Risk perception in smokers with children with asthma.

Objective: No studies have examined the relationship between caregiver beliefs about the risks of smoking to their own health and caregiver beliefs about the effect of their smoking on their child's health. In the current study, we investigated our proposed risk congruence hypothesis among caregivers who smoke. Specifically, we investigated whether caregivers' self-perceived risk of smoking is directly associated with their perception of the risks of smoking to their child. Method: The sample consisted of 271 regular smokers (≥3 cigarettes per day; Mage = 32.9 years; 214 women) who were caregivers of children with asthma (Mage = 4.9 years) who had a recent visit to the emergency room for their asthma. Three constructs of perceived risk were measured via self-report questionnaires assessing both caregiver perception of smoking risk to self and to child: Precaution Effectiveness, Optimistic Bias, and Perceived Vulnerability. Child asthma-related functional morbidity and home and child secondhand smoke exposure were also assessed. Results: Consistent with our risk congruence hypothesis, self-perceived risk of smoking was significantly associated with perceived risk to child, over and above the child's secondhand smoke exposure and caregiver report of child's asthma symptoms (i.e., asthma-related functional morbidity). Conclusions: These findings should be considered in the design of clinical interventions seeking to influence risk of caregiver behavior on child health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social competence as a process-reactive dimension with schizophrenics, alcoholics, and normals.

Investigated the effect of the level of social competence on the performance of a paired discrimination task involving social censure cues for groups of male hospitalized schizophrenics, alcoholics, and normals. Previous studies finding differences between process and reactive schizophrenics had not controlled for the social competence level of the normal controls. 24 Ss from each diagnostic category were divided equally among groups of low, middle, and high social competence levels. Low social competence Ss discriminated maternal censure stimuli more poorly than middle or high socially competent groups. Psychiatric diagnosis had no significant effect on performance. Results do not support the social censure theory of schizophrenia and suggest that there has been confounding between social competence level and diagnosis in previous process-reactive research. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The operational validation of new cockpit technologies supporting all conditions operations: a case study

This paper presents a case study pertaining to human factors/human–machine interaction (HMI) research undertaken over a four-year period, as part of a large Framework Seven project funded by the European Commission. Specifically, it reports on research concerning the operational validation of future cockpit concepts supporting all conditions operations. Primarily, it focuses on the innovation in the methodological approach adopted (and the theory underpinning this) and the key results. In so doing, this paper illustrates the requirement for HMI research to go beyond issues of task and user interface design, so as to properly address issues of operability. It is argued that the typical remit of operational assessment (i.e. the assessment of task workflows, workload and operator situation awareness) must be supplemented by a broader analysis of ‘operational’ issues related to the design of operational processes/procedures, teamwork, system information flow, process benefits and implementation barriers. This is enabled by the adoption of a stakeholder/participatory approach to evaluation and the application of both formal and informal HMI design/evaluation methods.     

Open‐circuit voltage recovery in type II GaSb/GaAs quantum ring solar cells under high concentration

We report on the open‐circuit voltage recovery in GaSb quantum ring (QR) solar cells under high solar concentration up to 2500 suns. The detailed behaviour of type II GaSb/GaAs QR solar cells under solar concentration, using different temperatures and light illumination conditions, is analysed through optical and electrical measurements. Although enhancement of the short‐circuit current was observed because of sub‐bandgap photon absorption in the QR, the thermionic emission rate of holes was found to be insufficient for ideal operation. The direct excitation of electron–hole pairs into QRs has revealed that the accumulation of holes is one of the causes of the open‐circuit voltage (V_OC) degradation. However, using concentrated light up to 2500 suns, the GaSb QR cell showed much quicker V_OC recovery rate than a GaAs control cell. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Laser Doppler optical air-data system: feasibility demonstration and systems specifications

A compact laser Doppler velocimeter with diode-pumped solid-state laser technology at 1.06 μm and a novel solid-block beam-splitting interferometer was demonstrated. This system allows for accurate Doppler velocity measurements even in a vibration environment. A comparison of the backscatter measurements with a backscatter sonde from the University of Wyoming showed excellent agreement. Based on demonstrated performance and technology projection, the system specifications of an optical air-data system at 2.015 μm are determined, and a detailed design concept is presented. In addition, the potential for a multifunctional sensor that can determine air data and detect wind shear and wake vortices is addressed.     

