Antipredator behavior promotes diversification of feeding strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledón-Rettig, Cris C; Pfennig, David W

2012-07-01

Animals often facultatively engage in less risky behavior when predators are present. Few studies, however, have investigated whether, or how, such predator-mediated behavior promotes diversification. Here, we ask whether tadpoles of the spadefoot toad Scaphiopus couchii have a diminished ability to utilize a potentially valuable resource--anostracan fairy shrimp--because of behavioral responses to predation risk imposed by carnivorous tadpoles of the genus Spea. Observations of a congener of Sc. couchii that occurs in allopatry with Spea, coupled with an ancestral character state reconstruction, revealed that Sc. couchii's ancestors likely consumed shrimp. By experimentally manipulating the presence of Spea carnivore-morph tadpoles in microcosms, we found that Sc. couchii reduce feeding and avoid areas where both Spea carnivores and shrimp occur. We hypothesize that the recurrent expression of such behaviors in sympatric populations of Sc. couchii led to the evolutionary fixation of a detritivorous feeding strategy, which is associated with a reduced risk of predation from Spea carnivores. Generally, predator-mediated behavior might play a key role in promoting diversification of feeding strategies.

Using goal setting as a strategy for dietary behavior change.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, K W; Baranowski, T; Smith, S P

2001-05-01

Recent reviews have noted that behavioral theory-based nutrition education programs are more successful at achieving food behavior change than knowledge-based programs and that a clear understanding of the mechanisms of behavior change procedures enable dietetics professionals to more effectively promote change. Successful dietary behavior change programs target 1 or more of the personal, behavioral, or environmental factors that influence the behavior of interest and apply theory-based strategies to influence or change those factors. Goal setting is a strategy that is frequently used to help people change. A 4-step goal-setting process has been identified: recognizing a need for change; establishing a goal; adopting a goal-directed activity and self-monitoring it; and self-rewarding goal attainment. The applications of goal setting in dietary interventions for adults and children are reviewed here. Because interventions using goal setting appear to promote dietary change, dietitians should consider incorporating the goal-setting strategies to enhance the behavior change process in nutrition education programs.

Behavior of copper in acidic sulfate solution: Comparison with acidic chloride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tromans, D.; Silva, J.C. [Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). Dept. of Metals and Materials Engineering

1997-03-01

The anodic polarization behavior of copper in a 0.1 M sulfuric acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) + 1 M sodium sulfate (Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) solution (pH = 2.0) was studied at room temperature under quiescent and stirred conditions. The behavior was compared with aqueous equilibria via construction of a potential-vs-pH (E-pH) diagram for the copper-sulfate-water (Cu-SO{sub 4}{sup 2}-H{sub 2}O) system. Interpretation of the behavior was aided by comparison with aqueous equilibria and polarization studies of copper in a 0.2 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) + 1 M sodium chloride (NaCl) solution(pH = 0.8). The initial anodic dissolution region in the acidic sulfate solution exhibited Tafel behavior with a slope consistent with formation of cupric ions (Cu{sup 2+}) whose rate of formation was charge-transfer controlled. At higher potentials, limiting current density (i{sub L}) behavior was observed under E-pH conditions that were consistent with formation of a film of copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO{sub 4} {degree} 5H{sub 2}O). Comparison of experimental i{sub L} values with those predicted by mass transport-controlled processes, using estimates of the diffusion layer thickness obtained from the mass transfer-influenced region of apparent Tafel behavior in the acidic chloride solution, were in sufficient agreement to indicate i{sub L} was controlled by the rate of dissolution of the CuSO{sub 4} {degree} 5H{sub 2}O film via transport of Cu{sup 2+} from the film-electrolyte interface into the bulk solution.

General Parenting Strategies: Practical Suggestions for Common Child Behavior Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavan, Michael G; Saxena, Shailendra K; Rafiq, Naureen

2018-05-15

Parents often seek guidance from physicians on child behavior problems. Questions may range from general parenting strategies to managing specific child behaviors. Physicians and their staff can identify problematic parent-child interactions or behaviors within the office setting and assist parents by providing effective monitoring tools for behavior problems. Effective strategies for influencing a child's behavior include positive reinforcement to increase appropriate behavior, extinction (planned ignoring) for most low-level problematic behaviors, and time-out from reinforcement for more problematic behaviors. Written contracting provides parents the opportunity to communicate with their children about important behaviors and strengthens the commitment of each party to improve behavior. Parents should be cautioned about the use of punishment (e.g., scolding, taking away privileges or possessions) because it suppresses behavior only temporarily. Physicians should discourage physical or corporal punishment because it is related to negative parent-child relationships, increased aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, lower cognitive ability, lower self-esteem, mental health problems, and increased risk of physical abuse.

Evaluating the combined effectiveness of influenza control strategies and human preventive behavior.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Mao

Full Text Available Control strategies enforced by health agencies are a major type of practice to contain influenza outbreaks. Another type of practice is the voluntary preventive behavior of individuals, such as receiving vaccination, taking antiviral drugs, and wearing face masks. These two types of practices take effects concurrently in influenza containment, but little attention has been paid to their combined effectiveness. This article estimates this combined effectiveness using established simulation models in the urbanized area of Buffalo, NY, USA. Three control strategies are investigated, including: Targeted Antiviral Prophylaxis (TAP, workplace/school closure, community travel restriction, as well as the combination of the three. All control strategies are simulated with and without regard to individual preventive behavior, and the resulting effectiveness are compared. The simulation outcomes suggest that weaker control strategies could suffice to contain influenza epidemics, because individuals voluntarily adopt preventive behavior, rendering these weaker strategies more effective than would otherwise have been expected. The preventive behavior of individuals could save medical resources for control strategies and avoid unnecessary socio-economic interruptions. This research adds a human behavioral dimension into the simulation of control strategies and offers new insights into disease containment. Health policy makers are recommended to review current control strategies and comprehend preventive behavior patterns of local populations before making decisions on influenza containment.

Asymptotic Behavior of Periodic Wave Solution to the Hirota—Satsuma Equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yong-Qi

2011-01-01

The one- and two-periodic wave solutions for the Hirota—Satsuma (HS) equation are presented by using the Hirota derivative and Riemann theta function. The rigorous proofs on asymptotic behaviors of these two solutions are given such that soliton solution can be obtained from the periodic wave solution in an appropriate limiting procedure. (general)

Factors Associated with South Korean Early Childhood Educators' Observed Behavior Support Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeon Ha; Stormont, Melissa

2012-01-01

This study was an exploratory study of 34 South Korean early childhood educators' strategies for addressing behavior problems in natural settings. Factors related to teachers' strategy implementation were also explored. Four specific teacher behaviors were observed: precorrection, behavioral-specific praise, redirection, and reprimand/punishment.…

The Application Strategy of Iterative Solution Methodology to Matrix Equations in Hydraulic Solver Package, SPACE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Y. W.; Park, C. E.; Lee, S. Y.

2009-01-01

As a part of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) project, 'Development of safety analysis codes for nuclear power plants', KOPEC has been developing the hydraulic solver code package applicable to the safety analyses of nuclear power plants (NPP's). The matrices of the hydraulic solver are usually sparse and may be asymmetric. In the earlier stage of this project, typical direct matrix solver packages MA48 and MA28 had been tested as matrix solver for the hydraulic solver code, SPACE. The selection was based on the reasonably reliable performance experience from their former version MA18 in RELAP computer code. In the later stage of this project, the iterative methodologies have been being tested in the SPACE code. Among a few candidate iterative solution methodologies tested so far, the biconjugate gradient stabilization methodology (BICGSTAB) has shown the best performance in the applicability test and in the application to the SPACE code. Regardless of all the merits of using the direct solver packages, there are some other aspects of tackling the iterative solution methodologies. The algorithm is much simpler and easier to handle. The potential problems related to the robustness of the iterative solution methodologies have been resolved by applying pre-conditioning methods adjusted and modified as appropriate to the application in the SPACE code. The application strategy of conjugate gradient method was introduced in detail by Schewchuk, Golub and Saad in the middle of 1990's. The application of his methodology to nuclear engineering in Korea started about the same time and is still going on and there are quite a few examples of application to neutronics. Besides, Yang introduced a conjugate gradient method programmed in C++ language. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance and behavior of the iterative solution methodology compared to those of the direct solution methodology still being preferred due to its robustness and reliability. The

Effects of Strategies Marketing of Collective Buying about Impulsive Behavior

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Suzi Elen Ferreira Dias

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Brazil has the second largest e-commerce market in the world. One model used in this sector is "collective buying", a feature of which is impulse sales. Consumer behavior can be influenced by several factors, two of which are addressed in this article: the individual impulsivity of consumers and strategies of mix marketing. Impulsive buying is characterized by an unplanned purchase, i.e. the need to acquire the product arises just before the purchase. Consumers respond differently to mixed strategies depending on their degree of impulsivity. Thus, this article aims to analyze the efficacy of different marketing mix strategies for impulsive and non-impulsive consumer purchasing behavior. 137 participants were given a questionnaire containing the Buying Impulsiveness scale from Rook and Fisher (1995, and statements about the marketing strategies used by collective buying sites. Through a regression analysis, three strategies were found to relate more to impulsivity: search for products from well-known brands, search for deals with big discounts and confidence in receiving the product. For e-commerce and researchers, this study elucidates which strategies, from the consumer's perspective, effectively persuade purchasing behavior.

Features of brand perception by people with different strategies of consumer behavior

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Antonova N. V.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The article describes the results of the research of perception of the domestic and foreign clothing brands by Russian consumers with various strategies of consumer behavior. The study involved 169 people of various ages (m = 24.5 years. Methods of research: a the method of semantic differential for the analysis of the image of the brand, developed by F.N. Vinokurov; b an adapted methodology for researching consumer behavior strategies. Based on the obtained results, it is concluded that there are specific features of perception of domestic and foreign brands by Russian consumers with different consumer behavior strategies: 1 the image of the Russian brand is more complicated, includes 5 factors, while the image of the foreign brand includes 3 factors; 2 8 basic and three generalized strategies of consumer behavior of Russians are singled out, and the content of strategies differs from the content of strategies of foreign consumers; 3 the peculiarities of brand perception in people with different consumer behavior strategies are highlighted, and it is found that the perception of foreign brands is more closely connected with the strategies of consumer behavior than the perception of domestic brands; 4 brand image (primarily such parameters as “reliability” and “positivity” of the brand is more significant for rational and impulsive consumers and to a lesser extent for brand-dependent ones. The obtained results can be used in the construction of brand communication, as well as a basis for further research of the mechanisms of perception of brands as objects of social cognition.

The Relationship between Emotion Regulation Strategies and Interpersonal Behavior among Substance Abusers

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Adel Zahed

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Individuals with substance abuse show signs of negative emotion regulation strategies and impaired interpersonal behaviors. The aim of the present research was to determine the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and interpersonal behavior among substance abusers. Method: The research design was a correlation study. The research sample consisted of 100 who were selected of the substance abusers that referred to clinical of addiction withdrawal by random sample method in Ardabil city. To collect the data, Emotion regulation Scale and Interpersonal Reactivity Index were used. Results: The results showed that positive and negative emotion regulation strategies were correlated to interpersonal behavior in substance abusers. The results of multiple regression analysis showed positive and negative emotion regulation strategies explained 16 percent of interpersonal behavior variance. Also the results showed that “putting into perspective“ was found to be the best predictor for interpersonal behavior. Conclusion: These results have important implications in psychopathological of substance abuse. On the basis of these results, clinicians can use emotion regulation strategies in order to cope substance abuse.

Adsorption behaviors of trivalent actinides and lanthanides on pyridine resin in lithium chloride aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatsuya Suzuki

2013-01-01

The adsorption behaviors of trivalent actinides and lanthanides on pyridine resin in lithium chloride aqueous solution were investigated. The adsorbed amounts of lanthanides and the degree of mutual separation of lanthanides increased with an increase in the concentration of lithium chloride in aqueous solution. The group separation of the trivalent actinides and lanthanides was observed. This separation phenomenon is similar in a hydrochloric acid solution. However, the adsorption behavior of lanthanides in lithium chloride is different from their behavior in a hydrochloric acid solution. This fact shows that the adsorption mechanisms of lanthanides in a lithium chloride aqueous solution and in a hydrochloric acid solution are different; the adsorption mechanisms are attributed to the ion exchange in a hydrochloric acid solution, and to the complex formation with pyridine group in a lithium chloride solution. (author)

Market behavior and performance of different strategy evaluation schemes

OpenAIRE

Yongjoo Baek; Sang Hoon Lee; Hawoong Jeong

2010-01-01

Strategy evaluation schemes are a crucial factor in any agent-based market model, as they determine the agents' strategy preferences and consequently their behavioral pattern. This study investigates how the strategy evaluation schemes adopted by agents affect their performance in conjunction with the market circumstances. We observe the performance of three strategy evaluation schemes, the history-dependent wealth game, the trend-opposing minority game, and the trend-following majority game,...

Passivation behavior of a ferritic stainless steel in concentrated alkaline solutions

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Arash Fattah-alhosseini

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The passivation behavior of AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel was investigated in concentrated alkaline solutions in relation to several test parameters, using electrochemical techniques. Increasing solution pH (varying from 11.5 to 14.0 leads to an increase in the corrosion rate of the alloy. Mott–Schottky analysis revealed that passive films formed on AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel behave as n-type semiconductor and the donor densities increased with pH. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS results showed that the reciprocal capacitance of the passive film is directly proportional to its thickness, which decreases with pH increase. The results revealed that for this ferritic stainless steel in concentrated alkaline solutions, decreasing the solution pH offers better conditions for forming passive films with higher protection behavior, due to the growth of a much thicker and less defective film.

The problem resident behavior guide: strategies for remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Kelly; Quattromani, Erin; Aldeen, Amer

2016-04-01

In 2012, the ACGME supplemented the core competencies with outcomes-based milestones for resident performance within the six competency domains. These milestones address the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and experiences that a resident is expected to progress through during the course of training. Even prior to the initiation of the milestones, there was a paucity of EM literature addressing the remediation of problem resident behaviors and there remain few readily accessible tools to aid in the implementation of a remediation plan. The goal of the "Problem Resident Behavior Guide" is to provide specific strategies for resident remediation based on deficiencies identified within the framework of the EM milestones. The "Problem Resident Behavior Guide" is a written instructional manual that provides concrete examples of remediation strategies to address specific milestone deficiencies. The more than 200 strategies stem from the experiences of the authors who have professional experience at three different academic hospitals and emergency medicine residency programs, supplemented by recommendations from educational leaders as well as utilization of valuable education adjuncts, such as focused simulation exercises, lecture preparation, and themed ED shifts. Most recommendations require active participation by the resident with guidance by faculty to achieve the remediation expectations. The ACGME outcomes-based milestones aid in the identification of deficiencies with regards to resident performance without providing recommendations on remediation. The Problem Resident Behavior Guide can therefore have a significant impact by filling in this gap.

Passivation behavior of SUS 304 stainless steel in neutral solutions at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanno, Kazuo; Kato, Koji; Ohnaka, Noriyuki; Okajima, Yoshiaki; Minato, Akira.

1981-01-01

Cyclic voltammograms of SUS 304 stainless steel in various neutral solutions such as Na 2 SO 4 at high temperature were measured, as a successive study to previous report in which effects of temperature and pH on polarization behavior of stainless steel were studied. In this measurement Ag/AgCl reference electrode and platinum counter electrode were used in a static autoclave lined with inconel. Passive films formed in various conditions were analysed by electron diffraction and Auger spectroscopy. Results obtained were compared with anodic behavior of iron, chromium and nickel and with thermodynamical stabilities of their compounds. The main results are summarized as follows. (1) Stainless steel shows such electrochemical behavior as active dissolution, passivation and transpassivation in a deaerated neutral solution at 250 0 C after fully reductive treatment of the specimen. In air-saturated solution, the peak of active dissolution is not observed. In the passive range there are intermediate oxidation and reduction peaks, and it is assumed that dissolved ionic species are oxidized to form oxide of spinel type and higher oxidized state successively at these peaks. (2) Electrochemical behavior of specimens in 0.1 M sulfate, -phosphate and -carbonate solutions are almost the same and rather thick films form in these solutions. On the other hand, specimens are easy to passivate in borate and -nitrate solution, and their passive films are thin. (author)

Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders to Use a Negotiation Procedure: Impact on Classroom Behavior and Conflict Resolution Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Bullock, Cathy

2012-01-01

The impact of the instruction of a six-step problem solving negotiation procedure on the conflict resolution strategies and classroom behavior of six elementary students with challenging behaviors was examined. Moderately positive effects were found for the following negotiation strategies used by students: independent problem solving, problem…

Corrosion fatigue behavior of high strength brass in aqueous solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamada, A.S.; Kassem, M.A.; Ramadan, R.M.; El-Zeky, M.A. [Suez Canal Univ., Dept. of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (Egypt)

2000-07-01

Corrosion fatigue behavior of British Standard high strength brass, CZ 127 has been studied in various environments, 3.5%NaC1 solution and 3.5%NaC1 containing 1000ppm ammonia by applying the reverse bending technique, strain-controlled cyclic, at 67 cycles/min. Characteristics of the produced alloy were studied using differential thermal analysis with applying its results in heat treating of the alloy; metallographic examinations; hardness measurements; X-ray; and electrochemical behavior of the unstressed alloy. CZ 127 was fatigued at three different conditions, solution treated, peak aged, and over aged at a fixed strain amplitude, 0.03 5. Solution treated alloy gave the best fatigue properties in all environments tested among the other materials. Results of the alloy studied were compared with that obtained of 70/30 {alpha}-brass. Fracture surface of the fatigued alloy was examined using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with EDX. (author)

Corrosion fatigue behavior of high strength brass in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, A.S.; Kassem, M.A.; Ramadan, R.M.; El-Zeky, M.A.

2000-01-01

Corrosion fatigue behavior of British Standard high strength brass, CZ 127 has been studied in various environments, 3.5%NaC1 solution and 3.5%NaC1 containing 1000ppm ammonia by applying the reverse bending technique, strain-controlled cyclic, at 67 cycles/min. Characteristics of the produced alloy were studied using differential thermal analysis with applying its results in heat treating of the alloy; metallographic examinations; hardness measurements; X-ray; and electrochemical behavior of the unstressed alloy. CZ 127 was fatigued at three different conditions, solution treated, peak aged, and over aged at a fixed strain amplitude, 0.03 5. Solution treated alloy gave the best fatigue properties in all environments tested among the other materials. Results of the alloy studied were compared with that obtained of 70/30 α-brass. Fracture surface of the fatigued alloy was examined using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with EDX. (author)

Reading comprehension metacognitive strategies as a means for controlling behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinorah Aladina Caballero López

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Textual comprehension implies the use of various metacognitive strategies by the students when they have to face a text to be competent readers. That is why the objective of this article is to illustrate the application of metacognitive strategies in order to achieve an efficient textual comprehension, taking into account the self – regulation the student exerts over his own learning process. It is applied as the main method historical-logical studies based on a professional-researching systematic practice; at the same time observation is largely used. The main result is the introduction of metacognitive strategies in reading comprehension, which subsequently favor the self-control of personal behavior. The article is the result of a research project sponsored by the department of Special Education. Key words: reading comprehension, metacognitive strategies, behavior self-control.

Crack propagation behavior of Ti-5Ta alloy in boiling nitric acid solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motooka, Takafumi; Kiuchi, Kiyoshi

1999-05-01

The crack propagation behavior of Ti-5Ta alloy both in boiling nitric acid solution and in air at room temperature has been investigated. The crack growth rate of Ti-5Ta alloy was measured as a function of the stress intensity factor range. After the tests, the fracture surface morphology was observed by a scanning electron microscope and the crystallographic orientation was examined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Difference in the crack growth behavior was not observed in both environments. The crack growth rate in boiling nitric acid solution was similar to that in air at room temperature. Moreover, the crystallographic orientation of Ti-5Ta alloy had little effect on the fatigue behavior, because this alloy does not have the susceptibility to SCC in nitric acid solution. (author)

Improving Inappropriate Social Behavior of Autistic Students Using the LISTEN Intervention Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shammari, Zaid; Daniel, Cathy; Faulkner, Paula; Yawkey, Thomas D.

2010-01-01

A case study was conducted on the development of the LISTEN intervention strategy for use with autistic students to improve inappropriate social behaviors. The study was conducted in a special education classroom in an autism school in Kuwait. Examination of LISTEN Intervention Strategy applications included: duration of targeted behavior; methods…

Universal versus tailored solutions for alleviating disruptive behavior in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Berman-Kishony, Talia; Shvarts, Shifra

2015-01-01

Disruptive behavior among hospital staff can negatively affect quality of care. Motivated by a standard on disruptive behavior issued by The Joint Commission (LD 3.10), as well as the desire to improve patient care, minimize liability, and improve staff retention, hospitals are setting policies to prevent and resolve disruptive behaviors. However, it is unknown whether uniform conflict management tools are equally effective among different hospital settings. We surveyed residents and nurses to identify similarities and differences among hospital departments in the antecedents, characteristics, and outcomes of disruptive behaviors, and in the effectiveness of conflict management tools. We used a quantitative questionnaire-based assessment to examine conflict perceptions in eight different hospital departments at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel. Most participants (89 %) reported witnessing disruptive behavior either directly or in other parties; the most significant causes were identified as intense work, miscommunication, and problematic personalities. The forms of these behaviors, however, varied significantly between departments, with some more prone to expressed conflicts, while others were characterized by hidden disruptive behaviors. These outcomes were correlated by the antecedents to disruptive behavior, which in turn affected the effectiveness of alleviating strategies and tools. Some tools, such as processes for evaluating complaints, teamwork and conflict management courses, and introducing a behavioral mission statement, are effective across many antecedents. Other tools, however, are antecedent-specific, falling into two principal categories: tools directly removing a specific problem and tools that offer a way to circumvent the problem. Conflict resolution tools and strategies, based on residents and nurse perceptions, may be more effective if tailored to the specific situation, rather than using a "one-size-fits-all" approach.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A NEXT STEP IN DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMIC BEHAVIOR TOWARD SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS OF SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS OF TODAY

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Matja(z) Mulej; Zdenka (Z)enko; Viktor (Z)akelj

2017-01-01

Data are clear:humankind is facing a global socio-economic crisis.Global bodies search for solution in ending the neoliberal monopolistic,rather than free market,economy,and in introduction of systemic behavior under the label of social responsibility.To support this effort,the research that is reported about in this contribution,suggests systemic perception of social responsibility to cause the end of abuse,strategy of promotion of social responsibility,and of suitable economic preconditions,supported by several lines of action,which everybody can trigger.

Finite Time Merton Strategy under Drawdown Constraint: A Viscosity Solution Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elie, R.

2008-01-01

We consider the optimal consumption-investment problem under the drawdown constraint, i.e. the wealth process never falls below a fixed fraction of its running maximum. We assume that the risky asset is driven by the constant coefficients Black and Scholes model and we consider a general class of utility functions. On an infinite time horizon, Elie and Touzi (Preprint, [2006]) provided the value function as well as the optimal consumption and investment strategy in explicit form. In a more realistic setting, we consider here an agent optimizing its consumption-investment strategy on a finite time horizon. The value function interprets as the unique discontinuous viscosity solution of its corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. This leads to a numerical approximation of the value function and allows for a comparison with the explicit solution in infinite horizon

Solution-Focused Strategies for Effective Sexual Health Communication among African American Parents and Their Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Sharon D; Williams, Sha-Lai

2015-11-01

The high rates of sexual risk behaviors, particularly among African American youths who may not be aware of their HIV status, provide indication that, unless prevention efforts are enhanced, this vulnerable group of youths will remain at greater risk for negative health status outcomes. Parents are important in efforts to reduce risk among youths and often have a willingness to be sexuality educators for their children; however, communication barriers often impede their ability to provide preventive sexual health knowledge to their youths. Social workers are often presented with opportunities to help parents develop effective sexual health communication skills in informal settings when formal interventions are not feasible. The present effort considers solution-focused strategies social workers can use to help parents overcome barriers and communicate more positively with their youths about sexual health.

Market behavior and performance of different strategy evaluation schemes.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Yongjoo; Lee, Sang Hoon; Jeong, Hawoong

2010-08-01

Strategy evaluation schemes are a crucial factor in any agent-based market model, as they determine the agents' strategy preferences and consequently their behavioral pattern. This study investigates how the strategy evaluation schemes adopted by agents affect their performance in conjunction with the market circumstances. We observe the performance of three strategy evaluation schemes, the history-dependent wealth game, the trend-opposing minority game, and the trend-following majority game, in a stock market where the price is exogenously determined. The price is either directly adopted from the real stock market indices or generated with a Markov chain of order ≤2 . Each scheme's success is quantified by average wealth accumulated by the traders equipped with the scheme. The wealth game, as it learns from the history, shows relatively good performance unless the market is highly unpredictable. The majority game is successful in a trendy market dominated by long periods of sustained price increase or decrease. On the other hand, the minority game is suitable for a market with persistent zigzag price patterns. We also discuss the consequence of implementing finite memory in the scoring processes of strategies. Our findings suggest under which market circumstances each evaluation scheme is appropriate for modeling the behavior of real market traders.

Teacher Perceptions and Behavioral Strategies for Students with Emotional Disturbance across Educational Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Chan; Weiss, Stacy L.; Cullinan, Douglas

2012-01-01

The present study examined problem characteristics of students with emotional disturbance in 3 educational environments, the behavior management and intervention strategies their teachers used, and what relation exists between problem characteristics and intervention strategies. Teachers completed a behavior problems rating scale and they…

Asymptotic Behavior of Solutions of Delayed Difference Equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Diblík

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This contribution is devoted to the investigation of the asymptotic behavior of delayed difference equations with an integer delay. We prove that under appropriate conditions there exists at least one solution with its graph staying in a prescribed domain. This is achieved by the application of a more general theorem which deals with systems of first-order difference equations. In the proof of this theorem we show that a good way is to connect two techniques—the so-called retract-type technique and Liapunov-type approach. In the end, we study a special class of delayed discrete equations and we show that there exists a positive and vanishing solution of such equations.

Design Requirements, Epistemic Uncertainty and Solution Development Strategies in Software Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ball, Linden J.; Onarheim, Balder; Christensen, Bo Thomas

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the potential involvement of “epistemic uncertainty” in mediating between complex design requirements and strategic switches in software design strategies. The analysis revealed that the designers produced an initial “first-pass” solution to the given design brief in a bre...... a view of software design as involving a mixed breadth-first and depth-first solution development approach, with strategic switching to depth-first design being triggered by requirement complexity and being mediated by associated feelings of uncertainty....

Prevalence of behavior changing strategies in fitness video games: theory-based content analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Elizabeth Jane; Hatkevich, Claire

2013-05-07

Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of evidence-based behavioral strategies across fitness video games available for home use. Games available for consoles that used camera-based controllers were also contrasted with games available for a console that used handheld motion controllers. Fitness games (N=18) available for three home consoles were systematically identified and play-tested by 2 trained coders for at least 3 hours each. In cases of multiple games from one series, only the most recently released game was included. The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 were the two camera-based consoles, and the Nintendo Wii was the handheld motion controller console. A coding list based on a taxonomy of behavioral strategies was used to begin coding. Codes were refined in an iterative process based on data found during play-testing. The most prevalent behavioral strategies were modeling (17/18), specific performance feedback (17/18), reinforcement (16/18), caloric expenditure feedback (15/18), and guided practice (15/18). All games included some kind of feedback on performance accuracy, exercise frequency, and/or fitness progress. Action planning (scheduling future workouts) was the least prevalent of the included strategies (4/18). Twelve games included some kind of social integration, with nine of them providing options for real-time multiplayer sessions. Only two games did not feature any kind of reward. Games for the camera-based consoles (mean 12.89, SD 2.71) included a greater number of strategies than those

Better Behavior for Better Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Novelli, Joan

1993-01-01

Presents strategies for banishing behavior problems in the classroom and creating a positive learning environment. The behaviors include name calling; hitting and pushing; tattling; poking and touching; overactivity; talking back; complaining about no playmates; being unprepared to work; and lying, cheating, and stealing. On-the-spot solutions are…

Unusual radiolytic behavior of neptunium ions in aqueous bicarbonate solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shilov, V.P.; Gogolev, A.V.; Pikaev, A.K.

2000-01-01

Behavior of neptunium ions in carbonate and bicarbonate aqueous solutions saturated with air, oxygen or argon during gamma radiation ( 60 Co) by doses up to 3 kGy at dose rates 10 and 25 Gy/min was studied by the method of spectrophotometry. It is shown that in neptunium (5) bicarbonate solution nearly complete (95%) neptunium ion oxidation occurs under the effect of radiation, whereas no oxidation is observed in carbonate solution. Radiation-chemical yield of neptunium (5) oxidation and stationary concentration of neptunium (6) ions depend on concentration of bicarbonate-ions. Explanation to the results obtained is made from the viewpoint of potential radiolytic reactions [ru

Modelling Difficulties and Their Overcoming Strategies in the Solution of a Modelling Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Dede, Ayse Tekin

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study is to reveal the elementary mathematics student teachers' difficulties encountered in the solution of a modelling problem, the strategies to overcome those difficulties and whether the strategies worked or not. Nineteen student teachers solved the modelling problem in their four or five-person groups, and the video records…

Intervention Strategies Based on Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model for Health Behavior Change: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Chang, Sun Ju; Choi, Suyoung; Kim, Se-An; Song, Misoon

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study systematically reviewed research on behavioral interventions based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model to investigate specific intervention strategies that focus on information, motivation, and behavioral skills and to evaluate their effectiveness for people with chronic diseases. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of both the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency and Im and Chang. A lit...

Strategies to Increase Behavior-Specific Teacher Praise in an Inclusive Environment

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Musti-Rao, Shobana; Haydon, Todd

2011-01-01

Managing students' disruptive behavior in the classroom can be a time-consuming task and greatly reduces the amount of time teachers spend on instruction. Although there are several research-validated classroom management strategies, teachers are more likely to adopt strategies that are less time-consuming than strategies that take more time or…

CACNA1C gene regulates behavioral strategies in operant rule learning.

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Koppe, Georgia; Mallien, Anne Stephanie; Berger, Stefan; Bartsch, Dusan; Gass, Peter; Vollmayr, Barbara; Durstewitz, Daniel

2017-06-01

Behavioral experiments are usually designed to tap into a specific cognitive function, but animals may solve a given task through a variety of different and individual behavioral strategies, some of them not foreseen by the experimenter. Animal learning may therefore be seen more as the process of selecting among, and adapting, potential behavioral policies, rather than mere strengthening of associative links. Calcium influx through high-voltage-gated Ca2+ channels is central to synaptic plasticity, and altered expression of Cav1.2 channels and the CACNA1C gene have been associated with severe learning deficits and psychiatric disorders. Given this, we were interested in how specifically a selective functional ablation of the Cacna1c gene would modulate the learning process. Using a detailed, individual-level analysis of learning on an operant cue discrimination task in terms of behavioral strategies, combined with Bayesian selection among computational models estimated from the empirical data, we show that a Cacna1c knockout does not impair learning in general but has a much more specific effect: the majority of Cacna1c knockout mice still managed to increase reward feedback across trials but did so by adapting an outcome-based strategy, while the majority of matched controls adopted the experimentally intended cue-association rule. Our results thus point to a quite specific role of a single gene in learning and highlight that much more mechanistic insight could be gained by examining response patterns in terms of a larger repertoire of potential behavioral strategies. The results may also have clinical implications for treating psychiatric disorders.

Profiles of classroom behavior in high schools: associations with teacher behavior management strategies and classroom composition.

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Pas, Elise T; Cash, Anne H; O'Brennan, Lindsey; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

2015-04-01

Although there has been considerable attention to the issue of classroom management and processes in educational reform models, there has been relatively limited research on these factors in high schools. The current study utilized observational data from 1262 classrooms in 52 high schools to examine teacher classroom management strategies and ratings of student compliance, engagement, and social disruption. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to examine specific patterns of classroom-wide student behavior in relation to teachers' use of classroom management strategies and classroom composition. The LPA revealed three distinct classroom behavioral profiles where students consistently met behavioral expectations (71%), inconsistently met expectations (23%), and were noncompliant (6%). Analyses indicated a functional association between patterns of student behavior and teachers' classroom management. In classrooms where students consistently met expectations, teachers provided more opportunities to respond and less disapproval and reactive behavioral management. Classrooms with noncompliant students had teachers who used the most disapproval and reactive behavior management. In addition, classrooms characterized as consistent had fewer males and more White students than classrooms characterized by inconsistent and noncompliant behaviors. These findings highlight the link between student patterns of behavior and teacher classroom management and have important implications for screening and professional development. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and corrosion behavior of fresh porous silicon in sodium hydroxide solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, Chuan; Li, Xueming; Zhang, Daixiong; Xiang, Zhen; Yang, Wenjing; Guo, Xiaogang

2014-01-01

The corrosion behavior of fresh porous silicon (f-PS) in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution in the presence and absence of ethanol was studied by weight loss measurements and scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique. The phenomena and progress of f-PS corrosion in 1.0 M NaOH at 318 K was obtained and described. Weight loss measurements show that the corrosion rate increases with increasing temperature and concentration of NaOH solution. Meanwhile, the corrosion rate first increases with increasing volume ratio of ethanol in 1.0 M NaOH, and then decreases. Additionally, the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters (E a , A, ΔH a and ΔS a ) for f-PS corrosion were obtained and discussed. And the effect factors (T, c and v) of f-PS corrosion in NaOH solution were studied in this paper. - Highlights: • The corrosion behavior of f-PS in NaOH solution was studied for the first time. • Phenomena and progress of f-PS corrosion in NaOH solution was obtained and described. • The effect factors (T, c and v) of f-PS corrosion in NaOH solution were studied. • The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were obtained and discussed. • The corrosion rate can be improved by adding ethanol into NaOH solution

Long term corrosion behavior of the WAK-HLW glass in salt solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luckscheiter, B.; Nesovic, M.

1998-01-01

The corrosion behavior of the HLW glass GP WAK1 containing simulated HLW oxides from the WAK reprocessing plant in Karlsruhe is investigated in long-term corrosion experiments at high S/V ratios in two reference brines at 110 and 190 C. In case of the MgCl 2 -rich solution the leachate becomes increasingly acid with reaction time up to a final pH of about 3.5 at 190 C. In the NaCl-rich solution the pH rises to about 8.5 after one year of reaction. The release of soluble elements in MgCl 2 solution, under Si-saturated conditions, is proportional to the surface area of the sample and the release increases at 190 C according to a t 1/2 rate law. This time dependence may be an indication of diffusion controlled matrix dissolution. However, at 110 C the release of the mobile elements cannot be described by a t 1/2 rate law as the time exponents are much lower than 0.5. This difference in corrosion behavior may be explained by the higher pH of about 5 at 110 C. In case of NaCl solution under alkaline conditions, the release of soluble elements is not proportional to the surface area of the sample and it increases with time exponents much lower than 0.5. After one year of reaction at 190 C a sharp increase of the release values of some elements was observed. This increase might be explained by the high pH of the solution attained after one year. The corrosion mechanism in NaCl solution, as well as in MgCl 2 solution at 110 C, has not yet been explained. By corrosion experiments in water at constant pH values between 2 and 10, it could be shown that the time exponents of the release of Li and B decrease with increasing pH of the solution. This result can explain qualitatively the differences found in the corrosion behavior of the glass under the various conditions

Low GDP Solution and Glucose-Sparing Strategies for Peritoneal Dialysis.

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Szeto, Cheuk Chun; Johnson, David W

2017-01-01

Long-term exposure to a high glucose concentration in conventional peritoneal dialysis (PD) solution has a number of direct and indirect (via glucose degradation products [GDP]) detrimental effects on the peritoneal membrane, as well as systemic metabolism. Glucose- or GDP-sparing strategies often are hypothesized to confer clinical benefits to PD patients. Icodextrin (glucose polymer) solution improves peritoneal ultrafiltration and reduces the risk of fluid overload, but these beneficial effects are probably the result of better fluid removal rather than being glucose sparing. Although frequently used for glucose sparing, the role of amino acid-based solution in this regard has not been tested thoroughly. When glucose-free solutions are used in a combination regimen, published studies showed that glycemic control was improved significantly in diabetic PD patients, and there probably are beneficial effects on peritoneal function. However, the long-term effects of glucose-free solutions, used either alone or as a combination regimen, require further studies. On the other hand, neutral pH-low GDP fluids have been shown convincingly to preserve residual renal function and urine volume. The cost effectiveness of these solutions supports the regular use of neutral pH-low GDP solutions. Nevertheless, further studies are required to determine whether neutral pH-low GDP solutions exert beneficial effects on patient-level outcomes, such as peritonitis, technique survival, and patient survival. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Elementary School Teachers’ Successful Guidance Strategies for Intervening Children’s Bullying Behaviors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su-Fen Tu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the guidance strategies adopted by elementary homeroom teachers for their interventions on children’s bullying behaviors. Adopted a multiple case study approach, 11 homeroom teachers participated voluntarily through school counselors’ recommendation where semi-structured interviews were conducted. Their average age was 40.14 years old (SD=7.60 and they averaged 15.45 years (SD=6.80 of teaching experience. All participants had previous experience in successfully helping children who had bullying behaviors toward classmates. The results indicated three categories of successful guidance strategies: individual guidance, class management, and systems’ collaboration. Regarding individual guidance, the teachers were able (1 to understand in depth about the factors involved in bullying; (2 to set clear interpersonal boundaries with the bullies; (3 to recognize and reinforce the children’s personal strengths; (4 to face the children’s provoking behaviors with calm manners; (5 to adopt win-win strategies in disciplining. Regarding class management, the teachers were able (1 to set clear safety rules and execute them consistently, (2 to encourage altruistic and empathetic behaviors and to facilitate positive behaviors in class. Regarding the systems’ collaboration, the teachers cooperated mainly with the parents and resources at schools. Teachers’ guidance strategies and models in helping bullies, as well as the impacts of Chinese culture on the teachers’ guidance strategies are discussed.

Preventing and Addressing Challenging Behavior: Common Questions and Practical Strategies

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Hemmeter, Mary Louise; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.; Corso, Robert M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to offer preschool teachers strategies for preventing challenging behavior and supporting the development of social skills and emotional competencies. This article is framed in a question and answer format using questions from teachers who the authors have worked with in the past. These questions and strategies are…

Applying Instructional Design Strategies and Behavior Theory to Household Disaster Preparedness Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Tracy N; Sobelson, Robyn K; Wigington, Corinne J; Davis, Alyson L; Harp, Victoria H; Leander-Griffith, Michelle; Cioffi, Joan P

Interventions and media campaigns promoting household disaster preparedness have produced mixed results in affecting behaviors. In large part, this is due to the limited application of instructional design strategies and behavior theory, such as the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). This study describes the development and evaluation of Ready CDC, an intervention designed to increase household disaster preparedness among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workforce. (1) Describe the instructional design strategies employed in the development of Ready CDC and (2) evaluate the intervention's impact on behavior change and factors influencing stage progression for household disaster preparedness behavior. Ready CDC was adapted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Ready campaign. Offered to CDC staff September 2013-November 2015, it consisted of a preassessment of preparedness attitudes and behaviors, an in-person training, behavioral reinforcement communications, and a 3-month follow-up postassessment. Ready CDC employed well-accepted design strategies, including presenting stimulus material and enhancing transfer of desired behavior. Excluding those in the TTM "maintenance" stage at baseline, this study determined 44% of 208 participants progressed at least 1 stage for developing a written disaster plan. Moreover, assessment of progression by stage found among participants in the "precontemplation" (n = 16), "contemplation" (n = 15), and "preparation" (n = 125) stages at baseline for assembling an emergency kit, 25%, 27%, and 43% moved beyond the "preparation" stage, respectively. Factors influencing stage movement included knowledge, attitudes, and community resiliency but varied depending on baseline stage of change. Employing instructional strategies and behavioral theories in preparedness interventions optimizes the potential for individuals to adopt preparedness behaviors. Study findings suggest that stage movement toward

Three strategies to stabilise nearly monodispersed silver nanoparticles in aqueous solution

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Stevenson, Amadeus PZ; Blanco Bea, Duani; Civit, Sergi; Antoranz Contera, Sonia; Iglesias Cerveto, Alberto; Trigueros, Sonia

2012-02-01

Silver nanoparticles are extensively used due to their chemical and physical properties and promising applications in areas such as medicine and electronics. Controlled synthesis of silver nanoparticles remains a major challenge due to the difficulty in producing long-term stable particles of the same size and shape in aqueous solution. To address this problem, we examine three strategies to stabilise aqueous solutions of 15 nm citrate-reduced silver nanoparticles using organic polymeric capping, bimetallic core-shell and bimetallic alloying. Our results show that these strategies drastically improve nanoparticle stability by distinct mechanisms. Additionally, we report a new role of polymer functionalisation in preventing further uncontrolled nanoparticle growth. For bimetallic nanoparticles, we attribute the presence of a higher valence metal on the surface of the nanoparticle as one of the key factors for improving their long-term stability. Stable silver-based nanoparticles, free of organic solvents, will have great potential for accelerating further environmental and nanotoxicity studies. PACS: 81.07.-b; 81.16.Be; 82.70.Dd.

Prevalence of Behavior Changing Strategies in Fitness Video Games: Theory-Based Content Analysis

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Hatkevich, Claire

2013-01-01

Background Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of evidence-based behavioral strategies across fitness video games available for home use. Games available for consoles that used camera-based controllers were also contrasted with games available for a console that used handheld motion controllers. Methods Fitness games (N=18) available for three home consoles were systematically identified and play-tested by 2 trained coders for at least 3 hours each. In cases of multiple games from one series, only the most recently released game was included. The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 were the two camera-based consoles, and the Nintendo Wii was the handheld motion controller console. A coding list based on a taxonomy of behavioral strategies was used to begin coding. Codes were refined in an iterative process based on data found during play-testing. Results The most prevalent behavioral strategies were modeling (17/18), specific performance feedback (17/18), reinforcement (16/18), caloric expenditure feedback (15/18), and guided practice (15/18). All games included some kind of feedback on performance accuracy, exercise frequency, and/or fitness progress. Action planning (scheduling future workouts) was the least prevalent of the included strategies (4/18). Twelve games included some kind of social integration, with nine of them providing options for real-time multiplayer sessions. Only two games did not feature any kind of reward. Games for the camera-based consoles (mean 12.89, SD 2.71) included a

Dividendová strategie – součást behaviorální ekonomie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kateřina Fojtů

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the article: Purpose of this paper is criticaly analyse the role of dividend by using knowledge from the field of behavioral economics. Concepts such as moral hazard and asymmetric information are associated with behavioral finance and decision-making processes of companies. Behavioral economics sees the individual as irrational man who does not try to maximize his/her benefit, but mainly to minimize the risk in decision making. Against the background of the analyzed issue is made specific comparisons of dividend investment strategies with neutral/market strategies. Methods: Primary and secondary research was used in this article. Secondary research was based on a search of scientific articles and literature on the theory of dividend, shares and behavioral economics. Data from two previously conducted studies were used. Primary research was conducted on two stock indexes (dividend strategy vs. neutral/market strategy using selected statistical methods, and then the connection was sought between dividend policy and the return that these strategies bring. Scientific aim: The aim of this paper was to make a critical analysis of investment dividend strategy compared with a neutral/market strategies using statistical methods. Findings: It can be concluded that long-term investing in dividend stocks gives the investor a slightly higher valuation, at about the same risk than investing in stocks covering the whole market. Conclusions: Based on the results of studies conducted by Credist Suisse, Professor Siegel and based on our research can be identified dividend strategy. This strategy provides one of the best conditions return and risk, both in the development of the medium-term and long-term trend. This strategy follows the newly formed STOXX indexes, DJ, MSCI, S & P or WisdomTree.

OSCILLATION BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTIONS FOR EVEN ORDER NEUTRAL FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

T.Candan

2006-01-01

Even order neutral functional differential equations are considered. Sufficient conditions for the oscillation behavior of solutions for this differential equation are presented. The new results are presented and some examples are also given.

A Study of Preservice Educators' Dispositions to Change Behavior Management Strategies

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Shook, Alison C.

2012-01-01

Student behavior problems contribute to poor academic achievement and poor teacher retention. This study investigated preservice teachers' dispositions to implement positive and proactive strategies for managing behavior in the general education elementary urban classroom. The author interviewed 19 preservice teachers in a large urban school…

Corrosion behavior of stainless steel weldments in physiological solutions

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Farooq, A.; Azam, M.; Deen, K. M.

2018-01-01

In this study corrosion behavior of TIG welded 316L stainless steel plates in simulated biological solutions is investigated. The mechanical testing results showed slight decrease in ductility after welding and the fracture surface represented mixed cleavage and inclusions containing dimple structure. The heat affected and weld zone (WZ) demonstrated higher corrosion potential and relatively large pitting tendency than base metal (BM) in both Hank’s and Ringer’s solution. The formation of delta (δ) ferrite in the heat affected and WZ decreased the corrosion resistance as confirmed from potentiodynamic Tafel scans. The decrease in pitting resistance and lower protection tendency of the WZ compared to BM and heat affected zone was also quantified from the cyclic polarization trends.

Corrosion behavior of sodium-exposed stainless steels in chloride-containing aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, P.C.S.; Grundy, B.R.; Miller, R.L.

1979-01-01

The corrosion behavior of sodium-exposed stainless steels in chloride-containing aqueous solutions was investigated. Results showed that sodium-corroded Type 316 stainless steel (prototypic Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) fuel cladding) maintains its integrity after five months exposure in these solutions at 82 0 C and with chloride content up to 500 ppM. In contrast, sensitized and sodium mass transfer deposit-containing Type 304 stainless steel failed in the high chloride solution (500 ppM) within ten days at the same temperature. The failure was initiated by pitting and subsequently accelerated by intergranular attack. The results also show that high pH tends to reduce the susceptibility to failure while procedures commonly used for sodium removal have no significant effect on the water corrosion behavior of the test material. Based on the current results, it is concluded that water shortage is feasible for spent fuels in a LMFBR reprocessing plant

State of the evidence regarding behavior change theories and strategies in nutrition counseling to facilitate health and food behavior change.

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Spahn, Joanne M; Reeves, Rebecca S; Keim, Kathryn S; Laquatra, Ida; Kellogg, Molly; Jortberg, Bonnie; Clark, Nicole A

2010-06-01

Behavior change theories and models, validated within the field of dietetics, offer systematic explanations for nutrition-related behavior change. They are integral to the nutrition care process, guiding nutrition assessment, intervention, and outcome evaluation. The American Dietetic Association Evidence Analysis Library Nutrition Counseling Workgroup conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature related to behavior change theories and strategies used in nutrition counseling. Two hundred fourteen articles were reviewed between July 2007 and March 2008, and 87 studies met the inclusion criteria. The workgroup systematically evaluated these articles and formulated conclusion statements and grades based upon the available evidence. Strong evidence exists to support the use of a combination of behavioral theory and cognitive behavioral theory, the foundation for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in facilitating modification of targeted dietary habits, weight, and cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors. Evidence is particularly strong in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving intensive, intermediate-duration (6 to 12 months) CBT, and long-term (>12 months duration) CBT targeting prevention or delay in onset of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Few studies have assessed the application of the transtheoretical model on nutrition-related behavior change. Little research was available documenting the effectiveness of nutrition counseling utilizing social cognitive theory. Motivational interviewing was shown to be a highly effective counseling strategy, particularly when combined with CBT. Strong evidence substantiates the effectiveness of self-monitoring and meal replacements and/or structured meal plans. Compelling evidence exists to demonstrate that financial reward strategies are not effective. Goal setting, problem solving, and social support are effective strategies, but additional research is needed in more diverse populations. Routine documentation

Thermoresponsive behavior of chitosan-g-N-isopropylacrylamide copolymer solutions.

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Recillas, Maricarmen; Silva, Luisa L; Peniche, Carlos; Goycoolea, Francisco M; Rinaudo, Marguerite; Argüelles-Monal, Waldo M

2009-06-08

Chitosan-g-N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) water-soluble copolymers were synthesized and characterized by FTIR and (1)H NMR spectroscopies combined with conductometric and potentiometric titrations. Their thermoresponsive, fully reversible, behavior in aqueous solutions was characterized by means of microcalorimetry and rheology. During heating of copolymer solutions there is a well-known endothermic effect, which coincides with a marked increase in G' and a moderate decrement in G'' due to the formation of a hydrophobic network at the expense of the net amount of sol fraction. It was also found that a straight dependence between the values of G' above the LCST and the enthalpies associated with the transition reflecting that the connectivity in the gel network is governed by the net number of formed enthalpic-hydrophobic driven-junctions. Both the LCST and the enthalpy change vary with the ionic strength of copolymer solutions, but no dependence was found with the neutralization of the polyelectrolyte chain.

Coping Strategies in Bulimia Nervosa Treatment: Impact on Outcome in Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

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Binford, Roslyn B.; Mussell, Melissa Pederson; Crosby, Ross D.; Peterson, Carol B.; Crow, Scott J.; Mitchell, James E.

2005-01-01

This study's purpose was to examine the extent to which participants (N = 143) receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa (BN) reported implementing therapeutic strategies to abstain from BN behaviors, and to assess whether use of specific strategies predicts outcome at treatment end and 1-and 6-month follow-up. Frequency of…

Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies among Young Adult Veteran Marijuana Users.

