Goal-directed visual attention drives health goal priming: an eye-tracking experiment

Objective: Several lab and field experiments have shown that goal priming interventions can be highly effective in promoting healthy food choices. Less is known, however, about the mechanisms by which goal priming affects food choice. This experiment tested the hypothesis that goal priming affects food choices through changes in visual attention. Specifically, it was hypothesized that priming with the dieting goal steers attention toward goal-relevant, low energy food products, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of choosing these products. Methods: In this eye-tracking experiment, 125 participants chose between high and low energy food products in a realistic online supermarket task while their eye movements were recorded with an eye-tracker. One group was primed with a health and dieting goal, a second group was exposed to a control prime, and a third group was exposed to no prime at all. Results: The health goal prime increased low energy food choices and decreased high energy food choices. Furthermore, the health goal prime resulted in proportionally longer total dwell times on low energy food products, and this effect mediated the goal priming effect on choices. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the effect of priming on consumer choice may originate from an increase in attention for prime-congruent items. This study supports the effectiveness of health goal priming interventions in promoting healthy eating and opens up directions for research on other behavioral interventions that steer attention toward healthy foods

Can Material Passports lower financial barriers for structural steel re-use?

The building and construction sector is responsible for more than half of global steel consumption. Recycling is common practice. Yet, this is an energy intensive process, even when using the best currently available technology. A strategy that avoids energy use for remelting and significantly reduces negative environmental impacts is re-use. Steel element re-use is technically feasible and economically attractive in certain cases. However, re-use rates in the UK remain low. Cost and timing are identified to be among the main barriers for re-use across the structural steel value chain. Re-used steel is estimated to be about 8-10% more expensive than new steel, taking into account all required reconditioning processes. This study investigates how data/information services like BAMB Material Passports can facilitate structural steel re-use in the UK by lowering financial barriers. It shows that relevant data has the potential of reducing costs in sourcing, testing, reconditioning and fabrication, ranging from 150-1000 £/t, depending on the re-use path followed (remanufacture or direct re-use of elements/structures). Key stakeholder groups are stockists and fabricators, which will be both the suppliers and customers of the data. It should be noted that data alone is not sufficient to overcome all barriers. Next to shortening or vertical integration of the supply chain, value redistribution across the chain can align incentives of different stakeholders. Regulations and perceptions (on quality) also play a key role. Finally, reversible design/design for dismantling can be a game changer in the transition towards more structural steel re-use, since it can significantly reduce deconstruction costs

γ-H2AX foci as in vivo effect biomarker in children emphasize the importance to minimize x-ray doses in paediatric CT imaging

Objectives: Investigation of DNA damage induced by CT x-rays in paediatric patients versus patient dose in a multicentre setting. Methods: From 51 paediatric patients (median age, 3.8 years) who underwent an abdomen or chest CT examination in one of the five participating radiology departments, blood samples were taken before and shortly after the examination. DNA damage was estimated by scoring gamma-H2AX foci in peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Patient-specific organ and tissue doses were calculated with a validated Monte Carlo program. Individual lifetime attributable risks (LAR) for cancer incidence and mortality were estimated according to the BEIR VII risk models. Results: Despite the low CT doses, a median increase of 0.13 gamma-H2AX foci/cell was observed. Plotting the induced gamma-H2AX foci versus blood dose indicated a low-dose hypersensitivity, supported also by an in vitro dose-response study. Differences in dose levels between radiology centres were reflected in differences in DNA damage. LAR of cancer mortality for the paediatric chest CT and abdomen CT cohort was 0.08 and 0.13% respectively. Conclusion: CT x-rays induce DNA damage in paediatric patients even at low doses and the level of DNA damage is reduced by application of more effective CT dose reduction techniques and paediatric protocols

Atom lithography without laser cooling

Using direct-write atom lithography, Fe nanolines are deposited with a pitch of 186 nm, a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 50 nm, and a height of up to 6 nm. These values are achieved by relying on geometrical collimation of the atomic beam, thus without using laser collimation techniques. This opens the way for applying direct-write atom lithography to a wide variety of elements.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figure

Design improvement of a 245-kV SF6 circuit breaker with double-speed mechanism through current zero analysis

This paper presents the results of current zero measurements during short-line fault interruption tests performed on three variants of an SF6 circuit breaker (CB) (245 kV, 40 kA) with a new mechanism for increasing the contact motion speed, shortly named double-speed mechanism, in order to distinguish between double-motion systems where both contacts are moving. The application of a double-speed mechanism provides the necessary increase of contact separation speed, without a significant increase of opening energy. Besides that, it does not requires any fixed mechanical connection between the stationary and moving contacts through the nozzle. This feature has a positive impact on the CB reliability and creates the possibility of easier assembly and dismantling of the interrupter from its insulator. High-resolution measurements of near current-zero arc current and voltage were carried out during these tests. Different levels of information on the "quality of interruption," obtained from current zero measurements are presented. Direct observation of arc current and arc voltage data are analyzed. The arc conductivity very shortly (500 and 200 ns) before current zero, as an indicator of the performance of the breaker under test is discussed. All information obtained during current zero measurement is in correlation with the direct results of testing and with design improvements in successive variants of the CB

High-current interruption in vacuum circuit breakers

The aim of this project was to find a correlation between contact gap length and switching behavior of a vacuum circuit breaker. A large number of interruption experiments were executed in a vacuum chamber with butt type contacts made of Cu, CuCr 50/50 and AgWC. The currents to be interrupted varied from 2.5 to 32 kA. The rate of change of current and recovery voltage were kept at a fixed value at current zero. Many re-ignitions of the dielectric type, scattered over a wide range of re-ignition voltages, were observed and only a few of the thermal type. The total amount of energy dissipated in the vacuum chamber appears to be determinative for the type of re-ignition. On Cu severe anode spot melting was found, whereas CuCr and AgWC suffered little anode melting. The wide range of re-ignition voltage values found shows that a straight correlation with the contact gap length can not be defined. At 5 to 10 µs after current zero a `second' post arc current did appea

Reflected Shock Tunnel Noise Measurement by Focused Differential Interferometry

A series of experiments is conducted where a quantitative non-intrusive optical technique is used to investigate disturbances in the free-stream of T5, the free-piston driven reflected shock tunnel at Caltech. The optical technique, focused laser differential interferometry (FLDI), measures fluctuations in density. In the test matrix, reservoir enthalpy is varied while the reservoir pressure is held fixed. The results show the perturbations in density are not a strong function of the reservoir enthalpy. During one experiment, exceptional levels of noise were detected; this unique result is attributed to non-ideal operation of the shock tunnel. The data indicate that rms density fluctuations of less than 0.75% are achievable with attention to tunnel cleanliness. In addition, the spectral content of density fluctuation does not change throughout the test time

Fire and plant evolution

3 páginas, 1 figura.Peer reviewe