Showing papers by "Virginia Tech published in 2003"
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TL;DR: TAUT provides a useful tool for managers needing to assess the likelihood of success for new technology introductions and helps them understand the drivers of acceptance in order to proactively design interventions targeted at populations of users that may be less inclined to adopt and use new systems.
Abstract: Information technology (IT) acceptance research has yielded many competing models, each with different sets of acceptance determinants. In this paper, we:
(1) review user acceptance literature and discuss eight prominent models,
(2) empirically compare the eight models and their extensions,
(3) formulate a unified model that integrates elements across the eight models, and
(4) empirically validate the unified model.
The eight models reviewed are the theory of reasoned action, the technology acceptance model, the motivational model, the theory of planned behavior, a model combining the technology acceptance model and the theory of planned behavior, the model of PC utilization, the innovation diffusion theory, and the social cognitive theory. Using data from four organizations over a six-month period with three points of measurement, the eight models explained between 17 percent and 53 percent of the variance in user intentions to use information technology. Next, a unified model, called the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), was formulated, with four core determinants of intention and usage, and up to four moderators of key relationships. UTAUT was then tested using the original data and found to outperform the eight individual models (adjusted R2 of 69 percent). UTAUT was then confirmed with data from two new organizations with similar results (adjusted R2 of 70 percent). UTAUT thus provides a useful tool for managers needing to assess the likelihood of success for new technology introductions and helps them understand the drivers of acceptance in order to proactively design interventions (including training, marketing, etc.) targeted at populations of users that may be less inclined to adopt and use new systems. The paper also makes several recommendations for future research including developing a deeper understanding of the dynamic influences studied here, refining measurement of the core constructs used in UTAUT, and understanding the organizational outcomes associated with new technology use.
5,658 citations
TL;DR: Enhanced polarization and related properties in heteroepitaxially constrained thin films of the ferroelectromagnet, BiFeO3, and combined functional responses in thin film form present an opportunity to create and implement thin film devices that actively couple the magnetic and ferroelectric order parameters.
Abstract: Enhancement of polarization and related properties in heteroepitaxially constrained thin films of the ferroelectromagnet, BiFeO3, is reported. Structure analysis indicates that the crystal structure of film is monoclinic in contrast to bulk, which is rhombohedral. The films display a room-temperature spontaneous polarization (50 to 60 microcoulombs per square centimeter) almost an order of magnitude higher than that of the bulk (6.1 microcoulombs per square centimeter). The observed enhancement is corroborated by first-principles calculations and found to originate from a high sensitivity of the polarization to small changes in lattice parameters. The films also exhibit enhanced thickness-dependent magnetism compared with the bulk. These enhanced and combined functional responses in thin film form present an opportunity to create and implement thin film devices that actively couple the magnetic and ferroelectric order parameters.
5,387 citations
TL;DR: This work has demonstrated that molecular regulatory networks can be accurately modeled in mathematical terms and shed light on the design principles of biological control systems and make predictions that have been verified experimentally.
1,581 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the impact of audit committee characteristics on corporate yields spreads as audit committees are the direct mechanism that boards use to monitor the financial accounting process and found that fully independent audit committee are associated with a significantly lower cost of debt financing.
Abstract: Creditor reliance on accounting-based debt covenants suggests that debtors are potentially concerned with board of director characteristics that influence the financial accounting process. In a sample of S&P 500 firms, we find that the cost of debt financing is inversely related to board independence and board size. We also examine the impact of audit committee characteristics on corporate yields spreads as audit committees are the direct mechanism that boards use to monitor the financial accounting process. We find that fully independent audit committees are associated with a significantly lower cost of debt financing. Similarly, yield spreads are also negatively related to audit committee size and the number of audit committee meetings. Overall, these results provide market-based evidence that boards and audit committees are important elements affecting the reliability of financial reports.
1,419 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a narrow charmonium-like state produced in the exclusive decay process B+/--->K+/-pi(+)pi(-)J/psi has been observed, which has a mass of 3872.0+/-0.6(stat)+/- 0.5(syst) MeV.
Abstract: We report the observation of a narrow charmoniumlike state produced in the exclusive decay process B+/--->K+/-pi(+)pi(-)J/psi. This state, which decays into pi(+)pi(-)J/psi, has a mass of 3872.0+/-0.6(stat)+/-0.5(syst) MeV, a value that is very near the M(D0)+M(D(*0)) mass threshold. The results are based on an analysis of 152M B-Bmacr; events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance in the Belle detector at the KEKB collider. The signal has a statistical significance that is in excess of 10sigma.
