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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained increasing attention in the construction industry. The implementation of CSR integrates the desires of construction enterprises to achieve competitive advantages and demonstrate their commitments to be socially responsible. Previous studies have mainly explored the factors influencing CSR implementation in a broader field of management, recognizing that there are discrete sets of influencing factors for different industry sectors. Based on a systematic review of 69 relevant CSR research in construction, this study aims to identify and conceptualize the influencing factors - drivers, motivations, and barriers - for CSR implementation by construction enterprises. The descriptive analysis shows an increasing trend in CSR studies in construction with studies focused on both developed and developing countries. The content analysis results show that the drivers can be categorized into three sub-themes: policy pressure, market pressure, and innovation and technology development. The key motivations include: financial benefits, branding, reputation and image, relationship building, organizational culture, and strategic business direction. Next, the barriers were grouped into five perspectives, namely: government policy, construction enterprise, the attributes of CSR, the stakeholder perspective, and the construction industry. To conceptualize these influencing factors, this study proposed a theoretical perspective that combined the stakeholder, institutional and self-determination theories. The findings have implications for government agencies in the development of relevant policies to encourage the adoption of CSR practices in the industry. For construction enterprises, the findings have implications to their new or existing CSR practices in enhancing organizational competitive advantages and in achieving their goals to be socially responsible.

The construction industry has a major social, cultural, environmental and economic impact on the environment in which it operates. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) research in construction is growing, it is highly UK-centric and there has been no comparative research of construction industry CSR practices between different countries. Addressing the need for such research in an increasingly globalised construction industry, and adopting a cultural relativist perspective which recognises the contextuality of CSR practices, this paper presents a comparative study of CSR practices in the construction supply chains of the Singapore, Australia and New Zealand construction industries. Analysis of CSR data collected via an on-line survey of 137 firms in the construction supply chains of these countries using the Kruskal Wallis H-test and Relative Prevalence Indexing results indicate a compliance-based approach to CSR in all three countries and a common focus on environmental and safety issues. The social dimension of CSR is yet to mature, particularly in the areas of community interaction, disability, wellness, childcare and ageing. There is also significant reluctance to interfere with supply chains to achieve CSR objectives. Outside these similarities, numerous differences in CSR practices are found between these countries adding to our understanding of the influence of differing regulatory imperatives, institutional factors, workforce structures and demographics and cultural factors. The findings also add to our understanding of the interactions between formal and informal CSR policies and practices in different cultural contexts and the potential value of New Institutionalist Theory as a new conceptual lens to explore this issue further.

Although omnichannel retailing has gained significant interest among academics and practitioners, the mechanisms through which customers react to Cross-Channel Integration (CCI) in omnichannel retailing remain unclear. To this end, this study builds on the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) framework to unpack the processes through which uncertainty, identity attractiveness, and switching costs of omnichannel retailers play pushing, pulling, and mooring roles in shaping customers' reaction to CCI. We further explore the moderating influence of showrooming in these relationships. Survey findings reveal that uncertainty, identity attractiveness, and switching costs of omnichannel retailers partially mediate the effect of CCI on customer retention while fully mediating the relationship between CCI and interest in alternatives. We also uncovered that customer showrooming strengthens the negative relationship between CCI and retailer uncertainty. We conclude this paper with theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

The opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) is a leading cause of life-threatening nosocomial pneumonia. Outbreaks of multidrug resistant (MDR)-AB belonging to international clones (ICs) I and II with limited treatment options are major global health threats. However, the pathogenesis mechanisms of various AB clonal groups are understudied. Although inflammation-associated interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels and IL-1 receptor antagonist polymorphisms were previously implicated in MDR-AB-related pneumonia in patients, whether inflammasomes has any role in the host defense and/or pathogenesis of clinically relevant A. baumannii infection is unknown. Using a sublethal mouse pneumonia model, we demonstrate that an extensively drug-resistant clinical isolate (ICII) of A. baumannii exhibits reduced/delayed early pulmonary neutrophil recruitment, higher lung persistence, and, most importantly, elicits enhanced IL-1β/IL-18 production and lung damage through NLRP3 inflammasome, in comparison with A. baumannii-type strain. A. baumannii infection-induced IL-1β/IL-18 production is entirely dependent on NLRP3-ASC-caspase-1/caspase-11 pathway. Using Nlrp3

