Instrumental Transfer Research Articles

The transfer of social threat learning to decision making is robust to extinction.

Through traditional mass media and online social media, we are almost constantly exposed to second-hand experiences of trauma and violence, providing ample opportunities for us to learn about threats through social means. This social threat learning can influence instrumental decision making through a social learning to decision-making transfer process, resembling the so-called Pavlovian to instrumental transfer effect, resulting in consequences that can be maladaptive. Here, we assessed if this influence could be diminished by extinction learning, a procedure where a previously threatening stimulus is learned to be safe, and thereby mitigate possible maladaptive consequences. To this end, we recruited 251 participants to undergo a social threat learning procedure (where they observed someone else receive electric shocks to one out of two images), followed by either a social or direct extinction procedure (in which no shocks were given), before conducting an instrumental decision-making task to measure the strength of the transfer effect. Based on theoretical considerations and previous literature, we proposed two competing hypotheses: (a) extinction learning would diminish the transfer effect or (b) the transfer effect would be robust to extinction. Our results clearly demonstrate that the social to instrumental transfer effect is remarkedly robust to extinction, supporting the second hypotheses. Irrespective of whether extinction was carried out through direct experience or social means, learning about threats through second-hand aversive experiences strongly influence instrumental behavior, suggesting that potentially maladaptive effects of social threat learning are challenging to diminish. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Forms of inheritance of musical instruments in the culture of the peoples of the North Caucasus and Kazakhstan

The relevance of the research is determined by the need to identify the common and special in the cultures of peoples living on different continents and not having common borders. The goal is to identify ethnographic communities in matters of sacralization and forms of inheritance of musical instruments in the culture of the peoples of the North Caucasus and Kazakhstan. The work uses a systematic typological method and a method of ethnographic description of material and spiritual values, partly preserved to this day and partly transformed due to changed sociocultural realities. Based on modern field research in the villages of Adygea and Kazakhstan, archival sources and scientific literature, the authors were able to establish that the transfer of musical instruments from the older generation to the younger was carried out under certain conditions. One of the most important conditions was the requirement to keep the tool in working condition, i.e. do not let the instrument be silent. Another important condition is to transfer the instrument into the hands of a chosen one (a worthy musician), who takes upon himself «amanat» – undertakes to cherish the music (preserve musical traditions). The specific fulfillment of ethnographic conditions for observing the tradition of inheritance of musical instruments shows their similarities and differences in the synchrony of the past and diachrony the last one and a half centuries. Changes in the nomenclature of musical instruments in modern times have also led to changes in their forms of inheritance. Instruments began to be preserved by relatives as a memory of a famous ancestor or transferred to a museum for the same purpose. It is not the musical instruments that become more valuable, but the musical or sound documents that record the cultural heritage of the past.The novelty of the research is associated with the presentation of previously unpublished ethnographic facts collected in the field and their original interpretation.

Experimental Study on a Liquid Hydrogen Tank for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications

A lightweight, 12 L liquid hydrogen fuel tank has been designed, fabricated, and tested with the aim of optimizing boil-off rates while minimizing the weight of a complete propulsion system intended to be integrated into an unmanned aerial vehicle. After looking at several different insulation schemes, the system was optimized as two concentric, lightweight titanium cylinders with high vacuum and multilayer insulation in between. The thickness of the multilayer insulation and the design of support structures were optimized to reduce the overall weight of the tank. This paper focuses on characterizing the boil-off rate of a small liquid hydrogen tank in relation to ambient temperature and fuel level. Additionally, it addresses the analysis of the instrumented transfer line between the reservoir and the operating fuel cell, presenting pressure and temperature measurements for each component of the transfer line. The efficiency of the heat exchanger under natural and forced convection is also discussed. The key contribution of the experimental campaign lies in demonstrating an average boil-off rate of 19.5 g/h over 45 h. This significantly surpasses the limits of ultra-long-range flight achievable with alternative electric energy sources. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of the variable boil-off with time and its impact on aircraft performance.

Development of the comprehensive inpatient transfer tool: initial reliability and validity.

