What checkers actually check:an eye tracking study of inhibitory control and working memory

Background - Not only is compulsive checking the most common symptom in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with an estimated prevalence of 50–80% in patients, but approximately ~15% of the general population reveal subclinical checking tendencies that impact negatively on their performance in daily activities. Therefore, it is critical to understand how checking affects attention and memory in clinical as well as subclinical checkers. Eye fixations are commonly used as indicators for the distribution of attention but research in OCD has revealed mixed results at best. Methodology/Principal Finding - Here we report atypical eye movement patterns in subclinical checkers during an ecologically valid working memory (WM) manipulation. Our key manipulation was to present an intermediate probe during the delay period of the memory task, explicitly asking for the location of a letter, which, however, had not been part of the encoding set (i.e., misleading participants). Using eye movement measures we now provide evidence that high checkers’ inhibitory impairments for misleading information results in them checking the contents of WM in an atypical manner. Checkers fixate more often and for longer when misleading information is presented than non-checkers. Specifically, checkers spend more time checking stimulus locations as well as locations that had actually been empty during encoding. Conclusions/Significance - We conclude that these atypical eye movement patterns directly reflect internal checking of memory contents and we discuss the implications of our findings for the interpretation of behavioural and neuropsychological data. In addition our results highlight the importance of ecologically valid methodology for revealing the impact of detrimental attention and memory checking on eye movement patterns.

Ash control methods to limit biomass inorganic content and its effect on fast pyrolysis bio-oil stability

This research investigates specific ash control methods to limit inorganic content within biomass prior to fast pyrolysis and effect of specific ash components on fast pyrolysis processing, mass balance yields and bio-oil quality and stability. Inorganic content in miscanthus was naturally reduced over the winter period from June (7.36 wt. %) to February (2.80 wt. %) due to a combination of senescence and natural leaching from rain water. September harvest produced similar mass balance yields, bio-oil quality and stability compared to February harvest (conventional harvest), but nitrogen content in above ground crop was to high (208 kg ha.-1) to maintain sustainable crop production. Deionised water, 1.00% HCl and 0.10% Triton X-100 washes were used to reduce inorganic content of miscanthus. Miscanthus washed with 0.10% Triton X-100 resulted in the highest total liquid yield (76.21 wt. %) and lowest char and reaction water yields (9.77 wt. % and 8.25 wt. % respectively). Concentrations of Triton X-100 were varied to study further effects on mass balance yields and bio-oil stability. All concentrations of Triton X-100 increased total liquid yield and decreased char and reaction water yields compared to untreated miscanthus. In terms of bio-oil stability 1.00% Triton X-100 produced the most stable bio-oil with lowest viscosity index (2.43) and lowest water content index (1.01). Beech wood was impregnated with potassium and phosphorus resulting in lower liquid yields and increased char and gas yields due to their catalytic effect on fast pyrolysis product distribution. Increased potassium and phosphorus concentrations produced less stable bio-oils with viscosity and water content indexes increasing. Fast pyrolysis processing of phosphorus impregnated beech wood was problematic as the reactor bed material agglomerated into large clumps due to char formation within the reactor, affecting fluidisation and heat transfer.

An investigation of management accounting control systems in the palm oil industry:a sociomaterial approach to practice change

The primary aim of this research is to understand what constitutes management accounting and control (MACs) practice and how these control processes are implicated in the day to day work practices and operations of the organisation. It also examines the changes that happen in MACs practices over time as multiple actors within organisational settings interact with each other. I adopt a distinctive practice theory approach (i.e. sociomateriality) and the concept of imbrication in this research to show that MACs practices emerge from the entanglement between human/social agency and material/technological agency within an organisation. Changes in the pattern of MACs practices happens in imbrication processes which are produced as the two agencies entangle. The theoretical approach employed in this research offers an interesting and valuable lens which seeks to reveal the depth of these interactions and uncover the way in which the social and material imbricate. The theoretical framework helps to reveal how these constructions impact on and produce modifications of MACs practices. The exploration of the control practices at different hierarchical levels (i.e. from the operational to middle management and senior level management) using the concept of imbrication process also maps the dynamic flow of controls from operational to top management and vice versa in the organisation. The empirical data which is the focus of this research has been gathered from a case study of an organisation involved in a large vertically integrated palm oil industry company in Malaysia specifically the refinery sector. The palm oil industry is a significant industry in Malaysia as it contributed an average of 4.5% of Malaysian Gross Domestic Product, over the period 1990 -2010. The Malaysian palm oil industry also has a significant presence in global food oil supply where it contributed 26% of the total oils and fats global trade in 2010. The case organisation is a significant contributor to the Malaysian palm oil industry. The research access has provided an interesting opportunity to explore the interactions between different groups of people and material/technology in a relatively heavy process food industry setting. My research examines how these interactions shape and are shaped by control practices in a dynamic cycle of imbrications over both short and medium time periods.

