Experimental Study

Nine non-noble-metal catalysts (NNMCs) from five different laboratories were investigated for the catalysis of O 2 electroreduction in an acidic medium. The catalyst precursors were synthesized by wet impregnation, planetary ball milling, a foamingagent technique, or a templating method. All catalyst precursors were subjected to one or more heat treatments at 700-1050°C in an inert or reactive atmosphere. These catalysts underwent an identical set of electrochemical characterizations, including rotatingdisk-electrode and polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) tests and voltammetry under N 2 . Ex situ characterization was comprised of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and N 2 adsorption and its analysis with an advanced model for carbonaceous powders. In PEMFC, several NNMCs display mass activities of 10-20 A g -1 at 0.8 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode, and one shows 80 A g -1 . The latter value corresponds to a volumetric activity of 19 A cm -3 under reference conditions and represents one-seventh of the target defined by the U.S. Department of Energy for 2010 (130 A cm -3 ). The activity of all NNMCs is mainly governed by the microporous surface area, and active sites seem to be hosted in pore sizes of 5-15 Å. The nitrogen and metal (iron or cobalt) seem to be present in sufficient amounts in the NNMCs and do not limit activity. The paper discusses probable directions for synthesizing more active NNMCs. This could be achieved through multiple pyrolysis steps, ball-milling steps, and control of the powder morphology by the addition of foaming agents and/or sulfur.

This paper describes the analysis of L-band radiometric measurement data gathered with the synthetic aperture radiometer HUT-2D during several ground-based and airborne measurement campaigns. The radiometric data are analyzed from the instrument's performance point of view, aiming to verify the theoretical performance of an instrument of this kind and to assess the performance of the HUT-2D radiometer system in particular. The data sets considered for the study consist of measurements of well-known natural targets, such as cosmic background radiation, and measurements of pure water scenes, the brightness temperature of which is possible to model based on in situ measurements. We define four figures of merit, which are applicable for synthetic aperture radiometers. These are radiometric resolution, image bias, pixel-to-pixel random error, and temporal stability. Then, we use the selected data sets to assess these in the case of HUT-2D. The experimental results are discussed and compared to the theoretical values, where applicable. Also, we discuss possibilities to improve the presented performance. The main results of this paper are the consolidated performance parameters of the HUT-2D instrument. We study and discuss the properties of the error components related to the technology in a general level, and study the scalability of the errors as a function of the measured targets. In particular, the stability of the direction-dependent error component is pointed out, and a mitigation guideline is proposed.

In the present work, experimental and numerical studies for the hydrodynamics in a gassolid tapered fluidized bed have been carried out. The experimental results obtained by carrying out experiments in a tapered fluidized bed for glass bead (spherical) of 2.0 mm and dolomite (non-spherical particles) of 2.215 mm in diameter, were compared with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results, using a commercial CFD software package, Fluent. The gas-solid flow was simulated using the Eulerian-Eulerian model and applying the kinetic theory of granular flow for solid particles. The Gidaspow drag model was used to calculate the gas-solid momentum exchange coefficients. Pressure drops predicted by the CFD simulations agreed reasonably well with experimental measurements for both types (spherical and non-spherical) of particles. Good agreement was also obtained between experimental and CFD predicted bed expansion ratios for both types of particles. Present study provides a useful basis for further works on the CFD of tapered fluidized bed.

We report the results of a quasi-experimental study evaluating the effectiveness of the Mindfulness Education (ME) program. ME is a theoretically derived, teacher-taught universal preventive intervention that focuses on facilitating the development of social and emotional competence and positive emotions, and has as its cornerstone daily lessons in which students engage in mindful attention training (three times a day). Pre-and early adolescent students in the 4th to 7th grades (N=246) drawn from six ME program classrooms and six comparison classrooms (wait-list controls) completed pretest and posttest self-report measures assessing optimism, general and school self-concept, and positive and negative affect. Teachers rated pre-and early adolescents on dimensions of classroom social and emotional competence. Results revealed that pre-and early adolescents who participated in the ME program, compared to those who did not, showed significant increases in optimism from pretest to posttest. Similarly, improvements on dimensions of teacherrated classroom social competent behaviors were found favoring ME program students. Program effects also were found for self-concept, although the ME program demonstrated more positive benefits for preadolescents than for early adolescents. Teacher reports of implementation fidelity and dosage for the mindfulness activities were high and teachers reported that they were easily able to integrate the mindful attention exercises within their classrooms. Theoretical issues linking mindful attention awareness to social and emotional competence and implications for the development of school-based interventions are discussed.

Fermilab is developing and investigating different high-field magnet designs for present and future accelerators. The magnet R&D program was focused on the 10-12 T accelerator magnets based on Nb 3 Sn superconductor and explored both basic magnet technologies for brittle superconductors-wind-and-react and react-and-wind. Magnet design studies in support of LHC upgrades and VLHC are being performed. A series of 1-m long single-bore models of cos-theta Nb 3 Sn dipoles based on wind-andreact technique was fabricated and tested. Three 1-m long flat racetracks and the common coil dipole model, based on a singlelayer coil and wide reacted Nb 3 Sn cable, have also been fabricated and tested. Extensive theoretical studies of magnetic instabilities in Nb3Sn strands, cable and magnet were performed which led to successful 10 T dipole model. This paper presents the details of the Fermilab's high field accelerator magnet program, reports its status and major results, and formulates the program next steps.