Formation and characterization of perfluorocyclobutyl polymer thin films

Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) polymers are a new class of materials that show promise as selective layer materials in the development of composite membranes for gas separations, such as carbon dioxide/methane (α_{pure gas} = 38.6) and oxygen/nitrogen (α_{pure gas} = 4.8) separations. In many of the flat sheet applications, a thin film of the selective layer that is free of major defects must be coated onto a support membrane. A focus of this study was to elucidate the impacts of solvents, polymer concentration, and dip‐coating withdrawal speed on PFCB thin film thickness and uniformity. An extension was proposed to the Landau–Levich model to estimate the polymer film thickness. The results show that the extended model fits the thickness‐withdrawal speed data well above about 55 mm/min, but, at lower withdrawal speeds, the data deviated from the model. This deviation could be explained by the phenomenon of polymer surface excess. Static surface excesses of polymer solutions were estimated by applying the Gibbs adsorption equation using measured surface tension data. Prepared films were characterized by ellipsometry. Refractive index was found to increase with decreasing film thickness below about 50 nm, indicating densification of ultrathin films prepared from PFCB solutions below the overlap concentration. Atomic force microscopy was used to characterize surface morphologies. Films prepared from tetrahydrofuran and chloroform yielded uniform nanolayers. However, films prepared using acetone as solvent yielded a partial dewetting pattern, which could be explained by a surface depletion layer of pure solvent between the bulk PFCB/acetone solution and the substrate. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Polystyrene‐montmorillonite core–shell particles via Pickering emulsion polymerization and their use as reinforcing additives for polypropylene and ethylene vinyl acetate

Solid particles can be used as stabilizers for oil/water (o/w) emulsions instead of the conventional surfactants. Emulsion polymerization of styrene, as an example of polymerizable oil, was started in the current study after ultrasonication of the monomer into aqueous phase with aid of montmorillonite nanoplatelets as solid stabilizer. Imaging using a field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X‐ray unit as well as transmission electron microscopy proved the formation of polystyrene/montmorillonite as core–shell hybrid latex particles via Pickering mode of emulsification. The mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) were studied after addition of various loadings of these hybrids (2, 4, 8, 12, and 14 wt%). It could be ensured that the tolerance of PP towards phase separation caused by the insertion of the core–shell particles was higher than that of EVA, which translates into different extents of reinforcements. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1546–1552, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Laserbasierte Generierung matrixbinderfreier Nanopartikel‐Polymerkomposite für bioaktive Medizinprodukte

New production technologies are required to benefit of the full potential of nanocomposites by homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles along the process chain. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by laser ablation in liquid and their integration into polymers are presented. Antibacterial properties of these materials and processability into prototypes for medical devices with antibacterial protection are demonstrated.     

Comorbidity of diabetes and eating disorders. Does diabetes control reflect disturbed eating behavior?

An automated free-solution isotachophoresis system (FS-ITP) for preparative fractionation of biopolymers is described, operated in a batch mode. The dimension of the separation chamber allows an up to 1200-fold higher sample load compared to separation in capillaries of 180 microm inner diameter as used in analytical capillary isotachophoresis (C-ITP). The preparative capacity of the system is within the milligram range. The method is fully compatible with analytical C-ITP, which is essential for preparative-scale isotachophoresis with regard to optimization of electrolyte systems and the search for suitable spacers. As a model application the fractionation of human serum proteins is reported. The collected fractions were analyzed by C-ITP and agarose gel electrophoresis.     

A rheological method to compare the degree of exfoliation of nanocomposites

A method to quantify the shear thinning effect for polymer-clay nanocomposites has been developed. It relies on the shear thinning exponent n. The method allows to compare the extent of delamination of platelet stacks based on a routine polymer characterization experiment. Since technical properties of nanocomposites are closely linked to delamination or exfoliation, the method helps to predict the level of properties of a nanocomposite. The method is expected to become a highly useful analytical tool in the development of nanocomposites from thermoplastic polymers and virtually all kinds of platy, fibrous, or dendritic filler materials with high aspect ratio.