutathione reductase (GR) in gills, consistent with stimulation of the antioxidant system. A field experiment was set up, in which mussels from a relatively clean area were transplanted to a contaminated site. One month later, the activities of GST, GPx and GR had increased in several tissues, particularly in the digestive glands. Based on the laboratory experiment, an IBR, which showed a positive relationship with anthracene exposure, was constructed. The IBR is suggested to be a potentially useful tool for assessing anthracene pollution.

  20. Response to social challenge in young bonnet (Macaca radiata) and pigtail (Macaca nemestrina) macaques is related to early maternal experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, Ann; Richardson, Rebecca; Worlein, Julie; De Waal, Frans; Laudenslager, Mark

    2004-04-01

    Previous experience affects how young primates respond to challenging social situations. The present retrospective study looked at one aspect of early experience, the quality of the mother-infant relationship, to determine its relationship to young bonnet and pigtail macaques' responses to two social challenges: temporary maternal separation at 5-6 months and permanent transfer to an unfamiliar peer group at 16-17 months. Relationship quality was measured quantitatively on 30 macaque mother-infant pairs with the Relationship Quality Index (RQI), the ratio of relative affiliation to relative agonism as previously applied to capuchin monkeys. Infants with high RQI values had amicable mother-infant relationships and infants with low RQI values had agonistic mother-infant relationships. Young monkeys with amicable and agonistic relationships showed consistent differences in behavior before, during, and after each social challenge, supporting the hypothesis that juveniles from amicable mother-infant relationships based on the RQI coped more effectively with social challenges than did juveniles from agonistic mother-infant relationships. Results suggest 1) characteristic amicability or agonism in early mother-offspring macaque relationships has the potential to influence offspring behavior in tense social contexts and 2) the RQI is useful as one of a coordinated suite of methods for studying the development of social skills. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  1. Caffeine alters emotion and emotional responses in low habitual caffeine consumers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giles, Grace E; Spring, Alexander M; Urry, Heather L; Moran, Joseph M; Mahoney, Caroline R; Kanarek, Robin B

    2018-02-01

    Caffeine reliably increases emotional arousal, but it is unclear whether and how it influences other dimensions of emotion such as emotional valence. These experiments documented whether caffeine influences emotion and emotion regulation choice and success. Low to abstinent caffeine consumers (maximum 100 mg/day) completed measures of state anxiety, positive and negative emotion, and salivary cortisol before, 45 min after, and 75 min after consuming 400 mg caffeine or placebo. Participants also completed an emotion regulation choice task, in which they chose to employ cognitive reappraisal or distraction in response to high and low intensity negative pictures (Experiment 1), or a cognitive reappraisal task, in which they employed cognitive reappraisal or no emotion regulation strategy in response to negative and neutral pictures (Experiment 2). State anxiety, negative emotion, and salivary cortisol were heightened both 45 and 75 min after caffeine intake relative to placebo. In Experiment 1, caffeine did not influence the frequency with which participants chose reappraisal or distraction, but reduced negativity of the picture ratings. In Experiment 2, caffeine did not influence cognitive reappraisal success. Thus, caffeine mitigated emotional responses to negative situations, but not how participants chose to regulate such responses or the success with which they did so.

  2. The link between response time and preference, variance and processing heterogeneity in stated choice experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Campbell, Danny; Mørkbak, Morten Raun; Olsen, Søren Bøye

    2018-01-01

    In this article we utilize the time respondents require to answer a self-administered online stated preference survey. While the effects of response time have been previously explored, this article proposes a different approach that explicitly recognizes the highly equivocal relationship between ...... between response time and utility coefficients, error variance and processing strategies. Our results thus emphasize the importance of considering response time when modeling stated choice data....... response time and respondents' choices. In particular, we attempt to disentangle preference, variance and processing heterogeneity and explore whether response time helps to explain these three types of heterogeneity. For this, we divide the data (ordered by response time) into approximately equal......-sized subsets, and then derive different class membership probabilities for each subset. We estimate a large number of candidate models and subsequently conduct a frequentist-based model averaging approach using information criteria to derive weights of evidence for each model. Our findings show a clear link...

  3. Experiences of and responses to disrespectful maternity care and abuse during childbirth; a qualitative study with women and men in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMahon, Shannon A; George, Asha S; Chebet, Joy J; Mosha, Idda H; Mpembeni, Rose N M; Winch, Peter J

    2014-08-12

    Interventions to reduce maternal mortality have focused on delivery in facilities, yet in many low-resource settings rates of facility-based birth have remained persistently low. In Tanzania, rates of facility delivery have remained static for more than 20 years. With an aim to advance research and inform policy changes, this paper builds on a growing body of work that explores dimensions of and responses to disrespectful maternity care and abuse during childbirth in facilities across Morogoro Region, Tanzania. This research drew on in-depth interviews with 112 respondents including women who delivered in the preceding 14 months, their male partners, public opinion leaders and community health workers to understand experiences with and responses to abuse during childbirth. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated and coded using Atlas.ti. Analysis drew on the principles of Grounded Theory. When initially describing birth experiences, women portrayed encounters with providers in a neutral or satisfactory light. Upon probing, women recounted events or circumstances that are described as abusive in maternal health literature: feeling ignored or neglected; monetary demands or discriminatory treatment; verbal abuse; and in rare instances physical abuse. Findings were consistent across respondent groups and districts. As a response to abuse, women described acquiescence or non-confrontational strategies: resigning oneself to abuse, returning home, or bypassing certain facilities or providers. Male respondents described more assertive approaches: requesting better care, paying a bribe, lodging a complaint and in one case assaulting a provider. Many Tanzanian women included in this study experienced unfavorable conditions when delivering in facilities. Providers, women and their families must be made aware of women's rights to respectful care. Recommendations for further research include investigations of the prevalence and dimensions of disrespectful care and

  4. Social responsibility of international business as activity strategy of enterprises in Ukraine: European experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.V. Oliinyk

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The article analyzes the practice of application of business social responsibility strategy at Polish and Ukrainian enterprises. The problem of Ukrainian economic entities is in the necessity of creation of conceptual theoretical basis for social responsibility in the sphere of management and realization of social actions. That is why the current study of reports about the social responsibility of Ukrainian and Polish businesses allowed to substantiate the directions for improvement of social policy of enterprises in Ukraine where the enterprises represent a separate group in the development of national economy.

  5. [Autoshaping of a button-push response and eye movement in human subjects].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, H; Fukui, I; Inaki, K

    1990-12-01

    Two experiments were conducted with human subjects to investigate the similarities and differences between animal and human behaviors under autoshaping procedures. In these experiments, light served as CS, and display on TV served as US. Whether the pushing button response or gazing response to CS could be obtained in human subjects under Pavlovian conditioning procedure was examined. In Experiment 1, uninstructed naive subjects were placed in a room containing a push-button and a TV display. Within the experimental sessions, the push-button was lit for 8 s as CS, and then paired with the display of a soft pornographic program on TV for 10 s. The result indicated that the modeling of pushing button promoted the increase of response probability among the subjects. The trials conducted after the rest period indicated an increase of response probability. In Experiment 2, a 4 cm square translucent panel was lit for 20 s as CS, and then paired with the display of a computer graphic picture on TV for 8 s as US. Some subjects started gazing at the CS for several seconds. These results indicated that some subjects could acquire the gazing response under the autoshaping procedure.

  6. Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas R. Aunins

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under

  7. Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aunins, Thomas R; Erickson, Keesha E; Prasad, Nripesh; Levy, Shawn E; Jones, Angela; Shrestha, Shristi; Mastracchio, Rick; Stodieck, Louis; Klaus, David; Zea, Luis; Chatterjee, Anushree

    2018-01-01

    Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under extreme stress

  8. Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aunins, Thomas R.; Erickson, Keesha E.; Prasad, Nripesh; Levy, Shawn E.; Jones, Angela; Shrestha, Shristi; Mastracchio, Rick; Stodieck, Louis; Klaus, David; Zea, Luis; Chatterjee, Anushree

    2018-01-01

    Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under extreme stress

  9. Progress and Challenges in Predicting Crop Responses to Atmospheric [CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kent, J.; Paustian, K.

    2017-12-01

    Increasing atmospheric [CO2] directly accelerates photosynthesis in C3 crops, and indirectly promotes yields by reducing stomatal conductance and associated water losses in C3 and C4 crops. Several decades of experiments have exposed crops to eCO2 in greenhouses and other enclosures and observed yield increases on the order of 33%. FACE systems were developed in the early 1990s to better replicate open-field growing conditions. Some authors contend that FACE results indicate lower crop yield responses than enclosure studies, while others maintain no significant difference or attribute differences to various methodological factors. The crop CO2 response processes in many crop models were developed using results from enclosure experiments. This work tested the ability of one such model, DayCent, to reproduce crop responses to CO2 enrichment from several FACE experiments. DayCent performed well at simulating yield and transpiration responses in C4 crops, but significantly overestimated yield responses in C3 crops. After adjustment of CO2-response parameters, DayCent was able to reproduce mean yield responses for specific crops. However, crop yield responses from FACE experiments vary widely across years and sites, and likely reflect complex interactions between conditions such as weather, soils, cultivars, and biotic stressors. Further experimental work is needed to identify the secondary variables that explain this variability so that models can more reliably forecast crop yields under climate change. Likewise, CO2 impacts on crop outcomes such as belowground biomass allocation and grain N content have implications for agricultural C fluxes and human nutrition, respectively, but are poorly understood and thus difficult to simulate with confidence.

  10. Larger Neural Responses Produce BOLD Signals That Begin Earlier in Time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serena eThompson

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Functional MRI analyses commonly rely on the assumption that the temporal dynamics of hemodynamic response functions (HRFs are independent of the amplitude of the neural signals that give rise to them. The validity of this assumption is particularly important for techniques that use fMRI to resolve sub-second timing distinctions between responses, in order to make inferences about the ordering of neural processes. Whether or not the detailed shape of the HRF is independent of neural response amplitude remains an open question, however. We performed experiments in which we measured responses in primary visual cortex (V1 to large, contrast-reversing checkerboards at a range of contrast levels, which should produce varying amounts of neural activity. Ten subjects (ages 22-52 were studied in each of two experiments using 3 Tesla scanners. We used rapid, 250 msec, temporal sampling (repetition time, or TR and both short and long inter-stimulus interval (ISI stimulus presentations. We tested for a systematic relationship between the onset of the HRF and its amplitude across conditions, and found a strong negative correlation between the two measures when stimuli were separated in time (long- and medium-ISI experiments, but not the short-ISI experiment. Thus, stimuli that produce larger neural responses, as indexed by HRF amplitude, also produced HRFs with shorter onsets. The relationship between amplitude and latency was strongest in voxels with lowest mean-normalized variance (i.e., parenchymal voxels. The onset differences observed in the longer-ISI experiments are likely attributable to mechanisms of neurovascular coupling, since they are substantially larger than reported differences in the onset of action potentials in V1 as a function of response amplitude.

  11. Writing, Evaluating and Assessing Data Response Items in Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trotman-Dickenson, D. I.

