Predictors of Discretionary Effort in a Men\u27s Chorus

Data from 55 members of a Midwest Barbershop chorus were collected and analyzed as part of this study. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between discretionary effort and three predictors: quality of relationship with leader, quality of relationship with coworkers, and self-efficacy for learning music. A better understanding of the relationship between these variables has the potential to focus group time on activities likely to be related to discretionary effort exerted. The results indicated a positive correlation between discretionary effort and self-efficacy for learning music, as well as mixed support for the positive relationship between discretionary effort and organizational friendship. Results include limitations and recommendations for future studies

Foundation: Transforming data bases into knowledge bases

One approach to transforming information stored in relational data bases into knowledge based representations and back again is described. This system, called Foundation, allows knowledge bases to take advantage of vast amounts of pre-existing data. A benefit of this approach is inspection, and even population, of data bases through an intelligent knowledge-based front-end

Design Knowledge Capture: Preserving Engineering Knowledge For Future Applications

A new problem beginning to challenge the artificial intelligence community is design knowledge capture. There has been an increased desire to construct systems with inherent built-in evolvability toward more advanced technologies and machine intelligence. Success in this evolution process depends on being able to capture as-built design knowledge from the outset. Requirements and objectives for such systems are reviewed and an application to capture design knowledge within a combined data and knowledge environment is presented. Design knowledge and rationale are implemented as design objects. Knowledge represented within an object can be physical, conceptual, functional, or structural. Storage and retrieval of rationale is achieved through a network of design objects and a model of the design process. The context, as well as the content, of captured knowledge is described within the process network of requirements, trades, and analyses. Design knowledge applications include, for example, traceability to requirements, standards, and specifications. It can be used to describe attributes of a part, or for input to further analyses, and trade studies. Other uses include verification, simulation, and maintenance activities

Report to the Institutional Computing Executive Group (ICEG) August 14, 2006

We have delayed this report from its normal distribution schedule for two reasons. First, due to the coverage provided in the White Paper on Institutional Capability Computing Requirements distributed in August 2005, we felt a separate 2005 ICEG report would not be value added. Second, we wished to provide some specific information about the Peloton procurement and we have just now reached a point in the process where we can make some definitive statements. The Peloton procurement will result in an almost complete replacement of current M&IC systems. We have plans to retire MCR, iLX, and GPS. We will replace them with new parallel and serial capacity systems based on the same node architecture in the new Peloton capability system named ATLAS. We are currently adding the first users to the Green Data Oasis, a large file system on the open network that will provide the institution with external collaboration data sharing. Only Thunder will remain from the current M&IC system list and it will be converted from Capability to Capacity. We are confident that we are entering a challenging yet rewarding new phase for the M&IC program. Institutional computing has been an essential component of our S&T investment strategy and has helped us achieve recognition in many scientific and technical forums. Through consistent institutional investments, M&IC has grown into a powerful unclassified computing resource that is being used across the Lab to push the limits of computing and its application to simulation science. With the addition of Peloton, the Laboratory will significantly increase the broad-based computing resources available to meet the ever-increasing demand for the large scale simulations indispensable to advancing all scientific disciplines. All Lab research efforts are bolstered through the long term development of mission driven scalable applications and platforms. The new systems will soon be fully utilized and will position Livermore to extend the outstanding science and technology breakthroughs the M&IC program has enabled to date

Note: Position dependence of time signals picked off a microchannel plate detector

Citation: Ablikim, U., Zohrabi, M., Jochim, B., Berry, B., Severt, T., Carnes, K. D., & Ben-Itzhak, I. (2015). Note: Position dependence of time signals picked off a microchannel plate detector. Review of Scientific Instruments, 86(1), 3. doi:10.1063/1.4906327Using an ultrafast laser and a precision mask, we demonstrate that time signals picked off directly from a microchannel plate detector depend on the position of the hit. This causes a time spread of about 280 ps, which can affect the quality of imaging measurements using large detectors. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC

Note: Determining the detection efficiency of excited neutral atoms by a microchannel plate detector

Citation: Berry, B., Zohrabi, M., Hayes, D., Ablikim, U., Jochim, B., Severt, T., . . . Ben-Itzhak, I. (2015). Note: Determining the detection efficiency of excited neutral atoms by a microchannel plate detector. Review of Scientific Instruments, 86(4), 3. doi:10.1063/1.4916953We present a method for determining the detection efficiency of neutral atoms relative to keV ions. Excited D* atoms are produced by D-2 fragmentation in a strong laser field. The fragments are detected by a micro-channel plate detector either directly as neutrals or as keV ions following field ionization and acceleration by a static electric field. Moreover, we propose a new mechanism by which neutrals are detected. We show that the ratio of the yield of neutrals and ions can be related to the relative detection efficiency of these species. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC

Carrier-envelope phase control over pathway interference in strong-field dissociation of H2+_2^+

The dissociation of an H$_2^+$ molecular-ion beam by linearly polarized, carrier-envelope-phase-tagged 5 fs pulses at 4$\times10^{14}$W/cm$^2$ with a central wavelength of 730 nm was studied using a coincidence 3D momentum imaging technique. Carrier-envelope-phase-dependent asymmetries in the emission direction of H$^+$ fragments relative to the laser polarization were observed. These asymmetries are caused by interference of odd and even photon number pathways, where net-zero photon and 1-photon interference predominantly contributes at H$^+$+H kinetic energy releases of 0.2 -- 0.45 eV, and net-2-photon and 1-photon interference contributes at 1.65 -- 1.9 eV. These measurements of the benchmark H$_2^+$ molecule offer the distinct advantage that they can be quantitatively compared with \textit{ab initio} theory to confirm our understanding of strong-field coherent control via the carrier-envelope phase

2005 White Paper on Institutional Capability Computing Requirements

This paper documents the need for a significant increase in the computing infrastructure provided to scientists working in the unclassified domains at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). This need could be viewed as the next step in a broad strategy outlined in the January 2002 White Paper (UCRL-ID-147449) that bears essentially the same name as this document. Therein we wrote: 'This proposed increase could be viewed as a step in a broader strategy linking hardware evolution to applications development that would take LLNL unclassified computational science to a position of distinction if not preeminence by 2006.' This position of distinction has certainly been achieved. This paper provides a strategy for sustaining this success but will diverge from its 2002 predecessor in that it will: (1) Amplify the scientific and external success LLNL has enjoyed because of the investments made in 2002 (MCR, 11 TF) and 2004 (Thunder, 23 TF). (2) Describe in detail the nature of additional investments that are important to meet both the institutional objectives of advanced capability for breakthrough science and the scientists clearly stated request for adequate capacity and more rapid access to moderate-sized resources. (3) Put these requirements in the context of an overall strategy for simulation science and external collaboration. While our strategy for Multiprogrammatic and Institutional Computing (M&IC) has worked well, three challenges must be addressed to assure and enhance our position. The first is that while we now have over 50 important classified and unclassified simulation codes available for use by our computational scientists, we find ourselves coping with high demand for access and long queue wait times. This point was driven home in the 2005 Institutional Computing Executive Group (ICEG) 'Report Card' to the Deputy Director for Science and Technology (DDST) Office and Computation Directorate management. The second challenge is related to the balance that should be maintained in the simulation environment. With the advent of Thunder, the institution directed a change in course from past practice. Instead of making Thunder available to the large body of scientists, as was MCR, and effectively using it as a capacity system, the intent was to make it available to perhaps ten projects so that these teams could run very aggressive problems for breakthrough science. This usage model established Thunder as a capability system. The challenge this strategy raises is that the majority of scientists have not seen an improvement in capacity computing resources since MCR, thus creating significant tension in the system. The question then is: 'How do we address the institution's desire to maintain the potential for breakthrough science and also meet the legitimate requests from the ICEG to achieve balance?' Both the capability and the capacity environments must be addressed through this one procurement. The third challenge is to reach out more aggressively to the national science community to encourage access to LLNL resources as part of a strategy for sharpening our science through collaboration. Related to this, LLNL has been unable in the past to provide access for sensitive foreign nationals (SFNs) to the Livermore Computing (LC) unclassified 'yellow' network. Identifying some mechanism for data sharing between LLNL computational scientists and SFNs would be a first practical step in fostering cooperative, collaborative relationships with an important and growing sector of the American science community

Understanding the role of shame and its consequences in female hypersexual behaviours: A pilot study

Background and aims: Hypersexuality and sexual addiction among females is a little understudied phenomenon. Shame is thought to be intrinsic to hypersexual behaviours, especially in women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand both hypersexual behaviours and consequences of hypersexual behaviours and their respective contributions to shame in a British sample of females (n = 102). Methods: Data were collected online via Survey Monkey. Results: Results showed the Sexual Behaviour History (SBH) and the Hypersexual Disorder Questionnaire (HDQ) had significant positive correlation with scores on the Shame Inventory. The results indicated that hypersexual behaviours (HBI and HDQ) were able to predict a small percentage of the variability in shame once sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. non-heterosexual) and religious beliefs (belief vs. no belief) were controlled for. Results also showed there was no evidence that religious affiliation and/or religious beliefs had an influence on the levels of hypersexuality and consequences of sexual behaviours as predictors of shame. Conclusions: While women in the UK are rapidly shifting to a feminist way of thinking with or without technology, hypersexual disorder may often be misdiagnosed and misunderstood because of the lack of understanding and how it is conceptualised. The implications of these findings are discussed