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Pedersen, Eric R; Villarosa-Hurlocker, Margo C; Prince, Mark A

2018-01-01

Young adult veterans are at risk for problematic marijuana use and associated consequences, which is partially due to their high rates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and problematic substance use. Veterans tend to endorse more severe and chronic mental health symptoms compared to their civilian counterparts and they identify marijuana use as a method to cope with their symptoms. Given the prevalence of marijuana use among veterans in the community and in clinical settings, it is important to explore the factors that may help minimize harm associated with use for those that choose to use the drug. The present study sought to examine the impact of protective behavioral strategies on the relationship between mental health symptoms and marijuana use and consequences in a sample of 180 young adult veteran marijuana users. Participants were recruited via social media advertisements and completed measures of marijuana use and consequences, protective behavioral strategies, and PTSD and depression symptoms. Findings indicated that more frequent use of protective behavioral strategies was associated with less marijuana use and consequences. Participants who screened positive for PTSD or depression reported more marijuana consequences than did those not positive on these screeners. Regression analyses revealed protective strategies moderated the relationship between PTSD and marijuana consequences such that young veterans who endorsed more PTSD symptoms and infrequent use of protective strategies reported the most marijuana consequences. No moderating effects were found for the relationship between depression and marijuana consequences. Findings have clinical implications for working with young veterans.

The relationship between emotion regulation strategies and job search behavior among fourth-year university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ling; Xu, Huihui; Zhang, Xue; Fang, Ping

2017-08-01

The job search process is a stressful experience. This study investigated the effect of emotion regulation strategies on job search behavior in combination with anxiety and job search self-efficacy among Chinese university fourth-year students (N = 816, mean age = 21.98, 31.5% male, 34.9% majored in science, 18.0% from "211 Project" universities). Results showed that cognitive reappraisal was positively related to job search behavior, while expressive suppression was negatively related to job search behavior. Additionally, anxiety was negatively related to job search behavior, while job search self-efficacy was positively associated with job search behavior. Moreover, both anxiety and job search self-efficacy mediated the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and job search behavior. In general, emotion regulation strategies played an important role in job search behavior. Implications include the notion that emotion regulation interventions may be helpful to increase job search behavior among university students. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral side effects of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment: the role of parenting strategies.

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Williams, Lauren K; Lamb, Karen E; McCarthy, Maria C

2014-11-01

Behavioral and emotional difficulties are a recognised side effect of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment. Modifiable factors, such as parenting strategies, may be an appropriate target for interventions to assist families with managing their child's behavior, potentially leading to improved psychosocial and clinical outcomes. This study examined whether parenting strategies are associated with child behavioral and emotional problems in a pediatric oncology context, with the aim of establishing whether parenting is a potential modifiable target for psychosocial intervention. Participants included 73 parents of children aged 2-6 years who were either (i) in the maintenance phase of treatment for ALL at the Royal Children's Hospital Children's Cancer Centre, Melbourne (N = 43), or (ii) had no major medical history (healthy control group) (N = 30). Participants completed psychometrically validated questionnaires that assessed parenting strategies and child emotional and behavioral problems. Results revealed that the ALL group parents reported higher lax parenting and more spoiling and bribing of their child than the healthy control group. Results from regression models indicated that, after controlling for the significant contribution of illness status and child age on child emotional and behavioral difficulties, parental laxness and parental overprotection were significantly associated with child emotional and behavioral difficulties. Supporting parents to minimise sub-optimal parenting strategies, particularly lax parenting, may offer a fruitful avenue for future research directed toward modifiable factors associated with managing child emotional and behavioral problems in a pediatric oncology context. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thermodynamic behavior of {ethanol + butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate} binary solution in the critical region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Xiaoyi; Yin, Tianxiang; Xu, Chen; Shen, Weiguo

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Coexistence curve, heat capacity and turbidity measurements were performed. • RTIL solution showed solvophobic criticality. • Universal critical amplitude ratios were testified. • Asymmetric behavior of the diameter of coexistence curve was discussed. - Abstract: The liquid-liquid coexistence curve, heat capacity, and turbidity of binary solution {ethanol + butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate]} have been precisely measured. The critical exponents and critical amplitudes corresponding to the heat capacity, width of coexistence curve, osmotic compressibility, and correlation length were obtained. The critical exponents and critical amplitude ratios showed well agreements with the theoretical values of the 3D-Ising universality class. The asymmetric behavior of the coexistence curve diameter was found to be well described by the complete scaling theory with the consideration of the heat capacity related term.

Behavioral Change Strategies for Improving Complementary Feeding and Breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Osendarp, Saskia J M; Roche, Marion L

2016-01-01

Improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, including breastfeeding and complementary feeding, has been identified as one of the most effective interventions to improve child survival, stunting and wasting. Evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that effective promotion of breastfeeding and complementary feeding, with or without food provision, has the potential to improve IYCF practices and child nutrition. However, in many countries, breastfeeding practices and complementary feeding practices are still far from optimal. The lack of implementation of available, effective, affordable interventions in scale-up programs is in part attributed to a lack of innovative, creative and effective behavioral change strategies that enable and encourage caregivers. Successful behavioral change strategies should be based on a rigorous situational analysis and formative research, and the findings and insights of formative research should be used to further design interventions that address the identified barriers and enablers, to select delivery channels, and to formulate appropriate and effective messages. In addition, successful behavioral change interventions should a priori define and investigate the program impact pathway to target behavioral change and should assess intermediary behavioral changes and indicators to learn why the expected outcome was achieved or not achieved by testing the program theory. The design of behavioral change communication must be flexible and responsive to shifts in societies and contexts. Performance of adequate IYCF also requires investments to generate community demand through social mobilization, relevant media and existing support systems. Applying these principles has been shown to be effective in improving IYCF practices in Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ethiopia and is recommended to be adopted by other programs and countries in order to accelerate progress in improving child nutrition. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of Conflict Management Strategies on the Generation Mechanism of Miners' Unsafe Behavior Tendency

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ji-Zu; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Liu, Xiao-Guang; Liu, Yao-Long; Wang, Tian-Ri

2017-01-01

In this paper, we examine the relationship between the generation mechanism of miners' unsafe behavior tendency and conflict management strategies, including cooperative conflict management strategy, competitive conflict management strategy and avoidant conflict management strategy. Miners from 3 collieries in Shanxi province completed a…

Numerical analysis of the asymptotic behavior of solutions of a boundary problem for a nonlinear parabolic equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasileva, D.P.

1993-01-01

Blow-up and global time self-similar solutions of a boundary problem for a nonlinear equation u t = Δ u σ+1 + u β are found in the case β = σ + 1. It is shown that they describe the asymptotic behavior of a wide class of initial perturbations. A numerical investigation of the solutions in the case β>σ + 1 is also made. A hypothesis is done that the behavior for large times of global time solutions is described by the self-similar solutions of the equation without source.(author). 20 refs.; 9 figs

Effect of temperature on the behavior of surface properties of alcohols in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romero, Carmen M. [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia)], E-mail: cmromeroi@unal.edu.co; Jimenez, Eulogio [Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruna (Spain); Suarez, Felipe [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia)

2009-04-15

The influence of temperature on the behavior of surface properties of aqueous solutions has often been used to obtain information about solute structural effects on water. In this work, we present experimental results for surface tension of aqueous solutions of n-pentanol, n-hexanol, n-heptanol, and n-octanol at T = (283.15, 288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K at several concentrations. The results were used to evaluate the limiting experimental slopes of surface tension with respect to mole fraction and the hydrophobicity constant of the Connors model at each temperature. The thermodynamic behavior of aqueous alcohol solutions is discussed in terms of the effect of the hydrocarbon chain on water structure. The temperature dependence of the limiting slopes of surface tension with respect to mole fraction, as well as the hydrophobicity constant derived from surface measurements, is interpreted in terms of alcohol hydration.

Effect of temperature on the behavior of surface properties of alcohols in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero, Carmen M.; Jimenez, Eulogio; Suarez, Felipe

2009-01-01

The influence of temperature on the behavior of surface properties of aqueous solutions has often been used to obtain information about solute structural effects on water. In this work, we present experimental results for surface tension of aqueous solutions of n-pentanol, n-hexanol, n-heptanol, and n-octanol at T = (283.15, 288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K at several concentrations. The results were used to evaluate the limiting experimental slopes of surface tension with respect to mole fraction and the hydrophobicity constant of the Connors model at each temperature. The thermodynamic behavior of aqueous alcohol solutions is discussed in terms of the effect of the hydrocarbon chain on water structure. The temperature dependence of the limiting slopes of surface tension with respect to mole fraction, as well as the hydrophobicity constant derived from surface measurements, is interpreted in terms of alcohol hydration

Social anxiety and alcohol-related negative consequences among college drinkers: do protective behavioral strategies mediate the association?

Science.gov (United States)

Villarosa, Margo C; Moorer, Kayla D; Madson, Michael B; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Noble, Jeremy J

2014-09-01

The link between social anxiety and alcohol-related negative consequences among college students has been well documented. Protective behavioral strategies are cognitive-behavioral strategies that college students use in an effort to reduce harm while they are drinking. In the current study we examined the mediating role of the 2 categories of protective behavioral strategies (i.e., controlled consumption and serious harm reduction) in the relationship that social anxiety symptoms have with alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants were 572 undergraduates who completed measures of social anxiety, alcohol use, negative consequences of alcohol use, and protective behavioral strategy use. Only serious harm reduction strategies emerged as a mediator of the association that social anxiety symptoms had with alcohol-related negative consequences. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Asymptotic behavior of solutions of linear multi-order fractional differential equation systems

OpenAIRE

Diethelm, Kai; Siegmund, Stefan; Tuan, H. T.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we investigate some aspects of the qualitative theory for multi-order fractional differential equation systems. First, we obtain a fundamental result on the existence and uniqueness for multi-order fractional differential equation systems. Next, a representation of solutions of homogeneous linear multi-order fractional differential equation systems in series form is provided. Finally, we give characteristics regarding the asymptotic behavior of solutions to some classes of line...

Creative Persuasion: A Study on Adversarial Behaviors and Strategies in Phishing Attacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajivan, Prashanth; Gonzalez, Cleotilde

2018-01-01

Success of phishing attacks depend on effective exploitation of human weaknesses. This research explores a largely ignored, but crucial aspect of phishing: the adversarial behavior. We aim at understanding human behaviors and strategies that adversaries use, and how these may determine the end-user response to phishing emails. We accomplish this through a novel experiment paradigm involving two phases. In the adversarial phase, 105 participants played the role of a phishing adversary who were incentivized to produce multiple phishing emails that would evade detection and persuade end-users to respond. In the end-user phase, 340 participants performed an email management task, where they examined and classified phishing emails generated by participants in phase-one along with benign emails. Participants in the adversary role, self-reported the strategies they employed in each email they created, and responded to a test of individual creativity. Data from both phases of the study was combined and analyzed, to measure the effect of adversarial behaviors on end-user response to phishing emails. We found that participants who persistently used specific attack strategies (e.g., sending notifications, use of authoritative tone, or expressing shared interest) in all their attempts were overall more successful, compared to others who explored different strategies in each attempt. We also found that strategies largely determined whether an end-user was more likely to respond to an email immediately, or delete it. Individual creativity was not a reliable predictor of adversarial performance, but it was a predictor of an adversary's ability to evade detection. In summary, the phishing example provided initially, the strategies used, and the participants' persistence with some of the strategies led to higher performance in persuading end-users to respond to phishing emails. These insights may be used to inform tools and training procedures to detect phishing strategies in

Prevalence of Behavior Changing Strategies in Fitness Video Games: Theory-Based Content Analysis

OpenAIRE

Lyons, Elizabeth Jane; Hatkevich, Claire

2013-01-01

Background Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. Objective The purpose of this study was to investig...

Self-management as a strategy to improve the classroom behavior of adolescents with ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, E S; DuPaul, G J; Bradley-Klug, K L

1998-01-01

This article reports on the application of a self-management strategy for improving the classroom behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on the work of Rhode, Morgan, and Young (1983), the intervention focuses on teaching students to systematically rate their own behavior according to the rating of their teacher. Although, historically, self-management strategies based on cognitive control have not been found to be effective for students with ADHD, strategies based on contingency management have not been widely reported in the literature. A description of the intervention and two case study illustrations are provided. Potential limitations and implications for research in using this strategy are discussed.

Family Support Is Associated with Behavioral Strategies for Healthy Eating among Latinas

Science.gov (United States)

Schmied, Emily A.; Parada, Humberto; Horton, Lucy A.; Madanat, Hala; Ayala, Guadalupe X.

2014-01-01

Background: Healthy eating is important for obesity control. Dietary interventions target the adoption of behavioral strategies to increase fiber and decrease fat consumption. However, little is known about the contributions of psychosocial factors to the use of these strategies. Purpose: This study examined psychosocial correlates of behavioral…

Behavior of gellan in aqueous-salt solutions and oilfield saline water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhanar Nurakhmetova

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The influence of storage time and temperature on the behavior of low acyl gellan (LAG was studied by viscometry and 1H NMR spectroscopy without salt addition. The viscometric results revealed that the effectiveness of salts to enhance gelation of gellan changes in the following order: BaСl2>CaCl2»MgCl2>KCl>NaCl. The sol-gel and liquid-solid phase transitions of gellan solutions were observed upon addition of oilfield water containing 73 g L-1 of alkaline and alkaline earth metal ions. The effectiveness of salts to induce the separation of liquid and solid phases changes in the sequence: NaCl>KCl>MgCl2»CaCl2»BaСl2. The hydrodynamic behavior of 0.5 wt.% gellan solution injected into the sand pack model with high (20 Darcy and lower (2 Darcy permeability is useful to model the oil reservoirs in the process of enhanced oil recovery.

Anodic behavior of stainless-steel substrate in organic electrolyte solutions containing different lithium salts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furukawa, Kazuki; Yoshimoto, Nobuko; Egashira, Minato; Morita, Masayuki

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We investigated anodic behavior of stainless-steel in organic electrolytes for advanced capacitor. • Anion of the electrolyte affected the anodic stability of the alloy. • Anodic passivation occurs in LiPF 6 solution but pitting or active dissolution proceeds in other electrolyte solutions. • Fluoride source in the solution contributes to forming a stable surface layer on the stainless steel. - Abstract: The anodic behavior of austenitic stainless-steel, SUS304, as a current collector of positive electrode in lithium-ion battery/capacitor has been investigated in organic electrolyte solutions based on a mixed alkyl carbonate solvent with different lithium salts. Stable passivation characteristics were observed for the stainless-steel in the LiPF 6 solution, but pitting corrosion or active dissolution proceeded in the solutions containing other anions, BF 4 - , (CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N - (TFSA - ) and ClO 4 - . The mass ratios of the dissolved metal species in the solutions of LiTFSA and LiClO 4 were equivalent to that of the alloy composition, which suggests that no preferential dissolution occurs during the anodic polarization in these electrolyte solutions. An HF component formed by decomposition of PF 6 - with the contaminate water will act as an F - source for the formation of a surface fluoride layer, that will contribute to the anodic stability of SUS304 in the LiPF 6 solution. The anodic corrosion in the LiTFSA solution was suppressed in part by mixing the PF 6 salt or adding HF in the electrolyte

Growth behavior of anodic porous alumina formed in malic acid solution

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2013-11-01

The growth behavior of anodic porous alumina formed on aluminum by anodizing in malic acid solutions was investigated. High-purity aluminum plates were electropolished in CH3COOH/HClO4 solutions and then anodized in 0.5 M malic acid solutions at 293 K and constant cell voltages of 200-350 V. The anodic porous alumina grew on the aluminum substrate at voltages of 200-250 V, and a black, burned oxide film was formed at higher voltages. The nanopores of the anodic oxide were only formed at grain boundaries of the aluminum substrate during the initial stage of anodizing, and then the growth region extended to the entire aluminum surface as the anodizing time increased. The anodic porous alumina with several defects was formed by anodizing in malic acid solution at 250 V, and oxide cells were approximately 300-800 nm in diameter.

Solution properties and taste behavior of lactose monohydrate in aqueous ascorbic acid solutions at different temperatures: Volumetric and rheological approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Abhijit; Sinha, Biswajit

2016-11-15

The densities and viscosities of lactose monohydrate in aqueous ascorbic acid solutions with several molal concentrations m=(0.00-0.08)molkg(-1) of ascorbic acid were determined at T=(298.15-318.15)K and pressure p=101kPa. Using experimental data apparent molar volume (ϕV), standard partial molar volume (ϕV(0)), the slope (SV(∗)), apparent specific volumes (ϕVsp), standard isobaric partial molar expansibility (ϕE(0)) and its temperature dependence [Formula: see text] the viscosity B-coefficient and solvation number (Sn) were determined. Viscosity B-coefficients were further employed to obtain the free energies of activation of viscous flow per mole of the solvents (Δμ1(0≠)) and of the solute (Δμ2(0≠)). Effects of molality, solute structure and temperature and taste behavior were analyzed in terms of solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions; results revealed that the solutions are characterized predominantly by solute-solvent interactions and lactose monohydrate behaves as a long-range structure maker. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intervention Strategies Based on Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model for Health Behavior Change: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun Ju Chang, RN, PhD

2014-09-01

Conclusion: This review indicates the potential strength of the IMB model as a theoretical framework to develop behavioral interventions. The specific integration strategies delineated for each construct of the model can be utilized to design model-based interventions.

What Do Women Students Want? (And Need!). Strategies and Solutions for Gender Equity.

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Carole

This paper argues that sexism and gender discrimination remain a significant problem in elementary, secondary, and higher education, and offers specific educational strategies and solutions to help overcome such inequalities. The paper explores female socialization and stereotyping, along with the real physiological and psychological differences…

Human place and response learning: navigation strategy selection, pupil size and gaze behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

de Condappa, Olivier; Wiener, Jan M

2016-01-01

In this study, we examined the cognitive processes and ocular behavior associated with on-going navigation strategy choice using a route learning paradigm that distinguishes between three different wayfinding strategies: an allocentric place strategy, and the egocentric associative cue and beacon response strategies. Participants approached intersections of a known route from a variety of directions, and were asked to indicate the direction in which the original route continued. Their responses in a subset of these test trials allowed the assessment of strategy choice over the course of six experimental blocks. The behavioral data revealed an initial maladaptive bias for a beacon response strategy, with shifts in favor of the optimal configuration place strategy occurring over the course of the experiment. Response time analysis suggests that the configuration strategy relied on spatial transformations applied to a viewpoint-dependent spatial representation, rather than direct access to an allocentric representation. Furthermore, pupillary measures reflected the employment of place and response strategies throughout the experiment, with increasing use of the more cognitively demanding configuration strategy associated with increases in pupil dilation. During test trials in which known intersections were approached from different directions, visual attention was directed to the landmark encoded during learning as well as the intended movement direction. Interestingly, the encoded landmark did not differ between the three navigation strategies, which is discussed in the context of initial strategy choice and the parallel acquisition of place and response knowledge.

Swelling behavior of γ-ray irradiated elastomers in boiling spray solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, Toshiaki; Kusama, Yasuo; Ito, Masayuki; Okada, Sohei; Yoshikawa, Masahito; Yoshida, Kenzo

1983-05-01

Elastomers swelled significantly by water sorption during a simulated LOCA test, and this phenomenon could cause the deterioration of their mechanical and electrical properties. Many factors like as radiation, heat, the composition of spray solution, types of elastomers and their formulation, related to the phenomenon. A relationship between swelling properties of the formulation-known various elastomers and the pre-aging conditions such as radiation dose and thermal aging period was studied by measuring their swelling behaviors in boiling spray solution (water and chemical solution). All eight elastomers tested showed remarkable swelling with an increase of radiation dose when they irradiated in air. A swelling in boiling water was about twice of in chemical solution. Some types of Neoprene and Hypalons had an optimum swelling dose where they showed the maxima. Over this dose, the swelling ratio decreased with dose. When irradiated under vacuum, its swelling ratio became significantly lower than that of exposed in air. This attributed the swelling phenomena closely related to radiation oxidation degradation. (author)

Behavioral Change and Building Performance: Strategies for Significant, Persistent, and Measurable Institutional Change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolfe, Amy K.; Malone, Elizabeth L.; Heerwagen, Judith H.; Dion, Jerome P.

2014-04-01

The people who use Federal buildings — Federal employees, operations and maintenance staff, and the general public — can significantly impact a building’s environmental performance and the consumption of energy, water, and materials. Many factors influence building occupants’ use of resources (use behaviors) including work process requirements, ability to fulfill agency missions, new and possibly unfamiliar high-efficiency/high-performance building technologies; a lack of understanding, education, and training; inaccessible information or ineffective feedback mechanisms; and cultural norms and institutional rules and requirements, among others. While many strategies have been used to introduce new occupant use behaviors that promote sustainability and reduced resource consumption, few have been verified in the scientific literature or have properly documented case study results. This paper documents validated strategies that have been shown to encourage new use behaviors that can result in significant, persistent, and measureable reductions in resource consumption. From the peer-reviewed literature, the paper identifies relevant strategies for Federal facilities and commercial buildings that focus on the individual, groups of individuals (e.g., work groups), and institutions — their policies, requirements, and culture. The paper documents methods with evidence of success in changing use behaviors and enabling occupants to effectively interact with new technologies/designs. It also provides a case study of the strategies used at a Federal facility — Fort Carson, Colorado. The paper documents gaps in the current literature and approaches, and provides topics for future research.

Facilitating behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy—theoretic premises and practical strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iwarsson, Jenny

2014-01-01

A typical goal of voice therapy is a behavioral change in the patient’s everyday speech. The SLP’s plan for voice therapy should therefore optimally include strategies for automatization. The aim of the present study was to identify and describe factors that promote behavioral learning and habit...... are described and discussed from a learning theory perspective. Nine factors that seem to be relevant to facilitate behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy are presented, together with related practical strategies and theoretical underpinnings. These are: 1) Cue-altering; 2) Attention exercises; 3...... change in voice behavior and have the potential to affect patient compliance and thus therapy outcome. Research literature from the areas of motor and behavioral learning, habit formation, and habit change was consulted. Also, specific elements from personal experience of clinical voice therapy...

The key role of extinction learning in anxiety disorders: behavioral strategies to enhance exposure-based treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Pittig, Andre; van den Berg, Linda; Vervliet, Bram

2016-01-01

Extinction learning is a major mechanism for fear reduction by means of exposure. Current research targets innovative strategies to enhance fear extinction and thereby optimize exposure-based treatments for anxiety disorders. This selective review updates novel behavioral strategies that may provide cutting-edge clinical implications. Recent studies provide further support for two types of enhancement strategies. Procedural enhancement strategies implemented during extinction training translate to how exposure exercises may be conducted to optimize fear extinction. These strategies mostly focus on a maximized violation of dysfunctional threat expectancies and on reducing context and stimulus specificity of extinction learning. Flanking enhancement strategies target periods before and after extinction training and inform optimal preparation and post-processing of exposure exercises. These flanking strategies focus on the enhancement of learning in general, memory (re-)consolidation, and memory retrieval. Behavioral strategies to enhance fear extinction may provide powerful clinical applications to further maximize the efficacy of exposure-based interventions. However, future replications, mechanistic examinations, and translational studies are warranted to verify long-term effects and naturalistic utility. Future directions also comprise the interplay of optimized fear extinction with (avoidance) behavior and motivational antecedents of exposure.

Optimal strategies and complexity: a theoretical analysis of the anti-predatory behavior of the hare.

Science.gov (United States)

Focardi, S; Rizzotto, M

1999-09-01

Predator-prey relationships involving rabbits and hares are widely studied at a long-term population level, while the short-term ethological interactions between one predator and one prey are less well documented. We use a physiologically-based model of hare behavior, developed in the framework of artificial intelligence studies, to analyse its sophisticated anti-predatory behavior. The hares use to stand to the fox in order to inform it that its potential prey is alerted. The behavior of the hare is characterized by specific standing and flushing distances. We show that both hare survival probability and body condition depend on habitat cover, as well as on the ability of the predator to approach-undetected-a prey. We study two anti-predatory strategies, one based on the maximization of the survival probability and the other on the maximization of the body conditions of the hare. Despite the fact that the two strategies are not independent, they are characterized by quite different behavioral patterns. Field estimates of flushing and standing distances are consistent with survival maximization. There exists an optimal anti-predatory strategy, characterized by a flushing distance of 20 m and a standing distance of 30 m, which is optimal in a large set of environmental conditions with a sharp fitness advantage with respect to suboptimal strategies. These results improve our understanding of the anti-predatory behavior of the hare and lend credibility to the optimality approach in the behavioral analysis, showing that even for complex organisms, characterized by a large network of internal constraints and feedback, it is possible to identify simple optimal strategies with a large potential for selection.

Facilitating behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy--theoretic premises and practical strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwarsson, Jenny

2015-12-01

A typical goal of voice therapy is a behavioral change in the patient's everyday speech. The SLP's plan for voice therapy should therefore optimally include strategies for automatization. The aim of the present study was to identify and describe factors that promote behavioral learning and habit change in voice behavior and have the potential to affect patient compliance and thus therapy outcome. Research literature from the areas of motor and behavioral learning, habit formation, and habit change was consulted. Also, specific elements from personal experience of clinical voice therapy are described and discussed from a learning theory perspective. Nine factors that seem to be relevant to facilitate behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy are presented, together with related practical strategies and theoretical underpinnings. These are: 1) Cue-altering; 2) Attention exercises; 3) Repetition; 4) Cognitive activation; 5) Negative practice; 6) Inhibition through interruption; 7) Decomposing complex behavior; 8) The 'each time-every time' principle; and 9) Successive implementation of automaticity.

Early Empowerment Strategies Boost Self-Efficacy to Improve Cardiovascular Health Behaviors

OpenAIRE

Kashani, Mariam; Eliasson, Arn H; Walizer, Elaine M; Fuller, Clarie E; Engler, Renata J; Villines, Todd C; Vernalis, Marina N

2016-01-01

Background: Self-efficacy, defined as confidence in the ability to carry out behavior to achieve a desired goal, is considered to be a prerequisite for behavior change. Self-efficacy correlates with cardiovascular health although optimal timing to incorporate self-efficacy strategies is not well established. We sought to study the effect of an empowerment approach implemented in the introductory phase of a multicomponent lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular health outcomes. Design: Prospe...

Incoloy 800 anodic behavior in sulfate and chloride solutions at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafont, C.; Alvarez, M.G.

1992-01-01

The anodic behavior and pitting corrosion resistance of Incoloy 800 in concentrated aqueous chloride and sulphate solutions has been studied by means of electrochemical techniques. The effect of different environmental variables, such as temperature (in the 100 0 C to 280 0 C range) and sulphate ion concentration (0.02 M to 2 M), was evaluated. In another set of experiments, the influence of sulphate ions additions on the pitting resistance and pitting morphology of Incoloy 800 in chloride solutions at high temperature was also examined. (author)

Alternative Teaching Strategies; Helping Behaviorally Troubled Children Achieve. A Guide for Teachers and Psychologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Swift, Marshall S.; Spivack, George

This book provides (1) specific information about overt classroom behaviors that affect or reflect academic success or failure, and (2) information and suggestions about alternative teaching strategies that may be used to increase behavioral effectiveness and subsequent academic achievement. The focus of the book is on specific behaviors, behavior…

Behavior of supercooled aqueous solutions stemming from hidden liquid-liquid transition in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Biddle, John W; Holten, Vincent; Anisimov, Mikhail A

2014-08-21

A popular hypothesis that explains the anomalies of supercooled water is the existence of a metastable liquid-liquid transition hidden below the line of homogeneous nucleation. If this transition exists and if it is terminated by a critical point, the addition of a solute should generate a line of liquid-liquid critical points emanating from the critical point of pure metastable water. We have analyzed thermodynamic consequences of this scenario. In particular, we consider the behavior of two systems, H2O-NaCl and H2O-glycerol. We find the behavior of the heat capacity in supercooled aqueous solutions of NaCl, as reported by Archer and Carter [J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 8563 (2000)], to be consistent with the presence of the metastable liquid-liquid transition. We elucidate the non-conserved nature of the order parameter (extent of "reaction" between two alternative structures of water) and the consequences of its coupling with conserved properties (density and concentration). We also show how the shape of the critical line in a solution controls the difference in concentration of the coexisting liquid phases.

Tribological behaviors of graphite sliding against cemented carbide in CaCl2 solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Fei; Tian, Yu; Liu, Ying; Wang, Yuming

2015-01-01

The tribological behaviors of graphite sliding against cemented carbide were investigated using a standard tribological tester Plint TE92 in a ring-on-ring contact configuration in both CaCl 2 solution and deionized water. An interesting phenomenon occurred: as the CaCl 2 solution concentration increased, the friction coefficient firstly decreased and was lower than that in the deionized water, and then gradually increased, exceeding the friction coefficient in the deionized water. The wear rate of the ,graphite also presented the same variation trend. According to the polarization curves of cemented carbide, contact angle measurements, Raman spectrum analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images analysis, the above friction and wear behaviors of graphite sliding against cemented carbide were attributed to the graphite surface wettability and the cemented carbide surface corrosion property. (paper)

Parents' perceptions of causes of and solutions for school violence: implications for policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bliss, Melanie J; Emshoff, James; Buck, Chad A; Cook, Sarah L

2006-05-01

This study explores perceptions of causes of and solutions for school violence in a sample of 202 parents interviewed in the wake of nationally publicized school shootings. We also investigate the effects the school shootings had on children, parents' perceptions regarding firearms, and changes in parenting behavior. Parents exhibited strong support for almost all proposed causes and solutions, and we address their desire for immediate and often invasive interventions to prevent future violence. We contrast parents' perceptions with their own parenting behaviors and with literature on effective interventions. Results are discussed within the context of policy implications.Editors' Strategic Implications: Parents' perceptions and behaviors are frequently influenced by history effects. The national attention received by school shootings provided an opportunity for exploration of those perceptions and self-reported behaviors. The authors provide evidence from timely surveys that parents struggle with identifying causal factors that may contribute to school violence and consequently support a myriad of strategies for intervention including very invasive environmental preventive strategies. The findings suggest that social scientists should play a proactive role in translating research-supported preventive strategies to effective replications in the community and make research available in formats that are available and comprehensible by the lay public.

A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses

Science.gov (United States)

Fischbach, Anthony S.; Jay, Chadwick V.

2016-01-01

Tracking animal behavior and movement with telemetry sensors can offer substantial insights required for conservation. Yet, the value of data collected by animal-borne telemetry systems is limited by bandwidth constraints. To understand the response of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) to rapid changes in sea ice availability, we required continuous geospatial chronologies of foraging behavior. Satellite telemetry offered the only practical means to systematically collect such data; however, data transmission constraints of satellite data-collection systems limited the data volume that could be acquired. Although algorithms exist for reducing sensor data volumes for efficient transmission, none could meet our requirements. Consequently, we developed an algorithm for classifying hourly foraging behavior status aboard a tag with limited processing power. We found a 98% correspondence of our algorithm's classification with a test classification based on time–depth data recovered and characterized through multivariate analysis in a separate study. We then applied our algorithm within a telemetry system that relied on remotely deployed satellite tags. Data collected by these tags from Pacific walruses across their range during 2007–2015 demonstrated the consistency of foraging behavior collected by this strategy with data collected by data logging tags; and demonstrated the ability to collect geospatial behavioral chronologies with minimal missing data where recovery of data logging tags is precluded. Our strategy for developing a telemetry system may be applicable to any study requiring intelligent algorithms to continuously monitor behavior, and then compress those data into meaningful information that can be efficiently transmitted.

A Flow Chart of Behavior Management Strategies for Families of Children with Co-Occurring Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Conduct Problem Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Danforth, Jeffrey S

2016-03-01

Behavioral parent training is an evidence-based treatment for problem behavior described as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. However, adherence to treatment fidelity and parent performance of the management skills remains an obstacle to optimum outcome. One variable that may limit the effectiveness of the parent training is that demanding behavior management procedures can be deceptively complicated and difficult to perform. Based on outcome research for families of children with co-occurring ADHD and conduct problem behavior, an example of a visual behavior management flow chart is presented. The flow chart may be used to help teach specific behavior management skills to parents. The flow chart depicts a chain of behavior management strategies taught with explanation, modeling, and role-play with parents. The chained steps in the flow chart are elements common to well-known evidence-based behavior management strategies, and perhaps, this depiction well serve as a setting event for other behavior analysts to create flow charts for their own parent training, Details of the flow chart steps, as well as examples of specific applications and program modifications conclude.

Teachers' Reported Knowledge and Implementation of Research-Based Classroom and Behavior Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Tara C.; Wehby, Joseph H.; Oliver, Regina M.; Chow, Jason C.; Gordon, Jason R.; Mahany, Laura A.

2017-01-01

Teachers' reported knowledge about and implementation of research-based classroom and behavior management strategies were examined. A total of 160 elementary teachers from two districts in different regions of the same state completed the researcher-developed "Survey of Classroom and Behavior Management." On average, teachers reported to…

Corrosion behavior of 321 stainless steel in low-acidity uranium nitrate solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Junsheng; Sun Ying; Zhang Wanglin; Ding Ping; Yang Jiangrong; Wu Lunqiang

2003-01-01

Weighing and electrochemical methods have been used to investigate the high-temperature uniform corrosion and electrochemical corrosion behavior of lCr18Ni9Ti (321) stainless steel in uranium nitrate solution at different concentrations and pH values. The uniform corrosion results showed that the corrosion rate of 321 stainless steel was less than 0.04 g/m 2 .h, and the visible change of surface smoothness was not observed through 960 h. It was perfect corrosion-resisting in obtained conditions. The electro-chemical corrosion behavior study has been performed to investigate 321 stainless steel in uranium nitrate solutions of the dissolved and saturated oxygen. The corrosion potential and corrosion current density were obtained. Auger photoelectron spectroscopy for measurement of uranium in specimen was used to indicate that uranium is in corrosion product. The corrosion film was measured by Ar ion gun sputter, and the thickness is 10-15 nm. (authors)

Microstructural characterization and electrochemical corrosion behavior of Incoloy 800 in sulphate and chloride solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansur, Fabio Abud; Schvartzman, Monica Maria de Abreu Mendonca; Campos, Wagner Reis da Costa; Aguiar, Antonio Eugenio de; Chaim, Marcos Souza

2011-01-01

Corrosion has been the major cause of tube failures in steam generators (SG) tubes in nuclear power plants. Problems have resulted from impurities in the secondary water systems which are originated from leaks of cooling water. It is important to understand the compatibility of steam generator tube materials with the environment. This study presents the microstructural characterization and electrochemical behavior of the Incoloy 800 in sodium chloride and sodium sulphate aqueous solutions at 80 degree C. Potentiodynamic anodic polarization, cyclic polarization and open circuit potential (OCP) measurements were the electrochemical techniques applied in this work. The pitting resistance of Incoloy 800 in chloride plus sulphate mixtures were also examined. Experiments performed in solutions with different concentrations of Cl- and SO 4 2- ions in solution (200 ppb, 500 ppb, 1ppm, 5 ppm, 50 ppm and 100 ppm) showed that this concentrations range had no substantial effect on the anodic behavior of the alloy. After polarization no localized corrosion was found on the samples. (author)

The influence of traffic signal solutions on self-reported road-crossing behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Stasi, Leandro L; Megías, Alberto; Cándido, Antonio; Maldonado, Antonio; Catena, Andrés

2015-01-07

Injury to pedestrians is a major safety hazard in many countries. Since the beginning of the last century, modern cities have been designed around the use of motor vehicles despite the unfavourable interactions between the vehicles and pedestrians. This push towards urbanization resulted in a substantial number of crashes and fatalities involving pedestrians every day, all over the world. Thus, improving the design of urban cities and townships is a pressing issue for modern society. The study presented here provides a characterization of pedestrian safety problems, with the emphasis on signalized crosswalks (i.e. traffic signal) design solutions. We tested the impact of seven different traffic light configurations (steady [green, yellow, and red], flashing [green, yellow, and red], and light off) on pedestrian self-reported road-crossing behavior, using a 11-point scale -ranging from 0 ("I never cross in this situation") to 10 ("I always cross in this situation"). Results showed that mandatory solutions (steady green vs. steady red) are the best solutions to avoid unsafe pedestrian behaviors while crossing controlled intersections (frequency of crossing: Mgreen = 9.4 ± 1 vs. Mred = 2.6 ± 2). These findings offer important guidelines for the design of future traffic signals for encouraging a pedestrian/transit-friendly environment.

Thermal expansion behavior of fluor-chlorapatite crystalline solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Hovis, G.; Harlov, D.; Gottschalk, M.; Hudacek, W.; Wildermuth, S.

2009-04-01

Apatite Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH,CO3) occurs widely as an accessory mineral in many igneous and metamorphic rocks and in nature displays a wide range of F-Cl-OH-CO3 mixtures (e.g., O'Reilly and Griffin, 2000) that have been used to interpret the role of fluids, e.g. Cl, F, and OH activities, during metamorphic and igneous processes (e.g., Harlov and Förster, 2002). It is important, therefore, to understand the thermodynamic behavior of these solid solutions, including their thermal expansion properties. Fluorapatite - chlorapatite samples were synthesized at the GFZ-Potsdam (Hovis, Harlov, Hahn and Steigert, 2007) using an adaptation of the molten flux method of Cherniak (2000). Dry CaF2 and CaCl2 (0.1 mole total) were mixed with Ca3(PO4)2 (0.03 moles), placed in a Pt crucible, equilibrated for 15 hours at 1375 °C, cooled to 1220 °C at 3 °C/hour, removed from the oven and cooled in air. Crystals were separated from the flux by boiling the quenched product in water. F:Cl fractions for each sample were determined via Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data. Chemical homogeneity was confirmed by Rietveld refinement and high-contrast back-scattered electron imaging. Room-temperature unit-cell volumes were determined at the GFZ-Potsdam through Rietveld analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data and also at Lafayette College by standard unit-cell refinement techniques (Holland and Redfern, 1997) using NBS/NIST 640a Si as an internal standard. High-temperature unit-cell dimensions were calculated from X-ray powder diffraction data collected at Cambridge University from room temperature to 1000 °C on a Bruker D8 X-ray diffractometer. NBS Si again was utilized as an internal standard; high-temperature Si peak positions were taken from Parrish (1953). Results indicate that despite the considerable size difference between fluorine and chlorine ions, reflected by substantially different unit-cell sizes at room temperature, the coefficient of thermal expansion across

Measurement of Solute Diffusion Behavior in Fractured Waste Glass Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saripalli, Kanaka P.; Lindberg, Michael J.; Meyer, Philip D.

2008-01-01

Determination of aqueous phase diffusion coefficients of solutes through fractured media is essential for understanding and modeling contaminants transport at many hazardous waste disposal sites. No methods for earlier measurements are available for the characterization of diffusion in fractured glass blocks. We report here the use of time-lag diffusion experimental method to assess the diffusion behavior of three different solutes (Cs, Sr and Pentafluoro Benzoic Acid or PFBA) in fractured, immobilized low activity waste (ILAW) glass forms. A fractured media time-lag diffusion experimental apparatus that allows the measurement of diffusion coefficients has been designed and built for this purpose. Use of time-lag diffusion method, a considerably easier experimental method than the other available methods, was not previously demonstrated for measuring diffusion in any fractured media. Hydraulic conductivity, porosity and diffusion coefficients of a solute were experimentally measured in fractured glass blocks using this method for the first time. Results agree with the range of properties reported for similar rock media earlier, indicating that the time-lag experimental method can effectively characterize the diffusion coefficients of fractured ILAW glass media

Global low-energy weak solution and large-time behavior for the compressible flow of liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Guochun; Tan, Zhong

2018-06-01

In this paper, we consider the weak solution of the simplified Ericksen-Leslie system modeling compressible nematic liquid crystal flows in R3. When the initial data are of small energy and initial density is positive and essentially bounded, we prove the existence of a global weak solution in R3. The large-time behavior of a global weak solution is also established.

Corrosion and passivation behavior of various stainless steels in libr solution used in absorption-type refrigeration system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahid, M.

2007-01-01

Various structural materials have been suggested for the refrigeration units to combat high corrosiveness of the absorbent. The corrosion behavior of three grades of austenitic stainless steels, have been investigated in lithium bromide (LiBr) solutions, using electrochemical techniques. Potentiodynamic E- log-i curves, potential-time scans and polarization resistance diagrams obtained by using three-electrode system connected to a computerized Gamry at the rate framework, have been used to analyze their corrosion and passivation behavior in various concentrations of LiBr i.e. commercial LiBr (850 g/J solution containing chromate inhibitor), 400 g/l LiBr and 700 g/J LiBr solutions, at room temperature. Relatively higher corrosion current was observed in SS304 exposed to inhibitor-free electrolyte compared to inhibited commercial solution. Inhibitor proved to be more efficient in case of AISI 304 as it showed significantly higher corrosion rate in un-inhibited solutions. (author)

LAST MINUTE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING ROMANIA’S FINAL RESULTS IN RELATION TO EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY

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ANA MARIA TALMACIU (BANU

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to upgrade the competitive position of Romania in relation to the Europe 2020 Strategy, and to offer some last-minute solutions to improve the final results. Romania's interim results revealed a very slow pace for meeting the national proposed targets. The context in which Romania joined this competitive program was not a favorable one, if we consider her state of new state in the EU and the economic crisis. In the first part of the study we analyze the main macroeconomic indicators for the period before adopting the Europe 2020 Strategy. We believe that this initial analysis is relevant to a better understanding of the initially context of the country, and for a better assessment of actual outcomes. The second part of the study updates interim results of proposed national targets in the Europe 2020 strategy. The personal contribution in this study consists in the comments on the analyzed indicators and in the proposed solutions for the next 3 years of implementation of the strategic program.

Behavior of supercooled aqueous solutions stemming from hidden liquid–liquid transition in water

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Biddle, John W.; Holten, Vincent; Anisimov, Mikhail A., E-mail: anisimov@umd.edu [Institute for Physical Science and Technology and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)

2014-08-21

A popular hypothesis that explains the anomalies of supercooled water is the existence of a metastable liquid–liquid transition hidden below the line of homogeneous nucleation. If this transition exists and if it is terminated by a critical point, the addition of a solute should generate a line of liquid–liquid critical points emanating from the critical point of pure metastable water. We have analyzed thermodynamic consequences of this scenario. In particular, we consider the behavior of two systems, H{sub 2}O-NaCl and H{sub 2}O-glycerol. We find the behavior of the heat capacity in supercooled aqueous solutions of NaCl, as reported by Archer and Carter [J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 8563 (2000)], to be consistent with the presence of the metastable liquid–liquid transition. We elucidate the non-conserved nature of the order parameter (extent of “reaction” between two alternative structures of water) and the consequences of its coupling with conserved properties (density and concentration). We also show how the shape of the critical line in a solution controls the difference in concentration of the coexisting liquid phases.

Behavior of supercooled aqueous solutions stemming from hidden liquid–liquid transition in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biddle, John W.; Holten, Vincent; Anisimov, Mikhail A.

2014-01-01

A popular hypothesis that explains the anomalies of supercooled water is the existence of a metastable liquid–liquid transition hidden below the line of homogeneous nucleation. If this transition exists and if it is terminated by a critical point, the addition of a solute should generate a line of liquid–liquid critical points emanating from the critical point of pure metastable water. We have analyzed thermodynamic consequences of this scenario. In particular, we consider the behavior of two systems, H 2 O-NaCl and H 2 O-glycerol. We find the behavior of the heat capacity in supercooled aqueous solutions of NaCl, as reported by Archer and Carter [J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 8563 (2000)], to be consistent with the presence of the metastable liquid–liquid transition. We elucidate the non-conserved nature of the order parameter (extent of “reaction” between two alternative structures of water) and the consequences of its coupling with conserved properties (density and concentration). We also show how the shape of the critical line in a solution controls the difference in concentration of the coexisting liquid phases

Does Self-Esteem Moderate the Associations between Protective Behavioral Strategies and Negative Outcomes Associated with Alcohol Consumption?

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Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Madson, Michael B.; Ricedorf, Amy

2012-01-01

Previous research has shown that protective behavioral strategies tend to be associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption and fewer negative alcohol-related consequences. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-esteem would moderate the association between protective behavioral strategies and alcohol-related outcomes.…

Optimizing social participation in community-dwelling older adults through the use of behavioral coping strategies.

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Provencher, Véronique; Desrosiers, Johanne; Demers, Louise; Carmichael, Pierre-Hugues

2016-01-01

This study aimed to (1) determine the categories of behavioral coping strategies most strongly correlated with optimal seniors' social participation in different activity and role domains and (2) identify the demographic, health and environmental factors associated with the use of these coping strategies optimizing social participation. The sample consisted of 350 randomly recruited community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years). Coping strategies and social participation were measured, respectively, using the Inventory of Coping Strategies Used by the Elderly and Assessment of Life Habits questionnaires. Information about demographic, health and environmental factors was also collected during the interview. Regression analyses showed a strong relationship between the use of cooking- and transportation-related coping strategies and optimal participation in the domains of nutrition and community life, respectively. Older age and living alone were associated with increased use of cooking-related strategies, while good self-rated health and not living in a seniors' residence were correlated with greater use of transportation-related strategies. Our study helped to identify useful behavioral coping strategies that should be incorporated in disability prevention programs designed to promote community-dwelling seniors' social participation. However, the appropriateness of these strategies depends on whether they are used in relevant contexts and tailored to specific needs. Our results support the relevance of including behavioral coping strategies related to cooking and transportation in disability prevention programs designed to promote community-dwelling seniors' social participation in the domains of nutrition and community life, respectively. Older age and living alone were associated with increased use of cooking-related strategies, while good self-rated health and not living in a seniors' residence were correlated with greater use of transportation

Intra-accumbens Raclopride Administration Prevents Behavioral Changes Induced by Intermittent Access to Sucrose Solution

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Josué O. Suárez-Ortiz

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Overeating is one of the most relevant clinical features in Binge Eating Disorder and in some obesity patients. According to several studies, alterations in the mesolimbic dopaminergic transmission produced by non-homeostatic feeding behavior may be associated with changes in the reward system similar to those produced by drugs of abuse. Although it is known that binge-eating is related with changes in dopaminergic transmission mediated by D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcS, it has not been determined whether these receptors may be a potential target for the treatment of eating pathology with binge-eating. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to evaluate whether sugar binging induced by intermittent access to a sucrose solution produced changes in the structure of feeding behavior and whether blocking D2 receptors prevented these changes. We used the intermittent access model to a 10% sucrose solution (2 h/day for 4 weeks to induce sugar binging in Sprague Dawley female rats. Experimental subjects consumed in a 2-h period more than 50% of the caloric intake consumed by the subjects with ad-lib access to the sweetened solution without any increase in body weight or fat accumulation. Furthermore, we evaluated whether sugar binging was associated to the estrous cycle and we did not find differences in caloric intake (estrous vs. diestrus. Subsequently, we characterized the structure of feeding behavior (microstructural analysis and the motivation for palatable food (breakpoints of the subjects with sugar binging and found that feeding episodes had short latencies, high frequencies, as well as short durations and inter-episode intervals. The intermittent access model did not increase breakpoints, as occurred in subjects with ad-lib access to the sucrose. Finally, we evaluated the effects of D2 receptor blockade in the NAcS, and found that raclopride (18 nM prevented the observed changes in the frequency and duration of

Adiabatic quantum games and phase-transition-like behavior between optimal strategies

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de Ponte, M. A.; Santos, Alan C.

2018-06-01

In this paper we propose a game of a single qubit whose strategies can be implemented adiabatically. In addition, we show how to implement the strategies of a quantum game through controlled adiabatic evolutions, where we analyze the payment of a quantum player for various situations of interest: (1) when the players receive distinct payments, (2) when the initial state is an arbitrary superposition, and (3) when the device that implements the strategy is inefficient. Through a graphical analysis, it is possible to notice that the curves that represent the gains of the players present a behavior similar to the curves that give rise to a phase transition in thermodynamics. These transitions are associated with optimal strategy changes and occur in the absence of entanglement and interaction between the players.

eHealth Applications Promising Strategies for Behavior Change

CERN Document Server

Noar, Seth M

2012-01-01

eHealth Applications: Promising Strategies for Behavior Change provides an overview of technological applications in contemporary health communication research, exploring the history and current uses of eHealth applications in disease prevention and management. This volume focuses on the use of these technology-based interventions for public health promotion and explores the rapid growth of an innovative interdisciplinary field. The chapters in this work discuss key eHealth applications by presenting research examining a variety of technology-based applications. Authors Seth M. Noar and Nancy

On the Electrochemical Behavior of PVD Ti-Coated AISI 304 Stainless Steel in Borate Buffer Solution

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Fattah-alhosseini, Arash; Elmkhah, Hassan; Attarzadeh, Farid Reza

2017-04-01

This work aims at studying the electrochemical behavior of annealed pure titanium (Ti) and nano-structured (NS) Ti coating in borate buffer solutions. Cathodic arc evaporation was successfully applied to deposit NS Ti coating. Samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction. Potentiodynamic polarization tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky analysis were employed to discuss the electrochemical behavior of samples thoroughly. Electrochemical measurements showed that the deposited NS Ti coating offers a superior passivity in borate buffer solutions of pH 9.0 and 9.5. Mott-Schottky analysis revealed that all passive films are of n-type semiconducting nature in these alkaline solutions and the deposition process did not alter the semiconducting type of passive films formed on samples. Additionally, this analysis showed that the NS Ti coating possessed lower levels of donor densities. Finally, all electrochemical tests showed that passive behavior of the NS Ti samples was superior, mainly due to the formation of thicker and less defective passive films.

