Technology in Practice (Section 2.31 of the Comprehensive Clinical Psychology: Vol. 2. Professional Issues)

The contemporary practice of psychology requires a prudent balance of traditional and emerging communication methods. Interpersonal interactions in the context of human relationship (e.g., speech, emotional expressions, and nonverbal gestures) have been a vital part of emotional healing throughout many centuries, and research findings in the 1990s underscore the importance of relational factors in effective psychological interventions (Whiston & Sexton, 1993). In addition to the time honored interpersonal communication methods of professional psychology, rapid technological advances have propelled psychologists into another sphere of communication. Today\u27s professional psychologist is increasingly expected to attain mastery in both of these communication methods-the very old and the very new

Mechanical Characterisation of Confectionery Wafers

The aim of this research is to model the deformation and fracture behaviour of wafers used in chocolate confectionery products. Compression and bending tests showed that the mechanical behaviour of the wafer was characteristic of a brittle foam. The wafer sheet was examined with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to determine the wafer dimensions and to observe the internal microstructure. These images showed that the core of the wafer sheet was more porous than the dense skins of the wafer. An analytical model was developed to calculate the modulus of the wafer core and skin sections. A finite element (FE) model using a simple repetitive geometry of the wafer was implemented. The ‘crushable foam’ material model was the closest fit to the wafer deformation under compression and was applied to the core of the wafer. An alternative FE model was proposed, which used the actual complex architecture of the wafer. To attain the wafer architecture, X-ray Microtomography (XMT) was used on a sample to produce a stack of image slices which were reconstructed as a 3D volume. The microstructure of the 3D volume was characterised and then meshed with tetrahedral elements for finite element analysis. The cell walls of the model were given a linear elastic material model and a damage criterion to simulate the fracture of the cell walls. In-situ SEM and XMT experiments were conducted which allowed the deformation and fracture of the wafer sheet to be observed simultaneously as the global mechanical response was recorded. The FE model of the complex architecture was able to predict the deformation behaviour of the wafer in compression. In the future, the model can be used to simulate the cutting process of the wafer, allowing the effect of parameters such as cutting speed and blade dimensions to be determined efficiently

Manufacturing and application of 3D printed photo fenton reactors for wastewater treatment

Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing offers a new paradigm for designing and developing chemical reactors, in particular, prototypes. The use of 3D printers has been increasing, their performance has been improving, and their price has been reducing. While the general trend is clear, particular applications need to be assessed for their practicality. This study develops and follows a systematic approach to the prototyping of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) reactors. Specifically, this work evaluates and discusses different printable materials in terms of mechanical and chemical resistance to photo-Fenton reactants. Metallic and ceramic materials are shown to be impracticable due to their high printing cost. Polymeric and composite materials are sieved according to criteria such as biodegradability, chemical, thermal, and mechanical resistance. Finally, 3D-printed prototypes are produced and tested in terms of leakage and resistance to the photo-Fenton reacting environment. Polylactic acid (PLA) and wood–PLA composite (Timberfill®) were selected, and lab-scale raceway pond reactors (RPR) were printed accordingly. They were next exposed to H2O2/Fe(II) solutions at pH = 3 ± 0.2 and UV radiation. After 48 h reaction tests, results revealed that the Timberfill® reactor produced higher Total Organic Carbon (TOC) concentrations (9.6 mg·L-1) than that obtained for the PLA reactor (5.5 mg·L-1) and Pyrex® reactor (5.2 mg·L-1), which suggests the interference of Timberfill® with the reaction. The work also considers and discusses further chemical and mechanical criteria that also favor PLA for 3D-printing Fenton and photo-Fenton reactors. Finally, the work also provides a detailed explanation of the printing parameters used and guidelines for preparing prototypesPeer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesPostprint (published version

Immunocap® ISAC and microtest for multiplex allergen testing in people with difficult to manage allergic disease: A systematic review and cost analysis

