[Results of audiometry screening in adolescent workers].

PubMed

Hartmann, B

1990-11-01

Results of screening audiometry of male youths aged 16 to 25 (n = 3969) in occupations from metallurgy, machine-building industry and traffic are demonstrated. Part of persons they have hearing loss between 5 to 10 percent increases from 2.8% of pupils before starting vocational training to 4.5% or 7.1% of apprentices and 9.7% of skilled workers. The incidence of persons with respective without middle ear inflammation in anamnesis only differ in stages about 20 percent hearing loss. It shows sensitivity of screening audiometry nevertheless there are possibilities of mistakes. Adolescents already may show measurable hearing loss in connection with professional and nonprofessional expositions as well as individual dispositions.

Distribution Characteristics of Air-Bone Gaps – Evidence of Bias in Manual Audiometry

PubMed Central

Margolis, Robert H.; Wilson, Richard H.; Popelka, Gerald R.; Eikelboom, Robert H.; Swanepoel, De Wet; Saly, George L.

2015-01-01

Objective Five databases were mined to examine distributions of air-bone gaps obtained by automated and manual audiometry. Differences in distribution characteristics were examined for evidence of influences unrelated to the audibility of test signals. Design The databases provided air- and bone-conduction thresholds that permitted examination of air-bone gap distributions that were free of ceiling and floor effects. Cases with conductive hearing loss were eliminated based on air-bone gaps, tympanometry, and otoscopy, when available. The analysis is based on 2,378,921 threshold determinations from 721,831 subjects from five databases. Results Automated audiometry produced air-bone gaps that were normally distributed suggesting that air- and bone-conduction thresholds are normally distributed. Manual audiometry produced air-bone gaps that were not normally distributed and show evidence of biasing effects of assumptions of expected results. In one database, the form of the distributions showed evidence of inclusion of conductive hearing losses. Conclusions Thresholds obtained by manual audiometry show tester bias effects from assumptions of the patient’s hearing loss characteristics. Tester bias artificially reduces the variance of bone-conduction thresholds and the resulting air-bone gaps. Because the automated method is free of bias from assumptions of expected results, these distributions are hypothesized to reflect the true variability of air- and bone-conduction thresholds and the resulting air-bone gaps. PMID:26627469

Music students: conventional hearing thresholds and at high frequencies.

PubMed

Lüders, Débora; Gonçalves, Cláudia Giglio de Oliveira; Lacerda, Adriana Bender de Moreira; Ribas, Ângela; Conto, Juliana de

2014-01-01

Research has shown that hearing loss in musicians may cause difficulty in timbre recognition and tuning of instruments. To analyze the hearing thresholds from 250 Hz to 16,000 Hz in a group of music students and compare them to a non-musician group in order to determine whether high-frequency audiometry is a useful tool in the early detection of hearing impairment. Study design was a retrospective observational cohort. Conventional and high-frequency audiometry was performed in 42 music students (Madsen Itera II audiometer and TDH39P headphones for conventional audiometry, and HDA 200 headphones for high-frequency audiometry). Of the 42 students, 38.1% were female students and 61.9% were male students, with a mean age of 26 years. At conventional audiometry, 92.85% had hearing thresholds within normal limits; but even within the normal limits, the worst results were observed in the left ear for all frequencies, except for 4000 Hz; compared to the non-musician group, the worst results occurred at 500 Hz in the left ear, and at 250 Hz, 6000 Hz, 9000 Hz, 10,000 Hz, and 11,200 Hz in both the ears. The periodic evaluation of high-frequency thresholds may be useful in the early detection of hearing loss in musicians. Copyright © 2014 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Behavioural Observation Audiometry with Handicapped Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flexer, Carol; Gans, Donald P.

1982-01-01

Three observers evaluated the responses to sound with 21 mild to severely handicapped children (7 months to 10 years old) on Behavioural Observation Audiometry, an alternative to conditioning paradigms in audiometric assessment. Results showed that inter-observer agreement was high and that responsitivity was not affected by stimulus presentation…

The RetroX auditory implant for high-frequency hearing loss.

PubMed

Garin, P; Genard, F; Galle, C; Jamart, J

2004-07-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the subjective satisfaction and measure the hearing gain provided by the RetroX (Auric GmbH, Rheine, Germany), an auditory implant of the external ear. We conducted a retrospective case review. We conducted this study at a tertiary referral center at a university hospital. We studied 10 adults with high-frequency sensori-neural hearing loss (ski-slope audiogram). The RetroX consists of an electronic unit sited in the postaural sulcus connected to a titanium tube implanted under the auricle between the sulcus and the entrance of the external auditory canal. Implanting requires only minor surgery under local anesthesia. Main outcome measures were a satisfaction questionnaire, pure-tone audiometry in quiet, speech audiometry in quiet, speech audiometry in noise, and azimuth audiometry (hearing threshold in function of sound source location within the horizontal plane at ear level). : Subjectively, all 10 patients are satisfied or even extremely satisfied with the hearing improvement provided by the RetroX. They wear the implant daily, from morning to evening. We observe a statistically significant improvement of pure-tone thresholds at 1, 2, and 4 kHz. In quiet, the speech reception threshold improves by 9 dB. Speech audiometry in noise shows that intelligibility improves by 26% for a signal-to-noise ratio of -5 dB, by 18% for a signal-to-noise ratio of 0 dB, and by 13% for a signal-to-noise ratio of +5 dB. Localization audiometry indicates that the skull masks sound contralateral to the implanted ear. Of the 10 patients, one had acoustic feedback and one presented with a granulomatous reaction to the foreign body that necessitated removing the implant. The RetroX auditory implant is a semi-implantable hearing aid without occlusion of the external auditory canal. It provides a new therapeutic alternative for managing high-frequency hearing loss.

Measuring Sound-Processor Threshold Levels for Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Conditioned Play Audiometry via Telepractice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goehring, Jenny L.; Hughes, Michelle L.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study evaluated the use of telepractice for measuring cochlear implant (CI) behavioral threshold (T) levels in children using conditioned play audiometry (CPA). The goals were to determine whether (a) T levels measured via telepractice were not significantly different from those obtained in person, (b) response probability differed…

Otoacoustic emissions versus audiometry in monitoring hearing loss after long-term noise exposure - a systematic review.

PubMed

Helleman, Hiske W; Eising, Hilde; Limpens, Jacqueline; Dreschler, Wouter A

2018-03-15

Objectives The objective of this systematic review was to compare otoacoustic emissions (OAE) with audiometry in their effectiveness to monitor effects of long-term noise exposure on hearing. Methods We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase and the non-MEDLINE subset of PubMed up to March 2016 to identify longitudinal studies on effects of noise exposure on hearing as determined by both audiometry and OAE. Results This review comprised 13 articles, with 30-350 subjects in the longitudinal analysis. A meta-analysis could not be performed because the studies were very heterogeneous in terms of measurement paradigms, follow-up time, age of included subjects, inclusion of data points, outcome parameters and method of analysis. Overall there seemed to be small changes in both audiometry and OAE over time. Individual shifts were detected by both methods but a congruent pattern could not be observed. Some studies found that initial abnormal or low-level emissions might predict future hearing loss but at the cost of low specificity due to a high number of false positives. Other studies could not find such predictive value. Conclusions The reported heterogeneity in the studies calls for more uniformity in including, reporting and analyzing longitudinal data for audiometry and OAE. For the overall results, both methods showed small changes from baseline towards a deterioration in hearing. OAE could not reliably detect threshold shifts at individual level. With respect to the predictive value of OAE, the evidence was not conclusive and studies were not in agreement. The reported predictors had low specificity.

A Comparison of Video versus Conventional Visual Reinforcement in 7- to 16-Month-Old Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowery, Kristy J.; von Hapsburg, Deborah; Plyler, Erin L.; Johnstone, Patti

2009-01-01

Purpose: To compare response patterns to video visual reinforcement audiometry (VVRA) and conventional visual reinforcement audiometry (CVRA) in infants 7-16 months of age. Method: Fourteen normal-hearing infants aged 7-16 months (8 male, 6 female) participated. A repeated measures design was used. Each infant was tested with VVRA and CVRA over 2…

Sensorineural hearing loss among cerebellopontine-angle tumor patients examined with pure tone audiometry and brainstem-evoked response audiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinindra, A. M.; Zizlavsky, S.; Bashiruddin, J.; Aman, R. A.; Wulani, V.; Bardosono, S.

2017-08-01

Tumor in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) accurs for approximately 5-10% of all intracranial tumors, where unilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are the most frequent symptoms. This study aimed to collect data on sensorineural hearing loss in CPA tumor patients in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (CMH) using pure tone audiometry and brainstem-evoked response audiometry (BERA). It also aimed to obtaine data on CPA-tumor imaging through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This was a descriptive, analytic, and cross-sectional study. The subjects of this study were gathered using a total sampling method from secondary data between July 2012 and November 2016. From 104 patients, 30 matched the inclusion criteria. The CPA-tumor patients in the ENT CMH outpatient clinic were mostly female, middle-aged patients (41-60 years) whose clinical presentation was mostly tinnitus and severe, asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss in 10 subjects. From 30 subjects, 29 showed ipsilaterally impaired BERA results, and 17 subjects showed contralaterally impaired BERA results. There were 24 subjects who with large-sized tumors and 19 subjects who had intracanal tumors that had spread until they were extracanal in 19 subjects.

Contrast sensitivity test and conventional and high frequency audiometry: information beyond that required to prescribe lenses and headsets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comastri, S. A.; Martin, G.; Simon, J. M.; Angarano, C.; Dominguez, S.; Luzzi, F.; Lanusse, M.; Ranieri, M. V.; Boccio, C. M.

2008-04-01

In Optometry and in Audiology, the routine tests to prescribe correction lenses and headsets are respectively the visual acuity test (the first chart with letters was developed by Snellen in 1862) and conventional pure tone audiometry (the first audiometer with electrical current was devised by Hartmann in 1878). At present there are psychophysical non invasive tests that, besides evaluating visual and auditory performance globally and even in cases catalogued as normal according to routine tests, supply early information regarding diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, renal failure, cardiovascular problems, etc. Concerning Optometry, one of these tests is the achromatic luminance contrast sensitivity test (introduced by Schade in 1956). Concerning Audiology, one of these tests is high frequency pure tone audiometry (introduced a few decades ago) which yields information relative to pathologies affecting the basal cochlea and complements data resulting from conventional audiometry. These utilities of the contrast sensitivity test and of pure tone audiometry derive from the facts that Fourier components constitute the basis to synthesize stimuli present at the entrance of the visual and auditory systems; that these systems responses depend on frequencies and that the patient's psychophysical state affects frequency processing. The frequency of interest in the former test is the effective spatial frequency (inverse of the angle subtended at the eye by a cycle of a sinusoidal grating and measured in cycles/degree) and, in the latter, the temporal frequency (measured in cycles/sec). Both tests have similar duration and consist in determining the patient's threshold (corresponding to the inverse multiplicative of the contrast or to the inverse additive of the sound intensity level) for each harmonic stimulus present at the system entrance (sinusoidal grating or pure tone sound). In this article the frequencies, standard normality curves and abnormal threshold shifts inherent to the contrast sensitivity test (which for simplicity could be termed "visionmetry") and to pure tone audiometry (also termed auditory sensitivity test) are analyzed with the purpose of contributing to divulge their ability to supply early information associated to pathologies not solely related to the visual and auditory systems respectively.

Smartphone threshold audiometry in underserved primary health-care contexts.

PubMed

Sandström, Josefin; Swanepoel, De Wet; Carel Myburgh, Hermanus; Laurent, Claude

2016-01-01

To validate a calibrated smartphone-based hearing test in a sound booth environment and in primary health-care clinics. A repeated-measure within-subject study design was employed whereby air-conduction hearing thresholds determined by smartphone-based audiometry was compared to conventional audiometry in a sound booth and a primary health-care clinic environment. A total of 94 subjects (mean age 41 years ± 17.6 SD and range 18-88; 64% female) were assessed of whom 64 were tested in the sound booth and 30 within primary health-care clinics without a booth. In the sound booth 63.4% of conventional and smartphone thresholds indicated normal hearing (≤15 dBHL). Conventional thresholds exceeding 15 dB HL corresponded to smartphone thresholds within ≤10 dB in 80.6% of cases with an average threshold difference of -1.6 dB ± 9.9 SD. In primary health-care clinics 13.7% of conventional and smartphone thresholds indicated normal hearing (≤15 dBHL). Conventional thresholds exceeding 15 dBHL corresponded to smartphone thresholds within ≤10 dB in 92.9% of cases with an average threshold difference of -1.0 dB ± 7.1 SD. Accurate air-conduction audiometry can be conducted in a sound booth and without a sound booth in an underserved community health-care clinic using a smartphone.

Speech-evoked Brainstem Auditory Responses and Auditory Processing Skills: A Correlation in Adults with Hearing Loss

PubMed Central

Sanguebuche, Taissane Rodrigues; Peixe, Bruna Pias; Bruno, Rúbia Soares; Biaggio, Eliara Pinto Vieira; Garcia, Michele Vargas

2018-01-01

Introduction  The auditory system consists of sensory structures and central connections. The evaluation of the auditory pathway at a central level can be performed through behavioral and electrophysiological tests, because they are complementary to each other and provide important information about comprehension. Objective  To correlate the findings of speech brainstem-evoked response audiometry with the behavioral tests Random Gap Detection Test and Masking Level Difference in adults with hearing loss. Methods  All patients were submitted to a basic audiological evaluation, to the aforementioned behavioral tests, and to an electrophysiological assessment, by means of click-evoked and speech-evoked brainstem response audiometry. Results  There were no statistically significant values among the electrophysiological test and the behavioral tests. However, there was a significant correlation between the V and A waves, as well as the D and F waves, of the speech-evoked brainstem response audiometry peaks. Such correlations are positive, indicating that the increase of a variable implies an increase in another and vice versa. Conclusion  It was possible to correlate the findings of the speech-evoked brainstem response audiometry with those of the behavioral tests Random Gap Detection and Masking Level Difference. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between them. This shows that the electrophysiological evaluation does not depend uniquely on the behavioral skills of temporal resolution and selective attention. PMID:29379574

Titanium clip ball joint: a partial ossicular reconstruction prosthesis.

PubMed

Beutner, Dirk; Luers, Jan Christoffer; Bornitz, Matthias; Zahnert, Thomas; Huttenbrink, Karl-Bernd

2011-06-01

To describe a new titanium clip prosthesis for partial ossicular reconstruction with a micro ball joint in the headplate for compensation of tympanic membrane displacements. Laboratory experiments followed by 18 consecutive patients. A micro ball joint was implemented into a headplate of titanium middle ear prosthesis. First, the new prosthesis was tested in the laboratory in temporal bone experiments. Second, the new prosthesis was clinically installed in 18 patients. Results of laser Doppler vibrometry and force measurements in the laboratory experiments, analysis of a questionnaire, and preoperative and postoperative pure tone audiometry. The frictional resistance in the joint was measured to be 12 mN that should allow for adequate mobility under physiologic conditions. The effective sound transmission of the prosthesis was demonstrated by laser Doppler vibrometry. Intraoperatively, the installation of the prosthesis was always straightforward with headplate prosthesis shaft angles between 60 and 90 degrees. Postoperatively, pure tone audiometry revealed satisfying hearing results with a remaining average air-bone gap of 18.2 dB over the frequencies 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 Hz. No signs of prosthesis dislocation were discovered within the follow-up period of approximately 6 months. The experimental data show that the new modified prosthesis headplate fulfills the requirements necessary for sound transmission. The joint allows the plate to follow movements of the tympanic membrane. This characteristic in conjunction with the proven clip design ensure for optimal prosthesis placement and effectiveness.

Going wireless and booth-less for hearing testing in industry.

PubMed

Meinke, Deanna K; Norris, Jesse A; Flynn, Brendan P; Clavier, Odile H

2017-01-01

To assess the test-retest variability of hearing thresholds obtained with an innovative, mobile wireless automated hearing-test system (WAHTS) with enhanced sound attenuation to test industrial workers at a worksite as compared to standardised automated hearing thresholds obtained in a mobile trailer sound booth. A within-subject repeated-measures design was used to compare air-conducted threshold tests (500-8000 Hz) measured with the WAHTS in six workplace locations, and a third test using computer-controlled audiometry obtained in a mobile trailer sound booth. Ambient noise levels were measured in all test environments. Twenty workers served as listeners and 20 workers served as operators. On average, the WAHTS resulted in equivalent thresholds as the mobile trailer audiometry at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 8000 Hz and thresholds were within ±5 dB at 500, 4000 and 6000 Hz. Comparable performance may be obtained with the WAHTS in occupational audiometry and valid thresholds may be obtained in diverse test locations without the use of sound-attenuating enclosures.

Clinical Validity of hearScreen™ Smartphone Hearing Screening for School Children.

PubMed

Mahomed-Asmail, Faheema; Swanepoel, De Wet; Eikelboom, Robert H; Myburgh, Hermanus C; Hall, James

2016-01-01

The study aimed to determine the validity of a smartphone hearing screening technology (hearScreen™) compared with conventional screening audiometry in terms of (1) sensitivity and specificity, (2) referral rate, and (3) test time. One thousand and seventy school-age children in grades 1 to 3 (8 ± 1.1 average years) were recruited from five public schools. Children were screened twice, once using conventional audiometry and once with the smartphone hearing screening. Screening was conducted in a counterbalanced sequence, alternating initial screen between conventional or smartphone hearing screening. No statistically significant difference in performance between techniques was noted, with smartphone screening demonstrating equivalent sensitivity (75.0%) and specificity (98.5%) to conventional screening audiometry. While referral rates were lower with the smartphone screening (3.2 vs. 4.6%), it was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Smartphone screening (hearScreen™) was 12.3% faster than conventional screening. Smartphone hearing screening using the hearScreen™ application is accurate and time efficient.

Revisiting the role of recollection in item versus forced-choice recognition memory.

PubMed

Cook, Gabriel I; Marsh, Richard L; Hicks, Jason L

2005-08-01

Many memory theorists have assumed that forced-choice recognition tests can rely more on familiarity, whereas item (yes-no) tests must rely more on recollection. In actuality, several studies have found no differences in the contributions of recollection and familiarity underlying the two different test formats. Using word frequency to manipulate stimulus characteristics, the present study demonstrated that the contributions of recollection to item versus forced-choice tests is variable. Low word frequency resulted in significantly more recollection in an item test than did a forced-choice procedure, but high word frequency produced the opposite result. These results clearly constrain any uniform claim about the degree to which recollection supports responding in item versus forced-choice tests.

Hearing Tests Based on Biologically Calibrated Mobile Devices: Comparison With Pure-Tone Audiometry

PubMed Central

Grysiński, Tomasz; Kręcicki, Tomasz

2018-01-01

Background Hearing screening tests based on pure-tone audiometry may be conducted on mobile devices, provided that the devices are specially calibrated for the purpose. Calibration consists of determining the reference sound level and can be performed in relation to the hearing threshold of normal-hearing persons. In the case of devices provided by the manufacturer, together with bundled headphones, the reference sound level can be calculated once for all devices of the same model. Objective This study aimed to compare the hearing threshold measured by a mobile device that was calibrated using a model-specific, biologically determined reference sound level with the hearing threshold obtained in pure-tone audiometry. Methods Trial participants were recruited offline using face-to-face prompting from among Otolaryngology Clinic patients, who own Android-based mobile devices with bundled headphones. The hearing threshold was obtained on a mobile device by means of an open access app, Hearing Test, with incorporated model-specific reference sound levels. These reference sound levels were previously determined in uncontrolled conditions in relation to the hearing threshold of normal-hearing persons. An audiologist-assisted self-measurement was conducted by the participants in a sound booth, and it involved determining the lowest audible sound generated by the device within the frequency range of 250 Hz to 8 kHz. The results were compared with pure-tone audiometry. Results A total of 70 subjects, 34 men and 36 women, aged 18-71 years (mean 36, standard deviation [SD] 11) participated in the trial. The hearing threshold obtained on mobile devices was significantly different from the one determined by pure-tone audiometry with a mean difference of 2.6 dB (95% CI 2.0-3.1) and SD of 8.3 dB (95% CI 7.9-8.7). The number of differences not greater than 10 dB reached 89% (95% CI 88-91), whereas the mean absolute difference was obtained at 6.5 dB (95% CI 6.2-6.9). Sensitivity and specificity for a mobile-based screening method were calculated at 98% (95% CI 93-100.0) and 79% (95% CI 71-87), respectively. Conclusions The method of hearing self-test carried out on mobile devices with bundled headphones demonstrates high compatibility with pure-tone audiometry, which confirms its potential application in hearing monitoring, screening tests, or epidemiological examinations on a large scale. PMID:29321124

Hearing Tests Based on Biologically Calibrated Mobile Devices: Comparison With Pure-Tone Audiometry.

PubMed

Masalski, Marcin; Grysiński, Tomasz; Kręcicki, Tomasz

2018-01-10

Hearing screening tests based on pure-tone audiometry may be conducted on mobile devices, provided that the devices are specially calibrated for the purpose. Calibration consists of determining the reference sound level and can be performed in relation to the hearing threshold of normal-hearing persons. In the case of devices provided by the manufacturer, together with bundled headphones, the reference sound level can be calculated once for all devices of the same model. This study aimed to compare the hearing threshold measured by a mobile device that was calibrated using a model-specific, biologically determined reference sound level with the hearing threshold obtained in pure-tone audiometry. Trial participants were recruited offline using face-to-face prompting from among Otolaryngology Clinic patients, who own Android-based mobile devices with bundled headphones. The hearing threshold was obtained on a mobile device by means of an open access app, Hearing Test, with incorporated model-specific reference sound levels. These reference sound levels were previously determined in uncontrolled conditions in relation to the hearing threshold of normal-hearing persons. An audiologist-assisted self-measurement was conducted by the participants in a sound booth, and it involved determining the lowest audible sound generated by the device within the frequency range of 250 Hz to 8 kHz. The results were compared with pure-tone audiometry. A total of 70 subjects, 34 men and 36 women, aged 18-71 years (mean 36, standard deviation [SD] 11) participated in the trial. The hearing threshold obtained on mobile devices was significantly different from the one determined by pure-tone audiometry with a mean difference of 2.6 dB (95% CI 2.0-3.1) and SD of 8.3 dB (95% CI 7.9-8.7). The number of differences not greater than 10 dB reached 89% (95% CI 88-91), whereas the mean absolute difference was obtained at 6.5 dB (95% CI 6.2-6.9). Sensitivity and specificity for a mobile-based screening method were calculated at 98% (95% CI 93-100.0) and 79% (95% CI 71-87), respectively. The method of hearing self-test carried out on mobile devices with bundled headphones demonstrates high compatibility with pure-tone audiometry, which confirms its potential application in hearing monitoring, screening tests, or epidemiological examinations on a large scale. ©Marcin Masalski, Tomasz Grysiński, Tomasz Kręcicki. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 10.01.2018.

The forced-choice paradigm and the perception of facial expressions of emotion.

PubMed

Frank, M G; Stennett, J

2001-01-01

The view that certain facial expressions of emotion are universally agreed on has been challenged by studies showing that the forced-choice paradigm may have artificially forced agreement. This article addressed this methodological criticism by offering participants the opportunity to select a none of these terms are correct option from a list of emotion labels in a modified forced-choice paradigm. The results show that agreement on the emotion label for particular facial expressions is still greater than chance, that artifactual agreement on incorrect emotion labels is obviated, that participants select the none option when asked to judge a novel expression, and that adding 4 more emotion labels does not change the pattern of agreement reported in universality studies. Although the original forced-choice format may have been prone to artifactual agreement, the modified forced-choice format appears to remedy that problem.

The role of word choice and criterion on intentional memory.

PubMed

Toyota, Hiroshi

2015-02-01

The relationship between the criterion for choosing and the self-choice effects (greater recall in a self-choice compared to a forced-choice condition) on intentional memory was examined. Thirty-three female nursing school volunteers were administered 24 word pairs in a 2 × 2 design to assess the influence of motivation upon free recall. When word pairs were presented to participants, they were asked to choose a word to-be-remembered, either in a self-choice condition or a forced-choice condition. Words chosen by the participants were recalled more often than those chosen by the experimenter (forced choice). Thus, the self-choice effect was greater for words chosen with a self-reference criterion compared to a metamemory criterion, supporting the integration hypothesis as the origin of the self-choice effect.

A Forced-Choice Technique to Evaluate Deafness in the Hysterical or Malingering Patient

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pankratz, Loren; And Others

1975-01-01

The two-alternative forced-choice technique, which has been used to examine hysterical blindness, was used to assess purported loss of hearing in a 27-year-old male. The results are discussed in terms of using the forced-choice technique as a strategy for assessing sensory deficits. (Author)

Diagnostic pure-tone audiometry in schools: mobile testing without a sound-treated environment.

PubMed

Swanepoel, De Wet; Maclennan-Smith, Felicity; Hall, James W

2013-01-01

To validate diagnostic pure-tone audiometry in schools without a sound-treated environment using an audiometer that incorporates insert earphones covered by circumaural earcups and real-time environmental noise monitoring. A within-subject repeated measures design was employed to compare air (250 to 8000 Hz) and bone (250 to 4000 Hz) conduction pure-tone thresholds measured in natural school environments with thresholds measured in a sound-treated booth. 149 children (54% female) with an average age of 6.9 yr (SD = 0.6; range = 5-8). Average difference between the booth and natural environment thresholds was 0.0 dB (SD = 3.6) for air conduction and 0.1 dB (SD = 3.1) for bone conduction. Average absolute difference between the booth and natural environment was 2.1 dB (SD = 2.9) for air conduction and 1.6 dB (SD = 2.7) for bone conduction. Almost all air- (96%) and bone-conduction (97%) threshold comparisons between the natural and booth test environments were within 0 to 5 dB. No statistically significant differences between thresholds recorded in the natural and booth environments for air- and bone-conduction audiometry were found (p > 0.01). Diagnostic air- and bone-conduction audiometry in schools, without a sound-treated room, is possible with sufficient earphone attenuation and real-time monitoring of environmental noise. Audiological diagnosis on-site for school screening may address concerns of false-positive referrals and poor follow-up compliance and allow for direct referral to audiological and/or medical intervention. American Academy of Audiology.

Screening protocols for the prevention of occupational noise-induced hearing loss: the role of conventional and extended high frequency audiometry may vary according to the years of employment.

PubMed

Riga, Maria; Korres, George; Balatsouras, Dimitrios; Korres, Stavros

2010-07-01

Although occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has become a major problem in industrialized societies, there is a notable lack of effective screening protocols to ensure its early diagnosis. The aim of this study was to detect a potential role of extended high frequency (EHF) audiometry in industrial hearing screening protocols. The population consisted of 151 persons, working for 8 hours daily in a noisy environment (90-110 dBA). The changes of hearing thresholds in industrial workers were analyzed, not only with respect to their age, as has been presented by previous studies, but also with respect to the duration of their previous employment. During the first 10 years of employment, the frequencies 12500, 14000 and 16000Hz were the only ones significantly affected. For the second decade of employment, thresholds were significantly elevated only at 2000 and 4000Hz. After exceeding 20 years of employment, the affected frequencies were 250, 500 and 1000Hz. The effects of age on hearing acuity were significant at all frequencies for the first 2 groups. EHF audiometry seems able to identify the first signs of NIHL, much earlier than conventional audiometry, and therefore may need to be implemented in the screening examinations especially of workers with less than 1 decade of employment. Hearing screening protocols could become more efficient by adjusting their frequency ranges according to the frequencies "at risk", which correspond to the duration of the workers' previous employment.

Audiologic and subjective evaluation of Baha® Attract device.

PubMed

Pérez-Carbonell, Tomàs; Pla-Gil, Ignacio; Redondo-Martínez, Jaume; Morant-Ventura, Antonio; García-Callejo, Francisco Javier; Marco-Algarra, Jaime

We included 9 patients implanted with Baha ® Attract. All our patients were evaluated by free field tonal audiometry, free field verbal audiometry and free field verbal audiometry with background noise, all the tests were performed with and without the device. To evaluate the subjective component of the implantation, we used the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB). The auditive assessment with the device showed average auditive thresholds of 35.8dB with improvements of 25.8dB over the previous situation. Speech reception thresholds were 37dB with Baha ® Attract, showing improvements of 23dB. Maximum discrimination thresholds showed an average gain of 60dB with the device. Baha ® Attract achieves auditive improvements in patients for whom it is correctly indicated, with a consequent positive subjective evaluation. This study shows the attenuation effect in transcutaneous transmission, that prevents the device achieving greater improvements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

Outcome measures in stapes surgery: postoperative results are independent from preoperative parameters.

PubMed

Koopmann, Mario; Weiss, Daniel; Savvas, Eleftherios; Rudack, Claudia; Stenner, Markus

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare audiometric results before and after stapes surgery and identify potential prognostic factors to appropriately select patients with otosclerosis who will most likely benefit from surgery. We enrolled 126 patients with otosclerosis (162 consecutive ears) in our study who underwent stapes surgery between 2007 and 2012 at our institution. Preoperative and postoperative data including pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, stapedial reflex audiometry and surgical data were analyzed. The average preoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was 28.9 ± 8.6 dB. Male patients and patients older than 45 years of age had greater preoperative ABGs in comparison to females and younger patients. Postoperative ABGs were 11.2 ± 7.4 dB. The average ABG gain was 17.7 ± 11.1 dB. Preoperative audiometric data, age, gender and type of surgery did not influence the postoperative results. Stapes surgery offers predictable results independent from disease progression or patient-related factors. While absolute values of hearing improvement are instrumental in reflecting audiometric results of a cohort, relative values better reflect individual's audiometric data resembling the patient's benefit.

Active middle ear implant after lateral petrosectomy and radiotherapy for ear cancer.

PubMed

Cristalli, Giovanni; Sprinzl, Georg M; Wolf-Magele, Astrid; Marchesi, Paolo; Mercante, Giuseppe; Spriano, Giuseppe

2014-04-01

Tumor of the temporal bone is a rare disease with a very poor prognosis. Surgery and postoperative radiotherapy are usually the recommended treatments for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the external and middle ear, which may cause conductive hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the audiologic results and compliance of active middle ear implant (AMEI) and establish the feasibility of the procedure in a patient treated for middle ear cancer. A 73-year-old patient treated with lateral petrosectomy, neck dissection, reconstruction/obliteration by pedicled pectoralis major myocutaneous flap, and postoperative full dose radiotherapy for external and middle ear SCC was selected for AMEI. Preoperative audiometric and speech audiometry tests were performed on both ears before and after the activation. Pure tone free field audiometry. Binaural free field speech audiogram. Aided pure tone free field audiometry AMEI results show an increase in air conduction. Speech audiogram showed better discrimination scores in AMEI-aided situations. No complications were observed. AMEI after surgery followed by radiotherapy for middle ear cancer is feasible. Acoustic results in obliterated ear are satisfactory.

[Health surveillance in a steel making industry with electric arc furnace: 15 years of experience].

PubMed

Corti, P

2012-01-01

This paper analyzes the results of health surveillance carried out in an electric steel mill for 15 years. We have analyzed the trend of audiometry, spirometry and main indicators of exposure to chemical risk: serum lead, urinary OH-pyrene, erythrocyte ZPP, and the results of risk assessment of stress work related. The analyses of the trend of audiometry, spirometry and biological monitoring shows an important improving in the working environment due to the progressive automation of production steps in the course of several years, consistent and correct use of DPI, information and training.

Ontogenetic investigation of underwater hearing capabilities in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) using a dual testing approach.

PubMed

Lavender, Ashley L; Bartol, Soraya M; Bartol, Ian K

2014-07-15

Sea turtles reside in different acoustic environments with each life history stage and may have different hearing capacity throughout ontogeny. For this study, two independent yet complementary techniques for hearing assessment, i.e. behavioral and electrophysiological audiometry, were employed to (1) measure hearing in post-hatchling and juvenile loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta (19-62 cm straight carapace length) to determine whether these migratory turtles exhibit an ontogenetic shift in underwater auditory detection and (2) evaluate whether hearing frequency range and threshold sensitivity are consistent in behavioral and electrophysiological tests. Behavioral trials first required training turtles to respond to known frequencies, a multi-stage, time-intensive process, and then recording their behavior when they were presented with sound stimuli from an underwater speaker using a two-response forced-choice paradigm. Electrophysiological experiments involved submerging restrained, fully conscious turtles just below the air-water interface and recording auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) when sound stimuli were presented using an underwater speaker. No significant differences in behavior-derived auditory thresholds or AEP-derived auditory thresholds were detected between post-hatchling and juvenile sea turtles. While hearing frequency range (50-1000/1100 Hz) and highest sensitivity (100-400 Hz) were consistent in audiograms pooled by size class for both behavior and AEP experiments, both post-hatchlings and juveniles had significantly higher AEP-derived than behavior-derived auditory thresholds, indicating that behavioral assessment is a more sensitive testing approach. The results from this study suggest that post-hatchling and juvenile loggerhead sea turtles are low-frequency specialists, exhibiting little differences in threshold sensitivity and frequency bandwidth despite residence in acoustically distinct environments throughout ontogeny. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

[Effects on hearing due to the occupational noise exposure of marble industry workers in the Federal District, Brazil].

PubMed

Harger, Marília Rabelo Holanda Camarano; Barbosa-Branco, Anadergh

2004-01-01

To evaluate the prevalence of hearing loss, its degree and type, among workers in the marble industry in the Brazilian Federal District (FD). Workers from eight marble industries in the FD were evaluated by means of a cross sectional epidemiological study. An audiometry screening test (air conduction) was performed. Workers with hearing loss were submitted to liminal tonal audiometry air & bone conduction and speech audiometry tests using an audiometer AD-28 (Interacoustics). All subjects studied were submitted to a visual inspection of the external acoustic meatus. One hundred and fifty two workers were examined; mean age was 32 years (SD = 8.6); average occupational noise exposure was of 8.3 years (SD = 6.8). Audiometries demonstrated that 48.0% (n = 73) had some type of hearing loss. Among the workers with hearing loss, 50.0% had results compatible with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL); 41.0% with incipient noise induced hearing loss, 5.0% with sensorineural hearing loss (all except NIHL) and 4.0% with conductive and mixed hearing losses. Among workers with NIHL, 57.1% had bilateral involvement, 17.1% in the right ear and 25.7% in the left ear. Among those with incipient NIHL, 13.9% were bilateral, 19.4% were only in the right ear and 66.7% were only in the left ear. Abnormal audiograms were found in 48.0% of the sample. Among those with hearing loss, the predominant cause was NIHL, followed by those classified as having incipient noise induced hearing loss. Hearing loss usually started at 6 kHz, frequently in the left ear.

The value of ASSR threshold-based bilateral hearing aid fitting in children with difficult or unreliable behavioral audiometry.

PubMed

Vlastarakos, Petros V; Vasileiou, Alexandra; Nikolopoulos, Thomas P

2017-12-01

We conducted an analysis to assess the relative contribution of auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing and auditory steady-state response (ASSR) testing in providing appropriate hearing aid fitting in hearing-impaired children with difficult or unreliable behavioral audiometry. Of 150 infants and children who had been referred to us for hearing assessment as part of a neonatal hearing screening and cochlear implantation program, we identified 5 who exhibited significant discrepancies between click-ABR and ASSR testing results and difficult or unreliable behavioral audiometry. Hearing aid fitting in pediatric cochlear implant candidates for a trial period of 3 to 6 months is a common practice in many implant programs, but monitoring the progress of the amplified infants and providing appropriate hearing aid fitting can be challenging. If we accept the premise that we can assess the linguistic progress of amplified infants with an acceptable degree of certainty, the auditory behavior that we are monitoring presupposes appropriate bilateral hearing aid fitting. This may become very challenging in young children, or even in older children with difficult or unreliable behavioral audiometry results. This challenge can be addressed by using data from both ABR and ASSR testing. Fitting attempts that employ data from only ABR testing provide amplification that involves the range of spoken language but is not frequency-specific. Hearing aid fitting should also incorporate and take into account ASSR data because reliance on ABR testing alone might compromise the validity of the monitoring process. In conclusion, we believe that ASSR threshold-based bilateral hearing aid fitting is necessary to provide frequency-specific amplification of hearing and appropriate propulsion in the prelinguistic vocalizations of monitored infants.

Self-administered hearing loss screening using an interactive, tablet play audiometer with ear bud headphones.

PubMed

Yeung, Jeffrey C; Heley, Sophie; Beauregard, Yves; Champagne, Sandra; Bromwich, Matthew A

2015-08-01

The timely diagnosis and treatment of acquired hearing loss in the pediatric population has significant implications for a child's development. Audiological assessment in children, however, carries both technological and logistical challenges. Typically, specialized methods (such as play audiometry) are required to maintain the child's attention and can be resource intensive. These challenges were previously addressed by a novel, calibrated, interactive play audiometer for Apple(®) iOS(®) called "ShoeBOX Audiometry". This device has potential applications for deployment in environments where traditional clinical audiometry is either unavailable or impractical. The objective of this study was to assess the screening capability of the tablet audiometer in an uncontrolled environment using consumer ear-bud headphones. Consecutive patients presenting to the Audiology Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (ages 4 and older) were recruited. Participants' hearing was evaluted using the tablet audiometer calibrated to Apple(®) In-Ear headphones. The warble tone thresholds obtained were compared to gold standard measurements taken with a traditional clinical audiometer inside a soundbooth. 80 patients were enrolled. The majority of participants were capable of completing an audiologic assessment using the tablet computer. Due to ambient noise levels outside a soundbooth, thresholds obtained at 500Hz were not consistent with traditional audiometry. Excluding 500Hz threholds, the tablet audiometer demonstrated strong negative predictive value (89.7%) as well as strong sensitivity (91.2%) for hearing loss. Thresholds obtained in an uncontrolled setting are not reflective of diagnostic thresholds due to the uncalibrated nature of the headphones and variability of the setting without a booth. Nevertheless, the tablet audiometer proved to be both a valid and sensitive instrument for unsupervised screening of warble-tone thresholds in children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-test web-based pure-tone audiometry: validity evaluation and measurement error analysis.

PubMed

Masalski, Marcin; Kręcicki, Tomasz

2013-04-12

Potential methods of application of self-administered Web-based pure-tone audiometry conducted at home on a PC with a sound card and ordinary headphones depend on the value of measurement error in such tests. The aim of this research was to determine the measurement error of the hearing threshold determined in the way described above and to identify and analyze factors influencing its value. The evaluation of the hearing threshold was made in three series: (1) tests on a clinical audiometer, (2) self-tests done on a specially calibrated computer under the supervision of an audiologist, and (3) self-tests conducted at home. The research was carried out on the group of 51 participants selected from patients of an audiology outpatient clinic. From the group of 51 patients examined in the first two series, the third series was self-administered at home by 37 subjects (73%). The average difference between the value of the hearing threshold determined in series 1 and in series 2 was -1.54dB with standard deviation of 7.88dB and a Pearson correlation coefficient of .90. Between the first and third series, these values were -1.35dB±10.66dB and .84, respectively. In series 3, the standard deviation was most influenced by the error connected with the procedure of hearing threshold identification (6.64dB), calibration error (6.19dB), and additionally at the frequency of 250Hz by frequency nonlinearity error (7.28dB). The obtained results confirm the possibility of applying Web-based pure-tone audiometry in screening tests. In the future, modifications of the method leading to the decrease in measurement error can broaden the scope of Web-based pure-tone audiometry application.

The role of unconscious memory errors in judgments of confidence for sentence recognition.

PubMed

Sampaio, Cristina; Brewer, William F

2009-03-01

The present experiment tested the hypothesis that unconscious reconstructive memory processing can lead to the breakdown of the relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy. Participants heard deceptive schema-inference sentences and nondeceptive sentences and were tested with either simple or forced-choice recognition. The nondeceptive items showed a positive relation between confidence and accuracy in both simple and forced-choice recognition. However, the deceptive items showed a strong negative confidence/accuracy relationship in simple recognition and a low positive relationship in forced choice. The mean levels of confidence for erroneous responses for deceptive items were inappropriately high in simple recognition but lower in forced choice. These results suggest that unconscious reconstructive memory processes involved in memory for the deceptive schema-inference items led to inaccurate confidence judgments and that, when participants were made aware of the deceptive nature of the schema-inference items through the use of a forced-choice procedure, they adjusted their confidence accordingly.

Pure-tone Audiometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapul, A. A.; Zubova, E. I.; Torgaev, S. N.; Drobchik, V. V.

2017-08-01

The research focuses on a pure-tone audiometer designing. The relevance of the study is proved by high incidence of an auditory analyser in older people and children. At first, the article provides information about subjective and objective audiometry methods. Secondly, we offer block-diagram and basic-circuit arrangement of device. We decided to base on STM32F407VG microcontroller and use digital pot in the function of attenuator. Third, we implemented microcontroller and PC connection. C programming language is used for microcontroller’s program and PC’s interface. Fourthly, we created the pure-tone audiometer prototype. In the future, we will implement the objective method ASSR in addition to pure-tone audiometry.

Brain stem evoked response audiometry of former drug users.

PubMed

Weich, Tainara Milbradt; Tochetto, Tania Maria; Seligman, Lilian

2012-10-01

Illicit drugs are known for their deleterious effects upon the central nervous system and more specifically for how they adversely affect hearing. This study aims to analyze and compare the hearing complaints and the results of brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) of former drug user support group goers. This is a cross-sectional non-experimental descriptive quantitative study. The sample consisted of 17 subjects divided by their preferred drug of use. Ten individuals were placed in the marijuana group (G1) and seven in the crack/cocaine group (G2). The subjects were further divided based on how long they had been using drugs: 1 to 5 years, 6 to 10 years, and over 15 years. They were interviewed, and assessed by pure tone audiometry, acoustic impedance tests, and BERA. No statistically significant differences were found between G1 and G2 or time of drug use in absolute latencies and interpeak intervals. However, only five of the 17 individuals had BERA results with adequate results for their ages. Marijuana and crack/cocaine may cause diffuse disorders in the brainstem and compromise the transmission of auditory stimuli regardless of how long these substances are used for.

Development and evaluation of an audiology app for iPhone/iPad mobile devices.

PubMed

Larrosa, Francisco; Rama-Lopez, Julio; Benitez, Jesus; Morales, Jose M; Martinez, Asuncion; Alañon, Miguel A; Arancibia-Tagle, Diego; Batuecas-Caletrio, Angel; Martinez-Lopez, Marta; Perez-Fernandez, Nicolas; Gimeno, Carlos; Ispizua, Angel; Urrutikoetxea, Alberto; Rey-Martinez, Jorge

2015-01-01

The application described in this study appears to be accurate and valid, thus allowing calculation of a hearing handicap and assessment of the pure-tone air conduction threshold with iPhone/iPad devices. To develop and evaluate a newly developed professional, computer-based hearing handicap calculator and a manual hearing sensitivity assessment test for the iPhone and iPad (AudCal). Multi-center prospective non-randomized validation study. One hundred and ten consecutive adult participants underwent two hearing evaluations, a standard audiometry and a pure-tone air conduction test using AudCal with an iOS device. The hearing handicap calculation accuracy was evaluated comparing AudCal vs a web-based calculator. Hearing loss was found in 83 and 84 out of 220 standard audiometries and AudCal hearing tests (Cohen's Kappa = 0.89). The mean difference between AudCal and standard audiogram thresholds was -0.21 ± 6.38 dB HL. Excellent reliability and concordance between standard audiometry and the application's hearing loss assessment test were obtained (Cronbach's alpha = 0.96; intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.93). AudCal vs a web-based calculator were perfectly correlated (Pearson's r = 1).

Effect of sleep deficit, knowledge of results, and stimulus quality on reaction time and response force.

PubMed

Jaśkowski, P; Włodarczyk, D

1997-04-01

Some recent findings suggested that response force measured during reaction time experiments might reflect changes in activation. We performed an experiment in which the effect of sleep deprivation, knowledge of results, and stimulus quality on response force was studied in simple and choice reaction tasks. As expected, both simple and choice reaction times increased with sleep deficit. Further, simple and choice reactions were faster with knowledge of results and slowed down when stimulus quality was degraded. As sleep deprivation affects both arousal and activation, we expected a detrimental effect of sleep on force amplitude. On the other hand, knowledge of results was expected to increase force by its compensatory effect on arousal and activation. No effect of sleep deprivation on response force was found. Knowledge of results increased response force independently of sleep deprivation.

Effects of Experience on Preference between Forced and Free Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ono, Koichi

2004-01-01

Preference between forced choice and free choice in concurrent-chain schedules of reinforcement was investigated in pigeons after exposure to particular combinations of terminal links. In Experiment 1, in which terminal links always ended with reinforcers, one of three pairs of terminal links was arranged as preexposure: (a) both terminal links…

Long-term hearing outcomes after recurrent acute otitis media during early childhood.

PubMed

Krakau, Mattias; Dagöö, Britta Rynnel; Hellström, Sten; Granath, Anna

2017-12-01

To survey long-term hearing outcomes and middle ear pathology in a 30-year follow-up in individuals with onset of recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) before three years of age. 28 adults, aged 30.1-31.8 years, who originally - at the age of 12-32 months - participated in a study on rAOM between 1979 and 1983, were re-examined regarding self-reported ear problems, current tympanic membrane changes and audiology. Thirteen subjects had suffered from rAOM during early childhood and 15 subjects served as a control group. Recurrent acute otitis media subjects reported hearing problems comparable to those of the controls. Pure tone audiometry, at 125-8000 Hz, did not differ between groups. The rAOM group had a trend for impaired high-frequency (9000-14,000 Hz) threshold levels (9000-14,000 Hz); implying that their cochlear function seemed to have deteriorated. Adults, who suffered from recurrent acute otitis media as infants, did not show any clinically significant hearing loss for pure tone audiometry when compared to controls, but there was a trend for impaired results regarding extended high frequency audiometry (9-14 kHz). Children suffering from rAOM will be at low risk of developing hearing loss and severe middle ear disease.

Evaluation of Two Circumaural Earphones for Audiometry.

PubMed

Smull, Clae C; Madsen, Brandon; Margolis, Robert H

2018-05-08

The Sennheiser HDA 200 earphone, a standard circumaural earphone used in audiometry for many years, is out of production and is replaced by the RadioEar DD450. The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro earphone is a consumer product that has characteristics that may be suitable for audiometry and may be a low-cost alternative to the DD450. The DD450 and HD 280 Pro earphones were compared with the HDA 200 for use in audiometry. RadioEar DD450 and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro earphones were evaluated for reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels (RETSPLs), ambient-noise attenuation, and occlusion effects. Audiometric thresholds measured on a group of normal-hearing adults were used to determine RETSPLs. Ambient-noise attenuation was determined by measuring the sound pressure in the ear canal produced by a broadband signal from a loudspeaker with and without occlusion by the earphone. Acoustic occlusion effects were determined by measuring the ear-canal sound pressure produced by a bone-conducted source with and without occlusion by the earphone. The results were compared with measurements obtained from the HDA 200 earphone. Audiometric thresholds obtained using the DD450 earphone did not differ from those obtained with the HDA 200 earphones, indicating that the HDA 200 RETSPLs provided in the audiometer standards (ANSI S3.6-2010; ISO 389-8-2004) are transferable to the DD450. New RETSPLs for the HD 280 Pro earphone were determined from the threshold measurements. Ambient-noise attenuation provided by the DD450 was equivalent to the attenuation provided by the HDA 200. The HD 280 Pro provided less ambient-noise attenuation than the other circumaural earphones, but more than the supra-aural earphones commonly used in audiometry. The DD450 produced an occlusion effect 5 dB larger than that of the HDA 200 at 0.25 and 0.5 kHz; both earphones produced negligible occlusion effects at higher frequencies. The HD 280 Pro produced larger occlusion effects in the low frequencies than the other two earphones, with negligible occlusion effects at 1.0 kHz and above. The HDA 200 RETSPLs are transferable to the DD450. Ambient-noise attenuation and occlusion effects are similar for these two earphones. RETSPLs for the HD 280 Pro are provided. The HD 280 Pro has less ambient-noise attenuation and larger occlusion effects than the DD450 but is a viable low-cost alternative.

Can neural activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex predict responsiveness to information? An application to egg production systems and campaign advertising.

PubMed

McFadden, Brandon R; Lusk, Jayson L; Crespi, John M; Cherry, J Bradley C; Martin, Laura E; Aupperle, Robin L; Bruce, Amanda S

2015-01-01

Consumers prefer to pay low prices and increase animal welfare; however consumers are typically forced to make tradeoffs between price and animal welfare. Campaign advertising (i.e., advertising used during the 2008 vote on Proposition 2 in California) may affect how consumers make tradeoffs between price and animal welfare. Neuroimaging data was used to determine the effects of brain activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) on choices making a tradeoff between price and animal welfare and responsiveness to campaign advertising. Results indicated that activation in the dlPFC was greater when making choices that forced a tradeoff between price and animal welfare, compared to choices that varied only by price or animal welfare. Furthermore, greater activation differences in right dlPFC between choices that forced a tradeoff and choices that did not, indicated greater responsiveness to campaign advertising.

Can Neural Activation in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Predict Responsiveness to Information? An Application to Egg Production Systems and Campaign Advertising

PubMed Central

McFadden, Brandon R.; Lusk, Jayson L.; Crespi, John M.; Cherry, J. Bradley C.; Martin, Laura E.; Aupperle, Robin L.; Bruce, Amanda S.

2015-01-01

Consumers prefer to pay low prices and increase animal welfare; however consumers are typically forced to make tradeoffs between price and animal welfare. Campaign advertising (i.e., advertising used during the 2008 vote on Proposition 2 in California) may affect how consumers make tradeoffs between price and animal welfare. Neuroimaging data was used to determine the effects of brain activation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) on choices making a tradeoff between price and animal welfare and responsiveness to campaign advertising. Results indicated that activation in the dlPFC was greater when making choices that forced a tradeoff between price and animal welfare, compared to choices that varied only by price or animal welfare. Furthermore, greater activation differences in right dlPFC between choices that forced a tradeoff and choices that did not, indicated greater responsiveness to campaign advertising. PMID:26018592

[Study of the hearing of rock and roll musicians].

PubMed

Maia, Juliana Rollo Fernandes; Russo, Ieda Chaves Pacheco

2008-01-01

rock and roll has as one of its main characteristics the excessive sound pressure levels. Several studies have demonstrated that the sound levels of rock concerts can range from 100 to 115dB (A), with peak levels of 150dB (A). to study the hearing of rock and roll musicians, analyzing the results of the audiological evaluation and verifying the influence of time of exposure to amplified music. a questionnaire was answered by 23 rock and roll musicians (46 ears) who were also evaluated by means of pure tone audiometry, immitance audiometry and transient/distortion product evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAET and OAEPD). regarding the time of exposure to music, values close to the limit of acceptance (tending to be significants) were found in the frequencies of 0.5 and 6kHz, in the pure tone audiometry. A statistically significant difference was also found in the OAET test in the frequency of 2kHz and also in the frequencies of 0.75, 1, 4 and 6kHz in the OAEPD test. the results indicate that although hearing loss was not found in the studied population, alteration in the register of the OAE already exists, suggesting alteration of the cochlear function. Regarding time of exposure, the results indicate that musicians with more than 10 years of practice present statistically significant differences when compared to those with less time of exposure.

Congenital Stapes Ankylosis in Children: Surgical Findings and Results in 35 Cases.

PubMed

Vincent, Robert; Wegner, Inge; Kamalski, Digna M A; Bittermann, Arnold J N; Grolman, Wilko

2016-04-01

To evaluate surgical findings and hearing results in children undergoing middle ear surgery for congenital stapes ankylosis with or without other ossicular malformations (Teunissen and Cremers class I and class II malformations). A nonrandomized, nonblinded case series of prospectively collected data. A tertiary referral center. Twenty-eight consecutive pediatric patients who underwent 35 surgical procedures for congenital stapes ankylosis with or without other ossicular malformations and had available postoperative pure-tone audiometry. Primary stapedotomy with vein graft interposition and reconstruction with a Teflon piston, bucket handle prosthesis or total ossicular replacement prosthesis. Pre- and postoperative audiometric evaluation using four-frequency (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) audiometry. Air-conduction thresholds, bone-conduction thresholds, and air-bone gaps (ABGs) were measured. Postoperative audiometry was performed at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery and at a yearly interval thereafter. Overall, a postoperative ABG closure of 10 dB or less was achieved in 73% of class I cases and in 50% of class II cases. A postoperative ABG closure of 20 dB or less was achieved in 77% of class I cases and 67% of class II cases. Postoperative sensorineural hearing loss occurred in one class I case (4%) and none of the class II cases. Stapedotomy is a safe and feasible treatment option in children with congenital stapes ankylosis.

Audiological manifestations in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy lactic acidosis and stroke like episodes (MELAS) syndrome.

PubMed

Vandana, V P; Bindu, Parayil Sankaran; Sonam, Kothari; Govindaraj, Periyasamy; Taly, Arun B; Gayathri, Narayanappa; Chiplunkar, Shwetha; Govindaraju, Chikkanna; Arvinda, H R; Nagappa, Madhu; Sinha, Sanjib; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy

2016-09-01

Reports of audiological manifestations in specific subgroups of mitochondrial disorders are limited. This study aims to describe the audiological findings in patients with MELAS syndrome and m.3243A>G mutation. Audiological evaluation was carried out in eight patients with confirmed MELAS syndrome and m.3243A>G mutation. The evaluation included a complete neurological evaluation, pure tone audiometry (n=8), otoacoustic emissions (n=8) and brainstem evoked response audiometry (n=6), magnetic resonance imaging (n=8) and muscle biospy (n=6). Eight patients (Age range: 5-45 years; M:F-1:3) including six children and two adults underwent formal audiological evaluation. Five patients had hearing loss; of these two had "subclinical hearing loss", one had moderate and two had severe hearing loss. The abnormalities included abnormal audiometry (n=5), otoacoustic emission testing (n=7) and absent brainstem auditory evoked responses (n=1). The findings were suggestive of cochlear involvement in four and retrocochlear in one. This study shows that hearing loss of both cochlear and retrocochlear origin occurs in patients with MELAS and may be subclinical. Early referrals for audiological evaluation is warranted to recognize the subclinical hearing loss in these patients. The therapeutic implications include early interventions in the form of hearing aids, cochlear implants and cautioning the physicians for avoidance of aminoglycosides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pure-tone audiometry outside a sound booth using earphone attentuation, integrated noise monitoring, and automation.

