NobleBlocks

Fayetteville State University

UniversityFayetteville, United States

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from Fayetteville State University (United States). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
3.6K
Citations
61.8K
h-index
101
i10-index
1.5K
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Fayetteville State UniversityUniversité d'État de fayetteville

Top-cited papers from Fayetteville State University

Curcumin Blocks Cytokine-Mediated NF-κB Activation and Proinflammatory Gene Expression by Inhibiting Inhibitory Factor I-κB Kinase Activity
Christian Jobin, Cynthia A. Bradham, Maria Pia Russo, Booker Juma +3 more
1999· The Journal of Immunology673doi:10.4049/jimmunol.163.6.3474

Abstract NF-κB plays a critical role in the transcriptional regulation of proinflammatory gene expression in various cells. Cytokine-mediated activation of NF-κB requires activation of various kinases, which ultimately leads to the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB, the NF-κB cytoplasmic inhibitor. The food derivative curcumin has been shown to inhibit NF-κB activity in some cell types. In this report we investigate the mechanism of action of curcumin on cytokine-induced proinflammatory gene expression using intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). Curcumin inhibited IL-1β-mediated ICAM-1 and IL-8 gene expression in IEC-6, HT-29, and Caco-2 cells. Cytokine-induced NF-κB DNA binding activity, RelA nuclear translocation, IκBα degradation, IκB serine 32 phosphorylation, and IκB kinase (IKK) activity were blocked by curcumin treatment. Wound-induced p38 phosphorylation was not inhibited by curcumin treatment. In addition, mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase kinase-1-induced IL-8 gene expression and 12-O-tetraphorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-responsive element-driven luciferase expression were inhibited by curcumin. However, IκBα degradation induced by ectopically expressed NF-κB-inducing kinase or IKK was not inhibited by curcumin treatment. Therefore, curcumin blocks a signal upstream of NF-κB-inducing kinase and IKK. We conclude that curcumin potently inhibits cytokine-mediated NF-κB activation by blocking a signal leading to IKK activity.

Privacy-Preserving and Efficient Aggregation Based on Blockchain for Power Grid Communications in Smart Communities
Zhitao Guan, Guanlin Si, Xiaosong Zhang, Longfei Wu +3 more
2018· IEEE Communications Magazine364doi:10.1109/mcom.2018.1700401

Intelligence is one of the most important aspects in the development of our future communities. Ranging from smart home to smart building to smart city, all these smart infrastructures must be supported by intelligent power supply. Smart grid is proposed to solve all challenges of future electricity supply. In smart grid, in order to realize optimal scheduling, an SM is installed at each home to collect the near-real-time electricity consumption data, which can be used by the utilities to offer better smart home services. However, the near-real-time data may disclose a user's private information. An adversary may track the application usage patterns by analyzing the user's electricity consumption profile. In this article, we propose a privacy-preserving and efficient data aggregation scheme. We divide users into different groups, and each group has a private blockchain to record its members' data. To preserve the inner privacy within a group, we use pseudonyms to hide users' identities, and each user may create multiple pseudonyms and associate his/ her data with different pseudonyms. In addition, the bloom filter is adopted for fast authentication. The analysis shows that the proposed scheme can meet the security requirements and achieve better performance than other popular methods.

Phosphorus Movement in the Landscape
Andrew N. Sharpley, T. C. Daniel, D. R. Edwards
1993· jpa299doi:10.2134/jpa1993.0492

Phosphorus movement in runoff often promotes algal growth in lakes. Thus, agricultural soils and management practices that enhance the potential for P movement must be identified. The main factors controlling P movement are transport (runoff and erosion potential) and source factors (surface soil P and method, rate, and timing of fertilizer and animal manure applications). Implementation of management that minimizes runoff and erosion will reduce P transport in runoff, although total algal availability can increase. The continued application of P has increased surface soil test P contents in excess of levels sufficient for optimum crop yields. Although increases in soil P have been related to P enrichment of runoff in plot and watershed studies, information for given management systems still is needed to reliably quantify critical soil P levels above which excessive P enrichment of runoff will occur. Clearly, P applications must be carefully managed, in addition to minimizing transport potential, to efficiently reduce P movement in landscapes. This may be achieved with regular soil testing, P incorporation, application during times of low runoff probability, and irrigation management. Research Question The movement of P in runoff from agricultural land can accelerate the eutrophication of surface water. Due to the easier identification and control of point sources and a lack of direct human health risks associated with eutrophication, nonpoint sources of P now account for a larger share of the nation's water quality problems than a decade ago. Thus, agricultural soils and management practices that are vulnerable to P loss must be identified before economically viable management systems that minimize P movement can be developed. A P indexing system is proposed to identify agricultural soils and management practices that have the potential to excessively enrich the P content of runoff waters. The main factors controlling P movement are described, as well as associated remedial measures. Literature Summary Long‐term field studies shows that P movement occurs in dissolved and particulate (sediment‐bound) forms and, for cultivated land, 75 to 90% of the P moves with eroded soil. Dissolved P, however, is more available to algae than particulate P. Thus, remedial measures must not only consider total P loss, but its algal availability. Quantifying P movement by long‐term studies is costly, time consuming, and labor intensive, and the results are site specific. Many computer models can simulate P movement in runoff. However, their use by field personnel, such as farm advisors, extension agents, and consultants is often restricted by complex data and computer requirements. Thus, an indexing system is needed to identify agricultural soils and management practices that might adversely affect surface waters. Applied Questions What are the major factors controlling P movement in the landscape? The main factors controlling P movement can be divided into transport and source factors (Fig. ). Transport factors include the mechanisms by which P moves within a landscape and are rainfall and irrigation induced erosion and runoff. Factors which influence the source and amount of P available to be transported are soil P content and rate and method of P applied in either mineral fertilizer or organic forms. How do the transport factors determine P movement? Transport and P source factors involved in development of a P movement index. image The factors controlling dissolved and particulate P movement within a landscape are conceptualized in Fig. . The first step in the movement of dissolved P in runoff is the removal of P from a thin layer of surface soil (0.04 to 0.12 in.) and plant material. Since P is tightly sorbed by soil clays, erosion determines particulate P movement. As P moves to a lake by stream flow, there is generally a progressive decrease in P load by water dilution and sediment deposition. Phosphorus often becomes more algal available as it moves, however, as a result of chemical and physical processes. Transport factors involved in the movement of P within the landscape. image Full scientific article from which this summary was written begins on page 492 of this issue. How do the source factors determine P movement? Decades of P fertilization at rates exceeding those of crop removal have increased soil test P in areas of intensive agricultural and livestock production. This increases the potential for P movement if runoff or erosion occur within a landscape. The loss of fertilizer or manure P in runoff is influenced by the rate, time, and method of application; form of P added; amount and duration of rainfall; irrigation practices; and vegetative cover. Generally, P losses are less than 5% of those applied. Even so, they often exceed levels limiting algal growth. Recommendations Runoff and erosion control measures include conservation and contour tillage, cover crops, terracing, buffer and riparian zones, and sediment detention reservoirs. Most of these practices, however, are more efficient at reducing particulate than dissolved P losses. In fact, the movement of algal available P under no till systems can increase. Thus, effective control measures must address both transport and source factors. Clearly, P applications must be carefully managed, and P transport potential minimized, to efficiently reduce P movement in landscapes. This may be achieved with regular soil P testing, incorporation, and application during times of low runoff probability. Overall, the cost and difficulty of control measures increases as the distance between P source and treatment increases. Thus, identification of sites vulnerable to P movement, via the P indexing system, will aid development of sustainable agricultural management systems that are agronomically and environmentally sound.

Tuning the intrinsic catalytic activities of oxygen-evolution catalysts by doping: a comprehensive review
Sivasankara Rao Ede, Zhiping Luo
2021· Journal of Materials Chemistry A260doi:10.1039/d1ta04032d

This review highlights doping effects on the intrinsic catalytic activities and oxygen evolution reaction mechanisms of state-of-the-art catalysts, including oxides, non-oxides and carbon-based catalysts, from experimental to theoretical studies.

Electropolymerized Polyaniline Stabilized Tungsten Oxide Nanocomposite Films: Electrochromic Behavior and Electrochemical Energy Storage
Huige Wei, Xingru Yan, Shijie Wu, Zhiping Luo +2 more
2012· The Journal of Physical Chemistry C248doi:10.1021/jp3090777

Polyaniline (PANI)/tungsten oxide (WO3) nanocomposite films were fabricated by electropolymerization of aniline monomers onto WO3 coated indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slides, which were prepared by spin coating technique and followed by annealing at 500 °C for 2 h. The morphology and crystalline structure of the composite films were studied using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results confirm chemical interactions between the polymer matrix and the WO3 particles and reveal a well crystallized PANI/WO3 nanocomposite structure. The optical properties and electrochemical capacitive behaviors of the composite films for electrochromic (EC) and energy storage devices applications were investigated using spectroelectrochemistry (SEC), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements. The composite films show dual electrochromism at both positive and negative potentials arising from PANI and WO3, respectively. A coloration efficiency of 98.4 cm2 C–1 was obtained for the composite film, which was much higher than that of WO3 (36.3 cm2 C–1) and PANI (50.0 cm2 C–1) thin film. An areal capacitance of 0.025 F cm–2 that is comparable to that of pure PANI (0.075 F cm–2) is derived from CV at a scan rate of 5 mV/s with a broader working potential window of 1.3 V. The cyclic stability studies reveal that the composite films exhibit much more enhanced durability and retain significant charge storage or discharge capacity after 1000 charge–discharge cycles. However, pure PANI loses most of the charge storage or discharge capacity after 350 cycles. The chemical bonding between PANI matrix and WO3 particles is believed to play an important role in enhancing the stability of the nanocomposite film.

Teaching Science in Higher Education: Faculty Professional Development and Barriers to Change
Dennis W. Sunal, Jeanelle Bland Hodges, Cynthia Szymanski Sunal, Kevin Whitaker +4 more
2001· School Science and Mathematics244doi:10.1111/j.1949-8594.2001.tb18027.x

The focus of this research was to better understand the change processes necessary for university science teaching reform to be successful. The professional development processes involved faculty cognitive perceptions of learning, teaching skills, and pedagogical knowledge, as well as faculty culture in teaching science courses. A series of faculty development programs were conducted at nine U.S. locations to explore, develop strategies, and implement changes in science classrooms. A review of research and these professional development experiences provided a base to carry out research activities related to understanding change in science faculty. Faculty participants in the program from 30 institutions were selected to be involved in the study. Ethnographic and case study approaches were used to collect and analyze data. Many faculty members encountered in this study had conceptions of the change process that inhibited successful action. These research efforts provide a predictive model for assisting faculty change and help determine which faculty professional development efforts may be successful in overcoming barriers to change in undergraduate science classrooms.

Magnetic polyaniline nanocomposites toward toxic hexavalent chromium removal
Hongbo Gu, Sowjanya B. Rapole, Jaishri Sharma, Yudong Huang +4 more
2012· RSC Advances240doi:10.1039/c2ra21991c

The removal of toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from polluted water by magnetic polyaniline (PANI) polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) was investigated. The PNCs were synthesized using a facile surface initiated polymerization (SIP) method and demonstrated unique capability to remove Cr(VI) from polluted solutions with a wide pH range. Complete Cr(VI) removal from a 20.0 mL neutral solution with an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 1.0–3.0 mg L−1 was observed after a 5 min treatment period with a PNC load of 10 mg. The PNC dose of 0.6 g L−1 was found to be sufficient for complete Cr(VI) removal from 20.0 mL of 9.0 mg L−1 Cr(VI) solution. The saturation magnetization was observed to have no obvious decrease after treatment with Cr(VI) solution, and these PNCs could be easily recovered using a permanent magnet and recycled. The Cr(VI) removal kinetics were determined to follow pseudo-first-order behavior with calculated room temperature pseudo-first-order rate constants of 0.185, 0.095 and 0.156 min−1 for the solutions with pH values of 1.0, 7.0 and 11.0, respectively. The Cr(VI) removal mechanism was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-filter transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The results showed that PANI was partially oxidized after treatment with Cr(VI) solution, with Cr(VI) being reduced to Cr(III). The EFTEM observation indicated that the adsorbed Cr(III) had penetrated into the interior of the PNCs instead of simply adsorbing on the PNC surface. This synthesized material was found to be easily regenerated by 1.0 mol L−1p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) or 1.0 mol L−1 hydrochloric acid (HCl) and efficiently reused for further Cr(VI) removal.

Fast Statistically Homogeneous Pixel Selection for Covariance Matrix Estimation for Multitemporal InSAR
Mi Jiang, Xiaoli Ding, Ramon F. Hanssen, Rakesh Malhotra +1 more
2014· IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing239doi:10.1109/tgrs.2014.2336237

Multitemporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is increasingly being used for Earth observations. Inaccurate estimation of the covariance matrix is considered to be the most important source of error in such applications. Previous studies, namely, DeSpecKS and its variants, have demonstrated their advantages in improving the estimation accuracy for distributed targets by means of statistically homogeneous pixels (SHPs). However, these methods may be unreliable for small sample sizes and sensitive to data stacks showing large time spacing due to the variability of the temporal sample. Moreover, these methods are computationally intensive. In this paper, a new algorithm named fast SHP selection (FaSHPS) is proposed to solve both problems. FaSHPS explores the confidence interval for each pixel by invoking the central limit theorem and then selects SHPs using this interval. Based on identified SHPs, two estimators with respect to the despeckling and the bias mitigation of the sample coherence are proposed to refine the elements of the InSAR covariance matrix. A series of qualitative and quantitative evaluations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

PIPE: a protein-protein interaction prediction engine based on the re-occurring short polypeptide sequences between known interacting protein pairs
Sylvain Pitre, Frank Dehne, Albert Chan, Jim Cheetham +4 more
2006· BMC Bioinformatics217doi:10.1186/1471-2105-7-365

BACKGROUND: Identification of protein interaction networks has received considerable attention in the post-genomic era. The currently available biochemical approaches used to detect protein-protein interactions are all time and labour intensive. Consequently there is a growing need for the development of computational tools that are capable of effectively identifying such interactions. RESULTS: Here we explain the development and implementation of a novel Protein-Protein Interaction Prediction Engine termed PIPE. This tool is capable of predicting protein-protein interactions for any target pair of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins from their primary structure and without the need for any additional information or predictions about the proteins. PIPE showed a sensitivity of 61% for detecting any yeast protein interaction with 89% specificity and an overall accuracy of 75%. This rate of success is comparable to those associated with the most commonly used biochemical techniques. Using PIPE, we identified a novel interaction between YGL227W (vid30) and YMR135C (gid8) yeast proteins. This lead us to the identification of a novel yeast complex that here we term vid30 complex (vid30c). The observed interaction was confirmed by tandem affinity purification (TAP tag), verifying the ability of PIPE to predict novel protein-protein interactions. We then used PIPE analysis to investigate the internal architecture of vid30c. It appeared from PIPE analysis that vid30c may consist of a core and a secondary component. Generation of yeast gene deletion strains combined with TAP tagging analysis indicated that the deletion of a member of the core component interfered with the formation of vid30c, however, deletion of a member of the secondary component had little effect (if any) on the formation of vid30c. Also, PIPE can be used to analyse yeast proteins for which TAP tagging fails, thereby allowing us to predict protein interactions that are not included in genome-wide yeast TAP tagging projects. CONCLUSION: PIPE analysis can predict yeast protein-protein interactions. Also, PIPE analysis can be used to study the internal architecture of yeast protein complexes. The data also suggests that a finite set of short polypeptide signals seem to be responsible for the majority of the yeast protein-protein interactions.

Parental Involvement, Instructional Expenditures, Family Socioeconomic Attributes, and Student Achievement
Comfort O. Okpala, Amon O. Okpala, Frederick E. Smith
2001· The Journal of Educational Research213doi:10.1080/00220670109596579

Abstract The influence of parental involvement, socioeconomic status of parents, and instructional supplies expenditures on mathematics achievement scores of Grade 4 students in a low-income county in North Carolina were examined. An educational production function framework was used to analyze the influence of educational resources on mathematics achievement scores. Pearson product-moment correlation and ordinary least squares regression were used to determine the overall strength of each relation and the variables with the greatest impact on mathematics achievement. Results indicated that instructional supplies expenditures per pupil and parental volunteer hours were not statistically significant in explaining mathematics test scores. Furthermore, results showed that the percentage of students in free/reduced-price lunch programs was related negatively to students' academic performance in mathematics. This finding supports the notion that economic circumstances are correlated with academic achievement.

When Energy Trading Meets Blockchain in Electrical Power System: The State of the Art
Naiyu Wang, Xiao Zhou, Xin Lu, Zhitao Guan +3 more
2019· Applied Sciences208doi:10.3390/app9081561

With the rapid growth of renewable energy resources, energy trading has been shifting from the centralized manner to distributed manner. Blockchain, as a distributed public ledger technology, has been widely adopted in the design of new energy trading schemes. However, there are many challenging issues in blockchain-based energy trading, e.g., low efficiency, high transaction cost, and security and privacy issues. To tackle these challenges, many solutions have been proposed. In this survey, the blockchain-based energy trading in the electrical power system is thoroughly investigated. Firstly, the challenges in blockchain-based energy trading are identified and summarized. Then, the existing energy trading schemes are studied and classified into three categories based on their main focuses: energy transaction, consensus mechanism, and system optimization. Blockchain-based energy trading has been a popular research topic, new blockchain architectures, models and products are continually emerging to overcome the limitations of existing solutions, forming a virtuous circle. The internal combination of different blockchain types and the combination of blockchain with other technologies improve the blockchain-based energy trading system to better satisfy the practical requirements of modern power systems. However, there are still some problems to be solved, for example, the lack of regulatory system, environmental challenges and so on. In the future, we will strive for a better optimized structure and establish a comprehensive security assessment model for blockchain-based energy trading system.

Which Behaviors Do Attitudes Predict? Meta-Analyzing the Effects of Social Pressure and Perceived Difficulty
David S. Wallace, René Paulson, Charles G. Lord, Charles F. Bond
2005· Review of General Psychology206doi:10.1037/1089-2680.9.3.214

A meta-analysis of 797 studies and 1,001 effect sizes tested a theoretical hypothesis that situational constraints, such as perceived social pressure and perceived difficulty, weaken the relationship between attitudes and behavior. This hypothesis was confirmed for attitudes toward performing behaviors and for attitudes toward issues and social groups. Meta-analytic estimates of attitude-behavior correlations served to quantify these moderating effects. The present results indicated that the mean attitude-behavior correlation was .41 when people experienced a mean level of social pressure to perform a behavior of mean difficulty. The mean correlation was .30 when people experienced social pressure 1 standard deviation above the mean to perform a behavior that was 1 standard deviation more difficult than the mean. The results suggest a need for increased attention to the “behavior” side of the attitude-behavior equation. Attitudes predict some behaviors better than others.

Incorporating Land Tenure Security into Conservation
Brian E. Robinson, Yuta J. Masuda, Allison C. Kelly, Margaret B. Holland +4 more
2017· Conservation Letters204doi:10.1111/conl.12383

Abstract Insecure land tenure plagues many developing and tropical regions, often where conservation concerns are highest. Conservation organizations have long focused on protected areas as tenure interventions, but are now thinking more comprehensively about whether and how to incorporate other land tenure strategies into their work, and how to more soundly ground such interventions on evidence of both conservation and human benefits. Through a review of the literature on land tenure security as it relates to conservation practice, predominantly in the tropics, we aim to help conservation practitioners consider and incorporate more appropriate land tenure security interventions into conservation strategies. We present a framework that identifies three common ways in which land tenure security can impact human and conservation outcomes, and suggest practical ways to distill tenure and tenure security issues for a given location. We conclude with steps for considering tenure security issues in the context of conservation projects and identify areas for future research.

One-step direct synthesis of layered double hydroxide single-layer nanosheets
Jingfang Yu, Benjamin Martin, Abraham Clearfield, Zhiping Luo +1 more
2015· Nanoscale204doi:10.1039/c5nr01077b

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) single-layer nanosheets were traditionally prepared through a multi-step exfoliation process which is very time-consuming and of low efficiency. Herein we report the preparation of LDH single-layer nanosheets through a facile direct synthesis method. By introducing a layer growth inhibitor, one can directly synthesize LDH single-layer nanosheets instead of LDH layered compounds. The inhibitor weakens the interactions between neighboring layers, thus preventing the interlayer growth. This investigation on blocking interlayer growth by weakening interlayer interactions to obtain inorganic single-layer nanosheets opens a new route for the synthesis of 2-dimensional materials.

Polyaniline Coated Ethyl Cellulose with Improved Hexavalent Chromium Removal
Bin Qiu, Cuixia Xu, Dezhi Sun, Huan Yi +4 more
2014· ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering195doi:10.1021/sc5003209

The ethyl celluloses (ECs) modified with 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 wt % polyaniline (PANI) (PANI/ECs) prepared by homogeneously mixing the EC and PANI formic acid solutions have demonstrated a superior hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) removal performance to that of pure EC. Having an increased Cr(VI) removal percentage with increased PANI loading, the PANI/ECs with 20.0% PANI loading were noticed to remove 2.0 mg/L Cr(VI) completely within 5 min, much faster than the pristine EC (>1 h). A chemical redox of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by the active functional groups of PANI/ECs was revealed from the kinetic study. Meanwhile, isothermal study demonstrated a monolayer adsorption behavior following the Langmuir model with a calculated maximum absorption capacity of 19.49, 26.11, and 38.76 mg/g for the 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 wt % PANI/ECs, much higher than that of EC (12.2 mg/g). The Cr(VI) removal mechanisms were interpreted considering the functional groups of both PANI and EC, the valence state fates of Cr(VI), and the variation of solution acidity.

Effect of 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal Modification on α-Synuclein Aggregation
Zhijie Qin, Dongmei Hu, Shubo Han, Stephen H. Reaney +2 more
2006· Journal of Biological Chemistry189doi:10.1074/jbc.m608126200

Several observations have implicated oxidative stress and aggregation of the presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease. alpha-Synuclein has been shown to have affinity for unsaturated fatty acids and membranes enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are especially sensitive to oxidation under conditions of oxidative stress. One of the most important products of lipid oxidation is 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease. Consequently, we investigated the effects of the interaction of HNE with alpha-synuclein. Incubation of HNE with alpha-synuclein at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C resulted in covalent modification of the protein, with up to six HNE molecules incorporated as Michael addition products. Fourier transform infrared and CD spectra indicated that HNE modification of alpha-synuclein resulted in a major conformational change involving increased beta-sheet. HNE modification of alpha-synuclein led to inhibition of fibrillation in an HNE concentration-dependent manner. This inhibition of fibrillation was shown to be due to the formation of soluble oligomers based on size exclusion high pressure liquid chromatography and atomic force microscope data. Small angle x-ray scattering analysis indicated that the HNE-induced oligomers were compact and tightly packed. Treatment with guanidinium chloride demonstrated that the HNE-induced oligomers were very stable with an extremely slow rate of dissociation. Addition of 5 mum HNE-modified oligomers to primary mesencephalic cultures caused marked neurotoxicity because the integrity of dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons was reduced by 95 and 85%, respectively. Our observations indicate that HNE modification of alpha-synuclein prevents fibrillation but may result in toxic oligomers, which could therefore contribute to the demise of neurons subjected to oxidative damage.

Policing and procedural justice: a state-of-the-art review
Chirstopher Donner, Jon Maskály, Lorie A. Fridell, Wesley G. Jennings
2015· Policing An International Journal185doi:10.1108/pijpsm-12-2014-0129

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to systematically and comprehensively review the literature on procedural justice in policing, in the context of both police-citizen encounters and organizational decision making. Design/methodology/approach – The current study reflects a narrative meta-review of procedural justice within policing generated through a systematic and exhaustive search of several academic databases (e.g. Criminal Justice Abstracts, Criminology: A SAGE Full Text Collection, EBSCO Host, PsychInfo, etc.). Findings – The current meta-review identified 46 studies that matched the selection criteria. In this body of research, 28 studies analyzed procedural justices within the context of police-citizen encounters and 18 studies examined procedural justice within the context of police organization decision making. In general, the body of research yields two main findings. First, citizens’ perceptions of procedural justice during interactions with the police positively affect their views of police legitimacy, satisfaction with police services, satisfaction with interaction disposition, trust in the police, and confidence in the police. Second, the perception of police personnel of procedural justice in organizational decision making positively influences their views of decision outcomes, trust in the administration, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, desire to stay with the agency, and overall views of the agency. Practical implications – The practical implications derived from this meta-review are twofold. First, police personnel engaged in police-citizen encounters reap many benefits when they treat citizens with fairness and maintain an encounter process that is marked by objectivity and equity. Second, police supervisors and administrators reap benefits when their subordinates perceive that there is procedural justice within the organization. Originality/value – The state-of-the-art meta-review on procedural justice in policing is the first of its kind. This study comprehensively reviews the literature on two important bodies of policing research. This study will be useful for researchers who wish to further explore procedural justice issues in policing, and for police managers/administrators who wish to strengthen citizens’ perceptions of the police and their employees’ perceptions of the organization.

An Empirical Investigation into Factors Relating to the Adoption of Executive Information Systems: An Analysis of EIS for Collaboration and Decision Support*
Arun Rai, Deepinder Bajwa
1997· Decision Sciences178doi:10.1111/j.1540-5915.1997.tb01337.x

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the organizational adoption of Executive Information Systems (EIS). A distinction is made between two related, complementary EIS capabilities—EIS for collaboration support (EIS c ) and EIS for decision support (EIS d ). EIS c is relatively standardized and replicable, while EIS d has to be developed in situ given the specific characteristics of the user and task. The adoption process is conceptualized as an initial transition from a state of nonadoption to adoption (adoption status) and subsequent internal propagation of the technology (adoption level). Data collected from a national survey are used to test hypotheses between identified contextual variables and the adoption status and adoption level of EIS c and EIS d . Adopters and nonadopters of both EIS c and EIS d do not differ in their organization size, suggesting that the traditional paradigm of “EIS as a technology for large firms” is no longer true. Environmental uncertainty is found to promote the transition from a state of nonadoption to adoption of both EIS c and EIS d while continuing to catalyze the internal propagation of EIS d . While no differences are observed in IS department size between adopters and nonadopters of EIS c , our results suggest that larger IS departments provide the resource base to explore the less standardized of the two capabilities, EIS d . IS support is also found to be critical for the subsequent internal propagation of EIS d . Furthermore, the adoption level of both EIS c and EIS d are found to be promoted by top management support. Implications of these results are discussed for the organizational adoption of EIS.

Epoxy resin nanosuspensions and reinforced nanocomposites from polyaniline stabilized multi-walled carbon nanotubes
Hongbo Gu, Sruthi Tadakamalla, Xi Zhang, Yudong Huang +4 more
2012· Journal of Materials Chemistry C176doi:10.1039/c2tc00379a

The high performance multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) reinforced epoxy polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) have been synthesized at different MWNT loading levels. The surface functionalization of MWNTs with conductive PANI was achieved by using a facile surface initiated polymerization method with the aid of the oxidations of CNTs and subsequent anilines by hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) oxidant. The effects of MWNT loading, surface functionalization and temperature on the rheological behaviors of liquid epoxy resin nanosuspensions and on the physicochemical properties of cured solid PNCs were systematically investigated. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the cured epoxy PNCs filled with functionalized MWNTs obtained from the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test was increased about 6–25 °C than that of cured pure epoxy. The PNCs reinforced with functionalized MWNTs demonstrated an enhanced tensile strength than either cured pure epoxy or its PNCs filled with the as-received MWNTs. The electrical conductivity of cured epoxy PNCs with functionalized MWNTs was improved by 5.5 orders of magnitude compared with cured pure epoxy. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed an enhanced thermo-stability in the cured epoxy PNCs filled with functionalized MWNTs than that of cured pure epoxy and its PNCs filled with the as-received MWNTs. The observed strong interfacial interaction between MWNTs and the epoxy resin matrix was responsible for the enhanced mechanical tensile strength. The nanocomposite formation mechanism is proposed based on the analysis from Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests.

Magnetic field induced capacitance enhancement in graphene and magnetic graphene nanocomposites
Jiahua Zhu, Minjiao Chen, Honglin Qu, Zhiping Luo +4 more
2012· Energy & Environmental Science168doi:10.1039/c2ee23422j

Magnetic graphene nanocomposites (MGNCs) synthesized by a facile thermal decomposition method have been introduced. TEM observations reveal a uniform distribution of the Fe2O3 nanoparticle size and preferential nuclei growth along the edge defects. Both graphene and its Fe2O3 nanocomposites are prepared as electrochemical electrodes to evaluate their capacitor performances. Under normal conditions (without a magnetic field), the MGNCs show lower capacitance than graphene due to the large particle loading (52.5 wt%), which brings larger internal resistance and thus prevents efficient electron transportation within the electrodes. However, in the presence of an external magnetic field, both graphene and MGNC electrodes exhibit significantly enhanced capacitance as compared to the results obtained under normal conditions. Specifically, the capacitance of graphene is increased by 67.1 and 26.8% at the sweeping rates of 2 and 10 mV s−1, respectively. Even larger enhancements of 154.6 and 98.2% were observed in MGNCs at the same sweeping rates of 2 and 10 mV s−1, respectively. The energy density and power density of the electroactive materials are also dramatically enhanced in the presence of a magnetic field. Equivalent circuit modeling of impedance spectra revealed that the magnetic field played a critical role in restricting the interfacial relaxation process and thus enhanced the electrode capacitance. These findings present a potential revolution of traditional electrochemical capacitors by simply applying an external magnetic field to enhance the capacitance dramatically (even doubling it depending on the electroactive materials) without material replacement and structural modification.