Additive manufacturing of monolithic supercapacitors with biopolymer separator

Journal of Applied Electrochemistry - In this paper, additive layer-by-layer fabrication of a fully screen printed monolithic supercapacitor exhibiting performance comparable with supercapacitors...     

Triboelectric charging of fungal spores during resuspension and rebound

The triboelectric charging of fungal spores was experimentally characterized during rebound and resuspension. A fungal spore source strength tester (FSSST) was used as a primary aerosol generator for spores of three fungal species and two powders (silicon carbide and silver). The critical velocity of rebound was determined using a variable nozzle area impactor (VNAI), and the charging state of particles after resuspension and rebound was measured using the FSSST, different impactor setups, electrometers, and optical particle counters. In the impactor setups and the FSSST, five different surface materials relevant for indoor environments were used (steel, glass, polystyrene, paper, and polytetrafluoroethylene). The critical velocity of rebound was determined to be 0.57 m/s for fungal spores, which is relatively low compared to silicon carbide and previous results for micron-sized aerosol particles. Based on the rebound impactor measurements, we were able to define the crucial parameters of charge transfer for different particle–surface material pairs. A contact charge parameter, which describes the triboelectric charging during rebound, was found to have a negative correlation with the charging state of the particles after the resuspension from an impactor. This connects the triboelectric charging during rebound and resuspension to each other. Based on the contact charge parameter values, quantified triboelectric series could be formed. The results of this work show that fungal spores can be charged both positively and negatively during rebound and resuspension depending on the fungal species and surface material.

Copyright © 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Comparison of the bone modeling effects caused by curved and straight nickel–titanium intramedullary nails

Nitinol (NiTi) shape memory metal alloy makes it possible to prepare functional implants. A curved intramedullary NiTi nail has been shown to cause bending of the bone, bone thickening, increase in cortical area, and reduction in bone longitudinal growth. The purpose of the present study was to find out whether these changes are caused by the bending force of the curved nail or by the intramedullary nailing itself. Pre-shaped intramedullary NiTi nails were implanted in the cooled martensitic form into the medullary cavity of the right femur in 12 rats, where they started to restore their austenitic form, causing a bending force. Straight nails were used as controls in another 12 rats. After 12 weeks, the operated femurs were compared with their non-operated contralateral counterparts and the differences were compared between the groups. Anteroposterior radiographs demonstrated bone bowing only in the curved nail group. Retardation of longitudinal growth was observed in both groups, showing that the growth effect seems to be due to the intramedullary nailing itself. Increase in bone cross-sectional area and cortical thickness were found in both groups. However, this increase was more evident with the curved nail, indicating that the bending force of the functional nail seems to induce these changes.     

Simple parameterizations of the radiation budget of uniform broadleaved and coniferous canopies

Simulations of the different components of the spectral radiation budget of structurally simple leaf and shoot canopies with varying canopy leaf area index (LAI) were performed. The aims were (1) to test a proposed parameterization of the budget using two spectrally invariant canopy structural parameters (p and p_t) governing canopy absorption and transmittance, respectively, and (2) to incorporate the effect of within-shoot scattering in the parameterization for shoot canopies. Results showed that canopy spectral absorption and scattering were well described by a single parameter, the canopy p value or ‘recollision probability’, which was closely related to LAI. The relationship between p and LAI was however different in leaf and shoot canopy: e.g., at the same LAI the recollision probability was larger in the shoot canopy. It was shown that the p value of the shoot canopy could be decomposed into the p value of an individual shoot (p_sh) and the p value of the leaf canopy with the same effective LAI (LAI_e). The canopy p value allows calculation of canopy absorption and scattering at any given wavelength from the leaf (or needle) scattering coefficient at the same wavelength. To calculate canopy reflectance, separation of the downward and upward scattered parts is needed in addition. The proposed parameter p_t worked rather well in the leaf canopy at moderate values of LAI, but not in the coniferous shoot canopy nor at high values of LAI. However, the simulated fraction of upward scattered radiation increased in a straightforward manner with LAI, and was not particularly sensitive to the leaf (or needle) scattering coefficient. Judged by this ‘smooth’ behavior, the existence of another kind of simple parameterization for this separation remains an interesting possibility.     

About malicious software in smartphones

Phones with some of the capabilities of modern computers also have the same kind of drawbacks. These phones are commonly referred to as smartphones. They have both phone and personal digital assistant (PDA) functionality. Typical to these devices is to have a wide selection of different connectivity options from general packet radio service (GPRS) data transfer to multi media messages (MMS) and wireless local area network (WLAN) capabilities. They also have standardized operating systems, which makes smartphones a viable platform for malware writers. Since the design of the operating systems is recent, many common security holes and vulnerabilities have been taken into account during the design. However, these precautions have not fully protected these devices. Even now, when smartphones are not that common, there is a handful of viruses for them. In this paper we will discuss some of the most typical viruses in the mobile environment and propose guidelines and predictions for the future.     

Personality structure across cultures: A multimethod evaluation.

Personality structure was assessed in 4 countries (Canada, Finland, Poland, and Germany) using both an established verbal personality inventory and a new nonverbal personality questionnaire. A 5-factor structure was found to be highly robust in that it was replicated across the 4 cultures and across the 2 personality assessment methods. The data are discussed in terms of (1) the failure to support a semantic similarity interpretation of personality item responses, (2) the factorial validity of the new nonverbal personality questionnaire, and (3) the viability of the popular 5-factor model of personality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Douglas N. Jackson (1929-2004).

Obituary for Douglas Northrop Jackson (1929-2004) giving an overview of his life as well as acknowledging his contributions to the field of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating replicability of factors in the Revised NEO Personality Inventory: Confirmatory factor analysis versus Procrustes rotation.

Despite the empirical robustness of the 5-factor model of personality, recent confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) data suggest they do not fit the hypothesized model. In a replication study of 229 adults, a series of CFAs showed that Revised NEO-PI scales are not simple-structured but do approximate the normative 5-factor structure. CFA goodness-of-fit indices, however, were not high. Comparability analyses showed that no more than 5 factors were replicable, which calls into question some assumptions underlying the use of CFA. An alternative method that uses targeted rotation was presented and illustrated with data from Chinese and Japanese versions of the Revised NEO-PI that clearly replicated the 5-factor structure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity and the predictability of behavior.

Recurring assessment problems in personality research related to the cross-situational consistency and predictability of behavior are evaluated in light of modern construct-oriented measurement theory. A recent study of the domain of conscientiousness behaviors (Mischel & Peake, 1982) is used to illustrate the consequences of not applying well-established strategies for the development and validation of psychological measures. It is argued that a careful specification of the behavioral exemplars of a trait domain and their interrelations is an essential precondition for the construct validity of a measure and for evidence of behavioral consistency. A reanalysis of the observational data of Mischel and Peake revealed conceptually and empirically identifiable facets of the domain of conscientiousness and, when behaviors were properly aggregated, substantial evidence of their construct validity and cross-situational generality. This finding is contrary to interpretations of Mischel and Peake and occurred despite several definitional and measurement problems identified in their study. Conditions contributing to the prediction of behavior across situations are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)