PubMed

Swanepoel, De Wet; Matthysen, Cornelia; Eikelboom, Robert H; Clark, Jackie L; Hall, James W

2015-01-01

Accessibility of audiometry is hindered by the cost of sound booths and shortage of hearing health personnel. This study investigated the validity of an automated mobile diagnostic audiometer with increased attenuation and real-time noise monitoring for clinical testing outside a sound booth. Attenuation characteristics and reference ambient noise levels for the computer-based audiometer (KUDUwave) was evaluated alongside the validity of environmental noise monitoring. Clinical validity was determined by comparing air- and bone-conduction thresholds obtained inside and outside the sound booth (23 subjects). Twenty-three normal-hearing subjects (age range, 20-75 years; average age 35.5) and a sub group of 11 subjects to establish test-retest reliability. Improved passive attenuation and valid environmental noise monitoring was demonstrated. Clinically, air-conduction thresholds inside and outside the sound booth, corresponded within 5 dB or less > 90% of instances (mean absolute difference 3.3 ± 3.2 SD). Bone conduction thresholds corresponded within 5 dB or less in 80% of comparisons between test environments, with a mean absolute difference of 4.6 dB (3.7 SD). Threshold differences were not statistically significant. Mean absolute test-retest differences outside the sound booth was similar to those in the booth. Diagnostic pure-tone audiometry outside a sound booth, using automated testing, improved passive attenuation, and real-time environmental noise monitoring demonstrated reliable hearing assessments.

Prevalence of tinnitus in workers exposed to noise and organophosphates

PubMed Central

Delecrode, Camila Ribas; de Freitas, Thais Domingues; Frizzo, Ana Claúdia Figueiredo; Cardoso, Ana Claúdia Vieira

2012-01-01

Summary Introduction: Research on the workplace has emphasized the effects of noise exposure on workers' hearing, but has not considered the effects of agrochemicals. Aim: To evaluate and correlate the hearing level and tinnitus of workers exposed simultaneously to noise and organophosphates in their workplace and to measure tinnitus distress on their quality of life. Method: A retrospective clinical study. We evaluated 82 organophosphate sprinklers from the São Paulo State Regional Superintendence who were active in the fight against dengue and who were exposed to noise and organophosphates. We performed pure tone audiometry and applied the translated THI (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory) questionnaire. Results: Of the sample, 28.05% reported current tinnitus or had presented tinnitus, and the workers with tinnitus had an increased incidence of abnormal audiometry. The average hearing threshold for the 4–8-kHz frequency range of the workers with current tinnitus was higher than that of the others, and was most affected at the 4-kHz frequency. The THI score ranged 0–84, with an average score of 13.1. Twelve (52.17%) workers had THI scores consistent with discrete handicap. Conclusion: There is an increased incidence of abnormal pure tone audiometry in workers with tinnitus, and its impact on the workers' quality of life was discrete. The correlation between average hearing threshold and tinnitus distress was weak. PMID:25991953

Auditory-steady-state response reliability in the audiological diagnosis after neonatal hearing screening.

PubMed

Núñez-Batalla, Faustino; Noriega-Iglesias, Sabel; Guntín-García, Maite; Carro-Fernández, Pilar; Llorente-Pendás, José Luis

2016-01-01

Conventional audiometry is the gold standard for quantifying and describing hearing loss. Alternative methods become necessary to assess subjects who are too young to respond reliably. Auditory evoked potentials constitute the most widely used method for determining hearing thresholds objectively; however, this stimulus is not frequency specific. The advent of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) leads to more specific threshold determination. The current study describes and compares ASSR, auditory brainstem response (ABR) and conventional behavioural tone audiometry thresholds in a group of infants with various degrees of hearing loss. A comparison was made between ASSR, ABR and behavioural hearing thresholds in 35 infants detected in the neonatal hearing screening program. Mean difference scores (±SD) between ABR and high frequency ABR thresholds were 11.2 dB (±13) and 10.2 dB (±11). Pearson correlations between the ASSR and audiometry thresholds were 0.80 and 0.91 (500Hz); 0.84 and 0.82 (1000Hz); 0.85 and 0.84 (2000Hz); and 0.83 and 0.82 (4000Hz). The ASSR technique is a valuable extension of the clinical test battery for hearing-impaired children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

Item Response Modeling of Forced-Choice Questionnaires

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Anna; Maydeu-Olivares, Alberto

2011-01-01

Multidimensional forced-choice formats can significantly reduce the impact of numerous response biases typically associated with rating scales. However, if scored with classical methodology, these questionnaires produce ipsative data, which lead to distorted scale relationships and make comparisons between individuals problematic. This research…

Audiometry

MedlinePlus

... any cause. Common causes of hearing loss include: Acoustic trauma Chronic ear infections Diseases of the inner ... hearing. The following conditions may affect test results: Acoustic neuroma Acoustic trauma Age-related hearing loss Alport ...

Strategic Choice: United States Special Forces’ Comparative Advantage in Irregular Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

UNITED STATES SPECIAL FORCES’ COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE IN IRREGULAR WARFARE by Steven F. Payne March 2017 Thesis Advisor: Hy S. Rothstein...REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE STRATEGIC CHOICE: UNITED STATES SPECIAL FORCES’ COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE IN...methodology, this thesis concludes that U.S. Army Special Forces have a comparative advantage over conventional forces to provide the National Command

One-year audiologic monitoring of individuals exposed to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

PubMed

Van Campen, L E; Dennis, J M; Hanlin, R C; King, S B; Velderman, A M

1999-05-01

This longitudinal study evaluated subjective, behavioral, and objective auditory function in 83 explosion survivors. Subjects were evaluated quarterly for 1 year with conventional pure-tone and extended high-frequencies audiometry, otoscopic inspections, immittance and speech audiometry, and questionnaires. There was no obvious relationship between subject location and symptoms or test results. Tinnitus, distorted hearing, loudness sensitivity, and otalgia were common symptoms. On average, 76 percent of subjects had predominantly sensorineural hearing loss at one or more frequencies. Twenty-four percent of subjects required amplification. Extended high frequencies showed evidence of acoustic trauma even when conventional frequencies fell within the normal range. Males had significantly poorer responses than females across frequencies. Auditory status of the group was significantly compromised and unchanged at the end of 1-year postblast.

Is Utilitarianism Risky? How the Same Antecedents and Mechanism Produce Both Utilitarian and Risky Choices.

PubMed

Lucas, Brian J; Galinsky, Adam D

2015-07-01

Philosophers and psychologists have long been interested in identifying factors that influence moral judgment. In the current analysis, we compare the literatures on moral psychology and decision making under uncertainty to propose that utilitarian choices are driven by the same forces that lead to risky choices. Spanning from neurocognitive to hormonal to interpersonal levels of analysis, we identify six antecedents that increase both utilitarian and risky choices (ventromedial prefrontal cortex brain lesions, psychopathology, testosterone, incidental positive affect, power, and social connection) and one antecedent that reduces these choices (serotonin activity). We identify the regulation of negative affect as a common mechanism through which the effects of each antecedent on utilitarian and risky choices are explained. By demonstrating that the same forces and the same underlying mechanism that produce risky choices also promote utilitarian choices, we offer a deeper understanding of how basic psychological systems underlie moral judgment. © The Author(s) 2015.

Covert face recognition in congenital prosopagnosia: a group study.

PubMed

Rivolta, Davide; Palermo, Romina; Schmalzl, Laura; Coltheart, Max

2012-03-01

Even though people with congenital prosopagnosia (CP) never develop a normal ability to "overtly" recognize faces, some individuals show indices of "covert" (or implicit) face recognition. The aim of this study was to demonstrate covert face recognition in CP when participants could not overtly recognize the faces. Eleven people with CP completed three tasks assessing their overt face recognition ability, and three tasks assessing their "covert" face recognition: a Forced choice familiarity task, a Forced choice cued task, and a Priming task. Evidence of covert recognition was observed with the Forced choice familiarity task, but not the Priming task. In addition, we propose that the Forced choice cued task does not measure covert processing as such, but instead "provoked-overt" recognition. Our study clearly shows that people with CP demonstrate covert recognition for faces that they cannot overtly recognize, and that behavioural tasks vary in their sensitivity to detect covert recognition in CP. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Relations among Spontaneous Preferences, Familiarized Preferences, and Novelty Effects: Measurements with Forced-Choice Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civan, Andrea; Teller, Davida Y.; Palmer, John

2005-01-01

We here describe a discrete trial, forced-choice, combined spontaneous preference and novelty preference technique. In this technique, spontaneous preferences and familiarized (postfamiliarization) preferences are measured with the same stimulus pairs under closely parallel conditions. A variety of systematic stimulus variations were used in…

The Effect of Including an Opt-Out Option in Discrete Choice Experiments

PubMed Central

Veldwijk, Jorien; Lambooij, Mattijs S.; de Bekker-Grob, Esther W.; Smit, Henriëtte A.; de Wit, G. Ardine

2014-01-01

Objective to determine to what extent the inclusion of an opt-out option in a DCE may have an effect on choice behaviour and therefore might influence the attribute level estimates, the relative importance of the attributes and calculated trade-offs. Methods 781 Dutch Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients completed a questionnaire containing nine choice tasks with an opt-out option and nice forced choice tasks. Mixed-logit models were used to estimate the relative importance of the five lifestyle program related attributes that were included. Willingness to pay (WTP) values were calculated and it was tested whether results differed between respondents who answered the choice tasks with an opt-out option in the first or second part of the questionnaire. Results 21.4% of the respondents always opted out. Respondents who were given the opt-out option in the first part of the questionnaire as well as lower educated respondents significantly more often opted out. For both the forced and unforced choice model, different attributes showed significant estimates, the relative importance of the attributes was equal. However, due to differences in relative importance weights, the WTP values for the PA schedule differed significantly between both datasets. Conclusions Results show differences in opting out based on the location of the opt-out option and respondents' educational level; this resulted in small differences between the forced and unforced choice model. Since respondents seem to learn from answering forced choice tasks, a dual response design might result in higher data quality compared to offering a direct opt-out option. Future research should empirically explore how choice sets should be presented to make them as easy and less complex as possible in order to reduce the proportion of respondents that opts-out due to choice task complexity. Moreover, future research should debrief respondents to examine the reasons for choosing the opt-out alternative. PMID:25365169

The effect of including an opt-out option in discrete choice experiments.

PubMed

Veldwijk, Jorien; Lambooij, Mattijs S; de Bekker-Grob, Esther W; Smit, Henriëtte A; de Wit, G Ardine

2014-01-01

to determine to what extent the inclusion of an opt-out option in a DCE may have an effect on choice behaviour and therefore might influence the attribute level estimates, the relative importance of the attributes and calculated trade-offs. 781 Dutch Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients completed a questionnaire containing nine choice tasks with an opt-out option and nice forced choice tasks. Mixed-logit models were used to estimate the relative importance of the five lifestyle program related attributes that were included. Willingness to pay (WTP) values were calculated and it was tested whether results differed between respondents who answered the choice tasks with an opt-out option in the first or second part of the questionnaire. 21.4% of the respondents always opted out. Respondents who were given the opt-out option in the first part of the questionnaire as well as lower educated respondents significantly more often opted out. For both the forced and unforced choice model, different attributes showed significant estimates, the relative importance of the attributes was equal. However, due to differences in relative importance weights, the WTP values for the PA schedule differed significantly between both datasets. Results show differences in opting out based on the location of the opt-out option and respondents' educational level; this resulted in small differences between the forced and unforced choice model. Since respondents seem to learn from answering forced choice tasks, a dual response design might result in higher data quality compared to offering a direct opt-out option. Future research should empirically explore how choice sets should be presented to make them as easy and less complex as possible in order to reduce the proportion of respondents that opts-out due to choice task complexity. Moreover, future research should debrief respondents to examine the reasons for choosing the opt-out alternative.

22q11.2 microduplication syndrome with congenital aural atresia: a family report.

PubMed

Boudewyns, An; van den Ende, Jenneke; Boiy, Tine; Van de Heyning, Paul; Declau, Frank

2012-06-01

22q11.2 microduplication syndrome is characterized by a large phenotypic variability including facial dysmorphism, developmental delay, and hearing loss. We describe a family in whom 5 of 11 children were affected by a unilateral or bilateral congenital aural atresia. Four of these 5 carried a 22q11.2 microduplication and had typical dysmorphic features. Computed tomography with 3-D reconstructions allowed for a detailed examination of the middle ear structures and classification of the atresia type. Audiometry revealed a moderately severe conductive hearing loss in accordance with the clinical and computed tomography findings. Detailed examination of the ear is warranted in patients with a 22q11.2 microduplication. When outer ear abnormalities are encountered, an additional workup including audiometry and computed tomography with 3-D reconstructions is required.

Parent Choice versus Attendance Area Assignment to Schools: Does Magnet-Based School Choice Affect NAEP Scores?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archbald, Douglas A.; Kaplan, David

2004-01-01

Inter- and intra-district public school choice, vouchers, tuition tax credits and other forms of school choice have been advocated for decades, in large part on grounds that the market forces engendered will improve public education. There are many studies of school choice policies and programs and a large theoretical literature on school choice,…

Sexual selection and the opportunity cost of free mate choice.

PubMed

Apostolou, Menelaos

2016-06-01

The model of sexual selection under parental choice has been proposed to account for the control that parents exercise over their children's mating decisions. The present paper attempts to formalize and advance this model with the purpose of providing a better understanding of how parental choice mandates the course of sexual selection. In particular, in the proposed formulation, free mate choice involves an opportunity cost which motivates parents to place their children's mate choices under their control. When they succeed in doing so, they become a significant sexual selection force, as traits that appeal to parents in an in-law are selected and increase in frequency in the population. The degree of parental control over mating, and thus the strength of sexual selection under parental choice, is positively predicted by the size of the opportunity cost of free mate choice. The primary factors that affect the level of opportunity cost vary between society types, affecting the strength of parental choice as a sexual selection force.

Influence of Context on Item Parameters in Forced-Choice Personality Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yin; Brown, Anna

2017-01-01

A fundamental assumption in computerized adaptive testing is that item parameters are invariant with respect to context--items surrounding the administered item. This assumption, however, may not hold in forced-choice (FC) assessments, where explicit comparisons are made between items included in the same block. We empirically examined the…

Confidence in Forced-Choice Recognition: What Underlies the Ratings?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zawadzka, Katarzyna; Higham, Philip A.; Hanczakowski, Maciej

2017-01-01

Two-alternative forced-choice recognition tests are commonly used to assess recognition accuracy that is uncontaminated by changes in bias. In such tests, participants are asked to endorse the studied item out of 2 presented alternatives. Participants may be further asked to provide confidence judgments for their recognition decisions. It is often…

How IRT Can Solve Problems of Ipsative Data in Forced-Choice Questionnaires

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Anna; Maydeu-Olivares, Alberto

2013-01-01

In multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) questionnaires, items measuring different attributes are presented in blocks, and participants have to rank order the items within each block (fully or partially). Such comparative formats can reduce the impact of numerous response biases often affecting single-stimulus items (aka rating or Likert scales).…

Motion and force control of multiple robotic manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, John T.; Kreutz-Delgado, Kenneth

1992-01-01

This paper addresses the motion and force control problem of multiple robot arms manipulating a cooperatively held object. A general control paradigm is introduced which decouples the motion and force control problems. For motion control, different control strategies are constructed based on the variables used as the control input in the controller design. There are three natural choices; acceleration of a generalized coordinate, arm tip force vectors, and the joint torques. The first two choices require full model information but produce simple models for the control design problem. The last choice results in a class of relatively model independent control laws by exploiting the Hamiltonian structure of the open loop system. The motion control only determines the joint torque to within a manifold, due to the multiple-arm kinematic constraint. To resolve the nonuniqueness of the joint torques, two methods are introduced. If the arm and object models are available, an optimization can be performed to best allocate the desired and effector control force to the joint actuators. The other possibility is to control the internal force about some set point. It is shown that effective force regulation can be achieved even if little model information is available.

Organization and Visualization for Initial Analysis of Forced-Choice Ipsative Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Jill A.

2015-01-01

Forced-choice ipsative data are common in personality, philosophy and other preference-based studies. However, this type of data inherently contains dependencies that are challenging for usual statistical analysis. In order to utilize the structure of the data as a guide for analysis rather than as a challenge to manage, a visualisation tool was…

Testing Signal-Detection Models of Yes/No and Two-Alternative Forced-Choice Recognition Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jang, Yoonhee; Wixted, John T.; Huber, David E.

2009-01-01

The current study compared 3 models of recognition memory in their ability to generalize across yes/no and 2-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) testing. The unequal-variance signal-detection model assumes a continuous memory strength process. The dual-process signal-detection model adds a thresholdlike recollection process to a continuous…

Rhetorical Choice in Mansfield's November 25, 1963 Eulogy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benoit, William L.

One of the most memorable eulogies delivered in the United States Senate is the one by Senator Michael Mansfield for President John F. Kennedy. An analysis of his word choice reveals that he (1) forced the audience to participate in the creation of the message; (2) employed active, forceful descriptions; (3) focused on praiseworthy qualities of…

Visual search in a forced-choice paradigm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmgren, J. E.

1974-01-01

The processing of visual information was investigated in the context of two visual search tasks. The first was a forced-choice task in which one of two alternative letters appeared in a visual display of from one to five letters. The second task included trials on which neither of the two alternatives was present in the display. Search rates were estimated from the slopes of best linear fits to response latencies plotted as a function of the number of items in the visual display. These rates were found to be much slower than those estimated in yes-no search tasks. This result was interpreted as indicating that the processes underlying visual search in yes-no and forced-choice tasks are not the same.

Noise induced hearing loss in dance music disc jockeys and an examination of sound levels in nightclubs.

PubMed

Bray, Adam; Szymański, Marcin; Mills, Robert

2004-02-01

Noise exposure, hearing loss and associated otological symptoms have been studied in a group of 23 disc jockeys using a questionnaire and pure tone audiometry. The level of noise exposure in the venues where they work has also been studied using Ametek Mk-3 audio dosimeters. Three members of the study group showed clear evidence of noise-induced hearing loss on audiometry, 70 per cent reported temporary threshold shift after sessions and 74 per cent reported tinnitus. Sound levels of up to 108 dB(A) were recorded in the nightclubs. The average level for a typical session was 96 dB(A) which is above the level at which the provision of ear protection is mandatory for employers in industry. It can be concluded that DJs are at substantial risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and noise exposure in nightclubs frequently exceeds safe levels.

Initial experience with the Sophono Alpha 1 osseointegrated implant.

PubMed

Escorihuela-García, Vicente; Llópez-Carratalá, Ignacio; Pitarch-Ribas, Ignacia; Latorre-Monteagudo, Emilia; Marco-Algarra, Jaime

2014-01-01

In the last several years, bone anchored hearing aids have proven to be useful in treating conductive and mixed unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, as well as for sensorineural unilateral hearing loss. The Sophono Alpha 1 model has the advantage of not requiring an abutment, with it being coupled by magnetism instead. We report the cases of 3 infants with congenital malformations of external and middle ear. Audiometry showed conductive hearing loss. All 3 patients were implanted with Alpha 1 model (Sophono). Patients evolved satisfactorily. After 30 days we applied the processor and the control audiometry showed a marked improvement of hearing thresholds, although without a complete closure of the gap. With minimal care, the skin over the implant remained in excellent condition, with a very satisfactory cosmetic outcome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.

Automated smartphone audiometry: Validation of a word recognition test app.

PubMed

Dewyer, Nicholas A; Jiradejvong, Patpong; Henderson Sabes, Jennifer; Limb, Charles J

2018-03-01

Develop and validate an automated smartphone word recognition test. Cross-sectional case-control diagnostic test comparison. An automated word recognition test was developed as an app for a smartphone with earphones. English-speaking adults with recent audiograms and various levels of hearing loss were recruited from an audiology clinic and were administered the smartphone word recognition test. Word recognition scores determined by the smartphone app and the gold standard speech audiometry test performed by an audiologist were compared. Test scores for 37 ears were analyzed. Word recognition scores determined by the smartphone app and audiologist testing were in agreement, with 86% of the data points within a clinically acceptable margin of error and a linear correlation value between test scores of 0.89. The WordRec automated smartphone app accurately determines word recognition scores. 3b. Laryngoscope, 128:707-712, 2018. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Interaural attenuation for Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural earphones.

PubMed

Brännström, K Jonas; Lantz, Johannes

2010-06-01

Interaural attenuation (IA) was evaluated for pure tones (frequency range 125 to 16000 Hz) using Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural earphones and Telephonics TDH-39P earphones in nine unilaterally deaf subjects. Audiometry was conducted in 1-dB steps using the manual ascending technique in accordance with ISO 8253-1. For all subjects and for all tested frequencies, the lowest IA value for HDA 200 was 42 dB. The present IA values for TDH-39P earphones closely resemble previously reported data. The findings show that the HDA 200 earphones provide more IA than the TDH-39P, especially at lower frequencies (

Hearing status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Ahmadzadeh, A; Daraei, M; Jalessi, M; Peyvandi, A A; Amini, E; Ranjbar, L A; Daneshi, A

2017-10-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to induce conductive hearing loss and/or sensorineural hearing loss. This study evaluated the function of the middle ear and cochlea, and the related factors. Pure tone audiometry, speech reception thresholds, speech discrimination scores, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were assessed in rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy volunteers. Pure tone audiometry results revealed a higher bone conduction threshold in the rheumatoid arthritis group, but there was no significant difference when evaluated according to the sensorineural hearing loss definition. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions related prevalence of conductive or mixed hearing loss, tympanometry values, acoustic reflexes, and speech discrimination scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Sensorineural hearing loss was significantly more prevalent in patients who used azathioprine, cyclosporine and etanercept. Higher bone conduction thresholds in some frequencies were detected in rheumatoid arthritis patients that were not clinically significant. Sensorineural hearing loss is significantly more prevalent in refractory rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Have Disability Transfers Caused the Decline in Older Male Labor Force Participation? A Work-Status Rational Choice Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haveman, Robert H.; Wolfe, Barbara L.

This paper presents a decision-process model for explaining the growth in transfer recipiency (the receipt by working age people of disability income), the choice of work status, and the reduction in labor force participation of older workers. It is hypothesized that the attractiveness of disability income transfer options has led older male…

Forced-Choice Assessment of Work-Related Maladaptive Personality Traits: Preliminary Evidence From an Application of Thurstonian Item Response Modeling.

PubMed

Guenole, Nigel; Brown, Anna A; Cooper, Andrew J

2018-06-01

This article describes an investigation of whether Thurstonian item response modeling is a viable method for assessment of maladaptive traits. Forced-choice responses from 420 working adults to a broad-range personality inventory assessing six maladaptive traits were considered. The Thurstonian item response model's fit to the forced-choice data was adequate, while the fit of a counterpart item response model to responses to the same items but arranged in a single-stimulus design was poor. Monotrait heteromethod correlations indicated corresponding traits in the two formats overlapped substantially, although they did not measure equivalent constructs. A better goodness of fit and higher factor loadings for the Thurstonian item response model, coupled with a clearer conceptual alignment to the theoretical trait definitions, suggested that the single-stimulus item responses were influenced by biases that the independent clusters measurement model did not account for. Researchers may wish to consider forced-choice designs and appropriate item response modeling techniques such as Thurstonian item response modeling for personality questionnaire applications in industrial psychology, especially when assessing maladaptive traits. We recommend further investigation of this approach in actual selection situations and with different assessment instruments.

Individual differences in forced-choice recognition memory: partitioning contributions of recollection and familiarity.

PubMed

Migo, Ellen M; Quamme, Joel R; Holmes, Selina; Bendell, Andrew; Norman, Kenneth A; Mayes, Andrew R; Montaldi, Daniela

2014-01-01

In forced-choice recognition memory, two different testing formats are possible under conditions of high target-foil similarity: Each target can be presented alongside foils similar to itself (forced-choice corresponding; FCC), or alongside foils similar to other targets (forced-choice noncorresponding; FCNC). Recent behavioural and neuropsychological studies suggest that FCC performance can be supported by familiarity whereas FCNC performance is supported primarily by recollection. In this paper, we corroborate this finding from an individual differences perspective. A group of older adults were given a test of FCC and FCNC recognition for object pictures, as well as standardized tests of recall, recognition, and IQ. Recall measures were found to predict FCNC, but not FCC performance, consistent with a critical role for recollection in FCNC only. After the common influence of recall was removed, standardized tests of recognition predicted FCC, but not FCNC performance. This is consistent with a contribution of only familiarity in FCC. Simulations show that a two-process model, where familiarity and recollection make separate contributions to recognition, is 10 times more likely to give these results than a single-process model. This evidence highlights the importance of recognition memory test design when examining the involvement of recollection and familiarity.

[Correlation of pure tone thresholds and hearing loss for numbers. Comparison of three calculation variations for plausibility checking in expertise].

PubMed

Braun, T; Dochtermann, S; Krause, E; Schmidt, M; Schorn, K; Hempel, J M

2011-09-01

The present study analyzes the best combination of frequencies for the calculation of mean hearing loss in pure tone threshold audiometry for correlation with hearing loss for numbers in speech audiometry, since the literature describes different calculation variations for plausibility checking in expertise. Three calculation variations, A (250, 500 and 1000 Hz), B (500 and 1000 Hz) and C (500, 1000 and 2000 Hz), were compared. Audiograms in 80 patients with normal hearing, 106 patients with hearing loss and 135 expertise patients were analyzed in a retrospective manner. Differences between mean pure tone audiometry thresholds and hearing loss for numbers were calculated and statistically compared separately for the right and the left ear in the three patient collectives. We found the calculation variation A to be the best combination of frequencies, since it yielded the smallest standard deviations while being statistically different to calculation variations B and C. The 1- and 2.58-fold standard deviation (representing 68.3% and 99.0% of all values) was ±4.6 and ±11.8 dB for calculation variation A in patients with hearing loss, respectively. For plausibility checking in expertise, the mean threshold from the frequencies 250, 500 and 1000 Hz should be compared to the hearing loss for numbers. The common recommendation reported by the literature to doubt plausibility when the difference of these values exceeds ±5 dB is too strict as shown by this study.

Auditory brainstem response as a diagnostic tool for patients suffering from schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar disorder: protocol.

PubMed

Wahlström, Viktor; Åhlander, Fredrik; Wynn, Rolf

2015-02-12

Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder, may sometimes be difficult to diagnose. There is a great need for a valid and reliable diagnostic tool to aid clinicians in arriving at the diagnoses in a timely and accurate manner. Prior studies have suggested that patients suffering from schizophrenia and ADHD may process certain sound stimuli in the brainstem in an unusual manner. When these patient groups have been examined with the electrophysiological method of brainstem audiometry, some studies have found illness-specific aberrations. Such aberrations may also exist for patients suffering from bipolar disorder. In this study, we will examine whether the method of brainstem audiometry can be used as a diagnostic tool for patients suffering from schizophrenia, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. The method includes three steps: (1) auditory stimulation with specific sound stimuli, (2) simultaneous measurement of brainstem activity, and (3) automated interpretation of the resulting brain stem audiograms with data-based signal analysis. We will compare three groups of 12 individuals with confirmed diagnoses of schizophrenia, ADHD, or bipolar disorder with 12 healthy subjects under blinded conditions for a total of 48 participants. The extent to which the method can be used to reach the correct diagnosis will be investigated. The project is now in a recruiting phase. When all patients and controls have been recruited and the measurements have been performed, the data will be analyzed according to a previously arranged algorithm. We expect the recruiting phase and measurements to be completed in early 2015, the analyses to be performed in mid-2015, and the results of the study to be published in early 2016. If the results support previous findings, this will lend strength to the idea that brainstem audiometry can offer objective diagnostic support for patients suffering from schizophrenia, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. A positive result from the study could imply that brainstem audiometry could become an important supportive tool for clinicians in their efforts to diagnose patients with these disorders in a timely and accurate manner. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01629355; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01629355 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6VBfTwx5H).

Rational choice and the political bases of changing Israeli counterinsurgency strategy.

PubMed

Brym, Robert J; Andersen, Robert

2011-09-01

Israeli counterinsurgency doctrine holds that the persistent use of credible threat and disproportionate military force results in repeated victories that eventually teach the enemy the futility of aggression. The doctrine thus endorses classical rational choice theory's claim that narrow cost-benefit calculations shape fixed action rationales. This paper assesses whether Israel's strategic practice reflects its counterinsurgency doctrine by exploring the historical record and the association between Israeli and Palestinian deaths due to low-intensity warfare. In contrast to the expectations of classical rational choice theory, the evidence suggests that institutional, cultural and historical forces routinely override simple cost-benefit calculations. Changing domestic and international circumstances periodically cause revisions in counterinsurgency strategy. Credible threat and disproportionate military force lack the predicted long-term effect. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2011.

The contribution of recollection and familiarity to recognition memory: a study of the effects of test format and aging.

PubMed

Bastin, Christine; Van der Linden, Martial

2003-01-01

Whether the format of a recognition memory task influences the contribution of recollection and familiarity to performance is a matter of debate. The authors investigated this issue by comparing the performance of 64 young (mean age = 21.7 years; mean education = 14.5 years) and 62 older participants (mean age = 64.4 years; mean education = 14.2 years) on a yes-no and a forced-choice recognition task for unfamiliar faces using the remember-know-guess procedure. Familiarity contributed more to forced-choice than to yes-no performance. Moreover, older participants, who showed a decrease in recollection together with an increase in familiarity, performed better on the forced-choice task than on the yes-no task, whereas younger participants showed the opposite pattern.

Classification image analysis: estimation and statistical inference for two-alternative forced-choice experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbey, Craig K.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

2002-01-01

We consider estimation and statistical hypothesis testing on classification images obtained from the two-alternative forced-choice experimental paradigm. We begin with a probabilistic model of task performance for simple forced-choice detection and discrimination tasks. Particular attention is paid to general linear filter models because these models lead to a direct interpretation of the classification image as an estimate of the filter weights. We then describe an estimation procedure for obtaining classification images from observer data. A number of statistical tests are presented for testing various hypotheses from classification images based on some more compact set of features derived from them. As an example of how the methods we describe can be used, we present a case study investigating detection of a Gaussian bump profile.

Choice with Equity: An Assessment by the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education. Hoover Institution Press Publication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Paul T., Ed.

This collection of papers reviews the national debate over school choice, examining the benefits for parents, children, and schools and showing how properly designed choice programs can prevent the harmful outcomes choice opponents fear. The papers discuss why choice must be addressed in the context of the real-world performance of public schools,…

The Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation under rapid forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moroz, Irene M.

1997-06-01

We consider the initial value problem for the forced Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation (KP) when the forcing is assumed to be fast compared to the evolution of the unforced equation. This suggests the introduction of two time scales. Solutions to the forced KP are sought by expanding the dependent variable in powers of a small parameter, which is inversely related to the forcing time scale. The unforced system describes weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersive, weakly two-dimensional wave propagation and is studied in two forms, depending upon whether gravity dominates surface tension or vice versa. We focus on the effect that the forcing has on the one-lump solution to the KPI equation (where surface tension dominates) and on the one- and two-line soliton solutions to the KPII equation (when gravity dominates). Solutions to second order in the expansion are computed analytically for some specific choices of the forcing function, which are related to the choice of initial data.

Motion and force control for multiple cooperative manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, John T.; Kreutz, Kenneth

1989-01-01

The motion and force control of multiple robot arms manipulating a commonly held object is addressed. A general control paradigm that decouples the motion and force control problems is introduced. For motion control, there are three natural choices: (1) joint torques, (2) arm-tip force vectors, and (3) the acceleration of a generalized coordinate. Choice (1) allows a class of relatively model-independent control laws by exploiting the Hamiltonian structure of the open-loop system; (2) and (3) require the full model information but produce simpler problems. To resolve the nonuniqueness of the joint torques, two methods are introduced. If the arm and object models are available, the allocation of the desired end-effector control force to the joint actuators can be optimized; otherwise the internal force can be controlled about some set point. It is shown that effective force regulation can be achieved even if little model information is available.

Porter's Five Competitive Forces Framework and Other Factors That Influence the Choice of Response Strategies Adopted by Public Universities in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathooko, Francis M.; Ogutu, Martin

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to establish the extent to which Porter's five competitive forces (PFCF) framework, among other factors drive the choice of response strategies adopted by public universities in Kenya. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study design was descriptive and utilized a cross-sectional survey of all the public…

Under what conditions is recognition spared relative to recall after selective hippocampal damage in humans?

PubMed

Holdstock, J S; Mayes, A R; Roberts, N; Cezayirli, E; Isaac, C L; O'Reilly, R C; Norman, K A

2002-01-01

The claim that recognition memory is spared relative to recall after focal hippocampal damage has been disputed in the literature. We examined this claim by investigating object and object-location recall and recognition memory in a patient, YR, who has adult-onset selective hippocampal damage. Our aim was to identify the conditions under which recognition was spared relative to recall in this patient. She showed unimpaired forced-choice object recognition but clearly impaired recall, even when her control subjects found the object recognition task to be numerically harder than the object recall task. However, on two other recognition tests, YR's performance was not relatively spared. First, she was clearly impaired at an equivalently difficult yes/no object recognition task, but only when targets and foils were very similar. Second, YR was clearly impaired at forced-choice recognition of object-location associations. This impairment was also unrelated to difficulty because this task was no more difficult than the forced-choice object recognition task for control subjects. The clear impairment of yes/no, but not of forced-choice, object recognition after focal hippocampal damage, when targets and foils are very similar, is predicted by the neural network-based Complementary Learning Systems model of recognition. This model postulates that recognition is mediated by hippocampally dependent recollection and cortically dependent familiarity; thus hippocampal damage should not impair item familiarity. The model postulates that familiarity is ineffective when very similar targets and foils are shown one at a time and subjects have to identify which items are old (yes/no recognition). In contrast, familiarity is effective in discriminating which of similar targets and foils, seen together, is old (forced-choice recognition). Independent evidence from the remember/know procedure also indicates that YR's familiarity is normal. The Complementary Learning Systems model can also accommodate the clear impairment of forced-choice object-location recognition memory if it incorporates the view that the most complete convergence of spatial and object information, represented in different cortical regions, occurs in the hippocampus.

Preventing collapse of external auditory meatus during audiometry.

PubMed

Pearlman, R C

1975-11-01

Occlusion of the external auditory meatus resulting from earphone pressure can produce a pseudoconductive hearing loss. I describe a method for detecting ear canal collapse by otoscopy and I suggest a method of correcting the problem with a polyethylene tube prosthesis.

Observations on Hearing Levels of Preschool Cleft-Palate Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Robert J.; Philips, Betty Jane

1971-01-01

Pure-tone audiometry performed monthly on nine preschool cleft palate children showed the incidence of hearing loss ranging from 25 to 71 percent from month to month, with all children experiencing a significant hearing loss at some time. (Author/KW)

Audiological Evaluation for Exaggerated Hearing Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelberg, Marvin W.

Described are clinical techniques and procedures useful in evaluations for exaggerated hearing levels. Discussed are considerations of the audiologist, his equipment, and erroneous findings; patient cooperation, anticipated hearing handicaps, detection of exaggeration, and order of test presentation; voluntary aid conduction audiometry,…

Biased Brownian dynamics for rate constant calculation.

PubMed

Zou, G; Skeel, R D; Subramaniam, S

2000-08-01

An enhanced sampling method-biased Brownian dynamics-is developed for the calculation of diffusion-limited biomolecular association reaction rates with high energy or entropy barriers. Biased Brownian dynamics introduces a biasing force in addition to the electrostatic force between the reactants, and it associates a probability weight with each trajectory. A simulation loses weight when movement is along the biasing force and gains weight when movement is against the biasing force. The sampling of trajectories is then biased, but the sampling is unbiased when the trajectory outcomes are multiplied by their weights. With a suitable choice of the biasing force, more reacted trajectories are sampled. As a consequence, the variance of the estimate is reduced. In our test case, biased Brownian dynamics gives a sevenfold improvement in central processing unit (CPU) time with the choice of a simple centripetal biasing force.

How self-determined choice facilitates performance: a key role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Murayama, Kou; Matsumoto, Madoka; Izuma, Keise; Sugiura, Ayaka; Ryan, Richard M; Deci, Edward L; Matsumoto, Kenji

2015-05-01

Recent studies have documented that self-determined choice does indeed enhance performance. However, the precise neural mechanisms underlying this effect are not well understood. We examined the neural correlates of the facilitative effects of self-determined choice using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants played a game-like task involving a stopwatch with either a stopwatch they selected (self-determined-choice condition) or one they were assigned without choice (forced-choice condition). Our results showed that self-determined choice enhanced performance on the stopwatch task, despite the fact that the choices were clearly irrelevant to task difficulty. Neuroimaging results showed that failure feedback, compared with success feedback, elicited a drop in the vmPFC activation in the forced-choice condition, but not in the self-determined-choice condition, indicating that negative reward value associated with the failure feedback vanished in the self-determined-choice condition. Moreover, the vmPFC resilience to failure in the self-determined-choice condition was significantly correlated with the increased performance. Striatal responses to failure and success feedback were not modulated by the choice condition, indicating the dissociation between the vmPFC and striatal activation pattern. These findings suggest that the vmPFC plays a unique and critical role in the facilitative effects of self-determined choice on performance. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Preference effects on friendship choice: Evidence from an online field experiment.

PubMed

Yu, Siyu; Xie, Yu

2017-08-01

Observed friendship choices are constrained by social structures and thus problematic indicators for underlying personal preferences. In this paper, we report on a study demonstrating the causal effects of preference in friendship choice based on an online field experiment. Specifically, we tested two important forces that govern friendship choices: preference for shared group identity (operationalized as the desire to befriend others sharing the same place-of-origin identity) and preference for high status (operationalized as the desire to befriend others from high-status institutions). Using an online field experiment in one of the largest social network service websites in China, we investigated the causal preference effects of these two forces free from structural constraints. The results of our study confirm the preference effects on friendship choice in both of the two dimensions we tested. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Discrete Choice Modeling (DCM): An Exciting Marketing Research Survey Method for Educational Researchers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berdie, Doug R.

Discrete Choice Marketing (DCM), a research technique that has become more popular in recent marketing research, is described. DCM is a method that forces people to look at the combination of relevant variables within each choice domain and, with each option fully defined in terms of the values for those variables, make a choice of options. DCM…

Individual differences in forced-choice recognition memory: Partitioning contributions of recollection and familiarity

PubMed Central

Migo, Ellen M.; Quamme, Joel R.; Holmes, Selina; Bendell, Andrew; Norman, Kenneth A.; Mayes, Andrew R.; Montaldi, Daniela

2014-01-01

In forced-choice recognition memory, two different testing formats are possible under conditions of high target-foil similarity: each target can be presented alongside foils similar to itself (forced-choice corresponding; FCC), or alongside foils similar to other targets (forced-choice non-corresponding; FCNC).Recent behavioural and neuropsychological studies suggest that FCC performance can be supported by familiarity whereas FCNC performance is supported primarily by recollection. In this paper, we corroborate this finding from an individual differences perspective. A group of older adults were given a test of FCC and FCNC recognition for object pictures, as well as standardised tests of recall, recognition and IQ. Recall measures were found to predict FCNC, but not FCC performance, consistent with a critical role for recollection in FCNC only. After the common influence of recall was removed, standardised tests of recognition predicted FCC, but not FCNC performance. This is consistent with a contribution of only familiarity in FCC. Simulations show that a two process model, where familiarity and recollection make separate contributions to recognition, is ten times more likely to give these results than a single-process model. This evidence highlights the importance of recognition memory test design when examining the involvement of recollection and familiarity. PMID:24796268

49 CFR 227.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... this part. Exchange rate means the change in sound level, in decibels, which would require halving or... audiometric testing, showing the thresholds of hearing sensitivity measured at discrete frequencies, as well... discrete frequencies. Audiometry can also be referred to as audiometric testing. Baseline audiogram means...

Right Ear Advantage of Speech Audiometry in Single-sided Deafness.

PubMed

Wettstein, Vincent G; Probst, Rudolf

2018-04-01

Postlingual single-sided deafness (SSD) is defined as normal hearing in one ear and severely impaired hearing in the other ear. A right ear advantage and dominance of the left hemisphere are well established findings in individuals with normal hearing and speech processing. Therefore, it seems plausible that a right ear advantage would exist in patients with SSD. The audiometric database was searched to identify patients with SSD. Results from the German monosyllabic Freiburg word test and four-syllabic number test in quiet were evaluated. Results of right-sided SSD were compared with left-sided SSD. Statistical calculations were done with the Mann-Whitney U test. Four hundred and six patients with SSD were identified, 182 with right-sided and 224 with left-sided SSD. The two groups had similar pure-tone thresholds without significant differences. All test parameters of speech audiometry had better values for right ears (SSD left) when compared with left ears (SSD right). Statistically significant results (p < 0.05) were found for a weighted score (social index, 98.2 ± 4% right and 97.5 ± 4.7% left, p < 0.026), for word understanding at 60 dB SPL (95.2 ± 8.7% right and 93.9 ± 9.1% left, p < 0.035), and for the level at which 100% understanding was reached (61.5 ± 10.1 dB SPL right and 63.8 ± 11.1 dB SPL left, p < 0.022) on a performance-level function. A right ear advantage of speech audiometry was found in patients with SSD in this retrospective study of audiometric test results.

Auditory agnosia as a clinical symptom of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy.

PubMed

Furushima, Wakana; Kaga, Makiko; Nakamura, Masako; Gunji, Atsuko; Inagaki, Masumi

2015-08-01

To investigate detailed auditory features in patients with auditory impairment as the first clinical symptoms of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy (CSALD). Three patients who had hearing difficulty as the first clinical signs and/or symptoms of ALD. Precise examination of the clinical characteristics of hearing and auditory function was performed, including assessments of pure tone audiometry, verbal sound discrimination, otoacoustic emission (OAE), and auditory brainstem response (ABR), as well as an environmental sound discrimination test, a sound lateralization test, and a dichotic listening test (DLT). The auditory pathway was evaluated by MRI in each patient. Poor response to calling was detected in all patients. Two patients were not aware of their hearing difficulty, and had been diagnosed with normal hearing by otolaryngologists at first. Pure-tone audiometry disclosed normal hearing in all patients. All patients showed a normal wave V ABR threshold. Three patients showed obvious difficulty in discriminating verbal sounds, environmental sounds, and sound lateralization and strong left-ear suppression in a dichotic listening test. However, once they discriminated verbal sounds, they correctly understood the meaning. Two patients showed elongation of the I-V and III-V interwave intervals in ABR, but one showed no abnormality. MRIs of these three patients revealed signal changes in auditory radiation including in other subcortical areas. The hearing features of these subjects were diagnosed as auditory agnosia and not aphasia. It should be emphasized that when patients are suspected to have hearing impairment but have no abnormalities in pure tone audiometry and/or ABR, this should not be diagnosed immediately as psychogenic response or pathomimesis, but auditory agnosia must also be considered. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Subclinical sensorineural hearing loss in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

PubMed

Treviño-González, José Luis; Villegas-González, Mario Jesús; Muñoz-Maldonado, Gerardo Enrique; Montero-Cantu, Carlos Alberto; Nava-Zavala, Arnulfo Hernán; Garza-Elizondo, Mario Alberto

2015-01-01

The rheumatoid arthritis is a clinical entity capable to cause hearing impairment that can be diagnosed promptly with high frequencies audiometry. To detect subclinical sensorineural hearing loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Cross-sectional study on patients with rheumatoid arthritis performing high frequency audiometry 125Hz to 16,000Hz and tympanometry. The results were correlated with markers of disease activity and response to therapy. High frequency audiometry was performed in 117 female patients aged from 19 to 65 years. Sensorineural hearing loss was observed at a sensitivity of pure tones from 125 to 8,000 Hz in 43.59%, a tone threshold of 10,000 to 16,000Hz in 94.02% patients in the right ear and in 95.73% in the left ear. Hearing was normal in 8 (6.84%) patients. Hearing loss was observed in 109 (93.16%), and was asymmetric in 36 (30.77%), symmetric in 73 (62.37%), bilateral in 107 (91.45%), unilateral in 2 (1.71%), and no conduction and/or mixed hearing loss was encountered. Eight (6.83%) patients presented vertigo, 24 (20.51%) tinnitus. Tympanogram type A presented in 88.90% in the right ear and 91.46% in the left ear, with 5.98 to 10.25% type As. Stapedius reflex was present in 75.3 to 85.2%. Speech discrimination in the left ear was significantly different (p = 0.02)in the group older than 50 years. No association was found regarding markers of disease activity, but there was an association with the onset of rheumatoid arthritis disease. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a high prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss for high and very high frequencies. Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Hearing Thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz in Dentists: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Santos, Luciana; Lobato, Diolen; Ribas, Angela; Lacerda, Adriana Bender Moreira; Marques, Jair

2014-01-01

Introduction High-level noise exposure in dentists' workplaces may cause damages to the auditory systems. High-frequency audiometry is an important tool in the investigation in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Objectives To analyze the auditory thresholds at frequencies from 500 to 16,000 Hz of dentists in the city of Curitiba. Methods This historic cohort study retrospectively tested hearing thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz with a group of dentists from Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Eighty subjects participated in the study, separated into a dentist group and a control group, with the same age range and gender across groups but with no history of occupational exposure to high levels of sound pressure in the control group. Subjects were tested with conventional audiometry and high-frequency audiometry and answered a questionnaire about exposure to noise. Results Results showed that 81% of dentists did not receive any information regarding noise at university; 6 (15%) dentists had sensorineural hearing impairment; significant differences were observed between the groups only at frequencies of 500 Hz and 1,000, 6,000 and 8,000 Hz in the right ear. There was no significant difference between the groups after analysis of mean hearing thresholds of high frequencies with the average hearing thresholds in conventional frequencies; subjects who had been working as dentists for longer than 10 years had worse tonal hearing thresholds at high frequencies. Conclusions In this study, we observed that dentists are at risk for the development of sensorineural hearing loss especially after 10 years of service. PMID:25992172

A study of the high-frequency hearing thresholds of dentistry professionals

PubMed Central

Lopes, Andréa Cintra; de Melo, Ana Dolores Passarelli; Santos, Cibele Carmelo

2012-01-01

Summary Introduction: In the dentistry practice, dentists are exposed to harmful effects caused by several factors, such as the noise produced by their work instruments. In 1959, the American Dental Association recommended periodical hearing assessments and the use of ear protectors. Aquiring more information regarding dentists', dental nurses', and prosthodontists' hearing abilities is necessary to propose prevention measures and early treatment strategies. Objective: To investigate the auditory thresholds of dentists, dental nurses, and prosthodontists. Method: In this clinical and experimental study, 44 dentists (Group I; GI), 36 dental nurses (Group II; GII), and 28 prosthodontists (Group III; GIII) were included, , with a total of 108 professionals. The procedures that were performed included a specific interview, ear canal inspection, conventional and high-frequency threshold audiometry, a speech reception threshold test, and an acoustic impedance test. Results: In the 3 groups that were tested, the comparison between the mean hearing thresholds provided evidence of worsened hearing ability relative to the increase in frequency. For the tritonal mean at 500 to 2,000 Hz and 3,000 to 6,000 Hz, GIII presented the worst thresholds. For the mean of the high frequencies (9,000 and 16,000 Hz), GII presented the worst thresholds. Conclusion: The conventional hearing threshold evaluation did not demonstrate alterations in the 3 groups that were tested; however, the complementary tests such as high-frequency audiometry provided greater efficacy in the early detection of hearing problems, since this population's hearing loss impaired hearing ability at frequencies that are not tested by the conventional tests. Therefore, we emphasize the need of utilizing high-frequency threshold audiometry in the hearing assessment routine in combination with other audiological tests. PMID:25991940

Validated Smartphone-Based Apps for Ear and Hearing Assessments: A Review

PubMed Central

Pallawela, Danuk

2016-01-01

Background An estimated 360 million people have a disabling hearing impairment globally, the vast majority of whom live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Early identification through screening is important to negate the negative effects of untreated hearing impairment. Substantial barriers exist in screening for hearing impairment in LMICs, such as the requirement for skilled hearing health care professionals and prohibitively expensive specialist equipment to measure hearing. These challenges may be overcome through utilization of increasingly available smartphone app technologies for ear and hearing assessments that are easy to use by unskilled professionals. Objective Our objective was to identify and compare available apps for ear and hearing assessments and consider the incorporation of such apps into hearing screening programs Methods In July 2015, the commercial app stores Google Play and Apple App Store were searched to identify apps for ear and hearing assessments. Thereafter, six databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, Global Health, Web of Science, CINAHL, and mHealth Evidence) were searched to assess which of the apps identified in the commercial review had been validated against gold standard measures. A comparison was made between validated apps. Results App store search queries returned 30 apps that could be used for ear and hearing assessments, the majority of which are for performing audiometry. The literature search identified 11 eligible validity studies that examined 6 different apps. uHear, an app for self-administered audiometry, was validated in the highest number of peer reviewed studies against gold standard pure tone audiometry (n=5). However, the accuracy of uHear varied across these studies. Conclusions Very few of the available apps have been validated in peer-reviewed studies. Of the apps that have been validated, further independent research is required to fully understand their accuracy at detecting ear and hearing conditions. PMID:28582261

Amplitude changes in otoacoustic emissions after exposure to industrial noise.

PubMed

Baradarnfar, Mohammad Hossein; Karamifar, Kayvan; Mehrparvar, Amir Houshang; Mollasadeghi, Abolfazl; Gharavi, Marjan; Karimi, Ghasem; Vahidy, Mohammad Reza; Baradarnfar, Amin; Mostaghaci, Mehrdad

2012-01-01

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a frequent problem in industrial settings, especially where a high noise level is present. It is permanent, and irreversible, but preventable. Routine audiometry (an objective and time consuming) test is used for NIHL screening. Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are recently proposed as a more sensitive test for early diagnosis of NIHL. In this study, we aimed to compare the results of pure tone audiometry (PTA) with OAE in the diagnosis of NIHL. In a cross-sectional study on 120 workers (in three groups: Not exposed to noise, exposed to noise without NIHL and exposed to noise with NIHL), we compared the results of PTA and OAE. OAE can detect some changes in the function of hearing system in subjects exposed to noise, and these changes are apparently prior to hearing loss, which is diagnosed by PTA. OAE is a more sensitive method for the early diagnosis of cochlear damage than PTA, and can be performed in industrial settings for NIHL screening.

The dissociation of video head impulse test (vHIT) and bithermal caloric test results provide topological localization of vestibular system impairment in patients with "definite" Ménière's disease.

PubMed

McCaslin, Devin L; Rivas, Alejandro; Jacobson, Gary P; Bennett, Marc L

2015-03-01

We report 3 patients with Ménière's disease and describe how the combination of audiometry, video head impulse testing, and caloric results may prove helpful in the diagnosis of Ménière's disease. Three patients with "definite" Ménière's disease were evaluated in a tertiary care medical center. Each patient underwent videonystagmography, horizontal canal video head impulse testing, and audiometry. All 3 patients demonstrated moderate, flat, sensorineural hearing losses; significant caloric asymmetries; and bilaterally normal video head impulse testing. This pattern of findings suggests differential preservation of high-frequency function (video head impulse testing) with impairment of low-frequency function (unilaterally abnormal caloric test results) in these patients. Ipsilesional abnormal caloric testing in the presence of normal video head impulse testing is a pattern of findings observed in a cohort of patients who have "definite" Ménière's disease.

[The Freiburg speech intelligibility test : A pillar of speech audiometry in German-speaking countries].

PubMed

Hoth, S

2016-08-01

The Freiburg speech intelligibility test according to DIN 45621 was introduced around 60 years ago. For decades, and still today, the Freiburg test has been a standard whose relevance extends far beyond pure audiometry. It is used primarily to determine the speech perception threshold (based on two-digit numbers) and the ability to discriminate speech at suprathreshold presentation levels (based on monosyllabic nouns). Moreover, it is a measure of the degree of disability, the requirement for and success of technical hearing aids (auxiliaries directives), and the compensation for disability and handicap (Königstein recommendation). In differential audiological diagnostics, the Freiburg test contributes to the distinction between low- and high-frequency hearing loss, as well as to identification of conductive, sensory, neural, and central disorders. Currently, the phonemic and perceptual balance of the monosyllabic test lists is subject to critical discussions. Obvious deficiencies exist for testing speech recognition in noise. In this respect, alternatives such as sentence or rhyme tests in closed-answer inventories are discussed.

Narrating sexual identities in Kenya: "Choice," value, and visibility.

PubMed

Zingsheim, Jason; Goltz, Dustin Bradley; Murphy, Alexandra G; Mastin, Teresa

2017-04-03

This article examines the discursive construction of female same-sex sexual identities in Nairobi. We identify the discursive forces of "choice," devaluation, and invisibility as influential within Kenyan media representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex citizens. Using creative focus groups and participant observation, we demonstrate how same-sex attracted women in Nairobi resist and rearticulate these discursive forces to assert their identity and agency as individuals and as a queer community.

Development and psychometric validation of a child Racial Attitudes Index (RAI).

PubMed

Clark, Khaya D; Yovanoff, Paul; Tate, Charlotte Ursula

2017-12-01

The Racial Attitudes Index (RAI) measures a child's racial attitudes. Designed for children aged 5-9 years, the RAI is delivered over the Internet using Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI). Unlike traditional binary forced-choice instruments, the RAI uses an expanded response format permitting a more nuanced understanding of patterns of children's racial attitudes. In addition to establishing psychometric evidence of the RAI technical adequacy, hypotheses about RAI item response patterns were tested. The racial attitudes of 336 Black and White children in grades K-3 were assessed using a forced-choice instrument (Preschool Racial Attitudes Measure II) and the RAI. Findings from this study indicate measures obtained with the RAI are technically adequate, and the measure functions invariantly across racial groups. Also, patterns of children's racial attitudes measured with the RAI are more nuanced than those obtained using the forced-choice response format.

Hearing improvement with softband and implanted bone-anchored hearing devices and modified implantation surgery in patients with bilateral microtia-atresia.

