Role of reinforcement in spaced-trial operant learning in pigeons (Columba livia).

The author designed 3 experiments to study pigeons' adjustment to unexpected shifts in reinforcer magnitude with a single trial per day. Extinction was faster or poorer after training with a small magnitude (1 food pellet) than after training with a large magnitude (10 or 15 pellets). A shift from 15 to 1 pellet was accompanied by a gradual adjustment, with no indication of a successive negative contrast effect. Pigeons discriminated the reinforcer magnitudes but yielded no evidence of spaced-trial simultaneous negative contrast. Moreover, extinction was faster for a stimulus paired with 1 pellet than for a stimulus paired with 15 pellets. The results can be interpreted in terms of simple strengthening-weakening learning rules and without reference to anticipatory frustration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of crack-growth mechanism on the prediction of fracture load of adhesive joints

This paper presents observations regarding the cracking behavior of tensile-loaded structural adhesive joints. Experiments showed that fracture occurred by the development and propagation of a damage zone, rather than a single, sharp crack, and that the presence of the adhesive spew fillet did not affect the fracture load of the adhesive joints studied. For joints bonded with the mineral-filled epoxy Cybond 4523GB (American Cyanamid), there was approximately 5 mm of subcritical crack propagation prior to final fracture. Fracture-load predictions based on the initial uncracked geometry made in previous papers were unaffected by this small change in geometry. For joints bonded with the rubber-toughened epoxy Permabond ESP 310, approximately 50 mm of subcritical crack propagation was observed. It was again found that predictions made in previous papers on the basis of the initial geometry gave a good estimate of the final fracture load even though this subcritical crack propagation significantly altered the geometry, and thus the applied energy release rates. The effect of shear deformations of the adherends was also investigated, and it was found that shear deformations could be neglected in engineering calculations for joints subject to remote tensile loading.     

Modelling of surface evolution in abrasive jet micro-machining including particle second strikes: A level set methodology

A previous implementation of narrow band level set methodology for the modelling of the surface evolution of masked features in abrasive jet micro-machining (AJM) including the effect of mask erosive wear was extended to include the effect of particle second strikes. The model uses a ray tracing/node tracking algorithm to allow the prediction of the effect of particle ricochets from the mask edges and the sidewalls of the machined feature on the resulting surface evolution of high aspect ratio features. Using the model, for the first time, the prediction of the particle second strike effects from inclined masked features is made possible. When compared to previous models that did not account for mask wear and second strike effects, the present model significantly improved the prediction of measured masked micro-channels machined using AJM in glass. When compared to previous particle tracking computer simulations, the present model was found to have a much shorter execution time, and in some cases also showed an improved prediction. The model can be useful in predicting the feature shape in the AJM of brittle targets for aspect ratios greater than 1, and hence for the micro-fabrication of microfluidic and MEMS devices.     

Detailed Insight into the Interaction of Bicyclic Somatostatin Analogue with Cu(II) Ions

Somatostatin analogues are useful pharmaceuticals in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. In previous studies, we analyzed a new bicyclic somatostatin analogue (BCS) in connection with Cu(II) ions. Two characteristic sites were present in the peptide chain: the receptor- and the metal-binding site. We have already shown that this ligand can form very stable imidazole complexes with the metal ion. In this work, our aim was to characterize the intramolecular interaction that occurs in the peptide molecule. Therefore, we analyzed the coordination abilities of two cyclic ligands, i.e., P1 only with the metal binding site and P2 with both sites, but without the disulfide bond. Furthermore, we used magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy to better understand the coordination process. We applied this method to analyze spectra of P1, P2, and BCS, which we have described previously. Additionally, we analyzed the MCD spectra of P3 ligand, which has only the receptor binding site in its structure. We have unequivocally shown that the presence of the Phe-Trp-Lys-Thr motif and the disulfide bond significantly increases the metal binding efficiency.     

Radiation shielding of spacecraft in manned interplanetary flights.

During the interplanetary flights the crewmembers will be exposed to cosmic ray radiation with great risk for their health. The absorbed dose due to CR depends on the galactic (GCR) or solar (SCR) origin. GCRs are isotropic and relatively high in energy and deliver a dose nearly constant with time that can be reduced only by means of "heavy" passive protection. The outer walls of the spacecraft usually shield the SCRs up to a few tens of MeV, but during some exceptional solar bursts, a great number of particles, mainly protons, are ejected at higher energies. In this case the dose delivered in a few hours by a solar burst can easily exceed 1 year cumulated dose by GCRS. The high-energy component of SCRs is quasi-directional so that a shielding system based on a superconductive magnetic lens can reduce the daily dose of SCRs to the level delivered by GCRS.     