This study evaluates the historical mean surface temperature (hereafter T2m) and examines how T2m changes over East Africa (EA) in the 21st century using CMIP6 models. An evaluation was conducted based on mean state, trends, and statistical metrics (Bias, Correlation Coefficient, Root Mean Square Difference, and Taylor skill score). For future projections over EA, five best performing CMIP6 models (based on their performance ranking in historical mean temperature simulations) under the shared socioeconomic pathways SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios were employed. The historical simulations reveal an overestimation of the mean annual T2m cycle over the study region with fewer models depicting underestimations. Further, CMIP6 models reproduce the spatial and temporal trends within the observed range proximity. Overall, the best performing models are as follows: FGOALS-g3, HadGEM-GC31-LL, MPI-ESM2-LR, CNRM-CM6-1, and IPSL-CM6A-LR. During the three-time slice under consideration, the Multi Model Ensemble (MME) project many changes during the late period (2080 – 2100) with expected mean changes at 2.4 °C for SSP2-4.5 and 4.4 °C for the SSP5-8.5 scenario. The magnitude of change based on Sen’s slope estimator and Mann-Kendall test reveal significant increasing tendencies with projections of 0.24°C decade-1 (0.65°C decade-1) under SSP2-4.5 (SSP5-8.5) scenarios. The findings from this study illustrate higher warming in the latest model outputs of CMIP6 relative to its predecessor, despite identical instantaneous radiative forcing.

We report the genome sequence of Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis BL3, which has preventive properties on acute colitis and colon cancer. The genome of BL3, which was isolated from Korean faeces, consisted of a 1 944 323 bp size single chromosome, and its G+C content was 60.5%. Genome comparison against the closest Bifidobacterium animalis strain revealed that BL3 had particularly different regions of four areas encoding flavin-nucleotide-binding protein, transposase, multidrug ABC transporter and ATP binding protein.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on psychological health. Mindfulness training, which helps individuals attend to the present moment with a non-judgmental attitude, improves sleep and reduces stress in regular times, and may be relevant in mitigating harmful health consequences during acute crises. However, restrictions may necessitate this training being delivered online, rather than in in-person group settings. Methods: Data from an ongoing study were used for this retrospective equivalence trial. Participants were recruited (with no exclusion criteria) from enrollees in mindfulness courses at a local charity organization promoting mental wellness. Three groups were created, two that received their training during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic (in-person (N = 36) and videoconferencing (N = 38)), and a second control group of participants tested before the pandemic (N = 86). Primary outcomes were self-reported stress and sleep quality. Baseline levels, and changes in these variables due to mindfulness training were compared among the groups using analysis of covariance and two one-sided t-tests. Findings: Perceived stress and sleep quality did not differ significantly between groups at baseline. Mindfulness training significantly reduced stress in all three groups, and this effect was statistically equivalent for videoconferencing compared to in-person training. Sleep quality improved significantly in the pre-pandemic group, but in neither of the groups during the pandemic. Participants reported shorter times to initiate sleep following mindfulness training pre-pandemic, but not during the pandemic. Course attendance was high and equivalent across the online and comparison groups, and participants engaged in marginally more daily practice in the online condition. Interpretation: Online mindfulness training via videoconferencing may be a useful intervention for stress reduction but not sleep improvement during times when traditional in-person training is not feasible. Funding: This study was supported by start-up funding from Duke-NUS Medical School and the National University of Singapore to JL.

Project management literature has long argued that inter-organizational justice is a key driver of successful construction project delivery. It is argued that when people believe business transactions are fair, they are more likely to exhibit positive organizational citizenship behaviors such as working harmoniously, giving discretionary effort, respecting others, and collaborating to resolve problems. However, there has been little empirical evidence to support these assertions. To address this knowledge gap, an online survey of 135 consultants, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers from across the construction project supply chain was undertaken. The results show that project participants' organizational citizenship behaviors are influenced by their perceived interpersonal justice in business transactions. However, the findings also offer a more nuanced understanding of the complexities and inter-connectedness of these relationships in showing how one type of inter-organizational justice acts on another in influencing project organizational citizenship behaviors. The results indicate that interpersonal justice is a key ingredient in bringing about positive organizational citizenship behaviors in construction projects and that project performance can be enhanced if project managers treat project participants with politeness, respect, and dignity.

