Approaches to Drug Abuse Prevention at Colleges and Universities. A Collection of Presentations Made at the National Collegiate Drug Awareness Week Kick-Off Conference (Washington, D.C., February 1988).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.

The National Collegiate Drug Awareness Week 1988 (conceived and initiated by the Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Issues) began with a Kick-Off Conference of educators that provided students and professionals an opportunity to share ideas and experiences. One-page abstracts of 17 conference presentations are as follows:…

DOD Task Force for Business and Stability Operations in Afghanistan: Review of Selected Expenditures Highlights Serious Management and Oversight Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-15

natural gas is commercially viable as an automobile fuel in Afghanistan and to promote its wider use in the country. According to TFBSO documents, the... commercial fashion industry, which is the primary end user for cashmere.98 When the project began, Afghanistan...from suppliers is far more expensive than sustainable grazing, and this additional expenditure directly affected the commercial viability of the farm

[Medical support of Russian Armed Forces: the results and perspectives].

PubMed

Shappo, V V

2008-01-01

The results of work of the Russian Federation Armed Forces medical service obtained in 2007 were summarized and the main problems of its activities in the current year and the very near future were determined. So the work at defining medical support as a type of Army and Navy support was began. The most important task of medical service in 2008 is realization of the Armed Forces medical support conception and goal-oriented program "The improvement of Russian Federation Armed Forces medical support in 2008-2012", the formation of two-level system of personnel's medical support. During the task realization the medical units and institutions are reorganized into federal state institutions. The RF DM Main Military Medical Headquarters works at significant improvement of war and military service veterans' medical attendance. The departmental program "Development of material and technical basis of military medical institutions for 2001-2010" is successfully realized. The measures to optimize the assignment of graduates from military medical higher schools are carried out. The tasks to improve the research work were outlined. The new principles of organization of military medical service control and work will be based on centralization of planning and decentralization of decision implementation, the possibility of military medical units to carry it out taking into account the common intention, safe feedback in order to make the work of army and navy medical specialists more effective in any conditions.

Unraveling CORDS: Lessons Learned from a Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (JIATF)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

well as IGOs and NGOs) should not be attempted using usual military command and control structures- which would resemble a Unity of Command/WoG...civil-military response.”50 In August 1966, based on his own in-country trips and analysis as well as the US Army’s PROVN study, Komer began staffing...time-period three. Before the HES, MAC-V and other American officials would make “gut-call” assessments on how well South Vietnam was being pacified

Group Task Force on Satellite Rescue and Repair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-09-01

The Group Task Force was chartered by the Administrator of NASA to recommend 'a policy outlining the criteria, the design standards, and the pricing model to guide NASA in assessing the responsibilities for government and nongovernment Satellite Rescue and Repair Missions.' Criteria for accepting such missions, risks, and benefits to all sectors of our economy involved in satellite services, adequacy of planning and training, and the impact on NASA's primary mission were reviewed. The Group began by asking a more fundamental question; is satellite rescue and repair a logical element of NASA's mission? Factors considered were: (1) the probability of rescue or repair opportunities arising; (2) the economic justification for such attempts; (3) the benefits to NASA, both from such ad hoc learning experiences in space operations and the impact on the public perception of NASA; (4) the effect of such unanticipated missions on NASA's scheduled activities; (5) any potential effect on NASA's technical capability to work in space; and (6) any potential effect on U.S. economic competitiveness.

Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) Quarterly Report Fourth Quarter FY-13

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauman, William; Crawford, Winifred; Watson, Leela; Shafer, Jaclyn; Huddleston, Lisa

2013-01-01

Ms. Shafer completed the task to determine relationships between pressure gradients and peak winds at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), and began developing a climatology for the VAFB wind towers; Dr. Huddleston completed the task to develop a tool to help forecast the time of the first lightning strike of the day in the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) area; Dr. Bauman completed work on a severe weather forecast tool focused on the Eastern Range (ER), and also developed upper-winds analysis tools for VAFB and Wallops Fl ight Facility (WFF); Ms. Crawford processed and displayed radar data in the software she will use to create a dual-Doppler analysis over the east-central Florida and KSC/CCAFS areas; Mr. Decker completed developing a wind pairs database for the Launch Services Program to use when evaluating upper-level winds for launch vehicles; Dr. Watson continued work to assimilate observational data into the high-resolution model configurations she created for WFF and the ER.

Group Task Force on Satellite Rescue and Repair

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Group Task Force was chartered by the Administrator of NASA to recommend 'a policy outlining the criteria, the design standards, and the pricing model to guide NASA in assessing the responsibilities for government and nongovernment Satellite Rescue and Repair Missions.' Criteria for accepting such missions, risks, and benefits to all sectors of our economy involved in satellite services, adequacy of planning and training, and the impact on NASA's primary mission were reviewed. The Group began by asking a more fundamental question; is satellite rescue and repair a logical element of NASA's mission? Factors considered were: (1) the probability of rescue or repair opportunities arising; (2) the economic justification for such attempts; (3) the benefits to NASA, both from such ad hoc learning experiences in space operations and the impact on the public perception of NASA; (4) the effect of such unanticipated missions on NASA's scheduled activities; (5) any potential effect on NASA's technical capability to work in space; and (6) any potential effect on U.S. economic competitiveness.

Enactment of mandatory pharmacy technician certification in Kansas.

PubMed

Lucas, Amber; Massey, Lindsay; Gill, Taylor; Burger, Gregory; Little, Jeff D

2016-02-01

The successful enactment of mandatory pharmacy technician certification in Kansas is described. In 2004, Kansas began requiring registration of all pharmacy technicians with the state board of pharmacy. Registration identified individuals working as pharmacy technicians but did not require any specific education or certification. In September 2012, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy created a task force of key stakeholders including pharmacists from multiple areas of practice, the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, organizational leaders from the Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacists (KCHP) and Kansas Pharmacists Association, and professional lobbyists. The goals of this task force were to research practices of technician certification in other states and to make recommendations to the state board of pharmacy on how Kansas could accomplish mandatory technician certification. The task force outlined the steps needed to achieve legislation that could be supported by the members. These topics included the creation of a technician trainee category, grandfathering certain technicians who had been practicing for a designated period of time, state board-approved exemptions, training requirements, age and education requirements, continuing-education requirements, and pharmacist:technician ratio. The recommendations were finalized at the August 2013 Kansas Pharmacy Summit, and the proposed legislation was introduced and passed during the 2014 legislative session. KCHP members learned many valuable lessons about advocacy and the legislative process with this initiative, including building relationships, working with legislators, and working with other professional organizations. The formation of a task force led to the successful passage of a bill granting the Kansas Board of Pharmacy the authority to issue regulations regarding mandatory pharmacy technician certification. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of eye metrics as a detector of fatigue.

PubMed

McKinley, R Andy; McIntire, Lindsey K; Schmidt, Regina; Repperger, Daniel W; Caldwell, John A

2011-08-01

This study evaluated oculometrics as a detector of fatigue in Air Force-relevant tasks after sleep deprivation. Using the metrics of total eye closure duration (PERCLOS) and approximate entropy (ApEn), the relation between these eye metrics and fatigue-induced performance decrements was investigated. One damaging effect to the successful outcome of operational military missions is that attributed to sleep deprivation-induced fatigue. Consequently, there is interest in the development of reliable monitoring devices that can assess when an operator is overly fatigued. Ten civilian participants volunteered to serve in this study. Each was trained on three performance tasks: target identification, unmanned aerial vehicle landing, and the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). Experimental testing began after 14 hr awake and continued every 2 hr until 28 hr of sleep deprivation was reached. Performance on the PVT and target identification tasks declined significantly as the level of sleep deprivation increased.These performance declines were paralleled more closely by changes in the ApEn compared to the PERCLOS measure. The results provide evidence that the ApEn eye metric can be used to detect fatigue in relevant military aviation tasks. Military and commercial operators could benefit from an alertness monitoring device.

[Global and historical development of the IMETAF (International Molecular Epidemiology Task Force) in Mexico].

PubMed

Gorodezky, C

1997-01-01

IMETAF or International Molecular Epidemiology Task Force was created upon the enthusiasm of Janice Dorman, molecular epidemiologist at Pittsburgh University. Also, she was in charge of the WHO type I Diabetes world project called DIAMOND. As a result of this project done with Mexican scientists. The Scientific Committee of IMETAF was formed on July 28, 1993. The activities began. A national infrastructure survey was done to analyze the epidemiology and molecular biology capabilities; a directory of scientist in epidemiology and molecular biology was elaborated; a theoric and practical course on molecular epidemiology was organized during 1996 and a second one will be held in 1997; and a series of Workshops were done: cancer and leukemias; bacterial diseases; trypanosomiosis and leishmaniosis and viral diseases. The results of these academic activities were brought to the National Academy of Medicine to a 2 days workshop and to an International Symposium called Projection of molecular epidemiology in medicine, held on April 17, 1996. The papers are published in this number. The goal of IMETAF will continue promoting transfer of technology, stimulating formal training in molecular epidemiology and helping getting funds for collaborative projects.

In the national interest: the PCSD puts population growth back on the agenda.

PubMed

Dixon, B

1995-01-01

In 1972, President Nixon launched the Rockefeller Commission on Population Growth and the American Future. The US population has grown by more than 50 million people since 1972. In 1995, a report by the President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) states that failure on the part of the US to stabilize its population will jeopardize any effort to achieve sustainable development. As a follow-up to the Earth Summit, President Clinton established the PCSD in 1993 to identify ways to encourage sustainable development in the US. The Council has 25 members representing government, business, and public interest organizations and has 8 critical issues task forces, including Energy, Transportation, Sustainable Community, Education and Outreach, Natural Resources, Eco Efficiency and Sustainable Agriculture. Timothy Wirth, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, spearheaded efforts to create a task force on the twin issues of population and consumption. The Population and Consumption Task Force, which began its official discussions in the spring of 1994, aimed to solicit public comment on critical population-related issues. These meetings sought both general public and expert participation on subjects such as teen pregnancy, resource use, and economic indicators. Among these recommendations are improving access to family planning services for all Americans; focusing on special efforts to reduce teen pregnancy and childbearing; improving external factors such as poverty and a lack of economic opportunities for girls and women; and reducing immigration to the US. A combination of actions are needed, including a tax shift from labor and earnings to natural resource use; development of environmentally sound technologies; and public understanding of the importance of sustainable life style and consumption choices. Individual and community action is crucial since the current Congress is unlikely to adopt policies to promote sustainable development without significant public pressure.

Use of human remains detection dogs for wide area search after wildfire: a new experience for TexasTask Force 1 Search and Rescue resources.

PubMed

Migala, Alexandre F; Brown, Susann E

2012-12-01

In September 2011, wildfires in Bastrop County, TX, were the most destructive in the state's history, consuming more than 34000 acres (13759 hectares) and more than 1600 homes in the process. The wildfires began by consuming more than 30 homes across 2 miles (3.2 km) in 17 minutes, raising the fear that local residents may not have had sufficient time to escape the conflagration. Texas Task Force 1 deployed for a new mission, the search and recovery of human remains. Although there have been other larger and more widespread fires in the past, it was the speed at which this fire spread that created the environment requiring such a search. The mission was focused primarily on human detection, searching an area almost 72 square miles (186 km(2)) between September 7 and 11, 2011. To our knowledge, never before have human remains detection dogs been tasked with such an undertaking. Lessons learned from this event will educate all levels of government agencies, emergency medical services, fire departments, law enforcement, utilities, veterinary services, and search and rescue/recovery activities in the future. The utilization of human remains detection canines integrated with search teams trained in larger scale events is one such area that will benefit from this experience, with a final area searched of 15 598 acres (6312 hectares). Copyright © 2012 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Provision of healthcare in a remote base of operations in southern Chad.

PubMed

Hickey, J P

2010-09-01

The Irish Defence Forces maintained a presence in south eastern Chad under the authority of the United Nations Security Council from January 2008 until May 2010, operating in a peace support role as the lead contingent in a multinational battalion. In September 2009 the task of establishing a forward operating base in a remote location within the area of operations was ordered by mission headquarters. Irish and Finnish troops duly deployed and began the task of establishing a safe and secure base from which to operate. This involved securing the location, installing accommodation, electricity, lighting and facilities for ablutions, removing natural hazards, establishing secure communications and ensuring rapid access and egress in the event of hostile contact or emergency. The incidence of disease at this location was low, with the notable exception of a limited outbreak of gastroenteritis. The high standard of engineering work carried out around the camp, especially the latrines, washing facilities and other hygiene measures, significantly contributed to minimising the transmission of infectious disease. The past experiences of the Defence Forces in Congo, Lebanon, East Timor, Eritrea and Liberia have led to a high standard of forward planning and logistical awareness within the organisation which served personnel well in this latest mission. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recruitment of the Rhesus soleus and medial gastrocnemius before, during and after spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, R. R.; Hodgson, J. A.; Aragon, J.; Day, M. K.; Kozlovskaya, I.; Edgerton, V. R.

1996-01-01

Electromyograms were recorded from the soleus and medial gastrocnemius muscles and tendon force from the medial gastrocnemius muscle of 2 juvenile Rhesus monkeys before, during and after Cosmos flight 2229 and of ground control animals. Recording sessions were made while the Rhesus were performing a foot pedal motor task. Preflight testing indicated normal patterns of recruitment between the soleus and medial gastrocnemius, i.e. a higher level of recruitment of the soleus compared to the medial gastrocnemius during the task. Recording began two days into the spaceflight and showed that the media gastrocnemius was recruited preferentially over the soleus. This observation persisted throughout the flight and for the 2 week period of postflight testing. These data indicate a significant change in the relative recruitment of slow and fast extensor muscles under microgravity conditions. The appearance of clonic-like activity in one muscle of each Rhesus during flight further suggests a reorganization in the neuromotor system in a microgravity environment.

The National Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neilson, Matthew E.; Fuller, Pamela L.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Program maintains a database that monitors, records, and analyzes sightings of nonindigenous aquatic plant and animal species throughout the United States. The program is based at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Gainesville, Florida.The initiative to maintain scientific information on nationwide occurrences of nonindigenous aquatic species began with the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, created by Congress in 1990 to provide timely information to natural resource managers. Since then, the NAS database has been a clearinghouse of information for confirmed sightings of nonindigenous, also known as nonnative, aquatic species throughout the Nation. The database is used to produce email alerts, maps, summary graphs, publications, and other information products to support natural resource managers.

Dual-Task Processing in Younger and Older Adults: Similarities and Differences Revealed by fMRI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, Alan A.; Jonides, John; Sylvester, Ching-Yune C.

2011-01-01

fMRI was used to explore age differences in the neural substrate of dual-task processing. Brain activations when there was a 100 ms SOA between tasks, and task overlap was high, were contrasted with activations when there was a 1000 ms SOA, and first task processing was largely complete before the second task began. Younger adults (M = 21 yrs)…

A Task-Based Analysis of Information Requirements of Tactical Maps

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-08-01

work began with the precept that military maps are primarily intended to serve users in the performance of functional tasks. By capitalizing on the task...Recherche Des Facteurs, Humaine de la Defense Natimla Onissels 2 Canadian ,losir Stall Washtington 1 C/Air Staff. Royal Canadian AF, ATTN: Pars Slid

Department of Defense Tri-Service Precision Machine-Tool Program. Quarterly report, February--April 1978

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

Not Available

1978-06-01

Following a planning period during which the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and the Department of Defense managing sponsor, the USAF Materials Laboratory, agreed on work statements, the Department of Defense Tri-Service Precision Machine-Tool Program began in February 1978. Milestones scheduled for the first quarter have been met. Tasks and manpower requirements for two basic projects, precision-machining commercialization (PMC) and a machine-tool task force (MTTF), were defined. Progress by PMC includes: (1) documentation of existing precision machine-tool technology by initiation and compilation of a bibliography containing several hundred entries: (2) identification of the problems and needs of precision turning-machine builders and ofmore » precision turning-machine users interested in developing high-precision machining capability; and (3) organization of the schedule and content of the first seminar, to be held in October 1978, which will bring together representatives from the machine-tool and optics communities to address the problems and begin the process of high-precision machining commercialization. Progress by MTTF includes: (1) planning for the organization of a team effort of approximately 60 to 80 international experts to contribute in various ways to project objectives, namely, to summarize state-of-the-art cutting-machine-tool technology and to identify areas where future R and D should prove technically and economically profitable; (2) preparation of a comprehensive plan to achieve those objectives; and (3) preliminary arrangements for a plenary session, also in October, when the task force will meet to formalize the details for implementing the plan.« less

Hand digit control in children: motor overflow in multi-finger pressing force vector space during maximum voluntary force production.

PubMed

Shim, Jae Kun; Karol, Sohit; Hsu, Jeffrey; de Oliveira, Marcio Alves

2008-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the contralateral motor overflow in children during single-finger and multi-finger maximum force production tasks. Forty-five right handed children, 5-11 years of age produced maximum isometric pressing force in flexion or extension with single fingers or all four fingers of their right hand. The forces produced by individual fingers of the right and left hands were recorded and analyzed in four-dimensional finger force vector space. The results showed that increases in task (right) hand finger forces were linearly associated with non-task (left) hand finger forces. The ratio of the non-task hand finger force magnitude to the corresponding task hand finger force magnitude, termed motor overflow magnitude (MOM), was greater in extension than flexion. The index finger flexion task showed the smallest MOM values. The similarity between the directions of task hand and non-task hand finger force vectors in four-dimensional finger force vector space, termed motor overflow direction (MOD), was the greatest for index and smallest for little finger tasks. MOM of a four-finger task was greater than the sum of MOMs of single-finger tasks, and this phenomenon was termed motor overflow surplus. Contrary to previous studies, no single-finger or four-finger tasks showed significant changes of MOM or MOD with the age of children. We conclude that the contralateral motor overflow in children during finger maximum force production tasks is dependent upon the task fingers and the magnitude and direction of task finger forces.

TxDOT administration research : tasks completed in FY2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Project 0-6581-TI, TxDOT Administration : Research, encompasses multiple tasks that explore and support administrative aspects of : transportation research. : The project term began in October 2008 and has b...

75 FR 45606 - Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force-Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force--Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force AGENCY: Council on Environmental Quality. ACTION: Notice of Availability, Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force's [[Page 45607

76 FR 60863 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

...] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANS Task Force). The ANS Task Force's purpose is to develop and implement a program for U.S. waters to prevent...

78 FR 29378 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force; Public Teleconference/Webinar

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

...-FF09F14000-134] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force; Public Teleconference/ Webinar AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife... teleconference/webinar of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANS Task Force). The ANS Task Force's purpose... aquatic nuisance species; to monitor, control, and study such species; and to disseminate related...

Keepin' On: Five Years Down the Road to Better Schools. Reports of the Task Force on Improving Kentucky's Schools and the Task Force on Restructuring Time and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Lexington, KY.

This report contains the findings of two task forces established during 1994 by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence: (1) the Task Force on Improving Kentucky Schools; and (2) the Task Force on Restructuring Time and Learning. The task forces, comprised of parents and business members of the Prichard Committee, examined key elements of…

Grip force and force sharing in two different manipulation tasks with bottles.

PubMed

Cepriá-Bernal, Javier; Pérez-González, Antonio; Mora, Marta C; Sancho-Bru, Joaquín L

2017-07-01

Grip force and force sharing during two activities of daily living were analysed experimentally in 10 right-handed subjects. Four different bottles, filled to two different levels, were manipulated for two tasks: transporting and pouring. Each test subject's hand was instrumented with eight thin wearable force sensors. The grip force and force sharing were significantly different for each bottle model. Increasing the filling level resulted in an increase in grip force, but the ratio of grip force to load force was higher for lighter loads. The task influenced the force sharing but not the mean grip force. The contributions of the thumb and ring finger were higher in the pouring task, whereas the contributions of the palm and the index finger were higher in the transport task. Mean force sharing among fingers was 30% for index, 29% for middle, 22% for ring and 19% for little finger. Practitioner Summary: We analysed grip force and force sharing in two manipulation tasks with bottles: transporting and pouring. The objective was to understand the effects of the bottle features, filling level and task on the contribution of different areas of the hand to the grip force. Force sharing was different for each task and the bottles features affected to both grip force and force sharing.

PRN 94-9: Announcing the Formation of Two Industry-Wide Task Forces: Agricultural Reentry Task Force and Outdoor Residential Exposure Task Force

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Notice announces two industry-wide Task Forces being formed in response to generic exposure data requirements. It contains EPA's policy on a registrant's options for, and responsibilities when joining Task Force as a way to satisfy data requirements.

78 FR 60306 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-01

...-FF09F14000-134] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior... the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The ANS Task Force's purpose is to develop and... Task Force will meet from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, through Thursday, November 7...

A prework assessment of task preferences among adults with autism beginning a supported job.

PubMed

Lattimore, L Perry; Parsons, Marsha B; Reid, Dennis H

2002-01-01

A prework paired-task assessment was evaluated for identifying work preferences among 3 adults with autism beginning a supported job. When the workers began the job, choices were provided between more and less preferred tasks (determined by previous assessment). Results supported the assessment for identifying single task preferences, but did not reveal preferences of 2 workers for alternate tasks. Results are discussed in terms of evaluating other prework assessments that may reveal task-alternation preferences.

77 FR 61019 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

..., Cost Center: FF09F14000, Fund: 134] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and... Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The ANS Task Force's purpose is to develop and implement a.... DATES: The ANS Task Force will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday November 14, and from 8:30 a.m...

Starting Anew

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lum, Lydia

2006-01-01

Hundreds of higher education faculty lost their jobs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans' colleges and universities were forced to cancel fall semester classes after the city's levee system failed, submerging 80 percent of the city just weeks before the academic year began. Damage assessments began even before the deadly storm's…

Galactic Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brekke, Stewart

2013-04-01

All galaxies began as spiral galaxies. The early universe began with sets of two or more pre-galactic arms orbiting each other. As gravitational attraction between the arms took effect, the fore-sections of the arms tangentially collided forming spiral galaxies when they attached with the orbital motion of the arms being converted to the rotational motion of the newly formed spiral galaxies or (Iφ)arm1+ (Iφ)arm2+ ...+ (Iφ)armn= (Iφ)galaxy. If the centripetal force on the arms is more than the gravitational force on the arms, the spiral galaxy remains a spiral galaxy i.e. mv^2/r>=Gmarmmgalaxy/r^2. If the galaxy is slowly rotating, the spiral arms collapse into the body of the galaxy because the gravitational force is greater than the centripetal force on the arms and an elliptical galaxy is formed i.e. mv^2/r < Gmarmsmgalaxy/r^2.

Task specific grip force control in writer's cramp.

PubMed

Schneider, A S; Fürholzer, W; Marquardt, C; Hermsdörfer, J

2014-04-01

Writer's cramp is defined as a task specific focal dystonia generating hypertonic muscle co-contractions during handwriting resulting in impaired writing performance and exaggerated finger force. However, little is known about the generalisation of grip force across tasks others than writing. The aim of the study was to directly compare regulation of grip forces during handwriting with force regulation in other fine-motor tasks in patients and control subjects. Handwriting, lifting and cyclic movements of a grasped object were investigated in 21 patients and 14 controls. The applied forces were registered in all three tasks and compared between groups and tasks. In addition, task-specific measures of fine-motor skill were assessed. As expected, patients generated exaggerated forces during handwriting compared to control subjects. However there were no statistically significant group differences during lifting and cyclic movements. The control group revealed a generalisation of grip forces across manual tasks whereas in patients there was no such correlation. We conclude that increased finger forces during handwriting are a task-specific phenomenon that does not necessarily generalise to other fine-motor tasks. Force control of patients with writer's cramp in handwriting and other fine-motor tasks is characterised by individualised control strategies. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selecting Tasks for Evaluating Human Performance as a Function of Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norcross, J. R.; Gernhardt, M. L.

2010-01-01

A challenge in understanding human performance as a function of gravity is determining which tasks to research. Initial studies began with treadmill walking, which was easy to quantify and control. However, with the development of pressurized rovers, it is less important to optimize human performance for ambulation as rovers will likely perform gross translation for them. Future crews are likely to spend much of their extravehicular activity (EVA) performing geology, construction and maintenance type tasks, for which it is difficult to measure steady-state-workloads. To evaluate human performance in reduced gravity, we have collected metabolic, biomechanical and subjective data for different tasks at varied gravity levels. Methods: Ten subjects completed 5 different tasks including weight transfer, shoveling, treadmill walking, treadmill running and treadmill incline walking. All tasks were performed shirt-sleeved at 1-g, 3/8-g and 1/6-g. Off-loaded conditions were achieved via the Active Response Gravity Offload System. Treadmill tasks were performed for 3 minutes with reported oxygen consumption (VO2) averaged over the last 2 minutes. Shoveling was performed for 3 minutes with metabolic cost reported as ml O2 consumed per kg material shoveled. Weight transfer reports metabolic cost as liters O2 consumed to complete the task. Statistical analysis was performed via repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Statistically significant metabolic differences were noted between all 3 gravity levels for treadmill running and incline walking. For the other 3 tasks, there were significant differences between 1-g and each reduced gravity, but not between 1/6-g and 3/8-g. For weight transfer, significant differences were seen between gravities in both trial-average VO2 and time-to-completion with noted differences in strategy for task completion. Conclusion: To determine if gravity has a metabolic effect on human performance, this research may indicate that tasks should be selected that require the subject to work vertically against the force of gravity.

76 FR 22685 - Interagency Management Task Force Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... Force Public Meeting AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy (DOE... meetings of the Interagency Energy Management Task Force (Task Force) in 2011. FEMP intends to hold recurring public meetings of the Task Force. Interested parties can check http://www.femp.energy.gov/news...

75 FR 20578 - Federal Advisory Committee; Defense Health Board (DHB); Department of Defense Task Force on the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-20

... (DHB); Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces... announces a meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the... Secretary, Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces, One...

75 FR 21603 - Renewal of Department of Defense Federal Advisory Committee; Missouri River (North Dakota) Task...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-26

...-6128. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Task Force is a non-discretionary Federal advisory committee and... Committee; Missouri River (North Dakota) Task Force AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD). ACTION: Renewal of... Missouri River (North Dakota) Task Force (hereafter referred to as the Task Force). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

Force fluctuations while pressing and moving against high- and low-friction touch screen surfaces.

PubMed

Joshi, Mukta N; Keenan, Kevin G

2016-07-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of a high- and low-friction surface on the ability to maintain a steady downward force during an index finger pressing and moving task. Fifteen right-handed subjects (24-48 years) performed a static force pressing task and a hybrid pressing and moving task on the surface of an iPad mini while holding a steady 2-N force on high- and low-friction surfaces. Variability of force was quantified as the standard deviation (SD) of normal force (F z) and shear force (F xy) across friction conditions and tasks. The SD of F z was 227 % greater during the hybrid task as compared to the static task (p < .001) and was 19 % greater for the high- versus low-friction condition (p = .033). There were positive correlations between SD of F z and F xy during the hybrid force/motion tasks on the high- and low-friction conditions (r (2) = 0.5 and 0.86, respectively), suggesting significant associations between normal and shear forces for this hybrid task. The correlation between the SD of F z for static and hybrid tasks was r (2) = 0.44, indicating that the common practice of examining the control of static tasks may not sufficiently explain performance during hybrid tasks, at least for the young subjects tested in the current study. As activities of daily living frequently require hybrid force/motion tasks (e.g., writing, doing the dishes, and cleaning counters), the results of this study emphasize the need to study motor performance during hybrid tasks in addition to static force tasks.

U.S. Northern Command > Newsroom > Fact Sheets

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Proximal arm kinematics affect grip force-load force coordination

PubMed Central

Vermillion, Billy C.; Lum, Peter S.

2015-01-01

During object manipulation, grip force is coordinated with load force, which is primarily determined by object kinematics. Proximal arm kinematics may affect grip force control, as proximal segment motion could affect control of distal hand muscles via biomechanical and/or neural pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of proximal kinematics on grip force modulation during object manipulation. Fifteen subjects performed three vertical lifting tasks that involved distinct proximal kinematics (elbow/shoulder), but resulted in similar end-point (hand) trajectories. While temporal coordination of grip and load forces remained similar across the tasks, proximal kinematics significantly affected the grip force-to-load force ratio (P = 0.042), intrinsic finger muscle activation (P = 0.045), and flexor-extensor ratio (P < 0.001). Biomechanical coupling between extrinsic hand muscles and the elbow joint cannot fully explain the observed changes, as task-related changes in intrinsic hand muscle activation were greater than in extrinsic hand muscles. Rather, between-task variation in grip force (highest during task 3) appears to contrast to that in shoulder joint velocity/acceleration (lowest during task 3). These results suggest that complex neural coupling between the distal and proximal upper extremity musculature may affect grip force control during movements, also indicated by task-related changes in intermuscular coherence of muscle pairs, including intrinsic finger muscles. Furthermore, examination of the fingertip force showed that the human motor system may attempt to reduce variability in task-relevant motor output (grip force-to-load force ratio), while allowing larger fluctuations in output less relevant to task goal (shear force-to-grip force ratio). PMID:26289460

78 FR 23970 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-23

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force Meeting. SUMMARY: This document corrects the SBA's Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Developments...

32 CFR 700.1053 - Commander of a task force.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Commander of a task force. 700.1053 Section 700... Command Detail to Duty § 700.1053 Commander of a task force. (a) A geographic fleet commander, and any other naval commander, may detail in command of a task force, or other task command, any eligible...

Causal Attributions for Success and Failure at University Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, J. G.; Feather, N. T.

1973-01-01

Male and female undergraduates rated their ability, amount of preparation, task difficulty, and their initial confidence (expectation) before they began an important examination. Subsequently they attributed causality for the examination outcome by rating the importance of factors involving ability, preparation, task difficulty, and luck as…

75 FR 76422 - Meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on... Forces (Subsequently Referred to as the Task Force) AGENCY: Department of Defense. ACTION: Notice... forthcoming meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

75 FR 62611 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-12

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force meeting... public meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be...

75 FR 76744 - National Disaster Housing Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-09

...] National Disaster Housing Task Force AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: The National Disaster Housing Task Force (NDHTF) will meet by teleconference on December...: Mitchell Wyllins, National Disaster Housing Task Force, 500 C Street, SW., (Room 428), Washington, DC 20472...

77 FR 41472 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-13

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force meeting... public meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be...

76 FR 8393 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-14

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force meeting... public meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be...

75 FR 62438 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-08

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development Meeting AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force... first public meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting...

Face and Construct Validity of a Novel Virtual Reality-Based Bimanual Laparoscopic Force-Skills Trainer With Haptics Feedback.

PubMed

Prasad, Raghu; Muniyandi, Manivannan; Manoharan, Govindan; Chandramohan, Servarayan M

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the face and construct validity of a custom-developed bimanual laparoscopic force-skills trainer with haptics feedback. The study also examined the effect of handedness on fundamental and complex tasks. Residents (n = 25) and surgeons (n = 25) performed virtual reality-based bimanual fundamental and complex tasks. Tool-tissue reaction forces were summed, recorded, and analysed. Seven different force-based measures and a 1-time measure were used as metrics. Subsequently, participants filled out face validity and demographic questionnaires. Residents and surgeons were positive on the design, workspace, and usefulness of the simulator. Construct validity results showed significant differences between residents and experts during the execution of fundamental and complex tasks. In both tasks, residents applied large forces with higher coefficient of variation and force jerks (P < .001). Experts, with their dominant hand, applied lower forces in complex tasks and higher forces in fundamental tasks (P < .001). The coefficients of force variation (CoV) of residents and experts were higher in complex tasks (P < .001). Strong correlations were observed between CoV and task time for fundamental (r = 0.70) and complex tasks (r = 0.85). Range of smoothness of force was higher for the non-dominant hand in both fundamental and complex tasks. The simulator was able to differentiate the force-skills of residents and surgeons, and objectively evaluate the effects of handedness on laparoscopic force-skills. Competency-based laparoscopic skills assessment curriculum should be updated to meet the requirements of bimanual force-based training.

Childhood Obesity Task Forces Established by State Legislatures, 2001-2010

PubMed Central

Kim, Sonia A.; Sherry, Bettylou; Blanck, Heidi M.

2013-01-01

Introduction States and communities are considering policy and environmental strategies, including enacting legislation, to reduce and prevent childhood obesity. One legislative approach has been to create task forces to understand key issues and develop a course of action. The goal of this study was to describe state-level, childhood obesity task forces in the United States created by legislation from 2001 through 2010. Methods We used the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity database to identify state-level childhood obesity task forces created through legislation from 2001 through 2010. Results We identified 21 states that had enacted legislation creating childhood obesity task forces of which 6 had created more than one task force. Most task forces were charged with both gathering and reviewing information and making recommendations for obesity-prevention actions in the state. Most legislation required that task forces include representation from the state legislature, state agencies, community organizations, and community members. Conclusion Evaluation of the effectiveness of obesity-prevention task forces and the primary components that contribute to their success may help to determine the advantages of the use of such strategies in obesity prevention. PMID:23987250

2015 International PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) Workshop |

Science.gov Websites

Photovoltaic Research | NREL International PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) Workshop 2015 International PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) Workshop Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Chairs : Tony Sample and Masaaki Yamamichi The 2015 International PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT

78 FR 27969 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-13

... discussed: Matters to be discussed: cancer prevention and control, cardiovascular disease prevention and... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

77 FR 56845 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-14

...: Matters to be discussed: Tobacco, oral health and cardiovascular disease. Meeting Accessibility: This... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

78 FR 59939 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

.... Matters to be discussed: Cancer prevention and control, cardiovascular disease prevention and control... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

78 FR 7849 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-04

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force Meeting... meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be open to...

76 FR 54258 - Request for Comments-Fiscal Oversight Task Force Report and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-31

... LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION Request for Comments--Fiscal Oversight Task Force Report and... Fiscal Oversight Task Force, which reviewed and made recommendations regarding how LSC conducts fiscal... territories. By Resolution adopted on July 21, 2010, the Board established the Fiscal Oversight Task Force...

78 FR 70087 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-22

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force meeting... meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be open to...

78 FR 45996 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force meeting... meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be open to...

78 FR 21492 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-10

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency Task Force Meeting... meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The meeting will be open to...

77 FR 41165 - Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

... Agricultural Air Quality Task Force AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will.../Concerns Discussion Continued discussion of goals for Task Force Anaerobic Digester Technologies Odor...

Community hoarding task forces: a comparative case study of five task forces in the United States.

PubMed

Bratiotis, Christiana

2013-05-01

During the past decade, many community task forces have formed to address hoarding problems that come to public attention. Such task forces provide a societal-level intervention to assist people with the most severe cases of hoarding, who do not voluntarily seek or want help for their hoarding behaviour. This qualitative study of five U.S. hoarding task forces included sites selected for their diversity of purpose, approaches to hoarding intervention and community geography, composition and resources. Data were collected during the period of September 2007-March 2008. The case study methodology used multiple forms of data, including semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents, small group interviews and investigator observation. This study captured the perspectives of public and private sector service providers such as mental health, housing, social service, public health agencies and community enforcement organisations (fire, police, legal, animal control) to examine how task forces organise and operate and the emerging practice and policy changes. Study findings suggest that structural factors (e.g. leadership, purpose, funding and membership) impact hoarding task force viability, that participation on a task force influences practice and policy decisions about hoarding, and that social work can expand its role in task force leadership. Task forces may be a mechanism for improving community policies about hoarding and mechanisms for addressing other social problems across multiple sectors. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

75 FR 32186 - Task Force on Community Preventive Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-07

... by space available. Purpose: The mission of the Task Force is to develop and publish the Guide to... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Task Force on Community Preventive Services Name: Task Force on Community Preventive Services meeting. Times and Dates: 8...

78 FR 2996 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-15

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the next meeting of the Community Preventive...

77 FR 16256 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-20

...] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The ANS Task Force's purpose is to develop and implement a program for U.S. waters to prevent introduction...

75 FR 57987 - Evaluation of the Groundwater Task Force Report: Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-23

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0302] Evaluation of the Groundwater Task Force Report... Task Force (GTF) in March 2010 to determine whether past, current, and planned actions should be... recommendations made in the Liquid Radioactive Release Lessons Learned Task Force Final Report dated September 1...

75 FR 70764 - Small Business Information Security Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-18

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Small Business Information Security Task Force AGENCY: U.S. Small... publish meeting minutes for the Small Business Information Security Task Force Meeting. DATES: 1 p.m... Task Force. Chairman, Rusty Pickens, called the meeting to order on October 13, 2010 at 1 p.m. Roll...

7 CFR 1900.6 - Chair, Loan Resolution Task Force.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Chair, Loan Resolution Task Force. 1900.6 Section... AGRICULTURE PROGRAM REGULATIONS GENERAL Delegations of Authority § 1900.6 Chair, Loan Resolution Task Force. The Chair, Loan Resolution Task Force is delegated the following authorities, to be exercised until...

76 FR 5232 - Small Business Information Security Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Small Business Information Security Task Force AGENCY: U.S. Small... publish meeting minutes for the Small Business Information Security Task Force Meeting. DATES: 1 p.m... Task Force. Chairman, Rusty Pickens, called the meeting to order on December 8, 2010 at 1 p.m. Roll...

76 FR 11307 - Small Business Information Security Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-01

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Small Business Information Security Task Force AGENCY: U.S. Small... publish meeting minutes for the Small Business Information Security Task Force Meeting. DATES: 1 p.m... Task Force. Chairman, Mr. Rusty Pickens, called the meeting to order on January 12, 2011 at 1 p.m. Roll...

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Public Listening

Science.gov Websites

Data Media & News Publications Press Releases Story Archive Home Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Public Listening Session Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Title: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting and Public Listening SessionDescription: The

Task Force II: Energy and Its Socioeconomic Impacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appalachia, 1977

1977-01-01

Summarizing the Task Force Issues Paper presented at the Appalachian Conference on Balanced Growth and Economic Development (1977), this article presents selected comments by Task Force participants, and Task Force recommendations re: a national severence tax on extraction of nonrenewable energy resources; socioeconomic costs of nuclear energy; a…

Unintentional force changes in cyclical tasks performed by an abundant system: Empirical observations and a dynamical model.

PubMed

Reschechtko, Sasha; Hasanbarani, Fariba; Akulin, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2017-05-14

The study explored unintentional force changes elicited by removing visual feedback during cyclical, two-finger isometric force production tasks. Subjects performed two types of tasks at 1Hz, paced by an auditory metronome. One - Force task - required cyclical changes in total force while maintaining the sharing, defined as relative contribution of a finger to total force. The other task - Share task - required cyclical changes in sharing while keeping total force unchanged. Each trial started under full visual feedback on both force and sharing; subsequently, feedback on the variable that was instructed to stay constant was frozen, and finally feedback on the other variable was also removed. In both tasks, turning off visual feedback on total force elicited a drop in the mid-point of the force cycle and an increase in the peak-to-peak force amplitude. Turning off visual feedback on sharing led to a drift of mean share toward 50:50 across both tasks. Without visual feedback there was consistent deviation of the two force time series from the in-phase pattern (typical of the Force task) and from the out-of-phase pattern (typical of the Share task). This finding is in contrast to most earlier studies that demonstrated only two stable patterns, in-phase and out-of-phase. We interpret the results as consequences of drifts of parameters in a dynamical system leading in particular to drifts in the referent finger coordinates toward their actual coordinates. The relative phase desynchronization is caused by the right-left differences in the hypothesized drift processes, consistent with the dynamic dominance hypothesis. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unintentional force changes in cyclical tasks performed by an abundant system: Empirical observations and a dynamical model

PubMed Central

Reschechtko, Sasha; Hasanbarani, Fariba; Akulin, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2017-01-01

The study explored unintentional force changes elicited by removing visual feedback during cyclical, two-finger isometric force production tasks. Subjects performed two types of tasks at 1 Hz, paced by an auditory metronome. One – Force task – required cyclical changes in total force while maintaining the sharing, defined as relative contribution of a finger to total force. The other task – Share task – required cyclical changes in sharing while keeping total force unchanged. Each trial started under full visual feedback on both force and sharing; subsequently, feedback on the variable that was instructed to stay constant was frozen, and finally feedback on the other variable was also removed. In both tasks, turning off visual feedback on total force elicited a drop in the mid-point of the force cycle and an increase in the peak-to-peak force amplitude. Turning off visual feedback on sharing led to a drift of mean share toward 50:50 across both tasks. Without visual feedback there was consistent deviation of the two force time series from the in-phase pattern (typical of the Force task) and from the out-of-phase pattern (typical of the Share task). This finding is in contrast to most earlier studies that demonstrated only two stable patterns, in-phase and out-of-phase. We interpret the results as consequences of drifts of parameters in a dynamical system leading in particular to drifts in the referent finger coordinates toward their actual coordinates. The relative phase desynchronization is caused by the right-left differences in the hypothesized drift processes, consistent with the dynamic dominance hypothesis. PMID:28344070

77 FR 4584 - Sunshine Act Meetings; National Science Board

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... of a National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council study CPP Task Force on Unsolicited Mid... and December 13 meeting minutes Discussion of the MS Task Force draft report CSB Task Force on Data... Task Force Closing Remarks From the Chairman Committee on Audit and Oversight (A&O) Open Session: 4-4...

