Silent, Robust, Predictable and Other Ways of Designing

This paper traces the recent emergence of some new design process and methods issues. These issues are closely related to contemporary means of production and project management. The paper speculates upon their impact on traditional methods of designing

The viability of establishing collaborative, reconfigurable research environments for the Human Performance Research Laboratory at NASA Ames

This paper will review and summarize research initiatives conducted between 1987 and 1992 at NASA Ames Research Center by a research team from the University of Michigan Architecture Research Laboratory. These research initiatives, funded by a NASA grant NAG2-635, examined the viability of establishing collaborative, reconfigurable research environments for the Human Performance Research Laboratory at NASA Ames in California. Collaborative Research Environments are envisioned as a way of enhancing the work of NASA research teams, optimizing the use of shared resources, and providing superior environments for housing research activities. The Integrated Simulation Project at NASA, Ames Human Performance Research Laboratory is one of the current realizations of this initiative

Sustainable living: A case study of nuns and their beliefs, attitudes and practices

This dissertation is a case study of monastic nuns in the context of sustainable living. The essential core question is: How has the way of life of nuns in a monastic community been a sustaining one. There are six chapters: Introduction, Historical Context and Overview, Methodology, The Context and People of The Priory of Our Lady of Peace, Analysis of Data, and Synthesis and Interpretation. The methodology used to get at the case study is, primarily, participant observation and individual interviews with twelve (of the eighteen) nuns; and secondarily, an ecological assessment of the community and buildings, and a questionnaire sent to 26 monastic communities within England and Wales. There are four values that are explicitly stated in the literature of Turvey Abbey and that I think are significant in terms of sustainability: living according to the Rule of St. Benedict ; Vita et Pax (life and peace) including liturgy and ecumenism; seeking God by living out Gospel values; and developing spiritual awareness of the unity of all creation and the simple beauty of everyday life. There are nine implicit values that I described: leaving each other free , openness, space to find one\u27s true self, silence, a deep attraction for something more, faith and trust, attachment and change, ordinariness, and a balanced life : rhythm and regularity. The main conclusion is not to prove or disprove that the life of the nuns of Turvey Abbey is sustainable. Sustainability is a qualitative study of relationships more than a quantitative study of inputs and outputs, though the latter can be a significant aspect of the former. In fact, the essence of the term sustainable living is more accurately defined as sustaining living ---moving from a goal which has a defined and therefore finite end to a process that is immediate and ongoing. The nuns have beliefs, attitudes and practices that are relevant to sustaining life, some of which have been in evidence for 1500 years since the origins of Benedictine monastic enclosure. Assessing the buildings and the community of Turvey Abbey, there is no indication of desecration or exploitation in attitude, belief, or practice. In fact, the property of Turvey has a sublime beauty that brings others to transcendence. Transcendence is accepted as a viable (and sustaining) aspect of the natural world, both human and non-human. As a core aspect of the sustaining life process at Turvey Abbey, the nuns are seeking God. The non-monastic world in seeking life may amount to much the same thing, God being equivalent to the life force in secular parlance

The microbiological and chemical composition of baled and precision-chop silages on a sample of farms in County Meath

peer-reviewedA Teagasc Walsh Fellowship awarded to J. McEniry supported this study.Baled and precision-chop silages were examined on a sample of farms in the Irish midlands to determine microbiological and chemical composition at feedout. Silage making practices and chemical composition were similar to those in national surveys. Wilting was an integral part of baled silage production and was reflected in a more restricted fermentation (higher pH and water-soluble carbohydrates, with lower fermentation acids and buffering capacity) compared to precision-chop silage. Yeast numbers were higher in baled silage, suggesting a more aerobic environment within the bale. Although the fermentation appeared similar in the outer and inner horizons of baled silage, yeast, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteria numbers were higher in the outer horizon suggesting less exacting anaerobiosis adjacent to the surface of the bale

Fungal Biogeochemistry: A Central Role in the Environmental Fate of Lead

SummaryFungi play major roles in biogeochemistry and are responsible for many metal transformations during mineral weathering. A recent finding that fungi transform lead to chloropyromorphite highlights the importance of fungi in biogeochemical processes

