Indonesia Poverty Reduction Strategies: Shifting policies to promote employment in the poorest four deciles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ardi Adji

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper observes the working status and conditions of people who fall into the poorest four deciles in Indonesia. The research aims to provoke policy shifts in the drive to accelerate poverty reduction in Indonesia, taking a longer view of people being more employable and less dependent; also identifying the dominant factors preventing people from moving out of poverty and improving their life quality. By comparing elements of gender, age, education and health against employment status and opportunities. Simultaneously social assistance and protection programs are evaluated in relation to their stated target groups to determine their suitability and their impact.

Reduction of nuclear moment of inertia due to pairing interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, J.Y.; Jin, T.H.; Zhao, Z.J.

1994-01-01

The BCS theoretical values of the moments of inertia of even-even nuclei are systematically smaller than the experimental ones by a factor of 10--40%. This long-standing discrepancy disappears in the particle-number-conserving treatment for the cranked shell model, in which the blocking effects are taken into account exactly. The calculated moments of inertia satisfactorily reproduce the experimental data covering a large number of rare-earth even-even nuclei, whose deformations and single-particle states are well characterized (Lund systematics). The pairing interaction strength G is unambiguously determined by the even-odd mass difference. The reduction of the moment of inertia due to the antialignment effect of pairing interaction is discussed and no systematic excessive reduction is found

Attachment to employment and education before work disability pension due to a mental disorder among young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattila-Holappa, Pauliina; Joensuu, Matti; Ahola, Kirsi; Vahtera, Jussi; Virtanen, Marianna

2016-05-13

We examined attachment to employment and education among young adults before they were granted a fixed-term work disability pension due to psychiatric diagnosis, and the factors associated with this attachment. The data comprised all persons aged 18-34 who received a new-onset fixed-term disability pension compensation due to a mental disorder in Finland in 2008 (N = 1163). The data were derived from pension applications and the enclosed medical records, and were linked to employment records from a period of three years before the disability pension. We analysed the factors associated with attachment to employment or education with log-binomial regression analysis. Fifty percent of the participants were attached to employment or education before work disability pension. The attached were more often women; had higher basic and vocational education; had mood disorder rather than psychosis diagnosis as a primary diagnosis; and had no record of harmful alcohol use or drug use, or recorded symptoms of mental disorders already at school-age. The level of attachment to employment or education before work disability pension is low among young adults with mental disorders and several risk factors predict poor attachment; severe or comorbid mental disorder, early-life psychiatric morbidity, substance use, male sex, low basic education, and lacking vocational education.

Employment and the Reduction of the Work Week: A Comparison of Seven European Macro-economic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

van Ginneken, Wouter

1984-01-01

Analyzes the impact of a reduced work week on employment, productivity, wages, investment, economic growth, inflation, and government deficits. Concludes that reducing working hours would have greater effect if accompanied by wage reductions and limitation of overtime, but would not affect underlying causes of unemployment. (SK)

Crest Factor Reduction in MC-CDMA Employing Carrier Interferometry Codes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natarajan Balasubramaniam

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses signal compactness issues in MC-CDMA employing carrier interferometry codes using the measure of crest factor (CF. Carrier interferometry codes, applied to N -carrier MC-CDMA systems, enable 2N users to simultaneously share the system bandwidth with minimal degradation in performance (relative to the N -orthogonal-user case. First, for a fully loaded ( K=N and K=2N users MC-CDMA system with practical values of N , it is shown that the CF in downlink transmission demonstrates desirable properties of low mean and low variance. The downlink CF degrades when the number of users in the system decreases. Next, the high CF observed in the uplink is characterized and the poor CF in a partially loaded downlink as well as uplink is effectively combated using Schroeder's analytical CF reduction techniques.

Climate and mortality changes due to reductions in household cooking emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Bergman, Tommi; Mielonen, Tero; Arola, Antti; Kokkola, Harri

2016-04-01

Household cooking is a significant cause for health and environmental problems in the developing countries. There are more than 3 billion people who use biomass for fuel in cooking stoves in their daily life. These cooking stoves use inadequate ventilation and expose especially women and children to indoor smoke. To reduce problems of the biomass burning, India launched an initiative to provide affordable and clean energy solutions for the poorest households by providing clean next-generation cooking stoves. The improved cooking stoves are expected to improve outdoor air quality and to reduce the climate-active pollutants, thus simultaneously slowing the climate change. Previous research has shown that the emissions of black carbon can be decreased substantially, as much as 90 % by applying better technology in cooking stoves. We have implemented reasonable (50% decrease) and best case (90% decrease) scenarios of the reductions in black and organic carbon due to improved cooking stoves in India into ECHAM-HAMMOZ aerosol-climate model. The global simulations of the scenarios will be used to study how the reductions of emissions in India affect the pollutant concentrations and radiation. The simulated reductions in particulate concentrations will also be used to estimate the decrease in mortality rates. Furthermore, we will study how the emission reductions would affect the global climate and mortality if a similar initiative would be applied in other developing countries.

Valuing productivity loss due to absenteeism: firm-level evidence from a Canadian linked employer-employee survey

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Wei; Sun, Huiying; Woodcock, Simon; Anis, Aslam H.

2017-01-01

In health economic evaluation studies, to value productivity loss due to absenteeism, existing methods use wages as a proxy value for marginal productivity. This study is the first to test the equality between wage and marginal productivity losses due to absenteeism separately for team workers and non-team workers. Our estimates are based on linked employer-employee data from Canada. Results indicate that team workers are more productive and earn higher wages than non-team workers. However, t...

Large-scale inverse model analyses employing fast randomized data reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Youzuo; Le, Ellen B.; O'Malley, Daniel; Vesselinov, Velimir V.; Bui-Thanh, Tan

2017-08-01

When the number of observations is large, it is computationally challenging to apply classical inverse modeling techniques. We have developed a new computationally efficient technique for solving inverse problems with a large number of observations (e.g., on the order of 107 or greater). Our method, which we call the randomized geostatistical approach (RGA), is built upon the principal component geostatistical approach (PCGA). We employ a data reduction technique combined with the PCGA to improve the computational efficiency and reduce the memory usage. Specifically, we employ a randomized numerical linear algebra technique based on a so-called "sketching" matrix to effectively reduce the dimension of the observations without losing the information content needed for the inverse analysis. In this way, the computational and memory costs for RGA scale with the information content rather than the size of the calibration data. Our algorithm is coded in Julia and implemented in the MADS open-source high-performance computational framework (http://mads.lanl.gov). We apply our new inverse modeling method to invert for a synthetic transmissivity field. Compared to a standard geostatistical approach (GA), our method is more efficient when the number of observations is large. Most importantly, our method is capable of solving larger inverse problems than the standard GA and PCGA approaches. Therefore, our new model inversion method is a powerful tool for solving large-scale inverse problems. The method can be applied in any field and is not limited to hydrogeological applications such as the characterization of aquifer heterogeneity.

Psychotherapeutic and work-oriented interventions: employment outcomes among young adults with work disability due to a mental disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattila-Holappa, Pauliina; Joensuu, Matti; Ahola, Kirsi; Koskinen, Aki; Tuisku, Katinka; Ervasti, Jenni; Virtanen, Marianna

2016-01-01

We examined the extent to which psychotherapeutic and work-oriented interventions were included in a medical treatment and rehabilitation plan and whether they predicted future employment among young adults with work disability due to a mental disorder. Data were obtained from the treatment and rehabilitation plans of 1163 young adults aged 18‒34 years, who in 2008 were granted fixed-term work disability compensation due to a mental disorder and were followed for 5 years. Forty-six percent had no proposal for psychotherapy or a work-oriented intervention in their treatment and rehabilitation plan, 22 % had a plan for only a psychotherapeutic intervention, 23 % had a plan for only a work-oriented intervention, and 10 % had both types of interventions planned. Having a planned psychotherapeutic intervention (HR = 1.35, 95 % CI 1.07-1.69) and of the work-oriented interventions, planned rehabilitative courses and training (HR = 1.34, 95 % CI 1.03-1.70) predicted quicker entry into competitive employment. Having a plan for both a psychotherapeutic and work-oriented intervention was associated with being employed at the end of the follow-up (OR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.07-2.95). Young adults with a long-term psychiatric work disability episode rarely have a recorded plan for rehabilitation in their treatment and rehabilitation plan although psychotherapeutic interventions and a combination of a psychotherapeutic and work-oriented intervention might help them gain employment.

Is temporary employment a risk factor for work disability due to depressive disorders and delayed return to work? The Finnish Public Sector Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ervasti, Jenni; Vahtera, Jussi; Virtanen, Pekka; Pentti, Jaana; Oksanen, Tuula; Ahola, Kirsi; Kivimäki, Mika; Virtanen, Marianna

2014-07-01

Research on temporary employment as a risk factor for work disability due to depression is mixed, and few studies have measured work disability outcome in detail. We separately examined the associations of temporary employment with (i) the onset of work disability due to depression, (ii) the length of disability episodes, and (iii) the recurrence of work disability, taking into account the possible effect modification of sociodemographic factors. We linked the prospective cohort study data of 107 828 Finnish public sector employees to national registers on work disability (>9 days) due to depression from January 2005 to December 2011. Disability episodes were longer among temporary than permanent employees after adjustment for age, sex, level of education, chronic somatic disease, and history of mental/behavioral disorders [cumulative odds ratio (COR) 1.37, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.25-51). The association between temporary employment and the length of depression-related disability episodes was more pronounced among participants with a low educational level (COR 1.95, 95% CI 1.54-2.48) and older employees (>52 years; COR 3.67, 95% CI 2.83-4.76). The association was weaker in a subgroup of employees employed for ≥ 50% of the follow-up period (95% of the original sample). Temporary employment was not associated with the onset or recurrence of depression-related work disability. Temporary employment is associated with slower return to work, indicated by longer depression-related disability episodes, especially among older workers and those with a low level of education. Continuous employment might protect temporary employees from prolonged work disability.

Linear modeling of turbulent skin-friction reduction due to spanwise wall motion

Science.gov (United States)

Duque-Daza, Carlos; Baig, Mirza; Lockerby, Duncan; Chernyshenko, Sergei; Davies, Christopher; University of Warwick Team; Imperial College Team; Cardiff University Team

2012-11-01

We present a study on the effect of streamwise-travelling waves of spanwise wall velocity on the growth of near-wall turbulent streaks using a linearized formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations. The changes in streak amplification due to the travelling waves induced by the wall velocity are compared to published results of direct numerical simulation (DNS) predictions of the turbulent skin-friction reduction over a range of parameters; a clear correlation between these two sets of results is observed. Additional linearized simulations but at a much higher Reynolds numbers, more relevant to aerospace applications, produce results that show no marked differences to those obtained at low Reynolds number. It is also observed that a close correlation exists between DNS data of drag reduction and a very simple characteristic of the ``generalized'' Stokes layer generated by the streamwise-travelling waves. Carlos.Duque-Daza@warwick.ac.uk - School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK caduqued@unal.edu.co - Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Residual stress relief due to fatigue in tetragonal lead zirconate titanate ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, D. A.; Mori, T.; Comyn, T. P.; Ringgaard, E.; Wright, J. P.

2013-01-01

High energy synchrotron XRD was employed to determine the lattice strain ε{111}and diffraction peak intensity ratio R{200}in tetragonal PZT ceramics, both in the virgin poled state and after a bipolar fatigue experiment. It was shown that the occurrence of microstructural damage during fatigue was accompanied by a reduction in the gradient of the ε{111}–cos 2 ψ plot, indicating a reduction in the level of residual stress due to poling. In contrast, the fraction of oriented 90° ferroelectric domains, quantified in terms of R{200}, was not affected significantly by fatigue. The change in residual stress due to fatigue is interpreted in terms of a change in the average elastic stiffness of the polycrystalline matrix due to the presence of inter-granular microcracks

Residual stress relief due to fatigue in tetragonal lead zirconate titanate ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, D. A.; Mori, T.; Comyn, T. P.; Ringgaard, E.; Wright, J. P.

2013-07-01

High energy synchrotron XRD was employed to determine the lattice strain ɛ{111} and diffraction peak intensity ratio R{200} in tetragonal PZT ceramics, both in the virgin poled state and after a bipolar fatigue experiment. It was shown that the occurrence of microstructural damage during fatigue was accompanied by a reduction in the gradient of the ɛ{111}-cos2 ψ plot, indicating a reduction in the level of residual stress due to poling. In contrast, the fraction of oriented 90° ferroelectric domains, quantified in terms of R{200}, was not affected significantly by fatigue. The change in residual stress due to fatigue is interpreted in terms of a change in the average elastic stiffness of the polycrystalline matrix due to the presence of inter-granular microcracks.

Gain reduction due to space charge at high counting rates in multiwire proportional chambers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.C.; Mathieson, E.

1986-10-01

Measurements with a small MWPC of gas gain reduction, due to ion space charge at high counting rates, have been compared with theoretical predictions. The quantity ln(q/q 0 )/(q/q 0 ), where (q/q 0 ) is the relative reduced avalanche charge, has been found to be closely proportional to count rate, as predicted. The constant of proportionality is in good agreement with calculations made with a modified version of the original, simplified theory

Payroll tax reduction in Brazil : Effects on employment and wages

OpenAIRE

Scherer, Clóvis

2015-01-01

textabstractThis paper evaluates the effects of the elimination of a payroll tax on employment and wages in four manufacturing and service sectors in Brazil in early 2012. This tax, which accounted for 20 percent of the wage bill, was levied on employers and financed social security programmes. This study is based on administrative records from the Brazilian Ministry of Labour which contained information on formal employment contracts. Exploring the fact that the tax reform only covered firms...

Due diligence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanghera, G.S.

1999-01-01

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act requires that every employer shall ensure the health and safety of workers in the workplace. Issues regarding the practices at workplaces and how they should reflect the standards of due diligence were discussed. Due diligence was described as being the need for employers to identify hazards in the workplace and to take active steps to prevent workers from potentially dangerous incidents. The paper discussed various aspects of due diligence including policy, training, procedures, measurement and enforcement. The consequences of contravening the OHS Act were also described

Effects of an Employer-Based Intervention on Employment Outcomes for Youth with Significant Support Needs Due to Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Wehman, Paul; Schall, Carol M.; McDonough, Jennifer; Graham, Carolyn; Brooke, Valerie; Riehle, J. Erin; Brooke, Alissa; Ham, Whitney; Lau, Stephanie; Allen, Jaclyn; Avellone, Lauren

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and investigate an employer-based 9-month intervention for high school youth with autism spectrum disorder to learn job skills and acquire employment. The intervention modified a program titled Project SEARCH and incorporated the use of applied behavior analysis to develop Project SEARCH plus Autism…

Effectiveness of a return-to-work program for workers without an employment contract, sick-listed due to common mental disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Lammerts, Lieke; Schaafsma, Frederieke G; Bonefaas-Groenewoud, Karin; van Mechelen, Willem; Anema, Johannes

2016-06-01

Both the presence of mental health problems and the absence of an employment contract have been related to long-term sickness absence and unemployment, indicating a need for return-to-work (RTW) interventions. Our aim was to study the effectiveness of a new participatory, supportive RTW program for workers without an employment contract, sick-listed 2-14 weeks due to a common mental disorder, in comparison with usual care. A participatory approach, integrated care and direct placement in a competitive job were part of the new program. The primary outcome measure was duration until first sustainable RTW in competitive employment. Cox regression analysis was applied to study this outcome. Secondary outcome measures were average working hours, duration until any type of employment, sickness benefit duration, and perceived health and functioning. In total, 186 participants were included in the study and randomly allocated to an intervention group (N=94), or control group (N= 92). A hazard ratio (HR) of 1.15 (95% CI 0.61-2.16) for duration until first sustainable RTW indicated no significant effect of allocation to the new program, compared to usual care. Furthermore, no significant differences were found in favor of the intervention group on any secondary outcome. Compared to usual care, the new program did not result in a significant shorter duration until first sustainable RTW. However, due to low protocol adherence, it remains unclear what the results would have been if the program had been executed according to protocol.

Observation of reduction of secondary electron emission from helium ion impact due to plasma-generated nanostructured tungsten fuzz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollmann, E M; Doerner, R P; Nishijima, D; Pigarov, A Yu

2017-01-01

Growth of nanostructured fuzz on a tungsten target in a helium plasma is found to cause a significant (∼3×) reduction in ion impact secondary electron emission in a linear plasma device. The ion impact secondary electron emission is separated from the electron impact secondary electron emission by varying the target bias voltage and fitting to expected contributions from electron impact, both thermal and non-thermal; with the non-thermal electron contribution being modeled using Monte-Carlo simulations. The observed (∼3×) reduction is similar in magnitude to the (∼2×) reduction observed in previous work for the effect of tungsten fuzz formation on secondary electron emission due to electron impact. It is hypothesized that the observed reduction results from re-absorption of secondary electrons in the tungsten fuzz. (paper)

Payroll tax reduction in Brazil : Effects on employment and wages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.R. Scherer (Clóvis)

2015-01-01

textabstractThis paper evaluates the effects of the elimination of a payroll tax on employment and wages in four manufacturing and service sectors in Brazil in early 2012. This tax, which accounted for 20 percent of the wage bill, was levied on employers and financed social security programmes. This

The risk of musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive movements of upper limbs for workers employed in hazelnut sorting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Colantoni

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In the agro-industrial sector there are many activities whose urgent rhythms can cause a considerable exposure to bio-mechanical risk factors. In the hazelnut sorting, the workers are subject to several biomechanical risks, with repetitive movements, and operations that require a remarkable degree of strength. A thorough study of the workers’ exposure to repetitive manual movements has been carried out, with the aim of setting up the necessary measures to reduce the risk factors. The aim of the research is to assess the risk of work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMSDs due to repetitive work, for workers employed to hazelnut shells sorting. The research was carried out in an agricultural cooperative in the Viterbo’s area. For risk assessment authors used a method (Occupational Repetitive Actions “OCRA” index according to ISO 11228- 3:2009, Ergonomics - Manual handling - Part 3: Handling of low loads at high frequency which keeps into consideration several risk factors (such as repetitiveness, prehension force, posture. The risk was assessed for 16 female workers (in eight workplaces and in two different shifts through this classification: workers with experience less than 1 year, from 1 to 10 years and more than 10 years. This classification is very important for knowing if the professional experience could be considered a “prevention measure” for the risk reduction. The results show a high risk level for the right and left limb. The factors which more have contributed to reach such risk level are the great number of movements and the lack of recovering time.

Valuing productivity loss due to absenteeism: firm-level evidence from a Canadian linked employer-employee survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Sun, Huiying; Woodcock, Simon; Anis, Aslam H

2017-12-01

In health economic evaluation studies, to value productivity loss due to absenteeism, existing methods use wages as a proxy value for marginal productivity. This study is the first to test the equality between wage and marginal productivity losses due to absenteeism separately for team workers and non-team workers. Our estimates are based on linked employer-employee data from Canada. Results indicate that team workers are more productive and earn higher wages than non-team workers. However, the productivity gap between these two groups is considerably larger than the wage gap. In small firms, employee absenteeism results in lower productivity and wages, and the marginal productivity loss due to team worker absenteeism is significantly higher than the wage loss. No similar wage-productivity gap exists for large firms. Our findings suggest that productivity loss or gain is most likely to be underestimated when valued according to wages for team workers. The findings help to value the burden of illness-related absenteeism. This is important for economic evaluations that seek to measure the productivity gain or loss of a health care technology or intervention, which in turn can impact policy makers' funding decisions.

Employment is maintained and sick days decreased in psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis patients with etanercept treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boggs, Robert L; Kárpáti, Sarolta; Li, Wenzhi

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) impair quality of life, including reduction in employment or job duties. The PRESTA (Psoriasis Randomized Etanercept STudy in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis) study, a randomized, double-blind, two-dose trial, examined the efficacy of etanerce...... at baseline, week 12 and week 24 of treatment. The questionnaire included employment status and changing job responsibilities and sick time taken due to psoriasis or PsA. The statistical methods included analysis of covariance, t-test, Fisher's exact test and McNemar's test. Last...

20 CFR 227.5 - Employer tax credits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Employer tax credits. 227.5 Section 227.5... SUPPLEMENTAL ANNUITIES § 227.5 Employer tax credits. Employers are entitled to tax credits if they pay non.... The tax credits for each month equal the sum of the reductions for employer pensions in the...

Literature review on employment impacts of GHG reduction policies for transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Bruyn, S.; Brinke, L.; Kampman, B.; Koopman, M.

2012-07-15

Recently a large number of studies have been published that claim accelerated uptake of electrical vehicles (EVs) and fuel efficient cars in the market for automotive transport may have positive employment benefits. A literature review on this issue has been undertaken by CE Delft, to investigate if it is possible to determine whether a large-scale switch to advanced powertrains would yield positive employment benefits. The key conclusion from the study is that employment benefits are likely to result from CO2 regulations.

Go green choices : a regional employer TDM program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackniak, C.; Hartley-Folz, S. [Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST), Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2002-07-01

Go Green Choices is a regional, voluntary, employer-based trip reduction program initiated in 1994 by BC Transit. It is now funded by the TransLink Regional Transportation Authority in Vancouver. This presentation described how the program got started and the services it delivers. The 1990 Go Green Campaign in Vancouver increased awareness about transportation issues and air quality problems. Transportation demand management (TDM) was used to address traffic congestion issues and to help reduce the number of car trips. The presentation demonstrated how workplace trip reduction programs can be promoted by highlighting their benefits such as reduced stress for employees, retaining and recruiting valuable staff, higher productivity and performance due to low absenteeism. It also reduces the need for parking. The following case studies were presented: (1) Crystal Decision wanted to attract high quality young employees, so their choice of location was near walking and cycling paths, and they had no subsidized parking, and (2) the Vancouver Airport Authority developed innovative trip reduction plans and are considering the possibility of a new express bus to the airport.

Is Reduction in Yield Potential of Some Brassicaceous Species Due to Aphid Infestation Associated with the Changes in Stomatal Factors of Photosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razaq, M.; Farooq, M.; Abbas, G.; Rehman, H. M.; Iqbal, M.

2016-01-01

Aphids cause heavy yield losses to Brassicaceous species by affecting various physiological and biochemical processes including photosynthesis. In the present study, seasonal activity of aphid population and its impact on some brassicaceous species was assessed. Three brassicaceous species (Brassica campestris, Brassica carinata, Eruca sativa) were grown in field following standard agricultural practices. Plants of control plots retained aphid free by insecticide spray, whereas treatment plots were freely allowed for aphid infestation. There was also intermediate treatment of partial aphid infestation where insecticidal spray was applied two times. Peak populations of both aphid species were observed in the 2nd week of March during which plant photosynthetic attributes were recorded. At the time of maturity, yield attributes were also recorded. From the results, it is obvious that application of insecticide significantly reduced the aphid populations on the three brassicaceous species and enhanced the crop yield. Yield losses due to aphid infestation were maximal in Brassica campestris followed by B. carinata whereas it was minimal in Eruca sativa. Yield losses in Brassica campestris and B. carinata were due to reduction in number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and size of seeds, whereas yield losses due to aphid infestation in Eruca sativa was mainly attributed to reduction in number of pods per plant. Although insecticidal spray reduced the aphid population and increased growth and productivity of all brassicaceous species, it did not change photosynthetic capacity of all plants except in Eruca sativa. Moreover, growth and yield reduction was not associated with stomatal factors of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll contents measured as SPAD values were reduced due to aphid infestation which is positively associated with yield reduction. Insecticidal spray increased chlorophyll contents in these three brassicaceous species by reducing aphid population

Defining Constellation Suit Helmet Field of View Requirements Employing a Mission Segment Based Reduction Process

Science.gov (United States)

McFarland, Shane

2009-01-01

Field of view has always been a design feature paramount to helmets, and in particular space suits, where the helmet must provide an adequate field of view for a large range of activities, environments, and body positions. For Project Constellation, a different approach to helmet requirement maturation was utilized; one that was less a direct function of body position and suit pressure and more a function of the mission segment in which the field of view will be required. Through taxonimization of various parameters that affect suited field of view, as well as consideration for possible nominal and contingency operations during that mission segment, a reduction process was employed to condense the large number of possible outcomes to only six unique field of view angle requirements that still captured all necessary variables while sacrificing minimal fidelity.

A review of employment effects of European Union policies and measures for CO{sub 2}-emission reductions. Report of a study for WWF Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walz, R.; Schleich, J.; Betz, R.; Nathani, C.

1999-05-01

This paper aims at providing a rough review of the likely employment effects of European Union policies and measures for CO{sub 2}-emission reductions. This review concentrates mainly on the so-called common and coordinated policies and measures. Furthermore, the analysis is restricted to presenting and systemising existing results on the effects of a CO{sub 2}/energy tax and putting forward a rather qualitative evaluation of the various sectoral policies discussed. The paper is organised as follows. In section 2, the economic impact mechanisms of climate protection policies are discussed. This allows the different arguments brought forward in the debate on the employment effects of CO{sub 2}-reduction policies to be systemised and evaluated. Section 3 presents some of the latest results on the macroeconomic effects of a CO{sub 2}/energy tax. The likely effects of the sectoral policies on the different economic impact categories are discussed in section 4. Conclusions are presented in section 5. (orig.)

Kinetic modeling of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) reduction of titania in MATLAB

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Tan Wei; Ramakrishnan, Sivakumar; Rezan, Sheikh Abdul; Noor, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd; Izah Shoparwe, Noor; Alizadeh, Reza; Roohi, Parham

2017-04-01

In the present study, reduction of Titania (TiO2) by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-hydrogen-argon gas mixture was investigated by experimental and kinetic modelling in MATLAB. The reduction experiments were carried out in the temperature range of 1100-1200°C with a reduction time from 1-3 hours and 10-20 minutes of LPG flowing time. A shrinking core model (SCM) was employed for the kinetic modelling in order to determine the rate and extent of reduction. The highest experimental extent of reduction of 38% occurred at a temperature of 1200°C with 3 hours reduction time and 20 minutes of LPG flowing time. The SCM gave a predicted extent of reduction of 82.1% due to assumptions made in the model. The deviation between SCM and experimental data was attributed to porosity, thermodynamic properties and minute thermal fluctuations within the sample. In general, the reduction rates increased with increasing reduction temperature and LPG flowing time.

Employment status five years after a randomised controlled trial comparing multidisciplinary and brief intervention in employees on sick leave due to low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Pernille; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Jensen, Ole Kudsk; Jensen, Chris; Labriola, Merete

2018-05-01

To evaluate differences in employment status, during a five-year follow-up period in patients on sick leave due to low back pain who had participated in a trial comparing a brief and a multidisciplinary intervention. From 2004 to 2008, 535 patients were referred to the Spine Centre at the Regional Hospital in Silkeborg if they had been on sick leave for 3-16 weeks due to low back pain. All patients underwent a clinical examination by a rehabilitation physician and a physiotherapist, and were randomised to either the brief intervention or the multidisciplinary intervention. The outcome was employment status from randomisation to five years of follow-up and was measured by the mean number of weeks in four different groups of employment status (sequence analysis) and a fraction of the number of weeks working (work participation score) that were accumulated over the years. A total of 231 patients were randomised to the brief intervention and 233 patients to the multidisciplinary intervention. No statistically significant differences in the mean weeks spent within the different employment statuses were found between the two intervention groups. After five years of follow-up, participants in the multidisciplinary intervention had a 19% higher risk of not having a work participation score above 75% compared to participants in the brief intervention. After five years of follow-up no differences in employment status were found between participants in the brief and the multidisciplinary intervention.

Reduction of risk factors for nuclear power plants due to personnel psychological data, including attitude, morale and motivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramova, V.N.

1997-01-01

The possibilities of reduction of risk factors for personnel activity and performance due to attitudes, motivation and moral are presented. Methodology and experience in psychology, sociopsychology, psychophisiology and sociology mistake sources are discussed. Authorization to job, stages of estimating occupational fitness and modules system of personnel psychological and sociopsychological training probabilistic are explained. (author). 3 figs, 1 tab

Page Gender Differences in Rural Off-farm Employment Pa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

off-farm employment plays in the reduction of poverty in Asia (Sanchez 1991), Africa ( ... the rate at which women participate in off-farm employment increased faster than ...... Rural poverty and non-farm employment in India: evidence from.

Accounting for female employment in Africa

OpenAIRE

Anyanwu, John C.

2012-01-01

Women employment has become a critical development challenge globally. This is because the exclusion of women in employment has potential negative effects on both sustainable inclusive development and poverty reduction. In this paper, we examine the characteristics and the key determinants of female employment in Africa. Our empirical estimates, using available cross-sectional data over the period, 1991 and 2009 suggest that in the all-Africa estimation, quadratic levels of real per capita GD...

Employment Duration and Resistance to Wage Reductions : Experimental Evidence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burda, M.; Güth, W.; Kirchsteiger, G.; Uhlig, H.F.H.V.S.

1998-01-01

One of the long-standing puzzles in economics is why wages do not fall sufficiently in recessions so as to avoid increases in unemployment. Put differently, if the competitive market wage declines, why don't employers simply force their employees to accept lower wages as well? As an alternative to

Explosion Amplitude Reduction due to Fractures in Water-Saturated and Dry Granite

Science.gov (United States)

Stroujkova, A. F.; Leidig, M.; Bonner, J. L.

2013-12-01

Empirical observations made at the Semipalatinsk Test Site suggest that nuclear tests in the fracture zones left by previous explosions ('repeat shots') show reduced seismic amplitudes compared to the nuclear tests in virgin rocks. Likely mechanisms for the amplitude reduction in the repeat shots include increased porosity and reduced strength and elastic moduli, leading to pore closing and frictional sliding. Presence of pore water significantly decreases rock compressibility and strength, thus affecting seismic amplitudes. A series of explosion experiments were conducted in order to define the physical mechanism responsible for the amplitude reduction and to quantify the degree of the amplitude reduction in fracture zones of previously detonated explosions. Explosions in water-saturated granite were conducted in central New Hampshire in 2011 and 2012. Additional explosions in dry granite were detonated in Barre, VT in 2013. The amplitude reduction is different between dry and water-saturated crystalline rocks. Significant reduction in seismic amplitudes (by a factor of 2-3) in water-saturated rocks was achieved only when the repeat shot was detonated in the extensive damage zone created by a significantly larger (by a factor of 5) explosion. In case where the first and the second explosions were similar in yield, the amplitude reduction was relatively modest (5-20%). In dry rocks the amplitude reduction reached a factor of 2 even in less extensive damage zones. In addition there are differences in frequency dependence of the spectral amplitude ratios between explosions in dry and water-saturated rocks. Thus the amplitude reduction is sensitive to the extent of the damage zone as well as the pore water content.

Modified PTS-based PAPR Reduction for FBMC-OQAM Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Honggui; Ren, Shuang; Liu, Yan; Tang, Chengying

2017-10-01

The filter bank multicarrier with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-OQAM) has been raised great concern in the 5G communication research. However FBMC-OQAM has also the inherent drawback of high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) that should be addressed. Due to the overlapping structure of FBMC-OQAM signals, it is proven that directly employing conventional partial transmit sequence (PTS) scheme proposed for OFDM to FBMC-OQAM is ineffective. In this paper, we propose a modified PTS-based scheme by employing phase rotation factors to optimize only the phase of the sparse peak signals, called as sparse PTS (S-PTS) scheme. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed S-PTS scheme provides a significant PAPR reduction performance with lower computational complexity.

Return to work of workers without a permanent employment contract, sick-listed due to a common mental disorder: design of a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lammerts, Lieke; Vermeulen, Sylvia J; Schaafsma, Frederieke G; van Mechelen, Willem; Anema, Johannes R

2014-06-12

Workers without a permanent employment contract represent a vulnerable group within the working population. Mental disorders are a major cause of sickness absence within this group. Common mental disorders are stress-related, depressive and anxiety disorders. To date, little attention has been paid to effective return to work interventions for this type of sick-listed workers. Therefore, a participatory supportive return to work program has been developed. It combines elements of a participatory return to work program, integrated care and direct placement in a competitive job.The objective of this paper is to describe the design of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this program compared to care as usual. The cost-effectiveness of the participatory supportive return to work program will be examined in a randomised controlled trial with a follow-up of twelve months.The program strongly involves the sick-listed worker in the identification of obstacles for return to work and possible solutions, resulting in a consensus based action plan. This plan will be used as a starting point for the search of suitable competitive employment with support of a rehabilitation agency. During this process the insurance physician of the sick-listed worker contacts other caregivers to promote integrated care.Workers eligible to participate in this study have no permanent employment contract, have applied for a sickness benefit at the Dutch Social Security Agency and are sick-listed between two and fourteen weeks due to mental health problems.The primary outcome measure is the duration until first sustainable return to work in a competitive job. Outcomes are measured at baseline and after three, six, nine and twelve months. If the participatory supportive return to work program proves to be cost-effective, the social security system, the sick-listed worker and society as a whole will benefit. A cost-effective return to work program will lead to a

Why does Part-time Employment Increase in Recessions?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borowczyk-Martins, Daniel

2017-01-01

composition of employment explain the increase in part-time employment. The evidence shows, however, that this hypothesis only accounts for a small part of the story. Instead, the growth of part-time work operates mainly through reductions in working hours in existing jobs....

Achieving and sustaining full employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, S M

1995-01-01

Human rights and public health considerations provide strong support for policies that maximize employment. Ample historical and conceptual evidence supports the feasibility of full employment policies. New factors affecting the labor force, the rate of technological change, and the globalization of economic activity require appropriate policies--international as well as national--but do not invalidate the ability of modern states to apply the measures needed. Among these the most important include: (I) systematic reduction in working time with no loss of income, (2) active labor market policies, (3) use of fiscal and monetary measures to sustain the needed level of aggregate demand, (4) restoration of equal bargaining power between labor and capital, (5) social investment in neglected and outmoded infrastructure, (6) accountability of corporations for decisions to shift or reduce capital investment, (7) major reductions in military spending, to be replaced by socially needed and economically productive expenditures, (8) direct public sector job creation, (9) reform of monetary policy to restore emphasis on minimizing unemployment and promoting full employment. None are without precedent in modern economies. The obstacles are ideological and political. To overcome them will require intellectual clarity and effective advocacy.