1,294 citations
TL;DR: The critical role of bioinformatics and various methods of data visualization are summarized and the future role of metabolomics in plant science assessed.
979 citations
TL;DR: In this article, five broad accountability mechanisms are reviewed: reports and disclosure statements, performance assessments and evaluations, participation, self-regulation, and social audits, and it is observed that accountability in practice has emphasized "upward" and "external" accountability to donors while ''downward'' and ''internal'' mechanisms remain comparatively underdeveloped.
908 citations
TL;DR: Biomineralization refers to the processes by which organisms form minerals and is a discipline that is certain to see major advancements as a new generation of scientists brings cross-disciplinary training and new experimental and computational methods to the most daunting problems as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: “Biomineralization links soft organic tissues, which are compositionally akin to the atmosphere and oceans, with the hard materials of the solid Earth. It provides organisms with skeletons and shells while they are alive, and when they die these are deposited as sediment in environments from river plains to the deep ocean floor. It is also these hard, resistant products of life which are mainly responsible for the Earth’s fossil record. Consequently, biomineralization involves biologists, chemists, and geologists in interdisciplinary studies at one of the interfaces between Earth and life.” (Leadbeater and Riding 1986)
Biomineralization refers to the processes by which organisms form minerals. The control exerted by many organisms over mineral formation distinguishes these processes from abiotic mineralization. The latter was the primary focus of earth scientists over the last century, but the emergence of biogeochemistry and the urgency of understanding the past and future evolution of the Earth are moving biological mineralization to the forefront of various fields of science, including the earth sciences.
The growth in biogeochemistry has led to a number of new exciting research areas where the distinctions between the biological, chemical, and earth sciences disciplines melt away. Of the wonderful topics that are receiving renewed attention, the study of biomineral formation is perhaps the most fascinating. Truly at the interface of earth and life, biomineralization is a discipline that is certain to see major advancements as a new generation of scientists brings cross-disciplinary training and new experimental and computational methods to the most daunting problems. It is, however, by no means a new field. The first book on biomineralization was published in 1924 in German by W.J. Schmidt (Schmidt 1924), and the subject has continued to intrigue a dedicated community of scientists for many years. Until the early 1980s the field was known as …
879 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated how customers' relationships with a service organization affect their reactions to service failure and recovery and proposed that customer-organizational relationships help to shape customers' attributions and expectations when service failures occur.
Abstract: This research investigated how customers' relationships with a service organization affect their reactions to service failure and recovery. Our conceptual model proposed that customer-organizational relationships help to shape customers' attributions and expectations when service failures occur. The empirical results showed that customers with higher expectations of relationship continuity had lower service recovery expectations after a service failure and also attributed that failure to a less stable cause. Both the lower recovery expectations and the lower stability attributions were associated with greater satisfaction with the service performance after the recovery. These effects appeared to be key processes by which relationships buffer service organizations when service failures occur.
878 citations
TL;DR: Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts with varying Ni/P ratios have been shown to have better performance in hydroprocessing than a commercial Ni-Mo-S/Al2O3 (HDS 98% vs 78% and HDN 80% vs 43%), based on equal sites loaded in the reactor.
715 citations
01 Nov 2003
TL;DR: This paper proposes an ontology-based framework for the automatic composition of Web services with formal safeguards for meaningful composition through the use of composability rules, and provides an implementation using an E-government application offering customized services to indigent citizens.
Abstract: Service composition is gaining momentum as the potential silver bullet for the envisioned Semantic Web. It purports to take the Web to unexplored efficiencies and provide a flexible approach for promoting all types of activities in tomorrow’s Web. Applications expected to heavily take advantage of Web service composition include B2B E-commerce and E-government. To date, enabling composite services has largely been an ad hoc, time-consuming, and error-prone process involving repetitive low-level programming. In this paper, we propose an ontology-based framework for the automatic composition of Web services. We present a technique to generate composite services from high-level declarative descriptions. We define formal safeguards for meaningful composition through the use of composability rules. These rules compare the syntactic and semantic features of Web services to determine whether two services are composable. We provide an implementation using an E-government application offering customized services to indigent citizens. Finally, we present an exhaustive performance experiment to assess the scalability of our approach.
TL;DR: In this paper, the most important steps in the overall process of the pyrite oxidation were mapped to the cathodic sites, where oxygen atoms from water molecules attach to the sulfur atoms to form sulfoxy species, through the crystal to cathodic Fe(II) sites where they are acquired by the oxidant species.
