Concepts for the development of light-weight composite structures for rotor burst containment

A set of hypotheses is established as to what variables might control the design of a weight-efficient protective device. A particular experiment for evaluating the hypotheses and materials was designed. The design and methods for the analysis of results are described

Isospin quantum number of D_{s0}^+(2317)

The D_s^+ pi^0 and D_s^{*+} gamma decays of the D_{s0}^+(2317) are studied by assigning it to various charmed strange scalar mesons. As a result, it is found that its assignment to an iso-triplet four-quark meson is favored by the severest experimental constraint on the ratio of the rates for these decays, while assigning it to an I=0 state (a four-quark or a conventional {c\bar{s}}) is inconsistent with this constraint.Comment: 6 pages, no figure, RevTeX4, references added and clarification of tex

Attention modulates the processing of emotional expression triggered by foveal faces

To investigate whether the processing of emotional expression for faces presented within foveal vision is modulated by spatial attention, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in response to stimulus arrays containing one fearful or neutral face at fixation, which was flanked by a pair of peripheral bilateral lines. When attention was focused on the central face, an enhanced positivity was elicited by fearful as compared to neutral faces. This effect started at 160 ms post-stimulus, and remained present for the remainder of the 700 ms analysis interval. When attention was directed away from the face towards the line pair, the initial phase of this emotional positivity remained present, but emotional expression effects beyond 220 ms post-stimulus were completely eliminated. These results demonstrate that when faces are presented foveally, the initial rapid stage of emotional expression processing is unaffected by attention. In contrast, attentional task instructions are effective in inhibiting later, more controlled stages of expression analysis

Special tool kit aids heavily garmented workers

Triangular aluminum tool kit, filled with polyurethane is constructed to receive various tools and hold them in a snug but quick-release fit as an aid to heavily gloved workers. The kit is designed to allow mounting within easily accessable reach and to provide protection of the tools during storage

Toolboxes and handing students a hammer: The effects of cueing and instruction on getting students to think critically

Developing critical thinking skills is a common goal of an undergraduate physics curriculum. How do students make sense of evidence and what do they do with it? In this study, we evaluated students' critical thinking behaviors through their written notebooks in an introductory physics laboratory course. We compared student behaviors in the Structured Quantitative Inquiry Labs (SQILabs) curriculum to a control group and evaluated the fragility of these behaviors through procedural cueing. We found that the SQILabs were generally effective at improving the quality of students' reasoning about data and making decisions from data. These improvements in reasoning and sensemaking were thwarted, however, by a procedural cue. We describe these changes in behavior through the lens of epistemological frames and task orientation, invoked by the instructional moves

Application and sensitivity investigation of Fourier transforms for microwave radiometric inversions

Existing microwave radiometer technology now provides a suitable method for remote determination of the ocean surface's absolute brightness temperature. To extract the brightness temperature of the water from the antenna temperature equation, an unstable Fredholm integral equation of the first kind was solved. Fast Fourier Transform techniques were used to invert the integral after it is placed into a cross-correlation form. Application and verification of the methods to a two-dimensional modeling of a laboratory wave tank system were included. The instability of the Fredholm equation was then demonstrated and a restoration procedure was included which smooths the resulting oscillations. With the recent availability and advances of Fast Fourier Transform techniques, the method presented becomes very attractive in the evaluation of large quantities of data. Actual radiometric measurements of sea water are inverted using the restoration method, incorporating the advantages of the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm for computations

Elastic and plastic stresses at weld sinkages and other discontinuities in pressure vessels

Mismatch and weld sinkage problems of pressure vessel geometric discontinuities studied in design graphs and test progra

Psychiatric illness predicts poor outcome after surgery for hip fracture: a prospective cohort study

Background. Hip fracture is common in the elderly. Previous studies suggest that psychiatric illness is common and predicts poor outcome, but have methodological weaknesses. Further studies are required to address this important issue. Methods. We prospectively recruited 731 elderly participants with hip fracture in two Leeds hospitals. Psychiatric diagnosis was made within 5 days of surgery using the Geriatric Mental State schedule and other standardized instruments, and data on confounding factors was collected. Main study outcomes were length of hospital stay, and mortality over 6 months after fracture. Results. Fifty-five per cent of participants had cognitive impairment (dementia in 40% and delirium in 15%), 13% had a depressive disorder, 2% had alcohol misuse and 2% had other psychiatric diagnoses. Participants were likely to remain in hospital longer if they suffered from dementia, delirium or depression. The relative risks of mortality over 6 months after hip fracture were increased in dementia and delirium, but not in depression. Conclusions. Psychiatric illness is common after hip fracture, and has significant effects on important outcomes. This suggests a need for randomized, controlled trials of psychiatric interventions in the elderly hip fracture population