Effect of personality and status experience upon the valuation of unobtained statuses.

"An experiment was designed to test the effects of attained and unattained outcomes on the perception of subjective status by members of small groups… . Six groups… experienced all the outcomes… and the subjects in the remaining groups experienced the outcomes in only one of the… middle status positions… . Three variables were investigated: the presence of unattained outcomes for subjects in the status system, perception by the subjects of the possibility of status mobility, and a personality measure… . It was found that the personality variable was instrumental in the differential perception by subjects of attained and unattained outcomes." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4GE47G. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exemplar effects in the context of a categorization rule: Featural and holistic influences.

Brooks and colleagues (S. W. Allen & L. R. Brooks, 1991; G. Regehr & L. R. Brooks, 1993) have shown that the classification of transfer stimuli is influenced by their similarity to training stimuli, even when a perfect classification rule is available. It is argued that the original effect obtained by Brooks and colleagues might have resulted from two potential confounding variables. Once these confounds were controlled, the current authors did not replicate Brooks and colleagues' results in Experiment 1. Exemplar effects appeared in Experiment 2 when transfer stimuli were perceptually more similar to training stimuli than in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, the authors obtained exemplar effects with separated stimuli, a finding that was not predicted by Brooks and colleagues' model. The authors suggest that a close perceptual match between training and transfer stimuli is necessary for the effect to occur, for both integrated and separated stimuli. The nature of this perceptual match, holistic or featural, is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural locomotion of multilegged characters in dynamic environments

We present a fully procedural method capable of generating in real time a wide range of locomotion for multilegged characters in a dynamic environment, without using any motion data. The system consists of several independent blocks: a Character Controller, a Gait/Tempo Manager, a three‐dimensional (3D) Path Constructor, and a Footprints Planner. The four modules work cooperatively to calculate in real time the footprints and the 3D trajectories of the feet and the pelvis. Our system can animate dozens of creatures using dedicated level of details techniques and is totally controllable allowing the user to design a multitude of locomotion styles through a user‐friendly interface. The result is a complete lower body animation that is sufficient for most of the chosen multilegged characters: arachnids, insects, imaginary n‐legged robots, and so on. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Depth profiling of high-energy hydrogen-implanted 6H-SiC

The results of implanting silicon carbide with a 1-MeV proton beam at a dose of 1 x 10(17) cm(-2) are presented. Using high-resolution confocal Raman spectroscopy, we analyzed the depth profile of the implantation damage before and after thermal annealing. When it is applied to a high-refractive-index medium, such as SiC, this technique requires careful manipulation to ensure the correct interpretation of results. To this end we discuss a simple ray-tracking model that includes the effects of additional spherical aberration and of the Gaussian intensity profile of the excitation beam. In addition, infrared reflectance measurements show evidence of a well-defined step in the refractive-index profile at the expected implantation depth.     

Interconversion of linearly viscoelastic material functions expressed as Prony series: a closure

Interconversion of viscoelastic material functions is a longstanding problem that has received attention since the 1950s. There is currently no accepted methodology for interconverting viscoelastic material functions due to the lack of stability and accuracy of the existing methods. This paper presents a new exact, analytical interconversion method for linearly viscoelastic material functions expressed as Prony series. The new algorithm relies on the equations of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes used for defining linearly viscoelastic constitutive theories. As a result, interconversion is made possible for unidimensional and tridimensional materials for arbitrary material symmetry. The algorithm has been tested over a broad range of cases and was found to deliver accurate interconversion in all cases. Based on its accuracy and stability, the authors believe that their algorithm provides a closure to the interconversion of linearly viscoelastic constitutive theories expressed with Prony series.     

Computer-assisted arthroplasty using bioengineered autografts.

Recent advances in tissue-engineered cartilage open the door to new clinical treatments of joint lesions. Common to all therapies with in-vitro-engineered autografts is the need for optimal fit of the construct to allow screwless implantation and optimal integration into the live joint. Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) techniques are prime candidates to ensure the required accuracy, while at the same time simplifying the procedure. A pilot study has been conducted aiming at assembling a new set of methods to support ankle joint arthroplasty using bioengineered autografts. Computer assistance allows planning of the implant shape on a computed tomography (CT) image, manufacturing the construct according to the plan, and interoperatively navigating the surgical tools for implantation. A rotational symmetric model of the joint surface was used to avoid segmentation of the CT image; new software was developed to determine the joint axis and make the implant shape parameterizable. A complete cycle of treatment from planning to operation was conducted on a human cadaveric foot, thus proving the feasibility of computer-assisted arthroplasty using bioengineered autografts.     

