Alfred State College

Polymer-electrolyte fuel cells are a promising energy-conversion technology. Over the last several decades significant progress has been made in increasing their performance and durability, of which continuum-level modeling of the transport processes has played an integral part. In this review, we examine the state-of-the-art modeling approaches, with a goal of elucidating the knowledge gaps and needs going forward in the field. In particular, the focus is on multiphase flow, especially in terms of understanding interactions at interfaces, and catalyst layers with a focus on the impacts of ionomer thin-films and multiscale phenomena. Overall, we highlight where there is consensus in terms of modeling approaches as well as opportunities for further improvement and clarification, including identification of several critical areas for future research.

Teamwork and problem-solving skills have frequently been identified by business leaders as being key competencies; thus, teaching methods such as problem-based learning and team-based learning have been developed. However, the focus of these methods has been on teaching one skill or the other. A key argument for teaching the skills concurrently is that the ability to solve an unstructured real-world problem within teams is what is needed outside the classroom and that this requires the use of both sets of skills simultaneously. Thus, the authors describe the design and implementation of a group problem-solving skills course for undergraduates, in which they engage in real creative problem-solving work together over a semester while learning and developing skills appropriate to their current stages in the team development and problem-solving processes. This method offers the potential to address criticisms by business leaders that new graduates often are technically proficient yet ill prepared to solve everyday organizational problems.

PURPOSE: As there is little research that investigates the experiences of minority boys participating in youth development programs (Fashola, 2003), the current research focused on a sport-based youth development program for early adolescent Black and Latino boys in Hartford, CT. Specifically, the present study explored (a) what attracted minority boys to participate in youth development programs, (b) what kept them involved, and (c) whether their involvement translated into positive developmental outcomes. METHOD: The study used semistructured individual interviews to collect data from 8 participants and their parents. The research team deductively coded interviews in accordance with the a-priori framework of the Five Cs and Sixth C of youth development (i.e., competence, character, caring, confidence, connection, and contribution; Roth & Brooks-Gunn, 2003). In addition, interviews were deductively coded to investigate why participants became involved in the program and why they continued participation. RESULTS: Findings from the study indicated that participants became involved with the Sport Hartford Boys (SHB) program mainly due to its emphasis on sport-related activities. Moreover, findings related to the youths' continued involvement revealed their value for the SHB program as a safe place that kept them out of trouble and provided experiences that led to positive personal development. Furthermore, results indicated that participation in the program facilitated the development of each "C" of youth development. CONCLUSION: By promoting positive relationships and providing opportunities for self-exploration in a safe and trusting environment, afterschool programs can cultivate positive youth development in minority boys, at least in the short-term.

The current study focused on addressing a gap in understanding the design, structure, and management of sport-for-development (SFD) initiatives, in this case an initiative rooted in sport-based service learning. Sport, and specifically SFD, has been shown to facilitate positive outcomes such as social capital development through expanding networks and community building. Some studies have focused on impacts on volunteers in sport and SFD programs. These volunteers have developed networks most often through informal relationship building activities. Building on this knowledge, the current mixed methods study investigated the social capital development of alumni of a college service learning through sport course. Survey data (n=93) and individual interviews (n=22) with participants who had completed at least one semester in the course indicated that social capital development was facilitated. In particular, the intentional design, structure, and management aspects of the course and program provided opportunities for social capital development.

Given the renewed focus as to the degree in which institutions of higher education are preparing their student-athletes for life after sports, this study used a qualitative meta-synthesis research method design to examine the transition experiences of college athletes out of intercollegiate sport. The researcher synthesized data from nine qualitative studies, leading to the identification of six themes characteristic of the transition experience: athletic identity, anticipation and preparation, branching out, satisfaction with athletic performance, loss of camaraderie and support systems. Finally, the manuscript discusses the results of the meta-synthesis in light of their theoretical and practical implications.

Body configuration is a sexually dimorphic trait. In humans, men tend to have high shoulder-to-hip ratios. Women in contrast, often have low waist-to-hip ratios (WHR); i.e., narrow waists and broad hips that approximate an hour-glass configuration. Women with low WHR's are rated as more attractive, healthier, and more fertile. They also tend to have more attractive voices, lose their virginity sooner, and have more sex partners. WHR has also been linked with general cognitive performance. In the present study we expand upon previous research examining the role of WHR in cognition. We hypothesized that more feminine body types, as indexed by a low WHR, would be associated with cognitive measures of the female "brain type," such as mental state attribution and empathy because both may depend upon the activational effects of estrogens at puberty. We found that women with low WHRs excel at identifying emotional states of other people and show a cognitive style that favors empathizing over systemizing. We suggest this relationship may be a byproduct of greater gluteofemoral fat stores which are high in the essential fatty acids needed to support brain development and cellular functioning. It is interesting to note that our findings suggest lower WHR females, who are more likely to be targeted for dishonest courtship, may be better at identifying disingenuous claims of commitment.

