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The chromium evaporation and oxidation behaviors of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels are systematically investigated at 800 °C in air +10% H 2 O relative to 310S for 5000 h. Cr evaporation rates of 310S are about 35 times higher than AFA alloys after 5000 h. Relatively rapid oxidation is observed on 310S after only one 500 h cycle, followed by a modest degree of mass loss and spallation, while the AFA alloys show high oxidation resistance throughout the entire test. Continuous inner alumina layer formed on AFA alloys stays compact and stable after 5000 h which greatly reduces the Cr evaporation. • Long-term Cr evaporation rates of various alloys were reported. • Oxidation kinetic of AFA alloys compared to 310S were studied. • Continuous alumina layer formed on AFA alloys remained durable after 5000 h test. • Effect of Si contamination on the Cr evaporation rates were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.06.021 Byline: C. Albert Bardi, Michael F. Brady Keywords: Shyness; Loneliness; Instant messaging; Computer-mediated communication Abstract: Existing research suggests shy people may satisfy their affiliation needs through computerized forms of communication such as instant messaging (IM). Fifty-five undergraduates completed an IM use index, the shyness scale and a motives for IM use scale developed for this study. It was found that the strongest motives for IM use were to increase personal contact as opposed to gain social ease or to decrease loneliness. While a direct association between shyness and IM use intensity was not found, shyness was associated with using IM to decrease loneliness in comparison to other motives. It was concluded that shyer people have multiple motives for using IM, but that decreasing loneliness is particularly important for them. Future research could examine how IM and other computerized communications compare to face-to-face interactions between shy and non-shy people. Author Affiliation: Psychology Sewanee-University of the South, 735 University Ave., Sewanee, TN 37383, United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.01.011 Byline: Melinda L. Andrews, Ray L. Benedicktus, Michael K. Brady Abstract: Effects of service bundle incentives on perceived value, search intentions, and switching intentions are assessed in two independent studies. The first study demonstrates that service bundling influences switching and search intentions through perceived value. Results related to bundle incentives support the salience of the convenience associated with consolidating charges onto one bill. Further analysis reveals that explicit valuation of savings creates higher perceived value than convenience alone; however, search and switching intentions are unaffected by incentives or valuation thereof beyond the convenience effect. A second study replicates key parts of these results. Research and practical implications are discussed. Author Affiliation: (a) College of Business, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, United States (b) College of Business and Economics, California State University - Fullerton, 800 North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92834-6848, United States (c) College of Business, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States Article History: Received 30 March 2007; Revised 12 May 2008; Accepted 21 January 2009

A new testing methodology was developed to quantitively study galvanic corrosion of AZ31B and thermoset carbon-fiber–reinforced polymer spot-joined by a friction self-piercing riveting process. Pre-defined areas of AZ31B in the joint were exposed in 0.1 M NaCl solution over time. Massive galvanic corrosion of AZ31B was observed as exposure time increased. The measured volume loss was converted into corrosion current that was at least 48 times greater than the corrosion current of AZ31B without galvanic coupling. Ninety percent of the mechanical joint integrity was retained for corroded F-SPR joints to 200 h and then decreased because of the massive volume loss of AZ31B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is intended to expand how the servicescape influences consumer behavioral intentions. It concluded that the servicescape has a positive and significant effect on behavioral intentions.

This study replicates three service quality studies done in the past to focus on performance-based measures, clarify the link between service quality and satisfaction, and to extend research to consumer purchase intentions. The study adds data sets from two additional service sectors to the prior studies. The authors argue that replication of results should be more widely undertaken and embraced in market research.

An implemented system to measure and track the motion of a sensor, which is attached to a person or walking robot is described. The findings reveal that by measuring and tracking the sensor's motion, more meaningful information can be obtained from measurements, and predictions can be made about the future observed position of important objects in the world.

A cross-cultural investigation into the antecedent role of service quality in service customers' behavioural intentions is presented.

