The impact of status and audio conferencing technology on business meetings

This field study examining the effects of organizational status and multimedia audio communications technology on communication patterns in business meetings confirms that high status group members verbally dominate discussions and have more control over the flow of the proceedings. However, it reveals a new and surprising finding: multimedia communications technology can in fact exaggerate status constraints in contrast to findings that there is no effect or an equalizing effect on status inequalities of text-based conferencing technology. It appears that in audio conferences, the lack of non-verbal cues that can aid turn-taking combined with (1) the participants' knowledge of the group's status hierarchy and (2) the tendency to compare oneself unfavourably to those of higher status, makes it more difficult for lower status individuals to contribute verbally to discussions than in face-to-face interactions. Such status constraints may have both positive and negative impacts on group communication effectiveness, these and implications for the design and implementation of multimedia communications technology are discussed.     

DETECTION OF FIMBRIAE (CFA/I) ON ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI USING ANTIBODIES

Fimbriae (CFA/I) were isolated after detachment from an enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli ( ETEC) strain H10407, purified by successive isoelectric point precipitation at pH 3.5, and injected into rabbits. The antisera containing the polyclonal antibodies against the fimbrial proteins (antigens) were then used to detect the presence of CFA/I on other E. coli cultures using an indirect ELISA system. The ELISA procedures for the CFA/I assay was as sensitive as the DNA hybridization for detecting the ETEC strains. Two bands (major and minor) were present when the isolated fimbrial proteins were subjected to SDS-PAGE. The major band had a molecular mass of 40.3 and the minor 36.4 kDa. Electron microscopy of the fimbriae appeared as thin thread rods with variable length (5–15 μm ).     

Stereotype Threat and Women's Performance in Engineering

Recent research has demonstrated that stereotype threat—the concern that others will judge one negatively due to a stereotype that exists about one's group—interferes with women's performance on standardized math and engineering exams. In the current research we find that when a shortened version of the Fundamental of Engineering Exam is described as a test that is diagnostic of ability (i.e., when stereotype threat is high) women perform worse than men on the test. When stereotype threat is reduced, however (by characterizing the test as non‐diagnostic or as not producing gender differences), women do just as well as men. The implication of these results for improving the engineering education environment is discussed.     

Multiple sclerosis and milk: to drink or not to drink?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the central nervous system. It is the most common disabling neurological disease among young adults. The aetiology of this condition, which affects approximately 85 000 people in the UK, is unknown. It has been suggested that environmental factors including nutrition may be involved in its development in susceptible individuals. In the past, it has been suggested that milk and dairy products could exacerbate, cause relapses in, and even progress the symptoms of MS. This paper discusses the role of dairy products and their components in relation to MS, and is based on recently published research.     

DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETRY DETECTION OF HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL AS AN ADULTERANT IN EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed to detect high oleic sunflower oil (HOSo) as an adulterant in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOo) by means of cooling and heating thermograms. Addition of HOSo did not significantly alter cooling profiles of EVOo except for onset temperature of crystallization, which was significantly shifted toward lower temperature at 40% of adulterant addition. At the same percentage of adulteration, the heating profile of EVOo was significantly changed as the major endotherm broadened and the minor event became smaller and less evident. Cooling thermograms of pure oils and their admixtures were deconvoluted into three constituent exothermic peaks in an attempt to detect addition of HOSo at levels lower than 40%. Thermal properties of the two lower-temperature exotherms (area percentage, offset temperature and range of transition) were significantly changed at ≥ 20% of HOSo substitution, suggesting that DSC can be employed to detect this oil as an EVOo adulterant.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Adulteration of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOo) with cheaper oils from other vegetable sources or seeds, as well as with lower quality olive oils, is a serious concern for oil suppliers and consumers and requires the use of new analytical techniques for their detection. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) exhibits some advantages over the classical analytical methods as it does not require sample preparation and use of solvents, thus resulting in a reduced environmental impact. Results suggested that its application to the detection of EVOo adulteration with high oleic sunflower oil, a vegetable oil largely employed for this type of fraud, is promising with the support of the deconvolution analysis of cooling thermograms.     