    1989-01-01

    Describes some of the problems in writing data response items in economics for use by A Level and General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) students. Examines the experience of two series of workshops on writing items, evaluating them and assessing responses from schools. Offers suggestions for producing packages of data response items as…

  12. Some issues on nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Ziqiang

    1999-01-01

    The nuclear emergency preparedness and response have comprehensively been developed over ten years in China. In order to promote the sound development of emergency preparedness and response, it is useful to retrospect the process of emergency preparedness and response, to summarize the experiences and absorb the experiences from foreign countries. The main issues are as follows: 1) The preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological accident is basically the same as the response to any accident involving hazardous material. 2) The classification of emergency planning, not only for nuclear facilities, but also irradiation installation, etc. 3) The hazard assessment-- a top priority. 4) The emergency planning zones. 5) Psychological impact

  13. Response effects in the perception of conjunctions of colour and form.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chmiel, N

    1989-01-01

    Two experiments addressed the question whether visual search for a target defined by a conjunction of colour and form requires a central, serial, attentional process, but detection of a single feature, such as colour, is preattentive, as proposed by the feature-integration theory of attention. Experiment 1 investigated conjunction and feature search using small array sizes of up to five elements, under conditions which precluded eye-movements, in contrast to previous studies. The results were consistent with the theory. Conjunction search showed the effect of adding distractors to the display, the slopes of the curves relating RT to array size were in the approximate ratio of 2:1, consistent with a central, serial search process, exhaustive for absence responses and self-terminating for presence responses. Feature search showed no significant effect of distractors for presence responses. Experiment 2 manipulated the response requirements in conjunction search, using vocal response in a GO-NO GO procedure, in contrast to Experiment 1, which used key-press responses in a YES-NO procedure. Strikingly, presence-response RT was not affected significantly by the number of distractors in the array. The slope relating RT to array size was 3.92. The absence RT slope was 30.56, producing a slope ratio of approximately 8:1. There was no interaction of errors with array size and the presence and absence conditions, implying that RT-error trade-offs did not produce this slope ratio. This result suggests that feature-integration theory is at least incomplete.

  14. Excavation Induced Hydraulic Response of Opalinus Clay - Investigations of the FE-Experiment at the Mont Terri URL in Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogt, T.; Müller, H. R.; Garitte, B.; Sakaki, T.; Vietor, T.

    2013-12-01

    The Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) Experiment at the Mont Terri underground research laboratory in Switzerland is a full-scale heater test in a clay-rich formation (Opalinus Clay). Based on the Swiss disposal concept it simulates the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) evolution of a spent fuel / vitrified high-level waste (SF / HLW) repository tunnel in a realistic manner. The main aim of this experiment is to investigate SF / HLW repository-induced THM coupled effects mainly in the host rock but also in the engineered barrier system (EBS), which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks. A further aim is to gather experience with full-scale tunnel construction and associated hydro-mechanical (HM) processes in the host rock. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors (state-of-the-art sensors and measurement systems as well as fiber-optic sensors). The sensors are distributed in the host rock's near- and far-field, the tunnel lining, the EBS, and on the heaters. The heater emplacement and backfilling has not started yet, therefore only the host rock instrumentation is installed at the moment and is currently generating data. We will present the instrumentation concept and rationale as well as the first monitoring results of the excavation and ventilation phase. In particular, we investigated the excavation induced hydraulic response of the host rock. Therefore, the spatiotemporal evolution of porewater-pressure time series was analyzed to get a better understanding of HM coupled processes during and after the excavation phase as well as the impact of anisotropic geomechanic and hydraulic properties of the clay-rich formation on its hydraulic behavior. Excavation related investigations were completed by means of inclinometer data to characterize the non-elastic and time

  15. Modulation of untruthful responses with noninvasive brain stimulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shirley eFecteau

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Deceptive abilities have long been studied in relation to personality traits. More recently, studies explored the neural substrates associated with deceptive skills suggesting a critical role of the prefrontal cortex. Here we investigated whether noninvasive brain stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC could modulate generation of untruthful responses about subject’s personal life across contexts (i.e., deceiving on guilt-free questions on daily activities; generating previously memorized lies about past experience; and producing spontaneous lies about past experience, as well as across modality responses (verbal and motor responses. Results reveal that real, but not sham, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS over the DLPFC can reduce response latency for untruthful over truthful answers across contexts and modality responses. Also, contexts of lies seem to incur a different hemispheric laterality. These findings add up to previous studies demonstrating that it is possible to modulate some processes involved in generation of untruthful answers by applying noninvasive brain stimulation over the DLPFC and extend these findings by showing a differential hemispheric contribution of DLPFCs according to contexts.

  16. Temperature transient response measurement in flowing water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rainbird, J.C.

    1980-01-01

    A specially developed procedure is described for determining the thermal transient response of thermocouples and other temperature transducers when totally immersed in flowing water. The high velocity heat transfer conditions associated with this facility enable thermocouple response times to be predicted in other fluids. These predictions can be confirmed by electrical analogue experiments. (author)

  17. Eyewitness Accounts on Climate Variability and the Responses: Perspectives from Farmers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiban Mani Poudel

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available People with different socio-cultural arrangements havedifferent experiences and responses to climatic variability. The place specific experiences and responses at community level still remain a little explored issue in the discourse of climate change research. This paper deals with local experiences of climatic variability which have been monitoring by locals in their lifetime, on the one hand, and, on the other, explore their responses or coping mechanisms which they have been practicing to mitigate with climatic risks. Moreover, farmers’ experiences were documented in term of observed climatic variability in their lifetime focusing on qualitative data. I have used eyewitness accounts and hearsays to document their experiences of climatic variability. Moreover, farmers have developed various coping mechanisms such as indigenous knowledge, utilize kinship based social network, environment friendly cropping practices, and use of alternative sources of water (water-tanker, well-water for irrigation, arrange rain-making ritual to cope with climatic uncertainty in their lifetime.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v5i0.6362Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 5, 2011: 171-90

  18. Dissociations of spatial congruence effects across response measures: an examination of delta plots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Jeff; Roüast, Nora M

    2016-09-01

    Spatial congruence ("Simon") effects on reaction time (RT) and response force (RF) were studied in two experiments requiring speeded choice responses to the color of a stimulus located irrelevantly to the left or right of fixation. In Experiment 1 with unimanual responses, both RT and incorrect-hand RF were sensitive to spatial congruence, and both showed larger Simon effects following a congruent trial than following an incongruent one. RT and incorrect-hand RF were dissociated in distributional (i.e., delta plot) analyses, however. As in previous studies, the Simon effect on RT was largest for the fastest responses and diminished as RT increased (i.e., decreasing delta plot). In contrast, Simon effects on RF did not decrease for slower responses; if anything, they increased slightly. In Experiment 2 participants made bimanual responses, allowing measurement of the spatial congruence effect for each trial. Responses were both faster and more forceful with the spatially congruent hand than with the spatially incongruent one, but neither of these effects decreased for slower responses. Overall, the results demonstrate that at least some motor-level effects of irrelevant spatial location persist for slower responses.

  19. Community junior sport sponsorship: an online experiment assessing children's responses to unhealthy food v. pro-health sponsorship options.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, Helen; Scully, Maree; Wakefield, Melanie; Kelly, Bridget; Pettigrew, Simone

    2018-04-01

    To explore children's responses to sponsorship of community junior sport by unhealthy food brands and investigate the utility of alternative, pro-health sponsorship options. Between-subjects experiment, with four sponsorship conditions: A, non-food branding (control); B, unhealthy food branding; C, healthier food branding; D, obesity prevention campaign branding. Online experiment conducted in schools. Participants were shown a junior sports pack for their favourite sport that contained merchandise with branding representing their assigned sponsorship condition. Participants viewed and rated the sports pack, completed a distractor task, then completed questions assessing brand awareness, brand attitudes and preference for food sponsors' products. Students in grades 1 to 3 (aged 5-10 years; n 1124) from schools in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Compared with the control condition, there were no significant effects of unhealthy food branding on awareness of, attitudes towards or preference for these brands. Exposure to healthier food branding prompted a significant increase in the proportion of children aware of these brands, but did not impact attitudes towards or preference for these brands. Exposure to either healthier food branding or obesity prevention campaign branding prompted a significant reduction in the proportion of children showing a preference for unhealthy food sponsor products. The sponsorship of children's sport by healthier food brands may promote awareness of these brands and healthier sponsorship branding may reduce preferences for some unhealthy food products. Establishing and implementing healthy sponsor criteria in sports clubs could forge healthier sponsorship arrangements and help phase out unhealthy food and beverage sponsors.

  20. Effects of response preference on resistance to change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ringdahl, Joel E; Berg, Wendy K; Wacker, David P; Crook, Kayla; Molony, Maggie A; Vargo, Kristina K; Neurnberger, Jodi E; Zabala, Karla; Taylor, Christopher J

    2018-01-01

    Treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, such as functional communication training, are widely used. Research regarding the maintenance of related treatment effects is limited. Nevin and Wacker (2013) provided a conceptual framework, rooted in behavioral momentum theory, for the study of treatment maintenance that addressed two components: (a) reemergence of problem behavior, and (b) continued expression of appropriate behavior. In the few studies on this topic, focus has been on variables impacting the reemergence of problem behavior, with fewer studies evaluating the persistence of appropriate behavior. Given the findings from applied research related to functional communication training, variables related to response topography, such as response preference, may impact this aspect of maintenance. In the current study, the impact of response preference on persistence was evaluated in the context of functional communication training for individuals who did not exhibit problem behavior (Experiment 1) and for individuals with a history of reinforcement for problem behavior (Experiment 2). High-preferred mands were more persistent than low-preferred mands. These findings suggest that response related variables, such as response preference, impact response persistence and further suggest that response related variables should be considered when developing interventions such as functional communication training. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  1. Measurements and improvements of the response of the anti PANDA-EMC prototype PROTO 60 to high energetic particles and photons in accelerator experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moritz, Markus

    2013-07-01

    The anti PANDA experiment at FAIR will provide an opportunity to achieve a better understanding of complex hadronic systems. Measurements will be performed with antiprotons using a fi xed-target setup. In order to reconstruct most of the reactions, a precise measurement of electromagnetic probes and their energies are crucial. An important and major component of the detector is therefore the electromagnetic calorimeter. Due to the lack of commercial availability of such ambitious, complex and highly specialized detector systems, detailed research and development are necessary, including prototype development, testing and optimization. The investigation of the response of a homogeneous electromagnetic calorimeter prototype is the main scope of the present thesis. This prototype, called PROTO 60, is composed out of 60 truncated pyramidal shaped PWO-II crystals, cooled down to -25 C and read out with one Large Area Avalanche Photodiode (LAAPDs). The PROTO 60 represents a small section of the central barrel part of the anti PANDA calorimeter. Its response is being investigated for the first time over an extensive energy range from 52.34 MeV up to 15 GeV within several experiments measuring the response to energy marked photons or positrons at the highest energy, respectively. The study verified the principle detector concept. A linear response was observed. The achieved overall resolution can be parameterized as: (σ)/(E)=√(((1.86%)/(√ E/GeV )){sup 2} + ((0.25%)/(E/GeV)){sup 2} + 1.46%{sup 2}). Due to the use of only one single LAAPD per crystal with the effective surface of 1 cm{sup 2} and a not linearized light collection within the crystals, these parameters represent an upper performance limit of the final anti PANDA calorimeter. A detailed GEANT based model of the prototype was developed in order to investigate the calibration based on cosmic radiation or a 150 GeV muon beam and to understand the impact of the detailed geometry and light collection on the

  2. School Personnel Responses to Children Exposed to Violence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenemore, Thomas; Lynch, John; Mann, Kimberly; Steinhaus, Patricia; Thompson, Theodore

    2010-01-01

    Authors explored the experiences of school personnel in their responses to children's exposure to violence. Thirty-one school personnel, including administrators, teachers, counselors, school social workers, and psychologists, were interviewed to obtain data on their experiences related to violence exposure in their schools and the surrounding…

  3. Nonlocal Response in Plasmonic Nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wubs, Martijn; Mortensen, N. Asger

    2016-01-01

    After a brief overview of nanoplasmonics experiments that defy explanation with classical electrodynamics, we introduce nonlocal response as a main reason for non-classical effects. This concept is first introduced phenomenologically, and afterwards based on the semi-classical hydrodynamic Drude...