14 Sep 2003
TL;DR: This paper focuses on the topology control process for ANs and BSs, which constitute the upper tier of a two-tiered WSN, and proposes approaches to maximize the topological network lifetime of the WSN by arranging BS location and inter-AN relaying optimally.
Abstract: We consider a two-tiered Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consisting of sensor clusters deployed around strategic locations and base-stations (BSs) whose locations are relatively flexible. Within a sensor cluster, there are many small sensor nodes (SNs) that capture, encode and transmit relevant information from the designated area, and there is at least one application node (AN) that receives raw data from these SNs, creates a comprehensive local-view, and forwards the composite bit-stream toward a BS. In practice, both SN and AN are battery-powered and energy-constrained, and their node lifetimes directly affect the network lifetime of WSNs. In this paper, we focus on the topology control process for ANs and BSs, which constitute the upper tier of a two-tiered WSN. We propose approaches to maximize the topological network lifetime of the WSN, by arranging BS location and inter-AN relaying optimally. Based on an algorithm in Computational Geometry, we derive the optimal BS locations under three topological lifetime definitions according to mission criticality. In addition, by studying the intrinsic properties of WSNs, we establish the upper and lower bounds of their maximal topological lifetime. When inter-AN relaying becomes feasible and favorable, we continue to develop an optimal parallel relay allocation to further prolong the topological lifetime of the WSN. An equivalent serialized relay schedule is also obtained, so that each AN only needs to have one relay destination at any time throughout the mission. The experimental performance evaluation demonstrates the efficacy of topology control as a vital process to maximize the network lifetime of WSNs.
TL;DR: This article argues that the concept of physical affordance carries a mandatory component of utility or purposeful action (functional affordance) and provides guidelines to help designers think about how these four kinds of affordance work together naturally in contextualized HCI design or evaluation.
Abstract: In reaction to Norman's (1999) essay on misuse of the term affordance in human-computer interaction literature, this article is a concept paper affirming the importance of this powerful concept, reinforcing Norman's distinctions of terminology, and expanding on the usefulness of the concepts in terms of their application to interaction design and evaluation. We define and use four complementary types of affordance in the context of interaction design and evaluation: cognitive affordance, physical affordance, sensory affordance, and functional affordance. The terms cognitive affordance (Norman's perceived affordance) and physical affordance (Norman's real affordance) refer to parallel and equally important usability concepts for interaction design, to which sensory affordance plays a supporting role. We argue that the concept of physical affordance carries a mandatory component of utility or purposeful action (functional affordance). Finally, we provide guidelines to help designers think about how these fo...
TL;DR: Combined analyses of matK and other rapidly evolving DNA regions with available multigene data sets have strong potential to enhance resolution and internal support in deep level angiosperms phylogenetics and provide additional insights into angiosperm evolution.
Abstract: Plastid matK gene sequences for 374 genera representing all angiosperm orders and 12 genera of gymnosperms were analyzed using parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) approaches. Traditionally, slowly evolving genomic regions have been preferred for deep-level phylogenetic inference in angiosperms. The matK gene evolves approximately three times faster than the widely used plastid genes rbcL and atpB. The MP and BI trees are highly congruent. The robustness of the strict consensus tree supercedes all individual gene analyses and is comparable only to multigene-based phylogenies. Of the 385 nodes resolved, 79% are supported by high jackknife values, averaging 88%. Amborella is sister to the remaining angiosperms, followed by a grade of Nymphaeaceae and Austrobaileyales. Bayesian inference resolves Amborella + Nymphaeaceae as sister to the rest, but with weak (0.42) posterior probability. The MP analysis shows a trichotomy sister to the Austrobaileyales representing eumagnoliids, monocots + Chloranthales, and Ceratophyllum + eudicots. The matK gene produces the highest internal support yet for basal eudicots and, within core eudicots, resolves a crown group comprising Berberidopsidaceae/Aextoxicaceae, Santalales, and Caryophyllales + asterids. Moreover, matK sequences provide good resolution within many angiosperm orders. Combined analyses of matK and other rapidly evolving DNA regions with available multigene data sets have strong potential to enhance resolution and internal support in deep level angiosperm phylogenetics and provide additional insights into angiosperm evolution.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors study the price effects of firms added to and deleted from the S&P 500 index and document an asymmetric price response: there is a permanent increase in the price of added firms but no similar decline for deleted firms.
