On multiline slot machine games, small “wins” often amount to less than the spin wager, resulting in a monetary loss to the gambler. Nevertheless, these monetary losses are still accompanied by “winning” (and potentially reinforcing) audio-visual feedback. Dixon, Harrigan, Sandhu, Collins, and Fugelsang (2010) termed these potentially reinforcing losses as losses disguised as wins, or LDWs. Dixon et al. previously showed that novice gamblers appear to somatically miscategorize LDWs as wins rather than correctly categorizing these outcomes as losses. Two studies are presented which investigated whether novice gamblers would psychologically miscategorize LDWs as wins as well. In both studies, we investigated participants’ categorizations of LDWs using two measures. First, we asked participants to recall how many times they had won during a playing session and predicted that if participants miscategorize LDWs as wins, then they should conflate LDWs and wins in memory. In Study 1, participants played 200 spins on a real slot machine game with either relatively fewer or relatively many expected LDWs. We found that participants who experienced more LDWs during the playing session recalled winning significantly more often than participants who experienced fewer LDWs, despite how many actual wins the participant experienced, or how much they won or lost overall. In Study 2, we found that participants recalled winning significantly more often in simulator games with more rather than fewer LDWs, despite identical numbers of real wins and identical payback percentages in both games. We referred to this type of memory error as the LDW overestimation effect. The second measure we used to investigate participants’ categorizations of LDWs was more immediate and direct. We evaluated whether participants would miscategorize LDWs as wins or correctly categorize these outcomes as losses by simply asking them to verbally label slot machine spin outcomes. In both studies, we found that the majority of participants miscategorized LDWs as wins rather than correctly categorizing the outcomes as losses. Implications for problem gambling are discussed.

In this Thesis, we propose a Cluster-based TDMA (CBT) scheme for Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANET). In the CBT, the collision problems can be solved when packets are transmitted at the same time. In the Intra-cluster communications, the VANET Coordinator (VC) is determined by randomly choosing a number of zero or one. Other VANET Nodes (VNs) then randomly select different time slots to transmit their Bandwidth Requests (BRs). If more than two VNs choose the same slots for BRs, collision will occur. The failed VNs will continue to issue BRs in the next TDMA frames. After the time slots are scheduled by VC, all VNs can use the designated time slots to send data. In the Inter-cluster communications, when two clusters are approaching to each other, two VCs must exchange Slot Allocation MAP (SAM) using the random zero-or-one scheme. The VCs successfully receive SAM must reschedule the time slots. For the purpose of performance evaluation, we calculate the average time slots of selecting VC and the average time slots required for successful BRs. We also compute the average time slots required for successfully transmitting SAM and the average time slots required for broadcasting SAM to all VNs. Finally, we calculate the average time slots required for waiting before data transmission. To validate the mathematical results, we perform a simulation written in C++. When comparing the mathematical results to the simulation results, we observe that in the average time slots required for BR, the former is larger than the latter. This is because in the mathematical equations it is difficult to specify which time slots are used by VNs to transmit BRs. However, the rest of performance comparisons, the two results are very close.

Two linear slot virtual impactor arrangements were developed and investigated in this study. Both arrangements encompassed two-stage impaction for concentration of bioaerosols. The first arrangement consisted of eight linear slot impactors in parallel for the first stage with the designed dimensions of 87 mm (3.4”) for the throat length, 0.305 mm (.012”) for the accelerator throat width, and 0.457 mm (.018”) for the receiver throat width. The second stage contained a single unit with the designed dimensions of 71 mm (2.8”) for the throat length, 0.36 mm (0.014”) for the accelerator throat width, and 0.49mm (0.019”) for the receiver throat width. The second arrangement contained a single impactor for the first stage with a designed throat length of 87 mm (3.4”), a designed accelerator throat width of 0.43 mm (.017”), and a designed receiver throat width of 0.63mm (.025”). The second stage also contained a single impactor with a designed throat length of 8.73 mm (3.4”), a designed accelerator throat width of .43 mm (.017), and a designed receiver throat width of 0.63 mm (0.25”). To verify the tolerances of the machined impactors, optical measurements were made. Both arrangements were subjected to liquid and solid particle tests and have a theoretical concentration factor of 100X. The arrangements were tested at flow rates that ranged from 10 L/min to 1000 L/min, where the collection efficiency of the minor flow was determined. An unknown acoustical phenomenon was present during aerosol tests at elevated flow rates causing low minor flow collection efficiencies. In order to test the impactors at elevated flow rates, the acoustical generation phenomenon was systematically studied and suppressed. The cutpoint for the first arrangement was 1.3µm AD, and the cutpoint for the second arrangement was 1.0 µm AD. The average Stk50 for both arrangements was 0.71. The throat velocity through the impactors ranged from 21.8 m/s to 73 m/s, and the peak efficiency for these specific throat velocities ranged from 99% to 74%, respectively.