  4. Individual heat stress response

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Havenith, G.

    1997-01-01

    In 5 experiments, heterogeneous subject groups (large variations in _VO2 max, regular daily activity level, mass, body surface area (AD), % body fat, and AD/mass ratio) were tested for their physiological response while exercising on a cycle ergometer at a relative (45% _VO2 max; REL) or an absolute

  5. Asymmetry in ecosystem responses to precipitation: Theory, observation and experimentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sala, O.; Gherardi, L.; Reichmann, L.; Peters, D.

    2017-12-01

    Ecosystem processes such as primary production respond to changes in precipitation that occur annually and at longer time scales. The questions guiding this presentation are whether ecosystem responses to wet and dry years are symmetrical. Is the increase in productivity in a wet year similar in absolute value to the decrease in productivity in a dry year following a wet year? Is the response to one dry or wet year similar tot response of several consecutive wet and dry years? Do all plant-functional groups respond in a similar way to changes in precipitation? To address the questions we explore the theory behind a potential asymmetry and report on experimental results. Analysis of the cost and benefits of plant responses to changes in precipitation support the idea asymmetrical responses because the threshold for abscising organs that have already been deployed should be higher than the threshold to deploy new organs. However, experiments in a desert grassland in New Mexico where we experimentally increased and decreased precipitation from one year to the next showed that the response was symmetrical. Another mechanism that may yield asymmetries is the productivity response to changes in precipitation is associated with the shape of the relationship between precipitation and productivity. Straight-line relationship may yield no asymmetries whereas a saturating or concave up relationship may result in different asymmetries. Here, we report results from an experiment that yielded concave down responses for grasses and concave up for shrubs. Finally, we report results from a 10-year experiment showing asymmetric responses of grasses and shrubs. Moreover, the magnitude of the sign of the responses changed with the time since the beginning of the precipitation manipulation.

  6. Art, Media, and Sense-making in Responsive Urban Environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allingham, Peter

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the article is to elucidate experience and sense-making in interactive, responsive urban environments through analysis of aesthetic and media aspects of art in such environments. As an analytic example the sculpture D-Tower from the Dutch town of Doetinchem has been chosen. The sculptu...... in order to make hitherto invisible and private emotions and feelings visible and public.......The aim of the article is to elucidate experience and sense-making in interactive, responsive urban environments through analysis of aesthetic and media aspects of art in such environments. As an analytic example the sculpture D-Tower from the Dutch town of Doetinchem has been chosen. The sculpture...... artistic and interactive, responsive media qualities are blended, new forms of experience and sense-making are promoted. It may happen due to emergence and adaptation that may transform both the ‘experiencee’ and also the experiential environment. In this case information technology has been applied...

  7. Do individuals with asthma experience airway hyper-responsiveness after exposure to nitrogen dioxide?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Julie E; Kennedy, Erin M; Seeley, Mara

    2017-10-01

    The current 100 ppb short-term National Ambient Air Quality Standard for NO 2 , and EPA's determination of a causal association for respiratory effects, are based in part on controlled human exposure studies evaluating airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). A meta-analysis by Goodman et al. (2009) found increased AHR at 100 ppb NO 2 but no clear concentration-response relationship up to 600 ppb, and an overall lack of an AHR effect for studies involving exercise or exposure to allergens. Several factors have been suggested to explain why effects on AHR are observed while people are at rest, but not during exercise or after exposure to allergens. These include an exercise-induced refractory period; partial reversal of bronchospasm from use of forced expiration maneuvers; and greater airway responsiveness of participants exposed to NO 2 at rest. We reviewed the scientific evidence to determine whether there is biological support for these factors and found that none sufficiently explained the lack of an effect during exercise or after exposure to allergens. In the absence of either a consistent concentration-response or a plausible explanation for the paradoxical AHR findings, the biological significance of these findings is uncertain and provides equivocal support for NO 2 as a causal factor of AHR at these exposure levels. Copyright © 2017 Gradient. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Radio-adaptive response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikushima, T.

    1992-01-01

    An adaptive response to radiation stress was found as a suppressed induction of chromosomal damage including micronuclei and sister chromatid exchanges in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells pre-exposed to very low doses of ionizing radiations. The mechanism underlying this novel chromosomal response, called 'radio-adaptive response (RAR)' has been studied progressively. The following results were obtained in recent experiments. 1. Low doses of β-rays from tritiated water (HTO) as well as tritium-thymidine can cause RAR. 2. Thermal neutrons, a high LET radiation, can not act as tritium β-rays or γ-rays. 3. The RAR expression is suppressed not only by the treatment with an inhibitor of protein synthesis but also by RNA synthesis inhibition. 4. Several proteins are newly synthesized concurrently with the RAR expression after the adapting doses, viewed by two-dimensional electrophoresis of cellular proteins. These results suggests that the RAR might be a cellular stress response to a signal produced preferentially by very low doses of low LET radiation under restricted conditions, accompany the inducible specific gene expression. (author)

  9. Operating Experience at NPP Krsko

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kavsek, D.; Bach, B.

    1998-01-01

    Systematic analysis of operational experience by assessment of internal and industry events and the feedback of lessons learned is one of the essential activities in the improvement of the operational safety and reliability of the nuclear power plant. At NPP Krsko we have developed a document called ''Operating Experience Assessment Program''. Its purpose is to establish administrative guidance for the processing of operating events including on-site and industry events. Assessment of internal events is based on the following methods: Event and Causal Factor Charting, Change Analysis, Barrier Analysis, MORT (Management Oversight and Risk Tree Analysis) and Human Performance Evaluation. The operating experience group has developed a sophisticated program entitled ''Operating experience tracking system'' (OETS) in response to the need for a more efficient way of processing internal and industry operating experience information. The Operating Experience Tracking System is used to initiate and track operational events including recommended actions follow up. Six screens of the system contain diverse essential information which allows tracking of operational events and enables different kinds of browsing. OETS is a part of the NPP Krsko nuclear network system and can be easily accessed by all plant personnel. (author)

  10. [Turnover Experience of Male Nurses].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyunsu; Lee, Jeongseop

    2017-02-01

    The aim of this study was to identify turnover experiences of men in nursing and to derive a substantive theory on the turnover experience of men who are nurses. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 13 men who had worked as a nurse for 1 year or more, and had a turnover experience during that period. Collected data were analyzed on the basis of Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory. The core category in the turnover experiences of the respondents was 'seeking a stable place for me'. In the analysis of the core category, types of 'contentment', 'seeking', 'survival' and 'confusion' were identified. The sequential stages of these nurses' turnover experience were 'confrontation', 'incertitude', 'retrying' and 'realization'. However, when a problem arose in the process, they returned to the stage of confusion. Thus, these stages could occur in a circular fashion. These findings provide a deep understanding of the turnover experience of men in nursing and offers new information about how they adapt to nursing practice. The findings should be useful as foundational data for men who hope to become nurses and also for managers responsible for nurses who are men. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

  11. Living behind dikes : mimicking flooding experiences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zaalberg, R.; Midden, C.J.H.

    2013-01-01

    Delta areas like the Netherlands are threatened by global climate change. Awareness is, however, rather low. Our research objective was to investigate whether coping responses to flooding risks could be enhanced in a virtual environment (VE). A laboratory experiment was conducted in which

  12. Cognitive processes underlying the artistic experience

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wah, Alejandra

    2017-01-01

    Based on the field of aesthetics, for centuries philosophers and more recently scientists have been concerned with understanding the artistic experience focusing on emotional responses to the perception of artworks. By contrast, in the last decades, evolutionary biology has been concerned with

  13. Transcriptome Responses to Combinations of Stresses in Arabidopsis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Simon; Barah, Pankaj; Suarez-Rodriguez, Maria Cristina

    2013-01-01

    In Arabidopsis, the response of the majority of the genes cannot be predicted from single stress experiments and only a small fraction of the genes have potential antagonistic responses, indicating that plants have evolved to cope with combinations of stresses and therefore may be bred to endure...

  14. Principal response curves: analysis of time-dependent multivariate responses of biological community to stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brink, van den P.J.; Braak, ter C.J.F.

    1999-01-01

    In this paper a novel multivariate method is proposed for the analysis of community response data from designed experiments repeatedly sampled in time. The long-term effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos on the invertebrate community and the dissolved oxygen (DO)–pH–alkalinity–conductivity

  15. Impact of Pre-Pharmacy Work Experience on Development of Professional Identity in Student Pharmacists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloom, Timothy J; Smith, Jennifer D; Rich, Wesley

    2017-12-01

    Objective. To determine the benefit of pharmacy work experience on the development of student pharmacists' professional identity. Methods. Students in all four professional years were surveyed using a validated Professional Self-identity Questionnaire (PSIQ). They were also asked about pharmacy experience prior to matriculation and their performance on Drug Information tests given midway through the P1 year and at the beginning of the P3 year. PSIQ responses and test results were compared based on pharmacy experience. Results. The PSIQ was completed by 293 student pharmacists, for a 67% response rate, with 76% of respondents reporting pharmacy experience prior to matriculation. Statistically higher scores on responses to 6 of the 9 PSIQ Likert-type items were observed from students in the first professional year for those with pharmacy experience; however, only one item in the second year showed differences with none in the third and fourth years. No impact of experience was observed on Top 100 or Top 300 grades. Conclusion. Pre-matriculation pharmacy experience may increase development of professional identity early in the student experience but may have little impact on academic readiness. Schools and colleges of pharmacy hoping to recruit students with an early sense of professional identity should consider adding such experience to their admissions requirements.

