The Role of Learning in Olfactory Sensitivity

INTRODUCTION: In recent years the psychological literature has reflected an increasing interest in the role of learning in perception. On the theoretical level, this interest is expressed principally by the considerable attention given to two current attempts to account for perceptual learning (Gibson & Gibson, 1955a: Postman, 1955). On the empirical level, the problems of industry and the military have generated a multitude of investigations in this area. These problems range in diversity from the training of military personnel in the identification of aircraft to the training of tasters in the food industry. The remainder of this chapter will be devoted to a critical analysis of the theoretical formulation of perceptual learning and to a review of the empirical findings relevant to the present experiment

Interaction of H_2 and O_2 on platinum (111)

Abstract Unavailabl

Coherent Imaging Spectroscopy of a Quantum Many-Body Spin System

Quantum simulators, in which well controlled quantum systems are used to reproduce the dynamics of less understood ones, have the potential to explore physics that is inaccessible to modeling with classical computers. However, checking the results of such simulations will also become classically intractable as system sizes increase. In this work, we introduce and implement a coherent imaging spectroscopic technique to validate a quantum simulation, much as magnetic resonance imaging exposes structure in condensed matter. We use this method to determine the energy levels and interaction strengths of a fully-connected quantum many-body system. Additionally, we directly measure the size of the critical energy gap near a quantum phase transition. We expect this general technique to become an important verification tool for quantum simulators once experiments advance beyond proof-of-principle demonstrations and exceed the resources of conventional computers

Public Television and Pluralistic Ideals

Achieving pubilc service pluralism in the Unites States context is so idiosyncratic, so much a product of particular historic and governmental developments, that it is diffi cult to draw lessons that are useful for the United Kingdom. The differences are rooted in the distinct (1) role of federally licensed commercial stations; (2) expectations about the contributions of public broadcasting to pluralism in program offerings; and (3) structures of public broadcasting. In this brief essay, we try to show what aspects of pluralism and diversity are valued in the very special case of US media policy and how the idea of public service plays out at a time when an increasingly fractionated society faces a fractionated array of media offerings

Zero-Point cooling and low heating of trapped 111Cd+ ions

We report on ground state laser cooling of single 111Cd+ ions confined in radio-frequency (Paul) traps. Heating rates of trapped ion motion are measured for two different trapping geometries and electrode materials, where no effort was made to shield the electrodes from the atomic Cd source. The low measured heating rates suggest that trapped 111Cd+ ions may be well-suited for experiments involving quantum control of atomic motion, including applications in quantum information science.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, Submitted to PR

Social capital and burnout among mental healthcare providers

Background: Provider burnout is a critical problem in mental health services. Contributing factors have been explicated across three domains: personal, job and organizational characteristics. Of these, organizational characteristics, including workplace environment, appear to be particularly important given that most interventions addressing burnout via the other domains (e.g. bolstering personal coping skills) have been modestly effective at best. Aims: This study builds on previous research by using social capital as a framework for the experience of work social milieu, and aims to provide a richer understanding of how workplace social environment might impact burnout and help create more effective ways to reduce burnout. Methods: Providers (n = 40) taking part in a larger burnout intervention study were randomly selected to take part in interviews regarding their workplace environment and burnout. Participant responses were analyzed thematically. Results: Workplace social milieu revolved around two primary themes: workplace social capital in provider burnout and the protective qualities of social capital in cohesive work teams that appear to mitigate burnout. Conclusions: These results imply that work environments where managers support collaboration and social interaction among work teams may reduce burnout