Preparation of PEDOT-ordered mesoporous carbon hybrid material using vapor phase polymerization

A hybrid composite was prepared by the formation of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layer on two types of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) by vapor phase polymerization. The morphology, chemical composition, pore structure, and electrical properties of the normal type ordered mesoporous carbon (NTOMC) and rod type ordered mesoporous carbon (RTOMC) composites were compared and analyzed. The surface morphology of the PEDOT-OMC composite did not change, due to the uniform coating of PEDOT layer on the OMC. The content of PEDOT in the composite and the thickness of the coating layer both increased with the amount of the oxidizing agent, Iron (III) p-toluenesulfonate (FTS) used in VPP. Pore size, porosity, and surface area of PEDOT-OMC composite decreased with coating of PEDOT layer on the outer surface of the OMC, and the mesopore inner wall. Electrical resistance decreased with an increase in the thickness of the PEDOT layer coated on the OMC. The PEDOT-RTOMC composite had lower electrical resistivity than the PEDOT-NTOMC composite, suggesting that rod-type morphology is advantageous for electron transport. The capacitance was also higher for the PEDOT-RTOMC than for the PEDOTNTOMC, which is thought to be proportional to the surface area of the composite determined by the external and internal structure of the material.     

Control of Switching Modes and Conductance Quantization in Oxygen Engineered HfOx based Memristive Devices

Hafnium oxide (HfO_x)‐based memristive devices have tremendous potential as nonvolatile resistive random access memory (RRAM) and in neuromorphic electronics. Despite its seemingly simple two‐terminal structure, a myriad of RRAM devices reported in the rapidly growing literature exhibit rather complex resistive switching behaviors. Using Pt/HfO_x/TiN‐based metal–insulator–metal structures as model systems, it is shown that a well‐controlled oxygen stoichiometry governs the filament formation and the occurrence of multiple switching modes. The oxygen vacancy concentration is found to be the key factor in manipulating the balance between electric field and Joule heating during formation, rupture (reset), and reformation (set) of the conductive filaments in the dielectric. In addition, the engineering of oxygen vacancies stabilizes atomic size filament constrictions exhibiting integer and half‐integer conductance quantization at room temperature during set and reset. Identifying the materials conditions of different switching modes and conductance quantization contributes to a unified switching model correlating structural and functional properties of RRAM materials. The possibility to engineer the oxygen stoichiometry in HfO_x will allow creating quantum point contacts with multiple conductance quanta as a first step toward multilevel memristive quantum devices.     

柏林的"批判性重建"--恢复传统城市品质之努力的瑕与疵

柏林目前的规划策略是对战后现代主义转变的一种对抗。二战以后，受包豪斯（风格）影响的建筑，以车行为主的街道模式以及大量的开放空间参与了城市的重构。在今天．这被认为导致城市缺乏品质，因此规划部门发展了所谓“批判性重建”的概念。该概念针对小尺度的开发，丰富多样的建筑，以及对战前狭小街道网格的再造。尽管东西柏林过去都曾历经现代主义的改造，东部地区在今天对历史性城市景观的重建过程中所承受的压力更大。尤其是如今来自西柏林的规划者们认为德意志民主共和国在60年代的建筑没有任何价值。甚至有时那个时代出色的建筑范例也被拆除了,尽管它们对东柏林人身份的辨识非常重要。     

Efficacité d'une intervention de groupe auprès d'hommes agressés sexuellement dans leur enfance.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of a group intervention intended for men victims of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). A quasi-experimental design was used to compare 23 men who took part in the group intervention against 13 men who suffered CSA but who received no service relative to this victimization. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire, which comprised various sections, including: 1) one on the participants' sociodemographic and CSA characteristics; 2) a posttraumatic stress symptoms scale; 3) a psychological distress index; 4) a self-esteem measure; and 5) a measure of the feeling of loneliness. The results demonstrate that, compared with the men in the control group, the men who completed the group intervention improved significantly in terms of self-esteem and on the subscale measuring CSA-related traumatic symptoms. No inter-group difference emerged concerning psychological distress, posttraumatic stress, and feeling of loneliness. Despite certain methodological limitations (including the non-random distribution of subjects into groups and the small size of the samples), the use of a quasi-experimental control-group design and of validated standardized measures (including one for posttraumatic stress disorder) lends strength and credence to the study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Housing Deprivation and Health: A Longitudinal Analysis

