Sample records for proposed action involves

  1. 75 FR 44231 - Defense Representative Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-28

    ...: After carefully weighing the operational and environmental consequences of the Proposed Action, the... Executive Agent for management of the MIRC. The proposed action does not involve extensive changes to MIRC...

  2. 75 FR 21008 - Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Proposed Actions Under the NIH...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-22

    ... Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Proposed Actions Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving... Biotechnology Activities (OBA) published a proposal to revise the NIH Guidelines for Research with Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines) to address biosafety for research with synthetic nucleic acids (74 FR...

  3. Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement. Cullinan Ranch Specific Plan.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-05-01

    COMMITMENTS OF RESOURCES WHICH WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE PROPOSED ACTION SHOULD IT BE IMPLEMENTED 150 VII. GROWTH -INDUCING IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION 151... conditions Involving soft bay mud and peat deposits, and 3) raise the surface level of the project to accnmmodate planned settlement and provide...data becomes available. These issues are indicated with an asterisk (*). 1. Growth inducement with required expansion of Infrastructure to support

  4. 32 CFR 651.13 - Classified actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Classified actions. 651.13 Section 651.13... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) National Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process § 651.13 Classified actions. (a) For proposed actions and NEPA analyses involving classified information...

  5. Stakeholder analysis methodologies resource book

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

    Babiuch, W.M.; Farhar, B.C.

    1994-03-01

    Stakeholder analysis allows analysts to identify how parties might be affected by government projects. This process involves identifying the likely impacts of a proposed action and stakeholder groups affected by that action. Additionally, the process involves assessing how these groups might be affected and suggesting measures to mitigate any adverse effects. Evidence suggests that the efficiency and effectiveness of government actions can be increased and adverse social impacts mitigated when officials understand how a proposed action might affect stakeholders. This report discusses how to conduct useful stakeholder analyses for government officials making decisions on energy-efficiency and renewable-energy technologies and theirmore » commercialization. It discusses methodological issues that may affect the validity and reliability of findings, including sampling, generalizability, validity, ``uncooperative`` stakeholder groups, using social indicators, and the effect of government regulations. The Appendix contains resource directories and a list of specialists in stakeholder analysis and involvement.« less

  6. 76 FR 14074 - Notice of Proposed Amendment to Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 2010-08 Involving Ford...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employee Benefits Security Administration [Application No. L-11641] Notice of Proposed Amendment to Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 2010-08 Involving Ford Motor Company, Located in Detroit, MI AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. ACTION: Notice of proposed amendment. This documen...

  7. U.S.-Iraq Agreements: Congressional Oversight Activities and Legislative Response

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-15

    in creating the planned agreements, from negotiation to implementation, and took action to ensure such involvement. Members proposed numerous...matter experts. This has equipped Congress with information pertinent to deciding what further action can be taken to involve Congress more in the...concerning the negotiation, execution, and early implementation of the agreements; the second describes in detail the actions taken by Congress thus

  8. 32 CFR 651.13 - Classified actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) National Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process § 651.13 Classified actions. (a) For proposed actions and NEPA analyses involving classified information, AR 380-5 (Department of the Army Information Security Program) will be followed. (b) Classification...

  9. 32 CFR 651.13 - Classified actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) National Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process § 651.13 Classified actions. (a) For proposed actions and NEPA analyses involving classified information, AR 380-5 (Department of the Army Information Security Program) will be followed. (b) Classification...

  10. 32 CFR 651.13 - Classified actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) National Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process § 651.13 Classified actions. (a) For proposed actions and NEPA analyses involving classified information, AR 380-5 (Department of the Army Information Security Program) will be followed. (b) Classification...

  11. 32 CFR 651.13 - Classified actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ARMY ACTIONS (AR 200-2) National Environmental Policy Act and the Decision Process § 651.13 Classified actions. (a) For proposed actions and NEPA analyses involving classified information, AR 380-5 (Department of the Army Information Security Program) will be followed. (b) Classification...

  12. 77 FR 14727 - Tongass National Forest Wrangell Ranger District; Alaska; Wrangell Island Project Environmental...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-13

    ... of timber harvest, road construction and reconstruction, and silvicultural practices used; (2) access... Action The Forest Service is proposing a multi-year project involving a variety of timber harvest, road construction, and forest restoration and enhancement activities. The proposed action would include the harvest...

  13. Nambu sigma model and effective membrane actions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jurčo, Branislav; Schupp, Peter

    2012-07-01

    We propose an effective action for a p‧-brane with open p-branes ending on it. The action has dual descriptions similar to the commutative and non-commutative ones of the DBI action for D-branes and open strings. The Poisson structure governing the non-commutativity of the D-brane is replaced by a Nambu structure and the open-closed string relations are generalized to the case of p-branes utilizing a novel Nambu sigma model description of p-branes. In the case of an M5-brane our action interpolates between M5-actions already proposed in the literature and matrix-model like actions involving Nambu structures.

  14. Mechanism of action of substance P in guinea-pig ileum longitudinal smooth muscle: a re-evaluation.

    PubMed Central

    Hall, J M; Morton, I K

    1990-01-01

    1. A proposed mechanism of contractile action of substance P in guinea-pig ileum longitudinal smooth muscle involving a decrease in membrane K+ permeability (PK) has been re-examined. 2. Potentiation of responses to substance P by the K+ channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA) was originally proposed as evidence for a mechanism of action of substance P involving a decrease in PK. Potentiation was confirmed; however this was found not to be specific to substance P since a similar potentiation of responses was seen with agonists not thought to act via a decrease in PK. 3. Antagonism of contractile responses to substance P by noradrenaline was similarly confirmed. However, this antagonism was found to represent a non-specific functional interaction through the inhibitory actions of beta-adrenoceptors rather than the proposed specific interaction with an increase in PK by noradrenaline which is normally alpha 1-adrenoceptor mediated. 4. Experiments were made measuring 86Rb efflux, in depolarized guinea-pig ileum longitudinal smooth muscle, to estimate PK. These studies confirmed a reported decrease in PK with TEA, but failed to detect the previously reported decrease with substance P. 5. These results, although not disproving a suggested mechanism of direct contractile action of substance P in guinea-pig ileum longitudinal smooth muscle involving a decrease in PK, do throw doubt on either the evidence, or its interpretation, as proposed by the original authors in support of such a mechanism. PMID:1712846

  15. The Foreign Language Effect on Moral Judgment: The Role of Emotions and Norms

    PubMed Central

    Geipel, Janet; Hadjichristidis, Constantinos; Surian, Luca

    2015-01-01

    We investigated whether and why the use of a foreign language influences moral judgment. We studied the trolley and footbridge dilemmas, which propose an action that involves killing one individual to save five. In line with prior work, the use of a foreign language increased the endorsement of such consequentialist actions for the footbridge dilemma, but not for the trolley dilemma. But contrary to recent theorizing, this effect was not driven by an attenuation of emotions. An attenuation of emotions was found in both dilemmas, and it did not mediate the foreign language effect on moral judgment. An examination of additional scenarios revealed that foreign language influenced moral judgment when the proposed action involved a social or moral norm violation. We propose that foreign language influences moral judgment by reducing access to normative knowledge. PMID:26177508

  16. The Foreign Language Effect on Moral Judgment: The Role of Emotions and Norms.

    PubMed

    Geipel, Janet; Hadjichristidis, Constantinos; Surian, Luca

    2015-01-01

    We investigated whether and why the use of a foreign language influences moral judgment. We studied the trolley and footbridge dilemmas, which propose an action that involves killing one individual to save five. In line with prior work, the use of a foreign language increased the endorsement of such consequentialist actions for the footbridge dilemma, but not for the trolley dilemma. But contrary to recent theorizing, this effect was not driven by an attenuation of emotions. An attenuation of emotions was found in both dilemmas, and it did not mediate the foreign language effect on moral judgment. An examination of additional scenarios revealed that foreign language influenced moral judgment when the proposed action involved a social or moral norm violation. We propose that foreign language influences moral judgment by reducing access to normative knowledge.

  17. Use of Action Research in Nursing Education

    PubMed Central

    Pehler, Shelley-Rae; Stombaugh, Angela

    2016-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this article is to describe action research in nursing education and to propose a definition of action research for providing guidelines for research proposals and criteria for assessing potential publications for nursing higher education. Methods. The first part of this project involved a search of the literature on action research in nursing higher education from 1994 to 2013. Searches were conducted in the CINAHL and MEDLINE databases. Applying the criteria identified, 80 publications were reviewed. The second part of the project involved a literature review of action research methodology from several disciplines to assist in assessing articles in this review. Results. This article summarizes the nursing higher education literature reviewed and provides processes and content related to four topic areas in nursing higher education. The descriptions assist researchers in learning more about the complexity of both the action research process and the varied outcomes. The literature review of action research in many disciplines along with the review of action research in higher education provided a framework for developing a nursing-education-centric definition of action research. Conclusions. Although guidelines for developing action research and criteria for publication are suggested, continued development of methods for synthesizing action research is recommended. PMID:28078138

  18. 75 FR 73134 - Florida Power and Light Company, St. Lucie Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ... proposed action does not involve any physical changes to the reactor, fuel, plant, structures, support structures, water, or land at the St. Lucie Plant, Units 1 and 2, site. The proposed action is in accordance... Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants'' (GEIS). Supplement 11 of the GEIS, issued...

  19. Action Learning as Relational Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boydell, Tom; Blantern, Chris

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we propose that all knowledge is made through social processes and is political (of the people involved). If one invests in a relational or historical ontology (a philosophical choice) there are implications for the way action learning is practiced. We illuminate some of these "relational practices". We purport that action learning…

  20. 77 FR 6622 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Action on Proposed Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-08

    ... on Proposed Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT... relates to the proposed Whittier Bridge (Interstate 95 over the Merrimack River) replacement/1-95... bridge/highway improvement project in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The proposed project involves as...

  1. 43 CFR 2203.5 - Action on advice of the Attorney General.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... record of decision on the proposed exchange, discuss the consideration given any advice received from the... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Action on advice of the Attorney General... PROCEDURES Exchanges Involving Fee Federal Coal Deposits § 2203.5 Action on advice of the Attorney General...

  2. The neural career of sensory-motor metaphors.

    PubMed

    Desai, Rutvik H; Binder, Jeffrey R; Conant, Lisa L; Mano, Quintino R; Seidenberg, Mark S

    2011-09-01

    The role of sensory-motor systems in conceptual understanding has been controversial. It has been proposed that many abstract concepts are understood metaphorically through concrete sensory-motor domains such as actions. Using fMRI, we compared neural responses with literal action (Lit; The daughter grasped the flowers), metaphoric action (Met; The public grasped the idea), and abstract (Abs; The public understood the idea) sentences of varying familiarity. Both Lit and Met sentences activated the left anterior inferior parietal lobule, an area involved in action planning, with Met sentences also activating a homologous area in the right hemisphere, relative to Abs sentences. Both Met and Abs sentences activated the left superior temporal regions associated with abstract language. Importantly, activation in primary motor and biological motion perception regions was inversely correlated with Lit and Met familiarity. These results support the view that the understanding of metaphoric action retains a link to sensory-motor systems involved in action performance. However, the involvement of sensory-motor systems in metaphor understanding changes through a gradual abstraction process whereby relatively detailed simulations are used for understanding unfamiliar metaphors, and these simulations become less detailed and involve only secondary motor regions as familiarity increases. Consistent with these data, we propose that anterior inferior parietal lobule serves as an interface between sensory-motor and conceptual systems and plays an important role in both domains. The similarity of abstract and metaphoric sentences in the activation of left superior temporal regions suggests that action metaphor understanding is not completely based on sensory-motor simulations but relies also on abstract lexical-semantic codes.

  3. Environmental Assessment Addressing FTFA07-1174, Repair Approach Lighting System at the North End of Runway 01/19 at Eglin AFB, Florida

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-05-01

    Jltlaterial.\\’ (EA § 3.3, pages 3- lO to 3-12): Construction and demolition activities associated with the Proposed Action wi ll involve the use of hazardous...impacts will only last during those activities and will not be cumulati vely significant. Considering the use of management actions lo minimize the...potenti al lo r adverse effects on listed species, implementation of the Proposed Action is not anticipated to have signi ticant cumulati ve effects

  4. 7 CFR 1794.22 - Categorically excluded proposals requiring an ER.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ...V); (ii) Less than 230 kV if no more than 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) of line are involved; or (iii) 230 kV or greater involving no more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) of line; (2) Construction of... waste projects. An EA must be prepared if a proposed action normally classified as a CE meets any of the...

  5. 7 CFR 1794.22 - Categorically excluded proposals requiring an ER.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ...V); (ii) Less than 230 kV if no more than 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) of line are involved; or (iii) 230 kV or greater involving no more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) of line; (2) Construction of... waste projects. An EA must be prepared if a proposed action normally classified as a CE meets any of the...

  6. 7 CFR 1794.22 - Categorically excluded proposals requiring an ER.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...V); (ii) Less than 230 kV if no more than 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) of line are involved; or (iii) 230 kV or greater involving no more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) of line; (2) Construction of... waste projects. An EA must be prepared if a proposed action normally classified as a CE meets any of the...

  7. 7 CFR 1794.22 - Categorically excluded proposals requiring an ER.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ...V); (ii) Less than 230 kV if no more than 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) of line are involved; or (iii) 230 kV or greater involving no more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) of line; (2) Construction of... waste projects. An EA must be prepared if a proposed action normally classified as a CE meets any of the...

  8. 7 CFR 1794.22 - Categorically excluded proposals requiring an ER.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ...V); (ii) Less than 230 kV if no more than 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) of line are involved; or (iii) 230 kV or greater involving no more than three miles (4.8 kilometers) of line; (2) Construction of... waste projects. An EA must be prepared if a proposed action normally classified as a CE meets any of the...

  9. Finding a [open quotes]proposal[close quotes] for major federal action consistent with the purposes of NEPA: Does Blue Ocean Preservation Society v. Watkins breathe new life into the law

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

    Chang, V.

    Blue Ocean Preservation Society vs. Watkins (BOPS), the subject of this casenote, exemplifies the need for consideration of the environmental consequences of an agency action. The geothermal energy project which was the subject of that litigation involved sensitive, highly controversial and cultural concerns. BOPS illustrates the most compelling case for requiring preparation of an EIS before the decision to undertake agency action. This article addresses the question of what constitutes a [open quotes]proposal[close quotes] for purposes of compelling federal agencies to prepare EIS's pursuant to NEPA. Specifically, this casenote examines the method by which the Court found a proposal formore » major federal action in BOPS.« less

  10. Action Anticipation and Interference: A Test of Prospective Gaze

    PubMed Central

    Cannon, Erin N.; Woodward, Amanda L.

    2013-01-01

    In the current study we investigate the proposal that one aspect of social perception, action anticipation, involves the recruitment of representations for self-produced action. An eye tracking paradigm was implemented to measure prospective gaze to a goal while performing either a motor or working memory task. Results indicate an effect of the motor task, suggesting the interference of a shared motor and action perception representation. PMID:25285317

  11. 75 FR 53968 - Reverb Communications, Inc.; Analysis of Proposed Consent Order To Aid Public Comment

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-02

    ... final the agreement's proposed order. This matter involves the public relations, marketing, and sales... Consent Order To Aid Public Comment AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission. ACTION: Proposed Consent Agreement... or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public...

  12. 78 FR 25760 - Proposed Information Collection; Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program Grants

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-02

    ...--renovate or redesign existing close-to- home recreation facilities. Innovation--specific activities that... existing programs. Planning--development of a Recovery Action Program plan. The information collection... recreation system goals. Citizen involvement in the development of the Action Plan is required and may...

  13. African Primary Care Research: Participatory action research

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Abstract This article is part of the series on African primary care research and focuses on participatory action research. The article gives an overview of the emancipatory-critical research paradigm, the key characteristics and different types of participatory action research. Following this it describes in detail the methodological issues involved in professional participatory action research and running a cooperative inquiry group. The article is intended to help students with writing their research proposal. PMID:26245439

  14. Interference from related actions in spoken word production: Behavioural and fMRI evidence.

    PubMed

    de Zubicaray, Greig; Fraser, Douglas; Ramajoo, Kori; McMahon, Katie

    2017-02-01

    Few investigations of lexical access in spoken word production have investigated the cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in action naming. These are likely to be more complex than the mechanisms involved in object naming, due to the ways in which conceptual features of action words are represented. The present study employed a blocked cyclic naming paradigm to examine whether related action contexts elicit a semantic interference effect akin to that observed with categorically related objects. Participants named pictures of intransitive actions to avoid a confound with object processing. In Experiment 1, body-part related actions (e.g., running, walking, skating, hopping) were named significantly slower compared to unrelated actions (e.g., laughing, running, waving, hiding). Experiment 2 employed perfusion functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in this semantic interference effect. Compared to unrelated actions, naming related actions elicited significant perfusion signal increases in frontotemporal cortex, including bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and hippocampus, and decreases in bilateral posterior temporal, occipital and parietal cortices, including intraparietal sulcus (IPS). The findings demonstrate a role for temporoparietal cortex in conceptual-lexical processing of intransitive action knowledge during spoken word production, and support the proposed involvement of interference resolution and incremental learning mechanisms in the blocked cyclic naming paradigm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Teaching Students to Analyze Agency Actions via a NEPA Analysis Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitworth, Paul M.

    2008-01-01

    Future recreation professionals need the ability to analyze the effects of proposed management actions and stakeholder concerns to make good decisions, maintain public support, and comply with state and federal laws. Importantly, when federal funds, lands, permits or licenses are involved, federal law requires consideration of environmental and…

  16. 77 FR 75085 - Proposed Significant New Use Rule on Ethoxylated, Propoxylated Diamine Diaryl Substituted...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-19

    ... applications. Based on ecological structure activity relationship (EcoSAR) analysis of test data on analogous... significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866. I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act Since this action does not involve any technical standards, section 12(d) of the National Technology...

  17. 75 FR 53740 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Regulation Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-01

    ... Request for Regulation Project AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice and... Transactions Involving Computer Programs (Sec. 1.861-18). DATES: Written comments should be received on [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Classification of Certain Transactions Involving Computer...

  18. 7 CFR 799.7 - Early involvement in private and state and local activities requiring Federal approval.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... appropriate by FSA to determine the impact of the proposed action on the human environment; (3) Consult with... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Early involvement in private and state and local... Early involvement in private and state and local activities requiring Federal approval. (a) The NEPA...

  19. 7 CFR 799.7 - Early involvement in private and state and local activities requiring Federal approval.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... appropriate by FSA to determine the impact of the proposed action on the human environment; (3) Consult with... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Early involvement in private and state and local... Early involvement in private and state and local activities requiring Federal approval. (a) The NEPA...

  20. Intact Imitation of Emotional Facial Actions in Autism Spectrum Conditions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Press, Clare; Richardson, Daniel; Bird, Geoffrey

    2010-01-01

    It has been proposed that there is a core impairment in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) to the mirror neuron system (MNS): If observed actions cannot be mapped onto the motor commands required for performance, higher order sociocognitive functions that involve understanding another person's perspective, such as theory of mind, may be impaired.…

  1. 24 CFR 248.213 - Plan of action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... of the effect of the proposed changes on existing tenants. (6) In the case of a plan of action involving incentives, an appraisal using the residential income approach; (7) In the case of a plan of... summary, the local HUD field office, and the on-site office for the project, or if one is not available...

  2. 24 CFR 248.213 - Plan of action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... of the effect of the proposed changes on existing tenants. (6) In the case of a plan of action involving incentives, an appraisal using the residential income approach; (7) In the case of a plan of... summary, the local HUD field office, and the on-site office for the project, or if one is not available...

  3. 24 CFR 248.213 - Plan of action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... of the effect of the proposed changes on existing tenants. (6) In the case of a plan of action involving incentives, an appraisal using the residential income approach; (7) In the case of a plan of... summary, the local HUD field office, and the on-site office for the project, or if one is not available...

  4. 24 CFR 248.213 - Plan of action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... of the effect of the proposed changes on existing tenants. (6) In the case of a plan of action involving incentives, an appraisal using the residential income approach; (7) In the case of a plan of... summary, the local HUD field office, and the on-site office for the project, or if one is not available...

  5. 24 CFR 248.213 - Plan of action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... of the effect of the proposed changes on existing tenants. (6) In the case of a plan of action involving incentives, an appraisal using the residential income approach; (7) In the case of a plan of... summary, the local HUD field office, and the on-site office for the project, or if one is not available...

  6. Object Transportation by Two Mobile Robots with Hand Carts

    PubMed Central

    Hara, Tatsunori

    2014-01-01

    This paper proposes a methodology by which two small mobile robots can grasp, lift, and transport large objects using hand carts. The specific problems involve generating robot actions and determining the hand cart positions to achieve the stable loading of objects onto the carts. These problems are solved using nonlinear optimization, and we propose an algorithm for generating robot actions. The proposed method was verified through simulations and experiments using actual devices in a real environment. The proposed method could reduce the number of robots required to transport large objects with 50–60%. In addition, we demonstrated the efficacy of this task in real environments where errors occur in robot sensing and movement. PMID:27433499

  7. Object Transportation by Two Mobile Robots with Hand Carts.

    PubMed

    Sakuyama, Takuya; Figueroa Heredia, Jorge David; Ogata, Taiki; Hara, Tatsunori; Ota, Jun

    2014-01-01

    This paper proposes a methodology by which two small mobile robots can grasp, lift, and transport large objects using hand carts. The specific problems involve generating robot actions and determining the hand cart positions to achieve the stable loading of objects onto the carts. These problems are solved using nonlinear optimization, and we propose an algorithm for generating robot actions. The proposed method was verified through simulations and experiments using actual devices in a real environment. The proposed method could reduce the number of robots required to transport large objects with 50-60%. In addition, we demonstrated the efficacy of this task in real environments where errors occur in robot sensing and movement.

  8. Involvement and emancipation of the worker. Action research in a university hospital.

    PubMed

    Bolis, Ivan; Brunoro, Claudio; Sznelwar, Laerte Idal

    2012-01-01

    The present action research article is linked to an ergonomics project in a university hospital. The author's proposal is to focus action on the effective worker involvement required for the creation of spaces/mechanisms within organizations where people can enhance cooperation and deliberation on matters relating to work. For this purpose, a committee was introduced to assist in finding problems and solutions directly in work situations, so that workers could experience relative autonomy allowing them to develop procedures and choose tools appropriate to their own real needs. Based on this organizational implementation and on subsequent interviews, the practical results are analyzed and related to employee involvement. One can conclude that workers in all areas of the organization can be active elements for improving working conditions and productivity in companies.

  9. Exploring the molecular mechanism of karrikins and strigolactones.

    PubMed

    Scaffidi, Adrian; Waters, Mark T; Bond, Charles S; Dixon, Kingsley W; Smith, Steven M; Ghisalberti, Emilio L; Flematti, Gavin R

    2012-06-01

    Karrikins and strigolactones are novel plant growth regulators that contain similar molecular features, but very little is known about how they elicit responses in plants. A tentative molecular mechanism has previously been proposed involving a Michael-type addition for both compounds. Through structure-activity studies with karrikins, we now propose an alternative mechanism for karrikin and strigolactone mode of action that involves hydrolysis of the butenolide ring. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. 77 FR 12567 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Submission of Conservation Efforts To Make...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-01

    ... Endangered Species Act AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION... threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The efforts usually involve the development of a... on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of...

  11. 76 FR 21917 - Biweekly Notice; Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving No...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-19

    ... SGTR accident. At normal operating pressures, leakage from primary water stress corrosion cracking... PWR [pressurized- water reactor] Operability Requirements and Actions for RCS Leakage Instrumentation... water inventory can be obtained. Therefore, it is concluded that the proposed changes do not involve a...

  12. Solidarity: an innovative perspective in the management and organization of Sanitary Surveillance actions.

    PubMed

    Leal, Cristian Oliveira Benevides Sanches; Teixeira, Carmen Fontes de Souza

    2017-10-01

    This is a theoretical essay about the development of the concept of solidarity, a word used in the regulatory framework and in political proposals to reorient the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). The methodology consisted of mapping authors addressing human action aspects related to this theme from Durkheim's tradition, linking them to his followers, like Marcel Mauss and authors from the "anti-utilitarianism" movement in social sciences. Solidarity is one way to express a "gift" and appears as a multidimensional action, where duty and freedom, instrumental interest and disinterest interpose and interlace. The planning and execution of sanitary surveillance (VISA) actions requires comprehension of organizational forms and solidary relationship management among agents involved in health risk control, transcending the strongly normative aspect of the prevailing supervision actions. The development of associative actions involving sanitary surveillance professionals, economic agents and consumers, aiming to share the responsibilities in the health risk control of products, services and environments subjected to Sanitary Surveillance action is suggested.

  13. 32 CFR 651.36 - Public involvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...) Magnitude of the proposed project/action. (2) Extent of anticipated public interest, based on experience... and documentation process. Open communication with the public is encouraged as a matter of Army policy...

  14. 32 CFR 651.36 - Public involvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...) Magnitude of the proposed project/action. (2) Extent of anticipated public interest, based on experience... and documentation process. Open communication with the public is encouraged as a matter of Army policy...

  15. 32 CFR 651.36 - Public involvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...) Magnitude of the proposed project/action. (2) Extent of anticipated public interest, based on experience... and documentation process. Open communication with the public is encouraged as a matter of Army policy...

  16. 32 CFR 651.36 - Public involvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...) Magnitude of the proposed project/action. (2) Extent of anticipated public interest, based on experience... and documentation process. Open communication with the public is encouraged as a matter of Army policy...

  17. 76 FR 30320 - Public Scoping Meeting and Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for Luce Bayou...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-25

    ... involvement associated with the proposed action is the discharge or dredged or fill material into waters of... affect navigable waters. Federal authorizations for the proposed project would constitute a ``major... sedimentation settling basin. c. An approximate 20-acre sedimentation settling and storage basin. d. An...

  18. N400 ERPs for actions: building meaning in context

    PubMed Central

    Amoruso, Lucía; Gelormini, Carlos; Aboitiz, Francisco; Alvarez González, Miguel; Manes, Facundo; Cardona, Juan F.; Ibanez, Agustín

    2013-01-01

    Converging neuroscientific evidence suggests the existence of close links between language and sensorimotor cognition. Accordingly, during the comprehension of meaningful actions, our brain would recruit semantic-related operations similar to those associated with the processing of language information. Consistent with this view, electrophysiological findings show that the N400 component, traditionally linked to the semantic processing of linguistic material, can also be elicited by action-related material. This review outlines recent data from N400 studies that examine the understanding of action events. We focus on three specific domains, including everyday action comprehension, co-speech gesture integration, and the semantics involved in motor planning and execution. Based on the reviewed findings, we suggest that both negativities (the N400 and the action-N400) reflect a common neurocognitive mechanism involved in the construction of meaning through the expectancies created by previous experiences and current contextual information. To shed light on how this process is instantiated in the brain, a testable contextual fronto-temporo-parietal model is proposed. PMID:23459873

  19. Quadratic adaptive algorithm for solving cardiac action potential models.

    PubMed

    Chen, Min-Hung; Chen, Po-Yuan; Luo, Ching-Hsing

    2016-10-01

    An adaptive integration method is proposed for computing cardiac action potential models accurately and efficiently. Time steps are adaptively chosen by solving a quadratic formula involving the first and second derivatives of the membrane action potential. To improve the numerical accuracy, we devise an extremum-locator (el) function to predict the local extremum when approaching the peak amplitude of the action potential. In addition, the time step restriction (tsr) technique is designed to limit the increase in time steps, and thus prevent the membrane potential from changing abruptly. The performance of the proposed method is tested using the Luo-Rudy phase 1 (LR1), dynamic (LR2), and human O'Hara-Rudy dynamic (ORd) ventricular action potential models, and the Courtemanche atrial model incorporating a Markov sodium channel model. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the action potential generated using the proposed method is more accurate than that using the traditional Hybrid method, especially near the peak region. The traditional Hybrid method may choose large time steps near to the peak region, and sometimes causes the action potential to become distorted. In contrast, the proposed new method chooses very fine time steps in the peak region, but large time steps in the smooth region, and the profiles are smoother and closer to the reference solution. In the test on the stiff Markov ionic channel model, the Hybrid blows up if the allowable time step is set to be greater than 0.1ms. In contrast, our method can adjust the time step size automatically, and is stable. Overall, the proposed method is more accurate than and as efficient as the traditional Hybrid method, especially for the human ORd model. The proposed method shows improvement for action potentials with a non-smooth morphology, and it needs further investigation to determine whether the method is helpful during propagation of the action potential. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Action semantics: A unifying conceptual framework for the selective use of multimodal and modality-specific object knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Elk, Michiel; van Schie, Hein; Bekkering, Harold

    2014-06-01

    Our capacity to use tools and objects is often considered one of the hallmarks of the human species. Many objects greatly extend our bodily capabilities to act in the physical world, such as when using a hammer or a saw. In addition, humans have the remarkable capability to use objects in a flexible fashion and to combine multiple objects in complex actions. We prepare coffee, cook dinner and drive our car. In this review we propose that humans have developed declarative and procedural knowledge, i.e. action semantics that enables us to use objects in a meaningful way. A state-of-the-art review of research on object use is provided, involving behavioral, developmental, neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies. We show that research in each of these domains is characterized by similar discussions regarding (1) the role of object affordances, (2) the relation between goals and means in object use and (3) the functional and neural organization of action semantics. We propose a novel conceptual framework of action semantics to address these issues and to integrate the previous findings. We argue that action semantics entails both multimodal object representations and modality-specific sub-systems, involving manipulation knowledge, functional knowledge and representations of the sensory and proprioceptive consequences of object use. Furthermore, we argue that action semantics are hierarchically organized and selectively activated and used depending on the action intention of the actor and the current task context. Our framework presents an integrative account of multiple findings and perspectives on object use that may guide future studies in this interdisciplinary domain.

  1. Jobs and the Quality of Life in Cities: Local Government's Role in Full Employment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newport, Eugene "Gus"

    1986-01-01

    "The Quality-of-Life Action" conference was held to: (1) involve more people in activities relating to economic well-being; (2) plan for responsible growth and environmental preservation; and (3) involve people in quality-of-life legislation. Included is the conference's draft of a "Proposed Berkeley Ordinance on Quality-of-Life…

  2. 75 FR 5372 - Proposed Collection: Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-02

    ...: Special Bond of Indemnity by Purchaser of United States Bonds/Notes Involved in a Chain Letter Scheme. OMB... for refund of the purchase price of savings bonds purchased in a chain letter scheme. Current Actions...

  3. 77 FR 61027 - Notice of Lodging Proposed Consent Decree Clean Air Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-05

    ... Glass Manufacturing Company, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:12-cv-06115-RBK-JS. The action involves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq., and N.J.A.C. 7:27-22.1, et seq., at Durand Glass... control devices on the three glass furnaces at the facility. The publication of this notice opens a period...

  4. Neural mechanisms of vocal imitation: The role of sleep replay in shaping mirror neurons.

    PubMed

    Giret, Nicolas; Edeline, Jean-Marc; Del Negro, Catherine

    2017-06-01

    Learning by imitation involves not only perceiving another individual's action to copy it, but also the formation of a memory trace in order to gradually establish a correspondence between the sensory and motor codes, which represent this action through sensorimotor experience. Memory and sensorimotor processes are closely intertwined. Mirror neurons, which fire both when the same action is performed or perceived, have received considerable attention in the context of imitation. An influential view of memory processes considers that the consolidation of newly acquired information or skills involves an active offline reprocessing of memories during sleep within the neuronal networks that were initially used for encoding. Here, we review the recent advances in the field of mirror neurons and offline processes in the songbird. We further propose a theoretical framework that could establish the neurobiological foundations of sensorimotor learning by imitation. We propose that the reactivation of neuronal assemblies during offline periods contributes to the integration of sensory feedback information and the establishment of sensorimotor mirroring activity at the neuronal level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. [Between Puebla and Cairo Plus Five].

    PubMed

    1998-03-01

    The National Forum of Women and Population Policies was held in Puebla, Mexico, in January 1998 to assess achievements and lags in carrying out the Program of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. The forum proposed diagnosing the current situation in order to compare existing realities with proposals contained in Mexico¿s National Population Program, the National Reproductive Health and Family Planning Program, and the Mexican program of the UN Population Fund. The lack of disaggregated information and of research, except for a handful of states with particularly grave demographic and reproductive health problems, were barriers to evaluation. It also appeared indispensable to analyze the situations of the nongovernmental organizations involved, and to define priorities among remaining tasks. Two achievements of the forum in Puebla were to reconstitute a coordinating body for follow-up of the Program of Action with a specific work plan, and to reinforce links and communication with state population councils and health institutions in order to facilitate implementation of the Program of Action. Among the 53 organizations represented at the Puebla Forum, 66% were involved in actions to fight poverty and 90% in actions to increase autonomy of women. 74% had ties to government agencies. The themes receiving most attention were sexuality and family planning, pregnancy and delivery, and HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

  6. Canceling actions involves a race between basal ganglia pathways

    PubMed Central

    Schmidt, Robert; Leventhal, Daniel K.; Mallet, Nicolas; Chen, Fujun; Berke, Joshua D.

    2013-01-01

    Salient cues can prompt the rapid interruption of planned actions. It has been proposed that fast, reactive behavioral inhibition involves specific basal ganglia pathways, and we tested this by comparing activity in multiple rat basal ganglia structures during performance of a stop-signal task. Subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons showed low-latency responses to Stop cues, irrespective of whether actions were successfully canceled or not. By contrast, neurons downstream in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) responded to Stop cues only in trials with successful cancellation. Recordings and simulations together indicate that this sensorimotor gating arises from the relative timing of two distinct inputs to neurons in the SNr dorsolateral “core” subregion: cue-related excitation from STN and movement-related inhibition from striatum. Our results support race models of action cancellation, with successful stopping requiring Stop cue information to be transmitted from STN to SNr before increased striatal input creates a point of no return. PMID:23852117

  7. 78 FR 24292 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in California

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-24

    ... 199 corridor as part of the STAA network of truck routes. The project involves realigning curves... address provided above. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service consultation and Biological Opinion are...

  8. Distinct neural substrates for visual short-term memory of actions.

    PubMed

    Cai, Ying; Urgolites, Zhisen; Wood, Justin; Chen, Chuansheng; Li, Siyao; Chen, Antao; Xue, Gui

    2018-06-26

    Fundamental theories of human cognition have long posited that the short-term maintenance of actions is supported by one of the "core knowledge" systems of human visual cognition, yet its neural substrates are still not well understood. In particular, it is unclear whether the visual short-term memory (VSTM) of actions has distinct neural substrates or, as proposed by the spatio-object architecture of VSTM, shares them with VSTM of objects and spatial locations. In two experiments, we tested these two competing hypotheses by directly contrasting the neural substrates for VSTM of actions with those for objects and locations. Our results showed that the bilateral middle temporal cortex (MT) was specifically involved in VSTM of actions because its activation and its functional connectivity with the frontal-parietal network (FPN) were only modulated by the memory load of actions, but not by that of objects/agents or locations. Moreover, the brain regions involved in the maintenance of spatial location information (i.e., superior parietal lobule, SPL) was also recruited during the maintenance of actions, consistent with the temporal-spatial nature of actions. Meanwhile, the frontoparietal network (FPN) was commonly involved in all types of VSTM and showed flexible functional connectivity with the domain-specific regions, depending on the current working memory tasks. Together, our results provide clear evidence for a distinct neural system for maintaining actions in VSTM, which supports the core knowledge system theory and the domain-specific and domain-general architectures of VSTM. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Results of community deliberation about social impacts of ecological restoration: comparing public input of self-selected versus actively engaged community members

    Treesearch

    Charles C. Harris; Erik A. Nielsen; Dennis R. Becker; Dale J. Blahna; William J. McLaughlin

    2012-01-01

    Participatory processes for obtaining residents' input about community impacts of proposed environmental management actions have long raised concerns about who participates in public involvement efforts and whose interests they represent. This study explored methods of broad-based involvement and the role of deliberation in social impact assessment. Interactive...

  10. Action semantics: A unifying conceptual framework for the selective use of multimodal and modality-specific object knowledge.

    PubMed

    van Elk, Michiel; van Schie, Hein; Bekkering, Harold

    2014-06-01

    Our capacity to use tools and objects is often considered one of the hallmarks of the human species. Many objects greatly extend our bodily capabilities to act in the physical world, such as when using a hammer or a saw. In addition, humans have the remarkable capability to use objects in a flexible fashion and to combine multiple objects in complex actions. We prepare coffee, cook dinner and drive our car. In this review we propose that humans have developed declarative and procedural knowledge, i.e. action semantics that enables us to use objects in a meaningful way. A state-of-the-art review of research on object use is provided, involving behavioral, developmental, neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies. We show that research in each of these domains is characterized by similar discussions regarding (1) the role of object affordances, (2) the relation between goals and means in object use and (3) the functional and neural organization of action semantics. We propose a novel conceptual framework of action semantics to address these issues and to integrate the previous findings. We argue that action semantics entails both multimodal object representations and modality-specific sub-systems, involving manipulation knowledge, functional knowledge and representations of the sensory and proprioceptive consequences of object use. Furthermore, we argue that action semantics are hierarchically organized and selectively activated and used depending on the action intention of the actor and the current task context. Our framework presents an integrative account of multiple findings and perspectives on object use that may guide future studies in this interdisciplinary domain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Neural correlates of instrumental contingency learning: Differential effects of action-reward conjunction and disjunction

    PubMed Central

    Liljeholm, Mimi; Tricomi, Elizabeth; O’Doherty, John P.; Balleine, Bernard W.

    2011-01-01

    Contingency theories of goal-directed action propose that experienced disjunctions between an action and its specific consequences, as well as conjunctions between these events, contribute to encoding the action-outcome association. Although considerable behavioral research in rats and humans has provided evidence for this proposal, relatively little is known about the neural processes that contribute to the two components of the contingency calculation. Specifically, while recent findings suggest that the influence of action-outcome conjunctions on goal-directed learning is mediated by a circuit involving ventromedial prefrontal, medial orbitofrontal cortex and dorsomedial striatum, the neural processes that mediate the influence of experienced disjunctions between these events are unknown. Here we show differential responses to probabilities of conjunctive and disjunctive reward deliveries in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the dorsomedial striatum, and the inferior frontal gyrus. Importantly, activity in the inferior parietal lobule and the left middle frontal gyrus varied with a formal integration of the two reward probabilities, ΔP, as did response rates and explicit judgments of the causal efficacy of the action. PMID:21325514

  12. 75 FR 78336 - Finding of No Significant Impact From the Expansion, Renovation, Operation and Maintenance of the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-15

    ... Proposed Action would involve demolition of existing structures, GSA shall engage an Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act certified inspector to inspect all structures to be demolished. If Regulated Asbestos...

  13. 78 FR 4806 - Proposed Significant New Use Rule on Certain Chemical Substances

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-23

    ... substance will be as a heat transfer fluid. Based on test data on the PMN substance and structure activity... Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) In addition, since this action would not involve any technical...

  14. Toward an integrated account of object and action selection: A computational analysis and empirical findings from reaching-to-grasp and tool-use

    PubMed Central

    Botvinick, Matthew M.; Buxbaum, Laurel J.; Bylsma, Lauren M.; Jax, Steven A.

    2014-01-01

    The act of reaching for and acting upon an object involves two forms of selection: selection of the object as a target, and selection of the action to be performed. While these two forms of selection are logically dissociable, and are evidently subserved by separable neural pathways, they must also be closely coordinated. We examine the nature of this coordination by developing and analyzing a computational model of object and action selection first proposed by Ward [Ward, R. (1999). Interactions between perception and action systems: a model for selective action. In G. W. Humphreys, J. Duncan, & A. Treisman (Eds.), Attention, Space and Action: Studies in Cognitive Neuroscience. Oxford: Oxford University Press]. An interesting tenet of this account, which we explore in detail, is that the interplay between object and action selection depends critically on top-down inputs representing the current task set or plan of action. A concrete manifestation of this, established through a series of simulations, is that the impact of distractor objects on reaching times can vary depending on the nature of the current action plan. In order to test the model's predictions in this regard, we conducted two experiments, one involving direct object manipulation, the other involving tool-use. In both experiments we observed the specific interaction between task set and distractor type predicted by the model. Our findings provide support for the computational model, and more broadly for an interactive account of object and action selection. PMID:19100758

  15. Live Fire Range Environmental Assessment

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

    None

    1993-08-01

    The Central Training Academy (CTA) is a DOE Headquarters Organization located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the mission to effectively and efficiently educate and train personnel involved in the protection of vital national security interests of DOE. The CTA Live Fire Range (LFR), where most of the firearms and tactical training occurs, is a complex separate from the main campus. The purpose of the proposed action is to expand the LFR to allow more options of implementing required training. The Department of Energy has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed construction and operation of an expanded Live Firemore » Range Facility at the Central Training Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).« less

  16. 10 CFR 1022.5 - Applicability.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... ENERGY (GENERAL PROVISIONS) COMPLIANCE WITH FLOODPLAIN AND WETLAND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS... Commission. (b) This part applies to all proposed floodplain or wetland actions, including those sponsored... allocations to private parties for activities involving a wetland that are located on non-Federal property. (d...

  17. Proposed center for advanced industrial processes. Washington State University, College of Engineering and Architecture

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

    NONE

    1995-03-01

    The DOE proposes to authorize Washington State University (WSU) to proceed with the detailed design, construction, and equipping of the proposed Center for Advanced Industrial Processes (CAIP). The proposed project would involve construction of a three story building containing laboratories, classrooms, seminar rooms, and graduate student and administrative office space. Existing buildings would be demolished. The proposed facility would house research in thermal/fluid sciences, bioengineering, manufacturing processes, and materials processing. Under the {open_quotes}no-action{close_quotes} DOE would not authorize WSU to proceed with construction under the grant. WSU would then need to consider alternatives for proceeding without DOE funds. Such alternatives (includingmore » delaying or scaling back the project), would result in a postponement or slight reduction in the minor adverse environmental, safety and health Impacts of the project evaluated in this assessment. More importantly, these alternatives would affect the important environmental, safety, health, and programmatic benefits of the projects. The surrounding area is fully urbanized and the campus is intensely developed around the proposed site. The buildings scheduled for demolition do not meet State energy codes, are not air conditioned, and lack handicapped access. Sensitive resources (historical/archeological, protected species/critical habitats, wetlands/floodplains, national forests/parks/trails, prime farmland and special sources of water) would not be affected as they do not occur on or near the proposed site. Cumulative impacts would be small. The proposed action is not related to other actions being considered under other NEPA reviews. There is no conflict between the proposed action and any applicable Federal, State, regional or local land use plans and policies.« less

  18. Environmental care in agricultural catchments: Toward the communicative catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Peter

    1991-11-01

    Substantial land degradation of agricultural catchments in Australia has resulted from the importation of European farming methods and the large-scale clearing of land. Rural communities are now being encouraged by government to take responsibility for environmental care. The importance of community involvement is supported by the view that environmental problems are a function of interactions between people and their environment. It is suggested that the commonly held view that community groups cannot care for their resources is due to inappropriate social institutions rather that any inherent disability in people. The communicative catchment is developed as a vision for environmental care into the future. This concept emerges from a critique of resource management through the catchment metaphors of the reduced, mechanical, and the complex, evolving catchment, which reflect the development of systemic and people-centered approaches to environmental care. The communicative catchment is one where both community and resource managers participate collaboratively in environmental care. A methodology based on action research and systemic thinking (systemic action research) is proposed as a way of moving towards the communicative catchment of the future. Action research is a way of taking action in organizations and communities that is participative and informed by theory, while systemic thinking takes into account the interconnections and relationships between social and natural worlds. The proposed vision, methodology, and practical operating principles stem from involvement in an action research project looking at extension strategies for the implementation of total catchment management in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

  19. Mobilizing cross-sector community partnerships to address the needs of criminal justice-involved older adults: a framework for action.

    PubMed

    Metzger, Lia; Ahalt, Cyrus; Kushel, Margot; Riker, Alissa; Williams, Brie

    2017-09-11

    Purpose The rapidly increasing number of older adults cycling through local criminal justice systems (jails, probation, and parole) suggests a need for greater collaboration among a diverse group of local stakeholders including professionals from healthcare delivery, public health, and criminal justice and directly affected individuals, their families, and advocates. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework that local communities can use to understand and begin to address the needs of criminal justice-involved older adults. Design/methodology/approach The framework included solicit input from community stakeholders to identify pressing challenges facing criminal justice-involved older adults, conduct needs assessments of criminal justice-involved older adults and professionals working with them; implement quick-response interventions based on needs assessments; share findings with community stakeholders and generate public feedback; engage interdisciplinary group to develop an action plan to optimize services. Findings A five-step framework for creating an interdisciplinary community response is an effective approach to action planning and broad stakeholder engagement on behalf of older adults cycling through the criminal justice system. Originality/value This study proposes the Criminal Justice Involved Older Adults in Need of Treatment Initiative Framework for establishing an interdisciplinary community response to the growing population of medically and socially vulnerable criminal justice-involved older adults.

  20. Results of community deliberation about social impacts of ecological restoration: comparing public input of self-selected versus actively engaged community members.

    PubMed

    Harris, Charles C; Nielsen, Erik A; Becker, Dennis R; Blahna, Dale J; McLaughlin, William J

    2012-08-01

    Participatory processes for obtaining residents' input about community impacts of proposed environmental management actions have long raised concerns about who participates in public involvement efforts and whose interests they represent. This study explored methods of broad-based involvement and the role of deliberation in social impact assessment. Interactive community forums were conducted in 27 communities to solicit public input on proposed alternatives for recovering wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest US. Individuals identified by fellow residents as most active and involved in community affairs ("AE residents") were invited to participate in deliberations about likely social impacts of proposed engineering and ecological actions such as dam removal. Judgments of these AE participants about community impacts were compared with the judgments of residents motivated to attend a forum out of personal interest, who were designated as self-selected ("SS") participants. While the magnitude of impacts rated by SS participants across all communities differed significantly from AE participants' ratings, in-depth analysis of results from two community case studies found that both AE and SS participants identified a large and diverse set of unique impacts, as well as many of the same kinds of impacts. Thus, inclusion of both kinds of residents resulted in a greater range of impacts for consideration in the environmental impact study. The case study results also found that the extent to which similar kinds of impacts are specified by AE and SS group members can differ by type of community. Study results caution against simplistic conclusions drawn from this approach to community-wide public participation. Nonetheless, the results affirm that deliberative methods for community-based impact assessment involving both AE and SS residents can provide a more complete picture of perceived impacts of proposed restoration activities.

  1. Results of Community Deliberation About Social Impacts of Ecological Restoration: Comparing Public Input of Self-Selected Versus Actively Engaged Community Members

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, Charles C.; Nielsen, Erik A.; Becker, Dennis R.; Blahna, Dale J.; McLaughlin, William J.

    2012-08-01

    Participatory processes for obtaining residents' input about community impacts of proposed environmental management actions have long raised concerns about who participates in public involvement efforts and whose interests they represent. This study explored methods of broad-based involvement and the role of deliberation in social impact assessment. Interactive community forums were conducted in 27 communities to solicit public input on proposed alternatives for recovering wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest US. Individuals identified by fellow residents as most active and involved in community affairs ("AE residents") were invited to participate in deliberations about likely social impacts of proposed engineering and ecological actions such as dam removal. Judgments of these AE participants about community impacts were compared with the judgments of residents motivated to attend a forum out of personal interest, who were designated as self-selected ("SS") participants. While the magnitude of impacts rated by SS participants across all communities differed significantly from AE participants' ratings, in-depth analysis of results from two community case studies found that both AE and SS participants identified a large and diverse set of unique impacts, as well as many of the same kinds of impacts. Thus, inclusion of both kinds of residents resulted in a greater range of impacts for consideration in the environmental impact study. The case study results also found that the extent to which similar kinds of impacts are specified by AE and SS group members can differ by type of community. Study results caution against simplistic conclusions drawn from this approach to community-wide public participation. Nonetheless, the results affirm that deliberative methods for community-based impact assessment involving both AE and SS residents can provide a more complete picture of perceived impacts of proposed restoration activities.

  2. Thin layer chromatographic method for the detection of uric acid: collaborative study.

    PubMed

    Thrasher, J J; Abadie, A

    1978-07-01

    A collaborative study has been completed on an improved method for the detection and confirmation of uric acid from bird and insect excreta. The proposed method involves the lithium carbonate solubilization of the suspect excreta material, followed by butanol-methanol-water-acetic acid thin layer chromatography, and trisodium phosphate-phosphotungstic acid color development. The collaborative tests resulted in 100% detection of uric acid standard at the 50 ng level and 75% detection at the 20-25 ng level. No false positives were reported during tests of compounds similar to uric acid. The proposed method has been adopted official first action; the present official final action method, 44.161, will be retained for screening purposes.

  3. Embodied cognition and beyond: acting and sensing the body.

    PubMed

    Borghi, Anna M; Cimatti, Felice

    2010-02-01

    Embodied cognition (EC) underlines that cognition is constrained by the kind of body we possess, and stresses the importance of action for cognition. In this perspective the body is always considered as an acting body. Here, we review EC literature discussing studies that show that body parts are not considered independent of their involvement in action. We propose to extend EC perspective through studying the body independently from its direct involvement in goal-directed action. Through this we aim to avoid the risk of limiting the notion of "sense of the body" to the restricted boundaries of the flesh of brain-body system. In our extended perspective language is considered as a form of action too. We propose that: (a) internal language (i.e. social language used as an internal medium for thought and planning) can contribute to form a unitary sense of our body, and (b) language can help to reshape the way we implicitly perceive our own body. Namely, it can modify our sense of body by extending its boundaries beyond the boundaries of the anatomical body. We argue for an integrated notion of bodily self-suggesting that the internal sense and the boundaries of the human body coincide with the extensions that linguistic tools allow. In sum, the basic idea we hold is that human body is a social entity. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Mirror neuron system as the joint from action to language.

    PubMed

    Chen, Wei; Yuan, Ti-Fei

    2008-08-01

    Mirror neuron system (MNS) represents one of the most important discoveries of cognitive neuroscience in the past decade, and it has been found to involve in multiple aspects of brain functions including action understanding, imitation, language understanding, empathy, action prediction and speech evolution. This manuscript reviewed the function of MNS in action understanding as well as language evolution, and specifically assessed its roles as the bridge from body language to fluent speeches. Then we discussed the speech defects of autism patients due to the disruption of MNS. Finally, given that MNS is plastic in adult brain, we proposed MNS targeted therapy provides an efficient rehabilitation approach for brain damages conditions as well as autism patients.

  5. 77 FR 25438 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-30

    ... consideration. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: Electronic: CFPB_Public_PRA... agencies and the general public. Nearly all information collection will involve the use of electronic communication or other forms of information technology and telephonic means. Current Actions: Request for new...

  6. 10 CFR 51.71 - Draft environmental impact statement-contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... proposed action involving nuclear power reactors (e.g., alternative energy sources) is intended to assist... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Draft environmental impact statement-contents. 51.71 Section 51.71 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR...

  7. "Time for Results": An Overview.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Lamar

    1986-01-01

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

  8. Building Global Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cochrane, Thomas; Buchem, Ilona; Camacho, Mar; Cronin, Catherine; Gordon, Averill; Keegan, Helen

    2013-01-01

    Within the background where education is increasingly driven by the economies of scale and research funding, we propose an alternative online open and connected framework (OOC) for building global learning communities using mobile social media. We critique a three year action research case study involving building collaborative global learning…

  9. Molecular substrates of action control in cortico-striatal circuits.

    PubMed

    Shiflett, Michael W; Balleine, Bernard W

    2011-09-15

    The purpose of this review is to describe the molecular mechanisms in the striatum that mediate reward-based learning and action control during instrumental conditioning. Experiments assessing the neural bases of instrumental conditioning have uncovered functional circuits in the striatum, including dorsal and ventral striatal sub-regions, involved in action-outcome learning, stimulus-response learning, and the motivational control of action by reward-associated cues. Integration of dopamine (DA) and glutamate neurotransmission within these striatal sub-regions is hypothesized to enable learning and action control through its role in shaping synaptic plasticity and cellular excitability. The extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) appears to be particularly important for reward-based learning and action control due to its sensitivity to combined DA and glutamate receptor activation and its involvement in a range of cellular functions. ERK activation in striatal neurons is proposed to have a dual role in both the learning and performance factors that contribute to instrumental conditioning through its regulation of plasticity-related transcription factors and its modulation of intrinsic cellular excitability. Furthermore, perturbation of ERK activation by drugs of abuse may give rise to behavioral disorders such as addiction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Promoting the translation of intentions into action by implementation intentions: behavioral effects and physiological correlates

    PubMed Central

    Wieber, Frank; Thürmer, J. Lukas; Gollwitzer, Peter M.

    2015-01-01

    The present review addresses the physiological correlates of planning effects on behavior. Although intentions to act qualify as predictors of behavior, accumulated evidence indicates that there is a substantial gap between even strong intentions and subsequent action. One effective strategy to reduce this intention–behavior gap is the formation of implementation intentions that specify when, where, and how to act on a given goal in an if-then format (“If I encounter situation Y, then I will initiate action Z!”). It has been proposed that implementation intentions render the mental representation of the situation highly accessible and establish a strong associative link between the mental representations of the situation and the action. These process assumptions have been examined in behavioral research, and in physiological research, a field that has begun to investigate the temporal dynamics of and brain areas involved in implementation intention effects. In the present review, we first summarize studies on the cognitive processes that are central to the strategic automation of action control by implementation intentions. We then examine studies involving critical samples with impaired self-regulation. Lastly, we review studies that have applied physiological measures such as heart rate, cortisol level, and eye movement, as well as electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on the neural correlates of implementation intention effects. In support of the assumed processes, implementation intentions increased goal attainment in studies on cognitive processes and in critical samples, modulated brain waves related to perceptual and decision processes, and generated less activity in brain areas associated with effortful action control. In our discussion, we reflect on the status quo of physiological research on implementation intentions, methodological and conceptual issues, related research, and propose future directions. PMID:26236214

  11. 75 FR 63419 - Surety Bond Guarantee Program; Timber Sales

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-15

    ... timber sale contracts may require the purchaser to furnish a performance bond for satisfactory compliance.... With respect to a Performance Bond involving the sale of timber on land managed by USDA, the Federal... Sales AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: The Small Business...

  12. 76 FR 4343 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Contractor...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-25

    ...; Contractor Conflicts of Interest AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In... control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9. Abstract: EPA contractors... cleanup and enforcement and because its contractors are often involved in both activities, it is...

  13. Shared neural processes support semantic control and action understanding

    PubMed Central

    Davey, James; Rueschemeyer, Shirley-Ann; Costigan, Alison; Murphy, Nik; Krieger-Redwood, Katya; Hallam, Glyn; Jefferies, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    Executive–semantic control and action understanding appear to recruit overlapping brain regions but existing evidence from neuroimaging meta-analyses and neuropsychology lacks spatial precision; we therefore manipulated difficulty and feature type (visual vs. action) in a single fMRI study. Harder judgements recruited an executive–semantic network encompassing medial and inferior frontal regions (including LIFG) and posterior temporal cortex (including pMTG). These regions partially overlapped with brain areas involved in action but not visual judgements. In LIFG, the peak responses to action and difficulty were spatially identical across participants, while these responses were overlapping yet spatially distinct in posterior temporal cortex. We propose that the co-activation of LIFG and pMTG allows the flexible retrieval of semantic information, appropriate to the current context; this might be necessary both for semantic control and understanding actions. Feature selection in difficult trials also recruited ventral occipital–temporal areas, not implicated in action understanding. PMID:25658631

  14. Social Mimicry Enhances Mu-Suppression During Action Observation.

    PubMed

    Hogeveen, Jeremy; Chartrand, Tanya L; Obhi, Sukhvinder S

    2015-08-01

    During social interactions, there is a tendency for people to mimic the gestures and mannerisms of others, which increases liking and rapport. Psychologists have extensively studied the antecedents and consequences of mimicry at the social level, but the neural basis of this behavior remains unclear. Many researchers have speculated that mimicry is related to activity in the human mirror system (HMS), a network of parietofrontal regions that are involved in both action execution and observation. However, activity of the HMS during reciprocal social interactions involving mimicry has not been demonstrated. Here, we took an electroencephalographic (EEG) index of mirror activity-mu-suppression during action observation-in a pretest/post-test design with 1 of 3 intervening treatments: 1) social interaction in which the participant was mimicked, 2) social interaction without mimicry, or 3) an innocuous computer task, not involving another human agent. The change in mu-suppression from pre- to post-test varied as a function of the intervening treatment, with participants who had been mimicked showing an increase in mu-suppression during the post-treatment action observation session. We propose that this specific modulation of HMS activity as a function of mimicry constitutes the first direct evidence for mirror system involvement in real social mimicry. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. The influence of action possibility and end-state comfort on motor imagery of manual action sequences.

    PubMed

    Seegelke, Christian; Hughes, Charmayne M L

    2015-12-01

    It has been proposed that the preparation of goal-direct actions involves internal movement simulation, or motor imagery. Evidence suggests that motor imagery is critically involved in the prediction of action consequences and contributes heavily to movement planning processes. The present study examined whether the sensitivity towards end-state comfort and the possibility/impossibility to perform an action sequence are considered during motor imagery. Participants performed a mental rotation task in which two images were simultaneously presented. The image on the left depicted the start posture of a right hand when grasping a bar, while the right image depicted the hand posture at the end of the action sequence. The right image displayed the bar in a vertical orientation with the hand in a comfortable (thumb-up) or in an uncomfortable (thumb-down) posture, while the bar in the left image was rotated in picture plane in steps of 45°. Crucially, the two images formed either a physically possible or physically impossible to perform action sequence. Results revealed strikingly different response time patterns for the two action sequence conditions. In general, response times increased almost monotonically with increasing angular disparity for the possible to perform action sequences. However, slight deviations from this monotonicity were apparent when the sequences contained an uncomfortable as opposed to a comfortable final posture. In contrast, for the impossible sequences, response times did not follow a typical mental rotation function, but instead were uniformly very slow. These findings suggest that both biomechanical constraints (i.e., end-state comfort) and the awareness of the possibility/impossibility to perform an action sequence are considered during motor imagery. We conclude that motor representations contain information about the spatiotemporal movement organization and the possibility of performing an action, which are crucially involved in anticipation and planning of action sequences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. 76 FR 40937 - Biweekly Notice; Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving No...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-12

    ... Generator Water Level High-High'' instrument setpoint and associated allowable value. The proposed change is... [Pressurized-Water Reactor] PWR Operability Requirements and Actions for RCS Leakage Instrumentation''. Basis... monitor is the containment atmospheric gaseous radiation monitor. The monitoring of RCS leakage is not a...

  17. 32 CFR 643.31 - Policy-Flood hazards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Policy-Flood hazards. 643.31 Section 643.31... ESTATE Policy § 643.31 Policy—Flood hazards. Each Determination of Availability Report will include an evaluation of the flood hazards, if any, relative to the property involved in the proposed outgrant action...

  18. 78 FR 23743 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-22

    ...; Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Pretesting Research AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce. ACTION: Notice.... This research program will be used by the Census Bureau and survey sponsors to improve questionnaires... involve one of the following methods of identifying measurement problems with the questionnaire or survey...

  19. 75 FR 20627 - Biweekly Notice: Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving No...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-20

    ... designed, on an RAS. Basis for proposed no significant hazards consideration determination: As required by...], Time Response Design Criteria for Safety- Related Operator Actions, 1984 guidance. Although the change... changes to the RAS Allowable Values and RWT minimum required level on the RWT structural design...

  20. 77 FR 30004 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Statement of Organization, Functions, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-21

    ... human subjects; (13) Proposes findings of research misconduct and administrative actions in response to allegations of research misconduct involving research conducted or supported by the PHS OPDIVs, including reversal of an institution's no misconduct finding or opening of a new investigation; (14) Provides...

  1. 77 FR 22774 - Estes to Flatiron Substation Transmission Lines Rebuild Project, Larimer County, CO

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-17

    ... Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement. SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration currently owns and operates... floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements. DATES...

  2. 76 FR 27335 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-11

    ..., experimentation, biological testing, or related purposes) involving live vertebrate animals. The eighth edition of... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare... Animals AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Additional Extension of Comment...

  3. 76 FR 17423 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-29

    ..., experimentation or biological testing, or related purposes) involving live vertebrate animals. The eighth edition... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare... Animals AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period...

  4. 76 FR 56483 - Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving Proposed No Significant...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-13

    ... Information is necessary to respond to this notice must request document access by September 23, 2011... instructions on submitting comments and instructions on accessing documents related to this action, see ``Submitting Comments and Accessing Information'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document...

  5. Has Research on Collaborative Learning Technologies Addressed Massiveness? A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manathunga, Kalpani; Hernández-Leo, Davinia

    2015-01-01

    There is a growing interest in understanding to what extent innovative educational technologies can be used to support massive courses. Collaboration is one of the main desired elements in massive learning actions involving large communities of participants. Accumulated research in collaborative learning technologies has proposed and evaluated…

  6. 76 FR 46678 - Tris carbamoyl triazine; Proposed Modification of Significant New Uses

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-03

    .... During the initial review of the PMN, EPA's preliminary Ecological Structural Activity Relationship (Eco... Executive Order 12866. I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act In addition, since this action does not involve any technical standards, section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and...

  7. The cost of poor quality: an opportunity of enormous proportions.

    PubMed

    Hughes, J M

    1998-01-01

    In all organizations, the state of finance is routinely reported in sublime detail for study and action. And yet, anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the monies involved in that report are never identified as unnecessary and nonproductive. These monies, referred to as the Cost of Waste (COW), are the result of actions that have been taken or must be taken because quality is not served--inappropriate actions are being performed or appropriate actions are not being performed right the first time, every time. Proactively determining, reporting, and monitoring the COW brings a degree of objectivity to the quality management process and provides a powerful internal driver for performance improvement. A 10 step Cost of Waste system is proposed.

  8. Action Recognition and Movement Direction Discrimination Tasks Are Associated with Different Adaptation Patterns

    PubMed Central

    de la Rosa, Stephan; Ekramnia, Mina; Bülthoff, Heinrich H.

    2016-01-01

    The ability to discriminate between different actions is essential for action recognition and social interactions. Surprisingly previous research has often probed action recognition mechanisms with tasks that did not require participants to discriminate between actions, e.g., left-right direction discrimination tasks. It is not known to what degree visual processes in direction discrimination tasks are also involved in the discrimination of actions, e.g., when telling apart a handshake from a high-five. Here, we examined whether action discrimination is influenced by movement direction and whether direction discrimination depends on the type of action. We used an action adaptation paradigm to target action and direction discrimination specific visual processes. In separate conditions participants visually adapted to forward and backward moving handshake and high-five actions. Participants subsequently categorized either the action or the movement direction of an ambiguous action. The results showed that direction discrimination adaptation effects were modulated by the type of action but action discrimination adaptation effects were unaffected by movement direction. These results suggest that action discrimination and direction categorization rely on partly different visual information. We propose that action discrimination tasks should be considered for the exploration of visual action recognition mechanisms. PMID:26941633

  9. Teaching and public outreach activities at the Observatoire de Lyon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vauglin, I.; Bommersbach, L.

    2012-12-01

    The Observatoire de Lyon receives young and large public since more than thirty years. We propose and are largely involved in numerous events destinated to scolar and large publics. We reach an annual average of 3500 pupils as well as 2500 to 6000 (the years with open house days) people with our actions. The public is largely satisfied with our events and the pupils get involved with enthousiasm when they work on "astronomy" projects.

  10. Adaptive Skeletal Muscle Action Requires Anticipation and “Conscious Broadcasting”

    PubMed Central

    Poehlman, T. Andrew; Jantz, Tiffany K.; Morsella, Ezequiel

    2012-01-01

    Historically, the conscious and anticipatory processes involved in voluntary action have been associated with the loftiest heights of nervous function. Concepts like mental time travel, “theory of mind,” and the formation of “the self” have been at the center of many attempts to determine the purpose of consciousness. Eventually, more reductionistic accounts of consciousness emerged, proposing rather that conscious states play a much more basic role in nervous function. Though the widely held integration consensus proposes that conscious states integrate information-processing structures and events that would otherwise be independent, Supramodular Interaction Theory (SIT) argues that conscious states are necessary for the integration of only certain kinds of information. As revealed in this selective review, this integration is related to what is casually referred to as “voluntary” action, which is intimately related to the skeletal muscle output system. Through a peculiar form of broadcasting, conscious integration often controls and guides action via “ideomotor” mechanisms, where anticipatory processes play a central role. Our selective review covers evidence (including findings from anesthesia research) for the integration consensus, SIT, and ideomotor theory. PMID:23264766

  11. Experiential learning in nursing consultation education via clinical simulation with actors: action research.

    PubMed

    de Oliveira, Saionara Nunes; do Prado, Marta Lenise; Kempfer, Silvana Silveira; Martini, Jussara Gue; Caravaca-Morera, Jaime Alonso; Bernardi, Mariely Carmelina

    2015-02-01

    This was an action research study conducted during an undergraduate nursing course. The objective was to propose and implement experiential learning for nursing consultation education using clinical simulation with actors. The 4 steps of action research were followed: planning, action, observation and reflection. Three nursing undergraduate students participated in the study. Data were collected in May and July 2013 via participant comments and interviews and were analyzed in accordance with the operative proposal for qualitative data analysis. Planning included constructing and validating the clinical guides, selecting and training the actors, organizing and preparing the scenario and the issuing invitations to the participants. The action was carried out according to Kolb's (1984) 4 stages of learning cycles: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation. Clinical simulation involves different subjects' participation in all stages, and action research is a method that enables the clinical stimulation to be implemented. It must be guided by clear learning objectives and by a critical pedagogy that encourages critical thinking in students. Using actors and a real scenario facilitated psychological fidelity, and debriefing was the key moment of the reflective process that facilitated the integral training of students through experiential learning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Open questions in current models of antidepressant action

    PubMed Central

    Tanti, A; Belzung, C

    2010-01-01

    Research on depression and antidepressant drugs is necessary, as many patients display poor response to therapy. Different symptomatic and pathophysiological features have been proposed as end points of the depressive phenotype and of the antidepressant action, including anhedonia, depressed mood, alterations in morphology and activity of some brain areas (amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex), modifications in the connectivity between brain structures, changes in neurotransmitters (serotonin, noradrenaline, glutamate and neuropeptides), brain plasticity (neurogenesis, neurotrophins) and abnormal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis. However, few models have been proposed to describe how these end points could induce the depressive phenotype and are involved in the mechanism of action of antidepressants. Here we propose a connectionist-inspired network of depression and antidepressant action, in which the different aetiological factors participating in the release of a depressive episode are represented by input nodes, the different symptomatic as well as pathophysiological end points are represented by an intermediate layer, and the onset of depression or of comorbid disease is represented by the output node. The occurrence of depression and the mechanism of the antidepressant action thus depend upon the weight of the interactions between the different end points, none of them being per se crucial to the onset of a depressive phenotype or to the antidepressant action. This model is heuristic to draw future lines of research concerning new antidepressant therapies, designing new animal models of depression and for a better understanding of the depressive pathology and of its comorbid pathology such as anxiety disorders. PMID:20132212

  13. 7 CFR 372.8 - Major planning and decision points and public involvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... addressed in the environmental impact statement process. (1) A notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement will be published in the Federal Register as soon as it is determined that a proposed major Federal action has the potential to affect significantly the quality of the human environment. The...

  14. 7 CFR 372.8 - Major planning and decision points and public involvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... addressed in the environmental impact statement process. (1) A notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement will be published in the Federal Register as soon as it is determined that a proposed major Federal action has the potential to affect significantly the quality of the human environment. The...

  15. 18 CFR 1304.407 - Development within flood control storage zones of TVA reservoirs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... zones of TVA reservoirs. (a) Activities involving development within the flood control storage zone on TVA reservoirs will be reviewed to determine if the proposed activity qualifies as a repetitive action... (v) The nature and significance of any economic and/or natural resource benefits that would be...

  16. 75 FR 62738 - Revisions to EPA's Rule on Protections for Subjects in Human Research Involving Pesticides...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-13

    ... the Secretary of Agriculture AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notification to the Secretary of Agriculture. SUMMARY: This document notifies the public that the Administrator of EPA has forwarded to the Secretary of Agriculture a draft proposed rule as required by section 25(a) of...

  17. 78 FR 70035 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the San Luis Transmission...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-22

    ... Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement. SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (Western) is a power... floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements. DATES...

  18. How State Departments of Education Influence Collective Bargaining and Employee Strike Actions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevens, Dwight M.

    There is little question that state agencies can have a great deal of influence on collective bargaining. In many states, state departments of education have been actively involved in supporting, proposing, amending, or resisting collective bargaining legislation. State departments ought to come up with answers for streamlining laws and advancing…

  19. 75 FR 55725 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Indiana; Kentucky; Louisville...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-14

    ...; Determination of Attainment of the Fine Particle Standard AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION...) fine particle (PM 2.5 ) nonattainment area has attained the 1997 annual average PM 2.5 National Ambient... particle standard for the bi-state Louisville (Indiana and Kentucky) area, involves proposed determinations...

  20. 78 FR 46378 - La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-31

    ... impacts. The proposed action will involve no construction or major renovation of any buildings or... to potential non-radiological impacts, there will be no construction or renovation of buildings or... adequate protection of public health and safety and common defense and security.'' The licensee claims that...

  1. 15 CFR 400.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... change to a zone that requires action by the FTZ Board; a minor modification is a proposed change to a... transformation of a foreign article resulting in a new and different article having a different name, character, and use, or activity involving a change in the condition of the article which results in a change in...

  2. 75 FR 70045 - Proposed Submission of Information Collections for OMB Review; Comment Request; Multiemployer...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-16

    .../escrow and sale-contract requirements) and authorizes plans to determine whether the variances apply in..., 2011) Section 4231(a) and (b) of ERISA requires plans that are involved in a merger or transfer to give...; Comment Request; Multiemployer Plan Regulations AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. ACTION...

  3. Integrating surveillance data on water-related diseases and drinking-water quality; action-research in a Brazilian municipality.

    PubMed

    Queiroz, Ana Carolina Lanza; Cardoso, Laís Santos de Magalhães; Heller, Léo; Cairncross, Sandy

    2015-12-01

    The Brazilian Ministry of Health proposed a research study involving municipal professional staff conducting both epidemiological and water quality surveillance to facilitate the integration of the data which they collected. It aimed to improve the intersectoral collaboration and health promotion activities in the municipalities, especially regarding drinking-water quality. We then conducted a study using the action-research approach. At its evaluation phase, a technique which we called 'the tree analogy' was applied in order to identify both possibilities and challenges related to the proposed interlinkage. Results showed that integrating the two data collection systems cannot be attained without prior institutional adjustments. It suggests therefore the necessity to unravel issues that go beyond the selection and the interrelation of indicators and compatibility of software, to include political, administrative and personal matters. The evaluation process led those involved to re-think their practice by sharing experiences encountered in everyday practice, and formulating constructive criticisms. All this inevitably unleashes a process of empowerment. From this perspective, we have certainly gathered some fruit from the Tree, but not necessarily the most visible.

  4. A process-oriented measure of habit strength for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

    PubMed Central

    Grove, J. Robert; Zillich, Irja; Medic, Nikola

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Habitual action is an important aspect of health behaviour, but the relevance of various habit strength indicators continues to be debated. This study focused specifically on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and evaluated the construct validity of a framework emphasizing patterned action, stimulus-response bonding, automaticity, and negative consequences for nonperformance as indicators of habit strength for this form of exercise. Methods: Upper-level undergraduates (N = 124) provided demographic information and responded to questionnaire items assessing historical MVPA involvement, current MVPA involvement, and the four proposed habit strength dimensions. Factor analyses were used to examine the latent structure of the habit strength indicators, and the model's construct validity was evaluated via an examination of relationships with repetition history and current behaviour. Results: At a measurement level, findings indicated that the proposed four-component model possessed psychometric integrity as a coherent set of factors. Criterion-related validity was also demonstrated via significant changes in three of the four factors as a function of past involvement in MVPA and significant correlations with the frequency, duration, and intensity of current MVPA. Conclusions: These findings support the construct validity of this exercise habit strength model and suggest that it could provide a template for future research on how MVPA habits are developed and maintained. PMID:25750789

  5. A process-oriented measure of habit strength for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

    PubMed

    Grove, J Robert; Zillich, Irja; Medic, Nikola

    2014-01-01

    Purpose : Habitual action is an important aspect of health behaviour, but the relevance of various habit strength indicators continues to be debated. This study focused specifically on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and evaluated the construct validity of a framework emphasizing patterned action, stimulus-response bonding, automaticity, and negative consequences for nonperformance as indicators of habit strength for this form of exercise. Methods : Upper-level undergraduates ( N  = 124) provided demographic information and responded to questionnaire items assessing historical MVPA involvement, current MVPA involvement, and the four proposed habit strength dimensions. Factor analyses were used to examine the latent structure of the habit strength indicators, and the model's construct validity was evaluated via an examination of relationships with repetition history and current behaviour. Results : At a measurement level, findings indicated that the proposed four-component model possessed psychometric integrity as a coherent set of factors. Criterion-related validity was also demonstrated via significant changes in three of the four factors as a function of past involvement in MVPA and significant correlations with the frequency, duration, and intensity of current MVPA. Conclusions : These findings support the construct validity of this exercise habit strength model and suggest that it could provide a template for future research on how MVPA habits are developed and maintained.

  6. Bayesian Action–Perception Computational Model: Interaction of Production and Recognition of Cursive Letters

    PubMed Central

    Gilet, Estelle; Diard, Julien; Bessière, Pierre

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we study the collaboration of perception and action representations involved in cursive letter recognition and production. We propose a mathematical formulation for the whole perception–action loop, based on probabilistic modeling and Bayesian inference, which we call the Bayesian Action–Perception (BAP) model. Being a model of both perception and action processes, the purpose of this model is to study the interaction of these processes. More precisely, the model includes a feedback loop from motor production, which implements an internal simulation of movement. Motor knowledge can therefore be involved during perception tasks. In this paper, we formally define the BAP model and show how it solves the following six varied cognitive tasks using Bayesian inference: i) letter recognition (purely sensory), ii) writer recognition, iii) letter production (with different effectors), iv) copying of trajectories, v) copying of letters, and vi) letter recognition (with internal simulation of movements). We present computer simulations of each of these cognitive tasks, and discuss experimental predictions and theoretical developments. PMID:21674043

  7. The contribution of brain sub-cortical loops in the expression and acquisition of action understanding abilities☆

    PubMed Central

    Caligiore, Daniele; Pezzulo, Giovanni; Miall, R. Chris; Baldassarre, Gianluca

    2013-01-01

    Research on action understanding in cognitive neuroscience has led to the identification of a wide “action understanding network” mainly encompassing parietal and premotor cortical areas. Within this cortical network mirror neurons are critically involved implementing a neural mechanism according to which, during action understanding, observed actions are reflected in the motor patterns for the same actions of the observer. We suggest that focusing only on cortical areas and processes could be too restrictive to explain important facets of action understanding regarding, for example, the influence of the observer's motor experience, the multiple levels at which an observed action can be understood, and the acquisition of action understanding ability. In this respect, we propose that aside from the cortical action understanding network, sub-cortical processes pivoting on cerebellar and basal ganglia cortical loops could crucially support both the expression and the acquisition of action understanding abilities. Within the paper we will discuss how this extended view can overcome some limitations of the “pure” cortical perspective, supporting new theoretical predictions on the brain mechanisms underlying action understanding that could be tested by future empirical investigations. PMID:23911926

  8. Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: The Proposed Issuance of an Easement to Public Service Company of New Mexico for the Construction and Operation of a 12-inch Natural Gas Pipeline within Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

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

    N /A

    2002-07-30

    The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has assigned a continuing role to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in carrying out NNSAs national security mission. To enable LANL to continue this enduring responsibility requires that NNSA maintain the capabilities and capacities required in support of its national mission assignments at LANL. To carry out its Congressionally assigned mission requirements, NNSA must maintain a safe and reliable infrastructure at LANL. Upgrades to the various utility services at LANL have been ongoing together with routine maintenance activities over the years. However, the replacement of a certain portion of natural gas service transmission pipelinemore » is now necessary as this delivery system element has been operating well beyond its original design life for the past 20 to 30 years and components of the line are suffering from normal stresses, strains, and general failures. The Proposed Action is to grant an easement to the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) to construct, operate, and maintain approximately 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) of 12-inch (in.) (30-centimeter [cm]) coated steel natural gas transmission mainline on NNSA-administered land within LANL along Los Alamos Canyon. The new gas line would begin at the existing valve setting located at the bottom of Los Alamos Canyon near the Los Alamos County water well pump house and adjacent to the existing 12-in. (30-cm) PNM gas transmission mainline. The new gas line (owned by PNM) would then cross the streambed and continue east in a new easement obtained by PNM from the NNSA, paralleling the existing electrical power line along the bottom of the canyon. The gas line would then turn northeast near State Road (SR) 4 and be connected to the existing 12-in. (30-cm) coated steel gas transmission mainline, located within the right-of-way (ROW) of SR 502. The Proposed Action would also involve crossing a streambed twice. PNM would bore under the streambed for pipe installation. PNM would also construct and maintain a service road along the pipeline easement. In addition, when construction is complete, the easement would be reseeded. Portions of the Proposed Action are located within potential roosting and nesting habitat for the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), a Federally protected threatened species. Surveys over the last seven years have identified no owls within this area. The Proposed Action would be conducted according to the provisions of the LANL Threatened and Endangered Species Habitat Management Plan. Effects would not be adverse to either individuals or potential critical habitat for protected species. Cultural resources within the vicinity of the proposed easement would be avoided with the exception of an historic trail. However, the original trail has been affected by previous activities and no longer has sufficient historical value to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Minimal undisturbed areas would be involved in the Proposed Action. Most of the proposed easement follows an established ROW for the existing electrical power line. There are several potentially contaminated areas within Los Alamos Canyon; however, these areas would be avoided, where possible, or, if avoidance isn't possible or practicable under the Proposed Action, the contaminated areas would be sampled and remediated in accordance with New Mexico Environment Department requirements before construction.« less

  9. 41 CFR 51-7.2 - Early involvement in private, State, and local activities requiring Federal approval.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... environmental assessment or environmental impact statement (EIS) as set forth in § 51-7.4, or is one that... necessary and appropriate by the Committee to determine the impact of the proposed action on the human environment; (3) Consult with appropriate Federal, regional, State and local agencies and other potentially...

  10. 41 CFR 51-7.2 - Early involvement in private, State, and local activities requiring Federal approval.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... environmental assessment or environmental impact statement (EIS) as set forth in § 51-7.4, or is one that... necessary and appropriate by the Committee to determine the impact of the proposed action on the human environment; (3) Consult with appropriate Federal, regional, State and local agencies and other potentially...

  11. 41 CFR 51-7.2 - Early involvement in private, State, and local activities requiring Federal approval.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... environmental assessment or environmental impact statement (EIS) as set forth in § 51-7.4, or is one that... necessary and appropriate by the Committee to determine the impact of the proposed action on the human environment; (3) Consult with appropriate Federal, regional, State and local agencies and other potentially...

  12. 75 FR 51480 - Notice of Realty Action, Recreation and Public Purposes Act Classification of Public Lands in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-20

    ... County proposes to use the land for a septic waste disposal site. DATES: Interested parties may submit... septic waste disposal site. The lands will accommodate the increased demand in the Worland area for... Comments: Interested parties may submit comments involving the suitability of the lands for a septic waste...

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

    Kupar, J.; Hasek, M.

    The Sanitary Landfill Corrective Action Plan proposes a two pronged approach to remediation. The first part of the total remediation strategy is the placement of a RCRA style closure cap to provide source control of contaminants into the groundwater. The second part of the proposed remediation package is a phased approach primarily using an in situ bioremediation system for groundwater clean up of the Constituents of Concern (COCs) that exceed their proposed Alternate Concentration Limits (ACL). The phased in approach of groundwater clean up will involve operation of the in situ bioremediation system, followed by evaluation of the Phase 1more » system and, if necessary, additional phased remediation strategies. This document presents pertinent information on operations, well locations, anticipated capture zones, monitoring strategies, observation wells and other information which will allow a decision on the acceptability of the remedial strategy as an interim corrective action prior to permit application approval. The proposed interim phase of the remediation program will position two horizontal bioremediation wells such that the respective zones of influence will intersect the migration path for the highest concentrations of each plume.« less

  14. Being useful: achieving indigenous youth involvement in a community-based participatory research project in Alaska

    PubMed Central

    Ford, Tara; Rasmus, Stacy; Allen, James

    2012-01-01

    Objectives To report on a participatory research process in southwest Alaska focusing on youth involvement as a means to facilitate health promotion. We propose youth-guided community-based participatory research (CBPR) as way to involve young people in health promotion and prevention strategizing as part of translational science practice at the community-level. Study design We utilized a CBPR approach that allowed youth to contribute at all stages. Methods Implementation of the CBPR approach involved the advancement of three key strategies including: (a) the local steering committee made up of youth, tribal leaders, and elders, (b) youth-researcher partnerships, and (c) youth action-groups to translate findings. Results The addition of a local youth-action and translation group to the CBPR process in the southwest Alaska site represents an innovative strategy for disseminating findings to youth from a research project that focuses on youth resilience and wellbeing. This strategy drew from two community-based action activities: (a) being useful by helping elders and (b) being proud of our village. Conclusions In our study, youth informed the research process at every stage, but most significantly youth guided the translation and application of the research findings at the community level. Findings from the research project were translated by youth into serviceable action in the community where they live. The research created an experience for youth to spend time engaged in activities that, from their perspectives, are important and contribute to their wellbeing and healthy living. Youth-guided CBPR meant involving youth in the process of not only understanding the research process but living through it as well. PMID:22584510

  15. Stress, habits, and drug addiction: a psychoneuroendocrinological perspective.

    PubMed

    Schwabe, Lars; Dickinson, Anthony; Wolf, Oliver T

    2011-02-01

    It is well known that stress is a significant risk factor for the development of drug addiction and addiction relapse. Remarkably, the cognitive processes involved in the effects of stress on addictive behavior remain poorly understood. Here it is proposed that stress-induced changes in the neural circuits controlling instrumental action provide a potential mechanism by which stress affects the development of addiction and relapse vulnerability. Instrumental action can be controlled by two anatomically distinct systems: a goal-directed system that involves learning of action-outcome associations, and a habit system that learns stimulus-response associations. The transition from initial voluntary drug use to subsequent involuntary, compulsive drug use represents a switch from goal-directed to habitual control of action. Recent evidence indicates that this switch from goal-directed to habit action can be prompted by stress and stress hormones. We argue (i) that acute stressors reinstate habitual responding to drug-related cues and thus trigger relapse to addictive behavior, and (ii) that prolonged or repeated stress may accelerate the transition from voluntary to involuntary drug use and thus promote the development of addiction. The suggested mechanism encompasses cognitive processes that may contribute to the effects of stress on addictive behavior and could have important implications for the treatment of addiction and the prevention of relapse. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

  16. Semantic domain-specific functional integration for action-related vs. abstract concepts.

    PubMed

    Ghio, Marta; Tettamanti, Marco

    2010-03-01

    A central topic in cognitive neuroscience concerns the representation of concepts and the specific neural mechanisms that mediate conceptual knowledge. Recently proposed modal theories assert that concepts are grounded on the integration of multimodal, distributed representations. The aim of the present work is to complement the available neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence suggesting partially segregated anatomo-functional correlates for concrete vs. abstract concepts, by directly testing the semantic domain-specific patterns of functional integration between language and modal semantic brain regions. We report evidence from a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, in which healthy participants listened to sentences with either an action-related (actions involving physical entities) or an abstract (no physical entities involved) content. We measured functional integration using dynamic causal modeling, and found that the left superior temporal gyrus was more strongly connected: (1) for action-related vs. abstract sentences, with the left-hemispheric action representation system, including sensorimotor areas; (2) for abstract vs. action-related sentences, with left infero-ventral frontal, temporal, and retrosplenial cingulate areas. A selective directionality effect was observed, with causal modulatory effects exerted by perisylvian language regions on peripheral modal areas, and not vice versa. The observed condition-specific modulatory effects are consistent with embodied and situated language processing theories, and indicate that linguistic areas promote a semantic content-specific reactivation of modal simulations by top-down mechanisms. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Grasping actions and social interaction: neural bases and anatomical circuitry in the monkey

    PubMed Central

    Rozzi, Stefano; Coudé, Gino

    2015-01-01

    The study of the neural mechanisms underlying grasping actions showed that cognitive functions are deeply embedded in motor organization. In the first part of this review, we describe the anatomical structure of the motor cortex in the monkey and the cortical and sub-cortical connections of the different motor areas. In the second part, we review the neurophysiological literature showing that motor neurons are not only involved in movement execution, but also in the transformation of object physical features into motor programs appropriate to grasp them (through visuo-motor transformations). We also discuss evidence indicating that motor neurons can encode the goal of motor acts and the intention behind action execution. Then, we describe one of the mechanisms—the mirror mechanism—considered to be at the basis of action understanding and intention reading, and describe the anatomo-functional pathways through which information about the social context can reach the areas containing mirror neurons. Finally, we briefly show that a clear similarity exists between monkey and human in the organization of the motor and mirror systems. Based on monkey and human literature, we conclude that the mirror mechanism relies on a more extended network than previously thought, and possibly subserves basic social functions. We propose that this mechanism is also involved in preparing appropriate complementary response to observed actions, allowing two individuals to become attuned and cooperate in joint actions. PMID:26236258

  18. Prefrontal involvement in imitation learning of hand actions: effects of practice and expertise.

    PubMed

    Vogt, Stefan; Buccino, Giovanni; Wohlschläger, Afra M; Canessa, Nicola; Shah, N Jon; Zilles, Karl; Eickhoff, Simon B; Freund, Hans-Joachim; Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Fink, Gereon R

    2007-10-01

    In this event-related fMRI study, we demonstrate the effects of a single session of practising configural hand actions (guitar chords) on cortical activations during observation, motor preparation and imitative execution. During the observation of non-practised actions, the mirror neuron system (MNS), consisting of inferior parietal and ventral premotor areas, was more strongly activated than for the practised actions. This finding indicates a strong role of the MNS in the early stages of imitation learning. In addition, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was selectively involved during observation and motor preparation of the non-practised chords. This finding confirms Buccino et al.'s [Buccino, G., Vogt, S., Ritzl, A., Fink, G.R., Zilles, K., Freund, H.-J., Rizzolatti, G., 2004a. Neural circuits underlying imitation learning of hand actions: an event-related fMRI study. Neuron 42, 323-334] model of imitation learning: for actions that are not yet part of the observer's motor repertoire, DLPFC engages in operations of selection and combination of existing, elementary representations in the MNS. The pattern of prefrontal activations further supports Shallice's [Shallice, T., 2004. The fractionation of supervisory control. In: Gazzaniga, M.S. (Ed.), The Cognitive Neurosciences, Third edition. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 943-956] proposal of a dominant role of the left DLPFC in modulating lower level systems and of a dominant role of the right DLPFC in monitoring operations.

