Making assessments while taking repeated risks: a pattern of multiple response pathways.

PubMed

Pleskac, Timothy J; Wershbale, Avishai

2014-02-01

Beyond simply a decision process, repeated risky decisions also require a number of cognitive processes including learning, search and exploration, and attention. In this article, we examine how multiple response pathways develop over repeated risky decisions. Using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) as a case study, we show that 2 different response pathways emerge over the course of the task. The assessment pathway is a slower, more controlled pathway where participants deliberate over taking a risk. The 2nd pathway is a faster, more automatic process where no deliberation occurs. Results imply the slower assessment pathway is taken as choice conflict increases and that the faster automatic response is a learned response. Based on these results, we modify an existing formal cognitive model of decision making during the BART to account for these dual response pathways. The slower more deliberative response process is modeled with a sequential sampling process where evidence is accumulated to a threshold, while the other response is given automatically. We show that adolescents with conduct disorder and substance use disorder symptoms not only evaluate risks differently during the BART but also differ in the rate at which they develop the more automatic response. More broadly, our results suggest cognitive models of judgment decision making need to transition from treating observed decisions as the result of a single response pathway to the result of multiple response pathways that change and develop over time.

Escalating risk and the moderating effect of resistance to peer influence on the P200 and feedback-related negativity.

PubMed

Kiat, John; Straley, Elizabeth; Cheadle, Jacob E

2016-03-01

Young people frequently socialize together in contexts that encourage risky decision making, pointing to a need for research into how susceptibility to peer influence is related to individual differences in the neural processing of decisions during sequentially escalating risk. We applied a novel analytic approach to analyze EEG activity from college-going students while they completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), a well-established risk-taking propensity assessment. By modeling outcome-processing-related changes in the P200 and feedback-related negativity (FRN) sequentially within each BART trial as a function of pump order as an index of increasing risk, our results suggest that analyzing the BART in a progressive fashion may provide valuable new insights into the temporal neurophysiological dynamics of risk taking. Our results showed that a P200, localized to the left caudate nucleus, and an FRN, localized to the left dACC, were positively correlated with the level of risk taking and reward. Furthermore, consistent with our hypotheses, the rate of change in the FRN was higher among college students with greater self-reported resistance to peer influence. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Test-retest assessment of functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure risk decision making in young adults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lin; Lin, Zijing; Cazzell, Mary; Liu, Hanli

2013-03-01

Investigation of the reliability and reproducibility of the hemodynamic response is important for interpretation and understanding of the results of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). It measures optical signals absorbed by the brain tissue and reflects the neuronal activities indirectly. Here we described an fNIRS study measured in the prefrontal region (Brodman area 9, 10, part of 46)to examine the risk decision-making behavior in nine young adults. The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) is widely used to test the level of risk taking ability in the field of psychology. BART was a protocol utilized in this study to evoke a risk-taking environment with a gambling-like balloon game in each subject. Specifically, we recorded the brain oxygenated-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxygenated-hemoglobin (HHb) changes during the two repeated measurements within a time interval of 3 weeks. The results demonstrate that the changes in HbO2 amplitudes have high reliability at the group level, and that the spatial patterns of the tomographic images have high reproducibility in size and a moderate degree of overlap. Overall, this study confirms that the hemodynamic response to risk decision-making (i.e., BART) seen by fNIRS is highly reliable and reproducible.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2017-01-01

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

A further assessment of decision-making in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Adoue, C; Jaussent, I; Olié, E; Beziat, S; Van den Eynde, F; Courtet, P; Guillaume, S

2015-01-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) may be associated with impaired decision-making. Cognitive processes underlying this impairment remain unclear, mainly because previous assessments of this complex cognitive function were completed with a single test. Furthermore, clinical features such as mood status may impact this association. We aim to further explore the hypothesis of altered decision-making in AN. Sixty-three adult women with AN and 49 female controls completed a clinical assessment and were assessed by three tasks related to decision-making [Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task (PRLT)]. People with AN had poorer performance on the IGT and made less risky choices on the BART, whereas performances were not different on PRLT. Notably, AN patients with a current major depressive disorder showed similar performance to those with no current major depressive disorder. These results tend to confirm an impaired decision making-process in people with AN and suggest that various cognitive processes such as inhibition to risk-taking or intolerance of uncertainty may underlie this condition Furthermore, these impairments seem unrelated to the potential co-occurent major depressive disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

When performance and risk taking are related: Working for rewards is related to risk taking when the value of rewards is presented briefly.

PubMed

Veling, Harm; Bijleveld, Erik

2015-12-01

Valuable monetary rewards can boost human performance on various effortful tasks even when the value of the rewards is presented too briefly to allow for strategic decision making. However, the mechanism by which briefly-presented reward information influences performance has remained unclear. One possibility is that performance after briefly-presented reward information is primarily boosted via activation of the dopamine reward system, whereas performance after very visible reward information is driven more by strategic processes. To examine this hypothesis, we first presented participants with a task in which they could earn rewards of relatively low (1 cent) or high (10 cents) value, and the value information was presented either briefly (17 ms) or for an extended duration (300 ms). Furthermore, responsiveness of the dopamine system was indirectly estimated with a measure of risk taking, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Results showed that performance after high- compared to low-value rewards was indeed related to the BART scores only when reward information was presented briefly. These results are suggestive of the possibility that brief presentation of reward information boosts performance directly via activating the dopamine system, whereas extended presentation of reward information leads to more strategic reward-driven behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exposure to bright light biases effort-based decisions.

PubMed

Bijleveld, Erik; Knufinke, Melanie

2018-06-01

Secreted in the evening and the night, melatonin suppresses activity of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, a brain pathway involved in reward processing. However, exposure to bright light diminishes-or even prevents-melatonin secretion. Thus, we hypothesized that reward processing, in the evening, is more pronounced in bright light (vs. dim light). Healthy human participants carried out three tasks that tapped into various aspects of reward processing (effort expenditure for rewards task [EEfRT]; two-armed bandit task [2ABT]; balloon analogue risk task [BART). Brightness was manipulated within-subjects (bright vs. dim light), in separate evening sessions. During the EEfRT, participants used reward-value information more strongly when they were exposed to bright light (vs. dim light). This finding supported our hypothesis. However, exposure to bright light did not significantly affect task behavior on the 2ABT and the BART. While future research is necessary (e.g., to zoom in on working mechanisms), these findings have potential implications for the design of physical work environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Early-onset Conduct Problems: Predictions from daring temperament and risk taking behavior.

PubMed

Bai, Sunhye; Lee, Steve S

2017-12-01

Given its considerable public health significance, identifying predictors of early expressions of conduct problems is a priority. We examined the predictive validity of daring, a key dimension of temperament, and the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), a laboratory-based measure of risk taking behavior, with respect to two-year change in parent, teacher-, and youth self-reported oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), and antisocial behavior. At baseline, 150 ethnically diverse 6- to 10-year old (M=7.8, SD=1.1; 69.3% male) youth with ( n =82) and without ( n =68) DSM-IV ADHD completed the BART whereas parents rated youth temperament (i.e., daring); parents and teachers also independently rated youth ODD and CD symptoms. Approximately 2 years later, multi-informant ratings of youth ODD, CD, and antisocial behavior were gathered from rating scales and interviews. Whereas risk taking on the BART was unrelated to conduct problems, individual differences in daring prospectively predicted multi-informant rated conduct problems, independent of baseline risk taking, conduct problems, and ADHD diagnostic status. Early differences in the propensity to show positive socio-emotional responses to risky or novel experiences uniquely predicted escalating conduct problems in childhood, even with control of other potent clinical correlates. We consider the role of temperament in the origins and development of significant conduct problems from childhood to adolescence, including possible explanatory mechanisms underlying these predictions.

When do traumatic experiences alter risk-taking behavior? A machine learning analysis of reports from refugees.

PubMed

Augsburger, Mareike; Elbert, Thomas

2017-01-01

Exposure to traumatic stressors and subsequent trauma-related mental changes may alter a person's risk-taking behavior. It is unclear whether this relationship depends on the specific types of traumatic experiences. Moreover, the association has never been tested in displaced individuals with substantial levels of traumatic experiences. The present study assessed risk-taking behavior in 56 displaced individuals by means of the balloon analogue risk task (BART). Exposure to traumatic events, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression were assessed by means of semi-structured interviews. Using a novel statistical approach (stochastic gradient boosting machines), we analyzed predictors of risk-taking behavior. Exposure to organized violence was associated with less risk-taking, as indicated by fewer adjusted pumps in the BART, as was the reported experience of physical abuse and neglect, emotional abuse, and peer violence in childhood. However, civil traumatic stressors, as well as other events during childhood were associated with lower risk taking. This suggests that the association between global risk-taking behavior and exposure to traumatic stress depends on the particular type of the stressors that have been experienced.

Differential associations between impulsivity and risk-taking and brain activations underlying working memory in adolescents.

PubMed

Panwar, Karni; Rutherford, Helena J V; Mencl, W Einar; Lacadie, Cheryl M; Potenza, Marc N; Mayes, Linda C

2014-11-01

Increased impulsivity and risk-taking are common during adolescence and relate importantly to addictive behaviors. However, the extent to which impulsivity and risk-taking relate to brain activations that mediate cognitive processing is not well understood. Here we examined the relationships between impulsivity and risk-taking and the neural correlates of working memory. Neural activity was measured in 18 adolescents (13-18 years) while they engaged in a working memory task that included verbal and visuospatial components that each involved encoding, rehearsal and recognition stages. Risk-taking and impulsivity were assessed using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and the adolescent version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11A), respectively. We found overlapping as well as distinct regions subserving the different stages of verbal and visuospatial working memory. In terms of risk-taking, we found a positive correlation between BART scores and activity in subcortical regions (e.g., thalamus, dorsal striatum) recruited during verbal rehearsal, and an inverse correlation between BART scores and cortical regions (e.g., parietal and temporal regions) recruited during visuospatial rehearsal. The BIS-11A evidenced that motor impulsivity was associated with activity in regions recruited during all stages of working memory, while attention and non-planning impulsivity was only associated with activity in regions recruited during recognition. In considering working memory, impulsivity and risk-taking together, both impulsivity and risk-taking were associated with activity in regions recruited during rehearsal; however, during verbal rehearsal, differential correlations were found. Specifically, positive correlations were found between: (1) risk-taking and activity in subcortical regions, including the thalamus and dorsal striatum; and, (2) motor impulsivity and activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus, insula, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Therefore these findings suggest that while there may be some overlap in the neural correlates of working memory and their relationship to impulsivity and risk-taking, there are also important differences in these constructs and their relationship to the stages of working memory during adolescence. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential associations between impulsivity and risk-taking and brain activations underlying working memory in adolescents

PubMed Central

Panwar, Karni; Rutherford, Helena J.V.; Mencl, W. Einar; Lacadie, Cheryl M.; Potenza, Marc N.; Mayes, Linda C.

2014-01-01

Increased impulsivity and risk-taking are common during adolescence and relate importantly to addictive behaviors. However, the extent to which impulsivity and risk-taking relate to brain activations that mediate cognitive processing is not well understood. Here we examined the relationships between impulsivity and risk-taking and the neural correlates of working memory. Neural activity was measured in 18 adolescents (13–18 years) while they engaged in a working memory task that included verbal and visuospatial components that each involved encoding, rehearsal and recognition stages. Risk-taking and impulsivity were assessed using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and the adolescent version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale -11 (BIS-11A), respectively. We found overlapping as well as distinct regions subserving the different stages of verbal and visuospatial working memory. In terms of risk-taking, we found a positive correlation between BART scores and activity in subcortical regions (e.g., thalamus, dorsal striatum) recruited during verbal rehearsal, and an inverse correlation between BART scores and cortical regions (e.g., parietal and temporal regions) recruited during visuospatial rehearsal. The BIS-11A evidenced that motor impulsivity was associated with activity in regions recruited during all stages of working memory, while attention and non-planning impulsivity was only associated with activity in regions recruited during recognition. In considering working memory, impulsivity and risk-taking together, both impulsivity and risk-taking were associated with activity in regions recruited during rehearsal; however, during verbal rehearsal, differential correlations were found. Specifically, positive correlations were found between: (1) risk-taking and activity in subcortical regions, including the thalamus and dorsal striatum; and, (2) motor impulsivity and activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus, insula, dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Therefore these findings suggest that while there may be some overlap in the neural correlates of working memory and their relationship to impulsivity and risk-taking, there are also important differences in these constructs and their relationship to the stages of working memory during adolescence. PMID:24582821

Real and hypothetical monetary rewards modulate risk taking in the brain.

PubMed

Xu, Sihua; Pan, Yu; Wang, You; Spaeth, Andrea M; Qu, Zhe; Rao, Hengyi

2016-07-07

Both real and hypothetical monetary rewards are widely used as reinforcers in risk taking and decision making studies. However, whether real and hypothetical monetary rewards modulate risk taking and decision making in the same manner remains controversial. In this study, we used event-related potentials (ERP) with a balloon analogue risk task (BART) paradigm to examine the effects of real and hypothetical monetary rewards on risk taking in the brain. Behavioral data showed reduced risk taking after negative feedback (money loss) during the BART with real rewards compared to those with hypothetical rewards, suggesting increased loss aversion with real monetary rewards. The ERP data demonstrated a larger feedback-related negativity (FRN) in response to money loss during risk taking with real rewards compared to those with hypothetical rewards, which may reflect greater prediction error or regret emotion after real monetary losses. These findings demonstrate differential effects of real versus hypothetical monetary rewards on risk taking behavior and brain activity, suggesting a caution when drawing conclusions about real choices from hypothetical studies of intended behavior, especially when large rewards are used. The results have implications for future utility of real and hypothetical monetary rewards in studies of risk taking and decision making.

When do traumatic experiences alter risk-taking behavior? A machine learning analysis of reports from refugees

PubMed Central

Augsburger, Mareike; Elbert, Thomas

2017-01-01

Exposure to traumatic stressors and subsequent trauma-related mental changes may alter a person’s risk-taking behavior. It is unclear whether this relationship depends on the specific types of traumatic experiences. Moreover, the association has never been tested in displaced individuals with substantial levels of traumatic experiences. The present study assessed risk-taking behavior in 56 displaced individuals by means of the balloon analogue risk task (BART). Exposure to traumatic events, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression were assessed by means of semi-structured interviews. Using a novel statistical approach (stochastic gradient boosting machines), we analyzed predictors of risk-taking behavior. Exposure to organized violence was associated with less risk-taking, as indicated by fewer adjusted pumps in the BART, as was the reported experience of physical abuse and neglect, emotional abuse, and peer violence in childhood. However, civil traumatic stressors, as well as other events during childhood were associated with lower risk taking. This suggests that the association between global risk-taking behavior and exposure to traumatic stress depends on the particular type of the stressors that have been experienced. PMID:28498865

Greater Risk-Sensitivity of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Young Smokers than in Nonsmokers

PubMed Central

Galván, Adriana; Schonberg, Tom; Mumford, Jeanette; Kohno, Milky; Poldrack, Russell A.; London, Edythe D.

2013-01-01

Rationale Despite a national reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking, ~19% of the adult U.S. population persists in this behavior, with the highest prevalence among 18–25-year-olds. Given that the choice to smoke imposes a known health risk, clarification of brain function related to decision-making, particularly involving risk-taking, in smokers may inform prevention and smoking cessation strategies. Objectives This study aimed to compare brain function related to decision-making in young smokers and nonsmokers. Methods The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) is a computerized risky decision-making task in which participants pump virtual balloons, each pump associated with an incremental increase in potential payoff on a given trial but also with greater risk of balloon explosion and loss of payoff. We used this task to compare brain activation associated with risky decision-making in smokers (n=18) and nonsmokers (n=25) while they performed the BART during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The participants were young men and women, 17–21 years of age. Results Risk level (number of pumps) modulated brain activation in the right dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices more in smokers than in nonsmokers; and smoking severity (Heaviness of Smoking Index) was positively related to this modulation in an adjacent frontal region. Conclusions Given evidence for involvement of the right dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices in inhibitory control, these findings suggest that young smokers have a different contribution of prefrontal cortical substrates to risky decision-making than nonsmokers. Future studies are warranted to determine whether the observed neurobiological differences precede or result from smoking. PMID:23644912

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEASURES OF IMPULSIVITY AND ALCOHOL MISUSE: AN INTEGRATIVE STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING APPROACH

PubMed Central

Courtney, Kelly E.; Arellano, Ryan; Barkley-Levenson, Emily; Gálvan, Adriana; Poldrack, Russell A.; MacKillop, James; Jentsch, J. David; Ray, Lara A.

2011-01-01

Background Higher levels of impulsivity have been implicated in the development of alcohol use disorders. Recent findings suggest that impulsivity is not a unitary construct, highlighted by the diverse ways in which the various measures of impulsivity relate to alcohol use outcomes. This study simultaneously tested the following dimensions of impulsivity as determinants of alcohol use and alcohol problems: risky decision-making, self-reported risk attitudes, response inhibition, and impulsive decision-making. Method Participants were a community sample of non-treatment seeking problem drinkers (N = 158). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses employed behavioral measures of impulsive decision-making (Delay Discounting Task, DDT), response inhibition (Stop Signal Task, SST), and risky decision-making (Balloon Analogue Risk Task, BART), and a self-report measure of risk attitudes (Domain-specific Risk-attitude Scale, DOSPERT), as predictors of alcohol use and of alcohol-related problems in this sample. Results The model fit well, accounting for 38% of the variance in alcohol problems, and identified two impulsivity dimensions that significantly loaded onto alcohol outcomes: (1) impulsive decision-making, indexed by the DDT; and (2) risky decision-making, measured by the BART. Conclusions The impulsive decision-making dimension of impulsivity, indexed by the DDT, was the strongest predictor of alcohol use and alcohol pathology in this sample of problem drinkers. Unexpectedly, a negative relationship was found between risky decision-making and alcohol problems. The results highlight the importance of considering the distinct facets of impulsivity in order to elucidate their individual and combined effects on alcohol use initiation, escalation, and dependence. PMID:22091877

Integrating frequency and magnitude information in decision-making in schizophrenia: An account of patient performance on the Iowa Gambling Task.

PubMed

Brown, Elliot C; Hack, Samantha M; Gold, James M; Carpenter, William T; Fischer, Bernard A; Prentice, Kristen P; Waltz, James A

2015-01-01

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; Bechara et al., 1994) has frequently been used to assess risky decision making in clinical populations, including patients with schizophrenia (SZ). Poor performance on the IGT is often attributed to reduced sensitivity to punishment, which contrasts with recent findings from reinforcement learning studies in schizophrenia. In order to investigate possible sources of IGT performance deficits in SZ patients, we combined data from the IGT from 59 SZ patients and 43 demographically-matched controls with data from the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) in the same participants. Our analyses sought to specifically uncover the role of punishment sensitivity and delineate the capacity to integrate frequency and magnitude information in decision-making under risk. Although SZ patients, on average, made more choices from disadvantageous decks than controls did on the IGT, they avoided decks with frequent punishments at a rate similar to controls. Patients also exhibited excessive loss-avoidance behavior on the BART. We argue that, rather than stemming from reduced sensitivity to negative consequences, performance deficits on the IGT in SZ patients are more likely the result of a reinforcement learning deficit, specifically involving the integration of frequencies and magnitudes of rewards and punishments in the trial-by-trial estimation of expected value. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating frequency and magnitude information in decision-making in schizophrenia: An account of patient performance on the Iowa Gambling Task

PubMed Central

Brown, Elliot C.; Hack, Samantha M.; Gold, James M.; Carpenter, William T.; Fischer, Bernard A.; Prentice, Kristen P.; Waltz, James A.

2015-01-01

Background The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, & Anderson, 1994) has frequently been used to assess risky decision making in clinical populations, including patients with schizophrenia (SZ). Poor performance on the IGT is often attributed to reduced sensitivity to punishment, which contrasts with recent findings from reinforcement learning studies in schizophrenia. Methods In order to investigate possible sources of IGT performance deficits in SZ patients, we combined data from the IGT from 59 SZ patients and 43 demographically-matched controls with data from the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) in the same participants. Our analyses sought to specifically uncover the role of punishment sensitivity and delineate the capacity to integrate frequency and magnitude information in decision-making under risk. Results Although SZ patients, on average, made more choices from disadvantageous decks than controls did on the IGT, they avoided decks with frequent punishments at a rate similar to controls. Patients also exhibited excessive loss-avoidance behavior on the BART. Conclusions We argue that, rather than stemming from reduced sensitivity to negative consequences, performance deficits on the IGT in SZ patients are more likely the result of a reinforcement learning deficit, specifically involving the integration of frequencies and magnitudes of rewards and punishments in the trial-by-trial estimation of expected value. PMID:25959618

A Newly Designed Mobile-Based Computerized Cognitive Addiction Therapy App for the Improvement of Cognition Impairments and Risk Decision Making in Methamphetamine Use Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Zhu, Youwei; Jiang, Haifeng; Su, Hang; Zhong, Na; Li, Runji; Li, Xiaotong; Chen, Tianzhen; Tan, Haoye; Du, Jiang; Xu, Ding; Yan, Huan; Xu, Dawen; Zhao, Min

2018-06-20

Cognitive rehabilitation therapy has been found to improve cognitive deficits and impulse control problems in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). However, there is limited research regarding this therapy's feasibility when using mobile-based health technologies in supporting recovery from MUD in China. The main aim of this study was to test whether 4 weeks of a newly designed computerized cognitive addiction therapy (CCAT) app can improve cognitive impairments, eliminate drug-related attention bias, and attenuate risk decision-making behaviors in participants with MUD. Forty MUD participants were assigned randomly to either the CCAT group (n=20), who received 4 weeks of CCAT plus regular detoxification treatment as usual, or the control group (n=20), who only received the regular detoxification treatment as usual, in drug rehabilitation centers in Shanghai. The CCAT was designed by combine methamphetamine use-related picture stimuli with cognitive training with the aim of improving cognitive function and eliminating drug-related attention bias. The CogState Battery, Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) were administered face-to-face to all participants before and after CCAT interventions. Forty male patients were recruited. The mean age was 32.70 (SD 5.27) years in the CCAT group and mean 35.05 (SD 8.02) years in the control group. Compared to the control group, CCAT improved working memory in the CCAT group (P=.01). Group×time interactions were observed among DDT, IGT, and BART tasks, with rates of discounting delayed rewards, IGT, and BART scores (P<.001) being reduced among those who received CCAT, whereas no changes were found in the control group. The newly designed CCAT can help to improve cognitive impairment and impulsive control in MUD. Further study is needed to understand the underlying brain mechanisms of the cognitive therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03318081; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03318081 (Archived by WebCite at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03318081). ©Youwei Zhu, Haifeng Jiang, Hang Su, Na Zhong, Runji Li, Xiaotong Li, Tianzhen Chen, Haoye Tan, Jiang Du, Ding Xu, Huan Yan, Dawen Xu, Min Zhao. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 20.06.2018.

Cued to Act on Impulse: More Impulsive Choice and Risky Decision Making by Women Susceptible to Overeating after Exposure to Food Stimuli.

PubMed

Yeomans, Martin R; Brace, Aaron

2015-01-01

There is increasing evidence that individual differences in tendency to overeat relate to impulsivity, possibly by increasing reactivity to food-related cues in the environment. This study tested whether acute exposure to food cues enhanced impulsive and risky responses in women classified on tendency to overeat, indexed by scores on the three factor eating questionnaire disinhibition (TFEQ-D), restraint (TFEQ-R) and hunger scales. Ninety six healthy women completed two measures of impulsive responding (delayed discounting, DDT and a Go No-Go, GNG, task) and a measure of risky decision making (the balloon analogue risk task, BART) as well as questionnaire measures of impulsive behaviour either after looking at a series of pictures of food or visually matched controls. Impulsivity (DDT) and risk-taking (BART) were both positively associated with TFEQ-D scores, but in both cases this effect was exacerbated by prior exposure to food cues. No effects of restraint were found. TFEQ-D scores were also related to more commission errors on the GNG, while restrained women were slower on the GNG, but neither effect was modified by cue exposure. Overall these data suggest that exposure to food cues act to enhance general impulsive responding in women at risk of overeating and tentatively suggest an important interaction between tendency for impulsive decision making and food cues that may help explain a key underlying risk factor for overeating.

Cued to Act on Impulse: More Impulsive Choice and Risky Decision Making by Women Susceptible to Overeating after Exposure to Food Stimuli

PubMed Central

Yeomans, Martin R.; Brace, Aaron

2015-01-01

There is increasing evidence that individual differences in tendency to overeat relate to impulsivity, possibly by increasing reactivity to food-related cues in the environment. This study tested whether acute exposure to food cues enhanced impulsive and risky responses in women classified on tendency to overeat, indexed by scores on the three factor eating questionnaire disinhibition (TFEQ-D), restraint (TFEQ-R) and hunger scales. Ninety six healthy women completed two measures of impulsive responding (delayed discounting, DDT and a Go No-Go, GNG, task) and a measure of risky decision making (the balloon analogue risk task, BART) as well as questionnaire measures of impulsive behaviour either after looking at a series of pictures of food or visually matched controls. Impulsivity (DDT) and risk-taking (BART) were both positively associated with TFEQ-D scores, but in both cases this effect was exacerbated by prior exposure to food cues. No effects of restraint were found. TFEQ-D scores were also related to more commission errors on the GNG, while restrained women were slower on the GNG, but neither effect was modified by cue exposure. Overall these data suggest that exposure to food cues act to enhance general impulsive responding in women at risk of overeating and tentatively suggest an important interaction between tendency for impulsive decision making and food cues that may help explain a key underlying risk factor for overeating. PMID:26378459

Development and preliminary validation of a behavioral task of negative reinforcement underlying risk taking and its relation to problem alcohol use in college freshmen

PubMed Central

MacPherson, Laura; Calvin, Nicholas T.; Richards, Jessica M.; Guller, Leila; Mayes, Linda C.; Crowley, Michael J.; Daughters, Stacey B.; Lejuez, C.W.

2011-01-01

Background A long line of theoretical and empirical evidence implicates negative reinforcement as a process underlying the etiology and maintenance of risky alcohol use behaviors from adolescence through emerging adulthood. However, the bulk of this literature has relied on self-report measures and there is a notable absence of behavioral modes of assessments of negative reinforcement-based alcohol-related risk-taking. To address this clear gap in the literature, the current study presents the first published data on the reliability and validity of the Maryland Resource for the Behavioral Utilization of the Reinforcement of Negative Stimuli (MRBURNS), which is a modified version of the positive reinforcement-based Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Methods Participants included a convenience sample of 116 college freshmen ever regular drinkers (aged 18–19) who completed both behavioral tasks; self-report measures of negative reinforcement/avoidance constructs and of positive reinforcement/appetitive constructs to examine convergent validity and discriminant validity, respectively; and self-report measures of alcohol use, problems, and motives to examine criterion validity. Results The MRBURNS evidenced sound experimental properties and reliability across task trials. In support of convergent validity, risk taking on the MRBURNS correlated significantly with negative urgency, difficulties in emotion regulation and depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. In support of discriminant validity, performance on the MRBURNS was unrelated to risk taking on the BART, sensation seeking, and trait impulsivity. Finally, pertaining to criterion validity, risk taking on the MRBURNS was related to alcohol-related problems but not heavy episodic alcohol use. Notably, risk taking on the MRBURNS was associated with negative reinforcement-based but not with positive reinforcement-based drinking motives. Conclusions Data from this initial investigation suggest the utility of the MRBURNS as a behavioral measure of negative-reinforcement based risk-taking that can provide a useful compliment to existing self-report measures to improve our understanding of the relationship between avoidant reinforcement processes and risky alcohol use. PMID:22309846

Monitoring of human brain functions in risk decision-making task by diffuse optical tomography using voxel-wise general linear model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zi-Jing; Li, Lin; Cazzell, Marry; Liu, Hanli

2013-03-01

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive imaging technique which measures the hemodynamic changes that reflect the brain activity. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT), a variant of fNIRS with multi-channel NIRS measurements, has demonstrated capability of three dimensional (3D) reconstructions of hemodynamic changes due to the brain activity. Conventional method of DOT image analysis to define the brain activation is based upon the paired t-test between two different states, such as resting-state versus task-state. However, it has limitation because the selection of activation and post-activation period is relatively subjective. General linear model (GLM) based analysis can overcome this limitation. In this study, we combine the 3D DOT image reconstruction with GLM-based analysis (i.e., voxel-wise GLM analysis) to investigate the brain activity that is associated with the risk-decision making process. Risk decision-making is an important cognitive process and thus is an essential topic in the field of neuroscience. The balloon analogue risk task (BART) is a valid experimental model and has been commonly used in behavioral measures to assess human risk taking action and tendency while facing risks. We have utilized the BART paradigm with a blocked design to investigate brain activations in the prefrontal and frontal cortical areas during decision-making. Voxel-wise GLM analysis was performed on 18human participants (10 males and 8females).In this work, we wish to demonstrate the feasibility of using voxel-wise GLM analysis to image and study cognitive functions in response to risk decision making by DOT. Results have shown significant changes in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the active choice mode and a different hemodynamic pattern between genders, which are in good agreements with published literatures in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS studies.

Regulatory Mode and Risk-Taking: The Mediating Role of Anticipated Regret

PubMed Central

Panno, Angelo; Lauriola, Marco; Pierro, Antonio

2015-01-01

We propose that decision maker’s regulatory mode affects risk-taking through anticipated regret. In the Study 1 either a locomotion or an assessment orientation were experimentally induced, and in the Studies 2 and 3 these different orientations were assessed as chronic individual differences. To assess risk-taking we used two behavioral measures of risk: BART and hot-CCT. The results show that experimentally induced assessment orientation–compared to locomotion–leads to decreased risk-taking through increased anticipated regret (Study 1). People chronically predisposed to be in the assessment state take less risk through increased anticipated regret (Study 2 and Study 3). Study 2 results also show a marginally non-significant indirect effect of chronic locomotion mode on BART through anticipated regret. Differently, Study 3 shows that people chronically predisposed to be in the locomotion state take greater risk through decreased anticipated regret, when play a dynamic risk task triggering stronger emotional arousal. Through all three studies, the average effect size for the relationship of assessment with anticipated regret was in the moderate-large range, whereas for risk-taking was in the moderate range. The average effect size for the relationship of locomotion with anticipated regret was in the moderate range, whereas for risk-taking was in the small-moderate range. These results increase our understanding of human behavior under conditions of risk obtaining novel insights into regulatory mode theory and decision science. PMID:26580960

Neuroimaging supports behavioral personality assessment: Overlapping activations during reflective and impulsive risk taking.

PubMed

Pletzer, Belinda; M Ortner, Tuulia

2016-09-01

Personality assessment has been challenged by the fact that different assessment methods (implicit measures, behavioral measures and explicit rating scales) show little or no convergence in behavioral studies. In this neuroimaging study we address for the first time, whether different assessment methods rely on separate or overlapping neuronal systems. Fifty nine healthy adult participants completed two objective personality tests of risk propensity: the more implicit Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and the more explicit Game of Dice Task (GDT). Significant differences in activation, as well as connectivity patterns between both tasks were observed. In both tasks, risky decisions yielded significantly stronger activations than safe decisions in the bilateral caudate, as well as the bilateral Insula. The finding of overlapping brain areas validates different assessment methods, despite their behavioral non-convergence. This suggests that neuroimaging can be an important tool of validation in the field of personality assessment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Partial sleep deprivation impacts impulsive action but not impulsive decision-making.

PubMed

Demos, K E; Hart, C N; Sweet, L H; Mailloux, K A; Trautvetter, J; Williams, S E; Wing, R R; McCaffery, J M

2016-10-01

Sleep deprivation may lead to increased impulsivity, however, previous literature has focused on examining effects of total sleep deprivation (TSD) rather than the more common condition, partial sleep deprivation (PSD) or 'short sleep'. Moreover, it has been unclear whether PSD impacts impulse-related cognitive processes, and specifically if it differentially affects impulsive action versus impulsive decision-making. We sought to determine if short compared to long sleep (6 vs. 9h/night) impacts impulsive action via behavioral inhibition (Go/No-Go), and/or impulsive decision-making processes of risk taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task [BART]) and preferences for immediate over delayed rewards (Delay Discounting). In a within-subject design, 34 participants (71% female, mean age=37.0years, SD=10.54) were assigned to four consecutive nights of 6h/night (short sleep) and 9h/night (long sleep) in their own home in random counterbalanced order. Sleep was measured via wrist-worn actigraphs to confirm adherence to the sleep schedules (mean short sleep=5.9h, SD=0.3; mean long sleep=8.6h, SD=0.3, p<0.001). The Go/No-Go, BART, and Delay Discounting tasks were completed following both sleep conditions. Participants had more inhibition errors on the Go/No-Go task after short (mean false alarms=19.79%, SD=14.51) versus long sleep (mean=15.97%, SD=9.51, p=0.039). This effect was strongest in participants reporting longer habitual time in bed (p=0.04). There were no differences in performance following long- versus short-sleep for either delay discounting or the BART (p's>0.4). Overall, these results indicate that four days of PSD diminishes behavioral inhibition abilities, but may not alter impulsive decision-making. These findings contribute to the emerging understanding of how partial sleep deprivation, currently an epidemic, impacts cognitive ability. Future research should continue to explore the connection between PSD and cognitive functions, and ways to minimize the occurrence and negative consequences of short sleep. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Partial sleep deprivation impacts impulsive action but not impulsive decision-making

PubMed Central

Demos, K.E.; Hart, C.N.; Sweet, LH.; Mailloux, K.A.; Trautvetter, J.; Williams, S.E.; Wing, R.R.; McCaffery, J.M.

2017-01-01

Sleep deprivation may lead to increased impulsivity, however, previous literature has focused on examining effects of total sleep deprivation (TSD) rather than the more common condition, partial sleep deprivation (PSD) or ‘short sleep’. Moreover, it has been unclear whether PSD impacts impulse-related cognitive processes, and specifically if it differentially affects impulsive action versus impulsive decision-making. We sought to determine if short compared to long sleep (6 vs. 9 h/night) impacts impulsive action via behavioral inhibition (Go/No-Go), and/or impulsive decision-making processes of risk taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task [BART]) and preferences for immediate over delayed rewards (Delay Discounting). In a within-subject design, 34 participants (71% female, mean age = 37.0 years, SD = 10.54) were assigned to four consecutive nights of 6 h/night (short sleep) and 9 h/night (long sleep) in their own home in random counterbalanced order. Sleep was measured via wrist-worn actigraphs to confirm adherence to the sleep schedules (mean short sleep = 5.9 h, SD = 0.3; mean long sleep = 8.6 h, SD = 0.3, p < 0.001). The Go/No-Go, BART, and Delay Discounting tasks were completed following both sleep conditions. Participants had more inhibition errors on the Go/No-Go task after short (mean false alarms = 19.79%, SD = 14.51) versus long sleep (mean = 15.97%, SD = 9.51, p = 0.039). This effect was strongest in participants reporting longer habitual time in bed (p = 0.04). There were no differences in performance following long- versus short-sleep for either delay discounting or the BART (p’s > 0.4). Overall, these results indicate that four days of PSD diminishes behavioral inhibition abilities, but may not alter impulsive decision-making. These findings contribute to the emerging understanding of how partial sleep deprivation, currently an epidemic, impacts cognitive ability. Future research should continue to explore the connection between PSD and cognitive functions, and ways to minimize the occurrence and negative consequences of short sleep. PMID:27267950

Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking, and Risk-Taking Behaviors among HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Heroin Dependent Persons

PubMed Central

Paydary, Koosha; Mahin Torabi, Somayeh; SeyedAlinaghi, SeyedAhmad; Noori, Mehri; Noroozi, Alireza; Ameri, Sara; Ekhtiari, Hamed

2016-01-01

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare impulsivity and risky decision making among HIV-positive and negative heroin dependent persons. Methods. We compared different dimensions of impulsivity and risky decision making in two groups of 60 HIV-positive and 60 HIV-negative male heroin dependent persons. Each group was comprised of equal numbers of current (treatment seeker) and former (abstinent) heroin addicts. Data collection tools included Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), and Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS). Results. In SSS, comprised of four subscales including thrill and adventure seeking (TAS), experience seeking (ES), disinhibition (DIS), and boredom susceptibility (BS), there was a borderline difference in DIS (P = 0.08) as HIV-positive group scored higher than HIV-negative group. Also, ES and total score were significantly higher among HIV-positive patients. In BART, HIV-positive subjects scored higher in risk taking than HIV-negative subjects as reflected in higher Average Number of puffs in Successful Balloons (ANSB). In BIS, HIV-positive group scored significantly higher in cognitive impulsivity (CI) (P = 0.03) and nonplanning impulsivity (NPI) (P = 0.05) in comparison to HIV-negative group. Also, current heroin addicts scored significantly higher in NPI compared to former addict HIV-negative participants (P = 0.015). IGT did not show any significant difference between groups. Conclusion. Higher levels of impulsivity and risk taking behaviors among HIV-positive heroin addicts will increase serious concerns regarding HIV transmission from this group to other opiate dependents and healthy people. PMID:27051528

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY, -TAKING PROPENSITY AND NICOTINE DEPENDENCE AMONG OLDER ADOLESCENT SMOKERS

PubMed Central

Ryan, Katherine K.; MacKillop, James; Carpenter, Matthew J.

2012-01-01

Impulsivity and risk-taking propensity are neurobehavioral traits that reliably distinguish between smoking and non-smoking adults. However, how these traits relate to smoking quantity and nicotine dependence among older adolescent smokers is unclear. The current study examined impulsivity and risk-taking propensity in relation to smoking behavior and nicotine dependence among current older adolescent smokers (age 16–20 years; N = 107). Participants completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale–11 (BIS-11), the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), and self-report measures of smoking behavior and nicotine dependence. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between nicotine dependence and the Attention subscale (β =.20, t = 2.07, p <.05) and the Non-planning subscale (β =.19, t=1.92, p<.06) of the BIS-11. Contrary to expectation, the results also indicated a significant negative relationship between performance on the BART and nicotine dependence (β = −.19, t=−2.18, p <.05), such that greater risk-taking propensity was associated with less dependence. These data suggest that impulsivity and risk-taking propensity are related to older adolescent smoking but are separable traits with distinguishable associations to nicotine dependence among adolescents. These findings support the notion that impulsivity is related to heightened nicotine dependence, but suggest the relationship between risk-taking propensity and nicotine dependence is more ambiguous and warrants further investigation. PMID:23006247

Blunted feedback processing during risk-taking in adolescents with features of problematic Internet use.

PubMed

Yau, Yvonne H C; Potenza, Marc N; Mayes, Linda C; Crowley, Michael J

2015-06-01

While the conceptualization of problematic Internet use (PIU) as a "behavioral addiction" resembling substance-use disorders is debated, the neurobiological underpinnings of PIU remain understudied. This study examined whether adolescents displaying features of PIU (at-risk PIU; ARPIU) are more impulsive and exhibit blunted responding in the neural mechanisms underlying feedback processing and outcome evaluation during risk-taking. Event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by positive (i.e. reward) and negative (i.e. loss) feedback were recorded during performance on a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) among ARPIU (n=39) and non-ARPIU subjects (n=27). Compared to non-ARPIU, ARPIU adolescents displayed higher levels of urgency and lack of perseverance on the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. Although no between-group difference in BART performance was observed, ERPs demonstrated overall decreased sensitivity to feedback in ARPIU compared to non-ARPIU adolescents, as indexed by blunted feedback-related negativity (FRN) and P300 amplitudes to both negative and positive feedback. The present study provides evidence for feedback processing during risk-taking as a neural correlate of ARPIU. Given recent concerns regarding the growing prevalence of PIU as a health concern, future work should examine the extent to which feedback processing may represent a risk factor for PIU, a consequence of PIU, or possibly both. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk-Taking Propensity as a Predictor of Induction onto Naltrexone Treatment for Opioid Dependence

PubMed Central

Aklin, Will M.; Severtson, S. Geoffrey; Umbricht, Annie; Fingerhood, Michael; Bigelow, George E.; Lejuez, C. W.; Silverman, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Objective Heroin addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that has devastating social, medical, and economic consequences. Naltrexone is an antagonist that blocks opioid effects and could be an effective medication for the treatment of opioid dependence. However, its clinical utility has been limited partly because of poor adherence and acceptability. Given the importance of compliance to naltrexone treatment for opioid dependence, the goal of the current study was to examine predictors involved in successful induction onto naltrexone treatment. Method Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were performed on data from a sample of 64 individuals entering treatment who met DSM-IV criteria for opioid dependence. The relationship between naltrexone induction (i.e., inducted- vs. not-inducted onto naltrexone) and risk-taking propensity, as indexed by riskiness on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) was examined. Participants were recruited from local detoxification programs, inpatient drug treatment, and other Baltimore programs that provided services to opioid dependent adults (e.g., Baltimore Needle Exchange Program) during the period from August 2007 to September 2008. Results Positive association between risk-taking propensity and odds of naltrexone induction. Specifically, each five point increase in the total BART score was associated with a 25% decrease in odds of naltrexone induction (OR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.58–0.99, p = .041). This association remained statistically significant even after adjusting for potential confounds, including injection drug use and cocaine positive urine results (p = .05). After adjusting for the covariates, each five point increase in BART score was associated with 28% decrease in the odds of achieving the maintenance dose (AOR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.54–0.99, p = .046). Conclusions Risk taking propensity was predictive of induction onto naltrexone treatment, above and beyond injection drug use and cocaine-positive urine samples. PMID:22967782

Appearance of Abnormal Cardiothoracic Ratio of Fetuses with Hemoglobin Bart's Disease: Life Table Analysis.

PubMed

Wanapirak, Chanane; Sirichotiyakul, Supatra; Luewan, Suchaya; Srisupundit, Kasemsri; Tongprasert, Fuanglada; Tongsong, Theera

2017-10-01

Objective  To determine the timeline of the first appearance of an increased CT ratio of fetuses with hemoglobin (Hb) Bart's disease. Materials and Methods  A prospective longitudinal study was conducted on pregnancies at risk for fetal Hb Bart's disease. Sonographic markers including cardiothoracic (CT) ratio and middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV) were serially assessed and recorded from the first trimester. The definite diagnosis of fetal Hb Bart's disease based on DNA analysis (CVS), or fetal Hb typing (HPLC; cordocentesis) was performed at the first appearance of an increased CT ratio. Results  Of 275 pregnancies at risk, 64 fetuses were finally proven to be affected and life table analysis was performed. Most affected fetuses showed an increased CT ratio in late first trimester and early second trimester, with median time of the first appearance at 13 weeks and all affected fetuses were detected at 23 weeks or less. The CT ratio yielded a sensitivity of 100 % at a gestational age of 23 weeks with a false-positive rate of 8 %. MCA-PSV appeared later than CT ratio. Only 9.4 % of affected cases developed abnormal MCA-PSV before an increased CT ratio. Conclusion  The timeline of the first appearance of an increased CT ratio of fetuses with Hb Bart's disease was established. This may help us identify Hb Bart's disease among fetuses at risk in earlier gestation and proper schedules for serial ultrasound could be made more effectively. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Functional Genetic Variation in Dopamine Signaling Moderates Prefrontal Cortical Activity During Risky Decision Making.

PubMed

Kohno, Milky; Nurmi, Erika L; Laughlin, Christopher P; Morales, Angelica M; Gail, Emma H; Hellemann, Gerhard S; London, Edythe D

2016-02-01

Brain imaging has revealed links between prefrontal activity during risky decision-making and striatal dopamine receptors. Specifically, striatal dopamine D2-like receptor availability is correlated with risk-taking behavior and sensitivity of prefrontal activation to risk in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The extent to which these associations, involving a single neurochemical measure, reflect more general effects of dopaminergic functioning on risky decision making, however, is unknown. Here, 65 healthy participants provided genotypes and performed the BART during functional magnetic resonance imaging. For each participant, dopamine function was assessed using a gene composite score combining known functional variation across five genes involved in dopaminergic signaling: DRD2, DRD3, DRD4, DAT1, and COMT. The gene composite score was negatively related to dorsolateral prefrontal cortical function during risky decision making, and nonlinearly related to earnings on the task. Iterative permutations of all possible allelic variations (7777 allelic combinations) was tested on brain function in an independently defined region of the prefrontal cortex and confirmed empirical validity of the composite score, which yielded stronger association than 95% of all other possible combinations. The gene composite score also accounted for a greater proportion of variability in neural and behavioral measures than the independent effects of each gene variant, indicating that the combined effects of functional dopamine pathway genes can provide a robust assessment, presumably reflecting the cumulative and potentially interactive effects on brain function. Our findings support the view that the links between dopaminergic signaling, prefrontal function, and decision making vary as a function of dopamine signaling capacity.

Behavioral measures of risk tasking, sensation seeking and sensitivity to reward may reflect different motivations for spicy food liking and consumption

PubMed Central

Byrnes, Nadia K.; Hayes, John E.

2016-01-01

Based on work a quarter century ago, it is widely accepted personality traits like sensation seeking are related to the enjoyment and intake of spicy foods; however, data supporting this belief is actually quite limited. Recently, we reported strong to moderate correlations between remembered spicy food liking and two personality traits measured with validated questionnaires. Here, participants consumed capsaicin-containing strawberry jelly to generate acute estimates of spicy food liking. Additionally, we used a laboratory-based behavioral measure of risk taking (the momentary Balloon Analogue Risk Task; mBART) to complement a range of validated self-report measures of risk-related personality traits. Present data confirm Sensation Seeking correlates with overall spicy meal liking and liking of the burn of a spicy meal, and extends prior findings by showing novel correlations with the liking of sampled stimuli. Other personality measures, including Sensitivity to Punishment (SP), Sensitivity to Reward (SR), and the Impulsivity and Risk Taking subscales of the DSM5 Personality Inventory (PID5) did not show significant relationships with liking of spicy foods, either sampled or remembered. Our behavioral risk taking measure, the mBART, also failed to show a relationship with remembered or sampled liking. However, significant relationships were observed between reported intake of spicy foods and Sensitivity to Reward, and the Risk Taking subscale of the PID-5 (PID5-RT). Based on the observed patterns among various personality measures, and spicy food liking and intake, we propose that personality measures may exert their influence on intake of spicy food via different mechanisms. We also speculate that Sensation Seeking may reflect motivations for consuming spicy foods that are more intrinsic, while the motivations for eating spicy foods measured by SR and PID5-RT may be more extrinsic. PMID:27137410

Behavioral measures of risk tasking, sensation seeking and sensitivity to reward may reflect different motivations for spicy food liking and consumption.

PubMed

Byrnes, Nadia K; Hayes, John E

2016-08-01

Based on work a quarter century ago, it is widely accepted personality traits like sensation seeking are related to the enjoyment and intake of spicy foods; however, data supporting this belief is actually quite limited. Recently, we reported strong to moderate correlations between remembered spicy food liking and two personality traits measured with validated questionnaires. Here, participants consumed capsaicin-containing strawberry jelly to generate acute estimates of spicy food liking. Additionally, we used a laboratory-based behavioral measure of risk taking (the mobile Balloon Analogue Risk Task; mBART) to complement a range of validated self-report measures of risk-related personality traits. Present data confirm Sensation Seeking correlates with overall spicy meal liking and liking of the burn of a spicy meal, and extends prior findings by showing novel correlations with the liking of sampled stimuli. Other personality measures, including Sensitivity to Punishment (SP), Sensitivity to Reward (SR), and the Impulsivity and Risk Taking subscales of the DSM5 Personality Inventory (PID-5) did not show significant relationships with liking of spicy foods, either sampled or remembered. Our behavioral risk taking measure, the mBART, also failed to show a relationship with remembered or sampled liking. However, significant relationships were observed between reported intake of spicy foods and Sensitivity to Reward, and the Risk Taking subscale of the PID-5 (PID5-RT). Based on the observed patterns among various personality measures, and spicy food liking and intake, we propose that personality measures may exert their influence on intake of spicy food via different mechanisms. We also speculate that Sensation Seeking may reflect motivations for consuming spicy foods that are more intrinsic, while the motivations for eating spicy foods measured by SR and PID5-RT may be more extrinsic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential impact of serotonin transporter activity on temperament and behavior in persons with a family history of alcoholism in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns project

PubMed Central

Lovallo, William R.; Enoch, Mary-Anne; Yechiam, Eldad; Glahn, David C.; Acheson, Ashley; Sorocco, Kristen H.; Hodgkinson, Colin A.; Kim, Bojeong; Cohoon, Andrew J.; Vincent, Andrea S.; Goldman, David

2014-01-01

Background Central serotonergic (5-HT) function is implicated in pathways to alcohol dependence, including dysphoria manifested by symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, little is known about genetic variation in central 5-HT function and its potential impact on temperament and behavior in persons with a family history of alcoholism (FH+). Methods We tested 314 healthy young adults (23.5 yr of age, 57% female; 193 FH− and 121 FH+) enrolled in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns project, a study of alcoholism risk in relation to temperament and behavioral dyscontrol. Dysphoria was assessed using the Eysenck neuroticism and Beck depression scales, and Cloninger’s Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Risk taking was assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Balloon Analogue Response Task (BART). All subjects were genotyped for a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SCL6A4). Results FH+ subjects with the gain-of-function 5-HTTLPR genotype scored higher in neuroticism, harm avoidance, and symptoms of Depression (p values ≤ .03). No effect of 5-HTTLPR genotype was seen in FH−. FH+ carriers of the gain-of-function 5-HTTLPR genotype played to minimize their frequency of losses in the IGT whereas FH− carriers played a balanced strategy (p < .003). No 5-HTTLPR effects were seen in the BART. Results were unaffected by sex, education, drug use, and antisocial characteristics. Conclusions The functional 5-HTTLPR polymorphism predicted significant variation in negative moods and poorer affect regulation in FH+ persons, with possible consequences for behavior, as seen in a simulated gambling task. This pattern may contribute to a drinking pattern that is compensatory for such affective tendencies. PMID:24796636

Differential impact of serotonin transporter activity on temperament and behavior in persons with a family history of alcoholism in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project.

PubMed

Lovallo, William R; Enoch, Mary-Anne; Yechiam, Eldad; Glahn, David C; Acheson, Ashley; Sorocco, Kristen H; Hodgkinson, Colin A; Kim, Bojeong; Cohoon, Andrew J; Vincent, Andrea S; Goldman, David

2014-06-01

Central serotonergic (5-HT) function is implicated in pathways to alcohol dependence, including dysphoria manifested by symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, little is known about genetic variation in central 5-HT function and its potential impact on temperament and behavior in persons with a family history of alcoholism (FH+). We tested 314 healthy young adults (23.5 years of age, 57% female; 193 FH- and 121 FH+) enrolled in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns project, a study of alcoholism risk in relation to temperament and behavioral dyscontrol. Dysphoria was assessed using the Eysenck neuroticism and Beck depression scales, and Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Risk taking was assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Balloon Analogue Response Task (BART). All subjects were genotyped for a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4). FH+ subjects with the gain-of-function 5-HTTLPR genotype scored higher in neuroticism, harm avoidance, and symptoms of depression (p-values ≤ 0.03). No effect of 5-HTTLPR genotype was seen in FH-. FH+ carriers of the gain-of-function 5-HTTLPR genotype played to minimize their frequency of losses in the IGT, whereas FH- carriers played a balanced strategy (p < 0.003). No 5-HTTLPR effects were seen in the BART. Results were unaffected by sex, education, drug use, and antisocial characteristics. The functional 5-HTTLPR polymorphism predicted significant variation in negative moods and poorer affect regulation in FH+ persons, with possible consequences for behavior, as seen in a simulated gambling task. This pattern may contribute to a drinking pattern that is compensatory for such affective tendencies. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Prevention and control of Hb Bart's disease in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

PubMed

He, Sheng; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Dongming; Chen, Shaoke; Tang, Yanqing; Chen, Qiuli; Zheng, Chenguang

2014-07-01

To demonstrate the performance of Hb Bart's Disease prevention in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. A prenatal control program for Hb Bart's disease was conducted from January 2006 to December 2012. A total of 17,555 pregnant women were screened for α-thalassemia in our prenatal screening program. Pregnancy at-risk for Hb Bart's disease was offered the choice of direct invasive testing or the non-invasive approach with serial ultrasonography. A total of 1425 at-risk couples attended the prenatal diagnosis. Three hundred ninety couples were screened at our own hospital, and the remaining 1035 couples were referred from other hospitals. Two hundred and three pregnant women chose non-invasive approach, and 1122 chose invasive testing. A total of 365 fetuses were diagnosed with Hb Bart's disease. All cases were finally confirmed by fetal DNA analysis. Eighty-two cases (22.4%) were diagnosed by chorionic villous sampling and 194 (53.2%) by amniocentesis samples. The other 89 (24.4%) cases were performed by cordocentesis. All of the affected pregnancies were terminated. Implementation of a prevention and control program accompanying with a referral system for prenatal diagnosis is technically feasible in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gunslingers, poker players, and chickens 2: Decision-making under physical performance pressure in subelite athletes.

PubMed

Parkin, Beth L; Walsh, Vincent

2017-01-01

Having investigated the influence of acute physical exhaustion on decision-making in world-class elite athletes in Parkin et al. (2017), here a similar method is applied to subelite athletes. These subelite athletes were enrolled on a Team GB talent development program and were undergoing training for possible Olympic competition in 4-8 years. They differ from elite athletes examined previously according to expertise and age. While considered elite (Swann et al., 2015), the subelite athletes had approximately 8 years fewer sporting experience and were yet to obtain sustained success on the international stage. Additionally, the average age of the subelite sample is 20 years; thus, they are still undergoing the behavioral, cognitive, and neuronal changes that occur during the transition from late adolescence to young adulthood (Blakemore and Robbins, 2012). Previous work has used broad definitions of elite status in sport, and as such overlooked different categories within the spectrum of elite athletes (Swann et al., 2015). Therefore it is important to consider subelite athletes as a discrete point on the developmental trajectory of elite sporting expertise. This work aims to investigate the influence of physical pressure on key indicators of decision-making in subelite athletes. It forms part of a wider project examining decision-making across different stages of the developmental trajectory in elite sport. In doing so, it aims to examine how to apply and develop psychological insights useful to an elite sporting environment. 32 subelite athletes (18 males, mean age: 20 years) participated in the study. Performance across three categories of decision-making was assessed under conditions of low and high physical pressure. Decision-making under risk was measured with performance of the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT; Rogers et al., 1999), decision-making under uncertainty with the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; Lejuez et al., 2002), and fast reactive responses and inhibition via the Stop Signal Reaction Time Task (SSRT; Logan, 1994). Physical exhaustion was induced via intervals of maximal exertion exercise on a wattbike. Under pressure subelite athletes showed increased risk taking for both decisions where probability outcomes were explicit (on the CGT), and those where probability outcomes were unknown (on the BART). Despite making quicker decisions under pressure, with fewer errors, on the CGT, subelite athletes showed a reduced ability to optimally adjust betting behavior according to reward and loss contingencies. Fast reactive responses to perceptual stimuli and response inhibition did not change as a result of physical pressure. Individual responses to pressure showed a negative correlation in that a decrease in reaction times on the SSRT Task under pressure was associated with an increase in risk taking on the BART. When assessing the applicability of results based on group averages to individual athletes, 17% of the sample showed an "average" response (within 1 SD of the mean) to pressure across all three decision-making tasks. Indicators of decision-making in a sample of subelite athletes are influenced by physical pressure, with a shift toward increased indiscriminate risk taking. The influence that physical pressure has on decision-making was different to that observed in world-class elite athletes; this highlights the importance of distinguishing between athletes at the elite level (Swann et al., 2015). The application of this work to a novel subgroup of elite athletes, including the implementation of a decision-making taxonomy, is discussed. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ε-Aminocaproic acid and clinical value in cardiac anesthesia.

PubMed

Raghunathan, Karthik; Connelly, Neil Roy; Kanter, Gary J

2011-02-01

The primary aim was to compare the "clinical value" of tranexamic acid (TXA) with ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA) when used for blood conservation during high-risk cardiac surgery. Data previously reported by the Blood Conservation Using Antifibrinolytics in a Randomized Trial (BART) study investigators were reanalyzed independently after appropriate statistical adjustment. The authors compared TXA with EACA for important primary and secondary outcomes and applied the "clinical value" equation to this comparison. BART, the largest blinded multicenter study on this topic to date, compared all 3 commonly used antifibrinolytics head-to-head in a randomized dose-equivalent fashion during high-risk cardiac surgery. Comparisons of TXA with EACA with application of the clinical value equation was not performed specifically by the BART investigators. One thousand five hundred fifty patients enrolled in 2 of the 3 arms of the BART study were included in the analysis (TXA, n= 770 and EACA, n = 780, with data reported by the investigators in the New England Journal of Medicine). The major finding was that there were no significant differences in overall safety and clinically important efficacy between TXA and EACA. Considering the substantial difference in costs and with the increasing volume of high-risk cardiac surgery, EACA has increased "clinical value" when compared with TXA. EACA should be the antifibrinolytic medication of choice for high-risk cardiac surgery. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atlas-guided volumetric diffuse optical tomography enhanced by generalized linear model analysis to image risk decision-making responses in young adults.

PubMed

Lin, Zi-Jing; Li, Lin; Cazzell, Mary; Liu, Hanli

2014-08-01

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a variant of functional near infrared spectroscopy and has the capability of mapping or reconstructing three dimensional (3D) hemodynamic changes due to brain activity. Common methods used in DOT image analysis to define brain activation have limitations because the selection of activation period is relatively subjective. General linear model (GLM)-based analysis can overcome this limitation. In this study, we combine the atlas-guided 3D DOT image reconstruction with GLM-based analysis (i.e., voxel-wise GLM analysis) to investigate the brain activity that is associated with risk decision-making processes. Risk decision-making is an important cognitive process and thus is an essential topic in the field of neuroscience. The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) is a valid experimental model and has been commonly used to assess human risk-taking actions and tendencies while facing risks. We have used the BART paradigm with a blocked design to investigate brain activations in the prefrontal and frontal cortical areas during decision-making from 37 human participants (22 males and 15 females). Voxel-wise GLM analysis was performed after a human brain atlas template and a depth compensation algorithm were combined to form atlas-guided DOT images. In this work, we wish to demonstrate the excellence of using voxel-wise GLM analysis with DOT to image and study cognitive functions in response to risk decision-making. Results have shown significant hemodynamic changes in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the active-choice mode and a different activation pattern between genders; these findings correlate well with published literature in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS studies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Outcome Probability versus Magnitude: When Waiting Benefits One at the Cost of the Other

PubMed Central

Young, Michael E.; Webb, Tara L.; Rung, Jillian M.; McCoy, Anthony W.

2014-01-01

Using a continuous impulsivity and risk platform (CIRP) that was constructed using a video game engine, choice was assessed under conditions in which waiting produced a continuously increasing probability of an outcome with a continuously decreasing magnitude (Experiment 1) or a continuously increasing magnitude of an outcome with a continuously decreasing probability (Experiment 2). Performance in both experiments reflected a greater desire for a higher probability even though the corresponding wait times produced substantive decreases in overall performance. These tendencies are considered to principally reflect hyperbolic discounting of probability, power discounting of magnitude, and the mathematical consequences of different response rates. Behavior in the CIRP is compared and contrasted with that in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). PMID:24892657

Emotional intelligence, risk perception in abstinent cocaine dependent individuals.

PubMed

Romero-Ayuso, Dulce; Mayoral-Gontán, Yolanda; Triviño-Juárez, José-Matías

2016-01-01

Cocaine is now responsible for the second-highest number of cessation intervention requests. In this study we analyze the different skills of emotional intelligence in cocaine- dependent patients maintaining abstinence. The Mayer- Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were administered to 50 subjects (25 individuals with no history of drug use and 25 individuals in treatment at the Addictive Behaviors Unit in a state of withdrawal at the time of evaluation). The results showed differences between these groups in overall emotional intelligence quotient, strategic emotional intelligence, understanding emotions and emotional management. Cocaine-addicted participants showed difficulties in analyzing complex emotions and regulating their emotional response, aspects that can interfere with interactions in daily life.

Risk-taking propensity and sensitivity to punishment in adolescents with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder symptoms and/or reading disability.

PubMed

Poon, Kean; Ho, Connie Suk-Han

2016-01-01

Many studies reported that adolescents with ADHD/RD more frequently engage in risk-taking behaviors. Very few have examined their risk taking patterns and the impact of their comorbidity. The present study compared the risk-taking propensity, sensitivity to punishment and delinquency outcome in Chinese adolescents with ADHD symptoms (AS) and/or RD using a simulated risk task, the Balloon Analogous Risk Task (BART). Adolescents with AS (n=37), RD (n=35), AS+RD (n=35), and control (n=36) were recruited from local secondary schools. Results showed that adolescents with ADHD, despite their great risk-taking propensity, were sensitive to immediate punishment whereas adolescents with RD were found to display normal risk-taking propensity, yet showed a tendency of being less sensitive to punishment. The comorbidity ADHD+RD group had the highest delinquency score, and exhibited greatest risk taking and least sensitivity to punishment, which provided further support that comorbid condition might have stronger impact on risk taking or even delinquency than the pure groups. The present findings provides a useful picture of the risk taking pattern associated with different groups, allowing for effective matching for future prevention and intervention program. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smoked Cannabis' Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Effects in Occasional and Frequent Smokers

PubMed Central

Desrosiers, Nathalie A.; Ramaekers, Johannes G.; Chauchard, Emeline; Gorelick, David A.; Huestis, Marilyn A.

2015-01-01

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive constituent in cannabis, impairs psychomotor performance, cognition and driving ability; thus, driving under the influence of cannabis is a public safety concern. We documented cannabis' psychomotor, neurocognitive, subjective and physiological effects in occasional and frequent smokers to investigate potential differences between these smokers. Fourteen frequent (≥4x/week) and 11 occasional (<2x/week) cannabis smokers entered a secure research unit ∼19 h prior to smoking one 6.8% THC cigarette. Cognitive and psychomotor performance was evaluated with the critical tracking (CTT), divided attention (DAT), n-back (working memory) and Balloon Analog Risk (BART) (risk-taking) tasks at −1.75, 1.5, 3.5, 5.5 and 22.5 h after starting smoking. GLM (General Linear Model) repeated measures ANOVA was utilized to compare scores. Occasional smokers had significantly more difficulty compensating for CTT tracking error compared with frequent smokers 1.5 h after smoking. Divided attention performance declined significantly especially in occasional smokers, with session × group effects for tracking error, hits, false alarms and reaction time. Cannabis smoking did not elicit session × group effects on the n-back or BART. Controlled cannabis smoking impaired psychomotor function, more so in occasional smokers, suggesting some tolerance to psychomotor impairment in frequent users. These data have implications for cannabis-associated impairment in driving under the influence of cannabis cases. PMID:25745105

The influence of groups and alcohol consumption on individual risk-taking.

PubMed

Erskine-Shaw, Marianne; Monk, Rebecca L; Qureshi, Adam W; Heim, Derek

2017-10-01

Research addressing the influence of alcohol and groups on risky behaviour has yielded contradictory findings regarding the extent to which intoxicated groups exaggerate or minimise risk-taking. Previous work has examined the effect of intoxication on risk-taking focusing on collective group decision-making, and to date the influence of alcohol consumption and groups on individual risk-taking has yet to be explored experimentally. The current study therefore examined the impact of intoxication and groups on individual risk-taking. In a mixed design, 99 social drinkers (62 female) attended an experimental session individually (N=48) or in groups of three (N=51). Individuals completed the study in isolation while groups were tested in the same room. Participants completed two behavioural measures of risk-taking: Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and Stoplight Task (SLT), both before and following consumption of an alcoholic (0.6g/kg males, 0.5g/kg females) or a placebo beverage. Those who participated in groups took significantly more risks in both tasks than those in isolation. Alcohol did not increase risk-taking on either risk-taking tasks. However, those who consumed placebo were significantly less risky on the SLT, compared to baseline. No interactions were found between context and beverage on risk-taking. The findings do not support a combined effect of alcohol and groups on individual risk-taking. Rather, results indicate that risk-taking behaviour is influenced by peer presence regardless of alcohol consumption. Targeting the influence of groups (above those of alcohol) may hold promise for reducing risk-taking behaviours in drinking environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risky decision-making is associated with residential choice in healthy older adults.

PubMed

Seaman, Kendra L; Stillman, Chelsea M; Howard, Darlene V; Howard, James H

2015-01-01

As our society becomes more mobile and people reside farther away from their immediate families, competent decision-making has become critical for the older adults wishing to maintain their independence. However, very little is known about the relationship between residential choice and decision-making. Here we use the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) to examine risk-taking in two samples of older adults, one living in a retirement community and another living independently. We also used a cognitive model to gain insight into the cognitive factors underlying decision-making in these groups. We found that older adults living in a retirement community were more risk averse than their independent counterparts. Furthermore, this difference appeared to be motivated by group differences in initial perception of risk. This study suggests an intriguing difference between these two residential groups, and also points to the utility of using laboratory methods in research on real-world problems.

Noninvasive prenatal exclusion of haemoglobin Bart's using foetal DNA from maternal plasma.

PubMed

Ho, Sherry S Y; Chong, Samuel S C; Koay, Evelyn S C; Ponnusamy, Sukumar; Chiu, Lily; Chan, Yiong Huak; Rauff, Mary; Baig, Sonia; Chan, Jerry; Su, Lin Lin; Biswas, Arijit; Hahn, Sinuhe; Choolani, Mahesh

2010-01-01

Prenatal diagnosis of alpha-thalassaemia requires invasive testing associated with a risk of miscarriage. Cell-free foetal DNA in maternal plasma presents an alternative source of foetal genetic material for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. We aimed to exclude HbBart's noninvasively by detection of unaffected paternal alleles in maternal plasma using quantitative fluorescence PCR (QF-PCR). Microsatellite markers (16PTEL05, 16PTEL06) within the breakpoint regions of -(SEA), -(FIL) and -(THAI) deletions were analysed using QF-PCR of maternal plasma from 30 families. In this blinded study, genotypes were confirmed using conventional PCR. Maternal plasma from two known cases of HbBart's were also analysed. HbBart's was excluded in 10 out of 30 (33.3%, 95% CI, 17.3-52.8%) mothers by identifying the presence of nondeleted paternally inherited fetal alleles; either only 16PTEL05 (n = 1) or only 16PTEL06 (n = 4), or both (n = 5), and confirmed through direct analysis of fetal DNA. Paternally inherited foetal alleles of 16PTEL05 and 16PTEL06 were not detected in maternal plasma of the two known HbBarts cases. False negatives were excluded with the detection of paternally inherited fetal control marker, D21S1270 in maternal plasma. We show proof-of-principle that such a test can accurately exclude HbBart's in the foetus by identifying the nondeleted paternally inherited fetal alleles in maternal plasma in one out of three pregnancies, avoiding invasive testing in these pregnancies. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neural activation during risky decision-making in youth at high risk for substance use disorders.

PubMed

Hulvershorn, Leslie A; Hummer, Tom A; Fukunaga, Rena; Leibenluft, Ellen; Finn, Peter; Cyders, Melissa A; Anand, Amit; Overhage, Lauren; Dir, Allyson; Brown, Joshua

2015-08-30

Risky decision-making, particularly in the context of reward-seeking behavior, is strongly associated with the presence of substance use disorders (SUDs). However, there has been little research on the neural substrates underlying reward-related decision-making in drug-naïve youth who are at elevated risk for SUDs. Participants comprised 23 high-risk (HR) youth with a well-established SUD risk phenotype and 27 low-risk healthy comparison (HC) youth, aged 10-14. Participants completed the balloon analog risk task (BART), a task designed to examine risky decision-making, during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The HR group had faster reaction times, but otherwise showed no behavioral differences from the HC group. HR youth experienced greater activation when processing outcome, as the chances of balloon explosion increased, relative to HC youth, in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). As explosion probability increased, group-by-condition interactions in the ventral striatum/anterior cingulate and the anterior insula showed increasing activation in HR youth, specifically on trials when explosions occurred. Thus, atypical activation increased with increasing risk of negative outcome (i.e., balloon explosion) in a cortico-striatal network in the HR group. These findings identify candidate neurobiological markers of addiction risk in youth at high familial and phenotypic risk for SUDs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships between Reward Sensitivity, Risk-Taking and Family History of Alcoholism during an Interactive Competitive fMRI Task

PubMed Central

Yarosh, Haley L.; Hyatt, Christopher J.; Meda, Shashwath A.; Jiantonio-Kelly, Rachel; Potenza, Marc N.; Assaf, Michal; D.Pearlson, Godfrey

2014-01-01

Background Individuals with a positive family history for alcoholism (FHP) have shown differences from family-history-negative (FHN) individuals in the neural correlates of reward processing. FHP, compared to FHN individuals, demonstrate relatively diminished ventral striatal activation during anticipation of monetary rewards, and the degree of ventral striatal activation shows an inverse correlation with specific impulsivity measures in alcohol-dependent individuals. Rewards in socially interactive contexts relate importantly to addictive propensities, yet have not been examined with respect to how their neural underpinnings relate to impulsivity-related measures. Here we describe impulsivity measures in FHN and FHP individuals as they relate to a socially interactive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task. Methods Forty FHP and 29 FHN subjects without histories of Axis-I disorders completed a socially interactive Domino task during functional magnetic resonance imaging and completed self-report and behavioral impulsivity-related assessments. Results FHP compared to FHN individuals showed higher scores (p = .004) on one impulsivity-related factor relating to both compulsivity (Padua Inventory) and reward/punishment sensitivity (Sensitivity to Punishment/Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire). Multiple regression analysis within a reward-related network revealed a correlation between risk-taking (involving another impulsivity-related factor, the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART)) and right ventral striatum activation under reward >punishment contrast (p<0.05 FWE corrected) in the social task. Conclusions Behavioral risk-taking scores may be more closely associated with neural correlates of reward responsiveness in socially interactive contexts than are FH status or impulsivity-related self-report measures. These findings suggest that risk-taking assessments be examined further in socially interactive settings relevant to addictive behaviors. PMID:24505424

Epstein-Barr virus miR-BART20-5p regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting BAD.

PubMed

Kim, Hyoji; Choi, Hoyun; Lee, Suk Kyeong

2015-01-28

Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BamHI A rightward transcript (BART) microRNAs (miRNAs) are ubiquitously expressed in EBV-associated tumors, the role of most BART miRNAs is unclear. In this study, we showed that Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) expression was significantly lower in EBV-infected AGS-EBV cells than in EBV-negative AGS cells and investigated whether BART miRNAs target BAD. Using bioinformatics analysis, five BART miRNAs showing seed match with the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of BAD were selected. Of these, only miR-BART20-5p reduced BAD expression when individually transfected into AGS cells. A luciferase assay revealed that miR-BART20-5p directly targets BAD. The expression of BAD mRNA and protein was decreased by miR-BART20-5p and increased by an inhibitor of miR-BART20-5p. PE-Annexin V staining and cell proliferation assays showed that miR-BART20-5p reduced apoptosis and enhanced cell growth. Furthermore, miR-BART20-5p increased chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil and docetaxel. Our data suggest that miR-BART20-5p contributes to tumorigenesis of EBV-associated gastric carcinoma by directly targeting the 3'-UTR of BAD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smoked cannabis' psychomotor and neurocognitive effects in occasional and frequent smokers.

PubMed

Desrosiers, Nathalie A; Ramaekers, Johannes G; Chauchard, Emeline; Gorelick, David A; Huestis, Marilyn A

2015-05-01

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive constituent in cannabis, impairs psychomotor performance, cognition and driving ability; thus, driving under the influence of cannabis is a public safety concern. We documented cannabis' psychomotor, neurocognitive, subjective and physiological effects in occasional and frequent smokers to investigate potential differences between these smokers. Fourteen frequent (≥4x/week) and 11 occasional (<2x/week) cannabis smokers entered a secure research unit ∼19 h prior to smoking one 6.8% THC cigarette. Cognitive and psychomotor performance was evaluated with the critical tracking (CTT), divided attention (DAT), n-back (working memory) and Balloon Analog Risk (BART) (risk-taking) tasks at -1.75, 1.5, 3.5, 5.5 and 22.5 h after starting smoking. GLM (General Linear Model) repeated measures ANOVA was utilized to compare scores. Occasional smokers had significantly more difficulty compensating for CTT tracking error compared with frequent smokers 1.5 h after smoking. Divided attention performance declined significantly especially in occasional smokers, with session × group effects for tracking error, hits, false alarms and reaction time. Cannabis smoking did not elicit session × group effects on the n-back or BART. Controlled cannabis smoking impaired psychomotor function, more so in occasional smokers, suggesting some tolerance to psychomotor impairment in frequent users. These data have implications for cannabis-associated impairment in driving under the influence of cannabis cases. Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Ventricular Diastolic Function in Normal Fetuses and Fetuses with Hb Bart's Disease Assessed by Color M-Mode Propagation Velocity using Cardio-STIC-M (Spatio-Temporal Image Correlation M-Mode).

PubMed

Tongsong, T; Tongprasert, F; Srisupundit, K; Luewan, S; Traisrisilp, K

2016-10-01

Purpose: To determine whether ventricular diastolic dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of fetal cardiac failure due to fetal anemia using fetal Hb Bart's disease as a live model and cardio-STIC-M as a diagnostic tool. Materials and Methods: Color cardio-STIC volume datasets were acquired from fetuses at risk for Hb Bart's disease during 18 - 22 weeks of gestation and normal pregnancies and pregnancies with hydrops fetalis caused by Hb Bart's disease at 28 - 32 weeks. The volumes were analyzed off-line for velocity propagation (Vp) of the right and left ventricles to assess ventricular diastolic function using color cardio-STIC-M. Results: The Vp for the right and left ventricles was studied in fetuses at 18 - 22 weeks, including 64 normal fetuses (group 1) and 22 fetuses with Hb Bart's disease (group 2), and in fetuses at 28 - 32 weeks, including 22 normal fetuses (group 3) and 16 fetuses with Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis (group 4). The Vp of the fetuses in group 1 and group 2 was not significantly different. However, the Vp for the right and left ventricles in group 4 was significantly lower than in group 3 (19.02 vs. 9.78, p < 0.001; and 20.24 vs. 13.40, p < 0.001, respectively). The inter-observer variability had fair agreement with the intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.531 (95 % CI 0.393 - 0.646, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Hydrops fetalis secondary to fetal anemia is initially caused by hypervolemia rather than ventricular diastolic dysfunction while ventricular diastolic compromise is a late occurring consequence of persistent hypervolemia, different from the mechanism of hydropic changes caused by cardiac causes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Epstein-Barr Virus BART miRNA Cluster of the M81 Strain Modulates Multiple Functions in Primary B Cells

PubMed Central

Lin, Xiaochen; Tsai, Ming-Han; Shumilov, Anatoliy; Poirey, Remy; Bannert, Helmut; Middeldorp, Jaap M.; Feederle, Regina; Delecluse, Henri-Jacques

2015-01-01

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a B lymphotropic virus that infects the majority of the human population. All EBV strains transform B lymphocytes, but some strains, such as M81, also induce spontaneous virus replication. EBV encodes 22 microRNAs (miRNAs) that form a cluster within the BART region of the virus and have been previously been found to stimulate tumor cell growth. Here we describe their functions in B cells infected by M81. We found that the BART miRNAs are downregulated in replicating cells, and that exposure of B cells in vitro or in vivo in humanized mice to a BART miRNA knockout virus resulted in an increased proportion of spontaneously replicating cells, relative to wild type virus. The BART miRNAs subcluster 1, and to a lesser extent subcluster 2, prevented expression of BZLF1, the key protein for initiation of lytic replication. Thus, multiple BART miRNAs cooperate to repress lytic replication. The BART miRNAs also downregulated pro- and anti-apoptotic mediators such as caspase 3 and LMP1, and their deletion did not sensitize B-cells to apoptosis. To the contrary, the majority of humanized mice infected with the BART miRNA knockout mutant developed tumors more rapidly, probably due to enhanced LMP1 expression, although deletion of the BART miRNAs did not modify the virus transforming abilities in vitro. This ability to slow cell growth could be confirmed in non-humanized immunocompromized mice. Injection of resting B cells exposed to a virus that lacks the BART miRNAs resulted in accelerated tumor growth, relative to wild type controls. Therefore, we found that the M81 BART miRNAs do not enhance B-cell tumorigenesis but rather repress it. The repressive effects of the BART miRNAs on potentially pathogenic viral functions in infected B cells are likely to facilitate long-term persistence of the virus in the infected host. PMID:26694854

Effects of a Culturally Adapted HIV Prevention Intervention in Haitian Youth

PubMed Central

Malow, Robert M.; Stein, Judith A.; McMahon, Robert C.; Dévieux, Jessy G.; Rosenberg, Rhonda; Jean-Gilles, Michèle

2009-01-01

This study assessed the impact of an 8-week community-based translation of Becoming a Responsible Teen (BART), an HIV intervention that has been shown to be effective in other at-risk adolescent populations. A sample of Haitian adolescents living in the Miami area was randomized to a general health education control group (N = 101) or the BART intervention (N = 145), which is based on the information-motivation-behavior (IMB) model. Improvement in various IMB components (i.e., attitudinal, knowledge, and behavioral skills variables) related to condom use was assessed 1 month after the intervention. Longitudinal structural equation models using a mixture of latent and measured multi-item variables indicated that the intervention significantly and positively impacted all IMB variables tested in the model. These BART intervention-linked changes reflected greater knowledge, greater intentions to use condoms in the future, higher safer sex self-efficacy, an improved attitude about condom use and an enhanced ability to use condoms after the 8-week intervention. PMID:19286123

Rate dependent effects of acute nicotine on risk taking in young adults are not related to ADHD diagnosis

PubMed Central

Ryan, Katherine K.; Dube, Sarahjane L.; Potter, Alexandra S.

2012-01-01

Beneficial effects of nicotine on cognition and behavioral control are hypothesized to relate to the high rates of cigarette smoking in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Given that ADHD is associated with both impulsivity and elevated risk taking, we hypothesized that nicotine modulates risk taking, as it does impulsivity. 26 non-smoking young adults (15 controls with normal impulsivity and 11 ADHD with high impulsivity) received 7 mg transdermal nicotine, 20 mg oral mecamylamine, and placebo on separate days, followed by the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Statistical analyses found no group differences in baseline risk taking. Reexamination of the data using a median split on baseline risk taking, to create high (HRT) and low (LRT) risk taking groups, revealed significant effects of nicotinic drugs that differed by group. Nicotine reduced risk taking in HRT and mecamylamine increased risk taking in LRT. This finding supports the hypothesis that nicotinic receptor function modulates risk taking broadly, beyond those with ADHD, and is consistent with rate dependent cholinergic modulation of other cognitive functions. Further, the results demonstrate that high impulsivity is separable from high risk taking in young adults with ADHD, supporting the utility of these differential behavioral phenotypes for neurobiological studies. PMID:23159875

EBV‐encoded miRNAs target ATM‐mediated response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PubMed Central

Lung, Raymond W‐M; Hau, Pok‐Man; Yu, Ken H‐O; Yip, Kevin Y; Tong, Joanna H‐M; Chak, Wing‐Po; Chan, Anthony W‐H; Lam, Ka‐Hei; Lo, Angela Kwok‐Fung; Tin, Edith K‐Y; Chau, Shuk‐Ling; Pang, Jesse C‐S; Kwan, Johnny S‐H; Busson, Pierre; Young, Lawrence S; Yap, Lee‐Fah; Tsao, Sai‐Wah

2018-01-01

Abstract Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive epithelial malignancy that is prevalent in southern China and Southeast Asia. It is consistently associated with latent Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. In NPC, miR‐BARTs, the EBV‐encoded miRNAs derived from BamH1‐A rightward transcripts, are abundantly expressed and contribute to cancer development by targeting various cellular and viral genes. In this study, we establish a comprehensive transcriptional profile of EBV‐encoded miRNAs in a panel of NPC patient‐derived xenografts and an EBV‐positive NPC cell line by small RNA sequencing. Among the 40 miR‐BARTs, predominant expression of 22 miRNAs was consistently detected in these tumors. Among the abundantly expressed EBV‐miRNAs, BART5‐5p, BART7‐3p, BART9‐3p, and BART14‐3p could negatively regulate the expression of a key DNA double‐strand break (DSB) repair gene, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), by binding to multiple sites on its 3'‐UTR. Notably, the expression of these four miR‐BARTs represented more than 10% of all EBV‐encoded miRNAs in tumor cells, while downregulation of ATM expression was commonly detected in all of our tested sequenced samples. In addition, downregulation of ATM was also observed in primary NPC tissues in both qRT‐PCR (16 NP and 45 NPC cases) and immunohistochemical staining (35 NP and 46 NPC cases) analysis. Modulation of ATM expression by BART5‐5p, BART7‐3p, BART9‐3p, and BART14‐3p was demonstrated in the transient transfection assays. These findings suggest that EBV uses miRNA machinery as a key mechanism to control the ATM signaling pathway in NPC cells. By suppressing these endogenous miR‐BARTs in EBV‐positive NPC cells, we further demonstrated the novel function of miR‐BARTs in inhibiting Zta‐induced lytic reactivation. These findings imply that the four viral miRNAs work co‐operatively to modulate ATM activity in response to DNA damage and to maintain viral latency, contributing to the tumorigenesis of NPC. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. PMID:29230817

EBV-encoded miRNAs target ATM-mediated response in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Lung, Raymond W-M; Hau, Pok-Man; Yu, Ken H-O; Yip, Kevin Y; Tong, Joanna H-M; Chak, Wing-Po; Chan, Anthony W-H; Lam, Ka-Hei; Lo, Angela Kwok-Fung; Tin, Edith K-Y; Chau, Shuk-Ling; Pang, Jesse C-S; Kwan, Johnny S-H; Busson, Pierre; Young, Lawrence S; Yap, Lee-Fah; Tsao, Sai-Wah; To, Ka-Fai; Lo, Kwok-Wai

2018-04-01

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive epithelial malignancy that is prevalent in southern China and Southeast Asia. It is consistently associated with latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In NPC, miR-BARTs, the EBV-encoded miRNAs derived from BamH1-A rightward transcripts, are abundantly expressed and contribute to cancer development by targeting various cellular and viral genes. In this study, we establish a comprehensive transcriptional profile of EBV-encoded miRNAs in a panel of NPC patient-derived xenografts and an EBV-positive NPC cell line by small RNA sequencing. Among the 40 miR-BARTs, predominant expression of 22 miRNAs was consistently detected in these tumors. Among the abundantly expressed EBV-miRNAs, BART5-5p, BART7-3p, BART9-3p, and BART14-3p could negatively regulate the expression of a key DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair gene, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), by binding to multiple sites on its 3'-UTR. Notably, the expression of these four miR-BARTs represented more than 10% of all EBV-encoded miRNAs in tumor cells, while downregulation of ATM expression was commonly detected in all of our tested sequenced samples. In addition, downregulation of ATM was also observed in primary NPC tissues in both qRT-PCR (16 NP and 45 NPC cases) and immunohistochemical staining (35 NP and 46 NPC cases) analysis. Modulation of ATM expression by BART5-5p, BART7-3p, BART9-3p, and BART14-3p was demonstrated in the transient transfection assays. These findings suggest that EBV uses miRNA machinery as a key mechanism to control the ATM signaling pathway in NPC cells. By suppressing these endogenous miR-BARTs in EBV-positive NPC cells, we further demonstrated the novel function of miR-BARTs in inhibiting Zta-induced lytic reactivation. These findings imply that the four viral miRNAs work co-operatively to modulate ATM activity in response to DNA damage and to maintain viral latency, contributing to the tumorigenesis of NPC. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Effects of outcome on the covariance between risk level and brain activity in adolescents with internet gaming disorder.

PubMed

Qi, Xin; Yang, Yongxin; Dai, Shouping; Gao, Peihong; Du, Xin; Zhang, Yang; Du, Guijin; Li, Xiaodong; Zhang, Quan

2016-01-01

Individuals with internet gaming disorder (IGD) often have impaired risky decision-making abilities, and IGD-related functional changes have been observed during neuroimaging studies of decision-making tasks. However, it is still unclear how feedback (outcomes of decision-making) affects the subsequent risky decision-making in individuals with IGD. In this study, twenty-four adolescents with IGD and 24 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing the balloon analog risk task (BART) to evaluate the effects of prior outcomes on brain activity during subsequent risky decision-making in adolescents with IGD. The covariance between risk level and activation of the bilateral ventral medial prefrontal cortex, left inferior frontal cortex, right ventral striatum (VS), left hippocampus/parahippocampus, right inferior occipital gyrus/fusiform gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus demonstrated interaction effects of group by outcome ( P  < 0.05, AlphaSim correction). The regions with interactive effects were defined as ROI, and ROI-based intergroup comparisons showed that the covariance between risk level and brain activation was significantly greater in adolescents with IGD compared with HCs after a negative outcome occurred ( P  < 0.05). Our results indicated that negative outcomes affected the covariance between risk level and activation of the brain regions related to value estimation (prefrontal cortex), anticipation of rewards (VS), and emotional-related learning (hippocampus/parahippocampus), which may be one of the underlying neural mechanisms of disadvantageous risky decision-making in adolescents with IGD.

Assessment of BART Fire-Hardening Programs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-09-01

This report presents the results of an assessment of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) vehicle fire hardening. The report assesses the overall effort to improve the fire safety of the current BART vehicles through the removal of prospective ...

Ensemble of trees approaches to risk adjustment for evaluating a hospital's performance.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Traskin, Mikhail; Lorch, Scott A; George, Edward I; Small, Dylan

2015-03-01

A commonly used method for evaluating a hospital's performance on an outcome is to compare the hospital's observed outcome rate to the hospital's expected outcome rate given its patient (case) mix and service. The process of calculating the hospital's expected outcome rate given its patient mix and service is called risk adjustment (Iezzoni 1997). Risk adjustment is critical for accurately evaluating and comparing hospitals' performances since we would not want to unfairly penalize a hospital just because it treats sicker patients. The key to risk adjustment is accurately estimating the probability of an Outcome given patient characteristics. For cases with binary outcomes, the method that is commonly used in risk adjustment is logistic regression. In this paper, we consider ensemble of trees methods as alternatives for risk adjustment, including random forests and Bayesian additive regression trees (BART). Both random forests and BART are modern machine learning methods that have been shown recently to have excellent performance for prediction of outcomes in many settings. We apply these methods to carry out risk adjustment for the performance of neonatal intensive care units (NICU). We show that these ensemble of trees methods outperform logistic regression in predicting mortality among babies treated in NICU, and provide a superior method of risk adjustment compared to logistic regression.

Risk-taking, peer-influence and child maltreatment: a neurocognitive investigation

PubMed Central

Hoffmann, Ferdinand; Puetz, Vanessa B; Viding, Essi; Sethi, Arjun; Palmer, Amy

2018-01-01

Abstract Maltreatment is associated with increased risk of a range of psychiatric disorders, many of which are characterized by altered risk-taking propensity. Currently, little is known about the neural correlates of risk-taking in children exposed to maltreatment, nor whether their risk-taking is atypically modulated by peer influence. Seventy-five 10- to 14-year-old children [maltreated (MT) group: N = 41; non-maltreated Group (NMT): N = 34] performed a Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), under three different peer influence conditions: while alone, while being observed by a peer and while being encouraged by a peer to take risks. The MT group engaged in less risk-taking irrespective of peer influence. There was no differential effect of peer influence on risk-taking behaviour across groups. At the neural level, the right anterior insula (rAI) exhibited altered risk sensitivity across conditions in the MT group. Across groups and conditions, rAI risk sensitivity was negatively associated with risk-taking and within the MT group greater rAI risk sensitivity was related to more anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that children with a history of maltreatment show reduced risk-taking but typical responses to peer influence. Abnormal rAI functioning contributes to the pattern of reduced risk-taking and may predispose children exposed to maltreatment to develop future psychopathology. PMID:29069467

Risk-taking, peer-influence and child maltreatment: a neurocognitive investigation.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Ferdinand; Puetz, Vanessa B; Viding, Essi; Sethi, Arjun; Palmer, Amy; McCrory, Eamon J

2018-01-01

Maltreatment is associated with increased risk of a range of psychiatric disorders, many of which are characterized by altered risk-taking propensity. Currently, little is known about the neural correlates of risk-taking in children exposed to maltreatment, nor whether their risk-taking is atypically modulated by peer influence. Seventy-five 10- to 14-year-old children [maltreated (MT) group: N = 41; non-maltreated Group (NMT): N = 34] performed a Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), under three different peer influence conditions: while alone, while being observed by a peer and while being encouraged by a peer to take risks. The MT group engaged in less risk-taking irrespective of peer influence. There was no differential effect of peer influence on risk-taking behaviour across groups. At the neural level, the right anterior insula (rAI) exhibited altered risk sensitivity across conditions in the MT group. Across groups and conditions, rAI risk sensitivity was negatively associated with risk-taking and within the MT group greater rAI risk sensitivity was related to more anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that children with a history of maltreatment show reduced risk-taking but typical responses to peer influence. Abnormal rAI functioning contributes to the pattern of reduced risk-taking and may predispose children exposed to maltreatment to develop future psychopathology. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

Clinical and molecular genetic features of Hb H and AE Bart's diseases in central Thai children.

PubMed

Traivaree, Chanchai; Boonyawat, Boonchai; Monsereenusorn, Chalinee; Rujkijyanont, Piya; Photia, Apichat

2018-01-01

α-Thalassemia, one of the major thalassemia types in Thailand, is caused by either deletion or non-deletional mutation of one or both α-globin genes. Inactivation of three α-globin genes causes hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease, and the combination of Hb H disease with heterozygous hemoglobin E (Hb E) results in AE Bart's disease. This study aimed to characterize the clinical and hematological manifestations of 76 pediatric patients with Hb H and AE Bart's diseases treated at Phramongkutklao Hospital, a tertiary care center for thalassemia patients in central Thailand. Seventy-six unrelated pediatric patients, 58 patients with Hb H disease and 18 patients with AE Bart's disease, were enrolled in this study. Their clinical presentations, transfusion requirement, laboratory findings, and mutation analysis were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. A total of 76 pediatric patients with Hb H and AE Bart's diseases who mainly lived in central Thailand were included in this study. The clinical severities of patients with non-deletional mutations were more severe than those with deletional mutations. Eighty-six percent of patients with non-deletional AE Bart's disease required more blood transfusion compared to 12.5% of patients with deletional AE Bart's disease. Non-deletional AE Bart's disease also had a history of urgent blood transfusion with the average of 6±0.9 times compared to 1±0.3 times in patients with deletional Hb H disease. The difference was statistically significant. This study revealed the differences in clinical spectrum between patients with Hb H disease and those with AE Bart's disease in central Thailand. The differentiation of α-thalassemia is essential for appropriate management of patients. The molecular diagnosis is useful for diagnostic confirmation and genotype-phenotype correlation.

Gunslingers, poker players, and chickens 1: Decision making under physical performance pressure in elite athletes.

PubMed

Parkin, Beth L; Warriner, Katie; Walsh, Vincent

2017-01-01

The cognitive skills required during sport are highly demanding; accurate decisions based on the processing of dynamic environments are made in a fraction of a second (Walsh, 2014). Optimal decision-making abilities are crucial for success in sporting competition (Bar-Eli et al., 2011; Kaya, 2014). Moreover, for the elite athlete, decision making is required under conditions of intense mental and physical pressure (Anshel and Wells, 2000), yet much of the work in this area has largely ignored the highly stressful context in which athletes operate. A number of studies have shown that conditions of elevated pressure influence athletes' decision quality (Kinrade et al., 2015; Smith et al., 2016), response times (Hepler, 2015; Smith et al., 2016) and risk taking (Pighin et al., 2015). However, almost all of this work has been undertaken in nonelite athletes and participants who do not routinely operate under conditions of high stress. Thus, there is very little known about the influence of pressure on decision making in elite athletes. This study investigated the influence of physical performance pressure on decision making in a sample of world-class elite athletes. This allowed an examination of whether findings from the previous work in nonelite athletes extend to those who routinely operate under conditions of high stress. How this work could be applied to improve insight and understanding of decision making among sport professionals is examined. We sought to introduce a categorization of decision making useful to practitioners in sport: gunslingers, poker players, and chickens. Twenty-three elite athletes who compete and have frequent success at an international level (including six Olympic medal winners) performed tasks relating to three categories of decision making under conditions of low and high physical pressure. Decision making under risk was measured with performance on the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT; Rogers et al., 1999), decision making under uncertainty with the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; Lejuez et al., 2002), and fast reactive responses and interference with the Stroop Task (Stroop, 1935). Performance pressures of physical exhaustion was induced via an exercise protocol consisting of intervals of maximal exertion undertaken on a watt bike. At a group level, under physical pressure elite athletes were faster to respond to control trials on the Stroop Task and to simple probabilistic choices on the CGT. Physical pressure was also found to increase risk taking for decisions where probability outcomes were explicit (on the CGT), but did not affect risk taking when probability outcomes were unknown (on the BART). There were no significant correlations in the degree to which individuals' responses changed under pressure across the three tasks, suggesting that elite athletes did not show consistent responses to physical pressure across measures of decision making. When assessing the applicability of results based on group averages to individual athletes, none of the sample showed an "average" response (within 1 SD of the mean) to pressure across all three decision-making tasks. There are three points of conclusion. First, an immediate scientific point that highlights a failure of transfer of work reported from nonelite athletes to elite athletes in the area of decision making under pressure. Second, a practical conclusion with respect to the application of this work to the elite sporting environment, which highlights the limitations of statistical approaches based on group averages and thus the beneficial use of individualized profiling in feedback sessions. Third, the application of this work in a sports setting is described, in particular the development and implementation of a decision-making taxonomy as a framework to conceptualize and communicate psychological skills among elite sporting professionals. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reward-Seeking Behavior in Human Narcolepsy

PubMed Central

Dimitrova, Alexandra; Fronczek, Rolf; Van der Ploeg, Janneke; Scammell, Thomas; Gautam, Shiva; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Lammers, Gert Jan

2011-01-01

Study Objectives: The hypocretin system enhances signaling in the mesolimbic pathways regulating reward processing and addiction. Because individuals with narcolepsy with cataplexy have low hypocretin levels, we hypothesized that they may be less prone to risk- and reward-seeking behaviors, including substance abuse. Design: Endpoints were performance on an array of psychometric tests (including the Eysenck Impulsiveness Scale, the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale, the Gormally Binge Eating Scale, and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory) and on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Setting: Tertiary narcolepsy referral centers in Leiden (The Netherlands) and Boston (USA). Patients: Subjects with narcolepsy with cataplexy (n = 30), narcolepsy without cataplexy (n = 15), and controls (n = 32) matched for age, sex, and smoking behavior. Interventions: None. Measurements and Results: There was no difference in risk-taking behavior between narcolepsy with or without cataplexy and the control group, as measured using the BART and the array of questionnaires. However, subjects in the narcolepsy with cataplexy group had significantly higher scores on the Eysenck Impulsiveness Scale (p < 0.05), with 10.0% categorized as impulsive, compared to 6.7% of the narcolepsy without cataplexy group and none of the controls. Narcoleptics with cataplexy also scored significantly higher than controls on the Binge Eating Scale (p < 0.05), with moderate or severe binge eating in 23%. On the depression and anxiety scales, all narcolepsy patients, especially those with cataplexy, scored significantly higher than controls. Conclusions: We found that narcoleptics with or without cataplexy generally have normal risk-taking behavior, but narcoleptics with cataplexy were more impulsive and more prone to binge eating than patients without cataplexy and controls. Our findings shed new light on the relation between sleepiness and impulsiveness. Furthermore, rates of depression and anxiety were higher in all narcoleptic subjects. However, using the current methods, no evidence could be found to support the hypothesis that hypocretin deficiency would affect reward-processing in humans. Citation: Dimitrova A; Fronczek R; Van der Ploeg J; Scammell T; Gautam S; Pascual-Leone A; Lammers GJ. Reward-seeking behavior in human narcolepsy. J Clin Sleep Med 2011;7(3):293-300. PMID:21677900

77 FR 11928 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Wisconsin; Regional Haze

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-28

... monitoring, modeling, and scientific knowledge about the relationships between pollutants and visibility... for their BART modeling under the BART Guidelines, below which a BART-eligible source may be... conduct modeling to assess the impact of each of these identified candidate sources. This modeling...

A preliminary study of longitudinal neuroadaptation associated with recovery from addiction.

PubMed

Forster, Sarah E; Finn, Peter R; Brown, Joshua W

2016-11-01

Few studies have explored longitudinal change in event-related brain responses during early recovery from addiction. Moreover, existing findings yield evidence of both increased and decreased signaling within reward and control centers over time. The current study explored reward- and control-related signals in a risky decision-making task and specifically investigated parametric modulations of the BOLD signal, rather than signal magnitude alone. It was hypothesized that risk-related signals during decision-making and outcome evaluation would reflect recovery and that change in specific signals would correspond with improved treatment outcomes. Twenty-one substance dependent individuals were recruited upon enrollment in community-based substance use treatment programs, wherein they received treatment-as-usual. Participants completed functional neuroimaging assessments at baseline and 3-month follow-up while performing the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Risk- and reward-sensitive signals were identified using parametric modulators. Substance use was tracked throughout the 3-month study interval using the timeline follow-back procedure. Longitudinal contrasts of parametric modulators suggested improved formation of risk-informed outcome expectations at follow-up. Specifically, a greater response to high risk (low-likelihood) positive feedback was identified in caudal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and a greater response to low risk (low-likelihood) negative feedback was identified in caudal ACC and inferior frontal gyrus. In addition, attenuation of a ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) "reward-seeking" signal (i.e., increasing response with greater reward) during risky decisions at follow-up was associated with less substance use during the study interval. Changes in risk- and reward-related signaling in ACC/vmPFC appear to reflect recovery and may support sobriety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Tribute to Bart Longenecker: An IS Education Maverick and Visionary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Jeffrey P.; Pardue, J. Harold; Daigle, Roy J.

2018-01-01

Bart Longenecker was one of the most influential Information Systems (IS) educators ever. Renowned for his decades of work on IS model curricula, Bart died in 2016 after a 44-year career. This paper traces the life's work of this EDSIG Fellow and Professor Emeritus to capture his IS education legacy.

Aufbau des humanoiden Roboters BART III

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resetov, Dimitri; Pietsch, Björn; Gerth, Wilfried

Der vorliegende Beitrag präsentiert den humanoiden Roboter BART III, der am Institut für Regelungstechnik als eine robuste und erweiterbare Plattform für weiterführende Grundlagenforschung zur zweibeinigen Fortbewegung entwickelt wurde. Im Gegensatz zu den bisher am IRT genutzten Robotern BARt-UH und LISA besitzt der neue Roboter einen beweglichen Oberkörper mit einem Bauchgelenk und Armen. BART III besitzt insgesamt 19 aktive Freiheitsgrade, 12 davon im Unterkörper. Ein weiteres Merkmal des Roboters ist die im gesamten Körper verteilte Ansteuerelektronik, die neben der lokalen Motorregelung diverse sicherheitsrelevante Funktionen übernimmt.

78 FR 60700 - Source Specific Federal Implementation Plan for Implementing Best Available Retrofit Technology...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-02

... operator of FCPP must notify EPA of its selected BART compliance strategy. On June 19, 2013, APS requested... related to the potential deregulation of the retail electricity market in Arizona that complicate its... one of two strategies for BART compliance: (1) Compliance with a facility-wide BART emission limit for...

Decision Making in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART): Anterior Cingulate Cortex Signals Loss-Aversion but not the Infrequency of Risky Choices

PubMed Central

Fukunaga, Rena; Brown, Joshua W.; Bogg, Tim

2012-01-01

The inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (IFG/AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are key regions involved in risk appraisal during decision making, but accounts of how these regions contribute to decision-making under risk remain contested. To help clarify the roles of these and other related regions, we used a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (Lejuez et al., 2002) to distinguish between decision-making and feedback-related processes when participants decided to pursue a gain as the probability of loss increased parametrically. Specifically, we set out to test whether ACC and IFG/AI regions correspond to loss-aversion at the time of decision making in a way that is not confounded with either reward-seeking or infrequency effects. When participants chose to discontinue inflating the balloon (win option), we observed greater ACC and mainly bilateral IFG/AI activity at the time of decision as the probability of explosion increased, consistent with increased loss-aversion but inconsistent with an infrequency effect. In contrast, we found robust vmPFC activity when participants chose to continue inflating the balloon (risky option), consistent with reward-seeking. However, in the cingulate and mainly bilateral IFG regions, BOLD activation decreased when participants chose to inflate the balloon as the probability of explosion increased, findings consistent with a reduced loss-aversion signal. Our results highlight the existence of distinct reward-seeking and loss-averse signals during decision-making, as well as the importance of distinguishing decision and feedback signals. PMID:22707378

77 FR 31691 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Hawaii; Regional Haze Federal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-29

... Subject to BART 3. BART Determination for Kanoelehua Hill a. BART for NO X and Particulate Matter (PM) b.... The initials PM mean or refer to particulate matter. xxiv. The initials PM2.5 mean or refer to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (fine particulate matter). xxv...

A novel device for studying weight supported, quadrupedal overground locomotion in spinal cord injured rats.

PubMed

Hamlin, Marvin; Traughber, Terence; Reinkensmeyer, David J; de Leon, Ray D

2015-05-15

Providing weight support facilitates locomotion in spinal cord injured animals. To control weight support, robotic systems have been developed for treadmill stepping and more recently for overground walking. We developed a novel device, the body weight supported ambulatory rodent trainer (i.e. BART). It has a small pneumatic cylinder that moves along a linear track above the rat. When air is supplied to the cylinder, the rats are lifted as they perform overground walking. We tested the BART device in rats that received a moderate spinal cord contusion injury and in normal rats. Locomotor training with the BART device was not performed. All of the rats learned to walk in the BART device. In the contused rats, significantly greater paw dragging and dorsal stepping occurred in the hindlimbs compared to normal. Providing weight support significantly raised hip position and significantly reduced locomotor deficits. Hindlimb stepping was tightly coupled to forelimb stepping but only when the contused rats stepped without weight support. Three weeks after the contused rats received a complete spinal cord transection, significantly fewer hindlimb steps were performed. Relative to rodent robotic systems, the BART device is a simpler system for studying overground locomotion. The BART device lacks sophisticated control and sensing capability, but it can be assembled relatively easily and cheaply. These findings suggest that the BART device is a useful tool for assessing quadrupedal, overground locomotion which is a more natural form of locomotion relative to treadmill locomotion. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Study of Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) Concentrations in Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Railway Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, M.; Grzesik, D.; Hailegebreal, A.; Hegde, S.; Johnson, M.; Lieu, E.; Zhen, K.; Stovall, J.

2015-12-01

Previous research has shown that Embarcadero's BART station has high concentrations of airborne Particulate Matter (PM 2.5). Newly developed, commercially available open-source sensors have been designed to accurately measure PM 2.5 at a cost that is a fraction of the commercially available DustTrak device used in previous work. Our team conducted multiple follow-up sampling events, measuring PM 2.5 using co-located AirBeam and DustTrak devices at BART stations. Overall, our research indicates that PM 2.5 concentrations at Embarcadero have not declined since previous sampling efforts were undertaken in 2013. Also, the low cost AirBeam sensors were found to be less effective at measuring elevated PM 2.5 concentrations such as those found in the Embarcadero BART station. However, the AirBeam devices were effective at quickly identifying areas with elevated PM 2.5. Our research also indicates a decrease in concentration of PM 2.5 as one moves west along the station platform away from the East Bay Tube that connects San Francisco to the East San Francisco Bay Area. We speculate that the East Bay Tube is a reservoir of hazardous fine-grained particulate matter, which poses a significant human health risk, particularly in emergency evacuations or for workers with chronic exposure. The research has been used to refine a conceptual site model of the source for airborne particles found at the Embarcadero Station and suggests that primary source control via high-pressure-washing of the East Bay Tube may be an economical and rapid remedy prior to improved ventilation and engineering controls.

77 FR 76173 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Washington; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-26

...EPA is proposing to partially approve and partially disapprove a Washington Regional Haze Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Washington on December 22, 2010, that addresses regional haze for the first implementation period. This plan was submitted to meet the requirements of Clean Air Act (CAA) sections 169A and 169B that require states to prevent any future and remedy any existing man-made impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I areas. EPA is proposing to: (1) Approve portions of this SIP submittal as meeting most of the requirements of the regional haze program, (2) propose a limited approval and limited disapproval of the SO2 Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) determination for Intalco Aluminum Corp. (Intalco) potline operation and propose a federal ``Better than BART'' alternative, and (3) propose to disapprove the NOx BART determination for five BART emission units at the Tesoro Refining and Marketing refinery (Tesoro) and propose a federal Better than BART alternative. This combined rule package of proposed SIP approved elements and proposed federal elements will meet the requirements of CAA sections 169A and 169B. On August 20, 2012, EPA approved those provisions of the Washington SIP addressing the BART determination for TransAlta Centralia Generation L.L.C. coal fired power plant (TransAlta).

A novel device for studying weight supported, quadrupedal overground locomotion in spinal cord injured rats

PubMed Central

Hamlin, Marvin; Traughber, Terrance; Reinkensmeyer, David J.; de Leon, Ray D.

2015-01-01

Background Providing weight support facilitates locomotion in spinal cord injured animals. To control weight support, robotic systems have been developed for treadmill stepping and more recently for overground walking. New Method We developed a novel device, the body weight supported ambulatory rodent trainer (i.e. BART). It has a small pneumatic cylinder that moves along a linear track above the rat. When air is supplied to the cylinder, the rats are lifted as they perform overground walking. We tested the BART device in rats that received a moderate spinal cord contusion injury and in normal rats. Locomotor training with the BART device was not performed. Results All of the rats learned to walk in the BART device. In the contused rats, significantly greater paw dragging and dorsal stepping occurred in the hindlimbs compared to normal. Providing weight support significantly raised hip position and significantly reduced locomotor deficits. Hindlimb stepping was tightly coupled to forelimb stepping but only when the contused rats stepped without weight support. Three weeks after the contused rats received a complete spinal cord transection, significantly fewer hindlimb steps were performed. Comparison with Existing Methods Relative to rodent robotic systems, the BART device is a simpler system for studying overground locomotion. The BART device lacks sophisticated control and sensing capability, but it can be assembled relatively easily and cheaply. Conclusions These findings suggest that the BART device is a useful tool for assessing quadrupedal, overground locomotion which is a more natural form of locomotion relative to treadmill locomotion. PMID:25794460

Bayesian analogy with relational transformations.

PubMed

Lu, Hongjing; Chen, Dawn; Holyoak, Keith J

2012-07-01

How can humans acquire relational representations that enable analogical inference and other forms of high-level reasoning? Using comparative relations as a model domain, we explore the possibility that bottom-up learning mechanisms applied to objects coded as feature vectors can yield representations of relations sufficient to solve analogy problems. We introduce Bayesian analogy with relational transformations (BART) and apply the model to the task of learning first-order comparative relations (e.g., larger, smaller, fiercer, meeker) from a set of animal pairs. Inputs are coded by vectors of continuous-valued features, based either on human magnitude ratings, normed feature ratings (De Deyne et al., 2008), or outputs of the topics model (Griffiths, Steyvers, & Tenenbaum, 2007). Bootstrapping from empirical priors, the model is able to induce first-order relations represented as probabilistic weight distributions, even when given positive examples only. These learned representations allow classification of novel instantiations of the relations and yield a symbolic distance effect of the sort obtained with both humans and other primates. BART then transforms its learned weight distributions by importance-guided mapping, thereby placing distinct dimensions into correspondence. These transformed representations allow BART to reliably solve 4-term analogies (e.g., larger:smaller::fiercer:meeker), a type of reasoning that is arguably specific to humans. Our results provide a proof-of-concept that structured analogies can be solved with representations induced from unstructured feature vectors by mechanisms that operate in a largely bottom-up fashion. We discuss potential implications for algorithmic and neural models of relational thinking, as well as for the evolution of abstract thought. Copyright 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

GMO detection using a bioluminescent real time reporter (BART) of loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) suitable for field use.

PubMed

Kiddle, Guy; Hardinge, Patrick; Buttigieg, Neil; Gandelman, Olga; Pereira, Clint; McElgunn, Cathal J; Rizzoli, Manuela; Jackson, Rebecca; Appleton, Nigel; Moore, Cathy; Tisi, Laurence C; Murray, James A H

2012-04-30

There is an increasing need for quantitative technologies suitable for molecular detection in a variety of settings for applications including food traceability and monitoring of genetically modified (GM) crops and their products through the food processing chain. Conventional molecular diagnostics utilising real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and fluorescence-based determination of amplification require temperature cycling and relatively complex optics. In contrast, isothermal amplification coupled to a bioluminescent output produced in real-time (BART) occurs at a constant temperature and only requires a simple light detection and integration device. Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) shows robustness to sample-derived inhibitors. Here we show the applicability of coupled LAMP and BART reactions (LAMP-BART) for determination of genetically modified (GM) maize target DNA at low levels of contamination (0.1-5.0% GM) using certified reference material, and compare this to RT-PCR. Results show that conventional DNA extraction methods developed for PCR may not be optimal for LAMP-BART quantification. Additionally, we demonstrate that LAMP is more tolerant to plant sample-derived inhibitors, and show this can be exploited to develop rapid extraction techniques suitable for simple field-based qualitative tests for GM status determination. We also assess the effect of total DNA assay load on LAMP-BART quantitation. LAMP-BART is an effective and sensitive technique for GM detection with significant potential for quantification even at low levels of contamination and in samples derived from crops such as maize with a large genome size. The resilience of LAMP-BART to acidic polysaccharides makes it well suited to rapid sample preparation techniques and hence to both high throughput laboratory settings and to portable GM detection applications. The impact of the plant sample matrix and genome loading within a reaction must be controlled to ensure quantification at low target concentrations.

76 FR 38997 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Oregon; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-05

... economic blow that would result from an earlier closure and is an appropriate balance of environmental and... BART rules for the Boardman facility achieve the proper balance of environmental benefits, the cost to... secure greater environmental benefits with a better balance of cost and risk by transitioning the...

Investigating Alternatives to Broad-Scale Pesticide Spraying for Control of Lyme Disease Risk

EPA Science Inventory

More than 20,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually in the US. Here in the Northeast, the geographic range of the disease and infection rates continue to increase. Beginning this summer, scientists from EPA Region 1 (Robert Koethe, Bart Hoskins) and ORD (Jason Grear) w...

Decision making in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART): anterior cingulate cortex signals loss aversion but not the infrequency of risky choices.

PubMed

Fukunaga, Rena; Brown, Joshua W; Bogg, Tim

2012-09-01

The inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (IFG/AI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are key regions involved in risk appraisal during decision making, but accounts of how these regions contribute to decision making under risk remain contested. To help clarify the roles of these and other related regions, we used a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (Lejuez et al., Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8, 75-84, 2002) to distinguish between decision-making and feedback-related processes when participants decided to pursue a gain as the probability of loss increased parametrically. Specifically, we set out to test whether the ACC and IFG/AI regions correspond to loss aversion at the time of decision making in a way that is not confounded with either reward-seeking or infrequency effects. When participants chose to discontinue inflating the balloon (win option), we observed greater ACC and mainly bilateral IFG/AI activity at the time of decision as the probability of explosion increased, consistent with increased loss aversion but inconsistent with an infrequency effect. In contrast, we found robust vmPFC activity when participants chose to continue inflating the balloon (risky option), consistent with reward seeking. However, in the cingulate and in mainly bilateral IFG regions, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent activation decreased when participants chose to inflate the balloon as the probability of explosion increased, findings that are consistent with a reduced loss aversion signal. Our results highlight the existence of distinct reward-seeking and loss-averse signals during decision making, as well as the importance of distinguishing between decision and feedback signals.

Cross-cultural standardization of the South Texas Assessment of Neurocognition in India.

PubMed

Cherkil, S; Satish, S; Mathew, S S; Dinesh, N; Kumar, C T S; Lombardo, L E; Glahn, D C; Frangou, S

2012-08-01

Despite the central role of cognition for mental disorders most studies have been conducted in western countries. Similar research from other parts of the world, particularly India, is very limited. As a first step in closing this gap this cross-cultural comparability study of the South Texas Assessment of Neurocognition (STAN) battery was conducted between USA and India. One hundred healthy adults from Kerala, India, were administered six language independent subtests of the Java Neuropsychological Test (JANET) version of the STAN, assessing aspects of general intellectual ability (Matrix Reasoning), attention (Identical Pairs Continuous Performance, 3 Symbol Version Test; IPCPTS), working memory (Spatial Capacity Delayed Response Test; SCAP), response inhibition (Stop Signal Reaction Time; SSRT), Emotional Recognition and Risk taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task; BART). Test results were compared to a demographically matched US sample. Overall test performance in the Kerala sample was comparable to that of the US sample and commensurate to that generally described in studies from western countries. Our results support the metric equivalence of currently available cognitive test batteries developed in western countries for use in India. However, the sample was restricted to individuals who were literate and had completed basic primary and secondary education.

Insect Species Damage on Ornamental Plants and Saplings of Bartin Province and Its Vicinity in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey

PubMed Central

Kaygin, Azize Toper; Sönmezyildiz, Hilmi; Ülgentürk, Selma; Özdemir, Işıl

2008-01-01

The objectives of this study were to identify harmful insect species, understand their biology, assess their damage potential and target plants and define distribution areas. There are a lot of native or cultured ornamental plants in Bartın and its surrounding (Çaycuma, Zonguldak, Karabük, Mengen, Devrek). These plants are herbaceous and woody species. Specimens were collected from various cultured and non-cultured plants. A total of 34 species belonging to 20 families of 5 orders were identified. The order Hemiptera was represented by the highest number of species (19 species), followed by Coleoptera (8), Lepidoptera (4), Orthoptera (2), and Dermaptera (1). Insect samples were collected from plants by net traps, special insect aspirators, and various insect traps. The identified species have been stored in the collection room of the Forest Entomology and Protection Unit, Bartın Forestry Faculty, Zonguldak Karaelmas University (Z.K.U.), Turkey. This is the first detailed study about insect species causing damage on ornamental plants and saplings of Bartın province and its vicinity, although similar studies of different regions exist. This research makes a very important contribution to the insect fauna of Bartın, its environs and Turkey. Twenty four of the identified species were new for Bartın and its vicinity, while the remainder had been previously recorded in different parts of Bartın. PMID:19325767

Second Trimester Maternal Serum Screening for Fetal Down Syndrome: as a Screening Test for Hemoglobin Bart's Disease: A Prospective Population-based Study.

PubMed

Wanapirak, Chanane; Piyamomgkol, Wirawit; Sirichotiyakul, Supatra; Tongprasert, Fuanglada; Srisupundit, Kasemsri; Luewan, Suchaya; Traisrisilp, Kuntharee; Jatavan, Phudit; Tongsong, Theera

2018-06-21

To determine the effectiveness of second-trimester maternal serum screening (MSS) for Down syndrome as a screening test for fetal hemoglobin (Hb) Bart's disease among an unselected population. A secondary analysis of a large prospective database (20,254 pregnancies) was conducted to compare the levels of MSS, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol (uE3) between pregnancies with Hb Bart's disease and unaffected pregnancies. The median AFP levels were much higher among affected fetuses, (1.96 vs. 1.12 multiple of the median (MoM); p<0.001), yielding a sensitivity of 81.6% and specificity of 86.4%. Thus, AFP measurement is effective in predicting fetal Hb Bart's disease among an unselected population when using a cut-off value of 1.5 MoM. The serum free b-hCG levels were slightly, but significantly, higher in the affected pregnancies, while the serum uE3 levels were minimally, but significantly, lower among the affected pregnancies. Second trimester maternal serum AFP levels were significantly elevated in cases of fetal Hb Bart's disease. Pregnancies with unexplained elevated serum AFP levels in areas of high prevalence of Hb Bart's disease should always undergo a detailed ultrasound examination to detect any early signs of fetal anemia before development of hydrops fetalis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A study of riders' noise exposure on Bay Area Rapid Transit trains.

PubMed

Dinno, Alexis; Powell, Cynthia; King, Margaret Mary

2011-02-01

Excessive noise exposure may present a hazard to hearing, cardiovascular, and psychosomatic health. Mass transit systems, such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, are potential sources of excessive noise. The purpose of this study was to characterize transit noise and riders' exposure to noise on the BART system using three dosimetry metrics. We made 268 dosimetry measurements on a convenience sample of 51 line segments. Dosimetry measures were modeled using linear and nonlinear multiple regression as functions of average velocity, tunnel enclosure, flooring, and wet weather conditions and presented visually on a map of the BART system. This study provides evidence of levels of hazardous levels of noise exposure in all three dosimetry metrics. L(eq) and L(max) measures indicate exposures well above ranges associated with increased cardiovascular and psychosomatic health risks in the published literature. L(peak) indicate acute exposures hazardous to adult hearing on about 1% of line segment rides and acute exposures hazardous to child hearing on about 2% of such rides. The noise to which passengers are exposed may be due to train-specific conditions (velocity and flooring), but also to rail conditions (velocity and tunnels). These findings may point at possible remediation (revised speed limits on longer segments and those segments enclosed by tunnels). The findings also suggest that specific rail segments could be improved for noise.

Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World.

PubMed

Duell, Natasha; Steinberg, Laurence; Icenogle, Grace; Chein, Jason; Chaudhary, Nandita; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A; Fanti, Kostas A; Lansford, Jennifer E; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Uribe Tirado, Liliana Maria; Alampay, Liane Peña; Al-Hassan, Suha M; Takash, Hanan M S; Bacchini, Dario; Chang, Lei

2018-05-01

Epidemiological data indicate that risk behaviors are among the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consistent with this, laboratory-based studies of age differences in risk behavior allude to a peak in adolescence, suggesting that adolescents demonstrate a heightened propensity, or inherent inclination, to take risks. Unlike epidemiological reports, studies of risk taking propensity have been limited to Western samples, leaving questions about the extent to which heightened risk taking propensity is an inherent or culturally constructed aspect of adolescence. In the present study, age patterns in risk-taking propensity (using two laboratory tasks: the Stoplight and the BART) and real-world risk taking (using self-reports of health and antisocial risk taking) were examined in a sample of 5227 individuals (50.7% female) ages 10-30 (M = 17.05 years, SD = 5.91) from 11 Western and non-Western countries (China, Colombia, Cyprus, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the US). Two hypotheses were tested: (1) risk taking follows an inverted-U pattern across age groups, peaking earlier on measures of risk taking propensity than on measures of real-world risk taking, and (2) age patterns in risk taking propensity are more consistent across countries than age patterns in real-world risk taking. Overall, risk taking followed the hypothesized inverted-U pattern across age groups, with health risk taking evincing the latest peak. Age patterns in risk taking propensity were more consistent across countries than age patterns in real-world risk taking. Results suggest that although the association between age and risk taking is sensitive to measurement and culture, around the world, risk taking is generally highest among late adolescents.

Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code and Application to WASP-43b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blecic, Jasmina; Harrington, Joseph; Cubillos, Patricio; Bowman, Oliver; Rojo, Patricio; Stemm, Madison; Lust, Nathaniel B.; Challener, Ryan; Foster, Austin James; Foster, Andrew S.; Blumenthal, Sarah D.; Bruce, Dylan

2016-01-01

We present a new open-source Bayesian radiative-transfer framework, Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART, https://github.com/exosports/BART), and its application to WASP-43b. BART initializes a model for the atmospheric retrieval calculation, generates thousands of theoretical model spectra using parametrized pressure and temperature profiles and line-by-line radiative-transfer calculation, and employs a statistical package to compare the models with the observations. It consists of three self-sufficient modules available to the community under the reproducible-research license, the Thermochemical Equilibrium Abundances module (TEA, https://github.com/dzesmin/TEA, Blecic et al. 2015}, the radiative-transfer module (Transit, https://github.com/exosports/transit), and the Multi-core Markov-chain Monte Carlo statistical module (MCcubed, https://github.com/pcubillos/MCcubed, Cubillos et al. 2015). We applied BART on all available WASP-43b secondary eclipse data from the space- and ground-based observations constraining the temperature-pressure profile and molecular abundances of the dayside atmosphere of WASP-43b. This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NNX12AI69G and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G. JB holds a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship.

Mass Transit: Actions Needed for the BART Airport Extension

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-05-31

The Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) intends to spend over $1.1 billion, including $750 million in federal funds, to extend mass transit service to the San Francisco International Airport. The project is controversial, encountering both widespr...

BART to Silicon Valley, how now?

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-09-01

This publication is a transcript and summary of a forum held on April 6, 2001, in which transportation leaders and policy makers convened to discuss how best to proceed with extending the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system to San Jose, California. ...

Review of BART "C" Car Fire Safety Characteristics

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1987-09-01

The report presents the results of a review of the fire safety characteristics of the prototype BART "C" Car. Initiated in response to a request from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) Region IX Administrator, the review has been str...

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) climate change adaptation assessment pilot.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District : (BART) infrastructure and to develop and implement adaptation strategies against those impacts. Climate change haza...

Novel Bioluminescent Quantitative Detection of Nucleic Acid Amplification in Real-Time

PubMed Central

Gandelman, Olga A.; Church, Vicki L.; Moore, Cathy A.; Kiddle, Guy; Carne, Christopher A.; Parmar, Surendra; Jalal, Hamid; Tisi, Laurence C.; Murray, James A. H.

2010-01-01

Background The real-time monitoring of polynucleotide amplification is at the core of most molecular assays. This conventionally relies on fluorescent detection of the amplicon produced, requiring complex and costly hardware, often restricting it to specialised laboratories. Principal Findings Here we report the first real-time, closed-tube luminescent reporter system for nucleic acid amplification technologies (NAATs) enabling the progress of amplification to be continuously monitored using simple light measuring equipment. The Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time (BART) continuously reports through bioluminescent output the exponential increase of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) produced during the isothermal amplification of a specific nucleic acid target. BART relies on the coupled conversion of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) produced stoichiometrically during nucleic acid synthesis to ATP by the enzyme ATP sulfurylase, and can therefore be coupled to a wide range of isothermal NAATs. During nucleic acid amplification, enzymatic conversion of PPi released during DNA synthesis into ATP is continuously monitored through the bioluminescence generated by thermostable firefly luciferase. The assay shows a unique kinetic signature for nucleic acid amplifications with a readily identifiable light output peak, whose timing is proportional to the concentration of original target nucleic acid. This allows qualitative and quantitative analysis of specific targets, and readily differentiates between negative and positive samples. Since quantitation in BART is based on determination of time-to-peak rather than absolute intensity of light emission, complex or highly sensitive light detectors are not required. Conclusions The combined chemistries of the BART reporter and amplification require only a constant temperature maintained by a heating block and are shown to be robust in the analysis of clinical samples. Since monitoring the BART reaction requires only a simple light detector, the iNAAT-BART combination is ideal for molecular diagnostic assays in both laboratory and low resource settings. PMID:21152399

Noise Assessment of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-10-01

The report describes the noise on and near the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART). BART has approximately 75 miles of two-way revenue track (of which 19.7 miles are in subway) and 34 stations. Noise data is given for specific measurem...

The orifice revisited: women in gynaecological texts.

PubMed

Koutroulis, G

1990-01-01

A content analysis was carried out on obstetric and gynaecological textbooks recommended for medical students at four Australian universities. The texts were read for a hidden curriculum of sexist ideology. This study is a partial replication of a study carried out by Scully and Bart in the United States eighteen years ago. The findings of Scully and Bart demonstrated that obstetric and gynaecological texts contained outdated and erroneous views about women's sexuality and portrayed women in stereotyped roles. It was anticipated that institutionalized changes may have occurred since the time that Scully and Bart carried out their research and the texts would reflect this accordingly; particularly with the effect of the women's health movement which has been expressing dissatisfaction with the health care system. The findings of this research show that sexist ideology still pervades the obstetric and gynaecological texts, though to a lesser extent than eighteen years ago. There are some differences from what Scully and Bart discovered, but major similarities were found. The main difference between the results of this study and the findings of Scully and Bart, is that the majority of texts analysed here did not contain outdated and incorrect information about women's sexual response. For example, none of the texts refer to vaginal orgasm as the 'mature' response for women. The main similarity is that women's sexuality is still depicted with a heterosexual perspective, with marriage and mothering the 'natural' aspirations of all women.

Neural responses to negative outcomes predict success in community-based substance use treatment

PubMed Central

Forster, Sarah E.; Finn, Peter R.; Brown, Joshua W.

2017-01-01

Background and aims Activation in some specific brain regions has demonstrated promise as prognostic indicators in substance dependent individuals (SDIs) but this issue has not yet been explored in SDIs attending typical of community-based treatment. We used a data-driven, exploratory approach to identify brain-based predictors of treatment outcome in a representative community sample of SDIs. The predictive utility of brain-based measures was evaluated against clinical indicators, cognitive-behavioral performance, and self-report assessments. Design Prospective clinical outcome design, evaluating baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) as a predictor of 3-month substance use treatment outcomes. Setting Community-based substance use programs in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. Participants Twenty-three SDIs (17 male, ages 18–43) in an intensive outpatient or residential treatment program; abstinent 1–4 weeks at baseline. Measurements Event-related brain response, BART performance, and self-report scores at treatment onset, substance use outcome measure (based on days of use) Findings Using voxel-level predictive modeling and leave-one-out cross-validation, an elevated response to unexpected negative feedback in bilateral amygdala and anterior hippocampus (Amyg/aHipp) at baseline successfully predicted greater substance use over the 3-month study interval (p ≤ 0.006, cluster-corrected). This effect was robust to inclusion of significant non-brain-based covariates. A larger response to negative feedback in bilateral Amyg/aHipp was also associated with faster reward-seeking responses after negative feedback (r(23) = −0.544, p = 0.007; r(23) = −0.588, p = 0.003). A model including Amyg/aHipp activation, faster reward-seeking after negative feedback, and significant self-report scores accounted for 45% of the variance in substance use outcomes in our sample. Conclusions An elevated response to unexpected negative feedback in bilateral amygdala and anterior hippocampus (Amyg/aHipp) appears to predict relapse to substance use in people attending community-based treatment. PMID:28029198

77 FR 51739 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Tennessee; Regional Haze State Implementation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-27

... original Eastman BART determination and technical analysis provided in the State's April 4, 2008, SIP... EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification... the requirements for a BART alternative determination? III. What is EPA's analysis of Tennessee's May...

40 CFR 51.308 - Regional haze program requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a total generating capacity greater than 750 megawatts must...-eligible fossil fuel-fired steam electric plants in the State to install, operate, and maintain BART for... fossil fuel-fired steam electric plants in the State to install, operate, and maintain BART for the...

40 CFR 51.308 - Regional haze program requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a total generating capacity greater than 750 megawatts must...-eligible fossil fuel-fired steam electric plants in the State to install, operate, and maintain BART for... fossil fuel-fired steam electric plants in the State to install, operate, and maintain BART for the...

77 FR 70689 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Tennessee; Regional Haze State Implementation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-27

... Retrofit Technology Requirements for Eastman Chemical Company AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing approval of the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART... retrofitting its facility pursuant to the BART determination for SO 2 emissions (hereafter referred to as the...

Comparison and validation of statistical methods for predicting power outage durations in the event of hurricanes.

PubMed

Nateghi, Roshanak; Guikema, Seth D; Quiring, Steven M

2011-12-01

This article compares statistical methods for modeling power outage durations during hurricanes and examines the predictive accuracy of these methods. Being able to make accurate predictions of power outage durations is valuable because the information can be used by utility companies to plan their restoration efforts more efficiently. This information can also help inform customers and public agencies of the expected outage times, enabling better collective response planning, and coordination of restoration efforts for other critical infrastructures that depend on electricity. In the long run, outage duration estimates for future storm scenarios may help utilities and public agencies better allocate risk management resources to balance the disruption from hurricanes with the cost of hardening power systems. We compare the out-of-sample predictive accuracy of five distinct statistical models for estimating power outage duration times caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The methods compared include both regression models (accelerated failure time (AFT) and Cox proportional hazard models (Cox PH)) and data mining techniques (regression trees, Bayesian additive regression trees (BART), and multivariate additive regression splines). We then validate our models against two other hurricanes. Our results indicate that BART yields the best prediction accuracy and that it is possible to predict outage durations with reasonable accuracy. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Observations and Thermochemical Calculations for Hot-Jupiter Atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blecic, Jasmina; Harrington, Joseph; Bowman, M. Oliver; Cubillos, Patricio; Stemm, Madison

2015-01-01

I present Spitzer eclipse observations for WASP-14b and WASP-43b, an open source tool for thermochemical equilibrium calculations, and components of an open source tool for atmospheric parameter retrieval from spectroscopic data. WASP-14b is a planet that receives high irradiation from its host star, yet, although theory does not predict it, the planet hosts a thermal inversion. The WASP-43b eclipses have signal-to-noise ratios of ~25, one of the largest among exoplanets. To assess these planets' atmospheric composition and thermal structure, we developed an open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code. My dissertation tasks included developing a Thermochemical Equilibrium Abundances (TEA) code, implementing the eclipse geometry calculation in BART's radiative transfer module, and generating parameterized pressure and temperature profiles so the radiative-transfer module can be driven by the statistical module.To initialize the radiative-transfer calculation in BART, TEA calculates the equilibrium abundances of gaseous molecular species at a given temperature and pressure. It uses the Gibbs-free-energy minimization method with an iterative Lagrangian optimization scheme. Given elemental abundances, TEA calculates molecular abundances for a particular temperature and pressure or a list of temperature-pressure pairs. The code is tested against the original method developed by White at al. (1958), the analytic method developed by Burrows and Sharp (1999), and the Newton-Raphson method implemented in the open-source Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) code. TEA, written in Python, is modular, documented, and available to the community via the open-source development site GitHub.com.Support for this work was provided by NASA Headquarters under the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program, grant NNX12AL83H, by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech, and through the Science Mission Directorate's Planetary Atmospheres Program, grant NNX12AI69G.

Neonatal screening for sickle cell disease, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and a-thalassemia in Qatif and Al Hasa.

