Technical Assessment of Space Solar-Power Research Program

An independent analysis of current NASA studies on space solar power (SSP) by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics found many opportunities for international collaboration in an SSP program, including computer modeling, solar array technologies development, demonstrations of SSP-enabling technologies, identification and pursuit of multiple-use applications, wireless power transmission experiments and studies, joint use of certain facilities, and perhaps most important, a wide range of global policy, economic, environmental, and legal considerations. Key SSP technologies could find broad applications in human space exploration, science and robotic space exploration, national security missions, commercial space development, and terrestrial applications. New system configurations that substantially reduce SSP technical and economic risk, remarkable improvements in solar-power generation technologies, and significant advancements in structural, robotic, power management, and materials technologies have been identified. The major barrier to eventual implementation of terrestrial power delivery from space, as with all large space systems, is the lack of a national commitment to develop a viable path to low-cost, reliable space transportation.     

Conceptions of personality disorders and dimensions of personality.

Differing conceptions of personality disorders inherent in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Personality Disorder Scales and the Personality Adjective Checklist were evaluated within the context of the circumplex model of interpersonal behavior and the 5-factor model of personality in a sample of 581 university students. Conceptions of personality disorders were strongly and clearly related to dimensions of normal personality traits. Although the circumplex model illuminated conceptions of some of the disorders, the full 5-factor model was required to capture and clarify the entire range of personality disorders. Implications of these findings are discussed with reference to (a) personality disorders and personality traits and (b) suggestions for assessment of personality disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design and operation of a 30KWe/2KWth downward facing beam ARC image furnace

Fabrication and operation of a bench scale solar simulator are described in this paper. Many components of the system are off-the-shelf items. The furnace is capable of providing an intense light beam with total power of 2000 Wth and a peak flux density of 10⁷ W/m² (10,000 suns). This is the most intense downward facing light beam currently available in the U.S.A. The system was designed so that the total power delivered to the test section could be varied continuously. The technical approach used in fabricating this solar simulator is explained with sufficient detail to enable other researchers to design and operate similar systems. Utilization of the downward facing beam arc image furnace offers an inexpensive alternative to the use of intermediate size, solar thermal test facilities, which are few and often very costly to maintain and operate.     

Editor’s introduction.

Following consultation with the Council of Editors and with approval from the Publications and Communications Board of the American Psychological Association (APA), it was agreed that in recognition of the appearance of Volume 100 in 1986, Journal of Comparative Psychology (JCP) would publish a set of discussions about our topic. The discussions, contributed in response to the following letters, written last year, appear in this issue. These discussions illustrate the richness and variety of some of the perspectives on the field of comparative psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impacts of frequency and posture on body mass index in manual handling tasks

Workspace design plays an important role in ensuring workers' safety and welfare. The issue is more pressing in the manufacturing industry, where many workers must remain in a standing position, assume awkward postures, and perform repetitive tasks for extended periods of time. In this research, an electromyographic measurement technique was used to measure activity of four back muscles: the trapezius p. descendens, the deltoideus p. scapularis, the infraspinatus, and the latissimus dorsi. The results showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) impact of left versus right side of the body, the degree of rotation to the right side of the body (0, 30, and 60 degrees rotation to the mid‐sagittal plane), body mass index level (normal weight [<25 kg/m²] vs. overweight [?25 kg/m²]), and tasks (high vs. low frequency). In this study, the role that workers and workspace variation play is clearly associated with an increase in the amplitude of electromyography at the targeted back muscles. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Extension of the Interpersonal Adjective Scales to include the Big Five dimensions of personality.

Recent recognition that the dominance and nurturance dimensions of the interpersonal circumplex correspond closely to the surgency/extraversion and agreeableness dimensions of the five-factor model of personality provides an occasion for the closer integration of these two traditions. We describe the procedures whereby we extended our adjectival measure of the circumplex Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales (IAS-R) to include the additional Big Five dimensions of conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. The resultant five-scale instrument (IASR-B5) was found to have excellent structure on the item level, internally consistent scales, and promising convergent and discriminant properties when compared with the NEO Personality Inventory and the Hogan Personality Inventory. The unique feature of the IASR-B5 is that it provides a highly efficient instrument for combined circumplex and five-factor assessment. We provide an example of such combined assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Discrepancy between predicted and obtained WAIS–R IQ scores discriminates between traumatic brain injury and insufficient effort.

This study examines how well the discrepancy between predicted and obtained Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Revised (WAIS–R) scores discriminate between insufficient effort (IE) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The 27 IE patients performed significantly more poorly on the WAIS–R than the 48 moderate-severe TBI patients. Premorbid IQs were calculated with formulae that use demographics (Barona Index) or demographics and WAIS–R performance (Best-3 and the Oklahoma Premorbid Intelligence Estimation). Predictions were similar on the Barona, but IE patients' predicted IQs were lower than TBIs for measures with a performance component. IE patients demonstrated a greater discrepancy score (i.e., predicted IQ—obtained IQ) than TBIs; variable levels of sensitivity and specificity were obtained when discriminate functions were developed on these scores. The potential advantage of using discrepancy scores versus performance-based measures to detect insufficient effort is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determining Who Will Benefit from Visual Interfaces

Visual interfaces are I an emotional issue. The zealous stance of some proponents of visual I interfaces has led to equally zealous attacks on visual interfaces from some of the opponents. This column sorts out the pros and cons of the visual interface and offers some guidelines for determining which environments can best use it.     

The Role of the Individual – A Key to Learning in Preparedness Organizations

A well functioning societal response to crises is benefited by individuals having adequate skills and knowledge. From a municipal perspective this requires the creation of a learning organization. The objective of this study is to determine whether individual municipal employees, who have the responsibility for preparedness planning, reason and act in ways that promote learning about crises and preparedness issues throughout the municipal organization. Analysis of interviews with preparedness planners in six Swedish municipalities on their strategies for preparedness planning, reveal that preparedness planning too often becomes a demarcated activity, restricted to not more than a handful of individuals. This study indicates that one reason for why the preparedness work becomes demarcated is that individuals central to the preparedness planning are not taking on roles for acting in ways that are required in order for a learning organization to be established.