The decerebrate human: associative learning

Phasic changes in cardiac reactivity to innocuous stimuli, presented in a sensory disparity paradigm, were used to evaluate habituation and learning processes in five decerebrate subjects. Three subjects showed systematic changes over trials in the pattern of cardiac response to simple auditory or visual stimuli, indicative of habituation. In addition, tests for associative learning were given after repeated presentations of two paired stimuli. The appearance of a marked cardiac orienting response, to the unpredictable omission of the second stimulus, documented the development of a conditioned association in these same three subjects. One additional subject failed to show a consistent pattern of response to the stimuli, and another demonstrated a consistent response which was not subject to habituation. Overall, these findings support the view that learning processes are not solely the product of the cerebral hemispheres, but reflect general integrative features of the human neuraxis.     

Interactive Graphical Minimax Location of Multiple Facilities with General Constraints

An optimal algorithm for solving constrained minimax location problems has been previously reported, with the major limitation that only a single new service facility is allowed. Algorithmic extensions have now been developed and implemented on an advanced color-graphics system for the location of any number of new facilities to collectively serve the set of existing facilities. The minimax criterion is again considered for the optimization, and nonconvex constraint sets are permitted.     

Pygmalion, Galatea, and the Golem: Investigations of biased and unbiased teachers.

Examined differential expectancy effects as a function of teachers' susceptibility to biasing information and the distinction between positive ("Galatea") and negative ("Golem") outcomes of teacher expectancies. 26 biased and unbiased student teachers were identified on the basis of their susceptibility to biasing information in scoring drawings allegedly made by high- or low-status students. High-bias teachers treated the students they perceived to be of low potential negatively while at the same time treating randomly selected students in a manipulated high-expectancy group as favorably as they treated the students they themselves nominated as being of high potential. Unbiased teachers treated all 3 groups of students (N?=?202) equitably. The strongest and most consistent Golem effects were observed for behavioral manifestations of dogmatism. These patterns of differential negative expectancy effects were evident not only in teachers' behavior but also in students' actual performance of specially designed tasks. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The NBS Network Measurement System

The NBS Network Measurement System reipresents the implementation of an approach to the measurement of interactive computer networks, teleprocessing systems, and network series which focuses on the service delivered to users rather than on the internal operating efficiency of the system. The information obtained aids users in the quantitative evaluation of such systems and services. The Network Measurement System consists of a data acquisition System and a separate set of data analysis programs. This paper describes the approach to network measurement taken by this system, the models of user-system dialogue employed, and technical summary of, the implementation of the data acquisition system and the data analysis programs.     

Significance of adrenal hormones in brain energy metabolism

Intensity of glycolysis was studied under conditions of immobilization stress and adrenalectomy as well as with administration of adrenaline and hydrocortisone. The processes of aerobic glycolysis, activity of enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and mitochondria respiratory chain, content of total, free and protein-bound glycogen, glucose-I-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate, alpha-ketoglutarate, cytrate and macroergs in the brain are shown to depend on the level of adrenal hormones producing a multilateral effect on a series of energy metabolism links.     

Flexural behaviour of concrete slabs reinforced with steel sheet

This is a report on tests carried out on concrete slabs reinforced with bonded steel sheet, where flexural stiffness and ultimate capacity were improved versus conventional r. c. slabs. In the case of sheet metal, which has biaxial strength properties, the steel is far better utilized than in that of the uniaxial reinforcing bars, hence the slab structure is more economical. Fire- and corrosion protection is provided by a 10 mm coating of fire-shield plaster (or some other insulating agent).