Neural manifolds for odor-driven innate and acquired appetitive preferences

Sensory stimuli evoke spiking neural responses that innately or after learning drive suitable behavioral outputs. How are these spiking activities intrinsically patterned to encode for innate preferences, and could the neural response organization impose constraints on learning? We examined this issue in the locust olfactory system. Using a diverse odor panel, we found that ensemble activities both during ('ON response') and after stimulus presentations ('OFF response') could be linearly mapped onto overall appetitive preference indices. Although diverse, ON and OFF response patterns generated by innately appetitive odorants were still limited to a low-dimensional subspace (a 'neural manifold'). Similarly, innately non-appetitive odorants evoked responses that were separable yet confined to another neural manifold. Notably, only odorants that evoked neural response excursions in the appetitive manifold were conducive for learning. In sum, these results provide insights on how encoding for innate preferences can also set limits on associative learning.

Oil Spill Combat Strategy & Lesson Learnt of Balikpapan Spill

Among many discussions on effective response strategies during oil spill response operations at sea, this paper elaborates comprehensive information on oil spill combat strategy and lesson learnt from Balikpapan Spill incident. The author tries to shown the effectiveness of assessment and surveillance prior to oil spill response operation, oil spill response strategies and monitoring after oil spill response operation. The paper point out strategies used by OSCT Indonesia as National Oil Spill Response Organization on responding the oil spill incident. Focusing on taking tactical response according to experience gained from previous oil spill incident, the paper also mentions the importance of unified command between local authorities and company for easier coordination. Other than strategies and effective response, wildlife response become one of the difficulties faced onsite the field due to diverse wildlife and lack of wildlife response knowledge and trained experts. Learn from this recent oil spill experience, may enrich the knowledge on responding to such oil spill incident at similar condition and area.

Building an Elite Force of Spill Responders in a World with Few Spill Response Opportunities

ABSTRACT As the performance of Industry improves and spills decrease, SMTs, OSROs, Regulators, and Oil and Gas Operators are all facing a lack of direct experience and knowledge when it comes to spill response. The recruiting and grooming of elite Responders for a large response organization is further challenged by a tight labor market that is increasingly occupied by a generation that demands accelerated advancement and growth. The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) is taking a new approach to identify, develop and retain Responder competencies and proficiencies, and to offer a career/development path in the absence of actual incidents. The first element of this program provides a clear path for professional growth to satisfy the growing desire for advancement by replacing a time-based promotion system with one that is focused on performance. The second element requires a consistent methodology and framework of evaluation to ensure employees in a nationwide organization are measured and evaluated using the same standards. Replacing the focus on hard skills with soft skills during talent acquisition “fit factor” when hiring new Responders sets the tone for growth. The hard skills are easier to teach and develop, while soft skills like learning curiosity, collaboration, effective communication, problem solving, and decision making are the differentiators that shape an elite Responder. Removing the emphasis on spill experience and replacing it with well-defined competency models that define abilities which can be demonstrated outside of spill incidents is essential to fostering professional growth in a Responder. These competencies include the technical skills that are required by each position and emphasize leadership abilities, teamwork, and commitment. Metrics and expectations must be defined at the right level of detail to provide Responders with the opportunity during steady state operations to demonstrate abilities in a variety of scenarios that mirror those needed in spill response.

Cost Anatomy of A Vessel Spill Response

The focus of this paper is to highlight cost issues that have arisen during actual spill responses in the United States including issues related to a Responsible Party's (RP) named Spill Management Team (SMT), its named Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO), the USCG, the National Pollution Fund Center (NPFC), and state/local government agencies. In addition, there will be a brief discussion related to third party claim costs and management. The author's sincere hope is that this paper will generate meaningful discussion concerning the issues raised that, in turn, will lead to reasoned changes resulting in lower, and more palatable response costs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight issues, not to criticize or embarrass individuals or entities. Accordingly, no company or individuals will be identified. This paper is not all inclusive and does not include costs related to Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), fines, or legal fees. In addition, while recognizing that entities other than vessels are covered under OPA 90, this paper, as noted in the title, concerns only spills from vessels. All opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.

Individual preferences for task coordination strategies in multitasking: exploring the link between preferred modes of processing and strategies of response organization

Recent investigation of individual differences in multitasking revealed evidence for individual preferences for modes of task processing (serial vs. overlapping) in a task switching with preview (TSWP) paradigm and different strategies of response organization (blocking, switching, and response grouping) in a free concurrent dual-tasking (FCDT) paradigm. However, this research on individual differences at the levels of cognitive task processing and behavioral response organization has been pursued separately, thus far, by testing independent samples of participants. In the current study, we investigated whether these two levels of task coordination were linked intra-individually. As individuals preferring an overlapping task processing mode can generate time gains particularly at task switches, we predicted that they prefer a switching strategy of response organization. In contrast, individuals preferring a serial processing mode are expected to prefer a blocking strategy to reduce dual-task demands. These predictions were confirmed in an experiment based on n = 70 participants. Indeed, most serial processors preferred a blocking strategy, whereas overlapping processors predominantly preferred to switch between the tasks. This finding suggests a strong correspondence between individual preferences emerging in both aspects of task coordination, which might reflect a common basic difference in the preferred style of cognitive control (flexible vs. persistent). Moreover, in case the preferred modes of task processing and strategies of response organization did not correspond to each other, the overall multitasking efficiency was comparably low. Thus, the distinction between the preferences for both aspects of multitasking seems to be an important aspect of understanding multitasking performance and should be considered in future studies.

Under pressure: Understanding the dynamics of coordination in IT functions under business-as-usual and emergency conditions

In an era when technologies have become a backbone of most organizations, IT support functions are under immense pressure not only to ensure provision and reliability of IS and technologies but also to resolve IS incidents of different severity when they disrupt organizations’ “business-as-usual.” This article addresses this challenge by investigating how organizational IT functions coordinate their work under different degrees of uncertainty in order to provide reliable IT services. We conceptualize coordination in IT support functions as a process that unfolds over time through interactions between four underlying coordination practices employed to provide reliable IT services: prioritizing tasks, following procedures, using roles and responsibilities, and utilizing networks. Furthermore, we show how these coordination practices change when IT incidents cause a shift from normal (i.e. “business-as-usual”) to emergency conditions. Our empirical research in two IT functions supporting two types of organizations (traditional and fast-response) demonstrate that IT functions in these two types of organizations respond to emergencies differently. Specifically, in emergencies, an IT function supporting a fast-response organization shifts to emergency coordination practices momentarily, as it abandons “normal” coordination practices to rely on an extensive set of formal practices specifically designed for such situations. In contrast, an IT function supporting a traditional organization is unprepared for emergencies—coordinating under emergency conditions involves improvisation, because coordination practices designed to support business-as-usual are not suitable for dealing with emergency situations.

Midwife to a Nation

The UN assumes sovereign control of Kosovo after the NATO air campaign expels Serbian authorities from Kosovo. NATO, reinforced by Russia and other forces, deploys to provide security as international attention shifts to building local institutions and recovering from the conflict. Washington promotes the Kosovo Protection Corps as an emergency response organization. Milosevic is removed from power, and the government in Belgrade turns him over to the International War Crimes Tribunal.