PubMed

Wang, Yibei; Fan, Xinmiao; Wang, Pu; Fan, Yue; Chen, Xiaowei

2018-01-01

To evaluate auditory development and hearing improvement in patients with bilateral microtia-atresia using softband and implanted bone-anchored hearing devices and to modify the implantation surgery. The subjects were divided into two groups: the softband group (40 infants, 3 months to 2 years old, Ponto softband) and the implanted group (6 patients, 6-28 years old, Ponto). The Infant-Toddler Meaning Auditory Integration Scale was used conducted to evaluate auditory development at baseline and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, and visual reinforcement audiometry was used to assess the auditory threshold in the softband group. In the implanted group, bone-anchored hearing devices were implanted combined with the auricular reconstruction surgery, and high-resolution CT was used to assess the deformity preoperatively. Auditory threshold and speech discrimination scores of the patients with implants were measured under the unaided, softband, and implanted conditions. Total Infant-Toddler Meaning Auditory Integration Scale scores in the softband group improved significantly and approached normal levels. The average visual reinforcement audiometry values under the unaided and softband conditions were 76.75 ± 6.05 dB HL and 32.25 ± 6.20 dB HL (P < 0.01), respectively. In the implanted group, the auditory thresholds under the unaided, softband, and implanted conditions were 59.17 ± 3.76 dB HL, 32.5 ± 2.74 dB HL, and 17.5 ± 5.24 dB HL (P < 0.01), respectively. The respective speech discrimination scores were 23.33 ± 14.72%, 77.17 ± 6.46%, and 96.50 ± 2.66% (P < 0.01). Using softband bone-anchored hearing devices is effective for auditory development and hearing improvement in infants with bilateral microtia-atresia. Wearing softband bone-anchored hearing devices before auricle reconstruction and combining bone-anchored hearing device implantation with auricular reconstruction surgery may bethe optimal clinical choice for these patients, and results in more significant hearing improvement and minimal surgical and anesthetic injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional MRI of Challenging Food Choices: Forced Choice between Equally Liked High- and Low-Calorie Foods in the Absence of Hunger.

PubMed

Charbonnier, Lisette; van der Laan, Laura N; Viergever, Max A; Smeets, Paul A M

2015-01-01

We are continuously exposed to food and during the day we make many food choices. These choices play an important role in the regulation of food intake and thereby in weight management. Therefore, it is important to obtain more insight into the mechanisms that underlie these choices. While several food choice functional MRI (fMRI) studies have been conducted, the effect of energy content on neural responses during food choice has, to our knowledge, not been investigated before. Our objective was to examine brain responses during food choices between equally liked high- and low-calorie foods in the absence of hunger. During a 10-min fMRI scan 19 normal weight volunteers performed a forced-choice task. Food pairs were matched on individual liking but differed in perceived and actual caloric content (high-low). Food choice compared with non-food choice elicited stronger unilateral activation in the left insula, superior temporal sulcus, posterior cingulate gyrus and (pre)cuneus. This suggests that the food stimuli were more salient despite subject's low motivation to eat. The right superior temporal sulcus (STS) was the only region that exhibited greater activation for high versus low calorie food choices between foods matched on liking. Together with previous studies, this suggests that STS activation during food evaluation and choice may reflect the food's biological relevance independent of food preference. This novel finding warrants further research into the effects of hunger state and weight status on STS, which may provide a marker of biological relevance.

Functional MRI of Challenging Food Choices: Forced Choice between Equally Liked High- and Low-Calorie Foods in the Absence of Hunger

PubMed Central

Charbonnier, Lisette; van der Laan, Laura N.; Viergever, Max A.; Smeets, Paul A. M.

2015-01-01

We are continuously exposed to food and during the day we make many food choices. These choices play an important role in the regulation of food intake and thereby in weight management. Therefore, it is important to obtain more insight into the mechanisms that underlie these choices. While several food choice functional MRI (fMRI) studies have been conducted, the effect of energy content on neural responses during food choice has, to our knowledge, not been investigated before. Our objective was to examine brain responses during food choices between equally liked high- and low-calorie foods in the absence of hunger. During a 10-min fMRI scan 19 normal weight volunteers performed a forced-choice task. Food pairs were matched on individual liking but differed in perceived and actual caloric content (high-low). Food choice compared with non-food choice elicited stronger unilateral activation in the left insula, superior temporal sulcus, posterior cingulate gyrus and (pre)cuneus. This suggests that the food stimuli were more salient despite subject’s low motivation to eat. The right superior temporal sulcus (STS) was the only region that exhibited greater activation for high versus low calorie food choices between foods matched on liking. Together with previous studies, this suggests that STS activation during food evaluation and choice may reflect the food’s biological relevance independent of food preference. This novel finding warrants further research into the effects of hunger state and weight status on STS, which may provide a marker of biological relevance. PMID:26167916

Choice and Control within Family Relationships: The Lived Experience of Adults with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curryer, Bernadette; Stancliffe, Roger J.; Dew, Angela; Wiese, Michele Y.

2018-01-01

Increased choice and control is a driving force of current disability policy in Australia for people with disability and their families. Yet little is known of how adults with intellectual disability (ID) actually experience choice and control within their family relationships. We used interpretative phenomenological analysis of individual,…

[Value of the study of cochlear microphonic recordings in deep and severe deafness].

PubMed

Moatti, L; Busquet, D; Cotin, G

1983-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the contribution of cochlear microphonic potential recordings during electrophysiologic audiometry examinations. Amplitude of microphonic recordings were correlated with the degree of deafness, its etiology, and the prosthetic prognosis in 38 electrocochleographic examinations. Preliminary results are analyzed.

Force Concept Inventory-Based Multiple-Choice Test for Investigating Students' Representational Consistency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieminen, Pasi; Savinainen, Antti; Viiri, Jouni

2010-01-01

This study investigates students' ability to interpret multiple representations consistently (i.e., representational consistency) in the context of the force concept. For this purpose we developed the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI), which makes use of nine items from the 1995 version of the Force Concept Inventory…

The contribution of family history to hearing loss in an older population.

PubMed

McMahon, Catherine M; Kifley, Annette; Rochtchina, Elena; Newall, Philip; Mitchell, Paul

2008-08-01

Although it has been well established that the prevalence of and severity of hearing loss increase with age, the contribution of familial factors to age-related hearing loss cannot be quantified. This is largely because hearing loss in older people has both genetic and environmental contributions. As environmental factors play an increasing role with age, it is difficult to delineate the separate contribution of genetic factors to age-related hearing loss. In a population-based survey of hearing loss in a representative older Australian community, we attempted to overcome this using logistic regression analysis, accounting for known factors associated with hearing loss including age, sex, noise exposure at work, diabetes, and current smoking. We tested hearing thresholds using pure tone audiometry and used a forced choice questionnaire to determine the nature of family history in a population of individuals aged 50 yrs or older in a defined region, west of Sydney, Australia (N = 2669). We compared the characteristics of participants with and without family history of hearing loss. Of those reporting a positive family history, we compared subgroups for age, gender and severity of hearing loss, and trends by the severity of hearing loss. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that compared the chances of having hearing loss in participants with and without family history, after adjusting for other factors known associated with hearing loss. Our findings indicate that family history was most strongly associated with moderate to severe age-related hearing loss. We found a strong association between maternal family history of hearing loss and moderate to severe hearing loss in women (adjusted OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.6-5.6 in women with without a maternal history). Paternal family history of hearing loss was also significantly, though less strongly, associated with moderate-severe hearing loss in men (adjusted OR 2.0; CI 1.01-3.9 in men with than without a paternal history). Findings from this study are important in the identification of individuals whose auditory system may be genetically susceptible to aging and environmental insult. Genetic counseling may assist in ameliorating the effects of hearing loss.

Speech Recognition Thresholds for Multilingual Populations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramkissoon, Ishara

2001-01-01

This article traces the development of speech audiometry in the United States and reports on the current status, focusing on the needs of a multilingual population in terms of measuring speech recognition threshold (SRT). It also discusses sociolinguistic considerations, alternative SRT stimuli for second language learners, and research on using…

Diagnosing Dyslexia: The Screening of Auditory Laterality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johansen, Kjeld

A study investigated whether a correlation exists between the degree and nature of left-brain laterality and specific reading and spelling difficulties. Subjects, 50 normal readers and 50 reading disabled persons native to the island of Bornholm, had their auditory laterality screened using pure-tone audiometry and dichotic listening. Results…

Relations between Neurological Aberrations and Psychological Dysfunctions in Children with Serious Language Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bo, Ola O.; And Others

1992-01-01

Relationships between neuropsychological aberrations and psychological dysfunction were studied for 20 Swedish children (average age around 10 years at first testing) with serious language problems through (1) electroencephalography; (2) brain stem response audiometry; (3) magnetic resonance imaging; and (4) brain electric activity mapping by…

A Classical Conditioning Procedure for the Hearing Assessment of Multiply Handicapped Persons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancioni, Giulio E.; And Others

1989-01-01

Hearing assessments of multiply handicapped children/adolescents were conducted using classical conditioning (with an air puff as unconditioned stimulus) and operant conditioning (with a modified visual reinforcement audiometry procedure or edible reinforcement). Findings indicate that classical conditioning was successful with 21 of the 23…

Using Module Analysis for Multiple Choice Responses: A New Method Applied to Force Concept Inventory Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewe, Eric; Bruun, Jesper; Bearden, Ian G.

2016-01-01

We describe "Module Analysis for Multiple Choice Responses" (MAMCR), a new methodology for carrying out network analysis on responses to multiple choice assessments. This method is used to identify modules of non-normative responses which can then be interpreted as an alternative to factor analysis. MAMCR allows us to identify conceptual…

Testing Transitivity of Preferences on Two-Alternative Forced Choice Data

PubMed Central

Regenwetter, Michel; Dana, Jason; Davis-Stober, Clintin P.

2010-01-01

As Duncan Luce and other prominent scholars have pointed out on several occasions, testing algebraic models against empirical data raises difficult conceptual, mathematical, and statistical challenges. Empirical data often result from statistical sampling processes, whereas algebraic theories are nonprobabilistic. Many probabilistic specifications lead to statistical boundary problems and are subject to nontrivial order constrained statistical inference. The present paper discusses Luce's challenge for a particularly prominent axiom: Transitivity. The axiom of transitivity is a central component in many algebraic theories of preference and choice. We offer the currently most complete solution to the challenge in the case of transitivity of binary preference on the theory side and two-alternative forced choice on the empirical side, explicitly for up to five, and implicitly for up to seven, choice alternatives. We also discuss the relationship between our proposed solution and weak stochastic transitivity. We recommend to abandon the latter as a model of transitive individual preferences. PMID:21833217

Spoken Word Recognition Errors in Speech Audiometry: A Measure of Hearing Performance?

PubMed Central

Coene, Martine; van der Lee, Anneke; Govaerts, Paul J.

2015-01-01

This report provides a detailed analysis of incorrect responses from an open-set spoken word-repetition task which is part of a Dutch speech audiometric test battery. Single-consonant confusions were analyzed from 230 normal hearing participants in terms of the probability of choice of a particular response on the basis of acoustic-phonetic, lexical, and frequency variables. The results indicate that consonant confusions are better predicted by lexical knowledge than by acoustic properties of the stimulus word. A detailed analysis of the transmission of phonetic features indicates that “voicing” is best preserved whereas “manner of articulation” yields most perception errors. As consonant confusion matrices are often used to determine the degree and type of a patient's hearing impairment, to predict a patient's gain in hearing performance with hearing devices and to optimize the device settings in view of maximum output, the observed findings are highly relevant for the audiological practice. Based on our findings, speech audiometric outcomes provide a combined auditory-linguistic profile of the patient. The use of confusion matrices might therefore not be the method best suited to measure hearing performance. Ideally, they should be complemented by other listening task types that are known to have less linguistic bias, such as phonemic discrimination. PMID:26557717

The effect of forced choice on facial emotion recognition: a comparison to open verbal classification of emotion labels

PubMed Central

Limbrecht-Ecklundt, Kerstin; Scheck, Andreas; Jerg-Bretzke, Lucia; Walter, Steffen; Hoffmann, Holger; Traue, Harald C.

2013-01-01

Objective: This article includes the examination of potential methodological problems of the application of a forced choice response format in facial emotion recognition. Methodology: 33 subjects were presented with validated facial stimuli. The task was to make a decision about which emotion was shown. In addition, the subjective certainty concerning the decision was recorded. Results: The detection rates are 68% for fear, 81% for sadness, 85% for anger, 87% for surprise, 88% for disgust, and 94% for happiness, and are thus well above the random probability. Conclusion: This study refutes the concern that the use of forced choice formats may not adequately reflect actual recognition performance. The use of standardized tests to examine emotion recognition ability leads to valid results and can be used in different contexts. For example, the images presented here appear suitable for diagnosing deficits in emotion recognition in the context of psychological disorders and for mapping treatment progress. PMID:23798981

Reiter's syndrome and hearing loss: a possible association?

PubMed

Monsanto, Rafael C; Neto, Arlindo C L; Lorenzetti, Fábio T M

2014-12-01

Patient complained of hearing loss and tinnitus after the onset of Reiter's syndrome. Audiometry confirmed the hearing loss on the left ear; blood work showed increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C3 fraction of the complement. Genotyping for HLA-B27 was positive. Treatment with prednisolone did not improve the hearing levels.

Is There a Silent Hearing Loss among Children in Jordan?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alaqrabawi, Wala' S.; Alshawabka, Amneh Z.; Al-Addasi, Zainab M.

2016-01-01

This study measured the prevalence of hearing loss among school children in Jordan. A random sample of 1649 children (990 males and 659 females) was collected from randomly chosen 40 schools in Amman. Screening was conducted between November 2010 and October 2014. Otoscopic examination, tympanometry, and audiometry were used for screening. Based…

THE DEAF. PRENTICE-HALL FOUNDATIONS OF SPEECH PATHOLOGY SERIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DI CARLO, LOUIS M.

DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS OF SPEECH PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY AND PRACTICING CLINICIANS, THIS BOOK PRESENTS AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF ATTEMPTS TO TEACH THE DEAF FROM BEFORE THE 15TH CENTURY THROUGH THE 20TH CENTURY. A DISCUSSION OF DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES FOR AUDITORY DISORDERS IN CHILDREN INCLUDED INFORMAL TESTING, PLAY AUDIOMETRY, SPEECH TESTS,…

Q-Type Factor Analysis of Healthy Aged Men.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleban, Morton H.

Q-type factor analysis was used to re-analyze baseline data collected in 1957, on 47 men aged 65-91. Q-type analysis is the use of factor methods to study persons rather than tests. Although 550 variables were originally studied involving psychiatry, medicine, cerebral metabolism and chemistry, personality, audiometry, dichotic and diotic memory,…

Diagnosis of Hearing Loss.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Federation of the Deaf, Rome (Italy).

Seven conference papers from the U.S.S.R., India, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia consider the diagnosis of hearing loss. They are "Examination of Hearing of Children, Aged from 2 to 5, by Means of Playing Audiometry" by A. P. Kossacheva, "A Study of the Etiology and Pattern of Deafness in a School for the Deaf in Madras,…

Auditory effects of aircraft noise on people living near an airport.

PubMed

Chen, T J; Chen, S S; Hsieh, P Y; Chiang, H C

1997-01-01

Two groups of randomly chosen individuals who lived in two communities located different distances from the airport were studied. We monitored audiometry and brainstem auditory-evoked potentials to evaluate cochlear and retrocochlear functions in the individuals studied. The results of audiometry measurements indicated that hearing ability was reduced significantly in individuals who lived near the airport and who were exposed frequently to aircraft noise. Values of pure-tone average, high pure-tone average, and threshold at 4 kHz were all higher in individuals who lived near the airport, compared with those who lived farther away. With respect to brainstem auditory-evoked potentials, latencies between the two groups were not consistently different; however, the abnormality rate of such potentials was significantly higher in volunteers who lived near the airport, compared with less-exposed counterparts. In addition, a positive correlation was found between brainstem auditory-evoked potential latency and behavioral hearing threshold of high-frequency tone in exposed volunteers. We not only confirmed that damage to the peripheral cochlear organs occurred in individuals exposed frequently to aircraft noise, but we demonstrated involvement of the central auditory pathway.

The effect of mobile phone to audiologic system.

PubMed

Kerekhanjanarong, Virachai; Supiyaphun, Pakpoom; Naratricoon, Jantra; Laungpitackchumpon, Prinya

2005-09-01

Mobile phones have come into widespread use. There are a lot of possible adverse effect to health. Use of mobile phone generate potentially harmful radiofrequency electromagnetic field (EMF) particularly for the hearing aspect. 98 subjects underwent hearing evaluations at Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University. 31 males and 67females, mean age was 30.48 +/- 9.51 years old, all subjects were investigated the hearing level by audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emission (OAE) and auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR). The average of using time were 32.54 +/- 27.64 months, 57 subjects usually used the right side and 41 the left side. Average time of use per day was 26.31 +/- 30.91 minutes (range from 3 to 180 mins). When the authors compared the audiogram, both pure tone and speech audiometry, between the dominant and nondominant side, it indicated that there is no significant different. When the authors focused on the 8 subjects that used the mobile phone more than 60 mins per day. It indicated that the hearing threshold of the dominant ears was worse than the nondominant ears.

Transiently-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (teoaes) in Monitoring Adult Cis-Platin Patients.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribera, John Everett

1995-01-01

There is evidence to suggest that otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) reflect the integrity of cochlear outer hair cell (OHC) function. Cis-platin (CDDP) is a potent ototoxic chemotherapeutic agent that tends to destroy or disable OHCs. Therefore, this study was designed to answer the following questions: (1) Can TEOAEs be used in monitoring for ototoxicity in adult VA oncology patients receiving CDDP treatment? (2) If so, how sensitive are TEOAEs in detecting significant changes when compared to Audiometry in a VA population? and (3) Which of several TEOAE measures is the most sensitive to changes in hearing due to CDDP ototoxicity in a VA population?. In Experiment I, VA Medical Center patients were recruited (control group) and tested using a conventional audiometer and the ILO88 Otoacoustic Analyzer on three separate days. Data from this experiment were used to develop change criteria in each of four TEOAE measures (Reproducibility, Compare, 1 kHz Band Analysis, and OAE Response) for Experiment II. Experiment II was of similar design with the exception that the subjects (experimental group) were patients enrolled from the oncology ward and were administered CDDP after the first and second test sessions. Data from both groups and all test measures revealed (1) that there was no ear effect in any of the test conditions, (2) there was a group (drug) effect, and (3) there was a frequency effect at 2 kHz. Audiometry detected changes in 56% of the experimental subjects, while the number of changes varied among the TEOAE measures studied. Compare agreed with Audiometry more often and performed better than any other TEOAE measure in detecting change. Based on these findings, incorporation of Compare into an audiometric test battery to monitor for ototoxicity in the VA population is feasible. There is evidence to suggest that as measurement techniques are refined TEOAE analysis will become a valid test for monitoring of adult CDDP patients.

Color constrasts in advertising: facade colors of food and drink consumption venues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchings, John

2002-06-01

The building facade has a visually defined impact and there are numerous forces driving the choice of colors used. Commercial premises such as pubs, restaurants and bars are normally but not always clearly marked as such. Although we human beings can have the option of free choice in the colors we use around the home there are numerous positive driving forces dictating those we use in business life. Many of these factors have been identified. They depend on the type of population these venues serve, their geography and their traditions.

Comprehension of idioms by children with learning disabilities: metaphoric transparency and syntactic frozenness.

PubMed

Abrahamsen, Eileen P; Burke-Williams, Debra

2004-05-01

Third and fifth grade children with and without learning disabilities participated in this study. Syntactically frozen and flexible idioms and transparent and opaque idioms were used as stimuli to examine the ability to identify the correct idiom and to explain idiom meanings. Grade and diagnostic category affected performance on the explanation task but not on the forced choice task. Idiom type was also a factor affecting comprehension and explanation. Literal responses occurred rarely and were more likely to occur on the forced choice task.

[Criteria for choice and purchase of gloves: quality or cheapness? The role of the Occupational Health Physician].

PubMed

Micheloni, G; Baruffini, Adriana

2008-01-01

The choice of gloves in the healthcare settings is very important because of the high biological and chemical risks present in these workplaces. In order to rationalize and optimize this choice we must balance cost, quality, security and comfort. The aim of this study was to analyse the rules in force and to point out the relevant role of the Occupational Health Physician in the right choice and purchase of sanitary gloves. We reviewed the rules in force and the most relevant studies on these topics. The regulations in force provide that the manufacturers must perform tests to supply evidence for the quality of the products but they do not indicate which analytical method should be used and they do not require that the results are reported in the technical sheets. Thus the manufacturers have only to declare to be "in accordance with the rules". Therefore purchasers should require the manufacturing companies to give detailed information and verify their reliability. Moreover rules could be adapted to higher quality standards. The Occupational Health Physician should suggest the purchase of gloves with high biocompatibility, assuring the protection from the risks of specific tasks and suitable for preventing the onset of new glove-related diseases and the relapses in workers with already diagnosed occupational diseases.

Portable haptic interface with omni-directional movement and force capability.

PubMed

Avizzano, Carlo Alberto; Satler, Massimo; Ruffaldi, Emanuele

2014-01-01

We describe the design of a new mobile haptic interface that employs wheels for force rendering. The interface, consisting of an omni-directional Killough type platform, provides 2DOF force feedback with different control modalities. The system autonomously performs sensor fusion for localization and force rendering. This paper explains the relevant choices concerning the functional aspects, the control design, the mechanical and electronic solution. Experimental results for force feedback characterization are reported.

2012 CSAF Reading List

Science.gov Websites

Force TV Radio Week in Photos About Us Air Force Senior Leaders SECAF CSAF CMSAF Biographies Adjunct ; 2012 CSAF Reading List Film Choices Apollo 13 book cover Apollo 13 Camp Victory book cover Camp Victory

Age-Related Impairment on a Forced-Choice Version of the Mnemonic Similarity Task

PubMed Central

Huffman, Derek J.; Stark, Craig E. L.

2018-01-01

Previous studies from our lab have indicated that healthy older adults are impaired in their ability to mnemonically discriminate between previously viewed objects and similar lure objects in the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST). These studies have used either old/similar/new or old/new test formats. The forced-choice test format (e.g., “Did you see object A or object A’ during the encoding phase?”) relies on different assumptions than the old/new test format (e.g., “Did you see this object during the encoding phase?”); hence, converging evidence from these approaches would bolster the conclusion that healthy aging is accompanied by impaired performance on the MST. Consistent with our hypothesis, healthy older adults exhibited impaired performance on a forced-choice test format that required discriminating between a target and a similar lure. We also tested the hypothesis that age-related impairments on the MST could be modeled within a global matching computational framework. We found that decreasing the probability of successful feature encoding in the models caused changes that were similar to the empirical data in healthy older adults. Collectively, our behavioral results extend to the forced-choice test format the finding that healthy aging is accompanied by an impaired ability to discriminate between targets and similar lures, and our modeling results suggest that a diminished probability of encoding stimulus features is a candidate mechanism for memory changes in healthy aging. We also discuss the ability of global matching models to account for findings in other studies that have used variants on mnemonic similarity tasks. PMID:28004951

Age-related impairment on a forced-choice version of the Mnemonic Similarity Task.

PubMed

Huffman, Derek J; Stark, Craig E L

2017-02-01

Previous studies from our lab have indicated that healthy older adults are impaired in their ability to mnemonically discriminate between previously viewed objects and similar lure objects in the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST). These studies have used either old/similar/new or old/new test formats. The forced-choice test format (e.g., "Did you see object A or object A' during the encoding phase?") relies on different assumptions than the old/new test format (e.g., "Did you see this object during the encoding phase?"); hence, converging evidence from these approaches would bolster the conclusion that healthy aging is accompanied by impaired performance on the MST. Consistent with our hypothesis, healthy older adults exhibited impaired performance on a forced-choice test format that required discriminating between a target and a similar lure. We also tested the hypothesis that age-related impairments on the MST could be modeled within a global matching computational framework. We found that decreasing the probability of successful feature encoding in the models caused changes that were similar to the empirical data in healthy older adults. Collectively, our behavioral results using the forced-choice format extend the finding that healthy aging is accompanied by an impaired ability to discriminate between targets and similar lures, and our modeling results suggest that a diminished probability of encoding stimulus features is a candidate mechanism for memory changes in healthy aging. We also discuss the ability of global matching models to account for findings in other studies that have used variants on mnemonic similarity tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A Multinomial Model for Identifying Significant Pure-Tone Threshold Shifts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlauch, Robert S.; Carney, Edward

2007-01-01

Purpose: Significant threshold differences on retest for pure-tone audiometry are often evaluated by application of ad hoc rules, such as a shift in a pure-tone average or in 2 adjacent frequencies that exceeds a predefined amount. Rules that are so derived do not consider the probability of observing a particular audiogram. Methods: A general…

Reiter's syndrome and hearing loss: a possible association?

PubMed Central

Monsanto, Rafael C; Neto, Arlindo C L; Lorenzetti, Fábio T M

2014-01-01

Key Clinical Message Patient complained of hearing loss and tinnitus after the onset of Reiter's syndrome. Audiometry confirmed the hearing loss on the left ear; blood work showed increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C3 fraction of the complement. Genotyping for HLA-B27 was positive. Treatment with prednisolone did not improve the hearing levels. PMID:25548635

Pediatric Audiometry: The Relative Success of Toy and Video Reinforcers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doggett, Sheryl; Gans, Donald P.; Stein, Ramona

2000-01-01

An operate conditional technique was used to determine the relative success of toys and video shows as reinforcers for testing the hearing of 28 younger (30-month-old) and 28 older (45-month old) children. Animated toys and video shows for children were equally effective as reinforcers for both age groups. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Using Likert-type and ipsative/forced choice items in sequence to generate a preference.

PubMed

Ried, L Douglas

2014-01-01

Collaboration and implementation of a minimum, standardized set of core global educational and professional competencies seems appropriate given the expanding international evolution of pharmacy practice. However, winnowing down hundreds of competencies from a plethora of local, national and international competency frameworks to select the most highly preferred to be included in the core set is a daunting task. The objective of this paper is to describe a combination of strategies used to ascertain the most highly preferred items among a large number of disparate items. In this case, the items were >100 educational and professional competencies that might be incorporated as the core components of new and existing competency frameworks. Panelists (n = 30) from the European Union (EU) and United States (USA) were chosen to reflect a variety of practice settings. Each panelist completed two electronic surveys. The first survey presented competencies in a Likert-type format and the second survey presented many of the same competencies in an ipsative/forced choice format. Item mean scores were calculated for each competency, the competencies were ranked, and non-parametric statistical tests were used to ascertain the consistency in the rankings achieved by the two strategies. This exploratory study presented over 100 competencies to the panelists in the beginning. The two methods provided similar results, as indicated by the significant correlation between the rankings (Spearman's rho = 0.30, P < 0.09). A two-step strategy using Likert-type and ipsative/forced choice formats in sequence, appears to be useful in a situation where a clear preference is required from among a large number of choices. The ipsative/forced choice format resulted in some differences in the competency preferences because the panelists could not rate them equally by design. While this strategy was used for the selection of professional educational competencies in this exploratory study, it is applicable in other situations where a smaller set of highly preferred items might be selected from a large list of choices in other areas of inquiry (e.g., patient reported outcomes). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of decision criterion in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) false recognition memory: False memory falls and rises as a function of restriction on criterion setting.

PubMed

Jou, Jerwen; Escamilla, Eric E; Arredondo, Mario L; Pena, Liann; Zuniga, Richard; Perez, Martin; Garcia, Clarissa

2018-02-01

How much of the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) false memory is attributable to decision criterion is so far a controversial issue. Previous studies typically used explicit warnings against accepting the critical lure to investigate this issue. The assumption is that if the false memory results from using a liberally biased criterion, it should be greatly reduced or eliminated by an explicit warning against accepting the critical lure. Results showed that warning was generally ineffective. We asked the question of whether subjects can substantially reduce false recognition without being warned when the test forces them to make a distinction between true and false memories. Using a two-alternative forced choice in which criterion plays a relatively smaller role, we showed that subjects could indeed greatly reduce the rate of false recognition. However, when the forced-choice restriction was removed from the two-item choice test, the rate of false recognition rebounded to that of the hit for studied list words, indicating the role of criterion in false recognition.

Merging Psychophysical and Psychometric Theory to Estimate Global Visual State Measures from Forced-Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massof, Robert W.; Schmidt, Karen M.; Laby, Daniel M.; Kirschen, David; Meadows, David

2013-09-01

Visual acuity, a forced-choice psychophysical measure of visual spatial resolution, is the sine qua non of clinical visual impairment testing in ophthalmology and optometry patients with visual system disorders ranging from refractive error to retinal, optic nerve, or central visual system pathology. Visual acuity measures are standardized against a norm, but it is well known that visual acuity depends on a variety of stimulus parameters, including contrast and exposure duration. This paper asks if it is possible to estimate a single global visual state measure from visual acuity measures as a function of stimulus parameters that can represent the patient's overall visual health state with a single variable. Psychophysical theory (at the sensory level) and psychometric theory (at the decision level) are merged to identify the conditions that must be satisfied to derive a global visual state measure from parameterised visual acuity measures. A global visual state measurement model is developed and tested with forced-choice visual acuity measures from 116 subjects with no visual impairments and 560 subjects with uncorrected refractive error. The results are in agreement with the expectations of the model.

Force of Choice: Optimizing Theater Special Operations Commands to Achieve Synchronized Effects

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

GCC Geographic Combatant Command GFM Global Force Management GSN Global SOF Network (aka EGSN) IA Interagency IATF Interagency Task Force...and through African partners.75 SOCOM NCR was chosen because it is a primary outgrowth of the SOCOM Interagency Task Force ( IATF ), and the...result, SOCOM established the IATF and Special Operations Support Teams (SOST). While the IATF remained at SOCOM Headquarters at MacDill AFB, the

Eye-tracking of visual attention in web-based assessment using the Force Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jing; Chen, Li; Fu, Zhao; Fritchman, Joseph; Bao, Lei

2017-07-01

This study used eye-tracking technology to investigate students’ visual attention while taking the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) in a web-based interface. Eighty nine university students were randomly selected into a pre-test group and a post-test group. Students took the 30-question FCI on a computer equipped with an eye-tracker. There were seven weeks of instruction between the pre- and post-test data collection. Students’ performance on the FCI improved significantly from pre-test to post-test. Meanwhile, the eye-tracking results reveal that the time students spent on taking the FCI test was not affected by student performance and did not change from pre-test to post-test. Analysis of students’ attention to answer choices shows that on the pre-test students primarily focused on the naïve choices and ignored the expert choices. On the post-test, although students had shifted their primary attention to the expert choices, they still kept a high level of attention to the naïve choices, indicating significant conceptual mixing and competition during problem solving. Outcomes of this study provide new insights on students’ conceptual development in learning physics.

An Information Infrastructure for Enrollment Management: Tracking and Understanding Your Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clagett, Craig A.; Kerr, Helen S.

Enrollment management is defined as coordinated effort to influence the size and characteristics of an institution's student body through recruitment, admissions, pricing, financial aid, advising, and other policy choices. Enrollment managers must understand the forces that influence individual decisions about college choice and persistence. One…

School Choice and Administrators: Will Principals Become Marketers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robenstine, Clark

2000-01-01

Argues that school choice, with its reliance on market forces, has serious implications for what goes on inside the school and the principal's role. Looks at changes in administrative focus and management style; at administrators and school marketing, with image management increasingly preoccupying school administrators; and the almost exclusive…

d'plus: A program to calculate accuracy and bias measures from detection and discrimination data.

PubMed

Macmillan, N A; Creelman, C D

1997-01-01

The program d'plus calculates accuracy (sensitivity) and response-bias parameters using Signal Detection Theory. Choice Theory, and 'nonparametric' models. is is appropriate for data from one-interval, two- and three-interval forced-choice, same different, ABX, and oddity experimental paradigms.

Side Effects in Time Discounting Procedures: Fixed Alternatives Become the Reference Point

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Typical research on intertemporal choice utilizes a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) paradigm requiring participants to choose between a smaller sooner and larger later payoff. In the adjusting-amount procedure (AAP) one of the alternatives is fixed and the other is adjusted according to particular choices made by the participant. Such a method makes the alternatives unequal in status and is speculated to make the fixed alternative a reference point for choices, thereby affecting the decision made. The current study shows that fixing different alternatives in the AAP influences discount rates in intertemporal choices. Specifically, individuals’ (N = 283) choices were affected to just the same extent by merely fixing an alternative as when choices were preceded by scenarios explicitly imposing reference points. PMID:27768759

Design and analysis of simple choice surveys for natural resource management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fieberg, John; Cornicelli, Louis; Fulton, David C.; Grund, Marrett D.

2010-01-01

We used a simple yet powerful method for judging public support for management actions from randomized surveys. We asked respondents to rank choices (representing management regulations under consideration) according to their preference, and we then used discrete choice models to estimate probability of choosing among options (conditional on the set of options presented to respondents). Because choices may share similar unmodeled characteristics, the multinomial logit model, commonly applied to discrete choice data, may not be appropriate. We introduced the nested logit model, which offers a simple approach for incorporating correlation among choices. This forced choice survey approach provides a useful method of gathering public input; it is relatively easy to apply in practice, and the data are likely to be more informative than asking constituents to rate attractiveness of each option separately.

DNA unzipping with asymmetric periodic forces: Robustness of the scaling behavior of hysteresis loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Tanmoy; Kumar, Sanjay

2018-01-01

We study the effect of periodic unzipping forces (symmetric and asymmetric) on the steady-state hysteresis loop area of force-extension curves of DNA. For the triangular force, we get back the previously reported scaling exponents but for the ratchet force, we find that the scaling exponents deviate from the reported ones. We also study the temperature dependence of the scaling exponents for the triangular force. At the low-frequency regime, the choice of the scaling form determines whether the scaling exponents depend on the temperature or not.

[Erespal effectiveness in exudative otitis media].

PubMed

Levina, Iu V; Luchikhin, L A; Krasiuk, A A

2003-01-01

Standard conservative treatment of exudative otitis media (EOM) was performed in 82 patients, but 44 of them received adjuvant fenspiride (erespal) in a dose 80 mg per os 3 times a day for 10 days. Dynamic pure tone audiometry, tympanometry and subjective response demonstrated higher treatment efficiency in the erespal group. Therefore, it is recommended to include erespal in combined conventional therapy of EOM.

Risks to hearing from a rock concert.

PubMed Central

Yassi, A.; Pollock, N.; Tran, N.; Cheang, M.

1993-01-01

We measured noise exposure and temporary threshold shift (TTS) from a rock concert for 22 volunteers, using dosimetry, questionnaires, and audiometry. Most (81%) participants showed TTS of 10 dB or more 5 to 25 minutes after exposure; of these, 76% showed continued TTS at 40 to 60 minutes. Family physicians should counsel patients about the risks of recreational noise. PMID:8499785

Examining the "WorkFORCE"™ Assessment for Job Fit and Core Capabilities of "FACETS"™. Research Report. ETS RR-14-32

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naemi, Bobby; Seybert, Jacob; Robbins, Steven; Kyllonen, Patrick

2014-01-01

This report introduces the "WorkFORCE"™ Assessment for Job Fit, a personality assessment utilizing the "FACETS"™ core capability, which is based on innovations in forced-choice assessment and computer adaptive testing. The instrument is derived from the fivefactor model (FFM) of personality and encompasses a broad spectrum of…

Influence of compact disk recording protocols on reliability and comparability of speech audiometry outcomes: acoustic analysis.

PubMed

Di Berardino, F; Tognola, G; Paglialonga, A; Alpini, D; Grandori, F; Cesarani, A

2010-08-01

To assess whether different compact disk recording protocols, used to prepare speech test material, affect the reliability and comparability of speech audiometry testing. We conducted acoustic analysis of compact disks used in clinical practice, to determine whether speech material had been recorded using similar procedures. To assess the impact of different recording procedures on speech test outcomes, normal hearing subjects were tested using differently prepared compact disks, and their psychometric curves compared. Acoustic analysis revealed that speech material had been recorded using different protocols. The major difference was the gain between the levels at which the speech material and the calibration signal had been recorded. Although correct calibration of the audiometer was performed for each compact disk before testing, speech recognition thresholds and maximum intelligibility thresholds differed significantly between compact disks (p < 0.05), and were influenced by the gain between the recording level of the speech material and the calibration signal. To ensure the reliability and comparability of speech test outcomes obtained using different compact disks, it is recommended to check for possible differences in the recording gains used to prepare the compact disks, and then to compensate for any differences before testing.

Ototoxicity (cochleotoxicity) classifications: A review.

PubMed

Crundwell, Gemma; Gomersall, Phil; Baguley, David M

2016-01-01

Drug-mediated ototoxicity, specifically cochleotoxicity, is a concern for patients receiving medications for the treatment of serious illness. A number of classification schemes exist, most of which are based on pure-tone audiometry, in order to assist non-audiological/non-otological specialists in the identification and monitoring of iatrogenic hearing loss. This review identifies the primary classification systems used in cochleototoxicity monitoring. By bringing together classifications published in discipline-specific literature, the paper aims to increase awareness of their relative strengths and limitations in the assessment and monitoring of ototoxic hearing loss and to indicate how future classification systems may improve upon the status-quo. Literature review. PubMed identified 4878 articles containing the search term ototox*. A systematic search identified 13 key classification systems. Cochleotoxicity classification systems can be divided into those which focus on hearing change from a baseline audiogram and those that focus on the functional impact of the hearing loss. Common weaknesses of these grading scales included a lack of sensitivity to small adverse changes in hearing thresholds, a lack of high-frequency audiometry (>8 kHz), and lack of indication of which changes are likely to be clinically significant for communication and quality of life.

Reduced auditory efferent activity in childhood selective mutism.

PubMed

Bar-Haim, Yair; Henkin, Yael; Ari-Even-Roth, Daphne; Tetin-Schneider, Simona; Hildesheimer, Minka; Muchnik, Chava

2004-06-01

Selective mutism is a psychiatric disorder of childhood characterized by consistent inability to speak in specific situations despite the ability to speak normally in others. The objective of this study was to test whether reduced auditory efferent activity, which may have direct bearings on speaking behavior, is compromised in selectively mute children. Participants were 16 children with selective mutism and 16 normally developing control children matched for age and gender. All children were tested for pure-tone audiometry, speech reception thresholds, speech discrimination, middle-ear acoustic reflex thresholds and decay function, transient evoked otoacoustic emission, suppression of transient evoked otoacoustic emission, and auditory brainstem response. Compared with control children, selectively mute children displayed specific deficiencies in auditory efferent activity. These aberrations in efferent activity appear along with normal pure-tone and speech audiometry and normal brainstem transmission as indicated by auditory brainstem response latencies. The diminished auditory efferent activity detected in some children with SM may result in desensitization of their auditory pathways by self-vocalization and in reduced control of masking and distortion of incoming speech sounds. These children may gradually learn to restrict vocalization to the minimal amount possible in contexts that require complex auditory processing.

The effect of head protection on the hearing of rugby players.

PubMed

Kieran, S M; Dunne, J; Hughes, J P; Fenton, J E

2008-09-01

Professional rugby players utilise various methods of head protection to prevent against the development of a pinna haematoma. This study tests the hypothesis that these measures, whilst preventing injury, decrease the wearers' hearing threshold and therefore their performance. Eight patients had free field audiometry performed in a soundproof room, with warble tones. All patients were young men (mean 24.75 years (range 22-34)). No participant had ear symptomatology or a past history of ear surgery. Three separate audiological assessments were performed on each patient: normal free field audiometry in a sound field room, following application of adhesive tape and whilst wearing a scrum cap. All measurements were performed by a single audiological scientist. A significant clinical drop in hearing threshold was defined as an increase of 10 dB. No patient demonstrated a significant drop in hearing threshold following the application of either tape or a scrum cap, nor was there a significant difference in the mean (SD) warble tone average: air 7.03 (5.47); tape 7.19 (6.40); scrum cap 6.56 (5.58). Theoretical concerns that "ear taping" and scrum caps affect hearing of rugby players are unfounded and should not discourage their use.

Validity and reliability of in-situ air conduction thresholds measured through hearing aids coupled to closed and open instant-fit tips.

PubMed

O'Brien, Anna; Keidser, Gitte; Yeend, Ingrid; Hartley, Lisa; Dillon, Harvey

2010-12-01

Audiometric measurements through a hearing aid ('in-situ') may facilitate provision of hearing services where these are limited. This study investigated the validity and reliability of in-situ air conduction hearing thresholds measured with closed and open domes relative to thresholds measured with insert earphones, and explored sources of variability in the measures. Twenty-four adults with sensorineural hearing impairment attended two sessions in which thresholds and real-ear-to-dial-difference (REDD) values were measured. Without correction, significantly higher low-frequency thresholds in dB HL were measured in-situ than with insert earphones. Differences were due predominantly to differences in ear canal SPL, as measured with the REDD, which were attributed to leaking low-frequency energy. Test-retest data yielded higher variability with the closed dome coupling due to inconsistent seals achieved with this tip. For all three conditions, inter-participant variability in the REDD values was greater than intra-participant variability. Overall, in-situ audiometry is as valid and reliable as conventional audiometry provided appropriate REDD corrections are made and ambient sound in the test environment is controlled.

[Comparative studies of the quality of the esophageal voice following laryngectomy: the insufflation test and reverse speech audiometry].

PubMed

Böhme, G; Clasen, B

1989-09-01

We carried out a transnasal insufflation test according to Blom and Singer on 27 laryngectomy patients as well as a speech communications test with the help of reverse speech audiometry, i.e. the post laryngectomy telephone test according to Zenner and Pfrang. The combined evaluation of both tests provided basic information on the quality of the esophagus voice and functionability of the speech organs. Both tests can be carried out quickly and easily and allow a differentiated statement to be made on the application possibilities of a esophagus voice, electronic speech aids and voice prothesis. Three groups could be identified from our results: 1. Insufflation test and reverse speech test provided conformable good or very good results. The esophagus voice was well understood. 2. Complete failure in the insufflation and telephone tests calls for further examinations to exclude any spasm, stricture, divertical and scarred membrane stenosis as well as tumor relapse in the region of the pharyngo-esophageal segments. 3. Organic causes must be looked for in the area of the nozzle as well as cranial nerve failure and social-determined causes in the case of normal insufflation and considerably reduced speech communication in the telephone test.

The use of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions as a hearing screen following grommet insertion.

PubMed

Dale, O T; McCann, L J; Thio, D; Wells, S C; Drysdale, A J

2011-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing as a screening tool for hearing loss in children, after grommet insertion. A prospective study was conducted of 48 children (91 ears) aged three to 16 years who had undergone grommet insertion for glue ear. At post-operative review, pure tone audiometry was performed followed by transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing. Outcomes for both tests, in each ear, were compared. The pure tone audiometry threshold was ≤ 20 dB in 85 ears (93.4 per cent), 25 dB in two ears (2.2 per cent) and ≥ 30 dB in four ears (4.4 per cent). Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions were detected in 69 ears (75.8 per cent). The sensitivity of transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing for detecting hearing loss was 100 per cent for ≥ 30 dB loss but only 66.7 per cent for ≥ 25 dB loss. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing offers a sensitive means of detecting hearing loss of ≥ 30 dB following grommet insertion in children. However, the use of such testing as a screening tool may miss some cases of mild hearing loss.

Atomic force microscopy contact, tapping, and jumping modes for imaging biological samples in liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno-Herrero, F.; Colchero, J.; Gómez-Herrero, J.; Baró, A. M.

2004-03-01

The capabilities of the atomic force microscope for imaging biomolecules under physiological conditions has been systematically investigated. Contact, dynamic, and jumping modes have been applied to four different biological systems: DNA, purple membrane, Alzheimer paired helical filaments, and the bacteriophage φ29. These samples have been selected to cover a wide variety of biological systems in terms of sizes and substrate contact area, which make them very appropriate for the type of comparative studies carried out in the present work. Although dynamic mode atomic force microscopy is clearly the best choice for imaging soft samples in air, in liquids there is not a leading technique. In liquids, the most appropriate imaging mode depends on the sample characteristics and preparation methods. Contact or dynamic modes are the best choices for imaging molecular assemblies arranged as crystals such as the purple membrane. In this case, the advantage of image acquisition speed predominates over the disadvantage of high lateral or normal force. For imaging individual macromolecules, which are weakly bonded to the substrate, lateral and normal forces are the relevant factors, and hence the jumping mode, an imaging mode which minimizes lateral and normal forces, is preferable to other imaging modes.

Factors influencing tests of auditory processing: a perspective on current issues and relevant concerns.

PubMed

Cacace, Anthony T; McFarland, Dennis J

2013-01-01

Tests of auditory perception, such as those used in the assessment of central auditory processing disorders ([C]APDs), represent a domain in audiological assessment where measurement of this theoretical construct is often confounded by nonauditory abilities due to methodological shortcomings. These confounds include the effects of cognitive variables such as memory and attention and suboptimal testing paradigms, including the use of verbal reproduction as a form of response selection. We argue that these factors need to be controlled more carefully and/or modified so that their impact on tests of auditory and visual perception is only minimal. To advocate for a stronger theoretical framework than currently exists and to suggest better methodological strategies to improve assessment of auditory processing disorders (APDs). Emphasis is placed on adaptive forced-choice psychophysical methods and the use of matched tasks in multiple sensory modalities to achieve these goals. Together, this approach has potential to improve the construct validity of the diagnosis, enhance and develop theory, and evolve into a preferred method of testing. Examination of methods commonly used in studies of APDs. Where possible, currently used methodology is compared to contemporary psychophysical methods that emphasize computer-controlled forced-choice paradigms. In many cases, the procedures used in studies of APD introduce confounding factors that could be minimized if computer-controlled forced-choice psychophysical methods were utilized. Ambiguities of interpretation, indeterminate diagnoses, and unwanted confounds can be avoided by minimizing memory and attentional demands on the input end and precluding the use of response-selection strategies that use complex motor processes on the output end. Advocated are the use of computer-controlled forced-choice psychophysical paradigms in combination with matched tasks in multiple sensory modalities to enhance the prospect of obtaining a valid diagnosis. American Academy of Audiology.

The importance of smell in patients with bronchiectasis.

PubMed

Guilemany, José Maria; Mariño-Sánchez, Franklin Santiago; Angrill, Joaquim; Alobid, Isam; Centellas, Silvia; Pujols, Laura; Berenguer, Joan; Bernal-Sprekelsen, Manuel; Picado, César; Mullol, Joaquim

2011-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the sense of smell in patients with bronchiectasis. Prospective controlled study was performed on 91 patients with bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis patients were sub-classified depending on: the presence of chronic rhinosinusitis, with or without nasal polyps, and the bronchiectasis ethiology. Olfactory function was evaluated by means of the Barcelona Smell Test (BAST-24) olfactometry for detection, identification, and forced choice for the first and fifth cranial nerve dependent odours in comparison to a group of 120 healthy volunteers. Most patients with bronchiectasis (80.2%) satisfied EP(3)OS criteria of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and 26.4% presented nasal polyps (NP). Smell detection, identification, and forced choice tests were significantly (p < 0.001) worse in bronchiectasis patients than healthy controls for both the 1st and 5th CN. Among subgroups, patients with CRS presented a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in smell detection compared to both healthy controls and patients without CRS. Patients with both CRS and NP presented a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in both smell detection and forced choice compared to patients with CRS and without NP. Patients with bronchiectasis and primary humoral immunodeficiency had a poorer smell detection (p < 0.001) and forced choice (p < 0.001) compared with post-infective and idiopathic bronchiectasis patients. Patients with bronchiectasis have a moderate loss of smell with a higher impairment in patients with CRS, being maximal in patients with NP. Patients with immunodeficiency bronchiectasis showed high prevalence of CRS, and therefore marked impairment on the sense of smell. The mechanism could be explained through a mixed ethiology (obstruction/inflammation). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of Simulated Global Ocean Carbon Flux Estimates to Forcing by Reanalysis Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregg, Watson W.; Casey, Nancy W.; Rousseaux, Cecile S.

2015-01-01

Reanalysis products from MERRA, NCEP2, NCEP1, and ECMWF were used to force an established ocean biogeochemical model to estimate air-sea carbon fluxes (FCO2) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the global oceans. Global air-sea carbon fluxes and pCO2 were relatively insensitive to the choice of forcing reanalysis. All global FCO2 estimates from the model forced by the four different reanalyses were within 20% of in situ estimates (MERRA and NCEP1 were within 7%), and all models exhibited statistically significant positive correlations with in situ estimates across the 12 major oceanographic basins. Global pCO2 estimates were within 1% of in situ estimates with ECMWF being the outlier at 0.6%. Basin correlations were similar to FCO2. There were, however, substantial departures among basin estimates from the different reanalysis forcings. The high latitudes and tropics had the largest ranges in estimated fluxes among the reanalyses. Regional pCO2 differences among the reanalysis forcings were muted relative to the FCO2 results. No individual reanalysis was uniformly better or worse in the major oceanographic basins. The results provide information on the characterization of uncertainty in ocean carbon models due to choice of reanalysis forcing.

One shot, one kill: the forces delivered by archer fish shots to distant targets.

PubMed

Burnette, Morgan F; Ashley-Ross, Miriam A

2015-10-01

Archer fishes are skillful hunters of terrestrial prey, firing jets of water that dislodge insects perched on overhead vegetation. In the current investigation, we sought an answer to the question: are distant targets impractical foraging choices? Targets far from the shooter might not be hit with sufficient force to cause them to fall. However, observations from other investigators show that archer fish fire streams of water that travel in a non-ballistic fashion, which is thought to keep on-target forces high, even to targets that are several body lengths distant from the fish. We presented targets at different distances and investigated three aspects of foraging behavior: (i) on-target forces, (ii) shot velocity, (iii) a two-target choice assay to determine if fish would show any preference for downing closer targets or more distant targets. In general, shots from our fish (Toxotes chatareus) showed a mild decrease (less than 15% on average) in on-target forces at our most distant target offered (5.8 body lengths) with respect to the closest target offered (2.3 body lengths). One individual in our investigation showed slightly, but significantly, greater on-target forces as target distance increased. Forces on the furthest targets offered were found to double that of attachment forces for 200mg insects, even for individuals whose on-target forces showed mild decreases with increases in target distance. High-speed video analysis of jet impact with the target revealed that the shot was traveling in a non-ballistic manner, even to our most distant target offered, corroborating previous suppositions that on-target forces should remain high. Fish were able to accomplish this without large changes to shot velocity, but we did find evidence that the water jets appeared to differ in the timing of their acceleration as target distance increased. Our two-target choice experiment revealed that fish show preference for downing the closer target first, even though impact forces on distant targets only showed mild decreases. Our overall findings (and the findings of others) suggest that archer fish modulate many aspects of their shooting behavior: from target selection to active control over the water jet that allows the fish to deliver reliably forceful impacts to prey over a wide range of distances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Special Operations Forces--Responsive, Capable, and Ready

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

communication Planning Criticisms of poor communications that hammeted mission success rangea from radio inoperability amorng raid force elements to strict...ons, an armory. and a means of rapid escape are also face the Unenviable choice of rushing light and inad- normally part of the complex. equate

Examining the Prediction of Reading Comprehension on Different Multiple-Choice Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreassen, Rune; Braten, Ivar

2010-01-01

In this study, 180 Norwegian fifth-grade students with a mean age of 10.5 years were administered measures of word recognition skills, strategic text processing, reading motivation and working memory. Six months later, the same students were given three different multiple-choice reading comprehension measures. Based on three forced-order…

An Introductory Summary of Various Effect Size Choices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cromwell, Susan

This paper provides a tutorial summary of some of the many effect size choices so that members of the Southwest Educational Research Association would be better able to follow the recommendations of the American Psychological Association (APA) publication manual, the APA Task Force on Statistical Inference, and the publication requirements of some…

Maximizing Choice: An Ethic for the Religious Persuader.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Emory A.

This paper maintains that persuasive efforts in religious discourse must include a respect for the right of individuals to make free choices. Some of the unethical practices discussed are: deception and flattery, where the persuader, in a spirit of conquest, entices the listener into wrong decision-making; physical or psychological force, where…

Education and Labor Force Skills in Postwar Japan. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taira, Koji; Levine, Solomon B.

As early as elementary school, a Japanese child faces a sequence of narrowing choices for an occupational future. Through decisions on further schooling, curriculum, and job entry, earlier choices severely restrict later ones. Usually, men go to four-year universities to study engineering or social sciences. Women generally attend two-year…

A Critical Look at Choice Options as Solutions to Milwaukee's Schooling Inequities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Thandeka K.; Antrop-Gonzalez, Rene

2011-01-01

Background/Context: The lack of court-ordered support for race-based policies that maintain and create integrated schools has forced communities of color to seek other avenues to obtain equitable education, such as school choice. Individual states and the federal government, as seen in grant provisions through the American Reinvestment and…

Choice and Compulsion: The End of an Era.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGhan, Barry

1998-01-01

Parents want to send their children to schools that are free not to teach everyone. Since schools are susceptible to societal disorders, pressures to provide school choices offering "safe havens" for learning will persist. Schools can do little to protect their learning environment from uncooperative students. A forced-exit process for unruly…

Magnets Adjust to New Climate of School Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Nora

2012-01-01

Once considered a way to help integrate racially divided districts, magnet schools today have been forced to evolve, given increasing pressure to provide more public school choices and legal barriers against using race to determine school enrollment. In a post-desegregation era, many large districts like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore County…

Consumer fears and familiarity of processed food. The value of information provided by the FTNS.

PubMed

Verneau, Fabio; Caracciolo, Francesco; Coppola, Adele; Lombardi, Pasquale

2014-02-01

Food choice and consumption behaviour are influenced by many interacting factors. In this paper we present an empirical effort to enhance understanding of the neophobia-neophilia forces affecting food choice. Starting from the analysis of consumer preferences for some of the most familiar highly processed foods, namely fat-reduced, functional (enriched drinks and yogurt) and ready-to-eat frozen food, our study investigates the role of traditional demographic variables vs attitudes to new food technologies in predicting the consumption behaviour of a sample of Italians buying such products. Consumer attitudes toward food technologies were collected by means of the Food Technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS). Moreover, this paper explicitly analyses the value of the information provided by the FTNS. Underlying the research is the hypothesis that the FTNS may contribute to provide a comprehensive picture of the driving forces behind consumers' behavioural responses towards processed foods which are the end-result of mature technologies. The four FTNS components, once measured and used independently, help clarify the influence on food choices of each neophobia-neophilia force (risk perception and novelty seeking, media influence, own health and environmental concerns) into a single, comprehensive framework. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role of Response Bias in Perceptual Learning

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Sensory judgments improve with practice. Such perceptual learning is often thought to reflect an increase in perceptual sensitivity. However, it may also represent a decrease in response bias, with unpracticed observers acting in part on a priori hunches rather than sensory evidence. To examine whether this is the case, 55 observers practiced making a basic auditory judgment (yes/no amplitude-modulation detection or forced-choice frequency/amplitude discrimination) over multiple days. With all tasks, bias was present initially, but decreased with practice. Notably, this was the case even on supposedly “bias-free,” 2-alternative forced-choice, tasks. In those tasks, observers did not favor the same response throughout (stationary bias), but did favor whichever response had been correct on previous trials (nonstationary bias). Means of correcting for bias are described. When applied, these showed that at least 13% of perceptual learning on a forced-choice task was due to reduction in bias. In other situations, changes in bias were shown to obscure the true extent of learning, with changes in estimated sensitivity increasing once bias was corrected for. The possible causes of bias and the implications for our understanding of perceptual learning are discussed. PMID:25867609

French Nuclear Forces,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-05

integrated military structure of NATO. This paper briefly reviews French declaratory strategy, ex- plores France’s current and projected force structure, 2...major tendgn- cies in French foreign policy--independent, European, and Atlanticist--without forcing a choice between them. It per- mits France to... French politics, while they admit France m enjoys widespread agreement on defense issues, question the 0 C depth of the consensus. For example, Pierre

Evanescent-wave bonding between optical waveguides.

