Role of Polyelectrolyte for Layer-by-Layer Compact TiO(2) Films in Efficiency Enhanced Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Efficient compact TiO(2) films using different polyeleetrolytes are prepared by the layer-by-layer technique (LbL) and applied as an effective contact and blocking film in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The polyanion thermal stability plays a major role on the compact layers, which decreases back electron transfer processes and current losses at the FTO/TiO(2) interface. FESEM images show that polyelectrolytes such is sodium sullonated polystyrene (PSS) and sulfonated lignin (SE), in comparison to poly(acrylic acid) (FAA), ensure an adequate morphology for the LbL TiO(2) layer deposited before the mesoporous film, even triter the sintering step at 450 degrees C. The so treated photoanode in DSCs leads to a 30% improvement On the overall conversion efficiency. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is employed to ascertain the role of die compact films with such polyelectrolytes. The significant increase in V(oc) of the solar cells with adequate polyelectrolytes in the LbL TiO(2) films shows their pivotal role in decreasing the electron recombination at the FTO surface and enhancing the electrical contact of FTO with the mesoporous TiO(2) layer.

A compact and high-resolution version of a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector

An all-in-one version of a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector is introduced. The absence of moving parts (potentiometers and connectors) makes it compact (6.5 cm(3)) and robust. A local oscillator, working at 1.1 MHz, was optimized to use capillaries of id from 20 to 100 lam. Low noise circuitry and a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (21 bits effective) grant good sensitivities for capillaries and background electrolytes currently used in capillary electrophoresis. The fixed frequency and amplitude of the signal generator is a drawback that is compensated by the steady calibration curves for conductivity. Another advantage is the possibility of determining the inner diameter of a capillary by reading the ADC when air and subsequently water flow through the capillary. The difference of ADC reading may be converted into the inner diameter by a calibration curve. This feature is granted by the 21-bit ADC, which eliminates the necessity of baseline compensation by hardware. In a typical application, the limits of detection based on the 3 sigma criterion (without baseline filtering) were 0.6, 0.4, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.8 mu mol/L for K(+), Ba(2+), Ca(2+), Na(+), Mg(2+), and Li(+), respectively, which is comparable to other high-quality implementations of a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector.

Development of a Compact Solar Combisystem

Within the frame of the project REBUS, "Competitive solar heating systems for residential buildings", which is financed by Nordic Energy Research, a new type of compact solar combisystem with high degree of prefabrication was developed. A hydraulic and control concept was designed with the goal to get highest system efficiency for use with either a condensing natural gas boiler or a pellet boiler. Especially when using the potential of high peak power of modern condensing natural gas boilers, a new operation strategy of a natural gas boiler/solar combisystem can increase the energy savings of a small solar combisystem by about 80% compared to conventional operation strategies.

Final report on heat pump developments in WP 4 -Â MacSheep Deliverable 4.4 : MacSheep -New Materials and Control for a next generation of compact combined Solar and heat pump systems with boosted energetic and exergetic performance

FP7- MacSheep

Visual perception of action categories and the "bowl-throw" decision in cricket.

Cricket umpires, cricket bowlers, and physical education students (who were knowledgeable about the rules of cricket), were shown 72 videotaped point-light displays of cricket deliveries with varying extents of elbow flexion such that they ranged from highly &ldquo;bowl-like&rdquo; to highly &ldquo;throw-like&rdquo;. The observers made a bowl-throw decision about each display, and the umpires and bowlers reported their confidence on a 5-point scale. The percentage of displays reported as a &ldquo;bowl&rdquo; was 59, 40, and 44 for the umpires, bowlers, and students respectively. Umpires made significantly more bowl decisions than both the bowlers and students, but there was no difference between the latter groups. Umpires were significantly more confident than the bowlers in both their bowl and throw decisions. Thus, in an experimental setting, with no apparent costs or benefits associated with their decision-makin, umpires &ldquo;called&rdquo; a bowler significantly less frequently for throwing than other knowledgeable observers. The procedures devised for this experiment demonstrate that psychophysical methods can be applied to the problem of discrete action-category nominations in sport (e.g., bowl or throw, walk or run).<br />

An analysis of the involvement-commitment relationship across product categories

An involvement-commitment-loyalty model is proposed and tested with AMOS. The results for fast-moving-consumer-goods (fmcg) are consistent with the theory. Ego involvement influences purchase involvement, which influences brand commitment, which influences customer loyalty. The results for the more ego-involved service of hair stylists, however, showed a different result. Purchase loyalty did not mediate the relationship between ego involvement and brand commitment, but instead ego involvement had a direct relationship with brand commitment.<br />

The composition of brand knowledge across product categories

This research reported in this paper tested the composition of the brand knowledge construct across three product categories. The brand knowledge construct was tested for a fast-moving consumer good (fmcg), a service, and a durable good. A quasi-experimental method was utilised, with the order of recall manipulated. Respondents undertook a free recall exercise using category cues, and then completed multi-item measures of brand knowledge. This exercise was repeated for each product category. A usable sample of 270 responses was gained. Analysis of the data found that respondents utilised different components of the knowledge construct depending on the product category being recalled. In addition, the order of recall (fmcg or durable first) affected the recall performance for later categories. Recall performance was highest for the durable category, which indicated that respondents may have been delving into different memory stores, and accessing long-term memory for durable good recall. This paper makes a contribution to the field of branding by providing a test of the knowledge structure across three product categories, and indicating the components that contribute to knowledge for each category. These findings have implications for advertising design, and the formation of links to brands in memory by advertisers, for use in later recall episodes.<br />

The measurement of the number, uniqueness, and valence of brand associations across three product categories

The research reported in this paper investigated the measurement of brand associations across three product categories. Brand associations had not been tested previously across all three categories of fast-moving consumer good, service, and durable in the one study. A free association method was used to generate brand associations for a fast-moving consumer good (shampoo), a service (banks) and a durable good (cars). The findings indicate that the first brand a respondent recalled has the greatest number of positive, unique and total brand associations. In addition, the findings indicated that durable goods have the highest number of associations, and the greatest number of unique and favourable brand associations. Further, banks and financial services had the fewest positive associations, which may have reflected attitudes to banks at the time of the research. These findings have implications for the manner in which respondents use information to recall brands, and how they process brand information when faced with a cue. Respondents use a depth and breadth of brand associations to generate brand information.<br />

Primacy and recency effects for the recall of brands across three product categories

The effect of the first brand recalled compared to later brand name recall has been explored in this research. In category cued recall events, the first brand recalled has greater linkages to associations in memory, and is a brand to which consumers are disposed more positively. In addition, the first brand recalled does not inhibit recall of competing brands, but has a facilitating effect on the number, positiveness and uniqueness of associations to the brand name. This concept was explored across three product categories: that of a fast-moving consumer good, a service and a durable. In addition, the first brand recalled was related to the last brand purchased for the services category.<br />