  16. Responsive versus scheduled feeding for preterm infants

    OpenAIRE

    Watson, Julie; McGuire, William

    2016-01-01

    Version 5\\ud Background\\ud \\ud Feeding preterm infants in response to their hunger and satiation cues (responsive, cue-based, or infant-led feeding) rather than at scheduled intervals might enhance infants' and parents' experience and satisfaction, help in the establishment of independent oral feeding, increase nutrient intake and growth rates, and allow earlier hospital discharge.\\ud \\ud \\ud Objectives\\ud \\ud To assess the effect of a policy of feeding preterm infants on a responsive basis v...

  17. Experience report: a training center for health response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurmo, Alexandre M.; Leite, Teresa C.S.B.

    2009-01-01

    The Professor Nelson Valverde Training Center was created within FEAM (The ELETRONUCLEAR Medical Assistance Foundation) with the objective of capacitating Radio Nuclear Accident Responders for the Health Area in the Almirante Alvaro Alberto Nuclear Central (Angra dos Reis - RJ - Brazil). The first step was structuring the contents for this training using IAEA's Manuals as base (EPR Medical - 2005, EPR First Responders - 2006 and TMT - Handbook - 2009) and data from REAC/TS. The second step was to capacitate instructors. The third step was the integration with the Company's Radiological Protection Division, giving radiological assessment. Finally, the development of training applications, ending with Drills, Tests and Assessment, gathering data and suggestions, objectifying the constant improvement. Training Programs with pre and post evaluations have been started. Since 2004 training internal courses were ministered for 125 professionals with annual re-training and were ministered to 130 professionals from several external institutions. During the same period training courses were ministered to 140 trainees from the Radiological Protection Division of The Nuclear Power Plant of Angra dos Reis, as First Lay Responders, objectifying the improvement of the quality of the emergency response. (author)

  18. Virtual geotechnical laboratory experiments using a simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penumadu, Dayakar; Zhao, Rongda; Frost, David

    2000-04-01

    The details of a test simulator that provides a realistic environment for performing virtual laboratory experimentals in soil mechanics is presented. A computer program Geo-Sim that can be used to perform virtual experiments, and allow for real-time observations of material response is presented. The results of experiments, for a given set of input parameters, are obtained with the test simulator using well-trained artificial neural-network-based soil models for different soil types and stress paths. Multimedia capabilities are integrated in Geo-Sim, using software that links and controls a laser disc player with a real-time parallel processing ability. During the simulation of a virtual experiment, relevant portions of the video image of a previously recorded test on an actual soil specimen are dispalyed along with the graphical presentation of response from the feedforward ANN model predictions. The pilot simulator developed to date includes all aspects related to performing a triaxial test on cohesionless soil under undrained and drained conditions. The benefits of the test simulator are also presented.

  19. Validation of a simple response-time measure of listening effort

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pals, Carina; Sarampalis, Anastasios; van Rijn, Hedderik; Başkent, Deniz

    This study compares two response-time measures of listening effort that can be combined with a clinical speech test for a more comprehensive evaluation of total listening experience; verbal response times to auditory stimuli (RTaud) and response times to a visual task (RTsvis) in a dual- task

  20. Cognitive Processes Underlying the Artistic Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandra Wah

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Based on the field of aesthetics, for centuries philosophers and more recently scientists have been concerned with understanding the artistic experience focusing on emotional responses to the perception of artworks. By contrast, in the last decades, evolutionary biology has been concerned with explaining the artistic experience by focusing on the cognitive processes underlying this experience. Up until now, the cognitive mechanisms that allow humans to experience objects and events as art remain largely unexplored and there is still no conventional use of terms for referring to the processes which may explain why the artistic experience is characteristically human and universal to human beings (Dissanayake, 1992, p. 24; Donald, 2006, p. 4. In this paper, I will first question whether it is productive to understand the artistic experience in terms of perception and emotion, and I will subsequently propose a possible alternative explanation to understand this experience. Drawing upon the work of Ellen Dissanayake (1992, 2000, 2015, Merlin Donald (2001, 2006, 2013, Antonio Damasio (1994, 2000, 2003, 2010, Barend van Heusden (2004, 2009, 2010, and Alejandra Wah (2014, I will argue that this experience is characterized by particular degrees of imagination and consciousness.

  1. Impact of Previous Pharmacy Work Experience on Pharmacy School Academic Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mar, Ellena; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R.; Knapp, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    Objectives To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). Methods The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. Results No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Conclusions Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses. PMID:20498735

  2. Impact of previous pharmacy work experience on pharmacy school academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mar, Ellena; Barnett, Mitchell J; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R; Knapp, Katherine

    2010-04-12

    To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses.

  3. Dryland ecosystem responses to precipitation extremes and wildfire at a long-term rainfall manipulation experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, R. F.; Collins, S. L.

    2017-12-01

    Climate is becoming increasingly more variable due to global environmental change, which is evidenced by fewer, but more extreme precipitation events, changes in precipitation seasonality, and longer, higher severity droughts. These changes, combined with a rising incidence of wildfire, have the potential to strongly impact net primary production (NPP) and key biogeochemical cycles, particularly in dryland ecosystems where NPP is sequentially limited by water and nutrient availability. Here we utilize a ten-year dataset from an ongoing long-term field experiment established in 2007 in which we experimentally altered monsoon rainfall variability to examine how our manipulations, along with naturally occurring events, affect NPP and associated biogeochemical cycles in a semi-arid grassland in central New Mexico, USA. Using long-term regional averages, we identified extremely wet monsoon years (242.8 mm, 2013), and extremely dry monsoon years (86.0 mm, 2011; 80.0 mm, 2015) and water years (117.0 mm, 2011). We examined how changes in precipitation variability and extreme events affected ecosystem processes and function particularly in the context of ecosystem recovery following a 2009 wildfire. Response variables included above- and below-ground plant biomass (ANPP & BNPP) and abundance, soil nitrogen availability, and soil CO2 efflux. Mean ANPP ranged from 3.6 g m-2 in 2011 to 254.5 g m-2 in 2013, while BNPP ranged from 23.5 g m-2 in 2015 to 194.2 g m-2 in 2013, demonstrating NPP in our semi-arid grassland is directly linked to extremes in both seasonal and annual precipitation. We also show increased nitrogen deposition positively affects NPP in unburned grassland, but has no significant impact on NPP post-fire except during extremely wet monsoon years. While soil respiration rates reflect lower ANPP post-fire, patterns in CO2 efflux have not been shown to change significantly in that efflux is greatest following large precipitation events preceded by longer drying

  4. Response Of Lowland Rice To Soil Compaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Idawati; Haryanto

    2000-01-01

    Soil compaction, as a new tillage practice for paddy soil, is to substitute pudding in order to reduce land preparation cost. To study response of lowland rice to soil compaction, a pot experiment has been conducted which took place in the greenhouse of P3TIR-BATAN. Soil for experiment was taken from pusakanegara. Two factors (degree of soil compaction and rice variety) were combined. Degree of compaction was split into 3 levels (DI = normal; D215% more compact than normal; 30 % more compact than normal), and rice variety into 2 levels (IR64 and Atomita IV). KH 2 32 PO 4 solution was injected into the soil surrounding rice clump to test the root activity at blooming stage of rice plant. Data resulted from this experiment is presented together with additional data from some other experiments of fertilization in the research s erie to study soil compaction. Some information's from experiment results are as following. Both rice varieties tested gave the same response to soil compaction. Root activity, according to data of 32 P absorbed by plant, was not harmed by soil compaction at the degree tested in the experiment. This prediction is supported by the growth by rice observed at generative growth stage, in pot experiment as well as in field experiment, which showed that soil compaction tested did not decrease rice yield but in opposite in tended to increase the yield. In practising soil compaction in land preparation, fertilizers should be applied by deep placement to have higher increasing is rice yield

  5. LOFT system structural response during subcooled blowdown

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinell, J.S.

    1978-01-01

    The Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility is a highly instrumented, pressurized water reactor test system designed to be representative of large pressurized water reactors (LPWRs) for the simulation of loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs). Detailed structural analysis and appropriate instrumentation (accelerometers and strain gages) on the LOFT system provided information for evaluation of the structural response of the LOFT facility for loss-of-coolant experiment (LOCE) induced loads. In general, the response of the system during subcooled blowdown was small with typical structural accelerations below 2.0 G's and dynamic strains less than 150 x 10 - 6 m/m. The accelerations measured at the steam generator and simulated steam generator flange exceeded LOCE design values; however, integration of the accelerometer data at these locations yielded displacements which were less than one half of the design values associated with a safe shutdown earthquake (SSE), which assures structural integrity for LOCE loads. The existing measurement system was adequate for evaluation of the LOFT system response during the LOCEs. The conditions affecting blowdown loads during nuclear LOCEs will be nearly the same as those experienced during the nonnuclear LOCEs, and the characteristics of the structural response data in both types of experiments are expected to be the same. The LOFT system is concluded to be adequately designed and further analysis of the LOFT system with structural codes is not required for future LOCE experiments

  6. The Impact of Student Response Systems on the Learning Experience of Undergraduate Psychology Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walklet, Elaine; Davis, Sarah; Farrelly, Daniel; Muse, Kate

    2016-01-01

    Student response systems (SRS) are hand-held devices or mobile phone polling systems which collate real-time, individual responses to on-screen questions. Previous research examining their role in higher education has highlighted both advantages and disadvantages of their use. This paper explores how different SRS influence the learning experience…

  7. Regression analysis utilizing subjective evaluation of emotional experience in PET studies on emotions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aalto, Sargo; Wallius, Esa; Näätänen, Petri; Hiltunen, Jaana; Metsähonkala, Liisa; Sipilä, Hannu; Karlsson, Hasse

    2005-09-01

    A methodological study on subject-specific regression analysis (SSRA) exploring the correlation between the neural response and the subjective evaluation of emotional experience in eleven healthy females is presented. The target emotions, i.e., amusement and sadness, were induced using validated film clips, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using positron emission tomography (PET), and the subjective intensity of the emotional experience during the PET scanning was measured using a category ratio (CR-10) scale. Reliability analysis of the rating data indicated that the subjects rated the intensity of their emotional experience fairly consistently on the CR-10 scale (Cronbach alphas 0.70-0.97). A two-phase random-effects analysis was performed to ensure the generalizability and inter-study comparability of the SSRA results. Random-effects SSRAs using Statistical non-Parametric Mapping 99 (SnPM99) showed that rCBF correlated with the self-rated intensity of the emotional experience mainly in the brain regions that were identified in the random-effects subtraction analyses using the same imaging data. Our results give preliminary evidence of a linear association between the neural responses related to amusement and sadness and the self-evaluated intensity of the emotional experience in several regions involved in the emotional response. SSRA utilizing subjective evaluation of emotional experience turned out a feasible and promising method of analysis. It allows versatile exploration of the neurobiology of emotions and the neural correlates of actual and individual emotional experience. Thus, SSRA might be able to catch the idiosyncratic aspects of the emotional response better than traditional subtraction analysis.