Corporate sustainability demands the integration of environmental performance, social justice and economic efficiency and, into company's operational practices. Construction companies are increasingly under pressure to commit to and report on the overall sustainability performances of operational initiatives. The aim of this paper is to investigate the sustainability performance of the top 50 construction contractors listed by Engineering News Record (ENR) against the triple bottom line. Under this aim, the specific objectives are: (i) examine the approaches adopted by construction firms to disclose their commitments to sustainability; (ii) review the firms’ annual and sustainability reports; and (iii) analyse the sustainability performance of construction firms against the GRI (Global Reporting Initiatives) guidelines. This study adopted survey design in which data were collected by reviewing publicly available organisational documents. Afterward, content analysis was conducted. The results indicate that financial performance is still the main target of most organisations. European contractors are considered best and Australasian contractors on the other side are considered as worst in reporting sustainability initiatives.

Interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is growing in the construction sector. In response to societal changes, construction professionals and the businesses they work in are expected to contribute positively to the environments and communities in which they build. Hitherto, it appears that there has been little research in mapping out the CSR focuses and initiatives of construction and engineering firms. In addressing this gap, 104 professionals from across the construction supply chain in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken. The overall results reveal that many firms’ CSR focuses are mainly on occupational health and safety, ethical business practices and environmental management and that their CSR initiatives are very much internally focused. Companies have generally focused on their CSR workplace, supply chain and environmental initiatives and largely ignored the mutuality of interests between the community and business. In moving CSR in the construction sector forward, it is argued that the industry must move from altruism to strategy and from a client focus to a community focus.

A study of naive participants' strategies in manual assembly is reported. Four groups of ten participants assembled hacksaws under varying conditions of the number of aids given to participants. The aids were provision of an assembly jig, instructions on use of the jig and components set up in an ergonomically-designed workplace. Assembly took place under four conditions: (a) with no jig or instructions (b) with a jig and with no instructions on its use (c) with a jig and with instructions and (d) with a jig, instructions and also an ergonomically designed workplace in which all parts were placed within the zone of convenient reach. Video recording was used to measure performance times and strategies in assembling the hacksaw. The 40 participants used a total of 32 models of liaison sequence and 152 patterns of assembly sequence. Participants used many different strategies in their early learning and generally settled down to a single pattern after the early trials. The common strategy of participants was to pick and assemble the longer and heavier components, followed by small and lighter components. Relevance to industry Participants showed many different patterns of assembly, even for a simple product. The data indicate a need for the industrial engineer to determine the ergonomically best layout of components for assembly and demonstrate the best assembly sequence to the operator.

An assessment of the occurrence and concentration of enteric viruses and coliphages was carried out in highly urbanized catchment waters in the tropical city-state of Singapore. Target enteric viruses in this study were noroviruses, adenoviruses, astroviruses and rotaviruses. In total, 65 water samples were collected from canals and the reservoir of the Marina catchment on a monthly basis over a period of a year. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and single agar layer plaque assay (SAL) were used to enumerate target enteric viruses and coliphages in water samples, respectively. The most prevalent pathogen were noroviruses, detected in 37 samples (57%), particularly norovirus genogroup II (48%), with a mean concentration of 3.7 × 10(2) gene copies per liter. Rotavirus was the second most prevalent virus (40%) with a mean concentration of 2.5 × 10(2) GC/L. The mean concentrations of somatic and male-specific coliphages were 2.2 × 10(2) and 1.1 × 10(2) PFU/100 ml, respectively. The occurrence and concentration of each target virus and the ratio of somatic to male-specific coliphages varied at different sampling sites in the catchment. For sampling sites with higher frequency of occurrence and concentration of viruses, the ratio of somatic to male-specific coliphages was generally much lower than other sampling sites with lower incidences of enteric viruses. Overall, higher statistical correlation was observed between target enteric viruses than between enteric viruses and coliphages. However, male-specific coliphages were positively correlated with norovirus concentrations. A multi-level integrated surveillance system, which comprises the monitoring of bacterial indicators, coliphages and selected enteric viruses, could help to meet recreational and surface water quality criteria in a complex urbanized catchment.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infections cause great economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide, and the emergence of new variant strains complicates disease control. The present study investigated the genetic and protectotypic features of newly emerged Korean IBV strains. A phylogenetic analysis showed that several recent isolates formed 2 different clusters (new cluster 1 and 2), which were distinct from other preexisting clusters. New cluster 1 IBV strains represented recombinants between Korean nephropathogenic strain KM91 and the QXIBV strain. New cluster 2 IBV strains showed low amino acid homology (