PubMed

Povinelli, Michelle L; Loncar, Marko; Ibanescu, Mihai; Smythe, Elizabeth J; Johnson, Steven G; Capasso, Federico; Joannopoulos, John D

2005-11-15

Forces arising from overlap between the guided waves of parallel, microphotonic waveguides are calculated. Both attractive and repulsive forces, determined by the choice of relative input phase, are found. Using realistic parameters for a silicon-on-insulator material system, we estimate that the forces are large enough to cause observable displacements. Our results illustrate the potential for a broader class of optically tunable microphotonic devices and microstructured artificial materials.

Choice and Control Within Family Relationships: The Lived Experience of Adults With Intellectual Disability.

PubMed

Curryer, Bernadette; Stancliffe, Roger J; Dew, Angela; Wiese, Michele Y

2018-06-01

Increased choice and control is a driving force of current disability policy in Australia for people with disability and their families. Yet little is known of how adults with intellectual disability (ID) actually experience choice and control within their family relationships. We used interpretative phenomenological analysis of individual, semistructured interviews conducted with 8 Australian adults with ID to understand the meaning given to their experience of family support received around choice and decision making. Three themes were identified: (1) centrality of family, (2) experience of self-determination, and (3) limitations to choice and control. The participants identified trusted family members from whom guidance around choice and decision making was both sought and received, often involving mutual decision making and limitations to control.

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing Impaired Individuals (RBANS-H) before and after Cochlear Implantation: A Protocol for a Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study.

PubMed

Claes, Annes J; Mertens, Griet; Gilles, Annick; Hofkens-Van den Brandt, Anouk; Fransen, Erik; Van Rompaey, Vincent; Van de Heyning, Paul

2016-01-01

Background: Currently, an independent relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults is suggested by large prospective studies. In general, cochlear implants improve hearing and the quality of life in severely to profoundly hearing impaired older persons. However, little is known about the effects of cochlear implantation on the cognitive evolution in this population. Aim of the study: The primary goal of this prospective, longitudinal cohort study is to explore the cognitive profile of severely to profoundly postlingually hearing impaired subjects before and after cochlear implantation. In addition, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between the cognitive function, audiometric performances, quality of life, and self-reliance in these patients. Methods: Twenty-five patients aged 55 or older, scheduled for cochlear implantation, will be enrolled in the study. They will be examined prior to implantation, at 6 and 12 months after implantation and annually thereafter. The test battery consists of (1) a cognitive examination, using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status adapted for Hearing impaired persons (RBANS-H), (2) an audiological examination, including unaided and aided pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry in quiet and speech audiometry in noise, (3) the administration of four questionnaires evaluating quality of life and subjective hearing benefit and (4) a semi-structured interview about the self-reliance of the participant. Discussion: Up until now only one study has been conducted on this topic, focusing on the short-term effects of cochlear implantation on cognition in older adults. The present study is the first study to apply a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment adapted for severely to profoundly hearing impaired subjects in order to investigate the cognitive capabilities before and after cochlear implantation. Trial registration: The present protocol is retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials (ClinicalTrials.gov) on June 9th, 2016. The first participant was enrolled on June 22nd, 2015. The protocol identifier is NCT02794350.

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing Impaired Individuals (RBANS-H) before and after Cochlear Implantation: A Protocol for a Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Claes, Annes J.; Mertens, Griet; Gilles, Annick; Hofkens-Van den Brandt, Anouk; Fransen, Erik; Van Rompaey, Vincent; Van de Heyning, Paul

2016-01-01

Background: Currently, an independent relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults is suggested by large prospective studies. In general, cochlear implants improve hearing and the quality of life in severely to profoundly hearing impaired older persons. However, little is known about the effects of cochlear implantation on the cognitive evolution in this population. Aim of the study: The primary goal of this prospective, longitudinal cohort study is to explore the cognitive profile of severely to profoundly postlingually hearing impaired subjects before and after cochlear implantation. In addition, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between the cognitive function, audiometric performances, quality of life, and self-reliance in these patients. Methods: Twenty-five patients aged 55 or older, scheduled for cochlear implantation, will be enrolled in the study. They will be examined prior to implantation, at 6 and 12 months after implantation and annually thereafter. The test battery consists of (1) a cognitive examination, using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status adapted for Hearing impaired persons (RBANS-H), (2) an audiological examination, including unaided and aided pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry in quiet and speech audiometry in noise, (3) the administration of four questionnaires evaluating quality of life and subjective hearing benefit and (4) a semi-structured interview about the self-reliance of the participant. Discussion: Up until now only one study has been conducted on this topic, focusing on the short-term effects of cochlear implantation on cognition in older adults. The present study is the first study to apply a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment adapted for severely to profoundly hearing impaired subjects in order to investigate the cognitive capabilities before and after cochlear implantation. Trial registration: The present protocol is retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials (ClinicalTrials.gov) on June 9th, 2016. The first participant was enrolled on June 22nd, 2015. The protocol identifier is NCT02794350. PMID:27895549

Association Between Childhood Hearing Disorders and Tinnitus in Adulthood.

PubMed

Aarhus, Lisa; Engdahl, Bo; Tambs, Kristian; Kvestad, Ellen; Hoffman, Howard J

2015-11-01

The association between childhood hearing disorders and adult tinnitus has not been examined in longitudinal cohort studies. To determine the association between different types of childhood hearing loss and tinnitus in adulthood and evaluate whether tinnitus risk is mediated by adult hearing loss. Population-based cohort study of 32 430 adults (aged 20-56 years) who underwent pure-tone audiometry and completed a tinnitus questionnaire in the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study, which was a part of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2 (HUNT2). The study was conducted from January 1, 2014, to April 1, 2015. Data analysis was performed from April 1, 2014, to April 1, 2015. As children, the same individuals had undergone screening audiometry in a longitudinal primary school hearing investigation, including ear, nose, and throat examinations when indicated. Pure-tone audiometry, questionnaires, and ear, nose, and throat examinations. Self-reported tinnitus (yes or no) in adulthood measured by questionnaires. Adults who had hearing loss at the time of the school investigation (n = 3026) reported more tinnitus, measured as odds ratio (95% CI), than did adults with normal childhood hearing (n = 29 404) (1.4 [1.3-1.6]). Childhood hearing disorders associated with tinnitus in adulthood included sensorineural hearing loss, chronic suppurative otitis media, and hearing loss associated with a history of recurrent acute otitis media (2.4 [1.9-3.0], 2.4 [1.5-3.9], and 1.6 [1.3-2.0], respectively). These estimates were adjusted for age, sex, and noise exposure in adulthood. After further analyses that included adjustment for adult hearing threshold, none of these childhood hearing disorders remained positively associated with tinnitus. Childhood hearing disorders associated with tinnitus in adulthood include sensorineural hearing loss, chronic suppurative otitis media, and hearing loss associated with a history of recurrent acute otitis media. After adjustment for the adult hearing threshold, none of the childhood hearing disorders was positively associated with tinnitus. Hence, it appears that these significant associations are mediated or transmitted through adult hearing loss.

Impact of Deployment on Air Force Nursing Retention: Completion Phase

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-24

the stress and burnout issues of military nurses . The consequences of... The impacts of deployment were examined in the context of their roles in mitigating the likelihood of intent to remain in military nursing careers... nurses rated each of the choices according to their perceived importance. The most important choices were length of deployment and deployed job

Fees, Flows and Imaginaries: Exploring the Destination Choices Arising from Intra-National Student Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findlay, Allan; Packwood, Helen; McCollum, David; Nightingale, Glenna; Tindal, Scott

2018-01-01

Are intra-national student flows driven by the same forces as international student mobility? This paper addresses this question by analysing cross-border student mobility in the UK. The paper identifies four principles that one might expect to drive the destination choices of students from Scotland enrolling in English universities. Following a…

The Effects of Coloring on Anxiety, Mood, and Perseverance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Judy; Tieber, Christine

2017-01-01

This study tested whether the structure of a coloring task has an effect on anxiety, mood, and perseverance. Eighty-five undergraduate students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 coloring conditions: free choice, where they could color an image using any colors they wanted, and forced choice, where they were instructed to copy the colors of a…

High Pressure Reform: Examining Urban Schools' Response to Multiple School Choice Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holme, Jennifer Jellison; Carkhum, Rian; Rangel, Virginia Snodgrass

2013-01-01

Over the past several decades, policymakers have sought to address the problem of school failure by exposing traditional public schools to competitive market forces. In this analysis, we examine how two traditional public schools in a "high pressure/high choice" urban school cluster in Texas responded to a number of overlapping choice…

Psychopysics of Remembering: To Bias or Not to Bias?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, K. Geoffrey; Wixted, John T.

2010-01-01

Delayed matching to sample is typically a two-alternative forced-choice procedure with two sample stimuli. In this task the effects of varying the probability of reinforcers for correct choices and the resulting receiver operating characteristic are symmetrical. A version of the task where a sample is present on some trials and absent on others is…

USSOCOM Fact Book: Special Operations Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

units include the 75th Ranger Regiment, headquartered at Fort Benning, Ga.; 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Ky...throughout the world Rangers are the masters of special light infantry operations. This lethal, agile, and flexible force is capable of executing a wide...responsiveness and reliability define the Ranger Regiment as the versatile and adaptive force of choice for missions of high risk and strategic importance in

Influence of sleep deprivation and auditory intensity on reaction time and response force.

PubMed

Włodarczyk, Dariusz; Jaśkowski, Piotr; Nowik, Agnieszka

2002-06-01

Arousal and activation are two variables supposed to underlie change in response force. This study was undertaken to explain these roles, specifically, for strong auditory stimuli and sleep deficit. Loud auditory stimuli can evoke phasic overarousal whereas sleep deficit leads to general underarousal. Moreover, Van der Molen and Keuss (1979, 1981) showed that paradoxically long reaction times occurred with extremely strong auditory stimuli when the task was difficult, e.g., choice reaction or Simon paradigm. It was argued that this paradoxical behavior related to reaction time is due to active disconnecting of the coupling between arousal and activation to prevent false responses. If so, we predicted that for extremely loud stimuli and for difficult tasks, the lengthening of reaction time should be associated with reduction of response force. The effects of loudness and sleep deficit on response time and force were investigated in three different tasks: simple response, choice response, and Simon paradigm. According to our expectation, we found a detrimental effect of sleep deficit on reaction time and on response force. In contrast to Van der Molen and Keuss, we found no increase in reaction time for loud stimuli (up to 110 dB) even on the Simon task.

ff14ipq: A Self-Consistent Force Field for Condensed-Phase Simulations of Proteins

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We present the ff14ipq force field, implementing the previously published IPolQ charge set for simulations of complete proteins. Minor modifications to the charge derivation scheme and van der Waals interactions between polar atoms are introduced. Torsion parameters are developed through a generational learning approach, based on gas-phase MP2/cc-pVTZ single-point energies computed of structures optimized by the force field itself rather than the quantum benchmark. In this manner, we sacrifice information about the true quantum minima in order to ensure that the force field maintains optimal agreement with the MP2/cc-pVTZ benchmark for the ensembles it will actually produce in simulations. A means of making the gas-phase torsion parameters compatible with solution-phase IPolQ charges is presented. The ff14ipq model is an alternative to ff99SB and other Amber force fields for protein simulations in programs that accommodate pair-specific Lennard–Jones combining rules. The force field gives strong performance on α-helical and β-sheet oligopeptides as well as globular proteins over microsecond time scale simulations, although it has not yet been tested in conjunction with lipid and nucleic acid models. We show how our choices in parameter development influence the resulting force field and how other choices that may have appeared reasonable would actually have led to poorer results. The tools we developed may also aid in the development of future fixed-charge and even polarizable biomolecular force fields. PMID:25328495

Forced Choices: Role Play and the Problem of Disappearing Syntax

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellogg, David

2014-01-01

We begin with the observation that some Korean elementary school children in English class, confined to a single situation and even a single language exponent in a role play, appear to produce far more coherent dialogue than the previous week when they were allowed completely free choices in language. We note that at the same time as their…

Technology and the Politics of Change at Work: The Case of Dalebake Bakeries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Patrick; Gunson, Nicky

2002-01-01

A case study of automation in the British baking industry illustrates several perspectives: (1) technological change as inevitable due to external market forces; (2) selection and implementation of technology as an outcome of strategic choices; and (3) awareness of the need for change as part of a political process in which choices are made among…

Sam Walton's Son Played Major Role in Setting Agenda on School Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robelen, Erik W.

2008-01-01

In 2005, the school choice movement lost one of its leading champions when John T. Walton, an heir to the Wal-Mart retailing fortune, died in a plane crash at age 58. Advocates of expanded educational options say Mr. Walton, more than anyone else, was the driving force behind the Walton Family Foundation's education work, and its focus on…

Rational Tool Use and Tool Choice in Human Infants and Great Apes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buttelmann, David; Carpenter, Malinda; Call, Josep; Tomasello, Michael

2008-01-01

G. Gergely, H. Bekkering, and I. Kiraly (2002) showed that 14-month-old infants imitate rationally, copying an adult's unusual action more often when it was freely chosen than when it was forced by some constraint. This suggests that infants understand others' intentions as rational choices of action plans. It is important to test whether apes…

School Quality and Social Stratification: The Determinants and Consequences of Parental School Choice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glazerman, Steven M.

Those who favor expansion of consumer choice in education claim that competition would force schools to improve. Critics claim that it would sort students by race and class. A competitive market will provide what consumers demand, yet neither side has empirical evidence on such consumer preferences to back up their claims. This paper offers such…

Effects of Policy and Technological Change on Land Use

Treesearch

Ralph J. Alig; Mary Clare Ahearn

2004-01-01

Land use in the United States is dynamic, as discussed in Chapter 2, with millions of acres of Land shifting uses each year. Many of these land-use changes are the result of market forces in an economy affected by modem technology and policy choices. Changes in land use are the result of choices inade by individuals, corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and...

In-flight speech intelligibility evaluation of a service member with sensorineural hearing loss: case report.

PubMed

Casto, Kristen L; Cho, Timothy H

2012-09-01

This case report describes the in-flight speech intelligibility evaluation of an aircraft crewmember with pure tone audiometric thresholds that exceed the U.S. Army's flight standards. Results of in-flight speech intelligibility testing highlight the inability to predict functional auditory abilities from pure tone audiometry and underscore the importance of conducting validated functional hearing evaluations to determine aviation fitness-for-duty.

Measuring Sound-Processor Threshold Levels for Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Conditioned Play Audiometry via Telepractice

PubMed Central

Goehring, Jenny L.

2017-01-01

Purpose This study evaluated the use of telepractice for measuring cochlear implant (CI) behavioral threshold (T) levels in children using conditioned play audiometry (CPA). The goals were to determine whether (a) T levels measured via telepractice were not significantly different from those obtained in person, (b) response probability differed between remote and in-person conditions, and (c) the remote visit required more time than the in-person condition. Method An ABBA design (A, in-person; B, remote) was split across 2 visits. Nineteen children aged 2.6–7.1 years participated. T levels were measured using CPA for 3 electrodes per session. A “hit” rate was calculated to determine whether the likelihood of obtaining responses differed between conditions. Test time was compared across conditions. A questionnaire was administered to assess parent/caregiver attitudes about telepractice. Results Results indicated no significant difference in T levels between conditions. Hit rates were not significantly different between in-person and remote conditions (98% vs. 97%, respectively). Test time was similar between conditions. Questionnaire results revealed that 100% of caregivers would use telepractice for CI appointments either some or all of the time. Conclusion Telepractice is a viable option for routine pediatric programming appointments for children using CPA to set behavioral thresholds. PMID:28257529

Sequential analysis as a tool for detection of amikacin ototoxicity in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

PubMed

Vasconcelos, Karla Anacleto de; Frota, Silvana Maria Monte Coelho; Ruffino-Netto, Antonio; Kritski, Afrânio Lineu

2018-04-01

To investigate early detection of amikacin-induced ototoxicity in a population treated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), by means of three different tests: pure-tone audiometry (PTA); high-frequency audiometry (HFA); and distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) testing. This was a longitudinal prospective cohort study involving patients aged 18-69 years with a diagnosis of MDR-TB who had to receive amikacin for six months as part of their antituberculosis drug regimen for the first time. Hearing was assessed before treatment initiation and at two and six months after treatment initiation. Sequential statistics were used to analyze the results. We included 61 patients, but the final population consisted of 10 patients (7 men and 3 women) because of sequential analysis. Comparison of the test results obtained at two and six months after treatment initiation with those obtained at baseline revealed that HFA at two months and PTA at six months detected hearing threshold shifts consistent with ototoxicity. However, DPOAE testing did not detect such shifts. The statistical method used in this study makes it possible to conclude that, over the six-month period, amikacin-associated hearing threshold shifts were detected by HFA and PTA, and that DPOAE testing was not efficient in detecting such shifts.

Hearing impairment in children with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection based on distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and brain evoked response audiometry stimulus click (BERA Click) examinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Airlangga, T. J.; Mangunatmadja, I.; Prihartono, J.; Zizlavsky, S.

2017-08-01

Congenital cytomegalovirus (congenital CMV) infection is a leading factor of nongenetic sensorineural hearing loss in children. Hearing loss caused by CMV infection does not have a pathognomonic configuration hence further research is needed. The development of knowledge on hearing loss caused by congenital CMV infection is progressing in many countries. Due to a lack of research in the context of Indonesia, this study assesses hearing impairment in children with congenital CMV infection in Indonesia, more specifically in the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Our objective was to profile hearing impairment in children 0-5 years of age with congenital CMV infection using Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) and Brain Evoked Response Audiometry Stimulus Click (BERA Click) examinations. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Cipto Mangunkusum Hospital from November, 2015 to May 2016 with 27 children 0-5 years of age with congenital CMV infection. Of individual ears studied, 58.0% exhibited sensorineural hearing loss. There was a significant relationship between developmental delay and incidence of sensorineural hearing loss. Subjects with a developmental delay were 6.57 times more likely (CI 95%; 1.88-22.87) to experience sensorineural hearing loss. Congenital CMV infection has an important role in causing sensorineural hearing loss in children.

[The criteria for the relationship between hearing impairment and professional occupation and the criteria for professional suitability in terms of hearing among the aeronautical personnel engaged in civilian aviation].

PubMed

Pankova, V B

This article describes the main clinical features associated with the development and manifestations of disturbed sound perception in the members of the aeronautical personnel engaged in the Russian civilian aviation. The main expert criteria for the relationship between the diseases of the organs of hearing (as exemplified by chronic sensorineural hearing impairment) and professional occupation have been developed based on the results of the clinical and diagnostic examination with the use of whispered and loud speech acumetry, tonal threshold audiometry, speech audiometry, impedancometry and evoked optoacoustic emission. Civilian aviation sectoral approaches to the evaluation of professional suitability in terms of hearing among the aeronautical personnel are considered in accordance with the criteria adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized UN agency that sets the international standards for the civilian aviation and co-ordinates its development with the purpose of enhancing the safety and effectiveness of flights. The criteria are formulated for the solution of the expert problems arising from the relationship between the professional occupation and the diseases of the organs of hearing and for the evaluation of the professional suitability in terms of hearing among the aeronautical personnel engaged in civilian aviation.

Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children.

PubMed

Båsjö, Sara; Möller, Claes; Widén, Stephen; Jutengren, Göran; Kähäri, Kim

2016-10-01

Investigate hearing function and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old Swedish children. A cross-sectional study was conducted and included otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone audiometry, and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). A questionnaire was used to evaluate headphone listening habits, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. A total of 415 children aged nine years. The prevalence of a hearing threshold ≥20 dB HL at one or several frequencies was 53%, and the hearing thresholds at 6 and 8 kHz were higher than those at the low and mid frequencies. SOAEs were observed in 35% of the children, and the prevalence of tinnitus was 5.3%. No significant relationship between SOAE and tinnitus was found. Pure-tone audiometry showed poorer hearing thresholds in children with tinnitus and in children who regularly listened with headphones. The present study of hearing, listening habits, and tinnitus in nine-year old children is, to our knowledge, the largest study so far. The main findings were that hearing thresholds in the right ear were poorer in children who used headphones than in children not using them, which could be interpreted as headphone listening may have negative consequences to children's hearing. Children with tinnitus showed poorer hearing thresholds compared to children without tinnitus.

Hearing loss in children with otitis media with effusion: a systematic review.

PubMed

Cai, Ting; McPherson, Bradley

2017-02-01

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the presence of non-purulent inflammation in the middle ear. Hearing impairment is frequently associated with OME. Pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry are two of the most primarily utilised auditory assessments and provide valuable behavioural and functional estimation on hearing loss. This paper was designed to review and analyse the effects of the presence of OME on children's listening abilities. A systematic and descriptive review. Twelve articles reporting frequency-specific pure tone thresholds and/or speech perception measures in children with OME were identified using PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, ProQuest and Google Scholar search platforms. The hearing loss related to OME averages 18-35 dB HL. The air conduction configuration is roughly flat with a slight elevation at 2000 Hz and a nadir at 8000 Hz. Both speech-in-quiet and speech-in-noise perception have been found to be impaired. OME imposes a series of disadvantages on hearing sensitivity and speech perception in children. Further studies investigating the full range of frequency-specific pure tone thresholds, and that adopt standardised speech test materials are advocated to evaluate hearing related disabilities with greater comprehensiveness, comparability and enhanced consideration of their real life implications.

Modernising speech audiometry: using a smartphone application to test word recognition.

PubMed

van Zyl, Marianne; Swanepoel, De Wet; Myburgh, Hermanus C

2018-04-20

This study aimed to develop and assess a method to measure word recognition abilities using a smartphone application (App) connected to an audiometer. Word lists were recorded in South African English and Afrikaans. Analyses were conducted to determine the effect of hardware used for presentation (computer, compact-disc player, or smartphone) on the frequency content of recordings. An Android App was developed to enable presentation of recorded materials via a smartphone connected to the auxiliary input of the audiometer. Experiments were performed to test feasibility and validity of the developed App and recordings. Participants were 100 young adults (18-30 years) with pure tone thresholds ≤15 dB across the frequency spectrum (250-8000 Hz). Hardware used for presentation had no significant effect on the frequency content of recordings. Listening experiments indicated good inter-list reliability for recordings in both languages, with no significant differences between scores on different lists at each of the tested intensities. Performance-intensity functions had slopes of 4.05%/dB for English and 4.75%/dB for Afrikaans lists at the 50% point. The developed smartphone App constitutes a feasible and valid method for measuring word recognition scores, and can support standardisation and accessibility of recorded speech audiometry.

A Comparison of Two Forms of Assessment in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyborne, William H.; Clarke, Jennifer A.; Perrett, Jamis J.

2011-01-01

Enrollment increases at many institutions have forced science faculty to reevaluate assessment decisions in light of increasing demands on time. Some have advocated the replacement of free-response examinations with forced-choice examinations as a time-saving strategy. The existing research literature contains many studies comparing student…

Project Physics Tests 2, Motion in the Heavens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Harvard Project Physics.

Test items relating to Project Physics Unit 2 are presented in this booklet. Included are 70 multiple-choice and 22 problem-and-essay questions. Concepts of motion in the heavens are examined for planetary motions, heliocentric theory, forces exerted on the planets, Kepler's laws, gravitational force, Galileo's work, satellite orbits, Jupiter's…

Memory evaluation in mild cognitive impairment using recall and recognition tests.

PubMed

Bennett, Ilana J; Golob, Edward J; Parker, Elizabeth S; Starr, Arnold

2006-11-01

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a selective episodic memory deficit that often indicates early Alzheimer's disease. Episodic memory function in MCI is typically defined by deficits in free recall, but can also be tested using recognition procedures. To assess both recall and recognition in MCI, MCI (n = 21) and older comparison (n = 30) groups completed the USC-Repeatable Episodic Memory Test. Subjects memorized two verbally presented 15-item lists. One list was used for three free recall trials, immediately followed by yes/no recognition. The second list was used for three-alternative forced-choice recognition. Relative to the comparison group, MCI had significantly fewer hits and more false alarms in yes/no recognition, and were less accurate in forced-choice recognition. Signal detection analysis showed that group differences were not due to response bias. Discriminant function analysis showed that yes/no recognition was a better predictor of group membership than free recall or forced-choice measures. MCI subjects recalled fewer items than comparison subjects, with no group differences in repetitions, intrusions, serial position effects, or measures of recall strategy (subjective organization, recall consistency). Performance deficits on free recall and recognition in MCI suggest a combination of both tests may be useful for defining episodic memory impairment associated with MCI and early Alzheimer's disease.

Incubation of Methamphetamine but not Heroin Craving After Voluntary Abstinence in Male and Female Rats.

PubMed

Venniro, Marco; Zhang, Michelle; Shaham, Yavin; Caprioli, Daniele

2017-04-01

We recently introduced an animal model of incubation of methamphetamine craving after choice-based voluntary abstinence in male rats. Here we studied the generality of this phenomenon to (1) female rats, and (2) male and female rats with a history of heroin self-administration. We first trained rats to self-administer palatable food pellets for 6 days (6 h per day) for either methamphetamine (0.1 mg/kg/infusion) or heroin (0.1 mg/kg/infusion) for 12 days (6 h/day). We then assessed relapse to drug seeking under extinction conditions after 1 and 21 abstinence days. Between tests, the rats underwent either voluntary abstinence (achieved via a discrete choice procedure between drug and palatable food; 20 trials/day) or home-cage forced abstinence. We found no sex differences in methamphetamine self-administration or in the strong preference for the palatable food over methamphetamine during the choice-based voluntary abstinence. In both sexes, methamphetamine seeking in the relapse tests was higher after 21 days of either voluntary or forced abstinence than after 1 day (incubation of methamphetamine craving). We also found no sex differences in heroin self-administration or the strong preference for the palatable food over heroin during the choice-based voluntary abstinence. However, male and female rats with a history of heroin self-administration showed incubation of heroin craving after forced but not voluntary abstinence. Our results show that incubation of methamphetamine craving after voluntary abstinence generalizes to female rats. Unexpectedly, prolonged voluntary abstinence prevented the emergence of incubation of heroin craving in both sexes.

Modeling the dynamics of choice.

PubMed

Baum, William M; Davison, Michael

2009-06-01

A simple linear-operator model both describes and predicts the dynamics of choice that may underlie the matching relation. We measured inter-food choice within components of a schedule that presented seven different pairs of concurrent variable-interval schedules for 12 food deliveries each with no signals indicating which pair was in force. This measure of local choice was accurately described and predicted as obtained reinforcer sequences shifted it to favor one alternative or the other. The effect of a changeover delay was reflected in one parameter, the asymptote, whereas the effect of a difference in overall rate of food delivery was reflected in the other parameter, rate of approach to the asymptote. The model takes choice as a primary dependent variable, not derived by comparison between alternatives-an approach that agrees with the molar view of behaviour.

Pure-Tone Audiometry With Forward Pressure Level Calibration Leads to Clinically-Relevant Improvements in Test-Retest Reliability.

PubMed

Lapsley Miller, Judi A; Reed, Charlotte M; Robinson, Sarah R; Perez, Zachary D

2018-02-21

Clinical pure-tone audiometry is conducted using stimuli delivered through supra-aural headphones or insert earphones. The stimuli are calibrated in an acoustic (average ear) coupler. Deviations in individual-ear acoustics from the coupler acoustics affect test validity, and variations in probe insertion and headphone placement affect both test validity and test-retest reliability. Using an insert earphone designed for otoacoustic emission testing, which contains a microphone and loudspeaker, an individualized in-the-ear calibration can be calculated from the ear-canal sound pressure measured at the microphone. However, the total sound pressure level (SPL) measured at the microphone may be affected by standing-wave nulls at higher frequencies, producing errors in stimulus level of up to 20 dB. An alternative is to calibrate using the forward pressure level (FPL) component, which is derived from the total SPL using a wideband acoustic immittance measurement, and represents the pressure wave incident on the eardrum. The objective of this study is to establish test-retest reliability for FPL calibration of pure-tone audiometry stimuli, compared with in-the-ear and coupler sound pressure calibrations. The authors compared standard audiometry using a modern clinical audiometer with TDH-39P supra-aural headphones calibrated in a coupler to a prototype audiometer with an ER10C earphone calibrated three ways: (1) in-the-ear using the total SPL at the microphone, (2) in-the-ear using the FPL at the microphone, and (3) in a coupler (all three are derived from the same measurement). The test procedure was similar to that commonly used in hearing-conservation programs, using pulsed-tone test frequencies at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz, and an automated modified Hughson-Westlake audiometric procedure. Fifteen adult human participants with normal to mildly-impaired hearing were selected, and one ear from each was tested. Participants completed 10 audiograms on each system, with test-order randomly varied and with headphones and earphones refitted by the tester between tests. Fourteen of 15 ears had standing-wave nulls present between 4 and 8 kHz. The mean intrasubject SD at 6 and 8 kHz was lowest for the FPL calibration, and was comparable with the low-frequency reliability across calibration methods. This decrease in variability translates to statistically-derived significant threshold shift criteria indicating that 15 dB shifts in hearing can be reliably detected at 6 and 8 kHz using FPL-calibrated ER10C earphones, compared with 20 to 25 dB shifts using standard TDH-39P headphones with a coupler calibration. These results indicate that reliability is better with insert earphones, especially with in-the-ear FPL calibration, compared with a standard clinical audiometer with supra-aural headphones. However, in-the-ear SPL calibration should not be used due to its sensitivity to standing waves. The improvement in reliability is clinically meaningful, potentially allowing hearing-conservation programs to more confidently determine significant threshold shifts at 6 kHz-a key frequency for the early detection of noise-induced hearing loss.

Using a Classroom Response System to Improve Multiple-Choice Performance in AP® Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertrand, Peggy

2009-04-01

Participation in rigorous high school courses such as Advanced Placement (AP®) Physics increases the likelihood of college success, especially for students who are traditionally underserved. Tackling difficult multiple-choice exams should be part of any AP program because well-constructed multiple-choice questions, such as those on AP exams and on the Force Concept Inventory,2 are particularly good at rooting out common and persisting student misconceptions. Additionally, there are barriers to multiple-choice performance that have little to do with content mastery. For example, a student might fail to read the question thoroughly, forget to apply a reasonableness test to the answer, or simply work too slowly.

Competition and Quality: A Rural Study. Report to Task Force on Rural Education, College of Education, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasstrom, Roy

This paper examines the impact on small rural school districts of school choice programs available in Minnesota. An opening section traces the history of school choice in Minnesota since 1983, focusing on two programs enacted in 1990: enrollment options (EO), which allows students to attend any public school without cost, and postsecondary…

Scramjet Nozzles

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

and y, the axial and radial coordinates respectively. Point c lies somewhere within the mesh generated by the initial expansion (the kernel). All that...and the surface will be subjected to high heat loads restricting the choice of suitable materials. Material choice has direct implications for...Some legacy trajectory codes might not be able to deal with anything other than axial forces from engines, reflecting the class of problem they were

Projectile Motion with a Drag Force: Were the Medievals Right After All?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Rocca, Paola; Riggi, Francesco

2009-01-01

An educational and historical study of the projectile motion with drag forces dependent on speed shows, by simple results, that trajectories quite similar to those depicted before the Galilean era may be obtained with a realistic choice of quantities involved. Numerical simulations of the trajectory in space and velocity coordinates help us to…

Boomers and seniors: The driving force behind leisure participation

Treesearch

Lynda J. Sperazza; Priya Banerjee

2010-01-01

The 76 million Americans in the Baby Boomer population are the force behind the changing demographic picture of society today. Boomers' spending habits and lifestyle choices will also have a powerful influence on retirement and leisure in the coming decades. Boomers will redefine retirement and are expected to demand more than current senior programs and...

Drawing and Using Free Body Diagrams: Why It May Be Better Not to Decompose Forces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aviani, Ivica; Erceg, Nataša; Mešic, Vanes

2015-01-01

In this study we investigated how two different approaches to drawing free body diagrams influence the development of students' understanding of Newton's laws, including their ability to identify real forces. For this purpose we developed a 12-item two-tier multiple choice survey and conducted a quasiexperiment. This experiment included two groups…

The Community/Technical College and Community Economic Development: No Longer a Matter of Choice!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cline, Larry; Kepner, Jim

The Sumter Office of Economic Development and Central Carolina Technical College (South Carolina) formed a partnership to help increase the technical skills of the local work force. Industry surveys, questionnaires, and on-site visits revealed that employers were discouraged with the inadequate work force pool, and that those coming from secondary…

Conceptual Coherence of Non-Newtonian Worldviews in Force Concept Inventory Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Terry F.; Schumayer, Dániel

2017-01-01

The Force Concept Inventory is one of the most popular and most analyzed multiple-choice concept tests used to investigate students' understanding of Newtonian mechanics. The correct answers poll a set of underlying Newtonian concepts and the coherence of these underlying concepts has been found in the data. However, this inventory was constructed…

Demographics, the Third Age and partial retirement: Policy proposals to accommodate the changing picture of female retirement in Canada.

PubMed

Venne, Rosemary A; Hannay, Maureen

2017-01-01

Much concern has been raised around the potential impact of the retirement of the large baby boom generation. This article specifically addresses the unique issues surrounding the retirement of female baby boomers. Demographic changes, including increased labor force participation, coupled with declining fertility rates, have resulted in a social transformation of the roles women play in society. Despite these changes, women still bear much of the caregiving responsibilities in the household, which can complicate retirement choices. This article examines female retirement in the Canadian context and presents three policy proposals to expand women's retirement choices, encourage longer-term labor force participation, and thereby extend their working lives into the Third Age.

Force Concept Inventory-based multiple-choice test for investigating students' representational consistency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieminen, Pasi; Savinainen, Antti; Viiri, Jouni

2010-07-01

This study investigates students’ ability to interpret multiple representations consistently (i.e., representational consistency) in the context of the force concept. For this purpose we developed the Representational Variant of the Force Concept Inventory (R-FCI), which makes use of nine items from the 1995 version of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). These original FCI items were redesigned using various representations (such as motion map, vectorial and graphical), yielding 27 multiple-choice items concerning four central concepts underpinning the force concept: Newton’s first, second, and third laws, and gravitation. We provide some evidence for the validity and reliability of the R-FCI; this analysis is limited to the student population of one Finnish high school. The students took the R-FCI at the beginning and at the end of their first high school physics course. We found that students’ (n=168) representational consistency (whether scientifically correct or not) varied considerably depending on the concept. On average, representational consistency and scientifically correct understanding increased during the instruction, although in the post-test only a few students performed consistently both in terms of representations and scientifically correct understanding. We also compared students’ (n=87) results of the R-FCI and the FCI, and found that they correlated quite well.

Influence of Primary Gage Sensitivities on the Convergence of Balance Load Iterations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulbrich, Norbert Manfred

2012-01-01

The connection between the convergence of wind tunnel balance load iterations and the existence of the primary gage sensitivities of a balance is discussed. First, basic elements of two load iteration equations that the iterative method uses in combination with results of a calibration data analysis for the prediction of balance loads are reviewed. Then, the connection between the primary gage sensitivities, the load format, the gage output format, and the convergence characteristics of the load iteration equation choices is investigated. A new criterion is also introduced that may be used to objectively determine if the primary gage sensitivity of a balance gage exists. Then, it is shown that both load iteration equations will converge as long as a suitable regression model is used for the analysis of the balance calibration data, the combined influence of non linear terms of the regression model is very small, and the primary gage sensitivities of all balance gages exist. The last requirement is fulfilled, e.g., if force balance calibration data is analyzed in force balance format. Finally, it is demonstrated that only one of the two load iteration equation choices, i.e., the iteration equation used by the primary load iteration method, converges if one or more primary gage sensitivities are missing. This situation may occur, e.g., if force balance calibration data is analyzed in direct read format using the original gage outputs. Data from the calibration of a six component force balance is used to illustrate the connection between the convergence of the load iteration equation choices and the existence of the primary gage sensitivities.

Abortion and politics in Mexico: 'context is all'.

PubMed

Lamas, M; Bissell, S

2000-11-01

A strong collective pro-choice mentality was recently manifested in Mexico when a legislative initiative to revoke the legal right of rape survivor to abortion in the state of Guanajuato awakened national indignation. Pro-choice values were expressed in public opinion with such force that it sparked off the passage of liberalising law reforms in Mexico City and the state of Morelos. In this paper we trace the development of these manifestations of pro-choice views, beginning with the Democratic Revolution Party's (PRD) refusal in 1999 to modify abortion legislation within the context of penal code reform, and moving through the events surrounding the Guanajuato reform, and the pro-choice response of Mexico City and Morelos legislators. This analysis allows us to recognise the emergence of a pro-choice consciousness and to understand that, when it comes to abortion, 'context is all'.

Forced Marriage and Birth Outcomes.

PubMed

Becker, Charles M; Mirkasimov, Bakhrom; Steiner, Susan

2017-08-01

We study the impact of marriages resulting from bride kidnapping on infant birth weight. Bride kidnapping-a form of forced marriage-implies that women are abducted by men and have little choice other than to marry their kidnappers. Given this lack of choice over the spouse, we expect adverse consequences for women in such marriages. Remarkable survey data from the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan enable exploration of differential birth outcomes for women in kidnap-based and other types of marriage using both OLS and IV estimation. We find that children born to mothers in kidnap-based marriages have lower birth weight compared with children born to other mothers. The largest difference is between kidnap-based and arranged marriages: the magnitude of the birth weight loss is in the range of 2 % to 6 % of average birth weight. Our finding is one of the first statistically sound estimates of the impact of forced marriage and implies not only adverse consequences for the women involved but potentially also for their children.

Mathematical model of the solar radiation force and torques acting on the components of a spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgevic, R. M.

1971-01-01

General expressions for the solar radiation force and torques are derived in the vectorial form for any given reflecting surface, provided that the reflecting characteristics of the surface, as well as the value of the solar constant, are known. An appropriate choice of a spacecraft-fixed frame of reference leads to relatively simple expressions for the solar radiation forces and torques in terms of the functions of the sun-spacecraft-earth angle.

A four-alternative forced choice (4AFC) software for observer performance evaluation in radiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guozhi; Cockmartin, Lesley; Bosmans, Hilde

2016-03-01

Four-alternative forced choice (4AFC) test is a psychophysical method that can be adopted for observer performance evaluation in radiological studies. While the concept of this method is well established, difficulties to handle large image data, perform unbiased sampling, and keep track of the choice made by the observer have restricted its application in practice. In this work, we propose an easy-to-use software that can help perform 4AFC tests with DICOM images. The software suits for any experimental design that follows the 4AFC approach. It has a powerful image viewing system that favorably simulates the clinical reading environment. The graphical interface allows the observer to adjust various viewing parameters and perform the selection with very simple operations. The sampling process involved in 4AFC as well as the speed and accuracy of the choice made by the observer is precisely monitored in the background and can be easily exported for test analysis. The software has also a defensive mechanism for data management and operation control that minimizes the possibility of mistakes from user during the test. This software can largely facilitate the use of 4AFC approach in radiological observer studies and is expected to have widespread applicability.

High-sucrose diets in male rats disrupt aspects of decision making tasks, motivation and spatial memory, but not impulsivity measured by operant delay-discounting.

PubMed

Wong, Alanna; Dogra, Vimi R; Reichelt, Amy C

2017-06-01

Excessive consumption of sugar sweetened drinks is proposed to produce functional changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, leading to perturbations in behavioural control. Impairments in behavioural control have been observed in obese people on tasks that involve making choices, including delay-discounting, indicative of increased impulsivity. In this study we examined the impact of 2h daily access to 10% sucrose (or no sucrose in controls) in young male rats on behavioural tasks reliant on hippocampal function including delay-discounting, T-maze forced choice alternation and place recognition memory, as well as progressive ratio to measure motivation. We observed deficits in place recognition memory and T-maze forced choice alternation, indicative of hippocampal deficits in rats with a history of sucrose consumption. Moreover, rats with a history of sucrose consumption were less motivated to lever press for rewards on a progressive ratio schedule. However, rats with a history of sucrose consumption performed equally to control animals during the delay-discounting task, suggesting that they discounted for reward size over a delay in a manner comparable to control animals. These findings indicate that high-sucrose diets impact on spatial and working memory processes, but do not induce impulsive-like choice behaviours in rats, suggesting that unhealthy diet choices may not influence this aspect of decision-making behaviour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular Mechanics

PubMed Central

Vanommeslaeghe, Kenno; Guvench, Olgun; MacKerell, Alexander D.

2014-01-01

Molecular Mechanics (MM) force fields are the methods of choice for protein simulations, which are essential in the study of conformational flexibility. Given the importance of protein flexibility in drug binding, MM is involved in most if not all Computational Structure-Based Drug Discovery (CSBDD) projects. This section introduces the reader to the fundamentals of MM, with a special emphasis on how the target data used in the parametrization of force fields determine their strengths and weaknesses. Variations and recent developments such as polarizable force fields are discussed. The section ends with a brief overview of common force fields in CSBDD. PMID:23947650

Air-conduction estimated from tympanometry (ACET) 1: relationship to measured hearing in OME.

PubMed

2009-01-01

In otitis media with effusion (OME), the accuracy of predicting air-conduction hearing-level (HLs) from tympanometry has generally been seen as too poor for use in clinical practice. Previous studies of the relationship have mostly concerned single ears, many using samples with predominantly mild cases of OM and weak statistical approaches. A better understanding of the interrelations between these tests might improve efficiency in testing and decision-making for individuals. Binaural average HL was adopted as the measure to be predicted most relevant to auditory disability. Multiple regression from modified Jerger tympanogram categories B, C2, C1 and A tympanogram types on 3085 children aged 3(1/4)-6(3/4) years gave formulae which we tested for replication, stability and generalization across distributions differing in severity. Age-adjusted formulae explained up to 49% of the variance in binaural HL (i.e. a multiple correlation of 0.70), and were robust across phase of disease. Best predictions were seen in a severe sample permitting exploitation of the strong conditioning effect by a B tympanogram in one ear upon the tympanometry/HL relationship in the other. This permits a trichotomous approximation (0, 1, or 2 B-tympanograms) to also perform well. We name the HL prediction formula "ACET" - Air Conduction Estimated from Tympanometry. We do not recommend replacing audiometry with tympanometry, particularly not at first assessment. However, where the diagnosis is, or likely from history to be, OME (even if fluid is absent on test day), the informativeness of further air-conduction audiometry on the same or later occasion may not always be worth the further effort or cost. It is therefore clinically useful to have a dB measure, from an evidence-based formula justifying a principled estimate. Non-clinical uses include imputation when research data are missing, and non-intensive applications where audiometry is impracticable, e.g. field clinics and large scale or longitudinal research. A companion paper shows how the part of the air-conduction HL variance that is not explicable by ACET, also offers a surrogate, but for bone-conduction HL (BC), where BC testing may be problematic, as in the very young. This surrogate can also define cases needing true BC testing.

Teaching Assistants' Performance at Identifying Common Introductory Student Difficulties in Mechanics Revealed by the Force Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maries, Alexandru; Singh, Chandralekha

2016-01-01

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has been widely used to assess student understanding of introductory mechanics concepts by a variety of educators and physics education researchers. One reason for this extensive use is that many of the items on the FCI have strong distractor choices which correspond to students' alternate conceptions in…

Force, Velocity, and Work: The Effects of Different Contexts on Students' Understanding of Vector Concepts Using Isomorphic Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barniol, Pablo; Zavala, Genaro

2014-01-01

In this article we compare students' understanding of vector concepts in problems with no physical context, and with three mechanics contexts: force, velocity, and work. Based on our "Test of Understanding of Vectors," a multiple-choice test presented elsewhere, we designed two isomorphic shorter versions of 12 items each: a test with no…

Dividing the Force Concept Inventory into Two Equivalent Half-Length Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Jing; Bao, Lei; Chen, Li; Cai, Tianfang; Pi, Yuan; Zhou, Shaona; Tu, Yan; Koenig, Kathleen

2015-01-01

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is a 30-question multiple-choice assessment that has been a building block for much of the physics education research done today. In practice, there are often concerns regarding the length of the test and possible test-retest effects. Since many studies in the literature use the mean score of the FCI as the…

The Presence of Gender Disparity on the Force Concept Inventory in a Sample of Canadian Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Normandeau, Magdalen; Iyengar, Seshu; Newling, Benedict

2017-01-01

Concept inventories (CI) are validated, research-based, multiple-choice tests, which are widely used to assess the effectiveness of pedagogical practices in bringing about conceptual change. In order to be a useful diagnostic tool, a CI must reflect only the student understanding of the conceptual material. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is…

Choose Wisely: Static or Kinetic Friction--The Power of Dimensionless Plots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwigsen, Daniel; Svinarich, Kathryn

2009-01-01

Consider a problem of sliding blocks, one stacked atop the other, resting on a frictionless table. If the bottom block is pulled horizontally, nature makes a choice: if the applied force is small, static friction between the blocks accelerates the blocks together, but with a large force the blocks slide apart. In that case, kinetic friction still…

Emotional and sexual jealousy as a function of sex and sexual orientation in a Brazilian sample.

PubMed

de Souza, Altay Alves Lino; Verderane, Michele Pereira; Taira, Juliana Tieme; Otta, Emma

2006-04-01

The goal of the present study was to compare the relative distress of homosexual and heterosexual Brazilian men and women on scenarios in which they imagined their partners sexually or emotionally involved with another person, using a forced-choice paradigm and continuous measures. Participants were 68 heterosexual men, 72 heterosexual women, 42 homosexual men, and 35 homosexual women. On the forced-choice questions heterosexual men (39 on one question and 37 on the other) were more upset than their female counterparts (21 on one question and 15 on the other) by scenarios of sexual infidelity than those of emotional infidelity. On questions using continuous measures no significant difference was found between pleasurable sex and attachment scenarios for heterosexual women or heterosexual men. On the highly upsetting scenarios heterosexual men discriminated between flirting and both pleasurable sex and attachment scenarios, being less disturbed by the former. In contrast, heterosexual women were equally distressed by the three scenarios. Scores for the homosexual men and homosexual women fell in between those of the heterosexual men and heterosexual women and did not show a clear cut preference for the sexual infidelity or the emotional alternative on the forced-choice paradigm. However, on the continuous measures of jealousy homosexuals resembled heterosexuals of the opposite sex. There was no evidence that jealousy would be less intense among homosexuals although reproductive outcomes were not at risk.

[The influence of various acoustic stimuli upon the cumulative action potential (SAP) of the auditory nerves in guinea pigs (author's transl)].

PubMed

Hofmann, G; Kraak, W

1976-08-31

The impact of various acoustic stimuli upon the cumulative action potential of the auditory nerves in guinea pigs is investigated by means of the averaging method. It was found that the potential amplitude within the measuring range increases with the logarithm of the rising sonic pressure velocity. Unlike the evoked response audiometry (ERA), this potential seems unsuitable for furnishing information of the frequency-dependent threshold course.

Stapedotomy in osteogenesis imperfecta: a prospective study of 32 consecutive cases.

PubMed

Vincent, Robert; Wegner, Inge; Stegeman, Inge; Grolman, Wilko

2014-12-01

To prospectively evaluate hearing outcomes in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta undergoing primary stapes surgery and to isolate prognostic factors for success. A nonrandomized, open, prospective case series. A tertiary referral center. Twenty-five consecutive patients who underwent 32 primary stapedotomies for osteogenesis imperfecta with evidence of stapes fixation and available postoperative pure-tone audiometry. Primary stapedotomy with vein graft interposition and reconstruction with a regular Teflon piston or bucket handle-type piston. Preoperative and postoperative audiometric evaluation using conventional 4-frequency (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) audiometry. Air-conduction thresholds, bone-conduction thresholds, and air-bone gap were measured. The overall audiometric results as well as the results of audiometric evaluation at 3 months and at least 1 year after surgery were used. Overall, postoperative air-bone gap closure to within 10 dB was achieved in 88% of cases. Mean (standard deviation) gain in air-conduction threshold was 22 (9.4) dB for the entire case series, and mean (standard deviation) air-bone gap closure was 22 (9.0) dB. Backward multivariate logistic regression showed that a model with preoperative air-bone gap closure and intraoperatively established incus length accurately predicts success after primary stapes surgery. Stapes surgery is a feasible and safe treatment option in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. Success is associated with preoperative air-bone gap and intraoperatively established incus length.

Impact of hearing impairment on spousal mental health: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study

PubMed Central

Krog, Norun Hjertager; Tambs, Kristian

2010-01-01

Background: Previous studies indicate that hearing loss have negative emotional implications also on spouses of the hearing impaired persons. We sought to assess the relationship between hearing impairment and spousal mental health in the general population. Methods: Pure tone audiometry and questionnaires were administered to the adult population of Nord–Trøndelag County, Norway (1996–97). In the age group between 20 and 44 years, the number of cases with hearing impairment was very low; thus, this age group was excluded from analyses. In total, 8607 couples with women over 44 years and 9530 couples with men over 44 years were identified. Associations between measured and self-reported hearing impairment and spousal self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, and subjective well-being were estimated. Stratified by sex and adjusting for several covariates, mental health in spouses of persons with hearing impairment was compared with that of spouses of persons with normal hearing using the general linear model. Results: Audiometrically measured hearing was not significantly associated with spousal mental health. Moderate relations between self-reported hearing and spousal mental health were observed. Conclusion: Contrary to previous results based on self-reported hearing loss, our results based on audiometry did not indicate severe loss of mental health among spouses of persons with impaired hearing. PMID:19887520

Equivalence and test-retest reproducibility of conventional and extended-high-frequency audiometric thresholds obtained using pure-tone and narrow-band-noise stimuli.

PubMed

John, Andrew B; Kreisman, Brian M

2017-09-01

Extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry is useful for evaluating ototoxic exposures and may relate to speech recognition, localisation and hearing aid benefit. There is a need to determine whether common clinical practice for EHF audiometry using tone and noise stimuli is reliable. We evaluated equivalence and compared test-retest (TRT) reproducibility for audiometric thresholds obtained using pure tones and narrowband noise (NBN) from 0.25 to 16 kHz. Thresholds and test-retest reproducibility for stimuli in the conventional (0.25-6 kHz) and EHF (8-16 kHz) frequency ranges were compared in a repeated-measures design. A total of 70 ears of adults with normal hearing. Thresholds obtained using NBN were significantly lower than thresholds obtained using pure tones from 0.5 to 16 kHz, but not 0.25 kHz. Good TRT reproducibility (within 2 dB) was observed for both stimuli at all frequencies. Responses at the lower limit of the presentation range for NBN centred at 14 and 16 kHz suggest unreliability for NBN as a threshold stimulus at these frequencies. Thresholds in the conventional and EHF ranges showed good test-retest reproducibility, but differed between stimulus types. Care should be taken when comparing pure-tone thresholds with NBN thresholds especially at these frequencies.

Sex-specific predictors of hearing-aid use in older persons: The age, gene/environment susceptibility - Reykjavik study

PubMed Central

Fisher, Diana E.; Li, Chuan-Ming; Hoffman, Howard J.; Chiu, May S.; Themann, Christa L.; Petersen, Hannes; Jonsson, Palmi V.; Jonsson, Helgi; Jonasson, Fridbert; Sverrisdottir, Johanna Eyrun; Launer, Lenore J.; Eiriksdottir, Gudny; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Cotch, Mary Frances

2015-01-01

Objective We estimate the prevalence of hearing-aid use in Iceland and identify sex-specific factors associated with use. Design Population-based cohort study. Study sample A total of 5172 age, gene/environment susceptibility - Reykjavik study (AGES-RS) participants, aged 67 to 96 years (mean age 76.5 years), who completed air-conduction and pure-tone audiometry. Results Hearing-aid use was reported by 23.0% of men and 15.9% of women in the cohort, although among participants with at least moderate hearing loss in the better ear (pure-tone average [PTA] of thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz ≥ 35 dB hearing level [HL]) it was 49.9% and did not differ by sex. Self-reported hearing loss was the strongest predictor of hearing-aid use in men [OR: 2.68 (95% CI: 1.77, 4.08)] and women [OR: 3.07 (95% CI: 1.94, 4.86)], followed by hearing loss severity based on audiometry. Having diabetes or osteoarthritis were significant positive predictors of use in men, whereas greater physical activity and unimpaired cognitive status were important in women. Conclusions Hearing-aid use was comparable in Icelandic men and women with moderate or greater hearing loss. Self-recognition of hearing loss was the factor most predictive of hearing-aid use; other influential factors differed for men and women. PMID:25816699

Audiovestibular impairments associated with intracranial hypotension.

PubMed

Choi, Jae-Hwan; Cho, Kee-Yong; Cha, Seung-Yi; Seo, Jae-Deuk; Kim, Min-Ji; Choi, Yu Ri; Kim, Sung-Hee; Kim, Ji-Soo; Choi, Kwang-Dong

2015-10-15

To investigate the patterns and mechanisms of audiovestibular impairments associated with intracranial hypotension. We had consecutively recruited 16 patients with intracranial hypotension at the Neurology Center of Pusan National University Hospital for two years. Spontaneous, gaze-evoked, and positional nystagmus were recorded using 3D video-oculography in all patients, and the majority of them also had pure tone audiometry and bithermal caloric tests. Of the 16 patients, five (31.3%) reported neuro-otological symptoms along with the orthostatic headache while laboratory evaluation demonstrated audiovestibular impairments in ten (62.5%). Oculographic analyses documented spontaneous and/or positional nystagmus in six patients (37.5%) including weak spontaneous vertical nystagmus with positional modulation (n=4) and pure positional nystagmus (n=2). One patient presented with recurrent spontaneous vertigo and tinnitus mimicking Meniere's disease, and showed unidirectional horizontal and torsional nystagmus with normal head impulse tests during the attacks. Bithermal caloric tests were normal in all nine patients tested. Audiometry showed unilateral (n=6) or bilateral (n=1) sensorineural hearing loss in seven (53.8%) of the 13 patients tested. Intracranial hypotension frequently induces audiovestibular impairments. In addition to endolymphatic hydrops and irritation of the vestibulocochlear nerve, compression or traction of the brainstem or cerebellum due to loss of CSF buoyancy may be considered as a mechanism of frequent spontaneous or positional vertical nystagmus in patients with intracranial hypotension. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Indian steel industry workers: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Singh, Lakhwinder Pal; Bhardwaj, Arvind; Deepak, Kishore Kumar

2013-04-01

The present study focused on exploring the current level of hearing protection and subsequently determined the prevalence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss among casting and forging industry workers. The casting and forging industry provides employment to a significant portion of the population. The level of hearing protection was assessed through questionnaire survey of 572 workers. Out of these workers, 165 and another control group of 57 participants were assessed by formal audiometry. Audiometric tests were conducted at frequencies of 1.0 KHz to 8.0 KHz.The occurrence of hearing loss was determined on the basis of a hearing threshold level with a low fence of 25 dB. Student's test and ANOVA were used to compare the various groups; a p value < .05 was considered statistically significant. More than 90% of the workers sampled showed significant hearing loss at medium and high frequencies. The analyses revealed a higher prevalence of significant hearing loss among the forging workers compared with the workers associated with the other activities. The workers of the Indian steel industry are highly exposed to occupational noise. The majority of workers are not protected from noise-induced hearing loss. There is a need to provide special ear protectors for workers engaged in forging. A complete hearing protection program, including training, audiometry, job rotation, and the use of hearing protection devices, needs to be introduced.

Haptic control with environment force estimation for telesurgery.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Tapomayukh; Son, Hyoung Il; Lee, Doo Yong

2008-01-01

Success of telesurgical operations depends on better position tracking ability of the slave device. Improved position tracking of the slave device can lead to safer and less strenuous telesurgical operations. The two-channel force-position control architecture is widely used for better position tracking ability. This architecture requires force sensors for direct force feedback. Force sensors may not be a good choice in the telesurgical environment because of the inherent noise, and limitation in the deployable place and space. Hence, environment force estimation is developed using the concept of the robot function parameter matrix and a recursive least squares method. Simulation results show efficacy of the proposed method. The slave device successfully tracks the position of the master device, and the estimation error quickly becomes negligible.

An American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) task force report on hand surgery subspecialty certification and ASSH membership.

PubMed

Goldfarb, Charles A; Lee, W P Andrew; Briskey, Dawn; Higgins, James P

2014-02-01

A task force for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) recently investigated the practice patterns, board certification, subspecialty certification status, and ASSH membership of hand surgeons after completion of fellowship training. A total of 37% of the fellowship graduates from 2000 to 2006 had not attained subspecialty certification for a variety of reasons. A smaller group of fellowship graduates obtained the subspecialty certification but had not become Active Members of the ASSH. Efforts to strengthen the hand surgeon community and best serve our patients should focus on evolving patterns in post fellowship choices that reflect practice type choices and generational changes. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal smoothing length scale for actuator line models of wind turbine blades based on Gaussian body force distribution: Wind energy, actuator line model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martínez-Tossas, L. A.; Churchfield, M. J.; Meneveau, C.

The actuator line model (ALM) is a commonly used method to represent lifting surfaces such as wind turbine blades within large-eddy simulations (LES). In the ALM, the lift and drag forces are replaced by an imposed body force that is typically smoothed over several grid points using a Gaussian kernel with some prescribed smoothing width e. To date, the choice of e has most often been based on numerical considerations related to the grid spacing used in LES. However, especially for finely resolved LES with grid spacings on the order of or smaller than the chord length of the blade,more » the best choice of e is not known. In this work, a theoretical approach is followed to determine the most suitable value of e, based on an analytical solution to the linearized inviscid flow response to a Gaussian force. We find that the optimal smoothing width eopt is on the order of 14%-25% of the chord length of the blade, and the center of force is located at about 13%-26% downstream of the leading edge of the blade for the cases considered. These optimal values do not depend on angle of attack and depend only weakly on the type of lifting surface. It is then shown that an even more realistic velocity field can be induced by a 2-D elliptical Gaussian lift-force kernel. Some results are also provided regarding drag force representation.« less

Sensory evaluation of tender beef strip loin steaks of varying marbling levels and quality treatments.

PubMed

Corbin, C H; O'Quinn, T G; Garmyn, A J; Legako, J F; Hunt, M R; Dinh, T T N; Rathmann, R J; Brooks, J C; Miller, M F

2015-02-01

The palatability of tender [Warner-Bratzler shear force values <33.34N (3.4kg)] beef strip loins of 10 different treatments [USDA Prime, High Choice (upper 1/3 Choice), Low Choice (lower 1/3 Choice), Select, Standard, Australian Wagyu, American Wagyu, Holstein Select, Holstein Top Choice (upper 2/3 Choice) and Grass-finished] was evaluated by consumers and a trained flavor panel. In general, tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall liking ratings as well as acceptability percentage for each trait, increased with increased fat levels. Moreover, overall liking was highly correlated (P<0.01) with flavor liking (r=0.96) as well as fat percentage (r=0.79). Beef flavor scores were positively associated (P<0.01) with fat-like (r=0.67) and umami (r=0.59) flavors. Fat level was the primary driver of beef flavor acceptability in all samples when no undesirable off-flavors were present. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer price sensitivity and social health insurer choice in Germany and The Netherlands.

PubMed

Schut, Frederik T; Gress, Stefan; Wasem, Juergen

2003-06-01

In this paper, we examine the effects of the introduction of free choice and price competition in social health insurance in Germany and the Netherlands. Using panel data at the sickness fund level we estimate the price elasticity of sickness fund choice in both countries. We find that the price elasticity in Germany is high and rapidly increasing. Consistent with findings of other studies on health plan choice, the price elasticity is much lower for elderly than for non-elderly. In the Netherlands, by contrast, the price elasticity of fund choice is negligible. Only when people were forced to choose a sickness fund, they were quite sensitive to premium differences. Key factors in explaining the observed differences in switching behavior between both countries are the degree of financial risk for sickness funds, the features of the risk-adjustment mechanism and the role of employers.

Aniracetam restores motivation reduced by satiation in a choice reaction task in aged rats.

PubMed

Nakamura, K; Kurasawa, M

2001-01-01

This study aims to examine the effects of aniracetam on satiation-induced poor performance in a choice reaction task. Aged rats that mastered the task under food restriction stably maintained the task performance for a long period. Satiation by successive free feeding greatly diminished the performance. Satiation resulted in a decreased % correct, increased % omission and prolonged choice reaction time, indicating a reduction in lever response with low choice accuracy and slow responding speed. Repeated administration of aniracetam (30 mg/kg, po, for 14 days) partially recovered the choice accuracy and lever response, but not the responding speed, task-associated motor activity or impulsivity. In addition, aniracetam did not affect the animals' weights. These results indicate that satiation reduces motivation to perform and attain the task. Aniracetam may restore motivation, probably by improving poor behavioral states (daily attentional and vigilance failures), thereby creating the driving force.

Refusing The Choice: Balancing Life and Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, J.

2012-12-01

The Choice The intellect of man is forced to choose perfection of the life, or of the work, And if it take the second must refuse A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark. When all that story's finished, what's the news? In luck or out the toil has left its mark: That old perplexity an empty purse, Or the day's vanity, the night's remorse. William Butler Yeats William Yeats put forward The Choice that I feel too many scientists feel they must make. Too often, many choose to leave science. How do we refuse this choice and find balance between life and our careers? While I don't know the answer, I will share choices that have lead to not perfection but satisfaction in science careers and lives. The role of mentors, supportive spouses, the luck of the job, and flexibility in research directions have all contributed to being able to refuse to choose.

"Having It All" at Sleep's Expense: The Forced Choice of Participants in Advanced Placement Courses and International Baccalaureate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foust, Regan Clark; Hertberg-Davis, Holly; Callahan, Carolyn M.

2008-01-01

The gifted can suffer from too many demands on their time and attention. This qualitative study tested the theory that advanced placement (AP) and international baccalaureate (IB) participants may feel forced to choose between academic success and social acceptance. The results, however, did not support the theory. Not only did gifted students not…

Army National Guard: Regionally Aligned Brigade Force of First Choice

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-16

include Access to the National Guard; Training, Transient, Holding, and School (TTHS); Medical/ Dental Readiness; and Full Time Manning. Finally...Another policy that merits revision is the Medical and Dental Readiness Management Policies and Programs. One of the greatest challenges to the...Reserve Components’ ability to establish itself as an operational force is medical and dental readiness. Currently, RC members incur a cost to

A Maritime Phase Zero Force for the Year 2020

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

mind, the team constructed maritime forces and then evaluated them against the same scenarios to determine which ones performed better. The...120  1.  Project Methodology and Choice of Missions ...............................120  2.  Missions and Scenarios construction methodology... projects are designed to build tools that students in the Systems Engineering Analysis curriculum have learned over the 18 month enrollment in the program

Going Lean: Impending Money Woes Force Tough Choices, Forecast Fundamental Shift in Community College Funding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joch, Alan

2011-01-01

The numbers were already bad, and they keep getting worse, for the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD). Given the weak economy, administrators planned for a 5 percent reduction in state funding in the 2010-11 academic year. The actual reduction ballooned to more than 7.5 percent, an additional $13 million that DCCCD would be forced to…

The effect of signal acquisition and processing choices on ApEn values: towards a "gold standard" for distinguishing effort levels from isometric force records.

PubMed

Forrest, Sarah M; Challis, John H; Winter, Samantha L

2014-06-01

Approximate entropy (ApEn) is frequently used to identify changes in the complexity of isometric force records with ageing and disease. Different signal acquisition and processing parameters have been used, making comparison or confirmation of results difficult. This study determined the effect of sampling and parameter choices by examining changes in ApEn values across a range of submaximal isometric contractions of the first dorsal interosseus. Reducing the sample rate by decimation changed both the value and pattern of ApEn values dramatically. The pattern of ApEn values across the range of effort levels was not sensitive to the filter cut-off frequency, or the criterion used to extract the section of data for analysis. The complexity increased with increasing effort levels using a fixed 'r' value (which accounts for measurement noise) but decreased with increasing effort level when 'r' was set to 0.1 of the standard deviation of force. It is recommended isometric force records are sampled at frequencies >200Hz, template length ('m') is set to 2, and 'r' set to measurement system noise or 0.1SD depending on physiological process to be distinguished. It is demonstrated that changes in ApEn across effort levels are related to changes in force gradation strategy. Copyright © 2014 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal Decision Stimuli for Risky Choice Experiments: An Adaptive Approach.

PubMed

Cavagnaro, Daniel R; Gonzalez, Richard; Myung, Jay I; Pitt, Mark A

2013-02-01

Collecting data to discriminate between models of risky choice requires careful selection of decision stimuli. Models of decision making aim to predict decisions across a wide range of possible stimuli, but practical limitations force experimenters to select only a handful of them for actual testing. Some stimuli are more diagnostic between models than others, so the choice of stimuli is critical. This paper provides the theoretical background and a methodological framework for adaptive selection of optimal stimuli for discriminating among models of risky choice. The approach, called Adaptive Design Optimization (ADO), adapts the stimulus in each experimental trial based on the results of the preceding trials. We demonstrate the validity of the approach with simulation studies aiming to discriminate Expected Utility, Weighted Expected Utility, Original Prospect Theory, and Cumulative Prospect Theory models.

Fourth and eighth grade students' conceptions of energy flow through ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arkwright, Ashlie Beals

This mixed methods status study examined 32 fourth grade students' conceptual understandings of energy flow through ecosystems prior to instruction and 40 eighth grade students' conceptual understandings of the same topic after five years of daily standards-based instruction in science. Specific ecological concepts assessed related to: 1) roles of organisms; 2) the sun as the original energy source for most ecosystems; and 3) interdependency of organisms. Fourth and eighth grade students were assessed using the same three-tiered forced-choice instrument, with accompanying tasks for students to defend their forced-choice selections and rate their level of confidence in making the selections. The instrument was developed for the study by a team of researchers and was based on similar tasks presented in the research literature. Distractor options were embedded in each assessment task using common non-scientific ideas also reported in the research literature. Cronbach's alpha values at or greater than .992 for each task indicated interrater consistency of task answers, and Rasch analysis was employed to establish the reliability of the instrument. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed to assess the data. Constant comparative methods were employed to analyze students' written responses, which were coded and grouped into emerging themes. These themes were further developed to characterize students' conceptual understandings. Student open responses also were scored and coded by a team of researchers using a rubric to identify level of scientific understanding. Quantitative analyses included Rasch analysis used to normalize survey data. Independent samples t-tests were then employed to compare students' forced-choice responses to their written responses and to the confidence ratings, as well as to compare fourth and eighth grade students' responses. Findings indicated that eighth grade students generally outperformed the fourth grade on both the forced-choice and written responses, but both groups demonstrated conceptual difficulties in all three topics assessed. Thus, results from the current study support the assertion that students' understanding of concepts related to energy flow in ecosystems is not at the expected level according to national science education standards and frameworks. Conceptual difficulties identified in the study are discussed along with implications and curricular recommendations.

Preference bias of head orientation in choosing between two non-durables.

PubMed

Funaya, Hiroyuki; Shibata, Tomohiro

2015-01-01

The goal of this study is to investigate how customers' gaze, head and body orientations reflect their choices. Although the relationship between human choice and gaze behavior has been well-studied, other behaviors such as head and body are unknown. We conducted a two-alternatives-forced-choice task to examine (1) whether preference bias, i.e., a positional bias in gaze, head and body toward the item that was later chosen, exists in choice, (2) when preference bias is observed and when prediction of the resulting choice becomes possible (3) whether human choice is affected when the body orientations are manipulated. We used real non-durable products (cheap snacks and clothing) on a shopping shelf. The results showed that there was a significant preference bias in head orientation at the beginning 1 s when the subjects stood straight toward the shelf, and that the head orientation was more biased toward the selected item than the gaze and the center of pressure at the ending 1 s. Manipulating body orientation did not affect the result of choice. The preference bias detected by observing the head orientation would be useful in marketing science for predicting customers' choice.

Magnetic Circuit Model of PM Motor-Generator to Predict Radial Forces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLallin, Kerry (Technical Monitor); Kascak, Peter E.; Dever, Timothy P.; Jansen, Ralph H.

2004-01-01

A magnetic circuit model is developed for a PM motor for flywheel applications. A sample motor is designed and modeled. Motor configuration and selection of materials is discussed, and the choice of winding configuration is described. A magnetic circuit model is described, which includes the stator back iron, rotor yoke, permanent magnets, air gaps and the stator teeth. Iterative solution of this model yields flux linkages, back EMF, torque, power, and radial force at the rotor caused by eccentricity. Calculated radial forces are then used to determine motor negative stiffness.

Revisiting Fluctuations in L2 Article Choice in L1-Korean L2-English Learners.

PubMed

Sarker, Bijon K; Baek, Seunghyun

2017-04-01

The current study investigated the distinction of L2 (second language) English article choice sensitivity in fifty-three L1-Korean L2-English learners in semantic contexts. In the context of English as a foreign language, the participants were divided into two groups based on grammatical ability as determined by their performance on a cloze test. In addition, a forced-choice elicitation test and a writing production test were administered to assess, respectively, the participants' receptive and productive article choice abilities. Regardless of grammatical ability, the results disclosed the overuse of the indefinite a in the [[Formula: see text]definite, -specific] context and the definite the in the [-definite, [Formula: see text]specific] context on the forced-choice elicitation test. In the [[Formula: see text]definite, [Formula: see text]specific] and [-definite, -specific] contexts, however, the overuse of either the indefinite a or the definite the, respectively, was less likely. Furthermore, it was revealed on the writing test that the participants more accurately used the definite the than the indefinite a, and they were also found to unreasonably omit more articles than to add or substitute articles on the writing production test. The findings across the two tests indicate that L1-Korean L2-English learners are more likely to have intrinsic difficulties transferring their L1 noun phrase (NP) knowledge to L2 NP knowledge owing to structural discrepancies and complex interfaces between L1 NPs and L2 NPs with respect to syntactic, semantic and pragmatic/discourse language subsystems.

Quantifying uncertainties of climate signals related to the 11-year solar cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruschke, T.; Kunze, M.; Matthes, K. B.; Langematz, U.; Wahl, S.

2017-12-01

Although state-of-the-art reconstructions based on proxies and (semi-)empirical models converge in terms of total solar irradiance, they still significantly differ in terms of spectral solar irradiance (SSI) with respect to the mean spectral distribution of energy input and temporal variability. This study aims at quantifying uncertainties for the Earth's climate related to the 11-year solar cycle by forcing two chemistry-climate models (CCMs) - CESM1(WACCM) and EMAC - with five different SSI reconstructions (NRLSSI1, NRLSSI2, SATIRE-T, SATIRE-S, CMIP6-SSI) and the reference spectrum RSSV1-ATLAS3, derived from observations. We conduct a unique set of timeslice experiments. External forcings and boundary conditions are fixed and identical for all experiments, except for the solar forcing. The set of analyzed simulations consists of one solar minimum simulation, employing RSSV1-ATLAS3 and five solar maximum experiments. The latter are a result of adding the amplitude of solar cycle 22 according to the five reconstructions to RSSV1-ATLAS3. Our results show that the climate response to the 11y solar cycle is generally robust across CCMs and SSI forcings. However, analyzing the variance of the solar maximum ensemble by means of ANOVA-statistics reveals additional information on the uncertainties of the mean climate signals. The annual mean response agrees very well between the two CCMs for most parts of the lower and middle atmosphere. Only the upper mesosphere is subject to significant differences related to the choice of the model. However, the different SSI forcings lead to significant differences in ozone concentrations, shortwave heating rates, and temperature throughout large parts of the mesosphere and upper stratosphere. Regarding the seasonal evolution of the climate signals, our findings for short wave heating rates, and temperature are similar to the annual means with respect to the relative importance of the choice of the model or the SSI forcing for the respective atmospheric layer. On the other hand, the predominantly dynamically driven signal in zonal wind is quite dependent on the choice of a CCM, mainly due to spatio-temporal shifts of similar responses. Within a given "model world" dynamical signals related to the different SSI forcings agree very well even under this monthly perspective.

The efficacy of three objective systems for identifying beef cuts that can be guaranteed tender.

PubMed

Wheeler, T L; Vote, D; Leheska, J M; Shackelford, S D; Belk, K E; Wulf, D M; Gwartney, B L; Koohmaraie, M

2002-12-01

The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of three objective systems (prototype BeefCam, colorimeter, and slice shear force) for identifying guaranteed tender beef. In Phase I, 308 carcasses (105 Top Choice, 101 Low Choice, and 102 Select) from two commercial plants were tested. In Phase II, 400 carcasses (200 rolled USDA Select and 200 rolled USDA Choice) from one commercial plant were tested. The three systems were evaluated based on progressive certification of the longissimus as "tender" in 10% increments (the best 10, 20, 30%, etc., certified as "tender" by each technology; 100% certification would mean no sorting for tenderness). In Phase I, the error (percentage of carcasses certified as tender that had Warner-Bratzler shear force of > or = 5 kg at 14 d postmortem) for 100% certification using all carcasses was 14.1%. All certification levels up to 80% (slice shear force) and up to 70% (colorimeter) had less error (P < 0.05) than 100% certification. Errors in all levels of certification by prototype BeefCam (13.8 to 9.7%) were not different (P > 0.05) from 100% certification. In Phase I, the error for 100% certification for USDA Select carcasses was 30.7%. For Select carcasses, all slice shear force certification levels up to 60% (0 to 14.8%) had less error (P < 0.05) than 100% certification. For Select carcasses, errors in all levels of certification by colorimeter (20.0 to 29.6%) and by BeefCam (27.5 to 31.4%) were not different (P > 0.05) from 100% certification. In Phase II, the error for 100% certification for all carcasses was 9.3%. For all levels of slice shear force certification less than 90% (for all carcasses) or less than 80% (Select carcasses), errors in tenderness certification were less than (P < 0.05) for 100% certification. In Phase II, for all carcasses or Select carcasses, colorimeter and prototype BeefCam certifications did not significantly reduce errors (P > 0.05) compared to 100% certification. Thus, the direct measure of tenderness provided by slice shear force results in more accurate identification of "tender" beef carcasses than either of the indirect technologies, prototype BeefCam, or colorimeter, particularly for USDA Select carcasses. As tested in this study, slice shear force, but not the prototype BeefCam or colorimeter systems, accurately identified "tender" beef.

Abundance and Utility: For Military Operations, Liquid Fuels Remain a Solid Choice over Natural Gas

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

and combat support vehicles, ships, and aircraft, the adoption of natural gas —whether as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG...dangers to U.S. forces and vehicles. Natural gas has different flammability properties than traditional liquid fuels, and as CNG tanks are under high...tacticaldefensemedia.com16 | DoD Power & Energy Fall 2014 For Military Operations, Liquid Fuels Remain a Solid Choice over Natural Gas By Bret

The New Fiscal Politics in Urban Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cibulka, James G.

1982-01-01

Fiscal and political forces that will shape the political economies of urban school districts are examined. Topics discussed include local tax bases, federal revenue, state revenue, declining public support, and policy choices. (CJ)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Field, Scott E.; Hesthaven, Jan S.; Lau, Stephen R.

In the context of metric perturbation theory for nonspinning black holes, extreme mass ratio binary systems are described by distributionally forced master wave equations. Numerical solution of a master wave equation as an initial boundary value problem requires initial data. However, because the correct initial data for generic-orbit systems is unknown, specification of trivial initial data is a common choice, despite being inconsistent and resulting in a solution which is initially discontinuous in time. As is well known, this choice leads to a burst of junk radiation which eventually propagates off the computational domain. We observe another potential consequence ofmore » trivial initial data: development of a persistent spurious solution, here referred to as the Jost junk solution, which contaminates the physical solution for long times. This work studies the influence of both types of junk on metric perturbations, waveforms, and self-force measurements, and it demonstrates that smooth modified source terms mollify the Jost solution and reduce junk radiation. Our concluding section discusses the applicability of these observations to other numerical schemes and techniques used to solve distributionally forced master wave equations.« less

Aging, recall and recognition: a study on the sensitivity of the University of Southern California Repeatable Episodic Memory Test (USC-REMT).

PubMed

Parker, Elizabeth S; Landau, Susan M; Whipple, Stephen C; Schwartz, Barbara L

2004-05-01

This study examines the sensitivity of the University of Southern California Repeatable Episodic Memory Test (USC-REMT) to the effects of aging in a sample of 112 men and women from 18 to 93 years old. Two new recognition measures, yes-no and forced-choice, were developed to supplement the original USC-REMT which measured only free-recall. Free-recall, yes-no recognition and forced-choice recognition were sensitive to age effects, with free-recall being the most sensitive. The seven recall and recognition lists can be used interchangeably. The data indicate that the USC-REMT is worthy of consideration when there is a need for a brief, screening tool of various memory functions, particularly when there is interest in memory changes over time and repeated assessments.

[Demographic pressure, "informal sector" and technological choices in Third World countries].

PubMed

Hugon, P

1983-01-01

Trisectorial models of economic functioning have been proposed to replace the dualistic models that proved incapable of illuminating postwar employment trends in developing countries. The new models propose 3 sectors: the subsistence sector, where average productivity corresponds to the subsistence minimum and which is thus incapable of generating a surplus for savings; the intermediate sector, weakly capitalistic, characterized by the absence of a permanent salaried work force or codified labor relations, in which precariousness of employment and the exploitation of specific social relations allow a low wage rate, with a concommitant mode of regulation that largely escapes state control; and the intensely capitalistic sector, with a salaried work force, codified labor relations, existence of administered prices, various state subventions and protections and a monopolistic type of regulation. The 3 sectors are described in greater detail and represented graphically, along with a critique of the limitations of most studies employing a trisectorial perspective. A study of the impact of demographic pressure at different levels of technology embedded in specific sociohistoric systems follows. The final section contains an analysis of 3 types of effects which may mediate the role of demographic pressure in the choice of technologies: effects of demographic pressure on structures of production and consumption, on segments of the labor force, and on involutive and evolutive processes. It is argued that the links between demographic pressure, technologic choices, and the productive sector can only be analyzed in specific social systems.

Systemic Sclerosis Classification Criteria: Developing methods for multi-criteria decision analysis with 1000Minds

PubMed Central

Johnson, Sindhu R.; Naden, Raymond P.; Fransen, Jaap; van den Hoogen, Frank; Pope, Janet E.; Baron, Murray; Tyndall, Alan; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco; Denton, Christopher P.; Distler, Oliver; Gabrielli, Armando; van Laar, Jacob M.; Mayes, Maureen; Steen, Virginia; Seibold, James R.; Clements, Phillip; Medsger, Thomas A.; Carreira, Patricia E.; Riemekasten, Gabriela; Chung, Lorinda; Fessler, Barri J.; Merkel, Peter A.; Silver, Richard; Varga, John; Allanore, Yannick; Mueller-Ladner, Ulf; Vonk, Madelon C.; Walker, Ulrich A.; Cappelli, Susanna; Khanna, Dinesh

2014-01-01

Objective Classification criteria for systemic sclerosis (SSc) are being developed. The objectives were to: develop an instrument for collating case-data and evaluate its sensibility; use forced-choice methods to reduce and weight criteria; and explore agreement between experts on the probability that cases were classified as SSc. Study Design and Setting A standardized instrument was tested for sensibility. The instrument was applied to 20 cases covering a range of probabilities that each had SSc. Experts rank-ordered cases from highest to lowest probability; reduced and weighted the criteria using forced-choice methods; and re-ranked the cases. Consistency in rankings was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results Experts endorsed clarity (83%), comprehensibility (100%), face and content validity (100%). Criteria were weighted (points): finger skin thickening (14–22), finger-tip lesions (9–21), friction rubs (21), finger flexion contractures (16), pulmonary fibrosis (14), SSc-related antibodies (15), Raynaud’s phenomenon (13), calcinosis (12), pulmonary hypertension (11), renal crisis (11), telangiectasia (10), abnormal nailfold capillaries (10), esophageal dilation (7) and puffy fingers (5). The ICC across experts was 0.73 (95%CI 0.58,0.86) and improved to 0.80 (95%CI 0.68,0.90). Conclusions Using a sensible instrument and forced-choice methods, the number of criteria were reduced by 39% (23 to 14) and weighted. Our methods reflect the rigors of measurement science, and serves as a template for developing classification criteria. PMID:24721558

A systematic review of studies measuring and reporting hearing aid usage in older adults since 1999: a descriptive summary of measurement tools.

PubMed

Perez, Elvira; Edmonds, Barrie A

2012-01-01

A systematic review was conducted to identify and quality assess how studies published since 1999 have measured and reported the usage of hearing aids in older adults. The relationship between usage and other dimensions of hearing aid outcome, age and hearing loss are summarised. Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, The University of Nottingham Online Catalogue, Web of Science and through reference checking. (1) participants aged fifty years or over with sensori-neural hearing loss, (2) provision of an air conduction hearing aid, (3) inclusion of hearing aid usage measure(s) and (4) published between 1999 and 2011. Of the initial 1933 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 64 were found eligible for review and were quality assessed on six dimensions: study design, choice of outcome instruments, level of reporting (usage, age, and audiometry) and cross validation of usage measures. Five papers were rated as being of high quality (scoring 10-12), 35 papers were rated as being of moderate quality (scoring 7-9), 22 as low quality (scoring 4-6) and two as very low quality (scoring 0-2). Fifteen different methods were identified for assessing the usage of hearing aids. Generally, the usage data reviewed was not well specified. There was a lack of consistency and robustness in the way that usage of hearing aids was assessed and categorised. There is a need for more standardised level of reporting of hearing aid usage data to further understand the relationship between usage and hearing aid outcomes.

Optimal Decision Stimuli for Risky Choice Experiments: An Adaptive Approach

PubMed Central

Cavagnaro, Daniel R.; Gonzalez, Richard; Myung, Jay I.; Pitt, Mark A.

2014-01-01

Collecting data to discriminate between models of risky choice requires careful selection of decision stimuli. Models of decision making aim to predict decisions across a wide range of possible stimuli, but practical limitations force experimenters to select only a handful of them for actual testing. Some stimuli are more diagnostic between models than others, so the choice of stimuli is critical. This paper provides the theoretical background and a methodological framework for adaptive selection of optimal stimuli for discriminating among models of risky choice. The approach, called Adaptive Design Optimization (ADO), adapts the stimulus in each experimental trial based on the results of the preceding trials. We demonstrate the validity of the approach with simulation studies aiming to discriminate Expected Utility, Weighted Expected Utility, Original Prospect Theory, and Cumulative Prospect Theory models. PMID:24532856

A temperature-compensated optical fiber force sensor for minimally invasive surgeries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, Z.; Xu, W.; Broderick, N.; Chen, H.

2015-12-01

Force sensing in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a chronic problem since it has an intensive magnetic resonance (MR) operation environment, which causes a high influence to traditional electronic force sensors. Optical sensor is a promising choice in this area because it is immune to MR influence. However, the changing temperature introduces a lot of noise signals to them, which is the main obstacle for optical sensing applications in MIS. This paper proposes a miniature temperature-compensated optical force sensor by using Fabry-Perot interference (FPI) principle. It can be integrated into medical tools' tips and the temperature noise is decreased by using a reference FPI temperature sensor. An injection needle with embedded temperature-compensated FPI force sensor has been fabricated and tested. And the comparison between temperature-force simulation results and the temperature-force experiment results has been carried out.

Otitis media in indonesian urban and rural school children.

PubMed

Anggraeni, Ratna; Hartanto, Widya W; Djelantik, Bulantrisna; Ghanie, Abla; Utama, Denny S; Setiawan, Eka P; Lukman, Erica; Hardiningsih, Chintriany; Asmuni, Suprihati; Budiarti, Rery; Rahardjo, Sutji Pratiwi; Djamin, Riskiana; Mulyani, Tri; Mutyara, Kuswandewi; Carosone-Link, Phyllis; Kartasasmita, Cissy B; Simões, Eric A F

2014-10-01

Although the epidemiology of otitis media is well-known in industrialized countries, the extent of otitis media in developing Asian countries, especially in south East Asia is not well studied. To define the burden of otitis media and its sequelae in children 6-15 years of age, we enrolled elementary and junior high school children in 6 areas in rural and urban Indonesia. Randomly selected schools and classrooms were selected. All children were administered a questionnaire and had ear examinations, pneumatic otoscopy and screening audiometry. Children with any abnormality on examination or with a relevant history underwent diagnostic audiometry and tympanometry, if indicated. Of the 7005 children studied, 116 had chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), 30 had acute otitis media and 26 had otitis media with effusion. 2.7% of rural children had CSOM compared with 0.7% of urban children (P < 0.0001). The rates per 1000 of CSOM in rural Bali and Bandung were significantly higher (75 and 25, respectively) than in the rest of Indonesia (P < 0.05). In rural Bali, the rate per 1000 children of inactive CSOM was 63 in 6- to 9-year-old children, compared with 37 in children aged 13-15 years. Concomitantly, the rates of tympanosclerosis were 7 and 26/1000, respectively, in these age groups. In Indonesia, the prevalence of CSOM is relatively high with most disease occurring in rural areas. The high rates in rural Bali with early progression to tympanosclerosis suggest a significant burden of potentially vaccine preventable illness.

Free Field Word recognition test in the presence of noise in normal hearing adults.

PubMed

Almeida, Gleide Viviani Maciel; Ribas, Angela; Calleros, Jorge

In ideal listening situations, subjects with normal hearing can easily understand speech, as can many subjects who have a hearing loss. To present the validation of the Word Recognition Test in a Free Field in the Presence of Noise in normal-hearing adults. Sample consisted of 100 healthy adults over 18 years of age with normal hearing. After pure tone audiometry, a speech recognition test was applied in free field condition with monosyllables and disyllables, with standardized material in three listening situations: optimal listening condition (no noise), with a signal to noise ratio of 0dB and a signal to noise ratio of -10dB. For these tests, an environment in calibrated free field was arranged where speech was presented to the subject being tested from two speakers located at 45°, and noise from a third speaker, located at 180°. All participants had speech audiometry results in the free field between 88% and 100% in the three listening situations. Word Recognition Test in Free Field in the Presence of Noise proved to be easy to be organized and applied. The results of the test validation suggest that individuals with normal hearing should get between 88% and 100% of the stimuli correct. The test can be an important tool in measuring noise interference on the speech perception abilities. Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Screening of dental staff nurses for noise induced hearing loss.

PubMed

Daud, M K M; Noh, N F M; Sidek, D S; Abd Rahman, N; Abd Rani, N; Zakaria, M N

2011-01-01

The effect of noise on employees of dental clinics is debatable. The purposes of this study were to determine the intensity and frequency components of dental instruments used by dental staff nurses and the prevalence of noise induced hearing loss. We performed a comparative, cross sectional study on a group of dental staff nurses. Participants underwent ear examination followed by pure tone audiometry. Pure tone audiometry was performed at least 48 hours after the participants were free from noise exposure. Noise induced hearing loss was defined as failed definitive threshold at a frequency of 4000 Hz greater than 20 dB. The intensity level, noise spectrum, and frequency of hand piece, saliva suction, and scaler were recorded during the dental procedure. A total of 65 dental staff nurses were included. The mean intensity of hand pieces, scalers, and saliva suctions were 88.7 (SD2.2), 87.1 (SD2.6), and 77.4 (SD6.3) dBA while their most prominent frequencies were 3880, 7997, and 3513 Hz, respectively. Three of the subjects had slightly more than 20 dB hearing loss at 4 kHz on audiogram; all were affected unilaterally. These three individuals worked as dental nurses for 11, 13, and 21 years, respectively. Therefore, the prevalence of noise induced hearing loss was 5.0% (95% CI: -1.0%, 10.0%). Dental staff nurses might have an increased risk of noise induced hearing loss, depending upon individual factors influencing susceptibility and duration of noise exposure.

Inner ear problems of Thai priest at Priest Hospital.

PubMed

Karnchanakas, Taweporn; Tantanavat, Are; Sinsakontavat, Jamjan

2008-01-01

The inner ear problems of Thai priest at Priest Hospital had never been reported previously, so Department of Ear Nose Throat try to correlate the metebotic disorder with inner ear problems. 1) To study the fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (T. Chol), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride (TG), the factors expected to involve in inner ear problems of priests at Priest Hospital. 2) To compare the FBS, T. Chol, HDL, LDL, and TG of priests with inner ear problems at Priest Hospital. 3) To find the percentage of abnormal from FBS, T. Chol, LDL, and TG. The study using 83 sampling of priests with inner ear problems and 107 priests as a controlled group. The research instruments used to collect data was the questionnaire which composed of general information, physical, ear-nose-throat and neurological examination, pure tone audiometry, brainstem evoke response audiometry (BERA) and the blood tests:FBS, T. Chol, TG, and LDL. The inner ear problems were composed of: 1) Dizziness 2) Hearing Loss 3) Tinnitus Aurium. The descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data from questionnaires and utilized frequency, percentage, standard deviation (S.D.) and t-test to achieve desired results. Priest at middle age and elderly with inner ear problems had greater FBS and TG than expected values of the control group. The middle age and elderly priests who had greater FBS and TG than expected values were sick with inner ear problems that causing dizziness, hearing loss and tinnitus aurium.

Statistics of work performed on a forced quantum oscillator.

PubMed

Talkner, Peter; Burada, P Sekhar; Hänggi, Peter

2008-07-01

Various aspects of the statistics of work performed by an external classical force on a quantum mechanical system are elucidated for a driven harmonic oscillator. In this special case two parameters are introduced that are sufficient to completely characterize the force protocol. Explicit results for the characteristic function of work and the corresponding probability distribution are provided and discussed for three different types of initial states of the oscillator: microcanonical, canonical, and coherent states. Depending on the choice of the initial state the probability distributions of the performed work may greatly differ. This result in particular also holds true for identical force protocols. General fluctuation and work theorems holding for microcanonical and canonical initial states are confirmed.

Vacillation, indecision and hesitation in moment-by-moment decoding of monkey motor cortex

PubMed Central

Kaufman, Matthew T; Churchland, Mark M; Ryu, Stephen I; Shenoy, Krishna V

2015-01-01

When choosing actions, we can act decisively, vacillate, or suffer momentary indecision. Studying how individual decisions unfold requires moment-by-moment readouts of brain state. Here we provide such a view from dorsal premotor and primary motor cortex. Two monkeys performed a novel decision task while we recorded from many neurons simultaneously. We found that a decoder trained using ‘forced choices’ (one target viable) was highly reliable when applied to ‘free choices’. However, during free choices internal events formed three categories. Typically, neural activity was consistent with rapid, unwavering choices. Sometimes, though, we observed presumed ‘changes of mind’: the neural state initially reflected one choice before changing to reflect the final choice. Finally, we observed momentary ‘indecision’: delay forming any clear motor plan. Further, moments of neural indecision accompanied moments of behavioral indecision. Together, these results reveal the rich and diverse set of internal events long suspected to occur during free choice. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04677.001 PMID:25942352

Witnesses' blindness for their own facial recognition decisions: a field study.

PubMed

Sagana, Anna; Sauerland, Melanie; Merckelbach, Harald

2013-01-01

In a field study, we examined choice blindness for eyewitnesses' facial recognition decisions. Seventy-one pedestrians were engaged in a conversation by two experimenters who pretended to be tourists in the center of a European city. After a short interval, pedestrians were asked to identify the two experimenters from separate simultaneous six-person photo lineups. Following each of the two forced-choice recognition decisions, they were confronted with their selection and asked to motivate their decision. However, for one of the recognition decisions, the chosen lineup member was exchanged with a previously unidentified member. Blindness for this identity manipulation occurred at the rate of 40.8%. Furthermore, the detection rate varied as a function of similarity (high vs. low) between the original choice and the manipulated outcome. Finally, choice manipulations undermined the confidence-accuracy relation for detectors to a greater degree than for blind participants. Stimulus ambiguity is discussed as a moderator of choice blindness. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sexual selection under parental choice: evidence from sixteen historical societies.

PubMed

Apostolou, Menelaos

2012-08-11

Asymmetrical fitness benefits between parents and offspring result in the ideal spouse not being the ideal in-law. This enables parents to attempt to control the mating behavior of their children, and when they succeed, parental choice becomes a primary sexual selection force. A number of studies indicate that parental choice is dominant in contemporary pre-industrial societies. This paper presents evidence from the historical record which indicates that parental choice was also dominant during the later stages of human evolution. More specifically, 40 variables have been coded for a sample of 16 historical societies. Consistent with the model of parental choice, it is found that mating is controlled by parents, male parents exercise more control over marriage arrangements than females, and more control is exercised over female than male offspring. Finally, the specific qualities that parents desire in an in-law and offspring desire in a spouse have also been identified. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Medium Suppression of In medium Nucleon-Nucleon Cross Sections Predicted with Various Microscopic Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Yong-Zhong; Lu, Fei-Ping; Wei, Xiao-Ping; Zheng, Yu-Ming

2014-08-01

The nucleon-nucleon cross sections in the dense nuclear matter are microscopically calculated by using Dirac—Brueckner—Hartree—Fock (DBHF) approximation with different covariant representations of the T-matrix, i.e., complete pseudo-vector (CPV), pseudoscalar (PS) and pseudo-vector (PV) choices. Special attention is paid to the discrepancies among the cross sections calculated with these different T-matrix project choices. The results show that the medium suppression of the cross section given by DBHF in the CPV choice is not only smaller than those obtained in both PS and PV choices, but also smaller than the predictions with a nonrelativistic Brueckner—Hartree—Fock (BHF) method including three body force (3BF). The further analysis reveals that the influence of the different choices on the cross section in the DBHF approximation is mainly determined by the state of smaller total angular momentum due to the medium effect being strongly suppressed in the higher angular momentum.

[Resources of person psychological security depending on the employment status of a pensioner.

PubMed

Krasnyanskaya, T M; Tylets, V G

2018-01-01

200 pensioners aged of 55 to 65 years differing in employment status (working or resting) after retirement age and character of his choice (voluntary or forced) were surveyed. The content and the structure of the resources of the pensioners' personality, of external determinants of the choice of their employment status, the connection of the external determinants of the choice of employment status and the resources of psychological security of the pensioners' personality were analyzed. The psychological resources consist of development and protection resources, proving the priority of resources security of the pensioners' person. The significance of resource development for working pensioners and the protection resources for real pensioners is established. The level of psychological safety of the personality of pensioners is determined by a combination of nature and voluntary choice of employment status. The choice of employment status depends on a complex assessment of macro-, meso- and microaspects of life. The self-estimation of the development resources is prioritized to save a pensioner work activities.

Frequency of auditory involvement and of associated factors in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

PubMed

Céspedes Cruz, Adriana Ivonne; Méndez Núñez, Myriam; Solís Vallejo, Eunice; Zeferino Cruz, Maritza; Torres Jiménez, Alfonso Ragnar; Ocampo Sánchez, Verónica; Flores Meza, Beatriz; Quintana Ruiz, Norma

2017-09-08

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of arthritis in children under 16 years of age for more than 6 weeks in the absence of any other known cause. The extra-articular manifestations, especially in the audiovestibular system, are related to the involvement of the joints of the ossicular chain as a result of the inflammatory process in the synovium. Previous clinical studies in pediatric patients have shown conductive or sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of hearing impairment and of associated factors in patients with JIA. A prospective, analytical study was conducted from January 2013 to August 2014 in 62 patients with JIA aged between 5 and 15 years. The study was approved by the local ethics committee and parents signed their informed consent. All subjects underwent audiological examination involving otomicroscopy, audiometry, tympanometry, stapedius reflex and test for transient otoacoustic emissions (TOAE); rheumatologic evaluation included joint examination and the application of a measure of functional ability (disability) using the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ). Measures of central tendency and of dispersion were used (chi-square for associations and P<.05 for statistical significance). Sixty-two patients were included: 56 girls and 6 boys, mean age 11.9 years and mean disease duration of 3.4 years; 46% had rheumatoid factor (RF)- positive polyarticular JIA, 40% had RF-negative polyarticular JIA, 15% had disease of systemic onset and 3% had oligoarthritis. Active disease was found in 29 patients and 33 were in remission with medication. Of the total of 124 ears evaluated according to the Jerger classification for tympanometry, abnormal findings were observed in 78 that were type As and in 1 that was type Ad, whereas there were 45 type A ears. Hearing loss was disclosed by speech audiometry, rather than by pure tone audiometry. The TOAE were absent in 4% of those assessed and the stapedius reflex was absent in less than 10%. Factors that had a positive correlation with hearing impairment were RF-positive polyarticular JIA, disease duration, degree of disability and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate level (P<.000). The presence of an abnormal tympanogram suggested early involvement in the structure of the tympanic-ossicular complex; however, 3.4 years later, no hearing loss had been reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Ethics, A Choice for the Future: An Interdisciplinary Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downie, Susan L.

1989-01-01

Describes an interdisciplinary program in which English, social studies, physics, and calculus teachers joined forces to teach high school students critical-thinking skills so that students could make ethical decisions and solve ethical dilemmas. (MM)

Career and Family Choices Among Elite Liberal Arts Graduates.

PubMed

Antecol, Heather

2015-08-01

This study describes how the career and family choices of female graduates of the Claremont Colleges within 15 years of undergraduate graduation (unless otherwise specified) have changed across the graduation years of 1960 to 1994. Specifically, I show that female graduates of the Claremont Colleges have clearly shifted away from having their family first (i.e., having at least one biological child) and a job second (i.e., having a job after 15 years of receiving their undergraduate degree but having very weak labor force attachment prior to that) toward simultaneously having both a career (i.e., very strong labor force attachment) and a family for those that graduated after 1979. Finally, I find that the primary mechanisms that allowed for the observed shift toward "career and family" for those that graduated post-1979 appear to be increased access to paid parental leave and childcare.

Bias in masked word identification: unconscious influences of repetition priming.

PubMed

Masson, Michael E J

2002-12-01

The beneficial influence of a prior study episode on subsequent identification of a word includes a large bias component, revealed in the forced-choice variant of the masked word identification test. In that type of test, subjects show a preference for a studied probe over a nonstudied probe, regardless of which one matches the masked target word. The forced-choice test was used in the present experiments to test the possibility that this bias effect is due to conscious recollection. Results show that bias was strongly attenuated (1) by changes in modality between study and test, and (2) under certain conditions, by using a conceptually driven study task. The bias effect was found only when probes were orthographically similar to one another, as predicted by the counter model (Ratcliff & McKoon, 1997). These results provide strong evidence that the bias effect is not mediated by conscious recollection.

Children’s Beliefs in Reciprocation of Biases and Flexibility

PubMed Central

Rennels, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Children display positive and negative biases based on peers’ attractiveness, gender, and race, but it is unclear whether children who associate positive attributes with certain peers also believe those peers think positively of them. In each domain (attractiveness, gender, race), we measured 3- to 11-year-olds’ (N=102) biases and flexibility and their beliefs in reciprocity of bias and flexibility by asking who would think positively of them. Children could choose one of two unfamiliar peers (forced choice assessment) or had the additional options of choosing both or neither peer (non-forced choice assessment). We found children often displayed beliefs in reciprocation, with beliefs in positive bias reciprocation from attractive girls showing the largest effect sizes. These beliefs significantly correlated with and were predictive of children’s positive and negative biases and flexibility. The duality of children’s beliefs may contribute to strengthening their biases and segregating social groups. PMID:25918015

Three Methods of Assessing Values for Advance Care Planning

PubMed Central

Karel, Michele J.; Moye, Jennifer; Bank, Adam; Azar, Armin R.

2016-01-01

Advance care planning ideally includes communication about values between patients, family members, and care providers. This study examined the utility of health care values assessment tools for older adults with and without dementia. Adults aged 60 and older, with and without dementia, completed three values assessment tools—open-ended, forced-choice, and rating scale questions—and named a preferred surrogate decision maker. Responses to forced-choice items were examined at 9-month retest. Adults with and without dementia appeared equally able to respond meaningfully to questions about values regarding quality of life and health care decisions. People with dementia were generally as able as controls to respond consistently after 9 months. Although values assessment methods show promise, further item and scale development work is needed. Older adults with dementia should be included in clarifying values for advance care planning to the extent that they desire and are able. PMID:17215205

Taking the Test Taker's Perspective: Response Process and Test Motivation in Multidimensional Forced-Choice Versus Rating Scale Instruments.

PubMed

Sass, Rachelle; Frick, Susanne; Reips, Ulf-Dietrich; Wetzel, Eunike

2018-03-01

The multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) format has been proposed as an alternative to the rating scale (RS) response format. However, it is unclear how changing the response format may affect the response process and test motivation of participants. In Study 1, we investigated the MFC response process using the think-aloud technique. In Study 2, we compared test motivation between the RS format and different versions of the MFC format (presenting 2, 3, 4, and 5 items simultaneously). The response process to MFC item blocks was similar to the RS response process but involved an additional step of weighing the items within a block against each other. The RS and MFC response format groups did not differ in their test motivation. Thus, from the test taker's perspective, the MFC format is somewhat more demanding to respond to, but this does not appear to decrease test motivation.

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test forced-choice recognition task: Base-rate data and norms.

PubMed

Poreh, Amir; Bezdicek, Ondrej; Korobkova, Irina; Levin, Jennifer B; Dines, Philipp

2016-01-01

The present study describes a novel Forced-Choice Response (FCR) index for detecting poor effort on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). This retrospective study analyzes the performance of 4 groups on the new index: clinically referred patients with suspected dementia, forensic patients identified as not exhibiting adequate effort on other measures of response bias, students who simulated poor effort, and a large normative sample collected in the Gulf State of Oman. Using sensitivity and specificity analyses, the study shows that much like the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition FCR index, the RAVLT FCR index misses a proportion of individuals with inadequate effort (low sensitivity), but those who fail this measure are highly likely to be exhibiting poor effort (high specificity). The limitations and benefits of utilizing the RAVLT FCR index in clinical practice are discussed.

Theory of mind and central coherence in adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Beaumont, Renae; Newcombe, Peter

2006-07-01

The study investigated theory of mind and central coherence abilities in adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger syndrome (AS) using naturalistic tasks. Twenty adults with HFA/AS correctly answered significantly fewer theory of mind questions than 20 controls on a forced-choice response task. On a narrative task, there were no differences in the proportion of mental state words between the two groups, although the participants with HFA/AS were less inclined to provide explanations for characters' mental states. No between-group differences existed on the central coherence questions of the forced-choice response task, and the participants with HFA/AS included an equivalent proportion of explanations for non-mental state phenomena in their narratives as did controls. These results support the theory of mind deficit account of autism spectrum disorders, and suggest that difficulties in mental state attribution cannot be exclusively attributed to weak central coherence.

Performance benefits and costs in forced choice perceptual identification in amnesia: Effects of prior exposure and word frequency.

PubMed

Keane, Margaret M; Martin, Elizabeth; Verfaellie, Mieke

2009-07-01

Accuracy in identifying a perceptually degraded word (e.g., stake) can be either enhanced by recent exposure to the same stimulus or reduced by recent exposure to a similar stimulus (e.g., stare). In the present study, we explored the mechanisms underlying these benefits and costs by examining the performance of amnesic and control groups in a forced choice perceptual identification (FCPI) task in which briefly flashed words (that were identical to studied words, similar to studied words, or new) had to be identified, and two response choices were provided that differed from each other by one letter. Control participants showed a performance benefit and cost in FCPI with both high- and low-frequency words. Amnesic participants showed a benefit (but no cost) with high-frequency words and a benefit and a cost with low-frequency words. The benefit/cost pattern with low-frequency words in amnesia was obtained even when the to-be-identified stimulus in the FCPI task was eliminated (Experiment 2), suggesting that this effect was driven by processes operating at the level of the response choices. Our findings suggest that implicit memory effects in FCPI reflect the operation of multiple mechanisms, the relative contributions of which may vary with the frequency of the test stimuli. The results also highlight the need for caution in interpreting results from normal participants in the FCPI task, since those findings may reflect a contribution of explicit memory processes.

TEMPS-A[P] temperament profile related to professional choice. Differences between applicants to become a cadet officer in the Italian Air Force or Navy.

PubMed

Rovai, Luca; Maremmani, Angelo Giovanni Icro; Leonardi, Annalisa; Bacciardi, Silvia; Rugani, Fabio; Dell'Osso, Liliana; Akiskal, Hagop S; Maremmani, Icro

2013-02-15

Temperament appears to be a factor involved in professional attitudes. The most impressive findings are those on the importance of cyclothymia in art and of hyperthymia in leadership. In this study we raise the issue of whether the relationship between hyperthymic temperament and the choice of a military career, previously reported among Italian Air Force applicants, can be extended to another military service such as the Italian Navy. We compared temperaments between those who had applied to become a cadet officer in the Italian Air Force or in the Italian Navy, with special reference to gender differences and the ability of the two types of applicants to pass the psychiatric examination for admission that we had recently assessed in the Italian Air Force. Hyperthymic traits were well represented in both these armed services. Navy applicants differed from air-force applicants in obtaining higher depressive, cyclothymic and irritable scores. Navy applicants who passed the psychiatric entrance examination (PEE) showed the same incidence of hyperthymic temperament as their Air Force counterparts, but higher depressive, cyclothymic and irritable scores. Considering gender, among Air Force applicants depressive traits were better represented in males; conversely, among Navy applicants they were better represented in females. If we consider gender together with PEE results, the highest hyperthymic scores were more frequently found among males who passed and females who failed to pass the PEE. On the other hand, a greater number of cyclothymic traits were found in females who passed and males who failed to pass the PEE. It was confirmed that hyperthymic temperament represents the temperamental profile of those who aim to become a cadet officer in the Italian armed forces. This study further supports the idea that hyperthymic traits bring distinct advantages in a professional field, such as a military career, which is closely related to leadership. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Constructing experimental designs for discrete-choice experiments: report of the ISPOR Conjoint Analysis Experimental Design Good Research Practices Task Force.

PubMed

Reed Johnson, F; Lancsar, Emily; Marshall, Deborah; Kilambi, Vikram; Mühlbacher, Axel; Regier, Dean A; Bresnahan, Brian W; Kanninen, Barbara; Bridges, John F P

2013-01-01

Stated-preference methods are a class of evaluation techniques for studying the preferences of patients and other stakeholders. While these methods span a variety of techniques, conjoint-analysis methods-and particularly discrete-choice experiments (DCEs)-have become the most frequently applied approach in health care in recent years. Experimental design is an important stage in the development of such methods, but establishing a consensus on standards is hampered by lack of understanding of available techniques and software. This report builds on the previous ISPOR Conjoint Analysis Task Force Report: Conjoint Analysis Applications in Health-A Checklist: A Report of the ISPOR Good Research Practices for Conjoint Analysis Task Force. This report aims to assist researchers specifically in evaluating alternative approaches to experimental design, a difficult and important element of successful DCEs. While this report does not endorse any specific approach, it does provide a guide for choosing an approach that is appropriate for a particular study. In particular, it provides an overview of the role of experimental designs for the successful implementation of the DCE approach in health care studies, and it provides researchers with an introduction to constructing experimental designs on the basis of study objectives and the statistical model researchers have selected for the study. The report outlines the theoretical requirements for designs that identify choice-model preference parameters and summarizes and compares a number of available approaches for constructing experimental designs. The task-force leadership group met via bimonthly teleconferences and in person at ISPOR meetings in the United States and Europe. An international group of experimental-design experts was consulted during this process to discuss existing approaches for experimental design and to review the task force's draft reports. In addition, ISPOR members contributed to developing a consensus report by submitting written comments during the review process and oral comments during two forum presentations at the ISPOR 16th and 17th Annual International Meetings held in Baltimore (2011) and Washington, DC (2012). Copyright © 2013 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mate choice for neutral and MHC genetic characteristics in Alpine marmots: different targets in different contexts?

PubMed

Ferrandiz-Rovira, Mariona; Allainé, Dominique; Callait-Cardinal, Marie-Pierre; Cohas, Aurélie

2016-07-01

Sexual selection through female mate choice for genetic characteristics has been suggested to be an important evolutionary force maintaining genetic variation in animal populations. However, the genetic targets of female mate choice are not clearly identified and whether female mate choice is based on neutral genetic characteristics or on particular functional loci remains an open question. Here, we investigated the genetic targets of female mate choice in Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota), a socially monogamous mammal where extra-pair paternity (EPP) occurs. We used 16 microsatellites to describe neutral genetic characteristics and two MHC loci belonging to MHC class I and II as functional genetic characteristics. Our results reveal that (1) neutral and MHC genetic characteristics convey different information in this species, (2) social pairs show a higher MHC class II dissimilarity than expected under random mate choice, and (3) the occurrence of EPP increases when social pairs present a high neutral genetic similarity or dissimilarity but also when they present low MHC class II dissimilarity. Thus, female mate choice is based on both neutral and MHC genetic characteristics, and the genetic characteristics targeted seem to be context dependent (i.e., the genes involved in social mate choice and genetic mate choice differ). We emphasize the need for empirical studies of mate choice in the wild using both neutral and MHC genetic characteristics because whether neutral and functional genetic characteristics convey similar information is not universal.

Importance of Survey Design for Studying the Epidemiology of Emerging Tobacco Product Use Among Youth.

PubMed

Delnevo, Cristine D; Gundersen, Daniel A; Manderski, Michelle T B; Giovenco, Daniel P; Giovino, Gary A

2017-08-15

Accurate surveillance is critical for monitoring the epidemiology of emerging tobacco products in the United States, and survey science suggests that survey response format can impact prevalence estimates. We utilized data from the 2014 New Jersey Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 3,909) to compare estimates of the prevalence of 4 behaviors (ever hookah use, current hookah use, ever e-cigarette use, and current e-cigarette use) among New Jersey high school students, as assessed using "check-all-that-apply" questions, with estimates measured by means of "forced-choice" questions. Measurement discrepancies were apparent for all 4 outcomes, with the forced-choice questions yielding prevalence estimates approximately twice those of the check-all-that-apply questions, and agreement was fair to moderate. The sensitivity of the check-all-that-apply questions, treating the forced-choice format as the "gold standard," ranged from 38.1% (current hookah use) to 58.3% (ever e-cigarette use), indicating substantial false-negative rates. These findings highlight the impact of question response format on prevalence estimates of emerging tobacco products among youth and suggest that estimates generated by means of check-all-that-apply questions may be biased downward. Alternative survey designs should be considered to avoid check-all-that-apply response formats, and researchers should use caution when interpreting tobacco use data obtained from check-all-that-apply formats. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Brain-Stimulation Induced Blindsight: Unconscious Vision or Response Bias?

PubMed Central

Lloyd, David A.; Abrahamyan, Arman; Harris, Justin A.

2013-01-01

A dissociation between visual awareness and visual discrimination is referred to as “blindsight”. Blindsight results from loss of function of the primary visual cortex (V1) which can occur due to cerebrovascular accidents (i.e. stroke-related lesions). There are also numerous reports of similar, though reversible, effects on vision induced by transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to early visual cortex. These effects point to V1 as the “gate” of visual awareness and have strong implications for understanding the neurological underpinnings of consciousness. It has been argued that evidence for the dissociation between awareness of, and responses to, visual stimuli can be a measurement artifact of the use of a high response criterion under yes-no measures of visual awareness when compared with the criterion free forced-choice responses. This difference between yes-no and forced-choice measures suggests that evidence for a dissociation may actually be normal near-threshold conscious vision. Here we describe three experiments that tested visual performance in normal subjects when their visual awareness was suppressed by applying TMS to the occipital pole. The nature of subjects’ performance whilst undergoing occipital TMS was then verified by use of a psychophysical measure (d') that is independent of response criteria. This showed that there was no genuine dissociation in visual sensitivity measured by yes-no and forced-choice responses. These results highlight that evidence for visual sensitivity in the absence of awareness must be analysed using a bias-free psychophysical measure, such as d', In order to confirm whether or not visual performance is truly unconscious. PMID:24324837

Brain-stimulation induced blindsight: unconscious vision or response bias?

PubMed

Lloyd, David A; Abrahamyan, Arman; Harris, Justin A

2013-01-01

A dissociation between visual awareness and visual discrimination is referred to as "blindsight". Blindsight results from loss of function of the primary visual cortex (V1) which can occur due to cerebrovascular accidents (i.e. stroke-related lesions). There are also numerous reports of similar, though reversible, effects on vision induced by transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to early visual cortex. These effects point to V1 as the "gate" of visual awareness and have strong implications for understanding the neurological underpinnings of consciousness. It has been argued that evidence for the dissociation between awareness of, and responses to, visual stimuli can be a measurement artifact of the use of a high response criterion under yes-no measures of visual awareness when compared with the criterion free forced-choice responses. This difference between yes-no and forced-choice measures suggests that evidence for a dissociation may actually be normal near-threshold conscious vision. Here we describe three experiments that tested visual performance in normal subjects when their visual awareness was suppressed by applying TMS to the occipital pole. The nature of subjects' performance whilst undergoing occipital TMS was then verified by use of a psychophysical measure (d') that is independent of response criteria. This showed that there was no genuine dissociation in visual sensitivity measured by yes-no and forced-choice responses. These results highlight that evidence for visual sensitivity in the absence of awareness must be analysed using a bias-free psychophysical measure, such as d', In order to confirm whether or not visual performance is truly unconscious.

[Pontine cavernous angioma (cavernoma) with initial ENT manifestations].

PubMed

Pino Rivero, V; González Palomino, A; Pantoja Hernández, C G; Trinidad Ruíz, G; Marqués Rebollo, L; Blasco Huelva, A

2006-01-01

We report the case of a 22 years old female who consulted us for facial parestesias, hearing loss in right ear and sudden tinnitus. Her audiometry showed an unilateral discreet sensorineural hipoacusia and the cranial IRM, a mass of 20 mm diameter in right pontine region and bulbus informed as cavernous angioma with signs of recent bleeding. The patient was sent to Neurosurgery but she refused the intervention. The risk of hemorrhage in the cavernomas is estimated at 0.25% to 1.6% per year and represents the main reason to advise a surgical treatment.

[Audiometry in the cellulose industry].

PubMed

Corrao, C R; Milano, L; Pedulla, P; Carlesi, G; Bacaloni, A; Monaco, E

1993-01-01

A noise level dosimetry and audiometric testing were conducted in a cellulose factory to determine the hazardous noise level and the prevalence of noise induced hearing loss among the exposed workers. The noise level was recorded up to 90 db (A) in several working areas. 18 workers, potentially exposed to noise injury, evidenced a significant hearing loss. While no evidence of noise injury was recorded in a control group of 100 subjects. This finding suggest a strict relationship between audiometric tests, the noise level recorded in the working place and the working seniority of exposed employers.

Reflections on Measuring Thinking, while Listening to Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasserman, Selma

1989-01-01

Reflects on educators' current preoccupation with assessment of higher order thinking skills. Easy-to-mark, forced-choice, pencil-and-paper tests with single numerical scores may trivialize the wonderful complexity of human capabilities. Includes 17 references. (MLH)

Naval War College Review. Volume 64, Number 1, Winter 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

2010, a Chinese delegation headed by Major General Li Ning, the defense counselor for the Chinese mission to the European Union , visited the...headquarters of European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia in Djibouti.52 Djibouti would be an excellent choice as a place for the PLAN, and it should...France’s Base Aérienne 188 is home to the headquarters of EU NAVFOR Somalia/Operation ATALANTA, the European Union naval force tasked with

Attention and attribute overlap in preferential choice.

PubMed

Bhatia, Sudeep

2017-07-01

Attributes that are common, or overlapping, across alternatives in two-alternative forced preferential choice tasks are often non-diagnostic. In many settings, attending to and evaluating these attributes does not help the decision maker determine which of the available alternatives is the most desirable. For this reason, many existing behavioural theories propose that decision makers ignore common attributes while deliberating. Across six experiments, we find that decision makers do direct their attention selectively and ignore attributes that are not present in or associated with either of the available alternatives. However, they are as likely to attend to common attributes as they are to attend to attributes that are unique to a single alternative. These results suggest the need for novel theories of attention in preferential choice.

Modeling detour behavior of pedestrian dynamics under different conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Yunchao; Xiao, Yao; Wu, Jianjun; Tang, Tao; Gao, Ziyou

2018-02-01

Pedestrian simulation approach has been widely used to reveal the human behavior and evaluate the performance of crowd evacuation. In the existing pedestrian simulation models, the social force model is capable of predicting many collective phenomena. Detour behavior occurs in many cases, and the important behavior is a dominate factor of the crowd evacuation efficiency. However, limited attention has been attracted for analyzing and modeling the characteristics of detour behavior. In this paper, a modified social force model integrated by Voronoi diagram is proposed to calculate the detour direction and preferred velocity. Besides, with the consideration of locations and velocities of neighbor pedestrians, a Logit-based choice model is built to describe the detour direction choice. The proposed model is applied to analyze pedestrian dynamics in a corridor scenario with either unidirectional or bidirectional flow, and a building scenario in real-world. Simulation results show that the modified social force model including detour behavior could reduce the frequency of collision and deadlock, increase the average speed of the crowd, and predict more practical crowd dynamics with detour behavior. This model can also be potentially applied to understand the pedestrian dynamics and design emergent management strategies for crowd evacuations.

Characterization of estrogen-trenbolone acetate implants on tenderness and consumer acceptability of beef under the effect of 2 aging times.

PubMed

Igo, J L; Brooks, J C; Johnson, B J; Starkey, J; Rathmann, R J; Garmyn, A J; Nichols, W T; Hutcheson, J P; Miller, M F

2011-03-01

Anabolic steroid implants are commonly used to increase growth performance and carcass leanness. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various trenbolone acetate implants on Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), slice shear force, and consumer palatability ratings for USDA Choice and Select beef strip steaks aged for 14 and 21 d from cattle implanted before slaughter. Beef steers (n = 1,740) were subjected to the following treatments: 1) nonimplanted control (CON); 2) Revalor-IS on d 0 and Revalor-S on d 70 (IS/S); or 3) Revalor-XS (RXS) on d 0, and were randomly assigned to pens within blocks. A subsample of USDA Choice (n = 82) and USDA Select (n = 81) carcasses was selected. Strip loins from these carcasses were collected, and steaks measuring 2.54 cm were fabricated and aged for 14 or 21 d postmortem. Select steaks aged 14 d from RXS cattle had decreased (P < 0.05) WBSF values compared with IS/S steaks, but CON steaks did not differ from either implant treatment. Warner-Bratzler shear force did not differ among treatments (P > 0.05) from USDA Choice steaks aged 14 and 21 d or from Select steaks aged 21 d. Consumer scores for flavor and overall liking for USDA Choice 14-d aged RXS steaks were less (P < 0.05) than CON steaks; however, there were no differences between RXS, IS/S, and CON for tenderness or juiciness, or for tenderness and overall acceptability. Select steaks aged 14 d from IS/S cattle had less (P < 0.05) tenderness, tenderness acceptability, overall acceptability, overall liking, juiciness, and flavor scores than RXS and CON steaks; however, consumers also rated RXS steaks less for tenderness, juiciness, and tenderness acceptability when compared with CON steaks. Consumer scores for overall liking, flavor, and tenderness for USDA Choice steaks aged 21 d from RXS, IS/S, and CON did not differ. However, implant affected (P < 0.05) overall liking, flavor, juiciness, and tenderness for USDA Select steaks aged 21 d. Even so, there were no differences between RXS, IS/S, and CON steaks for tenderness or overall acceptability for steaks aged 21 d, regardless of quality grade. Results indicated that tenderness differences exist among implant strategies when strip steaks were aged 14 d; however, tenderness and overall consumer acceptability were only influenced by implant in Select steaks aged 14 d. Furthermore, aging for 21 d can minimize and even eliminate implant differences in WBSF and slice shear force, as well as tenderness and overall consumer acceptability.

What Is Instrumented Learning? Part 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blake, Robert; Mouton, Jane

1972-01-01

Although article is directed specifically towards improving sales techniques through self evaluation, it discusses various autoinstructional aids that could be applied to other fields. These include self-ranking against an objectives" grid, forced and multiple choice quizzes and the sentence-completion approach. (PD)

Social and behavioral barriers to pathogen transmission in wild animal populations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loehle, C.S.

Disease and pathogens have been studied as regulators of animal populations but not really as selective forces. The authors propose that pathogens can be major selective forces influencing social behaviors when these are successful at reducing disease transmission. The behaviors whose evolution could have been influenced by pathogen effects include group size, group isolation, mixed species flocking, migration, seasonal sociality, social avoidance, and dominance behaviors. Mate choice, mating system, and sexual selection are put in a new light when examined in terms of disease transmission. It is concluded that pathogen avoidance is a more powerful selective force than has heretoforemore » been recognized.« less

A novel concurrent pictorial choice model of mood-induced relapse in hazardous drinkers.

PubMed

Hardy, Lorna; Hogarth, Lee

2017-12-01

This study tested whether a novel concurrent pictorial choice procedure, inspired by animal self-administration models, is sensitive to the motivational effect of negative mood induction on alcohol-seeking in hazardous drinkers. Forty-eight hazardous drinkers (scoring ≥7 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory) recruited from the community completed measures of alcohol dependence, depression, and drinking coping motives. Baseline alcohol-seeking was measured by percent choice to enlarge alcohol- versus food-related thumbnail images in two alternative forced-choice trials. Negative and positive mood was then induced in succession by means of self-referential affective statements and music, and percent alcohol choice was measured after each induction in the same way as baseline. Baseline alcohol choice correlated with alcohol dependence severity, r = .42, p = .003, drinking coping motives (in two questionnaires, r = .33, p = .02 and r = .46, p = .001), and depression symptoms, r = .31, p = .03. Alcohol choice was increased by negative mood over baseline (p < .001, ηp2 = .280), and matched baseline following positive mood (p = .54, ηp2 = .008). The negative mood-induced increase in alcohol choice was not related to gender, alcohol dependence, drinking to cope, or depression symptoms (ps ≥ .37). The concurrent pictorial choice measure is a sensitive index of the relative value of alcohol, and provides an accessible experimental model to study negative mood-induced relapse mechanisms in hazardous drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Design of tyre force excitation for tyre-road friction estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albinsson, Anton; Bruzelius, Fredrik; Jacobson, Bengt; Fredriksson, Jonas

2017-02-01

Knowledge of the current tyre-road friction coefficient is essential for future autonomous vehicles. The environmental conditions, and the tyre-road friction in particular, determine both the braking distance and the maximum cornering velocity and thus set the boundaries for the vehicle. Tyre-road friction is difficult to estimate during normal driving due to low levels of tyre force excitation. This problem can be solved by using active tyre force excitation. A torque is added to one or several wheels in the purpose of estimating the tyre-road friction coefficient. Active tyre force excitation provides the opportunity to design the tyre force excitation freely. This study investigates how the tyre force should be applied to minimise the error of the tyre-road friction estimate. The performance of different excitation strategies was found to be dependent on both tyre model choice and noise level. Furthermore, the advantage with using tyre models with more parameters decreased when noise was added to the force and slip ratio.

Measured long-range repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz forces.

PubMed

Munday, J N; Capasso, Federico; Parsegian, V Adrian

2009-01-08

Quantum fluctuations create intermolecular forces that pervade macroscopic bodies. At molecular separations of a few nanometres or less, these interactions are the familiar van der Waals forces. However, as recognized in the theories of Casimir, Polder and Lifshitz, at larger distances and between macroscopic condensed media they reveal retardation effects associated with the finite speed of light. Although these long-range forces exist within all matter, only attractive interactions have so far been measured between material bodies. Here we show experimentally that, in accord with theoretical prediction, the sign of the force can be changed from attractive to repulsive by suitable choice of interacting materials immersed in a fluid. The measured repulsive interaction is found to be weaker than the attractive. However, in both cases the magnitude of the force increases with decreasing surface separation. Repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz forces could allow quantum levitation of objects in a fluid and lead to a new class of switchable nanoscale devices with ultra-low static friction.

An item response curves analysis of the Force Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Gary A.; Harshman, Nathan; Branum-Martin, Lee; Mazur, Eric; Mzoughi, Taha; Baker, Stephen D.

2012-09-01

Several years ago, we introduced the idea of item response curves (IRC), a simplistic form of item response theory (IRT), to the physics education research community as a way to examine item performance on diagnostic instruments such as the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). We noted that a full-blown analysis using IRT would be a next logical step, which several authors have since taken. In this paper, we show that our simple approach not only yields similar conclusions in the analysis of the performance of items on the FCI to the more sophisticated and complex IRT analyses but also permits additional insights by characterizing both the correct and incorrect answer choices. Our IRC approach can be applied to a variety of multiple-choice assessments but, as applied to a carefully designed instrument such as the FCI, allows us to probe student understanding as a function of ability level through an examination of each answer choice. We imagine that physics teachers could use IRC analysis to identify prominent misconceptions and tailor their instruction to combat those misconceptions, fulfilling the FCI authors' original intentions for its use. Furthermore, the IRC analysis can assist test designers to improve their assessments by identifying nonfunctioning distractors that can be replaced with distractors attractive to students at various ability levels.

The survival of the pro-choice movement.

PubMed

Staggenborg, S

1995-01-01

In the US, the pro-choice movement has not only survived but grown stronger in the 25 years since the legalization of abortion provided its greatest victory. This longevity is explained through an examination of the internal organizational changes which have taken place in the movement as well as the external changes which have taken place in the political environment surrounding the movement. After providing a theoretical basis for this investigation, the history of the pro-choice movement in the US is traced in light of these elements. In the pre-1973 era, the movement lacked formal organization but was bolstered by external political factors provided by the protest cycle of the 1960s. During 1973-76, the actions of anti-abortion groups forced pro-choice groups to develop the more formalized organizational structures which helped the pro-choice movement survive its initial success and the decline of the era of protests. In the period 1976-83, the anti-abortion movement achieved passage of the Hyde Amendment banning federal funding of abortions. This victory by the opposition led to an expansion in the pro-choice movement which included the formation of many local reproductive rights organizations. Many of these organizations failed to create formalized structures and, therefore, failed to maintain their impetus to survive. However, NARAL (the National Association for Repeal of Abortion Laws) had adopted a more formalized structure and professional leadership following the Hyde legislation and developed strong, formal connections with its state affiliates while continuing to strengthen grassroots actions. The visible threats to abortion laws mounted by the anti-abortion groups added to NARAL's strength. During 1983-89, the pro-choice movement gained some key victories which threatened its survival. Continued activity on the part of the anti-abortion groups (such as release of the movie "The Silent Scream") generated enough pro-choice support, however, to weather this period. The activities of Operation Rescue also stimulated pro-choice reactions. In the period 1989-92, the Supreme Court gave pro-choice groups a victory in its Webster vs. Reproductive Health decision. Thus, NARAL's membership grew to an unprecedented 400,000 in 1990 and allowed the group to pump money into local grassroots activities. By the time the Court issued its Casey decision in 1992, neither group was willing to claim victory, although the ruling was a great victory for pro-choice forces because although the Court allowed states to impose new restrictions to abortion, it refused to overturn Roe vs. Wade. 1992 also saw the election of a pro-choice President who was able to appoint a pro-choice Justice to the Supreme Court in 1993. The ability of the pro-choice movement to survive victory (the creation of a favorable political opportunity structure) will be decided by the critical battles surrounding attempts to limit access to abortion providers as well as the accessibility of drug-induced abortion. State legislatures will remain major battlefields because of the Court-allowed restrictions. The pro-choice movement will also have to resolve conflicts over strategy such as whether to appeal to mainstream Americans or use the favorable climate to push for rights. The pro-choice movement will likely survive because the anti-abortion groups continue to pose threats and because formal organizations with professional leadership will keep the issues before the membership.

Air Force Reusable Booster System A Quick-look, Design Focused Modeling and Cost Analysis Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapata, Edgar

2011-01-01

Presents work supporting the Air force Reusable Booster System (RBS) - A Cost Study with Goals as follows: Support US launch systems decision makers, esp. in regards to the research, technology and demonstration investments required for reusable systems to succeed. Encourage operable directions in Reusable Booster / Launch Vehicle Systems technology choices, system design and product and process developments. Perform a quick-look cost study, while developing a cost model for more refined future analysis.

Redefining neuromarketing as an integrated science of influence.

PubMed

Breiter, Hans C; Block, Martin; Blood, Anne J; Calder, Bobby; Chamberlain, Laura; Lee, Nick; Livengood, Sherri; Mulhern, Frank J; Raman, Kalyan; Schultz, Don; Stern, Daniel B; Viswanathan, Vijay; Zhang, Fengqing Zoe

2014-01-01

Multiple transformative forces target marketing, many of which derive from new technologies that allow us to sample thinking in real time (i.e., brain imaging), or to look at large aggregations of decisions (i.e., big data). There has been an inclination to refer to the intersection of these technologies with the general topic of marketing as "neuromarketing". There has not been a serious effort to frame neuromarketing, which is the goal of this paper. Neuromarketing can be compared to neuroeconomics, wherein neuroeconomics is generally focused on how individuals make "choices", and represent distributions of choices. Neuromarketing, in contrast, focuses on how a distribution of choices can be shifted or "influenced", which can occur at multiple "scales" of behavior (e.g., individual, group, or market/society). Given influence can affect choice through many cognitive modalities, and not just that of valuation of choice options, a science of influence also implies a need to develop a model of cognitive function integrating attention, memory, and reward/aversion function. The paper concludes with a brief description of three domains of neuromarketing application for studying influence, and their caveats.

Identifying Early Onset of Hearing Loss in Young Adults With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Using High Frequency Audiometry.

PubMed

Vignesh, S S; Jaya, V; Moses, Anand; Muraleedharan, A

2015-09-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder caused by hyperglycemia which leads to dysfunction of various organs. Hearing acuity is equally hindered by this disorder. Among individuals with DM audiological characteristics of DM type 1 are of great concern in the literature. This study aims at establishing high frequency audiometry (HFA) as a useful tool in identifying early onset of hearing loss in individuals with DM type 2. 20 non-diabetic participants and 20 individuals with DM type 2 in the age range of 20-40 years were considered for the study. Subjects in both groups underwent otoscopic examination, PTA at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 kHz and HFA at 9, 10, 11.2, 12.5, 14 and 16 kHz. Results revealed statistically significant difference in thresholds of both PTA and HFA at all frequencies across the group, but the mean threshold difference between the diabetic and non-diabetic group was marked in HFA than in PTA. In the diabetic subjects the thresholds of PTA was within 25 dBHL at all frequencies when compared to the thresholds of HFA. Individuals with DM type 2 showed bilateral symmetrical mild hearing loss in HFA and the hearing loss increased with ascending test frequencies from 9,000 to 16,000 Hz. Mild hearing loss in HFA is an indicator for early onset of hearing loss in DM type 2. Hence this present study emphasis the clinical utility of HFA in young adults with DM type 2.

Validation of the use of self-reported hearing loss and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for elderly among rural Indian elderly population.

PubMed

Deepthi, R; Kasthuri, Arvind

2012-01-01

Hearing loss is a potentially disabling problem among elderly leading to physical and social dysfunction. Though audiometric assessment of hearing loss is considered as gold standard, it is not feasible in community settings. Several questionnaires measuring hearing handicap have been developed. Knowledge regarding applicability of these questionnaires among rural elderly is limited, hence a study was planned to validate single question and Shortened Hearing Handicap Inventory for Elderly (HHIE-S) in detecting hearing loss against pure tone-audiometry among rural Indian elderly. A single question 'do you feel you have a hearing loss?' and the HHIE-S was administered to 175 elderly in two rural areas. Hearing ability was assessed using pure tone audiometry. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of both screening tools were compared with pure tone averages (PTAs) greater than 25, 40 and 55 dB hearing level (mild, moderate and severe hearing loss, respectively). The single question yielded low sensitivity (30.9%) and high specificity (93.9%) for mild hearing loss. Similarly HHIE-S yielded a sensitivity of 26.2% and specificity of 95.9%. Sensitivity with single question increased to 76.2% and specificity decreased to 83.1% with severe hearing loss. Sensitivity with HHIE-S also increased to 76.2% and specificity decreased to 87.7% with severe hearing loss. These hearing screening questionnaires will be useful in identifying more disabling hearing losses among rural elderly which helps in rehabilitation services planning. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary assessment of patients with musical hallucinations, tinnitus and hearing loss.

PubMed

Rocha, Savya Cybelle Milhomem; Kii, Marcia Akemi; Pereira, Cristiana Borges; Borelli, Danilo Totarelli; Forlenza, Orestes; Sanchez, Tanit Ganz

2015-01-01

Although auditory hallucinations are considered a psychopathological phenomenon, musical hallucinations have been reported in individuals without psychosis but with auditory symptoms (tinnitus and/or hearing loss). Thus, a possible different cognitive functioning may be involved in musical hallucinations. The aim of the study was to characterize patients with tinnitus and musical hallucinations through a multidisciplinary assessment, allowing a better understanding of these concomitant phenomena. As this sample is rare to find, all consecutive patients with tinnitus, hearing loss and musical hallucinations were included over a 3-year period, excluding those unable to respond. All subjects underwent the following assessments: (1) otolaryngological and audiological assessment (physical examination and audiometry), (2) neurological assessment (cognition, electroencephalogram and imaging examination) and (3) psychiatric assessment (structured interview). A total of 16 patients were included (87.5% women; mean age 61.43 ± 15.99 years). The otolaryngological examination was normal in all cases, but audiometry revealed that the degree of hearing loss was severe to profound in 68.75% of participants. Neurological assessment showed electroencephalogram changes in only 17.6% of cases, while 25% presented with mild attention deficit and 43.75% had small foci of gliosis or ischemia on the imaging examination. Psychiatric assessment showed that 68.75% of cases had depression, 6.25% had anxiety disorder and 25% had no psychiatric conditions. Musical hallucinations were strongly associated with female elderly adults and with mood disorders. Thus, in contrast to common auditory hallucinations, patients with musical hallucinations associated with tinnitus and hearing loss should be offered a more multidisciplinary assessment. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A study on the effect of prolonged mobile phone use on pure tone audiometry thresholds of medical students of Sikkim

PubMed Central

Das, S; Chakraborty, S; Mahanta, B

2017-01-01

Introduction: Mobile phones have become indispensable for daily activities, and people are exposed to them from an early age. There is, however, concern about the harmful effect of the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the mobile phones. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the effect of mobile phone on average pure tone audiometry (PTA) threshold of the person and to study the changes in the pure tone threshold at high frequencies such as 2 kHz, 4 kHz, and 8 kHz among the students with prolonged exposure to mobile phones. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical students who have been using mobile phones for the past 5 years. The effect of mobile phones on the PTA threshold in the exposed ear and the nonexposed ear was assessed. Results: The study shows that there is a significant difference in average air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) hearing threshold among the exposed and the nonexposed ears (P < 0.05). A significant rise of both AC and BC threshold at individual frequencies between the exposed and the nonexposed ear is also noted in this study. Conclusion: The study conducted shows changes in the hearing threshold of the exposed ear when compared with the nonexposed ear. There are however lot of unanswered questions which provide an interesting avenue for further research. Till concrete evidence is available the only feasible way to control its exposure is to limit the duration of usage of mobile phones. PMID:28272071

Research notes : the war against potholes, new tools for maintenance forces.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-06-01

Looking for the ideal material to patch potholes? Faced with the wide variety of choices, which product is best suited for a particular application? Many vendors claim their products are the perfect fix for potholes in asphalt concrete pavement...

Course Syllabus: American Environmental History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koppes, Clayton R.

1988-01-01

Focuses on the intellectual and political forces that have influenced man's relationship with the environment. Discusses why the use of the environment has occurred as it has, and who benefited from these choices. Concludes with a look at global deforestation. Includes daily assignments and readings. (MVL)

A Systematic Review of Studies Measuring and Reporting Hearing Aid Usage in Older Adults since 1999: A Descriptive Summary of Measurement Tools

PubMed Central

Perez, Elvira; Edmonds, Barrie A.

2012-01-01

Objective A systematic review was conducted to identify and quality assess how studies published since 1999 have measured and reported the usage of hearing aids in older adults. The relationship between usage and other dimensions of hearing aid outcome, age and hearing loss are summarised. Data sources Articles were identified through systematic searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, The University of Nottingham Online Catalogue, Web of Science and through reference checking. Study eligibility criteria: (1) participants aged fifty years or over with sensori-neural hearing loss, (2) provision of an air conduction hearing aid, (3) inclusion of hearing aid usage measure(s) and (4) published between 1999 and 2011. Results Of the initial 1933 papers obtained from the searches, a total of 64 were found eligible for review and were quality assessed on six dimensions: study design, choice of outcome instruments, level of reporting (usage, age, and audiometry) and cross validation of usage measures. Five papers were rated as being of high quality (scoring 10–12), 35 papers were rated as being of moderate quality (scoring 7–9), 22 as low quality (scoring 4–6) and two as very low quality (scoring 0–2). Fifteen different methods were identified for assessing the usage of hearing aids. Conclusions Generally, the usage data reviewed was not well specified. There was a lack of consistency and robustness in the way that usage of hearing aids was assessed and categorised. There is a need for more standardised level of reporting of hearing aid usage data to further understand the relationship between usage and hearing aid outcomes. PMID:22479312

Assessment of Stress Level among Dental School Students: An Indian Outlook

PubMed Central

Tangade, Pradeep S.; Mathur, Anmol; Gupta, Rahul; Chaudhary, Shikha

2011-01-01

Background: Evaluating the factors influence student perception, might allow programmatic changes designed to enhance students’ psychosocial well-being and academic performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceived sources of stress on dental students and the role of parents in their career choice decisions. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, a modified dental environmental stress questionnaire was administered to all dental students. The responses to the questionnaire were based on a four-point Lickert scale, not stressful to severely stressful. Means and standard deviations were determined for stress scores of individuals for each item and were used to compare the classes, genders, and choices. Student's t, one way ANOVA, and Newman Keuls multiple comparison post hoc tests were used to analysed the data at the significant level of P ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 304 undergraduate students constituted the study population. Of the respondent, 60% were men and 40% were women. The final year students presented with higher stress scores. In gender comparison, men suffered more stress (62.9%) than women (60.1%). According to the career choice decision, students forced by parents had more perception of stress (69.0%) and the students staying in the hostel (62.7%) showed more perception of stress than day scholars (56.3%). Conclusion: The study indicates that the congenial environment needs to be created for dental education and the parents also need to be counselled against forcing their children to join an educational programme i.e. not of their choice. PMID:22013469

Naloxone effects on extinction of ethanol- and cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in mice.

PubMed

Font, Laura; Houck, Christa A; Cunningham, Christopher L

2017-09-01

Previous studies found that naloxone (NLX) facilitated choice extinction of ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) using long (60 min) test sessions, but there is little information on the variables determining this effect. These studies examined repeated exposure to NLX during extinction of ethanol- or cocaine-induced CPP using both short and long tests. DBA/2J mice were injected with NLX (0 or 10 mg/kg) before three 10- or 60-min choice extinction tests (experiment 1). All mice received a final 60-min test without NLX. Post-test NLX was given in experiment 2. Experiment 3 tested whether NLX would affect a forced extinction procedure. Experiment 4 tested its effect on extinction of cocaine-induced CPP. Pre-test (but not post-test) injections of NLX-facilitated choice extinction of ethanol CPP at both test durations. Pre-test NLX also facilitated forced extinction. However, pre-test NLX had no effect on choice extinction of cocaine CPP. Extinction test duration is not critical for engaging the opioid system during ethanol CPP extinction (experiment 1). Moreover, NLX's effect does not depend on CPP expression during extinction, just exposure to previously conditioned cues (experiment 3). The null effect of post-test NLX eliminates a memory consolidation interpretation (experiment 2) and the failure to alter cocaine CPP extinction argues against alteration of general learning or memory processes (experiment 4). Overall, these data suggest that the endogenous opioid system mediates a conditioned motivational effect that normally maintains alcohol-induced seeking behavior, which may underlie the efficacy of opiate antagonists in the treatment of alcoholism.

Rational tool use and tool choice in human infants and great apes.

PubMed

Buttelmann, David; Carpenter, Malinda; Call, Josep; Tomasello, Michael

2008-01-01

G. Gergely, H. Bekkering, and I. Király (2002) showed that 14-month-old infants imitate rationally, copying an adult's unusual action more often when it was freely chosen than when it was forced by some constraint. This suggests that infants understand others' intentions as rational choices of action plans. It is important to test whether apes also understand others' intentions in this way. In each of the current 3 studies, a comparison group of 14-month-olds used a tool more often when a demonstrator freely chose to use it than when she had to use it, but apes generally used the tool equally often in both conditions (orangutans were an exception). Only some apes thus show an understanding of others' intentions as rational choices of action plans.

Implications of the methodological choices for hydrologic portrayals of climate change over the contiguous United States: Statistically downscaled forcing data and hydrologic models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mizukami, Naoki; Clark, Martyn P.; Gutmann, Ethan D.; Mendoza, Pablo A.; Newman, Andrew J.; Nijssen, Bart; Livneh, Ben; Hay, Lauren E.; Arnold, Jeffrey R.; Brekke, Levi D.

2016-01-01

Continental-domain assessments of climate change impacts on water resources typically rely on statistically downscaled climate model outputs to force hydrologic models at a finer spatial resolution. This study examines the effects of four statistical downscaling methods [bias-corrected constructed analog (BCCA), bias-corrected spatial disaggregation applied at daily (BCSDd) and monthly scales (BCSDm), and asynchronous regression (AR)] on retrospective hydrologic simulations using three hydrologic models with their default parameters (the Community Land Model, version 4.0; the Variable Infiltration Capacity model, version 4.1.2; and the Precipitation–Runoff Modeling System, version 3.0.4) over the contiguous United States (CONUS). Biases of hydrologic simulations forced by statistically downscaled climate data relative to the simulation with observation-based gridded data are presented. Each statistical downscaling method produces different meteorological portrayals including precipitation amount, wet-day frequency, and the energy input (i.e., shortwave radiation), and their interplay affects estimations of precipitation partitioning between evapotranspiration and runoff, extreme runoff, and hydrologic states (i.e., snow and soil moisture). The analyses show that BCCA underestimates annual precipitation by as much as −250 mm, leading to unreasonable hydrologic portrayals over the CONUS for all models. Although the other three statistical downscaling methods produce a comparable precipitation bias ranging from −10 to 8 mm across the CONUS, BCSDd severely overestimates the wet-day fraction by up to 0.25, leading to different precipitation partitioning compared to the simulations with other downscaled data. Overall, the choice of downscaling method contributes to less spread in runoff estimates (by a factor of 1.5–3) than the choice of hydrologic model with use of the default parameters if BCCA is excluded.

Sound-symbolism boosts novel word learning.

PubMed

Lockwood, Gwilym; Dingemanse, Mark; Hagoort, Peter

2016-08-01

The existence of sound-symbolism (or a non-arbitrary link between form and meaning) is well-attested. However, sound-symbolism has mostly been investigated with nonwords in forced choice tasks, neither of which are representative of natural language. This study uses ideophones, which are naturally occurring sound-symbolic words that depict sensory information, to investigate how sensitive Dutch speakers are to sound-symbolism in Japanese in a learning task. Participants were taught 2 sets of Japanese ideophones; 1 set with the ideophones' real meanings in Dutch, the other set with their opposite meanings. In Experiment 1, participants learned the ideophones and their real meanings much better than the ideophones with their opposite meanings. Moreover, despite the learning rounds, participants were still able to guess the real meanings of the ideophones in a 2-alternative forced-choice test after they were informed of the manipulation. This shows that natural language sound-symbolism is robust beyond 2-alternative forced-choice paradigms and affects broader language processes such as word learning. In Experiment 2, participants learned regular Japanese adjectives with the same manipulation, and there was no difference between real and opposite conditions. This shows that natural language sound-symbolism is especially strong in ideophones, and that people learn words better when form and meaning match. The highlights of this study are as follows: (a) Dutch speakers learn real meanings of Japanese ideophones better than opposite meanings, (b) Dutch speakers accurately guess meanings of Japanese ideophones, (c) this sensitivity happens despite learning some opposite pairings, (d) no such learning effect exists for regular Japanese adjectives, and (e) this shows the importance of sound-symbolism in scaffolding language learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Fine-tuned evaluation of olfactory function in patients operated for nasal polyposis.

PubMed

Sonnet, Marie-Hortense; Nguyen, Duc Trung; Nguyen-Thi, Phi-Linh; Arous, Fabien; Jankowski, Roger; Rumeau, Cécile

2017-07-01

Given the forced-choice procedure of the identification test, patients with profound anosmia are more likely to have higher identification scores by chance than patients with hyposmia or normosmia. This may be a confusing factor when assessing the sense of smell, which alters the appreciation of real olfaction improvement. The aim of this study was to fine-tune the results of the identification Sniffin' Sticks test before and 6 weeks after surgery using the real identification score. A total of 133 patients underwent the Identification (I) and Threshold (T) tests the day before and 6 weeks after nasalization surgery. The scores of the identification test, called I G (global identification), were ranked from 0 to 16. Patients had to specify if their forced-choice answers were given either surely or randomly, called I H (hazard identification). The real score of identification I R was obtained as follow: I R  = I G  - I H . Patients with an immeasurable threshold according to the T test were more prone to give randomly correct answers. On the basis of I G scores, 43.6% of patients remained hypo-anosmic after surgery compared to 72.9% before surgery. Using I R scores, only 3.8% of patients remained anosmic (I R  = 0) at 6 weeks after surgery. Hence, patients with real anosmia (I R  = 0) were less prone to improve their olfaction than patients with I R  > 0. The analysis of random factor when using identification test allows differentiating a real anosmia from a hyposmia. An I G  ≤ 4 could be considered as a profound/real anosmia or a severe hyposmia. This procedure cannot, however, replace the forced-choice method in odor identification testing.

VEDA: a web-based virtual environment for dynamic atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Melcher, John; Hu, Shuiqing; Raman, Arvind

2008-06-01

We describe here the theory and applications of virtual environment dynamic atomic force microscopy (VEDA), a suite of state-of-the-art simulation tools deployed on nanoHUB (www.nanohub.org) for the accurate simulation of tip motion in dynamic atomic force microscopy (dAFM) over organic and inorganic samples. VEDA takes advantage of nanoHUB's cyberinfrastructure to run high-fidelity dAFM tip dynamics computations on local clusters and the teragrid. Consequently, these tools are freely accessible and the dAFM simulations are run using standard web-based browsers without requiring additional software. A wide range of issues in dAFM ranging from optimal probe choice, probe stability, and tip-sample interaction forces, power dissipation, to material property extraction and scanning dynamics over hetereogeneous samples can be addressed.

Invited Article: VEDA: A web-based virtual environment for dynamic atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melcher, John; Hu, Shuiqing; Raman, Arvind

2008-06-01

We describe here the theory and applications of virtual environment dynamic atomic force microscopy (VEDA), a suite of state-of-the-art simulation tools deployed on nanoHUB (www.nanohub.org) for the accurate simulation of tip motion in dynamic atomic force microscopy (dAFM) over organic and inorganic samples. VEDA takes advantage of nanoHUB's cyberinfrastructure to run high-fidelity dAFM tip dynamics computations on local clusters and the teragrid. Consequently, these tools are freely accessible and the dAFM simulations are run using standard web-based browsers without requiring additional software. A wide range of issues in dAFM ranging from optimal probe choice, probe stability, and tip-sample interaction forces, power dissipation, to material property extraction and scanning dynamics over hetereogeneous samples can be addressed.

Students’ understanding of forces: Force diagrams on horizontal and inclined plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirait, J.; Hamdani; Mursyid, S.

2018-03-01

This study aims to analyse students’ difficulties in understanding force diagrams on horizontal surfaces and inclined planes. Physics education students (pre-service physics teachers) of Tanjungpura University, who had completed a Basic Physics course, took a Force concept test which has six questions covering three concepts: an object at rest, an object moving at constant speed, and an object moving at constant acceleration both on a horizontal surface and on an inclined plane. The test is in a multiple-choice format. It examines the ability of students to select appropriate force diagrams depending on the context. The results show that 44% of students have difficulties in solving the test (these students only could solve one or two items out of six items). About 50% of students faced difficulties finding the correct diagram of an object when it has constant speed and acceleration in both contexts. In general, students could only correctly identify 48% of the force diagrams on the test. The most difficult task for the students in terms was identifying the force diagram representing forces exerted on an object on in an inclined plane.

"Time for Results": An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Lamar

1986-01-01

Summarizes the work of seven National Governors' Association task forces (on teaching, leadership, parent involvement and choice, readiness, technology, school facilities, and college quality) and the "action agenda" proposed. The governors' recent report is unique for its authorship, the tough issues tackled, and its follow-up plan.…

Young Children's Understanding of Displaced Aggression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Michael G.; Miller, Patricia H.

1983-01-01

Examines early phases of understanding of causes of moderately and extremely displaced aggression. Preschool and kindergarten children three to five years of age viewed eight videotaped episodes of displaced aggression. Comprehension was assessed by means of open-ended questions and forced-choice picture selections. (Author/RH)

The Modularization of Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Yen; Brockmann, C. Thomas

The standard classification of women's roles into the traditional, dual career, and single parent constellations is unnecessarily restrictive and stereotyping. These categories reflect neither the myriad of role choices facing women today, nor the forces shaping the resulting contexts. This paper focuses upon modules, the component task or…

Groundwater economics: An object-oriented foundation for integrated studies of irrigated agricultural systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An integrated foundation is presented to study the impacts of external forcings on irrigated agricultural systems. Individually, models are presented that simulate groundwater hydrogeology and econometric farm level crop choices and irrigated water use. The natural association between groundwater we...

Alcohol and Memory: Storage and State Dependency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Elizabeth S.; And Others

1976-01-01

Effects of acute alcohol intoxication on the storage phase of memory were evaluated with two tasks that minimized response retrieval: unpaced paired-associate learning with highly available responses and forced-choice picture recognition. It was concluded that storage processes are sensitive to disruption by alcohol. (CHK)

Full Disclosure to Prospective Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wertheimer, Albert

1977-01-01

A FIPSE-sponsored National Task Force on Better Information for Student Choice identified three broad areas of information needs: costs and financial aid; academic offerings and requirements; and the outcomes or results of attendance. These are discussed in terms of graduate programs within the pharmaceutical sciences. (LBH)

Impaired temporal contrast sensitivity in dyslexics is specific to retain-and-compare paradigms.

PubMed

Ben-Yehudah, G; Sackett, E; Malchi-Ginzberg, L; Ahissar, M

2001-07-01

Developmental dyslexia is a specific reading disability that affects 5-10% of the population. Recent studies have suggested that dyslexics may experience a deficit in the visual magnocellular pathway. The most extensively studied prediction deriving from this hypothesis is impaired contrast sensitivity to transient, low-luminance stimuli at low spatial frequencies. However, the findings are inconsistent across studies and even seemingly contradictory. In the present study, we administered several different paradigms for assessing temporal contrast sensitivity, and found both impaired and normal contrast sensitivity within the same group of dyslexic participants. Under sequential presentation, in a temporal forced choice paradigm, dyslexics showed impaired sensitivity to both drifting and flickering gratings. However, under simultaneous presentation, with a spatial forced choice paradigm, dyslexics' sensitivity did not differ from that of the controls. Within each paradigm, dyslexics' sensitivity was poorer at higher temporal frequencies, consistent with the magnocellular hypothesis. These results suggest that a basic perceptual impairment in dyslexics may be their limited ability to retain-and-compare perceptual traces across brief intervals.

Children's beliefs in reciprocation of biases and flexibility.

PubMed

Rennels, Jennifer L; Langlois, Judith H

2015-09-01

Children display positive and negative biases based on peers' attractiveness, gender, and race, but it is unclear whether children who associate positive attributes with certain peers also believe those peers think positively of them. In each domain (attractiveness, gender, and race), we measured 3- to 11-year-olds' (N = 102) biases and flexibility and their beliefs in reciprocity of bias and flexibility by asking who would think positively of them. Children could choose one of two unfamiliar peers (forced choice assessment) or had the additional options of choosing both peers or neither peer (non-forced choice assessment). We found that children often displayed beliefs in reciprocation, with beliefs in positive bias reciprocation from attractive girls showing the largest effect sizes. These beliefs were significantly correlated with and were predictive of children's positive and negative biases and flexibility. The duality of children's beliefs may contribute to strengthening their biases and segregating social groups. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Validation of a New Measure of Negative Response Bias: The Temporal Memory Sequence Test.

PubMed

Hegedish, Omer; Kivilis, Naama; Hoofien, Dan

2015-01-01

The Temporal Memory Sequence Test (TMST) is a new measure of negative response bias (NRB) that was developed to enrich the forced-choice paradigm. The TMST does not resemble the common structure of forced-choice tests and is presented as a temporal recall memory test. The validation sample consisted of 81 participants: 21 healthy control participants, 20 coached simulators, and 40 patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). The TMST had high reliability and significantly high positive correlations with the Test of Memory Malingering and Word Memory Test effort scales. Moreover, the TMST effort scales exhibited high negative correlations with the Glasgow Coma Scale, thus validating the previously reported association between probable malingering and mild traumatic brain injury. A suggested cutoff score yielded acceptable classification rates in the ABI group as well as in the simulator and control groups. The TMST appears to be a promising measure of NRB detection, with respectable rates of reliability and construct and criterion validity.

Children's classification and lexicalization of attractiveness, gender, and race: differential displays of these concepts and relatedness to bias and flexibility.

PubMed

Rennels, Jennifer L; Langlois, Judith H

2014-10-01

Minimal research has examined children's functional use of attractiveness to classify and label others, an important step in the development of children's biases. This study compared 3- to 11-year-olds' classification, sorting, and labeling of others and themselves based on attractiveness, gender, and race and also investigated whether these abilities and other characteristics predicted children's bias and flexibility. Relative to gender and race, children rarely used attractiveness to spontaneously classify people and were less accurate at sorting and labeling others and themselves by attractiveness, suggesting that they have a less explicit concept of attractiveness. Predictors of bias differed depending on domain and assessment method (forced choice or non-forced choice), showing that children's bias is affected by both individual differences and task characteristics. Predictors of flexibility differed based on whether children were assigning positive or negative traits to target children, demonstrating that the valence of attributes is an important consideration when conceptualizing children's flexibility. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social knowledge in children with language impairments: examination of strategies, predicted consequences, and goals in peer conflict situations.

PubMed

Timler, Geralyn R

2008-09-01

This study investigated social knowledge in school-age children, aged 8-12 years, with and without language impairment (LI and TD groups). A hypothetical peer conflict task was administered to examine the relationship among prosocial responses and parent/teacher ratings of children's social behaviours. Stimuli included 12 hypothetical peer conflict vignettes presented in an open-ended and forced choice condition. The LI group generated (open-ended) and selected (forced choice) fewer prosocial strategies. When asked to predict a friend's reaction to a selected conflict resolution strategy, the LI group predicted fewer positive consequences; however, the proportion of prosocial strategies followed by prediction of a positive peer consequence was similar across groups. Both groups identified more self-interest than relationship goals as the rationale for selected strategies. In the LI group, teacher ratings of children's social skills and problems in peer provocation situations were associated with selection of prosocial strategies. Implications for clinical service providers are discussed.

Children’s Classification and Lexicalization of Attractiveness, Gender, and Race: Differential Displays of These Concepts and Relatedness to Bias and Flexibility

PubMed Central

Rennels, Jennifer L.; Langlois, Judith H.

2014-01-01

Minimal research has examined children’s functional use of attractiveness to classify and label others, an important step in the development of children’s biases. This study compared 3-to 11-year-olds’ classification, sorting, and labeling of others and themselves based on attractiveness, gender, and race, and investigated whether these abilities and other characteristics predicted children’s bias and flexibility. Relative to gender and race, children rarely used attractiveness to spontaneously classify people and were less accurate at sorting and labeling others and themselves by attractiveness, suggesting they have a less explicit concept of attractiveness. Predictors of bias differed depending upon domain and assessment method (forced choice or non-forced choice), showing that children’s bias is affected by both individual differences and task characteristics. Predictors of flexibility differed based on whether children were assigning positive or negative traits to target children, demonstrating that the valence of attributes is an important consideration when conceptualizing children’s flexibility. PMID:24842583

Large-Eddy Simulation Sensitivities to Variations of Configuration and Forcing Parameters in Canonical Boundary-Layer Flows for Wind Energy Applications

DOE PAGES

Mirocha, Jeffrey D.; Churchfield, Matthew J.; Munoz-Esparza, Domingo; ...

2017-08-28

Here, the sensitivities of idealized Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) to variations of model configuration and forcing parameters on quantities of interest to wind power applications are examined. Simulated wind speed, turbulent fluxes, spectra and cospectra are assessed in relation to variations of two physical factors, geostrophic wind speed and surface roughness length, and several model configuration choices, including mesh size and grid aspect ratio, turbulence model, and numerical discretization schemes, in three different code bases. Two case studies representing nearly steady neutral and convective atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow conditions over nearly flat and homogeneous terrain were used to force andmore » assess idealized LES, using periodic lateral boundary conditions. Comparison with fast-response velocity measurements at five heights within the lowest 50 m indicates that most model configurations performed similarly overall, with differences between observed and predicted wind speed generally smaller than measurement variability. Simulations of convective conditions produced turbulence quantities and spectra that matched the observations well, while those of neutral simulations produced good predictions of stress, but smaller than observed magnitudes of turbulence kinetic energy, likely due to tower wakes influencing the measurements. While sensitivities to model configuration choices and variability in forcing can be considerable, idealized LES are shown to reliably reproduce quantities of interest to wind energy applications within the lower ABL during quasi-ideal, nearly steady neutral and convective conditions over nearly flat and homogeneous terrain.« less

Assessing the relative importance of parameter and forcing uncertainty and their interactions in conceptual hydrological model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mockler, E. M.; Chun, K. P.; Sapriza-Azuri, G.; Bruen, M.; Wheater, H. S.

2016-11-01

Predictions of river flow dynamics provide vital information for many aspects of water management including water resource planning, climate adaptation, and flood and drought assessments. Many of the subjective choices that modellers make including model and criteria selection can have a significant impact on the magnitude and distribution of the output uncertainty. Hydrological modellers are tasked with understanding and minimising the uncertainty surrounding streamflow predictions before communicating the overall uncertainty to decision makers. Parameter uncertainty in conceptual rainfall-runoff models has been widely investigated, and model structural uncertainty and forcing data have been receiving increasing attention. This study aimed to assess uncertainties in streamflow predictions due to forcing data and the identification of behavioural parameter sets in 31 Irish catchments. By combining stochastic rainfall ensembles and multiple parameter sets for three conceptual rainfall-runoff models, an analysis of variance model was used to decompose the total uncertainty in streamflow simulations into contributions from (i) forcing data, (ii) identification of model parameters and (iii) interactions between the two. The analysis illustrates that, for our subjective choices, hydrological model selection had a greater contribution to overall uncertainty, while performance criteria selection influenced the relative intra-annual uncertainties in streamflow predictions. Uncertainties in streamflow predictions due to the method of determining parameters were relatively lower for wetter catchments, and more evenly distributed throughout the year when the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency of logarithmic values of flow (lnNSE) was the evaluation criterion.

Large-Eddy Simulation Sensitivities to Variations of Configuration and Forcing Parameters in Canonical Boundary-Layer Flows for Wind Energy Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mirocha, Jeffrey D.; Churchfield, Matthew J.; Munoz-Esparza, Domingo

Here, the sensitivities of idealized Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) to variations of model configuration and forcing parameters on quantities of interest to wind power applications are examined. Simulated wind speed, turbulent fluxes, spectra and cospectra are assessed in relation to variations of two physical factors, geostrophic wind speed and surface roughness length, and several model configuration choices, including mesh size and grid aspect ratio, turbulence model, and numerical discretization schemes, in three different code bases. Two case studies representing nearly steady neutral and convective atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow conditions over nearly flat and homogeneous terrain were used to force andmore » assess idealized LES, using periodic lateral boundary conditions. Comparison with fast-response velocity measurements at five heights within the lowest 50 m indicates that most model configurations performed similarly overall, with differences between observed and predicted wind speed generally smaller than measurement variability. Simulations of convective conditions produced turbulence quantities and spectra that matched the observations well, while those of neutral simulations produced good predictions of stress, but smaller than observed magnitudes of turbulence kinetic energy, likely due to tower wakes influencing the measurements. While sensitivities to model configuration choices and variability in forcing can be considerable, idealized LES are shown to reliably reproduce quantities of interest to wind energy applications within the lower ABL during quasi-ideal, nearly steady neutral and convective conditions over nearly flat and homogeneous terrain.« less

Role of optimization criterion in static asymmetric analysis of lumbar spine load.

PubMed

Daniel, Matej

2011-10-01

A common method for load estimation in biomechanics is the inverse dynamics optimization, where the muscle activation pattern is found by minimizing or maximizing the optimization criterion. It has been shown that various optimization criteria predict remarkably similar muscle activation pattern and intra-articular contact forces during leg motion. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of the choice of optimization criterion on L4/L5 loading during static asymmetric loading. Upright standing with weight in one stretched arm was taken as a representative position. Musculoskeletal model of lumbar spine model was created from CT images of Visible Human Project. Several criteria were tested based on the minimization of muscle forces, muscle stresses, and spinal load. All criteria provide the same level of lumbar spine loading (difference is below 25%), except the criterion of minimum lumbar shear force which predicts unrealistically high spinal load and should not be considered further. Estimated spinal load and predicted muscle force activation pattern are in accordance with the intradiscal pressure measurements and EMG measurements. The L4/L5 spine loads 1312 N, 1674 N, and 1993 N were predicted for mass of weight in hand 2, 5, and 8 kg, respectively using criterion of mininum muscle stress cubed. As the optimization criteria do not considerably affect the spinal load, their choice is not critical in further clinical or ergonomic studies and computationally simpler criterion can be used.

Fitness Benefits of Mate Choice for Compatibility in a Socially Monogamous Species

PubMed Central

Ihle, Malika; Kempenaers, Bart; Forstmeier, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Research on mate choice has primarily focused on preferences for quality indicators, assuming that all individuals show consensus about who is the most attractive. However, in some species, mating preferences seem largely individual-specific, suggesting that they might target genetic or behavioral compatibility. Few studies have quantified the fitness consequences of allowing versus preventing such idiosyncratic mate choice. Here, we report on an experiment that controls for variation in overall partner quality and show that zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) pairs that resulted from free mate choice achieved a 37% higher reproductive success than pairs that were forced to mate. Cross-fostering of freshly laid eggs showed that embryo mortality (before hatching) primarily depended on the identity of the genetic parents, whereas offspring mortality during the rearing period depended on foster-parent identity. Therefore, preventing mate choice should lead to an increase in embryo mortality if mate choice targets genetic compatibility (for embryo viability), and to an increase in offspring mortality if mate choice targets behavioral compatibility (for better rearing). We found that pairs from both treatments showed equal rates of embryo mortality, but chosen pairs were better at raising offspring. These results thus support the behavioral, but not the genetic, compatibility hypothesis. Further exploratory analyses reveal several differences in behavior and fitness components between “free-choice” and “forced” pairs. PMID:26366558

[Musical hallucinosis following infarction of the right middle cerebral artery].

