Hostility,driving anger,and dangerous driving: The emerging role of hemispheric preference

Background

Various studies have implicated psychosocial variables (e.g., hostility) in risk of dangerous driving and traffic accidents. However, whether these variables are related to more basic neurobiological factors, and whether such associations have implications for the modification of psychosocial risk factors in the context of driving, have not been examined in depth. This study examined the relationship between hemispheric preference (HP), hostility and self-reported dangerous driving, and the ability to affect driving anger via hemisphere activating cognitive exercises (HACE).

Methods

In Study 1, 254 Turkish students completed questionnaires of hostility, HP and driving behavior. In Study 2, we conducted a “proof of concept” experimental study, and tested effects of left, right and neutral HACE on driving anger, by exposing N = 650 Turkish students to written scenarios including either logical (left hemisphere), visuo-spatial (right hemisphere) or “mild doses” of both types of contents (control).

Results

In Study 1, left-HP was associated with higher hostility and with more dangerous driving, and hostility mediated the relationship between L-HP and reported driving behavior. In Study 2, only right-HACE led to immediate significant reductions in self-reported driving anger.

Conclusions

Left-HP is related to hostility and to dangerous driving, and it may be possible to partly reduce driving anger by right-HACE. Future studies must replicate these findings with objective measures, more enduring interventions and longer follow-ups.     

3D multiscale crack propagation using the XFEM applied to a gas turbine blade

This work presents a new multiscale technique to investigate advancing cracks in three dimensional space. This fully adaptive multiscale technique is designed to take into account cracks of different length scales efficiently, by enabling fine scale domains locally in regions of interest, i.e. where stress concentrations and high stress gradients occur. Due to crack propagation, these regions change during the simulation process. Cracks are modeled using the extended finite element method, such that an accurate and powerful numerical tool is achieved. Restricting ourselves to linear elastic fracture mechanics, the $J$ -integral yields an accurate solution of the stress intensity factors, and with the criterion of maximum hoop stress, a precise direction of growth. If necessary, the on the finest scale computed crack surface is finally transferred to the corresponding scale. In a final step, the model is applied to a quadrature point of a gas turbine blade, to compute crack growth on the microscale of a real structure.     

Development of an automated fracture assessment system for nuclear structures

A program system for fracture assessment of nuclear power plant structures has been developed. The system consists of an easy-to-use program for engineering analysis and an automated finite element (FE) program system for more accurate analysis with solid three-dimensional (3D) models. The VTTSIF (SIF stress intensity factor) program for engineering fracture assessment applies either the weight function method or superposition method in calculating the stress intensity factor, and the fatigue crack growth analysis is based on the Paris equation. The structural geometry cases of the VTTSIF program are organized in an extendable subroutine database. The generation of a 3D FE model of a cracked structure is automated by the ACR program (automatic finite element model generation for part through cracks). The FE analyses are created with generally accepted commercial programs, and the virtual crack extension method (VCE) is used for fracture parameter evaluation by the VTTVIRT postprocessor program (program for J-integral evaluation using virtual crack extension method). The several test cases have demonstrated that the accuracy of the present system is satisfactory for practical applications.     

Potential contribution of the forest sector to carbon sequestration in Finland

Although Finland's forest resources have been utilized intensively, the size of the total volume of the growing stock has increased since the mid-1960s, and hence increasing amounts of carbon have been sequestered by forests. The net sequestration by forests has also been substantial when compared with the CO₂ emissions resulting from energy generation and consumption based on fossil fuels and peat. It is also important, from the point of view of mitigating the effects of climate change, to assess how the sequestration capacity of forests may change under changing climatic conditions. This paper presents the results of a study assessing the development of the forest and wood-product carbon budget for Finland, based on regionally measured data, detailed dynamic models, and recent predictions concerning the changing climate. At the starting point for the simulation (1990), nearly 90% of the forest sector's carbon storage was found in the forest. Regular management transferred carbon from forests to wood products. Under the current climatic conditions, the simulated forest carbon storage increased 45% by the year 2100, and the wood-product storage by 320%, as a consequence of continuous production. Under changing climate conditions, the forest carbon storage increased, but started to decline when the temperature increase exceeded 2.5°C within 40 years.     