Simultaneous iridium catalysed oxidation and enzymatic reduction employing orthogonal reagents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mutti, Francesco G.; Orthaber, Andreas; Schrittwieser, Joerg H.; Vries, Johannes G. de; Pietschnig, Rudolf; Kroutil, Wolfgang

2010-01-01

An iridium catalysed oxidation was coupled concurrently to an asymmetric biocatalytic reduction in one-pot; thus it was shown for the first time that iridium- and alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed redox reactions are compatible. As a model system racemic chlorohydrins were transformed to

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Smoking and Smoking Cessation Due to a Smoking Ban: General Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Luxembourg

Science.gov (United States)

Tchicaya, Anastase; Lorentz, Nathalie; Demarest, Stefaan

2016-01-01

This study aimed to measure changes in socioeconomic inequalities in smoking and smoking cessation due to the 2006 smoking ban in Luxembourg. Data were derived from the PSELL3/EU-SILC (Panel Socio-Economique Liewen Zu Letzebuerg/European Union—Statistic on Income and Living Conditions) survey, which was a representative survey of the general population aged ≥16 years conducted in Luxembourg in 2005, 2007, and 2008. Smoking prevalence and smoking cessation due to the 2006 smoking ban were used as the main smoking outcomes. Two inequality measures were calculated to assess the magnitude and temporal trends of socioeconomic inequalities in smoking: the prevalence ratio and the disparity index. Smoking cessation due to the smoking ban was considered as a positive outcome. Three multiple logistic regression models were used to assess social inequalities in smoking cessation due to the 2006 smoking ban. Education level, income, and employment status served as proxies for socioeconomic status. The prevalence of smoking decreased by 22.5% between 2005 and 2008 (from 23.1% in 2005 to 17.9% in 2008), but socioeconomic inequalities in smoking persisted. Smoking prevalence decreased by 24.2% and 20.2% in men and women, respectively; this difference was not statistically significant. Smoking cessation in daily smokers due to the 2006 smoking ban was associated with education level, employment status, and income, with higher percentages of quitters among those with a lower socioeconomic status. The decrease in smoking prevalence after the 2006 law was also associated with a reduction in socioeconomic inequalities, including differences in education level, income, and employment status. Although the smoking ban contributed to a reduction of such inequalities, they still persist, indicating the need for a more targeted approach of smoke-free policies directed toward lower socioeconomic groups. PMID:27100293

Growth, Employment and Structural Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aggarwal, Aradhna

2016-01-01

This paper studies the decomposition of GSDP growth per capita in Punjab via-a-vis 15 other states in India during 1993–94 and 2011–12 in terms of employment and productivity growth. Specifically, it focuses on the role of employment growth and structural change in employment on economic growth...... but structural shifts have paid off well in terms of diversification of the economy and their contribution to labour productivity especially for manufacturing. Overall employment effect had been negative but this was essentially due to contraction in the labour force; the employment rate effect turned out...

The Employment Policies and the Combat against Unemployment in the European Union. The EU Strategy for the Employment Growth and the Unemployment Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alina Ligia Dumitrescu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The Financial and economic crisis has brought to the fore the issues of unemployment, which is a constant concern of the EU. The study analyzes the European Employment Strategy, which aims to create a common framework for action based on the agreement of the Member States relating in order to a set of objectives and targets for employment. The research examines the impact of employment policies on labor market developments and measures taken to minimize imbalances in the labor market, reduce unemployment and increase employment.

The Effect of Carbonaceous Reductant Selection on Chromite Pre-reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Kleynhans, E. L. J.; Beukes, J. P.; Van Zyl, P. G.; Bunt, J. R.; Nkosi, N. S. B.; Venter, M.

2017-04-01

Ferrochrome (FeCr) production is an energy-intensive process. Currently, the pelletized chromite pre-reduction process, also referred to as solid-state reduction of chromite, is most likely the FeCr production process with the lowest specific electricity consumption, i.e., MWh/t FeCr produced. In this study, the effects of carbonaceous reductant selection on chromite pre-reduction and cured pellet strength were investigated. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to evaluate the effect of reductant characteristics on the aforementioned two parameters. This yielded mathematical solutions that can be used by FeCr producers to select reductants more optimally in future. Additionally, the results indicated that hydrogen (H)- (24 pct) and volatile content (45.8 pct) were the most significant contributors for predicting variance in pre-reduction and compressive strength, respectively. The role of H within this context is postulated to be linked to the ability of a reductant to release H that can induce reduction. Therefore, contrary to the current operational selection criteria, the authors believe that thermally untreated reductants ( e.g., anthracite, as opposed to coke or char), with volatile contents close to the currently applied specification (to ensure pellet strength), would be optimal, since it would maximize H content that would enhance pre-reduction.

Reflectivity reduction of retro-reflector installed in LHD due to plasma surface interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, N.; Ohtawa, Y.; Ebihara, A.; Akiyama, T.; Tokitani, M.; Ashikawa, N.; Kawahata, K.

2008-10-01

Optical reflectivity of the retro-reflector installed in LHD as the first mirror was reduced seriously by plasma wall interaction. In order to understand the mechanism of the reflectivity reduction, optical and material properties of the mirror surfaces have been examined extensively. It was found that the deposited impurity layers caused the serious reduction of the reflectivity. Formation of iron oxide, bulges structure and He bubbles are the major factors for the reflectivity reduction in the wide wave length range. (author)

A Systematic Assessment of Employer Equal Employment Opportunity Efforts as a Means of Reducing the Gender Earnings Gap

OpenAIRE

Graham, Mary E.; Hotchkiss, Julie L.

2002-01-01

A gender earnings gap has persisted for many years in the United States. This gap is somewhat remarkable in light of reductions in gender-related occupational segregation, the narrowing of human capital differences between women and men, and government and employer-initiated efforts to enhance opportunities for women. In this article we argue that federal employment laws and current oversight mechanisms help maintain the gender earnings gap by encouraging small, separate, parts: pay discrim...

Performance enhancement of the single-phase series active filter by employing the load voltage waveform reconstruction and line current sampling delay reduction methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Senturk, O.S.; Hava, A.M.

2011-01-01

This paper proposes the waveform reconstruction method (WRM), which is utilized in the single-phase series active filter's (SAF's) control algorithm, in order to extract the load harmonic voltage component of voltage harmonic type single-phase diode rectifier loads. Employing WRM and the line...... current sampling delay reduction method, a single-phase SAF compensated system provides higher harmonic isolation performance and higher stability margins compared to the system using conventional synchronous-reference-frame-based methods. The analytical, simulation, and experimental studies of a 2.5 k...

Partial Tmem106b reduction does not correct abnormalities due to progranulin haploinsufficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrant, Andrew E; Nicholson, Alexandra M; Zhou, Xiaolai; Rademakers, Rosa; Roberson, Erik D

2018-06-22

Loss of function mutations in progranulin (GRN) are a major cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Progranulin is a secreted glycoprotein that localizes to lysosomes and is critical for proper lysosomal function. Heterozygous GRN mutation carriers develop FTD with TDP-43 pathology and exhibit signs of lysosomal dysfunction in the brain, with increased levels of lysosomal proteins and lipofuscin accumulation. Homozygous GRN mutation carriers develop neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), an earlier-onset lysosomal storage disorder caused by severe lysosomal dysfunction. Multiple genome-wide association studies have shown that risk of FTD in GRN mutation carriers is modified by polymorphisms in TMEM106B, which encodes a lysosomal membrane protein. Risk alleles of TMEM106B may increase TMEM106B levels through a variety of mechanisms. Brains from FTD patients with GRN mutations exhibit increased TMEM106B expression, and protective TMEM106B polymorphisms are associated with decreased TMEM106B expression. Together, these data raise the possibility that reduction of TMEM106B levels may protect against the pathogenic effects of progranulin haploinsufficiency. We crossed Tmem106b +/- mice with Grn +/- mice, which model the progranulin haploinsufficiency of GRN mutation carriers and develop age-dependent social deficits and lysosomal abnormalities in the brain. We tested whether partial Tmem106b reduction could normalize the social deficits and lysosomal abnormalities of Grn +/- mice. Partial reduction of Tmem106b levels did not correct the social deficits of Grn +/- mice. Tmem106b reduction also failed to normalize most lysosomal abnormalities of Grn +/- mice, except for β-glucuronidase activity, which was suppressed by Tmem106b reduction and increased by progranulin insufficiency. These data do not support the hypothesis that Tmem106b reduction protects against the pathogenic effects of progranulin haploinsufficiency, but do show that Tmem106b reduction normalizes some

Fibrinogen Reduction During Selective Plasma Exchange due to Membrane Fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkubo, Atsushi; Okado, Tomokazu; Miyamoto, Satoko; Hashimoto, Yurie; Komori, Shigeto; Yamamoto, Motoki; Maeda, Takuma; Itagaki, Ayako; Yamamoto, Hiroko; Seshima, Hiroshi; Kurashima, Naoki; Iimori, Soichiro; Naito, Shotaro; Sohara, Eisei; Uchida, Shinichi; Rai, Tatemitsu

2017-06-01

Fibrinogen is substantially reduced by most plasmapheresis modalities but retained in selective plasma exchange using Evacure EC-4A10 (EC-4A). Although EC-4A's fibrinogen sieving coefficient is 0, a session of selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 19%. Here, we investigated sieving coefficient in five patients. When the mean processed plasma volume was 1.15 × plasma volume, the mean reduction of fibrinogen during selective plasma exchange was approximately 15%. Fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0 when the processed plasma volume was 1.0 L, increasing to 0.07 when the processed plasma volume was 3.0 L, with a mean of 0.03 during selective plasma exchange. When fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0, selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 10%. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed internal fouling of EC-4A's hollow fiber membrane by substances such as fibrinogen fibrils. Thus, fibrinogen reduction by selective plasma exchange may be predominantly caused by membrane fouling rather than filtration. © 2017 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

State of the direct reduction and reduction smelting processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markotić A.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available For quite a long time efforts have been made to develop processes for producing iron i.e. steel without employing conventional procedures - from ore, coke, blast furnace, iron, electric arc furnace, converter to steel. The insufficient availability and the high price of the coking coals have forced many countries to research and adopt the non-coke-consuming reduction and metal manufacturing processes (non-coke metallurgy, direct reduction, direct processes. This paper represents a survey of the most relevant processes from this domain by the end of 2000, which display a constant increase in the modern process metallurgy.

Do wage subsidies for disabled workers reduce their non-employment?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gupta, Nabanita Datta; Larsen, Mona; Thomsen, Lars Stage

2015-01-01

We evaluate the potential of wage subsidy programs for reducing non-employment of the disabled by exploiting a reform of the Danish Flexjob scheme targeted towards employing the long-term (partially) disabled. Firms received a salary reimbursement for all employees granted a Flexjob. We examine....... A reduction in subsidies thus leads to a decrease in the hiring of the non-employed disabled....

Over-extending reduction combined with unilateral approach percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Xinjian; Ji Xianghui; Cao Fei; Zhang Fuhua

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the clinical effect of over-extending reduction combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in treating vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. Methods: A total of 16 patients with vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis were treated with over-extending reduction by using traction on the operation table, and then PVP through trans-single-pedicular approach was performed on the fractured vertebra. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the clinical effectiveness. The preoperative and postoperative heights of the fractured vertebral body were determined, and the vertebral height recovery ratio was calculated. Results: Technical success was achieved in 20 vertebrae of 16 cases. Bone cement leakage was observed in front of the vertebral body (n=5), in the side of vertebral body (n=20) and within the intervertebral (n=2). After the treatment VAS score decreased from preoperative 8.5±1.2 to postoperative 2.5±1.4. The vertebral height recovery ratio was (40.1±23.5)%. After the surgery, the VAS score and the vertebral height were significantly improved (P<0.05). Conclusion: The over-extending reduction combined with PVP through trans-single-pedicular approach is an effective treatment for vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. (authors)

Promoting productive employment in Sub‐Saharan Africa : a review of the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Szirmai, A.; Gebreeyesus, M.; Guadagno, F.; Verspagen, B.

2013-01-01

This report provides an overview of current research on and knowledge about employment trends and policies in sub-Saharan Africa. Access to productive employment is seen as essential for poverty reduction and the inclusion of the poor in wider society. Productive employment is characterised by a.

World Employment, 1995. An ILO Report.

Science.gov (United States)

International Labour Office, Geneva (Switzerland).

The impact of globalization of the world economy on employment throughout the world was examined by determining the causes and effects of the reduction in economic growth that has occurred in most developed and developing countries since 1973. The following were among the factors considered: international inequality; new technologies; effects of…

Optical crosstalk reduction using Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, H.; Fontaine, N.K.; Ryf, R.; Alvarado, J.C.; van Weerdenburg, J.A.A.; Amezcua-Correa, R.; Okonkwo, C.; Koonen, A.M.J.

2018-01-01

We employ spectrally filtered amplified spontaneous emission as the signal carrier and matched local oscillator to mitigate optical crosstalk. We demonstrate polarization crosstalk reduction in single-mode fiber transmission and modal crosstalk reduction over multimode fiber.

Employment and Growth | Page 45 | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Employment and Growth. Emploi et croissance. Language English. Read more about Poverty Reduction through Private Sector Development : Policy Research on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Language English. Read more about Child Support, Poverty and Gender Equality in the Caribbean - Phase II. Language ...

Wave drag reduction due to a self-aligning aerodisk

Science.gov (United States)

Schnepf, Ch.; Wysocki, O.; Schülein, E.

2015-06-01

The effect of a self-aligning aerodisk on the wave drag of a blunt slender body in a pitching maneuver has been numerically investigated. The self-alignment was realized by a coupling of the flow solver and a flight mechanics tool. The slender body was pitched with high repetition rate between α = 0° and 20° at M = 1.41. Even at high α, the concept could align the aerodisk to the oncoming flow. In comparison to the reference body without a self-aligning aerodisk, a distinct drag reduction is achieved. A comparison with existing experimental data shows a qualitatively good agreement considering the shock and separation structure and the kinematics of the aerodisk.

Physicians in transition: practice due diligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Paterick, Timothy E

2013-01-01

The landscape of healthcare is changing rapidly. That landscape is now a business model of medicine. That rapid change resulting in a business model is affecting physicians professionally and personally. The new business model of medicine has led to large healthcare organizations hiring physicians as employees. The role of a physician as an employee has many limitations in terms of practice and personal autonomy. Employed physicians sign legally binding employment agreements that are written by the legal team working for the healthcare organization. Thus physicians should practice due diligence before signing the employment agreement. "Due diligence" refers to the care a reasonable person should take before entering into an agreement with another party. That reasonable person should seek expertise to represent his or her interests when searching a balanced agreement between the physician and organization.

SU-E-T-279: Dose Enhancement Effect Due to Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Employed as Radiation Protectants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouyang, Z; Altundal, Y; Sajo, E [Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States); Ngwa, W [Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA (United States); Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: The goal of radiotherapy is to maximize radiation dose to diseased cells while minimizing radiation damage to normal tissues. In order to minimize damage to normal tissues, cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are currently considered as a radioprotectant. However, some studies have reported concerns that nanoceria can also lead to radiotherapy dose enhancement due to the high atomic number of cerium, especially when used in conjunction with kV energy and brachytherapy sources. In this study, this concern is investigated to determine if the concentrations of nanoceria employed in in-vivo studies to confer radioprotection can engender a significant dose enhancement. Methods: Radiation with energies ranging from 50kVp to 140kVp is investigated in this work along with brachytherapy sources Pd-103 and I-125. A previously established theoretical model is used to calculate the dose enhancement factor (DEF). In this model, each cell is assumed to be a voxel of size (10 µm, 10 µm, 10 µm) with nanoceria homogeneously distributed among them. Electron energy loss formula of Cole is used to calculate energy (and hence dose) deposited by photoelectrons and Auger electrons in each tissue voxel due to irradiation of nanoceria. The DEF is defined as the ratio of the dose with and without nanoparticles. Results: DEF calculation results are smaller than 1.02 with dosages of nanoceria smaller than 0.645 mg/g, which is shown to be sufficiently protective by some previous in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. The brachytherapy sources show higher DEF’s than kVp radiations. DEF peaks are consistent with K shell and L shell energies of cerium, 40 keV and 6 keV, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that for sufficiently radioprotective concentrations of nanoceria, there will be minimal DEF when used in conjunction with clinically applicable kV energy radiotherapy sources or brachytherapy sources.

Early retirement and non-employment after breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindbohm, M-L; Kuosma, E; Taskila, T

2014-01-01

This study examined whether workplace support, sociodemographic factors and co-morbidity are associated with early retirement or non-employment due to other reasons among breast cancer survivors. We also compared quality of life and chronic symptoms (pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression) among...... employed, retired and other non-employed breast cancer survivors....

Interpolation-Based Condensation Model Reduction Part 1: Frequency Window Reduction Method Application to Structural Acoustics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ingel, R

1999-01-01

.... Projection operators are employed for the model reduction or condensation process. Interpolation is then introduced over a user defined frequency window, which can have real and imaginary boundaries and be quite large. Hermitian...

Employing beam-forming for estimating the direction of arrival in a multi-path propagation environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Bresch

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Due to recent researches on traffic accidents with vulnerable road users (VRUs, several measures revealed a great opportunity of reduction. However, all measures applied so far failed to reduce the number of traffic accidents if there is no line-of-sight. Therefore, a transponder signal is utilized to make the VRU visible. The motor vehicle carries a mobile receiver for VRU detection and location. The receiver employs digital beam-forming for estimating the direction of arrival (DOA with an antenna array for RF ISM band. A sequence of DOA estimations is used for location and motion estimation purposes.

20 CFR 606.23 - Avoidance of tax credit reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Avoidance of tax credit reduction. 606.23 Section 606.23 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TAX CREDITS... Tax Credit Reduction § 606.23 Avoidance of tax credit reduction. (a) Applicability. Subsection (g) of...

20 CFR 606.20 - Cap on tax credit reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cap on tax credit reduction. 606.20 Section 606.20 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TAX CREDITS... Tax Credit Reduction § 606.20 Cap on tax credit reduction. (a) Applicability. Subsection (f) of...

Employment Relations in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jørgen Steen; Due, Jesper Jørgen; Andersen, Søren Kaj

2011-01-01

Jørgen Steen Madsen, Jesper Due og Søren Kaj Andersen har skrevet et kapitel om udviklingen i dansk arbejdsmarkedsregulering til bogen International and Comparative Employment Relations, redigeret af Greg Bamber, Russell Lansbury og Nick Wailes. Bogen indeholder bidrag, der præsenterer og...

Increasingly strong reduction in breast cancer mortality due to screening

Science.gov (United States)

van Schoor, G; Moss, S M; Otten, J D M; Donders, R; Paap, E; den Heeten, G J; Holland, R; Broeders, M J M; Verbeek, A L M

2011-01-01

Background: Favourable outcomes of breast cancer screening trials in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in the launch of population-based service screening programmes in many Western countries. We investigated whether improvements in mammography and treatment modalities have had an influence on the effectiveness of breast cancer screening from 1975 to 2008. Methods: In Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 55 529 women received an invitation for screening between 1975 and 2008. We designed a case–referent study to evaluate the impact of mammographic screening on breast cancer mortality over time from 1975 to 2008. A total number of 282 breast cancer deaths were identified, and 1410 referents aged 50–69 were sampled from the population invited for screening. We estimated the effectiveness by calculating the odds ratio (OR) indicating the breast cancer death rate for screened vs unscreened women. Results: The breast cancer death rate in the screened group over the complete period was 35% lower than in the unscreened group (OR=0.65; 95% CI=0.49–0.87). Analysis by calendar year showed an increasing effectiveness from a 28% reduction in breast cancer mortality in the period 1975–1991 (OR=0.72; 95% CI=0.47–1.09) to 65% in the period 1992–2008 (OR=0.35; 95% CI=0.19–0.64). Conclusion: Our results show an increasingly strong reduction in breast cancer mortality over time because of mammographic screening. PMID:21343930

Structure Optimal Design of Electromagnetic Levitation Load Reduction Device for Hydroturbine Generator Set

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingyan Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Thrust bearing is one part with the highest failure rate in hydroturbine generator set, which is primarily due to heavy axial load. Such heavy load often makes oil film destruction, bearing friction, and even burning. It is necessary to study the load and the reduction method. The dynamic thrust is an important factor to influence the axial load and reduction design of electromagnetic device. Therefore, in the paper, combined with the structure features of vertical turbine, the hydraulic thrust is analyzed accurately. Then, take the turbine model HL-220-LT-550, for instance; the electromagnetic levitation load reduction device is designed, and its mathematical model is built, whose purpose is to minimize excitation loss and total quality under the constraints of installation space, connection layout, and heat dissipation. Particle swarm optimization (PSO is employed to search for the optimum solution; finally, the result is verified by finite element method (FEM, which demonstrates that the optimized structure is more effective.

Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godoi, Ricardo H.M.; Polezer, Gabriela; Borillo, Guilherme C.; Brown, Andrew; Valebona, Fabio B.; Silva, Thiago O.B.; Ingberman, Aline B.G.; Nalin, Marcelo; Yamamoto, Carlos I.; Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja; Penteado Neto, Renato A.; Marchi, Mary Rosa R. de; Saldiva, Paulo H.N.; Pauliquevis, Theotonio; Godoi, Ana Flavia L.

2016-01-01

Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP"E"S"R) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP"E"S"R results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100 cm"−"1 and 1600 cm"−"1 indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation. - Highlights: • PM emission from biodiesel burning may be more harmful to human health than diesel. • Euro V (SCR) engine fuelled with B5 and B20 tested in a bench dynamometer • Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) to access the oxidative potential of PM emission �

Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godoi, Ricardo H.M., E-mail: rhmgodoi@ufpr.br [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Polezer, Gabriela; Borillo, Guilherme C. [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Brown, Andrew [Division of Chemistry and Environmental Science, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (United Kingdom); Valebona, Fabio B.; Silva, Thiago O.B.; Ingberman, Aline B.G. [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Nalin, Marcelo [LAVIE - Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara (Brazil); Yamamoto, Carlos I. [Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja [Division of Chemistry and Environmental Science, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (United Kingdom); Penteado Neto, Renato A. [Vehicle Emissions Laboratory, Institute of Technology for Development (LACTEC), Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Marchi, Mary Rosa R. de [Analytical Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara (Brazil); Saldiva, Paulo H.N. [Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo (Brazil); Pauliquevis, Theotonio [Department of Natural and Earth Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema (Brazil); Godoi, Ana Flavia L. [Environmental Engineering Department, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR (Brazil)

2016-08-01

Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP{sup ESR}) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP{sup ESR} results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100 cm{sup −1} and 1600 cm{sup −1} indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation. - Highlights: • PM emission from biodiesel burning may be more harmful to human health than diesel. • Euro V (SCR) engine fuelled with B5 and B20 tested in a bench dynamometer • Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) to access the oxidative potential of

A participatory supportive return to work program for workers without an employment contract, sick-listed due to a common mental disorder: an economic evaluation alongside a randomized controlled trial.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lammerts, L.; van Dongen, J.M.; Schaafsma, F.G.; van Mechelen, W.; Anema, J.R.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are associated with high costs for productivity loss, sickness absence and unemployment. A participatory supportive return to work (RTW) program was developed in order to improve RTW among workers without an employment contract, sick-listed due to a common mental

Economic Growth, Structural Change and Productive Employment Linkages in India

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aggarwal, Aradhna

2018-01-01

This article presents a quantitative analysis of growth, structural change and employment linkages at the aggregate level and by sector under the state- and market-led regimes in India. The underlying objectives are: (a) to understand how economic liberalization has affected the economic and labour...... intervention to broad base structural change for generating productive employment, which is at the core of poverty reduction....

INVESTIGATION OF AMMONIA ADSORPTION ON FLY ASH DUE TO INSTALLATION OF SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G.F. Brendel; J.E. Bonetti; R.F. Rathbone; R.N. Frey Jr.

2000-11-01

This report summarizes an investigation of the potential impacts associated with the utilization of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems at coal-fired power plants. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Emission Control By-Products Consortium, Dominion Generation, the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research and GAI Consultants, Inc. SCR systems are effective in reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions as required by the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments. However, there may be potential consequences associated with ammonia contamination of stack emissions and combustion by-products from these systems. Costs for air quality, landfill and pond environmental compliance may increase significantly and the marketability of ash may be seriously reduced, which, in turn, may also lead to increased disposal costs. The potential impacts to air, surface water, groundwater, ash disposal, ash utilization, health and safety, and environmental compliance can not be easily quantified based on the information presently available. The investigation included: (1) a review of information and data available from published and unpublished sources; (2) baseline ash characterization testing of ash samples produced from several central Appalachian high-volatile bituminous coals from plants that do not currently employ SCR systems in order to characterize the ash prior to ammonia exposure; (3) an investigation of ammonia release from fly ash, including leaching and thermal studies; and (4) an evaluation of the potential impacts on plant equipment, air quality, water quality, ash disposal operations, and ash marketing.

Economic growth, employment and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Messkoub (Mahmood)

2008-01-01

textabstractThis paper  provides an assessment of economic growth, employment and poverty reduction in the Arab MENA region. Considering the high rate of unemployment (especially the youth unemployment) and poverty in most countries in the region employment and poverty impacts of growth are of

Redox-controlled memristive switching in the junctions employing Ti reactive electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haitao Li

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We have proposed a kind of memristive device based on the junctions employing Ti as the reactive electrodes. The role of electrically-derived redox of Ti in such memristive switching is shown. The structural and chemical evidence of the electrically-derived oxidation is presented by TEM and XPS experiment, respectively. Due to the redox of the top electrode Ti and the consequent drift of oxygen vacancies, the device shows two distinct resistance states under a sweeping voltage loading. ON state is controlled by tunneling process, while OFF state is controlled by Schottky emission conductive mechanism. The failure behaviors of such memristive junctions are also discussed. In the light of the redox principle, we demonstrate that the devices could be recovered by loading a long electrical reduction treatment.

Maternal Employment in Norway A parity-specific analysis of the return to full-time and part-time work after birth

OpenAIRE

Marit Rønsen

1995-01-01

This paper analyzes the (re)entry of Norwegian mothers into full-time and part-time employment following the first and second birth. Based on theories of job search and human capital depreciation and appreciation a semi-parametric hazard model is estimated, expressing the entry rate as a function of a woman's full wage (the market wage plus the present value of reductions in future earnings due to a career break) and her reservation wage. As predicted, a higher market wage and higher accumula...

Off-farm employment and income poverty in favourable agro-climatic areas of Tanzania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Msinde, John Victor; Urassa, Justin K.; Nathan, Iben

2016-01-01

Income poverty in Tanzania as elsewhere in developing countries is predominantly a rural phenomenon and affects largely households relying on subsistence farming. This is despite the fact that poverty reduction strategies have devoted increasing attention on the role farm employment in enhancing...... household income. This paper argues that, off-farm employment may have potential to contribute to reduction of rural households’ income poverty. Hence the main objective of the paper is set to examine effects of off-farm employment on income poverty. Data was collected from a random sample of 309 households...... in the first quarter of 2014 in five villages of Kilombero Valley, Tanzania using a structured questionnaire. Income poverty was analysed using the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) poverty index and two stage least square (2SLS) regression. Households with off-farm employment income were found to be less poor...

[Employment during pregnancy and neonatal morbidity].

Science.gov (United States)

Fricker, H S; Bruppacher, R

1984-01-01

Neonatal morbidity was higher among the babies of 521 women who were gainfully employed during pregnancy compared to those of 475 non working women of the same area (Aarau, Switzerland). The difference was lower (6%) in the part time employed than in those working full time (11%.) It was almost entirely due to the higher number of primiparae and of smokers among those women who were working during pregnancy.

Influence on the oxidative potential of a heavy-duty engine particle emission due to selective catalytic reduction system and biodiesel blend.

Science.gov (United States)

Godoi, Ricardo H M; Polezer, Gabriela; Borillo, Guilherme C; Brown, Andrew; Valebona, Fabio B; Silva, Thiago O B; Ingberman, Aline B G; Nalin, Marcelo; Yamamoto, Carlos I; Potgieter-Vermaak, Sanja; Penteado Neto, Renato A; de Marchi, Mary Rosa R; Saldiva, Paulo H N; Pauliquevis, Theotonio; Godoi, Ana Flavia L

2016-08-01

Although the particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel fuelled engines are acknowledged to be lower than those of fossil diesel, there is a concern on the impact of PM produced by biodiesel to human health. As the oxidative potential of PM has been suggested as trigger for adverse health effects, it was measured using the Electron Spin Resonance (OP(ESR)) technique. Additionally, Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine elemental concentration, and Raman Spectroscopy was used to describe the amorphous carbon character of the soot collected on exhaust PM from biodiesel blends fuelled test-bed engine, with and without Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). OP(ESR) results showed higher oxidative potential per kWh of PM produced from a blend of 20% soybean biodiesel and 80% ULSD (B20) engine compared with a blend of 5% soybean biodiesel and 95% ULSD (B5), whereas the SCR was able to reduce oxidative potential for each fuel. EDXRF data indicates a correlation of 0.99 between concentration of copper and oxidative potential. Raman Spectroscopy centered on the expected carbon peaks between 1100cm(-1) and 1600cm(-1) indicate lower molecular disorder for the B20 particulate matter, an indicative of a more graphitic carbon structure. The analytical techniques used in this study highlight the link between biodiesel engine exhaust and increased oxidative potential relative to biodiesel addition on fossil diesel combustion. The EDXRF analysis confirmed the prominent role of metals on free radical production. As a whole, these results suggest that 20% of biodiesel blends run without SCR may pose an increased health risk due to an increase in OH radical generation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WP 5 - Employers' and employees' preferences for working time reduction and working time differentiation

OpenAIRE

Kea Tijdens

2001-01-01

Working time reduction is high on the political agenda, but preferences and practices have not been studied extensively. Using large-scale survey data of 17,308 employees in Dutch banks after the introduction of the 36-hours working week by the end of 1996, ordinal and logistic regression analyses are performed to determine (1) which employees have favourable or unfavourable attitudes with regard to the working time reduction and (2) which employees are assigned reduced working hours and whic...

Early retirement and non-employment after breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindbohm, M-L; Kuosma, E; Taskila, T; Hietanen, P; Carlsen, K; Gudbergsson, S; Gunnarsdottir, H

2014-06-01

This study examined whether workplace support, sociodemographic factors and co-morbidity are associated with early retirement or non-employment due to other reasons among breast cancer survivors. We also compared quality of life and chronic symptoms (pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression) among employed, retired and other non-employed breast cancer survivors. We identified breast cancer survivors diagnosed between 1997 and 2002 from either a hospital or a cancer registry in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway (NOCWO study). All patients had been treated with curative intent. Information on employment, co-morbidity and support was collected via a questionnaire. The sample included 1111 working-aged cancer-free survivors who had been employed at the time of diagnosis. We used multinomial logistic regression models to analyse the association of various determinants with early retirement and other non-employment (due to unemployment, subsidized employment or being a homemaker). Low education, low physical quality of life, co-morbidity and pain were associated with both early retirement and other non-employment after cancer. Other non-employed survivors also rated their mental quality of life as lower and experienced anxiety and fatigue more often than all the other survivors. Moreover, they reported a lower level of supervisor support after their diagnosis than the employed survivors. Retired survivors more often reported weak support from colleagues. Differences in ill health and functional status between various groups of non-employed cancer survivors need to be considered when planning policy measures for improving the labour market participation of this population and preventing their early withdrawal from working life. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of mothers' employment on infant feeding and care: a qualitative study of the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Manisha; Ariana, Proochista; Webster, Premila

2014-04-02

To explore the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) using focus group discussions (FGDs) to understand the impact of mothers' employment on infant feeding and care. The effects of mothers' employment on nutritional status of children could be variable. It could lead to increased household income, but could also compromise child care and feeding. The study was undertaken in the Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, India. Mothers of infants employment compromises infant feeding and care', 'caregivers' inability to substitute mothers' care', 'compromises related to childcare and feeding outweigh benefits from MGNREGA' and 'employment as disempowering'. Mothers felt that the comprises to infant care and feeding due to long hours of work, lack of alternative adequate care arrangements, low wages and delayed payments outweighed the benefits from the scheme. This study provides an account of the trade-off between mothers' employment and child care. It provides an understanding of the household power relationships, societal and cultural factors that modulate the effects of mothers' employment. From the perspective of mothers, it helps to understand the benefits and problems related to providing employment to women with infants in the MGNREGA scheme and make a case to pursue policy changes to improve their working conditions.

Influence of Camera Setting on Vehicle-to-Vehicle VLC Employing Undersampled Phase Shift On-Off Keying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Vitek

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the performance analysis of a camera based vehicle-to-vehicle visible light communication system employing undersampled phase shift on-off keying modulation under interference scenario. Two Nissan Qashqai front lights with daylight running light emitting diodes based lamps are used for communications. The bit error rate (BER performance of the proposed system is experimentally measured for a transmission span up to 24m focusing mostly on the side interference due to reflections. Based on experimental data we demonstrate reduction of the system performance due to the side reflection and illumination of the detector by other light sources which has to taken into account during further data processing. We provide with further statistics for particular shuter speed and transmitter power setting and discus BER improvement especially to meet FEC via the method of adaptive region of interest.

