Self-Efficacy and its Relation to Sales Outcomes

This research evaluates the relationships existing between salesperson self-efficacy and that individual\u27s performance and customer-orientation. The study uses scales specifically designed to measure the salient variables and then statistically analyzes the degree to which these variables relate to desired sales outcomes

Fundamental results from microgravity cell experiments with possible commericial applications

Some of the major milestones are presented for studies in cell biology that were conducted by the Soviet Union and the United States in the upper layers of the atmosphere and in outer space for more than thirty-five years. The goals have changed as new knowledge is acquired and the priorities for the use of microgravity have shifted toward basic research and commercial applications. Certain details concerning the impact of microgravity on cell systems is presented. However, it needs to be emphasized that in planning and conducting microgravity experiments, there are some important prerequisites not normally taken into account. Apart from the required background knowledge of previous microgravity and ground-based experiments, the investigator should have the understanding of the hardware as a physical unit, the complete knowledge of its operation, the range of its capabilities and the anticipation of problems that may occur. Moreover, if the production of commercial products in space is to be manifested, data obtained from previous microgravity experiments must be used to optimize the design of flight hardware

Enhanced treatment of perfluoroalkyl acids in groundwater by membrane separation and electrochemical oxidation

This work explores the treatment of poly- and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in groundwater by coupling membrane separation and electrochemical oxidation (ELOX). A process system engineering approach based on modelling and empirical data was followed. Two nanofiltration (NF90) and reverse osmosis (BW30) membranes were characterized for treating an electrolyte (NaCl and CaSO4) mixture of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) containing PFOA, PFHpA, PFHxA, PFPeA and PFBA with initial concentrations of 10 µg L−1 each. Membrane surface charge shielding and concentration polarization negatively influenced NF90 performance, and the BW30 membrane was selected. Electrochemical oxidation with boron doped diamond anodes treated the PFCAs mixture amended with PFOS and 6:2 FTSA, emulating previously pre-concentrated feed and non-preconcentrated feed conditions. Working at different current densities (J) between 20 and 350 A m−2, the removal of PFOA, PFOS and 6:2 FTSA followed first order apparent kinetics, although shorter chain PFCAs initially showed increasing trends because of their simultaneous electrogeneration and degradation. Overall, ΣPFAA electrolysis followed first order kinetics linearly correlated to J in the full range of testing. Unexpectedly, PFAAs electrolysis was faster for the low conductive non-preconcentrated feed, a result that was ascribed to the enhanced direct electron transfer mechanism resulting from the higher cell voltage. For 99.9% PFAAs removal, the total specific cost of treatment was minimized using a cascade of four RO stages and ELOX treatment of the concentrate, to reach ΣPFAA below the Health Advisory Levels recommended by the USEPA in drinking water (<70 ng L−1 sum of PFOA and PFOS).Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Compet- itiveness through projects CTM2016-75509-R (MINECO, SPAIN-FEDER 2014-2020) and PID2019-105827RB-I00 (AEI, Spain) is gratefully acknowledged

Deep Genetic Divergence between Disjunct Refugia in the Arctic-Alpine King’s Crown, Rhodiola integrifolia (Crassulaceae)

Despite the strength of climatic variability at high latitudes and upper elevations, we still do not fully understand how plants in North America that are distributed between Arctic and alpine areas responded to the environmental changes of the Quaternary. To address this question, we set out to resolve the evolutionary history of the King’s Crown, Rhodiola integrifolia using multi-locus population genetic and phylogenetic analyses in combination with ecological niche modeling. Our population genetic analyses of multiple anonymous nuclear loci revealed two major clades within R. integrifolia that diverged from each other ~ 700 kya: one occurring in Beringia to the north (including members of subspecies leedyi and part of subspecies integrifolia), and the other restricted to the Southern Rocky Mountain refugium in the south (including individuals of subspecies neomexicana and part of subspecies integrifolia). Ecological niche models corroborate our hypothesized locations of refugial areas inferred from our phylogeographic analyses and revealed some environmental differences between the regions inhabited by its two subclades. Our study underscores the role of geographic isolation in promoting genetic divergence and the evolution of endemic subspecies in R. integrifolia. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analyses of the plastid spacer region trnL-F demonstrate that among the native North American species, R. integrifolia and R. rhodantha are more closely related to one another than either is to R. rosea. An understanding of these historic processes lies at the heart of making informed management decisions regarding this and other Arctic-alpine species of concern in this increasingly threatened biome