Details of cerebellar afferent projections from the perihypoglossal nuclei were studied in the cat by means of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Labeled cells were observed bilaterally (with a preponderance ipsilaterally) in nuclei intercalatus and praepositus hypoglossi following injections in various folia of the entire vermis, paraflocculus, flocculus, fastigial nucleus, and the nucleus interpositus anterior and posterior. Relatively high densities of labeled cells were found in nucleus intercalatus following injections in the anterior part of the vermis, whereas labeled cells in nucleus praepositus hypoglossi were found more frequently following injections in the posterior part of the vermis. Labeled cells in the nucleus of Roller were found only following injections in the anterior lobe vermis, posterior vermal lobules VI and VII, in the flocculus and in the nucleus interpositus anterior. No labeled cells could be detected in the three subdivisions of the perihypoglossal nuclei following HRP injections in crus I, crus II, paramedian lobule, and lateral cerebellar nucleus. The distribution of the HRP positive cells indicated the presence of a topographically organized projection from certain regions of the perihypoglossal nuclei to different parts of the cerebellum. The afferent and efferent connections of the perihypoglossal nuclei in relation to a functional role in eye and head movements are discussed.

1. We examined the hypothesis that in a one predator-two prey system, prey that share a common refuge might have indirect interactions mediated by their reciprocal effects on each other's refuge use. Our experiments were done in laboratory pools with plexiglas refuges, using predatory smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolemieui, that can consume crayfish, Orconectes putnami and mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi.

This second paper of the two-paper series describes a comprehensive experimental verification of the response of the Rigid-Insert Crack Closure Model (RICC) and the related CMOD-Compliance Closure Assessment Technique (CCCA) to variations in the material elastic properties, crack surface roughness, specimen dimensions, crack size, and loading conditions. The experimental procedures are particularly designed to ensure a "uniform" K-increasing crack wake which provides consistent crack closure data. The experiments are performed using two different materials, two selections of specimen sizes, at different crack lengths and stress intensity factors.

This study aims at comparing the predictions of skin temperature from different models of human thermoregulation and investigating the currently available methods for the prediction of the local and overall thermal sensations. In this paper, the Fiala model, the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) thermoregulation model and a multi-segmental (MS) Pierce model were tested against recently measured data from the literature. The local and overall thermal sensations were predicted for different room conditions, obtained from a recent experimental study, using the UCB comfort model coupled with the MS-Pierce model. The overall thermal sensation was further predicted using three other models. The predictions were then compared with the subjective votes obtained from that study. The equivalent temperature approach was also investigated based on the same experimental study. The results show comparisons of the predicted skin temperature by the thermoregulation models, under steady state and dynamic conditions, with the measured data as well as the predictions of the thermal sensations from the different models.

Using scintillation crystal sheets instead of discrete crystal arrays in high-resolution PET has the immediate advantage of reduced complexity as well as a potential for increased sensitivity. In order to evaluate the positioning capability of a position sensitive avalanche photodioide (PSAPD) using a sheet Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystal scintillator, we studied the dependence of detected event position versus the known source position. In particular, we studied positioning in a continuous 8 mm 8 mm LSO sheet coupled to a PSAPD with an 8 mm 8 mm active area experimentally, studied optical transport in the sheet crystal with Monte Carlo simulation, and used two positioning methods to evaluate PSAPD pincushioning effects. Both collimated 57 Co 122 keV and coincidence-triggered 22 Na 511 keV sources were used in the experiments performed. We analyze the energy resolution, sensitivity, photopeak position and spatial resolution as a function of source position. An average point spread function (PSF) resolution of 2.86 and 1.12 mm FWHM for 57 Co and 22 Na respectively was observed. Within 1.2 mm from the edge of the LSO sheet, the average photopeak position change was 5%. Simulations using annihilation photon interactions from GATE and scintillation photon transport from DETECT2000, as well as utilizing a pincushion-reduction posioning algorithm, have confirmed that the positioning and energy response observed experimently at the edge of the crystal is due to optical transport near those edges.

Due to influence of compressibility, shock wave, instabilities, and turbulence on supersonic flows, current flow visualization and imaging techniques encounter some problems in high spatiotemporal resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements. Therefore, nanoparticle based planar laser scattering method (NPLS) is developed here. The nanoparticles are used as tracer, and pulse planar laser is used as light source in NPLS; by recording images of particles in flow field with CCD, high spatiotemporal resolution supersonic flow imaging is realized. The flow-following ability of nanoparticles in supersonic flows is studied according to multiphase flow theory and calibrating experiment of oblique shock wave. The laser scattering characteristics of nanoparticles are analyzed with light scattering theory. The results of theoretical and experimental studies show that the dynamic behavior and light scattering characteristics of nanoparticles highly enhance the spatiotemporal resolution and SNR of NPLS, with which the flow field involving shock wave, expansion, Mach disk, boundary layer, sliding-line, and mixing layer can be imaged clearly at high spatiotemporal resolution.

