Threat and selective exposure: The moderating role of threat and decision context on confirmatory information search after decisions.

Previous studies on the impact of perceived threat on confirmatory information search (selective exposure) in the context of decision making have yielded mixed results. Some studies have suggested that confirmatory information search is reduced, yet others have found contradictory effects. The present series of 5 studies consistently found that the crucial moderator for these inconsistent findings was whether the induced threat was contextually related to the subsequent decision and information search tasks. Contextual incongruence (e.g., an induction of terrorist threat followed by an economic decision case) results in reduced levels of confirmatory information search, whereas a congruent threat (e.g., an induction of terrorist threat followed by a decision case on terrorism) results in increased levels of confirmatory information search. Analyses of the underlying psychological processes revealed that decision-unrelated threat inductions increase decision makers' experienced decision uncertainty, thus reducing confirmatory information search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modeling psychotherapy outcome as an event in time: An application of multistage analysis.

Standard survival analysis (SA) and multistate analysis (MSA) are methods for modeling categorical psychotherapy outcome events over time. The underlying principles, mathematical details, and indications for using each technique are discussed, and data from an anorexia nervosa psychotherapy outcome study comparing psychodynamic psychotherapy with psychodynamic psychotherapy plus cognitive–behavioral techniques are used to illustrate the use of SA and MSA techniques. MSA includes multiple competing outcome states in a single model. A single MSA model includes reaching target weight and treatment dropout before reaching target weight as competing events. It is concluded that MSA is an informative analytic technique in the domain of psychotherapy research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigations on possibilities of inline inspection of high aspect ratio microstructures

LIGA is the basic idea of promising developments for the manufacturing of microelectromechanical system parts containing high aspect ratio microstructures. Aim of the work is a brief discussion of the starting-points for inline process inspection within a direct LIGA technology using deep X-ray lithography for the production of micromechanical gear wheels with critical dimensions of ∼35 μm width at ∼1 mm height as well as to show methodic and technical measuring possibilities. Firstly, results of the determination of residual solvent content distribution within ultra-thick SU-8 films are shown obtained from refracted near field optical measurements. Furthermore, the capability of X-ray computer tomographic imaging is discussed and measurements for the determination of the three-dimensional shape of high aspect ratio microstructures are practically demonstrated with microscopic and interferometric optical methods. Finally, first results demonstrate the potential of the optical coherence tomography for several further important measurement tasks, among others, e.g. for the imaging of the distribution of mechanical stress at the resist–substrate interface. The results show that much information which is essential in the LIGA process can be achieved with recently available measurement methods. However, further development of non-destructive measurement techniques would be desirable for an effective inline process control of mass production of micromechanical parts. This work is a summary of the poster “Residual Solvent Content Distribution in Ultra-Thick SU-8 Films and Its Influence on the Imaging Quality” and of the presentation “Possibilities of Inline Process Inspection of High Aspect Ratio LIGA Micro Structures” to the High Aspect Ratio Micro Structure Technology workshop HARMST 2005 held in Gyeongju (Republic of Korea), June 10–13, 2005.     

Symbol representations and signal dynamics in evolving droplet computers

We investigate several evolutionary computation approaches as a mechanism to “program” networks of excitable chemical droplets. For this kind of systems, we assigned a specific task and concentrated on the characteristics of signals representing symbols. Given a Boolean function as target functionality, 2D networks composed of 10 × 10 droplets were considered in our simulations. Three different set-ups were tested: Evolving network structures with fixed on/off rate coding signals, co-evolution of networks and signals, and network evolution with fixed but pre-evolved signals. Evolutionary computation served in this work not only for designing droplet networks and input signals but also to estimate the quality of a symbol representation: we assume that a signal leading to faster evolution of a successful network for a given task is better suited for the droplet computing infrastructure. Results show that complicated functions like XOR can evolve using only rate coding and simple droplet types, while other functions involving negations like the NAND or the XNOR function evolved slower using rate coding. Furthermore we discovered symbol representations that performed better than the straight forward on/off rate coding signals for the XNOR and AND Boolean functions. We conclude that our approach is suitable for the exploration of signal encoding in networks of excitable droplets.     

