Response and Reinforcement in Operant Audiometry

1987 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Primus
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Space Versus ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Central Processing ◽  
Operant Discrimination ◽  
Conditioning Rate ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Simple Detection ◽  
Variable Success ◽  
Response Task

Variable success in audiometric assessment of young children with operant conditioning indicates the need for systematic examination of commonly employed techniques. The current study investigated response and reinforcement features of two operant discrimination paradigms with normal I7-month-old children. Findings indicated more responses prior to the onset of habituation when the response task was based on complex central processing skills (localization and coordination of auditory/visual space) versus simple detection. Use of animation in toy reinforcers resulted in more than a twofold increase in the number of subject responses. Results showed no significant difference in response conditioning rate or consistency for the response tasks and forms of reinforcement examined.

Do sows need straw for nest-building ?

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Hutson
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Thermal Protection ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Genetic Adaptation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nesting Behaviour ◽  
Fourth Experiment ◽  
Conditioning Apparatus

The motivation of sows to obtain straw was measured in 4 experiments using operant conditioning apparatus. In the first experiment there was no significant difference in the operant level of response when lifts on a lever produced access to an empty box or a box containing straw. None of the 6 sows, 4 about 10 weeks pregnant and 2 non-pregnant, showed any interest in the straw. In the second experiment variation in motivation to obtain straw was measured by testing pigs for 7 consecutive days every 2 weeks from mating to weaning. All pigs showed little change in lever lifting behaviour, although 2 gilts showed increased responsiveness to straw at farrowing time. In the third experiment 4 sows were allowed to farrow in the test pen with access to the lever and straw box. The sows showed an increase in activity prior to farrowing which coincided with increased manipulation of the lever. The response to straw was variable, although all pigs showed an increase in pawing behaviour. However, in a fourth experiment, 4 control pigs showed similar increases prior to farrowing in activity, lever manipulation, and pawing behaviour when the straw box was empty. The apparent low motivation of sows towards utilisation of straw is discussed in relation to its importance as a key stimulus for nesting behaviour and its role in thermal protection of the piglets, and also in relation to possible absence of appropriate nest-building stimuli, previous experience, genetic adaptation and animal welfare.

scholarly journals Bacteriological Analysis of Top Soil from an Electronic Waste Dumpsite in Port Harcourt Metropolis

2020 ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Janet Olufunmilayo Williams ◽  
C. J. Ugboma ◽  
Faith Ibiene
Keyword(s):  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Electronic Waste ◽  
Bacterial Count ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
Percentage Composition ◽  
Central Processing ◽  
Port Harcourt ◽  
Top Soil ◽  
Significant Difference

Aim: To determine the bacterial and physicochemical analysis of topsoil from an electronic waste (e-waste) dumpsite within Port Harcourt metropolis using standard procedures. Place and Duration of Study: The study area was Kaduna street, beside Fruit and Vegetable Garden Market, Mile l which is located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The coordinates are 4o47’57.5” N 7o00’02.7” E. The duration of study was between March and September, 2019. Methodology: The waste disposed were mainly television sets, computer monitors, radio sets, stoves, laptops and central processing units. Soil samples were cleared off top debris, collected within 5cm of the top soil from four (4) different points of the dumpsite and a control was collected from area devoid of waste disposal, 20m away from the dumpsite. The five samples were kept in clean sterile polythene bags. Contamination observed from soil samples was attributed to the waste disposal. The total heterotrophic bacterial count was performed using l gram of soil from e-waste dumpsite in a 9-fold serial dilution using a spread plate method, in duplicates on dried nutrient agar plates and incubated at 30°C for 24hours. Centrimide agar plates were used to obtain Pseudomonas isolates and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours while MacConkey agar plates were used to isolate coliform bacteria, incubated at 0c for 48 hours. The physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. Results: Seven (7) bacterial genera were isolated from the topsoil of the e-waste dumpsite and they were Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Kluyvera, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Chromobacterium and Pectobacteria species. Staphylococcus spp. had the highest percentage composition of 42.3% and Kluyvera spp, the lowest percentage composition of l.9% of bacterial isolates found in the topsoil of the electronic waste dumpsite. The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from l.30 x l06 to l.97 x l06 cfu/g, total coliform count was 3.05 x l03 to 7.98 x l03 cfu/g and total Pseudomonas count ranged from l.00 x l02   to 2.88 x l03 cfu/g with a significant difference at .05 probability level to the control samples. The temperature ranged from 27.67±0.580C to 28.00±l.000C with a control of 29.00±l.000C, pH value ranged from 6.33±0.58 with a control of 7.00±0.00. The pH values were lower than the control indicating that the soil was slightly acidic to neutral. Moisture content had 4% with a control of 2.7%, an organic matter of l7.33±0.58 with a control of 4.47±0.58. Conclusion: The presence of the isolated organisms could cause public health risk or environmental hazard. Proper education and legislations on handling of e-waste in the society should be intensified to forestall waste related problems along the food chain.