Abstract: We study the price effects of firms added to and deleted from the S&P 500 index and document an asymmetric price response: there is a permanent increase in the price of added firms but no similar decline for deleted firms. These results are at odds with extant explanations of the effects of S&P 500 index changes which imply a symmetric price response to additions and deletions. A possible explanation for asymmetric price effects arises from changes in investor awareness. Results from our empirical tests support the thesis that changes in investor awareness contribute to the asymmetric price effects of S&P 500 index additions and deletions.
TL;DR: In this article, a generalized formulation of the most widely used crane model is analyzed using a generalised version of the HMM model, and a classification of crane models is presented.
Abstract: We review crane models available in the literature, classify them, and discuss their applications and limitations. A generalized formulation of the most widely used crane model is analyzed using th...
TL;DR: Observations confirm hysteresis as the driving force for cell-cycle transitions into and out of mitosis in cell-free egg extracts.
Abstract: Cells progressing through the cell cycle must commit irreversibly to mitosis without slipping back to interphase before properly segregating their chromosomes. A mathematical model of cell-cycle progression in cell-free egg extracts from frog predicts that irreversible transitions into and out of mitosis are driven by hysteresis in the molecular control system. Hysteresis refers to toggle-like switching behavior in a dynamical system. In the mathematical model, the toggle switch is created by positive feedback in the phosphorylation reactions controlling the activity of Cdc2, a protein kinase bound to its regulatory subunit, cyclin B. To determine whether hysteresis underlies entry into and exit from mitosis in cell-free egg extracts, we tested three predictions of the Novak–Tyson model. (i) The minimal concentration of cyclin B necessary to drive an interphase extract into mitosis is distinctly higher than the minimal concentration necessary to hold a mitotic extract in mitosis, evidence for hysteresis. (ii) Unreplicated DNA elevates the cyclin threshold for Cdc2 activation, indication that checkpoints operate by enlarging the hysteresis loop. (iii) A dramatic “slowing down” in the rate of Cdc2 activation is detected at concentrations of cyclin B marginally above the activation threshold. All three predictions were validated. These observations confirm hysteresis as the driving force for cell-cycle transitions into and out of mitosis.
TL;DR: In this article, a control chart method is proposed for process monitoring when the quality of a process or product is characterized by a liner function among the methods recommended for Phase I are the use of a bivariate T(2) chart to check for stability of the reg
Abstract: Control chart methods are proposed for process monitoring when the quality of a process or product is characterized by a liner function Among the methods recommended for Phase I are the use of a bivariate T(2) chart to check for stability of the reg
TL;DR: In this article, a nonlinear model is used to account for the midplane stretching, a DC electrostatic force, and an ACharmonic force in the response of a resonant microbeam to an electric actuation.
Abstract: An investigation into the response of a resonant microbeam to anelectric actuation is presented. A nonlinear model is used to accountfor the mid-plane stretching, a DC electrostatic force, and an ACharmonic force. Design parameters are included in the model by lumpingthem into nondimensional parameters. A perturbation method, the methodof multiple scales, is used to obtain two first-order nonlinearordinary-differential equations that describe the modulation of theamplitude and phase of the response and its stability. The model and theresults obtained by the perturbation analysis are validated by comparingthem with published experimental results. The case of three-to-oneinternal resonance is treated. The effect of the design parameters on the dynamic responses isdiscussed. The results show that increasing the axial force improves thelinear characteristics of the resonance frequency and decreases theundesirable frequency shift produced by the nonlinearities. In contrast,increasing the mid-plane stretching has the reverse effect. Moreover,the DC electrostatic load is found to affect the qualitative andquantitative nature of the frequency-response curves, resulting ineither a softening or a hardening behavior. The results also show thatan inaccurate representation of the system nonlinearities may lead to anerroneous prediction of the frequency response.
01 May 2003
TL;DR: In this article, the authors survey the main techniques, systems, products, and standards for B2B interactions and propose a set of criteria for assessing the different interaction techniques, standards, and products.
Abstract: Business-to-Business (B2B) technologies pre-date the Web. They have existed for at least as long as the Internet. B2B applications were among the first to take advantage of advances in computer networking. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) business standard is an illustration of such an early adoption of the advances in computer networking. The ubiquity and the affordability of the Web has made it possible for the masses of businesses to automate their B2B interactions. However, several issues related to scale, content exchange, autonomy, heterogeneity, and other issues still need to be addressed. In this paper, we survey the main techniques, systems, products, and standards for B2B interactions. We propose a set of criteria for assessing the different B2B interaction techniques, standards, and products.