The output characteristics of a toric unstable resonator fitted to a multichannel stripline excitation system are presented. The resonator is shown to possess the usual advantages of a conventional unstable resonator plus the ability to modify the profile of the output beam by a simple change in the coupling aperture. Laser output parameters have been studied as a function of coupling fraction, magnification, and internal loss factors. Variations in the focal spot size as a function of the coupling aperture as well as resonator alignment sensitivity and polarization properties have been investigated.

We study manager-employee interactions in experiments set in a corporate environment where payoffs depend on employees coordinating at high effort levels; the underlying game being played repeatedly by employees is a weak-link game. In the absence of managerial intervention subjects invariably slip into coordination failure. To overcome a history of coordination failure, managers have two instruments at their disposal, increasing employees' financial incentives to coordinate and communication with employees. We find that communication is a more effective tool than incentive changes for leading organizations out of performance traps. Examining the content of managers' communication, the most effective messages specifically request a high effort, point out the mutual benefits of high effort, and imply that employees are being paid well.

ABSTRACT Children with motor difficulties are a very varied group. In order to target interventions more effectively researchers have attempted to identify specific sub‐groups; however, attempts to identify sub‐groups and provide interventions accordingly have met with limited success. Currently interventions can be classified into two main types, namely, general abilities and normative functional approaches. The current study outlines the Manchester Motor Skills Programme (MMSP), which adopts a normative functional approach and has been developed jointly by educational psychologists (EPs), specialist teachers and schools. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the MMSP a quasi‐experimental repeated measures study was undertaken involving 24 children. The quasi‐experimental study yielded a medium effect size, which is a promising result for a naturalistic intervention. Methodological limitations and areas of future research are considered and identified.

In this paper, hybrid control synthesis is proposed for a class of 2-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) underactuated mechanical systems with Coulomb friction in the joints. The control objective is to regulate both actuated and unactuated joints to desired positions. The proposed synthesis combines second-order sliding-mode (SOSM) control methods and a pure technical solution of imposing a relatively stronger dry friction on the unactuated joint as compared to that of the actuated joint. This design feature allows us to decouple the hybrid synthesis procedure into two steps. At the first step, a SOSM control algorithm is utilized to drive the unactuated link to the desired position in finite time. Once this task is achieved, the control input is switched to another SOSM algorithm which drives the actuated link to its desired position. As the amplitude of the controller used at the second step is smaller than the Coulomb friction level in the unactuated link, but it is greater than that in the actuated link, the unactuated link remains at rest, whereas the actuated link is regulated to the endpoint of interest. Performance issues of the developed synthesis, including robustness features of the closed-loop system, are illustrated in an experimental study made for a laboratory horizontal 2-DOF pendulum.

The reduction in the sources of natural sand and the requirement for reduction in the cost of concrete production has resulted in the increased need to identify substitute material to sand as fine aggregates in the production of concretes. Quarry dust, a by-product from the crushing process during quarrying activities is one of the materials being studied. This paper reports the experimental study undertaken to investigate some properties of quarry dust and discusses the suitability of those properties to enable quarry dust to be used as partial replacement material for sand in concrete. The properties of quarry dust that were determined are aggregate crushing value, flakiness index, pH value, soundness, specific gravity, absorption and fineness modulus. Besides, the 28 th day compressive strength of concrete specimens, in which partial replacement of river sand with quarry dust were practiced, is also reported for comparison purposes. Results obtained indicate that the incorporation of quarry dust into the concrete mix as partial replacement material to river sand resulted in lower 28 th day compressive strength. This can partly be attributed to the properties of the quarry dust which might contribute to the negative effects in the strength of the concrete. The results of the study also indicates that quarry dust can be utilised as partial replacement material to sand, in the presence of silica fume or fly ash, to produce concretes with fair ranges of compressive strength.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine diseases and affects most body organs. It affects gastric acid secretion, but this effect has not been fully understood. As the effects of diabetes on gastric pepsin secretion has not been proved yet, in this experimental study basal and distension-stimulated acid and pepsin secretions of diabetic and non-diabetic rats have been compared. Material and methods: Female N-Mari rats weighing 200-250 g were used. Diabetic state was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 75 mg/kg streptozotocin. Animals were anaesthetized by the interaperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg thiopental sodium. Then tracheostomy and laparotomy were done and gastric secretions were collected by a cannula entered via duodenum. Gastric distention induce by 1.5 ml normal saline per each 100 g of body weight in stomach. Acid and pepsin were measured by titration and Anson's method, respectively. Results: Basal gastric secretions were similar in diabetic and non-diabetic animals. Distention-stimulated acid secretions in diabetic and non-diabetic rats were 3.24 ± 0.16 and 8.05 ± 0.21 mol/15 min, respectively, which were significantly different (P = 0.00001). Distention-induced pepsin secretion in diabetic and non diabetic rats were 3.16 ± 0.13 and 5.24 ± 0.16 g/15 min, respectively, which were significantly different (P = 0.00001). Conclusion: In this study the stomach of diabetic animals showed less reaction to distention, which may be due to the reduction of acid and pepsin secretary cells, reduction of the function of the cells, gastric atrophy or gastric vagus neuropathy. These probabilities need to be examined.

