Application of a Social Skill and Problem-Solving Group Training Program to Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Youth

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.The efficacy of training social and problem-solving skills to learning disabled adolescents was evaluated by conducting a group skiff training program with three sets of youths: (a) LD adolescents attending an alternative high school, (b) non-LD youths attending the same school, and (c) court-adjudicated youths on probation with a juvenile court. Results of behavioral role-play tests showed that all three groups of youths performed the skills at low levels prior to training. With the training of each social skill, increases were shown by each group in that social skill level. Baseline levels of the untrained skills remained stable until after training. Initial increases apparent after training generally were maintained or increased throughout the program. On the cognitive problem-solving skill, LD adolescents showed a slight gain when compared to gains for non-LD and court-adjudicated youths

Research Approaches to Studying the Link Between Learning Disabilities and Juvenile Delinquency

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.A relationship between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency has been hypothesized for a period of time. Research on this relationship has been clouded with methodological difficulties. These problems include the definitions of learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency, the use of appropriate experimental designs, and the difficulty of obtaining informed consent in the court system. A current study through The University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities which is intervening with learning disabled youth in the juvenile court is described. Finally, key questions in the field are proposed with suggestion for future research

Social Skills Performances of Learning Disabled, Non-Learning Disabled and Delinquent Adolescents

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.This study compared the social skills performances of LD adolescents on eight general social skills to the performances of two other groups of youths: a group of nonhandicapped adolescents who were members of a high school band (the non-LD group) and a group of court-adjudicated juvenile delinquent adolescents who had been referred for social skills training by their probation officers (the JD group). The results showed that the non-LD youths performed significantly better than the other two groups of youths on seven of the eight skills. The LD youths performed significantly better than the JD youths on only one skill, resisting peer pressure

Quantum teleportation with squeezed vacuum states

We show how the partial entanglement inherent in a two mode squeezed vacuum state admits two different teleportation protocols. These two protocols refer to the different kinds of joint measurements that may be made by the sender. One protocol is the recently implemented quadrature phase approach of Braunstein and Kimble[Phys. Rev. Lett.{\bf 80}, 869 (1998)]. The other is based on recognising that a two mode squeezed vacuum state is also entangled with respect to photon number difference and phase sum. We show that this protocol can also realise teleportation, however limitations can arise due to the fact that the photon number spectrum is bounded from below by zero. Our examples show that a given entanglement resource may admit more than a single teleportation protocol and the question then arises as to what is the optimum protocol in the general case

Maximum elastic deformations of relativistic stars

We present a method for calculating the maximum elastic quadrupolar deformations of relativistic stars, generalizing the previous Newtonian, Cowling approximation integral given by [G. Ushomirsky et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 319, 902 (2000)]. (We also present a method for Newtonian gravity with no Cowling approximation.) We apply these methods to the m = 2 quadrupoles most relevant for gravitational radiation in three cases: crustal deformations, deformations of crystalline cores of hadron-quark hybrid stars, and deformations of entirely crystalline color superconducting quark stars. In all cases, we find suppressions of the quadrupole due to relativity compared to the Newtonian Cowling approximation, particularly for compact stars. For the crust these suppressions are up to a factor ~6, for hybrid stars they are up to ~4, and for solid quark stars they are at most ~2, with slight enhancements instead for low mass stars. We also explore ranges of masses and equations of state more than in previous work, and find that for some parameters the maximum quadrupoles can still be very large. Even with the relativistic suppressions, we find that 1.4 solar mass stars can sustain crustal quadrupoles of a few times 10^39 g cm^2 for the SLy equation of state or close to 10^40 g cm^2 for equations of state that produce less compact stars. Solid quark stars of 1.4 solar masses can sustain quadrupoles of around 10^44 g cm^2. Hybrid stars typically do not have solid cores at 1.4 solar masses, but the most massive ones (~2 solar masses) can sustain quadrupoles of a few times 10^41 g cm^2 for typical microphysical parameters and a few times 10^42 g cm^2 for extreme ones. All of these quadrupoles assume a breaking strain of 0.1 and can be divided by 10^45 g cm^2 to yield the fiducial "ellipticities" quoted elsewhere.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, version accepted by PRD, including the corrected maximum hybrid star quadrupoles (from the erratum to the shear modulus calculation) and the corrected binding energy computatio

