Managing the transition to a safer financial system.

The current financial crisis demonstrates the need for changes in the supervision and resolution of financial institutions, especially those that are systemically important to the financial system. The challenge is to find ways to impose greater market discipline on these firms by giving them incentives to reduce their size and complexity through capital standards, leverage limits, systemic risk insurance premia and other measures. Foremost in the reform agenda is the need for a special legal framework to ensure the orderly resolution of a complex financial institution. There must also be incentives to protect consumer interests, as there can no longer be any doubt that abusive products and practices pose threats to the safety and soundness of the financial system.

Surface temperatures and glassy state investigations in tribology, part 4

Measurements were made of the limiting shear stress for two naphthenic oils of differing molecular weight and three blends of the lower molecular weight oil and polyalkylmethacrylate polymers of differing molecular weight. The two base oils reached the same limiting shear stress for the same temperature and pressure. This was also true for all the polymer solutions although the polymer reduced the limiting shear stress by about 15 percent. It is shown that limiting stress is more a function of material type than viscosity or molecular weight. A new falling body viscometer was constructed to operate to 230 C and 0.6 GPa. Another viscometer was constructed to extend the pressure range to 1.1 GPa. A concentrated contact simulator was developed which allows recording of the traction force while the slide-roll ratio is continuously varied and the rolling speed is maintained essentially constant by a single drive motor. The configuration is that of a crowned roller against a disk. Measurement of lubricant minimum film thickness of elliptical EHD contacts of various aspect ratios were made by optical interferometry. The data collected were used to evaluate the Hamrock and Dowson minimum film thickness model over a range of contract ellipticity ratio where the major axis of the contact ellipse was aligned both parallel and perpendicular to the direction of motion. A statistical analysis of the measured film thickness data showed that on the average the experimental data were 30 percent greater than the film thickness predicted by the model. Preliminary development of the application of a scanning infrared radiation system to a tribo-system was completed

Surface temperatures and glassy state investigations in tribology, part 3

Research related to the development of the limiting shear stress rheological model is reported. Techniques were developed for subjecting lubricants to isothermal compression in order to obtain relevant determinations of the limiting shear stress and elastic shear modulus. The isothermal compression limiting shear stress was found to predict very well the maximum traction for a given lubricant. Small amounts of side slip and twist incorporated in the model were shown to have great influence on the rising portion of the traction curve at low slide-roll ratio. The shear rheological model was also applied to a Grubin-like elastohydrodynamic inlet analysis for predicting film thicknesses when employing the limiting shear stress model material behavior

Investigations of lubricant rheology as applied to elastohydrodynamic lubrication

Measurements of lubricant shear rheological behavior in the amorphous solid region and near the liquid-solid transition are reported. Elastic, plastic and viscous behavior was observed. A shear rheological model based on primary laboratory data is proposed for concentrated contact lubrication. The model is a Maxwell model modified with a limiting shear stress. Three material properties are required: low shear stress viscosity, limiting elastic shear modulus, and the limiting shear stress the material can withstand. All three are functions of temperature and pressure. In applying the model to EHD contacts the predicted response possesses the characteristics expected from several experiments reported in the literature

Optimization of Single and Layered Surface Texturing

In visualization problems, surface shape is often a piece of data that must be shown effectively. One factor that strongly affects shape perception is texture. For example, patterns of texture on a surface can show the surface orientation from foreshortening or compression of the texture marks, and surface depth through size variation from perspective projection. However, texture is generally under-used in the scientific visualization community. The benefits of using texture on single surfaces also apply to layered surfaces. Layering of multiple surfaces in a single viewpoint allows direct comparison of surface shape. The studies presented in this dissertation aim to find optimal methods for texturing of both single and layered surfaces. This line of research starts with open, many-parameter experiments using human subjects to find what factors are important for optimal texturing of layered surfaces. These experiments showed that texture shape parameters are very important, and that texture brightness is critical so that shading cues are available. Also, the optimal textures seem to be task dependent; a feature finding task needed relatively little texture information, but more shape-dependent tasks needed stronger texture cues. In visualization problems, surface shape is often a piece of data that must be shown effectively. One factor that strongly affects shape perception is texture. For example, patterns of texture on a surface can show the surface orientation from foreshortening or compression of the texture marks, and surface depth through size variation from perspective projection. However, texture is generally under-used in the scientific visualization community. The benefits of using texture on single surfaces also apply to layered surfaces. Layering of multiple surfaces in a single viewpoint allows direct comparison of surface shape. The studies presented in this dissertation aim to find optimal methods for texturing of both single and layered surfaces. This line of research starts with open, many-parameter experiments using human subjects to find what factors are important for optimal texturing of layered surfaces. These experiments showed that texture shape parameters are very important, and that texture brightness is critical so that shading cues are available. Also, the optimal textures seem to be task dependent; a feature finding task needed relatively little texture information, but more shape-dependent tasks needed stronger texture cues