A new patient transfer assessment scale for use in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) is warranted to assess level of assistance, adaptations needed for success, and movement strategies. This study presents initial psychometric analyses for the Comprehensive Inpatient Transfer Tool (CITT). CITT items were developed through interdisciplinary team discussions. Interrater reliability was assessed between blinded pairs of raters administering the CITT for each subject on the same day. Intrarater reliability was assessed with one rater administering the CITT for each subject twice within the same day. Thirty-six subjects in an IRF completed the CITT four times during their rehabilitation stay; three times at admission and once at discharge. Intraclass correlations (mixed models) were used in reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) analyses. Spearman correlations of CITT and CITT change scores with their respective Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility - Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) transfer scores were performed for concurrent validity. Responsiveness was assessed using paired t-tests on change scores. Interrater and intrarater reliability ranged from 0.90 to 0.98. Correlations between the CITT and FIM/IRF-PAI ranged from 0.6 to 0.8. The MDC for CITT was 7.11 pts. Differences between admission and discharge CITT were significant (P < 0.001). The CITT, developed by an interdisciplinary team, addresses limitations of existing transfer measures utilized in IRFs. The CITT demonstrated excellent inter and intrarater reliability. Concurrent validity demonstrated modest agreement between existing transfer measures and the CITT. The CITT is a reliable, useful scale for evaluating transfer skills in patients admitted to an IRF.

Linear systems characterization of the topographical spatial resolution of optical instruments

Lateral resolving power is a key performance attribute of Fizeau interferometers, confocal microscopes, interference microscopes, and other instruments measuring surface form and texture. Within a well-defined scope of applicability, limited by surface slope, texture, and continuity, a linear response model provides a starting point for characterizing spatial resolution under ideal conditions. Presently, the instrument transfer function (ITF) is a standardized way to quantify linear response to surface height variations as a function of spatial frequency. In this paper, we build on the ITF idea and introduce terms, mathematical definitions, and appropriate physical units for applying a linear systems model to surface topography measurement. These new terms include topographical equivalents of the point-, line-, and edge-spread functions, as well as a complex-valued transfer function that extends the ITF concept to systems with spatial-frequency-dependent topography distortions. As an example, we consider the experimental determination of lateral resolving power of a coherence scanning interference microscope using a step-height surface feature to measure the ITF directly. The experiment illustrates the proposed mathematical definitions and provides a direct comparison to theoretical calculations performed using a scalar diffraction model.

Technology of the photobiostimulation of the brain's drainage system during sleep for improvement of learning and memory in male mice.

In this study on healthy male mice using confocal imaging of dye spreading in the brain and its further accumulation in the peripheral lymphatics, we demonstrate stronger effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) on the brain's drainage system in sleeping vs. awake animals. Using the Pavlovian instrumental transfer probe and the 2-objects-location test, we found that the 10-day course of PBM during sleep vs. wakefulness promotes improved learning and spatial memory in mice. For the first time, we present the technology for PBM under electroencephalographic (EEG) control that incorporates modern state of the art facilities of optoelectronics and biopotential detection and that can be built of relatively cheap and commercially available components. These findings open a new niche in the development of smart technologies for phototherapy of brain diseases during sleep.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signatures of Pavlovian and Instrumental Valuation Systems during a Modified Orthogonalized Go/No-go Task.

Motivational (i.e., Pavlovian) values interfere with instrumental responding and can lead to suboptimal decision-making. In humans, task-based neuroimaging studies have only recently started illuminating the functional neuroanatomy of Pavlovian biasing of instrumental control. To provide a mechanistic understanding of the neural dynamics underlying the Pavlovian and instrumental valuation systems, analysis of neuroimaging data has been informed by computational modeling of conditioned behavior. Nonetheless, because of collinearities in Pavlovian and instrumental predictions, previous research failed to tease out hemodynamic activity that is parametrically and dynamically modulated by coexistent Pavlovian and instrumental value expectations. Moreover, neural correlates of Pavlovian to instrumental transfer effects have so far only been identified in extinction (i.e., in the absence of learning). In this study, we devised a modified version of the orthogonalized go/no-go paradigm, which introduced Pavlovian-only catch trials to better disambiguate trial-by-trial Pavlovian and instrumental predictions in both sexes. We found that hemodynamic activity in the ventromedial pFC covaried uniquely with the model-derived Pavlovian value expectations. Notably, modulation of neural activity encoding for instrumental predictions in the supplementary motor cortex was linked to successful action selection in conflict conditions. Furthermore, hemodynamic activity in regions pertaining to the limbic system and medial pFC was correlated with synergistic Pavlovian and instrumental predictions and improved conditioned behavior during congruent trials. Altogether, our results provide new insights into the functional neuroanatomy of decision-making and corroborate the validity of our variant of the orthogonalized go/no-go task as a behavioral assay of the Pavlovian and instrumental valuation systems.