Deep Genetic Divergence Between Disjunct Refugia in the Arctic-Alpine King\u27s Crown, Rhodiola integrifolia (Crassulaceae)

Despite the strength of climatic variability at high latitudes and upper elevations, we still do not fully understand how plants in North America that are distributed between Arctic and alpine areas responded to the environmental changes of the Quaternary. To address this question, we set out to resolve the evolutionary history of the King’s Crown, Rhodiola integrifolia using multi-locus population genetic and phylogenetic analyses in combination with ecological niche modeling. Our population genetic analyses of multiple anonymous nuclear loci revealed two major clades within R. integrifolia that diverged from each other ~ 700 kya: one occurring in Beringia to the north (including members of subspecies leedyi and part of subspecies integrifolia), and the other restricted to the Southern Rocky Mountain refugium in the south (including individuals of subspecies neomexicana and part of subspecies integrifolia). Ecological niche models corroborate our hypothesized locations of refugial areas inferred from our phylogeographic analyses and revealed some environmental differences between the regions inhabited by its two subclades. Our study underscores the role of geographic isolation in promoting genetic divergence and the evolution of endemic subspecies in R. integrifolia. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analyses of the plastid spacer region trnL-F demonstrate that among the native North American species, R. integrifolia and R. rhodantha are more closely related to one another than either is to R. rosea. An understanding of these historic processes lies at the heart of making informed management decisions regarding this and other Arctic-alpine species of concern in this increasingly threatened biome

Power Law Stretching of Associating Polymers in Steady-State Extensional Flow

We present a tube model for the Brownian dynamics of associating polymers in extensional flow. In linear response, the model confirms the analytical predictions for the sticky diffusivity by Leibler-Rubinstein-Colby theory. Although a single-mode Doi-Edwards-Marrucci-Grizzuti approximation accurately describes the transient stretching of the polymers above a “sticky” Weissenberg number (product of the strain rate with the sticky-Rouse time), the preaveraged model fails to capture a remarkable development of a power law distribution of stretch in steady-state extensional flow: while the mean stretch is finite, the fluctuations in stretch may diverge. We present an analytical model that shows how strong stochastic forcing drives the long tail of the distribution, gives rise to rare events of reaching a threshold stretch, and constitutes a framework within which nucleation rates of flow-induced crystallization may be understood in systems of associating polymers under flow. The model also exemplifies a wide class of driven systems possessing strong, and scaling, fluctuations.We present a tube model for the Brownian dynamics of associating polymers in extensional flow. In linear response, the model confirms the analytical predictions for the sticky diffusivity by Leibler-Rubinstein-Colby theory. Although a single-mode Doi-Edwards-Marrucci-Grizzuti approximation accurately describes the transient stretching of the polymers above a “sticky” Weissenberg number (product of the strain rate with the sticky-Rouse time), the preaveraged model fails to capture a remarkable development of a power law distribution of stretch in steady-state extensional flow: while the mean stretch is finite, the fluctuations in stretch may diverge. We present an analytical model that shows how strong stochastic forcing drives the long tail of the distribution, gives rise to rare events of reaching a threshold stretch, and constitutes a framework within which nucleation rates of flow-induced crystallization may be understood in systems of associating polymers under flow. The model also exemplifies a wide class of driven systems possessing strong, and scaling, fluctuations