  19. Continuous Human Action Recognition Using Depth-MHI-HOG and a Spotter Model

    PubMed Central

    Eum, Hyukmin; Yoon, Changyong; Lee, Heejin; Park, Mignon

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a new method for spotting and recognizing continuous human actions using a vision sensor. The method is comprised of depth-MHI-HOG (DMH), action modeling, action spotting, and recognition. First, to effectively separate the foreground from background, we propose a method called DMH. It includes a standard structure for segmenting images and extracting features by using depth information, MHI, and HOG. Second, action modeling is performed to model various actions using extracted features. The modeling of actions is performed by creating sequences of actions through k-means clustering; these sequences constitute HMM input. Third, a method of action spotting is proposed to filter meaningless actions from continuous actions and to identify precise start and end points of actions. By employing the spotter model, the proposed method improves action recognition performance. Finally, the proposed method recognizes actions based on start and end points. We evaluate recognition performance by employing the proposed method to obtain and compare probabilities by applying input sequences in action models and the spotter model. Through various experiments, we demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient for recognizing continuous human actions in real environments. PMID:25742172

  20. On the preparation of environmental impact statements in the United States of America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carson, James E.

    The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires that an Environmental Impact Statement (FIS) be prepared whenever a federal action is considered that could result in a significant impact on the environment. Such actions include the issuance of construction or operating licenses for nuclear facilities and power plants, hydroelectric dams, or the diversion of water from rivers and lakes. An EIS is usually required if federal funds are involved. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Council for Environmental Quality have developed guidelines and regulations for the preparation of an EIS. An EIS is not a scientific report. It is a legal document whose primary function is its use by decision-making agencies in approving or not approving the proposed federal action. The EIS is also used to inform the public and other government agencies of the environmental impacts of the proposed facility. The NEPA process allows public input into the decision-making process. An EIS should be short and concise, analytical, conclusory, be written for a non-technical audience, discuss the pros and cons of the proposed facility, and examine the impacts of all alternatives to the proposed action. The EIS should identify all adverse environmental impacts that cannot be avoided. The conclusions reached in the EIS should be clearly stated and supported by discussions and data in the text and by references to show that the agency has made the necessary analyses. The paper discusses the purpose and contents of these documents and the environmental procedures used in the U.S.A., especially as they relate to nuclear power plants.

  1. Evaluation of neural reflex activation as a mode of action for the acute respiratory effects of ozone.

    PubMed

    Prueitt, Robyn L; Goodman, Julie E

    2016-09-01

    Exposure to elevated levels of ozone has been associated with a variety of respiratory-related health endpoints in both epidemiology and controlled human exposure studies, including lung function decrements and airway inflammation. A mode of action (MoA) for these effects has not been established, but it has been proposed that they may occur through ozone-induced activation of neural reflexes. We critically reviewed experimental studies of ozone exposure and neural reflex activation and applied the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) mode-of-action/human relevance framework to evaluate the biological plausibility and human relevance of this proposed MoA. Based on the currently available experimental data, we found that the proposed MoA of neural reflex activation is biologically plausible for the endpoint of ozone-induced lung function decrements at high ozone exposures, but further studies are needed to fill important data gaps regarding the relevance of this MoA at lower exposures. A role for the proposed MoA in ozone-induced airway inflammation is less plausible, as the evidence is conflicting and is also of unclear relevance given the lack of studies conducted at lower exposures. The evidence suggests a different MoA for ozone-induced inflammation that may still be linked to the key events in the proposed MoA, such that neural reflex activation may have some degree of involvement in modulating ozone-induced neutrophil influx, even if it is not a direct role.

  2. Type of gesture, valence, and gaze modulate the influence of gestures on observer's behaviors

    PubMed Central

    De Stefani, Elisa; Innocenti, Alessandro; Secchi, Claudio; Papa, Veronica; Gentilucci, Maurizio

    2013-01-01

    The present kinematic study aimed at determining whether the observation of arm/hand gestures performed by conspecifics affected an action apparently unrelated to the gesture (i.e., reaching-grasping). In 3 experiments we examined the influence of different gestures on action kinematics. We also analyzed the effects of words corresponding in meaning to the gestures, on the same action. In Experiment 1, the type of gesture, valence and actor's gaze were the investigated variables Participants executed the action of reaching-grasping after discriminating whether the gestures produced by a conspecific were meaningful or not. The meaningful gestures were request or symbolic and their valence was positive or negative. They were presented by the conspecific either blindfolded or not. In control Experiment 2 we searched for effects of the sole gaze, and, in Experiment 3, the effects of the same characteristics of words corresponding in meaning to the gestures and visually presented by the conspecific. Type of gesture, valence, and gaze influenced the actual action kinematics; these effects were similar, but not the same as those induced by words. We proposed that the signal activated a response which made the actual action faster for negative valence of gesture, whereas for request signals and available gaze, the response interfered with the actual action more than symbolic signals and not available gaze. Finally, we proposed the existence of a common circuit involved in the comprehension of gestures and words and in the activation of consequent responses to them. PMID:24046742

  3. 76 FR 62861 - STP Nuclear Operating Company, South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-11

    ... Identification of the Proposed Action: The proposed action would issue an exemption from Section 50.46 and... 2. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated December 21, 2010... Accession No. ML103630408. The Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed action is needed because the...

  4. Relating spatial perspective taking to the perception of other's affordances: providing a foundation for predicting the future behavior of others

    PubMed Central

    Creem-Regehr, Sarah H.; Gagnon, Kyle T.; Geuss, Michael N.; Stefanucci, Jeanine K.

    2013-01-01

    Understanding what another agent can see relates functionally to the understanding of what they can do. We propose that spatial perspective taking and perceiving other's affordances, while two separate spatial processes, together share the common social function of predicting the behavior of others. Perceiving the action capabilities of others allows for a common understanding of how agents may act together. The ability to take another's perspective focuses an understanding of action goals so that more precise understanding of intentions may result. This review presents an analysis of these complementary abilities, both in terms of the frames of reference and the proposed sensorimotor mechanisms involved. Together, we argue for the importance of reconsidering the role of basic spatial processes to explain more complex behaviors. PMID:24068992

  5. Intraperitoneal injection of neuropeptide Y (NPY) alters neurotrophin rat hypothalamic levels: Implications for NPY potential role in stress-related disorders.

    PubMed

    Gelfo, Francesca; De Bartolo, Paola; Tirassa, Paola; Croce, Nicoletta; Caltagirone, Carlo; Petrosini, Laura; Angelucci, Francesco

    2011-06-01

    Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-amino acid peptide which exerts several regulatory actions within peripheral and central nervous systems. Among NPY actions preclinical and clinical data have suggested that the anxiolytic and antidepressant actions of NPY may be related to its antagonist action on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are proteins involved in the growth, survival and function of neurons. In addition to this, a possible role of neurotrophins, particularly BDNF, in HPA axis hyperactivation has been proposed. To characterize the effect of NPY on the production of neurotrophins in the hypothalamus we exposed young adult rats to NPY intraperitoneal administration for three consecutive days and then evaluated BDNF and NGF synthesis in this brain region. We found that NPY treatment decreased BDNF and increased NGF production in the hypothalamus. Given the role of neurotrophins in the hypothalamus, these findings, although preliminary, provide evidence for a role of NPY as inhibitor of HPA axis and support the idea that NPY might be involved in pathologies characterized by HPA axis dysfunctions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The right parietal cortex and time perception: back to Critchley and the Zeitraffer phenomenon.

    PubMed

    Alexander, Iona; Cowey, Alan; Walsh, Vincent

    2005-05-01

    We investigated the involvement of the posterior parietal cortex in time perception by temporarily disrupting normal functioning in this region, in subjects making prospective judgements of time or pitch. Disruption of the right posterior parietal cortex significantly slowed reaction times when making time, but not pitch, judgements. Similar interference with the left parietal cortex and control stimulation over the vertex did not significantly change performance on either pitch or time tasks. The results show that the information processing necessary for temporal judgements involves the parietal cortex, probably to optimise spatiotemporal accuracy in voluntary action. The results are in agreement with a recent neuroimaging study and are discussed with regard to a psychological model of temporal processing and a recent proposal that time is part of a parietal cortex system for encoding magnitude information relevant for action.

  7. The dysbindin gene in major depression: an association study.

    PubMed

    Zill, Peter; Baghai, Thomas C; Engel, Rolf; Zwanzger, Peter; Schüle, Cornelius; Eser, Daniela; Behrens, Stefanie; Rupprecht, Rainer; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Ackenheil, Manfred; Bondy, Brigitta

    2004-08-15

    The pathophysiological mechanisms, as well as the molecular loci of antidepressant drug action have not yet been established, but recent models proposed that several adaptive mechanisms in signal transduction cascades beyond the receptor and reuptake systems are involved in antidepressant action and play an important role in the etiology of affective disorders. In this context, the dysbindin gene (dystrobrevin-binding-protein 1, DTNBP1), which was recently reported to be associated with schizophrenia seems to be an interesting candidate gene for affective disorders. Dysbindin is widely expressed in the human brain and binds to the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DPC) which appears to be involved in signal transduction pathways, which have been repeatedly investigated and described as altered or disturbed in affective disorders [McLeod et al. [2003: Psychopharmacol Bull 35:24-41]; Brambilla et al. [2003: Mol Psychiatry 8:721-737

  8. Evaluation and control of ergonomics actions in federal public service: the case of FIOCRUZ-RJ.

    PubMed

    Ricarta, Simone L Santa Isabel; Vidala, Mario Cesar Rodriguez; Bonfattia, Renato José

    2012-01-01

    This article presents information about the development of the dissertation. Deals with the production of ergonomic diagnosis in the environments and work processes of an important center of research and development in Public Health, FIOCRUZ. Critically evaluates the performance of a team promoting and facilitating the process of implementing ergonomic changes suggested. Through analysis of documents and statements by some managers and representatives of Human Resources was possible to identify the factors that facilitate and hinder the implementation process, linking them to the organization of the institution and conduct of the agents involved. Finally, it makes a reflection on practice, results and developments involved in the processes of change initiated by the ergonomic actions, proposing its replication along with other institutes of the Civilian Personnel of Federal Public Administration.

  9. Azelaic acid gel 15%: clinical versatility in the treatment of rosacea.

    PubMed

    Del Rosso, James Q; Baum, Eric W; Draelos, Zoe Diana; Elewski, Boni E; Fleischer, Alan B; Kakita, Lenore S; Thiboutot, Diane

    2006-11-01

    There are numerous proposed but contested components involved in the pathophysiology of rosacea, including inflammatory mediators, reactive oxygen species (ROS) released by neutrophils, and microbial components. Ideal comprehensive rosacea management should address these components. Azelaic acid (AzA), a naturally occurring substance, has many proposed mechanisms of action--antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory/antioxidant, and keratinolytic--that address the proposed components of rosacea pathophysiology and has demonstrated efficacy in subtype 2 rosacea. In a roundtable discussion, information leaders discussed the pathophysiology of rosacea and other issues of importance to successful rosacea management, such as skin care regimens, quality of life (QOL), and compliance.

  10. Spatiotemporal dynamics during processing of abstract and concrete verbs: an ERP study.

    PubMed

    Dalla Volta, Riccardo; Fabbri-Destro, Maddalena; Gentilucci, Maurizio; Avanzini, Pietro

    2014-08-01

    Different accounts have been proposed to explain the nature of concept representations. Embodied accounts claim a key involvement of sensory-motor systems during semantic processing while more traditional accounts posit that concepts are abstract mental entities independent of perceptual and motor brain systems. While the involvement of sensory-motor areas in concrete language processing is supported by a large number of studies, this involvement is far from being established when considering abstract language. The present study addressed abstract and concrete verb processing, by investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of evoked responses by means of high density EEG while participants performed a semantic decision task. In addition, RTs to the same set of stimuli were collected. In both early and late time intervals, ERP scalp topography significantly differed according to word categories. Concrete verbs showed involvement of parieto-frontal networks for action, according to the implied body effector. In contrast, abstract verbs recruited mostly frontal regions outside the motor system, suggesting a non-motor semantic processing for this category. In addition, differently from what has been reported during action observation, the parietal recruitment related to concrete verbs presentation followed the frontal one. The present findings suggest that action word semantic is grounded in sensory-motor systems, provided a bodily effector is specified, while abstract concepts׳ representation cannot be easily explained by a motor embodiment. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  11. 36 CFR 219.6 - Proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Proposed actions. 219.6... actions. (a) Proposal. The responsible official may propose to amend or revise a plan, propose a site-specific action, or both. (b) NEPA requirements. Unless otherwise provided by law, the responsible official...

  12. Collaborative study of an enzymatic digestion method for the isolation of light filth from ground beef or hamburger.

    PubMed

    Alioto, P; Andreas, M

    1976-01-01

    Collaborative results are presented for a proposed method for light filth extraction from ground beef or hamburger. The method involves enzymatic digestion, wet sieving, and extraction with light mineral oil from 40% isopropanol. Recoveries are good and filter papers are clean. This method has been adopted as official first action.

  13. 39 CFR 778.7 - How does the Postal Service communicate with state and local officials concerning the Postal...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... notice directly to affected state, areawide, regional, and local entities in a state of a proposed direct Federal development project if: (1) The state has not adopted a process under the Order; or (2) The development project involves a facility project action category not selected for the state process. This...

  14. Cell protein cross-linking by erbstatin and related compounds | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The scheme depicts a possible mechanism of cross-linking by erbstatin and related analogues. A mechanism of action is proposed which involves initial oxidation to reactive quinone intermediates that subsequently cross-link protein nucleophiles via multiple 1,4-Michael-type additions. Similar alkylation of protein by protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as herbimycin A, has

  15. Environmental Assessment for Implementation of Expanded Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Program for Moody Air Force Base and Private and Public Lands Surrounding Moody Air Force Base, Georgia

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-09-01

    values are not expected to be significantly impacted by any of the alternatives analyzed: soils , geology, minerals, water quality/quantity, flood...pesticides on eggshell thickness, rather than direct mortality events (GWF, 2003). The proposed action does not involve the destruction of nesting

  16. Communicating the wildland fire message: Influences on knowledge and attitude change in two case studies

    Treesearch

    Eric Toman; Bruce Shindler

    2006-01-01

    Current wildland fire policy calls for citizen involvement in planning and management. To be effective in their efforts to engage outside stakeholders, resource professionals need to understand citizens’ understanding and attitudes toward current practices as well as how to best communicate about proposed actions. A variety of outreach methods have been used to...

  17. 75 FR 35085 - Notice of Realty Action: Recreation and Public Purposes Act Classification, Elko County, NV

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-21

    ... Management (BLM) by the City of Elko (City). The City proposes to use the land for a waste water reclamation... may submit comments involving the suitability of the land for a waste water treatment facility... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVE00000 L14300000.ES0000 241A; N-85701...

  18. How do secretory products cross the plant cell wall to be released? A new hypothesis involving cyclic mechanical actions of the protoplast

    PubMed Central

    Paiva, Elder Antônio Sousa

    2016-01-01

    Background In plants, the products of secretory activity leave the protoplast and cross the plasma membrane by means of transporters, fusion with membranous vesicles or, less commonly, as result of disintegration of the cell. These mechanisms do not address an intriguing question: How do secretory products cross the cell wall? Furthermore, how do these substances reach the external surface of the plant body? Such diverse substances as oils, polysaccharides or nectar are forced to cross the cell wall and, in fact, do so. How are chemical materials that are repelled by the cell wall or that are sufficiently viscous to not cross passively released from plant cells? Scope and Conclusions I propose a cell-cycle model developed based on observations of different secreting systems, some unpublished results and an extensive literature review, aiming to understand the processes involved in both the secretory process and the release of secretion products. In the absence of facilitated diffusion, a mechanical action of the protoplast is necessary to ensure that some substances can cross the cell wall. The mechanical action of the protoplast, in the form of successive cycles of contraction and expansion, causes the material accumulated in the periplasmic space to cross the cell wall and the cuticle. This action is particularly relevant for the release of lipids, resins and highly viscous hydrophilic secretions. The proposed cell-cycle model and the statements regarding exudate release will also apply to secretory glands not elaborated upon here. Continuous secretion of several days, as observed in extrafloral nectaries, salt glands and some mucilage-producing glands, is only possible because the process is cyclical. PMID:26929201

  19. 77 FR 45535 - Aldicarb; Proposed Tolerance Actions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-01

    ... Aldicarb; Proposed Tolerance Actions AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule... Information A. Does this action apply to me? You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an... exhaustive, but rather provides a guide for readers regarding entities likely to be affected by this action...

  20. Egocentric Temporal Action Proposals.

    PubMed

    Shao Huang; Weiqiang Wang; Shengfeng He; Lau, Rynson W H

    2018-02-01

    We present an approach to localize generic actions in egocentric videos, called temporal action proposals (TAPs), for accelerating the action recognition step. An egocentric TAP refers to a sequence of frames that may contain a generic action performed by the wearer of a head-mounted camera, e.g., taking a knife, spreading jam, pouring milk, or cutting carrots. Inspired by object proposals, this paper aims at generating a small number of TAPs, thereby replacing the popular sliding window strategy, for localizing all action events in the input video. To this end, we first propose to temporally segment the input video into action atoms, which are the smallest units that may contain an action. We then apply a hierarchical clustering algorithm with several egocentric cues to generate TAPs. Finally, we propose two actionness networks to score the likelihood of each TAP containing an action. The top ranked candidates are returned as output TAPs. Experimental results show that the proposed TAP detection framework performs significantly better than relevant approaches for egocentric action detection.

  1. Lovelock action with nonsmooth boundaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cano, Pablo A.

    2018-05-01

    We examine the variational problem in Lovelock gravity when the boundary contains timelike and spacelike segments nonsmoothly glued. We show that two kinds of contributions have to be added to the action. The first one is associated with the presence of a boundary in every segment and it depends on intrinsic and extrinsic curvatures. We can think of this contribution as adding a total derivative to the usual surface term of Lovelock gravity. The second one appears in every joint between two segments and it involves the integral along the joint of the Jacobson-Myers entropy density weighted by the Lorentz boost parameter, which relates the orthonormal frames in each segment. We argue that this term can be straightforwardly extended to the case of joints involving null boundaries. As an application, we compute the contribution of these terms to the complexity of global anti-de Sitter space in Lovelock gravity by using the "complexity =action " proposal and we identify possible universal terms for arbitrary values of the Lovelock couplings. We find that they depend on the charge a* controlling the holographic entanglement entropy and on a new constant that we characterize.

  2. Power effects on cognitive control: Turning conflict into action.

    PubMed

    Schmid, Petra C; Kleiman, Tali; Amodio, David M

    2015-06-01

    Power is known to promote effective goal pursuit, especially when it requires one to overcome distractions or bias. We proposed that this effect involves the ability to engage and implement cognitive control. In Study 1, we demonstrated that power enhances behavioral performance on a response conflict task and that it does so by enhancing controlled processing rather than by reducing automatic processing. In Study 2, we used an event-related potential index of anterior cingulate activity to test whether power effects on control were due to enhanced conflict sensitivity or action implementation. Power did not significantly affect neural sensitivity to conflict; rather, high power was associated with a stronger link between conflict processing and intended action, relative to low power. These findings suggest a new perspective on how social factors can affect controlled processing and offer new evidence regarding the transition between conflict detection and the implementation of action control. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Action simulation: time course and representational mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Springer, Anne; Parkinson, Jim; Prinz, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    The notion of action simulation refers to the ability to re-enact foreign actions (i.e., actions observed in other individuals). Simulating others' actions implies a mirroring of their activities, based on one's own sensorimotor competencies. Here, we discuss theoretical and experimental approaches to action simulation and the study of its representational underpinnings. One focus of our discussion is on the timing of internal simulation and its relation to the timing of external action, and a paradigm that requires participants to predict the future course of actions that are temporarily occluded from view. We address transitions between perceptual mechanisms (referring to action representation before and after occlusion) and simulation mechanisms (referring to action representation during occlusion). Findings suggest that action simulation runs in real-time; acting on newly created action representations rather than relying on continuous visual extrapolations. A further focus of our discussion pertains to the functional characteristics of the mechanisms involved in predicting other people's actions. We propose that two processes are engaged, dynamic updating and static matching, which may draw on both semantic and motor information. In a concluding section, we discuss these findings in the context of broader theoretical issues related to action and event representation, arguing that a detailed functional analysis of action simulation in cognitive, neural, and computational terms may help to further advance our understanding of action cognition and motor control. PMID:23847563

  4. Environmental Assessment of remedial action at the Ambrosia Lake uranium mill tailings site, Ambrosia Lake, New Mexico

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

    Not Available

    1987-06-01

    This document assesses and compares the environmental impacts of various alternatives for remedial action at the Ambrosia Lake uranium mill tailings site located near Ambrosia Lake, New Mexico. The designated site covers 196 acres and contains 111 acres of tailings and some of the original mill structures. The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA), Public Law 95-604, authorizes the US Department of Energy to clean up the site to reduce the potential health impacts associated with the residual radioactive materials remaining at the site and at associated properties off the site. The US Environmental Protection Agency promulgated standards formore » th remedial action (40 CFR Part 192). Remedial action must be performed in accordance with these standards and with the concurrence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The proposed action is to stabilize the tailings at their present location by consolidating the tailings and associated contaminated materials into a recontoured pile. A radon barrier would be constructed over the pile and various erosion protection measures would be taken to assure the long-term stability of the pile. Another alternative which would involve moving the tailings to a new location is also assessed in this document. This alternative would generally involve greater short-term impacts and costs but would result in stabilization of the tailings at an undeveloped location. The no action alternative is also assessed in this document.« less

  5. Real-time Medical Emergency Response System: Exploiting IoT and Big Data for Public Health.

    PubMed

    Rathore, M Mazhar; Ahmad, Awais; Paul, Anand; Wan, Jiafu; Zhang, Daqiang

    2016-12-01

    Healthy people are important for any nation's development. Use of the Internet of Things (IoT)-based body area networks (BANs) is increasing for continuous monitoring and medical healthcare in order to perform real-time actions in case of emergencies. However, in the case of monitoring the health of all citizens or people in a country, the millions of sensors attached to human bodies generate massive volume of heterogeneous data, called "Big Data." Processing Big Data and performing real-time actions in critical situations is a challenging task. Therefore, in order to address such issues, we propose a Real-time Medical Emergency Response System that involves IoT-based medical sensors deployed on the human body. Moreover, the proposed system consists of the data analysis building, called "Intelligent Building," depicted by the proposed layered architecture and implementation model, and it is responsible for analysis and decision-making. The data collected from millions of body-attached sensors is forwarded to Intelligent Building for processing and for performing necessary actions using various units such as collection, Hadoop Processing (HPU), and analysis and decision. The feasibility and efficiency of the proposed system are evaluated by implementing the system on Hadoop using an UBUNTU 14.04 LTS coreTMi5 machine. Various medical sensory datasets and real-time network traffic are considered for evaluating the efficiency of the system. The results show that the proposed system has the capability of efficiently processing WBAN sensory data from millions of users in order to perform real-time responses in case of emergencies.

  6. Perspective taking in language: integrating the spatial and action domains.

    PubMed

    Beveridge, Madeleine E L; Pickering, Martin J

    2013-09-17

    Language is an inherently social behavior. In this paper, we bring together two research areas that typically occupy distinct sections of the literature: perspective taking in spatial language (whether people represent a scene from their own or a different spatial perspective), and perspective taking in action language (the extent to which they simulate an action as though they were performing that action). First, we note that vocabulary is used inconsistently across the spatial and action domains, and propose a more transparent vocabulary that will allow researchers to integrate action- and spatial-perspective taking. Second, we note that embodied theories of language comprehension often make the narrow assumption that understanding action descriptions involves adopting the perspective of an agent carrying out that action. We argue that comprehenders can adopt embodied action-perspectives other than that of the agent, including those of the patient or an observer. Third, we review evidence showing that perspective taking in spatial language is a flexible process. We argue that the flexibility of spatial-perspective taking provides a means for conversation partners engaged in dialogue to maximize similarity between their situation models. These situation models can then be used as the basis for action language simulations, in which language users adopt a particular action-perspective.

  7. Perspective taking in language: integrating the spatial and action domains

    PubMed Central

    Beveridge, Madeleine E. L.; Pickering, Martin J.

    2013-01-01

    Language is an inherently social behavior. In this paper, we bring together two research areas that typically occupy distinct sections of the literature: perspective taking in spatial language (whether people represent a scene from their own or a different spatial perspective), and perspective taking in action language (the extent to which they simulate an action as though they were performing that action). First, we note that vocabulary is used inconsistently across the spatial and action domains, and propose a more transparent vocabulary that will allow researchers to integrate action- and spatial-perspective taking. Second, we note that embodied theories of language comprehension often make the narrow assumption that understanding action descriptions involves adopting the perspective of an agent carrying out that action. We argue that comprehenders can adopt embodied action-perspectives other than that of the agent, including those of the patient or an observer. Third, we review evidence showing that perspective taking in spatial language is a flexible process. We argue that the flexibility of spatial-perspective taking provides a means for conversation partners engaged in dialogue to maximize similarity between their situation models. These situation models can then be used as the basis for action language simulations, in which language users adopt a particular action-perspective. PMID:24062676

  8. The struturing of an Ergonomics Program as a Center of Occupational Health Component in a public health institution.

    PubMed

    Lugão, Suzana S M; Ricart, Simone L S I; Pinheiro, Renata M S; Gonçalves, Waldney M

    2012-01-01

    This article presents the description and discussion of a pilot project in an ergonomic action developed in a public health institution. This project involves the implantation of an Ergonomics Program (PROERGO) in a department of this institution, guided by a methodology structured on six stages, referenced in the literature by ergonomics authors. The methodology includes the training of workers and the formation of facilitators and multipliers of the ergonomics actions, aiming to the implementation of a cyclical process of actions and the consolidation of an ergonomics culture in the organization. Starting from the results of this experiment we intend to replicate this program model in other departments of the institution and to propose the methodology applied as a strategy of intervention to Occupational Health area.

  9. Every Child a Winner! A Proposal for a Legislative Action Plan for Systemic Reform of Massachusetts' Public Primary and Secondary Education System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massachusetts Business for Education, Worcester.

    Impressed with the vital importance of an effective public education system to the future of the Commonwealth, a group of involved business activists formed the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE) in 1988. The purpose of the MBAE was to help bring about systematic improvement of Massachusetts' elementary and secondary education…

  10. The insufficiency of associative learning for explaining development: three challenges to the associative account.

    PubMed

    Bertenthal, Bennett I

    2014-04-01

    Three challenges to the sufficiency of the associative account for explaining the development of mirror mechanisms are discussed: Genetic predispositions interact with associative learning, infants show predispositions to imitate human as opposed to nonhuman actions, and early and later learning involve different mechanisms. Legitimate objections to an extreme nativist account are raised, but the proposed solution is equally problematic.

  11. A Global Perspective on Early Childhood Care and Education: A Proposed Model. Action Research in Family and Early Childhood. UNESCO Education Sector Monograph.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lillemyr, Ole Fredrik; Fagerli, Oddvar; Sobstad, Frode

    This monograph describes an alternative model for early childhood care and education involving a complex and integrated system that allows for more collaboration among early childhood care and education activities. The model, with its emphasis on values in all educational practices, is intended to promote a more global and total approach to…

  12. Exploring possible mechanisms of action for the nanotoxicity and protein binding of decorated nanotubes: interpretation of physicochemical properties from optimal QSAR models

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

    Esposito, Emilio Xavier, E-mail: emilio@exeResearch.com; The Chem21 Group, Inc., 1780 Wilson Drive, Lake Forest, IL 60045; Hopfinger, Anton J., E-mail: hopfingr@gmail.com

    2015-10-01

    Carbon nanotubes have become widely used in a variety of applications including biosensors and drug carriers. Therefore, the issue of carbon nanotube toxicity is increasingly an area of focus and concern. While previous studies have focused on the gross mechanisms of action relating to nanomaterials interacting with biological entities, this study proposes detailed mechanisms of action, relating to nanotoxicity, for a series of decorated (functionalized) carbon nanotube complexes based on previously reported QSAR models. Possible mechanisms of nanotoxicity for six endpoints (bovine serum albumin, carbonic anhydrase, chymotrypsin, hemoglobin along with cell viability and nitrogen oxide production) have been extracted frommore » the corresponding optimized QSAR models. The molecular features relevant to each of the endpoint respective mechanism of action for the decorated nanotubes are also discussed. Based on the molecular information contained within the optimal QSAR models for each nanotoxicity endpoint, either the decorator attached to the nanotube is directly responsible for the expression of a particular activity, irrespective of the decorator's 3D-geometry and independent of the nanotube, or those decorators having structures that place the functional groups of the decorators as far as possible from the nanotube surface most strongly influence the biological activity. These molecular descriptors are further used to hypothesize specific interactions involved in the expression of each of the six biological endpoints. - Highlights: • Proposed toxicity mechanism of action for decorated nanotubes complexes • Discussion of the key molecular features for each endpoint's mechanism of action • Unique mechanisms of action for each of the six biological systems • Hypothesized mechanisms of action based on QSAR/QNAR predictive models.« less

  13. What drives young children to over-imitate? Investigating the effects of age, context, action type, and transitivity.

    PubMed

    Clay, Zanna; Over, Harriet; Tennie, Claudio

    2018-02-01

    Imitation underlies many traits thought to characterize our species, which includes the transmission and acquisition of language, material culture, norms, rituals, and conventions. From early childhood, humans show an intriguing willingness to imitate behaviors, even those that have no obvious function. This phenomenon, known as "over-imitation," is thought to explain some of the key differences between human cultures as compared with those of nonhuman animals. Here, we used a single integrative paradigm to simultaneously investigate several key factors proposed to shape children's over-imitation: age, context, transitivity, and action type. We compared typically developing children aged 4-6years in a task involving actions verbally framed as being instrumental, normative, or communicative in function. Within these contexts, we explored whether children were more likely to over-imitate transitive versus intransitive actions and manual versus body part actions. Results showed an interaction between age and context; as children got older, they were more likely to imitate within a normative context, whereas younger children were more likely to imitate in instrumental contexts. Younger children were more likely to imitate transitive actions (actions on objects) than intransitive actions compared with older children. Our results show that children are highly sensitive to even minimal cues to perceived context and flexibly adapt their imitation accordingly. As they get older, children's imitation appears to become less object bound, less focused on instrumental outcomes, and more sensitive to normative cues. This shift is consistent with the proposal that over-imitation becomes increasingly social in its function as children move through childhood and beyond. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Imitation and speech: commonalities within Broca's area.

    PubMed

    Kühn, Simone; Brass, Marcel; Gallinat, Jürgen

    2013-11-01

    The so-called embodiment of communication has attracted considerable interest. Recently a growing number of studies have proposed a link between Broca's area's involvement in action processing and its involvement in speech. The present quantitative meta-analysis set out to test whether neuroimaging studies on imitation and overt speech show overlap within inferior frontal gyrus. By means of activation likelihood estimation (ALE), we investigated concurrence of brain regions activated by object-free hand imitation studies as well as overt speech studies including simple syllable and more complex word production. We found direct overlap between imitation and speech in bilateral pars opercularis (BA 44) within Broca's area. Subtraction analyses revealed no unique localization neither for speech nor for imitation. To verify the potential of ALE subtraction analysis to detect unique involvement within Broca's area, we contrasted the results of a meta-analysis on motor inhibition and imitation and found separable regions involved for imitation. This is the first meta-analysis to compare the neural correlates of imitation and overt speech. The results are in line with the proposed evolutionary roots of speech in imitation.

  15. Learning to throw on a rotating carousel: recalibration based on limb dynamics and projectile kinematics.

    PubMed

    Bruggeman, Hugo; Pick, Herbert L; Rieser, John J

    2005-05-01

    Skilled actions exhibit adjustment in calibration to bring about their goals. The sought-after calibrations change as a function of the environmental situation that stages the actions. In these experiments participants sat on one side of a rotating carousel and threw beanbags underhanded at a target fixed on the opposite side. Logically, aimed throwing in this situation involves adjustment to fit changes in limb dynamics (originating from Coriolis forces) and changes in perceived projectile kinematics (originating from the tangential velocity of thrower and target). We studied whether such adjustment involved one or multiple components of recalibration. An initial experiment showed that exposure to rotation while throwing beanbags produced a robust recalibration in the direction of underhanded throws as manifest in throwing at stationary targets from a stationary position. Following some initial decay this recalibration persisted and approached an asymptote. Subsequent experiments suggested two independent components of recalibration. One is based on limb dynamics and accounts for the initial decay. The other is based on the perceived projectile kinematics and accounts for the stable change in throwing direction. These results raised the question of how multiple components of recalibration of an action are related. We propose that movement components are independent and calibrated separately at different levels in the organization of an action.

  16. Construction of a Solid State Research Facility, Building 3150. Environmental Assessment

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

    Not Available

    1993-07-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to construct a new facility to house the Materials Synthesis Group (MSG) and the Semiconductor Physics Group (SPG) of the Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The location of the proposed action is Roane County, Tennessee. MSG is involved in the study of crystal growth and the preparation and characterization of advanced materials, such as high-temperature superconductors, while SPG is involved in semiconductor physics research. All MSG and a major pardon of SPG research activities are now conducted in Building 2000, a deteriorating structure constructed in the 1940. The physical deterioration ofmore » the roof; the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; and the plumbing make this building inadequate for supporting research activities. The proposed project is needed to provide laboratory and office space for MSG and SPG and to ensure that research activities can continue without interruption due to deficiencies in the building and its associated utility systems.« less

  17. 78 FR 23740 - Notice of Availability of a Swine Brucellosis and Pseudorabies Proposed Action Plan

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-22

    ...] Notice of Availability of a Swine Brucellosis and Pseudorabies Proposed Action Plan AGENCY: Animal and... proposed action plan describing a potential new approach to managing swine brucellosis and pseudorabies...-0086) a notice that made a proposed action plan describing a potential new approach to managing swine...

  18. 77 FR 37953 - Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-25

    ... Proposed Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION... final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The action relates to the proposed Fore River Bridge..., 2012, the FHWA published ``Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Bridge in Massachusetts...

  19. [Healthcare manager and project management of quality improvement : analysis of managerial action using a professional hands-on training in project management].

    PubMed

    Dujardin, Pierre-Philippe; Reverdy, Thomas; Valette, Annick; François, Patrice

    2016-06-01

    Introduction : project management is on the expected proficiencies for head nurses. Context : The work on the organizations’ improvement carried out by head nurses, is rarely covered in the literature. Objectives : to follow the implementation of actions from projects led by head nurses and to analyze the parameters of success. Method : for a year, an intervention study has followed 17 projects initiating improvement measures. Semistructured interviews were conducted with health-care teams and managers. All of them reported the results of the implementation of each measure as an operational improvement. A mixed analysis containing a logistic regression investigated associations between the result of the action and the various contextual characteristics. Results : this study involved 111 actions. 71 % of them concluded an operational improvement. The organizational and supporting actions had a high success rate, which decreased when hazards were not managed by healthcare managers. Discussion : this study highlights the place of strategies through the implementing methods and the chosen actions. Recommendations are made in order to promote a collective assessment. Conclusion : scientific approaches are proposed to discuss the organizational work.

  20. Department of Energy PEIS scoping session

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

    Badar, L

    1992-12-10

    This is the second programmatic environmental impact statement scoping session held in Durango, Colorado. The purpose was: to present the ground water program so as to build some familiarity and understanding about the issue involved; and to get Durango community's input. Scoping is the collection of information and getting everyone involved and really making a team out of coming up with a proposed action. This report contains the presentations made by the project manager for the Uranium Mill Tailings (UMTRA) program, site manager for the Durango UMTRA site, manager of ground water hydrology, and include comments made by local residents.

  1. Decision-making under surprise and uncertainty: Arsenic contamination of water supplies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Randhir, Timothy O.; Mozumder, Pallab; Halim, Nafisa

    2018-05-01

    With ignorance and potential surprise dominating decision making in water resources, a framework for dealing with such uncertainty is a critical need in hydrology. We operationalize the 'potential surprise' criterion proposed by Shackle, Vickers, and Katzner (SVK) to derive decision rules to manage water resources under uncertainty and ignorance. We apply this framework to managing water supply systems in Bangladesh that face severe, naturally occurring arsenic contamination. The uncertainty involved with arsenic in water supplies makes the application of conventional analysis of decision-making ineffective. Given the uncertainty and surprise involved in such cases, we find that optimal decisions tend to favor actions that avoid irreversible outcomes instead of conventional cost-effective actions. We observe that a diversification of the water supply system also emerges as a robust strategy to avert unintended outcomes of water contamination. Shallow wells had a slight higher optimal level (36%) compare to deep wells and surface treatment which had allocation levels of roughly 32% under each. The approach can be applied in a variety of other cases that involve decision making under uncertainty and surprise, a frequent situation in natural resources management.

  2. Differential activation of brain regions involved with error-feedback and imitation based motor simulation when observing self and an expert's actions in pilots and non-pilots on a complex glider landing task.

    PubMed

    Callan, Daniel E; Terzibas, Cengiz; Cassel, Daniel B; Callan, Akiko; Kawato, Mitsuo; Sato, Masa-Aki

    2013-05-15

    In this fMRI study we investigate neural processes related to the action observation network using a complex perceptual-motor task in pilots and non-pilots. The task involved landing a glider (using aileron, elevator, rudder, and dive brake) as close to a target as possible, passively observing a replay of one's own previous trial, passively observing a replay of an expert's trial, and a baseline do nothing condition. The objective of this study is to investigate two types of motor simulation processes used during observation of action: imitation based motor simulation and error-feedback based motor simulation. It has been proposed that the computational neurocircuitry of the cortex is well suited for unsupervised imitation based learning, whereas, the cerebellum is well suited for error-feedback based learning. Consistent with predictions, pilots (to a greater extent than non-pilots) showed significant differential activity when observing an expert landing the glider in brain regions involved with imitation based motor simulation (including premotor cortex PMC, inferior frontal gyrus IFG, anterior insula, parietal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, and middle temporal MT area) than when observing one's own previous trial which showed significant differential activity in the cerebellum (only for pilots) thought to be concerned with error-feedback based motor simulation. While there was some differential brain activity for pilots in regions involved with both Execution and Observation of the flying task (potential Mirror System sites including IFG, PMC, superior parietal lobule) the majority was adjacent to these areas (Observation Only Sites) (predominantly in PMC, IFG, and inferior parietal loblule). These regions showing greater activity for observation than for action may be involved with processes related to motor-based representational transforms that are not necessary when actually carrying out the task. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Multimodal Hierarchical Dirichlet Process-Based Active Perception by a Robot

    PubMed Central

    Taniguchi, Tadahiro; Yoshino, Ryo; Takano, Toshiaki

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we propose an active perception method for recognizing object categories based on the multimodal hierarchical Dirichlet process (MHDP). The MHDP enables a robot to form object categories using multimodal information, e.g., visual, auditory, and haptic information, which can be observed by performing actions on an object. However, performing many actions on a target object requires a long time. In a real-time scenario, i.e., when the time is limited, the robot has to determine the set of actions that is most effective for recognizing a target object. We propose an active perception for MHDP method that uses the information gain (IG) maximization criterion and lazy greedy algorithm. We show that the IG maximization criterion is optimal in the sense that the criterion is equivalent to a minimization of the expected Kullback–Leibler divergence between a final recognition state and the recognition state after the next set of actions. However, a straightforward calculation of IG is practically impossible. Therefore, we derive a Monte Carlo approximation method for IG by making use of a property of the MHDP. We also show that the IG has submodular and non-decreasing properties as a set function because of the structure of the graphical model of the MHDP. Therefore, the IG maximization problem is reduced to a submodular maximization problem. This means that greedy and lazy greedy algorithms are effective and have a theoretical justification for their performance. We conducted an experiment using an upper-torso humanoid robot and a second one using synthetic data. The experimental results show that the method enables the robot to select a set of actions that allow it to recognize target objects quickly and accurately. The numerical experiment using the synthetic data shows that the proposed method can work appropriately even when the number of actions is large and a set of target objects involves objects categorized into multiple classes. The results support our theoretical outcomes. PMID:29872389

  4. Multimodal Hierarchical Dirichlet Process-Based Active Perception by a Robot.

    PubMed

    Taniguchi, Tadahiro; Yoshino, Ryo; Takano, Toshiaki

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we propose an active perception method for recognizing object categories based on the multimodal hierarchical Dirichlet process (MHDP). The MHDP enables a robot to form object categories using multimodal information, e.g., visual, auditory, and haptic information, which can be observed by performing actions on an object. However, performing many actions on a target object requires a long time. In a real-time scenario, i.e., when the time is limited, the robot has to determine the set of actions that is most effective for recognizing a target object. We propose an active perception for MHDP method that uses the information gain (IG) maximization criterion and lazy greedy algorithm. We show that the IG maximization criterion is optimal in the sense that the criterion is equivalent to a minimization of the expected Kullback-Leibler divergence between a final recognition state and the recognition state after the next set of actions. However, a straightforward calculation of IG is practically impossible. Therefore, we derive a Monte Carlo approximation method for IG by making use of a property of the MHDP. We also show that the IG has submodular and non-decreasing properties as a set function because of the structure of the graphical model of the MHDP. Therefore, the IG maximization problem is reduced to a submodular maximization problem. This means that greedy and lazy greedy algorithms are effective and have a theoretical justification for their performance. We conducted an experiment using an upper-torso humanoid robot and a second one using synthetic data. The experimental results show that the method enables the robot to select a set of actions that allow it to recognize target objects quickly and accurately. The numerical experiment using the synthetic data shows that the proposed method can work appropriately even when the number of actions is large and a set of target objects involves objects categorized into multiple classes. The results support our theoretical outcomes.

  5. Gauge-invariant flow equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wetterich, C.

    2018-06-01

    We propose a closed gauge-invariant functional flow equation for Yang-Mills theories and quantum gravity that only involves one macroscopic gauge field or metric. It is based on a projection on physical and gauge fluctuations. Deriving this equation from a functional integral we employ the freedom in the precise choice of the macroscopic field and the effective average action in order to realize a closed and simple form of the flow equation.

  6. Managing the life cycle of electronic clinical documents.

    PubMed

    Payne, Thomas H; Graham, Gail

    2006-01-01

    To develop a model of the life cycle of clinical documents from inception to use in a person's medical record, including workflow requirements from clinical practice, local policy, and regulation. We propose a model for the life cycle of clinical documents as a framework for research on documentation within electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Our proposed model includes three axes: the stages of the document, the roles of those involved with the document, and the actions those involved may take on the document at each stage. The model includes the rules to describe who (in what role) can perform what actions on the document, and at what stages they can perform them. Rules are derived from needs of clinicians, and requirements of hospital bylaws and regulators. Our model encompasses current practices for paper medical records and workflow in some EMR systems. Commercial EMR systems include methods for implementing document workflow rules. Workflow rules that are part of this model mirror functionality in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) EMR system where the Authorization/ Subscription Utility permits document life cycle rules to be written in English-like fashion. Creating a model of the life cycle of clinical documents serves as a framework for discussion of document workflow, how rules governing workflow can be implemented in EMR systems, and future research of electronic documentation.

