A peer-to-peer infrastructure for resilient web services

This work is funded by GR/M78403 “Supporting Internet Computation in Arbitrary Geographical Locations” and GR/R51872 “Reflective Application Framework for Distributed Architectures”, and by Nuffield Grant URB/01597/G “Peer-to-Peer Infrastructure for Autonomic Storage Architectures”This paper describes an infrastructure for the deployment and use of Web Services that are resilient to the failure of the nodes that host those services. The infrastructure presents a single interface that provides mechanisms for users to publish services and to find hosted services. The infrastructure supports the autonomic deployment of services and the brokerage of hosts on which services may be deployed. Once deployed, services are autonomically managed in a number of aspects including load balancing, availability, failure detection and recovery, and lifetime management. Services are published and deployed with associated metadata describing the service type. This same metadata may be used subsequently by interested parties to discover services. The infrastructure uses peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay technologies to abstract over the underlying network to deploy and locate instances of those services. It takes advantage of the P2P network to replicate directory services used to locate service instances (for using a service), Service Hosts (for deployment of services) and Autonomic Managers which manage the deployed services. The P2P overlay network is itself constructed using novel Web Services-based middleware and a variation of the Chord P2P protocol, which is self-managing.Postprin

Mutuality of Rogers's therapeutic conditions and treatment progress in the first three psychotherapy sessions

Abstract Objective: Research on the effects of Rogers’s therapeutic relationship conditions has typically focused on the unilateral provision of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence from therapist to client. Method: This study looked at both client and therapist mutuality of the Rogerian therapeutic conditions and the association between mutuality and treatment progress in the first three psychotherapy sessions. Clients (N = 62; mean age = 24.32; 77% female, 23% male) and therapists (N = 12; mean age = 34.32; nine female and three male) rated one another using the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory after the first and third session. Results: Both clients and therapists perceived the quality of the relationship as improved over time. Client rating of psychological distress (CORE-OM) was lower after session 3 than at session 1 (es = .85, [95% CIs: .67, 1.03]). Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the predictive power of mutually high levels of the therapeutic conditions on treatment progress. The association between client rating of therapist-provided conditions and treatment progress at session 3 was higher when both clients and therapists rated each other as providing high levels of the therapeutic conditions (R2 change = .073, p < .03). Conclusions: The findings suggest mutuality of Rogers’s therapeutic conditions is related to treatment progress. Keywords: therapeutic relationship; psychotherapy; mutuality; treatment progres

Temporal Changes in Astronauts Muscle and Cardiorespiratory Physiology Pre-, In-, and Post-Spaceflight

NASAs vision for future exploration missions depends on the ability to protect astronauts health and safety for performance of Extravehicular Activity (EVA), and to allow astronauts to safely egress from vehicles in a variety of landing scenarios (e.g. water landing upon return to Earth and undefined planetary/lunar landings). Prolonged exposure to spaceflight results in diminished tolerance to prolonged physical activity, decreased cardiac and sensorimotor function, and loss of bone mineral density, muscle mass, and muscle strength. For over 50 years exercise has been the primary countermeasure against these physiologic decrements during spaceflight, and while the resulting protection is adequate for ISS missions (i.e., Soyuz landing, microgravity EVAs), there is little information regarding time-course changes in muscle and aerobic performance. As spaceflight progresses towards longer exploration missions and vehicles with less robust exercise capabilities compared to ISS, countermeasures will need to be combined and optimized to protect crew health and performance across all organ systems over the course of exploration missions up to 3 years in duration. This will require a more detailed understanding of the dynamic effects of spaceflight on human performance. Thus, the focus of this study is quantifying decrements in physical performance over different mission durations, and to provide detailed information on the physiological rational for why and when observed changes in performance occur. The research proposed will temporally profile changes in astronauts cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle mass, strength, and endurance over spaceflight missions of 2 months, 6 months, and up to 1 year in duration. Additionally, an extrapolation model will provide predictions for changes associated with exploration missions 2-3 years in duration. To accomplish these objectives astronauts will be asked to participate in pre, in, post-flight measurement of muscle performance, muscle size, cardiorespiratory fitness and submaximal performance capabilities, as well as non-invasive assessment of cerebral and muscle oxygenation and perfusion (Table 1). Additionally, ambulatory and in-flight exercise, nutrition, and sleep will be monitored using a variety of commercial technologies and in-flight assessment tools. Significance: Our detailed testing protocol will provide valuable information for describing how and when spaceflight-induced muscle and aerobic based adaptations occur over the course of spaceflight missions up to and beyond 1 year. This information will be vital in the assessment as to whether humans can be physically ready for deep space exploration such as Mars missions with current technology, or if additional mitigation strategies are necessary

