Towing Test Data Set of the Kyushu University Kite System

Kites can be used to harvest wind energy with substantially lower material and environmental footprints and a higher capacity factor than conventional wind turbines. In this paper, we present measurement data from seven individual tow tests with the kite system developed by Kyushu University. This system was designed for 7 kW traction power and comprises an inflatable wing of 6 m2 surface area with a suspended kite control unit that is towed on a relatively short tether of 0.4 m by a truck driving at constant speed along a straight runway. To produce a controlled relative flow environment, the experiment was conducted only when the background wind speed was negligible. We recorded the time-series of 11 different sensor values acquired on the kite, the control unit and the truck. The measured data can be used to assess the effects of the towing speed, the flight mode and the lengths of the control lines on the tether force.

Persistent Memory Retention of Reward Events and Proactive Interference in Reward Series Learning By Mice

This study examines acquisition of a single alternating series of reward quantities in mice. Four male ICR mice, trained in a straight runway, showed deferential response to items in a 3-0-3-0-3-0-3 series, constructed from a varying number of 0.045 g food pellets under inter-trial intervals(ITI) of 30 s (Experiment 1) or 20 min (Experiment 2), by running more slowly to nonrewards than rewards. Although mice showed reliable item anticipation under 20 min ITIs, nonreward anticipation became poorer in later serial positions than in earlier positions. It is possible that gradual deterioration of nonreward anticipation in a series is caused by proactive interference from previous item memories, since the nonreward anticipation was improved when the target item was divided by a long 120 min interval from prior items that were a potential source of proactive interference (Experiment 3). In Experiment 4, mice learned to respond differentially to the second item of 5-0 and 0-5 series with an ITI of 180 min. These results suggest that mice can discriminate reward magnitudes by forming item-associations between adjacent items and retain information of a previous item for a long interval, and that proactive interference occurs among item memories in a series.

Signal Detection Analysis of Deprivation-Incentive Relations with Rats

The problem of deprivation-incentive relationships is considered in terms of the theory of signal detection. Different concentration sucrose incentives are conceptualized as signal and noise and food deprivation is considered to lower the response criterion. It was predicted that incentives of relatively small concentration difference would not produce interactions (even though a main effect of incentive were present) but that widely separated concentrations would. This was given some support in two experiments, one with bar pressing on concurrent schedules and one with a double-alley straight runway.

Effects of Drive upon Habit Strength and Resistance to Extinction

In Exp. 1 rats were given 5 training trials per day for 8 days in a straight runway under both low and high drive, with the drive state of each subject altered each day. Subjects were subdivided and given 20 extinction trials under either low or high drive. Exp. 2 replicated the training conditions of Exp. 1, but, in addition, lengthened training sessions to 18 days and extinguished each subject under both low and high drive. Combined results showed residual effects of intensity of drive state on the first day of training upon later training trials; however, with additional training the effect dissipated. Data were interpreted as supportive of the position that drive contributes to habit strength.

Effect of Crowded Rearing on Negative Incentive Contrast Effect

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were reared under crowded (12 animals per cage) or uncrowded (2 animals per cage) conditions beginning at 30 days of age. At 90 days of age, the subjects were trained to traverse a straight runway for a large or a small food reward, after which all subjects were given additional trials with the small reward. During the preshift phase, crowded and uncrowded subjects did not perform differently, but performance was more rapid with the large magnitude of reward. A trend toward a less disruptive reaction to the downshift in reward among the uncrowded than among the crowded subjects was noted. Since the uncrowded subjects also had heavier adrenal glands (and thus presumably a higher chronic level of stress), it was suggested that they had greater tolerance for the stressful reduction in reward.