The thermal oxidation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) in air was investigated using a perfectly stirred reactor at 1 atm over the temperature range 450–900 °C. The relative concentration of 2-CP was 1000 ppmV (equivalence ratio Φ = 0.03). About fifty organic products were identified as trace species. The concentration profiles of 2-CP, carbon oxides as well as those of seventeen major organic intermediates and six non-to-lower chlorinated dioxins and furans were presented as a function of temperature for a residence time of 2 s. The most abundant intermediate products were carbon monoxide, 2 H-pyran-2-one, chlorobenzene, 4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione, phenol, benzofuran, 2-chlorohydroquinone and 2-indanone. These concentration profiles have revealed that temperatures of at least 900 °C were needed to completely oxidize 2-CP, CO and all other organic byproducts to carbon dioxide. Reaction pathways accounting for the formation of most observed products are proposed.

The scarcity of sizeable specimens of normal oral mucosa for experimental purposes has hampered research on oral epithelium. Because large specimens of viable human vaginal mucosa are readily available and because vaginal and buccal epithelia are microscopically similar, vaginal mucosa has been used successfully to establish a human cyst model in experimental animals. The ultrastructure and distribution of keratin filaments in these epithelia are also similar, as is their permeability to water and a number of chemical substances. Therefore, if vaginal mucosa could be substituted for buccal mucosa it would expedite research on the epithelium of buccal mucosa. To strengthen further the concept that vaginal epithelium could replace buccal epithelium in certain experimental studies, the thickness of these epithelia, their patterns of surface keratinization, the presence or absence of intercellular lipid lamellae and their lipid contents were now compared. Thirty-three specimens of vaginal mucosa from postmenopausal women and 36 of buccal mucosa were investigated. To compare the thickness of the epithelial layers the number of cell layers in sections of 20 vaginal and 20 buccal mucosal specimens were counted in the three thickest and three thinnest regions of each specimen. Surface keratinization was evaluated on sections stained with the Picro-Mallory method. To demonstrate lipid lamellae two vaginal and two buccal mucosa specimens were examined electron microscopically after normal fixation and postfixation in ruthenium tetroxide. Following solvent extraction of 11 vaginal and 14 buccal epithelia, quantitative lipid analyses were performed using thin-layer chromatography. No statistically significant differences were found between the maximum and minimum number of epithelial cell layers. The patterns of surface keratinization and the distribution and appearance of the lipid lamellae in the intercellular spaces were similar. The lipid composition of the two epithelia corresponded, except for the cholesterol esters and glycosylceramides, which were higher in buccal epithelium. Ceramides for vaginal epithelium and triglycerides for buccal epithelium were not determined. Based on structural similarities, a similar lipid composition and earlier findings, it is concluded that vaginal epithelium can be used as a substitute for buccal epithelium in certain in vitro, and possibly for in vivo, studies.

Software engineers and programmers deal with repeated problems and situations in the course of software design. This lead to the development of software design patterns, which can be defined as a description of an abstract solution for abstract design problems. Existing approaches to pattern application using computer tools, need the help and guidance of a human designer to select which design pattern to apply. The automation of this task opens the possibility of CASE design tools providing complete automation for the application of design patterns, and the offering new functionalities that can help the software designer to improve systems, and do better software reuse. In this paper we present an approach that automates design pattern selection and application. This approach is based on Case-Based Reasoning and WordNet, showing how they are combined to generate evolved software design diagrams. We also present an experimental study of our approach.

This paper reported mercury speciation and emissions from five coal-fired power stations in China. The standard Ontario Hydro Method (OHM) was used into the flue gas mercury sampling before and after fabric filter (FF)/electrostatic precipitator (ESP) locations in these coal-fired power stations, and then various mercury speciation such as Hg 0 , Hg 2+ and Hg P in flue gas, was analyzed by using EPA method. The solid samples such as coal, bottom ash and ESP ash, were analyzed by DMA 80 based on EPA Method 7473. Through analysis the mercury speciation varied greatly when flue gas went through FF/ESP. Of the total mercury in flue gas, the concentration of Hg 2+ is in the range of 0.11-14.76 μg/N m 3 before FF/ESP and 0.02-21.20 μg/N m 3 after FF/ESP; the concentration of Hg 0 ranges in 1.18-33.63 μg/N m 3 before FF/ESP and 0.77-13.57 μg/N m 3 after FF/ESP, and that of Hg P is in the scope of 0-12.11 μg/N m 3 before FF/ESP and 0-0.54 μg/N m 3 after FF/ESP. The proportion of Hg 2+ ranges from 4.87%-50.93% before FF/ESP and 2.02%-75.55% after FF/ESP, while that of Hg 0 is between 13.81% -94.79% before FF/ESP and 15.69%-98% after FF/ESP, with that of Hg P is in the range of 0%-45.13% before FF/ESP and 0%-11.03% after FF/ESP. The mercury in flue gas mainly existed in the forms of Hg 0 and Hg 2+ . The concentrations of chlorine and sulfur in coal and flue gas influence the species of Hg that are formed in the flue gas entering air pollution control devices. The concentrations of chlorine, sulfur and mercury in coal and the compositions of fly ash had significant effects on mercury emissions.

