Simulating the emergence of norms in different scenarios

This paper deals with EMIL-S, a software tool box which was designed during the EMIL project for the simulation of processes during which norms emerged in an agent society. This tool box implements the cognitive architecture of normative agents which was designed during the EMIL project which is also discussed in other papers in this issue. This implementation is described in necessary detail, and two examples of its application to several different scenarios are given, namely a scenario in which persons involved in micro finance are simulated and learn how to sanction free riders and how to learn from these sanctions, and a scenario in which simulated persons move through a simulated airport where they more often than not have to wait in queues and learn how to behave properly in queues.     

Phase equilibria in the Al–Si–V system: The vanadium rich part

The V-rich part of the Al–Si–V phase diagram was determined by a combination of optical microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Phase equilibria were investigated at two isothermal sections at 850 and 1300 °C. High temperature DTA was performed to identify the ternary invariant reactions yielding a ternary reaction scheme and the vertical section at 50 at.% V. As cast samples were investigated in order to gain additional information about primary crystallization fields. A liquidus surface projection was constructed for the entire ternary system by combining our experimental data with those from literature.     

Deficits in emotion-regulation skills predict alcohol use during and after cognitive–behavioral therapy for alcohol dependence.

Objective: As emotion regulation is widely considered to be a primary motive in the misuse of alcohol, our aim in the study was to investigate whether deficits in adaptive emotion-regulation skills maintain alcohol dependence (AD). Method: A prospective study investigated whether emotion-regulation skills were associated with AD and whether these skills predicted alcohol use during and after treatment for AD. Participants were 116 individuals treated for AD with cognitive–behavioral therapy. Emotion regulation and severity of AD symptoms were assessed by self-report. Alcohol use during treatment was assessed by Breathalyzer and urine analysis for ethyl glucuronide; alcohol use during the 3-month follow-up interval was assessed by self-report. Results: Pretreatment emotion-regulation skills predicted alcohol use during treatment, and posttreatment emotion-regulation skills predicted alcohol use at follow-up, even when controlling for other predictors potentially related to emotion regulation. Among a broad range of specific emotion-regulation skills, the ability to tolerate negative emotions was the only skill that negatively predicted subsequent alcohol consumption when controlling for the other skills. Individuals in the AD sample reported significantly larger deficits in emotion-regulation skills than did those in a nonclinical control sample but significantly less than did those in a sample of individuals exclusively meeting criteria for major depressive disorder. Conclusions: Enhancement of general emotion-regulation skills, especially the ability to tolerate negative emotions, appears to be an important target in the treatment of AD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental Investigation of the Flow in a Continuous-Casting Mold under the Influence of a Transverse,Direct Current Magnetic Field

This article describes laboratory experiments aimed at investigations of flow structures and related transport processes in the continuous-casting mold under the influence of an external direct current (DC) magnetic field. The main value of cold metal laboratory experiments consists in the capabilities to obtain quantitative flow measurements with a reasonable spatial and temporal resolution. The experimental results presented here were obtained using a physical model operating with the room-temperature alloy GaInSn. According to the concept of the electromagnetic brake, the impact of a DC magnetic field on the outlet flow from the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) has been studied up to Hartmann numbers of approximately 400. The effect of the magnetic field on the flow structure turned out to be complex. The flow measurements do not manifest a general braking effect, which would be expected as an overall damping of the flow velocity and the related fluctuations all over the mold volume. Variations of the wall conductivity showed a striking impact on the resulting flow structures. The experiments provide a substantial database for the validation of respective numerical simulations.     

Verschleißeigenschaften salzbadnitrocarburierter Oberflächen verschiedener Badvarianten

This paper explores the influence of two types of bath variants (Tenifer Classic and Tenifer Low Porosity) for the liquid nitrocarburising treatment technology on different types of steel (34CrAINi7, 42CrMoS4, 40CrMnNiMo, X8CrNiS18–9, EN-GJS-600 and especially 16MnCrS5, two 16MnCrS5-type steels and EN-GJS-400) with special focus on their tribological behaviour under dry conditions. A cylinder-on-plate test rig (Optimol SRV4) was employed to investigate the wear resistance of the treated materials. As one result it could be shown, that better wear resistivity under dry conditions not subsequently means harder and denser white layer.