Diterpene resin acids: Major active principles in tall oil against Variegated cutworm,Peridroma saucia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Tall oil, a by-product of the kraft process for pulping softwood, has been shown to have insecticidal properties. In the present study, the active principles in tall oil against the variegated cutworm,Peridroma saucia Hübner, were investigated. GC-MS analysis showed that abietic, dehydroabietic, and isopimaric acids were major resin acid components of crude tall oil and depitched tall oil. When crude tall oil samples of differing resin acid composition were incorporated into artificial diet at a concentration of 2.0% fresh weight, they suppressed larval growth by 45–60% compared to controls. This suppression was significantly (P0.05) correlated with the equivalent contents of abietic, dehydroabietic, isopimaric, and total resin acids. These results were also evident from a diet choice test, showing that the second-instar larvae obviously selected diets with low levels of resin acids when different diets were randomly arranged in a Petri dish. Bioassays with pure resin acids (abietic, dehydroabietic, and isopimaric acids) demonstrated that all individual chemicals have similar bioactivity against this insect. Comparison of the bioactivities of depitched tall oil and an equivalent mixture of pure resin acids in thePeridroma chronic growth bioassay indicated that pure resin acids and depitched tall oil share a common mode of action to this insect. This study confirms that resin acids are major active principles in tall oil against the variegated cutworm, but other chemicals likely also contribute to the bioactivity of tall oil.     

Evaluating Social Navigation Visualization in Online Geographic Maps

Social navigation enables emergent collaboration between independent collaborators by exposing the behavior of each individual. This is a powerful idea for web-based visualization, where the work of one user can inform other users interacting with the same visualization. Results from a crowdsourced user study evaluating the value of such social navigation cues for a geographic map service are presented. Results show significantly improved performance for participants who interacted with the map when the visual footprints of previous users were visible.     

Perceptual image preview

Image preview is a convenient way to browse large or multiple images on small displays. However, current signal-level image resampling algorithms may remove many features of interest in the preview image. In this paper, we propose perceptual image preview which retains more perceptual features such that users can inspect features of interest by viewing the preview image only and without zooming in. This technology has two components, structure enhancement and perceptual feature visualization. Structure enhancement enhances the image structure while suppressing subtle details using a gradient modulation method, thus making the succedent perceptual features more apparent. For perceptual feature visualization, features of interest detected in the picture is visualized on the structure enhanced preview image. We demonstrate with two examples of most commonly used image quality features, image blur and noise. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by experimental results.     

Space-variant optical logic operations based on operation-dependent encoding method

We propose performing space-variant optical logic operations in a space-invariant optical system by selectively assigning encoding states that are operation dependent. With this method, encoders using liquid-crystal cells and liquid-crystal light valves to perform space-variant encoding for all 16 Boolean functions are designed. Multiple-instruction-multiple-data processing can then be realized in optical logic systems.     

Structural Studies of DNA–Cationic Lipid Complexes Confined in Lithographically Patterned Microchannel Arrays

We have used lithographically patterned microchannel arrays with channel widths ranging from 1 to 20 m, fabricated using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching, in structural studies of DNA–cationic lipid complexes in confinement. Various techniques have been developed for loading these DNA–membrane complexes into the microchannels or to form the complexes in situ by sequentially depositing DNA and lipid solutions into the microchannels. Optical microscopy studies indicate that such complex formation is strongly influenced by the periodic channel structure even at channel widths much larger than the persistent length of the DNA molecules. Preliminary x-ray diffraction experiments conducted at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) yielded only a weak signal from the lipid bilayers in the complexes. The use of a microfocused x-ray beam produced by the newly developed Bragg–Fresnel optics at a third-generation synchrotron facility may dramatically increase the signal-to-noise ratio and allow observation of orientational as well as positional ordering of DNA molecules induced by the microchannels. Structural control of the DNA–membrane complexes has a broad range of potential applications in gene probe technology and as mesoscopic biomolecular composites.     

Organizational impact of system quality,information quality,and service quality

Increased organizational dependence on information systems drives management attention towards improving information systems’ quality. A recent survey shows that “Improve IT quality” is one of the top concerns facing IT executives. As IT quality is a multidimensional measure, it is important to determine what aspects of IT quality are critical to organizations to help Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to devise effective IT quality improvement strategies. In this research, we model the relationship between information systems’ (IS) quality and organizational impact. We hypothesize greater organizational impact in situations in which system quality, information quality and service quality are high. We also hypothesize a positive relationship between system quality and information quality. We test our hypotheses using survey data. Our structural equation model exhibits a good fit with the observed data. Our results show that IS service quality is the most influential variable in this model (followed by information quality and system quality), thus highlighting the importance of IS service quality for organizational performance. This paper contributes theoretically to IS success models through the system quality-to-information quality and IS quality-to-organizational impact links. Implications of our results for practice and research are discussed.     

Assessment of working conditions in two different semiconductor manufacturing lines: Effective ergonomics interventions

This article examines two manufacturing lines producing semiconductors using different technology concepts, namely Conventional Line (CL) and Lean Production Line (LPL). Both lines manufacturing the same products were compared using various factors, including working conditions, task risks and dangers of the job, and physical body stress. Ergonomic approaches were adopted in the investigation of the two lines. Survey questionnaires were administered to 30% of the workers, and multiple statistical tests were used to determine crucial predictors and to investigate the interactions between the factors. This research has shown that improved ergonomics factors will lead to better working conditions and thus increased job satisfaction. The observed ergonomic differences of these two production lines are compared, and appropriate managerial remedial action is recommended. The interventions to both the lines should reduce accident rates, minimize waste of resources, improve work effectiveness, and provide a better working environment that enhances employees' morale and maximizes productivity and profits. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Global Interoperability Using Semantics, Standards, Science and Technology (GIST)

“Global Interoperability Using Semantics, Standards, Science and Technology” is a concept that is predicated on the assumption that the semantic integration, frameworks and standards that support information exchange, and advances in science and technology can enable information-systems interoperability for many diverse users. This paper recommends technologies and approaches for enabling interoperability across a wide spectrum of political, geographical, and organizational levels, e.g. coalition, federal, state, tribal, regional, non government, and private. These recommendations represent steps toward the goal of the Semantic Web, where computers understand information on web sites through knowledge representations, agents, and ontologies.