A longitudinal examination of computer self-efficacy change trajectories during training

Computer self-efficacy (CSE) is known to enhance individual competence and performance in learning and using technology as well as improve technology attitudes and beliefs. Using longitudinal studies, CSE increases over time during organizational technology training. While these studies have been instrumental in our understanding of how self-efficacy operates in organizations, some critical questions remain unanswered. In particular these studies cannot answer how long it takes for one’s CSE to increase during training, nor can it describe the shape of the change trajectory (linear? some other shape?). The answers to these questions will provide organizations a much clearer perspective on training expectations, understanding when benefits from training through enhanced CSE might be expected, and when to start and ramp up/down training efforts. This study examines these issues by collecting repeated waves of data from 230 respondents in a technology lab training setting and using a relatively new structural equation modeling technique, latent growth modeling. Findings suggest that it takes about 2 months of training for individuals to display significant increases in CSE, and that the growth trajectory for CSE in non-linear. In the proposed model, anxiety is a significant predictor of CSE change, while CSE change significantly predicted software-specific self-efficacies.     

Recyclable Amberlyst-70 as a Catalyst for Biginelli Reaction: An Efficient One-Pot Green Protocol for the Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones

An environmentally benign aqueous protocol for the synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones using Amberlyst-70 as a recyclable catalyst has been developed. The use of resinous, nontoxic, thermally stable and inexpensive Amberlyst-70, as a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst, makes the process simple with negligible chemical waste. Thus renders this method an environmentally acceptable synthetic tool for Biginelli reaction.     

Expert system problem selection: A domain characteristics approach

The first generation of commercial expert systems based on AI technology are now available in the market place. But in the available literature, one can find hardly any material on expert system problem selection. In this paper a number of popular and successful expert systems are analyzed. Domain-dependent and domain-independent problem characteristics have been identified, based on the analysis. To test our contention that these characteristics significantly contribute to the success of expert systems, a questionnaire survey involving a number of expert system developers was conducted. Based on this, a domain characteristic approach for expert system problem selection is presented.     

碳纳米管增强银复合材料的导热性(英文)

通过分子水平层级混合制备了碳纳米管增强银基复合材料。研究了碳纳米管的类型(单壁/多壁)及功能化模式(共价键/非共价键)对银复合材料导热性的影响。XRD及EDS结果表明,复合材料中存在银与碳。高分辨率扫描电镜和透射电镜结果表明碳纳米管均匀地嵌在银基体中。利用拉曼光谱和FTIR研究了共价键功能化对多壁碳纳米管的影响。共价键功能化后,碳纳米管中引入了功能团且保持结构完整。利用激光闪光技术以及有效介质理论研究了复合材料的导热性。实验结果表明:加入共价功能化的单壁和多壁纳米碳管后,材料的导热性降低。但加入非共价键功能化的多壁碳纳米管后,复合材料的有效导热性增强,这与不考虑界面热阻时的有效介质理论预测结果一致。     

A knowledge based component/service repository to enhance analysts’ domain knowledge for requirements analysis

Knowledge of the business domain (e.g., insurance claim, human resources) is crucial to analysts’ ability to conduct good requirements analysis (RA). However, current practices afford little assistance to analysts in acquiring domain knowledge. We argue that traditional reuse repositories could be augmented by adding rich faceted information on component/services and artifacts such as business-process templates to help analysts acquire domain knowledge during RA. In this paper, we present the design of a Knowledge Based Component Repository (KBCR) for facilitating RA. Then, we report on the design and development of a KBCR prototype. We illustrate its application in a system that is populated with components and process templates for the auto insurance claim domain. An empirical study was conducted to assess its effectiveness in improving RA. Results showed that KBCR enhanced analysts’ business domain knowledge and helped them better prepare for RA. Our key research contribution is to offer analysts a rich repository (i.e., KBCR) containing domain knowledge that they could utilize to acquire domain knowledge that is crucial for carrying out RA. While repositories of reusable components have been employed for some time, no one has used such repositories to help analysts acquire domain knowledge in order improve the RA of the system.     

Solvent Migration and Drying Phbnoubnon of Polymeric Blends of Ethylene-Propylbnb Random Copolymbr and Isotactic Polypropylbnb in the Prbsbncb of Monocyclic Aromatic Liquids at Tbwbraturbs Bbtukbn 25-70°C.

ABSTRACT

Solvent sorption and drying performance of engineering polymeric blends of ethylene–propylene random copolymer and isotactic polypropylene in the presence of aromatic liquid: has been studied in the temperature interval 25–70°C. The drying of the polymer is studied from the desorption and redesorption experiments. The present results indicate that the rate of solvent migration and the drying phenomenon is controlled by internal mass transfer of solvent molecules within the polymer matrix. A technique is developed to study the sorption (S) –desorption (D) – resorption (RS)–redesorption (RD) i.e., S–D–RS–RD of the polymer sheets. The S–D–RS–RD experiments are a convenient measure of knowing the continuous weight loss of the polymer during long–term solvent exposure.     

Detecting Power Imbalance in Multi-Cylinder Inline Diesel Engine Genset

A model of fuel injection adjustment for balancing the 4-stroke six cylinder diesel engine coupling geneset is developed by detecting imbalance in operating engine by the frequency analysis of the crankshaft＇s speed variation. In this work, the crankshaft is considered to be a rigid body, so that the variation of its angular speed could be directly correlated to the total gas-pressure torque. By analyzing only the lower harmonic orders, the speed variation spectrum can filter out the distortions produced by the dynamic response of the crankshaft. The information carried by these harmonic orders permits to establish correlations between measurements and the average gas pressure torque of the engine, and to detect imbalance and identify faulty cylinders. Detailed experimental reading are taken on diesel engine coupling genset on the test bed of Greaves Cotton Ltd Pane, India.     

Accuracy Assessment of Upwind Algorithms for Steady-state Computations

Upwind schemes have been evaluated for their accuracy based upon steady-state solutions of Euler and Navier–Stokes equations. It includes the flux-vector splitting schemes due to Steger–Warming and Van Leer, flux-difference splitting schemes due to Roe and Osher, and the hybrid schemes, AUSM (Advection Upstream Splitting method) and HUS (Hybrid Upwind Splitting). Computations for inviscid and viscous compressible flows that are well documented in literature have been carried out in a unified framework. Comparisons of lift, drag, skin-friction and heat-transfer coefficients have been established with reference computational and experimental results.     

A novel catalyst for the Knoevenagel condensation of aldehydes with malononitrile and ethyl cyanoacetate under solvent free conditions

A novel, efficient and eco-friendly MgO/ZrO₂ catalyst is put forward for the Knoevenagel condensation. The as synthesized catalyst MgO/ZrO₂ was characterized by elemental analysis, XRD, FTIR, particle size, SEM–EDXS, average pore diameter, BET surface area analysis, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The Knoevenagel condensation of several aldehydes with ethyl cyanoacetate and malononitrile was carried out at 60 °C on MgO/ZrO₂ catalyst in the absence of solvent.     

下一代翅片式铜管热交换器的设计思考

世界范围内,电器要达到越来越高的能效标准指标。为此,本文阐述了在实验性的盘管结构中的若干革新,这些革新可以缩小HVAC/R用品中风扇和电机的尺寸,并能帮助OEM厂商节约原料成本。