Preferences in human mate selection.

Examined the consequences of mate preferences for the processes of assortative mating and sexual selection. In Study 1, 92 married couples (aged 18–40 yrs) completed measures such as the California Psychological Inventory, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Personal Attributes Questionnaire. Data were used to identify (a) the mate characteristics that were consensually more and less desired, (b) the mate characteristics that showed strong sex differences in their preferred value, (c) the degree to which married couples were correlated in selection preferences, and (d) the relations between expressed preferences and the personality and background characteristics of obtained spouses. Marital preference factors included Religious, Kind/Considerate, Artistic/Intelligent, and Easygoing/Adaptable. Study 2, with 100 unmarried undergraduates, replicated the sex differences and consensual ordering of mate preferences found in Study 1, using a different methodology. Alternative hypotheses are presented to account for the replicated sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and earning potential. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditioning of ictal and interictal behaviors in rats by amygdala kindling: Context as the conditional stimulus.

The authors showed that conditional effects of the stimulation environment modulate both the ictal and interictal behaviors of rats subjected to amygdala kindling. Rats received 53 stimulations to the left basolateral amygdala in 1 conditional stimulus (CS) context (CS+) and 53 sham stimulations (the stimulation lead was attached but no current was delivered) in another context (CS-), quasirandomly over 54 days. Three kinds of conditional effects were observed, First, after several stimulations, less ambulatory activity, more freezing, and less rearing reliably occurred in the CS + context than in the CS context. Second, after 45 stimulations, all of the rats chose the CS - context over the CS + context in a conditioned place preference test. Third, when the rats were finally stimulated in the CS- context, their motor seizures were less severe: Latencies were longer, motor seizures were shorter, convulsive patterns were of a lower class, and there were fewer falls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Amplified spontaneous emission-application to Nd:YAG lasers

Amplified spontaneous emission can seriously degrade the Q-switched performance of a strong four-level transition such as the 1.064 μm Nd:YAG transition or can even prevent oscillation on a weaker quasi-four-level transition such as the 0.946-μm Nd:YAG transition. To characterize, and thus be able to mitigate, amplified spontaneous emission, a closed-form model is developed. By employing a closed-form solution, the differential equations describing both the evolution and decay of the upper laser manifold population density can be solved exactly. An advantage of this model is the separation of the spectral and spatial portions of amplified spontaneous emission. Gain measurements, as a function of time and pump energy, are compared with the model and good agreement is found. With these principles in mind, a flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser was designed to operate at 0.936 μm. At room temperature, a threshold of 12 J and a slope efficiency of 0.009 was achieved     

16-channel parallel optical interconnect demonstration with an InGaAs/InP MQW modulator array

A 4*4 planar array of MQW surface modulators driven by standard high-speed CMOS has been demonstrated in an experimental parallel-interconnect system. Transition times were fast enough for 100 Mbit/s operation and the potential exists to increase array dimensions to include hundreds of devices and transmission rates to many Gbit/s.<>     

Microencapsulation of Sulfadiazine with Cellulose Acetate Pethalate

Microencapsulation of a relatively insoluble drug sulfadiazine was carried out by allowing drops of' a suspension of the drug in an aqueous cellulose acetate phthalate solution to fall into an acetic acid hardening solution. Spherical microcapsules could readily be obtained when a surfactant polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monooleate was added to the suspensior. Increased drug concentration in the suspension yielded larger microcapsules with shorter disintegration times. The incorporation of viscosity agents into the suspension yielded microcapsules with altered disintegration times     

Interlaboratory comparison of radiation-induced attenuation inoptical fibers. II. steady-state exposures

For pt.I see ibid., vol.6, no.2, p.165-71 (1988). For pt.III see ibid., vol.8, no.6, p.977-89 (1990). The results of steady-state ⁶⁰ Co irradiations of silica core multimode fiber and silica core single-mode and Ge-doped graded index fibers are reported. These data were acquired over the interval of 1987-9. Several significant differences from the results and measurement procedures presented in pt.I must be accounted for in drawing comparisons between the two sets of reported data. Fiber wrap diameter and launched power level were observed to significantly influence the radiation-induced attenuation measured in silica core multimode and single-mode fibers, while the effect was less in Ge-doped silica core multimode fibers     

Enhancement of Student Learning in Experimental Design Using a Virtual Laboratory

This paper describes the instructional design, implementation, and assessment of a virtual laboratory based on a numerical simulation of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, the virtual CVD laboratory. The virtual CVD laboratory provides a capstone experience in which students synthesize engineering science and statistics principles and have the opportunity to apply experimental design in the context similar to that of a practicing engineer in industry with a wider design space than is typically seen in the undergraduate laboratory. The simulation of the reactor is based on fundamental principles of mass transfer and chemical reaction, obscured by added ldquonoise.rdquo The software application contains a 3-D student client that simulates a cleanroom environment, an instructor Web interface with integrated assessment tools, and a database server. As opposed to being constructed as a direct one-to-one replacement, this virtual laboratory is intended to complement the physical laboratories in the curriculum so that certain specific elements of student learning can be enhanced. Implementation in four classes is described. Assessment demonstrates students are using an iterative experimental design process reflective of practicing engineers and correlates success in this project to higher order thinking skills. Student surveys indicate that students perceived the virtual CVD laboratory as the most effective learning medium used, even above physical laboratories.     

Review of impact fusion concepts [EM launchers]

The authors review the main features of the impact fusion concept in which gram-sized metallic projectiles from electromagnetic launchers collide around heavy-hydrogen fusile gas to produce thermonuclear plasma whose pressure brings the projectiles to rest, providing a pulse of fusion power during the `turnaround' of the projectiles. They discuss the concepts of nonmagnetic as well as magnetically insulated, impact fusion, showing how its potential advantages as an inertial confinement system could be realized. Of particular interest is magnetically insulated impact fusion, where the decreased plasma heat loss may allow lower impact velocities, consistent with the nearer-term state of the art of electromagnetic launchers. Also considered is the concept of mechanical helicity injection that allows both convenience and flexibility in producing the final magnetic configuration