Evidence for instrument and family-specific variation of subclinical psychosis dimensions in the general population.

It is unknown to what degree dimensions of schizotypy (subclinical psychosis) show independent, family-specific variation in the general population. Psychologists administered the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R), and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale to 257 subjects pertaining to 82 general population families. All 3 instruments showed family-specific variation for positive and negative subclinical psychosis dimensions with between-families proportions of total variance between 10% and 40%. However, only the SIS-R showed family-specific variation of the negative dimension independent of its correlation with the positive dimension. The positive dimension of subclinical psychosis shows familial-specific variation in samples unselected for psychiatric disorder, suggesting dimensional liability in the population. The SIS-R additionally captures family-specific variation in the negative domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improved integrating-sphere throughput with a lens and nonimaging concentrator

A reflectometer design utilizing an integrating sphere with a lens and nonimaging concentrator is described. Compared with previous designs where a collimator was used to restrict the detector field of view, the concentrator-lens combination significantly increases the throughput of the reflectometer. A procedure for designing lens-concentrators is given along with the results of parametric studies. The measured angular response of a lens-concentrator system is compared with ray-trace predictions and with the response of an ideal system.     

High-Quality Brewster's Angle Polarizer for Broadband Infrared Application

We have designed and constructed a linear polarizer for use with visible and infrared radiation. The broadband polarizer consists of four germanium plates arranged in a chevron geometry. Input radiation is incident near Brewster's angle for the first plate such that the reflected beam is preferentially s-wave polarized. This reflected beam is steered subsequently to the successive plates, always intersecting near Brewster's angle. The beam polarization at the output of the device is almost completely s-wave polarized. The ratio of the paraxial flux of the nearly extinguished p-wave polarized light to the s-wave polarized light transmitted through the device is found to be less than 10(-5) for laser illumination at wavelengths of 0.633, 1.32, 3.39, and 10.6 mum. Calculations predict that extinction ratios less than 10(-5) are achievable over the wavelength range from 0.4 mum to beyond 500 mum. Alternative design geometries involving fewer plates are also described along with their advantages and disadvantages.     

Effects of non-Lambertian surfaces on integrating sphere measurements

The effects of non-Lambertian scattering of the interior wall of an integrating sphere are examined through a sphere simulation model. The model employs Monte Carlo techniques. A sphere used for measurement of directional-hemispherical reflectance is modeled. The simulation allows sphere wall scattering to vary from perfectly Lambertian to perfectly specular in steps. The results demonstrate that significant measurement error can result as the scattering deviates from the Lambertian ideal. The error is found to be a strong function of the wall reflectance value as well: it is minimized for reflectances approaching 1.0 and increases as the reflectance value decreases to the minimum value examined of 0.5. The magnitudes of the errors associated with non-Lambertian scattering are also shown to be relatively independent of the specific field of view of the detector used in the measurement.     

Response of structures to planar blast loads – A finite element engineering approach

Design and validation of structures against blast loads are important for modern society in order to protect and secure its citizen. Since it is a challenge to validate and optimise protective structures against blast loads using full-scale experimental tests, we have to turn our attention towards advanced numerical tools like the finite element method. Several different finite element techniques can be used to describe the response of structures due to blast loads. Some of these are: (1) a pure Lagrangian formulation, (2) an initial Eulerian simulation (to determine the load) followed by a Lagrangian simulation (for the structural response) and (3) a hybrid technique that combines the advantages of Eulerian and Lagrangian methods to have a full coupling between the blast waves and the deformation of the structure. Ideally, all blast simulations should be carried out using the fully coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach, but this may not be practical as the computational time increases considerably when going from a pure Lagrangian to a fully coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian simulation. A major goal in this study is to investigate if a pure Lagrangian formulation can be applied to determine the structural response in a specified blast load problem or if more advanced approaches such as the fully coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach is required for reliable results. This is done by conducting numerical simulations of an unprotected 20 ft ISO container exposed to a blast load of 4000 kg TNT at 120 m standoff distance using the three different approaches presented above. To validate and discuss the results, the simulated response of the container is compared to available data from a full-scale blast test under such conditions.     

