Wilkes University

About: Wilkes University is a education organization based out in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Pharmacy. The organization has 616 authors who have published 1032 publications receiving 21050 citations. The organization is also known as: Wilkes & Wilkes College.

Experimental concepts in a cross-disciplinary capstone course for mechanical engineers

Abstract: As today's engineering students enter the job market, they must be prepared to approach a wide range of interdisciplinary problems which blur the traditional boundaries within the mechanical engineering (ME) curriculum To help students develop a broader view of the several ME disciplines, senior students at Wilkes University (USA) are required to take a capstone mechanical design laboratory This course helps students learn experimental skills that are not introduced in previous laboratories and also provides a cross-disciplinary ME experience which combines design, analysis and testing Several experiments are developed to cover topics which are not seen in subject-specific laboratory courses, including the use of strain gages, thermocouples and material testing equipment Emphasis is placed on methodology and analysis to help students apply experimental concepts to their own designs The culmination of this particular course is a comprehensive design project The students must propose a project and then build, test, analyze and present their design

Linking individuation and organizational identification: Mediation through psychological safety

Abstract: This paper examines how individuation, a view that organizational members are all unique individuals, induces a perception of psychological safety and how perception of psychological safety, in turn, increases one's organizational identification. Results from 66 respondents in Study 1 provided first support for the proposed mechanism. In Study 2, data collected from 176 employees in work organizations also provided evidence for this mediation model. It was found in both studies that individuation has a significantly positive association with the perception of psychological safety such that the more employees view individual members of the organization as unique individuals, the more likely they perceive that their organization is a safe environment for self-expression. Furthermore, perception of psychological safety was found to serve as a mediator linking individuation and organizational identification.

An overview of DNA/RNA-based monitoring tools and biosensors: Benefits and applications in the environmental toxicology

Abstract: This chapter gives an overview on the current DNA/RNA-based monitoring tools and biosensors technology. In particular, the application of nucleic acid aptamers in pesticides and selected toxins monitoring is discussed. It starts by introducing the advantages and disadvantages of current technology on environmental contaminant detection and the need for nucleic acid-based monitoring tools. It then explains different types of nucleic acid-based biosensors and an in-depth discussion on aptamer-based biosensor or aptasensor. The methodology on the identification of DNA/RNA aptamers is briefly discussed with highlights on aptamers specific for pesticides and selected environmentally relevant carcinogens and biological toxins. The final sections describe the basic principles of different aptasensors and include highlights on the recent advancement in aptasensor for environmental contaminants. This chapter concludes with future perspectives on the development of nucleic acid-based monitoring tools.

The Effects of Earthworms on Fungal Diversity and Community Structure in Farmland Soil With Returned Straw.

Abstract: Background To promote the decomposition of returned straw, reduce the incidence of soil-borne diseases caused by returned straw, and accelerate the conversion of straw carbon into soil carbon, we inoculated earthworms into fields with returned straw. The earthworms accelerated straw degradation and promoted carbon conversion. However, the impact of externally inoculated earthworms on the farmland soil ecosystem, especially the structure and the function of its microbial community, remains unclear. Methods We analyzed the effects of straw return and earthworms on the diversity of fungal populations and the community structure of dominant fungal taxa in soil by quantifying fungal population size and community composition via PCR amplification of internal transcribed spacer genes and 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Results The results showed that earthworm inoculation significantly accelerated the degradation of rice straw and promoted the conversion of straw carbon to soil carbon. Both fungal abundance and α-diversity (Sobs and Shannon indices) were higher in the plots with surface straw but without earthworms than in those inoculated with earthworms and in the CK. Principal component analysis indicated that straw return increased the diversity and the abundance of the fungal community, whereas earthworms inhibited this expansion of the fungal community caused by straw return. Interestingly, the overall differences in fungal community composition were smallest in plots with straw return, while the dominant fungal community features in plots inoculated with earthworms were closer to those of the CK. Conclusion Generally, straw return stimulated unclassified_K_fungi, Pseudeurotium, and Fusarium with strong cellulolytic ability. In contrast, the abundances of Stachybotrys, unclassified_c_Sordariomycetes, unclassified_f_Lasiosphaeriaceae, and Schizothecium were higher in the plots inoculated with earthworms and in the CK. Furthermore, evolutionary analysis showed that the evolution of soil fungal communities tended to diverge after straw return, and the evolutionary directions of fungal species in the plots inoculated with earthworms were similar to those in the CK.