Flow reduction due to degassing and redissolution phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doughty, C. [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1995-03-01

At the Stripa mine in Sweden, flow and transport experiments in a water-saturated fractured granite were conducted to investigate techniques for site characterization for a geologic nuclear waste repository. In the Simulated Drift Experiment, measured water inflow to an excavated drift with pressure held at 1 bar was only 1/9th the value expected based on inflow to boreholes with pressure held at 2.7 bars. Several physical and chemical mechanisms were hypothesized to be responsible for this reduction in flow. One possibility is that significant degassing of dissolved nitrogen takes place between 2.7 and 1 bars, credating a two-phase regime with an accompanying decrease in fluid mobility, resulting in a decrease in flow to the drift. To investigate this process, theoretical studies on degassing and redissolution phenomena have been carried out, beginning with an idealized model which yields a simple analytical solution, then relaxing some of the simplifying assumptions and using TOUGH2 to study the phenomena numerically. In conjunction with these theoretical studies, laboratory experiments on flow and degassing in transparent fracture replicas are being carried out, and are being used to check the modeling approach. We need to develop a fundamental understanding of degassing and redissolution in particular and two-phase flow phenomena in general for flow in fractures and fracture networks, in order to successfully model conditions around a nuclear waste repository, where long time and large space scales may preclude conclusive field experiments.

Use of element model to evaluate transmissibility reduction due to barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svanes, T.; South, D.; Dronen, O.M. [Statoil, Bergen (Norway)

1997-08-01

Water breakthrough has been observed a year earlier than expected in the productive Oseberg Formation in the Veslefrikk Field. Production data revealed extensive water override, whereas the opposite situation was expected based on a homogeneous and coarse flow simulation model. A new model was developed to include geological heterogeneities using a simple upscaling method. The Oseberg Fm. consists of an upper homogeneous unit (zone 2) and a lower unit containing thin barriers of shale and calcite cemented sandstone (zone 1). The barrier content varies laterally. When barriers are distributed in a complex 3D pattern, they reduce the upscaled horizontal transmissibility more than what is obtained by multiplying the sand permeability by the net-to-gross ratio (N/G). However, the transmissibility reduction strongly depends on the spatial distribution of barriers and their geometry. Therefore, a fine scale element model was used to derive the average transmissibility reduction as a function of N/G for alternative geological descriptions of the barriers. A geo-statistical method called General Marked Point Process was used to generate the fine scale descriptions. This work has resulted in a simple upscaling routine for horizontal transmissibility, which represents an effective bridge between geological evaluation of uncertainties and fluid flow simulation. The method combines geo-statistical and deterministic modelling in an elegant manner, recognising that most often these methods complement one another.

Employer Sanctions and the Wages of Mexican Immigrants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Brownell

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Wage differences between authorized and unauthorized Mexican immigrants can be explained by human capital factors prior to the 1986 passage of employer sanctions, which prohibited knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens. However, a significant post-1986 wage differential has been interpreted as employers “passing along” expected costs of sanctions through lower wages for unauthorized immigrants. I test this explanation using administrative data on employer sanctions enforcement, finding employer sanctions enforcement levels are related to Mexican immigrants’ wages but have no statistically significant differential effect based on legal status. Estimated savings to employers due to the pay gap are orders of magnitude larger than actual fines.

Estimating the short run effects of South Africa's Employment Tax Incentive on youth employment probabilities using a difference-in-differences approach

OpenAIRE

Vimal Ranchhod; Arden Finn

2014-01-01

What effect did the introduction of the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) have on youth employment probabilities in South Africa in the short run? The ETI came into effect on the 1st of January 2014. Its purpose is to stimulate youth employment levels and ease the challenges that many youth experience in finding their first jobs. Under the ETI, firms that employ youth are eligible to claim a deduction from their taxes due, for the portion of their wage bill that is paid to certain groups of yout...

Chemical model reduction under uncertainty

KAUST Repository

Malpica Galassi, Riccardo

2017-03-06

A general strategy for analysis and reduction of uncertain chemical kinetic models is presented, and its utility is illustrated in the context of ignition of hydrocarbon fuel–air mixtures. The strategy is based on a deterministic analysis and reduction method which employs computational singular perturbation analysis to generate simplified kinetic mechanisms, starting from a detailed reference mechanism. We model uncertain quantities in the reference mechanism, namely the Arrhenius rate parameters, as random variables with prescribed uncertainty factors. We propagate this uncertainty to obtain the probability of inclusion of each reaction in the simplified mechanism. We propose probabilistic error measures to compare predictions from the uncertain reference and simplified models, based on the comparison of the uncertain dynamics of the state variables, where the mixture entropy is chosen as progress variable. We employ the construction for the simplification of an uncertain mechanism in an n-butane–air mixture homogeneous ignition case, where a 176-species, 1111-reactions detailed kinetic model for the oxidation of n-butane is used with uncertainty factors assigned to each Arrhenius rate pre-exponential coefficient. This illustration is employed to highlight the utility of the construction, and the performance of a family of simplified models produced depending on chosen thresholds on importance and marginal probabilities of the reactions.

Reduction of artefacts due to missing projections using OSEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, B.F.; Kyme, A.; Choong, K.

2002-01-01

Full text: It is well recognised that missing or corrupted projections can result in artefacts. This occasionally occurs due to errors in data transfer from acquisition memory to disk. A possible approach for reducing these artefacts was investigated, Using ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) the iterative reconstruction proceeds by progressively including additional projections until a single iteration is complete. Clinically useful results can be obtained using a small subset size in a single iteration. Stopping prior to the complete iteration so as to avoid inclusion of missing or corrupted data should provide a 'partial' reconstruction with minimal artefacts. To test this hypothesis projections were selectively removed from a complete data set (2, 4, 8, 12 adjacent projections) and reconstructions were performed using both filtered back projection (FBP) and OSEM. To maintain a constant number of sub-iterations in OSEM an equal number of duplicate projections were substituted for the missing projections. Both 180 and 360 degrees reconstructions with missing data were compared with reconstruction for the complete data using sum of absolute differences. Results indicate that missing data causes artefacts for both FBP and OSEM however the severity of artefacts is significantly reduced using OSEM. The effect of missing data is generally greater for 180 degrees acquisition. OSEM is recommended for minimising reconstruction artefacts due to missing projections. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

Prevalence and incidence of memory complaints in employed compared to non-employed aged 55-64 years and the role of employment characteristics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly J Rijs

Full Text Available To examine the association of employment status and characteristics with prevalent and incident memory complaints (MC in 55-64-year-olds.Subjects were participants of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA. Respondents with baseline data were selected to examine the association of employment status (n = 1525 and employment characteristics (n = 1071 with prevalent MC (i.e., MC at baseline. Respondents without MC at baseline were selected to examine the association of employment (n = 526 and employment characteristics (n = 379; working hours, job prestige, job level, psychological job demands, iso-strain with incident MC (i.e., no MC at baseline and MC at three-year follow-up. Associations were adjusted for relevant covariates (demographics, memory performance, physical health, mental health, personality traits. Logistic regression was applied. Data were weighed according to gender and age of the Dutch population.At baseline 20.5% reported MC. At three-year follow-up, 15.4% had incident MC. No associations were found between employment status and MC. Adjusted analysis revealed that individuals with high occupational cognitive demands were more likely to have prevalent MC.Middle-aged workers are equally as likely to experience MC as non-working age-peers. Among workers, those with cognitively demanding work were more likely to experience MC, independent of memory performance. Memory decline due to ageing may be noticed sooner in 55-64-year-olds performing cognitively demanding work.

Impact of mothers’ employment on infant feeding and care: a qualitative study of the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Manisha; Ariana, Proochista; Webster, Premila

2014-01-01

Objective To explore the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) using focus group discussions (FGDs) to understand the impact of mothers’ employment on infant feeding and care. The effects of mothers’ employment on nutritional status of children could be variable. It could lead to increased household income, but could also compromise child care and feeding. Setting The study was undertaken in the Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, India. Participants Mothers of infants employment compromises infant feeding and care’, ‘caregivers’ inability to substitute mothers’ care’, ‘compromises related to childcare and feeding outweigh benefits from MGNREGA’ and ‘employment as disempowering’. Mothers felt that the comprises to infant care and feeding due to long hours of work, lack of alternative adequate care arrangements, low wages and delayed payments outweighed the benefits from the scheme. Conclusions This study provides an account of the trade-off between mothers’ employment and child care. It provides an understanding of the household power relationships, societal and cultural factors that modulate the effects of mothers’ employment. From the perspective of mothers, it helps to understand the benefits and problems related to providing employment to women with infants in the MGNREGA scheme and make a case to pursue policy changes to improve their working conditions. PMID:24694624

Combinative Particle Size Reduction Technologies for the Production of Drug Nanocrystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Salazar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nanosizing is a suitable method to enhance the dissolution rate and therefore the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. The success of the particle size reduction processes depends on critical factors such as the employed technology, equipment, and drug physicochemical properties. High pressure homogenization and wet bead milling are standard comminution techniques that have been already employed to successfully formulate poorly soluble drugs and bring them to market. However, these techniques have limitations in their particle size reduction performance, such as long production times and the necessity of employing a micronized drug as the starting material. This review article discusses the development of combinative methods, such as the NANOEDGE, H 96, H 69, H 42, and CT technologies. These processes were developed to improve the particle size reduction effectiveness of the standard techniques. These novel technologies can combine bottom-up and/or top-down techniques in a two-step process. The combinative processes lead in general to improved particle size reduction effectiveness. Faster production of drug nanocrystals and smaller final mean particle sizes are among the main advantages. The combinative particle size reduction technologies are very useful formulation tools, and they will continue acquiring importance for the production of drug nanocrystals.

Examining calling as a double-edged sword for employability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lysova, Evgenia I.; Jansen, Paul G.W.; Khapova, Svetlana N.; Plomp, Judith; Tims, Maria

2018-01-01

Using a two-study design (total N = 1232), this paper examines the relationship between calling and employability. We suggest that, on the one hand, calling can positively relate to employability due to individuals’ engagement in proactive professional development (PPD). On the other hand, calling

Hybrid biasing approaches for global variance reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Zeyun; Abdel-Khalik, Hany S.

2013-01-01

A new variant of Monte Carlo—deterministic (DT) hybrid variance reduction approach based on Gaussian process theory is presented for accelerating convergence of Monte Carlo simulation and compared with Forward-Weighted Consistent Adjoint Driven Importance Sampling (FW-CADIS) approach implemented in the SCALE package from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The new approach, denoted the Gaussian process approach, treats the responses of interest as normally distributed random processes. The Gaussian process approach improves the selection of the weight windows of simulated particles by identifying a subspace that captures the dominant sources of statistical response variations. Like the FW-CADIS approach, the Gaussian process approach utilizes particle importance maps obtained from deterministic adjoint models to derive weight window biasing. In contrast to the FW-CADIS approach, the Gaussian process approach identifies the response correlations (via a covariance matrix) and employs them to reduce the computational overhead required for global variance reduction (GVR) purpose. The effective rank of the covariance matrix identifies the minimum number of uncorrelated pseudo responses, which are employed to bias simulated particles. Numerical experiments, serving as a proof of principle, are presented to compare the Gaussian process and FW-CADIS approaches in terms of the global reduction in standard deviation of the estimated responses. - Highlights: ► Hybrid Monte Carlo Deterministic Method based on Gaussian Process Model is introduced. ► Method employs deterministic model to calculate responses correlations. ► Method employs correlations to bias Monte Carlo transport. ► Method compared to FW-CADIS methodology in SCALE code. ► An order of magnitude speed up is achieved for a PWR core model.

Cultural Employment by Level of Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Sava

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The sector of the creative economy brings benefits to the economy, more exactly, through the cultural sector, due to the unlimited resources needed to develop – the human resources represented by their mind or talent. The industrial development and innovation lead towards many changes in the cultural industries mostly due to the digitization effect, an irreversible change in the creation of various cultural goods and services, resulting even new cultural domains and also new regulation in the cultural field. The goods and services produced by the new cultural sector “encompass artistic, aesthetic, symbolic and spiritual values (… their system of valorisation, which includes a characteristic irreproducible, is linked to its appreciation or pleasure” makes them different from other goods and services as Throsby mentioned (UNESCO, 2009:22. This paper aims to show some positive impacts of the creative economy, highlighting social and economic aspects, such as cultural diversity, tolerance, freedom of expression of the cultural identity and by the other hand, new jobs for artists, earnings’ increases, creative clusters, cultural employment etc. We will also show more clearly the activities and the occupations which concern the cultural employment and figures regarding cultural employment in Europe.

75 FR 20399 - Submission for Review: Declaration for Federal Employment, OF 306, 3206-0182

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-19

... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Submission for Review: Declaration for Federal Employment, OF 306... Federal Employment, Optional Form (OF) 306. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L..., mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g...

Global assessment of human losses due to earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Vitor; Jaiswal, Kishor; Weatherill, Graeme; Crowley, Helen

2014-01-01

Current studies have demonstrated a sharp increase in human losses due to earthquakes. These alarming levels of casualties suggest the need for large-scale investment in seismic risk mitigation, which, in turn, requires an adequate understanding of the extent of the losses, and location of the most affected regions. Recent developments in global and uniform datasets such as instrumental and historical earthquake catalogues, population spatial distribution and country-based vulnerability functions, have opened an unprecedented possibility for a reliable assessment of earthquake consequences at a global scale. In this study, a uniform probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) model was employed to derive a set of global seismic hazard curves, using the open-source software OpenQuake for seismic hazard and risk analysis. These results were combined with a collection of empirical fatality vulnerability functions and a population dataset to calculate average annual human losses at the country level. The results from this study highlight the regions/countries in the world with a higher seismic risk, and thus where risk reduction measures should be prioritized.

Thermal conductivity reduction of tungsten plasma facing material due to helium plasma irradiation in PISCES using the improved 3-omega method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui, Shuang [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Simmonds, Michael [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Qin, Wenjing; Ren, Feng [School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072 (China); Tynan, George R. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Doerner, Russell P. [Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Chen, Renkun, E-mail: rkchen@ucsd.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2017-04-01

The near-surface region of plasma facing material (PFM) plays an important role in thermal management of fusion reactors. In this work, we measured thermal conductivity of tungsten (W) surface layers damaged by He plasma in PISCES at UCSD. We studied the damage effect on both bulk, and thin film, W. We observed that the surface morphology of both bulk and thin film was altered after exposure to He plasma with the fluence of 1 × 10{sup 26} m{sup −2} (bulk) and 2 × 10{sup 24} m{sup −2} (thin film). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis reveals that the depth of the irradiation damaged layer was approximately 20 nm on the bulk W exposed to He plasma at 773 K for 2000 s. In order to measure the thermal conductivity of this exceedingly thin damaged layer in the bulk W, we adopted the well-established ‘3-omega’ method and employed novel nanofabrication techniques to improve the measurement sensitivity. For the damaged W thin film sample, we measured the reduction in electrical conductivity and used the Wiedemann-Franz (W-F) law to extract the thermal conductivity. Results from both measurements show that thermal conductivity in the damaged layers was reduced by at least ∼80% compared to that of undamaged W. This large reduction in thermal conductivity can be attributed to the scattering of electrons, the dominant heat carriers in W, caused by defects introduced by He plasma irradiation.

Reduction of solar photovoltaic resources due to air pollution in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaoyuan; Wagner, Fabian; Peng, Wei; Yang, Junnan; Mauzerall, Denise L

2017-11-07

Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation is expanding rapidly in China, with total capacity projected to be 400 GW by 2030. However, severe aerosol pollution over China reduces solar radiation reaching the surface. We estimate the aerosol impact on solar PV electricity generation at the provincial and regional grid levels in China. Our approach is to examine the 12-year (2003-2014) average reduction in point-of-array irradiance (POAI) caused by aerosols in the atmosphere. We apply satellite-derived surface irradiance data from the NASA Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) with a PV performance model (PVLIB-Python) to calculate the impact of aerosols and clouds on POAI. Our findings reveal that aerosols over northern and eastern China, the most polluted regions, reduce annual average POAI by up to 1.5 kWh/m 2 per day relative to pollution-free conditions, a decrease of up to 35%. Annual average reductions of POAI over both northern and eastern China are about 20-25%. We also evaluate the seasonal variability of the impact and find that aerosols in this region are as important as clouds in winter. Furthermore, we find that aerosols decrease electricity output of tracking PV systems more than those with fixed arrays: over eastern China, POAI is reduced by 21% for fixed systems at optimal angle and 34% for two-axis tracking systems. We conclude that PV system performance in northern and eastern China will benefit from improvements in air quality and will facilitate that improvement by providing emission-free electricity. Published under the PNAS license.

Pu-Th separation studies employing di(2-ethylhexyl)isobutyramide (D2EHIBA) as extractant from nitric acid medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pathak, P.N.; Prabhu, D.R.; Rizvi, G.H.; Ruikar, P.B.; Kumbhare, L.B.; Mohapatra, P.K.; Manchanda, V.K.

2003-01-01

An attempt has been made to explore the use of di(2-ethylhexyl)isobutyramide (D2EHIBA) as an extractant for the recovery of Pu from the (proposed) AHWR fuel fabrication scrap solution. The extraction of Pu in the hexavalent state has been found to be distinctly more efficient than that in the tetravalent state. Distribution studies have been carried out by maintaining Pu as Pu(VI) employing AgO as the oxidant. Scrubbing at 5 M HNO 3 has been proposed to reduce the interference due to the co-extracted Th(IV). Quantitative stripping of the extracted Pu was achieved using hydroxyl ammonium-nitrate (HAN) as reductant. Ion exchange studies have been carried out for the final purification of Pu. It is proposed to employ the cation exchanger, Biorad AG 50X8 for the final purification of Pu from the stripped solution, keeping Pu as Pu(III). (orig.)

Improved survival with renal transplantation for end-stage renal disease due to granulomatosis with polyangiitis: data from the United States Renal Data System.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Zachary S; Wallwork, Rachel; Zhang, Yuqing; Lu, Na; Cortazar, Frank; Niles, John L; Heher, Eliot; Stone, John H; Choi, Hyon K

2018-05-14

Renal transplantation is the optimal treatment for selected patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, the survival benefit of renal transplantation among patients with ESRD attributed to granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is unknown. We identified patients from the United States Renal Data System with ESRD due to GPA (ESRD-GPA) between 1995 and 2014. We restricted our analysis to waitlisted subjects to evaluate the impact of transplantation on mortality. We followed patients until death or the end of follow-up. We compared the relative risk (RR) of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients who received a transplant versus non-transplanted patients using a pooled logistic regression model with transplantation as a time-varying exposure. During the study period, 1525 patients were waitlisted and 946 received a renal transplant. Receiving a renal transplant was associated with a 70% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality in multivariable-adjusted analyses (RR=0.30, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.37), largely attributed to a 90% reduction in the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) (RR=0.10, 95% 0.06-0.16). Renal transplantation is associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality among patients with ESRD attributed to GPA, largely due to a decrease in the risk of death to CVD. Prompt referral for transplantation is critical to optimise outcomes for this patient population. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Dose reduction due to the use of pulsed miction-cystourethrography in pediatrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rettinger, Tobias

2013-01-01

The miction-cystourethrography (MCU) is the most frequently used radiographic method (30-50%) in pediatrics. The absorbed doses were significantly reduced during the last years aimed to realize the ALARA principle. The scope of the work is to study the possibility of a further dose reduction using pulsed radiation systems based on a computer-aided analysis of the dose-time curve during MCU examination.

What's that, you say? Employee expectations of privacy when using employer-provided technology--and how employers can defeat them.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrin, Barry S

2012-01-01

Two 2010 court cases that determined the effectiveness of policies governing employees' use of employer-provided communication devices can be used to guide employers when constructing their own technology policies. In light of a policy that stated that "users should have no expectation of privacy or confidentiality," one case established that the employer was in the right. However, a separate case favored the employee due, in part, to an "unclear and ambiguous" policy. Ultimately, employers can restrict the use of employer-furnished technology by employees by: 1) clearly outlining that employees do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their use of company devices; 2) stating that any use of personal e-mail accounts using employer-provided technology will be subject to the policy; 3) detailing all technology used to monitor employees; 4) identifying company devices covered; 5) not exposing the content of employee communications; and 6) having employees sign and acknowledge the policy.

Gender, Poverty and Employment in India

OpenAIRE

V. Gayathri

2005-01-01

Development theories recognise that employment is central to the alleviation of poverty and the enhancement of well-being. This means that at the practical level, it is understood that labour-intensive growth and greater labour-force participation by women are necessary elements for poverty reduction. At the level of discursive practice, the gender and poverty debates treat labour as an abstract category. In recognition of this lacuna, this paper attempts to address two principal questions: a...

Promotion of the employment of people with disabilities in the open labour market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Esteban Legarreta

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper is aimed at a critical analysis of the main tools existing in Spain to foster the employment of people with disabilities in the open labour market considering the new Consolidated Text of the General Act on the Rights of People with Disabilities and its social inclusion (Royal Legislative Decree 1/2013 and the Global Strategy on Employment of People with Disabilities 2008-2012. The main incentives are reductions in Social Security contributions and financial bonuses. The paper’s methodology is based in the study of both the law and the case law. Firstly, with regard to the reductions in Social Security contributions, the paper evaluates its reach, the different types of employment contracts concerned and the circumstances which could hamper employers’ access to bonuses. Secondly, the article evaluates some key issues regarding employment grants like their amount, the specific concept of disabled person to be hired or the possibility to pile up national and autonomous (regional grants. Finally, the article evaluates the existing limited grant to carry out workplace adjustments.

Development of supported noble metal catalyst for U(VI) to U(IV) reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, Deepak; Varma, Salil; Bhattacharyya, K.; Tripathi, A.K.; Bharadwaj, S.R.; Jain, V.K.; Sahu, Avinash; Vincent, Tessy; Jagatap, B.N.; Wattal, P.K.

2015-01-01

Uranium-plutonium separation is an essential step in the PUREX process employed in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. This partitioning in the PUREX process is achieved by selective reduction of Pu(IV) to Pu(III) using uranous nitrate as reductant and hydrazine as stabilizer. Currently in our Indian reprocessing plants, the requirement of uranous nitrate is met by electrolytic reduction of uranyl nitrate. This process, however, suffers from a major drawback of incomplete reduction with a maximum conversion of ~ 60%. Catalytic reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) is being considered as one of the promising alternatives to the electro-reduction process due to fast kinetics and near total conversion. Various catalysts involving noble metals like platinum (Adams catalyst, Pt/Al 2 O 3 , Pt/SiO 2 etc.) have been reported for the reduction. Sustained activity and stability of the catalyst under harsh reaction conditions are still the issues that need to be resolved. We present here the results on zirconia supported noble metal catalyst that is developed in BARC for reduction of uranyl nitrate to uranous nitrate. Supported noble metal catalysts with varying metal loadings (0.5 - 2 wt%) were prepared via support precipitation and noble metal impregnation. The green catalysts were reduced either by chemical reduction using hydrazine hydrate or by heating in hydrogen flow or combination of both the steps. These catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as, XRD, SEM, TEM, N 2 adsorption and H 2 chemisorption. Performance of these catalysts was evaluated for U(VI) to U(IV) reduction with uranyl nitrate feed using hydrazine as reductant. The results with the most active catalyst are named as 'BARC-CAT', which was developed in our lab. (author)

Increasing of Urban Radiation due to Climate Change and Reduction Strategy using Vegetation

Science.gov (United States)

Park, C.; Lee, D.; Heo, H. K.; Ahn, S.

2017-12-01

Urban Heat Island (UHI) which means urban air temperature is higher than suburban area is one of the most important environmental issues in Urban. High density of buildings and high ratio of impervious surfaces increases the radiation fluxes in urban canopy. Furthermore, climate change is expected to make UHI even more seriously in the future. Increased irradiation and air temperature cause high amount of short wave and long wave radiation, respectively. This increases net radiation negatively affects heat condition of pedestrian. UHI threatens citizen's health by increasing violence and heat related diseases. For this reason, understanding how much urban radiation will increase in the future, and exploring radiation reduction strategies is important for reducing UHI. In this research, we aim to reveal how the radiation flux in the urban canyon will change as the climate change and determine how much of urban vegetation will be needed to cover this degradation. The study area is a commercial district in Seoul where highly populated area. Due to the high density of buildings and lack of urban vegetation, this area has a poor thermal condition in summer. In this research, we simulate the radiation flux on the ground using multi-layer urban canopy model. Unlike conventionally used urban canopy model to simulate radiation transfer using vertically single layer, the multi-layer model we used here, enables to consider the vertical heterogeneous of buildings and urban vegetation. As a result, net radiation of urban ground will be increase 2.1 W/m² in the 2050s and 2.7 W/m² in the 2100s. And to prevent the increase of radiation, it is revealed that the urban vegetation should by increased by 10%. This research will be valuable in establishing greening planning as a strategy to reduce UHI effect.

Impact of cancer on employment: A qualitative study exploring employment changes and financial coping strategies following breast cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yek-Ching Kong

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Few studies have examined the impact of cancer diagnosis on employment among breast cancer patients. We aim to gain an in-depth understanding on the employment issues faced by breast cancer patients as well as their financial coping strategies in a multi-ethnic Asian setting. Methods: Six focus group discussions (FGDs were carried out with breast cancer patients, representing various ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, who were recruited from Hospital Kuala Lumpur, a public hospital, and University Malaya Medical Centre, a public academic hospital. All FGDs were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic content analysis was carried out using the NVivo software. Results: Majority of breast cancer patients quitted their jobs upon diagnosis of breast cancer, with many describing that their bosses were not understanding in terms of their cancer diagnosis. Those who were self-employed meanwhile reported less productivity. Patterns of financial coping strategies due to employment changes were diverse. Some patients chose to do light weight part time jobs, while others described the important role of husbands and relatives in coping with income loss. There were mixed responses regarding return to work, in which money was the major reason to return to work, while stress was cited as a barrier to not return to work. However, many reported barriers in finding a job after cancer due to discrimination against their cancer and their age. Conclusion: It is evident that a breast cancer diagnosis brings about adverse impact on employment. Multidisciplinary interventions are urgently required in Malaysia to improve the employment status of our cancer survivors including legislative reforms to prevent discrimination. This study was funded by AIA Bhd. NMRR ID: NMRR-16-2054-32802 

Employment status, employment functioning, and barriers to employment among VA primary care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zivin, Kara; Yosef, Matheos; Levine, Debra S; Abraham, Kristen M; Miller, Erin M; Henry, Jennifer; Nelson, C Beau; Pfeiffer, Paul N; Sripada, Rebecca K; Harrod, Molly; Valenstein, Marcia

2016-03-15

Prior research found lower employment rates among working-aged patients who use the VA than among non-Veterans or Veterans who do not use the VA, with the lowest reported employment rates among VA patients with mental disorders. This study assessed employment status, employment functioning, and barriers to employment among VA patients treated in primary care settings, and examined how depression and anxiety were associated with these outcomes. The sample included 287 VA patients treated in primary care in a large Midwestern VA Medical Center. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted examining associations between socio-demographic and clinical predictors of six employment domains, including: employment status, job search self-efficacy, work performance, concerns about job loss among employed Veterans, and employment barriers and likelihood of job seeking among not employed Veterans. 54% of respondents were employed, 36% were not employed, and 10% were economically inactive. In adjusted analyses, participants with depression or anxiety (43%) were less likely to be employed, had lower job search self-efficacy, had lower levels of work performance, and reported more employment barriers. Depression and anxiety were not associated with perceived likelihood of job loss among employed or likelihood of job seeking among not employed. Single VA primary care clinic; cross-sectional study. Employment rates are low among working-aged VA primary care patients, particularly those with mental health conditions. Offering primary care interventions to patients that address mental health issues, job search self-efficacy, and work performance may be important in improving health, work, and economic outcomes. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Impact of Hours Flexibility on Career Employment, Bridge Jobs, and the Timing of Retirement

OpenAIRE

Kevin E. Cahill; Michael D. Giandrea; Joseph F. Quinn

2014-01-01

To what extent does hours flexibility in career employment impact the retirement process? Workplace flexibility policies have the potential to improve both the welfare of employees and the business outcomes of employers. These policies, and hours flexibility in particular for older Americans, have also been touted as a way to reduce turnover. For older Americans, reductions in turnover could mean more years in career employment, fewer years in bridge employment, and little or no impact on the...

Simulated reduction of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico due to phosphorus limitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Laurent

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Excess nutrient loading from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system promotes the seasonal development of hypoxic bottom waters on the Louisiana shelf with detrimental effects on the benthic fauna. In the Mississippi River plume, primary production becomes phosphorus-limited between May and July at the peak of nutrient loading, displacing a portion of primary production and depositional fluxes westward. Here we quantitatively assessed, for the first time, the effect of phosphorus limitation on hypoxia development in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River plume using a realistic physical-biogeochemical model. Results indicate that, despite a redistribution of respiration processes toward the western shelf, phosphorus limitation does not promote a westward expansion or relocation of hypoxia, as previously speculated. Rather, the onset of hypoxia was delayed and the size of the hypoxic zone reduced. Sensitivity experiments showed that this feature is robust in our model. Results from simulations with altered river input indicate that, despite phosphorus limitation, the co-reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus loads remains the best strategy to reduce hypoxia. Yet, even though nutrient load reductions have an immediate effect on hypoxia in this analysis, a 50% reduction in both nutrients will not be sufficient to meet the Gulf Hypoxia action plan goal of a 5·103 km2 hypoxic area.

Shadow Employment in Transition - A Matter of Choice or No Choice?

OpenAIRE

Cichocki, Stanislaw; Tyrowicz, Joanna

2009-01-01

Shadow employment may follow from two main labour market failures. In the first, official market labour taxation distortions make it ineffective for some agents to engage in registered employment due to a tax wedge, which makes the revenues from unofficial employment higher than the corresponding official ones (tax evasion hypothesis). The alternative explanation draws to labour market tightness - for workers regular employment may be unattainable, which results in seeking earning opportuniti...

Soldiers’ employment attitude and employability: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Gao

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Nowadays it is very difficult for Chinese retired soldiers to find proper jobs, and the primary reason is the significant gap between job requirements and soldiers owned job skills. Therefore, it is very important to improve the soldiers’ job skills and enhance their understanding of employment.Design/methodology/approach: This paper expands the study scope from the soldiers’ job skills to the employability, initiatively introduces the employment attitude which has obvious impact on the employment of soldiers, and analyses the influence that employment attitude can play on employability. At last, this paper develops statistical method to find the relationship between soldiers’ employment attitude and employability.Findings: The empirical analysis shows that soldiers’ employment attitude has the positive linkage with employability, which makes the employment attitude a measurable variable for the employability rather than an absolute standard.Research limitations/implications: According to the research purpose, more variables should be considered in the model, consequently, there are only three indicators to describe solders’ employment attitude and four indicators to describe solders’ employability.Originality/value: This paper takes research on soldiers’ employability in a new perspective. The soldiers’ employment attitude is served as the entry point, showing the influence that soldiers’ employment attitude has on employability.

76 FR 42131 - Agency Information Collection Activities: DHS Individual Complaint of Employment Discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-18

... Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) (29 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) (age), the Equal Pay Act (29 U.S.C. 206(d)) (sex... Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). DHS previously published this information...: It is the policy of the Government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in employment...

78 FR 76327 - Notice of Approval of South Carolina's Application for Avoidance of 2013 Credit Reduction Under...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-17

... Application for Avoidance of 2013 Credit Reduction Under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act AGENCY: Employment... Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) provide that employers in a state that has an outstanding balance of... consecutive years are subject to a reduction in credits otherwise available against the FUTA tax for the...

The Cost of Employment Discrimination against Transgender Residents of Massachusetts

OpenAIRE

Herman, Jody L.

2011-01-01

Transgender residents of Massachusetts have reported experiencing discrimination in employment. Loss of employment due to anti-transgender bias often means lost wages, lost health insurance coverage, and housing instability. Therefore, employment discrimination might affect the budget of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in several ways: reduced income tax revenues, higher public assistance expenditures, and other costs. For instance, if a worker is fired for being transgender and loses wages...

Reduction in global warming due to fuel economy improvements and emissions control of criteria pollutants: New US light-duty vehicles (1968--1991)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pitstick, M.E.; Santini, D.J. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Chauhan, H. [Delaware Univ., Newark, DE (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering

1992-08-01

This paper explores the impact of US emission controls and fuel economy improvements on the global warming potential (GWP) of new light-duty vehicles. Fuel economy improvements have reduced the GWP of both passenger cars and light-duty trucks by lowering the per mile emissions of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). Further GWP reductions have been achieved by emission standards for criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}). The GWP of a criteria pollutant was calculated by multiplying the emission rate by a relative global warming factor to obtain a CO{sub 2} equivalent emission rate. Both CO{sub 2} and criteria pollutant emission rates per vehicle have decreased substantially for new light-duty vehicles over the period from 1968 to 1991. Over that period, the GWP from CO{sub 2} was reduced by almost 50% in new vehicles by improving fuel economy. In that same time period, the GWP from criteria pollutants from new vehicles was reduced with emission controls by from 80% to 90% depending on the global warming time frame of interest. Consequently, total reductions in the GWP of new passenger cars and light-duty trucks have been on the order of 55 to 75 percent compared to precontrol (before 1968) new vehicles. However, the reduction in GWP caused by emission control of criteria pollutants has been larger than the reduction caused by improved fuel economy (i.e., reduced CO{sub 2}). The contribution of criteria pollutants to the GWP of precontrol new vehicles was substantial, but their contribution has been reduced significantly due to US emission controls. As a result, the contribution of criteria pollutants to global warming is now much less than the contribution of CO{sub 2} from fuel consumption.

Reduction in global warming due to fuel economy improvements and emissions control of criteria pollutants: New US light-duty vehicles (1968--1991)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pitstick, M.E.; Santini, D.J. (Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)); Chauhan, H. (Delaware Univ., Newark, DE (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering)

1992-01-01

This paper explores the impact of US emission controls and fuel economy improvements on the global warming potential (GWP) of new light-duty vehicles. Fuel economy improvements have reduced the GWP of both passenger cars and light-duty trucks by lowering the per mile emissions of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). Further GWP reductions have been achieved by emission standards for criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}). The GWP of a criteria pollutant was calculated by multiplying the emission rate by a relative global warming factor to obtain a CO{sub 2} equivalent emission rate. Both CO{sub 2} and criteria pollutant emission rates per vehicle have decreased substantially for new light-duty vehicles over the period from 1968 to 1991. Over that period, the GWP from CO{sub 2} was reduced by almost 50% in new vehicles by improving fuel economy. In that same time period, the GWP from criteria pollutants from new vehicles was reduced with emission controls by from 80% to 90% depending on the global warming time frame of interest. Consequently, total reductions in the GWP of new passenger cars and light-duty trucks have been on the order of 55 to 75 percent compared to precontrol (before 1968) new vehicles. However, the reduction in GWP caused by emission control of criteria pollutants has been larger than the reduction caused by improved fuel economy (i.e., reduced CO{sub 2}). The contribution of criteria pollutants to the GWP of precontrol new vehicles was substantial, but their contribution has been reduced significantly due to US emission controls. As a result, the contribution of criteria pollutants to global warming is now much less than the contribution of CO{sub 2} from fuel consumption.

