Evidence-based Kernels: Fundamental Units of Behavioral Influence

This paper describes evidence-based kernels, fundamental units of behavioral influence that appear to underlie effective prevention and treatment for children, adults, and families. A kernel is a behavior–influence procedure shown through experimental analysis to affect a specific behavior and that is indivisible in the sense that removing any of its components would render it inert. Existing evidence shows that a variety of kernels can influence behavior in context, and some evidence suggests that frequent use or sufficient use of some kernels may produce longer lasting behavioral shifts. The analysis of kernels could contribute to an empirically based theory of behavioral influence, augment existing prevention or treatment efforts, facilitate the dissemination of effective prevention and treatment practices, clarify the active ingredients in existing interventions, and contribute to efficiently developing interventions that are more effective. Kernels involve one or more of the following mechanisms of behavior influence: reinforcement, altering antecedents, changing verbal relational responding, or changing physiological states directly. The paper describes 52 of these kernels, and details practical, theoretical, and research implications, including calling for a national database of kernels that influence human behavior

Lawson criterion for ignition exceeded in an inertial fusion experiment

For more than half a century, researchers around the world have been engaged in attempts to achieve fusion ignition as a proof of principle of various fusion concepts. Following the Lawson criterion, an ignited plasma is one where the fusion heating power is high enough to overcome all the physical processes that cool the fusion plasma, creating a positive thermodynamic feedback loop with rapidly increasing temperature. In inertially confined fusion, ignition is a state where the fusion plasma can begin "burn propagation" into surrounding cold fuel, enabling the possibility of high energy gain. While "scientific breakeven" (i.e., unity target gain) has not yet been achieved (here target gain is 0.72, 1.37 MJ of fusion for 1.92 MJ of laser energy), this Letter reports the first controlled fusion experiment, using laser indirect drive, on the National Ignition Facility to produce capsule gain (here 5.8) and reach ignition by nine different formulations of the Lawson criterion

GPR signatures of pipes and walls with emphasis on the effect of inclined scanning trajectory

This study investigates the effects of some commonly encountered constraints such as inclined scanning trajectory, multiple targets in the vicinity and material variation on GPR responses of pipes and walls. Further, the effects of wall inclination and broken walls are also explored in GPR signatures. Interpretation of such signatures in GPR data for archaeological and geotechnical surveys has been a challenge. A physical model was created to simulate buried pipes and walls under controlled conditions by maintaining density and moisture content of the soil medium. The presence of PVC pipes, plastered brick and stone walls buried in the dry sand have been investigated and major observations have been reported. The inclined scanning trajectory on buried pipes shows a change in curvature of hyperbola-like signatures. Inclined transects near the ends of pipes and walls manifest single limb GPR signatures. The responses of multiple pipes and walls show dependence on separation of targets and footprint of an antenna. One can discern stone walls from brick walls by recognizing the diffraction of waves by irregular stones in GPR responses. The signatures of walls differ from pipes with respect to the width of the apex and variation in the intensity in the limb.by Mohmad Mohsin Thakur and Amit Prashan