  8. Light intensity and thermal responses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    te Kulve, M.; Schellen, L.; Schlangen, L.; Frijns, A.J.H.; van Marken Lichtenbelt, W.D.; Nicol, Fergus; Roaf, Susan; Brotas, Luisa; Humphreys, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Temperature and light are both major factors in the design of a comfortable indoor environment. Moreover, there might be an interaction between light exposure and human thermal responses. However, results of experiments conducted so far are inconclusive and current understanding of the relation

  9. Regulations for training and experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    The requirements to become a Corporate Member of the UK Institution of Nuclear Engineers are stated. These include a formal education at degree level, training in the practice of nuclear engineering, and a period of responsible experience in nuclear engineering at professional level. Similar conditions at the appropriate level apply to Associate Membership. (U.K.)

  10. Parents' Child Care Experience: Effects of Sex and Parity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilpin, Andrew R.; Glanville, Bradley B.

    1985-01-01

    Surveyed 94 couples to determine effects on child care experience associated with gender, parity, and various other demographic variables. As expected, women had higher scores than men. Experience was a linear function of parity for men, but not for women, and was unrelated to attitudes toward women. Implications for child care responsibility are…

  11. Underway pressure, temperature, and salinity data from the MOANA WAVE from the Pacific warm pool in support of the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) from 02 February 1993 to 21 February 1993 (NODC Accession 9600090)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Pressure, temperature, and salinity data were collected while underway from the MOANA WAVE from the Pacific warm pool. Data were collected in support of the Coupled...

  12. A Survey of Utility Experience with Real Time Pricing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barbose, Galen; Goldman, Charles; Neenan, Bernie

    2004-12-01

    While more than 70 utilities in the U.S. have offered voluntary RTP tariffs on either a pilot or permanent basis, most have operated in relative obscurity. To bring this broad base of experience to bear on policymakers current efforts to stimulate price responsive demand, we conducted a survey of 43 voluntary RTP tariffs offered in 2003. The survey involved telephone interviews with RTP program managers and other utility staff, as well as a review of regulatory documents, tariff sheets, program evaluations, and other publicly available sources. Based on this review of RTP program experience, we identify key trends related to: utilities motivations for implementing RTP, evolution of RTP tariff design, program participation, participant price response, and program outlook. We draw from these findings to discuss implications for policymakers that are currently considering voluntary RTP as a strategy for developing price responsive demand.

  13. CONSUMPTION OF HERBAL TOWARD SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: ACCOUNTS EXPERIENCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.G.A. Paiva

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Plants has an important role in human life and health forever. Medicinal plants are used for prophylaxis, welfare, improvement in quality of life and cure of diseases, which can be sources of medicines, earning preference and market space, a fact that influences business changes. The present study reports the knowledge of teachers and students of the degree course of Bachelor of Pharmacy UNIDESC-GO and seeks to identify medicinal plants and the most widely used herbal medicines. Semi structured questionnaires were used to evaluate the rational use and return to this same population, the correct way to use, care, prevention and current plants and herbal consumed. Of the respondents, 52% are female, 95% are students and 5% are Bachelor of Pharmacy. About 90% of respondents do not have a university education, 75% of respondents say they have learned to use medicinal plants with relatives, 80% of first degree relatives. The bilberry (Plectranthus barbatus Andrews was the most cited plant. Exposing the importance of scientific knowledge, it is noted that the academy should work with more affinity to traditional experiences. Thus, it creates the technical and scientific knowledge to better achieve the rational use of medicinal and herbal plants.

  14. Rubble masonry response under cyclic actions: The experience of L’Aquila city (Italy)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fonti, Roberta; Barthel, Rainer; Formisano, Antonio; Borri, Antonio; Candela, Michele

    2015-01-01

    Several methods of analysis are available in engineering practice to study old masonry constructions. Two commonly used approaches in the field of seismic engineering are global and local analyses. Despite several years of research in this field, the various methodologies suffer from a lack of comprehensive experimental validation. This is mainly due to the difficulty in simulating the many different kinds of masonry and, accordingly, the non-linear response under horizontal actions. This issue can be addressed by examining the local response of isolated panels under monotonic and/or alternate actions. Different testing methodologies are commonly used to identify the local response of old masonry. These range from simplified pull-out tests to sophisticated in-plane monotonic tests. However, there is a lack of both knowledge and critical comparison between experimental validations and numerical simulations. This is mainly due to the difficulties in implementing irregular settings within both simplified and advanced numerical analyses. Similarly, the simulation of degradation effects within laboratory tests is difficult with respect to old masonry in-situ boundary conditions. Numerical models, particularly on rubble masonry, are commonly simplified. They are mainly based on a kinematic chain of rigid blocks able to perform different “modes of damage” of structures subjected to horizontal actions. This paper presents an innovative methodology for testing; its aim is to identify a simplified model for out-of-plane response of rubbleworks with respect to the experimental evidence. The case study of L’Aquila district is discussed

  15. Rubble masonry response under cyclic actions: The experience of L’Aquila city (Italy)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fonti, Roberta, E-mail: roberta.fonti@tum.de; Barthel, Rainer, E-mail: r.barthel@lrz.tu-muenchen.de [TUM University, Chair of Structural Design, Arcisstraße 21, 80333 Munich (Germany); Formisano, Antonio, E-mail: antoform@unina.it [University of Naples “Federico II”, DIST Department, P.le V. Tecchio, 80, 80125 Naples (Italy); Borri, Antonio, E-mail: antonio.borri@unipg.it [University of Perugia, Department of Engineering, Via G. Duranti 95, 06125 Perugia (Italy); Candela, Michele, E-mail: ing.mcandela@libero.it [University of Reggio Calabria, PAU Department, Salita Melissari 1, 89124 Reggio Calabria (Italy)

    2015-12-31

    Several methods of analysis are available in engineering practice to study old masonry constructions. Two commonly used approaches in the field of seismic engineering are global and local analyses. Despite several years of research in this field, the various methodologies suffer from a lack of comprehensive experimental validation. This is mainly due to the difficulty in simulating the many different kinds of masonry and, accordingly, the non-linear response under horizontal actions. This issue can be addressed by examining the local response of isolated panels under monotonic and/or alternate actions. Different testing methodologies are commonly used to identify the local response of old masonry. These range from simplified pull-out tests to sophisticated in-plane monotonic tests. However, there is a lack of both knowledge and critical comparison between experimental validations and numerical simulations. This is mainly due to the difficulties in implementing irregular settings within both simplified and advanced numerical analyses. Similarly, the simulation of degradation effects within laboratory tests is difficult with respect to old masonry in-situ boundary conditions. Numerical models, particularly on rubble masonry, are commonly simplified. They are mainly based on a kinematic chain of rigid blocks able to perform different “modes of damage” of structures subjected to horizontal actions. This paper presents an innovative methodology for testing; its aim is to identify a simplified model for out-of-plane response of rubbleworks with respect to the experimental evidence. The case study of L’Aquila district is discussed.

  16. Rubble masonry response under cyclic actions: The experience of L'Aquila city (Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonti, Roberta; Barthel, Rainer; Formisano, Antonio; Borri, Antonio; Candela, Michele

    2015-12-01

    Several methods of analysis are available in engineering practice to study old masonry constructions. Two commonly used approaches in the field of seismic engineering are global and local analyses. Despite several years of research in this field, the various methodologies suffer from a lack of comprehensive experimental validation. This is mainly due to the difficulty in simulating the many different kinds of masonry and, accordingly, the non-linear response under horizontal actions. This issue can be addressed by examining the local response of isolated panels under monotonic and/or alternate actions. Different testing methodologies are commonly used to identify the local response of old masonry. These range from simplified pull-out tests to sophisticated in-plane monotonic tests. However, there is a lack of both knowledge and critical comparison between experimental validations and numerical simulations. This is mainly due to the difficulties in implementing irregular settings within both simplified and advanced numerical analyses. Similarly, the simulation of degradation effects within laboratory tests is difficult with respect to old masonry in-situ boundary conditions. Numerical models, particularly on rubble masonry, are commonly simplified. They are mainly based on a kinematic chain of rigid blocks able to perform different "modes of damage" of structures subjected to horizontal actions. This paper presents an innovative methodology for testing; its aim is to identify a simplified model for out-of-plane response of rubbleworks with respect to the experimental evidence. The case study of L'Aquila district is discussed.

  17. Component effects in mixture experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piepel, G.F.

    1980-01-01

    In a mixture experiment, the response to a mixture of q components is a function of the proportions x 1 , x 2 , ..., x/sub q/ of components in the mixture. Experimental regions for mixture experiments are often defined by constraints on the proportions of the components forming the mixture. The usual (orthogonal direction) definition of a factor effect does not apply because of the dependence imposed by the mixture restriction, /sup q/Σ/sub i=1/ x/sub i/ = 1. A direction within the experimental region in which to compute a mixture component effect is presented and compared to previously suggested directions. This new direction has none of the inadequacies or errors of previous suggestions while having a more meaningful interpretation. The distinction between partial and total effects is made. The uses of partial and total effects (computed using the new direction) in modification and interpretation of mixture response prediction equations are considered. The suggestions of the paper are illustrated in an example from a glass development study in a waste vitrification program. 5 figures, 3 tables

  18. Field Experience Study in a Traditional Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perenich, Theresa A.

    1978-01-01

    A field experience in fashion marketing for Kansas State University students is described. The functions and responsibilities of the coordinator, the student, and the departmental supervisor are outlined, along with the evaluation processes used. (Author/LBH)

  19. Preliminary results report: Conasauga near-surface heater experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krumhansl, J.L.

    1979-06-01

    From November 1977 to August 1978, two near-surface heater experiments were operated in two somewhat different stratigraphic sequences within the Conasauga formation which consist predominantly of shale. Specific phenomena investigated were the thermal and mechanical responses of the formation to an applied heat load, as well as the mineralogical changes induced by heating. Objective was to provide a minimal integrated field and laboratory study that would supply a data base which could be used in planning more expensive and complex vault-type experiments in other localities. The experiments were operated with heater power levels of between 6 and 8 kW for heater mid-plane temperatures of 385 0 C. The temperature fields within the shale were measured and analysis is in progress. Steady state conditions were achieved within 90 days. Conduction appears to be the principal mechanism of heat transport through the formation. Limited mechanical response measurements consisting of vertical displacement and stress data indicate general agreement with predictions. Posttest data, collection of which await experiment shutdown and cooling of the formation, include the mineralogy of posttest cores, posttest transmissivity measurements and corrosion data on metallurgical samples

  20. Loudness Change in Response to Dynamic Acoustic Intensity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Kirk N.; Stevens, Catherine J.; Tardieu, Julien

    2010-01-01

    Three experiments investigate psychological, methodological, and domain-specific characteristics of loudness change in response to sounds that continuously increase in intensity (up-ramps), relative to sounds that decrease (down-ramps). Timbre (vowel, violin), layer (monotone, chord), and duration (1.8 s, 3.6 s) were manipulated in Experiment 1.…

  1. Response trajectories capture the continuous dynamics of the size congruity effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulkenberry, Thomas J; Cruise, Alexander; Lavro, Dmitri; Shaki, Samuel

    2016-01-01

    In a comparison task involving numbers, the size congruity effect refers to the general finding that responses are usually faster when there is a match between numerical size and physical size (e.g., 2-8) than when there is a mismatch (e.g., 2-8). In the present study, we used computer mouse tracking to test two competing models of the size congruity effect: an early interaction model, where interference occurs at an early representational stage, and a late interaction model, where interference occurs as dynamic competition between response options. In three experiments, we found that the curvature of responses for incongruent trials was greater than for congruent trials. In Experiment 2 we showed that this curvature effect was reliably modulated by the numerical distance between the two stimulus numbers, with large distance pairs exhibiting a larger curvature effect than small distance pairs. In Experiment 3 we demonstrated that the congruity effects persist into response execution. These findings indicate that incongruities between numerical and physical sizes are carried throughout the response process and result from competition between parallel and partially active response options, lending further support to a late interaction model of the size congruity effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Designing a responsive web site

    OpenAIRE

    Fejzić , Diana

    2016-01-01

    Due to the increasing prevalence of smartphones and tablet computers design became a crucial part of web design. For a user, responsive web design enables the best user experience, regardless of whether a user is visiting the site via a mobile phone, a tablet or a computer. This thesis covers the process of planning, designing and responsive web site development, for a fictitious company named “Creative Design d.o.o.”, with the help of web technologies. In the initial part of the thesis, w...

