Level of aspiration in coalition bargaining.

Although some theories of coalition formation are quite accurate and promising, they are unable to explain the large variability of coalition outcomes. It is hypothesized that the variability of outcomes can be attributed to the variability of subjects' aspiration levels in coalition experiments. A bargainer with high aspirations is likely to make high demands and is likely to be rejected as a coalition partner. To manipulate aspiration level, the points-to-money conversion scales of subjects (105 college students) were systematically varied in three-person coalition games. As hypothesized, the results indicate that bargainers who have high aspirations (relative to other bargainers) are more likely to be excluded from coalitions. The implications of these results for current theories of coalition formation and for the development of a process theory are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concentrations of Pressure Between an Elastically Supported Beam and a Moving Timoshenko-Beam

The present paper is concerned with the motion of an elastically supported beam that carries an elastic beam moving at constant speed. This problem provides a limiting case to the assumptions usually considered in the study of trains moving on rail tracks. In the literature, the train is commonly treated as a moving line-load with space-wise constant intensity, or as a system of moving rigid bodies supported by single springs and dampers. In extension, we study an elastically supported infinite beam, which is mounted by an elastic beam moving at a constant speed. Both beams are considered to have distributed stiffness and mass. The moving beam represents the train, while the elastically supported infinite beam models the railway track. The two beams are connected by an interface modeled as an additional continuous elastic foundation. Here, we follow a strategy by Stephen P. Timoshenko, who showed that a beam on discrete elastic supports could be modeled as a beam on a continuous elastic Winkler (one-parameter) foundation without suffering a substantial loss in accuracy. The celebrated Timoshenko theory of shear deformable beams with rotatory inertia is used to formulate the equations of motion of the two beams under consideration. The resulting system of ordinary differential equations and boundary conditions is solved by means of the powerful methods of symbolic computation. We present a nondimensional study on the influence of the train stiffness and the interface stiffness upon the pressure distribution between train and railway track. Considerable pressure concentrations are found to take place at the ends of the moving train.     

Protein folding and misfolding inside and outside the cell

The workshop was held at St Catherine's College, Oxford, from March 25-28, 1998, and attracted participants from 32 nations. Protein folding is one of the most important processes in biology since it adds functional flesh to the bare bones of genes, but it has traditionally been studied by people separated both intellectually and physically because they are training in different disciplines. The aim of the meeting was to bring together chemists and structural biologists studying how pure, denatured proteins refold spontaneously in the test tube, with biochemists and cell biologists who are concerned with how proteins fold inside living cells and medical scientists interested in the diseases that result when this process goes wrong. In this report we concentrate on general concepts and themes rather than on detailing every contribution.     

Improving health outcomes among youth with poorly controlled type I diabetes: The role of treatment fidelity in a randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy.

The purpose of the study was to assess whether therapist treatment fidelity was a predictor of treatment outcome in a randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with 10- to 16-year-old youths with chronically poorly controlled Type I diabetes (N = 40). Treatment fidelity was assessed by objective ratings of therapy sessions and questionnaires completed by caregivers and by therapists. Relationships between fidelity measures were assessed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test whether high fidelity would lead to improved regimen adherence and to improved metabolic control outcomes via regimen adherence. Objective ratings of treatment fidelity were significantly related to therapist-reported but not to caregiver-reported treatment fidelity. SEM results supported a completely mediated pathway between treatment fidelity and metabolic control, with regimen adherence mediating the relationship. Results suggest that conducting complex behavioral interventions with a high degree of fidelity can improve treatment outcomes among youths with chronic illnesses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ROADWAY ASPHALT

The condition of ten roadways constructed between February 1983 and Hay 1984 has been evaluated with respect to distortion, cracking, raveling, rutting, and overall condition. These observations have been correlated with laboratory measurements of rheological and chemical properties of the refinery liquid from which the roadway was made. Rheologic parameters include penetration, ductility, and viscosity. Chemical measurements include elemental analyses, fractionation into asphaltenes, oils, and resins, infrared and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, molecular size of asphalt components by high performance liquid chromatography, and solvent solubility