A parallel processing architecture based on the Locally Intelligent Control Agent module enables real-time, sensor-based control of mobile robots. The computer architecture is a network of sensing and controling nodes. The hybrid control architecture combines real-time motion planning, navigation, and obstacle avoidance with high-level task planning and reasoning. The architecture has been successful in several experiments involving real-time planning and navigation tasks.

In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, complex drivers of deforestation have sparked mandatory and voluntary initiatives, including moratorium policies, zero-deforestation pledges and certification systems. The impacts of these different commitments, which aim to reduce deforestation, have yet to be documented or analytically scrutinized. Using South Sumatra as a case study, we used the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to identify the context and impacts of public and private sector commitments. Public sector commitment was assessed by examining political will reflected in government policies and regulations, while private sector commitment was assessed by looking at compliance with mandatory and voluntary certification schemes. South Sumatra lost 63% of its natural forest between 1990 and 2019. Deforestation is driven by expansion of large-scale commercial plantations, as well as illegal logging and clearing. Our study indicates that public and private sector commitments do matter. Statistically, we found sufficient evidence that private sector commitments were able to significantly reduce deforestation from year of commitments to 2019, at a 90% confidence level. Efforts to support zero-deforestation commitments must involve radical shifts in current policy and practice, with stricter law enforcement to combat illegal activities, greater transparency to inform progress, and the development of strategic and actionable plans. • Deforestation is driven mainly by plantation expansion and aggravated by illegal activities. • Institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework helps understand how actors translate commitments into actions. • Commitments are actioned by public and private actors with non-state actor support. • Private sector commitments reduce deforestation but haven't 'zeroed' deforestation. • Implementation must be regularly monitored to allow for corrective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Evidence on how science-related affect and competency factors predict environmental awareness. • Suggestions why increases in science interest do not necessarily reflect a genuine interest in learning science. • PISA 2006/2015 comparisons within/between 2 Asian countries reveal divergent predictive trends. • These trends may reflect antithetic instruction approaches preventing genuine learning interest. Abstract Utilizing PISA 2006/2015 datasets for Japan and Taiwan, the multi-group analysis results show significant predictive increases in science interest and scientific competency, and for science interest and environmental awareness; however, revealed significant predictive decreases for science enjoyment and scientific competency, and for science enjoyment and environmental awareness between PISA cycles for both countries. Results signal divergent predictive trends regarding how interest and enjoyment impact students’ scientific competency, which may reflect instructional approaches that impede students from experiencing genuine interest in learning science. Why these results should sound an alarm to science and environment educators and policy makers is also forwarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term operation of balance-of-plant (BoP) components in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) relies on the presence of a stable and durable oxide layer. In this study, we investigate the oxidation and chromium (Cr) evaporation behaviors of two developmental alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) alloys compared to chromia-forming alloy 625 at 900 °C in air with 10% water vapor. Transpiration tests, weight gain tests, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis are employed to evaluate the oxidation and Cr evaporation behaviors. Our findings reveal that alloy 625 exhibits significantly higher rates of Cr evaporation compared to OC11 (Y and Hf additions) and OC11LZ (Y and Zr additions), with evaporation amounts ∼56 and ∼28 times greater, respectively. The observed differences between OC11 and OC11LZ can be attributed to variations in the formed oxide scales during long-term operation. Furthermore, we examine the influence of Hf and Zr reactive elements on the long-term oxidation and chromium evaporation behaviors, providing insights into the role of these elements in enhancing the performance and stability of the alloys. • Long-term oxidation and Cr evaporation characteristics of different alloys were documented. • Oxidation kinetics of AFA alloys were investigated in comparison to alloy 625. • Continuous alumina layer formed on AFA alloys exhibited long-term durability even after a 5000-h test. • Impact of reactive elements on the growth of oxide scales was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 40% of the world cooks on open fires or inefficient biomass-fueled cookstoves. The resulting smoke