High Performance EVA Glove Collaboration: Glove Injury Data Mining Effort

Human hands play a significant role during Extravehicular Activity (EVA) missions and Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) training events, as they are needed for translating and performing tasks in the weightless environment. Because of this high frequency usage, hand and arm related injuries are known to occur during EVA and EVA training in the NBL. The primary objectives of this investigation were to: 1) document all known EVA glove related injuries and circumstances of these incidents, 2) determine likely risk factors, and 3) recommend interventions where possible that could be implemented in the current and future glove designs. METHODS: The investigation focused on the discomforts and injuries of U.S. crewmembers who had worn the pressurized Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit and experienced 4000 Series or Phase VI glove related incidents during 1981 to 2010 for either EVA ground training or in-orbit flight. We conducted an observational retrospective case-control investigation using 1) a literature review of known injuries, 2) data mining of crew injury, glove sizing, and hand anthropometry databases, 3) descriptive statistical analyses, and finally 4) statistical risk correlation and predictor analyses to better understand injury prevalence and potential causation. Specific predictor statistical analyses included use of principal component analyses (PCA), multiple logistic regression, and survival analyses (Cox proportional hazards regression). Results of these analyses were computed risk variables in the forms of odds ratios (likelihood of an injury occurring given the magnitude of a risk variable) and hazard ratios (likelihood of time to injury occurrence). Due to the exploratory nature of this investigation, we selected predictor variables significant at p0.15. RESULTS: Through 2010, there have been a total of 330 NASA crewmembers, from which 96 crewmembers performed 322 EVAs during 1981-2010, resulting in 50 crewmembers being injured inflight and 44 injured during 11,704 ground EVA training events. Of the 196 glove related injury incidents, 106 related to EVA and 90 to EVA training. Over these 196 incidents, 277 total injuries (126 flight; 151 training) were reported and were then grouped into 23 types of injuries. Of EVA flight injuries, 65% were commonly reported to the hand (in general), metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint, and finger (not including thumb) with fatigue, abrasion, and paresthesia being the most common injury types (44% of total flight injuries). Training injuries totaled to more than 70% being distributed to the fingernail, MCP joint, and finger crotch with 88% of the specific injuries listed as pain, erythema, and onycholysis. Of these training injuries, when reporting pain or erythema, the most common location was the index finger, but when reporting onycholysis, it was the middle finger. Predictor variables specific to increased risk of onycholysis included: female sex (OR=2.622), older age (OR=1.065), increased duration in hours of the flight or training event (OR=1.570), middle finger length differences in inches between the finger and the EVA glove (OR=7.709), and use of the Phase VI glove (OR=8.535). Differentiation between training and flight and injury reporting during 2002-2004 were significant control variables. For likelihood of time to first onycholysis injury, there was a 24% reduction in rate of reporting for each year increase in age. Also, more experienced crewmembers, based on number of EVA flight or training events completed, were less likely to report an onycholysis injury (3% less for every event). Longer duration events also found reporting rates to occur 2.37 times faster for every hour of length. Crewmembers with larger hand size reported onycholysis 23% faster than those with smaller hand size. Finally, for every 1/10th of an inch increase in difference between the middle finger length and the glove, the rate of reporting increased by 60%. DISCUSSION: One key finding was that the Series 4000 glove had a lower injury risk than the Phase VI, which provides a platform for further evaluation. General interventions that reduce hand overexertion and repetitive use exposure through tool development, procedural changes and shorter exposures may be one mitigation path, but due to the way the training event times were reported, we cannot provide a guideline for a specific event duration change. When the finger length was different from the glove length, the risk of injury increased indicating that the use of larger finger take-ups could be contributing to injury and therefore may not be recommended. Prior to this investigation, there was one previous investigation indicating hand anthropometry may be related to onycholysis. We found different hand anthropometry variables indicated by this investigation as compared to the prior, specifically differences in middle finger length compared to glove finger length, which point more towards a sizing issue than a specific anthropometry issue. Additionally, although this investigation has identified sizing as an issue, the force and environmental-related variables of the EVA glove that could also cause injury were not accounted for

