Dopant site selectivity in BaCe0.85M0.15O3-δ by extended x-ray absorption fine structure

Rare earth doped BaCeO3 has been widely investigated as a proton conducting material. Trivalent dopants are generally assumed to fully occupy the Ce4+-site, and thereby introduce oxygen vacancies into the perovskite structure. Recent studies indicate the possibility of partial dopant incorporation onto the Ba2+-site concomitant with BaO evaporation, reducing the oxygen vacancy content. Because proton incorporation requires, as a first step, the generation of oxygen vacancies such dopant partitioning is detrimental to protonic conductivity. A quantitative Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) study of BaCe0.85M0.15O3-δ (M=Yb,Gd) is presented here along with complementary x-ray powder diffraction and electron probe chemical analyses. The EXAFS results demonstrate that as much as 4.6% of the ytterbium and 7.2% of the gadolinium intended for incorporation onto the Ce site, in fact, resides on the Ba site. The results are in qualitative agreement with the diffraction and chemical analyses, which additionally show an even greater extent of Nd incorporation on the Ba site

PRESENCE AND PREVALENCE OF BD (BATRACHOCHYTRIUM DENDROBATIDIS) IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIAN WOODLAND VERNAL POOLS

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a virulent chytrid fungus responsible for dramatic amphibian declines, has been detected in the northwestern and southeastern regions of Pennsylvania. However, little environmental Bd testing has been performed in central Pennsylvania, particularly in the unique and speciose habitats of woodland vernal pools. Our study included sampling in four vernal pools over a period of three months during amphibian breeding periods. Skin swabs were taken from three caudate and two anuran species, during the course of late winter and spring migrations (n = 143). Low Bd zoospore equivalent loads were detected in only a few individuals, in three of the five species but in all four vernal pools sampled. No significant trends were seen between zoospore loads and ambient temperature or migration timing across the species sampled

Significance of boundary conditions towards sustainable housing strategies

Abstract. Background: For developing nations the development of sustainable communities has to go hand in hand with the achievement of wider goals, where emphasis has to be given to the importance of lifestyle and social change. This inter- disciplinary research draws understanding from the social, cultural and economic studies to define the values and aspirations of the middle class and the associated implications for sustainable housing. Middle-class​ mores are aspirational and aim to achieve Western living standards, moving away from a traditional communitarian social model. Methods and Results: This research presents the results of extensive fieldwork in the Southern-Indian city of Mysore that defines the values held by the emergent middle class in respect to the built environment. Common areas and shared spaces have traditionally been very actively used and have played a crucial role in both passive cooling strategies and the maintenance of socially sustainable communities. Fieldwork shows that attitudes to the built environment are polarised between well-maintained and protected housing interiors and poorly organised and maintained external spaces and examines how these transition spaces are used to reflect these values and concerns. Possible options for the external boundary conditions are tested by generating 3D models and applying an environmental design method, Inte- grated Environmental Solutions (IES). Conclusion: The paper reflects on whether earlier traditions in sustainable building design in South Asia (Mysore) have relevance in a contemporary context and the importance of understanding the changing preferences and values of the newly affluent demographic

Sustainable Housing Strategies for the Growing Indian Demographics: Contextual Study of Mysore, India

For developing nations the development of sustainable communities has to go hand in hand with the achievement of wider goals, where emphasis has to be given to the importance of lifestyle and social change. This inter-disciplinary research draws understanding from the social, cultural and economic studies to define the values and aspirations of the middle class and its implications on sustainable housing. One of the fastest growing economies in Asia, India, has empowered a large and powerful consumer oriented middle class. Middle class mores are aspirational and aimed at achieving western living standard and moving away from a traditional communitarian social model. This research presents the results of extensive field work in the southern-Indian city of Mysore that defines the values held by the emergent middle-class in respect to the built environment. Common areas and shared spaces have traditionally been very actively used and have played a crucial role in both passive cooling strategies and the maintenance of socially sustainable communities. Field work shows that attitudes to the built environment are polarised between well-maintained and protected housing interiors and poorly organised and maintained external spaces and examines how these transition spaces are used to reflect these values and concerns. The paper reflects on whether earlier traditions in sustainable building design in South Asia (Mysore) have relevance in a contemporary context and the importance of understanding the changing preferences and values of the newly affluent demographic

Inhibitory control as a mediator of bidirectional effects between early oppositional behavior and maternal depression.

Maternal depression is an established risk factor for child conduct problems, but relatively few studies have tested whether children's behavioral problems exacerbate mothers' depression or whether other child behavioral characteristics (e.g., self-regulation) may mediate bidirectional effects between maternal depression and child disruptive behavior. This longitudinal study examined the parallel growth of maternal depressive symptoms and child oppositional behavior from ages 2 to 5; the magnitude and timing of their bidirectional effects; and whether child inhibitory control, a temperament-based self-regulatory mechanism, mediated effects between maternal depression and child oppositionality. A randomized control trial of 731 at-risk families assessed children annually from ages 2 to 5. Transactional models demonstrated positive and bidirectional associations between mothers' depressive symptoms and children's oppositional behavior from ages 2 to 3, with a less consistent pattern of reciprocal relations up to age 5. Mediation of indirect mother-child effects and child evocative effects depended on the rater of children's inhibitory control. Findings are discussed in regard to how child evocative effects and self-regulatory mechanisms may clarify the transmission of psychopathology within families

Cell patterning on photolithographically defined parylene-C:SiO2 substrates

Cell patterning platforms support broad research goals, such as construction of predefined in vitro neuronal networks and the exploration of certain central aspects of cellular physiology. To easily combine cell patterning with Multi-Electrode Arrays (MEAs) and silicon-based ‘lab on a chip’ technologies, a microfabrication-compatible protocol is required. We describe a method that utilizes deposition of the polymer parylene-C on SiO(2 )wafers. Photolithography enables accurate and reliable patterning of parylene-C at micron-level resolution. Subsequent activation by immersion in fetal bovine serum (or another specific activation solution) results in a substrate in which cultured cells adhere to, or are repulsed by, parylene or SiO(2) regions respectively. This technique has allowed patterning of a broad range of cell types (including primary murine hippocampal cells, HEK 293 cell line, human neuron-like teratocarcinoma cell line, primary murine cerebellar granule cells, and primary human glioma-derived stem-like cells). Interestingly, however, the platform is not universal; reflecting the importance of cell-specific adhesion molecules. This cell patterning process is cost effective, reliable, and importantly can be incorporated into standard microfabrication (chip manufacturing) protocols, paving the way for integration of microelectronic technology

All Over Nothing At All : Fox Trot Song

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4150/thumbnail.jp

Developing a quality assurance metric: a panoptic view

This article is a post-print of the published article that may be accessed at the link below. Copyright @ 2006 Sage Publications.There are a variety of techniques that lecturers can use to get feedback on their teaching - for example, module feedback and coursework results. However, a question arises about how reliable and valid are the content that goes into these quality assurance metrics. The aim of this article is to present a new approach for collecting and analysing qualitative feedback from students that could be used as the first stage in developing more reliable quality assurance metrics. The approach, known as the multi-dimensional crystal view, is based on the belief that individuals have different views on the benefits that the embedded process in a system can have on the behaviour of the system. The results of this study indicate that in the context of evaluation and feedback methods, the multi-dimensional approach appears to provide the opportunity for developing more effective student feedback mechanisms