is a health hazard, contributing to an estimated 4 million premature deaths per year, as well as a major source of black carbon emissions. One solution is the introduction of improved, clean-burning biomass cookstoves. One of the most challenging components is the combustor, which must operate at high temperatures (often ≥ 600 °C) in the presence of highly corrosive species released from biomass fuel combustion, yet be sufficiently low cost to permit widespread adoption. The present work reports the development of accelerated corrosion test screening protocols employing highly corrosive salt and water vapor species, specifically designed to evaluate alloys for clean biomass cookstove combustors, and corrosion findings for a range of commercial and developmental alloys. A new Fe-Cr-Si base alloy that offers promise for improved corrosion resistance at lower cost than state-of the art FeCrAl and stainless steel alloys is also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering (RSoXS) was developed over the last a few years, and the first dedicated resonant soft X-ray scattering beamline for soft materials was constructed at the Advanced Light Source, LBNL. RSoXS combines soft X-ray spectroscopy with X-ray scattering and thus offers statistical information for 3D chemical morphology over a large length scale range from nanometers to micrometers. Using RSoXS to characterize multi-length scale soft materials with heterogeneous chemical structures, we have demonstrated that soft X-ray scattering is a unique complementary technique to conventional hard X-ray and neutron scattering. Its unique chemical sensitivity, large accessible size scale, molecular bond orientation sensitivity with polarized X-rays, and high coherence have shown great potential for chemically specific structural characterization for many classes of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theory of motor-feedback learning based on a bidirectional-edge graph is summarized. The graph is inspired as a model of the cortico-thalamic circuit. Output from the network drives the motors of an articulatory speech synthesizer. The network is first exposed to an ongoing stream of speech sounds where neural fields tune themselves to respond to repetitive co-occurring patterns in the input (phonetic features). The network is then made to actuate motors with babble feedback learning in an effort to train the network to produce the speech sounds and strings of sounds that the network was originally exposed to. The model furthermore makes use of a bank of resonators, intended to depict the functional role of the cerebellum. This cerebellar model helps in coordinating the longer-term timing of network dynamics and helps to smoothly string together patterns of speech sounds through time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a model estimating consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental meat attributes and uses a multi-objective nutritional optimizer to explore the extent to which WTP can offset on-farm costs of reducing water use. Data for the WTP model are sourced from a literature survey of the Agricola and Google Scholar databases yielding 46 studies estimating WTP for pure and impure (organic, grass-fed, natural) environmental meat attributes. Bayesian analysis is used to estimate 3 models varying in independent variables. Models are evaluated by the correlation coefficient ( R 2 ), root mean squared error of prediction (RMSPE) and posterior model probability. The most probable model is then used to estimate a confidence range of WTP for pure environmental beef. Impure environmental labels result in higher WTP than pure labels. Non-hypothetical WTP for pure environmental labeling for North American consumers ranges from 6.7% to 32.6%. A case study is conducted to identify the expected reduction in water use that can be funded from capturing WTP through labeling. A multi-objective nutritional optimizer is used to identify ideal management of beef cattle to reduce whole-system water use in three regions of the United States. Cost increases from management are varied over the predicted range in WTP and combined with the probability of a consumer purchasing beef at each WTP value to identify the theoretical effect on expected environmental impact reduction. A 10% premium is the ideal WTP, resulting in water use reductions between 24.4 L and 41.4 L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System sustainability balances environmental impact, economic viability and social acceptability. Assessment methods to investigate impacts of enterprise management and consumer decisions on sustainability of beef cattle operations are critically needed. Tools of this nature are especially important given the predictions of climate variability and the dependence of beef production systems on forage availability. A model optimizing nutritional and pasture management was created to examine the environmental impact of beef production. The model integrated modules calculating cradle-to-farm gate environmental impact, diet cost, pasture growth and willingness to pay (WTP). Least-cost diet and pasture management options served as a baseline to which environmental-impact reducing scenarios were compared. Economic viability was ensured by a constraint limiting change in diet cost to less than consumer WTP. Increased WTP