  7. Understanding intentional actions from observers' viewpoints: A social neuroscience perspective.

    PubMed

    Isoda, Masaki

    2016-11-01

    When we see others, we also try to 'see' their unobservable states of minds, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions. We carefully monitor others' actions, as we assume that those actions are outward manifestations of their internal states. Actors and observers can have divergent views on the cause of the same actions. Critically, it is often the observers' view that affects important decisions in social life, from deciding the optimal level of cooperation to judging moral responsibility and court's decisions. Thus, the judgment about intentionality and agency in others' actions determines the way in which the observer deals with the actor. The primate brain has two separate neural systems that function in understanding others' actions and intentions. The mirror system is activated by others' visible actions and predicts their physical consequences in goal terms, whereas the mentalizing system is primarily involved in the prediction of others' intentions and upcoming actions regardless of whether others' actions are directly observable or not. The functional roles of the two systems have sometimes been described as mutually independent or even oppositional. I propose a hypothesis that the two systems may collaborate closely for judging the sense of other-agency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

  8. Aircraft accident investigation: the decision-making in initial action scenario.

    PubMed

    Barreto, Marcia M; Ribeiro, Selma L O

    2012-01-01

    In the complex aeronautical environment, the efforts in terms of operational safety involve the adoption of proactive and reactive measures. The process of investigation begins right after the occurrence of the aeronautical accident, through the initial action. Thus, it is in the crisis scenario, that the person responsible for the initial action makes decisions and gathers the necessary information for the subsequent phases of the investigation process. Within this scenario, which is a natural environment, researches have shown the fragility of rational models of decision making. The theoretical perspective of naturalistic decision making constitutes a breakthrough in the understanding of decision problems demanded by real world. The proposal of this study was to verify if the initial action, after the occurrence of an accident, and the decision-making strategies, used by the investigators responsible for this activity, are characteristic of the naturalistic decision making theoretical approach. To attend the proposed objective a descriptive research was undertaken with a sample of professionals that work in this activity. The data collected through individual interviews were analyzed and the results demonstrated that the initial action environment, which includes restricted time, dynamic conditions, the presence of multiple actors, stress and insufficient information is characteristic of the naturalistic decision making. They also demonstrated that, when the investigators make their decisions, they use their experience and the mental simulation, intuition, improvisation, metaphors and analogues cases, as strategies, all of them related to the naturalistic approach of decision making, in order to satisfy the needs of the situation and reach the objectives of the initial action in the accident scenario.

  9. 5 CFR 432.105 - Proposing and taking action based on unacceptable performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... unacceptable performance. 432.105 Section 432.105 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PERFORMANCE BASED REDUCTION IN GRADE AND REMOVAL ACTIONS § 432.105 Proposing and taking action based on unacceptable performance. (a) Proposing action based on unacceptable performance...

  10. 76 FR 6153 - Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Campo Regional Landfill Project on...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-03

    ... for the Proposed Campo Regional Landfill Project on the Campo Indian Reservation, San Diego County, CA... proposed Campo Regional Landfill Project (Proposed Action) to be located on the Campo Indian Reservation... Landfill Project (Proposed Action). There is no Federal action of amended lease and amended sublease...

  11. The Voluntary Nature of Decision-Making in Addiction: Static Metaphysical Views Versus Epistemologically Dynamic Views.

    PubMed

    Racine, Eric; Rousseau-Lesage, Simon

    2017-06-01

    The degree of autonomy present in the choices made by individuals with an addiction, notably in the context of research, is unclear and debated. Some have argued that addiction, as it is commonly understood, prevents people from having sufficient decision-making capacity or self-control to engage in choices involving substances to which they have an addiction. Others have criticized this position for being too radical and have counter-argued in favour of the full autonomy of people with an addiction. Aligning ourselves with middle-ground positions between these two extremes, we flesh out an account of voluntary action that makes room for finer-grained analyses than the proposed all-or-nothing stances, which rely on a rather static metaphysical understanding of the nature of the voluntariness of action. In contrast, a dynamic concept of voluntary action better accounts for varying levels of voluntariness of the person with an addiction which takes into consideration internal (e.g. cravings) and external (e.g. perceptions of degrees of freedom related to different options) determinants of choice. Accordingly, like other components of autonomous choices such as level of information, voluntariness can fluctuate. Therefore, there are important implications for research and clinical ethics in matters of consent, recruitment, and therapeutic approaches. Overall, our proposal is inspired by a pragmatist understanding of voluntary action, notably with respect to how voluntariness is both informed by actions and experiences that shape one's view of the world. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Neuroimaging studies of the striatum in cognition Part I: healthy individuals

    PubMed Central

    Provost, Jean-Sebastien; Hanganu, Alexandru; Monchi, Oury

    2015-01-01

    The striatum has traditionally mainly been associated with playing a key role in the modulation of motor functions. Indeed, lesion studies in animals and studies of some neurological conditions in humans have brought further evidence to this idea. However, better methods of investigation have raised concerns about this notion, and it was proposed that the striatum could also be involved in different types of functions including cognitive ones. Although the notion was originally a matter of debate, it is now well-accepted that the caudate nucleus contributes to cognition, while the putamen could be involved in motor functions, and to some extent in cognitive functions as well. With the arrival of modern neuroimaging techniques in the early 1990, knowledge supporting the cognitive aspect of the striatum has greatly increased, and a substantial number of scientific papers were published studying the role of the striatum in healthy individuals. For the first time, it was possible to assess the contribution of specific areas of the brain during the execution of a cognitive task. Neuroanatomical studies have described functional loops involving the striatum and the prefrontal cortex suggesting a specific interaction between these two structures. This review examines the data up to date and provides strong evidence for a specific contribution of the fronto-striatal regions in different cognitive processes, such as set-shifting, self-initiated responses, rule learning, action-contingency, and planning. Finally, a new two-level functional model involving the prefrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum is proposed suggesting an essential role of the dorsal striatum in selecting between competing potential responses or actions, and in resolving a high level of ambiguity. PMID:26500513

  13. Neuroimaging studies of the striatum in cognition Part I: healthy individuals.

    PubMed

    Provost, Jean-Sebastien; Hanganu, Alexandru; Monchi, Oury

    2015-01-01

    The striatum has traditionally mainly been associated with playing a key role in the modulation of motor functions. Indeed, lesion studies in animals and studies of some neurological conditions in humans have brought further evidence to this idea. However, better methods of investigation have raised concerns about this notion, and it was proposed that the striatum could also be involved in different types of functions including cognitive ones. Although the notion was originally a matter of debate, it is now well-accepted that the caudate nucleus contributes to cognition, while the putamen could be involved in motor functions, and to some extent in cognitive functions as well. With the arrival of modern neuroimaging techniques in the early 1990, knowledge supporting the cognitive aspect of the striatum has greatly increased, and a substantial number of scientific papers were published studying the role of the striatum in healthy individuals. For the first time, it was possible to assess the contribution of specific areas of the brain during the execution of a cognitive task. Neuroanatomical studies have described functional loops involving the striatum and the prefrontal cortex suggesting a specific interaction between these two structures. This review examines the data up to date and provides strong evidence for a specific contribution of the fronto-striatal regions in different cognitive processes, such as set-shifting, self-initiated responses, rule learning, action-contingency, and planning. Finally, a new two-level functional model involving the prefrontal cortex and the dorsal striatum is proposed suggesting an essential role of the dorsal striatum in selecting between competing potential responses or actions, and in resolving a high level of ambiguity.

  14. Extraction of honey from underground bee nests by central African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in Loango National Park, Gabon: Techniques and individual differences.

    PubMed

    Estienne, Vittoria; Stephens, Colleen; Boesch, Christophe

    2017-08-01

    A detailed analysis of tool use behaviors can disclose the underlying cognitive traits of the users. We investigated the technique used by wild chimpanzees to extract the underground nests of stingless bees (Meliplebeia lendliana), which represent a hard-to-reach resource given their highly undetectable location. Using remote-sensor camera trap footage, we analyzed 151 visits to 50 different bee nests by 18 adult chimpanzees of both sexes. We quantified the degree of complexity and flexibility of this technique by looking at the behavioral repertoire and at its structural organization. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models to test whether individuals differed in their action repertoire sizes and in their action sequencing patterns, as well as in their preferences of use of different behavioral elements (namely, actions, and grip types). We found that subjects showed non-randomly organized sequences of actions and that the occurrence of certain actions was predicted by the type of the previous action in the sequences. Subjects did not differ in their repertoire sizes, and all used extractive actions involving tools more often than manual digging. As for the type of grip employed, the grip involving the coordinated use of hands and feet together was most frequently used by all subjects when perforating, and we detected significant individual preferences in this domain. Overall, we describe a highly complex and flexible extractive technique, and propose the existence of inter-individual variation in it. We discuss our results in the light of the evolution of higher cognitive abilities in the human lineage. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Receptor-mediated presynaptic facilitation of quantal release of acetylcholine induced by pralidoxime in Aplysia.

    PubMed

    Fossier, P; Baux, G; Poulain, B; Tauc, L

    1990-09-01

    1. Possible interactions of contrathion (pralidoxime sulfomethylate), a reactivator of phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase (AChE), with the regulation of cholinergic transmission were investigated on an identified synapse in the buccal ganglion of Aplysia californica. 2. Transmitter release was evoked either by a presynaptic action potential or, under voltage clamp, by a long depolarization of the presynaptic cell. At concentrations higher than 10(-5) M, bath-applied contrathion decreased the amplitude of miniature postsynaptic currents and increased their decay time. At the same time, the quantal release of ACh was transiently facilitated. The facilitatory effect of contrathion was prevented by tubocurarine but not by atropine. Because in this preparation, these drugs block, respectively, the presynaptic nicotinic-like and muscarinic-like receptors involved in positive and negative feedback of ACh release, we proposed that contrathion activates presynaptic nicotinic-like receptors. 3. Differential desensitization of the presynaptic receptors is proposed to explain the transience of the facilitatory action of contrathion on ACh release. 4. The complexity of the synaptic action of contrathion raises the possibility that its therapeutic effects in AChE poisonings are not limited to AChE reactivation.

  16. DUF6 Conversion Facility EIS Alternatives

    Science.gov Websites

    in the Depleted UF6 Conversion Facility EISs. Proposed Action The proposed action evaluated in each Action Alternative No Action Alternative. Under the "no action" alternative, cylinder

  17. 76 FR 9853 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in California

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in California AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project...

  18. 76 FR 80846 - Definition of Enforcement Action

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-27

    ... Definition of Enforcement Action AGENCY: National Indian Gaming Commission, Interior. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend NIGC regulations to include definitions for ``enforcement action''. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act authorizes the NIGC to take certain actions in regard...

  19. Molecular and elemental effects underlying the biochemical action of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in appetite control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surowka, Artur D.; Ziomber, Agata; Czyzycki, Mateusz; Migliori, Alessandro; Kasper, Kaja; Szczerbowska-Boruchowska, Magdalena

    2018-04-01

    Recent studies highlight that obesity may alter the electric activity in brain areas triggering appetite and craving. Transcranial direct current brain stimulation (tDCS) has recently emerged as a safe alternative for treating food addiction via modulating cortical excitability without any high-risk surgical procedure to be utilized. As for anodal-type tDCS (atDCS), we observe increased excitability and spontaneous firing of the cortical neurons, whilst for the cathodal-type tDCS (ctDCS) a significant decrease is induced. Unfortunately, for the method to be fully used in a clinical setting, its biochemical action mechanism must be precisely defined, although it is proposed that molecular remodelling processes play in concert with brain activity changes involving the ions of: Na, Cl, K and Ca. Herein, we proposed for the first time Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) microprobes for a combined molecular and elemental analysis in the brain areas implicated appetite control, upon experimental treatment by either atDCS or ctDCS. The study, although preliminary, shows that by stimulating the prefrontal cortex in the rats fed high-caloric nutrients, the feeding behavior can be significantly changed, resulting in significantly inhibited appetite. Both, atDCS and ctDCS produced significant molecular changes involving qualitative and structural properties of lipids, whereas atDCS was found with a somewhat more significant effect on protein secondary structure in all the brain areas investigated. Also, tDCS was reported to reduce surface masses of Na, Cl, K, and Ca in almost all brain areas investigated, although the atDCS deemed to have a stronger neuro-modulating effect. Taken together, one can report that tDCS is an effective treatment technique, and its action mechanism in the appetite control seems to involve a variety of lipid-, protein- and metal/non-metal-ion-driven biochemical changes, regardless the current polarization.

  20. 78 FR 52717 - Proposed Modification of Class E Airspace; Prineville, OR

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-26

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to modify Class E airspace at Prineville, OR, to accommodate aircraft using Area... proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport. DATES...

  1. 77 FR 75597 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Wilbur, WA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-21

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Wilbur Airport, Wilbur, WA. Controlled airspace is...) standard instrument approach procedures at Wilbur Airport, Wilbur, WA. The FAA is proposing this action to...

  2. 78 FR 40078 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Cody, WY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-03

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at the Cody VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range/Distance... proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations within the National...

  3. Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Widening Trench 36 of the 218-E-12B Low-Level Burial Ground, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

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

    N /A

    1999-02-11

    This environmental assessment was prepared to assess potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed action to widen and operate unused Trench 36 in the 218-E-12B Low-Level Burial Ground for disposal of low-level waste. Information contained herein will be used by the Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, to determine if the Proposed Action is a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. If the Proposed Action is determined to be major and significant, an environmental impact statement will be prepared. If the Proposed Action is determined not to be major and significant, a Findingmore » of No Significant Impact will be issued and the action may proceed. Criteria used to evaluate significance can be found in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations 1508.27. This environmental assessment was prepared in compliance with the ''National Environmental Policy Act of1969'', as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of ''National Environmental Policy Act'' (Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations 1500-1508), and the U.S. Department of Energy Implementing Procedures for ''National Environmental Polio Act'' (Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations 1021). The following is a description of each section of this environmental assessment. (1) Purpose and Need for Action. This section provides a brief statement concerning the problem or opportunity the U.S, Department of Energy is addressing with the Proposed Action. Background information is provided. (2) Description of the Proposed Action. This section provides a description of the Proposed Action with sufficient detail to identify potential environmental impacts. (3) Alternatives to the Proposed Action. This section describes reasonable,alternative actions to the Proposed Action, which addresses the Purpose and Need. A No Action Alternative, as required by Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations 1021, also is described. (4) Affected Environment. This section provides a brief description of the locale in which the Proposed Action would take place. (5) Environmental Impacts. This section describes the range of environmental impacts, beneficial and adverse, of the Proposed Action. Impacts of alternatives briefly are discussed. (6) Permits and Regulatory Requirements. This section provides a brief description of permits and regulatory requirements for the Proposed Action. (7) Organizations Consulted. This section lists any outside groups, agencies, or individuals contacted as part of the environmental assessment preparation and/or review. (8) References. This section provides a list of documents used to contribute information or data in preparation of this environmental assessment.« less

  4. Linear and nonlinear Biot waves in a noncohesive granular medium slab: transfer function, self-action, second harmonic generation.

    PubMed

    Legland, J-B; Tournat, V; Dazel, O; Novak, A; Gusev, V

    2012-06-01

    Experimental results are reported on second harmonic generation and self-action in a noncohesive granular medium supporting wave energy propagation both in the solid frame and in the saturating fluid. The acoustic transfer function of the probed granular slab can be separated into two main frequency regions: a low frequency region where the wave propagation is controlled by the solid skeleton elastic properties, and a higher frequency region where the behavior is dominantly due to the air saturating the beads. Experimental results agree well with a recently developed nonlinear Biot wave model applied to granular media. The linear transfer function, second harmonic generation, and self-action effect are studied as a function of bead diameter, compaction step, excitation amplitude, and frequency. This parametric study allows one to isolate different propagation regimes involving a range of described and interpreted linear and nonlinear processes that are encountered in granular media experiments. In particular, a theoretical interpretation is proposed for the observed strong self-action effect.

  5. Action Recognition Using Nonnegative Action Component Representation and Sparse Basis Selection.

    PubMed

    Wang, Haoran; Yuan, Chunfeng; Hu, Weiming; Ling, Haibin; Yang, Wankou; Sun, Changyin

    2014-02-01

    In this paper, we propose using high-level action units to represent human actions in videos and, based on such units, a novel sparse model is developed for human action recognition. There are three interconnected components in our approach. First, we propose a new context-aware spatial-temporal descriptor, named locally weighted word context, to improve the discriminability of the traditionally used local spatial-temporal descriptors. Second, from the statistics of the context-aware descriptors, we learn action units using the graph regularized nonnegative matrix factorization, which leads to a part-based representation and encodes the geometrical information. These units effectively bridge the semantic gap in action recognition. Third, we propose a sparse model based on a joint l2,1-norm to preserve the representative items and suppress noise in the action units. Intuitively, when learning the dictionary for action representation, the sparse model captures the fact that actions from the same class share similar units. The proposed approach is evaluated on several publicly available data sets. The experimental results and analysis clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  6. Using Action Planning to Build Organizational Capacity for the Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence.

    PubMed

    Schober, Daniel J; Fawcett, Stephen B

    2015-08-01

    The DELTA PREP Project aims to reduce risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). It engaged leadership and staff from 19 statewide domestic violence coalitions in building capacity to prevent IPV before it occurs (rather than solely responding to IPV). This article describes the process and outcomes associated with action planning to create coalition organizational change related to preventing IPV. Coalition staff and leadership planned for organizational changes in six goal areas: leadership, structures and processes, staffing, resource development, partnership development, and member agency development. Action planning was conducted during 2-day, in-person sessions that involved (a) review and refinement of coalition vision and mission statements, (b) interpretation of coalition assessments (for prevention capacity), (c) identification of specific organizational changes to be sought, and (d) specification of action steps for each proposed organizational change to be sought. The results show overall increases in the amounts, and variations in the kinds, of organizational changes that were facilitated by coalitions. Challenges related to action planning and future directions for capacity building among statewide IPV prevention coalitions are discussed. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  7. 78 FR 64595 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Illinois

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Illinois AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of... Sec. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, Circle Interchange, I-90/I-94 and I...

  8. 78 FR 14031 - Proposed Amendment of Class D Airspace; El Monte, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-04

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class D Airspace at El Monte Airport, El Monte, CA. This action, initiated by... particularly helpful in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are specifically...

  9. 77 FR 33687 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Fort Morgan, CO

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-07

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Fort Morgan, CO. Controlled airspace is necessary to... approach procedure at Fort Morgan Municipal Airport, Fort Morgan, CO. The FAA is proposing this action to...

  10. Managing Change in Organizations: A View of Centralization within the Department of Defense.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-05-01

    proposals themselves. Centralization decisions do not involve adding or subtracting tangible elements of existing defense programs. More subtly, a merger or...appropriate action that iust be taken to. reestablish supply support ’ 23 after unexpected disruptions (e.g., normal acquisition practices are useless when...March 1979. 2. Arbose, J. R., "Electrolux’s Quiet Acquisition Rampage", International Management, Vol 35, February 1980, pp 14-16. 3. Atkinson, Scott

  11. Feasibility Study of Shoreline Protection and Lake Level Regulation for Lake Ontario. Reconnaissance Report. Volume I. Main Report.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-11-01

    EVALUATION Impact Assessment 62 Evaluation 65 STUDY MANAGEMENT Interdisciplinary Study Approach 67 Public Involvement 69 Environmental Impact ...agencies to assess and document the effect of proposed actions on the envi- ronment in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In compliance with this 9...these being National Economic Development (NED) and Environmental Quality (EQ). It also specifies the range of impacts that must be assessed, and

  12. Changing Internal Representations of Self and Other: Philosophical Tools for the Attachment-Informed Psychotherapy with Perpetrators and Victims of Violence1

    PubMed Central

    Pârvan, Alexandra

    2016-01-01

    Attachment research shows that the formation of unconscious, insecure representations of the self, the other, and the self-other relations is linked to perpetration and receipt of violence. Attachment-focused therapy aims to change these internal schemata to more secure, adaptive representations by therapeutic work addressed to senses, emotions, and behavior. The paper proposes a new approach to altering the self and other representations in offenders and victims: it involves intellectual reflection on self, will, action and responsibility informed by Augustine’s views, facilitated by actual relational experience, and translated into a distinct self-soothing strategy. The reflective-experiential approach can complement existing methods of working with violent or traumatized individuals both within and outside an attachment theory framework. It consists in: identifying that a non-reflective nondistinction between self and behavior supports damaging self- and other- representations and interactions; proposing ways for clients to comprehend and consciously operate with the distinction between self and action. PMID:28936108

  13. [Depression and neuroplasticity. Interaction of nervous, endocrine and immune systems].

    PubMed

    Cassano, Paola; Argibay, Pablo

    2010-01-01

    Clinical depression is a physical and psychic disease that has neuropathological basis, although the clear understanding of its ethiopathology is still missing. There is evidence of a genetic component in depression, however, the participation of environment is crucial. Stress plays an essential role in the onset of depression. The interaction and the response of the endocrine system with the immune and nervous system are altered in depression. The observation of the effect of antidepressants on monoaminergic transmitters leads to the hypothesis of monoamines. However this hypothesis cannot explain many of the mechanisms involved in the action of antidepressants. The new hypothesis proposed to explain the action of antidepressant is the neuro-plasticity hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that the effects of antidepressants on nervous, immune and endocrine systems are able to induce neuroadaptative changes in the brain. The neuroplasticity have been described as the ability of the brain to reorganize itself and form new neuronal connections throughout life. It is proposed that antidepressants influence neuroplasticity inducing improvements in the symptoms of this illness.

  14. New strigolactone mimics: structure-activity relationship and mode of action as germinating stimulants for parasitic weeds.

    PubMed

    Zwanenburg, Binne; Nayak, Sandip K; Charnikhova, Tatsiana V; Bouwmeester, Harro J

    2013-09-15

    Strigolactones (SLs) are new plant hormones with varies important bio-functions. This Letter deals with germination of seeds of parasitic weeds. Natural SLs have a too complex structure for synthesis. Therefore, there is an active search for SL analogues and mimics with a simpler structure with retention of activity. SL analogues all contain the D-ring connected with an enone moiety through an enol ether unit. A new mechanism for the hydrolysis SL analogues involving bidentate bound water and an α,β-hydrolase with a Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad has been proposed. Newly discovered SL mimics only have the D-ring with an appropriate leaving group at C-5. A mode of action for SL mimics was proposed for which now supporting evidence is provided. As predicted an extra methyl group at C-4 of the D-ring blocks the germination of seeds of parasitic weeds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Public outreach, participatory communication, and communication impact assessment in Paris flood resilience policies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vicari, Rosa; Tchiguirinskaia, Ioulia; Schertzer, Daniel

    2017-04-01

    Adverse social impacts can reduce the intended benefits of a project aimed to reduce flood risks, and can threaten its viability if they are severe enough. In some other cases, the diverse impacts may mutually counter-balance each other, by furthermore strengthening and amplifying the social resilience. Social changes include those associated with the phenomenon known as the social construction of reality. In the case of proposed actions that involve controversy, attitudes and perceptions toward a proposed policy change are one of the variables that must be considered in determining the significance of impacts. This research entails an analysis of public authorities strategic documents developed during the last ten years in the context of strengthening Paris flood resilience. The review highlights a clear trend to encourage citizen participation and to share responsibilities with the population. This trend does not only express a political will to apply the principle of subsidiarity and decentralise risk management, it also springs from a growing awareness among public institutions of the impact that social construction of the reality can have. Hence the communication between local governments and citizens, especially a two-ways dialogue (i.e. participatory communication), has become a keystone of resilience strategies since it facilitates mutual understanding, shared goals identification and cooperation. More and more frequently flood resilience projects entail a communication strategy or focus on communication actions. However not all these project identify clear communication objectives, target audiences or monitor communication impact. Measuring communication indicators allows decision makers to compare the costs of communication actions with the economic, environmental, social, and sanitary costs of non-action. Those metrics also help to set up clear communication objectives at the beginning of a project, to evaluate and improve management capacities, to increase transparency and stakeholder involvement during and after a project. This research is being undertaken in partnership with Veolia.

  16. 76 FR 80847 - Enforcement Actions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-27

    ... Enforcement Actions AGENCY: National Indian Gaming Commission, Interior. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend NIGC regulations to include a graduated pre-enforcement process through which a tribe may come into compliance before an enforcement action is taken by the Chair...

  17. Spikelets in Pyramidal Neurons: Action Potentials Initiated in the Axon Initial Segment That Do Not Activate the Soma.

    PubMed

    Michalikova, Martina; Remme, Michiel W H; Kempter, Richard

    2017-01-01

    Spikelets are small spike-like depolarizations that can be measured in somatic intracellular recordings. Their origin in pyramidal neurons remains controversial. To explain spikelet generation, we propose a novel single-cell mechanism: somato-dendritic input generates action potentials at the axon initial segment that may fail to activate the soma and manifest as somatic spikelets. Using mathematical analysis and numerical simulations of compartmental neuron models, we identified four key factors controlling spikelet generation: (1) difference in firing threshold, (2) impedance mismatch, and (3) electrotonic separation between the soma and the axon initial segment, as well as (4) input amplitude. Because spikelets involve forward propagation of action potentials along the axon while they avoid full depolarization of the somato-dendritic compartments, we conjecture that this mode of operation saves energy and regulates dendritic plasticity while still allowing for a read-out of results of neuronal computations.

  18. The Role and Mechanisms of Action of Glucocorticoid Involvement in Memory Storage

    PubMed Central

    Sandi, Carmen

    1998-01-01

    Adrenal steroid hormones modulate learning and memory processes by interacting with specific glucocorticoid receptors at different brain areas. In this article, certain components of the physiological response to stress elicited by learning situations are proposed to form an integral aspect of the neurobiological mechanism underlying memory formation. By reviewing the work carried out in different learning models in chicks (passive avoidance learning) and rats (spatial orientation in the Morris water maze and contextual fear conditioning), a role for brain corticosterone action through the glucocorticoid receptor type on the mechanisms of memory consolidation is hypothesized. Evidence is also presented to relate post-training corticosterone levels to the strength of memory storage. Finally, the possible molecular mechanisms that might mediate the influences of glucocorticoids in synaptic plasticity subserving long-term memory formation are considered, mainly by focusing on studies implicating a steroid action through (i) glutamatergic transmission and (ii) cell adhesion molecules. PMID:9920681

  19. Structure-Derived Proton-Transfer Mechanism of Action Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ciszak, Ewa; Dominiak, Paulina

    2003-01-01

    The derivative of vitamin B1 thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is a cofactor of pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1p) that is involved in decarboxylation of pyruvate followed by reductive acetylation of lipoic acid covalently bound to a lysine residue of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase. The structure of E1p recently determined in our laboratory revealed patterns of association of foul subunits and specifics of two TPP binding sites. The mechanism of action in part includes a conserved hydrogen bond between the N1' atom of the aminopyrimidine ring of the cofactor and the carboxylate group of Glu59 from the beta subunits, and a V-conformation of the cofactor that brings the N4' atom of the aminopyrimidine ring to the distance of the intramolecular hydrogen bond formed with the C2-atom of the thiazolium moiety. The carboxylate group of Glu59 is the local proton acceptor that enables proton translocation within the aminopyrimidine ring and stabilization of the rare N4' - iminopyrimidine tautomer. Based on the analysis of E1p structure, we postulate that the protein environment drives N4' - amino/N4' - imino dynamics resulting in a concerted shuttle-like movement of the subunits. We also propose that this movement of the subunits is strictly coordinated with the two enzymatic reactions carried out in E1p by each of the two cofactor sites. It is proposed that these reactions are in alternating phases such that when one active site is involved in decarboxylation, the other is involved in acetylation of lipoyl noiety.

  20. 17 CFR 1.67 - Notification of final disciplinary action involving financial harm to a customer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... disciplinary action involving financial harm to a customer. 1.67 Section 1.67 Commodity and Securities... Miscellaneous § 1.67 Notification of final disciplinary action involving financial harm to a customer. (a) Definitions. For purposes of this section: (1) Final disciplinary action means any decision by or settlement...

  1. Dissociable Frontal–Striatal and Frontal–Parietal Networks Involved in Updating Hierarchical Contexts in Working Memory

    PubMed Central

    Nee, Derek Evan; Brown, Joshua W.

    2013-01-01

    Recent theories propose that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is organized in a hierarchical fashion with more abstract, higher level information represented in anterior regions and more concrete, lower level information represented in posterior regions. This hierarchical organization affords flexible adjustments of action plans based on the context. Computational models suggest that such hierarchical organization in the PFC is achieved through interactions with the basal ganglia (BG) wherein the BG gate relevant contexts into the PFC. Here, we tested this proposal using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were scanned while updating working memory (WM) with 2 levels of hierarchical contexts. Consistent with PFC abstraction proposals, higher level context updates involved anterior portions of the PFC (BA 46), whereas lower level context updates involved posterior portions of the PFC (BA 6). Computational models were only partially supported as the BG were sensitive to higher, but not lower level context updates. The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) showed the opposite pattern. Analyses examining changes in functional connectivity confirmed dissociable roles of the anterior PFC–BG during higher level context updates and posterior PFC–PPC during lower level context updates. These results suggest that hierarchical contexts are organized by distinct frontal–striatal and frontal–parietal networks. PMID:22798339

  2. 77 FR 18748 - Dicloran and Formetanate; Proposed Tolerance Actions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-28

    ... Dicloran and Formetanate; Proposed Tolerance Actions AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION... . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. General Information A. Does this action apply to me? You may be potentially affected by this action if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer...

  3. Mirror neuron system involvement in empathy: a critical look at the evidence.

    PubMed

    Baird, Amee D; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Wilson, Sarah J

    2011-01-01

    It has been proposed that the human mirror neuron system (MNS) plays an integral role in mediating empathy. In this review, we critically examine evidence from three bodies of research that have been cited as supporting this notion: (1) behavioral studies that have examined the relationship between imitation and empathy, (2) findings from functional neuroimaging studies that report a positive correlation between MNS activation and self-report on an empathy questionnaire, and (3) observations of impaired imitation and empathy in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, we briefly review lesion studies of the neural correlates of imitation and empathy. Current evidence suggests that the MNS is broadly involved in empathy, but at this stage there has been limited consideration of its various forms, including motor, emotional, and cognitive empathy. There are also various forms of imitation, encompassing emotional and non-emotional, automatic, and voluntary actions. We propose that the relationship between imitation and empathy may vary depending on the specific type of each of these abilities. Furthermore, these abilities may be mediated by partially distinct neural networks, which involve the MNS to a variable degree.

  4. Effects of action observation on corticospinal excitability: Muscle specificity, direction, and timing of the mirror response.

    PubMed

    Naish, Katherine R; Houston-Price, Carmel; Bremner, Andrew J; Holmes, Nicholas P

    2014-11-01

    Many human behaviours and pathologies have been attributed to the putative mirror neuron system, a neural system that is active during both the observation and execution of actions. While there are now a very large number of papers on the mirror neuron system, variations in the methods and analyses employed by researchers mean that the basic characteristics of the mirror response are not clear. This review focuses on three important aspects of the mirror response, as measured by modulations in corticospinal excitability: (1) muscle specificity; (2) direction; and (3) timing of modulation. We focus mainly on electromyographic (EMG) data gathered following single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), because this method provides precise information regarding these three aspects of the response. Data from paired-pulse TMS paradigms and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) are also considered when we discuss the possible mechanisms underlying the mirror response. In this systematic review of the literature, we examine the findings of 85 TMS and PNS studies of the human mirror response, and consider the limitations and advantages of the different methodological approaches these have adopted in relation to discrepancies between their findings. We conclude by proposing a testable model of how action observation modulates corticospinal excitability in humans. Specifically, we propose that action observation elicits an early, non-specific facilitation of corticospinal excitability (at around 90ms from action onset), followed by a later modulation of activity specific to the muscles involved in the observed action (from around 200ms). Testing this model will greatly advance our understanding of the mirror mechanism and provide a more stable grounding on which to base inferences about its role in human behaviour. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Environmental Assessment for the Transfer of 1100 AREA, Southern Rail Connection and Rolling Stock, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

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

    N /A

    This environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared to assess potential environmental impacts associated with the U.S. Department of Energy's proposed action: the transfer of the 1100 Area, southern rail connection and rolling stock to a non-federal entity. Impact information contained herein will be used by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office Manager, to determine if the proposed action is a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. If the proposed action is determined to be major and significant, an environmental impact statement will be prepared. If the proposed action is determined not to bemore » major and significant, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will be issued and the action can proceed. Criteria used to evaluate significance can be found in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1508.27. This EA was prepared in compliance with the ''National Environmental Policy Act'' (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), and the U.S. Department of Energy Implementing Procedures for NEPA (10 CFR 1021). The following is a description of each section of the EA. (1) Purpose and Need for Action. This provides a brief statement concerning the problem or opportunity the U.S. Department of Energy is addressing with the proposed action. As necessary, background information is provided. (2) Description of the Proposed Action. A description with sufficient detail to identify potential environmental impacts is provided. (3) Alternatives to the Proposed Action. Reasonable alternative actions, which would address the Purpose and Need, are described. A no action alternative, as required by 10 CFR 1021, also is described. (4) Affected Environment. This provides a brief description of the locale in which the proposed action takes place, and which may be environmentally impacted. (5) Environmental Impacts. The range of environmental impacts, beneficial and adverse, are described for the proposed action. Impacts of alternatives briefly are discussed. (6) Permits and Regulatory Requirements. A brief description of permits and regulatory requirements for the proposed action is provided. (7) Organizations Consulted. Any outside agencies, groups, or individuals contacted as part of environmental assessment documentation preparation are listed. (8) References. Documents used to provide information or data are listed. The appendices contain additional information necessary to support an understanding of the proposed action, alternatives, and potential impacts is provided. Comments resulting from review of the environmental assessment by states and tribes or other stakeholders and the response to those comments will be included in the appendices.« less

  6. 78 FR 18271 - Proposed Modification of VOR Federal Airway V-345 in the Vicinity of Ashland, WI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-26

    ... the Vicinity of Ashland, WI AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to modify the legal description of VHF... decommissioned in 2013. The FAA is proposing this action to remove that portion of V-345 affected by the loss of...

  7. Predictability of action sub-steps modulates motor system activation during the observation of goal-directed actions.

    PubMed

    Braukmann, Ricarda; Bekkering, Harold; Hidding, Margreeth; Poljac, Edita; Buitelaar, Jan K; Hunnius, Sabine

    2017-08-01

    Action perception and execution are linked in the human motor system, and researchers have proposed that this action-observation matching system underlies our ability to predict observed behavior. If the motor system is indeed involved in the generation of action predictions, activation should be modulated by the degree of predictability of an observed action. This study used EEG and eye-tracking to investigate whether and how predictability of an observed action modulates motor system activation as well as behavioral predictions in the form of anticipatory eye-movements. Participants were presented with object-directed actions (e.g., making a cup of tea) consisting of three action steps which increased in their predictability. While the goal of the first step was ambiguous (e.g., when making tea, one can first grab the teabag or the cup), the goals of the following steps became predictable over the course of the action. Motor system activation was assessed by measuring attenuation of sensorimotor mu- and beta-oscillations. We found that mu- and beta-power were attenuated during observation, indicating general activation of the motor system. Importantly, predictive motor system activation, indexed by beta-band attenuation, increased for each action step, showing strongest activation prior to the final (i.e. most predictable) step. Sensorimotor activity was related to participants' predictive eye-movements which also showed a modulation by action step. Our results demonstrate that motor system activity and behavioral predictions become stronger for more predictable action steps. The functional roles of sensorimotor oscillations in predicting other's actions are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. An improved silhouette for human pose estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hawes, Anthony H.; Iftekharuddin, Khan M.

    2017-08-01

    We propose a novel method for analyzing images that exploits the natural lines of a human poses to find areas where self-occlusion could be present. Errors caused by self-occlusion cause several modern human pose estimation methods to mis-identify body parts, which reduces the performance of most action recognition algorithms. Our method is motivated by the observation that, in several cases, occlusion can be reasoned using only boundary lines of limbs. An intelligent edge detection algorithm based on the above principle could be used to augment the silhouette with information useful for pose estimation algorithms and push forward progress on occlusion handling for human action recognition. The algorithm described is applicable to computer vision scenarios involving 2D images and (appropriated flattened) 3D images.

  9. Enhancing the Safety, Security and Resilience of ICT and Scada Systems Using Action Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnsen, Stig; Skramstad, Torbjorn; Hagen, Janne

    This paper discusses the results of a questionnaire-based survey used to assess the safety, security and resilience of information and communications technology (ICT) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems used in the Norwegian oil and gas industry. The survey identifies several challenges, including the involvement of professionals with different backgrounds and expertise, lack of common risk perceptions, inadequate testing and integration of ICT and SCADA systems, poor information sharing related to undesirable incidents and lack of resilience in the design of technical systems. Action research is proposed as a process for addressing these challenges in a systematic manner and helping enhance the safety, security and resilience of ICT and SCADA systems used in oil and gas operations.

  10. 78 FR 48078 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Tazewell, TN

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-07

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Tazewell, TN, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at New Tazewell Municipal Airport. This action would enhance the safety and...

  11. 76 FR 79563 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Sheridan, WY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-22

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Sheridan County Airport, Sheridan, WY. Decommissioning of the Sheridan Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN) has made this action necessary for the safety and...

  12. 77 FR 75596 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Morrisville, VT

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-21

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Morrisville, VT, as the Morrisville-Stowe Non-Directional... developed at Morrisville-Stowe State Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management...

  13. 77 FR 56586 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Gaylord, MI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-13

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Gaylord, MI. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Gaylord Regional Airport. Also, this action...

  14. 77 FR 49400 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Marysville, OH

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-16

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Marysville, OH. Additional controlled airspace is necessary... taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for...

  15. 77 FR 64919 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Princeton, KY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-24

    ... Class E Airspace; Princeton, KY AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Princeton, KY to... serving the Princeton-Caldwell County Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace...

  16. 40 CFR 77.4 - Administrator's action on proposed offset plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Administrator's action on proposed offset plans. 77.4 Section 77.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) EXCESS EMISSIONS § 77.4 Administrator's action on proposed offset plans. (a...

  17. 36 CFR 215.6 - Comments on proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...) Environmental Assessment. Comments on the proposed action shall be accepted for 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice. (ii) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the proposed action... period for the opportunity to comment on environmental assessments shall not be extended. (2) Computation...

  18. 36 CFR 215.6 - Comments on proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...) Environmental Assessment. Comments on the proposed action shall be accepted for 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice. (ii) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the proposed action... period for the opportunity to comment on environmental assessments shall not be extended. (2) Computation...

  19. 36 CFR 215.6 - Comments on proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) Environmental Assessment. Comments on the proposed action shall be accepted for 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice. (ii) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the proposed action... period for the opportunity to comment on environmental assessments shall not be extended. (2) Computation...

  20. 36 CFR 215.6 - Comments on proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...) Environmental Assessment. Comments on the proposed action shall be accepted for 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice. (ii) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the proposed action... period for the opportunity to comment on environmental assessments shall not be extended. (2) Computation...

  1. 36 CFR 215.6 - Comments on proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...) Environmental Assessment. Comments on the proposed action shall be accepted for 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice. (ii) Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the proposed action... period for the opportunity to comment on environmental assessments shall not be extended. (2) Computation...

  2. A Model of Consumer Response to Over-the-Counter Drug Advertising: Antecedents and Influencing Factors.

    PubMed

    Huh, Jisu; Delorme, Denise E; Reid, Leonard N

    2016-01-01

    Given the importance of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the health care marketplace and lack of systematic research on OTC drug advertising (OTCA) effects, this study tested a theory-based, product category-specific OTCA effects model. Structural equation modeling analysis of data for 1 OTC drug category, analgesics, supported the proposed model, explaining the OTCA effect process from key consumer antecedents to ad involvement, from ad involvement to ad attention, from ad attention to cognitive responses, then to affective/evaluative responses, leading to the final behavioral outcome. Several noteworthy patterns also emerged: (a) Product involvement was directly linked to ad attention, rather than exerting an indirect influence through ad involvement; (b) ad attention was significantly related to both cognitive and affective/evaluative responses to different degrees, with stronger links to cognitive responses; and (c) ad-prompted actions were influenced by both ad trust and ad attitude.

  3. Multiscale Monte Carlo equilibration: Two-color QCD with two fermion flavors

    DOE PAGES

    Detmold, William; Endres, Michael G.

    2016-12-02

    In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of a recently proposed multiscale thermalization algorithm to two-color quantum chromodynamics (QCD) with two mass-degenerate fermion flavors. The algorithm involves refining an ensemble of gauge configurations that had been generated using a renormalization group (RG) matched coarse action, thereby producing a fine ensemble that is close to the thermalized distribution of a target fine action; the refined ensemble is subsequently rethermalized using conventional algorithms. Although the generalization of this algorithm from pure Yang-Mills theory to QCD with dynamical fermions is straightforward, we find that in the latter case, the method is susceptible tomore » numerical instabilities during the initial stages of rethermalization when using the hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm. We find that these instabilities arise from large fermion forces in the evolution, which are attributed to an accumulation of spurious near-zero modes of the Dirac operator. We propose a simple strategy for curing this problem, and demonstrate that rapid thermalization--as probed by a variety of gluonic and fermionic operators--is possible with the use of this solution. Also, we study the sensitivity of rethermalization rates to the RG matching of the coarse and fine actions, and identify effective matching conditions based on a variety of measured scales.« less

  4. Deception and Cognitive Load: Expanding Our Horizon with a Working Memory Model

    PubMed Central

    Sporer, Siegfried L.

    2016-01-01

    Recently, studies on deception and its detection have increased dramatically. Many of these studies rely on the “cognitive load approach” as the sole explanatory principle to understand deception. These studies have been exclusively on lies about negative actions (usually lies of suspects of [mock] crimes). Instead, we need to re-focus more generally on the cognitive processes involved in generating both lies and truths, not just on manipulations of cognitive load. Using Baddeley’s (2000, 2007, 2012) working memory model, which integrates verbal and visual processes in working memory with retrieval from long-term memory and control of action, not only verbal content cues but also nonverbal, paraverbal, and linguistic cues can be investigated within a single framework. The proposed model considers long-term semantic, episodic and autobiographical memory and their connections with working memory and action. It also incorporates ironic processes of mental control (Wegner, 1994, 2009), the role of scripts and schemata and retrieval cues and retrieval processes. Specific predictions of the model are outlined and support from selective studies is presented. The model is applicable to different types of reports, particularly about lies and truths about complex events, and to different modes of production (oral, hand-written, typed). Predictions regarding several moderator variables and methods to investigate them are proposed. PMID:27092090

  5. Deception and Cognitive Load: Expanding Our Horizon with a Working Memory Model.

    PubMed

    Sporer, Siegfried L

    2016-01-01

    Recently, studies on deception and its detection have increased dramatically. Many of these studies rely on the "cognitive load approach" as the sole explanatory principle to understand deception. These studies have been exclusively on lies about negative actions (usually lies of suspects of [mock] crimes). Instead, we need to re-focus more generally on the cognitive processes involved in generating both lies and truths, not just on manipulations of cognitive load. Using Baddeley's (2000, 2007, 2012) working memory model, which integrates verbal and visual processes in working memory with retrieval from long-term memory and control of action, not only verbal content cues but also nonverbal, paraverbal, and linguistic cues can be investigated within a single framework. The proposed model considers long-term semantic, episodic and autobiographical memory and their connections with working memory and action. It also incorporates ironic processes of mental control (Wegner, 1994, 2009), the role of scripts and schemata and retrieval cues and retrieval processes. Specific predictions of the model are outlined and support from selective studies is presented. The model is applicable to different types of reports, particularly about lies and truths about complex events, and to different modes of production (oral, hand-written, typed). Predictions regarding several moderator variables and methods to investigate them are proposed.

  6. 78 FR 48081 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; McConnellsburg, PA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-07

    ... AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at McConnellsburg, PA, to accommodate a new Area...) serving Fulton County Medical Center Heliport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace...

  7. 78 FR 48841 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Kankakee, IL

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-12

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Kankakee, IL. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to... taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for...

  8. 78 FR 40076 - Proposed Establishment and Modification of Class E Airspace; Oakland, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-03

    ...; Oakland, CA AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above... instrument approach procedures at the airport. This action would also modify Class E surface airspace...

  9. 77 FR 56796 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Sault Ste Marie, ON

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-14

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Sault Ste Marie, ON. Changes to controlled airspace are... action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport...

  10. 76 FR 38582 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Clemson, SC

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-01

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Clemson, SC, as a runway extension requires amended Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Oconee County Regional Airport. This action would enhance the safety and...