PubMed

Nasserullah, Z; Al Jame, A; Abu Srair, H; Al Qatari, G; Al Naim, S; Al Aqib, A; Mokhtar, M

1998-01-01

Screening programs to determine the frequency of sickle cell, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and alpha-thalassemia gene are available in Saudi Arabia, although not used frequently. Greater use of these programs will decrease the morbidity and mortality of Saudi children affected by these disorders. Neonatal hemoglobin electrophoresis and glucose-6-dehydrogenase fluorescent spot tests were performed on newborn babies delivered between December 1992 and December 1993 at the Qatif Central Hospital and at the King Fahad Hospital in Al Hasa. Cord blood samples were collected from babies born in these two hospitals. Babies born in other hospitals had blood collected in their first visit to Qatif primary care centers at the time of vaccination. All specimens were sent to Dammam Central Laboratory. The diagnosis of sickle cell and alpha-thalassemia was based on cellulose acetate electrophoresis and confirmed by agar gel electrophoresis, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was confirmed by fluorescent spot test. A total of 12,220 infants, including 11,313 Saudis (92.6%), were screened over a 12-month period. The common phenotypes detected in these infants included AF, AF Bartâs, SFA, SFA Bartâs, FS and FS Bartâs. In the Saudi infants, homozygous sickle cell disease was detected in 2.35% and 1.08% in Qatif and Al Hasa, respectively. The frequencies of sickle cell gene were 0.1545% and 0.1109% in Qatif and Al Hasa. alphathalassemia gene based on an elevated level of Hb Bartâs were 28% and 16.3% in Qatif and Al Hasa. The screening for G6PD deficiency revealed a high prevalence of 30.6% and 14.7% in Qatif and Al Hasa. In the non-Saudi infants, the frequencies were low. The outcome of this study indicates that the Saudi populations in Qatif and Al Hasa are at risk for hemoglobinopathies and G6PD. Neonatal screening programs are essential and cost effective and should be maintained as a routine practice.

78 FR 29292 - Partial Approval and Partial Disapproval of Air Quality State Implementation Plans; Arizona...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

... Technology (BART) controls for four sources. These sources are Freeport-McMoRan Incorporated (FMMI) Miami... Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) Apache Generating Station. However, we are proposing to disapprove other...) The initials BART mean or refer to Best Available Retrofit Technology. (5) The term Class I area...

77 FR 33021 - Approval, Disapproval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Wyoming; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-04

... or refer to air-fuel ratio controls. iii. The initials BART mean or refer to Best Available Retrofit... install BART controls for the purpose of eliminating or reducing visibility impairment. The specific... retrofit controls at certain larger, often uncontrolled, older stationary sources in order to address...

76 FR 10530 - Supplemental Proposed Rule of Source Specific Federal Implementation Plan for Implementing Best...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-25

... proposed post-control BART limit of 0.012 lb/MMBtu on Units 1-3. C. Modeling and Demonstrating Reasonable... a different alternative emissions control strategy would achieve more progress than EPA's BART... Background for Proposing To Approve an Alternative Emissions Control Strategy as Achieving Better Progress...

77 FR 29270 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Montana; State Implementation Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... by Holcim for Trident Cement Plant, Three Forks, MT (``Holcim Initial Response'') (July 6, 2007); Responses to EPA comments on BART analysis for Trident Cement Plant (``Holcim 2008 Responses'') (Jan. 25, 2008); BART analysis by Holcim for low NO X burners for Trident Cement Plant (``Holcim Additional...

77 FR 38185 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of North Carolina; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

... Transport Rule than BART; and EPA's proposed ``Better than BART'' determination relies on a 2014 base case... cannot be evaluated in isolation from one another. The Commenter supports its position by repeating... isolation from the reasonable progress requirements. We have on several occasions undertaken evaluations of...

40 CFR 52.2501 - Best available retrofit technology (BART) requirement for the Tesoro Refining and Marketing...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Best available retrofit technology... Best available retrofit technology (BART) requirement for the Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company oil... 10, to the following email address: [email protected] Effective Date Note: At 79 FR 33454...

40 CFR 52.985 - Visibility protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... requirements of 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3) and 51.308(e) with respect to emissions of NOX and SO2 from electric... for regional haze as it relies on deficient non-electric generating units Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) analyses; and 40 CFR 51.308(e), BART requirements for regional haze visibility impairment...

40 CFR 52.985 - Visibility protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... requirements of 40 CFR 51.308(d)(3) and 51.308(e) with respect to emissions of NOX and SO2 from electric... for regional haze as it relies on deficient non-electric generating units Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) analyses; and 40 CFR 51.308(e), BART requirements for regional haze visibility impairment...

Plasma viral microRNA profiles reveal potential biomarkers for chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

PubMed

Kawano, Yoshihiko; Iwata, Seiko; Kawada, Jun-ichi; Gotoh, Kensei; Suzuki, Michio; Torii, Yuka; Kojima, Seiji; Kimura, Hiroshi; Ito, Yoshinori

2013-09-01

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection has high mortality and morbidity, and biomarkers for disease severity and prognosis are required. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, and EBV encodes multiple miRNAs. Because plasma contains sufficiently stable miRNAs, circulating EBV-associated miRNA profiles were investigated as novel biomarkers in CAEBV infection. Plasma miRNA expression was assessed for 12 miRNAs encoded within 2 EBV open reading frames (BART and BHRF). Expression levels were investigated in 19 patients with CAEBV infection, 14 patients with infectious mononucleosis, and 11 healthy controls. Relative expression levels of plasma miRNAs were determined by TaqMan probe-based quantitative assay. Plasma miR-BART1-5p, 2-5p, 5, and 22 levels in patients with CAEBV infection were significantly greater than those in patients with infectious mononucleosis and in controls. Plasma miR-BART2-5p, 4, 7, 13, 15, and 22 levels were significantly elevated in patients with CAEBV infection with systemic symptoms, compared with levels in patients with no systemic symptoms. The levels of miR-BART2-5p, 13, and 15 showed clinical cutoff values associated with specific clinical conditions, in contrast to plasma EBV loads. Levels of specific plasma EBV miRNAs were elevated differentially in patients with CAEBV infection. Several EBV miRNAs, particularly miR-BART2-5p, 13, and 15, are potentially biomarkers of disease severity or prognosis.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of Epstein-Barr virus in human cells.

PubMed

Yuen, Kit-San; Chan, Chi-Ping; Wong, Nok-Hei Mickey; Ho, Chau-Ha; Ho, Ting-Hin; Lei, Ting; Deng, Wen; Tsao, Sai Wah; Chen, Honglin; Kok, Kin-Hang; Jin, Dong-Yan

2015-03-01

The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated 9) system is a highly efficient and powerful tool for RNA-guided editing of the cellular genome. Whether CRISPR/Cas9 can also cleave the genome of DNA viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which undergo episomal replication in human cells, remains to be established. Here, we reported on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the EBV genome in human cells. Two guide RNAs (gRNAs) were used to direct a targeted deletion of 558 bp in the promoter region of BART (BamHI A rightward transcript) which encodes viral microRNAs (miRNAs). Targeted editing was achieved in several human epithelial cell lines latently infected with EBV, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma C666-1 cells. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the EBV genome was efficient. A recombinant virus with the desired deletion was obtained after puromycin selection of cells expressing Cas9 and gRNAs. No off-target cleavage was found by deep sequencing. The loss of BART miRNA expression and activity was verified, supporting the BART promoter as the major promoter of BART RNA. Although CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the multicopy episome of EBV in infected HEK293 cells was mostly incomplete, viruses could be recovered and introduced into other cells at low m.o.i. Recombinant viruses with an edited genome could be further isolated through single-cell sorting. Finally, a DsRed selectable marker was successfully introduced into the EBV genome during the course of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing. Taken together, our work provided not only the first genetic evidence that the BART promoter drives the expression of the BART transcript, but also a new and efficient method for targeted editing of EBV genome in human cells. © 2015 The Authors.

40 CFR Appendix Y to Part 51 - Guidelines for BART Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... establishing BART emission limitations for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a capacity in excess of 750...: (1) Fossil-fuel fired steam electric plants of more than 250 million British thermal units (BTU) per...) Sintering plants, (20) Secondary metal production facilities, (21) Chemical process plants, (22) Fossil-fuel...

40 CFR Appendix Y to Part 51 - Guidelines for BART Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... establishing BART emission limitations for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a capacity in excess of 750...: (1) Fossil-fuel fired steam electric plants of more than 250 million British thermal units (BTU) per...) Sintering plants, (20) Secondary metal production facilities, (21) Chemical process plants, (22) Fossil-fuel...

40 CFR Appendix Y to Part 51 - Guidelines for BART Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... establishing BART emission limitations for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a capacity in excess of 750...: (1) Fossil-fuel fired steam electric plants of more than 250 million British thermal units (BTU) per...) Sintering plants, (20) Secondary metal production facilities, (21) Chemical process plants, (22) Fossil-fuel...

40 CFR Appendix Y to Part 51 - Guidelines for BART Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... establishing BART emission limitations for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a capacity in excess of 750...: (1) Fossil-fuel fired steam electric plants of more than 250 million British thermal units (BTU) per...) Sintering plants, (20) Secondary metal production facilities, (21) Chemical process plants, (22) Fossil-fuel...

40 CFR Appendix Y to Part 51 - Guidelines for BART Determinations Under the Regional Haze Rule

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... establishing BART emission limitations for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a capacity in excess of 750...: (1) Fossil-fuel fired steam electric plants of more than 250 million British thermal units (BTU) per...) Sintering plants, (20) Secondary metal production facilities, (21) Chemical process plants, (22) Fossil-fuel...

77 FR 42833 - Approval, Disapproval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Arizona; Regional...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-20

... the problem of visibility impairment in Class I areas, states, or the EPA when implementing a FIP... explanation and rationale for its determinations. While we find these problems in all of ADEQ's BART analyses... problems resulted in control determinations that are inconsistent with the RHR and the BART Guidelines. We...

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson: The Peyton Manning of Charter Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, David

2007-01-01

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson has laid down a bold challenge to the city's troubled public school system: improve or see your students migrate to the city's growing roster of impressive charter schools. This is no idle threat. In the 2006-2007 academic year, the mayor oversaw 16 charter schools serving 3,870 students. Peterson is currently the…

Comments in defense of symposia proceedings: Response to Bart and Anderson

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; A. Lorin Ward; R. H. Hamre

1982-01-01

A recent "Opinion" in the Wildlife Society Bulletin (Bart and Anderson 1981) made a case against publishing symposia proceedings because (1) papers of non-refereed symposia often lack credibility and, therefore, harm both the authors and the profession, (2) proceedings are not readily retrievable, and (3) some symposium reports are not appropriate for...

77 FR 3681 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Minnesota; Regional Haze

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

... approach in the BART Guidelines in making a BART determination for a fossil fuel-fired EGU with total... ammonia (NH 3 ), and volatile organic compound (VOCs). Fine particle precursors react in the atmosphere to... standards, low sulfur fuel, and non-road mobile source control programs. The fourth step is to determine...

78 FR 62509 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Navajo Nation; Regional Haze Requirements for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... Retrofit Technology (BART) provision of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). EPA proposed the BART FIP to reduce... included in the proposal due to the unique purpose and history of NGS and the numerous stakeholder... Use I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions To...

Familial leuconychia, knuckle pads, hearing loss, and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis: an additional family with Bart-Pumphrey syndrome.

PubMed

Ramer, J C; Vasily, D B; Ladda, R L

1994-01-01

A family with five members who have variable findings of leuconychia, knuckle pads, hearing loss, and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis is described. The findings in these subjects are compared with those noted in previously reported patients with Bart-Pumphrey syndrome. The range of disorders which include knuckle pads as part of the phenotype is reviewed.

Semantics versus Statistics in the Retreat from Locative Overgeneralization Errors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambridge, Ben; Pine, Julian M.; Rowland, Caroline F.

2012-01-01

The present study investigated how children learn that some verbs may appear in the figure-locative but not the ground-locative construction (e.g., "Lisa poured water into the cup"; "*Lisa poured the cup with water"), with some showing the opposite pattern (e.g., "*Bart filled water into the cup"; "Bart filled the cup with water"), and others…

Targeting the Ca(2+) Sensor STIM1 by Exosomal Transfer of Ebv-miR-BART13-3p is Associated with Sjögren's Syndrome.

PubMed

Gallo, Alessia; Jang, Shyh-Ing; Ong, Hwei Ling; Perez, Paola; Tandon, Mayank; Ambudkar, Indu; Illei, Gabor; Alevizos, Ilias

2016-08-01

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is associated with inflammation and dysfunction of salivary and lacrimal glands. The molecular mechanism(s) underlying this exocrinopathy is not known, although the syndrome has been associated with viruses, such as the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). We report herein that an EBV-specific microRNA (ebv-miR-BART13-3p) is significantly elevated in salivary glands (SGs) of pSS patients and we show that it targets stromal interacting molecule 1 (STIM1), a primary regulator of the store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) pathway that is essential for SG function, leading to loss of SOCE and Ca(2+)-dependent activation of NFAT. Although EBV typically infects B cells and not salivary epithelial cells, ebv-miR-BART13-3p is present in both cell types in pSS SGs. Importantly, we further demonstrate that ebv-miR-BART13-3p can be transferred from B cells to salivary epithelial cells through exosomes and it recapitulates its functional effects on calcium signaling in a model system. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Familial leuconychia, knuckle pads, hearing loss, and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis: an additional family with Bart-Pumphrey syndrome.

PubMed Central

Ramer, J C; Vasily, D B; Ladda, R L

1994-01-01

A family with five members who have variable findings of leuconychia, knuckle pads, hearing loss, and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis is described. The findings in these subjects are compared with those noted in previously reported patients with Bart-Pumphrey syndrome. The range of disorders which include knuckle pads as part of the phenotype is reviewed. Images PMID:8151643

Epstein-Barr Virus MicroRNA miR-BART20-5p Suppresses Lytic Induction by Inhibiting BAD-Mediated caspase-3-Dependent Apoptosis

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyoji; Choi, Hoyun

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human gammaherpesvirus associated with a variety of tumor types. EBV can establish latency or undergo lytic replication in host cells. In general, EBV remains latent in tumors and expresses a limited repertoire of latent proteins to avoid host immune surveillance. When the lytic cycle is triggered by some as-yet-unknown form of stimulation, lytic gene expression and progeny virus production commence. Thus far, the exact mechanism of EBV latency maintenance and the in vivo triggering signal for lytic induction have yet to be elucidated. Previously, we have shown that the EBV microRNA miR-BART20-5p directly targets the immediate early genes BRLF1 and BZLF1 as well as Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. In this study, we found that both mRNA and protein levels of BRLF1 and BZLF1 were suppressed in cells following BAD knockdown and increased after BAD overexpression. Progeny virus production was also downregulated by specific knockdown of BAD. Our results demonstrated that caspase-3-dependent apoptosis is a prerequisite for BAD-mediated EBV lytic cycle induction. Therefore, our data suggest that miR-BART20-5p plays an important role in latency maintenance and tumor persistence of EBV-associated gastric carcinoma by inhibiting BAD-mediated caspase-3-dependent apoptosis, which would trigger immediate early gene expression. IMPORTANCE EBV has an ability to remain latent in host cells, including EBV-associated tumor cells hiding from immune surveillance. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of EBV latency maintenance remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that miR-BART20-5p inhibited the expression of EBV immediate early genes indirectly, by suppressing BAD-induced caspase-3-dependent apoptosis, in addition to directly, as we previously reported. Our study suggests that EBV-associated tumor cells might endure apoptotic stress to some extent and remain latent with the aid of miR-BART20-5p. Blocking the expression or function of BART20-5p may expedite EBV-associated tumor cell death via immune attack and apoptosis. PMID:26581978

Rapid detection of Salmonella in food and feed by coupling loop-mediated isothermal amplification with bioluminescent assay in real-time.

PubMed

Yang, Qianru; Domesle, Kelly J; Wang, Fei; Ge, Beilei

2016-06-17

Salmonella is among the most significant pathogens causing food and feed safety concerns. This study examined the rapid detection of Salmonella in various types of food and feed samples by coupling loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with a novel reporter, bioluminescent assay in real-time (BART). Performance of the LAMP-BART assay was compared to a conventional LAMP and the commercially available 3M Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Salmonella. The LAMP-BART assay was 100 % specific among 178 strains (151 Salmonella and 27 non-Salmonella) tested. The detection limits were 36 cells per reaction in pure culture and 10(4) to 10(6) CFU per 25 g in spiked food and feed samples without enrichment, which were comparable to those of the conventional LAMP and 3M MDA Salmonella but 5-10 min faster. Ground turkey showed a strong inhibition on 3M MDA Salmonella, requiring at least 10(8) CFU per 25 g for detection. The correlation between Salmonella cell numbers and LAMP-BART signals was high (R (2) = 0.941-0.962), suggesting good quantification capability. After 24 h enrichment, all three assays accurately detected 1 to 3 CFU per 25 g of Salmonella among five types of food (cantaloupe, ground beef, ground turkey, shell eggs, and tomato) and three types of feed (cattle feed, chicken feed, and dry dog food) examined. However, 10(1) CFU per 25 g was required for cattle feed when tested by 3M MDA Salmonella. The Salmonella LAMP-BART assay was rapid, specific, sensitive, quantitative, and robust. Upon further validation, it may become a valuable tool for routine screening of Salmonella in various types of food and feed samples.

Routine screening for α-thalassaemia using an immunochromatographic strip assay for haemoglobin Bart's.

PubMed

Prayalaw, Patcharawadee; Fucharoen, Goonnapa; Fucharoen, Supan

2014-09-01

To evaluate an immunochromatographic (IC) strip assay for Hb Bart's as a routine screening test for α-thalassaemia in area with a high prevalence of thalassaemia and haemoglobinopathies. A total of 300 adult screen positive blood specimens were collected at an ongoing thalassaemia screening programme in northeast Thailand. Routine screening was done using red blood cell indices, osmotic fragility, and dichlorophenolindophenol tests. The IC strip assay for haemoglobin Bart's was performed on all samples. The result was evaluated against thalassaemia genotypes determined using standard haemoglobin and DNA analyses. Of 300 subjects investigated, Hb and DNA analyses identified 32 with normal genotype. The remaining subjects carried thalassaemia with as many as 16 different genotypes. Hb Bart's was detected in all cases, with several α(0)-thalassaemia (SEA type) related disorders. Of cases with α(+)-thalassaemia, 86.1% showed a positive result; 100 out of 103 Hb E carriers, all homozygous Hb E and β-thalassaemia trait were negative. Nine out of 17 cases with β-thalassaemia/Hb E disease, and one case of double heterozygote for Hb Q-Thailand and Hb E returned positive results. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the IC strip assay for detecting α(0)-thalassaemia were 100% and 73.1%, respectively. The results showed a high sensitivity for screening for α(0)-thalassaemia using IC strip assay for Hb Bart's. This simple method, used in combination with conventional screening protocols, should lead to a significant reduction in the number of referral cases for DNA analysis. Cost effectiveness in each population should be taken into consideration. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Plasma EBV microRNAs in paediatric renal transplant recipients.

PubMed

Hassan, Jaythoon; Dean, Jonathan; De Gascun, Cillian F; Riordan, Michael; Sweeney, Clodagh; Connell, Jeff; Awan, Atif

2018-06-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first human virus identified to express microRNA (miRNA). To date, 44 mature miRNAs are encoded for within the EBV genome. EBV miRNAs have not been profiled in paediatric renal transplant recipients. In this study, we investigated circulating EBV miRNA profiles as novel biomarkers in paediatric renal transplant patients. Forty-two microRNAs encoded within 2 EBV open reading frames (BART and BHRF) were examined in renal transplant recipients who resolved EBV infection (REI) or maintained chronic high viral loads (CHL), and in non-transplant patients with acute infectious mononucleosis (IM). Plasma EBV-miR-BART2-5p was present in higher numbers of IM (7/8) and CHL (7/10) compared to REI (7/12) patients. A trend was observed between the numbers of plasma EBV miRNAs expressed and EBV viral load (p < 0.07). Several EBV-miRs including BART7-3p, 15, 9-3p, 11-3p, 1-3p and 3-3p were detected in IM and CHL patients only. The lytic EBV-miRs, BHRF1-2-3p and 1-1, indicating active viral replication, were detected in IM patients only. One CHL patient developed post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) after several years and analysis of 10 samples over a 30-month period showed an average 24-fold higher change in plasma EBV-miR-BART2-5p compared to the CHL group and 110-fold higher change compared to the REI group. Our results suggest that EBV-miR-BART2-5p, which targets the stress-induced immune ligand MICB to escape recognition and elimination by NK cells, may have a role in sustaining high EBV viral loads in CHL paediatric kidney transplant recipients.

Interaction of the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (l-DLPFC) and Right Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) in Hot and Cold Executive Functions: Evidence from Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS).

PubMed

Nejati, Vahid; Salehinejad, Mohammad Ali; Nitsche, Michael A

2018-01-15

An organizing principle which has recently emerged proposes that executive functions (EF) can be divided into cognitive (cold) and affective/reward-related (hot) processes related to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) respectively. A controversial question is whether cold and hot EF are functionally and structurally independent or not. This study investigated how the left DLPFC (l-DLPFC) and right OFC (r-OFC) interact in hot and cold EF using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Twenty-four healthy male subjects received anodal, cathodal and sham tDCS (20 min, 1.5 mA) over the l-DLPFC (F3) and r-OFC (Fp2) with a 72-h interval between each stimulation condition. After five minutes of stimulation, participants underwent a series of cold and hot EF tasks including the Go/No-Go and Tower of Hanoi (TOH) as measures of cold EF and the BART and temporal discounting tasks as measures of hot EF. Inhibitory control mostly benefited from anodal l-DLPFC/cathodal r-OFC tDCS. Planning and problem solving were more prominently affected by anodal l-DLPFC/cathodal r-OFC stimulation, although the reversed electrode position with the anode positioned over the r-OFC also affected some aspects of task performance. Risk-taking behavior and risky decision-making decreased under both anodal l-DLPFC/cathodal r-OFC and anodal r-OFC/cathodal l-DLPFC tDCS. Cold EF rely on DLPFC activation while hot EF rely on both, DLPFC and OFC activation. Results suggest that EF are placed on continuum with lateral and mesial prefrontal areas contributing to cold and hot aspects respectively. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Search for new particles decaying into top quark anti-top quark pairs

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

Cassada, Josh Aaron

2000-01-01

We use 106 pb -1 of data collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab to search for narrow-width particles decaying to a top and an anti-top quark. We measure the tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ invariant mass distribution by requiring that either t or $$\\bar{t}$$ decays semileptonically to an electron or muon and the other decays hadronically.« less

An Open-Source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code, with Application to WASP-12b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrington, Joseph; Blecic, Jasmina; Cubillos, Patricio; Rojo, Patricio; Loredo, Thomas J.; Bowman, M. Oliver; Foster, Andrew S. D.; Stemm, Madison M.; Lust, Nate B.

2015-01-01

Atmospheric retrievals for solar-system planets typically fit, either with a minimizer or by eye, a synthetic spectrum to high-resolution (Δλ/λ ~ 1000-100,000) data with S/N > 100 per point. In contrast, exoplanet data often have S/N ~ 10 per point, and may have just a few points representing bandpasses larger than 1 um. To derive atmospheric constraints and robust parameter uncertainty estimates from such data requires a Bayesian approach. To date there are few investigators with the relevant codes, none of which are publicly available. We are therefore pleased to announce the open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code. BART uses a Bayesian phase-space explorer to drive a radiative-transfer model through the parameter phase space, producing the most robust estimates available for the thermal profile and chemical abundances in the atmosphere. We present an overview of the code and an initial application to Spitzer eclipse data for WASP-12b. We invite the community to use and improve BART via the open-source development site GitHub.com. This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NNX12AI69G and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G. JB holds a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship.

An Open-Source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code, and Application to WASP-12b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrington, Joseph; Blecic, Jasmina; Cubillos, Patricio; Rojo, Patricio M.; Loredo, Thomas J.; Bowman, Matthew O.; Foster, Andrew S.; Stemm, Madison M.; Lust, Nate B.

2014-11-01

Atmospheric retrievals for solar-system planets typically fit, either with a minimizer or by eye, a synthetic spectrum to high-resolution (Δλ/λ ~ 1000-100,000) data with S/N > 100 per point. In contrast, exoplanet data often have S/N ~ 10 per point, and may have just a few points representing bandpasses larger than 1 um. To derive atmospheric constraints and robust parameter uncertainty estimates from such data requires a Bayesian approach. To date there are few investigators with the relevant codes, none of which are publicly available. We are therefore pleased to announce the open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code. BART uses a Bayesian phase-space explorer to drive a radiative-transfer model through the parameter phase space, producing the most robust estimates available for the thermal profile and chemical abundances in the atmosphere. We present an overview of the code and an initial application to Spitzer eclipse data for WASP-12b. We invite the community to use and improve BART via the open-source development site GitHub.com. This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NNX12AI69G and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G. JB holds a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship.

Emerging Roles of Small Epstein-Barr Virus Derived Non-Coding RNAs in Epithelial Malignancy

PubMed Central

Lung, Raymond Wai-Ming; Tong, Joanna Hung-Man; To, Ka-Fai

2013-01-01

Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is an etiological factor in the progression of several human epithelial malignancies such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and a subset of gastric carcinoma. Reports have shown that EBV produces several viral oncoproteins, yet their pathological roles in carcinogenesis are not fully elucidated. Studies on the recently discovered of EBV-encoded microRNAs (ebv-miRNAs) showed that these small molecules function as post-transcriptional gene regulators and may play a role in the carcinogenesis process. In NPC and EBV positive gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC), 22 viral miRNAs which are located in the long alternative splicing EBV transcripts, named BamH1 A rightward transcripts (BARTs), are abundantly expressed. The importance of several miR-BARTs in carcinogenesis has recently been demonstrated. These novel findings enhance our understanding of the oncogenic properties of EBV and may lead to a more effective design of therapeutic regimens to combat EBV-associated malignancies. This article will review the pathological roles of miR-BARTs in modulating the expression of cancer-related genes in both host and viral genomes. The expression of other small non-coding RNAs in NPC and the expression pattern of miR-BARTs in rare EBV-associated epithelial cancers will also be discussed. PMID:23979421

Using the North American Breeding Bird Survey as a tool for conservation: A critique of Bart et al. (2004)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, John R.; Link, William A.; Nichols, James D.; Royle, J. Andrew

2005-01-01

Bart et al. (2004) develop methods for predicting needed samples for estimation of long-term trends from Count survey data, and they apply these methods to the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). They recommend adding approximately 40% more survey routes ill the BBS to allow for estimation of long-term (i.e., 20 year) trends for a collection of species. We critique several aspects of their analysis and suggest that their focus on long-term trends and expansion of the present survey design will provide limited benefits for conservation because it fails to either enhance the credibility of the survey or better tie the survey to regional management activities. A primary innovation claimed by Bart et al. (2004) is the incorporation of bias in estimation of study planning. We question the value of this approach, as it requires reliable estimates of range of future bias. We show that estimates of bias used by Bart et al. (2004) are speculative. Failure to obtain better estimates of this bias is likely to compromise the credibility of future analyses of the survey. We also note that the generic analysis of population trends that they provide is of questionable validity and is unlikely to be relevant for regions and species of management concern.

Gunslingers, poker players, and chickens 3: Decision making under mental performance pressure in junior elite athletes.

PubMed

Parkin, Beth L; Walsh, Vincent

2017-01-01

Having investigated the decision making of world class elite and subelite athletes (see Parkin and Walsh, 2017; Parkin et al., 2017), here the abilities of those at the earliest stage of entry to elite sport are examined. Junior elite athletes have undergone initial national selection and are younger than athletes examined previously (mean age 13 years). Decision making under mental pressure is explored in this sample. During performance an athlete encounters a wide array of mental pressures; these include the psychological impact of errors, negative feedback, and requirements for sustained attention in a dynamic environment (Anshel and Wells, 2000; Mellalieu et al., 2009). Such factors increase the cognitive demands of the athletes, inducing distracting anxiety-related thoughts known as rumination (Beilock and Gray, 2007). Mental pressure has been shown to reduce performance of decision-making tasks where reward and loss contingencies are explicit, with a shift toward increased risk taking (Pabst et al., 2013; Starcke et al., 2011). Mental pressure has been shown to be detrimental to decision-making speed in comparison to physical stress, highlighting the importance of considering a range of different pressures encountered by athletes (Hepler, 2015). To investigate the influence of mental pressure on key indicators of decision making in junior elite athletes. This chapter concludes a wider project examining decision making across developmental stages in elite sport. The work further explores how psychological insights can be applied in an elite sporting environment and in particular tailored to the requirements of junior athletes. Seventeen junior elite athletes (10 males, mean age: 13.80 years) enrolled on a national youth athletic development program participated in the study. Performance across three categories of decision making was assessed under conditions of low and high mental pressure. Decision making under risk was measured via the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT; Rogers et al., 1999), decision making under uncertainty via the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; Lejuez et al., 2002), and fast reactive responses to perceptual stimuli via the Visual Search Task (Treisman, 1982). Mental pressure was induced with the addition of a concurrent verbal memory task, used to increase cognitive load and mimic the distracting effects of anxiety-related rumination. In junior elite athletes, fast reactive responses to perceptual stimuli (on the Visual Search Task) were slower under conditions of mental pressure. For decision making under risk there was an interaction of mental pressure and gender on the amount of points gambled, under pressure there was a higher level of risk taking in male athletes compared to females. There was no influence of mental pressure on decision making under uncertainity. There were no significant correlations in the degree to which individual's responses changed under pressure across the three measures of decision making. When assessing the applicability of results based on group averages there were no junior elite athletes who showed an "average" response (within 1SD of the mean) to mental pressure across all the three decision-making tasks. Mental pressure affects decision making in a sample of junior elite athletes, with a slowing of response times, and modulations to performance of decision making under risk that have a high requirement for working memory. In relation to sport, these findings suggest that novel situations that place high cognitive demands on the athlete may be particularly influenced by mental pressure. The application of this work in junior elite athletes included the feedback of individual results and the implementation of a decision-making taxonomy. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epstein-Barr Virus MicroRNA miR-BART20-5p Suppresses Lytic Induction by Inhibiting BAD-Mediated caspase-3-Dependent Apoptosis.

PubMed

Kim, Hyoji; Choi, Hoyun; Lee, Suk Kyeong

2016-02-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human gammaherpesvirus associated with a variety of tumor types. EBV can establish latency or undergo lytic replication in host cells. In general, EBV remains latent in tumors and expresses a limited repertoire of latent proteins to avoid host immune surveillance. When the lytic cycle is triggered by some as-yet-unknown form of stimulation, lytic gene expression and progeny virus production commence. Thus far, the exact mechanism of EBV latency maintenance and the in vivo triggering signal for lytic induction have yet to be elucidated. Previously, we have shown that the EBV microRNA miR-BART20-5p directly targets the immediate early genes BRLF1 and BZLF1 as well as Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. In this study, we found that both mRNA and protein levels of BRLF1 and BZLF1 were suppressed in cells following BAD knockdown and increased after BAD overexpression. Progeny virus production was also downregulated by specific knockdown of BAD. Our results demonstrated that caspase-3-dependent apoptosis is a prerequisite for BAD-mediated EBV lytic cycle induction. Therefore, our data suggest that miR-BART20-5p plays an important role in latency maintenance and tumor persistence of EBV-associated gastric carcinoma by inhibiting BAD-mediated caspase-3-dependent apoptosis, which would trigger immediate early gene expression. EBV has an ability to remain latent in host cells, including EBV-associated tumor cells hiding from immune surveillance. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of EBV latency maintenance remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that miR-BART20-5p inhibited the expression of EBV immediate early genes indirectly, by suppressing BAD-induced caspase-3-dependent apoptosis, in addition to directly, as we previously reported. Our study suggests that EBV-associated tumor cells might endure apoptotic stress to some extent and remain latent with the aid of miR-BART20-5p. Blocking the expression or function of BART20-5p may expedite EBV-associated tumor cell death via immune attack and apoptosis. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Evaluation of HRV Biofeedback as a Resilience Building Intervention in the Reserve Component

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

specific aims of this study are to (1) develop a mobile app for use with the BART protocol; (2) examine the relationship between baseline heart rate...may affect the impact of HRV-BART on resilience, coping, and PTG scale scores. The study team will recruit 500 Reserve Component service members (RCSMs...needed for the study , developed all recruitment materials, and begun data collection and tracking. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Biofeedback, HRV, heart rate

Exoplanet Atmospheres: From Light-Curve Analyses to Radiative-Transfer Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cubillos, Patricio; Harrington, Joseph; Blecic, Jasmina; Rojo, Patricio; Stemm, Madison; Lust, Nathaniel B.; Foster, Andrew S.; Loredo, Thomas J.

2015-01-01

Multi-wavelength transit and secondary-eclipse light-curve observations are some of the most powerful techniques to probe the thermo-chemical properties of exoplanets. Although the small planet-to-star constrast ratios demand a meticulous data analysis, and the limited available spectral bands can further restrain constraints, a Bayesian approach can robustly reveal what constraints can we set, given the data.We review the main aspects considered during the analysis of Spitzer time-series data by our group with an aplication to WASP-8b and TrES-1. We discuss the applicability and limitations of the most commonly used correlated-noise estimators. We describe our open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code. BART calculates the planetary emission or transmission spectrum by solving a 1D line-by-line radiative-transfer equation. The generated spectra are integrated over determined bandpasses for comparison to the data. Coupled to our Multi-core Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MC3) statistical package, BART constrains the temperature profile and chemical abundances in the planet's atmosphere. We apply the BART retrieval code to the HD 209458b data set to estimate the planet's temperature profile and molecular abundances.This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NNX12AI69G and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G. JB holds a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship.

Atmospheric Retrievals from Exoplanet Observations and Simulations with BART

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrington, Joseph

This project will determine the observing plans needed to retrieve exoplanet atmospheric composition and thermal profiles over a broad range of planets, stars, instruments, and observing modes. Characterizing exoplanets is hard. The dim planets orbit bright stars, giving orders of magnitude more relative noise than for solar-system planets. Advanced statistical techniques are needed to determine what the data can - and more importantly cannot - say. We therefore developed Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART). BART explores the parameter space of atmospheric chemical abundances and thermal profiles using Differential-Evolution Markov-Chain Monte Carlo. It generates thousands of candidate spectra, integrates over observational bandpasses, and compares to data, generating a statistical model for an atmosphere's composition and thermal structure. At best, it gives abundances and thermal profiles with uncertainties. At worst, it shows what kinds of planets the data allow. It also gives parameter correlations. BART is open-source, designed for community use and extension (http://github.com/exosports/BART). Three arXived PhD theses (papers in publication) provide technical documentation, tests, and application to Spitzer and HST data. There are detailed user and programmer manuals and community support forums. Exoplanet analysis techniques must be tested against synthetic data, where the answer is known, and vetted by statisticians. Unfortunately, this has rarely been done, and never sufficiently. Several recent papers question the entire body of Spitzer exoplanet observations, because different analyses of the same data give different results. The latest method, pixel-level decorrelation, produces results that diverge from an emerging consensus. We do not know the retrieval problem's strengths and weaknesses relative to low SNR, red noise, low resolution, instrument systematics, or incomplete spectral line lists. In observing eclipses and transits, we assume the planet has uniform composition and the same temperature profile everywhere. We do not know this assumption's impact. While Spitzer and HST have few exoplanet observing modes, JWST will have over 20. Given the signal challenges and the complexity of retrieval, modeling the observations and data analysis is the best way to optimize an observing plan. Our project solves all of these problems. Using only open-source codes, with tools available to the community for their immediate application in JWST and HST proposals and analyses, we will produce a faithful simulator of 2D spectral and photometric frames from each JWST exoplanet mode (WFC3 spatial scan mode works already), including jitter and intrapixel effects. We will extract and calibrate data, analyzing them with BART. Given planetary input spectra for terrestrial, super-Earth, Neptune, and Jupiterclass planets, and a variety of stellar spectra, we will determine the best combination of observations to recover each atmosphere, and the limits where low SNR or spectral coverage produce deceptive results. To facilitate these analyses, we will adapt an existing cloud model to BART, add condensate code now being written to its thermochemical model, include scattering, add a 3D atmosphere module (for dayside occultation mapping and the 1D vs. 3D question), and improve performance and documentation, among other improvements. We will host a web site and community discussions online and at conferences about retrieval issues. We will develop validation tests for radiative-transfer and BART-style retrieval codes, and provide examples to validate others' codes. We will engage the retrieval community in data challenges. We will provide web-enabled tools to specify planets easily for modeling. We will make all of these tools, tests, and comparisons available online so everyone can use them to maximize NASA's investment in high-end observing capabilities to characterize exoplanets.

Extensions and applications of ensemble-of-trees methods in machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleich, Justin

Ensemble-of-trees algorithms have emerged to the forefront of machine learning due to their ability to generate high forecasting accuracy for a wide array of regression and classification problems. Classic ensemble methodologies such as random forests (RF) and stochastic gradient boosting (SGB) rely on algorithmic procedures to generate fits to data. In contrast, more recent ensemble techniques such as Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) and Dynamic Trees (DT) focus on an underlying Bayesian probability model to generate the fits. These new probability model-based approaches show much promise versus their algorithmic counterparts, but also offer substantial room for improvement. The first part of this thesis focuses on methodological advances for ensemble-of-trees techniques with an emphasis on the more recent Bayesian approaches. In particular, we focus on extensions of BART in four distinct ways. First, we develop a more robust implementation of BART for both research and application. We then develop a principled approach to variable selection for BART as well as the ability to naturally incorporate prior information on important covariates into the algorithm. Next, we propose a method for handling missing data that relies on the recursive structure of decision trees and does not require imputation. Last, we relax the assumption of homoskedasticity in the BART model to allow for parametric modeling of heteroskedasticity. The second part of this thesis returns to the classic algorithmic approaches in the context of classification problems with asymmetric costs of forecasting errors. First we consider the performance of RF and SGB more broadly and demonstrate its superiority to logistic regression for applications in criminology with asymmetric costs. Next, we use RF to forecast unplanned hospital readmissions upon patient discharge with asymmetric costs taken into account. Finally, we explore the construction of stable decision trees for forecasts of violence during probation hearings in court systems.

The effect of EBV on WIF1, NLK, and APC gene methylation and expression in gastric carcinoma and nasopharyngeal cancer.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhenzhen; Liu, Wen; Liu, Jincheng; Wang, Jiayi; Luo, Bing

2017-10-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an important DNA tumor virus that is associated with approximately 10% of gastric carcinomas and 99% of nasopharyngeal cancers (NPC). DNA methylation and microRNAs (miRNAs) are the most studied epigenetic mechanisms that can prompt disease susceptibility. This study aimed to detect the effect of EBV on Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1), Nemo-like kinase (NLK), and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene methylation, and expression in gastric carcinoma and NPC. The WIF1, NLK, and APC gene mRNA expression levels were measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR in four EBV-positive cell lines and four EBV-negative cell lines. Bisulfite genomic sequencing or methylation-specific PCR was used to detect the methylation status of the WIF1, NLK, and APC promoters. All cell lines were treated with 5-azacytidine (5-aza-dC), miR-BART19-3p mimics or an inhibitor, and analyzed by flow cytometry and MTT cell proliferation assays. The WIF1, NLK, and APC promoters were hypermethylated in all eight cell lines. 5-Aza-dC displayed a growth inhibitory effect on cells . After transfection with miR-BART19-3p mimics, the expression of WIF1, and APC decreased, and the cellular proliferation rate increased. After transfection with the miR-BART19-3p inhibitor, the expression levels were higher, and the cell growth was inhibited. In the NPC and GC cell lines, the promoters of WIF1, NLK, and APC are highly methylated, and the expression of these three genes is regulated by miR-BART19-3p. The activity of the Wnt pathway in EBV-associated tumors may be enhanced by miR-BART19-3p. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In-service tests of the effectiveness of vibration control measures on the BART rail transit system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saurenman, Hugh; Phillips, James

2006-06-01

This paper presents results of a number of vibration measurements of the different track forms used on the current San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system including floating slab, resiliently supported half-ties and high-resilience direct fixation fasteners in subway and one section of floating slab used on at-grade track. The goal was to obtain data that would improve the predictions of future vibration levels and perhaps lead to more cost effective vibration mitigation strategies for the proposed BART extension to San Jose. The tests show that the floating slabs are performing much as designed, the resiliently supported half-ties are less effective than expected, and the high resilience track fasteners are probably performing as expected although the results are clouded because of severe rail corrugation in the area where the new fasteners were installed. One unanticipated result is the apparent interaction of the floating slab resonance, the wheel rotation frequency, the bogie dynamics, and vibration propagation characteristics of the ground.

Particulate Matter 2.5 and Black Carbon concentrations in underground San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, A.; Williams, N.; Quartey, R.; Quintana, M.; Bell, B.; Biswas, N.; Hunter, S.; Marks-Block, T.; Yu, X.

2013-12-01

A previous Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 study within Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train stations found that concentrations of PM 2.5 at San Francisco's (SF) Embarcadero station were significantly high relative to within the rail system. To follow up on that study, PM 2.5 data was collected within other underground BART stations and the streets surrounding them using the DustTrak Aerosol monitor that measures concentrations every second. In addition, black carbon (BC) data was collected using a microAeth aerosol monitor that also measures concentrations every minute. During each day that measurements were made along three different train routes originating from West Oakland BART station: 1) toward the San Francisco Civic Center station: en route to the Lake Merritt station in Oakland; and toward the Downtown Berkeley station. All of these stations are located underground, and at each one the DustTrak instrument was taken from the train to the ticket level, and on each route data was collected outside of the stations. Black carbon (BC) concentrations were recorded only on the San Francisco route. The highest PM 2.5 concentrations were recorded at SF underground stations, particularly at Embarcadero where concentrations exceeded 100 μg/m3 at train level. These values were much greater than those obtained outside the station, which ranged between 10-20 μg/m3. Other stations along the route to Civic Center had values ranging from 30-64 μg/m3, higher than stations along the route to the Downtown Berkeley station (17-42 μg/m3 ) and the Lake Merritt station (10-38 μg/m3). PM concentrations outside of stations were lower, ranging from 14-33 μg/m3 and 8-27 μg/m3 outside 12th Street Oakland City Center and Lake Merritt stations respectively. Additionally, PM concentration was directly related to depth at all stations. For example, one day at Embarcadero the highest concentrations from train to middle to top level were 119, 84, and 59 μg/m3 respectively. We believe the differences in PM concentration between stations are attributed to the number of train lines at each station, the length of adjacent train tunnel, and access to open air at each station. Discussion of PM sources and BC data awaits further elemental analysis of particles collected on instruments' filters. Twenty-four hour sampling of underground BART station air quality is recommended to further understand long-term patterns and potential exposure risks to employees and commuters.

Development of a Low-Cost Stem-Loop Real-Time Quantification PCR Technique for EBV miRNA Expression Analysis.

PubMed

Bergallo, Massimiliano; Merlino, Chiara; Montin, Davide; Galliano, Ilaria; Gambarino, Stefano; Mareschi, Katia; Fagioli, Franca; Montanari, Paola; Martino, Silvana; Tovo, Pier-Angelo

2016-09-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single stranded, non-coding RNA molecules. They are produced by many different species and are key regulators of several physiological processes. miRNAs are also encoded by the genomes of multiple virus families, such as herpesvirus family. In particular, miRNAs from Epstein Barr virus were found at high concentrations in different associated pathologies, such as Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Thanks to their stability, these molecules could possibly serve as biomarkers for EBV-associated diseases. In this study, a stem-loop real-time PCR for miR-BART2-5p, miR-BART15, and miR-BART22 EBV miRNAs detection and quantification has been developed. Evaluation of these miRNAs in 31 serum samples (12 from patients affected by primary immunodeficiency, 9 from X-linked agammaglobulinemia and 10 from healthy subjects) has been carried out. The amplification performance showed a wide dynamic range (10(8)-10(2) copies/reaction) and sensibility equal to 10(2) copies/reaction for all the target tested. Serum samples analysis, on the other hand, showed a statistical significant higher level of miR-BART22 in primary immunodeficiency patients (P = 0.0001) compared to other groups and targets. The results confirmed the potential use of this assay as a tool for monitoring EBV-associated disease and for miRNAs expression profile analysis.

Quantifying arm nonuse in individuals poststroke.

PubMed

Han, Cheol E; Kim, Sujin; Chen, Shuya; Lai, Yi-Hsuan; Lee, Jeong-Yoon; Osu, Rieko; Winstein, Carolee J; Schweighofer, Nicolas

2013-06-01

Arm nonuse, defined as the difference between what the individual can do when constrained to use the paretic arm and what the individual does when given a free choice to use either arm, has not yet been quantified in individuals poststroke. (1) To quantify nonuse poststroke and (2) to develop and test a novel, simple, objective, reliable, and valid instrument, the Bilateral Arm Reaching Test (BART), to quantify arm use and nonuse poststroke. First, we quantify nonuse with the Quality of Movement (QOM) subscale of the Actual Amount of Use Test (AAUT) by subtracting the AAUT QOM score in the spontaneous use condition from the AAUT QOM score in a subsequent constrained use condition. Second, we quantify arm use and nonuse with BART by comparing reaching performance to visual targets projected over a 2D horizontal hemi-work space in a spontaneous-use condition (in which participants are free to use either arm at each trial) with reaching performance in a constrained-use condition. All participants (N = 24) with chronic stroke and with mild to moderate impairment exhibited nonuse with the AAUT QOM. Nonuse with BART had excellent test-retest reliability and good external validity. BART is the first instrument that can be used repeatedly and practically in the clinic to quantify the effects of neurorehabilitation on arm use and nonuse and in the laboratory for advancing theoretical knowledge about the recovery of arm use and the development of nonuse and "learned nonuse" after stroke.

Natural Variation of Epstein-Barr Virus Genes, Proteins, and Primary MicroRNA.

PubMed

Correia, Samantha; Palser, Anne; Elgueta Karstegl, Claudio; Middeldorp, Jaap M; Ramayanti, Octavia; Cohen, Jeffrey I; Hildesheim, Allan; Fellner, Maria Dolores; Wiels, Joelle; White, Robert E; Kellam, Paul; Farrell, Paul J

2017-08-01

Viral gene sequences from an enlarged set of about 200 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strains, including many primary isolates, have been used to investigate variation in key viral genetic regions, particularly LMP1, Zp, gp350, EBNA1, and the BART microRNA (miRNA) cluster 2. Determination of type 1 and type 2 EBV in saliva samples from people from a wide range of geographic and ethnic backgrounds demonstrates a small percentage of healthy white Caucasian British people carrying predominantly type 2 EBV. Linkage of Zp and gp350 variants to type 2 EBV is likely to be due to their genes being adjacent to the EBNA3 locus, which is one of the major determinants of the type 1/type 2 distinction. A novel classification of EBNA1 DNA binding domains, named QCIGP, results from phylogeny analysis of their protein sequences but is not linked to the type 1/type 2 classification. The BART cluster 2 miRNA region is classified into three major variants through single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the primary miRNA outside the mature miRNA sequences. These SNPs can result in altered levels of expression of some miRNAs from the BART variant frequently present in Chinese and Indonesian nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) samples. The EBV genetic variants identified here provide a basis for future, more directed analysis of association of specific EBV variations with EBV biology and EBV-associated diseases. IMPORTANCE Incidence of diseases associated with EBV varies greatly in different parts of the world. Thus, relationships between EBV genome sequence variation and health, disease, geography, and ethnicity of the host may be important for understanding the role of EBV in diseases and for development of an effective EBV vaccine. This paper provides the most comprehensive analysis so far of variation in specific EBV genes relevant to these diseases and proposed EBV vaccines. By focusing on variation in LMP1, Zp, gp350, EBNA1, and the BART miRNA cluster 2, new relationships with the known type 1/type 2 strains are demonstrated, and a novel classification of EBNA1 and the BART miRNAs is proposed. Copyright © 2017 Correia et al.

A Novel Persistence Associated EBV miRNA Expression Profile Is Disrupted in Neoplasia

PubMed Central

Qiu, Jin; Cosmopoulos, Katherine; Pegtel, Michiel; Hopmans, Erik; Murray, Paul; Middeldorp, Jaap; Shapiro, Michael; Thorley-Lawson, David A.

2011-01-01

We have performed the first extensive profiling of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) miRNAs on in vivo derived normal and neoplastic infected tissues. We describe a unique pattern of viral miRNA expression by normal infected cells in vivo expressing restricted viral latency programs (germinal center: Latency II and memory B: Latency I/0). This includes the complete absence of 15 of the 34 miRNAs profiled. These consist of 12 BART miRNAs (including approximately half of Cluster 2) and 3 of the 4 BHRF1 miRNAs. All but 2 of these absent miRNAs become expressed during EBV driven growth (Latency III). Furthermore, EBV driven growth is accompanied by a 5–10 fold down regulation in the level of the BART miRNAs expressed in germinal center and memory B cells. Therefore, Latency III also expresses a unique pattern of viral miRNAs. We refer to the miRNAs that are specifically expressed in EBV driven growth as the Latency III associated miRNAs. In EBV associated tumors that employ Latency I or II (Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric carcinoma), the Latency III associated BART but not BHRF1 miRNAs are up regulated. Thus BART miRNA expression is deregulated in the EBV associated tumors. This is the first demonstration that Latency III specific genes (the Latency III associated BARTs) can be expressed in these tumors. The EBV associated tumors demonstrate very similar patterns of miRNA expression yet were readily distinguished when the expression data were analyzed either by heat-map/clustering or principal component analysis. Systematic analysis revealed that the information distinguishing the tumor types was redundant and distributed across all the miRNAs. This resembles “secret sharing” algorithms where information can be distributed among a large number of recipients in such a way that any combination of a small number of recipients is able to understand the message. Biologically, this may be a consequence of functional redundancy between the miRNAs. PMID:21901094

Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART): Model, Statistics Driver, and Application to HD 209458b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cubillos, Patricio; Harrington, Joseph; Blecic, Jasmina; Stemm, Madison M.; Lust, Nate B.; Foster, Andrew S.; Rojo, Patricio M.; Loredo, Thomas J.

2014-11-01

Multi-wavelength secondary-eclipse and transit depths probe the thermo-chemical properties of exoplanets. In recent years, several research groups have developed retrieval codes to analyze the existing data and study the prospects of future facilities. However, the scientific community has limited access to these packages. Here we premiere the open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code. We discuss the key aspects of the radiative-transfer algorithm and the statistical package. The radiation code includes line databases for all HITRAN molecules, high-temperature H2O, TiO, and VO, and includes a preprocessor for adding additional line databases without recompiling the radiation code. Collision-induced absorption lines are available for H2-H2 and H2-He. The parameterized thermal and molecular abundance profiles can be modified arbitrarily without recompilation. The generated spectra are integrated over arbitrary bandpasses for comparison to data. BART's statistical package, Multi-core Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MC3), is a general-purpose MCMC module. MC3 implements the Differental-evolution Markov-chain Monte Carlo algorithm (ter Braak 2006, 2009). MC3 converges 20-400 times faster than the usual Metropolis-Hastings MCMC algorithm, and in addition uses the Message Passing Interface (MPI) to parallelize the MCMC chains. We apply the BART retrieval code to the HD 209458b data set to estimate the planet's temperature profile and molecular abundances. This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NNX12AI69G and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G. JB holds a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship.

Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART)Thermochemical Equilibrium Abundance (TEA) Code and Application to WASP-43b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blecic, Jasmina; Harrington, Joseph; Bowman, Matthew O.; Cubillos, Patricio E.; Stemm, Madison; Foster, Andrew

2014-11-01

We present a new, open-source, Thermochemical Equilibrium Abundances (TEA) code that calculates the abundances of gaseous molecular species. TEA uses the Gibbs-free-energy minimization method with an iterative Lagrangian optimization scheme. It initializes the radiative-transfer calculation in our Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code. Given elemental abundances, TEA calculates molecular abundances for a particular temperature and pressure or a list of temperature-pressure pairs. The code is tested against the original method developed by White at al. (1958), the analytic method developed by Burrows and Sharp (1999), and the Newton-Raphson method implemented in the open-source Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) code. TEA is written in Python and is available to the community via the open-source development site GitHub.com. We also present BART applied to eclipse depths of WASP-43b exoplanet, constraining atmospheric thermal and chemical parameters. This work was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NNX12AI69G and NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program grant NNX13AF38G. JB holds a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship.

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

Gibson, Adam Paul

The authors present a measurement of the mass of the top quark. The event sample is selected from proton-antiproton collisions, at 1.96 TeV center-of-mass energy, observed with the CDF detector at Fermilab's Tevatron. They consider a 318 pb -1 dataset collected between March 2002 and August 2004. They select events that contain one energetic lepton, large missing transverse energy, exactly four energetic jets, and at least one displaced vertex b tag. The analysis uses leading-order tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ and background matrix elements along with parameterized parton showering to construct event-by-event likelihoods as a function of top quark mass. From the 63 events observed with the 318 pb -1 dataset they extract a top quark mass of 172.0 ± 2.6(stat) ± 3.3(syst) GeV/c 2 from the joint likelihood. The mean expected statistical uncertainty is 3.2 GeV/c 2 for m $$\\bar{t}$$ = 178 GTeV/c 2 and 3.1 GeV/c 2 for m $$\\bar{t}$$ = 172.5 GeV/c 2. The systematic error is dominated by the uncertainty of the jet energy scale.« less

Profiling of EBV-Encoded microRNAs in EBV-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

PubMed

Zhou, Chen; Xie, Zhengde; Gao, Liwei; Liu, Chunyan; Ai, Junhong; Zhang, Li; Shen, Kunling

2015-10-01

Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (EBV-HLH) is a life-threatening complication of EBV infection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were small non-coding RNA, and EBV could encode miRNAs that are involved in the progression of infection. However, the profiles of EBV-miRNAs in EBV-HLH were unknown. Here, we aimed to profile the expression of EBV-miRNAs in children with EBV-HLH by analyzing 44 known EBV-miRNAs, encoded within the BamHI fragment H rightward open reading frame 1 (BHRF1) and the BamHI-A region rightward transcript (BART), in plasma and cellular targets by real-time quantitative PCR. The study included 15 children with EBV-HLH, 15 children with infectious mononucleosis (IM), and 15 healthy controls. CD8(+) T cells were found to be the cellular target of EBV infection in EBV-HLH, while CD19(+) B cells were infected with EBV in IM. We also found the greater levels of several miRNAs encoded by BART in EBV-HLH, compared to those in IM and healthy controls, whereas the levels of BHRF1 miRNAs were lower than those in IM. The profile and pattern of EBV-miRNAs in EBV-HLH indicated that EBV could display type II latency in EBV-HLH. Importantly, the level of plasma miR-BART16-1 continued decreasing during the whole chemotherapy, suggesting that plasma miR-BART16-1 could be a potential biomarker for monitoring EBV-HLH progression. The pathogenesis of EBV-HLH might be attributed to the abundance of EBV-miRNAs in EBV-HLH. These findings help elucidate the roles of EBV miRNAs in EBV-HLH, enabling the understanding of the basis of this disease and providing clues for its treatment.

Distribution of alpha thalassaemia in 16 year old Malaysian Students in Penang, Melaka and Sabah.

PubMed

Rahimah, A N; Nisha, S; Safiah, B; Roshida, H; Punithawathy, Y; Nurul, H; Syahzuwan, H; Zubaidah, Z

2012-12-01

Alpha thalassaemia is wide spread in Malaysia and is a public health problem. This study aimed to describe the carrier frequencies of α‒thalassaemia and its distribution among major ethnic groups in three states of Malaysia. Educational forums were organised and study was explained to students from three schools. Students were invited to take part in the screening with parent consent. A total of 8420 adolescent students aged 16 years volunteered to participate in the study. Peripheral blood samples were analysed for complete blood counts, haemoglobin quantification and typing, and serum ferritin levels. Genomic DNA was used for screening alpha thalassaemia alleles by PCR based molecular methods. We identified seven α‒globin gene defects in 341 (4.08%) students: amongst them α(+)‒ and α(0)‒thalassaemias were detected in 232 (2.77%) and 107 (1.28%) students respectively. Genotype ‒α(3.7)/αα was the most prevalent among sub-populations of Malay, indigenous communities of Sahab and Indian, while ‒‒(SEA)/αα deletion is more prevalent in Malaysian Chinese. It is estimated that 63 pregnancies annually are at risk of Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis. We have demonstrated the prevalence and mutation patterns of α‒thalassaemia in the 16 year olds in three states of Malaysia. High α(0)‒thalassaemia deletions amongst the study subjects place these carriers at an increased risk of conceiving fetuses with HbH disease and Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis should they choose another heterozygous partner. It is therefore highly recommended to institute community screening programmes and provide prospective carriers with genetic counselling to help them make informed choices.

Comparison of Nine Statistical Model Based Warfarin Pharmacogenetic Dosing Algorithms Using the Racially Diverse International Warfarin Pharmacogenetic Consortium Cohort Database

PubMed Central

Liu, Rong; Li, Xi; Zhang, Wei; Zhou, Hong-Hao

2015-01-01

Objective Multiple linear regression (MLR) and machine learning techniques in pharmacogenetic algorithm-based warfarin dosing have been reported. However, performances of these algorithms in racially diverse group have never been objectively evaluated and compared. In this literature-based study, we compared the performances of eight machine learning techniques with those of MLR in a large, racially-diverse cohort. Methods MLR, artificial neural network (ANN), regression tree (RT), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), boosted regression tree (BRT), support vector regression (SVR), random forest regression (RFR), lasso regression (LAR) and Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) were applied in warfarin dose algorithms in a cohort from the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium database. Covariates obtained by stepwise regression from 80% of randomly selected patients were used to develop algorithms. To compare the performances of these algorithms, the mean percentage of patients whose predicted dose fell within 20% of the actual dose (mean percentage within 20%) and the mean absolute error (MAE) were calculated in the remaining 20% of patients. The performances of these techniques in different races, as well as the dose ranges of therapeutic warfarin were compared. Robust results were obtained after 100 rounds of resampling. Results BART, MARS and SVR were statistically indistinguishable and significantly out performed all the other approaches in the whole cohort (MAE: 8.84–8.96 mg/week, mean percentage within 20%: 45.88%–46.35%). In the White population, MARS and BART showed higher mean percentage within 20% and lower mean MAE than those of MLR (all p values < 0.05). In the Asian population, SVR, BART, MARS and LAR performed the same as MLR. MLR and LAR optimally performed among the Black population. When patients were grouped in terms of warfarin dose range, all machine learning techniques except ANN and LAR showed significantly higher mean percentage within 20%, and lower MAE (all p values < 0.05) than MLR in the low- and high- dose ranges. Conclusion Overall, machine learning-based techniques, BART, MARS and SVR performed superior than MLR in warfarin pharmacogenetic dosing. Differences of algorithms’ performances exist among the races. Moreover, machine learning-based algorithms tended to perform better in the low- and high- dose ranges than MLR. PMID:26305568

Construction of environmental risk score beyond standard linear models using machine learning methods: application to metal mixtures, oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease in NHANES.

PubMed

Park, Sung Kyun; Zhao, Zhangchen; Mukherjee, Bhramar

2017-09-26

There is growing concern of health effects of exposure to pollutant mixtures. We initially proposed an Environmental Risk Score (ERS) as a summary measure to examine the risk of exposure to multi-pollutants in epidemiologic research considering only pollutant main effects. We expand the ERS by consideration of pollutant-pollutant interactions using modern machine learning methods. We illustrate the multi-pollutant approaches to predicting a marker of oxidative stress (gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)), a common disease pathway linking environmental exposure and numerous health endpoints. We examined 20 metal biomarkers measured in urine or whole blood from 6 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2003-2004 to 2013-2014, n = 9664). We randomly split the data evenly into training and testing sets and constructed ERS's of metal mixtures for GGT using adaptive elastic-net with main effects and pairwise interactions (AENET-I), Bayesian additive regression tree (BART), Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and Super Learner in the training set and evaluated their performances in the testing set. We also evaluated the associations between GGT-ERS and cardiovascular endpoints. ERS based on AENET-I performed better than other approaches in terms of prediction errors in the testing set. Important metals identified in relation to GGT include cadmium (urine), dimethylarsonic acid, monomethylarsonic acid, cobalt, and barium. All ERS's showed significant associations with systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hypertension. For hypertension, one SD increase in each ERS from AENET-I, BART and SuperLearner were associated with odds ratios of 1.26 (95% CI, 1.15, 1.38), 1.17 (1.09, 1.25), and 1.30 (1.20, 1.40), respectively. ERS's showed non-significant positive associations with mortality outcomes. ERS is a useful tool for characterizing cumulative risk from pollutant mixtures, with accounting for statistical challenges such as high degrees of correlations and pollutant-pollutant interactions. ERS constructed for an intermediate marker like GGT is predictive of related disease endpoints.

Measurement of the cross section ratio $$\\sigma_\\mathrm{t \\bar{t} b \\bar{b}} / \\sigma_\\mathrm{t \\bar{t} jj }$$ in pp collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}$$ = 8 TeV

DOE PAGES

Khachatryan, Vardan

2015-04-30

In this study, the first measurement of the cross section ratio σ ttbb¯/σ ttjj is presented using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 fb –1 collected in pp collisions at √s = 8 with the CMS detector at the LHC. Events with two leptons (e or μ ) and four reconstructed jets, including two identified as b quark jets, in the final state are selected. The ratio is determined for a minimum jet transverse momentum p T of both 20 and 40 GeV/c.

Measurement of the t $$\\bar{t}$$ Cross-Section Using the Dimuon Channel in p$$\\bar{p}$$ Collisions at √s = 1.96-TeV

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

McCroskey, Robert Crampton

2004-01-01

The author has measured the tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ production cross section at √s = 1.96 TeV using data collected by the D0 experiment at Fermilab. The integrated luminosity of the data set is 140 pb -1 and a total of four candidate events are seen, with an expected background of 2.61 events. The measured cross section of σ t$$\\bar{t}$$ = 11.1$$+22.1\\atop{-9.3}$$(stat.)$$+4.3\\atop{-4.5}$$(sys.) pb is in agreement with a NNLO calculation of 6.77 pb.« less

The role of Epstein–Barr virus in epithelial malignancies

PubMed Central

Tsao, Sai-Wah; Tsang, Chi Man; To, Ka-Fai; Lo, Kwok-Wai

2015-01-01

The close association of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection with non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinomas and a subset of gastric carcinomas suggests that EBV infection is a crucial event in these cancers. The difficulties encountered in infecting and transforming primary epithelial cells in experimental systems suggest that the role of EBV in epithelial malignancies is complex and multifactorial in nature. Genetic alterations in the premalignant epithelium may support the establishment of latent EBV infection, which is believed to be an initiation event. Oncogenic properties have been reported in multiple EBV latent genes. The BamH1 A rightwards transcripts (BARTs) and the BART-encoded microRNAs (miR-BARTs) are highly expressed in EBV-associated epithelial malignancies and may induce malignant transformation. However, enhanced proliferation may not be the crucial function of EBV infection in epithelial malignancies, at least in the early stages of cancer development. EBV-encoded gene products may confer anti-apoptotic properties and promote the survival of infected premalignant epithelial cells harbouring genetic alterations. Multiple EBV-encoded microRNAs have been reported to have immune evasion functions. Genetic alterations in host cells, as well as inflammatory stroma, could modulate the expression of EBV genes and alter the growth properties of infected premalignant epithelial cells, encouraging their selection during carcinogenesis. PMID:25251730

The relationship between insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction in obese adolescents.

PubMed

Brar, Preneet Cheema; Patel, Payal; Katz, Stuart

2017-05-24

Insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction share a reciprocal relationship that links the metabolic and cardiovascular sequelae of obesity. We characterized the brachial artery reactivity testing (BART) and carotid artery-intima media thickness (CIMT) in adolescents categorized as obese insulin resistant (OIR) and obese not insulin resistant (ONIR). Lipoprotein particle (p) analysis and inflammatory cytokines in OIR and ONIR groups were also analyzed. Obese adolescents (n=40; mean body mass index [BMI] 35.6) were categorized as ONIR and OIR based on their homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) calculation (≤or> than 3.4). Ultrasound measured conduit arterial function BART, microvascular function (post-ischemic hyperemia) and conduit artery structure CIMT. BART did not differ according to IR status (mean±SD: 7.0±4.3% vs. 5.9±3.4% in ONIR and OIR, respectively, p=0.3, but post-ischemic hyperemia was significantly greater in the ONIR group (4.5±2.2 vs. 3.5±3, p=0.04). Atherogenic lipoprotein particles; large VLDL particles and small LDL particles were higher in the OIR compared to ONIR group. OIR adolescents demonstrate an inflamed atherogenic milieu compared to the ONIR adolescents. Microvascular function, but not conduit vessel structure or function, was impaired in association with IR.

