Influence and adjustment goals: Sources of cultural differences in ideal affect.

Previous studies have found that in American culture high-arousal positive states (HAP) such as excitement are valued more and low-arousal positive states (LAP) such as calm are valued less than they are in Chinese culture. What specific factors account for these differences? The authors predicted that when people and cultures aimed to influence others (i.e., assert personal needs and change others' behaviors to meet those needs), they would value HAP more and LAP less than when they aimed to adjust to others (i.e., suppress personal needs and change their own behaviors to meet others' needs). They test these predictions in 1 survey and 3 experimental studies. The findings suggest that within and across American and Chinese contexts, differences in ideal affect are due to specific interpersonal goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fuzzy rule interpolation for multidimensional input spaces in determining d50c of hydrocyclones

Fuzzy rule-based systems have been very popular in many engineering applications. In mineral engineering, fuzzy rules are normally constructed using some fuzzy rule extraction techniques to establish the determination model in predicting the d50c of hydrocyclones. However, when generating fuzzy rules from the available information, it may result in a sparse fuzzy rule base. The use of more than one input variable is also common in hydrocyclone data analysis. This paper examines the application of fuzzy interpolation to resolve the problems using sparse fuzzy rule bases, and to perform analysis of fuzzy interpolation in multidimensional input spaces.     

Reaction Between Strontium-Doped Lanthanum Cuprate and Yittria-Stabilized Zirconia

Sr-doped lanthanum cuprate was recently investigated as a potential cathode material for the intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell using yittria-stabilized zirconia as an electrolyte. The material thermal stability of cathode material against an electrolyte at an operating temperature plays an important role in the fuel cell's performance. In this study, the structural stability between Sr-doped lanthanum cuprate and 8 mol% yittria-stabilized zirconia was investigated by using the powder mixture and diffusion couple. The chemical reaction between these two materials in the temperature ranging from 800° to 1000°C was examined by X-ray diffraction analyses. The interfacial reaction behavior between electrode and electrolyte pellets of the reaction couple was examined by a grazing X-ray diffractometer, wavelength-dispersive X-ray analysis, and an electron probe microanalyzer. No reaction products were observed as these two materials co-fired at 800°C. The reaction products of pyrochlore La₂Zr₂O₇ and perovskite SrZrO₃ were formed when the specimens were heat treated at over 900°C. Because of the formation of these reaction products, the CuO was precipitated. Furthermore, an excess of SrZrO₃ formation leads to the phase decomposition of perovskite Sr-doped lanthanum cuprate to La_{2− x} Sr _x CuO₄ and CuO due to a decrease in strontium concentration in Sr-doped lanthanum cuprate.     

Shapes of Submerged Funicular Arches

In this paper, the analytical forms of the shapes of submerged funicular arches are expressed in terms of elliptic integrals. The initial radius of curvature at the apex is related to the water depth at the apex and the axial compressive force. The shape of the submerged funicular arches depends on the ratio between this initial radius of curvature and the water depth at the apex. Using the analytical expressions, the maximum span and height of the submerged funicular arches can be determined explicitly. Besides, the analytical expressions are useful in determining the design parameters for the submerged funicular arches accurately.     

Small bowel transplantation: current progress and clinical application

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is used routinely to maintain patients with the Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). Until recently, TPN has been the only available therapeutic modality for patients with SBS. Currently, it is the treatment of choice for such individuals and occasionally, when the loss of bowel is extensive, it may be the only way of maintaining life. Unfortunately, TPN is expensive and markedly restrains an individual's lifestyle. Despite the overall success of TPN, the numerous risks associated with its use and the many complications of having an intravenous indwelling for years have served as the stimulus for alternative treatments such as small bowel transplantation (SBT). The first attempts at small bowel transplantation in clinical medicine were by Detterling almost 25 years ago. Patient death or graft loss in these early attempts was caused by the failure to control graft rejection and/or the inability to prevent Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). A stimulus for renewed clinical interest in SBT was provided by Starzl et al in 1988 with a report of prolonged graft survival without graft rejection or GVHD in a patient who was the recipient of a multivisceral graft consisting of the entire small bowel and other abdominal organs. Since 1964, 78 Small Bowel transplants have been performed in humans. Several variations of the multivisceral procedure in which the liver and the small bowel constitute the major components of the graft were adopted. The longest survival has been in a child who is still alive with a working graft for more than two years, as reported by Goulet from Paris in 1989. The introduction in SBT of the new immunosuppressive agent FK 506 had provided results which are superior to those achieved with Cyclosporine A (CsA). This latter observation prompted the Pittsburgh group to initiate a large series of isolated and composite intestinal grafts. The remarkable results have demonstrated the clinical utility of intestinal transplantation. This paper will try to summarize the history of the small bowel transplantation until the end of the year 1992, with the current progress in use today.