Fabry-Perot CCD annular-summing spectroscopy: study and implementation for aeronomy applications

The technique of Fabry-Perot CCD annular-summing spectroscopy, with particular emphasis on applications in aeronomy, is discussed. Parameter choices for optimizing performance by the use of a standard format CCD array are detailed. Spectral calibration methods, techniques for determining the ring pattern center, and effects imposed by limited radial resolution caused by superpixel size, variable by on-chip binning, are demonstrated. The technique is carefully evaluated experimentally relative to the conventional scanning Fabry-Perot that uses a photomultiplier detector. We evaluate three extreme examples typical of aeronomical spectroscopy using calculated signal-to-noise ratios. Predicted sensitivity gains of 10-30 are typical. Of the cases considered, the largest savings in integration time are estimated for the day sky thermospheric O(1)D case, in which the bright sky background dominates the CCD read noise. For profile measurements of faint night sky emission lines, such as exospheric hydrogen Balmer-α, long integration times are required to achieve useful signal-to-noise ratios. In such cases, CCD read noise is largely overcome. Predictions of a factor of 10-15 savings in integration time for night sky Balmer-α observations are supported by field tests. Bright, isolated night sky lines such as thermospheric O(1)D require shorter integration times, and more modest gains dependent on signal level are predicted. For such cases it appears from estimate results that the Fabry-Perot CCD annular-summing technique with a conventional rectangular format may be outperformed by a factor of 2-5 by special CCD formats or by unusual optical coupling configurations that reduce the importance of read noise, based on the ideal transmission for any additional optics used in these configurations.     

Mismatches in Social Support and Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer.

Emotional support is known to provide psychosocial benefits for women with breast cancer, but women can experience a mismatch between support that is wanted and support that is received from their personal supporter. The role of wanted and unwanted support in psychosocial adjustment was examined in 79 women recovering from breast cancer. Four distinct patterns of desired support actions were found using cluster analysis. Patterns of wanted support were not related to better or worse psychosocial adjustment. However, a misalignment of support between the provider and the receiver significantly influenced psychosocial adjustment, and unwanted but received support (support commission) was uniquely associated with poor psychosocial adjustment. Clinical interventions using the support instrument could help match support providers' actions to receivers' preferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Validity of the Five-Factor Model Prototypes for Personality Disorders in Two Clinical Samples.

The authors examined the validity of D. R. Lynam and T. A. Widiger's (2001) prototypes for personality disorders (PDs) derived from the facets of the 5-factor model (FFM) of personality in 2 clinical samples. In the 1st sample (N = 94), there was good agreement between the prototypes generated by experts and the profiles reported by patients. These FFM PD similarity scores also demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity with results from a semistructured interview and a self-report measure of Axis II pathology. In the 2nd sample (N = 132), the FFM PD similarity scores demonstrated excellent longitudinal stability and good predictive validity with regard to consensus ratings of PD features. The implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A high-performance planar piezoresistive accelerometer

The micromachined piezoresistive accelerometer is now 20 years old. Design variations have been investigated, but commercial devices have generally maintained a consistent topology with incremental improvements. In this paper, a new approach is introduced to the design and construction of this device that offers functional and manufacturing advantages. Piezoresistive accelerometers are described that combine deep reactive ion etching and oblique ion implantation to form self-caging proof masses and flexures with vertical sidewalls and sidewall piezoresistive strain sensors. These devices deflect in-plane rather than out-of-plane, which allows one to form multiaxis accelerometers on one substrate. Performance is comparable to inexpensive commercial capacitive accelerometers and is limited by 1/f noise. The design, fabrication, and experimental characterization is presented. This new topology provides the foundation for a new category of piezoresistive accelerometers     

Improved Performance of Molecular Bulk‐Heterojunction Photovoltaic Cells through Predictable Selection of Solvent Additives

Solvent additives provide an effective means to alter the morphology and thereby improve the performance of organic bulk‐heterojunction photovoltaics, although guidelines for selecting an appropriate solvent additive remain relatively unclear. Here, a family of solvent additives spanning a wide range of Hansen solubility parameters is applied to a molecular bulk‐heterojunction system consisting of an isoindigo and thiophene containing oligomer as the electron donor and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₆₁BM) as the electron acceptor. Hansen solubility parameters are calculated using the group contribution method and compared with the measured solubilities for use as a screening method in solvent additive selection. The additives are shown to alter the morphologies in a semipredictable manner, with the poorer solvents generally resulting in decreased domain sizes, increased hole mobilities, and improved photovoltaic performance. The additives with larger hydrogen bonding parameters, namely triethylene glycol (TEG) and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), are demonstrated to increase the open circuit voltage by ~0.2 V. Combining a solvent additive observed to increase short circuit current, poly(dimethylsiloxane), with TEG results in an increase in power conversion efficiency from 1.4 to 3.3%.     