In-service tests of the effectiveness of vibration control measures on the BART rail transit system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saurenman, Hugh

2005-09-01

Controlling vibration from new rail transit systems can be quite expensive when the alignment passes through residential areas. However, there is relatively little documented information on how effective different vibration mitigation approaches perform under in-service conditions. This paper presents results of a number of vibration measurements of the different track forms used on the current San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system including floating slab, resiliently supported half ties, and high-resilience direct fixation fasteners in subways and one section of floating slab used on at-grade tracks. The goal was to obtain data that would improve the predictions of future vibration levels and perhaps lead to more cost effective vibration mitigation strategies for the proposed BART extension to San Jose. The tests show that the floating slabs are performing much as designed, the resiliently supported half ties are less effective than expected, and the high resilience track fasteners are probably performing as expected, although the results are clouded because of severe rail corrugation in the area where the new fasteners were installed. Some unanticipated results are the apparent interaction of the floating slab resonance, the wheel rotation frequency, the bogey dynamics, and vibration propagation characteristics of the ground.

Estimating population trends with a linear model: Technical comments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, John R.; Link, William A.; Royle, J. Andrew

2004-01-01

Controversy has sometimes arisen over whether there is a need to accommodate the limitations of survey design in estimating population change from the count data collected in bird surveys. Analyses of surveys such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) can be quite complex; it is natural to ask if the complexity is necessary, or whether the statisticians have run amok. Bart et al. (2003) propose a very simple analysis involving nothing more complicated than simple linear regression, and contrast their approach with model-based procedures. We review the assumptions implicit to their proposed method, and document that these assumptions are unlikely to be valid for surveys such as the BBS. One fundamental limitation of a purely design-based approach is the absence of controls for factors that influence detection of birds at survey sites. We show that failure to model observer effects in survey data leads to substantial bias in estimation of population trends from BBS data for the 20 species that Bart et al. (2003) used as the basis of their simulations. Finally, we note that the simulations presented in Bart et al. (2003) do not provide a useful evaluation of their proposed method, nor do they provide a valid comparison to the estimating- equations alternative they consider.

Variations in Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) Concentration Levels at a Major Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Railway Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luong, K.; Sethy, D.; Yu, I.; Hernandez, N.; Fang, K.; Zhang, W.; Li, J.; Hoang, R.; Munui, K. N.; Sot, R.; Rodriguez, V. A.; Chiu, D.; Sankar, R.; Bonzo, R.

2016-12-01

Previous research has identified high levels of PM 2.5 in Embarcadero Station within the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. The current study examined PM 2.5 levels within Embarcadero Station to confirm previous results, as well as to determine exposure with respect to a location on the platform. Data collected confirmed the effectiveness of using DustTrak devices to collect elevated PM data. Our research established a model for PM 2.5 levels in a stationary location on the Embarcadero platform over a span of 10 minutes.This allowed us to compare the east and west ends of Embarcadero station platform for levels of PM2.5. A significantly higher level of PM2.5 was found on the east end of the platform, supporting last year's study. This methodology builds on last year's research to show a sustained high level of PM 2.5 on either end of the platform, with a significant elevated levels on the east end. Collecting data from a stationary location provided insight on exposure for an individual waiting in one spot rather than walking along the platform prior to train arrival. While the level of PM 2.5 varied over time, the average PM 2.5 over the 10 minute period were still at unhealthy levels. Our research suggests that location of an individual on the platform does affect their exposure level and therefore recommendations can be made for individuals with higher risk.

A Study of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentration Variance by Distance from Train Platform at a Major Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Railway Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solis, M.; Nguyen, H.; Adeyan, A.; Adeyan, E.; Taylor, S.; Hardaway, K.; Peterson, E.; Ortega, J.; Marshall, R.

2017-12-01

Over the past five years, the East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS) has been investigating air quality at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train stations. In particular, prior EBAYS research has revealed extremely high levels of particulate matter (PM 2.5) at the multi-leveled Embarcadero Station, which is underground and is one of the most frequently visited stations in the entire BART system. During the summer of 2017 data was collected to determine whether or not air quality differed on the three levels of this station. In conducting this study the research team was separated into pairs, each pair in possession of a Dustrak II or AirBeam PM analyzer and each pair assigned to a particular level. Within each measurement trial data was collected for 15 minutes. Measurements were also made on the eastern and western ends of the platforms to detect possible variations in PM concentration. Preliminary results obtained thus far indicate that dangerously high levels of PM 2.5 concentration occur on all three levels of the station. This is especially problematic because it suggests that individuals who spend extensive amounts of time at this station (e.g., station agents and other workers) are exposed to extremely high PM 2.5 concentration levels and as a result are working under conditions that are quite hazardous to their health. Based on observations made during testing, increased levels of PM 2.5 tend to correlate with the departure or arrival of BART trains that results in particulate matter being scattered about the train platform and other levels. Further studies should be conducted to verify this observation and to contribute to better understanding the sources and behavior of PM 2.5 at each level of the station.

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

Hurlbut, D. J.; Haase, S.; Brinkman, G.

Pursuant to the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in 2009 its intent to issue rules for controlling emissions from Navajo Generating Station that could affect visibility at the Grand Canyon and at several other national parks and wilderness areas. The final rule will conform to what EPA determines is the best available retrofit technology (BART) for the control of haze-causing air pollutants, especially nitrogen oxides. While EPA is ultimately responsible for setting Navajo Generating Station's BART standards in its final rule, it will be the U.S. Department of the Interior's responsibility to manage compliance andmore » the related impacts. This study aims to assist both Interior and EPA by providing an objective assessment of issues relating to the power sector.« less

Improved predictive mapping of indoor radon concentrations using ensemble regression trees based on automatic clustering of geological units.

PubMed

Kropat, Georg; Bochud, Francois; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Laedermann, Jean-Pascal; Murith, Christophe; Palacios Gruson, Martha; Baechler, Sébastien

2015-09-01

According to estimations around 230 people die as a result of radon exposure in Switzerland. This public health concern makes reliable indoor radon prediction and mapping methods necessary in order to improve risk communication to the public. The aim of this study was to develop an automated method to classify lithological units according to their radon characteristics and to develop mapping and predictive tools in order to improve local radon prediction. About 240 000 indoor radon concentration (IRC) measurements in about 150 000 buildings were available for our analysis. The automated classification of lithological units was based on k-medoids clustering via pair-wise Kolmogorov distances between IRC distributions of lithological units. For IRC mapping and prediction we used random forests and Bayesian additive regression trees (BART). The automated classification groups lithological units well in terms of their IRC characteristics. Especially the IRC differences in metamorphic rocks like gneiss are well revealed by this method. The maps produced by random forests soundly represent the regional difference of IRCs in Switzerland and improve the spatial detail compared to existing approaches. We could explain 33% of the variations in IRC data with random forests. Additionally, the influence of a variable evaluated by random forests shows that building characteristics are less important predictors for IRCs than spatial/geological influences. BART could explain 29% of IRC variability and produced maps that indicate the prediction uncertainty. Ensemble regression trees are a powerful tool to model and understand the multidimensional influences on IRCs. Automatic clustering of lithological units complements this method by facilitating the interpretation of radon properties of rock types. This study provides an important element for radon risk communication. Future approaches should consider taking into account further variables like soil gas radon measurements as well as more detailed geological information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Michael Griffin House Science Committee Hearing

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-06-27

Rep. Bart Gordon, D-TN., questions NASA Administrator Michael Griffin during a House Science Committee hearing, Tuesday, June 28, 2005, Rayburn House Office building, Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Forecasted economic change and the self-fulfilling prophecy in economic decision-making

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This study addresses the self-fulfilling prophecy effect, in the domain of economic decision-making. We present experimental data in support of the hypothesis that speculative forecasts of economic change can impact individuals’ economic decision behavior, prior to any realized changes. In a within-subjects experiment, participants (N = 40) played 180 trials in a Balloon Analogue Risk Talk (BART) in which they could make actual profit. Simple messages about possible (positive and negative) changes in outcome probabilities of future trials had significant effects on measures of risk taking (number of inflations) and actual profits in the game. These effects were enduring, even though no systematic changes in actual outcome probabilities took place following any of the messages. Risk taking also found to be reflected in reaction times revealing increasing reaction times with riskier decisions. Positive and negative economic forecasts affected reaction times slopes differently, with negative forecasts resulting in increased reaction time slopes as a function of risk. These findings suggest that forecasted positive or negative economic change can bias people’s mental model of the economy and reduce or stimulate risk taking. Possible implications for media-fulfilling prophecies in the domain of the economy are considered. PMID:28334031

BMP4 Signaling Is Able to Induce an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Like Phenotype in Barrett’s Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma through Induction of SNAIL2

PubMed Central

Kestens, Christine; Siersema, Peter D.; Offerhaus, G. Johan A.; van Baal, Jantine W. P. M.

2016-01-01

Background Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) signaling is involved in the development of Barrett’s esophagus (BE), a precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). In various cancers, BMP4 has been found to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) but its function in the development of EAC is currently unclear. Aim To investigate the expression of BMP4 and several members of the BMP4 pathway in EAC. Additionally, to determine the effect of BMP4 signaling in a human Barrett’s esophagus (BAR-T) and adenocarcinoma (OE33) cell line. Methods Expression of BMP4, its downstream target ID2 and members of the BMP4 pathway were determined by Q-RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis using biopsy samples from EAC patients. BAR-T and OE33 cells were incubated with BMP4 or the BMP4 antagonist, Noggin, and cell viability and migration assays were performed. In addition, expression of factors associated with EMT (SNAIL2, CDH1, CDH2 and Vimentin) was evaluated by Q-RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Results Compared to squamous epithelium (SQ), BMP4 expression was significantly upregulated in EAC and BE. In addition, the expression of ID2 was significantly upregulated in EAC and BE compared to SQ. Western blot analysis confirmed our results, showing an upregulated expression of BMP4 and ID2 in both BE and EAC. In addition, more phosphorylation of SMAD1/5/8 was observed. BMP4 incubation inhibited cell viability, but induced cell migration in both BAR-T and OE33 cells. Upon BMP4 incubation, SNAIL2 expression was significantly upregulated in BAR-T and OE33 cells while CDH1 expression was significantly downregulated. These results were confirmed by Western blot analysis. Conclusion Our results indicate active BMP4 signaling in BE and EAC and suggest that this results in an invasive phenotype by inducing an EMT-like response through upregulation of SNAIL2 and subsequent downregulation of CDH1. PMID:27191723

What Did We Learn from the Animal Studies of Body Weight–Supported Treadmill Training and Where Do We Go from Here?

PubMed Central

Dy, Christine J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Body weight–supported treadmill training (BWSTT) developed from animal studies of spinal cord injury (SCI). Evidence that spinal cats (i.e., cats that have a complete surgical transection of the cord) could regain the ability to step on a moving treadmill indicated a vast potential for spinal circuits to generate walking without the brain. BWSTT represented a means to unlock that potential. As the technique was adapted as a rehabilitation intervention for humans with SCI, shortcomings in the translation to walking in the real world were exposed. Evidence that BWSTT has not been as successful for humans with SCI leads us to revisit key animal studies. In this short review, we describe the task-specific nature of BWSTT and discuss how this specificity may pose limits on the recovery of overground walking. Also discussed are more recent studies that have introduced new strategies and tools that adapt BWSTT ideas to more functionally-relevant tasks. We introduce a new device for weight-supported overground walking in rats called Circular BART (Body weight supported Ambulatory Rat Trainer) and demonstrate that it is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce. Future animal studies will benefit from the development of simple tools that facilitate training and testing of overground walking. PMID:27863455

What Did We Learn from the Animal Studies of Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training and Where Do We Go from Here?

PubMed

de Leon, Ray D; Dy, Christine J

2017-05-01

Body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) developed from animal studies of spinal cord injury (SCI). Evidence that spinal cats (i.e., cats that have a complete surgical transection of the cord) could regain the ability to step on a moving treadmill indicated a vast potential for spinal circuits to generate walking without the brain. BWSTT represented a means to unlock that potential. As the technique was adapted as a rehabilitation intervention for humans with SCI, shortcomings in the translation to walking in the real world were exposed. Evidence that BWSTT has not been as successful for humans with SCI leads us to revisit key animal studies. In this short review, we describe the task-specific nature of BWSTT and discuss how this specificity may pose limits on the recovery of overground walking. Also discussed are more recent studies that have introduced new strategies and tools that adapt BWSTT ideas to more functionally-relevant tasks. We introduce a new device for weight-supported overground walking in rats called Circular BART (Body weight supported Ambulatory Rat Trainer) and demonstrate that it is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce. Future animal studies will benefit from the development of simple tools that facilitate training and testing of overground walking.

77 FR 20333 - Approval, Disapproval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Nebraska; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-04

...; Federal Implementation Plan for Best Available Retrofit Technology Determination; Extension of Public... Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) requirements for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) at one source in...

Advanced data acquisition and display techniques for laser velocimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kjelgaard, Scott O.; Weston, Robert P.

1991-01-01

The Basic Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (BART) has been equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for acquiring the data needed for code validation. This paper describes the three-component LDV and the workstation-based data-acquisition system (DAS) which has been developed for the BART. The DAS allows the use of automation and the quick integration of advanced instrumentation, while minimizing the software development time required between investigations. The paper also includes a description of a graphics software library developed to support the windowing environment of the DAS. The real-time displays generated using the graphics library help the researcher ensure the test is proceeding properly. The graphics library also supports the requirements of posttest data analysis. The use of the DAS and graphics libraries is illustrated by presenting examples of the real-time and postprocessing display graphics for LDV investigations.

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

Aaboud, M.; Aad, G.; Abbott, B.

A measurement of the inclusive p p → tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ + X production cross section in the τ + jets final state using only the hadronic decays of the τ lepton is presented. The measurement is performed using 20.2 fb -1 of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The cross section is measured via a counting experiment by imposing a set of selection criteria on the identification and kinematic variables of the reconstructed particles and jets, and on event kinematic variables and characteristics. The production cross section is measured to be σ t $$\\bar{t}$$ = 239 ± 29 pb , which is in agreement with the measurements in other final states and the theoretical predictions at this center-of-mass energy.« less

Genetics Home Reference: Bart-Pumphrey syndrome

MedlinePlus

... 26 in cells, and may interfere with the function of other connexin proteins. This disruption could affect skin growth and also impair hearing by disturbing the conversion of sound waves to nerve impulses. Learn more about the gene ...

Simultaneous antegrade/retrograde upper urinary tract access: Bart's modified lateral position for complex upper tract endourologic pathologic features.

PubMed

Moraitis, Konstantinos; Philippou, Prodromos; El-Husseiny, Tamer; Wazait, Hassan; Masood, Junaid; Buchholz, Noor

2012-02-01

To determine whether the Bart's modified lateral position is safe and effective for achieving simultaneous anterograde and retrograde access in complex upper urinary tract pathologic features. From November 2006 to September 2010, 45 procedures were performed, with the patients in the modified lateral position. The indication for these procedures was the presence of complex unilateral upper urinary tract pathologic features. The patients with muscular and/or skeletal abnormalities were excluded. All procedures were performed using simultaneous anterograde and retrograde access with the patient under general anesthesia. The preoperative investigation protocol included assessment of the stone burden and location using enhanced abdominal computed tomography. The patients were routinely examined 6 weeks after the procedure with a combination of plain abdominal radiography and renal ultrasonography. For patients treated for conditions causing upper urinary tract obstruction (pelviureteral junction obstruction and/or ureteral strictures), a mercaptoacetyltriglycine renography was performed at 4, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. The mean patient age was 51.2 years (range 17-79). Stone clearance was achieved by a single combined procedure in 36 patients (80%). Successful recanalization was achieved in all patients with pelviureteral junction obstruction and ureteral strictures. In 4 patients (8.8%), persistent hematuria was noted, and 2 patients (4.4%) developed postoperative urinary sepsis and were treated conservatively. Modification to the lateral position compares equally with contemporary percutaneous nephrolithotomy series. It provides wide exposure of the flank, allowing the choice of multiple access sites, enhanced control, and a wide angle for handling of the antegrade instruments. Two surgeons can work simultaneously, addressing complex endourologic pathologic features in high-risk patients. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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

Cortiana, Giorgio

We present a measurement of the tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ production cross section in p$$\\bar{p}$$ collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV which uses for the first time events with a signature of significant missing transverse energy and jets.« less

Systems Analysis of Rapid Transit Underground Construction : Volume 2. Sections 6-9 and Appendixes.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-12-01

Three San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) projects and two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) projects are analyzed with respect to time schedules, costs, and sensitivity to physical and institutional controls. These data ...

77 FR 30467 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Washington; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-23

.... Visibility impairment is primarily caused by fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) or secondary aerosol formed in.... 70 FR 39104. In making a BART applicability determination for a fossil fuel-fired electric generating...

40 CFR 52.1923 - Best Available Retrofit Requirements (BART) for SO2 and Interstate pollutant transport provisions...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... combusted at any time at the steam generating unit. Daily average means the arithmetic average of the hourly... which may include, but is not limited to, monitoring results, review of operating and maintenance...

Assessing fracture risk in people with MS: a service development study comparing three fracture risk scoring systems

PubMed Central

Dobson, Ruth; Leddy, Sara Geraldine; Gangadharan, Sunay; Giovannoni, Gavin

2013-01-01

Objectives Suboptimal bone health is increasingly recognised as an important cause of morbidity. Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been consistently associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture. Various fracture risk screening tools have been developed, two of which are in routine use and a further one is MS-specific. We set out to compare the results obtained by these in the MS clinic population. Design This was a service development study. The 10-year risk estimates of any fracture and hip fracture generated by each of the algorithms were compared. Setting The MS clinic at the Royal London Hospital. Participants 88 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MS. Outcome measures Mean 10-year overall fracture risk and hip fracture risk were calculated using each of the three fracture risk calculators. The number of interventions that would be required as a result of using each of these tools was also compared. Results Mean 10-year fracture risk was 4.7%, 2.3% and 7.6% using FRAX, QFracture and the MS-specific calculator, respectively (p<0.0001 for difference). The agreement between risk scoring tools was poor at all levels of fracture risk. Conclusions The agreement between these three fracture risk scoring tools is poor in the MS population. Further work is required to develop and validate an accurate fracture risk scoring system for use in MS. Trial registration This service development study was approved by the Clinical Effectiveness Department at Barts Health NHS Trust (project registration number 156/12). PMID:23482989

N-terminus determines activity and specificity of styrene monooxygenase reductases.

PubMed

Heine, Thomas; Scholtissek, Anika; Westphal, Adrie H; van Berkel, Willem J H; Tischler, Dirk

2017-12-01

Styrene monooxygenases (SMOs) are two-enzyme systems that catalyze the enantioselective epoxidation of styrene to (S)-styrene oxide. The FADH 2 co-substrate of the epoxidase component (StyA) is supplied by an NADH-dependent flavin reductase (StyB). The genome of Rhodococcus opacus 1CP encodes two SMO systems. One system, which we define as E1-type, displays homology to the SMO from Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120. The other system, originally reported as a fused system (RoStyA2B), is defined as E2-type. Here we found that E1-type RoStyB is inhibited by FMN, while RoStyA2B is known to be active with FMN. To rationalize the observed specificity of RoStyB for FAD, we generated an artificial reductase, designated as RoStyBart, in which the first 22 amino acid residues of RoStyB were joined to the reductase part of RoStyA2B, while the oxygenase part (A2) was removed. RoStyBart mainly purified as apo-protein and mimicked RoStyB in being inhibited by FMN. Pre-incubation with FAD yielded a turnover number at 30°C of 133.9±3.5s -1 , one of the highest rates observed for StyB reductases. RoStyBart holo-enzyme switches to a ping-pong mechanism and fluorescence analysis indicated for unproductive binding of FMN to the second (co-substrate) binding site. In summary, it is shown for the first time that optimization of the N-termini of StyB reductases allows the evolution of their activity and specificity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toll-like Receptor 2 Signalling and the Lysosomal Machinery in Barrett's Esophagus.

PubMed

Verbeek, Romy E; Siersema, Peter D; Vleggaar, Frank P; Ten Kate, Fiebo J; Posthuma, George; Souza, Rhonda F; de Haan, Judith; van Baal, Jantine W P M

2016-09-01

Inflammation plays an important role in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma and its metaplastic precursor lesion, Barrett's esophagus. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 signalling and lysosomal function have been linked to inflammation-associated carcinogenesis. We examined the expression of TLR2 in the esophagus and the effect of long-term TLR2 activation on morphological changes and expression of factors involved in lysosomal function in a Barrett's esophagus epithelium cell line. TLR2 expression in normal squamous esophagus, reflux esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma biopsies was assessed with Q-RT-PCR, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Barrett's esophagus epithelium cells (BAR-T) were incubated with acid and bile salts in the presence or absence of the TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4 for a period up to 4 weeks. Morphological changes were assessed with electron microscopy, while Q-RT-PCR was used to determine the expression of lysosomal enzymes (Cathepsin B and C) and factors involved in endocytosis (LAMP-1 and M6PR) and autophagy (LC3 and Rab7). TLR2 was expressed in normal squamous esophagus, reflux esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus but was most prominent in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Long-term TLR2 activation in acid and bile salts exposed BAR-T cells resulted in more and larger lysosomes, more mitochondria and increased expression of LAMP-1, M6PR, Cathepsin B and C when compared to BAR-T cells incubated with acid and bile salts but no TLR2 agonist. Factors associated with autophagy (LC3 and Rab7) expression remained largely unchanged. Activation of TLR2 in acid and bile salts exposed Barrett epithelium cells resulted in an increased number of mitochondria and lysosomes and increased expression of lysosomal enzymes and factors involved in endocytosis.

Aeroacoustic Simulation of a Nose Landing Gear in an Open Jet Facility Using FUN3D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vatsa, Veer N.; Lockard, David P.; Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Carlson, Jan-Renee

2012-01-01

Numerical simulations have been performed for a partially-dressed, cavity-closed nose landing gear configuration that was tested in NASA Langley s closed-wall Basic Aerodynamic Research Tunnel (BART) and in the University of Florida s open-jet acoustic facility known as UFAFF. The unstructured-grid flow solver, FUN3D, developed at NASA Langley Research center is used to compute the unsteady flow field for this configuration. A hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes/large eddy simulation (RANS/LES) turbulence model is used for these computations. Time-averaged and instantaneous solutions compare favorably with the measured data. Unsteady flowfield data obtained from the FUN3D code are used as input to a Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings noise propagation code to compute the sound pressure levels at microphones placed in the farfield. Significant improvement in predicted noise levels is obtained when the flowfield data from the open jet UFAFF simulations is used as compared to the case using flowfield data from the closed-wall BART configuration.

Sex, Drugs and Gluttony: How the Brain Controls Motivated Behaviors

PubMed Central

Hull, Elaine M.

2011-01-01

Bart Hoebel has forged a view of an integrated neural network that mediates both natural rewards and drug use. He pioneered the use of microdialysis, and also effectively used electrical stimulation, lesions, microinjections, and immunohistochemistry. He found that feeding, stimulant drug administration, and electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) all increased dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, whereas DA in the NAc enhanced motivation, DA in the LH inhibited motivated behaviors. The Hull lab has pursued some of those ideas. We have suggested that serotonin (5-HT) in the perifornicalLH inhibits sexual behavior by inhibiting orexin/hypocretin neurons (OX/HCRT), which would otherwise excite neurons in the mesocorticolimbic DA tract. We have shown that DA release in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) is very important for male sexual behavior, and that testosterone, glutamate, nitric oxide (NO) and previous sexual experience promote MPOA DA release and mating. Future research should follow Bart Hoebel’s emphasis on neural systems and interactions among brain areas and neurotransmitters. PMID:21554895

Specificity of Reward Sensitivity and Parasympathetic-Based Regulation among Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Disruptive Behavior Disorders.

PubMed

Tenenbaum, Rachel B; Musser, Erica D; Raiker, Joseph S; Coles, Erika K; Gnagy, Elizabeth M; Pelham, William E

2018-07-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with disruptionsin reward sensitivity and regulatory processes. However, it is unclear whether thesedisruptions are better explained by comorbid disruptive behavior disorder (DBD)symptomology. This study sought to examine this question using multiple levels ofanalysis (i.e., behavior, autonomic reactivity). One hundred seventeen children (aged 6 to 12 years; 72.6% male; 69 with ADHD) completed theBalloon-Analogue Risk Task (BART) to assess external reward sensitivity behaviorally.Sympathetic-based internal reward sensitivity and parasympathetic-based regulationwere indexed via cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia(RSA), respectively. Children with ADHD exhibited reduced internal reward sensitivity (i.e.,lengthened PEP; F(1,112)=4.01, p=0.047) compared to healthy controls and werecharacterized by greater parasympathetic-based dysregulation (i.e., reduced RSAaugmentation F(1,112)=10.12, p=0.002). However, follow-up analyses indicated theADHD effect was better accounted for by comorbid DBD diagnoses; that is, childrenwith ADHD and comorbid ODD were characterized by reduced internal rewardsensitivity (i.e., lengthened PEP; t=2.47, p=0.046) and by parasympathetic-baseddysregulation (i.e., reduced RSA augmentation; t=3.51, p=0.002) in response to rewardwhen compared to typically developing youth. Furthermore, children with ADHD and comorbid CD exhibited greater behaviorally-based external reward sensitivity (i.e.,more total pops; F(3,110)= 5.96, p=0.001) compared to children with ADHD only (t=3.87, p=0.001) and children with ADHD and ODD (t=3.56, p=0.003). Results suggest that disruptions in sensitivity to reward may be betteraccounted for, in part, by comorbid DBD.Key Words: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autonomic nervous system,disruptive behavior disorders, reward sensitivityPowered.

Development of an Automated Emergency Response System (AERS) for Rail Transit Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-10-01

As a result of a fire in 1979 at the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), a microprocessor-based information retrieval system was developed to aid in the emergency decision-making process. This system was proposed, designed and programmed by a sup...

78 FR 41731 - Source Specific Federal Implementation Plan for Implementing Best Available Retrofit Technology...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-11

... Federal Implementation Plan for Implementing Best Available Retrofit Technology for Four Corners Power... Implementation Plan (FIP) to implement the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) requirement of the Regional... given the uncertainties in the electrical market in Arizona, EPA is proposing to extend the date by...

The Priscilla and Bart Bok Award, presented by the ASP and the AAS at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garmany, K.

2013-04-01

The Bok Award is presented to high school students for astronomy research. While there are relatively few astronomy projects at this fair, many of the winners of this award have continued in the field of astronomy.

40 CFR 51.308 - Regional haze program requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... for fossil-fuel fired power plants having a total generating capacity greater than 750 megawatts must...) and (e) of this section. The progress reports must be in the form of implementation plan revisions... Federal Implementation Plan need not require BART-eligible fossil fuel-fired steam electric plants in the...

Solid State Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-15

Appl. Phys. Lett. 59, 2634 Increased Lifetime Obtained by Using C. A. Wang (1991) Strained InGaAs Active Layer N. H. Karam* Piezoelectric Micromotors ... Micromotors J. Chen* K. G. Brooks* L. E. Cross* A. M. Flynn* S. F. Bart* L. S. Tavrow* R. A. Brooks* D. J. Ehrlich *Author not at Lincoln Laboratory

77 FR 25660 - State of Nevada; Regional Haze State and Federal Implementation Plans; BART Determination for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-01

... 2400 St. Joseph Street in Overton, Nevada, with an open house at the same location. This hearing will... School on 2400 St. Joseph Street in Overton, Nevada from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on May 3, 2012, with an...

Thermal Energy Briefing with FPL

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-17

Bart Gaetjens, Florida Power & Light's FPL area external affairs manager, addresses the news media and NASA Social about the new Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank Feb. 17. The TES tank works like a giant battery and is saving the center utility cost. These savings will be applied to new sustainable projects at Kennedy.

Early onset of diabetes in the proband is the major determinant of risk in HLA DR3-DQ2/DR4-DQ8 siblings.

PubMed

Gillespie, Kathleen M; Aitken, Rachel J; Wilson, Isabel; Williams, Alistair J K; Bingley, Polly J

2014-03-01

Islet autoimmunity is initiated in infancy, and primary prevention trials require children at high genetic risk to be identified before autoantibodies appear. To inform screening strategies, we evaluated risks of autoimmunity and diabetes associated with HLA DR3-DQ2/DR4-DQ8 in U.K. families. Extended HLA haplotypes were determined in 2,134 siblings from the Bart's-Oxford Study followed to a median age of 22 years. Risks of diabetes and islet autoimmunity (more than two antibodies) were estimated by survival analysis. Of 138 informative DR3-DQ2/DR4-DQ8 siblings, 63% shared both haplotypes with their diabetic proband, 29% shared one, and 8% shared neither. In HLA-identical DR3-DQ2/DR4-DQ8 siblings, the cumulative risk of diabetes by age 15 was 17% (vs. 6% in those sharing one haplotype or none; P = 0.095). Risk varied, however, with the age at the onset of diabetes in the proband; the cumulative risk of autoimmunity and/or diabetes by age 15 was 61% in siblings of probands diagnosed when younger than 10 years old compared with only 4.7% in those diagnosed after age 10 years (P < 0.001). The age of the proband at diagnosis, but not HLA haplotype sharing, was an independent determinant of sibling risk. This suggests that non-HLA genes or epigenetic/environmental factors that accelerate the progression of type 1 diabetes in the proband strongly affect risk in siblings.

77 FR 75703 - Partial Approval and Disapproval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Arizona; Regional Haze and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-21

... action includes all portions of the SIP except for three electric generating stations that were addressed... Arizona's Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) control analysis and determinations, Reasonable... refer to Best Available Retrofit Technology. (6) The term Class I area refers to a mandatory Class I...

78 FR 51686 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Oklahoma; Regional Haze and Interstate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... addressing the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) requirements for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and oxides of nitrogen (NO X ) for Units 3 and 4 of the American Electric Power/Public Service Company (AEP/PSO...

78 FR 34737 - Approval, Disapproval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Wyoming; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-10

... goal of achieving natural visibility conditions in Class I areas. EPA is taking this action pursuant to..., Natural, and Current Visibility Conditions C. Determination of Reasonable Progress Goals D. Best Available... Class I Areas B. Baseline Visibility, Natural Visibility, and Uniform Rate of Progress C. BART...

75 FR 3962 - Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Proposed Bay Area Rapid Transit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-25

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Notice of Availability of a Record of... Airport (OAK), Oakland, Alameda County, CA AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION... public that it has issued a ROD for the proposed construction and operation of the proposed BART...

Methods for shorebird surveys in the Arctic

Treesearch

Jonathan Bart; Susan L. Earnst

2005-01-01

A substantial effort is being made to develop a longterm monitoring program for shorebirds in North American (Brown et al. 2000, Donaldson et al. 2001, Bart et al. this volume). The current program, PRISM (Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring), has four segments: arctic and boreal breeding surveys, temperate breeding surveys, temperate non-...

Every Teacher Carries a Leadership Wand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tubin, Dorit

2017-01-01

Turnaround schools require empowered teachers to discover their leadership wand. Based on a case study conducted on BART Charter School, this article highlights five steps for leaders who wish to empower their teachers and allow them to lead their schools to success: (1) Let your people know; (2) Nominate the fittest, (3) Connect teachers to a…

78 FR 8273 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Navajo Nation; Regional Haze Requirements for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-05

... in significant visibility improvement that is well-balanced with the cost of those controls. For a... visibility benefits over time and that there may be changes in energy demand, supply or other developments... encourages a robust public discussion of our proposed BART determination and alternative, the additional...

ATS Information Exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breyer, Walter H.

Questions answered on: telescope maker Emile Schaer by Christof Plicht, Peter Abrahams and Robert B. Ariail; the firm of Gall and Lembke, NY by Bart Fried; Bonn Double Refractor (Repsold factory, Steinheil optics) by Michael Geffert; Foucault Eyepiece by Eugene Rudd; Ross Evans spyglass by R.C. Blankenhorn; and a Moralee nautical spyglass by Willem M. Bruyns

76 FR 36450 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Nevada; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-22

... Technology (BART) E. Long-Term Strategy (LTS) F. Coordination of the Regional Haze SIP and Reasonably... for 2018 2. Establishing the Reasonable Progress Goal 3. Interstate Consultation G. Long-Term Strategy... implementation of the regional haze program will require long-term coordination among states, Tribal governments...

77 FR 11879 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Mississippi; Regional...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-28

... Goals (RPGs) D. Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) E. Long-Term Strategy (LTS) F. Coordinating... analysis of Mississippi's regional haze submittal? A. No Affected Class I Areas in Mississippi B. Long-Term... haze program will require long-term regional coordination among states, tribal governments, and various...

Chartering New Waters: The Indianapolis Mayoral Transition and the Charter School Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prusinski, Ellen L.; Ruddy, Anne-Maree; Plucker, Jonathan A.; Cierniak, Katherine A.

2015-01-01

As the first mayor in the United States to possess independent charter school authorizing authority, Mayor Bart Peterson oversaw the establishment and expansion of Indianapolis's ambitious charter school initiative. In 2007, Democratic Mayor Peterson's oversight of the initiative came to an end when he was unexpectedly defeated by Republican…

78 FR 79344 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Washington; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

... comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free..., will be publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket materials are available... for each applicable source. In making a BART-applicability determination for a fossil fuel-fired...

40 CFR 52.1923 - Best Available Retrofit Requirements (BART) for SO2 and Interstate pollutant transport provisions...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Sooner plant; and Units 3 and 4 of the American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma... American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma Northeastern plant affecting visibility? (a... American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma Northeastern plant. (b) Compliance dates...

40 CFR 52.1923 - Best Available Retrofit Requirements (BART) for SO2 and Interstate pollutant transport provisions...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Sooner plant; and Units 3 and 4 of the American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma... American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma Northeastern plant affecting visibility? (a... American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma Northeastern plant. (b) Compliance Dates...

77 FR 4735 - Regional Haze: Revisions to Provisions Governing Alternatives to Source-Specific Best Available...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-31

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Parts 51 and 52 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0729; FRL-9624-4] RIN 2060-AR05 Regional Haze: Revisions to Provisions Governing Alternatives to Source-Specific Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) Determinations, Limited SIP Approvals, and Federal Implementation Plans AGENCY...

In my experience: quality control of symposia and their published proceedings

Treesearch

J. Michael Scott; C. John Ralph

1988-01-01

The lack of quality in symposia proceedings has recently been criticized by Bart and Anderson (1981). Their criticisms elicited 2 defenses of publishing symposia proceedings (Ca- pen 1982, Finch et al. 1982). These authors offered excellent suggestions for improving the quality of published proceedings: review papers before acceptance; use outside reviewers; request...

Guidelines for designing short-term bird monitoring projects

Treesearch

Jonathan Bart

2005-01-01

The Coordinated Bird Monitoring Program (Bart and Ralph, this volume) program is helping biologists around the country design short-term monitoring projects for birds. We have found that addressing a series of questions (table 1), in a systematic way, helps insure that projects are well planned. The process is being used by several States and...

77 FR 39938 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-06

... responses are provided below. Comment 1: The Commenter recommended that emission controls for a coal... Dakota. The Commenter stated that initially the coal cleaning facility was identified as BART-eligible... further evaluate controls at the coal cleaning facility and the three EGUs under the reasonable progress...

77 FR 21896 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Nevada; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... proposed approval, including specific comments on NDEP's modeling and cost analysis of the RGGS BART Determination for NO X . See Modeling for the Reid Gardner Generating Station: Visibility Impacts in Class I... independent modeling analysis to evaluate the incremental visibility improvement attributable to the NO X...

Defense Acquisition: Observations Two Years After the Packard Commission

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-01

AiSTER THE PACKARD COMMISSION, VOLUME 1: MAIN REPORT 12 . .L = (ýesce Kanter, Bart.ar Bicksler, H. Marshall Hoyler, Robert Hilton, Walter Locke, George...Organization in the Military Services ..............-.... M 12 D. Summary ............................................................................. 1-17...IV- 12 B. The Resource Allocation Process ............................ IV-14 1. T1z Planning Phase

76 FR 491 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Federal Implementation Plan for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-05

... Pollution Affecting Visibility and Best Available Retrofit Technology Determination AGENCY: Environmental... technology (BART) for NO X for this source. This action is being taken under section 110 and part C of the.... Visibility Protection 3. Best Available Retrofit Technology 4. The Western Regional Air Partnership and...

Sex, drugs and gluttony: how the brain controls motivated behaviors.

PubMed

Hull, Elaine M

2011-07-25

Bart Hoebel has forged a view of an integrated neural network that mediates both natural rewards and drug use. He pioneered the use of microdialysis, and also effectively used electrical stimulation, lesions, microinjections, and immunohistochemistry. He found that feeding, stimulant drug administration, and electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) all increased dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, whereas DA in the NAc enhanced motivation, DA in the LH inhibited motivated behaviors. The Hull lab has pursued some of those ideas. We have suggested that serotonin (5-HT) in the perifornical LH inhibits sexual behavior by inhibiting orexin/hypocretin neurons (OX/HCRT), which would otherwise excite neurons in the mesocorticolimbic DA tract. We have shown that DA release in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) is very important for male sexual behavior, and that testosterone, glutamate, nitric oxide (NO) and previous sexual experience promote MPOA DA release and mating. Future research should follow Bart Hoebel's emphasis on neural systems and interactions among brain areas and neurotransmitters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the correlation between the polar angles of leptons from top quark decays in the helicity basis at √s=7 TeV using the ATLAS detector

DOE PAGES

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; ...

2016-01-13

A measurement of the correlations between the polar angles of leptons from the decay of pair-produced t andmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ quarks in the helicity basis is reported, using proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb -1 at a center-of-mass energy of √s=7 TeV collected during 2011. Candidate events are selected in the dilepton topology with large missing transverse momentum and at least two jets. The angles θ1 and θ2 between the charged leptons and the direction of motion of the parent quarks in the t$$\\bar{t}$$ rest frame are sensitive to the spin information, and the distribution of cosθ 1•cosθ 2 is sensitive to the spin correlation between the t and $$\\bar{t}$$ quarks. The distribution is unfolded to parton level and compared to the next-to-leading order prediction. A good agreement is observed.« less

Autocrine Extra-Pancreatic Trypsin 3 Secretion Promotes Cell Proliferation and Survival in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Han, Song; Lee, Constance W.; Trevino, Jose G.; Hughes, Steven J.; Sarosi, George A.

2013-01-01

Trypsin or Tumor associated trypsin (TAT) activation of Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) promotes tumor cell proliferation in gastrointestinal cancers. The role of the trypsin/PAR-2 network in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) development has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of trypsin/PAR-2 activation in EA tumorogenesis and therapy. We found that esophageal adenocarcinoma cells (EACs) and Barrett’s Metaplasia (BART) expressed high levels of type 3 extra-pancreatic trypsinogen (PRSS3), a novel type of TAT. Activity of secreted trypsin was detected in cultured media from EA OE19 and OE33 cultures but not from BART culture. Surface PAR-2 expression in BART and EACs was confirmed by both flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Trypsin induced cell proliferation (∼ 2 fold; P<0.01) in all tested cell lines at a concentration of 10 nM. Inhibition of PAR-2 activity in EACs via the PAR-2 antagonist ENMD (500 µM), anti-PAR2 antibody SAM-11 (2 µg/ml), or siRNA PAR-2 knockdown, reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis by up to 4 fold (P<0.01). Trypsin stimulation led to phosphorylation of ERK1/2, suggesting involvement of MAPK pathway in PAR-2 signal transduction. Inhibition of PAR-2 activation or siRNA PAR-2 knockdown in EACs prior to treatment with 5 FU reduced cell viability of EACs by an additional 30% (P<0.01) compared to chemotherapy alone. Our data suggest that extra-pancreatic trypsinogen 3 is produced by EACs and activates PAR-2 in an autocrine manner. PAR-2 activation increases cancer cell proliferation, and promotes cancer cell survival. Targeting the trypsin activated PAR-2 pathway in conjunction with current chemotherapeutic agents may be a viable therapeutic strategy in EA. PMID:24146905

77 FR 14603 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Arkansas; Regional Haze State Implementation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

...The EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving a revision to the Arkansas State Implementation Plan (SIP) intended to address the regional haze (RH) requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). In addition, EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving the portion of the Arkansas Interstate Transport SIP submittal that addresses the visibility requirement of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(II) for the 1997 8-hour ozone and 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) that the Arkansas SIP contain adequate provisions to prohibit emissions from interfering with measures required in another state to protect visibility. EPA is approving certain core elements of the RH SIP including: identification of affected Class I areas; determination of baseline and natural visibility conditions; determination of Uniform Rate of Progress (URP); reasonable progress goal (RPG) consultation and long term strategy (LTS) consultation; coordination of RH and reasonably attributable visibility impairment (RAVI); regional haze monitoring strategy and other SIP requirements under 40 CFR 51.308(d)(4); commitment to submit periodic regional haze SIP revisions and periodic progress reports describing progress towards the RPGs; commitment to make a determination of the adequacy of the existing SIP at the time a progress report is submitted; and consultation and coordination with Federal land managers (FLMs). EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving portions of other core elements of the SIP including: identification of best available retrofit technology (BART) eligible sources and subject to BART sources; requirements for BART; Chapter 15 of the Air Pollution Control and Ecology Commission (APCEC) Regulation No. 19, also known as the State's RH Rule; and the LTS. EPA is disapproving Arkansas's reasonable progress goals (RPGs) required under 40 CFR 51.308(d)(1). This action is being taken under section 110 and part C of the CAA.

MCORES: a system for noun phrase coreference resolution for clinical records.

PubMed

Bodnari, Andreea; Szolovits, Peter; Uzuner, Özlem

2012-01-01

Narratives of electronic medical records contain information that can be useful for clinical practice and multi-purpose research. This information needs to be put into a structured form before it can be used by automated systems. Coreference resolution is a step in the transformation of narratives into a structured form. This study presents a medical coreference resolution system (MCORES) for noun phrases in four frequently used clinical semantic categories: persons, problems, treatments, and tests. MCORES treats coreference resolution as a binary classification task. Given a pair of concepts from a semantic category, it determines coreferent pairs and clusters them into chains. MCORES uses an enhanced set of lexical, syntactic, and semantic features. Some MCORES features measure the distance between various representations of the concepts in a pair and can be asymmetric. MCORES was compared with an in-house baseline that uses only single-perspective 'token overlap' and 'number agreement' features. MCORES was shown to outperform the baseline; its enhanced features contribute significantly to performance. In addition to the baseline, MCORES was compared against two available third-party, open-domain systems, RECONCILE(ACL09) and the Beautiful Anaphora Resolution Toolkit (BART). MCORES was shown to outperform both of these systems on clinical records.

Assessment of Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) Risk for 3 Different Tasks Constructing and Repairing Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) Blankets, Preparing the Dough for a Pizza, and Operating the Becton-Dickinson FACSAria Flow Cytometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gentzler, Marc; Kline, Martin; Palmer, Andrew; Terrone, Mark

2007-01-01

The Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) risks for three different tasks using McCauley-Bell and Badiru's (1993) formula based on task, personal, and organizational factors were examined. For the Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blanket task, the results showed that the task, personal, and organizational risks were at about the same level. The personal risk factors for this task were evaluated using a hypothetical female employee age 52. For the pizza dough task, it was shown that the organizational risk was particularly high, with task related factors also at quite dangerous levels. On the other hand, there was a very low level of personal risk factors, based on a female age 17. The flow cytometer task was assessed with three different participants, a11 of whom had quite disparate levels of personal risk, which slightly affected the overall CTD risk. This reveals how individual difference variables certainly need to be considered. The task and organizational risks for this task were rated at about the same moderate level. The overall CTD risk averaged across the three participants was .335, indicating some risk. Compruing across the tasks revealed that the pizza dough task created the greatest overall CTD risk by far (.568), with the MLI (.325) and flow cytometer task (.335) having some risk associated with them. Future research should look into different tasks for more of a comparison

Logistics During Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-15

cargo . Grant was now ready to attack Vicksburg’s vulnerable southern flank planning to move through the swamps west -,f the Mississippi to New...iCiar: .: aFhid .-::tret t win bart les and. in -the eri-. w l _th ,:’Lr-,r and pat ,?mbat leaers dwell upon ,.heir suceses a ri if the issue of I

77 FR 34218 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Indiana; Regional Haze

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... in the sulfur content of coke for the BART-subject potlines ( 2- 6), actually results in increased SO... low sulfur coke may not be available after 2013, but asserts that if increased emissions from the... an increase in sulfur content of coke used in the potlines, but Indiana's submittal does not actually...

77 FR 24845 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; South Dakota; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

... various pollution controls in its BART analysis for Big Stone I, its cost impact analysis is skewed in... took into account the State's consideration of environmental impacts when reviewing the Big Stone I SO... shutdown are part of normal operations at facilities like Big Stone, and because these emissions impact...

77 FR 34801 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Minnesota; Regional Haze

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... provisions related to BART. EPA proposed approval of the Minnesota regional haze plan on January 25, 2012 (77... finalizing that rule on May 30, 2012, EPA responded to similar comments in the context of that rulemaking... Royale National Park, and Voyageurs National Park. Response: EPA is committed to the goal of the regional...

77 FR 33642 - Regional Haze: Revisions to Provisions Governing Alternatives to Source-Specific Best Available...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-07

... of the Two-Pronged Test 2. Identification of Affected Class I Areas 3. Control Scenarios Examined 4... two-pronged test to the Transport Rule control scenario and the source-specific BART control scenario... approaches to identify the Class I areas ``affected'' by the Transport Rule as an alternative control program...

76 FR 30936 - West Maui Pumped Storage Water Supply, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... Storage Water Supply, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting...-acre reservoir; (4) a turnout to supply project effluent water to an existing irrigation system; (5) a...,000 megawatt-hours. Applicant Contact: Bart M. O'Keeffe, West Maui Pumped Storage Water Supply, LLC, P...

76 FR 28025 - East Maui Pumped Storage Water Supply LCC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... Storage Water Supply LCC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting... Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the East Maui Pumped Storage Water Supply Project to.... Bart M. O'Keeffe, East Maui Pumped Storage Water Supply LLC; P.O. Box 1916; Discovery Bay, CA 94505...

77 FR 72742 - Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plans: State of Washington; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-06

... Ecology (Ecology) submitted its Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) on December 22, 2010 to meet... Ecology submitted an update to the SIP submittal containing a revised and updated BART determination for... organized as follows: I. What is the background for this final action? Ecology submitted its Regional Haze...

77 FR 23191 - State of Nevada; Regional Haze State and Federal Implementation Plans; BART Determination for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-18

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R9-OAR-2011-0130; FRL-9661-4] State of Nevada... Station AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Announcement of public hearing. SUMMARY... on May 3, 2012. ADDRESSES: We will hold a public hearing at Moapa Valley Empowerment High School...

78 FR 58987 - Approval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Navajo Nation; Regional Haze Requirements for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-25

... hold five public hearings to accept written and oral comment on our proposed BART determination for NGS. On July 26, 2013, a group of stakeholders, known as the Technical Work Group (TWG), submitted its... included as part of the public comment. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and...

Understanding and Harnessing the Power of Ideas, Persuasion, and Trust 2.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

15 Festive Dinner: Asian Civilisations Museum...Opening Session 08:30 - 17:30 Keynote Presentation Pa per Presenta tion Sessions Round Table Sessions 18:00 - 22:00 Festive Dinner, Asia n...reciprocity. Bart Vonneste (University College l ondon) Festive Dinner (I B:OO - 20:00: Tours, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres) (20:00 onward~: Dinner

78 FR 11805 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Region 4 States; 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(II...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-20

... retrofit technology (BART) and reasonable progress requirements for other sources or pollutants, are..., South Carolina and Tennessee regional haze SIPs, indicating that except for its reliance on CAIR, the... Tennessee, which merely substituted reliance on EPA's more recent CSAPR's NO X and SO 2 trading programs for...

76 FR 80754 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Kansas: Regional Haze

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-27

... available in the docket for this rulemaking. The supplemental dispersion modeling provided by the State was... determined by using SNCR costs obtained from Jeffrey Unit 1, and scaling the dollar amount using heat input... impact of Kansas BART sources on all Class I areas impacted. NPCA says that the modeling results...

76 FR 82219 - Regional Haze: Revisions to Provisions Governing Alternatives to Source-Specific Best Available...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-30

...., Washington, DC 20460. Please include a total of two copies. Hand Delivery: U.S. Environmental Protection.... Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of profanity or personal threats. Make sure to... Approvable Alternative to BART A. Application of the Two-Pronged Test B. Identification of Affected Class I...

Dual task cost of walking is related to fall risk in persons with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Wajda, Douglas A; Motl, Robert W; Sosnoff, Jacob J

2013-12-15

Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly have walking and cognitive impairments. While walking with a simultaneous cognitive task, persons with MS experience a greater decline in walking performance than healthy controls. This change in performance is termed dual task cost or dual task interference and has been associated with fall risk in older adults. We examined whether dual task cost during walking was related to fall risk in persons with MS. Thirty-three ambulatory persons with MS performed walking tasks with and without a concurrent cognitive task (dual task condition) as well as underwent a fall risk assessment. Dual task cost was operationalized as the percent change in velocity from normal walking conditions to dual task walking conditions. Fall risk was quantified using the Physiological Profile Assessment. A Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between dual task cost of walking velocity and fall risk as well as dual task cost of stride length and fall risk. Overall, the findings indicate that dual task cost is associated with fall risk and may be an important target for falls prevention strategies. © 2013.

The Concentration of Nutrients in Tissues of Plantation-Grown Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bart.)

Treesearch

M. G. Shelton; L. E. Nelson; G. L. Switzer; B. G. Blackmon

1981-01-01

Nutrient concentrations were determined for 10 tissues from each of 24 cottonwood trees that ranged in age from four to 16 years. Highest concentrations occurred in the most physiologically active tissues; i.e., stemtips, current branches and foliage. Tree age had little influence on the variation in nutrient concentration of tissues. Some differences in concentrations...

77 FR 17334 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Nevada; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-26

... Progress Goal B. Long-Term Strategy C. BART for SO 2 and PM 10 at Reid Gardner D. Corrections to EPA's... a long- term strategy with enforceable measures to ensure reasonable progress toward achieving the... corresponding emission limits and schedules of compliance for NO X at RGGS in the SIP's long-term strategy...

Energy storage and alternatives to improve train voltage on a mass transit system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, S. P.; Rorke, W. S.

1995-04-01

The wide separation of substations in the Bay Area Rapid Transit system's transbay tunnel contributes to voltage sag when power demand is high. In the future, expansions to the system will exacerbate this problem by increasing traffic density. Typically, this situation is remedied through the installation of additional substations to increase the system's power capacity. We have evaluated the efficacy of several alternatives to this approach - specifically, installation of an 8 megajoule energy storage system, modification of the existing substations, or reduction of the resistance of the running rails or the third rail. To support this analysis, we have developed a simple model of the traction power system in the tunnel. We have concluded that the storage system does not have sufficient capacity to deal with the expected voltage sags; in this application, the alternatives present more effective solutions. We have also investigated the potential impact of these system upgrades on expected future capital outlays by BART for traction power infrastructure additions. We have found that rail or substation upgrades may reduce the need for additional substations. These upgrades may also be effective on other parts of the BART system and on other traction power systems.

Proceedings of the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult and Continuing Education (3rd, DeKalb, Illinois, September 27-28, 1984).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northern Illinois Univ., De Kalb. Coll. of Continuing Education.

These proceedings consist of 28 presentations. They include, in alphabetical order by author, "Data Collection Methods Used to Determine Training Needs of the Organization and the Adult Learner in Business and Industry" (Bart P. Beaudin), "Sex and the Split Brain: Does the Sex of the Mind Matter?" (Anne A. Bowbeer),…

78 FR 24700 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; North Dakota; Regional Haze State...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-26

... (NO X ) for Milton R. Young Station Units 1 and 2 and Leland Olds Station Unit 2, which are coal-fired... approval of North Dakota's BART emission limits for NO X for Milton R. Young Station Units 1 and 2 and... appropriate. The limitation is to ensure that everyone who wants to make comments has the opportunity to do so...

77 FR 3712 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio; Regional Haze

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

... equal incremental change in visibility perceived by the human eye. Most people can detect a change in... desulfurization (FGD), semi-dry FGD, and over-fire air (OFA) with a sorbent injection system (SIS). Ohio and MPRO... on up to 7 days a year. Ohio selected semi-dry FGD as the BART SO 2 control, which is expected to...

Enhancing the value of the breeding bird survey: reply to Sauer et al. (2005)

Treesearch

Charles M. Francis; Jonathan Bart; Erica H. Dunn; Kenneth P. Burnham; C. John Ralph

2005-01-01

Bart et al (2004a) proposed several approaches for enhancing the considerable value of the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Sauer et al. (2005) critiqued some of these approaches, and emphasized alternative goals for the survey. We agree with many of the suggestions of Sauer et al. (2005); notably that multispecies, large-scale surveys such as the BBS are most valuable for...

L2 Reading Research and Pedagogical Considerations in the Teaching of French and Francophone Theater

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Carole; Taylor, Alan M.

2012-01-01

Little research on improving second language (L2) reading comprehension of French and francophone theater has been conducted. This study provides insight into enhancing L2 comprehension of drama by combining L2 research with examples from L'accent grave by Jacques Prevert, Ton beau capitaine by Simone Schwarz-Bart (1987), Un Touareg s'est marie a…

Work first then play: Prior task difficulty increases motivation-related brain responses in a risk game.

PubMed

Schmidt, Barbara; Mussel, Patrick; Osinsky, Roman; Rasch, Björn; Debener, Stefan; Hewig, Johannes

2017-05-01

Task motivation depends on what we did before. A recent theory differentiates between tasks that we want to do and tasks that we have to do. After a have-to task, motivation shifts towards a want-to task. We measured this shift of motivation via brain responses to monetary feedback in a risk game that was used as want-to task in our study. We tested 20 healthy participants that were about 28 years old in a within-subjects design. Participants worked on a Stroop task (have-to task) or an easier version of the Stroop task as a control condition and played a risk game afterwards (want-to task). After the Stroop task, brain responses to monetary feedback in the risk game were larger compared to the easier control task, especially for feedback indicating higher monetary rewards. We conclude that higher amplitudes of feedback-related brain responses in the risk game reflect the shift of motivation after a have-to task towards a want-to task. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk Factors for Developing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders during Dairy Farming.

PubMed

Taghavi, Sayed Mohammad; Mokarami, Hamidreza; Ahmadi, Omran; Stallones, Lorann; Abbaspour, Asghar; Marioryad, Hossein

2017-01-01

Dairy farming work involves frequent use of poor postures. These postures may increase the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders among dairy workers. To assess postural load during performance of various tasks related to dairy farming. This cross-sectional study was conducted on a dairy farm in Iran. In order to assess postural load, tasks related to dairy farming were divided into 3 categories: feeding, milking, and manure disposal. Each task was then divided into its constituent work subdivisions (tasks). Finally, the working posture for each work subdivision was evaluated using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). Based on the results from the REBA score, the poorest risk scores (risk level 4) were associated with the following tasks: (1) manure disposal, (2) filling feed bags, and (3) pouring milk into a bucket. Other tasks such as filling corn containers, pouring corn into the milling machine, preparing the feed, pouring food into mangers, attaching the milking machine, and pouring milk from a bucket into a tank imposed high risk (risk level 3). The risk for the tasks of washing and disinfecting the udders were assessed as medium risks. The risk levels associated with most of the tasks on the studied farm were unacceptably high. Therefore, it is essential to implement ergonomic interventions to reduce risk levels of the tasks.

Atropine Pharmacokinetics are Affected by Moderate Hemorrhage and Hypothyroidism

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

Moderate Hemorrhage and Hypothyroidism 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) R.C. Smallridge, B. Chernow, S. Teich, C. Kinzer, C. Umstott, G. Geelhoed, _ Ppmnl i n 13a...moderate hemorrhage and hypothyroidism ROBERT C. SMALLRIDGE, MD: BART CHERNOW, MD: STEVEN TEICH, MD, CAROL KINZER: CAROLYN UMSTOTT: GLEN GEELHOED. MD...under two experimental conditions, moderate hem- sweating) are known (1-5). orrhage and hypothyroidism , to determine whether im A number of situations

Laser System Usage in the Marine Environment: Applications and Environmental Considerations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

publications/pubs/index.html. Released by Bart Chadwick, Head Environmental Sciences Branch Under authority of Martin Machniak, Head Research...Nilsson and Lindstrom , 1983; Shelton, Gaten, and Chapman, 1985). Data on the effects of laser energy to corals also are lacking, although it can be...L. and M. Lindstrom . 1983. “Retinal Damage and Sensitivity Loss of a Light- Sensitive Crustacean Compound Eye (Cirolana borealis): Electron

A Classroom Exercise for Testing Urban Myth: Does Wedding Rice Cause Birds to Explode or Were Ann Landers, Martha Stewart & Bart Simpson Wrong?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krupa, James J.

2005-01-01

In this article, the author first provides the history of the wedding rice myth. He then details an interactive class activity that involved students in his large, non-majors biology classes. These students developed a series of experiments that scientifically determined if rice could be harmful to birds. Finally, he provides suggestions on how…

Assessing the use of Low Voltage UV-light Emitting Miniature LEDs for Marine Biofouling Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

Piola, 1Bart Salters, Clare Grandison, Mark Ciacic and 1Roelant Hietbrink Maritime Division Defence Science and Technology Group 1Philips...uniformly all over the coating layer. In this report, we present a description of the technology and experimental setup, as well as the results of...UNCLASSIFIED Published by Maritime Division Defence Science and Technology Group 506 Lorimer St Fishermans Bend, Victoria 3207 Australia

Haemoglobinopathies in Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Fucharoen, Suthat; Winichagoon, Pranee

2011-01-01

In Southeast Asia α-thalassaemia, β-thalassaemia, haemoglobin (Hb) E and Hb Constant Spring (CS) are prevalent. The abnormal genes in different combinations lead to over 60 different thalassaemia syndromes, making Southeast Asia the locality with the most complex thalassaemia genotypes. The four major thalassaemic diseases are Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis (homozygous α-thalassaemia 1), homozygous β-thalassaemia, β-thalassaemia/Hb E and Hb H diseases. α-Thalassaemia, most often, occurs from gene deletions whereas point mutations and small deletions or insertions in the β-globin gene sequence are the major molecular defects responsible for most β-thalassaemias. Clinical manifestations of α-thalassaemia range from asymptomatic cases with normal findings to the totally lethal Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis syndrome. Homozygosity of β-thalassaemia results in a severe thalassaemic disease while the patients with compound heterozygosity, β-thalassaemia/Hb E, present variable severity of anaemia, and some can be as severe as homozygous β-thalassaemia. Concomitant inheritance of α-thalassaemia and increased production of Hb F are responsible for mild clinical phenotypes in some patients. However, there are still some unknown factors that can modulate disease severity in both α- and β-thalassaemias. Therefore, it is possible to set a strategy for prevention and control of thalassaemia, which includes population screening for heterozygotes, genetic counselling and foetal diagnosis with selective abortion of affected pregnancies. PMID:22089614

Dual-task testing to predict falls in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review.

PubMed

Muir-Hunter, S W; Wittwer, J E

2016-03-01

Cognitive impairment increases fall risk in older adults. Dual-task testing is an accepted way to assess the interaction between cognition and mobility; however, there is a lack of evidence-based recommendations for dual-task testing to evaluate fall risk in clinical practice. To evaluate the association between dual-task testing protocols and future fall risk, and to identify the specific dual-task test protocols associated with elevated risk. MEDLINE, Pubmed and EMBASE electronic databases were searched from January 1988 to September 2013. Two independent raters identified prospective cohort studies (duration of at least 1 year) of dual-task assessment in community-dwelling participants aged ≥60 years, with 'falls' as the primary outcome. Methodological quality was scored independently by two raters using a published checklist of criteria for evaluating threats to the validity of observational studies. Deterioration in gait during dual-task testing compared with single-task performance was associated with increased fall risk. Shortcomings within the literature significantly limit knowledge translation of dual-task gait protocols into clinical practice. There is a paucity of prospective studies on the association of dual-task gait assessment with fall risk. Changes in gait under dual-task testing are associated with future fall risk, and this association is stronger than that for single-task conditions. Limitations in the available literature preclude development of detailed recommendations for dual-task gait testing procedures in clinical practice to identify and stratify fall risk in older adults. Copyright © 2015 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mind the Gap: Bridging economic and naturalistic risk-taking with cognitive neuroscience

PubMed Central

Schonberg, Tom; Fox, Craig R.; Poldrack, Russell A.

2010-01-01

Economists define risk in terms of variability of possible outcomes whereas clinicians and laypeople generally view risk as exposure to possible loss or harm. Neuroeconomic studies using relatively simple behavioral tasks have identified a network of brain regions that respond to economic risk, but these studies have had limited success predicting naturalistic risk-taking. In contrast, more complex behavioral tasks developed by clinicians (e.g., Balloon Analogue Risk Task and Iowa Gambling Task) correlate with naturalistic risk-taking but resist decomposition into distinct cognitive constructs. We propose that to bridge this gap and better understand neural substrates of naturalistic risk-taking, new tasks are needed that: (1) are decomposable into basic cognitive/economic constructs; (2) predict naturalistic risk-taking; and (3) engender dynamic, affective engagement. PMID:21130018

K-12 Science and Math Education across the Federal Agencies. Hearing before the Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session (March 30, 2006). Serial Number 109-43

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2006

2006-01-01

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine how federal agencies can improve their individual and collective efforts to strengthen K-12 science and math education. Presenters and witnesses included: Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives; Representative Bart Gordon,…

["Anxiety glistens on our brows". Dream reports in literary works on the horrors of ghettos and concentration camps].

PubMed

Klein, J

1991-06-01

Dream reports occupy a special place in literature about confinement in concentration camps and ghettos (Robert Antelme, Charlotte Delbo, Anna Langfus, André Schwarz-Bart). They are central elements in the narrative that relate the anxiety of those threatened with destruction more faithfully than any realistic account could. They disrupt the chronological linearity and rationality and represent in images horror beyond memory or description.

Testing technology

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

Not Available

1993-10-01

This bulletin from Sandia National Laboratories presents current research highlights in testing technology. Ion microscopy offers new nondestructive testing technique that detects high resolution invisible defects. An inexpensive thin-film gauge checks detonators on centrifuge. Laser trackers ride the range and track helicopters at low-level flights that could not be detected by radar. Radiation transport software predicts electron/photon effects via cascade simulation. Acoustic research in noise abatement will lead to quieter travelling for Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) commuters.

Resourceful Computing in Unstructured Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-31

D.J. Ehrlich, K.R. Udayakumar and L.E. Cross. "Piezoelectric Micromotors for Microrobots." Proceedings of the 1990 Ultrasonics Symposium, Honolulu...HI, Dec. 4-7, 1990. Flynn, A.M., L.S. Tavrow, S.F. Bart, R.A. Brooks, D.J. Ehrlich, K.R. Udayakumar and L.E. Cross. "Piezoelectric Micromotors for...Ehrlich. "Ferroelectric Thin Films for Ultrasonic Micromotors ." Proceedings of the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Conference, Nara, JAPAN. January 30

Evaluation of HRV Biofeedback as a Resilience Building Reserve Component

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

Inventions, patent applications, and/or licenses Nothing to report  Other Products  Study recruitment/announcement video  Mobile app for...International Award Amount: $1,833,144 Study / Product Aim(s) 1. Develop and test the PHIT platform for use with the BART protocol. 2. Examine...STATEMENT Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT The specific aims of this study are to (1) develop a

Mind the gap: bridging economic and naturalistic risk-taking with cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Schonberg, Tom; Fox, Craig R; Poldrack, Russell A

2011-01-01

Economists define risk in terms of the variability of possible outcomes, whereas clinicians and laypeople generally view risk as exposure to possible loss or harm. Neuroeconomic studies using relatively simple behavioral tasks have identified a network of brain regions that respond to economic risk, but these studies have had limited success predicting naturalistic risk-taking. By contrast, more complex behavioral tasks developed by clinicians (e.g. Balloon Analogue Risk Task and Iowa Gambling Task) correlate with naturalistic risk-taking but resist decomposition into distinct cognitive constructs. We propose here that to bridge this gap and better understand neural substrates of naturalistic risk-taking, new tasks are needed that: are decomposable into basic cognitive and/or economic constructs; predict naturalistic risk-taking; and engender dynamic, affective engagement. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between Adolescent Risk Preferences on a Laboratory Task and Behavioral Measures of Risk-taking

PubMed Central

Rao, Uma; Sidhartha, Tanuj; Harker, Karen R.; Bidesi, Anup S.; Chen, Li-Ann; Ernst, Monique

2010-01-01

Purpose The goal of the study was to assess individual differences in risk-taking behavior among adolescents in the laboratory. A second aim was to evaluate whether the laboratory-based risk-taking behavior is associated with other behavioral and psychological measures associated with risk-taking behavior. Methods Eighty-two adolescents with no personal history of psychiatric disorder completed a computerized decision-making task, the Wheel of Fortune (WOF). By offering choices between clearly defined probabilities and real monetary outcomes, this task assesses risk preferences when participants are confronted with potential rewards and losses. The participants also completed a variety of behavioral and psychological measures associated with risk-taking behavior. Results Performance on the task varied based on the probability and anticipated outcomes. In the winning sub-task, participants selected low probability-high magnitude reward (high-risk choice) less frequently than high probability-low magnitude reward (low-risk choice). In the losing sub-task, participants selected low probability-high magnitude loss more often than high probability-low magnitude loss. On average, the selection of probabilistic rewards was optimal and similar to performance in adults. There were, however, individual differences in performance, and one-third of the adolescents made high-risk choice more frequently than low-risk choice while selecting a reward. After controlling for sociodemographic and psychological variables, high-risk choice on the winning task predicted “real-world” risk-taking behavior and substance-related problems. Conclusions These findings highlight individual differences in risk-taking behavior. Preliminary data on face validity of the WOF task suggest that it might be a valuable laboratory tool for studying behavioral and neurobiological processes associated with risk-taking behavior in adolescents. PMID:21257113

Impact of task design on task performance and injury risk: case study of a simulated drilling task.