was associated with improved social acceptability. Model outputs were evaluated by comparing to published data. Sensitivity analysis of the WTP constraint was conducted. A series of scenarios then examined how forecasted changes in precipitation patterns might alter forage supply and opportunities to reduce environmental impact in three regions in the United States. On a national scale, single-objective optimization indicated individual reductions in greenhouse gases (GHG), land use and water use of 3.6%, 5.4% and 4.3% were possible by changing diets. Multi-objective optimization demonstrated that GHG, land and water use could be simultaneously reduced by 2.3%. To achieve this change, cow–calf diets relied on grass hay, continuously- or rotationally-grazed irrigated and fertilized pasture as well as rotationally-grazed pasture. Stocker diets used rotationally-grazed, irrigated and fertilized pasture and feedlot diets used grass hay as a forage source. The model was sensitive to consumer WTP. When alternative precipitation patterns were simulated, opportunities to decrease the environmental impact of beef production in the Pacific Northwest and Texas were reduced by precipitation changes; whereas opportunities in the Midwest improved. Economic viability, rather than biological limitations, reduced the potential to improve environmental impact under future precipitation scenarios. Decreased spring rainfall resulted in lower pasture yields and required greater use of stored forages. Related increases in diet cost reduced opportunities to appropriate funds toward investment in environmental-impact reducing pasture management strategies. The model developed in this study is a robust tool that can be used to assess the impacts of enterprise management and consumer decisions on beef production sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 inhibits dendritic cell (DC) differentiation and is constitutively activated in blasts of approximately half of AML patients. We investigated the correlation between STAT3 activity, DC maturation and the ability to stimulate T-cells in primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-derived DCs. STAT3 knock-down by shRNAmir increased the ability of AML-DCs to stimulate T-cells. Treatment of AML-DC with arsenic trioxide, but not AG490, JSI-124 or NSC-74859, led to a more mature phenotype and enhanced T-cell stimulation, while having minimal effect on normal DC. We conclude that AML-DCs have improved immunogenicity after reducing STAT3. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This work uses molecular dynamics simulation to provide an atomistic view of the contrasting interfacial behavior between high-temperature dry air and wet (10–40vol.% water) air in contact with stainless steels. A key finding was that H2O preferentially adsorbs and displaces oxygen at the metal–fluid interface. We also discuss how these findings are consistent with Ehlers et al. proposed competitive adsorption mechanism for the interpretation of the breakaway oxidation, and highlight their impact on other properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Numerical and experimental results of drying and wetting foam are presented. Foam can be wetted by wash water delivered on its top boundary, or drained by allowing the liquid to move downward in response to gravity. These processes are governed by nonlinear equations that in special cases accept exact solutions. Here we develop a numerical model that satisfies realistic boundary conditions. Numerical results are presented in conjunction with experiments conducted with coarsening foam. In addition, calculations were carried out modeling the wetting and draining of coarsened foam. From the simulations and experiments, coarsening bubbles were found responsible for accelerating drainage, or vice versa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thermal (gas) nitridation of stainless steel alloys can yield low interfacial contact resistance (ICR), electrically conductive and corrosion-resistant nitride containing surface layers (Cr2N, CrN, TiN, V2N, VN, etc.) of interest for fuel cells, batteries, and sensors. This paper presents results of proton exchange membrane (PEM) single-cell fuel cell studies of stamped and pre-oxidized/nitrided developmental Fe–20Cr–4V weight percent (wt.%) and commercial type 2205 stainless steel alloy foils. The single-cell fuel cell behavior of the stamped and pre-oxidized/nitrided material was compared to as-stamped (no surface treatment) 904L, 2205, and Fe–20Cr–4V stainless steel alloy foils and machined graphite of similar flow field design. The best fuel cell behavior among the alloys was exhibited by the pre-oxidized/nitrided Fe–20Cr–4V, which exhibited ∼5–20% better peak power output than untreated Fe–20Cr–4V, 2205, and 904L metal stampings. Durability was assessed for pre-oxidized/nitrided Fe–20Cr–4V, 904L metal, and graphite plates by 1000+h of cyclic single-cell fuel cell testing. All three materials showed good durability with no significant degradation in cell power output. Post-test analysis indicated no metal ion contamination of the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) occurred with the pre-oxidized and nitrided Fe–20Cr–4V or graphite plates, and only a minor amount of contamination with the 904L plates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]