A high sensitivity long period grating Mach-Zehnder refractometer

A refractive index sensing system has been demonstrated, which is based upon an in-line fibre long period grating Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a heterodyne interrogation technique. This sensing system has comparable accuracy to laboratory-based techniques used in industry such as high performance liquid chromatography and UV spectroscopy. The advantage of this system is that measurements can be made in-situ for applications in continuous process control. Compared to other refractive index sensing schemes using LPGs, this approach has two main advantages. Firstly, the system relies on a simple optical interrogation system and therefore has the real potential for being low cost, and secondly, so far as we are aware it provides the highest refractive index resolution reported for any fibre LPG device.

Continuous property measurement techniques and physics based mathematical model for frost growth control

The development of a new set of frost property measurement techniques to be used in the control of frost growth and defrosting processes in refrigeration systems was investigated. Holographic interferometry and infrared thermometry were used to measure the temperature of the frost-air interface, while a beam element load sensor was used to obtain the weight of a deposited frost layer. The proposed measurement techniques were tested for the cases of natural and forced convection, and the characteristic charts were obtained for a set of operational conditions. ^ An improvement of existing frost growth mathematical models was also investigated. The early stage of frost nucleation was commonly not considered in these models and instead an initial value of layer thickness and porosity was regularly assumed. A nucleation model to obtain the droplet diameter and surface porosity at the end of the early frosting period was developed. The drop-wise early condensation in a cold flat plate under natural convection to a hot (room temperature) and humid air was modeled. A nucleation rate was found, and the relation of heat to mass transfer (Lewis number) was obtained. It was found that the Lewis number was much smaller than unity, which is the standard value usually assumed for most frosting numerical models. The nucleation model was validated against available experimental data for the early nucleation and full growth stages of the frosting process. ^ The combination of frost top temperature and weight variation signals can now be used to control the defrosting timing and the developed early nucleation model can now be used to simulate the entire process of frost growth in any surface material. ^

Aedes aegypti pharate first instar aseasonal quiescence cues anticipatory plasticity with implications for urban vector ecology and control

The eggs of the dengue fever vector Aedes aegypti possess the ability to undergo an extended quiescence period hosting a fully developed first instar larvae within its chorion. As a result of this life history stage, pharate larvae can withstand months of dormancy inside the egg where they depend on stored reserves of maternal origin. This adaptation known as pharate first instar quiescence, allows A. aegypti to cope with fluctuations in water availability. An examination of this fundamental adaptation has shown that there are trade-offs associated with it. ^ Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are frequently associated with urban habitats that may contain metal pollution. My research has demonstrated that the duration of this quiescence and the extent of nutritional depletion associated with it affects the physiology and survival of larvae that hatch in a suboptimal habitat; nutrient reserves decrease during pharate first instar quiescence and alter subsequent larval and adult fitness. The duration of quiescence compromises metal tolerance physiology and is coupled to a decrease in metallothionein mRNA levels. My findings also indicate that even low levels of environmentally relevant larval metal stress alter the parameters that determine vector capacity. ^ My research has also demonstrated that extended pharate first instar quiescence can elicit a plastic response resulting in an adult phenotype distinct from adults reared from short quiescence eggs. Extended pharate first instar quiescence affects the performance and reproductive fitness of the adult female mosquito as well as the nutritional status of its progeny via maternal effects in an adaptive manner, i.e., anticipatory phenotypic plasticity results as a consequence of the duration of pharate first instar quiescence and alternative phenotypes may exist for this mosquito with quiescence serving as a cue possibly signaling the environmental conditions that follow a dry period. M findings may explain, in part, A. aegypti's success as a vector and its geographic distribution and have implications for its vector capacity and control.^

(Appendix A) Pigment content, microbial biomass and activity, and grain size characteristics in caged and control sites of the Arctic long-term observatory HAUSGARTEN