Exploring Clinician Perceptions of a Veteran Peer Support Intervention to Inform Implementation

poster abstractIntroduction Chronic pain affects a large number of veterans and negatively impacts their quality of life. To address chronic pain, peer support models have been utilized and show promising results. ECLIPSE (Evaluation of a Coach--‐Led Intervention to Improve Pain Symptoms) is focused on a peer support intervention that involves peer delivery of pain self--‐management strategies for veterans dealing with chronic musculoskeletal pain. This intervention aims to positively impact overall pain levels, as well as self--‐efficacy, social support, pain coping, patient activation, health--‐related quality of life, and health service utilization. The current study serves the pre--‐implementation aim of ECLIPSE; the purpose of this study was to explore clinician perceptions regarding ECLIPSE to inform implementation into VA clinics. Methods This study utilized a qualitative approach to interview clinicians at a single US VA Medical Center. A research assistant conducted individual, in--‐person, semi--‐structured interviews with clinicians, which fulfills the third aim of a larger research project. Analysis consisted of developing descriptive coding and themes emerged through the evaluation of coded segments. Results Preliminary results for n=9 (second round of interviews to be completed in the summer) have revealed 4 themes. Clinicians: i) have an overall positive view of this type of intervention; ii) believe peer coaches should be properly selected and supported; iii) have valuable feedback on aspects of implementing and maintaining this type of intervention within clinics; and iv) have considerations for maximizing intervention utility. Conclusions Interventions that involve peer coaching may be incredibly beneficial for those suffering with chronic pain. However, to determine the ease of implementation of these types of interventions into clinic settings, understanding clinician viewpoints is a necessary aspect to ensure success. Feedback collected in this study can also facilitate implementation on a broader scale, allowing more veterans to benefit from this peer support intervention

Therapeutic Massage Combined with Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain: Two Experimental Cases

poster abstractPhantom limb pain (PLP) is a common and difficult to treat issue for individuals with amputations. Current PLP treatments (primarily pharmaceutical) are only modestly effective and often have negative side-effects. Massage has been self-reported as beneficial for PLP but no research has examined massage specifically for PLP. Mirror therapy’s evidence base for PLP is building. Combining massage (which alone may impact PLP via Pfleger’s law of symmetry) with mirror therapy may allow practitioners to apply massage for a painful area that cannot actually be touched. The current quasi-experimental A-B-A withdrawal case series sought to descriptively examine outcomes of therapeutic massage combined with mirror therapy (TMwMT) for individuals with persistent lower limb PLP and establish feasibility of intervention delivery. Each study phase was four weeks long with bi-weekly, individualized 20-25 minute TMwMT sessions during the treatment (B) phase. TMwMT sessions were developed and applied to address the specific participant PLP experience as if the pain were experienced by the intact limb. During masked TMwMT sessions, participants viewed a real-time mirror image of their intact leg receiving massage in the place of their missing limb. Measures: bi-weekly PLP severity via VAS; PLP intensity and interference collected at beginning/end of each phase via Brief Pain Inventory. Two men completed the study protocol. PLP severity decreased during treatment for both participants with effects beginning to diminish by week two of the withdrawal phase. By the study’s conclusion, PLP severity had not elevated back to average levels of initial phase A. Pain intensity for both participants improved during phase B but results were mixed for pain interference. These individuals had not responded to previous treatments for their PLP; our experimental, non-pharmacological and targeted TMwMT treatment was beneficial in the short-term. Our intervention is theoretically sound, reflects aspects of real-world massage delivery, and needs further investigation

Semiclassical Mastermind

Games are often used in the classroom to teach mathematical and physical concepts. Yet the available activities used to introduce quantum mechanics are often overwhelming even to upper-level students. Further, the games in question range in focus and complexity from superficial introductions to games where quantum strategies result in decidedly nonclassical advantages, making it nearly impossible for people interested in quantum mechanics to have a simple introduction to the topic. In this talk, we introduce a straightforward and newly developed Semiclassical Mastermind based on the original version of mastermind but replace the colored pegs with 6 possible qubits (x+, x-, y+, y-, z+, z-). We allow the user to make 9 guesses with 1 final answer, forcing the user to make strategies to have the best chance of getting a correct answer. We report on the mathematical analysis of three strategies for play and conclude by previewing how a quantum player could potentially outperform even optimal classical players

Concentrated contact simulator

Issued as Memorandum [nos. 1-3], and Final report, Project E-25-L0