Experimental measurements of U24Py nanocluster behavior in aqueous solution

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Flynn, Shannon L.; Szymanowski, Jennifer E.S.; Fein, Jeremy B. [Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States). Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences; Dembowski, Mateusz [Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States). Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Burns, Peter C. [Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States). Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences; Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States). Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

2016-07-01

Uranyl peroxide nanoclusters may impact the mobility and partitioning of uranium at contaminated sites and could be used in the isolation of uranium during the reprocessing of nuclear waste. Their behavior in aqueous systems must be better understood to predict the environmental fate of uranyl peroxide nanoclusters and for their use in engineered systems. The aqueous stability of only one uranyl peroxide nanocluster, U60 (K{sub 16}Li{sub 44}[UO{sub 2}(O{sub 2})OH]{sub 60}), has been studied to date [Flynn, S. L., Szymanowski, J. E. S., Gao, Y., Liu, T., Burns, P. C., Fein, J. B.: Experimental measurements of U60 nanocluster stability in aqueous solution. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta 156, 94-105 (2015)]. In this study, we measured the aqueous stability of a second uranyl peroxide nanocluster, U24Py (Na{sub 30}[(UO{sub 2}){sub 24}(O{sub 2}){sub 24}(HP{sub 2}O{sub 7}){sub 6}(H{sub 2}P{sub 2}O{sub 7}){sub 6}]), in batch systems as a function of time, pH, and nanocluster concentration, and then compared the aqueous behavior of U24Py to U60 to determine whether the size and morphology differences result in differences in their aqueous behaviors. Systems containing U24Py nanoclusters took over 30 days to achieve steady-state concentrations of monomeric U, Na, and P, illustrating slower reaction kinetics than parallel U60 systems. Furthermore, U24Py exhibited lower stability in solution than U60, with an average of 72% of the total mass in each nanocluster suspension being associated with the U24Py nanocluster, whereas 97% was associated with the U60 nanocluster in parallel experiments [Flynn, S. L., Szymanowski, J. E. S., Gao, Y., Liu, T., Burns, P. C., Fein, J. B.: Experimental measurements of U60 nanocluster stability in aqueous solution. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta 156, 94-105 (2015)]. The measurements from the batch experiments were used to calculate ion activity product (IAP) values for the reaction between the U24Py nanocluster and its constituent monomeric

Thermodynamic nonequilibrium phase change behavior and thermal properties of biological solutions for cryobiology applications.

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Han, Bumsoo; Bischof, John C

2004-04-01

Understanding the phase change behavior of biomaterials during freezing/thawing including their thermal properties at low temperatures is essential to design and improve cryobiology applications such as cryopreservation and cryosurgery. However, knowledge of phase change behavior and thermal properties of various biomaterials is still incomplete, especially at cryogenic temperatures (solutions--either water-NaCl or phosphate buffered saline (PBS)--with various chemical additives were investigated. The chemical additives studied are glycerol and raffinose as CPAs, an AFP (Type III, molecular weight = 6500), and NaCl as a cryosurgical adjuvant. The phase change behavior was investigated using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a cryomicroscope. The specific and latent heat of these solutions were also measured with the DSC. The saline solutions have two distinct phase changes--water/ice and eutectic phase changes. During freezing, eutectic solidification of both water-NaCl and PBS are significantly supercooled below their thermodynamic equilibrium eutectic temperatures. However, their melting temperatures are close to thermodynamic equilibrium during thawing. These eutectic phase changes disappear when even a small amount (0.1 M glycerol) of CPA was added, but they are still observed after the addition of an AFP. The specific heats of these solutions are close to that of ice at very low temperatures (< or = -100 degrees C) regardless of the additives, but they increase between -100 degrees C and -30 degrees C with the addition of CPAs. The amount of latent heat, which is evaluated with sample weight, generally decreases with the addition of the additives, but can be normalized to approximately 300 J/g based on the weight of water which participates in the phase change. This illustrates that thermal properties, especially latent heat, of a biomaterial should be evaluated based on the understanding of its phase change behavior. The results of the present

Asthma management simulation for children: translating theory, methods, and strategies to effect behavior change.

Science.gov (United States)

Shegog, Ross; Bartholomew, L Kay; Gold, Robert S; Pierrel, Elaine; Parcel, Guy S; Sockrider, Marianna M; Czyzewski, Danita I; Fernandez, Maria E; Berlin, Nina J; Abramson, Stuart

2006-01-01

Translating behavioral theories, models, and strategies to guide the development and structure of computer-based health applications is well recognized, although a continued challenge for program developers. A stepped approach to translate behavioral theory in the design of simulations to teach chronic disease management to children is described. This includes the translation steps to: 1) define target behaviors and their determinants, 2) identify theoretical methods to optimize behavioral change, and 3) choose educational strategies to effectively apply these methods and combine these into a cohesive computer-based simulation for health education. Asthma is used to exemplify a chronic health management problem and a computer-based asthma management simulation (Watch, Discover, Think and Act) that has been evaluated and shown to effect asthma self-management in children is used to exemplify the application of theory to practice. Impact and outcome evaluation studies have indicated the effectiveness of these steps in providing increased rigor and accountability, suggesting their utility for educators and developers seeking to apply simulations to enhance self-management behaviors in patients.

Coping strategies of caregivers towards aggressive behaviors of persons with severe mental illness.

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Madathumkovilakath, Neethu Bhaskaran; Kizhakkeppattu, Sindhu; Thekekunnath, Saleem; Kazhungil, Firoz

2018-04-24

Aggression is one of the chief determinants of caregiver burden in severe mental illnesses. Clinical and treatment implications of aggression in mental illness are predominantly studied in perspectives of mental health care professionals. Coping style of caregivers towards aggression of persons with mental illness is understudied. So we studied coping strategies used by caregivers of patients with severe mental illness towards aggressive behaviors of patients and relationship between aggressive behavior and coping strategies. We assessed two hundreds and seventy caregivers of patients with severe mental illness attending outpatient psychiatry department using Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the Ways of Coping Scale - revised. 95.6% of the caregivers perceived verbal aggression followed by aggression against property (67%), auto aggression (33.7%) and physical aggression (25.6%). The study revealed that adaptive coping strategies - planful problem solving and seeking social support were used by 40% each of caregivers to deal with aggressive behavior. Only 4.4% of caregivers resorted to escape avoidance which is maladaptive coping strategy. Though adaptive strategies were used by caregivers these were not used in appropriate situations. Physical aggression and aggression against property were not significantly associated with planful problem solving (r = 0.105; p = 0.08 and r = 0.110; p = 0.07 respectively). But verbal aggression, aggression against property and physical aggression were associated with escape avoidance (r = 0.152; p = 0.01 and r = 0.168; p = 0.01 and r = 0.23; p = mental illness is maladaptive with respect to aggression. Coping skills training would play a major role to address this issue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavior learning in differential games and reorientation maneuvers

Science.gov (United States)

Satak, Neha

method is the Direct Approximation of Value Function (DAVF) method. In this method, unlike the CSR method, the player formulates an objective function for the opponent but does not formulates a strategy directly; rather, indirectly the player assumes that the opponent is playing optimally. Thus, a value function satisfying the HJB equation corresponding to the opponent's cost function exists. The DAVF method finds an approximate solution for the value function based on previous observations of the opponent's control. The approximate solution to the value function is then used to predict the opponent's future behavior. Game examples in which only a single player is learning its opponent's behavior are simulated. Subsequently, examples in which both players in a two-player game are learning each other's behavior are simulated. In the second part of this research, a reorientation control maneuver for a spinning spacecraft will be developed. This will aid the application of behavior learning and differential games concepts to the specific scenario involving multiple spinning spacecraft. An impulsive reorientation maneuver with coasting will be analytically designed to reorient the spin axis of the spacecraft using a single body fixed thruster. Cooperative maneuvers of multiple spacecraft optimizing fuel and relative orientation will be designed. Pareto optimality concepts will be used to arrive at mutually agreeable reorientation maneuvers for the cooperating spinning spacecraft.

Perennial flow through convergent hillslopes explains chemodynamic solute behavior in a shale headwater catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Herndon, E.; Steinhoefel, G.; Dere, A. L. D.; Sullivan, P. L.

2017-12-01

Streams experience changing hydrologic connectivity to heterogeneous water sources under different flow regimes. It remains unclear how seasonal flow paths link these different sources and regulate concentration-discharge behavior. Previous research at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHCZO) in central Pennsylvania, USA identified chemostatic solutes (e.g., K, Mg, Na, Cl) whose concentrations varied little across a wide range of discharge values and chemodynamic solutes (e.g., Fe and Mn) whose concentrations decreased sharply with increasing stream discharge. To elucidate inputs to the stream when concentrations of chemodynamic solutes were high, we investigated stream water and shallow groundwater (table remained over a meter below the stream bed along the rest of the channel. We conclude that well water sampled from the upper catchment is young, shallow interflow that upwells to generate metal-rich stream headwaters during the dry season. High concentrations of chemodynamic solutes measured during low discharge occur when metal-rich headwaters are flushed to the catchment outlet during periodic rain events. Interflow during the dry season originates from water that infiltrates through organic-rich swales; thus, metals in the stream at low flow are ultimately derived from convergent hillslopes where biological processes have concentrated chemodynamic elements. We infer that chemodynamic solutes are diluted at high discharge due to increased flow through planar hillslopes and inputs from regional groundwater that rises to enter the stream. This study highlights how spatially heterogeneous biogeochemistry and seasonally variable flow paths regulate concentration-discharge behavior within catchments.

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Andreas; Weigl, Matthias

2017-01-01

Background: Individuals’ behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees’ SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context. Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees’ use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB. Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23–58 years) who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers’ OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads. Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB. Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is perceived

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Müller

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Individuals’ behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees’ SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context.Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees’ use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB.Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23–58 years who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers’ OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads.Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB.Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Andreas; Weigl, Matthias

2017-01-01

Background: Individuals' behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees' SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context. Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees' use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB. Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23-58 years) who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers' OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads. Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB. Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is perceived negatively

Mexican American mothers of low and middle socioeconomic status: communication behaviors and interactive strategies during shared book reading.

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Rodríguez, Barbara L; Hines, Rachel; Montiel, Miguel

2009-07-01

The aim of this investigation was to describe and compare the communication behaviors and interactive reading strategies used by Mexican American mothers of low- and middle-socioeconomic status (SES) background during shared book reading. Twenty Mexican American mother-child dyads from the Southwestern United States were observed during two book reading sessions. The data were coded across a number of communication behavior categories and were analyzed using the Adult/Child Interactive Reading Inventory (ACIRI; A. DeBruin-Parecki, 1999). Mexican American mothers used a variety of communication behaviors during shared book reading with their preschool children. Significant differences between the SES groups regarding the frequency of specific communication behaviors were revealed. Middle-SES mothers used positive feedback and yes/no questions more often than did low-SES mothers. Mexican American mothers also used a variety of interactive reading strategies with varying frequency, as measured by the ACIRI. They enhanced attention to text some of the time, but rarely promoted interactive reading/supported comprehension or used literacy strategies. There were no significant differences between the SES groups regarding the frequency of interactive reading strategies. Parent literacy programs should supplement Mexican American mothers' communication behaviors and interactive reading strategies to improve effectiveness and participation.

The response strategy and the place strategy in a plus-maze have different sensitivities to devaluation of expected outcome.

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Kosaki, Yutaka; Pearce, John M; McGregor, Anthony

2018-04-10

Previous studies have suggested that spatial navigation can be achieved with at least two distinct learning processes, involving either cognitive map-like representations of the local environment, referred to as the "place strategy", or simple stimulus-response (S-R) associations, the "response strategy". A similar distinction between cognitive/behavioral processes has been made in the context of non-spatial, instrumental conditioning, with the definition of two processes concerning the sensitivity of a given behavior to the expected value of its outcome as well as to the response-outcome contingency ("goal-directed action" and "S-R habit"). Here we investigated whether these two versions of dichotomist definitions of learned behavior, one spatial and the other non-spatial, correspond to each other in a formal way. Specifically, we assessed the goal-directed nature of two navigational strategies, using a combination of an outcome devaluation procedure and a spatial probe trial frequently used to dissociate the two navigational strategies. In Experiment 1, rats trained in a dual-solution T-maze task were subjected to an extinction probe trial from the opposite start arm, with or without prefeeding-induced devaluation of the expected outcome. We found that a non-significant preference for the place strategy in the non-devalued condition was completely reversed after devaluation, such that significantly more animals displayed the use of the response strategy. The result suggests that the place strategy is sensitive to the expected value of the outcome, while the response strategy is not. In Experiment 2, rats with hippocampal lesions showed significant reliance on the response strategy, regardless of whether the expected outcome was devalued or not. The result thus offers further evidence that the response strategy conforms to the definition of an outcome-insensitive, habitual form of instrumental behavior. These results together attest a formal correspondence between

The relationships between social goals, skills, and strategies and their effect on aggressive behavior among adolescents.

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Winstok, Zeev

2009-12-01

It is widely accepted that conflict-related goals, skills, and strategies are linked. Yet it is rarely explored how these factors relate to each other and how they jointly promote or inhibit aggressive behaviors. The aim of this study is to provide answers to these questions. Data were derived from a structured questionnaire administered to 660 male and female adolescents of an average age of 14.99 years from two urban schools in northern Israel. Findings show that goals, skills, and strategies that promote or inhibit violence are positively interrelated. Furthermore, negative association was found between violence promoting and inhibiting goals, skills, and strategies. Gender differences were also analyzed. It has been found that boys display aggressive behavior more frequently then girls. Findings also show that the rate of violence promoting goals, skills, and strategies is higher among boys than among girls, whereas that of violence inhibiting ones are higher among girls than among boys. Yet when controlling the effects of goals, skills, and strategies, girls demonstrate aggressive behavior more frequently than boys. These research findings are discussed and conceptualized within the theoretical framework of social adjustment.

Effects of rational emotive behavior therapy for senior nursing students on coping strategies and self-efficacy.

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Kim, Myung Ah; Kim, Jiyoung; Kim, Eun Jung

2015-03-01

Senior nursing students are faced with various types of stressful events such as taking the national licensure exam or finding employment. Such stress can generate maladaptive behaviors as well as physical and psychological symptoms. There is evidence supporting the use of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) for reducing disruptive behaviors and negative emotions as well as improving self-efficacy and stress-coping strategies. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on stress coping strategies and self-efficacy for senior nursing students. Thirty-four senior nursing students in a nursing college were assigned randomly to an experimental group (n=18) and a control group (n=16). The REBT program consisted of 8 sessions, and it was implemented for a 4-week period. Outcome measures assessed stress-coping strategies and self-efficacy before and after intervention. After intervention with REBT, the mean difference scores for self-efficacy (p=.032) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. However, the mean difference scores for seeking social support (p=.166), problem solving (p=.126), and avoidance (p=.154) in stress-coping strategies were not significantly different between the two groups. The results imply that group counseling based on REBT enhances the self-efficacy among senior nursing students before graduation. As regards stress coping strategies, a longer intervention period is suggested. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships between undergraduates' argumentation skills, conceptual quality of problem solutions, and problem solving strategies in introductory physics

Science.gov (United States)

Rebello, Carina M.

This study explored the effects of alternative forms of argumentation on undergraduates' physics solutions in introductory calculus-based physics. A two-phase concurrent mixed methods design was employed to investigate relationships between undergraduates' written argumentation abilities, conceptual quality of problem solutions, as well as approaches and strategies for solving argumentative physics problems across multiple physics topics. Participants were assigned via stratified sampling to one of three conditions (control, guided construct, or guided evaluate) based on gender and pre-test scores on a conceptual instrument. The guided construct and guided evaluate groups received tasks and prompts drawn from literature to facilitate argument construction or evaluation. Using a multiple case study design, with each condition serving as a case, interviews were conducted consisting of a think-aloud problem solving session paired with a semi-structured interview. The analysis of problem solving strategies was guided by the theoretical framework on epistemic games adapted by Tuminaro and Redish (2007). This study provides empirical evidence that integration of written argumentation into physics problems can potentially improve the conceptual quality of solutions, expand their repertoire of problem solving strategies and show promise for addressing the gender gap in physics. The study suggests further avenues for research in this area and implications for designing and implementing argumentation tasks in introductory college physics.

Evaporation Behavior and Characterization of Eutectic Solvent and Ibuprofen Eutectic Solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Phaechamud, Thawatchai; Tuntarawongsa, Sarun; Charoensuksai, Purin

2016-10-01

Liquid eutectic system of menthol and camphor has been reported as solvent and co-solvent for some drug delivery systems. However, surprisingly, the phase diagram of menthol-camphor eutectic has not been reported previously. The evaporation behavior, physicochemical, and thermal properties of this liquid eutectic and ibuprofen eutectic solution were characterized in this study. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that a eutectic point of this system was near to 1:1 menthol/camphor and its eutectic temperature was -1°C. The solubility of ibuprofen in this eutectic was 282.11 ± 6.67 mg mL(-1) and increased the drug aqueous solubility fourfold. The shift of wave number from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the hydrogen bonding of each compound in eutectic mixture. The weight loss from thermogravimetric analysis of menthol and camphor related to the evaporation and sublimation, respectively. Menthol demonstrated a lower apparent sublimation rate than camphor, and the evaporation rate of eutectic solvent was lower than the sublimation rate of camphor but higher than the evaporation of menthol. The evaporation rate of the ibuprofen eutectic solution was lower than that of the eutectic solvent because ibuprofen did not sublimate. This eutectic solvent prolonged the ibuprofen release with diffusion control. Thus, the beneficial information for thermal behavior and related properties of eutectic solvent comprising menthol-camphor and ibuprofen eutectic solution was attained successfully. The rather low evaporation of eutectic mixture will be beneficial for investigation and tracking the mechanism of transformation from nanoemulsion into nanosuspension in the further study using eutectic as oil phase.

Intervention strategy to stimulate energy-saving behavior of local residents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Q.; Nieuwenhijsen, I.; Vries, B. de; Blokhuis, E.; Schaefer, W.

2013-01-01

This study investigates intervention strategy in stimulating energy-saving behavior to achieve energy neutral urban development. A tree structure overview of potential interventions classified into three categories is revealed. An integrated behaviour model is developed reflecting the relations between behaviour and influence factors. A latent class model is used to identify segments of local residents who differ regarding their preferences for interventions. Data are collected from a sample of residents in the Eindhoven region of the Netherlands in 2010. The results indicate that social-demographic characteristics, knowledge, motivation and context factors play important roles in energy-saving behaviour. Specifically, four segments of residents in the study area were identified that clearly differed in their preferences of interventions: cost driven residents, conscious residents, ease driven residents and environment minded residents. These findings emphasize that the intervention strategy should be focused on specific target groups to have the right mixture of interventions to achieve effective results on stimulating them to save energy. - Highlights: ► A latent class model to identify segments with preferred energy-saving interventions. ► An integrated energy-saving behavior model of casual relations. ► A tree structure overview of potential interventions

Early Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors, Conflict Resolution Strategies, and School Climate

Science.gov (United States)

LaRusso, Maria; Selman, Robert

2011-01-01

Drawing upon an ethnically and socio-economically diverse sample of 323 7th grade students from twelve urban schools within one school district, this mixed method study examined early adolescents' self-reported health risk behaviors as related to their conflict resolution strategies and their school's conflict resolution climate. Survey data…

Pareto Optimal Solutions for Network Defense Strategy Selection Simulator in Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Sun

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Using Pareto optimization in Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning (MORL leads to better learning results for network defense games. This is particularly useful for network security agents, who must often balance several goals when choosing what action to take in defense of a network. If the defender knows his preferred reward distribution, the advantages of Pareto optimization can be retained by using a scalarization algorithm prior to the implementation of the MORL. In this paper, we simulate a network defense scenario by creating a multi-objective zero-sum game and using Pareto optimization and MORL to determine optimal solutions and compare those solutions to different scalarization approaches. We build a Pareto Defense Strategy Selection Simulator (PDSSS system for assisting network administrators on decision-making, specifically, on defense strategy selection, and the experiment results show that the Satisficing Trade-Off Method (STOM scalarization approach performs better than linear scalarization or GUESS method. The results of this paper can aid network security agents attempting to find an optimal defense policy for network security games.

Embedded Prompting May Function as Embedded Punishment: Detection of Unexpected Behavioral Processes within a Typical Preschool Teaching Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Heal, Nicole A.; Hanley, Gregory P.

2011-01-01

This study describes an unexpected behavioral process that influenced behavior during the teaching of concepts to a 4-year-old girl. The efficacy of and preference for three strategies that varied in teacher directedness were assessed in a multielement design and concurrent-chains arrangement, respectively. The strategy that involved the most…

Dissolution and solubility behavior of fenofibrate in sodium lauryl sulfate solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Granero, Gladys E; Ramachandran, Chandrasekharan; Amidon, Gordon L

2005-10-01

The solubility of fenofibrate in pH 6.8 McIlvaine buffers containing varying concentrations of sodium lauryl sulfate was determined. The dissolution behavior of fenofibrate was also examined in the same solutions with rotating disk experiments. It was observed that the enhancement in intrinsic dissolution rate was approximately 500-fold and the enhancement in solubility was approximately 2000-fold in a pH 6.8 buffer containing 2% (w/v) sodium lauryl sulfate compared to that in buffer alone. The micellar solubilization equilibrium coefficient (k*) was estimated from the solubility data and found to be 30884+/-213 L/mol. The diffusivity for the free solute, 7.15x10(-6) cm2/s, was calculated using Schroeder's additive molal volume estimates and Hayduk-Laurie correlation. The diffusivity of the drug-loaded micelle, estimated from the experimental solubility and dissolution data and the calculated value for free solute diffusivity, was 0.86x10(-6) cm2/s. Thus, the much lower enhancement in dissolution of fenofibrate compared to its enhancement in solubility in surfactant solutions appears to be consistent with the contribution to the total transport due to enhanced micellar solubilization as well as a large decrease (approximately 8-fold) in the diffusivity of the drug-loaded micelle.

Corrosion behavior of niobium coated 304 stainless steel in acid solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, T.J., E-mail: tjpan@cczu.edu.cn [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Photovolatic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Material Surface Technology, Changzhou 213164 (China); Chen, Y.; Zhang, B. [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Photovolatic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Hu, J. [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Photovolatic Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Material Surface Technology, Changzhou 213164 (China); Li, C. [Light Industry College of Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036 (China)

2016-04-30

Highlights: • The Nb coating produced by HEMAA offers good protection for 304SS in acid solution. • The coating increases corrosion potential and induces decrease of corrosion rate. • The protection of coating is ascribed to the stability of Nb in acid solution. - Abstract: The niobium coating is fabricated on the surface of AISI Type 304 stainless steel (304SS) by using a high energy micro arc alloying technique in order to improvecorrosion resistance of the steel against acidic environments. The electrochemical corrosion resistance of the niobium coating in 0.7 M sulfuric acid solutions is evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and the open circuit potential versus time. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the niobium coating increases the free corrosion potential of the substrate by 110 mV and a reduction in the corrosion rate by two orders of magnitude compared to the substrate alone. The niobium coating maintains large impedance and effectively offers good protection for the substrate during the long-term exposure tests, which is mainly ascribed to the niobium coating acting inhibiting permeation of corrosive species. Finally, the corresponding electrochemical impedance models are proposed to elucidate the corrosion resistance behavior of the niobium coating in acid solutions.

Corrosion behavior of niobium coated 304 stainless steel in acid solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, T.J.; Chen, Y.; Zhang, B.; Hu, J.; Li, C.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The Nb coating produced by HEMAA offers good protection for 304SS in acid solution. • The coating increases corrosion potential and induces decrease of corrosion rate. • The protection of coating is ascribed to the stability of Nb in acid solution. - Abstract: The niobium coating is fabricated on the surface of AISI Type 304 stainless steel (304SS) by using a high energy micro arc alloying technique in order to improvecorrosion resistance of the steel against acidic environments. The electrochemical corrosion resistance of the niobium coating in 0.7 M sulfuric acid solutions is evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and the open circuit potential versus time. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the niobium coating increases the free corrosion potential of the substrate by 110 mV and a reduction in the corrosion rate by two orders of magnitude compared to the substrate alone. The niobium coating maintains large impedance and effectively offers good protection for the substrate during the long-term exposure tests, which is mainly ascribed to the niobium coating acting inhibiting permeation of corrosive species. Finally, the corresponding electrochemical impedance models are proposed to elucidate the corrosion resistance behavior of the niobium coating in acid solutions.

The Success Of Stock Selection Strategies In Emerging Markets: Is It Risk Or Behavioral Bias?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. van der Hart; G.J. de Zwart (Gerben); D.J.C. van Dijk (Dick)

2005-01-01

textabstractWe examine competing explanations, based on risk and behavioral models, for the profitability of stock selection strategies in emerging markets. We document that both emerging market risk and global risk factors cannot account for the significant excess returns of selection strategies

Large time behavior of entropy solutions to one-dimensional unipolar hydrodynamic model for semiconductor devices

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Feimin; Li, Tianhong; Yu, Huimin; Yuan, Difan

2018-06-01

We are concerned with the global existence and large time behavior of entropy solutions to the one-dimensional unipolar hydrodynamic model for semiconductors in the form of Euler-Poisson equations in a bounded interval. In this paper, we first prove the global existence of entropy solution by vanishing viscosity and compensated compactness framework. In particular, the solutions are uniformly bounded with respect to space and time variables by introducing modified Riemann invariants and the theory of invariant region. Based on the uniform estimates of density, we further show that the entropy solution converges to the corresponding unique stationary solution exponentially in time. No any smallness condition is assumed on the initial data and doping profile. Moreover, the novelty in this paper is about the unform bound with respect to time for the weak solutions of the isentropic Euler-Poisson system.

Cognitive and Neural Determinants of Response Strategy in the Dual-Solution Plus-Maze Task

Science.gov (United States)

De Leonibus, Elvira; Costantini, Vivian J. A.; Massaro, Antonio; Mandolesi, Georgia; Vanni, Valentina; Luvisetto, Siro; Pavone, Flaminia; Oliverio, Alberto; Mele, Andrea

2011-01-01

Response strategy in the dual-solution plus maze is regarded as a form of stimulus-response learning. In this study, by using an outcome devaluation procedure, we show that it can be based on both action-outcome and stimulus-response habit learning, depending on the amount of training that the animals receive. Furthermore, we show that…

Solid-Phase and Oscillating Solution Crystallization Behavior of (+)- and (-)-N-Methylephedrine.

Science.gov (United States)

Tulashie, Samuel Kofi; Polenske, Daniel; Seidel-Morgenstern, Andreas; Lorenz, Heike

2016-11-01

This work involves the study of the solid-phase and solution crystallization behavior of the N-methylephedrine enantiomers. A systematic investigation of the melt phase diagram of the enantiomeric N-methylephedrine system was performed considering polymorphism. Two monotropically related modifications of the enantiomer were found. Solubilities and the ternary solubility phase diagrams of N-methylephedrine enantiomers in 2 solvents [isopropanol:water, 1:3 (Vol) and (2R, 3R)-diethyl tartrate] were determined in the temperature ranges between 15°C and 25°C, and 25°C and 40°C, respectively. Preferential nucleation and crystallization experiments at higher supersaturation leading to an unusual oscillatory crystallization behavior as well as a successful preferential crystallization experiment at lower supersaturation are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Interaction of Motivation, Self-Regulatory Strategies, and Autonomous Learning Behavior in Different Learner Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Kormos, Judit; Csizér, Kata

2014-01-01

Autonomous learning and effective self-regulatory strategies are increasingly important in foreign language learning; without these, students might not be able to exploit learning opportunities outside language classrooms. This study investigated the influence of motivational factors and self-regulatory strategies on autonomous learning behavior.…

Self-Regulatory Strategies as Correlates of Physical Activity Behavior in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cederberg, Katie L; Balto, Julia M; Motl, Robert W

2018-05-01

To examine self-regulation strategies as correlates of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Cross-sectional, or survey, study. University-based research laboratory. Convenience sample of persons with MS (N=68). Not applicable. Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (EXSE), 12-item Physical Activity Self-Regulation Scale (PASR-12), and Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ). Correlation analyses indicated that GLTEQ scores were positively and significantly associated with overall self-regulation (r=.43), self-monitoring (r=.45), goal-setting (r=.27), reinforcement (r=.30), time management (r=.41), and relapse prevention (r=.53) PASR-12 scores. Regression analyses indicated that relapse prevention (B=5.01; SE B=1.74; β=.51) and self-monitoring (B=3.65; SE B=1.71; β=.33) were unique predictors of physical activity behavior, and relapse prevention demonstrated a significant association with physical activity behavior that was accounted for by EXSE. Our results indicate that self-regulatory strategies, particularly relapse prevention, may be important correlates of physical activity behavior that can inform the design of future behavioral interventions in MS. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Weighted asymptotic behavior of solutions to semilinear integro-differential equations in Banach spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan-Tao Bian

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this article, we study weighted asymptotic behavior of solutions to the semilinear integro-differential equation $$ u'(t=Au(t+\\alpha\\int_{-\\infty}^{t}e^{-\\beta(t-s}Au(sds+f(t,u(t, \\quad t\\in \\mathbb{R}, $$ where $\\alpha, \\beta \\in \\mathbb{R}$, with $\\beta > 0, \\alpha \

Predictive Effects of Good Self-Control and Poor Regulation on Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Do Protective Behavioral Strategies Mediate?

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Matthew R.; Kite, Benjamin A.; Henson, James M.

2016-01-01

In the present study, we examined whether use of protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between self-control constructs and alcohol-related outcomes. According to the two-mode model of self-control, good self-control (planfulness; measured with Future Time Perspective, Problem Solving, and Self-Reinforcement) and poor regulation (impulsivity; measured with Present Time Perspective, Poor Delay of Gratification, Distractibility) are theorized to be relatively independent constructs rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. The analytic sample consisted of 278 college student drinkers (68% women) who responded to a battery of surveys at a single time point. Using a structural equation model based on the two-mode model of self-control, we found that good self-control predicted increased use of three types of protective behavioral strategies (Manner of Drinking, Limiting/Stopping Drinking, and Serious Harm Reduction). Poor regulation was unrelated to use of protective behavioral strategies, but had direct effects on alcohol use and alcohol problems. Further, protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between good self-control and alcohol use. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:22663345

Anodic polarization behavior of pure copper in carbonate solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawasaki, Manabu; Taniguchi, Naoki; Naitou, Morimasa

2008-03-01

Copper is one of the candidate materials for overpacks. The redox condition at the early stage of the post closure will be oxidizing. In order to understand the influence of environmental factors on the corrosion behavior of copper in such oxidizing environment, anodic polarization tests were performed in carbonate aqueous solution with varying the concentration of representative chemical species in groundwater. As the results of potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests, anodic polarization behavior of pure copper was summarized as follows; Carbonate ion and bicarbonate ion promoted the passivation of pure copper, and suppressed the initiation of film breakdown. Chloride ion promoted both the active dissolution and initiation of film breakdown of pure copper. The influence of sulfate ion and pH was small, but the action of sulfate ion to the pure copper was similar to that of chloride ion, and the increase of pH was likely to promote the passivation and suppress the initiation of film breakdown. The film breakdown potential, Eb, was represented as a function of the ratio of aggressive ion and inhibiting ion such as [Cl - ]/[HCO 3 - ], [SO 4 2- ]/[HCO 3 - ]. When the ratio exceeds a certain value, the anodic polarization curve becomes active dissolution type so that no macroscopic film breakdown can not be occurred. The lower limit of Eb in passive type region was estimated to be about -200 mV vs. SCE. As the results of potentio static tests, the corrosion form near the Eb was uniform dissolution over the surface, but pitting corrosion and non-uniform corrosion occurred according to the condition of the test solution. Neither pitting corrosion nor non-uniform corrosion occurred at the potential below Eb in every test cases. (author)

Behavior of neutral solutes in pressurized flow driven electrochromatography using a mixed stationary phase of ODS and anion-exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Shinya; Tsuda, Takao

2003-05-02

The behavior of neutral sample solutes in pressurized flow driven electrochromatography using a mixed stationary phase, which consisted of ODS and anion-exchange (ODS-SAX), was studied. Applications of both positive and negative voltage on a column induced increases in retention factors of sample solutes. The direction of an electroosmotic flow under applications of positive and negative voltage were the same, therefore, the sign of the surface charge density under positive and negative voltage was opposite. We proposed a new equation for the relationship between applied voltage and surface charge density, and the practical electroosmotic flow conformed to this equation. Studying the electroosmotic flow using our proposed equation revealed that the applied negative voltage accelerates the protonation of the quaternary ammonium group and dissociation of the silanol group on packing materials. The retention behavior of a neutral solute was affected by the existence of the charged functional groups. We propose that this phenomenon is applicable to the control of the retention behavior of a sample solute using an electric field.

Effect of pH on corrosion behavior of CuCrZr in solution without and with NaCl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwok, C.T.; Wong, P.K. [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Macau (China); Man, H.C. [Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong); Cheng, F.T., E-mail: apaftche@polyu.edu.h [Department of Applied Physics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong)

2009-10-01

CuCrZr is a high copper alloy widely used as electrical and thermal conducting material, especially in heat exchangers in nuclear reactors. In this respect, the physical and fatigue properties of CuCrZr have been extensively studied. The electrochemical behavior of CuCrZr, on the other hand, has not been adequately investigated. In the present study, the effect of pH on the corrosion behavior of CuCrZr in aqueous solutions without and with chloride (0.6 M NaCl) was studied. The pH of the solutions is found to exert significant influence on the corrosion behavior of CuCrZr. In acidic solutions without chloride, the corrosion of CuCrZr is ascribed to active dissolution with soluble products. In neutral and alkaline solutions without NaCl, the presence of oxides on the surface of CuCrZr leads to a noble shift in corrosion potential and passivation results in increased corrosion resistance. In chloride solutions at various pH values, the chloride ions influence the formation of the surface layers and the anodic dissolution process during polarization. At high pH, CuCrZr shows significant passivity and high corrosion resistance due to the growth of Cu{sub 2}O/Cu(OH) film which hinders further dissolution whereas at low pH the corrosion resistance is lowered due to active dissolution of Cu.

Effect of pH on corrosion behavior of CuCrZr in solution without and with NaCl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, C.T.; Wong, P.K.; Man, H.C.; Cheng, F.T.

2009-01-01

CuCrZr is a high copper alloy widely used as electrical and thermal conducting material, especially in heat exchangers in nuclear reactors. In this respect, the physical and fatigue properties of CuCrZr have been extensively studied. The electrochemical behavior of CuCrZr, on the other hand, has not been adequately investigated. In the present study, the effect of pH on the corrosion behavior of CuCrZr in aqueous solutions without and with chloride (0.6 M NaCl) was studied. The pH of the solutions is found to exert significant influence on the corrosion behavior of CuCrZr. In acidic solutions without chloride, the corrosion of CuCrZr is ascribed to active dissolution with soluble products. In neutral and alkaline solutions without NaCl, the presence of oxides on the surface of CuCrZr leads to a noble shift in corrosion potential and passivation results in increased corrosion resistance. In chloride solutions at various pH values, the chloride ions influence the formation of the surface layers and the anodic dissolution process during polarization. At high pH, CuCrZr shows significant passivity and high corrosion resistance due to the growth of Cu 2 O/Cu(OH) film which hinders further dissolution whereas at low pH the corrosion resistance is lowered due to active dissolution of Cu.

Exploring Poly(ethylene glycol-Polyzwitterion Diblock Copolymers as Biocompatible Smart Macrosurfactants Featuring UCST-Phase Behavior in Normal Saline Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noverra M. Nizardo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Nonionic-zwitterionic diblock copolymers are designed to feature a coil-to-globule collapse transition with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST in aqueous media, including physiological saline solution. The block copolymers that combine presumably highly biocompatible blocks are synthesized by chain extension of a poly(ethylene glycol (PEG macroinitiator via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP of sulfobetaine and sulfabetaine methacrylates. Their thermoresponsive behavior is studied by variable temperature turbidimetry and 1H NMR spectroscopy. While the polymers with polysulfobetaine blocks exhibit phase transitions in the physiologically interesting window of 30–50 °C only in pure aqueous solution, the polymers bearing polysulfabetaine blocks enabled phase transitions only in physiological saline solution. By copolymerizing a pair of structurally closely related sulfo- and sulfabetaine monomers, thermoresponsive behavior can be implemented in aqueous solutions of both low and high salinity. Surprisingly, the presence of the PEG blocks can affect the UCST-transitions of the polyzwitterions notably. In specific cases, this results in “schizophrenic” thermoresponsive behavior displaying simultaneously an UCST and an LCST (lower critical solution temperature transition. Exploratory experiments on the UCST-transition triggered the encapsulation and release of various solvatochromic fluorescent dyes as model “cargos” failed, apparently due to the poor affinity even of charged organic compounds to the collapsed state of the polyzwitterions.

Dynamic rheology behavior of electron beam-irradiated cellulose pulp/NMMO solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Ruimin; Deng Bangjun; Hao Xufeng; Zhou Fei; Wu Xinfeng; Chen Yongkang

2008-01-01

The rheological behavior of irradiated cellulose pulp solution by electron beam was investigated. Storage modulus G', loss modulus G'', the dependence of complex viscosity η* and frequency ω of cellulose solutions were measured by DSR-200 Rheometer (Rheometrics co., USA). The molecular weight of irradiated cellulose was measured via the intrinsic viscosity measurement using an Ubbelohde capillary viscometer. The crystalline structure was studied by FTIR Spectroscopy. The results congruously showed that the molecular weight of pulp cellulose decrease and the molecular weight distribution of cellulose become narrow with increase in the irradiation dose. Moreover, the crystalline structure of the cellulose was destroyed, the force of the snarl between the cellulose molecules weakens and the accessibility of pulp spinning is improved. The study supplies some useful data for spinnability of irradiated cellulose and technical data to the filature industry

Human capital strategy: talent management.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagra, Michael

2011-01-01

Large organizations, including the US Army Medical Department and the Army Nurse Corps, are people-based organizations. Consequently, effective and efficient management of the human capital within these organizations is a strategic goal for the leadership. Over time, the Department of Defense has used many different systems and strategies to manage people throughout their service life-cycle. The current system in use is called Human Capital Management. In the near future, the Army's human capital will be managed based on skills, knowledge, and behaviors through various measurement tools. This article elaborates the human capital management strategy within the Army Nurse Corps, which identifies, develops, and implements key talent management strategies under the umbrella of the Corps' human capital goals. The talent management strategy solutions are aligned under the Nurse Corps business strategy captured by the 2008 Army Nurse Corps Campaign Plan, and are implemented within the context of the culture and core values of the organization.

Numerical Simulation of the Freeze-Thaw Behavior of Mortar Containing Deicing Salt Solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Esmaeeli, Hadi S; Farnam, Yaghoob; Bentz, Dale P; Zavattieri, Pablo D; Weiss, Jason

2017-02-01

This paper presents a one-dimensional finite difference model that is developed to describe the freeze-thaw behavior of an air-entrained mortar containing deicing salt solution. A phenomenological model is used to predict the temperature and the heat flow for mortar specimens during cooling and heating. Phase transformations associated with the freezing/melting of water/ice or transition of the eutectic solution from liquid to solid are included in this phenomenological model. The lever rule is used to calculate the quantity of solution that undergoes the phase transformation, thereby simulating the energy released/absorbed during phase transformation. Undercooling and pore size effects are considered in the numerical model. To investigate the effect of pore size distribution, this distribution is considered using the Gibbs-Thomson equation in a saturated mortar specimen. For an air-entrained mortar, the impact of considering pore size (and curvature) on freezing was relatively insignificant; however the impact of pore size is much more significant during melting. The fluid inside pores smaller than 5 nm (i.e., gel pores) has a relatively small contribution in the macroscopic freeze-thaw behavior of mortar specimens within the temperature range used in this study (i.e., +24 °C to -35 °C), and can therefore be neglected for the macroscopic freeze-thaw simulations. A heat sink term is utilized to simulate the heat dissipation during phase transformations. Data from experiments performed using a low-temperature longitudinal guarded comparative calorimeter (LGCC) on mortar specimens fully saturated with various concentration NaCl solutions or partially saturated with water is compared to the numerical results and a promising agreement is generally obtained.

A Comprehensive Strategy to Evaluate Compatible Stability of Chinese Medicine Injection and Infusion Solutions Based on Chemical Analysis and Bioactivity Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian-Ping; Liu, Yang; Guo, Jian-Ming; Shang, Er-Xin; Zhu, Zhen-Hua; Zhu, Kevin Y; Tang, Yu-Ping; Zhao, Bu-Chang; Tang, Zhi-Shu; Duan, Jin-Ao

2017-01-01

Stability of traditional Chinese medicine injection (TCMI) is an important issue related with its clinical application. TCMI is composed of multi-components, therefore, when evaluating TCMI stability, several marker compounds cannot represent global components or biological activities of TCMI. Till now, when evaluating TCMI stability, method involving the global components or biological activities has not been reported. In this paper, we established a comprehensive strategy composed of three different methods to evaluate the chemical and biological stability of a typical TCMI, Danhong injection (DHI). UHPLC-TQ/MS was used to analyze the stability of marker compounds (SaA, SaB, RA, DSS, PA, CA, and SG) in DHI, UHPLC-QTOF/MS was used to analyze the stability of global components (MW 80-1000 Da) in DHI, and cell based antioxidant capability assay was used to evaluate the bioactivity of DHI. We applied this strategy to assess the compatible stability of DHI and six infusion solutions (GS, NS, GNS, FI, XI, and DGI), which were commonly used in combination with DHI in clinic. GS was the best infusion solution for DHI, and DGI was the worst one based on marker compounds analysis. Based on global components analysis, XI and DGI were the worst infusion solutions for DHI. And based on bioactivity assay, GS was the best infusion solution for DHI, and XI was the worst one. In conclusion, as evaluated by the established comprehensive strategy, GS was the best infusion solution, however, XI and DGI were the worst infusion solutions for DHI. In the compatibility of DHI and XI or DGI, salvianolic acids in DHI would be degraded, resulting in the reduction of original composition and generation of new components, and leading to the changes of biological activities. This is the essence of instability compatibility of DHI and some infusion solutions. Our study provided references for choosing the reasonable infusion solutions for DHI, which could contribute the improvement of safety

On the Asymptotic Behavior of Positive Solutions of Certain Fractional Differential Equations

OpenAIRE

Said R. Grace

2015-01-01

This paper deals with the asymptotic behavior of positive solutions of certain forced fractional differential equations of the form DcαCyt=et+ft, xt, c>1, α∈0,1, where yt=atx′t′, c0=y(c)/Γ(1) =yc, and c0 is a real constant. From the obtained results, we derive a technique which can be applied to some related fractional differential equations.

Harm Reduction for Cannabis: Factor Analysis of a Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Caffrey, Kathleen S.; Wright, Bruce R.; Maarhuis, Patricia L.

2018-01-01

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of a measure of cannabis-specific Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), which assesses ways in which students may reduce cannabis-related risk. Participants: Respondents to the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II (N = 580) during Spring 2015. Methods:…

Seasonality directs contrasting food collection behavior and nutrient regulation strategies in ants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Steven C; Eubanks, Micky D; Gold, Roger E; Behmer, Spencer T

2011-01-01

Long-lived animals, including social insects, often display seasonal shifts in foraging behavior. Foraging is ultimately a nutrient consumption exercise, but the effect of seasonality per se on changes in foraging behavior, particularly as it relates to nutrient regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we show that field-collected fire ant colonies, returned to the laboratory and maintained under identical photoperiod, temperature, and humidity regimes, and presented with experimental foods that had different protein (p) to carbohydrate (c) ratios, practice summer- and fall-specific foraging behaviors with respect to protein-carbohydrate regulation. Summer colonies increased the amount of food collected as the p:c ratio of their food became increasingly imbalanced, but fall colonies collected similar amounts of food regardless of the p:c ratio of their food. Choice experiments revealed that feeding was non-random, and that both fall and summer ants preferred carbohydrate-biased food. However, ants rarely ate all the food they collected, and their cached or discarded food always contained little carbohydrate relative to protein. From a nutrient regulation strategy, ants consumed most of the carbohydrate they collected, but regulated protein consumption to a similar level, regardless of season. We suggest that varied seasonal food collection behaviors and nutrient regulation strategies may be an adaptation that allows long-lived animals to meet current and future nutrient demands when nutrient-rich foods are abundant (e.g. spring and summer), and to conserve energy and be metabolically more efficient when nutritionally balanced foods are less abundant.

Electrochemical behavior of Ti and Ti6Al4V in aqueous solutions of citric acid containing halides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anelise Marlene Schmidt

2006-12-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on an investigation of the electrochemical behavior of Ti grade 2 and Ti6Al4V alloy in aqueous citric acid solutions with pH 2.0 containing halide ions. Voltammetric studies of Ti and the alloy in citric acid, with and without chloride ions, indicate that the Ti and Ti alloy presented a passive behavior in the test solutions used. Pitting was observed at 3.0 and 2.5 V/SCE for Ti and Ti6Al4V, respectively, when bromide ions were added to the solution. In solutions containing fluoride ions, dissolution of the film occurred at potentials close to - 1.0 V/SCE in both electrodes. The iodide ions oxidized on the passive oxide film at potentials close to 1.0 V/SCE. EIS results of the materials in citric acid solutions containing chloride ions revealed that the film's resistance increased as the applied potential rose from 0 to 1.0 V. In bromide-containing solutions, breakdown of the film was confirmed at potentials above 2.0 V/SCE in both electrodes. These results suggest film reformation for Ti and the alloy in solutions containing fluoride at potentials within the passive region.

An electrochemical investigation of the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloys in chloride containing solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos Filho, Jorge Eustaquio de

2005-01-01

Aluminum alloys have been used as cladding materials for nuclear fuel in research reactors due to its corrosion resistance. Aluminum owes its good corrosion resistance to a protective barrier oxide film formed and strongly bonded to its surface. In pool type TRIGA IPR-R1 reactor, located at Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear in Belo Horizonte, previous immersion coupon tests revealed that aluminum alloys suffer from pitting corrosion, in spite of high quality of water control. Corrosion attack is initiated by breaking the protective oxide film on aluminum alloy surface. Chloride ions can break this oxide film and stimulate metal dissolution. In this study the aluminum alloys 1050, 5052 and 6061 were used to evaluate their corrosion behavior in chloride containing solutions. The electrochemical techniques used were potentiodynamic anodic polarization and cyclic polarization. Results showed that aluminum alloys 5052 and 6061 present similar corrosion resistance in low chloride solutions (0,1 ppm NaCl) and in reactor water but both alloys are less resistant in high chloride solution (1 ppm NaCl). Aluminum alloy 1050 presented similar behavior in the three electrolytes used, regarding to pitting corrosion, indicating that the concentration of the chloride ions was not the only variable to influence its corrosion susceptibility. (author)

Fault Management Design Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Day, John C.; Johnson, Stephen B.

2014-01-01

Development of dependable systems relies on the ability of the system to determine and respond to off-nominal system behavior. Specification and development of these fault management capabilities must be done in a structured and principled manner to improve our understanding of these systems, and to make significant gains in dependability (safety, reliability and availability). Prior work has described a fundamental taxonomy and theory of System Health Management (SHM), and of its operational subset, Fault Management (FM). This conceptual foundation provides a basis to develop framework to design and implement FM design strategies that protect mission objectives and account for system design limitations. Selection of an SHM strategy has implications for the functions required to perform the strategy, and it places constraints on the set of possible design solutions. The framework developed in this paper provides a rigorous and principled approach to classifying SHM strategies, as well as methods for determination and implementation of SHM strategies. An illustrative example is used to describe the application of the framework and the resulting benefits to system and FM design and dependability.

Strategie zachowan konsumpcyjnych seniorow na rynku dobr i uslug konsumpcyjnych. (Strategy of consumer behavior of the elderly on the market of consumer foods and services.)

OpenAIRE

Felicjan Bylok

2013-01-01

In the paper entitled: “Strategy of consumer behavior of the elderly on the market of consumer foods and services” the subject matter for analysis was deemed to be the consumer behavior of the elderly. The author is searching for the answer to the following questions: What are the specifics of the behavior of the elderly on the market of foods and services? What are the factors determining the consumer behavior of the elderly? What types of purchasing behavior are most frequently encountered ...

Moving beyond the treatment package approach to developing behavioral interventions: addressing questions that arose during an application of the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST).

Science.gov (United States)

Wyrick, David L; Rulison, Kelly L; Fearnow-Kenney, Melodie; Milroy, Jeffrey J; Collins, Linda M

2014-09-01

Given current pressures to increase the public health contributions of behavioral interventions, intervention scientists may wish to consider moving beyond the classical treatment package approach that focuses primarily on achieving statistical significance. They may wish also to focus on goals directly related to optimizing public health impact. The Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) is an innovative methodological framework that draws on engineering principles to achieve more potent behavioral interventions. MOST is increasingly being adopted by intervention scientists seeking a systematic framework to engineer an optimized intervention. As with any innovation, there are challenges that arise with early adoption. This article describes the solutions to several critical questions that we addressed during the first-ever iterative application of MOST. Specifically, we describe how we have applied MOST to optimize an online program (myPlaybook) for the prevention of substance use among college student-athletes. Our application of MOST can serve as a blueprint for other intervention scientists who wish to design optimized behavioral interventions. We believe using MOST is feasible and has the potential to dramatically improve program effectiveness thereby advancing the public health impact of behavioral interventions.

BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTIONS FOR RADIALLY SYMMETRIC SOLUTIONS FOR BURGERS EQUATION WITH A BOUNDARY CORRESPONDING TO THE RAREFACTION WAVE

OpenAIRE

Hashimoto, Itsuko

2016-01-01

We investigate the large-time behavior of the radially symmetric solution for Burgers equation on the exterior of a small ball in multi-dimensional space, where the boundary data and the data at the far field are prescribed. In a previous paper [1], we showed that, for the case in which the boundary data is equal to $0$ or negative, the asymptotic stability is the same as that for the viscous conservation law. In the present paper, it is proved that if the boundary data i...

