Complexity, Age, and Building Preference

The authors explore the role of complexity in the relation between building age and preference. Age was assessed as a categorical (via stimulus selection) and a continuous (via ratings of 64 color slides of urban buildings) variable. In either case, the authors replicated earlier research in showing that modern buildings were preferred over older buildings when building maintenance was not controlled, but when it was controlled, the relation reversed, and the older buildings were better liked. However, when a composite-rating measure of complexity was introduced, a somewhat different pattern emerged. Complexity interacted with rated age. The nature of the interaction was that throughout most of the range of complexity scores, age was negatively related to preference, but at the higher end of the complexity range, there was no relation between age and preference. Other findings: Buildings with visible entrances were preferred to those without, and distant views were preferred over near views

The Changing Face of Higher Education: Why More Administrators are Wearing Lipstick

During the 150 years women have participated in higher education, they have made tremendous strides. At many post-secondary institutions, women were not accepted as students until the second half of the 20th century. In 2004, women serve in the upper echelons of power at some of the nation\u27s oldest and most prestigious universities. This inquiry examines the history of women\u27s participation in higher education, including their entry into leadership positions within the academy and the barriers and facilitators they experienced. The leadership models and the career development of women are also examined. The results of interviews with eight women administrators at post-secondary institutions in different states are discussed and compared. Challenges women face in the areas of socialization, leadership, and work-life balance are considered. The experiences and insights of women who have achieved leadership posts are also reviewed. Strategies and recommendations for women preparing to pursue higher education leadership positions are provided

The Changing Face of Higher Education: Why More Administrators are Wearing Lipstick

During the 150 years women have participated in higher education, they have made tremendous strides. At many post-secondary institutions, women were not accepted as students until the second half of the 20th century. In 2004, women serve in the upper echelons of power at some of the nation\u27s oldest and most prestigious universities. This inquiry examines the history of women\u27s participation in higher education, including their entry into leadership positions within the academy and the barriers and facilitators they experienced. The leadership models and the career development of women are also examined. The results of interviews with eight women administrators at post-secondary institutions in different states are discussed and compared. Challenges women face in the areas of socialization, leadership, and work-life balance are considered. The experiences and insights of women who have achieved leadership posts are also reviewed. Strategies and recommendations for women preparing to pursue higher education leadership positions are provided

Building self-efficacy for entrepreneurial careers: New resource skill

While the ability to garner resources is key to entrepreneurial pursuits, there is little research concerning potential entrepreneurs’ resource acquisition skills or how these skills might be related to psychological and cognitive factors important for successful entrepreneurial behavior.  Using data collected from two survey-based independent samples of undergraduate college students from two Midwestern universities, this research tests mediational hypotheses utilizing structural equation modeling techniques with bootstrapping. The findings, consistent across the two studies, indicate that new resource skill does indeed mediate the relationship between proactive personality—a personality characteristic—and entrepreneurial self-efficacy—a key cognitive antecedent of entrepreneurial intentions and behavior. &nbsp

Immobilization of allantoinase for the development of an optical biosensor of oxidative stress states

Allantoin, the natural end product of purine catabolism in mammals, is non-enzymatically produced from the scavenging of reactive oxygen species through the degradation of uric acid. Levels of allantoin in biological fluids are sensitively influenced by the presence of free radicals, making this molecule a candidate marker of acute oxidative stress in clinical analyses. With this aim, we exploited allantoinase—the enzyme responsible for allantoin hydrolization in plants and lower organisms—for the development of a biosensor exploiting a fast enzymatic-chemical assay for allantoin quantification. Recombinant allantoinase was entrapped in a wet nanoporous silica gel matrix and its structural properties, function, and stability were characterized through fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism measurements, and compared to the soluble enzyme. Physical immobilization in silica gel minimally influences the structure and the catalytic efficiency of entrapped allantoinase, which can be reused several times and stored for several months with good activity retention. These results, together with the relative ease of the sol-gel preparation and handling, make the encapsulated allantoinase a good candidate for the development of an allantoin biosensor

Acidification of protein-enriched rice starch doughs: effects on breadmaking

The impact of acid incorporation (acetic + lactic, 0.5 %) into rice starch-based doughs enriched with different proteins (egg albumin, calcium caseinate, pea and soy protein isolates) at different doses (0, 5 and 10 %) was investigated on dough proofing and thermal properties, and bread quality evaluated from physical and sensory measurements. Proteins from vegetable sources led to breads with lower-specific volume and harder crumb, effects being magnified with protein dose and reduced with acid addition. Incorporation of proteins from animal source resulted in different behaviours according to the protein type, dosage and acidification. Protein addition increased the dough pH and total titratable acidity and reduced the impact of acid addition on dough acidity. Albumin-added doughs had significantly higher temperature of gelatinization than most of the other supplemented doughs, while vegetable proteins led to significantly lower gelatinization enthalpy than the control dough. Acid addition affected dough proofing and significantly improved the volume and texture of protein-enriched breads without detriment of either odour or taste.The research was supported by the Spanish Institutions Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (Projects AGL2012-35088 and AGL2011-22669), and Comunidad de Castilla y León (Project VA252A12-2).Marina Villanueva thanks the Junta de Castilla y León doctorate grantPeer Reviewe

A Summary of Monthly Nutrient Values for Research Pastures in the Growing Months

This analysis shows that research pastures contain sufficient protein and in most months energy to maintain a beef cow during the lactation phase of the yearly beef production cycle. Crude protein in comparison to the needs of a 1400 pound lactating beef range from 113 percent to 220 percent of the requirement. Energy in comparison to the same need ranged from 87 percent to 118 percent. Eleven of 36 months evaluated were below energy needs. However, previous research has demonstrated that cattle will have selected forage intake that is 3 percent higher in digestible dry matter

A Summary of Monthly Nutrient Values for Stockpiled Forages in Iowa State University Research Studies

It appears from this summary of previous Iowa State University research results that protein and energy levels in forages stockpiled starting in August will for the most part have sufficient protein and energy to maintain a beef cow during the middle and last part of their pregnancy. Tall fescue-alfalfa stockpiled forage had two months that would not meet protein and energy requirements, but it is important to realize that selective grazing in that forage type would likely overcome those deficiencies. However, it is important to realize that sufficient forage accumulation is imperative to meeting the total nutrient demand of the beef cow

Role of Quantum Confinement in Luminescence Efficiency of Group IV Nanostructures

Experimental results obtained previously for the photoluminescence efficiency (PL$_{eff}$) of Ge quantum dots (QDs) are theoretically studied. A $\log$-$\log$ plot of PL$_{eff}$ versus QD diameter ($D$) resulted in an identical slope for each Ge QD sample only when $E_{G}\sim (D^2+D)^{-1}$. We identified that above $D\approx$ 6.2 nm: $E_{G}\sim D^{-1}$ due to a changing effective mass (EM), while below $D\approx$ 4.6 nm: $E_{G}\sim D^{-2}$ due to electron/ hole confinement. We propose that as the QD size is initially reduced, the EM is reduced, which increases the Bohr radius and interface scattering until eventually pure quantum confinement effects dominate at small $D$