Surface and interface design for heterogeneous catalysis

Recent progresses in catalytic nanocrystals with uniform and well-defined structures, in situ characterization techniques, and theoretical calculations are facilitating the innovation of efficient catalysts via surface and interface designs, including crystal phase design, morphology/facet design, and size design, followed by controlled synthesis.

Future-Time Perspective: Analysis of a Facet-Designed Questionnaire

Summary: Future-time perspective for adolescents and young adults is directed towards several objects and may extend into the far or the near future. Differences in this perspective can affect motivational qualities influencing investment in one's future. A future-time perspective questionnaire was developed along these lines using facet design. It contains an object facet with the elements school and professional career, personal development, social relations, and leisure time; and an extension facet in which the elements short-term and long-term were distinguished. This study aims at empirically confirming the facet structure of the questionnaire in a sample of young adults. The questionnaire was administered to the 1993 cohort of psychology students. In total, 517 students under 25 years of age completed the questionnaire. Empirical analysis of the facet design using confirmatory factor analysis required modeling the facet structure in terms of a block diagonal model. The well-known statistical problem of finding adequate starting values for the parameter estimates in the analysis of such models with factor complexity larger than one was resolved. The analysis resulted in the complete recovery of the facet structure. It was concluded, with some reservations, that the results seem to support the validity of the questionnaire.

Constructing Items Measuring Logical Operational Thinking: Facet Design-Based Item Construction Using Multiple Categories Scoring

The development and application of test items of logical operational thinking are described. Twelve classical Piagetian experiments were transformed into objective test items using Guttman's facet design. In the item construction the response options received such a theoretical underpinning and form that they were considered to represent in a prototypical way all three operational levels, allowing interpretation of hypothetical reasoning strategies behind the student's choice of alternative. The items in multiple-choice format were given to four samples of Swedish students as a national option of the Second IEA Science Study: 1322 students in Grade 3, 1423 in Grade 4, 784 in Grade 7, and 725 in Grade 8. Twenty-two items were administered, of which 5 were specific for Grades 3 and 4, and 5 specific for Grades 7 and 8. The Rasch partial credit model was applied in order to take into account the information in all response options. Fifteen items in Grades 3 and 4, and 18 items in Grades 7 and 8 showed acceptable fit to the measurement model. The overall mean-square fit statistics were in accordance with model expectations.