Personalized Infrastructure: Leveraging Behavioral Strategies for Future Mobility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duvall, Andrew L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-10-23

toward an ever more complex mobility landscape, and with a quickly growing population, we look for answers to these questions as the core of developing strategies for the future of transportation. Using available data from emergent modes, and experiments conducted as part of an Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) Traveler Response Architecture using Novel Signaling for Network Efficiency in Transportation (TRANSNET) project, we look at how the sharing economy and transportation mobility services have begun to radically alter transportation behavior, while operating in parallel with traditional transportation infrastructure. Emerging modes and practices are affecting car dependence and enabling multimodality. We weigh influences on travel behaviors, identify decision breakpoints where inelastic behavior becomes elastic, incentives, and societal leverage points.

Evaluation of Increasing Antecedent Specificity in Goal Statements on Adherence to Positive Behavior-Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Cohrs, Corey M.; Shriver, Mark D.; Burke, Raymond V.; Allen, Keith D.

2016-01-01

We evaluated the impact of antecedent specificity in goal statements on adherence to positive behavior-management strategies. Teaching staff were recruited from 2 different school settings where there were routine expectations to use behavior-specific praise in the classroom, but adherence was poor. In a concurrent multiple baseline design, the…

Behavioral Contexts, Food-Choice Coping Strategies, and Dietary Quality of a Multiethnic Sample of Employed Parents

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Christine E.; Wethington, Elaine; Farrell, Tracy J.; Bisogni, Carole A.; Devine, Carol M.

2012-01-01

Employed parents’ work and family conditions provide behavioral contexts for their food choices. Relationships between employed parents’ food-choice coping strategies, behavioral contexts, and dietary quality were evaluated. Data on work and family conditions, sociodemographic characteristics, eating behavior, and dietary intake from two 24-hour dietary recalls were collected in a random sample cross-sectional pilot telephone survey in the fall of 2006. Black, white, and Latino employed mothers (n=25) and fathers (n=25) were recruited from a low/moderate income urban area in upstate New York. Hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) identified three clusters of parents differing in use of food-choice coping strategies (ie, Individualized Eating, Missing Meals, and Home Cooking). Cluster sociodemographic, work, and family characteristics were compared using χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests. Cluster differences in dietary quality (Healthy Eating Index 2005) were analyzed using analysis of variance. Clusters differed significantly (P≤0.05) on food-choice coping strategies, dietary quality, and behavioral contexts (ie, work schedule, marital status, partner’s employment, and number of children). Individualized Eating and Missing Meals clusters were characterized by nonstandard work hours, having a working partner, single parenthood and with family meals away from home, grabbing quick food instead of a meal, using convenience entrées at home, and missing meals or individualized eating. The Home Cooking cluster included considerably more married fathers with nonemployed spouses and more home-cooked family meals. Food-choice coping strategies affecting dietary quality reflect parents’ work and family conditions. Nutritional guidance and family policy needs to consider these important behavioral contexts for family nutrition and health. PMID:21338739

Fuzzy Cognitive and Social Negotiation Agent Strategy for Computational Collective Intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Chohra, Amine; Madani, Kurosh; Kanzari, Dalel

Finding the adequate (win-win solutions for both parties) negotiation strategy with incomplete information for autonomous agents, even in one-to-one negotiation, is a complex problem. Elsewhere, negotiation behaviors, in which the characters such as conciliatory or aggressive define a 'psychological' aspect of the negotiator personality, play an important role. The aim of this paper is to develop a fuzzy cognitive and social negotiation strategy for autonomous agents with incomplete information, where the characters conciliatory, neutral, or aggressive, are suggested to be integrated in negotiation behaviors (inspired from research works aiming to analyze human behavior and those on social negotiation psychology). For this purpose, first, one-to-one bargaining process, in which a buyer agent and a seller agent negotiate over single issue (price), is developed for a time-dependent strategy (based on time-dependent behaviors of Faratin et al.) and for a fuzzy cognitive and social strategy. Second, experimental environments and measures, allowing a set of experiments, carried out for different negotiation deadlines of buyer and seller agents, are detailed. Third, experimental results for both time-dependent and fuzzy cognitive and social strategies are presented, analyzed, and compared for different deadlines of agents. The suggested fuzzy cognitive and social strategy allows agents to improve the negotiation process, with regard to the time-dependent one, in terms of agent utilities, round number to reach an agreement, and percentage of agreements.

Metastable equilibrium solubility behavior of carbonated apatite in the presence of solution strontium.

Science.gov (United States)

Heslop, D D; Bi, Y; Baig, A A; Higuchi, W I

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use the concept of metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) to describe the anomalous solubility behavior of carbonated apatite (CAP) in the presence of solution strontium. A CAP sample (4.8 wt% CO(3), synthesized at 70 degrees C) was prepared by precipitation. Baseline MES distributions were determined in a series of 0.1 M acetate buffers containing only calcium and phosphate (no strontium) over a broad range of solution conditions. In order to assess the influence of strontium, MES profiles were then determined in a similar fashion with 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% of the solution calcium being replaced on an equal molar basis by solution strontium. From the compositions of the equilibrating buffer solutions, ion activity products (IAPs) of the form Ca(10-n)Sr(n)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2) (n = 0-10) were calculated in an attempt to determine the correct function governing the dissolution of the CAP preparation. The results demonstrate the following important findings: (a) at high solution strontium/calcium ratios (i.e., when 60% or more of the solution calcium was replaced by strontium), the MES profiles in all the experiments were found to be essentially superimposable when the solution IAPs were calculated using the stoichiometry of Ca(6)Sr(4)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2), and (b), at low solution strontium/calcium ratios (i.e., when 40% or less of the solution calcium was replaced by strontium), the stoichiometry yielding MES data superpositioning was found to be that of hydroxyapatite. When other stoichiometries were assumed, good superpositioning of the data was not possible.

Multiscale Roughness Influencing on Transport Behavior of Passive Solute through a Single Self-affine Fracture

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Z.

2017-12-01

In this study, the influence of multi-scale roughness on transport behavior of the passive solute through the self-affine fracture was investigated. The single self-affine fracture was constructed by the successive random additions (SRA) and the fracture roughness was decomposed into two different scales (i.e. large-scale primary roughness and small-scale secondary roughness) by the Wavelet analysis technique. The fluid flow in fractures, which was characterized by the Forchheimer's law, showed the non-linear flow behaviors such as eddies and tortuous streamlines. The results indicated that the small-scale secondary roughness was primarily responsible for the non-linear flow behaviors. The direct simulations of asymptotic passive solute transport represented the Non-Fickian transport characteristics (i.e. early arrivals and long tails) in breakthrough curves (BTCs) and residence time distributions (RTDs) with and without consideration of the secondary roughness. Analysis of multiscale BTCs and RTDs showed that the small-scale secondary roughness played a significant role in enhancing the Non-Fickian transport characteristics. We found that removing small-scale secondary roughness led to the lengthening arrival and shortening tail. The peak concentration in BTCs decreased as the secondary roughness was removed, implying that the secondary could also enhance the solute dilution. The estimated BTCs by the Fickian advection-dispersion equation (ADE) yielded errors which decreased with the small-scale secondary roughness being removed. The mobile-immobile model (MIM) was alternatively implemented to characterize the Non-Fickian transport. We found that the MIM was more capable of estimating Non-Fickian BTCs. The small-scale secondary roughness resulted in the decreasing mobile domain fraction and the increasing mass exchange rate between immobile and mobile domains. The estimated parameters from the MIM could provide insight into the inherent mechanism of roughness

ACCUMULATION MODEL OF EXPOSURE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AT REALIZATION OF COPING STRATEGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Victorovich Gryzunov

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In the modern industrial society people live under the internal risks which induce various critical situations. For keeping reliability of his activity and personal safety a person is forced to take quick determinations. This article presents research of coping strategies by examinee students. It allows to project this behavior on real industrial process and educe elements of working society, which make persons either solve problems or search for social support or avoid problem. And researching of students behavior leads to analysis of employee relations in produced process, which lead to analysis of work and people in total. If we don’t follow the rules of employee relations and person behavior it leads to breakdown with deadly injured.

Ethogram of Immature Green Turtles: Behavioral Strategies for Somatic Growth in Large Marine Herbivores

Science.gov (United States)

Okuyama, Junichi; Nakajima, Kana; Noda, Takuji; Kimura, Satoko; Kamihata, Hiroko; Kobayashi, Masato; Arai, Nobuaki; Kagawa, Shiro; Kawabata, Yuuki; Yamada, Hideaki

2013-01-01

Animals are assumed to obtain/conserve energy effectively to maximise their fitness, which manifests itself in a variety of behavioral strategies. For marine animals, however, these behavioral strategies are generally unknown due to the lack of high-resolution monitoring techniques in marine habitats. As large marine herbivores, immature green turtles do not need to allocate energy to reproduction but are at risk of shark predation, although it is a rare occurrence. They are therefore assumed to select/use feeding and resting sites that maximise their fitness in terms of somatic growth, while avoiding predation. We investigated fine-scale behavioral patterns (feeding, resting and other behaviors), microhabitat use and time spent on each behavior for eight immature green turtles using data loggers including: depth, global positioning system, head acceleration, speed and video sensors. Immature green turtles at Iriomote Island, Japan, spent an average of 4.8 h feeding on seagrass each day, with two peaks, between 5∶00 and 9∶00, and between 17∶00 and 20∶00. This feeding pattern appeared to be restricted by gut capacity, and thus maximised energy acquisition. Meanwhile, most of the remaining time was spent resting at locations close to feeding grounds, which allowed turtles to conserve energy spent travelling and reduced the duration of periods exposed to predation. These behavioral patterns and time allocations allow immature green turtles to effectively obtain/conserve energy for growth, thus maximising their fitness. PMID:23840367

Ethogram of Immature Green Turtles: Behavioral Strategies for Somatic Growth in Large Marine Herbivores.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junichi Okuyama

Full Text Available Animals are assumed to obtain/conserve energy effectively to maximise their fitness, which manifests itself in a variety of behavioral strategies. For marine animals, however, these behavioral strategies are generally unknown due to the lack of high-resolution monitoring techniques in marine habitats. As large marine herbivores, immature green turtles do not need to allocate energy to reproduction but are at risk of shark predation, although it is a rare occurrence. They are therefore assumed to select/use feeding and resting sites that maximise their fitness in terms of somatic growth, while avoiding predation. We investigated fine-scale behavioral patterns (feeding, resting and other behaviors, microhabitat use and time spent on each behavior for eight immature green turtles using data loggers including: depth, global positioning system, head acceleration, speed and video sensors. Immature green turtles at Iriomote Island, Japan, spent an average of 4.8 h feeding on seagrass each day, with two peaks, between 5∶00 and 9∶00, and between 17∶00 and 20∶00. This feeding pattern appeared to be restricted by gut capacity, and thus maximised energy acquisition. Meanwhile, most of the remaining time was spent resting at locations close to feeding grounds, which allowed turtles to conserve energy spent travelling and reduced the duration of periods exposed to predation. These behavioral patterns and time allocations allow immature green turtles to effectively obtain/conserve energy for growth, thus maximising their fitness.

Behavior of Am in acidic and basic solutions of potassium ferri/ferrocyanide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulyako, Yu.M.; Trofimov, T.I.; Malikov, D.A.; Lebedev, I.A.; Myasoedov, B.F.

1994-01-01

The behavior of Am in acidic and basic solutions containing the Fe(CN) 3- 6 /Fe(CN) 4- 6 redox system is studied. In mineral acids, K 3 Fe(CN) 6 and Am(III) form the poorly soluble compound AmFe(CN) 6 , which with time undergoes a change owing to radiolytic reduction of Fe(CN) 3- 6 to Fe(CN) 4- 6 . In basic solutions of K 3 Fe(CN) 6 , Am(III) is oxidized to AmO + 2 , forming the soluble complex (AmO 2 ) 3 Fe(CN) 6 , which gradually decomposes to produce the solid double hydroxide Na 2 AmO 2 (OH) 3 ·nH 2 O. An Am(IV) hydroxide is formed if [Am] and [K 3 Fe(CN) 6 ] are equal

A content analysis of preconception health education materials: characteristics, strategies, and clinical-behavioral components.

Science.gov (United States)

Levis, Denise M; Westbrook, Kyresa

2013-01-01

Many health organizations and practitioners in the United States promote preconception health (PCH) to consumers. However, summaries and evaluations of PCH promotional activities are limited. We conducted a content analysis of PCH health education materials collected from local-, state-, national-, and federal-level partners by using an existing database of partners, outreach to maternal and child health organizations, and a snowball sampling technique. Not applicable. Not applicable. Thirty-two materials were included for analysis, based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. A codebook guided coding of materials' characteristics (type, authorship, language, cost), use of marketing and behavioral strategies to reach the target population (target audience, message framing, call to action), and inclusion of PCH subject matter (clinical-behavioral components). The self-assessment of PCH behaviors was the most common material (28%) to appear in the sample. Most materials broadly targeted women, and there was a near-equal distribution in targeting by pregnancy planning status segments (planners and nonplanners). "Practicing PCH benefits the baby's health" was the most common message frame used. Materials contained a wide range of clinical-behavioral components. Strategic targeting of subgroups of consumers is an important but overlooked strategy. More research is needed around PCH components, in terms of packaging and increasing motivation, which could guide use and placement of clinical-behavioral components within promotional materials.

Seasonality directs contrasting food collection behavior and nutrient regulation strategies in ants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven C Cook

Full Text Available Long-lived animals, including social insects, often display seasonal shifts in foraging behavior. Foraging is ultimately a nutrient consumption exercise, but the effect of seasonality per se on changes in foraging behavior, particularly as it relates to nutrient regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we show that field-collected fire ant colonies, returned to the laboratory and maintained under identical photoperiod, temperature, and humidity regimes, and presented with experimental foods that had different protein (p to carbohydrate (c ratios, practice summer- and fall-specific foraging behaviors with respect to protein-carbohydrate regulation. Summer colonies increased the amount of food collected as the p:c ratio of their food became increasingly imbalanced, but fall colonies collected similar amounts of food regardless of the p:c ratio of their food. Choice experiments revealed that feeding was non-random, and that both fall and summer ants preferred carbohydrate-biased food. However, ants rarely ate all the food they collected, and their cached or discarded food always contained little carbohydrate relative to protein. From a nutrient regulation strategy, ants consumed most of the carbohydrate they collected, but regulated protein consumption to a similar level, regardless of season. We suggest that varied seasonal food collection behaviors and nutrient regulation strategies may be an adaptation that allows long-lived animals to meet current and future nutrient demands when nutrient-rich foods are abundant (e.g. spring and summer, and to conserve energy and be metabolically more efficient when nutritionally balanced foods are less abundant.

Extraction behavior of Nb and Ta in HF solutions with tributyl phosphate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, M.; Tsuto, S.; Ooe, K.; Goto, S.; Kudo, H.; Haba, H.; Kanaya, J.

2013-01-01

Extraction behavior of carrier-free Nb and Ta with tributyl phosphate (TBP) from HF solutions was studied by a batch method. Tantalum is extracted well to an organic phase, while Nb is left in an aqueous phase at 0.053-1.0 M HF concentrations. The similar extraction trends of Nb and Ta are shown in the solid phase extraction using a TBP resin. The extraction equilibria in the solid phase extraction are attained within ∼10 s. (author)

Strategies for memory-based decision making: Modeling behavioral and neural signatures within a cognitive architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Fechner, Hanna B; Pachur, Thorsten; Schooler, Lael J; Mehlhorn, Katja; Battal, Ceren; Volz, Kirsten G; Borst, Jelmer P

2016-12-01

How do people use memories to make inferences about real-world objects? We tested three strategies based on predicted patterns of response times and blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses: one strategy that relies solely on recognition memory, a second that retrieves additional knowledge, and a third, lexicographic (i.e., sequential) strategy, that considers knowledge conditionally on the evidence obtained from recognition memory. We implemented the strategies as computational models within the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) cognitive architecture, which allowed us to derive behavioral and neural predictions that we then compared to the results of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in which participants inferred which of two cities is larger. Overall, versions of the lexicographic strategy, according to which knowledge about many but not all alternatives is searched, provided the best account of the joint patterns of response times and BOLD responses. These results provide insights into the interplay between recognition and additional knowledge in memory, hinting at an adaptive use of these two sources of information in decision making. The results highlight the usefulness of implementing models of decision making within a cognitive architecture to derive predictions on the behavioral and neural level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Celebrity Endorsement & Consumer Behavior : Gender Differences as a Marketing Strategy

OpenAIRE

Junhem, Sanna; Adolfsson, Sophie

2017-01-01

Background - Celebrity endorsement is not a new phenomenon and it can be seen in advertisements around the world. Since the content of an advertisement easily can be screened out, it is important to target the right consumer. There has to be a fit between the consumer, the endorser and the product. Since gender plays a crucial part when understanding consumer behavior, knowledge about gender differences needs to be taken into account when creating a marketing strategy.      Purpose - Consumer...

A Cross-Cultural Study of Students' Behaviors and Classroom Management Strategies in the USA and Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sunwoo; Koh, Myung-sook

2008-01-01

The purpose of this cross-cultural study is to investigate comparative students' problem behaviors and classroom behavior management strategies for students in urban public schools between teachers in the United States and Korea. This study incorporated data collected from two different teacher self-reported survey questionnaires, the Student…

Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Improvement of Coping Strategies and Addiction Symptoms in Drug-Dependent Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H BrockieMilan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in improving coping strategies and symptoms of drug addiction patients. Method: In a quasi-experimental study, the number of 90drug-dependent patients referring to clinics to stop taking drugs existing in the city of Urmia were divided into two experimental (n=45 groups and control (n=45 using random sampling. The experimental group received 12 sessions of cognitive-behavioral treatment in Carroll style while the control group received only methadone and the physical pills. All the participants completed coping strategies questionnaire at the beginning, during (after three months, and three months after treatment (follow-up. As well, they were assessed for the rate of improvement in symptoms of addiction and process of addiction treatment using by Madzly’s addiction profile questionnaire. Findings: The results proved the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and its survival. Conclusion: Cognitive behavioral therapy is very influential in the boost of coping strategies and the improvement of mental and physical health in drug-dependent patients.

Visualizing Changes in Strategy Use across Attempts via State Diagrams: A Case Study

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Deirdre Kerr

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Game log data have great potential to provide actionable information about the in-game behavior of players. However, these low-level behavioral data are notoriously difficult to analyze due to the challenges associated with extracting meaning from sparse data stored at such a small grain size. This paper describes a three-step solution that uses cluster analysis to determine which strategies players use to solve levels in the game, sequence mining to identify changes in strategy across multiple attempts at the same level, and state transition diagrams to visualize the strategy sequences identified by the sequence mining. In the educational video game used in this case study, cluster analysis successfully identified 15 different in-game strategies. The sequence mining found an average of 40 different sequences of strategy use per level, which the state transition diagrams successfully displayed in an interpretable way.

Long-term behavior of refractory thorium-plutonium dioxide solid solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claparede, Laurent, E-mail: laurent.claparede@umontpellier.fr [ICSM, UMR 5257 CNRS/CEA/Univ. Montpellier/ENSCM, Site de Marcoule, Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze (France); Guigue, Mireille [CEA, Nuclear Energy Division, RadioChemistry & Processes Department, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze (France); Jouan, Gauthier [CEA, Nuclear Energy Division, DTEC Department, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze (France); Nadah, Nassima [CEA, Nuclear Energy Division, RadioChemistry & Processes Department, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze (France); Dacheux, Nicolas [ICSM, UMR 5257 CNRS/CEA/Univ. Montpellier/ENSCM, Site de Marcoule, Bât. 426, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze (France); Moisy, Philippe [CEA, Nuclear Energy Division, RadioChemistry & Processes Department, BP 17171, 30207 Bagnols/Cèze (France)

2017-01-15

The long-term behavior of Th{sub 0.87}Pu{sub 0.13}O{sub 2} was examined in nitric acid concentrations. The normalized dissolution rates after 3380 days, range from (1.4 ± 0.2) × 10{sup −6} g m{sup −2} d{sup −1} in 5 M HNO{sub 3} down to (3.2 ± 0.4) × 10{sup −8} g m{sup −2} d{sup −1} in 10{sup −3} M HNO{sub 3}, which confirms the high chemical durability of this solid solution. The amounts of plutonium measured in solution lead to 0.9% and 2.1% of dissolved solid in 1 M and 5 M HNO{sub 3}, respectively. In such conditions, the time required to reach the full dissolution of the material varies from 430 years (5 M HNO{sub 3}) to 18,000 years (10{sup −3} M HNO{sub 3}). Moreover, the partial order related to the proton activity (n = 0.45 ± 0.03) suggests that the dissolution is mainly driven by surface reactions occurring at the solid/liquid interface. The characterization of the leached samples by SEM shows small microstructural modifications (i.e. detachment of crystallites) and the absence of neoformed phase while from PXRD, the unit cell parameter and crystallite size are not significantly affected. - Highlights: • Leaching tests of Th{sub 0.87}Pu{sub 0.13}O{sub 2} were performed for 9 years in several nitric acid solutions. • The high chemical durability of thorium-plutonium oxide solid solutions was confirmed. • The solubility of plutonium(IV) was not controlled by the precipitation of plutonium tetrahydroxide in these experiments.

Collecting real-time data with a behavioral simulation: A new methodological trait

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jespersen, Kristina Risom

interactive methods of collecting data [1, 2]. To collect real-time data as opposed to retrospective data, new methodological traits are needed. The paper proposes that a behavioral simulation supported by Web technology is a valid new research strategy to handle the collection of real-time data. Adapting...... the knowledge on agent-based modeling [3, 4], a behavioral simulation synergizes the benefits of self-administered questionnaires and the experimental design, and furthermore, introduces role-playing [5, 6] and scenario [7-11] strategies as very effective methods to ensure high interaction with the respondents....... The Web technology is the key to make a simulation for data collection objectives 'light'. Additionally, Web technology can be a solution to some of the challenges facing the traditional research methodologies such as time, ease, flexibility and cost, but perhaps more interesting, a possible solution...

Corrosion Behavior of Ni3(Si,Ti + 2Mo in Hydrochloric Acid Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gadang Priyotomo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The corrosion behavior of Ni3(Si,Ti + 2Mo intermetallic compound (L12 and (L12 + Niss mixture region has been investigated using an immersion test, polarization method and surface analytical method (scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-Ray spectrometry in 0.5 kmol/m3 hydrochloric acid (HCl solution at 303 K.  In addition, the results obtained were compared to those of the L12 single-phase Ni3(Si,Ti intermetallic compound and C 276 alloy.  It was found that Ni3(Si,Ti + 2Mo had the preferential dissolution of L12 with a lower Mo concentration compared to (L12 + Niss mixture region.  From the immersion test and polarization curves, Ni3(Si,Ti + 2Mo and C276 showed the lowest corrosion resistance and the highest corrosion resistance in the solution, respectively.  From this work, It implied that unlike C276, Ni3(Si,Ti +2Mo intermetallic compound was difficult to form a stable passive film in HCl solution as well as Ni3(Si,Ti in the same solution.

Effects of a Self-Monitoring Strategy on Independent Work Behavior of Students with Mild Intellectual Disability

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlin, Jennifer; McCoy, Kathleen M.; Kenzer, Amy; Mathur, Sarup R.; Zucker, Stanley H.

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a self-monitoring strategy on independent work behavior. The three subjects were in first grade, seven years old, identified with mild intellectual disability (MID), and had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with targeted functional academic and behavior goals. The purpose of this study was to…

Effect of Aging Temperature on Corrosion Behavior of Sintered 17-4 PH Stainless Steel in Dilute Sulfuric Acid Solution

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Szewczyk-Nykiel, Aneta; Kazior, Jan

2017-07-01

The general corrosion behavior of sintered 17-4 PH stainless steel processed under different processing conditions in dilute sulfuric acid solution at 25 °C was studied by open-circuit potential measurement and potentiodynamic polarization technique. The corrosion resistance was evaluated based on electrochemical parameters, such as polarization resistance, corrosion potential, corrosion current density as well as corrosion rate. The results showed that the precipitation-hardening treatment could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the sintered 17-4 PH stainless steel in studied environment. As far as the influence of aging temperature on corrosion behavior of the sintered 17-4 PH stainless steel is concerned, polarization resistance and corrosion rate are reduced with increasing aging temperature from 480 up to 500 °C regardless of the temperature of solution treatment. It can be concluded that the highest corrosion resistance in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution exhibits 17-4 PH after solution treatment at 1040 °C followed by aging at 480 °C.

Management strategies for problem behaviors in the patient with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehninger, F W; Ravindran, V L; Stewart, J T

1998-04-01

Psychiatric and behavioral problems are present in most patients with dementia and are usually the clinician's main focus of management. Differential diagnosis of these problems can be challenging, but the effort is essential for planning appropriate therapy. Pharmacologic interventions are available for treatment of depression, agitation, aggression, psychotic symptoms, wandering, and sleep disorders. Given the less than favorable risk-benefit ratio of most psychotropic drugs in the population of older patients with dementia, the importance of nonpharmacologic strategies and limiting treatment goals should not be overlooked.

Assessing the Effects of Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Behavior Change Strategies on Physical Activity in Older Adults: a Factorial Experiment.

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McMahon, Siobhan K; Lewis, Beth; Oakes, J Michael; Wyman, Jean F; Guan, Weihua; Rothman, Alexander J

2017-06-01

Little is known about which behavior change strategies motivate older adults to increase their physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative effects of two sets of behavior change strategies to motivate increased physical activity among older adults: interpersonal and intrapersonal. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 102, mean age = 79) were randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment to receive interpersonal (e.g., social support, friendly social comparison; no, yes) and /or intrapersonal (e.g., goal setting, barriers management; no, yes) behavior change strategies, combined with an evidence-based, physical activity protocol (Otago exercise program) and a physical activity monitor (Fitbit One™). Based on monitor data, participants who received interpersonal strategies, compared to those who did not, increased their average minutes of total physical activity (light, moderate, vigorous) per week, immediately (p = .006) and 6 months (p = .048) post-intervention. Similar, increases were observed on measures of functional strength and balance, immediately (p = .012) and 6 months (p = .003) post-intervention. The intrapersonal strategies did not elicit a significant increase in physical activity or functional strength and balance. Findings suggest a set of interpersonally oriented behavior change strategies combined with an evidence-based physical activity protocol can elicit modest, but statistically and clinically significant, increases in older adults' physical activity and functional strength and balance. Future research should replicate these findings and investigate the sustained quantity of physical activity elicited by these strategies and their impact on older adults' quality of life and falls. Trial Registration The ClinicalTrials.gov registration identifier is NCT02433249.

The Henry-Saltwater Intrusion Benchmark – Alternatives in Multiphysics Formulations and Solution Strategies

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E Holzbecher

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In a classical paper Henry set up a conceptual model for simulating saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Up to now the problem has been taken up by software developers and modellers as a benchmark for codes simulating coupled flow and transport in porous media. The Henry test case has been treated using different numerical methods based on various formulations of differential equations. We compare several of these approaches using multiphysics software. We model the problem using Finite Elements, utilizing the primitive variables and the streamfunction approach, both with and without using the Oberbeck-Boussinesq assumption. We compare directly coupled solvers with segregated solver strategies. Changing finite element orders and mesh refinement, we find that models based on the streamfunction converge 2-4 times faster than runs based on primitive variables. Concerning the solution strategy, we find an advantage of Picard iterations compared to monolithic Newton iterations.

Science laboratory behavior strategies of students relative to performance in and attitude to laboratory work

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Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

The relationship between science laboratory behavior strategies of students and performance in and attitude to laboratory work was investigated in an observational study of 160 laboratory sessions involving 600 class five (eleventh grade) biology students. Zero-order correlations between the behavior strategies and outcome measures reveal a set of low to strong relationships. Transmitting information, listening and nonlesson related behaviors exhibited low correlations with practical skills and the attitude measure. The correlations between manipulating apparatus and observation with practical skills measures were found to be strong. Multiple correlation analysis revealed that the behaviors of students in the laboratories observed accounted for a large percentage of the variance in the scores on manipulative skills and a low percentage on interpretation of data, responsibility, initiative, and work habits. One significant canonical correlation emerged. The loadings on this canonical variate indicate that the practical skills measures, i.e., planning and design, manipulative skills and conduct of experiments, observation and recording of data, and attitude to laboratory work made primary contributions to the canonical relationship. Suggestions as to how students can be encouraged to go beyond cookbook-like laboratories and develop a more favorable attitude to laboratory work are made.

Attitudes on Technological, Social, and Behavioral Economic Strategies to Reduce Cellphone Use While Driving in Teens.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado, M Kit; McDonald, Catherine C; Winston, Flaura K; Halpern, Scott D; Buttenheim, Alison M; Setubal, Claudia; Huang, Yanlan; Saulsgiver, Kathryn A; Lee, Yi-Ching

2018-04-13

The majority of U.S. teens admit to handheld cellphone use while driving, an increasingly common cause of crashes. Attitudes towards novel cellphone applications and settings that block use while driving are poorly understood, potentially limiting uptake. We examined teens' willingness to reduce cellphone use while driving and perceptions of potential strategies to limit this behavior. Teen drivers (n = 153) aged 16-17 who owned smartphones and admitted to texting while driving completed an online survey. Survey instruments measured willingness to give up cellphone use and perceptions of technological and behavioral economic strategies to reduce cellphone use while driving. We used Chi-square tests to test the hypothesis that willingness to give up certain types of cellphone use while driving and the perceptions of strategies to reduce cellphone use while driving would differ by self-reported frequency of texting while driving in the past 30 days (low [1-5 days] vs. high [6 or more days]. Most teens were willing or somewhat willing to give up reading texts (90%), sending texts (95%), and social media (99%) while driving. However they were not willing to give up navigation (59%) and music applications (43%). Those who engaged in high-frequency texting while driving were more likely to say they were not willing to give up navigation applications (73% vs. 44%, P distraction (86%). The predominant reason for not wanting to use this technology was not wanting parents to monitor their behavior (60%). Promising strategies for increasing acceptance of cellphone blocking technology among teen drivers include automated screen locking and permitting hands-free navigation and music combined with behavioral economic incentives to sustain engagement.

Yield Behavior of Solution Treated and Aged Ti-6Al-4V

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Ring, Andrew J.; Baker, Eric H.; Salem, Jonathan A.; Thesken, John C.

2014-01-01

Post yield uniaxial tension-compression tests were run on a solution treated and aged (STA), titanium 6-percent aluminum 4-percent vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) alloy to determine the yield behavior on load reversal. The material exhibits plastic behavior almost immediately on load reversal implying a strong Bauschinger effect. The resultant stress-strain data was compared to a 1D mechanics model and a finite element model used to design a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV). Although the models and experimental data compare well for the initial loading and unloading in the tensile regime, agreement is lost in the compressive regime due to the Bauschinger effect and the assumption of perfect plasticity. The test data presented here are being used to develop more accurate cyclic hardening constitutive models for future finite element design analysis of COPVs.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict implementation of harm reduction strategies among MDMA/ecstasy users.

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Davis, Alan K; Rosenberg, Harold

2016-06-01

This prospective study was designed to test whether the variables proposed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were associated with baseline intention to implement and subsequent use of 2 MDMA/ecstasy-specific harm reduction interventions: preloading/postloading and pill testing/pill checking. Using targeted Facebook advertisements, an international sample of 391 recreational ecstasy users were recruited to complete questionnaires assessing their ecstasy consumption history, and their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, habit strength (past strategy use), and intention to use these two strategies. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were significantly associated with baseline intention to preload/postload and pill test/pill check. Out of the 391 baseline participants, 100 completed the two-month follow-up assessment. Baseline habit strength and frequency of ecstasy consumption during the three months prior to baseline were the only significant predictors of how often participants used the preloading/postloading strategy during the follow-up. Baseline intention to pill test/pill check was the only significant predictor of how often participants used this strategy during the follow-up. These findings provide partial support for TPB variables as both correlates of baseline intention to implement and predictors of subsequent use of these two strategies. Future investigations could assess whether factors related to ecstasy consumption (e.g., subjective level of intoxication, craving, negative consequences following consumption), and environmental factors (e.g., accessibility and availability of harm reduction resources) improve the prediction of how often ecstasy users employ these and other harm reduction strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficient local behavioral-change strategies to reduce the spread of epidemics in networks

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Bu, Yilei; Gregory, Steve; Mills, Harriet L.

2013-10-01

It has recently become established that the spread of infectious diseases between humans is affected not only by the pathogen itself but also by changes in behavior as the population becomes aware of the epidemic, for example, social distancing. It is also well known that community structure (the existence of relatively densely connected groups of vertices) in contact networks influences the spread of disease. We propose a set of local strategies for social distancing, based on community structure, that can be employed in the event of an epidemic to reduce the epidemic size. Unlike most social distancing methods, ours do not require individuals to know the disease state (infected or susceptible, etc.) of others, and we do not make the unrealistic assumption that the structure of the entire contact network is known. Instead, the recommended behavior change is based only on an individual's local view of the network. Each individual avoids contact with a fraction of his/her contacts, using knowledge of his/her local network to decide which contacts should be avoided. If the behavior change occurs only when an individual becomes ill or aware of the disease, these strategies can substantially reduce epidemic size with a relatively small cost, measured by the number of contacts avoided.

Optimization of behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST)

CERN Document Server

Collins, Linda M

2018-01-01

This book presents a framework for development, optimization, and evaluation of behavioral,  biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions.  Behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions are programs with the objective of improving and maintaining human health and well-being, broadly defined, in individuals, families, schools, organizations, or communities.  These interventions may be aimed at, for example, preventing or treating disease, promoting physical and mental health, preventing violence, or improving academic achievement.   This volume introduces the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), pioneered at The Methodology Center at the Pennsylvania State University, as an alternative to the classical approach of relying solely on the randomized controlled trial (RCT).  MOST borrows heavily from perspectives taken and approaches used in engineering, and also integrates concepts from statistics and behavioral science, including the RCT.  As described in detail in this book, MOST consists of ...

PERSEPSI NASABAH TENTANG LAYANAN PERBANKAN: PENGARUH SERVICE FAILURE DAN STRATEGI SERVICE RECOVERY TERHADAP BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS

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Yuli Liestyana

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The research was conducted to verify the ability of service quality and service recoverystrategy to predict behavioral intentions in the banking industry. A survey questionnaire wasdeveloped, then it was distributed to 150 customers of banks in Yogyakarta. Data was analyzedusing multiple regression analysis. The results provided support for hypothesis of the negativeeffect of service failure and positive effect of recovery strategy on behavioral intentions.

Corrosion Behavior of Cu40Zn in Sulfide-Polluted 3.5% NaCl Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Q. N.; Xu, N.; Bao, Y. F.; Jiang, Y. F.; Gu, W.; Yang, Z.; Zheng, Y. G.; Qiao, Y. X.

2017-10-01

The corrosion behavior of a duplex-phase brass Cu40Zn in clean and sulfide-polluted 3.5% NaCl solutions was investigated by conducting electrochemical and gravimetric measurements. The corrosion product films were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The presence of sulfide shifted the corrosion potential of Cu40Zn toward a more negative value by 100 mV and increased the mass loss rate by a factor of 1.257 compared with the result in the clean solution. The corrosion product film in the clean solution was thin and compact; it mainly consisted of oxides, such as ZnO and Cu2O. By contrast, the film in the sulfide-polluted solution was thick and porous. It mainly contained sulfides and zinc hydroxide chloride (i.e., Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O). The presence of sulfide ions accelerated the corrosion damage of Cu40Zn by hindering the formation of protective oxides and promoting the formation of a defective film which consisted of sulfides and hydroxide chlorides.

Corrosion behavior of novel imitation-gold copper alloy with rare earth in 3.5% NaCl solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.L.; Li, Z.; Zhu, A.Y.; Luo, L.Y.; Liang, J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → The design alloy has better anti-tarnish property than that of H7211 alloy during salt-spray test. → The corrosion rate of design alloy is much lower than that of H7211 alloy as immersed in NaCl solution. → In the low frequency region, the capacitive behavior normally faded and diffusion process had a key role. → In the medium frequency region, the Bode pattern showed a capacitive behavior. -- Abstract: A novel imitation-gold copper alloy with rare earth was designed and prepared. The corrosion behavior of the alloy immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution and its anti-tarnish property in the salt spray for different days has been studied. The designed alloy (CuZnAlNiMeRe) has more excellent anti-tarnish property and lower corrosion rate than those of currency coinage materials of H7211 alloy (used in China). A uniform and compact of corrosion film has been formed after the designed alloy immersed in 3.5% NaCl solution. The corrosion current densities I corr of the alloy decreased while the polarization resistance R p increased with time. The capacitance of the corrosion product film C film of the alloy decreased while the charge transfer resistance R ct . The Warburg diffusion impedance W R and the resistance of the equivalent circuit R increased with time.

Decision Making and Behavioral Strategy: The role of regulatory focus in corporate innovation processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

I.A. Tunçdoğan (Aybars)

2014-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ This dissertation makes use of the behavioral strategy perspective in order to examine a number of constructs pertaining to innovation in corporate settings. In particular, the dissertation consists of four studies; one conceptual and three empirical. The conceptual

Voices of University Students with ADHD about Test-Taking: Behaviors, Needs, and Strategies

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Ofiesh, Nicole; Moniz, Erin; Bisagno, Joan

2015-01-01

In order to understand the test-taking behavior, needs, and strategies of postsecondary students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focus group comments from 17 university students with ADHD were analyzed. These comments formed the basis for a series of research studies that are in progress regarding test-taking and individuals…

Large Time Behavior for Weak Solutions of the 3D Globally Modified Navier-Stokes Equations

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Junbai Ren

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the large time behavior of the weak solutions for three-dimensional globally modified Navier-Stokes equations. With the aid of energy methods and auxiliary decay estimates together with Lp-Lq estimates of heat semigroup, we derive the optimal upper and lower decay estimates of the weak solutions for the globally modified Navier-Stokes equations as C1(1+t-3/4≤uL2≤C2(1+t-3/4,  t>1. The decay rate is optimal since it coincides with that of heat equation.

Asymptotical Behavior of the Solution of a SDOF Linear Fractionally Damped Vibration System

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Z.H. Wang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Fractional-order derivative has been shown an adequate tool to the study of so-called "anomalous" social and physical behaviors, in reflecting their non-local, frequency- and history-dependent properties, and it has been used to model practical systems in engineering successfully, including the famous Bagley-Torvik equation modeling forced motion of a rigid plate immersed in Newtonian fluid. The solutions of the initial value problems of linear fractional differential equations are usually expressed in terms of Mittag-Leffler functions or some other kind of power series. Such forms of solutions are not good for engineers not only in understanding the solutions but also in investigation. This paper proves that for the linear SDOF oscillator with a damping described by fractional-order derivative whose order is between 1 and 2, the solution of its initial value problem free of external excitation consists of two parts, the first one is the 'eigenfunction expansion' that is similar to the case without fractional-order derivative, and the second one is a definite integral that is independent of the eigenvalues (or characteristic roots. The integral disappears in the classical linear oscillator and it can be neglected from the solution when stationary solution is addressed. Moreover, the response of the fractionally damped oscillator under harmonic excitation is calculated in a similar way, and it is found that the fractional damping with order between 1 and 2 can be used to produce oscillation with large amplitude as well as to suppress oscillation, depending on the ratio of the excitation frequency and the natural frequency.

Self-association and thermodynamic behavior of etilefrine hydrochloride in aqueous electrolyte solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmasry, Manal S.; Hassan, Wafaa S.; Elazazy, Marwa S.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The self-association of etilefrine HCl in aqueous solution has been studied. • Conductivity and 1 H NMR measurements were used to study the self association. • The critical micelle concentrations and the degree of ionizations were calculated. • The effect of different temperatures and NaCl concentrations were studied. • The thermodynamic parameters of self association of etilefrine HCl were evaluated. - Abstract: The self-association (micellization) behavior of etilefrine HCl, an amphiphilic drug, in aqueous electrolyte solution has been investigated as a function of temperature and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration by conductivity and 1 H NMR measurements. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was calculated from the inflection in the data obtained from both techniques. The CMC and the degree of ionization (α) values were determined over the temperature range (298.15 to 313.15) K in water and in presence of different concentrations of NaCl. The thermodynamic parameters of micellization for etilefrine HCl i.e. the standard Gibbs free energy change ΔG° m , the standard enthalpy change, ΔH° m , and the standard entropy change, ΔS° m , were evaluated according to the pseudo-phase model. The obtained CMC values, in presence and absence of electrolyte, showed an inverted U-shaped behavior. While the degree of micelle ionization (α) showed a linear response to the increase in temperature in absence of electrolyte, addition of NaCl did not cause a specific response

Visualizing phase transition behavior of dilute stimuli responsive polymer solutions via Mueller matrix polarimetry.

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Narayanan, Amal; Chandel, Shubham; Ghosh, Nirmalya; De, Priyadarsi

2015-09-15

Probing volume phase transition behavior of superdiluted polymer solutions both micro- and macroscopically still persists as an outstanding challenge. In this regard, we have explored 4 × 4 spectral Mueller matrix measurement and its inverse analysis for excavating the microarchitectural facts about stimuli responsiveness of "smart" polymers. Phase separation behavior of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and pH responsive poly(N,N-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and their copolymers were analyzed in terms of Mueller matrix derived polarization parameters, namely, depolarization (Δ), diattenuation (d), and linear retardance (δ). The Δ, d, and δ parameters provided useful information on both macro- and microstructural alterations during the phase separation. Additionally, the two step action ((i) breakage of polymer-water hydrogen bonding and (ii) polymer-polymer aggregation) at the molecular microenvironment during the cloud point generation was successfully probed via these parameters. It is demonstrated that, in comparison to the present techniques available for assessing the hydrophobic-hydrophilic switch over of simple stimuli-responsive polymers, Mueller matrix polarimetry offers an important advantage requiring a few hundred times dilute polymer solution (0.01 mg/mL, 1.1-1.4 μM) at a low-volume format.

Neural substrates of male parochial altruism are modulated by testosterone and behavioral strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Reimers, Luise; Büchel, Christian; Diekhof, Esther K

2017-08-01

Parochial altruism refers to ingroup favoritism and outgroup hostility and has recently been linked to testosterone. Here, we investigated the neurobiological mechanism of parochial altruism in male soccer fans playing the ultimatum game (UG) against ingroup and outgroup members (i.e., fans of the favorite or of a rivalling team) using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Our results suggest that individual differences in altruistic tendency influence the tendency for parochialism. While altruistic subjects rejected unfair offers independent of team membership, the more self-oriented 'pro-selfs' displayed a stronger ingroup bias and rejected outgroup offers more often. However, during a second session that introduced a team competition the altruists adapted to this parochial pattern. Behavioral strategy was further characterized by dissociable and context-dependent correlations between endogenous testosterone and neural responses in the anterior insula and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. In sum, the present findings indicate that parochial altruism is shaped by individual differences in testosterone and behavioral strategy. In that way the results are in line with evolutionary theories of both individual and group selection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New convergence behavior of solutions to Cohen-Grossberg neural networks with delays and time-varying coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Bingwen

2008-01-01

In this Letter the convergence behavior of Cohen-Grossberg neural networks with delays and time-varying coefficients are considered. Some sufficient conditions are established to ensure that the solutions of the networks converge locally exponentially to zero point, which are new and complement of previously known results

The Impact of a Student-Led Pedometer Intervention Incorporating Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies on Step Count and Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Raedeke, Thomas D.; Focht, Brian C.; King, Jenna S.

2010-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a student-led physical activity intervention that incorporated pedometers and cognitive-behavioral strategies. Undergraduate students (N = 117) enrolled in upper division exercise and sport science courses recruited participants. Participants in the cognitive-behavioral intervention condition received…

Entropy landscape and non-Gibbs solutions in constraint satisfaction problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dall'Asta, L.; Ramezanpour, A.; Zecchina, R.

2008-05-01

We study the entropy landscape of solutions for the bicoloring problem in random graphs, a representative difficult constraint satisfaction problem. Our goal is to classify which type of clusters of solutions are addressed by different algorithms. In the first part of the study we use the cavity method to obtain the number of clusters with a given internal entropy and determine the phase diagram of the problem, e.g. dynamical, rigidity and SAT-UNSAT transitions. In the second part of the paper we analyze different algorithms and locate their behavior in the entropy landscape of the problem. For instance we show that a smoothed version of a decimation strategy based on Belief Propagation is able to find solutions belonging to sub-dominant clusters even beyond the so called rigidity transition where the thermodynamically relevant clusters become frozen. These non-equilibrium solutions belong to the most probable unfrozen clusters. (author)

Electrochemical corrosion behaviors of the X90 linepipe steel in NS4 solution

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Jinheng Luo

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Oil and gas line pipes are laid underground and run through different areas in the laying process, so they will be subjected to different degrees of corrosion and even crack, leading to enormous casualties and economic losses. In order to guarantee the safe operation of line pipes, therefore, it is significant to investigate the electrochemical corrosion behaviors of pipe steel in a simulated soil environment. In this paper, the electrochemical corrosion behaviors of the base metals and welding materials of API 5L X90 steel longitudinally submerged arc welding pipes in near-neutral simulated soil solution (NS4 were studied by means of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS and the potentiodynamic polarization testing technology. It is shown that the typical characteristic of anodic dissolution is presented but with no passivation phenomenon when X90 linepipe steel is put in NS4 solution. The base material is thermodynamically more stable than the seam weld material. The base material and seam weld samples were polarized under −850 mV polarization potential for different durations. It is demonstrated that with the proceeding of polarization, the polarization resistance and the corrosion resistance increase while the corrosion current density decreases. And the corrosion resistance of base material is better than that of seam weld material.

Which Factors Characterize Sustainable Behavior of Defense Forces?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Atlason, Reynir Smari; Gerstlberger, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

the behavior of 81 military forces with regard to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability reporting. Furthermore, the characteristics of militaries with a CSR/sustainability strategy are identified. By using hierarchical cluster analysis and exploratory factor analysis, we locate......Defense agencies are increasingly identifying the benefits of environmentally benign solutions on multiple types of operations. Energy use, material use, and environmental damage are factors that influence military operations in both the short and the long term. In this paper, we examine...... militaries have a CSR or sustainability strategy and what the perceived benefits of such strategies are. Furthermore, we have identified militaries that are likely to implement such strategies in the future. Our findings indicate that countries with a strong regulatory environment, high Gross Domestic...

Behavior change through automated e-mails: mediation analysis of self-help strategy use for depressive symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Amy J; Mackinnon, Andrew J; Jorm, Anthony F

2013-02-01

To evaluate whether automated e-mails promoting effective self-help strategies for depressive symptoms were effective in changing self-help behavior, and whether this improved depression outcomes. 568 adults with sub-threshold depression participated in a randomized controlled trial and provided complete data. A series of 12 e-mails promoting the use of evidence-based self-help strategies was compared with e-mails providing non-directive depression information. Depression symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) and use of self-help strategies was assessed at baseline and post-intervention. We hypothesized that those receiving the self-help e-mails would increase their use of evidence-based self-help and this would be associated with improvements in depression. Mediation analyses were conducted using a non-parametric bootstrapping procedure. Total use of the self-help strategies promoted in the e-mails significantly mediated the effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms (B = -0.75, SE = 0.16, 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.48). The direct effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms was much smaller and not significant when the mediation path was included. The majority of the individual strategies also had a significant indirect effect on depressive symptoms. In adults with sub-threshold depression, automated e-mails based on behavior change principles can successfully increase use of self-help strategies, leading to a reduction in depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solution treatment of fast reactor claddings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miura, Makoto; Nagaki, Hiroshi; Koyama, Masahiro

1974-01-01

The fuel cladding tubes for Joyo (experimental FBR) are required to be a material corresponding to AISI Type 316 and cold-rolled after solution treatment. It is necessary to have no precipitation of carbide and to make the grain size smaller than ASTM No.6. It is very difficult to obtain the fine grains without the precipitation, however. In this connection, the behavior of carbide solution at high temperature and the annealing behavior of the material cold-worked and solution-treated were studied. The following matters are described: the solid solubility line of AISI Type 316; the behavior of carbide at solution treatment temperature; and the annealing behavior of the cold-worked material. (Mori, K.)

Using Formative Research to Design a Behavior Change Strategy to Increase the Use of Improved Cookstoves in Peri-Urban Kampala, Uganda

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Stephanie L. Martin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Household air pollution from cooking with biomass fuels negatively impacts maternal and child health and the environment, and contributes to the global burden of disease. In Uganda, nearly 20,000 young children die of household air pollution-related pneumonia every year. Qualitative research was used to identify behavioral determinants related to the acquisition and use of improved cookstoves in peri-urban Uganda. Results were used to design a behavior change strategy for the introduction of a locally-fabricated top-lit updraft gasifier (TLUD stove in Wakiso district. A theoretical framework—opportunity, ability, and motivation—was used to guide the research and behavior change strategy development. Participants consistently cited financial considerations as the most influential factor related to improved cookstove acquisition and use. In contrast, participants did not prioritize the potential health benefits of improved cookstoves. The theoretical framework, research methodology, and behavior change strategy design process can be useful for program planners and researchers interested in identifying behavioral determinants and designing and evaluating improved cookstove interventions.

Early Child Care Teachers' Socialization Goals and Preferred Behavioral Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

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Gernhardt, Ariane; Lamm, Bettina; Keller, Heidi; Döge, Paula

2014-01-01

This study investigated early child care teachers' culturally shaped socialization goals and preferred behavioral strategies. The participants were 183 female teachers and trainees, 93 from Osnabrück, Germany, representing an urban Western context, which can be characterized by a primary cultural orientation toward psychological autonomy and a…

Building communication strategy on health prevention through the human-centered design

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Karine de Mello Freire

2016-03-01

Full Text Available It has been identified a latent need for developing efficient communication strategies for prevention of diseases and also, design as a potential agent to create communications artifacts that are able to promote self-care. In order to analyze a design process that develops this kind of artifact, an action research in IAPI Health Center in Porto Alegre was done. The action’s goal was to design a strategy to promote self-care to prevent cervical cancer. The process was conducted from the human centered design approach - HCD, which seeks to create solutions desirable for people and feasible for organizations from three main phases: a Hear, in which inspirations are originated from stories collected from people; b Create, which aims to translate these knowledge into prototypes; and, c Deliver, where the prototypes are tested and developed with users. Communication strategies were supported by design studies about visual-verbal rhetoric. As results, this design approach has shown adequate to create communication strategies targeted at self-care behaviors, aiming to empower users to change their behavior.

