Multiloop Manual Control of Dynamic Systems

Human interaction with a simple, multiloop dynamic system in which the human's activity was systematically varied by changing the levels of automation was studied. The control loop structure resulting from the task definition parallels that for any multiloop manual control system, is considered a sterotype. Simple models of the human in the task, and upon extending a technique for describing the manner in which the human subjectively quantifies his opinion of task difficulty were developed. A man in the loop simulation which provides data to support and direct the analytical effort is presented

A casein kinase 1 prevents expulsion of the oocyte meiotic spindle into a polar body by regulating cortical contractility.

During female meiosis, haploid eggs are generated from diploid oocytes. This reduction in chromosome number occurs through two highly asymmetric cell divisions, resulting in one large egg and two small polar bodies. Unlike mitosis, where an actomyosin contractile ring forms between the sets of segregating chromosomes, the meiotic contractile ring forms on the cortex adjacent to one spindle pole, then ingresses down the length of the spindle to position itself at the exact midpoint between the two sets of segregating chromosomes. Depletion of casein kinase 1 gamma (CSNK-1) in Caenorhabditis elegans led to the formation of large polar bodies that contain all maternal DNA, because the contractile ring ingressed past the spindle midpoint. Depletion of CSNK-1 also resulted in the formation of deep membrane invaginations during meiosis, suggesting an effect on cortical myosin. Both myosin and anillin assemble into dynamic rho-dependent cortical patches that rapidly disassemble in wild-type embryos. CSNK-1 was required for disassembly of both myosin patches and anillin patches. Disassembly of anillin patches was myosin independent, suggesting that CSNK-1 prevents expulsion of the entire meiotic spindle into a polar body by negatively regulating the rho pathway rather than through direct inhibition of myosin

Examining the Painful and Provocative Events Scale and Testing the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior in Undergraduates and Cyberbullying Victims

Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Individuals are hypothesized to acquire the capability for suicide through the experiencing of painful and provocative events. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Painful and Provocative Events Scale (PPES), a measure that seeks to identify experiences that lead an individual to acquire the capability for suicide through an increased tolerance for pain and a decreased fear of death. An exploratory factor analyses conducted to examine the factor structure of a revised Painful and Provocative Events Scale yielded a two-factor structure. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses and a path analyses found support for the Interpersonal- Psychological Theory of Suicide in a sample of undergraduates and a subsample of cyberbullying victims

Spreadsheets and Spaceships: How \u3cem\u3eThe Outer Worlds\u3c/em\u3e Critiques Corporatocracy, Colonialism and Revolution

With limitations of reality it is difficult for a Political Scientist to explore theoretical government establishments. Multi-media publications allow for the exploration of such governments which may never come to be. The video game “The Outer Worlds” by developer Obsidian Games does just that. Throughout the game the philosophy of Corporatocracy, colonialism and revolution is displayed in an explorative format allowing for a deeper insight into this governmental system. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the fictional government “Halcyon Holdings Corporation” and their control over the colonial planetary system of Halcyon

Motive Taxonomic and Sex Considerations of Murder-Suicide

Using data obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u27s (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), the present study examines two emerging topics in the field of murder-suicide research. The majority of murder-suicide perpetrators are male, so female perpetrators are rarely studied. First, the current study uses the largest known sample of female murder-suicide perpetrators to explore murder-suicide differences by sex. Second, motives from the recently-proposed perversion of virtue theory of murder-suicide are operationalized with input from the theory developer and analyzed. The perversion of virtue theory is compared to the predominant murder-suicide motive typology to evaluate whether it classifies murder-suicide incidents in a novel and meaningful manner. Variables relating to the perpetrators, victims, mental health, substance use, and weapon type are explored, with an emphasis on variables that are amenable to intervention. Conclusions regarding female perpetrators, the perversion of virtue motives, and murder-suicide detection and prevention strategies are discussed along with future directions for research in the field of murder-suicide

Activated Carbon from North Dakota Lignite

Activated carbon was produced by reacting lignite char with steam in a fluidized-bed reactor which was designed and constructed for this study. Effects of three variables temperature, residence time and particle size, at four levels were studied statistically using a Latin square design. When the analysis of variance indicated that only two of the variables, temperature and residence time, were significant, a two-way classification design was used to investigate optimum activation conditions. Activated carbon with adsorptive powers which were equal to or superior to Darco active carbon, as shown by the iodine test and the color adsorption test, were produced in this study. The best active carbons had an iodine adsorption of .725 grams per gram of carbon while Darco was only .55 grams of iodine per gram of carbon. Darco removed only 4 percent of the color from a stock solution of malachite green indicator while many of the products of this investigation removed 75 to 85 percent. The analysis of variance of the results of the two designs used indicate that the effects of residence time between 6 minutes to 24 minutes is greater than that of temperature from 1450° F to 1750° F

Chromosomal localization of a proinsulin transgene inserted with a transposon-based vector into Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix

The overall goals of this research were to develop a reproducible method of detecting stable DNA insertion into Japanese quail and provide a method for gene location on avian chromosomes. This research resulted in the development of a different method of obtaining chromosome spreads in Japanese quail, the establishment of primed in situ hybridization as a method for the chromosomal gene detection in birds, development of Teflon-coated coverslip slides to facilitate laser microdissection of 0.5 ƒÝm samples, and chromosomal identification of proinsulin transgene insertions by laser microdissection and nucleotide sequence from G2 Japanese quail. The 28S rDNA was found on a macrochromosome and a microchromosome pair by primed in situ hybridization, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and silver staining. Teflon-coated coverslip slides were created to facilitate laser microdissection of avian chromosomes for DNA amplification and nucleotide sequencing. Transgenic G2 Japanese quail produced in Dr. Richard Cooper¡¦s laboratory were identified by laser microdissection and found to have 2-5 chromosomal insertions of the proinsulin transgene

Dynactin-dependent cortical dynein and spherical spindle shape correlate temporally with meiotic spindle rotation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Oocyte meiotic spindles orient with one pole juxtaposed to the cortex to facilitate extrusion of chromosomes into polar bodies. In Caenorhabditis elegans, these acentriolar spindles initially orient parallel to the cortex and then rotate to the perpendicular orientation. To understand the mechanism of spindle rotation, we characterized events that correlated temporally with rotation, including shortening of the spindle in the pole-to pole axis, which resulted in a nearly spherical spindle at rotation. By analyzing large spindles of polyploid C. elegans and a related nematode species, we found that spindle rotation initiated at a defined spherical shape rather than at a defined spindle length. In addition, dynein accumulated on the cortex just before rotation, and microtubules grew from the spindle with plus ends outward during rotation. Dynactin depletion prevented accumulation of dynein on the cortex and prevented spindle rotation independently of effects on spindle shape. These results support a cortical pulling model in which spindle shape might facilitate rotation because a sphere can rotate without deforming the adjacent elastic cytoplasm. We also present evidence that activation of spindle rotation is promoted by dephosphorylation of the basic domain of p150 dynactin