  3. Listener Responses According to Stuttering Self-Acknowledgment and Modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyungjae; Manning, Walter H.

    2010-01-01

    Given the well-documented understanding that stuttering behavior elicits stereotypically negative responses from listeners, two experiments explored the equivocal results of earlier investigations concerning the potential for self-acknowledgment and modification of stuttering to elicit positive responses from naive (unfamiliar with stuttering)…

  4. RC Circuits: Some Computer-Interfaced Experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jolly, Pratibha; Verma, Mallika

    1994-01-01

    Describes a simple computer-interface experiment for recording the response of an RC network to an arbitrary input excitation. The setup is used to pose a variety of open-ended investigations in network modeling by varying the initial conditions, input signal waveform, and the circuit topology. (DDR)

  5. Commercial Building Motor Protection Response Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    James, Daniel P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kueck, John [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-06-17

    When voltages recover, motors may immediately reenergize and reaccelerate, or delay for a few minutes, or stay stalled. The estimated motor response is given for both the voltage sag magnitude and voltage sag duration. These response estimates are based on experience and available test data. Good data is available for voltage sag response for many components such as relays and contactors, but little data is available for both voltage sag and recovery response. The tables in Appendix A include data from recent voltage sag and recovery tests performed by SCE and BPA on air conditioners and energy management systems. The response of the motor can vary greatly depending on the type of protection and control. The time duration for the voltage sag consists of those times that are of interest for bulk power system modelers.

  6. Does responsive pricing smooth demand shocks?

    OpenAIRE

    Pascal, Courty; Mario, Pagliero

    2011-01-01

    Using data from a unique pricing experiment, we investigate Vickrey’s conjecture that responsive pricing can be used to smooth both predictable and unpredictable demand shocks. Our evidence shows that increasing the responsiveness of price to demand conditions reduces the magnitude of deviations in capacity utilization rates from a pre-determined target level. A 10 percent increase in price variability leads to a decrease in the variability of capacity utilization rates between...

  7. Resourcing of Experience in Co-Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ylirisku, Salu; Revsbæk, Line; Buur, Jacob

    2017-01-01

    , knowledge to benefit its cultivation is expected to be highly valuable in contemporary multi-cultural design work. This paper approaches the study of the involvement of various stakeholders in design projects through a lens of resourcing experience. Building from G. H. Mead’s pragmatist theory, we devise...... and Scandinavia. By identifying ways in which experience is resourced in specific design interactions, the paper illustrates resourcing to be responsive, conceptual and habitual. The paper concludes by pinpointing strategic means that design teams may use in order to enable rich involvement and resourcing...

  8. Sex Differences in Emotional Responses to "Erotic Literature"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrell, James M.

    1975-01-01

    In this study females (N=32) and males (N=32) read two passages. One described a sexually exploitative experience for a young woman and the other described a sexually positive experience. Response by males and females varied considerably and depended on the interpersonal as well as the erotic content of the passages. (EJT)

  9. Library performance and service competition developing strategic responses

    CERN Document Server

    White, Larry Nash

    2008-01-01

    A practice-driven and proven resource for library administrators of all types of libraries. The work describes how the library can identify the service environment factors impacting customers; strategic needs; identify library competitors; strategic abilities and service environment impacts; and use the combined results to develop proactive competitive responses that drive the service environment instead of reacting to the service environment. These strategic competitive responses would allow the library to increase the value of its service impact and effectiveness while increasing customer appreciation and the libraries advantage in the competitive service environment. Written by a highly knowledgeable practitioner from the library field Experience of the author (library and for-profit management experience) provides a hybrid/blended view of library competition and management responses from both the library and for-profit management worlds Written to applicable to all types of libraries.

  10. The HRMT27 (Rodtarg) Experiment: Design, Operation and First Results

    CERN Document Server

    Torregrosa Martin, Claudio Leopoldo; Calviani, Marco; Butcher, Mark; Horvath, David; Fornasiere, Elvis; Gentini, Luca

    2016-01-01

    The HRMT27-Rodtarg- experiment used the HiRadMat facility at CERN to impact intense 440 GeV proton beams onto thin rods - 8 mm diameter, 140 length - made of high-density materials such as Ir, W, Ta, Mo among others. The purpose of the experiment was to reduce uncertainties on the CERN antiproton target material response and assess the material selection for its future redesign. The experiment was designed to recreate the extreme conditions reached in the target, estimated as an increase of temperature above 2000 ºC in less than 0.5 µs and a subsequent compressive-to-tensile pressure wave of several GPa. This document includes a detailed summary of the experimental setup and online recorded data. Results suggest that all the irradiated materials except tantalum suffered internal damage from conditions 5-7 lower than those reached in the AD-Target, while tantalum targets clearly showed the best dynamic response, remaining un-cracked during the experiment. Foreseen post irradiation examinations will complete ...

  11. Data report on series 6 reflood experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iguchi, Tadashi; Murao, Yoshio; Sudoh, Takashi; Sudo, Yukio; Sugimoto, Jun

    1979-03-01

    Series 6 reflood experiments (experiment with 4 x 4 indirectly heated rods) were carried out from March to June 1978. The purpose of the experiments was: 1) to observe overall reflood phenomena in a 4 x 4 indirectly heated heater rod bundle with thermocouples inbedded completely in the cladding, 2) to examine the quench characteristics at low flooding rate, 3) to measure steady-state differential pressures in the core, 4) to investigate the heat transfer coefficients before quenching, 5) to investigate the water effluence behavior at outlet of the core, 6) to investigate the effect of a non-heated rod, and 7) to examine the response characteristics of the system at forced oscillating flooding rate. Described are the experimental conditions and the results (cladding temperatures, pressure differences and flow rates) in the constant flooding rate experiments in series 6 experiment. (author)

  12. Impacts of suppression on emotional responses and performance outcomes: an experience-sampling study in younger and older workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeung, Dannii Y; Fung, Helene H

    2012-11-01

    Past studies have demonstrated that older adults used less emotional suppression to regulate their emotions than did younger adults, but the effectiveness of using this emotion regulatory strategy on psychosocial well-being across age remains largely unexplored. The present study adopted an experience-sampling method to examine whether the impacts of momentary employment of emotional suppression on momentary positive and negative emotions and job performance would be different by age. Eighty-seven Chinese insurance workers, aged between 18 and 61 years, participated in a 5-day sampling study. Their affective responses at work, momentary task performance, and sales productivity were recorded. Results showed that older workers' greater use of suppression at work was associated with lower intensity of negative emotions, whereas such association was not found among younger workers. Moreover, greater use of suppression over the sampling period was significantly predictive of sales productivity of older workers, but such a positive association was not shown in younger workers. These findings reveal that the use of suppression at work may be more effective for older workers than for younger workers.

  13. Reality checks on microbial food web interactions in dilution experiments: responses to the comments of Dolan and McKeon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. R. Landry

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Dolan and McKeon (2005 have recently criticized microzooplankton grazing rate estimates by the dilution approach as being systematically biased and significantly overestimated. Their argument is based on observed mortality responses of ciliated protozoa to reduced food in several coastal experiments and a global extrapolation which assumes that all grazing in all ocean systems scales to the abundance of ciliates. We suggest that these conclusions are unrealistic on several counts: they do not account for community differences between open ocean and coastal systems; they ignore direct experimental evidence supporting dilution rate estimates in the open oceans, and they discount dilution effects on mortality rate as well as growth in multi-layered, open-ocean food webs. High microzooplankton grazing rates in open-ocean systems are consistent with current views on export fluxes and trophic transfers. More importantly, significantly lower rates would fail to account for the efficient nutrient recycling requirements of these resource-limited and rapid-turnover communities.

  14. Dissociating the influence of response selection and task anticipation on corticospinal suppression during response preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque, Julie; Labruna, Ludovica; Cazares, Christian; Ivry, Richard B

    2014-12-01

    Motor behavior requires selecting between potential actions. The role of inhibition in response selection has frequently been examined in tasks in which participants are engaged in some advance preparation prior to the presentation of an imperative signal. Under such conditions, inhibition could be related to processes associated with response selection, or to more general inhibitory processes that are engaged in high states of anticipation. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the degree of anticipatory preparation. Participants performed a choice reaction time task that required choosing between a movement of the left or right index finger, and used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the left hand agonist. In high anticipation blocks, a non-informative cue (e.g., fixation marker) preceded the imperative; in low anticipation blocks, there was no cue and participants were required to divide their attention between two tasks to further reduce anticipation. MEPs were substantially reduced before the imperative signal in high anticipation blocks. In contrast, in low anticipation blocks, MEPs remained unchanged before the imperative signal but showed a marked suppression right after the onset of the imperative. This effect occurred regardless of whether the imperative had signalled a left or right hand response. After this initial inhibition, left MEPs increased when the left hand was selected and remained suppressed when the right hand was selected. We obtained similar results in Experiment 2 except that the persistent left MEP suppression when the left hand was not selected was attenuated when the alternative response involved a non-homologous effector (right foot). These results indicate that, even in the absence of an anticipatory period, inhibitory mechanisms are engaged during response selection, possibly to prevent the occurrence of premature and inappropriate responses during a competitive selection process. Copyright

  15. Dissociating the Influence of Response Selection and Task Anticipation on Corticospinal Suppression During Response Preparation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque, Julie; Labruna, Ludovica; Cazares, Christian; Ivry, Richard B.

