Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
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Validation of a New Root-Zone Soil Moisture Product: Soil MERGE
No full textSoil MERGE (SMERGE) is a 0.125°, root-zone soil moisture (RZSM) product (0-40-cm depth) generated within the contiguous United States (CONUS). This product is developed by merging RZSM output from the North American land data assimilation system (NLDAS) with surface satellite retrievals from the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative. SMERGE, at present, spans four decades (1979-2016). Here, we introduce the SMERGE approach and describe the validation of SMERGE RZSM estimates using three geophysical observations: 1) comparison with sparse in situ soil moisture data acquired from the soil climate analysis network (SCAN) and the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN); 2) ranked correlation analysis against normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets; and 3) ranked correlation analysis of antecedent RZSM with storm-event streamflow across a range of precipitation intensities (5-45 mm/day). Relative to in situ SCAN and USCRN observations, SMERGE has an average daily correlation of 0.7-0.8 and unbiased root-mean square error close to 0.04 m3/m3 - a level that is commonly applied as a validation target for large-scale soil moisture datasets. NDVI benchmarking allows us to indirectly evaluate SMERGE across CONUS and reveals it can predict near-term vegetation health anomalies with skill comparable to that of RZSM products generated by more complex data assimilation methods. In addition, streamflow-based evaluation results demonstrate that SMERGE antecedent RZSM can be used as a reliable predicator of storm-event runoff efficiency for rainfall events \u3e25 mm/day
THE MODERATING EFFECT OF MEDIA NATURALNESS ON MOTIVATING LANGUAGE
Get PDFFor decades, the research in communication in organizational behavior has focused on the reduction of uncertainty and consequently so has the research of leadership and computer mediated communication (CMC) (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1977; Sullivan, 1988). Because of this, many of the controversial issues and competing theories of CMC that have in good part centered around the topic of media choice in the context of task performance, which is a reflection of this narrow focus of CMC on uncertainty reduction. Therefore in order to study the more whole form of communication in motivation proposed by Sullivan (1988), a CMC theory is needed that is not constrained by this narrow focus of media choice as a function of uncertainty reduction.
This paper attempts to fill this need by proposing a measurement scale for the media naturalness theory proposed by Kock (2004), which is validated through personal interviews in a manner similar to those conducted by Russ, Daft, and Lengel (1990) and Trevino (1990). A research model and hypotheses were developed based on literature in order to analyze the predicted moderating effect of media naturalness on motivating language. In order to strengthen the study, several confirmatory relationships whose expected path coefficients are well documented in the literature are examined and the research was conducted in a pilot study and main study using WarpPLS to implement PLS-SEM. The Main study has a sample of 351 respondents gathered through Amazon Mechanical Turk: 196 from the US and 165 from India.
Although the moderating effect was only supported in the pilot study, a detailed analysis of the results as well as structural and measurement models revealed that the confirmatory relationships were consistent with the literature in the pilot and main studies. It also reveals that the proposed measurement scale for media naturalness has cross-cultural validity in the US and India, as well as those for motivating language, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance. A multigroup analysis shows that there was no measurable difference between the two subsamples. An exhaustive discussion of the results, implications, limitations, future research and practical applications is also presented
The Family Oxyopidae in South Texas (Araneae: Oxyopidae)
Get PDFThe genital structures of most spiders are poorly studied in respect to their morphology. Conventional taxonomic practice recommends utilizing light dissecting microscopy as the preferred method of investigation. Because of this, the understanding of genital morphology is incomplete and further studies with more advanced equipment and higher magnifications should be done focusing on these important structures. Features found in both male and female genitalia can help identify new and existing species, as well as generate new data to construct new taxonomic groups. Five species belonging to the Family Oxyopidae: Oxyopes acleistus, O. apollo, O. salticus, O. tridens, and Peucetia viridans, were re-described and photographed utilizing dissecting light and scanning electron microscopy. Images were compared to illustrations in Allen R. Brady’s 1964 “The lynx spiders of North America, North of Mexico (Araneae: Oxyopidae)”. Observations confirm that indeed Brady’s illustrations are equivalent to the dissection and scanning electron microscope photographs. These tools certainly broaden our studies on spider genitalia
Exhibición y programación cinematográfica en León, México desde la perspectiva de la Nueva Historia del Cine (1940 A 1970)
No full textEsta investigación forma parte del enfoque New Cinema History (Maltby, Biltereyst y Meers, 2011). Describe la programación y exhibición cinematográfica entre los años 40 y 70 en León, uno de los 10 centros urbanos más importantes de México. Metodológicamente es una réplica del proyecto original de Flandes (Biltereyst y Meers, 2007). La investigación se apoya en entrevistas a profundidad, trabajo de archivo y de carteleras. Se ofrece un análisis del papel social de la cultura cinematográfica como resultado de tensiones entre fuerzas comerciales e ideológicas, en interacción con los procesos de urbanización y modernidad. En el caso de León, el consumo de cine nacional y extranjero muestra una correlación en las audiencias de acuerdo con la brecha económica, sobre todo durante el proceso de transformación de la ciudad rural a urbana
Mediación socioprofesional en el proceso de producción periodística sobre la actualización del modelo económico cubano. Estudio de caso
No full textCEO career concerns and expectations management
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of career concerns on CEOs’ use of expectations management to meet or beat analysts’ quarterly earnings forecasts. The authors posit that early career-stage CEOs are less (more) likely to use expectations management than are late career-stage CEOs if the market views expectations management as an opportunistic strategy (efficient process) due to reputational capital concerns. Design/methodology/approach: The authors obtain data for CEO career stages and CEO compensation from ExecuComp, analyst earnings forecasts from the detailed I/B/E/S database, financial statement data from quarterly Compustat and stock returns from the daily CRSP database over the period 1992–2013. Findings: The results are consistent with the opportunistic hypothesis and early-stage CEOs seeking to build reputational capital by avoiding the perception of engaging in an inefficient managerial strategy. The authors find robust evidence that late career-stage CEOs are more likely to engage in expectations management than early career-stage CEOs. Furthermore, the authors show that late career-stage CEOs tend to employ expectations management to boost the value of their equity-based compensation. Research limitations/implications: The findings have important implications because the authors document a different implication of the “horizon problem” related to CEOs’ opportunistic forecasting behavior and the manipulation of analysts’ forecasts for CEOs who are approaching retirement. Practical implications: The results have practical implications for analysts who provide earnings forecasts for firms whose CEOs are in early or late career stages and for investors who use such analysts’ forecasts in firm valuation models. Originality/value: The authors contribute to the literature on expectations management by documenting how reputational incentives of CEOs affect the likelihood that managers engage in expectations management. The authors show that an important managerial incentive to engage in expectations management is CEO career concerns. Furthermore, the authors show that CEOs who are in early stages of their careers choose not to engage in expectations management due to the market’s perceived degree of opportunism pertaining to this strategy
Response to Comment on “Dye-sensitized solar cells using Aloe Vera and Cladode of Cactus extracts as natural sensitizers”
No full textThe purpose of this response is to point out several inconsistencies and incomplete information provided in the comment on our Letter, concerning the minor calculation error in the efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells. The comment was written to cover Dr. Ehrmann groups failed attempt in fabricating solar cells with ultra-low efficiency and unnecessarily targeted only selected groups like us and other authors listed in her references. We have decided to respond since the comment was not peer-reviewed by experts in the area and published as-it-is as we felt we should provide proper justification along with the supporting evidence
A systemic approach for disruption risk assessment in oil and gas supply chains
No full textTwenty-first century systems are characterised by rapid changes and constantly evolving dynamics. Therefore, supply chains have become more globalised and complex than ever before. Global supply chains are often accompanied by serious threats and significant additional risks to industries that rely heavily on them. The oil and gas industry encounter significant supply chain risks throughout all stages. The objective of this paper is to provide a holistic complex system governance (CSG) perspective to investigate disruption risks in oil and gas supply chains. As a case study, the piracy problem in Africa is used to demonstrate the efficacy and extensibility of the CSG perspective to a wider array of potential supply chain disruptions. Unlike ready-made solutions or \u27off-the-shelf\u27 strategies that may actually undermine the establishment of a resilient global oil and gas supply chain, this paper examines associated risks as a complex system, or a system of systems problem
Mechanical, in-situ electrical and thermal properties of wearable conductive textile yarn coated with polypyrrole/carbon black composite
No full textSmart electronic textiles integrate the advantages of flexibility in textiles and the capability of electronics in a wearable form for biomedical monitoring, energy and sensing applications. This work investigated mechanical, in situ electrical properties, and thermal conductivity of polypyrrole/carbon black composite coated cellulose (cotton) yarn. An inexpensive and straightforward coating method of pre-treatment, dipping, and drying was reported. Mechanical properties on the bare and coated cotton yarn were determined from the stress versus strain response. The coated yarn is mechanically stable with the tensile strength of ∼11.6 N. The resistivity and conductivity properties of the yarn are measured from the linear response of the I-V curve, showing an ohmic behavior. The improvement was observed in electrical conductivity from 11.4 to 12.6 s m-1 as the force is varied from 1-2 N at .5 N intervals. Characterization of the coated surface was done to check for the coating uniformity using scanning electron microscopy. Transient-hot-bridge method was used to measure the thermal conductivity of coated and uncoated cotton fabric. Thermal conductivity for coated fabric was measured to be 0.12 W m-1 K-1 at ambient temperature
The effects of student success workshops on undergraduate hispanic stem students on the U.S.-Mexico border
No full textThe goal of the College of Arts & Sciences Community-aid (CASC-aid) project, a National Science Foundation grant funded study (2016-2021), is to develop, implement, and evaluate a program that fosters a community of academic success for Hispanic STEM students. This Hispanic Serving Institute continues to provide a variety of supports to safeguard success for Hispanic CASC-aid scholars through effective communication. Along with scholarships, Project CASC-aid delivers mentoring and intervention strategies related to non-cognitive behavioral practices to ensure scholars are motivated and empowered, and to support the postsecondary educational success of Hispanic students (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007). Embedded within the research is a Formative Experiment (Reinking & Bradley, 2008), which allowed researchers to gather data on one facet of the project. CASC-aid scholars responded to surveys after Student Success Workshops held across the 2017-2019 academic years. Analysis of results demonstrated that workshops were effective in supporting students’ long-term goals, career major decisions, and overall knowledge of a wider STEM field