10 CFR 26.33 - Behavioral observation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Behavioral observation. 26.33 Section 26.33 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.33 Behavioral observation. Licensees and other entities shall ensure that the individuals who are subject to this subpart are subject to...

10 CFR 26.33 - Behavioral observation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Behavioral observation. 26.33 Section 26.33 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS Program Elements § 26.33 Behavioral observation. Licensees and other entities shall ensure that the individuals who are subject to this subpart are subject to...

Free-Riding Behavior in Vaccination Decisions: An Experimental Study

PubMed Central

Ibuka, Yoko; Li, Meng; Vietri, Jeffrey; Chapman, Gretchen B.; Galvani, Alison P.

2014-01-01

Individual decision-making regarding vaccination may be affected by the vaccination choices of others. As vaccination produces externalities reducing transmission of a disease, it can provide an incentive for individuals to be free-riders who benefit from the vaccination of others while avoiding the cost of vaccination. This study examined an individual's decision about vaccination in a group setting for a hypothetical disease that is called “influenza” using a computerized experimental game. In the game, interactions with others are allowed. We found that higher observed vaccination rate within the group during the previous round of the game decreased the likelihood of an individual's vaccination acceptance, indicating the existence of free-riding behavior. The free-riding behavior was observed regardless of parameter conditions on the characteristics of the influenza and vaccine. We also found that other predictors of vaccination uptake included an individual's own influenza exposure in previous rounds increasing the likelihood of vaccination acceptance, consistent with existing empirical studies. Influenza prevalence among other group members during the previous round did not have a statistically significant effect on vaccination acceptance in the current round once vaccination rate in the previous round was controlled for. PMID:24475246

Pulsar-aided SETI experimental observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heidmann, J.; Biraud, F.; Tarter, J.

1989-01-01

The rotational frequencies of pulsars are used to select preferred radio frequencies for SETI. Pulsar rotational frequencies are converted into SETI frequencies in the 1-10 GHz Galactic radio window. Experimental observations using the frequencies are conducted for target stars closer than 25 parsecs, unknown targets in a globular cluster, and unknown targets in the Galaxy closer than 2.5 kpc. The status of these observations is discussed.

Experimental oligopolies modeling: A dynamic approach based on heterogeneous behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerboni Baiardi, Lorenzo; Naimzada, Ahmad K.

2018-05-01

In the rank of behavioral rules, imitation-based heuristics has received special attention in economics (see [14] and [12]). In particular, imitative behavior is considered in order to understand the evidences arising in experimental oligopolies which reveal that the Cournot-Nash equilibrium does not emerge as unique outcome and show that an important component of the production at the competitive level is observed (see e.g.[1,3,9] or [7,10]). By considering the pioneering groundbreaking approach of [2], we build a dynamical model of linear oligopolies where heterogeneous decision mechanisms of players are made explicit. In particular, we consider two different types of quantity setting players characterized by different decision mechanisms that coexist and operate simultaneously: agents that adaptively adjust their choices towards the direction that increases their profit are embedded with imitator agents. The latter ones use a particular form of proportional imitation rule that considers the awareness about the presence of strategic interactions. It is noteworthy that the Cournot-Nash outcome is a stationary state of our models. Our thesis is that the chaotic dynamics arousing from a dynamical model, where heterogeneous players are considered, are capable to qualitatively reproduce the outcomes of experimental oligopolies.

Experimental study of discrete diffraction behavior in a coherent atomic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Jinpeng; Li, Yihong; Li, Shaohua; Li, Changyong; Wang, Lirong; Xiao, Liantuan; Jia, Suotang

2017-12-01

Discrete diffraction behavior was experimentally studied in a coherent rubidium 5S 1/2  -  5P 3/2  -  5D 5/2 cascade system. An optical lattice was established by the interference of two coupling lasers corresponding to 5P 3/2  -  5D 5/2 transition with a small angle. The distinct discrete diffraction patterns were observed in vapor when the probe laser corresponding to the 5S 1/2  -  5P 3/2 transition propagated through the optical lattice. The optimized pertinent experimental parameters such as vapor temperature, two-photon detuning, coupling laser intensity and probe laser intensity are obtained. The experimental results are well analyzed utilizing the density-matrix theory. This system provides a new approach to investigate non-Hermitian physics and discrete solitons.

Sample size considerations for paired experimental design with incomplete observations of continuous outcomes.

PubMed

Zhu, Hong; Xu, Xiaohan; Ahn, Chul

2017-01-01

Paired experimental design is widely used in clinical and health behavioral studies, where each study unit contributes a pair of observations. Investigators often encounter incomplete observations of paired outcomes in the data collected. Some study units contribute complete pairs of observations, while the others contribute either pre- or post-intervention observations. Statistical inference for paired experimental design with incomplete observations of continuous outcomes has been extensively studied in literature. However, sample size method for such study design is sparsely available. We derive a closed-form sample size formula based on the generalized estimating equation approach by treating the incomplete observations as missing data in a linear model. The proposed method properly accounts for the impact of mixed structure of observed data: a combination of paired and unpaired outcomes. The sample size formula is flexible to accommodate different missing patterns, magnitude of missingness, and correlation parameter values. We demonstrate that under complete observations, the proposed generalized estimating equation sample size estimate is the same as that based on the paired t-test. In the presence of missing data, the proposed method would lead to a more accurate sample size estimate comparing with the crude adjustment. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the finite-sample performance of the generalized estimating equation sample size formula. A real application example is presented for illustration.

Behavioral study of ultradian activity periods of mice enclosed in experimental cages of different dimensions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guillot, A.

1982-01-01

Male mice are enclosed in cages of different dimensions (cage A - 23x8x8 cm., cage B - 36x27x17 cm.), in an alternating light/dark regimen, at an ambient temperature of 22 to 23 C. The successions of the behavioral sequences of ultradian activity periods are noticed by direct observation during 11 consecutive hours in light. The experimental situation modifies the mean duration time and the behavioral organization of each activity period. However, the comparison of the overall activity time lengths and the comparison of the overall behavioral frequencies suggest that the energy spent per mouse is constant.

Experimental observation of breathing solitons and a third harmonic in a tapered photonic crystal fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F.; Yao, C. F.; Li, C. Z.; Jia, Z. X.; Li, Q.; Wu, C. F.; Ohishi, Y.; Qin, W. P.; Qin, G. S.

2018-02-01

We report the experimental observation of breathing solitons and a third harmonic in a tapered fluorotellurite photonic crystal fiber (PCF) pumped by a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser. The PCF has a core diameter that varies continuously along its length, resulting in a zero-dispersion wavelength that moves from 1325 nm to 906 nm over the transition region. By finely controlling the dispersion map of the tapered PCF and increasing the order of the optical solitons, their breathing behavior is observed in the frequency domain and the number of breaths goes up to 9. Furthermore, the breathing behavior of the optical soliton is transferred to the third harmonic through inter-modal phase-matched processes in the tapered PCF, and the third harmonic also breathes with an increase in the pump power.

Behavior under the Microscope: Increasing the Resolution of Our Experimental Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, David C.

2010-01-01

Behavior analysis has exploited conceptual tools whose experimental validity has been amply demonstrated, but their relevance to large-scale and fine-grained behavioral phenomena remains uncertain, because the experimental analysis of these domains faces formidable obstacles of measurement and control. In this essay I suggest that, at least at the…

Effects of experimental sleep deprivation on anxiety-like behavior in animal research: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pires, Gabriel Natan; Bezerra, Andréia Gomes; Tufik, Sergio; Andersen, Monica Levy

2016-09-01

Increased acute anxiety is a commonly reported behavioral consequence of sleep deprivation in humans. However, rodent studies conducted so far produced inconsistent results, failing to reproduce the same sleep deprivation induced-anxiety observed in clinical experiments. While some presented anxiogenesis as result of sleep deprivation, others reported anxiolysis. In face of such inconsistencies, this article explores the effects of experimental sleep deprivation on anxiety-like behavior in animal research through a systematic review and a series of meta-analyses. A total of 50 of articles met our inclusion criteria, 30 on mice, 19 on rats and one on Zebrafish. Our review shows that sleep deprivation induces a decrease in anxiety-like behavior in preclinical models, which is opposite to results observed in human settings. These results were corroborated in stratified analyses according to species, sleep deprivation method and anxiety measurement technique. In conclusion, the use of animal models for the evaluation of the relationship between sleep deprivation lacks translational applicability and new experimental tools are needed to properly evaluate sleep deprivation-induced anxiogenesis in rodents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison between theoretical prediction and experimental measurement of the dynamic behavior of spur gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rebbechi, Brian; Forrester, B. David; Oswald, Fred B.; Townsend, Dennis P.

1992-01-01

A comparison was made between computer model predictions of gear dynamics behavior and experimental results. The experimental data were derived from the NASA gear noise rig, which was used to record dynamic tooth loads and vibration. The experimental results were compared with predictions from the DSTO Aeronautical Research Laboratory's gear dynamics code for a matrix of 28 load speed points. At high torque the peak dynamic load predictions agree with the experimental results with an average error of 5 percent in the speed range 800 to 6000 rpm. Tooth separation (or bounce), which was observed in the experimental data for light torque, high speed conditions, was simulated by the computer model. The model was also successful in simulating the degree of load sharing between gear teeth in the multiple tooth contact region.

A Study to Interpret the Biological Significance of Behavior Associated with 3S Experimental Sonar Exposures

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

KW playbacks Killer whale (O. orca) 10 4 8 1 2 LF pilot whale (G. melas ) 30 8 14 4 8 Sperm whale (P. Macrocephalus) 10 4 10 2 5 Humpback whale...Behavioral Changes Observed During Experimental Exposures of Killer (Orcinus orca), Long-Finned Pilot (Globicephala melas ), and Sperm (Physeter

Experimental demonstration of scaling behavior for ionic transport and its fluctuations in individual carbon nanotube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocquet, Lyderic; Secchi, Eleonora; Nigues, Antoine; Siria, Alessandro

2015-11-01

We perform an experimental study of ionic transport and current fluctuations inside individual Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) with a size ranging from 40 down to 7 nanometers in radius. The conductance exhibits a power law behavior dependence on the salinity, with an exponent close to 1/3. This is in contrast to Boron-Nitride nanotubes which exhibits a constant surface conductance. This scaling behavior is rationalized in terms of a model accounting for hydroxide adsorption at the (hydrophobic) carbon surface. This predicts a density dependent surface charge with a exponent 1/3 in full agreement with the experimental observations. Then we measure the low frequency noise of the ionic current in single CNTs. The noise exhibits a robust 1/f characteristic, with an amplitude which scales proportionaly to the surface charge measured independently. Data for the various CNT at a given pH do collapse on a master curve. This behavior is rationalized in terms of the fluctuations of the surface charge based on the adsorption behavior. This suggests that the low frequency noise takes its origin in the process occuring at the surface of the carbon nanotube.

Observation and Recording Effects on Group Therapy Client Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Alan L.; Decker, Robert E.

This study assesses the effect of visual versus audio observation/recording on both client and therapist verbal and non-verbal behavior in ongoing therapy. Three co-led, therapy groups were studied over six weekly sessions under counterbalanced observation conditions. Measures of verbal behavior, verbal productivity, and non-verbal behavior were…

Parent-Collected Behavioral Observations: An Empirical Comparison of Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadler, Cy B.; Roberts, Mark W.

2013-01-01

Treatments for disruptive behaviors are often guided by parent reports on questionnaires, rather than by multiple methods of assessment. Professional observations and clinic analogs exist to complement questionnaires, but parents can also collect useful behavioral observations to inform and guide treatment. Two parent observation methods of child…

An experimental study of homophily in the adoption of health behavior.

PubMed

Centola, Damon

2011-12-02

How does the composition of a population affect the adoption of health behaviors and innovations? Homophily--similarity of social contacts--can increase dyadic-level influence, but it can also force less healthy individuals to interact primarily with one another, thereby excluding them from interactions with healthier, more influential, early adopters. As a result, an important network-level effect of homophily is that the people who are most in need of a health innovation may be among the least likely to adopt it. Despite the importance of this thesis, confounding factors in observational data have made it difficult to test empirically. We report results from a controlled experimental study on the spread of a health innovation through fixed social networks in which the level of homophily was independently varied. We found that homophily significantly increased overall adoption of a new health behavior, especially among those most in need of it.

Behavioral responses of freshwater mussels to experimental dewatering

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galbraith, Heather S.; Blakeslee, Carrie J.; Lellis, William A.

2015-01-01

Understanding the effects of flow alteration on freshwater ecosystems is critical for predicting species responses and restoring appropriate flow regimes. We experimentally evaluated the effects of 3 dewatering rates on behavior of 6 freshwater mussel species in the context of water-removal rates observed in 21 Atlantic Coast rivers. Horizontal movement differed significantly among species and dewatering rates, but a significant species × dewatering interaction suggested that these factors influence movement in complex ways. Species differences in movement were evident only in controls and under slow dewatering rates, but these differences disappeared at moderate and fast dewatering rates. Burrowing behavior did not differ with respect to species identity or dewatering rate. The proportion of individuals that became stranded did not differ among species, but most individuals became stranded under low and moderate dewatering, and all individuals became stranded under fast dewatering. Mortality after stranding differed strongly among species along a gradient from 25% inPyganodon cataracta to 92% in Alasmidonta marginata. Together, these results suggest that species behavior may differ under gradual dewatering, but all species in our study are poorly adapted for rapid dewatering. Most of the 21 rivers we assessed experienced dewatering events comparable to our moderate rate, and several experienced events comparable to our fast rate. Dewatering events that exceed the movement or survival capability of most mussel species can be expected to result in assemblage-wide impacts. Consequently, the rate of water level change may be important in refining target flow conditions for restoration.

An Experimental Examination of Peers’ Influence on Adolescent Girls’ Intent to Engage in Maladaptive Weight-Related Behaviors

PubMed Central

Rancourt, Diana; Choukas-Bradley, Sophia; Cohen, Geoffrey L.; Prinstein, Mitchell J.

2015-01-01

Objective Social psychological theories provide bases for understanding how social comparison processes may impact peer influence. This study examined two peer characteristics that may impact peer influence on adolescent girls’ weight-related behavior intentions: body size and popularity. Method A school-based sample of 66 9th grade girls (12–15 years old) completed an experimental paradigm in which they believed they were interacting with other students (i.e., “e-confederates”). The body size and popularity of the e-confederates were experimentally manipulated. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions in which they were exposed to identical maladaptive weight-related behavior norms communicated by ostensible female peers who were either: (1) Thin and Popular; (2) Thin and Average Popularity; or (3) Heavy and Average Popularity. Participants’ intent to engage in weight-related behaviors was measured pre-experiment and during public and private segments of the experiment. Results A significant effect of condition on public conformity was observed. Participants exposed to peers’ maladaptive weight-related behavior norms in the Heavy and Average condition reported significantly less intent to engage in weight-related behaviors than participants in either of the thin-peer conditions (F(2) = 3.93, p = .025). Peer influence on private acceptance of weight-related behavior intentions was similar across conditions (F(2) = .47, p = .63). Discussion Body size comparison may be the most salient component of peer influence processes on weight-related behaviors. Peer influence on weight-related behavior intention also appears to impact private beliefs. Considering peer norms in preventive interventions combined with dissonance-based approaches may be useful. PMID:24482093

Observations of captive Rocky Mountain mule deer behavior

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

Halford, D.K.; Arthur, W.J. III; Alldredge, A.W.

1987-01-31

Observations were made near Fort Collins, Colorado on the behavior of a captive herd of Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus). Comparisons in general behavior patterns were made between captive and wild deer. Similar behavior was exhibited by captive and wild deer. Captive deer (as well as other species) may be useful for study of certain behavioral aspects of their wild counterparts.

Effects of Different Observational Systems and Time Sequences Upon Non-Participant Observers' Behavioral Ratings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wodarski, John S.; And Others

Four different observational systems and two time sequences were employed to determine the extent to which they would yield different incidences of anti-social behavior. Two videotapes, randomly chosen from a pool of 30 tapes, were utilized. These illustrated the behaviors of anti-social children in a natural setting. Six observers were reliably…

Observations of Student Behavior in Collaborative Learning Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Jeffrey P.; Brissenden, Gina; Lindell, Rebecca S.; Slater, Timothy F.; Wallace, Joy

In an effort to determine how our students were responding to the use of collaborative learning groups in our large enrollment introductory astronomy (ASTRO 101) courses, we systematically observed the behavior of 270 undergraduate students working in 48 self-formed groups. Their observed behaviors were classified as: (i) actively engaged; (ii) watching actively; (iii) watching passively; and (iv) disengaged. We found that male behavior is consistent regardless of the sex-composition of the groups. However, females were categorized as watching passively and or disengaged significantly more frequently when working in groups that contained uneven numbers of males and females. This case study observation suggests that faculty who use collaborative learning groups might find that the level of student participation in collaborative group learning activities can depend on the sex-composition of the group.

An experimental study of human pilot's scanning behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washizu, K.; Tanaka, K.; Osawa, T.

1982-01-01

The scanning behavior and the control behavior of the pilot who manually controls the two-variable system, which is the most basic one of multi-variable systems are investigated. Two control tasks which simulate the actual airplane attitude and airspeed control were set up. In order to simulate the change of the situation where the pilot is placed, such as changes of flight phase, mission and others, the subject was requested to vary the weightings, as his control strategy, upon each task. Changes of human control dynamics and his canning properties caused by the modification of the situation were investigated. By making use of the experimental results, the optimal model of the control behavior and the scanning behavior of the pilot in the two-variable system is proposed from the standpoint of making the performance index minimal.

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses.

PubMed

Bonino, Angela Yarnell; Leibold, Lori J

2017-01-23

Collecting reliable behavioral data from toddlers and preschoolers is challenging. As a result, there are significant gaps in our understanding of human auditory development for these age groups. This paper describes an observer-based procedure for measuring hearing sensitivity with a two-interval, two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Young children are trained to perform a play-based, motor response (e.g., putting a block in a bucket) whenever they hear a target signal. An experimenter observes the child's behavior and makes a judgment about whether the signal was presented during the first or second observation interval; the experimenter is blinded to the true signal interval, so this judgment is based solely on the child's behavior. These procedures were used to test 2 to 4 year-olds (n = 33) with no known hearing problems. The signal was a 1,000 Hz warble tone presented in quiet, and the signal level was adjusted to estimate a threshold corresponding to 71%-correct detection. A valid threshold was obtained for 82% of children. These results indicate that the two-interval procedure is both feasible and reliable for use with toddlers and preschoolers. The two-interval, observer-based procedure described in this paper is a powerful tool for evaluating hearing in young children because it guards against response bias on the part of the experimenter.

Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide (JTOG): An Instrument to Observe Teamwork Behaviors.

PubMed

Lyons, Kevin J; Giordano, Carolyn; Speakman, Elizabeth; Smith, Kellie; Horowitz, June A

2016-01-01

Interprofessional education (IPE) is becoming an integral part of the education of health professions students. However, teaching students to become successful members of interprofessional teams is complex, and it is important for students to learn the combinations of skills necessary for teams to function effectively. There are many instruments available to measure many features related to IPE. However, these instruments are often too cumbersome to use in an observational situation since they tend to be lengthy and contain many abstract characteristics that are difficult to identify. The Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide (JTOG) is a short tool that was created for students early in their educational program to observe teams in action with a set of guidelines to help them focus their observation on behaviors indicative of good teamwork. The JTOG was developed over a 2-year period based on student and clinician feedback and the input of experts in IPE. While initially developed as a purely educational tool for prelicensure students, it is becoming clear that it is an easy-to-use instrument that assesses the behavior of clinicians in practice.

Do behavioral scientists really understand HIV-related sexual risk behavior? A systematic review of longitudinal and experimental studies predicting sexual behavior.

PubMed

Huebner, David M; Perry, Nicholas S

2015-10-01

Behavioral interventions to reduce sexual risk behavior depend on strong health behavior theory. By identifying the psychosocial variables that lead causally to sexual risk, theories provide interventionists with a guide for how to change behavior. However, empirical research is critical to determining whether a particular theory adequately explains sexual risk behavior. A large body of cross-sectional evidence, which has been reviewed elsewhere, supports the notion that certain theory-based constructs (e.g., self-efficacy) are correlates of sexual behavior. However, given the limitations of inferring causality from correlational research, it is essential that we review the evidence from more methodologically rigorous studies (i.e., longitudinal and experimental designs). This systematic review identified 44 longitudinal studies in which investigators attempted to predict sexual risk from psychosocial variables over time. We also found 134 experimental studies (i.e., randomized controlled trials of HIV interventions), but of these only 9 (6.7 %) report the results of mediation analyses that might provide evidence for the validity of health behavior theories in predicting sexual behavior. Results show little convergent support across both types of studies for most traditional, theoretical predictors of sexual behavior. This suggests that the field must expand the body of empirical work that utilizes the most rigorous study designs to test our theoretical assumptions. The inconsistent results of existing research would indicate that current theoretical models of sexual risk behavior are inadequate, and may require expansion or adaptation.

Observing Animal Behavior at the Zoo: A Learning Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hull, Debra B.

2003-01-01

Undergraduate students in a learning laboratory course initially chose a species to study; researched that species' physical and behavioral characteristics; then learned skills necessary to select, operationalize, observe, and record animal behavior accurately. After their classroom preparation, students went to a local zoo to observe the behavior…

Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becchio, Cristina; Koul, Atesh; Ansuini, Caterina; Bertone, Cesare; Cavallo, Andrea

2018-03-01

Is it possible to perceive others' mental states? Are mental states visible in others' behavior? In contrast to the traditional view that mental states are hidden and not directly accessible to perception, in recent years a phenomenologically-motivated account of social cognition has emerged: direct social perception. However, despite numerous published articles that both defend and critique direct perception, researchers have made little progress in articulating the conditions under which direct perception of others' mental states is possible. This paper proposes an empirically anchored approach to the observability of others' mentality - not just in the weak sense of discussing relevant empirical evidence for and against the phenomenon of interest, but also, and more specifically, in the stronger sense of identifying an experimental strategy for measuring the observability of mental states and articulating the conditions under which mental states are observable. We conclude this article by reframing the problem of direct perception in terms of establishing a definable and measurable relationship between movement features and perceived mental states.

TOLUENE EXPERIMENTAL EXPOSURES IN HUMANS: PHARMACOKINETICS AND BEHAVIOR

EPA Science Inventory

Toluene Experimental Exposures in Humans:
Pharmacokinetics and Behavioral Effects
(Ongoing Research)

Vernon A. Benignus1, Philip J. Bushnell2 and William K. Boyes2

Human subjects will be exposed to 250 and 500 ppm toluene for one hour in the Human St...

Prenatal drug exposure, behavioral problems and drug experimentation among African American urban adolescents

PubMed Central

Wang, Yan; Buckingham-Howes, Stacy; Nair, Prasanna; Zhu, Shijun; Magder, Larry; Black, Maureen M.

2014-01-01

Purpose To examine how prenatal heroin/cocaine exposure (PDE) and behavioral problems relate to adolescent drug experimentation. Methods The sample included African American adolescents (mean age=14.2 yr, SD=1.2) with PDE (n=73) and a non-exposed community comparison (n=61). PDE status was determined at delivery through toxicology analysis and maternal-report. Internalizing/externalizing problems were assessed during adolescence with the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition. Drug experimentation was assessed by adolescent-report and urine analysis. Logistic regression evaluated the likelihood of drug experimentation related to PDE and behavioral problems, adjusting for age, gender, prenatal tobacco/alcohol exposure, perceived peer drug use and caregiver drug use. Interaction terms examined gender modification. Results 67 (50%) used drugs. 25 (19%) used tobacco/alcohol only and 42 (31%) used marijuana/illegal drugs. 94 (70%) perceived peer drug use. PDE significantly increased the risk of tobacco/alcohol experimentation (OR=3.07, 95% CI: 1.09–8.66, p=0.034), but not after covariate adjustment (aOR=1.31, 95% CI: 0.39–4.36, p>0.05). PDE was not related to overall or marijuana/illegal drug experimentation. The likelihood of overall drug experimentation was doubled per Standard Deviation (SD) increase in externalizing problems (aOR=2.28, 95% CI: 1.33–3.91, p=0.003) and, among girls, 2.82 times greater (aOR=2.82, 95% CI: 1.34–5.94, p=0.006) per SD increase in internalizing problems. Age and perceived peer drug use were significant covariates. Conclusions Drug experimentation was relatively common (50%), especially in the context of externalizing problems, internalizing problems (girls only), age, and perceived peer drug use. Findings support Problem Behavior Theory and suggest that adolescent drug prevention address behavioral problems and promote prosocial peer groups. PMID:24768161

Experimental Observation of Two Features Unexpected from the Classical Theories of Rubber Elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishi, Kengo; Fujii, Kenta; Chung, Ung-il; Shibayama, Mitsuhiro; Sakai, Takamasa

2017-12-01

Although the elastic modulus of a Gaussian chain network is thought to be successfully described by classical theories of rubber elasticity, such as the affine and phantom models, verification experiments are largely lacking owing to difficulties in precisely controlling of the network structure. We prepared well-defined model polymer networks experimentally, and measured the elastic modulus G for a broad range of polymer concentrations and connectivity probabilities, p . In our experiment, we observed two features that were distinct from those predicted by classical theories. First, we observed the critical behavior G ˜|p -pc|1.95 near the sol-gel transition. This scaling law is different from the prediction of classical theories, but can be explained by analogy between the electric conductivity of resistor networks and the elasticity of polymer networks. Here, pc is the sol-gel transition point. Furthermore, we found that the experimental G -p relations in the region above C* did not follow the affine or phantom theories. Instead, all the G /G0-p curves fell onto a single master curve when G was normalized by the elastic modulus at p =1 , G0. We show that the effective medium approximation for Gaussian chain networks explains this master curve.

Teacher and TA Ratings of Preschoolers' Externalizing Behavior: Agreement and Associations with Observed Classroom Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolcott, Catherine Sanger; Williford, Amanda P.

2015-01-01

The present study investigated teachers' and teacher aides' (TAs) agreement in their ratings of preschoolers' externalizing behavior and their associations with observed classroom behavior for a sample of children at risk of developing a disruptive behavior disorder. One hundred twenty-two teachers rated 360 students' externalizing behavior in the…

Reflections on the glass ceiling: women in the experimental analysis of behavior.

PubMed

Odum, A L

2000-01-01

McSweeney and Swindell (1998) sought to determine whether men and women are treated equitably in the experimental analysis of behavior. They purported to show that women participate less in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior than in similar journals and that the participation of women decreases with increases in selectivity. Their data were difficult to interpret, however, because they did not present the variability in the mean data drawn from different individuals over time. My analyses were not in accord with their conclusions. When the percentage of associate editors who are women was considered along with the mean percentages McSweeney and Swindell reported for other measures, participation did not systematically decrease with increases in selectivity in recent years. As quantified in terms of their number of publications in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, women who were editorial board members and associate editors were not more highly selected than their male counterparts. Finally, in the recent period from 1996 to 1998, although women submitted fewer manuscripts to the journal, rejection ratios did not differ for men and women. Efforts to increase the participation of women in the experimental analysis of behavior may best be directed toward recruitment and retention rather than some of the suggestions proposed by McSweeney and Swindell (1998), which could inadvertently create different standards for women's work.

An experimental analysis of ongoing verbal behavior: Reinforcement, verbal operants, and superstitious behavior

PubMed Central

Leigland, Sam

1996-01-01

Four adult humans were asked to asked to “find” and talk about a particular topic to a person in an adjoining room, and were instructed that they would hear a short beep (the only form of reply from the other person) when they were talking about the topic, or were “close” to the topic. In Session 1, the experimenter in the adjoining room presented the beeps in the manner of shaping, or the differential reinforcement of successive approximations, “toward” the designated topic. In Session 2, the same conditions were in effect but the experimenter was unable to hear the subject and the beeps were presented noncontingently in a way that roughly matched the frequency and distribution of presentations in Session 1. In Session 3, shaping conditions were again in effect but with a different topic than that designated for Session 1. Audio recordings were transcribed in a way that was designed to show the progress of shaping over time. These and additional forms of supporting data and accompanying rationale are presented and discussed in detail. Issues raised by the methodology and results of the experiment include the nature of the verbal operant, superstitious verbal behavior, and a variety of methodological issues relevant to the experimental analysis of ongoing or continuous verbal behavior. PMID:22477112

A dialectical behavior therapy skills intervention for women with suicidal behaviors in rural Nepal: A single-case experimental design series.

PubMed

Ramaiya, Megan K; McLean, Caitlin; Regmi, Upasana; Fiorillo, Devika; Robins, Clive J; Kohrt, Brandon A

2018-07-01

Suicide in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) accounts for 75% of the world's burden of suicide mortality and is the leading single cause of death among Nepali reproductive age women. To advance treatment for suicidal behaviors in LMICs, a single-case experimental design (SCED) was conducted of a culturally adapted Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills intervention for Nepali populations (DBT-N). Ten Nepali women with histories of suicidality participated in the 10-session intervention. Outcomes of emotion regulation, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, resilience, and coping skills use were measured at multiple time points pre-intervention, during, and at follow-up. Qualitative interviewing assessed DBT-N's feasibility and acceptability. Participants showed improvements in emotion regulation over the course of treatment, which were associated with increased skills use. Rapid, sustained reductions in suicidal ideation and improvements in resilience were observed after DBT-N initiation. This SCED supports conducting further evaluation of DBT-N through controlled trials with emotion regulation as a target mechanism of action for reducing suicidal behaviors in LMICs. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Modification of Behavior Problems in the Home with a Parent as Observer and Experimenter.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, R. Vance; And Others

Four experiments are discussed, in which parents devised and conducted procedures to alleviate their children's behavior problems. The behavior difficulties treated included infrequent use of an orthodontic device, the low-level performance of household tasks, whining and shouting, and a long duration of dressing time. The techniques used to…

Linking Informant Discrepancies to Observed Variations in Young Children's Disruptive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Los Reyes, Andres; Henry, David B.; Tolan, Patrick H.; Wakschlag, Lauren S.

2009-01-01

Prior work has not tested the basic theoretical notion that informant discrepancies in reports of children's behavior exist, in part, because different informants observe children's behavior in different settings. We examined patterns of observed preschool disruptive behavior across varying social contexts in the laboratory and whether they…

THE ROLE OF METASTABLE STATES IN POLYMER PHASE TRANSITIONS: Concepts, Principles, and Experimental Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Stephen Z. D.; Keller, Andrew

1998-08-01

Polymer phases can be described in the same way as phases in other condensed matter using a number density operator and its correlation functions. This description requires the understanding of symmetry operations and order at different atomic and molecular levels. Statistical mechanics provides a link between the microscopic description of the structure and motion and the macroscopic thermodynamic properties. Within the limits of the laws of thermodynamics, polymers exhibit a rich variety of phase transition behaviors. By definition, a first-order phase transition describes a transformation that involves a sudden change of thermodynamic properties at its transition temperature, whereas higher-order phase transitions are classified as critical phenomena. Of special interest is the role of metastability in phase and phase transition behaviors. Although a metastable state possesses a local free energy minimum, it is not at the global equilibrium. Furthermore, metastable states can also be associated with phase sizes. Metastable behavior is also observed in phase transformations that are impeded by kinetic limitations along the pathway to thermodynamic equilibrium. This is illustrated in structural and morphological investigations of crystallization and mesophase transitions, liquid-liquid phase separation, vitrification, and gel formation, as well as combinations of transformation processes. In these cases, the metastable state often becomes the dominant state for the entire system and is observed over a range of time and size scales. This review describes the general principles of metastability in polymer phases and phase transitions and provides illustrations from current experimental works in selected areas.

Direct experimental observation of nonclassicality in ensembles of single-photon emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreva, E.; Traina, P.; Forneris, J.; Degiovanni, I. P.; Ditalia Tchernij, S.; Picollo, F.; Brida, G.; Olivero, P.; Genovese, M.

2017-11-01

In this work we experimentally demonstrate a recently proposed criterion addressed to detect nonclassical behavior in the fluorescence emission of ensembles of single-photon emitters. In particular, we apply the method to study clusters of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond characterized with single-photon-sensitive confocal microscopy. Theoretical considerations on the behavior of the parameter at any arbitrary order in the presence of Poissonian noise are presented and, finally, the opportunity of detecting manifold coincidences is discussed.

Experimental Observation of Dark Solitons on Water Surface

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-13

Experimental observation of dark solitons on water surface A. Chabchoub1,∗, O. Kimmoun2, H. Branger3, N. Hoffmann1, D. Proment4, M. Onorato4,5, and N...The shape and width of the soliton depend on the water depth, carrier frequency and the amplitude of the background wave. The experimental data...partic- ular, the governing equation describing the dynamics of weakly nonlinear and quasi -monochromatic waves prop- agating on the surface of water with

Measuring how typical and atypical minds read other's intentions. Comment on "Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds" by Cristina Becchio et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parma, Valentina; Sartori, Luisa; Castiello, Umberto

2018-03-01

Becchio et al. [1] propose a model to render other's minds observable against the Unobservability Principle. Such model develops over four, distinct steps. First, it provides experimental evidence indicating that mental states (i.e., intentions) can be encoded in behavioral patterns (e.g., movement kinematics). Second, it provides strategies to test the efficiency of the quantification of such intention-related behavioral manifestations (i.e., resolution of the uncertainty between two intentions based on different patterns of accumulation of kinematic parameters). Third, it indicates specific features of the observed behavior that viewers use to detect different intentions (i.e., a series of decision rules based on kinematic features through which intention categorization occurs). Fourth, it proposes a manner to manipulate such specific behavioral features so that an observer can detect different intentions, based on how informative such behavioral features are. We see in this operational/experimental approach a significant contribution to the theoretical debate on the possibility to observe mental states, allowing the direct testing of the unobservability principle and therefore providing falsifiable hypotheses. Besides this already central aspect, we believe this approach holds promise to the elucidation of clinical open questions, such as those posed by autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Indeed, experimentally evaluating the ability to observe and manipulate other's intentions allow us to quantify with high accuracy the deficits in the representation of other people's minds that so chiefly characterize ASD as well as the outcomes of treatment options focusing on this aspect. Here we suggest a few clarifications and extensions of the proposed model which will make it possibly tailored for clinical applications.

Crayfish Behavior: Observing Arthropods to Learn about Science & Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rop, Charles J.

2010-01-01

This is a set of animal behavior investigations in which students will practice scientific inquiry as they observe crayfish, ask questions, and discuss territoriality, social interactions, and other behaviors. In doing this, they hone their skills of observation, learn to record and analyze data, control for variables, write hypotheses, make…

Experimental Observation of Bohr's Nonlinear Fluidic Surface Oscillation.

PubMed

Moon, Songky; Shin, Younghoon; Kwak, Hojeong; Yang, Juhee; Lee, Sang-Bum; Kim, Soyun; An, Kyungwon

2016-01-25

Niels Bohr in the early stage of his career developed a nonlinear theory of fluidic surface oscillation in order to study surface tension of liquids. His theory includes the nonlinear interaction between multipolar surface oscillation modes, surpassing the linear theory of Rayleigh and Lamb. It predicts a specific normalized magnitude of 0.416η(2) for an octapolar component, nonlinearly induced by a quadrupolar one with a magnitude of η much less than unity. No experimental confirmation on this prediction has been reported. Nonetheless, accurate determination of multipolar components is important as in optical fiber spinning, film blowing and recently in optofluidic microcavities for ray and wave chaos studies and photonics applications. Here, we report experimental verification of his theory. By using optical forward diffraction, we measured the cross-sectional boundary profiles at extreme positions of a surface-oscillating liquid column ejected from a deformed microscopic orifice. We obtained a coefficient of 0.42 ± 0.08 consistently under various experimental conditions. We also measured the resonance mode spectrum of a two-dimensional cavity formed by the cross-sectional segment of the liquid jet. The observed spectra agree well with wave calculations assuming a coefficient of 0.414 ± 0.011. Our measurements establish the first experimental observation of Bohr's hydrodynamic theory.

Are happier people less judgmental of other people's selfish behaviors? Experimental survey evidence from trust and gift exchange games.

PubMed

Drouvelis, Michalis; Powdthavee, Nattavudh

2015-10-01

What determines people's moral judgments of selfish behaviors? Here we study whether people's normative views in trust and gift exchange games, which underlie many situations of economic and social significance, are themselves functions of positive emotions. We use experimental survey methods to investigate the moral judgments of impartial observers empirically, and explore whether we could influence subsequent judgments by deliberately making some individuals happier. We find that moral judgments of selfish behaviors in the economic context depend strongly on the behavior of the interaction partner of the judged person, but their relationships are significantly moderated by an increase in happiness for the person making the judgment.

Experimental Observations of Multiscale Dynamics of Viscous Fluid Behavior: Implications in Volcanic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arciniega-Ceballos, A.; Spina, L.; Scheu, B.; Dingwell, D. B.

2015-12-01

We have investigated the dynamics of Newtonian fluids with viscosities (10-1000 Pa s; corresponding to mafic to intermediate silicate melts) during slow decompression, in a Plexiglas shock tube. As an analogue fluid we used silicon oil saturated with Argon gas for 72 hours. Slow decompression, dropping from 10 MPa to ambient pressure, acts as the excitation mechanism, initiating several processes with their own distinct timescales. The evolution of this multi-timescale phenomenon generates complex non-stationary microseismic signals, which have been recorded with 7 high-dynamic piezoelectric sensors located along the conduit. Correlation analysis of these time series with the associated high-speed imaging enables characterization of distinct phases of the dynamics of these viscous fluids and the extraction of the time and the frequency characteristics of the individual processes. We have identified fluid-solid elastic interaction, degassing, fluid mass expansion and flow, bubble nucleation, growth, coalescence and collapse, foam building and vertical wagging. All these processes (in fine and coarse scales) are sequentially coupled in time, occur within specific pressure intervals, and exhibit a localized distribution in space. Their coexistence and interactions constitute the stress field and driving forces that determine the dynamics of the system. Our observations point to the great potential of this experimental approach in the understanding of volcanic processes and volcanic seismicity.

Effects of Experimenter Contact, Setting, Inquiry Mode, and Race on Women's Self-Report of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors: An Experimental Study.

PubMed

McCallum, Ethan B; Peterson, Zoë D

2015-11-01

Factors related to the research context, such as inquiry mode, setting, and experimenter contact, may affect participants' comfort with and willingness to disclose certain sexual attitudes or admit to engaging in sensitive sexual behaviors. In this study, 255 female undergraduates (42.7 % non-White) completed a survey containing measures of sexual behavior and attitudes. The level of experimenter contact (high vs. low contact), setting (in lab vs. out of lab), and inquiry mode (pencil-and-paper vs. computer) were manipulated and participants were randomly assigned to conditions. We hypothesized that low-contact, out-of-lab, computer conditions would be associated with more liberal sexual attitudes and higher rates of reported sexual behaviors than high-contact, in-lab, and paper-and-pencil conditions, respectively. Further, we hypothesized that effects would be moderated by race, such that differences would be greater for non-White participants because of concerns that reporting socially undesirable behavior might fuel racial stereotypes. For attitudinal measures, White participants endorsed more liberal attitudes toward sex in high-contact conditions and non-White participants endorsed more liberal attitudes in low-contact conditions. For behavioral measures, non-White participants reported more behaviors on pencil-and-paper surveys than on computers. White participants demonstrated no significant mode-related differences or reported more sexual behaviors in computer conditions than paper-and-pencil conditions. Overall, results suggest that experimenter contact and mode significantly impact sexual self-report and this impact is often moderated by race.

Experimenter effects on behavioral test scores of eight inbred mouse strains under the influence of ethanol

PubMed Central

Bohlen, Martin; Hayes, Erika R.; Bohlen, Benjamin; Bailoo, Jeremy; Crabbe, John C.; Wahlsten, Douglas

2016-01-01

Eight standard inbred mouse strains were evaluated for ethanol effects on a refined battery of behavioral tests in a study that was originally designed to assess the influence of rat odors in the colony on mouse behaviors. As part of the design of the study, two experimenters conducted the tests, and the study was carefully balanced so that equal numbers of mice in all groups and times of day were tested by each experimenter. A defect in airflow in the facility compromised the odor manipulation, and in fact the different odor exposure groups did not differ in their behaviors. The two experimenters, however, obtained markedly different results for three of the tests. Certain of the experimenter effects arose from the way they judged behaviors that were not automated and had to be rated by the experimenter, such as slips on the balance beam. Others were not evident prior to ethanol injection but had a major influence after the injection. For several measures, the experimenter effects were notably different for different inbred strains. Methods to evaluate and reduce the impact of experimenter effects in future research are discussed. PMID:24933191

Experimenter effects on behavioral test scores of eight inbred mouse strains under the influence of ethanol.

PubMed

Bohlen, Martin; Hayes, Erika R; Bohlen, Benjamin; Bailoo, Jeremy D; Crabbe, John C; Wahlsten, Douglas

2014-10-01

Eight standard inbred mouse strains were evaluated for ethanol effects on a refined battery of behavioral tests in a study that was originally designed to assess the influence of rat odors in the colony on mouse behaviors. As part of the design of the study, two experimenters conducted the tests, and the study was carefully balanced so that equal numbers of mice in all groups and times of day were tested by each experimenter. A defect in airflow in the facility compromised the odor manipulation, and in fact the different odor exposure groups did not differ in their behaviors. The two experimenters, however, obtained markedly different results for three of the tests. Certain of the experimenter effects arose from the way they judged behaviors that were not automated and had to be rated by the experimenter, such as slips on the balance beam. Others were not evident prior to ethanol injection but had a major influence after the injection. For several measures, the experimenter effects were notably different for different inbred strains. Methods to evaluate and reduce the impact of experimenter effects in future research are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concurrent Reinforcement Schedules for Problem Behavior and Appropriate Behavior: Experimental Applications of the Matching Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borrero, Carrie S. W.; Vollmer, Timothy R.; Borrero, John C.; Bourret, Jason C.; Sloman, Kimberly N.; Samaha, Andrew L.; Dallery, Jesse

2010-01-01

This study evaluated how children who exhibited functionally equivalent problem and appropriate behavior allocate responding to experimentally arranged reinforcer rates. Relative reinforcer rates were arranged on concurrent variable-interval schedules and effects on relative response rates were interpreted using the generalized matching equation.…

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Electromechanical Behavior of REBCO Tapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, N. C.; Chiesa, L.; Takayasu, M.

2015-12-01

To fully characterize the electromechanical behavior of a Twisted Stacked-Tape Cable (TSTC) it is important to understand the performance of the individual REBCO tapes under various loading conditions. Numerical modeling and experimentation have been used to investigate the electromechanical characteristics of two commercially available REBCO tapes (SuperPower and SuNAM). Tension and combined tension-torsion experiments on single tapes have been continued, from prior preliminary studies, to characterize their critical current behavior and mechanical strength. Additionally, structural finite element analysis was performed on single tapes under tension and combined tension-torsion to investigate the strain dependence of the critical current. The numerical results were compared to the experimental findings for validation. The SuNAM experimental data matched the numerical model very well while the SuperPower tape experienced degradation at lower stress and strain than predicted in the model. The Superpower tape also displayed greater variability in critical current between different samples as compared with the SuNAM tape.

Methodological considerations for observational coding of eating and feeding behaviors in children and their families.

PubMed

Pesch, Megan H; Lumeng, Julie C

2017-12-15

Behavioral coding of videotaped eating and feeding interactions can provide researchers with rich observational data and unique insights into eating behaviors, food intake, food selection as well as interpersonal and mealtime dynamics of children and their families. Unlike self-report measures of eating and feeding practices, the coding of videotaped eating and feeding behaviors can allow for the quantitative and qualitative examinations of behaviors and practices that participants may not self-report. While this methodology is increasingly more common, behavioral coding protocols and methodology are not widely shared in the literature. This has important implications for validity and reliability of coding schemes across settings. Additional guidance on how to design, implement, code and analyze videotaped eating and feeding behaviors could contribute to advancing the science of behavioral nutrition. The objectives of this narrative review are to review methodology for the design, operationalization, and coding of videotaped behavioral eating and feeding data in children and their families, and to highlight best practices. When capturing eating and feeding behaviors through analysis of videotapes, it is important for the study and coding to be hypothesis driven. Study design considerations include how to best capture the target behaviors through selection of a controlled experimental laboratory environment versus home mealtime, duration of video recording, number of observations to achieve reliability across eating episodes, as well as technical issues in video recording and sound quality. Study design must also take into account plans for coding the target behaviors, which may include behavior frequency, duration, categorization or qualitative descriptors. Coding scheme creation and refinement occur through an iterative process. Reliability between coders can be challenging to achieve but is paramount to the scientific rigor of the methodology. Analysis approach

Training Programs for Observers of Behavior; A Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spool, Mark D.

1978-01-01

This review covers the past 25 years of research literature on training observers of behavior, specifically in the areas of interviewing, reducing rater bias, interpersonal perception and observation as a research tool. The focus is on determining the most successful training methods and their theoretical bases. (Author/SJL)

A Comparison of Experimental Functional Analysis and the Questions about Behavioral Function (QABF) in the Assessment of Challenging Behavior of Individuals with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Olive; Brett, Denise; Leader, Geraldine

2013-01-01

We compared two functional behavioral assessment methods: the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF; a standardized test) and experimental functional analysis (EFA) to identify behavioral functions of aggressive/destructive behavior, self-injurious behavior and stereotypy in 32 people diagnosed with autism. Both assessments found that self…

Experimental evidence of Ga-vacancy induced room temperature ferromagnetic behavior in GaN films

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

Roul, Basanta; Kumar, Mahesh; Central Research Laboratory, Bharat Electronics, Bangalore 560013

We have grown Ga deficient GaN epitaxial films on (0001) sapphire substrate by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy and report the experimental evidence of room temperature ferromagnetic behavior. The observed yellow emission peak in room temperature photoluminescence spectra and the peak positioning at 300 cm{sup -1} in Raman spectra confirms the existence of Ga vacancies. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements further confirmed the formation of Ga vacancies; since the N/Ga is found to be >1. The ferromagnetism is believed to originate from the polarization of the unpaired 2p electrons of N surrounding the Ga vacancy.

Experimental identification and mathematical modeling of viscoplastic material behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haupt, P.; Lion, A.

1995-03-01

Uniaxial torsion and biaxial torsion-tension experiments on thin-walled tubes were carried out to investigate the viscoplastic behavior of stainless steel XCrNi18.9. A series of monotonic tests under strain and stress control shows nonlinear rate dependence and suggests the existence of equilibrium states, which are asymptotically approached during relaxation and creep processes. Strain controlled cyclic experiments display various hardening and softening phenomena that depend on strain amplitude and mean strain. All experiments indicate that the equilibrium states within the material depend on the history of the input process, whereas the history-dependence of the relaxation and creep behavior appears less significant. From the experiments the design of a constitutive model of viscoplasticity is motivated: The basic assumption is a decomposition of the total stress into an equilibrium stress and a non-equilibrium overstress: At constant strain, the overstress relaxes to zero, where the relaxation time depends on the overstress in order to account for the nonlinear rate-dependence. The equilibrium stress is assumed to be a rate independent functional of the total strain history. Classical plasticity is utilized with a kinematic hardening rule of the Armstrong-Frederick type. In order to incorporate the amplitude-dependent hardening and softening behavior, a generalized arc length representation is applied [14]. The introduction of an additional kinematic hardening variable facilitates consideration of additional hardening effects resulting from the non-radiality of the input process. Apart from the common yield and loading criterion of classical plasticity, the proposed constitutive model does not contain any further distinction of different cases. The experimental data are sufficient to identify the material parameters of the constitutive model. The results of the identification procedure demonstrate the ability of the model to represent the observed phenomena

Comparison between self-reported and observed food handling behaviors among Latinas.

PubMed

Dharod, Jigna Morarji; Pérez-Escamilla, Rafael; Paciello, Stefania; Bermúdez-Millán, Angela; Venkitanarayanan, Kumar; Damio, Grace

2007-08-01

The study was conducted to compare and identify the magnitude of differences between self-reported and observed food safety behaviors among women preparing a chicken and salad dish at home. The observed food safety practices also were compared according to sociodemographic variables and prior food safety education. Sixty Puerto Rican women who were the main meal preparers for their households were recruited in Hartford, Conn. Three household visits were made to (i) deliver food ingredients to prepare the chicken and salad meal, (ii) conduct household observation, and (iii) conduct a self-reported survey. The difference between self-reported and observed behaviors varied across food handling and sanitation behaviors. There was a high level of inaccuracy for socially desirable behaviors such as hand washing; the vast majority of participants reported practicing these behaviors but they were not observed doing so. Cutting board washing also was considerably overreported, questioning the validity of these self-reported data for regression analyses. There was a significant association (P < 0.05) between proper thawing method and prior food safety education, use of cutting board and higher income, and washing tomatoes and having a positive attitude towards food safety. Results revealed that overreporting errors must be considered when analyzing and/or interpreting data derived from self-reported food safety consumer surveys and that food safety education and positive food safety attitudes are associated with recommended food safety behaviors.

Pedestrian crossing behavior, an observational study in the city of Ushuaia, Argentina.

PubMed

Poó, Fernando Martín; Ledesma, Ruben Daniel; Trujillo, Roberto

2018-04-03

Pedestrian crashes are a critical problem in Latin American countries. However, little research has been published about pedestrians and even less about their behaviors in a naturalistic context. The objective of the present research was to explore risky pedestrian crossing behaviors in traffic intersections in an argentine city (Ushuaia). It is focused in different stages of the crossing process, traffic code violations, and other potentially risky behaviors such as distractions. A high frequency of risky behaviors among pedestrians was expected. Moreover, according to previous findings, it was hypothesized that men and younger pedestrians would show riskier behaviors. Participants were 802 pedestrians (53.9% females) observed at several intersections (with and without traffic lights) in the city of Ushuaia. Behaviors were codified following a standardized observation protocol. Observers documented information on behavior previous to, during, and after crossing. Gender and age were also registered. Data were gathered through video recording. Frequency analyses of observed behaviors were conducted for the total sample, as well as by gender and by age group. A general crossing risk index was calculated to facilitate comparisons between the genders and age groups. We conducted an analysis of variance to evaluate gender and age differences for this index. A high proportion of risky behaviors were observed among pedestrians. The majority of pedestrian waited in the street (as opposed to on the sidewalk) before crossing, did not comply with traffic lights, or crossed outside the crosswalk. A large number of pedestrians were distracted while crossing. Men presented higher scores on risky behaviors than women. No differences were observed by age group. The high level of risk behaviors during the different stages of street crossing is worrisome and reinforces the idea that pedestrians are responsible for many of the conflicts with motorists. Many of the risky behaviors

Observing Children's Stress Behaviors in a Kindergarten Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Lori A.

2009-01-01

This study used qualitative methods to determine whether kindergarten children exhibited stress behaviors during the academic work period of the day. Sixteen children (8 male, 8 female) ages 5-6 years were observed. The data consisted of classroom observations by the researcher, open-ended interviews with teachers, artifacts collected from the…

Experimental investigation of the structural behavior of equine urethra.

PubMed

Natali, Arturo Nicola; Carniel, Emanuele Luigi; Frigo, Alessandro; Fontanella, Chiara Giulia; Rubini, Alessandro; Avital, Yochai; De Benedictis, Giulia Maria

2017-04-01

An integrated experimental and computational investigation was developed aiming to provide a methodology for characterizing the structural response of the urethral duct. The investigation provides information that are suitable for the actual comprehension of lower urinary tract mechanical functionality and the optimal design of prosthetic devices. Experimental activity entailed the execution of inflation tests performed on segments of horse penile urethras from both proximal and distal regions. Inflation tests were developed imposing different volumes. Each test was performed according to a two-step procedure. The tubular segment was inflated almost instantaneously during the first step, while volume was held constant for about 300s to allow the development of relaxation processes during the second step. Tests performed on the same specimen were interspersed by 600s of rest to allow the recovery of the specimen mechanical condition. Results from experimental activities were statistically analyzed and processed by means of a specific mechanical model. Such computational model was developed with the purpose of interpreting the general pressure-volume-time response of biologic tubular structures. The model includes parameters that interpret the elastic and viscous behavior of hollow structures, directly correlated with the results from the experimental activities. Post-processing of experimental data provided information about the non-linear elastic and time-dependent behavior of the urethral duct. In detail, statistically representative pressure-volume and pressure relaxation curves were identified, and summarized by structural parameters. Considering elastic properties, initial stiffness ranged between 0.677 ± 0.026kPa and 0.262 ± 0.006kPa moving from proximal to distal region of penile urethra. Viscous parameters showed typical values of soft biological tissues, as τ 1 =0.153±0.018s, τ 2 =17.458 ± 1.644s and τ 1 =0.201 ± 0.085, τ 2 = 8

Causation, constitution and context. Comment on "Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds" by Cristina Becchio et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahavi, Dan

2018-03-01

In their new article [1], Becchio and her colleagues argue that recent claims concerning the possibility of directly perceiving other people's mental states will remain speculative as long as one has failed to demonstrate the availability of mentalistic information in observable behavior [p. 4]. The ambitious goal of the authors is then to outline an experimental setup that will permit one to determine whether and to what extent a mental state is observable. Drawing on Becchio's previous work on how regularities in the kinematic patterns specify the mental states of the agent, the authors suggest that a similar approach can be adopted to probe the observability of any mental state instantiated in behavioral patterns [p. 19].

Behavioral and TMS Markers of Action Observation Might Reflect Distinct Neuronal Processes.

PubMed

Hétu, Sébastien; Taschereau-Dumouchel, Vincent; Meziane, Hadj Boumediene; Jackson, Philip L; Mercier, Catherine

2016-01-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have shown that observing an action induces muscle-specific changes in corticospinal excitability. From a signal detection theory standpoint, this pattern can be related to sensitivity, which here would measure the capacity to distinguish between two action observation conditions. In parallel to these TMS studies, action observation has also been linked to behavioral effects such as motor priming and interference. It has been hypothesized that behavioral markers of action observation could be related to TMS markers and thus represent a potentially cost-effective mean of assessing the functioning of the action-perception system. However, very few studies have looked at possible relationships between these two measures. The aim of this study was to investigate if individual differences in sensitivity to action observation could be related to the behavioral motor priming and interference effects produced by action observation. To this end, 14 healthy participants observed index and little finger movements during a TMS task and a stimulus-response compatibility task. Index muscle displayed sensitivity to action observation, and action observation resulted in significant motor priming+interference, while no significant effect was observed for the little finger in both task. Nevertheless, our results indicate that the sensitivity measured in TMS was not related to the behavioral changes measured in the stimulus-response compatibility task. Contrary to a widespread assumption, the current results indicate that individual differences in physiological and behavioral markers of action observation may be unrelated. This could have important impacts on the potential use of behavioral markers in place of more costly physiological markers of action observation in clinical settings.

Phase transitions in mixed gas hydrates: experimental observations versus calculated data.

PubMed

Schicks, Judith M; Naumann, Rudolf; Erzinger, Jörg; Hester, Keith C; Koh, Carolyn A; Sloan, E Dendy

2006-06-15

This paper presents the phase behavior of multicomponent gas hydrate systems formed from primarily methane with small amounts of ethane and propane. Experimental conditions were typically in a pressure range between 1 and 6 MPa, and the temperature range was between 260 and 290 K. These multicomponent systems have been investigated using a variety of techniques including microscopic observations, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. These techniques, used in combination, allowed for measurement of the hydrate structure and composition, while observing the morphology of the hydrate crystals measured. The hydrate formed immediately below the three-phase line (V-L --> V-L-H) and contained crystals that were both light and dark in appearance. The light crystals, which visually were a single solid phase, showed a spectroscopic indication for the presence of occluded free gas in the hydrate. In contrast, the dark crystals were measured to be structure II (sII) without the presence of these occluded phases. Along with hydrate measurements near the decomposition line, an unexpected transformation process was visually observed at P-T-conditions in the stability field of the hydrates. Larger crystallites transformed into a foamy solid upon cooling over this transition line (between 5 and 10 K below the decomposition temperature). Below the transition line, a mixture of sI and sII was detected. This is the first time that these multicomponent systems have been investigated at these pressure and temperature conditions using both visual and spectroscopic techniques. These techniques enabled us to observe and measure the unexpected transformation process showing coexistence of different gas hydrate phases.

Multi-platform experiment to cross a boundary between laboratory and real situational studies: experimental discussion of cross-situational consistency of driving behaviors.

PubMed

Terai, H; Miwa, K; Okuda, H; Tazaki, Y; Suzuki, T; Kojima, K; Morita, J; Maehigashi, A; Takeda, K

2012-01-01

We constructed an innovative experimental platform to study cross-situational consistency in driving behavior, conducted behavioral experiments, and reported the data obtained in the experiment. To discuss cross-situational consistency, we separated situations in which people use some systems to conduct tasks into three independent conceptual factors: environment, context, and system. We report the experimental results with the following systems: a laboratory system with a gaming controller and steering/pedal controllers and a real system, COMS an instrumented vehicle. The results are summarized as follows. 1) The individual behaviors in each system were stable, and consistency was retained. 2) The consistency of the behaviors was also confirmed when the participants drove using different interfaces in identical systems. 3) However, only slight correlation was observed across different systems in a specific situation where a strong high-order cognitive constraint (i.e., rapid driving) and a weak low-order cognitive constraint (driving with easy handling toward a straight-line course) were given.

In-Store Experimental Approach to Pricing and Consumer Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigurdsson, Valdimar; Foxall, Gordon; Saevarsson, Hugi

2010-01-01

This study assessed how, and to what extent, it is possible to use behavioral experimentation and relative sales analysis to study the effects of price on consumers' brand choices in the store environment. An in-store experiment was performed in four stores to investigate the effects of different prices of a target brand on consumers' relative…

Are happier people less judgmental of other people’s selfish behaviors? Experimental survey evidence from trust and gift exchange games

PubMed Central

Drouvelis, Michalis; Powdthavee, Nattavudh

2017-01-01

What determines people’s moral judgments of selfish behaviors? Here we study whether people’s normative views in trust and gift exchange games, which underlie many situations of economic and social significance, are themselves functions of positive emotions. We use experimental survey methods to investigate the moral judgments of impartial observers empirically, and explore whether we could influence subsequent judgments by deliberately making some individuals happier. We find that moral judgments of selfish behaviors in the economic context depend strongly on the behavior of the interaction partner of the judged person, but their relationships are significantly moderated by an increase in happiness for the person making the judgment. PMID:28729964

Experimental Observation of Thermal Self-Modulation in OPO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gao, Jiangrui; Wang, Hai; Xie, Changde; Peng, Kunchi

1996-01-01

The thermal self-modulation has been observed experimentally via SHG in OPO. The threshold pump power for the thermal self- modulation is much smaller than that of the nonlinear self-pulsing. The thermal effect prevent from realizing the theoretical prediction for the self-pulsing.

Development of an Observational Rating Schedule for Preschool Children's Peer-Group Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Jo Lynn; Boger, Robert P.

The feasiblity of an observational rating scale which would provide objective, reliable and quantifiable measures of social and affective behavior was investigated. The Observation of Socialization Behavior (OSB), focusing on peer-group behavior of pre-school children and designed for use in unstructured situations was developed. Two forms of the…

Antiepileptic effect of fisetin in iron-induced experimental model of traumatic epilepsy in rats in the light of electrophysiological, biochemical, and behavioral observations.

PubMed

Das, Jharana; Singh, Rameshwar; Sharma, Deepak

2017-05-01

Traumatic epilepsy is defined by episodes of recurring seizures secondary to severe brain injury. Though drugs are found effective to control seizures, their long-term use have been observed to increase reactive oxygen species in animals. Flavonoid fisetin, a natural bioactive phytonutrient reported to exert anticonvulsive effect in experimental seizure models. But, trauma-induced seizures could not be prevented by anticonvulsants was reported in some clinical studies. To study the effect of fisetin on epileptiform electrographic activity in iron-induced traumatic epilepsy and also the probable reason behind the effect in rats. Fisetin pretreatment (20 mg/kg body wt., p.o.) of rats for 12 weeks were chosen followed by injecting iron (5 µl, 100 mM) stereotaxically to generate iron-induced epilepsy. Experimental design include electrophysiological study (electroencephalograph in correlation with multiple unit activity (MUA) in the cortex and CA1 subfield of the hippocampus; spectral analysis of seizure and seizure-associated behavioral study (Morris water maze for spatial learning, open-field test for anxiety) and biochemical study (lipid peroxidation, Na + ,K + -ATPase activity) in both the cortex and the hippocampus. Fisetin pretreatment was found to prevent the development of iron-induced electrical seizure and decrease the corresponding MUA in the cortex (*P˂0.05) as well as in the hippocampus (***P˂0.001). Fisetin pretreatment decreased the lipid peroxides (*P˂0.05) and retained the Na + ,K + -ATPase activity (*P˂0.05) which was found altered in the epileptic animals and also found to attenuate the seizure-associated cognitive dysfunctions. This study demonstrated the antiepileptic action of fisetin in iron-induced model of epileptic rats by inhibiting oxidative stress.

Role of Silica Redistribution in the Rate-State Behavior of Megathrusts: Field Observations and Experimental Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, D. M.; Den Hartog, S. A. M.

2014-12-01

Observations of ancient fault zones and results of high temperature friction experiments indicate that silica redistribution influences the rate (response to velocity increases) and state (time-dependent healing) behavior of megathrusts. The Kodiak Accretionary Complex in Alaska has four shear zones that record plate boundary deformation: the Ghost Rocks mélange, the Uganik thrust, the Uyak mélange, and the central belt of the Kodiak Formation. All these examples of underplated rocks represent top-toward-the-trench shear zones that extend along the plate margin for 100's of kms. The first three examples were accreted within the seismogenic zone and record a progressive history from stratal disruption and particulate flow to localized shearing on pervasive web-like arrays of scaly microfaults in shales. Microfaults show evidence for silica dissolution and local reprecipitation in dilational stepovers and in intensely veined sandstone blocks. The fourth example (the central belt) was accreted further downdip, and these rocks have pervasive, regularly spaced en echelon quartz vein systems. Microstructures within veins indicate periodic cracking and sealing during progressive simple shear. Silica depletion zones adjacent to veins indicate diffusive transport of silica in response to local chemical potential gradients. A simple 1-D transport-kinetics model indicates that cracks in this case could be filled with quartz in less than a year and in as little as a week. Rock friction experiments on lithologies similar to Kodiak examples depict three distinct regimes of frictional behavior as a function of increasing temperature, with velocity weakening in a T range that can be related to the seismogenic zone. These three regimes are predicted by a model for gouge deformation that includes thermally activated pressure solution during shear of quartz grains embedded in a foliated matrix. The slip instabilities that characterize the seismogenic zone may therefore be related

Experimental and analytical tools for evaluation of Stirling engine rod seal behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krauter, A. I.; Cheng, H. S.

1979-01-01

The first year of a two year experimental and analytical program is reported. The program is directed at the elastohydrodynamic behavior of sliding elastomeric rod seals for the Stirling engine. During the year, experimental and analytical tools were developed for evaluating seal leakage, seal friction, and the fluid film thickness at the seal/cylinder interface.

Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Insulator to Anderson Insulator Quantum Phase Transition and its Scaling Behavior.

PubMed

Chang, Cui-Zu; Zhao, Weiwei; Li, Jian; Jain, J K; Liu, Chaoxing; Moodera, Jagadeesh S; Chan, Moses H W

2016-09-16

Fundamental insight into the nature of the quantum phase transition from a superconductor to an insulator in two dimensions, or from one plateau to the next or to an insulator in the quantum Hall effect, has been revealed through the study of its scaling behavior. Here, we report on the experimental observation of a quantum phase transition from a quantum-anomalous-Hall insulator to an Anderson insulator in a magnetic topological insulator by tuning the chemical potential. Our experiment demonstrates the existence of scaling behavior from which we extract the critical exponent for this quantum phase transition. We expect that our work will motivate much further investigation of many properties of quantum phase transition in this new context.

Observed Parenting Behavior with Teens: Measurement Invariance and Predictive Validity Across Race

PubMed Central

Skinner, Martie L.; MacKenzie, Elizabeth P.; Haggerty, Kevin P.; Hill, Karl G.; Roberson, Kendra C.

2011-01-01

Previous reports supporting measurement equality between European American and African American families have often focused on self-reported risk factors or observed parent behavior with young children. This study examines equality of measurement of observer ratings of parenting behavior with adolescents during structured tasks; mean levels of observed parenting; and predictive validity of teen self-reports of antisocial behaviors and beliefs using a sample of 163 African American and 168 European American families. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses supported measurement invariance across ethnic groups for 4 measures of observed parenting behavior: prosocial rewards, psychological costs, antisocial rewards, and problem solving. Some mean-level differences were found: African American parents exhibited lower levels of prosocial rewards, higher levels of psychological costs, and lower problem solving when compared to European Americans. No significant mean difference was found in rewards for antisocial behavior. Multigroup structural equation models suggested comparable relationships across race (predictive validity) between parenting constructs and youth antisocial constructs (i.e., drug initiation, positive drug attitudes, antisocial attitudes, problem behaviors) in all but one of the tested relationships. This study adds to existing evidence that family-based interventions targeting parenting behaviors can be generalized to African American families. PMID:21787057

Systematic observation of play behavior in autistic children.

PubMed

Black, M; Freeman, B J; Montgomery, J

1975-12-01

The play behavior, defined as interaction with peers and objects, of five autistic children was systematically observed in four environments, i.e., a stark environment, a theraplay unit, a playroom, and an outside play deck. The preliminary results suggested that (1) with some children environment has little or no effect on their play behavior; (2) with multiple objects, autistic children frequently related to the objects rather than to their peers; (3) object play was most frequently at the manipulative stage and often included repetitive and negative behavior; (4) within a confined space with no objects present, autistic children frequently engaged in solitary repetitive behavior; and (5) within a confined space designed to facilitate a movement flow (theraplay), autistic children modeled and imitated and were involved in gross motor play together.

Criticality in conserved dynamical systems: experimental observation vs. exact properties.

PubMed

Marković, Dimitrije; Gros, Claudius; Schuelein, André

2013-03-01

Conserved dynamical systems are generally considered to be critical. We study a class of critical routing models, equivalent to random maps, which can be solved rigorously in the thermodynamic limit. The information flow is conserved for these routing models and governed by cyclic attractors. We consider two classes of information flow, Markovian routing without memory and vertex routing involving a one-step routing memory. Investigating the respective cycle length distributions for complete graphs, we find log corrections to power-law scaling for the mean cycle length, as a function of the number of vertices, and a sub-polynomial growth for the overall number of cycles. When observing experimentally a real-world dynamical system one normally samples stochastically its phase space. The number and the length of the attractors are then weighted by the size of their respective basins of attraction. This situation is equivalent, for theory studies, to "on the fly" generation of the dynamical transition probabilities. For the case of vertex routing models, we find in this case power law scaling for the weighted average length of attractors, for both conserved routing models. These results show that the critical dynamical systems are generically not scale-invariant but may show power-law scaling when sampled stochastically. It is hence important to distinguish between intrinsic properties of a critical dynamical system and its behavior that one would observe when randomly probing its phase space.

On the Representativeness of Behavior Observation Samples in Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiger, Jeffrey H.; Miller, Sarah J.; Mevers, Joanna Lomas; Mintz, Joslyn Cynkus; Scheithauer, Mindy C.; Alvarez, Jessica

2013-01-01

School consultants who rely on direct observation typically conduct observational samples (e.g., 1 30-min observation per day) with the hopes that the sample is representative of performance during the remainder of the day, but the representativeness of these samples is unclear. In the current study, we recorded the problem behavior of 3 referred…

Experimental observations of pressure oscillations and flow regimes in an analogue volcanic system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lane, S.J.; Chouet, B.A.; Phillips, J.C.; Dawson, P.; Ryan, G.A.; Hurst, E.

2001-01-01

Gas-liquid flows, designed to be analogous to those in volcanic conduits, are generated in the laboratory using organic gas-gum rosin mixtures expanding in a vertically mounted tube. The expanding fluid shows a range of both flow and pressure oscillation behaviors. Weakly supersaturated source liquids produce a low Reynolds number flow with foam expanding from the top surface of a liquid that exhibits zero fluid velocity at the tube wall; i.e., the conventional "no-slip" boundary condition. Pressure oscillations, often with strong long-period characteristics and consistent with longitudinal and radial resonant oscillation modes, are detected in these fluids. Strongly supersaturated source liquids generate more energetic flows that display a number of flow regimes. These regimes include a static liquid source, viscous flow, detached flow (comprising gas-pockets-at-wall and foam-in-gas annular flow, therefore demonstrating strong radial heterogeneity), and a fully turbulent transonic fragmented or mist flow. Each of these flow regimes displays characteristic pressure oscillations that can be related to resonance of flow features or wall impact phenomena. The pressure oscillations are produced by the degassing processes without the need of elastic coupling to the confining medium or flow restrictors and valvelike features. The oscillatory behavior of the experimental flows is compared to seismoacoustic data from a range of volcanoes where resonant oscillation of the fluid within the conduit is also often invoked as controlling the observed oscillation frequencies. On the basis of the experimental data we postulate on the nature of seismic signals that may be measured during large-scale explosive activity. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

Chronic Histopathological and Behavioral Outcomes of Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult Male Animals

PubMed Central

Osier, Nicole D.; Carlson, Shaun W.; DeSana, Anthony

2015-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this review is to survey the use of experimental animal models for studying the chronic histopathological and behavioral consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The strategies employed to study the long-term consequences of TBI are described, along with a summary of the evidence available to date from common experimental TBI models: fluid percussion injury; controlled cortical impact; blast TBI; and closed-head injury. For each model, evidence is organized according to outcome. Histopathological outcomes included are gross changes in morphology/histology, ventricular enlargement, gray/white matter shrinkage, axonal injury, cerebrovascular histopathology, inflammation, and neurogenesis. Behavioral outcomes included are overall neurological function, motor function, cognitive function, frontal lobe function, and stress-related outcomes. A brief discussion is provided comparing the most common experimental models of TBI and highlighting the utility of each model in understanding specific aspects of TBI pathology. The majority of experimental TBI studies collect data in the acute postinjury period, but few continue into the chronic period. Available evidence from long-term studies suggests that many of the experimental TBI models can lead to progressive changes in histopathology and behavior. The studies described in this review contribute to our understanding of chronic TBI pathology. PMID:25490251

From Correlates to Causes: Can Quasi-Experimental Studies and Statistical Innovations Bring Us Closer to Identifying the Causes of Antisocial Behavior?

PubMed Central

Jaffee, Sara R.; Strait, Luciana B.; Odgers, Candice L.

2011-01-01

Longitudinal, epidemiological studies have identified robust risk factors for youth antisocial behavior, including harsh and coercive discipline, maltreatment, smoking during pregnancy, divorce, teen parenthood, peer deviance, parental psychopathology, and social disadvantage. Nevertheless, because this literature is largely based on observational studies, it remains unclear whether these risk factors have truly causal effects. Identifying causal risk factors for antisocial behavior would be informative for intervention efforts and for studies that test whether individuals are differentially susceptible to risk exposures. In this paper, we identify the challenges to causal inference posed by observational studies and describe quasi-experimental methods and statistical innovations that may move us beyond discussions of risk factors to allow for stronger causal inference. We then review studies that use these methods and we evaluate whether robust risk factors identified from observational studies are likely to play a causal role in the emergence and development of youth antisocial behavior. For most of the risk factors we review, there is evidence that they have causal effects. However, these effects are typically smaller than those reported in observational studies, suggesting that familial confounding, social selection, and misidentification might also explain some of the association between risk exposures and antisocial behavior. For some risk factors (e.g., smoking during pregnancy, parent alcohol problems) the evidence is weak that they have environmentally mediated effects on youth antisocial behavior. We discuss the implications of these findings for intervention efforts to reduce antisocial behavior and for basic research on the etiology and course of antisocial behavior. PMID:22023141

From correlates to causes: can quasi-experimental studies and statistical innovations bring us closer to identifying the causes of antisocial behavior?

PubMed

Jaffee, Sara R; Strait, Luciana B; Odgers, Candice L

2012-03-01

Longitudinal, epidemiological studies have identified robust risk factors for youth antisocial behavior, including harsh and coercive discipline, maltreatment, smoking during pregnancy, divorce, teen parenthood, peer deviance, parental psychopathology, and social disadvantage. Nevertheless, because this literature is largely based on observational studies, it remains unclear whether these risk factors have truly causal effects. Identifying causal risk factors for antisocial behavior would be informative for intervention efforts and for studies that test whether individuals are differentially susceptible to risk exposures. In this article, we identify the challenges to causal inference posed by observational studies and describe quasi-experimental methods and statistical innovations that may move researchers beyond discussions of risk factors to allow for stronger causal inference. We then review studies that used these methods, and we evaluate whether robust risk factors identified from observational studies are likely to play a causal role in the emergence and development of youth antisocial behavior. There is evidence of causal effects for most of the risk factors we review. However, these effects are typically smaller than those reported in observational studies, suggesting that familial confounding, social selection, and misidentification might also explain some of the association between risk exposures and antisocial behavior. For some risk factors (e.g., smoking during pregnancy, parent alcohol problems), the evidence is weak that they have environmentally mediated effects on youth antisocial behavior. We discuss the implications of these findings for intervention efforts to reduce antisocial behavior and for basic research on the etiology and course of antisocial behavior.

Is chlormethiazole neuroprotective in experimental global cerebral ischemia? A microdialysis and behavioral study.

PubMed

Thaminy, S; Reymann, J M; Heresbach, N; Allain, H; Lechat, P; Bentué-Ferrer, D

1997-04-01

Chlormethiazole, an anticonvulsive agent, has been shown to have a possible neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia. In addition, chlormethiazole inhibits methamphetamine-induced release of dopamine, protecting against this neurotransmitter's neurotoxicity. The aim of this work was to ascertain whether, in experimental cerebral ischemia, chlormethiazole administration attenuated the ischemia-induced rise of the extracellular concentration of aminergic neurotransmitters and whether it reduces ischemia-induced deficits in memory and learning. Histology for assessment of ischemic damage was a so included. The four-vessel occlusion rat model was used to induce global cerebral ischemia. Aminergic neurotransmitters and their metabolites in the striatal extracellular fluid obtained by microdialysis were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection. The drug was administered either IP (50 mg/kg-1) or directly through the dialysis probe (30 microM) 80 min before ischemia. For the behavioral test and histology, the drug was given IP (100 mg/kg-1) 1 h postischemia. The results obtained did not demonstrate any statistically significant evidence that chlormethiazole has an effect on the ischemia-induced rise in extracellular dopamine and serotonin levels. There was also no variation in metabolite levels. Behavioral measures (learning, recall) were not changed appreciably by the treatment. We observed no significant cell protection in the hippocampus (CA1, CA1), striatum, and entorhinal cortex in animals treated with chlormethiazole. We conclude that, under our experimental conditions, chlormethiazole has little or no effect on the neurochemical, neurobehavioral, and histological consequences of global cerebral ischemia.

Experimental Observation of Bohr’s Nonlinear Fluidic Surface Oscillation

PubMed Central

Moon, Songky; Shin, Younghoon; Kwak, Hojeong; Yang, Juhee; Lee, Sang-Bum; Kim, Soyun; An, Kyungwon

2016-01-01

Niels Bohr in the early stage of his career developed a nonlinear theory of fluidic surface oscillation in order to study surface tension of liquids. His theory includes the nonlinear interaction between multipolar surface oscillation modes, surpassing the linear theory of Rayleigh and Lamb. It predicts a specific normalized magnitude of 0.416η2 for an octapolar component, nonlinearly induced by a quadrupolar one with a magnitude of η much less than unity. No experimental confirmation on this prediction has been reported. Nonetheless, accurate determination of multipolar components is important as in optical fiber spinning, film blowing and recently in optofluidic microcavities for ray and wave chaos studies and photonics applications. Here, we report experimental verification of his theory. By using optical forward diffraction, we measured the cross-sectional boundary profiles at extreme positions of a surface-oscillating liquid column ejected from a deformed microscopic orifice. We obtained a coefficient of 0.42 ± 0.08 consistently under various experimental conditions. We also measured the resonance mode spectrum of a two-dimensional cavity formed by the cross-sectional segment of the liquid jet. The observed spectra agree well with wave calculations assuming a coefficient of 0.414 ± 0.011. Our measurements establish the first experimental observation of Bohr’s hydrodynamic theory. PMID:26803911

Examining the Function of Problem Behavior in Fragile X Syndrome: Preliminary Experimental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langthorne, Paul; McGill, Peter; O'Reilly, Mark F.; Lang, Russell; Machalicek, Wendy; Chan, Jeffrey Michael; Rispoli, Mandy

2011-01-01

Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of intellectual and developmental disability. The influence of environmental variables on behaviors associated with the syndrome has received only scant attention. The current study explored the function served by problem behavior in fragile X syndrome by using experimental functional analysis…

An experimental study of the self-healing behavior of ionomeric systems under ballistic impact tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grande, A. M.; Coppi, S.; Di Landro, L.; Sala, G.; Giacomuzzo, C.; Francesconi, A.; Rahman, M. A.

2012-04-01

This research deals with the investigation of the self-healing behavior after ballistic damage of ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomers and theirs blends with epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). The self-healing capability was studied by ballistic puncture tests under different experimental conditions as sample thickness, bullet speed, diameter and shape. Bullet speed ranging from few hundreds meters per second to few km/s were employed. The healing efficiency was evaluated by applying a pressure gradient trough the plates and by checking for possible flow at the damage zone. A morphology analysis of the impact area was made observing all samples by scanning electron microscope.

Agreement among Classroom Observers of Children's Stylistic Learning Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, Helen Hamlet; McDermott, Paul A.; Schaefer, Barbara A.

1998-01-01

Investigates the interobserver agreement of the Learning Behavior Scale (LBS) by educators (n=16) observing students in special-education classes (n=72). No significant observer effect was found. Moreover, the LBS produced comparable levels of differential learning styles for assessments of individual children. (Author/MKA)

Drinking behavior in nursery pigs: determining the accuracy between an automatic water meter versus human observers.

PubMed

Meiszberg, A M; Johnson, A K; Sadler, L J; Carroll, J A; Dailey, J W; Krebs, N

2009-12-01

Assimilating accurate behavioral events over a long period can be labor-intensive and relatively expensive. If an automatic device could accurately record the duration and frequency for a given behavioral event, it would be a valuable alternative to the traditional use of human observers for behavioral studies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the accuracy in the time spent at the waterer and the number of visits to the waterer by individually housed nursery pigs between human observers scoring video files using Observer software (OBS) and an automatic water meter Hobo (WM, control) affixed onto the waterline. Eleven PIC USA genotype gilts (22 +/- 2 d of age; 6.5 +/- 1.4 kg of BW) were housed individually in pens with ad libitum access to a corn-based starter ration and one nipple waterer. Behavior was collected on d 0 (day of weaning), 7, and 14 of the trial using 1 color camera positioned over 4 attached pens and a RECO-204 DVR at 1 frame per second. For the OBS method, 2 experienced observers recorded drinking behavior from the video files, which was defined as when the gilt placed her mouth over the nipple waterer. Data were analyzed using nonparametric methods and the general linear model and regression procedures in SAS. The experimental unit was the individual pen housing 1 gilt. The GLM model included the method of observation (WM vs. OBS) and time (24 h) as variables, and the gilt nested within method was used as the error term. Gilts consumed more water (P = 0.04) on d 14 than on d 0. The time of day affected (P < 0.001) the number of visits and the time spent at the waterer regardless of the method. However, the OBS method underestimated (P < 0.001) the number of visits to the waterer (3.48 +/- 0.33 visits/h for OBS vs. 4.94 +/- 0.33 for WM) and overestimated (P < 0.001) the time spent at the waterer (22.6 +/- 1.46 s/h for OBS vs. 13.9 +/- 1.43 for WM) compared with WM. The relationship between the 2 methods for prediction of time

Suggested Greek translations of expressions in the experimental analysis of behavior

PubMed Central

Charalambous, Neophytos; Cramer, Owen; Roberts, Carl L.

1979-01-01

Greek-English and English-Greek translations of expressions in the experimental analysis of behavior are presented. Included is a short discussion of some of the problems which arose, partly because of the mentalistic nature of Greek science. PMID:16812132

Experimental gastritis leads to anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in female but not male rats

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Human and animals studies support the idea that there is a gender-related co-morbidity of pain-related and inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) diseases with psychological disorders. This co-morbidity is the evidence for the existence of GI-brain axis which consists of immune (cytokines), neural (vagus nerve) and neuroendocrine (HPA axis) pathways. Psychological stress causes disturbances in GI physiology, such as altered GI barrier function, changes in motility and secretion, development of visceral hypersensitivity, and dysfunction of inflammatory responses. Whether GI inflammation would exert impact on psychological behavior is not well established. We examined the effect of experimental gastritis on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in male and female Sprague–Dawley rats, and evaluated potential mechanisms of action. Gastritis was induced by adding 0.1% (w/v) iodoacetamide (IAA) to the sterile drinking water for 7 days. Sucrose preference test assessed the depression-like behavior, open field test and elevated plus maze evaluated the anxiety-like behavior. IAA treatment induced gastric inflammation in rats of either gender. No behavioral abnormality or dysfunction of GI-brain axis was observed in male rats with IAA-induced gastritis. Anxiety- and depression-like behaviors were apparent and the HPA axis was hyperactive in female rats with IAA-induced gastritis. Our results show that gastric inflammation leads to anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in female but not male rats via the neuroendocrine (HPA axis) pathway, suggesting that the GI inflammation can impair normal brain function and induce changes in psychological behavior in a gender-related manner through the GI-to-brain signaling. PMID:24345032

Experimental study of nonlinear ultrasonic behavior of soil materials during the compaction.

PubMed

Chen, Jun; Wang, Hao; Yao, Yangping

2016-07-01

In this paper, the nonlinear ultrasonic behavior of unconsolidated granular medium - soil during the compaction is experimentally studied. The second harmonic generation technique is adopted to investigate the change of microstructural void in materials during the compaction process of loose soils. The nonlinear parameter is measured with the change of two important environmental factors i.e. moisture content and impact energy of compaction. It is found the nonlinear parameter of soil material presents a similar variation pattern with the void ratio of soil samples, corresponding to the increased moisture content and impact energy. A same optimum moisture content is found by observing the variation of nonlinear parameter and void ratio with respect to moisture content. The results indicate that the unconsolidated soil is manipulated by a strong material nonlinearity during the compaction procedure. The developed experimental technique based on the second harmonic generation could be a fast and convenient testing method for the determination of optimum moisture content of soil materials, which is very useful for the better compaction effect of filled embankment for civil infrastructures in-situ. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polarized Light Scanning Cryomacroscopy, Part II: Thermal Modeling and Analysis of Experimental Observations

PubMed Central

Feig, Justin S.G.; Solanki, Prem K.; Eisenberg, David P.; Rabin, Yoed

2016-01-01

This study aims at developing thermal analysis tools and explaining experimental observations made by means of polarized-light cryomacroscopy (Part I). Thermal modeling is based on finite elements analysis (FEA), where two model parameters are extracted from thermal measurements: (i) the overall heat transfer coefficient between the cuvette and the cooling chamber, and (ii) the effective thermal conductivity within the cryoprotective agent (CPA) at the upper part of the cryogenic temperature range. The effective thermal conductivity takes into account enhanced heat transfer due to convection currents within the CPA, creating the so-called Bénard cells. Comparison of experimental results with simulation data indicates that the uncertainty in simulations due to the propagation of uncertainty in measured physical properties exceeds the uncertainty in experimental measurements, which validates the modeling approach. It is shown in this study that while a cavity may form in the upper-center portion of the vitrified CPA, it has very little effect on estimating the temperature distribution within the domain. This cavity is driven by thermal contraction of the CPA, with the upper-center of the domain transitioning to glass last. Finally, it is demonstrated in this study that additional stresses may develop within the glass transition temperature range due to nonlinear behavior of the thermal expansion coefficient. This effect is reported here for the first time in the context of cryobiology, using the capabilities of polarized-light cryomacroscopy. PMID:27343139

Polarized light scanning cryomacroscopy, part II: Thermal modeling and analysis of experimental observations.

PubMed

Feig, Justin S G; Solanki, Prem K; Eisenberg, David P; Rabin, Yoed

2016-10-01

This study aims at developing thermal analysis tools and explaining experimental observations made by means of polarized-light cryomacroscopy (Part I). Thermal modeling is based on finite elements analysis (FEA), where two model parameters are extracted from thermal measurements: (i) the overall heat transfer coefficient between the cuvette and the cooling chamber, and (ii) the effective thermal conductivity within the cryoprotective agent (CPA) at the upper part of the cryogenic temperature range. The effective thermal conductivity takes into account enhanced heat transfer due to convection currents within the CPA, creating the so-called Bénard cells. Comparison of experimental results with simulation data indicates that the uncertainty in simulations due to the propagation of uncertainty in measured physical properties exceeds the uncertainty in experimental measurements, which validates the modeling approach. It is shown in this study that while a cavity may form in the upper-center portion of the vitrified CPA, it has very little effect on estimating the temperature distribution within the domain. This cavity is driven by thermal contraction of the CPA, with the upper-center of the domain transitioning to glass last. Finally, it is demonstrated in this study that additional stresses may develop within the glass transition temperature range due to nonlinear behavior of the thermal expansion coefficient. This effect is reported here for the first time in the context of cryobiology, using the capabilities of polarized-light cryomacroscopy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Observing Parent Behavior: Reconciling Theoretical Concepts with Empirical Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ge, Xiaojia

Using data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project, this longitudinal study investigated the predictive validity of different dimensions of observed parent behavior on adolescent externalizing (aggression, hostility) and internalizing (depression, anxiety) problems over a 2-year period. In addition, the study examined how observer ratings…

Experimental and analytical analysis of polarization and water transport behaviors of hydrogen alkaline membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huo, Sen; Zhou, Jiaxun; Wang, Tianyou; Chen, Rui; Jiao, Kui

2018-04-01

Experimental test and analytical modeling are conducted to investigate the operating behavior of an alkaline electrolyte membrane (AEM) fuel cell fed by H2/air (or O2) and explore the effect of various operating pressures on the water transfer mechanism. According to the experimental test, the cell performance is greatly improved through increasing the operating pressure gradient from anode to cathode which leads to significant liquid water permeation through the membrane. The high frequency resistance of the A901 alkaline membrane is observed to be relatively stable as the operating pressure varies based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. Correspondingly, based on the modeling prediction, the averaged water content in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) does not change too much which leads to the weak variation of membrane ohmic resistance. This reveals that the performance enhancement should give the credit to better electro-chemical reaction kinetics for both the anode and cathode, also prone by the EIS results. The reversion of water back diffusion direction across the membrane is also observed through analytical solution.

Validation of social self-esteem and an experimental index of delinquent behavior.

PubMed

Berman, S M

1976-12-01

30 male adolescents were administered a checklist of their delinquent behavior and the measure of social self-esteem designed by Ziller, Hagey, Smith, and Long (1969). A Pearson correlation of --.26 was found between self-esteem and scores on the delinquent behavior checklist. At a later session 18 of the subjects were assigned a puzzle-solving task which served as a measure of cheating. A significant relation between cheating scores and self-reported delinquent behavior indicated that the puzzle-solving task may be useful for measuring level of delinquency in an experimental setting.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment of adult rumination behavior in the setting of disordered eating: A single case experimental design.

PubMed

Thomas, Jennifer J; Murray, Helen B

2016-10-01

The integration of feeding and eating disorders into a single DSM-5 chapter introduces an opportunity to explore common mechanisms and transdiagnostic treatment approaches. In contrast to a robust literature on the evidence-based treatment of eating disorders, very few data guide the treatment of rumination disorder (RD). In a single case experimental design, we describe the treatment of a 27-year-old woman who presented to an eating-disorder clinic with a 15-year history of untreated rumination and intermittent binge eating. According to time series analysis, she reduced rumination frequency at trend-level during the initial baseline phase (self-monitoring only), and exhibited significant reductions during the active intervention phase (self-monitoring + cognitive-behavioral techniques including diaphragmatic breathing and behavioral experimentation). She maintained these gains at 23 weeks post-intervention. Although more rigorous systematic investigation is needed, these data suggest that selected cognitive and behavioral techniques already familiar to eating-disorder clinicians may have heuristic value for RD treatment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:967-972). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[The BASYS observation system for the analysis of aggressive behavior in classroom-settings].

PubMed

Wettstein, Alexander

2012-01-01

Educational or therapeutic measures of aggressive student behavior are often based on the judgments of teachers. However, empirical studies show that the objectivity of these judgments is generally low. In order to assess aggressive behavior in classroom settings, we developed a context-sensitive observational system. The observation system exists in a version for teachers in action as well as a version for the uninvolved observer. The teacher version allows categorizing aggressive behavior while teaching. The aim is to differentiate the perception and the judgments of teachers, so that the judgments can serve as trustable diagnostic information. The version for an independent observer, in addition, contains categories to collect information about the context in which aggressions take place. The behavior observation system was tested in four field-studies in regular and special classes. The empirical results show that, after training, teachers were able to make objective observations, and that aggressive behavior depends to a large extent on situational factors. The system allows identification of problematic people-environment relationships and the derivation of intervention measures.

Observed Parent Behaviors as Time-Varying Moderators of Problem Behaviors Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treble-Barna, Amery; Zang, Huaiyu; Zhang, Nanhua; Taylor, H. Gerry; Stancin, Terry; Yeates, Keith Owen; Wade, Shari L.

2016-01-01

Parent behaviors moderate the adverse consequences of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, it is unknown how these moderating effects change over time. This study examined the moderating effect of observed parent behaviors over time since injury on the relation between TBI and behavioral outcomes. Participants included children, ages…

The "Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior" at Fifty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laties, Victor G.

2008-01-01

The "Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior" was founded in 1958 by a group of male psychologists, mainly from the northeastern USA and connected with either Harvard or Columbia. Fifty years later about 20% of both editors and authors reside outside this country and almost the same proportion is women. Other changes in the…

Does heightening risk appraisals change people's intentions and behavior? A meta-analysis of experimental studies.

PubMed

Sheeran, Paschal; Harris, Peter R; Epton, Tracy

2014-03-01

Several theories construe risk appraisals as key determinants of decisions and actions, and this idea has been supported in correlational studies. However, correlational data cannot answer the question, "Does heightening risk appraisals change people's intentions and behavior?" The present review meta-analyzed experimental evidence in order to address this issue. We identified 4 elements of risk appraisal-risk perception, anticipatory emotion, anticipated emotion, and perceived severity-and located experiments that (a) engendered a statistically significant increase in risk appraisal among treatment compared to control participants and (b) measured subsequent intention or behavior. Heightening risk appraisals had effects of d+ = .31 (k = 217) and d+ = .23 (k = 93) on intention and behavior, respectively. There was evidence that the elements of risk appraisal combined to influence outcomes. For instance, heightening risk perceptions had larger effects on outcomes when anticipatory emotions or perceived severity was also increased. Crucially, risk appraisal effects were augmented by coping appraisals: Risk appraisals had larger effects on outcomes when response efficacy and self-efficacy were enhanced or when response costs were reduced. The largest effect sizes were observed when risk appraisals, response efficacy, and self-efficacy were simultaneously heightened (d+ = .98 and .45, for intention and behavior, respectively). These findings indicate that heightening risk appraisals changes intentions and behavior. However, the direct effects of risk appraisals were generally small. Exploiting synergies among the elements of risk appraisal, and between risk appraisals and coping appraisals, should make for more effective behavior change interventions.

The Dominance Behavioral System and Psychopathology: Evidence from Self-Report, Observational, and Biological Studies

PubMed Central

Johnson, Sheri L.; Leedom, Liane J.; Muhtadie, Luma

2012-01-01

The dominance behavioral system (DBS) can be conceptualized as a biologically-based system which guides dominance motivation, dominant and subordinate behavior, and responsivity to perceptions of power and subordination. A growing body of research suggests that problems with the DBS are evident across a broad range of psychopathologies. We begin by describing psychological, social, and biological correlates of the dominance behavioral system (DBS). Extensive research suggests that externalizing disorders, mania-proneness, and narcissistic traits are related to heightened dominance motivation and behaviors. Mania and narcissistic traits also appear related to inflated self-perceptions of power. Anxiety and depression are related to subordination and submissiveness, as well as a desire to avoid subordination. Models of the DBS have received support from research with humans and animals; from self-report, observational, and biological methods; and using naturalistic and experimental paradigms. Limitations of available research include the relative lack of longitudinal studies using multiple measures of the DBS and the absence of relevant studies using diagnosed samples to study narcissistic personality disorder and bipolar disorder. We provide suggestions for future research on the DBS and psychopathology, including investigations of whether the DBS can be used to differentiate specific disorder outcomes; the need for more sophisticated biological research; and the value of longitudinal dynamical research. Implications of using the DBS as a tool in clinical assessment and treatment are discussed. PMID:22506751

Observed Parent Behaviors as Time-Varying Moderators of Problem Behaviors Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children

PubMed Central

Treble-Barna, Amery; Zang, Huaiyu; Zhang, Nanhua; Taylor, H. Gerry; Stancin, Terry; Yeates, Keith Owen; Wade, Shari L.

2016-01-01

Parent behaviors moderate the adverse consequences of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, it is unknown how these moderating effects change over time. This study examined the moderating effect of observed parent behaviors over time since injury on the relation between TBI and behavioral outcomes. Participants included children, ages 3–7 years, hospitalized for moderate (n = 52) or severe (n = 20) TBI or orthopedic injury (OI; n = 95). Parent–child dyads were videotaped during structured task and free play conditions and parents completed child behavior ratings. Linear mixed models using a lagged, time-varying moderator analysis examined the relationship of observed parent behaviors at the baseline, 6-month, and 12-month assessments to child behavior problems at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months post injury, after controlling for pre-injury levels of child behavior problems. The effect of TBI on behavior was exacerbated by less favorable parent behaviors, and buffered by more favorable parent behaviors, in children with severe TBI over the first 12 months post injury. By 18 months post injury, however, the moderating effect of parent behaviors diminished such that children with severe TBI showed more behavior problems relative to children with moderate TBI or OI regardless of parent behaviors or in response to parent behaviors that were initially protective. The results suggest that the moderating effects of the family environment are complex and likely vary in relation to both recovery and developmental factors, with potentially important implications for targets and timing of intervention. PMID:27786528

Providers' response to child eating behaviors: A direct observation study.

PubMed

Tovar, Alison; Vaughn, Amber E; Fallon, Megan; Hennessy, Erin; Burney, Regan; Østbye, Truls; Ward, Dianne S

2016-10-01

Child care providers play an important role in feeding young children, yet little is known about children's influence on providers' feeding practices. This qualitative study examines provider and child (18 months -4 years) feeding interactions. Trained data collectors observed 200 eating occasions in 48 family child care homes and recorded providers' responses to children's meal and snack time behaviors. Child behaviors initiating provider feeding practices were identified and practices were coded according to higher order constructs identified in a recent feeding practices content map. Analysis examined the most common feeding practices providers used to respond to each child behavior. Providers were predominately female (100%), African-American (75%), and obese (77%) and a third of children were overweight/obese (33%). Commonly observed child behaviors were: verbal and non-verbal refusals, verbal and non-verbal acceptance, being "all done", attempts for praise/attention, and asking for seconds. Children's acceptance of food elicited more autonomy supportive practices vs. coercive controlling. Requests for seconds was the most common behavior, resulting in coercive controlling practices (e.g., insisting child eat certain food or clean plate). Future interventions should train providers on responding to children's behaviors and helping children become more aware of internal satiety and hunger cues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observed child and parent toothbrushing behaviors and child oral health

PubMed Central

COLLETT, BRENT R.; HUEBNER, COLLEEN E.; SEMINARIO, ANA LUCIA; WALLACE, ERIN; GRAY, KRISTEN E.; SPELTZ, MATTHEW L.

2018-01-01

Background Parent-led toothbrushing effectively reduces early childhood caries. Research on the strategies that parents use to promote this behavior is, however, lacking. Aim To examine associations between parent–child toothbrushing interactions and child oral health using a newly developed measure, the Toothbrushing Observation System (TBOS). Design One hundred children ages 18–60 months and their parents were video-recorded during toothbrushing interactions. Using these recordings, six raters coded parent and child behaviors and the duration of toothbrushing. We examined the reliability of the coding system and associations between observed parent and child behaviors and three indices of oral health: caries, gingival health, and history of dental procedures requiring general anesthesia. Results Reliabilities were moderate to strong for TBOS child and parent scores. Parent TBOS scores and longer duration of parent-led toothbrushing were associated with fewer decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces and lower incidence of gingivitis and procedures requiring general anesthesia. Associations between child TBOS scores and dental outcomes were modest, suggesting the relative importance of parent versus child behaviors at this early age. Conclusions Parents’ child behavior management skills and the duration of parent-led toothbrushing were associated with better child oral health. These findings suggest that parenting skills are an important target for future behavioral oral health interventions. PMID:26148197

Mitochondrial cofactors in experimental Huntington's disease: behavioral, biochemical and histological evaluation.

PubMed

Mehrotra, Arpit; Sandhir, Rajat

2014-03-15

The present study was carried out to evaluate the beneficial effect of mitochondrial cofactors; alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) induced experimental model of Huntington's disease (HD). HD was developed by administering sub-chronic doses of 3-NP, intraperitoneally, twice daily for 17 days. The animals were assessed for their behavioral performance in terms of motor (spontaneous locomotor activity, narrow beam walk test, footprint analysis and rotarod test) and cognitive (elevated plus maze and T-maze tests) functions. 3-NP treated animals showed impairment in motor coordination such as decreased stride length, increased distance between inner toes, and increased gait angle. Increased transfer latency on elevated plus maze and T-maze tasks revealed cognition deficits in 3-NP treated animals. Increased lipid peroxidation and concomitant decrease in thiol levels were also observed. 3-NP administration also induced histopathological changes in terms of enhanced striatal lesion volume, presence of pyknotic nuclei and astrogliosis. However, combined supplementation with ALA+ALCAR to 3-NP administered animals for 21 days was able to efficiently improve behavioral deficits, attenuate oxidative stress and histological changes, suggesting a putative role of these two supplements if given together in ameliorating 3-NP induced impairments and thus could be engaged in managing HD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental modification of interpretation bias about animal fear in young children: effects on cognition, avoidance behavior, anxiety vulnerability, and physiological responding.

PubMed

Lester, Kathryn J; Field, Andy P; Muris, Peter

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effects of experimentally modifying interpretation biases for children's cognitions, avoidance behavior, anxiety vulnerability, and physiological responding. Sixty-seven children (6-11 years) were randomly assigned to receive a positive or negative interpretation bias modification procedure to induce interpretation biases toward or away from threat about ambiguous situations involving Australian marsupials. Children rapidly learned to select outcomes of ambiguous situations, which were congruent with their assigned condition. Furthermore, following positive modification, children's threat biases about novel ambiguous situations significantly decreased, whereas threat biases significantly increased after negative modification. In response to a stress-evoking behavioral avoidance test, positive modification attenuated behavioral avoidance compared to negative modification. However, no significant effects of bias modification on anxiety vulnerability or physiological responses to this stress-evoking Behavioral Avoidance Task were observed.

Mirror neuron system and observational learning: behavioral and neurophysiological evidence.

PubMed

Lago-Rodriguez, Angel; Lopez-Alonso, Virginia; Fernández-del-Olmo, Miguel

2013-07-01

Three experiments were performed to study observational learning using behavioral, perceptual, and neurophysiological data. Experiment 1 investigated whether observing an execution model, during physical practice of a transitive task that only presented one execution strategy, led to performance improvements compared with physical practice alone. Experiment 2 investigated whether performing an observational learning protocol improves subjects' action perception. In experiment 3 we evaluated whether the type of practice performed determined the activation of the Mirror Neuron System during action observation. Results showed that, compared with physical practice, observing an execution model during a task that only showed one execution strategy does not provide behavioral benefits. However, an observational learning protocol allows subjects to predict more precisely the outcome of the learned task. Finally, intersperse observation of an execution model with physical practice results in changes of primary motor cortex activity during the observation of the motor pattern previously practiced, whereas modulations in the connectivity between primary and non primary motor areas (PMv-M1; PPC-M1) were not affected by the practice protocol performed by the observer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental research on the dynamic behaviors of the keyhole and molten pool in laser deep-penetration welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi; Lin, Qida; Yin, Xuni; Li, Simeng; Deng, Jiquan

2018-04-01

Both the morphology and temperature are two important characteristics of the keyhole and the molten pool in laser deep-penetration welding. The modified ‘sandwich’ method was adopted to overcome the difficulty in obtaining inner information about the keyhole and the molten pool. Based on this method, experimental platforms were built for observing the variations in the surface morphology, the longitudinal keyhole profile and the internal temperature. The experimental results of three dynamic behaviors exbibit as follows. The key factor, which makes the pool width go into a quasi-steady state, lies in the balance between the vortex and the sideways flows around the keyhole. Experimental observation shows that the keyhole goes through three stages in laser welding: the rapid drilling stage, the slow drilling stage and the quasi-steady state. The time for achieving a relative fixed keyhole depth is close to the formation time of the maximum pool width. The internal temperatures inside the keyhole and the molten pool first experience a rapid increase, then a decrease and finally go into a quasi-steady state. Compared to that in the unstable stage, the liquid–metal uphill formed in the stable stage of laser welding has less influence on the internal temperature.

Observation of creep behavior of cellulose electro-active paper (EAPap) actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Joo-Hyung; Lee, Sang-Woo; Yun, Gyu-Young; Yang, Chulho; Kim, Heung Soo; Kim, Jaehwan

2009-03-01

Understanding of creep effects on actuating mechanisms is important to precisely figure out the behavior of material. Creep behaviors of cellulose based Electro-Active Paper (EAPap) were studied under different constant loading conditions. We found the structural modification of microfibrils in EAPap after creep test. Structural differences of as-prepared and after creep tested samples were compared by SEM measurements. From the measured creep behaviors by different loading conditions, two different regions of induced strain and current were clearly observed as the measurement time increased. It is consider that local defects may occur and becomes micro-dimple or micro-crack formations in lower load cases as localized deformation proceeds, while the shrinkage of diameter of elongated fibers was observed only at the high level of loading. Therefore, cellulose nanofibers may play a role to be against the creep load and prevent the localized structural deformations. The results provide useful creep behavior and mechanism to understand the mechanical behavior of thin visco-elastic EAPap actuator.

Experimental observation of two phase flow of R123 inside a herringbone microfin tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyara, Akio; Islam, Mohammad Ariful; Mizuta, Yoshihiko; Kibe, Atsushi

2003-08-01

Vapor-liquid two phase flow behavior of R123 inside herringbone microfin tubes has been studied. Herringbone microfin tube is a kind of internally finned tube in which microfins are installed inside the tube where the microfins form multi-V-shape in flow direction. For the present experiment three different types of herringbone microfin tubes with helix angle β=8°, 14° and 28° are used. Experimental observations showed how flow diverges and converges inside herringbone microfin tube due to fin arrangement. The effect is more remarkable for larger helix angle. From the measurements of the cross-sectional liquid flow rate distribution, the liquid removal and collection and the entrained droplet are discussed. Quantity of liquid droplets is increased with increase of helix angle. The tube with helix angle β=28° shows higher quantity of liquid droplets than others.

Experimental Observations and Theoretical Modeling of VLF Scattering During LEP Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, M. F.; Moore, R. C.

2012-12-01

Recent experimental observations of very low frequency (VLF) scattering during lightning-induced election precipitation (LEP) events are presented. A spread spectrum analysis technique is applied to these observations, demonstrating a significant dependence on frequency. For LEP events, the scattered field amplitude and phase both exhibit strong frequency dependence, as do the event onset delays (relative to the causative lightning flash) and the event onset durations. The experimental observations are compared with the predictions of an Earth-ionosphere waveguide propagation and scattering model. The Long-Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) code is used to demonstrate that the scattered field amplitude and phase depend sensitively on the electrical properties of the scattering body and the ionosphere between the scatterer and the receiver. The observed frequency-dependent onset times and durations, on the other hand, are attributed to the scattering source characteristics. These measurements can also be used to study radiation belt dynamics.

Observed child and parent toothbrushing behaviors and child oral health.

PubMed

Collett, Brent R; Huebner, Colleen E; Seminario, Ana Lucia; Wallace, Erin; Gray, Kristen E; Speltz, Matthew L

2016-05-01

Parent-led toothbrushing effectively reduces early childhood caries. Research on the strategies that parents use to promote this behavior is, however, lacking. To examine associations between parent-child toothbrushing interactions and child oral health using a newly developed measure, the Toothbrushing Observation System (TBOS). One hundred children ages 18-60 months and their parents were video-recorded during toothbrushing interactions. Using these recordings, six raters coded parent and child behaviors and the duration of toothbrushing. We examined the reliability of the coding system and associations between observed parent and child behaviors and three indices of oral health: caries, gingival health, and history of dental procedures requiring general anesthesia. Reliabilities were moderate to strong for TBOS child and parent scores. Parent TBOS scores and longer duration of parent-led toothbrushing were associated with fewer decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces and lower incidence of gingivitis and procedures requiring general anesthesia. Associations between child TBOS scores and dental outcomes were modest, suggesting the relative importance of parent versus child behaviors at this early age. Parents' child behavior management skills and the duration of parent-led toothbrushing were associated with better child oral health. These findings suggest that parenting skills are an important target for future behavioral oral health interventions. © 2015 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experimental observation of Lorenz chaos in the Quincke rotor dynamics.

PubMed

Peters, François; Lobry, Laurent; Lemaire, Elisabeth

2005-03-01

In this paper, we report experimental evidence of Lorenz chaos for the Quincke rotor dynamics. We study the angular motion of an insulating cylinder immersed in slightly conducting oil and submitted to a direct current electric field. The simple equations which describe the dynamics of the rotor are shown to be equivalent to the Lorenz equations. In particular, we observe two bifurcations in our experimental system. Above a critical value of the electric field, the cylinder rotates at a constant rate. At a second bifurcation, the system becomes chaotic. The characteristic shape of the experimental first return map provides strong evidence for Lorenz-type chaos.

Experimental observation of Lorenz chaos in the Quincke rotor dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, François; Lobry, Laurent; Lemaire, Elisabeth

2005-03-01

In this paper, we report experimental evidence of Lorenz chaos for the Quincke rotor dynamics. We study the angular motion of an insulating cylinder immersed in slightly conducting oil and submitted to a direct current electric field. The simple equations which describe the dynamics of the rotor are shown to be equivalent to the Lorenz equations. In particular, we observe two bifurcations in our experimental system. Above a critical value of the electric field, the cylinder rotates at a constant rate. At a second bifurcation, the system becomes chaotic. The characteristic shape of the experimental first return map provides strong evidence for Lorenz-type chaos.

Gypsum crystals observed in experimental and natural sea ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geilfus, N.-X.; Galley, R. J.; Cooper, M.; Halden, N.; Hare, A.; Wang, F.; Søgaard, D. H.; Rysgaard, S.

2013-12-01

gypsum has been predicted to precipitate in sea ice, it has never been observed. Here we provide the first report on gypsum precipitation in both experimental and natural sea ice. Crystals were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis. Based on their apparent distinguishing characteristics, the gypsum crystals were identified as being authigenic. The FREeZing CHEMistry (FREZCHEM) model results support our observations of both gypsum and ikaite precipitation at typical in situ sea ice temperatures and confirms the "Gitterman pathway" where gypsum is predicted to precipitate. The occurrence of authigenic gypsum in sea ice during its formation represents a new observation of precipitate formation and potential marine deposition in polar seas.

Validity of an observation method for assessing pain behavior in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Cook, Karon F; Roddey, Toni S; Bamer, Alyssa M; Amtmann, Dagmar; Keefe, Francis J

2013-09-01

Pain is a common and complex experience for individuals who live with multiple sclerosis (MS) and it interferes with physical, psychological, and social function. A valid and reliable tool for quantifying observed pain behaviors in MS is critical to understand how pain behaviors contribute to pain-related disability in this clinical population. To evaluate the reliability and validity of a pain behavioral observation protocol in individuals who have MS. Community-dwelling volunteers with MS (N=30), back pain (N=5), or arthritis (N=8) were recruited based on clinician referrals, advertisements, fliers, web postings, and participation in previous research. Participants completed the measures of pain severity, pain interference, and self-reported pain behaviors and were videotaped doing typical activities (e.g., walking and sitting). Two coders independently recorded frequencies of pain behaviors by category (e.g., guarding and bracing) and interrater reliability statistics were calculated. Naïve observers reviewed videotapes of individuals with MS and rated their pain. The Spearman's correlations were calculated between pain behavior frequencies and self-reported pain and pain ratings by naïve observers. Interrater reliability estimates indicated the reliability of pain codes in the MS sample. Kappa coefficients ranged from moderate (sighing=0.40) to substantial agreements (guarding=0.83). These values were comparable with those obtained in the combined back pain and arthritis sample. Concurrent validity was supported by correlations with self-reported pain (0.46-0.53) and with self-reports of pain behaviors (0.58). Construct validity was supported by a finding of 0.87 correlation between total pain behaviors observed by coders and mean pain ratings by naïve observers. Results support the use of the pain behavior observation protocol for assessing pain behaviors of individuals with MS. Valid assessments of pain behaviors of individuals with MS could lead to

Validity of an Observation Method for Assessing Pain Behavior in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Cook, Karon F.; Roddey, Toni S.; Bamer, Alyssa M.; Amtmann, Dagmar; Keefe, Francis J

2012-01-01

Context Pain is a common and complex experience for individuals who live with multiple sclerosis (MS) that interferes with physical, psychological and social function. A valid and reliable tool for quantifying observed pain behaviors in MS is critical to understanding how pain behaviors contribute to pain-related disability in this clinical population. Objectives To evaluate the reliability and validity of a pain behavioral observation protocol in individuals who have MS. Methods Community-dwelling volunteers with multiple sclerosis (N=30), back pain (N=5), or arthritis (N=8) were recruited based on clinician referrals, advertisements, fliers, web postings, and participation in previous research. Participants completed measures of pain severity, pain interference, and self-reported pain behaviors and were videotaped doing typical activities (e.g., walking, sitting). Two coders independently recorded frequencies of pain behaviors by category (e.g., guarding, bracing) and inter-rater reliability statistics were calculated. Naïve observers reviewed videotapes of individuals with MS and rated their pain. Spearman correlations were calculated between pain behavior frequencies and self-reported pain and pain ratings by naïve observers. Results Inter-rater reliability estimates indicated the reliability of pain codes in the MS sample. Kappa coefficients ranged from moderate agreement (sighing = 0.40) to substantial agreement (guarding = 0.83). These values were comparable to those obtained in the combined back pain and arthritis sample. Concurrent validity was supported by correlations with self-reported pain (0.46-0.53) and with self-reports of pain behaviors (0.58). Construct validity was supported by finding of 0.87 correlation between total pain behaviors observed by coders and mean pain ratings by naïve observers. Conclusion Results support use of the pain behavior observation protocol for assessing pain behaviors of individuals with MS. Valid assessments of pain

Development of Creative Behavior Observation Form: A Study on Validity and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dere, Zeynep; Ömeroglu, Esra

2018-01-01

This study, Creative Behavior Observation Form was developed to assess creativity of the children. While the study group on the reliability and validity of Creative Behavior Observation Form was being developed, 257 children in total who were at the ages of 5-6 were used as samples with stratified sampling method. Content Validity Index (CVI) and…

Effect of an observer's presence on facial behavior during dyadic communication.

PubMed

Yamamoto, K; Suzuki, N

2012-06-01

In everyday life, people communicate not only with another person but also in front of other people. How do people behave during communication when observed by others? Effects of an observer (presence vs absence) and interpersonal relationship (friends vs strangers vs alone) on facial behavior were examined. Participants viewed film clips that elicited positive affect (film presentation) and discussed their impressions about the clips (conversation). Participants rated their subjective emotions and social motives. Durations of smiles, gazes, and utterances of each participant were coded. The presence of an observer did not affect facial behavior during the film presentation, but did affect gazes during conversation. Whereas the presence of an observer seemed to facilitate affiliation in pairs of strangers, communication between friends was exclusive and not affected by an observer.

SPRUCE Ground Observations of Phenology in Experimental Plots, 2016-2017

DOE Data Explorer

Richardson, Andrew D.; Latimer, John M.; Nettles, W. Robert; Heiderman, Ryan R.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Hanson, Paul J.

2018-01-01

This data set consists of phenological transition dates, as derived from direct observations of vegetative and reproductive phenology recorded by a human observer, from the SPRUCE experiment during the 2+ years (August 2015 through December 2017) of whole-ecosystem warming. For 2016, only springtime (April - June) phenological events are included. For 2017 (April - December), spring and autumn events are included.

Beginning in April 2016, human observers have been directly tracking the phenology of both woody and herbaceous species on a weekly schedule within the SPRUCE experimental chambers. The observed date reported here is the first survey date on which an event/phenophase was definitively observed.

Factors Associated with South Korean Early Childhood Educators' Observed Behavior Support Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yeon Ha; Stormont, Melissa

2012-01-01

This study was an exploratory study of 34 South Korean early childhood educators' strategies for addressing behavior problems in natural settings. Factors related to teachers' strategy implementation were also explored. Four specific teacher behaviors were observed: precorrection, behavioral-specific praise, redirection, and reprimand/punishment.…

Singular behavior of jet substructure observables

DOE PAGES

Larkoski, Andrew J.; Moult, Ian

2016-01-20

Jet substructure observables play a central role at the Large Hadron Collider for identifying the boosted hadronic decay products of electroweak scale resonances. The complete description of these observables requires understanding both the limit in which hard substructure is resolved, as well as the limit of a jet with a single hard core. In this paper we study in detail the perturbative structure of two prominent jet substructure observables, N-subjettiness and the energy correlation functions, as measured on background QCD jets. In particular, we focus on the distinction between the limits in which two-prong structure is resolved or unresolved. Dependingmore » on the choice of subjet axes, we demonstrate that at fixed order, N-subjettiness can manifest myriad behaviors in the unresolved region: smooth tails, end-point singularities, or singularities in the physical region. The energy correlation functions, by contrast, only have non-singular perturbative tails extending to the end point. We discuss the effect of hadronization on the various observables with Monte Carlo simulation and demonstrate that the modeling of these effects with non-perturbative shape functions is highly dependent on the N-subjettiness axes definitions. Lastly, our study illustrates those regions of phase space that must be controlled for high-precision jet substructure calculations, and emphasizes how such calculations can be facilitated by designing substructure observables with simple singular structures.« less

Effects of self-esteem improvement program on self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children with observed problematic behaviors.

PubMed

Park, Kyung Min; Park, Heeok

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-esteem improvement program on self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children with observed problematic behaviors. This study is a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group pretest-post-test design. A total of 47 fourth grade elementary school students participated in this study. The program was provided for 45 minutes once a week; a total of 12 sessions were completed with a group in the classroom for the experimental group. Child Problem-Behavior Screening Questionnaire was used to measure problematic behavior. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg's Self-esteem Questionnaire, and peer attachment was measured using the Inventory of Parent and Attachment. Measuring was performed right after the program was done (post 1) and 1 month after the program was finished (post 2). To compare the differences in self-esteem and peer attachment between groups, repeated measures analysis of variance was used. Most participants in the experimental group were 10 years old (62.5%, range 10-11), male (52.0%) and with middle grade point average (64.0%). The self-esteem scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 26.64, p < .001). The peer attachment scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 6.48, p = .014). The self-esteem improvement program in this study improved the self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children. The self-esteem program helped acknowledge the peer's name and increased their connections. The program needs to be considered as a formal and consistent program. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

SuperState: a computer program for the control of operant behavioral experimentation.

PubMed

Zhang, Fuqiang

2006-09-15

Operant behavioral researches require precise control of experimental devices for delivering stimuli and monitoring behavioral responses. The author developed a software solution named SuperState for controlling hardware devices and running reinforcement schedules. The Microsoft Windows compatible software was written by use of an object-oriented programming language Borland Delphi 5.0, which has simplified the programming of the application. SuperState is a stand-alone easy-to-use green software, without the need for the experimenter to master any scripting languages. It features: (1) control of multiple operant cages running independent reinforcement schedules; (2) enough cage devices (16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs for each cage) suitable for the need of most operant behavioral equipments; (3) control of most standard ISA-type digital interface cards including Med-Associates Super-port cards and a PCI-type card AC6412, and highly expandable to support other PCI-type interface cards; (4) high-resolution device control (1ms); (5) a built-in real-time cumulative recorder; (6) extensive data analyzing including event recorder, cumulative recorder, block analyzing; the summarized results can be transferred easily to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets through the Clipboard.

Direct Observation of Markovian Behavior of the Mechanical Unfolding of Individual Proteins

PubMed Central

Cao, Yi; Kuske, Rachel; Li, Hongbin

2008-01-01

Single-molecule force-clamp spectroscopy is a valuable tool to analyze unfolding kinetics of proteins. Previous force-clamp spectroscopy experiments have demonstrated that the mechanical unfolding of ubiquitin deviates from the generally assumed Markovian behavior and involves the features of glassy dynamics. Here we use single molecule force-clamp spectroscopy to study the unfolding kinetics of a computationally designed fast-folding mutant of the small protein GB1, which shares a similar β-grasp fold as ubiquitin. By treating the mechanical unfolding of polyproteins as the superposition of multiple identical Poisson processes, we developed a simple stochastic analysis approach to analyze the dwell time distribution of individual unfolding events in polyprotein unfolding trajectories. Our results unambiguously demonstrate that the mechanical unfolding of NuG2 fulfills all criteria of a memoryless Markovian process. This result, in contrast with the complex mechanical unfolding behaviors observed for ubiquitin, serves as a direct experimental demonstration of the Markovian behavior for the mechanical unfolding of a protein and reveals the complexity of the unfolding dynamics among structurally similar proteins. Furthermore, we extended our method into a robust and efficient pseudo-dwell-time analysis method, which allows one to make full use of all the unfolding events obtained in force-clamp experiments without categorizing the unfolding events. This method enabled us to measure the key parameters characterizing the mechanical unfolding energy landscape of NuG2 with improved precision. We anticipate that the methods demonstrated here will find broad applications in single-molecule force-clamp spectroscopy studies for a wide range of proteins. PMID:18375518

Analysis of the interaction between experimental and applied behavior analysis.

PubMed

Virues-Ortega, Javier; Hurtado-Parrado, Camilo; Cox, Alison D; Pear, Joseph J

2014-01-01

To study the influences between basic and applied research in behavior analysis, we analyzed the coauthorship interactions of authors who published in JABA and JEAB from 1980 to 2010. We paid particular attention to authors who published in both JABA and JEAB (dual authors) as potential agents of cross-field interactions. We present a comprehensive analysis of dual authors' coauthorship interactions using social networks methodology and key word analysis. The number of dual authors more than doubled (26 to 67) and their productivity tripled (7% to 26% of JABA and JEAB articles) between 1980 and 2010. Dual authors stood out in terms of number of collaborators, number of publications, and ability to interact with multiple groups within the field. The steady increase in JEAB and JABA interactions through coauthors and the increasing range of topics covered by dual authors provide a basis for optimism regarding the progressive integration of basic and applied behavior analysis. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Problem behaviors of low-income children with language delays: an observation study.

PubMed

Qi, Cathy Huaqing; Kaiser, Ann P

2004-06-01

Children from low-income families are at increased risk for significant behavioral and language problems. Early identification of these problems is essential for effective intervention. The purpose of the present study was to use multiple behavioral assessments to examine the behavioral profiles of sixty 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families enrolled in Head Start programs and to compare the behavior characteristics of 32 children with language delays with those of 28 children with typical language development. Teachers completed the Child Behavior Checklist/Caregiver-Teacher Report Form/2-5 (CTRF; T. M. Achenbach, 1997) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS; F. M. Gresham and S. N. Elliott, 1990), and children were observed in the classrooms during structured and unstructured activities. Children with language delays exhibited more problem behaviors and poorer social skills on some of the observational measures than did children with typical language development, as predicted, but not on all.

Observing behavior in a computer game.

PubMed Central

Case, D A; Ploog, B O; Fantino, E

1990-01-01

Contingencies studied in lever-pressing procedures were incorporated into a popular computer game, "Star Trek," played by college students. One putative reinforcer, the opportunity to destroy Klingon invaders, was scheduled independently of responding according to a variable-time schedule that alternated unpredictably with equal periods of Klingon unavailability (mixed variable time, extinction schedule of reinforcement). Two commands ("observing responses") each produced stimuli that were either correlated or uncorrelated with the two components. In several variations of the basic game, an S-, or bad news, was not as reinforcing as an S+, or good news. In addition, in other conditions for the same subjects observing responses were not maintained better by bad news than by an uninformative stimulus. In both choices, more observing tended to be maintained by an S- for response-independent Klingons when its information could be (and was) used to advantage with respect to other types of reinforcement in the situation (Parts 1 and 2) than when the information could not be so used (Part 3). The findings favor the conditioned reinforcement hypothesis of observing behavior over the uncertainty-reduction hypothesis. This extends research to a more natural setting and to multialternative concurrent schedules of events of seemingly intrinsic value. PMID:2103581

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Behavioral endocrinological research in humans as well as in animals suggests that testosterone plays a key role in social interactions. Studies in rodents have shown a direct link between testosterone and aggressive behavior1 and folk wisdom adapts these findings to humans, suggesting that testosterone induces antisocial, egoistic or even aggressive behavior2. However, many researchers doubt a direct testosterone-aggression link in humans, arguing instead that testosterone is primarily involved in status-related behavior3,4. As a high status can also be achieved by aggressive and antisocial means it can be difficult to distinguish between anti-social and status seeking behavior. We therefore set up an experimental environment, in which status can only be achieved by prosocial means. In a double-blind and placebo-controlled experiment, we administered a single sublingual dose of 0.5 mg of testosterone (with a hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin carrier) to 121 women and investigated their social interaction behavior in an economic bargaining paradigm. Real monetary incentives are at stake in this paradigm; every player A receives a certain amount of money and has to make an offer to another player B on how to share the money. If B accepts, she gets what was offered and player A keeps the rest. If B refuses the offer, nobody gets anything. A status seeking player A is expected to avoid being rejected by behaving in a prosocial way, i.e. by making higher offers. The results show that if expectations about the hormone are controlled for, testosterone administration leads to a significant increase in fair bargaining offers compared to placebo. The role of expectations is reflected in the fact that subjects who report that they believe to have received testosterone make lower offers than those who say they believe that they were treated with a placebo. These findings suggest that the experimental economics approach is sensitive for detecting neurobiological effects as subtle

Combining behavioral endocrinology and experimental economics: testosterone and social decision making.

PubMed

Eisenegger, Christoph; Naef, Michael

2011-03-02

Behavioral endocrinological research in humans as well as in animals suggests that testosterone plays a key role in social interactions. Studies in rodents have shown a direct link between testosterone and aggressive behavior(1) and folk wisdom adapts these findings to humans, suggesting that testosterone induces antisocial, egoistic or even aggressive behavior(2). However, many researchers doubt a direct testosterone-aggression link in humans, arguing instead that testosterone is primarily involved in status-related behavior(3,4). As a high status can also be achieved by aggressive and antisocial means it can be difficult to distinguish between anti-social and status seeking behavior. We therefore set up an experimental environment, in which status can only be achieved by prosocial means. In a double-blind and placebo-controlled experiment, we administered a single sublingual dose of 0.5 mg of testosterone (with a hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin carrier) to 121 women and investigated their social interaction behavior in an economic bargaining paradigm. Real monetary incentives are at stake in this paradigm; every player A receives a certain amount of money and has to make an offer to another player B on how to share the money. If B accepts, she gets what was offered and player A keeps the rest. If B refuses the offer, nobody gets anything. A status seeking player A is expected to avoid being rejected by behaving in a prosocial way, i.e. by making higher offers. The results show that if expectations about the hormone are controlled for, testosterone administration leads to a significant increase in fair bargaining offers compared to placebo. The role of expectations is reflected in the fact that subjects who report that they believe to have received testosterone make lower offers than those who say they believe that they were treated with a placebo. These findings suggest that the experimental economics approach is sensitive for detecting neurobiological effects as

The Etymology of Basic Concepts in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinsmoor, James A.

2004-01-01

The origins of many of the basic concepts used in the experimental analysis of behavior can be traced to Pavlov's (1927/1960) discussion of unconditional and conditional reflexes in the dog, but often with substantial changes in meaning (e.g., stimulus, response, and reinforcement). Other terms were added by Skinner (1938/1991) to describe his…

Personal Reflections on Observational and Experimental Research Approaches to Childhood Psychopathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapoport, Judith L.

2009-01-01

The past 50 years have seen dramatic changes in childhood psychopathology research. The goal of this overview is to contrast observational and experimental research approaches; both have grown more complex such that the boundary between these approaches may be blurred. Both are essential. Landmark observational studies with long-term follow-up…

Observing preschoolers' social-emotional behavior: structure, foundations, and prediction of early school success.

PubMed

Denham, Susanne A; Bassett, Hideko Hamada; Thayer, Sara K; Mincic, Melissa S; Sirotkin, Yana S; Zinsser, Katherine

2012-01-01

Social-emotional behavior of 352 3- and 4-year-olds attending private child-care and Head Start programs was observed using the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist, Revised (MPAC-R). Goals of the investigation included (a) using MPAC-R data to extract a shortened version, MPAC-R/S, comparing structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and stability of both versions; and, using the shortened measure, to examine (b) age, gender, and risk status differences in social-emotional behaviors; (c) contributions of emotion knowledge and executive function to social-emotional behaviors; and (d) contributions of social-emotional behaviors to early school adjustment and kindergarten academic success. Results show that reliability of MPAC-R/S was as good, or better, than the MPAC-R. MPAC-R/S structure, at both times of observation, included emotionally negative/aggressive, emotionally regulated/prosocial, and emotionally positive/productive behaviors; MPAC-R structure was similar but less replicable over time. Age, gender, and risk differences were found. Children's emotion knowledge contributed to later emotionally regulated/prosocial behavior. Finally, preschool emotionally negative/aggressive behaviors were associated with concurrent and kindergarten school success, and there was evidence of social-emotional behavior mediating relations between emotion knowledge or executive function, and school outcomes. The importance of portable, empirically supported observation measures of social-emotional behaviors is discussed along with possible applications, teacher utilization, and implementation barriers.

The Effects of Perceived Normative Pressure and Observability of Behavior on Intention to Perform Sun Protection and Nutrition Behaviors on Behalf of Young Children among Parents

PubMed Central

Lewis, Nehama

2012-01-01

This paper describes research on two normative concepts thought to impact health behaviors: injunctive and descriptive norms. The study tests whether the extent to which the same health behavior is enacted in an observable or non-observable setting will lead to variation in normative influence on parent intention. In on-line experiments conducted in winter 2009, 467 participants were randomized to a behavioral scenario in which the health behavior was described as occurring in an observable or non-observable setting. For sun protection behaviors, observability primed the influence of descriptive norms on intention. For nutrition behaviors, observability primed the influence of injunctive norms on intention. Across both conditions, observability of the behavioral scenario increased the strength of the association between norms and intention. PMID:24610959

Developing the System for Observing Behavioral Ecology for Youth in Schools Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenz, Kent A.; van der Mars, Hans; Kulinna, Pamela H.; Ainsworth, Barbara E.; Hovell, Melbourne F.

2017-01-01

Background: Behavioral support may be effective in increasing physical activity (PA) in school settings. However, there are no data collection systems to concurrently record PA and behavioral support. This paper describes the development and validation of the System for Observing Behavioral Ecology for Youth in Schools (SOBEYS)--an instrument used…

Behavior within fortuitous environments: The entwined history of Division 28 and the fields of behavioral pharmacology and toxicology.

PubMed

Campbell, Nancy D

2016-08-01

Behavioral pharmacology emerged in the early to mid-20th century as an experimental and observational science, helping to consolidate an empirically based psychological science of behavior. Behavioral psychologists came to play significant roles in toxicology, neuropharmacology, and psychopharmacology. This article traces the first 3 decades of American Psychological Association Division 28. Sources include the Division 28 Oral History Project; formal interviews conducted by the author in the early 2000s with behavioral, experimental, and clinical pharmacologists; and the archived newsletters of Division 28. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Observed and Self-Reported Pesticide Protective Behaviors of Latino Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

PubMed Central

Walton, AnnMarie Lee; LePrevost, Catherine; Wong, Bob; Linnan, Laura; Sanchez-Birkhead, Ana; Mooney, Kathi

2016-01-01

Agricultural pesticide exposure has potential adverse health effects for farmworkers that may be reduced by pesticide protective behaviors (PPBs). The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Worker Protection Standard (WPS) requires PPBs be taught to farmworkers prior to field work. Studies to date have not utilized observational methods to evaluate the degree to which PPBs are practiced by Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States. The purpose of this study was to describe, compare, and contrast observed and self-reported PPBs used by Latino farmworkers; both PPBs that the WPS requires be taught and other PPBs were included. Observed and self-reported data were collected from 71 Latino farmworkers during the 2014 tobacco growing season in North Carolina. Participants were consistent in reporting and using long pants and closed shoes in the field most of the time. In addition, gloves, hats/bandanas, and water-resistant outerwear were frequently observed, although they are not required to be taught by the WPS. Farmworkers reported more long-sleeve (p = .028) and glove use (p = .000) than what was observed. It was uncommon to observe washing behavior before eating or drinking, even when washing supplies were available. Washing behaviors were significantly overreported for hand (p = .000; (p = .000) and face (p = .000; (p = .058) washing before eating and drinking in the field. This study documents that protective clothing behaviors that the WPS requires be taught, plus a few others are commonly practiced by Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers, but washing behaviors in the field are not. Targeted strategies to improve washing behaviors in the field are needed. PMID:26918841

Pavlov's methodological behaviorism as a pre-Socratic contribution of the melding of the differential and experimental psychology.

PubMed

Furedy, John J

2003-11-01

The differential/experimental distinction that Cronbach specified is important because any adequate account of psychological phenomena requires the recognition of the validity of both approaches, and a meaningful melding of the two. This paper suggests that Pavlov's work in psychology, based on earlier traditions of inquiry that can be traced back to the pre-Socratics, provides a potential way of achieving this melding, although such features as systematic rather than anecdotal methods of observation need to be added. Pavlov's methodological behaviorist approach is contrasted with metaphysical behaviorism (as exemplified explicitly in Watson and Skinner, and implicitly in the computer-metaphorical, information-processing explanations employed by current "cognitive" psychology). A common feature of the metaphysical approach is that individual-differences variables like sex are essentially ignored, or relegated to ideological categories such as the treatment of sex as merely a "social construction." Examples of research both before and after the "cognitive revolution" are presented where experimental and differential methods are melded, and individual differences are treated as phenomena worthy of investigation rather than as nuisance factors that merely add to experimental error.

Defining behavior-environment interactions: translating and developing an experimental and applied behavior-analytic vocabulary in and to the national language.

PubMed

Tuomisto, Martti T; Parkkinen, Lauri

2012-05-01

Verbal behavior, as in the use of terms, is an important part of scientific activity in general and behavior analysis in particular. Many glossaries and dictionaries of behavior analysis have been published in English, but few in any other language. Here we review the area of behavior analytic terminology, its translations, and development in languages other than English. As an example, we use our own mother tongue, Finnish, which provides a suitable example of the process of translation and development of behavior analytic terminology, because it differs from Indo-European languages and entails specific advantages and challenges in the translation process. We have published three editions of a general dictionary of behavior analysis including 801 terms relevant to the experimental analysis of behavior and applied behavior analysis and one edition of a dictionary of applied and clinical behavior analysis containing 280 terms. Because this work has been important to us, we hope this review will encourage similar work by behavior analysts in other countries whose native language is not English. Behavior analysis as an advanced science deserves widespread international dissemination and proper translations are essential to that goal.

Observed Emotional and Behavioral Indicators of Motivation Predict School Readiness in Head Start Graduates

PubMed Central

Berhenke, Amanda; Miller, Alison L.; Brown, Eleanor; Seifer, Ronald; Dickstein, Susan

2011-01-01

Emotions and behaviors observed during challenging tasks are hypothesized to be valuable indicators of young children's motivation, the assessment of which may be particularly important for children at risk for school failure. The current study demonstrated reliability and concurrent validity of a new observational assessment of motivation in young children. Head Start graduates completed challenging puzzle and trivia tasks during their kindergarten year. Children's emotion expression and task engagement were assessed based on their observed facial and verbal expressions and behavioral cues. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that observed persistence and shame predicted teacher ratings of children's academic achievement, whereas interest, anxiety, pride, shame, and persistence predicted children's social skills and learning-related behaviors. Children's emotional and behavioral responses to challenge thus appeared to be important indicators of school success. Observation of such responses may be a useful and valid alternative to self-report measures of motivation at this age. PMID:21949599

Observed Emotional and Behavioral Indicators of Motivation Predict School Readiness in Head Start Graduates.

PubMed

Berhenke, Amanda; Miller, Alison L; Brown, Eleanor; Seifer, Ronald; Dickstein, Susan

2011-01-01

Emotions and behaviors observed during challenging tasks are hypothesized to be valuable indicators of young children's motivation, the assessment of which may be particularly important for children at risk for school failure. The current study demonstrated reliability and concurrent validity of a new observational assessment of motivation in young children. Head Start graduates completed challenging puzzle and trivia tasks during their kindergarten year. Children's emotion expression and task engagement were assessed based on their observed facial and verbal expressions and behavioral cues. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that observed persistence and shame predicted teacher ratings of children's academic achievement, whereas interest, anxiety, pride, shame, and persistence predicted children's social skills and learning-related behaviors. Children's emotional and behavioral responses to challenge thus appeared to be important indicators of school success. Observation of such responses may be a useful and valid alternative to self-report measures of motivation at this age.

Is Affect Aversive to Young Children with Autism: Behavioral and Cardiac Responses to Experimenter Distress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corona, Rosalie; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Arbelle, Shoshana; Wellington, Peter; Sigman, Marian

1998-01-01

Compared attention, behavioral reaction, facial affect, and cardiac responses of 22 autistic and 22 mentally retarded preschoolers to emotional displays. Found that both groups looked more at the experimenter and displayed more interest and concern when the experimenter showed strong distress than when she showed neutral affect. Autistic…

Quasi-experimental Effectiveness of Cognitive-behavioral Therapy on Reliving Migraine Headaches in Migraine Sufferers.

PubMed

Ebrahimi Moghadam, Hosein; Karimi, Ahoo; Seifi, Kimia

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on relieving migraine headaches in migraine sufferers. In this quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test method, the samples were outpatients of public hospitals in Ilam City, southwestern Iran since May-Jul 2010. They were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and divided into experimental and control groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 16 and via multivariate covariance method. Cognitive-behavioral therapy affected on reducing the duration of symptoms of migraine in sufferers ( P <0.05). Cognitive behavioral therapy effects on reducing the time duration of symptoms of migraine headaches. Thistherapeutic method increases the level of individual, familial, social and occupational activities by reducing the time duration of symptoms and this method helps the individuals to resume their activities and regain their previous control instead of founding themselves incapable and helpless due to the pain they suffer from.

Generalizability and Decision Studies to Inform Observational and Experimental Research in Classroom Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottema-Beutel, Kristen; Lloyd, Blair; Carter, Erik W.; Asmus, Jennifer M.

2014-01-01

Attaining reliable estimates of observational measures can be challenging in school and classroom settings, as behavior can be influenced by multiple contextual factors. Generalizability (G) studies can enable researchers to estimate the reliability of observational data, and decision (D) studies can inform how many observation sessions are…

An experimental study on compressive behavior of rubble stone walls retrofitted with BFRP grids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hui; Jia, Bin; Li, Wenjing; Liu, Xiao; Yang, Dan; Deng, Chuanli

2018-03-01

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the compressive behavior of rubble stone walls retrofitted with BFRP grids. The experimental program consisted of four rubble stone walls: one unretrofitted rubble stone wall (reference wall) and three BFRP grids retrofitted rubble stone walls. The main purpose of the tests was to gain a better understanding of the compressive behavior of rubble stone walls retrofitted with different amount of BFRP grids. The experimental results showed that the reference wall failed with out-of-plane collapse due to poor connection between rubble stone blocks and the three BFRP grids retrofitted walls failed with BFRP grids rupture followed by out-of-plane collapse. The measured compressive strength of the BFRP grids retrofitted walls is about 1.4 to 2.5 times of that of the reference wall. Besides, the rubble stone wall retrofitted with the maximum amount of BFRP grids showed the minimum vertical and out-of-plane displacements under the same load.

Live Versus Televised Observations of Social Behavior in Preschool Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulson, F. Leon

1972-01-01

An investigation to compare systematic behavioral observations made live with those made on television was conducted. The study was designed to answer three questions: (1) Is there a difference in the agreement between observers (Os) when both view an event Live and when both view the same event on Television? (2) Is there a difference in…

Prosocial behavior and gender

PubMed Central

Espinosa, María Paz; Kovářík, Jaromír

2015-01-01

This study revisits different experimental data sets that explore social behavior in economic games and uncovers that many treatment effects may be gender-specific. In general, men and women do not differ in “neutral” baselines. However, we find that social framing tends to reinforce prosocial behavior in women but not men, whereas encouraging reflection decreases the prosociality of males but not females. The treatment effects are sometimes statistically different across genders and sometimes not but never go in the opposite direction. These findings suggest that (i) the social behavior of both sexes is malleable but each gender responds to different aspects of the social context; and (ii) gender differences observed in some studies might be the result of particular features of the experimental design. Our results contribute to the literature on prosocial behavior and may improve our understanding of the origins of human prosociality. We discuss the possible link between the observed differential treatment effects across genders and the differing male and female brain network connectivity, documented in recent neural studies. PMID:25926783

Experimental observation of multiphoton Thomson scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Wenchao; Golovin, Grigory; Fruhling, Colton; Haden, Daniel; Zhang, Ping; Zhang, Jun; Zhao, Baozhen; Liu, Cheng; Chen, Shouyuan; Banerjee, Sudeep; Umstadter, Donald

2016-10-01

With the advent of high-power lasers, several multiphoton processes have been reported involving electrons in strong fields. For electrons that were initially bound to atoms, both multiphoton ionization and scattering have been reported. However, for free electrons, only low-order harmonic generation has been observed until now. This limitation stems from past difficulty in achieving the required ultra-high-field strengths in scattering experiments. Highly relativistic laser intensities are required to reach the multiphoton regime of Thomson scattering, and generate high harmonics from free electrons. The scaling parameter is the normalized vector potential (a0). Previous experiments have observed phenomena in the weakly relativistic case (a0 >> 1). In ultra-intense fields (a0 >>1), the anomalous electron trajectory is predicted to produce a spectrum characterized by the merging of multiple high-order harmonic generation into a continuum. This may be viewed as the multiphoton Thomson scattering regime analogous to the wiggler of a synchrotron. Thus, the light produced reflects the electrons behavior in an ultra-intense lase field. We discuss the first experiments in the highly relativistic case (a0 15). This material is based upon work supported by NSF No. PHY-153700; US DOE, Office of Science, BES, # DE-FG02-05ER15663; AFOSR # FA9550-11-1-0157; and DHS DNDO # HSHQDC-13-C-B0036.

Social norms of accompanied young children and observed crossing behaviors.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova; Sapir-Lavid, Yael; Hadari-Carmi, Ofri

2009-01-01

Social norms for accompanied young children and crossing behaviors were examined in two studies conducted in an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel. In Study 1, road behaviors of young children crossing with and without accompaniment and older children were observed, and the actual social norm for accompanied school children younger than 9-years-old was examined. In Study 2, the perceived norm of accompaniment was tested by questionnaires. Young children who crossed without accompaniment exhibited poorer crossing skills compared to older children and to young children crossing with accompaniment. In the four locations observed, the actual accompaniment rate ranged between 15%-60%. The perceived social norm for child accompaniment was lower than the actual norm. The discussion refers to both theoretical issues and their practical implications.

Experimental Demonstration of Observability and Operability of Robustness of Coherence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Wenqiang; Ma, Zhihao; Wang, Hengyan; Fei, Shao-Ming; Peng, Xinhua

2018-06-01

Quantum coherence is an invaluable physical resource for various quantum technologies. As a bona fide measure in quantifying coherence, the robustness of coherence (ROC) is not only mathematically rigorous, but also physically meaningful. We experimentally demonstrate the witness-observable and operational feature of the ROC in a multiqubit nuclear magnetic resonance system. We realize witness measurements by detecting the populations of quantum systems in one trial. The approach may also apply to physical systems compatible with ensemble or nondemolition measurements. Moreover, we experimentally show that the ROC quantifies the advantage enabled by a quantum state in a phase discrimination task.

Advancing the discussion about systematic classroom behavioral observation, a product review of Tenny, J. (2010). eCOVE observation software. Pacific City, OR: eCOVE Software, LLC.

PubMed

Froiland, John Mark; Smith, Liana

2014-05-01

Applied child psychologists and behavioral consultants often use systematic behavioral observations to inform the psychological assessment and intervention development process for children referred for attention and hyperactivity problems. This article provides a review of the 2010 version of the eCOVE classroom observation software in terms of its utility in tracking the progress of children with attention and hyperactive behaviors and its use in evaluating teacher behaviors that may impede or promote children's attention and positive behavior. The eCOVE shows promise as an efficient tool for psychologists and behavioral consultants who want to evaluate the effects of interventions for children with symptoms of ADHD, ODD, mood disorders and learning disorders; however, some research-based improvements for future models are suggested. The reviewers also share their firsthand experience in using eCOVE to evaluate teacher and student behavior exhibited on a television show about teaching urban high school students and during a movie about an eccentric new kindergarten teacher. Rich examples are provided of using strategic behavioral observations to reveal how to improve the classroom environment so as to facilitate attention, motivation and positive behavior among youth. Broader implications for enhancing the use of systematic behavioral observations in the assessment of children and adolescents with attention disorders and related behavioral problems are discussed. Key issues are examined such as the use of behavioral observations during psychological consultation to prevent the previously found gender bias in referrals for ADHD. Using behavioral observations to enhance differential diagnosis is also discussed.

The Role of Friends' Disruptive Behavior in the Development of Children's Tobacco Experimentation: Results from a Preventive Intervention Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Lier, Pol A. C.; Huizink, Anja; Vuijk, Patricia

2011-01-01

Having friends who engage in disruptive behavior in childhood may be a risk factor for childhood tobacco experimentation. This study tested the role of friends' disruptive behavior as a mediator of the effects of a classroom based intervention on children's tobacco experimentation. 433 Children (52% males) were randomly assigned to the Good…

Behavior of single lap composite bolted joint under traction loading: Experimental investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awadhani, L. V.; Bewoor, Anand

2018-04-01

Composite bolted joints are preferred connection in the composite structures to facilitate the dismantling for the replacements/ maintenance work. The joint behavior under tractive forces has been studied in order to understand the safety of the structure designed. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the behavior of single-lap joints in carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites under traction loading conditions. The experiments were designed to identify the effect of bolt diameter, stacking sequence and loading rate on the properties of the joint. The experimental results show that the parameters influence the joint performance significantly.

The behavior of a macroscopic granular material in vortex flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishikawa, Asami

A granular material is defined as a collection of discrete particles such as powder and grain. Granular materials display a large number of complex behaviors. In this project, the behavior of macroscopic granular materials under tornado-like vortex airflow, with varying airflow velocity, was observed and studied. The experimental system was composed of a 9.20-cm inner diameter acrylic pipe with a metal mesh bottom holding the particles, a PVC duct, and an airflow source controlled by a variable auto-transformer, and a power-meter. A fixed fan blade was attached to the duct's inner wall to create a tornado-like vortex airflow from straight flow. As the airflow velocity was increased gradually, the behavior of a set of same-diameter granular materials was observed. The observed behaviors were classified into six phases based on the macroscopic mechanical dynamics. Through this project, we gained insights on the significant parameters for a computer simulation of a similar system by Heath Rice [5]. Comparing computationally and experimentally observed phase diagrams, we can see similar structure. The experimental observations showed the effect of initial arrangement of particles on the phase transitions.

Atmosphere Behavior in Gas-Closed Mouse-Algal Systems: An Experimental and Modelling Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Averner, M. M.; Moore, B., III; Bartholomew, I.; Wharton, R.

1985-01-01

A dual approach of mathematical modelling and laboratory experimentation aimed at examining the gas exchange characteristics of artificial animal/plant systems closed to the ambient atmosphere was initiated. The development of control techniques and management strategies for maintaining the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen at physiological levels is examined. A mathematical model simulating the atmospheric behavior in these systems was developed and an experimental gas closed system was constructed. These systems are described and preliminary results are presented.

A Simplified Experimental System for Observing Pollen Tube Growth in Styles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motten, Alexander F.

1992-01-01

Describes an experimental system that allows students to observe pollen tubes in vitro and to investigate a variety of aspects of pollen tube-style interactions. One interaction provides an example of postmating reproductive isolation. (MDH)

Experimental and analytical studies on the seismic behavior of conventional and hybrid braced frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Jiun-Wei

This dissertation summarizes both experimental and analytical studies on the seismic response of conventional steel concentrically braced frame systems of the type widely used in North America, and preliminary studies of an innovative hybrid braced frame system: the Strong-Back System. The research work is part of NEES small group project entitled "International Hybrid Simulation of Tomorrow's Braced Frames." In the experimental phase, a total of four full-scale, one-bay, two-story conventional braced frame specimens with different bracing member section shapes and gusset plate-to-beam connection details were designed and tested at the NEES Berkeley Laboratory. Three braced frame specimens were tested quasi-statically using the same predefined loading protocol to investigate the inelastic cyclic behavior of code-compliant braced frames at both the global and local level. The last braced frame specimen was nearly identical to one of those tested quasi-statically. However, it was tested using hybrid simulation techniques to examine the sensitivity of inelastic behavior on loading sequence and to relate the behavior observed to different levels of seismic hazard. Computer models of the test specimens were developed using two different computer software programs. In the software framework OpenSees fiber-based line elements were used to simulate global buckling of members and yielding and low-cycle fatigue failure at sections. The LS-DYNA analysis program was also used to model individual struts and the test specimens using shell elements with adaptive meshing and element erosion features. This program provided enhanced ability to simulate section local buckling, strain concentrations and crack development. The numerical results were compared with test results to assess and refine and the ability of the models to predict braced frame behavior. A series of OpenSees numerical cyclic component simulations were then conducted using the validated modeling approach. Two

Assessing the Student-Instructional Setting Interface Using an Eco-Behavioral Observation System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrickson, Jo M.

1992-01-01

An eco-behavioral observation system was developed for use with students with behavior disorders or emotional disturbances. Discussed are the ecosystem definition, the student-instructional setting interface, and the assessment procedure, including evaluation of the quality of academic responding, program evaluation, staff development, and…

A century of meteorological observations at Fort Valley Experimental Forest: A cooperative observer program success story

Treesearch

Daniel P. Huebner; Susan D. Olberding; Byron Peterson; Dino DeSimone

2008-01-01

Meteorological observations at Fort Valley Experimental Forest began with its establishment as early silvicultural research made heavy use of meteorological data. The Fort Valley weather data represent the longest climatological record for northern Arizona with records dating back to 1909. Importance of long-term meteorological records and access to the weather record...

Observations of the Middle School Environment: The Context for Student Behavior beyond the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rusby, Julie C.; Crowley, Ryann; Sprague, Jeffrey; Biglan, Anthony

2011-01-01

This article describes the use of an observation system to measure middle school staff practices, environment characteristics, and student behavior in the school common areas. Data were collected at baseline from 18 middle schools participating in a randomized controlled trial of school-wide Positive Behavior Support. The observations were…

Associations between informant ratings of personality disorder traits, self-reports of personality, and directly observed behavior.

PubMed

Kaurin, Aleksandra; Sauerberger, Kyle S; Funder, David C

2018-03-02

Diagnoses of personality disorders (PD) must rely on judgments of observers-either clinicians or acquaintances-because personality disorders are primarily defined in terms of maladaptive interpersonal behavior. Little is known, however, about how closely acquaintances' judgments of PD traits relate to self-reports of theoretically relevant Big Five traits or directly observed behavioral outcomes in interpersonal situations. The present study examines associations between judgments of the 10 PD traits provided by close acquaintances, self-reports of PD-relevant Big Five personality traits, and observed interpersonal behaviors across three different three-person laboratory interactions (i.e., unstructured chat, cooperative task, competitive game). The sample consisted of 256 undergraduate students (130 females; M age  = 19.83, SD = 1.25). Four unacquainted observers independently rated participants' behaviors from video recordings. In line with previous work, informant reports of PD traits demonstrate strong convergent validity with relevant self-reported Big Five traits (as identified by Lynam & Widiger, 2001). Directly observed behavior is meaningfully associated with acquaintances' judgments and self-reports of PD-relevant traits, and the associations between these judgments and behavior are strongest for traits associated with histrionic and schizoid PD. Vector correlations between behavioral profiles associated with informant and self-reports show that both assessments have similar behavioral correlates. Associations between PD trait ratings and behavior appeared to differ as a function of gender, with males showing more and stronger correlations. Informants' ratings of PD traits are impressively accurate, converging both with self-reports of relevant traits and directly observed interpersonal behavior. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of PDs and associated traits can be augmented by information from multiple acquaintances who have the

Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Strongly Anisotropic Light-Weight Metallic Fiber Structures under Static and Dynamic Compressive Loading

PubMed Central

Andersen, Olaf; Vesenjak, Matej; Fiedler, Thomas; Jehring, Ulrike; Krstulović-Opara, Lovre

2016-01-01

Rigid metallic fiber structures made from a variety of different metals and alloys have been investigated mainly with regard to their functional properties such as heat transfer, pressure drop, or filtration characteristics. With the recent advent of aluminum and magnesium-based fiber structures, the application of such structures in light-weight crash absorbers has become conceivable. The present paper therefore elucidates the mechanical behavior of rigid sintered fiber structures under quasi-static and dynamic loading. Special attention is paid to the strongly anisotropic properties observed for different directions of loading in relation to the main fiber orientation. Basically, the structures show an orthotropic behavior; however, a finite thickness of the fiber slabs results in moderate deviations from a purely orthotropic behavior. The morphology of the tested specimens is examined by computed tomography, and experimental results for different directions of loading as well as different relative densities are presented. Numerical calculations were carried out using real structural data derived from the computed tomography data. Depending on the direction of loading, the fiber structures show a distinctively different deformation behavior both experimentally and numerically. Based on these results, the prevalent modes of deformation are discussed and a first comparison with an established polymer foam and an assessment of the applicability of aluminum fiber structures in crash protection devices is attempted. PMID:28773522

Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Strongly Anisotropic Light-Weight Metallic Fiber Structures under Static and Dynamic Compressive Loading.