Academic Standards Task Force Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnham, Peter F.

The product of a year-long research process undertaken by a Task Force on Academic Standards at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TCCC) in 1980-81, this report provides background to the deliberations of the Task Force and a presentation of their position on academic standards at TCCC. The report establishes the Task Force's commitments to…

75 FR 61175 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

...] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The.... DATES: The ANS Task Force will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 3 through Thursday...

18 CFR 701.58 - Task forces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Task forces. 701.58... Headquarters Organization § 701.58 Task forces. The Director with Council concurrence or the Council may establish task forces from time to time to aid in the preparation of issues for presentation to the Council...

3 CFR - White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working... Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and... times. To these ends, I hereby direct the following: Section 1. White House Task Force on Middle-Class...

77 FR 441 - Measurement and Control of Combustible Gas Generation and Dispersal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-05

... Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (Fukushima Task Force Report... Fukushima Task Force Report: ``[t]he task force recommends, as part of the longer term review, that the NRC... additional information is revealed through further study of the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident.'' The Commission...

76 FR 58165 - Petitions for Rulemaking Submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-20

...-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (Fukushima Task Force Report... the Fukushima Task Force Report for the purpose of providing the Commission with fully-informed... recommendations from the Fukushima Task Force Report, and is not providing a separate opportunity for public...

76 FR 76189 - Notice of Public Hearing-Fiscal Oversight Task Force Report & Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-06

... period; and (3) reactions to those comments submitted by Task Force members. DATES: Monday, December 12... Report, the public comments previously submitted, and reactions to those comments from several Task Force members. The public comments and a summary of Task Force members' reactions may be viewed online at http...

Solar Energy Task Force Report: Technical Training Guidelines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Kevin

This task force report offers guidelines and information for the development of vocational education programs oriented to the commercial application of solar energy in water and space heating. After Section I introduces the Solar Energy Task Force and its activities, Section II outlines the task force's objectives and raises several issues and…

The effect of bracing availability on one-hand isometric force exertion capability.

PubMed

Jones, Monica L H; Reed, Matthew P; Chaffin, Don B

2013-01-01

Environmental obstructions that workers encounter can kinematically limit the postures that they can achieve. However, such obstructions can also provide an opportunity for additional support by bracing with the hand, thigh or other body part. The reaction forces on bracing surfaces, which are in addition to those acting at the feet and task hand, are hypothesised to improve force exertion capability, and become required inputs to biomechanical analysis of tasks with bracing. The effects of kinematic constraints and associated bracing opportunities on isometric hand force were quantified in a laboratory study of 22 men and women. Analyses of one-hand maximal push, pull and lift tasks demonstrated that bracing surfaces available at the thighs and non-task hand enabled participants to exert an average of 43% more force at the task hand. Task hand force direction deviated significantly from the nominal direction for exertions performed with bracing at both medium and low task hand locations. This study quantifies the effect of bracing on kinematically constrained force exertions. Knowledge that appropriate bracing surfaces can substantially increase hand force is critical to the evaluation of task-oriented strength capability. Force estimates may also involve large off-axis components, which have clear implications for ergonomic analyses of manual tasks.

Performance drifts in two-finger cyclical force production tasks performed by one and two actors.

PubMed

Hasanbarani, Fariba; Reschechtko, Sasha; Latash, Mark L

2018-03-01

We explored changes in the cyclical two-finger force performance task caused by turning visual feedback off performed either by the index and middle fingers of the dominant hand or by two index fingers of two persons. Based on an earlier study, we expected drifts in finger force amplitude and midpoint without a drift in relative phase. The subjects performed two rhythmical tasks at 1 Hz while paced by an auditory metronome. One of the tasks required cyclical changes in total force magnitude without changes in the sharing of the force between the two fingers. The other task required cyclical changes in the force sharing without changing total force magnitude. Subjects were provided with visual feedback, which showed total force magnitude and force sharing via cursor motion along the vertical and horizontal axes, respectively. Further, visual feedback was turned off, first on the variable that was not required to change and then on both variables. Turning visual feedback off led to a mean force drift toward lower magnitudes while force amplitude increased. There was a consistent drift in the relative phase in the one-hand task with the index finger leading the middle finger. No consistent relative phase drift was seen in the two-person tasks. The shape of the force cycle changed without visual feedback reflected in the lower similarity to a perfect cosine shape and in the higher time spent at lower force magnitudes. The data confirm findings of earlier studies regarding force amplitude and midpoint changes, but falsify predictions of an earlier proposed model with respect to the relative phase changes. We discuss factors that could contribute to the observed relative phase drift in the one-hand tasks including the leader-follower pattern generalized for two-effector tasks performed by one person.

76 FR 52318 - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-22

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Coral Reef Task Force... of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The meeting will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This meeting, the 26th bi-annual meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, provides a forum for coordinated...

76 FR 7579 - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

.... Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior... Service (Service), announce a public business meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) [email protected] ); or Liza Johnson, U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Department of the Interior Liaison, U.S...

76 FR 15334 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-21

...] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The.... DATES: The ANS Task Force will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4; and Thursday May 5; and...

Force Control Characteristics for Generation and Relaxation in the Lower Limb.

PubMed

Ohtaka, Chiaki; Fujiwara, Motoko

2018-05-29

We investigated the characteristics for force generation and relaxation using graded isometric contractions of the knee extensors. Participants performed the following tasks as quickly and accurately as possible. For the force generation task, force was increased from 0% to 20%, 40% and 60% of the maximal voluntary force (MVF). For the force relaxation task, force was decreased from 60% to 40%, 20% and 0%. The following parameters of the recorded force were calculated: error, time, and rate of force development. The error was consistently greater for force relaxation than generation. Reaction and adjustment times were independent of the tasks. The control strategy was markedly different for force relaxation and generation, this tendency was particularly evident for the lower limb compared to the upper limb.

Consolidated fuel reprossing program: The implications of force reflection for teleoperation in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Draper, John V.; Herndon, Joseph N.; Moore, Wendy E.

1987-01-01

Previous research on teleoperator force feedback is reviewed and results of a testing program which assessed the impact of force reflection on teleoperator task performance are reported. Force relection is a type of force feedback in which the forces acting on the remote portion of the teleoperator are displayed to the operator by back-driving the master controller. The testing program compared three force reflection levels: 4 to 1 (four units of force on the slave produce one unit of force at the master controller), 1 to 1, and infinity to 1 (no force reflection). Time required to complete tasks, rate of occurrence of errors, the maximum force applied to tasks components, and variability in forces applied to components during completion of representative remote handling tasks were used as dependent variables. Operators exhibited lower error rates, lower peak forces, and more consistent application of forces using force relection than they did without it. These data support the hypothesis that force reflection provides useful information for teleoperator users. The earlier literature and the results of the experiment are discussed in terms of their implications for space based teleoperator systems. The discussion described the impact of force reflection on task completion performance and task strategies, as suggested by the literature. It is important to understand the trade-offs involved in using telerobotic systems with and without force reflection.

Even Superheroes Need Help

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sussman, Mel

2018-01-01

It is not clear exactly when school leaders first started wearing an "S" on their chests and began defiantly uttering the phrase, "I can do it all myself!" But after days, weeks, months, or even years of racing wildly from task to task, many a superhero principal has come to the stark realization that nothing could be further…

Dynamical signatures of isometric force control as a function of age, expertise, and task constraints.

PubMed

Vieluf, Solveig; Sleimen-Malkoun, Rita; Voelcker-Rehage, Claudia; Jirsa, Viktor; Reuter, Eva-Maria; Godde, Ben; Temprado, Jean-Jacques; Huys, Raoul

2017-07-01

From the conceptual and methodological framework of the dynamical systems approach, force control results from complex interactions of various subsystems yielding observable behavioral fluctuations, which comprise both deterministic (predictable) and stochastic (noise-like) dynamical components. Here, we investigated these components contributing to the observed variability in force control in groups of participants differing in age and expertise level. To this aim, young (18-25 yr) as well as late middle-aged (55-65 yr) novices and experts (precision mechanics) performed a force maintenance and a force modulation task. Results showed that whereas the amplitude of force variability did not differ across groups in the maintenance tasks, in the modulation task it was higher for late middle-aged novices than for experts and higher for both these groups than for young participants. Within both tasks and for all groups, stochastic fluctuations were lowest where the deterministic influence was smallest. However, although all groups showed similar dynamics underlying force control in the maintenance task, a group effect was found for deterministic and stochastic fluctuations in the modulation task. The latter findings imply that both components were involved in the observed group differences in the variability of force fluctuations in the modulation task. These findings suggest that between groups the general characteristics of the dynamics do not differ in either task and that force control is more affected by age than by expertise. However, expertise seems to counteract some of the age effects. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Stochastic and deterministic dynamical components contribute to force production. Dynamical signatures differ between force maintenance and cyclic force modulation tasks but hardly between age and expertise groups. Differences in both stochastic and deterministic components are associated with group differences in behavioral variability, and observed behavioral variability is more strongly task dependent than person dependent. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Love of Science Began at Early Age for Air Force Captain | DoDLive

Science.gov Websites

advice: "I emphasize early math, as much math as you can take." So what does the future hold avoidance technologies program, Capt. Heather Stickney, Force of the Future, math, science, STEM, Wright

Crafting a Balanced System of Assessment in Wisconsin. Recommendations of the Next Generation Assessment Task Force

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 2009

2009-01-01

The Next Generation Assessment Task Force was convened to formulate Wisconsin's path forward. Task force members listened to leaders from business and technology sectors as well as leaders from PK-12 and higher education. This summary shares the process, definitions, assumptions, and recommendations of the task force. This paper aims to use these…

75 FR 47624 - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and... (Service), announce a public meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) and a request for written.... Coral Reef Task Force Department of the Interior Liaison, U.S. Department of the Interior, MS-3530-MIB...

75 FR 15457 - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

...] Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The.... DATES: The ANS Task Force will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m...

77 FR 23667 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-20

... CONTACT: Mail Delivery service through Recovering Warrior Task Force, Hoffman Building II, 200 Stovall St... Review of Non- Medical Case Management. 9:30-9:45 a.m. Break. 9:45-10:45 a.m. Task Force Recommendation... Task Force through the contact information in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and this individual will...

Forest biomass as an energy source

Treesearch

P.E. Laks; R.W. Hemingway; A. Conner

1979-01-01

The Task Force on Forest Biomass as an Energy Source was chartered by the Society of American Foresters on September 26, 1977, and took its present form following an amendment to the charter on October 5, 1977. It built upon the findings of two previous task forces, the Task Force on Energy and Forest Resources and the Task Force for Evaluation of the CORRIM Report (...

Achievement of Virtual and Real Objects Using a Short-Term Motor Learning Protocol in People with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Massetti, Thais; Fávero, Francis Meire; Menezes, Lilian Del Ciello de; Alvarez, Mayra Priscila Boscolo; Crocetta, Tânia Brusque; Guarnieri, Regiani; Nunes, Fátima L S; Monteiro, Carlos Bandeira de Mello; Silva, Talita Dias da

2018-04-01

To evaluate whether people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) practicing a task in a virtual environment could improve performance given a similar task in a real environment, as well as distinguishing whether there is transference between performing the practice in virtual environment and then a real environment and vice versa. Twenty-two people with DMD were evaluated and divided into two groups. The goal was to reach out and touch a red cube. Group A began with the real task and had to touch a real object, and Group B began with the virtual task and had to reach a virtual object using the Kinect system. ANOVA showed that all participants decreased the movement time from the first (M = 973 ms) to the last block of acquisition (M = 783 ms) in both virtual and real tasks and motor learning could be inferred by the short-term retention and transfer task (with increasing distance of the target). However, the evaluation of task performance demonstrated that the virtual task provided an inferior performance when compared to the real task in all phases of the study, and there was no effect for sequence. Both virtual and real tasks promoted improvement of performance in the acquisition phase, short-term retention, and transfer. However, there was no transference of learning between environments. In conclusion, it is recommended that the use of virtual environments for individuals with DMD needs to be considered carefully.

Control of force during rapid visuomotor force-matching tasks can be described by discrete time PID control algorithms.

PubMed

Dideriksen, Jakob Lund; Feeney, Daniel F; Almuklass, Awad M; Enoka, Roger M

2017-08-01

Force trajectories during isometric force-matching tasks involving isometric contractions vary substantially across individuals. In this study, we investigated if this variability can be explained by discrete time proportional, integral, derivative (PID) control algorithms with varying model parameters. To this end, we analyzed the pinch force trajectories of 24 subjects performing two rapid force-matching tasks with visual feedback. Both tasks involved isometric contractions to a target force of 10% maximal voluntary contraction. One task involved a single action (pinch) and the other required a double action (concurrent pinch and wrist extension). 50,000 force trajectories were simulated with a computational neuromuscular model whose input was determined by a PID controller with different PID gains and frequencies at which the controller adjusted muscle commands. The goal was to find the best match between each experimental force trajectory and all simulated trajectories. It was possible to identify one realization of the PID controller that matched the experimental force produced during each task for most subjects (average index of similarity: 0.87 ± 0.12; 1 = perfect similarity). The similarities for both tasks were significantly greater than that would be expected by chance (single action: p = 0.01; double action: p = 0.04). Furthermore, the identified control frequencies in the simulated PID controller with the greatest similarities decreased as task difficulty increased (single action: 4.0 ± 1.8 Hz; double action: 3.1 ± 1.3 Hz). Overall, the results indicate that discrete time PID controllers are realistic models for the neural control of force in rapid force-matching tasks involving isometric contractions.

Improving Dual-Task Control With a Posture-Second Strategy in Early-Stage Parkinson Disease.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng-Ya; Chen, Yu-An; Hwang, Ing-Shiou; Wu, Ruey-Meei

2018-03-31

To examine the task prioritization effects on postural-suprapostural dual-task performance in patients with early-stage Parkinson disease (PD) without clinically observed postural symptoms. Cross-sectional study. Participants performed a force-matching task while standing on a mobile platform, and were instructed to focus their attention on either the postural task (posture-first strategy) or the force-matching task (posture-second strategy). University research laboratory. Individuals (N=16) with early-stage PD who had no clinically observed postural symptoms. Not applicable. Dual-task change (DTC; percent change between single-task and dual-task performance) of posture error, posture approximate entropy (ApEn), force error, and reaction time (RT). Positive DTC values indicate higher postural error, posture ApEn, force error, and force RT during dual-task conditions compared with single-task conditions. Compared with the posture-first strategy, the posture-second strategy was associated with smaller DTC of posture error and force error, and greater DTC of posture ApEn. In contrast, greater DTC of force RT was observed under the posture-second strategy. Contrary to typical recommendations, our results suggest that the posture-second strategy may be an effective dual-task strategy in patients with early-stage PD who have no clinically observed postural symptoms in order to reduce the negative effect of dual tasking on performance and facilitate postural automaticity. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationship between the age of onset of musical training and rhythm synchronization performance: validation of sensitive period effects.

PubMed

Bailey, Jennifer A; Penhune, Virginia B

2013-01-01

A sensitive period associated with musical training has been proposed, suggesting the influence of musical training on the brain and behavior is strongest during the early years of childhood. Experiments from our laboratory have directly tested the sensitive period hypothesis for musical training by comparing musicians who began their training prior to age seven with those who began their training after age seven, while matching the two groups in terms of musical experience (Watanabe et al., 2007; Bailey and Penhune, 2010, 2012). Using this matching paradigm, the early-trained groups have demonstrated enhanced sensorimotor synchronization skills and associated differences in brain structure (Bailey et al., 2013; Steele et al., 2013). The current study takes a different approach to investigating the sensitive period hypothesis for musical training by examining a single large group of unmatched musicians (N = 77) and exploring the relationship between age of onset of musical training as a continuous variable and performance on the Rhythm Synchronization Task (RST), a previously used auditory-motor RST. Interestingly, age of onset was correlated with task performance for those who began training earlier, however, no such relationship was observed among those who began training in their later childhood years. In addition, years of formal training showed a similar pattern. However, individual working memory scores were predictive of task performance, regardless of age of onset of musical training. Overall, these results support the sensitive period hypothesis for musical training and suggest a non-linear relationship between age of onset of musical training and auditory-motor rhythm synchronization abilities, such that a relationship exists early in childhood but then plateaus later on in development, similar to maturational growth trajectories of brain regions implicated in playing music.

Interagency Task Forces: The Right Tools for the Job

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

shortcomings. This analysis discusses four organizational reform models and recommends the interagency task force ( IATF ) as the preferred structure...model.64 Still others recommend creating and deploying ad hoc IATFs for crisis operations. These interagency task forces would be task- organized to...forces assigned for planning, exercises, and mission execution.65 A 2005 article in Policy Review recommended developing IATFs as needed for specific

Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Bulletin; Vol. 8, Special Edition: Vocational Evaluation Project Final Report Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Association, Washington, DC.

Part 2 of the three-part Vocational Evaluation Project final report contains brief summaries of the seven task force report which comprise the final report and two such task force reports. The report of task force 5, Standards for Vocational Evaluation, describes the task force's effort to study the standards for accreditation presently used by…

Comparing the Values Hierarchy of the Kentucky Department of Education's Character/Values Task Force. Comparing a Character/Values Task Force to a National Sample.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Fonda P.

In March 1989, the Kentucky Department of Education assembled a task force to make recommendations regarding the issue of teaching values and character in public schools in Kentucky. The 23-member task force represented educators, parents, the legislature, state and local school boards, law enforcement agencies, higher education, Catholic…

Task Force on Defense Strategies for Ensuring the Resilience of National Space Capabilities. Executive Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-21

March 2017 Task Force on Defense Strategies for Ensuring the Resilience of National Space Capabilities OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF...the Department of Defense. The DSB Task Force on Defense Strategies for Ensuring the Resilience of National Space Capabilities completed its formal...Ensuring the Resilience of National Space Capabilities | i DSB Task Force on Defense Strategies for Ensuring the

Communicating with New and Existing Markets. A Task Force of Howard Community College's 1998-1999 Commission on the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard Community Coll., Columbia, MD.

This is a report from a task force formed by Howard Community College (Maryland) to examine existing and future markets. The task force also explored ways to use marketing strategies to attract potential customers to the college. The task force recommends that the college use its strengths to attract customers, such as its commitment to open…

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Quality of Life.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-10-15

The Quality of Life Task Force is deeply grateful to those distinguished Americans who served as Counselors to the Task Force. Although they did not... Quality of Life issues to the readiness and well being of our Armed Forces. Their willingness to offer suggestions and advice on topics within their...respective expertise was most helpful The recommendations of the Report are those of the Quality of Life Task Force; and Counselors may, or may not, concur in whole or in part with them.

Screening for Hepatitis C Infections in Adults

MedlinePlus

Understanding Task Force Recommendations Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adults The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) has issued a final recommendation statement on Screening for Hepatitis C ...

The Effect of Temporal Perception on Weight Perception

PubMed Central

Kambara, Hiroyuki; Shin, Duk; Kawase, Toshihiro; Yoshimura, Natsue; Akahane, Katsuhito; Sato, Makoto; Koike, Yasuharu

2013-01-01

A successful catch of a falling ball requires an accurate estimation of the timing for when the ball hits the hand. In a previous experiment in which participants performed ball-catching task in virtual reality environment, we accidentally found that the weight of a falling ball was perceived differently when the timing of ball load force to the hand was shifted from the timing expected from visual information. Although it is well known that spatial information of an object, such as size, can easily deceive our perception of its heaviness, the relationship between temporal information and perceived heaviness is still not clear. In this study, we investigated the effect of temporal factors on weight perception. We conducted ball-catching experiments in a virtual environment where the timing of load force exertion was shifted away from the visual contact timing (i.e., time when the ball hit the hand in the display). We found that the ball was perceived heavier when force was applied earlier than visual contact and lighter when force was applied after visual contact. We also conducted additional experiments in which participants were conditioned to one of two constant time offsets prior to testing weight perception. After performing ball-catching trials with 60 ms advanced or delayed load force exertion, participants’ subjective judgment on the simultaneity of visual contact and force exertion changed, reflecting a shift in perception of time offset. In addition, timing of catching motion initiation relative to visual contact changed, reflecting a shift in estimation of force timing. We also found that participants began to perceive the ball as lighter after conditioning to 60 ms advanced offset and heavier after the 60 ms delayed offset. These results suggest that perceived heaviness depends not on the actual time offset between force exertion and visual contact but on the subjectively perceived time offset between them and/or estimation error in force timing. PMID:23450805

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

MedlinePlus

... USPSTF Our Members Conflict of Interest Disclosures Task Force Resources Our Partners Reports to Congress Contact Us ... effort to make the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations clearer and its processes more transparent, ...

78 FR 10127 - Request for Nominations to the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-13

... Conservation Service Request for Nominations to the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force AGENCY: Natural... Nominations to the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force. SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture invites... Force (AAQTF) which was established by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to...

NATURAL ATTENUATION OF FUEL HYDROCARBONS AT MULTIPLE AIR FORCE BASE DEMONSTRATION SITES

EPA Science Inventory

A major initiative to evaluate monitored natural attenuation(MNA) of ground water contaminated with fuel hydrocarbons began in June 1993 and continued through October 2000. During this time site characterization studies, both initial and follow-up, were conducted at 28 Air Forc...

Force related hemodynamic responses during execution and imagery of a hand grip task: A functional near infrared spectroscopy study.

PubMed

Wriessnegger, Selina C; Kirchmeyr, Daniela; Bauernfeind, Günther; Müller-Putz, Gernot R

2017-10-01

We examined force related hemodynamic changes during the performance of a motor execution (ME) and motor imagery (MI) task by means of multichannel functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The hemodynamic responses of fourteen healthy participants were measured while they performed a hand grip execution or imagery task with low and high grip forces. We found an overall higher increase of [oxy-Hb] concentration changes during ME for both grip forces but with a delayed peak maximum for the lower grip force. During the MI task with lower grip force, the [oxy-Hb] level increases are stronger compared to the MI with higher grip force. The facilitation in performing MI with higher grip strength might thus indicate less inhibition of the actual motor act which could also explain the later increase onset of [oxy-Hb] in the ME task with the lower grip force. Our results suggest that execution and imagery of a hand grip task with high and low grip forces, leads to different cortical activation patterns. Since impaired control of grip forces during object manipulation in particular is one aspect of fine motor control deficits after stroke, our study will contribute to future rehabilitation programs enhancing patient's grip force control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-modal cueing effects of visuospatial attention on conscious somatosensory perception.

PubMed

Doruk, Deniz; Chanes, Lorena; Malavera, Alejandra; Merabet, Lotfi B; Valero-Cabré, Antoni; Fregni, Felipe

2018-04-01

The impact of visuospatial attention on perception with supraliminal stimuli and stimuli at the threshold of conscious perception has been previously investigated. In this study, we assess the cross-modal effects of visuospatial attention on conscious perception for near-threshold somatosensory stimuli applied to the face. Fifteen healthy participants completed two sessions of a near-threshold cross-modality cue-target discrimination/conscious detection paradigm. Each trial began with an endogenous visuospatial cue that predicted the location of a weak near-threshold electrical pulse delivered to the right or left cheek with high probability (∼75%). Participants then completed two tasks: first, a forced-choice somatosensory discrimination task (felt once or twice?) and then, a somatosensory conscious detection task (did you feel the stimulus and, if yes, where (left/right)?). Somatosensory discrimination was evaluated with the response reaction times of correctly detected targets, whereas the somatosensory conscious detection was quantified using perceptual sensitivity (d') and response bias (beta). A 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. In the somatosensory discrimination task (1 st task), participants were significantly faster in responding to correctly detected targets (p < 0.001). In the somatosensory conscious detection task (2 nd task), a significant effect of visuospatial attention on response bias (p = 0.008) was observed, suggesting that participants had a less strict criterion for stimuli preceded by spatially valid than invalid visuospatial cues. We showed that spatial attention has the potential to modulate the discrimination and the conscious detection of near-threshold somatosensory stimuli as measured, respectively, by a reduction of reaction times and a shift in response bias toward less conservative responses when the cue predicted stimulus location. A shift in response bias indicates possible effects of spatial attention on internal decision processes. The lack of significant results in perceptual sensitivity (d') could be due to weaker effects of endogenous attention on perception.

78 FR 28580 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-15

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces AGENCY: Office... Defense announces the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force...

77 FR 68744 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-16

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Federal... Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

75 FR 59698 - Federal Advisory Committee; Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-28

.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Task Force is a non-discretionary Federal advisory committee established to (a... for wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces; ii. Medical case management; iii. Non... Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Member of...

PRN 2009-1: Establishment of Antimicrobial Exposure Assessment Task Force II

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This PR notice announces the establishment of the Antimicrobial Exposure Assessment Task Force II, an industry-wide task force to develop mixer, loader, applicator and post-application exposure data for antimicrobial pesticides used in various settings.

Practice and Age-Related Loss of Adaptability in Sensorimotor Performance

PubMed Central

Sosnoff, Jacob J.; Voudrie, Stefani J.

2009-01-01

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine whether the ability to adapt to task constraints is influenced by short-term practice in older adults. Young (18–29 years old) and old (65–75 years old) adults produced force output to a constant force target and a 1-Hz sinusoidal force target by way of the index finger flexion. Participants completed each task 5 times per session for 5 concurrent sessions. The amount and structure of force variability was calculated using linear and nonlinear analyses. As expected, there was a decrease in the magnitude of variability (coefficient of variation) in both tasks and task-related change in the structure of force variability (approximate entropy) with training across groups. The authors found older adults to have a greater amount of variability than their younger counterparts in both tasks. Older adults also demonstrated an increase in the structure of force output in the constant task but a decrease in structure in the sinusoidal task. Age differences in the adaptability to task constraints persisted throughout practice. The authors propose that older adults' ability to adapt sensorimotor output to task demands is not a result of lack of familiarity with the task but that it is, instead, characteristic of the aging process. PMID:19201684

Tibiofemoral contact forces during walking, running and sidestepping.

PubMed

Saxby, David J; Modenese, Luca; Bryant, Adam L; Gerus, Pauline; Killen, Bryce; Fortin, Karine; Wrigley, Tim V; Bennell, Kim L; Cicuttini, Flavia M; Lloyd, David G

2016-09-01

We explored the tibiofemoral contact forces and the relative contributions of muscles and external loads to those contact forces during various gait tasks. Second, we assessed the relationships between external gait measures and contact forces. A calibrated electromyography-driven neuromusculoskeletal model estimated the tibiofemoral contact forces during walking (1.44±0.22ms(-1)), running (4.38±0.42ms(-1)) and sidestepping (3.58±0.50ms(-1)) in healthy adults (n=60, 27.3±5.4years, 1.75±0.11m, and 69.8±14.0kg). Contact forces increased from walking (∼1-2.8 BW) to running (∼3-8 BW), sidestepping had largest maximum total (8.47±1.57 BW) and lateral contact forces (4.3±1.05 BW), while running had largest maximum medial contact forces (5.1±0.95 BW). Relative muscle contributions increased across gait tasks (up to 80-90% of medial contact forces), and peaked during running for lateral contact forces (∼90%). Knee adduction moment (KAM) had weak relationships with tibiofemoral contact forces (all R(2)<0.36) and the relationships were gait task-specific. Step-wise regression of multiple external gait measures strengthened relationships (0.20

Fitts' Law in the Control of Isometric Grip Force With Naturalistic Targets.

PubMed

Thumser, Zachary C; Slifkin, Andrew B; Beckler, Dylan T; Marasco, Paul D

2018-01-01

Fitts' law models the relationship between amplitude, precision, and speed of rapid movements. It is widely used to quantify performance in pointing tasks, study human-computer interaction, and generally to understand perceptual-motor information processes, including research to model performance in isometric force production tasks. Applying Fitts' law to an isometric grip force task would allow for quantifying grasp performance in rehabilitative medicine and may aid research on prosthetic control and design. We examined whether Fitts' law would hold when participants attempted to accurately produce their intended force output while grasping a manipulandum when presented with images of various everyday objects (we termed this the implicit task). Although our main interest was the implicit task, to benchmark it and establish validity, we examined performance against a more standard visual feedback condition via a digital force-feedback meter on a video monitor (explicit task). Next, we progressed from visual force feedback with force meter targets to the same targets without visual force feedback (operating largely on feedforward control with tactile feedback). This provided an opportunity to see if Fitts' law would hold without vision, and allowed us to progress toward the more naturalistic implicit task (which does not include visual feedback). Finally, we changed the nature of the targets from requiring explicit force values presented as arrows on a force-feedback meter (explicit targets) to the more naturalistic and intuitive target forces implied by images of objects (implicit targets). With visual force feedback the relation between task difficulty and the time to produce the target grip force was predicted by Fitts' law (average r 2 = 0.82). Without vision, average grip force scaled accurately although force variability was insensitive to the target presented. In contrast, images of everyday objects generated more reliable grip forces without the visualized force meter. In sum, population means were well-described by Fitts' law for explicit targets with vision ( r 2 = 0.96) and implicit targets ( r 2 = 0.89), but not as well-described for explicit targets without vision ( r 2 = 0.54). Implicit targets should provide a realistic see-object-squeeze-object test using Fitts' law to quantify the relative speed-accuracy relationship of any given grasper.

Ensuring a Strong U.S. Defense for the Future: The National Defense Panel Review of the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-31

began declining before partial sequestration, which has only worsened the problem. When automatic budget cuts took effect in April 2013 for three...structures, including the BUR force, the 2002 Force, the QDR force, and the sequestration force. Table 1 (Appendix A) contains a comparison of these...to address those same security challenges. Under the BCA, automatic reductions of the caps on Government-wide discretionary funding (sequestration

A guide for statewide impaired-driving task forces.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

The purpose of the guide is to assist State officials and other stakeholders who are interested in establishing an : Impaired-Driving Statewide Task Force or who are exploring ways to improve their current Task Force. The guide : addresses issues suc...

PRN 2007-3: The Agricultural Handlers Exposure Task Force, L.L.C

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This PR Notice discusses the Agricultural Handlers Exposure Task Force, an industry-wide task force formed to develop mixer, loader, and applicator exposure data for pesticides used in agricultural settings. It includes contacts for more information.

78 FR 7415 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

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2013-02-01

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

78 FR 66902 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-07

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and...

77 FR 31337 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-25

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and...

76 FR 38118 - Meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on... Forces AGENCY: Department of Defense. ACTION: Meeting notice. SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the... that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the...

78 FR 38015 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-25

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Load type influences motor unit recruitment in biceps brachii during a sustained contraction.

PubMed

Baudry, Stéphane; Rudroff, Thorsten; Pierpoint, Lauren A; Enoka, Roger M

2009-09-01

Twenty subjects participated in four experiments designed to compare time to task failure and motor-unit recruitment threshold during contractions sustained at 15% of maximum as the elbow flexor muscles either supported an inertial load (position task) or exerted an equivalent constant torque against a rigid restraint (force task). Subcutaneous branched bipolar electrodes were used to record single motor unit activity from the biceps brachii muscle during ramp contractions performed before and at 50 and 90% of the time to failure for the position task during both fatiguing contractions. The time to task failure was briefer for the position task than for the force task (P=0.0002). Thirty and 29 motor units were isolated during the force and position tasks, respectively. The recruitment threshold declined by 48 and 30% (P=0.0001) during the position task for motor units with an initial recruitment threshold below and above the target force, respectively, whereas no significant change in recruitment threshold was observed during the force task. Changes in recruitment threshold were associated with a decrease in the mean discharge rate (-16%), an increase in discharge rate variability (+40%), and a prolongation of the first two interspike intervals (+29 and +13%). These data indicate that there were faster changes in motor unit recruitment and rate coding during the position task than the force task despite a similar net muscle torque during both tasks. Moreover, the results suggest that the differential synaptic input observed during the position task influences most of the motor unit pool.

Task- and time-dependent modulation of Ia presynaptic inhibition during fatiguing contractions performed by humans

PubMed Central

Maerz, Adam H.; Gould, Jeffrey R.; Enoka, Roger M.

2011-01-01

Presynaptic modulation of Ia afferents converging onto the motor neuron pool of the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) was compared during contractions (20% of maximal force) sustained to failure as subjects controlled either the angular position of the wrist while supporting an inertial load (position task) or exerted an equivalent force against a rigid restraint (force task). Test Hoffmann (H) reflexes were evoked in the ECR by stimulating the radial nerve above the elbow. Conditioned H reflexes were obtained by stimulating either the median nerve above the elbow or at the wrist (palmar branch) to assess presynaptic inhibition of homonymous (D1 inhibition) and heteronymous Ia afferents (heteronymous Ia facilitation), respectively. The position task was briefer than the force task (P = 0.001), although the maximal voluntary force and electromyograph for ECR declined similarly at failure for both tasks. Changes in the amplitude of the conditioned H reflex were positively correlated between the two conditioning methods (P = 0.02) and differed between the two tasks (P < 0.05). The amplitude of the conditioned H reflex during the position task first increased (129 ± 20.5% of the initial value, P < 0.001) before returning to its initial value (P = 0.22), whereas it increased progressively during the force task to reach 122 ± 17.4% of the initial value at failure (P < 0.001). Moreover, changes in conditioned H reflexes were associated with the time to task failure and force fluctuations. The results suggest a task- and time-dependent modulation of presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents during fatiguing contractions. PMID:21543747

77 FR 6786 - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-09

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Coral Reef Task Force... of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC This meeting, the 27th [[Page 6787

First Responder Refresher: National Standard Curriculum (Instructor Course Guide)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-07-08

This white paper provides a brief overview of the report titled "ITS Focus Task Force on System Architecture Report", dated May 1997. The report was prepared by a special task force of the United Kingdoms ITS Focus organization. This task force wa...

Repairing the Breach. Key Ways To Support Family Life, Reclaim Our Streets, and Rebuild Civil Society in America's Communities. Report of the National Task Force on African-American Men and Boys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Bobby William, Ed.

This report of the National Task Force on African-American Men and Boys is the beginning of an approach to repair society's breaches and restore the streets to safety. The Task Force, headed by Andrew J. Young and established in 1994, conceived its mission as one of reclamation. The Task Force made 61 specific recommendations, and three general…

Bidirectional transfer between joint and individual actions in a task of discrete force production.

PubMed

Masumoto, Junya; Inui, Nobuyuki

2017-07-01

The present study examined bidirectional learning transfer between joint and individual actions involving discrete isometric force production with the right index finger. To examine the effects of practice of joint action on performance of the individual action, participants performed a pre-test (individual condition), practice blocks (joint condition), and a post-test (individual condition) (IJI task). To examine the effects of practice of the individual action on performance during the joint action, the participants performed a pre-test (joint condition), practice blocks (individual condition), and a post-test (joint condition) (JIJ task). Whereas one participant made pressing movements with a target peak force of 10% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) in the individual condition, two participants produced the target force of the sum of 10% MVC produced by each of them in the joint condition. In both the IJI and JIJ tasks, absolute errors and standard deviations of peak force were smaller post-test than pre-test, indicating bidirectional transfer between individual and joint conditions for force accuracy and variability. Although the negative correlation between forces produced by two participants (complementary force production) became stronger with practice blocks in the IJI task, there was no difference between the pre- and post-tests for the negative correlation in the JIJ task. In the JIJ task, the decrease in force accuracy and variability during the individual action did not facilitate complementary force production during the joint action. This indicates that practice performed by two people is essential for complementary force production in joint action.

77 FR 55218 - Homeland Security Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-07

... childhood arrivals program. The HSAC will also receive a report from the Sustainability and Efficiency Task Force, review and discuss the task forces' report, and formulate recommendations for the Department. The.... HSAC conference call details and the Sustainability and Efficiency Task Force report will be provided...

Task force on deterrence of air piracy : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-11-01

In February 1969, as the frequency of hijacking of U.S. air carrier aircraft was rising to an all-time high, the Federal Aviation Administration established a multi-disciplinary Task Force on Deterrence of Air Piracy. The work of the Task Force in de...

75 FR 16577 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-01

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). ACTION: Notice with request for comments. SUMMARY: The Secretary Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to...

77 FR 18307 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-27

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Secretary Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to conduct a comprehensive...

78 FR 28292 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). ACTION: Notice with request for comments. SUMMARY: The Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to...

76 FR 65321 - Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-20

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). ACTION: Notice with request for comments. SUMMARY: The Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to...

78 FR 63208 - UPDATE-Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-23

..., and issues recommendations. These recommendations provide evidence-based options from which decision makers in communities, companies, health departments, health plans and healthcare systems, non..., available resources, and constraints of their constituents. The Task Force's recommendations, along with the...

An introductory handbook for state task forces to combat drunk driving.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-01-01

In June 1982 Governor Robb created a task force to identify and assess efforts under way in Virginia to address the problem of drunken driving and to make recommendations. This booklet was prepared to assist the task force in its deliberations.

Forced Aerobic Exercise Preceding Task Practice Improves Motor Recovery Poststroke.

PubMed

Linder, Susan M; Rosenfeldt, Anson B; Dey, Tanujit; Alberts, Jay L

To understand how two types of aerobic exercise affect upper-extremity motor recovery post-stroke. Our aims were to (1) evaluate the feasibility of having people who had a stroke complete an aerobic exercise intervention and (2) determine whether forced or voluntary exercise differentially facilitates upper-extremity recovery when paired with task practice. Seventeen participants with chronic stroke completed twenty-four 90-min sessions over 8 wk. Aerobic exercise was immediately followed by task practice. Participants were randomized to forced or voluntary aerobic exercise groups or to task practice only. Improvement on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment exceeded the minimal clinically important difference: 12.3, 4.8, and 4.4 for the forced exercise, voluntary exercise, and repetitive task practice-only groups, respectively. Only the forced exercise group exhibited a statistically significant improvement. People with chronic stroke can safely complete intensive aerobic exercise. Forced aerobic exercise may be optimal in facilitating motor recovery associated with task practice. Copyright © 2017 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Embouchure Dysfunction in Air Force Band Brass Musicians.

PubMed

Storms, Patrick R; Elkins, Candice P; Strohecker, Eric M

2016-06-01

Occupational injuries and medical problems in musicians are well described, but relatively less attention has been paid to orofacial and embouchure-related problems in professional brass players. This study addressed embouchure-related problems in Air Force Band members, a population of musicians with an intense practice and performance schedule. A survey was developed and distributed via the Air Force Survey Office to 599 active-duty Air Force Band members and 201 Air National Guard members. The survey assessed practice patterns, practice and performance venues, and presence of symptoms suggesting embouchure dysfunction. Responses were obtained from 167 Air Force Band brass players. Of the 157 responding to the question about embouchure dysfunction, 42% reported having experienced an embouchure problem at some point in the past, and 53% of those respondents reported that they were currently experiencing an embouchure problem. Forty-one percent of those with embouchure problems cited practice venues that were not conducive to effective and efficient practice at the time their embouchure problems began, and 48% of those with embouchure problems reported having to overblow in rehearsal at the time their problems began. Embouchure disorders were reported in a large proportion of Air Force Band brass survey respondents, and specific concerns related to practice venues and the need to overblow in practice settings suggest factors suitable to remediation and preventive strategies.

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.

