Two-dimensional (2D) Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

As regenerative medicine progresses, the need for non-cytotoxic and bioactive tissue scaffolds becomes increasingly urgent. To address this need, a PEG-based hydrogel crosslinked by molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanoassemblies was developed. The 2D nanoflakes that form these assemblies are rich with defects, specifically elemental vacancies, that easily conjugate thiolated ligands. MoS2 has been extensively studied for application in electrochemistry, nanoelectronics, lubricants, and biosensing, yet studies describing their role in the biomedical field are rare. Using a multi-arm PEG-thiol, this defect-mediated reaction is exploited to form a mechanically stiff hydrogel. By varying reactant ratios, several samples of MoS2 nanoassemblies have been synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The structure and defect content of each sample was characterized to determine the optimal nanoassembly for gelation. This work discusses the chemical and morphological characterizations and the mechanical properties of the developed PEG-MoS2 gels. The physiologically relevant properties and behavior of the hydrogel indicate that it is suitable for further exploration in tissue engineering applications

The Dynamics of Store Hour Changes and Consumption Behavior: Results of a Longitudinal Study of Consumer Attitudes toward Saturday Shopping in Germany

Americans who travel internationally are often shocked to discover retail outlets closed during weekend and evening hours in cities such as Paris, Rome and Berlin. Fortunately, based on the implicit assumption that demand clearly exists, retailers at various locations throughout the globe have increased their hours of operation. While political debate regarding a variety of issues (costs, the rights of labor, religion, etc.) often rages, there has been an implicit assumption that latent demand for longer hours of operation exists. Our study investigates through a longitudinal examination consumer perceptions of Saturday shopping in a country where such an activity was previously restricted. Specifically, we study perceptions of Saturday shopping among a sample of German college students who were raised with limited Saturday shopping hours. Data were gathered in 1996 – the year German legislation allowed expanded hours for retailers – and again in 1999, and comparisons are made. Strong differences are found between consumer attitudes towards Saturday shopping at the time of expansion and three years later, indicating the need for differentiating retail strategies in Germany and in other parts of the world that may soon be providing similar expanded retail access.Agribusiness,

Why do many consumers prefer to pay now when they could pay later?

Payment timing is conceptualized as a payment characteristic useful in explaining motivations to prefer payment types. Cash, debit cards, and online banking represent consumers\u27 preferences to pay now, while credit cards and loans represent the inclination to pay later. Based on a grounded theory study, a payment‐timing model is developed to theorize consumers\u27 choices of payment types with differences in payment timing. The model presents four motivations for payment‐timing preferences: (1) the extent of rewards salience, (2) the perception of financial stress, (3) adopting heuristics for money management, and (4) the influence of perceived financial ability. Consumers choose payment‐timing options that best suit their financial strategy to manage payments in pursuit of their consumption objectives

A Model for Online Support in Classroom Management: Perceptions of Beginning Teachers

Classroom management is a challenge for beginning teachers. To address this challenge, a model to provide support for beginning teachers was developed, consisting of a one-day workshop on classroom management, followed with online support extending over eight weeks. Specific classroom management strategies included (a) developing a foundation based on relationships; (b) preventing disruptions with procedures and routines; (c) responding to disruptions and rule violations; (d) providing inclusion for students with special needs; and (e) resolving extreme or continuing conflicts. Participants in the study were beginning teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels. After completing the classroom management workshop, teachers reviewed online video clips of strategies they had learned, applied the strategies in their respective classrooms, and engaged in online discussions of the results obtained. Researchers conducted a qualitative assessment of the discussion entries posted by the new teachers to determine the strategies employed, emerging themes, and the results obtained. Participants successfully employed classroom management strategies and reported generally positive results. Additional research is needed with a larger number of participating teachers

Case Study: Managing Undergraduate Interns in the Context of Multidisciplinary Projects

Internship opportunities can be immensely beneficial to both the students who pursue them and the labs that employ them. However, optimal results for all stakeholders can be uncertain. Several factors compound this issue. In this case study, the highly multidisciplinary nature of the BioEngineering Instrumentation Group at NASA Ames Research Center has made productively integrating short-term summer interns challenging. In general, taking on more undergraduate interns during a given time period can lead to diminishing returns, particularly if those interns are primarily short-time interns with few long-term senior students present.Introducing a level of industry-style project management processes can help. On the one hand, extreme formality can reduce the enthusiasm that students can bring; also, time constraints on internships make extensive training in formal process an investment with comparatively little return. On the other hand, lack of process can result in many forms of wastage. A moderate, lightweight level of process i.e., simple processes with high payoff to time invested ratios, including processes to effectively handle multidisciplinary issues can yield both a far more efficient lab, and a richer educational experience for the interns. In this case study, we implemented simple processes such as brief weekly stand-up meetings, a standard action item bug tracking process, and deadline-based scheduling with prudent reserves and critical path tracking.To evaluate these steps, several parameters were considered: the number of projects the lab could successfully pursue, the number of interns that could be successfully integrated onto each project, diversity of student intern educational backgrounds, student satisfaction, student understanding of expectations, and student preparation for industry-standard work. Generally, outcomes were enhanced across the board, even with imperfectly implemented processes. Lightweight process implementation is shown to be tremendously effective in a multidisciplinary internship context