PubMed

Andersen, Olaf; Vesenjak, Matej; Fiedler, Thomas; Jehring, Ulrike; Krstulović-Opara, Lovre

2016-05-21

Rigid metallic fiber structures made from a variety of different metals and alloys have been investigated mainly with regard to their functional properties such as heat transfer, pressure drop, or filtration characteristics. With the recent advent of aluminum and magnesium-based fiber structures, the application of such structures in light-weight crash absorbers has become conceivable. The present paper therefore elucidates the mechanical behavior of rigid sintered fiber structures under quasi-static and dynamic loading. Special attention is paid to the strongly anisotropic properties observed for different directions of loading in relation to the main fiber orientation. Basically, the structures show an orthotropic behavior; however, a finite thickness of the fiber slabs results in moderate deviations from a purely orthotropic behavior. The morphology of the tested specimens is examined by computed tomography, and experimental results for different directions of loading as well as different relative densities are presented. Numerical calculations were carried out using real structural data derived from the computed tomography data. Depending on the direction of loading, the fiber structures show a distinctively different deformation behavior both experimentally and numerically. Based on these results, the prevalent modes of deformation are discussed and a first comparison with an established polymer foam and an assessment of the applicability of aluminum fiber structures in crash protection devices is attempted.

A numerical and experimental study of temperature effects on deformation behavior of carbon steels at high strain rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pouya, M.; Winter, S.; Fritsch, S.; F-X Wagner, M.

2017-03-01

Both in research and in the light of industrial applications, there is a growing interest in methods to characterize the mechanical behavior of materials at high strain rates. This is particularly true for steels (the most important structural materials), where often the strain rate-dependent material behavior also needs to be characterized in a wide temperature range. In this study, we use the Finite Element Method (FEM), first, to model the compressive deformation behavior of carbon steels under quasi-static loading conditions. The results are then compared to experimental data (for a simple C75 steel) at room temperature, and up to testing temperatures of 1000 °C. Second, an explicit FEM model that captures wave propagation phenomena during dynamic loading is developed to closely reflect the complex loading conditions in a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) - an experimental setup that allows loading of compression samples with strain rates up to 104 s-1 The dynamic simulations provide a useful basis for an accurate analysis of dynamically measured experimental data, which considers reflected elastic waves. By combining numerical and experimental investigations, we derive material parameters that capture the strain rate- and temperature-dependent behavior of the C75 steel from room temperature to 1000 °C, and from quasi-static to dynamic loading.

Experimental Charging Behavior of Orion UltraFlex Array Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golofaro, Joel T.; Vayner, Boris V.; Hillard, Grover B.

2010-01-01

The present ground based investigations give the first definitive look describing the charging behavior of Orion UltraFlex arrays in both the Low Earth Orbital (LEO) and geosynchronous (GEO) environments. Note the LEO charging environment also applies to the International Space Station (ISS). The GEO charging environment includes the bounding case for all lunar mission environments. The UltraFlex photovoltaic array technology is targeted to become the sole power system for life support and on-orbit power for the manned Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The purpose of the experimental tests is to gain an understanding of the complex charging behavior to answer some of the basic performance and survivability issues to ascertain if a single UltraFlex array design will be able to cope with the projected worst case LEO and GEO charging environments. Stage 1 LEO plasma testing revealed that all four arrays successfully passed arc threshold bias tests down to -240 V. Stage 2 GEO electron gun charging tests revealed that only the front side area of indium tin oxide coated array designs successfully passed the arc frequency tests

Comparison of food safety cognitions and self-reported food-handling behaviors with observed food safety behaviors of young adults.

PubMed

Abbot, J M; Byrd-Bredbenner, C; Schaffner, D; Bruhn, C M; Blalock, L

2009-04-01

Developing tailored and effective food safety education for young adults is critical given their future roles as caregivers likely to be preparing food for populations who may be at greater risk for foodborne disease (FBD). The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between food safety self-reported food-handling behaviors and cognitions of young adults to observed food-handling behaviors. Participants were 153 young adults (mean age 20.74+/-1.30 s.d.) attending a major American university. Each prepared a meal under observation in a controlled laboratory setting, permitted researchers to observe their home kitchen and completed an online survey assessing food safety knowledge, behavior and psychosocial measures. Descriptive statistics were generated for participants' self-reported food-handling behaviors, psychosocial characteristics, knowledge, food preparation observations and home kitchen observations. Determinants of compliance with safe food-handling procedures while preparing a meal and home food storage/rotation practices were identified using backward regression models. Participants engaged in less than half of the recommended safe food-handling practices evaluated and correctly answered only two-thirds of the food safety knowledge items. They reported positive food safety beliefs and high food safety self-efficacy. Self-reported compliance with cross-contamination prevention, disinfection procedures and knowledge of groups at greatest risk for FBD were the best measures for predicting compliance with established safe food-handling practices. Food safety education directed toward young adults should focus on increasing awareness of FBD and knowledge of proper cross-contamination prevention procedures to help promote better compliance with actual safe food handling.

Association of environmental indicators with teen alcohol use and problem behavior: Teens' observations vs. objectively-measured indicators.

PubMed

Byrnes, Hilary F; Miller, Brenda A; Morrison, Christopher N; Wiebe, Douglas J; Woychik, Marcie; Wiehe, Sarah E

2017-01-01

Most prior studies use objectively measured data (e.g., census-based indicators) to assess contextual risks. However, teens' observations might be more important for their risk behavior. 1) determine relationships between observed and objective indicators of contextual risks 2) determine relations of observed and objective indicators with teen alcohol use and problem behavior. Teens aged 14-16 (N=170) carried GPS-enabled smartphones for one month, with locations documented. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) measured teens' observations via texts regarding risk behaviors and environmental observations. Objective indicators of alcohol outlets and disorganization were spatially joined to EMAs based on teens' location at the time of the texts. Observed and objective disorganization, and objective indicators of alcohol outlets were related to alcohol use. Observed disorganization was related to problem behavior, while objective indicators were unrelated. Findings suggest the importance of considering teens' observations of contextual risk for understanding influences on risk behavior and suggest future directions for research and prevention strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of Environmental Indicators with Teen Alcohol Use and Problem Behavior: Teens’ Observations vs. Objectively-Measured Indicators

PubMed Central

Byrnes, Hilary F.; Miller, Brenda A.; Morrison, Christopher N.; Wiebe, Douglas J.; Woychik, Marcie; Wiehe, Sarah E.

2017-01-01

Most prior studies use objectively measured data (e.g., census-based indicators) to assess contextual risks. However, teens’ observations might be more important for their risk behavior. Objectives: 1) determine relationships between observed and objective indicators of contextual risks 2) determine relations of observed and objective indicators with teen alcohol use and problem behavior. Teens aged 14–16 (N=170) carried GPS-enabled smartphones for one month, with locations documented. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) measured teens’ observations via texts regarding risk behaviors and environmental observations. Objective indicators of alcohol outlets and disorganization were spatially joined to EMAs based on teens’ location at the time of the texts. Observed and objective disorganization, and objective indicators of alcohol outlets were related to alcohol use. Observed disorganization was related to problem behavior, while objective indicators were unrelated. Findings suggest the importance of considering teens’ observations of contextual risk for understanding influences on risk behavior and suggest future directions for research and prevention strategies. PMID:28061392

Observations on instabilities of cavitating inducers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braisted, D.; Brennen, C.

1978-01-01

Experimental observations of instability of cavitating inducers were made for two different inducers operating at different flow coefficients. In general, instability occurred just before head breakdown. Auto-oscillation and rotating cavitation were observed. Analysis of small-amplitude behavior of the inducer and hydraulic system is carried out, and analytical predictions of stability limits were compared with experiment.

Building Alliances with (In)Voluntary Clients: A Study Focused on Therapists' Observable Behaviors.

PubMed

Sotero, Luciana; Cunha, Diana; da Silva, José Tomás; Escudero, Valentín; Relvas, Ana Paula

2017-12-01

This study aimed to compare therapists' observable behaviors to promote alliances with involuntary and voluntary clients during brief family therapy. The therapists' contributions to fostering alliances were rated in sessions 1 and 4 using videotapes of 29 families who were observed in brief therapy. Using the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances, trained raters searched for specific therapist behaviors that contributed to or detracted from the four alliance dimensions: engagement in the therapeutic process, an emotional connection with the therapist, safety within the therapeutic system, and a shared sense of purpose within the family. The results showed that when working with involuntary clients, therapists presented more behaviors to foster the clients' engagement and to promote a shared sense of purpose within the family. However, in the fourth session, the therapists in both groups contributed to the alliance in similar ways. The results are discussed in terms of (a) the therapists' alliance-building behaviors, (b) the specificities of each client group, and (c) the implications for clinical practice, training, and research. © 2016 Family Process Institute.

Observe, simplify, titrate, model, and synthesize: A paradigm for analyzing behavior

PubMed Central

Alberts, Jeffrey R.

2013-01-01

Phenomena in behavior and their underlying neural mechanisms are exquisitely complex problems. Infrequently do we reflect on our basic strategies of investigation and analysis, or formally confront the actual challenges of achieving an understanding of the phenomena that inspire research. Philip Teitelbaum is distinct in his elegant approaches to understanding behavioral phenomena and their associated neural processes. He also articulated his views on effective approaches to scientific analyses of brain and behavior, his vision of how behavior and the nervous system are patterned, and what constitutes basic understanding. His rubrics involve careful observation and description of behavior, simplification of the complexity, analysis of elements, and re-integration through different forms of synthesis. Research on the development of huddling behavior by individual and groups of rats is reviewed in a context of Teitelbaum’s rubrics of research, with the goal of appreciating his broad and positive influence on the scientific community. PMID:22481081

A Quasi-Experimental Study Examining New York State's Tobacco-Free Regulation: Effects on Clinical Practice Behaviors

PubMed Central

Laschober, Tanja C.

2013-01-01

Background On July 24, 2008, New York State (NYS) became the first state to require all state-funded or state-certified substance use disorder (SUD) treatment organizations to be 100% tobacco-free and offer tobacco cessation (TC) treatment. Methods The current study used a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design with a pretest and posttest to examine the effect of the NYS tobacco-free regulation on three clinical practice behaviors (use of TC-related intake procedures, use of guideline recommended counseling for TC, and pharmacotherapy availability) in a diverse sample of SUD treatment programs. Repeated cross-sectional data were collected from NYS counselors (experimental group) and non-NYS counselors (control group) approximately 4 months pre-regulation (N = 282 and 659, respectively) and 10-12 months post-regulation (N = 364 and 733, respectively). Results Using mixed-effects models, results at pre-regulation indicate no group differences in the three clinical practice behaviors. However, significant post-regulation effects were found such that the experimental group reports greater use of TC-related intake procedures, guideline recommended counseling, and availability of pharmacotherapy than the control group. Additionally, the experimental but not the control group shows increases in all three clinical practice behaviors from pre-regulation to post-regulation. Conclusions We conclude that the NYS tobacco-free regulation had a significant and positive effect on promoting patient TC efforts among counselors. PMID:23428317

Peer Influence, Peer Status, and Prosocial Behavior: An Experimental Investigation of Peer Socialization of Adolescents' Intentions to Volunteer.

PubMed

Choukas-Bradley, Sophia; Giletta, Matteo; Cohen, Geoffrey L; Prinstein, Mitchell J

2015-12-01

Peer influence processes have been documented extensively for a wide range of maladaptive adolescent behaviors. However, peer socialization is not inherently deleterious, and little is known about whether adolescents influence each other's prosocial behaviors, or whether some peers are more influential than others towards positive youth outcomes. This study addressed these questions using an experimental "chat room" paradigm to examine in vivo peer influence of prosocial behavior endorsement. A school-based sample of 304 early adolescents (55% female, 45% male; M(age) = 12.68) believed they were interacting electronically with same-gender grademates (i.e., "e-confederates"), whose peer status was experimentally manipulated. The participants' intent to engage in prosocial behaviors was measured pre-experiment and in subsequent "public" and "private" experimental sessions. Overall, the adolescents conformed to the e-confederates' prosocial responses in public; yet, these peer influence effects were moderated by the peer status of the e-confederates, such that youth more strongly conformed to the high-status e-confederates than to the low-status ones. There also was some evidence that these peer influence effects were maintained in the private session, indicating potential internalization of prosocial peer norms. These findings help bridge the positive youth development and peer influence literatures, with potential implications for campaigns to increase prosocial behaviors.

Frame of Reference Rater Training Issues: Recall, Time and Behavior Observation Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roch, Sylvia G.; O'Sullivan, Brian J.

2003-01-01

Graduate students were trained as raters either using frame of reference (FOR, n=220, behavior observation training (BOT, n=21), or performance appraisal (controls, n=21). They rated videotaped lecturers twice. FOR increased number of behaviors recalled; FOR and BOT improved recall quality. FOR improved rating accuracy even after 2 weeks.…

Modeling non-harmonic behavior of materials from experimental inelastic neutron scattering and thermal expansion measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansal, Dipanshu; Aref, Amjad; Dargush, Gary; Delaire, Olivier

2016-09-01

Based on thermodynamic principles, we derive expressions quantifying the non-harmonic vibrational behavior of materials, which are rigorous yet easily evaluated from experimentally available data for the thermal expansion coefficient and the phonon density of states. These experimentally-derived quantities are valuable to benchmark first-principles theoretical predictions of harmonic and non-harmonic thermal behaviors using perturbation theory, ab initio molecular-dynamics, or Monte-Carlo simulations. We illustrate this analysis by computing the harmonic, dilational, and anharmonic contributions to the entropy, internal energy, and free energy of elemental aluminum and the ordered compound \\text{FeSi} over a wide range of temperature. Results agree well with previous data in the literature and provide an efficient approach to estimate anharmonic effects in materials.

Experimental observation of magnetoelectricity in spin ice Dy 2Ti 2O 7

DOE PAGES

Lin, L.; Xie, Y. L.; Wen, J. -J.; ...

2015-12-14

The intrinsic noncollinear spin patterns in rare-earth pyrochlore are physically interesting, due to their many emergent properties (e.g., spin-ice and monopole-type excitation). Recent works have suggested that the magnetic monopole excitation of spin-ice systems is magnetoelectric active, but this fact has rarely been confirmed via experiment. In this work, we performed a systematic experimental investigation on the magnetoelectricity of Dy 2Ti 2O 7 by probing the ferroelectricity, spin dynamics, and dielectric behaviors. Two ferroelectric transitions at T c1 = 25 K and T c2 =13 K were observed. Remarkable magnetoelectric coupling was identified below the lower transition temperature, with significantmore » suppression of the electric polarization on applied magnetic field. Our results show that the lower ferroelectric transition temperature coincides with the Ising-spin paramagnetic transition point, below which the quasi-particle-like monopoles are populated, which indicates implicit correlation between electric dipoles and spin moments. The possible magnetoelectric mechanisms are discussed. Our findings can be used for more investigations to explore multiferroicity in these spin-ice systems and other frustrated magnets.« less

The influence of student characteristics on the dependability of behavioral observation data.

PubMed

Briesch, Amy M; Volpe, Robert J; Ferguson, Tyler David

2014-06-01

Although generalizability theory has been used increasingly in recent years to investigate the dependability of behavioral estimates, many of these studies have relied on use of general education populations as opposed to those students who are most likely to be referred for assessment due to problematic classroom behavior (e.g., inattention, disruption). The current study investigated the degree to which differences exist in terms of the magnitude of both variance component estimates and dependability coefficients between students nominated by their teachers for Tier 2 interventions due to classroom behavior problems and a general classroom sample (i.e., including both nominated and non-nominated students). The academic engagement levels of 16 (8 nominated, 8 non-nominated) middle school students were measured by 4 trained observers using momentary time-sampling procedures. A series of G and D studies were then conducted to determine whether the 2 groups were similar in terms of the (a) distribution of rating variance and (b) number of observations needed to achieve an adequate level of dependability. Results suggested that the behavior of students in the teacher-nominated group fluctuated more across time and that roughly twice as many observations would therefore be required to yield similar levels of dependability compared with the combined group. These findings highlight the importance of constructing samples of students that are comparable to those students with whom the measurement method is likely to be applied when conducting psychometric investigations of behavioral assessment tools. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Behaviors observed during S− in a simple discrimination learning task1

PubMed Central

Rand, Judith F.

1977-01-01

Key pecking of pigeons was reinforced with food in the presence of a horizontal line and never reinforced in the presence of a vertical line. Highly stereotyped behaviors, as well as key pecking, were observed and recorded in the presence of both stimuli. Results showed that a high proportion of time spent in the presence of the horizontal line was occupied by key pecking, a high proportion of time in the presence of the vertical line was occupied by stereotyped nonkey-pecking behaviors, and intermediate proportions of time spent in the presence of intermediate stimuli were occupied by each class of behavior during generalization tests. Similar running rates (number of key pecks divided by observed key-pecking time) were obtained in the presence of all stimuli, indicating that changes in time rather than tempo accounted for the changes in overall rates of key pecking. An exception occurred in responding to the horizontal line as differential performance was developing. In addition to an increase in time spent key pecking, increased running rates occurred in seven of eight birds, suggesting that both time allocation and tempo play a role in behavioral contrast of overall rates of key pecking. ImagesFig. 2a.Fig. 2b. PMID:16811968

Observed fearlessness and positive parenting interact to predict childhood callous-unemotional behaviors among low-income boys

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S.; Hyde, Luke W.

2016-01-01

Background Callous-unemotional behaviors identify children at risk for severe and chronic antisocial behavior. Research is needed to establish pathways from temperament and parenting factors that give rise to callous-unemotional behaviors, including interactions of positive versus harsh parenting with child fearlessness. Methods Multi-method data, including parent reports and observations of parent and child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal sample of low-income boys (N=310) with assessments at 18, 24, and 42 months, and at ages 10–12 years old. Results Parent-reported callous-unemotional, oppositional, and attention-deficit factors were separable at 42 months. Callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at ages 10–12, accounting for earlier oppositional and attention-deficit behaviors and self-reported child delinquency at ages 10–12. Observations of fearlessness at 24 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months, but only when parents exhibited low observed levels of positive parenting. The interaction of fearlessness and low positive parenting indirectly predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 10–12 via callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months. Conclusions Early fearlessness interacts with low positive parenting to predict early callous-unemotional behaviors, with lasting effects of this person-by-context interaction on callous-unemotional behaviors into late-childhood. PMID:27917472

Socializing piglets before weaning: effects on behavior of lactating sows, pre- and postweaning behavior, and performance of piglets.

PubMed

Hessel, E F; Reiners, K; Van den Weghe, H F A

2006-10-01

This study evaluated how socializing piglets before weaning affects behavior of lactating sows and the pre- and postweaning behavior and performance of piglets. Two farrowing rooms, each with 6 pens, and 1 nursery with 4 pens were used. In total, data were obtained from 24 sows and their litters. In each farrowing room, the solid barriers between 3 farrowing pens were removed on d 12 after farrowing, and the sows remained confined in their crates (experimental group). In the other 3 farrowing pens of each farrowing room, sows and their litters were kept under conventional conditions until weaning (control group). All piglets were weaned 28 d after birth. After weaning, piglets from each group remained together in 1 pen of the nursery. The behavior of sows (lying, standing, sitting, nursing) and piglets (lying, active, suckling) in the farrowing rooms was observed for 24 h before and for 48 h after removal of the barriers between the pens. In addition, behavior (active, lying, feeding, agonistic behavior) of piglets was observed in the nursery during the initial 48-h period after weaning. Each piglet was weighed on d 5, 12, and 28 after birth and thereafter weekly until the fifth week of rearing. In the farrowing room, mixing of litters did not influence behavior of piglets and sows. Preweaning weight gain of the piglets did not differ (P = 0.60) between the treatments. In the initial 48 h after weaning, less agonistic behavior (P < 0.001) was observed in piglets belonging to the experimental group. During 5 wk of rearing, piglets in the experimental group gained more weight compared with the control group (P = 0.05). The advantage shown by the experimental group became especially conspicuous in the first week after weaning (P = 0.05). By socializing unfamiliar piglets before weaning, stress due to mixing could at least be distanced in time from the other burdens of weaning, thereby improving performance.

Colloidal Material Box: In-situ Observations of Colloidal Self-Assembly and Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions in Microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, WeiBin; Lan, Ding; Sun, ZhiBin; Geng, BaoMing; Wang, XiaoQing; Tian, WeiQian; Zhai, GuangJie; Wang, YuRen

2016-05-01

To study the self-assembly behavior of colloidal spheres in the solid/liquid interface and elucidate the mechanism of liquid crystal phase transition under microgravity, a Colloidal Material Box (CMB) was designed which consists of three modules: (i) colloidal evaporation experimental module, made up of a sample management unit, an injection management unit and an optical observation unit; (ii) liquid crystal phase transition experimental module, including a sample management unit and an optical observation unit; (iii) electronic control module. The following two experimental plans will be performed inside the CMB aboard the SJ-10 satellite in space. (i) Self-assembly of colloidal spheres (with and without Au shell) induced by droplet evaporation, allowing observation of the dynamic process of the colloidal spheres within the droplet and the change of the droplet outer profile during evaporation; (ii) Phase behavior of Mg2Al LDHs suspensions in microgravity. The experimental results will be the first experimental observations of depositing ordered colloidal crystals and their self-assembly behavior under microgravity, and will illustrate the influence of gravity on liquid crystal phase transition.

A comprehensive study on rotation reversal in KSTAR: experimental observations and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, D. H.; Na, Yong-Su; Angioni, C.; Yang, S. M.; Kwon, J. M.; Jhang, Hogun; Camenen, Y.; Lee, S. G.; Shi, Y. J.; Ko, W. H.; Lee, J. A.; Hahm, T. S.; KSTAR Team

2017-12-01

Dedicated experiments have been performed in KSTAR Ohmic plasmas to investigate the detailed physics of the rotation reversal phenomena. Here we adapt the more general definition of rotation reversal, a large change of the intrinsic toroidal rotation gradient produced by minor changes in the control parameters (Camenen et al 2017 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 59 034001), which is commonly observed in KSTAR regardless of the operating conditions. The two main phenomenological features of the rotation reversal are the normalized toroidal rotation gradient ({{u}\\prime} ) change in the gradient region and the existence of an anchor point. For the KSTAR Ohmic plasma database including the experiment results up to the 2016 experimental campaign, both features were investigated. First, the observations show that the locations of the gradient and the anchor point region are dependent on {{q}95} . Second, a strong dependence of {{u}\\prime} on {νeff} is clearly observed in the gradient region, whereas the dependence on R/{{L}{{Ti}}} , R/{{L}{{Te}}} , and R/{{L}{{ne}}} is unclear considering the usual variation of the normalized gradient length in KSTAR. The experimental observations were compared against several theoretical models. The rotation reversal might not occur due to the transition of the dominant turbulence from the trapped electron mode to the ion temperature gradient mode or the neoclassical equilibrium effect in KSTAR. Instead, it seems that the profile shearing effects associated with a finite ballooning tilting well reproduce the experimental observations of both the gradient region and the anchor point; the difference seems to be related to the magnetic shear and the q value. Further analysis implies that the increase of {{u}\\prime} in the gradient region with the increase of the collisionality would occur when the reduction of the momentum diffusivity is comparatively larger than the reduction of the residual stress. It is supported by the perturbative

Behavioral and hormonal changes associated with the infective dose in experimental taeniasis in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

PubMed

Domínguez-Roldan, Rosa; Hallal-Calleros, Claudia; Sciutto, Edda; Hernández, Marisela; Aguirre-Flores, Virginio; García-Jiménez, Sara; Báez-Saldaña, Armida; Flores-Pérez, Fernando Iván

2016-07-01

It has been reported that behavioral changes relate to infection in different parasitoses. However, the relation between the extent of the behavioral changes and the magnitude of the infection has been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between different doses of infection and the behavioral changes induced in the experimental Taenia pisiformis taeniasis in golden hamsters. Groups of nine hamsters were infected with three or six T. pisiformis metacestodes. The locomotor activity was quantified daily in an open field test during the 21 days after infection; anxiety test was performed in an elevated plus-maze with a dark/light area at 7, 14 and 21 days post-infection, and serum cortisol levels were determined by radioimmunoassay before infection and at day 22 after infection. The challenge itself induced modifications on behavior and cortisol levels in hamsters, with or without successful infection (taenia development). Animals challenged with three metacestodes induced a decrease in locomotor activity and an increase in anxiety in infected animals. A higher and earlier decrease in locomotor activity and increased anxiety levels were observed in hamsters challenged with six cysticerci, which were accompanied by higher levels of sera cortisol at the end of the experiment. At necropsy, 44-55% of hamster became infected with an efficiency of implantation of 22-26%, challenged with three or six cysticerci respectively. The challenge of hamsters with metacestodes, promote behavioral changes in an extent dependent on the magnitude of the challenge, disregarding the effectiveness of the infection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental observation of spatially localized dynamo magnetic fields.

PubMed

Gallet, B; Aumaître, S; Boisson, J; Daviaud, F; Dubrulle, B; Bonnefoy, N; Bourgoin, M; Odier, Ph; Pinton, J-F; Plihon, N; Verhille, G; Fauve, S; Pétrélis, F

2012-04-06

We report the first experimental observation of a spatially localized dynamo magnetic field, a common feature of astrophysical dynamos and convective dynamo simulations. When the two propellers of the von Kármán sodium experiment are driven at frequencies that differ by 15%, the mean magnetic field's energy measured close to the slower disk is nearly 10 times larger than the one close to the faster one. This strong localization of the magnetic field when a symmetry of the forcing is broken is in good agreement with a prediction based on the interaction between a dipolar and a quadrupolar magnetic mode. © 2012 American Physical Society

Experimental observation of four-photon entangled Dicke state with high fidelity.

PubMed

Kiesel, N; Schmid, C; Tóth, G; Solano, E; Weinfurter, H

2007-02-09

We present the experimental observation of the symmetric four-photon entangled Dicke state with two excitations |D_{4};{(2)}. A simple experimental setup allowed quantum state tomography yielding a fidelity as high as 0.844+/-0.008. We study the entanglement persistency of the state using novel witness operators and focus on the demonstration of a remarkable property: depending on the orientation of a measurement on one photon, the remaining three photons are projected into both inequivalent classes of genuine tripartite entanglement, the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger and W class. Furthermore, we discuss possible applications of |D_{4};{(2)} in quantum communication.

Experimental and analytical assessment of the thermal behavior of spiral bevel gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handschuh, Robert F.; Kicher, Thomas P.

1995-01-01

An experimental and analytical study of spiral bevel gears operating in an aerospace environment has been performed. Tests were conducted within a closed loop test stand at NASA Lewis Research Center. Tests were conducted to 537 kW (720 hp) at 14,400 rpm. The effects of various operating conditions on spiral bevel gear steady state and transient temperature are presented. Also, a three-dimensional analysis of the thermal behavior was conducted using a nonlinear finite element analysis computer code. The analysis was compared to the experimental results attained in this study. The results agreed well with each other for the cases compared and were no more than 10 percent different in magnitude.

A quasi-experimental study examining New York State's tobacco-free regulation: effects on clinical practice behaviors.

PubMed

Eby, Lillian T; Laschober, Tanja C

2013-09-01

On July 24, 2008, New York State (NYS) became the first state to require all state-funded or state-certified substance use disorder (SUD) treatment organizations to be 100% tobacco-free and offer tobacco cessation (TC) treatment. The current study used a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design with a pretest and posttest to examine the effect of the NYS tobacco-free regulation on three clinical practice behaviors (use of TC-related intake procedures, use of guideline recommended counseling for TC, and pharmacotherapy availability) in a diverse sample of SUD treatment programs. Repeated cross-sectional data were collected from NYS counselors (experimental group) and non-NYS counselors (control group) approximately 4 months pre-regulation (N=282 and 659, respectively) and 10-12 months post-regulation (N=364 and 733, respectively). Using mixed-effects models, results at pre-regulation indicate no group differences in the three clinical practice behaviors. However, significant post-regulation effects were found such that the experimental group reports greater use of TC-related intake procedures, guideline recommended counseling, and availability of pharmacotherapy than the control group. Additionally, the experimental but not the control group shows increases in all three clinical practice behaviors from pre-regulation to post-regulation. We conclude that the NYS tobacco-free regulation had a significant and positive effect on promoting patient TC efforts among counselors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling non-harmonic behavior of materials from experimental inelastic neutron scattering and thermal expansion measurements

DOE PAGES

Bansal, Dipanshu; Aref, Amjad; Dargush, Gary; ...

2016-07-20

Based on thermodynamic principles, we derive expressions quantifying the non-harmonic vibrational behavior of materials, which are rigorous yet easily evaluated from experimentally available data for the thermal expansion coefficient and the phonon density of states. These experimentally-derived quantities are valuable to benchmark first-principles theoretical predictions of harmonic and non-harmonic thermal behaviors using perturbation theory, ab initio molecular-dynamics, or Monte-Carlo simulations. In this study, we illustrate this analysis by computing the harmonic, dilational, and anharmonic contributions to the entropy, internal energy, and free energy of elemental aluminum and the ordered compound FeSi over a wide range of temperature. Our results agreemore » well with previous data in the literature and provide an efficient approach to estimate anharmonic effects in materials.« less

Modeling non-harmonic behavior of materials from experimental inelastic neutron scattering and thermal expansion measurements

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

Bansal, Dipanshu; Aref, Amjad; Dargush, Gary

Based on thermodynamic principles, we derive expressions quantifying the non-harmonic vibrational behavior of materials, which are rigorous yet easily evaluated from experimentally available data for the thermal expansion coefficient and the phonon density of states. These experimentally-derived quantities are valuable to benchmark first-principles theoretical predictions of harmonic and non-harmonic thermal behaviors using perturbation theory, ab initio molecular-dynamics, or Monte-Carlo simulations. In this study, we illustrate this analysis by computing the harmonic, dilational, and anharmonic contributions to the entropy, internal energy, and free energy of elemental aluminum and the ordered compound FeSi over a wide range of temperature. Our results agreemore » well with previous data in the literature and provide an efficient approach to estimate anharmonic effects in materials.« less

Observed fearlessness and positive parenting interact to predict childhood callous-unemotional behaviors among low-income boys.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S; Hyde, Luke W

2017-03-01

Callous-unemotional behaviors identify children at risk for severe and chronic antisocial behavior. Research is needed to establish pathways from temperament and parenting factors that give rise to callous-unemotional behaviors, including interactions of positive versus harsh parenting with child fearlessness. Multimethod data, including parent reports and observations of parent and child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal sample of low-income boys (N = 310) with assessments at 18, 24, and 42 months, and at ages 10-12 years old. Parent-reported callous-unemotional, oppositional, and attention-deficit factors were separable at 42 months. Callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at ages 10-12, accounting for earlier oppositional and attention-deficit behaviors and self-reported child delinquency at ages 10-12. Observations of fearlessness at 24 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months, but only when parents exhibited low observed levels of positive parenting. The interaction of fearlessness and low positive parenting indirectly predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 10-12 via callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months. Early fearlessness interacts with low positive parenting to predict early callous-unemotional behaviors, with lasting effects of this person-by-context interaction on callous-unemotional behaviors into late childhood. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

How Do Observational Scales Correlate the Ratings of Children's Behavior during Pediatric Procedural Sedation?

PubMed Central

Moura, Larissa da Silva

2016-01-01

Background. There is little information regarding the ability of observational scales to properly assess children's behavior during procedural sedation. Aim. To evaluate the characteristics of the Houpt scales, the Ohio State University Behavioral Rating Scale (OSUBRS) and the Venham Behavior Rating Scale when applied to preschool children undergoing conscious dental sedation. Design. This study included 27 children, 4–6 years old with early childhood caries that participated in a clinical trial (NCT02284204) that investigated two sedative regimes using oral midazolam/ketamine. Dental appointments were video-recorded; five calibrated observers assessed 1,209 minutes of video recording to score the children's behavior, following the instructions of the investigated scales. Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis and Spearman correlation tests (P < 0.05). Results. The Houpt overall behavior and the Venham scale were highly correlated (rho = −0.87; P < 0.001). OSUBRS scores were better correlated with Houpt overall behavior and Venham ratings, when compared to Houpt scores in the categories for movement and crying. Conclusions. The Houpt overall behavior and the Venham scores are global scales that properly measure children's behavior during dental sedation. Continuous assessment with OSUBRS through videos has a chance to give more precise data, while the Houpt categories can easily demonstrate children's behavior during procedures. PMID:28116299

The Effects of Safety Discrimination Training and Frequent Safety Observations on Safety-Related Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Matthew A.; Alvero, Alicia M.

2012-01-01

The intent of the present study was to assess the effects of discrimination training only and in combination with frequent safety observations on five participants' safety-related behavior in a simulated office setting. The study used a multiple-baseline design across safety-related behaviors. Across all participants and behavior, safety improved…

Peer Influence, Peer Status, and Prosocial Behavior: An Experimental Investigation of Peer Socialization of Adolescents’ Intentions to Volunteer

PubMed Central

Giletta, Matteo; Cohen, Geoffrey L.

2018-01-01

Peer influence processes have been documented extensively for a wide range of maladaptive adolescent behaviors. However, peer socialization is not inherently deleterious, and little is known about whether adolescents influence each other’s prosocial behaviors, or whether some peers are more influential than others towards positive youth outcomes. This study addressed these questions using an experimental “chat room” paradigm to examine in vivo peer influence of prosocial behavior endorsement. A school-based sample of 304 early adolescents (55 % female, 45 % male; Mage = 12.68) believed they were interacting electronically with same-gender grademates (i.e., “e-confederates”), whose peer status was experimentally manipulated. The participants’ intent to engage in prosocial behaviors was measured pre-experiment and in subsequent “public” and “private” experimental sessions. Overall, the adolescents conformed to the e-confederates’ prosocial responses in public; yet, these peer influence effects were moderated by the peer status of the e-confederates, such that youth more strongly conformed to the high-status e-confederates than to the low-status ones. There also was some evidence that these peer influence effects were maintained in the private session, indicating potential internalization of prosocial peer norms. These findings help bridge the positive youth development and peer influence literatures, with potential implications for campaigns to increase prosocial behaviors. PMID:26525387

An Experimental and Numerical Study on Cracking Behavior of Brittle Sandstone Containing Two Non-coplanar Fissures Under Uniaxial Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Sheng-Qi; Tian, Wen-Ling; Huang, Yan-Hua; Ranjith, P. G.; Ju, Yang

2016-04-01

To understand the fracture mechanism in all kinds of rock engineering, it is important to investigate the fracture evolution behavior of pre-fissured rock. In this research, we conducted uniaxial compression experiments to evaluate the influence of ligament angle on the strength, deformability, and fracture coalescence behavior of rectangular prismatic specimens (80 × 160 × 30 mm) of brittle sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures. The experimental results show that the peak strength of sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures depends on the ligament angle, but the elastic modulus is not closely related to the ligament angle. With the increase of ligament angle, the peak strength decreased at a ligament angle of 60°, before increasing up to our maximum ligament angle of 120°. Crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence were all observed and characterized from the inner and outer tips of pre-existing non-coplanar fissures using photographic monitoring. Based on the results, the sequence of crack evolution in sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures was analyzed in detail. In order to fully understand the crack evolution mechanism of brittle sandstone, numerical simulations using PFC2D were performed for specimens containing two non-coplanar fissures under uniaxial compression. The results are in good agreement with the experimental results. By analyzing the stress field, the crack evolution mechanism in brittle sandstone containing two non-coplanar fissures under uniaxial compression is revealed. These experimental and numerical results are expected to improve the understanding of the unstable fracture mechanism of fissured rock engineering structures.

The Effects of Training, Feedback, and Participant Involvement in Behavioral Safety Observations on Office Ergonomic Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasson, Joseph R.; Austin, John

2005-01-01

Eleven computer terminal operators participated in an experiment that assessed effects of several interventions aimed at increasing safe ergonomic performance. All participants received ergonomics training and performance feedback while six of them collected observations of safe behavior among the remaining five participants. Effects of…

Experimental data showing the thermal behavior of a flat roof with phase change material.

PubMed

Tokuç, Ayça; Başaran, Tahsin; Yesügey, S Cengiz

2015-12-01

The selection and configuration of building materials for optimal energy efficiency in a building require some assumptions and models for the thermal behavior of the utilized materials. Although the models for many materials can be considered acceptable for simulation and calculation purposes, the work for modeling the real time behavior of phase change materials is still under development. The data given in this article shows the thermal behavior of a flat roof element with a phase change material (PCM) layer. The temperature and energy given to and taken from the building element are reported. In addition the solid-liquid behavior of the PCM is tracked through images. The resulting thermal behavior of the phase change material is discussed and simulated in [1] A. Tokuç, T. Başaran, S.C. Yesügey, An experimental and numerical investigation on the use of phase change materials in building elements: the case of a flat roof in Istanbul, Build. Energy, vol. 102, 2015, pp. 91-104.

Experimental detection of long-distance interactions between biomolecules through their diffusion behavior: numerical study.

PubMed

Nardecchia, Ilaria; Spinelli, Lionel; Preto, Jordane; Gori, Matteo; Floriani, Elena; Jaeger, Sebastien; Ferrier, Pierre; Pettini, Marco

2014-08-01

The dynamical properties and diffusive behavior of a collection of mutually interacting particles are numerically investigated for two types of long-range interparticle interactions: Coulomb-electrostatic and dipole-electrodynamic. It is shown that when the particles are uniformly distributed throughout the accessible space, the self-diffusion coefficient is always lowered by the considered interparticle interactions, irrespective of their attractive or repulsive character. This fact is also confirmed by a simple model to compute the correction to the Brownian diffusion coefficient due to the interactions among the particles. These interactions are also responsible for the onset of dynamical chaos and an associated chaotic diffusion which still follows an Einstein-Fick-like law for the mean-square displacement as a function of time. Transitional phenomena are observed for Coulomb-electrostatic (repulsive) and dipole-electrodynamic (attractive) interactions considered both separately and in competition. The outcomes reported in this paper clearly indicate a feasible experimental method to probe the activation of resonant electrodynamic interactions among biomolecules.

INSTITUTIONS AND BEHAVIOR: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF DEMOCRACY

PubMed Central

Bó, Pedro Dal; Foster, Andrew; Putterman, Louis

2013-01-01

A novel experiment is used to show that the effect of a policy on the level of cooperation is greater when it is chosen democratically by the subjects than when it is exogenously imposed. In contrast to the previous literature, our experimental design allows us to control for selection effects (e.g. those who choose the policy may be affected differently by it). Our finding implies that democratic institutions may affect behavior directly in addition to having effects through the choice of policies. Our findings have implications for the generalizability of the results of randomized policy interventions. PMID:25076785

Mother-Child Interactions and Childhood OCD: Effects of CBT on Mother and Child Observed Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlup, Barbara; Farrell, Lara; Barrett, Paula

2011-01-01

This waitlist-controlled study investigates the impact of a group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy with family involvement (CBT-F) on observed mother and child behaviors in children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Forty-four children and adolescents with OCD and their mothers were observed during family discussions before and after…

Experimental observation of the asymmetric instability of intermediate-reduced-volume vesicles in extensional flow.

PubMed

Dahl, Joanna B; Narsimhan, Vivek; Gouveia, Bernardo; Kumar, Sanjay; Shaqfeh, Eric S G; Muller, Susan J

2016-04-20

Vesicles provide an attractive model system to understand the deformation of living cells in response to mechanical forces. These simple, enclosed lipid bilayer membranes are suitable for complementary theoretical, numerical, and experimental analysis. A recent study [Narsimhan, Spann, Shaqfeh, J. Fluid Mech., 2014, 750, 144] predicted that intermediate-aspect-ratio vesicles extend asymmetrically in extensional flow. Upon infinitesimal perturbation to the vesicle shape, the vesicle stretches into an asymmetric dumbbell with a cylindrical thread separating the two ends. While the symmetric stretching of high-aspect-ratio vesicles in extensional flow has been observed and characterized [Kantsler, Segre, Steinberg, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2008, 101, 048101] as well as recapitulated in numerical simulations by Narsimhan et al., experimental observation of the asymmetric stretching has not been reported. In this work, we present results from microfluidic cross-slot experiments observing this instability, along with careful characterization of the flow field, vesicle shape, and vesicle bending modulus. The onset of this shape transition depends on two non-dimensional parameters: reduced volume (a measure of vesicle asphericity) and capillary number (ratio of viscous to bending forces). We observed that every intermediate-reduced-volume vesicle that extends forms a dumbbell shape that is indeed asymmetric. For the subset of the intermediate-reduced-volume regime we could capture experimentally, we present an experimental phase diagram for asymmetric vesicle stretching that is consistent with the predictions of Narsimhan et al.

Experimental investigation of damage behavior of RC frame members including non-seismically designed columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Linzhi; Lu, Xilin; Jiang, Huanjun; Zheng, Jianbo

2009-06-01

Reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures are one of the mostly common used structural systems, and their seismic performance is largely determined by the performance of columns and beams. This paper describes horizontal cyclic loading tests of ten column and three beam specimens, some of which were designed according to the current seismic design code and others were designed according to the early non-seismic Chinese design code, aiming at reporting the behavior of the damaged or collapsed RC frame strctures observed during the Wenchuan earthquake. The effects of axial load ratio, shear span ratio, and transverse and longitudinal reinforcement ratio on hysteresis behavior, ductility and damage progress were incorporated in the experimental study. Test results indicate that the non-seismically designed columns show premature shear failure, and yield larger maximum residual crack widths and more concrete spalling than the seismically designed columns. In addition, longitudinal steel reinforcement rebars were severely buckled. The axial load ratio and shear span ratio proved to be the most important factors affecting the ductility, crack opening width and closing ability, while the longitudinal reinforcement ratio had only a minor effect on column ductility, but exhibited more influence on beam ductility. Finally, the transverse reinforcement ratio did not influence the maximum residual crack width and closing ability of the seismically designed columns.

Alternating Renewal Process Models for Behavioral Observation: Simulation Methods, Software, and Validity Illustrations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pustejovsky, James E.; Runyon, Christopher

2014-01-01

Direct observation recording procedures produce reductive summary measurements of an underlying stream of behavior. Previous methodological studies of these recording procedures have employed simulation methods for generating random behavior streams, many of which amount to special cases of a statistical model known as the alternating renewal…

Preschool Children's Observed Disruptive Behavior: Variations across Sex, Interactional Context, and Disruptive Psychopathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Sarah A. O.; Carter, Alice S.; Briggs-Gowan, Margaret J.; Hill, Carri; Danis, Barbara; Keenan, Kate; Wakschlag, Lauren S.

2012-01-01

Sex differences in disruptive behavior and sensitivity to social context are documented, but the intersection between them is rarely examined empirically. This report focuses on sex differences in observed disruptive behavior across interactional contexts and diagnostic status. Preschoolers (n = 327) were classified as nondisruptive (51%),…

The impact of threat appeals on fear arousal and driver behavior: a meta-analysis of experimental research 1990-2011.

PubMed

Carey, Rachel N; McDermott, Daragh T; Sarma, Kiran M

2013-01-01

The existing empirical research exploring the impact of threat appeals on driver behavior has reported inconsistent findings. In an effort to provide an up-to-date synthesis of the experimental findings, meta-analytic techniques were employed to examine the impact of threat-based messages on fear arousal and on lab-based indices of driving behavior. Experimental studies (k = 13, N = 3044), conducted between 1990 and 2011, were included in the analyses. The aims of the current analysis were (a) to examine whether or not the experimental manipulations had a significant impact on evoked fear, (b) to examine the impact of threat appeals on three distinct indices of driving, and (c) to identify moderators and mediators of the relationship between fear and driving outcomes. Large effects emerged for the level of fear evoked, with experimental groups reporting increased fear arousal in comparison to control groups (r = .64, n = 619, p<.01). The effect of threat appeals on driving outcomes, however, was not significant (r = .03, p = .17). This analysis of the experimental literature indicates that threat appeals can lead to increased fear arousal, but do not appear to have the desired impact on driving behavior. We discuss these findings in the context of threat-based road safety campaigns and future directions for experimental research in this area.

Experimental evaluation of shark detection rates by aerial observers.

PubMed

Robbins, William D; Peddemors, Victor M; Kennelly, Steven J; Ives, Matthew C

2014-01-01

Aerial surveys are a recognised technique to identify the presence and abundance of marine animals. However, the capability of aerial observers to reliably sight coastal sharks has not been previously assessed, nor have differences in sighting rates between aircraft types been examined. In this study we investigated the ability of observers in fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft to sight 2.5 m artificial shark analogues placed at known depths and positions. Initial tests revealed that the shark analogues could only be detected at shallow depths, averaging only 2.5 m and 2.7 m below the water surface for observers in fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, respectively. We then deployed analogues at shallower depths along a 5 km-long grid, and assessed their sightability to aircraft observers through a series of transects flown within 500 m. Analogues were seen infrequently from all distances, with overall sighting rates of only 12.5% and 17.1% for fixed-wing and helicopter observers, respectively. Although helicopter observers had consistently higher success rates of sighting analogues within 250 m of their flight path, neither aircraft observers sighted more than 9% of analogues deployed over 300 m from their flight paths. Modelling of sighting rates against environmental and experimental variables indicated that observations were affected by distance, aircraft type, sun glare and sea conditions, while the range of water turbidities observed had no effect. We conclude that aerial observers have limited ability to detect the presence of submerged animals such as sharks, particularly when the sharks are deeper than ∼ 2.6 m, or over 300 m distant from the aircraft's flight path, especially during sunny or windy days. The low rates of detections found in this study cast serious doubts on the use of aerial beach patrols as an effective early-warning system to prevent shark attacks.

Experimental Evaluation of Shark Detection Rates by Aerial Observers

PubMed Central

Robbins, William D.; Peddemors, Victor M.; Kennelly, Steven J.; Ives, Matthew C.

2014-01-01

Aerial surveys are a recognised technique to identify the presence and abundance of marine animals. However, the capability of aerial observers to reliably sight coastal sharks has not been previously assessed, nor have differences in sighting rates between aircraft types been examined. In this study we investigated the ability of observers in fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft to sight 2.5 m artificial shark analogues placed at known depths and positions. Initial tests revealed that the shark analogues could only be detected at shallow depths, averaging only 2.5 m and 2.7 m below the water surface for observers in fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, respectively. We then deployed analogues at shallower depths along a 5 km-long grid, and assessed their sightability to aircraft observers through a series of transects flown within 500 m. Analogues were seen infrequently from all distances, with overall sighting rates of only 12.5% and 17.1% for fixed-wing and helicopter observers, respectively. Although helicopter observers had consistently higher success rates of sighting analogues within 250 m of their flight path, neither aircraft observers sighted more than 9% of analogues deployed over 300 m from their flight paths. Modelling of sighting rates against environmental and experimental variables indicated that observations were affected by distance, aircraft type, sun glare and sea conditions, while the range of water turbidities observed had no effect. We conclude that aerial observers have limited ability to detect the presence of submerged animals such as sharks, particularly when the sharks are deeper than ∼2.6 m, or over 300 m distant from the aircraft's flight path, especially during sunny or windy days. The low rates of detections found in this study cast serious doubts on the use of aerial beach patrols as an effective early-warning system to prevent shark attacks. PMID:24498258

Transitional behavior of different energy protons based on Van Allen Probes observations

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

Yue, Chao; Bortnik, Jacob; Chen, Lunjin

Understanding the dynamical behavior of ~1 eV to 50 keV ions and identifying the energies at which the morphologies transit are important in that they involve the relative intensities and distributions of the large-scale electric and magnetic fields, the outflow, and recombination rates. However, there have been only few direct observational investigations of the transition in drift behaviors of different energy ions before the Van Allen Probes era. In this paper, we statistically analyze ~1 eV to 50 keV hydrogen (H +) differential flux distributions near geomagnetic equator by using Van Allen Probes observations to investigate the H + dynamicsmore » under the regulation of large-scale electric and magnetic fields. Our survey clearly indicates three types of H + behaviors within different energy ranges, which is consistent with previous theory predictions. Finally, using simple electric and magnetic field models in UBK coordinates, we have further constrained the source regions of different energy ions and their drift directions.« less

Transitional behavior of different energy protons based on Van Allen Probes observations

DOE PAGES

Yue, Chao; Bortnik, Jacob; Chen, Lunjin; ...

2016-12-09

Understanding the dynamical behavior of ~1 eV to 50 keV ions and identifying the energies at which the morphologies transit are important in that they involve the relative intensities and distributions of the large-scale electric and magnetic fields, the outflow, and recombination rates. However, there have been only few direct observational investigations of the transition in drift behaviors of different energy ions before the Van Allen Probes era. In this paper, we statistically analyze ~1 eV to 50 keV hydrogen (H +) differential flux distributions near geomagnetic equator by using Van Allen Probes observations to investigate the H + dynamicsmore » under the regulation of large-scale electric and magnetic fields. Our survey clearly indicates three types of H + behaviors within different energy ranges, which is consistent with previous theory predictions. Finally, using simple electric and magnetic field models in UBK coordinates, we have further constrained the source regions of different energy ions and their drift directions.« less

Fine Scale Baleen Whale Behavior Observed Via Tagging Over Daily Time Scales

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Fine Scale Baleen Whale Behavior Observed Via Tagging...followed over time scales of days from an oceanographic vessel so that environmental sampling can be conducted in proximity to the tagged whale ...characterize the relationship between diel variability in the foraging behavior of baleen whales (North Atlantic right whales and sei whales ) and the

Experimental investigation of the influence of internal frames on the vibroacoustic behavior of a stiffened cylindrical shell using wavenumber analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, V.; Maxit, L.; Renou, Y.; Audoly, C.

2017-09-01

The understanding of the influence of non-axisymmetric internal frames on the vibroacoustic behavior of a stiffened cylindrical shell is of high interest for the naval or aeronautic industries. Several numerical studies have shown that the non-axisymmetric internal frame can increase the radiation efficiency significantly in the case of a mechanical point force. However, less attention has been paid to the experimental verification of this statement. That is why this paper proposes to compare the radiation efficiency estimated experimentally for a stiffened cylindrical shell with and without internal frames. The experimental process is based on scanning laser vibrometer measurements of the vibrations on the surface of the shell. A transform of the vibratory field in the wavenumber domain is then performed. It allows estimating the far-field radiated pressure with the stationary phase theorem. An increase of the radiation efficiency is observed in the low frequencies. Analysis of the velocity field in the physical and wavenumber spaces allows highlighting the coupling of the circumferential orders at the origin of the increase in the radiation efficiency.

Experimental land observing data system feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckley, J. L.; Kraiman, H.