Reduction in global warming due to fuel economy improvements and emissions control of criteria pollutants: New US light-duty vehicles (1968--1991)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitstick, M.E.; Santini, D.J.; Chauhan, H.

1992-01-01

This paper explores the impact of US emission controls and fuel economy improvements on the global warming potential (GWP) of new light-duty vehicles. Fuel economy improvements have reduced the GWP of both passenger cars and light-duty trucks by lowering the per mile emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Further GWP reductions have been achieved by emission standards for criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NO x ). The GWP of a criteria pollutant was calculated by multiplying the emission rate by a relative global warming factor to obtain a CO 2 equivalent emission rate. Both CO 2 and criteria pollutant emission rates per vehicle have decreased substantially for new light-duty vehicles over the period from 1968 to 1991. Over that period, the GWP from CO 2 was reduced by almost 50% in new vehicles by improving fuel economy. In that same time period, the GWP from criteria pollutants from new vehicles was reduced with emission controls by from 80% to 90% depending on the global warming time frame of interest. Consequently, total reductions in the GWP of new passenger cars and light-duty trucks have been on the order of 55 to 75 percent compared to precontrol (before 1968) new vehicles. However, the reduction in GWP caused by emission control of criteria pollutants has been larger than the reduction caused by improved fuel economy (i.e., reduced CO 2 ). The contribution of criteria pollutants to the GWP of precontrol new vehicles was substantial, but their contribution has been reduced significantly due to US emission controls. As a result, the contribution of criteria pollutants to global warming is now much less than the contribution of CO 2 from fuel consumption

Trends in Self-Employment Among White and Black Men: 1910-1990

OpenAIRE

Robert W. Fairlie; Bruce D. Meyer

1999-01-01

We examine trends in self-employment among white and black men from 1910 to 1990 using Census and CPS microdata. Self-employment rates fell over most of the century and then started to rise after 1970. For white men, we find that the decline was due to declining rates within industries, but was counterbalanced somewhat by a shift in employment towards high self-employment industries. Recently, the increase in self-employment was caused by an end to the within industry decline and the continui...

Mechanistic insights into the photocatalytic properties of metal nanocluster/graphene ensembles. Examining the role of visible light in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

Science.gov (United States)

Koklioti, Malamatenia A; Skaltsas, Theodosis; Sato, Yuta; Suenaga, Kazu; Stergiou, Anastasios; Tagmatarchis, Nikos

2017-07-13

Metal nanoclusters (M NCs ) based on silver and gold, abbreviated as Ag NCs and Au NCs , respectively, were synthesized and combined with functionalized graphene, abbreviated as f-G, forming novel M NC /f-G ensembles. The preparation of M NCs /f-G was achieved by employing attractive electrostatic interactions developed between negatively charged M NCs , attributed to the presence of carboxylates due to α-lipoic acid employed as a stabilizer, and positively charged f-G, attributed to the presence of ammonium units as addends. The realization of M NC /f-G ensembles was established via titration assays as evidenced by electronic absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy analyses. Photoinduced charge-transfer phenomena were inferred within M NCs /f-G, attributed to the suppression of M NC photoluminescence by the presence of f-G. Next, the M NC /f-G ensembles were successfully employed as proficient catalysts for the model reduction of 4-nitrophenol to the corresponding 4-aminophenol as proof for the photoinduced hydrogen production. Particularly, the reduction kinetics decelerated by half when bare M NCs were employed vs. the M NC /f-G ensembles, highlighting the beneficial role of M NCs /f-G in catalysing the process. Furthermore, Au NCs /f-G displayed exceptionally higher catalytic activity both in the dark and under visible light illumination conditions, which is ascribed to three synergistic mechanisms, namely, (a) hydride transfer from Au-H, (b) hydride transfer from photogenerated Au-H species, and (c) hydrogen produced by the photoreduction of water. Finally, recycling and re-employing M NCs /f-G in successive catalytic cycles without loss of activity toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol was achieved, thereby highlighting their wider applicability.

Voting strategy for artifact reduction in digital breast tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Tao; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.

2006-01-01

Artifacts are observed in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstructions due to the small number of projections and the narrow angular range that are typically employed in tomosynthesis imaging. In this work, we investigate the reconstruction artifacts that are caused by high-attenuation features in breast and develop several artifact reduction methods based on a 'voting strategy'. The voting strategy identifies the projection(s) that would introduce artifacts to a voxel and rejects the projection(s) when reconstructing the voxel. Four approaches to the voting strategy were compared, including projection segmentation, maximum contribution deduction, one-step classification, and iterative classification. The projection segmentation method, based on segmentation of high-attenuation features from the projections, effectively reduces artifacts caused by metal and large calcifications that can be reliably detected and segmented from projections. The other three methods are based on the observation that contributions from artifact-inducing projections have higher value than those from normal projections. These methods attempt to identify the projection(s) that would cause artifacts by comparing contributions from different projections. Among the three methods, the iterative classification method provides the best artifact reduction; however, it can generate many false positive classifications that degrade the image quality. The maximum contribution deduction method and one-step classification method both reduce artifacts well from small calcifications, although the performance of artifact reduction is slightly better with the one-step classification. The combination of one-step classification and projection segmentation removes artifacts from both large and small calcifications

Evaluation of the importance of employment pacts and the case study - Moravian-Silesian employment pact in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MSc. Šárká Prudká

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper is focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a tool that is used in the world and Europe to a comprehensive and systematic solution of the employment at the regional level. These are the so-called employment pacts. The theme is the more up-to-date due to the onset of the global economic crisis since 2008, which brought a deepening of socio-economic problems in the labour market, with negative implications upon an increasing rate of unemployment. The Moravian-Silesian Employment Pact has been chosen for the case study. It was established as the first one of its kind in the Czech Republic, in the structurally affected region of Silesia. The result is the finding that employment pacts are generally a useful tool to resolve problems in regional labor markets.

Navier slip model of drag reduction by Leidenfrost vapor layers

KAUST Repository

Berry, Joseph D.

2017-10-17

Recent experiments found that a hot solid sphere that is able to sustain a stable Leidenfrost vapor layer in a liquid exhibits significant drag reduction during free fall. The variation of the drag coefficient with Reynolds number deviates substantially from the characteristic drag crisis behavior at high Reynolds numbers. Measurements based on liquids of different viscosities show that the onset of the drag crisis depends on the viscosity ratio of the vapor to the liquid. Here we attempt to characterize the complexity of the Leidenfrost vapor layer with respect to its variable thickness and possible vapor circulation within, in terms of the Navier slip model that is defined by a slip length. Such a model can facilitate tangential flow and thereby alter the behavior of the boundary layer. Direct numerical and large eddy simulations of flow past a sphere at moderate to high Reynolds numbers (102≤Re≤4×104) are employed to quantify comparisons with experimental results, including the drag coefficient and the form of the downstream wake on the sphere. This provides a simple one parameter characterization of the drag reduction phenomenon due to a stable vapor layer that envelops a solid body.

Navier slip model of drag reduction by Leidenfrost vapor layers

KAUST Repository

Berry, Joseph D.; Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev; Chan, Derek Y. C.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2017-01-01

Recent experiments found that a hot solid sphere that is able to sustain a stable Leidenfrost vapor layer in a liquid exhibits significant drag reduction during free fall. The variation of the drag coefficient with Reynolds number deviates substantially from the characteristic drag crisis behavior at high Reynolds numbers. Measurements based on liquids of different viscosities show that the onset of the drag crisis depends on the viscosity ratio of the vapor to the liquid. Here we attempt to characterize the complexity of the Leidenfrost vapor layer with respect to its variable thickness and possible vapor circulation within, in terms of the Navier slip model that is defined by a slip length. Such a model can facilitate tangential flow and thereby alter the behavior of the boundary layer. Direct numerical and large eddy simulations of flow past a sphere at moderate to high Reynolds numbers (102≤Re≤4×104) are employed to quantify comparisons with experimental results, including the drag coefficient and the form of the downstream wake on the sphere. This provides a simple one parameter characterization of the drag reduction phenomenon due to a stable vapor layer that envelops a solid body.

Convolutional Code Based PAPR Reduction Scheme for Multicarrier Transmission with Higher Number of Subcarriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SAJJAD ALIMEMON

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Multicarrier transmission technique has become a prominent transmission technique in high-speed wireless communication systems. It is due to its frequency diversity,small inter-symbol interference in the multipath fading channel, simple equalizer structure, and high bandwidth efficiency. Nevertheless, in thetime domain, multicarrier transmission signal has high PAPR (Peak-to-Average Power Ratio thatinterprets to low power amplifier efficiencies. To decrease the PAPR, a CCSLM (Convolutional Code Selective Mapping scheme for multicarrier transmission with a high number of subcarriers is proposed in this paper. Proposed scheme is based on SLM method and employs interleaver and convolutional coding. Related works on the PAPR reduction have considered either 128 or 256 number of subcarriers. However, PAPR of multicarrier transmission signal will increase as a number of subcarriers increases. The proposed method achieves significant PAPR reduction for ahigher number of subcarriers as well as better power amplifier efficiency. Simulation outcomes validate the usefulness of projected scheme.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Transamidation of Secondary Amides with Nitroarenes

OpenAIRE

Cheung, Chi Wai; Ploeger, Marten Leendert; Hu, Xile

2017-01-01

Transmidation is an attractive method for amide synthesis. However, transamidation of secondary amides is challenging. Here, we describe a reductive transamidation method that employs readily available nitro(hetero)arenes as the nitrogen sources, zinc or manganese as reductant, and simple nickel salt and ligand as a catalyst system. The scope of amides includes both alkyl and aryl secondary amides, with high functional group compatibility.

Bubble-induced skin-friction drag reduction and the abrupt transition to air-layer drag reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Elbing, Brian R.; Winkel, Eric S.; Lay, Keary A.; Ceccio, Steven L.; Dowling, David R.; Perlin, Marc

To investigate the phenomena of skin-friction drag reduction in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) at large scales and high Reynolds numbers, a set of experiments has been conducted at the US Navy's William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC). Drag reduction was achieved by injecting gas (air) from a line source through the wall of a nearly zero-pressure-gradient TBL that formed on a flat-plate test model that was either hydraulically smooth or fully rough. Two distinct drag-reduction phenomena were investigated; bubble drag reduction (BDR) and air-layer drag reduction (ALDR).The streamwise distribution of skin-friction drag reduction was monitored with six skin-friction balances at downstream-distance-based Reynolds numbers to 220 million and at test speeds to 20.0msinitial zone1. These results indicated that there are three distinct regions associated with drag reduction with air injection: Region I, BDR; Region II, transition between BDR and ALDR; and Region III, ALDR. In addition, once ALDR was established: friction drag reduction in excess of 80% was observed over the entire smooth model for speeds to 15.3ms1 with the surface fully roughened (though approximately 50% greater volumetric air flux was required); and ALDR was sensitive to the inflow conditions. The sensitivity to the inflow conditions can be mitigated by employing a small faired step (10mm height in the experiment) that helps to create a fixed separation line.

Prediction of the viscosity reduction due to dissolved CO2 of and an elementary approach in the supercritical CO2 assisted continuous particle production of a polyester resin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nalawade, Sameer P.; Nieborg, Vincent H. J.; Picchioni, Francesco; Janssen, L. P. B. M.

2006-01-01

The dissolution of CO2 in a polymer causes plasticization of the polymer and hence, its viscosity is reduced. A model based on the free volume theory has been used for a polyester resin, which shows a considerable reduction in the viscosity due to dissolved M. Therefore, superctitical CO2 has been

Maternal employment and childhood overweight in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Sophie-Charlotte

2016-12-01

A widespread finding among studies from the US and the UK is that maternal employment is correlated with an increased risk of child overweight, even in a causal manner, whereas studies from other countries obtain less conclusive results. As evidence for Germany is still scarce, the purpose of this study is to identify the effect of maternal employment on childhood overweight in Germany using two sets of representative micro data. We further explore potential underlying mechanisms that might explain this relationship. In order to address the selection into maternal full-time employment, we use an instrumental variable strategy exploiting the number of younger siblings in the household as an instrument. While the OLS models suggest that maternal full-time employment is related to a 5 percentage point higher probability of the child to be overweight, IV estimates indicate a 25 percentage points higher overweight probability due to maternal full-time employment. Exploring various possible pathways, we find that maternal full-time employment promotes unhealthy dietary and activity behavior which might explain the positive effect of maternal employment on child overweight to some extent. Although there are limitations to our IV approach, several sensitivity analyses confirm the robustness of our findings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Employability Skills: Employer and Student Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Venetia; Zuzel, Katherine

2010-01-01

Graduate employability is a key issue for Higher Education. In this two-part study student employability skills have been evaluated from the perspective of sandwich students and graduates in biomolecular science, and their employers. A strong correlation was found between employer and sandwich student/graduate perceptions of the relative…

Employment-Based Abstinence Reinforcement as a Maintenance Intervention for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Science.gov (United States)

DeFulio, Anthony; Donlin, Wendy D.; Wong, Conrad J.; Silverman, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Context: Due to the chronic nature of cocaine dependence, long-term maintenance treatments may be required to sustain abstinence. Abstinence reinforcement is among the most effective means of initiating cocaine abstinence. Practical and effective means of maintaining abstinence reinforcement programs over time are needed. Objective: Determine whether employment-based abstinence reinforcement can be an effective long-term maintenance intervention for cocaine dependence. Design: Participants (N=128) were enrolled in a 6-month job skills training and abstinence initiation program. Participants who initiated abstinence, attended regularly, and developed needed job skills during the first six months were hired as operators in a data entry business and randomly assigned to an employment only (Control, n = 24) or abstinence-contingent employment (n = 27) group. Setting: A nonprofit data entry business. Participants: Unemployed welfare recipients who persistently used cocaine while enrolled in methadone treatment in Baltimore. Intervention: Abstinence-contingent employment participants received one year of employment-based contingency management, in which access to employment was contingent on provision drug-free urine samples under routine and then random drug testing. If a participant provided drug-positive urine or failed to provide a mandatory sample, then that participant received a temporary reduction in pay and could not work until urinalysis confirmed recent abstinence. Main Outcome Measure: Cocaine-negative urine samples at monthly assessments across one year of employment. Results: During the one-year of employment, abstinence-contingent employment participants provided significantly more cocaine-negative urine samples than employment only participants (79.3% and 50.7%, respectively; p = 0.004, OR = 3.73, 95% CI = 1.60 – 8.69). Conclusions: Employment-based abstinence reinforcement that includes random drug testing is effective as a long-term maintenance

Catalytic and inhibitory effects of thechnetium on reduction processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grases, F.; Genestar, C.; March, J.G.; March, P.

1986-01-01

Interactions between technetium and some anthraquinones and tartrazin in the presence of tin(II) are described. It was found that whereas the reductive process between Sn(II) and 1-amino-4-hydroxyanthraquinone is catalyzed by technetium, the reduction of tartrazin is inhibited by this element. Study of such process seems to indicate that the catalytic effect of technetium on the reduction processes is due to Tc(V) action whereas the inhibitory effect is due to the Tc(IV) species. (author)

Prevention of radiographic-contrast-agent-induced reductions in renal function by acetylcysteine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tepel, Martin; van der Giet, M; Schwarzfeld, C

2000-01-01

Radiographic contrast agents can cause a reduction in renal function that may be due to reactive oxygen species. Whether the reduction can be prevented by the administration of antioxidants is unknown.......Radiographic contrast agents can cause a reduction in renal function that may be due to reactive oxygen species. Whether the reduction can be prevented by the administration of antioxidants is unknown....

Reduction of thermal quenching of biotite mineral due to annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalita, J.M.; Wary, G.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Thermoluminescence of X-ray irradiate biotite was studied at various heating rates. • Thermal quenching was found to decrease with increase in annealing temperature. • Due to annealing one trap level was vanished and a new shallow trap level generated. • The new trap level contributes low thermally quenched thermoluminescence signal. - Abstract: Thermoluminescence (TL) of X-ray irradiated natural biotite annealed at 473, 573, 673 and 773 K were studied within 290–480 K at various linear heating rates (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 K/s). A Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution technique was used to study various TL parameters. Thermal quenching was found to be very high for un-annealed sample, however it decreased significantly with increase in annealing temperature. For un-annealed sample thermal quenching activation energy (W) and pre-exponential frequency factor (C) were found to be W = (2.71 ± 0.05) eV and C = (2.38 ± 0.05) × 10 12 s −1 respectively. However for 773 K annealed sample, these parameters were found to be W = (0.63 ± 0.03) eV, C = (1.75 ± 0.27) × 10 14 s −1 . Due to annealing, the initially present trap level at depth 1.04 eV was vanished and a new shallow trap state was generated at depth of 0.78 eV which contributes very low thermally quenched TL signal

77 FR 75195 - Notice of Approval for South Carolina for Avoidance of 2012 Credit Reduction Under the Federal...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-19

... for Avoidance of 2012 Credit Reduction Under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act AGENCY: Employment and... Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) provide that employers in a state that has an outstanding balance of advances under... subject to a reduction in credits otherwise available against the FUTA tax for a calendar year, if a...

Promotion of sustainable employability : Occupational health in the meat processing industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Holland, Breunis Johannes

2016-01-01

Due to rising retirement age, sustainable employability is gaining interest among employers. Such is the case in the meat processing industry. A strategy to address these challenges is health promotion at work. Therefore, the largest Dutch meat processing company has implemented a Workers’ Health

The Nernst equation applied to oxidation-reduction reactions in myoglobin and hemoglobin. Evaluation of the parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Saroff, Harry A

Analyses of the binding of oxygen to monomers such as myoglobin employ the Mass Action equation. The Mass Action equation, as such, is not directly applicable for the analysis of the binding of oxygen to oligomers such as hemoglobin. When the binding of oxygen to hemoglobin is analyzed, models incorporating extensions of mass action are employed. Oxidation-reduction reactions of the heme group in myoglobin and hemoglobin involve the binding and dissociation of electrons. This reaction is described with the Nernst equation. The Nernst equation is applicable only to a monomeric species even if the number of electrons involved is greater than unity. To analyze the oxidation-reduction reaction in a molecule such as hemoglobin a model is required which incorporates extensions of the Nernst equation. This communication develops models employing the Nernst equation for oxidation-reduction reactions analogous to those employed for hemoglobin in the analysis of the oxygenation (binding of oxygen) reaction.

Employers as Nightmare Readers: An Analysis of Ethical and Legal Concerns Regarding Employer-Employee Practices on SNS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suder Seili

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this interdisciplinary paper is to study the social reality surrounding the data processing practices employers and employees engage in on social networking sites (SNS. Considering the lack of empirical studies, as well as the considerable uncertainty in the way personal data protection is implemented across the European Union (EU, the paper offers insights on the topic. Qualitative text analysis of semi-structured interviews with employers from the service sector (N=10 and the field of media and communication (N=15, as well as employers from organisations which had experienced various problems due to things their employees had posted on social media (N=14, and employees from the financial sector (N=15 were carried out to explore whether the data protection principles, which can be viewed as the most important guidelines for employers in the EU, are actually followed in their everyday SNS data processing practices. Even though the data protection principles emphasise the need for fair, purposeful, transparent, minimal and accurate processing of personal data, our interviews with employers and employees reveal that the actual SNS processing practices rarely live up to the standards. Our findings indicate that there is a growing mismatch between the social reality and legal requirements regarding data subjects.

A Proposal for User-defined Reductions in OpenMP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duran, A; Ferrer, R; Klemm, M; de Supinski, B R; Ayguade, E

2010-03-22

Reductions are commonly used in parallel programs to produce a global result from partial results computed in parallel. Currently, OpenMP only supports reductions for primitive data types and a limited set of base language operators. This is a significant limitation for those applications that employ user-defined data types (e. g., objects). Implementing manual reduction algorithms makes software development more complex and error-prone. Additionally, an OpenMP runtime system cannot optimize a manual reduction algorithm in ways typically applied to reductions on primitive types. In this paper, we propose new mechanisms to allow the use of most pre-existing binary functions on user-defined data types as User-Defined Reduction (UDR) operators. Our measurements show that our UDR prototype implementation provides consistently good performance across a range of thread counts without increasing general runtime overheads.

3-D Effects Force Reduction of Short-Crested Non-Breaking Waves on Caissons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, H. F.; Liu, Z.

1998-01-01

The effect of wave short-crestedness on the horizontal wave force on a caisson is twofold. The one is the force reduction due to the reduction of point pressure on the caisson, named point-pressure reduction. The other is the force reduction due to the fact that the peak pressures do not occur si...

Anaerobic reductive dehalogenation of polychlorinated dioxins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunge, Michael [Aarhus Univ. (DK). Dept. of Biological Sciences, Microbiology, and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO); Lechner, Ute [Halle-Wittenberg Univ., Halle (Germany). Inst. of Biology/Microbiology

2009-09-15

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/Fs) are among the most harmful environmental contaminants. Their widespread distribution due to unintentional or unknown release coincides with environmental persistence, acute and chronic toxicity to living organisms, and long-term effects due to the compounds' tendency for bioaccumulation and biomagnification. While microbial aerobic degradation of PCDD/Fs is mainly reported for the turnover of low chlorinated congeners, this review focuses on anaerobic reductive dehalogenation, which may constitute a potential remediation strategy for polychlorinated compounds in soils and sediments. Microorganisms in sediments and in microcosms or enrichment cultures have been shown to be involved in the reductive dechlorination of dioxins. Bacteria related to the genus Dehalococcoides are capable of the reductive transformation of dioxins leading to lower chlorinated dioxins including di- and monochlorinated congeners. Thus, reductive dehalogenation might be one of the very few mechanisms able to mediate the turnover of polychlorinated dioxins by reducing their toxicity and paving the way for a subsequent breakdown of the carbon skeleton. (orig.)

5 CFR 839.1115 - What is an actuarial reduction?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... present value factor for your age at retirement. ...? An actuarial reduction allows you to receive benefits without having to pay an amount due in a lump... missing lump sum over your lifetime. The actuarial reduction becomes a permanent reduction in your benefit...

Employment, Pay and Discrimination in the Tourism Industry

OpenAIRE

Luís Delfim Santos; José Varejão

2006-01-01

Using a large administrative matched employer-employee dataset we analyse the gender wage gap in the Portuguese tourism labour market. As background, employment and pay in the tourism industry is thoroughly characterized. Using the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the gender wage gap, we find that 45 percent of the gap is due to differences in attributes of male and female workers in tourism. Our estimate of the coefficient of discrimination in the tourism industry (8.4 percent) puts it well b...

Earnings Expectation and Graduate Employment: Evidence from Recent Chinese College Graduates

Science.gov (United States)

Po, Yang

2011-01-01

Chinese college graduates have faced increasing labor market competition since the expansion of tertiary education. Given rigid market demand, graduates with realistic earnings expectations may experience a more efficient job search. Using the 2008 MYCOS College Graduate Employment Survey, this study finds that a 1000 yuan reduction in a…

A reductive aminase from Aspergillus oryzae

Science.gov (United States)

Aleku, Godwin A.; France, Scott P.; Man, Henry; Mangas-Sanchez, Juan; Montgomery, Sarah L.; Sharma, Mahima; Leipold, Friedemann; Hussain, Shahed; Grogan, Gideon; Turner, Nicholas J.

2017-10-01

Reductive amination is one of the most important methods for the synthesis of chiral amines. Here we report the discovery of an NADP(H)-dependent reductive aminase from Aspergillus oryzae (AspRedAm, Uniprot code Q2TW47) that can catalyse the reductive coupling of a broad set of carbonyl compounds with a variety of primary and secondary amines with up to >98% conversion and with up to >98% enantiomeric excess. In cases where both carbonyl and amine show high reactivity, it is possible to employ a 1:1 ratio of the substrates, forming amine products with up to 94% conversion. Steady-state kinetic studies establish that the enzyme is capable of catalysing imine formation as well as reduction. Crystal structures of AspRedAm in complex with NADP(H) and also with both NADP(H) and the pharmaceutical ingredient (R)-rasagiline are reported. We also demonstrate preparative scale reductive aminations with wild-type and Q240A variant biocatalysts displaying total turnover numbers of up to 32,000 and space time yields up to 3.73 g l-1 d-1.

Carbon abatement potential of solar home systems in India and their cost reduction due to carbon finance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaurey, A.; Kandpal, T.C.

2009-01-01

About 78 million rural households in India reportedly lack access to grid electricity. About 67 million of them use kerosene for lighting. Government of India is promoting the use of solar home systems (SHS) as one of the options for meeting lighting requirements in households in remote and less inhabited villages. About 363,399 SHS were reportedly disseminated across the country by December 2007. Apart from meeting the basic lighting need of the households, SHS also help in abating the emissions of green house gases (GHGs) by directly displacing the use of kerosene in households that currently use it for lighting. This study has attempted at estimating the CO 2 mitigation potential of SHS in India by studying the potential for their diffusion and the appropriate baseline. Subsequently, the scope for cost reduction to the user due to carbon finance, if received, is also studied. It is found that carbon finance could reduce the effective burden of SHS to the user by 19% if carbon prices were $10/tCO 2 and no transaction costs were involved in getting the carbon revenues. These benefits are also estimated for scenarios where transaction costs are incurred by the project proponent in getting the carbon benefits

Uniformity index measurement technology using thermocouples to improve performance in urea-selective catalytic reduction systems

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sangki; Oh, Jungmo

2018-05-01

The current commonly used nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission reduction techniques employ hydrocarbons (HCs), urea solutions, and exhaust gas emissions as the reductants. Two of the primary denitrification NOx (DeNOx) catalyst systems are the HC-lean NOx trap (HC-LNT) catalyst and urea-selective catalytic reduction (urea-SCR) catalyst. The secondary injection method depends on the type of injector, injection pressure, atomization, and spraying technique. In addition, the catalyst reaction efficiency is directly affected by the distribution of injectors; hence, the uniformity index (UI) of the reductant is very important and is the basis for system optimization. The UI of the reductant is an indicator of the NOx conversion efficiency (NCE), and good UI values can reduce the need for a catalyst. Therefore, improving the UI can reduce the cost of producing a catalytic converter, which are expensive due to the high prices of the precious metals contained therein. Accordingly, measurement of the UI is an important process in the development of catalytic systems. Two of the commonly used methods for measuring the reductant UI are (i) measuring the exhaust emissions at many points located upstream/downstream of the catalytic converter and (ii) acquisition of a reductant distribution image on a section of the exhaust pipe upstream of the catalytic converter. The purpose of this study is to develop a system and measurement algorithms to measure the exothermic response distribution in the exhaust gas as the reductant passes through the catalytic converter of the SCR catalyst system using a set of thermocouples downstream of the SCR catalyst. The system is used to measure the reductant UI, which is applied in real-time to the actual SCR system, and the results are compared for various types of mixtures for various engine operating conditions and mixer types in terms of NCE.

Employer`s contributions to the training of professional statisticians

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rustagi, J.S. [Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Statistics Dept.; Wright, T. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Mathematical Sciences Section]|[Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC (United States)

1995-07-01

Statistical science provides important techniques for decision making in a large variety of fields of human endeavor mainly through statistical practice. According to Deming (1965), ``Statistical practice is mostly a collaborative venture between (professional) statisticians and experts in subject-matter (area).`` The professional statistician must be properly trained in areas of statistical science most suited to the discipline in which the applications are made. Due to a large variety of applications. The education of a professional statistician by universities can only be very general. Higher education provides the theoretical basis of statistical science whereas the specific expertise needed by the professional statistician is given by the application areas. In this paper, the authors review the approach of academic programs which are geared towards applications and discuss some of the innovative strategies for preparing statisticians as consultants in industry and business. A survey (census) of statisticians at the national laboratories of the US Department of Energy was made to assess their training by universities and to get a broad view of additional training which has brought them to their present professional status. A particular interest is the extent to which employers have contributed to the training of statisticians. A few recommendations are made which may serve to improve the future training of statisticians for applied collaborative work by universities and employers.

Galactorrhea after reduction mammaplasty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuurman, A. H.; Assies, J.; van der Horst, C. M.; Bos, K. E.

1993-01-01

A case of extremely painful swelling of the breasts following a reduction mammaplasty is presented. There were no signs of an abscess or hematoma. A milky white fluid due to galactorrhea was evacuated at operation, and further galactorrhea was inhibited by medication. The pathogenesis of

Reduct Driven Pattern Extraction from Clusters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuchita Upadhyaya

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Clustering algorithms give general description of clusters, listing number of clusters and member entities in those clusters. However, these algorithms lack in generating cluster description in the form of pattern. From data mining perspective, pattern learning from clusters is as important as cluster finding. In the proposed approach, reduct derived from rough set theory is employed for pattern formulation. Further, reduct are the set of attributes which distinguishes the entities in a homogenous cluster, hence these can be clear cut removed from the same. Remaining attributes are then ranked for their contribution in the cluster. Pattern is formulated with the conjunction of most contributing attributes such that pattern distinctively describes the cluster with minimum error.

Manifestation of external size reduction effects on the yield point of nanocrystalline rhodium using nanopillars approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alshehri, Omar; Yavuz, Mustafa; Tsui Ting

2013-01-01

In this study, pure rhodium was fabricated and mechanically investigated at the nanoscale for the first time. The nanopillars approach was employed to study the effects of size on the yield point. Nanopillars with different diameters were fabricated using electroplating followed by uniaxial compression tests. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used as a quality control technique by imaging the pillars before and after compression to ensure the absence of cracks, buckling, barrelling or any other problems. Transmission electron microscopy and SEM were used as microstructural characterization techniques. Due to substrate-induced effects, only the plastic region of the stress–strain curves were investigated, and it was revealed that the yield point increases with size reduction up to certain limit, then decreases with further reduction of the nanopillar size (diameter). The later weakening effect is consistent with the literature, which demonstrates the reversed size effect (the failure of the plasticity theory) in nanocrystalline metals, i.e. smaller is weaker. In this study, however, the effect of size reduction is not only weakening, but is strengthening-then-weakening, which the authors believe is the true behavior of nanocrystalline materials.

Daily Hassles as Mediators of Employment/Gender Differences in Adaptational Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanner, Allen D.

Previous research has shown that employed men are generally healthier than employed women, due in part to the dual role of women as workers and homemakers. To examine this explanation, the impact of four types of daily hassles (minor stressful events) was compared on two adaptational outcomes, psychological symptoms and health, for working men and…

The DATCON system of the Belle II experiment. Tracking and data reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wessel, Christian; Dingfelder, Jochen; Marinas, Carlos; Deschamps, Bruno [Universitaet Bonn (Germany). Physikalisches Institut

2016-07-01

The SuperKEKB e{sup +}e{sup -} accelerator at KEK in Japan will have a luminosity which is a factor of 40 higher than the luminosity of its predecessor KEKB. The Belle II detector at SuperKEKB will contain a two-layer pixel detector at radii of 1.421 and 2.179 cm from the interaction point, based on the DEPFET (DEpleted P-channel Field Effect Transistor) technology. It is surrounded by four layers of strip detectors. Due to the high collision rate, the data rate of the pixel detector needs to by drastically reduced by an online data reduction system. The DATCON (Data Acquisition Tracking and Concentrator Online Node) system performs track reconstruction in the SVD (Strip Vertex Detector) and extrapolates to the PXD (PiXel Detector) to calculate ROI and to keep only hits in the ROI. The track reconstruction algorithm is based on a Hough transform, which reduces track finding to finding intersection points in the Hough parameter space. In this talk the employed algorithm for fast online track reconstruction on FPGA, ROI finding and the performance of the data reduction are presented.

Screening for Sleep Reduction in Adolescents through Self-Report: Development and Validation of the Sleep Reduction Screening Questionnaire (SRSQ)

Science.gov (United States)

Maanen, Annette; Dewald-Kaufmann, Julia F.; Oort, Frans J.; de Bruin, Eduard J.; Smits, Marcel G.; Short, Michelle A.; Gradisar, Michael; Kerkhof, Gerard A.; Meijer, Anne Marie

2014-01-01

Background: Sleep reduction, resulting from insufficient or poor sleep, is a common phenomenon in adolescents. Due to its severe negative psychological and behavioral daytime consequences, it is important to have a short reliable and valid measure to assess symptoms of sleep reduction. Objective: This study aims to validate the Sleep Reduction…

The Employer Perspective on Sustainable Employability in the Construction Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tonnon, Susanne C; van der Veen, Rozan; Westerman, Marjan J; Robroek, Suzan J W; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Van Der Beek, Allard J.; Proper, Karin I.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the measures employers in the construction industry take to promote sustainable employability, the barriers and facilitators that influence implementation and employer needs. METHODS: Questionnaire among 499 employers and interviews with 17 employers. RESULTS: Employers

Gain reduction measurements in transient stimulated Raman scattering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heeman, R.J.; Godfried, H.P

1995-01-01

Threshold energy measurements of transient rotational stimulated Raman scattering are compared to Raman conversion calculations from semiclassical theories using a simple concept of a gain reduction factor which expresses the reduction of the gain from its steady-state value due to transient

Restraining Sodium Volatilization in the Ferric Bauxite Direct Reduction System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wentao Hu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Direct reduction is an emerging utilization technology of ferric bauxite. However, it requires much more sodium carbonate than ordinary bauxite does. The volatilization is one of the most significant parts of sodium carbonate consumption, as reported in previous studies. Based on the new direct reduction method for utilization of ferric bauxite, this paper has systematically investigated factors including heating temperature, heating time, and sodium carbonate dosage influencing sodium volatilization. For the purpose of reducing sodium volatilization, the Box–Benhken design was employed, and the possibility of separating iron and sodium after direct reduction was also investigated.

On distribution reduction and algorithm implementation in inconsistent ordered information systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanqin

2014-01-01

As one part of our work in ordered information systems, distribution reduction is studied in inconsistent ordered information systems (OISs). Some important properties on distribution reduction are studied and discussed. The dominance matrix is restated for reduction acquisition in dominance relations based information systems. Matrix algorithm for distribution reduction acquisition is stepped. And program is implemented by the algorithm. The approach provides an effective tool for the theoretical research and the applications for ordered information systems in practices. For more detailed and valid illustrations, cases are employed to explain and verify the algorithm and the program which shows the effectiveness of the algorithm in complicated information systems.

Is Self-Employment Really a Bad Experience? The Effects of Previous Self-Employment on Subsequent Wage-Employment Wages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, Ulrich; Malchow-Møller, Nikolaj

2011-01-01

of self-employment is associated with lower hourly wages compared to workers who were consecutively wage-employed. We also show, however, that this effect disappears—and even becomes positive in some settings—for formerly self-employed who find dependent employment in the same sector as their self......-employment sector. Hence, the on average negative effect of self-employment is rather caused by sector switching than by the self-employment experience per se. Moreover, formerly self-employed who either enjoyed a high income or hired at least one worker during their self-employment spell receive wages...... in subsequent dependent employment that are at least as high as for individuals who have been consecutively wage-employed....

Agricultural trade and farm employment in China during 1994-2009

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Jing; Zhang, Shu; Yu, Wusheng

2013-01-01

Purpose – This paper therefore aims at systematically estimating the agricultural trade induced farm employment effects in China. Design/methodology/approach – Using detailed agricultural trade and production data during 1994-2009, the authors estimate the “labor contents” of agricultural trade f...... employment effects do not lend support to the popular notion that increased agricultural trade would help increase farm employment and have important implications for evaluating current and future trade policy in China and elsewhere.......Purpose – This paper therefore aims at systematically estimating the agricultural trade induced farm employment effects in China. Design/methodology/approach – Using detailed agricultural trade and production data during 1994-2009, the authors estimate the “labor contents” of agricultural trade...... flows and use these estimates to compute the farm employment effects. Findings – The authors find that China's agricultural trade has indeed generally developed along its widely believed comparative advantages and disadvantages; however, the farm employment “creation” effect due to labor...

Photo-induced reduction of flavin mononucleotide in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, S.-H.; Dick, B.; Penzkofer, A.

2007-01-01

The photo-induced reduction of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) in aqueous solutions is studied by absorption spectra measurement under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Samples without exogenous reducing agent and with the exogenous reducing agents ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and dithiothreitol (DTT) are investigated. Under anaerobic conditions the photo-induced reduction with and without reducing agents is irreversible. Under aerobic conditions the photo-reduction without added reducing agent is small compared to the photo-degradation, and the photo-reduction of FMN by the reducing agents is reversible (re-oxidation in the dark). During photo-excitation of FMN the dissolved oxygen is consumed by singlet oxygen formation and subsequent chemical reaction. After light switch-off slow re-oxidation (slow absorption recovery) occurs due to air in-diffusion from surface. EDTA degradation by FMN excitation leads to oxygen scavenging. The quantum efficiencies of photo-reduction under aerobic and anaerobic conditions are determined. The re-oxidation of reduced FMN under aerobic conditions and due to air injection is investigated

Trapped Between Ableism And Neoliberalism : Critical Reflections On Disability And Employment In India

OpenAIRE

Kumar, Arun; Sonpal, Deepa; Hiranandani, Vanmala

2012-01-01

Despite affirmative actions such as reservations in government employment, incentives and subsidies to employers, tax exemptions to persons with disabilities, skill-development trainings etc, employment for persons with disabilities continues to be characterised by lower work-force participation, lower wages, lack of career advancement opportunities, and discrimination at the workplace. Simultaneously, social security benefits have been declining due to shrinking state role. With the ratifica...

Graduate Employability: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Employers' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Yuzhuo

2013-01-01

This study provides a conceptual framework for understanding what employers think about the value of graduates with similar educational credentials in the workplace (their employability), using insights from the new institutionalism. In this framework, the development of employers' beliefs about graduates' employability is broken into a number of…

Employing Discourse: Universities and Graduate "Employability"

Science.gov (United States)

Boden, Rebecca; Nedeva, Maria

2010-01-01

What constitutes graduate employability is discursively framed. In this paper we argue that whilst universities in the UK have long had an involvement in producing useful and productive citizens, the ongoing neoliberalisation of higher education has engendered a discursive shift in definitions of employability. Traditionally, universities regarded…

Employing 3R Techniques in Managing Cement Industry Waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lamyaa Mohammed Dawood

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Waste management conserves human health, ownership, environment, and keeps valuable natural resources. Lean-green waste of an organization’s operations can be decreased through implementation 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycling techniques by reduction of manufacturing system wastes. This research aims to integrate lean-green waste of the manufacturing system throughout employing 3R techniques and weighted properties method in order to manage waste. Al-Kufa cement plant is employed as a case study. Results are generated using Edraw Max Version 7 and Excel. Overall results show reduce technique of lean-green waste management has major contribution of 55 % and recycling technique has minor contribution 18 %. Defects waste has major integration of lean-green waste, while air emissions waste has minor integration of lean-green waste.

On the Issue of Labor Relations Discontinuance by Staff Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheveleva A. A.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to consideration of issues related to the procedure of labor law contract termination by staff reduction. The author, analyzing the judicial practice, gives practical recommendations on the procedure of employment relationships discontinuance

Why can't we fund supported employment?

Science.gov (United States)

Mueser, Kim T; Cook, Judith A

2016-06-01

Work is one of the most valued social rules in modern society, contributing to a person's sense of economic well-being, self-esteem, personal identity, and social status. Conversely, the inability to work or sustain employment due to a psychiatric condition is the primary factor in determining eligibility for disability benefits, such as Social Security Disability Income or Social Security Supplemental Income. Just as work is valued strongly by society, it is also important to people with serious mental illness. In this editorial, we contemplate why we cannot "do the right thing" and fully fund supported employment for persons with serious mental illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

analysis of profitability and poverty reduction of yoghurt processing

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Admin

KEY WORDS: Profitability, poverty reduction, yoghurt, processing, employment ... 70% percent of the rural working population (Joshua,. 1999). With about 76 out of every 120 people living ... traditionally the difference between total revenue and ... (70%) of the respondents were males while 30% were females. The age ...

DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN: GAS-PHASE CHEMICAL REDUCTION - ECO LOGIC INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Science.gov (United States)

The patented Eco Logic Process employs a gas-phase reduction reaction of hydrogen with organic and chlorinated organic compounds at elevated temperatures to convert aqueous and oily hazardous contaminants into a hydrocarbon-rich gas product. After passing through a scrubber, the ...

Reductive amination with zinc powder in aqueous media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni B. Giovenzana

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Zinc powder in aqueous alkaline media was employed to perform reductive amination of aldehydes with primary amines. The corresponding secondary amines were obtained in good yields along with minor amounts of hydrodimerization byproducts. The protocol is a green alternative to the use of complex hydrides in chlorinated or highly flammable solvents.

Reduction of metal artifacts due to dental hardware in computed tomography angiography: assessment of the utility of model-based iterative reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuya, Keita; Shinohara, Yuki; Ogawa, Toshihide [Tottori University, Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan); Kato, Ayumi [Tottori Municipal Hospital, Department of Radiology, Yonago (Japan); Sakamoto, Makoto; Kurosaki, Masamichi [Tottori University, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan)

2017-03-15

The aim of this study is to assess the value of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) for reduction of metal artifacts due to dental hardware in carotid CT angiography (CTA). Thirty-seven patients with dental hardware who underwent carotid CTA were included. CTA was performed with a GE Discovery CT750 HD scanner and reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), ASIR, and MBIR. We measured the standard deviation at the cervical segment of the internal carotid artery that was affected most by dental metal artifacts (SD{sub 1}) and the standard deviation at the common carotid artery that was not affected by the artifact (SD{sub 2}). We calculated the artifact index (AI) as follows: AI = [(SD{sub 1})2 - (SD{sub 2})2]1/2 and compared each AI for FBP, ASIR, and MBIR. Visual assessment of the internal carotid artery was also performed by two neuroradiologists using a five-point scale for each axial and reconstructed sagittal image. The inter-observer agreement was analyzed using weighted kappa analysis. MBIR significantly improved AI compared with FBP and ASIR (p < 0.001, each). We found no significant difference in AI between FBP and ASIR (p = 0.502). The visual score of MBIR was significantly better than those of FBP and ASIR (p < 0.001, each), whereas the scores of ASIR were the same as those of FBP. Kappa values indicated good inter-observer agreements in all reconstructed images (0.747-0.778). MBIR resulted in a significant reduction in artifact from dental hardware in carotid CTA. (orig.)

Reduction of metal artifacts due to dental hardware in computed tomography angiography: assessment of the utility of model-based iterative reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuya, Keita; Shinohara, Yuki; Ogawa, Toshihide; Kato, Ayumi; Sakamoto, Makoto; Kurosaki, Masamichi

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the value of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) for reduction of metal artifacts due to dental hardware in carotid CT angiography (CTA). Thirty-seven patients with dental hardware who underwent carotid CTA were included. CTA was performed with a GE Discovery CT750 HD scanner and reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), ASIR, and MBIR. We measured the standard deviation at the cervical segment of the internal carotid artery that was affected most by dental metal artifacts (SD_1) and the standard deviation at the common carotid artery that was not affected by the artifact (SD_2). We calculated the artifact index (AI) as follows: AI = [(SD_1)2 - (SD_2)2]1/2 and compared each AI for FBP, ASIR, and MBIR. Visual assessment of the internal carotid artery was also performed by two neuroradiologists using a five-point scale for each axial and reconstructed sagittal image. The inter-observer agreement was analyzed using weighted kappa analysis. MBIR significantly improved AI compared with FBP and ASIR (p < 0.001, each). We found no significant difference in AI between FBP and ASIR (p = 0.502). The visual score of MBIR was significantly better than those of FBP and ASIR (p < 0.001, each), whereas the scores of ASIR were the same as those of FBP. Kappa values indicated good inter-observer agreements in all reconstructed images (0.747-0.778). MBIR resulted in a significant reduction in artifact from dental hardware in carotid CTA. (orig.)

Coset space dimensional reduction of gauge theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kapetanakis, D. (Physik Dept., Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany)); Zoupanos, G. (CERN, Geneva (Switzerland))

1992-10-01

We review the attempts to construct unified theories defined in higher dimensions which are dimensionally reduced over coset spaces. We employ the coset space dimensional reduction scheme, which permits the detailed study of the resulting four-dimensional gauge theories. In the context of this scheme we present the difficulties and the suggested ways out in the attempts to describe the observed interactions in a realistic way. (orig.).

Coset space dimensional reduction of gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapetanakis, D.; Zoupanos, G.

1992-01-01

We review the attempts to construct unified theories defined in higher dimensions which are dimensionally reduced over coset spaces. We employ the coset space dimensional reduction scheme, which permits the detailed study of the resulting four-dimensional gauge theories. In the context of this scheme we present the difficulties and the suggested ways out in the attempts to describe the observed interactions in a realistic way. (orig.)

Reduction of transient diffusion from 1 endash 5 keV Si+ ion implantation due to surface annihilation of interstitials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, A.; Gossmann, H.-.; Eaglesham, D.J.; Pelaz, L.; Jacobson, D.C.; Haynes, T.E.; Erokhin, Y.E.

1997-01-01

The reduction of transient enhanced diffusion (TED) with reduced implantation energy has been investigated and quantified. A fixed dose of 1x10 14 cm -2 Si + was implanted at energies ranging from 0.5 to 20 keV into boron doping superlattices and enhanced diffusion of the buried boron marker layers was measured for anneals at 810, 950, and 1050 degree C. A linearly decreasing dependence of diffusivity enhancement on decreasing Si + ion range is observed at all temperatures, extrapolating to ∼1 for 0 keV. This is consistent with our expectation that at zero implantation energy there would be no excess interstitials from the implantation and hence no TED. Monte Carlo modeling and continuum simulations are used to fit the experimental data. The results are consistent with a surface recombination length for interstitials of <10 nm. The data presented here demonstrate that in the range of annealing temperatures of interest for p-n junction formation, TED is reduced at smaller ion implantation energies and that this is due to increased interstitial annihilation at the surface. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Environmental benefits from CO2 reduction, due to modal replacement: Case study on light rail vehicle in Brasilia City

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva Costa, P.H. da; Alves Teixeira, L.M.; Cardoso Pinheiro, J.; Serra Arruda, F.; Mendonça Brasil, A.C.

2016-07-01

This work aims to measure the reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions in atmosphere by replacing the modal urban bus by Light Rail Vehicle (VLT). In order to accomplish this objective, a case study in Brasilia, Federal District, in the stretch of VLT which passes on Via W-3 South was conducted. The Theory of Externalities that discusses the right to ownership of private and public goods and responsibilities about the positive and negative externalities caused by the agents and individuals of society was used to support the analyses. It was used the Top-Down method, which allowed the calculation the direct emissions of CO2. The values obtained on the reduction of CO2 emissions were converted into values of carbon credits as a way to economically measure such reductions. The results showed a significant reduction in CO2 emissions per year and consequent environmental benefit. (Author)

Photochemical reduction of uranyl nitrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duerksen, W.K.

1993-10-20

The photochemical reduction of uranyl nitrate solutions to tetravalent uranium was investigated as a means of producing uranium dioxide feed for the saltless direct oxide reduction (SDOR) process. At high uranium concentrations, reoxidation of U{sup +4} occurs rapidly. The kinetics of the nitric oxidation of tetravalent uranium depend on the concentrations of hydrogen ion, nitrate ion, nitrous acid, and tetravalent uranium in the same manner as was reported elsewhere for the nitrate oxidation of PU{sup +3}. Reaction rate data were successfully correlated with a mechanism in which nitrogen dioxide is the reactive intermediate. Addition of a nitrous acid scavenger suppresses the reoxidation reaction. An immersion reactor employing a mercury vapor lamp gave reduction times fast enough for routine production usage. Precipitation techniques for conversion of aqueous U(NO{sub 3}){sub 4} to hydrous UO{sub 2} were evaluated. Prolonged dewatering times tended to make the process time consuming. Use of 3- to 4-M aqueous NaOH gave the best dewatering times observed. Reoxidation of the UO{sub 2} by water of hydration was encountered, which required the drying process to be carried out under a reducing atmosphere.

INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT SUSPENSION IN CASE OF ACTIVITY INTERRUPTION AND / OR THE TEMPORARY ACTIVITY REDUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olimpia-Monica Matiaş

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The economic and financial reasons determined by the current crisis have imposed to the Romanian legislator that, in the flexible regulatory context concerning the labour reports, has to intervene to reduce the loss. The legal framework available to the employer in this situation refers to the provisions of the art. 52, 1st paragraph, letter c, art.52, 3rd paragraph, art.53 and 122, 3rd paragraph, all from Law no.40/20111, for Law no.53/2003 modification and amendment concerning the Labour code. Under conditions of economic crisis, it is natural that employers have the necessary means to efficiently organize their activity, meanwhile keeping its staff on these periods. This does not mean that, during the suspension period the employees can not resign, no need to terminate the suspension provided for in Article 52 line 3 of the Labour Code in order to intervene in the individual labor contract termination. From the employer’s perspective there is no ban imposed to him by art. 60 of the Labour Code in relation to this type of suspension, so that the latter may proceed to dismiss the employee during the unilateral suspension of his labor contract arranged under Article 52 line 3 of the Labour Code.

Risk factors for sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders among self-employed Dutch farmers: A case-control study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartman, E.; Vrielink, H.H.E.O.; Huirne, R.B.M.; Metz, J.H.M.

2006-01-01

Background In Dutch agriculture, musculoskeletal disorders are a main cause of sick leave. Among self-employed insured farmers, neck, shoulder upper extremity, and back disorders accounted for 30% of the claims for sick leave of less than 1 year This case-control study set out to identify and

Risk factors for sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders among self-employed Dutch farmers : A case-control study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartman, E; Vrielink, HHEO; Huirne, RBM; Metz, JHM

Background In Dutch agriculture, musculoskeletal disorders are a main cause of sick leave. Among self-employed insured farmers, neck, shoulder upper extremity, and back disorders accounted for 30% of the claims for sick leave of less than 1 year This case-control study set out to identify and

Risk factors for sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders among self-employed Dutch farmers: a case-control study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartman, E.; Oude Vrielink, H.H.E.; Huirne, R.B.M.; Metz, J.H.M.

2006-01-01

Background In Dutch agriculture, musculoskeletal disorders are a main cause of sick leave. Among self-employed insured farmers, neck, shoulder, upper extremity, and back disorders accounted for 30% of the claims for sick leave of less than 1 year This case-control study set out to identify and

The Influence of Workers' Health Status on Employers' Decision-Making During Personnel Restructuring in a Typical Public Limited Enterprise in Slovenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Margan, Andrea; Dodič-Fikfak, Metoda

2015-09-01

Alongside individual indicators of job performance, even workers' health status could be a criterion for selection. The mechanisms for health selection are a reduction of productivity in relation to illness or certain health behaviour. The aim of the study was to establish how indicators of workers' health status, which are accessible to the employer, influence the employer's decision-making on which workers to retain and which to dismiss during personnel restructuring in the enterprise. Due to a planned closure of a plant, the observed company began personnel restructuring which included a strategic decrease in the number of employees and the relocation of workers within the company. Two nested case control studies were conducted. The cases were divided into two groups and defined as follows: employees who were relocated and employees whose employment contract was terminated. The results show that the disability category and long-time sick leave exert the greatest influence on the employer's decision on the selection of workers. Workers with work-related disability have lower odds to be relocated to a new workplace (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.1) and higher odds to be dismissed (OR=6.51; 95% CI 3.33 to 12.72). The workers with a history of a long-time sick leave also have lower odds to be relocated (OR=0.31; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.88) and higher odds to be dismissed (OR=4.32; 95% CI 2.08 to 8.96). Indicators of health which were accessible to the employer actually exerted influence on the employer's decision-making, which could show a direct form of health selection.

75 FR 3168 - Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program-Self-Employment

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-20

... Employment Program--Self-Employment AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This document amends the vocational rehabilitation and employment regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concerning self-employment for individuals with qualifying disabilities. We are making...

Dose reduction in CT by on-line tube current control: principles and validation on phantoms and cadavers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalender, W.A.; Wolf, H.; Suess, C.; Gies, M.; Greess, H.; Bautz, W.A.

1999-01-01

We investigated approaches to reducing the dose in CT without impairing image quality. Dose can be reduced for non-circular object cross-sections without a significant increase in noise if X-ray tube current is reduced at angular tube positions where the X-ray attenuation by the patients is small. We investigated different schemes of current modulation during tube rotation by simulation and phantom measurements. Both pre-programmed sinusoidal modulation functions and attenuation-based on-line control of the tube current were evaluated. All relevant scan parameters were varied, including constraints such as the maximum modulation amplitude. A circular, an elliptical and two oval water phantoms were used. Results were validated on six cadavers. Dose reduction of 10-45 % was obtained both in simulations and in measurements for the different non-circular phantom geometries and current modulation algorithms without an increase in pixel noise values. On-line attenuation-based control yielded higher reductions than modulation by a sinusoidal curve. The maximal dose reduction predicted by simulations could not be achieved due to limits in the modulation amplitude. In cadaver studies, a reduction of typically 20-40 % was achieved for the body and about 10 % for the head. Variations of our technique are possible; a slight increase in nominal tube current for high-attenuation projections combined with attenuation-based current modulation still yields significant dose reduction, but also a reduction in the structured noise that may obscure diagnostic details. We conclude that a significant reduction in dose can be achieved by tube current modulation without compromising image quality. Attenuation-based on-line control and a modulation amplitude of at least 90 % should be employed. (orig.)

Employment specialist competencies for supported employment programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corbière, M.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; Lanctôt, N.; van Weeghel, J.

2014-01-01

Purpose Supported employment (SE) programs are evidence-based programs offered to people with severe mental illness to facilitate obtaining and keeping competitive work. However, significant variations in individuals’ vocational success may be partly explained by differences in their employment

Breastfeeding and employment: an assessment of employer attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Libbus, M Kay; Bullock, Linda F C

2002-08-01

Both research and anecdotal reports suggest that maternal employment is associated with failure to initiate breastfeeding and early breastfeeding attrition. The objective of this study was to describe the experience with and attitudes toward breastfeeding of a sample of employers in a small Midwestern city in the United States. Based on an analysis of 85 mail-out questionnaires, we found that less than half of the employers had personal experience with breastfeeding. A large percentage of the sample, however, indicated that they would be willing to facilitate women who wished to breastfeed or express milk in the workplace. However, these employers also stated that they saw little value to their business of supporting breastfeeding in the work environment. Thus, enhancement of breastfeeding opportunity in the work environment may come as a result of public and employer education but, more likely, will require some type of directive from official sources.

E-lancers as a category of non-standard employed workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. P. Etenko

2015-04-01

Thus, for e­lancers the leading role for choosing such type of employment have a values reason, not a market factors. For this category is typical a high level of independence and autonomy in work, which is achieved by working with a wide range of clients (customers. E­lancers much more tended to labor achievements and initiatives, to influence decisions connected with time scheduling and workload. At the same time, e­lancers due to the specifics of their employment is much more socially disadvantaged than traditionally employed workers. Motivation of e­lancers is not just result at achieving goals but also result at hedonism, and, in fact, a new attitude to work as phenomena in general. This approach has a very powerful transformational potential and will inevitably lead to deep changes in employment.

CHALLENGE FOR ASEAN-CHINA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT ON INDONESIA EMPLOYMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatimah Riswati

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This research analyzes the challenges for Indonesian economy towards the implementation ofASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA especially on employment opportunity in Indonesia.Using regression technique, the labour cost and change in fix capital are statistically significant ininfluencing the employment opportunity. This result implies that ACFTA will challenge the Indonesiancompetitiveness due to increasing labour cost, while ACFTA also potentially increases capitalflow from China which has ambiguous impacts on labour absorption. The SWOT (Strength,Weakness, Opportunity and Threat analysis recommends for Indonesian government to improvecomprehensive strategy of national industry to be more competitive to China products.Keywords: ACFTA, employment opportunity, structural equation modelJEL classification numbers: F13, F14, F15, F42

A Critical Analysis of the Conventionally Employed Creep Lifing Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdallah, Zakaria; Gray, Veronica; Whittaker, Mark; Perkins, Karen

2014-04-29

The deformation of structural alloys presents problems for power plants and aerospace applications due to the demand for elevated temperatures for higher efficiencies and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The materials used in such applications experience harsh environments which may lead to deformation and failure of critical components. To avoid such catastrophic failures and also increase efficiency, future designs must utilise novel/improved alloy systems with enhanced temperature capability. In recognising this issue, a detailed understanding of creep is essential for the success of these designs by ensuring components do not experience excessive deformation which may ultimately lead to failure. To achieve this, a variety of parametric methods have been developed to quantify creep and creep fracture in high temperature applications. This study reviews a number of well-known traditionally employed creep lifing methods with some more recent approaches also included. The first section of this paper focuses on predicting the long-term creep rupture properties which is an area of interest for the power generation sector. The second section looks at pre-defined strains and the re-production of full creep curves based on available data which is pertinent to the aerospace industry where components are replaced before failure.

Reframing Resolution - Managing Conflict and Resolving Individual Employment Disputes in the Contemporary Workplace

OpenAIRE

Saundry, Richard Arthur; Latreille, Paul; Dickens, Linda; Irvine, Charlie; Teague, Paul; Urwin, Peter; Wibberley, Gemma

2014-01-01

The resolution of individual workplace conflict has assumed an increasingly important place in policy debates over contemporary work and employment. This is in part due to the decline in collective industrial action and the parallel rise in the volume of employment tribunal applications. It reflects a growing concern over the\\ud implications of individual employment disputes for those involved but has perhaps been driven by concerns over the cost of litigation and the perceived burden that th...

The Impact of Real Exchange Rate on Employment in Albania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edmira Cakrani

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Unemployment is a big economical and social issue for each country, in particular for Albania, which is a country that comes from a centralized system where the state ensured full employment. In the struggle of applying the transition to market economy, each government had to face the two-digit levels of unemployment. Because of this, the application of the right policies in order to decrease the level of unemployment has been in the centre of the program of each government in Albania. The objective of this paper is to show if the undervaluation or overvaluation of the real exchange rate can affect in a significant way the level of employment in Albania and that to answer the question, if the real exchange rate can be used as a political instrument for the reduction of the level of unemployment. There are relatively few works that study the impact of real exchange rate on the Albanian economy and in my knowledge there is not a previous work on employment and real exchange rate relationship in Albania, so this can be considered as the first study that attempt to assess this relationship. To evaluate the link between the real exchange rate and the level of employment the Johansen procedure and Vector Error Correction Term method is used. The result of the study demonstrates not statistically significant impact of real exchange rate on level of employment, suggesting that the increase of competition of the country through the real exchange rate doesn’t improve the condition of the employment in Albania, so the Albanian government should implement other strategies to increase the level of employment in the country.

Determination of the extent of reduction of dense UO{sub 2} cathodes from direct electrochemical reduction studies in molten chloride medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sri Maha Vishnu, D.; Sanil, N. [Fuel Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Murugesan, N. [Materials Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Shakila, L. [Fuel Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Ramesh, C. [Materials Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Mohandas, K.S., E-mail: ksmd@igcar.gov.in [Fuel Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India); Nagarajan, K. [Fuel Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102 (India)

2012-08-15

Electro-reduction of solid UO{sub 2} to U has been studied with molten CaCl{sub 2} or LiCl as the electrolyte medium. Electro-reduction of thick (>3 mm), powder compacted and sintered pellets of UO{sub 2} showed incomplete reduction resulting in a mixture of uranium metal and UO{sub 2}. The extent of reduction of UO{sub 2} to U was determined by employing a novel method called 'metal estimation by hydrogen sensor (MEHS)', in which the hydrogen evolved during the reaction of U metal in the reduced product with con. HBr was measured using an in-house developed polymer electrolyte based amperometric hydrogen sensor. The results of our investigations on incompletely reduced UO{sub 2} pellets in both CaCl{sub 2} and LiCl melts showed that the extent of reduction of different regions of the oxide pellet was different. It varied from 88.3% on the surface of the pellet as against 3.7% towards the centre bulk during electro-reduction in CaCl{sub 2} (at 1173 K). The metallisation was found restricted to the surface of the pellets reduced in LiCl melt (at 923 K). Electro-reduction of small chunks of UO{sub 2} pellet in CaCl{sub 2} melt resulted in products with lower extent of reduction. Based on the measurements, a probable mechanism on the propagation of reduction through the solid UO{sub 2} matrix during the electrochemical reduction process has been proposed.

Large-Batch Reduction of Molybdenum Trioxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiggans, Jr, James O. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lowden, Richard Andrew [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Menchhofer, Paul A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Nunn, Stephen D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bryan, Chris [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-12-01

Unconverted, isotopically-enriched molybdenum metal must be recovered from the spent radiopharmaceutical solution used in NorthStar’s Technetium-99m generator and reused. The recycle process begins by recovering the metal from the aqueous potassium molybdate (K₂MoO₄) solutions as molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) employing a process developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The MoO₃ powder is subsequently reduced to molybdenum metal powder which can be blended with new powder and further processed into a flowable form to be used to produce target disks for irradiation. The molybdenum oxide reduction process has been examined and scaled to produce kilogram quantities of metal powder suitable for processing into a useable form employing spray drying or similar technique and ultimately used for target fabrication.

Temporary Employment and Perceived Employability: Mediation by Impression Management

Science.gov (United States)

De Cuyper, Nele; De Witte, Hans

2010-01-01

Perceived employability (PE) has been advanced as the upcoming resource for career development, particularly for temporary workers. The question is how temporary workers become employable. Our hypothesis is that temporary workers more than permanent workers use impression management to become employable, both on the internal and the external labor…

Performance Limits of Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction Based on Known Electrocatalysts and the Case for Two-Electron Reduction Products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vesborg, Peter Christian Kjærgaard; Seger, Brian

2016-01-01

Solar-drivenreduction of CO2 to solar fuels as an alternative to H2 via water splitting is an intriguing proposition. We modelthe solar-to-fuel (STF) efficiencies using realistic parameters basedon recently reported CO2 reduction catalysts with a highperformance tandem photoabsorber structure. CO...... due to excessiveoverpotentials and poor selectivity. This work considers breakingup the multielectron reduction pathway into individually optimized,separate two-electron steps as a way forward....

Skills Training for Young Adults with Special Educational Needs for Transition into Employment

Science.gov (United States)

Sankardas, Sulata Ajit; Rajanahally, Jayashree

2015-01-01

The research reported here was conducted to investigate the perception that people with disabilities find it a challenge to seek employment (Hernandez et?al., 2007). It is suggested that this situation could be due to a lack of specific employment-based training. Hence young adults with special educational needs (SEN) may require job-specific…

Stereoselective Reduction of Imines with Trichlorosilane Using Solid-Supported Chiral Picolinamides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sílvia D. Fernandes

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The stereoselective reduction of imines with trichlorosilane catalyzed by chiral Lewis bases is a well-established procedure for the synthesis of enantio-enriched amines. Five supported cinchona-based picolinamides have been prepared and their activity tested in a model reaction. The comparison of different supporting materials revealed that polystyrene gave better results than silica in terms of stereoselectivity. The applicability of the solid-supported catalyst of choice to the reduction of different imines was also demonstrated. Additionally, for the first time, a catalytic reactor containing a polymer-immobilized chiral picolinamide has been employed for the stereoselective reduction of imines with trichlorosilane under continuous flow conditions.

Central subspace dimensionality reduction using covariance operators.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minyoung; Pavlovic, Vladimir

2011-04-01

We consider the task of dimensionality reduction informed by real-valued multivariate labels. The problem is often treated as Dimensionality Reduction for Regression (DRR), whose goal is to find a low-dimensional representation, the central subspace, of the input data that preserves the statistical correlation with the targets. A class of DRR methods exploits the notion of inverse regression (IR) to discover central subspaces. Whereas most existing IR techniques rely on explicit output space slicing, we propose a novel method called the Covariance Operator Inverse Regression (COIR) that generalizes IR to nonlinear input/output spaces without explicit target slicing. COIR's unique properties make DRR applicable to problem domains with high-dimensional output data corrupted by potentially significant amounts of noise. Unlike recent kernel dimensionality reduction methods that employ iterative nonconvex optimization, COIR yields a closed-form solution. We also establish the link between COIR, other DRR techniques, and popular supervised dimensionality reduction methods, including canonical correlation analysis and linear discriminant analysis. We then extend COIR to semi-supervised settings where many of the input points lack their labels. We demonstrate the benefits of COIR on several important regression problems in both fully supervised and semi-supervised settings.

Contaminated metallic melt volume reduction testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deichman, J.L.

1981-01-01

Laboratory scale metallic melts (stainless steel) were accomplished in support of Decontamination and Decommissioning's (D and D) contaminated equipment volume reduction and Low-Level Lead Site Waste programs. Six laboratory scale melts made with contaminated stainless steel provided data that radionuclide distribution can be predicted when proper temperature rates and ranges are employed, and that major decontamination occurs with the use of designed slagging materials. Stainless steel bars were contaminated with plutonium, cobalt, cesium and europium. This study was limited to stainless steel, however, further study is desirable to establish data for other metals and alloys. This study represents a positive beginning in defining the feasibility of economical volume reduction or conversion from TRU waste forms to LLW forms for a large portion of approximately 50 thousand tons of contaminated metal waste now being stored at Hanford underground or in deactivated facilities

Phonic Attenuation due to Screen-Barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasile Bacria

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The technique of noise decreasing admits two basic approaches: an active approach and a passive one. In the frame of passive method one can count the employment of screen-barriers. In this paper we present some considerations on sound attenuation due to screen-barriers emphasizing the elements which influence it. The elucidation of these elements is made by measurements. The obtained results can be applied in every other practical situation concerning the protection against noise.

Carbothermic reduction of uranium oxides into solvent metallic baths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guisard Restivo, Thomaz A.; Capocchi, Jose D.T.

2004-01-01

The carbothermic reduction of UO 2 and U 3 O 8 is studied employing tin and silicon solvent metallic baths in thermal analysis equipment, under Ar inert and N 2 reactive atmospheres. The metallic solvents are expected to lower the U activity by several orders of magnitude owing to strong interactions among the metals. The reduction products are composed of the solvent metal matrix and intermetallic U compounds. Silicon is more effective in driving the reduction since there is no residual UO 2 after the reaction. The gaseous product detected by mass spectrometer (MS) during the reduction is CO. A kinetic study for the Si case was accomplished by the stepwise isothermal analysis (SAI) method, leading to the identification of the controlling mechanisms as chemical reaction at the surface and nucleation, for UO 2 and U 3 O 8 charges, respectively. One example for another system containing Al 2 O 3 is also shown

Interactive uncertainty reduction strategies and verbal affection in computer-mediated communication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Antheunis, M.L.; Schouten, A.P.; Valkenburg, P.M.; Peter, J.

