High temperature thermoelectric efficiency in Ba8Ga16Ge30

The high thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) of Ba8Ga16Ge30 makes it one of the best n-type materials for thermoelectric power generation. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a Czochralski pulled single crystal of Ba8Ga16Ge30 and polycrystalline disks. Measurements of the electrical conductivity, Hall effect, specific heat, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient were performed up to 1173 K and compared with literature results. Dilatometry measurements give a coefficient of thermal expansion of 16×10^−6 K^−1 up to 1175 K. The trend in electronic properties with composition is typical of a heavily doped semiconductor. The maximum in the thermoelectric figure of merit is found at 1050 K with a value of 0.8. The correction of zT due to thermal expansion is not significant compared to the measurement uncertainties involved. Comparing the thermoelectric efficiency of segmented materials, the effect of compatibility makes Ba8Ga16Ge30 more efficient than the higher zT n-type materials SiGe or skutterudite CoSb3

Ocean Acidification-Category 1- Impact of ocean acidification on survival of early life stages of planktonic copepods in the genus Calanus in the northern

While attention concerning impacts of predicted acidification of the world\u27s oceans has focused on calcifying organisms, non-calcifying plankton may also be vulnerable. In this project, the investigator will evaluate the potential for impacts of ocean acidification on the reproductive success of three species of planktonic copepods in the genus Calanus that are prominent in high latitude oceans. C. finmarchicus dominates the mesozooplankton biomass across much of the coastal and deep North Atlantic Ocean. C. glacialis and the larger C. hyperboreus are among the most abundant planktonic copepods in the Arctic Ocean. Previous research showed that hatching success of C. finmarchicus eggs was severely inhibited by increased CO2 and lower pH in seawater, but only tested at an extreme level. Preliminary results in the investigator\u27s laboratory indicate that hatching success of C. finmarchicus is substantially reduced at increased seawater CO2 concentrations corresponding to pH levels between 7.9 and 7.5. Predictions of likely decline of surface pH levels to 7.7-7.8 over the next century raise questions about impacts on Calanus population dynamics if these preliminary results are confirmed. C. finmarchicus, for example, is presently at the southern edge of its range in the Gulf of Maine. The combination of higher surface layer temperature and lower pH may inhibit reproductive success during the late summer/fall bloom, which the PI hypothesize is critical to sustain the overwintering stock in this region. The investigators will collect C. finmarchicus females from the Gulf of Maine and, with the assistance of Canadian colleagues, C. glacialis and C. hyperboreus females from the deep lower St. Lawrence Estuary. They will conduct laboratory experiments in which hatching success, development and growth of Calanus nauplius stages are measured in controls of natural seawater and at a series of treatments in which CO2 concentrations, pH and temperature are rigorously controlled to represent possible future states of the northern ocean. The investigators will measure present surface and deep pCO2 and pH across the Gulf of Maine, including its deep basins, during a research cruise. The study will evaluate the hypothesis that predicted levels of CO2 increase in the northern ocean will impact population dynamics of the Calanus species. Using the results from the research cruise and a recently developed 1-D, Individual-Based life cycle model, the PI will explore in detail scenarios of impact of higher temperature and lower surface and deep pH on population dynamics of C. finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine.Broader impacts: The lipid-rich Calanus species are considered key intermediary links between primary production and higher trophic levels in North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean food webs. Impacts of higher surface temperature and lower pH on reproductive success may potentially lead to profound changes in energy transfer and structure of pelagic ecosystems in the northern oceans. In the Gulf of Maine, C. finmarchicus serves as primary prey for herring, sand lance, and mackerel, as well as the endangered northern right whale, warranting thorough evaluation of ocean acidification effects on its population dynamics. This research will provide cross discipline training to a graduate student and undergraduate student interns. Data will be deposited in a recognized data archiving center and results disseminated through presentations at scientific meetings and peer reviewed research articles. Public outreach will be planned as part of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute community activities, including learning opportunities associated with the Cohen Center for Interactive Learning directed at fifth and sixth graders in the state of Maine

Spreadsheet Design: An Optimal Checklist For Accountants

Just as good grammar, punctuation, style, and content organization are important to well-written documents, basic fundamentals of spreadsheet design are essential to clear communication. In fact, the very principles of good writing should be integrated into spreadsheet workpaper design and organization. The unique contributions of this paper are an integration of a review of the literature on spreadsheet design, with the results of a convenience survey of CPAs, and a “Spreadsheet Design Checklist” for pedagogy. The checklist is intended as a reference for use until the student or professional becomes proficient in basic spreadsheet design and organization and the checklist becomes just as  “second nature” as creating well-written memoranda

Improving The Oral Presentation Skills Of Accounting Students: An Experiment

Numerous surveys of accounting professionals have established the importance of communication skills for newly-hired accounting graduates, and challenge business schools to revise curricula accordingly. To determine if the oral skills of accounting students can be improved, two oral presentation assignments were given to students in six accounting classes at a small western university. The oral presentations were evaluated on ten oral communication skills recently judged by accounting professionals to be most important for new hires to possess. Feedback was provided after the first presentation. Results showed that oral presentation skills improved significantly after the first presentation. Accounting students can improve their oral presentation skills if the accounting faculty is committed to providing timely feedback

Organizational Leadership And Subordinate Effect In Utahs Certified Public Accounting Profession

Using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass and Avolio 2004), we test the correlation of transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership styles to subordinate perceptions of workplace efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction. Results, from a convenience sample of 103 accounting professionals in 11 CPA firms in Utah, show that transformational leadership has the largest positive correlation. Transactional leadership is less positively correlated. The passive-avoidant style is negatively correlated. Recommendations for implementing transformational leadership are provided

Building a consensus of the professional dispositions of counseling students

Professional dispositions expected of counseling students has been a contested area within the counseling profession, and students challenging dismissal decisions have put counseling programs at risk of litigation. To better guide counseling programs’ evaluation and remediation efforts, the authors used a content analysis to investigate the most recurring professional dispositions of master’s level counseling students listed within student retention policies, evaluations and rubrics of CACREP accredited counseling programs (n=224). The most common dispositional themes included; Openness to Growth, Awareness of Self and Others, Emotional Stability, Integrity, Flexibility, Compassion, and Personal Style. Implications for how the disposition themes can assist in student evaluation and remediation with specific regards to multicultural competence are discussed