1982-01-01

An end-to-end data system to support a Shuttle-based Multispectral Linear Array (MLA) mission in the mid-1980's was defined. The experimental Land Observing System (ELOS) is discussed. A ground system that exploits extensive assets from the LANDSAT-D Program to effectively meet the objectives of the ELOS Mission was defined. The goal of 10 meter pixel precision, the variety of data acquisition capabilities, and the use of Shuttle are key to the mission requirements, Ground mission management functions are met through the use of GSFC's Multi-Satellite Operations Control Center (MSOCC). The MLA Image Generation Facility (MIGF) combines major hardware elements from the Applications Development Data System (ADDS) facility and LANDSAT Assessment System (LAS) with a special purpose MLA interface unit. LANDSAT-D image processing techniques, adapted to MLA characteristics, form the basis for the use of existing software and the definition of new software required.

Alliance-focused therapy for anorexia nervosa: integrative relational and behavioral change treatments in a single-case experimental design.

PubMed

Satir, Dana A; Goodman, David M; Shingleton, Rebecca M; Porcerelli, John H; Gorman, Bernard S; Pratt, Elizabeth M; Barlow, David H; Thompson-Brenner, Heather

2011-12-01

Evidence supporting outpatient treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN) is severely lacking, due to low retention and poor outcome. One explanation for drop-out is weak treatment alliances. A single-case experimental analysis accompanied by in-depth qualitative description is presented for Ms. O, who received a novel treatment for AN called Alliance Focused Treatment (AFT) that attends to ruptures in the alliance, interpersonal difficulties and emotional avoidance. At intake Ms. O met diagnostic criteria for AN, Major Depressive Disorder, and Social Phobia. She was characterized as having symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive, Avoidant, and Depressive personality disorders. Treatment began with a Baseline followed by the experimental (AFT) and comparison treatments (Behavioral Change Treatment [BCT]) using a replicated experimental single-case phase change design. Graphs of slopes of kilocalorie and alliance change facilitated observation of treatment effects. Ms. O participated in 16 sessions of AFT and 8 sessions of BCT with specific benefits. Ratings of the treatment alliance were consistently high and she evidenced significant changes in weight, quality of life, and personality pathology. Associations between rupture/repair episodes and kilocalorie increases were observed. The utility of the treatment relationship in facilitating emotional expression was evident. At posttreatment, Ms. O endorsed cognitive AN symptoms, although these were not explicitly treated. This study provides preliminary support for the feasibility and effect of AFT and BCT, and highlights the importance of the alliance in treating adults with AN. Further research on emotion regulation in AN and its effect on the treatment relationship are needed.

Progresses on the Intensive Observation Period of Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xin; Li, Xiaowen; Li, Zengyuan; Ma, Mingguo; Wang, Jian; Liu, Qiang; Xiao, Qing; Chen, Erxue; Che, Tao; Hu, Zeyong

2010-05-01

The Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (WATER) is an intensively simultaneous airborne, satellite-borne and ground based remote sensing experiment aiming to improve the observability, understanding, and predictability of hydrological and related ecological processes at catchment scale. It was taken place in the Heihe River Basin, the second largest inland river basin in the arid regions of northwest China. WATER consists of the cold region, forest, and arid region hydrological experiments as well as a hydrometeorology experiment. It was divided into 4 phases, namely, the experiment planning period, pre-observation period, intensive observation period (IOP) and persistent observation period. The field campaigns have been completed, with the IOP lasting from March 7 to April 12, May 15 to July 22, and August 23 to September 5, 2008, in total, 120 days, more than 280 individuals of scientists, engineers, students, and aircrews from 28 different institutes and universities were involved in. A total of 26 airborne missions, about 110 hours were flown. Airborne sensors including microwave radiometers at L, K and Ka bands, imaging spectrometer, thermal imager, CCD and LIDAR were used. Ground measurements were carried out concurrently with the airborne and space-borne remote sensing at four scales, i.e., key experimental area, foci experimental area, experiment site and elementary sampling plot. A network of hydro meteorological and flux observations was established in the upper and middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin. The network was composed of 12 super Automatic Meteorological Stations (AMS), 6 Eddy Covariance (EC) systems, 2 Large Aperture Scintillometers (LAS), and plenty of China Meteorological Administration (CMA) operational meteorological and hydrological stations. Additionally, we also used ground-based remote sensing instruments, such as Doppler Radar, ground based microwave radiometer and truck-mounted scatterometer and lots of auto

Measures of Reliability in Behavioral Observation: The Advantage of "Real Time" Data Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollenbeck, Albert R.; Slaby, Ronald G.

Two observers who were using an electronic digital data acquisition system were spot checked for reliability at random times over a four month period. Between-and within-observer reliability was assessed for frequency, duration, and duration-per-event measures of four infant behaviors. The results confirmed the problem of observer drift--the…

Evaluating Amazon's Mechanical Turk as a Tool for Experimental Behavioral Research

PubMed Central

Crump, Matthew J. C.; McDonnell, John V.; Gureckis, Todd M.

2013-01-01

Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) is an online crowdsourcing service where anonymous online workers complete web-based tasks for small sums of money. The service has attracted attention from experimental psychologists interested in gathering human subject data more efficiently. However, relative to traditional laboratory studies, many aspects of the testing environment are not under the experimenter's control. In this paper, we attempt to empirically evaluate the fidelity of the AMT system for use in cognitive behavioral experiments. These types of experiment differ from simple surveys in that they require multiple trials, sustained attention from participants, comprehension of complex instructions, and millisecond accuracy for response recording and stimulus presentation. We replicate a diverse body of tasks from experimental psychology including the Stroop, Switching, Flanker, Simon, Posner Cuing, attentional blink, subliminal priming, and category learning tasks using participants recruited using AMT. While most of replications were qualitatively successful and validated the approach of collecting data anonymously online using a web-browser, others revealed disparity between laboratory results and online results. A number of important lessons were encountered in the process of conducting these replications that should be of value to other researchers. PMID:23516406

An Experimental Study of Risk Taking Behavior among Adolescents: A Closer Look at Peer and Sex Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Boer, Anouk; Peeters, Margot; Koning, Ina

2017-01-01

In this experimental study, it was examined to what extent peers and sex were important predictors of risk taking behavior of adolescents. Participants were 140 Dutch adolescents (52.9% boys, 12-15 years) who completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) as a measure of risk taking behavior, either individually or in the presence of homogenous…

Experimental Evaluation of Behavioral Activation Treatment of Anxiety (BATA) in Three Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Jarrod S.; Leach, David J.

2010-01-01

This report describes three single-case experimental evaluations of Behavioral Activation Treatment of Anxiety (BATA) applied with a 51-year-old male, a 62-year-old female, and a 53-year-old female, each of whom met DSM-IV criteria for anxiety. Each case was a clinical replication of an initial trial of BATA reported in Turner and Leach (2009).…

Found in translation: understanding the biology and behavior of experimental traumatic brain injury

PubMed Central

Bondi, Corina O.; Semple, Bridgette D.; Noble-Haeusslein, Linda J.; Osier, Nicole D.; Carlson, Shaun W.; Dixon, C. Edward; Giza, Christopher C.; Kline, Anthony E.

2014-01-01

BONDI, C.O., B.D. Semple, L.J. Noble-Haeusslein, N.D. Osier, S.W. Carlson, C.E. Dixon, C.C. Giza and A.E. Kline. Found in translation: understanding the biology and behavior of experimental traumatic brain injury. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV. The aim of this review is to discuss in greater detail the topics covered in the recent symposium entitled “Traumatic brain injury: laboratory and clinical perspectives,” presented at the 2014 International Behavioral Neuroscience Society annual meeting. Herein we review contemporary laboratory models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) including common assays for sensorimotor and cognitive behavior. New modalities to evaluate social behavior after injury to the developing brain, as well as the attentional set-shifting test (AST) as a measure of executive function in TBI, will be highlighted. Environmental enrichment (EE) will be discussed as a preclinical model of neurorehabilitation, and finally, an evidence-based approach to sports-related concussion will be considered. The review consists predominantly of published data, but some discussion of ongoing or future directions is provided. PMID:25496906

Experimental Observations of Localization Phenomena in Sands: Plane Strain Versus Triaxial Compression Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alshibli, Khalid A.; Batiste, Susan N.; Sture, Stein; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted to investigate the effects of loading condition and confining pressure on strength properties and instability phenomena in sands. A uniform sub-rounded to rounded natural silica sand known as F-75 Ottawa sand was used in the investigation. The results of a series on Conventional Triaxial Compression (CTC) experiments tested under very low confining pressures (0.05 - 1.30) kPa tested in a Microgravity environment abroad the NASA Space Shuttle are presented in addition to the results similar specimens tested in terrestrial laboratory to investigate the effect of confining pressure on the constitutive behavior of sands. The behavior of the CTC experiments is compared with the results of Plane Strain (PS) experiments. Computed tomography and other digital imaging techniques were used to study the development and evolution of shear bands.

Interaction between interleukin-1β and type-1 cannabinoid receptor is involved in anxiety-like behavior in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

PubMed

Gentile, Antonietta; Fresegna, Diego; Musella, Alessandra; Sepman, Helena; Bullitta, Silvia; De Vito, Francesca; Fantozzi, Roberta; Usiello, Alessandro; Maccarrone, Mauro; Mercuri, Nicola B; Lutz, Beat; Mandolesi, Georgia; Centonze, Diego

2016-09-02

Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression, are frequently diagnosed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, even independently of the disabling symptoms associated with the disease. Anatomical, biochemical, and pharmacological evidence indicates that type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) is implicated in the control of emotional behavior and is modulated during inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases such as MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We investigated whether CB1R could exert a role in anxiety-like behavior in mice with EAE. We performed behavioral, pharmacological, and electrophysiological experiments to explore the link between central inflammation, mood, and CB1R function in EAE. We observed that EAE-induced anxiety was associated with the downregulation of CB1R-mediated control of striatal GABA synaptic transmission and was exacerbated in mice lacking CB1R (CB1R-KO mice). Central blockade of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) reversed the anxiety-like phenotype of EAE mice, an effect associated with the concomitant rescue of dopamine (DA)-regulated spontaneous behavior, and DA-CB1R neurotransmission, leading to the rescue of striatal CB1R sensitivity. Overall, results of the present investigation indicate that synaptic dysfunction linked to CB1R is involved in EAE-related anxiety and motivation-based behavior and contribute to clarify the complex neurobiological mechanisms underlying mood disorders associated to MS.

The Journal of The Experimental Analysis of Behavior at Fifty

PubMed Central

Laties, Victor G

2008-01-01

The Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior was founded in 1958 by a group of male psychologists, mainly from the northeastern USA and connected with either Harvard or Columbia. Fifty years later about 20% of both editors and authors reside outside this country and almost the same proportion is made up of women. Other changes in the journal include having its own website for more than a decade and now publishing online as well as on paper. A recent connection with PubMed Central of the National Library of Medicine has made possible the completely free electronic presentation of the entire archive of about 3,800 articles. PMID:18338677

Systematic Observation of an Expert Driver's Gaze Strategy—An On-Road Case Study

PubMed Central

Lappi, Otto; Rinkkala, Paavo; Pekkanen, Jami

2017-01-01

In this paper we present and qualitatively analyze an expert driver's gaze behavior in natural driving on a real road, with no specific experimental task or instruction. Previous eye tracking research on naturalistic tasks has revealed recurring patterns of gaze behavior that are surprisingly regular and repeatable. Lappi (2016) identified in the literature seven “qualitative laws of gaze behavior in the wild”: recurring patterns that tend to go together, the more so the more naturalistic the setting, all of them expected in extended sequences of fully naturalistic behavior. However, no study to date has observed all in a single experiment. Here, we wanted to do just that: present observations supporting all the “laws” in a single behavioral sequence by a single subject. We discuss the laws in terms of unresolved issues in driver modeling and open challenges for experimental and theoretical development. PMID:28496422

Tropical behavior of mesospheric ozone as observed by SMM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aikin, A. C.; Kendig, D. J.

1992-01-01

The seasonal behavior of low latitude mesospheric ozone, as observed by the SMM satellite solar occultation experiment, is detailed for the 1985-1989 period. Annual as well as semi-annual waves are observed in the 50-70 km altitude region. In the latitude range of +/- 30 deg the ozone phase and amplitude are functions of temperature and seasonal changes in solar flux. Temperature is the controlling factor for the equatorial region and seasonal changes in solar flux become more dominant at latitudes outside the equatorial zone (greater than +/- 15 deg). There is a hemispheric asymmetry in the ozone annual wave in the 20-30 deg region, with Northern Hemispheric ozone having a larger amplitude than Southern Hemispheric ozone.

Cosmic ray experimental observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubrahmanyan, V. K.; Mcdonald, F. B.

1974-01-01

The current experimental situation in cosmic ray studies is discussed, with special emphasis on the development of new detector systems. Topics covered are the techniques for particle identification, energy measurements, gas Cerenkov counters, magnet spectrometers, ionization spectrometers, track detectors, nuclear emulsions, multiparameter analysis using arrays of detectors, the Goddard ionization spectrometer, charge spectra, relative abundances, isotope composition, antinuclei in cosmic rays, electrons, the measurement of cosmic ray arrival directions, and the prehistory of cosmic rays.

Observer Error when Measuring Safety-Related Behavior: Momentary Time Sampling versus Whole-Interval Recording

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Matthew A.; Skourides, Andreas; Alvero, Alicia M.

2012-01-01

Interval recording procedures are used by persons who collect data through observation to estimate the cumulative occurrence and nonoccurrence of behavior/events. Although interval recording procedures can increase the efficiency of observational data collection, they can also induce error from the observer. In the present study, 50 observers were…

A century of meteorological observations at Fort Valley Experimental Forest: A cooperative observer program success story (P-53)

Treesearch

Daniel P. Huebner; Susan D. Olberding; Byron Peterson; Dino DeSimone

2008-01-01

Meteorological observations at Fort Valley Experimental Forest began with its establishment as early silvicultural research made heavy use of meteorological data. The Fort Valley weather data represent the longest climatological record for northern Arizona with records dating back to 1909. Importance of long term meteorological records and access to the weather record...

American black bear denning behavior: Observations and applications using remote photography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bridges, A.S.; Fox, J.A.; Olfenbuttel, C.; Vaughan, M.B.

2004-01-01

Researchers examining American black bear (Ursus americanus) denning behavior have relied primarily on den-site visitation and radiotelemetry to gather data. Repeated den-site visits are time-intensive and may disturb denning bears, possibly causing den abandonment, whereas radiotelemetry is sufficient only to provide gross data on den emergence. We used remote cameras to examine black bear denning behavior in the Allegheny Mountains of western Virginia during March-May 2003. We deployed cameras at 10 den sites and used 137 pictures of black bears. Adult female black bears exhibited greater extra-den activity than we expected prior to final den emergence, which occurred between April 12 and May 6, 2003. Our technique provided more accurate den-emergence estimation than previously published methodologies. Additionally, we observed seldom-documented behaviors associated with den exits and estimated cub age at den emergence. Remote cameras can provide unique insights into denning ecology, and we describe their potential application to reproductive, survival, and behavioral research.

Active behavior of abdominal wall muscles: Experimental results and numerical model formulation.

PubMed

Grasa, J; Sierra, M; Lauzeral, N; Muñoz, M J; Miana-Mena, F J; Calvo, B

2016-08-01

In the present study a computational finite element technique is proposed to simulate the mechanical response of muscles in the abdominal wall. This technique considers the active behavior of the tissue taking into account both collagen and muscle fiber directions. In an attempt to obtain the computational response as close as possible to real muscles, the parameters needed to adjust the mathematical formulation were determined from in vitro experimental tests. Experiments were conducted on male New Zealand White rabbits (2047±34g) and the active properties of three different muscles: Rectus Abdominis, External Oblique and multi-layered samples formed by three muscles (External Oblique, Internal Oblique, and Transversus Abdominis) were characterized. The parameters obtained for each muscle were incorporated into a finite strain formulation to simulate active behavior of muscles incorporating the anisotropy of the tissue. The results show the potential of the model to predict the anisotropic behavior of the tissue associated to fibers and how this influences on the strain, stress and generated force during an isometric contraction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental study of thermo-mechanical behavior of a thermosetting shape-memory polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ruoxuan; Li, Yunxin; Liu, Zishun

2018-01-01

The thermo-mechanical behavior of shape-memory polymers (SMPs) serves for the engineering applications of SMPs. Therefore the understanding of thermo-mechanical behavior of SMPs is of great importance. This paper investigates the influence of loading rate and loading level on the thermo-mechanical behavior of a thermosetting shape-memory polymer through experimental study. A series of cyclic tension tests and shape recovery tests at different loading conditions are performed to study the strain level and strain rate effect. The results of tension tests show that the thermosetting shape-memory polymer will behave as rubber material at temperature lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg) and it can obtain a large shape fix ratio at cyclic loading condition. The shape recovery tests exhibit that loading rate and loading level have little effect on the beginning and ending of shape recovery process of the thermosetting shape-memory polymer. Compared with the material which is deformed at temperature higher than Tg, the material deformed at temperature lower than Tg behaves a bigger recovery speed.

Behavioral observation differentiates the effects of an intervention to promote sleep in premature infants: a pilot study.

PubMed

Lacina, Linda; Casper, Tammy; Dixon, Melodie; Harmeyer, Joann; Haberman, Beth; Alberts, Jeffrey R; Simakajornboon, Narong; Visscher, Marty O

2015-02-01

Sleep and ongoing cycling of sleep states are required for neurosensory processing, learning, and brain plasticity. Many aspects of neonatal intensive care environments such as handling for routine and invasive procedures, bright lighting, and noise can create stress, disrupt behavior, and interfere with sleep in prematurely born infants. The study empirically investigated whether a 30-minute observation of infant sleep states and behavior could differentiate an intervention to promote sleep in premature infants with feeding difficulties relative to conventional care (standard positioning, standard crib mattress [SP]). We included an intervention to determine the ability of the method to discriminate treatments and generate a benchmark for future improvements. The intervention, a conformational positioner (CP), is contoured around the infant to provide customized containment and boundaries. To more fully verify the 30-minute observational sleep results, standard polysomnography was conducted simultaneously and sleep outcomes for the 2 modalities were compared. In a randomized crossover clinical trial, 25 infants, 31.5 ± 0.6 weeks' gestational age and 38.4 ± 0.6 weeks at the study, with gastrointestinal conditions or general feeding difficulties used each intervention during an overnight neonatal intensive care unit sleep study. Infant sleep states and behaviors were observed during two 30-minute periods--that is, on the positioner and mattress--using the naturalistic observation of newborn behavior. Two certified developmental care nurses assessed sleep state, self-regulatory, and stress behaviors during 2-minute intervals and summed over 30 minutes. Sleep characteristics from standard polysomnography were measured at the time of behavior observations. Infants on CP spent significantly less time in alert, active awake, or crying states by observation compared with SP. Surgical subjects spent more time awake, active awake, or crying and displayed a higher number

Experimental Study on the Growth, Coalescence and Wrapping Behaviors of 3D Cross-Embedded Flaws Under Uniaxial Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiao-Ping; Zhang, Jian-Zhi; Wong, Louis Ngai Yuen

2018-05-01

The crack initiation, growth, wrapping and coalescence of two 3D pre-existing cross-embedded flaws in PMMA specimens under uniaxial compression are investigated. The stress-strain curves of PMMA specimens with 3D cross-embedded flaws are obtained. The tested PMMA specimens exhibit dominant elastic deformation and eventual brittle failure. The experimental results show that four modes of crack initiation and five modes of crack coalescence are observed. The initiations of oblique secondary crack and anti-wing crack in 3D cracking behaviors are first reported as well as the coalescence of anti-wing cracks. Moreover, two types of crack wrapping are found. Substantial wrapping of petal cracks, which includes open and closed modes of wrapping, appears to be the major difference between 2D and 3D cracking behaviors of pre-existing flaws, which are also first reported. Petal crack wraps symmetrically from either the propagated wing cracks or the coalesced wing cracks. Besides, only limited growth of petal cracks is observed, and ultimate failure of specimens is induced by the further growth of the propagated wing crack. The fracture mechanism of the tested PMMA specimens is finally revealed. In addition, the initiation stress and the peak stress versus the geometry of two 3D pre-existing cross-embedded flaws are also investigated in detail.

Experimental and simulation studies on the behavior of signal harmonics in magnetic particle imaging.

PubMed

Murase, Kenya; Konishi, Takashi; Takeuchi, Yuki; Takata, Hiroshige; Saito, Shigeyoshi

2013-07-01

Our purpose in this study was to investigate the behavior of signal harmonics in magnetic particle imaging (MPI) by experimental and simulation studies. In the experimental studies, we made an apparatus for MPI in which both a drive magnetic field (DMF) and a selection magnetic field (SMF) were generated with a Maxwell coil pair. The MPI signals from magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were detected with a solenoid coil. The odd- and even-numbered harmonics were calculated by Fourier transformation with or without background subtraction. The particle size of the MNPs was measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light-scattering, and X-ray diffraction methods. In the simulation studies, the magnetization and particle size distribution of MNPs were assumed to obey the Langevin theory of paramagnetism and a log-normal distribution, respectively. The odd- and even-numbered harmonics were calculated by Fourier transformation under various conditions of DMF and SMF and for three different particle sizes. The behavior of the harmonics largely depended on the size of the MNPs. When we used the particle size obtained from the TEM image, the simulation results were most similar to the experimental results. The similarity between the experimental and simulation results for the even-numbered harmonics was better than that for the odd-numbered harmonics. This was considered to be due to the fact that the odd-numbered harmonics were more sensitive to background subtraction than were the even-numbered harmonics. This study will be useful for a better understanding, optimization, and development of MPI and for designing MNPs appropriate for MPI.

Imagine-Self Perspective-Taking and Rational Self-Interested Behavior in a Simple Experimental Normal-Form Game.

PubMed

Karbowski, Adam; Ramsza, Michał

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between imagine-self perspective-taking and rational self-interested behavior in experimental normal-form games. Drawing on the concept of sympathy developed by Adam Smith and further literature on perspective-taking in games, we hypothesize that introduction of imagine-self perspective-taking by decision-makers promotes rational self-interested behavior in a simple experimental normal-form game. In our study, we examined behavior of 404 undergraduate students in the two-person game, in which the participant can suffer a monetary loss only if she plays her Nash equilibrium strategy and the opponent plays her dominated strategy. Results suggest that the threat of suffering monetary losses effectively discourages the participants from choosing Nash equilibrium strategy. In general, players may take into account that opponents choose dominated strategies due to specific not self-interested motivations or errors. However, adopting imagine-self perspective by the participants leads to more Nash equilibrium choices, perhaps by alleviating participants' attributions of susceptibility to errors or non-self-interested motivation to the opponents.

Imagine-Self Perspective-Taking and Rational Self-Interested Behavior in a Simple Experimental Normal-Form Game

PubMed Central

Karbowski, Adam; Ramsza, Michał

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between imagine-self perspective-taking and rational self-interested behavior in experimental normal-form games. Drawing on the concept of sympathy developed by Adam Smith and further literature on perspective-taking in games, we hypothesize that introduction of imagine-self perspective-taking by decision-makers promotes rational self-interested behavior in a simple experimental normal-form game. In our study, we examined behavior of 404 undergraduate students in the two-person game, in which the participant can suffer a monetary loss only if she plays her Nash equilibrium strategy and the opponent plays her dominated strategy. Results suggest that the threat of suffering monetary losses effectively discourages the participants from choosing Nash equilibrium strategy. In general, players may take into account that opponents choose dominated strategies due to specific not self-interested motivations or errors. However, adopting imagine-self perspective by the participants leads to more Nash equilibrium choices, perhaps by alleviating participants’ attributions of susceptibility to errors or non-self-interested motivation to the opponents. PMID:28955276

Emulating Real-Life Situations with a Play Task to Observe Parenting Skills and Child Behaviors

PubMed Central

Rusby, Julie C.; Metzler, Carol W.; Sanders, Matthew R.; Crowley, Ryann

2015-01-01

Play tasks that use standardized procedures and materials are a practical way to assess parenting skills, child behaviors, and the ways in which parents and children interact. We describe a systematic process for developing the Parent–Child Play Task (PCPT) to assess mother–child interactions for a randomized controlled trial on a video-based parenting program. Participants are 307 mothers and their 3-through 6-year-old children who present oppositional and disruptive behavior challenges. The validity of the PCPT was investigated by testing (a) the extent to which the tasks elicit the specific parent and child behaviors of interest, (b) the consistency of individuals’ behavior across the play tasks, and (c) the concurrent associations of the PCPT observed child behaviors and mother reports of child behavior. The different tasks elicited the mother and child behaviors that they were designed to elicit. Behavior consistency across tasks for individual mothers and children was fair to good, with the exception of two task-specific behaviors. Mothers’ guidance (provision of instructions to foster a skill) during the teaching task and children’s interruptions while mother was busy during the questionnaire task were highly task specific. Modest associations were found between observed children’s noncompliance and inappropriate behaviors, and mother-reported conduct problems and oppositional behaviors. Implications for clinical and research assessments are discussed. PMID:25689090

Slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG): an innate behavioral task for identification of individual experimental mice possessing functional vision.

PubMed

Gil-Pagés, Macarena; Stiles, Robert J; Parks, Christopher A; Neier, Steven C; Radulovic, Maja; Oliveros, Alfredo; Ferrer, Alejandro; Reed, Brendan K; Wilton, Katelynn M; Schrum, Adam G

2013-08-23

There is significant interest in the generation of improved assays to clearly identify experimental mice possessing functional vision, a property that could qualify mice for inclusion in behavioral and neuroscience studies. Widely employed current methods rely on mouse responses to visual cues in assays of reflexes, depth perception, or cognitive memory. However, commonly assessed mouse reflexes can sometimes be ambiguous in their expression, while depth perception assays are sometimes confounded by variation in anxiety responses and exploratory conduct. Furthermore, in situations where experimental groups vary in their cognitive memory capacity, memory assays may not be ideal for assessing differences in vision. We have optimized a non-invasive behavioral assay that relies on an untrained, innate response to identify individual experimental mice possessing functional vision: slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG). First, we verified that SLAG performance depends on vision and not olfaction. Next, all members of an age-ranged cohort of 158 C57BL/6 mice (57 wild-type, 101 knockout, age range 44-241 days) were assessed for functional vision using the SLAG test without training or conditioning. Subjecting the population to a second innate behavioral test, Dark Chamber preference, corroborated that the functional vision assessment of SLAG was valid. We propose that the SLAG assay is immediately useful to quickly and clearly identify experimental mice possessing functional vision. SLAG is based on a behavioral readout with a significant innate component with no requirement for training. This will facilitate the selection of mice of known sighted status in vision-dependent experiments that focus on other types of behavior, neuroscience, and/or cognitive memory.

Slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG): an innate behavioral task for identification of individual experimental mice possessing functional vision

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There is significant interest in the generation of improved assays to clearly identify experimental mice possessing functional vision, a property that could qualify mice for inclusion in behavioral and neuroscience studies. Widely employed current methods rely on mouse responses to visual cues in assays of reflexes, depth perception, or cognitive memory. However, commonly assessed mouse reflexes can sometimes be ambiguous in their expression, while depth perception assays are sometimes confounded by variation in anxiety responses and exploratory conduct. Furthermore, in situations where experimental groups vary in their cognitive memory capacity, memory assays may not be ideal for assessing differences in vision. Results We have optimized a non-invasive behavioral assay that relies on an untrained, innate response to identify individual experimental mice possessing functional vision: slow angled-descent forepaw grasping (SLAG). First, we verified that SLAG performance depends on vision and not olfaction. Next, all members of an age-ranged cohort of 158 C57BL/6 mice (57 wild-type, 101 knockout, age range 44–241 days) were assessed for functional vision using the SLAG test without training or conditioning. Subjecting the population to a second innate behavioral test, Dark Chamber preference, corroborated that the functional vision assessment of SLAG was valid. Conclusions We propose that the SLAG assay is immediately useful to quickly and clearly identify experimental mice possessing functional vision. SLAG is based on a behavioral readout with a significant innate component with no requirement for training. This will facilitate the selection of mice of known sighted status in vision-dependent experiments that focus on other types of behavior, neuroscience, and/or cognitive memory. PMID:23971729

Quality of Parent-Adolescent Conversations about Sex and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: An Observational Study

PubMed Central

Rogers, Adam A.; Ha, Thao; Stormshak, Elizabeth A.; Dishion, Thomas J.

2015-01-01

PURPOSE Studies suggest that the quality of parent-adolescent communication about sex uniquely predicts adolescent sexual behavior. Previous studies have relied predominantly on self-report data. Observational methods, which are not susceptible to self-report biases, may be useful in examining the associations between the quality of parent-adolescent communication about sex and adolescent sexual behavior more objectively. METHOD With a sample of adolescents (N = 55, 58% male, 44% White, Mage = 15.8) and their parents, we used hierarchical logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between the observed quality of parent-adolescent communication about dating and sex and the likelihood of adolescents’ sexual intercourse. RESULTS The quality of parent-adolescent communication about dating and sex predicted sexual behavior. Specifically, lecturing was associated with a higher likelihood of adolescents having had sexual intercourse. CONCLUSIONS The quality of parent-adolescent communication about sex is a unique correlate of adolescent sexual behavior and warrants further investigation. Thus, it serves as a potential target of preventive interventions that aim to foster adolescent sexual health behaviors. PMID:26206438

The Impact of Threat Appeals on Fear Arousal and Driver Behavior: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Research 1990–2011

PubMed Central

Carey, Rachel N.; McDermott, Daragh T.; Sarma, Kiran M.

2013-01-01

The existing empirical research exploring the impact of threat appeals on driver behavior has reported inconsistent findings. In an effort to provide an up-to-date synthesis of the experimental findings, meta-analytic techniques were employed to examine the impact of threat-based messages on fear arousal and on lab-based indices of driving behavior. Experimental studies (k = 13, N = 3044), conducted between 1990 and 2011, were included in the analyses. The aims of the current analysis were (a) to examine whether or not the experimental manipulations had a significant impact on evoked fear, (b) to examine the impact of threat appeals on three distinct indices of driving, and (c) to identify moderators and mediators of the relationship between fear and driving outcomes. Large effects emerged for the level of fear evoked, with experimental groups reporting increased fear arousal in comparison to control groups (r = .64, n = 619, p<.01). The effect of threat appeals on driving outcomes, however, was not significant (r = .03, p = .17). This analysis of the experimental literature indicates that threat appeals can lead to increased fear arousal, but do not appear to have the desired impact on driving behavior. We discuss these findings in the context of threat-based road safety campaigns and future directions for experimental research in this area. PMID:23690955

Experimental Investigations on Combustion Behaviors of Live PVC Cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Liufang; Zhang, Jiaqing; Zhang, Bosi; Liu, Min; Fan, Minghao; Li, Qiang

2018-03-01

This paper investigated the combustion behaviors of live PVC cables with overload currents experimentally. The smoke coefficient of released smoke and the released gas concentration were examined. The results indicate that the combustion of live PVC cables can be divided into four stages, i.e., core exposed with a little smoke, obvious flame, maximum smoke and smoke depress. For most cases, using blue laser is better than using rad laser, since the extinction coefficient of the rad laser was larger than that of the blue laser. The response time of the detection of the released typical gases due to cable pyrolysis decreased and the peak values of the typical gases increased with the overload currents. In addition, the time to reach the peak value of gas concentration also decreased with the overload currents.

Experimental approach to investigate the constrained recovery behavior of coiled monofilament polymer fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendes, S. S.; Nunes, L. C. S.

2017-11-01

The aim of this work is to propose a new approach for investigating the thermo-mechanical behavior of coiled oriented polymer fibers with fixed ends and promote an understanding of the actuation response of coiled polymers in constrained recovery applications. In the proposed experimental methodology, a coiled fiber was pre-stretched by 50% and the distance between its ends remained constant, then it was subjected to a heating-cooling cycle ranging from 30 °C to 120 °C and the induced restoring force was measured. Based on these measurements, axial deformation and shear strain were obtained from full-field displacements extracted by the digital image correlation method from images of the coiled fiber. Three coiled fibers with different initial pitch angles were manufactured, and samples with lengths of 15 mm and 20 mm were tested. Bias angles and coil radius were also estimated using the experimental data associated with the helical spring theory. Results show that significant shape changes can be noticed above the glass transition temperature (47 °C), and these changes induce variation in the resultant forces. The effects of thermal softening and thermal contraction for a modest negative thermal expansion coefficient became evident at temperatures ranging from ∼47 °C to ∼90 °C, while the response of a coiled homochiral polymer fiber was achieved at temperatures close to 90 °C. During the cooling process, saturated states of the axial deformation and shear strain of the coiled fibers were observed at temperatures between 120 °C and 100 °C.

A new experimental correlation for non-Newtonian behavior of COOH-DWCNTs/antifreeze nanofluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izadi, Farhad; Ranjbarzadeh, Ramin; Kalbasi, Rasool; Afrand, Masoud

2018-04-01

In this paper, the rheological behavior of nano-antifreeze consisting of 50%vol. water, 50%vol. ethylene glycol and different quantities of functionalized double walled carbon nanotubes has been investigated experimentally. Initially, nano-antifreeze samples were prepared with solid volume fractions of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1% using two-step method. Then, the dynamic viscosity of the nano-antifreeze samples was measured at different shear rates and temperatures. At this stage, the results showed that base fluid had the Newtonian behavior, while the behavior of all nano-antifreeze samples was non-Newtonian. Since the behavior of the samples was similar to power law model, it was attempted to find the constants of this model including consistency index and power law index. Therefore, using the measured viscosity and shear rates, consistency index and power law index were obtained by curve-fitting method. The obtained values showed that consistency index amplified with increasing volume fraction, while reduced with enhancing temperature. Besides, the obtained values for power law index were less than 1 for all samples which means shear thinning behavior. Lastly, new correlations were suggested to estimate the consistency index and power law index using curve-fitting.

Video surveillance captures student hand hygiene behavior, reactivity to observation, and peer influence in Kenyan primary schools.

PubMed

Pickering, Amy J; Blum, Annalise G; Breiman, Robert F; Ram, Pavani K; Davis, Jennifer

2014-01-01

In-person structured observation is considered the best approach for measuring hand hygiene behavior, yet is expensive, time consuming, and may alter behavior. Video surveillance could be a useful tool for objectively monitoring hand hygiene behavior if validated against current methods. Student hand cleaning behavior was monitored with video surveillance and in-person structured observation, both simultaneously and separately, at four primary schools in urban Kenya over a study period of 8 weeks. Video surveillance and in-person observation captured similar rates of hand cleaning (absolute difference <5%, p = 0.74). Video surveillance documented higher hand cleaning rates (71%) when at least one other person was present at the hand cleaning station, compared to when a student was alone (48%; rate ratio  = 1.14 [95% CI 1.01-1.28]). Students increased hand cleaning rates during simultaneous video and in-person monitoring as compared to single-method monitoring, suggesting reactivity to each method of monitoring. This trend was documented at schools receiving a handwashing with soap intervention, but not at schools receiving a sanitizer intervention. Video surveillance of hand hygiene behavior yields results comparable to in-person observation among schools in a resource-constrained setting. Video surveillance also has certain advantages over in-person observation, including rapid data processing and the capability to capture new behavioral insights. Peer influence can significantly improve student hand cleaning behavior and, when possible, should be exploited in the design and implementation of school hand hygiene programs.

Is Structured Observation a Valid Technique to Measure Handwashing Behavior? Use of Acceleration Sensors Embedded in Soap to Assess Reactivity to Structured Observation

PubMed Central

Ram, Pavani K.; Halder, Amal K.; Granger, Stewart P.; Jones, Therese; Hall, Peter; Hitchcock, David; Wright, Richard; Nygren, Benjamin; Islam, M. Sirajul; Molyneaux, John W.; Luby, Stephen P.

2010-01-01

Structured observation is often used to evaluate handwashing behavior. We assessed reactivity to structured observation in rural Bangladesh by distributing soap containing acceleration sensors and performing structured observation 4 days later. Sensors recorded the number of times soap was moved. In 45 participating households, the median number of sensor soap movements during the 5-hour time block on pre-observation days was 3.7 (range 0.3–10.6). During the structured observation, the median number of sensor soap movements was 5.0 (range 0–18.0), a 35% increase, P = 0.0004. Compared with the same 5-hour time block on pre-observation days, the number of sensor soap movements increased during structured observation by ≥ 20% in 62% of households, and by ≥ 100% in 22% of households. The increase in sensor soap movements during structured observation, compared with pre-observation days, indicates substantial reactivity to the presence of the observer. These findings call into question the validity of structured observation for measurement of handwashing behavior. PMID:21036840

Is structured observation a valid technique to measure handwashing behavior? Use of acceleration sensors embedded in soap to assess reactivity to structured observation.

PubMed

Ram, Pavani K; Halder, Amal K; Granger, Stewart P; Jones, Therese; Hall, Peter; Hitchcock, David; Wright, Richard; Nygren, Benjamin; Islam, M Sirajul; Molyneaux, John W; Luby, Stephen P

2010-11-01

Structured observation is often used to evaluate handwashing behavior. We assessed reactivity to structured observation in rural Bangladesh by distributing soap containing acceleration sensors and performing structured observation 4 days later. Sensors recorded the number of times soap was moved. In 45 participating households, the median number of sensor soap movements during the 5-hour time block on pre-observation days was 3.7 (range 0.3-10.6). During the structured observation, the median number of sensor soap movements was 5.0 (range 0-18.0), a 35% increase, P = 0.0004. Compared with the same 5-hour time block on pre-observation days, the number of sensor soap movements increased during structured observation by ≥ 20% in 62% of households, and by ≥ 100% in 22% of households. The increase in sensor soap movements during structured observation, compared with pre-observation days, indicates substantial reactivity to the presence of the observer. These findings call into question the validity of structured observation for measurement of handwashing behavior.

Experimental studies of rock fracture behavior related to hydraulic fracture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zifeng

The objective of this experimental investigation stems from the uncontrollable of the hydraulic fracture shape in the oil and gas production field. A small-scale laboratory investigation of crack propagation in sandstone was first performed with the objective to simulate the field fracture growth. Test results showed that the fracture resistance increased with crack extension, assuming that there was an interaction between crack faces (bridging, interlocking, and friction). An acoustic emission test was conducted to examine the existence of the interaction by locating AE events and analyzing waveform. Furthermore, the effects of confining stress, loading rate, stress field, and strength heterogeneous on the tortuosity of the fracture surface were experimentally investigated in the study. Finally, a test was designed and conducted to investigate the crack propagation in a stratified media with permeability contrast. Crack was observed to arrested in an interface. The phenomenon of delamination along an interface between layers with permeability contrast was observed. The delamination was proposed to be the cause of crack arrest and crack jump in the saturated stratified materials under confinement test.

A Big-Data-based platform of workers' behavior: Observations from the field.

PubMed

Guo, S Y; Ding, L Y; Luo, H B; Jiang, X Y

2016-08-01

Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) has been used in construction to observe, analyze and modify workers' behavior. However, studies have identified that BBS has several limitations, which have hindered its effective implementation. To mitigate the negative impact of BBS, this paper uses a case study approach to develop a Big-Data-based platform to classify, collect and store data about workers' unsafe behavior that is derived from a metro construction project. In developing the platform, three processes were undertaken: (1) a behavioral risk knowledge base was established; (2) images reflecting workers' unsafe behavior were collected from intelligent video surveillance and mobile application; and (3) images with semantic information were stored via a Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). The platform was implemented during the construction of the metro-system and it is demonstrated that it can effectively analyze semantic information contained in images, automatically extract workers' unsafe behavior and quickly retrieve on HDFS as well. The research presented in this paper can enable construction organizations with the ability to visualize unsafe acts in real-time and further identify patterns of behavior that can jeopardize safety outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of H2O in controlling the eruptive behavior observed during 2008 Chaitén eruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forte, Pablo; Castro, Jonathan

2016-04-01

Although highly explosive and with the capacity of producing impacts in a world-wide scale, the underlying mechanisms driving rhyolitic eruptions are not yet fully understood. The lower frequency of these events in comparison to intermediate composition and mafic magmatic eruptions has hampered observation-based studies of rhyolite activity in last century. But in 2008, the eruption of Chaitén volcano (Southern Chile), gave us the first view of a rhyolitic eruptive cycle, start to finish. After an initial explosive phase that lasted for 10 days, the vigour of the eruption decreased and gave way to an effusive phase that was characterized by the emplacement of a dome complex. Surprisingly, a transitional phase between them was identified, with the simultaneous occurrence of explosive and effusive activity (Pallister et al. 2013). During the eruption, vast amounts of glassy rhyolite bombs with H2O contents ranging from 0.1 to 1.58 wt. % H2O were produced (Castro et al. 2012). It is already well known that H2O is one of the main players involved in the evolution of rhyolitic systems and in the occurrence of explosive volcanic eruptions (eg. Zhang et al. 2007). In this study, we conducted 90 high-temperature, 1 atm experiments in order to constrain degassing systematics and resultant foaming/fragmentation behavior of magma residing in the last hundred meters of Chaitén's volcanic conduit. By using cylindrical cores (4 x 10 mm) drilled from obsidian bombs and lava dome samples, isothermal experiments were performed at temperatures between 740° and 1030°C among the whole range of H2O contents measured in the deposits. Due to the experimental design developed, the complete evolution of the experiments was possible to monitor through a sapphire window with high-speed and conventional video cameras. Post-experiment video analysis has revealed 3 types of behaviors of the samples: a) expansion followed by equilibrium (constant volume), b) expansion followed by shrinking

Acute illness-induced behavioral alterations are similar to those observed during withdrawal from acute alcohol exposure

PubMed Central

Richey, Laura; Doremus-Fitzwater, Tamara L.; Buck, Hollin M.; Deak, Terrence

2012-01-01

Exposure to an immunogen results in a constellation of behavioral changes collectively referred to as “sickness behaviors,” with alterations in cytokine expression previously shown to contribute to this sickness response. Since behaviors observed during ethanol withdrawal are strikingly similar to sickness behaviors, we hypothesized that behavioral manifestations of ethanol withdrawal might be an expression of sickness behaviors induced by ethanol-related changes in peripheral and/or central cytokine expression. Accordingly, behaviors exhibited during a modified social investigation test were first characterized in male rats following an acute injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 μg/kg). Subsequently, behavioral changes after either a high (4-g/kg; Experiment 2) or low dose (0.5 g/kg; Experiment 3) of ethanol were also examined in the same social investigation test, as well as in the forced-swim test (FST; Experiment 4). Results from these experiments demonstrated similar reductions in both exploration and social investigatory behavior during acute illness and ethanol withdrawal, while a seemingly paradoxical decrease in immobility was observed in the FST during acute ethanol withdrawal. In follow-up studies, neither indomethacin (Experiment 5) nor interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (Experiment 6) pre-exposure reversed the ethanol withdrawal-induced behavioral changes observed in this social investigation test. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the behavioral sequelae of acute illness and ethanol withdrawal are similar in nature, while antagonist studies suggest that these behavioral alterations are not reversed by blockade of IL-1 receptors or inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Though a direct mechanistic link between cytokines and the expression of acute ethanol withdrawal-related behaviors has yet to be found, future studies examining the involvement of brain cytokines as potential mediators of ethanol effects are greatly needed. PMID

Abnormal experimentally- and behaviorally-induced LTP-like plasticity in focal hand dystonia.

PubMed

Belvisi, Daniele; Suppa, Antonio; Marsili, Luca; Di Stasio, Flavio; Parvez, Ahmad Khandker; Agostino, Rocco; Fabbrini, Giovanni; Berardelli, Alfredo

2013-02-01

Idiopathic focal hand dystonia (FHD) arises from abnormal plasticity in the primary motor cortex (M1) possibly reflecting abnormal sensori-motor integration processes. In this transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study in FHD, we evaluated changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) after intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) and paired associative stimulation (PAS), techniques that elicit different forms of experimentally-induced long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity in M1. We also examined behaviorally-induced LTP-like plasticity as reflected by early motor learning of a simple motor task. We studied 14 patients with FHD and 14 healthy subjects. MEPs were recorded before and after iTBS and PAS at the 25 ms interstimulus interval (PAS(25)) in separate sessions. Subjects did a simple motor task entailing repetitive index finger abductions. To measure early motor learning we tested practice-related improvement in peak velocity and peak acceleration. In FHD patients iTBS failed to elicit the expected MEP changes and PAS(25) induced abnormally increased MEPs in target and non-target muscles. In the experiment testing early motor learning, patients lacked the expected practice-related changes in kinematic variables. In FHD, the degree of early motor learning correlated with patients' clinical features. We conclude that experimentally-induced (iTBS and PAS) and behaviorally-induced LTP-like plasticity are both altered in FHD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fire-danger rating and observed wildfire behavior in the Northeastern United States.

Treesearch

Donald A. Haines; William A. Main; Albert J. Simard

1986-01-01

Compares the 1978 National Fire-Danger Rating System and its 20 fuel models, along with other danger rating systems, with observed fire behavior and rates the strengths and weaknesses of models and systems.

Fathers' challenging parenting behavior prevents social anxiety development in their 4-year-old children: a longitudinal observational study.

PubMed

Majdandžić, Mirjana; Möller, Eline L; de Vente, Wieke; Bögels, Susan M; van den Boom, Dymphna C

2014-02-01

Recent models on parenting propose different roles for fathers and mothers in the development of child anxiety. Specifically, it is suggested that fathers' challenging parenting behavior, in which the child is playfully encouraged to push her limits, buffers against child anxiety. In this longitudinal study, we explored whether the effect of challenging parenting on children's social anxiety differed between fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers from 94 families were separately observed with their two children (44 % girls), aged 2 and 4 years at Time 1, in three structured situations involving one puzzle task and two games. Overinvolved and challenging parenting behavior were coded. Child social anxiety was measured by observing the child's response to a stranger at Time 1, and half a year later at Time 2, and by parental ratings. In line with predictions, father's challenging parenting behavior predicted less subsequent observed social anxiety of the 4-year-old child. Mothers' challenging behavior, however, predicted more observed social anxiety of the 4-year-old. Parents' overinvolvement at Time 1 did not predict change in observed social anxiety of the 4-year-old child. For the 2-year-old child, maternal and paternal parenting behavior did not predict subsequent social anxiety, but early social anxiety marginally did. Parent-rated social anxiety was predicted by previous parental ratings of social anxiety, and not by parenting behavior. Challenging parenting behavior appears to have favorable effects on observed 4-year-old's social anxiety when displayed by the father. Challenging parenting behavior emerges as an important focus for future research and interventions.

Pain behaviors observed during six common procedures: results from Thunder Project II.

PubMed

Puntillo, Kathleen A; Morris, Ann B; Thompson, Carol L; Stanik-Hutt, Julie; White, Cheri A; Wild, Lorie R

2004-02-01

Patients frequently display behaviors during procedures that may be pain related. Clinicians often rely on the patient's demonstration of behaviors as a cue to presence of pain. The purpose of this study was to identify specific pain-related behaviors and factors that predict the degree of behavioral responses during the following procedures: turning, central venous catheter insertion, wound drain removal, wound care, tracheal suctioning, and femoral sheath removal. Prospective, descriptive study. Multiple units in 169 hospitals in United States, Canada, England, and Australia. A total of 5,957 adult patients who underwent one of the six procedures. None. A 30-item behavior observation tool was used to note patients' behaviors before and during a procedure. By comparing behaviors exhibited before and during the procedure as well as behaviors in those with and without procedural pain (as noted on a 0-10 numeric rating scale), we identified specific procedural pain behaviors: grimacing, rigidity, wincing, shutting of eyes, verbalization, moaning, and clenching of fists. On average, there were significantly more behaviors exhibited by patients with vs. without procedural pain (3.5 vs. 1.8 behaviors; t = 38.3, df = 5072.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-1.8). Patients with procedural pain were at least three times more likely to have increased behavioral responses than patients without procedural pain. A simultaneous regression model determined that 33% of the variance in amount of pain behaviors exhibited during a procedure was explained by three factors: degree of procedural pain intensity, degree of procedural distress, and undergoing the turning procedure. Because of the strong relationship between procedural pain and behavioral responses, clinicians can use behavioral responses of verbal and nonverbal patients to plan for, implement, and evaluate analgesic interventions.

Experimental Observation and Theoretical Description of Multisoliton Fission in Shallow Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trillo, S.; Deng, G.; Biondini, G.; Klein, M.; Clauss, G. F.; Chabchoub, A.; Onorato, M.

2016-09-01

We observe the dispersive breaking of cosine-type long waves [Phys. Rev. Lett. 15, 240 (1965)] in shallow water, characterizing the highly nonlinear "multisoliton" fission over variable conditions. We provide new insight into the interpretation of the results by analyzing the data in terms of the periodic inverse scattering transform for the Korteweg-de Vries equation. In a wide range of dispersion and nonlinearity, the data compare favorably with our analytical estimate, based on a rigorous WKB approach, of the number of emerging solitons. We are also able to observe experimentally the universal Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrence in the regime of moderately weak dispersion.

Are parent-reported outcomes for self-directed or telephone-assisted behavioral family intervention enhanced if parents are observed?

PubMed

Morawska, Alina; Sanders, Matthew R

2007-05-01

The study examined the effects of conducting observations as part of a broader assessment of families participating in behavior family intervention (BFI). It was designed to investigate whether the observations improve intervention outcomes. Families were randomly assigned to different levels of BFI or a waitlist control condition and subsequently randomly assigned to either observation or no-observation conditions. This study demonstrated significant intervention and observation effects. Mothers in more intensive BFI reported more improvement in their child's behavior and their own parenting. Observed mothers reported lower intensity of child behavior problems and more effective parenting styles. There was also a trend for less anger among mothers who were observed and evidence of an observation-intervention interaction for parental anger, with observed mothers in more intensive intervention reporting less anger compared to those not observed. Implications for clinical and research intervention contexts are discussed.

Oscillatory fluid flow in deformable tubes: Implications for pore-scale hydromechanics from comparing experimental observations with theoretical predictions.

PubMed

Kurzeja, Patrick; Steeb, Holger; Strutz, Marc A; Renner, Jörg

2016-12-01

Oscillatory flow of four fluids (air, water, two aqueous sodium-tungstate solutions) was excited at frequencies up to 250 Hz in tubes of two materials (steel, silicone) covering a wide range in length, diameter, and thickness. The hydrodynamical response was characterized by phase shift and amplitude ratio between pressures in an upstream (pressure excitation) and a downstream reservoir connected by the tubes. The resulting standing flow waves reflect viscosity-controlled diffusive behavior and inertia-controlled wave behavior for oscillation frequencies relatively low and high compared to Biot's critical frequency, respectively. Rigid-tube theories correspond well with the experimental results for steel tubes filled with air or water. The wave modes observed for silicone tubes filled with the rather incompressible liquids or air, however, require accounting for the solid's shear and bulk modulus to correctly predict speed of pressure propagation and deformation mode. The shear mode may be responsible for significant macroscopic attenuation in porous materials with effective frame-shear moduli lower than the bulk modulus of the pore fluid. Despite notable effects of the ratio of densities and of acoustic and shear velocity of fluid and solid, Biot's frequency remains an approximate indicator of the transition from the viscosity to the inertia controlled regime.

