Age and sex effects for emotional intensity.

Examined age and sex trends in emotional intensity in 432 Ss from adopting and nonadopting biological families. It was hypothesized that younger adults and females would report greater average levels of both positive and negative affect over time, as has been demonstrated in past research. 242 Ss (parents and offspring) completed a battery of mood scales. 190 Ss completed an affect intensity measure and a general behavior inventory. In support of the hypothesis, women scored higher on measures reflecting emotional intensity and manifestation of cyclothymic symptoms, and the scores on these measures decreased through the adult life span for both males and females. Potential reasons for the differences in emotional intensity are discussed. These include biological causes, cultural expectations, and current life experiences. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Calibration control of robot vertical assembly

Calibration methods that apply relative techniques to map robot inaccuracy increase robot flexibility by allowing for greater use and application of off-line path planning techniques. To successfully implement the off-line techniques described in this article, methods have been integrated for off-line tool control frame (TCF) calibration, data base integration, and on-line robot inaccuracy correction. The TCF calibration methods presented in this article successfully determine the TCF origin of the end-effectors and sensors attached to the robot distal link to within the robot repeatability. When the methods were applied to a SEIKO DTRAN RT-3000 robot, the TCP origins were statically predicted correct to within 0.025mm (0.001 in.). On-line methods determine robot inaccuracy by mapping robot configurations relative to operational parts or to spatial templates, in contrast to the contemporary global mapping approaches. For the Seiko robot the resulting inaccuracy distributions permit simple error correction equations to be applied, improving robot positioning accuracy to less than ±0.1 mm in locally large regions and to within the repeatability of the robot ±0.025 mm) in smaller regions. This represents an order-of-magnitude decrease in robot inaccuracy.     

Empirical studies on programming language stimuli

Comprehending and debugging computer programs are inherently difficult tasks. The current approach to building program execution and debugging environments is to use exclusively visual stimuli on programming languages whose syntax and semantics has often been designed without empirical guidance. We present an alternative: Sodbeans, an open-source integrated development environment designed to output carefully chosen spoken auditory cues to supplement empirically evaluated visual stimuli. Originally designed for the blind, earlier work suggested that Sodbeans may benefit sighted programmers as well. We evaluate Sodbeans in two experiments. First, we report on a formal debugging experiment comparing (1) a visual debugger, (2) an auditory debugger, and (3) a multimedia debugger, which includes both visual and auditory stimuli. The results from this study indicate that while auditory debuggers on their own are significantly less effective for sighted users when compared with visual and multimedia debuggers, multimedia debuggers might benefit sighted programmers under certain circumstances. Specifically, we found that while multimedia debuggers do not provide instant usability, once programmers have some practice, their performance in answering comprehension questions improves. Second, we created and evaluated a pilot survey analyzing individual elements in a custom programming language (called HOP) to garner empirical metrics on their comprehensibility. Results showed that some of the most widely used syntax and semantics choices in commercial programming languages are extraordinarily unintuitive for novices. For example, at an aggregate level, the word for , as in a for loop, was rated reliably worse than repeat by more than 673% by novices. After completing our studies, we implemented the HOP programming language and integrated it into Sodbeans.     

Millimeter-wave antireflection coating for cryogenic silicon lenses

We have developed and tested an antireflection (AR) coating method for silicon lenses used at cryogenic temperatures and millimeter wavelengths. Our particular application is a measurement of the cosmic microwave background. The coating consists of machined pieces of Cirlex glued to the silicon. The measured reflection from an AR-coated flat piece is less than 1.5% at the design wavelength. The coating has been applied to flats and lenses and has survived multiple thermal cycles from 300 to 4 K. We present the manufacturing method, the material properties, the tests performed, and estimates of the loss that can be achieved in practical lenses.     