TL;DR: In this article, an integrated framework is developed, based on four central observations: accountability is relational in nature and is constructed through inter- and intraorganizational relationships, accountability is complicated by the dual role of nonprofits as both principals and agents in their relationships with other actors, accountability operates through external as well as internal processes, such that an emphasis on external oversight and control misses other dimensions of accountability essential to nonprofit organizations.
Abstract: This article examines the concept of accountability from various disciplinary lenses in order to develop an integrated understanding of the term. Special attention is devoted to principal—agent perspectives from political science and economics. An integrated framework is developed, based on four central observations. (1) Accountability is relational in nature and is constructed through inter- and intraorganizational relationships. (2) Accountability is complicated by the dual role of nonprofits as both principals and agents in their relationships with other actors. (3) Characteristics of accountability necessarily vary with the type of nonprofit organization being examined. (4) Accountability operates through external as well as internal processes, such that an emphasis on external oversight and control misses other dimensions of accountability essential to nonprofit organizations. The analysis draws from the experiences of both Northern and Southern nonprofits, that is, organizations based in wealthy industrialized regions of the world (the global North) and those in economically poorer areas (the South).
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors chart the development of the indexing approach, which ranks site vulnerability to P loss by accounting for source (soil test P, fertilizer, and manure management) and transport factors (erosion, runoff, leaching, and connectivity to a stream channel) and outlines modifications made among states that reflect local conditions and policy.
Abstract: Phosphorus (P), an essential nutrient for crop and livestock production, can accelerate freshwater eutrophication, now one of the leading water quality impairments in the United States. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new nutrient management policy, now addressing P as well as nitrogen (N), which each state must enact by 2008. There are three approaches that address P—agronomic soil test P recommendations, environmental soil test P thresholds, and a P index to rank fields according to their vulnerability to potential P loss. There are many versions of the P index now in use, demonstrating the robustness and flexibility of the indexing framework to better target remedial measures. Of the three P-based approaches, the P indexing approach has been most widely adopted with 47 states using this approach to target P management. This paper charts the development of the indexing approach, which ranks site vulnerability to P loss by accounting for source (soil test P, fertilizer, and manure management) and transport factors (erosion, runoff, leaching, and connectivity to a stream channel) and outlines modifications made among states that reflect local conditions and policy. Additional factors include flooding frequency, STP modifiers (texture, pH, P sorption, reactive aluminum [Al]), conservation practices, and priority of receiving waters. While computation of the final index value is additive in 20 states, 17 multiply source and transport factors to define critical source areas. Most states (47) have maintained the original indexing approach of assessing site vulnerability to P loss, with indices in three states quantifying P loss. We demonstrate using three management scenarios (changing the time of applied manure, riparian buffer establishment, and reduced feed P ration) that overall P index ratings can be decreased, giving farmers more options for manure management than by simply reducing application rates.
01 May 2003-International Journal of Human-computer Studies \/ International Journal of Man-machine Studies
TL;DR: This work analysed awareness breakdowns in use of the Virtual School system--stemming from problems related to the collaborative situation, group, task and tool support--to motivate the concept of activity awareness.
Abstract: People working collaboratively must establish and maintain awareness of one another's intentions, actions and results. Notification systems typically support awareness of the presence, tasks and actions of collaborators, but they do not adequately support awareness of persistent and complex activities. We analysed awareness breakdowns in use of our Virtual School system--stemming from problems related to the collaborative situation, group, task and tool support--to motivate the concept of activity awareness. Activity awareness builds on prior conceptions of social and action awareness, but emphasizes the importance of activity context factors like planning and coordination. This work suggests design strategies for notification systems to better support collaborative activity.
TL;DR: New finite element methods based on Cartesian triangulations are presented for two dimensional elliptic interface problems involving discontinuities in the coefficients, and these new methods can be used as finite difference methods.
Abstract: New finite element methods based on Cartesian triangulations are presented for two dimensional elliptic interface problems involving discontinuities in the coefficients. The triangulations in these methods do not need to fit the interfaces. The basis functions in these methods are constructed to satisfy the interface jump conditions either exactly or approximately. Both non-conforming and conforming finite element spaces are considered. Corresponding interpolation functions are proved to be second order accurate in the maximum norm. The conforming finite element method has been shown to be convergent. With Cartesian triangulations, these new methods can be used as finite difference methods. Numerical examples are provided to support the methods and the theoretical analysis.