Experimental Observation of Thin-shell Instability in a Collisionless Plasma

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

Ahmed, H.; Doria, D.; Sarri, G.

We report on the experimental observation of the instability of a plasma shell, which formed during the expansion of a laser-ablated plasma into a rarefied ambient medium. By means of a proton radiography technique, the evolution of the instability is temporally and spatially resolved on a timescale much shorter than the hydrodynamic one. The density of the thin shell exceeds that of the surrounding plasma, which lets electrons diffuse outward. An ambipolar electric field grows on both sides of the thin shell that is antiparallel to the density gradient. Ripples in the thin shell result in a spatially varying balancemore » between the thermal pressure force mediated by this field and the ram pressure force that is exerted on it by the inflowing plasma. This mismatch amplifies the ripples by the same mechanism that drives the hydrodynamic nonlinear thin-shell instability (NTSI). Our results thus constitute the first experimental verification that the NTSI can develop in colliding flows.« less

Experimental Observation of Thin-shell Instability in a Collisionless Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, H.; Doria, D.; Dieckmann, M. E.; Sarri, G.; Romagnani, L.; Bret, A.; Cerchez, M.; Giesecke, A. L.; Ianni, E.; Kar, S.; Notley, M.; Prasad, R.; Quinn, K.; Willi, O.; Borghesi, M.

2017-01-01

We report on the experimental observation of the instability of a plasma shell, which formed during the expansion of a laser-ablated plasma into a rarefied ambient medium. By means of a proton radiography technique, the evolution of the instability is temporally and spatially resolved on a timescale much shorter than the hydrodynamic one. The density of the thin shell exceeds that of the surrounding plasma, which lets electrons diffuse outward. An ambipolar electric field grows on both sides of the thin shell that is antiparallel to the density gradient. Ripples in the thin shell result in a spatially varying balance between the thermal pressure force mediated by this field and the ram pressure force that is exerted on it by the inflowing plasma. This mismatch amplifies the ripples by the same mechanism that drives the hydrodynamic nonlinear thin-shell instability (NTSI). Our results thus constitute the first experimental verification that the NTSI can develop in colliding flows.

Experimental design affects social behavior outcomes in adult zebrafish developmentally exposed to lead.

PubMed

Weber, Daniel N; Ghorai, Jugal K

2013-09-01

Lead (Pb(2+)) affects neuronal and endocrine systems that influence social interactions. By providing potential hiding locations, spatial heterogeneity may affect Pb(2+)-induced behavioral outcomes. Therefore, a test chamber was designed into which a refuge could be inserted. The refuge allowed test subjects to escape from the mirror image that stimulated agonistic interactions. Behaviors with a mirror were compared with baseline activity patterns without a mirror. Adult (12-month old) male and female zebrafish, exposed to Pb(2+) (0-10 μM) as embryos (2-24 hours post fertilization), were tested individually for 5 min in each chamber design within 2 h of feeding. Behaviors were evaluated for % time in mirror zone, distance traveled (=activity level), and attacks on the mirror image. When there was no refuge, significant concentration-dependent increases occurred in male % time in mirror zone, activity level, and number of attacks. Increases in these variables were less pronounced in females. When there was a refuge, there were significant differences for males only in activity level and attacks at the higher developmental exposure concentrations; % time in mirror zone followed a similar pattern and level as without refuge. Females displayed Pb(2+)-induced behavioral changes only for attacks on mirror. Since the presence of refuges that is, environmental enrichment, reduced Pb(2+)-induced agonistic behavior in both sexes, experimental spatial design can be considered an important factor when interpreting behavioral outcomes.

Experimental game theory and behavior genetics.

PubMed

Cesarini, David; Dawes, Christopher T; Johannesson, Magnus; Lichtenstein, Paul; Wallace, Björn

2009-06-01

We summarize the findings from a research program studying the heritability of behavior in a number of widely used economic games, including trust, dictator, and ultimatum games. Results from the standard behavior genetic variance decomposition suggest that strategies and fundamental economic preference parameters are moderately heritable, with estimates ranging from 18 to 42%. In addition, we also report new evidence on so-called "hyperfair" preferences in the ultimatum game. We discuss the implications of our findings with special reference to current efforts that seek to understand the molecular genetic architecture of complex social behaviors.

Video Surveillance Captures Student Hand Hygiene Behavior, Reactivity to Observation, and Peer Influence in Kenyan Primary Schools

PubMed Central

Pickering, Amy J.; Blum, Annalise G.; Breiman, Robert F.; Ram, Pavani K.; Davis, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Background In-person structured observation is considered the best approach for measuring hand hygiene behavior, yet is expensive, time consuming, and may alter behavior. Video surveillance could be a useful tool for objectively monitoring hand hygiene behavior if validated against current methods. Methods Student hand cleaning behavior was monitored with video surveillance and in-person structured observation, both simultaneously and separately, at four primary schools in urban Kenya over a study period of 8 weeks. Findings Video surveillance and in-person observation captured similar rates of hand cleaning (absolute difference <5%, p = 0.74). Video surveillance documented higher hand cleaning rates (71%) when at least one other person was present at the hand cleaning station, compared to when a student was alone (48%; rate ratio  = 1.14 [95% CI 1.01–1.28]). Students increased hand cleaning rates during simultaneous video and in-person monitoring as compared to single-method monitoring, suggesting reactivity to each method of monitoring. This trend was documented at schools receiving a handwashing with soap intervention, but not at schools receiving a sanitizer intervention. Conclusion Video surveillance of hand hygiene behavior yields results comparable to in-person observation among schools in a resource-constrained setting. Video surveillance also has certain advantages over in-person observation, including rapid data processing and the capability to capture new behavioral insights. Peer influence can significantly improve student hand cleaning behavior and, when possible, should be exploited in the design and implementation of school hand hygiene programs. PMID:24676389

Generalizability and decision studies to inform observational and experimental research in classroom settings.

PubMed

Bottema-Beutel, Kristen; Lloyd, Blair; Carter, Erik W; Asmus, Jennifer M

2014-11-01

Attaining reliable estimates of observational measures can be challenging in school and classroom settings, as behavior can be influenced by multiple contextual factors. Generalizability (G) studies can enable researchers to estimate the reliability of observational data, and decision (D) studies can inform how many observation sessions are necessary to achieve a criterion level of reliability. We conducted G and D studies using observational data from a randomized control trial focusing on social and academic participation of students with severe disabilities in inclusive secondary classrooms. Results highlight the importance of anchoring observational decisions to reliability estimates from existing or pilot data sets. We outline steps for conducting G and D studies and address options when reliability estimates are lower than desired.

Quality of Parent-Adolescent Conversations About Sex and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Rogers, Adam A; Ha, Thao; Stormshak, Elizabeth A; Dishion, Thomas J

2015-08-01

Studies suggest that the quality of parent-adolescent communication about sex uniquely predicts adolescent sexual behavior. Previous studies have relied predominantly on self-report data. Observational methods, which are not susceptible to self-report biases, may be useful in examining the associations between the quality of parent-adolescent communication about sex and adolescent sexual behavior more objectively. With a sample of adolescents (N = 55, 58% male, 44% white, Mage = 15.8) and their parents, we used hierarchical logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between the observed quality of parent-adolescent communication about dating and sex and the likelihood of adolescents' sexual intercourse. The quality of parent-adolescent communication about dating and sex predicted sexual behavior. Specifically, lecturing was associated with a higher likelihood of adolescents having had sexual intercourse. The quality of parent-adolescent communication about sex is a unique correlate of adolescent sexual behavior and warrants further investigation. Thus, it serves as a potential target of preventive interventions that aim to foster adolescent sexual health behaviors. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Observation and Quantification of Mating Behavior in the Pinewood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

PubMed

Zhu, Najie; Bai, Liqun; Schütz, Stefan; Liu, Baojun; Liu, Zhenyu; Zhang, Xingyao; Yu, Hongshi; Hu, Jiafu

2016-12-25

A method for observing and quantifying the mating behavior of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, was established under a stereomicroscope. To improve the mating efficiency of B. Xylophilus and to increase the chances of mating observation, virgin adults were cultured and used for the investigation. Eggs were obtained by keeping the nematodes in water and allowing the females to lay eggs for 10 min. The second-stage juveniles (J2) were synchronized by incubating the eggs for 24 h at 25 °C in the dark, and the early J4 were obtained by culturing the J2 with grey mold, Botrytis cinerea, for another 52 h. At this time point, most J4 nematodes could be clearly distinguished as being male or female using their genital morphology. The male and female J4 were collected and cultured separately in two different Petri dishes for 24 h to get virgin adult nematodes. A virgin male and a virgin female were paired in a drop of water in the well of a concave slide. The mating behavior was filmed with a video recorder under a stereomicroscope. The whole period of the mating process was 82.8 ±3.91 min (mean ±SE) and could be divided into 4 different phases: searching, contacting, copulating, and lingering. The mean minutes of duration were 21.8 ± 2.0, 28.0 ± 1.9, 25.8 ± 0.7 and 7.2 ± 0.5, respectively. Eleven sub-behaviors were described: cruising, approaching, encountering, touching, hooping, locating, attaching, ejaculating, separating, quiescence, and roaming. Interestingly, obvious intra-sexual competition was observed when one female was grouped with 3 males or one male with 3 females. This protocol is useful and valuable, not only in investigating the mating behavior of B. xylophilus, but also in acting as a reference for ethological studies of other nematodes.

Effects of experimental suppression of active (REM) sleep during early development upon adult brain and behavior in the rat.

PubMed

Mirmiran, M; Scholtens, J; van de Poll, N E; Uylings, H B; van der Gugten, J; Boer, G J

1983-04-01

In order to test the hypothesis that active sleep (AS) is important for the normal development of the central nervous system, 3 different deprivation methods were applied to male Wistar rat pups during the first month of life. Daily injection of clomipramine from 8 to 21 days of age reduced the high level of AS to less than the adult value throughout most of the experimental period. Administration of clonidine from 8 to 21 days of life induced an almost total suppression of AS. Instrumental deprivation, using the 'pendulum' method, led to a significant (but less severe) AS reduction during 2-4 weeks of postnatal age. Open-field behavior testing in adulthood revealed a higher than normal level of ambulation in all 3 experimental groups. Masculine sexual responses were deficient, due to a low level of both mounts and ejaculations, in both clomipramine- and clonidine-treated animals. Neither passive avoidance learning nor dark preference tests revealed any differences between the experimental and control rats. Sleep observations showed that there was an abnormally high incidence of large myoclonic jerks during AS in both clomipramine- and clonidine-treated rats. Subsequent measurement of regional brain weights showed a significant reduction in the cerebral cortex and medulla oblongata, as compared with the respective control groups, in both the clomipramine- and the clonidine-treated rats. In addition, DNA and protein determination in the affected brain areas showed a proportional reduction in the cortex and in the medulla. These results demonstrate that interference with normal functioning either of AS per se or of specific monoaminergic transmitter systems during early development can produce long-lasting behavioral as well as brain morphological and biochemical abnormalities in later life.

A method for recording verbal behavior in free-play settings.

PubMed

Nordquist, V M

1971-01-01

The present study attempted to test the reliability of a new method of recording verbal behavior in a free-play preschool setting. Six children, three normal and three speech impaired, served as subjects. Videotaped records of verbal behavior were scored by two experimentally naive observers. The results suggest that the system provides a means of obtaining reliable records of both normal and impaired speech, even when the subjects exhibit nonverbal behaviors (such as hyperactivity) that interfere with direct observation techniques.

Comprehensive machine learning analysis of Hydra behavior reveals a stable basal behavioral repertoire.

PubMed

Han, Shuting; Taralova, Ekaterina; Dupre, Christophe; Yuste, Rafael

2018-03-28

Animal behavior has been studied for centuries, but few efficient methods are available to automatically identify and classify it. Quantitative behavioral studies have been hindered by the subjective and imprecise nature of human observation, and the slow speed of annotating behavioral data. Here, we developed an automatic behavior analysis pipeline for the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris using machine learning. We imaged freely behaving Hydra , extracted motion and shape features from the videos, and constructed a dictionary of visual features to classify pre-defined behaviors. We also identified unannotated behaviors with unsupervised methods. Using this analysis pipeline, we quantified 6 basic behaviors and found surprisingly similar behavior statistics across animals within the same species, regardless of experimental conditions. Our analysis indicates that the fundamental behavioral repertoire of Hydra is stable. This robustness could reflect a homeostatic neural control of "housekeeping" behaviors which could have been already present in the earliest nervous systems. © 2018, Han et al.

Comprehensive machine learning analysis of Hydra behavior reveals a stable basal behavioral repertoire

PubMed Central

Taralova, Ekaterina; Dupre, Christophe; Yuste, Rafael

2018-01-01

Animal behavior has been studied for centuries, but few efficient methods are available to automatically identify and classify it. Quantitative behavioral studies have been hindered by the subjective and imprecise nature of human observation, and the slow speed of annotating behavioral data. Here, we developed an automatic behavior analysis pipeline for the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris using machine learning. We imaged freely behaving Hydra, extracted motion and shape features from the videos, and constructed a dictionary of visual features to classify pre-defined behaviors. We also identified unannotated behaviors with unsupervised methods. Using this analysis pipeline, we quantified 6 basic behaviors and found surprisingly similar behavior statistics across animals within the same species, regardless of experimental conditions. Our analysis indicates that the fundamental behavioral repertoire of Hydra is stable. This robustness could reflect a homeostatic neural control of "housekeeping" behaviors which could have been already present in the earliest nervous systems. PMID:29589829

Biological sex and social setting affects pain intensity and observational coding of other people's pain behaviors.

PubMed

Vigil, Jacob M; Coulombe, Patrick

2011-09-01

This experiment examines the impact of biological sex and audience composition on laboratory-induced ischemic pain intensity and observational coding of other people's pain behaviors. Situational context was manipulated by varying the sex and number of audience stimuli in the laboratory setting during the pain task and during observational evaluations of other people's pain suffering. The analyses revealed sex differences in felt pain intensity and observable pain behaviors, with male subjects reporting lower pain intensity and evidencing fewer pain behaviors than female subjects on average. Follow-up analyses revealed that, after controlling for social anxiety, audience composition was linked to felt pain intensity, and this relation was moderated by participant sex and audience sex, such that only male subjects showed decreased pain intensity with increasing number of female audience members. Sex differences were also found in the rating of other people's pain behaviors, with male observers rating the pain of others lower than female observers. Composition of the audience influenced observers' pain ratings such that the presence of more male subjects in the audience correlated with lower observer ratings, whereas the presence of more female subjects correlated with higher observer ratings. This is the first study to show that the sex and the composition of the social context in which pain is experienced affects the intensity of felt pain and the evaluation of other people's pain suffering. Implications of the findings for measuring and interpreting pain suffering in male and female patients by male and female treatment providers in health care settings are discussed. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Experimental observation of sub-Rayleigh quantum imaging with a two-photon entangled source

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

Xu, De-Qin; School of Science, Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin 300222; Song, Xin-Bing

It has been theoretically predicted that N-photon quantum imaging can realize either an N-fold resolution improvement (Heisenberg-like scaling) or a √(N)-fold resolution improvement (standard quantum limit) beyond the Rayleigh diffraction bound, over classical imaging. Here, we report the experimental study on spatial sub-Rayleigh quantum imaging using a two-photon entangled source. Two experimental schemes are proposed and performed. In a Fraunhofer diffraction scheme with a lens, two-photon Airy disk pattern is observed with subwavelength diffraction property. In a lens imaging apparatus, however, two-photon sub-Rayleigh imaging for an object is realized with super-resolution property. The experimental results agree with the theoretical predictionmore » in the two-photon quantum imaging regime.« less

One (rating) from many (observations): Factors affecting the individual assessment of voice behavior in groups.

PubMed

Podsakoff, Nathan P; Maynes, Timothy D; Whiting, Steven W; Podsakoff, Philip M

2015-07-01

This article reports an investigation into how individuals form perceptions of overall voice behavior in group contexts. More specifically, the authors examine the effect of the proportion of group members exhibiting voice behavior in the group, the frequency of voice events in the group, and the measurement item referent (group vs. individual) on an individual's ratings of group voice behavior. In addition, the authors examine the effect that measurement item referent has on the magnitude of the relationship observed between an individual's ratings of group voice behavior and perceptions of group performance. Consistent with hypotheses, the results from 1 field study (N = 220) and 1 laboratory experiment (N = 366) indicate that: (a) When group referents were used, raters relied on the frequency of voice events (and not the proportion of group members exhibiting voice) to inform their ratings of voice behavior, whereas the opposite was true when individual-referent items were used, and (b) the magnitude of the relationship between observers' ratings of group voice behavior and their perceptions of group performance was higher when raters used group-referent, as opposed to an individual-referent, items. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for scholars interested in studying behavioral phenomena occurring in teams, groups, and work units in organizational behavior research. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Experimental investigations on mechanical behavior of unsaturated subgrade soil with lime stabilization and fiber reinforcement : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-11-01

In the present report, experimental investigations on mechanical behavior of unsaturated subgrade soil : with fiber reinforcement and lime stabilization were conducted. : The soil samples were collected from the soil/aggregate laboratory at the Maryl...

Experimental Study of Hysteresis behavior of Foam Generation in Porous Media.

PubMed

Kahrobaei, S; Vincent-Bonnieu, S; Farajzadeh, R

2017-08-21

Foam can be used for gas mobility control in different subsurface applications. The success of foam-injection process depends on foam-generation and propagation rate inside the porous medium. In some cases, foam properties depend on the history of the flow or concentration of the surfactant, i.e., the hysteresis effect. Foam may show hysteresis behavior by exhibiting multiple states at the same injection conditions, where coarse-textured foam is converted into strong foam with fine texture at a critical injection velocity or pressure gradient. This study aims to investigate the effects of injection velocity and surfactant concentration on foam generation and hysteresis behavior as a function of foam quality. We find that the transition from coarse-foam to strong-foam (i.e., the minimum pressure gradient for foam generation) is almost independent of flowrate, surfactant concentration, and foam quality. Moreover, the hysteresis behavior in foam generation occurs only at high-quality regimes and when the pressure gradient is below a certain value regardless of the total flow rate and surfactant concentration. We also observe that the rheological behavior of foam is strongly dependent on liquid velocity.

The Observer Effect and Its Impact on Staff Behavior in an Acquired Brain Injury Neurobehavioral Treatment Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guercio, John M.; Dixon, Mark R.

2011-01-01

Staff in three neurobehavioral residential settings (5 in each residence for a total of 15 staff) were trained on specific positive interaction behaviors in a multiple baseline design. Staff in each of the residences were provided with recommended behaviors for interacting with residents through an observational procedure where they observed and…

Ethical issues associated with the use of animal experimentation in behavioral neuroscience research.

PubMed

Ohl, Frauke; Meijboom, Franck

2015-01-01

This chapter briefly explores whether there are distinct characteristics in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience that demand specific ethical reflection. We argue that although the ethical issues in animal-based Behavioral Neuroscience are not necessarily distinct from those in other research disciplines using animal experimentation, this field of endeavor makes a number of specific, ethically relevant, questions more explicit and, as a result, may expose to discussion a series of ethical issues that have relevance beyond this field of science. We suggest that innovative research, by its very definition, demands out-of-the-box thinking. At the same time, standardization of animal models and test procedures for the sake of comparability across experiments inhibits the potential and willingness to leave well-established tracks of thinking, and leaves us wondering how open minded research is and whether it is the researcher's established perspective that drives the research rather than the research that drives the researcher's perspective. The chapter finishes by introducing subsequent chapters of this book volume on Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Nonlinear behavior of the tarka flute's distinctive sounds.

PubMed

Gérard, Arnaud; Yapu-Quispe, Luis; Sakuma, Sachiko; Ghezzi, Flavio; Ramírez-Ávila, Gonzalo Marcelo

2016-09-01

The Andean tarka flute generates multiphonic sounds. Using spectral techniques, we verify two distinctive musical behaviors and the nonlinear nature of the tarka. Through nonlinear time series analysis, we determine chaotic and hyperchaotic behavior. Experimentally, we observe that by increasing the blow pressure on different fingerings, peculiar changes from linear to nonlinear patterns are produced, leading ultimately to quenching.

Nonlinear behavior of the tarka flute's distinctive sounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gérard, Arnaud; Yapu-Quispe, Luis; Sakuma, Sachiko; Ghezzi, Flavio; Ramírez-Ávila, Gonzalo Marcelo

2016-09-01

The Andean tarka flute generates multiphonic sounds. Using spectral techniques, we verify two distinctive musical behaviors and the nonlinear nature of the tarka. Through nonlinear time series analysis, we determine chaotic and hyperchaotic behavior. Experimentally, we observe that by increasing the blow pressure on different fingerings, peculiar changes from linear to nonlinear patterns are produced, leading ultimately to quenching.

Risk taking and adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A gap between real life behavior and experimental decision making.

PubMed

Pollak, Yehuda; Shalit, Reut; Aran, Adi

2018-01-01

Adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prone to suboptimal decision making and risk taking. The aim of this study was to test performance on a theoretically-based probabilistic decision making task in well-characterized adults with and without ADHD, and examine the relation between experimental risk taking and history of real-life risk-taking behavior, defined as cigarette, alcohol, and street drug use. University students with and without ADHD completed a modified version of the Cambridge Gambling Test, in which they had to choose between alternatives varied by level of risk, and reported their history of substance use. Both groups showed similar patterns of risk taking on the experimental decision making task, suggesting that ADHD is not linked to low sensitivity to risk. Past and present substance use was more prevalent in adults with ADHD. These finding question the validity of experimental probabilistic decision making task as a valid model for ADHD-related risk-taking behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ceteacean Social Behavioral Response to Sonar

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

Kvadsheim PH, Huisman J and Tyack PL (in review). The social context of individual foraging behaviour in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas ...of behavioral changes observed during experimental exposures of killer (Orcinus orca), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas ), and sperm whale

Comparative thermodynamic and experimental study of some heavy metal behaviors during automotive shredder residues incineration

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

Trouve, G.; Kauffmann, A.; Delfosse, L.

1998-12-31

Experimental and theoretical studies of the behavior of some heavy metals were undertaken during Automotive Shredder Residues (ASR) incineration. A thermodynamic study at equilibrium was performed using a software minimizing the free Gibbs energy. The metals studied were barium, copper, lead and zinc. The studies were performed mostly at two temperatures: 1123 and 1373 K. The thermodynamic study showed that the chlorine content is the most important parameter influencing the volatility of the studied metals. It also showed that in default of chlorine in a system containing several metals, barium chloride in its condensed form is the most easily formed.more » Other metals remained in their metallic form or in the form of oxides. The presence of hydrogen in the system has a general limiting influence on the metal volatility because, especially at high temperatures, hydrogen chloride is more likely to be formed. In the experimental field, the behaviors of metals were studied using commercial polymers as waste models: a PVC mastic, a polyurethane mastic and a rubber powder. Copper and barium presented a non volatile behavior during the incineration of waste matrixes as ASR, being present also in residual ash. On the other hand, lead was completely formed in the gas phase and zinc showed an equal partitioning between the two principal phases of the treatment.« less

Experimental evidence of impacts of an invasive parakeet on foraging behavior of native birds

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Resource competition is one potential behavioral mechanism by which invasive species can impact native species, but detecting this competition can be difficult due to the interactions that variable environmental conditions can have on species behavior. This is particularly the case in urban habitats where the disturbed environment can alter natural behavior from that in undisturbed habitats. The rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), is an increasingly common invasive species, predominantly associated with large urban centers. Using an experimental approach, we tested the behavioral responses of native garden birds in response to the presence of a rose-ringed parakeet versus the presence of a similarly sized and dominant native bird, the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). Parakeet presence significantly reduced feeding rates and increased vigilance among native birds compared with our control treatments. Of visits made by native birds in the presence of a parakeet, feeding was more likely to occur in sites within the parakeet range compared with sites outside, suggesting some habituation of native birds has occurred following prior exposure to parakeets but overall foraging behavior is still disrupted. The results of our study suggest that nonnative species can have complex and subtle impacts on native fauna and show that a nonnative competitor can impact native species simply through their presence near resources. PMID:24822022

Experimental evidence of impacts of an invasive parakeet on foraging behavior of native birds.

PubMed

Peck, Hannah L; Pringle, Henrietta E; Marshall, Harry H; Owens, Ian P F; Lord, Alexa M

2014-05-01

Resource competition is one potential behavioral mechanism by which invasive species can impact native species, but detecting this competition can be difficult due to the interactions that variable environmental conditions can have on species behavior. This is particularly the case in urban habitats where the disturbed environment can alter natural behavior from that in undisturbed habitats. The rose-ringed parakeet ( Psittacula krameri ), is an increasingly common invasive species, predominantly associated with large urban centers. Using an experimental approach, we tested the behavioral responses of native garden birds in response to the presence of a rose-ringed parakeet versus the presence of a similarly sized and dominant native bird, the great spotted woodpecker ( Dendrocopos major ). Parakeet presence significantly reduced feeding rates and increased vigilance among native birds compared with our control treatments. Of visits made by native birds in the presence of a parakeet, feeding was more likely to occur in sites within the parakeet range compared with sites outside, suggesting some habituation of native birds has occurred following prior exposure to parakeets but overall foraging behavior is still disrupted. The results of our study suggest that nonnative species can have complex and subtle impacts on native fauna and show that a nonnative competitor can impact native species simply through their presence near resources.

Physiotherapists use a small number of behaviour change techniques when promoting physical activity: A systematic review comparing experimental and observational studies.

PubMed

Kunstler, Breanne E; Cook, Jill L; Freene, Nicole; Finch, Caroline F; Kemp, Joanne L; O'Halloran, Paul D; Gaida, James E

2018-06-01

Physiotherapists promote physical activity as part of their practice. This study reviewed the behaviour change techniques physiotherapists use when promoting physical activity in experimental and observational studies. Systematic review of experimental and observational studies. Twelve databases were searched using terms related to physiotherapy and physical activity. We included experimental studies evaluating the efficacy of physiotherapist-led physical activity interventions delivered to adults in clinic-based private practice and outpatient settings to individuals with, or at risk of, non-communicable diseases. Observational studies reporting the techniques physiotherapists use when promoting physical activity were also included. The behaviour change techniques used in all studies were identified using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy. The behaviour change techniques appearing in efficacious and inefficacious experimental interventions were compared using a narrative approach. Twelve studies (nine experimental and three observational) were retained from the initial search yield of 4141. Risk of bias ranged from low to high. Physiotherapists used seven behaviour change techniques in the observational studies, compared to 30 behaviour change techniques in the experimental studies. Social support (unspecified) was the most frequently identified behaviour change technique across both settings. Efficacious experimental interventions used more behaviour change techniques (n=29) and functioned in more ways (n=6) than did inefficacious experimental interventions (behaviour change techniques=10 and functions=1). Physiotherapists use a small number of behaviour change techniques. Less behaviour change techniques were identified in observational studies compared to experimental studies, suggesting physiotherapists use less BCTs clinically than experimentally. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Constraints on the Partitioning Behavior of F, Cl, and OH Between Apatite and Basaltic Melt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCubbin, Francis M.; Barnes, Jessica J.; Vander Kaaden, Kathleen E.; Boyce, Jeremy W.; Ustunisik, Gokce; Whitson, Eric S.

2017-01-01

The mineral apatite is present in a wide range of planetary materials. The presence of volatiles (F, Cl, and OH) within its crystal structure (X-site) have motivated numerous studies to investigate the partitioning behavior of F, Cl, and OH between apatite and silicate melt with the end goal of using apatite to constrain the volatile contents of planetary magmas and mantle sources. A number of recent experimental studies have investigated the apatite-melt partitioning behavior of F, Cl, and OH in magmatic systems. Apatite-melt partitioning of volatiles are best described as exchange equilibria similar to Fe-Mg partitioning between olivine and silicate melt. However, the partitioning behavior is likely to change as a function of temperature, pressure, oxygen fugacity, apatite composition, and melt composition. In the present study, we have conducted experiments to assess the partitioning behavior of F, Cl, and OH between apatite and silicate melt over a pressure range of 0-6 gigapascals, a temperature range of 950-1500 degrees Centigrade, and a wide range of apatite ternary compositions. All of the experiments were conducted between iron-wustite oxidation potentials IW minus 1 and IW plus 2 in a basaltic melt composition. The experimental run products were analyzed by a combination of electron probe microanalysis and secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). Temperature, apatite crystal chemistry, and pressure all play important roles in the partitioning behavior of F, Cl, and OH between apatite and silicate melt. In portions of apatite ternary space that undergo ideal mixing of F, Cl, and OH, exchange coefficients remain constant at constant temperature and pressure. However, exchange coefficients vary at constant temperature (T) and pressure (P) in portions of apatite compositional space where F, Cl, and OH do not mix ideally in apatite. The variation in exchange coefficients exhibited by apatite that does not undergo ideal mixing far exceeds the variations

Experimentally increasing sedentary behavior results in increased anxiety in an active young adult population.

PubMed

Edwards, Meghan K; Loprinzi, Paul D

2016-11-01

Knowledge regarding the effects of sedentary behavior on anxiety has resulted mainly from observational studies. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a free-living, sedentary behavior-inducing randomized controlled intervention on anxiety symptoms. Participants confirmed to be active (i.e., acquiring 150min/week of physical activity) via self-report and accelerometry were randomly assigned into a sedentary behavior intervention group (n=26) or a control group (n=13). For one week, the intervention group eliminated exercise and minimized steps to ≤5000 steps/day whereas the control group continued their normal physical activity levels. Both groups completed the Overall Anxiety Severity Impairment Scale (OASIS) pre- and post-intervention, with higher OASIS scores indicating worse overall anxiety. The intervention group resumed normal physical activity levels for one week post-intervention and then completed the survey once more. A significant group x time interaction effect was observed (F(1,37)=11.13; P=.002), with post-hoc contrast tests indicating increased OASIS scores in the intervention group in Visit 2 compared with Visit 1. That is, we observed an increase in anxiety levels when participants increased their sedentary behavior. OASIS scores significantly decreased from Visit 2 to Visit 3 (P=.001) in the intervention group. A one-week sedentary behavior-inducing intervention has deleterious effects on anxiety in an active, young adult population. To prevent elevated anxiety levels among active individuals, consistent regular physical activity may be necessary. Clinicians treating inactive patients who have anxiety may recommend a physical activity program in addition to any other prescribed treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Observational Investigation of Behavioral Contagion in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Indications for Contagious Scent-Marking

PubMed Central

Massen, Jorg J. M.; Šlipogor, Vedrana; Gallup, Andrew C.

2016-01-01

Behavioral contagion is suggested to promote group coordination that may facilitate activity transitions, increased vigilance, and state matching. Apart from contagious yawning, however, very little attention has been given to this phenomenon, and studies on contagious yawning in primates have so far only focused on Old World monkeys and apes. Here we studied behavioral contagion in common marmosets, a species for which group coordination and vigilance are paramount. In particular, we investigated the contagiousness of yawning, stretching, scratching, tongue protrusion, gnawing, and scent-marking. We coded these behaviors from 14 adult marmosets, from two different social groups. During testing sessions, animals were separated into groups of four individuals for 20-min observation periods, across three distinct diurnal time points (morning, midday, and afternoon) to test for circadian patterns. We observed almost no yawning (0.12 yawns/h) and very little stretching behavior. For all other behaviors, which were more common, we found several temporal and inter-individual differences (i.e., sex, age, dominance status) predictive of these responses. Moreover, we found that gnawing and scent-marking, which almost always co-occurred as a fixed-action pattern, were highly temporally clustered within observation sessions. We discuss the relative absence of yawning in marmosets as well as the possible function of contagious scent-marking, and provide suggestions for future research into the proximate and ultimate functions of these behaviors in marmosets. PMID:27563294

Experimental validation of 3D printed material behaviors and their influence on the structural topology design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kai Ke; Zhu, Ji Hong; Wang, Chuang; Jia, Dong Sheng; Song, Long Long; Zhang, Wei Hong

2018-05-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structures achieved by topology optimization and their fabrications by 3D printing considering the particular features of material microstructures and macro mechanical performances. Combining Digital Image Correlation and Optical Microscope, this paper experimentally explored the anisotropies of stiffness and strength existing in the 3D printed polymer material using Stereolithography (SLA) and titanium material using Selective Laser Melting (SLM). The standard specimens and typical structures obtained by topology optimization were fabricated along different building directions. On the one hand, the experimental results of these SLA produced structures showed stable properties and obviously anisotropic rules in stiffness, ultimate strengths and places of fractures. Further structural designs were performed using topology optimization when the particular mechanical behaviors of SLA printed materials were considered, which resulted in better structural performances compared to the optimized designs using `ideal' isotropic material model. On the other hand, this paper tested the mechanical behaviors of SLM printed multiscale lattice structures which were fabricated using the same metal powder and the same machine. The structural stiffness values are generally similar while the strength behaviors show a difference, which are mainly due to the irregular surface quality of the tiny structural branches of the lattice. The above evidences clearly show that the consideration of the particular behaviors of 3D printed materials is therefore indispensable for structural design and optimization in order to improve the structural performance and strengthen their practical significance.

Experimental validation of 3D printed material behaviors and their influence on the structural topology design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kai Ke; Zhu, Ji Hong; Wang, Chuang; Jia, Dong Sheng; Song, Long Long; Zhang, Wei Hong

2018-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structures achieved by topology optimization and their fabrications by 3D printing considering the particular features of material microstructures and macro mechanical performances. Combining Digital Image Correlation and Optical Microscope, this paper experimentally explored the anisotropies of stiffness and strength existing in the 3D printed polymer material using Stereolithography (SLA) and titanium material using Selective Laser Melting (SLM). The standard specimens and typical structures obtained by topology optimization were fabricated along different building directions. On the one hand, the experimental results of these SLA produced structures showed stable properties and obviously anisotropic rules in stiffness, ultimate strengths and places of fractures. Further structural designs were performed using topology optimization when the particular mechanical behaviors of SLA printed materials were considered, which resulted in better structural performances compared to the optimized designs using `ideal' isotropic material model. On the other hand, this paper tested the mechanical behaviors of SLM printed multiscale lattice structures which were fabricated using the same metal powder and the same machine. The structural stiffness values are generally similar while the strength behaviors show a difference, which are mainly due to the irregular surface quality of the tiny structural branches of the lattice. The above evidences clearly show that the consideration of the particular behaviors of 3D printed materials is therefore indispensable for structural design and optimization in order to improve the structural performance and strengthen their practical significance.

Experimentally observed conformation-dependent geometry and hidden strain in proteins.

PubMed Central

Karplus, P. A.

1996-01-01

A database has been compiled documenting the peptide conformations and geometries from 70 diverse proteins refined at 1.75 A or better. Analysis of the well-ordered residues within the database shows phi, psi-distributions that have more fine structure than is generally observed. Also, clear evidence is presented that the peptide covalent geometry depends on conformation, with the interpeptide N-C alpha-C bond angle varying by nearly +/-5 degrees from its standard value. The observed deviations from standard peptide geometry are greatest near the edges of well-populated regions, consistent with strain occurring in these conformations. Minimization of such hidden strain could be an important factor in thermostability of proteins. These empirical data describing how equilibrium peptide geometry varies as a function of conformation confirm and extend quantum mechanics calculations, and have predictive value that will aid both theoretical and experimental analyses of protein structure. PMID:8819173

An observation tool for instructor and student behaviors to measure in-class learner engagement: a validation study

PubMed Central

Alimoglu, Mustafa K.; Sarac, Didar B.; Alparslan, Derya; Karakas, Ayse A.; Altintas, Levent

2014-01-01

Background Efforts are made to enhance in-class learner engagement because it stimulates and enhances learning. However, it is not easy to quantify learner engagement. This study aimed to develop and validate an observation tool for instructor and student behaviors to determine and compare in-class learner engagement levels in four different class types delivered by the same instructor. Methods Observer pairs observed instructor and student behaviors during lectures in large class (LLC, n=2) with third-year medical students, lectures in small class (LSC, n=6) and case-based teaching sessions (CBT, n=4) with fifth-year students, and problem-based learning (PBL) sessions (~7 hours) with second-year students. The observation tool was a revised form of STROBE, an instrument for recording behaviors of an instructor and four randomly selected students as snapshots for 5-min cycles. Instructor and student behaviors were scored 1–5 on this tool named ‘in-class engagement measure (IEM)’. The IEM scores were parallel to the degree of behavior's contribution to active student engagement, so higher scores were associated with more in-class learner engagement. Additionally, the number of questions asked by the instructor and students were recorded. A total of 203 5-min observations were performed (LLC 20, LSC 85, CBT 50, and PBL 48). Results Interobserver agreement on instructor and student behaviors was 93.7% (κ=0.87) and 80.6% (κ=0.71), respectively. Higher median IEM scores were found in student-centered and problem-oriented methods such as CBT and PBL. A moderate correlation was found between instructor and student behaviors (r=0.689). Conclusions This study provides some evidence for validity of the IEM scores as a measure of student engagement in different class types. PMID:25308966

Viscoplastic analysis of an experimental cylindrical thrust chamber liner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Arnold, Steven M.

1991-01-01

A viscoplastic stress-strain analysis of an experimental cylindrical thrust chamber is presented. A viscoelastic constitutive model incorporating a single internal state variable that represents kinematic hardening was employed to investigate whether such a viscoplastic model could predict the experimentally observed behavior of the thrust chamber. Two types of loading cycles were considered: a short cycle of 3.5 sec. duration that corresponded to the experiments, and an extended loading cycle of 485.1 sec. duration that is typical of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) operating cycle. The analysis qualitatively replicated the deformation behavior of the component as observed in experiments designed to simulate SSME operating conditions. The analysis also showed that the mode and location in the component may depend on the loading cycle. The results indicate that using viscoplastic models for structural analysis can lead to a more realistic life assessment of thrust chambers.

Possible existence of convective currents in surfactant bulk solution in experimental pendant-bubble dynamic surface tension measurements.

PubMed

Moorkanikkara, Srinivas Nageswaran; Blankschtein, Daniel

2009-02-03

Traditionally, surfactant bulk solutions in which dynamic surface tension (DST) measurements are conducted using the pendant-bubble apparatus are assumed to be quiescent. Consequently, the transport of surfactant molecules in the bulk solution is often modeled as being purely diffusive when analyzing the experimental pendant-bubble DST data. In this Article, we analyze the experimental pendant-bubble DST data of the alkyl poly (ethylene oxide) nonionic surfactants, C12E4 and C12E6, and demonstrate that both surfactants exhibit "superdiffusive" adsorption kinetics behavior with characteristics that challenge the traditional assumption of a quiescent surfactant bulk solution. In other words, the observed superdiffusive adsorption behavior points to the possible existence of convection currents in the surfactant bulk solution. The analysis presented here involves the following steps: (1) constructing an adsorption kinetics model that corresponds to the fastest rate at which surfactant molecules adsorb onto the actual pendant-bubble surface from a quiescent solution, (2) predicting the DST behaviors of C12E4 and C12E6 at several surfactant bulk solution concentrations using the model constructed in step 1, and (3) comparing the predicted DST profiles with the experimental DST profiles. This comparison reveals systematic deviations for both C12E4 and C12E6 with the following characteristics: (a) the experimental DST profiles exhibit adsorption kinetics behavior, which is faster than the predicted fastest rate of surfactant adsorption from a quiescent surfactant bulk solution at time scales greater than 100 s, and (b) the experimental DST profiles and the predicted DST behaviors approach the same equilibrium surface tension values. Characteristic (b) indicates that the cause of the observed systematic deviations may be associated with the adsorption kinetics mechanism adopted in the model used rather than with the equilibrium behavior. Characteristic (a) indicates that

Annular tautomerism: experimental observations and quantum mechanics calculations.

PubMed

Cruz-Cabeza, Aurora J; Schreyer, Adrian; Pitt, William R

2010-06-01

The use of MP2 level quantum mechanical (QM) calculations on isolated heteroaromatic ring systems for the prediction of the tautomeric propensities of whole molecules in a crystalline environment was examined. A Polarisable Continuum Model was used in the calculations to account for environment effects on the tautomeric relative stabilities. The calculated relative energies of tautomers were compared to relative abundances within the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The work was focussed on 84 annular tautomeric forms of 34 common ring systems. Good agreement was found between the calculations and the experimental data even if the quantity of these data was limited in many cases. The QM results were compared to those produced by much faster semiempirical calculations. In a search for other sources of the useful experimental data, the relative numbers of known compounds in which prototropic positions were often substituted by heavy atoms were also analysed. A scheme which groups all annular tautomeric transformations into 10 classes was developed. The scheme was designed to encompass a comprehensive set of known and theoretically possible tautomeric ring systems generated as part of a previous study. General trends across analogous ring systems were detected as a result. The calculations and statistics collected on crystallographic data as well as the general trends observed should be useful for the better modelling of annular tautomerism in the applications such as computer-aided drug design, small molecule crystal structure prediction, the naming of compounds and the interpretation of protein-small molecule crystal structures.

Annular tautomerism: experimental observations and quantum mechanics calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Cabeza, Aurora J.; Schreyer, Adrian; Pitt, William R.

2010-06-01

The use of MP2 level quantum mechanical (QM) calculations on isolated heteroaromatic ring systems for the prediction of the tautomeric propensities of whole molecules in a crystalline environment was examined. A Polarisable Continuum Model was used in the calculations to account for environment effects on the tautomeric relative stabilities. The calculated relative energies of tautomers were compared to relative abundances within the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The work was focussed on 84 annular tautomeric forms of 34 common ring systems. Good agreement was found between the calculations and the experimental data even if the quantity of these data was limited in many cases. The QM results were compared to those produced by much faster semiempirical calculations. In a search for other sources of the useful experimental data, the relative numbers of known compounds in which prototropic positions were often substituted by heavy atoms were also analysed. A scheme which groups all annular tautomeric transformations into 10 classes was developed. The scheme was designed to encompass a comprehensive set of known and theoretically possible tautomeric ring systems generated as part of a previous study. General trends across analogous ring systems were detected as a result. The calculations and statistics collected on crystallographic data as well as the general trends observed should be useful for the better modelling of annular tautomerism in the applications such as computer-aided drug design, small molecule crystal structure prediction, the naming of compounds and the interpretation of protein—small molecule crystal structures.

Direct Observation of Teacher and Student Behavior in School Settings: Trends, Issues and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Timothy J.; Scott, Terrance M.; Wehby, Joseph H.; Wills, Howard P.

2014-01-01

Across the modern history of the field of special education and emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD), direct observation of student and educator behavior has been an essential component of the diagnostic process, student progress monitoring, and establishing functional and statistical relationships within research. This article provides an…

Bicyclist Safety Behaviors in an Urban Northeastern, United States City: An Observational Study.

PubMed

Wolfe, Elizabeth Suzanne; Arabian, Sandra Strack; Salzler, Matthew J; Bugaev, Nikolay; Rabinovici, Reuven

2016-01-01

Bicycling is gaining popularity in the United States, and laws and safety recommendations are being established to keep bicyclists safer. To improve road safety for bicyclists, there is a need to characterize their compliance with road laws and safety behaviors. Adult bicyclists were observed at three high-traffic intersections in Boston, MA, with state recommendations of wearing a helmet and riding in a bike lane. State law compliance for displaying reflectors during the day and of a front light and a rear light/reflector at night, obeying traffic signals, and giving pedestrians the right of way was also observed. Variables were compared between personal and shared/rented bicyclists and analyzed by time of day. A total of 1,685 bicyclists were observed. Because of the speed of the bicyclists and obstructed views, only a sampling of 802 bicyclists was observed for reflectors/front light. Overall, 74% wore a helmet, 49% had reflectors/front lights, 95% rode in bike lanes, 87% obeyed traffic signals, and 99% gave the right of way to pedestrians. Compared with shared bicyclists (n = 122), personal bicyclists (n = 1563) had a higher helmet-wearing behaviors (77% vs. 39%, p = .0001). Shared bicyclists had a higher (p = .0001) compliance with reflectors/lights (100%) than personal bicyclists (39%, n = 265). Boston bicyclists ride in bike lanes, obey traffic signals, give pedestrians the right of way, and wear helmets while having suboptimal compliance with light/reflector use. Educational programs and stricter law enforcement aimed at these safety behaviors should be part of the effort to improve safety for all road users.

Phase behavior of ternary polymer brushes

DOE PAGES

Simocko, Chester K.; Frischknecht, Amalie L.; Huber, Dale L.

2016-01-07

Ternary polymer brushes consisting of polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(4-vinylpyridine) have been synthesized. These brushes laterally phase separate into several distinct phases and can be tailored by altering the relative polymer composition. Self-consistent field theory has been used to predict the phase diagram and model both the horizontal and vertical phase behavior of the polymer brushes. As a result, all phase behaviors observed experimentally correlate well with the theoretical model.

Representativeness of direct observations selected using a work-sampling equation.

PubMed

Sharp, Rebecca A; Mudford, Oliver C; Elliffe, Douglas

2015-01-01

Deciding on appropriate sampling to obtain representative samples of behavior is important but not straightforward, because the relative duration of the target behavior may affect its observation in a given sampling interval. Work-sampling methods, which offer a way to adjust the frequency of sampling according to a priori or ongoing estimates of the behavior to achieve a preselected level of representativeness, may provide a solution. Full-week observations of 7 behaviors were conducted for 3 students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. Work-sampling methods were used to select momentary time samples from the full time-of-interest, which produced representative samples. However, work sampling required impractically high numbers of time samples to obtain representative samples. More practical momentary time samples produced less representative samples, particularly for low-duration behaviors. The utility and limits of work-sampling methods for applied behavior analysis are discussed. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Focused Observation and Feedback of Nonverbal Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Judd F.; Bradley, Banks T.

A feedback and analysis instrument measuring nonverbal teacher behavior is presented which focuses on fourteen specific behaviors. Data obtained from the instrument may be analyzed for each of the behaviors and developed into a quantified ratio of those categories tending to signal positive influence by the teacher toward the pupil and those…

Maternal mind-mindedness during infancy, general parenting sensitivity and observed child feeding behavior: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Farrow, Claire; Blissett, Jackie

2014-01-01

Maternal mind-mindedness, or the tendency to view the child as a mental agent, has been shown to predict sensitive and responsive parenting behavior. As yet the role of mind-mindedness has not been explored in the context of feeding interactions. This study evaluates the relations between maternal mind-mindedness at 6 months of infant age and subsequently observed maternal sensitivity and feeding behaviors with children at age 1 year. Maternal mind-mindedness was greater in mothers who had breast-fed compared to formula-fed. Controlling for breast-feeding, mind-mindedness at 6 months was correlated with observations of more sensitive and positive feeding behaviors at 1 year of age. Mind-mindedness was also associated with greater general maternal sensitivity in play and this general parenting sensitivity mediated the effect of mind-mindedness on more sensitive and positive feeding behaviors. Interventions to promote maternal tendency to consider their child's mental states may encourage more adaptive parental feeding behaviors.

Characteristic interpersonal behavior in dependent and avoidant personality disorder can be observed within very short interaction sequences.

PubMed

Leising, Daniel; Sporberg, Doreen; Rehbein, Diana

2006-08-01

We present a behavior observation study of interpersonal behavior in 96 female subjects, who had been screened for the presence of dependent, avoidant, narcissistic and histrionic personality disorder features. Each subject took part in three short role-plays, taken from assertiveness training. Afterwards, both the subject and her role-play partner judged, how assertive the subject had been. Although observation time was very short, dependent and avoidant subjects could be easily identified from their overly submissive behavior in the role-plays. Histrionic and narcissistic subjects did not show distinctive interpersonal behavior. Contrary to a common belief, higher scores on some personality disorder (PD) scales were positively related to cross-situational variability of behavior. Results are discussed with regard to their implications for clinical diagnostics, therapy and the methodology of personality disorder research in general.

Dangerous student car drop-off behaviors and child pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions: An observational study.

PubMed

Rothman, Linda; Howard, Andrew; Buliung, Ron; Macarthur, Colin; Macpherson, Alison

2016-07-03

The objective of this study was to examine the association between dangerous student car drop-off behaviors and historical child pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions (PMVCs) near elementary schools in Toronto, Canada. Police-reported child PMVCs during school travel times from 2000 to 2011 were mapped within 200 m of 118 elementary schools. Observers measured dangerous student morning car drop-off behaviors and number of children walking to school during one day in 2011. A composite score of school social disadvantage was obtained from the Toronto District School Board. Built environment and traffic features were mapped and included as covariates. A multivariate Poisson regression was used to model the rates of PMVC/number of children walking and dangerous student car drop-off behaviors, adjusting for the built environment and social disadvantage. There were 45 child PMVCs, with 29 (64%) sustaining minor injuries resulting in emergency department visits. The mean collision rate was 2.9/10,000 children walking/year (SD = 6.7). Dangerous drop-off behaviors were observed in 104 schools (88%). In the multivariate analysis, each additional dangerous drop-off behavior was associated with a 45% increase in collision rates (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02, 2.07). Higher speed roads (IRR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.13, 1.44) and social disadvantage (IRR = 2.99, 95% CI, 1.03, 8.68) were associated with higher collision rates. Dangerous student car drop-off behaviors were associated with historical nonfatal child PMVC rates during school travel times near schools. Some caution must be taken in interpreting these results due small number of events and limitations in the data collection, because collision data were collected historically over a 12-year period, whereas driving behavior was only observed on a single day in 2011. Targeted multifaceted intervention approaches related to the built environment, enforcement, and education could address

Observed Emotional and Behavioral Indicators of Motivation Predict School Readiness in Head Start Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berhenke, Amanda; Miller, Alison L.; Brown, Eleanor; Seifer, Ronald; Dickstein, Susan

2011-01-01

Emotions and behaviors observed during challenging tasks are hypothesized to be valuable indicators of young children's motivation, the assessment of which may be particularly important for children at risk for school failure. The current study demonstrated reliability and concurrent validity of a new observational assessment of motivation in…

Experimental observation of a hydrodynamic mode in a flow duct with a porous material.