Application of waves for remediation of contaminated aquifers

A theory developed suggested that significant displacement of solute in saturated porous media results from the propagation of compression waves. Four independent one-dimensional experimental setups and a variety of laboratory methods were used to confirm the predictions of the theory, specifically aimed at developing a novel method of inducing compression waves for use in remediation of contaminated aquifers. Compaction and shock waves were emitted through granular porous media saturated with saline water. The changes in solute concentration at observation points along the propagating wave were used to verify the validity of theory. The first setup was designed mainly to provide a qualitative assessment (i.e., changes in pressure due to the propagating wave were not recorded). In situ quantitative measurements of the pressure and electrical conductivity profiles along a sand column were done with the second and third experimental setups, respectively, to short and long shock waves. In the fourth setup, solute displacement was visualized by X-ray absorption. The findings were consistent with the theory in all experimental setups.     

Natural hormone patterns of meat from steers and bulls depending on slaughter age

 Natural patterns of steroid hormones (androgens, progestogens and corticoids), their precursors and metabolites were analysed in 48 beef samples with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Muscle tissue samples were taken from steers (n=23) and bulls (n=25) of the breed German Simmental, which were slaughtered at different ages (151–705 days of age). Concentrations of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone, cortisol and cortisone in beef from steers were not dependent on age, whereas pregnenolone, androstenedione and epitestosterone increased significantly with increasing slaughter age (r=0.48, P<0.05;r=0.60, P<0.01 and r=0.62, P<0.001, respectively). The concentrations of the metabolite androsterone tended to increase as well. The differences were not significant, however, due to the high level of variability. In beef from bulls cortisone concentrations were inversely correlated with increasing slaughter age (r=–0.47, P<0.05). The decrease from day 175 to day 260 was significant. Testosterone was positively correlated with increasing age (r=0.46, P<0.05). The tissue concentrations at the different slaughter ages did not differ significantly, however. The Δ5-precursors pregnenolone and DHEA tended to show a minimum at the age of 370 days, followed by a significant increase. No age dependence of the progesterone, androstenedione, androsterone, epitestosterone and cortisol concentrations could be detected. Analysis of steroid hormone concentrations may form part of a reliable method for estimating the age of slaughtered cattle. In this study, the age of samples was estimated to within ± an average of 10 weeks. Received: 29 December 1997 / Revised version: 1 March 1998     

A novel approach to predict the stability limits of combustion chambers with large eddy simulation

Lean premixed combustion,which allows for reducing the production of thermal NOx,is prone to
combustion instabilities.There is an extensive research to develop a reduced physical model,which
allows-without time-consuming measurements-to calculate the resonance characteristics of a
combustion system consisting of Helmholtz resonator type components （burner plenum,combustion
chamber）.For the formulation of this model numerical investigations by means of compressible Large
Eddy Simulation （LES） were carried out.In these investigations the flow in the combustion chamber is
isotherm,non-reacting and excited with a sinusoidal mass flow rate.Firstly a combustion chamber as a
single resonator subsequently a coupled system of a burner plenum and a combustion chamber were
investigated.In this paper the results of additional investigations of the single resonator are
presented.The flow in the combustion chamber was investigated without excitation at the inlet.It
was detected,that the mass flow rate at the outlet cross section is pulsating once the flow in the
chamber is turbulent.The fast Fourier transform of the signal showed that the dominant mode is at
the resonance frequency of the combustion chamber.This result sheds light on a very important
source of self-excited combustion instabilities.Furthermore the LES can provide not only the damping
ratio for the analytical model but the eigenfrequency of the resonator also.     

Pictorial depth increases body sway.

This study examines the effects of pictorial depth on postural stability. In our first experiment, two abstract paintings by Maria Elena Vieira Da Silva (1908–1992) were used. Viewing the unaltered paintings induced greater body sway in participants than the cubist transformations of the same paintings in which depth cues were neutralized. In our second experiment, a Renaissance painting by Piero Della Francesca (c.1415–1492) was used due to its powerful representation of perspective and of sense of a recessed space in the visual field. Participants fixated either the recessed or the foregrounded area of the painting. Body sway was higher in the former case. Thus, body sway can even be modulated within the same painting according to variations of local depth information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)