Should industrial/organizational psychologists be licensed?

A historical review of licensing among industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists demonstrates that the American Psychological Association (APA) policy on such licensing is inconsistent. Arguments for and against licensure for this group are presented. Job analysis and APA data are drawn upon to show that few I/O activities may pose the personal risk that would seem to require the protection of a license. Alternatives are discussed for changes in present APA policy and state licensing requirements. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A simple handling technique for mammalian oocytes and embryos during preparation for transmission electron microscopy

Due to their small size, mammalian oocytes and embryos pose unique problems during preparation for transmission electron microscopy. This paper outlines a method which combines protein embedding with centrifugation to locate the specimens on the face of a Beem capsule mould. This method facilitates both the processing of oocytes with minimal loss and rapid location of the specimens within the block for simultaneous sectioning, staining and examination.     

Effect of mineral matter on coal self-heating rate

Adiabatic self-heating tests have been conducted on subbituminous coal cores from the same seam profile, which cover a mineral matter content range of 11.2-71.1%. In all cases the heat release rate does not conform to an Arrhenius kinetic model, but can best be described by a third order polynomial. Assessment of the theoretical heat sink effect of the mineral matter in each of the tests reveals that the coal is less reactive than predicted using a simple energy conservation equation. There is an additional effect of the mineral matter in these cases that cannot be explained by heat sink alone. The disseminated mineral matter in the coal is therefore inhibiting the oxidation reaction due to physicochemical effects.     

Factors influencing the efficacy of an interfacial modifier for the interface in an immiscible polymer blend

The modification of the interface in immiscible polymer blends is critical in order to optimize physical properties. Despite the great commercial importance of polymer blends, many aspects of the emulsification process remain unclear In this paper, it will be shown that an emulsification curve can be used to estimate the influence of the architecture molar mass of styrene/hydrogenated butadiene block copolymer interfacial modifiers on the emulsifion of polystyrene/ethylene-propylene rubber blends under melt processing conditions. An expression for eing the critical amount of copolymer to saturate the interface, as well as aspects concerning the localisation of the modifier in the blend system will also be addressed.     

Effect of dynamic vulcanization on the microstructure and performance of polyethylene terephthalate/elastomer blends

Blends of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and ethylene‐ethyl acrylate‐maleic anhydride terpolymer (E‐EA‐MAH) were dynamically crosslinked in a one‐step extrusion process. An amine‐terminated glycol reacting with MAH moieties was used as the crosslinking agent. The effect of blend composition and dynamic crosslinking on the microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. Blend ratios ranging from 80:20 to 20:80 PET/E‐EA‐MAH were studied. The region of phase inversion was located for uncrosslinked and dynamically crosslinked blends. The rheological characterization was also carried out for these blends in comparison with the neat materials. After dynamic crosslinking, the phase inversion is shifted from the 30–40% range to the 70–80% range of elastomer content. This shift is induced by the increase of viscosity and elasticity of the network formed. Dynamically crosslinked blends show significant improvements in impact strength but also exhibit a decrease in elongation at break.     

Variable Structure Control with Chattering Reduction of a Generalized T‐S Model

In this paper, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) based variable structure control (VSC) is presented. The main objective is to obtain an improved performance of highly non‐linear unstable systems. New functions for chattering reduction and error convergence without sacrificing invariant properties are proposed. The main feature of the proposed method is that the switching function is added as an additional fuzzy variable and will be introduced in the premise part of the fuzzy rules; together with the state variables. In this work, a tuning of the well known weighting parameters approach is proposed to optimize local and global approximation and modelling capability of the Takagi‐Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy model to improve the choice of the performance index and minimize it. The main problem encountered is that the T‐S identification method can not be applied when the membership functions are overlapped by pairs. This in turn restricts the application of the T‐S method because this type of membership function has been widely used in control applications. The approach developed here can be considered as a generalized version of the T‐S method. An inverted pendulum mounted on a cart is chosen to evaluate the robustness, effectiveness, accuracy and remarkable performance of the proposed estimation approach in comparison with the original T‐S model. Simulation results indicate the potential, simplicity and generality of the estimation method and the robustness of the chattering reduction algorithm. In this paper, we prove that the proposed estimation algorithm converge the very fast, thereby making it very practical to use. The application of the proposed FLC‐VSC shows that both alleviation of chattering and robust performance are achieved.     