Anatomical analyses of collateral prefrontal cortex projections to the basolateral amygdala and the nucleus accumbens core in rats.

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) share some similar behavioral functions, such as associative learning, Pavlovian to instrumental transfer, and choice behavior. However, their prefrontal anatomical inputs have not been well characterized before, especially the collateral projections. In this study, we analyzed the distribution and collateralization of projections to the BLA and the NAcc from the prefrontal cortices (PFC), including the prelimbic (PL) and the infralimbic (IL) divisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the subregions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), such as the medial OFC (MO), the lateral OFC (LO), and the ventral OFC (VO). Double retrograde tracing approach was used, in which Cholera toxin subunit B conjugated with the Alexa Fluor 488 (CTB-AF488) or Alexa Fluor 594 (CTB-AF594) were unilaterally injected into the BLA and the NAcc, respectively, in male Long-Evans rats (n = 6). Among the sampled neurons, prefrontal projection to the BLA or the NAcc is more robust on the ipsilateral side, and more robust from the PL, the IL, and the MO compared to from the LO and the VO. The majority of the projections from the PFC to the BLA and/or the NAcc are confined in deep layer. In addition, for each of the prefrontal areas, about 15-25% BLA-projecting neurons send collateral projections to the NAcc, and vice versa. In conclusion, our data suggested that prefrontal control over the BLA and the NAcc is not entirely independent. The functional importance of the collateral projections awaits further examination.

Comparative Analysis of Policy Transfer in Latin America: An Instrument of CCTs from Chile to Paraguay, Colombia and Guatemala

Inside the wave of diffusion of Conditional Cash Transfer in Latin America is possible to observe the transfer of instruments of the programs from one country to another. The article develops a comparative analysis of Chile’s psychosocial support transfer to Paraguay, Colombia, and Guatemala. The dimensions of analysis are instruments, time and policy space; the information was collected from primary and secondary sources. The findings show two positive cases – the instrument was adopted – and one negative. Furthermore, it shows the relevance of the stages of the diffusion wave and the particularities of the Social Policy Space in explaining the characteristics of the transfer process.

Assessing the influence of differential code bias and satellite geometry on GNSS ambiguity resolution through MANS-PPP software package

Abstract Ambiguity resolution (AR) is essential for quick and accurate Global Navigation Satellite System GNSS location and navigation. In addition to location parameters, there are various additional GNSS characteristics that are relevant for a wide range of applications such as instrumental calibrations, atmospheric sounding, and time transfer. We offer differential code bias and satellite geometry for the GNSS estimable parameters using MANS-PPP software backage. In this research, we used the MANS-PPP software package to execute the processing method and generate the PPP GNSS solution. We demonstrated how differential code bias and satellite geometry can effectively enhance initial time and positioning error for multi-GNSS satellites. PPP Processing observation data in static mode was used by the different DCB files the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), and the Centre for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE), for the 12 stations from IGS, and we analyzed the impact of errors from the satellite geometry. The results illustration that the correction of DCB significantly improves the PPP ambiguity resolution success rate and quality, which have higher DCB values. The satellite geometry also has a substantial influence on the PPP ambiguity resolution, with a better geometry leading to a higher success rate and quality. Furthermore, the use of multiple GNSS constellations and the optimization of the satellite selection and weighting algorithms can further improve the PPP ambiguity resolution and the resulting positioning accuracy.

Modifying Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer by approach avoidance training in healthy subjects: a proof of concept study

The modulation of instrumental action by conditioned Pavlovian cues is hypothesized to play a role in the emergence and maintenance of maladaptive behavior. The Pavlovian to Instrumental transfer task (PIT) is designed to examine the magnitude of the influence of cues on behavior and we aim to manipulate the motivational value of Pavlovian cues to reduce their effect on instrumental responding. To this end, we utilized a joystick-based modification of approach and avoidance propensities that has shown success in clinical populations. To examine changes in PIT, we subjected 35 healthy participants to a series of experimental procedures: (1) Instrumental training was followed by (2) Pavlovian conditioning of neutral stimuli that were associated with monetary reward or loss. (3) In a subsequent joystick task, approach and avoidance tendencies toward conditioned cues were assessed. (4) In a transfer test, the PIT effect as the impact of conditioned cues on instrumental behavior was measured. (5) The explicit knowledge of cue-reward contingencies was assessed in a forced-choice phase. (6, 7) systematic joystick training was followed by a posttest (8) the transfer task and forced-choice test were repeated. We found no effect of training on approach-avoidance propensities in the context of this proof of concept study. A higher response rate towards negative stimuli during PIT after systematic training compared to sham training was seen. On the other hand, we saw an increased PIT effect after sham training. These results contribute to the understanding of the strength of the influence of cues on instrumental behavior. Our findings further stress the importance of context, instructions and operationalization of instrumental behavior in the framework of transfer effects.

How authenticity impacts validity: Developing a model of teacher education assessment and exploring the effects of the digitisation of assessment methods

Based on a literature review of studies on teachers’ professional competence and related assessment tools, this paper introduces a model of teacher education assessment. It is influenced by Miller’s (1990) framework of assessment in medical education and includes, among other aspects, performance assessments. This model is used to understand the potential effects of transferring assessment tools into a digital format with assessment feedback. Five examples for such a transfer will be discussed: three methods for various aspects of communication, a test for pedagogical content knowledge, and a test for content knowledge. All five are established instruments well-described in terms of validity. All five have recently been transferred into a digital format. The analysis of this transfer also reveals a potentially harmful effect of digital assessment. The closer an assessment instrument is to assessing action-related parts of professional competence, the more authenticity is required; however, digitisation tends to decrease this authenticity. This suggests that an increasing number of digital assessment tools in teacher education might result in an even more dominant focus on knowledge tests, ignoring other parts of professional competence. This article highlights the role of authenticity in validity and discusses the most suitable assessment format to address various parts of professional competence. It ends by highlighting the lessons learned from the transfer of assessment instruments into a digital format that other academic disciplines might find interesting.

Mathematics teachers’ professional noticing: Transfer of a video-based competence assessment instrument into teacher education for evaluation purposes

Teacher noticing has become widely accepted as a principal component of teacher competence; it is supported during university teacher education in many activities. However, only a few high-quality standardized measurement instruments exist that capture noticing and allow valid interpretations of how its development depends on factors within university teacher education. The present study is based on a video-based test instrument that has been developed to enable a standardized study of the noticing of practicing mathematics teachers—that is, their perception, interpretation, and decision-making skills—with respect to subject-specific and general pedagogical issues in secondary mathematics classrooms. This study examines how this instrument developed for in-service teachers can be used for pre-service teachers at the master’s degree level. Based on a sample of 313 pre-service mathematics teachers enrolled in six German universities, the study investigates (1) the instrument’s internal structure (scaling models based on item response theory) and (2) its association with relevant factors within university teacher education. The results reveal that a scaling model based on the three noticing facets (perception, interpretation, and decision-making) was superior to a one-dimensional scaling model. Opportunity to learn in mathematics education and average grades in final secondary school examinations were shown to be significant predictors of test performance. However, there was no effect for university-specific opportunity to learn in general pedagogy or pedagogical experiences outside teacher education. Overall, the results suggest that the measurement instrument can be used to assess pre-service mathematics teachers’ noticing in university teacher education.