11 May 2003-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: The CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) as mentioned in this paper is used to study photo-and electro-induced nuclear and hadronic reactions by providing efficient detection of neutral and charged particles over a good fraction of the full solid angle.
Abstract: The CEBAF large acceptance spectrometer (CLAS) is used to study photo- and electro-induced nuclear and hadronic reactions by providing efficient detection of neutral and charged particles over a good fraction of the full solid angle. A collaboration of about 30 institutions has designed, assembled, and commissioned CLAS in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The CLAS detector is based on a novel six-coil toroidal magnet which provides a largely azimuthal field distribution. Trajectory reconstruction using drift chambers results in a momentum resolution of 0.5% at forward angles. Cherenkov counters, time-of-flight scintillators, and electromagnetic calorimeters provide good particle identification. Fast triggering and high data-acquisition rates allow operation at a luminosity of 10 34 nucleon cm −2 s −1 . These capabilities are being used in a broad experimental program to study the structure and interactions of mesons, nucleons, and nuclei using polarized and unpolarized electron and photon beams and targets. This paper is a comprehensive and general description of the design, construction and performance of CLAS.
TL;DR: Although discrepancies exist among informants, the overall findings suggest important information is obtained from each informant and, when combined with certain modifying characteristics, may lead to diagnostic and treatment decisions.
Abstract: Objective To examine concordance of child, parent, and consensus agreement on the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule, Child and Parent versions (ADIS-C/P), for an outpatient sample of children and adolescents and to explore moderators of those relations. Child characteristics (age, gender, social desirability), a family environment variable (conflict), and type of diagnoses (internalizing, externalizing) were systematically examined. Method These relations were examined in 165 children and adolescents referred to a psychological clinic by family practitioners, pediatricians, schools, and mental health professionals. Participants were individually administered the ADIS-C or ADIS-P by separate clinicians, and consensus diagnoses were determined in a clinical conference. Agreements between child-parent, child-consensus, and parent-consensus were determined. Results Poor levels of agreement were found among our informants, especially between child and parent and to some extent between child and consensus. Agreement was higher between parent and consensus, suggesting that our clinicians tended to favor parent input over child input. Although the effects were complex, characteristics of the child, family, and type of diagnosis moderated or qualified these findings. Conclusions Although discrepancies exist among our informants, our overall findings suggest important information is obtained from each informant and, when combined with certain modifying characteristics, may lead to diagnostic and treatment decisions.
TL;DR: The lack of a comprehensive, validated, and easily accessible data base for the durability of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as related to civil infrastructure applications has been identified as a critical barrier to widespread acceptance of these materials by structural designers and civil engineers as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The lack of a comprehensive, validated, and easily accessible data base for the durability of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as related to civil infrastructure applications has been identified as a critical barrier to widespread acceptance of these materials by structural designers and civil engineers. This concern is emphasized since the structures of interest are primarily load bearing and are expected to remain in service over extended periods of time without significant inspection or maintenance. This paper presents a synopsis of a gap analysis study undertaken under the aegis of the Civil Engineering Research Foundation and the Federal Highway Administration to identify and prioritize critical gaps in durability data. The study focuses on the use of FRP in internal reinforcement, external strengthening, seismic retrofit, bridge decks, structural profiles, and panels. Environments of interest are moisture/solution, alkalinity, creep/relaxation, fatigue, fire, thermal effects (including free...
TL;DR: Examination of the relationship between adolescent sexual risk-taking and perception of parental monitoring, frequency of parent-adolescent communication, and parenting style found that parenting style, gender, age and ethnicity are all important variables to consider when examining sexual risks among adolescents.
TL;DR: In this article, the first observation of the B-->D over barD(sJ)(2317) and B->D>D-s*gamma decays based on 123.8x10(6) B (B) was reported.
Abstract: We report the first observation of the B-->(D) over barD(sJ)(2317) and B-->(D) over barD(sJ)(2457) decays based on 123.8x10(6) B (B) over bar events collected with the Belle detector at KEKB. We observe the D-sJ(2317) decay to D(s)pi(0) and the D-sJ(2457) decay to the D(s)(*)pi(0) and D(s)gamma final states. We also set 90% C.L. upper limits for the decays D-sJ(2317)-->D-s*gamma, D-sJ(2457)-->D-s*gamma, D-sJ(2457)-->D(s)pi(0), and D-sJ(2457)-->D(s)pi(+)pi(-).