PubMed

Aurégan, Yves; Singh, Deepesh Kumar

2014-08-01

This paper experimentally investigates the acoustic behavior of a homogeneous porous material with a rigid frame (metallic foam) under grazing flow. The transmission coefficient shows an unusual oscillation over a particular range of frequencies which reports the presence of an unstable hydrodynamic wave that can exchange energy with the acoustic waves. This coupling of acoustic and hydrodynamic waves becomes larger when the Mach number increases. A rise of the static pressure drop in the lined region is induced by an acoustic excitation when the hydrodynamic wave is present.

Experimental analysis of the sheet metal forming behavior of newly developed press hardening steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meza-García, Enrique; Kräusel, Verena; Landgrebe, Dirk

2018-05-01

The aim of this work was the characterization of the newly developed press hardening sheet alloys 1800 PHS and 2000 PHS developed by SSAB with regard to their hot forming behavior on the basis of the experimental determination of relevant mechanical and technological properties. For this purpose conventional and non-conventional sheet metal testing methods were used. To determine the friction coefficient, the strip drawing test was applied, while the deep drawing cup test was used to determine the maximum draw depth. Finally, a V-bending test was carried out to evaluate the springback behavior of the investigated alloys by varying the blank temperature and quenching media. This work provides a technological guideline for the production of press hardened sheet parts made of these investigated sheet metals.

Power-Stepped HF Cross-Modulation Experiments: Simulations and Experimental Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, S.; Moore, R. C.

2014-12-01

High frequency (HF) cross modulation experiments are a well established means for probing the HF-modified characteristics of the D-region ionosphere. The interaction between the heating wave and the probing pulse depends on the ambient and modified conditions of the D-region ionosphere. Cross-modulation observations are employed as a measure of the HF-modified refractive index. We employ an optimized version of Fejer's method that we developed during previous experiments. Experiments were performed in March 2013 at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) observatory in Gakona, Alaska. During these experiments, the power of the HF heating signal incrementally increased in order to determine the dependence of cross-modulation on HF power. We found that a simple power law relationship does not hold at high power levels, similar to previous ELF/VLF wave generation experiments. In this paper, we critically compare these experimental observations with the predictions of a numerical ionospheric HF heating model and demonstrate close agreement.

Experimental characterization and microstructure linked modeling of mechanical behavior of ultra-thin aluminum foils used in packaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabourot, Laurent; Charleux, Ludovic; Balland, Pascale; Sène, Ndèye Awa; Andreasson, Eskil

2018-05-01

This paper is based on the hypothesis that introducing distribution of mechanical properties is beneficial for modeling all kinds of mechanical behavior, even of ordinary metallic materials. To bring proof of its admissibility, it has to be first shown that modeling based on this assertion is able to efficiently describe standard mechanical behavior of materials. Searching for typical study case, it has been assessed that at a low scale, yield stresses could be strongly distributed in ultrathin aluminum foils used in packaging industry, offering opportunities to identifying their distribution and showing its role on the mechanical properties. Considering initially reduced modeling allow to establish a valuable connection between the hardening curve and the distribution of local yield stresses. This serves for finding initial value of distribution parameters in a more sophisticated identification procedure. With finally limited number of representative classes of local yield stresses, concretely 3 is enough, it is shown that a 3D finite element simulation involving limited numbers of elements returns realistic behavior of an ultrathin aluminum foil exerted to tensile test, in reference to experimental results. This gives way to large possibilities in modeling in order to give back complex experimental evidence.

A method for recording verbal behavior in free-play settings1

PubMed Central

Nordquist, Vey M.

1971-01-01

The present study attempted to test the reliability of a new method of recording verbal behavior in a free-play preschool setting. Six children, three normal and three speech impaired, served as subjects. Videotaped records of verbal behavior were scored by two experimentally naive observers. The results suggest that the system provides a means of obtaining reliable records of both normal and impaired speech, even when the subjects exhibit nonverbal behaviors (such as hyperactivity) that interfere with direct observation techniques. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2 PMID:16795310

Importance of the gas phase role to the prediction of energetic material behavior: An experimental study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, A. N.; Son, S. F.; Asay, B. W.; Sander, R. K.

2005-03-01

Various thermal (radiative, conductive, and convective) initiation experiments are performed to demonstrate the importance of the gas phase role in combustion modeling of energetic materials (EM). A previously published condensed phase model that includes a predicted critical irradiance above which ignition is not possible is compared to experimental laser ignition results for octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Experimental results conflict with the predicted critical irradiance concept. The failure of the model is believed to result from a misconception about the role of the gas phase in the ignition process of energetic materials. The model assumes that ignition occurs at the surface and that evolution of gases inhibits ignition. High speed video of laser ignition, oven cook-off and hot wire ignition experiments captures the ignition of HMX and TNT in the gas phase. A laser ignition gap test is performed to further evaluate the effect of gas phase laser absorption and gas phase disruption on the ignition process. Results indicate that gas phase absorption of the laser energy is probably not the primary factor governing the gas phase ignition observations. It is discovered that a critical gap between an HMX pellet and a salt window of 6mm±0.4mm exists below which ignition by CO2 laser is not possible at the tested irradiances of 29W /cm2 and 38W/cm2 for HMX ignition. These observations demonstrate that a significant disruption of the gas phase, in certain scenarios, will inhibit ignition, independent of any condensed phase processes. These results underscore the importance of gas phase processes and illustrate that conditions can exist where simple condensed phase models are inadequate to accurately predict the behavior of energetic materials.

Development of using experimenter-given cues in infant chimpanzees: longitudinal changes in behavior and cognitive development.

PubMed

Okamoto-Barth, Sanae; Tomonaga, Masaki; Tanaka, Masayuki; Matsuzawa, Tetsuro

2008-01-01

The use of gaze shifts as social cues has various evolutionary advantages. To investigate the developmental processes of this ability, we conducted an object-choice task by using longitudinal methods with infant chimpanzees tested from 8 months old until 3 years old. The experimenter used one of six gestures towards a cup concealing food; tapping, touching, whole-hand pointing, gazing plus close-pointing, distant-pointing, close-gazing, and distant-gazing. Unlike any other previous study, we analyzed the behavioral changes that occurred before and after choosing the cup. We assumed that pre-choice behavior indicates the development of an attentional and spatial connection between a pointing cue and an object (e.g. Woodward, 2005); and post-choice behavior indicates the emergence of object permanence (e.g. Piaget, 1954). Our study demonstrated that infant chimpanzees begin to use experimenter-given cues with age (after 11 months of age). Moreover, the results from the behavioral analysis showed that the infants gradually developed the spatial link between the pointing as an object-directed action and the object. Moreover, when they were 11 months old, the infants began to inspect the inside of the cup, suggesting the onset of object permanence. Overall, our results imply that the ability to use the cues is developing and mutually related with other cognitive developments. The present study also suggests what the standard object-choice task actually measures by breaking the task down into the developmental trajectories of its component parts, and describes for the first time the social-physical cognitive development during the task with a longitudinal method.

Experimental evaluation of thermal ratcheting behavior in UO2 fuel elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, W. M.

1973-01-01

The effects of thermal cycling of UO2 at high temperatures has been experimentally evaluated to determine the rates of distortion of UO2/clad fuel elements. Two capsules were rested in the 1500 C range, one with a 50 C thermal cycle, the other with a 100 C thermal cycle. It was observed that eight hours at the lower cycle temperature produced sufficient UO2 redistribution to cause clad distortion. The amount of distortion produced by the 100 C cycle was less than double that produced by the 50 C, indicating smaller thermal cycles would result in clad distortion. An incubation period was observed to occur before the onset of distortion with cycling similar to fuel swelling observed in-pile at these temperatures.

[What factors of prosocial behavior evoke recipients’ gratitude and indebtedness? An experimental examination].

PubMed

Shiraki, Yuma; Igarashi, Tasuku

2016-12-01

We examined two psychological processes of prosocial behavior: feeling gratitude and indebtedness. First, we asked if the value of the behavior for the receiver promotes gratitude; and second if the cost of the behavior for the giver promotes indebtedness. Gratitude and indebtedness were measured as behavioral indices of a quid pro quo (indirect reciprocity and direct reciprocity) to avoid social desirability effects in self-report measures. In Study 1, 119 undergraduates recalled a past experience in which they had been the recipients of prosocial behavior while emphasizing the value, cost, or situation (control) of the event. The level of gratitude was higher, and indirect reciprocity was observed more frequently, in the value condition than in the cost and control conditions. Indebtedness, however, did not differ across the conditions. In Study 2, 59 participants received a gift (the value and cost of which were manipulated) from an imaginary confederate. The value manipulation promoted indirect reciprocity, and both value and cost manipulations encouraged direct reciprocity. Implications for adaptive functions of gratitude in social selection processes are discussed.

A structured observation of behavioral self-regulation and its contribution to kindergarten outcomes.

PubMed

Ponitz, Claire Cameron; McClelland, Megan M; Matthews, J S; Morrison, Frederick J

2009-05-01

The authors examined a new assessment of behavioral regulation and contributions to achievement and teacher-rated classroom functioning in a sample (N = 343) of kindergarteners from 2 geographical sites in the United States. Behavioral regulation was measured with the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task, a structured observation requiring children to perform the opposite of a dominant response to 4 different oral commands. Results revealed considerable variability in HTKS scores. Evidence for construct validity was found in positive correlations with parent ratings of attentional focusing and inhibitory control and teacher ratings of classroom behavioral regulation. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that higher levels of behavioral regulation in the fall predicted stronger levels of achievement in the spring and better teacher-rated classroom self-regulation (all ps < .01) but not interpersonal skills. Evidence for domain specificity emerged, in which gains in behavioral regulation predicted gains in mathematics but not in language and literacy over the kindergarten year (p < .01) after site, child gender, and other background variables were controlled. Discussion focuses on the importance of behavioral regulation for successful adjustment to the demands of kindergarten. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Effect of music care on depression and behavioral problems in elderly people with dementia in Taiwan: a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study.

PubMed

Wang, Su-Chin; Yu, Ching-Len; Chang, Su-Hsien

2017-02-01

The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of music care on cognitive function, depression, and behavioral problems among elderly people with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. The study had a quasi-experimental, longitudinal research design and used two groups of subjects. Subjects were not randomly assigned to experimental group (n = 90) or comparison group (n = 56). Based on Bandura's social cognition theory, subjects in the experimental group received Kagayashiki music care (KMC) twice per week for 24 weeks. Subjects in the comparison group were provided with activities as usual. Results found, using the control score of the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale (baseline) and time of attending KMC activities as a covariate, the two groups of subjects had statistically significant differences in the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Results also showed that, using the control score of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (baseline) and MMSE (baseline) as a covariate, the two groups of subjects had statistically significant differences in the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale. These findings provide information for staff caregivers in long-term care facilities to develop a non-invasive care model for elderly people with dementia to deal with depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems.

Experimental Observation of a Generalized Thouless Pump with a Single Spin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Wenchao; Zhou, Longwen; Zhang, Qi; Li, Min; Cheng, Chunyang; Geng, Jianpei; Rong, Xing; Shi, Fazhan; Gong, Jiangbin; Du, Jiangfeng

2018-03-01

Adiabatic cyclic modulation of a one-dimensional periodic potential will result in quantized charge transport, which is termed the Thouless pump. In contrast to the original Thouless pump restricted by the topology of the energy band, here we experimentally observe a generalized Thouless pump that can be extensively and continuously controlled. The extraordinary features of the new pump originate from interband coherence in nonequilibrium initial states, and this fact indicates that a quantum superposition of different eigenstates individually undergoing quantum adiabatic following can also be an important ingredient unavailable in classical physics. The quantum simulation of this generalized Thouless pump in a two-band insulator is achieved by applying delicate control fields to a single spin in diamond. The experimental results demonstrate all principal characteristics of the generalized Thouless pump. Because the pumping in our system is most pronounced around a band-touching point, this work also suggests an alternative means to detect quantum or topological phase transitions.

Observations of experimental and numerical waveforms of piezoelectric signals generated in bovine cancellous bone by ultrasound waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosokawa, Atsushi

2018-07-01

Experimental and numerical waveforms of piezoelectric signals generated in the bovine cancellous bone by ultrasound waves at 1.0 MHz were observed. The experimental observations were performed using a “piezoelectric cell (PE-cell)”, in which an air-saturated cancellous bone specimen was electrically shielded. The PE-cell was used to receive burst ultrasound waves. The numerical observations were performed using a piezoelectric finite-difference time-domain (PE-FDTD) method, which was an elastic FDTD method with piezoelectric constitutive equations. The cancellous bone model was reconstructed from the three-dimensional X-ray microcomputed tomographic image of the specimen used in the experiments. Both experimental and numerical results showed that the repetitive piezoelectric signals could be generated by the multireflected ultrasound waves within the cancellous bone specimen. Moreover, it was shown that the output piezoelectric signal in the PE-cell could be the overlap of the local signals in the trabecular elements at various depths (or thicknesses) in the cancellous bone specimen.

Experimental Analysis of Small-Group Performance Effectiveness: Behavioral and Biological Interactions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

processes requiring systematic experimental analysis. Accordingly, group performance effectiveness studies were initiated to 61 assess the effects on...the experiment. 67 active processes associated with Joining the respective established groups, but the absence of baseline levels precludes such an...novitiate in comparison to such values observed during baseline days suggested an active process associated with the joining of the group and emphasized the

The surveillance state of behavioral automation

PubMed Central

Schaefer, Andreas T; Claridge-Chang, Adam

2012-01-01

Genetics’ demand for increased throughput is driving automatization of behavior analysis far beyond experimental workhorses like circadian monitors and the operant conditioning box. However, the new automation is not just faster: it is also allowing new kinds of experiments, many of which erase the boundaries of the traditional neuroscience disciplines (psychology, ethology and physiology) while producing insight into problems that were otherwise opaque. Ironically, a central theme of current automatization is to improve observation of animals in increasingly naturalistic environments. This is not just a return to 19th century priorities: the new observational methods provide unprecedented quantitation of actions and ever-closer integration with experimentation. PMID:22119142

Students' Understanding of Analogy after a Core (Chemical Observations, Representations, Experimentation) Learning Cycle, General Chemistry Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avargil, Shirly; Bruce, Mitchell R. M.; Amar, Franc¸ois G.; Bruce, Alice E.

2015-01-01

Students' understanding about analogy was investigated after a CORE learning cycle general chemistry experiment. CORE (Chemical Observations, Representations, Experimentation) is a new three-phase learning cycle that involves (phase 1) guiding students through chemical observations while they consider a series of open-ended questions, (phase 2)…

Eating under observation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect that heightened awareness of observation has on laboratory measured energy intake.

PubMed

Robinson, Eric; Hardman, Charlotte A; Halford, Jason C G; Jones, Andrew

2015-08-01

Laboratory paradigms are commonly used to study human energy intake. However, the extent to which participants believe their eating behavior is being measured may affect energy intake and is a methodologic factor that has received little consideration. Our main objective was to examine available evidence for the effect that heightened awareness of observation has on energy intake in a laboratory setting. We systematically reviewed laboratory studies that allowed for experimental examination of the effect that heightened awareness of observation has on energy intake. From these experimental studies we combined effect estimates using inverse variance meta-analysis, calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) in energy intake between heightened-awareness and control conditions and qualitatively synthesized potential moderators of this effect. Nine studies, providing 22 comparisons, were eligible for inclusion. These studies largely sampled young women and examined the energy intake of energy-dense snack foods. Evidence indicated that heightened awareness of observation was associated with reduced energy intake when compared with the control condition (random-effects SMD: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.66; P < 0.0001). We found little evidence that the type of experimental manipulation used to heighten awareness moderated the overall effect. The available evidence to date suggests that heightened awareness of observation reduces energy intake in a laboratory setting. These findings suggest that laboratory studies should attempt to minimize the degree to which participants are aware that their eating behavior is being measured. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Ethnic Differences in Nonverbal Pain Behaviors Observed in Older Adults with Dementia.

PubMed

Ford, Brianne; Snow, A Lynn; Herr, Keela; Tripp-Reimer, Toni

2015-10-01

Research supports using nonverbal pain behaviors to identify pain in persons with dementia. It is unknown whether variations exist among ethnic groups in the expression of nonverbal pain behaviors in this special population. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine ethnic differences in the presentation and intensity of nonverbal pain behaviors among African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic older adults with dementia when screened for pain by certified nursing assistants. Six certified nursing assistants were trained to review and score 28 video recordings of subjects with dementia for nonverbal pain behaviors using the Non-Communicative Patient's Pain Assessment Instrument. Chi-square was used to examine differences among ethnic groups with regard to the display of nonverbal pain behaviors, and ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in the intensity of overall pain across ethnic groups. Of the 168 assessments, pain words (28%), pain noises (29.8%), and pain faces (28%) were observed most often as indicators of pain. Rubbing, bracing, and restlessness were rarely noted. Chi-square analysis revealed ethnic differences in the expression of pain words (χ(2) = 19.167, p < .001). No significant differences were noted across ethnic groups with regards to overall pain intensity. These findings are the first to examine ethnic differences in nonverbal pain behaviors for older adults with dementia. However, future work should examine assessment tendencies of providers in a larger, more diverse sample. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. All rights reserved.

The construct-behavior gap in behavioral decision research: A challenge beyond replicability.

PubMed

Regenwetter, Michel; Robinson, Maria M

2017-10-01

Behavioral decision research compares theoretical constructs like preferences to behavior such as observed choices. Three fairly common links from constructs to behavior are (1) to tally, across participants and decision problems, the number of choices consistent with one predicted pattern of pairwise preferences; (2) to compare what most people choose in each decision problem against a predicted preference pattern; or (3) to enumerate the decision problems in which two experimental conditions generate a 1-sided significant difference in choice frequency 'consistent' with the theory. Although simple, these theoretical links are heuristics. They are subject to well-known reasoning fallacies, most notably the fallacy of sweeping generalization and the fallacy of composition. No amount of replication can alleviate these fallacies. On the contrary, reiterating logically inconsistent theoretical reasoning over and again across studies obfuscates science. As a case in point, we consider pairwise choices among simple lotteries and the hypotheses of overweighting or underweighting of small probabilities, as well as the description-experience gap. We discuss ways to avoid reasoning fallacies in bridging the conceptual gap between hypothetical constructs, such as, for example, "overweighting" to observable pairwise choice data. Although replication is invaluable, successful replication of hard-to-interpret results is not. Behavioral decision research stands to gain much theoretical and empirical clarity by spelling out precise and formally explicit theories of how hypothetical constructs translate into observable behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Frictional behavior of large displacement experimental faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beeler, N.M.; Tullis, T.E.; Blanpied, M.L.; Weeks, J.D.

1996-01-01

dependence of dilatancy rate of simulated gouge fails to quantitatively account for the experimental observations.

Experimental observation of hysteresis in a coherent metal-hydride phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wen; Pálsson, Gunnar K.; Brischetto, Martin; Droulias, Sotirios A.; Hartmann, Ola; Wolff, Max; Hjörvarsson, Björgvin

2017-12-01

We investigate the hysteresis obtained in the hydrogen absorption and desorption cycle for a single crystal Pd/V_28 ≤ft[Fe4 /V_28\\right]11 superlattice. Below the critical temperature, a small but clear hysteresis is observed in the pressure-composition isotherms, while it is absent above. The experimental results thereby prove the relevance of macroscopic energy barriers for obtaining hysteresis in coherent structural transformations. The textured Pd layer exhibits substantially larger hysteresis effects, which can be related to an irreversible energy loss caused by defect generation in Pd.

Experimental and theoretical studies of the thermal behavior of titanium dioxide-SnO2 based composites.

PubMed

Voga, G P; Coelho, M G; de Lima, G M; Belchior, J C

2011-04-07

In this paper we report experimental and theoretical studies concerning the thermal behavior of some organotin-Ti(IV) oxides employed as precursors for TiO(2)/SnO(2) semiconducting based composites, with photocatalytic properties. The organotin-TiO(2) supported materials were obtained by chemical reactions of SnBu(3)Cl (Bu = butyl), TiCl(4) with NH(4)OH in ethanol, in order to impregnate organotin oxide in a TiO(2) matrix. A theoretical model was developed to support experimental procedures. The kinetics parameters: frequency factor (A), activation energy, and reaction order (n) can be estimated through artificial intelligence methods. Genetic algorithm, fuzzy logic, and Petri neural nets were used in order to determine the kinetic parameters as a function of temperature. With this in mind, three precursors were prepared in order to obtain composites with Sn/TiO(2) ratios of 0% (1), 15% (2), and 30% (3) in weight, respectively. The thermal behavior of products (1-3) was studied by thermogravimetric experiments in oxygen.

Observed Gender Differences in African American Mother-Child Relationships and Child Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandara, Jelani; Murray, Carolyn B.; Telesford, James M.; Varner, Fatima A.; Richman, Scott B.

2012-01-01

African American mother-child dyads (N = 99) were observed interacting on a collaborative puzzle exercise. Raters blind to the purpose of the study rated the dyads on several mother and child behaviors. Mothers of daughters were rated as more empathetic, encouraging, warm, and accepting and less negative than mothers of sons. Male children were…

Drinking behavior in nursery pigs: Determining the accuracy between an automatic water meter versus human observers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Assimilating accurate behavioral events over a long period can be labor intensive and relatively expensive. If an automatic device could accurately record the duration and frequency for a given behavioral event, it would be a valuable alternative to the traditional use of human observers for behavio...

Experimental observation of low threshold optical bistability in exfoliated graphene with low oxidation degree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharif, Morteza A.; Majles Ara, M. H.; Ghafary, Bijan; Salmani, Somayeh; Mohajer, Salman

2016-03-01

We have experimentally investigated low threshold Optical Bistability (OB) and multi-stability in exfoliated graphene ink with low oxidation degree. Theoretical predictions of N-layer problem and the resonator feedback problem show good agreement with the experimental observation. In contrary to the other graphene oxide samples, we have indicated that the absorbance does not restrict OB process. We have concluded from the experimental results and Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation (NLSE) that the nonlinear dispersion - rather than absorption - is the main nonlinear mechanism of OB. In addition to the enhanced nonlinearity, exfoliated graphene with low oxidation degree possesses semiconductors group III-V equivalent band gap energy, high charge carrier mobility and thus, ultra-fast optical response which makes it a unique optical material for application in all optical switching, especially in THz frequency range.

A Neuroprotective Effect of the Glutamate Receptor Antagonist MK801 on Long-Term Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes Secondary to Experimental Cerebral Malaria.

PubMed

de Miranda, Aline Silva; Brant, Fátima; Vieira, Luciene Bruno; Rocha, Natália Pessoa; Vieira, Érica Leandro Marciano; Rezende, Gustavo Henrique Souza; de Oliveira Pimentel, Pollyana Maria; Moraes, Marcio F D; Ribeiro, Fabíola Mara; Ransohoff, Richard M; Teixeira, Mauro Martins; Machado, Fabiana Simão; Rachid, Milene Alvarenga; Teixeira, Antônio Lúcio

2017-11-01

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a life-threatening complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection, which can result in long-term cognitive and behavioral deficits despite successful anti-malarial therapy. Due to the substantial social and economic burden of CM, the development of adjuvant therapies is a scientific goal of highest priority. Apart from vascular and immune responses, changes in glutamate system have been reported in CM pathogenesis suggesting a potential therapeutic target. Based on that, we hypothesized that interventions in the glutamatergic system induced by blockage of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors could attenuate experimental CM long-term cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Before the development of evident CM signs, susceptible mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) strain were initiated on treatment with dizocilpine maleate (MK801, 0.5 mg/kg), a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist. On day 5 post-infection, mice were treated orally with a 10-day course chloroquine (CQ, 30 mg/kg). Control mice also received saline, CQ or MK801 + CQ therapy. After 10 days of cessation of CQ treatment, magnetic resonance images (MRI), behavioral and immunological assays were performed. Indeed, MK801 combined with CQ prevented long-term memory impairment and depressive-like behavior following successful PbA infection resolution. In addition, MK801 also modulated the immune system by promoting a balance of TH1/TH2 response and upregulating neurotrophic factors levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. Moreover, hippocampus abnormalities observed by MRI were partially prevented by MK801 treatment. Our results indicate that NMDA receptor antagonists can be neuroprotective in CM and could be a valuable adjuvant strategy for the management of the long-term impairment observed in CM.

Communicating the Neuroscience of Psychopathy and Its Influence on Moral Behavior: Protocol of Two Experimental Studies

PubMed Central

Blakey, Robert; Askelund, Adrian D.; Boccanera, Matilde; Immonen, Johanna; Plohl, Nejc; Popham, Cassandra; Sorger, Clarissa; Stuhlreyer, Julia

2017-01-01

Neuroscience has identified brain structures and functions that correlate with psychopathic tendencies. Since psychopathic traits can be traced back to physical neural attributes, it has been argued that psychopaths are not truly responsible for their actions and therefore should not be blamed for their psychopathic behaviors. This experimental research aims to evaluate what effect communicating this theory of psychopathy has on the moral behavior of lay people. If psychopathy is blamed on the brain, people may feel less morally responsible for their own psychopathic tendencies and therefore may be more likely to display those tendencies. An online study will provide participants with false feedback about their psychopathic traits supposedly based on their digital footprint (i.e., Facebook likes), thus classifying them as having either above-average or below-average psychopathic traits and describing psychopathy in cognitive or neurobiological terms. This particular study will assess the extent to which lay people are influenced by feedback regarding their psychopathic traits, and how this might affect their moral behavior in online tasks. Public recognition of these potential negative consequences of neuroscience communication will also be assessed. A field study using the lost letter technique will be conducted to examine lay people’s endorsement of neurobiological, as compared to cognitive, explanations of criminal behavior. This field and online experimental research could inform the future communication of neuroscience to the public in a way that is sensitive to the potential negative consequences of communicating such science. In particular, this research may have implications for the future means by which neurobiological predictors of offending can be safely communicated to offenders. PMID:28352238

Toward Developing Laboratory-Based Parent-Adolescent Conflict Discussion Tasks that Consistently Elicit Adolescent Conflict-Related Stress Responses: Support from Physiology and Observed Behavior.

PubMed

Thomas, Sarah A; Wilson, Tristan; Jain, Anjali; Deros, Danielle E; Um, Miji; Hurwitz, Joanna; Jacobs, Irene; Myerberg, Lindsay; Ehrlich, Katherine B; Dunn, Emily J; Aldao, Amelia; Stadnik, Ryan; De Los Reyes, Andres

2017-12-01

Parent-adolescent conflict poses risk for youth maladjustment. One potential mechanism of this risk is that stress in the form of increased arousal during conflict interactions results in adolescents' impaired decision-making. However, eliciting consistent adolescent stress responses within laboratory-based tasks of parent-adolescent conflict (i.e., conflict discussion tasks) is hindered by task design. This limitation may stem from how conflict topics are assessed and selected for discussion. Within a sample of 47 adolescents (ages 14-17) and parents, we investigated whether a modified version of a conflict discussion task could elicit physiological (i.e., arousal) and behavioral (i.e., hostility) displays of adolescents' conflict-related stress responses. We assessed parent-adolescent conflict via structured interview to identify topics for dyads to discuss during the task. We randomly assigned dyads to complete a 5-minute task to discuss either a putatively benign topic (i.e., control condition) or a conflict topic while undergoing direct assessments of continuous arousal. Trained raters coded dyad members' hostile behavior during the task. Adolescents in the conflict condition exhibited significantly greater levels of arousal than adolescents in the control condition. We observed an interaction between discussion condition and baseline conflict. Specifically, higher baseline conflict predicted greater hostile behavior for adolescents in the conflict condition, yet we observed the inverse relation for adolescents in the control condition. Our modified laboratory discussion task successfully elicited both physiological and behavioral displays of adolescent conflict-related stress. These findings have important implications for leveraging experimental paradigms to understand causal links between parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent psychopathology, and their underlying mechanisms.

Evolutionary dynamics in finite populations can explain the full range of cooperative behaviors observed in the centipede game.

PubMed

Rand, David G; Nowak, Martin A

2012-05-07

Classical economic models make behavioral predictions based on the assumption that people are fully rational and care only about maximizing their own payoffs. Although this approach successfully explains human behavior in many situations, there is a wealth of experimental evidence demonstrating conditions where people deviate from the predictions of these models. One setting that has received particular attention is fixed length repeated games. Iterating a social dilemma can promote cooperation through direct reciprocity, even if it is common knowledge that all players are rational and self-interested. However, this is not the case if the length of the game is known to the players. In the final round, a rational player will defect, because there is no future to be concerned with. But if you know the other player will defect in the last round, then you should defect in the second to last round, and so on. This logic of backwards induction leads to immediate defection as the only rational (sub-game perfect Nash equilibrium) strategy. When people actually play such games, however, immediate defection is rare. Here we use evolutionary dynamics in finite populations to study the centipede game, which is designed to explore this issue of backwards induction. We make the following observation: since full cooperation can risk-dominate immediate defection in the centipede game, stochastic evolutionary dynamics can favor both delayed defection and even full cooperation. Furthermore, our evolutionary model can quantitatively reproduce human behavior from two experiments by fitting a single free parameter, which is the product of population size and selection intensity. Thus we provide evidence that people's cooperative behavior in fixed length games, which is often called 'irrational', may in fact be the favored outcome of natural selection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of therapeutic touch on behavioral symptoms of persons with dementia.

PubMed

Woods, Diana Lynn; Craven, Ruth F; Whitney, Joie

2005-01-01

Approximately 80% of nursing home residents who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and related dementia develop behavioral symptoms of dementia. Given the deleterious side effects of pharmacologic therapy in this population there is an urgent need for clinical trials of nonpharmacologic interventions. To examine the effect of therapeutic touch on the frequency and intensity of behavioral symptoms of dementia. A randomized, double-blind, three-group experimental study: experimental (therapeutic touch), placebo (placebo therapeutic touch), and control (usual care). Fifty-seven residents, aged 67 to 93 years, exhibiting behavioral symptoms of dementia, were randomized to one of the three groups within each of three Special Care Units within three Long-Term Care facilities in a western Canadian province. Behavioral observation was completed every 20 minutes from 8:00AM to 6:00PM for three days pre-intervention and for three days post-intervention by trained observers who were blind to group assignment. The intervention consisted of therapeutic touch given twice daily for 5-7 minutes for three days between 10:00AM and 11:30PM and between 3:00PM and 4:30PM (N = 57). The main outcome variable was overall behavioral symptoms of dementia, consisting of six categories of behaviors: manual manipulation (restlessness), escape restraints, searching and wandering, tapping and banging, pacing and walking, and vocalization. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) (F = 3.331, P = .033) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (chi2 = 6.661, P = .036) indicated a significant difference in overall behavioral symptoms of dementia, manual manipulation and vocalization when the experimental group was compared to the placebo and control groups. The experimental (significant) was more effective in decreasing behavioral symptoms of dementia than usual care, while the placebo group indicated a decreasing trend in behavioral symptoms of dementia compared to usual care. Therapeutic touch offers a nonpharmacological

The Effects of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) System on Sensitivity in Mother-Infant Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugent, J. Kevin; Bartlett, Jessica Dym; Von Ende, Adam; Valim, Clarissa

2017-01-01

The Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system is a neurobehavioral observation tool designed to sensitize parents to infants' capacities and individuality and to enhance the parent-infant relationship by strengthening parents' confidence and practical skills in caring for their children. The NBO's focus on relationship building is intended for…

An Observational Analysis of Coaching Behaviors for Career Development Event Teams: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Anna L.; Bowling, Amanda M.; Sharpless, Justin D.

2016-01-01

School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers can use coaching behaviors, along with their agricultural content knowledge to help their Career Development Event (CDE) teams succeed. This mixed methods, collective case study observed three SBAE teachers preparing multiple CDEs throughout the CDE season. The teachers observed had a previous…

Experimental data of the static behavior of reinforced concrete beams at room and low temperature

PubMed Central

Mirzazadeh, M. Mehdi; Noël, Martin; Green, Mark F.

2016-01-01

This article provides data on the static behavior of reinforced concrete at room and low temperature including, strength, ductility, and crack widths of the reinforced concrete. The experimental data on the application of digital image correlation (DIC) or particle image velocimetry (PIV) in measuring crack widths and the accuracy and precision of DIC/PIV method with temperature variations when is used for measuring strains is provided as well. PMID:27158650

Experimental data of the static behavior of reinforced concrete beams at room and low temperature.

PubMed

Mirzazadeh, M Mehdi; Noël, Martin; Green, Mark F

2016-06-01

This article provides data on the static behavior of reinforced concrete at room and low temperature including, strength, ductility, and crack widths of the reinforced concrete. The experimental data on the application of digital image correlation (DIC) or particle image velocimetry (PIV) in measuring crack widths and the accuracy and precision of DIC/PIV method with temperature variations when is used for measuring strains is provided as well.

Time-dependent behavior of porcine periodontal ligament: A combined experimental, numeric in-vitro study.

PubMed

Knaup, Thomas Johannes; Dirk, Cornelius; Reimann, Susanne; Keilig, Ludger; Eschbach, Meike; Korbmacher-Steiner, Heike; Bourauel, Christoph

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the time-dependent in-vitro behavior of the periodontal ligament (PDL) by determining the material parameters using specimens of porcine jawbone. Time-dependent material parameters to be determined were expected to complement the results from earlier biomechanical studies. Five mandibular deciduous porcine premolars were analyzed in a combined experimental-numeric study. After selecting suitable specimens (excluding root resorption) and preparing the measurement system, the specimens were deflected by a distance of 0.2 mm at loading times of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 60 seconds. The deflection of the teeth was determined via a laser optical system, and the resulting forces and torques were measured. To create the finite element models, a microcomputed tomography scanner was used to create 3-dimensional x-ray images of the samples. The individual structures (tooth, PDL, bone) of the jaw segments were reconstructed using a self-developed reconstruction program. A comparison between experiment and simulation was conducted using the results from finite element simulations. Via iterative parameter adjustments, the material parameters (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio) of the PDL were assessed at different loading velocities. The clinically observed effect of a distinct increase in force during very short periods of loading was confirmed. Thus, a force of 2.6 N (±1.5 N) was measured at the shortest stress duration of 0.2 seconds, and a force of 1.0 N (±0.5 N) was measured at the longest stress duration of 60 seconds. The numeric determination of the material parameters showed bilinear behavior with a median value of the first Young's modulus between 0.06 MPa (2 seconds) and 0.04 MPa (60 seconds), and the second Young's modulus between 0.30 MPa (10 seconds) and 0.20 MPa (60 seconds). The ultimate strain marking the transition from the first to the second Young's modulus remained almost unchanged with a median

Experimental characterization and constitutive modeling of the mechanical behavior of molybdenum under electromagnetically applied compression-shear ramp loading

DOE PAGES

Alexander, C. Scott; Ding, Jow -Lian; Asay, James Russell

2016-03-09

Magnetically applied pressure-shear (MAPS) is a new experimental technique that provides a platform for direct measurement of material strength at extreme pressures. The technique employs an imposed quasi-static magnetic field and a pulsed power generator that produces an intense current on a planar driver panel, which in turn generates high amplitude magnetically induced longitudinal compression and transverse shear waves into a planar sample mounted on the drive panel. In order to apply sufficiently high shear traction to the test sample, a high strength material must be used for the drive panel. Molybdenum is a potential driver material for the MAPSmore » experiment because of its high yield strength and sufficient electrical conductivity. To properly interpret the results and gain useful information from the experiments, it is critical to have a good understanding and a predictive capability of the mechanical response of the driver. In this work, the inelastic behavior of molybdenum under uniaxial compression and biaxial compression-shear ramp loading conditions is experimentally characterized. It is observed that an imposed uniaxial magnetic field ramped to approximately 10 T through a period of approximately 2500 μs and held near the peak for about 250 μs before being tested appears to anneal the molybdenum panel. In order to provide a physical basis for model development, a general theoretical framework that incorporates electromagnetic loading and the coupling between the imposed field and the inelasticity of molybdenum was developed. Based on this framework, a multi-axial continuum model for molybdenum under electromagnetic loading is presented. The model reasonably captures all of the material characteristics displayed by the experimental data obtained from various experimental configurations. Additionally, data generated from shear loading provide invaluable information not only for validating but also for guiding the development of the material

How Research in Behavioral Pharmacology Informs Behavioral Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branch, Marc N.

2006-01-01

Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug-behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its…

Maternal factors and experiences associated with observed parenting behavior in mothers attending a residential parenting program.

PubMed

Treyvaud, Karli; Rogers, Susan; Matthews, Jan; Allen, Beverley

2010-01-01

Parents experiencing early parenting difficulties often seek support through parenting programs. Characteristics of mothers seeking parenting support and information at an early parenting center in Victoria, Australia and the relationships between these factors and parenting behavior were explored using an observational measure of parent-child interaction. Participants were 43 mothers and children attending a 5-day residential parenting program at the Queen Elizabeth Centre. Maternal and sociodemographic data as well as an observational mother-child interaction task from the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training Parent Child Interaction Teaching scale were completed and scored on the first day of the program. Certain maternal factors and experiences were associated with observed parenting behavior. Poorer maternal sleeping quality, unplanned pregnancy and preterm birth were all associated with less optimal parenting behavior in certain domains. Findings are discussed with reference to the impact of past experiences around pregnancy and birth as well as the current context and well-being of mothers attending early parenting centers. Copyright © 2010 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Experimental observation of negative effective gravity in water waves.

PubMed

Hu, Xinhua; Yang, Jiong; Zi, Jian; Chan, C T; Ho, Kai-Ming

2013-01-01

The gravity of Earth is responsible for the formation of water waves and usually difficult to change. Although negative effective gravity was recently predicted theoretically in water waves, it has not yet been observed in experiments and remains a mathematical curiosity which is difficult to understand. Here we experimentally demonstrate that close to the resonant frequency of purposely-designed resonating units, negative effective gravity can occur for water waves passing through an array of resonators composing of bottom-mounted split tubes, resulting in the prohibition of water wave propagation. It is found that when negative gravity occurs, the averaged displacement of water surface in a unit cell of the array has a phase difference of π to that along the boundary of the unit cell, consistent with theoretical predictions. Our results provide a mechanism to block water waves and may find applications in wave energy conversion and coastal protection.

Experimental Observation of Negative Effective Gravity in Water Waves

PubMed Central

Hu, Xinhua; Yang, Jiong; Zi, Jian; Chan, C. T.; Ho, Kai-Ming

2013-01-01

The gravity of Earth is responsible for the formation of water waves and usually difficult to change. Although negative effective gravity was recently predicted theoretically in water waves, it has not yet been observed in experiments and remains a mathematical curiosity which is difficult to understand. Here we experimentally demonstrate that close to the resonant frequency of purposely-designed resonating units, negative effective gravity can occur for water waves passing through an array of resonators composing of bottom-mounted split tubes, resulting in the prohibition of water wave propagation. It is found that when negative gravity occurs, the averaged displacement of water surface in a unit cell of the array has a phase difference of π to that along the boundary of the unit cell, consistent with theoretical predictions. Our results provide a mechanism to block water waves and may find applications in wave energy conversion and coastal protection. PMID:23715132

Experimental functional analysis of severe skin-picking behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Hall, Scott S; Hustyi, Kristin M; Chui, Clara; Hammond, Jennifer L

2014-10-01

Skin picking is an extremely distressing and treatment resistant behavior commonly shown by individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). However, with the exception of a limited number of published single-case and survey studies, little is known about the environmental determinants of skin picking in this population. In this study, functional analyses were conducted with thirteen individuals with PWS, aged 6-23 years, who engaged in severe skin-picking behavior. In addition to the conditions typically employed in a functional analysis (i.e., alone, attention, play, demand), we included an ignore condition to examine potential effects of stimulus control by the presence of an adult. Twelve participants engaged in skin picking during the functional analysis, with the highest levels occurring in the alone and ignore conditions for eight participants, suggesting that skin picking in these participants was maintained by automatic reinforcement. For the remaining four participants, an undifferentiated pattern of low-rate skin picking was observed across conditions. These data confirm previous studies indicating that skin picking in PWS may be maintained most often by automatically produced sensory consequences. There were no associations between demographic characteristics of the participants (e.g., sex, age, IQ or BMI) and levels of skin picking observed in the functional analysis. Additional investigations are needed to identify the nature of the sensory consequences produced during episodes of skin picking in PWS. Behavioral interventions designed to extinguish or compete with the potential sensory consequences arising from skin picking in PWS are also warranted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anomalous magnetotransport behavior in Fe-doped MnNiGe alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, P.; Pramanick, S.; Singh, Vijay; Major, Dan Thomas; Das, D.; Chatterjee, S.

2016-04-01

The electrical dc transport properties of hexagonal magnetic equiatomic alloys of nominal composition Mn1 -xFexNiGe (x =0.2 and0.25 ) have been investigated experimentally as well as theoretically using first-principles electronic structure calculations. Thermal hysteresis in the magnetization data indicates that the alloys undergo a first-order martensitic transition. Both the alloys show unusual nonmetallic resistivity behavior and a noticeable amount of training effect in resistivity when thermally cycled through the first-order martensitic transition. We observe moderate negative magnetoresistance (˜-11.5 % for 150 kOe) at 5 K (well below the martensitic transition temperature) associated with clear virgin line effect for both the alloys. We have adapted different flavors of density functional theory approach to understand the experimentally observed nonmetallic transport behavior.

Observed parenting behaviors interact with a polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene to predict the emergence of oppositional defiant and callous-unemotional behaviors at age 3 years.

PubMed

Willoughby, Michael T; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Propper, Cathi B; Waschbusch, Daniel A

2013-11-01

Using the Durham Child Health and Development Study, this study (N = 171) tested whether observed parenting behaviors in infancy (6 and 12 months) and toddlerhood/preschool (24 and 36 months) interacted with a child polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene to predict oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors at age 3 years. Child genotype interacted with observed harsh and intrusive (but not sensitive) parenting to predict ODD and CU behaviors. Harsh-intrusive parenting was more strongly associated with ODD and CU for children with a methionine allele of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene. CU behaviors were uniquely predicted by harsh-intrusive parenting in infancy, whereas ODD behaviors were predicted by harsh-intrusive parenting in both infancy and toddlerhood/preschool. The results are discussed from the perspective of the contributions of caregiving behaviors as contributing to distinct aspects of early onset disruptive behavior.

Modeling Collective Animal Behavior with a Cognitive Perspective: A Methodological Framework

PubMed Central

Weitz, Sebastian; Blanco, Stéphane; Fournier, Richard; Gautrais, Jacques; Jost, Christian; Theraulaz, Guy

2012-01-01

The last decades have seen an increasing interest in modeling collective animal behavior. Some studies try to reproduce as accurately as possible the collective dynamics and patterns observed in several animal groups with biologically plausible, individual behavioral rules. The objective is then essentially to demonstrate that the observed collective features may be the result of self-organizing processes involving quite simple individual behaviors. Other studies concentrate on the objective of establishing or enriching links between collective behavior researches and cognitive or physiological ones, which then requires that each individual rule be carefully validated. Here we discuss the methodological consequences of this additional requirement. Using the example of corpse clustering in ants, we first illustrate that it may be impossible to discriminate among alternative individual rules by considering only observational data collected at the group level. Six individual behavioral models are described: They are clearly distinct in terms of individual behaviors, they all reproduce satisfactorily the collective dynamics and distribution patterns observed in experiments, and we show theoretically that it is strictly impossible to discriminate two of these models even in the limit of an infinite amount of data whatever the accuracy level. A set of methodological steps are then listed and discussed as practical ways to partially overcome this problem. They involve complementary experimental protocols specifically designed to address the behavioral rules successively, conserving group-level data for the overall model validation. In this context, we highlight the importance of maintaining a sharp distinction between model enunciation, with explicit references to validated biological concepts, and formal translation of these concepts in terms of quantitative state variables and fittable functional dependences. Illustrative examples are provided of the benefits expected

Modeling collective animal behavior with a cognitive perspective: a methodological framework.

PubMed

Weitz, Sebastian; Blanco, Stéphane; Fournier, Richard; Gautrais, Jacques; Jost, Christian; Theraulaz, Guy

2012-01-01

The last decades have seen an increasing interest in modeling collective animal behavior. Some studies try to reproduce as accurately as possible the collective dynamics and patterns observed in several animal groups with biologically plausible, individual behavioral rules. The objective is then essentially to demonstrate that the observed collective features may be the result of self-organizing processes involving quite simple individual behaviors. Other studies concentrate on the objective of establishing or enriching links between collective behavior researches and cognitive or physiological ones, which then requires that each individual rule be carefully validated. Here we discuss the methodological consequences of this additional requirement. Using the example of corpse clustering in ants, we first illustrate that it may be impossible to discriminate among alternative individual rules by considering only observational data collected at the group level. Six individual behavioral models are described: They are clearly distinct in terms of individual behaviors, they all reproduce satisfactorily the collective dynamics and distribution patterns observed in experiments, and we show theoretically that it is strictly impossible to discriminate two of these models even in the limit of an infinite amount of data whatever the accuracy level. A set of methodological steps are then listed and discussed as practical ways to partially overcome this problem. They involve complementary experimental protocols specifically designed to address the behavioral rules successively, conserving group-level data for the overall model validation. In this context, we highlight the importance of maintaining a sharp distinction between model enunciation, with explicit references to validated biological concepts, and formal translation of these concepts in terms of quantitative state variables and fittable functional dependences. Illustrative examples are provided of the benefits expected

How accurately do drivers evaluate their own driving behavior? An on-road observational study.

PubMed

Amado, Sonia; Arıkan, Elvan; Kaça, Gülin; Koyuncu, Mehmet; Turkan, B Nilay

2014-02-01

Self-assessment of driving skills became a noteworthy research subject in traffic psychology, since by knowing one's strenghts and weaknesses, drivers can take an efficient compensatory action to moderate risk and to ensure safety in hazardous environments. The current study aims to investigate drivers' self-conception of their own driving skills and behavior in relation to expert evaluations of their actual driving, by using naturalistic and systematic observation method during actual on-road driving session and to assess the different aspects of driving via comprehensive scales sensitive to different specific aspects of driving. 19-63 years old male participants (N=158) attended an on-road driving session lasting approximately 80min (45km). During the driving session, drivers' errors and violations were recorded by an expert observer. At the end of the driving session, observers completed the driver evaluation questionnaire, while drivers completed the driving self-evaluation questionnaire and Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Low to moderate correlations between driver and observer evaluations of driving skills and behavior, mainly on errors and violations of speed and traffic lights was found. Furthermore, the robust finding that drivers evaluate their driving performance as better than the expert was replicated. Over-positive appraisal was higher among drivers with higher error/violation score and with the ones that were evaluated by the expert as "unsafe". We suggest that the traffic environment might be regulated by increasing feedback indicators of errors and violations, which in turn might increase the insight into driving performance. Improving self-awareness by training and feedback sessions might play a key role for reducing the probability of risk in their driving activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parent-rated externalizing behavior in preschoolers: the predictive utility of structured interviews, teacher reports, and classroom observations.

PubMed

Doctoroff, Greta L; Arnold, David H

2004-12-01

This study investigated multiple forms of home and school assessment as predictors of parent-rated behavior problems across a preschool year. Participants were a community sample of 79 preschool children, their parents, and their teachers. Parent ratings of behavior problems were obtained toward the beginning of the school year and approximately 6 months later. Behavior problems were also assessed early in the school year using parent structured interviews, teacher-rating scales, and classroom observations of problem and prosocial behavior. Consistent with hypotheses, each assessment method significantly predicted year-end parent ratings of behavior problems, even above initial ratings.

Experimental determination of satellite bolted joints thermal resistance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantelli, Marcia Barbosa Henriques; Basto, Jose Edson

1990-01-01

The thermal resistance was experimentally determined of the bolted joints of the first Brazilian satellite (SCD 01). These joints, used to connect the satellite structural panels, are reproduced in an experimental apparatus, keeping, as much as possible, the actual dimensions and materials. A controlled amount of heat is forced to pass through the joint and the difference of temperature between the panels is measured. The tests are conducted in a vacuum chamber with liquid nitrogen cooled walls, that simulates the space environment. Experimental procedures are used to avoid much heat losses, which are carefully calculated. Important observations about the behavior of the joint thermal resistance with the variation of the mean temperature are made.

Observation of sandhill cranes' (Grus canadensis) flight behavior in heavy fog

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirsch, Eileen M.; Wellik, Mike J.; Suarez, Manuel J.; Diehl, Robert H.; Lutes, Jim; Woyczik, Wendy; Krapfl, Jon; Sojda, Richard S.

2015-01-01

The behaviors of birds flying in low visibility conditions remain poorly understood. We had the opportunity to monitor Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) flying in heavy fog with very low visibility during a comprehensive landscape use study of refuging cranes in the Horicon Marsh in southeastern Wisconsin. As part of the study, we recorded flight patterns of cranes with a portable marine radar at various locations and times of day, and visually counted cranes as they departed the roost in the morning. We compared flight patterns during a fog event with those recorded during clear conditions. In good visibility, cranes usually departed the night roost shortly after sunrise and flew in relatively straight paths toward foraging areas. In fog, cranes departed the roost later in the day, did not venture far from the roost, engaged in significantly more circling flight, and returned to the roost site rather than proceeding to foraging areas. We also noted that compared to mornings with good visibility, cranes flying in fog called more frequently than usual. The only time in this 2-year study that observers heard young of the year calling was during the fog event. The observed behavior of cranes circling and lingering in an area while flying in poor visibility conditions suggests that such situations may increase chances of colliding with natural or anthropogenic obstacles in the vicinity.

Overutilization and underutilization of operating rooms - insights from behavioral health care operations management.

PubMed

Fügener, Andreas; Schiffels, Sebastian; Kolisch, Rainer

2017-03-01

The planning of surgery durations is crucial for efficient usage of operating theaters. Both planning too long and too short durations for surgeries lead to undesirable consequences, e.g. idle time, overtime, or rescheduling of surgeries. We define these consequences as operating room inefficiency. The overall objective of planning surgery durations is to minimize expected operating room inefficiency, since surgery durations are stochastic. While most health care studies assume economically rational behavior of decision makers, experimental studies have shown that decision makers often do not act according to economic incentives. Based on insights from health care operations management, medical decision making, behavioral operations management, as well as empirical observations, we derive hypotheses that surgeons' behavior deviates from economically rational behavior. To investigate this, we undertake an experimental study where experienced surgeons are asked to plan surgeries with uncertain durations. We discover systematic deviations from optimal decision making and offer behavioral explanations for the observed biases. Our research provides new insights to tackle a major problem in hospitals, i.e. low operating room utilization going along with staff overtime.

