Levels of emotional awareness and the degree of right hemispheric dominance in the perception of facial emotion

To examine correlates of individual differences in the degree of right hemispheric dominance in the perception of facial emotion, 51 medical students completed the Levy Chimeric Faces Test and an independent measure of differentiation and complexity in the processing of emotional information, the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scales. A strong positive correlation was observed between the two measures, especially when variance due to verbal ability was removed and native English speakers only were included. These results suggest that as right hemisphere dominance in the perception of facial emotion increases, the ability to perceive complexity during the processing of emotional information increases.     

Environmental benzene exposure assessment for parent-child pairs in Rouen,France

There is a lack of data on environmental benzene exposure in children. In this study, we compared personal benzene exposure and inhalation uptake in a group of children to those of their parents. We also compared levels of urinary benzene metabolites, trans,trans-muconic acid (MA) and hydroquinone (HQ), for those two groups, and assessed the correlation between personal benzene exposure and urinary MA and HQ concentrations. The study was performed on 21, 2-3-year-old children and their parents recruited on a voluntary basis among non-smokers from the three largest day-care centers of the town of Rouen in France. Average benzene concentrations were measured over 5 consecutive days with diffusive samplers. The following simultaneous measurements were carried out: personal exposure of the parents, concentrations inside and outside the day care centers, and inside the volunteer's bedrooms. Morning and evening urine samples were collected during the same period. Benzene personal exposure levels were 14.4+/-7.7 microg/m(3) and 11.09+/-6.15 microg/m(3) in parents and children, respectively. Benzene inhalation uptake estimates were 2.51+/-1.23 microg/kg/day in the group of parents and 5.68+/-3.17 microg/kg/day in the group of children. Detectable levels of MA and HQ were found in 85% and 100% of the samples, respectively. Intra-individual variation of urinary MA and HQ concentrations expressed as a coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 63 to 232% and from 13 to 144%, respectively. Mean values of MA and HQ (in mg/g creatinine) were 1.6- and 1.8-fold higher in the group of children than in the group of parents (P=0.008 and P<0.0001, respectively). Significant correlations between metabolites levels and benzene were not found.     

Some Applications of Pattern Recognition to Oil And Gas Exploration

The application of pattern recognition to oil and gas prospection is very recent, and results are still sparse. This paper presents an introduction to pattern recognition, a summary of previous applications in seismic processing, and several new pattern recognition approaches. Topics discussed include impluse recognition, horizon correlation, determination of the boundaries and nature of a reservoir, and two-dimensional Fourier (f-k) filtering to attenuate ground roll. To conclude, we examine the outlook for pattern recognition and propose increased use of the theory of fuzzy sets for pattern recognition applications in oil and gas exploration.     

Multiple coordinate perturbations for secular problems with two small parameters

In order to study equations of the form $\text{? (u) = ??(u) ? ηg(u)}$, a perturbation method is proposed that allows to construct a parametric solution in multiple variables. This solution is obtained by applying the Poincaré-Lighthill method to the perturbation in η and that of multiple scales to the perturbation in ?.The method is then applied to two examples: a damped oscillator with a nonlinear restoring force and a progressive wave in a gas in presence of gravity. A criterium for shock formation is given in the last problem.Finally a derivation is given, which provides sufficient conditions to obtain the proposed parametric solution.     

A SystemC refinement methodology for embedded software

This article presents a design environment that provides an interface for user-written SystemC modules that model application software to make calls to a real-time operating system (RTOS) kernel and cosimulate with user-written SystemC hardware modules. The environment also facilitates successive refinement through three abstraction layers for hardware-software codesign suitable for embedded-system design.     