EFFECT OF PREHYDROGENATION ON HYDROCONVERSION OF MAYA RESIDUUM, PART II: HYDROGEN INCORPORATION

Maya 650° F residuum (Maya AR) was prehydrogenated over a standard hydroprocessing catalyst. The 650°F residuum of this product lpar;HMaya ARrpar; and Maya AR were then separately hydroprocessed further at selected conditions. The products were examined by elemental, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR analyses to determine the how hydrogen was incorporated during processing.

For all processing steps, hydrogen was incorporated in capping fragments formed during cracking reactions, as well as in hydrogenation reactions, heteroatom removal, and hydrocarbon gas formation, but the distribution of the hydrogen was dependent upon the type and severity of the process: For the direct hydroconversion of Maya AR, 25 to 30% of the total hydrogen was incorporated for heteroatom removal and hydrocarbon gas formation. The remaining hydrogen was incorporated in hydrogenation and cracking reactions.

For the two-step hydroconversion process, 30 to 40% of the total hydrogen was incorporated for heteroatom removal and hydrocarbon gas formation. The remaining was primarily incorporated in hydrogenation reactions. Some was incorporated into cracking reactions in the moderate severity case, but almost none was seen in the low severity case.

The hydrogen incorporation during each specific processing step is discussed, along with an evaluation of the prehydrogenation step a residuum conversion process option. These results will be also compared to previously reported hydrogen incorporation measurements on other feeds and processing methods.     

Near‐Infrared Light‐Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Based on Poly(phenylene)/Yb‐tris(β‐Diketonate) Complexes

Near‐infrared‐emitting electroluminescent (EL) devices using blue‐light‐emitting polymers blended with the Yb complexes Yb(DBM)₃phen (DBM = dibenzoylmethane), Yb(DNM)₃phen (DNM = dinaphthoylmethane), and Yb(TPP)L(OEt) (L(OEt) = [(C₅H₅)Co{P(O)Et₂}₃]^–) have been studied. EL devices composed of Yb(DNM)₃phen blended with PPP‐OR11 showed enhanced near‐IR output at 977 nm when compared to those fabricated with Yb(DBM)₃phen/PPP‐OR11 blends. The maximum near‐IR external efficiencies of the devices with Yb(DBM)₃phen and Yb(DNM)₃phen are, respectively, 7 × 10^–5 (at 6 V and at 0.81 mA mm^–2) and 4 × 10^–4 (at 7 V, and 0.74 mA mm^–2). The optimal blend composition for EL device performance consisted of PPP‐OR11 blended with 10–20 mol‐% Yb(DNM)₃phen. A device fabricated using Yb‐(TPP)L(OEt)/PPP‐OR11 showed significantly enhanced near‐IR output efficiency, and future efforts will focus on devices fabricated using porphyrin‐based materials.     

Adaptive transmitter optimization for blind and group-blind multiuser detection

The linear subspace-based blind and group-blind multiuser detectors recently developed represent a robust and efficient adaptive multiuser detection technique for code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems. In this paper, we consider adaptive transmitter optimization strategies for CDMA systems operating in fading multipath environments in which these detectors are employed. We make use of more recent results on the analytical performance of these blind and group-blind receivers in the design and analysis of the transmitter optimization techniques. In particular, we develop a maximum-eigenvector-based method of optimizing spreading codes for given channel conditions and a utility-based power control algorithm for CDMA systems with blind or group-blind multiuser detection. We also design a receiver incorporating joint optimization of spreading codes and transmitter power by combining these algorithms in an iterative configuration. We will see that the utility-based power control algorithm allows us to efficiently set performance goals through utility functions for users in heterogeneous traffic environments and that spreading code optimization allows us to achieve these goals with lower transmit power. The signal processing algorithms presented here maintain the blind (or group-blind) nature of the receiver and are distributed, i.e., all power and spreading code adjustments can be made using only locally available information.