Photoluminescent distinction among plant life forms using phosphate buffered saline extract solutions

Photoluminescence of plant extract solutions has been investigated for discrimination of plant life forms (grasses, forbs, and shrubs) using principal component analysis (PCA). Clippings from each of six plant species representing three different plant life forms potentially found in the diets of free-ranging herbivores in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America were investigated for possible discernment. These plants included Sporobolus flexuosus (mesa dropseed, a grass), Pleuraphis mutica (tobosa, a grass), Dimorphocarpa wislizenii (spectacle pod, a forb), Sphaeralcea incana (pale globemallow, a forb), Flourensia cernua leaves (tarbush, a shrub), and Atriplex canescens leaves and stems (fourwing saltbush, a shrub). Emission spectra (370-600 nm) from phosphate buffered saline (PBS) extract solutions (pH 2.2, 7.5 and 12.5) were recorded for each plant with excitation at 365 nm. Use of PBS minimized chlorophyll interference. Discernment among plant life forms within these plant species was achieved.     

Climate co-benefits of green building standards: water,waste and transportation

This paper quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions co-benefits associated with water, waste and transportation usage in certified green commercial office buildings in California. The study compares the measured values of water, waste and transportation usage self-reported by office buildings certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system for Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (LEED EBOM) to baseline values of conventional California office buildings. The green buildings in the LEED EBOM dataset produced 50% less GHGs due to water consumption than baseline buildings, 48% less due to solid waste management, and 5% less due to transportation. If applied to the entire California office building stock, performance typical of the certified green buildings would save 730,038?MgCO₂e/yr (metric tonnes) from transportation, 87,601?MgCO₂e/yr from water, and 45,280?MgCO₂e/yr from waste, for a total potential savings of about 862,920?MgCO₂e/yr relative to conventional construction. In addition, buildings earning additional credits for specified performance thresholds for water and waste in the LEED EBOM code attained performance levels even higher than required by the code provisions, suggesting that such code provisions in other contexts may help incentivize larger GHG emissions reductions than anticipated. Specific recommendations are made for building standards and certification schemes.     

Acid Active Receptor‐Specific Peptide Ligand for In Vivo Tumor‐Targeted Delivery

Targeting therapy of tumors in their early stages is crucial to increase the survival rate of cancer patients. Currently most drug‐delivery systems target the neoplasia through the tumor‐associated receptors overexpressed on the cancer cell membrane. However, the expression of these receptors on normal cells and tissues is inevitable, which leads to unwanted accumulation and side effects. Characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, such as acidosis, are pervasive in almost all solid tumors and can be easily accessed. It is shown that the different extracellular pH value can be used to activate/inactivate the receptor‐mediated endocytosis on tumor/normal cells. This idea is implemented by conjugating a shielding molecule at the terminus of a receptor‐specific ligand via a pH‐sensitive hydrazone bond. The acid‐activated detachment of the shielding molecule and enhanced tumor/background accumulation ratio are demonstrated. These results suggest that acid active receptor‐specific peptide ligand‐modified tumor‐targeting delivery systems have potential use in the treatment of tumors.     

Developing manufacturing response models to predict the manufacturability of new modular products

Product developers usually rely on their experience and knowledge during the design process to generate manufacturable products that can fulfill the required functions. Product developers make various decisions during the course of developing a modular product that affect the functional, physical, and operational structures, which either enhance or reduce the manufacturability of the products. This paper proposes constructing manufacturing response models by modeling the behavior of the manufacturability as a response to the series of decisions made during the design process. The manufacturability response models are mathematical models used to relate the product manufacturability to the different metrics used to quantify the results of the design decisions made during the development life cycle. Decisions made during the design process includes specifying the product functionalities needed to meet customer needs, the physical components capable of delivering the required functionalities, and the manufacturing processes needed to produce the physical components. Manufacturing response models can be used by product developers to predict the effect of the decisions made during the course of developing a modular product on the final modular product manufacturability. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the construction of the manufacturing response models and their usage in new product design by using an illustrative example.