5 mm while competing methods make an error ≥7 mm. Experiments on EEG datasets show that SMICA identifies a source subspace which contains sources that have less pairwise mutual information, and are better explained by the projection of a single dipole on the scalp. With 10 sources, the number of strongly dipolar sources (dipolarity >90%) is more than 80% for SMICA while competing methods do not exceed 65%.

With the noisy model of SMICA, the number of sources to be recovered is controlled by choosing the size of the mixing matrix to be fitted rather than by a preprocessing step of dimension reduction which is required in traditional noise-free ICA methods.

SMICA is a promising alternative to other noiseless ICA models based on non-Gaussian assumptions.
SMICA is a promising alternative to other noiseless ICA models based on non-Gaussian assumptions.
The break point (BP) of the progressive ratio (PR) schedule of drug delivery is a well-recognized parameter in self-administration studies. Nonetheless, two problems remain unresolved there is no rationally justified criterion for the last response at BP; the both commonly used definitions of BP as the number of deliveries or the last complete progressive ratio requirement are not the best assuming that BP is a measure of motivation.

A criterion for the last lever press is proposed in this study using intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats. The rationale is based on the finding that long inter-press intervals have initially very low probability to occur during the self-administration phase of the session under the PR schedule. But this probability dramatically increases when inter-injection intervals increase due to high ratio requirements.

For cocaine these critical inter-press intervals were 7.5 min and longer. This novel criterion was applied to measure BP according to all four theoretically plausible definitions of BP including the new one the higher of the two numbers of presses before or after the last delivery of the reinforcer.

The conventionally defined BP is significantly lower (by 12 %) than BP defined according to the new proposed definition. The new definition of BP provides not only a more accurate value of BP but now the variance of BP at different cocaine doses is homogeneous as required by many statistical tests.

These new definitions of the last press and BP provide more accurate and statistically homogenous measure of BP.
These new definitions of the last press and BP provide more accurate and statistically homogenous measure of BP.Adolescence is considered a transitional stage characterized by several physical, psychological and social changes. During this period, there is an increased propensity for the emergence of emotional difficulties, especially those related to body image and eating attitudes and behaviours. In particular, shame has been pointed out as a key risk factor for body image and eating-related difficulties. However, research seems to be scarce regarding this association in adolescent samples. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore whether psychological inflexibility impacts the association between general feelings of shame with body image-related shame and eating psychopathology severity. The study was conducted with 226 adolescent girls from the community, aged between 12 and 18, who completed self-report measures. Path analysis indicated that higher levels of external shame were associated with more externalized and internalized body image shame and also with greater engagement in disordered eating behaviours. Furthermore, the model demonstrated that these relationships were mediated by increased levels of psychological inflexibility. The tested model accounted for a total of 30% and 22% of externalized and internalized body image variances, respectively, and 51% of the variance of disordered eating behaviours. These findings appear to suggest that in adolescent girls, body shame and disordered eating may emerge as defensive and maladaptive strategies to cope with general feelings of inferiority, particularly in the presence of psychological inflexibility. Also, this study highlights the importance of assessing and working underlying maladaptive processes in this association, mainly in adolescents with high levels of shame.In addition to upending nearly every segment of the economy, COVID-19 has uprooted social life as we know it and the innumerable discourses and practices therein contained. While a terrible event, it can also be approached as offering a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) natural experiment. This is certainly true as far as the global pandemic applies to how and what we eat, given how it has radically altered many everyday food-related practices, whether due to supply chain failures or state-mandates (e.g., shelter-in-place orders). This paper is based on data collected pre- and post-outbreak, triangulating survey and qualitative data, in an attempt to further interrogate the concepts of ethical consumption and activism broadly defined, including the idea of consumer activism. With conceptual assistance from social practice theory, the paper interrogates certain long-standing questions in the literature, such as ethical consumption's link to other forms of political action. It also poses new ones, such as by disentangling the various ways individuals do (and do not do) ethical consumption. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sp-13786.html Finally, the data suggest tentative empirical and conceptual paths forward as we contemplate ethical consumption and social activism more generally in the shadow of COVID-19.Suboptimal food is defined as physically imperfect food product that deviates from the normal visual standards without intrinsic quality or safety concerns. The forms of suboptimal food can be visual (e.g., cosmetic appearance), temporal (e.g., close to or past expiration date), or peripheral (e.g., superficially damaged packaging). This study aimed to identify the salient inferential determinants, attitudinal determinants, and behavioral intentions toward the three suboptimal food types and to evaluate the associations between the determinants and consumers' behavioral intentions. Results from an experimental research showed that consumers associated temporally suboptimal food with the highest financial loss and discard intentions, yet lowest moral concerns. This research also revealed that consumers regarded peripherally (damaged package) suboptimal food with lower taste perception compared to conventional food. Moreover, consistent association patterns appeared between a certain set of inferential and attitudinal determinants and distinctive behavioral intentions across the three suboptimal types.