The effect of the performance appraisal system on trust for management: A field quasi-experiment.

Recent theoretical developments have enabled the empirical study of trust for specific referents in organizations. The authors conducted a 14-month field study of employee trust for top management. A 9-month quasi-experiment found that the implementation of a more acceptable performance appraisal system increased trust for top management. The 3 proposed factors of trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity) mediated the relationship between perceptions of the appraisal system and trust. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A useful approach towards solid–liquid extraction of metal cations with unsupported calixarenes

This article describes a convenient and effective method to study the extraction properties of unsupported calixarenes used as solid extracting agents. The solid–liquid extraction properties of different functionalized calixarene derivatives were studied. This method was compared to classic liquid–liquid extractions. The reproducibility of the solid–liquid extractions was studied among with the calixarene recycling. Results obtained for Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺and Pb²⁺extractions using both methods have revealed the interest to use calixarenes as solid extracting agents. Moreover, a study of selective extraction has been carried out.     

Factors that Influence the Perception of Feedback Delivered by a Pedagogical Agent

Three experiments were conducted to assess the relative importance of speech parameters and facial expressions in the delivery of feedback by a pedagogical agent. In Experiment 1, we manipulated linguistic form (i.e., positive, negative, or neutral terms), rate, pitch, pause, and emphasis. In Experiment 2, we manipulated eye size, mouth curve, brow height, and brow curve. In a third study, both speech parameters and facial expressions were manipulated. In all three experiments, the participants were asked to indicate how positive or negative the agent's feedback seemed to be. Across the studies, the variables collectively accounted for a significant amount of the variance. More specifically, the linguistic expressions and mouth curve emerged as significant predictors of the participants' ratings. This suggests that these two features should be implemented by developers wishing to provide appropriate feedback in their pedagogical agents.     

Study of structure and scaling behavior of chemically unfolded β‐casein by means of small‐angle neutron scattering

Structures of β‐casein formed in water with various concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride (GdmCl) were studied by small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS). A transition in structure and properties of the protein seems to occur around a GdmCl concentration of 1.2 mol L^?1. The data are interpreted assuming that the protein molecules behave like multi‐block copolymers with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic sequences. Below the transition, the protein structure is still native and has a fractal dimension larger than that beyond the transition where the β‐casein has the feature of a three‐dimensional excluded‐volume coil. A possible interpretation of these results is that the presence of salt increases the value of the critical micelle concentration. This allows a comparison of the structure of β‐casein and synthetic macromolecules. We find that, although the protein is short, excluded‐volume interactions between monomers are present, and that the structure of β‐casein is very similar to what was found in dilute solutions of linear polymers in a good solvent. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that above the critical salt concentration, the protein is completely isolated, whereas below, some structure remains present. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

凤凰涅槃:三亚凤凰水城概念规划与建筑设计

海南的房地产从20世纪90年代初期开始经历了由快速发展．火爆到泡沫产生、膨胀随之破灭．直至最终跌入谷底的痛苦轮回。经过近十年的徘徊、整合与蓄势．从2006年上半年开始．在内地整体经济发展形势的影响与拉动下．海南的房地产开始加速复苏并很快进入新的一轮高速发展期。三亚凤凰水城项目正是应运这样一种大势而策划起动的。[第一段]     

Electronic properties of carbon nanotubes calculated from density functional theory and the empirical <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis>-bond model

The validity of the DFT models implemented by FIREBALL for CNT electronic device modeling is assessed. The effective masses, band gaps, and transmission coefficients of semi-conducting, zigzag, (n,0) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) resulting from the ab-initio tight-binding density functional theory (DFT) code FIREBALL and the empirical, nearest-neighbor π-bond model are compared for all semiconducting n values 5≤n≤35. The DFT values for the effective masses differ from the π-bond values by ±9% over the range of n values, 17≤n≤29, most important for electronic device applications. Over the range 13≤n≤35, the DFT bandgaps are less than the empirical bandgaps by 20–180 meV depending on the functional and the n value. The π-bond model gives results that differ significantly from the DFT results when the CNT diameter goes below 1 nm due to the large curvature of the CNT. The π-bond model quickly becomes inaccurate away from the bandedges for a (10,0) CNT, and it is completely inaccurate for n≤8.