Compounds with dioxin-like toxicity are suspected to adversely affect human reproduction even at current background exposures. Endometriosis, a gynecological disorder often associated with infertility, has been hypothesized to be linked to dioxins and similar chemicals, a hypothesis supported by the outcome of experimental studies on animal models. Endometriosis severity and incidence in Belgium is one of the highest of the world: in this country, the general population exposure to dioxin-like compounds has been, on average, higher than in most industrialized countries. Here we show the results of a pilot case-control study carried out on 22 Italian and 18 Belgian women of reproductive age, with and without endometriosis. No significant differences were found in dioxin-like compound body burdens between cases and controls on a country basis, whereas the body burdens of the Italian women resulted to be significantly lower than that of the Belgian. In particular, total TEQs in Italian and Belgian women without endometriosis were respectively 18 and 45 pg WHO-TE/g lb.

In this study the construction of an initial three-dimensional anatomically based mathematical model of the esophagus is presented. The aim of this model is to provide a framework with which to examine the functional behavior of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter during swallowing. Anatomical data from the Visible Human Project was used to provide the outlines of the regions of interest. A C/sup 1/ continuous cubic Hermite finite element mesh was then created using an iterative finite element linear fitting process to an RMS error less than 1 mm. Muscular fiber information was embedded within the model using data from published literature. There is a current lack of detailed microstructural data on the gastroesophageal junction. We describe the specialist measurement rig that we propose to use to obtain the microstructural information in our experimental studies.

A qualitative mathematical model is presented that examines membrane potential feedback on synthesis of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ), and its role in generation and modulation of slow waves. Previous experimental studies indicate that slow waves show voltage dependence, and this is likely to result through membrane potential modulation of IP 3 . It is proposed that the observed response of the tissue to current pulse, pulse train, and maintained current injection can be explained by changes in IP 3 , modulated through a voltage-IP 3 feedback loop. Differences underlying the tissue responses to current injections of opposite polarities are shown to be due to the sequence of events following such currents. Results from this model are consistent with experimental findings and provide further understanding of these experimental observations. Specifically, we find that membrane potential can induce, abolish, and modulate slow wave frequency by altering the excitability of the tissue through the voltage-IP 3 feedback loop.

In the present work, vesicles made with soy lecithin and a commercial mixture of alkyl polyglucosides were prepared and characterized. Vesicles with a constant amount of soy lecithin and an increasing amount of a decylpolyglucoside surfactant, (OrNS10), were formulated and their physicochemical properties were studied with the aim to design a drug delivery system suitable for different applications. To this purpose, morphology, size distribution, ζ-potential and apparent viscosity of the prepared vesicles were studied. Vesicles were also characterized by using optical and light polarized microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. A stability study was also performed by checking mean size and ζ-potential value variation of the several formulations during 4 weeks.

Experimental studies have indicated that the central histaminergic system plays an important role in the inhibition of seizures through the stimulation of histamine H 1 receptors. H 1 receptor antagonists, including classical antiallergic drugs, occasionally may induce convulsions in healthy children and patients with epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of antazoline and ketotifen (two H 1 receptor antagonists) on the anticonvulsant activity of antiepileptic drugs against maximal electroshock (MES)-induced convulsions in mice. The following antiepileptic drugs were used: valproate, carbamazepine, diphenylhydantoin and phenobarbital. In addition, the effects of antiepileptic drugs alone or in combination with antazoline or ketotifen were studied on long-term memory (tested in the passive avoidance task) and motor performance (evaluated in the chimney test), acutely and after 7-day treatment with these H 1 receptor antagonists. The influence of antazoline and ketotifen on the free plasma and brain levels of the antiepileptics was also evaluated.

The application of computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) in the area of porous media and adsorption cooling system is becoming more practical due to the significant improvement in computer power. The results from previous studies have shown that CFD can be useful tool for predicting the water vapour flow pattern, temperature, heat transfer and flow velocity and adsorption rate. This paper investigates the effect of silica gel granular size on the water adsorption rate using computational fluid dynamics and gravimetric experimental (TGA) method.