Present theories of deep-sea community organization recognize the importance of small-scale biological disturbances, originated partly from the activities of epibenthic megafaunal organisms, in maintaining high benthic biodiversity in the deep sea. However, due to technical difficulties, in situ experimental studies to test hypotheses in the deep sea are lacking. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential of cages as tools for studying the importance of epibenthic megafauna for deep-sea benthic communities. Using the deep-diving Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) "VICTOR 6000", six experimental cages were deployed at the sea floor at 2500 m water depth and sampled after 2 years (2y) and 4 years (4y) for a variety of sediment parameters in order to test for caging artefacts. Photo and video footage from both experiments showed that the cages were efficient at excluding the targeted fauna. The cage also proved to be appropriate to deep-sea studies considering the fact that there was no fouling on the cages and no evidence of any organism establishing residence on or adjacent to it. Environmental changes inside the cages were dependent on the experimental period analysed. In the 4y experiment, chlorophyll a concentrations were higher in the uppermost centimeter of sediment inside cages whereas in the 2y experiment, it did not differ between inside and outside. Although the cages caused some changes to the sedimentary regime, they are relatively minor compared to similar studies in shallow water. The only parameter that was significantly higher under cages at both experiments was the concentration of phaeopigments. Since the epibenthic megafauna at our study site can potentially affect phytodetritus distribution and availability at the seafloor (e.g. via consumption, disaggregation and burial), we suggest that their exclusion was, at least in part, responsible for the increases in pigment concentrations. Cages might be suitable tools to study the long-term effects of disturbances caused by megafaunal organisms on the diversity and community structure of smaller-sized organisms in the deep sea, although further work employing partial cage controls, greater replication, and evaluating faunal components will be essential to unequivocally establish their utility.

A new latching control technology for improving wave energy conversion

Extracting wave energy from seas has been proven to be very difficult although various technologies have been developed since 1970s. Among the proposed technologies, only few of them have been actually progressed to the advanced stages such as sea trials or pre-commercial sea trial and engineering. One critical question may be how we can design an efficient wave energy converter or how the efficiency of a wave energy converter can be improved using optimal and control technologies, because higher energy conversion efficiency for a wave energy converter is always pursued and it mainly decides the cost of the wave energy production. In this first part of the investigation, some conventional optimal and control technologies for improving wave energy conversion are examined in a form of more physical meanings, rather than the purely complex mathematical expressions, in which it is hoped to clarify some confusions in the development and the terminologies of the technologies and to help to understand the physics behind the optimal and control technologies. As a result of the understanding of the physics and the principles of the optima, a new latching technology is proposed, in which the latching duration is simply calculated from the wave period, rather than based on the future information/prediction, hence the technology could remove one of the technical barriers in implementing this control technology. From the examples given in the context, this new latching control technology can achieve a phase optimum in regular waves, and hence significantly improve wave energy conversion. Further development on this latching control technologies can be found in the second part of the investigation.

(Table 1) Active-layer thickness as measured by the Biocomplexity Experiment (BE) for the flooded, drained and control sections in Barrow, Alaska

A continuous time series of annual soil thaw records, extending from 1994 to 2009, is available for comparison with the records of thaw obtained from the Biocomplexity Experiment (BE) for the period 2006-2009. Discontinuous records of thaw at Barrow from wet tundra sites date back to the 1960s. Comparisons between the longer records with the BE observations reveal strong similarities. Records of permafrost temperature, reflecting changes in the annual surface energy exchange, are available from the 1950s for comparison with results from measurement programs begun in 2002. The long-term systematic geocryological investigations at Barrow indicate an increase in permafrost temperature, especially during the last several years. The increase in near-surface permafrost temperature is most pronounced in winter. Marked trends are not apparent in the active-layer record, although subsidence measurements on the North Slope indicate that penetration into the ice-rich layer at the top of permafrost has occurred over the past decade. Active-layer thickness values from the 1960s are generally higher than those from the 1990s, and are very similar to those of the 2000s. Analysis of spatial active-layer observations at representative locations demonstrates significant variations in active-layer thickness between different landscape types, reflecting the influence of vegetation, substrate, microtopography, and, especially, soil moisture. Landscape-specific differences exist in the response of active-layer thickness to climatic forcing. These differences are attributable to the existence of localized controls related to combinations of surface and subsurface characteristics. The geocryological records at Barrow illustrate the importance and effectiveness of sustained, well organized monitoring efforts to document long-term trends.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and morphometric coordinates and morphology of the control 8-arm pluteus of brittlestar Ophiothrix fragilis, 2008

The world's oceans are slowly becoming more acidic. In the last 150 yr, the pH of the oceans has dropped by ~0.1 units, which is equivalent to a 25% increase in acidity. Modelling predicts the pH of the oceans to fall by 0.2 to 0.4 units by the year 2100. These changes will have significant effects on marine organisms, especially those with calcareous skeletons such as echinoderms. Little is known about the possible long-term impact of predicted pH changes on marine invertebrate larval development. Here we predict the consequences of increased CO2 (corresponding to pH drops of 0.2 and 0.4 units) on the larval development of the brittlestar Ophiothrix fragilis, which is a keystone species occurring in high densities and stable populations throughout the shelf seas of northwestern Europe (eastern Atlantic). Acidification by 0.2 units induced 100% larval mortality within 8 d while control larvae showed 70% survival over the same period. Exposure to low pH also resulted in a temporal decrease in larval size as well as abnormal development and skeletogenesis (abnormalities, asymmetry, altered skeletal proportions). If oceans continue to acidify as expected, ecosystems of the Atlantic dominated by this keystone species will be seriously threatened with major changes in many key benthic and pelagic ecosystems. Thus, it may be useful to monitor O. fragilis populations and initiate conservation if needed.