Task analysis of Air Force pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Bartholomew, A; Sawyer, W T; Coats, L

1995-01-15

The frequency with which United States Air Force pharmacists perform specific professional tasks and the pharmacists' views as to the importance of those tasks were studied. A questionnaire was prepared that asked recipients to rate each of 36 tasks selected as representing the spectrum of practice activities. There were four categories of tasks: managerial tasks, dispensing tasks, drug information tasks, and patient care tasks. Recipients rated the tasks with respect to frequency of performance and importance on separate 6-point scales. The questionnaire was mailed in May 1991 to the 225 pharmacists then serving in the Air Force worldwide. Of the 225 questionnaires, 150 usable questionnaires were returned (response rate, 67%). All the tasks in the survey were performed by at least one Air Force pharmacy officer, although the frequency of task performance varied. In particular, the frequency of many patient care tasks was low. All the tasks were perceived to have some importance, but drug information tasks were rated as being significantly more important than tasks in the other categories; patient care tasks were rated lowest in importance. The results varied with the respondents' demographic characteristics. Pharmacy officers with more years of service, more senior positions, higher rank, or an advanced degree in a field other than pharmacy tended to give responses that diverged from those of the population. A 1991 survey showed an awareness among Air Force pharmacists of the need to orient practice around patient care; however, they were not spending substantial time on patient care and tended to view it as less important than more traditional pharmacy tasks.

Grip force control in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Iyengar, Veena; Santos, Marcio J; Ko, Michael; Aruin, Alexander S

2009-10-01

Appropriate regulation of grip force is essential in performance of various activities of daily living such as drinking, eating, buttoning a shirt, and so on. The extent to which individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are able to regulate grip forces while performing elements of the activities of daily living is largely unknown. . To investigate how individuals with MS control grip force during performance of functional tasks. . This study evaluated the grip force control in selected individuals with MS (n = 9) and healthy control subjects (n = 9) while they performed the task of lifting and placing an instrumented object on a shelf and the task of lifting the object and bringing it close to the mouth to mimic drinking. The grip forces, object acceleration, force ratio, and time lag were recorded and analyzed. . The individuals with MS used significantly larger peak grip force and force ratio than control subjects while performing both tasks and for both hands. In addition, the time lag between the peaks of grip and load forces was significantly longer in individuals with MS. . The application of excessive grip force could predispose individuals with MS to additional fatigue and musculoskeletal overuse trauma. Rehabilitation protocols for the MS population may need to account for increased levels of grip force applied during the performance of functional tasks.

Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-Saddam Governance

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-26

States; the group began integrating into the broader opposition front in September 2002. In post-Saddam Iraq, Kanna served on the IGC. 23 Deyoung...Democratic Movement, which is headed by Yonadam Yousif Kanna .22 The Administration also began training about 5,000 oppositionists to assist U.S. forces,23...president of Saudi-based Hicap Technology. ! Assyrian leader Yonadam Kanna ! Iraqi Communist Party head Hamid al-Musa, a Shiite Muslim. The party is

A Survivability Assessment of the Transformable Craft in an Operational Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

Red Home 1 and 3 contain patrol boats. Red Home 2 contains semi-submersibles. 2. Regional conflict The Kalimantan (KA) Republic became an...separatists movement to help KA in the coming fight for economic equality. Two Kalimantan army divisions 23 began using air and amphibious forces to...gain footholds in Malaysia. The First Kalimantan Division (KD) landed near Kuching and began driving west through Malaysian territory. The Third KD

The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

for worry was the substantial of Saigon. The French subsequently political support the Communist par- began negotiations with the Chinese ties of...those of Indochina, in Chinese Army of its responsibilities the postwarperiod. under General Order No. 1. The During the last months of the war, French...commander, Gen. Jacques U.S. agents had been parachuted into Leclerc, began negotiations with Ho the hills of Annam where they joined and, on 6 March

76 FR 52932 - Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-24

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Natural Resources Conservation Service Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on...

The hierarchy of task decision and response selection: a task-switching event related potentials study.

PubMed

Braverman, Ami; Berger, Andrea; Meiran, Nachshon

2014-07-01

According to "hierarchical" multi-step theories, response selection is preceded by a decision regarding which task rule should be executed. Other theories assume a "flat" single-step architecture in which task information and stimulus information are simultaneously considered. Using task switching, the authors independently manipulated two kinds of conflict: task conflict (with information that potentially triggers the relevant or the competing task rule/identity) and response conflict (with information that potentially triggers the relevant or the competing response code/motor response). Event related potentials indicated that the task conflict effect began before the response conflict effect and carried on in parallel with it. These results are more in line with the hierarchical view. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using grasping tasks to evaluate hand force coordination in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Samuel J; Getchell, Nancy; Modlesky, Christopher M; Miller, Freeman; Jaric, Slobodan

2009-08-01

Mackenzie SJ, Getchell N, Modlesky CM, Miller F, Jaric S. Using grasping tasks to evaluate hand force coordination in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. To assess force coordination in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) using a device that allows for testing both unimanual and bimanual manipulation tasks performed under static and dynamic conditions. Nonequivalent groups design. University research laboratory for motor control. Six children with hemiplegic CP (age, mean +/- SD, 11.6+/-1.8 y) and 6 typically developing controls (11.6+/-1.6 y). Not applicable. Children performed simple lifting and force-matching static ramp tasks by way of both unimanual and bimanual pulling using a device that measures grip force (force acting perpendicularly at the digits-device contact area) and load force (tangential force). Main outcome measures were grip/load force ratios (grip force scaling) and correlation coefficients (force coupling). CP subjects showed significantly higher grip/load force ratios (P<.05) and slightly lower correlation coefficients than the control group, with more pronounced differences for most tasks when using their involved hand. For subjects with CP, switching from unimanual to bimanual conditions did not bring changes in scaling or coupling for the involved hand (P>.05). Compared with healthy children, the impaired hand function in the hemiplegic CP pediatric population could be reflected in excessive grip force that is also decoupled from ongoing changes in load force. Therefore, the bimanual grip load device used in this study could provide a sensitive measure of grip force coordination in CP, although nonmotor deficits should be taken into account when asking children to perform more complex tasks.

The STRONG STAR Multidisciplinary PTSD Research Consortium

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

hippocampus. Figure 2.7 shows the effects of adult and prenatal stress on plasma corticosterone levels (Task 1 Step 12; Task 2, Step 11). Prenatal...measure both basal and acute stress-induced levels of corticosterone and ACTH. Figure 2.7: Effect of prenatal...we administered the natural glucocorticoid agonist corticosterone . We also began another model in which we hoped to measure the effect of the

77 FR 3241 - Intent To Hold North Dakota Task Force Meeting as Established by the Missouri River Protection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-23

... duties of the Task Force are to prepare and approve a plan for the use of the funds made available under... of the Task Force are to prepare and approve a plan for the use of the funds made available under... Force Meeting as Established by the Missouri River Protection and Improvement Act of 2000 (Title VII...

The role of looming and attention capture in drivers' braking responses.

PubMed

Terry, Hugh R; Charlton, Samuel G; Perrone, John A

2008-07-01

This study assessed the ability of drivers to detect the deceleration of a preceding vehicle in a simulated vehicle-following task. The size of the preceding vehicles (car, van, or truck) and following speeds (50, 70, or 100 km/h) were systematically varied. Participants selected a preferred following distance by engaging their vehicle's cruise control and when the preceding vehicle began decelerating (no brake lights were illuminated), the participant's braking latency and distances to the lead vehicle were recorded. The experiment also employed a secondary task condition to examine how the attention-capturing properties of a looming vehicle were affected by driver distraction. The results indicated that a looming stimulus is capable of redirecting a driver's attention in a vehicle following task and, as with detection of brake lights, a driver's detection of a looming vehicle is compromised in the presence of a distracting task. Interestingly, increases in vehicle size had the effect of decreasing drivers' braking latencies and drivers engaged in the secondary task were significantly closer to the lead vehicle when they began braking, regardless of the size of the leading vehicle. Performance decrements resulting from the secondary task were reflected in a time-to-collision measure but not in optic expansion rate, lending support to earlier arguments that time-to-collision estimates require explicit cognitive judgements while perception of optic expansion may function in a more automatic fashion to redirect a driver's attention when cognitive resources are low or collision is imminent.

75 FR 33838 - NASA Advisory Council; Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-15

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice (10-065)] NASA Advisory Council; Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense; Meeting AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ACTION... amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a meeting of the Ad-Hoc Task Force on...

75 FR 15742 - NASA Advisory Council; Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice: (10-035)] NASA Advisory Council; Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense; Meeting AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ACTION... amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a meeting of the Ad-Hoc Task Force on...

Honeywell's Working Parents Task Force. Final Report and Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.

This publication provides a summary of the Honeywell Working Parent Task Force's recommendations on how to solve problems experienced by working parents. The Task Force consisted of three committees: the Employment Practices Committee (EPC); the Parent Education Committee (PEC); and the Child Care Facilities Committee (CCFC). After examining a…

77 FR 71471 - Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-30

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice of open Federal Interagency... agenda for its public meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. The...

75 FR 34439 - Defense Science Board Task Force on Nuclear Treaty Monitoring and Verification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Defense Science Board Task Force on Nuclear Treaty... meetings. SUMMARY: The Defense Science Board Task Force on Nuclear Treaty Monitoring and Verification will... Applications International Corporation, 4001 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA. FOR FURTHER...

76 FR 70913 - Retrospective Review Under Executive Order 13579

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-16

... Fukushima Task Force Report. DATES: November 16, 2011. ADDRESSES: You can access publicly available... Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (Fukushima Task Force Report, ML111861807), was issued. The Commission has...

76 FR 55394 - Meeting of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-07

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the...), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease... (Task Force). The Task Force--an independent, nonfederal body of nationally known leaders in public...

76 FR 4115 - Meeting of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the...), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease... (Task Force). The Task Force--an independent, nonfederal body of nationally known leaders in public...

75 FR 63846 - Meeting of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-18

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Meeting of the...), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease... (Task Force). The Task Force is an independent, nonfederal body of nationally known leaders in public...

75 FR 48929 - Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-12

... Agricultural Air Quality Task Force AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States... Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; (919) 541-5400. The Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on air quality issues relating to agriculture. Additionally, the Livestock...

NASA replanning efforts continue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katzoff, Judith A.

A task force of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is producing new launch schedules for NASA's three remaining space shuttle orbiters, possibly supplemented by expendable launch vehicles. In the wake of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986, the task force is assuming a delay of 12-18 months before resumption of shuttle flights.NASA's Headquarters Replanning Task Force, which meets daily, is separate from the agency's Data and Design Analysis Task Force, which collects and analyzes information about the accident for the use of the investigative commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan.

Report of NASA Lunar Energy Enterprise Case Study Task Force

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kearney, John J.

1989-01-01

The Lunar Energy Enterprise Case Study Task Force was asked to determine the economic viability and commercial potential of mining and extracting He-3 from the lunar soil, and transporting the material to Earth for use in a power-generating fusion reactor. Two other space energy projects, the Space Power Station (SPS) and the Lunar Power Station (LPS), were also reviewed because of several interrelated aspects of these projects. The specific findings of the Task Force are presented. Appendices contain related papers generated by individual Task Force Members.

14th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies Task Force Report on Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

PubMed

Cervera, Ricard; Rodríguez-Pintó, Ignasi; Colafrancesco, Serena; Conti, Fabrizio; Valesini, Guido; Rosário, Cristina; Agmon-Levin, Nancy; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Ferrão, Claudia; Faria, Raquel; Vasconcelos, Carlos; Signorelli, Flavio; Espinosa, Gerard

2014-07-01

The 'Task Force on Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS)' was developed on the occasion of the 14th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies. The objectives of this Task Force were to assess the current knowledge on pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, diagnosis and classification, precipitating factors and treatment of this condition in order to address recommendations for future research. This article summarizes the studies analyzed by the Task Force, its recommendations and the future research agenda. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fitts’ Law in the Control of Isometric Grip Force With Naturalistic Targets

PubMed Central

Thumser, Zachary C.; Slifkin, Andrew B.; Beckler, Dylan T.; Marasco, Paul D.

2018-01-01

Fitts’ law models the relationship between amplitude, precision, and speed of rapid movements. It is widely used to quantify performance in pointing tasks, study human-computer interaction, and generally to understand perceptual-motor information processes, including research to model performance in isometric force production tasks. Applying Fitts’ law to an isometric grip force task would allow for quantifying grasp performance in rehabilitative medicine and may aid research on prosthetic control and design. We examined whether Fitts’ law would hold when participants attempted to accurately produce their intended force output while grasping a manipulandum when presented with images of various everyday objects (we termed this the implicit task). Although our main interest was the implicit task, to benchmark it and establish validity, we examined performance against a more standard visual feedback condition via a digital force-feedback meter on a video monitor (explicit task). Next, we progressed from visual force feedback with force meter targets to the same targets without visual force feedback (operating largely on feedforward control with tactile feedback). This provided an opportunity to see if Fitts’ law would hold without vision, and allowed us to progress toward the more naturalistic implicit task (which does not include visual feedback). Finally, we changed the nature of the targets from requiring explicit force values presented as arrows on a force-feedback meter (explicit targets) to the more naturalistic and intuitive target forces implied by images of objects (implicit targets). With visual force feedback the relation between task difficulty and the time to produce the target grip force was predicted by Fitts’ law (average r2 = 0.82). Without vision, average grip force scaled accurately although force variability was insensitive to the target presented. In contrast, images of everyday objects generated more reliable grip forces without the visualized force meter. In sum, population means were well-described by Fitts’ law for explicit targets with vision (r2 = 0.96) and implicit targets (r2 = 0.89), but not as well-described for explicit targets without vision (r2 = 0.54). Implicit targets should provide a realistic see-object-squeeze-object test using Fitts’ law to quantify the relative speed-accuracy relationship of any given grasper. PMID:29773999

Covert face recognition in congenital prosopagnosia: a group study.

PubMed

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

2012-03-01

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

Report of the Fermilab ILC Citizens' Task Force

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

None

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory convened the ILC Citizens' Task Force to provide guidance and advice to the laboratory to ensure that community concerns and ideas are included in all public aspects of planning and design for a proposed future accelerator, the International Linear Collider. In this report, the members of the Task Force describe the process they used to gather and analyze information on all aspects of the proposed accelerator and its potential location at Fermilab in northern Illinois. They present the conclusions and recommendations they reached as a result of the learning process and their subsequent discussions and deliberations.more » While the Task Force was charged to provide guidance on the ILC, it became clear during the process that the high cost of the proposed accelerator made a near-term start for the project at Fermilab unlikely. Nevertheless, based on a year of extensive learning and dialogue, the Task Force developed a series of recommendations for Fermilab to consider as the laboratory develops all successor projects to the Tevatron. The Task Force recognizes that bringing a next-generation particle physics project to Fermilab will require both a large international effort and the support of the local community. While the Task Force developed its recommendations in response to the parameters of a future ILC, the principles they set forth apply directly to any large project that may be conceived at Fermilab, or at other laboratories, in the future. With this report, the Task Force fulfills its task of guiding Fermilab from the perspective of the local community on how to move forward with a large-scale project while building positive relationships with surrounding communities. The report summarizes the benefits, concerns and potential impacts of bringing a large-scale scientific project to northern Illinois.« less

COIN in Cyberspace: Focusing Air Force Doctrine Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

cyberspace and began codifying its cyber warfare doctrine. This effort is hampered, however, by a limited understanding of cyberspace by rank and file Air...Force members. Many believe cyberspace and cyber warfare are the responsibility of the communications community. If this new doctrine is to be...doctrine to build upon, the Air Force can create unity of effort among Airmen at all levels, ensure unity of purpose in the prosecution of cyber warfare , and

Seeing Off the Bear: Anglo-American Air Power Cooperation During the Cold War,

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

Force History and Museums Program United States Air Force Washington, D.C. 1995 .ApprovAd fox r’Thiic r ~elease, j,, 117-~ I 7,CTh D Disbution...Air Power History Symposium began in late 1992 under the direction of General Bryce Poe II, President of the Air Force Historical Foundation, Air...vii Introduction and Welcome General Bryce Poe II; Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey .............. 3 Opening

Status Report on Activities of the Systems Assessment Task Force, OECD-NEA Expert Group on Accident Tolerant Fuels for LWRs

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

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon Michelle

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development /Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) Nuclear Science Committee approved the formation of an Expert Group on Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) for LWRs (EGATFL) in 2014. Chaired by Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, INL Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Science and Technology, the mandate for the EGATFL defines work under three task forces: (1) Systems Assessment, (2) Cladding and Core Materials, and (3) Fuel Concepts. Scope for the Systems Assessment task force includes definition of evaluation metrics for ATF, technology readiness level definition, definition of illustrative scenarios for ATF evaluation, parametric studies, and selection of system codes. Themore » Cladding and Core Materials and Fuel Concepts task forces will identify gaps and needs for modeling and experimental demonstration; define key properties of interest; identify the data necessary to perform concept evaluation under normal conditions and illustrative scenarios; identify available infrastructure (internationally) to support experimental needs; and make recommendations on priorities. Where possible, considering proprietary and other export restrictions (e.g., International Traffic in Arms Regulations), the Expert Group will facilitate the sharing of data and lessons learned across the international group membership. The Systems Assessment Task Force is chaired by Shannon Bragg-Sitton (INL), while the Cladding Task Force will be chaired by a representative from France (Marie Moatti, Electricite de France [EdF]) and the Fuels Task Force will be chaired by a representative from Japan (Masaki Kurata, Japan Atomic Energy Agency [JAEA]). This report provides an overview of the Systems Assessment Task Force charter and status of work accomplishment.« less

Increased reaction times and reduced response preparation already starts at middle age

PubMed Central

Wolkorte, Ria; Kamphuis, Janine; Zijdewind, Inge

2014-01-01

Generalized slowing characterizes aging and there is some evidence to suggest that this slowing already starts at midlife. This study aims to assess reaction time changes while performing a concurrent low-force and high-force motor task in young and middle-aged subjects. The high-force motor task is designed to induce muscle fatigue and thereby progressively increase the attentional demands. Twenty-five young (20–30 years, 12 males) and 16 middle-aged (35–55 years, 9 males) adults performed an auditory two-choice reaction time task (CRT) with and without a concurrent low- or high-force motor task. The CRT required subjects to respond to two different stimuli that occurred with a probability of 70 or 30%. The motor task consisted of index finger abduction, at either 10% (10%-dual-task) or 30% (30%-dual-task) of maximal voluntary force. Cognitive task performance was measured as percentage of correct responses and reaction times. Middle-aged subjects responded slower on the frequent but more accurately on the infrequent stimuli of CRT than young subjects. Both young and middle-aged subjects showed increased errors and reaction times while performing under dual-task conditions and both outcome measures increased further under fatiguing conditions. Only under 30%-dual-task demands, an age-effect on dual-task performance was present. Both single- and dual-task conditions showed that already at mid-life response preparation is seriously declined and that subjects implement different strategies to perform a CRT task. PMID:24808862

TASK FORCE REPORT ON ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MORRIS, ROBERT

THE TASK FORCE ON ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION HAS BEEN CHARGED TO RECOMMEND THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR ASSESSING AND EVALUATING THE SHORT-TERM ACTIVITIES AND THE LONG-TERM ACHIEVEMENTS OF ACTION FOR BOSTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE TASK FORCE ARE--THE ANALYSIS OF DATA RELEVANT FOR EVALUATING DAY-BY-DAY DECISION-MAKING,…

Inter-Association Task Force Report on Image.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Special Libraries Association, Washington, DC.

In 1988, the Board of Directors of the Special Libraries Association provided funding to a task force to gather data which would determine how certain segments of society perceive librarians, how librarians view themselves and their colleagues, and to provide recommendations for addressing the issue of image. The task force project consisted of…

Report of the Social Studies Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gathman, John; And Others

In 1982 the Colorado Board of Education directed the State Board of Education to organize task forces to address a variety of state educational needs. This report, presented by the Social Studies Task Force, explains the group's purposes and concerns, provides a social studies definition, and outlines the Colorado grades K-12 social studies…

Human Health Effects, Task Force Assessment, Preliminary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronow, Wilbert S.; And Others

Presented in this preliminary report is one of seven assessments conducted by a special task force of Project Clean Air, the Human Health Effects Task Force. The reports summarize assessments of the state of knowledge on various air pollution problems, particularly in California, and make tentative recommendations as to what the University of…

Report of the Task Force on School Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore.

The 1990 Report of the Task Force on School Health examines the current status of Maryland's school health programs and proposes 16 recommendations designed to implement a comprehensive school health (CSH) program to meet the needs of all students. The report describes the Task Force, which was appointed in 1989. After presenting a background on…

A Status Report from the Task Force on Marketing Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keim, William A.; And Others

Concerned with changes in enrollment and credit hour patterns, the chancellor of the Kansas City Metropolitan Community Colleges (MCC) created a special Task Force to consider recommendations for marketing strategies for the 1978-79 academic year. The Task Force reviewed regional and district demography, area population trends and density, age and…

Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Legislative Services, Annapolis.

In 1997, Maryland formed the Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships. The group made a comprehensive review of education funding and programs in grades K-12 to ensure that students throughout Maryland have an equal opportunity for academic success. The task force's final report features the membership roster, the…

75 FR 43943 - Defense Science Board; Task Force on Nuclear Treaty Monitoring and Verification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-27

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Defense Science Board; Task Force on Nuclear Treaty... meetings. SUMMARY: The Defense Science Board Task Force on Nuclear Treaty Monitoring and Verification will... held September 13-14, and 25-26, 2010. ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at Science Applications...

76 FR 69296 - Proposed Models for Plant-Specific Adoption of Technical Specifications Task Force Traveler TSTF...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-08

... Adoption of Technical Specifications Task Force Traveler TSTF-500, Revision 2, ``DC Electrical Rewrite... Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF) Traveler TSTF-500, Revision 2, ``DC Electrical Rewrite--Update to... Reactor Systems Engineer, Technical Specifications Branch, Mail Stop: O-7 C2A, Division of Inspection and...

28 CFR 16.105 - Exemption of Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force System.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exemption of Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force System. 16.105 Section 16.105 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PRODUCTION OR... of Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force System. (a) The following system of records is exempt from 5...

26 CFR 54.9815-2713T - Coverage of preventive health services (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force with respect to the... States Preventive Services Task Force with respect to the individual. The provider bills the plan for an... A or B in the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force with...

National Task Force on Student Aid Problems. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1975

This document presents a full discussion of the activities, findings, and recommendations of the National Task Force on Student Aid Problems. The task force was a voluntary association of concerned and interested agencies and organizations. Its only standing came from the support of those directly concerned with student aid problems. By design and…

Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships. Preliminary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Legislative Services, Annapolis.

In 1997, Maryland formed the Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships to ensure that students throughout Maryland have an equal opportunity for academic success. The Task Force's preliminary report features a comprehensive review of education funding and programs in grades K-12. The report presents membership and…

78 FR 44034 - Petition for Rulemaking Submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-23

... the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident,'' (Fukushima Task Force Report, ADAMS Accession No. ML111861807..., pages 43-46, of the Fukushima Task Force Report, which discusses the enhancement of spent fuel pool... Commission was still in the process of reviewing the Fukushima Task Force Report, and the NRC did not...

Initial Report of the Task Force on Cultural Competence Education in the Health Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Mexico Higher Education Department, 2007

2007-01-01

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the Task Force on Cultural Competence Education and represents the distillation of the Task Force's efforts to fulfill its legislative charge. The report is intended to facilitate a statewide conversation about the health services provided to New Mexico's multicultural citizenry. It…

75 FR 30002 - Federal Advisory Committee; Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Federal Advisory Committee; Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD). ACTION: Termination of... Department of Defense gives notice that it is terminating the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the...

Convergence, Competition, Cooperation: The Report of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Telecommunications Infrastructure Task Force. Volume One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin Governor's Office, Madison.

This report by the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Wisconsin's Telecommunications Infrastructure considers infrastructure to be the common network that connects individual residences, businesses, and agencies, rather than the individual systems and equipment themselves. The task force recognizes that advances in telecommunications technologies and…

The Washington State Task Force on Student Transportation Safety. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Legislature, Olympia.

Findings of a study conducted by the Washington State Task Force on Student Transportation Safety are presented in this report. The data-collection process involved four phases: meetings with experts in student transportation and pedestrian safety; public meetings, informational work sessions, and tours of problems areas; task force meetings; and…

Youth Employment. Final Recommendations of the State Superintendent's Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

This report contains the final recommendations of the task force on youth employment for the state of Wisconsin. The task force was specifically charged with studying issues related to working teenagers, reviewing existing laws and regulations on child labor, and developing recommendations to ensure that when teenagers work, their jobs do not…

78 FR 10636 - Task Force on Research on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-14

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Task Force on Research on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women; Meeting AGENCY: Office on Violence Against Women, United States Department of Justice. ACTION... public meeting of the Task Force on Research on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women...

32 CFR 700.1053 - Commander of a task force.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Commander of a task force. 700.1053 Section 700.1053 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY UNITED STATES NAVY... Command Detail to Duty § 700.1053 Commander of a task force. (a) A geographic fleet commander, and any...

32 CFR 700.1053 - Commander of a task force.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Commander of a task force. 700.1053 Section 700.1053 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY UNITED STATES NAVY... Command Detail to Duty § 700.1053 Commander of a task force. (a) A geographic fleet commander, and any...

32 CFR 700.1053 - Commander of a task force.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Commander of a task force. 700.1053 Section 700.1053 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY UNITED STATES NAVY... Command Detail to Duty § 700.1053 Commander of a task force. (a) A geographic fleet commander, and any...

77 FR 59627 - Homeland Security Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-28

... purpose of reviewing and deliberating on recommendations by the HSAC's Cyber Skills Task Force. DATES: The.... The HSAC will meet to review and deliberate on the Cyber Skills Task Force report of findings and... details and the Cyber Skills Task Force report will be provided to interested members of the public at the...

Report of the Task Force on Declining Enrollment. Third Revision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Highline Public Schools, Seattle, WA.

The purpose of this task force was to study the program, facilities, and alternatives of the Highline School District as they relate to enrollment decline. Specifically, the task force was to establish criteria for identifying facilities where changes should be considered; identify and prioritize alternatives for use of excess classroom space; and…

77 FR 1913 - Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-12

... Conservation Service Notice of Meeting of the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force AGENCY: Natural Resources...), Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF) will meet to continue discussions on critical air quality issues... relationship between agricultural production and air quality. The meeting is open to the public, and a draft...

Applying Culture to Military Operations: A Review of Foreign Militaries

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-04

with foreign cultures.29 This gap was addressed by the Australian Defence Force’s 39th Personnel Support Battalion ( PSB ) when they began offering...Force Preparation Training to military service members as well as government civilians in advance of deployment.30 In 2010, the 39th PSB determined...to ensure that the training “will continually evolve.” 31 In August of 2011, the 39th PSB began offering a two-part training package. The

Exploring Collaboration System Effectiveness at the United States Army Brigade Echelon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herring, Terry W.

2012-01-01

Since the attacks on September 11, 2001, a major transformation of the United States Army began to create a modular, scalable, and modernized military force. This effort was the most significant restructuring of military forces in the last 80 years. However, after 6 years of sustained combat operations in the Middle East many of the collaboration…

Status Report on Activities of the Systems Assessment Task Force, OECD-NEA Expert Group on Accident Tolerant Fuels for LWRs

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

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon Michelle

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development /Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) Nuclear Science Committee approved the formation of an Expert Group on Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) for LWRs (EGATFL) in 2014. Chaired by Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, INL Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Science and Technology, the mandate for the EGATFL defines work under three task forces: (1) Systems Assessment, (2) Cladding and Core Materials, and (3) Fuel Concepts. Scope for the Systems Assessment task force (TF1) includes definition of evaluation metrics for ATF, technology readiness level definition, definition of illustrative scenarios for ATF evaluation, and identification of fuel performance and systemmore » codes applicable to ATF evaluation. The Cladding and Core Materials (TF2) and Fuel Concepts (TF3) task forces will identify gaps and needs for modeling and experimental demonstration; define key properties of interest; identify the data necessary to perform concept evaluation under normal conditions and illustrative scenarios; identify available infrastructure (internationally) to support experimental needs; and make recommendations on priorities. Where possible, considering proprietary and other export restrictions (e.g., International Traffic in Arms Regulations), the Expert Group will facilitate the sharing of data and lessons learned across the international group membership. The Systems Assessment task force is chaired by Shannon Bragg-Sitton (Idaho National Laboratory [INL], U.S.), the Cladding Task Force is chaired by Marie Moatti (Electricite de France [EdF], France), and the Fuels Task Force is chaired by a Masaki Kurata (Japan Atomic Energy Agency [JAEA], Japan). The original Expert Group mandate was established for June 2014 to June 2016. In April 2016 the Expert Group voted to extend the mandate one additional year to June 2017 in order to complete the task force deliverables; this request was subsequently approved by the Nuclear Science Committee. This report provides an update on the status Systems Assessment Task Force activities.« less

Identifying work preferences among individuals with severe multiple disabilities prior to beginning supported work.

PubMed

Reid, D H; Parsons, M B; Green, C W

1998-01-01

We evaluated a prework assessment for predicting work-task preferences among workers with severe multiple disabilities prior to beginning supported work. The assessment involved comparing worker selections from pairs of work tasks drawn from their future job duties. Results of workers' choices once they began their jobs in a publishing company indicated that the assessment predicted tasks that the workers preferred to work on during their job routines. Results are discussed regarding other possible means of determining preferred types of supported work.

Decreasing Off-Task Behavior through a Dot/Point Reward System and Portfolio Reflection with Second, Fifth, and Sixth Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butera, Lisa M.; Giacone, Maria V.; Wagner, Kelly A.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this action research project report was to decrease off-task behavior through a dot/point reward system and portfolio reflections. Students involved in this research were in second, fifth, and sixth grade. There were a total of 85 student participants and 35 teacher participants. The dates of this research began on September 4, 2007…

Fifth Report of the NASA Advisory Council Task Force on the Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The NASA Advisory Council Task Force on the Shuttle-Mir rendezvous and docking missions examine a number of specific issues related to the Shuttle-Mir program. Three teams composed of Task Force members and technical advisors were formed to address the follow issues: preliminary results from STS-71 and the status of preparations for STS-74; NASA's presence in Russia; and NASA's automated data processing and telecommunications (ADP/T) infrastructure in Russia. The three review team reports have been included in the fifth report of the Task Force.

Enhanced Training by a Systemic Governance of Force Capabilities, Tasks, and Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

18th ICCRTS “C2 in Underdeveloped, Degraded and Denied Operational Environments” Enhanced Training by a Systemic Governance of Force Capabilities...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Enhanced Training by a Systemic Governance of Force Capabilities, Tasks, and Processes 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c...assess, evaluate and accredit the Swedish forces. This paper presents a Systemic Governance of Capabilities, Tasks, and Processes applied to the

Evaluation of pliers' grip spans in the maximum gripping task and sub-maximum cutting task.

PubMed

Kim, Dae-Min; Kong, Yong-Ku

2016-12-01

A total of 25 males participated to investigate the effects of the grip spans of pliers on the total grip force, individual finger forces and muscle activities in the maximum gripping task and wire-cutting tasks. In the maximum gripping task, results showed that the 50-mm grip span had significantly higher total grip strength than the other grip spans. In the cutting task, the 50-mm grip span also showed significantly higher grip strength than the 65-mm and 80-mm grip spans, whereas the muscle activities showed a higher value at 80-mm grip span. The ratios of cutting force to maximum grip strength were also investigated. Ratios of 30.3%, 31.3% and 41.3% were obtained by grip spans of 50-mm, 65-mm, and 80-mm, respectively. Thus, the 50-mm grip span for pliers might be recommended to provide maximum exertion in gripping tasks, as well as lower maximum-cutting force ratios in the cutting tasks.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations and cancer screening among female Medicare beneficiaries.

PubMed

Salloum, Ramzi G; Kohler, Racquel E; Jensen, Gail A; Sheridan, Stacey L; Carpenter, William R; Biddle, Andrea K

2014-03-01

Medicare covers several cancer screening tests not currently recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). In September 2002, the Task Force relaxed the upper age limit of 70 years for breast cancer screening recommendations, and in March 2003 an upper age limit of 65 years was introduced for cervical cancer screening recommendations. We assessed whether mammogram and Pap test utilization among women with Medicare coverage is influenced by changes in the Task Force's recommendations for screening. We identified female Medicare beneficiaries aged 66-80 years and used bivariate probit regression to examine the receipt of breast (mammogram) and cervical (Pap test) cancer screening reflecting changes in the Task Force recommendations. We analyzed 9,760 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey responses from 2001 to 2007. More than two-thirds reported receiving a mammogram and more than one-third a Pap test in the previous 2 years. Lack of recommendation was given as a reason for not getting screened among the majority (51% for mammogram and 75% for Pap). After controlling for beneficiary-level socioeconomic characteristics and access to care factors, we did not observe a significant change in breast and cervical cancer screening patterns following the changes in Task Force recommendations. Although there is evidence that many Medicare beneficiaries adhere to screening guidelines, some women may be receiving non-recommended screening services covered by Medicare.

Deficits in inhibitory force control in young adults with ADHD.

PubMed

Neely, Kristina A; Wang, Peiyuan; Chennavasin, Amanda P; Samimy, Shaadee; Tucker, Jacqueline; Merida, Andrea; Perez-Edgar, Koraly; Huang-Pollock, Cynthia

2017-05-01

Poor inhibitory control is a well-established cognitive correlate of adults with ADHD. However, the simple reaction time (RT) task used in a majority of studies records performance errors only via the presence or absence of a single key press. This all-or-nothing response makes it impossible to capture subtle differences in underlying processes that shape performance. Subsequently, all-or-nothing tasks may underestimate the prevalence of executive function deficits in ADHD. The current study measured inhibitory control using a standard Go/No-Go RT task and a more sensitive continuous grip force task among adults with (N=51, 22 female) and without (N=51, 29 female) ADHD. Compared to adults without ADHD, adults with ADHD made more failed inhibits in the classic Go/No-Go paradigm and produced greater and more variable force during motor inhibition. The amount of force produced on failed inhibits was a stronger predictor of ADHD-related symptoms than the number of commissions in the standard RT task. Adults with ADHD did not differ from those without ADHD on the mean force and variability of force produced in Go trials. These findings suggest that the use of a precise and continuous motor task, such as the force task used here, provides additional information about the nature of inhibitory motor control in adults with ADHD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biopolitics and the `subject' of labor in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bazzul, Jesse

2017-12-01

Viewing science education as a site of biopolitical engagement—intervention into forces that seek to define, control, and exploit life (biopower)—requires that science educators ask after how individuals and populations are governed by technologies of power. In this paper, I argue that microanalyses, the analysis of everyday practices and discourses, are integral to biopolitical engagement, are needed to examine practices that constitute subjectivities and maintain oppressive social conditions. As an example of a microanalysis I will discuss how repetitive close-ended lab/assessment tasks, as well as discourses surrounding careers in science, can work to constitute students as depoliticized, self-investing subjects of human capital. I also explore the relationship between science education, (bio)labor and its relation to biopolitics, which remains an underdeveloped area of science education. This paper, part of my doctoral work, began to take shape in 2011, shortly after the 2008 economic crisis achieved a tiny breached in the thick neoliberal stupor of everyday (educational) life.

Types and Distribution of Bright Materials in 4 Vesta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Li, Jian-Yang; Pieters, C. M.; De Sanctis, M. C.; Schroder, S. E.; Hiesinger, H.; Blewett, D. T.; Russell, C. T.; Raymond, C. A.; Yingst, R. A.

2012-01-01

A strong case can be made that Vesta is the parent asteroid of the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites [1]. As such, we have over a century of detailed sample analysis experience to call upon when formulating hypotheses regarding plausible lithologic diversity on Vesta. It thus came as a surprise when Dawn s Framing Camera (FC) first revealed distinctly localized materials of exceptionally low and high albedos, often closely associated. To understand the nature and origin of these materials, and how they inform us of the geological evolution of Vesta, task forces began their study. An initial step of the scientific endeavor is to develop a descriptive, non-genetic classification of objects to use as a basis for developing hypotheses and observational campaigns. Here we present a catalog of the types of light-toned deposits and their distribution across Vesta. A companion abstract [2] discusses possible origins of bright materials and the constraints they suggest for vestan geology.

Plea to African heads-of-state: join the fight.

PubMed

Tyson, R

1997-10-01

Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, is the only African head-of-state who has led an all-out, extended campaign against AIDS, and Uganda is the only African country to realize a decline in HIV rates since the epidemic began spreading across central and southern Africa in the 1980s. While South Africa's President Nelson Mandela has spoken about AIDS in international forums, his country's programs against AIDS are in disarray. Rather than adopt a position of leadership against HIV/AIDS, African leaders have most often tried to cover up or ignore the AIDS threat. Zimbabwe and Nigeria are briefly discussed as examples. More than 100 delegates attended the HIV/AIDS workshop at the fourth African-African American Summit held in Harare, July 1997. After listening for 2 days to medical experts describe how the epidemic is destroying African economies and social structures, task force members called upon leaders of the 40 sub-Saharan African countries to acknowledge the threat of AIDS in their countries and to fight against the epidemic.

Estimation of lumbar spinal loading and trunk muscle forces during asymmetric lifting tasks: application of whole-body musculoskeletal modelling in OpenSim.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Kyung; Zhang, Yanxin

2017-04-01

Large spinal compressive force combined with axial torsional shear force during asymmetric lifting tasks is highly associated with lower back injury (LBI). The aim of this study was to estimate lumbar spinal loading and muscle forces during symmetric lifting (SL) and asymmetric lifting (AL) tasks using a whole-body musculoskeletal modelling approach. Thirteen healthy males lifted loads of 7 and 12 kg under two lifting conditions (SL and AL). Kinematic data and ground reaction force data were collected and then processed by a whole-body musculoskeletal model. The results show AL produced a significantly higher peak lateral shear force as well as greater peak force of psoas major, quadratus lumborum, multifidus, iliocostalis lumborum pars lumborum, longissimus thoracis pars lumborum and external oblique than SL. The greater lateral shear forces combined with higher muscle force and asymmetrical muscle contractions may have the biomechanical mechanism responsible for the increased risk of LBI during AL. Practitioner Summary: Estimating lumbar spinal loading and muscle forces during free-dynamic asymmetric lifting tasks with a whole-body musculoskeletal modelling in OpenSim is the core value of this research. The results show that certain muscle groups are fundamentally responsible for asymmetric movement, thereby producing high lumbar spinal loading and muscle forces, which may increase risks of LBI during asymmetric lifting tasks.

Finger Interdependence: Linking the Kinetic and Kinematic Variables

PubMed Central

Kim, Sun Wook; Shim, Jae Kun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2008-01-01

We studied the dependence between voluntary motion of a finger and pressing forces produced by the tips of other fingers of the hand. Subjects moved one of the fingers (task finger) of the right hand trying to follow a cyclic, ramp-like flexion-extension template at different frequencies. The other fingers (slave fingers) were restricted from moving; their flexion forces were recorded and analyzed. Index finger motion caused the smallest force production by the slave fingers. Larger forces were produced by the neighbors of the task finger; these forces showed strong modulation over the range of motion of the task finger. The enslaved forces were higher during the flexion phase of the movement cycle as compared to the extension phase. The index of enslaving expressed in N/rad was higher when the task finger moved through the more flexed postures. The dependence of enslaving on both range and direction of task finger motion poses problems for methods of analysis of finger coordination based on an assumption of universal matrices of finger inter-dependence. PMID:18255182

Report of the MLA Task Force on Evaluating Scholarship for Tenure and Promotion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modern Language Association, 2007

2007-01-01

In 2004 the Executive Council of the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) created a task force to examine current standards and emerging trends in publication requirements for tenure and promotion in English and foreign language departments in the United States. To fulfill its charge, the task force reviewed numerous studies, reports, and…

77 FR 39724 - U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-05

...-DS61200000] U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Public Meeting and Public Comment AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service... Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) and a... strengthen U.S. government actions to better preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. The Departments of...