This work aims at defining a new method for matching correspondences in stereoscopic image analysis. A representation of occlusions drives the overall matching process. Based on the taxonomy proposed by Scharstein and Szelinsky (2002, IJCV, 47, 7-42), the dense stereo matching process is divided into three tasks: matching cost computation, aggregation of local evidence and computation of disparity values. Within the second and third phases new strategies are introduced in an attempt to improve the reliability of results. Aggregation is based on a new local matching measure, and neural techniques compute disparities adaptively. Two experimental studies were conducted to evaluate and compare the solutions proposed. The first uses a standard well-known dataset including data with true disparity maps; the second study was conducted on complex real images acquired by a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Background: Psychotherapy is apparently an insufficient treatment for some patients with mood or anxiety disorder. In this study the effectiveness of short-term and long-term psychotherapies was compared with that of psychoanalysis. Methods: A total of 326 psychiatric outpatients with mood or anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to solution-focused therapy, short-term psychodynamic and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapies. Additionally, 41 patients suitable for psychoanalysis were included in the study. The patients were followed from the start of the treatment and assessed 9 times during a 5-year follow-up. The primary outcome measures on symptoms were the Beck Results: A reduction in psychiatric symptoms and improvement in work ability and functional capacity was noted in all treatment groups during the 5-year follow-up. The short-term therapies were more effective than psychoanalysis during the first year, whereas the long-term therapy was more effective after 3 years of follow-up. Psychoanalysis was most effective at the 5-year follow-up, which also marked the end of the psychoanalysis. Conclusions: Psychotherapy gives faster benefits than psychoanalysis, but in the long run psychoanalysis seems to be more effective. Results from trials, among patients suitable for psychoanalysis and with longer follow-up, are needed before firm conclusions about the relative effectiveness of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders can be drawn.

The nonlinear flow and heat transfer characteristics for a slot-jet impinging on slightly-curved surfaces are experimentally studied here. The effects of curved surface geometry and jet Reynolds number on the jet velocity distribution and circumferential Nusselt numbers are examined. Two different slightly-curved surface geometries of convex and concave are used as target surfaces. The nozzle geometry is a rectangular slot, and the dimensionless nozzle-to-surface distance equals to L * = 8. The constant heat fluxes are accordingly applied to the surfaces to obtain an impingement cooling by the air jet at ambient temperature. The measurements are made for the jet Reynolds numbers of Re = 8617, Re = 13 350 and Re = 15 415 for both curved surfaces. The velocity distributions of issuing jet from the nozzle exit to the target surface are obtained by a highly sensitive hot-wire anemometer. The T-type thermocouples are used to measure local temperatures of both the air jet and the plates. Two-dimensional velocity measurements show that the surfaces are remained out of the potential core region for all Re tested here. New correlations for local, stagnation point, and average Nusselt numbers as a function of jet Reynolds number and dimensionless circumferential distance are reported. The correlations reveal that the impinging cooling rate is higher with the concave surface and increase with increasing Re.

As the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) points out, the science is clear and the debate is over: climate change is happening and there is a need to act now. World wide research is being done for developing green and ecofriendly constructional materials. The present paper puts forward the thermal and structural experimental results of using bamboo as a construction material and as a solar energy collector. The thermal behaviour of bamboo was quantified experimentally by observing the temperature inside the cubicals made of 'half split bamboo', 'half split bamboo-concrete composite' and was compared with the cubical made of bricks with cement concrete roof while its structural behaviour was quantified by making bamboo bows (bamboo parabolic arches), which are the proposed beam elements, and tested for the load bearing capacity and deflections through experimentations. Half split bamboo panels were fabricated to harvest solar energy using air and water as the heat transfer agent. The design philosophy of bamboo structures is developed on the lines of concrete and steel and attempt is made for the possible replacement of steel with bamboo. The experimental results present a strong possibility of using bamboo as a green constructional material which can not only reduce the 'indoor temperature' thereby reducing the building energy requirement and combating the urban heat island effect but also will reduce the GHG emissions which can help in fighting global warming and climate change. Its paves the way for its high value application in construction which can make bamboo cultivation an economically viable way of greening the vast wastelands and thereby improving the environment.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of dual-wavelength ratio fluorescence imaging using a pH-dependent indicator (5,6-carboxyfluorescein, 5,6-CF) for in vivo pH mapping of tissue. A prototype version of a highly sensitive fluorescence imaging device consisting of a modified xenon lamp, an image-intensified camera and a digital imageprocessing system has been developed. 5,6-Carboxyfluorescein was used because its fluorescence emission increases as a function of pH in the physiological (6.0-7.4) pH range. The ratio of fluorescence intensities obtained with the imaging system has been calibrated using aqueous 5,6-CF standards at various pH values. Because the pH of interstitial fluid of malignant tumors tends to be lower than that of normal tissue and can be depressed by glucose administration, experiments were performed on 10 CDF mice bearing lymphoid leukemia P388 grafted subcutaneously. The range of linearity of the calibration curve was obtained between 5.3 and 6.7 with a measured pK, value of 5.93. Consequently the maximum sensitivity was observed in this range. The calculated pH from ratio images was 6.21 * 0.12 in tumorous tissue. This value was equivalent to those obtained at the same time using microelectrodes (6.2 k 0.3). These experiments showed that a dose of 5 mg/kg 5,6-CF and an excitation power density of 2.5 mW/cm2 are sufficient to give a fluorescent pH image of tumors. The limitation of 5,6-CF for the in vivo mapping of tissue results from its low pK, and consequent range of sensitivity. The advantages of this imaging technique compared to microelectrodes are that it (I) is noninvasive, (2) displays a two-dimensional pH image with high resolution (profile distribution of pH in tissue) and (3) can be used to monitor pH over a few hours.