Absorption and reflection of infrared radiation by polymers in fire‐like environments

In large‐scale fires, the input of energy to burning materials occurs predominantly by radiative transfer. The in‐depth (rather than just surface) absorption of radiant energy by a polymer influences its ignition time and burning rate. The present investigation examines two methods for obtaining the absorption coefficient of polymers for infrared radiation from high‐temperature sources: a broadband method and a spectral method. Data on the total average broadband transmittance for 11 thermoplastics are presented (as are reflectance data), and the absorption coefficient is found to vary with thickness. Implications for modeling of mass loss experiments are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fatigue assessment of arc welded automotive components using local stress approaches: Application to a track control arm

The applicability of the structural and notch stress approach is examined on the basis of arc welded and dynamically loaded steel structures, taken from the automotive sector. In detail, this is a transverse control arm. Components and specimens with critical regions of failure are tested under cyclic loading with constant and variable amplitudes. With the help of strain gauges, the crack initiation is determined. The specimens are the basis for the application and evaluation of the different approaches for the assessment of fatigue life. The numerical determination of the nominal, structural and notch stresses is performed with finite-element models. Finally the experimental and computational results allow the derivation of structural and notch Woehler S-N curves.     

“Do You See What I Hear?”: Designing for Collocated Patient–Practitioner Collaboration in Audiological Consultations

Patient-centered care encourages active involvement of patients in their own treatment and a collaborative perspective on the relationship between patient and practitioner. However, to achieve constructive patient–practitioner collaboration in medical consultations the partakers need to successfully interact across conceptual boundaries that can impede intersubjectivity, i.e., the construction of shared meanings and understandings in communicative activities. We present a synthesis of a user-centered approach to designing interactive technology supporting collaboration in face-to-face consultations related to audiological (hearing) rehabilitation. Specifically, we focus on the case of hearing aid tuning, and on the design and utility assessment of a prototype sound environment simulator intended to support the process by helping the patient and the practitioner build a joint understanding of the individual patient’s hearing problem and perceived effects of treatment actions. We describe an empirical and qualitative investigation that calls specific attention to the multi-dimensional boundaries involved in collocated patient–practitioner interactions, and to the explorative and situated nature of the consultation as a collaborative problem-solving process. Here, various micro-practices play a key role in gradually forming a better understanding of the problem at hand and in identifying appropriate treatment steps. Our findings suggest that patient–practitioner collaboration can benefit from interactive technology, which is sufficiently flexible or open-ended in terms of use to accommodate, or be appropriated, to the immediate needs of the situation. We argue that designing technology with the aim of enhancing existing practices of intersubjectivity, rather than doing away with them, improves the chances of enriching collocated patient–practitioner interaction and reduces risk of obstructing it. The main research contribution is an increased understanding of the medical consultation as an instance of collocated collaborative work and learning, and the challenges and opportunities that lie in co-designing interactive solutions that can help the patient take an active and contributing part in the situation.     

Content-addressable data storage by use of volume holograms

Data stored as volume holograms-optical interference patterns imprinted into a photosensitive storage material-can be accessed both by address and by content. An optical correlation-based search compares each input query against all stored records simultaneously, a massively parallel but inherently noisy analog process. With data encoding and signal postprocessing we demonstrate a holographic content-addressable data-storage system that searches digital data with high search fidelity.     

Building simulation as an assisting tool in decision making: Case study: With or without a double-skin façade?

Implementation of double-skin façades in buildings has been an object of broad application in the recent years. In this presentation, a planned office building in the city-centre of Trondheim, Norway, is used as a case for considering whether a double-skin should be applied to the east façade in order to reduce the heating demand, thus making the double-skin façade a profitable investment. The building is modeled both with and without a double-skin façade with the building energy simulation program ESP-r. This paper describes how a double-skin façade with controllable windows and hatches for natural ventilation can be implemented in the simulation program. The simulation results indicate that the energy demand for heating is about 20% higher for the single-skin façade with the basic window solution compared to the double-skin alternative. However, by switching to windows with an improved U-value in the single-skin alternative, the difference in energy demand is almost evened out. The number of hours with excessive temperatures is, in contrast to other studies on the subject, not significantly higher for the double-skin alternative. However, the predicted energy savings are not sufficient to make the application of a double-skin façade profitable.