Lipophilicity indices derived from the liquid chromatographic behavior observed under bimodal retention conditions (reversed phase/hydrophilic interaction): application to a representative set of pyridinium oximes.

PubMed

Voicu, Victor; Sârbu, Costel; Tache, Florentin; Micăle, Florina; Rădulescu, Ştefan Flavian; Sakurada, Koichi; Ohta, Hikoto; Medvedovici, Andrei

2014-05-01

The liquid chromatographic behavior observed under bimodal retention conditions (reversed phase and hydrophilic interaction) offers a new basis for the determination of some derived lipophilicity indices. The experiments were carried out on a representative group (30 compounds) of pyridinium oximes, therapeutically tested in acetylcholinesterase reactivation, covering a large range of lipophilic character. The chromatographic behavior was observed on a mixed mode acting stationary phase, resulting from covalent functionalization of high purity spherical silica with long chain alkyl groups terminated by a polar environment created through the vicinal diol substitution at the lasting carbon atoms (Acclaim Mixed Mode HILIC 1 column). Elution was achieved by combining different proportions of 5 mM ammonium formiate solutions in water and acetonitrile. The derived lipophilicity indices were compared with logP values resulting from different computational algorithms. The correlations between experimental and computed data sets are significant. To obtain a better insight on the transition from reversed phase to hydrophilic interaction retention mechanisms, the variation of the thermodynamic parameters determined through the van׳t Hoff approach was also discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Communicative Coping Behavior Checklist: Observation of Persons With Dementia in the Home Environment.

PubMed

Saunders, Pamela A; Ruth, Julia; Latella, Lauren; Talisman, Nicholas

2016-08-01

Communication contributes to increased stress, mortality, and decreased quality of life (QOL) for persons with dementia (PWD) and caregivers. PWD use communicative coping behaviors (CCBs) to manage the demands of the disease. However, most assessments neither look for nor give credit to communication behaviors. This is the first study to examine CCBs in the home environment as measured by the Communicative Coping Behavior Checklist (CCBC). This cross-sectional quantitative study included 26 dementia and 18 cognitively normal control dyads. Raters observed their partners' CCBs at home, over several weeks and completed the CCBC. We analyzed the endorsement rates (how often behaviors were observed by a rater) of emotion and activity-focused CCBs in dementia and control dyads. The primary outcome was rate of CCB endorsement. Secondary outcomes included dementia diagnosis, cognitive status, depressive mood, life satisfaction (SWL) and QOL. Dementia dyads endorsed 11 of 23 CCBs significantly more than control dyads. Action-focused CCBs (p < .001) were more frequent than emotion-focused CCBs (p = .004) in dementia dyads. Specific CCBs such as humor correlated with higher caregiver QOL (p = .019) and PWD's SWL (p = .003). Another CCB, general humor, correlated with lower PWD's SWL (p = .024). This was the first study to examine CCBs in the home environment comparing dementia and control dyads. Higher endorsement rates of action-focused than emotion-focused CCBs were seen in dementia dyads. We conclude that attention to CCBs during treatment and care will improve QOL and SWL of PWD and caregivers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Advances in the indirect, descriptive, and experimental approaches to the functional analysis of problem behavior.

PubMed

Wightman, Jade; Julio, Flávia; Virués-Ortega, Javier

2014-05-01

Experimental functional analysis is an assessment methodology to identify the environmental factors that maintain problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities and in other populations. Functional analysis provides the basis for the development of reinforcement-based approaches to treatment. This article reviews the procedures, validity, and clinical implementation of the methodological variations of functional analysis and function-based interventions. We present six variations of functional analysis methodology in addition to the typical functional analysis: brief functional analysis, single-function tests, latency-based functional analysis, functional analysis of precursors, and trial-based functional analysis. We also present the three general categories of function-based interventions: extinction, antecedent manipulation, and differential reinforcement. Functional analysis methodology is a valid and efficient approach to the assessment of problem behavior and the selection of treatment strategies.

Gene expression during zombie ant biting behavior reflects the complexity underlying fungal parasitic behavioral manipulation.

PubMed

de Bekker, Charissa; Ohm, Robin A; Loreto, Raquel G; Sebastian, Aswathy; Albert, Istvan; Merrow, Martha; Brachmann, Andreas; Hughes, David P

2015-08-19

Adaptive manipulation of animal behavior by parasites functions to increase parasite transmission through changes in host behavior. These changes can range from slight alterations in existing behaviors of the host to the establishment of wholly novel behaviors. The biting behavior observed in Carpenter ants infected by the specialized fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis s.l. is an example of the latter. Though parasitic manipulation of host behavior is generally assumed to be due to the parasite's gene expression, few studies have set out to test this. We experimentally infected Carpenter ants to collect tissue from both parasite and host during the time period when manipulated biting behavior is experienced. Upon observation of synchronized biting, samples were collected and subjected to mixed RNA-Seq analysis. We also sequenced and annotated the O. unilateralis s.l. genome as a reference for the fungal sequencing reads. Our mixed transcriptomics approach, together with a comparative genomics study, shows that the majority of the fungal genes that are up-regulated during manipulated biting behavior are unique to the O. unilateralis s.l. genome. This study furthermore reveals that the fungal parasite might be regulating immune- and neuronal stress responses in the host during manipulated biting, as well as impairing its chemosensory communication and causing apoptosis. Moreover, we found genes up-regulated during manipulation that putatively encode for proteins with reported effects on behavioral outputs, proteins involved in various neuropathologies and proteins involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids.

Deformation and Fracture Behavior of Steel Projectiles Impact AD95 Ceramic Targets-Experimental Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Gang; Zhang, Wei

2013-06-01

The deformation and fracture behavior of steel projectile impacting ceramic target is an interesting investigation topic. The deformation and failure behavior of projectile and target was investigated experimentally in the normal impact by different velocities. Lab-scale ballistic tests of AD95 ceramic targets with 20 mm thickness against two different hardness 38CrSi steel projectiles with 7.62 mm diameter have been conducted at a range of velocities from 100 to 1000 m/s. Experimental results show that, with the impact velocity increasing, for the soft projectiles, the deformation and fracture modes were mushrooming, shear cracking, petalling and fragmentation(with large fragments and less number), respectively; for the hard projectiles there are three deformation and fracture modes: mushrooming, shearing cracking and fragmentation(with small fragments and large number). All projectiles were rebound after impact. But, with the velocity change, the target failure modes have changed. At low velocity, only radial cracks were found; then circumferential cracks appeared with the increasing velocity; the ceramic cone occurred when the velocity reached 400 m/s above, and manifested in two forms: front surface intact at lower velocity and perforated at higher velocity. The higher velocity, the fragment size is smaller and more uniform distribution. The difference of ceramic target damage is not obvious after impacted by two kinds of projectiles with different hardness at the same velocity. National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.: 11072072).

Experimental Observation of a Current-Driven Instability in a Neutral Electron-Positron Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warwick, J.; Dzelzainis, T.; Dieckmann, M. E.; Schumaker, W.; Doria, D.; Romagnani, L.; Poder, K.; Cole, J. M.; Alejo, A.; Yeung, M.; Krushelnick, K.; Mangles, S. P. D.; Najmudin, Z.; Reville, B.; Samarin, G. M.; Symes, D. D.; Thomas, A. G. R.; Borghesi, M.; Sarri, G.

2017-11-01

We report on the first experimental observation of a current-driven instability developing in a quasineutral matter-antimatter beam. Strong magnetic fields (≥1 T ) are measured, via means of a proton radiography technique, after the propagation of a neutral electron-positron beam through a background electron-ion plasma. The experimentally determined equipartition parameter of ɛB≈10-3 is typical of values inferred from models of astrophysical gamma-ray bursts, in which the relativistic flows are also expected to be pair dominated. The data, supported by particle-in-cell simulations and simple analytical estimates, indicate that these magnetic fields persist in the background plasma for thousands of inverse plasma frequencies. The existence of such long-lived magnetic fields can be related to analog astrophysical systems, such as those prevalent in lepton-dominated jets.

Experimental Observation of Two-Dimensional Anderson Localization with the Atomic Kicked Rotor.

PubMed

Manai, Isam; Clément, Jean-François; Chicireanu, Radu; Hainaut, Clément; Garreau, Jean Claude; Szriftgiser, Pascal; Delande, Dominique

2015-12-11

Dimension 2 is expected to be the lower critical dimension for Anderson localization in a time-reversal-invariant disordered quantum system. Using an atomic quasiperiodic kicked rotor-equivalent to a two-dimensional Anderson-like model-we experimentally study Anderson localization in dimension 2 and we observe localized wave function dynamics. We also show that the localization length depends exponentially on the disorder strength and anisotropy and is in quantitative agreement with the predictions of the self-consistent theory for the 2D Anderson localization.

Observing Preschoolers' Social-Emotional Behavior: Structure, Foundations, and Prediction of Early School Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denham, Susanne A.; Bassett, Hideko Hamada; Thayer, Sara K.; Mincic, Melissa S.; Sirotkin, Yana S.; Zinsser, Katherine

2012-01-01

Social-emotional behavior of 352 3- and 4-year-olds attending private childcare and Head Start programs was observed using the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist, Revised (MPAC-R). Goals of the investigation included (a) using MPAC-R data to extract a shortened version, MPAC-R/S, comparing structure, internal consistency, test-retest…

Contraceptive Behavior in Young Women

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

They found the sample of teens perceived birth control as being dangerous to their health. Other important reasons included postponement until the...contraceptive services were fear of parents knowledge, fear of a pelvic exam and the belief that CONTRACEPTIVE BEHAVIOR 14 birth control was dangerous to their...experimentation generally precedes formation and acceptance of gender identity (Kastner, 1984). Kastner observed that teens using birth control more effectively

Observation of multicellular spinning behavior of Proteus mirabilis by atomic force microscopy and multifunctional microscopy.

PubMed

Liu, Yanxia; Deng, Yuanxin; Luo, Shuxiu; Deng, Yu; Guo, Linming; Xu, Weiwei; Liu, Lei; Liu, Junkang

2014-01-01

This study aimed to observe the multicellular spinning behavior of Proteus mirabilis by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and multifunctional microscopy in order to understand the mechanism underlying this spinning movement and its biological significance. Multifunctional microscopy with charge-coupled device (CCD) and real-time AFM showed changes in cell structure and shape of P. mirabilis during multicellular spinning movement. Specifically, the morphological characteristics of P. mirabilis, multicellular spinning dynamics, and unique movement were observed. Our findings indicate that the multicellular spinning behavior of P. mirabilis may be used to collect nutrients, perform colonization, and squeeze out competitors. The movement characteristics of P. mirabilis are vital to the organism's biological adaptability to the surrounding environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting Sympathy and Prosocial Behavior from Young Children's Dispositional Sadness.

PubMed

Edwards, Alison; Eisenberg, Nancy; Spinrad, Tracy L; Reiser, Mark; Eggum-Wilkens, Natalie D; Liew, Jeffrey

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether dispositional sadness predicted children's prosocial behavior and if sympathy mediated this relation. Constructs were measured when children ( N = 256 at Time 1) were 18-, 30-, and 42-months old. Mothers and non-parental caregivers rated children's sadness; mothers, caregivers, and fathers rated children's prosocial behavior; sympathy (concern and hypothesis testing) and prosocial behavior (indirect and direct, as well as verbal at older ages) were assessed with a task in which the experimenter feigned injury. In a panel path analysis, 30-month dispositional sadness predicted marginally higher 42-month sympathy; in addition, 30-month sympathy predicted 42-month sadness. Moreover, when controlling for prior levels of prosocial behavior, 30-month sympathy significantly predicted reported and observed prosocial behavior at 42 months. Sympathy did not mediate the relation between sadness and prosocial behavior (either reported or observed).

Arctic daily temperature and precipitation extremes: Observed and simulated physical behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glisan, Justin Michael

Simulations using a six-member ensemble of Pan-Arctic WRF (PAW) were produced on two Arctic domains with 50-km resolution to analyze precipitation and temperature extremes for various periods. The first study used a domain developed for the Regional Arctic Climate Model (RACM). Initial simulations revealed deep atmospheric circulation biases over the northern Pacific Ocean, manifested in pressure, geopotential height, and temperature fields. Possible remedies to correct these large biases, such as modifying the physical domain or using different initial/boundary conditions, were unsuccessful. Spectral (interior) nudging was introduced as a way of constraining the model to be more consistent with observed behavior. However, such control over numerical model behavior raises concerns over how much nudging may affect unforced variability and extremes. Strong nudging may reduce or filter out extreme events, since the nudging pushes the model toward a relatively smooth, large-scale state. The question then becomes---what is the minimum spectral nudging needed to correct biases while not limiting the simulation of extreme events? To determine this, we use varying degrees of spectral nudging, using WRF's standard nudging as a reference point during January and July 2007. Results suggest that there is a marked lack of sensitivity to varying degrees of nudging. Moreover, given that nudging is an artificial forcing applied in the model, an important outcome of this work is that nudging strength apparently can be considerably smaller than WRF's standard strength and still produce reliable simulations. In the remaining studies, we used the same PAW setup to analyze daily precipitation extremes simulated over a 19-year period on the CORDEX Arctic domain for winter and summer. We defined these seasons as the three-month period leading up to and including the climatological sea ice maximum and minimum, respectively. Analysis focused on four North American regions defined using

Experimental Study and Modelling of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) and Polycarbonate Compressive Behavior from Low to High Strain Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Qoubaa, Z.; Colard, L.; Matadi Boumbimba, R.; Rusinek, A.

2018-06-01

This paper concerns an experimental investigation of Polycarbonate and Poly (methyl methacrylate) compressive behavior from low to high strain rates. Experiments were conducted from 0.001/s to ≈ 5000/s for PC and from 0.001/s to ≈ 2000/s for PMMA. The true strain-stress behavior is established and analyzed at various stain rates. Both PC and PMMA mechanical behavior appears as known, to be strain rate and temperature dependent. The DSGZ model is selected for modelling the strain-stress curves while the yield stress is reproduced using the cooperative model and a modified Eyring equation based on Eyring first process theory. All the three models predictions are in agreement with experiments performed on PC and PMMA.

Experimental Study and Modelling of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) and Polycarbonate Compressive Behavior from Low to High Strain Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Qoubaa, Z.; Colard, L.; Matadi Boumbimba, R.; Rusinek, A.

2018-03-01

This paper concerns an experimental investigation of Polycarbonate and Poly (methyl methacrylate) compressive behavior from low to high strain rates. Experiments were conducted from 0.001/s to ≈ 5000/s for PC and from 0.001/s to ≈ 2000/s for PMMA. The true strain-stress behavior is established and analyzed at various stain rates. Both PC and PMMA mechanical behavior appears as known, to be strain rate and temperature dependent. The DSGZ model is selected for modelling the strain-stress curves while the yield stress is reproduced using the cooperative model and a modified Eyring equation based on Eyring first process theory. All the three models predictions are in agreement with experiments performed on PC and PMMA.

Effects of iso-octane/ethanol blend ratios on the observance of negative temperature coefficient behavior within the Ignition Quality Tester

DOE PAGES

Bogin, Jr., Gregory E.; Luecke, Jon; Ratcliff, Matthew A.; ...

2016-08-21

Here, an ignition delay study investigating the reduction in low temperature heat release (LTHR) and negative temperature coefficient (NTC) region with increasing ethanol concentration in binary blends of ethanol/isooctane was conducted in the Ignition Quality Tester (IQT). The IQT is advantageous for studying multi-component fuels such as iso-octane/ethanol which are difficult to study at lower temperatures covering the NTC region in traditional systems (e.g., shock tubes, rapid compression machines, etc.). The high octane numbers and concomitant long ignition delay times of ethanol and iso-octane are ideal for study in the IQT allowing the system to reach a quasi-homogeneous mixture; allowingmore » the effect of fuel chemistry on ignition delay to be investigated with minimal impact from the fuel spray due to the relatively long ignition times. NTC behavior from iso-octane/ethanol blends was observed for the first time using an IQT. Temperature sweeps of iso-octane/ethanol volumetric blends (100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 50/50, and 0/100) were conducted from 623 to 993 K at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 MPa and global equivalence ratios ranging from 0.7 to 1.0. Ignition of the iso-octane/ethanol blends in the IQT was also modeled using a 0-D homogeneous batch reactor model. Significant observations include: (1) NTC behavior was observed for ethanol/ iso-octane fuel blends up to 20% ethanol. (2) Ethanol produced shorter ignition delay times than iso-octane in the high temperature region. (3) The initial increase in ethanol from 0% to 10% had a lesser impact on ignition delay than increasing ethanol from 10% to 20%. (4) The 0-D model predicts that at 0.5 and 1.0 MPa ethanol produces the shortest ignition time in the high-temperature regime, as seen experimentally.« less

Effects of iso-octane/ethanol blend ratios on the observance of negative temperature coefficient behavior within the Ignition Quality Tester

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

Bogin, Jr., Gregory E.; Luecke, Jon; Ratcliff, Matthew A.

Here, an ignition delay study investigating the reduction in low temperature heat release (LTHR) and negative temperature coefficient (NTC) region with increasing ethanol concentration in binary blends of ethanol/isooctane was conducted in the Ignition Quality Tester (IQT). The IQT is advantageous for studying multi-component fuels such as iso-octane/ethanol which are difficult to study at lower temperatures covering the NTC region in traditional systems (e.g., shock tubes, rapid compression machines, etc.). The high octane numbers and concomitant long ignition delay times of ethanol and iso-octane are ideal for study in the IQT allowing the system to reach a quasi-homogeneous mixture; allowingmore » the effect of fuel chemistry on ignition delay to be investigated with minimal impact from the fuel spray due to the relatively long ignition times. NTC behavior from iso-octane/ethanol blends was observed for the first time using an IQT. Temperature sweeps of iso-octane/ethanol volumetric blends (100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 50/50, and 0/100) were conducted from 623 to 993 K at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 MPa and global equivalence ratios ranging from 0.7 to 1.0. Ignition of the iso-octane/ethanol blends in the IQT was also modeled using a 0-D homogeneous batch reactor model. Significant observations include: (1) NTC behavior was observed for ethanol/ iso-octane fuel blends up to 20% ethanol. (2) Ethanol produced shorter ignition delay times than iso-octane in the high temperature region. (3) The initial increase in ethanol from 0% to 10% had a lesser impact on ignition delay than increasing ethanol from 10% to 20%. (4) The 0-D model predicts that at 0.5 and 1.0 MPa ethanol produces the shortest ignition time in the high-temperature regime, as seen experimentally.« less

An experimental study on fracture mechanical behavior of rock-like materials containing two unparallel fissures under uniaxial compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yan-Hua; Yang, Sheng-Qi; Tian, Wen-Ling; Zeng, Wei; Yu, Li-Yuan

2016-06-01

Strength and deformability characteristics of rock with pre-existing fissures are governed by cracking behavior. To further research the effects of pre-existing fissures on the mechanical properties and crack coalescence process, a series of uniaxial compression tests were carried out for rock-like material with two unparallel fissures. In the present study, cement, quartz sand, and water were used to fabricate a kind of brittle rock-like material cylindrical model specimen. The mechanical properties of rock-like material specimen used in this research were all in good agreement with the brittle rock materials. Two unparallel fissures (a horizontal fissure and an inclined fissure) were created by inserting steel during molding the model specimen. Then all the pre-fissured rock-like specimens were tested under uniaxial compression by a rock mechanics servo-controlled testing system. The peak strength and Young's modulus of pre-fissured specimen all first decreased and then increased when the fissure angle increased from 0° to 75°. In order to investigate the crack initiation, propagation and coalescence process, photographic monitoring was adopted to capture images during the entire deformation process. Moreover, acoustic emission (AE) monitoring technique was also used to obtain the AE evolution characteristic of pre-fissured specimen. The relationship between axial stress, AE events, and the crack coalescence process was set up: when a new crack was initiated or a crack coalescence occurred, the corresponding axial stress dropped in the axial stress-time curve and a big AE event could be observed simultaneously. Finally, the mechanism of crack propagation under microscopic observation was discussed. These experimental results are expected to increase the understanding of the strength failure behavior and the cracking mechanism of rock containing unparallel fissures.

Experimental and Observational Studies of Molecular Hydrogen in Interstellar and Circumstellar Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, Keri

2017-08-01

Understanding the evolution of gas over the lifetime of protoplanetary disks provides us with important clues about how planet formation mechanisms drive the diversity of exoplanetary systems observed to date. In the first part of my thesis, I discuss how I use fluorescent emission observations of molecular hydrogen (H2) in the far-ultraviolet (far-UV) with the Hubble Space Telescope to study the warm molecular regions (a < 10 AU) of planet-forming disks. I have created analytic disk models that produce synthetic H2 line profiles and statistically compare each disk realization with the data. I how the modeled radial distributions of H 2 help provide important constraints on the radiation properties of gas left in the inner disk of protoplanetary disks as they evolve. Additionally, I analyzed the absorption component of these fluorescence features, embedded within the hydrogen Lyman-alpha emission line produced by the accretion of material onto the host protostar. I present column density and temperature estimates for the H2 populations in each disk sightline, and discuss the behavior and possible spatial origins of these hot molecules. As part of my thesis, I address some observational requirements needed to gain further insights into the behavior of the warm, gaseous protoplanetary disk, focusing specifically on a spectrograph concept for the next-generation LUVOIR Surveyor. I discuss a testbed instrument, the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), built as a demonstration of one component of the LUVOIR spectrograph and new technological improvements to UV optical components for the next generation of near- to far-UV astrophysical observatories. CHESS is a far-UV sounding rocket experiment designed to probe the warm and cool atoms and molecules near sites of recent star formation in the local interstellar medium. I present the science goals, design, research and development components, and calibration of the CHESS instrument. I provide

A simple generative model of collective online behavior.

PubMed

Gleeson, James P; Cellai, Davide; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Porter, Mason A; Reed-Tsochas, Felix

2014-07-22

Human activities increasingly take place in online environments, providing novel opportunities for relating individual behaviors to population-level outcomes. In this paper, we introduce a simple generative model for the collective behavior of millions of social networking site users who are deciding between different software applications. Our model incorporates two distinct mechanisms: one is associated with recent decisions of users, and the other reflects the cumulative popularity of each application. Importantly, although various combinations of the two mechanisms yield long-time behavior that is consistent with data, the only models that reproduce the observed temporal dynamics are those that strongly emphasize the recent popularity of applications over their cumulative popularity. This demonstrates--even when using purely observational data without experimental design--that temporal data-driven modeling can effectively distinguish between competing microscopic mechanisms, allowing us to uncover previously unidentified aspects of collective online behavior.

A simple generative model of collective online behavior

PubMed Central

Gleeson, James P.; Cellai, Davide; Onnela, Jukka-Pekka; Porter, Mason A.; Reed-Tsochas, Felix

2014-01-01

Human activities increasingly take place in online environments, providing novel opportunities for relating individual behaviors to population-level outcomes. In this paper, we introduce a simple generative model for the collective behavior of millions of social networking site users who are deciding between different software applications. Our model incorporates two distinct mechanisms: one is associated with recent decisions of users, and the other reflects the cumulative popularity of each application. Importantly, although various combinations of the two mechanisms yield long-time behavior that is consistent with data, the only models that reproduce the observed temporal dynamics are those that strongly emphasize the recent popularity of applications over their cumulative popularity. This demonstrates—even when using purely observational data without experimental design—that temporal data-driven modeling can effectively distinguish between competing microscopic mechanisms, allowing us to uncover previously unidentified aspects of collective online behavior. PMID:25002470

The effect of observers on behavior and the brain during aggressive encounters.

PubMed

Desjardins, Julie K; Becker, Lisa; Fernald, Russell D

2015-10-01

What effect does an audience have on an animal's behavior and where is this influence registered in the brain? To answer these questions, we analyzed male cichlid fish fighting in the presence of audiences of various compositions and measured expression of immediate early genes in the brain as a proxy for neural activity. We hypothesized their behavior would change depending on who was watching them. We measured behavioral responses from both the "watchers" and the "watched" during aggressive encounters and found that males fighting in the presence of an audience were more aggressive than males fighting without an audience. Depending on the nature of the audience, immediate early gene expression in key brain nuclei was differentially influenced. Both when an audience of larger males watched fighting males, and when they were watching larger males fighting, nuclei in the brain considered homologous with mammalian nuclei known to be associated with anxiety showed increased activity. When males were in the presence of any audience or when males saw any other males fighting, nuclei in the brain known to be involved in reproduction and aggression were differentially activated relative to control animals. In all cases, there was a close relationship between patterns of brain gene expression between fighters and observers. This suggests that the network of brain regions known as the social behavior network, common across vertebrates, are activated not only in association with the expression of social behavior but also by the reception of social information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of observers on behavior and the brain during aggressive encounters

PubMed Central

Desjardins, Julie K.; Becker, Lisa; Fernald, Russell D.

2015-01-01

What effect does an audience have on an animal’s behavior and where is this influence registered in the brain? To answer these questions, we analyzed male cichlid fish fighting in the presence of audiences of various compositions and measured expression of immediate early genes in the brain as a proxy for neural activity. We hypothesized their behavior would change depending on who was watching them. We measured behavioral responses from both the “watchers” and the “watched” during aggressive encounters and found that males fighting in the presence of an audience were more aggressive than males fighting without an audience. Depending on the nature of the audience, immediate early gene expression in key brain nuclei was differentially influenced. Both when an audience of larger males watched fighting males, and when they were watching larger males fighting, nuclei in the brain considered homologous with mammalian nuclei known to be associated with anxiety showed increased activity. When males were in the presence of any audience or when males saw any other males fighting, nuclei in the brain known to be involved in reproduction and aggression were differentially activated relative to control animals. In all cases, there was a close relationship between patterns of brain gene expression between fighters and observers. This suggests that the network of brain regions known as the social behavior network, common across vertebrates, are activated not only in association with the expression of social behavior but also by the reception of social information. PMID:26097004

The Research of the Effect of the Olive Juice on Anxiety and Depression Behavior.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiguo

2015-01-01

In order to evaluate the effect of olive juice on the anxiety and depression behavior, the paper uses olive juice concentrate as experimental material, and uses mice as experimental subjects. Mice are randomly divided into negative, positive, high, medium and low-dose group, administered orally for 7 days. And observe the impact on the mice elevated plus maze test, the opening acts test and forced swim test. The experimental results show that under conditions of the sub-acute administration, olive juice can induce anti-anxiety behavior of mice, but also has the potential to improve depression of mice.

Atmosphere behavior in gas-closed mouse-algal systems - An experimental and modelling study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Averner, M. M.; Moore, B., III; Bartholomew, I.; Wharton, R.

1984-01-01

A NASA-sponsored research program initiated using mathematical modelling and laboratory experimentation aimed at examining the gas-exchange characteristics of artificial animal/plant systems closed to the ambient atmosphere is studied. The development of control techniques and management strategies for maintaining the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen at physiological levels is considered. A mathematical model simulating the behavior of a gas-closed mouse-algal system under varying environmental conditions is described. To verify and validate the model simulations, an analytical system with which algal growth and gas exchange characteristics can be manipulated and measured is designed, fabricated, and tested. The preliminary results are presented.

Defining Behavior–Environment Interactions: Translating and Developing an Experimental and Applied Behavior-Analytic Vocabulary in and to the National Language

PubMed Central

Tuomisto, Martti T; Parkkinen, Lauri

2012-01-01

Verbal behavior, as in the use of terms, is an important part of scientific activity in general and behavior analysis in particular. Many glossaries and dictionaries of behavior analysis have been published in English, but few in any other language. Here we review the area of behavior analytic terminology, its translations, and development in languages other than English. As an example, we use our own mother tongue, Finnish, which provides a suitable example of the process of translation and development of behavior analytic terminology, because it differs from Indo-European languages and entails specific advantages and challenges in the translation process. We have published three editions of a general dictionary of behavior analysis including 801 terms relevant to the experimental analysis of behavior and applied behavior analysis and one edition of a dictionary of applied and clinical behavior analysis containing 280 terms. Because this work has been important to us, we hope this review will encourage similar work by behavior analysts in other countries whose native language is not English. Behavior analysis as an advanced science deserves widespread international dissemination and proper translations are essential to that goal. PMID:22693363

Political science. Reverse-engineering censorship in China: randomized experimentation and participant observation.

PubMed

King, Gary; Pan, Jennifer; Roberts, Margaret E

2014-08-22

Existing research on the extensive Chinese censorship organization uses observational methods with well-known limitations. We conducted the first large-scale experimental study of censorship by creating accounts on numerous social media sites, randomly submitting different texts, and observing from a worldwide network of computers which texts were censored and which were not. We also supplemented interviews with confidential sources by creating our own social media site, contracting with Chinese firms to install the same censoring technologies as existing sites, and--with their software, documentation, and even customer support--reverse-engineering how it all works. Our results offer rigorous support for the recent hypothesis that criticisms of the state, its leaders, and their policies are published, whereas posts about real-world events with collective action potential are censored. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Experimental study on flowing burning behaviors of a pool fire with dripping of melted thermoplastics.

PubMed

Xie, Qiyuan; Tu, Ran; Wang, Nan; Ma, Xin; Jiang, Xi

2014-02-28

The objective of this work is to quantitatively investigate the dripping-burning and flowing fire of thermoplastics. A new experimental setup is developed with a heating vessel and a T-trough. Hot thermoplastic liquids are generated in the vessel by electric heating. N2 gas is continuously injected into the vessel to avoid a sudden ignition of fuel in it. The detailed flowing burning behaviors of pool fire in the T-trough are analyzed through the measurements of the mass, heat flux and temperatures etc. The experimental results suggest that a continuous dripping of melted thermoplastic liquids in a nearly constant mass rate can be successfully made in the new setup. It also shows that the mass dripping rate of melted PS liquid is smaller than PP and PE since its large viscosity. In addition, the flame spread velocities of hot liquids of PS in the T-trough are also smaller than that of PP and PE because of its large viscosity. The mass burning rate of the PP and PE pool fire in T-trough are smaller than PS. Finally, considering the heating, melting, dripping and flowing burning behaviors of these polymers, it is suggested that the fire hazard of PE and PP are obviously higher than PS for their faster flowing burning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food Handling Behaviors Observed in Consumers When Cooking Poultry and Eggs.

PubMed

Maughan, Curtis; Chambers, Edgar; Godwin, Sandria; Chambers, Delores; Cates, Sheryl; Koppel, Kadri

2016-06-01

Previous research has shown that many consumers do not follow recommended food safety practices for cooking poultry and eggs, which can lead to exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter. Past research has been done primarily through surveys and interviews, rather than observations. The objective of this project was to determine through observations whether consumers follow food safety guidelines. Consumers (n = 101) divided among three locations (Manhattan, KS; Kansas City, MO area; and Nashville, TN) were observed as they prepared a baked whole chicken breast, a pan-fried ground turkey patty, a fried egg, and scrambled eggs. The end point temperature for the cooked products was taken (outside the view of consumers) within 30 s after the consumers indicated they were finished cooking. Thermometer use while cooking was low, although marginally higher than that of some previous studies: only 37% of consumers used a thermometer for chicken breasts and only 22% for turkey patties. No one used a thermometer for fried or scrambled eggs. Only 77% of the chicken and 69% of the turkey was cooked to a safe temperature (165°F [74°C]), and 77% of scrambled and 49% of fried eggs reached a safe temperature (160°F [71°C]). Safe hand washing was noted in only 40% of respondents after handling the chicken breast and 44% after handling the ground turkey patty. This value decreased to 15% after handling raw eggs for fried eggs and to 17% for scrambled eggs. These results show that there is a high prevalence of unsafe behaviors (undercooking and poor hand washing technique) when cooking poultry and eggs and a great need for improvement in consumer behavior with poultry and eggs.

Effects of departing individuals on collective behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishiyama, Yuta; Okuda, Shoma; Migita, Masao; Murakami, Hisashi; Tomaru, Takenori

2017-07-01

Utilizing living organisms' abilities is an effective approach to realize flexible and unconventional computing. One possible bio-inspired computer might be developed from animal collective research by clarifying collective behaviors. Therefore, it is important to reveal how collective animal behaviors emerge. In many studies, individuals departing from the other individualsare generally ignored. Is it not possible that such departing individuals contribute to the organization of such collectives? To investigate the effects of individuals departing from a collective against collective behaviors, we observed and analyzed the behaviors of 40 soldier crabs in four types of experimental arenas. The recorded behaviors demonstrate a temporally changing pattern and the existence of departing individuals. We analyzed the relationship between global activity and cohesion levels and verified the features of departing individuals. The results imply that departing individuals contribute to collective behaviors.

Experimental Observation of a Current-Driven Instability in a Neutral Electron-Positron Beam.

PubMed

Warwick, J; Dzelzainis, T; Dieckmann, M E; Schumaker, W; Doria, D; Romagnani, L; Poder, K; Cole, J M; Alejo, A; Yeung, M; Krushelnick, K; Mangles, S P D; Najmudin, Z; Reville, B; Samarin, G M; Symes, D D; Thomas, A G R; Borghesi, M; Sarri, G

2017-11-03

We report on the first experimental observation of a current-driven instability developing in a quasineutral matter-antimatter beam. Strong magnetic fields (≥1  T) are measured, via means of a proton radiography technique, after the propagation of a neutral electron-positron beam through a background electron-ion plasma. The experimentally determined equipartition parameter of ε_{B}≈10^{-3} is typical of values inferred from models of astrophysical gamma-ray bursts, in which the relativistic flows are also expected to be pair dominated. The data, supported by particle-in-cell simulations and simple analytical estimates, indicate that these magnetic fields persist in the background plasma for thousands of inverse plasma frequencies. The existence of such long-lived magnetic fields can be related to analog astrophysical systems, such as those prevalent in lepton-dominated jets.

Experimental Observation of a Current-Driven Instability in a Neutral Electron-Positron Beam

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

Warwick, J.; Dzelzainis, T.; Dieckmann, M. E.

Here, we report on the first experimental observation of a current-driven instability developing in a quasineutral matter-antimatter beam. Strong magnetic fields (≥ 1T) are measured, via means of a proton radiography technique, after the propagation of a neutral electron-positron beam through a background electron-ion plasma. The experimentally determined equipartition parameter of ε B ≈ 10 -3 is typical of values inferred from models of astrophysical gamma-ray bursts, in which the relativistic flows are also expected to be pair dominated. The data, supported by particle-in-cell simulations and simple analytical estimates, indicate that these magnetic fields persist in the background plasma formore » thousands of inverse plasma frequencies. The existence of such long-lived magnetic fields can be related to analog astrophysical systems, such as those prevalent in lepton-dominated jets.« less

Experimental Observation of a Current-Driven Instability in a Neutral Electron-Positron Beam

DOE PAGES

Warwick, J.; Dzelzainis, T.; Dieckmann, M. E.; ...

2017-11-03

Here, we report on the first experimental observation of a current-driven instability developing in a quasineutral matter-antimatter beam. Strong magnetic fields (≥ 1T) are measured, via means of a proton radiography technique, after the propagation of a neutral electron-positron beam through a background electron-ion plasma. The experimentally determined equipartition parameter of ε B ≈ 10 -3 is typical of values inferred from models of astrophysical gamma-ray bursts, in which the relativistic flows are also expected to be pair dominated. The data, supported by particle-in-cell simulations and simple analytical estimates, indicate that these magnetic fields persist in the background plasma formore » thousands of inverse plasma frequencies. The existence of such long-lived magnetic fields can be related to analog astrophysical systems, such as those prevalent in lepton-dominated jets.« less

Observed Family Interactions among Subtypes of Eating Disorders Using Structural Analysis of Social Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Laura Lynn

1989-01-01

Compared observations of family interactions among anorexic, bulimic-anorexic, bulimic, and normal families (N=74 families) consisting of father, mother, and teenage daughter. Benjamin's structural analysis of social behavior methodology differentiated clinical from normal families. Found unique patterns among subtypes of eating disorders which…

Symbolic dynamic filtering and language measure for behavior identification of mobile robots.

PubMed

Mallapragada, Goutham; Ray, Asok; Jin, Xin

2012-06-01

This paper presents a procedure for behavior identification of mobile robots, which requires limited or no domain knowledge of the underlying process. While the features of robot behavior are extracted by symbolic dynamic filtering of the observed time series, the behavior patterns are classified based on language measure theory. The behavior identification procedure has been experimentally validated on a networked robotic test bed by comparison with commonly used tools, namely, principal component analysis for feature extraction and Bayesian risk analysis for pattern classification.

Behavioral Observation and Microbiological Analysis of Older Adult Consumers' Cross-Contamination Practices in a Model Domestic Kitchen.

PubMed

Evans, Ellen W; Redmond, Elizabeth C

2018-04-01

The incidence of foodborne illness is higher in older adults because of their increased susceptibility; therefore, food safety practices are important. However, inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes toward food safety have been reported, which may increase use of unsafe food handling practices. Data on the actual food safety behaviors of older adults are lacking. In this study, food safety practices of older adults were observed and linked to microbiological analysis of kitchen surfaces to identify suspected routes of contamination. Older adults (≥60 years, n = 100) prepared a set meal in a model domestic kitchen sanitized according to a validated protocol to ensure minimal and consistent microbiological loads. Food safety behaviors were observed using ceiling-mounted cameras and recorded using a predetermined behavioral checklist. Surface microbiological contamination also was determined after food preparation. Overall, older adults frequently implemented unsafe food handling practices; 90% failed to implement adequate hand decontamination immediately after handling raw chicken. For older adults who used a larger number of adequate hand decontamination attempts, microbiological contamination levels in the kitchen following the food preparation session were significantly lower ( P < 0.001). The novel utilization of behavioral observation in conjunction with microbiological analysis facilitated identification of potentially unsafe food handling practices as suspected routes of microbiological cross-contamination in a model domestic kitchen. Findings indicate the potential impact on domestic food safety of unsafe food handling practices used by older adult consumers. This innovative approach revealed that a large proportion of older adults implement behaviors resulting in microbiological cross-contamination that may increase the risk of foodborne illness in the home.

The effects of prosocial video games on prosocial behaviors: international evidence from correlational, longitudinal, and experimental studies.

PubMed

Gentile, Douglas A; Anderson, Craig A; Yukawa, Shintaro; Ihori, Nobuko; Saleem, Muniba; Ming, Lim Kam; Shibuya, Akiko; Liau, Albert K; Khoo, Angeline; Bushman, Brad J; Rowell Huesmann, L; Sakamoto, Akira

2009-06-01

Although dozens of studies have documented a relationship between violent video games and aggressive behaviors, very little attention has been paid to potential effects of prosocial games. Theoretically, games in which game characters help and support each other in nonviolent ways should increase both short-term and long-term prosocial behaviors. We report three studies conducted in three countries with three age groups to test this hypothesis. In the correlational study, Singaporean middle-school students who played more prosocial games behaved more prosocially. In the two longitudinal samples of Japanese children and adolescents, prosocial game play predicted later increases in prosocial behavior. In the experimental study, U.S. undergraduates randomly assigned to play prosocial games behaved more prosocially toward another student. These similar results across different methodologies, ages, and cultures provide robust evidence of a prosocial game content effect, and they provide support for the General Learning Model.

The Effects of Prosocial Video Games on Prosocial Behaviors: International Evidence from Correlational, Longitudinal, and Experimental Studies

PubMed Central

Gentile, Douglas A.; Anderson, Craig A.; Yukawa, Shintaro; Ihori, Nobuko; Saleem, Muniba; Ming, Lim Kam; Shibuya, Akiko; Liau, Albert K.; Khoo, Angeline; Bushman, Brad J.; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Sakamoto, Akira

2009-01-01

Although dozens of studies have documented a relation between violent video games and aggressive behaviors, very little attention has been paid to potential effects of prosocial games. Theoretically, games in which game characters help and support each other in nonviolent ways should increase both short-term and long-term prosocial behaviors. We report three studies conducted in three countries with three age groups to test this hypothesis. In the correlational study, Singaporean middle-school students who played more prosocial games behaved more prosocially. In the two longitudinal samples of Japanese children and adolescents, prosocial game play predicted later increases in prosocial behavior. In the experimental study, U.S. undergraduates randomly assigned to play prosocial games behaved more prosocially toward another student. These similar results across different methodologies, ages, and cultures provide robust evidence a prosocial game content effect, and provide support for the General Learning Model. PMID:19321812

Behavior of Different Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Serotypes in Various Experimentally Contaminated Raw-Milk Cheeses

PubMed Central

Miszczycha, Stéphane D.; Perrin, Frédérique; Ganet, Sarah; Jamet, Emmanuel; Tenenhaus-Aziza, Fanny; Montel, Marie-Christine

2013-01-01

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important cause of food-borne illness. The public health implication of the presence of STEC in dairy products remains unclear. Knowledge of STEC behavior in cheeses would help to evaluate the human health risk. The aim of our study was to observe the growth and survival of experimentally inoculated STEC strains in raw-milk cheeses manufactured and ripened according to five technological schemes: blue-type cheese, uncooked pressed cheese with long ripening and with short ripening steps, cooked cheese, and lactic cheese. Cheeses were contaminated with different STEC serotypes (O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, and O145:H28) at the milk preparation stage. STEC growth and survival were monitored on selective media during the entire manufacturing process. STEC grew (2 to 3 log10 CFU · g−1) in blue-type cheese and the two uncooked pressed cheeses during the first 24 h of cheese making. Then, STEC levels progressively decreased in cheeses that were ripened for more than 6 months. In cooked cheese and in lactic cheese with a long acidic coagulation step (pH < 4.5), STEC did not grow. Their levels decreased after the cooking step in the cooked cheese and after the coagulation step in the lactic cheese, but STEC was still detectable at the end of ripening and storage. A serotype effect was found: in all cheeses studied, serotype O157:H7 grew less strongly and was less persistent than the others serotypes. This study improves knowledge of the behavior of different STEC serotypes in various raw-milk cheeses. PMID:23087038

Experimental medicine in drug addiction: towards behavioral, cognitive and neurobiological biomarkers.

PubMed

Duka, Theodora; Crombag, Hans S; Stephens, David N

2011-09-01

Several theoretical frameworks have been developed to understand putative processes and mechanisms involved in addiction. Whilst these 'theories of addiction' disagree about importance and/or nature of a number of key psychological processes (e.g. the necessity of craving and/or the involvement of drug-value representations), a number of commonalities exist. For instance, it is widely accepted that Pavlovian associations between cues and environmental contexts and the drug effects acquired over the course of addiction play a critical role, especially in relapse vulnerability in detoxified addicts. Additionally, all theories of addiction (explicitly or implicitly) propose that chronic drug exposure produces persistent neuroplastic changes in neurobiological circuitries underlying critical emotional, cognitive and motivational processes, although disagreement exists as to the precise nature of these neurobiological changes and/or their psychological consequences. The present review, rather than limiting itself to any particular theoretical stance, considers various candidate psychological, neurobiological and/or behavioral processes in addiction and outlines conceptual and procedural approaches for the experimental medicine laboratory. The review discusses (1) extinction, renewal and (re)consolidation of learned associations between cues and drugs, (2) the drug reward value, (3) motivational states contributing to drug seeking and (4) reflective (top-down) and sensory (bottom-up) driven decision-making. In evaluating these psychological and/or behavioral processes and their relationship to addiction we make reference to putative underlying brain structures identified by basic animal studies and/or imaging studies with humans.

Experimental simulation of the Unruh effect on an NMR quantum simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, FangZhou; Chen, HongWei; Rong, Xing; Zhou, Hui; Shi, MingJun; Zhang, Qi; Ju, ChenYong; Cai, YiFu; Luo, ShunLong; Peng, XinHua; Du, JiangFeng

2016-03-01

The Unruh effect is one of the most fundamental manifestations of the fact that the particle content of a field theory is observer dependent. However, there has been so far no experimental verification of this effect, as the associated temperatures lie far below any observable threshold. Recently, physical phenomena, which are of great experimental challenge, have been investigated by quantum simulations in various fields. Here we perform a proof-of-principle simulation of the evolution of fermionic modes under the Unruh effect with a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum simulator. By the quantum simulator, we experimentally demonstrate the behavior of Unruh temperature with acceleration, and we further investigate the quantum correlations quantified by quantum discord between two fermionic modes as seen by two relatively accelerated observers. It is shown that the quantum correlations can be created by the Unruh effect from the classically correlated states. Our work may provide a promising way to explore the quantum physics of accelerated systems.

A Study to Interpret the Biological Significance of Behavior Associated with 3S Experimental Sonar Exposures

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

playbacks Killer whale (O. orca) 10 4 8 1 2 LF pilot whale (G. melas ) 30 8 14 4 8 Sperm whale (P. Macrocephalus) 10 4 10 2 5 Humpback whale (M...exposure dataset of the long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas ). A hidden Markov model (HMM) approach was developed to quantify behavioral states...Experimental Exposures of Killer (Orcinus orca), Long-Finned Pilot (Globicephala melas ), and Sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) Whales to Naval Sonar. Aquat

Direct observation of mother-child communication in pediatric cancer: assessment of verbal and non-verbal behavior and emotion.

PubMed

Dunn, Madeleine J; Rodriguez, Erin M; Miller, Kimberly S; Gerhardt, Cynthia A; Vannatta, Kathryn; Saylor, Megan; Scheule, C Melanie; Compas, Bruce E

2011-06-01

To examine the acceptability and feasibility of coding observed verbal and nonverbal behavioral and emotional components of mother-child communication among families of children with cancer. Mother-child dyads (N=33, children ages 5-17 years) were asked to engage in a videotaped 15-min conversation about the child's cancer. Coding was done using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scale (IFIRS). Acceptability and feasibility of direct observation in this population were partially supported: 58% consented and 81% of those (47% of all eligible dyads) completed the task; trained raters achieved 78% agreement in ratings across codes. The construct validity of the IFIRS was demonstrated by expected associations within and between positive and negative behavioral/emotional code ratings and between mothers' and children's corresponding code ratings. Direct observation of mother-child communication about childhood cancer has the potential to be an acceptable and feasible method of assessing verbal and nonverbal behavior and emotion in this population.

Predicting Sympathy and Prosocial Behavior from Young Children’s Dispositional Sadness

PubMed Central

Edwards, Alison; Eisenberg, Nancy; Spinrad, Tracy L.; Reiser, Mark; Eggum-Wilkens, Natalie D.; Liew, Jeffrey

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether dispositional sadness predicted children's prosocial behavior and if sympathy mediated this relation. Constructs were measured when children (N = 256 at Time 1) were 18-, 30-, and 42-months old. Mothers and non-parental caregivers rated children’s sadness; mothers, caregivers, and fathers rated children’s prosocial behavior; sympathy (concern and hypothesis testing) and prosocial behavior (indirect and direct, as well as verbal at older ages) were assessed with a task in which the experimenter feigned injury. In a panel path analysis, 30-month dispositional sadness predicted marginally higher 42-month sympathy; in addition, 30-month sympathy predicted 42-month sadness. Moreover, when controlling for prior levels of prosocial behavior, 30-month sympathy significantly predicted reported and observed prosocial behavior at 42 months. Sympathy did not mediate the relation between sadness and prosocial behavior (either reported or observed). PMID:25663753

Movement Processes as Observable Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrington, Wilma M.

The operations for achieving skill in motor performance are perceiving, patterning, adapting, refining, varying, improvising, and composing. These operations are readily observable in physical education classes. An observation record containing the seven catagories was used to classify teacher feedback to students. The teachers observed were…

Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy for irritable bowel syndrome. A single-case experimental design across 13 subjects.

PubMed

Boersma, Katja; Ljótsson, Brjánn; Edebol-Carlman, Hanna; Schrooten, Martien; Linton, Steven J; Brummer, Robert J

2016-11-01

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent disorder with a significant impact on quality of life. The presence of psychological symptoms in IBS patients such as catastrophic worry and behavioral avoidance suggests the possible efficacy of cognitive behavioral interventions. Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven to be a promising approach but has only been investigated in a few studies and mainly via the Internet. Therefore, the aims of this study were to extend and replicate previous findings and to evaluate whether an individual, face-to-face, exposure-based CBT leads to improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms, pain catastrophizing, avoidance behavior and quality of life in IBS patients. Thirteen patients with IBS according to Rome III criteria participated in a single-case experimental study using a five-week baseline and a subsequent twelve-session intervention phase focusing on psycho-education, mindfulness and in vivo exposure. Standardized measurement of gastrointestinal symptoms, pain catastrophizing, avoidance behavior and quality of life was conducted weekly during baseline as well as intervention phase and at six-month follow-up. Results showed that over 70% of patients improved significantly on gastrointestinal symptoms, pain catastrophizing, and quality of life. Effects on avoidance behavior were modest. These results strengthen and extend earlier findings and provide further support for the efficacy of exposure-based strategies for IBS.

Experimental and observational studies find contrasting responses of soil nutrients to climate change.

PubMed

Yuan, Z Y; Jiao, F; Shi, X R; Sardans, Jordi; Maestre, Fernando T; Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Reich, Peter B; Peñuelas, Josep

2017-06-01

Manipulative experiments and observations along environmental gradients, the two most common approaches to evaluate the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling, are generally assumed to produce similar results, but this assumption has rarely been tested. We did so by conducting a meta-analysis and found that soil nutrients responded differentially to drivers of climate change depending on the approach considered. Soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations generally decreased with water addition in manipulative experiments but increased with annual precipitation along environmental gradients. Different patterns were also observed between warming experiments and temperature gradients. Our findings provide evidence of inconsistent results and suggest that manipulative experiments may be better predictors of the causal impacts of short-term (months to years) climate change on soil nutrients but environmental gradients may provide better information for long-term correlations (centuries to millennia) between these nutrients and climatic features. Ecosystem models should consequently incorporate both experimental and observational data to properly assess the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling.

The Effect of Subjective Risk Attitudes and Overconfidence on Risk Taking Behaviors: A Experimental Study Based on Traders of the Chinese Stock Market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qi-An; Xiao, Yinghong; Chen, Hui; Chen, Liang

Our research analyzes the effect of the traders’ subjective risk attitude, optimism and overconfidence on their risk taking behaviors on the Chinese Stock Market by experimental study method. We find that investors’ risk taking behavior is significantly affected by their subjective risk attitude, optimism and overconfidence. Our results also argue that the objective return and volatility of stock are not as good predictors of risk taking behavior as subjective risk and return measures. Moreover, we illustrate that overconfidence and optimism have an significant impact on risk taking behavior In line with theoretical models.