Design parameters and operation of small, and medium size municipal reverse osmosis North America

The design, construction and operation of 1,000 to 250,000 gallon per day reverse osmosis systems requires a different approach than larger multi-million gallon per day systems. Smaller modular units are based on actual proven installations. The units are pre-engineexed, and factory tested in their entirety. The unit concept of reverse osmosis design allows for more reliable systems, easily and quickly installed, with a minimum of operation and maintenance attention. Small and medium size reverse osmosis systems have been running for many years. A seawater single pass reverse osmosis system has been producing potable water for over 18 months with little operator attention and maintenance.Construction and operation of small and medium size municipal reverse osmosis systems present some unique areas of consideration which differentiates these units from much larger installations. By small and medium we mean from 1000 gallons to 250,000 gallons per day capacities. The ultimate objectives of any water treating system is to obtain the quality and quantity of water desired with a minimum of operating effort and maintenance. In general, where dissolved solids are to be removed from a feedwater source, reverse osmosis is presently recognized as the most efficient method available.Large reverse osmosis systems are usually engineered on an individual basis to meet the users needs and, include on-site analysis of the raw feedwater and climate conditions. In addition, engineering consultants as well as the ultimate customers preferences need to be considered. Large quantities of time are consumed in the initial engineering, preparation of drawings and design changes. Equipment housing facilities need to be designed around the type of system selected and engineered separately. Large amounts of time are used in the construction of the system components. Membrane racks are erected individually with membranes shipped separately. Large amounts of piping needs to be cut and installed on-site. High pressure pumps, membrane cleaning systems, electrical controls and pretreatment equipment are separately built, shipped individually, and assembled on location.     

Structure and elevated temperature properties of carbon-free ferritic alloys strengthened by a laves phase

A Laves phase, Fe₂Ta, was utilized to obtain good elevated temperature properties in a carbon-free iron alloy containing 1 at. pct Ta and 7 at. pct Cr. Room temperature embrittlement resulting from the precipitation of the Laves phase at grain boundaries was overcome by spheroidizing the precipitate. This was accomplished by thermally cycling the alloys through the α→γ transformation. The short-time yield strength of the alloys decreased very slowly with increase in test temperature up to 600°C, but above this temperature, the strength decreased rapidly. Results of constant load creep and stress rupture tests conducted at several temperatures and stresses indicated that the rupture and creep strengths of spheroidized 1 Ta-7 Cr alloy were higher than those of several commercial steels containing chromium and/or molybdenum carbides but lower than those of steels containing substantial amounts of tungsten and vanadium. When molybdenum was added to the base Fe-Ta-Cr alloy, the rupture and creep strengths were considerably increased. M. Dilip Bhandarkar, formerly with Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.     

Leadership orientation as a function of interpersonal need structure.

Examined the relationship of interpersonal need structure as measured by the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior Questionnaire (FIRO-B) to leadership orientation as measured by the Leadership Opinion Questionnaire (LOQ) and the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale (LPC); Ss were 245 1st- and 2nd-level supervisors. The LPC score and the Consideration dimension of the LOQ were found to be positively related to all the FIRO-B scales except Expressed Control. Initiating Structure was positively related to Expressed Control. The LPC score was negatively related to Initiating Structure and positively related to Consideration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of alternative positioning of open-ended questions in multiple-choice questionnaires.

Conducted 2 studies with 110 black high school and college students and 156 white college students to study the effect of the placement of open-ended questions, relative to multiple-choice questions, on the responses elicited. Both studies found that positionings at both the beginning and the end of a predominantly multiple-choice questionnaire elicited significantly more responses than did either placement alone. When the 2 positions were used singly, the one at the beginning was found to elicit more discrete ideas and response categories. This was true for black samples and white samples and for different questionnaire topics and lengths. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapist empathy, genuineness, and warmth and patient therapeutic outcome.