An interacting spin flip model for one-dimensional proton conduction

A discrete asymmetric exclusion process (ASEP) is developed to model proton conduction along one-dimensional water wires. Each lattice site represents a water molecule that can be in only one of three states; protonated, left-pointing, and right-pointing. Only a right(left)-pointing water can accept a proton from its left(right). Results of asymptotic mean field analysis and Monte-Carlo simulations for the three-species, open boundary exclusion model are presented and compared. The mean field results for the steady-state proton current suggest a number of regimes analogous to the low and maximal current phases found in the single species ASEP [B. Derrida, Physics Reports, {\bf 301}, 65-83, (1998)]. We find that the mean field results are accurate (compared with lattice Monte-Carlo simulations) only in the certain regimes. Refinements and extensions including more elaborate forces and pore defects are also discussed.Comment: 13pp, 6 fig

Phonon Squeezed States Generated by Second Order Raman Scattering

We study squeezed states of phonons, which allow a reduction in the quantum fluctuations of the atomic displacements to below the zero-point quantum noise level of coherent phonon states. We investigate the generation of squeezed phonon states using a second order Raman scattering process. We calculate the expectation values and fluctuations of both the atomic displacement and the lattice amplitude operators, as well as the effects of the phonon squeezed states on macroscopically measurable quantities, such as changes in the dielectric constant. These results are compared with recent experiments.Comment: 4 pages, REVTE

The Current Status of Young Adults Identified as Learning Disabled During Their School Career

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.Research efforts in the field of learning disabilities (LD) have addressed primarily concerns within school settings; however, if learning disabilities are more than a school phenomenon, researchers and educators must begin to examine the effects of these disabilities on post-school adjustment. This study sought to examine among learning disabled and non-learning disabled (NLD) young adults a broad array of factors known to be indicative of personal, social, and vocational success . The results indicate that the LD young adults sampled appear to be adjusting as well as the NLD sample in a number of important areas (e.g., getting and maintaining employment, having friends, etc.) . However, LD young adults reported they were significantly less satisfied with their employment situation and their contacts with parents and relatives. They were much less involved in recreational and social activities and few had plans for further education and training. Implications of these trends on the life adjustment of, and research efforts related to, LD young adults are discussed

Advancing the State-of-the-Practice for Liquid Rocket Engine Injector Design

Current shortcomings in both the overall injector design process and its underlying combustion stability assessment methodology are rooted in the use of empirically based or low fidelity representations of complex physical phenomena and geometry details that have first order effects on performance, thermal environments and combustion stability. The result is a design and analysis capability that is often inadequate to reliably arrive at a suitable injector design in an efficient manner. Specifically, combustion instability has been particularly difficult to predict and mitigate. Large hydrocarbon-fueled booster engines have been especially problematic in this regard. Where combustion instability has been a problem, costly and time-consuming redesign efforts have often been an unfortunate consequence. This paper presents an overview of a recently completed effort at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to advance the state-of-the-practice for liquid rocket engine injector design. Multiple perturbations of a gas-centered swirl coaxial (GCSC) element that burned gaseous oxygen and RP-1 were designed, assessed for combustion stability, and tested. Three designs, one stable, one marginally unstable and one unstable, were used to demonstrate both an enhanced overall injector design process and an improved combustion stability assessment process. High-fidelity results from state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics CFD simulations were used to substantially augment and improve the injector design methodology. The CFD results were used to inform and guide the overall injector design process. They were also used to upgrade selected empirical or low-dimensional quantities in the ROCket Combustor Interactive Design (ROCCID) stability assessment tool. Hot fire single element injector testing was used to verify both the overall injector designs and the stability assessments. Testing was conducted at the Air Force Research Laboratory and at Purdue University. Companion papers provide details of the overall injector design process, full- and sub-scale testing, ROCCID-based stability assessments and the CFD simulations

ASTROD, ASTROD I and their gravitational-wave sensitivities

ASTROD (Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices) is a mission concept with three spacecraft -- one near L1/L2 point, one with an inner solar orbit and one with an outer solar orbit, ranging coherently with one another using lasers to test relativistic gravity, to measure the solar system and to detect gravitational waves. ASTROD I with one spacecraft ranging optically with ground stations is the first step toward the ASTROD mission. In this paper, we present the ASTROD I payload and accelerometer requirements, discuss the gravitational-wave sensitivities for ASTROD and ASTROD I, and compare them with LISA and radio-wave PDoppler-tracking of spacecraft.Comment: presented to the 5th Edoardo Amaldi Conference (July 6-11, 2003) and submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit