Where lies the burden of proof?

Henry Garrett's comment on "The SPSSI and Racial Differences" (see record 2005-11891-003) can be more ably answered, I am sure, by those who have scientifically studied intelligence and racial differences. I am commenting as a psychologist who happens to be a Negro. Garrett's statement that "the fact of racial differences is so immediate and compelling to most people that the burden of proof is on those who claim equality--not the reverse" is very subjective and smacks of the attitude of the Herrenvolk. I question whether one can find "comparable" groups of Negroes and whites to evaluate in terms of intelligence as our present tests measure it in view of the decades of inequality of opportunity and the present nationwide operation of discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Global assessment of El Ni?o's disaster burden

BACKGROUND: Natural disasters have profound effects on health and require medical intervention as part of relief operations. The world's populations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which are responsible for most natural disasters. The El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most prominent global climate system associated with year-to-year weather variability and extreme events. We have estimated the burden on human health of natural disasters associated with ENSO. METHODS: We used time-series regression analysis of the relation between El Ni?o years and the annual rates of persons affected by natural disasters per 1000 population during 1964-93, globally and also by region and disaster type. Correlations between sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies (index of ENSO) and the rates of persons affected by natural disasters per 1000 population were determined globally, by region and by disaster type. FINDINGS: The rate of persons affected by natural disasters worldwide is strongly associated with ENSO; rates are greater during the first El Ni?o year (p = 0.05) and the following year (p = 0.01) than in the pre-Ni?o year. The correlation between rates of persons affected by natural disasters and SST anomalies in the Eastern Pacific (a key ENSO indicator) is highest in the last quarter of the previous year (r = 0.53, p < 0.01). These associations are strongest in South Asia, the region where more than 50% of all disaster victims live. Worldwide, rates of persons affected by drought/famine (half of all disaster victims) and by volcanic eruptions show significant associations with the ENSO cycle, being highest in the post-Ni?o year and El Ni?o year, respectively, and being significantly associated with SST anomalies. INTERPRETATION: The strong relation between ENSO and populations affected by natural disasters can be described as a "natural disaster cycle". Determining the phase in this cycle, using SST from the Eastern Equatorial Pacific, could benefit disaster preparedness on a global scale, for South Asia in particular, and for all populations affected by drought/famine and volcanic disasters.     

Fundamental research on iron coke hot briquette – A new type burden used in blast furnace

In order to improve blast furnace efficiency, reduce CO₂ emission and accelerate energy utilisation, a new preparation process of iron coke hot briquette (ICHB) based on the raw materials conditions in China, a new type blast furnace ironmaking burden, was experimentally investigated in this paper. The new preparation process was researched and optimised through single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment. Meanwhile, the reactivity and the post-reaction strength of ICHB prepared under the optimised conditions were tested and the effect of ICHB on the thermal performance of conventional coke was researched. In addition, softening and dripping properties of mixed burden with optimised ICHB charging was simultaneously investigated. The results showed that the optimised preparation parameters of ICHB include 15% iron ore, 65% bituminous coal, 350°C hot briquetting temperature, 1100°C carbonisation temperature and 4 hours carbonisation time. The reactivity and the post-reaction strength of ICHB prepared under the optimisation conditions are 62.4 and 10.6%, respectively. ICHB has protective effect on conventional coke and the protective effect is more obvious with 10% ICHB adding. With the increase of ICHB charging ratio, softening interval T₄₀–T₄ of mixed burden is widened while melting interval T_D–T_S (namely cohesive zone) is narrowed. Additionally, the permeability of mixed burden becomes better and dripping ratio is first increased then decreased. The suitable charging ratio of ICHB in mixed burden is about 30%.     

Dilution: A theoretical burden or just load? A reply to Tsal and Benoni (2010).

Load theory of attention proposes that distractor processing is reduced in tasks with high perceptual load that exhaust attentional capacity within task-relevant processing. In contrast, tasks of low perceptual load leave spare capacity that spills over, resulting in the perception of task-irrelevant, potentially distracting stimuli. Tsal and Benoni (2010) find that distractor response competition effects can be reduced under conditions with a high search set size but low perceptual load (due to a singleton color target). They claim that the usual effect of search set size on distractor processing is not due to attentional load but instead attribute this to lower level visual interference. Here, we propose an account for their findings within load theory. We argue that in tasks of low perceptual load but high set size, an irrelevant distractor competes with the search nontargets for remaining capacity. Thus, distractor processing is reduced under conditions in which the search nontargets receive the spillover of capacity instead of the irrelevant distractor. We report a new experiment testing this prediction. Our new results demonstrate that, when peripheral distractor processing is reduced, it is the search nontargets nearest to the target that are perceived instead. Our findings provide new evidence for the spare capacity spillover hypothesis made by load theory and rule out accounts in terms of lower level visual interference (or mere “dilution”) for cases of reduced distractor processing under low load in displays of high set size. We also discuss additional evidence that discounts the viability of Tsal and Benoni's dilution account as an alternative to perceptual load. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mixed burden softening and melting phenomena in blast furnace operation Part 2 – Mechanism of softening and melting and impact on cohesive zone

Abstract

The present work was designed to improve the current understanding of the softening and melting (SM) mechanism of ferrous materials and to identify their potential impact on the cohesive zone in the blast furnace (BF). The lump ore, direct reduced iron (DRI) and hot briquetted iron (HBI) were individually subjected to industrial trials and their results were compared with those obtained in the laboratory (SM) tests described in first part of the present paper. The difference between melting and 10% bed shrinkage temperature obtained from the results of laboratory and industrial tests was compared and it was found within 10% limits. The SM temperatures were also correlated to the basicity, gangue and flux contents of the mixed burden. The liquid slag mass fraction was computed using FactSage software and compared with the deformation of the burden bed. These results indicated presence of a small amount of liquid at temperatures close to the softening temperature of the burden suggesting that the deformation of solid phases is the primary cause for softening of the burden. The melting of the mixed burden is dependent on the melting point of DRI and melt exudation occurs close to the meltdown of the burden. The impact of ferrous burdens on the cohesive zone was predicted on the basis of experimental results which indicated DRI/HBI is an excellent blast furnace feed material to improve the productivity and decrease the coke rate in the BF.