  11. 78 FR 40265 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Action on Proposed Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-03

    ... on Proposed Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT... actions relate to the proposed Mitchell River Bridge (Bridge Street over the Mitchell River) Replacement...). A claim seeking judicial review of the Federal agency actions on the bridge project will be barred...

  12. 49 CFR 106.100 - Required information for a petition for rulemaking.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... of your proposed action on small businesses, small organizations, small governmental jurisdictions... scientific data available to you. (5) Any specific cases that support or demonstrate the need for your proposed action. (b) If the impact of your proposed action is substantial, and data or other information...

  13. 49 CFR 106.100 - Required information for a petition for rulemaking.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... of your proposed action on small businesses, small organizations, small governmental jurisdictions... scientific data available to you. (5) Any specific cases that support or demonstrate the need for your proposed action. (b) If the impact of your proposed action is substantial, and data or other information...

  14. 49 CFR 106.100 - Required information for a petition for rulemaking.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... of your proposed action on small businesses, small organizations, small governmental jurisdictions... scientific data available to you. (5) Any specific cases that support or demonstrate the need for your proposed action. (b) If the impact of your proposed action is substantial, and data or other information...

  15. 49 CFR 106.100 - Required information for a petition for rulemaking.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... of your proposed action on small businesses, small organizations, small governmental jurisdictions... scientific data available to you. (5) Any specific cases that support or demonstrate the need for your proposed action. (b) If the impact of your proposed action is substantial, and data or other information...

  16. A framework to promote collective action within the One Health community of practice: Using participatory modelling to enable interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and multi-level integration.

    PubMed

    Binot, Aurelie; Duboz, Raphaël; Promburom, Panomsak; Phimpraphai, Waraphon; Cappelle, Julien; Lajaunie, Claire; Goutard, Flavie Luce; Pinyopummintr, Tanu; Figuié, Muriel; Roger, François Louis

    2015-12-01

    As Southeast Asia (SEA) is characterized by high human and domestic animal densities, growing intensification of trade, drastic land use changes and biodiversity erosion, this region appears to be a hotspot to study complex dynamics of zoonoses emergence and health issues at the Animal-Human-Environment interface. Zoonotic diseases and environmental health issues can have devastating socioeconomic and wellbeing impacts. Assessing and managing the related risks implies to take into account ecological and social dynamics at play, in link with epidemiological patterns. The implementation of a One Health ( OH ) approach in this context calls for improved integration among disciplines and improved cross-sectoral collaboration, involving stakeholders at different levels. For sure, such integration is not achieved spontaneously, implies methodological guidelines and has transaction costs. We explore pathways for implementing such collaboration in SEA context, highlighting the main challenges to be faced by researchers and other target groups involved in OH actions. On this basis, we propose a conceptual framework of OH integration. Throughout 3 components (field-based data management, professional training workshops and higher education), we suggest to develop a new culture of networking involving actors from various disciplines, sectors and levels (from the municipality to the Ministries) through a participatory modelling process, fostering synergies and cooperation. This framework could stimulate long-term dialogue process, based on the combination of case studies implementation and capacity building. It aims for implementing both institutional OH dynamics (multi-stakeholders and cross-sectoral) and research approaches promoting systems thinking and involving social sciences to follow-up and strengthen collective action.

  17. Structure and Mode-of-Action of the Two-Peptide (Class-IIb) Bacteriocins.

    PubMed

    Nissen-Meyer, Jon; Oppegård, Camilla; Rogne, Per; Haugen, Helen Sophie; Kristiansen, Per Eugen

    2010-03-01

    This review focuses on the structure and mode-of-action of the two-peptide (class-IIb) bacteriocins that consist of two different peptides whose genes are next to each other in the same operon. Optimal antibacterial activity requires the presence of both peptides in about equal amounts. The two peptides are synthesized as preforms that contain a 15-30 residue double-glycine-type N-terminal leader sequence that is cleaved off at the C-terminal side of two glycine residues by a dedicated ABC-transporter that concomitantly transfers the bacteriocin peptides across cell membranes. Two-peptide bacteriocins render the membrane of sensitive bacteria permeable to a selected group of ions, indicating that the bacteriocins form or induce the formation of pores that display specificity with respect to the transport of molecules. Based on structure-function studies, it has been proposed that the two peptides of two-peptide bacteriocins form a membrane-penetrating helix-helix structure involving helix-helix-interacting GxxxG-motifs that are present in all characterized two-peptide bacteriocins. It has also been suggested that the membrane-penetrating helix-helix structure interacts with an integrated membrane protein, thereby triggering a conformational alteration in the protein, which in turn causes membrane-leakage. This proposed mode-of-action is similar to the mode-of-action of the pediocin-like (class-IIa) bacteriocins and lactococcin A (a class-IId bacteriocin), which bind to a membrane-embedded part of the mannose phosphotransferase permease in a manner that causes membrane-leakage and cell death.

  18. An Ethical (Descriptive) Framework for Judgment of Actions and Decisions in the Construction Industry and Engineering-Part I.

    PubMed

    Alkhatib, Omar J; Abdou, Alaa

    2018-04-01

    The construction industry is usually characterized as a fragmented system of multiple-organizational entities in which members from different technical backgrounds and moral values join together to develop a particular business or project. The greatest challenge in the construction process for the achievement of a successful practice is the development of an outstanding reputation, which is built on identifying and applying an ethical framework. This framework should reflect a common ethical ground for myriad people involved in this process to survive and compete ethically in today's turbulent construction market. This study establishes a framework for ethical judgment of behavior and actions conducted in the construction process. The framework was primarily developed based on the essential attributes of business management identified in the literature review and subsequently incorporates additional attributes identified to prevent breaches in the construction industry and common ethical values related to professional engineering. The proposed judgment framework is based primarily on the ethical dimension of professional responsibility. The Ethical Judgment Framework consists of descriptive approaches involving technical, professional, administrative, and miscellaneous terms. The framework provides the basis for judging actions as either ethical or unethical. Furthermore, the framework can be implemented as a form of preventive ethics, which would help avoid ethical dilemmas and moral allegations. The framework can be considered a decision-making model to guide actions and improve the ethical reasoning process that would help individuals think through possible implications and consequences of ethical dilemmas in the construction industry.

  19. Kinesthetic working memory and action control within the dorsal stream.

    PubMed

    Fiehler, Katja; Burke, Michael; Engel, Annerose; Bien, Siegfried; Rösler, Frank

    2008-02-01

    There is wide agreement that the "dorsal (action) stream" processes visual information for movement control. However, movements depend not only on vision but also on tactile and kinesthetic information (=haptics). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study investigates to what extent networks within the dorsal stream are also utilized for kinesthetic action control and whether they are also involved in kinesthetic working memory. Fourteen blindfolded participants performed a delayed-recognition task in which right-handed movements had to be encoded, maintained, and later recognized without any visual feedback. Encoding of hand movements activated somatosensory areas, superior parietal lobe (dorsodorsal stream), anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) and adjoining areas (ventrodorsal stream), premotor cortex, and occipitotemporal cortex (ventral stream). Short-term maintenance of kinesthetic information elicited load-dependent activity in the aIPS and adjacent anterior portion of the superior parietal lobe (ventrodorsal stream) of the left hemisphere. We propose that the action representation system of the dorsodorsal and ventrodorsal stream is utilized not only for visual but also for kinesthetic action control. Moreover, the present findings demonstrate that networks within the ventrodorsal stream, in particular the left aIPS and closely adjacent areas, are also engaged in working memory maintenance of kinesthetic information.

  20. Integrating human and natural systems in community psychology: an ecological model of stewardship behavior.

    PubMed

    Moskell, Christine; Allred, Shorna Broussard

    2013-03-01

    Community psychology (CP) research on the natural environment lacks a theoretical framework for analyzing the complex relationship between human systems and the natural world. We introduce other academic fields concerned with the interactions between humans and the natural environment, including environmental sociology and coupled human and natural systems. To demonstrate how the natural environment can be included within CP's ecological framework, we propose an ecological model of urban forest stewardship action. Although ecological models of behavior in CP have previously modeled health behaviors, we argue that these frameworks are also applicable to actions that positively influence the natural environment. We chose the environmental action of urban forest stewardship because cities across the United States are planting millions of trees and increased citizen participation in urban tree planting and stewardship will be needed to sustain the benefits provided by urban trees. We used the framework of an ecological model of behavior to illustrate multiple levels of factors that may promote or hinder involvement in urban forest stewardship actions. The implications of our model for the development of multi-level ecological interventions to foster stewardship actions are discussed, as well as directions for future research to further test and refine the model.

  1. Two different streams form the dorsal visual system: anatomy and functions.

    PubMed

    Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Matelli, Massimo

    2003-11-01

    There are two radically different views on the functional role of the dorsal visual stream. One considers it as a system involved in space perception. The other is of a system that codes visual information for action organization. On the basis of new anatomical data and a reconsideration of previous functional and clinical data, we propose that the dorsal stream and its recipient parietal areas form two distinct functional systems: the dorso-dorsal stream (d-d stream) and the ventro-dorsal stream (v-d stream). The d-d stream is formed by area V6 (main d-d extrastriate visual node) and areas V6A and MIP of the superior parietal lobule. Its major functional role is the control of actions "on line". Its damage leads to optic ataxia. The v-d stream is formed by area MT (main v-d extrastriate visual node) and by the visual areas of the inferior parietal lobule. As the d-d stream, v-d stream is responsible for action organization. It, however, also plays a crucial role in space perception and action understanding. The putative mechanisms linking action and perception in the v-d stream is discussed.

  2. 78 FR 52115 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Olean, NY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-22

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action... decommissioned, requiring airspace redesign at Cattaraugus County-Olean Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action...

  3. 78 FR 48079 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Danville, VA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-07

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action...). This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would update the airport's geographic coordinates. DATES...

  4. 78 FR 63903 - Airworthiness Directives; the Boeing Company Airplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-25

    ... Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM... corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD also specifies an optional action of doing an inspection for corrosion damage of the bonding brackets, and corrective actions if necessary, which would...

  5. May Stakeholders be Involved in Design Without Informed Consent? The Case of Hidden Design.

    PubMed

    Pols, A J K

    2017-06-01

    Stakeholder involvement in design is desirable from both a practical and an ethical point of view. It is difficult to do well, however, and some problems recur again and again, both of a practical nature, e.g. stakeholders acting strategically rather than openly, and of an ethical nature, e.g. power imbalances unduly affecting the outcome of the process. Hidden Design has been proposed as a method to deal with the practical problems of stakeholder involvement. It aims to do so by taking the observation of stakeholder actions, rather than the outcomes of a deliberative process, as its input. Furthermore, it hides from stakeholders the fact that a design process is taking place so that they will not behave differently than they otherwise would. Both aspects of Hidden Design have raised ethical worries. In this paper I make an ethical analysis of what it means for a design process to leave participants uninformed or deceived rather than acquiring their informed consent beforehand, and to use observation of actions rather than deliberation as input for design, using Hidden Design as a case study. This analysis is based on two sets of normative guidelines: the ethical guidelines for psychological research involving deception or uninformed participants from two professional psychological organisations, and Habermasian norms for a fair and just (deliberative) process. It supports the conclusion that stakeholder involvement in design organised in this way can be ethically acceptable, though under a number of conditions and constraints.

  6. The EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) Process in Relation to the Proposed Naval Task Force at Everett, Washington,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-01-01

    which involves unresolved conflicts e. V.V..4 President OMB Cirua * NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321) CEQ/EIS Guidelines 40 CFR 1500-1508 . 7 Excuiv Ordc...Classification and Declassification Committee under the EPA Administrator reviews and reco- 4 " mmends to the Administrator actions where conflicts arise out of...Ordinaces - 1. Permits 2. Regulations 3. Specific Enviromental Parameters 4. Zoning Regulations *!’- I. EIS statements for the Puget Sound Project

  7. 43 CFR 46.130 - Mitigation measures in analyses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Mitigation measures in analyses. 46.130... Mitigation measures in analyses. (a) Bureau proposed action. The analysis of the proposed action and any alternatives must include an analysis of the effects of the proposed action or alternative as well as analysis...

  8. 77 FR 38587 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Harbor Activities Related to the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-28

    ...), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental take..., 2008). Other Marine Mammals in the Proposed Action Area There are several cetaceans that have the... and are unlikely or rare in the proposed action area and the Delta Mariner's operations would not...

  9. 78 FR 64896 - EPA-R04-OAR-2013-0563; FRL-9902-18-Region 4

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-30

    ...: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to approve the State of..., such action will occur in a subsequent rulemaking. DATES: Written comments must be received on or... Emission Budgets Update VII. Proposed Action VIII. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews I. What is being...

  10. What is an affordance? 40 years later.

    PubMed

    Osiurak, François; Rossetti, Yves; Badets, Arnaud

    2017-06-01

    About 40 years ago, James J. Gibson coined the term "affordance" to describe the action possibilities offered to an animal by the environment with reference to the animal's action capabilities. Since then, this notion has acquired a multitude of meanings, generating confusion in the literature. Here, we offer a clear operationalization of the concept of affordances and related concepts in the field of tool use. Our operationalization is organized around the distinction between the physical (what is objectively observable) and neurocognitive (what is subjectively experienced) levels. This leads us to propose that motor control (dorso-dorsal system), mechanical knowledge (ventro-dorsal system) and function knowledge (ventral system) could be neurocognitive systems respectively involved in the perception of affordances, the understanding of mechanical actions and the storage of contextual relationships (three action-system model; 3AS). We end by turning to two key issues that can be addressed within 3AS. These issues concern the link between affordances and tool incorporation, and the constraints posed by affordances for tool use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Antibacterial action mode of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/poly(amidoamine) dendrimer core-shell nanoparticles against Escherichia coli correlated with molecular chain conformation.

    PubMed

    Wen, Yan; Yao, Fanglian; Sun, Fang; Tan, Zhilei; Tian, Liang; Xie, Lei; Song, Qingchao

    2015-03-01

    The action mode of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/poly(amidoamine) dendrimer core-shell nanoparticles (CM-HTCC/PAMAM) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) was investigated via a combination of approaches including measurements of cell membrane integrity, outer membrane (OM) and inner membrane (IM) permeability, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). CM-HTCC/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles likely acted in a sequent event-driven mechanism, beginning with the binding of positively charged groups from nanoparticle surface with negative cell surface, thereby causing the disorganization of cell membrane, and subsequent leakage of intracellular components which might ultimately lead to cell death. Moreover, the chain conformation of polymers was taken into account for a better understanding of the antibacterial action mode by means of viscosity and GPC measurements. High utilization ratio of positive charge and large specific surface area generated from a compacted conformation of CM-HTCC/PAMAM, significantly different from the extended conformation of HTCC, were proposed to be involved in the antibacterial action. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 426: Cactus Spring Waste Trenches, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada

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

    Dave Madsen

    This Closure Report provides the documentation for closure of the Cactus Spring Waste Trenches Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 426. The site is located on the Tonopah Test Range, approximately 225 kilometers northwest of Las Vegas, NV. CAU 426 consists of one corrective action site (CAS) which is comprised of four waste trenches. The trenches were excavated to receive solid waste generated in support of Operation Roller Coaster, primary the Double Tracks Test in 1963, and were subsequently backfilled. The Double Tracks Test involved use of live animals to assess the biological hazards associated with the nonnuclear detonation of plutonium-bearing devices.more » The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection approved Corrective Action Plan (CAP)which proposed ''capping'' methodology. The closure activities were completed in accordance with the approved CAP and consisted of constructing an engineered cover in the area of the trenches, constructing/planting a vegetative cover, installing a perimeter fence and signs, implementing restrictions on future use, and preparing a Post-Closure Monitoring Plan.« less

  13. Following instructions from working memory: Why does action at encoding and recall help?

    PubMed

    Jaroslawska, Agnieszka J; Gathercole, Susan E; Allen, Richard J; Holmes, Joni

    2016-11-01

    Two experiments investigated the consequences of action at encoding and recall on the ability to follow sequences of instructions. Children ages 7-9 years recalled sequences of spoken action commands under presentation and recall conditions that either did or did not involve their physical performance. In both experiments, recall was enhanced by carrying out the instructions as they were being initially presented and also by performing them at recall. In contrast, the accuracy of instruction-following did not improve above spoken presentation alone, either when the instructions were silently read or heard by the child (Experiment 1), or when the child repeated the spoken instructions as they were presented (Experiment 2). These findings suggest that the enactment advantage at presentation does not simply reflect a general benefit of a dual exposure to instructions, and that it is not a result of their self-production at presentation. The benefits of action-based recall were reduced following enactment during presentation, suggesting that the positive effects of action at encoding and recall may have a common origin. It is proposed that the benefits of physical movement arise from the existence of a short-term motor store that maintains the temporal, spatial, and motoric features of either planned or already executed actions.

  14. 78 FR 5152 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Easton, PA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-24

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action... Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) have been developed at Braden Airpark. This action would.... This action also would recognize the airport's name change and update the geographic coordinates of the...

  15. Comparative study of methods for recognition of an unknown person's action from a video sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hori, Takayuki; Ohya, Jun; Kurumisawa, Jun

    2009-02-01

    This paper proposes a Tensor Decomposition Based method that can recognize an unknown person's action from a video sequence, where the unknown person is not included in the database (tensor) used for the recognition. The tensor consists of persons, actions and time-series image features. For the observed unknown person's action, one of the actions stored in the tensor is assumed. Using the motion signature obtained from the assumption, the unknown person's actions are synthesized. The actions of one of the persons in the tensor are replaced by the synthesized actions. Then, the core tensor for the replaced tensor is computed. This process is repeated for the actions and persons. For each iteration, the difference between the replaced and original core tensors is computed. The assumption that gives the minimal difference is the action recognition result. For the time-series image features to be stored in the tensor and to be extracted from the observed video sequence, the human body silhouette's contour shape based feature is used. To show the validity of our proposed method, our proposed method is experimentally compared with Nearest Neighbor rule and Principal Component analysis based method. Experiments using 33 persons' seven kinds of action show that our proposed method achieves better recognition accuracies for the seven actions than the other methods.

  16. Industrial Fuel Gas Demonstration Plant Program. Volume 1. Demonstration plant environmental analysis (Deliverable No. 27)

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

    Gray, Robert W.; Swift, Richard J.; Krause, Arthur J.

    1979-08-01

    This environmental report describes the proposed action to construct, test and operate a coal gasification demonstration plant in Memphis, Tennessee, under the co-sponsorship of the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division (MLGW) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). This document is Volume I of a three-volume Environmental Report. Volume I consists of the Summary, Introduction and the Description of the Proposed Action. Volume II consists of the Description of the Existing Environment. Volume III contains the Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action, Mitigating Measures and Alternatives to the Proposed Action.

  17. Finding of No Significant Impact for the Environmental Assessment for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve West Hackberry Facility Raw Water Intake Pipeline Replacement Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana

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

    N /A

    DOE has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA-1497, for the proposed replacement of the existing 107 centimeter (cm) [42 inch (in)] 6.87 kilometer (km) [4.27 mile (mi)] raw water intake pipeline (RWIPL). This action is necessary to allow for continued, optimum operations at the West Hackberry facility (main site/facility). The EA described the proposed action (including action alternatives) and three alternatives to the proposed action. The EA evaluated only the potential environmental consequences of the proposed action (one action alternative), and Alternative 3, which consisted of the No Build Action that is required by 10 CFR 1021.321(c). Based on themore » analysis in DOE/EA-1497, DOE has determined that the proposed action does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting humans or the natural environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 USC 4321 et seq. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). To further minimize impacts to environmental media, the DOE will also implement a Mitigation Action Plan (MAP) for this action. The MAP is included as Appendix F of this EA, which is appended to this FONSI. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, authorizes the creation of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to store crude oil to reduce the United States' vulnerability to energy supply disruptions. Crude oil is stored in geologic formations, or salt domes, located under these facilities. The purpose of this proposed project is to construct a new RWIPL at the main site to replace the existing RWIPL which services this facility.« less

  18. Interim Action Proposed Plan for the Chemicals, Metals, and Pesticides (CMP) Pits Operable Unit

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

    Bradley, J.

    2002-06-18

    The purpose of this Interim Action Proposed Plan (IAPP) is to describe the preferred interim remedial action for addressing the Chemicals, Metals, and Pesticides (CMP) Pits Operable Unit and to provide an opportunity for public input into the remedial action selection process.

  19. 77 FR 66910 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in California

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in California AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice...). A claim seeking judicial review of the Federal agency actions on the highway project will be barred...

  20. 49 CFR 520.27 - Legislative actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Legislative actions. 520.27 Section 520.27... Legislative actions. (a) A DEIS on both legislative proposals and reports for which NHTSA either develops the... 72-6, “Proposed Federal Actions Affecting the Environment.” (c) A DEIS and any comments that have...

  1. 12 CFR 225.23 - Expedited action for certain nonbanking proposals by well-run bank holding companies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Expedited action for certain nonbanking proposals by well-run bank holding companies. 225.23 Section 225.23 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM....23 Expedited action for certain nonbanking proposals by well-run bank holding companies. (a) Filing...

  2. 76 FR 7721 - Importation of Live Swine, Swine Semen, Pork, and Pork Products; Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-11

    ... Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: We are proposing to amend the... list of regions considered free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and rinderpest. These proposed actions... action and implements decisions of the EU Parliament and Council. Prior to joining the EU in 2004, the...

  3. A year of living dangerously: the tobacco control community meets the global settlement.

    PubMed Central

    Bloch, M; Daynard, R; Roemer, R

    1998-01-01

    Momentum toward Congressional action on tobacco issues began with the announcement in June 1997 of a proposed "global tobacco settlement" between the tobacco industry, a group of state Attorneys General, and private class action lawyers. For the next year, tobacco issues received unprecedented national attention, culminating in the U.S. Senate's consideration and ultimate defeat of the McCain tobacco bill. Through the proposed settlement, the Attorneys General and others involved in talks with the industry sought to reduce tobacco use by attempting to forge a "win-win" solution for all parties. In exchange for money and public health concessions, the industry would be granted sweeping protection from litigation and thus a stable environment in which to operate. Members of the public health community responded to the "global tobacco settlement" in very different ways. The authors explore how different visions of possibilities and practicalities were played out in the fight for strong Federal tobacco control legislation and attempt to draw lessons for the future. Images p489-a p491-a p492-a p495-a p496-a PMID:9847920

  4. How to think about your drink: Action-identification and the relation between mindfulness and dyscontrolled drinking.

    PubMed

    Schellhas, Laura; Ostafin, Brian D; Palfai, Tibor P; de Jong, Peter J

    2016-05-01

    Cross-sectional and intervention research have shown that mindfulness is inversely associated with difficulties in controlling alcohol use. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms through which mindfulness is related to increased control over drinking. One potential mechanism consists of the way individuals represent their drinking behaviour. Action identification theory proposes that self-control of behaviour is improved by shifting from high-level representations regarding the meaning of a behaviour to lower-level representations regarding "how-to" aspects of a behaviour. Because mindfulness involves present-moment awareness, it may help to facilitate such shifts. We hypothesized that an inverse relation between mindfulness and dyscontrolled drinking would be partially accounted for by the way individuals mentally represent their drinking behaviour - i.e., reduced levels of high-level action identification and increased levels of low-level action identification. One hundred and twenty five undergraduate psychology students completed self-report measures of mindful awareness, action identification of alcohol use, and difficulty in controlling alcohol use. Results supported the hypothesis that high-level action identification partially mediates the relation between mindfulness and dyscontrolled drinking but did not support a mediating role for low-level action identification. These results suggest that mindfulness can improve self-control of alcohol by changing the way we think about our drinking behaviour. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. YoTube: Searching Action Proposal Via Recurrent and Static Regression Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Hongyuan; Vial, Romain; Lu, Shijian; Peng, Xi; Fu, Huazhu; Tian, Yonghong; Cao, Xianbin

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, we present YoTube-a novel network fusion framework for searching action proposals in untrimmed videos, where each action proposal corresponds to a spatialtemporal video tube that potentially locates one human action. Our method consists of a recurrent YoTube detector and a static YoTube detector, where the recurrent YoTube explores the regression capability of RNN for candidate bounding boxes predictions using learnt temporal dynamics and the static YoTube produces the bounding boxes using rich appearance cues in a single frame. Both networks are trained using rgb and optical flow in order to fully exploit the rich appearance, motion and temporal context, and their outputs are fused to produce accurate and robust proposal boxes. Action proposals are finally constructed by linking these boxes using dynamic programming with a novel trimming method to handle the untrimmed video effectively and efficiently. Extensive experiments on the challenging UCF-101 and UCF-Sports datasets show that our proposed technique obtains superior performance compared with the state-of-the-art.

  6. Three-Dimensional Kinematic Analysis of Prehension Movements in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: New Insights on Motor Impairment.

    PubMed

    Campione, Giovanna Cristina; Piazza, Caterina; Villa, Laura; Molteni, Massimo

    2016-06-01

    The study was aimed at better clarifying whether action execution impairment in autism depends mainly on disruptions either in feedforward mechanisms or in feedback-based control processes supporting motor execution. To this purpose, we analyzed prehension movement kinematics in 4- and 5-year-old children with autism and in peers with typical development. Statistical analysis showed that the kinematics of the grasp component was spared in autism, whereas early kinematics of the reach component was atypical. We discussed this evidence as suggesting impairment in the feedforward processes involved in action execution, whereas impairment in feedback-based control processes remained unclear. We proposed that certain motor abilities are available in autism, and children may use them differently as a function of motor context complexity.

  7. The mirror system, theory of mind and Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Alegre, Manuel; Guridi, Jorge; Artieda, Julio

    2011-11-15

    The mirror system includes a group of neurons in the monkey cortex that discharge both when a movement is executed and when that same movement is observed. An equivalent system in humans has been proposed to mediate action and emotion understanding, being therefore related to theory of mind. Theory of mind (TOM) is the ability to infer our own or, more frequently, other person's mental states. It is severely impaired in disorders of the autistic spectrum, but it is also affected in other neurological diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). Two recent studies have shown that the basal ganglia may be involved in action observation, as the subthalamic nucleus shows changes in activity during movement observation similar to those observed during movement execution. These findings suggest that the basal ganglia may be involved in mirror circuit activity, which might be affected in PD in a similar way to normal movement execution. Given the relationship between the mirror system and theory of mind, we hypothesize that TOM deficits in PD might be at least partially mediated by mirror system dysfunction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Resilient actions in the diagnostic process and system performance.

    PubMed

    Smith, Michael W; Davis Giardina, Traber; Murphy, Daniel R; Laxmisan, Archana; Singh, Hardeep

    2013-12-01

    Systemic issues can adversely affect the diagnostic process. Many system-related barriers can be masked by 'resilient' actions of frontline providers (ie, actions supporting the safe delivery of care in the presence of pressures that the system cannot readily adapt to). We explored system barriers and resilient actions of primary care providers (PCPs) in the diagnostic evaluation of cancer. We conducted a secondary data analysis of interviews of PCPs involved in diagnostic evaluation of 29 lung and colorectal cancer cases. Cases covered a range of diagnostic timeliness and were analysed to identify barriers for rapid diagnostic evaluation, and PCPs' actions involving elements of resilience addressing those barriers. We rated these actions according to whether they were usual or extraordinary for typical PCP work. Resilient actions and associated barriers were found in 59% of the cases, in all ranges of timeliness, with 40% involving actions rated as beyond typical. Most of the barriers were related to access to specialty services and coordination with patients. Many of the resilient actions involved using additional communication channels to solicit cooperation from other participants in the diagnostic process. Diagnostic evaluation of cancer involves several resilient actions by PCPs targeted at system deficiencies. PCPs' actions can sometimes mitigate system barriers to diagnosis, and thereby impact the sensitivity of 'downstream' measures (eg, delays) in detecting barriers. While resilient actions might enable providers to mitigate system deficiencies in the short run, they can be resource intensive and potentially unsustainable. They complement, rather than substitute for, structural remedies to improve system performance. Measures to detect and fix system performance issues targeted by these resilient actions could facilitate diagnostic safety.

  9. Environmental Assessment and Environmental Baseline Survey for the Lease Acquisition of T-Ramp Property from Allegheny County Airport Authority

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-09

    identified as wetlands or 50- or 100-year flood plains, neither wetlands nor flood plains will be adversely impacted by either the proposed action or the...In addition, the proposed action and no action alternative are not located within or would impact wetland areas. Therefore, a Finding ofNo...Practicable Alternative (FONPA) to avoid wetland impacts is not required for the proposed action. C C. PETERS, Col, USAFR DATE Commander, 911 1h Airlift

  10. Prediction processes during multiple object tracking (MOT): involvement of dorsal and ventral premotor cortices

    PubMed Central

    Atmaca, Silke; Stadler, Waltraud; Keitel, Anne; Ott, Derek V M; Lepsien, Jöran; Prinz, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Background The multiple object tracking (MOT) paradigm is a cognitive task that requires parallel tracking of several identical, moving objects following nongoal-directed, arbitrary motion trajectories. Aims The current study aimed to investigate the employment of prediction processes during MOT. As an indicator for the involvement of prediction processes, we targeted the human premotor cortex (PM). The PM has been repeatedly implicated to serve the internal modeling of future actions and action effects, as well as purely perceptual events, by means of predictive feedforward functions. Materials and methods Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), BOLD activations recorded during MOT were contrasted with those recorded during the execution of a cognitive control task that used an identical stimulus display and demanded similar attentional load. A particular effort was made to identify and exclude previously found activation in the PM-adjacent frontal eye fields (FEF). Results We replicated prior results, revealing occipitotemporal, parietal, and frontal areas to be engaged in MOT. Discussion The activation in frontal areas is interpreted to originate from dorsal and ventral premotor cortices. The results are discussed in light of our assumption that MOT engages prediction processes. Conclusion We propose that our results provide first clues that MOT does not only involve visuospatial perception and attention processes, but prediction processes as well. PMID:24363971

  11. 75 FR 7304 - Notice of Statute of Limitations on Claims; Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-18

    ... Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by the..., that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed Physical... 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A claim seeking judicial review of the Federal agency actions on the highway...

  12. Current status of the thiol redox model for the regulation of hexose transport by insulin.

    PubMed

    Czech, M P

    1976-12-01

    Data obtained over the last two years pertinent to the thiol redox model for the modulation of hexose transport activity by insulin is summarized. The model proposes that activation of hexose transport in fat cells involves sulfhydryl oxidation to the disulfide form in a key protein component of the fat cell surface membrane. Theoretically, the rapid activation of transport by insulin may involve either the conversion of inactive membrane carriers to the active form as originally proposed, or the conversion of a low Vmax transport system to a high Vmax form. The present experiments showed that the percent inhibition of insulin-activated transport rates by submaximal levels of cytochalasin B was decreased compared to its effects on basal transport. Treatment of fat cells with N-ethylmaleimide inhibited cytochalasin B action but not transport activity. When insulin or the oxidant vitamin K5 was added to cells 5 minutes before the N-ethylmaleimide, the elevated transport activity was also resistant to the sulfhydryl reagent, but cytochalasin B retained its potent inhibitory effect on transport. The data demonstrate that unique properties characterize basal versus insulin-activated transport activity with respect to the sensitivity of cytochalasin B action to sulfhydryl blockade in isolated fat cells. The data are consistent with the concept that activation of transport activity reflects the conversion of a reduced (sulfhydryl) system characterized by a low Vmax to an oxidized (disulfide), high Vmax transport system.

  13. 78 FR 52714 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Gainesville, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-26

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Gainesville, TX. Decommissioning of the Gainesville radio... developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are specifically invited on the overall...

  14. EG-VEGF: a key endocrine factor in placental development.

    PubMed

    Brouillet, Sophie; Hoffmann, Pascale; Feige, Jean-Jacques; Alfaidy, Nadia

    2012-10-01

    Endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF), also named prokineticin 1, is the canonical member of the prokineticin family. Numerous reports suggest a direct involvement of this peptide in normal and pathological reproductive processes. Recent advances propose EG-VEGF as a key endocrine factor that controls many aspects of placental development and suggest its involvement in the development of preeclampsia (PE), the most threatening pathology of human pregnancy. This review describes the finely tuned action and regulation of EG-VEGF throughout human pregnancy, argues for its clinical relevance as a potential diagnostic marker of the onset of PE, and discusses future research directions for therapeutic targeting of EG-VEGF. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Characterization of Enzymatic Activity of MlrB and MlrC Proteins Involved in Bacterial Degradation of Cyanotoxins Microcystins.

    PubMed

    Dziga, Dariusz; Zielinska, Gabriela; Wladyka, Benedykt; Bochenska, Oliwia; Maksylewicz, Anna; Strzalka, Wojciech; Meriluoto, Jussi

    2016-03-16

    Bacterial degradation of toxic microcystins produced by cyanobacteria is a common phenomenon. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of these processes is rudimentary. In this paper several novel discoveries regarding the action of the enzymes of the mlr cluster responsible for microcystin biodegradation are presented using recombinant proteins. In particular, the predicted active sites of the recombinant MlrB and MlrC were analyzed using functional enzymes and their inactive muteins. A new degradation intermediate, a hexapeptide derived from linearized microcystins by MlrC, was discovered. Furthermore, the involvement of MlrA and MlrB in further degradation of the hexapeptides was confirmed and a corrected biochemical pathway of microcystin biodegradation has been proposed.

  16. Environmental Assessment for New Hampshire Tracking Station B-Side Remote Tracking Station Block Change at New Boston Air Force Station, New Hampshire

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-29

    Action and Alternatives 9 2.5 Identification of the Preferred Action 10 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 13 3.1 New Boston Air Force Station 13 3.1.1 Air...the alternative actions is presented in Section 2.4. Finally, identification of the Preferred Action is presented in Section 2.5. 2.1 PROPOSED...presented in Chapter 4.0 of this EA. 2.5 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PREFERRED ACTION The USAF’s Preferred Action is to implement the Proposed Action at

  17. Resilient Actions in the Diagnostic Process and System Performance

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Michael W.; Giardina, Traber Davis; Murphy, Daniel R.; Laxmisan, Archana; Singh, Hardeep

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Systemic issues can adversely affect the diagnostic process. Many system-related barriers can be masked by ‘resilient’ actions of frontline providers (ie, actions supporting the safe delivery of care in the presence of pressures that the system cannot readily adapt to). We explored system barriers and resilient actions of primary care providers (PCPs) in the diagnostic evaluation of cancer. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis of interviews of PCPs involved in diagnostic evaluation of 29 lung and colorectal cancer cases. Cases covered a range of diagnostic timeliness and were analyzed to identify barriers for rapid diagnostic evaluation, and PCPs’ actions involving elements of resilience addressing those barriers. We rated these actions according to whether they were usual or extraordinary for typical PCP work. Results Resilient actions and associated barriers were found in 59% of the cases, in all ranges of timeliness, with 40% involving actions rated as beyond typical. Most of the barriers were related to access to specialty services and coordination with patients. Many of the resilient actions involved using additional communication channels to solicit cooperation from other participants in the diagnostic process. Discussion Diagnostic evaluation of cancer involves several resilient actions by PCPs targeted at system deficiencies. PCPs’ actions can sometimes mitigate system barriers to diagnosis, and thereby impact the sensitivity of ‘downstream’ measures (eg, delays) in detecting barriers. While resilient actions might enable providers to mitigate system deficiencies in the short run, they can be resource intensive and potentially unsustainable. They complement, rather than substitute for, structural remedies to improve system performance. Measures to detect and fix system performance issues targeted by these resilient actions could facilitate diagnostic safety. PMID:23813210

  18. 77 FR 21508 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Tallahassee, FL

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-10

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace in the Tallahassee, FL area. Tallahassee Commercial Airport has... in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are specifically invited on the...

  19. 78 FR 52718 - Proposed Revocation of Class E Airspace; Danville, IL

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-26

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to remove Class E airspace at Danville, IL. The FAA has determined that, because of... particularly helpful in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are specifically...

  20. Intelligent systems for strategic power infrastructure defense

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Ju-Hwan

    A fault or disturbance in a power system can be severe due to the sources of vulnerability such as human errors, protection and control system failures, a failure of communication networks to deliver critical control signals, and market and load uncertainties. There have been several catastrophic failures resulting from disturbances involving the sources of vulnerability while power systems are designed to withstand disturbances or faults. To avoid catastrophic failures or minimize the impact of a disturbance(s), the state of the power system has to be analyzed correctly and preventive or corrective self-healing control actions have to be deployed. This dissertation addresses two aspects of power systems: Defense system and diagnosis, both concerned with the power system analysis and operation during events involving faults or disturbances. This study is intended to develop a defense system that is able to assess power system vulnerability and to perform self-healing control actions based on the system-wide analysis. In order to meet the requirements of the system-wide analysis, the defense system is designed with multi-agent system technologies. Since power systems are dynamic and uncertain the self-healing control actions need to be adaptive. This study applies the reinforcement learning technique to provide a theoretical basis for adaptation. One of the important issues in adaptation is the convergence of the learning algorithm. An appropriate convergence criterion is derived and an application with a load-shedding scheme is demonstrated in this study. This dissertation also demonstrates the feasibility of the defense system and self-healing control actions through multi-agent system technologies. The other subject of this research is to investigate the methodology for on-line fault diagnosis using the information from Sequence-of-Events Recorders (SER). The proposed multiple-hypothesis analysis generates one or more hypothetical fault scenarios to interpret the SER information. In order to avoid ambiguity of the hypotheses, this study proposes a new method to determine the credibility of each hypothesis. Even if there is not enough SER information, the proposed method is able to perform an accurate fault and malfunction analysis. To avoid exhaustive testing, a minimal set of test scenarios is derived, which is able to handle missing information and SERs. During extreme contingencies or cascading events, fault diagnosis is the first step in the operation of the power system. On-line fault diagnosis provides necessary and correct information for the defense system to make correct and efficient decisions on self-healing control actions. It has been shown in previous studies that incorrect fault diagnosis can lead to catastrophic failures in power systems. Fault diagnosis is an important issue for strategic power infrastructure defense.

  1. 40 CFR 6.100 - Policy and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT AND ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ABROAD OF EPA ACTIONS General Provisions for... processes appropriate and careful consideration of all environmental effects of proposed actions, analyze potential environmental effects of proposed actions and their alternatives for public understanding and...

  2. 76 FR 3571 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Kahului, HI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-20

    ...-1233; Airspace Docket No. 10-AWP-21] Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Kahului, HI AGENCY... action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Kahului Airport, Kahului, HI. Controlled airspace is... procedures at Kahului Airport, Kahului, HI. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and...

  3. 76 FR 30299 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Kayenta, AZ

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-25

    ...-0393; Airspace Docket No. 11-AWP-2] Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Kayenta, AZ AGENCY... action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Kayenta Airport, Kayenta, AZ. Controlled airspace is...) standard instrument approach procedures at Kayenta Airport. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the...

  4. Computational methods for reactive transport modeling: An extended law of mass-action, xLMA, method for multiphase equilibrium calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leal, Allan M. M.; Kulik, Dmitrii A.; Kosakowski, Georg; Saar, Martin O.

    2016-10-01

    We present an extended law of mass-action (xLMA) method for multiphase equilibrium calculations and apply it in the context of reactive transport modeling. This extended LMA formulation differs from its conventional counterpart in that (i) it is directly derived from the Gibbs energy minimization (GEM) problem (i.e., the fundamental problem that describes the state of equilibrium of a chemical system under constant temperature and pressure); and (ii) it extends the conventional mass-action equations with Lagrange multipliers from the Gibbs energy minimization problem, which can be interpreted as stability indices of the chemical species. Accounting for these multipliers enables the method to determine all stable phases without presuming their types (e.g., aqueous, gaseous) or their presence in the equilibrium state. Therefore, the here proposed xLMA method inherits traits of Gibbs energy minimization algorithms that allow it to naturally detect the phases present in equilibrium, which can be single-component phases (e.g., pure solids or liquids) or non-ideal multi-component phases (e.g., aqueous, melts, gaseous, solid solutions, adsorption, or ion exchange). Moreover, our xLMA method requires no technique that tentatively adds or removes reactions based on phase stability indices (e.g., saturation indices for minerals), since the extended mass-action equations are valid even when their corresponding reactions involve unstable species. We successfully apply the proposed method to a reactive transport modeling problem in which we use PHREEQC and GEMS as alternative backends for the calculation of thermodynamic properties such as equilibrium constants of reactions, standard chemical potentials of species, and activity coefficients. Our tests show that our algorithm is efficient and robust for demanding applications, such as reactive transport modeling, where it converges within 1-3 iterations in most cases. The proposed xLMA method is implemented in Reaktoro, a unified open-source framework for modeling chemically reactive systems.

  5. Learning from doing: the case for combining normalisation process theory and participatory learning and action research methodology for primary healthcare implementation research.

    PubMed

    de Brún, Tomas; O'Reilly-de Brún, Mary; O'Donnell, Catherine A; MacFarlane, Anne

    2016-08-03

    The implementation of research findings is not a straightforward matter. There are substantive and recognised gaps in the process of translating research findings into practice and policy. In order to overcome some of these translational difficulties, a number of strategies have been proposed for researchers. These include greater use of theoretical approaches in research focused on implementation, and use of a wider range of research methods appropriate to policy questions and the wider social context in which they are placed. However, questions remain about how to combine theory and method in implementation research. In this paper, we respond to these proposals. Focussing on a contemporary social theory, Normalisation Process Theory, and a participatory research methodology, Participatory Learning and Action, we discuss the potential of their combined use for implementation research. We note ways in which Normalisation Process Theory and Participatory Learning and Action are congruent and may therefore be used as heuristic devices to explore, better understand and support implementation. We also provide examples of their use in our own research programme about community involvement in primary healthcare. Normalisation Process Theory alone has, to date, offered useful explanations for the success or otherwise of implementation projects post-implementation. We argue that Normalisation Process Theory can also be used to prospectively support implementation journeys. Furthermore, Normalisation Process Theory and Participatory Learning and Action can be used together so that interventions to support implementation work are devised and enacted with the expertise of key stakeholders. We propose that the specific combination of this theory and methodology possesses the potential, because of their combined heuristic force, to offer a more effective means of supporting implementation projects than either one might do on its own, and of providing deeper understandings of implementation contexts, rather than merely describing change.