PubMed

Alabdulkarim, Saad; Nussbaum, Maury A; Rashedi, Ehsan; Kim, Sunwook; Agnew, Michael; Gardner, Richard

2017-06-01

Existing evidence is limited regarding the influence of task design on performance and ergonomic risk, or the association between these two outcomes. In a controlled experiment, we constructed a mock fuselage to simulate a drilling task common in aircraft manufacturing, and examined the effect of three levels of workstation adjustability on performance as measured by productivity (e.g. fuselage completion time) and quality (e.g. fuselage defective holes), and ergonomic risk as quantified using two common methods (rapid upper limb assessment and the strain index). The primary finding was that both productivity and quality significantly improved with increased adjustability, yet this occurred only when that adjustability succeeded in reducing ergonomic risk. Supporting the inverse association between ergonomic risk and performance, the condition with highest adjustability created the lowest ergonomic risk and the best performance while there was not a substantial difference in ergonomic risk between the other two conditions, in which performance was also comparable. Practitioner Summary: Findings of this study supported a causal relationship between task design and both ergonomic risk and performance, and that ergonomic risk and performance are inversely associated. While future work is needed under more realistic conditions and a broader population, these results may be useful for task (re)design and to help cost-justify some ergonomic interventions.

Measurement of the t t ¯ production cross-section using eμ events with b-tagged jets in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

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

Aaboud, M.; Aad, G.; Abbott, B.

This paper describes a measurement of the inclusive top quark pair production cross-section (σ tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$) with a data sample of 3.2 fb -1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV, collected in 2015 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC.« less

Piezoelectric and Electrostrictive Materials for Transducers Applications. Volume 4

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-31

Micromotors ." IEEE. 109-113 (1991). 41. Anita M. Flynn. Lee S. Tavrow. Stephen F. Bart. Rodney A. Brooks. Daniel J. Ehrlich. K. R. Udayakumar and L. Eric...Cross. "Piezoelectric Micromotors for Microrobots." J. Microelectromechanical Systems 1 (1) 47-50 (1992). 4 APPENDIX 35 A STUDY OF YI Ba2 Cti30 7.y...to produce miniature pumps. valves. microsensors and micromotors . This paper reports on the fabrication of thin films that are capable of producing

Command History for 1989.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

13 Bart Kuhn, GM-14 Samantha K. Maddox , GS-04 Mike Nakada, GM- 13 John Wolfe, GM-14 Reynaldo I. Monzon, GS- 12 Jose G. Suarez, GS- 11 19 Product...1410-09 GS-334-09 Janice Whiting Procurement Clerk Code 21 GS-1106-05 Separations Samantha Maddox Hoa T. Lu Supply Clerk Computer Specialist Code 21...Jennifer Thorp Royal S. Magnus Student Aide Personnel Research Psychologist Code 23 Code 12 GW-322-03 GS-180-11 Linda L. Turnmire Yvonne S. Baker Computer

Prediction of Transition States and Thermochemistry for Combustion Reactions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-07

ARO have yet received their degrees, although Mr. Sohrab Zarrabian and Mr. David Magers have been working on ARO projects. Postdoctoral students who...Schaefer (141), using SD-CI techniques and David - son’s correction to estimate the effects of quadruple excitations, deter- mined the barriers and...T.. Purvis. G. D., Bart- land: Reidel; Langhoff, S. R.. David - lett. R. J. 1978. J. Chem. Phys. 69: son, E. R. 1974. Int. J. Quantum 5386 Chem. 8:61

Coordinated train control and energy management control strategies

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

Gordon, S.P.; Lehrer, D.G.

1998-05-01

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, in collaboration with Hughes Aircraft Company and Harmon Industries, as in the process of developing an Advanced Automatic Train Control (AATC) system to replace the current fixed-block automatic system. In the long run, the AATC system is expected to not only allow for safe short headway operation, but also to facilitate coordinated train control and energy management. This new system will employ spread spectrum radios, installed onboard trains, at wayside locations, and at control stations, to determine train locations and reliably transfer control information. Sandia National Laboratories has worked cooperatively with BART tomore » develop a simulator of the train control and the power consumption of the AATC system. The authors are now in the process of developing enhanced train control algorithms to supplement the safety critical controller in order to smooth out train trajectories through coordinated control of multiple trains, and to reduce energy consumption and power infrastructure requirements. The control algorithms so far considered include (1) reducing peak power consumption to avoid voltage sags, especially during an outage or while clearing a backup, (2) rapid and smooth recovery from a backup, (3) avoiding oscillations due to train interference, (4) limiting needle peaks in power demand at substations to some specified level, (5) coasting, and (6) coordinating train movement, e.g., starts/stops and hills.« less

The Effect of Mirthful Laughter on the Human Cardiovascular System

PubMed Central

Miller, Michael; Fry, William F.

2009-01-01

It has become increasingly recognized and more widely acknowledged during the past several decades, that a complex relationship exists between behavior associated with emotion and the human cardiovascular (CV) system. Early studies focused on the interplay between negative emotions and elevated CV risk, an effect that has in large part been attributed to increased adrenergic activity. Thus, a variety of adverse CV effects ranging from sudden cardiac death triggered by natural disasters such as earthquakes to transient myocardial stunning resulting from heightened sympathetic overload have been identified in response to acute emotional distress. In fact, the biologic interplay between emotion and CV health has been greatly enhanced through studies of the vascular endothelium. As the largest organ in humans, the inner blood vessel lining serves as a conduit for the transfer of blood cells, lipids and various nutrients across the lumen to neighboring tissues. Healthy endothelial cells secrete vasoactive chemicals, most notably endothelial-derived relaxing factor or nitric oxide (NO), that effects smooth muscle relaxation and vessel dilation via a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) dependent protein kinase signaling pathway. In addition, endothelial derived NO may reduce vascular inflammation by attenuating or inhibiting leukocyte adhesion and subendothelial transmigration as well as decreasing platelet activation via cGMP mediated pathways. Taken together, studying the endothelium provides an exceptional opportunity to advance our understanding of the potentially important interrelationship between emotions and the vasculature. Premised on the identification of physiological and biochemical correlates, the former was demonstrated after intracoronary administration of acetylcholine yielded paradoxical endothelial vasoconstriction in response to mental stress exercises. More recently, the brachial artery reactivity test (BART) has permitted endothelial function to be assessed in a non-invasive manner. In addition to traditional CV risk factors, exposure to negative emotions including mental stress and depression have been associated with reduced endothelial vasoreactivity as measured by BART. Whether mirthful laughter has the opposite effect garnered consideration following the discovery that μ3 opiate receptors were expressed in the vascular endothelium. Because mirthful laughter induces the release of β-endorphins which in turn have high affinity for μ3 opiate receptors, we hypothesize that such positive emotions lead to the direct release of NO and associated biological consequences. Indeed, our studies have demonstrated opposing effects on endothelial vasoreactivity between those previously established (e.g., mental stress induced by negative visual and/ or auditory stimuli) and those induced after mirthful laughter, thereby providing a potential mechanistic link between positive emotions and beneficial effects on the vasculature. This article reviews the relevant physiology and comments on the potentially wider clinical implications in the integration of this process to improve vascular health. PMID:19477604

Changes in step-width during dual-task walking predicts falls.

PubMed

Nordin, E; Moe-Nilssen, R; Ramnemark, A; Lundin-Olsson, L

2010-05-01

The aim was to evaluate whether gait pattern changes between single- and dual-task conditions were associated with risk of falling in older people. Dual-task cost (DTC) of 230 community living, physically independent people, 75 years or older, was determined with an electronic walkway. Participants were followed up each month for 1 year to record falls. Mean and variability measures of gait characteristics for 5 dual-task conditions were compared to single-task walking for each participant. Almost half (48%) of the participants fell at least once during follow-up. Risk of falling increased in individuals where DTC for performing a subtraction task demonstrated change in mean step-width compared to single-task walking. Risk of falling decreased in individuals where DTC for carrying a cup and saucer demonstrated change compared to single-task walking in mean step-width, mean step-time, and step-length variability. Degree of change in gait characteristics related to a change in risk of falling differed between measures. Prognostic guidance for fall risk was found for the above DTCs in mean step-width with a negative likelihood ratio of 0.5 and a positive likelihood ratio of 2.3, respectively. Findings suggest that changes in step-width, step-time, and step-length with dual tasking may be related to future risk of falling. Depending on the nature of the second task, DTC may indicate either an increased risk of falling, or a protective strategy to avoid falling. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Do Personal Factors or Types of Physical Tasks Predict Workplace Injury?

PubMed

Oranye, Nelson Ositadimma; Wallis, Bernadine; Roer, Kim; Archer-Heese, Gail; Aguilar, Zaklina

2016-04-01

Occupational health research has shown that certain worker and job characteristics are risk factors for workplace injuries. Workers who engage in physically demanding jobs, especially those jobs that involve repetitive motion, are at greater risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). These risks are particularly prevalent in the health care sector. It is often reported that nurses are at higher risk of workplace musculoskeletal injury than other health care workers due to frequent lifting and transfer of patients and the prevalence of workplace violence. However, many analyses of the physical requirements of jobs do not consider the modifying effect of time spent on a physical task and the risk of WMSD. This study compared the risks of WMSD among workers in health care facilities based on the type of physical tasks and amount of time workers spent on such tasks. Workers who worked longer on a physical task reported more WMSD than those who spent less time on the same physical task. The risk of WMSD was twice as high (odds ratio [OR] = 2.3) among workers who sit less than 2 hours each day compared with those who sit longer. This study found that physical tasks associated with health care jobs and the amount of time spent on these tasks constitutes serious risk factors for WMSD. © 2016 The Author(s).

An evaluation of nursing tasks.

PubMed

Baptiste, Andrea

2011-01-01

Functional capacity evaluations have been criticized as being too general in theory and not being accurate enough to determine what tasks an employee can perform. This paper will describe results of a descriptive study that was conducted in a laboratory setting to objectively determine the physical demands of patient transfer tasks performed by nurses. Fifty three tasks were analyzed and broken down into sub-tasks to quantify the peak force required to perform each sub-task in order to determine which tasks pose healthcare workers at highest risk of injury. Dissecting the transfer task into segments allows us to see which part of the task requires high forces on the part of the caregiver. The task can then be modified to eliminate the risk of injury to the caregiver. This modification can be accomplished by using healthcare technology, such as floor based or overhead lifts, friction reducing devices, sit to stand lifts, properly designed slings, and motorized beds/trolleys. Technological solutions are available for some of these high risk tasks and should be implemented where applicable to reduce the force demand and eliminate or reduce the risk of injury to healthcare workers in nursing.

Cardiothoracic ratio within the “normal” range independently predicts mortality in patients undergoing coronary angiography

PubMed Central

Zaman, M Justin S; Sanders, Julie; Crook, Angela M; Feder, Gene; Shipley, Martin; Timmis, Adam; Hemingway, Harry

2007-01-01

Objective To determine whether cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), within the range conventionally considered normal, predicted prognosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Design Cohort study with a median of 7‐years follow‐up. Setting Consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography at Barts and The London National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Subjects 1005 patients with CTRs measured by chest radiography, and who subsequently underwent coronary angiography. Of these patients, 7.3% had a CTR ⩾0.5 and were excluded from the analyses. Outcomes All‐cause mortality and coronary event (non‐fatal myocardial infarction or coronary death). Adjustments were made for age, left ventricular dysfunction, ACE inhibitor treatment, body mass index, number of diseased coronary vessels and past coronary artery bypass graft. Results The risk of death was increased among patients with a CTR in the upper part of the normal range. In total, 94 (18.9%) of those with a CTR below the median of 0.42 died compared with 120 (27.8%) of those with a CTR between 0.42 and 0.49 (log rank test p<0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, this increased risk remained (adjusted HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.05). CTR, at values below 0.5, was linearly related to the risk of coronary event (test for trend p = 0.024). Conclusion : In patients undergoing coronary angiography, CTR between 0.42 and 0.49 was associated with higher mortality than in patients with smaller hearts. There was evidence of a continuous increase in risk with higher CTR. These findings, along with those in healthy populations, question the conventional textbook cut‐off point of ⩾0.5 being an abnormal CTR. PMID:17164481

Falls Risk and Simulated Driving Performance in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Gaspar, John G.; Neider, Mark B.; Kramer, Arthur F.

2013-01-01

Declines in executive function and dual-task performance have been related to falls in older adults, and recent research suggests that older adults at risk for falls also show impairments on real-world tasks, such as crossing a street. The present study examined whether falls risk was associated with driving performance in a high-fidelity simulator. Participants were classified as high or low falls risk using the Physiological Profile Assessment and completed a number of challenging simulated driving assessments in which they responded quickly to unexpected events. High falls risk drivers had slower response times (~2.1 seconds) to unexpected events compared to low falls risk drivers (~1.7 seconds). Furthermore, when asked to perform a concurrent cognitive task while driving, high falls risk drivers showed greater costs to secondary task performance than did low falls risk drivers, and low falls risk older adults also outperformed high falls risk older adults on a computer-based measure of dual-task performance. Our results suggest that attentional differences between high and low falls risk older adults extend to simulated driving performance. PMID:23509627

Occupational lifting tasks as a risk factor in low back pain: a case-control study in a Mexican population.

PubMed

Prado-Leon, Lilia R; Celis, Alfredo; Avila-Chaurand, Rosalio

2005-01-01

The objective of this study was to quantify and assess whether lifting tasks in the workplace are a risk factor in lumbar spondyloarthrosis etiology. A case-control study was performed with 231 workers, 18-55 years old, insured by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS, according to its designation in Spanish). A multivariate analysis using conditional logistical regression showed that lifting tasks, combined with driving tasks, are associated with this illness (OR = 7.3; 95% CI 1.7-31.4). The daily frequency of lifting as it interacts with work as a driver resulted in a greater risk (OR = 10.4; 95% CI 2.0-52.5). The load weight, daily task-hours and cumulative time showed a dose-response relationship. The attributable risk for lifting tasks was 0.83, suggesting that 83% of lumbar spondyloarthrosis development could be prevented if risk factors were eliminated by ergonomic redesign of the task.

[Syncope and work: role of the occupational physician and global risk stratification].

PubMed

Barbic, F; Angaroni, L; Orlandi, M; Costantino, G; Dipaola, E; Borleri, D; Borchini, R; D'Adda, F; Perego, F; Borella, M; Galli, A; Solbiati, M; Scanella, E; Casazza, G; Seghizzi, P; Furlan, R

2011-01-01

Safety risk for subjects suffering from syncope while working has not been as yet addressed by occupational medicine. The present study was aimed at evaluating a new developed methodology for job tasks risk stratification in patients with syncope. During a work-shop on syncope and occupational risk, 149 occupational physicians (OP) with about 10 years of clinical experience were asked to fulfil a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) concerning the doctor's estimated potential damage (D) to the worker and the probability of a damage to occur (P) should syncope take place during the job task. Five job tasks characterized by different risk for safety (1, driving; 2, toxic products handling; 3, job performed closed to hot surfaces o free flames; 4, surgical activity; 5, office job) were identified. OP correctly stratified the risk associated to the different job tasks in patients with syncope. Unexpectedly, task #3 was given a risk similar to that obtained in drivers. This might be of paramount clinical and social importance when patients with syncope have to return to their job tasks.

Bart's familiar quotations: the enduring biological wisdom of George A. Bartholomew.

PubMed

Huey, Raymond B; Bennett, Albert F

2008-01-01

George A. Bartholomew was one of the most influential organismal biologists of the twentieth century. His insights and research were fundamental to the establishment and growth of physiological ecology and evolutionary physiology. In the process of fostering that area of science, he created a body of literature that is striking in the clarity of its thought and presentation. Here we present some of his most insightful and important quotations, group them thematically, and comment on their original context and their continuing relevance.

BaRT Manual Version 3.0

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-14

collectio of ifnformation is eitirmate" to average Ihoar der fesporse. inciudng the time for reviwing instructions, searchi’ng estung data sources...visible field of the buffer. <Cntl>-n -- next visible field of the buffer. <Cntl>- k -- kill from point to end of buffer. <Cntl>-y -- yank from kill ring...and a button. Position the mouse on the field in front of the Name. A box will highlight this field. Click on this field. Press <cntr> k to remove the

Workshop on Scientific Analysis and Policy in Network Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-10

IBBT Dcpt. Electrical Engineering-ESAT/COSlC. Kasteelpark Arenberg 10 Bus 2446, B-3001 Leuven. Belgium bart.preneelflesat.kuleuven.be Abstract. This...Bouissou1,3 1 Electricity de France R&D, 1 avenue du General de Gaulle, 92141 Clamart, France 2 Institut Telecom, Telecom ParisTech, 46 rue Barrault...for any x G Aj1; /, !,_0(x) is a probability distribution on AQ, such that if x G S{i then £jeS, (/’.^(.OXj) = L illul if x e Dii > then £j

Airman Classification Batteries from 1948 to 1975: A Review and Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-12-01

1975 6 PERFORMING ORG REPORT NUMBER 7. AUTI4ORWe S. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(S) Joseph L. Weeks Cecil J. Mullins Bart M. %’itola 9 PERF’rRMING...norms were developed by the equi-percentile method based on a random sample of 3,936 basic trainees (Vitola, Massey, & Wilbourn , 1971). The TALENT test...661 996. Lackland AFB. Tex.: Personnel Research Laboratory, Aerospace Medical Division, August 1967. Vitola, B.M., Massey, 1.11., & Wilbourn , J .M

Monitoring supports performance in a dual-task paradigm involving a risky decision-making task and a working memory task

PubMed Central

Gathmann, Bettina; Schiebener, Johannes; Wolf, Oliver T.; Brand, Matthias

2015-01-01

Performing two cognitively demanding tasks at the same time is known to decrease performance. The current study investigates the underlying executive functions of a dual-tasking situation involving the simultaneous performance of decision making under explicit risk and a working memory task. It is suggested that making a decision and performing a working memory task at the same time should particularly require monitoring—an executive control process supervising behavior and the state of processing on two tasks. To test the role of a supervisory/monitoring function in such a dual-tasking situation we investigated 122 participants with the Game of Dice Task plus 2-back task (GDT plus 2-back task). This dual task requires participants to make decisions under risk and to perform a 2-back working memory task at the same time. Furthermore, a task measuring a set of several executive functions gathered in the term concept formation (Modified Card Sorting Test, MCST) and the newly developed Balanced Switching Task (BST), measuring monitoring in particular, were used. The results demonstrate that concept formation and monitoring are involved in the simultaneous performance of decision making under risk and a working memory task. In particular, the mediation analysis revealed that BST performance partially mediates the influence of MCST performance on the GDT plus 2-back task. These findings suggest that monitoring is one important subfunction for superior performance in a dual-tasking situation including decision making under risk and a working memory task. PMID:25741308

Age differences in risky choice: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Mata, Rui; Josef, Anika K.; Samanez-Larkin, Gregory R.; Hertwig, Ralph

2012-01-01

Does risk taking change as a function of age? We conducted a systematic literature search and found 29 comparisons between younger and older adults on behavioral tasks thought to measure risk taking (N =4,093). The reports relied on various tasks differing in several respects, such as the amount of learning required or the choice framing (gains vs. losses). The results suggest that age-related differences vary considerably as a function of task characteristics, in particular the learning requirements of the task. In decisions from experience, age-related differences in risk taking were a function of decreased learning performance: older adults were more risk seeking compared to younger adults when learning led to risk-avoidant behavior, but were more risk averse when learning led to risk-seeking behavior. In decisions from description, younger adults and older adults showed similar risk-taking behavior for the majority of the tasks, and there were no clear age-related differences as a function of gain/loss framing. We discuss limitations and strengths of past research and provide suggestions for future work on age-related differences in risk taking. PMID:22023565

Compound risk judgment in tasks with both idiosyncratic and systematic risk: The "Robust Beauty" of additive probability integration.

PubMed

Sundh, Joakim; Juslin, Peter

2018-02-01

In this study, we explore how people integrate risks of assets in a simulated financial market into a judgment of the conjunctive risk that all assets decrease in value, both when assets are independent and when there is a systematic risk present affecting all assets. Simulations indicate that while mental calculation according to naïve application of probability theory is best when the assets are independent, additive or exemplar-based algorithms perform better when systematic risk is high. Considering that people tend to intuitively approach compound probability tasks using additive heuristics, we expected the participants to find it easiest to master tasks with high systematic risk - the most complex tasks from the standpoint of probability theory - while they should shift to probability theory or exemplar memory with independence between the assets. The results from 3 experiments confirm that participants shift between strategies depending on the task, starting off with the default of additive integration. In contrast to results in similar multiple cue judgment tasks, there is little evidence for use of exemplar memory. The additive heuristics also appear to be surprisingly context-sensitive, with limited generalization across formally very similar tasks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual-Task Does Not Increase Slip and Fall Risk in Healthy Young and Older Adults during Walking

PubMed Central

Soangra, Rahul

2017-01-01

Dual-task tests can identify gait characteristics peculiar to fallers and nonfallers. Understanding the relationship between gait performance and dual-task related cognitive-motor interference is important for fall prevention. Dual-task adapted changes in gait instability/variability can adversely affect fall risks. Although implicated, it is unclear if healthy participants' fall risks are modified by dual-task walking conditions. Seven healthy young and seven healthy older adults were randomly assigned to normal walking and dual-task walking sessions with a slip perturbation. In the dual-task session, the participants walked and simultaneously counted backwards from a randomly provided number. The results indicate that the gait changes in dual-task walking have no destabilizing effect on gait and slip responses in healthy individuals. We also found that, during dual-tasking, healthy individuals adopted cautious gait mode (CGM) strategy that is characterized by reduced walking speed, shorter step length, increased step width, and reduced heel contact velocity and is likely to be an adaptation to minimize attentional demand and decrease slip and fall risk during limited available attentional resources. Exploring interactions between gait variability and cognitive functions while walking may lead to designing appropriate fall interventions among healthy and patient population with fall risk. PMID:28255224

Human Research Program Human Health Countermeasures Element Sensorimotor Risk Standing Review Panel (SRP) Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, Barry

2009-01-01

The Sensorimotor Risk Standing Review Panel (SRP) met at the NASA Johnson Space Center on October 4-6, 2009 to discuss the areas of future research targeted by the Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element of the Human Research Program (HRP). Using evidence-based knowledge as a background for risks, NASA had identified gaps in knowledge to address those risks. Ongoing and proposed tasks were presented to address the gaps. The charge to the Sensorimotor Risk SRP was to review the gaps, evaluate whether the tasks addressed these gaps and to make recommendations to NASA s HRP Science Management Office regarding the SRP's review. The SRP was requested to evaluate the practicality of the proposed efforts in light of the realistic demands placed on the HRP. In short, all tasks presented in the Integrated Research Plan (IRP) should address specific risks related to the challenges faced by the astronauts as a result of prolonged exposure to microgravity. All tasks proposed to fill the gaps in knowledge should provide applied, translational data necessary to address the specific risks. Several presentations were made to the SRP during the site visit and the SRP spent sufficient time to address the panel charge, either as a group or in separate sessions. The SRP made a final debriefing to the HRP Program Scientist. Taking the evidence and the risk as givens, the SRP reached the following conclusions: 1) the panel is very supportive of and endorses the present activities of the Sensorimotor Risk; and the panel is likewise supportive of the gaps and associated tasks in the IRP; 2) overall, the tasks addressed the gaps in the IRP; 3) there were some gaps and tasks that merit further enhancement and some new gaps/tasks that the SRP recommends.

Task difficulty, risk, effort and comfort in a simulated driving task--Implications for Risk Allostasis Theory.

PubMed

Lewis-Evans, Ben; Rothengatter, Talib

2009-09-01

Risk Allostasis Theory states that drivers seek to maintain a feeling of risk within a preferred range [Fuller, R., 2008. What drives the driver? Surface tensions and hidden consensus. In: Keynote at the 4th International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology, Washington, DC, August 31-September 4, 2008]. Risk Allostasis Theory is the latest version of Task-Difficulty Homeostasis theory, and is in part based on the findings of experiments where participants were asked to rate the task difficulty, feeling of risk and chance of collision of scenes shown in digitally altered video clips [Fuller, R., McHugh, C., Pender, S., 2008b. Task difficulty and risk in the determination of driver behaviour. Revue européenne de psychologie appliqée 58, 13-21]. The focus of the current research was to expand upon the previous video based experiments using a driving simulator. This allowed participants to be in control of the vehicle rather than acting as passive observers, as well as providing additional speed cues. The results support previous findings that ratings of task difficulty and feeling of risk are related, and that they are also highly related to ratings of effort and moderately related to ratings of comfort and habit. However, the linearly increasing trend for task difficulty and feeling of risk described by the previous research was not observed: instead the findings of this experiment support a threshold effect where ratings of risk (feeling of and chance of loss of control/collision), difficulty, effort, and comfort go through a period of stability and only start to increase once a certain threshold has been crossed. It is within the period of stability where subjective experience of risk and difficulty is low, or absent, that drivers generally prefer to operate.

CISN ShakeAlert: Using early warnings for earthquakes in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinci, M.; Hellweg, M.; Jones, L. M.; Khainovski, O.; Schwartz, K.; Lehrer, D.; Allen, R. M.; Neuhauser, D. S.

2009-12-01

Educated users who have developed response plans and procedures are just as important for an earthquake early warning (EEW) system as are the algorithms and computers that process the data and produce the warnings. In Japan, for example, the implementation of the EEW system which now provides advanced alerts of ground shaking included intense outreach efforts to both institutional and individual recipients. Alerts are now used in automatic control systems that stop trains, place sensitive equipment in safe mode and isolate hazards while the public takes cover. In California, the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN) is now developing and implementing components of a prototype system for EEW, ShakeAlert. As this processing system is developed, we invite a suite of perspective users from critical industries and institutions throughout California to partner with us in developing useful ShakeAlert products and procedures. At the same time, we will support their efforts to determine and implement appropriate responses to an early warning of earthquake shaking. As a first step, in a collaboration with BART, we have developed a basic system allowing BART’s operation center to receive realtime ground shaking information from more than 150 seismic stations operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. BART engineers are implementing a display system for this information. Later phases will include the development of improved response procedures utilizing this information. We plan to continue this collaboration to include more sophisticated information from the prototype CISN ShakeAlert system.

Psychometrics of the Iowa and Berlin Gambling Tasks: Unresolved Issues With Reliability and Validity for Risk Taking.

PubMed

Schmitz, Florian; Kunina-Habenicht, Olga; Hildebrandt, Andrea; Oberauer, Klaus; Wilhelm, Oliver

2018-01-01

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is one of the most prominent paradigms employed for the assessment of risk taking in the laboratory, and it was shown to distinguish between various patient groups and controls. The present study was conducted to test the psychometric characteristics of the original IGT and of a new gambling task variant for assessing individual differences. Two studies were conducted with adults of the general population ( n = 220) and with adolescents ( n = 389). Participants were also tested on multiple measures of working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, personality traits associated with risk-taking behavior, and self-reported risk taking in various domains. Both gambling tasks had only moderate retest reliability within the same session. Moderate relations were obtained with cognitive ability. However, card selections in the gambling tasks were not correlated with personality or risk taking. These findings point to limitations of IGT type gambling tasks for the assessment of individual differences in risky decision making.

Schedule Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Greg

2003-01-01

Schedule Risk Assessment needs to determine the probability of finishing on or before a given point in time. Task in a schedule should reflect the "most likely" duration for each task. IN reality, each task is different and has a varying degree of probability of finishing within or after the duration specified. Schedule risk assessment attempt to quantify these probabilities by assigning values to each task. Bridges the gap between CPM scheduling and the project's need to know the likelihood of "when".

The Betrayal Aversion Elicitation Task: An Individual Level Betrayal Aversion Measure

PubMed Central

Aimone, Jason; Ball, Sheryl; King-Casas, Brooks

2015-01-01

Research on betrayal aversion shows that individuals’ response to risk depends not only on probabilities and payoffs, but also on whether the risk includes a betrayal of trust. While previous studies focus on measuring aggregate levels of betrayal aversion, the connection between an individual’s own betrayal aversion and other individually varying factors, including risk preferences, are currently unexplored. This paper develops a new task to elicit an individual’s level of betrayal aversion that can then be compared to individual characteristics. We demonstrate the feasibility of our new task and show that our aggregate individual results are consistent with previous studies. We then use this classification to ask whether betrayal aversion is correlated with risk aversion. While we find risk aversion and betrayal aversion have no significant relationship, we do observe that risk aversion is correlated with non-social risk preferences, but not the social, betrayal related, risk component of the new task. PMID:26331944

The Betrayal Aversion Elicitation Task: An Individual Level Betrayal Aversion Measure.

PubMed

Aimone, Jason; Ball, Sheryl; King-Casas, Brooks

2015-01-01

Research on betrayal aversion shows that individuals' response to risk depends not only on probabilities and payoffs, but also on whether the risk includes a betrayal of trust. While previous studies focus on measuring aggregate levels of betrayal aversion, the connection between an individual's own betrayal aversion and other individually varying factors, including risk preferences, are currently unexplored. This paper develops a new task to elicit an individual's level of betrayal aversion that can then be compared to individual characteristics. We demonstrate the feasibility of our new task and show that our aggregate individual results are consistent with previous studies. We then use this classification to ask whether betrayal aversion is correlated with risk aversion. While we find risk aversion and betrayal aversion have no significant relationship, we do observe that risk aversion is correlated with non-social risk preferences, but not the social, betrayal related, risk component of the new task.

Decreasing Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Activity During Sequential Risk-Taking: An fMRI Investigation of the Balloon Analog Risk Task

PubMed Central

Schonberg, Tom; Fox, Craig R.; Mumford, Jeanette A.; Congdon, Eliza; Trepel, Christopher; Poldrack, Russell A.

2012-01-01

Functional imaging studies examining the neural correlates of risk have mainly relied on paradigms involving exposure to simple chance gambles and an economic definition of risk as variance in the probability distribution over possible outcomes. However, there is little evidence that choices made during gambling tasks predict naturalistic risk-taking behaviors such as drug use, extreme sports, or even equity investing. To better understand the neural basis of naturalistic risk-taking, we scanned participants using fMRI while they completed the Balloon Analog Risk Task, an experimental measure that includes an active decision/choice component and that has been found to correlate with a number of naturalistic risk-taking behaviors. In the task, as in many naturalistic settings, escalating risk-taking occurs under uncertainty and might be experienced either as the accumulation of greater potential rewards, or as exposure to increasing possible losses (and decreasing expected value). We found that areas previously linked to risk and risk-taking (bilateral anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) were activated as participants continued to inflate balloons. Interestingly, we found that ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activity decreased as participants further expanded balloons. In light of previous findings implicating the vmPFC in value calculation, this result suggests that escalating risk-taking in the task might be perceived as exposure to increasing possible losses (and decreasing expected value) rather than the increasing potential total reward relative to the starting point of the trial. A better understanding of how neural activity changes with risk-taking behavior in the task offers insight into the potential neural mechanisms driving naturalistic risk-taking. PMID:22675289

Risk assessment of maintenance operations: the analysis of performing task and accident mechanism.

PubMed

Carrillo-Castrillo, Jesús A; Rubio-Romero, Juan Carlos; Guadix, Jose; Onieva, Luis

2015-01-01

Maintenance operations cover a great number of occupations. Most small and medium-sized enterprises lack the appropriate information to conduct risk assessments of maintenance operations. The objective of this research is to provide a method based on the concepts of task and accident mechanisms for an initial risk assessment by taking into consideration the prevalence and severity of the maintenance accidents reported. Data were gathered from 11,190 reported accidents in maintenance operations in the manufacturing sector of Andalusia from 2003 to 2012. By using a semi-quantitative methodology, likelihood and severity were evaluated based on the actual distribution of accident mechanisms in each of the tasks. Accident mechanisms and tasks were identified by using those variables included in the European Statistics of Accidents at Work methodology. As main results, the estimated risk of the most frequent accident mechanisms identified for each of the analysed tasks is low and the only accident mechanisms with medium risk are accidents when lifting or pushing with physical stress on the musculoskeletal system in tasks involving carrying, and impacts against objects after slipping or stumbling for tasks involving movements. The prioritisation of public preventive actions for the accident mechanisms with a higher estimated risk is highly recommended.

Early Evaluation of the Fetal Heart.

PubMed

Hernandez-Andrade, Edgar; Patwardhan, Manasi; Cruz-Lemini, Mónica; Luewan, Suchaya

2017-01-01

Evaluation of the fetal heart at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation is indicated for women with a family history of congenital heart defects (CHD), a previous child with CDH, or an ultrasound finding associated with cardiac anomalies. The accuracy for early detection of CHD is highly related to the experience of the operator. The 4-chamber view and outflow tracts are the most important planes for identification of an abnormal heart, and can be obtained in the majority of fetuses from 11 weeks of gestation onward. Transvaginal ultrasound is the preferred route for fetal cardiac examination prior to 12 weeks of gestation, whereas, after 12 weeks, the fetal heart can be reliably evaluated by transabdominal ultrasound. Cardiac defects, such as ventricular septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein's anomaly, or cardiac tumors, are unlikely to be identified at ≤14 weeks of gestation. Additional ultrasound techniques such as spatiotemporal image correlation and the evaluation of volumes by a fetal-heart expert can improve the detection of congenital heart disease. The evaluation of the fetal cardiac function at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation can be useful for early identification of fetuses at risk of anemia due to hemoglobinopathies, such as hemoglobin Bart's disease. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Performing a secondary executive task with affective stimuli interferes with decision making under risk conditions.

PubMed

Gathmann, Bettina; Pawlikowski, Mirko; Schöler, Tobias; Brand, Matthias

2014-05-01

Previous studies demonstrated that executive functions are crucial for advantageous decision making under risk and that therefore decision making is disrupted when working memory capacity is demanded while working on a decision task. While some studies also showed that emotions can affect decision making under risk, it is unclear how affective processing and executive functions predict decision-making performance in interaction. The current experimental study used a between-subjects design to examine whether affective pictures (positive and negative pictures compared to neutral pictures), included in a parallel executive task (working memory 2-back task), have an impact on decision making under risk as assessed by the Game of Dice Task (GDT). Moreover, the performance GDT plus 2-back task was compared to the performance in the GDT without any additional task (GDT solely). The results show that the performance in the GDT differed between groups (positive, negative, neutral, and GDT solely). The groups with affective pictures, especially those with positive pictures in the 2-back task, showed more disadvantageous decisions in the GDT than the groups with neutral pictures and the group performing the GDT without any additional task. However, executive functions moderated the effect of the affective pictures. Regardless of affective influence, subjects with good executive functions performed advantageously in the GDT. These findings support the assumption that executive functions and emotional processing interact in predicting decision making under risk.

Pro Free Will Priming Enhances “Risk-Taking” Behavior in the Iowa Gambling Task, but Not in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task: Two Independent Priming Studies

PubMed Central

Schrag, Yann; Tremea, Alessandro; Lagger, Cyril; Ohana, Noé; Mohr, Christine

2016-01-01

Studies indicated that people behave less responsibly after exposure to information containing deterministic statements as compared to free will statements or neutral statements. Thus, deterministic primes should lead to enhanced risk-taking behavior. We tested this prediction in two studies with healthy participants. In experiment 1, we tested 144 students (24 men) in the laboratory using the Iowa Gambling Task. In experiment 2, we tested 274 participants (104 men) online using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. In the Iowa Gambling Task, the free will priming condition resulted in more risky decisions than both the deterministic and neutral priming conditions. We observed no priming effects on risk-taking behavior in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. To explain these unpredicted findings, we consider the somatic marker hypothesis, a gain frequency approach as well as attention to gains and / or inattention to losses. In addition, we highlight the necessity to consider both pro free will and deterministic priming conditions in future studies. Importantly, our and previous results indicate that the effects of pro free will and deterministic priming do not oppose each other on a frequently assumed continuum. PMID:27018854

Pro Free Will Priming Enhances "Risk-Taking" Behavior in the Iowa Gambling Task, but Not in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task: Two Independent Priming Studies.

PubMed

Schrag, Yann; Tremea, Alessandro; Lagger, Cyril; Ohana, Noé; Mohr, Christine

2016-01-01

Studies indicated that people behave less responsibly after exposure to information containing deterministic statements as compared to free will statements or neutral statements. Thus, deterministic primes should lead to enhanced risk-taking behavior. We tested this prediction in two studies with healthy participants. In experiment 1, we tested 144 students (24 men) in the laboratory using the Iowa Gambling Task. In experiment 2, we tested 274 participants (104 men) online using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. In the Iowa Gambling Task, the free will priming condition resulted in more risky decisions than both the deterministic and neutral priming conditions. We observed no priming effects on risk-taking behavior in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. To explain these unpredicted findings, we consider the somatic marker hypothesis, a gain frequency approach as well as attention to gains and / or inattention to losses. In addition, we highlight the necessity to consider both pro free will and deterministic priming conditions in future studies. Importantly, our and previous results indicate that the effects of pro free will and deterministic priming do not oppose each other on a frequently assumed continuum.

Impaired decision-making under risk in individuals with alcohol dependence

PubMed Central

Brevers, Damien; Bechara, Antoine; Cleeremans, Axel; Kornreich, Charles; Verbanck, Paul; Noël, Xavier

2014-01-01

Background Alcohol dependence is associated with poor decision-making under ambiguity, that is, when decisions are to be made in the absence of known probabilities of reward and loss. However, little is known regarding decisions made by individuals with alcohol dependence in the context of known probabilities (decision under risk). In this study, we investigated the relative contribution of these distinct aspects of decision making to alcohol dependence. Methods Thirty recently detoxified and sober asymptomatic alcohol-dependent individuals, and thirty healthy control participants were tested for decision-making under ambiguity (using the Iowa Gambling Task), and decision-making under-risk (using the Cups Task and Coin Flipping Task). We also tested their capacities for working memory storage (Digit-span Forward), and dual-tasking (Operation-span Task). Results Compared to healthy control participants, alcohol-dependent individuals made disadvantageous decisions on the Iowa Gambling Task, reflecting poor decisions under ambiguity. They also made more risky choices on the Cups and Coin Flipping Tasks reflecting poor decision-making under risk. In addition, alcohol-dependent participants showed some working memory impairments, as measured by the dual tasking, and the degree of this impairment correlated with high-risk decision-making, thus suggesting a relationship between processes sub-serving working memory and risky decisions. Conclusion These results suggest that alcohol dependent individuals are impaired in their ability to decide optimally in multiple facets of uncertainty (i.e., both risk and ambiguity), and that at least some aspects of these deficits are linked to poor working memory processes. PMID:24948198

Earthquake Early Warning: A Prospective User's Perspective (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishenko, S. P.; Savage, W. U.; Johnson, T.

2009-12-01

With more than 25 million people at risk from high hazard faults in California alone, Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) presents a promising public safety and emergency response tool. EEW represents the real-time end of an earthquake information spectrum which also includes near real-time notifications of earthquake location, magnitude, and shaking levels; as well as geographic information system (GIS)-based products for compiling and visually displaying processed earthquake data such as ShakeMap and ShakeCast. Improvements to and increased multi-national implementation of EEW have stimulated interest in how such information products could be used in the future. Lifeline organizations, consisting of utilities and transportation systems, can use both onsite and regional EEW information as part of their risk management and public safety programs. Regional EEW information can provide improved situational awareness to system operators before automatic system protection devices activate, and allow trained personnel to take precautionary measures. On-site EEW is used for earthquake-actuated automatic gas shutoff valves, triggered garage door openers at fire stations, system controls, etc. While there is no public policy framework for preemptive, precautionary electricity or gas service shutdowns by utilities in the United States, gas shut-off devices are being required at the building owner level by some local governments. In the transportation sector, high-speed rail systems have already demonstrated the ‘proof of concept’ for EEW in several countries, and more EEW systems are being installed. Recently the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) began collaborating with the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN) and others to assess the potential benefits of EEW technology to mass transit operations and emergency response in the San Francisco Bay region. A key issue in this assessment is that significant earthquakes are likely to occur close to or within the BART system, limiting the time available for an EEW-based response (i.e., slowing or stopping trains). While EEW systems are currently being tested in California, the societal benefits may be even more pronounced in other earthquake-prone parts of the United States. In the central and eastern United States, strong ground motions are felt over significantly larger areas than in California, enabling both a larger area and longer lead times for warnings ahead of the arrival of strong shaking. Because these regions are less resistant to earthquake shaking, such warnings may be even more important for safety and emergency response. However, in many areas a significant increase in the instrumentation density would be required for EEW to become a reality. Although the details of EEW systems are specific to earthquakes, the operation of sensor networks, real-time data analysis, and rapid notification to lifelines is an emerging technology that can be used for real-time detection and early warning of other types of natural and human-caused disasters and emergencies.

The neural bases underlying social risk perception in purchase decisions.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Ryoichi; Nozawa, Takayuki; Sugiura, Motoaki; Yomogida, Yukihito; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Akimoto, Yoritaka; Shibuya, Satoru; Kawashima, Ryuta

2014-05-01

Social considerations significantly influence daily purchase decisions, and the perception of social risk (i.e., the anticipated disapproval of others) is crucial in dissuading consumers from making purchases. However, the neural basis for consumers' perception of social risk remains undiscovered, and this novel study clarifies the relevant neural processes. A total of 26 volunteers were scanned while they evaluated purchase intention of products (purchase intention task) and their anticipation of others' disapproval for possessing a product (social risk task), using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The fMRI data from the purchase intention task was used to identify the brain region associated with perception of social risk during purchase decision making by using subjective social risk ratings for a parametric modulation analysis. Furthermore, we aimed to explore if there was a difference between participants' purchase decisions and their explicit evaluations of social risk, with reference to the neural activity associated with social risk perception. For this, subjective social risk ratings were used for a parametric modulation analysis on fMRI data from the social risk task. Analysis of the purchase intention task revealed a significant positive correlation between ratings of social risk and activity in the anterior insula, an area of the brain that is known as part of the emotion-related network. Analysis of the social risk task revealed a significant positive correlation between ratings of social risk and activity in the temporal parietal junction and the medial prefrontal cortex, which are known as theory-of-mind regions. Our results suggest that the anterior insula processes consumers' social risk implicitly to prompt consumers not to buy socially unacceptable products, whereas ToM-related regions process such risk explicitly in considering the anticipated disapproval of others. These findings may prove helpful in understanding the mental processes involved in purchase decisions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A cognitive dual task affects gait variability in patients suffering from chronic low back pain.

PubMed

Hamacher, Dennis; Hamacher, Daniel; Schega, Lutz

2014-11-01

Chronic pain and gait variability in a dual-task situation are both associated with higher risk of falling. Executive functions regulate (dual-task) gait variability. A possible cause explaining why chronic pain increases risk of falling in an everyday dual-task situation might be that pain interferes with executive functions and results in a diminished dual-task capability with performance decrements on the secondary task. The main goal of this experiment was to evaluate the specific effects of a cognitive dual task on gait variability in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. Twelve healthy participants and twelve patients suffering from CLBP were included. The subjects were asked to perform a cognitive single task, a walking single task and a motor-cognitive dual task. Stride variability of trunk movements was calculated. A two-way ANOVA was performed to compare single-task walking with dual-task walking and the single cognitive task performance with the motor-cognitive dual-task performance. We did not find any differences in both of the single-task performances between groups. However, regarding single-task walking and dual-task walking, we observed an interaction effect indicating that low back pain patients show significantly higher gait variability in the dual-task condition as compared to controls. Our data suggest that chronic pain reduces motor-cognitive dual-task performance capability. We postulate that the detrimental effects are caused by central mechanisms where pain interferes with executive functions which, in turn, might contribute to increased risk of falling.

Examining Associations between Psychosis Risk, Social Anhedonia, and Performance of Striatum-Related Behavioral Tasks

PubMed Central

Karcher, Nicole R.; Martin, Elizabeth A.; Kerns, John G.

2015-01-01

Both psychosis and anhedonia have been associated to some extent with striatal functioning. The current study examined whether either psychosis risk or social anhedonia was associated with performance on three tasks related to striatal functioning. Psychosis risk participants had extremely elevated Perceptual Aberration/Magical Ideation (PerMag) scores (n=69), with 43% of psychosis risk participants also having semi-structured interview-assessed psychotic-like experiences which further heightens their risk of psychotic disorder (Chapman, Chapman, Kwapil, Eckblad, & Zinser, 1994). Compared to both extremely elevated Social Anhedonia (n=60) and control (n=68) groups, the PerMag group exhibited poorer performance on two of the striatum-related tasks, the Weather Prediction Task (WPT) and the Learned Irrelevance Paradigm, but not on Finger Tapping. In addition, PerMag participants with psychotic-like experiences were especially impaired on the WPT. Overall, this study arguably provides the first evidence that psychosis risk but not social anhedonia is associated with performance on the WPT, a task thought to be strongly associated with activation in the associative striatum, and also suggests that the WPT might be especially useful as a behavioral measure of psychosis risk. PMID:26075968

Examining associations between psychosis risk, social anhedonia, and performance of striatum-related behavioral tasks.

PubMed

Karcher, Nicole R; Martin, Elizabeth A; Kerns, John G

2015-08-01

Both psychosis and anhedonia have been associated to some extent with striatal functioning. The current study examined whether either psychosis risk or social anhedonia was associated with performance on 3 tasks related to striatal functioning. Psychosis risk participants had extremely elevated Perceptual Aberration/Magical Ideation (PerMag) scores (n = 69), with 43% of psychosis risk participants also having semistructured interview-assessed psychotic-like experiences which further heightens their risk of psychotic disorder (Chapman, Chapman, Kwapil, Eckblad, & Zinser, 1994). Compared with both extremely elevated social anhedonia (n = 60) and control (n = 68) groups, the PerMag group exhibited poorer performance on 2 of the striatum-related tasks, the Weather Prediction Task (WPT) and the Learned Irrelevance Paradigm, but not on Finger Tapping. In addition, PerMag participants with psychotic-like experiences were especially impaired on the WPT. Overall, this study arguably provides the first evidence that psychosis risk but not social anhedonia is associated with performance on the WPT, a task thought to be strongly associated with activation in the associative striatum, and also suggests that the WPT might be especially useful as a behavioral measure of psychosis risk. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Gait initiation time is associated with the risk of multiple falls-A population-based study.

PubMed

Callisaya, Michele L; Blizzard, Leigh; Martin, Kara; Srikanth, Velandai K

2016-09-01

In a population-based study of older people to examine whether 1) overall gait initiation (GI) time or its components are associated with falls and 2) GI under dual-task is a stronger predictor of falls risk than under single-task. Participants aged 60-85 years were randomly selected from the electoral roll. GI was obtained with a force platform under both single and dual-task conditions. Falls were ascertained prospectively over a 12-month period. Log multinomial regression was used to examine the association between GI time (total and its components) and risk of single and multiple falls. Age, sex and physiological and cognitive falls risk factors were considered as confounders. The mean age of the sample (n=124) was 71.0 (SD 6.8) years and 58.9% (n=73) were male. Over 12 months 21.8% (n=27) of participants reported a single fall and 16.1% (n=20) reported multiple falls. Slower overall GI time under both single (RR all per 100ms 1.28, 95%CI 1.03, 1.58) and dual-task (RR 1.14, 95%CI 1.02, 1.27) was associated with increased risk of multiple, but not single falls (p<0.05). Multiple falls were also associated with slower time to first lateral movement under single-task (RR 1.90 95%CI 0.59, 1.51) and swing time under dual-task condition (RR 1.44 95%CI 1.08, 1.94). Slower GI time is associated with the risk of multiple falls independent of other risk factors, suggesting it could be used as part of a comprehensive falls assessment. Time to the first lateral movement under single-task may be the best measures of this risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Research Program Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE) Standing Review Panel (SRP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichansky, Anna; Badler, Norman; Butler, Keith; Cummings, Mary; DeLucia, Patricia; Endsley, Mica; Scholtz, Jean

2009-01-01

The Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE) Standing Review Panel (SRP) evaluated 22 gaps and 39 tasks in the three risk areas assigned to the SHFE Project. The area where tasks were best designed to close the gaps and the fewest gaps were left out was the Risk of Reduced Safety and Efficiency dire to Inadequate Design of Vehicle, Environment, Tools or Equipment. The areas where there were more issues with gaps and tasks, including poor or inadequate fit of tasks to gaps and missing gaps, were Risk of Errors due to Poor Task Design and Risk of Error due to Inadequate Information. One risk, the Risk of Errors due to Inappropriate Levels of Trust in Automation, should be added. If astronauts trust automation too much in areas where it should not be trusted, but rather tempered with human judgment and decision making, they will incur errors. Conversely, if they do not trust automation when it should be trusted, as in cases where it can sense aspects of the environment such as radiation levels or distances in space, they will also incur errors. This will be a larger risk when astronauts are less able to rely on human mission control experts and are out of touch, far away, and on their own. The SRP also identified 11 new gaps and five new tasks. Although the SRP had an extremely large quantity of reading material prior to and during the meeting, we still did not feel we had an overview of the activities and tasks the astronauts would be performing in exploration missions. Without a detailed task analysis and taxonomy of activities the humans would be engaged in, we felt it was impossible to know whether the gaps and tasks were really sufficient to insure human safety, performance, and comfort in the exploration missions. The SRP had difficulty evaluating many of the gaps and tasks that were not as quantitative as those related to concrete physical danger such as excessive noise and vibration. Often the research tasks for cognitive risks that accompany poor task or information design addressed only part, but not all, of the gaps they were programmed to fill. In fact the tasks outlined will not close the gap but only scratch the surface in many cases. In other cases, the gap was written too broadly, and really should be restated in a more constrained way that can be addressed by a well-organized and complementary set of tasks. In many cases, the research results should be turned into guidelines for design. However, it was not clear whether the researchers or another group would construct and deliver these guidelines.

Decision Making and Learning while Taking Sequential Risks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pleskac, Timothy J.

2008-01-01

A sequential risk-taking paradigm used to identify real-world risk takers invokes both learning and decision processes. This article expands the paradigm to a larger class of tasks with different stochastic environments and different learning requirements. Generalizing a Bayesian sequential risk-taking model to the larger set of tasks clarifies…

Adolescent risk-taking is predicted by individual differences in cognitive control over emotional, but not non-emotional, response conflict.

PubMed

Botdorf, Morgan; Rosenbaum, Gail M; Patrianakos, Jamie; Steinberg, Laurence; Chein, Jason M

2017-08-01

While much research on adolescent risk behaviour has focused on the development of prefrontal self-regulatory mechanisms, prior studies have elicited mixed evidence of a relationship between individual differences in the capacity for self-regulation and individual differences in risk taking. To explain these inconsistent findings, it has been suggested that the capacity for self-regulation may be, for most adolescents, adequately mature to produce adaptive behaviour in non-affective, "cold" circumstances, but that adolescents have a more difficult time exerting control in affective, "hot" contexts. To further explore this claim, the present study examined individual differences in self-control in the face of affective and non-affective response conflict, and examined whether differences in the functioning of cognitive control processes under these different conditions was related to risk taking. Participants completed a cognitive Stroop task, an emotional Stroop task, and a risky driving task known as the Stoplight game. Regression analyses showed that performance on the emotional Stroop task predicted laboratory risk-taking in the driving task, whereas performance on the cognitive Stroop task did not exhibit the same trend. This pattern of results is consistent with theories of adolescent risk-taking that emphasise the impacts of affective contextual influences on the ability to enact effective cognitive control.

The Sexual Discounting Task: HIV Risk Behavior and the Discounting of Delayed Sexual Rewards in Cocaine Dependence

PubMed Central

Johnson, Matthew W.; Bruner, Natalie R.

2011-01-01

Background Cocaine dependence is associated with high rates of sexual risk behavior and HIV infection. However, little is known about the responsible mechanism(s). Methods Cocaine-dependent individuals (N=62) completed a novel Sexual Discounting Task assessing decisions between immediate unprotected sex and delayed sex with a condom across four hypothetical partners: most (and least) likely to have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and most (and least) sexually desirable; a real rewards money delay-discounting task, and self-reported sexual risk behavior using the HIV Risk-Taking Behavior Scale (HRBS). Results Sexual Discounting Task results were largely systematic and showed a strong effect of delay in decreasing condom use. Sexual discounting (preference for immediate unprotected sex) was significantly greater when making responses for partners judged least (compared to most) likely to have an STI, and for partners judged most (compared to least) desirable. Differences in sexual discounting were significant after controlling for differences in condom use (with no delay) between conditions. Greater discounting in 3 or the 4 Sexual Discounting Task conditions, but not in the money discounting task, was associated with greater self-reported sexual risk behavior as measured by the HRBS Conclusions Results suggest that delay is a critical variable strongly affecting HIV sexual risk behavior, and that the Sexual Discounting Task provides a clinically sensitive measure of this phenomenon that may address a variety of questions about HIV risk in future research. The wealth of behavioral and neurobiological data on delay discounting should be brought to bear on HIV education and prevention. PMID:22055012

Using ergonomics to enhance safe production at a surface coal mine--a case study with powder crews.

PubMed

Torma-Krajewski, Janet; Wiehagen, William; Etcheverry, Ann; Turin, Fred; Unger, Richard

2009-10-01

Job tasks that involve exposure to work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) risk factors may impact both the risk of injury and production downtime. Common WMSD risks factors associated with mining tasks include forceful exertions, awkward postures, repetitive motion, jolting and jarring, forceful gripping, contact stress, and whole body and segmental vibration. Mining environments that expose workers to temperature/humidity extremes, windy conditions, and slippery and uneven walking surfaces also contribute to injury risk. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers worked with powder crew members from the Bridger Coal Company to identify and rank routine work tasks based on perceived exposure to WMSD risk factors. This article presents the process followed to identify tasks that workers believed involved the greatest exposure to risk factors and discusses risk reduction strategies. Specifically, the proposed prill truck design changes addressed cab ingress/egress, loading blast holes, and access to the upper deck of the prill truck.

Threat affects risk preferences in movement decision making

PubMed Central

O'Brien, Megan K.; Ahmed, Alaa A.

2015-01-01

Emotional states such as sadness, anger, and threat have been shown to play a critical role in decision-making processes. Here we addressed the question of whether risk preferences are influenced by postural threat and whether this influence generalizes across motor tasks. We examined risk attitudes in the context of arm-reaching (ARM) and whole-body (WB) leaning movements, expecting that increased postural threat would lead to proportionally similar changes in risk-sensitivity for each motor task. Healthy young adults were shown a series of two-alternative forced-choice lotteries, where they were asked to choose between a riskier lottery and a safer lottery on each trial. Our lotteries consisted of different monetary rewards and target sizes. Subjects performed each choice task at ground level and atop an elevated platform. In the presence of this postural threat, increased physiological arousal was correlated with decreased movement variability. To determine risk-sensitivity, we quantified the frequency with which a subject chose the riskier lottery and fit lottery responses to a choice model based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT). Subjects exhibited idiosyncratic changes in risk-sensitivity between motor tasks and between elevations. However, we found that overweighting of small probabilities increased with postural threat in the WB task, indicating a more cautious, risk-averse strategy is ascribed to the possibility of a fall. Subjects were also more risk-seeking in the WB movements than in ARM at low elevation; this behavior does not seem to derive from consistent distortions in utility or probability representations but may be explained by subjects' inaccurate estimation of their own motor variability. Overall, our findings suggest that implicit threat can modify risk attitudes in the motor domain, and the threat may induce risk-aversion in salient movement tasks. PMID:26106311

Threat affects risk preferences in movement decision making.

PubMed

O'Brien, Megan K; Ahmed, Alaa A

2015-01-01

Emotional states such as sadness, anger, and threat have been shown to play a critical role in decision-making processes. Here we addressed the question of whether risk preferences are influenced by postural threat and whether this influence generalizes across motor tasks. We examined risk attitudes in the context of arm-reaching (ARM) and whole-body (WB) leaning movements, expecting that increased postural threat would lead to proportionally similar changes in risk-sensitivity for each motor task. Healthy young adults were shown a series of two-alternative forced-choice lotteries, where they were asked to choose between a riskier lottery and a safer lottery on each trial. Our lotteries consisted of different monetary rewards and target sizes. Subjects performed each choice task at ground level and atop an elevated platform. In the presence of this postural threat, increased physiological arousal was correlated with decreased movement variability. To determine risk-sensitivity, we quantified the frequency with which a subject chose the riskier lottery and fit lottery responses to a choice model based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT). Subjects exhibited idiosyncratic changes in risk-sensitivity between motor tasks and between elevations. However, we found that overweighting of small probabilities increased with postural threat in the WB task, indicating a more cautious, risk-averse strategy is ascribed to the possibility of a fall. Subjects were also more risk-seeking in the WB movements than in ARM at low elevation; this behavior does not seem to derive from consistent distortions in utility or probability representations but may be explained by subjects' inaccurate estimation of their own motor variability. Overall, our findings suggest that implicit threat can modify risk attitudes in the motor domain, and the threat may induce risk-aversion in salient movement tasks.

Ergonomic assessment for the task of repairing computers in a manufacturing company: A case study.

PubMed

Maldonado-Macías, Aidé; Realyvásquez, Arturo; Hernández, Juan Luis; García-Alcaraz, Jorge

2015-01-01

Manufacturing industry workers who repair computers may be exposed to ergonomic risk factors. This project analyzes the tasks involved in the computer repair process to (1) find the risk level for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and (2) propose ergonomic interventions to address any ergonomic issues. Work procedures and main body postures were video recorded and analyzed using task analysis, the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) postural method, and biomechanical analysis. High risk for MSDs was found on every subtask using REBA. Although biomechanical analysis found an acceptable mass center displacement during tasks, a hazardous level of compression on the lower back during computer's transportation was detected. This assessment found ergonomic risks mainly in the trunk, arm/forearm, and legs; the neck and hand/wrist were also compromised. Opportunities for ergonomic analyses and interventions in the design and execution of computer repair tasks are discussed.

Mixtures of beta distributions in models of the duration of a project affected by risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gładysz, Barbara; Kuchta, Dorota

2017-07-01

This article presents a method for timetabling a project affected by risk. The times required to carry out tasks are modelled using mixtures of beta distributions. The parameters of these beta distributions are given by experts: one corresponding to the duration of a task in stable conditions, with no risks materializing, and the other corresponding to the duration of a task in the case when risks do occur. Finally, a case study will be presented and analysed: the project of constructing a shopping mall in Poland.

Decision theory and the evaluation of risks and benefits of clinical trials.

PubMed

Bernabe, Rosemarie D C; van Thiel, Ghislaine J M W; Raaijmakers, Jan A M; van Delden, Johannes J M

2012-12-01

Research ethics committees (RECs) are tasked to assess the risks and the benefits of a clinical trial. In previous studies, it was shown that RECs find this task difficult, if not impossible, to do. The current approaches to benefit-risk assessment (i.e. Component Analysis and the Net Risk Test) confound the various risk-benefit tasks, and as such, make balancing impossible. In this article, we show that decision theory, specifically through the expected utility theory and multiattribute utility theory, enable for an explicit and ethically weighted risk-benefit evaluation. This makes a balanced ethical justification possible, and thus a more rationally defensible decision making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk Reduction and Resource Pooling on a Cooperation Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pietras, Cynthia J.; Cherek, Don R.; Lane, Scott D.; Tcheremissine, Oleg

2006-01-01

Two experiments investigated choice in adult humans on a simulated cooperation task to evaluate a risk-reduction account of sharing based on the energy-budget rule. The energy-budget rule is an optimal foraging model that predicts risk-averse choices when net energy gains exceed energy requirements (positive energy budget) and risk-prone choices…

Schedule Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Greg

2003-01-01

Schedule risk assessments determine the likelihood of finishing on time. Each task in a schedule has a varying degree of probability of being finished on time. A schedule risk assessment quantifies these probabilities by assigning values to each task. This viewgraph presentation contains a flow chart for conducting a schedule risk assessment, and profiles applicable several methods of data analysis.

That's close enough--a threshold effect of time headway on the experience of risk, task difficulty, effort, and comfort.

PubMed

Lewis-Evans, Ben; De Waard, Dick; Brookhuis, Karel A

2010-11-01

Subjective impressions of task difficulty, risk, effort, and comfort are key variables of several theories of driver behaviour. A point of difference between many of these theories is not only the importance of these variables, but also whether they are continuously present and monitored or only experienced by individuals at certain critical points in the driving task. Both a threshold relationship and evidence of constant monitoring of risk and task difficulty have been found for speed choice. In light of these conflicting findings this study seeks to examine a different part of the driving task, the choice of time headway. Participants (N=40, aged 19 to 30) drove in a simulator behind a vehicle travelling at 50 km/h at set time headways ranging from 0.5 seconds to 4.0 seconds. After each drive ratings of task difficulty, risk, comfort, and effort were collected. In addition participants were asked to drive at the time headway they preferred. In order to assess familiarity participants also drove on both the left and right hand side of the road and the role of driving experience was also examined. The results show support for a threshold awareness of task difficulty, risk, effort, and comfort in relation to time headway. Participant's ratings of these variables tended to be low or nil at large time headways, but then around the 2.0 second mark began to noticeably increase. Feelings of task difficulty, risk, and effort were also found to be highly correlated with each other. No effect of driving experience or side of the road was found. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Within and between Individual Variability of Exposure to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors.

PubMed

Zare, Mohsen; Sagot, Jean-Claude; Roquelaure, Yves

2018-05-17

Industrial companies indicate a tendency to eliminate variations in operator strategies, particularly following implementation of the lean principle. Companies believe when the operators perform the same prescribed tasks, they have to execute them in the same manner (completing the same gestures and being exposed to the same risk factors). They attempt to achieve better product quality by standardizing and reducing operational leeway. However, operators adjust and modify ways of performing tasks to balance between their abilities and the requirements of the job. This study aims to investigate the variability of exposure to physical risk factors within and between operators when executing the same prescribed tasks. The Ergonomic Standard method was used to evaluate two workstations. Seven operators were observed thirty times between repeated cycle times at those workstations. The results revealed the variability of exposure to risk factors between and within operators in the repeated execution of the same tasks. Individual characteristics and operators' strategies might generate the variability of exposure to risk factors that may be an opportunity to reduce the risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WR-MSDs). However, sometimes operators' strategies may cause overexposure to risk factors; operators most often adopt such strategies to undertake their tasks while reducing the workload.

Towards an integrated approach to natural hazards risk assessment using GIS: with reference to bushfires.

PubMed

Chen, Keping; Blong, Russell; Jacobson, Carol

2003-04-01

This paper develops a GIS-based integrated approach to risk assessment in natural hazards, with reference to bushfires. The challenges for undertaking this approach have three components: data integration, risk assessment tasks, and risk decision-making. First, data integration in GIS is a fundamental step for subsequent risk assessment tasks and risk decision-making. A series of spatial data integration issues within GIS such as geographical scales and data models are addressed. Particularly, the integration of both physical environmental data and socioeconomic data is examined with an example linking remotely sensed data and areal census data in GIS. Second, specific risk assessment tasks, such as hazard behavior simulation and vulnerability assessment, should be undertaken in order to understand complex hazard risks and provide support for risk decision-making. For risk assessment tasks involving heterogeneous data sources, the selection of spatial analysis units is important. Third, risk decision-making concerns spatial preferences and/or patterns, and a multicriteria evaluation (MCE)-GIS typology for risk decision-making is presented that incorporates three perspectives: spatial data types, data models, and methods development. Both conventional MCE methods and artificial intelligence-based methods with GIS are identified to facilitate spatial risk decision-making in a rational and interpretable way. Finally, the paper concludes that the integrated approach can be used to assist risk management of natural hazards, in theory and in practice.

Negative Affect, Decision Making, and Attentional Networks.

PubMed

Ortega, Ana Raquel; Ramírez, Encarnación; Colmenero, José María; García-Viedma, Ma Del Rosario

2017-02-01

This study focuses on whether risk avoidance in decision making depends on negative affect or it is specific to anxious individuals. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task was used to obtain an objective measure in a risk situation with anxious, depressive, and control individuals. The role of attentional networks was also studied using the Attentional Network Test-Interaction (ANT-I) task with neutral stimuli. A significant difference was observed between anxious and depressive individuals in assumed risk in decision making. We found no differences between anxious and normal individuals in the alert, orientation, and congruency effects obtained in the ANT-I task. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between the risk avoidance and the indexes of alertness, orienting, and control. Future research shall determine whether emotionally relevant stimulation leads to attentional control deficit or whether differences between anxious and no anxious individuals are due to the type of strategy followed in choice tasks.