Manipulating the ensilage of wilted, unchopped grass through the use of additive treatments

peer-reviewedBaled silage composition frequently differs from that of comparable conventional precision-chop silage. The lower final concentration of fermentation products in baled silage makes it more conducive to the activities of undesirable microorganisms. Silage additives can be used to encourage beneficial microbial activity and/or inhibit detrimental microbial activity. The experiment was organised in a 2 (chop treatments) × 6 (additive treatments) × 2 (stages of ensilage) factorial arrangement of treatments (n = 3 silos/treatment) to suggest additive treatments for use in baled silage production that would help create conditions more inhibitory to the activities of undesirable microorganisms and realise an outcome comparable to precision-chop silage. Chopping the herbage prior to ensiling, in the absence of an additive treatment, improved the silage fermentation. In the unchopped herbage, where the fermentation was poorer, the lactic acid bacterial inoculant resulted in an immediate increase (P < 0.001) in lactic acid concentration and a faster decline (P < 0.001) in pH with a subsequent reduction in butyric acid (P < 0.001) and ammonia-N (P < 0.01) concentrations. When sucrose was added in addition to the lactic acid bacterial inoculant, the combined treatment had a more pronounced effect on pH, butyric acid and ammonia-N values at the end of ensilage. The formic acid based additive and the antimicrobial mixture restricted the activities of undesirable microorganisms resulting in reduced concentrations of butyric acid (P < 0.001) and ammonia-N (P < 0.01). These additives offer a potential to create conditions in baled silage more inhibitory to the activities of undesirable microorganisms.A Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Research Scholarship awarded to J. McEniry supported this study

Measuring College Students’ Technology Selfefficacy

The pervasiveness of computer technology and continuing developments in software, multimedia, and Internet resources have led to the implementation of new teaching and learning methods. Educators committed to the integration of technology into the learning process believe it will expand learning and better prepare students to participate effectively in today’s workplace. Employers demand workers who can not only use technology to complete a variety of work tasks and processes but who can leverage technology to advance the firm’s strategic operations. While many students perceive themselves to be computer competent, research indicates that their preparation is not always complete or adequate. Computer self-efficacy (CSE) refers to individuals’ judgment of their capabilities to use computers in diverse situations (Marakas, Mun, & Johnson, 1998). CSE has been shown to influence an individual’s choice to engage in a technology task and the effort expended to accomplish it (Bouffard-Bourchard, 1990). Researchers have postulated that positive attitudes toward computers, high computer self-efficacy, and low computer anxiety levels can be important factors in helping students learn computer skills and use computers

A rapid method of heterologous gene cloning using cotransformation of lambda genomic DNA banks in Aspergillus nidulans

Relatively few fungal genera possess the extensive collections of mutants or reliable transformation systems that are found in favoured species such as Aspergillus nidulans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Neurospora crassa. Consequently, heterologous gene cloning protocols that circumvent the requirement for mutant construction or the development of transformation vectors in a previously uncharacterized species, are attractive. Lambda vectors probably provide the most versatile group of cloning vehicles but, with some exceptions (Pall and Brunelli 1994 Fungal Genet. Newsl. 41:63-65 ), they do not carry selectable markers for fungal transformation. Cooley et al (1990 Mycol. Res. 94:145-151) nevertheless demonstrated that lambda molecules could be cotransformed effectively into Septoria nodorum along with a conventional vector carrying a selectable marker. Here, we describe an extension of that protocol demonstrating that such cotransformed molecules can be rescued efficiently from Aspergillus nidulans as a host. Lambda genomic DNA libraries of other fungi may thus be screened by complementation of A. nidulans mutants. Additionally, the protocol offers a second method of gene bank screening via conventional plaque hybridization, so exploiting the large cloning capacity of lambda replacement vectors. Recently, we have cloned DNA capable of complementing the A. nidulans salt sensitivity mutation sltA1, (Spathas 1978 Aspergillus Newslett. 14:28), from the marine hyphomycete Dendryphiella salina, using this cotransformation approach

Business Meal Etiquette: A Survey Of Student Awareness And Preferences

The business meal is a popular activity in the workplace and is often included as part of the interview process. Sometimes it is used as a screening mechanism to determine if a candidate possesses certain social (soft) skills suited for a company. Thus, it is fitting that college students understand business meal etiquette as they embark on their careers. This article reports the findings of a survey of students’ awareness of business meal etiquette and their preferences for possible training and development

Faculty Perceptions and Policies of Students’ Use of Personal Technology in the Classroom

With the increased use of personal technology in the classroom, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, effective teaching may have some powerful distractions, or some excellent support. The purpose of this paper is to report on the progress of personal technology in the classroom and to determine how members of the Association of Business Information Systems (ABIS) and the Southwest Decision Sciences Institute (SWDSI) are clarifying the use of personal technology through syllabus statements and policies. The study does not intentionally set out to provide definitive answers related to the best way to handle personal technology in the classroom; but rather, to share some current perceptions and policies that have been adopted by educators. This, in turn, may provide a springboard for specific policies that would work in an educator’s classroom