Developing a multidimensional scale of customer-oriented deviance (COD)

Although frontline employees' bending of organizational rules and norms for customers is an important phenomenon, marketing scholars to date only broadly describe over-servicing behaviors and provide little distinction among deviant behavioral concepts. Drawing on research on pro-social and pro-customer behaviors and on studies of positive deviance, this paper develops and validates a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional construct term customer-oriented deviance. Results from two samples totaling 616 frontline employees (FLEs) in the retail and hospitality industries demonstrate that customer-oriented deviance is a four-dimensional construct with sound psychometric properties. Evidence from a test of a theoretical model of key antecedents establishes nomological validity with empathy/perspective-taking, risk-taking propensity, role conflict, and job autonomy as key predictors. Results show that the dimensions of customer-oriented deviance are distinct and have significant implications for theory and practice.

Exploring the factor structure of a new self- and other-oriented alcohol expectancy scale relating to sexual coercion and vulnerability

Introduction and Aim: Sexual assaults commonly involve alcohol use by the perpetrator, victim, or both. Beliefs about alcohol’s effects may impact on people’s perceptions of and responses to men and women who have had such experiences while intoxicated from alcohol. This study aimed to develop an alcohol expectancy scale that captures young adults’ beliefs about alcohol’s role in sexual aggression and victimisation. Design and Methods: Based on pilot focus groups, an initial pool of 135 alcohol expectancy items was developed, checked for readability and face validity, and administered via a cross-sectional survey to 201 male and female university students (18-25 years). Items were specified in terms of three target drinkers: self, men, and women. In addition, a social desirability measure was included. Results: Principal Axis Factoring revealed a 4-factor solution for the targets men and women and a 5-factor solution for the target self with 72 items retained. Factors related to sexual coercion, sexual vulnerability, confidence, self-centredness, and negative cognitive and behavioural effects. Social desirability issues were evident for the target self, but not for the targets men and women. Discussion and Conclusions: Young adults link alcohol’s effects with sexual vulnerabilities via perceived risky cognitions and behaviours. Due to social desirability, these expectancies may be difficult to explicate for the self but may be accessible instead via other-oriented assessment. The Sexual Coercion and Vulnerability Alcohol Expectancy Scale has potential as a tool to elucidate the established tendency for observers to excuse intoxicated sexual perpetrators while blaming intoxicated victims.

Multi-scale bio-inspired place recognition

This paper presents a novel place recognition algorithm inspired by the recent discovery of overlapping and multi-scale spatial maps in the rodent brain. We mimic this hierarchical framework by training arrays of Support Vector Machines to recognize places at multiple spatial scales. Place match hypotheses are then cross-validated across all spatial scales, a process which combines the spatial specificity of the finest spatial map with the consensus provided by broader mapping scales. Experiments on three real-world datasets including a large robotics benchmark demonstrate that mapping over multiple scales uniformly improves place recognition performance over a single scale approach without sacrificing localization accuracy. We present analysis that illustrates how matching over multiple scales leads to better place recognition performance and discuss several promising areas for future investigation.

A Combined Renormalization Group-Multiple Scale Method for Singularly Perturbed Problems

This paper introduces a straightforward method to asymptotically solve a variety of initial and boundary value problems for singularly perturbed ordinary differential equations whose solution structure can be anticipated. The approach is simpler than conventional methods, including those based on asymptotic matching or on eliminating secular terms. © 2010 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Amplitude equations and asymptotic expansions for multi-scale problems

In this paper we introduce a new technique to obtain the slow-motion dynamics in nonequilibrium and singularly perturbed problems characterized by multiple scales. Our method is based on a straightforward asymptotic reduction of the order of the governing differential equation and leads to amplitude equations that describe the slowly-varying envelope variation of a uniformly valid asymptotic expansion. This may constitute a simpler and in certain cases a more general approach toward the derivation of asymptotic expansions, compared to other mainstream methods such as the method of Multiple Scales or Matched Asymptotic expansions because of its relation with the Renormalization Group. We illustrate our method with a number of singularly perturbed problems for ordinary and partial differential equations and recover certain results from the literature as special cases. © 2010 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