Breaking Down the Coercive Cycle: How Parent and Child Risk Factors Influence Real-Time Variability in Parental Responses to Child Misbehavior

PubMed Central

Lunkenheimer, Erika; Lichtwarck-Aschoff, Anna; Hollenstein, Tom; Kemp, Christine J.; Granic, Isabela

2016-01-01

Objective Parent-child coercive cycles have been associated with both rigidity and inconsistency in parenting behavior. To explain these mixed findings, we examined real-time variability in maternal responses to children's off-task behavior to determine whether this common trigger of the coercive cycle (responding to child misbehavior) is associated with rigidity or inconsistency in parenting. We also examined the effects of risk factors for coercion (maternal hostility, maternal depressive symptoms, child externalizing problems, and dyadic negativity) on patterns of parenting. Design Mother-child dyads (N = 96; M child age = 41 months) completed a difficult puzzle task, and observations were coded continuously for parent (e.g., directive, teaching) and child behavior (e.g., on-task, off-task). Results Multilevel continuous-time survival analyses revealed that parenting behavior is less variable when children are off-task. However, when risk factors are higher, a different profile emerges. Combined maternal and child risk is associated with markedly lower variability in parenting behavior overall (i.e., rigidity) paired with shifts towards higher variability specifically when children are off-task (i.e., inconsistency). Dyadic negativity (i.e., episodes when children are off-task and parents engage in negative behavior) are also associated with higher parenting variability. Conclusions Risk factors confer rigidity in parenting overall, but in moments when higher-risk parents must respond to child misbehavior, their parenting becomes more variable, suggesting inconsistency and ineffectiveness. This context-dependent shift in parenting behavior may help explain prior mixed findings and offer new directions for family interventions designed to reduce coercive processes. PMID:28190978

Cognitive and behavioural dispositions in offspring at high risk for alcoholism.

PubMed

Kumar, Rajesh; Kumar, Keshav Janakiprasad; Benegal, Vivek

2018-06-01

Offspring with family history of alcoholism are considered to be at high risk for alcoholism. The present study sought to expand our understanding of cognitive and behavioural dispositions associated with executive control and self-regulation in alcohol naïve offspring with and without family history of alcoholism. Sample comprised of alcohol naive offspring in two groups: (i) at high risk (n = 34) and (ii) at low risk for alcoholism (n = 34). Both groups were matched on age (+/-1 year), education (+/-1 year) and gender. Measures used were: Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Family Interview for Genetic Studies, Socio-demographic Data Sheet, Annett's Handedness Questionnaire, Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale-version 11, Digit Span Test, Spatial Span Test, Tower of London, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT). Results showed that alcohol naive offspring at high risk for alcoholism reported significantly high impulsivity and demonstrated significant differences on executive functions and decision making tasks. Correlation analysis revealed that high impulsivity was significantly associated with poor performance on explicit decision making task (GDT) and executive function task (WCST). There was no significant correlation between two decision making tasks (IGT and GDT) in both groups and performance on IGT was not significantly associated with impulsivity and executive functions. The present study indicates cognitive and behavioural dispositions in alcohol naive offspring at high risk for alcoholism and support the sub-optimal balance between reflective and impulsive system responsible for addiction. Furthermore, present study supports separability between two different types of decision making tasks. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Basic Microvascular Anastomosis Simulation Hub Microsurgery Course: An Innovative Competency-Based Approach to Microsurgical Training for Early Year's Plastic Surgery Trainees.

PubMed

Ali, Stephen

2018-04-01

Early year's plastic surgery trainees are faced with a large choice of microsurgery courses to select from. In the context of dwindling study budgets and busy on-call rotas, the pressure to select a high yield course that delivers value for money is of paramount importance.The Basic Microvascular Anastomosis Simulation Hub Microsurgery Course is a GBP £600 (US $790) 5-day 40-hour course based at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry increasing in popularity among junior trainees to fit this brief.

Measurement of the t anti-t production cross-section at √s = 1.96-TeV using lifetime tagging

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

Khanov, Alexander

2004-01-01

A measurement of the tmore » $$\\bar{t}$$ production cross section in the lepton+jets channels with the D0 detector at √s = 1.96 TeV using the lifetime-tagging techniques is presented. The t$$\\bar{t}$$ cross section is estimated from the combination of the e+jets and μ+jets channels. The obtained result σ t$$\\bar{t}$$ = 7.47$$+ 1.22\\atop{-1.14}$$(stat)$$+ 1.65\\atop{-1.03}$$(syst) ± 0.49(lumi) pb is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.« less

Cognitive task analysis: harmonizing tasks to human capacities.

PubMed

Neerincx, M A; Griffioen, E

1996-04-01

This paper presents the development of a cognitive task analysis that assesses the task load of jobs and provides indicators for the redesign of jobs. General principles of human task performance were selected and, subsequently, integrated into current task modelling techniques. The resulting cognitive task analysis centres around four aspects of task load: the number of actions in a period, the ratio between knowledge- and rule-based actions, lengthy uninterrupted actions, and momentary overloading. The method consists of three stages: (1) construction of a hierarchical task model, (2) a time-line analysis and task load assessment, and (3), if necessary, adjustment of the task model. An application of the cognitive task analysis in railway traffic control showed its benefits over the 'old' task load analysis of the Netherlands Railways. It provided a provisional standard for traffic control jobs, conveyed two load risks -- momentary overloading and underloading -- and resulted in proposals to satisfy the standard and to diminish the two load risk.

Keep Your Eyes on the Road: Young Driver Crash Risk Increases According to Duration of Distraction

PubMed Central

Simons-Morton, Bruce; Guo, Feng; Klauer, Sheila G; Ehsani, Johnathon P; Pradhan, Anuj K

2014-01-01

Purpose Secondary task engagement that distracts the driver is a contributing factor to motor vehicle crashes among adults. However, the association between eye glance duration and crash risk with novice teenage drivers has not been determined. Methods Vehicles of 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers were instrumented with cameras, accelerometers, GPS, and other devices. Data were collected continuously for 18 months. Crashes and near crashes (CNCs) were identified by examining highly elevated gravitational force events. Video footage of the 6 seconds prior to each CNC and randomly sampled non-CNC road segments were coded for the duration of eye glances off the forward roadway and the presence of secondary task engagement. The likelihood (odds ratios) of CNC due to eye glance behavior was calculated by comparing the prevalence of secondary task engagement and duration of eyes off road prior to CNC with the prevalence and duration of eyes off road during non-CNC road segments. Results Crash risk increased with the duration of single longest glance during all secondary tasks (OR=3.8 for >2s) and wireless secondary task engagement (OR=5.5 for >2s). Single longest glance provided a more consistent estimate of crash risk than total time eyes off the forward roadway. Conclusions Eyes glances away from forward roadway involving secondary tasks increased the likelihood of CNC. The longer the duration of eye glance away from the road the greater the risk, regardless of type of secondary task. Education and policy discouraging secondary task engagement, particularly for prolonged periods, is warranted. PMID:24759443

Beyond human error taxonomies in assessment of risk in sociotechnical systems: a new paradigm with the EAST 'broken-links' approach.

PubMed

Stanton, Neville A; Harvey, Catherine

2017-02-01

Risk assessments in Sociotechnical Systems (STS) tend to be based on error taxonomies, yet the term 'human error' does not sit easily with STS theories and concepts. A new break-link approach was proposed as an alternative risk assessment paradigm to reveal the effect of information communication failures between agents and tasks on the entire STS. A case study of the training of a Royal Navy crew detecting a low flying Hawk (simulating a sea-skimming missile) is presented using EAST to model the Hawk-Frigate STS in terms of social, information and task networks. By breaking 19 social links and 12 task links, 137 potential risks were identified. Discoveries included revealing the effect of risk moving around the system; reducing the risks to the Hawk increased the risks to the Frigate. Future research should examine the effects of compounded information communication failures on STS performance. Practitioner Summary: The paper presents a step-by-step walk-through of EAST to show how it can be used for risk assessment in sociotechnical systems. The 'broken-links' method takes a systemic, rather than taxonomic, approach to identify information communication failures in social and task networks.

Young Adult Cannabis Users Report Greater Propensity for Risk-Taking Only in Non-Monetary Domains

PubMed Central

Gilman, Jodi M.; Calderon, Vanessa; Curran, Max T.; Evins, A. Eden

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Though substance use is often associated with elevated risk-taking in real-world scenarios, many risk-taking tasks in experimental psychology using financial gambles fail to find significant differences between individuals with substance use disorders and healthy controls. We assessed whether participants using marijuana would show a greater propensity for risk-taking in distinct domains including, but not limited to, financial risk-taking. METHODS In the current study, we assessed risk-taking in young adult (age 18–25) regular marijuana users and in non-using control participants using a domain-specific risk-taking self-report scale (DOSPERT) encompassing five domains of risk-taking (social, financial, recreational, health/safety, and ethical). We also measured behavioral risk-taking using a laboratory monetary risk-taking task. RESULTS Marijuana users and controls reported significant differences on the social, health/safety, and ethical risk-taking scales, but no differences in the propensity to take recreational or financial risks. Complementing the self-report finding, there were no differences between marijuana users and controls in their performance on the laboratory risk-taking task. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that financial risk-taking may be less sensitive than other domains of risk-taking in assessing differences in risky behavior between those who use marijuana and those who do not. In order to more consistently determine whether increased risk-taking is a factor in substance use, it may be necessary to use both monetary risk-taking tasks and complementary assessments of non-monetary-based risk-taking measures. PMID:25577478

Increased cognitive load leads to impaired mobility decisions in seniors at risk for falls.

PubMed

Nagamatsu, Lindsay S; Voss, Michelle; Neider, Mark B; Gaspar, John G; Handy, Todd C; Kramer, Arthur F; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa Y L

2011-06-01

Successful mobility requires appropriate decision-making. Seniors with reduced executive functioning-such as senior fallers-may be prone to poor mobility judgments, especially under dual-task conditions. We classified participants as "At-Risk" and "Not-At-Risk" for falls using a validated physiological falls-risk assessment. Dual-task performance was assessed in a virtual reality environment where participants crossed a simulated street by walking on a manual treadmill while listening to music or conversing on a phone. Those "At-Risk" experienced more collisions with oncoming cars and had longer crossing times in the Phone condition compared to controls. We conclude that poor mobility judgments during a dual-task leads to unsafe mobility for those at-risk for falls. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Quantifying tasks, ergonomic exposures and injury rates among school custodial workers.

PubMed

Village, J; Koehoorn, M; Hossain, S; Ostry, A

2009-06-01

A job exposure matrix of ergonomics risk factors was constructed for school custodial workers in one large school district in the province of British Columbia using 100 h of 1-min fixed-interval observations, participatory worker consensus on task durations and existing employment and school characteristic data. Significant differences in ergonomics risk factors were found by tasks and occupations. Cleaning and moving furniture, handling garbage, cleaning washrooms and cleaning floors were associated with the most physical risks and the exposure was often higher during the summer vs. the school year. Injury rates over a 4-year period showed the custodian injury rate was four times higher than the overall injury rate across all occupations in the school district. Injury rates were significantly higher in the school year compared with summer (12.2 vs. 7.0 per 100 full-time equivalents per year, p < 0.05). Custodial workers represent a considerable proportion of the labour force and have high injury rates, yet ergonomic studies are disproportionately few. Previous studies that quantified risk factors in custodial workers tended to focus on a few tasks or specific risk factors. This study, using participatory ergonomics and observational methods, systematically quantifies the broad range of musculoskeletal risk factors across multiple tasks performed by custodial workers in schools, adding considerably to the methodological literature.

Combining glass box and black box evaluations in the identification of heart disease risk factors and their temporal relations from clinical records.

PubMed

Grouin, Cyril; Moriceau, Véronique; Zweigenbaum, Pierre

2015-12-01

The determination of risk factors and their temporal relations in natural language patient records is a complex task which has been addressed in the i2b2/UTHealth 2014 shared task. In this context, in most systems it was broadly decomposed into two sub-tasks implemented by two components: entity detection, and temporal relation determination. Task-level ("black box") evaluation is relevant for the final clinical application, whereas component-level evaluation ("glass box") is important for system development and progress monitoring. Unfortunately, because of the interaction between entity representation and temporal relation representation, glass box and black box evaluation cannot be managed straightforwardly at the same time in the setting of the i2b2/UTHealth 2014 task, making it difficult to assess reliably the relative performance and contribution of the individual components to the overall task. To identify obstacles and propose methods to cope with this difficulty, and illustrate them through experiments on the i2b2/UTHealth 2014 dataset. We outline several solutions to this problem and examine their requirements in terms of adequacy for component-level and task-level evaluation and of changes to the task framework. We select the solution which requires the least modifications to the i2b2 evaluation framework and illustrate it with our system. This system identifies risk factor mentions with a CRF system complemented by hand-designed patterns, identifies and normalizes temporal expressions through a tailored version of the Heideltime tool, and determines temporal relations of each risk factor with a One Rule classifier. Giving a fixed value to the temporal attribute in risk factor identification proved to be the simplest way to evaluate the risk factor detection component independently. This evaluation method enabled us to identify the risk factor detection component as most contributing to the false negatives and false positives of the global system. This led us to redirect further effort to this component, focusing on medication detection, with gains of 7 to 20 recall points and of 3 to 6 F-measure points depending on the corpus and evaluation. We proposed a method to achieve a clearer glass box evaluation of risk factor detection and temporal relation detection in clinical texts, which can provide an example to help system development in similar tasks. This glass box evaluation was instrumental in refocusing our efforts and obtaining substantial improvements in risk factor detection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imaging frontostriatal function in ultra-high-risk, early, and chronic schizophrenia during executive processing.

PubMed

Morey, Rajendra A; Inan, Seniha; Mitchell, Teresa V; Perkins, Diana O; Lieberman, Jeffrey A; Belger, Aysenil

2005-03-01

Individuals experiencing prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia (ultra-high-risk group) demonstrate impaired performance on tasks of executive function, attention, and working memory. The neurobiological underpinnings of such executive deficits in ultra-high-risk individuals remains unclear. We assessed frontal and striatal functions during a visual oddball continuous performance task, in ultra-high-risk, early, and chronic schizophrenic patients with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Cross-sectional case-control design. Community; outpatient clinic. Patients Fifty-two individuals (control, n = 16; ultra-high risk, n = 10; early, n = 15; chronic, n = 11) from a referred clinical sample and age- and sex-matched control volunteers underwent scanning. Percentage of active voxels and percentage signal change calculated for the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), basal ganglia, and thalamus. Performance on the visual oddball task was measured with percentage of hits and d' (a measure based on the hit rate and the false-alarm rate). The ultra-high-risk group showed significantly smaller differential activation between task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimuli in the frontal regions (ACG, IFG, MFG) than the control group. Frontostriatal activation associated with target stimuli in the early and chronic groups was significantly lower than the control group, while the ultra-high-risk group showed a trend toward the early group. Our findings suggest that prefrontal function begins to decline before the onset of syndromally defined illness and hence may represent a vulnerability marker in assessing the risk of developing psychotic disorders among ultra-high-risk individuals.

Using Activity Schedules to Increase On-Task Behavior in Children at Risk for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cirelli, Christe A.; Sidener, Tina M.; Reeve, Kenneth F.; Reeve, Sharon A.

2016-01-01

The effects of activity schedules on on-task and on-schedule behavior were assessed with two boys at risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and referred by their public school teachers as having difficulty during independent work time. On-task behavior increased for both participants after two training sessions. Teachers, peers,…

76 FR 52387 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New Mexico; Federal Implementation Plan for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-22

...EPA is disapproving a portion of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision received from the State of New Mexico on September 17, 2007, for the purpose of addressing the ``good neighbor'' requirements of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i) of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standards) and the 1997 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) NAAQS. In this action, EPA is disapproving the New Mexico Interstate Transport SIP provisions that address the requirement of section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(II) that emissions from New Mexico sources do not interfere with measures required in the SIP of any other state under part C of the CAA to protect visibility. We have found that New Mexico sources, except the San Juan Generating Station, are sufficiently controlled to eliminate interference with the visibility programs of other states. EPA is promulgating a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to address this deficiency by implementing nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission limits necessary at the San Juan Generating Station (SJGS), to prevent such interference. EPA found in January 2009 that New Mexico had failed to submit a SIP addressing certain regional haze (RH) requirements, including the requirement for best available retrofit technology (BART). The Clean Air Act required EPA to promulgate a FIP to address RH requirements by January 2011. This FIP addresses the RH BART requirement for NOX for SJGS. In addition, EPA is implementing sulfuric acid (H2SO4) hourly emission limits at the SJGS, to minimize the contribution of this compound to visibility impairment. This action is being taken under section 110 and part C of the CAA.

Screening for intermediate and severe forms of thalassaemia in discarded red blood cells: optimization and feasibility.

PubMed

George, Elizabeth; Lai, Mei I; Teh, Lai Kuan; Ramasamy, Rajesh; Goh, Ern Huei; Asokan, Kamalan; Tan, J A M A; Vasudevan, Maithili; Low, Sharon

2011-12-01

Detection and quantification of Hb subtypes of human blood is integral to presumptive identification of thalassaemias. It has been used in neonatal screening of thalassaemia and Hb variants. The use of discarded red blood cells following processing of the cord blood for stem cells provides readily available diagnostic material for thalassaemia screening. In this study, we determined the range of Hb subtypes in 195 consecutive cord blood samples collected for cord blood banking. The 'cord blood samples' analysed were those of the remaining red blood cells after the cord blood was processed for stem cell storage. Quantification of Hb subtypes by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was done on BioRad Variant II Hb testing system. Only 73 (36.5%) of the samples could be analyzed neat without dilution. With a 1:300 dilution with wash solution the acceptable area as recommended by the manufacturer for reading of a C-gram within the 1 to 3 million ranges were achieved in all. Eighteen (9%) 12 showed classical Hb Barts (y4) prerun peaks were confirmed by Sebia Hydrasys automated Hb gel electrophoresis and quantified by Sebia Capillarys 2 capillary electrophoresis. Only 1 (0.5%) was presumptively identified with HbH disease. Due to the limited number of samples no beta-thalassaemia major, Hb E beta-thalassaemia and Hb Barts hydrops fetalis were found. The HPLC assay was possible at a cost US$ 5 per sample and a turnover time of 10 samples per hour without technical difficulties. This study reports an effective and valuable protocol for thalassaemia screening in red blood cells which would otherwise be discarded during cord blood processing. Cord blood with severe and intermediate forms of thalassaemia can be preselected and not stored.

Detection of SEA-type α-thalassemia in embryo biopsies by digital PCR.

PubMed

Lee, Ta-Hsien; Hsu, Ya-Chiung; Chang, Chia Lin

2017-08-01

Accurate and efficient pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) based on the analysis of single or oligo-cells is needed for timely identification of embryos that are affected by deleterious genetic traits in in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the backbone of modern genetic diagnoses, and a spectrum of PCR-based techniques have been used to detect various thalassemia mutations in prenatal diagnosis (PND) and PGD. Among thalassemias, SEA-type α-thalassemia is the most common variety found in Asia, and can lead to Bart's hydrops fetalis and serious maternal complications. To formulate an efficient digital PCR for clinical diagnosis of SEA-type α-thalassemia in cultured embryos, we conducted a pilot study to detect the α-globin and SEA-type deletion alleles in blastomere biopsies with a highly sensitive microfluidics-based digital PCR method. Genomic DNA from embryo biopsy samples were extracted, and crude DNA extracts were first amplified by a conventional PCR procedure followed by a nested PCR reaction with primers and probes that are designed for digital PCR amplification. Analysis of microfluidics-based PCR reactions showed that robust signals for normal α-globin and SEA-type deletion alleles, together with an internal control gene, can be routinely generated using crude embryo biopsies after a 10 6 -fold dilution of primary PCR products. The SEA-type deletion in cultured embryos can be sensitively diagnosed with the digital PCR procedure in clinics. The adoption of this robust PGD method could prevent the implantation of IVF embryos that are destined to develop Bart's hydrops fetalis in a timely manner. The results also help inform future development of a standard digital PCR procedure for cost-effective PGD of α-thalassemia in a standard IVF clinic. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Gait and risk of falls associated with frontal cognitive functions at different stages of Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Coelho, Flávia Gomes de Melo; Stella, Florindo; de Andrade, Larissa Pires; Barbieri, Fabio Augusto; Santos-Galduróz, Ruth Ferreira; Gobbi, Sebastião; Costa, José Luiz Riani; Gobbi, Lilian Teresa Bucken

2012-09-01

The decline in frontal cognitive functions contributes to alterations of gait and increases the risk of falls in patients with dementia, a category which included Alzheimer's disease (AD). The objective of the present study was to compare the gait parameters and the risk of falls among patients at different stages of AD, and to relate these variables with cognitive functions. This is a cross-sectional study with 23 patients with mild and moderate AD. The Clinical Dementia Rating was used to classify the dementia severity. The kinematic parameters of gait (cadence, stride length, and stride speed) were analyzed under two conditions: (a) single task (free gait) and (b) dual task (walking and counting down). The risk of falls was evaluated using the Timed Up-and-Go test. The frontal cognitive functions were evaluated using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Symbol Search Subtest. The patients who were at the moderate stage suffered reduced performance in their stride length and stride speed in the single task and had made more counting errors in the dual task and still had a higher fall risk. Both the mild and the moderate patients exhibited significant decreases in stride length, stride speed and cadence in the dual task. Was detected a significant correlation between CDT, FAB, and stride speed in the dual task condition. We also found a significant correlation between subtest Similarities, FAB and cadence in the dual task condition. The dual task produced changes in the kinematic parameters of gait for the mild and moderate AD patients and the gait alterations are related to frontal cognitive functions, particularly executive functions.

The efficacy of the 'mind map' study technique.

PubMed

Farrand, Paul; Hussain, Fearzana; Hennessy, Enid

2002-05-01

To examine the effectiveness of using the 'mind map' study technique to improve factual recall from written information. To obtain baseline data, subjects completed a short test based on a 600-word passage of text prior to being randomly allocated to form two groups: 'self-selected study technique' and 'mind map'. After a 30-minute interval the self-selected study technique group were exposed to the same passage of text previously seen and told to apply existing study techniques. Subjects in the mind map group were trained in the mind map technique and told to apply it to the passage of text. Recall was measured after an interfering task and a week later. Measures of motivation were taken. Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London. 50 second- and third-year medical students. Recall of factual material improved for both the mind map and self-selected study technique groups at immediate test compared with baseline. However this improvement was only robust after a week for those in the mind map group. At 1 week, the factual knowledge in the mind map group was greater by 10% (adjusting for baseline) (95% CI -1% to 22%). However motivation for the technique used was lower in the mind map group; if motivation could have been made equal in the groups, the improvement with mind mapping would have been 15% (95% CI 3% to 27%). Mind maps provide an effective study technique when applied to written material. However before mind maps are generally adopted as a study technique, consideration has to be given towards ways of improving motivation amongst users.

Individual differences in risk-taking tendencies modulate the neural processing of risky and ambiguous decision-making in adolescence.

PubMed

Blankenstein, N E; Schreuders, E; Peper, J S; Crone, E A; van Duijvenvoorde, A C K

2018-05-15

Although many neuroimaging studies have investigated adolescent risk taking, few studies have dissociated between decision-making under risk (known probabilities) and ambiguity (unknown probabilities). Furthermore, which brain regions are sensitive to individual differences in task-related and self-reported risk taking remains elusive. We presented 198 adolescents (11-24 years, an age-range in which individual differences in risk taking are prominent) with an fMRI paradigm that separated decision-making (choosing to gamble or not) and reward outcome processing (gains, no gains) under risky and ambiguous conditions, and related this to task-related and self-reported risk taking. We observed distinct neural mechanisms underlying risky and ambiguous gambling, with risk more prominently associated with activation in parietal cortex, and ambiguity more prominently with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as medial PFC during outcome processing. Individual differences in task-related risk taking were positively associated with ventral striatum activation in the decision phase, specifically for risk, and negatively associated with insula and dorsomedial PFC activation, specifically for ambiguity. Moreover, dorsolateral PFC activation in the outcome phase seemed a prominent marker for individual differences in task-related risk taking under ambiguity as well as self-reported daily-life risk taking, in which greater risk taking was associated with reduced activation in dorsolateral PFC. Together, this study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple risk-taking measures, and contextual moderators, in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying adolescent risk taking. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Grip Strength and Its Relationship to Police Recruit Task Performance and Injury Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Stierli, Michael; Hinton, Benjamin

2017-01-01

Suitable grip strength is a police occupational requirement. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between grip strength, task performance and injury risk in a police population. Retrospective data of police recruits (n = 169) who had undergone basic recruit training were provided, including handgrip strength results, occupational task performance measures (consisting of police task simulations [SIM], tactical options [TACOPS] and marksmanship assessments) and injury records. Left hand grip strength (41.91 ± 8.29 kg) measures showed a stronger correlation than right hand grip strength (42.15 ± 8.53 kg) with all outcome measures. Recruits whose grip strength scores were lower were significantly more susceptible to failing the TACOPS occupational task assessment than those with greater grip strength scores, with significant (p ≤ 0.003) weak to moderate, positive correlations found between grip strength and TACOPS performance. A significant (p < 0.0001) correlation was found between grip strength, most notably of the left hand, and marksmanship performance, with those performing better in marksmanship having higher grip strength. Left hand grip strength was significantly associated with injury risk (r = −0.181, p = 0.018) but right hand grip strength was not. A positive association exists between handgrip strength and police recruit task performance (notably TACOPS and marksmanship) with recruits who scored poorly on grip strength being at greatest risk of occupational assessment task failure. PMID:28825688

Grip Strength and Its Relationship to Police Recruit Task Performance and Injury Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Orr, Robin; Pope, Rodney; Stierli, Michael; Hinton, Benjamin

2017-08-21

Suitable grip strength is a police occupational requirement. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between grip strength, task performance and injury risk in a police population. Retrospective data of police recruits (n = 169) who had undergone basic recruit training were provided, including handgrip strength results, occupational task performance measures (consisting of police task simulations [SIM], tactical options [TACOPS] and marksmanship assessments) and injury records. Left hand grip strength (41.91 ± 8.29 kg) measures showed a stronger correlation than right hand grip strength (42.15 ± 8.53 kg) with all outcome measures. Recruits whose grip strength scores were lower were significantly more susceptible to failing the TACOPS occupational task assessment than those with greater grip strength scores, with significant ( p ≤ 0.003) weak to moderate, positive correlations found between grip strength and TACOPS performance. A significant ( p < 0.0001) correlation was found between grip strength, most notably of the left hand, and marksmanship performance, with those performing better in marksmanship having higher grip strength. Left hand grip strength was significantly associated with injury risk ( r = -0.181, p = 0.018) but right hand grip strength was not. A positive association exists between handgrip strength and police recruit task performance (notably TACOPS and marksmanship) with recruits who scored poorly on grip strength being at greatest risk of occupational assessment task failure.

The safer clinical systems project in renal care.

PubMed

Weale, Andy R

2013-09-01

Current systems in place in healthcare are designed to detect harm after it has happened (e.g critical incident reports) and make recommendations based on an assessment of that event. Safer Clinical Systems, a Health Foundation funded project, is designed to proactively search for risk within systems, rather than being reactive to harm. The aim of the Safer Clinical Systems project in Renal Care was to reduce the risks associated with shared care for patients who are undergoing surgery but are looked after peri-operatively by nephrology teams on nephrology wards. This report details our findings of the diagnostic phase of Safer Clinical Systems: the proactive search for risk. We have evaluated the current system of care using a set of risk evaluation and process mapping tools (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Hierarchical Task Analysis HTA). We have engaged staff with the process mapping and risk assessment tools. We now understand our system and understand where the highest risk tasks are undertaken during a renal in-patient stay during which a patient has an operation. These key tasks occur across the perioperaive period and are not confined to one aspect of care. A measurement strategy and intervention plan have been designed around these tasks. Safer Clinical Systems has identified high risk, low reliability tasks in our system. We look forward to fully reporting these data in 2014. © 2013 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

The useful field of view assessment predicts simulated commercial motor vehicle driving safety.

PubMed

McManus, Benjamin; Heaton, Karen; Vance, David E; Stavrinos, Despina

2016-10-02

The Useful Field of View (UFOV) assessment, a measure of visual speed of processing, has been shown to be a predictive measure of motor vehicle collision (MVC) involvement in an older adult population, but it remains unknown whether UFOV predicts commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driving safety during secondary task engagement. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the UFOV assessment predicts simulated MVCs in long-haul CMV drivers. Fifty licensed CMV drivers (Mage = 39.80, SD = 8.38, 98% male, 56% Caucasian) were administered the 3-subtest version of the UFOV assessment, where lower scores measured in milliseconds indicated better performance. CMV drivers completed 4 simulated drives, each spanning approximately a 22.50-mile distance. Four secondary tasks were presented to participants in a counterbalanced order during the drives: (a) no secondary task, (b) cell phone conversation, (c) text messaging interaction, and (d) e-mailing interaction with an on-board dispatch device. The selective attention subtest significantly predicted simulated MVCs regardless of secondary task. Each 20 ms slower on subtest 3 was associated with a 25% increase in the risk of an MVC in the simulated drive. The e-mail interaction secondary task significantly predicted simulated MVCs with a 4.14 times greater risk of an MVC compared to the no secondary task condition. Subtest 3, a measure of visual speed of processing, significantly predicted MVCs in the email interaction task. Each 20 ms slower on subtest 3 was associated with a 25% increase in the risk of an MVC during the email interaction task. The UFOV subtest 3 may be a promising measure to identify CMV drivers who may be at risk for MVCs or in need of cognitive training aimed at improving speed of processing. Subtest 3 may also identify CMV drivers who are particularly at risk when engaged in secondary tasks while driving.

Iowa Gambling Task performance and emotional distress interact to predict risky sexual behavior in individuals with dual substance and HIV diagnoses

PubMed Central

Wardle, Margaret C.; Gonzalez, Raul; Bechara, Antoine; Martin-Thormeyer, Eileen M.

2013-01-01

HIV+ substance-dependent individuals (SDIs) show emotional distress and executive impairment, but in isolation these poorly predict sexual risk. We hypothesized that an executive measure sensitive to emotional aspects of judgment (Iowa Gambling Task; IGT) would identify HIV+ SDIs whose sexual risks were influenced by emotional distress. We assessed emotional distress and performance on several executive tasks in 190 HIV+ SDIs. IGT performance interacted significantly with emotional distress, such that only in better performers were distress and risk related. Our results are interpreted using the somatic marker hypothesis and indicate that the IGT identifies HIV+ SDIs for whom psychological distress influences HIV risk. PMID:20480423

Time distortion when users at-risk for social media addiction engage in non-social media tasks.

PubMed

Turel, Ofir; Brevers, Damien; Bechara, Antoine

2018-02-01

There is a growing concern over the addictiveness of Social Media use. Additional representative indicators of impaired control are needed in order to distinguish presumed social media addiction from normal use. (1) To examine the existence of time distortion during non-social media use tasks that involve social media cues among those who may be considered at-risk for social media addiction. (2) To examine the usefulness of this distortion for at-risk vs. low/no-risk classification. We used a task that prevented Facebook use and invoked Facebook reflections (survey on self-control strategies) and subsequently measured estimated vs. actual task completion time. We captured the level of addiction using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale in the survey, and we used a common cutoff criterion to classify people as at-risk vs. low/no-risk of Facebook addiction. The at-risk group presented significant upward time estimate bias and the low/no-risk group presented significant downward time estimate bias. The bias was positively correlated with Facebook addiction scores. It was efficacious, especially when combined with self-reported estimates of extent of Facebook use, in classifying people to the two categories. Our study points to a novel, easy to obtain, and useful marker of at-risk for social media addiction, which may be considered for inclusion in diagnosis tools and procedures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-2011-1044

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Bart Pannullo, the vehicle processing engineer for space shuttle Discovery, sits at his console in Firing Room 4 along with other STS-133 launch team members to rehearse procedures for the liftoff of Discovery's final mission. The team at Kennedy also participated in launch simulations with personnel at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is planned for no earlier than Feb. 24. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Defining High-Risk Precursor Signaling to Advance Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Prevention

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

KEYWORDS: 3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Aim 1: Functional analysis of progenitor and stem cells in high-risk tissues. Major Task 1Functional...and stem cells in high-risk tissues. Major Task 1: Quantitation of LP (Luminal Progenitor) and basal stem cell (MASC) populations A. Quantitation of...LP and basal stem cell (MASC) populations We have continued to add patients to the cohorts between months 12 and 24. (This reporting period

Task oriented training improves the balance outcome & reducing fall risk in diabetic population.

PubMed

Ghazal, Javeria; Malik, Arshad Nawaz; Amjad, Imran

2016-01-01

The objective was to determine the balance impairments and to compare task oriented versus traditional balance training in fall reduction among diabetic patients. The randomized control trial with descriptive survey and 196 diabetic patients were recruited to assess balance impairments through purposive sampling technique. Eighteen patients were randomly allocated into two groups; task oriented balance training group TOB (n=8) and traditional balance training group TBT (n=10). The inclusion criteria were 30-50 years age bracket and diagnosed cases of Diabetes Mellitus with neuropathy. The demographics were taken through standardized & valid assessment tools include Berg Balance Scale and Functional Reach Test. The measurements were obtained at baseline, after 04 and 08 weeks of training. The mean age of the participants was 49 ±6.79. The result shows that 165(84%) were at moderate risk of fall and 31(15%) were at mild risk of fall among total 196 diabetic patients. There was significant improvement (p <0.05) in task oriented balance training group for dynamic balance, anticipatory balance and reactive balance after 8 weeks of training as compare to traditional balance training. Task oriented balance training is effective in improving the dynamic, anticipator and reactive balance. The task oriented training reduces the risk of falling through enhancing balance outcome.

Task oriented training improves the balance outcome & reducing fall risk in diabetic population

PubMed Central

Ghazal, Javeria; Malik, Arshad Nawaz; Amjad, Imran

2016-01-01

Objectives: The objective was to determine the balance impairments and to compare task oriented versus traditional balance training in fall reduction among diabetic patients. Methods: The randomized control trial with descriptive survey and 196 diabetic patients were recruited to assess balance impairments through purposive sampling technique. Eighteen patients were randomly allocated into two groups; task oriented balance training group TOB (n=8) and traditional balance training group TBT (n=10). The inclusion criteria were 30-50 years age bracket and diagnosed cases of Diabetes Mellitus with neuropathy. The demographics were taken through standardized & valid assessment tools include Berg Balance Scale and Functional Reach Test. The measurements were obtained at baseline, after 04 and 08 weeks of training. Results: The mean age of the participants was 49 ±6.79. The result shows that 165(84%) were at moderate risk of fall and 31(15%) were at mild risk of fall among total 196 diabetic patients. There was significant improvement (p <0.05) in task oriented balance training group for dynamic balance, anticipatory balance and reactive balance after 8 weeks of training as compare to traditional balance training. Conclusion: Task oriented balance training is effective in improving the dynamic, anticipator and reactive balance. The task oriented training reduces the risk of falling through enhancing balance outcome. PMID:27648053

Human Research Program Human Health Countermeasures Element Bone and Muscle Risk Standing Review Panel (SRP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glowacki, Julie; Gregor, Robert

2009-01-01

The Bone and Muscle Risk Standing Review Panel (SRP) met at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) on October 4-6, 2009 to discuss the areas of current and future research targeted by the Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element of the Human Research Program (HRP). Using evidence-based knowledge as a background for identified risks to astronaut health and performance, NASA had identified gaps in knowledge to address those risks. Ongoing and proposed tasks were presented to address the gaps. The charge to the Bone and Muscle Risk SRP was to review the gaps, evaluate whether the tasks addressed these gaps and to make recommendations to NASA s HRP Science Management Office regarding the Panel's review. The Bone and Muscle Risk SRP consisted of scientists who are experts in muscle, bone, or both and could evaluate the existing evidence with sufficient knowledge of the potential effects of long duration exposure to microgravity. More important, although expertise in basic science is important, the SRP was requested to evaluate the practicality of the proposed efforts in light of the realistic demands placed on the HRP. In short, all tasks presented in the Integrated Research Plan (IRP) should address specific questions related to the challenges faced by the astronauts as a result of prolonged exposure to microgravity. All tasks proposed to fill the gaps in knowledge should provide applied, translational data necessary to answer the specific questions. Several presentations were made to the SRP during the site visit and the SRP spent sufficient time to address the panel charge, either as a group or in separate sessions for the Bone and Muscle Risk subgroups. The SRP made a final debriefing to the HRP Program Scientist, Dr. John B. Charles, on October 6, 2009. Taking the evidence and identified risks as givens, the SRP concluded that 1) integration of information should lead to a more comprehensive approach to identifying the gaps, 2) not all tasks addressed the gaps as stated in the IRP, 3) better access should be given to the SRP to existing data to include in its review, and 4) there were some missing gaps and tasks. As a result the SRP recommended 1) combining certain gaps, which in some cases were addressed with identical tasks, 2) additional gaps and tasks to address some of the gaps, 3) deleting some gaps and tasks to better focus the efforts of NASA s HRP in prioritizing their efforts, and 4) prioritizing gaps to address significant issues needing resolution in the short term while maintaining an awareness of long-term goals. The SRP commended the efforts by the HHC Element to integrate knowledge gaps and design tasks to address the higher order questions. This integration did not apply to the Bone and Muscle Risk alone, but the musculoskeletal system as its functions integrate with issues in

Perceptions of Middle School Assessment: An Ecological View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Alisa R.; Griffin, Linda; Dodds, Patt

2009-01-01

Background: The ecology of physical education is created through the interaction of three task systems: managerial task system, instructional task system, and the student social system. Within the ecological framework tasks are presented and task development is influenced by concepts such as ambiguity, risk, and accountability. Teachers' and…

Risky Decision Making in a Laboratory Driving Task Is Associated with Health Risk Behaviors during Late Adolescence but Not Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen; Kahn, Rachel; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Chiu, Pearl; Steinberg, Laurence; King-Casas, Brooks

2016-01-01

Adolescence is characterized by increasing incidence of health risk behaviors, including experimentation with drugs and alcohol. To fill the gap in our understanding of the associations between risky decision-making and health risk behaviors, we investigated associations between laboratory-based risky decision-making using the Stoplight task and…

Neurobiological and Memory Models of Risky Decision Making in Adolescents versus Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyna, Valerie F.; Estrada, Steven M.; DeMarinis, Jessica A.; Myers, Regina M.; Stanisz, Janine M.; Mills, Britain A.

2011-01-01

Predictions of fuzzy-trace theory and neurobiological approaches are examined regarding risk taking in a classic decision-making task--the framing task--as well as in the context of real-life risk taking. We report the 1st study of framing effects in adolescents versus adults, varying risk and reward, and relate choices to individual differences,…

Individual Differences in Risk Preference Predict Neural Responses during Financial Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Engelmann, Jan B.; Tamir, Diana

2009-01-01

We investigated the neural correlates of subjective valuations during a task involving risky choices about lotteries. Because expected value was held constant across all lotteries, decisions were influenced by subjective preferences, which manifest behaviorally as risk-seeking or risk-averse attitudes. To isolate structures encoding risk preference during choice, we probed for areas showing increased activation as a function of selected risk-level. Such response patterns were obtained in anterior (ACC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), superior frontal gyrus, caudate nucleus, and substantia nigra. Behavioral results revealed the presence of risk-averse and risk-neutral individuals. In parallel, brain signals revealed modulation of activity by risk-attitude during choice. Correlations between risk-seeking attitudes and neural activity during risky choice were obtained in superior and inferior frontal gyri, medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex, and parahippocampal gyrus, while correlations with risk-averse attitudes were found in the caudate. The dynamics of neural responses relevant to each stage of the task (decision, anticipation, outcome) were investigated via timeseries and conjunction analyses. Though the networks engaged in each of the task stages were mostly distinct, regions of ACC, PCC and caudate were consistently activated during each decision-making phase. These results demonstrate (1) that subjective assessments of risk, as well as individual attitudes toward risk, play a significant role in modulating activity within brain regions recruited during decision-making, and (2) that ACC, PCC and caudate are relevant during each phase of a decision-making task requiring subjective valuations, strengthening the role of these regions in self-referential subjective valuations during choice. PMID:19576868

Subthalamic Neural Activity Patterns Anticipate Economic Risk Decisions in Gambling

PubMed Central

Rosa, M.; Carpaneto, J.; Priori, A.

2018-01-01

Abstract Economic decision-making is disrupted in individuals with gambling disorder, an addictive behavior observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients receiving dopaminergic therapy. The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is involved in the inhibition of impulsive behaviors; however, its role in impulse control disorders and addiction is still unclear. Here, we recorded STN local field potentials (LFPs) in PD patients with and without gambling disorder during an economic decision-making task. Reaction times analysis showed that for all patients, the decision whether to risk preceded task onset. We compared then for both groups the STN LFP preceding high- and low-risk economic decisions. We found that risk avoidance in gamblers correlated with larger STN LFP low-frequency (<12-Hz) fluctuations preceding task onset. In particular, the amplitude of low-frequency LFP fluctuations carried significant information about future decisions. Decisions of patients not affected by gambling disorder were instead not correlated with pretask STN LFP. Our results suggest that STN activity preceding task onset affects risk decisions by preemptively inhibiting attraction to high but unlikely rewards in favor of a long-term payoff. PMID:29445770

On the Flexibility of Basic Risk Attitudes in Monkeys.

PubMed

Farashahi, Shiva; Azab, Habiba; Hayden, Benjamin; Soltani, Alireza

2018-05-02

Monkeys and other animals appear to share with humans two risk attitudes predicted by prospect theory: an inverse-S-shaped probability-weighting (PW) function and a steeper utility curve for losses than for gains. These findings suggest that such preferences are stable traits with common neural substrates. We hypothesized instead that animals tailor their preferences to subtle changes in task contexts, making risk attitudes flexible. Previous studies used a limited number of outcomes, trial types, and contexts. To gain a broader perspective, we examined two large datasets of male macaques' risky choices: one from a task with real (juice) gains and another from a token task with gains and losses. In contrast to previous findings, monkeys were risk seeking for both gains and losses (i.e., lacked a reflection effect) and showed steeper gain than loss curves (loss seeking). Utility curves for gains were substantially different in the two tasks. Monkeys showed nearly linear PWs in one task and S-shaped ones in the other; neither task produced a consistent inverse-S-shaped curve. To account for these observations, we developed and tested various computational models of the processes involved in the construction of reward value. We found that adaptive differential weighting of prospective gamble outcomes could partially account for the observed differences in the utility functions across the two experiments and thus provide a plausible mechanism underlying flexible risk attitudes. Together, our results support the idea that risky choices are constructed flexibly at the time of elicitation and place important constraints on neural models of economic choice. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We respond in reliable ways to risk, but are our risk preferences stable traits or ephemeral states? Using various computational models, we examined two large datasets of macaque risky choices in two different tasks. We observed several deviations from "classic" risk preferences seen in humans and monkeys: no reflection effect, loss seeking as opposed to loss aversion, and linear and S-shaped, as opposed to inverse-S-shaped, probability distortion. These results challenge the idea that our risk attitudes are evolved traits shared with the last common ancestor of macaques and humans, suggesting instead that behavioral flexibility is the hallmark of risky choice in primates. We show how this flexibility can emerge partly as a result of interactions between attentional and reward systems. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384383-16$15.00/0.

Wearable-Sensor-Based Classification Models of Faller Status in Older Adults.

PubMed

Howcroft, Jennifer; Lemaire, Edward D; Kofman, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Wearable sensors have potential for quantitative, gait-based, point-of-care fall risk assessment that can be easily and quickly implemented in clinical-care and older-adult living environments. This investigation generated models for wearable-sensor based fall-risk classification in older adults and identified the optimal sensor type, location, combination, and modelling method; for walking with and without a cognitive load task. A convenience sample of 100 older individuals (75.5 ± 6.7 years; 76 non-fallers, 24 fallers based on 6 month retrospective fall occurrence) walked 7.62 m under single-task and dual-task conditions while wearing pressure-sensing insoles and tri-axial accelerometers at the head, pelvis, and left and right shanks. Participants also completed the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire, six minute walk test, and ranked their fear of falling. Fall risk classification models were assessed for all sensor combinations and three model types: multi-layer perceptron neural network, naïve Bayesian, and support vector machine. The best performing model was a multi-layer perceptron neural network with input parameters from pressure-sensing insoles and head, pelvis, and left shank accelerometers (accuracy = 84%, F1 score = 0.600, MCC score = 0.521). Head sensor-based models had the best performance of the single-sensor models for single-task gait assessment. Single-task gait assessment models outperformed models based on dual-task walking or clinical assessment data. Support vector machines and neural networks were the best modelling technique for fall risk classification. Fall risk classification models developed for point-of-care environments should be developed using support vector machines and neural networks, with a multi-sensor single-task gait assessment.

Ergonomic assessment of airport shuttle driver tasks using an ergonomic analysis toolset.

PubMed

Çakıt, Erman

2018-06-01

This study aimed to (a) evaluate strength requirements and lower back stresses during lifting and baggage handling tasks with the 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP) and (b) provide additional analyses using rapid entire body assessment (REBA) and the NASA task load index (TLX) to assess the risks associated with the tasks. Four healthy female shuttle drivers of good health aged between 55 and 60 years were observed and interviewed in an effort to determine the tasks required of their occupations. The results indicated that lifting bags and placing them in a shuttle were high risk for injury and possible changes should be further investigated. The study concluded there was a potential for injury associated with baggage storing and retrieval tasks of a shuttle driver.

A developmental study of risky decisions on the cake gambling task: age and gender analyses of probability estimation and reward evaluation.

PubMed

Van Leijenhorst, Linda; Westenberg, P Michiel; Crone, Eveline A

2008-01-01

Decision making, or the process of choosing between competing courses of actions, is highly sensitive to age-related change, showing development throughout adolescence. In this study, we tested whether the development of decision making under risk is related to changes in risk-estimation abilities. Participants (N = 93) between ages 8-30 performed a child friendly gambling task, the Cake Gambling task, which was inspired by the Cambridge Gambling Task (Rogers et al., 1999), which has previously been shown to be sensitive to orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) damage. The task allowed comparisons of the contributions to risk perception of (1) the ability to estimate probabilities and (2) evaluate rewards. Adult performance patterns were highly similar to those found in previous reports, showing increased risk taking with increases in the probability of winning and the magnitude of potential reward. Behavioral patterns in children and adolescents did not differ from adult patterns, showing a similar ability for probability estimation and reward evaluation. These data suggest that participants 8 years and older perform like adults in a gambling task, previously shown to depend on the OFC in which all the information needed to make an advantageous decision is given on each trial and no information needs to be inferred from previous behavior. Interestingly, at all ages, females were more risk-averse than males. These results suggest that the increase in real-life risky behavior that is seen in adolescence is not a consequence of changes in risk perception abilities. The findings are discussed in relation to theories about the protracted development of the prefrontal cortex.

The Association Between Suicidal Behavior, Attentional Control, and Frontal Asymmetry

PubMed Central

Thompson, Catherine; Ong, Elsie Li Chen

2018-01-01

It can be difficult to identify those at risk of suicide because suicidal thoughts are often internalized and not shared with others. Yet to prevent suicide attempts it is crucial to identify suicidal thoughts and actions at an early stage. Past studies have suggested that deficits in attentional control are associated with suicide, with the argument that individuals are unable to inhibit negative thoughts and direct resources away from negative information. The current study aimed to investigate the association of suicidal behavior with neurological and behavioral markers, measuring attentional bias and inhibition in two Stroop tasks. Fifty-four participants responded to the color of color words in a standard Stroop task and the color of positive, negative, and neutral words in an emotional Stroop task. Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded from frontal areas during each task and at resting. Participants were separated into a low-risk and high-risk group according to their self-reported suicidal behavior. Participants in the high-risk group showed slower response times in the color Stroop and reduced accuracy to incongruent trials, but faster response times in the emotional Stroop task. Response times to the word “suicide” were significantly slower for the high-risk group. This indicates an attentional bias toward specific negative stimuli and difficulties inhibiting information for those with high levels of suicidal behavior. In the emotional Stroop task the high-risk group showed reduced activity in leftward frontal areas, suggesting limitations in the ability to regulate emotional processing via the left frontal regions. The findings support the argument that deficits in attentional control are related to suicidal behavior. The research also suggests that under certain conditions frontal asymmetry may be associated with suicidal behavior. PMID:29593586

Visual and auditory perception in preschool children at risk for dyslexia.

PubMed

Ortiz, Rosario; Estévez, Adelina; Muñetón, Mercedes; Domínguez, Carolina

2014-11-01

Recently, there has been renewed interest in perceptive problems of dyslexics. A polemic research issue in this area has been the nature of the perception deficit. Another issue is the causal role of this deficit in dyslexia. Most studies have been carried out in adult and child literates; consequently, the observed deficits may be the result rather than the cause of dyslexia. This study addresses these issues by examining visual and auditory perception in children at risk for dyslexia. We compared children from preschool with and without risk for dyslexia in auditory and visual temporal order judgment tasks and same-different discrimination tasks. Identical visual and auditory, linguistic and nonlinguistic stimuli were presented in both tasks. The results revealed that the visual as well as the auditory perception of children at risk for dyslexia is impaired. The comparison between groups in auditory and visual perception shows that the achievement of children at risk was lower than children without risk for dyslexia in the temporal tasks. There were no differences between groups in auditory discrimination tasks. The difficulties of children at risk in visual and auditory perceptive processing affected both linguistic and nonlinguistic stimuli. Our conclusions are that children at risk for dyslexia show auditory and visual perceptive deficits for linguistic and nonlinguistic stimuli. The auditory impairment may be explained by temporal processing problems and these problems are more serious for processing language than for processing other auditory stimuli. These visual and auditory perceptive deficits are not the consequence of failing to learn to read, thus, these findings support the theory of temporal processing deficit. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dealing With Uncertainty: Testing Risk- and Ambiguity-Attitude Across Adolescence.

PubMed

Blankenstein, Neeltje E; Crone, Eveline A; van den Bos, Wouter; van Duijvenvoorde, Anna C K

2016-01-01

Attitudes to risk (known probabilities) and attitudes to ambiguity (unknown probabilities) are separate constructs that influence decision making, but their development across adolescence remains elusive. We administered a choice task to a wide adolescent age-range (N = 157, 10-25 years) to disentangle risk- and ambiguity-attitudes using a model-based approach. Additionally, this task was played in a social context, presenting choices from a high risk-taking peer. We observed age-related changes in ambiguity-attitude, but not risk-attitude. Also, ambiguity-aversion was negatively related to real-life risk taking. Finally, the social context influenced only risk-attitudes. These results highlight the importance of disentangling risk- and ambiguity-attitudes in adolescent risk taking.

Online assessment of risk factors for dementia and cognitive function in healthy adults.

PubMed

Huntley, J; Corbett, A; Wesnes, K; Brooker, H; Stenton, R; Hampshire, A; Ballard, C

2018-02-01

Several potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia have been identified, including low educational attainment, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, hypertension, midlife obesity, depression, and perceived social isolation. Managing these risk factors in late midlife and older age may help reduce the risk of dementia; however, it is unclear whether these factors also relate to cognitive performance in older individuals without dementia. Data from 14 201 non-demented individuals aged >50 years who enrolled in the online PROTECT study were used to examine the relationship between cognitive function and known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted on 4 cognitive outcomes assessing verbal and spatial working memory, visual episodic memory, and verbal reasoning. Increasing age was associated with reduced performance across all tasks. Higher educational achievement, the presence of a close confiding relationship, and moderate alcohol intake were associated with benefits across all 4 cognitive tasks, and exercise was associated with better performance on verbal reasoning and verbal working memory tasks. A diagnosis of depression was negatively associated with performance on visual episodic memory and working memory tasks, whereas being underweight negatively affected performance on all tasks apart from verbal working memory. A history of stroke was negatively associated with verbal reasoning and working memory performance. Known modifiable risk factors for dementia are associated with cognitive performance in non-demented individuals in late midlife and older age. This provides further support for public health interventions that seek to manage these risk factors across the lifespan. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development and Evaluation of Ergonomic Interventions for Bucket Handling on Farms

PubMed Central

Fathallah, Fadi A.; Tang, Steven C.H.; Waters, Thomas R.

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to introduce and evaluate two interventions, Ergo Bucket Carrier (EBC) and Easy Lift (EL), for youths (and adults) to handle water/feed buckets on farms. Background The physical activities of both adult and youth farm workers contribute to the development of low-back disorders (LBDs). Many of the activities youths perform on farms are associated with increased LBD risk, particularly, the handling of water and feed buckets. Methods Seventeen adult and youth participants (10 males and seven females) participated in this study. To assess the risk of LBDs, the participants were instrumented with a three-dimensional spinal electrogoniometer while lifting, carrying, and dumping water buckets using traditional method and the two interventions. Results For both the adult and youth groups, the results showed that the two interventions significantly decrease the magnitudes of LBD risk in many of the tasks evaluated. Overall, the use of the EBC resulted in a 41% reduction in the level of LBD risk for the carrying task, and a reduction of 69% for the dumping task. Using the EL, on the other hand, is especially effective for lifting tasks (55% reduction in LBD risk). Results of the subjective response were consistent with the objective evaluations. Conclusion This study demonstrated the potential for ergonomic interventions in reducing LBD risk during the common farming task of bucket handling. Application Potential application of this study includes the introduction of the EBC and EL in family farms to reduce the LBD risk among youth and adult farmers. PMID:26994024

Dynamic expression of viral and cellular microRNAs in infectious mononucleosis caused by primary Epstein-Barr virus infection in children.

PubMed

Gao, Liwei; Ai, Junhong; Xie, Zhengde; Zhou, Chen; Liu, Chunyan; Zhang, Hui; Shen, Kunling

2015-12-03

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first virus identified to encode microRNAs (miRNAs). Both of viral and human cellular miRNAs are important in EBV infection. However, the dynamic expression profile of miRNAs during primary EBV infection was unknown. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic expression profile of viral and cellular miRNAs in infectious mononucleosis (IM) caused by primary EBV infection. The levels of viral and cellular miRNAs were measured in fifteen pediatric IM patients at three different time-points. Fifteen healthy children who were seropositive for EBV were enrolled in the control group. Relative expression levels of miRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. EBV-miR-BHRF1-1, 1-2-3P, miR-BART13-1, 19-3p, 11-3P, 12-1, and 16-1 in IM patients of early phase were significantly higher than in healthy children. Most cellular miRNAs of B cells, such as hsa-miR-155-5p, -34a-5p, -18b-5p, -181a-5p, and -142-5p were up-regulated; while most of cellular miRNAs of CD8 + T cells, such as hsa-miR-223, -29c-3p, -181a, -200a-3p, miR-155-5p, -146a, and -142-5p were down-regulated in IM patients. With disease progression, nearly all of EBV-miRNAs decreased, especially miR-BHRF1, but at a slower rate than EBV DNA loads. Most of the cellular miRNAs of B cells, including hsa-miR-134-5p, -18b-5p, -34a-5p, and -196a-5p increased with time. However, most of the cellular miRNAs of CD8 + T cells, including hsa-let-7a-5p, -142-3p, -142-5p, and -155-5p decreased with time. Additionally, hsa-miR-155-5p of B cells and hsa-miR-18b-5p of CD8+ T cells exhibited a positive correlation with miR-BHRF1-2-5P and miR-BART2-5P (0.96 ≤ r ≤ 0.99, P < 0.05). Finally, hsa-miR-181a-5p of B cells had positive correlation with miR-BART4-3p, 4-5P, 16-1, and 22 (0.97 ≤ r ≤ 0.99, P < 0.05). Our study is the first to describe the expression profile of viral and cellular miRNAs in IM caused by primary EBV infection. These results might be the basis of investigating the pathogenic mechanism of EBV-related diseases and bring new insights into their diagnosis and treatment.

Universal Screening for Writing Risk in Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coker, David L., Jr.; Ritchey, Kristen D.

2014-01-01

Early identification of students at risk for writing disabilities is an important step in improving writing performance. Kindergarten students (n = 84) were administered a set of researcher-developed writing tasks (letter writing, sound spelling, word spelling, and sentence writing) and school-administered reading tasks ("Dynamic Indicators…

Do (un)certainty appraisal tendencies reverse the influence of emotions on risk taking in sequential tasks?

PubMed

Bagneux, Virginie; Bollon, Thierry; Dantzer, Cécile

2012-01-01

According to the Appraisal-Tendency Framework (Han, Lerner, & Keltner, 2007), certainty-associated emotions increase risk taking compared with uncertainty-associated emotions. To date, this general effect has only been shown in static judgement and decision-making paradigms; therefore, the present study tested the effect of certainty on risk taking in a sequential decision-making task. We hypothesised that the effect would be reversed due to the kind of processing involved, as certainty is considered to encourage heuristic processing that takes into account the emotional cues arising from previous decisions, whereas uncertainty leads to more systematic processing. One hundred and one female participants were induced to feel one of three emotions (film clips) before performing a decision-making task involving risk (Game of Dice Task; Brand et al., 2005). As expected, the angry and happy participants (certainty-associated emotions) were more likely than the fearful participants (uncertainty-associated emotion) to make safe decisions (vs. risky decisions).

Sex Differences in Risk Preference and c-Fos Expression in Paraventricular Thalamic Nucleus of Rats During Gambling Task

PubMed Central

Ishii, Hironori; Onodera, Mariko; Ohara, Shinya; Tsutsui, Ken-Ichiro; Iijima, Toshio

2018-01-01

Different biological requirements between males and females may cause sex differences in decision preference when choosing between taking a risk to get a higher gain or taking a lower but sure gain. Several studies have tested this assumption in rats, however the conclusion remains controversial because the previous real-world like gambling tasks contained a learning component to track a global payoff of probabilistic outcome in addition to risk preference. Therefore, we modified a simple gambling task allowing us to exclude such learning effect, and investigated the sex difference in risk preference of rats and its neural basis. The task required water deprived rats to choose between a risky option which provided four drops of water or no reward at a 50% random chance vs. a sure option which provided predictable amount x (x = 1, 2, 3, 4). The amount and the risk were explicitly instructed so that different choice conditions could be tested trial by trial without re-learning of reward contingency. Although both sexes correctly chose the sure option with the same level of accuracy when the sure option provided the best offer (x = 4), they exhibited different choice performances when two options had the same expected value (x = 2). Males and females both preferred to take risky choices than sure choices (risk seeking), but males were more risk seeking than females. Outcome-history analysis of their choice pattern revealed that females reduced their risk preference after losing risky choices, whereas males did not. Rather, as losses continued, reaction time for subsequent risky choices got shorter in males. Given that significant sex difference features mainly emerged after negative experiences, male and female rats may evaluate an unsuccessful outcome of their decision in different manners. Furthermore, c-Fos expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PV) was higher in the gambling task than for the control task in males while c-fos levels did not differ in females. The present study provides a clear evidence of sex differences in risk preference in rats and suggests that the PV is a candidate region contributing to sex differences in risky decision making. PMID:29692713

Underground Test Area Subproject Phase I Data Analysis Task. Volume VIII - Risk Assessment Documentation Package

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

None

Volume VIII of the documentation for the Phase I Data Analysis Task performed in support of the current Regional Flow Model, Transport Model, and Risk Assessment for the Nevada Test Site Underground Test Area Subproject contains the risk assessment documentation. Because of the size and complexity of the model area, a considerable quantity of data was collected and analyzed in support of the modeling efforts. The data analysis task was consequently broken into eight subtasks, and descriptions of each subtask's activities are contained in one of the eight volumes that comprise the Phase I Data Analysis Documentation.

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

PubMed

Pollak, Yehuda; Shalit, Reut; Aran, Adi

2018-01-01

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

Contextual Factors Explain Risk-Seeking Preferences in Rhesus Monkeys

PubMed Central

Heilbronner, Sarah R.; Hayden, Benjamin Y.

2012-01-01

In contrast to humans and most other animals, rhesus macaques strongly prefer risky rewards to safe ones with similar expected value. Why macaques prefer risk while other animals typically avoid it remains puzzling and challenges the idea that monkeys provide a model for human economic behavior. Here we argue that monkeys’ risk-seeking preferences are neither mysterious nor unique. Risk-seeking in macaques is possibly induced by specific elements of the tasks that have been used to measure their risk preferences. The most important of these elements are (1) very small stakes, (2) serially repeated gambles with short delays between trials, and (3) task parameters that are learned through experience, not described verbally. Together, we hypothesize that these features will readily induce risk-seeking in monkeys, humans, and rats. Thus, elements of task design that are often ignored when comparing studies of risk attitudes can easily overwhelm basal risk preferences. More broadly, these results highlight the fundamental importance of understanding the psychological basis of economic decisions in interpreting preference data and corresponding neural measures. PMID:23378827

Task-based measures of image quality and their relation to radiation dose and patient risk

PubMed Central

Barrett, Harrison H.; Myers, Kyle J.; Hoeschen, Christoph; Kupinski, Matthew A.; Little, Mark P.

2015-01-01

The theory of task-based assessment of image quality is reviewed in the context of imaging with ionizing radiation, and objective figures of merit (FOMs) for image quality are summarized. The variation of the FOMs with the task, the observer and especially with the mean number of photons recorded in the image is discussed. Then various standard methods for specifying radiation dose are reviewed and related to the mean number of photons in the image and hence to image quality. Current knowledge of the relation between local radiation dose and the risk of various adverse effects is summarized, and some graphical depictions of the tradeoffs between image quality and risk are introduced. Then various dose-reduction strategies are discussed in terms of their effect on task-based measures of image quality. PMID:25564960

Risk Preference and Diagnosticity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rocklin, Thomas

Researchers have suggested two models of risk preference to account for subjects' preference for tasks of moderate difficulty. The affective model proposes that pride of success and shame of failure are responsible for the observed preference. The cognitive model suggests preference for tasks of moderate difficulty because they are the most…

Contemporary Primary Prevention Aspirin Use by Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Impact of US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations, 2007-2015: A Serial, Cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Van't Hof, Jeremy R; Duval, Sue; Walts, Adrienne; Kopecky, Stephen L; Luepker, Russell V; Hirsch, Alan T

2017-10-03

No previous study has evaluated the impact of past US Preventive Services Task Force statements on primary prevention (PP) aspirin use in a primary care setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate temporal changes in PP aspirin use in a primary care population, stratifying patients by their 10-year global cardiovascular disease risk, in response to the 2009 statement. This study estimated biannual aspirin use prevalence using electronic health record data from primary care clinics within the Fairview Health System (Minnesota) from 2007 to 2015. A total of 94 270 patient encounters had complete data to estimate a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk score using the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association global risk estimator. Patients were stratified into low- (<10%), intermediate- (10-20%), and high- (≥20%) risk groups. Over the 9-year period, PP aspirin use averaged 43%. When stratified by low, intermediate and high risk, average PP aspirin use was 41%, 63%, and 73%, respectively. Average PP aspirin use decreased after the publication of the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement: from 45% to 40% in the low-risk group; from 66% to 62% in the intermediate-risk group; and from 76% to 73% in the high-risk group, before and after the guideline. Publication of the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation was not associated with an increase in aspirin use. High risk PP patients utilized aspirin at high rates. Patients at intermediate risk were less intensively treated, and patients at low risk used aspirin at relatively high rates. These data may inform future aspirin guideline dissemination. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Report of the New England Task Force on Reducing Heart Disease and Stroke Risk.

PubMed Central

Havas, S; Wozenski, S; Deprez, R; Miller, L; Charman, R; Hamrell, M; Green, L; Benn, S

1989-01-01

Five years ago, a task force on reducing risk for heart disease and stroke was established by the six New England States. The task force included representatives from State public health departments, academia, the corporate sector, and voluntary organizations. This article is the final report of the task force. Heart disease and cerebrovascular disease are major causes of mortality in the New England region. Heart disease causes nearly 40 percent of all deaths in each of the six States and cerebrovascular disease, 7 percent of the deaths. Major risk factors for ischemic heart disease that have been identified--elevated serum cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cigarette smoking--are caused largely by lifestyle behaviors. Similarly, cerebrovascular disease results largely from uncontrolled high blood pressure, much of which is attributable to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. In a series of studies evidence has accumulated that the reduction or elimination of these risk factors results in a decline in mortality rates. Many intervention programs have been mounted in the region, but there has been no population-wide effort to attack these risk factors. The task force proposed a broad range of activities for New Englanders at sites in the community and in health facilities. These activities would promote not smoking, exercising regularly, and maintaining desirable levels of serum cholesterol and blood pressure. PMID:2495547

The Effect of Secondary Task Engagement on Adolescents' Driving Performance and Crash Risk.

PubMed

Klauer, Sheila G; Ehsani, Johnathon P; McGehee, Daniel V; Manser, Michael

2015-07-01

The purpose of this review was to synthesize the evidence of the effects of secondary task engagement on novice adolescent's driving performance and crash risk. Searches of multiple databases were conducted using search terms related to secondary task engagement and teenage drivers. Articles were selected for inclusion if they were: written in English, an empirical study assessing the impact of secondary task engagement on driving, and included study participants who were licensed drivers between the ages of 14 and 17 years (if research was conducted in the United States) or within 18 months licensure in other countries. Thirty-eight abstracts were reviewed. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies examined the effects of electronic device use as the secondary task. Effects were assessed using crash databases, simulator, instrumented vehicle, and naturalistic driving studies. Texting resulted in increased lane deviations and eyes off road time in simulated driving, whereas talking on a cell phone had little effect. Naturalistic studies, which use vehicle instrumentation to measure actual driving, found secondary tasks that required drivers to look away from the forward roadway also increased the risk of crashes and near-crashes for young novice drivers, whereas tasks that did not require eyes to be off the forward roadway (e.g., talking on cell phone) had no effect on crash risk. Methodological differences in the definition and measurement of driving performance make it difficult to directly compare findings, even among the limited number of studies conducted. Despite this, results suggest that secondary tasks degrade driving performance and increase risk only when they require drivers to look away from the forward roadway. Future research needs to focus more explicitly on the ways in which secondary task engagement influences drivers' behavior (e.g., interfering with information acquisition or manual control of the vehicle). This, along with the use of standard measures across studies, would build a more useful body of literature on this topic. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gait assessment in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: the effect of dual-task challenges across the cognitive spectrum.

