Paper Session III-B - Knowledge Management (KM) In a Space Related Environment: A Ground Processing Initiative

Because of the complexity of the Space related processes and the opportunity to record the knowledge obtained from the current assembly of what is being described as the biggest, most expensive and complex International project ever – the assembly of the International Space Station, this investigation focuses on the research question: What are the critical success factors (enablers) associated with Knowledge Management (KM) in an International ground-processing environment? Kotnour [1] defines knowledge management as the group of viable and practical processes that supports an organization in creating, assimilating, disseminating, and applying its knowledge. Description of proposed research methodology and activities related to the knowledge currently being acquired from the assembly activities are going to be presented. This paper can be used by academics and practitioners for advances in knowledge management in an International Space related environment

A Neutral Heteroatomic Zintl Cluster for the Catalytic Hydrogenation of Cyclic Alkenes

We report on the synthesis of an alkane-soluble Zintl cluster, [η4-Ge9(Hyp)3]Rh(COD), that can catalytically hydrogenate cyclic alkenes such as 1,5-cyclooctadiene and cis-cyclooctene. This is the first example of a well-defined Zintl-cluster-based homogeneous catalyst

Cluster expansion and vertex substitution pathways in nickel germanide Zintl clusters

We describe the reactivity of the hypersilyl-functionalized Zintl cluster salt K[Ge9(Hyp)3] towards the nickel reagents Ni(COD)2 and Ni(Cp)2, which gives rise to markedly different compounds. In the case of Ni(COD)2, a dianionic sandwich-like compound [Ni{Ge9(Hyp)3}2]2− (1) was obtained, in line with a simple ligand substitution reaction of COD by [Ge9(Hyp)3]−. By contrast, when an analogous reaction with nickelocene was performed, vertex substitution of the [Ge9(Hyp)3]− precursor was observed, giving rise to the nine-vertex nido-cluster (Cp)Ni[Ge8(Hyp)3] (2). This is the first instance of vertex substitution at a hypersilyl-functionalized Zintl cluster cage. The electrochemical behavior of these compounds was explored and showed reversible redox behaviour for both clusters

Increasing Engagement in Materials Laboratory with Backward Design and Quadcopters

This paper describes a laboratory experiment that was designed to increase student engagement and enhance student development in a materials laboratory. The laboratory module described is part of a broader effort to enhance the mechanical engineering laboratory curriculum to incorporate modern pedagogical methods and to improve student outcomes using backward design. The new laboratory modules encourage students to work in small groups, develop team skills, and learn about basic measurement methods. The first module is a simple cantilever beam mounted with a strain gage. Students develop an understanding of the correlation between bending stress and strain. While doing so, they also determine a calibration factor for the beam in order to use the beam as a load cell to measure the weight of an object. For the second module, students are provided an instrumented beam with a known calibration factor and are asked to determine the amount of lift produced by a small quadcopter. To assess the effectiveness of the laboratory experiment, a student survey was designed and the experiments were observed by an education expert. The results indicate the new laboratory modules have been successful in increasing student engagement and meeting learning objectives

Controlled Cluster Expansion at a Zintl Cluster Surface

Reaction of the tris-hypersilyl nonagermanide Zintl cluster salt, K[Ge9(Hyp)3] (Hyp = Si(SiMe3)3) with [Rh(η2,η2-L)Cl]2 (L = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, COD; norbornadiene, NBD) afforded eleven- and twelve-vertex homo-multimetallic clusters by cluster core expansion. Using a stepwise procedure, starting from the Zintl cluster [Rh(COD){Ge9(Hyp)3}] and [Ir(COD)Cl]2, this methodology was expanded for the synthesis of eleven-vertex hetero-multimetallic clusters. A mechanism for the formation of these first examples of closo eleven-vertex Zintl clusters is proposed, informed by density functional theory calculations

Sociocultural Differences in Self- Construal and Subjective Well-Being: A Test of Four Cultural Models

In this study, the authors tested four cultural models—independence, interdependence, conflict, and integration—that describe the hypothesized relationships between dimensions of self-construal and components of subjective well-being among individualistic and collectivistic countries. Collectivistic countries that have undergone rapid socioeconomic changes (i.e., East Asian countries) and those with limited changes (i.e., African countries) were differentiated. Participants were 791 university students from four Western countries, 749 university students from three East Asian countries, and 443 university students from three African countries. Findings provided some support for the applicability of (a) the independence model to individuals from Western countries and (b) the integration model to individuals from East Asian countries. Mixed results were found among the African countries. The interdependence model is more applicable to African participants from the sub-Saharan region, but the integration model is more applicable to those from the North African region

A Green's function approach to transmission of massless Dirac fermions in graphene through an array of random scatterers

We consider the transmission of massless Dirac fermions through an array of short range scatterers which are modeled as randomly positioned $\delta$- function like potentials along the x-axis. We particularly discuss the interplay between disorder-induced localization that is the hallmark of a non-relativistic system and two important properties of such massless Dirac fermions, namely, complete transmission at normal incidence and periodic dependence of transmission coefficient on the strength of the barrier that leads to a periodic resonant transmission. This leads to two different types of conductance behavior as a function of the system size at the resonant and the off-resonance strengths of the delta function potential. We explain this behavior of the conductance in terms of the transmission through a pair of such barriers using a Green's function based approach. The method helps to understand such disordered transport in terms of well known optical phenomena such as Fabry Perot resonances.Comment: 22 double spaced single column pages. 15 .eps figure

Mediation of coffee-induced improvements in human vascular function by chlorogenic acids and its metabolites: two randomized, controlled, crossover intervention trials

Background & aims Polyphenol intake has been linked to improvements in human vascular function, although data on hydroxycinnamates, such as chlorogenic acid (CGA) have not yet been studied. We aimed to investigate the impact of coffee intake rich in chlorogenic acid on human vascular function and whether CGAs are involved in potential effects. Methods Two acute randomized, controlled, cross-over human intervention trials were conducted. The impact of coffee intake, matched for caffeine but differing in CGA content (89, and 310 mg) on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was assessed in 15 healthy male subjects. In a second intervention trial conducted with 24 healthy male subjects, the impact of pure 5-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA), the main CGA in coffee (5-CQA; 450 mg and 900 mg) on FMD was also investigated. Results We observed a bi-phasic FMD response after low and high polyphenol, (89 mg and 310 mg CGA) intake, with increases at 1 (1.10 ± 0.43% and 1.34 ± 0.62%, respectively) and 5 (0.79% ± 0.32 and 1.52% ± 0.40, respectively) hours post coffee consumption. FMD responses to coffee intake was closely paralleled by the appearance of CGA metabolites in plasma, notably 3-, 4- and 5-CQA and ferulic-4′-O-sulfate at 1 h and isoferulic-4′-O-glucuronide and ferulic-4′-O-sulfate at 5 h. Intervention with purified 5-CQA (450 mg) also led to an improvement in FMD response relative to control (0.75 ± 1.31% at 1 h post intervention, p = 0.06) and concomitant appearance of plasma metabolites. Conclusions Coffee intake acutely improves human vascular function, an effect, in part, mediated by 5-CQA and its physiological metabolites

Alignment of the CMS silicon tracker during commissioning with cosmic rays

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version of the Paper can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPThe CMS silicon tracker, consisting of 1440 silicon pixel and 15 148 silicon strip detector modules, has been aligned using more than three million cosmic ray charged particles, with additional information from optical surveys. The positions of the modules were determined with respect to cosmic ray trajectories to an average precision of 3–4 microns RMS in the barrel and 3–14 microns RMS in the endcap in the most sensitive coordinate. The results have been validated by several studies, including laser beam cross-checks, track fit self-consistency, track residuals in overlapping module regions, and track parameter resolution, and are compared with predictions obtained from simulation. Correlated systematic effects have been investigated. The track parameter resolutions obtained with this alignment are close to the design performance.This work is supported by FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTDS (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)