In this thesis two different research topics are undertaken, both in the area of compact RF/microwave circuits design. The first topic involves the design of a compact circularly polarized (CP) slot-ring antenna. A study of several compact CP microstrip and slotline antennas reported in the past has been carried out. In this research, a method of reducing the size of a printed slot-ring antenna is proposed. The reduction in size is achieved by introducing meandered-slot sections in the ring. Circular polarization is achieved by introducing an asymmetry, also a meandered-slot section, and feeding the antenna at an angle of 45o from the asymmetry using a microstrip feed line. The minimum axial ratio of 0.4 dB is obtained at 2.46 GHz, which is the operating frequency of the antenna. The size of the proposed antenna is reduced by about 50% compared to a conventional CP slot-ring antenna and it displays a CP bandwidth of about 2.5%. The simulated and measured results are presented, and they are in good agreement. The small size of the antenna makes it very suitable for use in modern RF/microwave wireless systems which require compact, low cost, and high performance circuits. Moreover, its CP behavior makes it more attractive for applications such as satellite communications. The second topic in the thesis involves the design of a compact microstrip bandpass filter using triangular open-loop resonators. A new compact three-pole microstrip bandpass filter using four triangular open-loop resonators is presented. A fourth resonator is placed to provide cross-coupling in the structure which gives a better skirt rejection. The measured pass-band center frequency is 2.85 GHz. The filter demonstrates about 7% bandwidth with insertion loss of less than 1 dB in the passband, a return loss of greater than 15 dB and out-of-band rejection of greater than 30 dB. The simulated and measured results are in good agreement. The proposed filter is very attractive for use in modern wireless systems which require bandpass filters having compact size, low insertion loss, high selectivity, and good out-of-band rejection.

(kein Abstract vorhanden) / Series: Schriftenreihe des Instituts für Transportwirtschaft und Logistik - Verkehr

No description available.

Amyloidosis is a group of diseases caused by proteins that have lost their correct three-dimensional conformation and instead assemble into insoluble fibrils in various tissues and organs. Today, more than 30 different proteins that can give rise to amyloid fibrils have been identified. Each protein that assembles into fibrils causes a specific disease. For clinical diagnosis of amyloid, antibodies are one of the most important tools. In this study, antibodies generated towards various amyloid-specific peptides were characterized and validated. This was assessed by immunohistochemistry, slot blot and SDS-PAGE and western blot. Congo red, an amyloid specific dye, was used for detection of amyloid. Immunohistochemical staining and slot blot analysis indicated that each antiserum used in this study was amyloid-specific. Antigen retrieval can facilitate staining by the techniques ability to break cross-linkages caused by fixation in formaldehyde. The results from the characterization of antisera in this study should be a great helpin clinical work on amyloid, and ensure correct diagnosis.

On multiline slot machine games, small “wins” often amount to less than the spin wager, resulting in a monetary loss to the gambler. Nevertheless, these monetary losses are still accompanied by “winning” (and potentially reinforcing) audio-visual feedback. Dixon, Harrigan, Sandhu, Collins, and Fugelsang (2010) termed these potentially reinforcing losses as losses disguised as wins, or LDWs. Dixon et al. previously showed that novice gamblers appear to somatically miscategorize LDWs as wins rather than correctly categorizing these outcomes as losses. Two studies are presented which investigated whether novice gamblers would psychologically miscategorize LDWs as wins as well. In both studies, we investigated participants’ categorizations of LDWs using two measures. First, we asked participants to recall how many times they had won during a playing session and predicted that if participants miscategorize LDWs as wins, then they should conflate LDWs and wins in memory. In Study 1, participants played 200 spins on a real slot machine game with either relatively fewer or relatively many expected LDWs. We found that participants who experienced more LDWs during the playing session recalled winning significantly more often than participants who experienced fewer LDWs, despite how many actual wins the participant experienced, or how much they won or lost overall. In Study 2, we found that participants recalled winning significantly more often in simulator games with more rather than fewer LDWs, despite identical numbers of real wins and identical payback percentages in both games. We referred to this type of memory error as the LDW overestimation effect. The second measure we used to investigate participants’ categorizations of LDWs was more immediate and direct. We evaluated whether participants would miscategorize LDWs as wins or correctly categorize these outcomes as losses by simply asking them to verbally label slot machine spin outcomes. In both studies, we found that the majority of participants miscategorized LDWs as wins rather than correctly categorizing the outcomes as losses. Implications for problem gambling are discussed.

Zugl.: Köln, Univ., Diss., 2009

Zugl.: Bern, Univ., Diss., 2007