EFFECT OF GROUP SIZE ON OPERANT HEAT DEMAND OF PIGLETS

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. MORRISON ◽  
K. L. LAFOREST ◽  
I. McMILLAN
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Average Amount ◽  
Heat Demand ◽  
Total Weight Gain ◽  
Significant Difference

Eighty newly weaned gilts with an average weight of 7.36 kg were randomly allocated to groups of either two, four, six or eight piglets per pen. The different group sizes were repeated four times. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between treatments (group size) for average total weight gain. There was a difference (P < 0.05) between treatments for the average amount of time (min h−1) of operant supplemental infrared heat demanded by the pigs. There was a difference (P < 0.05) in amount of infrared heat demanded during the day (06:00–18:00 h) vs. night (18:00–06:00 h), (19.07 ± 5.17 vs. 11.27 ± 6.01 min h−1, respectively), for the combined group sizes. There was a difference (P < 0.05) between treatments for the number of overall (24 h) rewarded hits. Both diurnal and overall (24 h) rewarded hits had a significant (P < 0.05) linear trend. For each increase of one pig in the group there was a decrease of 1.56 min h−1 of heat demanded by the pigs. The pigs demanded 32–40% of the total amount of supplementary heat at night. Key words: Group size, operant conditioning, piglet

The Role of Localization in Visual Reinforcement Audiometry

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1137-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Primus
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Auditory Function ◽  
Visual Reinforcement ◽  
Response Performance ◽  
Localization Response ◽  
Response Task ◽  
Localization Information

The response task employed in visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) has been characterized both as a localization response and, alternatively, as a pure operant conditioning behavior independent of localization. This study examined the role of localization in VRA conditioning and threshold procedures by varying the localization information provided to normal infants. Results indicate (a) that the VRA response is not contingent on localization but (b) that performance may be significantly influenced by localization. The findings suggest that any variable that alters proper localization cues, including equipment arrangement or impaired auditory function, may degrade response performance.

A Comparison of Lenient and Strict Operant Conditioning Programmes in Refeeding Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

1984 ◽  
Vol 144 (5) ◽  
pp. 517-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. Touyz ◽  
P. J. V. Beumont ◽  
D. Glaun ◽  
T. Phillips ◽  
I. Cowie
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Nursing Time ◽  
Significant Difference

SummaryThe present paper compares a lenient and a strict operant conditioning programme in refeeding patients with anorexia nervosa. Sixty-five consecutive in-patients participated in the study. We found no significant difference in the rate of weight-gain between the two treatments. There were, however, a number of practical advantages in using the more lenient programme: it was more economical of nursing time, and patients were more accessible to psychotherapy. The programme was also more acceptable to the patients.

Activity in chronic schizophrenic patients: comparison of pimozide with fluphenazine in a double blind trial

1975 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. P. Sims ◽  
I. G. Burnside
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Crossover Trial ◽  
Double Blind Trial ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Blind Trial ◽  
Chronic Schizophrenic ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
Psychiatric Rating

SynopsisA double-blind crossover trial was carried out comparing pimozide with fluphenazine. The effects of the drugs on the activity of 20 chronic inert male schizophrenic patients were measured using nursing observations, psychiatric rating, and an operant conditioning method. When activity was assessed in these different ways, no significant difference was found between the two drugs on any of the measures. It is concluded that pimozide does not effectively increase the activity in such patients. It is considered that the free operant conditioning method used was shown to be a useful measure for comparing therapy in chronic schizophrenic patients.

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts and CTC telomerase activity (TA) as prognotic markers of overall survival (OS) in SWOG S0421: Docetaxel with or without atrasentan for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (30_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Amir Goldkorn ◽  
Nicholas J. Vogelzang ◽  
Louis M. Fink ◽  
Benjamin Ely ◽  
David I. Quinn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cox Regression ◽  
Circulating Tumor Cell ◽  
Telomerase Activity ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer ◽  
Parylene C ◽  
Phase Iii Trial ◽  
Central Processing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Fixed Cell