This paper presents an experimental study on the fatigue strength of resistance spot welded galvanized steel sheets and austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) sheets. The sheet materials were joined by using resistance spot welding as a lap joint. Material combination and nugget diameter were selected as experimental parameters. The high cycle fatigue tests were performed and S-N curves were obtained for each specimen. The results show that galvanized steel sheet combination has the highest fatigue limit. The sheet combination which has the minimum fatigue limit is galvanized-AISI 304 sheet combination. For austenitic stainless steel-galvanized steel sheet joint, the measurements of the nugget diameter and crack length were performed after fatigue tests. Crack growth rate of the spot welded galvanized-AISI 304 joining type is slower than that of base metals given in literature. C and m coefficients of Paris-Erdogan equation for spot welded AISI 304-galvanized steel sheet joints were obtained.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial displacement of the upper dentition and the nasomaxillary complex as a result of different directions of force application, and to determine the initial centres of resistance for both the upper dentition and the nasomaxillary complex. A macerated human skull with a well-aligned upper arch was used as one experimental model and Araldit 208 as a substitute for the periodontal ligament (PDL). Specifically designed 'antenna-headgear' was developed in an attempt to create different points of force application to simulate high-pull and horizontal traction, and orthopaedic force magnitudes of 8 N were applied to the upper dentition and the nasomaxillary complex. Double exposure holography was used to measure the initial displacement. Reproducibility of the technique was tested and found to be reliable. According to the registered fringe patterns, the force application transmitted by the headgear resulted in complex displacement of facial bones. Pure translation of the maxilla and the upper dentition was observed when the force vector passed by in the area of the key-ridge. No obvious difference was found between the centre of resistance of the upper dentition and the nasomaxillary complex. The location of two different centres of resistance could not be confirmed by measuring initial displacements on this macerated human skull.

Experiments were performed from 1•0 to 8•5 GPa in a peralkaline INTRODUCTION system K 2 O-Na 2 O-CaO-MgO-Al 2 O 3-SiO 2-H 2 O (KNCMASH) K-rich amphiboles are exotic members of the amphibole to investigate the stability and composition of richteritic amphiboles family in terms of their frequency of occurrence at in the MARID (mica-amphibole-rutile-ilmenite-diopside) asthe Earth's surface. With few exceptions they are semblage amphibole + phlogopite + clinopyroxene. The results represented by K-rich varieties of richterite Nawere compared with phase relations and the composition of natural CaNaMg 5 Si 8 O 22 (OH) 2 , katophorite NaCaNaMg 4-MARIDs to assess possible mechanisms of formation for MARID-AlSi 7 AlO 22 (OH) 2 and, more rarely, arfvedsonite type rocks. K-richterite is stable in a wide range of bulk K/Na NaNa 2 Mg 4 Fe 3+ Si 8 O 22 (OH) 2. The vast majority of known ratios in the MARID assemblage to 8•5 GPa and 1300°C. In occurrences is confined to extremely alkaline, Kthis assemblage the amphibole can accommodate significant amounts dominated mainly magmatic environments which are of K on the M(4)-site and shows a systematic increase in the K/ poor in Al and partly Si undersaturated. Experimental Na ratio with increasing pressure. At P >7•0 GPa, K-richterite results on K-richterite stability show that this amphibole can coexist with garnet. Phase relations of K-richterite in a natural can act as a principal reservoir for alkalis and water MARID composition are consistent with those in the simplified as well as for a number of incompatible trace elements system and confirm the potential stability of K-richterite and Kin the Earth's mantle down to transition zone depths, richterite + garnet within the diamond stability field. The asand may be involved in deep-seated magma generation semblage K-richterite + phlogopite + clinopyroxene is incompletely processes: K-richterite (or Ti-and/or F-rich varieties) buffered in the KNCMASH system, resulting in a systematic relation is thought to be a source component of lamproites between bulk-and mineral compositions observed in the experiments. and group II kimberlites (orangeites) (Foley, 1992; Such a correlation, however, cannot be observed in natural MARIDs. Taylor et al., 1994; Mitchell, 1995b). Therefore, MARID-type rocks do not represent the bulk composition Previous studies have dealt with K-richterite stability from which they formed and, hence, must be products of an openin various bulk systems and little attention has been system crystallization. given so far to K-richterite chemistry as a function of P, T and bulk chemistry of the mantle. Thus, the aims of the present study are twofold: first, to assess the stability of K-richterite as a function of P and T in a peralkaline bulk composition; second, to consider the dependence of the chemistry of amphibole and coexisting clinopyroxene and phlogopite upon changing

The accurate prediction of software development costs may have a large economic impact. As a consequence, considerable research attention is now directed to understand better the software development process. The objective of this paper is to provide an experimental evaluation of the applicability, universality and accuracy of some algorithmic software cost estimating models (COCOMO, TUCOMO, PUTNAM, COPMO, ESSE and Function Points). Data on nine Italian MIS (Management Information Systems) projects were collected and used to evaluate the performance of the models. The evaluation of the estimates was based on the Mean Magnitude Relative Error (MRE) and Prediction at level 25% (PRED(25%)) criteria. Results indicated that the models provided interesting performances, better ˝if recalibrated with local data.