Idaho Rural Education Task Force. Public School Information. Legislative Report, 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Idaho State Department of Education, 2008

2008-01-01

The Idaho Rural Education Task Force was formed in July 2007 with the goal of proposing and examining solutions to challenges facing rural schools. The task force's work this year has focused on three areas: recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers, funding shortages related to insurance costs and staff allowances, and the technology…

Lifelong Learning NCES Task Force: Final Report, Volume I. Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Binkley, Marilyn; Hudson, Lisa; Knepper, Paula; Kolstad, Andy; Stowe, Peter; Wirt, John

In September 1998, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) established a 1-year task force to review the NCES's role concerning lifelong learning. The eight-member task force established a working definition of lifelong learning ("a process or system through which individuals are able and willing to learn at all stages of life,…

Million Hearts 2022: Understanding the Links between Environmental Pollutant Exposure and Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events - Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force

EPA Science Inventory

The webinar was requested by the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force. From their website, “The task force was established in 1995 in North Carolina to provide statewide leadership for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. Meetings are...

History and background of the California Oak Mortality Task Force (COMTF)

Treesearch

Mark R. Stanley

2006-01-01

The California Oak Mortality Task Force was formed in August 2000 as a consensus group to address the impacts caused by Phytophthora ramorum. It is over 1000 strong with over 80 agencies, universities, public, and private groups currently involved. The Task Force has been a tremendous success and may serve as model for other similar efforts.

77 FR 17534 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Depository Trust Company; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-26

... Association (``SIFMA'') formed the MMI Blue-Sky Task Force (``Task Force'') to address systemic and unique... processing. The Task Force, along other money market industry members,\\8\\ determined that DTC's current MMI... amount or proceeds after the 3 p.m. E.T. deadline for RTP instructions.\\9\\ Accordingly, DTC is proposing...

"Rekindle and Recapture the Love": Establishing System-Wide Indicators of Progress in Community Engagement and Economic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janke, Emily M.

2014-01-01

In May 2012, University of North Carolina (UNC) President Tom Ross simultaneously commissioned two task forces to develop indicators that all UNC campuses could use to measure "progress in community engagement and economic development." The charge to the Community Engagement Task Force and the Economic Development Task Force was to…

77 FR 16483 - Petition for Rulemaking Submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-21

... Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (Fukushima Task Force Report, ADAMS Accession No. ML111861807), dated July 12..., of the Fukushima Task Force Report, regarding the enhancement of the ability of nuclear power plants...

San Juan College Task Force on Innovation 1995 Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Nelle

In fall 1994, San Juan College, in New Mexico, established the Task Force on Innovation to examine changes in the paradigm of education and how those changes might affect the college. The Task Force determined that the primary driver of change in education was technology, and specifically the increasing number of means and ease of access to…

Report of the Task Force on Continuing Education and Non-Credit Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernest, Richard J.; And Others

The Task Force on Continuing Education and Non-Credit Instruction was appointed to develop specific strategies for expanding lifelong learning and non-credit instruction in the Virginia community colleges. The task force reviewed a report on the state funding of non-credit instruction; wrote to the community college coordinating offices in 17…

ACHP | News

Science.gov Websites

Search skip specific nav links Home arrow News arrow June 27, 2012 ACHP Rightsizing Task Force to Meet in Cleveland The ACHP's Rightsizing Task Force will be making a visit to Cleveland, Ohio, June 25-26 for a tour and a listening session and open meeting. The task force will host a public meeting on June 26 at

Responding to Violence and Abuse: Educating Minnesota Professionals for the Future. A Report of the Statewide Task Forces.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Higher Education Center against Violence and Abuse, St. Paul.

In response to a 1993 Minnesota crime bill, four task forces reviewed violence education in professional higher education programs and made recommendations for legislation and law enforcement. The four task forces--in Law, Health Services, Human Services, and Education--made several critical recommendations that applied across professions:…

National Library of Education Advisory Task Force. Briefing Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Library of Education (ED/OERI), Washington, DC.

This briefing book with appendices was prepared for the initial meetings of the National Library of Education Advisory Task Force (NLE/ATF), in March 1996. An agenda for this meeting is included in the briefing book. The first section, "Governing Authorities for NLE and the Advisory Task Force," contains a copy of Public Law 103-227,…

Attainment and retention of force moderation following laparoscopic resection training with visual force feedback.

PubMed

Hernandez, Rafael; Onar-Thomas, Arzu; Travascio, Francesco; Asfour, Shihab

2017-11-01

Laparoscopic training with visual force feedback can lead to immediate improvements in force moderation. However, the long-term retention of this kind of learning and its potential decay are yet unclear. A laparoscopic resection task and force sensing apparatus were designed to assess the benefits of visual force feedback training. Twenty-two male university students with no previous experience in laparoscopy underwent relevant FLS proficiency training. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or treatment group. Both groups trained on the task for 2 weeks as follows: initial baseline, sixteen training trials, and post-test immediately after. The treatment group had visual force feedback during training, whereas the control group did not. Participants then performed four weekly test trials to assess long-term retention of training. Outcomes recorded were maximum pulling and pushing forces, completion time, and rated task difficulty. Extreme maximum pulling force values were tapered throughout both the training and retention periods. Average maximum pushing forces were significantly lowered towards the end of training and during retention period. No significant decay of applied force learning was found during the 4-week retention period. Completion time and rated task difficulty were higher during training, but results indicate that the difference eventually fades during the retention period. Significant differences in aptitude across participants were found. Visual force feedback training improves on certain aspects of force moderation in a laparoscopic resection task. Results suggest that with enough training there is no significant decay of learning within the first month of the retention period. It is essential to account for differences in aptitude between individuals in this type of longitudinal research. This study shows how an inexpensive force measuring system can be used with an FLS Trainer System after some retrofitting. Surgical instructors can develop their own tasks and adjust force feedback levels accordingly.

A teleoperation training simulator with visual and kinesthetic force virtual reality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Won S.; Schenker, Paul

1992-01-01

A force-reflecting teleoperation training simulator with a high-fidelity real-time graphics display has been developed for operator training. A novel feature of this simulator is that it enables the operator to feel contact forces and torques through a force-reflecting controller during the execution of the simulated peg-in-hole task, providing the operator with the feel of visual and kinesthetic force virtual reality. A peg-in-hole task is used in our simulated teleoperation trainer as a generic teleoperation task. A quasi-static analysis of a two-dimensional peg-in-hole task model has been extended to a three-dimensional model analysis to compute contact forces and torques for a virtual realization of kinesthetic force feedback. The simulator allows the user to specify force reflection gains and stiffness (compliance) values of the manipulator hand for both the three translational and the three rotational axes in Cartesian space. Three viewing modes are provided for graphics display: single view, two split views, and stereoscopic view.

Improving child and adolescent psychiatry education for medical students: an inter-organizational collaborative action plan.

PubMed

Fox, Geraldine S; Stock, Saundra; Briscoe, Gregory W; Beck, Gary L; Horton, Rita; Hunt, Jeffrey I; Liu, Howard Y; Partner Rutter, Ashley; Sexson, Sandra; Schlozman, Steven C; Stubbe, Dorothy E; Stuber, Margaret L

2012-11-01

A new Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Medical Education (CAPME) Task Force, sponsored by the Association for Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP), has created an inter-organizational partnership between child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) educators and medical student educators in psychiatry. This paper outlines the task force design and strategic plan to address the long-standing dearth of CAP training for medical students. The CAPME ADMSEP Task Force, formed in 2010, identified common challenges to teaching CAP among ADMSEP's CAPME Task Force members, utilizing focus-group discussions and a needs-assessment survey. The Task Force was organized into five major sections, with inter-organizational action plans to address identified areas of need, such as portable modules and development of benchmark CAP competencies. The authors predict that all new physicians, regardless of specialty, will be better trained in CAP. Increased exposure may also improve recruitment into this underserved area.

Revised American Thyroid Association guidelines for the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma.

PubMed

Wells, Samuel A; Asa, Sylvia L; Dralle, Henning; Elisei, Rossella; Evans, Douglas B; Gagel, Robert F; Lee, Nancy; Machens, Andreas; Moley, Jeffrey F; Pacini, Furio; Raue, Friedhelm; Frank-Raue, Karin; Robinson, Bruce; Rosenthal, M Sara; Santoro, Massimo; Schlumberger, Martin; Shah, Manisha; Waguespack, Steven G

2015-06-01

The American Thyroid Association appointed a Task Force of experts to revise the original Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Management Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association. The Task Force identified relevant articles using a systematic PubMed search, supplemented with additional published materials, and then created evidence-based recommendations, which were set in categories using criteria adapted from the United States Preventive Services Task Force Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The original guidelines provided abundant source material and an excellent organizational structure that served as the basis for the current revised document. The revised guidelines are focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and hereditary MTC. The Task Force developed 67 evidence-based recommendations to assist clinicians in the care of patients with MTC. The Task Force considers the recommendations to represent current, rational, and optimal medical practice.

Revised American Thyroid Association Guidelines for the Management of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Asa, Sylvia L.; Dralle, Henning; Elisei, Rossella; Evans, Douglas B.; Gagel, Robert F.; Lee, Nancy; Machens, Andreas; Moley, Jeffrey F.; Pacini, Furio; Raue, Friedhelm; Frank-Raue, Karin; Robinson, Bruce; Rosenthal, M. Sara; Santoro, Massimo; Schlumberger, Martin; Shah, Manisha; Waguespack, Steven G.

2015-01-01

Introduction: The American Thyroid Association appointed a Task Force of experts to revise the original Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Management Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association. Methods: The Task Force identified relevant articles using a systematic PubMed search, supplemented with additional published materials, and then created evidence-based recommendations, which were set in categories using criteria adapted from the United States Preventive Services Task Force Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The original guidelines provided abundant source material and an excellent organizational structure that served as the basis for the current revised document. Results: The revised guidelines are focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and hereditary MTC. Conclusions: The Task Force developed 67 evidence-based recommendations to assist clinicians in the care of patients with MTC. The Task Force considers the recommendations to represent current, rational, and optimal medical practice. PMID:25810047

International confederation for cleft lip and palate and related craniofacial anomalies task force report: holistic outcomes.

PubMed

Broder, Hillary L

2014-11-01

Objective : This paper describes the process and outcomes of the 2013 American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association task force on Holistic Outcomes. The goals and membership of the task force are presented. Methods : Using internet communication, the group introduced themselves, shared ideas and information related to holistic assessment and implementation of using a validated holistic measure, the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) at participating international sites. Results : Data from the sites were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Administration of the COHIP was successful. It varied from self-completion as well as verbal presentation due to language differences and a function of the short time period to complete collection. Additionally qualitative comments were reported by the task force site directors. Conclusions : Future directions for holistic assessment and communication among task force members and sites were discussed at the Congress and are presented in this report.

NASA's Big Data Task Force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, C. P.; Kinter, J. L.; Beebe, R. F.; Feigelson, E.; Hurlburt, N. E.; Mentzel, C.; Smith, G.; Tino, C.; Walker, R. J.

2017-12-01

Two years ago NASA established the Ad Hoc Big Data Task Force (BDTF - https://science.nasa.gov/science-committee/subcommittees/big-data-task-force), an advisory working group with the NASA Advisory Council system. The scope of the Task Force included all NASA Big Data programs, projects, missions, and activities. The Task Force focused on such topics as exploring the existing and planned evolution of NASA's science data cyber-infrastructure that supports broad access to data repositories for NASA Science Mission Directorate missions; best practices within NASA, other Federal agencies, private industry and research institutions; and Federal initiatives related to big data and data access. The BDTF has completed its two-year term and produced several recommendations plus four white papers for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. This presentation will discuss the activities and results of the TF including summaries of key points from its focused study topics. The paper serves as an introduction to the papers following in this ESSI session.

A Model for Steering with Haptic-Force Guidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xing-Dong; Irani, Pourang; Boulanger, Pierre; Bischof, Walter F.

Trajectory-based tasks are common in many applications and have been widely studied. Recently, researchers have shown that even very simple tasks, such as selecting items from cascading menus, can benefit from haptic-force guidance. Haptic guidance is also of significant value in many applications such as medical training, handwriting learning, and in applications requiring precise manipulations. There are, however, only very few guiding principles for selecting parameters that are best suited for proper force guiding. In this paper, we present a model, derived from the steering law that relates movement time to the essential components of a tunneling task in the presence of haptic-force guidance. Results of an experiment show that our model is highly accurate for predicting performance times in force-enhanced tunneling tasks.

Results of telerobotic hand controller study using force information and rate control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willshire, Kelli F.; Harrison, F. W.; Hogge, Edward F.; Williams, Robert L.; Soloway, Donald

1992-01-01

To increase quantified information about the effectiveness and subjective workload of force information relayed through manipulator input control devices, a space related task was performed by eight subjects with kinesthetic force feedback and/or local force accommodation through three different input control devices (i.e., hand controllers) operating in rate control mode. Task completion time, manipulator work, and subjective responses were measured. Results indicated a difference among the hand controllers. For the Honeywell six degree-of-freedom hand controller, the overall task completion times were shortest, the amount of work exerted was the least, and was the most preferred by test subjects. Neither force accommodation with or without reflection resulted in shorter task completion times or reduced work although those conditions were better than no force information for some aspects. Comparisons of results from previous studies are discussed.

Problems and research issues associated with the hybrid control of force and displacement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, R. P.

1987-01-01

The hybrid control of force and position is basic to the science of robotics but is only poorly understood. Before much progress can be made in robotics, this problem needs to be solved in a robust manner. However, the use of hybrid control implies the existence of a model of the environment, not an exact model (as the function of hybrid control is to accommodate these errors), but a model appropriate for planning and reasoning. The monitored forces in position control are interpreted in terms of a model of the task as are the monitored displacements in force control. The reaction forces of the task of writing are far different from those of hammering. The programming of actions in such a modeled world becomes more complicated and systems of task level programming need to be developed. Sensor based robotics, of which force sensing is the most basic, implies an entirely new level of technology. Indeed, robot force sensors, no matter how compliant they may be, must be protected from accidental collisions. This implies other sensors to monitor task execution and again the use of a world model. This new level of technology is the task level, in which task actions are specified, not the actions of individual sensors and manipulators.

Electrotherapy for melancholia: the pioneering contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Giovanni Aldini.

PubMed

Bolwig, Tom G; Fink, Max

2009-03-01

The electrical induction of seizures with a therapeutic aim began in 1938, but the history of electric currents to relieve mental illness began 2 centuries earlier with the pioneering work of the Italian Giovanni Aldini and the American Benjamin Franklin.These early experiments are described demonstrating that the electrical force encouraged hopeful applications. This history emphasizes the unique contribution in the induction of grand mal seizures as the therapeutic basis rather than the role of electricity alone.

Identification of Occupational Areas for Indiana's Future. Final Report of the Technology Forecasting Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indiana State Commission on Vocational and Technical Education, Indianapolis.

A task force representing the Indiana private sector was convened for two purposes: to (1) identify the impact of technology on required worker skills, the labor market, and the vocational education, training, and employment system; and (2) identify occupational areas that should be future growth areas for the state. Task force members reviewed…

Task Force for Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Development Disabilities. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland Higher Education Commission, 2016

2016-01-01

The Task Force to Study the Impact of Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was formed in July 2013. Chapter 392, Acts of 2013, (House Bill 813) established the Task Force to Study the Impact of Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Developmental…

Arizona Community Colleges: Report of the Task Force on Community College Enrollment Growth Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona State Board of Directors for Community Colleges, Phoenix.

The Task Force on Enrollment Growth Planning (TFEGP), authorized in 1992 by the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges (SBDCC) of Arizona, includes representatives from each community college as well as staff from SBDCC office. The Task Force was created to prepare enrollment growth estimates for community colleges through the year 2010;…

The Educational, Fiscal, and Access Implications of the Fall Academic Calendar. The Report of the Academic Calendar Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, William B.

In 1991, California's San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) formed a task force to investigate the effects of adopting academic calendars that end either before or after the winter holidays. To gather information, the task force performed a grade distribution analysis among district college students to determine the impact of fall semester…

Report of the Task Force to Explore Feasibility of a Three-Year Baccalaureate Program. Established March 1, 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee.

Presented in this document are the results of a Task Force study in Florida that explored the feasibility of a baccalaureate degree program that can be completed in 3 academic years. The Task Force addressed itself to the issues surrounding time-shortened degrees: acceleration; locksteps; relevancy of educational objectives to individual and…

Report of the Task Force on the Status of Women at the University of California, Davis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Kathleen M.

The charge given to the Task Force on the Status of Women at the University of California, Davis, was to determine the employment opportunities for women on the Davis campus. The Task Force addressed itself primarily to 4 major employment categories: non-academic staff, academic staff, faculty, and administration, with lesser consideration given…

A Report by the Governor's Task Force on Vocational and Technical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Governor's Task Force on Vocational and Technical Education, Columbus, OH.

On July 19, 1968, a Task Force on Vocational and Technical Education was created by the governor of Ohio to develop proposals for organization, financing, and legislation. Some major problems to which the Task Force gave attention were: (1) the serious gap between the need for and the availability of vocational and technical education, (2) the…

76 FR 70067 - Taxpayers and Ratepayers United, et al.; Environmental Impacts of Severe Reactor and Spent Fuel...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-10

... environmental issues raised in the Fukushima Task Force Report. The NRC is not instituting a public comment... Reactor Safety in the 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (Fukushima Task Force Report, ADAMS Accession No. ML111861807), dated July 12, 2011, as...

77 FR 30560 - Proposed Generic Communication; Generic Letter on Seismic Risk Evaluations for Operating Reactors

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-23

... the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendations 2.1 and 2.3. The request for information letters... addressing the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendations 2.1 and 2.3. The memorandum is available... Fukushima Near-Term Task Force Recommendations 2.1 and 2.3 (ADAMS Accession Number ML12056A046), as...

The APA Task Force on Statistical Inference (TFSI) Report as a Framework for Teaching and Evaluating Students' Understandings of Study Validity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Bruce

Web-based statistical instruction, like all statistical instruction, ought to focus on teaching the essence of the research endeavor: the exercise of reflective judgment. Using the framework of the recent report of the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Statistical Inference (Wilkinson and the APA Task Force on Statistical…

Building Bridges to the Information Superhighway: Annual Report of the Disabilities Issues Task Force, Federal Communications Commission (March 1995--April 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC.

This report describes activities and accomplishments of the Federal Communications Commission's Disabilities Issues Task Force on disabilities issues from March 1995 through April 1996, its first year. Introductory material includes a message from the chairman of the Commission and a statement of the Task Force's purpose, which is to address…

U. S. Atlantic Fleet, Task Force 85. Operation Plan Number 3-44

DTIC Science & Technology

1944-07-27

Potential Targets in Sectors of Responsibility Gril /8thPhib/Al6-3 Serial: 0031(P) DEAN/14- Potential Targets in Se_otors t of Respon- sibility...tags accompany the remains, ANNEX QUEEN MEDICAL PLAN - Page 6 of 8 GrIl /8thPhib/Al6-3 WESTERN NAVAL TASK FORCE, Serial: 0037(P) TASK FORCE EIGHTY-FIVE

Credentialing Educational Accomplishment. Report and Recommendations of the Task Force on Educational Credit and Credentials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jerry W., Ed.; Mills, Olive, Ed.

The Task Force on Educational Credit and Credentials of the American Council on Education undertook a two-year study to determine how postsecondary education's system for awarding credit and credentials can be changed or its adequacy improved to meet today's educational and social needs. This book sets forth the Task Force's report and…

Tomorrow. The Report of the Task Force for the Study of Chemistry Education in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.

An American Chemical Society (ACS) task force was charged to examine the state of chemistry education in the United States and to make recommendations in light of its findings. This document presents the task force's report and 39 major (and also secondary) recommendations. These recommendations, with accompanying discussions, focus on: (1)…

A "Kane's Dynamics" Model for the Active Rack Isolation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rupert, J. K.; Hampton, R. D.; Beech, G. S.

2005-02-01

In the late 1980s, microgravity researchers began to voice their concern that umbilical-transmitted energy could significantly degrade the acceleration environment of microgravity space science experiments onboard manned spacecraft. Since umbilicals are necessary for many experiments, control designers began to seek ways to compensate for these "indirect" disturbances. Hampton, et al., used the Kane s method to develop a model of the active rack isolation system (ARIS) that includes (1) actuator control forces, (2) direct disturbance forces, and (3) indirect, actuator-transmitted disturbances. Their model does not, however, include the indirect, umbilical-transmitted disturbances. Since the umbilical stiffnesses are not negligible, these indirect disturbances must be included in the model. Until the umbilicals have been appropriately included, the model will be incomplete. This Technical Memorandum presents a nonlinear model of ARIS with umbilicals included. Model verification was achieved by utilizing two commercial-off-the-shelf software tools. Various forces and moments were applied to the model to yield simulated responses of the system. Plots of the simulation results show how various critical points on an ARIS-outfitted international standard payload rack behave under the application of direct disturbances, indirect disturbances, and control forces. Simulations also show system response to a variety of initial conditions.

Enslaving in a serial chain: interactions between grip force and hand force in isometric tasks.

PubMed

Paclet, Florent; Ambike, Satyajit; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2014-03-01

This study was motivated by the double action of extrinsic hand muscles that produce grip force and also contribute to wrist torque. We explored interactions between grip force and wrist torque in isometric force production tasks. In particular, we tested a hypothesis that an intentional change in one of the two kinetic variables would produce an unintentional change in the other (enslaving). When young healthy subjects produced accurate changes in the grip force, only minor effects on the force produced by the hand (by wrist flexion/extension action) were observed. In contrast, a change in the hand force produced consistent changes in grip force in the same direction. The magnitude of such unintentional grip force change was stronger for intentional hand force decrease as compared to hand force increase. These effects increased with the magnitude of the initial grip force. When the subjects were asked to produce accurate total force computed as the sum of the hand and grip forces, strong negative covariation between the two forces was seen across trials interpreted as a synergy stabilizing the total force. An index of this synergy was higher in the space of "modes," hypothetical signals to the two effectors that could be changed by the controller one at a time. We interpret the complex enslaving effects (positive force covariation) as conditioned by typical everyday tasks. The presence of synergic effects (negative, task-specific force covariation) can be naturally interpreted within the referent configuration hypothesis.

Enslaving in a serial chain: Interactions between grip force and hand force in isometric tasks

PubMed Central

Paclet, Florent; Ambike, Satyajit; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2014-01-01

This study was motivated by the double action of extrinsic hand muscles that produce grip force and also contribute to wrist torque. We explored interactions between grip force and wrist torque in isometric force production tasks. In particular, we tested a hypothesis that an intentional change in one of the two kinetic variables would produce an unintentional change in the other (enslaving). When young healthy subjects produced accurate changes in the grip force, only minor effects on the force produced by the hand (by wrist flexion/extension action) were observed. In contrast, a change in the hand force produced consistent changes in grip force in the same direction. The magnitude of such unintentional grip force change was stronger for intentional hand force decrease as compared to hand force increase. These effects increased with the magnitude of the initial grip force. When the subjects were asked to produce accurate total force computed as the sum of the hand and grip forces, strong negative co-variation between the two forces was seen across trials interpreted as a synergy stabilizing the total force. An index of this synergy was higher in the space of “modes”, hypothetical signals to the two effectors that could be changed by the controller one at a time. We interpret the complex enslaving effects (positive force co-variation) as conditioned by typical everyday tasks. The presence of synergic effects (negative, task-specific force co-variation) can be naturally interpreted within the referent configuration hypothesis. PMID:24309747

The interaction of force and repetition on musculoskeletal and neural tissue responses and sensorimotor behavior in a rat model of work-related musculoskeletal disorders

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background We examined the relationship of musculoskeletal risk factors underlying force and repetition on tissue responses in an operant rat model of repetitive reaching and pulling, and if force x repetition interactions were present, indicative of a fatigue failure process. We examined exposure-dependent changes in biochemical, morphological and sensorimotor responses occurring with repeated performance of a handle-pulling task for 12 weeks at one of four repetition and force levels: 1) low repetition with low force, 2) high repetition with low force, 3) low repetition with high force, and 4) high repetition with high force (HRHF). Methods Rats underwent initial training for 4–6 weeks, and then performed one of the tasks for 12 weeks, 2 hours/day, 3 days/week. Reflexive grip strength and sensitivity to touch were assayed as functional outcomes. Flexor digitorum muscles and tendons, forelimb bones, and serum were assayed using ELISA for indicators of inflammation, tissue stress and repair, and bone turnover. Histomorphometry was used to assay macrophage infiltration of tissues, spinal cord substance P changes, and tissue adaptative or degradative changes. MicroCT was used to assay bones for changes in bone quality. Results Several force x repetition interactions were observed for: muscle IL-1alpha and bone IL-1beta; serum TNFalpha, IL-1alpha, and IL-1beta; muscle HSP72, a tissue stress and repair protein; histomorphological evidence of tendon and cartilage degradation; serum biomarkers of bone degradation (CTXI) and bone formation (osteocalcin); and morphological evidence of bone adaptation versus resorption. In most cases, performance of the HRHF task induced the greatest tissue degenerative changes, while performance of moderate level tasks induced bone adaptation and a suggestion of muscle adaptation. Both high force tasks induced median nerve macrophage infiltration, spinal cord sensitization (increased substance P), grip strength declines and forepaw mechanical allodynia by task week 12. Conclusions Although not consistent in all tissues, we found several significant interactions between the critical musculoskeletal risk factors of force and repetition, consistent with a fatigue failure process in musculoskeletal tissues. Prolonged performance of HRHF tasks exhibited significantly increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders, while performance of moderate level tasks exhibited adaptation to task demands. PMID:24156755

The interaction of force and repetition on musculoskeletal and neural tissue responses and sensorimotor behavior in a rat model of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

PubMed

Barbe, Mary F; Gallagher, Sean; Massicotte, Vicky S; Tytell, Michael; Popoff, Steven N; Barr-Gillespie, Ann E

2013-10-25

We examined the relationship of musculoskeletal risk factors underlying force and repetition on tissue responses in an operant rat model of repetitive reaching and pulling, and if force x repetition interactions were present, indicative of a fatigue failure process. We examined exposure-dependent changes in biochemical, morphological and sensorimotor responses occurring with repeated performance of a handle-pulling task for 12 weeks at one of four repetition and force levels: 1) low repetition with low force, 2) high repetition with low force, 3) low repetition with high force, and 4) high repetition with high force (HRHF). Rats underwent initial training for 4-6 weeks, and then performed one of the tasks for 12 weeks, 2 hours/day, 3 days/week. Reflexive grip strength and sensitivity to touch were assayed as functional outcomes. Flexor digitorum muscles and tendons, forelimb bones, and serum were assayed using ELISA for indicators of inflammation, tissue stress and repair, and bone turnover. Histomorphometry was used to assay macrophage infiltration of tissues, spinal cord substance P changes, and tissue adaptative or degradative changes. MicroCT was used to assay bones for changes in bone quality. Several force x repetition interactions were observed for: muscle IL-1alpha and bone IL-1beta; serum TNFalpha, IL-1alpha, and IL-1beta; muscle HSP72, a tissue stress and repair protein; histomorphological evidence of tendon and cartilage degradation; serum biomarkers of bone degradation (CTXI) and bone formation (osteocalcin); and morphological evidence of bone adaptation versus resorption. In most cases, performance of the HRHF task induced the greatest tissue degenerative changes, while performance of moderate level tasks induced bone adaptation and a suggestion of muscle adaptation. Both high force tasks induced median nerve macrophage infiltration, spinal cord sensitization (increased substance P), grip strength declines and forepaw mechanical allodynia by task week 12. Although not consistent in all tissues, we found several significant interactions between the critical musculoskeletal risk factors of force and repetition, consistent with a fatigue failure process in musculoskeletal tissues. Prolonged performance of HRHF tasks exhibited significantly increased risk for musculoskeletal disorders, while performance of moderate level tasks exhibited adaptation to task demands.

Learning to combine high variability with high precision: lack of transfer to a different task.

PubMed

Wu, Yen-Hsun; Truglio, Thomas S; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2015-01-01

The authors studied effects of practicing a 4-finger accurate force production task on multifinger coordination quantified within the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis. During practice, task instability was modified by changing visual feedback gain based on accuracy of performance. The authors also explored the retention of these effects, and their transfer to a prehensile task. Subjects practiced the force production task for 2 days. After the practice, total force variability decreased and performance became more accurate. In contrast, variance of finger forces showed a tendency to increase during the first practice session while in the space of finger modes (hypothetical commands to fingers) the increase was under the significance level. These effects were retained for 2 weeks. No transfer of these effects to the prehensile task was seen, suggesting high specificity of coordination changes. The retention of practice effects without transfer to a different task suggests that further studies on a more practical method of improving coordination are needed.

Task Analysis in Optical & Contact Lens Dispensing. Dispensing Opticians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hrushowy, Eugene; Stanley, Dale

A task force of opticians and educators in British Columbia was assembled to determine the knowledge and skills required of dispensing opticians and contact lens specialists. The ideas generated by the task force were analyzed and distilled into the standardized tasks listed in this document, using Krathwohl's taxonomy. The document contains 36…

Maximal force and tremor changes across the menstrual cycle.

PubMed

Tenan, Matthew S; Hackney, Anthony C; Griffin, Lisa

2016-01-01

Sex hormones have profound effects on the nervous system in vitro and in vivo. The present study examines the effect of the menstrual cycle on maximal isometric force (MVC) and tremor during an endurance task. Nine eumenorrheic females participated in five study visits across their menstrual cycle. In each menstrual phase, an MVC and an endurance task to failure were performed. Tremor across the endurance task was quantified as the coefficient of variation in force and was assessed in absolute time and relative percent time to task failure. MVC decreases 23% from ovulation to the mid luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. In absolute time, the mid luteal phase has the highest initial tremor, though the early follicular phase has substantially higher tremor than other phases after 150 s of task performance. In relative time, the mid luteal phase has the highest level of tremor throughout the endurance task. Both MVC and tremor during an endurance task are modified by the menstrual cycle. Performance of tasks and sports which require high force and steadiness to exhaustion may be decreased in the mid luteal phase compared to other menstrual phases.

In the Shadow: Chinese Special Forces Build a 21st-Century Fighting Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

special forces began taking place in the late 1980s and early 1990s.1 The People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, has concentrated on selecting the highest...quality individuals within the military, providing them with the most advanced equipment available, and training them in a wide range of military...disciplines. The PLA has placed a high degree of emphasis on the physical and mental abilities of the candidates: The training can be grueling, and

Logistics Implications of Composite Wings

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

Composite Wing and Air Logistics Center Locations 33 12 F-15E Strike Eagle Aircraft 34 la F-16C Fighting Falcon Aircraft 35 14 E-3 Sentry...Structure , 12 2 366th Wing Maintenance Concept 41 vOt Foreword The US Air Force has taken the initiative to reorganize into objective wings, at...the Air Force in 1967. He began his Air Force career as an F-102 radar weapon system specialist and worked on the flight line at Ramstein Air Base

75 FR 4051 - Defense Health Board; DoD Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-26

... Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces; Meeting AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD). ACTION... of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces (hereafter, Task Force) will meet on February 11, 2010, to gather information pertaining to suicide and suicide prevention programs for members of the Armed...

Neural Correlates of Task Cost for Stance Control with an Additional Motor Task: Phase-Locked Electroencephalogram Responses

PubMed Central

Hwang, Ing-Shiou; Huang, Cheng-Ya

2016-01-01

With appropriate reallocation of central resources, the ability to maintain an erect posture is not necessarily degraded by a concurrent motor task. This study investigated the neural control of a particular postural-suprapostural procedure involving brain mechanisms to solve crosstalk between posture and motor subtasks. Participants completed a single posture task and a dual-task while concurrently conducting force-matching and maintaining a tilted stabilometer stance at a target angle. Stabilometer movements and event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The added force-matching task increased the irregularity of postural response rather than the size of postural response prior to force-matching. In addition, the added force-matching task during stabilometer stance led to marked topographic ERP modulation, with greater P2 positivity in the frontal and sensorimotor-parietal areas of the N1-P2 transitional phase and in the sensorimotor-parietal area of the late P2 phase. The time-frequency distribution of the ERP primary principal component revealed that the dual-task condition manifested more pronounced delta (1–4 Hz) and beta (13–35 Hz) synchronizations but suppressed theta activity (4–8 Hz) before force-matching. The dual-task condition also manifested coherent fronto-parietal delta activity in the P2 period. In addition to a decrease in postural regularity, this study reveals spatio-temporal and temporal-spectral reorganizations of ERPs in the fronto-sensorimotor-parietal network due to the added suprapostural motor task. For a particular set of postural-suprapostural task, the behavior and neural data suggest a facilitatory role of autonomous postural response and central resource expansion with increasing interregional interactions for task-shift and planning the motor-suprapostural task. PMID:27010634

Task Force on the Role of General Education in Associate Science Degree Programs. Final Report and Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weyers, Lori; Langerman, Philip

In 1989-90, the General Education Task Force of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) was convened to determine the role of the general education curriculum in the attainment of skills that enhance the likelihood of success among technical college graduates in their careers, homes and communities. The Task Force consisted of at least one…

Guidelines for Cognitive Behavioral Training within Doctoral Psychology Programs in the United States: Report of the Inter-Organizational Task Force on Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology Doctoral Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klepac, Robert K.; Ronan, George F.; Andrasik, Frank; Arnold, Kevin D.; Belar, Cynthia D.; Berry, Sharon L.; Christofff, Karen A.; Craighead, Linda W.; Dougher, Michael J.; Dowd, E. Thomas; Herbert, James D.; McFarr, Lynn M.; Rizvi, Shireen L.; Sauer, Eric M.; Strauman, Timothy J.

2012-01-01

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies initiated an interorganizational task force to develop guidelines for integrated education and training in cognitive and behavioral psychology at the doctoral level in the United States. Fifteen task force members representing 16 professional associations participated in a yearlong series of…

Homelessness: The New Hampshire Response. The Final Report and Recommendations of the New Hampshire Task Force on Homelessness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Hampshire State Div. of Mental Health and Developmental Services, Concord.

This report presents results and recommendations of a two-year study and information-gathering effort by the New Hampshire Task Force on Homelessness, in compliance with the charge of the State legislature. The report is comprised of five sections. Section 1, "Introduction," presents an overview of the Task Force and a report on the…

Funds for the Future. Report of the Twentieth Century Fund Task Force on College and University Endowment Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, J. Peter

The Task Force on College and University Endowment Policy examines endowment policy in a broad context. They feel that it is important to preserve private colleges and universities and develop a sense of mission about how best to pursue this objective. The Task Force reviews policy issues faced by managers of endowment funds for institutions of…

Conference-EC-US Task Force Joint US-EU Workshop on Metabolomics and Environmental Biotechnology

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

PI: Lily Y. Young

2009-06-04

Since 1990, the EC-US Task Force on Biotechnology Research has been coordinating transatlantic efforts to guide and exploit the ongoing revolution in biotechnology and the life sciences. The Task Force was established in June 1990 by the European Commission and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The Task Force has acted as an effective forum for discussion, coordination, and development of new ideas for the last 18 years. Task Force members are European Commission and US Government science and technology administrators who meet annually to enhance communication across the Atlantic, and to encourage collaborative research. Through sponsoringmore » workshops, and other activities, the Task Force also brings together scientific leaders and early career researchers from both sides of the Atlantic to forecast research challenges and opportunities and to promote better links between researchers. Over the years, by keeping a focus on the future of science, the Task Force has played a key role in establishing a diverse range of emerging scientific fields, including biodiversity research, neuroinformatics, genomics, nanobiotechnology, neonatal immunology, transkingdom molecular biology, biologically-based fuels, and environmental biotechnology. The EC-US Task Force has sponsored a number of Working Groups on topics of mutual transatlantic interest. The idea to create a Working Group on Environmental Biotechnology research was discussed in the Task Force meeting of October 1993. The EC-US Working Group on Environmental Biotechnology set as its mission 'To train the next generation of leaders in environmental biotechnology in the United States and the European Union to work collaboratively across the Atlantic.' Since 1995, the Working Group supported three kinds of activities, all of which focus one early career scientists: (1) Workshops on the use of molecular methods and genomics in environmental biotechnology; (2) Short courses with theoretical, laboratory and field elements; and (3) Short term exchange fellowships. The short term exchange fellowships were created to enable young scientists to develop collaborations with colleagues across the Atlantic and to learn a new skill or expertise in the area of environmental biotechnology.« less

The synergic control of multi-finger force production: Stability of explicit and implicit task components

PubMed Central

Reschechtko, Sasha; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2016-01-01

Manipulating objects with the hands requires the accurate production of resultant forces including shear forces; effective control of these shear forces also requires the production of internal forces normal to the surface of the object(s) being manipulated. In the present study, we investigated multi-finger synergies stabilizing shear and normal components of force, as well as drifts in both components of force, during isometric pressing tasks requiring a specific magnitude of shear force production. We hypothesized that shear and normal forces would evolve similarly in time, and also show similar stability properties as assessed by the decomposition of inter-trial variance within the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis. Healthy subjects were required to accurately produce total shear and total normal forces with four fingers of the hand during a steady-state force task (with and without visual feedback) and a self-paced force pulse task. The two force components showed similar time profiles during both shear force pulse production and unintentional drift induced by turning the visual feedback off. Only the explicitly instructed components of force, however, were stabilized with multi-finger synergies. No force-stabilizing synergies and no anticipatory synergy adjustments were seen for the normal force in shear force production trials. These unexpected qualitative differences in the control of the two force components – which are produced by some of the same muscles and show high degree of temporal coupling – are interpreted within the theory of control with referent coordinates for salient variables. These observations suggest the existence of two classes of neural variables: one that translates into shifts of referent coordinates and defines changes in magnitude of salient variables, and the other controlling gains in back-coupling loops that define stability of the salient variables. Only the former are shared between the explicit and implicit task components. PMID:27601252

Force-stabilizing synergies in motor tasks involving two actors

PubMed Central

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.; Latash, Mark L.

2015-01-01

We investigated the ability of two persons to produce force-stabilizing synergies in accurate multi-finger force production tasks under visual feedback on the total force only. The subjects produced a time profile of total force (the sum of two hand forces in one-person tasks and the sum of two subject forces in two-person tasks) consisting of a ramp-up, steady-state, and ramp-down segments; the steady-state segment was interrupted in the middle by a quick force pulse. Analyses of the structure of inter-trial finger force variance, motor equivalence, anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs), and the unintentional drift of the sharing pattern were performed. The two-person performance was characterized by a dramatically higher amount of inter-trial variance that did not affect total force, higher finger force deviations that did not affect total force (motor equivalent deviations), shorter ASAs, and larger drift of the sharing pattern. The rate of sharing pattern drift correlated with the initial disparity between the forces produced by the two persons (or two hands). The drift accelerated following the quick force pulse. Our observations show that sensory information on the task-specific performance variable is sufficient for the organization of performance-stabilizing synergies. They suggest, however, that two actors are less likely to follow a single optimization criterion as compared to a single performer. The presence of ASAs in the two-person condition might reflect fidgeting by one or both of the subjects. We discuss the characteristics of the drift in the sharing pattern as reflections of different characteristic times of motion within the sub-spaces that affect and do not affect salient performance variables. PMID:26105756

Force-stabilizing synergies in motor tasks involving two actors.

PubMed

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2015-10-01

We investigated the ability of two persons to produce force-stabilizing synergies in accurate multi-finger force production tasks under visual feedback on the total force only. The subjects produced a time profile of total force (the sum of two hand forces in one-person tasks and the sum of two subject forces in two-person tasks) consisting of a ramp-up, steady-state, and ramp-down segments; the steady-state segment was interrupted in the middle by a quick force pulse. Analyses of the structure of inter-trial finger force variance, motor equivalence, anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs), and the unintentional drift of the sharing pattern were performed. The two-person performance was characterized by a dramatically higher amount of inter-trial variance that did not affect total force, higher finger force deviations that did not affect total force (motor equivalent deviations), shorter ASAs, and larger drift of the sharing pattern. The rate of sharing pattern drift correlated with the initial disparity between the forces produced by the two persons (or two hands). The drift accelerated following the quick force pulse. Our observations show that sensory information on the task-specific performance variable is sufficient for the organization of performance-stabilizing synergies. They suggest, however, that two actors are less likely to follow a single optimization criterion as compared to a single performer. The presence of ASAs in the two-person condition might reflect fidgeting by one or both of the subjects. We discuss the characteristics of the drift in the sharing pattern as reflections of different characteristic times of motion within the subspaces that affect and do not affect salient performance variables.