This study examined the degree of horizontal violence (HV) among RNs practicing in New York State (NYS). The objective was to determine the knowledge of HV and the degree of being a victim among practicing RNs. A descriptive survey using Briles' Sabotage Savvy Questionnaire, measuring occurrences of HV and nurses' knowledge of HV, was conducted among 2659 RNs in NYS hospitals. Findings demonstrate a significantly greater (P < .05) degree of HV in union versus nonunion cultures and less HV in Magnet® organizations. Gender and RN education significantly impacted HV. Developing organizational, leadership, and individual interventions to address HV helps create a culture of safety.

Eco-industrial parks (EIP) are an organization of businesses grouped around material needs and outputs. Functional synergies need to be formed that benefit both or multiple companies in these grouped organizations. Such synergies may be in the form of sharing resources, materials, infrastructure, information, or industrial ecology principles in the form of one entity using the by-product of another entity as input. There are environmental, economic as well as societal gains to be realized through eco-industrial parks. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess EIP success to date, as well as to report experienced advantages of EIPs in practice. Many EIP projects failed to come to fruition or have transformed and fallen back on traditional industrial practices. Close examination of such cases provides valuable lessons for future EIP projects and provides insight into why eco-industrial parks have historically high failure rates in the United States. The study offers a summary and critical analysis of success factors for EIP development (e.g., geographic requirements, stakeholder involvement and dedication, community involvement, and regulatory system/agency support). In addition, the strategies and methods for future success of eco-industrial parks (e.g., agent-based modeling, optimization modeling, non-competitive waste stream selection) are discussed. Agent-based modeling can identify true costs and benefits and enable monitoring of EIPs during their operation. Use of optimization techniques may be applied to overcome the complexity of multi-objective mathematical models aiming to balance the needs of multiple firms and multiple resources being allocated among them. Non-competitive waste streams can alleviate various social concerns between firms in an EIP conglomerate, due to reduced competition and mutual benefit such as re-utilizing waste that is traditional expensive to eliminate, reducing disposal costs, and raw material sourcing costs.

This open access book provides a comprehensive catalog of gay neighborhoods in major international cities around the world

Abstract Using Strauss-Howe generational theory as a guiding structure, this chapter examines differences between generational identity for LGBTQ+ individuals compared to heteronormative generational identity. We theorize that LGBTQ+ individuals may identify with two generational cohorts—one defined by birth year and a second related to “coming of age” as a sexual minority. A case study examining the lifespan of four LGBTQ+ celebrity personalities demonstrates the concept of generational layering. We argue “generational layering” affects various aspects of LGBTQ+ life, including connection to place as reflected in attitudes of LGBTQ+ people regarding gay neighborhoods. The chapter concludes with five takeaway messages that clarify the relationship between LGTBQ+ people, the generational cohorts to which they belong and with which they identify, and the attitudes of various LGBTQ+ generational cohorts toward gay neighborhoods.

In this qualitative study, the authors examined master's‐level counselor trainees' reactions to difficult dialogues in the classroom regarding racism, heterosexism/homophobia, and ableism over a 3‐year period. Using the Consensual Qualitative Research method as introduced by C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, and E. N. Williams (1997), the data analysis team analyzed narrative and reaction papers submitted during a didactic course on multiculturalism. Behavioral reactions were identified that form the basis for this study: denial, deflection, rationalization, intellectualization, principium, false envy, minimization, and benevolence.

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and performance of a novel rotational energy harvester, utilizing multiple magnetic actuators and piezoelectric beams for the maximum performance in a wide range of rotational speeds. The harvester can be used in different rotational applications with low or high rotational speed and produce high output. Thin lead-zirconium-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric beams were fixed on the axis of a nonmoving wheel. One end of the beams was fixed to the center axis of the stationary wheel, while the other end hung free. Small magnets were bonded on each of the piezoelectric beams' free ends and on a concentric wheel, fixed to a working shaft. As the working shaft drove the dynamic wheel, the magnets on the moving surface attracted the magnets on the piezoelectric beams, causing the beams to be plucked into vibration as the magnets passed by one another. The device was tested at six different rotational speeds from 180 to 500 r/min, with two different layouts, single and double plucking magnets. There will be potentials to increase up to six plucking magnets and four piezoelectric beams in this design for an increased performance. Voltage output versus time graphs were analyzed for each speed and setup. It was determined that increasing the number of plucking magnets and rotational speed was the most effective ways to increase the beam vibration and maximize the energy harvester's performance. This is the most effective approach to increase the performance of the energy harvester in the applications that require lower speeds. The least effective case was the low speed, single magnet design, where the beam vibrated little and approximately half of the energy harvester's time was idle time, minimizing the power harvested.

Aims.We analyze the impact on the Galactic nitrogen abundances with a new set of low and intermediate mass star yields. These yields contain a significant yield of primary nitrogen from intermediate mass stars.

