A menu of self-administered microcomputer-based neurotoxicology tests

This study examined the feasibility of repeated self-administration of a newly developed battery of mental acuity tests. Researchers developed this battery to be used to screen the fitness for duty of persons in at-risk occupations (astronauts, race car drivers), or those who may be exposed to environmental stress, toxic agents, or disease. The menu under study contained cognitive and motor tests implemented on a portable microcomputer including: a five-test core battery, lasting six minutes, which had demonstrable reliabilities and stability from several previous repeated-measures studies, and also 13 new tests, lasting 42 minutes, which had appeared in other batteries but had not yet been evaluated for repeated-measures implementation in this medium. Sixteen subjects self-administered the battery over 10 repeated sessions. The hardware performed well throughout the study and the tests appeared to be easily self-administered. Stabilities and reliabilities of the test from the core battery were comparable to those obtained previously under more controlled experimental conditions. Analyses of metric properties of the remaining 13 tests produced eight additional tests with satisfactory properties. Although the average retest reliability was high, cross-correlations between tests were low, indicating factorial richness. The menu can be used to form batteries of flexible total testing time which are likely to tap different mental processes and functions

Optimal solutions for complex design problems: Using isoperformance software for human factors trade offs

A major application of isoperformance is as a trade-off methodology of the three major drivers of system design; equipment, training variables, and user characteristics. The flexibility of isoperformance allows each of these three components to be nearly any rational variation. For example, aptitude may be military Armed Forces Qualification Testing (AFQT) categories, cutoff scores within a selection procedure, or simply dichotomizing high and low scorers (pass/fail). Equipment may be new versus old, 'smart' versus dumb, high versus low resolution, etc. Training may be short versus long or varieties of media types (lecture versus CAI/CBI versus self-paced workbooks). In its final computerized form isoperformance lets the user set an operational level of performance (e.g., a jet pilot in a simulated emergency must take prescribed corrective action and clear the plane in several seconds, pilot astronauts will check out all shuttle flight systems within 30 minutes, or Mission Specialists must handle sucdessfully a required number of job elements). At this point the computer program guides the user through any requested trade-offs of the three components while maintaining the specified operational level of performance through isoperformance curves. A demonstration of the computer program is currently available

What "triggers" mortgage default?

This paper assesses the relative importance of two key drivers of mortgage default: negative equity and illiquidity. To do so, the authors combine loan-level mortgage data with detailed credit bureau information about the borrower's broader balance sheet. This gives them a direct way to measure illiquid borrowers: those with high credit card utilization rates. The authors find that both negative equity and illiquidity are significantly associated with mortgage default, with comparably sized marginal effects. Moreover, these two factors interact with each other: The effect of illiquidity on default generally increases with high combined loan-to-value ratios (CLTV), though it is significant even for low CLTV. County-level unemployment shocks are also associated with higher default risk (though less so than high utilization) and strongly interact with CLTV. In addition, having a second mortgage implies significantly higher default risk, particularly for borrowers who have a first-mortgage LTV approaching 100 percent.Mortgages ; Default (Finance)

Microcomputer-based tests for repeated-measures: Metric properties and predictive validities

A menu of psychomotor and mental acuity tests were refined. Field applications of such a battery are, for example, a study of the effects of toxic agents or exotic environments on performance readiness, or the determination of fitness for duty. The key requirement of these tasks is that they be suitable for repeated-measures applications, and so questions of stability and reliability are a continuing, central focus of this work. After the initial (practice) session, seven replications of 14 microcomputer-based performance tests (32 measures) were completed by 37 subjects. Each test in the battery had previously been shown to stabilize in less than five 90-second administrations and to possess retest reliabilities greater than r = 0.707 for three minutes of testing. However, all the tests had never been administered together as a battery and they had never been self-administered. In order to provide predictive validity for intelligence measurement, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and the Wonderlic Personnel Test were obtained on the same subjects

Looking Beyond Intellectual Property in Resolving Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples

While modern indigenous artists, and especially collectives, have been able to resort to traditional property rights concerning moveable cultural property, many native peoples have found their claims to ownership of their intangible cultural property, such as motifs, songs, prayers, ceremonies, music, legends and folklore, frustrated by the limits of established intellectual property and other legal regimes. These groups face commoditization and commercialization problems, but are stuck in a catch-22 by rejecting intellectual property regimes but facing the consequence of lost control over their own cultural property. This article evaluates the various claims and desires of indigenous peoples, and others whose needs arguably justify specific legal recognition and protection, against the background of the often conflicting constitutional and social policies that establish the structural framework of modern democratic societies, paying particular attention to the policies underlying intellectual property law and the basic human rights of free speech and free expression. The authors consider the social policy tradeoffs that are involved in recognizing, or not recognizing, intellectual property rights in indigenous cultural property. They conclude that the legitimate concerns of indigenous people can be accommodated without recognizing new intellectual property rights, either through modest reinterpretation of existing legal regimes concerning contract, privacy, and unfair competition law, or through carefully tailored but general statutory amendment or incrementally developed common law principles aimed at leveling what might otherwise be seen as an unfair playing field. Intellectual property rights seem to be an unsatisfactory foundation on which to build a viable cultural heritage legal edifice. Rather than try to fit the justifiable claims of indigenous peoples into legal property-rights categories that were not designed to accommodate their essential characteristics, this article focuses on those aspects of indigenous peoples\u27 claims that can be addressed outside the intellectual property rights regimes of patent and copyright. Traditional concepts of contract, privacy, trade secret, and trademark can go a long way in the desired direction. This approach, however, would not recognize all the claims that have been asserted on behalf of indigenous peoples

High Pressure Burner Rig Testing of Advanced Environmental Barrier Coatings for Si3N4 Turbine Components

Advanced thermal and environmental barrier coatings are being developed for Si3N4 components for turbine engine propulsion applications. High pressure burner rig testing was used to evaluate the coating system performance and durability. Test results demonstrated the feasibility and durability of the coating component systems under the simulated engine environments

Landowners\u27 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Aspirations Towards Woody Biomass Markets in North Carolina

Non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners are often not included in discussions of emerging woody biomass markets for energy, yet they will likely be principal suppliers of the resource. Surveys administered to 475 forest landowners before and after an Extension Forestry education program in 10 counties across North Carolina indicated that landowners have low knowledge levels of woody biomass. However, as a result of participating in the training, landowners increased knowledge, had more positive attitudes, and developed aspirations to harvest woody biomass on their land. Extension professionals can use our training model to develop similar woody biomass educational programs

A BENCHMARK PROBLEM FOR NONLINEAR CONTROL DESIGN

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57785/1/BenchmarkIJRNCproblemIJRNC1998.pd

EXPERIMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATOR BACKSTEPPING AND PASSIVE NONLINEAR CONTROLLERS ON THE RTAC TESTBED

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57811/1/BenchmarkIJRNCBuppIJRNC1998.pd