The Role of Direct and Visual Force Feedback in Suturing Using a 7-DOF Dual-Arm Teleoperated System.

PubMed

Talasaz, Ali; Trejos, Ana Luisa; Patel, Rajni V

2017-01-01

The lack of haptic feedback in robotics-assisted surgery can result in tissue damage or accidental tool-tissue hits. This paper focuses on exploring the effect of haptic feedback via direct force reflection and visual presentation of force magnitudes on performance during suturing in robotics-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RAMIS). For this purpose, a haptics-enabled dual-arm master-slave teleoperation system capable of measuring tool-tissue interaction forces in all seven Degrees-of-Freedom (DOFs) was used. Two suturing tasks, tissue puncturing and knot-tightening, were chosen to assess user skills when suturing on phantom tissue. Sixteen subjects participated in the trials and their performance was evaluated from various points of view: force consistency, number of accidental hits with tissue, amount of tissue damage, quality of the suture knot, and the time required to accomplish the task. According to the results, visual force feedback was not very useful during the tissue puncturing task as different users needed different amounts of force depending on the penetration of the needle into the tissue. Direct force feedback, however, was more useful for this task to apply less force and to minimize the amount of damage to the tissue. Statistical results also reveal that both visual and direct force feedback were required for effective knot tightening: direct force feedback could reduce the number of accidental hits with the tissue and also the amount of tissue damage, while visual force feedback could help to securely tighten the suture knots and maintain force consistency among different trials/users. These results provide evidence of the importance of 7-DOF force reflection when performing complex tasks in a RAMIS setting.

Age-related differences in postural adjustments in connection with different tasks involving weight transfer while standing.

PubMed

Jonsson, Erika; Henriksson, Marketta; Hirschfeld, Helga

2007-10-01

Weight transfer designed to change the area of the supportive base during the performance of three different motor tasks (one-leg stance, tandem stance and gait initiation) was examined both in healthy, physically active elderly people and younger adults. The former two tasks are balance tests used clinically. Our hypothesis was that the elderly subjects would demonstrate age-related changes in their postural adjustments that could be detected by analysis of the ground reaction forces. While 24 healthy elderly adults (65-77 years of age) and 26 younger adults (24-40 years of age) performed these three tasks, the ground reaction forces were recorded from two force plates. Prior to the onset of all three tasks, the elderly placed significantly more weight on the leg that was to provide support (the stance leg), than did the younger individuals. The analyses revealed two distinct phases of weight transfer, i.e., an initial thrust and a subsequent unloading phase. The elderly individuals exhibited a significantly longer unloading phase, as well as a higher frequency of peaks of vertical and lateral forces during this phase. Moreover, the maximal force rate during this phase was achieved at an earlier time point by the elderly. However, both groups generated forces of similar magnitudes and force rates. In conclusion, our findings indicate the presence of age-related differences in the temporal phasing of the ground reaction forces in all three of these tasks involving weight transfer, whereas the magnitude and rates of change of these forces are independent of age.

Haptic force-feedback devices for the office computer: performance and musculoskeletal loading issues.

PubMed

Dennerlein, J T; Yang, M C

2001-01-01

Pointing devices, essential input tools for the graphical user interface (GUI) of desktop computers, require precise motor control and dexterity to use. Haptic force-feedback devices provide the human operator with tactile cues, adding the sense of touch to existing visual and auditory interfaces. However, the performance enhancements, comfort, and possible musculoskeletal loading of using a force-feedback device in an office environment are unknown. Hypothesizing that the time to perform a task and the self-reported pain and discomfort of the task improve with the addition of force feedback, 26 people ranging in age from 22 to 44 years performed a point-and-click task 540 times with and without an attractive force field surrounding the desired target. The point-and-click movements were approximately 25% faster with the addition of force feedback (paired t-tests, p < 0.001). Perceived user discomfort and pain, as measured through a questionnaire, were also smaller with the addition of force feedback (p < 0.001). However, this difference decreased as additional distracting force fields were added to the task environment, simulating a more realistic work situation. These results suggest that for a given task, use of a force-feedback device improves performance, and potentially reduces musculoskeletal loading during mouse use. Actual or potential applications of this research include human-computer interface design, specifically that of the pointing device extensively used for the graphical user interface.

Performance evaluation of a six-axis generalized force-reflecting teleoperator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannaford, B.; Wood, L.; Guggisberg, B.; Mcaffee, D.; Zak, H.

1989-01-01

Work in real-time distributed computation and control has culminated in a prototype force-reflecting telemanipulation system having a dissimilar master (cable-driven, force-reflecting hand controller) and a slave (PUMA 560 robot with custom controller), an extremely high sampling rate (1000 Hz), and a low loop computation delay (5 msec). In a series of experiments with this system and five trained test operators covering over 100 hours of teleoperation, performance was measured in a series of generic and application-driven tasks with and without force feedback, and with control shared between teleoperation and local sensor referenced control. Measurements defining task performance included 100-Hz recording of six-axis force/torque information from the slave manipulator wrist, task completion time, and visual observation of predefined task errors. The task consisted of high precision peg-in-hole insertion, electrical connectors, velcro attach-de-attach, and a twist-lock multi-pin connector. Each task was repeated three times under several operating conditions: normal bilateral telemanipulation, forward position control without force feedback, and shared control. In shared control, orientation was locally servo controlled to comply with applied torques, while translation was under operator control. All performance measures improved as capability was added along a spectrum of capabilities ranging from pure position control through force-reflecting teleoperation and shared control. Performance was optimal for the bare-handed operator.

Altered visual strategies and attention are related to increased force fluctuations during a pinch grip task in older adults.

PubMed

Keenan, Kevin G; Huddleston, Wendy E; Ernest, Bradley E

2017-11-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the visual strategies used by older adults during a pinch grip task and to assess the relations between visual strategy, deficits in attention, and increased force fluctuations in older adults. Eye movements of 23 older adults (>65 yr) were monitored during a low-force pinch grip task while subjects viewed three common visual feedback displays. Performance on the Grooved Pegboard test and an attention task (which required no concurrent hand movements) was also measured. Visual strategies varied across subjects and depended on the type of visual feedback provided to the subjects. First, while viewing a high-gain compensatory feedback display (horizontal bar moving up and down with force), 9 of 23 older subjects adopted a strategy of performing saccades during the task, which resulted in 2.5 times greater force fluctuations in those that exhibited saccades compared with those who maintained fixation near the target line. Second, during pursuit feedback displays (force trace moving left to right across screen and up and down with force), all subjects exhibited multiple saccades, and increased force fluctuations were associated ( r s = 0.6; P = 0.002) with fewer saccades during the pursuit task. Also, decreased low-frequency (<4 Hz) force fluctuations and Grooved Pegboard times were significantly related ( P = 0.033 and P = 0.005, respectively) with higher (i.e., better) attention z scores. Comparison of these results with our previously published results in young subjects indicates that saccadic eye movements and attention are related to force control in older adults. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The significant contributions of the study are the addition of eye movement data and an attention task to explain differences in hand motor control across different visual displays in older adults. Older participants used different visual strategies across varying feedback displays, and saccadic eye movements were related with motor performance. In addition, those older individuals with deficits in attention had impaired motor performance on two different hand motor control tasks, including the Grooved Pegboard test. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Task Force report on the State of End-of-Life Health Care, 2005.

PubMed

Edmondson, W A Drew

2005-05-01

This article includes the recommendations submitted by the 15 members of the Oklahoma Attorney General's Task Force in their Report on the State of End-of-Life Health Care. The task force was created on April 21, 2004, and their report was accepted by Attorney General W.A. Drew Edmondson at a press conference April 11, 2005. It has been forwarded to members of the Oklahoma Legislature, relevant state agencies and organizations with an invitation to join with members of the task force to continue efforts to improve end-of-life care for Oklahomans. Copies of the report are available upon request to the Office of Attorney General.

Impaired Inhibitory Force Feedback in Fixed Dystonia.

PubMed

Mugge, Winfred; Schouten, Alfred C; van Hilten, Jacobus J; van der Helm, Frans C T

2016-04-01

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a multifactorial disorder associated with an aberrant host response to tissue injury. About 25% of CRPS patients suffer poorly understood involuntary sustained muscle contractions associated with dysfunctional reflexes that result in abnormal postures (fixed dystonia). A recent modeling study simulated fixed dystonia (FD) caused by aberrant force feedback. The current study aims to validate this hypothesis by experimentally recording the modulation of reflexive force feedback in patients with FD. CRPS patients with and without FD, patients with FD but without CRPS, as well as healthy controls participated in the experiment. Three task instructions and three perturbation characteristics were used to evoke a wide range of responses to force perturbations. During position tasks ("maintain posture"), healthy subjects as well as patients resisted the perturbations, becoming more stiff than when being relaxed (i.e., the relax task). Healthy subjects and CRPS patients without FD were both more compliant during force tasks ("maintain force") than during relax tasks, meaning they actively gave way to the imposed forces. Remarkably, the patients with FD failed to do so. A neuromuscular model was fitted to the experimental data to separate the distinct contributions of position, velocity and force feedback, as well as co-contraction to the motor behavior. The neuromuscular modeling indicated that inhibitory force feedback is deregulated in patients with FD, for both CRPS and non-CRPS patients. From previously published simulation results and the present experimental study, it is concluded that aberrant force feedback plays a role in fixed dystonia.

Effect of loudness on reaction time and response force in different motor tasks.

PubMed

Jaśkowski, Piotr; Włodarczyk, Dariusz

2005-12-01

Van der Molen and Keuss, in 1979 and 1981, showed that paradoxically long reaction times occur with extremely strong auditory stimuli when the task is difficult, e.g., choice-by-location or Simon paradigm. It was argued that this paradoxical behavior of RT is due to active inhibition of an arousal-dependent bypassing mechanism to prevent false responses. As the peak force, i.e., maximal force exerted by participants on a response key, is considered to be related to immediate arousal, we predicted that for extremely loud stimuli and for difficult tasks, lengthening of RT should be associated with reduction of peak force. Moreover, these effects should be enhanced when emphasis is on accuracy rather than speed. Although the relation between RT and intensity depended on task difficulty, no increase in RT was found for the loudest tones. Moreover, peak force increased monotonically with loudness, showing no tendency to be suppressed for loudest tones and difficult tasks.

Corporate funding and conflicts of interest: a primer for psychologists.

PubMed

Pachter, Wendy S; Fox, Ronald E; Zimbardo, Philip; Antonuccio, David O

2007-12-01

A presidential task force on external funding was established by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2003 to review APA policies, procedures, and practices regarding the acceptance of funding and support from private corporations for educational and training programs; continuing education offerings; research projects; publications; advertising; scientific and professional meetings and conferences; and consulting, practice, and advocacy relationships. This article, based on the Executive Summary of the APA Task Force on External Funding Final Report, presents the findings and unanimous recommendations of the task force in the areas of association income, annual convention, research and journals, continuing education, education, practice, and conflicts of interest and ethics. The task force concluded that it is important for both APA and individual psychologists to become familiar with the challenges that corporate funding can pose to their integrity. The nature and extent of those challenges led the task force to recommend that APA develop explicit policies, educational materials, and continuing education programs to preserve the independence of psychological science, practice, and education. (Copyright) 2007 APA.

Early childhood: breastfeeding, "solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation," an excerpt from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity: report to the President, May 2010.

PubMed

2010-10-01

On February 9, 2010, the same day the First Lady launched the Let's Move! campaign, President Obama created a new interagency White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, charged with creating and implementing a comprehensive action plan to end the childhood obesity epidemic. The resulting action plan was developed by experts from across the federal government, with substantial public input, and released on May 11. The first chapter of the task force report discusses strategies for getting children a healthy start on life, including supporting breastfeeding. Here is an excerpt from the discussion of breastfeeding that appears in the report. The full text of the task force report can be found at www.letsmove.gov . —Martha Coven, JD Special Assistant to the President for Mobility and Opportunity White House Domestic Policy Council Lead Staff, White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity.

Lightning Technology (Supplement)

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

material presented in this report was taken from a variety of sources; therefore, various units of measure are used. Use of trade names or names of...Clifford, and W. G. Butters 3. IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPERIENCE WITH LIGHTNING HARDENING MEASURES ON THE NAVY/AIR FORCE COMBAT MANEUVERING RANGES...overall lightning event taken from an appropriate base of wideband measurements . In 1979, the Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories began a joint

Political, Social, Economic and Educational Forces Influencing Economics Education in the United States (1885-2007): A Case Study in Liberal Arts Advocacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Sandra K.

2009-01-01

This historical research will provide school leaders with a broad conception of the conditions, forces and processes behind the development of Economics Education. It serves as a case study of past and current practices and approaches to advocacy in economics education. Since it began in 1885, economics education has experienced many obstacles and…

Improving the Agility of the NATO Response Force (NRF)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

the MCCE and the MIH helicopter task force. As 168 Hauser and Kernic eds., 140-141. 169 NATO...agility through unified efforts. Initiatives such as the MIH helicopter task force and the Movement Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE) are positive

Toward a State of Esteem. The Final Report of the California Task Force to Promote Self-esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

This document contains the final report of a California Task Force created to promote self-esteem and personal responsibility. It begins with an executive summary listing key principles of the task force and providing recommendations and discussions in each of six major areas upon which the report focuses. The next section presents the task…

7 CFR Exhibit D to Subpart B of... - Fact Sheet-The Federal Interagency Task Force on Food and Shelter for the Homeless

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Fact Sheet-The Federal Interagency Task Force on Food... (CONTINUED) PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Management of Property Exhibit D to Subpart B of Part 1955—Fact Sheet—The Federal Interagency Task Force on Food and Shelter for the Homeless Editorial Note: Exhibit D is not...

Proceedings: The Conference of the University/Urban Schools National Task Force: What Works in Urban Schools (3rd, San Francisco, CA, July 9-10, 1982).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bossone, Richard M., Ed.

Proceedings of the University/Urban Schools Task Force conference on what works in urban schools are summarized in this report. The future direction of the Task Force, articulated by conference participants, is described as a move toward the conceptualization and design of programs to teach thinking skills versus programs that mainly teach subject…

Report and Recommendations of the British Columbia Teacher's Federation's (BCTF) Task Force on First Nations Education to the Annual General Meeting (January 1999). (Revised Annotated Version).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Teachers' Federation, Vancouver.

In 1998, the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) appointed an eight-member task force to investigate the effectiveness of the education system for First Nations students. The task force report and recommendations are intended to serve several groups of Aboriginal students: First Nations students, with or without status under Canada's…

Last Best Chance 2004: Educating Young Adolescents in the 21st Century. Middle Grades Task Force Report. Fall 2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Department of Education, 2004

2004-01-01

This study is a follow up to the Last Best Chance report published in 1989. A task force of 29 education leaders was challenged to help chart the course for middle level education in North Carolina. While examining middle level education (ages 11 through 14), task force members continuously asked, "What should it look like in order for all…

SUNY 2000. College Expectations: The Report of the SUNY Task Force on College Entry-Level Knowledge and Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

State Univ. of New York, Albany. Office of the Chancellor.

This document reports on the work of a task force charged with formulating recommendations on the kind of preparation an incoming student should have to assure successful entry to and completion of the freshman year of study at the State University of New York (SUNY). In addition, the task force was asked to specify what program of study and forms…

Defense Science Board Task Force Report on Cyber Defense Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

manage cyber security is often a verymanual and labor intensive process. When a crisis hits, DoD responses range from highly automatedand instrumented...DSB Task Force Report on Cyber Defense Management September 2016 (U) This page intentionally blank REPORT OF THE DEFENSE SCIENCE BOARD STUDY ON Cyber ...DEFENSE FOR ACQUISITION, TECHNOLOGY & LOGISTICS SUBJECT: Final Report of the Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force on Cyber Defense Management I am

Flow Control and Design Assessment for Drainage System at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-24

Council BMP Best Management Practice CASQUA California Storm Water Quality Task Force CRREL Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory DS...ponds The California Storm Water Quality Task Force (CASQUA 1993) defines a sediment basin as “a pond created by excavation or constructing an em...British Standards Institution. California Storm Water Quality Task Force (CASQUA). 1993. ESC41: Check Dams. In Stormwater Best Management Practices

The Report to the United States Office of Education of the National Task Forces on Instructional Strategies in Schools with High Concentrations of Low-Income Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Optimum Computer Systems, Inc., Washington, DC.

This paper presents the reports of the National Task Forces on Urban, Rural, Migrant, Native American and Bilingual/Bicultural Education. The Task Forces were asked to pinpoint strategies for instructional and programmatic improvement in these areas. The focus of inquiry was on reading and mathematics instruction. Attention was also paid to…

The effect of ankle bracing on knee kinetics and kinematics during volleyball-specific tasks.

PubMed

West, T; Ng, L; Campbell, A

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ankle bracing on knee kinetics and kinematics during volleyball tasks. Fifteen healthy, elite, female volleyball players performed a series of straight-line and lateral volleyball tasks with no brace and when wearing an ankle brace. A 14-camera Vicon motion analysis system and AMTI force plate were used to capture the kinetic and kinematic data. Knee range of motion, peak knee anterior-posterior and medial-lateral shear forces, and peak ground reaction forces that occurred between initial contact with the force plate and toe off were compared using paired sample t-tests between the braced and non-braced conditions (P < 0.05). The results revealed no significant effect of bracing on knee kinematics or ground reaction forces during any task or on knee kinetics during the straight-line movement volleyball tasks. However, ankle bracing was demonstrated to reduce knee lateral shear forces during all of the lateral movement volleyball tasks. Wearing the Active Ankle T2 brace will not impact knee joint range of motion and may in fact reduce shear loading to the knee joint in volleyball players. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing a Community-Wide Initiative to Address Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress: A Case Study of The Philadelphia ACE Task Force.

PubMed

Pachter, Lee M; Lieberman, Leslie; Bloom, Sandra L; Fein, Joel A

The Philadelphia ACE Task Force is a community based collaborative of health care providers, researchers, community-based organizations, funders, and public sector representatives. The mission of the task force is to provide a venue to address childhood adversity and its consequences in the Philadelphia metropolitan region. In this article we describe the origins and metamorphosis of the Philadelphia ACE Task Force, which initially was narrowly focused on screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in health care settings but expanded its focus to better represent a true community-based approach to sharing experiences with addressing childhood adversity in multiple sectors of the city and region. The task force has been successful in developing a research agenda and conducting research on ACEs in the urban context, and has identified foci of local activity in the areas of professional training and workforce development, community education, and local practical interventions around adversity, trauma, and resiliency. In this article we also address the lessons learned over the first 5 years of the task force's existence and offers recommendations for future efforts to build a local community-based ACEs collaborative. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the Seminar on the DoD Computer Security Initiative Program (3rd), National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland, November 18-20, 1980.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

TECHNIQUES IMPROVING RAPIDLY C-7 INDUSTRY THRUSTS IN 70s DRIVING FORCE : IMPROVE PRODUCT QUALITY * EASE MAINTENANCE, MODIFICATION IMPROVE PERFORMANCE...together a task force to make recommendations on what we should be doing about computer secur- ity. Other members of the task force came from both our...of the marketing task force mostly echoed and endorsed the user’s report. Both reports were issued in March of 1973. Notice that DoD 5200.28 had just

Stability of multifinger action in different state spaces

PubMed Central

Reschechtko, Sasha; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.

2014-01-01

We investigated stability of action by a multifinger system with three methods: analysis of intertrial variance, application of transient perturbations, and analysis of the system's motion in different state spaces. The “inverse piano” device was used to apply transient (lifting-and-lowering) perturbations to individual fingers during single- and two-finger accurate force production tasks. In each trial, the perturbation was applied either to a finger explicitly involved in the task or one that was not. We hypothesized that, in one-finger tasks, task-specific stability would be observed in the redundant space of finger forces but not in the nonredundant space of finger modes (commands to explicitly involved fingers). In two-finger tasks, we expected that perturbations applied to a nontask finger would not contribute to task-specific stability in mode space. In contrast to our expectations, analyses in both force and mode spaces showed lower stability in directions that did not change total force output compared with directions that did cause changes in total force. In addition, the transient perturbations led to a significant increase in the enslaving index. We consider these results within a theoretical scheme of control with referent body configurations organized hierarchically, using multiple few-to-many mappings organized in a synergic way. The observed volatility of enslaving, greater equifinality of total force compared with elemental variables, and large magnitude of motor equivalent motion in both force and mode spaces provide support for the concept of task-specific stability of performance and the existence of multiple neural loops, which ensure this stability. PMID:25253478

Stability of multifinger action in different state spaces.

PubMed

Reschechtko, Sasha; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2014-12-15

We investigated stability of action by a multifinger system with three methods: analysis of intertrial variance, application of transient perturbations, and analysis of the system's motion in different state spaces. The "inverse piano" device was used to apply transient (lifting-and-lowering) perturbations to individual fingers during single- and two-finger accurate force production tasks. In each trial, the perturbation was applied either to a finger explicitly involved in the task or one that was not. We hypothesized that, in one-finger tasks, task-specific stability would be observed in the redundant space of finger forces but not in the nonredundant space of finger modes (commands to explicitly involved fingers). In two-finger tasks, we expected that perturbations applied to a nontask finger would not contribute to task-specific stability in mode space. In contrast to our expectations, analyses in both force and mode spaces showed lower stability in directions that did not change total force output compared with directions that did cause changes in total force. In addition, the transient perturbations led to a significant increase in the enslaving index. We consider these results within a theoretical scheme of control with referent body configurations organized hierarchically, using multiple few-to-many mappings organized in a synergic way. The observed volatility of enslaving, greater equifinality of total force compared with elemental variables, and large magnitude of motor equivalent motion in both force and mode spaces provide support for the concept of task-specific stability of performance and the existence of multiple neural loops, which ensure this stability. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Ecological Relevance Determines Task Priority in Older Adults' Multitasking.

PubMed

Doumas, Michail; Krampe, Ralf Th

2015-05-01

Multitasking is a challenging aspect of human behavior, especially if the concurrently performed tasks are different in nature. Several studies demonstrated pronounced performance decrements (dual-task costs) in older adults for combinations of cognitive and motor tasks. However, patterns of costs among component tasks differed across studies and reasons for participants' resource allocation strategies remained elusive. We investigated young and older adults' multitasking of a working memory task and two sensorimotor tasks, one with low (finger force control) and one with high ecological relevance (postural control). The tasks were performed in single-, dual-, and triple-task contexts. Working memory accuracy was reduced in dual-task contexts with either sensorimotor task and deteriorated further under triple-task conditions. Postural and force performance deteriorated with age and task difficulty in dual-task contexts. However, in the triple-task context with its maximum resource demands, older adults prioritized postural control over both force control and memory. Our results identify ecological relevance as the key factor in older adults' multitasking. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multifunctional Battalion Task Force Training: Slovenian Armed Forces Battalion Training Cycle

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-10

MULTIFUNCTIONAL BATTALION TASK FORCE TRAINING: SLOVENIAN ARMED FORCES BATTALION TRAINING CYCLE A thesis presented to...Forces Battalion Training Cycle 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Major Ales Avsec 5d...Bn TF) training cycle . It focuses on how the SAF is conducting the infantry and multifunctional Bn TF training. In particular, it deals with mission

Transforming American Education: Reducing the Risk to the Nation. A Report to the Secretary of Education, United States Department of Education, by The National Task Force on Educational Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ridley, William J.; Hull, McAllister H., Jr.

Designed to assist educational decision-makers at the school and district level, this report summarizes the work of the National Task Force on Educational Technology, which was formed in the fall of 1984 to investigate the potential of appropriately integrated technology for improving learning in American schools. The task force used six primary…

GAO's Views on the Default Task Force's Recommendations for Reducing Default Costs in the Guaranteed Student Loan Program. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gainer, William J.

This General Accounting Office (GAO) testimony before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, concerns the findings of the task force that addressed the increasing costs of student loan defaults. The task force report is considered, generally, to provide additional incentives and…

Appalachia: Rural Women and the Economics of Hunger. Hearing before the Domestic Task Force of the Select Committee on Hunger. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Hunger.

The Domestic Task Force of the House Select Committee on Hunger met to hear testimony on women and hunger in Appalachia and on food assistance programs and legislation, including H.R. 2100, the 1985 farm bill. Introductory remarks by task force members outline the bill's food assistance provisions, which include increased funding for food stamp…

A Real Alternative: The Final Report and Recommendations of the Community National Field Task Force on the Improvement and Reform of American Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

This report is one of six to be released by as many task forces on educational improvement and reform. The main body of this report consists of five sections: (a) an introduction, which briefly describes the work of the task force; (b) a description of the alternative of community participation in education; (c) recommendations; (d) access to…

Staff Report on the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, Belmont Task Force Recommendations. Prepared for the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and Labor.

Recommendations of the Belmont Task Force concerning the problem of student loan defaults are offered to the U.S. House of Representatives. The task force concludes that the purpose of the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program has changed significantly in the last decade. While originally established as a loan of convenience for middle-income…

DESIGNING PHARMACEUTICAL TRIALS FOR SARCOPENIA IN FRAIL OLDER ADULTS: EU/US TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

PubMed Central

VELLAS, B.; PAHOR, M.; MANINI, T.; ROOKS, D.; GURALNIK, J.M.; MORLEY, J.; STUDENSKI, S.; EVANS, W.; ASBRAND, C.; FARIELLO, R.; PEREIRA, S.; ROLLAND, Y.; VAN KAN, G. ABELLAN; CESARI, M.; CHUMLEA, WM.C.; FIELDING, R.

2014-01-01

An international task force of academic and industry leaders in sarcopenia research met on December 5, 2012 in Orlando, Florida to develop guidelines for designing and executing randomized clinical trials of sarcopenia treatments. The Task Force reviewed results from previous trials in related disease areas to extract lessons relevant to future sarcopenia trials, including practical issues regarding the design and conduct of trials in elderly populations, the definition of appropriate target populations, and the selection of screening tools, outcome measures, and biomarkers. They discussed regulatory issues, the challenges posed by trials of different types of interventions, and the need for standardization and harmonization. The Task Force concluded with recommendations for advancing the field toward better clinical trials. PMID:23933872

Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics: Findings and Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, Valerie

2010-03-01

In response to the national crisis in science education, including low performance in high school physical science and a critical shortage of highly qualified physics teachers, a National Task Force was convened to investigate the state of physics education in the United States. The Task Force spent one year collecting data from over 900 universities and conducting site visits at 13 universities that were identified as ``high producers'' of physics teachers. The final report of the Task Force will be published early in 2010 and will highlight the findings and recommendations that resulted from the study. In this presentation, the main findings and recommendations will be presented along with selected case studies that illustrate exemplary practices in physics and education departments.

Muscle function in glenohumeral joint stability during lifting task.

PubMed

Blache, Yoann; Begon, Mickaël; Michaud, Benjamin; Desmoulins, Landry; Allard, Paul; Dal Maso, Fabien

2017-01-01

Ensuring glenohumeral stability during repetitive lifting tasks is a key factor to reduce the risk of shoulder injuries. Nevertheless, the literature reveals some lack concerning the assessment of the muscles that ensure glenohumeral stability during specific lifting tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the stabilization function of shoulder muscles during a lifting task. Kinematics and muscle electromyograms (n = 9) were recorded from 13 healthy adults during a bi-manual lifting task performed from the hip to the shoulder level. A generic upper-limb OpenSim model was implemented to simulate glenohumeral stability and instability by performing static optimizations with and without glenohumeral stability constraints. This procedure enabled to compute the level of shoulder muscle activity and forces in the two conditions. Without the stability constraint, the simulated movement was unstable during 74%±16% of the time. The force of the supraspinatus was significantly increased of 107% (p<0.002) when the glenohumeral stability constraint was implemented. The increased supraspinatus force led to greater compressive force (p<0.001) and smaller shear force (p<0.001), which contributed to improved glenohumeral stability. It was concluded that the supraspinatus may be the main contributor to glenohumeral stability during lifting task.

Muscle function in glenohumeral joint stability during lifting task

PubMed Central

Begon, Mickaël; Michaud, Benjamin; Desmoulins, Landry; Allard, Paul

2017-01-01

Ensuring glenohumeral stability during repetitive lifting tasks is a key factor to reduce the risk of shoulder injuries. Nevertheless, the literature reveals some lack concerning the assessment of the muscles that ensure glenohumeral stability during specific lifting tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the stabilization function of shoulder muscles during a lifting task. Kinematics and muscle electromyograms (n = 9) were recorded from 13 healthy adults during a bi-manual lifting task performed from the hip to the shoulder level. A generic upper-limb OpenSim model was implemented to simulate glenohumeral stability and instability by performing static optimizations with and without glenohumeral stability constraints. This procedure enabled to compute the level of shoulder muscle activity and forces in the two conditions. Without the stability constraint, the simulated movement was unstable during 74%±16% of the time. The force of the supraspinatus was significantly increased of 107% (p<0.002) when the glenohumeral stability constraint was implemented. The increased supraspinatus force led to greater compressive force (p<0.001) and smaller shear force (p<0.001), which contributed to improved glenohumeral stability. It was concluded that the supraspinatus may be the main contributor to glenohumeral stability during lifting task. PMID:29244838

Effects of Type and Strength of Force Feedback on Movement Time in a Target Selection Task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rorie, Robert Conrad; Vu, Kim-Phuong L.; Marayong, Panadda; Robles, Jose; Strybel, Thomas Z.; Battiste, Vernol

2013-01-01

Future cockpits will likely include new onboard technologies, such as cockpit displays of traffic information, to help support future flight deck roles and responsibilities. These new technologies may benefit from multimodal feedback to aid pilot information processing. The current study investigated the effects of multiple levels of force feedback on operator performance in an aviation task. Participants were presented with two different types of force feedback (gravitational and spring force feedback) for a discrete targeting task, with multiple levels of gain examined for each force feedback type. Approach time and time in target were recorded. Results suggested that the two highest levels of gravitational force significantly reduced approach times relative to the lowest level of gravitational force. Spring force level only affected time in target. Implications of these findings for the design of future cockpit displays will be discussed.

Impaired force control in writer's cramp showing a bilateral deficit in sensorimotor integration.

PubMed

Bleton, Jean-Pierre; Teremetz, Maxime; Vidailhet, Marie; Mesure, Serge; Maier, Marc A; Lindberg, Påvel G

2014-01-01

Abnormal cortical processing of sensory inputs has been found bilaterally in writer's cramp (WC). This study tested the hypothesis that patients with WC have an impaired ability to adjust grip forces according to visual and somatosensory cues in both hands. A unimanual visuomotor force-tracking task and a bimanual sense of effort force-matching task were performed by WC patients and healthy controls. In visuomotor tracking, WC patients showed increased error, greater variability, and longer release duration than controls. In the force-matching task, patients underestimated, whereas controls overestimated, the force applied in the other hand. Visuomotor tracking and force matching were equally impaired in both the symptomatic and nonsymptomatic hand in WC patients. This study provides evidence of bilaterally impaired grip-force control in WC, when using visual or sense of effort cues. This suggests a generalized subclinical deficit in sensorimotor integration in WC. Copyright © 2013 Movement Disorder Society.

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.

Effects of load position and force direction on back muscle loading in one-wheeled wheelbarrow tasks.

PubMed

Chen, Su-Huang; Lee, Yung-Hui; Lin, Chiuhsiang Joe

2015-01-01

Various parameters related to pushing/pulling tasks have been examined yet the effects of changing the load position in one-wheeled wheelbarrow task has not been examined. To explore the effects of load position and force direction on muscle activity during wheelbarrow tasks. Nine participants were recruited to take part in the experiment. Each participant performed 18 trials consisting of 2 force directions (push and pull) and 9 load positions. The dependent variables were EMG of erector spinae and gripping force. ANOVA was used to identify significant differences between force direction and load position in EMG and gripping force data. Results showed that peak EMG was lowest for the left and right erector spinae when the load was positioned farther from the participant. Peak EMG of the bilateral erector spinae increased when the weight was near the participant and on the ipsilateral hand. Based on the EMG results, we suggest that loads be arranged in the anterior part of the bin in order to reduce muscle activity on the spine during the wheelbarrow task. This finding also provides some directions in the improvement and ergonomic redesign of the one-wheeled wheelbarrow.

Reciprocity-based experimental determination of dynamic forces and moments: A feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ver, Istvan L.; Howe, Michael S.

1994-01-01

BBN Systems and Technologies has been tasked by the Georgia Tech Research Center to carry Task Assignment No. 7 for the NASA Langley Research Center to explore the feasibility of 'In-Situ Experimental Evaluation of the Source Strength of Complex Vibration Sources Utilizing Reciprocity.' The task was carried out under NASA Contract No. NAS1-19061. In flight it is not feasible to connect the vibration sources to their mounting points on the fuselage through force gauges to measure dynamic forces and moments directly. However, it is possible to measure the interior sound field or vibration response caused by these structureborne sound sources at many locations and invoke principle of reciprocity to predict the dynamic forces and moments. The work carried out in the framework of Task 7 was directed to explore the feasibility of reciprocity-based measurements of vibration forces and moments.

Determining the maintenance superintendent and facility needs for residencies in the Virginia Department of Transportation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

In the spring of 2007, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) began the process of reducing the number of superintendents and facilities dedicated to ordinary maintenance tasks. The need to downsize was the direct result of the requirement ...

Age-related differences in finger force control are characterized by reduced force production.

PubMed

Vieluf, Solveig; Godde, Ben; Reuter, Eva-Maria; Voelcker-Rehage, Claudia

2013-01-01

It has been repeatedly shown that precise finger force control declines with age. The tasks and evaluation parameters used to reveal age-related differences vary between studies. In order to examine effects of task characteristics, young adults (18-25 years) and late middle-aged adults (55-65 years) performed precision grip tasks with varying speed and force requirements. Different outcome variables were used to evaluate age-related differences. Age-related differences were confirmed for performance accuracy (TWR) and variability (relative root mean square error, rRMSE). The task characteristics, however, influenced accuracy and variability in both age groups: Force modulation performance at higher speed was poorer than at lower speed and at fixed force levels than at force levels adjusted to the individual maximum forces. This effect tended to be stronger for older participants for the rRMSE. A curve fit confirmed the age-related differences for both spatial force tracking parameters (amplitude and intercept) and for one temporal parameter (phase shift), but not for the temporal parameter frequency. Additionally, matching the timing parameters of the sine wave seemed to be more important than matching the spatial parameters in both young adults and late middle-aged adults. However, the effect was stronger for the group of late middle-aged, even though maximum voluntary contraction was not significantly different between groups. Our data indicate that changes in the processing of fine motor control tasks with increasing age are caused by difficulties of late middle-aged adults to produce a predefined amount of force in a short time.

ASCAN Helms participates in T-38 training at Vance Air Force Base (VAFB)

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-08-14

S90-45896 (29-31 July 1990) --- Susan J. Helms, one of the 23 astronaut candidates who began a year's training and evaluation program in July, participates in one of themany sessions at a survival training course at Vance Air Force Base. This portion of the course is designed to familiarize the trainee with procedures to follow in preparation for ejection from a jet aircraft.

Training and Advising Foreign Militaries: We’ve Done This Before

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-10

by Mao Tse -tung, Chinese Nationalist forces needed arms, equipment and training. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt moved quickly to...Nationalist forces against the Japanese invaders. Simultaneously, Chaing was involved in a civil war with Mao Tse -tung’s Communist Army. Although...1931, the Communist established a 54 Ibid., 8-10. 16 Government with Mao Tse -tung as its Chairman. This began the internal struggles between

Environmental Assessment for New Veterinary Clinic, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

The following prehistory and history of Ellsworth AFB has been excerpted from the Ellsworth AFB Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan (U.S...Air Force, 2011). Prehistoric Period Northern Plains prehistory has been the subject of several published studies and archaeological surveys as...information or research questions related to the prehistory of the immediate Ellsworth AFB area. Historical Period The Black Hills mining boom began

A "Kane's Dynamics" Model for the Active Rack Isolation System. Part 3; Addition of Umbilicals to the Nonlinear Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rupert, J. K.; Hampton, R. D.; Beech, G. S.

2005-01-01

In the late 1980s, microgravity researchers began to voice their concern that umbilical-transmitted energy could significantly degrade the acceleration environment of microgravity space science experiments onboard manned spacecraft. Since umbilicals are necessary for many experiments, control designers began to seek ways to compensate for these "indirect" disturbances. Hampton, et al., used the Kane s method to develop a model of the active rack isolation system (ARIS) that includes (1) actuator control forces, (2) direct disturbance forces, and (3) indirect, actuator-transmitted disturbances. Their model does not, however, include the indirect, umbilical-transmitted disturbances. Since the umbilical stiffnesses are not negligible, these indirect disturbances must be included in the model. Until the umbilicals have been appropriately included, the model will be incomplete. This Technical Memorandum presents a nonlinear model of ARIS with umbilicals included. Model verification was achieved by utilizing two commercial-off-the-shelf software tools. Various forces and moments were applied to the model to yield simulated responses of the system. Plots of the simulation results show how various critical points on an ARIS-outfitted international standard payload rack behave under the application of direct disturbances, indirect disturbances, and control forces. Simulations also show system response to a variety of initial conditions.

Purchasing oncology services. Kerr L. White Institute/American Cancer Society Task Force on Purchasing Oncology Services.

PubMed

Cangialose, C B; Blair, A E; Borchardt, J S; Ades, T B; Bennett, C L; Dickersin, K; Gesme, D H; Henderson, I C; McGinnis, L S; Mooney, K; Mortenson, L E; Sperduto, P; Winkenwerder, W; Ballard, D J

2000-06-15

A multidisciplinary panel representing various stakeholders in the health care delivery and oncology services marketplace was convened to develop specific criteria for healthcare purchasers to consider when evaluating the structures and processes of health plans. These rank ordered criteria also can be used by oncologic service providers and health plan designers as a yardstick for the services they offer. A multidisciplinary 31-member Task Force was assembled by the Kerr L. White Institute and the American Cancer Society in March 1997. Task Force members were selected for their ability to offer expert insight as purchasers, suppliers, policymakers, consumers, or stakeholders in the health care marketplace. A preference-weighted majority voting rule was used to identify the three most important recommendations of the 10 that were generated through a modified Delphi technique. To test the practicality of the top three recommendations, leaders of large managed care organizations (MCOs) were surveyed; the results of this survey then were compared with the results of the Task Force survey. The three most important recommendations from the Task Force were that health plans provide access to: 1) comprehensive cancer care, 2) preventive and screening services, and 3) second opinions and treatment options supported by scientific evidence. The difference between the responses of the Task Force and the MCOs was that MCOs placed the highest importance on evidence-based decision-making, with their next three rankings coinciding with those identified by the Task Force. The value of these summary recommendations will be realized through their use by both purchasers and suppliers to influence the structure and content of the delivery of oncologic services.

Preventing skin cancer: findings of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services On reducing Exposure to Ultraviolet Light.

PubMed

Saraiya, Mona; Glanz, Karen; Briss, Peter; Nichols, Phyllis; White, Cornelia; Das, Debjani

2003-10-17

Rates of skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States, are increasing. The most preventable risk factor for skin cancer is unprotected ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Seeking to identify effective approaches to reducing the incidence of skin cancer by improving individual and community efforts to reduce unprotected UV exposure, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services conducted systematic reviews of community interventions to reduce exposure to ultraviolet light and increase protective behaviors. The Task Force found sufficient evidence to recommend two interventions that are based on improvements in sun protective or "covering-up" behavior (wearing protective clothing including long-sleeved clothing or hats): educational and policy approaches in two settings--primary schools and recreational or tourism sites. They found insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of a range of other population-based interventions and recommended additional research in these areas: educational and policy approaches in child care centers, secondary schools and colleges, recreational or tourism sites for children, and workplaces; interventions conducted in health-care settings and targeted to both providers and children's parents or caregivers; media campaigns alone; and community wide multicomponent interventions. This report also presents additional information regarding the recommended community interventions, briefly describes how the reviews were conducted, provides resources for further information, and provides information that can help in applying the interventions locally. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force conducted a systematic review of counseling by primary care clinicians to prevent skin cancer (CDC. Counseling to prevent skin cancer: recommendation and rationale of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. MMWR 2003;52[No. RR-15]:13-17), which is also included in this issue, the first jointly released findings from the Task Force on Community Preventive Services and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Measurement of Forces and Moments Transmitted to the Residual Limb

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

prosthesis alignment, socket pressure, gait, force and moment sensors 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: U 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER... prosthesis to measure the forces and moments at the base of the socket and to use these measurements to estimate the forces transmitted to the residual limb...BODY – EACH TASK IN STATEMENT OF WORK Task 1. To instrument a transtibial prosthesis with a tri-axial transducer to measure the forces and

The Composite Strain Index (COSI) and Cumulative Strain Index (CUSI): methodologies for quantifying biomechanical stressors for complex tasks and job rotation using the Revised Strain Index.