PubMed

Augustin, J; Guegan-Massardier, E; Levillain, D; Lemarchand, M; Mihout, B; Hannequin, D

2001-03-01

A 44-year-old woman demonstrated a musical hallucinosis four months after a massive infarction in the territory of the right middle cerebral artery. This musical hallucinosis consisting of familiar tunes, was continuous and perceived by both ears. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, middle and late auditory evoked potentials suggested that right Heschl's gyrus and associative areas were imparied. Audiometry demonstrated a low right transmission deafness. The hallucinosis was persistent for seven months and stopped just after hemorrhage of the right ear. This case gives the opportunity to review the different mechanisms responsible for musical hallucinosis.

The Development of Performance-Based Auditory Aviation Classification Standards in the U.S. Navy,

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

Gerontology, Vol. 24(2), pp. 189-192, 1969. 10. Palva, A. and Jokinen, K., ’The Role of the Binaural Test in Filtered Speech Audiometry." Acta Oto...BEAD BEAT BEAN REEL HEEL EEL PAVE PALE PAY WIG RIG FIG GALE MALE TALE PAGE PANE PACE PIG BIG DIG PALE SALE BALE DID DIN DIP SAP SAG SAD SIN WIN...SEEN SEED SEEK CAME GAME SAME NEAT BEAT SEAT SEEM SEETHE SEEP PAD PASS PATH PARK MARK HARK SIP RIP TIP PACK PAN PAT DARK LARK BARK LIP HIP DIP LED

Evaluation of aural manifestations in temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction.

PubMed

Sobhy, O A; Koutb, A R; Abdel-Baki, F A; Ali, T M; El Raffa, I Z; Khater, A H

2004-08-01

Thirty patients with temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction were selected to investigate the changes in otoacoustic emissions before and after conservative treatment of their temporo-mandibular joints. Pure tone audiometry, transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) as well as a tinnitus questionnaire were administered to all patients before and after therapy. Therapy was conservative in the form of counselling, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory agents, muscle relaxants, and occlusal splints. Results indicated insignificant changes in the TEOAEs, whereas there were significant increases in distortion product levels at most of the frequency bands. These results were paralleled to subjective improvement of tinnitus.

Manipulation Detection and Preference Alterations in a Choice Blindness Paradigm

PubMed Central

Taya, Fumihiko; Gupta, Swati; Farber, Ilya; Mullette-Gillman, O'Dhaniel A.

2014-01-01

Objectives It is commonly believed that individuals make choices based upon their preferences and have access to the reasons for their choices. Recent studies in several areas suggest that this is not always the case. In choice blindness paradigms, two-alternative forced-choice in which chosen-options are later replaced by the unselected option, individuals often fail to notice replacement of their chosen option, confabulate explanations for why they chose the unselected option, and even show increased preferences for the unselected-but-replaced options immediately after choice (seconds). Although choice blindness has been replicated across a variety of domains, there are numerous outstanding questions. Firstly, we sought to investigate how individual- or trial-factors modulated detection of the manipulations. Secondly, we examined the nature and temporal duration (minutes vs. days) of the preference alterations induced by these manipulations. Methods Participants performed a computerized choice blindness task, selecting the more attractive face between presented pairs of female faces, and providing a typewritten explanation for their choice on half of the trials. Chosen-face cue manipulations were produced on a subset of trials by presenting the unselected face during the choice explanation as if it had been selected. Following all choice trials, participants rated the attractiveness of each face individually, and rated the similarity of each face pair. After approximately two weeks, participants re-rated the attractiveness of each individual face online. Results Participants detected manipulations on only a small proportion of trials, with detections by fewer than half of participants. Detection rates increased with the number of prior detections, and detection rates subsequent to first detection were modulated by the choice certainty. We show clear short-term modulation of preferences in both manipulated and non-manipulated explanation trials compared to choice-only trials (with opposite directions of effect). Preferences were altered in the direction that subjects were led to believe they selected. PMID:25247886

Opening mechanism of adenylate kinase can vary according to selected molecular dynamics force field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unan, Hulya; Yildirim, Ahmet; Tekpinar, Mustafa

2015-07-01

Adenylate kinase is a widely used test case for many conformational transition studies. It performs a large conformational transition between closed and open conformations while performing its catalytic function. To understand conformational transition mechanism and impact of force field choice on E. Coli adenylate kinase, we performed all-atom explicit solvent classical molecular dynamics simulations starting from the closed conformation with four commonly used force fields, namely, Amber99, Charmm27, Gromos53a6, Opls-aa. We carried out 40 simulations, each one 200 ns. We analyzed completely 12 of them that show full conformational transition from the closed state to the open one. Our study shows that different force fields can have a bias toward different transition pathways. Transition time scales, frequency of conformational transitions, order of domain motions and free energy landscapes of each force field may also vary. In general, Amber99 and Charmm27 behave similarly while Gromos53a6 results have a resemblance to the Opls-aa force field results.

Muscle activity and spine load during pulling exercises: influence of stable and labile contact surfaces and technique coaching.

PubMed

McGill, Stuart M; Cannon, Jordan; Andersen, Jordan T

2014-10-01

This study examined pulling exercises performed on stable surfaces and unstable suspension straps. Specific questions included: which exercises challenged particular muscles, what was the magnitude of resulting spine load, and did technique coaching influence results. Fourteen males performed pulling tasks while muscle activity, external force, and 3D body segment motion were recorded. These data were processed and input to a sophisticated and anatomically detailed 3D model that used muscle activity and body segment kinematics to estimate muscle force, in this way the model was sensitive to each individual's choice of motor control for each task. Muscle forces and linked segment joint loads were used to calculate spine loads. There were gradations of muscle activity and spine load characteristics to every task. It appears that suspension straps alter muscle activity less in pulling exercises, compared to studies reporting on pushing exercises. The chin-up and pull-up exercises created the highest spine load as they required the highest muscle activation, despite the body "hanging" under tractioning gravitational load. Coaching shoulder centration through retraction increased spine loading but undoubtedly adds proximal stiffness. An exercise atlas of spine compression was constructed to help with the decision making process of exercise choice for an individual. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The choices before us.

PubMed

Streeten, P P

1980-01-01

This introduction is from the 16th World Conference of SID in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 1979, which addressed the theme of development choices for the 1980's and beyond. Choices may refer to different political, ideological or social systems. Choices may refer to strategies and technical issues, e.g. agriculture vs. industry. A third meaning of choice is implicit in the idea of a Third World, or alternative, method of development. The third meaning implies a rejection of Western institutions, values, and standards. In the past, the transfer of Western or in this case Northern, institutions and standards has disappointed and created obstacles to development. The rapid rate of population growth forces choices of population control and resource management. Common themes of development have emerged from conference discussions: the need to build development efforts on indigenous values; the need for new institutions both at the sub-national and at the super-national level; and, the need to adjust to inevitable changes rationally and with foresight. The nation state is too large for many functions that are better decentralized and left to village or district administrations, yet it is too small to respond to global challenges and environmental risks like harvest failure, credit risks, marketing risks, failure of supplies. The interests of the state are not identical with those of society or particular groups in society.

New Guiding Principles in Educational Policy: The Case of Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Manfred

1993-01-01

Whereas the shift toward pluralism, choice, deregulation, and parent empowerment reflects the market ideology's advance into education in other industrialized countries, the force driving the German movement is loss of political legitimization and the conflict-ridden state of educational policy. Past strategies for securing legitimization…

Eye Movements in Implicit Artificial Grammar Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Susana; Inácio, Filomena; Folia, Vasiliki; Petersson, Karl Magnus

2017-01-01

Artificial grammar learning (AGL) has been probed with forced-choice behavioral tests (active tests). Recent attempts to probe the outcomes of learning (implicitly acquired knowledge) with eye-movement responses (passive tests) have shown null results. However, these latter studies have not tested for sensitivity effects, for example, increased…

Design, Synthesis and Testing of Metabolically-Stable Antimalarial Compounds

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

resistant to chloroquine . Developed during World War II, this once was the drug of choice to battle malaria across the globe. Physicians have been forced...compound obtained from the Chinese licorice root, was shown to have antimalarial properties. Synthetic analogues have subsequently been produced and

Auditory Emotional Cues Enhance Visual Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeelenberg, Rene; Bocanegra, Bruno R.

2010-01-01

Recent studies show that emotional stimuli impair performance to subsequently presented neutral stimuli. Here we show a cross-modal perceptual enhancement caused by emotional cues. Auditory cue words were followed by a visually presented neutral target word. Two-alternative forced-choice identification of the visual target was improved by…

Stage I: Development of VOICE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Echternacht, Gary J.; And Others

The initial stages of test development of the Vocational and Occupational Interest Choice Examination (VOICE), developed for Air Force recruiters, are described. Reviewed are a number of relevant occupational interest inventories from which a pool of 400 items was drawn corresponding to eight career fields: general accounting, administration,…

Lexical Information in Memory for Text.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes-Roth, Barbara

Cued-recall and two-alternative, forced-choice recognition measures were used to evaluate subjects' retention of the specific wordings of studied texts. Results obtained after 10-minute and 24 hour retention intervals suggest that the studied wordings of texts are functional components of their memory representations. Theories that assume…

A language comparison for scientific computing on MIMD architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Mark T.; Patrick, Merrell L.; Voigt, Robert G.

1989-01-01

Choleski's method for solving banded symmetric, positive definite systems is implemented on a multiprocessor computer using three FORTRAN based parallel programming languages, the Force, PISCES and Concurrent FORTRAN. The capabilities of the language for expressing parallelism and their user friendliness are discussed, including readability of the code, debugging assistance offered, and expressiveness of the languages. The performance of the different implementations is compared. It is argued that PISCES, using the Force for medium-grained parallelism, is the appropriate choice for programming Choleski's method on the multiprocessor computer, Flex/32.

Barrier modification in sub-barrier fusion reaction 64Ni+100Mo using Wong formula with Skyrme forces in semiclassical formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Raj; Gupta, Raj K.

2011-09-01

We obtain the nuclear proximity potential by using semiclassical extended Thomas Fermi (ETF) approach in Skyrme energy density formalism (SEDF), and use it in the extended l-summed Wong formula under frozen density approximation. This method has the advantage of allowing the use of different Skyrme forces, giving different barriers. Thus, for a given reaction, we could choose a Skyrme force with proper barrier characteristics, not-requiring extra "barrier lowering" or "barrier narrowing" for a best fit to data. For the 64Ni+100Mo reaction, the l-summed Wong formula, with effects of deformations and orientations of nuclei included, fits the fusion-evaporation cross section data exactly for the force GSkI, requiring additional barrier modifications for forces SIII and SV. However, the same for other similar reactions, like 58,64Ni+58,64Ni, fit the data best for SIII force. Hence, the barrier modification effects in l-summed Wong expression depend on the choice of Skyrme force in semiclassical ETF method.

Features calibration of the dynamic force transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sc., M. Yu Prilepko D.; Lysenko, V. G.

2018-04-01

The article discusses calibration methods of dynamic forces measuring instruments. The relevance of work is dictated by need to valid definition of the dynamic forces transducers metrological characteristics taking into account their intended application. The aim of this work is choice justification of calibration method, which provides the definition dynamic forces transducers metrological characteristics under simulation operating conditions for determining suitability for using in accordance with its purpose. The following tasks are solved: the mathematical model and the main measurements equation of calibration dynamic forces transducers by load weight, the main budget uncertainty components of calibration are defined. The new method of dynamic forces transducers calibration with use the reference converter “force-deformation” based on the calibrated elastic element and measurement of his deformation by a laser interferometer is offered. The mathematical model and the main measurements equation of the offered method is constructed. It is shown that use of calibration method based on measurements by the laser interferometer of calibrated elastic element deformations allows to exclude or to considerably reduce the uncertainty budget components inherent to method of load weight.

Measured long-range repulsive Casimir–Lifshitz forces

PubMed Central

Munday, J. N.; Capasso, Federico; Parsegian, V. Adrian

2014-01-01

Quantum fluctuations create intermolecular forces that pervade macroscopic bodies1–3. At molecular separations of a few nanometres or less, these interactions are the familiar van der Waals forces4. However, as recognized in the theories of Casimir, Polder and Lifshitz5–7, at larger distances and between macroscopic condensed media they reveal retardation effects associated with the finite speed of light. Although these long-range forces exist within all matter, only attractive interactions have so far been measured between material bodies8–11. Here we show experimentally that, in accord with theoretical prediction12, the sign of the force can be changed from attractive to repulsive by suitable choice of interacting materials immersed in a fluid. The measured repulsive interaction is found to be weaker than the attractive. However, in both cases the magnitude of the force increases with decreasing surface separation. Repulsive Casimir–Lifshitz forces could allow quantum levitation of objects in a fluid and lead to a new class of switchable nanoscale devices with ultra-low static friction13–15. PMID:19129843

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

PubMed Central

Farokh Payam, Amir; Piantanida, Luca; Cafolla, Clodomiro; Voïtchovsky, Kislon

2016-01-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become a well-established technique for nanoscale imaging of samples in air and in liquid. Recent studies have shown that when operated in amplitude-modulation (tapping) mode, atomic or molecular-level resolution images can be achieved over a wide range of soft and hard samples in liquid. In these situations, small oscillation amplitudes (SAM-AFM) enhance the resolution by exploiting the solvated liquid at the surface of the sample. Although the technique has been successfully applied across fields as diverse as materials science, biology and biophysics and surface chemistry, obtaining high-resolution images in liquid can still remain challenging for novice users. This is partly due to the large number of variables to control and optimize such as the choice of cantilever, the sample preparation, and the correct manipulation of the imaging parameters. Here, we present a protocol for achieving high-resolution images of hard and soft samples in fluid using SAM-AFM on a commercial instrument. Our goal is to provide a step-by-step practical guide to achieving high-resolution images, including the cleaning and preparation of the apparatus and the sample, the choice of cantilever and optimization of the imaging parameters. For each step, we explain the scientific rationale behind our choices to facilitate the adaptation of the methodology to every user's specific system. PMID:28060262

Interpretation of frequency modulation atomic force microscopy in terms of fractional calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sader, John E.; Jarvis, Suzanne P.

2004-07-01

It is widely recognized that small amplitude frequency modulation atomic force microscopy probes the derivative of the interaction force between tip and sample. For large amplitudes, however, such a physical connection is currently lacking, although it has been observed that the frequency shift presents a quantity intermediate to the interaction force and energy for certain force laws. Here we prove that these observations are a universal property of large amplitude frequency modulation atomic force microscopy, by establishing that the frequency shift is proportional to the half-fractional integral of the force, regardless of the force law. This finding indicates that frequency modulation atomic force microscopy can be interpreted as a fractional differential operator, where the order of the derivative/integral is dictated by the oscillation amplitude. We also establish that the measured frequency shift varies systematically from a probe of the force gradient for small oscillation amplitudes, through to the measurement of a quantity intermediate to the force and energy (the half-fractional integral of the force) for large oscillation amplitudes. This has significant implications to measurement sensitivity, since integrating the force will smooth its behavior, while differentiating it will enhance variations. This highlights the importance in choice of oscillation amplitude when wishing to optimize the sensitivity of force spectroscopy measurements to short-range interactions and consequently imaging with the highest possible resolution.

Choosing Health and the inner citadel.

PubMed

Allmark, P

2006-01-01

It is argued in this paper that the latest UK government white paper on public health, Choosing Health, is vulnerable to a charge of paternalism. For some years libertarians have levelled this charge at public health policies. The white paper tries to avoid it by constant reference to informed choice and choice related terms. The implication is that the government aims only to inform the public of health issues; how they respond is up to them. It is argued here, however, that underlying the notion of informed choice is a Kantian, "inner citadel" view of autonomy. According to this view, each of us acts autonomously only when we act in accord with reason. On such a view it is possible to justify coercing, cajoling, and conning people on the basis that their current behaviour is not autonomous because it is subject to forces that cause irrational choice, such as addiction. "Informed choice" in this sense is compatible with paternalism. This paternalism can be seen in public health policies such as deceptive advertising and the treatment of "bad habits" as addictions. Libertarians are bound to object to this. In the concluding section, however, it is suggested that public health can, nonetheless, find ethical succour from alternative approaches.

Genetic incompatibility drives mate choice in a parasitic wasp.

PubMed

Thiel, Andra; Weeda, Anne C; de Boer, Jetske G; Hoffmeister, Thomas S

2013-07-30

Allelic incompatibility between individuals of the same species should select for mate choice based on the genetic make-up of both partners at loci that influence offspring fitness. As a consequence, mate choice may be an important driver of allelic diversity. A complementary sex determination (CSD) system is responsible for intraspecific allelic incompatibility in many species of ants, bees, and wasps. CSD may thus favour disassortative mating and in this, resembles the MHC of the vertebrate immune system, or the self-incompatibility (SI) system of higher plants. Here we show that in the monogamous parasitic wasp Bracon brevicornis (Wesmael), females are able to reject partners with incompatible alleles. Forcing females to accept initially rejected partners resulted in sex ratio distortion and partial infertility of offspring. CSD-disassortative mating occurred independent of kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance in our experiment. The fitness consequences of mate choice are directly observable, not influenced by environmental effects, and more severe than in comparable systems (SI or MHC), on individuals as well as at the population level. Our results thus demonstrate the strong potential of female mate choice for maintaining high offspring fitness in this species.

Husband-Wife Communication, Wife's Employment, and the Decision for Male or Female Sterilization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bean, Frank D.; And Others

1983-01-01

Examined relationships between perceptions of marital communication and the choice of male or female sterilization in 313 couples. The wife's perception of marital communication was negatively related to the tendency for the couple to choose female sterilization, conditional on female labor force participation. Communication questions are…

Odor and odorous chemical emissions from animal buildings: part 4-correlations between sensory and chemical measurements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study supplemented the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS) with one year of comprehensive measurements of odor emission at five swine and four dairy buildings. The measurements included both standard human sensory measurements using dynamic forced-choice olfactometry and chemical an...

Designing, Developing and Implementing WWW-Based Distance Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, Peter C.

The rapid advancement of communication technologies is resulting in a wide array of design and development choices for distance learning projects. The 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is developing a prototype distance learning project designed to serve geographically separated learner populations. Project staff…

Project Physics Tests 1, Concepts of Motion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Harvard Project Physics.

Test items relating to Project Physics Unit 1 are presented in this booklet, consisting of 70 multiple-choice and 20 problem-and-essay questions. Concepts of motion are examined with respect to velocities, acceleration, forces, vectors, Newton's laws, and circular motion. Suggestions are made for time consumption in answering some items. Besides…

The Influence of Global Warming Science Views and Sociocultural Factors on Willingness to Mitigate Global Warming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Benjamin C.

2015-01-01

The science education field readily recognizes that perceptions about science's claims and nature influence socioscientific decision making. However, sociocultural factors may overshadow these perceptions when people are forced to make personally impacting choices contextualized within actual socioscientific issues. This investigation…

Can Blindsight Be Superior to "Sighted-Sight"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trevethan, Ceri T.; Sahraie, Arash; Weiskrantz, Larry

2007-01-01

DB, the first blindsight case to be tested extensively (Weiskrantz, 1986) has demonstrated the ability to detect and discriminate a range of visual stimuli presented within his perimetrically blind visual field defect. In a temporal two alternative forced choice (2AFC) detection experiment we have investigated the limits of DB's detection ability…

For Choice, Not Chance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Roger

1981-01-01

A return to the draft under current conditions will retard the armed forces' progress in making military service attractive to men and women volunteers. If an army is to be representative of the society it serves, its social composition is less important than its incorporation of the same social values. (Author/GC)

Decision Making and Confidence Given Uncertain Advice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Michael D.; Dry, Matthew J.

2006-01-01

We study human decision making in a simple forced-choice task that manipulates the frequency and accuracy of available information. Empirically, we find that people make decisions consistent with the advice provided, but that their subjective confidence in their decisions shows 2 interesting properties. First, people's confidence does not depend…

A Vocational Interest Inventory Based on Roe's Interest Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Sandra K.; And Others

The construction and early validation of an ipsative, forced-choice vocational interest inventory (VII) to measure Roe's eight foci of occupational activity is detailed. Designed for counseling the broad range of high school students, the VII produced consistently interpretable mean profiles for groups of high school juniors having only tentative…

Semantic Categorization Precedes Affective Evaluation of Visual Scenes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nummenmaa, Lauri; Hyona, Jukka; Calvo, Manuel G.

2010-01-01

We compared the primacy of affective versus semantic categorization by using forced-choice saccadic and manual response tasks. Participants viewed paired emotional and neutral scenes involving humans or animals flashed rapidly in extrafoveal vision. Participants were instructed to categorize the targets by saccading toward the location occupied by…

Celestial Navigation, with a Moral Compass.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Aine

1999-01-01

Kantian reasoning fails to address the needs of a mixed-gender peace-keeping force. A philosophy professor at the U.S. Naval Academy proposes a normative-ethics instructional model based on acceptance of duty and obedience (justice) and cultivation of reflective concern for individual choice and responsibility (caring). (24 references) (MLH)

Early Development of Subcortical Regions Involved in Non-Cued Attention Switching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, B. J.; Davidson, Matthew C.; Hara, Yuko; Thomas, Kathleen M.; Martinez, Antigona; Galvan, Adriana; Halperin, Jeffrey M.; Rodriguez-Aranda, Claudia E.; Tottenham, Nim

2004-01-01

This study examined the cognitive and neural development of attention switching using a simple forced-choice attention task and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Fourteen children and adults made discriminations among stimuli based on either shape or color. Performance on these trials was compared to performance during blocked trials…

Project Physics Tests 4, Light and Electromagnetism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Harvard Project Physics.

Test items relating to Project Physics Unit 4 are presented in this booklet. Included are 70 multiple-choice and 22 problem-and-essay questions. Concepts of light and electromagnetism are examined on charges, reflection, electrostatic forces, electric potential, speed of light, electromagnetic waves and radiations, Oersted's and Faraday's work,…

Topical and Applied Interests of Introductory Psychology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stalder, Daniel R.; Stec, Deborah A.

2007-01-01

Using forced-choice and continuous measures, introductory psychology students reported highest interest for the topical areas of clinical and social psychology (over biological, cognitive, and developmental) and for the applied areas of education and health (over business, environment, and law) at both the beginning and end of semesters. Among…

Academic Values in the Marketplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massy, William F.

2009-01-01

The world financial meltdown is causing a reassessment of the strong market ideology that dominated policy making since the days of Reagan and Thatcher. For universities, the issue is not whether to pay attention to market forces--most schools have no choice given that their economic viability depends on some combination of enrollments, sponsored…

Hierarchical Forms Processing in Adults and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Tamara B.; Stiles, Joan

2009-01-01

Two experiments examined child and adult processing of hierarchical stimuli composed of geometric forms. Adults (ages 18-23 years) and children (ages 7-10 years) performed a forced-choice task gauging similarity between visual stimuli consisting of large geometric objects (global level) composed of small geometric objects (local level). The…

A Question of Choice

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Women's reproductive rights, reproductive health, and constitutional privacy rights in the United States are addressed in light of the contemporary onslaught of the Christian Right. The misuse of State power by fundamentalist social forces in America is critiqued. The article also briefly reviews the question of State control over women's bodies. PMID:21696627

Teachers' Beliefs Regarding Composition in Elementary General Music: Definitions, Values, and Impediments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shouldice, Heather Nelson

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate teachers' beliefs about compositional experiences in the elementary music classroom. Elementary music teachers (N = 176) in Michigan completed a researcher-designed questionnaire, which included a combination of forced-choice and open-ended questions regarding how teachers define composition, why…

Type I Rehearsal and Recognition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenberg, Arthur; Adams, Frederick

1978-01-01

Rote, repetitive Type I Rehearsal is defined as the continuous maintenance of information in memory using the minimum cognitive capacity necessary for maintenance. An analysis of errors made on a forced-choice recognition test supported the hypothesis that acoustic-phonemic components of the memory trace are added or strengthened by this…

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: School Desegregation and Resegregation in Charlotte

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin, Ed.; Smith, Stephen Samuel, Ed.; Nelson, Amy Hawn, Ed.

2015-01-01

"Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" provides a compelling analysis of the forces and choices that have shaped the trend toward the resegregation of public schools. By assembling a wide range of contributors--historians, sociologists, economists, and education scholars--the editors provide a comprehensive view of a community's experience…

American Association of Physics Teachers Annual Report, 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Physics Teachers (NJ1), 2008

2008-01-01

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) mission is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching. Aspiring to advance the greater good through physics, AAPT strives to be the leading voice, primary resource, advocate of choice, and driving force in physics education, serving professionals who teach physics…

Groundwater response to changing water-use practices in sloping aquifers using convolution of transient response functions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An integrated foundation is presented to study the impacts of external forcings on irrigated agricultural systems. Individually, models are presented that simulate groundwater hydrogeology and econometric farm level crop choices and irrigated water use. The natural association between groundwater we...

Siblings of Childhood Cancer Survivors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gogan, Janis L.

This paper reports on a long term follow up study of siblings of childhood cancer survivors. Seventy siblings of childhood cancer survivors in 37 families were interviewed using a semi-structured format which included both forced choice and open ended questions. The children discussed their memories of the sibling's cancer diagnosis and treatment…

Roles for SOF in a Staggering Nigeria

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

languages and approximately 350 ethno-linguistic groups, Nigeria can indubitably be dubbed a cultural patchwork. Three dominant groups, the Ibo, Yoruba ...critical factors ................................................................................................................ 4 A cultural patchwork...continue to be the U.S. military force of choice for operations and exercises within Africa.”10 Culturally attuned, experienced in working with

Discrimination of Arabic Contrasts by American Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Mahmoud, Mahmoud S.

2013-01-01

This article reports on second language perception of non-native contrasts. The study specifically tests the perceptual assimilation model (PAM) by examining American learners' ability to discriminate Arabic contrasts. Twenty two native American speakers enrolled in a university level Arabic language program took part in a forced choice AXB…

Sound-Symbolism Boosts Novel Word Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockwood, Gwilym; Dingemanse, Mark; Hagoort, Peter

2016-01-01

The existence of sound-symbolism (or a non-arbitrary link between form and meaning) is well-attested. However, sound-symbolism has mostly been investigated with nonwords in forced choice tasks, neither of which are representative of natural language. This study uses ideophones, which are naturally occurring sound-symbolic words that depict sensory…

Inservice Elementary and Middle School Teachers' Conceptions of Photosynthesis and Respiration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krall, Rebecca McNall; Lott, Kimberly H.; Wymer, Carol L.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate inservice elementary and middle school teachers' conceptions of photosynthesis and respiration, basic concepts they are expected to teach. A forced-choice instrument assessing selected standards-based life science concepts with non-scientific conceptions embedded in distracter options was…

Making Sense of the Eighteenth Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burn, Katharine

2014-01-01

Pressures on curriculum time force us all to make difficult choices about curriculum content, but the eighteenth century seems to have suffered particular neglect. Inspired by the tercentenary of the accession of the first Georgian king and the interest in the Acts of Union prompted by this year's referendum on Scottish independence, Katharine…

Partners or Competitors?: The Evolution of the DoD/CIA Relationship Since Desert Storm and its Prospects for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-23

Afghanistan.” 39 the shoulders of these two organizations, but on Congressional choices as well. It...Christopher J. Lamb . United States Special Operations Forces. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2007. Walker, Stephen G, Akan Malici, and Mark

Humanistic-Cognitive Applications to Teaching and Learning: Theoretical-Philosophical Bases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamachek, Don E.

Humanistic psychology has emerged as a third force alternative to behaviorism and psychoanalysis. It offers a new orientation to psychology, one that incorporates basic existential ideas related to personal choice, freedom, and responsibility, and which also includes central phenomenological themes related to perceptions, personal meanings, and…

Attitude Assessment for Research in Economic Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgin, Robert F.

Guidelines for the construction and use of an attitude instrument are presented, and the application of the instrument to measure student attitude toward economics is described. Attention is directed to the Likert-like summated forced-choice variety of attitude instrument, whereby attitude toward the object is inferred from the summed responses to…

The Nature of Phoneme Representation in Spoken Word Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaskell, M. Gareth; Quinlan, Philip T.; Tamminen, Jakke; Cleland, Alexandra A.

2008-01-01

Four experiments used the psychological refractory period logic to examine whether integration of multiple sources of phonemic information has a decisional locus. All experiments made use of a dual-task paradigm in which participants made forced-choice color categorization (Task 1) and phoneme categorization (Task 2) decisions at varying stimulus…

Computer-assisted CI fitting: Is the learning capacity of the intelligent agent FOX beneficial for speech understanding?

PubMed

Meeuws, Matthias; Pascoal, David; Bermejo, Iñigo; Artaso, Miguel; De Ceulaer, Geert; Govaerts, Paul J

2017-07-01

The software application FOX ('Fitting to Outcome eXpert') is an intelligent agent to assist in the programing of cochlear implant (CI) processors. The current version utilizes a mixture of deterministic and probabilistic logic which is able to improve over time through a learning effect. This study aimed at assessing whether this learning capacity yields measurable improvements in speech understanding. A retrospective study was performed on 25 consecutive CI recipients with a median CI use experience of 10 years who came for their annual CI follow-up fitting session. All subjects were assessed by means of speech audiometry with open set monosyllables at 40, 55, 70, and 85 dB SPL in quiet with their home MAP. Other psychoacoustic tests were executed depending on the audiologist's clinical judgment. The home MAP and the corresponding test results were entered into FOX. If FOX suggested to make MAP changes, they were implemented and another speech audiometry was performed with the new MAP. FOX suggested MAP changes in 21 subjects (84%). The within-subject comparison showed a significant median improvement of 10, 3, 1, and 7% at 40, 55, 70, and 85 dB SPL, respectively. All but two subjects showed an instantaneous improvement in their mean speech audiometric score. Persons with long-term CI use, who received a FOX-assisted CI fitting at least 6 months ago, display improved speech understanding after MAP modifications, as recommended by the current version of FOX. This can be explained only by intrinsic improvements in FOX's algorithms, as they have resulted from learning. This learning is an inherent feature of artificial intelligence and it may yield measurable benefit in speech understanding even in long-term CI recipients.

[The comparative analysis of clinical symptomatology before and after the operation of otosclerosis].

PubMed

Terzić, Negra; Zivić, Ljubica

2009-01-01

Otosclerosis is a progressive osteodystrophic disease of the osseous capsule of the labyrinth which leads to the fixation of the stapes and partial deafness. The progressive hearing loss followed by ear tingling--tinitus and vertigo is of great importance for this disease. The aim of the work was to determine the changes of clinical symptomatology before and after the operative treatment of otoscleoris. The study included 32 subjects between 25 and 60 years of age affected by otosclerosis who had undergone surgical treatment at the VMA (Military Medical Academy) Clinic, Department of Otolaryngology in Belgrade. Besides the clinical examination and detailed case history, audiometry and tympanometry examinations were performed. During the postoperative period the clinical symptomatology was evaluated and audiometry examinations were performed in order to determine the effect of the surgical intervention. Of the total number of 32 subjects, partial deafness was present in all of them before the operation, whereas tinitus, vertiginous disturbances and otalgia were found in a certain number of the subjects. During the postoperative period a partial recovery was found in a larger number of the subjects in relation to the total hearing recovery. During the postoperative period tinitus of lower intensity was found in a greater number of the subjects, whereas the number of those without tinitus was smaller. The problem of vertiginous disturbances as well as otalgia were not found during the postoperative period. By following the changes of the clinical symptomatology we came to the conclusion that surgical treatment of otosclerosis results in the reduction and disappearance of subjective disturbances, tinitus, vertigo and otalgia and leads to the partial or complete hearing recovery.

[Vestibulo-cochlear disturbances in the course of vaso-neural conflict of vestibule-cochlear nerve--diagnostic and therapeutic problems].

PubMed

Orendorz-Fraczkowska, Krystyna; Jaworska, Marzena; Gawron, Wojciech; Badowski, Roman; Nadolska, Beata

2007-01-01

Symptoms encompassing sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo occur in many diseases of various origin. The diagnostics in such cases is especially difficult and often requires interdisciplinary cooperation. Despite of that many cases remain unexplained. The two cases with above mentioned symptoms (52 year-old woman and 46 year-old man) with differentiated clinical course were presented. The woman for one year experienced left sided, extreme tinnitus with paroxysmal vertigo and dizziness. The man with sudden monolateral hearing loss and tinnitus that disappeared after corticosteroid therapy, complained about recurrence of fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus accompanied by chronic instability. The diagnostics of hearing and balance organs was performed (pure tone audiometry, impedance audiometry, DPOAE, ABR, ENG) complemented with computed tomography and Nuclear Resonance. Female patient presented bilateral mild sensorineural hearing loss, more intensive on the left side, male patient right sided sensorineural hearing loss in the frequencies from 250 to 1500 Hz. The elongation of some peak values in ABR test (with bilaterally proper otoacoustic emissions) as well as partial canal paresis on the hearing loss side suggested primary diagnosis of neoplasmatic process. It was an indication to perform radiological diagnostics. The radiologic findings revealed the contact of vestibulo-cochlear nerve with the loop of cerebellar inferior anterior artery within the internal acoustic canal. The course of the disease and diagnostic tests do not provide characteristic data that let diagnose neuro-vascular conflict. One has to be aware of such possibility in patients with intensive vertigo and dizziness that do not improve after treatment when other causes do not justify the symptoms.

[Investigation of neural stem cell-derived donor contribution in the inner ear following blastocyst injection].

PubMed

Volkenstein, S; Brors, D; Hansen, S; Mlynski, R; Dinger, T C; Müller, A M; Dazert, S

2008-03-01

Utilising the enormous proliferation and multi-lineage differentiation potentials of somatic stem cells represents a possible therapeutical strategy for diseases of non-regenerative tissues like the inner ear. In the current study, the possibility of murine neural stem cells to contribute to the developing inner ear following blastocyst injection was investigated. Fetal brain-derived neural stem cells from the embryonic day 14 cortex of male mice were isolated and expanded for four weeks in neurobasal media supplemented with bFGF and EGF. Neural stem cells of male animals were harvested, injected into blastocysts and the blastocysts were transferred into pseudo-pregnant foster animals. Each blastocyst was injected with 5-15 microspheres growing from single cell suspension from neurospheres dissociated the day before. The resulting mice were investigated six months POST PARTUM for the presence of donor cells. Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) was performed in six animals. To visualize donor cells Lac-Z staining was performed on sliced cochleas of two animals. In addition, the cochleas of four female animals were isolated and genomic DNA of the entire cochlea was analyzed for donor contribution by Y-chromosome-specific PCR. All animals had normal thresholds in brainstem evoked response audiometry. The male-specific PCR product indicating the presence of male donor cells were detected in the cochleas of three of the four female animals investigated. In two animals, male donor cells were detected unilateral, in one animal bilateral. The results suggest that descendants of neural stem cells are detectable in the inner ear after injection into blastocysts and possess the ability to integrate into the developing inner ear without obvious loss in hearing function.

Sex-Related Cochlear Impairment in Cigarette Smokers

PubMed Central

Lisowska, Grażyna; Jochem, Jerzy; Gierlotka, Agata; Misiołek, Maciej; Ścierski, Wojciech

2017-01-01

Background A number of studies have documented the influence of cigarette smoking on hearing. However, the association between sex and hearing impairment in smokers as measured by otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) has not been clearly established. The aim of this study was to analyze sex-specific effects of smoking on hearing via conventional and ultra-high-frequency pure tone audiometry (PTA), and OAEs, specifically spontaneous OAEs, click-evoked OAEs, and distortion-product OAEs. Material/Methods The study included 84 healthy volunteers aged 25–45 years (mean 34), among them 46 women (25 non-smokers and 21 smokers) and 38 men (16 non-smokers and 22 smokers). The protocol of the study included otoscopic examination, tympanometry, low-, moderate-, and ultra-high-frequency PTA, evaluation of spontaneous click-evoked (CEAOEs) and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), assessment of the DP-grams for 2f1-f2 (f1 from 977 to5 164 Hz), and input/output function at L2 primary tone level of 40–70 dB SPL. Results Smokers and non-smokers did not differ significantly in terms of their hearing thresholds assessed with tone audiometry. Male smokers presented with significantly lower levels of CEAOEs and DPOAEs than both male non-smokers and female smokers. Conclusions Smoking does not modulate a hearing threshold determined with PTA at low, moderate, and ultra-high frequencies, but causes a significant decrease in OAE levels. This effect was observed only in males, which implies that they are more susceptible to smoking-induced hearing impairment. Sex-specific differences in otoacoustic emissions level may reflect influences of genetic, hormonal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors. PMID:28110343

Correlation between CD64 and PCT levels in cerebrospinal fluid and degree of hearing impairment sequelae in neonates with purulent meningitis.

PubMed

Liu, Cui; Zhao, Dongchi

2017-12-01

This study investigated the possible correlation between the degree of hearing impairment caused by neonatal purulent meningitis and the levels of CD64 and PCT in cerebrospinal fluid of patients, and assessed the prognostic value of such levels. We recorded data from 156 cases of neonatal purulent meningitis retrospectively. All the patients received brainstem response audiometry, and cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected within the first day after admission through lumbar puncture. Flow cytometry was used to detect CD64 levels and enzyme-linked fluorescent assay was used to detect PCT levels. The children with hearing impairment were followed up for 1 year and brainstem response audiometry was performed again in them. We found that 43.59% of the children showed different degrees of hearing impairment, and 55% of them did not fully recover. The levels of PCT and CD64 in cerebrospinal fluid of children with hearing impairment were significantly higher than those of children with normal hearing (P<0.01). The levels of PCT and CD64 in mild, moderate and severe hearing impaired children increased gradually with higher degrees of impairment, and the differences between groups were significant (P<0.01). During the follow-up, it was found that the levels of PCT and CD64 in children correlated well with the degree of hearing recovery, and the differences between groups were significant (P<0.01). In our study, approximately 1/4 children with purulent meningitis showed long-term hearing impairment. Based on our analyses, the levels of CD64 and PCT in cerebrospinal fluid can be used to predict the degree and long-term prognosis of hearing impairment caused by purulent meningitis in children.

Auditory changes in acromegaly.

PubMed

Tabur, S; Korkmaz, H; Baysal, E; Hatipoglu, E; Aytac, I; Akarsu, E

2017-06-01

The aim of this study is to determine the changes involving auditory system in cases with acromegaly. Otological examinations of 41 cases with acromegaly (uncontrolled n = 22, controlled n = 19) were compared with those of age and gender-matched 24 healthy subjects. Whereas the cases with acromegaly underwent examination with pure tone audiometry (PTA), speech audiometry for speech discrimination (SD), tympanometry, stapedius reflex evaluation and otoacoustic emission tests, the control group did only have otological examination and PTA. Additionally, previously performed paranasal sinus-computed tomography of all cases with acromegaly and control subjects were obtained to measure the length of internal acoustic canal (IAC). PTA values were higher (p < 0.001 for right ears and p = 0.001 for left ears), and SD scores were (p = 0.002 for right ears and p = 0.002 for left ears) lower in acromegalic patients. IAC width in acromegaly group was narrower compared to that in control group (p = 0.03 for right ears and p = 0.02 for left ears). When only cases with acromegaly were taken into consideration, PTA values in left ears had positive correlation with growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels (r = 0.4, p = 0.02 and r = 0.3, p = 0.03). Of all cases with acromegaly 13 (32%) had hearing loss in at least one ear, 7 (54%) had sensorineural type and 6 (46%) had conductive type hearing loss. Acromegaly may cause certain changes in the auditory system in cases with acromegaly. The changes in the auditory system may be multifactorial causing both conductive and sensorioneural defects.

Noise-induced hearing loss caused by gunshot in South Korean military service.

PubMed

Moon, In Seok

2007-04-01

Noise-induced hearing loss is a preventive disease and yet the effective treatment modality has not been established. Acute acoustic traumas caused by an exposure to gunshot noise are common in young South Korean males in military service. Considering the significant lack of awareness on this serious issue as well as the absence of proper protective gear, an in-depth analysis is desperately needed. All 3650 soldiers performed regular periodic gunfire exercise without any hearing protective measures. Seven patients with hearing impairment after periodic gunfire visited the aeromedical squadron; all were right-handed males. Six were tested with the K-2 rifle and one was tested with a K-5 revolver. History taking, physical examination, pure-tone audiometry, and impedance audiometry were conducted. In the next periodic gunfire exercise, all 3650 soldiers performed gunfire with unilateral hearing protection. The average outcome of postexposure air conduction thresholds was 6.5 dB in the right ear and 33.1 dB in the left ear. After medical treatment, hearing impairment was much improved; however, tinnitus was not diminished. In the next periodic gunfire exercise, the result of a supplement of unilateral earplug protection proved its effectiveness on acoustic trauma caused by gunfire noise. Asymmetry in hearing loss is related to the position of the head during gunfire. A unilateral hearing protection device was enough to protect hearing from gunfire noise. At the same time, it can effectively prevent a potential firearm accident that can be caused by trainees mishearing the instruction of a firearm instructor if both earplugs are worn. Thus, providing a unilateral earplug for protection against acoustic trauma must be taken into serious consideration.

The role of IGF-1 and the distribution of body fat in decreasing the number of prostate rebiopsies.

PubMed

Morán, E; Martínez, M; Budía, A; Broseta, E; Cámara, R; Boronat, F

2017-03-01

To assess the usefulness of IGF-1 and internal organ fat measured by bioelectrical impedance audiometry to avoid rebiopsies in patients with persistently high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. A prospective study was conducted with 92 patients who underwent prostate rebiopsy due to high PSA levels with negative results in the rectal examination and a lack of preneoplastic lesions. The patients previously had their IGF-1 levels measured and had undergone an impedance audiometry test using the abdominal Fat Analyser AB-140 TANITA system. We calculated the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the PSA levels, %PSA, internal organ fat and IGF-1 and PSA density. Twenty-five patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer. These patients had significantly higher PSA, PSAd and IGF-1 values and a tendency towards higher internal organ fat levels and lower %PSA readings (p=.001, p=.003, p=.001, p=.24 and P=0.28, respectively). The ROC curve showed an area under the curve for IGF-1 and PSA of .82 and .81, respectively. Using the cutoff points for 95% sensitivity and using the 3 criteria as an indication of rebiopsy, 74% of the biopsies would have been spared, leaving undiagnosed only 1 patient with clinically significant cancer -Gleason score>7 (4+3)-. The positive and negative predictive values for the set of variables were higher than for each one separately (PPV: 66/NPV: 63). The cost of both determinations was 82 euros. Our results suggest that measuring IGF-1 could significantly decrease the number of unnecessary rebiopsies in an inexpensive and safe manner. Copyright © 2016 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood: diagnostic value of vestibular test and high stimulus rate auditory brainstem response test.

PubMed

Zhang, Daogong; Fan, Zhaomin; Han, Yuechen; Wang, Mingming; Xu, Lei; Luo, Jianfen; Ai, Yu; Wang, Haibo

2012-01-01

To investigate the diagnostic value of vestibular test and high stimulus rate auditory brainstem response (ABR) test and the possible mechanism responsible for benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC). Data of 56 patients with BPVC in vertigo clinic of our hospital from May 2007 to September 2008 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Patients with BPVC were tested with pure tone audiometry, high stimulus rate auditory brainstem response test (ABR), transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), bithermal caloric test, and VEMP. The results of the hearing and vestibular function test were compared and analyzed. There were 56 patients with BPVC, including 32 men, 24 women, aged 3-12 years old, with an average of 6.5 years. Among 56 cases of BPVC patients, the results of pure tone audiometry were all normal. High stimulus rate ABR was abnormal in 66.1% (37/56) of cases. TCD showed 57.1% abnormality in 56 cases, including faster flow rate in 28 cases and slower flow rate in 4 cases. High stimulus rate ABR and TCD were both abnormal in 48.2% (27/56) of cases. Bithermal caloric test was abnormal in 14.3% (8/56) of cases. VEMP showed 32.1% abnormality, including amplitude abnormality in 16 cases and latency abnormality in 2 cases. The abnormal rate of VEMP was much higher than that of caloric test. Vascular mechanisms might be involved in the pathogenesis of BPVC and there is strong evidence for close relationship between BPVC and migraine. High stimulus rate ABR is helpful in the diagnosis of BPVC. The inferior vestibular pathway is much more impaired than the superior vestibular pathway in BPVC. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk Factors for Hearing Loss in Patients Treated With Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Head-and-Neck Tumors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuur, Charlotte L.; Simis, Yvonne J.; Lamers, Emmy A.

2009-06-01

Purpose: Radiotherapy (RT) is a common treatment of head-and-neck carcinoma. The objective of this study was to perform a prospective multivariate assessment of the dose-effect relationship between intensity-modulated RT and hearing loss. Methods and Materials: Pure tone audiometry at 0.250-16 kHz was obtained before and after treatment in 101 patients (202 ears). All patients received full-course intensity-modulated RT (range, 56-70 Gy), with a median cochlear dose of 11.4 Gy (range, 0.2-69.7). Results: Audiometry was performed 1 week before and a median of 9 weeks (range, 1-112) after treatment. The mean hearing deterioration at pure tone average air-conduction 1-2-4 kHz wasmore » small (from 28.6 dB HL to 30.1 dB HL). However, individual patients showed clinically significant hearing loss, with 10-dB threshold shift incidences of 13% and 18% at pure tone averages air-conduction 1-2-4 kHz and 8-10-12.5 kHz, respectively. Post-treatment hearing capability was unfavorable in the case of greater inner ear radiation doses (p <0.0001), unfavorable baseline hearing capability (p <0.0001), green-eyed patients (p <0.0001), and older age (p <0.0001). Using multivariate analysis, a prediction of individual hearing capabiltity after treatment was made. Conclusion: RT-induced hearing loss in the mean population is modest. However, clinically significant hearing loss was observed in older patients with green eyes and unfavorable pretreatment hearing. In these patients, the intended radiation dose may be adjusted according to the proposed predictive model, aiming to decrease the risk of ototoxicity.« less

Short-term auditory effects of listening to an MP3 player.

PubMed

Keppler, Hannah; Dhooge, Ingeborg; Maes, Leen; D'haenens, Wendy; Bockstael, Annelies; Philips, Birgit; Swinnen, Freya; Vinck, Bart

2010-06-01

To determine the output levels of a commercially available MPEG layer-3 (MP3) player and to evaluate changes in hearing after 1 hour of listening to the MP3 player. First, A-weighted sound pressure levels (measured in decibels [dBA]) for 1 hour of pop-rock music on an MP3 player were measured on a head and torso simulator. Second, after participants listened to 1 hour of pop-rock music using an MP3 player, changes in hearing were evaluated with pure-tone audiometry, transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Twenty-one participants were exposed to pop-rock music in 6 different sessions using 2 types of headphones at multiple preset gain settings of the MP3 player. Output levels of an MP3 player and temporary threshold and emission shifts after 1 hour of listening. The output levels at the full gain setting were 97.36 dBA and 102.56 dBA for the supra-aural headphones and stock earbuds, respectively. In the noise exposure group, significant changes in hearing thresholds and transient-evoked otoacoustic emission amplitudes were found between preexposure and postexposure measurements. However, this pattern was not seen for distortion product otoacoustic emission amplitudes. Significant differences in the incidence of significant threshold or emission shifts were observed between almost every session of the noise exposure group compared with the control group. Temporary changes in hearing sensitivity measured by audiometry and otoacoustic emissions indicate the potential harmful effects of listening to an MP3 player. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term risk of cumulative noise exposure on the auditory system of adolescents and adults.

Role of ocular VEMP test in assessing the occurrence of vertigo in otosclerosis patients.

PubMed

Lin, Kuei-You; Young, Yi-Ho

2015-01-01

This study adopted an inner ear test battery comprising audiometry, caloric test, ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) test and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) test to find the factors related to the occurrence of vertigo in patients with otosclerosis. Fifty otosclerosis patients comprising 27 patients with vertigo (Group A) and 23 patients without vertigo/dizziness (Group B) were enrolled. Each patient underwent otoscopy, image study, audiometry, caloric test, and oVEMP and cVEMP tests via bone vibration stimuli. The sequence of inner ear deficits in Group A was in the order from oVEMP test (84%), cVEMP test (51%), caloric test (38%) and mean bone-conducted (BC) hearing threshold (14%), exhibiting a significantly declining trend (p<0.001). The rate of inner ear dysfunction in Group B also declined significantly but in a different order - cVEMP test (55%), oVEMP test (52%), mean BC hearing threshold (33%), and caloric test (18%). Comparison between the two groups revealed a significant difference in the oVEMP test results (p<0.01), but not in the results of the BC hearing threshold, caloric test or cVEMP test (p>0.05). Further, no significant differences existed between the BC hearing threshold and vestibular function test results. Otosclerosis patients with vertigo have more frequent abnormalities of oVEMPs to impulsive stimulation than do those without, consistent with more frequent abnormalities of the utricle. Abnormalities of oVEMPs and cVEMPs are more frequent than for caloric testing and BC hearing thresholds. The relative frequency of abnormalities may reflect the degree of pathological involvement of the utricle, saccule, semicircular canals and cochlea in otosclerosis patients with vertigo. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Negative mood-induced alcohol-seeking is greater in young adults who report depression symptoms, drinking to cope, and subjective reactivity.

PubMed

Hogarth, Lee; Hardy, Lorna; Mathew, Amanda R; Hitsman, Brian

2018-04-01

Acute negative mood powerfully motivates alcohol-seeking behavior, but it remains unclear whether sensitivity to this effect is greater in drinkers who report depression symptoms, drinking to cope, and subjective reactivity. To examine these questions, 128 young adult alcohol drinkers (ages 18-25) completed questionnaires of alcohol use disorder symptoms, depression symptoms, and drinking to cope with negative affect. Baseline alcohol choice was measured by preference to enlarge alcohol versus food thumbnail images in two-alternative forced-choice trials. Negative mood was then induced by depressive statements and music, before alcohol choice was tested. Subjective reactivity was indexed by increased sadness pre- to post-mood induction. Baseline alcohol choice correlated with alcohol dependence symptoms (p = .001), and drinking coping motives (ps ≤ .01). Mood induction increased alcohol choice and subjective sadness overall (ps < .001). The mood-induced increase in alcohol choice was associated with depression symptoms (p = .007), drinking to cope (ps ≤ .03), and subjective reactivity (p = .007). The relationship between mood-induced alcohol choice and drinking to cope remained significant after covarying for other drinking motives. Furthermore, the three predictors (depression, drinking to cope, and subjective reactivity) accounted for unique variance in mood-induced alcohol choice (ps ≥ .03), and collectively accounted for 18% of the variance (p < .001). These findings validate the pictorial alcohol choice task as sensitive to the relative value of alcohol and acute negative mood. The findings also accord with the core prediction of negative reinforcement theory that sensitivity to the motivational impact of negative mood on alcohol-seeking behavior may be an important mechanism that links depression and alcohol dependence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Negative Mood-Induced Alcohol-Seeking Is Greater in Young Adults Who Report Depression Symptoms, Drinking to Cope, and Subjective Reactivity

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Acute negative mood powerfully motivates alcohol-seeking behavior, but it remains unclear whether sensitivity to this effect is greater in drinkers who report depression symptoms, drinking to cope, and subjective reactivity. To examine these questions, 128 young adult alcohol drinkers (ages 18–25) completed questionnaires of alcohol use disorder symptoms, depression symptoms, and drinking to cope with negative affect. Baseline alcohol choice was measured by preference to enlarge alcohol versus food thumbnail images in two-alternative forced-choice trials. Negative mood was then induced by depressive statements and music, before alcohol choice was tested. Subjective reactivity was indexed by increased sadness pre- to post-mood induction. Baseline alcohol choice correlated with alcohol dependence symptoms (p = .001), and drinking coping motives (ps ≤ .01). Mood induction increased alcohol choice and subjective sadness overall (ps < .001). The mood-induced increase in alcohol choice was associated with depression symptoms (p = .007), drinking to cope (ps ≤ .03), and subjective reactivity (p = .007). The relationship between mood-induced alcohol choice and drinking to cope remained significant after covarying for other drinking motives. Furthermore, the three predictors (depression, drinking to cope, and subjective reactivity) accounted for unique variance in mood-induced alcohol choice (ps ≥ .03), and collectively accounted for 18% of the variance (p < .001). These findings validate the pictorial alcohol choice task as sensitive to the relative value of alcohol and acute negative mood. The findings also accord with the core prediction of negative reinforcement theory that sensitivity to the motivational impact of negative mood on alcohol-seeking behavior may be an important mechanism that links depression and alcohol dependence. PMID:29389212

Gender Differences in Food Choice: Effects of Superior Temporal Sulcus Stimulation.

PubMed

Manippa, Valerio; Padulo, Caterina; van der Laan, Laura N; Brancucci, Alfredo

2017-01-01

The easy availability of food has caused a shift from eating for survival to hedonic eating. Women, compared to men, have shown to respond differently to food cues in the environment on a behavioral and a neural level, in particular to energy rich (compared to low energy) foods. It has been demonstrated that the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) is the only region exhibiting greater activation for high vs. low calorie food choices. In order to test for a possible causal role of STS in food choice, we applied high frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) on STS assuming a different response pattern between males and females. Our participants (18 females, 17 males) performed a forced choice task between food pairs matched for individual liking but differed in calorie, during the left STS, right STS stimulation and sham condition. Male participants showed a general preference for low calorie (LC) foods compared to females. In addition, we observed in males, but not in females, an increase of high calorie (HC) food choice during right STS tRNS compared to sham condition and left STS tRNS. Finally, we found an increase of missed choices during right STS stimulation compared to sham condition and left STS stimulation. In conclusion, thanks to tRNS evidence, we both confirm the involvement and suggest a causal role of right posterior STS in feeding behavior. Moreover, we suggest that gender differences exist in STS mechanisms underlying food choice.

Gender Differences in Food Choice: Effects of Superior Temporal Sulcus Stimulation

PubMed Central

Manippa, Valerio; Padulo, Caterina; van der Laan, Laura N.; Brancucci, Alfredo

2017-01-01

The easy availability of food has caused a shift from eating for survival to hedonic eating. Women, compared to men, have shown to respond differently to food cues in the environment on a behavioral and a neural level, in particular to energy rich (compared to low energy) foods. It has been demonstrated that the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) is the only region exhibiting greater activation for high vs. low calorie food choices. In order to test for a possible causal role of STS in food choice, we applied high frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) on STS assuming a different response pattern between males and females. Our participants (18 females, 17 males) performed a forced choice task between food pairs matched for individual liking but differed in calorie, during the left STS, right STS stimulation and sham condition. Male participants showed a general preference for low calorie (LC) foods compared to females. In addition, we observed in males, but not in females, an increase of high calorie (HC) food choice during right STS tRNS compared to sham condition and left STS tRNS. Finally, we found an increase of missed choices during right STS stimulation compared to sham condition and left STS stimulation. In conclusion, thanks to tRNS evidence, we both confirm the involvement and suggest a causal role of right posterior STS in feeding behavior. Moreover, we suggest that gender differences exist in STS mechanisms underlying food choice. PMID:29270120

The structure and dynamics of tornado-like vortices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nolan, D.S.; Farrell, B.F.