A study aimed at cross-validating previous research suggesting that the levels of the therapist's accurate empathy, nonpossessive warmth, and genuineness were causally related to the degree of patient improvement or deterioration. An equal number of "good" or "poor" therapy prospects were randomly assigned to 4 resident psychiatrists (10 patients each) for 4 mo. of psychotherapy. Results tended to confirm the importance of the 3 therapeutic conditions in combination and of empathy and genuineness separately. Negative findings for separate analysis of therapist's warmth were interpreted in terms of its negative correlation with empathy and genuineness in the present sample. On the overall measure for all patients, therapists providing high therapeutic conditions had 90% patient improvement while those providing lower conditions had 50% improvement. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental psychologists in industry: Perspectives of employers, employees, and educators.

The Task Force on the Employment of Experimental Psychologists in Industry, formed in 1982, conducted 3 surveys to assess the roles of traditionally trained psychologists in nonacademic research settings. The surveyed groups were 209 psychology department chairs, 46 recent recipients of PhDs who had taken nonacademic jobs, and approximately 60 industrial employers at managerial levels. Findings indicate the need for (1) changes in attitude and style in graduate training, (2) course work to relate to industry, (3) increases in internships and practica offered, and (4) strong positive relations between industry and academic psychology. Objectives and recommendations related to needs are offered. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptual and cognitive factors governing performance in comparative arrival-time judgments.

Four experiments were conducted to investigate factors affecting relative arrival-time judgments in the transverse plane. Across experiments, results indicated an overreliance on relative distance information. The levels of relative velocity and distance used in the arrival-time task were proved discriminable, and performance in both relative velocity and distance judgments predicted performance in the relative arrival-time task. Despite the distance bias, an attempt to integrate relative velocity and distance information was also evidenced. The distance bias appears to have resulted from resource limitations on the concurrent processing of relative velocity and distance information, causing relative velocity information to become resource limited. The final experiment assessed the stability of performance in each of the tasks over time and provided evidence of individual differences in the ability to coordinate information from multiple sources. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Uranium spectrum between 1.8 and 5.5 microns emitted from a hollow cathode

The emission spectrum of uranium has been observed in the infrared from 1.8 to 5.5 μm using the McMath Fourier transform spectrometer at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, and a water-cooled hollow cathode lamp. The wavenumber, wavelength, and relative intensity of 4418 lines between 1817 and 5598 cm^?1 that can be classified as transitions between known levels of the first and second spectra of uranium have been tabulated. In addition, wavenumbers and intensities of 4744 lines that cannot be classified in this manner are listed. Most of these are believed to be uranium emission lines. Isotope shifts are reported for 196 lines.     

The achievement motive, goal setting, and probability preferences.

"This study deals with the effect of individual differences in strength of achievement motive on… goal setting… [and] preferences for imaginary bets equated for expected monetary value but differing in probability of winning… . Measures of n Achievement were obtained by content analysis of responses to the French Test of Insight. Persons with high n Achievement scores were assumed to have relatively stronger motives to approach success and those with low n Achievement scores relatively stronger motives to avoid failure… . The results are consistent with the theory concerning motivational determinants of risk taking behavior and constitute evidence of the… effects of individual differences in… achievement motive… in games of chance as well as… skill." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biofeedback and electrodermal self-regulation in psychopathy.

Examined the degree to which psychopaths can learn to modify their spontaneous skin resistance responses (SSRRs) using intructions and biofeedback. Ten clinically defined psychopaths and 12 control Ss were tested, using a within-S design. Ss were required to increase and decrease the frequency of SSRRs, first without feedback, then with biofeedback training, and finally without feedback. During prefeedback with instructions alone, control Ss were able to raise SSRRs relative to resting baselines, but psychopaths showed no SSRR control. After 16 min of biofeedback training, both groups were able to raise and lower their SSRRs to a comparable degree. The results for heart rate, measured at the same time, presented the opposite pattern; during prefeedback with instructions alone, both groups produced comparable increases in heart rate, but in postfeedback the controls maintained heart rate whereas the psychopaths did not. Data suggest that psychopaths are as capable of learning to voluntarily regulate electrodermal activity as are controls, but they still differ in autonomic patterning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)