Alcohol Consumption and Negative Sex-Related Consequences among College Women: The Moderating Role of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies

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Moorer, Kayla D.; Madson, Michael B.; Mohn, Richard S.; Nicholson, Bonnie C.

2013-01-01

Alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) limit overall negative consequences; however, less is known about the relationship between PBS and negative sex-related consequences. The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating effects of 2 distinct types of PBS--controlled consumption strategies and serious harm reduction…

Anion exchange behavior of Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta as homologues of Rf and Db in mixed HF-acetone solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aksenov, N.V.; Bozhikov, G.A.; Starodub, G.Ya.; Dmitriev, S.N.; Filosofov, D.V.; Jon Sun Jin; Radchenko, V.I.; Lebedev, N.A.; Novgorodov, A.F.

2009-01-01

We studied in detail the sorption behavior of Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta on AG 1 anion exchange resin in HF-acetone mixed solutions as a function of organic cosolvent and acid concentrations. Anion exchange behavior was found to be strongly acetone concentration dependent. The distribution coefficients of Ti, Zr, Hf and Nb increased and those of Ta decreased with increasing content of acetone in HF solutions. With increasing HF concentration, anion exchange equilibrium analysis indicated the formation of fluoride complexes of group-4 elements with charge -3 and Ta with charge -2. For Nb the slope of -2 increased up to -5. Optimal conditions for separation of the elements using AIX chromatography were found. Group-4 elements formed MF 7 3- (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) complexes whose sorption decreased Ti > Hf > Zr in reverse order of complex stability. This fact is of particular interest for studying ion exchange behavior of Rf compared to Ti. The advantages of studying chemical properties of Rf and Db in aqueous HF solutions mixed with organic solvents are briefly discussed

Behavioral and neural responses of toads to salt solutions correlate with basolateral membrane potential of epidermal cells of the skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hillyard, Stanley D; Baula, Victor; Tuttle, Wendy

2007-01-01

Dehydrated toads initiated water absorption response (WR) behavior and absorbed water from dilute NaCl solutions. With 200-250 mM NaCl, WR behavior and water absorption were both suppressed. With 200-250 mM Na-gluconate, WR initiation was significantly greater than with NaCl but water loss was gr...

Implications of emotion regulation strategies for empathic concern, social attitudes, and helping behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebowitz, Matthew S; Dovidio, John F

2015-04-01

Empathic concern-a sense of caring and compassion in response to the needs of others-is a type of emotional response to the plights and misfortunes of others that predicts positive social attitudes and altruistic interpersonal behaviors. One psychological process that has been posited to facilitate empathic concern is the ability to regulate one's own emotions. However, existing research links some emotion-regulation approaches (e.g., suppression) to social outcomes that would appear at odds with empathic concern, such as decreased interpersonal closeness. In the present research, we tested whether relying on suppression to regulate one's emotions would lead to decreases in empathic concern-and related downstream variables, such as negative social attitudes and unwillingness to engage in altruistic behavior-when learning about another person's misfortune. In Study 1, dispositional and instructionally induced suppression was negatively associated with empathic concern, which led to increased stigmatizing attitudes. By contrast, instructing participants to use another emotion-regulation strategy examined for comparison-reappraisal-did not decrease empathic concern, and dispositional reliance on reappraisal was actually positively associated with empathic concern. In Study 2, the findings of Study 1 regarding the effects of habitual use of reappraisal and suppression were replicated, and reliance on suppression was also found to be associated with reluctance to engage in helping behaviors. These findings are situated within the existing literature and employed to shed new light on the interpersonal consequences of intrapersonal emotion-regulation strategies. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Strategies and solutions in the temporary management of spent fuel in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez Abad, J. E.; Rivera, M. I.

2009-01-01

The basic strategy for the spent fuel and HLW management contemplated in the Sixth General Radioactive Waste Plan focused on the centralised interim storage of spent fuel, based on proved dry storage system technologies, over the time periods required until their definitive or very long term management. Specially, the solution proposed as the most suitable for the Spanish case is the construction of a centralised interim spent fuel and HLW storage facility (ATC) for which as site is being searched. Until it becomes in operation, the interim spent fuel storage will be safety performed in the NPP reracked spent fuel pools or individual ISFSI constructed in the NPP site, in those cases additional storage capacity is required. (Author) 22 refs

Solution strategies for linear and nonlinear instability phenomena for arbitrarily thin shell structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckstein, U.; Harte, R.; Kraetzig, W.B.; Wittek, U.

1983-01-01

In order to describe nonlinear response and instability behaviour the paper starts with the total potential energy considering the basic kinematic equations of a consistent nonlinear shell theory for large displacements and moderate rotations. The material behaviour is assumed to be hyperelastic and isotropic. The incrementation and discretization of the total potential energy leads to the tangent stiffness relation, which is the central equation of computational algorithms based on combined incremental and iterative techniques. Here a symmetrized form of the RIKS/WEMPNER-algorithm for positive and negative load incrementation represents the basis of the nonlinear solution technique. To detect secondary equilibrium branches at points of neutral equilibrium within nonlinear primary paths a quadratic eigenvalue-problem has to be solved. In order to follow those complicated nonlinear response phenomena the RIKS/WEMPNER incrementation/iteration process is combined with a simultaneous solution of the linearized quadratic eigenvalue-problem. Additionally the essentials of a recently derived family of arbitrarily curved shell elements for linear (LACS) and geometrically nonlinear (NACS) shell problems are presented. The main advantage of these elements is the exact description of all geometric properties as well as the energy-equivalent representation of the applied loads in combination with an efficient algorithm to form the stiffness submatrices. Especially the NACS-elements are designed to improve the accuracy of the solution in the deep postbuckling range including moderate rotations. The derived finite elements and solution strategies are applied to a certain number of typical shell problems to prove the precision of the shell elements and to demonstrate the possibilities of tracing linear and nonlinear bifurcation problems as well as snap-through phenomena with and without secondary bifurcation branches. (orig.)

How research in behavioral pharmacology informs behavioral science.

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, Marc N

2006-05-01

Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug-behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its conceptualizations and theory. In this article, I outline three general strategies in behavioral pharmacology research that have been employed to increase understanding of behavioral processes. Examples are provided of the general characteristics of the strategies and of implications of previous research for behavior theory. Behavior analysis will advance as its theories are challenged.

Solution behavior of metoclopramide in aqueous-alcoholic solutions at 30°C

Science.gov (United States)

Deosarkar, S. D.; Sawale, R. T.; Tawde, P. D.; Kalyankar, T. M.

2016-07-01

Densities (ρ) and refractive indices ( n D) of solutions of antiemetic drug metoclopramide (4-amino-5-chloro- N-(2-(diethylamino)ethyl)-2-methoxybenzamide hydrochloride hydrate) in methanolwater and ethanol-water mixtures of different compositions were measured at 30°C. Apparent molar volume (φv) of the drug was calculated from density data and partial molar volumes (φ v 0 ) were determined from Massons relation. Concentration dependence of nD has been studied to determine refractive indices of solution at infinite dilution ( n D 0 ). Results have been interpreted in terms of solute-solvent interactions.

Rational behavior in decision making. A comparison between humans, computers and fast and frugal strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snijders, C.C.P.

2007-01-01

Rational behavior in decision making. A comparison between humans, computers, and fast and frugal strategies Chris Snijders and Frits Tazelaar (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands) Real life decisions often have to be made in "noisy" circumstances: not all crucial information is

The anodizing behavior of aluminum in malonic acid solution and morphology of the anodic films

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jianjun; Zuo, Yu

2012-11-01

The anodizing behavior of aluminum in malonic acid solution and morphology of the anodic films were studied. The voltage-time response for galvanostatic anodization of aluminum in malonic acid solution exhibits a conventional three-stage feature but the formation voltage is much higher. With the increase of electrolyte concentration, the electrolyte viscosity increases simultaneously and the high viscosity decreases the film growth rate. With the concentration increase of the malonic acid electrolyte, the critical current density that initiates local "burning" on the sample surface decreases. For malonic acid anodization, the field-assisted dissolution on the oxide surface is relatively weak and the nucleation of pores is more difficult, which results in greater barrier layer thickness and larger cell dimension. The embryo of the porous structure of anodic film has been created within the linear region of the first transient stage, and the definite porous structure has been established before the end of the first transient stage. The self-ordering behavior of the porous film is influenced by the electrolyte concentration, film thickness and the applied current density. Great current density not only improves the cell arrangement order but also brings about larger cell dimension.

Effect of composition on the electrochemical behavior of austenitic stainless steel in Ringer's solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandy, R.; Cahoon, J.R.

1977-01-01

Potentiodynamic cyclic polarization tests on Type 316L stainless steel, a common orthopedic implant alloy, in Ringer's solution show considerable hysteresis and a protection potential more active than the open circuit corrosion potential. This implies that chances of repassivation of actively growing pits in this alloy are limited. Tests in Ringer's solution containing hydrochloric acid show that the open circuit potential of Type 316L steel in this solution may exceed in the noble direction the critical pitting potential in the same solution. This signifies that spontaneous breakdown of passivity may occur in a bulk environment which grossly simulates the electrochemical environment within a crevice. Alloying elements such as Mo, Ni, Cr, all improve the corrosion resistance of Type 316L stainless steel in that the critical pitting potential shifts in the noble direction in the alloys having any of the three alloying elements in a higher proportion than in Type 316L steel. Polarization tests in Ringer's solution on a 20% Cr, 25% Ni, 4.5% Mo, 1.5% Cu austenitic stainless steel, having Mo, Cr, and Ni--all in higher proportions than in Type 316L steel, does not show any critical pitting potential or hysteresis at potentials below that for dissociation of water. However, test in 4% NaCl solution at 60 C, a more aggressive chloride environment than Ringer'ssolution, reveals considerable hysteresis and a very active protection potential, indicating that this behavior is a common feature of austenitic stainless steel in sufficiently aggressive, chloride media

Effect of vaccination strategies on the dynamic behavior of epidemic spreading and vaccine coverage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Chao-Ran; Wu, Zhi-Xi; Guan, Jian-Yue

2014-01-01

The transmission of infectious, yet vaccine-preventable, diseases is a typical complex social phenomenon, where the increasing level of vaccine update in the population helps to inhibit the epidemic spreading, which in turn, however, discourages more people to participate in vaccination campaigns, due to the “externality effect” raised by vaccination. We herein study the impact of vaccination strategies, pure, continuous (rather than adopt vaccination definitely, the individuals choose to taking vaccine with some probabilities), or continuous with randomly mutation, on the vaccination dynamics with a spatial susceptible-vaccinated-infected-recovered (SVIR) epidemiological model. By means of extensive Monte-Carlo simulations, we show that there is a crossover behavior of the final vaccine coverage between the pure-strategy case and the continuous-strategy case, and remarkably, both the final vaccination level and epidemic size in the continuous-strategy case are less than them in the pure-strategy case when vaccination is cheap. We explain this phenomenon by analyzing the organization process of the individuals in the continuous-strategy case in the equilibrium. Our results are robust to the SVIR dynamics defined on other spatial networks, like the Erdős–Rényi and Barabási–Albert networks

Information strategies and energy conservation behavior: A meta-analysis of experimental studies from 1975 to 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delmas, Magali A.; Fischlein, Miriam; Asensio, Omar I.

2013-01-01

Strategies that provide information about the environmental impact of activities are increasingly seen as effective to encourage conservation behavior. This article offers the most comprehensive meta-analysis of information based energy conservation experiments conducted to date. Based on evidence from 156 published field trials and 525,479 study subjects from 1975 to 2012, we quantify the energy savings from information based strategies. On average, individuals in the experiments reduced their electricity consumption by 7.4%. Our results also show that strategies providing individualized audits and consulting are comparatively more effective for conservation behavior than strategies that provide historical, peer comparison energy feedback. Interestingly, we find that pecuniary feedback and incentives lead to a relative increase in energy usage rather than induce conservation. We also find that the conservation effect diminishes with the rigor of the study, indicating potential methodological issues in the current literature. - Highlights: • We conduct a meta-analysis of information-based energy conservation experiments. • We analyze 156 published trials and 524,479 study subjects from 1975 to 2012. • On average, individuals in the experiments reduced electricity consumption by 7.4%. • Individualized feedback via audits and consulting results in the largest reductions. Pecuniary feedback and incentives lead to a relative increase in energy usage

Behavior Management Strategies for Teachers: Achieving Instructional Effectiveness, Student Success, and Student Motivation--Every Teacher and Any Student Can! 2nd Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlan, Joan C.; Rowland, Sidney T.

This book provides tested methods for teachers to use in their behavior management and instructional efforts, offering strategies for maintaining and increasing appropriate behaviors as well as preventing and remediating inappropriate behaviors. Section 1, "Understanding Behavior and Selected Models," includes (1) "Understanding…

Thermodynamic behavior of erythritol in aqueous solutions and in gelatine gels and its quantification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyapkova, Oxana; Bader-Mittermaier, Stephanie; Schweiggert-Weisz, Ute

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Differential scanning calorimetry as a method to determine erythritol crystallization. • Determination of crystallization using solution enthalpy. • Erythritol crystallization influenced by area of air–water-interfaces. • DSC method is applicable for both aqueous solutions and gels. • Adaption of DSC method to other, more complex food matrices is possible. - Abstract: As crystallization of erythritol can cause a sandy mouth-feel in sugar-free products, strategies to avoid crystallization or adaption of food formulation should be elucidated. However, until now erythritol crystallization was only quantified in aqueous solutions, but not in model food systems. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a simple method for the quantification of phase transition in various systems. However, no methods for the quantification of crystallization from aqueous systems based on DSC have been published until now. In the present study DSC was found to be suitable for the quantification of crystallization using supersaturated aqueous solutions of erythritol and erythritol containing gelatine gels for the first time. The developed method was validated by comparing the crystallization values determined by gravimetric measurement of erythritol crystals and the values obtained by DSC. No significant differences (p < 0.05) have been obtained between the results of the two methods if an appropriate design of measurements was applied. Additionally, the method was adapted to gelatine gels to elucidate the transferability to model food systems. Hence, the method is suitable for quantification of the amount of erythritol crystals present in aqueous solutions and gels, respectively

A Social-Behavioral Learning Strategy Intervention for a Child with Asperger Syndrome: Brief Report

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Marjorie A.

2007-01-01

This study examined the effect of a social-behavioral learning strategy intervention (Stop-Observe-Deliberate-Act; SODA) on the social interaction skills of one middle school student with Asperger syndrome (AS). More specifically, the study investigated the effect of SODA training on the ability of one student with AS to participate in cooperative…

The consequences of different strategies for measuring tax evasion behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghavam Ahmadi

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study to investigate the effect of tax strategy on tax evasion in province of Zanjan, Iran. The study selects two randomly selected populations of 100 people from Tax organization and the people who file income tax with revenue agency. The study designs a questionnaire in Likert scale to study the effects of five variables namely; promote tax culture, lack of belief in tax payment consequences, filing false tax statement, tax exemption and general culture community as independent variables on tax evasion behavior. Using regression technique, the study has determined positive and meaningful relationships between tax evasion and independent variables.

RETRACTED: Growth behavior and microstructure evolution of ZnO nanorods grown on Si in aqueous solution

Science.gov (United States)

Liou, Sz-Chian; Hsiao, Chi-Sheng; Chen, San-Yuan

2005-02-01

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal. This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Two papers published in the Journal of Crystal Growth are being retracted due to a case of misrepresentation and reuse of data. A reader of the Journal has brought to our attention the reuse of data within two published papers: Growth behavior and microstructure evolution of ZnO nanorods grown on Si in aqueous solution, Sz-Chian Liou, Chi-Sheng Hsiao, San-Yuan Chen, Journal of Crystal Growth 274 (2005) 438-446. Nucleation and growth behavior of well-aligned ZnO nanorods on organic substrates in aqueous solutions, Chin-Ching Lin, San-Yuan Chen, and Syh-Yuh Cheng, Journal of Crystal Growth 283 (2005) 141-146. In these papers the same transmission electron micrograph was used to describe two different experimental situations and results bringing into question the content of these papers. The reuse of data without proper attribution is not acceptable within the scientific publishing community. In the present case, this is compounded by the attribution of the micrograph to a different experimental situation and drawing, as a result, new conclusions from data obtained from different samples. Such behavior undermines the integrity of the scientific publishing endeavor and is not acceptable. The authors are responsible for the content of their papers.

Constitutive analysis to predict the hot deformation behavior of 34CrMo4 steel with an optimum solution method for stress multiplier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Wujiao; Zou, Mingping; Zhang, Lei

2014-01-01

The hot deformation behaviors of steel 34CrMo4 is investigated by hot compression test with the temperature range of 1073–1373 K and the strain rate range of 0.01–10 s −1 . The flow behaviors of 34CrMo4 steel were characterized based on the true stress–true strain curves. The hyperbolic sine law in Arrhenius type is adopted in the constitutive modeling for 34CrMo4. Solving algorithm of the stress multiplier α in hyperbolic sine law is a key factor to guarantee the constitutive model accuracy. How to solve the stress multiplier α is investigated and an optimum solution method for α is proposed. Meanwhile, the influence of strain is incorporated in constitutive analysis by considering the effect of strain on material constants α, n, Q and A. With the optimum solution method for stress multiplier α proposed, the stress prediction is satisfactory with the higher correlation coefficient, R = 0.988 and the lower average absolute relative error, AARE = 3.44% for the entire strain rate-temperature domain. The optimum solution method for stress multiplier α can also be applied for other materials to predict the flow behavior more accurately. - Highlights: • Isothermal compression tests were conducted to study the flow behavior of 34CrMo4. • The influence of strain is incorporated in constitutive model. • An optimum solution method for stress multiplier α is proposed

Superhydrophobic ceramic coating: Fabrication by solution precursor plasma spray and investigation of wetting behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Pengyun; Coyle, Thomas W; Pershin, Larry; Mostaghimi, Javad

2018-03-16

Superhydrophobic surfaces are often created by fabricating suitable surface structures from low-surface-energy organic materials using processes that are not suitable for large-scale fabrication. Rare earth oxides (REO) exhibit hydrophobic behavior that is unusual among oxides. Solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) deposition is a rapid, one-step process that can produce ceramic coatings with fine scale columnar structures. Manipulation of the structure of REO coatings through variation in deposition conditions may allow the wetting behavior to be controlled. Yb 2 O 3 coatings were fabricated via SPPS. Coating structure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, digital optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The static water contact angle and roll-off angle were measured, and the dynamic impact of water droplets on the coating surface recorded. Superhydrophobic behavior was observed; the best coating exhibited a water contact angle of ∼163°, a roll-off angle of ∼6°, and complete droplet rebound behavior. All coatings were crystalline Yb 2 O 3 , with a nano-scale roughness superimposed on a micron-scale columnar structure. The wetting behaviors of coatings deposited at different standoff distances were correlated with the coating microstructures and surface topographies. The self-cleaning, water flushing and water jetting tests were conducted and further demonstrated the excellent and durable hydrophobicity of the coatings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asymptotic behavior of positive solutions of a semilinear Dirichlet problem in the annulus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Safa Dridi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we establish existence and asymptotic behavior of a positive classical solution to the following semilinear boundary value problem: \\[-\\Delta u=q(xu^{\\sigma }\\;\\text{in}\\;\\Omega,\\quad u_{|\\partial\\Omega}=0.\\] Here \\(\\Omega\\ is an annulus in \\(\\mathbb{R}^{n}\\, \\(n\\geq 3\\, \\(\\sigma \\lt 1\\ and \\(q\\ is a positive function in \\(\\mathcal{C}_{loc}^{\\gamma }(\\Omega \\, \\(0\\lt\\gamma \\lt 1\\, satisfying some appropriate assumptions related to Karamata regular variation theory. Our arguments combine a method of sub- and supersolutions with Karamata regular variation theory.

Establishing Design Strategies and an Assessment Tool of Home Appliances to Promote Sustainable Behavior for the New Poor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Che Tu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental benefits related to home appliance life cycles depend on how these products are used. Designing home appliances that promote sustainable behavior is an effective way to reduce environmental impacts. This study aimed to increase relevant opportunities for promoting sustainable behavior practices on the new poor through home appliances, which is rarely discussed in the fields of design for sustainable behavior (DfSB and product design. In particular, relevant assessment tools or indicators are lacking in DfSB, and people’s use of home appliances is generally unsustainable. Therefore, repertory grid technology was used to understand the perceptions of the new poor, develop an assessment tool, and construct design strategies for home appliances that promote sustainable behavior. Data were collected from the new poor and from designers. Through cluster and principal component analyses, three strategy types were proposed that corresponded to different product features, suggestions, and guidance. In addition, the effectiveness and potential of an assessment tool were demonstrated using the Wilcoxon rank test. The findings could be used by designers, retailers, and green marketers to propose effective product design programs that promote sustainable behavior of the new poor during product use.

Determinants of Sedentary Behavior, Motivation, Barriers and Strategies to Reduce Sitting Time in Older Women: A Qualitative Investigation

OpenAIRE

Chastin, Sebastien F. M.; Fitzpatrick, Nicole; Andrews, Michelle; DiCroce, Natalie

2014-01-01

Sedentary behavior defined as time spent non-exercising seated or reclining posture has been identified has a health risk and associated with frailty and disablement for older adults. Older adults are the most sedentary segment of society. To date no study has investigated the determinants of sedentary behavior in older adults. This study reports a qualitative investigation of the determinants of sedentary behavior, strategies and motivator to reduce sitting time by structured interviews in ...

Human Guidance Behavior Decomposition and Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Feit, Andrew James

Trained humans are capable of high performance, adaptable, and robust first-person dynamic motion guidance behavior. This behavior is exhibited in a wide variety of activities such as driving, piloting aircraft, skiing, biking, and many others. Human performance in such activities far exceeds the current capability of autonomous systems in terms of adaptability to new tasks, real-time motion planning, robustness, and trading safety for performance. The present work investigates the structure of human dynamic motion guidance that enables these performance qualities. This work uses a first-person experimental framework that presents a driving task to the subject, measuring control inputs, vehicle motion, and operator visual gaze movement. The resulting data is decomposed into subspace segment clusters that form primitive elements of action-perception interactive behavior. Subspace clusters are defined by both agent-environment system dynamic constraints and operator control strategies. A key contribution of this work is to define transitions between subspace cluster segments, or subgoals, as points where the set of active constraints, either system or operator defined, changes. This definition provides necessary conditions to determine transition points for a given task-environment scenario that allow a solution trajectory to be planned from known behavior elements. In addition, human gaze behavior during this task contains predictive behavior elements, indicating that the identified control modes are internally modeled. Based on these ideas, a generative, autonomous guidance framework is introduced that efficiently generates optimal dynamic motion behavior in new tasks. The new subgoal planning algorithm is shown to generate solutions to certain tasks more quickly than existing approaches currently used in robotics.

Pitting Corrosion Behavior of 304 SS and 316 SS Alloys in Aqueous Chloride and Bromide Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibtehal Kareem Shakir

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The importance of the present work falls on the pitting corrosion behavior investigation of 304 SS and 316 SS alloys in 3.5 wt% of aqueous solution bearing with chloride and bromide anion at different solutions temperature range starting from (20-50oC due to the pitting corrosion tremendous effect on the economic, safety and materials loss due to leakage. The impact of solution temperatures on the pitting corrosion resistance at 3.5wt% (NaCl and NaBr solutions for the 304 SS and 316 SS has been investigated utilizing the cyclic polarization techniques at the potential range -400 to1000 mV vs. SCE at 40 mV/sec scan rate followed by the surface characterization employing Scanning Electron Microscope. The results show that a significant decline in the pitting corrosion potential Ep values of both stainless steel alloys in chloride and bromide solution during temperature increase attributed to the pitting corrosion potential decreased arises from the modification of the passive film properties. The surface examination using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope prove the occurring of higher pitting density over 304 SS in chloride solution than that observed in bromide solution with a non-circular lacy cover pitfall out at the center and falls inside the pits hall in comparison to the isolated circular lacy cover pit formed on 316 SS in 3.5wt% NaBr solution at 50 oC.

The Influence of Motivational Regulation Strategies on Online Students' Behavioral, Emotional, and Cognitive Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sanghoon; Yun, Heoncheol

2018-01-01

Providing effective motivational support is a critical determinant of a successful online distance learning experience for students in higher education. In this study, we examined how students' academic level and use of 8 motivational regulation strategies influence 3 types of student engagement: behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and…

Complex Dynamical Behaviors in a Predator-Prey System with Generalized Group Defense and Impulsive Control Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shunyi Li

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A predator-prey system with generalized group defense and impulsive control strategy is investigated. By using Floquet theorem and small amplitude perturbation skills, a local asymptotically stable prey-eradication periodic solution is obtained when the impulsive period is less than some critical value. Otherwise, the system is permanent if the impulsive period is larger than the critical value. By using bifurcation theory, we show the existence and stability of positive periodic solution when the pest eradication lost its stability. Numerical examples show that the system considered has more complicated dynamics, including (1 high-order quasiperiodic and periodic oscillation, (2 period-doubling and halving bifurcation, (3 nonunique dynamics (meaning that several attractors coexist, and (4 chaos and attractor crisis. Further, the importance of the impulsive period, the released amount of mature predators and the degree of group defense effect are discussed. Finally, the biological implications of the results and the impulsive control strategy are discussed.

Landowner behavior can determine the success of conservation strategies for ecosystem migration under sea-level rise.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, Christopher R; Dayer, Ashley A; Elphick, Chris S

2017-08-22

The human aspects of conservation are often overlooked but will be critical for identifying strategies for biological conservation in the face of climate change. We surveyed the behavioral intentions of coastal landowners with respect to various conservation strategies aimed at facilitating ecosystem migration for tidal marshes. We found that several popular strategies, including conservation easements and increasing awareness of ecosystem services, may not interest enough landowners to allow marsh migration at the spatial scales needed to mitigate losses from sea-level rise. We identified less common conservation strategies that have more support but that are unproven in practice and may be more expensive. Our results show that failure to incorporate human dimensions into ecosystem modeling and conservation planning could lead to the use of ineffective strategies and an overly optimistic view of the potential for ecosystem migration into human dominated areas.

A metacognitive strategy for reducing disruptive behavior in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: GoFAR pilot.

Science.gov (United States)

Coles, Claire D; Kable, Julie A; Taddeo, Elles; Strickland, Dorothy C

2015-11-01

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often characterized by disruptive behavior problems and there are few effective interventions available. GoFAR is a novel, 3-part intervention designed to improve self-regulation and adaptive living skills of children with FASD by improving metacognitive control of emotions and arousal. The intervention has 3 components: (i) GoFAR: a "serious game" designed to teach a metacognitive control strategy in a computer game environment; (ii) parent training on child behavioral regulation; and (iii) Behavior Analog Therapy (BAT) sessions, a practical application of the metacognitive learning methodology by parent and child in the context of learning adaptive skills. The learning strategy (FAR) teaches the child to Focus and make a plan, Act out the plan, and Reflect back on the plan. Thirty families were randomized to 3 groups: (i) GoFAR (n = 10); (ii) FACELAND (n = 10); or (iii) CONTROL (n = 10). The 2 intervention groups, GoFAR and FACELAND, used computer games to instruct children. Both groups also received 5 sessions of parent training followed by 5 sessions of joint parent/child therapy (BAT). Assessment of disruptive behavior, including frequency of temper tantrums, frustration tolerance, impulsivity, destructiveness, aggression, and maintaining attention were carried out before enrollment at Mid-Treatment, when game play and parent training were completed, and finally, after completing the BAT sessions. Parental report of disruptive behavior overall was significantly reduced in the GoFAR group after the first components, game play and parent training, and after the BAT sessions in the FACELAND group with no changes in the CONTROL group over time. The GoFAR(®) game was well received by children and effective in teaching the required skills. Mastering the FAR metacognitive strategy was associated with a reduction in disruptive behaviors in children with FASD suggesting that effective interventions can improve outcomes for

Behavior of GaSb (100) and InSb (100) surfaces in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in acidic and basic cleaning solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Dongwan; Na, Jihoon; Lee, Seunghyo; Lim, Sangwoo, E-mail: swlim@yonsei.ac.kr

2017-03-31

Highlights: • Surface behavior of GaSb and InSb was investigated in acidic and basic solutions. • H{sub 2}O{sub 2} plays a key role in the surface oxidation of GaSb and InSb in acidic hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture (HPM) solution. • GaSb and InSb surfaces were hardly oxidized in basic ammonium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM) solution in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. • The effect of dilution of APM solution on the oxidation of the InSb surface was minimal. • Surface characteristics of GaSb and InSb in HPM and APM solutions are mainly determined by the behaviors of the group III elements rather than the group V element. - Abstract: Gallium antimonide (GaSb) and indium antimonide (InSb) have attracted strong attention as new channel materials for transistors due to their excellent electrical properties and lattice matches with various group III–V compound semiconductors. In this study, the surface behavior of GaSb (100) and InSb (100) was investigated and compared in hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture (HPM) and ammonium hydroxide/hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM) solutions. In the acidic HPM solution, surface oxidation was greater and the etching rates of the GaSb and InSb surfaces increased when the solution is concentrated, which indicates that H{sub 2}O{sub 2} plays a key role in the surface oxidation of GaSb and InSb in acidic HPM solution. However, the GaSb and InSb surfaces were hardly oxidized in basic APM solution in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} because gallium and indium are in the thermodynamically stable forms of H{sub 2}GaO{sub 3}{sup −} and InO{sub 2}{sup −}, respectively. When the APM solution was diluted, however, the Ga on the GaSb surface was oxidized by H{sub 2}O, increasing the etching rate. However, the effect of dilution of the APM solution on the oxidation of the InSb surface was minimal; thus, the InSb surface was less oxidized than the GaSb surface and the change in the etching rate of In

Crime, violence, and behavioral health: collaborative community strategies for risk mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinals, Debra A

2015-06-01

Criminal conduct is not always violent, and violence does not always lead to criminal charges. Moreover, crime and violence have multifaceted etiologies. Most violence in society is not attributable to mental illness. Where there is a small relationship between violence and mental illness, the risk of violence increases for individuals with substance use histories. Underlying trauma can also play a role. Antisocial attitudes, behaviors, and peer groups further increase the risk that individuals, including those with mental illness, will find themselves at risk of criminal recidivism. Criminal histories among public mental health populations, and mental health and substance use disorders among criminal populations are each higher than general population comparisons. Care within behavioral health settings should therefore target decreased criminal recidivism and decreased violence as part of recovery for those individuals at risk, using trauma-informed approaches and peer supports. Interventions that show promise bring criminal justice and behavioral health systems together, and include police-based diversion, specialty courts, court-based alternatives to incarceration, and coordinated re-entry programs. This article reviews these options along with specific risk management strategies, such as using risk, needs, and responsivity factors as a means of improving overall outcomes for persons with mental illness, while minimizing their risk of further criminalization and victimization.

Behavioral risk-reduction strategies to prevent HIV infection among homosexual men: a grounded theory approach.

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de Wit, J B; Teunis, N; van Griensven, G J; Sandfort, T G

1994-12-01

To be able to design effective health education interventions for homosexual men, it is necessary to understand determinants of safe and unsafe sex from the perspective of those involved. In this qualitative study, therefore, an open approach was taken to allow for this perspective. Interviews were conducted with 50 randomly selected HIV-antibody negative participants in the Amsterdam Cohort Study. Detailed questions were asked about sexual interactions and behaviors with steady and nonsteady partners. Whether or not homosexual men consciously protected themselves from HIV infection and which strategy they adopted was found to depend on three major factors: 1) motivation and intention, 2) significance of anal sex, and 3) risk perception within specific relationships. From a theoretical perspective results indicate that, next to the centrality of individual motivation as postulated in both the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior, symbolic meaning inherent in sexual acts, as well as type of relationship are important determinants of protective sexual behaviors that have to be taken into account to understand adequately why homosexual men engage in safe or unsafe sex. Some strategies employed by homosexual men carry uncertainties that continue to put them at increased risk for HIV infection. Health education interventions can be designed to address these issues.

Corrosion behavior of magnesium-graphene composites in sodium chloride solutions

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Muhammad Rashad

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Coating of graphene and graphene/polymer composites on metals improves the corrosion resistance of metal substrates. On other hand, graphene embedded inside metal (especially Mg matrices increases or decreases corrosion, is a crucial factor and must be explored. In present study, electrochemical behaviors of magnesium alloys (AZ31 and AZ61 and their composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs were carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution by polarization method. The surface morphology of composites before and after corrosion tests were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Experimental results revealed that presence of graphene nanoplatelets in different matrices decrease corrosion resistance of composites. This may be attributed to presence of graphene nanoplatelets which activates the corrosion of magnesium/alloys due to the occurrence of galvanic corrosion and this effect increases with increasing graphene nanoplatelets content. Further, an appropriate model describing the corrosion mechanism was proposed.

Improving Oversight and Coordination of Department of Defense Programs That Address Problematic Behaviors Among Military Personnel

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Consider ways to leverage existing DoD data to continue to explore connections among problematic behaviors. Prevention strategies Review the effects that...Hepner, Targeting Alcohol Misuse: A Promising Strategy for Reducing Military Sexual Assaults? Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation , RR-538-OSD, 2014...and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public

Copper(II) oxide solubility behavior in aqueous sodium phosphate solutions at elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziemniak, S.E.; Jones, M.E.; Combs, K.E.S.

1990-02-01

A platinum-lined, flowing autoclave facility is used to investigate the solubility behavior of copper(II) oxide (CuO) in aqueous sodium phosphate solutions at temperatures between 292 and 535 K. Copper solubilities are observed to increase continuously with temperature and phosphate concentration. The measured solubility is examined via a Cu(II) ion hydrolysis/complexing model and thermodynamic functions for the hydrolysis/complexing reactions are obtained from a least- squares analysis of the data. Altogether, thermochemical properties are established for five anionic complexes: Cu(OH) 3 - , Cu(OH) 4 = , Cu(OH) 2 (HPO 4 ) = , Cu(OH) 3 (H 2 PO 4 ) = , and Cu(OH) 2 (PO 4 ) ≡ . Precise thermochemical parameters are also derived for the Cu(OH) + hydroxocomplex based on CuO solubility behavior previously observed in pure water (*) at elevated temperatures. The relative ease of Cu(II) ion hydrolysis is such that Cu(OH) 3 - species become the preferred hydroxocomplex for pH ≥ 9.4. 20 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs

Technology-Related Strategies Used by Educational Leaders to Increase Prosocial Behavior in K-12 Schools

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Beers, Jason Ronald

2017-01-01

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify technology-related strategies used by educational leaders to increase prosocial behavior in K-12 schools. Information and communication technology (ICT) is developing at a rapid rate and is becoming more ubiquitous among students. Discovering and understanding common technology-related strategies…

Corrosion electrochemical behaviors of silane coating coated magnesium alloy in NaCl solution containing cerium nitrate

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Luo, F.; Li, Q.; Zhong, X.K.; Gao, H.; Dai, Y.; Chen, F.N. [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University Chongqing (China)

2012-02-15

Sol-gel coatings cannot provide adequate corrosion protection for metal/alloys in the corrosive environments due to their high crack-forming potential. This paper demonstrates the possibility to employ cerium nitrate as inhibitor to decrease the corrosion development of sol-gel-based silane coating on the magnesium alloy in NaCl solution. Cerium nitrate was added into the NaCl solution where the silane coating coated magnesium alloy was immersed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine surface morphology of the silane coating coated magnesium alloy immersed in NaCl solutions doped and undoped with cerium nitrate. The corrosion electrochemical behaviors were investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. The results showed that the introduction of cerium nitrate into NaCl solution could effectively inhibit the corrosion of the silane coating coated magnesium alloy. Moreover, the influence of concentration of cerium nitrate on the corrosion inhibition and the possible inhibiting mechanism were also discussed in detail. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Conflict between place and response navigation strategies: effects on vicarious trial and error (VTE) behaviors.

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Schmidt, Brandy; Papale, Andrew; Redish, A David; Markus, Etan J

2013-02-15

Navigation can be accomplished through multiple decision-making strategies, using different information-processing computations. A well-studied dichotomy in these decision-making strategies compares hippocampal-dependent "place" and dorsal-lateral striatal-dependent "response" strategies. A place strategy depends on the ability to flexibly respond to environmental cues, while a response strategy depends on the ability to quickly recognize and react to situations with well-learned action-outcome relationships. When rats reach decision points, they sometimes pause and orient toward the potential routes of travel, a process termed vicarious trial and error (VTE). VTE co-occurs with neurophysiological information processing, including sweeps of representation ahead of the animal in the hippocampus and transient representations of reward in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. To examine the relationship between VTE and the place/response strategy dichotomy, we analyzed data in which rats were cued to switch between place and response strategies on a plus maze. The configuration of the maze allowed for place and response strategies to work competitively or cooperatively. Animals showed increased VTE on trials entailing competition between navigational systems, linking VTE with deliberative decision-making. Even in a well-learned task, VTE was preferentially exhibited when a spatial selection was required, further linking VTE behavior with decision-making associated with hippocampal processing.

Behavior Change Strategies for Successful Long-Term Weight Loss: Focusing on Dietary and Physical Activity Adherence, Not Weight Loss

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Hongu, Nobuko; Kataura, Martha P.; Block, Linda M.

2011-01-01

This article helps Extension professionals guide individuals in a successful long-term weight loss program. A program should focus on behavioral changes (improving eating habits and physical activity), not just weight loss. In order to do this, Extension professionals should implement behavior change strategies that motivate individuals to…

Solute-solvent cavity and bridge functions. I. Varying size of the solute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vyalov, I.; Chuev, G.; Georgi, N.

2014-01-01

In this work we present the results of the extensive molecular simulations of solute-solvent cavity and bridge functions. The mixtures of Lennard-Jones solvent with Lennard-Jones solute at infinite dilution are considered for different solute-solvent size ratios—up to 4:1. The Percus-Yevick and hypernetted chain closures deviate substantially from simulation results in the investigated temperature and density ranges. We also find that the behavior of the indirect and cavity correlation functions is non-monotonous within the hard-core region, but the latter can be successfully approximated by mean-field theory if the solute-solvent interaction energy is divided into repulsive and attractive contribution, according to Weeks-Chandler-Andersen theory. Furthermore, in spite of the non-monotonous behavior of logarithm of the cavity function and the indirect correlation function, their difference, i.e., the bridge function remains constant within the hard-core region. Such behavior of the bridge and indirect correlation functions at small distances and for small values of indirect correlation function is well known from the Duh-Haymet plots, where the non-unique relationship results in loops of the bridge function vs. indirect correlation function graphs. We show that the same pathological behavior appears also when distance is small and indirect correlation function is large. We further show that the unique functional behavior of the bridge function can be established when bridge is represented as a function of the renormalized, repulsive indirect correlation function

Existence and Global Asymptotic Behavior of Positive Solutions for Nonlinear Fractional Dirichlet Problems on the Half-Line

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Imed Bachar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We are interested in the following fractional boundary value problem: Dαu(t+atuσ=0, t∈(0,∞, limt→0⁡t2-αu(t=0, limt→∞⁡t1-αu(t=0, where 1<α<2, σ∈(-1,1, Dα is the standard Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative, and a is a nonnegative continuous function on (0,∞ satisfying some appropriate assumptions related to Karamata regular variation theory. Using the Schauder fixed point theorem, we prove the existence and the uniqueness of a positive solution. We also give a global behavior of such solution.

Effect of soil compositions on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of carbon steel in simulated soil solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, T.M. [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University (China); Luo, S.X. [Department of Chemistry, Zunyi Normal College, Zunyi (China); Sun, C. [State Key Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang (China); Wu, Y.H.

2010-04-15

In this study, effect of cations, Ca{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, K{sup +}, and anions, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, HCO{sub 3}{sup -}, NO{sub 3}{sup -} on electrochemical corrosion behavior of carbon steel in simulated soil solution was investigated through potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that the Ca{sup 2+}and Mg{sup 2+} can decrease the corrosion current density of carbon steel in simulated soil solution, and K{sup +}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, HCO{sub 3}{sup -}, and NO{sub 3}{sup -} can increase the corrosion density. All the above ions in the simulated soil solution can decrease its resistivity, but they have different effect on the charge transfer resistivity. This finding can be useful in evaluating the corrosivity of certain soil through chemical analysis, and provide data for construction engineers. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Interaction between behavioral and pharmacological treatment strategies to decrease cocaine choice in rhesus monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Matthew L; Blough, Bruce E; Negus, S Stevens

2013-02-01

Behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic approaches constitute two prominent strategies for treating cocaine dependence. This study investigated interactions between behavioral and pharmacological strategies in a preclinical model of cocaine vs food choice. Six rhesus monkeys, implanted with a chronic indwelling double-lumen venous catheter, initially responded under a concurrent schedule of food delivery (1-g pellets, fixed-ratio (FR) 100 schedule) and cocaine injections (0-0.1 mg/kg/injection, FR 10 schedule) during continuous 7-day treatment periods with saline or the agonist medication phenmetrazine (0.032-0.1 mg/kg/h). Subsequently, the FR response requirement for cocaine or food was varied (food, FR 100; cocaine, FR 1-100; cocaine, FR 10; food, FR 10-300), and effects of phenmetrazine on cocaine vs food choice were redetermined. Decreases in the cocaine FR or increases in the food FR resulted in leftward shifts in the cocaine choice dose-effect curve, whereas increases in the cocaine FR or decreases in the food FR resulted in rightward shifts in the cocaine choice dose-effect curve. The efficacy of phenmetrazine to decrease cocaine choice varied systematically as a function of the prevailing response requirements, such that phenmetrazine efficacy was greatest when cocaine choice was maintained by relatively low unit cocaine doses. These results suggest that efficacy of pharmacotherapies to modulate cocaine use can be influenced by behavioral contingencies of cocaine availability. Agonist medications may be most effective under contingencies that engender choice of relatively low cocaine doses.

Direct NMR Monitoring of Phase Separation Behavior of Highly Supersaturated Nifedipine Solution Stabilized with Hypromellose Derivatives.

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Ueda, Keisuke; Higashi, Kenjirou; Moribe, Kunikazu

2017-07-03

We investigated the phase separation behavior and maintenance mechanism of the supersaturated state of poorly water-soluble nifedipine (NIF) in hypromellose (HPMC) derivative solutions. Highly supersaturated NIF formed NIF-rich nanodroplets through phase separation from aqueous solution containing HPMC derivative. Dissolvable NIF concentration in the bulk water phase was limited by the phase separation of NIF from the aqueous solution. HPMC derivatives stabilized the NIF-rich nanodroplets and maintained the NIF supersaturation with phase-separated NIF for several hours. The size of the NIF-rich phase was different depending on the HPMC derivatives dissolved in aqueous solution, although the droplet size had no correlation with the time for which NIF supersaturation was maintained without NIF crystallization. HPMC acetate and HPMC acetate succinate (HPMC-AS) effectively maintained the NIF supersaturation containing phase-separated NIF compared with HPMC. Furthermore, HPMC-AS stabilized NIF supersaturation more effectively in acidic conditions. Solution 1 H NMR measurements of NIF-supersaturated solution revealed that HPMC derivatives distributed into the NIF-rich phase during the phase separation of NIF from the aqueous solution. The hydrophobicity of HPMC derivative strongly affected its distribution into the NIF-rich phase. Moreover, the distribution of HPMC-AS into the NIF-rich phase was promoted at lower pH due to the lower aqueous solubility of HPMC-AS. The distribution of a large amount of HPMC derivatives into NIF-rich phase induced the strong inhibition of NIF crystallization from the NIF-rich phase. Polymer distribution into the drug-rich phase directly monitored by solution NMR technique can be a useful index for the stabilization efficiency of drug-supersaturated solution containing a drug-rich phase.

Principles and strategies for monitoring data collection integrity in a multi-site randomized clinical trial of a behavioral intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips-Salimi, Celeste R; Donovan Stickler, Molly A; Stegenga, Kristin; Lee, Melissa; Haase, Joan E

2011-08-01

Although treatment fidelity strategies for enhancing the integrity of behavioral interventions have been well described, little has been written about monitoring data collection integrity. This article describes the principles and strategies developed to monitor data collection integrity of the "Stories and Music for Adolescent/Young Adult Resilience During Transplant" study (R01NR008583, U10CA098543, and U10CA095861)-a multi-site Children's Oncology Group randomized clinical trial of a music therapy intervention for adolescents and young adults undergoing stem cell transplant. The principles and strategies outlined in this article provide one model for development and evaluation of a data collection integrity monitoring plan for behavioral interventions that may be adapted by investigators and may be useful to funding agencies and grant application reviewers in evaluating proposals. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alert Workplace From Healthcare Workers' Perspective: Behavioral and Environmental Strategies to Improve Vigilance and Alertness in Healthcare Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagah Zadeh, Rana; Shepley, Mardelle; Sadatsafavi, Hessam; Owora, Arthur Hamie; Krieger, Ana C

2018-04-01

This study aims to identify the behavioral and environmental strategies that healthcare workers view as helpful for managing sleepiness, improving alertness, and therefore optimizing workplace safety. Reduced alertness is a common issue in healthcare work environments and is associated with impaired cognitive performance and decision-making ability as well as increased errors and injuries. We surveyed 136 healthcare professionals at a primary care clinic, an acute care hospital, and a mental health clinic. Nonstructured, semistructured, and structured questionnaires were used to elicit relevant information which was analyzed using qualitative content analysis and logistic regression models, respectively. In order by frequency of endorsement: dietary intervention; physical mobility; cognitive, sensory, or social stimulation; personal lifestyle strategies; and rest/nap opportunities were reported as behavioral strategies used to address workplace alertness. Compared to other environmental features, daylight and thermal comfort were perceived to be more important to addressing workplace alertness ( p based guidelines is needed to address sleepiness and alertness to improve workplace safety in healthcare facilities.

Passivation Strategies on Board Airbus ds Leo Pcdus

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Lapeña Emilio

2017-01-01

This paper deals with the different strategies followed in the Airbus DS LEO PCDUs regarding the implementation of the passivation function in several LEO missions with different architectures (DET and MPPT solar array power conditioning. In the selection of the solution implemented in the frame of every mission, a key driver is the degree of advance in the test performed over flight representative battery modules regarding their safe behavior when deeply depleted after a long period in orbit with the passivation applied over the spacecraft.

Corrosion behavior of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys in aerated solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chansena, A. [Research Unit on Corrosion, College of Data Storage Innovation, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Sutthiruangwong, S., E-mail: sutha.su@kmitl.ac.th [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Research Unit on Corrosion, College of Data Storage Innovation, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand)

2017-05-01

Co-Fe alloy is an important component for reader-writer in hard disk drive. The surface of the alloy is exposed to the environment both in gas phase and in liquid phase during manufacturing process. The study of corrosion behavior of Co-Fe alloys can provide useful fundamental data for reader-writer production planning especially when corrosion becomes a major problem. The corrosion study of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys from cyclic galvanodynamic polarization was performed using potentiodynamic polarization technique. The composition of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The patterns from X-ray diffractometer showed that the crystal structure of electrodeposited Co-Fe alloys was body-centered cubic. A vibrating sample magnetometer was used for magnetic measurements. The saturation magnetization (M{sub s}) was increased and the intrinsic coercivity (H{sub ci}) was decreased with increasing Fe content. The corrosion rate study was performed in aerated deionized water and aerated acidic solutions at pH 3, 4 and 5. The corrosion rate diagram for Co-Fe alloys was constructed. It was found that the corrosion rate of Co-Fe alloys was increased with increasing Fe content in both aerated deionized water and aerated acidic solutions. In aerated pH 3 solution, the Co-Fe alloy containing 78.8% Fe showed the highest corrosion rate of 7.7 mm yr{sup −1} with the highest M{sub s} of 32.0 A m{sup 2} kg{sup −1}. The corrosion rate of the alloy with 23.8% Fe was at 1.1 mm yr{sup −1} with M{sub s} of 1.2 A m{sup 2} kg{sup −1}. In aerated deionized water, the alloy with the highest Fe content of 78.5% still showed the highest corrosion rate of 0.0059 mm yr{sup −1} while the alloy with the lowest Fe content of 20.4% gave the lowest corrosion rate of 0.0045 mm yr{sup −1}. - Highlights: • The aeration during corrosion measurement simulates reader-writer head production environment. • The corrosion rate diagram for Co-Fe alloys

Straining electrode behavior and corrosion resistance of nickel base alloys in high temperature acidic solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, Kazuo

1992-01-01

Repassivation behavior and IGA resistance of nickel base alloys containing 0∼30 wt% chromium was investigated in high temperature acid sulfate solution. (1) The repassivation rate was increased with increasing chromium content. And so the amounts of charge caused by the metal dissolution were decreased with increasing chromium content. (2) Mill-annealed Alloy 600 suffered IGA at low pH environment below about 3.5 at the fixed potentials above the corrosion potential in 10%Na 2 SO 4 +H 2 SO 4 solution at 598K. On the other hand, thermally-treated Alloy 690 was hard to occur IGA at low pH environments which mill-annealed Alloy 600 occurred IGA. (3) It was considered that the reason, why nickel base alloys containing high chromium content such as Alloy 690 (60%Ni-30%Cr-10%Fe) had high IGA/SCC resistance in high temperature acidic solution containing sulfate ion, is due to both the promotion of the repassivation and the suppression of the film dissolution by the formation of the dense chromium oxide film

Heavy Drinking in University Students With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Contributions of Drinking Motives and Protective Behavioral Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea L Howard

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study examined rates of heavy drinking and alcohol problems in relation to drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies in university students with a documented current diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 31 compared with students with no history of ADHD (n = 146. Participants completed a Web-based questionnaire, and logistic regression models tested interactions between ADHD/comparison group membership and motives and protective strategies. Group differences in rates of heavy drinking and alcohol problems were not statistically significant, but medium-sized risk ratios showed that students without ADHD reported heavy drinking at a rate 1.44 times higher than students with ADHD and met screening criteria for problematic alcohol use at a rate of 1.54 times higher than students with ADHD. Other key findings were, first, that drinking to enhance positive affect (e.g., drinking because it is exciting, but not to cope with negative affect (e.g., drinking to forget your worries, predicted both heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Second, only protective behavioral strategies that emphasize alcohol avoidance predicted both heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Contrary to expectations, we found no ADHD-related moderation of effects of motives or protective strategies on our alcohol outcomes. Results of this study are limited by the small sample of students with ADHD but highlight tentative similarities and differences in effects of motives and strategies on drinking behaviors and alcohol problems reported by students with and without ADHD.