The role of Nafion® binder in the electrodes was evaluated by changing its content for the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication. In the study, we prepared MEAs that have two different compositions of catalyst layers in electrodes. One layer which is close to the electrolyte membrane has the higher Nafion® content. The other which is near the gas diffusion media (GDM) has the lower one. Also, we changed the thickness of two layers to find the ideal composition of the binder and Pt/C in the electrode. The dual catalyst layer coated MEA showed higher cell performance at high current density region than the pristine MEA.

To study the effects of fabrication methods on the durability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) were fabricated using a conventional method, a catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) method, and a CCM-hot pressed method. Single cells assembled with the prepared MEAs were operated galvanostatically at 600 mA cm−2 for 1000 h for the conventional MEA and the CCM MEA and for 500 h for the CCM-hot pressed MEA. During operation, i–V curves, impedance spectra, and cyclic voltammograms were measured roughly every 100 h. Before and after long-term operation, the physical and chemical characteristics of the MEAs were analyzed using mercury porosimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Under the operating conditions, the CCM MEA exhibited the lowest degradation rate as well as the highest initial performance.

An experimental study of steady state flow and heat transfer has been conducted for the multiple plate porous insulation used in the reactor pressure vessels of ‘Magnox’ nuclear power stations. The insulation pack studied, consisting of seven dimpled stainless steel sheets and six plane stainless steel sheets, was of the type installed in the Sizewell A plant. A large scale experimental test facility, based on the guarded hot plate method, was used for measuring the effective thermal conductivity of Magnox reactor pressure vessel insulation, which consists of alternate layers of plain steel foil and dimpled foil. The measurements were made both with the fluid within the insulation pack nominally stationary and with an imposed flow through it, simulating leakage through the insulation pack. The experimental conditions corresponded to a heat flux of 75–1000 W/m 2 , fluid pressures of atmospheric to 5 bar gauge, pack orientations in range of 0°–45° relative to the horizontal, leakage velocities ranging from 0.05 m/s to 0.20 m/s and inlet air bulk temperatures ranging from 18 °C to 290 °C. Local values of effective thermal conductivity of 0.04–0.23 W/m K were obtained for the above experimental conditions. The heat transfer modes in the insulation pack were conduction through the contacting metallic foils, thermal radiation across the gas gaps, and conduction and convection in the air. The effective thermal conductivity of the porous insulation increased with increasing air pressure, inclination angle, and air velocity. Buoyancy effects increased with increasing inclination angle and air pressure.

A numerical study of steady state flow and heat transfer has been conducted for the multiple plate porous insulation used in the reactor pressure vessels of ‘Magnox’ nuclear power stations. The insulation pack studied, consisting of seven dimpled stainless steel sheets and six plane stainless steel sheets, was of the type installed in the Sizewell A plant. In the reactor application the fluid within the insulation pack is carbon dioxide at 20 bar but in the numerical investigation the insulation performance was examined in air at lower pressures. A three-dimensional computation model with a periodicity condition was used in the numerical investigation. Result was obtained for laminar forced convection with constant wall temperatures. Numerical results are presented to show the flow and thermal fields in a single flow passage. In forced convection it is shown that mid-dimple ‘peaking’ of the Nusselt number distribution may be related directly to the convective influence of distorted velocity profiles.

For commercialization of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), stack fabrication cost should be significantly reduced, possibly by reducing the loading of platinum catalyst. Under normal operating conditions using humidified hydrogen and air, the performance of a single cell is not uniform over the active electrode area due to non-uniform distribution of reactant gases and water. To improve catalyst utilization, a catalyst-gradient electrode method is applied to a single-cell fabrication. This procedure is found to be very effective in reducing platinum usage without loss in cell performance.

Platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon are prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process. The catalysts are characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The average particle size of Pt and Pd nanoparticles, which are uniformly dispersed on carbon, is 4 and 5 nm, respectively. The Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts exhibit four diffraction peaks that are indexed to the {1 1 1}, {2 0 0}, {2 2 0}, and {3 1 1} planes of Pt and Pd, respectively. The electrooxidation of formic acid is examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The Pd/C catalyst is found to have a higher electrocatalytic activity for formic acid oxidation than a comparative Pt/C catalyst. Preliminary data from a single-stack test cell of a direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) using Pd/C as the anode catalyst yield high power density.

The interface between the electrolyte and electrode catalyst plays an important role in determining the performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) since the electrochemical reactions take place at the interface in contact with the reactant gases. To enhance catalyst activity by enlarging the interfacial area, the surface of a Nafion ® membrane is roughened by Ar + ion beam bombardment that does not change the chemical structure of the membrane, as confirmed by FT-IR spectra. Among the membranes treated with ion dose densities of 0, 10 15 , 10 16 , 5 × 10 16 and 10 17 ions cm −2 at ion energy of 1 keV, the membrane treated at ion dose density of 5 × 10 16 ions cm −2 exhibits the highest performance. Using the untreated and the treated membrane with 5 × 10 16 ions cm −2 , the effects of platinum loading on cell performance are examined with Pt loadings of 01, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.55 mg cm −2 . Except for a Pt loading of 0.55 mg cm −2 where mass transport limits the cell performance, the single cell using a treated membrane gives a higher performance than that using an untreated membrane. This implies that the cell performance can be improved and the Pt loading can be reduced by ion beam bombardment.

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) copolymers (PESs) are synthesized using hydroquinone 2-potassium sulfonate (HPS) with other monomers (bisphenol A and 4-fluorophenyl sulfone). A series of PESs with different mol% of hydrophilic group is prepared by changing the mole ratio of HPS in the polymerization reaction. The chemical structure and thermal stability of the polymers are characterized by using 1 H NMR, FT-IR and TGA techniques. The PES 60 membrane, which has 60 mol% of HPS unit in the polymer backbone, has a proton conductivity of 0.091 S cm −1 and good insolubility in boiling water. The TGA showed that PES 60 is stable up to 272 °C with a char yield of about 29% at 900 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. To investigate single-cell performance, a catalyst-coated PES 60 membrane is used together with hydrogen and oxygen as the fuel and the oxidant, respectively. Cell performance is enhanced by increasing the temperature. A current density of 1400 mA cm −2 at 0.60 V is obtained at 70 °C.

Thin membranes in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) enhance the back diffusion of water from cathode to anode and allow operation of the PEMFC under dry conditions. In this work, thin cast Nafion membranes are prepared to operate the PEMFC under non-humidified conditions at various temperatures. Also, the effect of gas-diffusion media (GDM) on cell performance is examined using two different GDM that have distinct physical properties. Single cells with thin cast membranes provide better performance than those with commercially available Nafion 112. This improvement is due to better back-diffusion of water and lower membrane resistance. The performance of cell using GDM with low porosity is superior to that of a cell using GDM with high porosity. The fuel cell can be operated successfully under non-humidified conditions with a thin cast membrane and low porosity GDM.

PtSn nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon were prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PtSn nanoparticles, which were uniformly dispersed on carbon, were 2–7 nm in diameter. All Pt/C and PtSn/C catalysts (except Pt35Sn65/C) displayed the characteristic diffraction peaks of a Pt face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, whereas the Pt35Sn65/C catalyst showed the X-ray diffraction pattern of Pt face-centered cubic (fcc) and cassiterite SnO2 phases. XPS analysis revealed that the catalysts contained mostly Pt(0) and Sn(IV), with traces of Pt(II), Pt(IV) and Sn(0). The electro-oxidation of liquid methanol on these catalysts was investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results showed that the alloy catalyst was catalytically more active and durable electrocatalytic activities for methanol oxidation than a comparative Pt/C catalyst. Preliminary data from a direct methanol fuel cell using the Vulcan carbon-supported PtSn alloy as anode catalyst showed high power density. Keywords: PtSn/C electrocatalysts, Direct methanol fuel cell, Microwave-assisted polyol process