PubMed

Muir, Susan W; Speechley, Mark; Wells, Jennie; Borrie, Michael; Gopaul, Karen; Montero-Odasso, Manuel

2012-01-01

Gait impairment is a prominent falls risk factor and a prevalent feature among older adults with cognitive impairment. However, there is a lack of comparative studies on gait performance and fall risk covering the continuum from normal cognition through mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We evaluated gait performance and the response to dual-task challenges in older adults with AD, MCI and normal cognition without a history of falls. We hypothesized that, in older people without history of falls, gait performance will deteriorate across the cognitive spectrum with changes being more evident under dual-tasking. Gait was assessed using an electronic walkway under single and three dual-tasks conditions. Gait velocity and stride time variability were not significantly different between the three groups under the single-task condition. By contrast, significant differences of decreasing velocity (p<0.0001), increasing stride time (p=0.0057) and increasing stride time variability (p=0.0037) were found under dual-task testing for people with MCI and AD. Less automatic and more complex dual-task tests, such as naming animals and serial subtraction by sevens from 100, created the greatest deterioration of gait performance. Gait changes under dual-tasking for the MCI and AD groups were statistically different from the cognitively normal controls. Dual-task assessment exposed gait impairments not obvious under a single-task test condition and may facilitate falls risk identification in cognitively impaired persons without a history of falls. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Child Effortful Control, Teacher-student Relationships, and Achievement in Academically At-risk Children: Additive and Interactive Effects

PubMed Central

Liew, Jeffrey; Chen, Qi; Hughes, Jan N.

2009-01-01

The joint contributions of child effortful control (using inhibitory control and task accuracy as behavioral indices) and positive teacher-student relationships at first grade on reading and mathematics achievement at second grade were examined in 761 children who were predominantly from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds and assessed to be academically at-risk at entry to first grade. Analyses accounted for clustering effects, covariates, baselines of effortful control measures, and prior levels of achievement. Even with such conservative statistical controls, interactive effects were found for task accuracy and positive teacher-student relationships on future achievement. Results suggest that task accuracy served as a protective factor so that children with high task accuracy performed well academically despite not having positive teacher-student relationships. Further, positive teacher-student relationships served as a compensatory factor so that children with low task accuracy performed just as well as those with high task accuracy if they were paired with a positive and supportive teacher. Importantly, results indicate that the influence of positive teacher-student relationships on future achievement was most pronounced for students with low effortful control on tasks that require fine motor skills, accuracy, and attention-related skills. Study results have implications for narrowing achievement disparities for academically at-risk children. PMID:20161421

Child Effortful Control, Teacher-student Relationships, and Achievement in Academically At-risk Children: Additive and Interactive Effects.

PubMed

Liew, Jeffrey; Chen, Qi; Hughes, Jan N

2010-01-01

The joint contributions of child effortful control (using inhibitory control and task accuracy as behavioral indices) and positive teacher-student relationships at first grade on reading and mathematics achievement at second grade were examined in 761 children who were predominantly from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds and assessed to be academically at-risk at entry to first grade. Analyses accounted for clustering effects, covariates, baselines of effortful control measures, and prior levels of achievement. Even with such conservative statistical controls, interactive effects were found for task accuracy and positive teacher-student relationships on future achievement. Results suggest that task accuracy served as a protective factor so that children with high task accuracy performed well academically despite not having positive teacher-student relationships. Further, positive teacher-student relationships served as a compensatory factor so that children with low task accuracy performed just as well as those with high task accuracy if they were paired with a positive and supportive teacher. Importantly, results indicate that the influence of positive teacher-student relationships on future achievement was most pronounced for students with low effortful control on tasks that require fine motor skills, accuracy, and attention-related skills. Study results have implications for narrowing achievement disparities for academically at-risk children.

An integrated science-based methodology to assess potential risks and implications of engineered nanomaterials.

PubMed

Tolaymat, Thabet; El Badawy, Amro; Sequeira, Reynold; Genaidy, Ash

2015-11-15

There is an urgent need for broad and integrated studies that address the risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) along the different endpoints of the society, environment, and economy (SEE) complex adaptive system. This article presents an integrated science-based methodology to assess the potential risks of engineered nanomaterials. To achieve the study objective, two major tasks are accomplished, knowledge synthesis and algorithmic computational methodology. The knowledge synthesis task is designed to capture "what is known" and to outline the gaps in knowledge from ENMs risk perspective. The algorithmic computational methodology is geared toward the provision of decisions and an understanding of the risks of ENMs along different endpoints for the constituents of the SEE complex adaptive system. The approach presented herein allows for addressing the formidable task of assessing the implications and risks of exposure to ENMs, with the long term goal to build a decision-support system to guide key stakeholders in the SEE system towards building sustainable ENMs and nano-enabled products. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Prediction of alcohol and gambling problems in young adults by using a measure of decision making.

PubMed

Harvanko, Arit M; Schreiber, Liana R N; Grant, Jon E

2013-01-01

Individuals who regularly gamble, regularly consume alcohol, or meet criteria for an alcohol-use disorder or pathological gambling may make riskier decisions on cognitive tasks. What remains unclear in the literature is whether these decision-making deficits precede or result from these addictive behaviors. This study aimed to determine whether risky decision making on a cognitive task is predictive of increasing gambling behaviors and alcohol use. Fifty-eight young adults (aged 18-29 years) free from Axis I disorders and reporting no symptoms of at-risk gambling behavior or alcohol consumption, who were participating in a longitudinal study of impulsivity, were grouped as either high-risk decision makers (n = 29) or low-risk decision makers (n = 29) by using the Cambridge Gamble Task. Subjects were assessed at 1-year follow-up to examine gambling frequency, alcohol consumption, at-risk alcohol-use criteria, alcohol-use disorder criteria, at-risk gambling criteria, and pathological gambling criteria. High-risk decision makers were found to be more likely to meet at-risk criteria for alcohol use after 1 year. Decision-making group membership was not significantly correlated with frequency of gambling or development of pathological gambling or alcohol-use disorder over 1 year. A variable measuring risky decision making on the Cambridge Gambling Task may be able to predict who is more likely to increase alcohol use per session later in life.

Information presentation through a head-worn display (“smart glasses”) has a smaller influence on the temporal structure of gait variability during dual-task gait compared to handheld displays (paper-based system and smartphone)

PubMed Central

Sedighi, Alireza; Ulman, Sophia M.

2018-01-01

The need to complete multiple tasks concurrently is a common occurrence both daily life and in occupational activities, which can often include simultaneous cognitive and physical demands. As one example, there is increasing availability of head-worn display technologies that can be employed when a user is mobile (e.g., while walking). This new method of information presentation may, however, introduce risks of adverse outcomes such as a decrement to gait performance. The goal of this study was thus to quantify the effects of a head-worn display (i.e., smart glasses) on motor variability during gait and to compare these effects with those of other common information displays (i.e., smartphone and paper-based system). Twenty participants completed four walking conditions, as a single task and in three dual-task conditions (three information displays). In the dual-task conditions, the information display was used to present several cognitive tasks. Three different measures were used to quantify variability in gait parameters for each walking condition (using the cycle-to-cycle standard deviation, sample entropy, and the “goal-equivalent manifold” approach). Our results indicated that participants used less adaptable gait strategies in dual-task walking using the paper-based system and smartphone conditions compared with single-task walking. Gait performance, however, was less affected during dual-task walking with the smart glasses. We conclude that the risk of an adverse gait event (e.g., a fall) in head-down walking conditions (i.e., the paper-based system and smartphone conditions) were higher than in single-task walking, and that head-worn displays might help reduce the risk of such events during dual-task gait conditions. PMID:29630614

An Analysis of the Effects of Smartphone Push Notifications on Task Performance with regard to Smartphone Overuse Using ERP

PubMed Central

Kim, Seul-Kee; Kim, So-Yeong; Kang, Hang-Bong

2016-01-01

Smartphones are used ubiquitously worldwide and are essential tools in modern society. However, smartphone overuse is an emerging social issue, and limited studies have objectively assessed this matter. The majority of previous studies have included surveys or behavioral observation studies. Since a previous study demonstrated an association between increased push notifications and smartphone overuse, we investigated the effects of push notifications on task performance. We detected changes in brainwaves generated by smartphone push notifications using the N200 and P300 components of event-related potential (ERP) to investigate both concentration and cognitive ability. ERP assessment indicated that, in both risk and nonrisk groups, the lowest N200 amplitude and the longest latency during task performance were found when push notifications were delivered. Compared to the nonrisk group, the risk group demonstrated lower P300 amplitudes and longer latencies. In addition, the risk group featured a higher rate of error in the Go-Nogo task, due to the negative influence of smartphone push notifications on performance in both risk and nonrisk groups. Furthermore, push notifications affected subsequent performance in the risk group. PMID:27366147

An Analysis of the Effects of Smartphone Push Notifications on Task Performance with regard to Smartphone Overuse Using ERP.

PubMed

Kim, Seul-Kee; Kim, So-Yeong; Kang, Hang-Bong

2016-01-01

Smartphones are used ubiquitously worldwide and are essential tools in modern society. However, smartphone overuse is an emerging social issue, and limited studies have objectively assessed this matter. The majority of previous studies have included surveys or behavioral observation studies. Since a previous study demonstrated an association between increased push notifications and smartphone overuse, we investigated the effects of push notifications on task performance. We detected changes in brainwaves generated by smartphone push notifications using the N200 and P300 components of event-related potential (ERP) to investigate both concentration and cognitive ability. ERP assessment indicated that, in both risk and nonrisk groups, the lowest N200 amplitude and the longest latency during task performance were found when push notifications were delivered. Compared to the nonrisk group, the risk group demonstrated lower P300 amplitudes and longer latencies. In addition, the risk group featured a higher rate of error in the Go-Nogo task, due to the negative influence of smartphone push notifications on performance in both risk and nonrisk groups. Furthermore, push notifications affected subsequent performance in the risk group.

Efficacy of ACL injury risk screening methods in identifying high-risk landing patterns during a sport-specific task.

PubMed

Fox, A S; Bonacci, J; McLean, S G; Saunders, N

2017-05-01

Screening methods sensitive to movement strategies that increase anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) loads are likely to be effective in identifying athletes at-risk of ACL injury. Current ACL injury risk screening methods are yet to be evaluated for their ability to identify athletes' who exhibit high-risk lower limb mechanics during sport-specific maneuvers associated with ACL injury occurrences. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of two ACL injury risk screening methods in identifying high-risk lower limb mechanics during a sport-specific landing task. Thirty-two female athletes were screened using the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) and Tuck Jump Assessment. Participants' also completed a sport-specific landing task, during which three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping was used to examine the relationships between screening method scores, and the three-dimensional hip and knee joint rotation and moment data from the sport-specific landing. Higher LESS scores were associated with reduced knee flexion from 30 to 57 ms after initial contact (P = 0.003) during the sport-specific landing; however, no additional relationships were found. These findings suggest the LESS and Tuck Jump Assessment may have minimal applicability in identifying athletes' who exhibit high-risk landing postures in the sport-specific task examined. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Elucidating Poor Decision-Making in a Rat Gambling Task

PubMed Central

Seriès, Peggy; Marchand, Alain R.; Dellu-Hagedorn, Françoise

2013-01-01

Although poor decision-making is a hallmark of psychiatric conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, pathological gambling or substance abuse, a fraction of healthy individuals exhibit similar poor decision-making performances in everyday life and specific laboratory tasks such as the Iowa Gambling Task. These particular individuals may provide information on risk factors or common endophenotypes of these mental disorders. In a rodent version of the Iowa gambling task – the Rat Gambling Task (RGT), we identified a population of poor decision makers, and assessed how these rats scored for several behavioral traits relevant to executive disorders: risk taking, reward seeking, behavioral inflexibility, and several aspects of impulsivity. First, we found that poor decision-making could not be well predicted by single behavioral and cognitive characteristics when considered separately. By contrast, a combination of independent traits in the same individual, namely risk taking, reward seeking, behavioral inflexibility, as well as motor impulsivity, was highly predictive of poor decision-making. Second, using a reinforcement-learning model of the RGT, we confirmed that only the combination of extreme scores on these traits could induce maladaptive decision-making. Third, the model suggested that a combination of these behavioral traits results in an inaccurate representation of rewards and penalties and inefficient learning of the environment. Poor decision-making appears as a consequence of the over-valuation of high-reward-high-risk options in the task. Such a specific psychological profile could greatly impair clinically healthy individuals in decision-making tasks and may predispose to mental disorders with similar symptoms. PMID:24339988

Elucidating poor decision-making in a rat gambling task.

PubMed

Rivalan, Marion; Valton, Vincent; Seriès, Peggy; Marchand, Alain R; Dellu-Hagedorn, Françoise

2013-01-01

Although poor decision-making is a hallmark of psychiatric conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, pathological gambling or substance abuse, a fraction of healthy individuals exhibit similar poor decision-making performances in everyday life and specific laboratory tasks such as the Iowa Gambling Task. These particular individuals may provide information on risk factors or common endophenotypes of these mental disorders. In a rodent version of the Iowa gambling task--the Rat Gambling Task (RGT), we identified a population of poor decision makers, and assessed how these rats scored for several behavioral traits relevant to executive disorders: risk taking, reward seeking, behavioral inflexibility, and several aspects of impulsivity. First, we found that poor decision-making could not be well predicted by single behavioral and cognitive characteristics when considered separately. By contrast, a combination of independent traits in the same individual, namely risk taking, reward seeking, behavioral inflexibility, as well as motor impulsivity, was highly predictive of poor decision-making. Second, using a reinforcement-learning model of the RGT, we confirmed that only the combination of extreme scores on these traits could induce maladaptive decision-making. Third, the model suggested that a combination of these behavioral traits results in an inaccurate representation of rewards and penalties and inefficient learning of the environment. Poor decision-making appears as a consequence of the over-valuation of high-reward-high-risk options in the task. Such a specific psychological profile could greatly impair clinically healthy individuals in decision-making tasks and may predispose to mental disorders with similar symptoms.

2014 Space Human Factors Engineering Standing Review Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, Susan

2014-01-01

The 2014 Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE) Standing Review Panel (from here on referred to as the SRP) participated in a WebEx/teleconference with members of the Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) Element, representatives from the Human Research Program (HRP), the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), and NASA Headquarters on November 17, 2014 (list of participants is in Section XI of this report). The SRP reviewed the updated research plans for the Risk of Incompatible Vehicle/Habitat Design (HAB Risk) and the Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies (Train Risk). The SRP also received a status update on the Risk of Inadequate Critical Task Design (Task Risk), the Risk of Inadequate Design of Human and Automation/Robotic Integration (HARI Risk), and the Risk of Inadequate Human-Computer Interaction (HCI Risk).

Positive and negative reinforcement underlying risk behavior in early adolescents.

PubMed

MacPherson, Laura; Reynolds, Elizabeth K; Daughters, Stacey B; Wang, Frances; Cassidy, Jude; Mayes, Linda C; Lejuez, C W

2010-09-01

The goal of the current study was to examine the combined influence of positive reinforcement processes using a behavioral task measuring risk taking propensity (RTP) and negative reinforcement processes using a behavioral task measuring deficits in distress tolerance (DT) on a range of risk taking behaviors among early adolescents. Participants included a community sample of 230 early adolescents (aged 9-13) who completed two behavioral tasks assessing reinforcement processes as well as reported on past year risk behavior involvement as assessed by items from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System at a baseline and a 1-year follow-up assessment. Data indicated that at the Wave 2 assessment, RTP was positively related to number of risk-taking behaviors in the past year but only for those with low DT, with this finding persisting after controlling for the significant influence of male gender and higher sensation seeking. Results of the present study highlight the importance of considering both positive and negative reinforcement processes in combination when investigating vulnerability factors for early risk behavior engagement in youth.

Corrosion on Fatigue and Fatigue Crack Growth in Aircraft Structural Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

nmonth- of 1Q730 v,’ ilc th au!Ihor xas. a! !Lockhehed Rvye (anyon Adva.nce,1d tj;ion in(I Research Laboratory. Mr. Gary Gos’s andl Mr. WValter Fitze ti...frtaerltd o11 1~ a cuea o rnicr srruae. 150x.IILI’ r11da- o p sdo’ l-akddi pe.Fgrc ()id4()c hl’ micro,,ructura ’Setd ~ ila i l--n ig ilc to ~IiiCId...bart 16 iretorted increcascd fatigue 0 t C Id ’ L5 treg th fof t eiii I Ic iti:ci st to L)i poic ed lirfe r; irnod a Ipho -teta or f inef~t

Combined Diet and Physical Activity Promotion Programs for Prevention of Diabetes: Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

PubMed

Pronk, Nicolaas P; Remington, Patrick L

2015-09-15

Community Preventive Services Task Force recommendation on the use of combined diet and physical activity promotion programs to reduce progression to type 2 diabetes in persons at increased risk. The Task Force commissioned an evidence review that assessed the benefits and harms of programs to promote and support individual improvements in diet, exercise, and weight and supervised a review on the economic efficiency of these programs in clinical trial, primary care, and primary care-referable settings. Adolescents and adults at increased risk for progression to type 2 diabetes. The Task Force recommends the use of combined diet and physical activity promotion programs by health care systems, communities, and other implementers to provide counseling and support to clients identified as being at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Economic evidence indicates that these programs are cost-effective.

An Epidemiologic Study of Genetic Variation in Hormonal Pathways in Relation to the Effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Breast Cancer Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

active learning techniques in Introduction to Epidemiology Ongoing5 W81XWH-06-1-0312 Reding, Kerryn 7 TASK STATUS of FUTURE TASKS Task 3...Apply for and obtain IRB renewal Ongoing task Task 4: Training-related Work (Months 13-36) a. Present research findings on active learning at

NSI security task: Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tencati, Ron

1991-01-01

An overview is presented of the NASA Science Internet (NSI) security task. The task includes the following: policies and security documentation; risk analysis and management; computer emergency response team; incident handling; toolkit development; user consulting; and working groups, conferences, and committees.

Cognitive task performance and frequency of alcohol usage in young adults.

PubMed

Harvanko, Arit M; Odlaug, Brian L; Schreiber, Liana R N; Grant, Jon E

2012-06-01

The goal of our study was to examine cognitive effects of alcohol in young adults at varied levels of alcohol usage using well-validated computerized cognitive measures. One hundred fifty-five young adults (mean age: 21.15 ± 3.092 years; 25.8% female), free from non-alcohol-related psychiatric diagnoses and drug use, underwent selected tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery in conjunction with the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire, and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Study participants were grouped according to alcohol frequency: nondrinkers, at-risk drinkers (subsyndromal alcohol usage), and alcohol use disorder. At-risk drinkers and individuals with alcohol use disorders bet significantly more overall on the Cambridge Gambling Task than nondrinkers. There were no significant differences noted between groups on the Spatial Working Memory task or Intra-dimensional/Extra-dimensional Set Shift task. Individuals with alcohol use disorders endorsed higher impulsivity than at-risk and nondrinkers on the Barratt Impulsivity Scale and Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire. Individuals with alcohol use disorders and at-risk drinkers also endorsed higher venturesomeness than nondrinkers on the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Results from the Cambridge Gambling Task suggest that even at a subsyndromal level, young adults make risky decisions that mirror those seen in individuals with alcohol use disorders.

Adolescents' Heightened Risk-Seeking in a Probabilistic Gambling Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnett, Stephanie; Bault, Nadege; Coricelli, Giorgio; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne

2010-01-01

This study investigated adolescent males' decision-making under risk, and the emotional response to decision outcomes, using a probabilistic gambling task designed to evoke counterfactually mediated emotions (relief and regret). Participants were 20 adolescents (aged 9-11), 26 young adolescents (aged 12-15), 20 mid-adolescents (aged 15-18) and 17…

Decision Making and Ratio Processing in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Pertl, Marie-Theres; Benke, Thomas; Zamarian, Laura; Delazer, Margarete

2015-01-01

Making advantageous decisions is important in everyday life. This study aimed at assessing how patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) make decisions under risk. Additionally, it investigated the relationship between decision making, ratio processing, basic numerical abilities, and executive functions. Patients with MCI (n = 22) were compared with healthy controls (n = 29) on a complex task of decision making under risk (Game of Dice Task-Double, GDT-D), on two tasks evaluating basic decision making under risk, on a task of ratio processing, and on several neuropsychological background tests. Patients performed significantly lower than controls on the GDT-D and on ratio processing, whereas groups performed comparably on basic decision tasks. Specifically, in the GDT-D, patients obtained lower net scores and lower mean expected values, which indicate a less advantageous performance relative to that of controls. Performance on the GDT-D correlated significantly with performance in basic decision tasks, ratio processing, and executive-function measures when the analysis was performed on the whole sample. Patients with MCI make sub-optimal decisions in complex risk situations, whereas they perform at the same level as healthy adults in simple decision situations. Ratio processing and executive functions have an impact on the decision-making performance of both patients and healthy older adults. In order to facilitate advantageous decisions in complex everyday situations, information should be presented in an easily comprehensible form and cognitive training programs for patients with MCI should focus--among other abilities--on executive functions and ratio processing.

How to Assess the Biomechanical Risk Levels in Beekeeping.

PubMed

Maina, G; Rossi, F; Baracco, A

2016-01-01

Beekeepers are at particular risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders, but many of the studies lack detailed exposure assessment. To evaluate the biomechanical overload exposure in a specific farming activity, a multitasking model has been developed through the characterization of 37 basic operational tasks typical of the beekeeping activity. The Occupational Repetitive Actions (OCRA) Checklist and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Lifting Index methodologies have been applied to these elementary tasks to evaluate the exposure, and the resulting risk indices have been time-weighted averaged. Finally, an easy access, computer-assisted toolkit has been developed to help the beekeepers in the biomechanical risk assessment process. The risk of biomechanical overload for the upper limbs ranges from acceptable (maintenance and recovery of woody material and honey packaging with dosing machine tasks) to high (distribution of the top supers) risk level. The risk for back injury is always borderline in women and increases with exposure time, whereas it ranges from acceptable to borderline in men. The definition of the biomechanical risk levels allows for planning of corrective actions aimed at preventing and reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders through engineering, administrative, and behavioral interventions. The methodology can be used for risk assessment in other mainly manual agricultural activities.

Behavioral and neural correlates of loss aversion and risk avoidance in adolescents and adults.

PubMed

Barkley-Levenson, Emily E; Van Leijenhorst, Linda; Galván, Adriana

2013-01-01

Individuals are frequently faced with risky decisions involving the potential for both gain and loss. Exploring the role of both potential gains and potential losses in predicting risk taking is critical to understanding how adolescents and adults make the choice to engage in or avoid a real-life risk. This study aimed to examine the impact of potential losses as well as gains on adolescent decisions during risky choice in a laboratory task. Adolescent (n=18) and adult (n=16) participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a mixed gambles task, and completed questionnaires measuring real-world risk-taking behaviors. While potential loss had a significantly greater effect on choice than potential gain in both adolescents and adults and there were no behavioral group differences on the task, adolescents recruited significantly more frontostriatal circuitry than adults when choosing to reject a gamble. During risk-seeking behavior, adolescent activation in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was negatively correlated with self-reported likelihood of risk taking. During risk-avoidant behavior, mPFC activation of in adults was negatively correlated with self-reported benefits of risk-taking. Taken together, these findings reflect different neural patterns during risk-taking and risk-avoidant behaviors in adolescents and adults. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Job analysis of maintenance-mechanic position for the nuclear power plant maintenance personnel reliability model

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

Siegel, A.I.; Bartter, W.D.; Kopstein, F.F.

1982-06-01

The task list method of job survey was used. In collaboration with BWR and PWR personnel, a list of 107 tasks performed by maintenance mechanics was developed, grouped into: remove and install, test and repair, inspect and perform preventive maintenance, miscellaneous, communication, and report preparation. For each listed task, the questionnaire form inquired into: frequency of performance, task completion time, safety consequences of improper performance, and the amount of training required to perform the task proficiently. Scaled information was requested about seven abilities: (1) visual speed, accuracy, and recognition; (2) gross motor coordination; (3) fine manual dexterity; (4) strength andmore » stamina; (5) cognition; (6) memory; and (7) problem solving required for function completion. Survey forms were distributed to 27 nuclear power plants. Thirty-one maintenance mechanics representing 17 plants returned the completed forms. Frequency of performing tasks was bimodally distributed: (1) between once a year and once every six months, and (2) about once a week. More than half of the tasks have potential risk consequences if improperly performed. The five tasks with the greatest risk implications in the case of inadequate performance were: (1) remove and install reactor and dry-well heads, (2) test and repair reactor system components, (3) remove and install pressurizer mechanical relief valves, (4) test and repair pressurizer relief valves, (5) remove and install core spray pumps, seals, and valves. Hierarchically, the public risk associated with the various functions was: (1) remove and install, (2) test and repair, (3) preventive maintenance, (4) miscellaneous tasks, (5) communication, and (6) report preparation.« less

Variation in work tasks in relation to pinch grip strength among middle-aged female dentists.

PubMed

Ding, Hebo; Leino-Arjas, Päivi; Murtomaa, Heikki; Takala, Esa-Pekka; Solovieva, Svetlana

2013-11-01

We aimed to investigate the relationship of task variation during dental work history with pinch grip strength among dentists. We measured pinch grip strength among 295 female Finnish dentists aged 45-63 years. Variation in dental work tasks during work history was empirically defined by cluster analysis. Three clusters of task variation emerged: low (most work time in restoration treatment/endodontics), moderate (about 50% in the former and 50% in prosthodontics/periodontics/surgery), and high (variable tasks including administrative duties). Hand radiographs were examined for the presence of OA in the wrist and each joint of the 1-3rd fingers. Information on hand-loading leisure-time activities, and joint pain was obtained by questionnaire. Glove size was used as a proxy for hand size. BMI (kg/m2) was based on measured weight and self-reported height. Dentists with low variation of work task history had an increased risk of low pinch grip strength in the right hand (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.3), but not in the left (1.13, 0.62-2.08), compared to dentists with high task variation, independent of age, hand size, hand-loading leisure-time activities, BMI and symptomatic hand OA. The dentists with the most hand-loading tasks were at an increased risk of low pinch grip strength, independent of e.g. symptomatic hand OA. It is advisable among dentists to perform as diverse work tasks as possible to reduce the risk of decreased pinch grip strength. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Response to Vogelstein: How the 2012 AAP Task Force on circumcision went wrong.

PubMed

Van Howe, Robert S

2018-01-01

Vogelstein cautions medical organizations against jumping into the fray of controversial issues, yet proffers the 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics' Task Force policy position on infant male circumcision as 'an appropriate use of position-statements.' Only a scratch below the surface of this policy statement uncovers the Task Force's failure to consider Vogelstein's many caveats. The Task Force supported the cultural practice by putting undeserved emphasis on questionable scientific data, while ignoring or underplaying the importance of valid contrary scientific data. Without any effort to quantitatively assess the risk/benefit balance, the Task Force concluded the benefits of circumcision outweighed the risks, while acknowledging that the incidence of risks was unknown. This Task Force differed from other Academy policy-forming panels by ignoring the Academy's standard quality measures and by not appointing members with extensive research experience, extensive publications, or recognized expertise directly related to this topic. Despite nearly 100 publications available at the time addressing the substantial ethical issues associated with infant male circumcision, the Task Force chose to ignore the ethical controversy. They merely stated, with minimal justification, the opinion of one of the Task Force members that the practice of infant male circumcision is morally permissible. The release of the report has fostered an explosion of academic discussion on the ethics of infant male circumcision with a number of national medical organizations now decrying the practice as a human rights violation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Biomechanical Comparison of Single-Leg Landing and Unplanned Sidestepping.

PubMed

Chinnasee, Chamnan; Weir, Gillian; Sasimontonkul, Siriporn; Alderson, Jacqueline; Donnelly, Cyril

2018-06-14

Unplanned sidestepping and single-leg landing have both been used to screen athletes for injury risk in sport. The aim of this study was to directly compare the lower limb mechanics of three single-leg landing tasks and an unplanned sidestepping task. Thirteen elite female team sport athletes completed a series of non-contact single-leg drop landings, single-leg countermovement jumps, single-leg jump landings and unplanned sidestepping in a randomized counterbalanced design. Three dimensional kinematics (250 Hz) and ground reaction force (2,000 Hz) data with a participant specific lower limb skeletal model were used to calculate and compare hip, knee and ankle joint kinematics, peak joint moments, instantaneous joint power and joint work during the weight acceptance phase of each sporting task (α=0.05). Peak knee joint moments and relevant injury risk thresholds were used to classify each athlete's anterior cruciate ligament injury risk during unplanned sidestepping and single-leg jump landing. Results showed that peak joint moments, power and work were greater during the single-leg jump landing task when compared to the single-leg drop landings and single-leg countermovement jumps tasks. Peak frontal and sagittal plane knee joint moments, knee joint power, as well as hip and knee joint work were greater during unplanned sidestepping when compared to the landing tasks. Peak ankle joint moments, power and work were greater during the landing tasks when compared to unplanned sidestepping. For 4 of the 13 athletes tested, their anterior cruciate ligament injury risk classification changed depending on whether they performed an unplanned sidestepping or single-leg jump landing testing procedure. To summarize, a single-leg jump landing testing procedure places a larger mechanical on the ankle joint when compared to single-leg drop landings, single-leg countermovement jumps and unplanned sidestepping. An unplanned sidestepping testing procedure places a larger mechanical demand on the knee joint when compared to single-leg landing tasks. Both unplanned sidestepping and single-leg jump landing testing procedures are recommended for classifying an athlete's anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in sport. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity, Dual Task Performance, Gait Speed, and Postural Sway in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

PubMed Central

Crockett, Rachel A.; Hsu, Chun Liang; Best, John R.; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with an increased risk of falling. In particular, older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are more vulnerable to falling compared with their healthy counterparts. Major contributors to this increased falls risk include a decline in dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. Recent evidence highlights the potential influence of the default mode network (DMN), the frontoparietal network (FPN), and the supplementary motor area (SMA) on dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. The DMN is active during rest and deactivates during task-oriented processes, to maintain attention and stay on task. The FPN and SMA are involved in top-down attentional control, motor planning, and motor execution. The DMN shows less deactivation during task in older adults with MCI. This lack of deactivation is theorized to increase competition for resources between the DMN and task-related brain regions (e.g., the FPN and SMA), increasing distraction from the task and reducing task performance. However, no study has yet investigated the relationship between the between-network connectivity of the DMN with these regions and dual task walking, gait speed or postural sway. We hypothesized that greater functional connectivity both within the DMN and between DMN–FPN and DMN–SMA, will be associated with poorer performance during dual task walking, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway in older adults with MCI. Forty older adults with MCI were measured on a dual task-walking paradigm, gait speed over a 4-m walk, and postural sway using a sway-meter. Greater within-DMN connectivity was significantly correlated with poorer dual task performance. Furthermore, greater inter-network connectivity between the DMN and SMA was significantly correlated with slower gait speed and greater postural sway on the eyes open floor sway task. Thus, greater resting state DMN functional connectivity may be an underlying neural mechanism for reduced dual task ability, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway, resulting in the increased risk of mobility disability and falling in older adults with MCI. PMID:29311906

Resting State Default Mode Network Connectivity, Dual Task Performance, Gait Speed, and Postural Sway in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Crockett, Rachel A; Hsu, Chun Liang; Best, John R; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa

2017-01-01

Aging is associated with an increased risk of falling. In particular, older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are more vulnerable to falling compared with their healthy counterparts. Major contributors to this increased falls risk include a decline in dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. Recent evidence highlights the potential influence of the default mode network (DMN), the frontoparietal network (FPN), and the supplementary motor area (SMA) on dual task performance, gait speed, and postural sway. The DMN is active during rest and deactivates during task-oriented processes, to maintain attention and stay on task. The FPN and SMA are involved in top-down attentional control, motor planning, and motor execution. The DMN shows less deactivation during task in older adults with MCI. This lack of deactivation is theorized to increase competition for resources between the DMN and task-related brain regions (e.g., the FPN and SMA), increasing distraction from the task and reducing task performance. However, no study has yet investigated the relationship between the between-network connectivity of the DMN with these regions and dual task walking, gait speed or postural sway. We hypothesized that greater functional connectivity both within the DMN and between DMN-FPN and DMN-SMA, will be associated with poorer performance during dual task walking, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway in older adults with MCI. Forty older adults with MCI were measured on a dual task-walking paradigm, gait speed over a 4-m walk, and postural sway using a sway-meter. Greater within-DMN connectivity was significantly correlated with poorer dual task performance. Furthermore, greater inter-network connectivity between the DMN and SMA was significantly correlated with slower gait speed and greater postural sway on the eyes open floor sway task. Thus, greater resting state DMN functional connectivity may be an underlying neural mechanism for reduced dual task ability, slower gait speed, and greater postural sway, resulting in the increased risk of mobility disability and falling in older adults with MCI.

Deep Learning to Predict Falls in Older Adults Based on Daily-Life Trunk Accelerometry.

PubMed

Nait Aicha, Ahmed; Englebienne, Gwenn; van Schooten, Kimberley S; Pijnappels, Mirjam; Kröse, Ben

2018-05-22

Early detection of high fall risk is an essential component of fall prevention in older adults. Wearable sensors can provide valuable insight into daily-life activities; biomechanical features extracted from such inertial data have been shown to be of added value for the assessment of fall risk. Body-worn sensors such as accelerometers can provide valuable insight into fall risk. Currently, biomechanical features derived from accelerometer data are used for the assessment of fall risk. Here, we studied whether deep learning methods from machine learning are suited to automatically derive features from raw accelerometer data that assess fall risk. We used an existing dataset of 296 older adults. We compared the performance of three deep learning model architectures (convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM) and a combination of these two (ConvLSTM)) to each other and to a baseline model with biomechanical features on the same dataset. The results show that the deep learning models in a single-task learning mode are strong in recognition of identity of the subject, but that these models only slightly outperform the baseline method on fall risk assessment. When using multi-task learning, with gender and age as auxiliary tasks, deep learning models perform better. We also found that preprocessing of the data resulted in the best performance (AUC = 0.75). We conclude that deep learning models, and in particular multi-task learning, effectively assess fall risk on the basis of wearable sensor data.

Deep Learning to Predict Falls in Older Adults Based on Daily-Life Trunk Accelerometry

PubMed Central

Englebienne, Gwenn; Pijnappels, Mirjam

2018-01-01

Early detection of high fall risk is an essential component of fall prevention in older adults. Wearable sensors can provide valuable insight into daily-life activities; biomechanical features extracted from such inertial data have been shown to be of added value for the assessment of fall risk. Body-worn sensors such as accelerometers can provide valuable insight into fall risk. Currently, biomechanical features derived from accelerometer data are used for the assessment of fall risk. Here, we studied whether deep learning methods from machine learning are suited to automatically derive features from raw accelerometer data that assess fall risk. We used an existing dataset of 296 older adults. We compared the performance of three deep learning model architectures (convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM) and a combination of these two (ConvLSTM)) to each other and to a baseline model with biomechanical features on the same dataset. The results show that the deep learning models in a single-task learning mode are strong in recognition of identity of the subject, but that these models only slightly outperform the baseline method on fall risk assessment. When using multi-task learning, with gender and age as auxiliary tasks, deep learning models perform better. We also found that preprocessing of the data resulted in the best performance (AUC = 0.75). We conclude that deep learning models, and in particular multi-task learning, effectively assess fall risk on the basis of wearable sensor data. PMID:29786659

Impact of novel shift handle laparoscopic tool on wrist ergonomics and task performance.

PubMed

Yu, Denny; Lowndes, Bethany; Morrow, Missy; Kaufman, Kenton; Bingener, Juliane; Hallbeck, Susan

2016-08-01

Laparoscopic tool handles causing wrist flexion and extension more than 15° from neutral are considered "at risk" for musculoskeletal strain. Therefore, this study measured the impact of laparoscopic tool handle angles on wrist postures and task performance. Eight surgeons performed standard and modified Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) tasks with laparoscopic tools. Tool A had three adjustable handle angle configurations, i.e., in-line 0° (A0), 30° (A30), and pistol-grip 70° (A70). Tool B was a fixed pistol-grip grasper. Participants performed FLS peg transfer, inverted peg transfer, and inverted circle cut with each tool and handle angle. Inverted tasks were adapted from standard FLS tasks to simulate advanced tasks observed during abdominal wall surgeries, e.g., ventral hernia. Motion tracking, video analysis, and modified NASA-TLX workload questionnaires were used to measure postures, performance (e.g., completion time and errors), and workload. Task performance did not differ between tools. For FLS peg transfer, self-reported physical workload was lower for B than for A70, and mean wrist postures showed significantly higher flexion for in-line than for pistol-grip tools (B and A70). For inverted peg transfer, workload was higher for all configurations. However, less time was spent in at-risk wrist postures for in-line (47 %) than for pistol-grip (93-94 %), and most participants preferred Tool A. For inverted circle cut, workload did not vary across configurations, mean wrist posture was 10° closer to neutral for A0 than B, and median time in at-risk wrist postures was significantly less for A0 (43 %) than for B (87 %). The best ergonomic wrist positions for FLS (floor) tasks are provided by pistol-grip tools and for tasks on the abdominal wall (ventral surface) by in-line handles. Adjustable handle angle laparoscopic tools can reduce ergonomic risks of musculoskeletal strain and allow versatility for tasks alternating between the floor and ceiling positions in a surgical trainer without impacting performance.

Understanding risks of workplace injury in labor and delivery.

PubMed

Stichler, Jaynelle F; Feiler, Judd L; Chase, Kimberlie

2012-01-01

To understand nurse and other staff perceptions about care activities in labor and delivery (L&D) that were performed with high frequency, required high exertion, and had the greatest potential to cause injury and to determine what personal characteristics might be related to the caregiving tasks with potential for injury. This exploratory study employed a mixed methods design using qualitative open-ended questions and quantitative surveys administered in three different times (n = 56, 58, and 58). A 22-room L&D unit in a women's hospital with 8,500 annual deliveries. Nurses and assistive staff. High-risk tasks were classified in three categories. High-exertion tasks included (a) moving patients in labor, delivery, recovery (LDR) beds to other locations; (b) breaking delivery beds and applying stirrups; (c) assisting dependent patients with mobility in bed; and (d) pushing medical equipment and delivery carts. Awkward posture tasks during patient care included (a) listening for heart tones; (b) performing difficult vaginal exams; (c) keeping the fetal head off of the cord during cord prolapse; and (d) assisting with epidurals. Culture of safety tasks included (a) physician requests to conduct patient care tasks that put staff at risk for injury; (b) providers ignoring broken equipment in the environment; (c) responding to emergent/urgent situations without regard to self-posturing to prevent injury; and (d) holding patients' legs during delivery at the physician's direction. Several significant correlations were noted between demographic variables and high potential for risk items. This study provides the first information about the caregiving tasks L&D nurses perceive to be risky for personal injury because of their high frequency and exertion or breaches in the culture of safety. © 2011 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obsteric and Neonatal Nurses.

Test-retest reliability and gender differences in the sexual discounting task among cocaine-dependent individuals.

PubMed

Johnson, Matthew W; Bruner, Natalie R

2013-08-01

The Sexual Discounting Task uses the delay discounting framework to examine sexual HIV risk behavior. Previous research showed task performance to be significantly correlated with self-reported HIV risk behavior in cocaine dependence. Test-retest reliability and gender differences had remained unexamined. The present study examined the test-retest reliability of the Sexual Discounting Task. Cocaine-dependent individuals (18 men, 13 women) completed the task in two laboratory visits ∼7 days apart. Participants selected photographs of individuals with whom they were willing to have casual sex. Among these, participants identified the individual most (and least) likely to have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and the individual with whom he or she most (and least) wanted to have sex. In reference to these individuals, participants rated their likelihood of having unprotected sex versus waiting to have sex with a condom, at various delays. A money delay discounting task was also completed at the first visit. Significant differences in discounting among partner conditions were shown. Differential stability was demonstrated by significant, positive correlations between test and retest for all four partner conditions. Absolute stability was demonstrated by statistical equivalence tests between test and retest, and also supported by a lack of significant differences between test and retest. Men generally discounted significantly more than women for sexual outcomes but not money. Results suggest the Sexual Discounting Task to be a reliable measure in cocaine-dependent individuals, which supports its use as a repeated measure in clinical research, for example, studies examining acute drug effects on sexual risk and the effects of addiction treatment and HIV prevention interventions on sexual risk. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Flexible modulation of risk attitude during decision-making under quota.

PubMed

Fujimoto, Atsushi; Takahashi, Hidehiko

2016-10-01

Risk attitude is often regarded as an intrinsic parameter in the individual personality. However, ethological studies reported state-dependent strategy optimization irrespective of individual preference. To synthesize the two contrasting literatures, we developed a novel gambling task that dynamically manipulated the quota severity (required outcome to clear the task) in a course of choice trials and conducted a task-fMRI study in human participants. The participants showed their individual risk preference when they had no quota constraint ('individual-preference mode'), while they adopted state-dependent optimal strategy when they needed to achieve a quota ('strategy-optimization mode'). fMRI analyses illustrated that the interplay among prefrontal areas and salience-network areas reflected the quota severity and the utilization of the optimal strategy, shedding light on the neural substrates of the quota-dependent risk attitude. Our results demonstrated the complex nature of risk-sensitive decision-making and may provide a new perspective for the understanding of problematic risky behaviors in human. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emotion regulation and decision making under risk and uncertainty.

PubMed

Heilman, Renata M; Crişan, Liviu G; Houser, Daniel; Miclea, Mircea; Miu, Andrei C

2010-04-01

It is well established that emotion plays a key role in human social and economic decision making. The recent literature on emotion regulation (ER), however, highlights that humans typically make efforts to control emotion experiences. This leaves open the possibility that decision effects previously attributed to acute emotion may be a consequence of acute ER strategies such as cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. In Study 1, we manipulated ER of laboratory-induced fear and disgust, and found that the cognitive reappraisal of these negative emotions promotes risky decisions (reduces risk aversion) in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task and is associated with increased performance in the prehunch/hunch period of the Iowa Gambling Task. In Study 2, we found that naturally occurring negative emotions also increase risk aversion in Balloon Analogue Risk Task, but the incidental use of cognitive reappraisal of emotions impedes this effect. We offer evidence that the increased effectiveness of cognitive reappraisal in reducing the experience of emotions underlies its beneficial effects on decision making. Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Integrating the Ergonomics Techniques with Multi Criteria Decision Making as a New Approach for Risk Management: An Assessment of Repetitive Tasks -Entropy Case Study.

PubMed

Khandan, Mohammad; Nili, Majid; Koohpaei, Alireza; Mosaferchi, Saeedeh

2016-01-01

Nowadays, the health work decision makers need to analyze a huge amount of data and consider many conflicting evaluation criteria and sub-criteria. Therefore, an ergonomic evaluation in the work environment in order to the control occupational disorders is considered as the Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem. In this study, the ergonomic risks factors, which may influence health, were evaluated in a manufacturing company in 2014. Then entropy method was applied to prioritize the different risk factors. This study was done with a descriptive-analytical approach and 13 tasks were included from total number of employees who were working in the seven halls of an ark opal manufacturing (240). Required information was gathered by the demographic questionnaire and Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) method for repetitive task assessment. In addition, entropy was used to prioritize the risk factors based on the ergonomic control needs. The total exposure score based on the ART method calculated was equal to 30.07 ±12.43. Data analysis illustrated that 179 cases (74.6% of tasks) were in the high level of risk area and 13.8% were in the medium level of risk. ART- entropy results revealed that based on the weighted factors, higher value belongs to grip factor and the lowest value was related to neck and hand posture and duration. Based on the limited financial resources, it seems that MCDM in many challenging situations such as control procedures and priority approaches could be used successfully. Other MCDM methods for evaluating and prioritizing the ergonomic problems are recommended.

The pathway to earthquake early warning in the US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, R. M.; Given, D. D.; Heaton, T. H.; Vidale, J. E.; West Coast Earthquake Early Warning Development Team

2013-05-01

The development of earthquake early warning capabilities in the United States is now accelerating and expanding as the technical capability to provide warning is demonstrated and additional funding resources are making it possible to expand the current testing region to the entire west coast (California, Oregon and Washington). Over the course of the next two years we plan to build a prototype system that will provide a blueprint for a full public system in the US. California currently has a demonstrations warning system, ShakeAlert, that provides alerts to a group of test users from the public and private sector. These include biotech companies, technology companies, the entertainment industry, the transportation sector, and the emergency planning and response community. Most groups are currently in an evaluation mode, receiving the alerts and developing protocols for future response. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system is the one group who has now implemented an automated response to the warning system. BART now stops trains when an earthquake of sufficient size is detected. Research and development also continues to develop improved early warning algorithms to better predict the distribution of shaking in large earthquakes when the finiteness of the source becomes important. The algorithms under development include the use of both seismic and GPS instrumentation and integration with existing point source algorithms. At the same time, initial testing and development of algorithms in and for the Pacific Northwest is underway. In this presentation we will review the current status of the systems, highlight the new research developments, and lay out a pathway to a full public system for the US west coast. The research and development described is ongoing at Caltech, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, ETH Zurich, Southern California Earthquake Center, and the US Geological Survey, and is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the US Geological Survey.

Successful ShakeAlert Performance for the Napa Quake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, R. M.; Given, D. D.; Heaton, T. H.; Vidale, J. E.

2014-12-01

ShakeAlert, the demonstration earthquake early warning system, developed by the USGS, UC Berkeley, Caltech, ETH, and the University of Washington, functioned as expected for the August 24, 2014, M6.0 Napa earthquake. The first ShakeAlert was generated by the ElarmS algorithm 5.1 sec after the origin time of the earthquake, and 3.3 sec after the P-wave arrived at the closest station 6.5 km from the epicenter. This initial alert, based on P-wave triggers from four stations, estimated the magnitude to be 5.7. The warning was received at the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory 5 seconds before the S-wave and about 10 sec prior to the onset of the strongest shaking. ShakeAlert beta-testers across the San Francisco Bay Area simultaneously received the alert, including the San Francisco 911 center with 8 sec warning, and the BART train system. BART has implemented an automated train-stopping system that was activated (although no trains were running at 3:20 am). With the available network geometry and communications, the blind zone of the first alert had a radius of 16 km. The four stations that contributed to the first alert all encapsulate data into 1-second packets, but the latency in transmitting data to the processing center ranged from 0.27 to 2.62 seconds. If all the stations were to deliver data in 0.27 seconds, then the alert would have been available 2.3 sec sooner and the blind zone would be reduced to about 8 km. This would also mean that the city of Napa would have received about 1 second of warning. The magnitude estimate and event location were accurate from the initial alert onwards. The magnitude estimate did first increase to 5.8 and then dip to 5.4 2.6 sec after the initial alert, stayed at that level for 2 sec, and then returned to 5.7. The final magnitude estimate was 6.0, consistent with the ANSS catalog.

Diagnostic applications of newborn screening for α-thalassaemias, haemoglobins E and H disorders using isoelectric focusing on dry blood spots.

PubMed

Jindatanmanusan, Punyanuch; Riolueang, Suchada; Glomglao, Waraporn; Sukontharangsri, Yaowapa; Chamnanvanakij, Sangkae; Torcharus, Kitti; Viprakasit, Vip

2014-03-01

Neonatal screening for haemoglobin (Hb) disorders is a standard of care in several developed countries with the main objective to detect Hb S. Such practice has not been established in Thailand where α-thalassaemia and haemoglobin E (Hb E) are highly prevalent. Early identification of thalassaemias could be helpful and strengthen the programme for prevention and control for severe thalassaemias. Data from isoelectric focusing (IEF) and Isoscan® for detecting types and amount (%) of each haemoglobin in 350 newborn's dried blood spots were analysed and compared with the comprehensive genotype analysis by DNA studies as a gold standard. Based on genetic profiles, there were 10 different categories: (1) normal (n = 227), (2) α(+)-thalassaemia trait (n = 14), (3) α(0)-thalassaemia trait (n = 13), (4) β(0)-thalassaemia trait (n = 7), (5) Hb E trait (n = 72), (6) Hb E trait with α(0)-thalassaemia or homozygous α(+)-thalassaemia (n = 5), (7) Hb E trait with α(+)-thalassaemia trait (n = 5), (8) homozygous Hb E (n = 3), (9) homozygous Hb E with α(0)-thalassaemia trait (n = 1) and (10) Hb H disease (n = 3). The presence of Hb Bart's and Hb E were used to identify cases with α-thalassaemia and Hb E, respectively. We set 0.25% of Hb Bart's and 1.5% of Hb E as a cut-off level to detect α(+)-thalassaemia trait (sensitivity 92.86% and specificity 74.0%) and Hb E trait with 100% of both sensitivity and specificity for IEF diagnosis. Although molecular diagnosis seems to be better for definitive diagnosis of thalassaemia syndromes at birth, however, using our reference range described herein, IEF can be applied in a resource-limiting setting with acceptable reliability.

Status and needs for seismic instrumentation of structures along the Hayward fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kalkan, Erol; Çelebi, Mehmet

2008-01-01

The inventory of structures in heavily urbanized communities within the greater San Francisco (SF) Bay area that will experience strong ground motions from the rupture of the Hayward Fault includes a variety of types of recent and older structures built with a variety of materials and to different code standards. Those who remember the effects of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake on structures in the San Francisco Bay area also remember the collapse of one upper-deck segment of the Bay Bridge that halted transportation for approximately five weeks. In order to understand how these structures respond to earthquake motions and to improve building practices to resist these strong motions it is imperative that owners of these structures as well as governmental organizations acquire shaking response data from instrumented (or yet to be instrumented structures) during the forecast events. Within California, such data are acquired mainly by California Geological Survey and the United States Geological Survey. A small number of private owners contribute to this effort. The inventory of existing instrumented structures is much less than 0.1% of the total, and thus statistically it is not sufficient. For example, some of the existing important regular or lifeline structures are not instrumented(e.g. Bart Trans-Bay Tunnel, many segments of the Bart elevated structures in the proximity of the Hayward Fault, the yet to be completed eastern part of San Francisco Bay Bridge, Hetch-Hetchy pipeline system crossing the Hayward Fault)even though attempts and proposals have been developed to do so in the past. This paper presents a critical assessment of the status quo and the future needs for instrumentation of structures in the greater SF Bay area that includes the Hayward Fault. There are many new attempts and successes in instrumentation of structures in this region. Two successful examples are provided here, but more needs to be done. The paper does not present new research results; hence, it should be considered to be a “tutorial” paper.

Neural substrates of the influence of emotional cues on cognitive control in risk-taking adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Nikki C; Weeda, Wouter D; Insel, Catherine; Somerville, Leah H; Krabbendam, Lydia; Huizinga, Mariëtte

2018-06-01

Adolescence is a period characterised by increases in risk-taking. This behaviour has been associated with an imbalance in the integration of the networks involved in cognitive control and motivational processes. We examined whether the influence of emotional cues on cognitive control differs between adolescents who show high or low levels of risk-taking behaviour. Participants who scored especially high or low on a risky decision task were subsequently administered an emotional go/no-go fMRI task comprising angry, happy and calm faces. Both groups showed decreased cognitive control when confronted with appetitive and aversive emotional cues. Activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) increased in line with the cognitive control demands of the task. Though the risk taking groups did not differ in their behavioural performance, functional connectivity analyses revealed the dorsal striatum plays a more central role in the processing of cognitive control in high than low risk-takers. Overall, these findings suggest that variance in fronto-striatal circuitry may underlie individual differences in risk-taking behaviour. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

UArizona at the CLEF eRisk 2017 Pilot Task: Linear and Recurrent Models for Early Depression Detection

PubMed Central

Sadeque, Farig; Xu, Dongfang; Bethard, Steven

2017-01-01

The 2017 CLEF eRisk pilot task focuses on automatically detecting depression as early as possible from a users’ posts to Reddit. In this paper we present the techniques employed for the University of Arizona team’s participation in this early risk detection shared task. We leveraged external information beyond the small training set, including a preexisting depression lexicon and concepts from the Unified Medical Language System as features. For prediction, we used both sequential (recurrent neural network) and non-sequential (support vector machine) models. Our models perform decently on the test data, and the recurrent neural models perform better than the non-sequential support vector machines while using the same feature sets. PMID:29075167

Dissociable effects of basolateral amygdala lesions on decision making biases in rats when loss or gain is emphasized.

PubMed

Tremblay, Melanie; Cocker, Paul J; Hosking, Jay G; Zeeb, Fiona D; Rogers, Robert D; Winstanley, Catharine A

2014-12-01

Individuals switch from risk seeking to risk aversion when mathematically identical options are described in terms of loss versus gains, as exemplified in the reflection and framing effects. Determining the neurobiology underlying such cognitive biases could inform our understanding of decision making in health and disease. Although reports vary, data using human subjects have implicated the amygdala in such biases. Animal models enable more detailed investigation of neurobiological mechanisms. We therefore tested whether basolateral amygdala (BLA) lesions would affect risk preference for gains or losses in rats. Choices in both paradigms were always between options of equal expected value-a guaranteed outcome, or the 50:50 chance of double or nothing. In the loss-chasing task, most rats exhibited strong risk seeking preferences, gambling at the risk of incurring double the penalty, regardless of the size of the guaranteed loss. In the betting task, the majority of animals were equivocal in their choice, irrespective of bet size; however, a wager-sensitive subgroup progressively shifted away from the uncertain option as the bet size increased, which is reminiscent of risk aversion. BLA lesions increased preference for the smaller guaranteed loss in the loss-chasing task, without affecting choice on the betting task, which is indicative of reduced risk seeking for losses, but intact risk aversion for gains. These data support the hypothesis that the amygdala plays a more prominent role in choice biases related to losses. Given the importance of the amygdala in representing negative affect, the aversive emotional reaction to loss, rather than aberrant estimations of probability or loss magnitude, may underlie risk seeking for losses.

Salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels during an assessment procedure correlate differently with risk-taking measures in male and female police recruits

PubMed Central

van den Bos, Ruud; Taris, Ruben; Scheppink, Bianca; de Haan, Lydia; Verster, Joris C.

2013-01-01

Recent laboratory studies have shown that men display more risk-taking behavior in decision-making tasks following stress, whilst women are more risk-aversive or become more task-focused. In addition, these studies have shown that sex differences are related to levels of the stress hormone cortisol (indicative of activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical-axis): the higher the levels of cortisol the more risk-taking behavior is shown by men, whereas women generally display more risk-aversive or task-focused behavior following higher levels of cortisol. Here, we assessed whether such relationships hold outside the laboratory, correlating levels of cortisol obtained during a job-related assessment procedure with decision-making parameters in the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) in male and female police recruits. The CGT allows for discriminating different aspects of reward-based decision-making. In addition, we correlated levels of alpha-amylase [indicative of activation of the sympatho-adrenomedullary-axis (SAM)] and decision-making parameters. In line with earlier studies men and women only differed in risk-adjustment in the CGT. Salivary cortisol levels correlated positively and strongly with risk-taking measures in men, which was significantly different from the weak negative correlation in women. In contrast, and less strongly so, salivary alpha-amylase levels correlated positively with risk-taking in women, which was significantly different from the weak negative correlation with risk-taking in men. Collectively, these data support and extend data of earlier studies indicating that risky decision-making in men and women is differently affected by stress hormones. The data are briefly discussed in relation to the effects of stress on gambling. PMID:24474909

Identifying balance and fall risk in community-dwelling older women: the effect of executive function on postural control.

PubMed

Muir-Hunter, Susan W; Clark, Jennifer; McLean, Stephanie; Pedlow, Sam; Van Hemmen, Alysia; Montero Odasso, Manuel; Overend, Tom

2014-01-01

The mechanisms linking cognition, balance function, and fall risk among older adults are not fully understood. An evaluation of the effect of cognition on balance tests commonly used in clinical practice to assess community-dwelling older adults could enhance the identification of at-risk individuals. The study aimed to determine (1) the association between cognition and clinical tests of balance and (2) the relationship between executive function (EF) and balance under single- and dual-task testing. Participants (24 women, mean age of 76.18 [SD 16.45] years) completed six clinical balance tests, four cognitive tests, and two measures of physical function. Poor balance function was associated with poor performance on cognitive testing of EF. In addition, the association with EF was strongest under the dual-task timed up-and-go (TUG) test and the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale. Measures of global cognition were associated only with the dual-task performance of the TUG. Postural sway measured with the Standing Balance Test, under single- or dual-task test conditions, was not associated with cognition. Decreased EF was associated with worse performance on functional measures of balance. The relationship between EF and balance was more pronounced with dual-task testing using a complex cognitive task combined with the TUG.

Executive function assessment in New Zealand 2-year olds born at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia.

PubMed

Ansell, Judith M; Wouldes, Trecia A; Harding, Jane E

2017-01-01

A growing number of babies are born with perinatal risk factors that may impair later development. These children are often assessed at 2 years to help predict outcome and direct support services. Executive function is an important predictor of academic achievement and behavior, but there are limited assessments of executive function in 2-year-olds and few have been tested in at-risk populations. Therefore, we developed a battery of four age-appropriate tasks to assess executive function in 2-year-olds. At 24 months' corrected age 368 children completed tasks assessing attention, inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility. Scores on different tasks were weakly correlated, suggesting that they measured separate aspects of executive function, with combined scores for this cohort approximating a normal distribution. Significantly more boys (67%) than girls (57%) were unable to inhibit their behavior on the Snack Delay Task and girls (M = 3.24, SD = 2.4) had higher mean scores than boys (M = 2.7, SD = 2.7) on the Ducks and Buckets Reverse Categorization Task of working memory. Performance was significantly affected by family socioeconomic status. Mean scores were lower on all four individual tasks and on the global score of overall performance in children from a low household income (<$40,000) compared to those from medium ($40,001-$70,000) and high income households (>$70,001). Maternal education was only associated with scores on the working memory task and the global score; and a measure of neighborhood deprivation was only associated with scores on the two inhibitory tasks and the global score. Our findings confirm the feasibility of assessing executive function in 2-year-olds, and its ability to discriminate effects of socioeconomic status, a common confounder in child development research. Further development and standardization of this test battery comparing at-risk children with a normative population would provide a much-needed measure of executive function in early childhood.

Executive function assessment in New Zealand 2-year olds born at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A growing number of babies are born with perinatal risk factors that may impair later development. These children are often assessed at 2 years to help predict outcome and direct support services. Executive function is an important predictor of academic achievement and behavior, but there are limited assessments of executive function in 2-year-olds and few have been tested in at-risk populations. Therefore, we developed a battery of four age-appropriate tasks to assess executive function in 2-year-olds. At 24 months’ corrected age 368 children completed tasks assessing attention, inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility. Scores on different tasks were weakly correlated, suggesting that they measured separate aspects of executive function, with combined scores for this cohort approximating a normal distribution. Significantly more boys (67%) than girls (57%) were unable to inhibit their behavior on the Snack Delay Task and girls (M = 3.24, SD = 2.4) had higher mean scores than boys (M = 2.7, SD = 2.7) on the Ducks and Buckets Reverse Categorization Task of working memory. Performance was significantly affected by family socioeconomic status. Mean scores were lower on all four individual tasks and on the global score of overall performance in children from a low household income (<$40,000) compared to those from medium ($40,001-$70,000) and high income households (>$70,001). Maternal education was only associated with scores on the working memory task and the global score; and a measure of neighborhood deprivation was only associated with scores on the two inhibitory tasks and the global score. Our findings confirm the feasibility of assessing executive function in 2-year-olds, and its ability to discriminate effects of socioeconomic status, a common confounder in child development research. Further development and standardization of this test battery comparing at-risk children with a normative population would provide a much-needed measure of executive function in early childhood. PMID:29166407

Impact of USPSTF recommendations for aspirin for prevention of recurrent preeclampsia.

PubMed

Tolcher, Mary Catherine; Chu, Derrick M; Hollier, Lisa M; Mastrobattista, Joan M; Racusin, Diana A; Ramin, Susan M; Sangi-Haghpeykar, Haleh; Aagaard, Kjersti M

2017-09-01

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends low-dose aspirin for the prevention of preeclampsia among women at high risk for primary occurrence or recurrence of disease. Recommendations for the use of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention were issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force in September 2014. The objective of the study was to evaluate the incidence of recurrent preeclampsia in our cohort before and after the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation for aspirin for preeclampsia prevention. This was a retrospective cohort study designed to evaluate the rates of recurrent preeclampsia among women with a history of preeclampsia. We utilized a 2-hospital, single academic institution database from August 2011 through June 2016. We excluded multiple gestations and included only the first delivery for women with multiple deliveries during the study period. The cohort of women with a history of preeclampsia were divided into 2 groups, before and after the release of the US Preventive Services Task Force 2014 recommendations. Potential confounders were accounted for in multivariate analyses, and relative risk and adjusted relative risk were calculated. A total of 17,256 deliveries occurred during the study period. A total of 417 women had a documented history of prior preeclampsia: 284 women before and 133 women after the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation. Comparing the before and after groups, the proportion of Hispanic women in the after group was lower and the method of payment differed between the groups (P <.0001). The prevalence of type 1 diabetes was increased in the after period, but overall rates of pregestational diabetes were similar (6.3% before vs 5.3% after [P > .05]). Risk factors for recurrent preeclampsia included maternal age >35 years (relative risk, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.48), Medicaid insurance (relative risk, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-3.78), type 2 diabetes (relative risk, 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-3.33), and chronic hypertension (relative risk, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-2.66). The risk of recurrent preeclampsia was decreased by 30% in the after group (adjusted relative risk, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.95). Rates of recurrent preeclampsia among women with a history of preeclampsia decreased by 30% after release of the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation for aspirin for preeclampsia prevention. Future prospective studies should include direct measures of aspirin compliance, gestational age at initiation, and explore the influence of race and ethnicity on the efficacy of this primary prevention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Evidence based risk assessment of coronary heart disease].

PubMed

Filzmaier, K

2010-06-01

Coronary heart disease (CHD) poses a special challenge for risk assessments. Various kinds of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, concomitant diseases, risk factors and symptoms need to be connected logically in order to assess the risk of each individual applicant. "Reinsurance manuals" are available to risk assessors in life insurance for this purpose. Using these manuals, the risk assessor can calculate the risk loadings for applicants with specific pre-existing conditions, e.g., CHD. Various tasks thus fall to the reinsurer, which must be able to give grounds for the increased risk loadings, provide the manuals with a process-oriented structure and simultaneously support the primary insurer's business objectives via an intelligent risk assessment. Taking CHD as an example, the following article explains how these tasks can be solved with the aid of medical and mathematical approaches, and how the insurability of applicants with CHD can be extended via the re-evaluation of risks.

ILSI Europe's Food Allergy Task Force: From Defining the Hazard to Assessing the Risk from Food Allergens.

PubMed

Crevel, René R W; Ronsmans, Stefan; Marsaux, Cyril F M; Bánáti, Diána

2018-01-01

The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe Food Allergy Task Force was founded in response to early public concerns about the growing impact of food allergies almost coincidentally with the publication of the 1995 Food and Agriculture Organization-World Health Organization Technical Consultation on Food Allergies. In line with ILSI principles aimed to foster collaboration between stakeholders to promote consensus on science-based approaches to food safety and nutrition, the task force has played a central role since then in the development of risk assessment for food allergens. This ranged from consideration of the criteria to be applied to identifying allergens of public health concern through methodologies to determine the relationship between dose and the proportion of allergic individuals reacting, as well as the nature of the observed responses. The task force also promoted the application of novel, probabilistic risk assessment methods to better delineate the impact of benchmarks, such as reference doses, and actively participated in major European food allergy projects, such as EUROPREVALL, the European Union (EU)-funded project "The prevalence, cost and basis of food allergy across Europe;" and iFAAM, "Integrated approaches to food allergen and allergy risk management," also an EU-funded project. Over the years, the task force's work has evolved as answers to initial questions raised further issues: Its current work program includes a review of analytical methods and how different ones can best be deployed given their strengths and limitations. Another activity, which has just commenced, aims to develop a framework for stakeholders to achieve consensus on acceptable risk.

Kinetic and kinematic differences between first and second landings of a drop vertical jump task: implications for injury risk assessments.