  6. Construction and operation of an industrial solid waste landfill at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, Ohio

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

    NONE

    1995-10-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Waste Management, proposes to construct and operate a solid waste landfill within the boundary of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS), Piketon, Ohio. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide PORTS with additional landfill capacity for non-hazardous and asbestos wastes. The proposed action is needed to support continued operation of PORTS, which generates non-hazardous wastes on a daily basis and asbestos wastes intermittently. Three alternatives are evaluated in this environmental assessment (EA): the proposed action (construction and operation of the X-737 landfill), no-action, and offsite shipment of industrial solid wastesmore » for disposal.« less

  7. An expert panel process to evaluate habitat restoration actions in the Columbia River estuary.

    PubMed

    Krueger, Kirk L; Bottom, Daniel L; Hood, W Gregory; Johnson, Gary E; Jones, Kim K; Thom, Ronald M

    2017-03-01

    We describe a process for evaluating proposed ecosystem restoration projects intended to improve survival of juvenile salmon in the Columbia River estuary (CRE). Changes in the Columbia River basin (northwestern USA), including hydropower development, have contributed to the listing of 13 salmon stocks as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Habitat restoration in the CRE, from Bonneville Dam to the ocean, is part of a basin-wide, legally mandated effort to mitigate federal hydropower impacts on salmon survival. An Expert Regional Technical Group (ERTG) was established in 2009 to improve and implement a process for assessing and assigning "survival benefit units" (SBUs) to restoration actions. The SBU concept assumes site-specific restoration projects will increase juvenile salmon survival during migration through the 234 km CRE. Assigned SBUs are used to inform selection of restoration projects and gauge mitigation progress. The ERTG standardized the SBU assessment process to improve its scientific integrity, repeatability, and transparency. In lieu of experimental data to quantify the survival benefits of individual restoration actions, the ERTG adopted a conceptual model composed of three assessment criteria-certainty of success, fish opportunity improvements, and habitat capacity improvements-to evaluate restoration projects. Based on these criteria, an algorithm assigned SBUs by integrating potential fish density as an indicator of salmon performance. Between 2009 and 2014, the ERTG assessed SBUs for 55 proposed projects involving a total of 181 restoration actions located across 8 of 9 reaches of the CRE, largely relying on information provided in a project template based on the conceptual model, presentations, discussions with project sponsors, and site visits. Most projects restored tidal inundation to emergent wetlands, improved riparian function, and removed invasive vegetation. The scientific relationship of geomorphic and salmonid responses to restoration actions remains the foremost concern. Although not designed to establish a broad strategy for estuary restoration, the scoring process has adaptively influenced the types, designs, and locations of restoration proposals. The ERTG process may be a useful model for others who have unique ecosystem restoration goals and share some of our common challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Regulation of inflammation and T cells by glycogen synthase kinase-3: Links to mood disorders

    PubMed Central

    Beurel, Eleonore

    2014-01-01

    Substantial evidence has implicated a role for the immune system in regulating the susceptibility to depression. Proinflammatory cytokines have been shown to be involved in promoting the induction of depressive behavior both in humans and mice, opening new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Because glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) was recently found to control the production of proinflammatory cytokines, and for many years GSK3 has been implicated in mood disorders, it has been proposed that the proinflammatory action of GSK3 may contribute to the promoting susceptibility to depressive behavior. Moreover, besides regulating cytokine production, GSK3 also promotes the differentiation of proinflammatory subtypes of Th cells, which are sufficient to induce depressive behavior in mice. Although the clear involvement of the immune system during depressive behavior still needs to be firmly demonstrated, there is growing evidence for the involvement of inflammation in the induction of depressive behavior. PMID:24557047

  9. Reassembling the Information Technology Innovation Process: An Actor Network Theory Method for Managing the Initiation, Production, and Diffusion of Innovations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zendejas, Gerardo; Chiasson, Mike

    This paper will propose and explore a method to enhance focal actors' abilities to enroll and control the many social and technical components interacting during the initiation, production, and diffusion of innovations. The reassembling and stabilizing of such components is the challenging goal of the focal actors involved in these processes. To address this possibility, a healthcare project involving the initiation, production, and diffusion of an IT-based innovation will be influenced by the researcher, using concepts from actor network theory (ANT), within an action research methodology (ARM). The experiences using this method, and the nature of enrolment and translation during its use, will highlight if and how ANT can provide a problem-solving method to help assemble the social and technical actants involved in the diffusion of an innovation. Finally, the paper will discuss the challenges and benefits of implementing such methods to attain widespread diffusion.

  10. Action change detection in video using a bilateral spatial-temporal constraint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Jing; Chen, Li

    2016-08-01

    Action change detection in video aims to detect action discontinuity in video. The silhouettes-based features are desirable for action change detection. This paper studies the problem of silhouette-quality assessment. For that, a non-reference approach without the need for ground truth is proposed in this paper to evaluate the quality of silhouettes, by exploiting both the boundary contrast of the silhouettes in the spatial domain and the consistency of the silhouettes in the temporal domain. This is in contrast to that either only spatial information or only temporal information of silhouettes is exploited in conventional approaches. Experiments are conducted using artificially generated degraded silhouettes to show that the proposed approach outperforms conventional approaches to achieve more accurate quality assessment. Furthermore, experiments are performed to show that the proposed approach is able to improve the accuracy performance of conventional action change approaches in two human action video data-sets. The average runtime of the proposed approach for Weizmann action video data-set is 0.08 second for one frame using Matlab programming language. It is computationally efficient and potential to real-time implementations.

  11. Pragmatics in action: indirect requests engage theory of mind areas and the cortical motor network.

    PubMed

    van Ackeren, Markus J; Casasanto, Daniel; Bekkering, Harold; Hagoort, Peter; Rueschemeyer, Shirley-Ann

    2012-11-01

    Research from the past decade has shown that understanding the meaning of words and utterances (i.e., abstracted symbols) engages the same systems we used to perceive and interact with the physical world in a content-specific manner. For example, understanding the word "grasp" elicits activation in the cortical motor network, that is, part of the neural substrate involved in planned and executing a grasping action. In the embodied literature, cortical motor activation during language comprehension is thought to reflect motor simulation underlying conceptual knowledge [note that outside the embodied framework, other explanations for the link between action and language are offered, e.g., Mahon, B. Z., & Caramazza, A. A critical look at the embodied cognition hypothesis and a new proposal for grouding conceptual content. Journal of Physiology, 102, 59-70, 2008; Hagoort, P. On Broca, brain, and binding: A new framework. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9, 416-423, 2005]. Previous research has supported the view that the coupling between language and action is flexible, and reading an action-related word form is not sufficient for cortical motor activation [Van Dam, W. O., van Dijk, M., Bekkering, H., & Rueschemeyer, S.-A. Flexibility in embodied lexical-semantic representations. Human Brain Mapping, doi: 10.1002/hbm.21365, 2011]. The current study goes one step further by addressing the necessity of action-related word forms for motor activation during language comprehension. Subjects listened to indirect requests (IRs) for action during an fMRI session. IRs for action are speech acts in which access to an action concept is required, although it is not explicitly encoded in the language. For example, the utterance "It is hot here!" in a room with a window is likely to be interpreted as a request to open the window. However, the same utterance in a desert will be interpreted as a statement. The results indicate (1) that comprehension of IR sentences activates cortical motor areas reliably more than comprehension of sentences devoid of any implicit motor information. This is true despite the fact that IR sentences contain no lexical reference to action. (2) Comprehension of IR sentences also reliably activates substantial portions of the theory of mind network, known to be involved in making inferences about mental states of others. The implications of these findings for embodied theories of language are discussed.

  12. 78 FR 48842 - Proposed Establishment of Class D Airspace; Mesquite, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-12

    ...: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class D airspace at Mesquite, TX. Establishment of an air traffic control tower at Mesquite Metro Airport [[Page 48843

  13. Environmenal analysis of the Bayo Canyon (TA-10) Site, Los Alamos, New Mexico

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

    Ferenbaugh, R.W.; Buhl, T.E.; Stoker, A.K.

    1982-05-01

    The radiological survey of the old TA-10 site in Bayo Canyon found low levels of surface contamination in the vicinity of the firing sites and subsurface contamination in the old waste disposal area. The three alternatives proposed for the site are: (1) to take no action; (2) to restrict usage of the area of subsurface contamination to activities that cause no subsurface disturbance (minimal action); and (3) to remove the subsurface conamination to levels below the working criteria. Dose calculations indicate that doses from surface contamination for recreational users of the canyon, permanent residents, and construction workers and doses formore » workers involved in excavation of contaminated soil under the clean up alternative are only small percentages of applicable guidelines. No environmental impacts are associated with either the no-action or minimal action alternatives. The impact associated with the cleanup alternative is small, especially considering that the area already has been affected by the original TA-10 decommissioning action, but nevertheless, the preferred alternative is the minimal action alternative, where 0.6 hectare of land is restricted to surface activities. This leaves the rest of the canyon available for development with up to 400 homes. The restricted area can be used for a park, tennis courts, etc., and the /sup 90/Sr activity will decay to levels permitting unrestricted usage in about 160 y.« less

  14. Mirror neurons, the representation of word meaning, and the foot of the third left frontal convolution.

    PubMed

    de Zubicaray, Greig; Postle, Natasha; McMahon, Katie; Meredith, Matthew; Ashton, Roderick

    2010-01-01

    Previous neuroimaging research has attempted to demonstrate a preferential involvement of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) in the comprehension of effector-related action word (verb) meanings. These studies have assumed that Broca's area (or Brodmann's area 44) is the homologue of a monkey premotor area (F5) containing mouth and hand mirror neurons, and that action word meanings are shared with the mirror system due to a proposed link between speech and gestural communication. In an fMRI experiment, we investigated whether Broca's area shows mirror activity solely for effectors implicated in the MNS. Next, we examined the responses of empirically determined mirror areas during a language perception task comprising effector-specific action words, unrelated words and nonwords. We found overlapping activity for observation and execution of actions with all effectors studied, i.e., including the foot, despite there being no evidence of foot mirror neurons in the monkey or human brain. These "mirror" areas showed equivalent responses for action words, unrelated words and nonwords, with all of these stimuli showing increased responses relative to visual character strings. Our results support alternative explanations attributing mirror activity in Broca's area to covert verbalisation or hierarchical linearisation, and provide no evidence that the MNS makes a preferential contribution to comprehending action word meanings. 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The Vanishing Ball Illusion: A new perspective on the perception of dynamic events.

    PubMed

    Kuhn, Gustav; Rensink, Ronald A

    2016-03-01

    Our perceptual experience is largely based on prediction, and as such can be influenced by knowledge of forthcoming events. This susceptibility is commonly exploited by magicians. In the Vanishing Ball Illusion, for example, a magician tosses a ball in the air a few times and then pretends to throw the ball again, whilst secretly concealing it in his hand. Most people claim to see the ball moving upwards and then vanishing, even though it did not leave the magician's hand (Kuhn & Land, 2006; Triplett, 1900). But what exactly can such illusions tell us? We investigated here whether seeing a real action before the pretend one was necessary for the Vanishing Ball Illusion. Participants either saw a real action immediately before the fake one, or only a fake action. Nearly one third of participants experienced the illusion with the fake action alone, while seeing the real action beforehand enhanced this effect even further. Our results therefore suggest that perceptual experience relies both on long-term knowledge of what an action should look like, as well as exemplars from the immediate past. In addition, whilst there was a forward displacement of perceived location in perceptual experience, this was not found for oculomotor responses, consistent with the proposal that two separate systems are involved in visual perception. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Joint Facial Action Unit Detection and Feature Fusion: A Multi-conditional Learning Approach.

    PubMed

    Eleftheriadis, Stefanos; Rudovic, Ognjen; Pantic, Maja

    2016-10-05

    Automated analysis of facial expressions can benefit many domains, from marketing to clinical diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders. Facial expressions are typically encoded as a combination of facial muscle activations, i.e., action units. Depending on context, these action units co-occur in specific patterns, and rarely in isolation. Yet, most existing methods for automatic action unit detection fail to exploit dependencies among them, and the corresponding facial features. To address this, we propose a novel multi-conditional latent variable model for simultaneous fusion of facial features and joint action unit detection. Specifically, the proposed model performs feature fusion in a generative fashion via a low-dimensional shared subspace, while simultaneously performing action unit detection using a discriminative classification approach. We show that by combining the merits of both approaches, the proposed methodology outperforms existing purely discriminative/generative methods for the target task. To reduce the number of parameters, and avoid overfitting, a novel Bayesian learning approach based on Monte Carlo sampling is proposed, to integrate out the shared subspace. We validate the proposed method on posed and spontaneous data from three publicly available datasets (CK+, DISFA and Shoulder-pain), and show that both feature fusion and joint learning of action units leads to improved performance compared to the state-of-the-art methods for the task.

  17. 78 FR 67324 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Lapeer, MI

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-12

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action... taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for... and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the...

  18. 78 FR 47238 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Wadena, MN

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-05

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action... this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs... and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the...

  19. 77 FR 64444 - VOR Federal Airway V-595; Oregon

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-22

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action... this action to redescribe the route due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Portland, OR, VOR/DME... suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal...

  20. 48 CFR 217.7401 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Definitions. 217.7401... Actions 217.7401 Definitions. As used in this subpart— (a) Contract action means an action which results... of the contract, e.g., engineering change proposals, value engineering change proposals, and over and...

  1. Knowledge engineering as a support for building an actor profile ontology for integrating Home-Care systems.

    PubMed

    Gibert, Karina; Valls, Aida; Riaño, David

    2008-01-01

    One of the tasks towards the definition of a knowledge model for home care is the definition of the different roles of the users involved in the system. The roles determine the actions and services that can or must be performed by each type of user. In this paper the experience of building an ontology to represent the home-care users and their associated information is presented, in a proposal for a standard model of a Home-Care support system to the European Community.

  2. Bridging the gap from values to actions: a family systems framework for family-centered AAC services.

    PubMed

    Mandak, Kelsey; O'Neill, Tara; Light, Janice; Fosco, Gregory M

    2017-03-01

    Despite the growing recognition of the importance of family involvement in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention, little guidance exists on how professionals can establish successful collaborative relationships with families. In this paper, we discuss family systems theory and ecological systems theory as a framework to guide family-centered AAC practice, review family-focused research in AAC, consider how AAC may impact the family system, and provide examples of the clinical implications of using the proposed family systems framework to improve family-centered AAC practice.

  3. Mechanism of Action of Cyclophilin A Explored by Metadynamics Simulations

    PubMed Central

    Leone, Vanessa; Lattanzi, Gianluca; Molteni, Carla; Carloni, Paolo

    2009-01-01

    Trans/cis prolyl isomerisation is involved in several biological processes, including the development of numerous diseases. In the HIV-1 capsid protein (CA), such a process takes place in the uncoating and recruitment of the virion and is catalyzed by cyclophilin A (CypA). Here, we use metadynamics simulations to investigate the isomerization of CA's model substrate HAGPIA in water and in its target protein CypA. Our results allow us to propose a novel mechanistic hypothesis, which is finally consistent with all of the available molecular biology data. PMID:19282959

  4. Lying through your teeth.

    PubMed

    Chambers, David W

    2004-01-01

    Evidence is presented that the concerns over diminished truth-telling in dentistry are a reflection of changes in society generally. Some of the reasons for dimmed truth-telling are listed, leading to a conclusion that society is in the process of rejecting an "objective" view of truth based on the word of authorities. An alternative, authentic conception of truth is proposed: truth is agreement that it is mutually advantageous for the parties involved to believe the promises they have made as a foundation for common action. Some of the characteristics of this view are discussed.

  5. Medical opinion on abortion in Jamaica: a national Delphi survey of physician, nurses, and midwives.

    PubMed

    Smith, K A; Johnson, R L

    1976-12-01

    A national sample of 120 Jamaican physicians, public health nurses, and licensed midwives participated in a two-stage Delphi survey to identify medical opinion on proposed liberlization of Jamaica's abortion law, and to predict the likely impact of such legislative action on existing health and family planning services. More than 80 percent of the respondents favored legalization of abortion, and most supported changes in the health service delivery system to accommodate the expected demand. They believed that clandestine abortion, involving pharmacists and physicians, is already widely practiced.

  6. Insulin-Like Growth Factor System in Cancer: Novel Targeted Therapies

    PubMed Central

    Brahmkhatri, Varsha P.; Prasanna, Chinmayi; Atreya, Hanudatta S.

    2015-01-01

    Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are essential for growth and survival that suppress apoptosis and promote cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, and metastatic activities in various cancers. The IGFs actions are mediated through the IGF-1 receptor that is involved in cell transformation induced by tumour. These effects depend on the bioavailability of IGFs, which is regulated by IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). We describe here the role of the IGF system in cancer, proposing new strategies targeting this system. We have attempted to expand the general viewpoint on IGF-1R, its inhibitors, potential limitations of IGF-1R, antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and IGFBP actions. This review discusses the emerging view that blocking IGF via IGFBP is a better option than blocking IGF receptors. This can lead to the development of novel cancer therapies. PMID:25866791

  7. Structure of the Cell Wall of Bacillus stearothermophilus: Mode of Action of a Thermophilic Bacteriophage Lytic Enzyme

    PubMed Central

    Welker, N. E.

    1971-01-01

    The mode of action of a bacteriophage lytic enzyme on cell walls of Bacillus stearothermophilus (NCA 1503-4R) has been investigated. The enzyme is an endopeptidase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of the l-alanyl-d-glutamyl linkage in peptide subunits of the cell wall peptidoglycan. Preliminary studies on the soluble components in lytic cell wall digests indicate that the glycan moiety is composed of alternating glucosamine and muramic acid; one half of the muramic acid residues contain the tripeptide, l-alanyl-d-glutamyldiaminopimelic acid, and the remaining residues contain the tetrapeptide, l-alanyl-d-glutamyldiaminopimeyl-d-alanine. Almost one half of the peptide subunits are involved in cross-linkages of chemotype I. A structure for the cell wall peptidoglycan is proposed in the light of these findings. PMID:4255338

  8. PPAR Ligands Function as Suppressors That Target Biological Actions of HMGB1

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Tianhui

    2016-01-01

    High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which has become one of the most intriguing molecules in inflammatory disorders and cancers and with which ligand-activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are highly associated, is considered as a therapeutic target. Of particular interest is the fact that certain PPAR ligands have demonstrated their potent anti-inflammatory activities and potential anticancer effects. In this review article we summarize recent experimental evidence that PPAR ligands function as suppressors that target biological actions of HMGB1, including intracellular expression, receptor signaling cascades, and extracellular secretion of HMGB1 in cell lines and/or animal models. We also propose the possible mechanisms underlying PPAR involvement in inflammatory disorders and discuss the future therapeutic value of PPAR ligands targeting HMGB1 molecule for cancer prevention and treatment. PMID:27563308

  9. Brain Mapping of Low and High Implusivity based P300 Signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turnip, Arjon; Dwi, Esti K.; Hidayat, Taufik; Hidayat, Teddy

    2018-04-01

    Impulsiveness is defined as action without good planning and with little consideration the consequences. Impulsive actions are typically poorly conceived, prematurely expressed, or inappropriate to the undesirable situation such as abuse of drugs. Instead of taking treatment for an addiction subject, it is better take prevention. In this paper, an implusivity detection based EEG-P300 potential is proposed. Twenty four subjects consist of three groups (addiction, methadone, and control) are involved in the experiment. Five different pictures (one picture related drug is used as a target) were randomly flashed to the subjects. The subject is asked to comfortly sit in a chair and to silently count the appearance number of the target. The high amplitude of the P300 component with shortest latency and dominant brain activity are indicated by high implusive group.

  10. 75 FR 32117 - Proposed Amendment of Colored Federal Airway B-38; Alaska

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-07

    ...). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Colored Federal Airway Blue 38 (B-38), in Alaska. Specifically this... the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of comments received... operational. NAV CANADA determined it is no longer feasible and will be decommissioning the XY NDB. Blue...

  11. 76 FR 64041 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Show Low, AZ

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-17

    ...-1023; Airspace Docket No. 11-AWP-15] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Show Low, AZ AGENCY... action proposes to modify Class E airspace at Show Low Regional Airport, Show Low, AZ. Controlled...) standard instrument approach procedures at Show Low Regional Airport. The FAA is proposing this action to...

  12. Neural hijacking: action of high-frequency electrical stimulation on cortical circuits.

    PubMed

    Cheney, P D; Griffin, D M; Van Acker, G M

    2013-10-01

    Electrical stimulation of the brain was one of the first experimental methods applied to understanding brain organization and function and it continues as a highly useful method both in research and clinical applications. Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) involves applying electrical stimuli through a microelectrode suitable for recording the action potentials of single neurons. ICMS can be categorized into single-pulse stimulation; high-frequency, short-duration stimulation; and high-frequency, long-duration stimulation. For clinical and experimental reasons, considerable interest focuses on the mechanism of neural activation by electrical stimuli. In this article, we discuss recent results suggesting that action potentials evoked in cortical neurons by high-frequency electrical stimulation do not sum with the natural, behaviorally related background activity; rather, high-frequency stimulation eliminates and replaces natural activity. We refer to this as neural hijacking. We propose that a major component of the mechanism underlying neural hijacking is excitation of axons by ICMS and elimination of natural spikes by antidromic collision with stimulus-driven spikes evoked at high frequency. Evidence also supports neural hijacking as an important mechanism underlying the action of deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus and its therapeutic effect in treating Parkinson's disease.

  13. Understanding the process of fascial unwinding.

    PubMed

    Minasny, Budiman

    2009-09-23

    Fascial or myofascial unwinding is a process in which a client undergoes a spontaneous reaction in response to the therapist's touch. It can be induced by using specific techniques that encourage a client's body to move into areas of ease. Unwinding is a popular technique in massage therapy, but its mechanism is not well understood. In the absence of a scientific explanation or hypothesis of the mechanism of action, it can be interpreted as "mystical." This paper proposes a model that builds on the neurobiologic, ideomotor action, and consciousness theories to explain the process and mechanism of fascial unwinding. HYPOTHETICAL MODEL: During fascial unwinding, the therapist stimulates mechanoreceptors in the fascia by applying gentle touch and stretching. Touch and stretching induce relaxation and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. They also activate the central nervous system, which is involved in the modulation of muscle tone as well as movement. As a result, the central nervous system is aroused and thereby responds by encouraging muscles to find an easier, or more relaxed, position and by introducing the ideomotor action. Although the ideomotor action is generated via normal voluntary motor control systems, it is altered and experienced as an involuntary response. Fascial unwinding occurs when a physically induced suggestion by a therapist prompts ideomotor action that the client experiences as involuntary. This action is guided by the central nervous system, which produces continuous action until a state of ease is reached. Consequently, fascial unwinding can be thought of as a neurobiologic process employing the self-regulation dynamic system theory.

  14. Intact imitation of emotional facial actions in autism spectrum conditions.

    PubMed

    Press, Clare; Richardson, Daniel; Bird, Geoffrey

    2010-09-01

    It has been proposed that there is a core impairment in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) to the mirror neuron system (MNS): If observed actions cannot be mapped onto the motor commands required for performance, higher order sociocognitive functions that involve understanding another person's perspective, such as theory of mind, may be impaired. However, evidence of MNS impairment in ASC is mixed. The present study used an 'automatic imitation' paradigm to assess MNS functioning in adults with ASC and matched controls, when observing emotional facial actions. Participants performed a pre-specified angry or surprised facial action in response to observed angry or surprised facial actions, and the speed of their action was measured with motion tracking equipment. Both the ASC and control groups demonstrated automatic imitation of the facial actions, such that responding was faster when they acted with the same emotional expression that they had observed. There was no difference between the two groups in the magnitude of the effect. These findings suggest that previous apparent demonstrations of impairments to the MNS in ASC may be driven by a lack of visual attention to the stimuli or motor sequencing impairments, and therefore that there is, in fact, no MNS impairment in ASC. We discuss these findings with reference to the literature on MNS functioning and imitation in ASC, as well as theories of the role of the MNS in sociocognitive functioning in typical development. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. 78 FR 41333 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Everett, WA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-10

    ... Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action... made to the geographic coordinates of the Airport. This action, initiated by the biennial review of the... basis supporting the views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing reasoned...

  16. 76 FR 2950 - Notice of Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public Transportation Projects

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-18

    ... Proposed Public Transportation Projects AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... judicial review of the FTA actions announced herein for the listed public transportation projects will be... final agency actions by issuing certain approvals for the public transportation projects listed below...

  17. 75 FR 71181 - Notice of Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public Transportation Projects

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-22

    ... Proposed Public Transportation Projects AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... judicial review of the FTA actions announced herein for the listed public transportation projects will be... issuing certain approvals for the public transportation projects listed below. The actions on these...

  18. Collaborative Action Research Involving Fiji and Solomon Islands Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Gurmit

    2000-01-01

    Reviews the Basic Education and Life Skills program, which involves University of the South Pacific member countries, highlighting teacher involvement in collaborative action research to promote professional development at the school level. The paper describes the nature of teachers' involvement and shares insights from their experiences as…

  19. 75 FR 80107 - Notice of Statute of Limitations on Claims; Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-21

    ... Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims for Judicial Review of Actions by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf... meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, the State Route 2...

  20. RCRA, superfund and EPCRA hotline training module. Introduction to: RCRA corrective action updated July 1996

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

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    The module discusses the regulatory and statutory requirements and authorities governing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action process. There are minimal regulatory requirements at present, but the Agency has issued a proposed rule (55 FR 30798; July 27, 1990) that would establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for implementing the corrective action program. This proposed rule and other guidance developed pursuant to statutory authorities are used to structure corrective action requirements in facility permits and orders. This module describes the current statutory and regulatory structure and discusses the future of the proposed rule.

  1. Last-position elimination-based learning automata.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Junqi; Wang, Cheng; Zhou, MengChu

    2014-12-01

    An update scheme of the state probability vector of actions is critical for learning automata (LA). The most popular is the pursuit scheme that pursues the estimated optimal action and penalizes others. This paper proposes a reverse philosophy that leads to last-position elimination-based learning automata (LELA). The action graded last in terms of the estimated performance is penalized by decreasing its state probability and is eliminated when its state probability becomes zero. All active actions, that is, actions with nonzero state probability, equally share the penalized state probability from the last-position action at each iteration. The proposed LELA is characterized by the relaxed convergence condition for the optimal action, the accelerated step size of the state probability update scheme for the estimated optimal action, and the enriched sampling for the estimated nonoptimal actions. The proof of the ϵ-optimal property for the proposed algorithm is presented. Last-position elimination is a widespread philosophy in the real world and has proved to be also helpful for the update scheme of the learning automaton via the simulations of well-known benchmark environments. In the simulations, two versions of the LELA, using different selection strategies of the last action, are compared with the classical pursuit algorithms Discretized Pursuit Reward-Inaction (DP(RI)) and Discretized Generalized Pursuit Algorithm (DGPA). Simulation results show that the proposed schemes achieve significantly faster convergence and higher accuracy than the classical ones. Specifically, the proposed schemes reduce the interval to find the best parameter for a specific environment in the classical pursuit algorithms. Thus, they can have their parameter tuning easier to perform and can save much more time when applied to a practical case. Furthermore, the convergence curves and the corresponding variance coefficient curves of the contenders are illustrated to characterize their essential differences and verify the analysis results of the proposed algorithms.

  2. The Timing of the Cognitive Cycle

    PubMed Central

    Madl, Tamas; Baars, Bernard J.; Franklin, Stan

    2011-01-01

    We propose that human cognition consists of cascading cycles of recurring brain events. Each cognitive cycle senses the current situation, interprets it with reference to ongoing goals, and then selects an internal or external action in response. While most aspects of the cognitive cycle are unconscious, each cycle also yields a momentary “ignition” of conscious broadcasting. Neuroscientists have independently proposed ideas similar to the cognitive cycle, the fundamental hypothesis of the LIDA model of cognition. High-level cognition, such as deliberation, planning, etc., is typically enabled by multiple cognitive cycles. In this paper we describe a timing model LIDA's cognitive cycle. Based on empirical and simulation data we propose that an initial phase of perception (stimulus recognition) occurs 80–100 ms from stimulus onset under optimal conditions. It is followed by a conscious episode (broadcast) 200–280 ms after stimulus onset, and an action selection phase 60–110 ms from the start of the conscious phase. One cognitive cycle would therefore take 260–390 ms. The LIDA timing model is consistent with brain evidence indicating a fundamental role for a theta-gamma wave, spreading forward from sensory cortices to rostral corticothalamic regions. This posteriofrontal theta-gamma wave may be experienced as a conscious perceptual event starting at 200–280 ms post stimulus. The action selection component of the cycle is proposed to involve frontal, striatal and cerebellar regions. Thus the cycle is inherently recurrent, as the anatomy of the thalamocortical system suggests. The LIDA model fits a large body of cognitive and neuroscientific evidence. Finally, we describe two LIDA-based software agents: the LIDA Reaction Time agent that simulates human performance in a simple reaction time task, and the LIDA Allport agent which models phenomenal simultaneity within timeframes comparable to human subjects. While there are many models of reaction time performance, these results fall naturally out of a biologically and computationally plausible cognitive architecture. PMID:21541015

  3. Illusion of control: the role of personal involvement.

    PubMed

    Yarritu, Ion; Matute, Helena; Vadillo, Miguel A

    2014-01-01

    The illusion of control consists of overestimating the influence that our behavior exerts over uncontrollable outcomes. Available evidence suggests that an important factor in development of this illusion is the personal involvement of participants who are trying to obtain the outcome. The dominant view assumes that this is due to social motivations and self-esteem protection. We propose that this may be due to a bias in contingency detection which occurs when the probability of the action (i.e., of the potential cause) is high. Indeed, personal involvement might have been often confounded with the probability of acting, as participants who are more involved tend to act more frequently than those for whom the outcome is irrelevant and therefore become mere observers. We tested these two variables separately. In two experiments, the outcome was always uncontrollable and we used a yoked design in which the participants of one condition were actively involved in obtaining it and the participants in the other condition observed the adventitious cause-effect pairs. The results support the latter approach: Those acting more often to obtain the outcome developed stronger illusions, and so did their yoked counterparts.

  4. 77 FR 322 - Notice of Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public Transportation Projects

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-04

    ... Proposed Public Transportation Projects AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... judicial review of the FTA actions announced herein for the listed public transportation project will be... FTA has taken final agency actions by issuing certain approvals for the public transportation projects...

  5. 75 FR 13335 - Notice of Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public Transportation Projects

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-19

    ... Proposed Public Transportation Projects AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... judicial review of the FTA actions announced herein for the listed public transportation projects will be... FTA has taken final agency actions by issuing certain approvals for the public transportation projects...

  6. 77 FR 38227 - Proposed Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace; Bozeman, MT

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-27

    ...: This action proposes to modify Class D and Class E airspace at Bozeman Yellowstone International.... This action would also update the airport name to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. This action would enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport. DATES: Comments...

  7. Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) for Hazardous Materials Removal at F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-05-31

    ACM). The FEW Environmental Planning Function ( EPF ) conducted the analysis of this proposed action. 2. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION. The... EPF determined that the proposed action has the potential to affect Air Quality, Occupational Safety and Health, Cultural Resources and Hazardous Waste

  8. 78 FR 30842 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-23

    ... and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments regarding (a... proposed actions to consider the potential environmental impacts of these actions. Consequently, for the... on site or in the vicinity that might impact the proposed action. Also, information is required on...

  9. 76 FR 51462 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Utah

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Utah AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), USDOT. ACTION: Notice of... highway project, Tooele Midvalley Highway, from I-80 to State Route 36 Tooele County, State of Utah. Those...

  10. 78 FR 72643 - Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities: Mukilteo Ferry Terminal Construction...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-03

    .... ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments and information... revised IHA application. The action discussed in this document is based on WSF's October 17, 2013, IHA... these species. Specific information concerning these species in the vicinity of the proposed action area...

  11. 78 FR 72655 - Taking of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Bremerton Ferry Terminal Wingwall...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-03

    ...), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments and... for the same actions and plans to conduct wingwalls replacement work at the Bremerton Ferry Terminal... the proposed action area is provided below. Harbor Seal Harbor seals are members of the true seal...

  12. An fMRI study of joint action–varying levels of cooperation correlates with activity in control networks

    PubMed Central

    Chaminade, Thierry; Marchant, Jennifer L.; Kilner, James; Frith, Christopher D.

    2012-01-01

    As social agents, humans continually interact with the people around them. Here, motor cooperation was investigated using a paradigm in which pairs of participants, one being scanned with fMRI, jointly controlled a visually presented object with joystick movements. The object oscillated dynamically along two dimensions, color and width of gratings, corresponding to the two cardinal directions of joystick movements. While the overall control of each participant on the object was kept constant, the amount of cooperation along the two dimensions varied along four levels, from no (each participant controlled one dimension exclusively) to full (each participant controlled half of each dimension) cooperation. Increasing cooperation correlated with BOLD signal in the left parietal operculum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), while decreasing cooperation correlated with activity in the right inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri, the intraparietal sulci and inferior temporal gyri bilaterally, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. As joint performance improved with the level of cooperation, we assessed the brain responses correlating with behavior, and found that activity in most of the areas associated with levels of cooperation also correlated with the joint performance. The only brain area found exclusively in the negative correlation with cooperation was in the dorso medial frontal cortex, involved in monitoring action outcome. Given the cluster location and condition-related signal change, we propose that this region monitored actions to extract the level of cooperation in order to optimize the joint response. Our results, therefore, indicate that, in the current experimental paradigm involving joint control of a visually presented object with joystick movements, the level of cooperation affected brain networks involved in action control, but not mentalizing. PMID:22715326

  13. 76 FR 52737 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-23

    ...This action announces how the EPA proposes to address the reviews of the new source performance standards for volatile organic compound and sulfur dioxide emissions from natural gas processing plants. We are proposing to add to the source category list any oil and gas operation not covered by the current listing. This action also includes proposed amendments to the existing new source performance standards for volatile organic compounds from natural gas processing plants and proposed standards for operations that are not covered by the existing new source performance standards. In addition, this action proposes how the EPA will address the residual risk and technology review conducted for the oil and natural gas production and natural gas transmission and storage national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants. This action further proposes standards for emission sources within these two source categories that are not currently addressed, as well as amendments to improve aspects of these national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants related to applicability and implementation. Finally, this action addresses provisions in these new source performance standards and national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction.

  14. 78 FR 6257 - Proposed Amendment of Class C Airspace; Nashville International Airport, TN

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-30

    ...-0031; Airspace Docket No. 12-AWA-7] RIN 2120-AA66 Proposed Amendment of Class C Airspace; Nashville... rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to modify the Nashville International Airport, TN, Class C... around an airport that is now permanently closed. The FAA is proposing this action to return the Class C...

  15. Proposed gravity-gradient dynamics experiments in lunar orbit using the RAE-B spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blanchard, D. L.; Walden, H.

    1973-01-01

    A series of seven gravity-gradient dynamics experiments is proposed utilizing the Radio Astronomy Explorer (RAE-B) spacecraft in lunar orbit. It is believed that none of the experiments will impair the spacecraft structure or adversely affect the continuation of the scientific mission of the satellite. The first experiment is designed to investigate the spacecraft dynamical behavior in the absence of libration damper action and inertia. It requires stable gravity-gradient capture of the spacecraft in lunar orbit with small amplitude attitude librations as a prerequisite. Four subsequent experiments involve partial retraction, ultimately followed by full redeployment, of one or two of the 230-meter booms forming the lunar-directed Vee-antenna. These boom length change operations will induce moderate amplitude angular librations of the spacecraft.

  16. FPGA-based coprocessor for matrix algorithms implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amira, Abbes; Bensaali, Faycal

    2003-03-01

    Matrix algorithms are important in many types of applications including image and signal processing. These areas require enormous computing power. A close examination of the algorithms used in these, and related, applications reveals that many of the fundamental actions involve matrix operations such as matrix multiplication which is of O (N3) on a sequential computer and O (N3/p) on a parallel system with p processors complexity. This paper presents an investigation into the design and implementation of different matrix algorithms such as matrix operations, matrix transforms and matrix decompositions using an FPGA based environment. Solutions for the problem of processing large matrices have been proposed. The proposed system architectures are scalable, modular and require less area and time complexity with reduced latency when compared with existing structures.

  17. Yogic exercises and health--a psycho-neuro immunological approach.

    PubMed

    Kulkarni, D D; Bera, T K

    2009-01-01

    Relaxation potential of yogic exercises seems to play a vital role in establishing psycho-physical health in reversing the psycho-immunology of emotions under stress based on breath and body awareness. However, mechanism of yogic exercises for restoring health and fitness components operating through psycho-neuro-immunological pathways is unknown. Therefore, a hybrid model of human information processing-psycho-neuroendocrine (HIP-PNE) network has been proposed to reveal the importance of yogic information processing. This study focuses on two major pathways of information processing involving cortical and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) interactions with a deep reach molecular action on cellular, neuro-humoral and immune system in reversing stress mediated diseases. Further, the proposed HIP-PNE model has ample of experimental potential for objective evaluation of yogic view of health and fitness.

  18. A Network Model of the Emotional Brain.

    PubMed

    Pessoa, Luiz

    2017-05-01

    Emotion is often understood in terms of a circumscribed set of cortical and subcortical brain regions. I propose, instead, that emotion should be understood in terms of large-scale network interactions spanning the entire neuroaxis. I describe multiple anatomical and functional principles of brain organization that lead to the concept of 'functionally integrated systems', cortical-subcortical systems that anchor the organization of emotion in the brain. The proposal is illustrated by describing the cortex-amygdala integrated system and how it intersects with systems involving the ventral striatum/accumbens, septum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brainstem. The important role of the thalamus is also highlighted. Overall, the model clarifies why the impact of emotion is wide-ranging, and how emotion is interlocked with perception, cognition, motivation, and action. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. 77 FR 61654 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in California

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-10

    ...This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and other Federal agencies that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to the proposed State Route 11 and Otay Mesa East Land Port of Entry in the City and County of San Diego, State of California. These actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

  20. HIV Tat/P-TEFb Interaction: A Potential Target for Novel Anti-HIV Therapies.

    PubMed

    Asamitsu, Kaori; Fujinaga, Koh; Okamoto, Takashi

    2018-04-17

    Transcription is a crucial step in the life cycle of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV 1) and is primarily involved in the maintenance of viral latency. Both viral and cellular transcription factors, including transcriptional activators, suppressor proteins and epigenetic factors, are involved in HIV transcription from the proviral DNA integrated within the host cell genome. Among them, the virus-encoded transcriptional activator Tat is the master regulator of HIV transcription. Interestingly, unlike other known transcriptional activators, Tat primarily activates transcriptional elongation and initiation by interacting with the cellular positive transcriptional elongation factor b (P-TEFb). In this review, we describe the molecular mechanism underlying how Tat activates viral transcription through interaction with P-TEFb. We propose a novel therapeutic strategy against HIV replication through blocking Tat action.

  1. Roles and regulation of the matrix metalloproteinase system in parturition.

    PubMed

    Geng, Junnan; Huang, Cong; Jiang, Siwen

    2016-04-01

    Significant tissue destruction, repair, and remodeling are involved in parturition, which involves fetal membrane rupture, cervical ripening, and uterine contraction and its subsequent involution. Extracellular matrix degradation and remodeling by proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), are required for the final steps of parturition. MMPs participate in physiological degradation and remodeling through their proteolytic activities on specific substrates, and are balanced by the action of their inhibitors. Disruption to this balance can result in pathological stress that ends with preterm or post-term birth or pre-eclampsia. In this review, we examine the roles and regulation of the MMP system in physiological and pathological labor, and propose a model that illustrates the mechanisms by which the MMP system contributes to these processes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Doctors as Stewards of medicare, or not: CAMSI, MRG, CDM, DRHC and the thin alphabet soup of physician support.

    PubMed

    Duffin, Jacalyn

    2018-07-01

    Physicians are deeply involved in Canadian medicare because it is through medicare that they are paid. However, from its origins to the present physicians -as a profession - have not been strong supporters of medicare. Fearing loss of income and individual autonomy, they have frequently opposed it with criticisms, strikes, threatened job action and lawsuits. Some opponents are unaware that medicare was a boon to physician income, and many fail to connect medicare with responsibility for improving the health status of the country. This paper will trace physician involvement, support and opposition to medicare from its inception to the present, with special attention to small physician organizations that have supported medicare. It will close with a proposal for how doctors could display greater stewardship.

  3. Open/closed string duality and relativistic fluids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niarchos, Vasilis

    2016-07-01

    We propose an open/closed string duality in general backgrounds extending previous ideas about open string completeness by Ashoke Sen. Our proposal sets up a general version of holography that works in gravity as a tomographic principle. We argue, in particular, that previous expectations of a supergravity/Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) correspondence are naturally embedded in this conjecture and can be tested in a well-defined manner. As an example, we consider the correspondence between open string field theories on extremal D-brane setups in flat space in the large-N , large 't Hooft limit, and asymptotically flat solutions in ten-dimensional type II supergravity. We focus on a convenient long-wavelength regime, where specific effects of higher-spin open string modes can be traced explicitly in the dual supergravity computation. For instance, in this regime we show how the full Abelian DBI action arises from supergravity as a straightforward reformulation of relativistic hydrodynamics. In the example of a (2 +1 )-dimensional open string theory this reformulation involves an Abelian Hodge duality. We also point out how different deformations of the DBI action, related to higher-derivative corrections and non-Abelian effects, can arise in this context as deformations in corresponding relativistic hydrodynamics.

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

    Keller, David Charles

    In 2014, baseline storm water monitoring samples for Potrillo Canyon Sample Management Area at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) exceeded the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Individual Permit No. NM0030759 target action level (TAL) of 15 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for gross-alpha radioactivity (393 pCi/L) and a TAL of 30 pCi/L for radium-226 and radium-228 (95.9 pCi/L). Consequently, erosion control measures within the management area are proposed to minimize sediment migration, a corrective action under the permit that is a requirement of the New Mexico Environment Department consent decree and a good management practice to limit off-site sediment migration. Themore » area proposed for erosion controls consists of portions of Technical Area 36 that were used as firing sites primarily involving high explosives (HE) and metal (e.g., depleted uranium, lead, copper, aluminum, and steel), small-explosives experiments and burn pits (burn pits were used for burning and disposal of test debris). In addition, underground explosive tests at an approximate depth of 100 feet were also conducted. These watershed-based storm water controls will focus on addressing erosion occurring within the floodplain through mitigating and reducing both current and future channelization and head cutting.« less

  5. Cost-benefit decision circuitry: proposed modulatory role for acetylcholine.

    PubMed

    Fobbs, Wambura C; Mizumori, Sheri J Y

    2014-01-01

    In order to select which action should be taken, an animal must weigh the costs and benefits of possible outcomes associate with each action. Such decisions, called cost-benefit decisions, likely involve several cognitive processes (including memory) and a vast neural circuitry. Rodent models have allowed research to begin to probe the neural basis of three forms of cost-benefit decision making: effort-, delay-, and risk-based decision making. In this review, we detail the current understanding of the functional circuits that subserve each form of decision making. We highlight the extensive literature by detailing the ability of dopamine to influence decisions by modulating structures within these circuits. Since acetylcholine projects to all of the same important structures, we propose several ways in which the cholinergic system may play a local modulatory role that will allow it to shape these behaviors. A greater understanding of the contribution of the cholinergic system to cost-benefit decisions will permit us to better link the decision and memory processes, and this will help us to better understand and/or treat individuals with deficits in a number of higher cognitive functions including decision making, learning, memory, and language. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. [The graduate, the head nurse and the nursing supervisor. A descriptive study of the competence of recent graduates].

    PubMed

    Brundu, Tiziana; Pinna, Rita; Nonnis, Marcello; Pedditzi, Maria Luisa

    2015-01-01

    The study describes the representations of nursing graduate, by professionals involved in their socialization work. The study is a qualitative one. A convenience sample of 19 individuals was set up, graduate nurses (10), head nurses (6) and nurses’ manager (3)were interviewed. A semi structured interviewed was carried out. aimed at investigate their own beliefs about relational competence, technical-operational and organizational skills, desired and held by graduates. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The corpus was analyzed using appropriate software, comparing the three roles involved with respect to the three areas of expertise. Results show a lack of relational competences and emotional control by Graduates both with colleagues and patients. In addition to this, an overall reluctance of established teams to adopt new working methods and graduate competences too focused on theory. The results with respect to competences highlight the need to strength the training with respect to care and relationship with patients for recent graduate, the difficulty of management to set up technical and operational innovations, the need for an interactional approach of the three professional profiles. The study proposes actions aimed at a better graduates’ social and professional integration using the contributions of professionals directly involved in the organization. Furthermore positive action were suggested both during university studies and within organizational contexts in nursing profession.

  7. Co-production of knowledge: recipe for success in land-based climate change adaptation?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coninx, Ingrid; Swart, Rob

    2015-04-01

    After multiple failures of scientists to trigger policymakers and other relevant actors to take action when communicating research findings, the request for co-production (or co-creation) of knowledge and stakeholder involvement in climate change adaptation efforts has rapidly increased over the past few years. In particular for land-based adaptation, on-the-ground action is often met by societal resistance towards solutions proposed by scientists, by a misfit of potential solutions with the local context, leading to misunderstanding and even rejection of scientific recommendations. A fully integrative co-creation process in which both scientists and practitioners discuss climate vulnerability and possible responses, exploring perspectives and designing adaptation measures based on their own knowledge, is expected to prevent the adaptation deadlock. The apparent conviction that co-creation processes result in successful adaptation, has not yet been unambiguously empirically demonstrated, but has resulted in co-creation being one of basic principles in many new research and policy programmes. But is co-creation that brings knowledge of scientists and practitioners together always the best recipe for success in climate change adaptation? Assessing a number of actual cases, the authors have serious doubts. The paper proposes additional considerations for adaptively managing the environment that should be taken into account in the design of participatory knowledge development in which climate scientists play a role. These include the nature of the problem at stake; the values, interests and perceptions of the actors involved; the methods used to build trust, strengthen alignment and develop reciprocal relationships among scientists and practitioners; and the concreteness of the co-creation output.

  8. Shattering the silence of violence against women.

    PubMed

    1998-01-01

    The UN Development Fund for Women has selected 23 projects in 18 developing countries to be beneficiaries of a $1.2 million trust fund dedicated to the elimination of violence against women. While the projects offer a variety of approaches to preventing and eliminating the domestic violence suffered by a third of the women in developing countries, all involve awareness-raising and advocacy, capacity-building, literacy, training, action research, and prevention/deterrence activities. A project in the Philippines will train women migrant workers who have been victimized by abuse to produce videos about their experience in order to raise consciousness about the rights of women and of workers. A South African project, which will address sexual assaults of high school students that occur in dating relationships, will involve a prevalence survey, a pilot project, an expansion of the project and curriculum development, a play on date rape, crisis intervention counseling, production of a video and manual, a national conference, and publication of essays produced by students who participated in the program. The Trust Fund was proposed by Japan in response to the urgent call for action issued by the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women and is funded by donations from governments and private sources.

  9. Gabapentin Inhibits Protein Kinase C Epsilon Translocation in Cultured Sensory Neurons with Additive Effects When Coapplied with Paracetamol (Acetaminophen).

    PubMed

    Vellani, Vittorio; Giacomoni, Chiara

    2017-01-01

    Gabapentin is a well-established anticonvulsant drug which is also effective for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Although the exact mechanism leading to relief of allodynia and hyperalgesia caused by neuropathy is not known, the blocking effect of gabapentin on voltage-dependent calcium channels has been proposed to be involved. In order to further evaluate its analgesic mechanisms, we tested the efficacy of gabapentin on protein kinase C epsilon (PKC ε ) translocation in cultured peripheral neurons isolated from rat dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). We found that gabapentin significantly reduced PKC ε translocation induced by the pronociceptive peptides bradykinin and prokineticin 2, involved in both inflammatory and chronic pain. We recently showed that paracetamol (acetaminophen), a very commonly used analgesic drug, also produces inhibition of PKC ε . We tested the effect of the combined use of paracetamol and gabapentin, and we found that the inhibition of translocation adds up. Our study provides a novel mechanism of action for gabapentin in sensory neurons and suggests a mechanism of action for the combined use of paracetamol and gabapentin, which has recently been shown to be effective, with a cumulative behavior, in the control of postoperative pain in human patients.

  10. 36 CFR 907.8 - Actions that normally require an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... proposals may significantly affect the environment and therefore require an environmental impact statement... performed an environmental assessment to determine if a proposal requires an environmental impact statement. However, it may be readily apparent that a proposed action will have a significant impact on the...

  11. 36 CFR 907.8 - Actions that normally require an EIS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... proposals may significantly affect the environment and therefore require an environmental impact statement... performed an environmental assessment to determine if a proposal requires an environmental impact statement. However, it may be readily apparent that a proposed action will have a significant impact on the...

  12. 49 CFR 520.27 - Legislative actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Legislative actions. (a) A DEIS on both legislative proposals and reports for which NHTSA either develops the... been received should be available to the Congress and to the public for consideration in connection with the proposed legislation or report on proposed legislation. In cases where the scheduling of...

  13. 49 CFR 520.27 - Legislative actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Legislative actions. (a) A DEIS on both legislative proposals and reports for which NHTSA either develops the... been received should be available to the Congress and to the public for consideration in connection with the proposed legislation or report on proposed legislation. In cases where the scheduling of...

  14. 49 CFR 520.27 - Legislative actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Legislative actions. (a) A DEIS on both legislative proposals and reports for which NHTSA either develops the... been received should be available to the Congress and to the public for consideration in connection with the proposed legislation or report on proposed legislation. In cases where the scheduling of...

  15. 49 CFR 520.27 - Legislative actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Legislative actions. (a) A DEIS on both legislative proposals and reports for which NHTSA either develops the... been received should be available to the Congress and to the public for consideration in connection with the proposed legislation or report on proposed legislation. In cases where the scheduling of...

  16. 75 FR 38753 - Proposed Revision of Class E Airspace; Tanana, AK

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-06

    ... E Airspace; Tanana, AK AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to revise Class E airspace at Tanana, AK. The..., Anchorage, AK 99513-7587. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Rolf, Federal Aviation Administration, 222...

  17. 77 FR 24159 - Proposed Modification of Class E Airspace; Plentywood, MT

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-23

    ... action proposes to modify Class E airspace at Plentywood Sher-Wood Airport, Plentywood, MT. Controlled...) standard instrument approach procedures at Plentywood Sher-Wood Airport. The FAA is proposing this action... Sher-Wood Airport, Plentywood, MT. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using RNAV...

  18. 77 FR 59035 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Action on Proposed Bridge Rehabilitation and Restoration in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-25

    ... on Proposed Bridge Rehabilitation and Restoration in Massachusetts AGENCY: Federal Highway...(l)(1). The action relates to the proposed Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation and Restoration Project... issuing approval for the following bridge/highway improvement project in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...

  19. 76 FR 44285 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Fayette, AL

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-25

    ... Class E Airspace; Fayette, AL AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Fayette, AL, as the... at Richard Arthur Field, Fayette, AL. Airspace reconfiguration is necessary due to the...

  20. The Emergence of a Novel Representation from Action: Evidence from Preschoolers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boncoddo, Rebecca; Dixon, James A.; Kelley, Elizabeth

    2010-01-01

    Recent work in embodied cognition has proposed that representations and actions are inextricably linked. The current study examines a developmental account of this relationship. Specifically, we propose that children's actions are foundational for novel representations. Thirty-two preschoolers, aged 3.4 to 5.7 years, were asked to solve a set of…

  1. 78 FR 46616 - Virginia Electric and Power Company; North Anna Power Station, Units 1 and 2; Surry Power Station...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-01

    ... Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 99-01, Methodology for Development of Emergency Action Levels.'' The... readily accessible means available in the Control Room. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The... that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Environmental...

  2. Environmental Volunteers: Factors Influencing Their Involvement in Environmental Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liarakou, Georgia; Kostelou, Eleni; Gavrilakis, Costas

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors that influence volunteers to become involved in environmental action. The research focused on volunteers undertaking action in summer camps organised by an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Greece. The results suggest that the environmental issues addressed in volunteer…

  3. 12 CFR 1815.110 - Categorical exclusion.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    .../or social services; (l) Actions involving Fund financial assistance that is used to increase the permanent capital and/or liquidity of an applicant; (m) Actions where no use of Federal funds is involved in the activity or Project; and (n) Actions directly related to the provision of working capital, the...

  4. Action Learning and Executive Education: Achieving Credible Personal, Practitioner and Organisational Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Simon; Margey, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Action learning involves balancing the often conflicting forces between working knowledge and academic knowledge. This paper explores the experience of executive learners; academics and external contributors involved in action learning at the postgraduate level. The executive learners are members of cohorts on two masters programmes based in…

  5. Predictive Mechanisms Are Not Involved the Same Way during Human-Human vs. Human-Machine Interactions: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Sahaï, Aïsha; Pacherie, Elisabeth; Grynszpan, Ouriel; Berberian, Bruno

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, interactions with others do not only involve human peers but also automated systems. Many studies suggest that the motor predictive systems that are engaged during action execution are also involved during joint actions with peers and during other human generated action observation. Indeed, the comparator model hypothesis suggests that the comparison between a predicted state and an estimated real state enables motor control, and by a similar functioning, understanding and anticipating observed actions. Such a mechanism allows making predictions about an ongoing action, and is essential to action regulation, especially during joint actions with peers. Interestingly, the same comparison process has been shown to be involved in the construction of an individual's sense of agency, both for self-generated and observed other human generated actions. However, the implication of such predictive mechanisms during interactions with machines is not consensual, probably due to the high heterogeneousness of the automata used in the experimentations, from very simplistic devices to full humanoid robots. The discrepancies that are observed during human/machine interactions could arise from the absence of action/observation matching abilities when interacting with traditional low-level automata. Consistently, the difficulties to build a joint agency with this kind of machines could stem from the same problem. In this context, we aim to review the studies investigating predictive mechanisms during social interactions with humans and with automated artificial systems. We will start by presenting human data that show the involvement of predictions in action control and in the sense of agency during social interactions. Thereafter, we will confront this literature with data from the robotic field. Finally, we will address the upcoming issues in the field of robotics related to automated systems aimed at acting as collaborative agents. PMID:29081744

  6. 77 FR 40897 - Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Direct Sale of Public Land in Harney County, OR

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-11

    ...-66276; HAG12-0004] Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Direct Sale of Public Land in Harney County, OR...) proposes to sell a 5-acre parcel of public land in Harney County, Oregon, by direct sale procedures to... receive comments regarding the proposed sale on or before August 27, 2012. ADDRESSES: Written comments...

  7. Evidence for the role of DNA strand passage in the mechanism of action of microcin B17 on DNA gyrase.

    PubMed

    Pierrat, Olivier A; Maxwell, Anthony

    2005-03-22

    Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a DNA gyrase poison; in previous work, this bacterial toxin was found to slowly and incompletely inhibit the reactions of supercoiling and relaxation of DNA by gyrase and to stabilize the cleavage complex, depending on the presence of ATP and the DNA topology. We now show that the action of MccB17 on the gyrase ATPase reaction and cleavage complex formation requires a linear DNA fragment of more than 150 base pairs. MccB17 is unable to stimulate the ATPase reaction by stabilizing the weak interactions between short linear DNA fragments (70 base pairs or less) and gyrase, in contrast with the quinolone ciprofloxacin. However, MccB17 can affect the ATP-dependent relaxation of DNA by gyrase lacking its DNA-wrapping or ATPase domains. From these findings, we propose a mode of action of MccB17 requiring a DNA molecule long enough to allow the transport of a segment through the DNA gate of the enzyme. Furthermore, we suggest that MccB17 may trap a transient intermediate state of the gyrase reaction present only during DNA strand passage and enzyme turnover. The proteolytic signature of MccB17 from trypsin treatment of the full enzyme requires DNA and ATP and shows a protection of the C-terminal 47-kDa domain of gyrase, indicating the involvement of this domain in the toxin mode of action and consistent with its proposed role in the mechanism of DNA strand passage. We suggest that the binding site of MccB17 is in the C-terminal domain of GyrB.

  8. Draft environmental impact statement: Space Shuttle Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    The proposed action is design, development, testing, and evaluation of Advanced Solid Rocket Motors (ASRM) to replace the motors currently used to launch the Space Shuttle. The proposed action includes design, construction, and operation of new government-owned, contractor-operated facilities for manufacturing and testing the ASRM's. The proposed action also includes transport of propellant-filled rocket motor segments from the manufacturing facility to the testing and launch sites and the return of used and/or refurbished segments to the manufacturing site.

  9. 14 CFR 1245.112 - Notice of proposed Board action and reconsideration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notice of proposed Board action and reconsideration. 1245.112 Section 1245.112 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION PATENTS AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Patent Waiver Regulations § 1245.112 Notice of proposed...

  10. 14 CFR 1245.112 - Notice of proposed Board action and reconsideration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2011-01-01 2010-01-01 true Notice of proposed Board action and reconsideration. 1245.112 Section 1245.112 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION PATENTS AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Patent Waiver Regulations § 1245.112 Notice of proposed...

  11. 76 FR 53356 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Greenfield, IA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-26

    ...-0846; Airspace Docket No. 11-ACE-18] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Greenfield, IA AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Greenfield, IA. Decommissioning of the Greenfield non-directional beacon (NDB) at Greenfield Municipal Airport, Greenfield, IA, has made this action necessary for...

  12. 77 FR 45987 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Guthrie, IA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-02

    ...-1436; Airspace Docket No. 11-ACE-29] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Guthrie, IA AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Guthrie, IA. Decommissioning of the Guthrie Center non-directional radio beacon (NDB) at Guthrie County Regional Airport, Guthrie, IA, has made this action necessary...

  13. 76 FR 56127 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Mercury, NV

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-12

    ...-0894; Airspace Docket No. 11-AWP-14] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Mercury, NV AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Mercury, Desert Rock Airport, Mercury, NV. Decommissioning of the Mercury Non- Directional Beacon (NDB) at Mercury, Desert Rock Airport has made this action...

  14. 78 FR 2646 - Proposed Modification of Class B Airspace; Las Vegas, NV

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-14

    ..., NV AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); Reopening of comment period. SUMMARY: This action reopens the comment period for an NPRM that was published... reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory...

  15. 76 FR 28685 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Hannibal, MO

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-18

    ...-0046; Airspace Docket No. 11-ACE-1] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Hannibal, MO AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Hannibal, MO. Decommissioning of the Hannibal non-directional beacon (NDB) at Hannibal Regional Airport, Hannibal, MO, has made this action necessary for the...

  16. 77 FR 67814 - Proposed Settlement Agreement, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-14

    ... Suit AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of proposed settlement agreement..., 2012, Sierra Club (``Intervenor'') filed a timely motion to intervene. The motion was granted March 27, 2012. The proposed settlement agreement establishes a deadline for EPA to take action on a SIP to be...

  17. 77 FR 16783 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Orlando, FL

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-22

    ...-0503; Airspace Docket No. 11-ASO-19] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Orlando, FL AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Orlando, FL, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Orlando Executive Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace...

  18. 76 FR 5306 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Indianapolis Executive Airport, IN

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-31

    ... Airport, IN AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class E airspace for the Indianapolis Executive Airport... management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. DATES: 0901 UTC. Comments must be...

  19. 75 FR 13502 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Manette Bridge Replacement in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-22

    ...), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS... proposed action area could be affected by the proposed bridge replacement activities, the WSDOT is seeking... in the concrete has resulted from a process called Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR). ASR causes...

  20. Mirror systems.

    PubMed

    Fogassi, Leonardo; Ferrari, Pier Francesco

    2011-01-01

    Mirror neurons are a class of visuomotor neurons, discovered in the monkey premotor cortex and in an anatomically connected area of the inferior parietal lobule, that activate both during action execution and action observation. They constitute a circuit dedicated to match actions made by others with the internal motor representations of the observer. It has been proposed that this matching system enables individuals to understand others' behavior and motor intentions. Here we will describe the main features of mirror neurons in monkeys. Then we will present evidence of the presence of a mirror system in humans and of its involvement in several social-cognitive functions, such as imitation, intention, and emotion understanding. This system may have several implications at a cognitive level and could be linked to specific social deficits in humans such as autism. Recent investigations addressed the issue of the plasticity of the mirror neuron system in both monkeys and humans, suggesting also their possible use in rehabilitation. WIREs Cogn Sci 2011 2 22-38 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.89 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. The resonant system: Linking brain-body-environment in sport performance☆.

    PubMed

    Teques, Pedro; Araújo, Duarte; Seifert, Ludovic; Del Campo, Vicente L; Davids, Keith

    2017-01-01

    The ecological dynamics approach offers new insights to understand how athlete nervous systems are embedded within the body-environment system in sport. Cognitive neuroscience focuses on the neural bases of athlete behaviors in terms of perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions defined within specific brain structures. Here, we discuss some limitations of this traditional perspective, addressing how athletes functionally adapt perception and action to the dynamics of complex performance environments by continuously perceiving information to regulate goal-directed actions. We examine how recent neurophysiological evidence of functioning in diverse cortical and subcortical regions appears more compatible with an ecological dynamics perspective, than traditional views in cognitive neuroscience. We propose how athlete behaviors in sports may be related to the tuning of resonant mechanisms indicating that perception is a dynamic process involving the whole body of the athlete. We emphasize the important role of metastable dynamics in the brain-body-environment system facilitating continuous interactions with a landscape of affordances (opportunities for action) in a performance environment. We discuss implications of these ideas for performance preparation and practice design in sport. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Keeping patients safe in healthcare organizations: a structuration theory of safety culture.

    PubMed

    Groves, Patricia S; Meisenbach, Rebecca J; Scott-Cawiezell, Jill

    2011-08-01

    This paper presents a discussion of the use of structuration theory to facilitate understanding and improvement of safety culture in healthcare organizations. Patient safety in healthcare organizations is an important problem worldwide. Safety culture has been proposed as a means to keep patients safe. However, lack of appropriate theory limits understanding and improvement of safety culture. The proposed structuration theory of safety culture was based on a critique of available English-language literature, resulting in literature published from 1983 to mid-2009. CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, ABI/Inform and Google Scholar databases were searched using the following terms: nursing, safety, organizational culture and safety culture. When viewed through the lens of structuration theory, safety culture is a system involving both individual actions and organizational structures. Healthcare organization members, particularly nurses, share these values through communication and enact them in practice, (re)producing an organizational safety culture system that reciprocally constrains and enables the actions of the members in terms of patient safety. This structurational viewpoint illuminates multiple opportunities for safety culture improvement. Nurse leaders should be cognizant of competing value-based culture systems in the organization and attend to nursing agency and all forms of communication when attempting to create or strengthen a safety culture. Applying structuration theory to the concept of safety culture reveals a dynamic system of individual action and organizational structure constraining and enabling safety practice. Nurses are central to the (re)production of this safety culture system. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  3. The robust corrective action priority-an improved approach for selecting competing corrective actions in FMEA based on principle of robust design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutrisno, Agung; Gunawan, Indra; Vanany, Iwan

    2017-11-01

    In spite of being integral part in risk - based quality improvement effort, studies improving quality of selection of corrective action priority using FMEA technique are still limited in literature. If any, none is considering robustness and risk in selecting competing improvement initiatives. This study proposed a theoretical model to select risk - based competing corrective action by considering robustness and risk of competing corrective actions. We incorporated the principle of robust design in counting the preference score among corrective action candidates. Along with considering cost and benefit of competing corrective actions, we also incorporate the risk and robustness of corrective actions. An example is provided to represent the applicability of the proposed model.

  4. Mechanisms of Identity Conflict: Uncertainty, Anxiety, and the Behavioral Inhibition System.

    PubMed

    Hirsh, Jacob B; Kang, Sonia K

    2016-08-01

    Social identities are associated with normative standards for thought and action, profoundly influencing the behavioral choices of individual group members. These social norms provide frameworks for identifying the most appropriate actions in any situation. Given the increasing complexity of the social world, however, individuals are more and more likely to identify strongly with multiple social groups simultaneously. When these groups provide divergent behavioral norms, individuals can experience social identity conflict. The current manuscript examines the nature and consequences of this socially conflicted state, drawing upon advances in our understanding of the neuropsychology of conflict and uncertainty. Identity conflicts are proposed to involve activity in the Behavioral Inhibition System, which in turn produces high levels of anxiety and stress. Building upon this framework, four strategies for resolving identity conflict are reviewed. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  5. A specific role for serotonin in overcoming effort cost.

    PubMed

    Meyniel, Florent; Goodwin, Guy M; Deakin, Jf William; Klinge, Corinna; MacFadyen, Christine; Milligan, Holly; Mullings, Emma; Pessiglione, Mathias; Gaillard, Raphaël

    2016-11-08

    Serotonin is implicated in many aspects of behavioral regulation. Theoretical attempts to unify the multiple roles assigned to serotonin proposed that it regulates the impact of costs, such as delay or punishment, on action selection. Here, we show that serotonin also regulates other types of action costs such as effort. We compared behavioral performance in 58 healthy humans treated during 8 weeks with either placebo or the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram. The task involved trading handgrip force production against monetary benefits. Participants in the escitalopram group produced more effort and thereby achieved a higher payoff. Crucially, our computational analysis showed that this effect was underpinned by a specific reduction of effort cost, and not by any change in the weight of monetary incentives. This specific computational effect sheds new light on the physiological role of serotonin in behavioral regulation and on the clinical effect of drugs for depression. ISRCTN75872983.

  6. Congruence and placement in sponsorship: An eye-tracking application.

    PubMed

    Alonso Dos Santos, Manuel; Calabuig Moreno, Ferran; Sánchez Franco, Manuel

    2018-05-30

    Sporting events can be announced using sports posters and by disseminating advertisements on the internet, on the street and in print media. But until now, no prior research has measured the effectiveness of sponsorship in sporting event posters. This study uses eye tracking to measure the effectiveness of sporting event posters and proposes considering the level of the viewer's attention as an indicator. This research involves a factorial experiment based on the following variables: congruence, the number of sponsors, and placement of the sponsor's advertisement in a sporting event poster. The results indicate that sponsors positioned in the poster's area of action receive more attention. However, we were unable to prove that congruent sponsors receive more attention, as claimed in the literature. This result could be due to a situation of blindness towards the sponsor. The conclusion section of this paper discusses theoretical conclusions and potential managerial actions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. [Implementation of strategies and tools of sociosanitary coordination in a health department].

    PubMed

    Botija, Pilar; Botija, Mercedes; Navarro, Jorge

    2017-09-25

    The objective of this article is to show an experience of new practice as implemented by the management of a Department of Health. An organisational model is shown of sociosanitary coordination between the different levels of care and sectors, establishing synergies of the common social and health resources of the Clínico-Malvarrosa Department of Health (Valencia, Spain). After one year, five basic health councils have been set up in Primary Care and a Sociosanitary Coordination Commission composed of three subcommittees: 1) socio and health care, 2) associationism and hospital volunteering, and 3) community action and citizen participation. The proposed organisational structure has been consolidated, the actions carried out have been valued positively by the different agents involved. It has generated a network of social and health communication: interdepartmental, extra-departmental and out-of-hospital. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. The role of intrinsic motivations in attention allocation and shifting

    PubMed Central

    Di Nocera, Dario; Finzi, Alberto; Rossi, Silvia; Staffa, Mariacarla

    2014-01-01

    The concepts of attention and intrinsic motivations are of great interest within adaptive robotic systems, and can be exploited in order to guide, activate, and coordinate multiple concurrent behaviors. Attention allocation strategies represent key capabilities of human beings, which are strictly connected with action selection and execution mechanisms, while intrinsic motivations directly affect the allocation of attentional resources. In this paper we propose a model of Reinforcement Learning (RL), where both these capabilities are involved. RL is deployed to learn how to allocate attentional resources in a behavior-based robotic system, while action selection is obtained as a side effect of the resulting motivated attentional behaviors. Moreover, the influence of intrinsic motivations in attention orientation is obtained by introducing rewards associated with curiosity drives. In this way, the learning process is affected not only by goal-specific rewards, but also by intrinsic motivations. PMID:24744746

  9. Comparative proteomic analysis reveals intracellular targets for bacillomycin L to induce Rhizoctonia solani Kühn hyphal cell death.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Bao; Qin, Yuxuan; Han, Yuzhu; Dong, Chunjuan; Li, Pinglan; Shang, Qingmao

    2016-09-01

    Bacillomycin L, a natural iturinic lipopeptide produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, is characterized by strong antifungal activity against a variety of agronomically important filamentous fungi including Rhizoctonia solani Kühn. To further understand its antifungal actions, proteomes were comparatively studied within R. solani hyphal cells treated with or without bacillomycin L. The results show that 39 proteins were alternatively expressed within cells in response to this lipopeptide, which are involved in stress response, carbohydrate, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, cellular component organization, calcium homeostasis, protein degradation, RNA processing, gene transcription, and others, suggesting that, in addition to inducing cell membrane permeabilization, iturin exhibits antibiotic activities by targeting intracellular molecules. Based on these results, a model of action of bacillomycin L against R. solani hyphal cells was proposed. Our study provides new insight into the antibiotic mechanisms of iturins. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Pivotal role of tissue plasminogen activator in the mechanism of action of electroconvulsive therapy.

    PubMed

    Hoirisch-Clapauch, Silvia; Mezzasalma, Marco A U; Nardi, Antonio E

    2014-02-01

    Electroconvulsive therapy is an important treatment option for major depressive disorders, acute mania, mood disorders with psychotic features, and catatonia. Several hypotheses have been proposed as electroconvulsive therapy's mechanism of action. Our hypothesis involves many converging pathways facilitated by increased synthesis and release of tissue-plasminogen activator. Human and animal experiments have shown that tissue-plasminogen activator participates in many mechanisms of action of electroconvulsive therapy or its animal variant, electroconvulsive stimulus, including improved N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated signaling, activation of both brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor, increased bioavailability of zinc, purinergic release, and increased mobility of dendritic spines. As a result, tissue-plasminogen activator helps promote neurogenesis in limbic structures, modulates synaptic transmission and plasticity, improves cognitive function, and mediates antidepressant effects. Notably, electroconvulsive therapy seems to influence tissue-plasminogen activator metabolism. For example, electroconvulsive stimulus increases the expression of glutamate decarboxylase 65 isoform in γ-aminobutyric acid-releasing neurons, which enhances the release of tissue-plasminogen activator, and the expression of p11, a protein involved in plasminogen and tissue-plasminogen activator assembling. This paper reviews how electroconvulsive therapy correlates with tissue-plasminogen activator. We suggest that interventions aiming at increasing tissue-plasminogen activator levels or its bioavailability - such as daily aerobic exercises together with a carbohydrate-restricted diet, or normalization of homocysteine levels - be evaluated in controlled studies assessing response and remission duration in patients who undergo electroconvulsive therapy.

  11. 40 CFR 1502.14 - Alternatives including the proposed action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form, thus sharply defining the issues and... action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits. (c) Include reasonable alternatives not...

  12. 40 CFR 1502.14 - Alternatives including the proposed action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form, thus sharply defining the issues and... action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits. (c) Include reasonable alternatives not...

  13. 40 CFR 1502.14 - Alternatives including the proposed action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form, thus sharply defining the issues and... action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits. (c) Include reasonable alternatives not...

  14. 40 CFR 1502.14 - Alternatives including the proposed action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form, thus sharply defining the issues and... action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits. (c) Include reasonable alternatives not...

  15. 40 CFR 1502.14 - Alternatives including the proposed action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... impacts of the proposal and the alternatives in comparative form, thus sharply defining the issues and... action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits. (c) Include reasonable alternatives not...

  16. Final Actions in Arkansas; Governors' Proposals in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia. Legislative Report No. 2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) follows education budgets and legislation during regular and special legislative sessions. The Legislative Reports follow education and budget issues from governors' proposals through final legislative actions in each of the 16 SREB states. This report presents final legislative and budget actions in…

  17. 76 FR 2949 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Project in Washington

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-18

    ... of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by FHWA. SUMMARY: This notice announces... a proposed project, the SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project in the State of Washington. Those... agency actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A claim seeking judicial review of the Federal agency...

  18. Paving the Way for Change: Visionary Leadership in Action at the Middle Level.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Kathleen M.; Anfara, Vincent A., Jr.

    2003-01-01

    Case study explores visionary leadership in action by focusing on the strategies that some middle-school principals use before implementing schoolwide reforms. Finds that visionary leadership in action involves an initial exploration of possible change areas; discussions and education regarding the issues involved; and support, commitment, and…

  19. Do you remember proposing marriage to the Pepsi machine? False recollections from a campus walk.

    PubMed

    Seamon, John G; Philbin, Morgan M; Harrison, Liza G

    2006-10-01

    During a campus walk, participants were given familiar or bizarre action statements (e.g., "Check the Pepsi machine for change" vs. "Propose marriage to the Pepsi machine") with instructions either to perform the actions or imagine performing the actions (Group 1) or to watch the experimenter perform the actions or imagine the experimenter performing the actions (Group 2). One day later, some actions were repeated, along with new actions, on a second walk. Two weeks later, the participants took a recognition test for actions presented during the first walk, and they specified whether a recognized action was imagined or performed. Imagining themselves or the experimenter performing familiar or bizarre actions just once led to false recollections of performance for both types of actions. This study extends previous research on imagination inflation by demonstrating that these false performance recollections can occur in a natural, real-life setting following just one imagining.

  20. Strengthening of accountability systems to create healthy food environments and reduce global obesity.

    PubMed

    Swinburn, Boyd; Kraak, Vivica; Rutter, Harry; Vandevijvere, Stefanie; Lobstein, Tim; Sacks, Gary; Gomes, Fabio; Marsh, Tim; Magnusson, Roger

    2015-06-20

    To achieve WHO's target to halt the rise in obesity and diabetes, dramatic actions are needed to improve the healthiness of food environments. Substantial debate surrounds who is responsible for delivering effective actions and what, specifically, these actions should entail. Arguments are often reduced to a debate between individual and collective responsibilities, and between hard regulatory or fiscal interventions and soft voluntary, education-based approaches. Genuine progress lies beyond the impasse of these entrenched dichotomies. We argue for a strengthening of accountability systems across all actors to substantially improve performance on obesity reduction. In view of the industry opposition and government reluctance to regulate for healthier food environments, quasiregulatory approaches might achieve progress. A four step accountability framework (take the account, share the account, hold to account, and respond to the account) is proposed. The framework identifies multiple levers for change, including quasiregulatory and other approaches that involve government-specified and government-monitored progress of private sector performance, government procurement mechanisms, improved transparency, monitoring of actions, and management of conflicts of interest. Strengthened accountability systems would support government leadership and stewardship, constrain the influence of private sector actors with major conflicts of interest on public policy development, and reinforce the engagement of civil society in creating demand for healthy food environments and in monitoring progress towards obesity action objectives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Efficiency in Rule- vs. Plan-Based Movements Is Modulated by Action-Mode.

    PubMed

    Scheib, Jean P P; Stoll, Sarah; Thürmer, J Lukas; Randerath, Jennifer

    2018-01-01

    The rule/plan motor cognition (RPMC) paradigm elicits visually indistinguishable motor outputs, resulting from either plan- or rule-based action-selection, using a combination of essentially interchangeable stimuli. Previous implementations of the RPMC paradigm have used pantomimed movements to compare plan- vs. rule-based action-selection. In the present work we attempt to determine the generalizability of previous RPMC findings to real object interaction by use of a grasp-to-rotate task. In the plan task, participants had to use prospective planning to achieve a comfortable post-handle rotation hand posture. The rule task used implementation intentions (if-then rules) leading to the same comfortable end-state. In Experiment A, we compare RPMC performance of 16 healthy participants in pantomime and real object conditions of the experiment, within-subjects. Higher processing efficiency of rule- vs. plan-based action-selection was supported by diffusion model analysis. Results show a significant response-time increase in the pantomime condition compared to the real object condition and a greater response-time advantage of rule-based vs. plan-based actions in the pantomime compared to the real object condition. In Experiment B, 24 healthy participants performed the real object RPMC task in a task switching vs. a blocked condition. Results indicate that plan-based action-selection leads to longer response-times and less efficient information processing than rule-based action-selection in line with previous RPMC findings derived from the pantomime action-mode. Particularly in the task switching mode, responses were faster in the rule compared to the plan task suggesting a modulating influence of cognitive load. Overall, results suggest an advantage of rule-based action-selection over plan-based action-selection; whereby differential mechanisms appear to be involved depending on the action-mode. We propose that cognitive load is a factor that modulates the advantageous effect of implementation intentions in motor cognition on different levels as illustrated by the varying speed advantages and the variation in diffusion parameters per action-mode or condition, respectively.

  2. Catalytic therapy of cancer by ascorbic acid involves redox cycling of exogenous/endogenous copper ions and generation of reactive oxygen species.

    PubMed

    Hadi, S M; Ullah, M F; Shamim, U; Bhatt, S H; Azmi, A S

    2010-01-01

    Catalytic therapy is a cancer treatment modality based on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through administration of ascorbate/medicinal herbal extracts and copper. It is known that antioxidants such as ascorbate also exhibit prooxidant activity in the presence of transition metals such as copper. Based on our work and that in the literature, in this review we propose a mechanism for the cytotoxic action of ascorbate against cancer cells. It involves redox cycling of exogenous/endogenous copper ions and the consequent generation of ROS leading to oxidative DNA breakage. Using human peripheral lymphocytes and the Comet assay, we have shown that ascorbic acid is able to cause oxidative breakage in cellular DNA. Such DNA degradation is inhibited by neocuproine (a Cu(I) sequestering agent) and scavengers of ROS indicating that the cellular DNA breakage involves the generation of Cu(I) and formation of ROS. Similar results are also obtained with plant polyphenol antioxidants that are important constituents of medicinal herbal extracts. Copper is an essential component of chromatin and can take part in redox reactions. It is well established that tissue, cellular and serum copper levels are considerably elevated in various malignancies. Therefore, cancer cells may be more subject to electron transfer between copper ions and ascorbate/plant polyphenols to generate ROS. In this review we cite evidence to indicate that in catalytic therapy cytotoxic action against cancer cells involves redox cycling of exogenous/endogenous copper ions. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Increasing advance personal planning: the need for action at the community level.

    PubMed

    Waller, Amy; Sanson-Fisher, Rob; Ries, Nola; Bryant, Jamie

    2018-05-09

    Advance personal planning is the process by which people consider, document and communicate their preferences for personal, financial and health matters in case they lose the ability to make decisions or express their wishes in the future. Advance personal planning is most often undertaken by individuals who are seriously ill, often in the context of a medical crisis and/or at the time of admission to hospital. However, the clinical utility and legal validity of the planning process may be compromised in these circumstances. Patients may lack sufficient capacity to meaningfully engage in advance personal planning; there may be insufficient time to adequately reflect on and discuss wishes with key others; and there may also be limited opportunity for inter-professional input and collaboration in the process. Here, we propose an agenda for research to advance the science of advance personal planning by promoting a 'whole community' approach. Adoption of advance personal planning at a community level may be achieved using a variety of strategies including public media campaigns, intervening with professionals across a range of health care and legal settings, and mobilising support from influential groups and local government. One potentially promising method for encouraging earlier adoption of advance personal planning among a broader population involves a community action approach, whereby multiple evidence-based strategies are integrated across multiple access points. Community action involves calling on community members, professionals, community and/or government organisations to work collaboratively to design and systematically implement intervention strategies with the aim of bringing about desired behaviour change. An example of a community action trial to improving uptake and quality of advance personal planning is described. While promising, there is a need for rigorous evidence to demonstrate whether a community action approach is effective in establishing whole community adoption of advance personal planning.

  4. Branes in Extended Spacetime: Brane Worldvolume Theory Based on Duality Symmetry.

    PubMed

    Sakatani, Yuho; Uehara, Shozo

    2016-11-04

    We propose a novel approach to the brane worldvolume theory based on the geometry of extended field theories: double field theory and exceptional field theory. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach by showing that one can reproduce the conventional bosonic string and membrane actions, and the M5-brane action in the weak-field approximation. At a glance, the proposed 5-brane action without approximation looks different from the known M5-brane actions, but it is consistent with the known nonlinear self-duality relation, and it may provide a new formulation of a single M5-brane action. Actions for exotic branes are also discussed.

  5. 40 CFR 1508.18 - Major Federal action.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Major Federal action. Major Federal action includes actions with effects that may be major and which are... legislative proposals (§§ 1506.8, 1508.17). Actions do not include funding assistance solely in the form of...

  6. Sex-specific effects of posture on the attribution of handedness to an imagined agent.

    PubMed

    Marzoli, Daniele; Lucafò, Chiara; Rescigno, Carmine; Mussini, Elena; Padulo, Caterina; Prete, Giulia; D'Anselmo, Anita; Malatesta, Gianluca; Tommasi, Luca

    2017-04-01

    In a series of previous studies, we found that when participants were required to imagine another person performing a manual action, they imagined a significantly higher proportion of actions performed with their dominant rather than non-dominant hand, which indicates that shared motor representations between the self and the other are involved also during the imagination of others' actions. Interestingly, the activation of lateralized body-specific motor representations (as indexed by the congruence between the participant's handedness and the imagined person's handedness) appeared to be affected by the visual perspective adopted and participants' handedness. Given that past literature indicates that incongruent or unnatural postures interfere with motor imagery, we tested 480 right-handed participants to investigate whether subjects holding their right hand behind their back would have imagined right-handed actions less frequently than those holding their left hand behind their back. Moreover, we examined the effects of participant's sex, action category (simple or complex) and hand shape (open or fist). Contrary to our prediction, female participants holding their right hand behind their back imagined right-handed actions more frequently than those holding their left hand behind their back, whereas no significant effect was observed in male participants. We propose that the muscle contraction needed to keep a hand behind the back could activate the motor representations of that hand so as to increase the likelihood of imagining an action performed with the corresponding hand. Moreover, the sex difference observed is consistent with the greater use of embodied strategies by females than by males.

  7. 77 FR 73976 - Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; Idaho; Crooked River Valley Rehabilitation Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-12

    ... maintenance of the road. Proposed Action The proposed action is to rehabilitate the lower two miles of the... from the road, improve forest visitor safety, and provide easier maintenance of the road. The proposed... the effects to cultural resources, public access, and future road maintenance costs. Permits or...

  8. 75 FR 6595 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Mapleton, IA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-10

    ...-1155; Airspace Docket No. 09-ACE-14] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Mapleton, IA AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Mapleton, IA. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to..., Mapleton, IA. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules...

  9. 75 FR 6592 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Emmetsburg, IA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-10

    ...-1153; Airspace Docket No. 09-ACE-13] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Emmetsburg, IA AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Emmetsburg, IA. Additional controlled airspace is necessary..., Emmetsburg, IA. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules...

  10. 76 FR 53353 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Carroll, IA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-26

    ...-0845; Airspace Docket No. 11-ACE-19] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Carroll, IA AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Carroll, IA. Decommissioning of the Carroll non-directional beacon (NDB) at Arthur N. Neu Airport, Carroll, IA, has made this action necessary for the safety and...

  11. 77 FR 11796 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Rock Springs, WY

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-28

    ...-0131; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-2 Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Rock Springs, WY AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport, Rock Springs, WY. Decommissioning of the Rock Springs Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN) has made this action necessary for the...

  12. 75 FR 33556 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Port Angeles, WA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-14

    ... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at William R. Fairchild International Airport, Port Angeles, WA... proposing this action for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the... triplicate to the Docket Management System (see ``ADDRESSES'' section for address and phone number). You may...

  13. 76 FR 35369 - Proposed Establishment of Class D and Amendment of Class E Airspace; Los Angeles, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-17

    ... Angeles International Airport. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of... rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This action proposes to establish Class D airspace at Los Angeles International... be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Management System (see ADDRESSES section for address and...

  14. 76 FR 66205 - Airworthiness Directives; Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Model S-76A Helicopters

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-26

    ... Corporation Model S- 76A Helicopters AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed... Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-76A helicopters. This proposal would require modifying the... fire occurring in an ERB installed on a Model S- 76A helicopter. The actions specified by this proposed...

  15. Going to Action? A Literature Review on Educational Proposals in Formal Environmental Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Varela-Losada, Mercedes; Vega-Marcote, Pedro; Pérez-Rodríguez, Uxío; Álvarez-Lires, María

    2016-01-01

    The current state of the planet's environmental deterioration calls for formal educational contexts to implement effective environmental proposals which nurture action competence. The aim of this paper is to examine the educational proposals in formal contexts that have been published in the two research journals of greatest impact on…

  16. 78 FR 45475 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Rome, OR

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-29

    ... Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft under control of Salt Lake City, Oakland and Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of... proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of comments received. All comments submitted will...

  17. 75 FR 6594 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Osceola, AR

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-10

    ...-1183; Airspace Docket No. 09-ASW-38] Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Osceola, AR AGENCY... action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Osceola, AR. Decommissioning of the Osceola non-directional beacon (NDB) at Osceola Municipal Airport, Osceola, AR, has made this action necessary for the safety and...

  18. (Oncogenic action of ionizing radiation)

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

    Not Available

    1990-01-01

    An extensive experiment involving approximately 400 rats exposed to the neon ion beam at the Bevalac in Berkeley, CA and to electrons is nearing completion. The carcinogenicity of energetic electrons was determined for comparison with the neon ion results. As in past reports we will describe progress in three areas corresponding to the specific aims of the proposal: (1) carcinogenesis and DNA strand breaks in rat skin following exposure by the neon ions or electrons; (2) DNA strand breaks in the epidermis as a function of radiation penetration; (3) oncogene activation in radiation-induced rat skin cancers. 72 refs., 6 tabs.

  19. Human-computer interaction in multitask situations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rouse, W. B.

    1977-01-01

    Human-computer interaction in multitask decisionmaking situations is considered, and it is proposed that humans and computers have overlapping responsibilities. Queueing theory is employed to model this dynamic approach to the allocation of responsibility between human and computer. Results of simulation experiments are used to illustrate the effects of several system variables including number of tasks, mean time between arrivals of action-evoking events, human-computer speed mismatch, probability of computer error, probability of human error, and the level of feedback between human and computer. Current experimental efforts are discussed and the practical issues involved in designing human-computer systems for multitask situations are considered.

  20. Our current approach to root cause analysis: is it contributing to our failure to improve patient safety?

    PubMed

    Kellogg, Kathryn M; Hettinger, Zach; Shah, Manish; Wears, Robert L; Sellers, Craig R; Squires, Melissa; Fairbanks, Rollin J

    2017-05-01

    Despite over a decade of efforts to reduce the adverse event rate in healthcare, the rate has remained relatively unchanged. Root cause analysis (RCA) is a process used by hospitals in an attempt to reduce adverse event rates; however, the outputs of this process have not been well studied in healthcare. This study aimed to examine the types of solutions proposed in RCAs over an 8-year period at a major academic medical institution. All state-reportable adverse events were gathered, and those for which an RCA was performed were analysed. A consensus rating process was used to determine a severity rating for each case. A qualitative approach was used to categorise the types of solutions proposed by the RCA team in each case and descriptive statistics were calculated. 302 RCAs were reviewed. The most common event types involved a procedure complication, followed by cardiopulmonary arrest, neurological deficit and retained foreign body. In 106 RCAs, solutions were proposed. A large proportion (38.7%) of RCAs with solutions proposed involved a patient death. Of the 731 proposed solutions, the most common solution types were training (20%), process change (19.6%) and policy reinforcement (15.2%). We found that multiple event types were repeated in the study period, despite repeated RCAs. This study found that the most commonly proposed solutions were weaker actions, which were less likely to decrease event recurrence. These findings support recent attempts to improve the RCA process and to develop guidance for the creation of effective and sustainable solutions to be used by RCA teams. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  1. 6 Source Categories - Boilers (Proposed Action)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is proposing options to simplify the Clean Air Act permitting process for certain smaller sources of air pollution commonly found in Indian country. This action would ensure that air quality in Indian country is protected.

  2. Proposed RCRA Permit Decision for CNMI Remedial Action Plan

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA requesting public comment on its proposed Remedial Action Plan permit decision for the detonation unit and storage cave located at Marpi Point, Saipan, approximately 1 mile north of the new Marpi Landfill.

  3. Action recognition using multi-scale histograms of oriented gradients based depth motion trail Images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Guanxi; Tie, Yun; Qi, Lin

    2017-07-01

    In this paper, we propose a novel approach based on Depth Maps and compute Multi-Scale Histograms of Oriented Gradient (MSHOG) from sequences of depth maps to recognize actions. Each depth frame in a depth video sequence is projected onto three orthogonal Cartesian planes. Under each projection view, the absolute difference between two consecutive projected maps is accumulated through a depth video sequence to form a Depth Map, which is called Depth Motion Trail Images (DMTI). The MSHOG is then computed from the Depth Maps for the representation of an action. In addition, we apply L2-Regularized Collaborative Representation (L2-CRC) to classify actions. We evaluate the proposed approach on MSR Action3D dataset and MSRGesture3D dataset. Promising experimental result demonstrates the effectiveness of our proposed method.

  4. Skeleton-based human action recognition using multiple sequence alignment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Wenwen; Liu, Kai; Cheng, Fei; Zhang, Jin; Li, YunSong

    2015-05-01

    Human action recognition and analysis is an active research topic in computer vision for many years. This paper presents a method to represent human actions based on trajectories consisting of 3D joint positions. This method first decompose action into a sequence of meaningful atomic actions (actionlets), and then label actionlets with English alphabets according to the Davies-Bouldin index value. Therefore, an action can be represented using a sequence of actionlet symbols, which will preserve the temporal order of occurrence of each of the actionlets. Finally, we employ sequence comparison to classify multiple actions through using string matching algorithms (Needleman-Wunsch). The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated on datasets captured by commodity depth cameras. Experiments of the proposed method on three challenging 3D action datasets show promising results.

  5. 76 FR 1492 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Minnesota

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-10

    ... Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT): Heather Lukes, PE, Project Manager, District 6, 2900 48th Street NW... meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project on US Highway 14 from I..., and Eastern Railroad corridor. Those actions grant approvals for the project. DATES: By this notice...

  6. 76 FR 2948 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Minnesota

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-18

    ... the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project on TH 371 from... agency actions by issuing approvals for the following highway project in Minnesota: TH 371 from the... Crow Wing and Cass Counties. A Record of Decision (ROD) for the TH 371 corridor from Nisswa to Pine...

  7. 76 FR 36614 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Action on Proposed Highway in Illinois

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-22

    ... limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by FHWA and other Federal agencies. SUMMARY: This notice... construction of an access-controlled, four- lane expressway on new right-of-way between the proposed Macomb... 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A claim seeking judicial review of the Federal agency actions of the highway...

  8. Final environmental impact statement for the Galileo Mission (Tier 2)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1989-01-01

    This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) addresses the proposed action of completing the preparation and operation of the Galileo spacecraft, including its planned launch on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle in October 1989, and the alternative of canceling further work on the mission. The only expected environmental effects of the proposed action are associated with normal launch vehicle operation, and are treated in published National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents on the Shuttle (NASA 1978) and the Kennedy Space Center (NASA 1979), and in the KSC Environmental Resources Document (NASA 1986) and the Galileo Tier 1 EIS (NASA 1988a). The environmental impacts of a normal launch were deemed insufficient to preclude Shuttle operations. Environmental impacts may also result from launch or mission accidents that could release plutonium fuel used in the Galileo power system. Intensive analysis of the possible accidents associated with the proposed action reveal small health or environmental risks. There are no environmental impacts in the no-action alternative. The remote possibility of environmental impacts of the proposed action must be weighed against the large adverse fiscal and programmatic impacts inherent in the no-action alternative.

  9. Efficient strategy for detecting gene × gene joint action and its application in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Won, Sungho; Kwon, Min-Seok; Mattheisen, Manuel; Park, Suyeon; Park, Changsoon; Kihara, Daisuke; Cichon, Sven; Ophoff, Roel; Nöthen, Markus M; Rietschel, Marcella; Baur, Max; Uitterlinden, Andre G; Hofmann, A; Lange, Christoph

    2014-01-01

    We propose a new approach to detect gene × gene joint action in genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for case-control designs. This approach offers an exhaustive search for all two-way joint action (including, as a special case, single gene action) that is computationally feasible at the genome-wide level and has reasonable statistical power under most genetic models. We found that the presence of any gene × gene joint action may imply differences in three types of genetic components: the minor allele frequencies and the amounts of Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium may differ between cases and controls, and between the two genetic loci the degree of linkage disequilibrium may differ between cases and controls. Using Fisher's method, it is possible to combine the different sources of genetic information in an overall test for detecting gene × gene joint action. The proposed statistical analysis is efficient and its simplicity makes it applicable to GWASs. In the current study, we applied the proposed approach to a GWAS on schizophrenia and found several potential gene × gene interactions. Our application illustrates the practical advantage of the proposed method. © 2013 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  10. Kinetically Defined Mechanisms and Positions of Action of Two New Modulators of Glucocorticoid Receptor-regulated Gene Induction*

    PubMed Central

    Pradhan, Madhumita A.; Blackford, John A.; Devaiah, Ballachanda N.; Thompson, Petria S.; Chow, Carson C.; Singer, Dinah S.; Simons, S. Stoney

    2016-01-01

    Most of the steps in, and many of the factors contributing to, glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-regulated gene induction are currently unknown. A competition assay, based on a validated chemical kinetic model of steroid hormone action, is now used to identify two new factors (BRD4 and negative elongation factor (NELF)-E) and to define their sites and mechanisms of action. BRD4 is a kinase involved in numerous initial steps of gene induction. Consistent with its complicated biochemistry, BRD4 is shown to alter both the maximal activity (Amax) and the steroid concentration required for half-maximal induction (EC50) of GR-mediated gene expression by acting at a minimum of three different kinetically defined steps. The action at two of these steps is dependent on BRD4 concentration, whereas the third step requires the association of BRD4 with P-TEFb. BRD4 is also found to bind to NELF-E, a component of the NELF complex. Unexpectedly, NELF-E modifies GR induction in a manner that is independent of the NELF complex. Several of the kinetically defined steps of BRD4 in this study are proposed to be related to its known biochemical actions. However, novel actions of BRD4 and of NELF-E in GR-controlled gene induction have been uncovered. The model-based competition assay is also unique in being able to order, for the first time, the sites of action of the various reaction components: GR < Cdk9 < BRD4 ≤ induced gene < NELF-E. This ability to order factor actions will assist efforts to reduce the side effects of steroid treatments. PMID:26504077

  11. Encoding of human action in Broca's area.

    PubMed

    Fazio, Patrik; Cantagallo, Anna; Craighero, Laila; D'Ausilio, Alessandro; Roy, Alice C; Pozzo, Thierry; Calzolari, Ferdinando; Granieri, Enrico; Fadiga, Luciano

    2009-07-01

    Broca's area has been considered, for over a century, as the brain centre responsible for speech production. Modern neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence have suggested a wider functional role is played by this area. In addition to the evidence that it is involved in syntactical analysis, mathematical calculation and music processing, it has recently been shown that Broca's area may play some role in language comprehension and, more generally, in understanding actions of other individuals. As shown by functional magnetic resonance imaging, Broca's area is one of the cortical areas activated by hand/mouth action observation and it has been proposed that it may form a crucial node of a human mirror-neuron system. If, on the one hand, neuroimaging studies use a correlational approach which cannot offer a final proof for such claims, available neuropsychological data fail to offer a conclusive demonstration for two main reasons: (i) they use tasks taxing both language and action systems; and (ii) they rarely consider the possibility that Broca's aphasics may also be affected by some form of apraxia. We administered a novel action comprehension test--with almost no linguistic requirements--on selected frontal aphasic patients lacking apraxic symptoms. Patients, as well as matched controls, were shown short movies of human actions or of physical events. Their task consisted of ordering, in a temporal sequence, four pictures taken from each movie and randomly presented on the computer screen. Patient's performance showed a specific dissociation in their ability to re-order pictures of human actions (impaired) with respect to physical events (spared). Our study provides a demonstration that frontal aphasics, not affected by apraxia, are specifically impaired in their capability to correctly encode observed human actions.

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

    Smithson, A.E.

    On July 15, the United States, supported by Britain, Australia, and Japan, proposed a new challenge inspection plan for the chemical weapons convention (CWC), which will prohibit the production, possession, use, and transfer of chemical weapons. The Bush administration claims this proposal has the same anytime, anywhere, with no right of refusal' challenge-inspection features George Bush first recommended in 1984 - as well as the latest in managed access,' aerial inspection, and use of sensing devices. But the proposal would let a challenged country stall for days without allowing inspectors to glimpse a suspected chemical-weapons site, and inspectors might nevermore » be able to step inside the gates of facilities where cheating is suspected. Countries considering joining the CWC must realize that the new US approach involves plenty of talk but little action. In fact, the US challenge-inspection plan falls so far short of the means needed to detect and deter prohibited activities that even Saddam Hussein and Muammar Khadafi may queue up to sign on the dotted line.« less

  13. Obesity and public policies: the Brazilian government's definitions and strategies.

    PubMed

    Dias, Patricia Camacho; Henriques, Patrícia; Anjos, Luiz Antonio Dos; Burlandy, Luciene

    2017-07-27

    The study analyzes national strategies for dealing with obesity in Brazil in the framework of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) and the Food and Nutritional Security System (SISAN). Based on the document analysis method, we examined government documents produced in the last 15 years in the following dimensions: definitions of obesity, proposed actions, and strategies for linkage between sectors. In the SUS, obesity is approached as both a risk factor and a disease, with individual and social/environmental approaches aimed at changing eating practices and physical activity. In the SISAN, obesity is also conceived as a social problem involving food insecurity, and new modes of producing, marketing, and consuming foods are proposed to change eating practices in an integrated way. Proposals in the SUS point to an integrated and intra-sector approach to obesity, while those in SISAN emphasize the problem's inter-sector nature from an expanded perspective that challenges the prevailing sector-based institutional structures.

  14. Analysis and modification of theory for impact of seaplanes on water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mayo, Wilbur L

    1945-01-01

    An analysis of available theory on seaplane impact and a proposed modification thereto are presented. In previous methods the overall momentum of the float and virtual mass has been assumed to remain constant during the impact but the present analysis shows that this assumption is rigorously correct only when the resultant velocity of the float is normal to the keel. The proposed modification chiefly involves consideration of the fact that forward velocity of the seaplane float causes momentum to be passed into the hydrodynamic downwash (an action that is the entire consideration in the case of the planing float) and consideration of the fact that, for an impact with trim, the rate of penetration is determined not only by the velocity component normal to the keel but also by the velocity component parallel to the keel, which tends to reduce the penetration. Experimental data for planing, oblique impact, and vertical drop are used to show that the accuracy of the proposed theory is good.

  15. On processed splitting methods and high-order actions in path-integral Monte Carlo simulations.

    PubMed

    Casas, Fernando

    2010-10-21

    Processed splitting methods are particularly well adapted to carry out path-integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) simulations: since one is mainly interested in estimating traces of operators, only the kernel of the method is necessary to approximate the thermal density matrix. Unfortunately, they suffer the same drawback as standard, nonprocessed integrators: kernels of effective order greater than two necessarily involve some negative coefficients. This problem can be circumvented, however, by incorporating modified potentials into the composition, thus rendering schemes of higher effective order. In this work we analyze a family of fourth-order schemes recently proposed in the PIMC setting, paying special attention to their linear stability properties, and justify their observed behavior in practice. We also propose a new fourth-order scheme requiring the same computational cost but with an enlarged stability interval.

  16. Dynamin: possible mechanism of "Pinchase" action.

    PubMed

    Kozlov, M M

    1999-07-01

    Dynamin is a GTPase playing an essential role in ubiquitous intra cellular processes involving separation of vesicles from plasma membranes and membranes of cellular compartments. Recent experimental progress (. Cell. 93:1021-1029;. Cell. 94:131-141) has made it possible to attempt to understand the action of dynamin in physical terms. Dynamin molecules are shown to bind to a lipid membrane, to self-assemble into a helicoidal structure constricting the membrane into a tubule, and, as a result of GTP hydrolysis, to mediate fission of this tubule (). In a similar way, dynamin is supposed to mediate fission of a neck connecting an endocytic bud and the plasma membrane, i.e., to complete endocytosis. We suggest a mechanism of this "pinchase" action of dynamin. We propose that, as a result of GTP hydrolysis, dynamin undergoes a conformational change manifested in growth of the pitch of the dynamin helix. We show that this gives rise to a dramatic change of shape of the tubular membrane constricted inside the helix, resulting in a local tightening of the tubule, which is supposed to promote its fission. We treat this model in terms of competing elasticities of the dynamin helix and the tubular membrane and discuss the predictions of the model in relation to the previous views on the mechanism of dynamin action.

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

    NONE

    In the Bear Creek Valley Watershed Remedial Investigation, the Boneyard/Burnyard was identified as the source of the largest releases of uranium into groundwater and surface water in Bear Creek Valley. The proposed action for remediation of this site is selective excavation and removal of source material and capping of the remainder of the site. The schedule for this action has been accelerated so that this is the first remedial action planned to be implemented in the Bear Creek Valley Record of Decision. Additional data needs to support design of the remedial action were identified at a data quality objectives meetingmore » held for this project. Sampling at the Boneyard/Burnyard will be conducted through the use of a phased approach. Initial or primary samples will be used to make in-the-field decisions about where to locate follow-up or secondary samples. On the basis of the results of surface water, soil, and groundwater analysis, up to six test pits will be dug. The test pits will be used to provide detailed descriptions of source materials and bulk samples. This document sets forth the requirements and procedures to protect the personnel involved in this project. This document also contains the health and safety plan, quality assurance project plan, waste management plan, data management plan, implementation plan, and best management practices plan for this project as appendices.« less

  18. The behavioral and neural binding phenomena during visuomotor integration of angry facial expressions.

    PubMed

    Coll, Sélim Yahia; Ceravolo, Leonardo; Frühholz, Sascha; Grandjean, Didier

    2018-05-02

    Different parts of our brain code the perceptual features and actions related to an object, causing a binding problem, in which the brain has to integrate information related to an event without any interference regarding the features and actions involved in other concurrently processed events. Using a paradigm similar to Hommel, who revealed perception-action bindings, we showed that emotion could bind with motor actions when relevant, and in specific conditions, irrelevant for the task. By adapting our protocol to a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging paradigm we investigated, in the present study, the neural bases of the emotion-action binding with task-relevant angry faces. Our results showed that emotion bound with motor responses. This integration revealed increased activity in distributed brain areas involved in: (i) memory, including the hippocampi; (ii) motor actions with the precentral gyri; (iii) and emotion processing with the insula. Interestingly, increased activations in the cingulate gyri and putamen, highlighted their potential key role in the emotion-action binding, due to their involvement in emotion processing, motor actions, and memory. The present study confirmed our previous results and point out for the first time the functional brain activity related to the emotion-action association.

  19. The role of hydrogen sulfide in aging and age-related pathologies.

    PubMed

    Perridon, Bernard W; Leuvenink, Henri G D; Hillebrands, Jan-Luuk; van Goor, Harry; Bos, Eelke M

    2016-09-27

    When humans grow older, they experience inevitable and progressive loss of physiological function, ultimately leading to death. Research on aging largely focuses on the identification of mechanisms involved in the aging process. Several proposed aging theories were recently combined as the 'hallmarks of aging'. These hallmarks describe (patho-)physiological processes that together, when disrupted, determine the aging phenotype. Sustaining evidence shows a potential role for hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) in the regulation of aging. Nowadays, H 2 S is acknowledged as an endogenously produced signaling molecule with various (patho-) physiological effects. H 2 S is involved in several diseases including pathologies related to aging. In this review, the known, assumed and hypothetical effects of hydrogen sulfide on the aging process will be discussed by reviewing its actions on the hallmarks of aging and on several age-related pathologies.

  20. Design Requirements for Communication-Intensive Interactive Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolchini, Davide; Garzotto, Franca; Paolini, Paolo

    Online interactive applications call for new requirements paradigms to capture the growing complexity of computer-mediated communication. Crafting successful interactive applications (such as websites and multimedia) involves modeling the requirements for the user experience, including those leading to content design, usable information architecture and interaction, in profound coordination with the communication goals of all stakeholders involved, ranging from persuasion to social engagement, to call for action. To face this grand challenge, we propose a methodology for modeling communication requirements and provide a set of operational conceptual tools to be used in complex projects with multiple stakeholders. Through examples from real-life projects and lessons-learned from direct experience, we draw on the concepts of brand, value, communication goals, information and persuasion requirements to systematically guide analysts to master the multifaceted connections of these elements as drivers to inform successful communication designs.

  1. Cerebellar interaction with the acoustic reflex.

    PubMed

    Jastreboff, P J

    1981-01-01

    The involvement of the cerebellar vermis in the acoustic reflex was analyzed in 12 cats, decerebrated or in pentobarbital anesthesia. Anatomical data suggested the existence of a connection of lobules VIII with the ventral cochlear nucleus. Single cell recording and evoked potential techniques demonstrated the existence of the acoustic projection to lobulus VIII. Electrical stimulation of this area changed the tension of the middle ear muscle and caused evoked potential responses in the caudal part of the ventral cochlear nucleus. Electrical stimulation of the motor nucleus of the facial nerve evoked a slow wave in the recording taken from the surrounding of the cochlear round window. A hypothesis is proposed which postulates the involvement of the acoustic reflex in space localization of acoustic stimuli and the action of cerebellar vermis in order to assure the stability and plasticity of the acoustic reflex arc.

  2. 77 FR 63355 - Proposed Revision to Emergency Action Level Development Guidance Document

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-16

    ... action level (EAL) scheme. The NRC is publishing this proposed revision to inform the public and solicit... EAL scheme using site-specific information. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of October...

  3. 76 FR 34250 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Gila Lower Box Area of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-13

    ... management prescriptions should apply? 7. What potential impacts would this proposed action have on neighboring private landowners? 8. What effects would this proposed action have on recreation and tourism in... accordance with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due consideration, including impacts on Indian...

  4. 75 FR 40001 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-13

    ... increase since the inception of the Program such that these options are now among some of the most popular... Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action Because the foregoing proposed rule change does not... change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public...

  5. 75 FR 64972 - Proposed Revocation of Class E Airspace; Lone Star, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-21

    ...-0772; Airspace Docket No. 10-ASW-10] Proposed Revocation of Class E Airspace; Lone Star, TX AGENCY... action proposes to remove Class E airspace at Lone Star, TX. Abandonment of the former Lone Star Steel... need for controlled airspace in the Lone Star, TX, area. The FAA is taking this action to ensure the...

  6. 75 FR 49866 - Proposed Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace; Klamath Falls, OR

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-16

    ...-0651; Airspace Docket No. 10-ANM-7] Proposed Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace; Klamath Falls...). SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class D and Class E airspace at Klamath Falls, OR. Decommissioning of the Merrill Non-Directional Radio Beacon (NDB) at Klamath Falls Airport has made this action...

  7. 75 FR 26151 - Proposed Revision of Class E Airspace; Kulik Lake, AK

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-11

    ...-0270 Airspace Docket No. 10-AAL-8] Proposed Revision of Class E Airspace; Kulik Lake, AK AGENCY... action proposes to revise Class E airspace at Kulik Lake, AK. This action would correct an error in the... Administration, 222 West 7th Avenue, Box 14, Anchorage, AK 99513-7587. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Rolf...

  8. 75 FR 76495 - Virginia Electric and Power Company North Anna Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 Surry Power...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-08

    ..., Supplement 1 and 2, ``Use of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 99-01, Methodology for Development of Emergency.... Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed... NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action...

  9. 76 FR 54288 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Bridge and Approach Roadways in Nevada and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-31

    ... on Proposed Bridge and Approach Roadways in Nevada and Arizona AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration...)(1). The actions relate to the proposed Laughlin-Bullhead City Bridge project in Laughlin, Clark... bridge and roadway project will be barred unless the claim is filed on or before February 27, 2012. If...

  10. tDCS over the motor cortex improves lexical retrieval of action words in poststroke aphasia.

    PubMed

    Branscheidt, Meret; Hoppe, Julia; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Liuzzi, Gianpiero

    2018-02-01

    One-third of stroke survivors worldwide suffer from aphasia. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is considered effective in treating aphasia, but because of time constraints, improvements are often limited. Noninvasive brain stimulation is a promising adjuvant strategy to facilitate SLT. However, stroke might render "classical" language regions ineffective as stimulation sites. Recent work showed the effectiveness of motor cortex stimulation together with intensive naming therapy to improve outcomes in aphasia (Meinzer et al. 2016). Although that study highlights the involvement of the motor cortex, the functional aspects by which it influences language remain unclear. In the present study, we focus on the role of motor cortex in language, investigating its functional involvement in access to specific lexico-semantic (object vs. action relatedness) information in poststroke aphasia. To this end, we tested effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left motor cortex on lexical retrieval in 16 patients with poststroke aphasia in a sham-controlled, double-blind study design. Critical stimuli were action and object words, and pseudowords. Participants performed a lexical decision task, deciding whether stimuli were words or pseudowords. Anodal tDCS improved accuracy in lexical decision, especially for words with action-related content and for pseudowords with an "action-like" ending ( t 15  = 2.65, P = 0.036), but not for words with object-related content and pseudowords with "object-like" characteristics. We show as a proof-of-principle that the motor cortex may play a specific role in access to lexico-semantic content. Thus motor-cortex stimulation may strengthen content-specific word-to-semantic concept associations during language treatment in poststroke aphasia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The role of motor cortex (MC) in language processing has been debated in both health and disease. Recent work has suggested that MC stimulation together with speech and language therapy enhances outcomes in aphasia. We show that MC stimulation has a differential effect on object- and action-word processing in poststroke aphasia. We propose that MC stimulation may specifically strengthen word-to-semantic concept association in aphasia. Our results potentially provide a way to tailor therapies for language rehabilitation.

  11. 48 CFR 250.104-3-70 - Indemnification under contracts involving both research and development and other work.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... contracts involving both research and development and other work. 250.104-3-70 Section 250.104-3-70 Federal... MANAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY CONTRACTUAL ACTIONS AND THE SAFETY ACT Extraordinary Contractual Actions 250.104-3-70 Indemnification under contracts involving both research and development and other work. When...

  12. Zolpidem, a clinical hypnotic that affects electronic transfer, alters synaptic activity through potential GABA receptors in the nervous system without significant free radical generation.

    PubMed

    Kovacic, Peter; Somanathan, Ratnasamy

    2009-01-01

    Zolpidem (trade name Ambien) has attracted much interest as a sleep-inducing agent and also in research. Attention has been centered mainly on receptor binding and electrochemistry in the central nervous system which are briefly addressed herein. A novel integrated approach to mode of action is presented. The pathways to be discussed involve basicity, reduction potential, electrostatics, cell signaling, GABA receptor binding, electron transfer (ET), pharmacodynamics, structure activity relationships (SAR) and side effects. The highly conjugated pyridinium salt formed by protonation of the amidine moiety is proposed to be the active form acting as an ET agent. Extrapolation of reduction potentials for related compounds supports the premise that zolpidem may act as an ET species in vivo. From recent literature reports, electrostatics is believed to play a significant role in drug action. The pyridinium cation displays molecular electrostatic potential which may well play a role energetically or as a bridging mechanism. An SAR analysis points to analogy with other physiologically active xenobiotics, namely benzodiazepines and paraquat in the conjugated iminium category. Inactivity of metabolites indicates that the parent is the active form of zolpidem. Absence of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress is in line with minor side effects. In contrast, generally, the prior literature contains essentially no discussion of these fundamental biochemical relationships. Pharmacodynamics may play an important role. Concerning behavior at the blood-brain barrier, useful insight can be gained from investigations of the related cationic anesthetics that are structurally related to acetyl choline. Evidently, the neutral form of the drug penetrates the neuronal membrane, with the salt form operating at the receptor. The pathways of zolpidem have several clinical implications since the agent affects sedation, electroencephalographic activity, oxidative metabolites and receptors in the central nervous system. The drug acts at the GABA(A) receptor benzodiazepine site, displaying high and intermediate affinities to various receptor regions. Structural features for tight binding were determined. The sedative and anticonvulsant activities are due to its action on the alpha-1-GABA(A) receptors. One of the common adverse responses to zolpidem is hallucinations. Proposed mechanisms comprise changes in the GABA(A) receptor, pharmacodynamic interactions involving serotonin and neuronal-weak photon emission processes entailing redox phenomena. Reports cite cases of abuse with cravings based on anxiolytic and stimulating actions. It is important to recognize that insight concerning processes at the fundamental, molecular level can translate into beneficial results involving both positive and adverse side effects. In order for this to occur, interdisciplinary interaction is necessary. Suggestions are made for future research aimed at testing the various hypotheses.

  13. Greater involvement of action simulation mechanisms in emotional vs cognitive empathy

    PubMed Central

    Oliver, Lindsay D; Vieira, Joana B; Neufeld, Richard W J; Dziobek, Isabel; Mitchell, Derek G V

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Empathy is crucial for successful interpersonal interactions, and it is impaired in many psychiatric and neurological disorders. Action-perception matching, or action simulation mechanisms, has been suggested to facilitate empathy by supporting the simulation of perceived experience in others. However, this remains unclear, and the involvement of the action simulation circuit in cognitive empathy (the ability to adopt another’s perspective) vs emotional empathy (the capacity to share and react affectively to another’s emotional experience) has not been quantitatively compared. Presently, healthy adults completed a classic cognitive empathy task (false belief), an emotional empathy task and an action simulation button-pressing task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Conjunction analyses revealed common recruitment of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), thought to be critical for action-perception matching, during both action simulation and emotional, but not cognitive, empathy. Furthermore, activation was significantly greater in action simulation regions in the left IFG during emotional vs cognitive empathy, and activity in this region was positively correlated with mean feeling ratings during the emotional empathy task. These findings provide evidence for greater involvement of action simulation mechanisms in emotional than cognitive empathy. Thus, the action simulation circuit may be an important target for delineating the pathophysiology of disorders featuring emotional empathy impairments. PMID:29462481

  14. Dignity and the use of body parts.

    PubMed

    Foster, Charles

    2014-01-01

    This paper contends that the conventional ethical and legal ways of analysing the wrong involved in the misuse of human body parts are inadequate, and should be replaced with an analysis based on human dignity. It examines the various ways in which dignity has been understood, outlines many of the criticisms made of those ways (agreeing with many of the criticisms), and proposes a new way of seeing dignity which is exegetically consonant with the way in which dignity has been historically understood, and yet avoids the pitfalls which have led to dignity being dismissed by many as hopelessly amorphous or incurably theological. The account of dignity proposed is broadly Aristotelian. It defines dignity in terms of human thriving, and presupposes that it is possible, at least in principle, to determine empirically what makes humans thrive. It contends that humans are quintessentially relational animals, and that it is not possible (and certainly not ethically desirable) to define humans as atomistic entities. One important corollary of this is that when using dignity/thriving as a criterion for determining the ethical acceptability of a proposed action or inaction, one should ask not merely how the dignity interests of the patient (for instance) would be affected, but how the dignity interests of all stakeholders would be affected. The business of ethics is then the business of auditing all those interests, and determining the course of action which would maximise the amount of thriving in the world.

  15. Expeditionary Readiness Training (ExpeRT) Course Expansion Final Environmental Assessment Creech Air Force Base

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-07-01

    potential environmental consequences of the proposed action and no-action alternative and are addressed for: air quality, soils and water resources...evaluated in detail to identify potential environmental consequences: air quality; soils and water resources; biological resources; and cultural resources...significance. Therefore, this proposed action would not constitute a significant impact and would conform to regional standards. Soils and Water Resources

  16. 77 FR 27162 - Notice of Data Availability Supporting Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-09

    ...EPA proposed on April 25, 2012 (77 FR 24794) to take action on a revision to the state implementation plan (SIP) addressing regional haze submitted by the State of New York. In that proposal, EPA proposed to address through a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) certain requirements not addressed in New York's regional haze SIP submission or, alternatively, to approve a substantively identical SIP revision by New York, should the State timely submit such a revision. In two letters dated April 16, 2012, New York submitted additional materials relevant to our proposed action on its regional haze SIP submission, including proposed SIP revisions addressing the requirements for best available retrofit technology controls (BART) for a number of sources. EPA is providing notice of availability of these materials. The comment period on EPA's proposed action on the New York regional haze SIP closes on June 18, 2010.

  17. 14 CFR 11.71 - What information must I include in my petition for rulemaking?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... about the following: (1) The costs and benefits of your proposed action to society in general, and identifiable groups within society in particular. (2) The regulatory burden of your proposed action on small...

  18. 77 FR 61825 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Illinois

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-11

    .... 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, Willow Road (FAP 305) between Illinois... in the State of Illinois: reconstruct and widen Willow Road (FAP 305) from Illinois Route 43...

  19. A Policy Representation Using Weighted Multiple Normal Distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kimura, Hajime; Aramaki, Takeshi; Kobayashi, Shigenobu

    In this paper, we challenge to solve a reinforcement learning problem for a 5-linked ring robot within a real-time so that the real-robot can stand up to the trial and error. On this robot, incomplete perception problems are caused from noisy sensors and cheap position-control motor systems. This incomplete perception also causes varying optimum actions with the progress of the learning. To cope with this problem, we adopt an actor-critic method, and we propose a new hierarchical policy representation scheme, that consists of discrete action selection on the top level and continuous action selection on the low level of the hierarchy. The proposed hierarchical scheme accelerates learning on continuous action space, and it can pursue the optimum actions varying with the progress of learning on our robotics problem. This paper compares and discusses several learning algorithms through simulations, and demonstrates the proposed method showing application for the real robot.

  20. The Action Observation System when Observing Hand Actions in Autism and Typical Development.

    PubMed

    Pokorny, Jennifer J; Hatt, Naomi V; Colombi, Costanza; Vivanti, Giacomo; Rogers, Sally J; Rivera, Susan M

    2015-06-01

    Social impairments in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be in part due to difficulty perceiving and recognizing the actions of others. Evidence from imitation studies, which involves both observation and execution of an action, suggests differences, in individuals with ASD, between the ability to imitate goal-directed actions involving objects (transitive actions) and the ability to imitate actions that do not involve objects (intransitive actions). In the present study, we examined whether there were differences in how ASD adolescents encoded transitive and intransitive actions compared to typically developing (TD) adolescents, by having participants view videos of a hand reaching across a screen toward an object or to where an object would be while functional magnetic resonance images were collected. Analyses focused on areas within the action observation network (AON), which is activated during the observation of actions performed by others. We hypothesized that the AON would differentiate transitive from intransitive actions only in the ASD group. However, results revealed that object presence modulated activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus of the TD group, a differentiation that was not seen in the ASD group. Furthermore, there were no significant group differences between the TD and ASD groups in any of the conditions. This suggests that there is not a global deficit of the AON in individuals with ASD while observing transitive and intransitive actions. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Environmental Assessment for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve West Hackberry Facility Raw Water Intake Pipeline Replacement Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana

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

    N /A

    The proposed action and three alternatives, including a No Build alternative, were evaluated along the existing RWIPL alignment to accommodate the placement of the proposed RWIPL. Construction feasibility, reasonableness and potential environmental impacts were considered during the evaluation of the four actions (and action alternatives) for the proposed RWIPL activities. Reasonable actions were identified as those actions which were considered to be supported by common sense and sound technical principles. Feasible actions were those actions which were considered to be capable of being accomplished, practicable and non-excessive in terms of cost. The evaluation process considered the following design specifications, whichmore » were determined to be important to the feasibility of the overall project. The proposed RWIPL replacement project must therefore: (1) Comply with the existing design basis and criteria, (2) Maintain continuity of operation of the facility during construction, (3)Provide the required service life, (4) Be cost effective, (5)Improve the operation and maintenance of the pipeline, and (6) Maintain minimal environmental impact while meeting the performance requirements. Sizing of the pipe, piping construction materials, construction method (e.g., open-cut trench, directional drilling, etc.) and the acquisition of new Right-of-Way (ROW) were additionally evaluated in the preliminary alternative identification, selection and screening process.« less

  2. Dysregulation in level of goal and action identification across psychological disorders.

    PubMed

    Watkins, Edward

    2011-03-01

    Goals, events, and actions can be mentally represented within a hierarchical framework that ranges from more abstract to more concrete levels of identification. A more abstract level of identification involves general, superordinate, and decontextualized mental representations that convey the meaning of goals, events, and actions, "why" an action is performed, and its purpose, ends, and consequences. A more concrete level of identification involves specific and subordinate mental representations that include contextual details of goals, events, and actions, and the specific "how" details of an action. This review considers three lines of evidence for considering that dysregulation of level of goal/action identification may be a transdiagnostic process. First, there is evidence that different levels of identification have distinct functional consequences and that in non-clinical samples level of goal/action identification appears to be regulated in a flexible and adaptive way to match the level of goal/action identification to circumstances. Second, there is evidence that level of goal/action identification causally influences symptoms and processes involved in psychological disorders, including emotional response, repetitive thought, impulsivity, problem solving and procrastination. Third, there is evidence that the level of goal/action identification is biased and/or dysregulated in certain psychological disorders, with a bias towards more abstract identification for negative events in depression, GAD, PTSD, and social anxiety. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Dysregulation in level of goal and action identification across psychological disorders

    PubMed Central

    Watkins, Edward

    2011-01-01

    Goals, events, and actions can be mentally represented within a hierarchical framework that ranges from more abstract to more concrete levels of identification. A more abstract level of identification involves general, superordinate, and decontextualized mental representations that convey the meaning of goals, events, and actions, “why” an action is performed, and its purpose, ends, and consequences. A more concrete level of identification involves specific and subordinate mental representations that include contextual details of goals, events, and actions, and the specific “how” details of an action. This review considers three lines of evidence for considering that dysregulation of level of goal/action identification may be a transdiagnostic process. First, there is evidence that different levels of identification have distinct functional consequences and that in non-clinical samples level of goal/action identification appears to be regulated in a flexible and adaptive way to match the level of goal/action identification to circumstances. Second, there is evidence that level of goal/action identification causally influences symptoms and processes involved in psychological disorders, including emotional response, repetitive thought, impulsivity, problem solving and procrastination. Third, there is evidence that the level of goal/action identification is biased and/or dysregulated in certain psychological disorders, with a bias towards more abstract identification for negative events in depression, GAD, PTSD, and social anxiety. PMID:20579789

  4. 76 FR 26336 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on the Proposed Klingle Valley Trail in Washington, DC

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-06

    ... on the Proposed Klingle Valley Trail in Washington, DC AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA... final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to the proposed Klingle Valley Trail... approvals for the following project in Northwest Washington, DC: The Klingle Valley Trail project. The...

  5. 78 FR 24231 - Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Direct Sale of Public Land in Josephine County, Oregon

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-24

    ...-67105;HAG13-0126] Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Direct Sale of Public Land in Josephine County..., Oregon, by direct sale procedures to Joan Conklin for the approved appraised fair market value of $300. DATES: Comments regarding the proposed sale must be received by the BLM on or before June 10, 2013...

  6. 76 FR 68674 - Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-320 and V-440; Alaska

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-07

    ...-1014; Airspace Docket No. 11-AAL-19] RIN 2120-AA66 Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-320 and V-440; Alaska AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed... in Alaska, V-320 and V-440, due to the relocation of the Anchorage VOR navigation aid. This action is...

  7. 76 FR 21268 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Lincoln, OR

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-15

    ...This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Lincoln, OR. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital Heliport, Lincoln, OR. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the heliport.

  8. 78 FR 41336 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Wasatch, UT

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-10

    ... lat. 39[deg]03'55'' N., long. 110[deg]37'49'' W.; to lat. 38[deg]28'51'' N., long. 110[deg]38'05'' W... Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft under control of Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The... considered before taking action on the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in...

  9. 77 FR 58906 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highway in Minnesota

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-24

    ... the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project on I-90 over the Mississippi River. The proposed project includes replacement of the Interstate 90 (I-90) Dresbach Bridge over the Mississippi River with a new bridge that meets structural and geometric standards as well as...

  10. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for the Biocontrol of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes: A Review of the Mechanisms Involved

    PubMed Central

    Schouteden, Nele; De Waele, Dirk; Panis, Bart; Vos, Christine M.

    2015-01-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts that can protect their host plant against biotic stress factors such as plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) infection. PPN consist of a wide range of species with different life styles that can cause major damage in many important crops worldwide. Various mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in the biocontrol effect of AMF against PPN. This review presents an overview of the different mechanisms that have been proposed, and discusses into more detail the plausibility of their involvement in the biocontrol against PPN specifically. The proposed mechanisms include enhanced plant tolerance, direct competition for nutrients and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR) and altered rhizosphere interactions. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of ISR in biocontrol and are increasingly placing rhizosphere effects on the foreground as well, both of which will be the focal point of this review. Though AMF are not yet widely used in conventional agriculture, recent data help to develop a better insight into the modes of action, which will eventually lead toward future field applications of AMF against PPN. The scientific community has entered an exciting era that provides the tools to actually unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, making this a timely opportunity for a review of our current knowledge and the challenges ahead. PMID:26635750

  11. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for the Biocontrol of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes: A Review of the Mechanisms Involved.

    PubMed

    Schouteden, Nele; De Waele, Dirk; Panis, Bart; Vos, Christine M

    2015-01-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts that can protect their host plant against biotic stress factors such as plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) infection. PPN consist of a wide range of species with different life styles that can cause major damage in many important crops worldwide. Various mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in the biocontrol effect of AMF against PPN. This review presents an overview of the different mechanisms that have been proposed, and discusses into more detail the plausibility of their involvement in the biocontrol against PPN specifically. The proposed mechanisms include enhanced plant tolerance, direct competition for nutrients and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR) and altered rhizosphere interactions. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of ISR in biocontrol and are increasingly placing rhizosphere effects on the foreground as well, both of which will be the focal point of this review. Though AMF are not yet widely used in conventional agriculture, recent data help to develop a better insight into the modes of action, which will eventually lead toward future field applications of AMF against PPN. The scientific community has entered an exciting era that provides the tools to actually unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, making this a timely opportunity for a review of our current knowledge and the challenges ahead.

  12. 77 FR 6827 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-09

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0280] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of pending NRC action to... public comment. SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment about our...

  13. 77 FR 71198 - Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Exemption From the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-29

    ... Levels for Hostile Action (10 CFR Part 50, App. E, IV.B.1.) Emergency Response Organization Augmentation... proposed action will not significantly impact the quality of the human environment, and that the proposed...

  14. The mechanisms of action underlying the efficacy of psychological nightmare treatments: A systematic review and thematic analysis of discussed hypotheses.

    PubMed

    Rousseau, Andréanne; Belleville, Geneviève

    2018-06-01

    Studies of psychotherapeutic treatments for nightmares have yielded support for their effectiveness. However, no consensus exists to explain how they work. This study combines a systematic review with a qualitative thematic analysis to identify and categorize the existing proposed mechanisms of action (MAs) of nightmare treatments. The systematic review allowed for a great number of scholarly publications on supported psychological treatments for nightmares to be identified. Characteristics of the study and citations regarding potential MAs were extracted using a standardized coding grid. Then, thematic analysis allowed citations to be grouped under six different categories of possible MAs according to their similarities and differences. Results reveal that an increased sense of mastery was the most often cited hypothesis to explain the efficacy of nightmare psychotherapies. Other mechanisms included emotional processing leading to modification of the fear structure, modification of beliefs, restoration of sleep functions, decreased arousal, and prevention of avoidance. An illustration of the different variables involved in the treatment of nightmares is proposed. Different avenues for operationalization of these MAs are put forth to enable future research on nightmare treatments to measure and link them to efficacy measures, and test the implications of the illustration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Can model-free reinforcement learning explain deontological moral judgments?

    PubMed

    Ayars, Alisabeth

    2016-05-01

    Dual-systems frameworks propose that moral judgments are derived from both an immediate emotional response, and controlled/rational cognition. Recently Cushman (2013) proposed a new dual-system theory based on model-free and model-based reinforcement learning. Model-free learning attaches values to actions based on their history of reward and punishment, and explains some deontological, non-utilitarian judgments. Model-based learning involves the construction of a causal model of the world and allows for far-sighted planning; this form of learning fits well with utilitarian considerations that seek to maximize certain kinds of outcomes. I present three concerns regarding the use of model-free reinforcement learning to explain deontological moral judgment. First, many actions that humans find aversive from model-free learning are not judged to be morally wrong. Moral judgment must require something in addition to model-free learning. Second, there is a dearth of evidence for central predictions of the reinforcement account-e.g., that people with different reinforcement histories will, all else equal, make different moral judgments. Finally, to account for the effect of intention within the framework requires certain assumptions which lack support. These challenges are reasonable foci for future empirical/theoretical work on the model-free/model-based framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. No specific role for the manual motor system in processing the meanings of words related to the hand

    PubMed Central

    Postle, Natasha; Ashton, Roderick; McFarland, Ken; de Zubicaray, Greig I.

    2013-01-01

    The present study explored whether semantic and motor systems are functionally interwoven via the use of a dual-task paradigm. According to embodied language accounts that propose an automatic and necessary involvement of the motor system in conceptual processing, concurrent processing of hand-related information should interfere more with hand movements than processing of unrelated body-part (i.e., foot, mouth) information. Across three experiments, 100 right-handed participants performed left- or right-hand tapping movements while repeatedly reading action words related to different body-parts, or different body-part names, in both aloud and silent conditions. Concurrent reading of single words related to specific body-parts, or the same words embedded in sentences differing in syntactic and phonological complexity (to manipulate context-relevant processing), and reading while viewing videos of the actions and body-parts described by the target words (to elicit visuomotor associations) all interfered with right-hand but not left-hand tapping rate. However, this motor interference was not affected differentially by hand-related stimuli. Thus, the results provide no support for proposals that body-part specific resources in cortical motor systems are shared between overt manual movements and meaning-related processing of words related to the hand. PMID:23378833

  17. The need of a multi-actor perspective to understand expectations from virtual presence: managing elderly homecare informatics.

    PubMed

    Mettler, Tobias; Vimarlund, Vivian

    2011-12-01

    Different studies have analysed a wide range of use cases and scenarios for using IT-based services in homecare settings for elderly people. In most instances, the impact of such services has been studied using a one-dimensional approach, either focusing on the benefits for the patient or health service provider. The objective of this contribution is to explore a model for identifying and understanding outcomes of IT-based homecare services from a multi-actor perspective. In order to better understand the state of the art in homecare informatics, we conducted a literature review. We use experiences from previous research in the area of informatics to develop the proposed model. The proposed model consists of four core activities 'identify involved actors', 'understand consequences', 'clarify contingencies', 'take corrective actions', and one additional activity 'brainstorming IT use'. The primary goal of innovating organisations, processes and services in homecare informatics today, is to offer continued care, better decision support both to practitioners and patients, as well as effective distribution of resources. A multi-actor analysis perspective is needed to understand utility determination for the involved stakeholders.

  18. The morals of model-making.

    PubMed

    Sterrett, S G

    2014-06-01

    I address questions about values in model-making in engineering, specifically: Might the role of values be attributable solely to interests involved in specifying and using the model? Selected examples illustrate the surprisingly wide variety of things one must take into account in the model-making itself. The notions of system (as used in engineering thermodynamics), and physically similar systems (as used in the physical sciences) are important and powerful in determining what is relevant to an engineering model. Another example (windfarms) illustrates how an idea to completely re-characterize, or reframe, an engineering problem arose during model-making. I employ a qualitative analogue of the notion of physically similar systems. Historical cases can thus be drawn upon; I illustrate with a comparison between a geoengineering proposal to inject, or spray, sulfate aerosols, and two different historical cases involving the spraying of DDT (fire ant eradication; malaria eradication). The current geoengineering proposal is seen to be like the disastrous and counterproductive case, and unlike the successful case, of the spraying of DDT. I conclude by explaining my view that model-making in science is analogous to moral perception in action, drawing on a view in moral theory that has come to be called moral particularism.

  19. 24 CFR 55.12 - Inapplicability of 24 CFR part 55 to certain categories of proposed actions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... proposed actions. (a) The decision making steps in § 55.20 (b), (c) and (g) (steps 2, 3 and 7) shall not... the footprint of the structure and paved areas is not significantly increased. (b) The decision making...'s actions under section 223(f) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715n(f)) for the purchase or...

  20. 77 FR 58213 - Actions on Special Permit Applications

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-19

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Actions on.... ACTION: Notice of actions on Special Permit Applications. SUMMARY: In accordance with the procedures... actions on special permits applications in (August to August 2012). The mode of transportation involved...

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