Electrochemical Behavior of Biomedical Titanium Alloys Coated with Diamond Carbon in Hanks' Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Gnanavel, S.; Ponnusamy, S.; Mohan, L.; Radhika, R.; Muthamizhchelvan, C.; Ramasubramanian, K.

2018-03-01

Biomedical implants in the knee and hip are frequent failures because of corrosion and stress on the joints. To solve this important problem, metal implants can be coated with diamond carbon, and this coating plays a critical role in providing an increased resistance to implants toward corrosion. In this study, we have employed diamond carbon coating over Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloys using hot filament chemical vapor deposition method which is well-established coating process that significantly improves the resistance toward corrosion, wears and hardness. The diamond carbon-coated Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy showed an increased microhardness in the range of 850 HV. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization studies in SBF solution (simulated body fluid solution) were carried out to understand the in vitro behavior of uncoated as well as coated titanium alloys. The experimental results showed that the corrosion resistance of Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy is relatively higher when compared with diamond carbon-coated Ti-6Al-4V alloys due to the presence of β phase in the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy. Electrochemical impedance results showed that the diamond carbon-coated alloys behave as an ideal capacitor in the body fluid solution. Moreover, the stability in mechanical properties during the corrosion process was maintained for diamond carbon-coated titanium alloys.

Electrochemical Behavior of Pure Copper in Phosphate Buffer Solutions: A Comparison Between Micro- and Nano-Grained Copper

Science.gov (United States)

Imantalab, O.; Fattah-alhosseini, A.; Keshavarz, M. K.; Mazaheri, Y.

2016-02-01

In this work, electrochemical behavior of annealed (micro-) and nano-grained pure copper (fabricated by accumulative roll bonding process) in phosphate buffer solutions of various pH values ranging from 10.69 to 12.59 has been studied. Before any electrochemical measurements, evaluation of microstructure was obtained by optical microscope and transmission electron microscopy. To investigate the electrochemical behavior of the samples, the potentiodynamic polarization, Mott-Schottky analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out. Potentiodynamic polarization plots and EIS measurements revealed that as a result of grain refinement, the passive behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure copper. Also, Mott-Schottky analysis indicated that the passive films behaved as p-type semiconductors and grain refinement did not change the semiconductor type of passive films.

Models of Customer Behavior as a Basis of Marketing Strategy

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T A Ivanova

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the analysis of six main models of customer behavior in contemporary society and the specific tasks of marketing departments of companies at today's stage of development. The given models take into consideration: motives for choosing a product, the degree of product awareness and independence of choice, the degree of customer satisfaction with the product, lines and possibilities of making an impact on customer choice through marketing and promotion stimulation. The author believes that these models may serve as a basis in the formation of effective marketing strategies, as they describe the customers in all the stages of their actions in the process of buying products, accumulating and analyzing the experience of using them.

Developing new behavior strategies of robot soccer team SjF TUKE Robotics

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Mikuláš Hajduk

2016-09-01

Full Text Available There are too many types of robotic soccer approaches at present. SjF TUKE Robotics, who won robot soccer world tournament for year 2010 in category MiroSot, is a team with multiagent system approach. They have one main agent (master and five agent players, represented by robots. There is a point of view, in the article, for code programmer how to create new behavior strategies by creating a new code for master. There is a methodology how to prepare and create it following some rules.

Grain size effect in corrosion behavior of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni coatings in alkaline solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Liping; Zhang Junyan; Gao Yan; Xue Qunji; Hu Litian; Xu Tao

2006-01-01

Effects of grain size reduction on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of nanocrystalline Ni produced by pulse electrodeposition were characterized using potentiodynamic polarization testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to confirm the electrochemical measurements and the suggested mechanisms. The corrosion resistance of Ni coatings in alkaline solutions considerably increased as the grain size decreased from microcrystalline to nanocrystalline. The higher corrosion resistance of NC Ni may be due to the more rapid formation of continuous Ni(OH) 2 passive films compared with coarse-grained Ni coatings

A study on elongation/contraction behavior and mechanical properties of oxy-polyacrylonitrile(PAN) fiber in basic/acidic solution for artificial muscle applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Y.K.; Kim, S.W.; Lee, K.S.; Cho, I.H.; Lee, J.H.; Lee, J.W. [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea); Kim, K.J. [University of Nevada, Reno (United States); Nam, J.D. [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea)

2002-07-01

Oxy-PAN fiber prepared from the preoxidation and saponification of raw PAN fiber is known to elongate and contract when immersed in basic and acidic solutions, respectively. In this study, about 30% elongation in NaOH solution and 30{approx}50% contraction in HCl solution have been observed. In mechanical test, the mechanical properties of oxy-PAN fiber in the contracted state was stronger than that in the elongated state. These behaviors and mechanical properties are compared to those of living muscle and linear actuator. The change of length in NaOH and HCl solutions is due to switching between a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic structure. Other reasons are exchange of ion and water in/out of oxy-PAN fiber, and osmotic pressure difference associated with relevant ions. Much studies are needed to clarify the effective factors on but the oxy-PAN fiber's elongation/contraction behavior and mechanical properties, but the oxy-PAN fiber prepared in our laboratory has a sufficient potential for application as artificial muscle and linear actuator. (author). 20 refs., 1 tab., 9 figs.

A TOTAL MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS TECHNIQUE TO SELECT APPROPRIATE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY: CASE STUDY OF A FOOTWEAR FACTORY

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Gezahegn Tesfaye

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The Government of Ethiopia is promoting the manufacturing sector to join the global market in a large scale. Due to its comparative advantages, the Ethiopian leather and leather products industry have been given due attention. To fully utilize such advantages, the country shifted its export items from hides/skins to footwear products. Nevertheless, the performance of the leather sector in general and footwear sub-sector in particular is far below the desired standards. The improvement strategies applied hitherto were mainly to tackle a small portion of their total problems. If the Ethiopian footwear companies have to become globally competitive, their entire business spectrum has to be assessed and appropriate improvement strategies must be selected. In this research, we used a Total manufacturing solutions (TMS technique to identify areas of improvement and improvement strategy of one of Ethiopian footwear companies. For this purpose, we conducted two surveys using structured questionnaire. The first survey was to test the TMS technique against the context of footwear industry. The result proved that the original TMS model can be used to measure the performance of footwear companies. The second survey was done to identify company's total problems, map its current position and select appropriate improvement strategy. The result revealed that the company has company-wide problems and its current position is a plodder. For plodders which have company-wide problems, the improvement strategy must include aggressive application of BPR; and the implementation of best practices to develop workers skills that encourages networking and promotion, a market-led manufacturing strategy, employee involvement and team work cultures. According to the findings of this research, we suggested that a BPR technique followed by a continuous improvement programme could be an appropriate improvement strategy for this company. The company requires long-term improvement

Comparing strategies to assess multiple behavior change in behavioral intervention studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Bettina F; Quintiliani, Lisa M; Sapp, Amy L; Li, Yi; Harley, Amy E; Emmons, Karen M; Sorensen, Glorian

2013-03-01

Alternatives to individual behavior change methods have been proposed, however, little has been done to investigate how these methods compare. To explore four methods that quantify change in multiple risk behaviors targeting four common behaviors. We utilized data from two cluster-randomized, multiple behavior change trials conducted in two settings: small businesses and health centers. Methods used were: (1) summative; (2) z-score; (3) optimal linear combination; and (4) impact score. In the Small Business study, methods 2 and 3 revealed similar outcomes. However, physical activity did not contribute to method 3. In the Health Centers study, similar results were found with each of the methods. Multivitamin intake contributed significantly more to each of the summary measures than other behaviors. Selection of methods to assess multiple behavior change in intervention trials must consider study design, and the targeted population when determining the appropriate method/s to use.

Performance analysis of numeric solutions applied to biokinetics of radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mingatos, Danielle dos Santos; Bevilacqua, Joyce da Silva

2013-01-01

Biokinetics models for radionuclides applied to dosimetry problems are constantly reviewed by ICRP. The radionuclide trajectory could be represented by compartmental models, assuming constant transfer rates between compartments. A better understanding of physiological or biochemical phenomena, improve the comprehension of radionuclide behavior in the human body and, in general, more complex compartmental models are proposed, increasing the difficulty of obtaining the analytical solution for the system of first order differential equations. Even with constant transfer rates numerical solutions must be carefully implemented because of almost singular characteristic of the matrix of coefficients. In this work we compare numerical methods with different strategies for ICRP-78 models for Thorium-228 and Uranium-234. The impact of uncertainty in the parameters of the equations is also estimated for local and global truncation errors. (author)

Candy consumption patterns, effects on health, and behavioral strategies to promote moderation: summary report of a roundtable discussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Duyff, Roberta L; Birch, Leann L; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Johnson, Susan L; Mattes, Richard D; Murphy, Mary M; Nicklas, Theresa A; Rollins, Brandi Y; Wansink, Brian

2015-01-01

Nearly all Americans (97%) report eating candy at least once per year; yet, on a given day, only approximately one-fourth of the US population aged ≥2 y consumes candy. Among all Americans, candy contributes a relatively small proportion of calories, added sugars, and saturated fat to the total diet, and recent research suggests that current levels of candy consumption are not associated with risk of weight gain and cardiovascular disease in children and adults. Providing guidance for the consumption of candy in moderation requires an understanding of various behavioral health-related factors that influence candy consumption. A roundtable of behavioral nutrition experts, researchers, and nutrition educators met to discuss recent data on intakes of candy, health outcomes associated with usual candy intake, and the impact of behavioral strategies, including restriction, education, and environmental awareness, on modifying eating behaviors to achieve moderate intakes of candy. Restricting access to palatable foods, whether self-imposed or by parental control, may have potentially negative consequences. Techniques and insight into how to adopt "moderation" in candy consumption, from effective parental practices to environmental strategies that facilitate behavior change without a high degree of effort, were identified as important next steps toward sustainable dietary guidance related to the role of candy and other treats in a healthy lifestyle. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Business-to-business electronic commerce systems and services. Smart EC solution; Kigyoka nrenkei system solution system. Smart EC solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Setoguchi, T.; Manchu, Y.; Katsumata, M. [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-04-01

Toshiba provides a range of information technology (IT) solutions called SmartEC Solution, which includes business-to-business electronic commerce systems and services based on international standards and industrial know-how, especially our electronic data interchange (EDI) know-how as a manufacturer. These IT solutions are supplied as services covering strategy planning, system integration, and application service provider based on five types of business-to-business electronic commerce. (author)

Insight solutions are correct more often than analytic solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Salvi, Carola; Bricolo, Emanuela; Kounios, John; Bowden, Edward; Beeman, Mark

2016-01-01

How accurate are insights compared to analytical solutions? In four experiments, we investigated how participants’ solving strategies influenced their solution accuracies across different types of problems, including one that was linguistic, one that was visual and two that were mixed visual-linguistic. In each experiment, participants’ self-judged insight solutions were, on average, more accurate than their analytic ones. We hypothesised that insight solutions have superior accuracy because they emerge into consciousness in an all-or-nothing fashion when the unconscious solving process is complete, whereas analytic solutions can be guesses based on conscious, prematurely terminated, processing. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that participants’ analytic solutions included relatively more incorrect responses (i.e., errors of commission) than timeouts (i.e., errors of omission) compared to their insight responses. PMID:27667960

Influence of carbonate ions on the micellization behavior in triblock copolymer solution

CERN Document Server

Thiyagarajan, P

2002-01-01

SANS was used to investigate the micellization behavior of triblock copolymers (F68, F88 and F108) as functions of carbonate ion concentration and temperature. SANS data were fitted to determine the sizes of the core and corona, inter-micelle distance, association number and the volume fraction of the micelles. As the polymer molecular weight increases, the core radius and the radius of gyration (R sub g) of the corona and the inter-micelle distance increase. The carbonate ion concentration and polymer molecular weight have dramatic influence on the temperatures at which the micellization and spherical-to-cylindrical micelle transformation occur. The mechanism by which this phenomenon occurs in these solutions is through a gradual dehydration of polymers with increasing carbonate concentration and/or temperature. (orig.)

Alteration behavior of bentonite barrier of radioactive waste disposal by alkaline solutions. Part 2. Effect of type of alkaline solution on permeability of compacted bentonite-sand mixture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, Shingo; Nakamura, Kunihiko; Tanaka, Yukihisa; Hironaga, Michihiko

2011-01-01

Permeability tests were carried out using compacted bentonite-sand mixture with initial dry density of 1.55 Mg/m 3 and alkaline solutions at 50degC for about two years to estimate the alteration behavior and the change in the permeability. Bentonite-sand mixtures which contain bentonites of 15wt% were made using Na-bentonite or Ca-exchanged bentonite. 0.3M-NaOH solution with pH 13.3 and 5mM-Ca(OH) 2 solution with pH 12.0 were used to the permeability tests of Na-bentonite-sand mixture and of Ca-exchanged bentonite-sand mixture, respectively. In the case of the permeability test conducted using NaOH solution, montmorillonite and other associated minerals were dissolved, and consequently, the dry density and effective montmorillonite density of Na-bentonite-sand mixture were decreased. Furthermore, the mineralogical feature of montmorillonite was changed (i.e. beidellitization and an increase in the layer charge). The permeability of Na-bentonite-sand mixture was increased 5.6 times by the end of permeability test as a result of above alteration. In the case of the permeability test conducted using Ca(OH) 2 solution, montmorillonite and other associated minerals were dissolved, and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) was precipitated. Consequently, the dry density of Ca-exchanged bentonite-sand mixture was increased, while the effective montmorillonite density was decreased. The mineralogical feature of montmorillonite was changed (i.e. beidellitization and an increase in the layer charge). The permeability of Ca-exchange bentonite-sand mixture was decreased by more than two orders of magnitude due to fill the pore of Ca-exchange bentonite-sand mixture by the precipitation of C-S-H. From above results, the type of alkaline solution affects the mineralogical alteration behavior of the compacted bentonite-sand mixture, and consequently, affects the changing trend of permeability. In conclusion, it is important not only to consider the dissolution of montmorillonite, but

Glasslike behavior in aqueous electrolyte solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Turton, David A; Hunger, Johannes; Hefter, Glenn; Buchner, Richard; Wynne, Klaas

2008-04-28

When salts are added to water, generally the viscosity increases, suggesting that the ions increase the strength of the water's hydrogen-bond network. However, infrared pump-probe measurements on electrolyte solutions have found that ions have no influence on the rotational dynamics of water molecules, implying no enhancement or breakdown of the hydrogen-bond network. Here, we report optical Kerr effect and dielectric relaxation spectroscopic measurements, which have enabled us to separate the effects of rotational and transitional motions of the water molecules. These data show that electrolyte solutions behave like a supercooled liquid approaching a glass transition in which rotational and translational molecular motions are decoupled. It is now possible to understand previously conflicting viscosity data, nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation, and ultrafast infrared spectroscopy in a single unified picture.

Existence and asymptotic behavior of solutions for nonlinear Schrödinger-Poisson systems with steep potential well.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Miao; Tian, Lixin; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Fubao

2016-03-01

In this paper, we are concerned with a class of Schrödinger-Poisson systems with the asymptotically linear or asymptotically 3-linear nonlinearity. Under some suitable assumptions on V , K , a , and f , we prove the existence, nonexistence, and asymptotic behavior of solutions via variational methods. In particular, the potential V is allowed to be sign-changing for the asymptotically linear case.

Particle Swarm Optimization With Interswarm Interactive Learning Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Quande; Cheng, Shi; Zhang, Qingyu; Li, Li; Shi, Yuhui

2016-10-01

The learning strategy in the canonical particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is often blamed for being the primary reason for loss of diversity. Population diversity maintenance is crucial for preventing particles from being stuck into local optima. In this paper, we present an improved PSO algorithm with an interswarm interactive learning strategy (IILPSO) by overcoming the drawbacks of the canonical PSO algorithm's learning strategy. IILPSO is inspired by the phenomenon in human society that the interactive learning behavior takes place among different groups. Particles in IILPSO are divided into two swarms. The interswarm interactive learning (IIL) behavior is triggered when the best particle's fitness value of both the swarms does not improve for a certain number of iterations. According to the best particle's fitness value of each swarm, the softmax method and roulette method are used to determine the roles of the two swarms as the learning swarm and the learned swarm. In addition, the velocity mutation operator and global best vibration strategy are used to improve the algorithm's global search capability. The IIL strategy is applied to PSO with global star and local ring structures, which are termed as IILPSO-G and IILPSO-L algorithm, respectively. Numerical experiments are conducted to compare the proposed algorithms with eight popular PSO variants. From the experimental results, IILPSO demonstrates the good performance in terms of solution accuracy, convergence speed, and reliability. Finally, the variations of the population diversity in the entire search process provide an explanation why IILPSO performs effectively.

Incentives to create and sustain healthy behaviors: technology solutions and research needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Teyhen, Deydre S; Aldag, Matt; Centola, Damon; Edinborough, Elton; Ghannadian, Jason D; Haught, Andrea; Jackson, Theresa; Kinn, Julie; Kunkler, Kevin J; Levine, Betty; Martindale, Valerie E; Neal, David; Snyder, Leslie B; Styn, Mindi A; Thorndike, Frances; Trabosh, Valerie; Parramore, David J

2014-12-01

Health-related technology, its relevance, and its availability are rapidly evolving. Technology offers great potential to minimize and/or mitigate barriers associated with achieving optimal health, performance, and readiness. In support of the U.S. Army Surgeon General's vision for a "System for Health" and its Performance Triad initiative, the U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center hosted a workshop in April 2013 titled "Incentives to Create and Sustain Change for Health." Members of government and academia participated to identify and define the opportunities, gain clarity in leading practices and research gaps, and articulate the characteristics of future technology solutions to create and sustain real change in the health of individuals, the Army, and the nation. The key factors discussed included (1) public health messaging, (2) changing health habits and the environmental influence on health, (3) goal setting and tracking, (4) the role of incentives in behavior change intervention, and (5) the role of peer and social networks in change. This report summarizes the recommendations on how technology solutions could be employed to leverage evidence-based best practices and identifies gaps in research where further investigation is needed. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Using diel movement behavior to infer foraging strategies related to ecological and social factors in elephants.

Science.gov (United States)

Polansky, Leo; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Wittemyer, George

2013-01-01

behavior. Beyond situations of contest competition, rank status appears to influence the extent to which individuals can modify their movement strategies across periods with differing forage availability. Large-scale spatiotemporal resource complexity not only impacts fine scale movement and optimal foraging strategies directly, but likely impacts rates of inter- and intra-specific interactions and competition resulting in socially based movement responses to ecological dynamics.

Correlation of Positive and Negative Reciprocity Fails to Confer an Evolutionary Advantage: Phase Transitions to Elementary Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Attila Szolnoki

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Economic experiments reveal that humans value cooperation and fairness. Punishing unfair behavior is therefore common, and according to the theory of strong reciprocity, it is also directly related to rewarding cooperative behavior. However, empirical data fail to confirm that positive and negative reciprocity are correlated. Inspired by this disagreement, we determine whether the combined application of reward and punishment is evolutionarily advantageous. We study a spatial public goods game, where in addition to the three elementary strategies of defection, rewarding, and punishment, a fourth strategy that combines the latter two competes for space. We find rich dynamical behavior that gives rise to intricate phase diagrams where continuous and discontinuous phase transitions occur in succession. Indirect territorial competition, spontaneous emergence of cyclic dominance, as well as divergent fluctuations of oscillations that terminate in an absorbing phase are observed. Yet, despite the high complexity of solutions, the combined strategy can survive only in very narrow and unrealistic parameter regions. Elementary strategies, either in pure or mixed phases, are much more common and likely to prevail. Our results highlight the importance of patterns and structure in human cooperation, which should be considered in future experiments.

Correlation of Positive and Negative Reciprocity Fails to Confer an Evolutionary Advantage: Phase Transitions to Elementary Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Szolnoki, Attila; Perc, Matjaž

2013-10-01

Economic experiments reveal that humans value cooperation and fairness. Punishing unfair behavior is therefore common, and according to the theory of strong reciprocity, it is also directly related to rewarding cooperative behavior. However, empirical data fail to confirm that positive and negative reciprocity are correlated. Inspired by this disagreement, we determine whether the combined application of reward and punishment is evolutionarily advantageous. We study a spatial public goods game, where in addition to the three elementary strategies of defection, rewarding, and punishment, a fourth strategy that combines the latter two competes for space. We find rich dynamical behavior that gives rise to intricate phase diagrams where continuous and discontinuous phase transitions occur in succession. Indirect territorial competition, spontaneous emergence of cyclic dominance, as well as divergent fluctuations of oscillations that terminate in an absorbing phase are observed. Yet, despite the high complexity of solutions, the combined strategy can survive only in very narrow and unrealistic parameter regions. Elementary strategies, either in pure or mixed phases, are much more common and likely to prevail. Our results highlight the importance of patterns and structure in human cooperation, which should be considered in future experiments.

MODEL ОF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR TRANSFORMATION AS A BASIS FOR MARKETING STRATEGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.Savelyev

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The article concerns with the basic consumer segments. The consumer needs are analyzed in the article and the model of change in consumer behavior is created. The article proposes the recommendations on effective strategic actions in order to competitive capacity increase. It is determined that in low purchasing power conditions, focus on meeting the needs of loyal customer segments will allow companies to increase the competitiveness of the market supply. Adaptation of marketing strategy in low purchasing power conditions is a creative process in which success is based on the orientation of the changed consumption motives.

Socio-technical strategies and behavior change to increase the adoption and sustainability of wastewater resource recovery systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Prouty, Christine; Mohebbi, Shima; Zhang, Qiong

2018-06-15

Given the increasing vulnerability of communities to the negative impacts of untreated wastewater, resource recovery (RR) systems provide a paradigm shift away from a traditional approach of waste separation and treatment towards a productive recovery of water, energy and nutrients. The aim of this research is to understand the relationships between factors that influence the adoption and sustainability of wastewater-based RR systems to inform technology implementation strategies. The study presents a theory-informed, community-influenced system dynamics (SD) model to provide decision-makers with an adaptable tool that simulates system-level responses to the strategies that are developed for the coastal town of Placencia, Belize. The modeling framework is informed by literature-based theories such as the theory of diffusion of innovations (TDI) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Various methods, including surveys, interviews, participatory observations, and a water constituents mass balance analysis are used to validate relationships and numerically populate the model. The SD model was evaluated with field data and simulated to identify strategies that will improve the adoption and sustainability of RR systems. Site demonstrations (marketing strategy) made a significant impact on the stock of adopted RR systems. The stock of sustained RR systems is driven by the sustainability rate (i.e. economic and environmental viability) which can be improved by more site demonstrations and tank options (technical strategy). These strategies, however, only contributed to incremental improvements in the system's sustainability performance. This study shows that changing community behaviors (i.e. reporting the correct number of users and reclaiming resources), represented by structural change in the SD model, is the more significant way to influence the sustainable management of the community's wastewater resources. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of corrosion behavior of nitrogen doped and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon thin films in Hank's solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khun, N.W.; Liu, E.

2011-01-01

Undoped (DLC), nitrogen-doped (N-DLC) and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon (PtRu-DLC) thin films were deposited on p-Si (100) substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition system. The chemical composition, bonding structure, surface morphology and adhesion strength of the films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-scratch test, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the films in a Hank's solution was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization test. The corrosion results revealed that the PtRu-DLC film had the highest corrosion potential among the films used in this study. Highlights: → DLC thin films were deposited on Si substrates via dc magnetron sputtering. → Some DLC films were doped with N and/or Pt/Ru. → The film corrosion behavior was studied in a Hank solution with polarization test. → The PtRu-DLC film showed the highest corrosion potential among the films studied.

Investigation of electrochemical corrosion behavior in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution of boronized dual-phase steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kayali, Yusuf; Anaturk, Bilal

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Corrosion behaviors in a 3.5% NaCl solution of boronized Dual-Phase (DP) steels were examined. ► The martensite ratio increased with an increase in the intercritical annealing temperature. ► The corrosion resistance decreased with increase of the martensite ratio. ► The boride layer increased the corrosion resistance of DP steel 2–3-fold. ► The superior properties of DP steel as well as poor corrosion properties were improved by the boriding process. - Abstract: In this study, corrosion behaviors of boronized and non-boronized dual-phase steel were investigated with Tafel extrapolation and linear polarization methods in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Microstructure analyses show that the boride layer on the dual-phase steel surface had a flat and saw smooth morphology. It was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis that the boride layer contained FeB and Fe 2 B phases. The amount of martensite increases with an increase in the intercritical annealing temperature. Both the amount of martensite and the morphology of the phase constituents have an influence on the corrosion behavior of dual-phase steel. A higher corrosion tendency was observed with an increased amount of martensite. The corrosion resistance of boronized dual-phase steel is higher compared with that of dual-phase steel

Siemens IT solutions for power sector. PROFIT solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunter, P.

2004-01-01

The cost reduction, flexibility and revenue increase, potential exploitation, productivity increase, and business opportunities exploitation - that is all what can be required in the races for the promonent positioning on the electricity power market. These requirements can be realized by the sophisticated IT solutions hand-tailored to the special requirements of the electric power producers and tradesmen. This approach makes it possible to achieve greater profit. Our solutions 'PROFIT Solutions', that are symbiosis of the most progressive information technologies and the power plant techniques of the company Siemens, satisfy submitted specifications in substantial measure. The system solutions 'PROFIT Solutions' comprise three solution groups: process, operation a business. The solutions of the group 'IT Process Solutions' increase flexibility and manoeuvrability of equipment, improve the efficiency and contribute to more economical operation of the power generation. Solutions 'IT Process Solutions' simplify and shorten the period of power cycles and conduce to higher labour productivity. Solutions group 'IT Process Solutions' approaches equipment to the market - supports the profit strategies, helps quickly and expertly to determine and predict hazards. The extension PROFIT Cockpit means the nuance to the solutions world 'PROFIT Solutions'. The survey about the whole installation is within reach at the simple touch of a button. It is possible to compile the total system part by part from single solutions 'PROFIT Solutions'. As a matter of fact all single parts can be interconnected with already existing solutions. Routines 'PROFIT Solutions' cooperate with all modern control systems. (author)

Corrosion behavior of aluminum-alumina composites in aerated 3.5 percent chloride solution

Science.gov (United States)

Acevedo Hurtado, Paul Omar

Aluminum based metal matrix composites are finding many applications in engineering. Of these Al-Al2O3 composites appear to have promise in a number of defense applications because of their mechanical properties. However, their corrosion behavior remains suspect, especially in marine environments. While efforts are being made to improve the corrosion resistance of Al-Al2O3 composites, the mechanism of corrosion is not well known. In this study, the corrosion behavior of powder metallurgy processed Al-Cu alloy reinforced with 10, 15, 20 and 25 vol. % Al2O3 particles (XT 1129, XT 2009, XT 2048, XT 2031) was evaluated in aerated 3.5% NaCl solution using microstructural and electrochemical measurements. AA1100-O and AA2024T4 monolithic alloys were also studied for comparison purposes. The composites and unreinforced alloys were subjected to potentiodynamic polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) testing. Addition of 25 vol. % Al2O 3 to the base alloys was found to increase its corrosion resistance considerably. Microstructural studies revealed the presence of intermetallic Al2Cu particles in these composites that appeared to play an important role in the observations. Pitting potential for these composites was near corrosion potential values, and repassivation potential was below the corresponding corrosion potential, indicating that these materials begin to corrode spontaneously as soon as they come in contact with the 3.5 % NaCl solution. EIS measurements indicate the occurrence of adsorption/diffusion phenomena at the interface of the composites which ultimately initiate localized or pitting corrosion. Polarization resistance values were extracted from the EIS data for all the materials tested. Electrically equivalent circuits are proposed to describe and substantiate the corrosive processes occurring in these Al-Al2O 3 composite materials.

Integrating Educational, Environmental, and Behavioral Economic Strategies May Improve the Effectiveness of Obesity Interventions

OpenAIRE

Joel Gittelsohn; Katherine Lee

2013-01-01

Interventions that change the food environment, provide nutrition education, and employ behavioral economics strategies can potentially contribute to healthier diets and reduce the risk of chronic disease, but no attempt has been made to integrate these into the same conceptual framework. We present case studies of three multilevel, integrated interventions implemented by Johns Hopkins University between 2004–2011. We develop a conceptual model based on these case studies. Interventions and p...

Passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solution

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Hong; Su, Huaizhi; Dong, Chaofang; Li, Xiaogang

2017-04-01

In this paper, the passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solutions at different pH was evaluated by potentiodynamic measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composition of the passive film and surface morphology were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results reveal that metastable pitting susceptibility, stable pitting corrosion, and composition of the passive film are influenced by pH value. After long time immersion, a bilayer structure passive film can be formed in this environment. The appearance of molybdates on the outermost surface layer, further enhancing the stability of the passive film. Moreover, the good pitting corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel in simulated concrete pore solution without carbonated is mainly due to the presence of high Cr/Fe ratio and molybdates ions within the passive film.

The differential involvement of the prelimbic and infralimbic cortices in response conflict affects behavioral flexibility in rats trained in a new automated strategy-switching task.

Science.gov (United States)

Oualian, Catherine; Gisquet-Verrier, Pascale

2010-12-01

To assess the role of the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices in mediating strategy switching, rats were trained in a new automated task in a Y-maze allowing a careful analysis of rats' behavior. In this situation, rats can only use two egocentric (Right, Left) and two visual (Light, Dark) strategies. In the first experiment, rats with PL, IL, or PL/IL lesions were compared with sham-operated rats when trained to reach a criterion of 10 consecutive correct responses with a light strategy before being trained with a response strategy (rule shifting), and finally with the reversed response strategy (reversal). In the second experiment, sham-operated and PL-lesioned rats had their first two strategy switches in the reverse order, which was followed by a second rule shifting and reversal. The results indicate that lesions did not affect initial acquisition, but impaired the first rule shifting and reversal. Thorough analyses of rats' performance indicate that lesioned rats were still able to demonstrate some behavioral flexibility but have difficulties in solving response conflicts, which in turn may affect behavioral flexibility. Both areas were differentially involved in the resolution of response conflict, with the IL involved in the choice of strategy previously known to be nonvalid, and the PL in the selection and maintenance of that strategy.

Not everything is black and white: color and behavioral variation reveal a continuum between cryptic and aposematic strategies in a polymorphic poison frog.

Science.gov (United States)

Willink, Beatriz; Brenes-Mora, Esteban; Bolaños, Federico; Pröhl, Heike

2013-10-01

Aposematism and crypsis are often viewed as two extremes of a continuum of visual conspicuousness to predators. Theory predicts that behavioral and coloration conspicuousness should vary in tandem along the conspicuousness spectrum for antipredator strategies to be effective. Here we used visual modeling of contrast and behavioral observations to examine the conspicuousness of four populations of the granular poison frog, Oophaga granulifera, which exhibits almost continuous variation in dorsal color. The patterns of geographic variation in color, visual contrast, and behavior support a gradient of overall conspicuousness along the distribution of O. granulifera. Red and green populations, at the extremes of the color distribution, differ in all elements of color, contrast, and behavior, strongly reflecting aposematic and cryptic strategies. However, there is no smooth cline in any elements of behavior or coloration between the two extremes. Instead populations of intermediate colors attain intermediate conspicuousness by displaying different combinations of aposematic and cryptic traits. We argue that coloration divergence among populations may be linked to the evolution of a gradient of strategies to balance the costs of detection by predators and the benefits of learned aversion. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

International pollution control: Cooperative versus noncooperative strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dockner, E.J.; Van Long, N.

1993-01-01

International pollution control involving two neighboring countries is modeled as a simple two-player dynamic game. Each country produces a good that is consumed by domestic households. Production of each consumption good results in emissions of pollutants. Households in each country derive utility from the consumption of the domestically produced good but incur costs through the total stock of pollution (stock externality). In this setting we characterize cooperative as well as noncooperative pollution control strategies of the governments of the two countries that maximize the discounted stream of net benefits of a representative consumer. It turns out that when the governments are restricted to use linear strategies noncooperative behavior results in overall losses for both countries. If, on the contrary, governments use nonlinear Markov-perfect strategies and the discount rate is small enough a Pareto-efficient steady-state pollution stock can be supported as a differentiable subgame-perfect equilibrium. Thus, the emergence of first-best solutions (cooperative outcomes) does not require any institutional arrangements (threats, retaliation, etc.) but can be brought about through the use of nonlinear Markov-perfect equilibrium strategies. 20 refs., 1 tab

Exact solution of a modified El Farol's bar problem: Efficiency and the role of market impact

Science.gov (United States)

Marsili, Matteo; Challet, Damien; Zecchina, Riccardo

2000-06-01

We discuss a model of heterogeneous, inductive rational agents inspired by the El Farol Bar problem and the Minority Game. As in markets, agents interact through a collective aggregate variable - which plays a role similar to price - whose value is fixed by all of them. Agents follow a simple reinforcement-learning dynamics where the reinforcement, for each of their available strategies, is related to the payoff delivered by that strategy. We derive the exact solution of the model in the “thermodynamic” limit of infinitely many agents using tools of statistical physics of disordered systems. Our results show that the impact of agents on the market price plays a key role: even though price has a weak dependence on the behavior of each individual agent, the collective behavior crucially depends on whether agents account for such dependence or not. Remarkably, if the adaptive behavior of agents accounts even “infinitesimally” for this dependence they can, in a whole range of parameters, reduce global fluctuations by a finite amount. Both global efficiency and individual utility improve with respect to a “price taker” behavior if agents account for their market impact.

Candy Consumption Patterns, Effects on Health, and Behavioral Strategies to Promote Moderation: Summary Report of a Roundtable Discussion12

Science.gov (United States)

Duyff, Roberta L; Birch, Leann L; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Johnson, Susan L; Mattes, Richard D; Murphy, Mary M; Nicklas, Theresa A; Rollins, Brandi Y; Wansink, Brian

2015-01-01

Nearly all Americans (97%) report eating candy at least once per year; yet, on a given day, only approximately one-fourth of the US population aged ≥2 y consumes candy. Among all Americans, candy contributes a relatively small proportion of calories, added sugars, and saturated fat to the total diet, and recent research suggests that current levels of candy consumption are not associated with risk of weight gain and cardiovascular disease in children and adults. Providing guidance for the consumption of candy in moderation requires an understanding of various behavioral health-related factors that influence candy consumption. A roundtable of behavioral nutrition experts, researchers, and nutrition educators met to discuss recent data on intakes of candy, health outcomes associated with usual candy intake, and the impact of behavioral strategies, including restriction, education, and environmental awareness, on modifying eating behaviors to achieve moderate intakes of candy. Restricting access to palatable foods, whether self-imposed or by parental control, may have potentially negative consequences. Techniques and insight into how to adopt “moderation” in candy consumption, from effective parental practices to environmental strategies that facilitate behavior change without a high degree of effort, were identified as important next steps toward sustainable dietary guidance related to the role of candy and other treats in a healthy lifestyle. PMID:25593156

Aeroservoelastic analysis of storm-ride-through control strategies for wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tibaldi, Carlo; Hansen, Morten Hartvig

2016-01-01

An investigation of a control strategy to allow wind turbines to operate at high wind speeds by derating the rotor speed and generator torque set-points is presented. The investigation analyzes the wind turbine aeroservoelastic behavior in the above rated operational range by computing the aerody......An investigation of a control strategy to allow wind turbines to operate at high wind speeds by derating the rotor speed and generator torque set-points is presented. The investigation analyzes the wind turbine aeroservoelastic behavior in the above rated operational range by computing...... the aerodynamic gains and closed-loop eigenvalue solutions using a high-delity linear model. A simple strategy to reduce the reference rotor speed based on a pitch angle feedback is presented and analyzed. It is shown that high aerodynamic gains for operation at high wind speeds requires special handling...... in the scheduling of the controller gains. The computed closed-loop modal frequencies and damping ratios show how most turbine modes become less damped as the rotor speed is derated, and at very high winds the frequency and damping of the first drivetrain torsion mode are significantly reduced. Possible resonance...

Return of the JITAI: Applying a Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention Framework to the Development of m-Health Solutions for Addictive Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Stephanie P; Evans, Brittney C; Flack, Daniel; Juarascio, Adrienne; Manasse, Stephanie; Zhang, Fengqing; Forman, Evan M

2017-10-01

Lapses are strong indicators of later relapse among individuals with addictive disorders, and thus are an important intervention target. However, lapse behavior has proven resistant to change due to the complex interplay of lapse triggers that are present in everyday life. It could be possible to prevent lapses before they occur by using m-Health solutions to deliver interventions in real-time. Just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) is an intervention design framework that could be delivered via mobile app to facilitate in-the-moment monitoring of triggers for lapsing, and deliver personalized coping strategies to the user to prevent lapses from occurring. An organized framework is key for successful development of a JITAI. Nahum-Shani and colleagues (2014) set forth six core elements of a JITAI and guidelines for designing each: distal outcomes, proximal outcomes, tailoring variables, decision points, decision rules, and intervention options. The primary aim of this paper is to illustrate the use of this framework as it pertains to developing a JITAI that targets lapse behavior among individuals following a weight control diet. We will detail our approach to various decision points during the development phases, report on preliminary findings where applicable, identify problems that arose during development, and provide recommendations for researchers who are currently undertaking their own JITAI development efforts. Issues such as missing data, the rarity of lapses, advantages/disadvantages of machine learning, and user engagement are discussed.

Corrosion behavior of a superduplex stainless steel in chloride aqueous solution

Science.gov (United States)

Dabalà, Manuele; Calliari, Irene; Variola, Alessandra

2004-04-01

Super duplex stainless steels (SDSS) have been widely used as structural materials for chemical plants (especially in those engaged in phosphoric acid production), in the hydrometallurgy industries, and as materials for offshore applications due to their excellent corrosion resistance in chloride environments, compared with other commercial types of ferritic stainless steels. These alloys also possess superior weldability and better mechanical properties than austenitic stainless steels. However, due to their two-phase structure, the nature of which is very dependent on their composition and thermal history, the behavior of SDSS regarding localized corrosion appears difficult to predict, especially in chloride environments. To improve their final properties, the effect of the partition of the alloying elements between the two phases, and the composition and microstructure of each phase are the key to understanding the localized corrosion phenomena of SDSS. This paper concerns the effects of the SDSS microstructure and heat treatment on the SDSS corrosion resistance in aqueous solutions, containing different amounts of NaCl at room temperature.

RETRACTED: Nucleation and growth behavior of well-aligned ZnO nanorods on organic substrates in aqueous solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chin-Ching; Chen, San-Yuan; Cheng, Syh-Yuh

2005-09-01

Available online : 21 July 2005 This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Two papers published in the Journal of Crystal Growth are being retracted due to a case of misrepresentation and reuse of data. A reader of the Journal has brought to our attention the reuse of data within two published papers: Growth behavior and microstructure evolution of ZnO nanorods grown on Si in aqueous solution, Sz-Chian Liou, Chi-Sheng Hsiao, San-Yuan Chen, Journal of Crystal Growth 274 (2005) 438-446. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2004.10.025 Nucleation and growth behavior of well-aligned ZnO nanorods on organic substrates in aqueous solutions, Chin-Ching Lin, San-Yuan Chen, and Syh-Yuh Cheng, Journal of Crystal Growth 283 (2005) 141-146. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2005.05.065 In these papers the same transmission electron micrograph was used to describe two different experimental situations and results bringing into question the content of these papers. The reuse of data without proper attribution is not acceptable within the scientific publishing community. In the present case, this is compounded by the attribution of the micrograph to a different experimental situation and drawing , as a result, new conclusions from data obtained from different samples. Such behavior undermines the integrity of the scientific publishing endeavor and is not acceptable. The authors are responsible for the content of their papers.

Behaviorism and Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Krapfl, Jon E

2016-05-01

A probable list of causes for the limited acceptance of behaviorism in our society is identified. This is followed by a summary review of the proposed solutions identified in other papers in this special issue of The Behavior Analyst, most of which relate to either better marketing of either the behavior analytic process or the results achieved as a consequence. One paper proposes a more broad conception of behavior analysis. This paper endorses the solutions identified in previous papers and then goes on to propose an even more broad conception of behavior analysis and makes the point that behavior analysis is unlikely to flourish unless behavior analysts understand a good deal more about the cultural and other contextual features of the environments in which they work.

Top-MOX fuel solution: strategies, challenges, opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breitenstein, P.; Vo Van, V.

2014-01-01

TOP-MOX is a nuclear fuel solution and product developed by AREVA and successfully implemented in Europe. It allows utilities burning plutonium (instead of enriched uranium) even when this plutonium is not stemming from own reprocessed used fuel - that is third party plutonium. The important challenges for utilities along with TOP-MOX implementation are legal/patrimonial Pu-ownership issues and general economical aspects. Available sponsorship of such plutonium permits UO2 competitive market prices. For new MOX customers licensing and technical aspects come along. Further AREVA proposes a flexible solution which is called 'TOP-MOX pre-cycling'. This involves making available third party plutonium for fuel fabrication and reactor use pending the utilities' final strategic fuel cycle decision. The paper gives insight into and analyses the impacts of allowing customers the implementation of a TOP-MOX program with focus on Pu-ownership, economics, technical and legal aspects as well as the impact on used MOX management and final waste management. (authors)

Review of models and actors in energy mix optimization – can leader visions and decisions align with optimum model strategies for our future energy systems?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weijermars, R.; Taylor, P.; Bahn, O.; Das, S.R.; Wei, Y.M.

2011-01-01

Organizational behavior and stakeholder processes continually influence energy strategy choices and decisions. Although theoretical optimizations can provide guidance for energy mix decisions from a pure physical systems engineering point of view, these solutions might not be optimal from a

Boundary-layer theory, strong-coupling series, and large-order behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, Carl M.; Pelster, Axel; Weissbach, Florian

2002-01-01

The introduction of a lattice converts a singular boundary-layer problem in the continuum into a regular perturbation problem. However, the continuum limit of the discrete problem is extremely nontrivial and is not completely understood. This article examines two singular boundary-layer problems taken from mathematical physics, the instanton problem and the Blasius equation, and in each case examines two strategies, Pade resummation and variational perturbation theory, to recover the solution to the continuum problem from the solution to the associated discrete problem. Both resummation procedures produce good and interesting results for the two cases, but the results still deviate from the exact solutions. To understand the discrepancy a comprehensive large-order behavior analysis of the strong-coupling lattice expansions for each of the two problems is done

Uniqueness and Asymptotic Behavior of Positive Solutions for a Fractional-Order Integral Boundary Value Problem

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Min Jia

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We study a model arising from porous media, electromagnetic, and signal processing of wireless communication system -tαx(t=f(t,x(t,x'(t,x”(t,…,x(n-2(t,  0behavior of positive solutions to the singular nonlocal integral boundary value problem for fractional differential equation are obtained. Our analysis relies on Schauder's fixed-point theorem and upper and lower solution method.

Feeding behavior by hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae in artificial food patches in an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas L. Lanna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT During flight, hummingbirds achieve the maximum aerobic metabolism rates within vertebrates. To meet such demands, these birds have to take in as much energy as possible, using strategies such as selecting the best food resources and adopting behaviors that allow the greatest energy gains. We tested whether hummingbirds choose sources that have higher sugar concentrations, and investigated their behaviors near and at food resources. The study was conducted at Atlantic forest remnant in Brazil, between June and December 2012. Four patches were provided with artificial feeders, containing sucrose solutions at concentrations of 5%, 15%, 25% and 35% weight/volume. Hummingbird behaviors were recorded using the ad libitum method with continuous recording of behaviors. The following species were observed: the Brazilian ruby Clytolaema rubricauda (Boddaert, 1783, Violet-capped woodnymph Thalurania glaucopis (Gmelin, 1788, Scale-throated hermit Phaethornis eurynome (Lesson, 1832, White-throated hummingbird Leucochloris albicollis (Vieillot, 1818, Versicoloured emerald Amazilia versicolor (Vieillot, 1818, Glittering-bellied emerald Chlorostilbon lucidus (Shaw, 1812 and other Phaethornis spp. C. rubricauda, P. eurynome and Phaethornis spp. visited the 35%-sucrose feeders more often, while the T. glaucopis visited the 25%-sucrose feeders more often. L. albicollis and A. versicolor visited more often solutions with sugar concentration of 15%. C. lucidus visited all patches equally. Three behavioral strategies were observed: 1 C. rubricauda and T. glaucopis exhibited interspecific and intraspecific dominance; 2 the remaining species exhibited subordinance to the dominant hummingbirds, and 3 P. eurynome and Phaethornis spp. adopted a hide-and-wait strategy to the dominant hummingbird species. The frequency of aggressive behaviors was correlated with the time the hummingbird spent feeding, and bird size. Our results showed that hummingbirds can adopt

Current Trends in Exercise Intervention Research, Technology, and Behavioral Change Strategies for People With Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Byron; Young, Hui-Ju; Bickel, C Scott; Motl, Robert W; Rimmer, James H

2017-10-01

This review synthesized physical activity and exercise intervention literature for the past 10 yrs for people with physical and cognitive disabilities including intervention characteristics, behavior change strategies, and types of technologies used to improve targeted outcomes. Systematic searches yielded 132 eligible studies. The major disability groups were multiple sclerosis (41%), stroke (15%), and spinal cord injury (12%). Research designs primarily involved randomized controlled trials (61%) versus quasi-experimental designs (39%). Approximately 20% of the interventions used some form of the following technology: information and communication technology (48%), interactive technology (37%), or electronic gauges (30%). Eighteen percent of studies used intervention strategies based on behavioral theory, which was typically combined with technology to promote activity and increase adherence in generally larger study samples. The three prevailing theories included social cognitive theory (58%), supportive accountability theory (21%), and transtheoretical model (21%). Upon completing the intervention, studies reported primarily significant outcomes (80%). Exercise research for PWD has grown in both quantity and quality, but several gaps remain. Study findings provide a roadmap for future exercise trials on understudied populations and highlight technology and behavior change theory as drivers of future intervention research.

Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Development in China: The Role of Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Policymaking

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Fernando Dias Simões

2016-09-01

Full Text Available China’s astonishing economic development over the last decades has produced a momentous impact on the country’s environmental equilibrium. Chinese officials are now confronted with the need to tackle environmental problems without disrupting the country’s development. The Chinese government seems keen on striking a balance between these two apparently contradictory goals by promoting the concept of “ecological civilization”, a notion that emphasizes the importance of individual behavior. Over the last few years, environmental policymaking worldwide has been giving a lower profile to the role of the State and placing increasing responsibility for many environmental issues on citizens/consumers. Individuals are increasingly perceived as agents for environmental change and their behaviors are subject to tighter scrutiny. Due to the emergence of a consumer society in China, individual behaviors are increasingly a source of environmental problems and a key component of efficient and long-lasting solutions. Accordingly, Chinese policymakers should recognize the environmental significance of individual behaviors and look beyond traditional policy tools. This article argues that Behavioral Sciences can offer important lessons and help in designing new strategies that can speak directly to the Chinese people as a source of environmental harm, thus reducing their impact on the environment.

Evaluation of the corrosion behavior of the al-356 alloy in NaCl solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Vásquez Rendón

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cellular metals are a new class of materials with promising applications and a unique combination of physical, chemical and mechanical properties. The Al-356 alloy is used to manufacture metal foams from NaCl preforms. Despite the usefulness of these materials, their performance may be affected by corrosion due to residual salt. This paper reports the study of the behavior of the Al-356 alloy in chloride solutions by electrochemical techniques in rotating disk electrode. The cathodic reaction of oxygen reduction is the crucial stage of process dissolution of the material, which shows that is the oxygen transport which limits the corrosion process.

Complexity Science Applications to Dynamic Trajectory Management: Research Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Sawhill, Bruce; Herriot, James; Holmes, Bruce J.; Alexandrov, Natalia

2009-01-01

The promise of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is strongly tied to the concept of trajectory-based operations in the national airspace system. Existing efforts to develop trajectory management concepts are largely focused on individual trajectories, optimized independently, then de-conflicted among each other, and individually re-optimized, as possible. The benefits in capacity, fuel, and time are valuable, though perhaps could be greater through alternative strategies. The concept of agent-based trajectories offers a strategy for automation of simultaneous multiple trajectory management. The anticipated result of the strategy would be dynamic management of multiple trajectories with interacting and interdependent outcomes that satisfy multiple, conflicting constraints. These constraints would include the business case for operators, the capacity case for the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), and the environmental case for noise and emissions. The benefits in capacity, fuel, and time might be improved over those possible under individual trajectory management approaches. The proposed approach relies on computational agent-based modeling (ABM), combinatorial mathematics, as well as application of "traffic physics" concepts to the challenge, and modeling and simulation capabilities. The proposed strategy could support transforming air traffic control from managing individual aircraft behaviors to managing systemic behavior of air traffic in the NAS. A system built on the approach could provide the ability to know when regions of airspace approach being "full," that is, having non-viable local solution space for optimizing trajectories in advance.