The metrological structural resolution for dimensional x-ray CT: analysis of the comparability between the CEB and the PBS method

The metrological structural resolution (MSR) describes the size of the smallest surface feature that can be measured dimensionally with a given accuracy. Several methods to determine the MSR for dimensional x-ray CT (dXCT) have been proposed in the past, two of which are compared and related in this publication, i.e. the curved-edge based (CEB) and the profile-based spectral (PBS) method. Both methods consider the surface structure as being described by a single surface on the relevant local scale and are also suitable for the application to optical or tactile coordinate measurement systems (CMSs). The CEB method evaluates the radii of circular shapes to determine the width of the Gaussian filter that describes the filtering of the surface by the CMS. The PBS method evaluates the instrument transfer function (ITF) determined by means of the measurement of a surface profile with a broad-band spatial frequency spectrum with a finite cut-off frequency. The PBS method yields the threshold wavelength for which the amplitude of the ITF drops below a certain level. While the resulting quantities of the two methods are very different they evaluate the same characteristic of the CMS. In this publication an analytical relation between those results is derived and shown to exist which is used to define the MSR. Simulated CT scans as well as dXCT measurements are performed to verify this relation. The results for the MSR obtained from both methods are consistent and deviations to the expectations based on theory are within a reasonable range.

Sharps and needlestick injuries within the operating room: Risk prone procedures and prevalence meta-analysis.

Sharps and needlestick injuries pose a serious risk to operating theatre personnel with considerable morbidity, mortality and healthcare implications. The cost of prophylaxis and post-exposure treatment is a significant institutional economic burden. The aim of the review was to identify the prevalence of sharps and needlestick injury within the operating theatre and to establish the most common critical steps. A systematic literature search was conducted. Abstracts of all studies published in English from 2015 onwards exploring sharps and needlestick injury within the operating theatre were reviewed. Primary outcome measure was sharps and needlestick injury prevalence. Secondary outcome measures included operational steps resulting in sharps and needlestick injury and costs of sharps and needlestick injury management. Sixteen studies were identified and included in analysis. Cross-sectional studies reported a pooled prevalence of 41.5% (n = 537; 95% confidence interval = 15.961 to 70.220). Retrospective data analysis reported an annualised prevalence of 5.027% (95% confidence interval = 0.676 to 13.073) on a total pooled sample population of 12,929. Further analysis of operational steps identified a 22% prevalence (n= 3460; 95% confidence interval = 14.2 to 31.3) of sharps and needlestick injury occurring during a procedure involving handing or receiving an instrument. Sharps and needlestick injuries are a significant but preventable risk in the operating theatre. Further research into the development of safety devices to reduce injury during instrument transfer is paramount.

Fast SEMS size distribution measurements under down-scan operation

Particle size distributions obtained with a Scanning Electrical-Mobility Spectrometer (SEMS) are based on the response of charged particles in an applied electric field. A complete operation of SEMS instrument for particle sizing involves the exposure of charged particles to an exponentially increasing voltage (up-scan) followed by an exponentially decreasing voltage (down-scan). Accurate calculation of particle size distributions from SEMS measurements requires knowledge of the instrument transfer function or Kernel as a function of its operating conditions and subsequently, the inversion of an integral equation. A semi-theoretical transfer function calculation approach based on particle arrival-times was shown to accurately characterize fast up-scan SEMS operation. In this paper, we extend the arrival-time calculation approach for SEMS down-scan operation. The combination of a decreasing voltage over time and a parabolic velocity field results in particle trajectories that are fundamentally different from the up-scan operation. However, when smearing due to downstream transport of particles to the detector is considered, the down-scan transfer functions are seen to be a mirror image of the up-scan transfer functions in the mobility space. This suggests that the inversion algorithms optimized for fast up-scan operation could also be applicable for fast down-scan operation. The combination of near real-time up-scan and down-scan transfer functions should enable fast, and accurate size distribution measurements under a range of operating conditions.

Modeling and suppressing the wavefront degeneration in a CGH interferometric null test.

