Get out of MySpace!

To understand the student experience on social software, the research aims to explore the disruptive nature and opportunity of social networking for higher education. Taking four universities, the research: (1) identifies the distinction between the students’ current usage of social software; (2) reports on the students’ experience on opportunities and challenges of learning with social software; and (3) introduces principles as a guideline in using social software for learning. Quantitative research methods (web-based questionnaires) were incorporated to investigate the pattern of learners’ usage. Qualitative methods (student interviews) were adopted to clarify and further inform this relationship and their attitudes towards social software for learning. The results demonstrate a massive use of educational technology with distinct divide between the learning space and personal space. Student voices reveal that the central problem of such divide is due to the contrast perception and experience of ‘learning/studying and social life’. We argue that online learning and social personas may overlap but that learning needs to be designed so that it addresses the individual preferences to combine or separate the two domains. The paper concludes with a few principles of learning with social software grounded in students’ experience and Vygotsky’s paradigm.     

Synthesis and evaluation of comb‐type copolymers prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization as possible cold flow improvers in GTL diesel fuels

Statistical comb‐type copolymers of styrene (Sty) and stearyl methacrylate (C18 MA) with varying [styrene]:[C18MA] ratios were synthesized by a controlled/living radical polymerization technique called atom transfer radical polymerization. The polymeric materials were evaluated in selected SASOL Fischer Tropsch gas‐to‐liquid diesels as possible cold flow improvers. Crystallization studies revealed that as the styrene content of the copolymer increased, a crystal growth inhibition mechanism was exhibited. With an increase in styrene content of the copolymer, differential scanning calorimetry and the cloud filter plugging point (CFPP) revealed a delay in onset of crystallization and lowered CFPP, respectively, whereas low‐temperature microscopy indicated modifications and size reduction of wax crystals. However, there appeared to be a styrene content, beyond which the additive's efficiency decreased. Homopolymer and copolymers with the highest styrene content led to long unfavorable needle‐shaped crystals. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Teaching trauma-focused exposure therapy for PTSD: Critical clinical lessons for novice exposure therapists.

Over the past 10 years, our experiences delivering exposure therapy and teaching clinicians to deliver exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have taught us some important lessons. We will focus on lessons learned as we have attended to clinicians' experiences as they begin to implement and apply the therapy. Specifically, we highlight common therapist expectations including the beliefs that the exposure therapy requires a new set of clinical skills, therapists themselves will experience a high level of distress hearing about traumatic events, and clients will become overly distressed. We then discuss common clinical challenges in the delivery of exposure therapy and illustrate them with case examples. The challenges addressed include finding the appropriate level of therapist involvement in session, handling client distress during treatment, targeting in-session covert avoidance, and helping the client shift from being trauma-focused to being more present and future oriented. Clinicians training exposure therapists and therapists new to the implementation of exposure therapy for PTSD should find this practical discussion of common expectations and initial clinical challenges reassuring and clinically useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy with and without medication in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are established monotherapies for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet research on their combined efficacy is lacking. Practicing psychologists who treat OCD are thus unable to say definitively whether exposure and ritual prevention would be more successful with concomitant SRI pharmacotherapy. The authors explored this issue in a clinical sample of 56 outpatients who received fee-for-service CBT; 31 (55%) received CBT alone, and 25 (45%) received CBT plus SRI. Both groups made clinically significant and comparable posttreatment gains, suggesting that CBT is effective with or without concomitant pharmacotherapy. Clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sequential Treatment for Child Abuse-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Methodological Comment on Cloitre, Koenen, Cohen, and Han (2002).

M. Cloitre, K. Koenen, L. R. Cohen, and H. Han (2002; see record 2002-18226-001) presented results of a randomized trial that clearly demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a treatment program delivering skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation (STAIR) prior to conducting imaginal exposure (IE) to trauma memories for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to childhood abuse. In this comment the authors review the results presented by Cloitre et al and specifically compare the impact of the STAIR and IE phases of the treatment on affect regulation and psychopathology measures. Evidence for adverse events associated with exposure therapy is reviewed. The authors emphasize that the present study should not be interpreted as evidence that pretreatment with STAIR is additively helpful or necessary prior to IE for PTSD associated with child abuse and that a between-groups comparison is necessary before such conclusions can be drawn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding factors associated with early therapeutic alliance in PTSD treatment: Adherence, childhood sexual abuse history, and social support.

Objective: Therapeutic alliance has been associated with better treatment engagement, better adherence, and less dropout across various treatments and disorders. In treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it may be particularly important to establish a strong early alliance to facilitate treatment adherence. However, factors such as childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history and poor social support may impede the development of early alliance in those receiving PTSD treatment. We sought to examine treatment adherence, CSA history, and social support as factors associated with early alliance in individuals with chronic PTSD who were receiving either prolonged exposure therapy (PE) or sertraline. Method: At pretreatment, participants (76.6% female; 64.9% Caucasian; mean age = 37.1 years, SD = 11.3) completed measures of trauma history, general support (Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors), and trauma-related social support (Social Reactions Questionnaire). Over the course of 10 weeks of PE or sertraline, they completed early therapeutic alliance (Working Alliance Inventory) and treatment adherence measures. Results: Early alliance was associated with PE adherence (r = .32, p     

Effect of silver (Ag) ions irradiation on the structural,optical and photovoltaic properties of Mn doped TiO2 thin films based dye sensitized solar cells

Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is an emerging energy harvesting tool which converts direct sunlight into electrical energy. These cells have much better properties in contrast with silicon based solar cells because of their flexible nature, light weight, low cost, environment friendly nature, and involvement of a simple manufacturing process. Since, a photoanode is the backbone of DSSC, we synthesized a pure and 1% manganese (Mn) doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films by sol-gel method which are irradiated with silver (Ag) ions at two different concentrations (2 × 10¹⁴ and 4 × 10¹⁴) ions-cm^?2. X-ray diffraction revealed that Mn doping followed by Ag irradiation transformed TiO₂ from pure anatase to rutile phase. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy exposed the reduction in band gap of TiO₂ film during this doping and irradiation process. Therefore, absorption is enhanced with red shift in UV-range. When these films are used as a photoanode in DSSC, 1% Mn doped TiO₂ film exposed with Ag at the concentration of (2 × 10¹⁴) ions-cm^?2 exhibited maximum efficiency of 2.40%.     

Investigation of an in-line prototype fluorescence and infrared backscatter sensor to monitor rennet-induced coagulation of skim milk at different protein concentrations

Coagulation of milk is one of the most important steps in cheese manufacture. Cutting the coagulum at optimum firmness is important to optimise the yield and quality of the cheese produced. The aim of this study was to investigate a prototype sensor to monitor rennet-induced coagulation of skim milk at different protein concentrations (3.3%, 4.0% and 4.7%) and to develop a model to predict the coagulum cutting time at a desired storage modulus (G′). Fluorescence and infrared backscatter profiles were recorded at wavelengths of 350 and 880 nm, respectively. Rheological measurements were used as a reference method to determine the times required for the coagulum to reach G′ values of 0.5, 5 and 20 Pa. Time parameters extracted from the optical profiles generated during the coagulation process were used to develop a model to predict the cutting time at which the coagulum reaches selected G′ values. This study demonstrated that the investigated prototype sensor, combined with the developed prediction model, can be used as an in-line PAT tool for real-time monitoring of milk coagulation and prediction of cutting time in cheese manufacturing.     

A Functional Material Based Heterojunction Diode

In this study, the phosphotungstic acid /p-Si diode was fabricated by a drop coating method. The fabricated diode had excellent rectifying properties. The electrical properties of the diode were investigated in the temperature range of 50-400 K. The optical band gap of the phosphotungstic acid film was determined and found to be 3.66 eV. The electrical and photoresponse properties of an Al/p-Si-phosphotungstic acid/Al photodiode were studied. The electronic parameters such as ideality factor (n), barrier height (Φ _B ) and series resistance (R _s ) were found to be strongly temperature dependent.     

The occurrence of thaumasite as a product of seawater attack

This paper describes the mechanism of the rapid deterioration caused by seawater attack on the bedding mortar of recently constructed harbour wall steps in South Wales. Within 2 years, the mortar had suffered severe cracking and spalling. The degraded mortars were examined under optical and electron microscopes and also using X-ray diffraction analysis. The reaction products formed included thaumasite, ettringite, brucite and hydrated magnesium silicate. A further end product of deterioration was the precipitation of large, non-interlocking crystals of calcite (termed popcorn calcite) in the areas of the mortar previously occupied by cement paste. Investigation of degradation of associated structural concrete from this site also showed the early stages of the thaumasite form of sulfate attack.