Testing the effectiveness of in-home behavioral economics strategies to increase vegetable intake, liking, and variety among children residing in households that receive food assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Leak, Tashara M; Swenson, Alison; Vickers, Zata; Mann, Traci; Mykerezi, Elton; Redden, Joseph P; Rendahl, Aaron; Reicks, Marla

2015-01-01

To test the effectiveness of behavioral economics strategies for increasing vegetable intake, variety, and liking among children residing in homes receiving food assistance. A randomized controlled trial with data collected at baseline, once weekly for 6 weeks, and at study conclusion. Family homes. Families with a child (9-12 years) will be recruited through community organizations and randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 36) or control (n = 10) group. The intervention group will incorporate a new behavioral economics strategy during home dinner meal occasions each week for 6 weeks. Strategies are simple and low-cost. The primary dependent variable will be child's dinner meal vegetable consumption based on weekly reports by caregivers. Fixed independent variables will include the strategy and week of strategy implementation. Secondary dependent variables will include vegetable liking and variety of vegetables consumed based on data collected at baseline and study conclusion. Mean vegetable intake for each strategy across families will be compared using a mixed-model analysis of variance with a random effect for child. In additionally, overall mean changes in vegetable consumption, variety, and liking will be compared between intervention and control groups. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parental Stress, Discipline Strategies, and Child Behavior Problems in Families with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Shawler, Paul M.; Sullivan, Maureen A.

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the parent-child relationship by examining associations between parent stress, parental discipline strategies, child disruptive behavior problems, and level of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. A sample of 130 parents of children with ASD ages 3 to 11 years participated. Parents reported high levels of parent…

Starting Off on the Best Foot: A Review of Message Framing and Message Tailoring, and Recommendations for the Comprehensive Messaging Strategy for Sustained Behavior Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, J Paige; Pelletier, Luc; Guertin, Camille

2018-09-01

Health promotion programs represent a salient means through which physical activity promoters can cultivate positive health behavior change and maintenance. The messages communicated within these programs serve as an essential component as they are often used to convey valuable information, resources, or tools that facilitate health behavior initiation and sustained engagement. Identifying the most effective way to communicate health promotion information is, therefore, of considerable importance to ensuring that people not only attend to these messages, but also connect with and internalize the information conveyed within them. This paper was written to (1) summarize and evaluate the most prominent reviewed research approaches of message framing and tailoring to message design; and (2) offer a comprehensive messaging strategy to promote sustained health behavior change. A review of the literature demonstrated that a messaging strategy that has consistently led to healthy behavior change has yet to be identified. Furthermore, scholars have articulated that a multi-theoretical approach that places emphasis on facilitating motivation and healthy behavior change needs to be employed. Thus, this paper proposes and provides recommendations for employing the Comprehensive Messaging Strategy for Sustained Behavior Change (CMSSBC), which advocates tailoring messages to peoples' stage of change and framing them to focus on self-determined motives and intrinsic goals.

Action being character: a promising perspective on the solution concept of game theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Kuiying; Chu, Tianguang

2011-05-09

The inconsistency of predictions from solution concepts of conventional game theory with experimental observations is an enduring question. These solution concepts are based on the canonical rationality assumption that people are exclusively self-regarding utility maximizers. In this article, we think this assumption is problematic and, instead, assume that rational economic agents act as if they were maximizing their implicit utilities, which turns out to be a natural extension of the canonical rationality assumption. Implicit utility is defined by a player's character to reflect his personal weighting between cooperative, individualistic, and competitive social value orientations. The player who actually faces an implicit game chooses his strategy based on the common belief about the character distribution for a general player and the self-estimation of his own character, and he is not concerned about which strategies other players will choose and will never feel regret about his decision. It is shown by solving five paradigmatic games, the Dictator game, the Ultimatum game, the Prisoner's Dilemma game, the Public Goods game, and the Battle of the Sexes game, that the framework of implicit game and its corresponding solution concept, implicit equilibrium, based on this alternative assumption have potential for better explaining people's actual behaviors in social decision making situations.

m-Diethynylbenzene macrocycles: syntheses and self-association behavior in solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobe, Yoshito; Utsumi, Naoto; Kawabata, Kazuya; Nagano, Atsushi; Adachi, Kiyomi; Araki, Shunji; Sonoda, Motohiro; Hirose, Keiji; Naemura, Koichiro

2002-05-15

m-Diethynylbenzene macrocycles (DBMs), buta-1,3-diyne-bridged [4(n)]metacyclophanes, have been synthesized and their self-association behaviors in solution were investigated. Cyclic tetramers, hexamers, and octamers of DBMs having exo-annular octyl, hexadecyl, and 3,6,9-trioxadecyl ester groups were prepared by intermolecular oxidative coupling of dimer units or intramolecular cyclization of the corresponding open-chain oligomers. The aggregation properties were investigated by two methods, the (1)H NMR spectra and the vapor pressure osmometry (VPO). Although some discrepancies were observed between the association constants obtained from the two methods, the qualitative view was consistent with each other. The analysis of self-aggregation by VPO revealed unique aggregation behavior of DBMs in acetone and toluene, which was not elucidated by the NMR method. Namely, the association constants for infinite association are several times larger than the dimerization constant, suggesting that the aggregation is enhanced by the formation of dimers (a nucleation mechanism). In polar solvents, DBMs aggregate more strongly than in chloroform due to the solvophobic interactions between the macrocyclic framework and the solvents. Moreover, DBMs self-associate in aromatic solvents such as toluene and o-xylene more readily than in chloroform. In particular, the hexameric DBM having a large macrocyclic cavity exhibits extremely large association constants in aromatic solvents. By comparing the aggregation properties of DBMs with the corresponding acyclic oligomers, the effect of the macrocyclic structure on the aggregation propensity was clarified. Finally, it turned out that DBMs tend to aggregate more readily than the corresponding phenylacetylene macrocycles, acetylene-bridged [2(n)]metacyclophanes, owing to the withdrawal of the electron density from the aromatic rings by the butadiyne linkages which facilitates pi-pi stacking interactions.

Strategies of inducing cooperation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deutsch, M.

1986-01-01

The results of the four experiments described in this paper are very consistent, and they can be summarized as follows: (1) The ''nonpunitive'' strategy was most effective in eliciting cooperative behavior from the subjects and, overall, resulted in the highest joint outcomes as well as the highest outcomes for the accomplice. (2) The effectiveness of the turn-the-other-cheek strategy was very much influenced by the competitiveness of the situation; the more competitive the incentives of the subjects, the more massively they exploited the accomplice who employed this strategy. (3) The punitive deterrent strategy elicited more agressive and self-protective, as well as less cooperative, behavior from the subjects than did the other strategies

Does the incorporation of portion-control strategies in a behavioral program improve weight loss in a 1-year randomized controlled trial?

Science.gov (United States)

Rolls, B J; Roe, L S; James, B L; Sanchez, C E

2017-03-01

Controlling food portion sizes can help reduce energy intake, but the effect of different portion-control methods on weight management is not known. In a 1-year randomized trial, we tested whether the efficacy of a behavioral weight-loss program was improved by incorporating either of the two portion-control strategies instead of standard advice about eating less. The Portion-Control Strategies Trial included 186 women with obesity (81%) or overweight (19%). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three equally intensive behavioral programs, consisting of 19 individual sessions over 12 months. The Standard Advice Group was instructed to eat less food while making healthy choices, the Portion Selection Group was instructed to choose portions based on the energy density using tools such as food scales and the Pre-portioned Foods Group was instructed to structure meals around pre-portioned foods such as single-serving main dishes, for which some vouchers were provided. In an intention-to-treat analysis, a mixed-effects model compared weight loss trajectories across 23 measurements; at month 12, weight was measured for 151 participants (81%). The trajectories showed that the Pre-portioned Foods Group initially lost weight at a greater rate than the other two groups (P=0.021), but subsequently regained weight at a greater rate (P=0.0005). As a result, weight loss did not differ significantly across groups at month 6 (mean±s.e. 5.2±0.4 kg) or month 12 (4.5±0.5 kg). After 1 year, measured weight loss averaged 6% of baseline weight. The frequency of using portion-control strategies initially differed across groups, then declined over time and converged at months 6 and 12. Incorporating instruction on portion-control strategies within a 1-year behavioral program did not lead to a greater weight loss than standard advice. Using pre-portioned foods enhanced early weight loss, but this was not sustained over time. Long-term maintenance of behavioral strategies to

Social Optimization and Pricing Policy in Cognitive Radio Networks with an Energy Saving Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shunfu Jin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The rapid growth of wireless application results in an increase in demand for spectrum resource and communication energy. In this paper, we firstly introduce a novel energy saving strategy in cognitive radio networks (CRNs and then propose an appropriate pricing policy for secondary user (SU packets. We analyze the behavior of data packets in a discrete-time single-server priority queue under multiple-vacation discipline. With the help of a Quasi-Birth-Death (QBD process model, we obtain the joint distribution for the number of SU packets and the state of base station (BS via the Matrix-Geometric Solution method. We assess the average latency of SU packets and the energy saving ratio of system. According to a natural reward-cost structure, we study the individually optimal behavior and the socially optimal behavior of the energy saving strategy and use an optimization algorithm based on standard particle swarm optimization (SPSO method to search the socially optimal arrival rate of SU packets. By comparing the individually optimal behavior and the socially optimal behavior, we impose an appropriate admission fee to SU packets. Finally, we present numerical results to show the impacts of system parameters on the system performance and the pricing policy.

Behaviorism: part of the problem or part of the solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, J G

1978-01-01

The form frequently taken by behavior-modification programs is analyzed in terms of the parent science, Behaviorism. Whereas Behaviorism assumes that behavior is the result of contingencies, and that lasting behavior change involves changing the contingencies that give rise to and support the behavior, most behavior-modification programs merely arrange special contingencies in a special environment to eliminate the "problem" behavior. Even when the problem behavior is as widespread as alcoholism and crime, behavior modifiers focus on "fixing" the alcoholic and the criminal, not on changing the societal contingencies that prevail outside the therapeutic environment and continue to produce alcoholics and criminals. The contingencies that shape this method of dealing with behavioral problems are also analyzed, and this analysis leads to a criticism of the current social structure as a behavior control system. Although applied behaviorists have frequently focused on fixing individuals, the science of Behaviorism provides the means to analyze the structures, the system, and the forms of societal control that produce the "problems". PMID:649524

Qualitative, quantitative, and data mining methods for analyzing log data to characterize students' learning strategies and behaviors [discussant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baker, Ryan S.J.d.; Gobert, Janice D.; van Joolingen, Wouter

2010-01-01

This symposium addresses how different classes of research methods, all based upon the use of log data from educational software, can facilitate the analysis of students’ learning strategies and behaviors. To this end, four multi-method programs of research are discussed, including the use of

"The Knowledge of" Counselors in Balqa Governorate: Behavior Modification Strategies in Light of Some of the Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Al-basel, D-Nagham Mohammad Abu

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to identify the extent of knowledge of counselor behavior modification strategies. The current study sample consisted of (80) mentor and guide, were selected randomly from among all workers enrolled in regular public schools in the Balqa governorate represented the community study for the academic year 2012-2013. The study…

Effect of solution heat treatment on the precipitation behavior and strengthening mechanisms of electron beam smelted Inconel 718 superalloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You, Xiaogang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China); Laboratory for New Energy Material Energetic Beam Metallurgical Equipment Engineering of Liaoning Province, Dalian 116024 (China); Tan, Yi, E-mail: tanyi@dlut.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China); Laboratory for New Energy Material Energetic Beam Metallurgical Equipment Engineering of Liaoning Province, Dalian 116024 (China); Shi, Shuang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China); Laboratory for New Energy Material Energetic Beam Metallurgical Equipment Engineering of Liaoning Province, Dalian 116024 (China); Yang, Jenn-Ming [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Wang, Yinong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China); Li, Jiayan; You, Qifan [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China); Laboratory for New Energy Material Energetic Beam Metallurgical Equipment Engineering of Liaoning Province, Dalian 116024 (China)

2017-03-24

Inconel 718 superalloy was fabricated by electron beam smelting (EBS) technique. The effect of solution heat treatment on the precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of EBS 718 superalloys were studied, the strengthening mechanisms were analyzed and related to the mechanical properties. The results indicate that the optimized microstructures can be acquired by means of EBS, which is attributed to the rapid cooling rate of approximately 280 ℃/min. The solution heat treatment shows a great impact on the microstructures, precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of EBS 718 superalloy. The γ'' phase shows an apt to precipitate at relatively lower solution temperatures followed by aging, while the γ' precipitates are prone to precipitate at higher temperatures. When solution treated at 1150 ℃, the γ' precipitates are dispersively distributed in the matrix with size and volume fraction of 8.43 nm and 21.66%, respectively, a Vickers hardness of approximately 489 HV{sub 0.1} is observed for the aged superalloy. The precipitation strengthening effect of EBS 718 superalloy could be elucidated by considering the interaction between the dislocations and γ''/γ' precipitates. The shearing of γ' is resisted by the coherency strengthening and formation of antiphase boundary (APB), which shows equal effect as weakly coupled dislocation (WCD) model. And for γ'', the strengthening effect is much more prominent with the primary strengthening mechanism of ordering. Moreover, it is interestingly found that the strengthening mechanism of stacking fault (SF) shearing coexists with APB shearing, and SF shearing plays a major role in strengthening of EBS 718 superalloy.

Global well-posedness and asymptotic behavior of the solutions to non-classical thermo(visco)elastic models

CERN Document Server

Qin, Yuming

2016-01-01

This book presents recent findings on the global existence, the uniqueness and the large-time behavior of global solutions of thermo(vis)coelastic systems and related models arising in physics, mechanics and materials science such as thermoviscoelastic systems, thermoelastic systems of types II and III, as well as Timoshenko-type systems with past history. Part of the book is based on the research conducted by the authors and their collaborators in recent years. The book will benefit interested beginners in the field and experts alike.

The Corrosion Behavior of Nickel and Inconel 600 in Sodium Hydroxide and Hydrochloric Acid Solution at 280 .deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ihh Chong; Suk, Tae Won

1980-01-01

The corrosion behavior of nickel and Inconel 600 has been investigated by the weight change measurement method at pH ranges 3∼13 of the solution. The specimens were exposed to aqueous solutions in a static autoclave at 280 .deg. C for 210 hours. The pH of the solutions was adjusted by hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide and the dissolved oxygen concentration was fixed as 10 ppb by using pure nitrogen gas. Weight loss of Inconel 600 was much less than that of nickel over the tested pH ranges. At pH 9.5, nickel and Inconel 600 showed the minimum weight loss phenomenon and the values of weight loss were 1.5mg/dm 2 and 0.9mg/dm 2 , respectively. Microscopic examination showed that nickel surface was attacked uniformly, whereas Inconel 600 surface was not greatly

A method of lines solution of the transient behavior of the helium cooled power leads for the SSC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demko, J.A.; Schiesser, W.E.; Carcagno, R.; McAshan, M.

1995-01-01

In this study, a detailed numerical thermal mode of a 6.5 kA power lead for the Superconducting Super Collider has been developed, which was adapted from the dynamic model developed by Schiesser. The transient behavior of the power leads was modeled using, a method of lines (MOL) approach. The model was developed to pmvide a tool for analyzing coolant control strategies as well as an understanding of the behavior of the leads under presumed system transients. Results for a current ramp up to 4970 amps are favorably compared with measurements. Also, a loss of cooling situation is predicted to determine the transient temperature distribution under an off-design condition

Factors responsible for the aggregation behavior of hydrophobic polyelectrolyte PEA in aqueous solution studied by molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sappidi, Praveenkumar; Natarajan, Upendra

2017-08-01

Self-association (i.e. interchain aggregation) behavior of atactic poly(ethacrylic acid) PEA in dilute aqueous solution as function of degree-of-neutralization by Na + counter-ions (i.e. charge fraction f) was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Aggregation is found to occur in the range 0≤f≤0.7 in agreement with experimental results compared at specified polymer concentration C p =0.36mol/l in dilute solution. The macromolecular solution was characterized and analysed for radius-of-gyration, torsion angle distribution, inter and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds, radial distribution functions of intermolecular and inter-atomic pairs, inter-chain contacts and solvation enthalpy. The PEA chains form aggregate through attractive inter-chain interaction via hydrogen bonding, in the range fenthalpy. The PEA solvation enthalpy becomes increasingly favorable with increase in f. The transition enthalpy change, in going from uncharged (acid) state to fully charged state (f=1) is unfavorable towards aggregate formation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of Dy in solid solution on the degradation behavior of binary Mg-Dy alloys in cell culture medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lei; Ma, Liangong; Huang, Yuanding; Feyerabend, Frank; Blawert, Carsten; Höche, Daniel; Willumeit-Römer, Regine; Zhang, Erlin; Kainer, Karl Ulrich; Hort, Norbert

2017-06-01

Rare earth element Dy is one of the promising alloying elements for magnesium alloy as biodegradable implants. To understand the effect of Dy in solid solution on the degradation of Mg-Dy alloys in simulated physiological conditions, the present work studied the microstructure and degradation behavior of Mg-Dy alloys in cell culture medium. It is found the corrosion resistance enhances with the increase of Dy content in solid solution in Mg. This can be attributed to the formation of a relatively more corrosion resistant Dy-enriched film which decreases the anodic dissolution of Mg. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

US Strategy for Cyberspace

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Veazie, Arnold

2003-01-01

.... This strategic research paper analyzes the President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace to determine whether it effectively provides solutions for securing cyberspace. It concludes by proposing an alternative strategy for securing cyberspace.

Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies of women with endometriosis: a critical narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarbo, Cristina; Brugnera, Agostino; Frigerio, Luigi; Malandrino, Chiara; Rabboni, Massimo; Bondi, Emi; Compare, Angelo

2018-02-01

Endometriosis is a disabling and long-term medical condition affecting quality of life and mental health. Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and metacognition could in part explain the link between the disease and impaired psychological and life functioning. This critical narrative review aimed at examining the state of the art of the relationships between endometriosis and these factors. According to PRISMA principles, we performed a systematic search for quantitative and qualitative studies on multiple electronic databases as regards coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and metacognition in women with endometriosis. Studies were subjected to interpretative and critical narrative synthesis. A total of 9 papers were included in the review. Three main categories were identified in thematic analysis and resumed in the manuscript. Findings suggested that (a) pain is considered the major stressor; (b) they usually use both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies; (c) women with endometriosis and related chronic pain seem to repress emotions more likely than healthy ones; (d) suppressing own emotions, pain catastrophizing, and having a passive coping style are related to higher self-reported pain; and (e) emotional and avoidance coping styles are associated to poor mental status, while positive coping strategies focusing on the problem or on emotions, detached and rational styles are associated to better mental health. Few studies with mixed results and some methodological flaws have focused on coping strategies in women with endometriosis. No studies focusing on metacognition or emotional intelligence were found. Methodological biases, suggestions for future research, and implications for clinical practice were discussed.

Polymer-assisted metal deposition (PAMD): a full-solution strategy for flexible, stretchable, compressible, and wearable metal conductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, You; Yan, Casey; Zheng, Zijian

2014-08-20

Metal interconnects, contacts, and electrodes are indispensable elements for most applications of flexible, stretchable, and wearable electronics. Current fabrication methods for these metal conductors are mainly based on conventional microfabrication procedures that have been migrated from Si semiconductor industries, which face significant challenges for organic-based compliant substrates. This Research News highlights a recently developed full-solution processing strategy, polymer-assisted metal deposition (PAMD), which is particularly suitable for the roll-to-roll, low-cost fabrication of high-performance compliant metal conductors (Cu, Ni, Ag, and Au) on a wide variety of organic substrates including plastics, elastomers, papers, and textiles. This paper presents i) the principles of PAMD, and how to use it for making ii) flexible, stretchable, and wearable conductive metal electrodes, iii) patterned metal interconnects, and d) 3D stretchable and compressible metal sponges. A critical perspective on this emerging strategy is also provided. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Undesirable Behaviors of Students in Academic Classrooms, and the Discipline Strategies Used by Faculty Members to Control Such Behaviors from the Perspective of the College of Education Students in King Saud University

Science.gov (United States)

Al Qahtani, Norah Saad Sultan

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify the undesirable students' behaviors in academic classrooms, and the disciplinary, preventive and therapeutic strategies that will be used by faculty members to control those behaviors from the perspective of the College of Education's students in King Saud University. The results of the study has shown that the…

Slow flow solutions and chaos control in an electromagnetic seismometer system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazzouni, S.A.; Siewe Siewe, M.; Moukam Kakmeni, F.M.; Bowong, S.

2005-05-01

We study in this paper the dynamics and chaos control of a nonlinear electromagnetic seismometer system consisting of an extended Duffing electrical oscillator magnetically coupled with a natural Duffing mechanical oscillator. The singular perturbation method is used to find slow solutions. Some bifurcation structures and the variation of the corresponding Lyapunov exponent are obtained. Transitions from a regular behavior to chaotic orbits are seen to occur for large amplitudes of the external excitation. We also examine the application of a simple adaptive damping feedback controller to eliminate the chaotic behavior in a controlled extended Duffing system. The main idea is to regulate the chaotic motion of the electromagnetic seismometer system around less complex attractors, such as equilibrium points and periodic orbits. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed feedback control strategy is illustrated by means of numerical simulations. (author)

Anti-predatory particle swarm optimization: Solution to nonconvex economic dispatch problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selvakumar, A. Immanuel [Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore 641114, Tamilnadu (India); Thanushkodi, K. [Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Government College of Technology, Coimbatore 641013, Tamilnadu (India)

2008-01-15

This paper proposes a new particle swarm optimization (PSO) strategy namely, anti-predatory particle swarm optimization (APSO) to solve nonconvex economic dispatch problems. In the classical PSO, the movement of a particle (bird) is governed by three behaviors: inertial, cognitive and social. The cognitive and social behaviors are the components of the foraging activity, which help the swarm of birds to locate food. Another activity that is observed in birds is the anti-predatory nature, which helps the swarm to escape from the predators. In this work, the anti-predatory activity is modeled and embedded in the classical PSO to form APSO. This inclusion enhances the exploration capability of the swarm. To validate the proposed APSO model, it is applied to two test systems having nonconvex solution spaces. Satisfactory results are obtained when compared with previous approaches. (author)

Is Inspiring Group Members an Effective Predictor of Social Dominance in Early Adolescence? Direct and Moderated Effects of Behavioral Strategies, Social Skills, and Gender on Resource Control and Popularity.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermande, Marjolijn M; Gilholm, Patricia A; Reijntjes, Albert H A; Hessen, Dave J; Sterck, Elisabeth H M; Overduin-de Vries, Anne M

2018-03-13

Dominance in the peer group is important for adolescents. Resource Control Theory posits that both coercive and prosocial (positively assertive) strategies are associated with dominance. Combining Resource Control Theory with Socioanalytic Theory on personality, we hypothesized that inspiring group members would be an additional effective strategy. This study examined whether the three behavioral strategies and two types of social skills (social competence and manipulation) predicted dominance (resource control and popularity). Participants were 619 Dutch adolescents (M age  = 13.1; 47% female) in the first grade of secondary school. They completed peer reports (behavioral strategies and dominance) and self-reports (social skills). Only inspirational and coercive strategies substantially predicted dominance. Main effects of social skills emerged. Moderation between strategies and social skills was only observed for girls (e.g., coercive strategy use was associated with more popularity for girls with higher levels of social manipulation skills). This study furthered our understanding of the predictors of dominance in adolescence by including inspirational behavior and examining prosocial and antisocial skills.

Polarization behavior of new and used lead alloys in acid sulfate solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, P.; O' Keefe, T.J. [Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, Materials Research Center and Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering, Rolla, Missouri (United States)

2001-07-01

Polarization and Electrochemical impedance were used to study various lead alloys commercially used to electrowin zinc and copper from acidic sulfate solutions. Anode specimens that had been in service at several electrowinning operations were tested and their electrochemical performance was compared to that obtained from new anode samples. Tests were conducted in sulfuric acid. Cyclic voltammetry was used in a potential range in which both Pb{sup +2} and Pb{sup +4} formed stable phases. Selected polarization tests were also made to study a number of variables, including changes in the concentration of cobalt and manganese in the electrolyte. Results showed that the phases formed on the surface of the anode were critical in defining the electrochemical behavior of the anodes. In particular, certain active phases, which were depolarizing were identified on some of the used anodes. It was possible to duplicate some of these phases in the laboratory. (author)

Benefits, Facilitators, Barriers, and Strategies to Improve Pesticide Protective Behaviors: Insights from Farmworkers in North Carolina Tobacco Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, AnnMarie Lee; LePrevost, Catherine E; Linnan, Laura; Sanchez-Birkhead, Ana; Mooney, Kathi

2017-06-23

Pesticide exposure is associated with deleterious health effects. Prior studies suggest Latino farmworkers perceive little control over their occupational health. Using the Health Belief Model as a theoretical guide, we explored the perceptions of Latino farmworkers working in tobacco in North Carolina ( n = 72) about benefits and facilitators of pesticide protective behaviors as well as barriers, and strategies to overcome barriers to their use. Interviews were conducted with participants at farmworker housing during non-work time. Qualitative data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti. Farmworkers recognized pesticide protective behaviors as helping them to not get sick and stay healthy. Farmworkers perceived work experience as facilitating protective behaviors. Wetness in the field was the most commonly cited barrier to protective behavior use. To overcome this barrier, farmworkers suggested use of water-resistant outerwear, as well as packing a change of clothes for mid-day, with space and time to change provided by employers. Examination of the efficacy and feasibility of farmworkers' suggestions for addressing barriers is warranted. Training and behavior modeling by experienced peers may improve behavior adoption and perceived control.

Influence of additives (inorganic/organic on the clouding behavior of amphiphilic drug solutions: Some thermodynamic studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malik Abdul Rub

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Herein we provide a detailed result about the effect of various additives, viz. inorganic salts, quaternary ammonium bromides (QABs and amino acids on clouding behavior of amphiphilic drug amitriptyline hydrochloride (AMT. The continuous increase in the cloud point (CP of drug by increase in inorganic salt concentration and the magnitude of increases rely upon the position of the salts in Hofmeister series and hydrated radii. The QABs also influence continuous increase in the CP, which is illustrated in terms of the alkyl chain length of peculiar QAB. The effect of amino acids on CP of the drug solution is dependent upon the characteristics (acidic, basic, polar or nonpolar of particular amino acids. The overall behavior of additives has been analyzed and discussed on the basis of electrostatic repulsion or interaction, micellar growth, and mixed micelle formation between the ingredients. In addition to this, thermodynamic parameters are also evaluated.

Schema-Based Strategy Instruction and the Mathematical Problem-Solving Performance of Two Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

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Peltier, Corey; Vannest, Kimberly J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of schema instruction on the mathematical problem solving of students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). The participants were two fourth-grade students identified with EBD. The intervention package consisted of schema instruction, strategy instruction on problem-solving heuristics…

A Grounded Theory of Behavior Management Strategy Selection, Implementation, and Perceived Effectiveness Reported by First-Year Elementary Teachers

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Smart, Julie B.; Igo, L. Brent

2010-01-01

In this grounded theory study, 19 teachers were interviewed and then, in constant comparative fashion, the interview data were analyzed. The theoretical model that emerged from the data describes novice teachers' tendencies to select and implement differing strategies related to the severity of student behavior. When confronting mild student…

Quantifying Silica Reactivity in Subsurface Environments: Reaction Affinity and Solute Matrix Controls on Quartz and SiO2 Glass Dissolution Kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dove, Patricia M.

1999-01-01

Our goal is to develop a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of amorphous silica, SiO2(am), dissolution kinetics in aqueous solutions. A knowledge of fundamental controls on the reactivity of simple Si-O bonded phases is the baseline of behavior for understanding highly complex silica phases. In the Earth, silicate minerals comprise >70% of the crust and dominate virtually every subsurface system. More importantly for the objectives of this EMSP project, the silicates are important because compositionally complex glasses will become the front line of defense in containing radioactive wastes in the nation's long term and interim storage strategies. To date, the behavior of SiO2(am) is largely inferred from studies of the better known crystalline polymorphs (e.g. alpha-quartz). In the first step towards constructing a general model for amorphous silica reactivity in the complex fluid compositions of natural waters, we are determining the dissolution behavior as a function of temperature, solution pH and cation concentration. With these data we are determining relationships between SiO2 glass structure and dissolution rates in aqueous solutions, as described below

(Liquid + liquid) phase equilibrium and critical behavior of binary solution {heavy water + 2,6-dimethylpyridine}

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Chen; Chai, Shouning; Yin, Tianxiang; Chen, Zhiyun; Shen, Weiguo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Coexistence curves, heat capacities and turbidities were measured. • Deuterium effect on coexistence curves was discussed. • Universal critical amplitude ratios were tested. • Asymmetry of coexistence curves was analyzed by the complete scaling theory. - Abstract: The (liquid + liquid) coexistence curves, the isobaric heat capacities per unit volume and the turbidities for the binary solution of {heavy water + 2,6-dimethylpyridine} have been precisely measured. The values of the critical exponents were obtained, which confirmed the 3D-Ising universality. It was found that the critical temperature dropped by 5.9 K and the critical amplitude of the coexistence curve significantly increased as compared to the binary solution of {water + 2,6-dimethylpyridine}. The complete scaling theory was applied to well describe the asymmetric behavior of the diameter of the coexistence curve as the heat capacity contribution was considered. Moreover, the values of the critical amplitudes of the correlation length and the osmotic compressibility were deduced, which together with the critical amplitudes of the coexistence curve and the heat capacity to test universal amplitude ratios

A Behavioral Solution to the Drunk Driving Dilemma.

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Corey, Michael A.

1988-01-01

Discusses the problem of drunk driving primarily as a failure in the process of operant conditioning, with the inappropriate behavior of the drunk driver resulting from a profound ignorance of the potentially tragic consequences of his behavior. Concludes most effective way to understand consequences is to witness autopsies of drunk driving…

Engaging Foster Parents in Treatment: A Randomized Trial of Supplementing Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Evidence-based Engagement Strategies

OpenAIRE

Dorsey, Shannon; Pullmann, Michael D.; Berliner, Lucy; Koschmann, Elizabeth; McKay, Mary; Deblinger, Esther

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the impact of supplementing Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen, Mannarino, & Deblinger, 2006) with evidence-based engagement strategies on foster parent and foster youth engagement in treatment, given challenges engaging foster parents in treatment. A randomized controlled trial of TF-CBT standard delivery compared to TF-CBT plus evidence-based engagement strategies was conducted with 47 children and adolescents in foster care and ...

Training - Behavioral and motivational solutions?

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Helmreich, Robert L.

1983-01-01

Psychological factors which govern interpersonal activities in the cockpit are examined. It is suggested that crew members should be selected based on personality characteristics required for the position and that training does not cause long lasting personality changes, it only teaches and improves task performance skills. The effects of mindlessness as defined by Langer (1978) and the attribution theory of Jones and Nisbett (1971) on flight deck communications and cockpit management are described. The needs for a new system of training crew members, with emphasis on strategies that induce cognitive processes and awareness, and for field investigations of pilots are discussed.

The effect of feedback regarding coping strategies and illness behavior on hand surgery patient satisfaction and communication: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellema, Jos J; O'Connor, Casey M; Overbeek, Celeste L; Hageman, Michiel G; Ring, David

2015-09-01

Patients and surgeons can feel uncomfortable discussing coping strategies, psychological distress, and stressful circumstances. It has been suggested that patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) facilitate the discussion of factors associated with increased symptoms and disability. This study assessed the effect of providing feedback to patients regarding their coping strategy and illness behavior on patient satisfaction and patient-physician communication in orthopedic surgery. In a prospective study, 136 orthopedic patients were randomly assigned to either receive feedback about the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference computer-adaptive test (CAT) prior to the visit with the hand surgeon or not. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction with the consultation and secondary outcomes involved patient-physician communication. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the influence of the feedback on patient satisfaction and communication. There was no significant difference in patient satisfaction between patients who received feedback and patients who did not (P = 0.70). Feedback was associated with more frequent discussion of coping strategies (P = 0.045) in bivariate analysis but was not independently associated: in multivariable analysis, only PROMIS Pain Interference CAT and age were identified as independent predictors (odds ratio (OR) 1.1; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.1, P = 0.013, and OR 0.97, 95 % CI 0.94-0.99, P = 0.032, respectively). No factors were associated with discussion of stressors. Discussion of circumstances was independently associated with increased PROMIS Pain Interference CAT, marital status, and work status. We found that feedback regarding coping strategies and illness behavior using the PROMIS Pain Interference CAT did not affect patient satisfaction. Although feedback was associated with increased discussion of illness behavior in bivariate

Innovation and behavioral flexibility in wild redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons).

Science.gov (United States)

Huebner, Franziska; Fichtel, Claudia

2015-05-01

Innovations and problem-solving abilities can provide animals with important ecological advantages as they allow individuals to deal with novel social and ecological challenges. Innovation is a solution to a novel problem or a novel solution to an old problem, with the latter being especially difficult. Finding a new solution to an old problem requires individuals to inhibit previously applied solutions to invent new strategies and to behave flexibly. We examined the role of experience on cognitive flexibility to innovate and to find new problem-solving solutions with an artificial feeding task in wild redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons). Four groups of lemurs were tested with feeding boxes, each offering three different techniques to extract food, with only one technique being available at a time. After the subjects learned a technique, this solution was no longer successful and subjects had to invent a new technique. For the first transition between task 1 and 2, subjects had to rely on their experience of the previous technique to solve task 2. For the second transition, subjects had to inhibit the previously learned technique to learn the new task 3. Tasks 1 and 2 were solved by most subjects, whereas task 3 was solved by only a few subjects. In this task, besides behavioral flexibility, especially persistence, i.e., constant trying, was important for individual success during innovation. Thus, wild strepsirrhine primates are able to innovate flexibly, suggesting a general ecological relevance of behavioral flexibility and persistence during innovation and problem solving across all primates.

Biosorptive behavior of some dead biomasses in the removal of Sr(85+89) from aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, S.P.; Tiwari, D.

2002-01-01

Biosorptive behavior of some dead biomasses (viz., bark of Azadirachta indica and Mangifera indica and rice hulls) was assessed for the removal of an important fission fragment, Sr(II) ions from aqueous solutions using radiotracer technique. Single batch experiments revealed that the increase in sorptive concentration (1.0 x 10 -8 to 1.0 x 10 -2 mol x dm -3 ), temperature (298 to 328 K) and solution pH (3.0 to 10.5) greatly enhanced the removal of Sr(II) ions and the 'ion-exchange' along with surface complexation type uptake of Sr(II) followed the Freundlich adsorption isotherm for the entire concentration range (1.0 x 10 -2 to 1.0 x 10 -8 mol x dm -3 ). Desorption experiments suggest that the uptake is irreversible and the irradiation of these materials enhanced their applicability as showed greater stability towards ionizing radiations from a 300 mCi (Ra-Be) neutron source. (author)

Investigation of corrosion behavior of nitrogen doped and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon thin films in Hank's solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khun, N.W.; Liu, E., E-mail: MEJLiu@ntu.edu.sg

2011-10-10

Undoped (DLC), nitrogen-doped (N-DLC) and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon (PtRu-DLC) thin films were deposited on p-Si (100) substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition system. The chemical composition, bonding structure, surface morphology and adhesion strength of the films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-scratch test, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the films in a Hank's solution was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization test. The corrosion results revealed that the PtRu-DLC film had the highest corrosion potential among the films used in this study. Highlights: {yields} DLC thin films were deposited on Si substrates via dc magnetron sputtering. {yields} Some DLC films were doped with N and/or Pt/Ru. {yields} The film corrosion behavior was studied in a Hank solution with polarization test. {yields} The PtRu-DLC film showed the highest corrosion potential among the films studied.

Mental and Social Health Impacts the Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies in Reducing Risky Drinking and Alcohol Consequences

Science.gov (United States)

LaBrie, Joseph W.; Kenney, Shannon R.; Lac, Andrew; Garcia, Jonathan A.; Ferraiolo, Paul

2009-01-01

The present study is the first to examine the moderating effects of mental and social health status in the relationship between protective behavioral strategies utilized to reduce high-risk drinking (e.g., alternating alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks or avoiding drinking games) and alcohol outcomes (drinking variables and alcohol-related negative…

Effect of magnesium hydride on the corrosion behavior of an AZ91 magnesium alloy in sodium chloride solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jian; Dong Junhua; Wang Jianqiu; Han Enhou; Ke Wei

2008-01-01

The effect of magnesium hydride on the corrosion behavior of an as-cast AZ91 alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was investigated using gas collection method and potentiostatic test. The Pourbaix diagram of Mg-H 2 O system was built using thermodynamic calculation. It was possible that magnesium hydride could form in the whole pH range in theory. The experimental results showed that at cathodic region, magnesium hydride formed on surface, which was the controlling process for the corrosion behavior of AZ91 alloy; at anodic region and free corrosion potential, magnesium hydride model and partially protective film model, monovalent magnesium ion model and particle undermining model were responsible for the corrosion process of AZ91 alloy

A coupled PFEM-Eulerian approach for the solution of porous FSI problems

Science.gov (United States)

Larese, A.; Rossi, R.; Oñate, E.; Idelsohn, S. R.

2012-12-01

This paper aims to present a coupled solution strategy for the problem of seepage through a rockfill dam taking into account the free-surface flow within the solid as well as in its vicinity. A combination of a Lagrangian model for the structural behavior and an Eulerian approach for the fluid is used. The particle finite element method is adopted for the evaluation of the structural response, whereas an Eulerian fixed-mesh approach is employed for the fluid. The free surface is tracked by the use of a level set technique. The numerical results are validated with experiments on scale models rockfill dams.

Strategies to initiate and control the nucleation behavior of bimetallic nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Gopi; de Graaf, Sytze; Ten Brink, Gert H; Persson, Per O Å; Kooi, Bart J; Palasantzas, George

2017-06-22

In this work we report strategies to nucleate bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) made by gas phase synthesis of elements showing difficulty in homogeneous nucleation. It is shown that the nucleation assisted problem of bimetallic NP synthesis can be solved via the following pathways: (i) selecting an element which can itself nucleate and act as a nucleation center for the synthesis of bimetallic NPs; (ii) introducing H 2 or CH 4 as an impurity/trace gas to initiate nucleation during the synthesis of bimetallic NPs. The latter can solve the problem if none of the elements in a bimetallic NP can initiate nucleation. We illustrate the abovementioned strategies for the case of Mg based bimetallic NPs, which are interesting as hydrogen storage materials and exhibit both nucleation and oxidation issues even under ultra-high vacuum conditions. In particular, it is shown that adding H 2 in small proportions favors the formation of a solid solution/alloy structure even in the case of immiscible Mg and Ti, where normally phase separation occurs during synthesis. In addition, we illustrate the possibility of improving the nucleation rate, and controlling the structure and size distribution of bimetallic NPs using H 2 /CH 4 as a reactive/nucleating gas. This is shown to be associated with the dimer bond energies of the various formed species and the vapor pressures of the metals, which are key factors for NP nucleation.

Electrochemical Corrosion Behavior of Carbon Steel and Hot Dip Galvanized Steel in Simulated Concrete Solution with Different pH Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanchen XIE

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Hot dip galvanizing technology is now widely used as a method of protection for steel rebars. The corrosion behaviors of Q235 carbon steel and hot galvanized steel in a Ca(OH2 solution with a pH from 10 to 13 was investigated by electrode potential and polarization curves testing. The results indicated that carbon steel and hot galvanized steel were all passivated in a strong alkaline solution. The electrode potential of hot dip galvanized steel was lower than that of carbon steel; thus, hot dip galvanized steel can provide very good anodic protection for carbon steel. However, when the pH value reached 12.5, a polarity reversal occurred under the condition of a certain potential. Hot dip galvanized coating became a cathode, and the corrosion of carbon steel accelerated. The electrochemical behaviors and passivation abilities of hot dip galvanized steel and carbon steel were affected by pH. The higher the pH value was, the more easily they were passivated.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.3.16675

Security solutions: strategy and architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, Myron W. L.

2002-04-01

Producers of banknotes, other documents of value and brand name goods are being presented constantly with new challenges due to the ever increasing sophistication of easily-accessible desktop publishing and color copying machines, which can be used for counterfeiting. Large crime syndicates have also shown that they have the means and the willingness to invest large sums of money to mimic security features. To ensure sufficient and appropriate protection, a coherent security strategy has to be put into place. The feature has to be appropriately geared to fight against the different types of attacks and attackers, and to have the right degree of sophistication or ease of authentication depending upon by whom or where a check is made. Furthermore, the degree of protection can be considerably increased by taking a multi-layered approach and using an open platform architecture. Features can be stratified to encompass overt, semi-covert, covert and forensic features.

Evidence for cognitive–behavioral strategies improving dyspnea and related distress in COPD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norweg A

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Anna Norweg,1 Eileen G Collins2,3 1Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC, Chicago, IL, USA; 2Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC, Chicago, IL, USA; 3Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA Background: Dyspnea is a complex, prevalent, and distressing symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD associated with decreased quality of life, significant disability, and increased mortality. It is a major reason for referral to pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods: We reviewed 23 COPD studies to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioral strategies for relieving dyspnea in COPD. Results: Preliminary evidence from randomized controlled trials exists to support cognitive–behavioral strategies, used with or without exercise, for relieving sensory and affective components of dyspnea in COPD. Small to moderate treatment effects for relieving dyspnea were noted for psychotherapy (effect size [ES] = 0.08–0.25 for intensity; 0.26–0.65 for mastery and distractive auditory stimuli (ES = 0.08–0.33 for intensity; 0.09 to -0.61 for functional burden. Small to large dyspnea improvements resulted from yoga (ES = 0.2–1.21 for intensity; 0.67 for distress; 0.07 for mastery; and −8.37 for functional burden; dyspnea self-management education with exercise (ES = −0.14 to −1.15 for intensity; −0.62 to −0.69 for distress; 1.04 for mastery; 0.14–0.35 for self-efficacy; and slow-breathing exercises (ES = 4390.34 to −0.83 for intensity; -0.61 to -0.80 for distress; and 0.62 for self-efficacy. Cognitive–behavioral interventions may relieve dyspnea in COPD by (1 decreasing sympathetic nerve activity, dynamic hyperinflation, and comorbid anxiety, and (2 promoting arterial oxygen saturation, myelinated vagus nerve activity, a greater

Facilitating Effective Digital Game-Based Learning Behaviors and Learning Performances of Students Based on a Collaborative Knowledge Construction Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Han-Yu; Hwang, Gwo-Jen

2018-01-01

Researchers have recognized the potential of educational computer games in improving students' learning engagement and outcomes; however, facilitating effective learning behaviors during the gaming process remains an important and challenging issue. In this paper, a collaborative knowledge construction strategy was incorporated into an educational…

Nonautonomous discrete bright soliton solutions and interaction management for the Ablowitz-Ladik equation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Fajun

2015-03-01

We present the nonautonomous discrete bright soliton solutions and their interactions in the discrete Ablowitz-Ladik (DAL) equation with variable coefficients, which possesses complicated wave propagation in time and differs from the usual bright soliton waves. The differential-difference similarity transformation allows us to relate the discrete bright soliton solutions of the inhomogeneous DAL equation to the solutions of the homogeneous DAL equation. Propagation and interaction behaviors of the nonautonomous discrete solitons are analyzed through the one- and two-soliton solutions. We study the discrete snaking behaviors, parabolic behaviors, and interaction behaviors of the discrete solitons. In addition, the interaction management with free functions and dynamic behaviors of these solutions is investigated analytically, which have certain applications in electrical and optical systems.

Correlation of parenting style and pediatric behavior guidance strategies in the dental setting: preliminary findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Aminabadi, Naser Asl; Farahani, Ramin Mostofi Zadeh

2008-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of parenting style on the choice of proper behavior guidance strategies in pedodontics. Seventy-two children aged between 4 and 6 years (mean 5.12 years) with carious primary mandibular molars were selected. The Primary Caregivers' Practices Report (PCPR) was used to quantify authoritarian, permissive and authoritative aspects of the caregivers' parenting style. After inferior alveolar nerve block, carious lesions were removed and the teeth were restored using amalgam. The children's behavior during operation was assessed according to the sound, eye, and motor (SEM) scale. Communicative guidance, advance behavior guidance, parental separation, and deferred treatment were used for behavior management. The dominant authoritative score was observed in 50% of parents, permissive in 37.5%, and authoritarian in 12.5%. The mean SEM score in children belonging to authoritative parents was significantly lower than in children of permissive and of authoritarian parents (pparenting style. Advanced behavior guidance (protective stabilization) was applied in 16.7% of cases in the authoritative category and in 100% in the permissive and authoritarian categories. The use of restrictive devices (7.4%) and sedation (3.7%) was limited to the permissive category. Parental separation (40.7%) and deferred treatment (3.7%) were performed only in the permissive category. This study provides preliminary evidence that a child's reaction to restorative dental procedures is influenced by the nature of the caregiver's parenting style.

An Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm with Solution Acceptance Rule and Probabilistic Multisearch.

Science.gov (United States)

Yurtkuran, Alkın; Emel, Erdal

2016-01-01

The artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is a popular swarm based technique, which is inspired from the intelligent foraging behavior of honeybee swarms. This paper proposes a new variant of ABC algorithm, namely, enhanced ABC with solution acceptance rule and probabilistic multisearch (ABC-SA) to address global optimization problems. A new solution acceptance rule is proposed where, instead of greedy selection between old solution and new candidate solution, worse candidate solutions have a probability to be accepted. Additionally, the acceptance probability of worse candidates is nonlinearly decreased throughout the search process adaptively. Moreover, in order to improve the performance of the ABC and balance the intensification and diversification, a probabilistic multisearch strategy is presented. Three different search equations with distinctive characters are employed using predetermined search probabilities. By implementing a new solution acceptance rule and a probabilistic multisearch approach, the intensification and diversification performance of the ABC algorithm is improved. The proposed algorithm has been tested on well-known benchmark functions of varying dimensions by comparing against novel ABC variants, as well as several recent state-of-the-art algorithms. Computational results show that the proposed ABC-SA outperforms other ABC variants and is superior to state-of-the-art algorithms proposed in the literature.

An Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm with Solution Acceptance Rule and Probabilistic Multisearch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alkın Yurtkuran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The artificial bee colony (ABC algorithm is a popular swarm based technique, which is inspired from the intelligent foraging behavior of honeybee swarms. This paper proposes a new variant of ABC algorithm, namely, enhanced ABC with solution acceptance rule and probabilistic multisearch (ABC-SA to address global optimization problems. A new solution acceptance rule is proposed where, instead of greedy selection between old solution and new candidate solution, worse candidate solutions have a probability to be accepted. Additionally, the acceptance probability of worse candidates is nonlinearly decreased throughout the search process adaptively. Moreover, in order to improve the performance of the ABC and balance the intensification and diversification, a probabilistic multisearch strategy is presented. Three different search equations with distinctive characters are employed using predetermined search probabilities. By implementing a new solution acceptance rule and a probabilistic multisearch approach, the intensification and diversification performance of the ABC algorithm is improved. The proposed algorithm has been tested on well-known benchmark functions of varying dimensions by comparing against novel ABC variants, as well as several recent state-of-the-art algorithms. Computational results show that the proposed ABC-SA outperforms other ABC variants and is superior to state-of-the-art algorithms proposed in the literature.

Effect of pH Value on the Electrochemical and Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior of X70 Pipeline Steel in the Dilute Bicarbonate Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Z. Y.; Liu, Z. Y.; Wang, L. W.; Ma, H. C.; Du, C. W.; Li, X. G.; Wang, X.

2015-11-01

In this work, effects of pH value on the electrochemical and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of X70 pipeline steel in the dilute bicarbonate solutions were investigated using electrochemical measurements, slow strain rate tensile tests and surface analysis techniques. Decrease of the solution pH from 6.8 to 6.0 promotes the anodic dissolution and cathodic reduction simultaneously. Further decrease of the pH value mainly accelerates the cathodic reduction of X70 pipeline steel. As a result, when the solution pH decreases form 6.8 to 5.5, SCC susceptibility decreases because of the enhancement of the anodic dissolution. When the solution pH decreases from 5.5 to 4.0, SCC susceptibility increases gradually because of the acceleration of cathodic reactions.

Power-Aware Routing and Network Design with Bundled Links: Solutions and Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosario G. Garroppo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deeply analyzes a novel network-wide power management problem, called Power-Aware Routing and Network Design with Bundled Links (PARND-BL, which is able to take into account both the relationship between the power consumption and the traffic throughput of the nodes and to power off both the chassis and even the single Physical Interface Card (PIC composing each link. The solutions of the PARND-BL model have been analyzed by taking into account different aspects associated with the actual applicability in real network scenarios: (i the time for obtaining the solution, (ii the deployed network topology and the resulting topology provided by the solution, (iii the power behavior of the network elements, (iv the traffic load, (v the QoS requirement, and (vi the number of paths to route each traffic demand. Among the most interesting and novel results, our analysis shows that the strategy of minimizing the number of powered-on network elements through the traffic consolidation does not always produce power savings, and the solution of this kind of problems, in some cases, can lead to spliting a single traffic demand into a high number of paths.

Viscoelastic behavior and microstructure of protein solutions

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Twenty percent solutions of calcium caseinate (CC), egg albumin (EA), fish protein isolate (FPI), soy protein isolate (SPI), wheat gluten (WG), and whey protein isolate (WPI) were examined during heating by small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements, which provided an indication of protein behav...

Dimorphic ejaculates and sperm release strategies associated with alternative mating behaviors in the squid.

Science.gov (United States)

Apostólico, Lígia H; Marian, José E A R

2017-11-01

Sperm competition is a powerful postcopulatory selective force influencing male adaptations associated with increasing fertilization success, and it is usually related to the evolution of different strategies of ejaculate expenditure between individuals. Ejaculates may also be influenced by additional selective pressures associated with sperm competition, such as timing between insemination and fertilization, female reproductive tract morphology, and fertilization environment. Also, males that adopt alternative mating tactics may face distinct sperm competition pressures, which may lead to the evolution of intraspecific diversity in ejaculates. In loliginid squids, males with alternative reproductive tactics (sneakers and consorts) differ not only in mating behavior, but also transfer spermatophores into two distinct sites within the female. Here, we compared structure and functioning of spermatophores between sneakers and consorts in the squid Doryteuthis plei applying microscopy techniques and in vitro experiments. Sneakers and consorts exhibit differences in spermatophore structure that lead to distinct spermatophoric reactions and spermatangium morphologies. Moreover, in sneakers, sperm release lasts longer and their sperm show an aggregative behavior not detected in consorts. Slow sperm release may be a strategy to guarantee longer sperm provision, given the wide interval between sneaker mating and egg release. For consorts, in turn, intense and quick sperm discharge may be advantageous, as timing between mating and egg-laying is relatively short. Within the complex squid mating system, factors such as (i) different fertilization sites and (ii) interval between mating and egg release may also influence sperm competition, and ultimately shape the evolution of divergent ejaculates between dimorphic males. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Slow positron beam study of corrosion behavior of AM60B magnesium alloy in NaCl solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W.; Zhu, Z.J.; Wang, J.J.; Wu, Y.C.; Zhai, T.; Song, G.-L.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Positron annihilation is a sensitive tool to characterize the corrosion layer. • The interfacial voids promoted the formation of Mg(OH) 2 corrosion layer. • Mg(OH) 2 precipitated during early corrosion stage provided a temporary protection. - Abstract: The corrosion behavior of super vacuum die-cast AM60B magnesium alloys immersed in a 5 wt% NaCl solution was investigated by slow positron beam technique, XRD, XPS, SEM and potentiodynamic polarization tests. The XRD and XPS results indicated that Mg(OH) 2 was main corrosion product in the salt solution. With prolonging the immersion time, a significant decrease of Doppler-broadened annihilation line-width parameter near the surface after corrosion was observed and interpreted that the pre-existing interfacial voids between oxide film and matrix might promote the formation of Mg(OH) 2 corrosion layer. Polarization tests found that Mg(OH) 2 could provide a temporary protection.

Improved creep strength of nickel-base superalloys by optimized γ/γ′ partitioning behavior of solid solution strengthening elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pröbstle, M.; Neumeier, S.; Feldner, P.; Rettig, R.; Helmer, H.E.; Singer, R.F.; Göken, M.

2016-01-01

Solid solution strengthening of the γ matrix is one key factor for improving the creep strength of single crystal nickel-base superalloys at high temperatures. Therefore a strong partitioning of solid solution hardening elements to the matrix is beneficial for high temperature creep strength. Different Rhenium-free alloys which are derived from CMSX-4 are investigated. The alloys have been characterized regarding microstructure, phase compositions as well as creep strength. It is found that increasing the Titanium (Ti) as well as the Tungsten (W) content causes a stronger partitioning of the solid solution strengtheners, in particular W, to the γ phase. As a result the creep resistance is significantly improved. Based on these ideas, a Rhenium-free alloy with an optimized chemistry regarding the partitioning behavior of W is developed and validated in the present study. It shows comparable creep strength to the Rhenium containing second generation alloy CMSX-4 in the high temperature / low stress creep regime and is less prone to the formation of deleterious topologically close packed (TCP) phases. This more effective usage of solid solution strengtheners can enhance the creep properties of nickel-base superalloys while reducing the content of strategic elements like Rhenium.

Effect of solution treatment on precipitation behaviors and age hardening response of Al–Cu alloys with Sc addition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, B.A.; Pan, L.; Wang, R.H.; Liu, G.; Cheng, P.M.; Xiao, L.; Sun, J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Effects of Sc addition on the precipitation and age hardening of Al–Cu alloy were investigated. ► The critical influence of solution treatment on the Sc effect was revealed. ► A significant enhancement in age hardening response was experimentally found and quantitatively assessed. - Abstract: Influences of solution treatment on precipitation behaviors and age hardening response of Al–2.5 wt% Cu–0.3 wt% Sc alloys were investigated, in comparison with Sc-free one. The Al 3 Sc dispersoids, formed during homogenization, were either survived or dissolved to become Sc solute atoms in solution treatment, depending on the solution temperature. When the temperature for solution treatment is 873 K, most of the Al 3 Sc dispersoids were dissolved and a significant enhancement in the uniform precipitation of finer θ′-Al 2 Cu particles was achieved in following aging treatment, causing a noticeable increase in peak-aging hardness by about 90% compared to Sc-free alloys. The enhanced age hardening effect was quantitatively related to the remarkable reduction in effective inter-particle spacing of the plate-shaped θ′-Al 2 Cu precipitates. When the temperature for solution treatment is 793 K, however, most of the Al 3 Sc dispersoids were survived after solution treatment and facilitated the heterogeneous precipitation of θ′-Al 2 Cu plates directly on the {1 0 0} facets of dispersoids in following aging treatment. Concomitantly, the uniform precipitation of θ′-Al 2 Cu plates was greatly suppressed, resulting in a reduced age hardening response. The age hardening responses were quantitatively assessed by using a modified strengthening model that is applicable to the plate-shaped precipitates. The calculations were in good agreement with experimental results. The present results show the importance of controlling solution treatments to achieve significant promotion effect of Sc addition on the precipitation hardening in heat-treatable aluminum

Ibandronate metal complexes: solution behavior and antiparasitic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Demoro, Bruno; Rostán, Santiago; Moncada, Mauricio; Li, Zhu-Hong; Docampo, Roberto; Olea Azar, Claudio; Maya, Juan Diego; Torres, Julia; Gambino, Dinorah; Otero, Lucía

2018-03-01

To face the high costs of developing new drugs, researchers in both industry and academy are looking for ways to repurpose old drugs for new uses. In this sense, bisphosphonates that are clinically used for bone diseases have been studied as agents against Trypanosoma cruzi, causative parasite of Chagas disease. In this work, the development of first row transition metal complexes (M = Co 2+ , Mn 2+ , Ni 2+ ) with the bisphosphonate ibandronate (iba, H 4 iba representing the neutral form) is presented. The in-solution behavior of the systems containing iba and the selected 3d metal ions was studied by potentiometry. Mononuclear complexes [M(H x iba)] (2-x)- (x = 0-3) and [M(Hiba) 2 ] 4- together with the formation of the neutral polynuclear species [M 2 iba] and [M 3 (Hiba) 2 ] were detected for all studied systems. In the solid state, complexes of the formula [M 3 (Hiba) 2 (H 2 O) 4 ]·6H 2 O were obtained and characterized. All obtained complexes, forming [M(Hiba)] - species under the conditions of the biological studies, were more active against the amastigote form of T. cruzi than the free iba, showing no toxicity in mammalian Vero cells. In addition, the same complexes were selective inhibitors of the parasitic farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) enzyme showing poor inhibition of the human one. However, the increase of the anti-T. cruzi activity upon coordination could not be explained neither through the inhibition of TcFPPS nor through the inhibition of TcSPPS (T. cruzi solanesyl-diphosphate synthase). The ability of the obtained metal complexes of catalyzing the generation of free radical species in the parasite could explain the observed anti-T. cruzi activity.

Determinants of Sedentary Behavior, Motivation, Barriers and Strategies to Reduce Sitting Time in Older Women: A Qualitative Investigation

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Sebastien F. M. Chastin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Sedentary behavior defined as time spent non-exercising seated or reclining posture has been identified has a health risk and associated with frailty and disablement for older adults. Older adults are the most sedentary segment of society. To date no study has investigated the determinants of sedentary behavior in older adults. This study reports a qualitative investigation of the determinants of sedentary behavior, strategies and motivator to reduce sitting time by structured interviews in a group of community dwelling older women (N = 11, age 65 and over. Older women expressed the view that their sedentary behavior is mostly determined by pain which acts both as an incentive to sit and a motivator to stand up, lack of energy in the afternoon, pressure from direct social circle to sit and rest, societal and environmental typecasting that older adult are meant to sit, lack of environmental facilities to allow activity pacing. This qualitative investigation highlighted some factors that older adults consider determinants of their sedentary behavior. Some are identical to those affecting physical activity (self-efficacy, functional limitations, ageist stereotyping but some appear specific to sedentary behavior (locus of control, pain and should be further investigated and considered during intervention design. Tailored interventions that pay attention to the pattern of sedentary behavior of individuals appear to be supported by the views of older women on their sedentary behavior.

Resisting Pressure from Peers to Engage in Sexual Behavior: What Communication Strategies Do Early Adolescent Latino Girls Use?

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, Anne E.; Pettigrew, Jonathan; Miller-Day, Michelle; Hecht, Michael L.; Hutchison, Janet; Campoe, Kristi

2015-01-01

A content analysis of early adolescent X-bar = 12.02 years) Latino girls' (n = 44) responses to open-ended questions embedded in an electronic survey was conducted to explore strategies girls may use to resist peer pressure with respect to sexual behavior. Analysis yielded 341 codable response units, 74% of which were consistent with the REAL…

Diagnostic studies of ac-driven plasmas in saline solutions: the effect of frequency on the plasma behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Hung-wen; Hsu, Cheng-che

2011-01-01

The effect of frequency on the characteristics of plasmas in saline solution driven by 50-1000 Hz ac power is studied. Two distinct modes, namely bubble and jetting modes, are identified. The bubble mode occurs under low frequencies. In this mode, a millimeter-sized bubble is tightly attached to the electrode tip and oscillates with the applied voltage. With an increase in frequency, it shows the jetting mode, in which bubbles, hundreds of micometers in diameter, are continuously formed and jetted away from the electrode surface. Such a significant change in the bubble behavior influences the power input at a given applied voltage and significantly affects the plasma behavior. In spite of the fact that no significant difference is seen in the optical emission spectra, the broadening of the H β peak shows that the bubble mode has a lower electron density than that of the jetting mode. The temporally resolved optical emission intensities show light emission in the negative half of the power period regardless of the modes. This shows clearly that the driving frequency significantly influences the bubble dynamics, which in turn alters the plasma behavior.

Special solutions of neutral functional differential equations

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Győri István

2001-01-01

Full Text Available For a system of nonlinear neutral functional differential equations we prove the existence of an -parameter family of "special solutions" which characterize the asymptotic behavior of all solutions at infinity. For retarded functional differential equations the special solutions used in this paper were introduced by Ryabov.

Solutions for a non-Markovian diffusion equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenzi, E.K.; Evangelista, L.R.; Lenzi, M.K.; Ribeiro, H.V.; Oliveira, E.C. de

2010-01-01

Solutions for a non-Markovian diffusion equation are investigated. For this equation, we consider a spatial and time dependent diffusion coefficient and the presence of an absorbent term. The solutions exhibit an anomalous behavior which may be related to the solutions of fractional diffusion equations and anomalous diffusion.

Computer Solution to the Game of Pure Strategy

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Laurent Bartholdi

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We numerically solve the classical "Game of Pure Strategy" using linear programming. We notice an intricate even-odd behaviour in the results of our computations that seems to encourage odd or maximal bids.

Nanoscale phase transition behavior of shape memory alloys — closed form solution of 1D effective modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Li, M. P.; Sun, Q. P.

2018-01-01

We investigate the roles of grain size (lg) and grain boundary thickness (lb) on the stress-induced phase transition (PT) behaviors of nanocrystalline shape memory alloys (SMAs) by using a Core-shell type "crystallite-amorphous composite" model. A non-dimensionalized length scale lbarg(=lg /lb) is identified as the governing parameter which is indicative of the energy competition between the crystallite and the grain boundary. Closed form analytical solutions of a reduced effective 1D model with embedded microstructure length scales of lg and lb are presented in this paper. It is shown that, with lbarg reduction, the energy of the elastic non-transformable grain boundary will gradually become dominant in the phase transition process, and eventually bring fundamental changes of the deformation behaviors: breakdown of two-phase coexistence and vanishing of superelastic hysteresis. The predictions are supported by experimental data of nanocrystalline NiTi SMAs.

Analytical solution for heat conduction problem in composite slab and its implementation in constructal solution for cooling of electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuddusi, Luetfullah; Denton, Jesse C.

2007-01-01

The constructal solution for cooling of electronics requires solution of a fundamental heat conduction problem in a composite slab composed of a heat generating slab and a thin strip of high conductivity material that is responsible for discharging the generated heat to a heat sink located at one end of the strip. The fundamental 2D heat conduction problem is solved analytically by applying an integral transform method. The analytical solution is then employed in a constructal solution, following Bejan, for cooling of electronics. The temperature and heat flux distributions of the elemental heat generating slabs are assumed to be the same as those of the analytical solution in all the elemental volumes and the high conductivity strips distributed in the different constructs. Although the analytical solution of the fundamental 2D heat conduction problem improves the accuracy of the distributions in the elemental slabs, the results following Bejan's strategy do not affirm the accuracy of Bejan's constructal solution itself as applied to this problem of cooling of electronics. Several different strategies are possible for developing a constructal solution to this problem as is indicated

Scaffolding Mathematical Modelling with a Solution Plan

Science.gov (United States)

Schukajlow, Stanislaw; Kolter, Jana; Blum, Werner

2015-01-01

In the study presented in this paper, we examined the possibility to scaffold mathematical modelling with strategies. The strategies were prompted using an instrument called "solution plan" as a scaffold. The effects of this step by step instrument on mathematical modelling competency and on self-reported strategies were tested using…

Passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Hong, E-mail: luohong@hhu.edu.cn [College of Mechanics and Materials, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098 (China); Su, Huaizhi [State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098,China (China); Dong, Chaofang; Li, Xiaogang [Institute of Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083,China (China)

2017-04-01

Highlights: • The pH value play an important role on passive mechanism of stainless steel. • The relationship between Cr/Fe ratio within the passive film and pH is non-linear. • Better corrosion resistance due to high Cr/Fe ratio and molybdates ions. - Abstract: In this paper, the passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solutions at different pH was evaluated by potentiodynamic measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composition of the passive film and surface morphology were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results reveal that metastable pitting susceptibility, stable pitting corrosion, and composition of the passive film are influenced by pH value. After long time immersion, a bilayer structure passive film can be formed in this environment. The appearance of molybdates on the outermost surface layer, further enhancing the stability of the passive film. Moreover, the good pitting corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel in simulated concrete pore solution without carbonated is mainly due to the presence of high Cr/Fe ratio and molybdates ions within the passive film.

Passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Hong; Su, Huaizhi; Dong, Chaofang; Li, Xiaogang

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The pH value play an important role on passive mechanism of stainless steel. • The relationship between Cr/Fe ratio within the passive film and pH is non-linear. • Better corrosion resistance due to high Cr/Fe ratio and molybdates ions. - Abstract: In this paper, the passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solutions at different pH was evaluated by potentiodynamic measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composition of the passive film and surface morphology were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results reveal that metastable pitting susceptibility, stable pitting corrosion, and composition of the passive film are influenced by pH value. After long time immersion, a bilayer structure passive film can be formed in this environment. The appearance of molybdates on the outermost surface layer, further enhancing the stability of the passive film. Moreover, the good pitting corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel in simulated concrete pore solution without carbonated is mainly due to the presence of high Cr/Fe ratio and molybdates ions within the passive film.

Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity Regulation in Solution-Gated Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Electric-Double-Layer Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Chang Jin; Liu, Yang Hui; Zhu, Li Qiang; Feng, Ping; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2016-04-20

In the biological nervous system, synaptic plasticity regulation is based on the modulation of ionic fluxes, and such regulation was regarded as the fundamental mechanism underlying memory and learning. Inspired by such biological strategies, indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) electric-double-layer (EDL) transistors gated by aqueous solutions were proposed for synaptic behavior emulations. Short-term synaptic plasticity, such as paired-pulse facilitation, high-pass filtering, and orientation tuning, was experimentally emulated in these EDL transistors. Most importantly, we found that such short-term synaptic plasticity can be effectively regulated by alcohol (ethyl alcohol) and salt (potassium chloride) additives. Our results suggest that solution gated oxide-based EDL transistors could act as the platforms for short-term synaptic plasticity emulation.

"We're Changing Our Ways": Women's Coping Strategies for Obesity Risk-reducing Behaviors in American Indian Households.

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Gadhoke, Preety; Christiansen, Karina; Pardilla, Marla; Frick, Kevin; Gittelsohn, Joel

2015-01-01

This article reveals women caregivers' perceptions and coping strategies to improve households' food and physical activity habits. Results emerged from the pre-intervention formative research phase of a multi-site, multi-level obesity prevention pilot intervention on American Indian (AI) reservations. Using purposive sampling, 250 adults and children participated in qualitative research. Results reveal that having local institutional support was a key structural facilitator. 'Family connectedness' emerged as a key relational facilitator. Hegemony of systems, food deserts, transportation, and weather were key structural barriers; Childcare needs and time constraints were key relational barriers. Women's coping strategies included planning ahead, maximizing, apportioning, tempting healthy, and social support. Findings informed the development and implementation of a novel obesity prevention pilot intervention tailored for each participating AI community addressing culturally relevant messages, institutional policies, and programs. We conclude with future consideration for comparative, ethnicity-based, class-based, and gender-specific studies on women's coping strategies for household health behaviors.

Foraging strategies of the Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus Cristatus): adapting behavioral rules to ontogenetic size change

OpenAIRE

Wikelski, Martin; Trillmich, Fritz

1994-01-01

Ontogenetic development in reptiles entails major changes in size-related foraging options. We studied the changes in foraging behavior of marine iguanas. In this species, size increases about twenty- to hundredfold from hatching to full adult size. The foraging strategy of marine iguanas was studied at Miedo on Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos archipelago During low tide, large marine iguanas (>250 mm snout vent length (SVL)) foraged more in the lower intertidal than small ones (

Protective Behavioral Strategies and Alcohol Use Outcomes among College Women Drinkers: Does Disordered Eating and Race Moderate This Association?

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Alicia S.; Moorer, Kayla D.; Madson, Michael B.; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil

2014-01-01

The current study examined the degree to which associations that protective behavioral strategy use had with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences were moderated by disordered eating and race. Participants were 382 female undergraduates (ages 18-25) who had consumed alcohol at least once within the previous month.…

Drag reduction behavior of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide/xanthan gum mixed polymer solutions

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mehdi Habibpour; Peter E.Clark

2017-01-01

Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) as the main component of slickwater fracturing fluid is a shear-sensitive polymer,which suffers from mechanical degradation at turbulent flow rates.Five different concentrations of HPAM as well as mixtures of polyacrylamide/xanthan gum were prepared to investigate the possibility of improving shear stability of HPAM.Drag reduction (DR)measurements were performed in a closed flow loop.For HPAM solutions,the extent of DR increased from 30％ to 67％ with increasing HPAM concentration from 100 to 1000 wppm.All the HPAM solutions suffered from mechanical degradation and loss of DR efficiency over the shearing period.Results indicated that the resistance to shear degradation increased with increasing polymer concentration.DR efficiency of 600 wppm xanthan gum (XG)was 38％,indicating that XG was not as good a drag reducer as HPAM.But with only 6％ DR decline,XG solution exhibited a better shear stability compared to HPAM solutions.Mixed HPAM/XG solutions initially exhibited greater DR (40％ and 55％) compared to XG,but due to shear degradation,DR％ dropped for HPAM/XG solutions.Compared to 200 wppm HPAM solution,addition of XG did not improve the drag reduction efficiency of HPAM/XG mixed solutions though XG slightly improved the resistance against mechanical degradation in HPAM/XG mixed polymer solutions.

Practice-level approaches for behavioral counseling and patient health behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, Bijal A; Cohen, Deborah J; Clark, Elizabeth C; Isaacson, Nicole F; Hung, Dorothy Y; Dickinson, L Miriam; Fernald, Douglas H; Green, Larry A; Crabtree, Benjamin F

2008-11-01

There is little empirical evidence to show that a practice-level approach that includes identifying patients in need of health behavior advice and linking them to counseling resources either in the practice or in the community results in improvements in patients' behaviors. This study examined whether patients in primary care practices that had practice-level approaches for physical activity and healthy-diet counseling were more likely to have healthier behaviors than patients in practices without practice-level approaches. A cross-sectional study of 54 primary care practices was conducted from July 2005 to January 2007. Practices were categorized into four groups depending on whether they had both identification tools (health risk assessment, registry) and linking strategies (within practice or to community resources); identification tools but no linking strategies; linking strategies but no identification tools; or neither identification tools nor linking strategies. Controlling for patient and practice characteristics, practices that had both identification tools and linking strategies for physical activity counseling were 80% more likely (95% CI=1.25, 2.59) to have patients who reported exercising regularly compared to practices that lacked both. Also, practices that had either identification tools or linking strategies but not both were approximately 50% more likely to have patients who reported exercising regularly. The use of a greater number of practice-level approaches for physical activity counseling was associated with higher odds of patients' reporting exercising regularly (p for trend=0.0002). Use of identification tools and linking strategies for healthy-eating counseling was not associated with patients' reports of healthy diets. This study suggests that practice-level approaches may enable primary care practices to help patients improve physical activity. However, these approaches may have different effects on different behaviors, and merit further

Effects of management strategies on glucocorticoids and behavior in Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis): translocation and operant conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Capiro, Jonnie M; Stoops, Monica A; Freeman, Elizabeth W; Clawson, Dave; Schook, Mandi W

2014-01-01

The ex situ Indian rhino population experienced a decrease in genetic diversity indicating that the breeding program could possibly benefit from novel reproductive management strategies to ensure population sustainability. We sought to determine how management tools used for reproductive management, specifically translocation and operant conditioning, impact physiological and behavioral measures of welfare in Indian rhinos. First, an adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge performed in an adult male resulted in a 38-fold increase in urinary and a 3.5-fold increase in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Mean and peak FGM differed among three females, but all demonstrated elevated (P operant conditioning to stand during transrectal ultrasound exams were monitored and rhinos differed in their mean and peak FGM concentrations. However, FGM were not different before versus during training or on pasture versus in the barn. One female exhibited more stereotypic behavior during training in the barn than on pasture (P operant conditioning only resulted in minimal changes in behaviors and FGM. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.

A Randomized Trial of the Self-Management Training and Regulation Strategy (STARS): A Selective Intervention for Students with Disruptive Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Aaron M.

2012-01-01

To attain academic goals, school personnel must effectively manage 20% of students who engage in the disruptive behaviors that interrupt instruction, create teacher stress, and contribute to poor student outcomes. Without effective strategies, school personnel often respond to disruptive students with ineffective authoritarian tactics,…

Towards Behaviorally Informed Public Interventions

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Karol Olejniczak

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This article informs readers about the theoretical and practical origins of the behaviorally informed interventions (BIPI, analyzes examples of the BIPI from different policy sectors and strategies they offer for policy and regulatory design, and discusses applications and implications of BIPI for public interventions Methodology: This paper is based on a review of literature, as well as an inspection of administrative practices in OECD countries. It encompasses a systematic analysis of scientific papers fromthe SCOPUS database and a query carried out at the library of George Washington University. Findings: The traditional approach to public policy research is based on rational choice theory. It offers limited support, because by assuming perfect rationality of policy decisions, it overlooks existence of systematic errors and biases of human decision-making. The authors argue that behaviorally informed public interventions (BIPI might contribute to improving the effectiveness of a number of public measures – regulation, projects, programs, and even entire policies. Practical implications: The behavioral approach allows decision-makers to better understand the decisions and behaviors of citizens, as well as to design more effective interventions with minimum effort by adapting the existing solutions to real decision mechanisms of citizens. Originality: By combining the concepts of traditional approach with the growing behavioral approach, the authors aim to propose a new theoretical framework (BIPI to be used as a tool for policy design, delivery and evaluation.

Construction of Algebraic and Difference Equations with a Prescribed Solution Space

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Moysis Lazaros

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the solution space of systems of algebraic and difference equations, given as auto-regressive (AR representations A(σβ(k = 0, where σ denotes the shift forward operator and A(σ is a regular polynomial matrix. The solution space of such systems consists of forward and backward propagating solutions, over a finite time horizon. This solution space can be constructed from knowledge of the finite and infinite elementary divisor structure of A(σ. This work deals with the inverse problem of constructing a family of polynomial matrices A(σ such that the system A(σβ(k = 0 satisfies some given forward and backward behavior. Initially, the connection between the backward behavior of an AR representation and the forward behavior of its dual system is showcased. This result is used to construct a system satisfying a certain backward behavior. By combining this result with the method provided by Gohberg et al. (2009 for constructing a system with a forward behavior, an algorithm is proposed for computing a system satisfying the prescribed forward and backward behavior.

Study of dynamic behavior of EDTA molecule in solution using perturbed gamma-gamma angular correlation spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amaral, Antonio A.; Silva, Andreia dos S.; Carbonari, Arthur W.; Lapolli, Andre L.

2009-01-01

In this work, PAC spectroscopy has been used to obtain the hyperfine parameters in EDTA molecules in solutions with pH 4.3 and pH 10.5 both measured at 77 K and 295 K using 181 Hf( 181 Ta) as probe nuclei. Both dynamic and static interactions were measured in aqueous solution, crystallized and re-hydrated samples in order to examine the motion and structure of EDTA-molecules. The hyperfine parameters, quadrupole interaction frequency (ν Q ), asymmetry (η), and the dynamic interaction frequency (λ) were obtained. The outcomes show that the rotational correlation time (τ CR ) is larger than the half-life of the intermediate state of probe nuclei. For samples with pH 4.3 and pH 10.5, it was observed an increase in ν Q when the temperature decreases, as expected, and also a variation of η, which is an evidence of a change in the EDTA molecule structure. 181 Hf is bound only to a single molecule site when the pH was 4.3, differently from the results for pH 10.5 sample, which showed two fractions with different ν Q indicating the possibility of 181 Hf being bonded to two different sites of the molecule. Measurements of the dehydrated sample presented different results leading us to conclude that the preparation procedure can causes alterations in the chemical bounds. Concluding, these results showed a systematic behavior of the 181 Hf-EDTA, with the variation of pH from 4 to approximately 11, and they are important to the knowledge of the dynamic behavior of this molecule. (author)

IMITATION STRATEGIES FOR SME’S LEARNING PROCESS TOWARDS INNOVATION STRATEGIES

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Rina Sulistiyani

2013-01-01

The research results are as follow: the learning experience to use imitation strategy which covers stages of imitation, research, development and  creation. This learning process is the result of interaction between personal and behavior factors, as well as the enabler and barriers. The owners of leather small industries which leave the imitation strategy and switch to innovation strategy are craftsmen who have an entrepreneurial spirit. they are able to balance entrepreneurial and business aspects.

Corrosion behavior of as-cast binary Mg-Bi alloys in Hank's solution

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Wei-li Cheng

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Biodegradable Mg-xBi (x = 3, 6 and 9wt.% alloys were fabricated by ingot casting, and the change of corrosion behavior of the alloys in the Hank's solution was analyzed with respect to the microstructure using optical micrograph (OM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscope (SEM equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS, electrochemical and immersion tests. The results show that the microstructures of the as-cast Mg-Bi alloys mainly consisted of dendritic ?Mg grains and Mg3Bi2 phase in common, with the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS decreasing significantly from 41.2 靘 to 25.4 靘 and the fraction of Mg3Bi2 increasing from 3.1% to 10.7%. Furthermore, the corrosion rate increasing from 1.32 mm昦-1 to 8.07 mm昦-1 as the Bi content was increased from 3wt.% to 9wt.%. The reduced corrosion resistance was mainly ascribed to the increasing fraction of the second phase particles, which bring positive effects on the development of pitting.

Behavior Management: Examining the Functions of Behavior

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Alstot, Andrew E.; Alstot, Crystal D.

2015-01-01

Appropriate student behavior is essential for the success of a physical education lesson. Despite using effective proactive management strategies, teachers may need to also use reactive techniques to reduce problem behaviors by applying suitable consequences. For these consequences to be effective, they must be aligned with the function, or cause,…

Alteration behavior of bentonite barrier of radioactive waste disposal by alkaline solutions. Part 1. Permeability change of compacted bentonite immersed in alkaline solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, Shingo; Nakamura, Kunihiko

2010-01-01

Permeability tests using the compacted bentonites and alkaline solutions were carried out to estimate of alteration behavior and the change of permeability during the alteration reaction. The permeability tests of the compacted bentonites were carried out at 23degC for one week after they were immersed in alkaline solution at 60degC for four weeks (immersing test). After permeability tests, the compacted bentonites were repeatedly tested as the same procedure (i.e. repetition of permeability test and immersing test) at 11 cycles. The compacted bentonites with initial dry density of 1.6 Mg/m 3 were reacted with the different type of the alkaline solutions (deionized water, NaOH (pH=12 and 14), KOH (pH=12 and 14) and Ca(OH) 2 (pH=12)) in each experiments. In the case of deionized water and alkaline solutions of pH12, the mineral compositions of altered bentonite were similar to original bentonite while the exchangeable cations of altered bentonites were changed. No changes of the mineralogical features of montmorillonite in altered bentonites (i.e. illitization, baideritization and increasing of layer charge) were observed in the case of deionized water, pH12-NaOH and pH12-Ca(OH) 2 . The montmorillonite was changed to the illite/smectite interstratified mineral containing about 40% illite like component during the reaction with pH12-KOH. In the case of alkaline solutions with pH14, the component minerals of bentonite (e.g. montmorillonite, quartz and clinoptilolite) were dissolved, consequently secondly minerals (e.g. analcime and phillipsite) were crystallized during experiments. Furthermore, the mineralogical features of montmorillonite were changed as illitization (pH14-KOH), beidellitization (pH14-NaOH and pH14-KOH) and increasing of layer charge (pH14-NaOH and pH14-KOH). No increasing of permeability were observed during the experiment using pH12-NaOH and pH12-Ca(OH) 2 as well as the case of deionized water. In the case of pH12-KOH, the permeability continually

Diffusion of aqueous solutions of ionic, zwitterionic, and polar solutes

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Teng, Xiaojing; Huang, Qi; Dharmawardhana, Chamila Chathuranga; Ichiye, Toshiko

2018-06-01

The properties of aqueous solutions of ionic, zwitterionic, and polar solutes are of interest to many fields. For instance, one of the many anomalous properties of aqueous solutions is the behavior of water diffusion in different monovalent salt solutions. In addition, solutes can affect the stabilities of macromolecules such as proteins in aqueous solution. Here, the diffusivities of aqueous solutions of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, tri-methylamine oxide (TMAO), urea, and TMAO-urea are examined in molecular dynamics simulations. The decrease in the diffusivity of water with the concentration of simple ions and urea can be described by a simple model in which the water molecules hydrogen bonded to the solutes are considered to diffuse at the same rate as the solutes, while the remainder of the water molecules are considered to be bulk and diffuse at almost the same rate as pure water. On the other hand, the decrease in the diffusivity of water with the concentration of TMAO is apparently affected by a decrease in the diffusion rate of the bulk water molecules in addition to the decrease due to the water molecules hydrogen bonded to TMAO. In other words, TMAO enhances the viscosity of water, while urea barely affects it. Overall, this separation of water molecules into those that are hydrogen bonded to solute and those that are bulk can provide a useful means of understanding the short- and long-range effects of solutes on water.

Behavior of the sorption of 60 Co in aqueous solution on inorganic materials as function of p H

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granados, F.; Bulbulian, S.; Solache R, M.; Bertin, V.

2004-01-01

The sorption of the 60 Co is evaluated in aqueous solution on Mg O, MnO 2 , TiO 2 , Sn O, activated carbon and hydrotalcite calcined as a function of the p H, using the method for lots and quantifying at the 60 Co for gamma spectrometry. Likewise it was explained the one behavior of the sorption of the 60 Co in the materials with base in the chemical species of this radioactive isotope in aqueous solution. The chemical species of the 60 Co in solution were identified by electrophoresis of high voltage for the different p H values. It was found that under the experimental conditions, the 60 Co showed a significant sorption on MnO 2 , TiO 2 and activated carbon. On the other hand, in Mg O, Sn O and calcined hydrotalcite also was observed a sorption, although in smaller quantities. The studied hydrated metallic oxides retained the 60 Co for ion exchange via. It was found that the 60 Co was present as a cationic specie to p H 1, 3, 5 and 7 and like a neutral specie to alkaline p H. (Author)

Strategies for enhancing information, motivation, and skills for self-management behavior changes: a qualitative study of diabetes care for older adults in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Suyoung; Song, Misoon; Chang, Sun Ju; Kim, Se-An

2014-01-01

To describe strategies for enhancing information, motivation, and skills related to changes in diabetes self-management behavior among community-dwelling older adults in Korea. A total of five focus group interviews (three separate focus groups) were conducted with 12 older adults with type 2 diabetes and five diabetes educators. Qualitative content analysis was used. "One's own willingness and ability" emerged as a fundamental belief about the strategies for diabetes self-management. Six major themes under three categories were identified. Under the information category, the recurrent themes were: 1) repeatedly offering detailed knowledge regarding self-management, 2) providing information about current health status, and 3) identifying experiential knowledge of blood glucose control. The recurrent themes in the motivation category were: 1) ensuring a positive attitude regarding self-management, and 2) encouragement or feedback from significant others. Furthermore, in the skills category, we found that the following theme emerged: hands-on skills training with numerical standards. This study identified six tailored strategies for enhancing information, motivation, and skills for diabetes self-management behavior changes. These strategies can be used in the development of a culturally sensitive diabetes self-management program for older adults.

A Contextual Behavior Science Framework for Understanding How Behavioral Flexibility Relates to Anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Palm Reed, Kathleen M; Cameron, Amy Y; Ameral, Victoria E

2017-09-01

There is a growing literature focusing on the emerging idea that behavioral flexibility, rather than particular emotion regulation strategies per se, provides greater promise in predicting and influencing anxiety-related psychopathology. Yet this line of research and theoretical analysis appear to be plagued by its own challenges. For example, middle-level constructs, such as behavioral flexibility, are difficult to define, difficult to measure, and difficult to interpret in relation to clinical interventions. A key point that some researchers have made is that previous studies examining flexible use of emotion regulation strategies (or, more broadly, coping) have failed due to a lack of focus on context. That is, examining strategies in isolation of the context in which they are used provides limited information on the suitability, rigid adherence, or effectiveness of a given strategy in that situation. Several of these researchers have proposed the development of new models to define and measure various types of behavioral flexibility. We would like to suggest that an explanation of the phenomenon already exists and that we can go back to our behavioral roots to understand this phenomenon rather than focusing on defining and capturing a new process. Indeed, thorough contextual behavioral analyses already yield a useful account of what has been observed. We will articulate a model explaining behavioral flexibility using a functional, contextual framework, with anxiety-related disorders as an example.

Filter Strategies for Mars Science Laboratory Orbit Determination

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Paul F.; Gustafson, Eric D.; Kruizinga, Gerhard L.; Martin-Mur, Tomas J.

2013-01-01

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft had ambitious navigation delivery and knowledge accuracy requirements for landing inside Gale Crater. Confidence in the orbit determination (OD) solutions was increased by investigating numerous filter strategies for solving the orbit determination problem. We will discuss the strategy for the different types of variations: for example, data types, data weights, solar pressure model covariance, and estimating versus considering model parameters. This process generated a set of plausible OD solutions that were compared to the baseline OD strategy. Even implausible or unrealistic results were helpful in isolating sensitivities in the OD solutions to certain model parameterizations or data types.

Global Existence and Large Time Behavior of Solutions to the Bipolar Nonisentropic Euler-Poisson Equations

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Min Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We study the one-dimensional bipolar nonisentropic Euler-Poisson equations which can model various physical phenomena, such as the propagation of electron and hole in submicron semiconductor devices, the propagation of positive ion and negative ion in plasmas, and the biological transport of ions for channel proteins. We show the existence and large time behavior of global smooth solutions for the initial value problem, when the difference of two particles’ initial mass is nonzero, and the far field of two particles’ initial temperatures is not the ambient device temperature. This result improves that of Y.-P. Li, for the case that the difference of two particles’ initial mass is zero, and the far field of the initial temperature is the ambient device temperature.

Optimal knockout strategies in genome-scale metabolic networks using particle swarm optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Govind; Jungreuthmayer, Christian; Zanghellini, Jürgen

2017-02-01

Knockout strategies, particularly the concept of constrained minimal cut sets (cMCSs), are an important part of the arsenal of tools used in manipulating metabolic networks. Given a specific design, cMCSs can be calculated even in genome-scale networks. We would however like to find not only the optimal intervention strategy for a given design but the best possible design too. Our solution (PSOMCS) is to use particle swarm optimization (PSO) along with the direct calculation of cMCSs from the stoichiometric matrix to obtain optimal designs satisfying multiple objectives. To illustrate the working of PSOMCS, we apply it to a toy network. Next we show its superiority by comparing its performance against other comparable methods on a medium sized E. coli core metabolic network. PSOMCS not only finds solutions comparable to previously published results but also it is orders of magnitude faster. Finally, we use PSOMCS to predict knockouts satisfying multiple objectives in a genome-scale metabolic model of E. coli and compare it with OptKnock and RobustKnock. PSOMCS finds competitive knockout strategies and designs compared to other current methods and is in some cases significantly faster. It can be used in identifying knockouts which will force optimal desired behaviors in large and genome scale metabolic networks. It will be even more useful as larger metabolic models of industrially relevant organisms become available.

Behavior of Paramecium sp. in solutions containing Sr and Pb: Do Paramecium sp. alter chemical forms of those metals?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozai, Naofumi; Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Koka, Masahi; Satoh, Takahiro; Kamiya, Tomihiro

2011-01-01

The behavior of Paramecium sp. (Paramecium bursaria) in aqueous solutions containing Sr and Pb was investigated to determine the role of protozoa in the migration of radionuclides in the environment. Precultured living cells of P. bursaria were exposed to aqueous solutions containing 0.01 or 0.05 mM Sr or Pb at pH 7 for 24 h. For comparison, pre-killed cells were treated with the metal solutions in the same way. Two-dimensional elemental mappings of cells were obtained by micro-PIXE. Aquatic species of Sr and Pb were analyzed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled online to ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and inductivity coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The amounts of Sr adsorbed or taken up by the cells surviving for 24 h and adsorbed on pre-killed cells were below the detection limit. Cells of P. bursaria adsorbed or took up a fraction of Pb. The Pb adsorbed or taken up by the cells surviving for 24 h in the Pb solution was barely detectable, while the Pb adsorbed on pre-killed cells was clearly mappable. These findings suggest that living cells of P. bursaria have functions that reduce adsorption or uptake of Pb on the cells. Quantitative and SEC-UV-ICP-MS analyses of the Sr and Pb in aqueous phases showed no clear evidences that living cells of P. bursaria alter the chemical form of Sr or Pb remaining in the aqueous phases after the cell-solution contact.

Behavior of Paramecium sp. in solutions containing Sr and Pb: Do Paramecium sp. alter chemical forms of those metals?

Science.gov (United States)

Kozai, Naofumi; Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Koka, Masahi; Satoh, Takahiro; Kamiya, Tomihiro

2011-10-01

The behavior of Paramecium sp. (Paramecium bursaria) in aqueous solutions containing Sr and Pb was investigated to determine the role of protozoa in the migration of radionuclides in the environment. Precultured living cells of P. bursaria were exposed to aqueous solutions containing 0.01 or 0.05 mM Sr or Pb at pH 7 for 24 h. For comparison, pre-killed cells were treated with the metal solutions in the same way. Two-dimensional elemental mappings of cells were obtained by micro-PIXE. Aquatic species of Sr and Pb were analyzed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled online to ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and inductivity coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The amounts of Sr adsorbed or taken up by the cells surviving for 24 h and adsorbed on pre-killed cells were below the detection limit. Cells of P. bursaria adsorbed or took up a fraction of Pb. The Pb adsorbed or taken up by the cells surviving for 24 h in the Pb solution was barely detectable, while the Pb adsorbed on pre-killed cells was clearly mappable. These findings suggest that living cells of P. bursaria have functions that reduce adsorption or uptake of Pb on the cells. Quantitative and SEC-UV-ICP-MS analyses of the Sr and Pb in aqueous phases showed no clear evidences that living cells of P. bursaria alter the chemical form of Sr or Pb remaining in the aqueous phases after the cell-solution contact.

Behavior of Paramecium sp. in solutions containing Sr and Pb: Do Paramecium sp. alter chemical forms of those metals?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kozai, Naofumi, E-mail: kozai.naofumi@jaea.go.jp [Advanced Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Ohnuki, Toshihiko [Advanced Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Koka, Masahi; Satoh, Takahiro; Kamiya, Tomihiro [Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, JAEA, 1233 Watanuki-machi, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

2011-10-15

The behavior of Paramecium sp. (Paramecium bursaria) in aqueous solutions containing Sr and Pb was investigated to determine the role of protozoa in the migration of radionuclides in the environment. Precultured living cells of P. bursaria were exposed to aqueous solutions containing 0.01 or 0.05 mM Sr or Pb at pH 7 for 24 h. For comparison, pre-killed cells were treated with the metal solutions in the same way. Two-dimensional elemental mappings of cells were obtained by micro-PIXE. Aquatic species of Sr and Pb were analyzed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled online to ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and inductivity coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The amounts of Sr adsorbed or taken up by the cells surviving for 24 h and adsorbed on pre-killed cells were below the detection limit. Cells of P. bursaria adsorbed or took up a fraction of Pb. The Pb adsorbed or taken up by the cells surviving for 24 h in the Pb solution was barely detectable, while the Pb adsorbed on pre-killed cells was clearly mappable. These findings suggest that living cells of P. bursaria have functions that reduce adsorption or uptake of Pb on the cells. Quantitative and SEC-UV-ICP-MS analyses of the Sr and Pb in aqueous phases showed no clear evidences that living cells of P. bursaria alter the chemical form of Sr or Pb remaining in the aqueous phases after the cell-solution contact.

Scaling Behavior of Dendritic Nanoparticle Mobility in Semidilute Polymer Solutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kort, de D.W.; Rombouts, W.H.; Hoeben, F.J.M.; Janssen, H.M.; As, van H.; Duynhoven, van J.P.M.

2015-01-01

In our studies on particle mobility in polymer solutions, we have investigated and determined self-diffusion coefficients of nanoparticles in semidilute solutions of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, Mw = 6, 20, 35, and 100 kDa). Specially designed PEGylated dendrimers with well-defined sizes (dh =

Study on the Electrochemical Behavior of Iodide at Platinum Electrode in Potassium Chlorate Solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Sang Hyuk; Yeon, Jei Won; Song, Kyu Seok [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Radioactive iodine-131, is one of the most hazardous fission products which could be released from fuels of nuclear reactors during the severe accident of nuclear power plants. Due to its high radioactivity, high fission yield (2.8%) and hazardous biological effects, the behavior of iodine has been taken interests in many research groups. Iodine is known to be released from the fuels as a cesium iodide form, CsI. And, as nuclear fuels are mostly placed in the water pool, it is easily dissolved in the water after released from the fuels. In water, iodide anion could be oxidized into molecular iodine. As the molecular iodine is a volatile species and the oxidizing rate is affected by many environmental facts such as pH, radiolysis products and temperature, the oxidation reaction of the iodide ion has been considered as an important chemical reaction related to the severe accident of nuclear power plants In present work, the electrochemical behavior of iodide anion was observed by using cyclic voltammetric technique in potassium chlorate solutions. We observed two different oxidation waves in the oxidation potential region. From the comparison with the previous reported results, one is regarded as the oxidation of iodide into molecular iodine. The other is evaluated to be the formation of high-valent iodine-containing compounds

Types of work-related behavior and experiences and stress coping strategies among single mothers and mothers in relationships differentiating role of work satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Napora, Elżbieta; Andruszkiewicz, Anna; Basińska, Małgorzata Anna

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study has been to describe functioning of single and mothers in relationships (married or in informal relationships) at work and verify if the declared degree of work satisfaction differentiates types of behavior at work and stress coping strategies in both groups of mothers. The study was conducted on equal samples of single mothers (N = 186) and mothers from 2-parent families (N = 186) using Latack Coping Scale that measures work-related stress coping strategies, the AVEM (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster - Work-Related Behavior and Experience Pattern) questionnaire, and a survey. It showed similarity between the studied groups in terms of the measured variables. There were considerable differences between single and married mothers in terms of support seeking strategies. The interaction of work satisfaction and the type of motherhood significantly differentiates (p = 0.03) the avoidance strategy of resignation. That strategy of resignation was more frequently used by single mothers with lower work satisfaction, who were distinctly different from those whose work satisfaction was higher, and from the mothers in relationships (married or in informal relationships) (regardless of the level of their work satisfaction). Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(1):55-69. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Corrosion-electrochemical behavior of metals in alkali solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, V.A.; Levina, E.Eh.

1995-01-01

Results of an investigation into corrosion-electrochemical behaviour of 12Kh18N10T, 10Kh17N13M2T, 08Kh21N6M2T and 15Kh25T steels, 06KhN28MDT and KhN78T alloys as well as NP-2 nickel in sodium, potassium and lithium hydroxide solutions at 95-180 deg C temperatures are considered. It is ascertained, that anode polarization curves of all metals irrespective of hydroxide nature, concentration, temperature, presence of chloride and chlorate additions, are of identic character. The movement of anode polarization curves in the direction of lower current of hydroxide type in NaOH-KOH-LiOH series, temperature and solution concentration reduction at other equal terms. 12 refs.; 6 figs

A meta-analysis of the effects of classroom management strategies and classroom management programs on students’ academic, behavioral, emotional, and motivational outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korpershoek, Hanke; Harms, Truus; de Boer, Hester; van Kuijk, Mechteld; Doolaard, Simone

This meta-analysis examined which classroom management strategies and programs enhanced students’ academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and motivational outcomes in primary education. The analysis included 54 random and nonrandom controlled intervention studies published in the past decade

Creating a Strategy for Progress: A Contextual Behavioral Science Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Vilardaga, Roger; Hayes, Steven C.; Levin, Michael E.; Muto, Takashi

2009-01-01

Behavior analysis is a field dedicated to the development and application of behavioral principles to the understanding and modification of the psychological actions of organisms. As such, behavior analysis was committed from the beginning to a comprehensive account of behavior, stretching from animal learning to complex human behavior. Despite…

Flexible polyelectrolyte chain in a strong electrolyte solution: Insight into equilibrium properties and force-extension behavior from mesoscale simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Malekzadeh Moghani, Mahdy; Khomami, Bamin

2016-01-01

Macromolecules with ionizable groups are ubiquitous in biological and synthetic systems. Due to the complex interaction between chain and electrostatic decorrelation lengths, both equilibrium properties and micro-mechanical response of dilute solutions of polyelectrolytes (PEs) are more complex than their neutral counterparts. In this work, the bead-rod micromechanical description of a chain is used to perform hi-fidelity Brownian dynamics simulation of dilute PE solutions to ascertain the self-similar equilibrium behavior of PE chains with various linear charge densities, scaling of the Kuhn step length (lE) with salt concentration cs and the force-extension behavior of the PE chain. In accord with earlier theoretical predictions, our results indicate that for a chain with n Kuhn segments, lE ˜ cs-0.5 as linear charge density approaches 1/n. Moreover, the constant force ensemble simulation results accurately predict the initial non-linear force-extension region of PE chain recently measured via single chain experiments. Finally, inspired by Cohen's extraction of Warner's force law from the inverse Langevin force law, a novel numerical scheme is developed to extract a new elastic force law for real chains from our discrete set of force-extension data similar to Padè expansion, which accurately depicts the initial non-linear region where the total Kuhn length is less than the thermal screening length.

Solution Focused Approach and Usage of Nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurcan AKGUL GUNDOGDU

2016-12-01

Full Text Available "Problem talk creates problems; solution talk creates solutions " Steve de Shazer In recent years, concern for solution-oriented approach has increased in nursing practice. In this review it is aimed to give information about nursing application of solution-oriented approach whose efficacy has been proved with many studies. In addition, solution-oriented approach is what how it turned out, the answer to the question of principle, and that is what the management strategy and what the nursing relationship will be sought. [JCBPR 2016; 5(3.000: 145-152

Studies of Protein Solution Properties Using Osmotic Pressure Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Agena, S.; Bogle, David; Pusey, Marc; Agena, S.

1998-01-01

Examination of the protein crystallization process involves investigation of the liquid and solid state and a protein's properties in these states. Liquid state studies such as protein self association in solution by light scattering methods or other methods have been used to examine a protein Is properties and therefore its crystallization process and conditions. Likewise can osmotic pressure data be used to examine protein properties and various published osmotic pressure studies were examined by us to correlate osmotic pressure to protein solution properties. The solution behavior of serum albumin, alpha - chymotrypsin, beta - lactoglobulin and ovalbumin was examined over a range of temperatures, pH values and different salt types and concentrations. Using virial expansion and a local composition model the non ideal solution behavior in form of the activity coefficients (thermodynamic) was described for the systems. This protein activity coefficient data was related to a protein's solubility behavior and this process and the results will be presented.

In vitro degradation behavior of Fe–20Mn–1.2C alloy in three different pseudo-physiological solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mouzou, Essowè; Paternoster, Carlo; Tolouei, Ranna; Purnama, Agung; Chevallier, Pascale; Dubé, Dominique; Prima, Frédéric