PubMed

Garg, Arun; Moore, J Steven; Kapellusch, Jay M

2017-08-01

The Composite Strain Index (COSI) quantifies biomechanical stressors for complex tasks consisting of exertions at different force levels and/or with different exertion times. The Cumulative Strain Index (CUSI) further integrates biomechanical stressors from different tasks to quantify exposure for the entire work shift. The paper provides methodologies to compute COSI and CUSI along with examples. Complex task simulation produced 169,214 distinct tasks. Use of average, time-weighted average (TWA) and peak force and COSI classified 66.9, 28.2, 100 and 38.9% of tasks as hazardous, respectively. For job rotation the simulation produced 10,920 distinct jobs. TWA COSI, peak task COSI and CUSI classified 36.5, 78.1 and 66.6% jobs as hazardous, respectively. The results suggest that the TWA approach systematically underestimates the biomechanical stressors and peak approach overestimates biomechanical stressors, both at the task and job level. It is believed that the COSI and CUSI partially address these underestimations and overestimations of biomechanical stressors. Practitioner Summary: COSI quantifies exposure when applied hand force and/or duration of that force changes during a task cycle. CUSI integrates physical exposures from job rotation. These should be valuable tools for designing and analysing tasks and job rotation to determine risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

75 FR 43565 - NASA Advisory Council; Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-26

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice: (10-084)] NASA Advisory Council; Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense; Meeting AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ACTION... amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a two-part meeting of the Ad-Hoc Task...

76 FR 72404 - Pesticides: Availability of Pesticide Registration Notice Regarding the Non-Dietary Exposure Task...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

... Pesticide Registration Notice Regarding the Non-Dietary Exposure Task Force AGENCY: Environmental Protection... Registration Notice (PR Notice) regarding the data development efforts of the Non-Dietary Exposure Task Force... participate. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard P. Dumas, Pesticide Re- evaluation Division (7508P...

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Globalization and Security.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

adversaries, such as North Korea’s progress in ballistic missiles. The leveling effect of globalization is a thread that runs through the Task Force...globalization are manifold. Increased use of the commercial sector cannot be separated from the effects of globalization. Nor is increased DoD reliance...enhance dramatically DSB Task Force on Globalization and Security DoD’s organizational efficiency and effectiveness . This could allow DoD to cut

Applicability of Performance Assessment Tools to Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force C4 System of Systems Performance Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

application of existing assessment tools that may be applicable to Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Command, Control, Communications and...of existing assessment tools that may be applicable to Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4...assessment tools and analysis concepts that may be extended to the Marine Corps’ C4 System of Systems assessment methodology as a means to obtain a

Training and Familiarization with the Battle Command Sustainment Support System

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-11

for Task Force Bastone and SDDC” by Mitch Chandran (Translog, Fall 2005) focuses on the initial use of the BCS3 by the Surface Deployment and...the Heartbeat of ITV for Task Force Bastone and SDDC,” Journal of Military Transportation Management (Fall 2005): 13. 49Ibid. 50Ibid. 51Colonel...Mitch. “BCS3 Becomes the Heartbeat of ITV for Task Force Bastone and SDDC.” Journal of Military Transportation Management (Fall 2005). Department

Power system restoration - A task force report

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

Adibi, M.; Clelland, P.; Fink, L.

1986-01-01

The IEEE PES System Operation Subcommittee has established the Power System Restoration Task Force to: review operating practices, conduct a literature search, prepare relevant glossaries and bibliographies, and promote information exchange through technical papers. This is the first report of the Task Force. The problem of bulk power system restoration following a complete or partial collapse is practically as old as the electric utility industry itself. Many electric utilities have developed over the years system restoration schemes that meet the needs of their particular systems. These plans provide a great deal of insight into how the restorative process is viewedmore » by operating and planning personnel and what concerns and constraints any plan must operate under. The body of the report consists of notes prepared by members of the Task Force. It should not be interred that a complete reporting on Power System Restoration is undertaken here. The intent is to report upon work of the Task Force to date. The report also reviews several different restoration plans and shows their common concerns and constraints.« less

The AAPT Advanced Laboratory Task Force Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunham, Jeffrey

2008-04-01

In late 2005, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) assembled a seven-member Advanced Laboratory Task Force^ to recommend ways that AAPT could increase the degree and effectiveness of its interactions with physics teachers of upper-division physics laboratories, with the ultimate goal of improving the teaching of advanced laboratories. The task force completed its work during the first half of 2006 and its recommendations were presented to the AAPT Executive Committee in July 2006. This talk will present the recommendations of the task force and actions taken by AAPT in response to them. The curricular goals of the advanced laboratory course at various institutions will also be discussed. The talk will conclude with an appeal to the APS membership to support ongoing efforts to revitalize advanced laboratory course instruction. ^Members of the Advanced Laboratory Task Force: Van Bistrow, University of Chicago; Bob DeSerio, University of Florida; Jeff Dunham, Middlebury College (Chair); Elizabeth George, Wittenburg University; Daryl Preston, California State University, East Bay; Patricia Sparks, Harvey Mudd College; Gerald Taylor, James Madison University; and David Van Baak, Calvin College.

Report of the Special Task Force to Study Not-for-Profit Hospitals and Unsponsored Charity Care.

PubMed

Anderson, R J; Milburn, L T

1990-04-01

Texas not-for-profit hospitals recently received intense scrutiny regarding their involvement in charity-related contributions when Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox formed the Task Force to Study Not-for-Profit Hospitals and Unsponsored Charity Care. This article details the task force's recommendations concerning charity care obligations of Texas not-for-profit hospitals. Setting the stage for these recommendations was a broad definition of charitable services that included costs for delivering services to indigents and for providing community services to fulfill the hospital's charitable, religious, educational, research, or eleemosynary purposes. The task force unanimously agreed that a mandated level of charity care was incongruent with the hospitals' individual missions and specific community needs, but they supported the formation of standard accounting procedures for charitable services and the voluntary submission of their mission statements to the attorney general of Texas. While the hospitals' role in providing charitable services is very important, the task force emphasized that the overall need for adequate financing and reimbursement of health care is a societal problem that needs specific state and federal actions.

Evaluation of knee joint forces during kneeling work with different kneepads.

PubMed

Xu, Hang; Jampala, Sree; Bloswick, Donald; Zhao, Jie; Merryweather, Andrew

2017-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to determine knee joint forces resulting from kneeling work with and without kneepads to quantify how different kneepads redistribute force. Eleven healthy males simulated a tile setting task to different locations during six kneepad states (five different kneepad types and without kneepad). Peak and average forces on the anatomical landmarks of both knees were obtained by custom force sensors. The results revealed that kneepad design can significantly modify the forces on the knee joint through redistribution. The Professional Gel design was preferred among the five tested kneepads which was confirmed with both force measurements and participants' responses. The extreme reaching locations induced significantly higher joint forces on left knee or right knee depending on task. The conclusion of this study is that a properly selected kneepad for specific tasks and a more neutral working posture can modify the force distribution on the knees and likely decrease the risk of knee disorders from kneeling work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving posture-motor dual-task with a supraposture-focus strategy in young and elderly adults

PubMed Central

Yu, Shu-Han

2017-01-01

In a postural-suprapostural task, appropriate prioritization is necessary to achieve task goals and maintain postural stability. A “posture-first” principle is typically favored by elderly people in order to secure stance stability, but this comes at the cost of reduced suprapostural performance. Using a postural-suprapostural task with a motor suprapostural goal, this study investigated differences between young and older adults in dual-task cost across varying task prioritization paradigms. Eighteen healthy young (mean age: 24.8 ± 5.2 years) and 18 older (mean age: 68.8 ± 3.7 years) adults executed a designated force-matching task from a stabilometer board using either a stabilometer stance (posture-focus strategy) or force-matching (supraposture-focus strategy) as the primary task. The dual-task effect (DTE: % change in dual-task condition; positive value: dual-task benefit, negative value: dual-task cost) of force-matching error and reaction time (RT), posture error, and approximate entropy (ApEn) of stabilometer movement were measured. When using the supraposture-focus strategy, young adults exhibited larger DTE values in each behavioral parameter than when using the posture-focus strategy. The older adults using the supraposture-focus strategy also attained larger DTE values for posture error, stabilometer movement ApEn, and force-matching error than when using the posture-focus strategy. These results suggest that the supraposture-focus strategy exerted an increased dual-task benefit for posture-motor dual-tasking in both healthy young and elderly adults. The present findings imply that the older adults should make use of the supraposture-focus strategy for fall prevention during dual-task execution. PMID:28151943

Improving posture-motor dual-task with a supraposture-focus strategy in young and elderly adults.

PubMed

Yu, Shu-Han; Huang, Cheng-Ya

2017-01-01

In a postural-suprapostural task, appropriate prioritization is necessary to achieve task goals and maintain postural stability. A "posture-first" principle is typically favored by elderly people in order to secure stance stability, but this comes at the cost of reduced suprapostural performance. Using a postural-suprapostural task with a motor suprapostural goal, this study investigated differences between young and older adults in dual-task cost across varying task prioritization paradigms. Eighteen healthy young (mean age: 24.8 ± 5.2 years) and 18 older (mean age: 68.8 ± 3.7 years) adults executed a designated force-matching task from a stabilometer board using either a stabilometer stance (posture-focus strategy) or force-matching (supraposture-focus strategy) as the primary task. The dual-task effect (DTE: % change in dual-task condition; positive value: dual-task benefit, negative value: dual-task cost) of force-matching error and reaction time (RT), posture error, and approximate entropy (ApEn) of stabilometer movement were measured. When using the supraposture-focus strategy, young adults exhibited larger DTE values in each behavioral parameter than when using the posture-focus strategy. The older adults using the supraposture-focus strategy also attained larger DTE values for posture error, stabilometer movement ApEn, and force-matching error than when using the posture-focus strategy. These results suggest that the supraposture-focus strategy exerted an increased dual-task benefit for posture-motor dual-tasking in both healthy young and elderly adults. The present findings imply that the older adults should make use of the supraposture-focus strategy for fall prevention during dual-task execution.

75 FR 12493 - Task Force on Childhood Obesity: Request for Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-16

... Force on Childhood Obesity: Request for Information AGENCY: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S.... SUMMARY: Across the country, childhood obesity has reached epidemic rates. On February 9, 2010, President Obama signed a Presidential Memo establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity that directs Federal...

America’s Army: The Strength of the Nation. 2010 Army Posture Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-19

Task Force ARFORGEN Army Force Generation AFRICOM Africa Command AMAP Army Medical Action Plan AMC Army Material Command APS Army Prepositioned Stocks ...Facilities EBCT Evaluation Brigade Combat Team EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal ES2 Every Soldier a Sensor ETF Enterprise Task Force FCS Future Combat

Pharmacy faculty workplace issues: findings from the 2009-2010 COD-COF Joint Task Force on Faculty Workforce.

PubMed

Desselle, Shane P; Peirce, Gretchen L; Crabtree, Brian L; Acosta, Daniel; Early, Johnnie L; Kishi, Donald T; Nobles-Knight, Dolores; Webster, Andrew A

2011-05-10

Many factors contribute to the vitality of an individual faculty member, a department, and an entire academic organization. Some of the relationships among these factors are well understood, but many questions remain unanswered. The Joint Task Force on Faculty Workforce examined the literature on faculty workforce issues, including the work of previous task forces charged by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). We identified and focused on 4 unique but interrelated concepts: organizational culture/climate, role of the department chair, faculty recruitment and retention, and mentoring. Among all 4 resides the need to consider issues of intergenerational, intercultural, and gender dynamics. This paper reports the findings of the task force and proffers specific recommendations to AACP and to colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Apprentice to Thorndike.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travers, Robert M.

1987-01-01

Thorndike is remembered by a former research assistant who began working with him in 1938 at the Institute of Educational Research, Teachers College Columbia University. Impressions of Thorndike the teacher, behavioral scientist, educational inventor and guiding force of the Institute are shared. (IAH)

Credit BG. Northwest and southwest facades of Administration Building for ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Credit BG. Northwest and southwest facades of Administration Building for Building 4505 area. Construction began on this building in 1967 - Edwards Air Force Base, North Base, Administration Building, Northeast of A Street, Boron, Kern County, CA

Interpersonal synergies: static prehension tasks performed by two actors.

PubMed

Solnik, Stanislaw; Reschechtko, Sasha; Wu, Yen-Hsun; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M; Latash, Mark L

2016-08-01

We investigated multidigit synergies stabilizing components of the resultant force vector during joint performance of a static prehension task by two persons as compared to similar tasks performed by a single person using both hands. Subjects transferred the instrumented handle from the right hand to the left hand (one-person condition) or passed that handle to another person (two-person condition) while keeping the handle's position and orientation stationary. Only three digits were involved per hand, the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger; the forces and moments produced by the digits were measured by six-component sensors. We estimated the performance-stabilizing synergies within the uncontrolled manifold framework by quantifying the intertrial variance structure of digit forces and moments. The analysis was performed at three levels: between hands, between virtual finger and virtual thumb (imagined digits producing the same mechanical variables as the corresponding actual digits combined) produced by the two hands (in both interpersonal and intrapersonal conditions), and between the thumb and virtual finger for one hand only. Additionally, we performed correlation and phase synchronization analyses of resultant tangential forces and internal normal forces. Overall, the one-person conditions were characterized by higher amount of intertrial variance that did not affect resultant normal force components, higher internal components of normal forces, and stronger synchronization of the normal forces generated by the hands. Our observations suggest that in two-person tasks, when participants try to achieve a common mechanical outcome, the performance-stabilizing synergies depend on non-visual information exchange, possibly via the haptic and proprioceptive systems. Therefore, synergies quantified in tasks using visual feedback only may not be generalizable to more natural tasks.

Visual search in a forced-choice paradigm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmgren, J. E.

1974-01-01

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

The Cake Contest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haberern, Colleen

2016-01-01

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), many teachers are changing their classroom structure from teacher-directed to student-centered. When the author began designing and using problem-based tasks she saw a drastic improvement in student engagement and problem-solving skills. The author describes the Cake…

Improving training of laparoscopic tissue manipulation skills using various visual force feedback types.

PubMed

Smit, Daan; Spruit, Edward; Dankelman, Jenny; Tuijthof, Gabrielle; Hamming, Jaap; Horeman, Tim

2017-01-01

Visual force feedback allows trainees to learn laparoscopic tissue manipulation skills. The aim of this experimental study was to find the most efficient visual force feedback method to acquire these skills. Retention and transfer validity to an untrained task were assessed. Medical students without prior experience in laparoscopy were randomized in three groups: Constant Force Feedback (CFF) (N = 17), Bandwidth Force Feedback (BFF) (N = 16) and Fade-in Force Feedback (N = 18). All participants performed a pretest, training, post-test and follow-up test. The study involved two dissimilar tissue manipulation tasks, one for training and one to assess transferability. Participants performed six trials of the training task. A force platform was used to record several force parameters. A paired-sample t test showed overall lower force parameter outcomes in the post-test compared to the pretest (p < .001). A week later, the force parameter outcomes were still significantly lower than found in the pretest (p < .005). Participants also performed the transfer task in the post-test (p < .02) and follow-up (p < .05) test with lower force parameter outcomes compared to the pretest. A one-way MANOVA indicated that in the post-test the CFF group applied 50 % less Mean Absolute Nonzero Force (p = .005) than the BFF group. All visual force feedback methods showed to be effective in decreasing tissue manipulation force as no major differences were found between groups in the post and follow-up trials. The BFF method is preferred for it respects individual progress and minimizes distraction.

Objective Assessment of Laparoscopic Force and Psychomotor Skills in a Novel Virtual Reality-Based Haptic Simulator.

PubMed

Prasad, M S Raghu; Manivannan, Muniyandi; Manoharan, Govindan; Chandramohan, S M

2016-01-01

Most of the commercially available virtual reality-based laparoscopic simulators do not effectively evaluate combined psychomotor and force-based laparoscopic skills. Consequently, the lack of training on these critical skills leads to intraoperative errors. To assess the effectiveness of the novel virtual reality-based simulator, this study analyzed the combined psychomotor (i.e., motion or movement) and force skills of residents and expert surgeons. The study also examined the effectiveness of real-time visual force feedback and tool motion during training. Bimanual fundamental (i.e., probing, pulling, sweeping, grasping, and twisting) and complex tasks (i.e., tissue dissection) were evaluated. In both tasks, visual feedback on applied force and tool motion were provided. The skills of the participants while performing the early tasks were assessed with and without visual feedback. Participants performed 5 repetitions of fundamental and complex tasks. Reaction force and instrument acceleration were used as metrics. Surgical Gastroenterology, Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital; Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Residents (N = 25; postgraduates and surgeons with <2 years of laparoscopic surgery) and expert surgeons (N = 25; surgeons with >4 and ≤10 years of laparoscopic surgery). Residents applied large forces compared with expert surgeons and performed abrupt tool movements (p < 0.001). However, visual + haptic feedback improved the performance of residents (p < 0.001). In complex tasks, visual + haptic feedback did not influence the applied force of expert surgeons, but influenced their tool motion (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in complex tissue sweeping task, expert surgeons applied more force, but were within the tissue damage limits. In both groups, exertion of large forces and abrupt tool motion were observed during grasping, probing or pulling, and tissue sweeping maneuvers (p < 0.001). Modern day curriculum-based training should evaluate the skills of residents with robust force and psychomotor-based exercises for proficient laparoscopy. Visual feedback on force and motion during training has the potential to enhance the learning curve of residents. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

WWC Review of the Report "Meeting the Challenge of Combating Chronic Absenteeism: Impact of the NYC Mayor's Interagency Task Force on Chronic Absenteeism and School Attendance and Its Implications for Other Cities." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

2014-01-01

The 2013 study, "Meeting the Challenge of Combating Chronic Absenteeism: Impact of the NYC Mayor's Interagency Task Force on Chronic Absenteeism and School Attendance and Its Implications for Other Cities", examined the impact of the strategies developed by an interagency task force in New York City to combat chronic absenteeism in…

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Tactical Battlefield Communications,

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-02-01

Communications, in and Intelligence (ASD/C3I); and LTG John Woodward, J6. The Task Force comprised fourteen experts from government, industry, and academe. The...O’Berry (USAF-Retired) Col Bobby Smart (USAF) Professor Stewart Personick Mr. Mark Rich Mr. Peter D. Steensma DSB Staff Assistant Mr. John ...were: The Honorable Dr. Jacques Gansler, USD/AT&L, the Honorable Art Money, ASD/C3I and LTG John Woodward, JCS-J6. The Task Force membership (Figure

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Trends and Implications of Climate Change on National and International Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

Propulsion Laboratory Dr. Diane Evans Jet Propulsion Laboratory CAPT Tim Gallaudet US Navy Task Force on Climate Change Mr. David Goldwyn State...Ashley Moran Strauss Center, University of Texas, Austin DOD’s (Minerva) Climate Change and African Political Stability Project CAPT Timothy ... Gallaudet Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy Navy’s Climate Change Task Force Dr. Sherri Goodman, Dr. Ralph Espach and Mr. Peter MacKenzie CNA

Hispanic Youth--Dropout Prevention. Report of the Task Force on the Participation of Hispanic Students in Vocational Education Programs = La Joventud Hispana. Reporte del Grupo Especial. La Investigacion de la Participacion de los Estudiantes Hispanos en la Educacion Relativa a la Vocacion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Idaho State Dept. of Education, Boise. Div. of Vocational Education.

An Idaho task force of Hispanic Americans, industry representatives, and education leaders studied the reasons Hispanic students were not enrolling in and completing vocational education programs. The task force sponsored a series of community meetings to identify reasons and solutions. Approximately 40-60 parents, students, and other interested…

National Task Force on a Uniform Measurement Unit for the Recognition of Continuing Education: Working Papers; and The Continuing Education Unit: A Uniform Unit of Measure for Non-Credit Continuing Education Programs (An Interim Statement of the National Task Force).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Univ. Extension Association, Washington, DC.

In 1968, a national planning conference, under the joint sponsorship of 34 organizations responsing to continuing education needs, created the National Task Force to determine the feasibility of a uniform unit of measurement and develop a proposal for field testing the concept. Stressing that continuing education units should supplement, not…

Overview of the Machine-Tool Task Force

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

Sutton, G.P.

1981-06-08

The Machine Tool Task Force, (MTTF) surveyed the state of the art of machine tool technology for material removal for two and one-half years. This overview gives a brief summary of the approach, specific subjects covered, principal conclusions and some of the key recommendations aimed at improving the technology and advancing the productivity of machine tools. The Task Force consisted of 123 experts from the US and other countries. Their findings are documented in a five-volume report, Technology of Machine Tools.

Effects of Visual Feedback and Memory on Unintentional Drifts in Performance During Finger Pressing Tasks

PubMed Central

Solnik, Stanislaw; Qiao, Mu; Latash, Mark L.

2017-01-01

This study tested two hypotheses on the nature of unintentional force drifts elicited by removing visual feedback during accurate force production tasks. The role of working memory (memory hypothesis) was explored in tasks with continuous force production, intermittent force production, and rest intervals over the same time interval. The assumption of unintentional drifts in referent coordinate for the fingertips was tested using manipulations of visual feedback: Young healthy subjects performed accurate steady-state force production tasks by pressing with the two index fingers on individual force sensors with visual feedback on the total force, sharing ratio, both, or none. Predictions based on the memory hypothesis have been falsified. In particular, we observed consistent force drifts to lower force values during continuous force production trials only. No force drift or drifts to higher forces were observed during intermittent force production trials and following rest intervals. The hypotheses based on the idea of drifts in referent finger coordinates have been confirmed. In particular, we observed superposition of two drift processes: A drift of total force to lower magnitudes and a drift of the sharing ratio to 50:50. When visual feedback on total force only was provided, the two finger forces showed drifts in opposite directions. We interpret the findings as evidence for the control of motor actions with changes in referent coordinates for participating effectors. Unintentional drifts in performance are viewed as natural relaxation processes in the involved systems; their typical time reflects stability in the direction of the drift. The magnitude of the drift was higher in the right (dominant) hand, which is consistent with the dynamic dominance hypothesis. PMID:28168396

Cortical activity predicts good variation in human motor output.

PubMed

Babikian, Sarine; Kanso, Eva; Kutch, Jason J

2017-04-01

Human movement patterns have been shown to be particularly variable if many combinations of activity in different muscles all achieve the same task goal (i.e., are goal-equivalent). The nervous system appears to automatically vary its output among goal-equivalent combinations of muscle activity to minimize muscle fatigue or distribute tissue loading, but the neural mechanism of this "good" variation is unknown. Here we use a bimanual finger task, electroencephalography (EEG), and machine learning to determine if cortical signals can predict goal-equivalent variation in finger force output. 18 healthy participants applied left and right index finger forces to repeatedly perform a task that involved matching a total (sum of right and left) finger force. As in previous studies, we observed significantly more variability in goal-equivalent muscle activity across task repetitions compared to variability in muscle activity that would not achieve the goal: participants achieved the task in some repetitions with more right finger force and less left finger force (right > left) and in other repetitions with less right finger force and more left finger force (left > right). We found that EEG signals from the 500 milliseconds (ms) prior to each task repetition could make a significant prediction of which repetitions would have right > left and which would have left > right. We also found that cortical maps of sites contributing to the prediction contain both motor and pre-motor representation in the appropriate hemisphere. Thus, goal-equivalent variation in motor output may be implemented at a cortical level.

Bilingual Advantage in Attentional Control: Evidence from the Forced-Attention Dichotic Listening Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soveri, Anna; Laine, Matti; Hamalainen, Heikki; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2011-01-01

It has been claimed that due to their experience in controlling two languages, bilinguals exceed monolinguals in certain executive functions, especially inhibition of task-irrelevant stimuli. Here we investigated the effects of bilingualism on an executive phonological task, namely the forced-attention dichotic listening task with syllabic…

Task-level testing of the JPL-OMV smart end effector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannaford, B.

1987-01-01

An intelligent end effector previously developed at JPL has been tested in over 21 hours of experimental teleoperation. The end effector provides local control of gripper clamping force and a 6-degree-of-freedom, wrist mounted force torque sensor. Resolved forces and torques were displayed to the test subjects, and the effect of this information on their performance of simulated satellite servicing tasks was assessed. The experienced subjects accomplished the tasks with lower levels of Remote Manipulator System (RMS) forces than intermediate and naive subjects, but the force levels were apparently uncorrelated with the presence or absence of the display. This negative finding was attributed to the lack of a suitable control mode in the manipulator control system.

Grasp Assist Device with Automatic Mode Control Logic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laske, Evan (Inventor); Davis, Donald R. (Inventor); Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A system includes a glove, sensors, actuator assemblies, and controller. The sensors include load sensors which measure an actual grasping force and attitude sensors which determine a glove attitude. The actuator assembly provides a grasp assist force to the glove. Respective locations of work cells in the work environment and permitted work tasks for each work cell are programmed into the controller. The controller detects the glove location and attitude. A work task is selected by the controller for the location. The controller calculates a required grasp assist force using measured actual grasping forces from the load sensors. The required grasp assist force is applied via the glove using the actuator assembly to thereby assist the operator in performing the identified work task.

Analysis of the pen pressure and grip force signal during basic drawing tasks: The timing and speed changes impact drawing characteristics.

PubMed

Gatouillat, Arthur; Dumortier, Antoine; Perera, Subashan; Badr, Youakim; Gehin, Claudine; Sejdić, Ervin

2017-08-01

Writing is a complex fine and trained motor skill, involving complex biomechanical and cognitive processes. In this paper, we propose the study of writing kinetics using three angles: the pen-tip normal force, the total grip force signal and eventually writing quality assessment. In order to collect writing kinetics data, we designed a sensor collecting these characteristics simultaneously. Ten healthy right-handed adults were recruited and were asked to perform four tasks: first, they were instructed to draw circles at a speed they considered comfortable; they then were instructed to draw circles at a speed they regarded as fast; afterwards, they repeated the comfortable task compelled to follow the rhythm of a metronome; and eventually they performed the fast task under the same timing constraints. Statistical differences between the tasks were computed, and while pen-tip normal force and total grip force signal were not impacted by the changes introduced in each task, writing quality features were affected by both the speed changes and timing constraint changes. This verifies the already-studied speed-accuracy trade-off and suggest the existence of a timing constraints-accuracy trade-off. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modern architectures for intelligent systems: reusable ontologies and problem-solving methods.

PubMed Central

Musen, M. A.

1998-01-01

When interest in intelligent systems for clinical medicine soared in the 1970s, workers in medical informatics became particularly attracted to rule-based systems. Although many successful rule-based applications were constructed, development and maintenance of large rule bases remained quite problematic. In the 1980s, an entire industry dedicated to the marketing of tools for creating rule-based systems rose and fell, as workers in medical informatics began to appreciate deeply why knowledge acquisition and maintenance for such systems are difficult problems. During this time period, investigators began to explore alternative programming abstractions that could be used to develop intelligent systems. The notions of "generic tasks" and of reusable problem-solving methods became extremely influential. By the 1990s, academic centers were experimenting with architectures for intelligent systems based on two classes of reusable components: (1) domain-independent problem-solving methods-standard algorithms for automating stereotypical tasks--and (2) domain ontologies that captured the essential concepts (and relationships among those concepts) in particular application areas. This paper will highlight how intelligent systems for diverse tasks can be efficiently automated using these kinds of building blocks. The creation of domain ontologies and problem-solving methods is the fundamental end product of basic research in medical informatics. Consequently, these concepts need more attention by our scientific community. PMID:9929181

Modern architectures for intelligent systems: reusable ontologies and problem-solving methods.

PubMed

Musen, M A

1998-01-01

When interest in intelligent systems for clinical medicine soared in the 1970s, workers in medical informatics became particularly attracted to rule-based systems. Although many successful rule-based applications were constructed, development and maintenance of large rule bases remained quite problematic. In the 1980s, an entire industry dedicated to the marketing of tools for creating rule-based systems rose and fell, as workers in medical informatics began to appreciate deeply why knowledge acquisition and maintenance for such systems are difficult problems. During this time period, investigators began to explore alternative programming abstractions that could be used to develop intelligent systems. The notions of "generic tasks" and of reusable problem-solving methods became extremely influential. By the 1990s, academic centers were experimenting with architectures for intelligent systems based on two classes of reusable components: (1) domain-independent problem-solving methods-standard algorithms for automating stereotypical tasks--and (2) domain ontologies that captured the essential concepts (and relationships among those concepts) in particular application areas. This paper will highlight how intelligent systems for diverse tasks can be efficiently automated using these kinds of building blocks. The creation of domain ontologies and problem-solving methods is the fundamental end product of basic research in medical informatics. Consequently, these concepts need more attention by our scientific community.

Study of modeling and evaluation of remote manipulation tasks with force feedback

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, J. W.

1979-01-01

The use of time and motion study methods to evaluate force feedback in remote manipulation tasks are described. Several systems of time measurement derived for industrial workers were studied and adapted for manipulator use. A task board incorporating a set of basic motions was designed and built. Results obtained from two subjects in three manipulation situations for each are reported: a force-reflective manipulator, a unilateral manipulator, and the unaided human hand. The results indicate that: (1) a time-and-motion study techniques are applicable to manipulation; and that (2) force feedback facilitates some motions (notably fitting), but not others (such as positioning).

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-27

meet the terms of the New START Treaty. The Air Force is also modernizing the Minuteman missiles, replacing and upgrading their rocket motors...began in 1998 and has been replacing the propellant, the solid rocket fuel, in the Minuteman motors to extend the life of the rocket motors. A...complete the program. It has not requested additional funding in subsequent years. Propulsion System Rocket Engine Program (PSRE) According to the Air

Joint Force Quarterly. Number 30, Spring 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-01

Armed Forces COL Timothy S. Heinemann, USA ■ U.S. Army Command and General Staff College CAPT Chester E. Helms, USN ■ Naval War College COL Paul...have dramatically improved the way U.S. Central Command has been able to fight the war, includ- ing the shortening of sensor-to- shooter decision...When revealed, slowness in the sensor-controller- shooter sequence often gave them enough time to relocate [and hide] before attacks began.” With

Air Force Civil Engineer, Volume 9, Number 1, Spring 2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

generated some important lessons learned. The Gulf War was a wakeup call for contingency training. When it began, many in CE had never trained on bare...square foot, corrosion control facility at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. Construction is scheduled for comple- tion in early 2002. The facility is...Rhein Main Transition Program. This program, scheduled for completion in 2005, transfers operational capability from Rhein Main AB to Spangdahlem and

Infrastructure Task Force National Environmental Policy Act Requirements - February 2011

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document summarizes in a matrix format the federal regulations requirements and guidance for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act for the Infrastructure Task Force federal partner agencies.

PRN 2000-7: Non-Dietary Exposure Task Force

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This PR Notice announces an industry-wide task force to jointly develop residential indoor exposure data for pesticides containing one or more of the active ingredients synthetic pyrethroids, pyrethrum and synergists.

Report of the Task Force on Human Rights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC.

The NEA Task Force was instructed to "recommend to the Executive Committee a structure and program for the coordination and expansion of the human rights activities of the NEA and of the departments, divisions, commissions, and committees." Their recommendations and a discussion of the forces in American society that make them necessary comprise…

From seduction to sexism: Feminists challenge the ethics of therapist-client sexual relations in 1970s america.

PubMed

Kim, Susanna; Rutherford, Alexandra

2015-08-01

Before the 1970s, psychologists and other mental health professionals who had sex with their patients committed no ethical violations. Indeed, the line between seduction and sexual exploitation in the therapy hour was extremely blurry to patients and therapists alike. This article is about how that changed. We focus on feminist psychologists' efforts, through the American Psychological Association Task Force on Sex Bias and Sex Role Stereotyping in Psychotherapeutic Practice, to document and reduce sexism in psychotherapy, including that involving therapist-client sexual relations. We contextualize these efforts within the larger feminist critique of the psy-disciplines that began in the late 1960s, highlighting how psychologists used several feminist strategies to recast seduction as sexism and revise the profession's ethical standards to specifically state that sexual intimacies with clients are unethical. As an example of a feminist intervention into psychology's-and society's-extant gender ideologies, this process highlights the mutually reinforcing entanglements of psychology and feminism, both methodologically and politically. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Force-Sensing Enhanced Simulation Environment (ForSense) for laparoscopic surgery training and assessment.

PubMed

Cundy, Thomas P; Thangaraj, Evelyn; Rafii-Tari, Hedyeh; Payne, Christopher J; Azzie, Georges; Sodergren, Mikael H; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara

2015-04-01

Excessive or inappropriate tissue interaction force during laparoscopic surgery is a recognized contributor to surgical error, especially for robotic surgery. Measurement of force at the tool-tissue interface is, therefore, a clinically relevant skill assessment variable that may improve effectiveness of surgical simulation. Popular box trainer simulators lack the necessary technology to measure force. The aim of this study was to develop a force sensing unit that may be integrated easily with existing box trainer simulators and to (1) validate multiple force variables as objective measurements of laparoscopic skill, and (2) determine concurrent validity of a revised scoring metric. A base plate unit sensitized to a force transducer was retrofitted to a box trainer. Participants of 3 different levels of operative experience performed 5 repetitions of a peg transfer and suture task. Multiple outcome variables of force were assessed as well as a revised scoring metric that incorporated a penalty for force error. Mean, maximum, and overall magnitudes of force were significantly different among the 3 levels of experience, as well as force error. Experts were found to exert the least force and fastest task completion times, and vice versa for novices. Overall magnitude of force was the variable most correlated with experience level and task completion time. The revised scoring metric had similar predictive strength for experience level compared with the standard scoring metric. Current box trainer simulators can be adapted for enhanced objective measurements of skill involving force sensing. These outcomes are significantly influenced by level of expertise and are relevant to operative safety in laparoscopic surgery. Conventional proficiency standards that focus predominantly on task completion time may be integrated with force-based outcomes to be more accurately reflective of skill quality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Case for FORCED Health Protection.

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-19

that contributed to public health: diphtheria, whooping cough , typhoid, tetanus, smallpox, and rabies.61 MDPH began serious research on the anthrax...fever, and muscle aches.30 Follow on symptoms for untreated persons include coughing , chest pain, and shortness of breath.31 Post- exposure

Dynamic stability requirements during gait and standing exergames on the wii fit® system in the elderly

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In rehabilitation, training intensity is usually adapted to optimize the trained system to attain better performance (overload principle). However, in balance rehabilitation, the level of intensity required during training exercises to optimize improvement in balance has rarely been studied, probably due to the difficulty in quantifying the stability level during these exercises. The goal of the present study was to test whether the stabilizing/destabilizing forces model could be used to analyze how stability is challenged during several exergames, that are more and more used in balance rehabilitation, and a dynamic functional task, such as gait. Methods Seven healthy older adults were evaluated with three-dimensional motion analysis during gait at natural and fast speed, and during three balance exergames (50/50 Challenge, Ski Slalom and Soccer). Mean and extreme values for stabilizing force, destabilizing force and the ratio of the two forces (stability index) were computed from kinematic and kinetic data to determine the mean and least level of dynamic, postural and overall balance stability, respectively. Results Mean postural stability was lower (lower mean destabilizing force) during the 50/50 Challenge game than during all the other tasks, but peak postural instability moments were less challenging during this game than during any of the other tasks, as shown by the minimum destabilizing force values. Dynamic stability was progressively more challenged (higher mean and maximum stabilizing force) from the 50/50 Challenge to the Soccer and Slalom games, to the natural gait speed task and to the fast gait speed task, increasing the overall stability difficulty (mean and minimum stability index) in the same manner. Conclusions The stabilizing/destabilizing forces model can be used to rate the level of balance requirements during different tasks such as gait or exergames. The results of our study showed that postural stability did not differ much between the evaluated tasks (except for the 50/50 Challenge), compared to dynamic stability, which was significantly less challenged during the games than during the functional tasks. Games with greater centre of mass displacements and changes in the base of support are likely to stimulate balance control enough to see improvements in balance during dynamic functional tasks, and could be tested in pathological populations with the approach used here. PMID:22607025

Apraxia of Speech: The Effectiveness of a Treatment Regimen.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dworkin, James Paul; And Others

1988-01-01

A treatment program is described which successfully improved the speech of a 57-year-old apraxic patient. The program was composed of physiologic (nonspeech) and phonetic (articulatory) tasks that began with oroneuromotor control activities and progressed to consonant-vowel syllable, word, and sentence drills, with all activities paced by a…

Embedded Picture Mnemonics to Learn Letters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shmidman, Adina; Ehri, Linnea

2010-01-01

Can embedded mnemonics ease the task of learning a foreign alphabet? English-speaking preschoolers (N = 36, M = 5;2 years) were taught 10 Hebrew letter-sound relations. Experimental letters were learned with mnemonics that embedded letter shapes in drawings of objects whose shapes resembled the letters and whose English names began with the…

Homework. Focus On

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahal, Michelle Layer

2010-01-01

Homework has been an integral part of the educational system for over 100 years. What likely began as simple memorization tasks has evolved into complex projects and sparked an increasingly heated debate over the purpose and value of homework assignments. This "Focus On" examines the purpose of homework, how to create homework that has value,…

Beyond Networking: Connecting University Outdoor Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartha, Ivan; Morgan, Brett

2008-01-01

In 2006, the authors started a discussion about St. Cloud State University Outdoor Endeavors working together to run a trip in the Everglades National Park. The following summer they began the planning process through phone conversations, email and division of tasks. Despite the physical distance and separate university systems, each with their…

Landmarks in the World Wide Web: A Preliminary Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heffron, Jennifer K.; Dillon, Andrew; Mostafa, Javed

1996-01-01

Outlines results of a pilot study examining what constitutes a landmark in hypertext. Seven subjects began a search task from the same Indiana University School of Library and Information Science Homepage; searches had to be conducted without the use of search engines, and strictly following hypertext links. (Author/AEF)

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

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

Practice and transfer of the frequency structures of continuous isometric force.

PubMed

King, Adam C; Newell, Karl M

2014-04-01

The present study examined the learning, retention and transfer of task outcome and the frequency-dependent properties of isometric force output dynamics. During practice participants produced isometric force to a moderately irregular target pattern either under a constant or variable presentation. Immediate and delayed retention tests examined the persistence of practice-induced changes of force output dynamics and transfer tests investigated performance to novel (low and high) irregular target patterns. The results showed that both constant and variable practice conditions exhibited similar reductions in task error but that the frequency-dependent properties were differentially modified across the entire bandwidth (0-12Hz) of force output dynamics as a function of practice. Task outcome exhibited persistent properties on the delayed retention test whereas the retention of faster time scales processes (i.e., 4-12Hz) of force output was mediated as a function of frequency structure. The structure of the force frequency components during early practice and following a rest interval was characterized by an enhanced emphasis on the slow time scales related to perceptual-motor feedback. The findings support the proposition that there are different time scales of learning at the levels of task outcome and the adaptive frequency bandwidths of force output dynamics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of ice-vest cooling in prolonging work tolerance time during heavy exercise in the heat for personnel wearing Canadian forces chemical defense ensembles

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

Bain, B.