The computer-generated hologram (CGH) enables the ultra-high accuracy of surface measurement but causes the wavefront degeneration in the optical system. In this article, we give a high-accuracy analytical simulation of the wavefront degeneration in null test by the elliptical Gaussian model. We propose an analytical expression of instrumental transfer function (ITF) for the CGH null test without knowing the phase distribution of CGH, which gives an efficient instruction to suppress the wavefront degeneration. The ITF of the interferometric null test for a ∅3m aspheric mirror can be optimized from 0 to 0.65 at 0.4 Nyquist frequency.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by decreased Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by uncontrollable repetitive actions thought to rely on abnormalities within fundamental instrumental learning systems. We investigated cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying Pavlovian biases on instrumental behavior in both clinical OCD patients and healthy controls using a Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) task. PIT is typically evidenced by increased responding in the presence of a positive (previously rewarded) Pavlovian cue, and reduced responding in the presence of a negative cue. Thirty OCD patients and thirty-one healthy controls completed the Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer test, which included instrumental training, Pavlovian training for positive, negative and neutral cues, and a PIT phase in which participants performed the instrumental task in the presence of the Pavlovian cues. Modified Rescorla-Wagner models were fitted to trial-by-trial data of participants to estimate underlying computational mechanism and quantify individual differences during training and transfer stages. Bayesian hierarchical methods were used to estimate free parameters and compare the models. Behavioral and computational results indicated a weaker Pavlovian influence on instrumental behavior in OCD patients than in HC, especially for negative Pavlovian cues. Our results contrast with the increased PIT effects reported for another set of disorders characterized by compulsivity, substance use disorders, in which PIT is enhanced. A possible reason for the reduced PIT in OCD may be impairment in using the contextual information provided by the cues to appropriately adjust behavior, especially when inhibiting responding when a negative cue is present. This study provides deeper insight into our understanding of deficits in OCD from the perspective of Pavlovian influences on instrumental behavior and may have implications for OCD treatment modalities focused on reducing compulsive behaviors.

Research on the Factors Damaging Hydrogen Peroxide Low-Temperature Plasma Sterile Packaging Bags and the Control of Link Quality.

Objective After discussing the factors damaging hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterile packaging bags (hereinafter referred to as Tyvek packaging bags), the damage rate of Tyvek packaging bags is lowered through the control of link quality, so as to guarantee the quality of sterile packaging bags and the safety of patients. Methods Design questionnaire and registration form by investigating 8606 instrument packaging bags sterilized by hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma from January 2019 to December 2019, the controllable factors damaging Tyvek packaging bags are analyzed from four aspects: instrument packaging, sterilization, transfer, and storage. By taking targeted interventions on 8155 instrument packaging bags sterilized from January 2020 to December 2020, the intervention effects of the key links and the damage rate are evaluated. Results The main factors damaging Tyvek packaging bags mainly include improper transfer, storage, and management of instrument packing bags; improper use of instrument boxes; improper loading and uploading operations of sterilization; and the wrong size of packaging bags. For these factors, related intervention measures shall be adopted to control the link quality so as to lower the damage rate from 3.54% in the control group to 0.20% in the experimental group. The differences in damage rate are of statistical significance (P < 0.01). Conclusion Tyvek packaging bags are influenced by controllable factors. Through reasonable link control and standard operations, the sterile packaging bags can be kept sterile from the end of sterilization to the usage by patients, which guarantees the safety of patients and is worthy of reference.

Estimating uncertainty for the instrument transfer function measurement of 3D scanners.

Spatial resolution is an important aspect of many optical instruments. It is defined as the ability of surface-topography measuring instruments to distinguish closely spaced surface features. Following convention, spatial resolution can be defined as the spatial frequency response of the instrument, known as the instrument transfer function (ITF). In this paper, we describe the step-artifact approach for estimating the ITF for 3D scanners, discuss step artifact characterization and validation approaches, and present a method to estimate the combined uncertainty of the ITF measurement. The approach is demonstrated using the EinScan-Pro 3D scanner. A step artifact is used for the measurement that takes advantage of the cleaving properties of a single-side polished silicon wafer. The uncertainty analysis includes simulations to estimate the contribution due to influencing factors such as the alignment of the step artifact to the measurement axis, the diffuse versus specular scattering properties of the step edge, and various processing parameter choices.