2012-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the language-based strategies that computer-mediated communication (CMC) users employ to reduce uncertainty in the absence of nonverbal cues. Specifically, this study investigated the prevalence of three interactive uncertainty reduction strategies (i.e.,

Economic costs due to workers' sick leave at wastewater treatment plants in Bulgaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Toseva, Elka Ilieva; Stoyanova, Rumyana; Turnovska, Tanya

2018-03-09

The compensatory mechanisms of social security include expenses for sick leave. The aim of the study is to determine the economic cost due to sick leave among workers in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), comparing with the same economic indicators of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) in Bulgaria. The sick leave of 111 workers at 3 WWTPs was studied in the period 2012-2014 on the grounds of registered absences from work due to temporary incapacity for work. The economic indicators of the NSSI, the gross salary at WWTPs, payable social security contributions and compensatory payments for sick leave have been used for economic cost calculation for temporary incapacity of the workers. The frequency of cases and the frequency of lost days due to temporary incapacity were increased in the observed period at WWTPs and in Bulgaria, and it is significantly higher for the employed at WWTPs. The percentage share of workers equivalent to 1.66% at WWTPs have not worked for an entire year as a result of temporary incapacity in 2012, 2.76% - in 2013, and 4.61% - in 2014. The economic burden due to sick leave at WWTPs was raised from EUR 4913.02 in 2012 to EUR 16 895.80 for 2014 for employers and the NSSI. The frequency of cases and the frequency of lost days due to temporary incapacity were increased in the observed period at WWTPs and in Bulgaria, and it is significantly higher for the employed at WWTPs. The economic burden was equally distributed between employers and the NSSI. Med Pr 2018;69(2):129-141. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Employer Branding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frimann, Søren; Mønsted, Bolette Rye

2012-01-01

Employer branding er både for den private og den offentlige sektor blevet en måde, de kan imødekomme ændrede arbejdsmarkedsvilkår og organisatoriske udfordringer i en postmoderne og globaliseret verden. Den aktuelle finanskrise har skabt nye udfordringer for organisationer i deres bestræbelser på...... at tiltrække- og fastholde attraktive medarbejdere. Men hvilken betydning har det, når Grundfos siger ”Mennesket er i fokus”, og hvad siger ”mangfoldighed” om Københavns Kommune som arbejdsplads i relation til employer branding? Er der egentlig sammenhæng mellem tankerne bag employer branding og de eksternt...... kommunikerede employer brandprodukter. Eller bliver det unikke ved arbejdspladserne ersattet af buzzwords uden substans og inddragelse af ansatte og interessenter? Artiklen har til formål at vurdere disse spørgsmål på baggrund af analyser af to cases med employer branding....

The Effect of Infrastructure Access and Quality on Non-farm Employment and Income in Rural Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Olivia, Susan; Gibson, John

2008-01-01

There is growing interest in the rural non-farm sector in developing countries as a contributor to economic growth, employment generation, livelihood diversification and poverty reduction. Access to infrastructure is identified in some studies as a factor that affects non-farm rural employment and income but less attention has been paid to the constraints imposed by poor quality infrastructure. In this paper we use data from 4000 households in rural Indonesia to show that the quality of two k...

THE BANGLADESHI EMPLOYMENT SECTOR: EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVES CONCERNING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubina Khan

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This paper presents a brief summary of a study which was carried out to investigate how employers representing major employment sectors in the Bangladeshi Industry view the skills and English proficiency level of the current employees. Opinions were also solicited on what skills are required for fresh recruits. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 employers representing the major employment sectors in Bangladeshi Industry. Results revealed the importance of English as an indispensible means of communication in the Bangladeshi corporate sector and showed that the business enterprises use extensive amounts of English. It also highlighted that the existent English proficiency of the employees was far below the required proficiency level. Recommendations were made to address the gap and prepare the youth to meet the demands of the global market. Keywords: English proficiency, competency, employability skills, global literacy skills

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program--self-employment. Final rule.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-20

This document amends the vocational rehabilitation and employment regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concerning self-employment for individuals with qualifying disabilities. We are making changes to conform VA's regulations for self-employment programs for veterans, and for servicemembers awaiting discharge, to statutory provisions, including provisions limiting eligibility for certain supplies, equipment, stock, and license fees to individuals with the most severe service-connected disabilities. We are also making related changes in VA's regulations affecting eligibility for such assistance for certain veterans' children with birth defects in self-employment programs. In addition, we are amending our regulations regarding the approval authority for self-employment plans to make certain requirements less restrictive and less burdensome, to remove a vague and overly broad requirement, to make changes to reflect longstanding VA policy, and to make nonsubstantive clarifying changes.

FDTD simulation of radar cross section reduction by a collisional inhomogeneous magnetized plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Foroutan, V.; Azarmanesh, M. N.; Foroutan, G.

2018-02-01

The recursive convolution finite difference time domain method is addressed in the scattered field formulation and employed to investigate the bistatic radar cross-section (RCS) of a square conductive plate covered by a collisional inhomogeneous magnetized plasma. The RCS is calculated for two different configurations of the magnetic field, i.e., parallel and perpendicular to the plate. The results of numerical simulations show that, for a perpendicularly applied magnetic field, the backscattered RCS is significantly reduced when the magnetic field intensity coincides with the value corresponding to the electron cyclotron resonance. By increasing the collision frequency, the resonant absorption is suppressed, but due to enhanced wave penetration and bending, the reduction in the bistatic RCS is improved. At very high collision frequencies, the external magnetic field has no significant impact on the bistatic RCS reduction. Application of a parallel magnetic field has an adverse effect near the electron cyclotron resonance and results in a large and asymmetric RCS profile. But, the problem is resolved by increasing the magnetic field and/or the collision frequency. By choosing proper values of the collision frequency and the magnetic field intensity, a perpendicular magnetic field can be effectively used to reduce the bistatic RCS of a conductive plate.

Reduction in energy consumption and operating cost in a dried corn warehouse using logistics techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korrakot Y. Tippayawong

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Corn is one of the major economic crops in Thailand. Corn postharvest operation involves various practices that consume a large amount of energy. Different energy conservation measures have been implemented but logistics consideration is not normally employed. In this work, attempt has been made to demonstrate that logistics techniques can offer a significant reduction in energy and cost. The main objective of this work is to identify and demonstrate possible approaches to improving energy efficiency and reducing operating cost for a dried corn warehouse operator. Three main problems are identified: (i relatively high fuel consumption for internal transfer process, (ii low quality of dried corn, and (iii excess expenditure on outbound transportation. Solutions are proposed and implemented using logistics operations. Improvement is achieved using plant layout and shortest path techniques, resulting in a reduction of almost 50% in energy consumption for the internal transfer process. Installation of an air distributor in the grain storage unit results in a decrease in loss due to poor-quality dried corn from 17% to 10%. Excess expenditure on dried corn distribution is reduced by 6% with application of a global positioning system.

Brain MRI lesions and atrophy are associated with employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tauhid, Shahamat; Chu, Renxin; Sasane, Rahul; Glanz, Bonnie I; Neema, Mohit; Miller, Jennifer R; Kim, Gloria; Signorovitch, James E; Healy, Brian C; Chitnis, Tanuja; Weiner, Howard L; Bakshi, Rohit

2015-11-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly affects occupational function. We investigated the link between brain MRI and employment status. Patients with MS (n = 100) completed a Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) (general health version) survey measuring employment status, absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work and daily activity impairment. Patients "working for pay" were considered employed; "temporarily not working but looking for work," "not working or looking for work due to age," and "not working or looking for work due to disability" were considered not employed. Brain MRI T1 hypointense (T1LV) and T2 hyperintense (T2LV) lesion volumes were quantified. To assess lesional destructive capability, we calculated each subject's ratio of T1LV to T2LV (T1/T2). Normalized brain parenchymal volume (BPV) assessed brain atrophy. The mean (SD) age was 45.5 (9.7) years; disease duration was 12.1 (8.1) years; 75 % were women, 76 % were relapsing-remitting, and 76 % were employed. T1LV, T1/T2, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, and activity impairment were lower and BPV was higher in the employed vs. not employed group (Wilcoxon tests, p 0.05). In multivariable logistic regression modeling, adjusting for age, sex, and disease duration, higher T1LV predicted a lower chance of employment (p 0.05). We report a link between brain atrophy and lesions, particularly lesions with destructive potential, to MS employment status.

Becoming Self-Employed.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Grant; Cochran, Larry

1997-01-01

Explored how persons become self-employed. In critical incident interviews with five self-employed persons the critical events that assisted or hindered progress toward self-employment were listed in chronological order. In general, becoming self-employed involved establishing conditions of action that enhanced a sense of agency, thus enabling…

The gender composition of the medical profession in Mexico: implications for employment patterns and physician labor supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Knaul, F; Frenk, J; Aguilar, A M

2000-01-01

The gender composition of the medical profession is changing rapidly in many parts of the world, including Mexico. We analyze cross-sectional and longitudinal data on sex differences in physician employment from household employment surveys. The results suggest that Mexico is a particularly interesting example of the feminization of physician employment. Female enrollment in medical school increased from 11% in 1970 to about 50% in 1998. The increased participation of women in medicine seems to be accompanied by differences in employment patterns that could generate significant reductions in the total supply of physician hours of service. Women physicians are unemployed at a much higher rate than men and hence account for half of underused physician human capital. The results suggest that improved educational opportunities do not translate automatically into equal employment opportunities.

Employer's Manual on Affirmative Action in Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kentucky State Commission on Human Rights, Frankfort.

The express purpose of this manual is for its use by business and industry in Kentucky as an aid to eliminate discrimination. Affirmative action is defined here as a comprehensive effort by an employer designed to: employ women and minority persons where they are under-utilized; include minority persons and women in all facets of the company's…

26 CFR 1.1402(g)-1 - Treatment of certain remuneration erroneously reported as net earnings from self-employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... reported as net earnings from self-employment. 1.1402(g)-1 Section 1.1402(g)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL... self-employment. (a) General rule. If an amount is erroneously paid as self-employment tax, for any... self-employment income on a return filed on or before the due date prescribed for filing such return...

Employability Skills, Personal Qualities, and Early Employment Problems of Entry-Level Auditors: Perspectives from Employers, Lecturers, Auditors, and Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Yet-Mee; Lee, Teck Heang; Yap, Ching Seng; Ling, Chui Ching

2016-01-01

The authors examine the issue of employability of university accounting students from the perspectives of accounting firm employers, junior auditors, accounting lecturers, and accounting students. Areas of investigation include perceived importance of employability skills and desirable personal qualities; and early employment problems encountered…

Traditional and Local Knowledge Practices for Disaster Risk Reduction in Northern Ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nsioh Macnight Ngwese

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In order to deal with recurrent disasters, like floods and droughts coupled with the limited adaptive capacity, in the semiarid regions of Northern Ghana, local communities have no choice but to apply traditional and local knowledge practices. This study seeks to identify such practices employed in selected rural communities in Northern Ghana and to investigate their effectiveness. Data were collected through key informant interviews, household questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and participant observations. The findings indicated that although diverse practices were applied to predict and manage local disaster events, skepticism prevailed among locals toward these practices regarding their effectiveness. Due to the lack of science-based tools and systems for disaster prediction and management, local communities continually depended on these knowledge systems and practices. Integrating local and traditional disaster risk reduction (DRR efforts into modern scientific knowledge should be encouraged in order to reduce the vulnerability of local communities to disasters with thorough effectiveness evaluation protocols.

A decision aid to assist decisions on disclosure of mental health status to an employer: protocol for the CORAL exploratory randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henderson Claire

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The UK Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for employers to ask health questions before making an offer of employment except in certain circumstances. While the majority of employers would prefer applicants to disclose a mental illness at the application stage, many people either wait until they have accepted the job and then disclose to an occupational health professional, or do not do so at all due to the anticipation of discrimination or a wish for privacy. However, non disclosure precludes the ability to request reasonable adjustments in the workplace or to make a claim of direct discrimination. Disclosure to employers is therefore a difficult decision. A recent pilot study by our group of the CORAL decision aid showed that it helped mental health service users clarify their needs and values regarding disclosure and led to reduction in decisional conflict. The present proof of concept trial aims to determine whether a full scale randomised controlled trial (RCT is justifiable and feasible, and to optimise its design. Methods In this single blind exploratory RCT in London, a total of 80 participants (inclusion criteria: age ≥18 years, on the caseload of a specialist employment adviser working with people with mental illness; referred to the adviser either from primary care via Improving Access to Psychological Therapies or secondary mental health service; currently seeking or interested in either paid or voluntary employment, and a Decisional Conflict Scale score of 37.5 or greater and stage of decision score 1–5 will be recruited from vocational advice services. After completing a baseline assessment, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions (1 Use of the CORAL Decision Aid (DA in addition to treatment as usual or (2 Treatment as usual. Those allocated to the DA condition will be given it to read and complete, and the researcher will be present to record the time taken and any content that

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes. Unraveling the Relationship Between Structure, Surface Chemistry and Oxygen Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gopalan, Srikanth [Boston Univ., MA (United States)

2013-03-31

In this work we have considered oxygen reduction reaction on LSM and LSCF cathode materials. In particular we have used various spectroscopic techniques to explore the surface composition, transition metal oxidation state, and the bonding environment of oxygen to understand the changes that occur to the surface during the oxygen reduction process. In a parallel study we have employed patterned cathodes of both LSM and LSCF cathodes to extract transport and kinetic parameters associated with the oxygen reduction process.

Passive Techniques for Fan Noise Reduction in New Turbofan Engines: Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.Gorj-Bandpy

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Among the various environmental concerns, the aircraft noise item has been constantly growing in importance over the past years. Measures for its reduction at the source as well its mitigation around airports must take into account aspects of medicine and technical design as well as legal and land use planning aspects. Fan noise is one of the principal noise sources in turbofan aero-engines. In this paper a review of the main technologies employed for the reduction of fan noise turbofan engines is presented.

Age and disability employment discrimination: occupational rehabilitation implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjelland, Melissa J; Bruyère, Susanne M; von Schrader, Sarah; Houtenville, Andrew J; Ruiz-Quintanilla, Antonio; Webber, Douglas A

2010-12-01

As concerns grow that a thinning labor force due to retirement will lead to worker shortages, it becomes critical to support positive employment outcomes of groups who have been underutilized, specifically older workers and workers with disabilities. Better understanding perceived age and disability discrimination and their intersection can help rehabilitation specialists and employers address challenges expected as a result of the evolving workforce. Using U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Integrated Mission System data, we investigate the nature of employment discrimination charges that cite the Americans with Disabilities Act or Age Discrimination in Employment Act individually or jointly. We focus on trends in joint filings over time and across categories of age, types of disabilities, and alleged discriminatory behavior. We find that employment discrimination claims that originate from older or disabled workers are concentrated within a subset of issues that include reasonable accommodation, retaliation, and termination. Age-related disabilities are more frequently referenced in joint cases than in the overall pool of ADA filings, while the psychiatric disorders are less often referenced in joint cases. When examining charges made by those protected under both the ADA and ADEA, results from a logit model indicate that in comparison to charges filed under the ADA alone, jointly-filed ADA/ADEA charges are more likely to be filed by older individuals, by those who perceive discrimination in hiring and termination, and to originate from within the smallest firms. In light of these findings, rehabilitation and workplace practices to maximize the hiring and retention of older workers and those with disabilities are discussed.

Reduction of MRI acoustic noise achieved by manipulation of scan parameters – A study using veterinary MR sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, Martin A.

2013-01-01

Sound pressure levels were measured within an MR scan room for a range of sequences employed in veterinary brain scanning, using a test phantom in an extremity coil. Variation of TR and TE, and use of a quieter gradient mode (‘whisper’ mode) were evaluated to determine their effect on sound pressure levels (SPLs). Use of a human head coil and a human brain sequence was also evaluated. Significant differences in SPL were achieved for T2, T1, T2* gradient echo and VIBE sequences by varying TR or TE, or by selecting the ‘whisper’ gradient mode. An appreciable reduction was achieved for the FLAIR sequence. Noise levels were not affected when a head coil was used in place of an extremity coil. Due to sequence parameters employed, veterinary patients and anaesthetists may be exposed to higher sound levels than those experienced in human MR examinations. The techniques described are particularly valuable in small animal MR scanning where ear protection is not routinely provided for the patient.

Uncertainty analysis of constant amplitude fatigue test data employing the six parameters random fatigue limit model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonetti Davide

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Estimating and reducing uncertainty in fatigue test data analysis is a relevant task in order to assess the reliability of a structural connection with respect to fatigue. Several statistical models have been proposed in the literature with the aim of representing the stress range vs. endurance trend of fatigue test data under constant amplitude loading and the scatter in the finite and infinite life regions. In order to estimate the safety level of the connection also the uncertainty related to the amount of information available need to be estimated using the methods provided by the theory of statistic. The Bayesian analysis is employed to reduce the uncertainty due to the often small amount of test data by introducing prior information related to the parameters of the statistical model. In this work, the inference of fatigue test data belonging to cover plated steel beams is presented. The uncertainty is estimated by making use of Bayesian and frequentist methods. The 5% quantile of the fatigue life is estimated by taking into account the uncertainty related to the sample size for both a dataset containing few samples and one containing more data. The S-N curves resulting from the application of the employed methods are compared and the effect of the reduction of uncertainty in the infinite life region is quantified.

76 FR 77672 - Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return and Modifications to the Deposit Rules

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-14

... Federal ANUAL del Patrono, will be eliminated due to the low volume of employers filing these forms... required to make a return for the first calendar quarter in which the employer pays wages, other than wages... required to make a return for each subsequent calendar quarter (whether or not wages are paid therein...

The autoprotonation in reduction mechanism of pesticide ioxynil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sokolova, Romana, E-mail: sokolova@jh-inst.cas.c [J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 3, 18223 Prague (Czech Republic); Hromadova, Magdalena; Ludvik, Jiri; Pospisil, Lubomir [J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 3, 18223 Prague (Czech Republic); Giannarelli, Stefania [Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Risorgimento 35, 56100 Pisa (Italy)

2010-11-30

The reduction mechanism of ioxynil (3,5-diiodo-4-hydroxy-benzonitrile) was studied in dimethylsulfoxide using the electrochemical methods (tast polarography, cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis) combined with GC/MS identification of products. The reduction is accompanied by the cleavage of iodide yielding 3-iodo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile. Surprisingly, this process requires only one electron for the exhaustive electrolysis of the starting compound. We showed that the apparent one electron reduction observed in the aprotic solvent is due to the autoprotonation by another molecule of ioxynil. The overall one electron reduction (uptake of two electrons per two molecules of ioxynil) is changed in the presence of a strong proton donor to a two electron process per one molecule.

Employer-sponsored health insurance and the gender wage gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowan, Benjamin; Schwab, Benjamin

2016-01-01

During prime working years, women have higher expected healthcare expenses than men. However, employees' insurance rates are not gender-rated in the employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) market. Thus, women may experience lower wages in equilibrium from employers who offer health insurance to their employees. We show that female employees suffer a larger wage gap relative to men when they hold ESI: our results suggest this accounts for roughly 10% of the overall gender wage gap. For a full-time worker, this pay gap due to ESI is on the order of the expected difference in healthcare expenses between women and men. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Closing the gap: Longitudinal changes in employment for Australians with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dijk, Pieter A; Kirk-Brown, Andrea K; Taylor, Bruce; van der Mei, Ingrid

2017-09-01

Previous studies have documented far lower employment participation rates for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) compared to the general population. In a large national sample of PwMS, we examined employment status, longitudinal changes in employment and the provision of modifications to work role/environment from 2010 to 2013. Employment data were collected through the Australian MS Longitudinal Study from 2010 to 2013, with 1260 people responding to all four surveys. Employment rates were compared with the Australian general population. The survey included questions on the provision of modifications to employees' work role and work environment. Employment (full- and part-time) increased from 48.8% in 2010 to 57.8% in 2013, mainly due to increases in male full-time employment. The employment gap between PwMS and the general population fell from 14.3% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2013. Male employment rates, however, remain significantly lower than the general population. The majority of PwMS who required adjustments to either their work role or environment received them. The gap in employment between PwMS and the general population has substantially reduced from 2010 to 2013, with organisations responding positively to requests for work role/environment adjustments.

3D graphene preparation via covalent amide functionalization for efficient metal-free electrocatalysis in oxygen reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Mohammad Shamsuddin; Kim, Young-Bae

2017-02-01

3D and porous reduced graphene oxide (rGO) catalysts have been prepared with sp3-hybridized 1,4-diaminobutane (sp3-DABu, rGO-sp3-rGO) and sp2-hybridized 1,4-diaminobenzene (sp2-DABe, rGO-sp2-rGO) through a covalent amidation and have employed as a metal-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. Both compounds have used as a junction between functionalized rGO layers to improve electrical conductivity and impart electrocatalytic activity to the ORR resulting from the interlayer charge transfer. The successful amidation and the subsequent reduction in the process of catalyst preparation have confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A hierarchical porous structure is also confirmed by surface morphological analysis. Specific surface area and thermal stability have increased after successful the amidation by sp3-DABu. The investigated ORR mechanism reveals that both functionalized rGO is better ORR active than nonfunctionalized rGO due to pyridinic-like N content and rGO-sp3-rGO is better ORR active than rGO-sp2-rGO due to higher pyridinic-like N content and π-electron interaction-free interlayer charge transfer. Thus, the rGO-sp3-rGO has proven as an efficient metal-free electrocatalyst with better electrocatalytic activity, stability, and tolerance to the crossover effect than the commercially available Pt/C for ORR.

Diastereoselectivity in the reduction of bicyclic enones with hindered hydrides

OpenAIRE

Camozzato, Andreza C.; Tenius, Beatriz S. M.; Oliveira, Eduardo R. de; Viegas Jr., Cláudio; Victor, Maurício M.; Silveira, Leandro G. da

2008-01-01

Reduction of five substituted octalones employing lithium tri-sec-butylborohydride (L-selectride®) in THF and ethyl ether led to allylic alcohols with moderate diastereoselectivity. The stereoselectivity of addition of bulky hydrides showed to be different from most examples in the literature and was strongly influenced by substitution on the octalone ring.

Diastereoselectivity in the reduction of bicyclic enones with hindered hydrides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camozzato, Andreza C.; Tenius, Beatriz S. M.; Oliveira, Eduardo R. de; Viegas Junior, Claudio; Victor, Mauricio M.; Silveira, Leandro G. da

2008-01-01

Reduction of five substituted octalones employing lithium tri-sec-butylborohydride (L-selectride R ) in THF and ethyl ether led to allylic alcohols with moderate diastereoselectivity. The stereoselectivity of addition of bulky hydrides showed to be different from most examples in the literature and was strongly influenced by substitution on the octalone ring. (author)

A microwave assisted one-pot route synthesis of bimetallic PtPd alloy cubic nanocomposites and their catalytic reduction for 4-nitrophenol

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jian; Gan, Wei; Fu, Xucheng; Hao, Hequn

2017-10-01

We herein report a simple, rapid, and eco-friendly chemical route to the one-pot synthesis of bimetallic PtPd alloy cubic nanocomposites under microwave irradiation. During this process, water was employed as an environmentally benign solvent, while dimethylformamide served as a mild reducing agent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone was used as both a dispersant and a stabilizer. The structure, morphology, and composition of the resulting alloy nanocomposites were examined by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. A detailed study was then carried out into the catalytic activity of the PtPd nanocomposites with a Pt:Pd molar ratio of 50:50 in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by sodium borohydride as a model reaction. Compared with pristine Pt and Pd monometallic nanoparticles (PtNPs and PdNPs), the bimetallic PtPd alloy nanocomposites exhibited enhanced catalytic activities and were readily recyclable in the reduction of 4-NP due to synergistic effects.

Overall Reduction Kinetics of Low-grade Pyrolusite Using a Mixture of Hemicellulose and Lignin as Reductant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun-Fei Long

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Manganese is widely used in many fields. Many efforts have been made to recover manganese from low-grade pyrolusite due to the depletion of high-grade manganese ore. Thus, it is of practical significance to develop a clean, energy-saving and environmentally friendly technical route to reduce the low-grade pyrolusite. The reported results show that biomass wastes from crops, crop waste, wood and wood waste are environmentally friendly, energy-saving, and low-cost reducing agents for roasting reduction of low-grade pyrolusite. Kinetics of the reduction reactions is necessary for an efficient design of biomass reduction of pyrolusite. Therefore, it is important to look for a general kinetics equation to describe the reduction of pyrolusite by different kinds of biomass, because there is a wide variety of biomass wastes, meaning that it is impossible to investigate the kinetics for each biomass waste. In this paper, thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis were applied to study the overall reduction kinetics of pyrolusite using a mixture of hemicellulose and lignin, two major components of biomass. Overall reduction process is the overlap of the respective reduction processes. A new empirical equation based on the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation can be used to describe the respective reduction kinetics using hemicellulose and lignin as reductants, and the corresponding apparent activation energy is 30.14 kJ mol−1 and 38.91 kJ mol−1, respectively. The overall kinetic model for the reduction of pyrolusite by the mixture of hemicellulose and lignin can be simulated by the summation of the respective kinetics by considering their mass-loss fractions, while a unit step function was used to avoid the invalid conversion data. The obtained results in this work are necessary to understand the biomass reduction of pyrolusite and provide valuable assistance in the development of a general kinetics equation.

Employer branding

OpenAIRE

Mičková, Kateřina

2008-01-01

The demand for qualified employees is higher then the offering, both in Czech republic and internationally. Demand for specific skills, in addition to a greater demand for workforce generally, is making employee recruitment and retention much more difficult and expensive. Employer Branding claims to be an answer to this new challenge. This international concept focuses on developing an "employer brand" - mental image of a company as an employer. To achieve this, it is necessary to demonstrate...

Building Employer Capacity to Support Meaningful Employment for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: A Grounded Theory Study of Employment Support Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Marghalara; Hodgetts, Sandra; Nicholas, David

2017-11-01

To explore strategies to build employer capacity to support people with DD in meaningful employment from perspective of employment support workers. A grounded theory study was conducted with 34 employment support individuals. A theoretical sampling approach was used to identify and recruit participants from multiple sites in Ontario and Alberta. Three main themes, with seven sub-themes, emerged: (1) experiences of supporting employment finding for people with DD, (2) institutional influences on employee experiences, and (3) attitudes, assumptions and stigma. Several recommendations related to building employer capacity were offered. Our findings provide insight on specific elements and strategies that can support building employer capacity for persons with DD.

Entrepreneurship, Public Policy and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abubakar S. Garba

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of entrepreneurship and public policy toward poverty reduction in Nigeria. Entrepreneurship has proven to be a mechanism for poverty reduction through creation of employment opportunities, income as well as wealth. In some occasion entrepreneurs exploit opportunities at the expense of the existing policy to engage in activities that are not economically and socially productive. They neither create wealth nor do they improve on the economic performance of a country. The author conducted survey and interview to solicit for data from small and micro enterprises across Kano state and also used secondary information in analysing the situation in the country. Infrastructural decay, lack of coherent policies and institutional framework were partly responsible for escalating poverty in the Nigeria. Therefore, it is recommended that the government while designing a policy toward entrepreneurship attempt should be made to identify and encourage high impact entrepreneurs that will genuinely contribute in creating real jobs and poverty reduction.

Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy: A Critical Discourse Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Benbow, Sarah; Gorlick, Carolyne; Forchuk, Cheryl; Ward-Griffin, Catherine; Berman, Helene

2016-01-01

This article overviews the second phase of a two-phase study which examined experiences of health and social exclusion among mothers experiencing homelessness in Ontario, Canada. A critical discourse analysis was employed to analyze the policy document, Realizing Our Potential: Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy, 2014-2019. In nursing, analysis of policy is an emerging form of scholarship, one that draws attention to the macro levels influencing health and health promotion, such as the social determinants of health, and the policies that impact them. The clear neo-liberal underpinnings, within the strategy, with a focus on productivity and labor market participation leave little room for an understanding of poverty reduction from a human rights perspective. Further, gender-neutrality rendered the poverty experienced by women, and mothers, invisible. Notably, there were a lack of deadlines, target dates, and thorough action and evaluation plans. Such absence troubles whether poverty reduction is truly a priority for the government, and society as a whole.

Reduction of buffering requirements: Another advantage of cooperative transmission

KAUST Repository

Bader, Ahmed

2015-04-01

Yet another advent of cooperative transmission is exposed in this letter. It is shown that cooperation lends itself to the reduction of buffer sizes of wireless sensor nodes. It is less likely to find the channel busy when cooperative transmission is employed in the network. Otherwise, in the lack of cooperation, the probability of build up of packet queues in transmission buffers increases.

COMPARISON OF UASB AND FLUIDIZED-BED REACTORS FOR SULFATE REDUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. M. Bertolino

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Reactor hydrodynamics is important for sulfidogenesis because sulfate reduction bacteria (SRB do not granulate easily. In this work, the sulfate reduction performance of two continuous anaerobic bioreactors was investigated: (i an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB reactor and (ii a fluidized bed reactor (FBR. Organic loading, sulfate reduction, and COD removal were the main parameters monitored during lactate and glycerol degradation. The UASB reactor with biomass recirculation showed a specific sulfate reduction rate of 0.089±0.014 g.gSSV-1.d-1 (89% reduction, whereas values twice as high were achieved in the FBR treating either lactate (0.200±0.017 g.gSSV-1.d-1 or glycerol (0.178±0.010 g.gSSV-1.d-1. Sulfate reduction with pure glycerol produced a smaller residual COD (1700 mg.L-1 than that produced with lactate (2500 mg.L-1 at the same COD.sulfate-1 mass ratio. It was estimated that 50% of glycerol degradation was due to sulfate reduction and 50% to fermentation, which was supported by the presence of butyrate in the FBR effluent. The UASB reactor was unable to produce effluents with sulfate concentrations below 250 mg.L-1 due to poor mixing conditions, whereas the FBR consistently ensured residual sulfate concentrations below such a value.

The Vibration Sensors Optimum Mounting Analysis at Planetary Reduction Gearmotor Vibration Diagnostics

OpenAIRE

Ļitvinovs, D

2008-01-01

Due to the specific mechanical peculiarities, planetary reduction gearmotors were and remain the most progressive types of reduction gearboxes for industry application. Compactness, small specific gravity and, simultaneously, possibility to pass the increased loadings – here what planetary reduction gearmotors are attractive for developers and customers. Because of planetary reduction gearmotors increased amount applying in industry, increases the requirements in their diagnostics. For this p...

Gender Equality in Employment Utilizing Female Social Entrepreneurship in Greece

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Argyrou, A.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/407629459; Charitakis, Stelios

2017-01-01

Greek women are severely affected by the on-going financial crisis. They deal with the effects of unemployment and they experience a marginalised position in the Greek labour market due to deep-rooted stereotypes which result in inequality of employment opportunities. Greece has ratified the CEDAW

Amplification of intrinsic emittance due to rough metal cathodes: Formulation of a parameterization model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charles, T.K. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800 (Australia); Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3168 (Australia); Paganin, D.M. [School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800 (Australia); Dowd, R.T. [Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3168 (Australia)

2016-08-21

Intrinsic emittance is often the limiting factor for brightness in fourth generation light sources and as such, a good understanding of the factors affecting intrinsic emittance is essential in order to be able to decrease it. Here we present a parameterization model describing the proportional increase in emittance induced by cathode surface roughness. One major benefit behind the parameterization approach presented here is that it takes the complexity of a Monte Carlo model and reduces the results to a straight-forward empirical model. The resulting models describe the proportional increase in transverse momentum introduced by surface roughness, and are applicable to various metal types, photon wavelengths, applied electric fields, and cathode surface terrains. The analysis includes the increase in emittance due to changes in the electric field induced by roughness as well as the increase in transverse momentum resultant from the spatially varying surface normal. We also compare the results of the Parameterization Model to an Analytical Model which employs various approximations to produce a more compact expression with the cost of a reduction in accuracy.

Flexible employment, precarious employees? Job-, employer- and institutional explanations for numerical flexibility, and its relation to precarious employment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olsthoorn, M.

2015-01-01

This dissertation presents a study of numerical flexibility and its relation to precarious employment in contemporary labour markets. Precarious employment is defined as the situation in which an employee has both insecure employment and insecure finances. More specifically, precarious employees are

Comments on "Duality of Female Employment in Pakistan".

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, A

1991-01-01

Data problems and substantive issues relating to an article on female employment problems in Pakistan are critiqued. It is noted that the emphasis was on demand factors in explaining the level and pattern of female employment, when it is evident that supply and demand are linked by cultural norms which vary among women in their degree of segregation/domestic responsibilities. Productivity and income of women by occupation is also important for policy analysis. The supply factors that affect women according to their income group are level of education, degree of segregation/domestic responsibility, and income/satisfaction level. Employers' biases are clear demand side factors. In the example of the upper income class group, women work due to higher levels of education and experience, their greater liberation from domestic duties, and the professional satisfaction derived from work; constraints are appropriate education and training, employers' gender discrimination, and higher satisfaction from domestic roles. Women's segregation as a supply factor is stronger in middle and low income groups; hence, employment is lower. Income generation is very important among low income groups, which creates a greater force to seek employment, but without the necessary skills or education and with household responsibilities; their employment is predominately in the informal sector with low productivity and income. Policy interventions to increase welfare and productivity must be different for each class or group. For upper income women, employers must not discriminate against women in hiring and firing, and more educational and training opportunities must be provided. In the middle income group, access to education an employment and more employment opportunities in a culturally acceptable framework are needed. Respectability of jobs, for instance in the service sector, is an important factor. In the low income group, productivity increases are the goal. Access to credits, and new

Employer Branding

OpenAIRE

Stroblová, Zuzana

2017-01-01

The aim of the Master Thesis is to describe how to build Employer Brand a company. It is based on the description of Employer Branding project of a particular company and the evaluation its process. The thesis is a case study and consists of theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part focuses on trends and changes in leadership approach, definition of Employer Branding and HR Marketing. The practical part deals with the brand building process itself, describes the outputs of the proj...