Effectiveness of a portable, ice-pack cooling vest (Steelevest) in prolonging work tolerance time in chemical defense clothing in the heat (33 C dry bulb, 33% relative humidity or 25 C WBGT) was evaluated while subjects exercised at a metabolic rate of approx. 700 watts. Subjects were six male volunteers. The protocol consisted of a 20 minute treadmill walk at 1.33 m/s. and 7.5% grade, followed by 15 minutes of a lifting task, 5 minutes rest, then another 20 minutes of lifting task for a total of one hour. The lifting task consisted of lifting of 20 kg box, carrying itmore » 3 meters and setting it down. This was followed by a 6 m walk (3m back to the start point and 3 m back to the box) 15 sec after which the lifting cycle began again. The work was classified as heavy as previously defined. This protocol was repeated until the subjects were unable to continue or they reached a physiological endpoint. Time to voluntary cessation or physiological endpoint was called the work tolerance time. Physiological endpoints were rectal temperature of 39 C, heart rate exceeding 95% of maximum for two consecutive minutes or visible loss of motor control or nausea. The cooling vest had no effect on work tolerance time, rate of rise of rectal temperature or sweat loss. It was concluded that the Steelvest ice-vest is ineffective in prolonging work tolerance time and preventing increases in rectal temperature while wearing chemical protective clothing.« less

ACHP | Archeology Task Force

Science.gov Websites

Task Force ACHP adopts new Policy Statement Regarding Treatment of Burial Sites, Human Remains, and Treatment of Human Remains and Grave Goods;" A new human remains policy statement was adopted in

USLCSG Task Force

Science.gov Websites

Unites States Linear Collider Steering Group dot dot dot dot What's New! June 2003 Meeting Welcome to the USLCSG Task Force at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center [Enter] dot dot SLAC Page Owners

Task Force on Innovation in Dental Hygiene Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bader, James; And Others

1989-01-01

The background, origins, functions, and recommendations of the American Association of Dental Schools' task force investigating improvement of access to dental hygiene training programs and of curriculum and program design are presented. (MSE)

Pharmacy Faculty Workplace Issues: Findings From the 2009-2010 COD-COF Joint Task Force on Faculty Workforce

PubMed Central

Peirce, Gretchen L.; Crabtree, Brian L.; Acosta, Daniel; Early, Johnnie L.; Kishi, Donald T.; Nobles-Knight, Dolores; Webster, Andrew A.

2011-01-01

Many factors contribute to the vitality of an individual faculty member, a department, and an entire academic organization. Some of the relationships among these factors are well understood, but many questions remain unanswered. The Joint Task Force on Faculty Workforce examined the literature on faculty workforce issues, including the work of previous task forces charged by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). We identified and focused on 4 unique but interrelated concepts: organizational culture/climate, role of the department chair, faculty recruitment and retention, and mentoring. Among all 4 resides the need to consider issues of intergenerational, intercultural, and gender dynamics. This paper reports the findings of the task force and proffers specific recommendations to AACP and to colleges and schools of pharmacy. PMID:21769139

Report of the Task Force on SSC Magnet System Test Site

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

NONE

1984-10-01

The Task Force on SSC Magnet Systems test Site was appointed by Maury Tigner, Director of the SSC, Phase 1 in August 1984. In brief, the charge asked the Task Force to make a critical evaluation of potential test sites for a major SSC magnet System Test Facility (STF) with regard to: (1) availability of the needed space, utilities, staff and other requirements on the desired time scale; and (2) the cost of preparing the sites for the tests and for operating the facilities during the test period. The charge further suggests that, by virtue of existing facilities and availabilitymore » of experienced staff, BNL and FNAL are the two best candidate sites and that is therefore appears appropriate to restrict the considerations of the Task Force to these sites. During the subsequent deliberations of the Task Force, no new facts were revealed that altered the assumptions of the charge in this regard. The charge does not ask for a specific site recommendation for the STF. Indeed, an agreement on such a recommendation would be difficult to achieve considering the composition of the Task Force, wherein a large fraction of the membership is drawn from the two contending laboratories. Instead, we have attempted to describe the purpose of the facility, outline a productive test program, list the major facilities required, carefully review the laboratories` responses to the facility requirements, and make objective comparisons of the specific features and capabilities offered.« less

AAPM/SNMMI Joint Task Force: report on the current state of nuclear medicine physics training.

PubMed

Harkness, Beth A; Allison, Jerry D; Clements, Jessica B; Coffey, Charles W; Fahey, Frederic H; Gress, Dustin A; Kinahan, Paul E; Nickoloff, Edward L; Mawlawi, Osama R; MacDougall, Robert D; Pizzutiello, Robert J

2015-09-08

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) recognized the need for a review of the current state of nuclear  medicine physics training and the need to explore pathways for improving nuclear medicine physics training opportunities. For these reasons, the two organizations formed a joint AAPM/SNMMI Ad Hoc Task Force on Nuclear Medicine Physics  Training. The mission of this task force was to assemble a representative group of stakeholders to:• Estimate the demand for board-certified nuclear medicine physicists in the next 5-10 years,• Identify the critical issues related to supplying an adequate number of physicists who have received the appropriate level of training in nuclear medicine physics, and• Identify approaches that may be considered to facilitate the training of nuclear medicine physicists.As a result, a task force was appointed and chaired by an active member of both organizations that included representation from the AAPM, SNMMI, the American Board of Radiology (ABR), the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM), and the Commission for the Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). The Task Force first met at the AAPM Annual Meeting in Charlotte in July 2012 and has met regularly face-to-face, online, and by conference calls. This manuscript reports the findings of the Task Force, as well as recommendations to achieve the stated mission.

AAPM/SNMMI Joint Task Force: report on the current state of nuclear medicine physics training

PubMed Central

Allison, Jerry D.; Clements, Jessica B.; Coffey, Charles W.; Fahey, Frederic H.; Gress, Dustin A.; Kinahan, Paul E.; Nickoloff, Edward L.; Mawlawi, Osama R.; MacDougall, Robert D.; Pizzuitello, Robert J.

2015-01-01

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) recognized the need for a review of the current state of nuclear medicine physics training and the need to explore pathways for improving nuclear medicine physics training opportunities. For these reasons, the two organizations formed a joint AAPM/SNMMI Ad Hoc Task Force on Nuclear Medicine Physics Training. The mission of this task force was to assemble a representative group of stakeholders to: Estimate the demand for board‐certified nuclear medicine physicists in the next 5–10 years,Identify the critical issues related to supplying an adequate number of physicists who have received the appropriate level of training in nuclear medicine physics, andIdentify approaches that may be considered to facilitate the training of nuclear medicine physicists. As a result, a task force was appointed and chaired by an active member of both organizations that included representation from the AAPM, SNMMI, the American Board of Radiology (ABR), the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM), and the Commission for the Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). The Task Force first met at the AAPM Annual Meeting in Charlotte in July 2012 and has met regularly face‐to‐face, online, and by conference calls. This manuscript reports the findings of the Task Force, as well as recommendations to achieve the stated mission. PACS number: 01.40.G‐ PMID:26699325

Visual force feedback in laparoscopic training.

PubMed

Horeman, Tim; Rodrigues, Sharon P; van den Dobbelsteen, John J; Jansen, Frank-Willem; Dankelman, Jenny

2012-01-01

To improve endoscopic surgical skills, an increasing number of surgical residents practice on box or virtual reality (VR) trainers. Current training is focused mainly on hand-eye coordination. Training methods that focus on applying the right amount of force are not yet available. The aim of this project is to develop a low-cost training system that measures the interaction force between tissue and instruments and displays a visual representation of the applied forces inside the camera image. This visual representation continuously informs the subject about the magnitude and the direction of applied forces. To show the potential of the developed training system, a pilot study was conducted in which six novices performed a needle-driving task in a box trainer with visual feedback of the force, and six novices performed the same task without visual feedback of the force. All subjects performed the training task five times and were subsequently tested in a post-test without visual feedback. The subjects who received visual feedback during training exerted on average 1.3 N (STD 0.6 N) to drive the needle through the tissue during the post-test. This value was considerably higher for the group that received no feedback (2.6 N, STD 0.9 N). The maximum interaction force during the post-test was noticeably lower for the feedback group (4.1 N, STD 1.1 N) compared with that of the control group (8.0 N, STD 3.3 N). The force-sensing training system provides us with the unique possibility to objectively assess tissue-handling skills in a laboratory setting. The real-time visualization of applied forces during training may facilitate acquisition of tissue-handling skills in complex laparoscopic tasks and could stimulate proficiency gain curves of trainees. However, larger randomized trials that also include other tasks are necessary to determine whether training with visual feedback about forces reduces the interaction force during laparoscopic surgery.

Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion

PubMed Central

Lee, Sabrina S. M.; de Boef Miara, Maria; Arnold, Allison S.; Biewener, Andrew A.; Wakeling, James M.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Animals modulate the power output needed for different locomotor tasks by changing muscle forces and fascicle strain rates. To generate the necessary forces, appropriate motor units must be recruited. Faster motor units have faster activation–deactivation rates than slower motor units, and they contract at higher strain rates; therefore, recruitment of faster motor units may be advantageous for tasks that involve rapid movements or high rates of work. This study identified motor unit recruitment patterns in the gastrocnemii muscles of goats and examined whether faster motor units are recruited when locomotor speed is increased. The study also examined whether locomotor tasks that elicit faster (or slower) motor units are associated with increased (or decreased) in vivo tendon forces, force rise and relaxation rates, fascicle strains and/or strain rates. Electromyography (EMG), sonomicrometry and muscle-tendon force data were collected from the lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles of goats during level walking, trotting and galloping and during inclined walking and trotting. EMG signals were analyzed using wavelet and principal component analyses to quantify changes in the EMG frequency spectra across the different locomotor conditions. Fascicle strain and strain rate were calculated from the sonomicrometric data, and force rise and relaxation rates were determined from the tendon force data. The results of this study showed that faster motor units were recruited as goats increased their locomotor speeds from level walking to galloping. Slow inclined walking elicited EMG intensities similar to those of fast level galloping but different EMG frequency spectra, indicating that recruitment of the different motor unit types depended, in part, on characteristics of the task. For the locomotor tasks and muscles analyzed here, recruitment patterns were generally associated with in vivo fascicle strain rates, EMG intensity and tendon force. Together, these data provide new evidence that changes in motor unit recruitment have an underlying mechanical basis, at least for certain locomotor tasks. PMID:22972893

Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion.

PubMed

Lee, Sabrina S M; de Boef Miara, Maria; Arnold, Allison S; Biewener, Andrew A; Wakeling, James M

2013-01-15

Animals modulate the power output needed for different locomotor tasks by changing muscle forces and fascicle strain rates. To generate the necessary forces, appropriate motor units must be recruited. Faster motor units have faster activation-deactivation rates than slower motor units, and they contract at higher strain rates; therefore, recruitment of faster motor units may be advantageous for tasks that involve rapid movements or high rates of work. This study identified motor unit recruitment patterns in the gastrocnemii muscles of goats and examined whether faster motor units are recruited when locomotor speed is increased. The study also examined whether locomotor tasks that elicit faster (or slower) motor units are associated with increased (or decreased) in vivo tendon forces, force rise and relaxation rates, fascicle strains and/or strain rates. Electromyography (EMG), sonomicrometry and muscle-tendon force data were collected from the lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles of goats during level walking, trotting and galloping and during inclined walking and trotting. EMG signals were analyzed using wavelet and principal component analyses to quantify changes in the EMG frequency spectra across the different locomotor conditions. Fascicle strain and strain rate were calculated from the sonomicrometric data, and force rise and relaxation rates were determined from the tendon force data. The results of this study showed that faster motor units were recruited as goats increased their locomotor speeds from level walking to galloping. Slow inclined walking elicited EMG intensities similar to those of fast level galloping but different EMG frequency spectra, indicating that recruitment of the different motor unit types depended, in part, on characteristics of the task. For the locomotor tasks and muscles analyzed here, recruitment patterns were generally associated with in vivo fascicle strain rates, EMG intensity and tendon force. Together, these data provide new evidence that changes in motor unit recruitment have an underlying mechanical basis, at least for certain locomotor tasks.

Depth of processing in the stroop task: evidence from a novel forced-reading condition.

PubMed

Eidels, Ami; Ryan, Kathryn; Williams, Paul; Algom, Daniel

2014-01-01

The presence of the Stroop effect betrays the fact that the carrier words were read in the face of instructions to ignore them and to respond to the target ink colors. In this study, we probed the nature of this involuntary reading by comparing color performance with that in a new forced-reading Stroop task in which responding is strictly contingent on reading each and every word. We found larger Stroop effects in the forced-reading task than in the classic Stroop task and concluded that words are processed to a shallower level in the Stroop task than they are in routine voluntary reading. The results show that the two modes of word processing differ in systematic ways and are conductive to qualitatively different representations. These results can pose a challenge to the strongly automatic view of word reading in the Stroop task.

Interchangeable end effector tools utilized on the PFMA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cody, Joe; Carroll, John; Crow, George; Gierow, Paul; Littles, Jay; Maness, Michael; Morrison, Jim

1992-01-01

An instrumented task board, used for measuring forces applied by the Protoflight Manipulator Arm (PFMA) to the task board, was fabricated and delivered to Marshall Space Flight Center. SRS Technologies phased out the existing IBM compatible data acquisition system, used with a instrumented task board, and integrated the force measuring electronic hardware in with the Macintosh II data acquisition system. The purpose of this change was to acquire all data with the same time tag, allowing easier and more accurate data reduction in addition to real-time graphics. A three-dimensional optical position sensing system for determining the location of the PFMA's end effect or in reference to the center of the instrumented task board was also designed and delivered under. An improved task board was fabricated which included an improved instrumented beam design. The modified design of the task board improved the force/torque measurement system by increasing the sensitivity, reliability, load range and ease of maintenance. A calibration panel for the optical position system was also designed and fabricated. The calibration method developed for the position sensors enhanced the performance of the sensors as well as simplified the installation and calibration procedures required. The modifications made under this effort expanded the capabilities of the task board system. The system developed determines the arm's position relative to the task board and measures the signals to the joints resulting from the operator's control signals in addition to the task board forces. The software and hardware required to calculate and record the position of the PFMA during the performance of tasks with the instrumented task board were defined, designed and delivered to MSFC. PFMA joint input signals can be measured from a breakout box to evaluate the sensitivity or response of the arm operation to control commands. The data processing system provides the capability for post processing of time-history graphics and plots of the PFMA positions, the operator's actions, and the PFMA servo reactions in addition to realtime force and position sensor data presentation.

Interchangeable end effector tools utilized on the PFMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cody, Joe; Carroll, John; Crow, George; Gierow, Paul; Littles, Jay; Maness, Michael; Morrison, Jim

1992-02-01

An instrumented task board, used for measuring forces applied by the Protoflight Manipulator Arm (PFMA) to the task board, was fabricated and delivered to Marshall Space Flight Center. SRS Technologies phased out the existing IBM compatible data acquisition system, used with a instrumented task board, and integrated the force measuring electronic hardware in with the Macintosh II data acquisition system. The purpose of this change was to acquire all data with the same time tag, allowing easier and more accurate data reduction in addition to real-time graphics. A three-dimensional optical position sensing system for determining the location of the PFMA's end effect or in reference to the center of the instrumented task board was also designed and delivered under. An improved task board was fabricated which included an improved instrumented beam design. The modified design of the task board improved the force/torque measurement system by increasing the sensitivity, reliability, load range and ease of maintenance. A calibration panel for the optical position system was also designed and fabricated. The calibration method developed for the position sensors enhanced the performance of the sensors as well as simplified the installation and calibration procedures required. The modifications made under this effort expanded the capabilities of the task board system. The system developed determines the arm's position relative to the task board and measures the signals to the joints resulting from the operator's control signals in addition to the task board forces. The software and hardware required to calculate and record the position of the PFMA during the performance of tasks with the instrumented task board were defined, designed and delivered to MSFC. PFMA joint input signals can be measured from a breakout box to evaluate the sensitivity or response of the arm operation to control commands. The data processing system provides the capability for post processing of time-history graphics and plots of the PFMA positions, the operator's actions, and the PFMA servo reactions in addition to realtime force and position sensor data presentation.

Assessing Tuition- and Debt-Free Higher Education. NASFAA Task Force Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, 2017

2017-01-01

The Assessing Tuition- and Debt-Free Higher Education Task Force was convened in July 2016. Charged by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators's (NASFAA's) Board of Directors with evaluating the existing landscape of state and local promise programs with a focus on scaling such models to the national level, the task force…

Association of Academic Physiatrists Women's Task Force Report.

PubMed

Silver, Julie K; Cuccurullo, Sara; Ambrose, Anne Felicia; Bhatnagar, Saurabha; Bosques, Glendaliz; Fleming, Talya K; Frontera, Walter R; Karimi, Danielle Perret; Oh-Park, Mooyeon; Sowa, Gwendolyn; Visco, Christopher; Weiss, Lyn; Knowlton, Tiffany

2018-04-30

The Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) convened a women's task force in 2016, and the members agreed on a list of metrics that would permit retrospective data review pertaining to the representation and inclusion of women physicians in the society. Examples of categories examined included leadership positions (i.e., board membership, board presidents, committee membership, committee chairs, and resident fellow physician chairs), conference presentations (i.e., annual meeting session proposals, annual meeting faculty, annual meeting plenary speakers) and recognition awards (i.e., recognition award nominations and recipients). The findings highlight areas in which the AAP has been successful in supporting gender equity and other areas in which women physiatrists have been underrepresented. The task force worked with the Board of Trustees to construct an action plan; asking the respective committees to address areas of underrepresentation. A volunteer from each committee was deemed a 'diversity steward' and going forward will work directly with the task force as a liaison to document an action plan and collect data. The board plans to transparently report progress to members and other stakeholders, and the task force aims to publish a follow-up report within the next five years.

Association for Theatre in Higher Education Task Force on Distribution Chair's Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitmore, Jon

1989-01-01

Presents recommendations of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Task Force, addressing the issue of faculty workload. Suggests several questions to form the basis for discussions on this issue. (MM)

78 FR 57161 - Meeting of the Community Preventive Services Task Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-17

..., and policies that increase healthy longevity, save lives and dollars and improve Americans' quality of life. During this meeting, the Task Force will consider the findings of systematic reviews on existing...

Ohio Lake Erie Commission Homepage

Science.gov Websites

view the Lake Erie Protection & Restoration Plan 2016. Phosphorus Task Force Click here to see the Ohio Lake Erie Phosphorus Task Force II Final Report 2013. About the Lake Erie Commission The role of

Report of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Transportation Task Force

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-12-01

Governor Ray appointed the Blue Ribbon Transportation Task Force to provide guidance concerning specific steps that can be taken to: achieve maximum efficiency in the utilization of transportation resources; preserve essential transportation services...

Freedom of Information Act: FOIA Task Force Report

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

FOIA Task Force review of any significant weaknesses, and recommendation for improvements of efficiency and effectiveness of the agency's FOIA operations to ensure that information is provided to the Amercian public in a timely fashion.

Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults

MedlinePlus

... Task Force Recommendations Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force ( ... final recommendation on Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults . This recommendation is for adults ages ...

1999 Florida Freight Stakeholders Task Force Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-11-01

The Florida Freight Stakeholders Task Force was organized in 1998 as a result of the Governor's Transportation Summit to address two principal objectives: (1) to identify, prioritize and recommend freight transportation projects for fast track fundin...

Timing at peak force may be the hidden target controlled in continuation and synchronization tapping.

PubMed

Du, Yue; Clark, Jane E; Whitall, Jill

2017-05-01

Timing control, such as producing movements at a given rate or synchronizing movements to an external event, has been studied through a finger-tapping task where timing is measured at the initial contact between finger and tapping surface or the point when a key is pressed. However, the point of peak force is after the time registered at the tapping surface and thus is a less obvious but still an important event during finger tapping. Here, we compared the time at initial contact with the time at peak force as participants tapped their finger on a force sensor at a given rate after the metronome was turned off (continuation task) or in synchrony with the metronome (sensorimotor synchronization task). We found that, in the continuation task, timing was comparably accurate between initial contact and peak force. These two timing events also exhibited similar trial-by-trial statistical dependence (i.e., lag-one autocorrelation). However, the central clock variability was lower at the peak force than the initial contact. In the synchronization task, timing control at peak force appeared to be less variable and more accurate than that at initial contact. In addition to lower central clock variability, the mean SE magnitude at peak force (SEP) was around zero while SE at initial contact (SEC) was negative. Although SEC and SEP demonstrated the same trial-by-trial statistical dependence, we found that participants adjusted the time of tapping to correct SEP, but not SEC, toward zero. These results suggest that timing at peak force is a meaningful target of timing control, particularly in synchronization tapping. This result may explain the fact that SE at initial contact is typically negative as widely observed in the preexisting literature.

GeoVision Exploration Task Force Report

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

Doughty, Christine; Dobson, Patrick F.; Wall, Anna

The GeoVision study effort included ground-breaking, detailed research on current and future market conditions and geothermal technologies in order to forecast and quantify the electric and non-electric deployment potentials under a range of scenarios, in addition to their impacts on the Nation’s jobs, economy and environment. Coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), the GeoVision study development relied on the collection, modeling, and analysis of robust datasets through seven national laboratory partners, which were organized into eight technical Task Force groups. The purpose of this report is to provide a central repository for the researchmore » conducted by the Exploration Task Force. The Exploration Task Force consists of four individuals representing three national laboratories: Patrick Dobson (task lead) and Christine Doughty of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Anna Wall of National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Travis McLing of Idaho National Laboratory, and Chester Weiss of Sandia National Laboratories. As part of the GeoVision analysis, our team conducted extensive scientific and financial analyses on a number of topics related to current and future geothermal exploration methods. The GeoVision Exploration Task Force complements the drilling and resource technology investigations conducted as part of the Reservoir Maintenance and Development Task Force. The Exploration Task Force however has focused primarily on early stage R&D technologies in exploration and confirmation drilling, along with an evaluation of geothermal financing challenges and assumptions, and innovative “blue-sky” technologies. This research was used to develop geothermal resource supply curves (through the use of GETEM) for use in the ReEDS capacity expansion modeling that determines geothermal technology deployment potential. It also catalogues and explores the large array of early-stage R&D technologies with the potential to dramatically reduce exploration and geothermal development costs, forming the basis of the GeoVision Technology Improvement (TI) scenario. These modeling topics are covered in detail in Potential to Penetration task force report. Most of the research contained herein has been published in peer-reviewed papers or conference proceedings and are cited and referenced accordingly. The sections that follow provide a central repository for all of the research findings of the Exploration and Confirmation Task Force. In summary, it provides a comprehensive discussion of Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) and associated technology challenges, the risks and costs of conducting geothermal exploration, a review of existing government efforts to date in advancing early-stage R&D in both exploration and EGS technologies, as well as a discussion of promising and innovative technologies and implementation of blue-sky concepts that could significantly reduce costs, lower risks, and shorten the time needed to explore and develop geothermal resources of all types.« less

The development of contact force construction in the dynamic-contact task of cycling [corrected].

PubMed

Brown, Nicholas A T; Jensen, Jody L

2003-01-01

Purposeful movement requires that an individual produce appropriate joint torques to accelerate segments, and when environmental contact is involved, to develop task-appropriate contact forces. Developmental research has been confined largely to the mastery of unconstrained movement skills (pointing, kicking). The purpose of this study was to study the developmental progression that characterizes the interaction of muscular and non-muscular forces in tasks constrained by contact with the environment. Seven younger children (YC, 6-8 years), 7 older children (OC, 9-11 years) and 7 adults (AD) pedaled an ergometer (80 rpm) at an anthropometrically scaled cycling power. Resultant forces measured at the pedal's surface were decomposed into muscle, inertia and gravity components. Muscle pedal forces were further examined in terms of the underlying lower extremity joint torques and kinematic weights that constitute the muscular component of the pedal force. Data showed children applied muscle forces to the pedal in a significantly different manner compared to adults, and that this was due to the children's lower segmental mass and inertia. The children adjusted the contribution of the proximal joint muscle torques to compensate for reduced contributions to the resultant pedal force by gravitational and inertial components. These data show that smaller segmental mass and inertia limit younger children's ability to construct the dynamic-contact task of cycling in an adult-like form. On the basis of these results, however, the children's response was not "immature". Rather, the results show a task-appropriate adaptation to lower segmental mass and inertia. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

77 FR 4787 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-31

..., Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Amended... of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded... edition of the Federal Register (77 FR 3454) is amended to reflect changes in the meeting times and agenda...

The Lower Extremity Biomechanics of Single- and Double-Leg Stop-Jump Tasks

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a common occurrence in sports requiring stop-jump tasks. Single- and double-leg stop-jump techniques are frequently executed in sports. The higher risk of ACL injury in single-leg drop landing task compared to a double-leg drop landing task has been identified. However the injury bias between single- and double-leg landing techniques has not been investigated for stop-jump tasks. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between single- and double-leg stop-jump tasks in knee kinetics that were influenced by the lower extremity kinematics during the landing phase. Ground reaction force, lower extremity kinematics, and knee kinetics data during the landing phase were obtained from 10 subjects performing single- and double-leg stop-jump tasks, using motion-capture system and force palates. Greater peak posterior and vertical ground reaction forces, and peak proximal tibia anterior and lateral shear forces (p < 0.05) during landing phase were observed of single-leg stop-jump. Single-leg stop-jump exhibited smaller hip and knee flexion angle, and knee flexion angular velocity at initial foot contact with the ground (p < 0.05). We found smaller peak hip and knee flexion angles (p < 0.05) during the landing phase of single-leg stop-jump. These results indicate that single-leg landing may have higher ACL injury risk than double-leg landing in stop-jump tasks that may be influenced by the lower extremity kinematics during the landing phase. Key points Non-contact ACL injuries are more likely to occur during the single-leg stop-jump task than during the double-leg stop-jump task. Single-leg stop-jump exhibited greater peak proximal tibia anterior and lateral shear forces, and peak posterior and vertical ground reaction forces during the landing phase than the double-leg stop-jump task. Single-leg stop-jump exhibited smaller hip flexion angle, knee flexion angle, and knee flexion angular velocity at initial foot contact with the ground. Single-leg stop-jump exhibited greater peak knee extension and valgus moment during the landing phase than the double-leg stop-jump task. Single-leg stop-jump extended the hip joint at initial foot contact with the ground. PMID:24149308

Force and Directional Force Modulation Effects on Accuracy and Variability in Low-Level Pinch Force Tracking.

PubMed

Park, Sangsoo; Spirduso, Waneen; Eakin, Tim; Abraham, Lawrence

2018-01-01

The authors investigated how varying the required low-level forces and the direction of force change affect accuracy and variability of force production in a cyclic isometric pinch force tracking task. Eighteen healthy right-handed adult volunteers performed the tracking task over 3 different force ranges. Root mean square error and coefficient of variation were higher at lower force levels and during minimum reversals compared with maximum reversals. Overall, the thumb showed greater root mean square error and coefficient of variation scores than did the index finger during maximum reversals, but not during minimum reversals. The observed impaired performance during minimum reversals might originate from history-dependent mechanisms of force production and highly coupled 2-digit performance.

Force Reconnaissance: A Key Enabler in the Marine Air Ground Task Force and Beyond

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-13

round Task Force Advance Force Operations, Deep Reconnaissance, Military Free Fall (MFF), Marine Combatar t Diver ( MCD ), Joint Terminal Attack...Marine Division. These early years focused on developing the doctrine and insertion skills became legendary in the crucible of South East Asia , and...potential for regional powers to threaten critical U.S. interests. Areas of particular concern in the QDR are the Middle East and Asia .41 The United

Real time relationship between individual finger force and grip exertion on distal phalanges in linear force following tasks.

PubMed

Luo, Shi-Jian; Shu, Ge; Gong, Yan

2018-05-01

Individual finger force (FF) in a grip task is a vital concern in rehabilitation engineering and precise control of manipulators because disorders in any of the fingers will affect the stability or accuracy of the grip force (GF). To understand the functions of each finger in a dynamic grip exertion task, a GF following experiment with four individual fingers without thumb was designed. This study obtained four individual FFs from the distal phalanges with a cylindrical handle in dynamic GF following tasks. Ten healthy male subjects with similar hand sizes participated in the four-finger linear GF following tasks at different submaximal voluntary contraction (SMVC) levels. The total GF, individual FF, finger force contribution, and following error were subsequently calculated and analyzed. The statistics indicated the following: 1) the accuracy and stability of GF at low %MVC were significantly higher than those at high SMVC; 2) at low SMVC, the ability of the fingers to increase the GF was better than the ability to reduce it, but it was contrary at high SMVC; 3) when the target wave (TW) was changing, all four fingers strongly participated in the force exertion, but the participation of the little finger decreased significantly when TW remained stable; 4) the index finger and ring finger had a complementary relationship and played a vital role in the adjustment and control of GF. The middle finger and little finger had a minor influence on the force control and adjustment. In conclusion, each of the fingers had different functions in a GF following task. These findings can be used in the assessment of finger injury rehabilitation and for algorithms of precise control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast-adapting mechanoreceptors are important for force control in precision grip but not for sensorimotor memory.

PubMed

Park, Susanna B; Davare, Marco; Falla, Marika; Kennedy, William R; Selim, Mona M; Wendelschafer-Crabb, Gwen; Koltzenburg, Martin

2016-06-01

Sensory feedback from cutaneous mechanoreceptors in the fingertips is important in effective object manipulation, allowing appropriate scaling of grip and load forces during precision grip. However, the role of mechanoreceptor subtypes in these tasks remains incompletely understood. To address this issue, psychophysical tasks that may specifically assess function of type I fast-adapting (FAI) and slowly adapting (SAI) mechanoreceptors were used with object manipulation experiments to examine the regulation of grip force control in an experimental model of graded reduction in tactile sensitivity (healthy volunteers wearing 2 layers of latex gloves). With gloves, tactile sensitivity decreased significantly from 1.9 ± 0.4 to 12.3 ± 2.2 μm in the Bumps task assessing function of FAI afferents but not in a grating orientation task assessing SAI afferents (1.6 ± 0.1 to 1.8 ± 0.2 mm). Six axis force/torque sensors measured peak grip (PGF) and load (PLF) forces generated by the fingertips during a grip-lift task. With gloves there was a significant increase of PGF (14 ± 6%), PLF (17 ± 5%), and grip and load force rates (26 ± 8%, 20 ± 8%). A variable-weight series task was used to examine sensorimotor memory. There was a 20% increase in PGF when the lift of a light object was preceded by a heavy relative to a light object. This relationship was not significantly altered when lifting with gloves, suggesting that the addition of gloves did not change sensorimotor memory effects. We conclude that FAI fibers may be important for the online force scaling but not for the buildup of a sensorimotor memory. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

News Media Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

technology, changing consumer behavior and increased pressure for profitability. These three forces are the catalysts of change and have pushed the...model in order to compete. Consumer Behavior : Changes in consumer behavior began with the growth of broadcast television in the 1960’s and 70’s

NATURAL ATTENUATION OF FUEL HYDROCARBONS AT MULTIPLE AIR FORCE BASE DEMONSTRATION SITES

EPA Science Inventory

ABSTRACT
A major initiative to evaluate monitored natural attenuation (MNA) of ground-water contaminated with fuel hydrocarbons began in June, 1993, and continued through September, 1999. The main emphasis was to evaluate natural degradation mechanisms to reduce dissolved ...

Cardiological Society of India Practice Guidelines for Angiography in Patients with Renal Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Bhandari, S.; Seth, A.; Sethi, K.K.; Tyagi, S.; Gupta, R.; Tiwari, S.C.; Mehrotra, S.; Seth, Ashok; Guha, Santanu; Deb, P.K.; Dasbiswas, Arup; Mohanan, P.P.; Venugopal, K.; Sinha, Nakul; Pinto, Brian; Banerjee, Amal; Sengottuvelu, G.; Mehran, Roxana; Collough, Peter Mc

2012-01-01

Preamble The potential risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) has made utilization of coronary angiography in the work-up for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in CKD quite low.1 This is in contrast to increasing prevalence and severity of CAD as the serum creatinine rises.2 In fact most CKD patients will succumb to CAD and not to ESRD.3 Thus the judicious use of CAG/PCI in this setting is of prime importance but underused. The CSI began to develop guidelines for Indian context as most guidelines are those developed by ACC/AHA or ESC. The aim was to assist the physicians in selecting the best management strategy for an individual patient under his care based on an expert committee who would review the current data and write the guidelines with relevance to the Indian context. The guidelines were developed initially in June 2010 as an initiative of Delhi CSI. Three interventional cardiologist (SB, AS, KKS), one nephrologist (SCT) and two clinical cardiologists (ST, RG) along with Dr. Roxana Mehran (New York) and Dr. Peter McCullough (Missouri), U.S.A.; were involved in a three-way teleconference to discuss/debate the data. This was presented by SB, and over the next two hours each data subset was debated/agreed/deleted and this resulted in the “Guidelines for CAG in Renal Dysfunction Patients”. These were then written and re- circulated to all for final comments. Further, these guidelines were updated and additional Task Force Members nominated by Central CSI were involved in the formation of the final CSI Guidelines. Both (Roxana Mehran and Peter McCullough) reviewed these updated Guidelines in October 2012 and after incorporating the views of all the Task Force members—the final format is as it is presented in this final document. PMID:23186627

Advance Force Operations: The Middleweight Force’s Essential Role in the Joint Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-18

solution selected, the Marine Corps will have to invest in increasing the training and readiness standards of its expeditionary forces. If the Marine Corps...28 Limited common AFO training ………………………………………… 31 Inadequate resourcing…………………………………………………… 32 SOF is the solution...delta while the newly formed SEALs began in Vietnam as advisors training the South Vietnamese in combat diving, demolitions, and guerrilla/anti

Third Report of the Task Force on the Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

In May 1994, the Task Force on the Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking Missions was established by the NASA Advisory Council. Its purpose is to review Phase 1 (Shuttle-Mir) planning, training, operations, rendezvous and docking, and management and to provide interim reports containing specific recommendations to the Advisory Council. Phase 1 represents the building block to create the experience and technical expertise for an International Space Station. The Phase 1 program brings together the United States and Russia in a major cooperative and contractual program that takes advantage of both countries' capabilities. The content of the Phase 1 program consists of the following elements as defined by the Phase 1 Program Management Plan, dated October 6, 1994: Shuttle-Mir rendezvous and docking missions; astronaut long duration presence on Mir Requirements for Mir support of Phase 1 when astronauts are not on board; outfitting Spektr and Priroda modules with NASA science, research, and risk mitigation equipment Related ground support requirements of NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) to support Phase 1 Integrated NASA and RSA launch schedules and manifests The first meeting of the Task Force was held at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) on May 24 and 25, 1994 with a preliminary report submitted to the NASA Advisory Council on June 6, 1994. The second meeting of the Task Force was held at JSC on July 12 and 13, 1994 and a detailed report containing a series of specific recommendations was submitted on July 29, 1994. This report reflects the results of the third Task Force meeting which was held at JSC on 11 and 12 October, 1994. The briefings presented at that meeting reviewed NASA's response to the Task Force recommendations made to date and provided background data and current status on several critical areas which the Task Force had not addressed in its previous reports.

Protecting Interests and Preventing War: An Analysis of PACAF Force Posture Alternatives

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

The overall goal was to maintain US leadership in the region and to ensure stability and economic prosperity. Nye claimed, “Our national interests...Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, was perfectly situated to influence events in Taiwan and the East China Sea, but its runways and other key facilities were...Army and Marine forces was extremely risky. America faced major power-projection problems in a key economic region, while China began a period of

Report of AAPT Task Force on Teaching Responsibility for Four Year Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Richard M.

1979-01-01

Describes the purpose of establishing the task force on teaching responsibilities, and outlines the recommended guidelines which called for clear definitions of conditions and components necessary for high quality physics programs. (GA)

Space station operations task force summary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

A companion to the Space Stations Operation Task Force Panels' Reports, this document summarizes all space station program goals, operations, and the characteristics of the expected user community. Strategies for operation and recommendations for implementation are included.

Algorithms for the diagnosis and treatment of restless legs syndrome in primary care

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 3-10%. in European studies. However, the diagnosis of RLS in primary care remains low and mistreatment is common. Methods The current article reports on the considerations of RLS diagnosis and management that were made during a European Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (EURLSSG)-sponsored task force consisting of experts and primary care practioners. The task force sought to develop a better understanding of barriers to diagnosis in primary care practice and overcome these barriers with diagnostic and treatment algorithms. Results The barriers to diagnosis identified by the task force include the presentation of symptoms, the language used to describe them, the actual term "restless legs syndrome" and difficulties in the differential diagnosis of RLS. Conclusion The EURLSSG task force reached a consensus and agreed on the diagnostic and treatment algorithms published here. PMID:21352569

Modeling good research practices--overview: a report of the ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Good Research Practices Task Force-1.

PubMed

Caro, J Jaime; Briggs, Andrew H; Siebert, Uwe; Kuntz, Karen M

2012-01-01

Models-mathematical frameworks that facilitate estimation of the consequences of health care decisions-have become essential tools for health technology assessment. Evolution of the methods since the first ISPOR modeling task force reported in 2003 has led to a new task force, jointly convened with the Society for Medical Decision Making, and this series of seven papers presents the updated recommendations for best practices in conceptualizing models; implementing state-transition approaches, discrete event simulations, or dynamic transmission models; dealing with uncertainty; and validating and reporting models transparently. This overview introduces the work of the task force, provides all the recommendations, and discusses some quandaries that require further elucidation. The audience for these papers includes those who build models, stakeholders who utilize their results, and, indeed, anyone concerned with the use of models to support decision making.

Data Driven, Force Based Interaction for Quadrotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinnon, Christopher D.

Quadrotors are small and agile, and are becoming more capable for their compact size. They are expected perform a wide variety of tasks including inspection, physical interaction, and formation flight. In all of these tasks, the quadrotors can come into close proximity with infrastructure or other quadrotors, and may experience significant external forces and torques. Reacting properly in each case is essential to completing the task safely and effectively. In this thesis, we develop an algorithm, based on the Unscented Kalman Filter, to estimate such forces and torques without making assumptions about the source of the forces and torques. We then show in experiment how the proposed estimation algorithm can be used in conjunction with controls and machine learning to choose the appropriate actions in a wide variety of tasks including detecting downwash, tracking the wind induced by a fan, and detecting proximity to the wall.

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.

Effect of visual feedback on brain activation during motor tasks: an FMRI study.

PubMed

Noble, Jeremy W; Eng, Janice J; Boyd, Lara A

2013-07-01

This study examined the effect of visual feedback and force level on the neural mechanisms responsible for the performance of a motor task. We used a voxel-wise fMRI approach to determine the effect of visual feedback (with and without) during a grip force task at 35% and 70% of maximum voluntary contraction. Two areas (contralateral rostral premotor cortex and putamen) displayed an interaction between force and feedback conditions. When the main effect of feedback condition was analyzed, higher activation when visual feedback was available was found in 22 of the 24 active brain areas, while the two other regions (contralateral lingual gyrus and ipsilateral precuneus) showed greater levels of activity when no visual feedback was available. The results suggest that there is a potentially confounding influence of visual feedback on brain activation during a motor task, and for some regions, this is dependent on the level of force applied.

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

Nakicenovic, Nebojsa; Kammen, Daniel; Jewell, Jessica

The UN Secretary General established the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in order to guide and support efforts to achieve universal access to modern energy, rapidly increase energy efficiency, and expand the use of renewable energies. Task forces were formed involving prominent energy leaders and experts from business, government, academia and civil society worldwide. The goal of the Task Forces is to inform the implementation of the initiative by identifying challenges and opportunities for achieving its objectives. This report contains the findings of Task Force Two which is dedicated energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives. The report shows that doublingmore » the rate of energy efficiency improvements and doubling the share of energy from renewable sources by 2030 is challenging but feasible if sufficient actions are implemented. Strong and well-informed government policies as well as extensive private investment should focus on the high impact areas identified by the task force.« less

Project LASER: Learning about science, engineering, and research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The number of American students entering science and engineering careers and their ranking in comparison with other countries is on the decline. This decline has alarmed Congress which, in 1987, established a Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology to define the problem and find solutions. If left unchanged, the task force has warned that the prospects for maintaining an advanced industrial society will diminish. NASA is supportive of the six goals outlined by the task force, which are paraphrase herein, and is carefully assessing its education programs to identify those offering the greatest potential for achieving the task force objectives with a reasonable range of resources. A major initiative is under way on behalf of NASA at its Marshall Space Flight Center, where highly effective features of several NASA education programs along with innovations are being integrated into a comprehensive pilot program. This program, dubbed Project LASER, is discussed.