    2014-01-01

    Motor behavior requires selecting between potential actions. The role of inhibition in response selection has frequently been examined in tasks in which participants are engaged in some advance preparation prior to the presentation of an imperative signal. Under such conditions, inhibition could be related to processes associated with response selection, or to more general inhibitory processes that are engaged in high states of anticipation. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the degree of anticipatory preparation. Participants performed a choice reaction time task that required choosing between a movement of the left or right index finger, and used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the left hand agonist. In high anticipation blocks, a non-informative cue (e.g., fixation marker) preceded the imperative; in low anticipation blocks, there was no cue and participants were required to divide their attention between two tasks to further reduce anticipation. MEPs were substantially reduced before the imperative signal in high anticipation blocks. In contrast, in low anticipation blocks, MEPs remained unchanged before the imperative signal but showed a marked suppression right after the onset of the imperative. This effect occurred regardless of whether the imperative had signaled a left or right hand response. After this initial inhibition, left MEPs increased when the left hand was selected and remained suppressed when the right hand was selected. We obtained similar results in Experiment 2 except that the persistent left MEP suppression when the left hand was not selected was attenuated when the alternative response involved a non-homologous effector (right foot). These results indicate that, even in the absence of an anticipatory period, inhibitory mechanisms are engaged during response selection, possibly to prevent the occurrence of premature and inappropriate responses during a competitive selection process. PMID

  16. Fast response of electron-scale turbulence to auxiliary heating cessation in National Spherical Torus Experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren, Y.; Wang, W. X.; LeBlanc, B. P.; Guttenfelder, W.; Kaye, S. M.; Ethier, S.; Mazzucato, E.; Bell, R. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Lee, K. C. [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of); Domier, C. W. [University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616 (United States); Smith, D. R. [University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Yuh, H. [Nova Photonics, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States)

    2015-11-15

    In this letter, we report the first observation of the fast response of electron-scale turbulence to auxiliary heating cessation in National Spherical Torus eXperiment [Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)]. The observation was made in a set of RF-heated L-mode plasmas with toroidal magnetic field of 0.55 T and plasma current of 300 kA. It is observed that electron-scale turbulence spectral power (measured with a high-k collective microwave scattering system) decreases significantly following fast cessation of RF heating that occurs in less than 200 μs. The large drop in the turbulence spectral power has a short time delay of about 1–2 ms relative to the RF cessation and happens on a time scale of 0.5–1 ms, much smaller than the energy confinement time of about 10 ms. Power balance analysis shows a factor of about 2 decrease in electron thermal diffusivity after the sudden drop of turbulence spectral power. Measured small changes in equilibrium profiles across the RF cessation are unlikely able to explain this sudden reduction in the measured turbulence and decrease in electron thermal transport, supported by local linear stability analysis and both local and global nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations. The observations imply that nonlocal flux-driven mechanism may be important for the observed turbulence and electron thermal transport.

  17. Employees' Perceptions of Employers' Response after Workplace Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patrick, Nancy S.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to (a) explore the lived experiences of school district employees who have sustained on-the-job injuries with specific attention to employee perceptions of employer response after injury and (b) examine whether purposeful empathetic response from the employer after workplace injury was related to changes in employee…

  18. Evaluation of Growth Performance of Tomato in Response to ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Sunusi

    ABSTRACT. Field experiment was conducted in 2013 and 2014 to evaluate growth performance of two tomato genotypes in response to biochar application and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculation at the. Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. The experiment was laid out.

  19. Response and recovery of a pristine groundwater ecosystem impacted by toluene contamination - A meso-scale indoor aquifer experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herzyk, Agnieszka; Fillinger, Lucas; Larentis, Michael; Qiu, Shiran; Maloszewski, Piotr; Hünniger, Marko; Schmidt, Susanne I.; Stumpp, Christine; Marozava, Sviatlana; Knappett, Peter S. K.; Elsner, Martin; Meckenstock, Rainer; Lueders, Tillmann; Griebler, Christian

    2017-12-01

    Microbial communities are the driving force behind the degradation of contaminants like aromatic hydrocarbons in groundwater ecosystems. However, little is known about the response of native microbial communities to contamination in pristine environments as well as their potential to recover from a contamination event. Here, we used an indoor aquifer mesocosm filled with sandy quaternary calciferous sediment that was continuously fed with pristine groundwater to study the response, resistance and resilience of microbial communities to toluene contamination over a period of almost two years, comprising 132 days of toluene exposure followed by nearly 600 days of recovery. We observed an unexpectedly high intrinsic potential for toluene degradation, starting within the first two weeks after the first exposure. The contamination led to a shift from oxic to anoxic, primarily nitrate-reducing conditions as well as marked cell growth inside the contaminant plume. Depth-resolved community fingerprinting revealed a low resistance of the native microbial community to the perturbation induced by the exposure to toluene. Distinct populations that were dominated by a small number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) rapidly emerged inside the plume and at the plume fringes, partially replacing the original community. During the recovery period physico-chemical conditions were restored to the pristine state within about 35 days, whereas the recovery of the biological parameters was much slower and the community composition inside the former plume area had not recovered to the original state by the end of the experiment. These results demonstrate the low resilience of sediment-associated groundwater microbial communities to organic pollution and underline that recovery of groundwater ecosystems cannot be assessed solely by physico-chemical parameters.

  20. A summary of demand response in electricity markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albadi, M.H.; El-Saadany, E.F.

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents a summary of demand response (DR) in deregulated electricity markets. The definition and the classification of DR as well as potential benefits and associated cost components are presented. In addition, the most common indices used for DR measurement and evaluation are highlighted, and some utilities' experiences with different demand response programs are discussed. Finally, the effect of demand response in electricity prices is highlighted using a simulated case study. (author)

  1. Aircrew ejection experience: questionnaire responses from 20 survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taneja, Narinder; Pinto, Leslie J; Dogra, Manmohan

    2005-07-01

    Published studies on ejection have focused predominantly on the injuries sustained by aircrew and discussed their preventive measures from an aeromedical perspective. However, studies have not discussed aircrew experiences related to ejection or how they would like to advise other aircrew to successfully handle ejection as an event. Such information can assist in designing realistic indoctrination and training programs. This study was conducted to fill gaps in our understanding of aircrew perspectives of successful ejections. Aircrew reporting to the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), Indian Air Force, for post-ejection evaluation during the period of May 2003 to January 2005 completed a questionnaire that was designed for the study. A total of 20 aircrew completed this questionnaire. The mean age of the aircrew was 30.25 +/- 4.45 yr. Most of them had logged more than 500 flying hours. Some aircrew described their initial moments of ejection as "blacked out," "dazed, yet conscious," or as "a shock that gradually decreased." Practicing ejection drills on the ground, being prepared at all times, making a timely decision to eject, and assuming correct posture were identified as the most important factors for success. Descriptions of ejection as an event suggest intense emotional arousal could occur following ejection. This study provides first hand inputs into the psychological processes accompanying ejections. Such information could be very useful in understanding the critical factors that influence successful ejection.

  2. a qualitative study of grandparents' experiences

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Grandparents are increasingly becoming the primary carers of children orphaned by the HIV epidemic in South Africa. Traditional family roles are being reversed as aging family members take responsibility for the physical and psychosocial needs of children. This study uses qualitative research to explore the experiences of ...

  3. A Validation Study of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keck Seeley, Susan. M.; Perosa, Sandra, L.; Perosa, Linda, M.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to further the validation process of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES). In this study, a 6-item Likert response format with descriptors was used when responding to the A-DES rather than the 11-item response format used in the original A-DES. Method: The internal reliability and construct…

  4. Spatial frequency information modulates response inhibition and decision-making processes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Jahfari

    Full Text Available We interact with the world through the assessment of available, but sometimes imperfect, sensory information. However, little is known about how variance in the quality of sensory information affects the regulation of controlled actions. In a series of three experiments, comprising a total of seven behavioral studies, we examined how different types of spatial frequency information affect underlying processes of response inhibition and selection. Participants underwent a stop-signal task, a two choice speed/accuracy balance experiment, and a variant of both these tasks where prior information was given about the nature of stimuli. In all experiments, stimuli were either intact, or contained only high-, or low- spatial frequencies. Overall, drift diffusion model analysis showed a decreased rate of information processing when spatial frequencies were removed, whereas the criterion for information accumulation was lowered. When spatial frequency information was intact, the cost of response inhibition increased (longer SSRT, while a correct response was produced faster (shorter reaction times and with more certainty (decreased errors. When we manipulated the motivation to respond with a deadline (i.e., be fast or accurate, removal of spatial frequency information slowed response times only when instructions emphasized accuracy. However, the slowing of response times did not improve error rates, when compared to fast instruction trials. These behavioral studies suggest that the removal of spatial frequency information differentially affects the speed of response initiation, inhibition, and the efficiency to balance fast or accurate responses. More generally, the present results indicate a task-independent influence of basic sensory information on strategic adjustments in action control.

  5. Support for the Development of Technological Innovations: Promoting Responsible Social Uses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legault, Georges A; Verchère, Céline; Patenaude, Johane

    2018-04-01

    How can technological development, economic development, and the claims from society be reconciled? How should responsible innovation be promoted? The "responsible social uses" approach proposed here was devised with these considerations in view. In this article, a support procedure for promoting responsible social uses (RSU) is set out and presented. First, the context in which this procedure emerged, which incorporates features of both the user-experience approach and that of ethical acceptability in technological development, is specified. Next, the characteristic features of the procedure are presented, that is, its purpose, fundamental orientation, and component parts as experimented by partners. Third, the RSU approach is compared with other support approaches and considered in term of how each approach assumes responsible innovation. Briefly, the RSU procedure is a way of addressing the issue of responsible innovation through an effective integration of social concerns.

  6. Office of Civilian Response Deployment Tracking System

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The purpose of OCR DTS is to establish, manage and track relevant Civilian Response Corps teams for deployment by sector experience, training, education etc.

  7. Post-emergency response resources guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-07-01

    On August 28 and September 18, 1990, the States of Louisiana and Mississippi, Gulf States Utilities, five local parishes, six Federal agencies, and the American Nuclear Insurers participated in a post-emergency TABLETOP exercise in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. One of the products developed from that experience is this guide for understanding the responsibilities and obtaining resources for specific needs from the various participants, particularly those organizations within the federal government. This guide should assist state and local government organizations with identifying and obtaining those resources for the post-emergency response when theirs have been exhausted

  8. An unexpected antibody response to an engineered influenza virus modifies CD8+ T cell responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Paul G; Brown, Scott A; Yue, Wen; So, Jenny; Webby, Richard J; Doherty, Peter C

    2006-02-21

    The ovalbumin(323-339) peptide that binds H2I-A(b) was engineered into the globular heads of hemagglutinin (H) molecules from serologically non-cross-reactive H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses, the aim being to analyze recall CD4+ T cell responses in a virus-induced respiratory disease. Prime/challenge experiments with these H1ova and H3ova viruses in H2(b) mice gave the predicted, ovalbumin-specific CD4+ T cell response but showed an unexpectedly enhanced, early expansion of viral epitope-specific CD8+ T cells in spleen and a greatly diminished inflammatory process in the virus-infected respiratory tract. At the same time, the primary antibody response to the H3N2 challenge virus was significantly reduced, an effect that has been associated with preexisting neutralizing antibody in other experimental systems. Analysis of serum from the H1ova-primed mice showed low-level binding to H3ova but not to the wild-type H3N2 virus. Experiments with CD4+ T cell-depleted and Ig-/- mice indicated that this cross-reactive Ig is indeed responsible for the modified pathogenesis after respiratory challenge. Furthermore, the effect does not seem to be virus-dose related, although it does require infection. These findings suggest intriguing possibilities for vaccination and, at the same time, emphasize that engineered modifications in viruses may have unintended immunological consequences.

