Negotiating Masculinity in Salinger's Catcher in the Rye

This analysis focuses on several masculinities conceptualized by Holden Caulfield within the sociohistorical context of the 1950s. When it is understood by heterosexual men that to be masculine means to be emotionally detached and viewing women as sexual objects, they help propagate the belief that expressions of femininity and non-hegemonic masculinities are abnormal behavior and something to be demonized and punished. I propose that Holden’s “craziness” is the result of there being no positive images of heteronormative masculinity and no alternative to the rigid and strictly enforced roles offered to boys as they enter manhood. I suggest that a paradigm shift is needed that starts by collectively recognizing our current forms of patriarchy as harmful to everyone, followed by a reevaluation of how gender is prescribed to youth

The role of fullerenes in the environmental stability of polymer:fullerene solar cells

Environmental stability is a common challenge for the commercialisation of low cost, encapsulation-free organic opto-electronic devices. Understanding the role of materials degradation is the key to address this challenge, but most such studies have been limited to conjugated polymers. Here we quantitatively study the role of the common fullerene derivative PCBM in limiting the stability of benchmark organic solar cells, showing that a minor fraction (<1%) of photo-oxidised PCBM, induced by short exposure to either solar or ambient laboratory lighting conditions in air, consistent with typical processing and operating conditions, is sufficient to compromise device performance severely. We identify the effects of photo-oxidation of PCBM on its chemical structure, and connect this to specific changes in its electronic structure, which significantly alter the electron transport and recombination kinetics. The effect of photo-oxidation on device current–voltage characteristics, electron mobility and density of states could all be explained with the same model of photoinduced defects acting as trap states. Our results demonstrate that the photochemical instability of PCBM and chemically similar fullerenes remains a barrier for the commercialisation of organic opto-electronic devices

Photodissociation of the oxygen molecule

The aim of this work was to determine the distribution of photofragments of the O2 molecule in the Schumann-Runge continuum and bands, as well as their vector correlations and alignment parameters. Pontential energy curves were calculated ab initio using variational methods both in the equilibrium geometry and in the long range dissociation limit. To obtain the distribution of products, the molecule was dissociated in a molecular dynamics calculation, and the resulting vibrational wavepackets were analysed in the long range to obtain absorption cross-sections, yielding product distribution for the atomic |LS) states. ThEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Outdoor environmental education

The main focus in my thesis is on outdoor education, which in the subject of natural science directs pupils to explore the environment that surrounds us. In the first triad, discovering nature teaches pupils how to use all of their senses and work with concrete materials. Specificity of teaching natural science outside the classroom is a direct contact with nature, which encourages a positive and respectful attitude towards nature and educates for sustainable development. In the theoretical part of the thesis, details of outdoor education and principles that teachers should follow when working outdoors are presented, followed by recommendations where and how to organize outdoor education and how to prepare before lessons. Problems which teachers encounter during teaching outside the classroom and advice how to minimize them are defined. I described the subject of natural science with the main objectives, didactic recommendations and suggestions of activities for outdoor education. In the empirical part, I used a survey questionnaire to determine what portion of lessons teachers organize outdoors. The results showed that almost half of the teachers organize from 11 to 20 % of the course outside the classroom and that there are no differences between teachers working in rural or urban environment. Working with concrete materials is the reason that most motivates teachers to have lessons outdoors and organizational problems most often lead to avoidance of outdoor education

Patterns of efficiency and degradation of composite polymer solar cells

Bulk heterojunction plastic solar cells PSC produced from a conjugated polymer, poly 2 methoxy 5 3 ,7 dimethyloctyl oxy 1,4 phenylenevinylene MDMO PPV , and a methanofullerene [6,6] phenyl C61 Butyric acid methyl ester PCBM were investigated using photocurrent imaging techniques to determine characteristic patterns of efficiency and degradation. The solar cells with solar efficiencies of up to 2.6 showed significant inhomogeneities and variations depending on the preparation steps e.g. aluminum deposition , suggesting there is still room for improvements. A characteristic feature of the well known photoinduced and dark cell degradation is the formation of islands of higher efficiency. Degradation mechanisms appear to have a morphological component. The imaging technique will open opportunities for combinatorial plastic solar cell research

Patterns Of Efficiency And Degradation Of Composite Polymer Solar Cells

Bulk-heterojunction plastic solar cells (PSC) produced froma conjugated polymer, poly(2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyl-oxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MDMO-PPV), and a methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were investigated using photocurrent imaging techniques to determine characteristic patterns of efficiency and degradation. The solar cells with power efficiencies of up to 2.6% showed significant inhomogeneities and variations depending on the preparation steps (e.g. aluminum deposition), suggesting there is still room for improvements. A characteristic feature of the well-known photoinduced and dark cell degradation is the formation of islands of higher efficiency. Degradation mechanisms appear to have a morphological component. The imaging technique will open opportunities for combinatorial plastic solar cell research.

On the photo degradation of dye sensitized solid state TiO2 dye CuI cells

The space resolved photocurrent image technique was used to investiugate the degradation of dye sensitized solid state TiO2 dye CuI solar cells. In contrast to dye sensitized liquid cells only blurred and not sharp boundaries between illuminated and dark areas were observed. The deterioration of the cell was found to be much faster than liquid dye sensitized cells and does not involve the sensitize