Developments of new force reflecting control schemes and an application to a teleoperation training simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Won S.

1992-01-01

Two schemes of force reflecting control, position-error based force reflection and low-pass-filtered force reflection, both combined with shared compliance control, were developed for dissimilar master-slave arms. These schemes enabled high force reflection gains, which were not possible with a conventional scheme when the slave arm was much stiffer than the master arm. The experimental results with a peg-in-hole task indicated that the newly force reflecting control schemes combined with compliance control resulted in best task performances. As a related application, a simulated force reflection/shared compliance control teleoperation trainer was developed that provided the operator with the feel of kinesthetic force virtual reality.

Coherence and interlimb force control: Effects of visual gain.

PubMed

Kang, Nyeonju; Cauraugh, James H

2018-03-06

Neural coupling across hemispheres and homologous muscles often appears during bimanual motor control. Force coupling in a specific frequency domain may indicate specific bimanual force coordination patterns. This study investigated coherence on pairs of bimanual isometric index finger force while manipulating visual gain and task asymmetry conditions. We used two visual gain conditions (low and high gain = 8 and 512 pixels/N), and created task asymmetry by manipulating coefficient ratios imposed on the left and right index finger forces (0.4:1.6; 1:1; 1.6:0.4, respectively). Unequal coefficient ratios required different contributions from each hand to the bimanual force task resulting in force asymmetry. Fourteen healthy young adults performed bimanual isometric force control at 20% of their maximal level of the summed force of both fingers. We quantified peak coherence and relative phase angle between hands at 0-4, 4-8, and 8-12 Hz, and estimated a signal-to-noise ratio of bimanual forces. The findings revealed higher peak coherence and relative phase angle at 0-4 Hz than at 4-8 and 8-12 Hz for both visual gain conditions. Further, peak coherence and relative phase angle values at 0-4 Hz were larger at the high gain than at the low gain. At the high gain, higher peak coherence at 0-4 Hz collapsed across task asymmetry conditions significantly predicted greater signal-to-noise ratio. These findings indicate that a greater level of visual information facilitates bimanual force coupling at a specific frequency range related to sensorimotor processing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Grip Force Control Is Dependent on Task Constraints in Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Law, Sui-Heung; Lo, Sing Kai; Chow, Susanna; Cheing, Gladys L.Y.

2011-01-01

Excessive grip force (GF) is often found in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). However, their GF control may vary when task constraints are imposed upon their motor performance. This study aimed to investigate how their GF control changes in response to task demands, and to examine their tactile sensitivity. Twenty-one…

Strengthening malaria prevention and control: integrating West African militaries' malaria control efforts. The inaugural meeting of the West African Malaria Task Force, April 24-26, 2013, Accra, Ghana.

PubMed

McCollum, Jeffrey T; Hanna, Refaat; Halbach, Alaina C; Cummings, James F

2015-01-01

From April 24 to 26, 2013, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center and the U.S. Africa Command cosponsored the inaugural meeting of the West Africa Malaria Task Force in Accra, Ghana. The meeting's purpose was to identify common challenges, explore regional and transcontinental collaborations, and to share knowledge about best practices in the fight against malaria in West Africa. Military representatives from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo participated in the Task Force; various U.S. Government agencies were also represented, including the Department of Defense, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agency for International Development. African nation participants presented brief overviews of their military's malaria prevention and control measures, surveillance programs, diagnostic capabilities, and treatment regimens emphasizing gaps within existing programs. Representatives from U.S. agencies discussed activities and capabilities relevant for the region, challenges and lessons learned regarding malaria, and highlighted opportunities for enhanced partnerships to counter malaria in West Africa. This article summarizes the major conclusions of the Task Force meeting, identifies relevant focus areas for future Task Force activities, and outlines opportunities for further inclusion of West African militaries to improve regional malaria surveillance and control efforts. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

An Increase in Postural Load Facilitates an Anterior Shift of Processing Resources to Frontal Executive Function in a Postural-Suprapostural Task

PubMed Central

Huang, Cheng-Ya; Chang, Gwo-Ching; Tsai, Yi-Ying; Hwang, Ing-Shiou

2016-01-01

Increase in postural-demand resources does not necessarily degrade a concurrent motor task, according to the adaptive resource-sharing hypothesis of postural-suprapostural dual-tasking. This study investigated how brain networks are organized to optimize a suprapostural motor task when the postural load increases and shifts postural control into a less automatic process. Fourteen volunteers executed a designated force-matching task from a level surface (a relative automatic process in posture) and from a stabilometer board while maintaining balance at a target angle (a relatively controlled process in posture). Task performance of the postural and suprapostural tasks, synchronization likelihood (SL) of scalp EEG, and graph-theoretical metrics were assessed. Behavioral results showed that the accuracy and reaction time of force-matching from a stabilometer board were not affected, despite a significant increase in postural sway. However, force-matching in the stabilometer condition showed greater local and global efficiencies of the brain networks than force-matching in the level-surface condition. Force-matching from a stabilometer board was also associated with greater frontal cluster coefficients, greater mean SL of the frontal and sensorimotor areas, and smaller mean SL of the parietal-occipital cortex than force-matching from a level surface. The contrast of supra-threshold links in the upper alpha and beta bands between the two stance conditions validated load-induced facilitation of inter-regional connections between the frontal and sensorimotor areas, but that contrast also indicated connection suppression between the right frontal-temporal and the parietal-occipital areas for the stabilometer stance condition. In conclusion, an increase in stance difficulty alters the neurocognitive processes in executing a postural-suprapostural task. Suprapostural performance is not degraded by increase in postural load, due to (1) increased effectiveness of information transfer, (2) an anterior shift of processing resources toward frontal executive function, and (3) cortical dissociation of control hubs in the parietal-occipital cortex for neural economy. PMID:27594830

Remarks of Governor Ted Schwinden to the International Conference of the Council of Educational Facility Planners (64th, Edmonton, Alberta, October 3, 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana State Office of the Governor, Helena.

This speech summarizes the recommendations of seven National Governors' Association task forces represented in "Time for Results: The Governors' 1991 Report on Education," highlighting the physical facilities group's concerns. The Task Force on Teaching confronted work force quantity and quality issues and recommended strategies for…

U.S. Army Medical Contingent to Task Force Forager Pacific Partnership 2015: Lessons and Best Practices

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

CONTINGENT-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2015 Foreword Global health engagements conducted in...medical task force of health -care experts with medical equipment and supplies to conduct health engagements in four host nations, including the...at Pearl Harbor, HI, 15 medical personnel from the Australian and New Zealand defense forces; a civilian medical planner from Project HOPE ( Health

Public Service through the State Government Workforce: Meeting the Challenge of Change. Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

State Univ. of New York, Albany. Nelson A. Rockefeller Inst. of Government.

This report summarizes the findings of a New York State task force that studied the public work force of the state with a focus on preparing these workers for the future. Discussion of the task force was organized along four major topics of concern: recruiting, retention, and compensation; management style; education, training, and retraining; and…

Access management implementation in Kentucky technical support document and status report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

This report describes the efforts of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Access Management implementation Task Force. The task force was established in May 2004 and was charged with the responsibility of reviewing and refining the recommendations i...

38 CFR 21.7131 - Commencing dates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION All Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program (Montgomery GI... standard college degree. (1) When the student enrolls in a course offered by independent study, the commencing date of the award or increased award of educational assistance will be the date the student began...

38 CFR 21.7131 - Commencing dates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION All Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program (Montgomery GI... standard college degree. (1) When the student enrolls in a course offered by independent study, the commencing date of the award or increased award of educational assistance will be the date the student began...

38 CFR 21.7131 - Commencing dates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION All Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program (Montgomery GI... standard college degree. (1) When the student enrolls in a course offered by independent study, the commencing date of the award or increased award of educational assistance will be the date the student began...

38 CFR 21.7131 - Commencing dates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION All Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program (Montgomery GI... standard college degree. (1) When the student enrolls in a course offered by independent study, the commencing date of the award or increased award of educational assistance will be the date the student began...

The Classic Readability Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuBay, William H., Ed.

2007-01-01

Early in the 20th century, educators began looking for scientific methods for matching texts with readers. Some of the best minds in education dedicated themselves to this task, including Edward L. Thorndike, William S. Gray, Ralph Tyler, Edgar Dale, Irving Lorge, and Jeanne S. Chall. The purpose of this book is to bring students of reading into…

Building an Academe and Government Partnership in Workforce Education: Challenges and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kearney, Kerri S.; Self, Mary Jo; Bailey, Lucy; Harris, Ed; Halcomb, Starla; Hill, Brent; Shimp, Upton

2007-01-01

In 2004, the College of Education at Oklahoma State University began the task of building a partnership with the Defense Ammunition Center (DAC) in McAlester, Oklahoma, and implementing research-driven, experience-based workforce education. In this article, the authors describe unique features and challenges of this multi-year…

No School like Freedom School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Lisa Ann

2013-01-01

"You are the hope of the future." That's the message Marian Wright Edelman, executive director of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), gave more than 1,500 excited college students and recent graduates as they began a week-long training for the CDF's Freedom Schools. She was preparing them for a daunting task--that of transforming the…

Decreasing Supermarket Tantrums by Increasing Shopping Tasks: Advantages of Pre-Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenwald, Ashley E.; Williams, W. Larry; Seniuk, Holly A.

2014-01-01

A brief training package consisting of pre-teaching of appropriate grocery item--gathering skills and reinforcement for appropriate behavior was used to teach a child diagnosed with autism to remain in a store and participate in shopping without exhibiting tantrums. The training package began with teaching the necessary component skills and…

Revisiting Communication during a Crisis: Insights from Kenneth Trump

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowalski, Theodore J.

2005-01-01

In the aftermath of several tragic incidents of school violence, school administrators began focusing more directly on crisis management. Those who actually had to activate their plans often discovered that communication--with the media and with the general community--was one of the most challenging tasks they faced. In an effort to determine if…

What Mathematics Do High School Teachers Need to Know?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Michael J.; Coomes, Jacqueline

2010-01-01

Erin has been teaching at Centennial High School for five years. Always an excellent mathematics student, she is nonetheless surprised at the amount of mathematics she has learned since she began teaching. She recently assigned what she thought was a fairly straightforward proportional reasoning task, only to be challenged to understand the…

Process development for automated solar cell and module production. Task 4: Automated array assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagerty, J. J.

1981-01-01

The cell preparation station was installed in its new enclosure. Operation verification tests were performed. The detailed layout drawings of the automated lamination station were produced and construction began. All major and most minor components were delivered by vendors. The station framework was built and assembly of components begun.

A Powerful Tool: Writing Based on Knowledge and Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginty, Eloise; Hawkins, Joanna; Kurzman, Karen; Leddy, Diana; Miller, Jane

2016-01-01

The National Writing Project (NWP) has contributed enormously and consistently to the effort to help teachers help students learn to write. In the early 1970s, researchers such as Donald Graves and Janet Emig began studying the ways writers go about the task of thinking and producing polished writing. The NWP's book "Because Writing…

Development of underwater and hyperbaric medicine in Malaysia.

PubMed

Rozali, A; Rampal, K G; Zin, B Mohd; Sherina, M S; Khairuddin, H; Abd Halim, M; Sulaiman, A

2006-12-01

Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine is a treatment modality gaining recognition in Malaysia. It uses the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) approach where patients are placed in recompression chambers and subjected to oxygen therapy under pressure. In Malaysia it was introduced as early as the 1960's by the Royal Malaysian Navy to treat their divers for decompression illness (DCI), arterial gas embolism (AGE) and barotraumas. Other sectors in the armed forces, universities and private health centres began developing this approach too in the late 1990's, for similar purposes. In 1996, Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine began gaining its popularity when the Institute of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine at the Armed Forces Hospital in Lumut started treating specific clinical diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers, osteomyelitis, and carbon monoxide poisoning and other diseases using HBOT. This paper discusses the development of this interesting treatment modality, giving a brief historical overview to its current development, as well as provides some thought for its future development in Malaysia.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From a burst of fire and smoke, the Delta II launch vehicle races into the sky carrying the second Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity. The bright glare briefly illuminated Florida Space Coast beaches. Opportunity’s dash to Mars began with liftoff at 11:18:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The spacecraft separated successfully from the Delta's third stage 83 minutes later, after it had been boosted out of Earth orbit and onto a course toward Mars.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From a burst of fire and smoke, the Delta II launch vehicle races into the sky carrying the second Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity. The bright glare briefly illuminated Florida Space Coast beaches. Opportunity’s dash to Mars began with liftoff at 11:18:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The spacecraft separated successfully from the Delta's third stage 83 minutes later, after it had been boosted out of Earth orbit and onto a course toward Mars.

Force illusions and drifts observed during muscle vibration.

PubMed

Reschechtko, Sasha; Cuadra, Cristian; Latash, Mark L

2018-01-01

We explored predictions of a scheme that views position and force perception as a result of measuring proprioceptive signals within a reference frame set by ongoing efferent process. In particular, this hypothesis predicts force illusions caused by muscle vibration and mediated via changes in both afferent and efferent components of kinesthesia. Healthy subjects performed accurate steady force production tasks by pressing with the four fingers of one hand (the task hand) on individual force sensors with and without visual feedback. At various times during the trials, subjects matched the perceived force using the other hand. High-frequency vibration was applied to one or both of the forearms (over the hand and finger extensors). Without visual feedback, subjects showed a drop in the task hand force, which was significantly smaller under the vibration of that forearm. Force production by the matching hand was consistently higher than that of the task hand. Vibrating one of the forearms affected the matching hand in a manner consistent with the perception of higher magnitude of force produced by the vibrated hand. The findings were consistent between the dominant and nondominant hands. The effects of vibration on both force drift and force mismatching suggest that vibration led to shifts in both signals from proprioceptors and the efferent component of perception, the referent coordinate and/or coactivation command. The observations fit the hypothesis on combined perception of kinematic-kinetic variables with little specificity of different groups of peripheral receptors that all contribute to perception of forces and coordinates. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that vibration of hand/finger extensors produces consistent errors in finger force perception. Without visual feedback, finger force drifted to lower values without a drift in the matching force produced by the other hand; hand extensor vibration led to smaller finger force drift. The findings fit the scheme with combined perception of kinematic-kinetic variables and suggest that vibration leads to consistent shifts of the referent coordinate and, possibly, of coactivation command to the effector.

An instrumented glove for grasp specification in virtual-reality-based point-and-direct telerobotics.

PubMed

Yun, M H; Cannon, D; Freivalds, A; Thomas, G

1997-10-01

Hand posture and force, which define aspects of the way an object is grasped, are features of robotic manipulation. A means for specifying these grasping "flavors" has been developed that uses an instrumented glove equipped with joint and force sensors. The new grasp specification system will be used at the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in a Virtual Reality based Point-and-Direct (VR-PAD) robotics implementation. Here, an operator gives directives to a robot in the same natural way that human may direct another. Phrases such as "put that there" cause the robot to define a grasping strategy and motion strategy to complete the task on its own. In the VR-PAD concept, pointing is done using virtual tools such that an operator can appear to graphically grasp real items in live video. Rather than requiring full duplication of forces and kinesthetic movement throughout a task as is required in manual telemanipulation, hand posture and force are now specified only once. The grasp parameters then become object flavors. The robot maintains the specified force and hand posture flavors for an object throughout the task in handling the real workpiece or item of interest. In the Computer integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Laboratory at Penn State, hand posture and force data were collected for manipulating bricks and other items that require varying amounts of force at multiple pressure points. The feasibility of measuring desired grasp characteristics was demonstrated for a modified Cyberglove impregnated with Force-Sensitive Resistor (FSR) (pressure sensors in the fingertips. A joint/force model relating the parameters of finger articulation and pressure to various lifting tasks was validated for the instrumented "wired" glove. Operators using such a modified glove may ultimately be able to configure robot grasping tasks in environments involving hazardous waste remediation, flexible manufacturing, space operations and other flexible robotics applications. In each case, the VR-PAD approach will finesse the computational and delay problems of real-time multiple-degree-of-freedom force feedback telemanipulation.

Taxonomy based analysis of force exchanges during object grasping and manipulation

PubMed Central

Martin-Brevet, Sandra; Jarrassé, Nathanaël; Burdet, Etienne

2017-01-01

The flexibility of the human hand in object manipulation is essential for daily life activities, but remains relatively little explored with quantitative methods. On the one hand, recent taxonomies describe qualitatively the classes of hand postures for object grasping and manipulation. On the other hand, the quantitative analysis of hand function has been generally restricted to precision grip (with thumb and index opposition) during lifting tasks. The aim of the present study is to fill the gap between these two kinds of descriptions, by investigating quantitatively the forces exerted by the hand on an instrumented object in a set of representative manipulation tasks. The object was a parallelepiped object able to measure the force exerted on the six faces and its acceleration. The grasping force was estimated from the lateral force and the unloading force from the bottom force. The protocol included eleven tasks with complementary constraints inspired by recent taxonomies: four tasks corresponding to lifting and holding the object with different grasp configurations, and seven to manipulating the object (rotation around each of its axis and translation). The grasping and unloading forces and object rotations were measured during the five phases of the actions: unloading, lifting, holding or manipulation, preparation to deposit, and deposit. The results confirm the tight regulation between grasping and unloading forces during lifting, and extend this to the deposit phase. In addition, they provide a precise description of the regulation of force exchanges during various manipulation tasks spanning representative actions of daily life. The timing of manipulation showed both sequential and overlapping organization of the different sub-actions, and micro-errors could be detected. This phenomenological study confirms the feasibility of using an instrumented object to investigate complex manipulative behavior in humans. This protocol will be used in the future to investigate upper-limb dexterity in patients with sensory-motor impairments. PMID:28562617

End of the Little Ice Age in the Alps forced by industrial black carbon

PubMed Central

Painter, Thomas H.; Flanner, Mark G.; Kaser, Georg; Marzeion, Ben; VanCuren, Richard A.; Abdalati, Waleed

2013-01-01

Glaciers in the European Alps began to retreat abruptly from their mid-19th century maximum, marking what appeared to be the end of the Little Ice Age. Alpine temperature and precipitation records suggest that glaciers should instead have continued to grow until circa 1910. Radiative forcing by increasing deposition of industrial black carbon to snow may represent the driver of the abrupt glacier retreats in the Alps that began in the mid-19th century. Ice cores indicate that black carbon concentrations increased abruptly in the mid-19th century and largely continued to increase into the 20th century, consistent with known increases in black carbon emissions from the industrialization of Western Europe. Inferred annual surface radiative forcings increased stepwise to 13–17 W⋅m−2 between 1850 and 1880, and to 9–22 W⋅m−2 in the early 1900s, with snowmelt season (April/May/June) forcings reaching greater than 35 W⋅m−2 by the early 1900s. These snowmelt season radiative forcings would have resulted in additional annual snow melting of as much as 0.9 m water equivalent across the melt season. Simulations of glacier mass balances with radiative forcing-equivalent changes in atmospheric temperatures result in conservative estimates of accumulating negative mass balances of magnitude −15 m water equivalent by 1900 and −30 m water equivalent by 1930, magnitudes and timing consistent with the observed retreat. These results suggest a possible physical explanation for the abrupt retreat of glaciers in the Alps in the mid-19th century that is consistent with existing temperature and precipitation records and reconstructions. PMID:24003138

End of the Little Ice Age in the Alps forced by industrial black carbon.

PubMed

Painter, Thomas H; Flanner, Mark G; Kaser, Georg; Marzeion, Ben; VanCuren, Richard A; Abdalati, Waleed

2013-09-17

Glaciers in the European Alps began to retreat abruptly from their mid-19th century maximum, marking what appeared to be the end of the Little Ice Age. Alpine temperature and precipitation records suggest that glaciers should instead have continued to grow until circa 1910. Radiative forcing by increasing deposition of industrial black carbon to snow may represent the driver of the abrupt glacier retreats in the Alps that began in the mid-19th century. Ice cores indicate that black carbon concentrations increased abruptly in the mid-19th century and largely continued to increase into the 20th century, consistent with known increases in black carbon emissions from the industrialization of Western Europe. Inferred annual surface radiative forcings increased stepwise to 13-17 W⋅m(-2) between 1850 and 1880, and to 9-22 W⋅m(-2) in the early 1900s, with snowmelt season (April/May/June) forcings reaching greater than 35 W⋅m(-2) by the early 1900s. These snowmelt season radiative forcings would have resulted in additional annual snow melting of as much as 0.9 m water equivalent across the melt season. Simulations of glacier mass balances with radiative forcing-equivalent changes in atmospheric temperatures result in conservative estimates of accumulating negative mass balances of magnitude -15 m water equivalent by 1900 and -30 m water equivalent by 1930, magnitudes and timing consistent with the observed retreat. These results suggest a possible physical explanation for the abrupt retreat of glaciers in the Alps in the mid-19th century that is consistent with existing temperature and precipitation records and reconstructions.

Validity Of The Nintendo Wii Balance Board To Assess Weight Bearing Asymmetry During Sit-To-Stand And Return-To-Sit Task

PubMed Central

Abujaber, Sumayeh; Gillispie, Gregory; Marmon, Adam; Zeni, Joseph

2015-01-01

Weight bearing asymmetry is common in patients with unilateral lower limb musculoskeletal pathologies. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) has been suggested as a low-cost and widely-available tool to measure weight bearing asymmetry in a clinical environment; however no study has evaluated the validity of this tool during dynamic tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of force measurements acquired from the WBB as compared to laboratory force plates. Thirty-five individuals before, or within 1 year of total joint arthroplasty performed a sit-to-stand and return-to-sit task in two conditions. First, subjects performed the task with both feet placed on a single WBB. Second, the task was repeated with each foot placed on an individual laboratory force plate. Peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) under each foot and the inter-limb symmetry ratio were calculated. Validity was examined using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), regression analysis, 95% limits of agreement and Bland-Altman plots. Force plates and the WBB exhibited excellent agreement for all outcome measurements (ICC =0.83–0.99). Bland-Altman plots showed no obvious relationship between the difference and the mean for the peak VGRF, but there was a consistent trend in which VGRF on the unaffected side was lower and VGRF on the affected side was higher when using the WBB. However, these consistent biases can be adjusted for by utilizing regression equations that estimate the force plate values based on the WBB force. The WBB may serve as a valid, suitable, and low-cost alternative to expensive, laboratory force plates for measuring weight bearing asymmetry in clinical settings. PMID:25715680

Validity of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board to assess weight bearing asymmetry during sit-to-stand and return-to-sit task.

PubMed

Abujaber, Sumayeh; Gillispie, Gregory; Marmon, Adam; Zeni, Joseph

2015-02-01

Weight bearing asymmetry is common in patients with unilateral lower limb musculoskeletal pathologies. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) has been suggested as a low-cost and widely-available tool to measure weight bearing asymmetry in a clinical environment; however no study has evaluated the validity of this tool during dynamic tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of force measurements acquired from the WBB as compared to laboratory force plates. Thirty-five individuals before, or within 1 year of total joint arthroplasty performed a sit-to-stand and return-to-sit task in two conditions. First, subjects performed the task with both feet placed on a single WBB. Second, the task was repeated with each foot placed on an individual laboratory force plate. Peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) under each foot and the inter-limb symmetry ratio were calculated. Validity was examined using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), regression analysis, 95% limits of agreement and Bland-Altman plots. Force plates and the WBB exhibited excellent agreement for all outcome measurements (ICC=0.83-0.99). Bland-Altman plots showed no obvious relationship between the difference and the mean for the peak VGRF, but there was a consistent trend in which VGRF on the unaffected side was lower and VGRF on the affected side was higher when using the WBB. However, these consistent biases can be adjusted for by utilizing regression equations that estimate the force plate values based on the WBB force. The WBB may serve as a valid, suitable, and low-cost alternative to expensive, laboratory force plates for measuring weight bearing asymmetry in clinical settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Task specificity of attention training: the case of probability cuing

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yuhong V.; Swallow, Khena M.; Won, Bo-Yeong; Cistera, Julia D.; Rosenbaum, Gail M.

2014-01-01

Statistical regularities in our environment enhance perception and modulate the allocation of spatial attention. Surprisingly little is known about how learning-induced changes in spatial attention transfer across tasks. In this study, we investigated whether a spatial attentional bias learned in one task transfers to another. Most of the experiments began with a training phase in which a search target was more likely to be located in one quadrant of the screen than in the other quadrants. An attentional bias toward the high-probability quadrant developed during training (probability cuing). In a subsequent, testing phase, the target's location distribution became random. In addition, the training and testing phases were based on different tasks. Probability cuing did not transfer between visual search and a foraging-like task. However, it did transfer between various types of visual search tasks that differed in stimuli and difficulty. These data suggest that different visual search tasks share a common and transferrable learned attentional bias. However, this bias is not shared by high-level, decision-making tasks such as foraging. PMID:25113853

Tera-node Network Technology (Task 3) Scalable Personal Telecommunications

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-14

Simulation results of this work may be found in http://north.east.isi.edu/spt/ audio.html. 6. Internet Research Task Force Reliable Multicast...Adaptation, 4. Multimedia Proxy Caching, 5. Experiments with the Rate Adaptation Protocol (RAP) 6. Providing leadership and innovation to the Internet ... Research Task Force (IRTF) Reliable Multicast Research Group (RMRG) 1. End-to-end Architecture for Quality-adaptive Streaming Applications over the

Real-time augmented feedback benefits robotic laparoscopic training.

PubMed

Judkins, Timothy N; Oleynikov, Dmitry; Stergiou, Nick

2006-01-01

Robotic laparoscopic surgery has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery for treatment of abdominal pathologies. However, current training techniques rely on subjective evaluation. There is a lack of research on the type of tasks that should be used for training. Robotic surgical systems also do not currently have the ability to provide feedback to the surgeon regarding success of performing tasks. We trained medical students on three laparoscopic tasks and provided real-time feedback of performance during training. We found that real-time feedback can benefit training if the feedback provides information that is not available through other means (grip force). Subjects that received grip force feedback applied less force when the feedback was removed. Other forms of feedback (speed and relative phase) did not aid or impede training. Secondly, a relatively short training period (10 trials for each task) significantly improved most objective measures of performance. We also showed that robotic surgical performance can be quantitatively measured and evaluated. Providing grip force feedback can make the surgeon more aware of the forces being applied to delicate tissue during surgery.

Agricultural Drainage Management Systems Task Force (ADMSTF)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Drainage Management Systems (ADMS) Task Force was initiated during a Charter meeting in the fall of 2002 by dedicated professional employees of Federal, State, and Local Government Agencies and Universities. The Agricultural Drainage Management (ADM) Coalition was established in 200...

Reducing the Gap of Pain: A Strategy for Optimizing Federal Resource Availability in Response to Major Incidents

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

TM Transportation Means TX- TF1 Texas Task Force 1; a US&R team UPS United Parcel Service, Inc.; a major commercial cargo carrier US&R Urban...Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force One (PA- TF1 ) were pre-deployed to the area in advance of the storm. In a moving report of their...4 it would be a good idea to add swiftwater/flood rescue components to all of the US&R Task Forces.” Lt. Douglas Bair, a PA- TF1 rescue squad

Screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement.

PubMed

2008-07-01

Reaffirmation of the 2004 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement about screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria in adults. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force did a targeted literature search for evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women, nonpregnant women, and men. Screen for asymptomatic bacteriuria with urine culture in pregnant women at 12 to 16 weeks' gestation or at the first prenatal visit, if later. (Grade A recommendation.) Do not screen for asymptomatic bacteriuria in men and nonpregnant women. (Grade D recommendation.).

Standards of Evidence for Behavioral Counseling Recommendations.

PubMed

McNellis, Robert J; Ory, Marcia G; Lin, Jennifer S; O'Connor, Elizabeth A

2015-09-01

Behavioral counseling interventions to promote healthy behaviors can significantly reduce leading causes of disease and death. Recommendations for delivery of these interventions in primary care have been and continue to be an important part of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's portfolio of clinical preventive services recommendations. However, primary and secondary research on the effectiveness of behavioral counseling interventions can be more complex than recommendations for screening or use of preventive medications. The nature of behavior change and interventions to promote it can lead to unique challenges. This paper summarizes and expands upon an extensive discussion held at the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's Expert Forum on behavioral counseling interventions held in November 2013. The paper describes the foundational challenges for using behavioral outcomes as evidence to support a Task Force recommendation. The paper discusses research design and reporting characteristics needed by behavioral counseling intervention researchers in order for their research to contribute to the evidentiary basis of a Task Force recommendation. Finally, the paper identifies critical issues that need to be considered by the Task Force and other stakeholders to maintain confidence and credibility in the standards of evidence for behavioral counseling recommendations. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavioral Counseling Interventions Expert Forum: Overview and Primer on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Methods.

PubMed

Curry, Susan J; Whitlock, Evelyn P

2015-09-01

The importance of behavioral counseling as a clinical preventive service derives from the social and economic burden of preventable disease in the U.S., the central role behavioral risk factors play as leading causes of premature morbidity and mortality, and the promise of the healthcare visit as a teachable moment for behavioral counseling support. In November 2013, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force convened an expert forum on behavioral counseling interventions. The forum brought together NIH, CDC, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality leaders, leading behavioral counseling researchers, and members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to discuss issues related to optimizing evidence-based behavioral counseling recommendations. This paper provides an overview of the methods used by the Task Force to develop counseling recommendations. Special focus is on the development and evaluation of evidence from systematic reviews. Assessment of the net benefit of a behavioral counseling intervention, based on the evidence review, determines the recommendation statement and accompanying letter grade. A recent Task Force recommendation on screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse provides a brief example. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) Consensus on Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in India: The Puri Recommendations

PubMed Central

Kumar, Ashish; Acharya, Subrat K.; Singh, Shivaram P.; Saraswat, Vivek A.; Arora, Anil; Duseja, Ajay; Goenka, Mahesh K.; Jain, Deepali; Kar, Premashish; Kumar, Manoj; Kumaran, Vinay; Mohandas, Kunisshery M.; Panda, Dipanjan; Paul, Shashi B.; Ramachandran, Jeyamani; Ramesh, Hariharan; Rao, Padaki N.; Shah, Samir R.; Sharma, Hanish; Thandassery, Ragesh B.

2014-01-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of morbidity, mortality and healthcare expenditure in patients with chronic liver disease. There are no consensus guidelines on diagnosis and management of HCC in India. The Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) set up a Task-Force on HCC in 2011, with a mandate to develop consensus guidelines for diagnosis and management of HCC, relevant to disease patterns and clinical practices in India. The Task-Force first identified various contentious issues on various aspects of HCC and these issues were allotted to individual members of the Task-Force who reviewed them in detail. The Task-Force used the Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine—Levels of Evidence of 2009 for developing an evidence-based approach. A 2-day round table discussion was held on 9th and 10th February, 2013 at Puri, Odisha, to discuss, debate, and finalize the consensus statements. The members of the Task-Force reviewed and discussed the existing literature at this meeting and formulated the INASL consensus statements for each of the issues. We present here the INASL consensus guidelines (The Puri Recommendations) on prevention, diagnosis and management of HCC in India. PMID:25755608

The Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) Consensus on Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in India: The Puri Recommendations.

PubMed

Kumar, Ashish; Acharya, Subrat K; Singh, Shivaram P; Saraswat, Vivek A; Arora, Anil; Duseja, Ajay; Goenka, Mahesh K; Jain, Deepali; Kar, Premashish; Kumar, Manoj; Kumaran, Vinay; Mohandas, Kunisshery M; Panda, Dipanjan; Paul, Shashi B; Ramachandran, Jeyamani; Ramesh, Hariharan; Rao, Padaki N; Shah, Samir R; Sharma, Hanish; Thandassery, Ragesh B

2014-08-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of morbidity, mortality and healthcare expenditure in patients with chronic liver disease. There are no consensus guidelines on diagnosis and management of HCC in India. The Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) set up a Task-Force on HCC in 2011, with a mandate to develop consensus guidelines for diagnosis and management of HCC, relevant to disease patterns and clinical practices in India. The Task-Force first identified various contentious issues on various aspects of HCC and these issues were allotted to individual members of the Task-Force who reviewed them in detail. The Task-Force used the Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine-Levels of Evidence of 2009 for developing an evidence-based approach. A 2-day round table discussion was held on 9th and 10th February, 2013 at Puri, Odisha, to discuss, debate, and finalize the consensus statements. The members of the Task-Force reviewed and discussed the existing literature at this meeting and formulated the INASL consensus statements for each of the issues. We present here the INASL consensus guidelines (The Puri Recommendations) on prevention, diagnosis and management of HCC in India.

Bimanual Force Variability and Chronic Stroke: Asymmetrical Hand Control

PubMed Central

Kang, Nyeonju; Cauraugh, James H.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate force variability generated by both the paretic and non-paretic hands during bimanual force control. Nine chronic stroke individuals and nine age-matched individuals with no stroke history performed a force control task with both hands simultaneously. The task involved extending the wrist and fingers at 5%, 25%, and 50% of maximum voluntary contraction. Bimanual and unimanual force variability during bimanual force control was determined by calculating the coefficient of variation. Analyses revealed two main findings: (a) greater bimanual force variability in the stroke group than the control group and (b) increased force variability by the paretic hands during bimanual force control in comparison to the non-paretic hands at the 5% and 25% force production conditions. A primary conclusion is that post stroke bimanual force variability is asymmetrical between hands. PMID:25000185

Effects of prolonged vibration to vastus intermedius muscle on force steadiness of knee extensor muscles during isometric force-matching task.

PubMed

Saito, Akira; Ando, Ryosuke; Akima, Hiroshi

2016-12-01

Afferent inputs from Ia fibers in muscle spindles are essential for the control of force and prolonged vibration has been applied to muscle-tendon units to manipulate the synaptic input from Ia afferents onto α-motor neurons. The vastus intermedius (VI) reportedly provides the highest contribution to the low-level knee extension torque among the individual synergists of quadriceps femoris (QF). The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of prolonged vibration to the VI on force steadiness of the QF. Nine healthy men (25.1±4.3years) performed submaximal force-matching task of isometric knee extension for 15s before and after mechanical vibration to the superficial region of VI for 30min. Target forces were 2.5%, 10%, and 30% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and force steadiness was determined by the coefficient of variation (CV) of force. After the prolonged VI vibration, the CV of force at 2.5%MVC was significantly increased, but CVs at 10% and 30%MVCs were not significantly changed. The present study concluded that application of prolonged vibration to the VI increased force fluctuations of the QF during a very low-level force-matching task. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An involuntary stereotypical grasp tendency pervades voluntary dynamic multifinger manipulation

PubMed Central

Rácz, Kornelius; Brown, Daniel

2012-01-01

We used a novel apparatus with three hinged finger pads to characterize collaborative multifinger interactions during dynamic manipulation requiring individuated control of fingertip motions and forces. Subjects placed the thumb, index, and middle fingertips on each hinged finger pad and held it—unsupported—with constant total grasp force while voluntarily oscillating the thumb's pad. This task combines the need to 1) hold the object against gravity while 2) dynamically reconfiguring the grasp. Fingertip force variability in this combined motion and force task exhibited strong synchrony among normal (i.e., grasp) forces. Mechanical analysis and simulation show that such synchronous variability is unnecessary and cannot be explained solely by signal-dependent noise. Surprisingly, such variability also pervaded control tasks requiring different individuated fingertip motions and forces, but not tasks without finger individuation such as static grasp. These results critically extend notions of finger force variability by exposing and quantifying a pervasive challenge to dynamic multifinger manipulation: the need for the neural controller to carefully and continuously overlay individuated finger actions over mechanically unnecessary synchronous interactions. This is compatible with—and may explain—the phenomenology of strong coupling of hand muscles when this delicate balance is not yet developed, as in early childhood, or when disrupted, as in brain injury. We conclude that the control of healthy multifinger dynamic manipulation has barely enough neuromechanical degrees of freedom to meet the multiple demands of ecological tasks and critically depends on the continuous inhibition of synchronous grasp tendencies, which we speculate may be of vestigial evolutionary origin. PMID:22956798

Vibrotactile grasping force and hand aperture feedback for myoelectric forearm prosthesis users.

PubMed

Witteveen, Heidi J B; Rietman, Hans S; Veltink, Peter H

2015-06-01

User feedback about grasping force and hand aperture is very important in object handling with myoelectric forearm prostheses but is lacking in current prostheses. Vibrotactile feedback increases the performance of healthy subjects in virtual grasping tasks, but no extensive validation on potential users has been performed. Investigate the performance of upper-limb loss subjects in grasping tasks with vibrotactile stimulation, providing hand aperture, and grasping force feedback. Cross-over trial. A total of 10 subjects with upper-limb loss performed virtual grasping tasks while perceiving vibrotactile feedback. Hand aperture feedback was provided through an array of coin motors and grasping force feedback through a single miniature stimulator or an array of coin motors. Objects with varying sizes and weights had to be grasped by a virtual hand. Percentages correctly applied hand apertures and correct grasping force levels were all higher for the vibrotactile feedback condition compared to the no-feedback condition. With visual feedback, the results were always better compared to the vibrotactile feedback condition. Task durations were comparable for all feedback conditions. Vibrotactile grasping force and hand aperture feedback improves grasping performance of subjects with upper-limb loss. However, it should be investigated whether this is of additional value in daily-life tasks. This study is a first step toward the implementation of sensory vibrotactile feedback for users of myoelectric forearm prostheses. Grasping force feedback is crucial for optimal object handling, and hand aperture feedback is essential for reduction of required visual attention. Grasping performance with feedback is evaluated for the potential users. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

Predictive and Reactive Grip Force Responses to Rapid Load Increases in People With Multiple Sclerosis.

PubMed

Allgöwer, Kathrin; Kern, Claudia; Hermsdörfer, Joachim

2017-03-01

To determine the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) on predictive and reactive grip force control in a catching task and on clinical tests of hand function. Case-control study with matched-pairs control group. University prevention and rehabilitation center. Participants (N=30) consisted of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) (n=15) and healthy controls (n=15), matched for sex, age, and hand dominance. Not applicable. Performance on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Nine-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT), Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT), and 2-point discrimination (2PD) was evaluated. To analyze grip force control, blindfolded subjects held a receptacle equipped with grip force and acceleration sensors in their hand. In a catching task, a weight was dropped from (1) the experimenter's hand unexpectedly into the receptacle (reactive force control); and (2) from the subject's opposite hand (predictive force control). Grip forces and time lags were analyzed. PwMS (mean EDSS ± SD, 4.2±1.86) had impairments in the 9-HPT and JTHFT (P<.001). The 2PD did not differ significantly between PwMS and controls. During reactive force control (catching task 1), PwMS showed significantly higher grip forces immediately after impact (P<.05), and a significant prolongation of the time from grip force increase until reaching the peak of grip force (P<.001). PwMS and controls did not differ during predictive force control (catching task 2; P>.1). Exaggerated grip force responses and alterations of timing after an unpredictable perturbation, combined with preserved grip force control during predictable conditions, is a characteristic pattern of fine motor control deficits in MS. Measures of reactive grip force responses may be used to complement neurologic assessments. Further studies exploring the usefulness of these measures should be performed in a broader community of PwMS. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Doctrines of Defeat, La Guerre Revolutionnaire and Counterinsurgency Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

sending in colonial troops to "pacify" the region. The French simply felt a superior force of arms would regain control. As France began to see defeat at...doctrine. The French Army’s isolation from its own society was the result of many reasons. At the end of World War II, France was war weary; it had...strategically defensive by threateni.,. nuclear destruction of an enemy’s force attempting _o invade France or her allies. In theory, all French

An Overview and Comparison of Demand Assignment Multiple Access (DAMA) Concepts for Satellite Communications Networks,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

helps improve public policy through research and analysis . RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of its research...celebrating 50 years of service to the United States Air Force. Project AIR FORCE began in March 1946 as Project RAND at Douglas Aircraft Company , under...through research and analysis for the public welfare and security of the United States—what is known today as RAND. Contents Preface iii Figures ix

KSC-2009-3433

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Against a setting sun, space shuttle Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is towed from the runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3491

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – With wheels lowered, Atlantis is placed on the ground via the hoist that is suspending it in the mate/demate device. Atlantis was separated from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, that returned it from California after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3431

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After a two-day trip from California, space shuttle Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is towed from the runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller