Extinction and retraining of simultaneous and successive flavor conditioning

In three experiments, rats received pairings of flavor conditioned stimuli with polycose unconditioned stimuli, in either a simultaneous or a sequential relation. Both temporal relations produced excellent conditioned increases in consumption of the flavors. Separate presentation of the flavors resulted in extinction in both cases. However, restoring the pairing of the flavor with polycose resulted in reconditioning only with the sequential, not with the simultaneous, relation.     

Dynamic Monte Carlo simulation of linear SAW polymer chain near a flat surface

Investigation of the conformational properties of a SAW polymer chain near an impenetrable, non-interacting flat surface showed that the chain at first contracted and orientated itself to slightly parallel when it pulled close to the surface and at last elongated and reoriented itself to slightly perpendicular to the surface at very small distance from the surface. Simulation showed that most of the disappeared configurations were of large size at moderate distance from the surface while they were of small size at very small distance from the surface; and that the mean-square end-to-end distance was much more prone to be influenced by the surface than the mean-square radius of gyration . The orientational correlation between the direction of the longest principal axis of the moment of inertia and end-to-end vector was also discussed.     

Price Indices for Artists – A Proposal

This paper proposes a price index for artists adjusted for the quality of the paintings, based on the ratio between the average market price and the average pre-sale estimate for paintings. We apply this methodology to a group of selected artists and schools presented in auctions worldwide in the period 1990–2001. A comparison with quality unadjusted and hedonic indices is also conducted.JEL Classification: C10, Z11     

ONIX: Is there a return on investment for all publishers?

Summary What will be the future of ONIX? Some argue that wider industry acceptance will lead to increased efficiencies in the transfer of book data, which will ultimately benefit book sales. ONIX still has to overcome many challenges: its implementation cost is high, whole-salers and aggregators are still using different spreadsheets and information sources. Furthermore, MS Excel as an alternative solution is widely available and accepted by the industry. Small publishers need more education and a straightforward demonstration of ONIX’s return on investment. An outreaching of the helping hand of professional organizations is strongly suggested to foster the adoption process among small players. It is the role of the AAP and BISG to get their memberships to think about what is good for all members as a whole throughout the industry. As an organization BISG can recommend, educate, and promote the standard. It cannot, however, bring pressure or demand organizations use it. Publishers, retailers, and wholesalers make those decisions for themselves and quite apparently the majority do not yet see the rewards. Market players need to determine the cost versus benefit and as long as distributors and retailers agree on receiving other formats, ONIX will never take a strong hold in the marketplace. After all, publishers should compete against each other with good books and not with multiple computer codes.