A Conceptual Understanding of Employability: The Employers' View in Rwanda

Science.gov (United States)

Bamwesiga, Penelope Mbabazi

2013-01-01

Many governments believe that investing in human capital should increase citizens' employability, which is why it is often presented as a solution to the problems of knowledge-based economies and societies, rising unemployment rates and economic competiveness. The aim of this study is to understand employers' views regarding the employability of…

The Impact of Energy Prices on Employment and Environmental Performance: Evidence from French Manufacturing Establishments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, Giovanni; Vona, Francesco

2017-01-01

This paper evaluates the historical influence of energy prices on a series of measures of environmental and economic performance for a panel of French manufacturing establishments over the period 1997-2010. The focus on energy prices is motivated by the fact that changes in environmental and energy policies have been dominated by substantial reductions in discounts for large consumers, making the evaluation of each policy in isolation exceedingly difficult. To identify price effects, we construct a shift-share instrument that captures only the exogenous variation in establishment-specific energy prices. Our results highlight a trade-off between environmental and economic goals: although a 10 percent increase in energy prices brings about a 6 percent reduction in energy consumption and to a 11 percent reduction in CO_2 emissions, such an increase also has a modestly negative impact on employment (-2.6 percent) and very small impact on wages and productivity. The negative employment effects are mostly concentrated in energy-intensive and trade-exposed sectors. Simulating the effect of a carbon tax, we show that job losses for the most exposed sectors can be quite large. However, these effects are upper bounds and we show that they are significantly mitigated in multi-plant firms by labor reallocation across establishments. (authors)

Study of transient burnout under flow reduction condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamura, Takamichi

1986-09-01

Transient burnout characteristics of a fuel rod under a rapid flow reduction condition of a light water reactor were experimentally and analytically studied. The test sections were uniformly heated vertical tube and annulus with the heated length of 800 mm. Test pressures ranged 0.5 ∼ 3.9 MPa, heat fluxes 2,160 ∼ 3,860 KW/m 2 , and flow reduction rates 0.44 ∼ 770 %/s. The local flow condition during flow reduction transients were calculated with a separate flow model. The two-fluid/three-field thermal-hydraulic code, COBRA/TRAC, was also used to investigate the liquid film behavior on the heated surface. The major results obtained in the present study are as follows: The onset of burnout under a rapid flow reduction condition was caused by a liquid film dryout on the heated surface. With increasing flow reduction rate beyond a threshold, the burnout mass velocity at the inlet became lower than the steady-state burnout mass velocity. This is explained by the fact that the vapor flow rate continues to increase due to the delay of boiling boundary movement and the resultant high vapor velocity sustains the liquid film flow after the inlet flow rate reaches the steady-state burnout flow rate. The ratio of inlet burnout mass velocities between flow reduction transient and steady-state became smaller with increasing system pressure because of the lower vapor velocity due to the lower vapor specific volume. Flow reduction burnout occurred when the outlet quality agreed with the steady-state burnout quality within 10 %, suggesting that the local condition burnout model can be used for flow reduction transients. Based on this model, a method to predict the time to burnout under a flow reduction condition in a uniformly heated tube was developed. The calculated times to burnout agreed well with some experimental results obtained by the Author, Cumo et al., and Moxon et al. (author)

Developing inclusive employment: lessons from Telenor Open Mind.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalef, Laura; Barrera, Magda; Heymann, Jody

2014-01-01

Despite significant gains in legal rights for people with disabilities, the employment rate for individuals with disabilities in many countries remains extremely low. Programs to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce can have an important impact on individuals' economic and social prospects, as well as societal benefits. This article aims to explore Telenor Open Mind, a job training program at Norway's largest telecommunications company with financial support from Norway's Labor and Welfare Organization (NAV), which acts as a springboard for individuals with disabilities into the workplace. A qualitative case study design was utilized to explore the Telenor Open Mind Program. Drawing on field research conducted in Oslo during 2011, this article explores subjective experiences of individuals involved with the program, through interviews and program observations. Telenor Open Mind's two-year program is comprised of a three month training period, in which individuals participate in computer and self-development courses followed by a 21-month paid internship where participants gain hands-on experience. The program has an average 75% rate of employment upon completion and a high rate of participant satisfaction. Participation in the program led to increased self-confidence and social development. The company experienced benefits from greater workplace satisfaction and reductions in sick leave rates. The Telenor Open Mind program has provided benefits for participants, the company, and society as a whole. Participants gain training, work experience, and increased employability. Telenor gains dedicated and trained employees, in addition to reducing sick leave absences among all employees. Finally, society benefits from the Open Mind program as the individuals who gain employment become tax-payers, and no longer need to receive benefits from the government.

76 FR 24503 - Agency Information Collection Activities: DHS Individual Complaint of Employment Discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-02

... Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) (29 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) (age), the Equal Pay Act (29 U.S.C. 206(d)) (sex... Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104... complaint process. It is the policy of the Government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in...

‘Placement budgets’ for supported employment – improving competitive employment for people with mental illness: study protocol of a multicentre randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nordt Carlos

2012-10-01

in financial independence, to a reduction of perceived and internalized stigma, and to an increase in quality of life and job satisfaction of the patient. In addition, factors connected with fast competitive employment and holding that job down in the long term are being examined (motivation, stigmatization, social and financial situation. Trial register ISRCTN89670872

More hours, more jobs? The employment effects of longer working hours

OpenAIRE

Martyn Andrews; Hans-Dieter Gerner; Thorsten Schank; Richard Upward

2015-01-01

Increases in standard hours of work have been a contentious policy issue in Germany. Whilst this might directly lead to a substitution of workers by hours, there may also be a positive employment effect due to reduced costs. Moreover, the response of firms may differ between firms that offer overtime and those that do not. For a panel of German plants (2001–2006) drawn from the IAB Establishment Panel, we are the first to analyse the effect of increased standard hours on employment. Using dif...

Reduction of system matrices of planar beam in ANCF by component mode synthesis method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Nobuyuki; Wago, Tsubasa; Sugawara, Yoshiki

2011-01-01

A method of reducing the system matrices of a planar flexible beam described by an absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is presented. In this method, we focus that the bending stiffness matrix expressed by adopting a continuum mechanics approach to the ANCF beam element is constant when the axial strain is not very large. This feature allows to apply the Craig–Bampton method to the equation of motion that is composed of the independent coordinates when the constraint forces are eliminated. Four numerical examples that compare the proposed method and the conventional ANCF are demonstrated to verify the performance and accuracy of the proposed method. From these examples, it is verified that the proposed method can describe the large deformation effects such as dynamic stiffening due to the centrifugal force, as well as the conventional ANCF does. The use of this method also reduces the computing time, while maintaining an acceptable degree of accuracy for the expression characteristics of the conventional ANCF when the modal truncation number is adequately employed. This reduction in CPU time particularly pronounced in the case of a large element number and small modal truncation number; the reduction can be verified not only in the case of small deformation but also in the case of a fair bit large deformation.

Employer perceptions of the employability of workers in a social business.

Science.gov (United States)

Krupa, Terry; Howell-Moneta, Angela; Lysaght, Rosemary; Kirsh, Bonnie

2016-06-01

This study examined employer perceptions of employability of job candidates working in a social business for people with mental illnesses. Using an analogue research design, 99 employers participated in a simulated job hiring process, rating 2 applicants on potential to do the job, fit with workplace culture and likelihood of hiring. One job applicant worked in a social business, and the second was either (a) working in a conventional business, (b) with employment lapse attributable to mental health issues, or (c) with an unexplained employment lapse. Paired samples t tests were used to compare ratings. Qualitative data were collected regarding the rationale for rankings and a content analysis was conducted. Employer rankings were significantly higher for the applicant working in a social business compared to either applicant with an employment lapse. Employers rated the candidate working in a conventional business significantly higher compared with the candidate in a social business only on ratings of likelihood to hire. Employers valued the recency of work experience in the social business, citing concerns about risks associated with employment lapses. Their comments suggested a lack of understanding of the nature of social business. Experience in a social business appears to lessen the disadvantage of unemployment in the job hiring process, but does not appear to be ranked on par with experience in the conventional workforce. The social business sector could benefit from considering ways to publically portray these work opportunities to enhance acceptance and inclusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Barriers to and facilitators of employment for people with psychiatric disabilities in Africa: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebuenyi, I D; Syurina, E V; Bunders, J F G; Regeer, B J

2018-01-01

Despite the importance of inclusive employment, described in Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa is lower than among the general population. The aim of this scoping review is to explore evidence related to the barriers to and facilitators of employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa. A literature search was conducted using six relevant electronic databases of articles published between 1990 and 2017. Eight studies were identified and analysed regarding barriers and facilitators of employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities. The dynamic adaptation of the bio-psycho-social model was used as an analytical framework. Identified barriers include ill health, (anticipated) psychiatric illness, social stigma and discrimination, negative attitudes among employers and the lack of social support and government welfare. Facilitators of employment include stability of mental illness, heightened self-esteem, a personal decision to work despite stigma, competitive and supported employment, reduction in social barriers/stigma and workplace accommodations. Employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities is essential, yet there is dearth of scientific evidence to identify contextual models that might be useful in African countries and other low-and middle countries (LMICs). This gap in information would benefit from further research to improve the employment rates of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa.

Parent material and weldments degradation on SASOL reduction reactors due to combined effect of thermal fatigue, vibration and hydrogen attack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borla, Jan Z.

2002-01-01

All six installed reduction reactors showed the same failure pattern, which can be attributed to inadequate original design, material degradation due to service conditions and improper maintenance activities. Service is typically low frequency fatigue load conditions with changes of pressure, temperature and batch load. All revealed defects severely affected the integrity of the pressure envelope and vessels were classified for major repair work with subsequent in situ monitoring program. The justification for such extensive and costly repair required a positive evaluation of the current condition of equipment. After complete study, a report was prepared which included the fitness for purpose evaluation, remaining life assessment and recommendation for future field inspections. All reactors were found to be suitable for repair. Within the scope of repair a number of critical elements were redesigned and replaced. The repair was successful and all reactors were put back into operation. Unique expertise was obtained regarding setting the parameters of dehydrogenation in reference to the heavy wall items. Taking replicas and surface sampling appeared to be very reliable and simple tools in monitoring the condition of pressure envelope. For the purpose of future inspection shutdowns specific inspection requirements were put in place to ensure continuous monitoring of the vessel integrity

Fabrication of a micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy by electroless reduction with a calcium reductant for electrolytic capacitor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Yoshida, Masumi; Taguchi, Yoshiaki; Habazaki, Hiroki; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A metallic Ti–Zr alloy was obtained by electroless reduction for capacitor applications. • The reduction mechanisms were studied by SEM, XRD, EPMA, and an oxygen analyzer. • The alloy was obtained by electroless reduction in the presence of excess calcium reductant. • A micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy was successfully obtained. • The alloy has a low oxygen content and a large surface area. -- Abstract: A metallic titanium and zirconium micro-porous alloy for electrolytic capacitor applications was produced by electroless reduction with a calcium reductant in calcium chloride molten salt at 1173 K. Mixed TiO 2 –70 at%ZrO 2 oxides, metallic calcium, and calcium chloride were placed in a titanium crucible and heated under argon atmosphere to reduce the oxides with the calcium reductant. A metallic Ti–Zr alloy was obtained by electroless reduction in the presence of excess calcium reductant and showed a micro-porous morphology due to the sintering of each of the reduced particles during the reduction. The residual oxygen content and surface area of the reduced Ti–Zr alloy decreased over time during the electroless reduction. The element distributions were slightly different at the positions of the alloy and were in the composition range of Ti-69.3 at% to 74.3 at%Zr. A micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy with low oxygen content (0.20 wt%) and large surface area (0.55 m 2 g −1 ) was successfully fabricated by electroless reduction under optimal conditions. The reduction mechanisms of the mixed and pure oxides by the calcium reductant are also discussed

A multidimensional approach to precarious employment: measurement, association with poor mental health and prevalence in the Spanish workforce

OpenAIRE

Vives Vergara, Alejandra

2010-01-01

Objective: To study the psychometric properties and construct validity of a multidimensional instrument to measure employment precariousness; to assess the association between employment precariousness and poor mental health; to estimate the prevalence and distribution of employment precariousness in the Spanish workforce; and to estimate the population attributable fraction of poor mental health due to employment precariousness. Methods: Cross-sectional study using data from the Psychos...

The impacts of electricity dispatch protocols on the emission reductions due to wind power and carbon tax.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yang; Rajagopal, Ram

2015-02-17

Two dispatch protocols have been adopted by electricity markets to deal with the uncertainty of wind power but the effects of the selection between the dispatch protocols have not been comprehensively analyzed. We establish a framework to compare the impacts of adopting different dispatch protocols on the efficacy of using wind power and implementing a carbon tax to reduce emissions. We suggest that a market has high potential to achieve greater emission reduction by adopting the stochastic dispatch protocol instead of the static protocol when the wind energy in the market is highly uncertain or the market has enough adjustable generators, such as gas-fired combustion generators. Furthermore, the carbon-tax policy is more cost-efficient for reducing CO2 emission when the market operates according to the stochastic protocol rather than the static protocol. An empirical study, which is calibrated according to the data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market, confirms that using wind energy in the Texas market results in a 12% CO2 emission reduction when the market uses the stochastic dispatch protocol instead of the 8% emission reduction associated with the static protocol. In addition, if a 6$/ton carbon tax is implemented in the Texas market operated according to the stochastic protocol, the CO2 emission is similar to the emission level from the same market with a 16$/ton carbon tax operated according to the static protocol. Correspondingly, the 16$/ton carbon tax associated with the static protocol costs 42.6% more than the 6$/ton carbon tax associated with the stochastic protocol.

Employment Effects of Spatial Dispersal of Refugees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damm, Anna Piil; Rosholm, Michael

Spatial dispersal policies may influence labour market integration of refugees through two mechanisms. First, it may affect the local job offer arrival rate, and second, it may affect place utility. We investigate the second mechanism theoretically by formulating a partial search model in which a...... due to large local reservation wage effects. We investigate both mechanisms empirically and test the predictions of the theoretical model by evaluating the employment effects of the Danish spatial dispersal policy carried out 1986-1998....

Absenteeism due to Functional Limitations Caused by Seven Common Chronic Diseases in US Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuong, Tam D; Wei, Feifei; Beverly, Claudia J

2015-07-01

The study examined the relationship between functional limitation due to chronic diseases and absenteeism among full-time workers. The studied chronic diseases include arthritis/rheumatism, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, lung disease, and stroke. We analyzed data from the 2011 to 2013 National Health Interview Survey. Economic impact was determined by workdays lost and lost income. Increase in absenteeism was observed for each studied condition. Employees with multiple conditions also saw increase absenteeism. Employers lose 28.2 million workdays annually ($4.95 billion in lost income) due to functional limitation caused by chronic diseases. The results show a burden on society due to functional limitation caused by studied chronic diseases. Employers should look into implementing intervention/prevention programs, such as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs, to help reduce the cost associated with absenteeism.

Employment in Agribusiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilgenberg, Gene; Huston, Jane

This curriculum guide is intended to assist persons teaching a course in employment in agribusiness. Addressed in the individual units of instruction are the following topics: employment information (training plans/agreements and wages, taxes, and fringe benefits); human relations (employer/employee/customer relations and communication skills);…

The Effect of Tariff Reduction in Agricultural Sector on Macroeconomic Variables: Using Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Heidari

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Economic effects of membership in the WTO in recent years, has been one of the most important issues for Iranian economy. If Iran joins the WTO, in this process, tariff reduction in agricultural sector will be one of the policies which has to be employed. Therefore, investigating economic effects of tariff reduction or even its elimination in this sector will be necessary in running effective policies to minimize the probabilistic losses of accession. Tariffs on agricultural products in Iran are determined merely on the basis of annual country economy, and have no long term strategy. Government is just obliged to impose effective tariffs on agricultural products imports, in order to protect local productions. On the other hand, according to the census of population and housing, the share of agricultural sector in employment has reduced during the past decade. Moreover, Iran central bank information indicated the reduction in the share of agricultural sector in GDP for the past decade. Declining the share of agriculture in production and employment, considering the high number of university graduates in the field of agriculture along with rising unemployment rate of this group, motivated this study to investigate the effect of tariff reduction in this sector on macroeconomic variables. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed the welfare effects of import tariffs reduction in agricultural sector from Iran most important commercial partners and vice versa, using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP, based on computable general equilibrium (CGE model. Moreover, the effects of tariffs reduction, is investigated on output, price level and transfer of production factors between different economic sectors. In order to simulate the above model, we used GTAP version 8 which covers 57 commodities and 113 regions with economic information of these regions. This model uses Social Accounting Matrix of countries as data information. Our

VIA Employability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Henrik Mariendal

2017-01-01

’s realized at the entrance to the labor market and in the future career. The purpose is to find opportunities to improve employability-developing activities and to adapt it to specific needs from the students. Based on a number of qualitative interviews and personality tests of the graduates, an increased......The fact that students develop employability during their education is a key point for educational institutions and the focus on this issue has never been greater. This project looks into personal experience from VIA-graduates of "developing their employability" during the education and how it...

Risk Reduction Effects Due to the Start Time Extension of EDGs in OPR-1000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Ho-Gon; Yang, Joon-Eon; Hwang, Mee-Jeong

2006-01-01

Under the condition that the ECCS rule in Korea will be revised based on the new U.S. 10 CFR 50.46, the risk impact due to the EDG start time extension is analyzed in the present study. This paper is composed of 6 sections. In the section 2, the LOCA break size that cannot be mitigable under the condition of extended EDG start time is obtained from the thermal hydraulic analysis. The section 3 discusses the frequency of the immitigable LOCA and the probability of the LOOP given a LOCA. In the section 4, the effect of the EDG start time extension on its failure probability is discussed with a qualitative manner. Finally, the whole risk change due to the EDG start time extension is calculated in the section 5 with the conclusions given in the section 6

Chemical reduction of refractory oxides by atomic hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dooley, D.; Balooch, M.; Olander, D.R.

1978-11-01

The chemical reduction of UO 2 and Al 2 O 3 by atomic hydrogen was studied. Results of the UO 2 /H investigation indicates that reduction of UO 2 by atomic hydrogen proceeds by the production of water vapor and hypostoichiometric urania. Water vapor and aluminum metal are formed in the Al 2 O 3 /H system. The relative ease which UO 2 is reduced by atomic hydrogen compared with Al 2 O 3 is due to two factors. The first is related to the thermochemistry of the reactions. The second factor which favors efficient reduction of UO 2 but not of Al 2 O 3 is the oxygen diffusivity

Consequences of occupational asthma on employment and financial status: a follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ameille, J; Pairon, J C; Bayeux, M C; Brochard, P; Choudat, D; Conso, F; Devienne, A; Garnier, R; Iwatsubo, Y

1997-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe changes in employment and income following a diagnosis of occupational asthma, and to determine what factors might affect these changes. Two hundred and nine patients with occupational asthma were reviewed on average 3.1 yrs after the diagnosis had been made. They were contacted by telephone or were sent a self-administered questionnaire by post. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to determine which variables were associated with loss of employment after the diagnosis. At the time of review, 44% of patients had left their previous job and 25% were currently unemployed. Remarkably, 32% remained exposed to the offending agents in the same job. Forty six percent of the patients had suffered a reduction of income (84% of those who had left their employer versus 19% of those still employed in the same company (p company, level of education, and age at the time of diagnosis were significantly associated with a risk for becoming unemployed or having a new employer after the diagnosis of occupational asthma. Occupational asthma results in severe socioeconomic consequences. The French compensation system for occupational asthma should be revised, as the criteria currently used to determine compensation for this disease largely underestimate the social and occupational damages.

Assessment of the bacteria reduction in the infected root canal irradiated with diode laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radaelli, Claudia Amaral Rabello de Mello

2002-01-01

High success rates are achieved in conventional endodontic treatment of vital pulp teeth. However, in cases of non-vital pulp, a decrease in the rate of success occurs due to difficulties in achieving a complete disinfection of the root canals system. Some bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecalis, are frequently found in cases of endodontic treatment failure due to their high resistance to the conventional endodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a high power diode laser irradiation in bacterial reduction of contaminated canals associated with dressing compose by calcium hydroxide paste propylene glycol and camphorated paramonochlorophenol. Eighty-two root canals were infected in vitro with Enterococcus faecalis in a concentration of 1x10 8 CFU/ml. Specimens were high intensity irradiated with a diode laser model Opus 10, at a wavelength of 830 nm. Two different parameters were employed in continuous mode: 3 W and 2,5 W with a 360 μm optical fiber at an angle of approximately 5 degrees respect to the dentine surface during 5 seconds, in 4 applications, with 20 seconds intervals among them. After these proceedings specimens were vortexed in peptone water and dilutions performed. Aliquots of the dilution were plated on m-Enterococcus agar, incubated, and the Colonies Forming Units (CFU) of ali groups was counted. The results showed a significant reduction of bacteria on ali groups after laser irradiation. A high reduction rate was achieved: 98.5% immediately after the laser irradiation; 48 hours after, the reduction was of 96,73% and, finally, a 100% reduction was achieved through the combination of laser irradiation and a long lasting dressing of calcium hydroxide paste, propylene glycol and camphorated paramonochlorophenol. High rates of bacteria reduction were achieved using the parameter of 3 W in continuous mode with the power of 2,9473 KW/cm 2 . The temperature was monitored with a K-pipe thermocouple placed at the

he effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction in depression and blood sugar reduction diabetic patients with BIS type of personality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Mohammadi Shirmahaleh

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in depression reduction and blood sugar control in diabetic patients with Behavioral Inhibition type of personality. It was a quasi-experimental study with pretest/posttest design employing one experimental and one control group. The participants were 225 patients in Tehran. First, 30 patients with diabetes Type 2 were selected on the basis of interview and then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (n=15 in each group. Then, Wilson’s personality questionnaire and beck’s depression inventory were used to collect data. After conducting the pretest and measuring blood sugar level, the experimental group received an intervention in eight sessions of 120 minutes while the control group received no intervention. Finally, the posttest was administered to both groups. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the results of the pretest and posttest, indicating that mindfulness-based training had a positive effect on the reduction of stress as well as reduction of blood sugar among patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the mindfulness-based educational method can be used in clinics and healthcare centers to reduce stress and blood sugar levels among patients suffering from diabetes Type 2.

Comparative study of synthesis and reduction methods for graphene oxide

KAUST Repository

Alazmi, Amira; Rasul, Shahid; Patole, Shashikant P.; Da Costa, Pedro M. F. J.

2016-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have congregated much interest as promising active materials for a variety of applications such as electrodes for supercapacitors. Yet, partially given the absence of comparative studies in synthesis methodologies, a lack of understanding persists on how to best tailor these materials. In this work, the effect of using different graphene oxidation-reduction strategies in the structure and chemistry of rGOs is systematically discussed. Two of the most popular oxidation routes in the literature were used to obtain GO. Subsequently, two sets of rGO powders were synthesised employing three different reduction routes, totalling six separate products. It is shown that the extension of the structural rearrangement in rGOs is not just dependent on the reduction step but also on the approach followed for the initial graphite oxidation.

Comparative study of synthesis and reduction methods for graphene oxide

KAUST Repository

Alazmi, Amira

2016-05-14

Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have congregated much interest as promising active materials for a variety of applications such as electrodes for supercapacitors. Yet, partially given the absence of comparative studies in synthesis methodologies, a lack of understanding persists on how to best tailor these materials. In this work, the effect of using different graphene oxidation-reduction strategies in the structure and chemistry of rGOs is systematically discussed. Two of the most popular oxidation routes in the literature were used to obtain GO. Subsequently, two sets of rGO powders were synthesised employing three different reduction routes, totalling six separate products. It is shown that the extension of the structural rearrangement in rGOs is not just dependent on the reduction step but also on the approach followed for the initial graphite oxidation.

Manufacturing Employment and Wage Differentials After Structural Adjustment Reforms in Colombia: An Efficiency Wages Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Taborda

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In the framework of the structural reforms in Colombia one of the most important policy proposals was reducing rigidities in the labor market. A perspective to assess the results of such reforms is the analysis of the relationship between firm employment and wage differentials in manufacturing before and after the reforms. If the labor reforms reached the intended objective of making more flexible the labor market, the employment levels must change faster, along with the behavior of wages and other labor costs, given some characteristics of firms and the economy. This paper addresses this topic proposing a model of wage differential and employment growth and testing its propositions before and after the structural reforms and controlling for industry and firm characteristics. A first finding is the confirmation of the positive relationship proposed between intra-industry wage differential and employment. In the inter-industry wage differential estimation, we find heterogeneous responses depending on the industry and a reduction in the autonomous labor turnover.

The Relationship between Maternal Employment Status and Pregnancy Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Khojasteh, Farnoush; Arbabisarjou, Azizollah; Boryri, Tahere; Safarzadeh, Amneh; Pourkahkhaei, Mohammad

2016-09-01

employed women, but not significantly. Type of delivery was significantly related to employment, and employed mothers had more cesarean deliveries (P=0.0001). The results suggest more frequent lifting of heavy objects by housewives than by employed mothers, leading to increased complications such as reduced amniotic fluid, placental abruption, and low birth weight. Perhaps due to higher education levels, frequency of cesarean section and preterm labor was higher among employed mothers. However, employment alone does not predict pregnancy outcomes.

A triple-scale crystal plasticity modeling and simulation on size effect due to fine-graining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurosawa, Eisuke; Aoyagi, Yoshiteru; Tadano, Yuichi; Shizawa, Kazuyuki

2010-01-01

In this paper, a triple-scale crystal plasticity model bridging three hierarchical material structures, i.e., dislocation structure, grain aggregate and practical macroscopic structure is developed. Geometrically necessary (GN) dislocation density and GN incompatibility are employed so as to describe isolated dislocations and dislocation pairs in a grain, respectively. Then the homogenization method is introduced into the GN dislocation-crystal plasticity model for derivation of the governing equation of macroscopic structure with the mathematical and physical consistencies. Using the present model, a triple-scale FE simulation bridging the above three hierarchical structures is carried out for f.c.c. polycrystals with different mean grain size. It is shown that the present model can qualitatively reproduce size effects of macroscopic specimen with ultrafine-grain, i.e., the increase of initial yield stress, the decrease of hardening ratio after reaching tensile strength and the reduction of tensile ductility with decrease of its grain size. Moreover, the relationship between macroscopic yielding of specimen and microscopic grain yielding is discussed and the mechanism of the poor tensile ductility due to fine-graining is clarified. (author)

Which employment interview skills best predict the employability of schizophrenic patients?

Science.gov (United States)

Charisiou, J; Jackson, H J; Boyle, G J; Burgess, P M; Minas, I H; Joshua, S D

1989-06-01

To examine the effects of verbal and nonverbal interview microbehaviors and interview characteristics on employability, Simulated Employment Interviews were conducted with 46 psychiatric inpatients who each met the DSM-III criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Each interview was videotaped and shown to two raters, who generated independent ratings for six microbehaviors (eye-contact, facial gestures, body posture, verbal content, voice volume, and length of speech) and six subject characteristics (motivation, self-confidence, ability to communicate, manifest adjustment, manifest intelligence and overall interview skill). A panel of three Commonwealth Employment Service psychologists viewed the same videotaped interviews and generated employability ratings. Verbal and nonverbal microbehaviors were relatively independent while subject characteristics were highly interdependent. Microbehaviors and characteristics correlated at a high level. Of the 12 interview microbehaviors and characteristics, manifest adjustment and ability to communicate accounted for 64% of the total variance in predicting employability. Interviewees who were perceived as behaving in an adjusted manner and as being good communicators were rated as more employable.

The decrease in yield strength in NiAl due to hydrostatic pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Margevicius, R. W.; Lewandowski, J. J.; Locci, I.

1992-01-01

The decrease in yield strength in NiAl due to hydrostatic pressure is examined via a comparison of the tensile flow behavior in the low strain regime at 0.1 MPa for NiAl which was cast, extruded, and annealed for 2 hr at 827 C in argon and very slowly cooled to room temperature. Pressurization to 1.4 GPa produces a subsequent reduction at 0.1 MP in proportional limit by 40 percent as well as a 25-percent reduction in the 0.2-percent offset yield strength, while pressurization with lower pressures produces a similar reduction, although smaller in magnitude.

Axial contraction in etched optical fiber due to internal stress reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Kok-Sing; Yang, Hang-Zhou; Chong, Wu-Yi; Cheong, Yew-Ken; Lim, Chin-Hong; Ali, Norfizah M; Ahmad, Harith

2013-02-11

When an optical fiber is dipped in an etching solution, the internal stress profile in the fiber varies with the fiber diameter. We observed a physical contraction as much as 0.2% in the fiber axial dimension when the fiber was reduced from its original diameter to ~6 µm through analysis using high resolution microscope images of the grating period of an etched FBG at different fiber diameters. This axial contraction is related to the varying axial stress profile in the fiber when the fiber diameter is reduced. On top of that, the refractive index of fiber core increases with reducing fiber diameter due to stress-optic effect. The calculated index increment is as much as 1.8 × 10(-3) at the center of fiber core after the diameter is reduced down to ~6 µm. In comparison with the conventional model that assumes constant grating period and neglects the variation in stress-induced index change in fiber core, our proposed model indicates a discrepancy as much as 3nm in Bragg wavelength at a fiber diameter of ~6 µm.

20 CFR 404.1003 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Employment. 404.1003 Section 404.1003...- ) Employment, Wages, Self-Employment, and Self-Employment Income Employment § 404.1003 Employment. Employment....1010. Section 404.1004 states the general rule on the kinds of work covered as employment. Exceptions...

Infectivity reduction efficacy of UV irradiation and peracetic acid-UV combined treatment on MS2 bacteriophage and murine norovirus in secondary wastewater effluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, ShihChi; Dunkin, Nathan; Schwab, Kellogg J; McQuarrie, James; Bell, Kati; Jacangelo, Joseph G

2018-09-01

Peracetic acid (PAA) is a strong oxidant/bactericide that has been applied in various industries (e.g., food processing, pharmaceuticals, medical device sterilization, etc.) as a disinfectant. There is increasing interest in using PAA for wastewater disinfection because it does not form halogenated byproducts, and no post-treatment quenching is required. Previous studies have demonstrated good efficiency in controlling bacteria in wastewater, but limited information is available for viruses, especially those hosted by mammals (e.g., norovirus). Therefore, a study on the infectivity reduction of murine norovirus (MNV) was undertaken to evaluate the disinfection efficacy of PAA or UV alone and in combination with UV irradiation in undisinfected secondary effluent from a municipal wastewater reclamation facility (MWW) and phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH 7. Experiments employing MS2 bacteriophage were also performed in parallel for comparison purposes. MS2 infectivity reduction was found to be lower than MNV infectivity reduction for each condition studied - PAA, PAA + UV, and UV disinfection. These data suggest that MS2 may not be an appropriate surrogate to accurately predict the reduction of MNV infectivity. UV irradiation, in a dose range of 5-250 mJ/cm 2 , provided linear log inactivation (-log (N/N 0 )) with a regression slope (cm 2 mJ -1 ) of 0.031-0.034 and 0.165-0.202 for MS2 and MNV, respectively. UV irradiation provided similar inactivation for MS2 and MNV in both suspensions (PBS or MWW). Low infectivity reduction of MS2 was observed when PAA was used alone at a practical dose of 1.5 mg/L and below. A greater reduction of both MNV and MS2 was observed in PAA disinfection experiments using PBS as the microbial suspension medium, than in secondary effluent. Similar results were observed in PAA + UV experiments, in which greater synergistic effects were found in PBS than in MWW. Results of OH radical formation experiments suggest the presence of

Quantifying impact reduction due to avoidance, minimization and restoration for a natural gas pipeline in the Peruvian Andes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahley, C.T.; Vildoso, B.; Casaretto, C.; Taborga, P.; Ledesma, K.; Linares-Palomino, R.; Mamani, G.; Dallmeier, F.; Alonso, A.

2017-01-01

We present monitoring methods and quantitative biodiversity data to document components of the mitigation hierarchy. We estimated avoidance, minimization, restoration and impact reduction in quality hectares for the 25 m wide right of way of a 408 km natural gas buried pipeline that crosses 14 Ecological Landscape Units (ELUs) in the tropical Andes of Peru. We found that applying the mitigation hierarchy as part of a comprehensive biodiversity action plan substantially reduced impacts on biodiversity in all habitats studied. Avoidance and right of way minimization contributed to significant impact reduction. We quantified impact reduction during construction and operation on the right of way of the pipeline over a five-year period and found that restoration was the greatest contributor to reducing impacts. We documented that most ELUs have a positive restoration trajectory. We also documented how monitoring over large scale spatial scales, in combination with site-specific monitoring, generated data for management to determine restoration priorities and impact mitigation. A biodiversity action plan that incorporated the mitigation hierarchy and a science-based biodiversity monitoring and assessment program contributed to biodiversity management of the project and played an important role in minimizing and managing impacts. - Highlights: •Quantitative data for mitigation hierarchy components are presented. •Application of the mitigation hierarchy reduced impacts on biodiversity. •A biodiversity monitoring program provided data to reduce impacts.

Good job, bad job: The employment experiences of women in recovery from substance abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinakhone, Joyce K; Hunter, Bronwyn A; Jason, Leonard A

2017-01-01

Women in metropolitan areas have lower employment participation and employment rates than men. Although women face multiple challenges in the labor market, those who have a history of substance use and are abstinent may have a greater disadvantage in obtaining viable employment opportunities due to factors associated with substance use. No research to date has examined employment experiences among women in recovery from substance use. This study examined employment characteristics and experiences of women who had a history of substance use and lived in sober-living environments in urban areas. Data were collected through telephone interviews to sober living homes that were located in 20 urban areas. Themes identified through thematic analysis included employment challenges, the importance of work to substance abuse recovery, job satisfaction, employment aspirations, and employment support in the sober living home. Employment is important to women in substance abuse recovery, not only as a means for financial support, but also as a life priority. The results highlight how employer scheduling practices, low-level positions, and lack of employment supports impact recovery. Findings provide insight into the need for employment support services, including employer education and flexible policies for women in recovery.

Employer Toolkit.