Idealised simulation of downburst winds

Convectively driven downburst winds pose a threat to structures and communities in many regions of Australia not subject to tropical cyclones. Extreme value analysis shows that for return periods of interest to engineering design these events produce higher gust wind speeds than synoptic scale windstorms. Despite this, comparatively little is known of the near ground wind structure of these potentially hazardous windstorms. With this in mind, a series of idealised three-dimensional numerical simulations were undertaken to investigate convective storm wind fields. A dry, non-hydrostatic, sub-cloud model with parameterisation of the microphysics was used. Simulations were run with a uniform 20 m horizontal grid resolution and a variable vertical resolution increasing from 1 m. A systematic grid resolution study showed further refinement did not alter the morphological structure of the outflow. Simulations were performed for stationary downbursts in a quiescent air field, stationary downbursts embedded within environmental boundary layer winds, and also translating downbursts embedded within environmental boundary layer winds.

Discussion on full-scale internal pressure measurements

The wind loading on most structural elements is made up of both an external and internal pressure. Internal pressures are also important for the design of naturally ventilated buildings. The internal pressure is the interaction between the external pressure propagating through the building envelope and any internal plant causing building pressurization. Although the external pressure field can be well defined through a series of wind tunnel tests, modeling complexities makes accurate prediction of the internal pressure difficult. For commercial testing for the determination of design cladding pressures, an internal pressure coefficient is generally assumed from wind loading standards. Several theories regarding the propagation of internal pressures through single and multiple dominant openings have been proposed for small and large flexible buildings (Harris (1990), Holmes, (1979), Liu & Saathoff (1981 ), Vickery (1986, 1994), Vickery & Bloxham (1992), Vickery & Georgiou (1991))...

The large-scale production of graphene flakes using magnetically-enhanced arc discharge between carbon electrodes

A novel approach to large-scale production of high-quality graphene flakes in magnetically-enhanced arc discharges between carbon electrodes is reported. A non-uniform magnetic field is used to control the growth and deposition zones, where the Y-Ni catalyst experiences a transition to the ferromagnetic state, which in turn leads to the graphene deposition in a collection area. The quality of the produced material is characterized by the SEM, TEM, AFM, and Raman techniques. The proposed growth mechanism is supported by the nucleation and growth model.

Multi-scale hybrid numerical simulation of the growth of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures

Recently, a variety high-aspect-ratio nanostructures have been grown and profiled for various applications ranging from field emission transistors to gene/drug delivery devices. However, fabricating and processing arrays of these structures and determining how changing certain physical parameters affects the final outcome is quite challenging. We have developed several modules that can be used to simulate the processes of various physical vapour deposition systems from precursor interaction in the gas phase to gas-surface interactions and surface processes. In this paper, multi-scale hybrid numerical simulations are used to study how low-temperature non-equilibrium plasmas can be employed in the processing of high-aspect-ratio structures such that the resulting nanostructures have properties suitable for their eventual device application. We show that whilst using plasma techniques is beneficial in many nanofabrication processes, it is especially useful in making dense arrays of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures.

Electrostatic nanoparticle filter for atomic scale fabrication in low-temperature plasmas

The means of reducing nanoparticle contamination in the synthesis of carbon nanostructures in reactive Ar + H2 + CH4 plasmas are studied. It is shown that by combining the electrostatic filtering and thermophoretic manipulation of nanoparticles, one can significantly improve the quality of carbon nanopatterns. By increasing the substrate heating power, one can increase the size of deposited nanoparticles and eventually achieve nanoparticle-free nanoassemblies. This approach is generic and is applicable to other reactive plasma-aided nanofabrication processes.

Nano-scale morphology and electron spectrum of defect states in low-k SiOCH films

Results of experimental investigations on the relationship between nanoscale morphology of carbon doped hydrogenated silicon-oxide (SiOCH) low-k films and their electron spectrum of defect states are presented. The SiOCH films have been deposited using trimethylsilane (3MS) - oxygen mixture in a 13.56 MHz plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system at variable RF power densities (from 1.3 to 2.6 W/cm2) and gas pressures of 3, 4, and 5 Torr. The atomic structure of the SiOCH films is a mixture of amorphous-nanocrystalline SiO2-like and SiC-like phases. Results of the FTIR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy suggest that the volume fraction of the SiC-like phase increases from ∼0.2 to 0.4 with RF power. The average size of the nanoscale surface morphology elements of the SiO2-like matrix can be controlled by the RF power density and source gas flow rates. Electron density of the defect states N(E) of the SiOCH films has been investigated with the DLTS technique in the energy range up to 0.6 eV from the bottom of the conduction band. Distinct N(E) peaks at 0.25 - 0.35 eV and 0.42 - 0.52 eV below the conduction band bottom have been observed. The first N(E) peak is identified as originated from E1-like centers in the SiC-like phase. The volume density of the defects can vary from 1011 - 1017 cm-3 depending on specific conditions of the PECVD process.

Stoichiometry, crystallinity, and nano-scale surface morphology of the graded calcium phosphate-based bio-ceramic interlayer on Ti-Al-V

A plasma-assisted concurrent Rf sputtering technique for fabrication of biocompatible, functionally graded CaP-based interlayer on Ti-6Al-4V orthopedic alloy is reported. Each layer in the coating is designed to meet a specific functionality. The adherent to the metal layer features elevated content of Ti and supports excellent ceramic-metal interfacial stability. The middle layer features nanocrystalline structure and mimics natural bone apatites. The technique allows one to reproduce Ca/P ratios intrinsic to major natural calcium phosphates. Surface morphology of the outer, a few to few tens of nanometers thick, layer, has been tailored to fit the requirements for the bio-molecule/protein attachment factors. Various material and surface characterization techniques confirm that the optimal surface morphology of the outer layer is achieved for the process conditions yielding nanocrystalline structure of the middle layer. Preliminary cell culturing tests confirm the link between the tailored nano-scale surface morphology, parameters of the middle nanostructured layer, and overall biocompatibility of the coating.

People’s perceptions about the importance of forests on Borneo

We ascertained villagers’ perceptions about the importance of forests for their livelihoods and health through 1,837 reliably answered interviews of mostly male respondents from 185 villages in Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo. Variation in these perceptions related to several environmental and social variables, as shown in classification and regression analyses. Overall patterns indicated that forest use and cultural values are highest among people on Borneo who live close to remaining forest, and especially among older Christian residents. Support for forest clearing depended strongly on the scale at which deforestation occurs. Deforestation for small-scale agriculture was generally considered to be positive because it directly benefits people’s welfare. Large-scale deforestation (e.g., for industrial oil palm or acacia plantations), on the other hand, appeared to be more context-dependent, with most respondents considering it to have overall negative impacts on them, but with people in some areas considering the benefits to outweigh the costs. The interviews indicated high awareness of negative environmental impacts of deforestation, with high levels of concern over higher temperatures, air pollution and loss of clean water sources. Our study is unique in its geographic and trans-national scale. Our findings enable the development of maps of forest use and perceptions that could inform land use planning at a range of scales. Incorporating perspectives such as these could significantly reduce conflict over forest resources and ultimately result in more equitable development processes.

Large scale read classification for next generation sequencing

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has revolutionised molecular biology, resulting in an explosion of data sets and an increasing role in clinical practice. Such applications necessarily require rapid identification of the organism as a prelude to annotation and further analysis. NGS data consist of a substantial number of short sequence reads, given context through downstream assembly and annotation, a process requiring reads consistent with the assumed species or species group. Highly accurate results have been obtained for restricted sets using SVM classifiers, but such methods are difficult to parallelise and success depends on careful attention to feature selection. This work examines the problem at very large scale, using a mix of synthetic and real data with a view to determining the overall structure of the problem and the effectiveness of parallel ensembles of simpler classifiers (principally random forests) in addressing the challenges of large scale genomics.