Variable Structure Control with chattering elimination and guaranteed stability for a generalized T-S model

In this paper, a fuzzy based Variable Structure Control (VSC) with guaranteed stability is presented. The main objective is to obtain an improved performance of highly non-linear unstable systems. The main contribution of this work is that, firstly, new functions for chattering reduction and error convergence without sacrificing invariant properties are proposed, which is considered the main drawback of the VSC control. Secondly, the global stability of the controlled system is guaranteed.The well known weighting parameters approach, is used in this paper to optimize local and global approximation and modeling capability of T-S fuzzy model.A one link robot is chosen as a nonlinear unstable system to evaluate the robustness, effectiveness and remarkable performance of optimization approach and the high accuracy obtained in approximating nonlinear systems in comparison with the original T-S model. Simulation results indicate the potential and generality of the algorithm. The application of the proposed FLC-VSC shows that both alleviation of chattering and robust performance are achieved with the proposed FLC-VSC controller. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is proven infront of disturbances and noise effects.     

A line search improvement of efficient MPC

A recent efficient Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy uses a univariate Newton-Raphson procedure to solve a dual problem, but is not amenable to warm starting or early termination. By solving a primal problem, the current note proposes a strategy which is more efficient than the Newton-Raphson method and which enables warm starting and early termination. Performance improvements are demonstrated over the Newton-Raphson method and alternative approaches based on quadratic programming or semidefinite programming.     

High molecular weight plasticizers in thermoplastic starch/polyethylene blends

In this study thermoplastic starch (TPS) was prepared with four different molecular weight polyol plasticizers: glycerol, sorbitol, diglycerol and polyglycerol. Diglycerol-TPS (DTPS) and polyglycerol-TPS (PTPS) show significantly lower moisture uptake and a higher temperature stability when compared to conventional glycerol-TPS (GTPS). TPS formulations were blended with HDPE at a concentration of 20 TPS/80 HDPE wt% and a range of interfacial modifier contents via a one-step extrusion process. The emulsification curves of the blends, which track the volume and number average diameter of the dispersed TPS domains with per cent interfacial modifier, show significantly different profiles and a non-correspondence between the d _n and d _v values at the critical concentration for interfacial saturation. The addition of small amounts of interfacial modifier to the blends prepared with diglycerol and polyglycerol results in TPS dispersed phases of wide polydispersity with droplets in the order of 200–300 nm coexisting with droplets of 5–7 µm. This wide polydispersity of TPS phase size can give insight into the mechanism of droplet formation in these systems with interfacial modifier and is indicative of an erosion-type mechanism, where small portions of the TPS droplet break off at the outer part of the droplet. Blends prepared with GTPS and sorbitol-TPS do not display this behaviour and show a more classic correspondence of d _n and d _v at the critical concentration. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows miscible behaviour for DTPS and PTPS and partially miscible behaviour for GTPS. This phenomenon was attributed to the presence of ether bonds in the chemical structure of diglycerol and polyglycerol. The increased chain flexibility and lower cohesive energy forces of diglycerol and polyglycerol lead to a more homogeneous TPS phase and consequently an erosion-type compatibilization at the interface. The mechanical properties of blends prepared with polyglycerol and diglycerol show a similar overall behaviour to glycerol.     

Evaluation of natural gas hydrates as a future methane source

In recent years, attention has been given to obtaining methane gas from natural gas hydrates (NGHs) sediment; but its production, economics, and safety are still far away from being commercially viable for many years, and so more research is needed. NGHs are nonstoichiometric crystalline solid compounds that form from mixtures of water molecules and light weight natural gases such as methane, ethane, propane, and carbon dioxide. They are formed in specific thermodynamic conditions, low temperatures (5–15°C) and high pressures (2–3 MPa), and are found in (a) onshore polar regions beneath permafrost and (b) offshore deep-sea sediments. Methane, NG, is the cleanest fossil fuel and its huge amounts in NGHs have carbon quantities more than double of all fossil fuels. The methods that have been proposed for NG extraction from NGHs include: (a) depressurization, (b) thermal stimulation, and (c) chemical inhibitor injections. The authors review the potential of methane gas from NGHs as an unconventional source of future energy. The formation of NGHs as well as extraction of methane from NGHs coupled with technical and environmental challenges are also addressed.