__Background__ Allergy is a form of immune-mediated exaggerated sensitivity (hypersensitivity) to a substance that is either inhaled, swallowed, injected or comes into contact with the skin. Foreign substances that provoke allergies are called allergens. It has been claimed that multiplex allergen testing may help in diagnosing the cause of symptoms in patients with an unclear cause of allergy or who are allergic to more than one substance. __Objectives__ To evaluate multiplex allergen testing [devices that can measure the presence of multiple immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in a patient’s blood at the same time], by assessing (1) clinical effectiveness (allergy symptoms, incidence of acute exacerbations, mortality, adverse events of testing and treatment, health-care presentations or admissions, health-related quality of life); (2) effects on treatment (diet, immunotherapy medications, other potential testing); (3) any additional diagnostic information provided by multiplex allergen testing; and (4) cost-effectiveness (cost of different assessment strategies). __Methods__ Fifteen databases were searched from 2005 to April 2015, including MEDLINE (via OvidSp), MEDLINE In-Process Citations, MEDLINE Daily Update, PubMed (National Library of Medicine), EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology Assessment (HTA) database, Science Citation Index (SCI), Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (CPCI-S), BIOSIS Previews, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) HTA programme, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); supplementary searches of conference proceedings and trials registries were performed. Review methods followed published guidance from the Cochrane Collaboration and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, UK. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using appropriate published tools or a review-specific tool designed by the project team. Studies were summarised in a narrative synthesis. Owing to a lack of data on the clinical effectiveness of multiplex allergen testing, no long-term cost-effectiveness model was developed. A conceptual model structure was developed and cost analyses were performed to examine the short-term costs of various possible diagnostic pathways. __Results__ Fifteen studies were included in the review. The very limited available data indicated that the addition of multiplex allergen testing [ImmunoCAP® Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip (ISAC), Thermo Fisher Scientific/Phadi

Mechanical characterisation of micro-stereolithographic materials

Promising techniques such as micro-stereolithography (MSL) are opening up practical potential for exploiting new ideas for specialized polymer-based Micro-Electromechanical systems (MEMS) through small-batch production. As the field matures and grows, substantial research and commercial development demands better understanding of mechanical properties of MEMS materials to fully explore the potential of this technology. Bulk properties derived from conventional testing of large specimens (at 10 mm order) cannot be trusted. However, small-scale specimens (less than 1 mm) introduce major challenges, such as handling and mounting. The aim of this study was to contribute towards an improved understanding of the mechanical properties of the polymers (MSL materials) with a strong emphasis on developing new metrology. It proposed and described a special form of test-rig and compatible special MSL specimen design. A uniaxial tensile approach was chosen, partly because it offered simpler uncertainty models. The prototype used deadweight loading through a notch flexure, which acted both as a spring in parallel sharing the same displacement with the specimen and as a linear guideway. The specimen was integrally fabricated with large clamping regions and support bars released by cutting. Stiffly constrained mounting and loading surfaces were used to clamp MSL specimens to the flexure, protecting them against parasitic motions during the test in combination. Strain was measured through an elongation measurement by high-sensitivity capacitive micrometry, knowing the specimen dimensions. Verification tests on the clamping conditions showed no significant evidence of sudden slip or creep. MSL specimens were fabricated by a projection-based Envisiontec Perfactory system using a commercial acrylate-based R11 resin. Substantial shrinkage and curl distortion had been observed, which greatly reduced the fabrication accuracy of the MSL specimens. Specimens with different UV exposures and different sizes were fabricated and tested for better understanding of the MSL fabrication process. Typically, Young’s Modulus was a little smaller than expected and certainly dependent on both size and process parameters (in the region studied)

UN'ANALISI DEI CONTROLLI DI TIPO NELLA JAVA VIRTUAL MACHINE

Un programma scritto in linguaggio Java viene eseguito da una macchina virtuale denominata Java Virtual Machine. Lo sviluppo di questo linguaggio negli anni, soprattutto nel settore del Web, ha imposto dei rigidi modelli di sicurezza, uno dei quali è la verifica del codice bytecode del programma. Il costrutto Interfaccia del linguaggio Java propone delle problematiche in materia di verifica del bytecode, in quanto offre al programmatore uno strumento alternativo all'eredità multipla che in Java non è permessa. Alcuni dei controlli di tipo da effettuare sulle interfacce, non possono essere eseguiti dal verificatore e devono essere rimandati a tempo di esecuzione ed effettuati dall'interprete Java. Questa soluzione però produce un qualche rallentamento nelle prestazioni dell'interprete. Lo scopo di questa Tesi è quello di identificare i controlli a tempo di esecuzione eseguiti sulle interfacce, eliminarli ed eseguire una serie di test per quantificare l'eventuale guadagno in termini di prestazioni che è possibile ottenere