Modeling the development of Almen strip curvature in vibratory finishing

The paper presents a model of the process by which Almen strips are plastically deformed by media impacts in vibratory finishing. The motivation behind this was to extend the use of Almen strip measurements as a means of characterizing the effect of media impact velocity on residual stress formation during vibratory finishing. Two impact velocity distributions measured in a vibratory finisher were used in the model to simulate the deformations of the surface of an Almen strip. Two thicknesses of Almen strips were considered. The quantitative agreement between the model saturation curves and the experimental curves describing the Almen strip deflection as a function of finishing time was fair, though the overall trends regarding deflection were predicted well.     

Impact of rigid angular particles with fully-plastic targets Part II: Parametric study of erosion phenomena

The erosion of substrates of arbitrary dynamic hardness and friction coefficient, due to the impact of individual angular particles, was analyzed with the purpose of predicting crater size, shape, and rebound parameters as a function of incident particle velocity, angle, orientation, and shape. A rigid-plastic theory due to Hutchings (International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 1997; 19:45–52), developed for square plates impacting frictionless surfaces, is generalized for arbitrarily shaped particles impacting surfaces having nonzero friction. The specific case of symmetric angular particles of arbitrary angularity is studied in detail. The model is shown to match Hutchings’ [1] experimental data for square steel plates on smooth steel surfaces. In a companion paper (Papini, Spelt, under review), a parametric study of the input parameters is presented.     

Computer simulation of developing abrasive jet machined profiles including particle interference

A novel and generally applicable computer simulation was developed to predict the time evolution of the eroded profiles of air abrasive jet machined surfaces, as a function of process parameters such as: abrasive nozzle size, inclination and distance to target surface, abrasive jet particle velocity, size and flux distribution. The effect of collisions between incoming and rebounding particles was included by the tracking of individual particles, performing inter-particle and particle to surface collision detection, and implementing collision kinematics. The target surface advancement was determined by representing the surface by a grid of cubic cells, each of which was assigned a damage parameter based on the number of particles impacting it. The predictions of eroded profiles of the simulation were tested against those that are experimentally measured for a typical microabrasive blasting setup, with good agreement at low particle flux, and reasonable agreement at high particle flux.     

Abrasive jet micro-machining of planar areas and transitional slopes in glass using target oscillation

Analytical models are presented which allow the prediction of the shape, sidewall slope, and depth of abrasive jet micro-machined planar areas and transitional slopes in glass using a novel technique in which the target is oscillated transversely to the overall scan direction. A criterion was developed to establish the minimum oscillation velocity to ensure negligible surface profile waviness in the scanning direction. If the oscillation velocity is sufficiently greater than the scanning velocity, the target receives an approximately uniform energy flux, resulting in a high degree of flatness for both masked and unmasked planar areas micro-machined in glass. It was also found that particle scattering from the mask edge caused the sidewalls of a planar area to be very shallow, on the order of a few degrees. Two methods were investigated to machine planar areas with increased sidewall slope using target oscillation: (i) machining micro-channels adjacent to the planned planar area, and (ii) target oscillation with an obliquely oriented nozzle. Among these two methods, target oscillation with an obliquely oriented nozzle created steeper sidewalls and was easier to implement, but it also caused appreciable mask under-etching. A major distinction between the target oscillation approach and a previously published method that was based on the superposition of the erosion profiles of adjacent nozzle scans, is that the latter is capable of machining an arbitrary surface profile over a large area, whereas the present target oscillation technique is intended only for the machining of flat planar areas at a single elevation. For such applications it is the preferred approach.     

Serial ablations of the telencephalon and avoidance learning by goldfish (Carassius auratus).

Simultaneous bilateral ablation of the teleost telencephalon was confirmed to impair the retention, extinction, and reversal learning of a preoperatively learned instrumental avoidance response in a shuttle box. The focus of the experiment, using 30 goldfish, was on whether 2-stage serial unilateral ablations of the teleost telencephalon would ameliorate the effects seen following 1-stage bilateral ablation and whether such amelioration would be a function of S's experiences between the staged ablations. The degree of retention, relearning, and extinction of the avoidance response was not modulated by the serial ablation procedure whether or not there was interoperation retraining experience. However, reversal learning, in which the previous warning signal became the safety signal and the previous safety signal became the new warning signal, was less impaired following serial ablations than following single-stage bilateral ablation. Results are contrasted with those from experiments with mammalian Ss. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)