A Qualitative Exploratory Study of Morning Grooming Rituals

This study conducts qualitative research using participants to identify the ritual characteristics of every-morning grooming and the factors that influence this ritua

Empirical Investigation of Challenge and Hindrance Appraisals of Customer Denamds

My dissertation investigates how frontline employees (FLEs) assess and respond to demanding customers. The results provide normative recommendations for managers for the effective management of FLEs so as to reduce the detrimental effects (e.g., high turnover) and increase the beneficial effects (e.g., superior performance) of customer demands in order to enhance the long term success of organizations. Interestingly, the manner in which FLEs assess and respond to demands from their customers has received relatively limited attention in the marketing literature. Further, some of the existing studies suggest that customer demands lead to negative consequences for FLEs, while other studies find positive effects. To date, researchers have largely ignored (1) what factors influence appraisals of customer demands as either challenges or hindrances, and (2) how the two different forms of appraisal may trigger different psychological processes on job-related outcomes. Uncovering the differential effects of customer demand appraisal (i.e., challenge appraisal and hindrance appraisal) on job stress and engagement may help explain the influence of customer demands on important FLE job outcomes. Further, if customer demand appraisal can be tied to these FLE outcomes, it becomes important to understand the personal factors that influence how FLEs perceive customer demands. Using a multi-source dataset (insurance agents and their supervisors), this study found that (1) prosocial and intrinsic motivations synergistically influence challenge and hindrance appraisals of customer demands, and (2) the challenge and hindrance appraisals influence job satisfaction and job performance through motivational and energy depletion processes.Business Administratio

Two stage superconducting quantum interference device amplifier in a high-Q gravitational wave transducer

We report on the total noise from an inductive motion transducer for a gravitational-wave antenna. The transducer uses a two-stage SQUID amplifier and has a noise temperature of 1.1 mK, of which 0.70 mK is due to back-action noise from the SQUID chip. The total noise includes thermal noise from the transducer mass, which has a measured Q of 2.60 X 10^6. The noise temperature exceeds the expected value of 3.5 \mu K by a factor of 200, primarily due to voltage noise at the input of the SQUID. Noise from flux trapped on the chip is found to be the most likely cause.Comment: Accepted by Applied Physics Letters tentatively scheduled for March 13, 200

Tangible AR interaction based on fingertip touch using small-sized nonsquare markers

AbstractAlthough big-sized markers are good for accurate marker recognition and tracking, they are easily occluded by other objects and deteriorate natural visualization and level of immersion during user interaction in AR environments. In this paper, we propose an approach to exploiting the use of rectangular markers to support tangible AR interaction based on fingertip touch using small-sized markers. It basically adjusts the length, width, and interior area of rectangular markers to make them more suitably fit to longish objects like fingers. It also utilizes convex polygons to resolve the partial occlusion of a marker and properly enlarges the pattern area of a marker while adjusting its size without deteriorating the quality of marker detection. We obtained encouraging results from users that the approach can provide better natural visualization and higher level of immersion, and be accurate and tangible enough to support a pseudo feeling of touching virtual products with human hands or fingertips during design evaluation of digital handheld products

Mixed cultures of Kimchi lactic acid bacteria show increased cell density and lactate productivity

This study was carried out to determine the characteristics of cell growth, lactate production and amino acid secretion among four kimchi lactic acid bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides JEI, Leuconostoc kimchi 132, Lactobacillus sakei 171, and Weissella koreensis 521) alone and in selected mixtures. In solo culture, L. sakei 171 was superior in cell growth, lactate production and the release of amino acids to the extracellular medium. In contrast, W. koreensis 521 showed the least cell growth, lactate production and amino acid release among the tested bacteria. W. koreensis 521 consumed essential amino acids for growth, whereas L. sakei 171 released several of the essential amino acids important for the growth of W. koreensis 521. When we mixed L. sakei 171 and W. koreensis 521 at optimal concentrations, the obtained cell growth and lactic acid production were higher than those seen with either strain alone, presumably reflecting mutual effects between the two strains. Mixed culture of two kimchi lactobacilli on batch fermentation increased the cell density and lactic acid production with low nutrients consumption. These results suggest that mixed culturing of kimchi lactobacilli may be more effective than single culturing of kimchi lactic acid bacteria for improving lactic acid production.Keywords: Kimchi lactic acid bacteria, amino acid utilization, nutrients consumption.African Journal of BiotechnologyVol. 12(25), pp. 4000-400

θ-D Approximation Technique for Nonlinear Optimal Speed Control Design of Surface-Mounted PMSM Drives

This paper proposes nonlinear optimal controller and observer schemes based on a θ-D approximation approach for surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). By applying the θ-D method in both the controller and observer designs, the unsolvable Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations are switched to an algebraic Riccati equation and statedependent Lyapunov equations (SDLEs). Then, through selecting the suitable coefficient matrices, the SDLEs become algebraic, so the complex matrix operation technique, i.e., the Kronecker product applied in the previous papers to solve the SDLEs is eliminated. Moreover, the proposed technique not only solves the problem of controlling the large initial states, but also avoids the excessive online computations. By utilizing a more accurate approximation method, the proposed control system achieves superior control performance (e.g., faster transient response, more robustness under the parameter uncertainties and load torque variations) compared to the state-dependent Riccati equation-based control method and conventional PI controlmethod. The proposed observer-based control methodology is tested with an experimental setup of a PMSM servo drive using a Texas Instruments TMS320F28335 DSP. Finally, the experimental results are shown for proving the effectiveness of the proposed control approac