1 Background: CTCs are promising biomarkers in mCRPC, and telomerase activity (TA) is a recognized cancer marker. In this phase III trial we analyzed CTCs using 2 methods: CellSearch for fixed cell enumeration, and a novel Parylene-C slot filter for live CTC capture and TA measurement. Methods: Blood samples (7.5 ml) were drawn at baseline (d1) and pre-cycle 2 (d21) of Rx and shipped overnight for central processing. For CellSearch enumeration, Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between OS, baseline CTC counts, and CTC dynamics (d1 to d21). For TA, filter-trapped cells were lysed and assayed for TA using qPCR-based telomeric repeat amplification. Cox regression evaluated the association between OS and TA overall and within subgroups characterized by good vs. poor (<5 vs. >=5) prognosis baseline CTC counts. For all measurements, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis and characteristics and regression trees (CART) were used to explore further prognostic cutpoints. Results: Samples were obtained from 263 men. Median d1 CTC count was 5, and there was a significant difference in OS for d1 CTC < vs. >=5, hazard ratio (HR) 2.92 (p<0.001) after adjustment for other factors. D1 CTC and OS had ROC AUC of 0.781. In men with low d1 CTC (< 5), an increase in CTC was associated with shorter OS, HR 4.04 (p=0.004); in men with high d1 CTC (>=5), a >=2-fold decrease in CTC was associated with longer OS, HR 0.45 (p=0.012); adjusting for risk factors. For TA, men with baseline CTC >=5 (41% of cohort) who had high CTC TA had HR 1.14 (p<0.005) for OS after adjustment for other factors including CTC counts. CART identified additional risk subgroups based on CTC counts and TA. Conclusions: In this phase III trial, d1 CTC and d1 to d21 CTC dynamics were prognostic of OS after risk factor adjustment, comprising the largest docetaxel-based prospective cohort to date which validates a 5 CTC prognostic threshold and identifies new potentially useful enumeration subgroups. In men with CTCs >=5, TA from cells live-captured on a new slot filter constitutes the first CTC-derived biomarker prognostic of OS in a prospective clinical trial.

GROWTH AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF GILTS RAISED UNDER SUPPLEMENTARY INFRARED OR MICROWAVE HEAT

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. MORRISON ◽  
K. L. LAFOREST ◽  
I. McMILLAN ◽  
L. OTTEN ◽  
D. C. T. PEI
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Average Weight ◽  
Reproductive Parameters ◽  
Total Weight Gain ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Age At First Breeding ◽  
Microwave Heat

Forty-eight newly weaned gilts with an average weight of 7.34 kg were randomly allocated in groups of four to either continuous infrared (CI), operant infrared (OI) or operant microwaves (OM) for 12 or 13 d. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between treatments for average total weight gain or average feed:gain. Pigs allowed OM demanded heat less often (P < 0.05) than the OI pigs (6.50 min h−1 vs. 14.56 min h−1, respectively). All pigs were then raised under normal conditions until puberty and bred. Various reproductive parameters were studied. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between treatments for the age of the gilts at first breeding. However, the gilts raised under OM were significantly (P < 0.05) older at time of farrowing than the gilts raised under CI. More of the OM gilts required a second service. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between gilts raised under OM vs. OI, nor between gilts raised under OI vs. CI for age at farrowing. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between replicates for age at first breeding and age at farrowing. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between treatments or replicates for average number of piglets born alive (overall group mean: 8.5 piglets, ± 2.57), live vs. dead piglets, males vs. females, or average 21-d piglet weights (overall group mean: 5.47 kg, ± 1.00). Key words: Operant conditioning, gilts, microwave, reproduction

scholarly journals Attention impairment associated with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients with mild incapacity

2007 ◽  
Vol 65 (2A) ◽  
pp. 262-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Balsimelli ◽  
Maria Fernanda Mendes ◽  
Paulo H.F. Bertolucci ◽  
Charles Peter Tilbery
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Central Processing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Remitting Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽  
Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Attention Impairment

Neuropsychological studies have consistently reported cognitive dysfunctions associated with multiple sclerosis. One-hundred fifteen subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) were compared with forty health controls according to a neuropsychological test battery, which included digit span, trail making, cancellation and stroop test. Both groups were matched for age, sex and educational level. Subjects with RRMS had a worse performance the speed of response. Subjects with RRMS spent more time to complete the test in either sections A (p=0.001) or B (p=0.001), although there was no significant difference in terms of number of errors. The total time required to finish the Stroop test was higher for subjects with RRMS (p<0.001), being the time difference between groups significant at trial 4 (p<0.001). Attention impairment in subjects with RRMS is related to slowed central processing, which may be affected in all stages, including impairment of automatic and controlled processing of information and in the motor program.

scholarly journals The central processing bottleneck during word production: Comparing simultaneous interpreters, bilinguals and monolinguals

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 968-985
Author(s):  
LONGJIAO SUI ◽  
HAIDEE KRUGER ◽  
HELEN SLATYER
Keyword(s):  
Picture Naming ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Word Production ◽  
European Language ◽  
Central Processing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Bilingual Group ◽  
Tone Discrimination ◽  
Asian Language

Are simultaneous interpreters subject to the central processing bottleneck, which can postpone the reaction time and impair the performance of another concurrent task, during word production? Moreover, is there any difference between interpreters, bilinguals and monolinguals in the word production bottleneck? In this study, professional simultaneous interpreters, proficient bilinguals and monolinguals performed a dual task consisting of a picture naming task in sentence context (Task 1) and a pitch tone discrimination task (Task 2). The results show that interpreters are also subject to the central processing bottleneck during word production, and there is no significant difference between the three groups in the duration of the word production bottleneck. Unexpected differences in performance were found between English–Asian language and English–European language pairs within the interpreter group, but not within the bilingual group, showing that European-language interpreters were as fast as monolinguals in lexical access, and faster than Asian-language interpreters and bilinguals.

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