Importance of the structure of paper support in gas transfer properties of protein‐coated paper

Composite materials made from fibrous support coated with agro‐polymers are widely commercialized for different applications. But, their transfer properties have only been sparingly studied despite their importance in membrane technologies or food packaging. Furthermore, most of past studies on the topic have been focused on the impact of surface properties of the support on the final coated material structure and its properties; leaving unexplored the potential impact of the in‐bulk structure of the support. This study demonstrated the influence of in‐bulk structure and especially fibers refining degree of 4 kraft papers (SP28, 36, 60, and 80) on the structure, and surface and gas transfer properties of their respective wheat gluten (WG) coated papers (WGP28, 36, 60, and 80). Paper presenting a high fibers refining degree (SP28) exhibited very tight and narrow in bulk fibers network which prevented most of the WG‐coated layer penetration, maintaining an important WG apparent layer on top of the paper and a small fibers/wheat gluten composite zone inside (WGP28). Such structure gave strong “WG‐like” properties to the final coated material with moderate oxygen permeation and high permselectivity (1.50 × 10^?11 mol m^?2 s^?1 Pa^?1 and 8.09, respectively for WGP28) whereas the highly impregnated structure of coated papers built on lowly refined papers (SP80, with wide and loose structure) gave coated materials presenting weak “WG‐like” properties, supposedly due to a thick composite zone presenting interfacial defects, with higher oxygen permeation and very limited permselectivity (11.90 × 10^?11 mol m^?2 s^?1 Pa^?1 and 1.06, respectively for WGP80). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 2848–2858, 2013     

Enhanced Electrocaloric Response of Vinylidene Fluoride–Based Polymers via One-Step Molecular Engineering

Electrocaloric refrigeration is one of the most promising environmentally-friendly technologies to replace current cooling platforms—if a notable electrocaloric effect (ECE) is realized around room temperature where the highest need is. Here, a straight-forward, one-pot chemical modification of P(VDF-ter-TrFE-ter-CTFE) is reported through the controlled introduction of small fractions of double bonds within the backbone that, very uniquely, decreases the lamellar crystalline thickness while, simultaneously, enlarging the crystalline coherence along the a-b plane. This increases the polarizability and polarization without affecting the degree of crystallinity or amending the crystal unit cell—undesirable effects observed with other approaches. Specifically, the permittivity increases by >35%, from 52 to 71 at 1 kHz, and ECE improves by >60% at moderate electric fields. At 40 °C, an adiabatic temperature change >2 K is realized at 60 MV m⁻¹ (>5.5 K at 192 MV m⁻¹), compared to ≈1.3 K for pristine P(VDF-ter-TrFE-ter-CTFE), highlighting the promise of a simple, versatile approach that allows direct film deposition without requiring any post-treatment such as mechanical stretching or high-temperature annealing for achieving the desired performance.     

Trade versus expropriation in open groups: A comparison of two types of social power.

Used a cross-generational procedure to compare power relationships described by E. R. Service (1975) and R. L. Carneiro (1970) in their theories of social evolution. Every 20 min 1 member of each of 3 4-person groups was removed and a new member added, for a total of 9 generations. 432 undergraduates served as Ss. In all conditions the groups produced products that could eventually be exchanged for money. In the Service condition, the products were retained or traded, and one group, Group B, was advantaged in terms of its centrality in the communication network and the diversity and value of its products. In the Carneiro condition, Group B was additionally advantaged by being able to confiscate the products produced by the 2 other groups, A and C. Comparison of the conditions thus involved 2 types of power: mutual behavior control and fate control. Results indicate that although in both conditions Group B was perceived as the overall leader, total production was greater in the Service than in the Carneiro condition. This was true for Groups A and C and, consistent with an "idle-rich" hypothesis, was also true for Group B. Further results revealed sex differences for the A and C groups within the Carneiro condition. Women engaged in less active resistance to Group B's power and developed a weaker seniority norm for in-group leadership. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)