In situ oxidation/lithiation reaction of the pure Ni and Ni–Co alloy electrodes were studied in molten Li0.62/K0.38 carbonate eutectics saturated with a 0.9O2 + 0.1CO2 atmosphere at 923 K. Ni–Co alloy electrodes were prepared on the pure Au foil by the galvanostatic pulse plating method. Open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were employed to investigate the in situ oxidation /lithiation reaction of electrodes. OCP variation of Ni and Ni–Co alloy electrodes was divided into four regions and charge transfer resistance (Rct) and diffusion resistance (Rdiff) measured as a function of OCP/immersion time in EIS experiment strongly depended on the composition of Ni–Co alloy electrodes and the electrochemical–catalytic activity of Ni–Co alloy electrodes was affected by the surface roughness. In XRD analysis and micro-Raman spectroscopy (RS), the lithiation content increased proportionally with the amount of cobalt in Ni–Co alloy electrodes, which was an important factor to determine the electrochemical–catalytic activity of electrodes.

The dissolution behavior of the NiO–CoO electrodes in molten (Li 0.62 K 0.38 ) 2 CO 3 eutectics as a function of Co content was investigated under the standard cathodic gas composition at 650 °C. In order to prepare NiO–CoO electrodes, Co was deposited on the porous Ni electrode using galvanostatic pulse plating technique followed by the oxidation process. Compared to the pure NiO electrode, NiO–CoO electrodes showed low Ni solubility in molten (Li 0.62 K 0.38 ) 2 CO 3 eutectics. Solubility of NiO–CoO electrodes depended on the partial pressure of carbon dioxide ( P CO 2 ) and the Ni solubility increased with P CO 2 . On the other hand, the Ni solubility was not affected by the partial pressure of oxygen ( P O 2 ). The XRD analysis after the dissolution experiment, showed that the Ni solubility decreased with increase of the amount of lithium incorporated in the electrodes and that the lithium incorporation was promoted by the formation of NiO–CoO solid solution. The results obtained in the present study suggested that NiO–CoO solid solution could effectively suppress the NiO dissolution in the molten (Li 0.62 K 0.38 ) 2 CO 3 eutectics.

CuO-CeO2 catalysts were prepared by a conventional co-precipitation method and tested for the selective oxidation of carbon monoxide in the presence of excess hydrogen and carbon dioxide. N2 adsorption results showed that the BET surface area and pore volume of the CuO-CeO2 catalyst decreased with increase of calcination temperature whereas average pore diameter increased. From the results of XRD and XPS, we determined the oxidation state of copper in the catalyst. With the increase of calcination temperature, cupric oxide was formed near the surface of the catalyst at first and then appeared on the surface of the catalyst, indicating that the CuO-CeO2 catalyst was in the form of a solid solution and cupric oxide was formed due to phase separation which then migrated to the surface of the catalyst with the increase of calcination temperature. CO chemisorption data exhibited the amounts of CO uptake of the CuO-CeO2 catalyst. The amount of reversible CO uptake showed a volcano curve with calcination temperature. The CuO-CeO2 catalyst batch which was calcined at 700 °C had the best activity because this catalyst formed the most stable state of Cu–Ce–O solid solution and could chemisorb CO reversibly.

The quasistatic uniaxial compression behavior of both single hollow spheres and bulk metal foams comprised of the same hollow spheres is examined experimentally. The spheres are nominally the composition of a 405 stainless steel (Fe–12Cr), with a 2 mm outside diameter and 0.1 mm thick walls, and are sintered together to process the bulk foam. It is shown that to first order the bulk foam stress–strain behavior, Poisson effects, and densification may be understood on the basis of simple experiments performed on single spheres between parallel platens. These hollow sphere foams appear to behave similar to open-cell foams. Finite element modeling of finite compression of a single sphere lends further insight into the deformation process and the role of plastic bending and contact of cell walls during the process of densification.

Infrared spectra of Mars were taken with the two complementary spectrometers onboard the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), in both moderate- and high-resolution mode. From the strengths of the observed water lines we derived information about the vertical distribution of water vapor and on the emissivity of the dust/surface system in the infrared. Assuming atmospheric and surface temperatures derived from the European Martian Climate Database with a slight adjustment to the observed 15-μm CO2 band, the ISO data are consistent with an H2O mixing ratio of (3±1)×10−4 at the surface, a saturation level at 13±2 km, and a total column density of 12±3.5 pr-μm. The mean disk emissivity is found to be close to 1.0 at 6 μm and 0.92±0.02 at 40 μm. At longer wavelengths the emissivity decreases from a value of 0.97±0.03 at 50μm to 0.92±0.03 at 180 μm.