Au@Hg Nanoalloy Formation Through Direct Amalgamation: Structural,Spectroscopic, and Computational Evidence for Slow Nanoscale Diffusion

Dynamic core–shell nanoparticles have received increasing attention in recent years. This paper presents a detailed study of Au–Hg nanoalloys, whose composing elements show a large difference in cohesive energy. A simple method to prepare Au@Hg particles with precise control over the composition up to 15 atom% mercury is introduced, based on reacting a citrate stabilized gold sol with elemental mercury. Transmission electron microscopy shows an increase of particle size with increasing mercury content and, together with X‐ray powder diffraction, points towards the presence of a core–shell structure with a gold core surrounded by an Au–Hg solid solution layer. The amalgamation process is described by pseudo‐zero‐order reaction kinetics, which indicates slow dissolution of mercury in water as the rate determining step, followed by fast scavenging by nanoparticles in solution. Once adsorbed at the surface, slow diffusion of Hg into the particle lattice occurs, to a depth of ca. 3 nm, independent of Hg concentration. Discrete dipole approximation calculations relate the UV–vis spectra to the microscopic details of the nanoalloy structure. Segregation energies and metal distribution in the nanoalloys were modeled by density functional theory calculations. The results indicate slow metal interdiffusion at the nanoscale, which has important implications for synthetic methods aimed at core–shell particles.     

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Control of crystallinity and orientation

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes are intensely looked for to extend the usability of the technique to applications where sensitive substrates such as polymers or biological materials need to be coated by high-quality thin films. A preferred film orientation, on the other hand, is often required to enhance the desired film properties. Here we demonstrate that smooth, crystalline ZnO thin films can be deposited from diethylzinc and water by ALD even at room temperature. The depositions were carried out on Si(100) substrates in the temperature range from 23 to 140 °C. Highly c-axis-oriented films were realized at temperatures below ~ 80 °C. The film crystallinity could be further enhanced by post-deposition annealing under O₂ or N₂ atmosphere at 400-600 °C while keeping the original film orientation intact.     

Teaching construction project management with BIM support: Experience and lessons learned

This paper presents experiences and lessons learned during the introduction of Building Information Models (BIM) in construction engineering project management courses. We illustratively show that the introduction of BIM-based project management tools helped the teachers of two courses to develop more realistic project-based class assignments that supported students with learning how to apply different formal project management methods to real-world project management problems. In particular, we show that the introduction of BIM allows educators to design a class project that allowed the use of more realistic cases that better simulate real-world project conditions, helped students to learn how different project management methods integrate with each other, integrate change management tasks in a class assignment, and learn how to optimize project plans.     

The publication and citation output of German Faculties of Economics and Social Sciences - a comparison of faculties and disciplines based upon SSCI data

Summary The purpose of this study is to quantify and compare the publication and citation output of the biggest faculties of economics and social sciences in Germany. Various publication and citation measures based upon Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) data are used to explore the comparative strengths and weaknesses of ten academic fields at the named faculties. To reflect the varying size of the fields and faculties, output measures as well as productivity measures are explicitly considered. From a bibliometric perspective empirical results demonstrate that various measures are necessary to adequately identify the comparative strengths and weaknesses of entire faculties and of selected disciplines within faculties.     

Incremental constraint modelling in a feature modelling system

The techniques of constraint propagation have recently been successfully applied to feature-based design. Because of their speed, constraint propagation methods allow incremental design and rapid local modifcations of the part. However, cyclic constraints cause serious problems to current constraint propagation algorithms. Variational geometric design systems can, in principle, manage these cases. Unfortunately, this typically requires complete re-evaluation of the underlying set of constraint equations, making the method unsuitable for interactive use. The proposed system aims to localize the problem of constraint solving and maintenance. The constraint graph of the part or assembly is divided into several independent partial graphs, subsystems. Afterwards, each subsystem is handled separately using a selected constraint solving technique for the subsystem.     

Depressive vulnerability in parents and their 5-year-old child's temperament: A family system perspective.

The actor-partner interdependence model was used to test whether one parent's depressive vulnerability (self-criticism and dependency) was associated with the same parent's own (an intraparental association) and the other parent's (a cross-parental association) ratings of their 5-year-old child's temperament (536 parents, 268 dyads). The more vulnerable the parents were, the more the children showed negative affectivity and lack of effortful control. Significant interactions with the parent's gender and between the spouses' depressive vulnerabilities were found, highlighting the fact that child outcomes are dependent on family processes. All associations were independent of maternal and paternal depressive symptoms. The influence of personality-based depressive traits on child temperamental outcomes and effective parenting is discussed with reference to between-dyad family dynamics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)