Materials science of carbon nanotubes: fabrication,integration, and properties of macroscopic structures of carbon nanotubes

In this Account, we summarize some of our recent studies on the materials properties of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The focus is on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We describe experiments on synthesis of SWNTs with controlled molecular structures and assembly of functional macroscopic structures. In addition, we present results on the electron field emission properties of macroscopic CNT cathodes.     

Nudging aside Meehl's paradox.

P.E. Meehl (1967) attacked significance tests used to appraise directional theoretical predictions. With perfect statistical power, the probability approaches .5 of significance in the predicted direction, even for meritless theories. Feeble theory corroboration results. This article argues that directional predictions, not significance tests, produce the feeble corroboration. The author reviews previous solutions to Meehl, rejecting all except the multiple corroboration solution by D.T. Lykken (1968) and A. Kukla (see record 1991-31958-001). This solution is defended against Meehl's (see record 1991-31961-001) criticisms and extended. The complexity of a typical research design enables a theory to make multiple directional predictions, each of which can be adequately tested with a significance test. Reasonable theory corroboration results when all or most predictions succeed, and techniques to assess this are discussed here. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do teacher standards for assigning grades affect student evaluations of instruction?

Conducted 2 experiments to determine the effects of teacher standards for assigning grades on student ratings of teachers and student achievement. 143 undergraduates participated in Exp 1, in which instructor expressiveness (high, low), lecture content (high, low), and grading standards (B, C+, C) were factorially manipulated. In Exp II with 278 undergraduates, student incentive (high, low), instructor expressiveness (high, low), and grading standards (B+, B, C+, C) were factorially manipulated. Standards failed to affect student achievement in either experiment. Significant effects of standards on ratings were found, but not consistently for all types of ratings, instructors, or differences in standards. The size of the differences are considered to be relatively unimportant when ratings are used to make gross distinctions between teachers. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

National health insurance, psychotherapy, and the poor.

Debate on psychotherapy coverage under national health insurance has centered around perceived inequitable service to different income groups. It has been argued that national health insurance coverage for psychotherapy would represent a subsidy to the affluent by poorer citizens. Four pertinent hypotheses were examined in a series of studies of 5,967 patients in community mental health centers. It has been maintained that the poor would not seek psychotherapy, would receive fewer sessions, would receive either less prestigious treatments or less trained therapists, and would benefit less than the more affluent. None of these hypotheses were supported. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of psychotherapy coverage under national health insurance and the role of psychologists in a national system of service delivery. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reassessing productivity in the construction sector to reflect hidden innovation and the knowledge economy

With the development of a knowledge economy, it is reasonable to assume that the level of innovation should be particularly high and that it should have a major effect on investment and productivity across all sectors, including the construction industry. For a valid assessment of the economic performance of the construction sector in terms of its productivity, it is important that the economic benefits for the sector from technological change are properly recognized but the impact of such benefits may be ‘hidden’ due to measurement issues, as innovative activity and investment in intangible assets have both gone unrecognized in official statistics. Much of the innovation in the construction sector is hidden from conventional measures and, for the UK economy, there is evidence that investment in intangibles may be even greater than tangible investment, if a definition of intangible assets incorporating spending on a broad range of knowledge‐based assets including organizational capital, human capital, etc. is taken. While accurate data are difficult to determine, an appraisal of the potential for utilizing existing data sources and for improved measurement is presented.     

Queen Sex Pheromone of the Slave-making Ant, Polyergus breviceps

Workers of the slave-making ant, Polyergus breviceps, raid nests of Formica ants and return with Formica pupae that mature into worker ants in the slave-makers’ colony. These Formica workers then tend the Polyergus brood, workers, and reproductives. During raids in the mating season, winged virgin Polyergus queens accompany the workers in the raiding columns. During the raid, the virgin queens release a pheromone that attracts males that quickly mate with the queens. We report the identification, synthesis, and bioassay of the sex attractant pheromone of the queens as an approximately 1:6 ratio of (R)-3-ethyl-4-methylpentan-1-ol and methyl 6-methylsalicylate. The ants produce exclusively the (R)-enantiomer of the alcohol, and the (S)-enantiomer has no biological activity, neither inhibiting nor increasing attraction to blends of methyl 6-methylsalicylate with the (R)-enantiomer.     

Modeling China's energy consumption behavior and changes in energy intensity

China's demand for energy has grown to fuel its rapidly expanding industrial, commercial and consumer sectors. At the same time, China has become the second largest consumer of petroleum products having surpassed Japan for the first time in 2003. The environmental consequences of a continuation of these trends will have global implications. Government policies and consumers have become more environmentally aware, but the ability of governments to formulate policies has been hindered by the lack of data on inter-factor and inter-fuel substitution possibilities. In this paper Allen partial elasticities of factor and energy substitution, and price elasticities of energy demand are calculated for China's industrial economy using a two-stage translog cost function approach for the period 1995–2004. The results suggest that energy is substitutable with both capital and labor. Coal is significantly substitutable with electricity and slightly complementary with oil, while oil and electricity are slightly substitutable. China's energy intensity is increasing during the study period and the major driver appears to be due to the increased use of energy-intensive technology.