Collaborative Project Brief Scorecard method : evaluating product design projects to aid design effort estimation

Designers use their tacit knowledge to estimate project design effort needs, which can be enhanced through the understanding of the factors that most influence those needs. Evaluating and assessing project briefs against these factors can assist designers when planning their projects. The Collaborative Project Brief Scorecard (CPDS) Method identifies those factors and produces a scorecard for designers to evaluate project briefs based on these factors and allows for project comparisons, aids in past project recall and provides a focal point for collaborative reflection on design activities

Rapid, 5 min, low temperature aqueous platinization for plastic substrates for dye-sensitized solar cells

This paper reports a rapid (5 min), low temperature (120 �C) method to platinize the counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) devices. This new method uses aqueous solutions and is based on chemical bath deposition of an activating Pd layer followed by Pt only using H2 gas as the reductant. This method has been tested on flexible, plastic substrates (indium tin oxide-coated polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate, ITO-PET or ITO-PEN, respectively). We report device efficiencies up to 7.2% on ITO-PET which is comparable to devices made using high temperature (400 �C) processing on rigid, fluoride-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass counter electrodes. The method is scalable and suitable for continuous roll-to-roll production

University lecturers’ adaptability: Examining links with perceived autonomy support, organisational commitment, and psychological wellbeing

In this study, we examined associations between university lecturers’ perceived autonomy support (PAS), adaptability, organisational commitment, and psychological wellbeing. A sample of university lecturers (N = 102) from a single ex-polytechnic higher education institution in the United Kingdom completed validated scales for each construct in the spring term. Inspired by prior work in pre-tertiary education with schoolteachers, a conceptual model of predicted relations was developed and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings showed that PAS was positively associated with lecturers’ adaptability, organisational commitment, and psychological wellbeing; however, adaptability was unable to influence these outcomes independently of its association with PAS. The findings extend prior work with schoolteachers suggesting that, while adaptability is of importance, its influence may be more salient at pre-tertiary level – where there is typically heightened regulation and lower autonomy – and less salient when autonomy options are wider, as is the case in higher education

Quantitative chemical analysis of perovskite deposition using spin coating

Lead and halide ion compositions of spin coated organo-lead halide perovskite films have been quantified using ion chromatography (IC) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) using perovskite films manufactured by 5 different researchers (3 replicates per treatment) to monitor variability between researchers and individual researcher reproducibility. Planar and mesoporous TiO2-coated glass substrates have been studied along with tribromide (CH3NH3PbBr3), triiodide (CH3NH3PbI3) and mixed halide (CH3NH3PbI3�xClx) perovskite films. The data show low yields of spin coated perovskite material (ca. 1%) and preferential deposition of I� over Cl� in mixed halide films

Psychology Education in the Post-Covid World

A major aim of psychology education is to train students in psychological literacy – the ability to apply psychological knowledge to everyday activities. In this paper we explore how well this has been achieved in recent years. As a result of Covid-19 the focus of teaching in recent months has inevitably been on developing online methods of teaching and attempts to develop psychological literacy have of necessity received less attention. However, we argue that the developments enforced by Covid-19 actually open up a range of new possibilities and that psychological literacy can benefit from these changes. In particular, we suggest that much of the transmission of psychological knowledge can continue to take place online and that universities should become places where the focus is on the application of that knowledge

Ion optical clocks with three electronic states

Optical clocks are the apotheosis of precision measurement, but they require frequent maintenance by scientists. The supporting laser systems are a particularly demanding component of these instruments. To reduce complexity and increase robustness we propose an optical clock with trapped alkali-like ions that use the $S_{1/2}\rightarrow D_{3/2}$ electric quadrupole transition. Compared to traditional group-II ion clocks this reduces the number of laser wavelengths required, and uses hyperfine state preparation and readout techniques enabled by the nuclear spin $I=1/2$. We consider $^{225}$Ra$^{+}$ as a candidate system for a clock with three electronic states, and discuss the potential to help realize a transportable optical clock.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure