Radiative heat flux measurement uncertainty

As part of an effort to characterize the uncertainties associated with heat flux measurements in a fire environment, an uncertainty analysis example was performed using measurement data from a room corner surface products test that followed the guidelines of ISO 9705. Equations to model the heat transfer at the surface of a Schmidt‐Boelter (thermopile) type total heat flux gauge were selected for use to calculate the incident radiative flux from a total heat flux measurement. The effects of the heat flux measurement uncertainty sources were evaluated by conducting an uncertainty propagation on the resulting equation for incident radiation. For the model equations and the example conditions selected, the free‐stream temperature estimate and the heat flux gauge calibration constant were determined to be major uncertainty contributors. The study demonstrates how to systematically identify major sources of uncertainty for the purpose of reducing total uncertainty and thereby enhancing experiment design. Published in 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Executive Coaching: The Road to Dodoville Needs Paving With More Than Good Assumptions.

This article reviews the 10-article, two-part special issue on executive coaching (R. R. Kilburg, 2004a, 2005). It identifies common themes and areas needing development. It identifies needed next steps in creating a psychology of coaching that is more than a collection of advice and techniques. The author argues that practice has greatly exceeded research in this area and that, whatever the findings in related fields such as psychotherapy, there is no substitute for empirical evaluation and restructuring of theories and practice on the basis of that research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of thermal mismatch on Z-pinned laminated composite structures

Z-pinning is a method of improving the through-thickness properties of composite laminates by inserting a solid pin through the laminate prior to curing. The thermal expansion mismatch between the Z-pin and base laminate produces large residual stresses during the cure cycle. Finite element modelling has shown that these stresses are greater than the failure stress of standard resin systems indicating the resin around the Z-pin should fail. This was confirmed through microscopy, which showed cracking around the perimeter of the Z-pin. Changing the material properties and dimension of the model to represent different Z-pinning situations could not significantly reduce the residual stresses, indicating cracking should occur in all Z-pinned laminates. These results show that probably all published Z-pinning properties have been obtained from laminates that would have exhibited cracking, indicating that the improved through-thickness properties are due more to mechanical interlocking than bonding. Questions are raised about the suitability of using Z-pinned laminates in specific applications, and the effects of increased moisture ingress and long term durability.     

Small Business in the Face of Crisis: Identifying Barriers to Recovery from a Natural Disaster1

The crisis management literature has not dealt in depth with small business response to disasters. This study takes a qualitative approach to consider how small businesses respond to and recover from a large disaster, by interviewing stakeholders in five different communities in the Gulf Coast of the United States. Events that are considered to be crises in nature are usually characterized by high consequence, low probability, ambiguity, and decision making time pressure. Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath caused small business owners in the U.S. Gulf region to experience each of these. Findings include lack of planning by small business; vulnerability to cash flow interruption; lack of access to capital for recovery; problems caused by federal assistance; and serious infrastructure problems impeding recovery.     

Pentecostal perspectives on causes and cures of depression.

Religious beliefs about mental illness represent one potential influence on the choice to utilize or avoid professional help. For example, believing that devout spirituality assures mental health and/or that mental illness indicates spiritual failure may discourage religious individuals from seeking help. Such beliefs have traditionally been attributed to Pentecostals, but no research has assessed this assumption. This study examined Pentecostal perspectives on depression's causes and treatments. Contrary to the Pentecostal theological literature, participants endorsed a variety of causal factors. Regarding cures, however, faith was endorsed as the most effective option. Implications are provided and recommendations are offered to practitioners working with Pentecostals, including consultation and collaboration with clergy and religiously sensitive psychoeducational programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative Measurement of Indentation Fracture Toughness with Berkovich and Vickers Indenters

Measurements of the load dependence of the radial crack size with Vickers and Berkovich indenters are compared for a range of materials. It is found that the extent of radial cracks was slightly larger for the Berkovich than for the Vickers indenter. The observations reveal that cracks from a Berkovich indenter are best described by an expression developed by Laugier combined with a modification proposed by Ouchterlony to account for the number of radial cracks. It was also found that the Berkovich indenter, which offers advantages for ultramicroindentation, gave more consistent toughness values at lower loads than a Vickers indenter.     

From earwigs to humans

Both direct, and evolved, behavior-based approaches to mobile robots have yielded a number of interesting demonstrations of robots that navigate, map, plan and operate in the real world. The work can best be described as attempts to emulate insect-level locomotion and navigation, with very little work on behavior-based non-trivial manipulation of the world. There have been some behavior-based attempts at exploring social interactions, but these too have been modeled after the sorts of social interactions we see in insects. But thinking how to scale from all this insect-level work to full human-level intelligence and social interactions leads to a synthesis that is very different from that imagined in traditional Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science. We report on work towards that goal.     

Internship letters of recommendation: Where are the other 90%?

Letters of recommendation written on behalf of internship applicants frequently appear exaggerated and unrealistic ("inflated") in their claims. A substantially disproportionate number of intern applicants are described as being at the top of the academic distribution. Inflated letters are a problem because the evaluative data that they provide is of questionable validity and use. A further complication is that balanced and accurate letters can appear negative when compared with inflated letters. Given that letters of recommendation often are a major part of the information used for decision making, their veracity should be kept in check. We offer several suggestions regarding what should and should not be stated in letters to increase their accuracy and ultimate value. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alpha-recoil damage in natural zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7)

Radiation effects in natural zirconolites which have received alpha doses from $\text{4.4 × 10}{}^{24}$ alphas/m³ to greater than 10²⁶ alphas/m³ have been studied by transmission electron microscopy. The monoclinic zirconolite crystal structure is retained up to doses of 4.4 × 10²⁴ alphas/m³. At intermediate doses ($\text{3 × 10}{}^{25}$ alphas/m³), the material consists of a mixture of amorphous and crystalline regions, the latter having an average fcc fluorite structure. At doses greater than 10²⁶ alphas/m³ the zirconolite is highly disordered and electron diffraction-amorphous. There is no evidence for remnant long range periodicity, and the broad electron diffraction halos are consistent with scattering from a nonperiodic atomic arrangement. Evidence is presented indicating that the crystallinity reported by others [2] in these high dose zirconolites may be due to alteration, the presence of impurities, or electron beam-heating. All samples with doses greater than 4.4 × 10²⁴ alphas/m³ displayed porosity consisting of near-spherical micro-voids. This porosity may be caused by He-bubble formation during U and Th decay.