While there is a longitudinal literature that considers the impact of poor socio-economic circumstances upon health, the more specific impact of poor housing upon health is much less frequently studied longitudinally. This paper draws on the National Child Development Study to examine the impact upon health of poor housing through the life course. The analysis takes the novel approach of constructing a composite severity of ill health measure to act as the dependent variable. Poor housing is operationalised through a housing deprivation index calculated for each sweep of the NCDS. The index of multiple housing deprivation goes beyond traditional concerns with the quality and amenity of a dwelling to incorporate key subjective factors such as satisfaction with dwelling or residential area: these subjective factors play a particularly important role in the index. The key result is that, even when other relevant factors are allowed for, the NCDS data suggest that experience of both current and past poor housing is significantly associated with greater likelihood of ill health. Moreover, for those who are living in non-deprived housing conditions in adulthood, ill health is more likely among those who experienced housing deprivation in earlier life than among those who did not. Thus, history matters. The analysis also highlights the increasing inadequacy of conventional measures of housing deprivation.     

Executive coaching: It works!

Outcomes of this empirical study demonstrated that executive coaching is an effective method of leadership development. One hundred fourteen executives and 42 coaches were surveyed using instruments designed to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Results indicated that executive change occurred in 5 areas: people management, relationships with managers, goal setting and prioritization, engagement and productivity, and dialogue and communication. This study also highlights the importance of coach selection, executive commitment to behavioral change, and the role of good program and environmental support. The success of this coaching program also suggests that investment in well-designed and implemented programs can contribute to leadership development and the retention of talent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biochemical and sensorial evaluation of intact and boned broiler breast meat tenderness during ageing

Meat tenderness is the main characteristic demanded by consumers and is affected by rigor mortis development and proteolysis activities, both of which occur during carcass refrigeration. In this work, we demonstrate that broiler breast fillet tenderness can be further increased and its extension depends on whether or not meat is excised from the carcass. Post-harvest samples taken from 0 to 72 h after slaughtering and kept refrigerated at 2 ± 2 °C were evaluated for tenderness by myofibrillar fragmentation index determination, shear force analysis and sensorial testing. The 24 h post-harvested intact samples were 30.6% more tender than excised samples and 41.7% more tender than control samples (p ? 0.05). The myofibrillar fragments index was 13.2% higher in intact samples than in deboned fillet (p ? 0.05) and a sensory test showed that the 24 h intact samples were of major acceptability. Our results demonstrated that tenderness was best achieved with intact breast fillet samples stored at 2 ± 2 °C for 24 h.     

Impacts of distributors and group purchasing organizations on hospital efficiency and profitability: a bilateral data envelopment analysis model

Total health care expenses have risen significantly in the United States. There are many factors and variables that can impact hospital operating efficiencies. Among them, engaging a distributor or group purchasing organization (GPO) is one method to influence efficiency throughout the entire supply chain. This research investigates the impact of distributors and GPOs on hospital efficiency and profitability. The data from the 2015 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Hospital Survey of which 6251 hospitals participated are used. These hospitals were separated by those who purchased supplies through a distributor and those who did not. Likewise, the same was performed for those hospitals that used GPO and those that did not. This study employs DEA-Solver software to develop four types of bilateral DEA models. The results of the DEA model use a ranking variable (rank sum) to rank the variables within the two groups (distributor and no distributor) to determine if there is a significant difference between distributor and nondistributor. The same is performed for GPO and non-GPO. We examined the impact of the several control variables on hospital efficiency for distributors and GPOs. Results indicate that the control variables (region, education, profit/nonprofit, government/nongovernment, and system/nonsystem) made a significant difference for hospitals that used a distributor and a GPO. Lessons and implications are discussed for future research issues, such as quality of patient care and a frontier production function.