Webster University

The volcano-shaped dependence of the catalytic activity of the magnesia-supported ZnO nanoparticles on their diameter in CO oxidation was considered in the framework of Wolkenstein's electron theory of catalysis on semiconductors. By analyzing the diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectra of the ZnO nanoparticles in catalysts, we demonstrate that a narrow range of particle diameters (4.0-4.6 nm) leads to changes in the Fermi level due to quantum confinement of free electrons. As the diameter of the ZnO nanoparticles decreases, the Fermi level rises, resulting in an accelerated acceptor stage and a decelerated donor stage involving free electrons interacting with atomic oxygen and carbon dioxide on the catalyst surface, respectively. This opposing change in the rates of the donor and acceptor stages during the CO oxidation reaction, influenced by the diameter of the ZnO nanoparticles, gives rise to a volcano-shaped size dependence of the reaction rate. Furthermore, an optimal catalyst particle diameter is identified, at which the reaction rate reaches its maximum.

This article is a conversation between Edith Maria Steffen and Dennis Klass, one of the originators of the continuing bonds model in bereavement. Steffen and Klass recently co-edited a new anthology on continuing bonds that follows the developments in the continuing bonds model of grief over the last two decades. Klass got into the field of bereavement studies initially through working with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and continued by engaging in ethnographic research with a self-help group of bereaved parents. Trying to make sense of the parents' experiences, he tested different theories against the data from the bereaved parents, which led him to discard conventional theories and instead apply what he saw in Japanese ancestor rituals to the practices of the bereaved parents. Klass discusses how the idea of continuing bonds was born, how the 1996 publication came about, how it was received, and how he took this work further. He looks back on his life and work and looks ahead towards work that still needs to be done. The conversation then turns to Klass' idea that consolation is a neglected area in bereavement and ends with Klass giving advice to novice bereavement scholars, which could be summarised in his motto, follow the data.

Wildfires have become a global threat in recent times. Not only do they cause the loss of forest resources and ecological imbalance, however, they also result in the loss of human lives. The economic impact is also substantial, with significant costs associated with property damage, firefighting efforts, healthcare, and loss of productivity. Furthermore, wildfires contribute to climate change by releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Early fire detection can save human lives and mitigate these extensive economic and environmental damages. This proposed work explores the possibility of detecting forest fires from images using a zero-shot approach. In recent times, several visual foundation models have been trained on massive datasets, enabling us to apply these models to a variety of tasks, including zero-shot classification, segmentation, and object detection. The zero-shot approach allows us to classify or detect objects in images without any prior training. Recently, Contrastive Language Image Pre-training (CLIP) models and Large Multimodal Models (LMM) have gained attention due to their excellent zero-shot classification and detection capabilities. With text prompts alone, images can be accurately classified. In this work, we utilize several CLIP models and LLaVA (Large Language Vision Assistant) to classify images as either containing fire or not. The effectiveness of these models is demonstrated by applying them to six wildfire datasets. Classification accuracy is computed, and a comparison of the results from both CLIP and LLaVA models is presented. Simulation results show that these models achieve accuracies beyond 95

This article responds to Pat Werhane’s “Embedded Leadership and its Discontents.” I summarize her model of “embedded leadership,” which draws on complex adaptive systems theory. She argues that leaders should universally minimize their use of authority, remain flexible, and situate themselves in the “nitty-gritty” of organizational life. I locate her view within a broader family of anti-authoritarian, or adaptive, leadership models. I then clarify what a model of leadership must do and argue that hers is not clearly a model of leadership at all, since it fails to specify any distinctive function for leadership. Leadership, I argue, is necessarily teleological: if no one has the function of moving the organization in the right direction, there is no leader. I examine two case studies—Zappos and Suning—both of which illustrate how such models can hinder the achievement of group goals through the diminishment of central direction and coordination. I suggest that her appeal to Adam Smith’s impartial spectator points to limits in embedded leadership, while emphasizing that leaders—though not themselves necessarily embedded—must remain attentive to the embedded wisdom distributed throughout the organization. I conclude by arguing that reliance on the self-organization of nature as a template for human organization is misguided.

This article continues the dialogue with Pat Werhane, responding to her “Embedding Means and Ends: A Response to David Wilson.” First, I address her discussion of social constructionism. Because she agrees that teleology is essential to leadership—though she did not mention it, assuming it could be taken for granted—I argue that we share the same concept of leadership. Our disagreement, I suggest, arises because she offers a model of leadership that she believes universally preferable, whereas I am not proposing a model at all. Rather, I aim to clarify the concept of leadership in a way that leaves room for multiple models suited to different circumstances. Second, I argue that my account is not distinctively Western, and that I agree with her in rejecting the claim that followers are conceptually necessary for leadership. Third, I take up the “Hitler problem,” contending that if leadership is understood as a functional role, then Hitler was indeed a leader—but a catastrophically bad one. To those who object that “leadership” often implies good leadership, I reply that this is a case of the common phenomenon of linguistic ellipsis: the evaluative qualifier is omitted when it is conversationally implied. At the same time, I formulate a more challenging version of the Hitler problem. Finally, I acknowledge that I overstated her reliance on naturalism, though I argue that without it her commitment to self-organization lacks what may be its strongest theoretical support.