Hydroxylation of phenol with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by Fe- and AIFe-Bentonite

The paper described pillarisations of natural bentonite from Pacitan East Java of Indonesia by using AI and Fe. Intercalation process by using surfactant molecule has also been carried out. Natural bentonite was intercalated with HDTMA-Br （hexadecyltrimethylammonium-bromide） 1, 5% solution before pillared with AI and Fe metal to give HDTMA-bentonite forms. The ratio of bentonite and intercalating agent or pillaring agent was 1 gr/50 mL. The mixture was agitated, and then the solid phase was washed with distilled water. Then it was dried and calcined at 450℃ for 4 hours. Their catalytic activity and selectivity were studied for phenol hydroxylation using tlzOz （30%）. The reaction condition of this reaction was as follows： ratio of phenol/ H202 = 1：1 （molar ratio）, concentration of phenol = 1 M, reaction temperature was 60℃, and ratio of catalyst/phenol was 1：10. The products were hydroquinone and cathecol.     

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: SHIFTING PATTERNS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN FIVE DUTCH CITIES

Cities are oftentimes seen as undergoing a process of “emergence” in the “new economy.” However, this process has largely remained empirically underdetermined. This article examines the intra‐city geography of emerging businesses in newly dominant sectors of the urban economy. The change in dominant sectors coincides with a shift towards small‐ and medium‐sized businesses, creating new economic opportunities for urban residential areas. The residential neighborhood is introduced as a place where supply and demand side drivers operate to attract or limit such new economic activity. Allen Scott's perspective of the cognitive‐cultural economy is used to analyze which neighborhoods are flourishing sites of the cognitive‐cultural sectors. His perspective on industries that are on the rise in urban environments and their growth potential proves very valuable. Social demographic characteristics on the level of the neighborhood are used as predictors of the composition of the local economy. The analyses show that in particular wealthy, gentrified neighborhoods are more prone than others to becoming “hubs” of the cognitive‐cultural economy. However, disadvantaged neighborhoods may under certain conditions serve as incubators for business start‐ups as they offer low‐rent office spaces. This has important consequences for their future economic growth potential as well as the distribution of successful businesses in the city.     

CAFFEINE IS NON-MUTAGENIC TO SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM AND HUMAN CELLS IN CULTURE

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) was inactive as a mutagen at the hgprt locus in two human lymphoblast lines at concentrations up to 20 mM. In addition, caffeine did not induce 8-azaguanine-resistant mutants in Salmonella typhimurium at similar levels.     

Analytical Microscopy Study of Phases and Fracture in Y2O3-La2O3 Alloys

Transmission electron microscopic analyses defined the structures and compositions in single-phase and two-phase La₂O₃-doped Y₂O₃ materials fabricated by the transient solid second-phase sintering. The composition in single-phase, 10-mol%-La₂O₃-doped, sintered and annealed samples was found to be uniform, indicating that diffusivity was sufficiently high for homogenization in the single-phase field. Two-phase, 16-mol%-La₂O₃-doped, sintered and annealed samples showed two morphologies: (1) intragranular, lath-like, monoclinic second-phase particles (twinned and untwinned) and (2) equiaxed cubic matrix. The second-phase particles were identified as the monoclinic phase derived from the high-temperature hexagonal phase through a rapid phase transition. A short, high-temperature anneal (2200°C for 1 min) of 9 mol% La₂O₃-Y₂O₃ composition was found to retain the hexagonal phase. Microchemical analyses of the phases suggested adjustments to the Y₂O₃-La₂O₃ phase diagram. Observation of the interactions of the intragranular second-phase particles with crack propagation indicated crack deflection as one of the mechanisms responsible for toughening (1.5 vs 0.9 MPa · m^1/2).