Psychological models in sport psychology:A preliminary investigation

Applied psychology is characterised by a variety of theoretical models, informing distinct approaches to classification, explanation, and intervention in service-delivery. Such theoretical or psychological models include behavioural, biological, cognitive, humanistic, psychodynamic, and social paradigms, with exposure to these models and attitude formation occurring within the structured university-based stage of sport psychology development. It is, therefore, important for the sport psychological domain to investigate developing attitudes, given these models inform subsequent professional practice and decision making. Accordingly, the present study explored the attitudes of Stage-1 sport psychology students through a modified form of the Maudsley Attitude Questionnaire (34 males, Mage = 24.71 years, SD = 7.23 and 42 females, Mage = 24.76 years, SD = 6.20). The questionnaire was designed to assess attitudes across eight psychological models (e.g., biological, cognitive) and four sport psychology issues (pre-performance anxiety, a lack of confidence, depression, and eating disorders). Analyses of variance demonstrated significant main, model, and interaction effects. No one psychological model was endorsed by all respondents, with model endorsement varying significantly as a function of the issue presented. Principal Axis Factoring revealed a large contribution attributable to cognitive-behavioural and ‘eclectic’ (mixed elements of social constructionism, biological, and psychodynamic) models. In contrast, the spiritual model represented low levels of participant endorsement and application. Investigation of Stage-1 students can promote an evidence-based understanding on currently developing attitudes and inform the development of sport psychology education, supervision of training routes, and subsequent professional delivery

Retarded long-range potentials for the alkali-metal atoms and a perfectly conducting wall

The retarded long-range potentials for hydrogen and alkali-metal atoms in their ground states and a perfectly conducting wall are calculated. The potentials are given over a wide range of atom-wall distances and the validity of the approximations used is established.Comment: RevTeX, epsf, 11 pages, 2 fig

Biosensors for EVA: Muscle Oxygen and pH During Walking, Running and Simulated Reduced Gravity

During lunar excursions in the EVA suit, real-time measurement of metabolic rate is required to manage consumables and guide activities to ensure safe return to the base. Metabolic rate, or oxygen consumption (VO2), is normally measured from pulmonary parameters but cannot be determined with standard techniques in the oxygen-rich environment of a spacesuit. Our group developed novel near infrared spectroscopic (NIRS) methods to calculate muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2), hematocrit, and pH, and we recently demonstrated that we can use our NIRS sensor to measure VO2 on the leg during cycling. Our NSBRI-funded project is looking to extend this methodology to examine activities which more appropriately represent EVA activities, such as walking and running and to better understand factors that determine the metabolic cost of exercise in both normal and lunar gravity. Our 4 year project specifically addresses risk: ExMC 4.18: Lack of adequate biomedical monitoring capability for Constellation EVA Suits and EPSP risk: Risk of compromised EVA performance and crew health due to inadequate EVA suit systems

The personal self of psychotherapists : Dimensions, correlates, and relations with clients

ObjectiveThe personal self of psychotherapists, that is, experiences of self in close personal relationships and its association with therapists' individual and professional attributes is explored. The study aimed to: (a) describe therapists' self-ratings on specific self-attributes; (b) determine their dimensionality; (c) explore demographic, psychological, and professional correlates; and (d) assess the convergence with professional self. MethodData from the Development of Psychotherapists Common Core Questionnaire were available for>10,000 psychotherapists of various professions, theoretical orientations, career levels, and nations. ResultsMost psychotherapists described themselves in close relationships in affirming terms (e.g., warm/friendly), although a substantial minority also described themselves in negative terms. Factor analyses yielded four dimensions: Genial/Caring, Forceful/Exacting, Reclusive/Remote, and Ardent/Expressive. Being Genial/Caring was associated with life satisfaction. Among professional attributes, personal self-experiences, and parallel dimensions of relationship with clients correlated strongly. ConclusionsAnalyses of>10,000 psychotherapists revealed meaningful variations in personal self relevant to personal and professional life.Peer reviewe

Time-dependent calculation of ionization in Potassium at mid-infrared wavelengths

We study the dynamics of the Potassium atom in the mid-infrared, high intensity, short laser pulse regime. We ascertain numerical convergence by comparing the results obtained by the direct expansion of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation onto B-Splines, to those obtained by the eigenbasis expansion method. We present ionization curves in the 12-, 13-, and 14-photon ionization range for Potassium. The ionization curve of a scaled system, namely Hydrogen starting from the 2s, is compared to the 12-photon results. In the 13-photon regime, a dynamic resonance is found and analyzed in some detail. The results for all wavelengths and intensities, including Hydrogen, display a clear plateau in the peak-heights of the low energy part of the Above Threshold Ionization (ATI) spectrum, which scales with the ponderomotive energy Up, and extends to 2.8 +- 0.5 Up.Comment: 15 two-column pages with 15 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev A. Improved figures, language and punctuation, and made minor corrections. We also added a comparison to the ADK theor