Representation and selection of relative position.

Part 1 concerns representation: Pop-out for a target that can be distinguished from the distractors only by the relative position of its components was demonstrated, thereby showing that simple shape information is represented preattentively. Findings are discussed in terms of early- vs late-selection debate and in terms of theories of search and texture segregation. Part 2 concerns selection: Strong learning in a varied-mapping paradigm was demonstrated, and it was shown that preattentive shape information can be used for selection. Finally, an account of the learning, namely the group scale hypothesis, is suggested and a final experiment to test it is presented. Results confirm and extend the emphasis placed by J. Duncan and G. W. Humphreys's (1989) attentional engagement theory on grouping processes in visual search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Benzylation of thiophene using zinc and iron chloride modified montmorillinite clay

Montmorillinite clays, modified with either Zn(II) or Fe(III) chlorides have been used to catalyze the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of thiophene. High yields (ca. 80%) of 2- and 3-benzylthiophene mixtures were obtained using either catalyst in chlorobenzene or nitrobenzene solvent at 80°C. The ratio of 2–3-products was found to be controlled by their relative stability. Reactions were most rapid in nitrobenzene solution (<5 min) and resulted in formation of the 2-isomer as the only mono-substituted product. This is believed to be the first example in which an alkylation of thiophene has been limited to one regio-isomer.     

Modelling of addition polymerization processes — Free radical,ionic, group transfer,and ziegler–natta kinetics

A brief review of addition polymerization processes is presented with a summary of the key characteristics classified by kinetic mechanism (free-radical, anionic, cationic, group transfer, or Ziegler–Natta), phase behavior, and reactor type. A practical approach to modelling in the industrial R & D environment is discussed in terms of a CAD package for polymerization processes.     

Post-traumatic stress disorder and smoking: a systematic review.

We conducted a systematic review of what is known about the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and smoking to guide research on underlying mechanisms and to facilitate the development of evidence-based tobacco treatments for this population of smokers. We searched Medline, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and identified 45 studies for review that presented primary data on PTSD and smoking. Smoking rates were high among clinical samples with PTSD (40%-86%) as well as nonclinical populations with PTSD (34%-61%). Most studies showed a positive relationship between PTSD and smoking and nicotine dependence, with odds ratios ranging between 2.04 and 4.52. Findings also suggest that PTSD, rather than trauma exposure itself, is more influential for increasing risk of smoking. A small but growing literature has examined psychological factors related to smoking initiation and maintenance and the overlapping neurobiology of PTSD and nicotine dependence. Observational studies indicate that smokers with PTSD have lower quit rates than do smokers without PTSD. Yet a few tobacco cessation treatment trials in smokers with PTSD have achieved quit rates comparable with controlled trials of smokers without mental disorders. In conclusion, the evidence points to a causal relationship between PTSD and smoking that may be bidirectional. Specific PTSD symptoms may contribute to smoking and disrupt cessation attempts. Intervention studies that test behavioral and pharmacological interventions designed specifically for use in patients with PTSD are needed to reduce morbidity and mortality in this population.     

Bidirectional calibration results for 11 spectralon and 16 BaSO4 reference reflectance panels

Eleven Spectralon¹ (a sintered polytetrafluoroethylene-based material) and 16 BaSO₄ reference reflectance panels were calibrated using a field calibration technique. The Spectralon panels differed both in their directional/hemispherical and directional/directional reflectance. However, the differences were sufficiently small that “general” calibration equations were developed. For panels constructed of the same material and with the same methods as those used in these experiments, the directional/directional reflectance may be within ± 0.020 at 10°, ± 0.015 at 45°, and ± 0.041 at 80° of that predicted by the “general” equations. For field measurements, these values are considerably better than those that would be obtained using a value of the directional/hemispherical reflectance. The directional/directional reflectance of the 16 BaSO₄ panels varied considerably among panels, so much so that it was not feasible to develop “general” calibration equations. Apparently, the nonlambertian properties of BaSO₄ panels are dependent upon the method of applying the barium sulfate coating.     

Reengineering the Internet for Better Security

The growing proliferation of malware is raising doubts about the Internet's future. Security measures primarily target inbound traffic, but service providers have no incentive to stop attacks and spam at the source. A proposed certification scheme motivates providers to control outgoing traffic, efficiently increasing overall security while preserving the Internet's open, decentralized structure