The influences of grain boundaries and relative grain misorientations on stress-induced martensitic transformations in NiTi are studied using unique experiments and finite element modeling. Tensile and compressive mechanical tests reveal that polycrystalline NiTi with a dominant fiber texture and single crystal NiTi oriented along the [111] direction exhibit nearly identical stress–strain curves during a stress-induced martensitic transformation. Micro-mechanical finite element simulations of fiber textured polycrystals and single crystals undergoing a multi-variant martensitic transformation confirm the relative indifference of the macroscopic transformation attributes to the presence of grain boundaries. On the microscale, the finite element simulations further reveal that the insensitivity of the transformation to intergranular constraint is linked to the local stress disturbance created by transforming grains. The transformation of grains that are favorably oriented with respect to the loading axis creates local stresses that invariably assist the transformation in neighboring grains, effectively lowering the influence of grain misorientations and boundaries on the macroscopic transformation behavior.

We examined the activity of two metabolites of sulindac (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), sulindac sulfide and sulindac sulfone (exisulind, Prevatec), and a novel highly potent analog of exisulind (CP248) on a series of human prostate epithelial cell lines. Marked growth inhibition was seen with the BPH-1, LNCaP, and PC3 cell lines with IC50 values of about 66 microM, 137 microM, and 64 nM for sulindac sulfide, exisulind, and CP248, respectively. DNA flow cytometry and 4',6'-diamido-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining indicated that these three compounds also induced apoptosis in all of these cell lines. Similar growth inhibition also was seen with the PrEC normal human prostate epithelial cell line, but these cells were resistant to induction of apoptosis at concentrations up to 300 microM, 1 mM, and 750 nM of sulindac sulfide, exisulind, and CP248, respectively. Derivatives of LNCaP cells that stably overexpress bcl-2 remained sensitive to growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis by these compounds. In vitro enzyme assays indicated that despite its high potency in inhibiting growth and inducing apoptosis, CP248, like exisulind, lacked cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) inhibitory activity even at concentrations up to 10 mM. Moreover, despite variations of COX-1 and COX-2 expression, the three benign and malignant prostate cell lines showed similar sensitivity to growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis by these three compounds. Therefore, sulindac derivatives can cause growth inhibition and induce apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells by a COX-1 and -2 independent mechanism, and this occurs irrespective of androgen sensitivity or increased expression of bcl-2. These compounds may be useful in the prevention and treatment of human prostate cancer.

ITO thin films (100–200 nm) are deposited on glass and plastic (PET and polycarbonate) substrates by r.f. sputtering. Process parameters such as oxygen partial pressure, r.f. power, and post deposition annealing parameters are varied to determine the dependence of the sheet resistance on process parameters. The microstructure of these thin films is determined using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The experimentally observed dependence of the sheet resistance on the grain size and grain orientation of these films is correlated to the dependence of the electron mobility on grain boundary scattering. Larger grain sizes (≈25 nm) in ITO films result in lower sheet resistance (250 Ω/□). This type of large grain size microstructure is produced with moderate r.f. power (≈100 W) and low oxygen partial pressure (≈10%). There is a unique correspondence between grain size and grain orientation. ITO films with a strong peak intensity ratio of (400) orientation to all other orientations (≈0.35) have the largest grain size (≈25 nm) resulting in the lowest sheet resistance (250 Ω/□) and high transmission (≈86.7%) at λ=550 nm .

The sheet resistance, optical transmittance and microstructure of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films (50–100-nm thick) rf sputter deposited on polymer substrates are investigated using a four-point probe, spectrophotometer, X-ray diffractometer and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Sheet resistances vary from 250 Ω/sq. to 170 kΩ/sq. Sheet resistances for the ITO films on polycarbonate substrates are at least an order of magnitude higher than those ITO films deposited on glass substrates at the same time. Annealing ITO films on polycarbonate substrates at 100°C in air for 1 h decreased the sheet resistances significantly (almost by 50%). The X-ray diffraction data indicate polycrystalline films with grain orientations predominantly along (222) and (400) directions. TEM photographs show two distinct regions of growth: a dense growth close to the substrate and a sparse growth away from the substrate. The vertical growth is columnar and rod shaped. Changes in the ITO film sheet resistance either due to the types of substrate used or due to annealing can be correlated to the grain size and grain orientation.

Little research has been done relating the layout of an assembly workplace in terms of the ‘zone of convenient reach’ (ZCR) to occupational health risks to the operators. Four groups of ten subjects were asked to assemble hacksaws under four experimental conditions. In three conditions subjects were free to arrange their own workplace, with each condition representing an improvement in terms of using a jig for assembly and being given instructions on proper use of the jig. The fourth condition used an ergonomically designed workplace where all parts were kept within the ZCR. Subjects had no practical experience in assembly work and were from non-engineering backgrounds. A video recording system was used to record the performance times, hand movements, body posture and strategies in assembling the hacksaw. Results showed significant learning between the first trial and the rest of the 20 trials for all the experimental conditions. The results also showed that an improved layout of the workplace would potentially produce the following benefits: (i) Reduced occupational health risks to the operator from back injury problems through safer use of hand movements and body posture. (ii) Increased productivity for the employer through more economical use of hand movements. Relevance to industry An improved workplace design, achieved through use of an assembly jig, instructions on proper use of the jig and layout of components within the zone of convenient reach, can reduce work times and also reduce occupational health risks. Occupational health risks may be reduced by the operator having less contralateral movements and less use of two hands to pick single parts. Time is reduced through use of more simultaneous motions.

Microwave technique were used to investigate the early hydration of slag cement with different slag percentages, different activators and different amount of activator. It is found that higher slag cement causes a higher dielectric constant E and a shorter induction period. But higher slag cement samples have very different electrical conductivity (3 compared with that of pure cement, their o curves have two extra bumps in 9-14 h and 22-24 h. We found that the addition of 2% NaOH and Na.$O, results in large changes in E whereas the addition of 2% Ca(0I-Q causes a little change in E. Addition of 2% Ca(OH), decreases the o but addition of 2% NaOH and Na.$O, increases the o. We also found that the greater the amount of Na$O, the smaller the E but the greater the (T. The relation between the compressive strength results and the E and o results are also discussed.

Background Calculation of the effect compartment concentration (Ce) in non-steady-state conditions requires the equilibrium rate constant, keo. Most studies of propofol derive the keo using EEG measurements. This study investigated an alternative method. Starting from a predicted concentration–time profile, a keo value was included so that the predicted Ce at a specific pharmacodynamic end-point was the same when using three different methods of injection. Methods Seventy-five patients were given propofol for induction of anaesthesia. Twenty-five patients received a single bolus, 25 patients received an infusion, and 25 patients received a bolus followed by an infusion. Computer simulation was used to derive the central compartment concentration. The keo that brought about the same value for Ce at loss of the eyelash reflex using the three methods of injection was derived. Results Keo was found to be 0.80 min−1. Mean ( sd ) Ce at loss of the eyelash reflex was 2.27 (0.69) μg ml−1. Conclusions The effect compartment equilibrium rate constant and concentration at loss of the eyelash reflex can be derived without the use of electronic central nervous system monitors.

We derived the predicted effect compartment concentration of thiopental, at loss of the eyelash reflex, following three different injection regimens. Sixty patients were given thiopental for induction of anaesthesia. Twenty patients received multiple small boluses, 20 patients received a single bolus and 20 patients received an infusion. Computer simulation was then used to derive the effect compartment concentration. The median concentration was not significantly different between the three groups. EC50, derived after combining all three groups was 11.3 microg ml(-1). The EC05-EC95 range was 6.9-18.3 microg ml(-1), suggesting wide inter-individual variation.

We have tested prospectively the algorithm of White and Kenny for pharmacokinetic model-controlled infusion of propofol in 40 healthy Oriental adults. Anaesthesia consisted of a target-controlled infusion of propofol, 70% nitrous oxide and an infusion of alfentanil. For the first 20 patients studied, median performance error was -5%, median absolute performance error 19%, divergence -9% and wobble 6%. The model was revised to minimize the prediction error of the variable set and tested prospectively in another 20 patients. There was a deterioration in performance of the revised model. Performance statistics for the original model in all 40 patients were: median performance error 2% (range -34 to 69%), median absolute performance error 21% (6-69%), divergence -17% (-92 to 49%) and wobble 7% (2-34%). The algorithm was found to perform adequately in our Oriental patient population.