  9. Gender difference in response predictors after 1-year exenatide therapy twice daily in type 2 diabetic patients: a real world experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anichini, Roberto; Cosimi, Sabrina; Di Carlo, Alberto; Orsini, Paola; De Bellis, Alessandra; Seghieri, Giuseppe; Franconi, Flavia; Baccetti, Fabio

    2013-01-01

    To investigate whether gender affects therapeutic response by exenatide twice a day (BID) in type 2 diabetes by using a database concerning patients monitored by five outpatient clinics in Tuscany, Italy. We considered a cohort of 315 (154 male/161 female) patients experiencing therapeutic failure while on oral therapy (metformin, or combination therapy metformin + sulphonylureas), who were given exenatide (10 μg/BID) and who fully completed 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months of follow-ups. Among patients stratified by gender and well matched for age, body mass index, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), it was found that the length of disease was longer in females than in males (12 ± 8 years versus 10 ± 7 years; P = 0.037), and the ratio of patients on metformin to those on combination therapy was higher in men (P = 0.018). Target glycemic response (1-year HbA1c ≤ 7%) was achieved in a significantly higher proportion of males than females (38% versus 27%; χ(2) = 4.66; P = 0.03). Target weight loss expressed as 1-year weight percent fall from baseline ≥ 75th percentile (8.5%) was significantly higher in females at 8 and 12 months (P < 0.05; for both). One-year glycemic target response was inversely related to baseline HbA1c levels and diabetes duration among males, while metformin therapy (compared to oral combination therapy) was a significant predictor of better glycemic targets among females. Homeostasis model assessment-B, measured in 117 patients, predicted hypoglycemic response only in women (P = 0.009). Target 1-year weight loss was predicted by longer diabetes duration among males and by lower baseline HbA1c among females. Finally, no significant difference between genders was noted as to gastrointestinal side effects after exenatide therapy. According to this "real world" experience, predictors of glycemic control and body weight loss after 12 months of exenatide BID therapy are different between genders in type 2 diabetes.

  10. Biogastronomy: Factors that determine the biological response to meal ingestion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pribic, T; Azpiroz, F

    2018-02-02

    The biological response to a meal includes physiological changes, primarily related to the digestive process, and a sensory experience, involving sensations related to the homeostatic control of food consumption, eg, satiety and fullness, with a hedonic dimension, ie associated with changes in digestive well-being and mood. The responses to a meal include a series of events before, during and after ingestion. While much attention has been paid to the events before and during ingestion, relatively little is known about the postprandial sensations, which are key to the gastronomical experience. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive overview and to define the framework to investigate the factors that determine the postprandial experience. Based on a series of proof-of-concept studies and related information, we propose that the biological responses to a meal depend on the characteristics of the meal, primarily its palatability and composition, and the responsiveness of the guest, which may be influenced by multiple previous and concurrent conditioning factors. This information provides the scientific backbone to the development of personalized gastronomy. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. 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).

  12. Satellite power system (SPS) public outreach experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McNeal, S.R.

    1980-12-01

    To improve the results of the Satellite Power System (SPS) Concept Development and Evaluation Program, an outreach experiment was conducted. Three public interest groups participated: the L-5 Society (L-5), Citizen's Energy Project (CEP), and the Forum for the Advancement of Students in Science and Technology (FASST). Each group disseminated summary information about SPS to approximately 3000 constituents with a request for feedback on the SPS concept. The objectives of the outreach were to (1) determine the areas of major concern relative to the SPS concept, and (2) gain experience with an outreach process for use in future public involvement. Due to the combined efforts of all three groups, 9200 individuals/organizations received information about the SPS concept. Over 1500 receipients of this information provided feedback. The response to the outreach effort was positive for all three groups, suggesting that the effort extended by the SPS Project Division to encourage an information exchange with the public was well received. The general response to the SPS differed with each group. The L-5 position is very much in favor of SPS; CEP is very much opposed and FASST is relatively neutral. The responses are analyzed, and from the responses some questions and answers about the satellite power system are presented in the appendix. (WHK)

  13. Private E-Mail Requests and the Diffusion of Responsibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barron, Greg; Yechiam, Eldad

    2002-01-01

    Discussion of e-mail technology and requesting information from multiple sources simultaneously focuses on an experiment demonstrating that addressing e-mails simultaneously to multiple recipients may actually reduce the number of helpful responses. Discusses diffusion of responsibility and implications for the application of social cueing theory…

  14. Experiences of radiostimulation in small-plot fields. Experiments in 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pannonhalmi, K.

    1979-01-01

    In 1978 radiostimulation experiments were conducted on a total of 18 ha, using 41 varieties of 13 plant species. This paper deals with some aspects of the work in relation to maize, carrots, paprika for spice and cucumbers. According to the observations the importance of gamma irradiating isotopes with different energy spectra exceeded that of dose intensity in the case of maize. In some hybrids yield response was obtained with 137 Cs gamma treatment, in others with 60 Co gamma treatment. Carrot yield exhibited an unambiguous and considerable increase by the influence of irradiation. The changes in the growing season and crop yield of paprika for spice were dependent on the variety. The two cucumber varieties studied responded differently to irradiation. Early and increased yield was obtained for the Buda gherkins. The Nimbus variety exhibited no stimulation effect. The addition of gibberellic acid resulted in larger yield for the Nimbus variety while no response was obtained with the Buda gherkin variety. (author)

  15. How Do Parameters of Motor Response Influence Selective Inhibition? Evidence from the Stop-Signal Paradigm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chien Hui Tang

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The ability to selectively inhibit the execution of an action while performing other ones is crucial in humans' multitasking daily life. The current study aims to compare selective inhibition for choice reaction involving two effectors or response directions. We adopted a variation of the stop-signal paradigm to examine how selective inhibition is modulated by the way potential motor responses are combined and inhibited. Experiment 1 investigated selective inhibition under different combinations of effectors, namely “index and middle fingers” versus “hand and foot”. The results showed SSRT of the index finger was longer when the other response option was the foot than the middle finger. Experiment 2 examined how selective inhibition differs between selective stopping of effectors and movement directions, and that for most of the situations SSRT is longer for stopping a response based on its direction than effector. After equating complexity of response mapping between direction and effector conditions in Experiment 2, Experiment 3 still showed that SSRT differs between selecting direction or effectors. To summarize, SSRT varies depending on the way response effectors are paired and selectively stopped. Selective inhibition is thus likely not amodal and may involve different inhibitory mechanisms depending on parameters specifying the motor response.

  16. Response of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) varieties to NPK ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pot and field experiments were conducted to determine the response of three okra varieties to four NPK fertilizers. The okra varieties; V35 (in the pot experiment and Clemson spineless in the field trial), Jokoso, and Sologo formed the main plot treatments and four NPK fertilizer rates: no fertilizer (control), 30 +15 +15, 60 +30 ...

  17. Postfire responses of the woody flora of Central Chile: Insights from a germination experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-González, Susana; Paula, Susana; Cavieres, Lohengrin A; Pausas, Juli G

    2017-01-01

    Fire is a selective agent shaping plant traits and community assembly in fire-prone ecosystems. However, in ecosystems with no fire history, it can be a cause of land degradation when it is suddenly introduced by humans, as plant species may not be able to respond to such novel disturbance. Unlike other Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTE) of the world, natural fires have not been frequent during the Quaternary in the matorral of Central Chile, and thus, plant adaptive responses are expected to be uncommon. We evaluated the effect of heat shock on seed survival and germination of 21 native woody plants of the Chilean matorral and compiled information on smoke-stimulation and resprouting, to evaluate the importance of fire-adaptive responses in the context of the other MTE. We found that in the Chilean woody flora negative seed responses to fire cues were more frequent than positive responses. Although resprouting is a relatively widespread trait, fire-stimulated germination is not as common in the Chilean matorral as in other MTE. The seeds of seven endemic species were strongly damaged by fire cues and this should be considered in post-fire restoration planning. However, our results also showed that many species were resistant to elevated doses of heat shock and in some, germination was even stimulated. Thus, future research should focus on the evolutionary causes of these responses. These findings could help to develop strategies for fire management in the Chilean matorral. In addition, they will improve our understanding of the evolutionary forces that shaped this plant community and to better frame this region among the other MTE worldwide.

  18. Postfire responses of the woody flora of Central Chile: Insights from a germination experiment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susana Gómez-González

    Full Text Available Fire is a selective agent shaping plant traits and community assembly in fire-prone ecosystems. However, in ecosystems with no fire history, it can be a cause of land degradation when it is suddenly introduced by humans, as plant species may not be able to respond to such novel disturbance. Unlike other Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTE of the world, natural fires have not been frequent during the Quaternary in the matorral of Central Chile, and thus, plant adaptive responses are expected to be uncommon. We evaluated the effect of heat shock on seed survival and germination of 21 native woody plants of the Chilean matorral and compiled information on smoke-stimulation and resprouting, to evaluate the importance of fire-adaptive responses in the context of the other MTE. We found that in the Chilean woody flora negative seed responses to fire cues were more frequent than positive responses. Although resprouting is a relatively widespread trait, fire-stimulated germination is not as common in the Chilean matorral as in other MTE. The seeds of seven endemic species were strongly damaged by fire cues and this should be considered in post-fire restoration planning. However, our results also showed that many species were resistant to elevated doses of heat shock and in some, germination was even stimulated. Thus, future research should focus on the evolutionary causes of these responses. These findings could help to develop strategies for fire management in the Chilean matorral. In addition, they will improve our understanding of the evolutionary forces that shaped this plant community and to better frame this region among the other MTE worldwide.

  19. Reducing Defensive Responses to Thoughts of Death: Meditation, Mindfulness, and Buddhism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Young Chin; Pyszczynski, Tom

    2017-08-24

    Three studies investigated the effects of meditation on responses to reminders of death. Study 1 took a quasi-experimental approach, comparing defensive responses to mortality salience (MS) of South Korean participants with varying levels of experience with Buddhism and meditation. Whereas non-Buddhists without meditation showed the typical increase in worldview defense after mortality salience (MS), this effect was not found among non-Buddhists immediately after an initial meditation experience, nor among lay Buddhists who meditated regularly or Buddhist monks with intensive meditation experience. Study 2, a fully randomized experiment, showed that MS increased worldview defense among South Koreans at a meditation training who were assessed before meditating but not among participants assessed after their first meditation experience. Study 3 showed that whereas American students without prior meditation experience showed increased worldview defense and suppression of death-related thoughts after MS, these effects were eliminated immediately after an initial meditation experience. Death thought accessibility mediated the effect of MS on worldview defense without meditation, but meditation eliminated this mediation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Dual-Task Crosstalk between Saccades and Manual Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huestegge, Lynn; Koch, Iring

    2009-01-01

    Between-task crosstalk has been discussed as an important source for dual-task costs. In this study, the authors examine concurrently performed saccades and manual responses as a means of studying the role of response-code conflict between 2 tasks. In Experiment 1, participants responded to an imperative auditory stimulus with a left or a right…