The structure and dynamics of axisymmetric tornado-like vortices are explored with a numerical model of axisymmetric incompressible flow based on recently developed numerical methods. The model is first shown to compare favorably with previous results and is then used to study the effects of varying the major parameters controlling the vortex: the strength of the convective forcing, the strength of the rotational forcing, and the magnitude of the model eddy viscosity. Dimensional analysis of the model problem indicates that the results must depend on only two dimensionless parameters. The natural choices for these two parameters are a convective Reynolds numbermore » (based on the velocity scale associated with the convective forcing) and a parameter analogous to the swirl ratio in laboratory models. However, by examining sets of simulations with different model parameters it is found that a dimensionless parameter known as the vortex Reynolds number, which is the ratio of the far-field circulation to the eddy viscosity, is more effective than the convention swirl ratio for predicting the structure of the vortex. The parameter space defined by the choices for model parameters is further explored with large sets of numerical simulations. For much of this parameter space it is confirmed that the vortex structure and time-dependent behavior depend strongly on the vortex Reynolds number and only weakly on the convective Reynolds number. The authors also find that for higher convective Reynolds numbers, the maximum possible wind speed increases, and the rotational forcing necessary to achieve that wind speed decreases. Physical reasoning is used to explain this behavior, and implications for tornado dynamics are discussed.« less

What makes a reach movement effortful? Physical effort discounting supports common minimization principles in decision making and motor control

PubMed Central

Ulbrich, Philipp; Gail, Alexander

2017-01-01

When deciding between alternative options, a rational agent chooses on the basis of the desirability of each outcome, including associated costs. As different options typically result in different actions, the effort associated with each action is an essential cost parameter. How do humans discount physical effort when deciding between movements? We used an action-selection task to characterize how subjective effort depends on the parameters of arm transport movements and controlled for potential confounding factors such as delay discounting and performance. First, by repeatedly asking subjects to choose between 2 arm movements of different amplitudes or durations, performed against different levels of force, we identified parameter combinations that subjects experienced as identical in effort (isoeffort curves). Movements with a long duration were judged more effortful than short-duration movements against the same force, while movement amplitudes did not influence effort. Biomechanics of the movements also affected effort, as movements towards the body midline were preferred to movements away from it. Second, by introducing movement repetitions, we further determined that the cost function for choosing between effortful movements had a quadratic relationship with force, while choices were made on the basis of the logarithm of these costs. Our results show that effort-based action selection during reaching cannot easily be explained by metabolic costs. Instead, force-loaded reaches, a widely occurring natural behavior, imposed an effort cost for decision making similar to cost functions in motor control. Our results thereby support the idea that motor control and economic choice are governed by partly overlapping optimization principles. PMID:28586347

On the long-term memory of the Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogozhina, I.; Martinec, Z.; Hagedoorn, J. M.; Thomas, M.; Fleming, K.

2011-03-01

In this study, the memory of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) with respect to its past states is analyzed. According to ice core reconstructions, the present-day GIS reflects former climatic conditions dating back to at least 250 thousand years before the present (kyr BP). This fact must be considered when initializing an ice sheet model. The common initialization techniques are paleoclimatic simulations driven by atmospheric forcing inferred from ice core records and steady state simulations driven by the present-day or past climatic conditions. When paleoclimatic simulations are used, the information about the past climatic conditions is partly reflected in the resulting present-day state of the GIS. However, there are several important questions that need to be clarified. First, for how long does the model remember its initial state? Second, it is generally acknowledged that, prior to 100 kyr BP, the longest Greenland ice core record (GRIP) is distorted by ice-flow irregularities. The question arises as to what extent do the uncertainties inherent in the GRIP-based forcing influence the resulting GIS? Finally, how is the modeled thermodynamic state affected by the choice of initialization technique (paleo or steady state)? To answer these questions, a series of paleoclimatic and steady state simulations is carried out. We conclude that (1) the choice of an ice-covered initial configuration shortens the initialization simulation time to 100 kyr, (2) the uncertainties in the GRIP-based forcing affect present-day modeled ice-surface topographies and temperatures only slightly, and (3) the GIS forced by present-day climatic conditions is overall warmer than that resulting from a paleoclimatic simulation.

Pionic retardation effects in two-pion-exchange three-nucleon forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coon, S. A.; Friar, J. L.

1986-09-01

Those two-pion-exchange three-nucleon forces which arise from nuclear processes that involve only pions and nucleons are calculated. Among the processes which contribute are pion seagulls (e.g., nucleon-antinucleon pair terms) and overlapping, retarded pion exchanges. The resulting potential is shown to be a (v/c)2 relativistic correction, and satisfies nontrivial constraints from special relativity. The relativistic ambiguities found before in treatments of relativistic corrections to the one-pion-exchange nuclear charge operator and two-body potential are also present in the three-nucleon potential. The resulting three-nucleon force differs from the original Tucson-Melbourne potential only in the presence of several new nonlocal terms, and in the specification of the choice of ambiguity parameters in the latter potential.

Passive magnetic bearing systems stabilizer/bearing utilizing time-averaging of a periodic magnetic field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Post, Richard F.

A high-stiffness stabilizer/bearings for passive magnetic bearing systems is provide where the key to its operation resides in the fact that when the frequency of variation of the repelling forces of the periodic magnet array is large compared to the reciprocal of the growth time of the unstable motion, the rotating system will feel only the time-averaged value of the force. When the time-averaged value of the force is radially repelling by the choice of the geometry of the periodic magnet array, the Earnshaw-related unstable hit motion that would occur at zero rotational speed is suppressed when the system ismore » rotating at operating speeds.« less

Does Hospital Competition Save Lives? Evidence from the English NHS Patient Choice Reforms*

PubMed Central

Cooper, Zack; Gibbons, Stephen; Jones, Simon; McGuire, Alistair

2011-01-01

Recent substantive reforms to the English National Health Service expanded patient choice and encouraged hospitals to compete within a market with fixed prices. This study investigates whether these reforms led to improvements in hospital quality. We use a difference-in-difference-style estimator to test whether hospital quality (measured using mortality from acute myocardial infarction) improved more quickly in more competitive markets after these reforms came into force in 2006. We find that after the reforms were implemented, mortality fell (i.e. quality improved) for patients living in more competitive markets. Our results suggest that hospital competition can lead to improvements in hospital quality. PMID:25821239

Two sensory channels mediate perception of fingertip force.

PubMed

Brothers, Trevor; Hollins, Mark

2014-01-01

In two experiments we examined the ability of humans to exert forces accurately with the fingertips, and to perceive those forces. In experiment 1 participants used visual feedback to apply a range of fingertip forces with the distal pad of the thumb. Participants made magnitude discriminations regarding these forces, and their just noticeable differences were calculated at a series of standards by means of a two-interval, forced-choice tracking paradigm. As the standard increased, participants demonstrated a relative improvement in force discrimination; and the presence of a possible inflection point, at approximately 400 g, suggested that two sensory channels may contribute to performance. If this is the case, the operative channel at low forces is almost certainly the slowly adapting type I (SA-I) channel, while another mechanoreceptor class, the SA-II nail unit, is a plausible mediator of the more accurate performance seen at high force levels. To test this two-channel hypothesis in experiment 2, we hydrated participants' thumbnails in order to reduce nail rigidity and thus prevent stimulation of underlying SA-II mechanoreceptors. This technique was found to reduce sensory accuracy in a force-matching task at high forces (1000 g) while leaving low force matching (100 g) unimpaired. Taken together, these results suggest that two sensory channels mediate the perception of fingertip forces in humans: one channel predominating at low forces (below approximately 400 g) and another responsible for perceiving high forces which is likely mediated by the SA-II nail unit.

Integrated force method versus displacement method for finite element analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, S. N.; Berke, L.; Gallagher, R. H.

1991-01-01

A novel formulation termed the integrated force method (IFM) has been developed in recent years for analyzing structures. In this method all the internal forces are taken as independent variables, and the system equilibrium equations (EEs) are integrated with the global compatibility conditions (CCs) to form the governing set of equations. In IFM the CCs are obtained from the strain formulation of St. Venant, and no choices of redundant load systems have to be made, in constrast to the standard force method (SFM). This property of IFM allows the generation of the governing equation to be automated straightforwardly, as it is in the popular stiffness method (SM). In this report IFM and SM are compared relative to the structure of their respective equations, their conditioning, required solution methods, overall computational requirements, and convergence properties as these factors influence the accuracy of the results. Overall, this new version of the force method produces more accurate results than the stiffness method for comparable computational cost.

Effect of loudness on reaction time and response force in different motor tasks.

PubMed

Jaśkowski, Piotr; Włodarczyk, Dariusz

2005-12-01

Van der Molen and Keuss, in 1979 and 1981, showed that paradoxically long reaction times occur with extremely strong auditory stimuli when the task is difficult, e.g., choice-by-location or Simon paradigm. It was argued that this paradoxical behavior of RT is due to active inhibition of an arousal-dependent bypassing mechanism to prevent false responses. As the peak force, i.e., maximal force exerted by participants on a response key, is considered to be related to immediate arousal, we predicted that for extremely loud stimuli and for difficult tasks, lengthening of RT should be associated with reduction of peak force. Moreover, these effects should be enhanced when emphasis is on accuracy rather than speed. Although the relation between RT and intensity depended on task difficulty, no increase in RT was found for the loudest tones. Moreover, peak force increased monotonically with loudness, showing no tendency to be suppressed for loudest tones and difficult tasks.

Non-additivity of molecule-surface van der Waals potentials from force measurements.

PubMed

Wagner, Christian; Fournier, Norman; Ruiz, Victor G; Li, Chen; Müllen, Klaus; Rohlfing, Michael; Tkatchenko, Alexandre; Temirov, Ruslan; Tautz, F Stefan

2014-11-26

Van der Waals (vdW) forces act ubiquitously in condensed matter. Despite being weak on an atomic level, they substantially influence molecular and biological systems due to their long range and system-size scaling. The difficulty to isolate and measure vdW forces on a single-molecule level causes our present understanding to be strongly theory based. Here we show measurements of the attractive potential between differently sized organic molecules and a metal surface using an atomic force microscope. Our choice of molecules and the large molecule-surface separation cause this attraction to be purely of vdW type. The experiment allows testing the asymptotic vdW force law and its validity range. We find a superlinear growth of the vdW attraction with molecular size, originating from the increased deconfinement of electrons in the molecules. Because such non-additive vdW contributions are not accounted for in most first-principles or empirical calculations, we suggest further development in that direction.

Integrated force method versus displacement method for finite element analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, Surya N.; Berke, Laszlo; Gallagher, Richard H.

1990-01-01

A novel formulation termed the integrated force method (IFM) has been developed in recent years for analyzing structures. In this method all the internal forces are taken as independent variables, and the system equilibrium equations (EE's) are integrated with the global compatibility conditions (CC's) to form the governing set of equations. In IFM the CC's are obtained from the strain formulation of St. Venant, and no choices of redundant load systems have to be made, in constrast to the standard force method (SFM). This property of IFM allows the generation of the governing equation to be automated straightforwardly, as it is in the popular stiffness method (SM). In this report IFM and SM are compared relative to the structure of their respective equations, their conditioning, required solution methods, overall computational requirements, and convergence properties as these factors influence the accuracy of the results. Overall, this new version of the force method produces more accurate results than the stiffness method for comparable computational cost.

Redefining neuromarketing as an integrated science of influence

PubMed Central

Breiter, Hans C.; Block, Martin; Blood, Anne J.; Calder, Bobby; Chamberlain, Laura; Lee, Nick; Livengood, Sherri; Mulhern, Frank J.; Raman, Kalyan; Schultz, Don; Stern, Daniel B.; Viswanathan, Vijay; Zhang, Fengqing (Zoe)

2015-01-01

Multiple transformative forces target marketing, many of which derive from new technologies that allow us to sample thinking in real time (i.e., brain imaging), or to look at large aggregations of decisions (i.e., big data). There has been an inclination to refer to the intersection of these technologies with the general topic of marketing as “neuromarketing”. There has not been a serious effort to frame neuromarketing, which is the goal of this paper. Neuromarketing can be compared to neuroeconomics, wherein neuroeconomics is generally focused on how individuals make “choices”, and represent distributions of choices. Neuromarketing, in contrast, focuses on how a distribution of choices can be shifted or “influenced”, which can occur at multiple “scales” of behavior (e.g., individual, group, or market/society). Given influence can affect choice through many cognitive modalities, and not just that of valuation of choice options, a science of influence also implies a need to develop a model of cognitive function integrating attention, memory, and reward/aversion function. The paper concludes with a brief description of three domains of neuromarketing application for studying influence, and their caveats. PMID:25709573

The effect of force feedback delay on stiffness perception and grip force modulation during tool-mediated interaction with elastic force fields

PubMed Central

Karniel, Amir; Nisky, Ilana

2015-01-01

During interaction with objects, we form an internal representation of their mechanical properties. This representation is used for perception and for guiding actions, such as in precision grip, where grip force is modulated with the predicted load forces. In this study, we explored the relationship between grip force adjustment and perception of stiffness during interaction with linear elastic force fields. In a forced-choice paradigm, participants probed pairs of virtual force fields while grasping a force sensor that was attached to a haptic device. For each pair, they were asked which field had higher level of stiffness. In half of the pairs, the force feedback of one of the fields was delayed. Participants underestimated the stiffness of the delayed field relatively to the nondelayed, but their grip force characteristics were similar in both conditions. We analyzed the magnitude of the grip force and the lag between the grip force and the load force in the exploratory probing movements within each trial. Right before answering which force field had higher level of stiffness, both magnitude and lag were similar between delayed and nondelayed force fields. These results suggest that an accurate internal representation of environment stiffness and time delay was used for adjusting the grip force. However, this representation did not help in eliminating the bias in stiffness perception. We argue that during performance of a perceptual task that is based on proprioceptive feedback, separate neural mechanisms are responsible for perception and action-related computations in the brain. PMID:25717155

The effect of force feedback delay on stiffness perception and grip force modulation during tool-mediated interaction with elastic force fields.

PubMed

Leib, Raz; Karniel, Amir; Nisky, Ilana

2015-05-01

During interaction with objects, we form an internal representation of their mechanical properties. This representation is used for perception and for guiding actions, such as in precision grip, where grip force is modulated with the predicted load forces. In this study, we explored the relationship between grip force adjustment and perception of stiffness during interaction with linear elastic force fields. In a forced-choice paradigm, participants probed pairs of virtual force fields while grasping a force sensor that was attached to a haptic device. For each pair, they were asked which field had higher level of stiffness. In half of the pairs, the force feedback of one of the fields was delayed. Participants underestimated the stiffness of the delayed field relatively to the nondelayed, but their grip force characteristics were similar in both conditions. We analyzed the magnitude of the grip force and the lag between the grip force and the load force in the exploratory probing movements within each trial. Right before answering which force field had higher level of stiffness, both magnitude and lag were similar between delayed and nondelayed force fields. These results suggest that an accurate internal representation of environment stiffness and time delay was used for adjusting the grip force. However, this representation did not help in eliminating the bias in stiffness perception. We argue that during performance of a perceptual task that is based on proprioceptive feedback, separate neural mechanisms are responsible for perception and action-related computations in the brain. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

[Treatment of Paget's disease with diphosphonate (disodium ethydronate)].

PubMed

Caniggia, A; Gennari, C; Guideri, R; Vattimo, A; Nardi, P

1976-01-07

16 patients suffering from Paget's disease were studied before, during and after 3 or 6 month treatment with disodium ethydronate (EHDP) per os. An appreciable improvement in pain symptomatology was noted and at times an evident improvement in audiometry; from the metabolic viewpoint there was a fall in serum alkaline phosphatase and urinary excretion of calcium and hydroxyproline. A study of radiocalcium kinetics demonstrated a reduction in the exchangeable calcium pool and the fractional turnover rate. Histological examination following needle biopsy of the iliac crest showed evident diminution in the active bone cell population (osteoclasts, osteoblasts) and, in certain cases, appearance of osteoid borders.

[Perceptive deafness and AIDS].

PubMed

Sancho, E M; Domínguez, L; Urpegui, A; Martínez, J; Jiménez, M; Bretos, S; Vallés, H

1997-06-01

We report a case of a 23 years old woman HIV positive for the past five years with a four year history of right perceptive hypoacusia evolution without tinitus, vertigo or any other otologic symptomatology. After reviewing her personal and family history and conducting imilar tonal audiometry, tympanometry bilateral, contralateral estapedial reflex, auditory evoked brain stem response and a bilateral nasal fiberendoscopy, we analyzed the evolution of her immunal deficiency and the treatments to which she has been submitted with the purpose of determining the risk factors that have coincided in this case to be able to establish some criteria to follow the auditive affect in HIV positive patients.

Audiological and electrophysiological evaluation of children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

PubMed

Matas, Carla Gentile; Leite, Renata Aparecida; Magliaro, Fernanda Cristina Leite; Gonçalves, Isabela Crivellaro

2006-08-01

We examined the peripheral auditory system and the auditory brainstem pathway of children with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). One hundred and one children, 51 with AIDS diagnosis and 50 normal children were evaluated. Audiological assessment included immittance measures, pure tone and speech audiometry and auditory brainstem response (ABR). The children with AIDS more frequently had abnormal results than did their matched controls, presenting either peripheral or auditory brainstem impairment. We suggest that AIDS be considered a risk factor for peripheral and/or auditory brainstem disorders. Further research should be carried out to investigate the auditory effects of HIV infection along the auditory pathway.

[A case of transient auditory agnosia and schizophrenia].

PubMed

Kanzaki, Jin; Harada, Tatsuhiko; Kanzaki, Sho

2011-03-01

We report a case of transient functional auditory agnosia and schizophrenia and discuss their relationship. A 30-year-old woman with schizophrenia reporting bilateral hearing loss was found in history taking to be able to hear but could neither understand speech nor discriminate among environmental sounds. Audiometry clarified normal but low speech discrimination. Otoacoustic emission and auditory brainstem response were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) elsewhere evidenced no abnormal findings. We assumed that taking care of her grandparents who had been discharged from the hospital had unduly stressed her, and her condition improved shortly after she stopped caring for them, returned home and started taking a minor tranquilizer.

System and algorithm for evaluation of human auditory analyzer state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachynskiy, Mykhaylo V.; Azarkhov, Oleksandr Yu.; Shtofel, Dmytro Kh.; Horbatiuk, Svitlana M.; Ławicki, Tomasz; Kalizhanova, Aliya; Smailova, Saule; Askarova, Nursanat

2017-08-01

The paper discusses questions of human auditory state evaluation with technical means. It considers the disadvantages of existing clinical audiometry methods and systems. It is proposed to use method for evaluating of auditory analyzer state by means of pulsometry to get the medical study more objective and efficient. It provides for use of two optoelectronic sensors located on the carotid artery and ear lobe, Using this method the biotechnical system for evaluation and stimulation of human auditory analyzer stare wad developed. Its hardware and software were substantiated. Different modes of simulation in the designed system were tested and the influence of the procedure on a patient was studied.

Ethnic Segregation in Malaysia's Education System: Enrolment Choices, Preferential Policies and Desegregation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raman, Santhiram R.; Sua, Tan Yao

2010-01-01

Ethnic segregation has become an emerging feature in Malaysia's education system even though the institutional role of education should have been a unifying force for the country's multi-ethnic society. The underlying problem is that, at all levels of education provision in Malaysia, alternative streams are allowed to coexist alongside mainstream…

Revisiting Narrative Elaboration Training with an Ecologically Relevant Event

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Carole; Warren, Kelly L.; Hayes, Ashli H.

2013-01-01

A problematic issue for forensic interviewers is that young children provide limited information in response to open-ended recall questions. Although quantity of information is greater if children are asked more focused prompts and closed question types such as yes/no or forced choice questions, the quality of their responses is potentially…

The School Leader in Action: Discovering the Golden Mean.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cattanach, David L.

Public school leadership is a constant search for balances, between and among conflicting ideas and forces, to shape difficult choices. This book is about educational leadership and administration. Chapter 1 introduces concepts and principles of leadership, and chapter 2 offers guidelines to help in the job search process. The attitudes,…

Differential Impact of Abortion on Adolescents and Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franz, Wanda; Reardon, David

1992-01-01

Compared adolescent and adult reactions to abortion among 252 women. Compared to adults, adolescents were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with choice of abortion and with services received, to have abortions later in gestational period, to feel forced by circumstances to have abortion, to report being misinformed at time of abortion,…

Further Education and Training: A Comparison of Policy Models in Britain and Norway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinningsrud, Tone

1995-01-01

Compares public intervention schemes in Britain and Norway supporting participation of public educational institutions in the delivery of continuing labor force development and training. These schemes demonstrate that British policy is based on belief in free market principles, while Norwegian policy combines elements of consumer choice and legal…

A COMPARISON OF RESPONSE CONFIRMATION TECHNIQUES FOR AN ADJUNCTIVE SELF-STUDY PROGRAM.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MEYER, DONALD E.

AN EXPERIMENT COMPARED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FOUR METHODS OF CONFIRMING RESPONSES TO AN ADJUNCTIVE SELF-STUDY PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED FOR AIR FORCE AIRCREWS UNDERTAKING A REFRESHER COURSE IN ENGINEERING. A SERIES OF SEQUENCED MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS EACH REFERRED TO A PAGE AND PARAGRAPH OF A PUBLICATION CONTAINING DETAILED INFORMATION…

Teaching and Evaluation Materials Utilizing Multiple Representations in Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savinainen, A.; Nieminen, P.; Makynen, A.; Viiri, J.

2013-01-01

In this paper, we present materials and teaching ideas utilizing multiple representations in the contexts of kinematics and the force concept. These ideas and materials are substantiated by evidence and can be readily used in teaching with no special training. In addition, we briefly discuss two multiple-choice tests based on physics education…

School Diversification in Second-Best Education Markets: International Evidence and Conflicting Theories of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lubienski, Christopher

2006-01-01

According to theorists, choice and competition are intended to force schools to innovate and diversify their programs. However, evidence from several countries suggests that schools are not responding to competitive incentives as expected: (a) instead of innovating in the classroom, schools often embrace traditional practices; (b) innovations in…

Labor Force Participation of Older Workers: Prospective Changes and Potential Policy Responses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Favreault, Melissa; Ratcliffe, Caroline; Toder, Eric

1999-01-01

Data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation were matched with longitudinal earnings histories and Social Security benefit data to estimate joint work and benefit receipt choices for people age 62 and older. The probability of working is shown to depend on worker characteristics and policy variables. (Author)

The Role of Empirical Evidence in Modeling Speech Segmentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Lawrence

2015-01-01

Choosing specific implementational details is one of the most important aspects of creating and evaluating a model. In order to properly model cognitive processes, choices for these details must be made based on empirical research. Unfortunately, modelers are often forced to make decisions in the absence of relevant data. My work investigates the…

Girls in the Education Market: Choice, Competition and Complexity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Stephen J.; Gewirtz, Sharon

1997-01-01

Considers the role of girls' schools in the United Kingdom education market and the positioning and "value" of girls by examining the workings of market forces in education. It reveals that current conditions of competition offer some advantages to girls but that these advantages have to be set against the continuing contradictions and…

Diagnosing Students' Understanding of the Nature of Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gogolin, Sarah; Krüger, Dirk

2017-01-01

Students' understanding of models in science has been subject to a number of investigations. The instruments the researchers used are suitable for educational research but, due to their complexity, cannot be employed directly by teachers. This article presents forced choice (FC) tasks, which, assembled as a diagnostic instrument, are supposed to…

Innovation in Educational Markets: An Organizational Analysis of Private Schools in Toronto

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Scott; Quirke, Linda

2005-01-01

This study examines whether new private schools are innovative, drawing on theories of markets and institutions. Choice advocates claim that markets spark innovation, while institutional theory suggests that isomorphic forces will limit novel school forms. Using qualitative data from third sector private schools in Toronto, three hypotheses about…

Preserving the Pedagogy: The Director of Forensics as an At-Risk Professional.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Scott

Today's collegiate forensic activities have changed in ways that pose profound challenges to directors of forensics. Six primary factors that contribute to the "at-riskness" of directors of forensics are: the changing face of today's forensic program forces difficult choices; the forensics community is seeing signs of a crisis in…

Crowding Affects Letters and Symbols Differently

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grainger, Jonathan; Tydgat, Ilse; Issele, Joanna

2010-01-01

Five experiments examined crowding effects with letter and symbol stimuli. Experiments 1 through 3 compared 2-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) identification accuracy for isolated targets presented left and right of fixation with targets flanked either by 2 other items of the same category or a single item situated to the right or left of targets.…

U.S. Army Research Institute Program in Basic Research-FY 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

2007). Do learning protocols support learning strategies and outcomes? The role of cognitive and metacognitive prompts. Learning and Instruction ...73 Achievement in Complex Learning Environments as a Function of Information Processing Ability ...Development and Validation of a Situational Judgment Test to Predict Attrition Incrementally Over General Cognitive Ability and a Forced-Choice

Assessment of Leisure Preferences for Students with Severe Developmental Disabilities and Communication Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kreiner, Janice; Flexer, Robert

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and to evaluate the Preferences for Leisure Attributes (PLA) Assessment, a forced-choice computer software program for students with severe disabilities and communication difficulties. In order to determine content validity of the PLA Assessment, four experts in related fields assigned critical attributes…

Raising Standards 1988 to the Present: A New Performance Policy Era?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoskins, Kate

2012-01-01

This article explores the context of the period following the Education Reform Act 1988 in terms of the efforts by successive governments to raise academic standards. These attempts are illustrated by discussion of the impact of the introduction of market forces and parental choice, a centralised National Curriculum and associated assessment…

Recognition without Awareness: Encoding and Retrieval Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craik, Fergus I. M.; Rose, Nathan S.; Gopie, Nigel

2015-01-01

The article reports 4 experiments that explore the notion of recognition without awareness using words as the material. Previous work by Voss and associates has shown that complex visual patterns were correctly selected as targets in a 2-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) recognition test although participants reported that they were guessing. The…

Improving Career Exploration Using Psychometric Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wegner, Kenneth W.

In most interest inventories, a single stimulus item is presented and the respondent indicates a preference in terms of degree of like, dislike, or indifference. This approach provides normative scales with scores that may be compared with various group distributions. The forced choice of options adds to the score on the scale for option selected…

AAMD-Becker Reading-Free Vocational Interest Inventory Manual [and Male and Female Inventories].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Ralph L.

The AAMD-Becker Reading-Free Vocational Interest Inventory is a non-reading vocational preference test for use with mentally retarded persons, particularly the educable mentally retarded at the high school level. Illustrations having occupational significance are presented in forced-choice format for selections. The instrument helps to identify…

Psychometric Properties of Scores on a New Measure of Psychological Type.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vacha-Haase, Tammi; Thompson, Bruce

Instruments measuring Carl Jung's (1921/1971) theory of psychological types have been widely used in various counseling contexts. The most popular measure of types has been the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (K. Briggs and I. Myers). This measure has been criticized for dichotomous scoring, forced-choice response formats, and differential gender…

Pre-Employment Course: A Partnership for Success?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pepper, Ian K.; McGrath, Ruth

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the benefits of pre-employment education and training and its impact on the students' choice of career paths. It focuses on a programme delivered in partnership between Teesside University and a North East Police Force, and provides a model for future pre-employment education and training.…

Developmental Trajectories of Part-Based and Configural Object Recognition in Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juttner, Martin; Wakui, Elley; Petters, Dean; Kaur, Surinder; Davidoff, Jules

2013-01-01

Three experiments assessed the development of children's part and configural (part-relational) processing in object recognition during adolescence. In total, 312 school children aged 7-16 years and 80 adults were tested in 3-alternative forced choice (3-AFC) tasks. They judged the correct appearance of upright and inverted presented familiar…

A Social Cognitive Examination of East Asian American Career Development: Contextual Factors Influencing Career Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jane

2012-01-01

Despite their educational and economic achievements in the United States, Asian Americans continue to be occupationally segregated in the labor force. Asian Americans are overrepresented in mathematics, engineering and biological sciences while underrepresented in field such as education, humanities, social and behavioral sciences (Bureau of Labor…

Resisting Fragmentation: Calling for a Holistic Approach to Professional Practice and Preparation for Educational Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drago-Severson, Eleanor; Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia; Hoffman, Alexander M.

2012-01-01

An online survey (using forced-choice and open-ended questions) of faculty at two university-situated degree-granting leadership preparation programs revealed that the faculty describe critical connections for developing leadership capacity: theory-practice nexus, university-based learning and "real-life" experience, and nurturing deeper…

Bayesian calibration of coarse-grained forces: Efficiently addressing transferability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrone, Paul N.; Rosch, Thomas W.; Phelan, Frederick R.

2016-04-01

Generating and calibrating forces that are transferable across a range of state-points remains a challenging task in coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics. In this work, we present a coarse-graining workflow, inspired by ideas from uncertainty quantification and numerical analysis, to address this problem. The key idea behind our approach is to introduce a Bayesian correction algorithm that uses functional derivatives of CG simulations to rapidly and inexpensively recalibrate initial estimates f0 of forces anchored by standard methods such as force-matching. Taking density-temperature relationships as a running example, we demonstrate that this algorithm, in concert with various interpolation schemes, can be used to efficiently compute physically reasonable force curves on a fine grid of state-points. Importantly, we show that our workflow is robust to several choices available to the modeler, including the interpolation schemes and tools used to construct f0. In a related vein, we also demonstrate that our approach can speed up coarse-graining by reducing the number of atomistic simulations needed as inputs to standard methods for generating CG forces.

The search of the best mode of the reserve power supply consumption during the nuclear reactor’s emergency shutdown procedures in case of force majeure circumstances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagrebaev, A. M.; Trifonenkov, A. V.

2017-01-01

This article deals with the problem of the control mode choice for a power supply system in case of force majeure circumstances. It is not known precisely, when a force majeure incident occurs, but the threatened period is given, when the incident is expected. It is supposed, that force majeure circumstances force nuclear reactor shutdown at the moment of threat coming. In this article the power supply system is considered, which consists of a nuclear reactor and a reserve power supply, for example, a hydroelectric pumped storage power station. The reserve power supply has limited capacity and it doesn’t undergo the threatened incident. The problem of the search of the best reserve supply time-distribution in case of force majeure circumstances is stated. The search is performed according to minimization of power loss and damage to the infrastructure. The software has been developed, which performs automatic numerical search of the approximate optimal control modes for the reserve power supply.

Extending calibration-free force measurements to optically-trapped rod-shaped samples

PubMed Central

Català, Frederic; Marsà, Ferran; Montes-Usategui, Mario; Farré, Arnau; Martín-Badosa, Estela

2017-01-01

Optical trapping has become an optimal choice for biological research at the microscale due to its non-invasive performance and accessibility for quantitative studies, especially on the forces involved in biological processes. However, reliable force measurements depend on the calibration of the optical traps, which is different for each experiment and hence requires high control of the local variables, especially of the trapped object geometry. Many biological samples have an elongated, rod-like shape, such as chromosomes, intracellular organelles (e.g., peroxisomes), membrane tubules, certain microalgae, and a wide variety of bacteria and parasites. This type of samples often requires several optical traps to stabilize and orient them in the correct spatial direction, making it more difficult to determine the total force applied. Here, we manipulate glass microcylinders with holographic optical tweezers and show the accurate measurement of drag forces by calibration-free direct detection of beam momentum. The agreement between our results and slender-body hydrodynamic theoretical calculations indicates potential for this force-sensing method in studying protracted, rod-shaped specimens. PMID:28220855

Snowboard jumping, Newton’s second law and the force on landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Shea, Michael J.

2004-07-01

An application of Newton’s second law to a snowboarder dropping off a vertical ledge shows that the average normal force during landing (force exerted by the ground on the snowboarder) is determined by four factors. It is shown that the flexing of the legs, the softness of the snow, the angle of the landing surface and the forward motion of the snowboarder can contribute significantly to reducing the force on landing. A judicious choice of the geometry of the jump leads to a force on landing that is equal to the force that the snowboarder would feel if they were standing at the landing point independent of the height from which the snowboarder jumps. Thus we are able to explain with a relatively simple model why a snowboarder may jump from rather high ledges and land comfortably. The physics here is also applicable to jumps in other sports including skiing and mountain biking. The importance of knowing the limits of models is discussed and some of the limits of this model are pointed out.

Army women's sexual health information needs.

PubMed

von Sadovszky, Victoria; Ryan-Wenger, Nancy

2007-01-01

To ascertain Army women's specific sexual health information needs prior to developing a theoretically based, self-administered intervention to promote safer sexual practices during deployment. An exploratory design was employed to address the research questions. Participants (N= 131) were Army women recruited from Army posts around the United States. The women ranged in age from 18 to 68 years (M= 30.8, SD= 10.5), were of varied ethnicity, and had an average time in service of 8.0 years (SD= 6.6). Desire for knowledge about sexual health and safer sexual practices were measured with forced-choice responses based upon DiIorio's Safer Sex Questionnaire (DiIorio, Parsons, Lehr, Adame, & Carlone, 1992) and open-ended questions to assess past information received, quality of that information, and information desired. Participants had moderate levels of sexual risk behaviors. Forced-choice responses yielded little desire for information regarding safer sexual practices. Women identified different sexual health and safer sexual information needs based upon whether they were at a normal duty station or during deployment. Participants did not identify many information needs; however, their sexual behaviors indicate the need for interventions.

The Effect of Response Format on the Psychometric Properties of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory: Consequences for Item Meaning and Factor Structure.

PubMed

Ackerman, Robert A; Donnellan, M Brent; Roberts, Brent W; Fraley, R Chris

2016-04-01

The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) is currently the most widely used measure of narcissism in social/personality psychology. It is also relatively unique because it uses a forced-choice response format. We investigate the consequences of changing the NPI's response format for item meaning and factor structure. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 40 forced-choice items (n = 2,754), 80 single-stimulus dichotomous items (i.e., separate true/false responses for each item; n = 2,275), or 80 single-stimulus rating scale items (i.e., 5-point Likert-type response scales for each item; n = 2,156). Analyses suggested that the "narcissistic" and "nonnarcissistic" response options from the Entitlement and Superiority subscales refer to independent personality dimensions rather than high and low levels of the same attribute. In addition, factor analyses revealed that although the Leadership dimension was evident across formats, dimensions with entitlement and superiority were not as robust. Implications for continued use of the NPI are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Quantifying facial expression recognition across viewing conditions.

PubMed

Goren, Deborah; Wilson, Hugh R

2006-04-01

Facial expressions are key to social interactions and to assessment of potential danger in various situations. Therefore, our brains must be able to recognize facial expressions when they are transformed in biologically plausible ways. We used synthetic happy, sad, angry and fearful faces to determine the amount of geometric change required to recognize these emotions during brief presentations. Five-alternative forced choice conditions involving central viewing, peripheral viewing and inversion were used to study recognition among the four emotions. Two-alternative forced choice was used to study affect discrimination when spatial frequency information in the stimulus was modified. The results show an emotion and task-dependent pattern of detection. Facial expressions presented with low peak frequencies are much harder to discriminate from neutral than faces defined by either mid or high peak frequencies. Peripheral presentation of faces also makes recognition much more difficult, except for happy faces. Differences between fearful detection and recognition tasks are probably due to common confusions with sadness when recognizing fear from among other emotions. These findings further support the idea that these emotions are processed separately from each other.

Simulation of carbohydrates, from molecular docking to dynamics in water.

PubMed

Sapay, Nicolas; Nurisso, Alessandra; Imberty, Anne

2013-01-01

Modeling of carbohydrates is particularly challenging because of the variety of structures resulting for the high number of monosaccharides and possible linkages and also because of their intrinsic flexibility. The development of carbohydrate parameters for molecular modeling is still an active field. Nowadays, main carbohydrates force fields are GLYCAM06, CHARMM36, and GROMOS 45A4. GLYCAM06 includes the largest choice of compounds and is compatible with the AMBER force fields and associated. Furthermore, AMBER includes tools for the implementation of new parameters. When looking at protein-carbohydrate interaction, the choice of the starting structure is of importance. Such complex can be sometimes obtained from the Protein Data Bank-although the stereochemistry of sugars may require some corrections. When no experimental data is available, molecular docking simulation is generally used to the obtain protein-carbohydrate complex coordinates. As molecular docking parameters are not specifically dedicated to carbohydrates, inaccuracies should be expected, especially for the docking of polysaccharides. This issue can be addressed at least partially by combining molecular docking with molecular dynamics simulation in water.

Trapping of a microsphere pendulum resonator in an optical potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ward, J. M.; Photonics Centre, Tyndall National Institute, Prospect Row, Cork; Wu, Y.

We propose a method to spatially confine or corral the movements of a micropendulum via the optical forces produced by two simultaneously excited optical modes of a photonic molecule comprising two microspherical cavities. We discuss how the cavity-enhanced optical force generated in the photonic molecule can create an optomechanical potential of about 10 eV deep and 30 pm wide, which can be used to trap the pendulum at any given equilibrium position by a simple choice of laser frequencies. This result presents opportunities for very precise all-optical self-alignment of microsystems.

Health Care Exceptionalism? Performance and Allocation in the US Health Care Sector

PubMed Central

Chandra, Amitabh; Finkelstein, Amy; Sacarny, Adam; Syverson, Chad

2016-01-01

The conventional wisdom for the healthcare sector is that idiosyncratic features leave little scope for market forces to allocate consumers to higher performance producers. However, we find robust evidence - across several different conditions and performance measures - that higher quality hospitals have higher market shares and grow more over time. The relationship between performance and allocation is stronger among patients who have greater scope for hospital choice, suggesting that patient demand plays an important role in allocation. Our findings suggest that healthcare may have more in common with “traditional” sectors subject to market forces than often assumed. PMID:27784907

Axial strength test for round flat faced versus capsule shaped bilayer tablets.

PubMed

Franck, Jason; Abebe, Admassu; Keluskar, Rekha; Martin, Kyle; Majumdar, Antara; Kottala, Niranjan; Stamato, Howard

2015-03-01

There has been increasing interest in fixed dose combination (FDC) therapy. Multi-layer tablets are a popular choice among various technologies to deliver FDCs. In most cases, round flat faced tooling is used in testing tablets as they have the simplest geometry. However, shaped tooling is more common for commercial products and may have an effect on bilayer tablet strength. Capsule shaped bilayer tablets, similar to a commercial image, and holders conforming to the tablet topology, were compared with similar round flat faced bilayer tablets and their corresponding holders. Bilayer tablets were subjected to an axial test device, until fracture and the quantitative breaking force value was recorded. As the second layer compression force increases, regardless of holder design, an increase in breaking force occurs as expected. This consistent trend provides insight regarding the breaking force of capsule shaped bilayer tablets. The results of this study show that at lower second layer compression forces, tablet geometry does not significantly impact the results. However, at higher compression forces, a significant difference in breaking force between tablet geometries exists. Therefore, using a test geometry close to the final commercial tablet image is recommended to have the most accurate prediction for tablet breakage.

Wear-dependent specific coefficients in a mechanistic model for turning of nickel-based superalloy with ceramic tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López de Lacalle, Luis Norberto; Urbicain Pelayo, Gorka; Fernández-Valdivielso, Asier; Alvarez, Alvaro; González, Haizea

2017-09-01

Difficult to cut materials such as nickel and titanium alloys are used in the aeronautical industry, the former alloys due to its heat-resistant behavior and the latter for the low weight - high strength ratio. Ceramic tools made out alumina with reinforce SiC whiskers are a choice in turning for roughing and semifinishing workpiece stages. Wear rate is high in the machining of these alloys, and consequently cutting forces tends to increase along one operation. This paper establishes the cutting force relation between work-piece and tool in the turning of such difficult-to-cut alloys by means of a mechanistic cutting force model that considers the tool wear effect. The cutting force model demonstrates the force sensitivity to the cutting engagement parameters (ap, f) when using ceramic inserts and wear is considered. Wear is introduced through a cutting time factor, being useful in real conditions taking into account that wear quickly appears in alloys machining. A good accuracy in the cutting force model coefficients is the key issue for an accurate prediction of turning forces, which could be used as criteria for tool replacement or as input for chatter or other models.

CHARMM additive and polarizable force fields for biophysics and computer-aided drug design

PubMed Central

Vanommeslaeghe, K.

2014-01-01

Background Molecular Mechanics (MM) is the method of choice for computational studies of biomolecular systems owing to its modest computational cost, which makes it possible to routinely perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on chemical systems of biophysical and biomedical relevance. Scope of Review As one of the main factors limiting the accuracy of MD results is the empirical force field used, the present paper offers a review of recent developments in the CHARMM additive force field, one of the most popular bimolecular force fields. Additionally, we present a detailed discussion of the CHARMM Drude polarizable force field, anticipating a growth in the importance and utilization of polarizable force fields in the near future. Throughout the discussion emphasis is placed on the force fields’ parametrization philosophy and methodology. Major Conclusions Recent improvements in the CHARMM additive force field are mostly related to newly found weaknesses in the previous generation of additive force fields. Beyond the additive approximation is the newly available CHARMM Drude polarizable force field, which allows for MD simulations of up to 1 microsecond on proteins, DNA, lipids and carbohydrates. General Significance Addressing the limitations ensures the reliability of the new CHARMM36 additive force field for the types of calculations that are presently coming into routine computational reach while the availability of the Drude polarizable force fields offers a model that is an inherently more accurate model of the underlying physical forces driving macromolecular structures and dynamics. PMID:25149274

Choose, rate or squeeze: Comparison of economic value functions elicited by different behavioral tasks

PubMed Central

Pessiglione, Mathias

2017-01-01

A standard view in neuroeconomics is that to make a choice, an agent first assigns subjective values to available options, and then compares them to select the best. In choice tasks, these cardinal values are typically inferred from the preference expressed by subjects between options presented in pairs. Alternatively, cardinal values can be directly elicited by asking subjects to place a cursor on an analog scale (rating task) or to exert a force on a power grip (effort task). These tasks can vary in many respects: they can notably be more or less costly and consequential. Here, we compared the value functions elicited by choice, rating and effort tasks on options composed of two monetary amounts: one for the subject (gain) and one for a charity (donation). Bayesian model selection showed that despite important differences between the three tasks, they all elicited a same value function, with similar weighting of gain and donation, but variable concavity. Moreover, value functions elicited by the different tasks could predict choices with equivalent accuracy. Our finding therefore suggests that comparable value functions can account for various motivated behaviors, beyond economic choice. Nevertheless, we report slight differences in the computational efficiency of parameter estimation that may guide the design of future studies. PMID:29161252

Mechanisms underlying the influence of saliency on value-based decisions

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiaomo; Mihalas, Stefan; Niebur, Ernst; Stuphorn, Veit

2013-01-01

Objects in the environment differ in their low-level perceptual properties (e.g., how easily a fruit can be recognized) as well as in their subjective value (how tasty it is). We studied the influence of visual salience on value-based decisions using a two alternative forced choice task, in which human subjects rapidly chose items from a visual display. All targets were equally easy to detect. Nevertheless, both value and salience strongly affected choices made and reaction times. We analyzed the neuronal mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects using stochastic accumulator models, allowing us to characterize not only the averages of reaction times but their full distributions. Independent models without interaction between the possible choices failed to reproduce the observed choice behavior, while models with mutual inhibition between alternative choices produced much better results. Mutual inhibition thus is an important feature of the decision mechanism. Value influenced the amount of accumulation in all models. In contrast, increased salience could either lead to an earlier start (onset model) or to a higher rate (speed model) of accumulation. Both models explained the data from the choice trials equally well. However, salience also affected reaction times in no-choice trials in which only one item was present, as well as error trials. Only the onset model could explain the observed reaction time distributions of error trials and no-choice trials. In contrast, the speed model could not, irrespective of whether the rate increase resulted from more frequent accumulated quanta or from larger quanta. Visual salience thus likely provides an advantage in the onset, not in the processing speed, of value-based decision making. PMID:24167161

Choosing spouses and houses: Impaired congruence between preference and choice following damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Bowren, Mark D; Croft, Katie E; Reber, Justin; Tranel, Daniel

2018-03-01

A well-documented effect of focal ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) damage is a deficit in real-world decision making. An important aspect of this deficit may be a deficiency in "internal consistency" during social decision making-that is, impaired congruence between expressed preferences versus actual behavioral choices. An example of low internal consistency would be if one expressed the desire to marry someone with impeccable moral character, yet proceeded to marry someone convicted of multiple felonies. Here, we used a neuropsychological approach to investigate neural correlates of internal consistency in complex decision making. Sixteen individuals with focal vmPFC lesions, 16 brain damage comparison individuals, and 16 normal comparison individuals completed a 3-option forced-choice preference task in which choices were made using attribute sets. Participants also completed visual-analogue preference ratings to indicate how much they liked each option, and rated the influence of each attribute on their decision making. Options were either social (potential spouses) or nonsocial (potential houses). Internal consistency for a trial was defined as agreement between the choice and the most positively rated option. A mixed design analysis of variance revealed that internal consistency between choices and preferences derived from summed attribute ratings was significantly lower for the vmPFC group relative to comparison participants, but only in the social condition (pη2 = .09), 95% CI [.002, .163]. Internal consistency during social decisions may be deficient in patients with vmPFC damage, leading to a discrepancy between preferences and choices. The vmPFC may provide an important neural mechanism for aligning behavioral choices with expressed preferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Choosing Spouses and Houses: Impaired Congruence Between Preference and Choice Following Damage to the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Bowren, Mark D.; Croft, Katie E.; Reber, Justin; Tranel, Daniel

2017-01-01

Objective A well-documented effect of focal ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) damage is a deficit in real-world decision-making. An important aspect of this deficit may be a deficiency in “internal consistency” during social decision-making – that is, impaired congruence between expressed preferences versus actual behavioral choices. An example of low internal consistency would be if one expressed the desire to marry someone with impeccable moral character,” yet proceeded to marry someone convicted of multiple felonies. Here, we used a neuropsychological approach to investigate neural correlates of internal consistency in complex decision-making. Method Sixteen individuals with focal vmPFC lesions, 16 brain-damage comparison individuals, and 16 normal comparison individuals completed a three-option forced-choice preference task in which choices were made using attribute sets. Participants also completed visual-analogue preference ratings to indicate how much they liked each option, and rated the influence of each attribute on their decision-making. Options were either social (potential spouses) or non-social (potential houses). Internal consistency for a trial was defined as agreement between the choice and the most positively rated option. Results A mixed design ANOVA revealed that internal consistency between choices and preferences derived from summed attribute ratings was significantly lower for the vmPFC group relative to comparison participants, but only in the social condition (pη2 = .09), 95% CI [.002, .163]. Conclusions Internal consistency during social decisions may be deficient in patients with vmPFC damage, leading to a discrepancy between preferences and choices. The vmPFC may provide an important neural mechanism for aligning behavioral choices with expressed preferences. PMID:29620403

Observational Study of Prevalence of Long-term Raynaud-Like Phenomena and Neurological Side Effects in Testicular Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Oldenburg, Jan; Klepp, Olbjørn; Bremnes, Roy M.; Wist, Erik A.; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Hauge, Erik R.; Dahl, Olav; Fosså, Sophie D.

2009-01-01

Background Sensory neuropathy (paresthesias), tinnitus, hearing impairment, and Raynaud phenomena are side effects of cisplatin-based chemotherapy used to treat testicular cancer patients. We assessed the long-term occurrence of these side effects among testicular cancer survivors according to the treatment they received. Methods A total of 1814 men who were treated for unilateral testicular cancer in Norway during 1980–1994 were invited to participate in a national multicenter follow-up survey conducted during 1998–2002. The men were allocated to six groups according to the treatment they had received. Self-reported symptoms were assessed by a mailed questionnaire that included the Scale for Chemotherapy-Induced Neurotoxicity. A total of 1409 participants who responded to the questionnaire and/or underwent audiometry were assessable in this study. Respondents to the questionnaire (n = 1402) scored the relevant symptoms according to how troubled they were by each (not at all, a little, quite a bit, or very much). Hearing impairment was objectively assessed by audiometry at 4000 Hz in 755 men (seven of whom did not respond to the questionnaire). Group comparisons of symptom assessments were performed with χ2 or Kruskal–Wallis tests. Associations between relevant factors and self-reported symptoms or hearing impairment measured by audiometry were assessed using proportional odds ordinal logistic regression models and linear regression models, respectively. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results The median follow-up for the 1409 assessable men was 10.7 years (range = 4–21 years). All chemotherapy groups had statistically significantly higher odds for increasing severity of all assessed symptoms and inferior audiometric results compared with men who did not receive chemotherapy. Among chemotherapy-treated men, 39% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 35% to 43%) reported Raynaud-like phenomena (defined as white or cold hands or fingers [or feet or toes] on cold exposure), 29% (95% CI = 25% to 33%) reported paresthesias in the hands or feet, 21% (95% CI = 18% to 25%) reported hearing impairment, and 22% (95% CI = 19% to 26%) reported tinnitus as major symptoms troubling them quite a bit or very much. Hearing impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 5.3, 95% CI = 3.0 to 9.2) and tinnitus (OR = 7.1, 95% CI = 4.1 to 12.4) were particularly common in the dose-intensive chemotherapy group compared with the no chemotherapy group. Men who were treated with radiotherapy had higher odds of self-reported paresthesias in feet compared with those not treated with radiotherapy (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.01 to 2.1, P = .04). Conclusion Long-term survivors of testicular cancer who were treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy were more often troubled by dose-dependent neurological side effects and Raynaud-like phenomena compared with those who were not treated with chemotherapy. PMID:19940282

Pionic retardation effects in two-pion-exchange three-nucleon forces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coon, S.A.; Friar, J.L.

1986-09-01

Those two-pion-exchange three-nucleon forces which arise from nuclear processes that involve only pions and nucleons are calculated. Among the processes which contribute are pion seagulls (e.g., nucleon-antinucleon pair terms) and overlapping, retarded pion exchanges. The resulting potential is shown to be a (v-italic/c-italic)/sup 2/ relativistic correction, and satisfies nontrivial constraints from special relativity. The relativistic ambiguities found before in treatments of relativistic corrections to the one-pion-exchange nuclear charge operator and two-body potential are also present in the three-nucleon potential. The resulting three-nucleon force differs from the original Tucson-Melbourne potential only in the presence of several new nonlocal terms, and inmore » the specification of the choice of ambiguity parameters in the latter potential.« less

An investigation into the placement of force delivery systems and the initial forces applied by clinicians during space closure.

PubMed

Nattrass, C; Ireland, A J; Sherriff, M

1997-05-01

This in vitro investigation was designed to establish not only how clinicians apply forces for space closure when using the straight wire appliance and sliding mechanics, but also to quantify the initial force levels produced. A single typodont, with residual extraction space in each quadrant, was set up to simulate space closure using sliding mechanics. On two occasions, at least 2 months apart, 18 clinicians were asked to apply three force delivery systems to the typodont, in the manner in which they would apply it in a clinical situation. The three types of force delivery system investigated were elastomeric chain, an elastomeric module on a steel ligature, and a nickel-titanium closed coil spring. A choice of spaced or unspaced elastomeric chain produced by a single manufacturer was provided. The amount of stretch which was placed on each type of system was measured and, using an Instron Universal Testing Machine, the initial force which would be generated by each force delivery system was established. Clinicians were assessed to examine their consistency in the amount of stretch which each placed on the force delivery systems, their initial force application and their ability to apply equivalent forces with the different types of force delivery system. The clinicians were found to be consistent in their method of application of the force delivery systems and, therefore, their force application, as individuals, but there was a wide range of forces applied as a group. However, most clinicians applied very different forces when using different force delivery systems. When using the module on a ligature the greatest force was applied, whilst the nickel titanium coil springs provided the least force.

Force Limiting Vibration Tests Evaluated from both Ground Acoustic Tests and FEM Simulations of a Flight Like Vehicle System Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Andrew; LaVerde, Bruce; Waldon, James; Hunt, Ron

2014-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center has conducted a series of ground acoustic tests with the dual goals of informing analytical judgment, and validating analytical methods when estimating vibroacoustic responses of launch vehicle subsystems. The process of repeatedly correlating finite element-simulated responses with test-measured responses has assisted in the development of best practices for modeling and post-processing. In recent work, force transducers were integrated to measure interface forces at the base of avionics box equipment. Other force data was indirectly measured using strain gauges. The combination of these direct and indirect force measurements has been used to support and illustrate the advantages of implementing the Force Limiting approach for equipment qualification tests. The comparison of force response from integrated system level tests to measurements at the same locations during component level vibration tests provides an excellent illustration. A second comparison of the measured response cases from the system level acoustic tests to finite element simulations has also produced some principles for assessing the suitability of Finite Element Models (FEMs) for making vibroacoustics estimates. The results indicate that when FEM models are employed to guide force limiting choices, they should include sufficient detail to represent the apparent mass of the system in the frequency range of interest.

The effects of model composition design choices on high-fidelity simulations of motoneuron recruitment and firing behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, John M.; Elbasiouny, Sherif M.

2018-06-01

Objective. Computational models often require tradeoffs, such as balancing detail with efficiency; yet optimal balance should incorporate sound design features that do not bias the results of the specific scientific question under investigation. The present study examines how model design choices impact simulation results. Approach. We developed a rigorously-validated high-fidelity computational model of the spinal motoneuron pool to study three long-standing model design practices which have yet to be examined for their impact on motoneuron recruitment, firing rate, and force simulations. The practices examined were the use of: (1) generic cell models to simulate different motoneuron types, (2) discrete property ranges for different motoneuron types, and (3) biological homogeneity of cell properties within motoneuron types. Main results. Our results show that each of these practices accentuates conditions of motoneuron recruitment based on the size principle, and minimizes conditions of mixed and reversed recruitment orders, which have been observed in animal and human recordings. Specifically, strict motoneuron orderly size recruitment occurs, but in a compressed range, after which mixed and reverse motoneuron recruitment occurs due to the overlap in electrical properties of different motoneuron types. Additionally, these practices underestimate the motoneuron firing rates and force data simulated by existing models. Significance. Our results indicate that current modeling practices increase conditions of motoneuron recruitment based on the size principle, and decrease conditions of mixed and reversed recruitment order, which, in turn, impacts the predictions made by existing models on motoneuron recruitment, firing rate, and force. Additionally, mixed and reverse motoneuron recruitment generated higher muscle force than orderly size motoneuron recruitment in these simulations and represents one potential scheme to increase muscle efficiency. The examined model design practices, as well as the present results, are applicable to neuronal modeling throughout the nervous system.