(Table 1) Age control points and dating methods for sediment cores of the Sea of Okhotsk

Marine- and terrestrial-derived biomarkers (alkenones, brassicasterol, dinosterol, and long-chain n-alkanes), as well as carbonate, biogenic opal, and ice-rafted debris (IRD), were measured in two sediment cores in the Sea of Okhotsk, which is located in the northwestern Pacific rim and characterized by high primary productivity. Down-core profiles of phytoplankton markers suggest that primary productivity abruptly increased during the global Meltwater Pulse events 1A (about 14 ka) and 1B (about 11 ka) and stayed high in the Holocene. Spatial and temporal distributions of the phytoplankton productivity were found to be consistent with changes in the reconstructed sea ice distribution on the basis of the IRD. This demonstrates that the progress and retreat of sea ice regulated primary productivity in the Sea of Okhotsk with minimum productivity during the glacial period. The mass accumulation rates of alkenones, CaCO3, and biogenic opal indicate that the dominant phytoplankton species during deglaciation was the coccolithophorid, Emiliania huxleyi, which was replaced by diatoms in the late Holocene. Such a phytoplankton succession was probably caused by an increase in silicate supply to the euphotic layer, possibly associated with a change in surface hydrography and/or linked to enhanced upwelling of North Pacific Deep Water.

Fuzzy logic-based implicit authentication for mobile access control

In order to address the increasing compromise of user privacy on mobile devices, a Fuzzy Logic based implicit authentication scheme is proposed in this paper. The proposed scheme computes an aggregate score based on selected features and a threshold in real-time based on current and historic data depicting user routine. The tuned fuzzy system is then applied to the aggregated score and the threshold to determine the trust level of the current user. The proposed fuzzy-integrated implicit authentication scheme is designed to: operate adaptively and completely in the background, require minimal training period, enable high system accuracy while provide timely detection of abnormal activity. In this paper, we explore Fuzzy Logic based authentication in depth. Gaussian and triangle-based membership functions are investigated and compared using real data over several weeks from different Android phone users. The presented results show that our proposed Fuzzy Logic approach is a highly effective, and viable scheme for lightweight real-time implicit authentication on mobile devices.

Accounting for the Multi-Period Impact of Service When Determining Employee Requirements for Labor Scheduling

Providing good customer service, inexpensively, is a problem commonly faced by managers of service operations. To tackle this problem, managers must do four tasks: forecast customer demand for the service; translate these forecasts into employee requirements; develop a labor schedule that provides appropriate numbers of employees at appropriate times; and control the delivery of the service in real-time. This paper focuses upon the translation of forecasts of customer demand into employee requirements. Specifically, it presents and evaluates two methods for determining desired staffing levels. One of these methods is a traditional approach to the task, while the other, by using modified customer arrival rates, offers a better means of accounting for the multi-period impact of customer service. To calculate the modified arrival rates, the latter method reduces (increases) the actual customer arrival rate for a period to account for customers who arrived in the period (in earlier periods) but have some of their service performed in subsequent periods (in the period). In an experiment simulating 13824 service delivery environments, the new method demonstrated its superiority by serving 2.74% more customers within the specified waiting time limit while using 7.57% fewer labor hours.

Preschoolers’ Executive Control and Diurnal Cortisol as Mediators of the Relations of Prenatal Stress to Child Adjustment

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Assessments of body composition and bone parameters of lactating rats treated with diet containing flaxseed meal (Linum usitatissinum) during post-weaning period

Introduction: There are few studies on body composition and the effects of diet on weight postpartum women. The aim was to evaluate the body composition and bone parameters in lactating rats treated with diet containing flaxseed flour during postweaning period. Methods: After weaning, the lactating rat were divided in control (n = 6) and experimental (F, n = 6) group, treated with 25% flaxseed flour diet. After 30 days, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, serum analysis, organs and intra-abdominal fat mass, femur and lumbar vertebra parameters were determined. Results: The groups showed similar food intake, body mass and bone parameters. While F group showed the following: lower body (-5%), gonadal (-17%), mesenteric (-23%) and intra-abdominal (-6%) fat mass. Increase of HDL-cholesterol (+10%) and lower glucose (-15%), triglycerides (P < 0.05, -37%) and cholesterol (P < 0.05, -21%). Conclusions: The findings highlight the effects of flaxseed for control of adiposity and to maintain a healthy biochemical profile during the postnatal period.