PubMed

Bates, Nathaniel A; Ford, Kevin R; Myer, Gregory D; Hewett, Timothy E

2013-04-01

Though the first landing of drop vertical jump task is commonly used to assess biomechanical performance measures that are associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in athletes, the implications of the second landing in this task have largely been ignored. We examined the first and second landings of a drop vertical jump for differences in kinetic and kinematic behaviors at the hip and knee. A cohort of 239 adolescent female basketball athletes (age=13.6 (1.6) years) completed drop vertical jump tasks from an initial height of 31 cm. A three dimensional motion capture system recorded positional data while dual force platforms recorded ground reaction forces for each trial. The first landing demonstrated greater hip adduction angle, knee abduction angle, and knee abduction moment than the second landing (P-values<0.028). The second landing demonstrated smaller flexion angles and moments at the hip and knee than the first landing (P-values<0.035). The second landing also demonstrated greater side-to-side asymmetry in hip and knee kinematics and kinetics for both the frontal and sagittal planes (P-values<0.044). The results have important implications for the future use of the drop vertical jump as an assessment tool for anterior cruciate ligament injury risk behaviors in adolescent female athletes. The second landing may be a more rigorous task and provides a superior tool to evaluate sagittal plane risk factors than the first landing, which may be better suited to evaluate frontal plane risk factors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinetic and kinematic differences between first and second landings of a drop vertical jump task: Implications for injury risk assessments✩

PubMed Central

Bates, Nathaniel A.; Ford, Kevin R.; Myer, Gregory D.; Hewett, Timothy E.

2013-01-01

Background Though the first landing of drop vertical jump task is commonly used to assess biomechanical performance measures that are associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in athletes, the implications of the second landing in this task have largely been ignored. We examined the first and second landings of a drop vertical jump for differences in kinetic and kinematic behaviors at the hip and knee. Methods Acohort of 239 adolescent female basketball athletes (age = 13.6 (1.6) years) completed drop vertical jump tasks from an initial height of 31 cm. A three dimensional motion capture system recorded positional data while dual force platforms recorded ground reaction forces for each trial. Findings The first landing demonstrated greater hip adduction angle, knee abduction angle, and knee abduction moment than the second landing (P-values < 0.028). The second landing demonstrated smaller flexion angles and moments at the hip and knee than the first landing (P-values < 0.035). The second landing also demonstrated greater side-to-side asymmetry in hip and knee kinematics and kinetics for both the frontal and sagittal planes (P-values < 0.044). Interpretation The results have important implications for the future use of the drop vertical jump as an assessment tool for anterior cruciate ligament injury risk behaviors in adolescent female athletes. The second landing may be a more rigorous task and provides a superior tool to evaluate sagittal plane risk factors than the first landing, which may be better suited to evaluate frontal plane risk factors. PMID:23562293

[Work-related musculo-skeletal disorders in apiculture: a biomechanical approach to the risk assessment].

PubMed

Maina, G; Sorasio, D; Rossi, F; Zito, D; Perrelli, E; Baracco, A

2012-01-01

The risk assessment in apiculture points out methodological problems due to discontinuities and variability of exposure. This study analyzes a comprehensive set of potential determinants influencing the biomechanical risks in apiarists using recognized technical standards to ensure the technical-scientific accuracy; it offers a simplified methodological toolkit to be used in the risk assessment process and provides a user-friendly computer application. The toolkit asks the beekeeper to specify, for each month, the total number of hours worked, specifying the distribution among different tasks. As a result, the application calculates the average index risk and the peak index risk. The evidence of the study indicates that there are activities in this occupational area with biomechanical risks that remain for some tasks, while reducing the exposure time.

Reasoning and mathematical skills contribute to normatively superior decision making under risk: evidence from the game of dice task.

PubMed

Pertl, Marie-Theres; Zamarian, Laura; Delazer, Margarete

2017-08-01

In this study, we assessed to what extent reasoning improves performance in decision making under risk in a laboratory gambling task (Game of Dice Task-Double, GDT-D). We also investigated to what degree individuals with above average mathematical competence decide better than those with average mathematical competence. Eighty-five participants performed the GDT-D and several numerical tasks. Forty-two individuals were asked to calculate the probabilities and the outcomes associated with the different options of the GDT-D before performing it. The other 43 individuals performed the GDT-D at the beginning of the test session. Both reasoning and mathematical competence had a positive effect on decision making. Different measures of mathematical competence correlated with advantageous performance in decision making. Results suggest that decision making under explicit risk conditions improves when individuals are encouraged to reflect about the contingencies of a decision situation. Interventions based on numerical reasoning may also be useful for patients with difficulties in decision making.

78 FR 34313 - Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education Partnerships Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-07

... Involvement H. Description of Agreement Award--Awardee Tasks I. Other Tasks Section III--Eligibility..., ornamental nursery, Christmas trees, turf grass sod, aquaculture (including ornamental fish), and industrial.... H. Description of Agreement Award--Awardee Tasks In conducting activities to achieve the purpose and...

Marijuana Craving During a Public Speaking Challenge: Understanding Marijuana Use Vulnerability among Women and those with Social Anxiety Disorder

PubMed Central

Silgado, José; Schmidt, Norman B.

2010-01-01

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with risk for developing marijuana dependence, yet it remains unclear whether urge to use marijuana increases in anticipation of social anxiety-provoking situation, during the situation, or afterwards (to avoid post-event processing). The present study examined the timing of marijuana craving in response to a social anxiety task among 60 (50% female; 33% with SAD) marijuana users randomly assigned to either a speech or reading task. Participants completed ratings of marijuana craving at baseline (prior to being informed of task assignment), before, during, and after task. Among women and participants with SAD, the speech task was associated with greater craving than the reading task. This effect was particularly pronounced during the social anxiety induction task. This effect was not observed for men or participants without SAD. Identification of timing of urge to use marijuana has important implications for treatment and relapse prevention of marijuana problems among women and people with SAD (a group at particular risk for marijuana-related problems). PMID:20797696

Characterization of a laboratory model of computer mouse use - applications for studying risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders.

PubMed

Flodgren, G; Heiden, M; Lyskov, E; Crenshaw, A G

2007-03-01

In the present study, we assessed the wrist kinetics (range of motion, mean position, velocity and mean power frequency in radial/ulnar deviation, flexion/extension, and pronation/supination) associated with performing a mouse-operated computerized task involving painting rectangles on a computer screen. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of the painting task on subjective perception of fatigue and wrist position sense. The results showed that the painting task required constrained wrist movements, and repetitive movements of about the same magnitude as those performed in mouse-operated design tasks. In addition, the painting task induced a perception of muscle fatigue in the upper extremity (Borg CR-scale: 3.5, p<0.001) and caused a reduction in the position sense accuracy of the wrist (error before: 4.6 degrees , error after: 5.6 degrees , p<0.05). This standardized painting task appears suitable for studying relevant risk factors, and therefore it offers a potential for investigating the pathophysiological mechanisms behind musculoskeletal disorders related to computer mouse use.

The (Null) Effect of Affective Touch on Betrayal Aversion, Altruism, and Risk Taking

PubMed Central

Koppel, Lina; Andersson, David; Morrison, India; Västfjäll, Daniel; Tinghög, Gustav

2017-01-01

Pleasant touch is thought to increase the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin, in turn, has been extensively studied with regards to its effects on trust and prosocial behavior, but results remain inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of touch on economic decision making. Participants (n = 120) were stroked on their left arm using a soft brush (touch condition) or not at all (control condition; varied within subjects), while they performed a series of decision tasks assessing betrayal aversion (the Betrayal Aversion Elicitation Task), altruism (donating money to a charitable organization), and risk taking (the Balloon Analog Risk Task). We found no significant effect of touch on any of the outcome measures, neither within nor between subjects. Furthermore, effects were not moderated by gender or attachment. However, attachment avoidance had a significant effect on altruism in that those who were high in avoidance donated less money. Our findings contribute to the understanding of affective touch—and, by extension, oxytocin—in social behavior, and decision making by showing that touch does not directly influence performance in tasks involving risk and prosocial decisions. Specifically, our work casts further doubt on the validity of oxytocin research in humans. PMID:29311867

The (Null) Effect of Affective Touch on Betrayal Aversion, Altruism, and Risk Taking.

PubMed

Koppel, Lina; Andersson, David; Morrison, India; Västfjäll, Daniel; Tinghög, Gustav

2017-01-01

Pleasant touch is thought to increase the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin, in turn, has been extensively studied with regards to its effects on trust and prosocial behavior, but results remain inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of touch on economic decision making. Participants ( n = 120) were stroked on their left arm using a soft brush (touch condition) or not at all (control condition; varied within subjects), while they performed a series of decision tasks assessing betrayal aversion (the Betrayal Aversion Elicitation Task), altruism (donating money to a charitable organization), and risk taking (the Balloon Analog Risk Task). We found no significant effect of touch on any of the outcome measures, neither within nor between subjects. Furthermore, effects were not moderated by gender or attachment. However, attachment avoidance had a significant effect on altruism in that those who were high in avoidance donated less money. Our findings contribute to the understanding of affective touch-and, by extension, oxytocin-in social behavior, and decision making by showing that touch does not directly influence performance in tasks involving risk and prosocial decisions. Specifically, our work casts further doubt on the validity of oxytocin research in humans.

Suboptimal decision making by children with ADHD in the face of risk: Poor risk adjustment and delay aversion rather than general proneness to taking risks.

PubMed

Sørensen, Lin; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund; Eichele, Heike; van Wageningen, Heidi; Wollschlaeger, Daniel; Plessen, Kerstin Jessica

2017-02-01

Suboptimal decision making in the face of risk (DMR) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be mediated by deficits in a number of different neuropsychological processes. We investigated DMR in children with ADHD using the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) to distinguish difficulties in adjusting to changing probabilities of choice outcomes (so-called risk adjustment) from general risk proneness, and to distinguish these 2 processes from delay aversion (the tendency to choose the least delayed option) and impairments in the ability to reflect on choice options. Based on previous research, we predicted that suboptimal performance on this task in children with ADHD would be primarily relate to problems with risk adjustment and delay aversion rather than general risk proneness. Drug naïve children with ADHD (n = 36), 8 to 12 years, and an age-matched group of typically developing children (n = 34) performed the CGT. As predicted, children with ADHD were not more prone to making risky choices (i.e., risk proneness). However, they had difficulty adjusting to changing risk levels and were more delay aversive-with these 2 effects being correlated. Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that children with ADHD do not favor risk taking per se when performing gambling tasks, but rather may lack the cognitive skills or motivational style to appraise changing patterns of risk effectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Multiple sclerosis decreases explicit counterfactual processing and risk taking in decision making.

PubMed

Simioni, Samanta; Schluep, Myriam; Bault, Nadège; Coricelli, Giorgio; Kleeberg, Joerg; Du Pasquier, Renaud A; Gschwind, Markus; Vuilleumier, Patrik; Annoni, Jean-Marie

2012-01-01

Deficits in decision making (DM) are commonly associated with prefrontal cortical damage, but may occur with multiple sclerosis (MS). There are no data concerning the impact of MS on tasks evaluating DM under explicit risk, where different emotional and cognitive components can be distinguished. We assessed 72 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients with mild to moderate disease and 38 healthy controls in two DM tasks involving risk with explicit rules: (1) The Wheel of Fortune (WOF), which probes the anticipated affects of decisions outcomes on future choices; and (2) The Cambridge Gamble Task (CGT) which measures risk taking. Participants also underwent a neuropsychological and emotional assessment, and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded. In the WOF, RRMS patients showed deficits in integrating positive counterfactual information (p<0.005) and greater risk aversion (p<0.001). They reported less negative affect than controls (disappointment: p = 0.007; regret: p = 0.01), although their implicit emotional reactions as measured by post-choice SCRs did not differ. In the CGT, RRMS patients differed from controls in quality of DM (p = 0.01) and deliberation time (p = 0.0002), the latter difference being correlated with attention scores. Such changes did not result in overall decreases in performance (total gains). The quality of DM under risk was modified by MS in both tasks. The reduction in the expression of disappointment coexisted with an increased risk aversion in the WOF and alexithymia features. These concomitant emotional alterations may have implications for better understanding the components of explicit DM and for the clinical support of MS patients.

Piccolo genotype modulates neural correlates of emotion processing but not executive functioning.

PubMed

Woudstra, S; Bochdanovits, Z; van Tol, M-J; Veltman, D J; Zitman, F G; van Buchem, M A; van der Wee, N J; Opmeer, E M; Demenescu, L R; Aleman, A; Penninx, B W; Hoogendijk, W J

2012-04-03

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by affective symptoms and cognitive impairments, which have been associated with changes in limbic and prefrontal activity as well as with monoaminergic neurotransmission. A genome-wide association study implicated the polymorphism rs2522833 in the piccolo (PCLO) gene--involved in monoaminergic neurotransmission--as a risk factor for MDD. However, the role of the PCLO risk allele in emotion processing and executive function or its effect on their neural substrate has never been studied. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate PCLO risk allele carriers vs noncarriers during an emotional face processing task and a visuospatial planning task in 159 current MDD patients and healthy controls. In PCLO risk allele carriers, we found increased activity in the left amygdala during processing of angry and sad faces compared with noncarriers, independent of psychopathological status. During processing of fearful faces, the PCLO risk allele was associated with increased amygdala activation in MDD patients only. During the visuospatial planning task, we found no genotype effect on performance or on BOLD signal in our predefined areas as a function of increasing task load. The PCLO risk allele was found to be specifically associated with altered emotion processing, but not with executive dysfunction. Moreover, the PCLO risk allele appears to modulate amygdala function during fearful facial processing in MDD and may constitute a possible link between genotype and susceptibility for depression via altered processing of fearful stimuli. The current results may therefore aid in better understanding underlying neurobiological mechanisms in MDD.

Stopping decisions: information order effects on nonfocal evaluations.

PubMed

Yu, Michael; Gonzalez, Cleotilde

2013-08-01

We investigated how the order in which information is presented affects when a person decides to stop performing a task. A stopping decision is a decision to stop performing a task on the basis of a sequence of cues. Previous order-effects models do not account for how these contexts limit available working memory for making such decisions. Participants decided how long to perform a task known as the Work Hazard Game that began by rewarding points but later cost points if work continued after an unannounced "emergency." An additive sequence of cues indicated the probability of an emergency. Study I involved a three-group design with cue sequences that indicated the same risk at each decision point but whose final cue presented a high, medium, or low probability. Study 2 had a 2 x 2 design with high or low final cues and an easy or a challenging task. In Study I, participants stopped sooner when the most recent cue presented a high rather than low probability (p = .09), despite the same emergency risk. In Study 2, participants stopped sooner when the most recent cue presented a high rather than low probability for the challenging task but not for the easy task (p = .08). Stopping decisions appear sensitive to the most recent cue observed while experiencing task load. Participants responded to the same risks differently only on the basis of a change in presentation. Findings may be relevant for research and training for hazardous jobs, such as subsurface coal mining, fishing, and trucking.

Practice analysis of chiropractic radiology: identifying items for part I of the clinical competency examination.

PubMed

Smith, Sara Dawn; Beran, Tanya N

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the current scope of practice of chiropractic radiologists by identifying frequent tasks conducted as well as those conditions most often seen and those that present the greatest risk of harm to patients. A mixed-methods approach was used. An online survey was conducted with 91 diplomates listed with the American Chiropractic Board of Radiology. Participants rated the frequency of tasks they perform and conditions they see on a 5-point scale from "never" to "daily." They also rated the level of risk each condition presents to patients on a 5-point scale from "no risk" to "severe risk." Frequency and risk ratings were then presented in rank order to 22 subject matter experts at 3 focus groups. The most frequent task reported was writing radiology reports (mean [SD], 4.29 [1.58]). Ratings of the frequency of conditions seen in practice and the risk they present to patients were ranked from the highest to lowest for frequency and risk separately. The most frequent conditions seen were reportedly those with structural or joint derangement; the highest risk conditions seen are those that are systemic. Focus group members recommended that some conditions receive higher rankings and that certain conditions be recategorized for future practice analyses. This study helps to define the current scope of practice of chiropractic radiologists and identify frequent tasks and conditions. These results inform the development of a new test outline for Part I of the chiropractic radiology certification examination to ensure that examinees are tested on the most important conditions chiropractic radiologists see in practice. Copyright © 2012 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Occupation and risk of parkinsonism: a multicenter case-control study.

PubMed

Tanner, Caroline M; Ross, G Webster; Jewell, Sarah A; Hauser, Robert A; Jankovic, Joseph; Factor, Stewart A; Bressman, Susan; Deligtisch, Amanda; Marras, Connie; Lyons, Kelly E; Bhudhikanok, Grace S; Roucoux, Diana F; Meng, Cheryl; Abbott, Robert D; Langston, J William

2009-09-01

We examined risk of parkinsonism in occupations (agriculture, education, health care, welding, and mining) and toxicant exposures (solvents and pesticides) putatively associated with parkinsonism. To investigate occupations, specific job tasks, or exposures and risk of parkinsonism and clinical subtypes. Case-control. Eight movement disorders centers in North America. Inclusion criteria were parkinsonism (>or=2 cardinal signs), diagnosis within 8 years of recruitment (to minimize survival bias), and ability to participate in detailed telephone interviews. Control subjects were primarily nonblood relatives or acquaintances of patients. This multicenter case-control study compared lifelong occupational and job task histories to determine associations with parkinsonism and certain clinical subtypes (postural instability and gait difficulty and age at diagnosis

Betting on DBS: Effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on risk taking and decision making in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Brandt, Jason; Rogerson, Mark; Al-Joudi, Haya; Reckess, Gila; Shpritz, Barnett; Umeh, Chizoba C; Aljehani, Noha; Mills, Kelly; Mari, Zoltan

2015-07-01

Concerns persist that deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) increases impulsivity or induces excessive reward seeking. We report here the performance of PD patients with implanted subthalamic nucleus electrodes, with stimulation on and off, on 3 laboratory tasks of risk taking and decision making. They are compared with PD patients maintained on medication and healthy participants. In the Game of Dice Task, a test of "risky" decision making, PD patients with or without DBS made highest risk bets more often and ended up with less money than did healthy participants. There was a trend for DBS stimulation to ameliorate this effect. Deal or No-Deal is an "ambiguous" decision-making task that assessed preference for risk (holding on to one's briefcase) over a "sure thing" (accepting the banker's offer). Here, DBS patients were more conservative with stimulation on than with it off. They accepted smaller offers from the banker and won less money in the DBS-on condition. Overall, the 2 PD groups won less money than did healthy participants. The Framing Paradigm assessed willingness to gamble on a fixed (unambiguous) prize depending on whether the reward was "framed" as a loss or a gain. Nonsurgical PD patients tended to be more risk-averse than were healthy participants, whereas DBS patients were more willing to gamble for gains as well as losses both on and off stimulation. On risky decision-making tasks, DBS patients took more risks than did healthy participants, but stimulation may temper this tendency. In contrast, in an ambiguous-risk situation, DBS patients were more risk-averse (conservative) than were healthy participants, and this tendency was greatest with stimulation. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of music-based multitask training on gait, balance, and fall risk in elderly people: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Trombetti, Andrea; Hars, Mélany; Herrmann, François R; Kressig, Reto W; Ferrari, Serge; Rizzoli, René

2011-03-28

Falls occur mainly while walking or performing concurrent tasks. We determined whether a music-based multitask exercise program improves gait and balance and reduces fall risk in elderly individuals. We conducted a 12-month randomized controlled trial involving 134 community-dwelling individuals older than 65 years, who are at increased risk of falling. They were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 66) or a delayed intervention control group scheduled to start the program 6 months later (n = 68). The intervention was a 6-month multitask exercise program performed to the rhythm of piano music. Change in gait variability under dual-task condition from baseline to 6 months was the primary end point. Secondary outcomes included changes in balance, functional performances, and fall risk. At 6 months, there was a reduction in stride length variability (adjusted mean difference, -1.4%; P < .002) under dual-task condition in the intervention group, compared with the delayed intervention control group. Balance and functional tests improved compared with the control group. There were fewer falls in the intervention group (incidence rate ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.79) and a lower risk of falling (relative risk, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.96). Similar changes occurred in the delayed intervention control group during the second 6-month period with intervention. The benefit of the intervention on gait variability persisted 6 months later. In community-dwelling older people at increased risk of falling, a 6-month music-based multitask exercise program improved gait under dual-task condition, improved balance, and reduced both the rate of falls and the risk of falling. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01107288.

Analog assessment of frustration tolerance: association with self-reported child abuse risk and physiological reactivity.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Christina M; Russa, Mary Bower; Kircher, John C

2015-08-01

Although frustration has long been implicated in promoting aggression, the potential for poor frustration tolerance to function as a risk factor for physical child abuse risk has received minimal attention. Instead, much of the extant literature has examined the role of anger in physical abuse risk, relying on self-reports of the experience or expression of anger, despite the fact that this methodology is often acknowledged as vulnerable to bias. Therefore, the present investigation examined whether a more implicit, analog assessment of frustration tolerance specifically relevant to parenting would reveal an association with various markers of elevated physical child abuse risk in a series of samples that varied with regard to age, parenting status, and abuse risk. An analog task was designed to evoke parenting-relevant frustration: the task involved completing an unsolvable task while listening to a crying baby or a toddler's temper tantrum; time scores were generated to gauge participants' persistence in the task when encountering such frustration. Across these studies, low frustration tolerance was associated with increased physical child abuse potential, greater use of parent-child aggression in discipline encounters, dysfunctional disciplinary style, support for physical discipline use and physical discipline escalation, and increased heart rate. Future research directions that could better inform intervention and prevention programs are discussed, including working to clarify the processes underlying frustration intolerance and potential interactive influences that may exacerbate physical child abuse. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Engine/Inlet Distortion Measurements with MEMS and ESP Pressure Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soto, Hector L.; Hernandez, Corey D.

2004-01-01

A study of active-flow control in a small-scale boundary layer ingestion inlet was conducted at the NASA Langley Basic Aerodynamic Research Tunnel (BART). Forty MEMS pressure sensors, in a rake style configuration, were used to examine both the mean (DC) and high frequency (AC) components of the total pressure across the inlet/engine interface plane. The mean component was acquired and used to calculate pressure distortion. The AC component was acquired separately, at a high sampling rate, and is used to study the unsteady effects of the active-flow control. An identical total pressure rake, utilizing an Electronically Scanned Pressure (ESP) system, was also used to calculate distortion; a comparison of the results obtained using the two rakes is presented.

A minimum entropy principle in the gas dynamics equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tadmor, E.

1986-01-01

Let u(x bar,t) be a weak solution of the Euler equations, governing the inviscid polytropic gas dynamics; in addition, u(x bar, t) is assumed to respect the usual entropy conditions connected with the conservative Euler equations. We show that such entropy solutions of the gas dynamics equations satisfy a minimum entropy principle, namely, that the spatial minimum of their specific entropy, (Ess inf s(u(x,t)))/x, is an increasing function of time. This principle equally applies to discrete approximations of the Euler equations such as the Godunov-type and Lax-Friedrichs schemes. Our derivation of this minimum principle makes use of the fact that there is a family of generalized entrophy functions connected with the conservative Euler equations.

Increased Cognitive Load Leads to Impaired Mobility Decisions in Seniors at Risk for Falls

PubMed Central

Nagamatsu, Lindsay S.; Voss, Michelle; Neider, Mark B.; Gaspar, John G.; Handy, Todd C.; Kramer, Arthur F.; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa Y. L.

2011-01-01

Successful mobility requires appropriate decision-making. Seniors with reduced executive functioning— such as senior fallers—may be prone to poor mobility judgments, especially under dual-task conditions. We classified participants as “At-Risk” and “Not-At-Risk” for falls using a validated physiological falls-risk assessment. Dual-task performance was assessed in a virtual reality environment where participants crossed a simulated street by walking on a manual treadmill while listening to music or conversing on a phone. Those “At-Risk” experienced more collisions with oncoming cars and had longer crossing times in the Phone condition compared to controls. We conclude that poor mobility judgments during a dual-task leads to unsafe mobility for those at-risk for falls. PMID:21463063

Dual tasking negatively impacts obstacle avoidance abilities in post-stroke individuals with visuospatial neglect: Task complexity matters!

PubMed

Aravind, Gayatri; Lamontagne, Anouk

2017-01-01

Persons with perceptual-attentional deficits due to visuospatial neglect (VSN) after a stroke are at a risk of collisions while walking in the presence of moving obstacles. The attentional burden of performing a dual-task may further compromise their obstacle avoidance performance, putting them at a greater risk of collisions. The objective of this study was to compare the ability of persons with (VSN+) and without VSN (VSN-) to dual task while negotiating moving obstacles. Twenty-six stroke survivors (13 VSN+, 13 VSN-) were assessed on their ability to (a) negotiate moving obstacles while walking (locomotor single task); (b) perform a pitch-discrimination task (cognitive single task) and (c) simultaneously perform the walking and cognitive tasks (dual task). We compared the groups on locomotor (collision rates, minimum distance from obstacle and onset of strategies) and cognitive (error rates) outcomes. For both single and dual task walking, VSN+ individuals showed higher collision rates compared to VSN- individuals. Dual tasking caused deterioration of locomotor (more collisions, delayed onset and smaller minimum distances) and cognitive performances (higher error rate) in VSN+ individuals. Contrastingly, VSN- individuals maintained collision rates, increased minimum distance, but showed more cognitive errors, prioritizing their locomotor performance. Individuals with VSN demonstrate cognitive-locomotor interference under dual task conditions, which could severely compromise safety when ambulating in community environments and may explain the poor recovery of independent community ambulation in these individuals.

Conversion of Questionnaire Data

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

Powell, Danny H; Elwood Jr, Robert H

During the survey, respondents are asked to provide qualitative answers (well, adequate, needs improvement) on how well material control and accountability (MC&A) functions are being performed. These responses can be used to develop failure probabilities for basic events performed during routine operation of the MC&A systems. The failure frequencies for individual events may be used to estimate total system effectiveness using a fault tree in a probabilistic risk analysis (PRA). Numeric risk values are required for the PRA fault tree calculations that are performed to evaluate system effectiveness. So, the performance ratings in the questionnaire must be converted to relativemore » risk values for all of the basic MC&A tasks performed in the facility. If a specific material protection, control, and accountability (MPC&A) task is being performed at the 'perfect' level, the task is considered to have a near zero risk of failure. If the task is performed at a less than perfect level, the deficiency in performance represents some risk of failure for the event. As the degree of deficiency in performance increases, the risk of failure increases. If a task that should be performed is not being performed, that task is in a state of failure. The failure probabilities of all basic events contribute to the total system risk. Conversion of questionnaire MPC&A system performance data to numeric values is a separate function from the process of completing the questionnaire. When specific questions in the questionnaire are answered, the focus is on correctly assessing and reporting, in an adjectival manner, the actual performance of the related MC&A function. Prior to conversion, consideration should not be given to the numeric value that will be assigned during the conversion process. In the conversion process, adjectival responses to questions on system performance are quantified based on a log normal scale typically used in human error analysis (see A.D. Swain and H.E. Guttmann, 'Handbook of Human Reliability Analysis with Emphasis on Nuclear Power Plant Applications,' NUREG/CR-1278). This conversion produces the basic event risk of failure values required for the fault tree calculations. The fault tree is a deductive logic structure that corresponds to the operational nuclear MC&A system at a nuclear facility. The conventional Delphi process is a time-honored approach commonly used in the risk assessment field to extract numerical values for the failure rates of actions or activities when statistically significant data is absent.« less

Performing the lockout/tagout risk assessment.

PubMed

Wallace, W Jon

2007-03-01

Lockout/tagout provides the greatest level routine, repetitive, and integral to the production process, a risk assessment should be performed. If the task performed poses an unacceptable risk, acceptable risk reduction methods should be implemented to reduce the risk to acceptable levels.

Affective and cognitive mechanisms of risky decision making.

PubMed

Shimp, Kristy G; Mitchell, Marci R; Beas, B Sofia; Bizon, Jennifer L; Setlow, Barry

2015-01-01

The ability to make advantageous decisions under circumstances in which there is a risk of adverse consequences is an important component of adaptive behavior; however, extremes in risk taking (either high or low) can be maladaptive and are characteristic of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. To better understand the contributions of various affective and cognitive factors to risky decision making, cohorts of male Long-Evans rats were trained in a "Risky Decision making Task" (RDT), in which they made discrete trial choices between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of footshock. Experiment 1 evaluated the relative contributions of the affective stimuli (i.e., punishment vs. reward) to RDT performance by parametrically varying the magnitudes of the footshock and large reward. Varying the shock magnitude had a significant impact on choice of the large, "risky" reward, such that greater magnitudes were associated with reduced choice of the large reward. In contrast, varying the large, "risky" reward magnitude had minimal influence on reward choice. Experiment 2 compared individual variability in RDT performance with performance in an attentional set shifting task (assessing cognitive flexibility), a delayed response task (assessing working memory), and a delay discounting task (assessing impulsive choice). Rats characterized as risk averse in the RDT made more perseverative errors on the set shifting task than did their risk taking counterparts, whereas RDT performance was not related to working memory abilities or impulsive choice. In addition, rats that showed greater delay discounting (greater impulsive choice) showed corresponding poorer performance in the working memory task. Together, these results suggest that reward-related decision making under risk of punishment is more strongly influenced by the punishment than by the reward, and that risky and impulsive decision making are associated with distinct components of executive function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of Emotion and Cognition on Age Differences in the Framing Effect.

PubMed

Pu, Bingyan; Peng, Huamao; Xia, Shiyong

2017-09-01

Framing effect studies indicate that individuals are risk averse for decisions framed as gains but risk-seeking for decisions framed as losses. Findings of age-related differences in susceptibility to framing are mixed. In the current study, we examined emotional arousal in two decision tasks (life saving vs. money gambling) to evaluate the effects of emotion on age differences in the framing effect. When cognitive abilities and styles were controlled, there was a framing effect in the younger group in the life-saving task, a high-emotional arousal task, while older adults did not display this classic framing effect pattern. They showed risk aversion in both positive and negative framing. Age differences existed in the framing effect. Conversely, younger and older adults in the money-gambling task both displayed the framing effect; there was no age difference. When the cognitive abilities were not controlled, the pattern of results in the high-emotional arousal task remained unchanged, while greater framing effects were found, from the perspective of effect size, for older than younger adults in the low-emotional arousal task. Limited cognitive resources would not hamper older adults' performances when their emotional arousal was high. However, older adults with low-level emotional arousal were more susceptible than younger adults to framing because of declining cognitive capacities. This implied the importance of emotion in older adults' decision making and supported the selective engagement hypothesis.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Semantic Memory as a Presymptomatic Biomarker of Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

PubMed Central

Sugarman, Michael A.; Woodard, John L.; Nielson, Kristy A.; Seidenberg, Michael; Smith, J. Carson; Durgerian, Sally; Rao, Stephen M.

2011-01-01

Extensive research efforts have been directed toward strategies for predicting risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) prior to the appearance of observable symptoms. Existing approaches for early detection of AD vary in terms of their efficacy, invasiveness, and ease of implementation. Several non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging strategies have been developed for predicting decline in cognitively healthy older adults. This review will survey a number of studies, beginning with the development of a famous name discrimination task used to identify neural regions that participate in semantic memory retrieval and to test predictions of several key theories of the role of the hippocampus in memory. This task has revealed medial temporal and neocortical contributions to recent and remote memory retrieval, and it has been used to demonstrate compensatory neural recruitment in older adults, apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers, and amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients. Recently, we have also found that the famous name discrimination task provides predictive value for forecasting episodic memory decline among asymptomatic older adults. Other studies investigating the predictive value of semantic memory tasks will also be presented. We suggest several advantages associated with the use of semantic processing tasks, particularly those based on person identification, in comparison to episodic memory tasks to study AD risk. Future directions for research and potential clinical uses of semantic memory paradigms are also discussed. PMID:21996618

Peer effects on risk behaviour: the importance of group identity.

PubMed

Gioia, Francesca

2017-01-01

This paper investigates whether and to what extent group identity plays a role in peer effects on risk behaviour. We run a laboratory experiment in which different levels of group identity are induced through different matching protocols (random or based on individual painting preferences) and the possibility to interact with group members via an online chat in a group task. Risk behaviour is measured by using the Bomb Risk Elicitation Task and peer influence is introduced by giving subjects feedback regarding group members' previous decisions. We find that subjects are affected by their peers when taking decisions and that group identity influences the magnitude of peer effects: painting preferences matching significantly reduces the heterogeneity in risk behaviour compared with random matching. On the other hand, introducing a group task has no significant effect on behaviour, possibly because interaction does not always contribute to enhancing group identity. Finally, relative riskiness within the group matters and individuals whose peers are riskier than they are take on average riskier decisions, even when controlling for regression to the mean.

Assessing ergonomic risks of software: Development of the SEAT.

PubMed

Peres, S Camille; Mehta, Ranjana K; Ritchey, Paul

2017-03-01

Software utilizing interaction designs that require extensive dragging or clicking of icons may increase users' risks for upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders. The purpose of this research is to develop a Self-report Ergonomic Assessment Tool (SEAT) for assessing the risks of software interaction designs and facilitate mitigation of those risks. A 28-item self-report measure was developed by combining and modifying items from existing industrial ergonomic tools. Data were collected from 166 participants after they completed four different tasks that varied by method of input (touch or keyboard and mouse) and type of task (selecting or typing). Principal component analysis found distinct factors associated with stress (i.e., demands) and strain (i.e., response). Repeated measures analyses of variance showed that participants could discriminate the different strain induced by the input methods and tasks. However, participants' ability to discriminate between the stressors associated with that strain was mixed. Further validation of the SEAT is necessary but these results indicate that the SEAT may be a viable method of assessing ergonomics risks presented by software design. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk analysis of maintenance ship collisions with offshore wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Presencia, Carla E.; Shafiee, Mahmood

2018-07-01

A large number of offshore wind farms are planned to be built in remote deep-sea areas over the next five years. Though offshore wind sites are often located away from commercial ship traffic, the increased demand for repair or replacement services leads to high traffic densities of "maintenance ships". To date, the risk analysis of collision between maintenance ship vessels and offshore wind turbines has received very little attention. In this paper, we propose a methodology to evaluate and prioritise the collision risks associated with various kinds of ships used for carrying out maintenance tasks on different subassemblies of wind turbines in an offshore wind farm. It is also studied how the risks of ship collision with wind turbines are distributed between two main types of maintenance tasks, namely corrective and preventative. The proposed model is tested on an offshore wind turbine with seventeen components requiring five kinds of ships to perform the maintenance tasks. Our results indicate that collision risks are mostly associated with maintenance of few components of the wind turbine and in particular, those undergoing a corrective maintenance (replacement). Finally, several mitigation strategies are introduced to minimise the risk of maintenance ship collisions with offshore wind turbines.

Characterization of a normal control group: are they healthy?

PubMed

Aine, C J; Sanfratello, L; Adair, J C; Knoefel, J E; Qualls, C; Lundy, S L; Caprihan, A; Stone, D; Stephen, J M

2014-01-01

We examined the health of a control group (18-81years) in our aging study, which is similar to control groups used in other neuroimaging studies. The current study was motivated by our previous results showing that one third of the elder control group had moderate to severe white matter hyperintensities and/or cortical volume loss which correlated with poor performance on memory tasks. Therefore, we predicted that cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension, high cholesterol) within the control group would account for significant variance on working memory task performance. Fifty-five participants completed 4 verbal and spatial working memory tasks, neuropsychological exams, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and blood tests to assess vascular risk. In addition to using a repeated measures ANOVA design, a cluster analysis was applied to the vascular risk measures as a data reduction step to characterize relationships between conjoint risk factors. The cluster groupings were used to predict working memory performance. The results show that higher levels of systolic blood pressure were associated with: 1) poor spatial working memory accuracy; and 2) lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in multiple brain regions. In contrast, higher levels of total cholesterol corresponded with increased accuracy in verbal working memory. An association between lower FA values and higher cholesterol levels were identified in different brain regions from those associated with systolic blood pressure. The conjoint risk analysis revealed that Risk Cluster Group 3 (the group with the greatest number of risk factors) displayed: 1) the poorest performance on the spatial working memory tasks; 2) the longest reaction times across both spatial and verbal memory tasks; and 3) the lowest FA values across widespread brain regions. Our results confirm that a considerable range of vascular risk factors are present in a typical control group, even in younger individuals, which have robust effects on brain anatomy and function. These results present a new challenge to neuroimaging studies both for defining a cohort from which to characterize 'normative' brain circuitry and for establishing a control group to compare with other clinical populations. © 2013.

Effect of Task Load Interventions on Fatigue in Emergency Medical Services Personnel and Other Shift Workers: A Systematic Review

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-11

Modifying the task load of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel may mitigate fatigue, sleep quality and fatigue related risks. A review of the literature addressing task load interventions may benefit EMS administrators as they craft policies r...

Children's Heart Rate Reactivity Responses to Three School Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpley, Christopher F.; And Others

1989-01-01

Investigated effects of 3 routine classroom arithmetic and reading tasks upon the heart rate reactivity of 30 fifth grade children. Results indicated that some children showed large increases in heart rates during the three tasks, and that these children should be considered at risk for coronary heart disease. (Author/TE)

SHC Project 3.63, Task 2, Beneficial Use of Waste Materials

EPA Science Inventory

SHC Project 3.63, Task 2, “Beneficial Use of Waste Materials”, is designed to conduct research and analyses to characterize and quantify the risks and benefits of using or reusing waste materials. There are 6 primary research areas in Task 2 that cover a broad spectr...

Evidence Report: Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barshi, Immanuel

2012-01-01

The Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies is identified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) as a recognized risk to human health and performance in space. The HRP Program Requirements Document (PRD) defines these risks. This Evidence Report provides a summary of the evidence that has been used to identify and characterize this risk. Given that training content, timing, intervals, and delivery methods must support crew task performance, and given that training paradigms will be different for long-duration missions with increased crew autonomy, there is a risk that operators will lack the skills or knowledge necessary to complete critical tasks, resulting in flight and ground crew errors and inefficiencies, failed mission and program objectives, and an increase in crew injuries.

Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

President William Jefferson Clinton's Executive Order that each Federal agency assess safety risks to children; and ensure that policies, programs, activities, and standards address disproportionate risks. Also established the Task Force.

Risky communication: pitfalls in counseling about risk, and how to avoid them.

PubMed

O'Doherty, K; Suthers, G K

2007-08-01

A genetic counselor is often faced with the difficult task of conveying a set of complex and highly abstract factors associated with the client's risk of developing a familial disorder. The client is faced with the even more difficult task of making significant health-related decisions about an event which may or may not eventuate. Although there is a large corpus of research on this topic, much of the knowledge on risk communication is difficult to apply in a practical context. In this paper we draw together some insights on risk communication and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, and apply them directly to the problem of communicating familial cancer risk. In particular, we focus on the distinction between individual risk and observed frequencies of adverse events, various framing effects, and contextualizing risk communication. We draw attention to some of the potential pitfalls in counseling about risk and offer avenues for circumventing them.

The Cumulative Lifting Index (CULI) for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation: Quantifying Risk for Workers With Job Rotation.

PubMed

Garg, Arun; Kapellusch, Jay M

2016-08-01

The objectives were to: (a) develop a continuous frequency multiplier (FM) for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE) as a function of lifting frequency and duration of a lifting task, and (b) describe the Cumulative Lifting Index (CULI), a methodology for estimating physical exposure to workers with job rotation. The existing FM for the RNLE (FME) does not differentiate between task duration >2 hr and <8 hr, which makes quantifying physical exposure to workers with job rotation difficult and presents challenges to job designers. Using the existing FMs for 1, 2, and 8 hr of task durations, we developed a continuous FM (FMP) that extends to 12 hr per day. We simulated 157,500 jobs consisting of two tasks each and, using different combinations of Frequency Independent Lifting Index, lifting frequency and duration of lifting. Biomechanical stresses were estimated using the CULI, time-weighted average (TWA), and peak exposure. The median difference between FME and FMP was ±1% (range: 0%-15%). Compared to CULI, TWA underestimated risk of low-back pain (LBP) for 18% to 30% of jobs, and peak exposure for an assumed 8-hr work shift overestimated risk of LBP for 20% to 25% of jobs. Peak task exposure showed 90% agreement with CULI but ignored one of two tasks. The CULI partially addressed the underestimation of physical exposure using the TWA approach and overestimation of exposure using the peak-exposure approach. The proposed FM and CULI may provide more accurate physical exposure estimates, and therefore estimated risk of LBP, for workers with job rotation. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

[Prenatal diagnosis of Thailand deletion of α-thalassemia 1 families].

PubMed

Lin, N; Lin, Y; Huang, H L; Lin, X L; He, D Q; He, S Q; Guo, D H; Li, Y; Xu, L P

2016-06-28

To conduct analysis and prenatal diagnosis on 11 couples carrying Thailand deletion (--(THΑI)) α-thalassemia 1, so as to provide information for clinical genetic counseling on α-thalassemia 1. Altogether 11 Thailand deletion (--(THΑI)) α-thalassemia 1 families were collected from Fujian Maternal and Children Health Hospital from May 2009 to September 2015. Gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) and reverse dot blot (RDB) technology were used to detect the thalassemia mutations in the couples and fetuses. In one family, Thailand deletion α-thalassemia 1 was detected in both the pregnant woman and her husband. In 10 families, Thailand deletion α-thalassemia 1 was detected in either the pregnant women or the husband, while the spouses had α-thalassemia heterozygote (1 combined with β thalassemia heterozygote). Thailand deletion α-thalassemia 1 family members all had lower mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). In prenatal diagnosis of the 12 fetuses, 4 fetuses were found with hemoglobin(Hb) Bart's hydrops fetalis syndrome, 5 were with α-thalassemia heterozygote, and 3 were normal. For couples with positive hematological phenotype but normal results in routine genetic examination of α-thalassemia, attention should be paid especially for with a history of having babies of hydrops fetalis syndrome or hemoglobin H disease. It is necessary to consider the possibility of the rare Thailand deletion (--(THΑI)) α-thalassemia 1. Prenatal diagnosis for high-risk families plays an important role.

Do adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder show risk seeking? Disentangling probabilistic decision making by equalizing the favorability of alternatives.

PubMed

Pollak, Yehuda; Oz, Adi; Neventsal, Oded; Rabi, Orit; Kitrossky, Leah; Maeir, Adina

2016-04-01

The clinical literature provides evidence for increased risk taking by individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most of the experimental tasks used to measure risk taking, confounded risky and disadvantageous alternatives, and therefore did not disentangle increased risk seeking from suboptimal decision making. The aim of the study was to examine whether adolescents with ADHD show risk seeking by equalizing the expected value of both certain and risky alternatives. In 3 different samples, adolescents with and without ADHD performed gambling tasks, in which they had to choose between certain and risky alternatives. Notably, the expected values of both alternatives were equal. Various personal and contextual intervening factors were controlled for. The rate of risky choices was compared across groups. In addition, participants reported on risk taking in real-life. We found that adolescents with ADHD did not choose the risky alternative more often than controls, but reported higher engagement in real-life risky behavior. These findings suggest that risky behavior shown by people with ADHD in daily life and on some experimental tasks may not be accounted for by increased risk seeking, but rather may reflect suboptimal decision making. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Application of the NUREG/CR-6850 EPRI/NRC Fire PRA Methodology to a DOE Facility

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

Tom Elicson; Bentley Harwood; Richard Yorg

2011-03-01

The application NUREG/CR-6850 EPRI/NRC fire PRA methodology to DOE facility presented several challenges. This paper documents the process and discusses several insights gained during development of the fire PRA. A brief review of the tasks performed is provided with particular focus on the following: • Tasks 5 and 14: Fire-induced risk model and fire risk quantification. A key lesson learned was to begin model development and quantification as early as possible in the project using screening values and simplified modeling if necessary. • Tasks 3 and 9: Fire PRA cable selection and detailed circuit failure analysis. In retrospect, it wouldmore » have been beneficial to perform the model development and quantification in 2 phases with detailed circuit analysis applied during phase 2. This would have allowed for development of a robust model and quantification earlier in the project and would have provided insights into where to focus the detailed circuit analysis efforts. • Tasks 8 and 11: Scoping fire modeling and detailed fire modeling. More focus should be placed on detailed fire modeling and less focus on scoping fire modeling. This was the approach taken for the fire PRA. • Task 14: Fire risk quantification. Typically, multiple safe shutdown (SSD) components fail during a given fire scenario. Therefore dependent failure analysis is critical to obtaining a meaningful fire risk quantification. Dependent failure analysis for the fire PRA presented several challenges which will be discussed in the full paper.« less

Affective imposition influences risky choice: handedness points to the hemispheres.

PubMed

McElroy, Todd; Corbin, Jonathan

2010-07-01

The study of risk preference has become a widely investigated area of research. The current study is designed to investigate the relationship between handedness, hemispheric predominance and valence imposition in a risky-choice decision task. Research into the valence hypothesis (e.g., Ahern & Schwartz, 1985; Davidson, 1984) has shown that the left hemisphere is more active in processing positively valenced stimuli, whereas the right hemisphere is more active in processing negatively valenced stimuli. A total of 520 individuals (343 female, 117 male) participated in a self-imposed framing task and took a degree of handedness questionnaire. The results of the framing task and handedness questionnaire showed that participants' degree of handedness significantly influenced the positive/negative valence they imposed onto the framing task as well as their level of risk preference.

Serotonin Transporter Gene-Linked Polymorphic Region (5-HTTLPR) Influences Decision Making under Ambiguity and Risk in a Large Chinese Sample

PubMed Central

He, Qinghua; Xue, Gui; Chen, Chuansheng; Lu, Zhonglin; Dong, Qi; Lei, Xuemei; Ding, Ni; Li, Jin; Li, He; Chen, Chunhui; Li, Jun; Moyzis, Robert K.; Bechara, Antoine

2010-01-01

Risky decision-making is a complex process that involves weighing the probabilities of alternative options that can be desirable, undesirable, or neutral. Individuals vary greatly in how they make decisions either under ambiguity and/or under risk. Such individual differences may have genetic bases. Based on previous studies on the genetic basis of decision making, two decision making tasks [i.e., Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Loss Aversion Task (LAT)] were used to test the effect of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on decision making under ambiguity and under risk in a large Han Chinese sample (572 college students, 312 females). Basic intelligence and memory tests were also included to control for the influence of basic cognitive abilities on decision making. We found that 5-HTTLPR polymorphism significantly influenced performance in both IGT and LAT. After controlling for intellectual and memory abilities, subjects homozygous for s allele had lower IGT scores than l carriers in the first 40 trials of the IGT task. They also exhibited higher loss aversion than l carriers in the LAT task. Moreover, the effects of 5-HTTLPR were stronger for males than for females. These results extend the literature on the important role of emotion in decision under ambiguity and risk, and provide additional lights on how decision-making is influenced by culture as well as sex differences. Combining our results with existing literature, we propose that these effects might be mediated by a neural circuitry that comprises the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and insular cortex. Understanding the genetic factors affecting decision in healthy subjects may allow us better identify at-risk individuals, and target better the development of new potential treatments for specific disorders such as schizophrenia, addiction, and depression. PMID:20659488

Conscientious personality and young drivers’ crash risk

PubMed Central

Ehsani, Johnathon P.; Li, Kaigang; Simons-Morton, Bruce; Tree-McGrath, Cheyenne Fox; Perlus, Jessamyn; O’Brien, Fearghal; Klauer, Sheila G.

2015-01-01

Introduction Personality characteristics are associated with many risk behaviors. However, the relationship between personality traits, risky driving behavior, and crash risk is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between personality, risky driving behavior and crashes and near-crashes, using naturalistic driving research methods. Method Participants’ driving exposure, kinematic risky driving (KRD), high-risk secondary task engagement, and the frequency of crashes and near-crashes (CNC) were assessed over the first 18 months of licensure using naturalistic driving methods. A personality survey (NEO-Five Factor Inventory) was administered at baseline. The association between personality characteristics, KRD rate, secondary task engagement rate and CNC rate was estimated using a linear regression model. Mediation analysis was conducted to examine if participants’ KRD rate or secondary task engagement rate mediated the relationship between personality and CNC. Data were collected as part of the Naturalistic Teen Driving Study. Results Conscientiousness was marginally negatively associated with CNC (path c = −0.034, p = .09) and both potential mediators KRD (path a = −0.040, p = .09) and secondary task engagement while driving (path a = −0.053, p = .03). KRD, but not secondary task engagement, was found to mediate (path b = 0.376, p = .02) the relationship between conscientiousness and CNC (path c’ = −0.025, p = .20). Conclusions Using objective measures of driving behavior and a widely used personality construct, these findings present a causal pathway through which personality and risky driving are associated with CNC. Specifically, more conscientious teenage drivers engaged in fewer risky driving maneuvers, suffered fewer CNC. Practical Applications Part of the variability in crash-risk observed among newly licensed teenage drivers can be explained by personality. Parents and driving instructors may take teenage drivers’ personality into account when providing guidance, and establishing norms and expectations about driving. PMID:26403906

Conscientious personality and young drivers' crash risk.

PubMed

Ehsani, Johnathon P; Li, Kaigang; Simons-Morton, Bruce G; Fox Tree-McGrath, Cheyenne; Perlus, Jessamyn G; O'Brien, Fearghal; Klauer, Sheila G

2015-09-01

Personality characteristics are associated with many risk behaviors. However, the relationship between personality traits, risky driving behavior, and crash risk is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between personality, risky driving behavior, and crashes and near-crashes, using naturalistic driving research methods. Participants' driving exposure, kinematic risky driving (KRD), high-risk secondary task engagement, and the frequency of crashes and near-crashes (CNC) were assessed over the first 18months of licensure using naturalistic driving methods. A personality survey (NEO-Five Factor Inventory) was administered at baseline. The association between personality characteristics, KRD rate, secondary task engagement rate, and CNC rate was estimated using a linear regression model. Mediation analysis was conducted to examine if participants' KRD rate or secondary task engagement rate mediated the relationship between personality and CNC. Data were collected as part of the Naturalistic Teen Driving Study. Conscientiousness was marginally negatively associated with CNC (path c=-0.034, p=.09) and both potential mediators KRD (path a=-0.040, p=.09) and secondary task engagement while driving (path a=-0.053, p=.03). KRD, but not secondary task engagement, was found to mediate (path b=0.376, p=.02) the relationship between conscientiousness and CNC (path c'=-0.025, p=.20). Using objective measures of driving behavior and a widely used personality construct, these findings present a causal pathway through which personality and risky driving are associated with CNC. Specifically, more conscientious teenage drivers engaged in fewer risky driving maneuvers, and suffered fewer CNC. Part of the variability in crash risk observed among newly licensed teenage drivers can be explained by personality. Parents and driving instructors may take teenage drivers' personality into account when providing guidance, and establishing norms and expectations about driving. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Defining hazard from the mine worker's perspective

PubMed Central

Eiter, B.M.; Kosmoski, C.L.; Connor, B.P.

2016-01-01

In the recent past, the mining industry has witnessed a substantial increase in the numbers of fatalities occurring at metal and nonmetal mine sites, but it is unclear why this is occurring. One possible explanation is that workers struggle with identifying worksite hazards and accurately assessing the associated risk. The purpose of this research was to explore this possibility within the mining industry and to more fully understand stone, sand and gravel (SSG) mine workers' thoughts, understandings and perceptions of worksite hazards and risks. Eight mine workers were interviewed and asked to identify common hazards they come across when doing their jobs and to then discuss their perceptions of the risks associated with those identified hazards. The results of this exploratory study indicate the importance of workers' job-related experience as it applies to hazard identification and risk perception, particularly their knowledge of or familiarity with a task, whether or not they had personal control over that task, and the frequency with which they perform that task. PMID:28042176

Acute Effects of Static Stretching of Hamstring on Performance and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk During Stop-Jump and Cutting Tasks in Female Athletes.

PubMed

Ruan, Mianfang; Zhang, Qiang; Wu, Xie

2017-05-01

Ruan, M, Zhang, Q, and Wu, X. Acute effects of static stretching of hamstring on performance and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk during stop-jump and cutting tasks in female athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1241-1250, 2017-There is limited research investigating antagonist stretch. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of static stretching of hamstrings (SSH) on performance and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk during stop-jump and 180° cutting tasks. Twelve female college athletes (age 20.8 ± 0.7 years; height 1.61 ± 0.05 m; mass 54.25 ± 4.22 kg) participated in this study. Subjects performed stop-jump and 180° cutting tasks under 2 conditions: after warm-up with 4 × 30 seconds SSH or after warm-up without SSH. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data as well as electromyography of biceps femoris, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and gastrocnemius medialis were collected during testing. Static stretching of hamstrings significantly enhanced jump height by 5.1% (p = 0.009) but did not change the takeoff speed of cutting. No significant changes in peak knee adduction moment or peak anterior tibia shear force were observed with SSH regardless of the task. The peak lateral tibia shear force during cutting was significantly (p = 0.036) reduced with SSH. The co-contraction of hamstring and quadriceps during the preactivation (stop-jump: p = 0.04; cutting: p = 0.05) and downward phases (stop-jump: p = 0.04; cutting: p = 0.05) was significantly reduced after SSH regardless of the task. The results suggest that SSH enhanced the performance of stop-jump because of decreased co-contraction of hamstring and quadriceps but did not change the performance of cutting. In addition, SSH did not increase ACL injury risk during stop-jump and cutting tasks and even reduced medial-lateral knee loading during cutting.

Acute Effects of Static Stretching of Hamstring on Performance and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk During Stop-Jump and Cutting Tasks in Female Athletes

PubMed Central

Ruan, Mianfang; Zhang, Qiang

2017-01-01

Abstract Ruan, M, Zhang, Q, and Wu, X. Acute effects of static stretching of hamstring on performance and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk during stop-jump and cutting tasks in female athletes. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1241–1250, 2017—There is limited research investigating antagonist stretch. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of static stretching of hamstrings (SSH) on performance and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk during stop-jump and 180° cutting tasks. Twelve female college athletes (age 20.8 ± 0.7 years; height 1.61 ± 0.05 m; mass 54.25 ± 4.22 kg) participated in this study. Subjects performed stop-jump and 180° cutting tasks under 2 conditions: after warm-up with 4 × 30 seconds SSH or after warm-up without SSH. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data as well as electromyography of biceps femoris, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and gastrocnemius medialis were collected during testing. Static stretching of hamstrings significantly enhanced jump height by 5.1% (p = 0.009) but did not change the takeoff speed of cutting. No significant changes in peak knee adduction moment or peak anterior tibia shear force were observed with SSH regardless of the task. The peak lateral tibia shear force during cutting was significantly (p = 0.036) reduced with SSH. The co-contraction of hamstring and quadriceps during the preactivation (stop-jump: p = 0.04; cutting: p = 0.05) and downward phases (stop-jump: p = 0.04; cutting: p = 0.05) was significantly reduced after SSH regardless of the task. The results suggest that SSH enhanced the performance of stop-jump because of decreased co-contraction of hamstring and quadriceps but did not change the performance of cutting. In addition, SSH did not increase ACL injury risk during stop-jump and cutting tasks and even reduced medial-lateral knee loading during cutting. PMID:28118311

Exploring the effects of driving experience on hazard awareness and risk perception via real-time hazard identification, hazard classification, and rating tasks.

PubMed

Borowsky, Avinoam; Oron-Gilad, Tal

2013-10-01

This study investigated the effects of driving experience on hazard awareness and risk perception skills. These topics have previously been investigated separately, yet a novel approach is suggested where hazard awareness and risk perception are examined concurrently. Young, newly qualified drivers, experienced drivers, and a group of commercial drivers, namely, taxi drivers performed three consecutive tasks: (1) observed 10 short movies of real-world driving situations and were asked to press a button each time they identified a hazardous situation; (2) observed one of three possible sub-sets of 8 movies (out of the 10 they have seen earlier) for the second time, and were asked to categorize them into an arbitrary number of clusters according to the similarity in their hazardous situation; and (3) observed the same sub-set for a third time and following each movie were asked to rate its level of hazardousness. The first task is considered a real-time identification task while the other two are performed using hindsight. During it participants' eye movements were recorded. Results showed that taxi drivers were more sensitive to hidden hazards than the other driver groups and that young-novices were the least sensitive. Young-novice drivers also relied heavily on materialized hazards in their categorization structure. In addition, it emerged that risk perception was derived from two major components: the likelihood of a crash and the severity of its outcome. Yet, the outcome was rarely considered under time pressure (i.e., in real-time hazard identification tasks). Using hindsight, when drivers were provided with the opportunity to rate the movies' hazardousness more freely (rating task) they considered both components. Otherwise, in the categorization task, they usually chose the severity of the crash outcome as their dominant criterion. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human factors process failure modes and effects analysis (HF PFMEA) software tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandler, Faith T. (Inventor); Relvini, Kristine M. (Inventor); Shedd, Nathaneal P. (Inventor); Valentino, William D. (Inventor); Philippart, Monica F. (Inventor); Bessette, Colette I. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for automatically performing Human Factors Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for a process are provided. At least one task involved in a process is identified, where the task includes at least one human activity. The human activity is described using at least one verb. A human error potentially resulting from the human activity is automatically identified, the human error is related to the verb used in describing the task. A likelihood of occurrence, detection, and correction of the human error is identified. The severity of the effect of the human error is identified. The likelihood of occurrence, and the severity of the risk of potential harm is identified. The risk of potential harm is compared with a risk threshold to identify the appropriateness of corrective measures.

Betting on DBS: Effects of Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Risk-Taking and Decision-Making in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Brandt, Jason; Rogerson, Mark; Al-Joudi, Haya; Reckess, Gila; Shpritz, Barnett; Umeh, Chizoba C.; Aljehani, Noha; Mills, Kelly; Mari, Zoltan

2014-01-01

Objective Concerns persist that deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) increases impulsivity and/or induces excessive reward-seeking. We report here the performance of PD patients with implanted subthalamic nucleus electrodes, with stimulation on and off, on three laboratory tasks of risk-taking and decision-making. They are compared to PD patients maintained on medication and normal control subjects. Methods and Results In the Game of Dice Task, a test of “risky” decision-making, PD patients with or without DBS made highest-risk bets more often, and ended up with less money, than normal controls. There was a trend for DBS stimulation to ameliorate this effect. Deal or No-Deal is an “ambiguous” decision-making task that assessed preference for risk (holding on to one’s briefcase) over a “sure thing” (accepting the banker’s offer). Here, DBS patients were more conservative with stimulation on than off. They accepted smaller offers from the banker and won less money in the DBS-on condition. Overall, the two PD groups won less money than healthy participants. The Framing Paradigm assessed willingness to gamble on a fixed (unambiguous) prize depending on whether the reward was “framed” as a loss or a gain. Nonsurgical PD patients tended to be more risk-averse than normal subjects, whereas DBS patients were more willing to gamble for gains as well as losses both on and off stimulation. Conclusions On “risky” decision-making tasks, DBS patients were more risk-taking than normal, but stimulation may temper this tendency. In contrast, in an “ambiguous risk” situation, DBS patients were more risk-averse (conservative) than normal, and this tendency was greatest with stimulation. PMID:25486385

Dual-task and anticipation impact lower limb biomechanics during a single-leg cut with body borne load.

PubMed

Seymore, Kayla D; Cameron, Sarah E; Kaplan, Jonathan T; Ramsay, John W; Brown, Tyler N

2017-12-08

This study quantified how a dual cognitive task impacts lower limb biomechanics during anticipated and unanticipated single-leg cuts with body borne load. Twenty-four males performed anticipated and unanticipated cuts with and without a dual cognitive task with three load conditions: no load (∼6 kg), medium load (15% of BW), and heavy load (30% of BW). Lower limb biomechanics were submitted to a repeated measures linear mixed model to test the main and interaction effects of load, anticipation, and dual task. With body borne load, participants increased peak stance (PS) hip flexion (p = .004) and hip internal rotation (p = .001) angle, and PS hip flexion (p = .001) and internal rotation (p = .018), and knee flexion (p = .016) and abduction (p = .001) moments. With the dual task, participants decreased PS knee flexion angle (p < .001) and hip flexion moment (p = .027), and increased PS knee external rotation angle (p = .034). During the unanticipated cut, participants increased PS hip (p = .040) and knee flexion angle (p < .001), and decreased PS hip adduction (p = .001), and knee abduction (p = .005) and external rotation (p = .026) moments. Adding body borne load produces lower limb biomechanical adaptations thought to increase risk of musculoskeletal injury, but neither anticipation nor dual task exaggerated those biomechanical adaptations. With a dual task, participants adopted biomechanics known to increase injury risk; whereas, participants used lower limb biomechanics thought to decrease injury risk during unanticipated cuts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2015 Space Human Factors Engineering Standing Review Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, Susan

2015-01-01

The 2015 Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE) Standing Review Panel (from here on referred to as the SRP) met for a site visit in Houston, TX on December 2 - 3, 2015. The SRP reviewed the updated research plans for the Risk of Inadequate Design of Human and Automation/Robotic Integration (HARI Risk), the Risk of Inadequate Human-Computer Interaction (HCI Risk), and the Risk of Inadequate Mission, Process and Task Design (MPTask Risk). The SRP also received a status update on the Risk of Incompatible Vehicle/Habitat Design (Hab Risk) and the Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies (Train Risk). The SRP is pleased with the progress and responsiveness of the SHFE team. The presentations were much improved this year. The SRP is also pleased with the human-centered design approach. Below are some of the more extensive comments from the SRP. We have also made comments in each section concerning gaps/tasks in each. The comments below reflect more significant changes that impact more than just one particular section.

Risk factors of mobile phone use while driving in Queensland: Prevalence, attitudes, crash risk perception, and task-management strategies.

PubMed

Oviedo-Trespalacios, Oscar; King, Mark; Haque, Md Mazharul; Washington, Simon

2017-01-01

Distracted driving is one of the most significant human factor issues in transport safety. Mobile phone interactions while driving may involve a multitude of cognitive and physical resources that result in inferior driving performance and reduced safety margins. The current study investigates characteristics of usage, risk factors, compensatory strategies in use and characteristics of high-frequency offenders of mobile phone use while driving. A series of questions were administered to drivers in Queensland (Australia) using an on-line questionnaire. A total of 484 drivers (34.9% males and 49.8% aged 17-25) participated anonymously. At least one of every two motorists surveyed reported engaging in distracted driving. Drivers were unable to acknowledge the increased crash risk associated with answering and locating a ringing phone in contrast to other tasks such as texting/browsing. Attitudes towards mobile phone usage were more favourable for talking than texting or browsing. Lowering the driving speed and increasing the distance from the vehicle in front were the most popular task-management strategies for talking and texting/browsing while driving. On the other hand, keeping the mobile phone low (e.g. in the driver's lap or on the passenger seat) was the favourite strategy used by drivers to avoid police fines for both talking and texting/browsing. Logistic regression models were fitted to understand differences in risk factors for engaging in mobile phone conversations and browsing/texting while driving. For both tasks, exposure to driving, driving experience, driving history (offences and crashes), and attitudes were significant predictors. Future mobile phone prevention efforts would benefit from development of safe attitudes and increasing risk literacy. Enforcement of mobile phone distraction should be re-engineered, as the use of task-management strategies to evade police enforcement seems to dilute its effect on the prevention of this behaviour. Some countermeasures and suggestions were proposed in the design of public education campaigns and driver-mobile phone interaction.

Risk factors of mobile phone use while driving in Queensland: Prevalence, attitudes, crash risk perception, and task-management strategies

PubMed Central

King, Mark; Haque, Md. Mazharul; Washington, Simon

2017-01-01

Distracted driving is one of the most significant human factor issues in transport safety. Mobile phone interactions while driving may involve a multitude of cognitive and physical resources that result in inferior driving performance and reduced safety margins. The current study investigates characteristics of usage, risk factors, compensatory strategies in use and characteristics of high-frequency offenders of mobile phone use while driving. A series of questions were administered to drivers in Queensland (Australia) using an on-line questionnaire. A total of 484 drivers (34.9% males and 49.8% aged 17–25) participated anonymously. At least one of every two motorists surveyed reported engaging in distracted driving. Drivers were unable to acknowledge the increased crash risk associated with answering and locating a ringing phone in contrast to other tasks such as texting/browsing. Attitudes towards mobile phone usage were more favourable for talking than texting or browsing. Lowering the driving speed and increasing the distance from the vehicle in front were the most popular task-management strategies for talking and texting/browsing while driving. On the other hand, keeping the mobile phone low (e.g. in the driver’s lap or on the passenger seat) was the favourite strategy used by drivers to avoid police fines for both talking and texting/browsing. Logistic regression models were fitted to understand differences in risk factors for engaging in mobile phone conversations and browsing/texting while driving. For both tasks, exposure to driving, driving experience, driving history (offences and crashes), and attitudes were significant predictors. Future mobile phone prevention efforts would benefit from development of safe attitudes and increasing risk literacy. Enforcement of mobile phone distraction should be re-engineered, as the use of task-management strategies to evade police enforcement seems to dilute its effect on the prevention of this behaviour. Some countermeasures and suggestions were proposed in the design of public education campaigns and driver-mobile phone interaction. PMID:28877200

The Effects of Partner-Check Self-Recording of On-Task Behavior on Academic Productivity in Children with Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohakamnu, George N.

2010-01-01

Due to an increase in behavior problems among school children, especially at-risk children who have problems staying on-task, there is a need for a teaching strategy that will enable children to be focused and on task in the classroom. This quantitative study investigated whether partner-check self-recording of on-task behavior will increase the…