Neutrino Flavor Ratio on Earth and at Astrophysical Sources

We present the reconstruction of neutrino flavor ratios at astrophysical sources. For distinguishing the pion source and the muon-damped source to the 3$\sigma$ level, the neutrino flux ratios, $R\equiv\phi(\nu_\mu)/(\phi(\nu_e)+\phi(\nu_\tau))$ and $S\equiv\phi(\nu_e)/\phi(\nu_\tau)$, need to be measured in accuracies better than 10%.Comment: 3 pages, 8 figures. Talk presented by T.C. Liu in ERICE 2009, Sicily

A Study of the Demand for Information Technology Professionals in Selected Internet Job Portals

The demand for information technology (IT) professionals has grown rapidly in the last decade. Parallel to this increasing need for IT personnel is the continuous change in the type of skills that are brought about by innovations in cutting edge technologies. However, the type of new IT skills and knowledge needed to keep companies competitive in the global market extend beyond the ability to apply the updated hardware and software to make business processes more efficient. Communication excellence and managerial expertise are just two of the other more commonly needed skills demanded by employers. This study identifies and classifies information technology related job listings that are disclosed in the databases of two leading e-recruiting services. Two secondary variables, written and oral communications and experience, were also collected and examined in this study. The results of this research should be of interest to job seekers, human resources administrators, career counselors, corporate trainers, information systems consultants, labor attorneys, immigration and naturalization officers, and agency recruiters. Educators will find the outcomes of this study useful for the design and development of new curricula that can prepare students for the job market. Students will find this study particularly helpful since the trends identified in this research can have important implications for them in their selection of elective courses and in choosing a track for specialization

Towards a Framework for Perceived Effectiveness of Mobile Learning

Recent years have witnessed rapid advancement in mobile learning technology. A major issue is the identification of thefactors that would relate to the diverse needs of users. If mobile learning is intended to enhance distance, interactive, andcollaborative learning, then it is mission critical to understand the impact of individual, social, and technological factors thatwould play a role in the effectiveness of this learning model as perceived by its users. This paper addresses this need byproposing an integrated and a holistic model that depicts the factors that may have the potential to impact the perceivedmobile learning effectiveness. To operationalize the model constructs, a survey-based instrument will be developed based ona review of frameworks pertinent to technology acceptance, diffusion of innovation, and media richness, and of literaturerelated to e-learning. The conceptual model will be discussed, and the study conclusion, implications, and limitations will bepresented

Adducin-1 is essential for mitotic spindle assembly through its interaction with myosin-X

Mitotic spindles are microtubule-based structures, but increasing evidence indicates that filamentous actin (F-actin) and F-actin-based motors are components of these structures. ADD1 (adducin-1) is an actin-binding protein that has been shown to play important roles in the stabilization of the membrane cortical cytoskeleton and cell-cell adhesions. In this study, we show that ADD1 associates with mitotic spindles and is crucial for proper spindle assembly and mitotic progression. Phosphorylation of ADD1 at Ser12 and Ser355 by cyclin-dependent kinase 1 enables ADD1 to bind to myosin-X (Myo10) and therefore to associate with mitotic spindles. ADD1 depletion resulted in distorted, elongated, and multipolar spindles, accompanied by aberrant chromosomal alignment. Remarkably, the mitotic defects caused by ADD1 depletion were rescued by reexpression of ADD1 but not of an ADD1 mutant defective in Myo10 binding. Together, our findings unveil a novel function for ADD1 in mitotic spindle assembly through its interaction with Myo10

A Proposed Model for the Investigation of Imitation Behavior on ERP Adoption

In the proposed project, we will investigate the imitation effect on technology adoption using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems as an example. This approach will offer a completely new perspective on IT adoption as a less rational behavior, even for critical ERP investment at the organizational level. Along with this investigation of the imitation-adoption relationship, our research will evaluate the moderating effect of experience on imitation behavior. We believe that imitation behavior will be strongest when an organization is considering ERP for initial adoption. However, when an organization has accumulated „experience‟ of ERP over time, its adoption of subsequent ERP modules will probably follow a more rational decision process, as explained by traditional adoption theories