Multimode solution for the reflection properties of an open-endedrectangular waveguide radiating into a dielectric half-space: theforward and inverse problems

Open-ended rectangular waveguides are extensively used in nondestructive dielectric material evaluation. The dielectric properties of an infinite-half space of a material are calculated from the measured reflection properties referenced to the waveguide aperture. This calculation relies on a theoretical and numerical derivation of the reflection coefficient likewise referenced to the waveguide aperture. Most of these derivations assume the dominant mode field distribution across the waveguide aperture. However, when dealing with low permittivity and low loss dielectric materials, there may exist significant errors when calculating the dielectric properties from the measured reflection coefficient. These errors have also shown to be more significant in the upper frequency portion of a waveguide band. More accurate results are obtained when higher order modes are considered in addition to the dominant waveguide mode. However, most studies incorporating higher-order modes have used various approximations when calculating the reflection properties and have not provided a full discussion on the influences of dielectric properties of the infinite-half space and the frequency of operation. This paper gives a rigorous and exact formulation in which the dominant mode and the evanescent higher-order modes are used as basis functions to obtain the solution for the reflection coefficient at the waveguide aperture. The analytic formulation uses Fourier analysis in addition to the forcing of the necessary boundary conditions at the waveguide aperture. The solution also readily accounts for the complex contributions of both TE and TM higher-order modes. Finally, the influences of the dielectric properties of the infinite-half space and the frequency of operation are investigated     

Stimulation of aqueous corrosion by MoS2deposits

The paper describes investigations concerning the damage of a tube reactor made of 2 Cr 1 Mo steel and its enhancement due to MoS₂ deposits. The damaged tube sheets of the reactor were investigated and laboratory tests with the low alloy steel welded to a high alloy steel were conducted in order to clarify the corrosion mechanism. The results show that the presence of an electrolyte in the form of water and the direct contact between the low alloy and high alloy steel lead to the corrosion of the low alloy tube sheets. In addition, the presence of MoS₂ remarkably enhanced the corrosion rate due to the stimulation of the cathodic partial reaction of oxygen reduction.     

Screening of Surfactant Foaming Properties Using the Gas-Sparging Method: Design of an Optimal Protocol

Foaming properties of five model surfactants, namely, sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), polyoxyethylene 23 lauryl ether (Brij L23), polysorbate 20 (Tween 20), and polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), have been compared as a function of experimental conditions using the gas-sparging method. The influence of surfactant concentration relative to the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and three process parameters—frit porosity, gas flow rate, and preset volume of foam (or bubbling time)—was studied by means of a 2^4–1 factorial design. Three foaming properties were considered: foam capacity, foam stability, and maximal foam density. At the CMC, SLES, SDS, Tween 20, and Brij L23 were indistinguishable, all having very high foaming capacity and stability, regardless of process conditions. At 0.1 CMC, differences among them were highlighted especially at the lowest frit porosity coupled to the highest gas flow rate. Those conditions are thus recommended when a rapid screening of surfactant foaming performances is needed.     

Spirobutenolides substituted by arylpiperazinyl-carbonyl moieties. Synthesis and antinociceptive properties

The synthesis and spectral data of some new cyclohexane-2-spiro-[2,5-dihydro-3-(N-arylpiperazin-1-yl-carbonyl) -4-methyl- 5-oxo]furanes are reported. These compounds were subjected to pharmacological tests for evaluation of antinociceptive effects and interactions with opioidergic and monoaminergic systems. With respective ED50 values of 116.4 and 87.0 mg/kg i.p., derivatives 2b and 2e were the most active spirobutenolides in the phenylbenzoquinone-induced writhing test (PBQ-test) without neurotoxic effects. They potentiated morphine analgesia and were also active at the dose of 150 mg/kg i.p. in the hot plate test while they exhibited sedative effects from the dose of 100 mg/kg i.p. In addition, 2b and 2e analgesia was antagonized by naloxone, then again potentiated by 5-hydroxytryptophan associated to carbidopa in the PBQ-test, demonstrating involvement of opioidergic and serotonergic pathways in the analgesic properties of both compounds. Furthermore, antinociceptive effects of 2e were attenuated by oral administration of yohimbine suggesting that its analgesic activity was also partly related to a noradrenergic mechanism.