Despite the considerable number of studies of avian mating systems, the reasons for divorce in monogamous birds are still poorly understood. It is now generally believed that divorce is a reproductive strategy by an individual to maximize its own fitness, and that birds are continuously faced with the decision of whether to stay with the old mate or divorce in favour of a different partner. The key to understanding when divorce will occur lies in determining the costs and benefits of both pair fidelity and divorce. These are likely to be species-specific and related to the varying life histories. Individuals are expected to divorce when the benefits outweigh the costs. Although a number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain why and when individuals may divorce, these are scattered throughout the literature and have not been critically compared and contrasted either theoretically or empirically. Confusion still exists as to the underlying assumptions and predictions of the individual models, mainly because a sound theoretical framework is lacking. Empirical studies to date are few and have been mainly post-hoc interpretations. Further advances in the field require sound mathematical modelling of the hypotheses and more experimental studies that rigorously test a priori predictions. These include removal of mates to create vacancies under controlled situations, manipulating sex ratios to increase intra-sexual competition, reducing or enlarging clutch sizes to alter perceived fitness, and manipulating the availability or quality of territories or mates to determine to what extent this affects divorce rates.

Mapping regional brain development in terms of protein synthesis (PS) activity yields insight on specific spatio-temporal ontogenetic patterns. The biosynthetic activity of an individual brain nucleus is represented as a time-series object, and clustering of time-series contributes to the problem of inducing indicative patterns of brain developmental events and forming respective PS chronological maps. Clustering analysis of PS chronological maps, in comparison with epigenetic influences of ␣ 2 adrenoceptors treatment, reveals relationships between distantly located brain structures. Clustering is performed with a novel graph theoretic clustering approach (GTC). The approach is based on the weighted graph arrangement of the input objects and the iterative partitioning of the corresponding minimum spanning tree. The final result is a hierarchical clustering-tree organization of the input objects. Application of GTC on the PS patterns in developing brain revealed five main clusters that correspond to respective brain development indicative profiles. The induced profiles confirm experimental findings, and provide evidence for further experimental studies.

A vast amount of research has documented an association between trait emotional intelligence (EI) and mental health. Several pathways could account for this relationship. First, it is possible that the association between trait EI and mental health is merely an artefact of the methods and measures used (response bias pathway). Second, trait EI may reduce the susceptibility to mental disorders via a succession of biological mechanisms (neuroendocrine pathway). Third, trait EI may reduce one's susceptibility to psychological disorders by minimizing mood alterations in difficult circumstances (affective pathway). This experimental study aims at documenting the third pathway. It presents three experimental studies investigating the moderating role of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) on mood deterioration following laboratoryinduced stress. The incremental validity of trait EI to predict mood changes over and above social desirability, alexithymia, resilience and the five-factor model of personality was also examined. Multiple regressions, performed on the three samples as well as on the combined sample (N = 196), showed that a) trait EI significantly moderated the Int J Clin Health Psychol, Vol. 9. Nº 3 456 MIKOLAJCZAK et al. Trait emotional intelligence and stress impact of the experimental stressor on subsequent mood deterioration, b) the effect held after controlling for social desirability and c) trait EI had incremental validity to predict mood deterioration over and above the other predictors.

Studying worked examples and engaging in self-explanation are well-supported strategies for developing self-regulated learning and improving student performance. Our efforts involve a design theory approach to creating a Web-based learning tool that uses the notion of a weekly quiz to draw students into an environment that supports the development of fundamental strategies for improving performance and well-structured problem solving. This manuscript describes a quasi-experimental study to isolate the specific impact of our tool on student learning and motivation. Results are inconclusive about an impact for students only provided with worked examples. The combination of a worked example with a self-explanation prompt produces improvement in performance, problem solving skill, and self-efficacy.

This paper presents an experimental study on the homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles in nanofluids. In this study, various physical treatment techniques based on two-step method, including stirrer, ultrasonic bath, ultrasonic disruptor, and high-pressure homogenizer were systematically tested to verify their versatility for preparing stable nanofluids. Initially carbon black and silver nanoparticles dispersed in base fluids with the presence of surfactant were found to be highly agglomerated with the hydrodynamic diameter of 330 nm to 585 nm, respectively. After both CB and Ag nanofluids were treated by various two-step methods, stirrer, ultrasonic bath, and ultrasonic disrupter was found to do a poor performance in deagglomeration process for the initial particle clusters. However, the high-pressure homogenizer produced the average diameter of the CB and Ag particles of 45 nm and 35 nm, respectively, indicating that among various physical treatment techniques employed in this study, the high-pressure homogenizer was the most effective method to break down the agglomerated nanoparticles suspended in base fluids. In order to prepare another nanofluid with much smaller primary nanoparticles, we also employed a modified magnetron sputtering system, in which the sputtered nanoparticles were designed to directly mix with the running surfactant-added silicon oil thin film formed on a rolling drum (i.e. one-step method). We observed that Ag nanoparticles produced by the modified magnetron sputtering system were homogeneously dispersed and long-term stable in the silicon oil-based fluid, and the average diameter of Ag nanoparticles was found to be~3 nm, indicating that the modified magnetron sputtering system is also an effective one-step method to prepare stable nanofluids.