A group model building process based on system dynamics was developed to assess the potential of a cooperative manufacturing and marketing goat cheese in a community near Xalapa. The process identified important outcomes, key variables to consider, parameter values, and relevant scenarios. This information facilitated development of a dynamic simulation model including key biological and economic factors affecting cooperative success. Model analyses indicated that the cooperative potentially could increase community incomes while controlling risk under a range of environmental and market conditions. A system dynamics-based participatory approach can help inform ex ante assessment of potential development and agribusiness interventions.

We report a combined experimental and theoretical study of the adsorption and assembly of a nitrogen–boron-containing heterocycle, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-azaborine, on Au(111) and Cu(111). Despite the inherent molecular dipole moment, the self-assembly behavior is found to be highly surface dependent, with isolated molecules prevalent on Cu(111) and discrete (“magic”) clusters on Au(111). The ability to form clusters of a particular size can be understood in terms of a balance between attractive intermolecular interactions, including directional B–H···H–N dihydrogen bonding, and repulsive forces from Coulombic interactions between the charged molecules dictated by differences in the charge transfer and Pauli repulsion between the adsorbate and the surface. This work highlights the importance of metal–molecule charge transfer in the adsorption and assembly of dipolar molecules on surfaces and demonstrates that their surface-bound properties cannot be predicted a priori from gas-phase dipole moments alone.

The 2011 ITiCSE working group on information assurance (IA) education examined undergraduate curricula at the two- and four-year levels, both within and outside the United States (US). A broad set of two-year IA degree programs were examined in order to get a sense of similarities and differences between them. A broad set of four-year IA degree programs were also examined to explore their similarities and differences. A comparison between the two-year and fourfour-year degree programs revealed that the common challenge of articulation between two- and four-year programs exists in IA as well. The challenge of articulation was explored in some depth in order to understand what remedies might be available. Finally, a number of IA programs at international institutions were examined in order to gain insight into differences between US and non-US IA programs.

Journal Article Dynamic frictionless contact in linear viscoelasticity Get access Jeongho Ahn, Jeongho Ahn † Department of Mathematics and Physics, Alfred State SUNY College of Technology, Alfred, NY 14802, USA †Email: ahnj@alfredstate.edu Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar David E. Stewart David E. Stewart Department of Mathematics, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA 52242, USA Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar IMA Journal of Numerical Analysis, Volume 29, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 43–71, https://doi.org/10.1093/imanum/drm029 Published: 16 February 2008 Article history Received: 11 August 2006 Revision received: 18 July 2007 Published: 16 February 2008

Abstract Gay neighborhoods, like all neighborhoods, are in a state of continual change. The relevance of gay neighborhoods—originally formed to promote segregation of individuals who identify as sexual minorities—is lately challenged by advances in technology, experiences with pandemics, shifts in generational opinion and social values, increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals, and (in certain places) increased rights and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. This confluence of change has created for many people anxiety related to the belief that gay neighborhoods may be dissolving or even disappearing altogether. Seeking to address these concerns, this opening chapter of the book The Life and Afterlife of Gay Neighborhoods: Renaissance and Resurgence presents eight important takeaway messages distilled from the chapters in this volume that, taken together, provide an in-depth overview of the formation, maturation, current challenges, and future prospects of LGBTQ+ spaces in urban environments. Findings suggest that shifts in patterns of residence, socialization, and entertainment for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors across metropolitan space have resulted in certain gay neighborhoods becoming less gay while other neighborhoods become more gay. In this time of social change, economic inequities, public health crises, and technological evolution, gay neighborhoods provide a culturally and historically significant template for communities in confronting adversity, fear, and discrimination. At this point in their maturity, gay neighborhoods have reached a plateau in their evolution; from here we pause to consider the current state of gay neighborhoods—and trajectories that might describe their future form—as we contemplate the importance of gay neighborhoods in the ongoing advancement of LGBTQ+ people everywhere. We conclude by observing that while gayborhoods have experienced a certain level of de-gaying, the trend toward viewing gayborhoods as inclusive and gay-friendly places de-emphasizes the self-segregation aspects of gayborhoods that were important to their initial formation; consequently, while gay neighborhoods may become less gay, other neighborhoods may also become more gay.

Information assurance and information security are serious worldwide concerns. Computer security is one of three new focal areas of ACM/IEEE's Computer Science Curriculum update in 2008. This ACM/IEEE report describes, as first of its three recent trends, the emergence of security as a major area of concern. [3]The purpose of this working group report is to continue work of 2009 working group on information assurance (IA) education. The focus of 2010 working group is to examine curricula of existing academic programs, as well as at key academic governmental and industry IA education standards and guidelines identified by 2009 IA working group in order to begin defining IA education space as a first step towards developing curricular guidelines.

In an informal survey, only five percent of 306 college freshmen students in an introductory biology course provided a correct scientific definition for the theory of evolution. The other respondents provided answers that ranged from “organisms improving themselves” (42 percent) to “monkeys becoming humans” (seven percent). Some of the potential reasons for the lack of understanding of the concept of evolution are explored.