Science.gov (United States)

Thuli, Kelli J.; Hong, Esther

This document consists of two guides intended for either employers or service providers involved in school to work partnerships for students with disabilities. "Tools for Service Providers" is intended to be used for training local-level providers who are developing school to work linkages with employers. Following an introduction, this…

Employment and employment conditions in the current economic crisis in Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goran Vukšić

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research is to analyze developments in employment and employment characteristics during the current crisis in Croatia. The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1 The primary (aggregate mode of adjustment to the crisis was a decline in employment. There are, however, considerable differences in adjustment patterns across economic activities. (2 During the crisis, jobs were lost in the, more dynamic, private sector, while the number of jobs in the public sector (entities in state ownership slightly increased. (3 Economic activities with comparatively larger shares of women in employment have experienced fewer employment cuts and the aggregate employment share of women rose during the crisis, especially in activities with a larger share of public sector workers.(4 There has been a declining share of younger workers during the crisis, justifying policy actions to facilitate their employment. (5 Employees with comparatively lower educational attainment face severe challenges in the labor market, which is a longer term trend, not specific to the crisis period. There are indications that this group of employees enjoys a higher level of protection in the public sector. (6 Analysis also shows a rising significance of more flexible forms of employment: increasing shares of fixed term employees (during the last two observed years, and of part time workers. (7 Working hours do not exhibit any strong trends specific to the crisis, except for the diminishing number of overtime hours per worker.

The reduction of oil pollutants of petroleum products storage-tanks sludge using low-cost adsorbents

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Mokhtari-Hosseini Zahra Beagom

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Disposal of storage tank sludge in oil depots is a major environmental concern due to the high concentration of hydrocarbons involved. This paper investigates the reduction of the sludge oil pollutants with initial oil and grease concentration of about 50 mass% using low cost adsorbents. Among the examined adsorbents, sawdust indicated the maximum removal of oil and grease. The screening and optimizing of process parameters were evaluated employing Plackett-Burman design and response surface method. For the optimized conditions, more than 60 mass% of oil and grease from the sludge was removed. Moreover, it was found that sawdust adsorption of the oil and grease approximately followed the Freundlich isotherm. The results indicated that oil pollutants of sludge could be reduced using sawdust as a low-cost, available and flammable adsorbent so that thus saturated adsorbents could be used as fuel in certain industries.

Childhood Craniopharyngioma with Hypothalamic Obesity - No Long-term Weight Reduction due to Rehabilitation Programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sterkenburg, A. S.; Hoffmann, A.; Gebhardt, U.; Waldeck, E.; Springer, S.; Mueller, H. L.

2014-01-01

Background: Severe obesity due to hypothalamic involvement has major impact on prognosis in long-term survivors of childhood craniopharyngioma. The long-term effects of rehabilitation efforts on weight development and obesity in these patients are not analyzed up to now. Patients and Methods: 108

Childhood Craniopharyngioma with Hypothalamic Obesity - No Long-term Weight Reduction due to Rehabilitation Programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sterkenburg, A. S.; Hoffmann, A.; Gebhardt, U.; Waldeck, E.; Springer, S.; Mueller, H. L.

Background: Severe obesity due to hypothalamic involvement has major impact on prognosis in long-term survivors of childhood craniopharyngioma. The long-term effects of rehabilitation efforts on weight development and obesity in these patients are not analyzed up to now. Patients and Methods: 108

Employers' attitudes to employment of people with epilepsy: still the same old story?

Science.gov (United States)

Jacoby, Ann; Gorry, Joanne; Baker, Gus A

2005-12-01

One area of life quality known to be compromised by having epilepsy is employment, and one factor contributing to the employment problems of people with epilepsy (PWE) is employer attitudes. Much research on this topic is now outdated and given the changing legal, medical, and social contexts in which PWE live, we therefore reexamined employer attitudes in the United Kingdom. A mail survey of a random sample of U.K. companies selected to be representative of the 14 U.K. economic regions and proportional to the number of employees. The overall response rate was 41% (n = 204). Twenty-six percent of respondents reported having experience of employing PWE. Sixteen percent considered that there were no jobs in their company suitable for PWE; 21% thought employing PWE would be "a major issue." Employers were uniformly of the view that PWE, even when in remission, should disclose their condition to a prospective employer. Seizure severity, frequency, and controllability were all considered important features of epilepsy in the context of employment. Epilepsy created high concern to around half of employers, including the likelihood of it being linked to a work-related accident. Employers were willing to make accommodations for PWE, in particular job sharing, temporary reassignment of duties, and flexible working hours. Attitudes to employment of PWE were influenced by company size and type and previous experience of doing so. We conclude that it is still the same old story for employers' attitudes toward PWE, though happily for PWE, with some room for optimism.

From Strategic Perspective: Investigating Teacher-Employed Communication Strategies in EFL Classroom Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massoud Yaghoubi-Notash

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Various studies have laid emphasis on the nature and patterns of strategy employment in EFL context. Most studies, however, tend to examine those strategies in learner performance. In this study, the researchers investigated the types of communication strategies used by teachers teaching elementary level learners compared to those who are teaching at advanced levels. To this end, 16 (8 elementary and 8 advanced teachers’ verbal classroom performance were recorded and analyzed for characterizing the strategy types. Four full classroom sessions were recorded and transcribed of each teacher’s teaching. T-test results indicated that propositional reduction strategies were employed more significantly on the part of teachers teaching advanced-levels. There are a number of important pedagogical implications for teachers and learners regarding teaching experience, syllabus design, and curriculum development which are discussed.

A novel modulation scheme for noise reduction in analog fiber optic links

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marpaung, D.A.I.; Roeloffzen, C.G.H.; van Etten, Wim

2006-01-01

A novel noise reduction scheme called Balanced Modulation and Detection (BMD) is proposed. In this scheme, the modulating RF signal is half-wave rectified in the optical domain, eliminating the DC optical power resulting from pre-biasing of the optical source. A link model employing this scheme has

Barriers to and facilitators of employment for people with psychiatric disabilities in Africa: a scoping review

Science.gov (United States)

Syurina, E. V.; Regeer, B. J.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Despite the importance of inclusive employment, described in Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa is lower than among the general population. Objective: The aim of this scoping review is to explore evidence related to the barriers to and facilitators of employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa. Methods: A literature search was conducted using six relevant electronic databases of articles published between 1990 and 2017. Results: Eight studies were identified and analysed regarding barriers and facilitators of employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities. The dynamic adaptation of the bio-psycho-social model was used as an analytical framework. Identified barriers include ill health, (anticipated) psychiatric illness, social stigma and discrimination, negative attitudes among employers and the lack of social support and government welfare. Facilitators of employment include stability of mental illness, heightened self-esteem, a personal decision to work despite stigma, competitive and supported employment, reduction in social barriers/stigma and workplace accommodations. Conclusion: Employment of persons with psychiatric disabilities is essential, yet there is dearth of scientific evidence to identify contextual models that might be useful in African countries and other low-and middle countries (LMICs). This gap in information would benefit from further research to improve the employment rates of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Africa. PMID:29764342

Spica MRI after closed reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desai, Aditi A. [Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (United States); Martus, Jeffrey E.; Schoenecker, Jon [Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Monroe Carroll Jr. Children' s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN (United States); Kan, J.H. [Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Monroe Carroll Jr. Children' s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN (United States)

2011-04-15

Spica MRI is a fast and effective tool to assess morphology after closed reduction for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) without the need for sedation. The multiplanar capabilities allow depiction of coronal and axial reduction of the hips. Due to MRI's inherent ability to delineate soft tissue structures, both intrinsic and extrinsic obstacles to failed reduction may be identified. Technical and interpretative challenges of spica MRI are discussed. (orig.)

Building professionalism and employability skills: embedding employer engagement within first-year computing modules

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Philip; Allen, Angela; Kane, Russell; Anderson, Neil; McGowan, Aidan; Collins, Matthew; Hutchison, Malcolm

2015-07-01

This paper outlines a means of improving the employability skills of first-year university students through a closely integrated model of employer engagement within computer science modules. The outlined approach illustrates how employability skills, including communication, teamwork and time management skills, can be contextualised in a manner that directly relates to student learning but can still be linked forward into employment. The paper tests the premise that developing employability skills early within the curriculum will result in improved student engagement and learning within later modules. The paper concludes that embedding employer participation within first-year models can help relate a distant notion of employability into something of more immediate relevance in terms of how students can best approach learning. Further, by enhancing employability skills early within the curriculum, it becomes possible to improve academic attainment within later modules.

Cost-effectiveness of a participatory return-to-work intervention for temporary agency workers and unemployed workers sick-listed due to musculoskeletal disorders: design of a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeulen, Sylvia J; Anema, Johannes R; Schellart, Antonius J M; van Mechelen, Willem; van der Beek, Allard J

2010-03-28

Within the working population there is a vulnerable group: workers without an employment contract and workers with a flexible labour market arrangement, e.g. temporary agency workers. In most cases, when sick-listed, these workers have no workplace/employer to return to. Also, for these workers access to occupational health care is limited or even absent in many countries. For this vulnerable working population there is a need for tailor-made occupational health care, including the presence of an actual return-to-work perspective. Therefore, a participatory return-to-work program has been developed based on a successful return-to-work intervention for workers, sick-listed due to low back pain.The objective of this paper is to describe the design of a randomised controlled trial to study the (cost-)effectiveness of this newly developed participatory return-to-work program adapted for temporary agency workers and unemployed workers, sick-listed due to musculoskeletal disorders, compared to usual care. The design of this study is a randomised controlled trial with one year of follow-up. The study population consists of temporary agency workers and unemployed workers sick-listed between 2 and 8 weeks due to musculoskeletal disorders. The new return-to-work program is a stepwise program aimed at making a consensus-based return-to-work implementation plan with the possibility of a (therapeutic) workplace to return-to-work. Outcomes are measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The primary outcome measure is duration of the sickness benefit period after the first day of reporting sick. Secondary outcome measures are: time until first return-to-work, total number of days of sickness benefit during follow-up; functional status; intensity of musculoskeletal pain; pain coping; and attitude, social influence and self-efficacy determinants. Cost-benefit is evaluated from an insurer's perspective. A process evaluation is part of this study. For sick-listed workers without an

Cost-effectiveness of a participatory return-to-work intervention for temporary agency workers and unemployed workers sick-listed due to musculoskeletal disorders: design of a randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schellart Antonius JM

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Within the working population there is a vulnerable group: workers without an employment contract and workers with a flexible labour market arrangement, e.g. temporary agency workers. In most cases, when sick-listed, these workers have no workplace/employer to return to. Also, for these workers access to occupational health care is limited or even absent in many countries. For this vulnerable working population there is a need for tailor-made occupational health care, including the presence of an actual return-to-work perspective. Therefore, a participatory return-to-work program has been developed based on a successful return-to-work intervention for workers, sick-listed due to low back pain. The objective of this paper is to describe the design of a randomised controlled trial to study the (cost-effectiveness of this newly developed participatory return-to-work program adapted for temporary agency workers and unemployed workers, sick-listed due to musculoskeletal disorders, compared to usual care. Methods/Design The design of this study is a randomised controlled trial with one year of follow-up. The study population consists of temporary agency workers and unemployed workers sick-listed between 2 and 8 weeks due to musculoskeletal disorders. The new return-to-work program is a stepwise program aimed at making a consensus-based return-to-work implementation plan with the possibility of a (therapeutic workplace to return-to-work. Outcomes are measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The primary outcome measure is duration of the sickness benefit period after the first day of reporting sick. Secondary outcome measures are: time until first return-to-work, total number of days of sickness benefit during follow-up; functional status; intensity of musculoskeletal pain; pain coping; and attitude, social influence and self-efficacy determinants. Cost-benefit is evaluated from an insurer's perspective. A process evaluation is

Damage studies on tungsten due to helium ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutta, N.J.; Buzarbaruah, N.; Mohanty, S.R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Used plasma focus helium ion source to study radiation induced damage on tungsten. • Surface analyses confirm formation of micro-crack, bubbles, blisters, pinholes, etc. • XRD patterns confirm development of compressive stress due to thermal load. • Reduction in hardness value is observed in the case of exposed sample. - Abstract: Energetic and high fluence helium ions emitted in a plasma focus device have been used successfully to study the radiation induced damage on tungsten. The reference and irradiated samples were characterized by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and by hardness testers. The micrographs of the irradiated samples at lower magnification show uniform mesh of cracks of micrometer width. However at higher magnification, various types of crystalline defects such as voids, pinholes, bubbles, blisters and microcracks are distinctly noticed. The prominent peaks in X-ray diffraction spectrum of irradiated samples are seen shifted toward higher Bragg angles, thus indicating accumulation of compressive stress due to the heat load delivered by helium ions. A marginal reduction in hardness of the irradiated sample is also noticed

Concept of self-employment

OpenAIRE

Startienė, Gražina; Remeikienė, Rita; Dumčiuvienė, Daiva

2010-01-01

The article deals with the theories that explain the growth of self-employment and help to determine the presumptions of the self-employment growth. Self-employment theories are classified to several groups, i.e. the economic and sociological-psychological as well as the “push” and “pull” theories. Economic theories of self-employment interpret financial motives of the person to pursue own business, while sociologicalpsychological theories of self-employment determine non-financial objectives...

Electroluminescence from porous silicon due to electron injection from solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooij, Ernst S.; Despo, R.W.; Kelly, J.J.

1995-01-01

We report on the electroluminescence from p‐type porous silicon due to minority carrier injection from an electrolyte solution. The MV+• radical cation formed in the reduction of divalent methylviologen is able to inject electrons into the conduction band of crystalline and porous silicon. The

Employers' experience of employees with cancer: trajectories of complex communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiedtke, C M; Dierckx de Casterlé, B; Frings-Dresen, M H W; De Boer, A G E M; Greidanus, M A; Tamminga, S J; De Rijk, A E

2017-10-01

Remaining in paid work is of great importance for cancer survivors, and employers play a crucial role in achieving this. Return to work (RTW) is best seen as a process. This study aims to provide insight into (1) Dutch employers' experiences with RTW of employees with cancer and (2) the employers' needs for support regarding this process. Thirty employer representatives of medium and large for-profit and non-profit organizations were interviewed to investigate their experiences and needs in relation to employees with cancer. A Grounded Theory approach was used. We revealed a trajectory of complex communication and decision-making during different stages, from the moment the employee disclosed that they had been diagnosed to the period after RTW, permanent disability, or the employee's passing away. Employers found this process demanding due to various dilemmas. Dealing with an unfavorable diagnosis and balancing both the employer's and the employee's interests were found to be challenging. Two types of approach to support RTW of employees with cancer were distinguished: (1) a business-oriented approach and (2) a care-oriented approach. Differences in approach were related to differences in organizational structure and employer and employee characteristics. Employers expressed a need for communication skills, information, and decision-making skills to support employees with cancer. The employers interviewed stated that dealing with an employee with cancer is demanding and that the extensive Dutch legislation on RTW did not offer all the support needed. We recommend providing them with easily accessible information on communication and leadership training to better support employees with cancer. • Supporting employers by training communication and decision-making skills and providing information on cancer will contribute to improving RTW support for employees with cancer. • Knowing that the employer will usually be empathic when an employee reveals that they have

Investigation of the load reduction potential of two trailing edge flap controls using CFD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinz, Joachim Christian; Sørensen, Niels N.; Zahle, Frederik

2011-01-01

) and subjected to a turbulent inflow signal. The employed airfoil model corresponds to a successfully tested prototype airfoil where piezoelectric actuators were used for the flapping. In the present investigation two possible control methods for the flap are compared in their ability to reduce the fluctuating......In this work, a 2D aero‐servo‐elastic model of an airfoil section with 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) based on the 2D CFD solver EllipSys2D to calculate the aerodynamic forces is utilized to calculate the load reduction potential of an airfoil equipped with an adaptive trailing edge flap (ATEF...... normal forces on the airfoil due to a 4 s turbulent inflow signal and the best location of the measurement point for the respective control input is determined. While Control 1 uses the measurements of a Pitot tube mounted in front of the leading edge (LE) as input, Control 2 uses the pressure difference...

Women Employment in terms of Gender Inequality across the Provinces of Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih CELEBIOGLU

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Inequalities are very important and multi-dimensional problem for all countries in the world. Particularly, the problem is challenging for developing countries due to the presence of not equal opportunities in economic life. This study aims to examine relations between women employment and socio-economic inequalities by using spatial data and techniques across the regions of Turkey. We use women employment’s share in total employment of provinces in 2014 as an indicator of women employment as long as the following variables used as independent are Gender Equality Index, Socio-Economic Development Index, gender based wage gap and household size. To test spatial dimensions of the variables, firstly we perform an Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis on all variables for provinces of Turkey. Secondly, we explain spatial econometrics dimensions of women employment in Turkey. The results indicate that spatial regression is statistically significant and have high level of coefficient of determination in terms of spatial lag and error models. The study results indicate the significant relations among independent variables and women employment. Overall, our results show new dimensions of spatial distribution of women employment in Turkey.

Hospital payroll costs, productivity, and employment under prospective reimbursement.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidder, D; Sullivan, D

1982-12-01

This paper reports preliminary findings from the National Hospital Rate-Setting Study regarding the effects of State prospective reimbursement (PR) programs on measures of payroll costs and employment in hospitals. PR effects were estimated through reduced-form equations, using American Hospital Association Annual Survey data on over 2,700 hospitals from 1969 through 1978. These tests suggest that hospitals responded to PR by lowering payroll expenditures. PR also seems to have been associated with reductions in full-time equivalent staff per adjusted inpatient day. However, tests did not confirm the hypothesis that hospitals reduce payroll per full-time equivalent staff as a result of PR.

Quantitative Analysis of Oxygen Gas Exhausted from Anode through In Situ Measurement during Electrolytic Reduction

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Eun-Young Choi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Quantitative analysis by in situ measurement of oxygen gas evolved from an anode was employed to monitor the progress of electrolytic reduction of simulated oxide fuel in a molten Li2O–LiCl salt. The electrolytic reduction of 0.6 kg of simulated oxide fuel was performed in 5 kg of 1.5 wt.% Li2O–LiCl molten salt at 650°C. Porous cylindrical pellets of simulated oxide fuel were used as the cathode by loading a stainless steel wire mesh cathode basket. A platinum plate was employed as the anode. The oxygen gas evolved from the anode was exhausted to the instrumentation for in situ measurement during electrolytic reduction. The instrumentation consisted of a mass flow controller, pump, wet gas meter, and oxygen gas sensor. The oxygen gas was successfully measured using the instrumentation in real time. The measured volume of the oxygen gas was comparable to the theoretically calculated volume generated by the charge applied to the simulated oxide fuel.

Bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus by employing alternative culture media.

Science.gov (United States)

Jozala, Angela Faustino; Pértile, Renata Aparecida Nedel; dos Santos, Carolina Alves; de Carvalho Santos-Ebinuma, Valéria; Seckler, Marcelo Martins; Gama, Francisco Miguel; Pessoa, Adalberto

2015-02-01

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is used in different fields as a biological material due to its unique properties. Despite there being many BC applications, there still remain many problems associated with bioprocess technology, such as increasing productivity and decreasing production cost. New technologies that use waste from the food industry as raw materials for culture media promote economic advantages because they reduce environmental pollution and stimulate new research for science sustainability. For this reason, BC production requires optimized conditions to increase its application. The main objective of this study was to evaluate BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus using industry waste, namely, rotten fruits and milk whey, as culture media. Furthermore, the structure of BC produced at different conditions was also determined. The culture media employed in this study were composed of rotten fruit collected from the disposal of free markets, milk whey from a local industrial disposal, and their combination, and Hestrin and Schramm media was used as standard culture media. Although all culture media studied produced BC, the highest BC yield-60 mg/mL-was achieved with the rotten fruit culture. Thus, the results showed that rotten fruit can be used for BC production. This culture media can be considered as a profitable alternative to generate high-value products. In addition, it combines environmental concern with sustainable processes that can promote also the reduction of production cost.

Chapter 4: Pulsating Wave Loads Section 4.3: 3D Effects Force Reduction of Short-Crested Non-Breaking Waves on Caissons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Hans F.; Liu, Zhou

1999-01-01

The effect of wave short-crestedness on the horizontal wave force on a caisson is twofold. The one is the force reduction due to the reduction of point pressure on the caisson, named point-pressure reduction. The other is the force reduction due to the fact that the peak pressures do not occur si...

The effect of maquiladora employment on the monthly flow of Mexican undocumented immigration to the U.S., 1978-1982.

Science.gov (United States)

Davila, A; Saenz, R

1990-01-01

"Some controversy has surrounded the extent to which employment in maquiladoras (assembly plants located along the Mexican border) has stimulated undocumented immigration to the United States. This study uses monthly data of maquiladora employment and INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service] apprehensions in a 'push-pull' migration framework to study the association between these two variables during the April 1978 to January 1982 period. The findings suggest that there is a significantly negative relationship between the one month lag of maquiladora employment and INS apprehensions. Employment growth in the maquiladora sector tends to be followed by a reduction of apprehensions one month later. The study also finds that male and female apprehensions appear to respond to relatively similar economic factors." excerpt

An analysis of the procedural components of supported employment programs associated with employment outcomes.

OpenAIRE

McDonnell, J; Nofs, D; Hardman, M; Chambless, C

1989-01-01

This study examined the relation between the procedural components of supported employment programs and employment outcomes for 120 individuals with disabilities. These individuals were involved in supported employment programs established through the Utah Supported Employment Project. The results suggest that successful implementation of supported employment services led to ongoing employment of study participants in community work sites, increased wages, and ongoing opportunities for worker...

THE GREAT RECESSION AND RECENT EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AMONG SECONDARY STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Science.gov (United States)

Staff, Jeremy; Johnson, Monica Kirkpatrick; Patrick, Megan E; Schulenberg, John E

The Great Recession had substantial effects on the labor market in the United States, as elsewhere. To what extent did secondary students' employment decline during this time? Which students are leaving the labor market? Are reductions in employment concentrated in particular jobs? To answer these questions, we use data from the Monitoring the Future study, an ongoing study of secondary students in the United States. More specifically, we examine recent trends in teenage employment using 6 cohorts each of 8 th , 10 th , and 12 th graders (from 2006 to 2011, spanning before, during and after the Great Recession). Results show a gradual decline in school year employment since 2006, including the years after the official end of the recession. Employment during the school year is especially low among 8 th and 10 th graders, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black youth, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds (based upon parental education), though the recent drop in work has varied little by population subgroups. The decline in employment is, however, concentrated among the oldest students, and working intensely (over 20 hours per week) has dropped more than working moderate hours. Students are more likely to babysit and do lawn work and less likely to hold jobs in office, clerical, and sales positions than in years past. These patterns and recent shifts in job type suggest some degree of job replacement by older workers.

Graduates', University Lecturers' and Employers' Perceptions towards Employability Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Wickramasinghe, Vathsala; Perera, Lasantha

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore employability skills that employers, university lecturers and graduates value to bring to the workplace, when graduates are applying for entry-level graduate jobs in the field of computer science in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach: A total of three samples were selected for this exploratory…

Thermal lift generation and drag reduction in rarefied aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Pekardan, Cem; Alexeenko, Alina

2016-11-01

With the advent of the new technologies in low pressure environments such as Hyperloop and helicopters designed for Martian applications, understanding the aerodynamic behavior of airfoils in rarefied environments are becoming more crucial. In this paper, verification of rarefied ES-BGK solver and ideas such as prediction of the thermally induced lift and drag reduction in rarefied aerodynamics are investigated. Validation of the rarefied ES-BGK solver with Runge-Kutta discontinous Galerkin method with experiments in transonic regime with a Reynolds number of 73 showed that ES-BGK solver is the most suitable solver in near slip transonic regime. For the quantification of lift generation, A NACA 0012 airfoil is studied with a high temperature surface on the bottom for the lift creation for different Knudsen numbers. It was seen that for lower velocities, continuum solver under predicts the lift generation when the Knudsen number is 0.00129 due to local velocity gradients reaching slip regime although lift coefficient is higher with the Boltzmann ES-BGK solutions. In the second part, the feasibility of using thermal transpiration for drag reduction is studied. Initial study in drag reduction includes an application of a thermal gradient at the upper surface of a NACA 0012 airfoil near trailing edge at a 12-degree angle of attack and 5 Pa pressure. It was seen that drag is reduced by 4 percent and vortex shedding frequency is reduced due to asymmetry introduced in the flow due to temperature gradient causing reverse flow due to thermal transpiration phenomena.

Gender, social class, and women's employment.

Science.gov (United States)

McGinn, Kathleen L; Oh, Eunsil

2017-12-01

People in low-power positions, whether due to gender or class, tend to exhibit other-oriented rather than self-oriented behavior. Women's experiences at work and at home are shaped by social class, heightening identification with gender for relatively upper class women and identification with class for relatively lower class women, potentially mitigating, or even reversing, class-based differences documented in past research. Gender-class differences are reflected in women's employment beliefs and behaviors. Research integrating social class with gendered experiences in homes and workplaces deepens our understanding of the complex interplay between sources of power and status in society. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agricultural employment trends in Asia and Africa : Too fast or too slow?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Headey, D.; Bezemer, D.J.; Hazell, P.L.

Contrary to conventional economic theories, the relationship between income growth and agricultural employment is extremely diverse, even among regions starting from similar levels of development, such as Asia and Africa. Due to its labor-intensive Green Revolution and strong farm-nonfarm linkages,

Aging, Economic Insecurity, and Employment: Which Measures Would Encourage Older Workers to Stay Longer in the Labour Market?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In the present context of aging populations, the question of how to support older workers who want to stay in employment longer is of particular importance, especially from a social justice perspective with regards to income. The challenges faced by organizations and governments are unprecedented. Interesting conclusions can be drawn from our research with regard to these challenges. First of all, the perception of retirement appears more or less unchanged over the years and remains very positive. Consequently, one of the barriers to the employment of older workers may be the image of retirement itself, since it is still perceived as a gift or a right. Secondly, our results confirm that forcing people to stay longer in the labour market is a largely unpopular measure. Consequently, if public retirement plans offer limited income, governments and organizations should adopt a more voluntary approach to encourage older workers to stay in employment longer for a better income. Our results highlight the importance of the sector and type of job in the measures or incentives that could encourage older workers to stay in employment longer. Consequently, governments and organizations will probably have to adopt a contingent approach; i.e., all incentives do not necessarily fit all jobs or all sectors and social justice would require this be taken into account. We identified three sets of measures that could encourage older workers to stay in employment longer, and thus have access to better economic security: the reduction of working time, the flexibility of working time, and the individualization of retirement options and working time. The progressive reduction of their working time appears most interesting to our respondents. These measures appear to favour social justice in terms of income and right to employment at the end of active careers.  

Aging, Economic Insecurity, and Employment: Which Measures Would Encourage Older Workers to Stay Longer in the Labour Market?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Émilie Genin

2009-12-01

Full Text Available In the present context of aging populations, the question of how to support older workers who want to stay in employment longer is of particular importance, especially from a social justice perspective with regards to income. The challenges faced by organizations and governments are unprecedented. Interesting conclusions can be drawn from our research with regard to these challenges. First of all, the perception of retirement appears more or less unchanged over the years and remains very positive. Consequently, one of the barriers to the employment of older workers may be the image of retirement itself, since it is still perceived as a gift or a right. Secondly, our results confirm that forcing people to stay longer in the labour market is a largely unpopular measure. Consequently, if public retirement plans offer limited income, governments and organizations should adopt a more voluntary approach to encourage older workers to stay in employment longer for a better income. Our results highlight the importance of the sector and type of job in the measures or incentives that could encourage older workers to stay in employment longer. Consequently, governments and organizations will probably have to adopt a contingent approach; i.e., all incentives do not necessarily fit all jobs or all sectors and social justice would require this be taken into account. We identified three sets of measures that could encourage older workers to stay in employment longer, and thus have access to better economic security: the reduction of working time, the flexibility of working time, and the individualization of retirement options and working time. The progressive reduction of their working time appears most interesting to our respondents. These measures appear to favour social justice in terms of income and right to employment at the end of active careers.  

Considerations on National and Union Regulations of Work through a Temporary Employment Agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Constantina Nenu

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The necessity to adapt the organizational structure of economic operators to the competitive European market requirements has imposed measures that have also influenced labor relations. The permanent and full-time employment relationship has been largely replaced by other types of more flexible labor relationships: temporary employment, part-time work. working from home and temporary assignment through an employment agency. All these types of work relationships are characterized by a decrease of guarantees for the employee and by a reduction of trade union power. Thus, they are considered atypical work relationships. The need to make the flexibility of labor relationships compatible with the protection of employees” rights has been a challenge that must be faced by social policies and also by labor law. In this context, the use of a temporary employment agent has been a tool for flexible working relationships both with the economic operators and within the labor market as a whole. The importane and role of this type of working relationship has, therefore, acquired significant legal, economic and social dimensions, which this study intends to analyze. In a European economy hit by the jobs crisis, reliance on work through a temporary employment agent can be a way to reduce unemployment. This happens only if the temporary workers benefit from legal protection and equal treatment as permanent employees.

Theoretical Investigation of Peak-Delay Force Reduction for Caissons Exposed to Non-breaking Short-Crested Waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, H. F.; Liu, Z.

In nature coastal structures are exposed to oblique short-crested waves. The effect of wave incident angle on total wave force on a long caisson are twofold. The one is the force reduction due to the reduction of instantaneous point pressure on the caisson, named point-pressure force reduction....... The other is the force reduction due to the fact that the peak pressures do not occur simultaneously along the caisson, named peak-delay force reduction. These two reduction effects can also be expected with short-crested waves, as the short-crestedness of waves means the spreading of wave energy over...... a range of incident angles. The peak-delay force reduction, i.e. no simultaneous peak along caisson, is of particular interest because the equipment improvement in construction enables the building of considerably long caissons. In Japan length of caissons exceeds often 100m. This paper will concentrate...

Women's Employment Transitions and Changes in Psychological Distress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilk, Piotr

2001-01-01

Full Text Available EnglishThe effect of employment on women's psychological well being has become animportant issue in the sociology of mental health. Although work-for-pay is thought to have an overallpostiive impact on women's psychological well being, not all women equally experience this positiveeffect. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of transitions in employment status onchanges in psychological distress among women in two types of family setting: lone parent families andmarried couple families (including common-law unions. Using a framework which combines a longitudinaldesign with a structural equation modelling multigroup analysis, the current study indicates clearlythat the employment transitions and employment stability have no uniform effect on the mental healthof all mothers. Specifically, transition into employment offers a significant reduction in feelings ofdistress only among married mothers. Single mothers, in contrast are found to experience a significantincrease in the level of distress when they move out of employment. The results of this study point tosome advantages of longitudinal research designs over cross-section designs.FrenchL'effet de l'emploi sur le bien-être psychologique des femmes est devenu unequestion importante en sociologie de santé mentale. Bien que le travail payé aitun impact positif global sur le bien-être psychologique des femmes, pas toutesles femmes éprouvent également cet effet positif. L'objectif de cette étude estd'évaluer l'effet des transitions dans le statut d'emploi sur des changements de ladétresse psychologique parmi des femmes dans deux types de famille: famillesà un seul parent et familles à couple mariés (y compris les mariages de fait. Enutilisant un cadre qui combine une analyse longitudinale avec une équationstructurale modelant plusieurs groupes, l'étude actuelle indique clairement queles transitions d'emploi et la stabilité d'emploi n'ont pas un effet uniforme sur lasant

Pathogen reduction of blood components.

Science.gov (United States)

Solheim, Bjarte G

2008-08-01

Thanks to many blood safety interventions introduced in developed countries the risk of transfusion transmitted infections has become exceedingly small in these countries. However, emerging pathogens still represent a serious challenge, as demonstrated by West Nile virus in the US and more recently by Chikungunya virus in the Indian Ocean. In addition bacterial contamination, particularly in platelets, and protozoa transmitted by blood components still represent sizeable risks in developed countries. In developing countries the risk of all transfusion transmitted infections is still high due to insufficient funding and organisation of the health service. Pathogen reduction of pooled plasma products has virtually eliminated the risk of transfusion transmitted infections, without compromising the quality of the products significantly. Pathogen reduction of blood components has been much more challenging. Solvent detergent treatment which has been so successfully applied for plasma products dissolves cell membranes, and can, therefore, only be applied for plasma and not for cellular blood components. Targeting of nucleic acids has been another method for pathogen inactivation of plasma and the only approach possible for cellular blood products. As documented in more than 15 year's track record, solvent detergent treatment of pooled plasma can yield high quality plasma. The increased risk for contamination by unknown viruses due to pooling is out weighed by elimination of TRALI, significant reduction in allergic reactions and standardisation of the product. Recently, a promising method for solvent detergent treatment of single donor plasma units has been published. Methylene blue light treatment of single donor plasma units has a similar long track record as pooled solvent detergent treated plasma; but the method is less well documented and affects coagulation factor activity more. Psoralen light treated plasma has only recently been introduced (CE marked in Europe

Non-governmental organisations and rural poverty reduction strategies in Zimbabwe: A case of Binga rural district

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Mago

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies implemented by Non-governmental organisation (NGOs for poverty alleviation in Zimbabwe with specific reference to Zimbabwe’s Binga Rural District. The qulitative research methodology was employed in the article. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Findings indicated that NGOs do not adequately fulfil the needs of the poor due to ineffective strategies that they implement. There is insufficient understanding of the livelihoods of the poor in Binga, hence the need for participatory development approaches. Deepening and widening poverty in the rural areas that are currently served by NGOs is an indicator that their poverty alleviation strategies are inadequate and ineffective to deal with poverty in these rural areas. The paper recommends a policy shift by both NGOs and the government to improve the poverty reduction strategies used by NGOs.

The Impact of Automation on Employment: Just the Usual Structural Change?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben Vermeulen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available We study the projected impact of automation on employment in the forthcoming decade, both at the macro-level and in actual (types of sectors. Hereto, we unite an evolutionary economic model of multisectoral structural change with labor economic theory. We thus get a comprehensive framework of how displacement of labor in sectors of application is compensated by intra- and intersectoral countervailing effects and notably mopped up by newly created, labor-intensive sectors. We use several reputable datasets with expert projections on employment in occupations affected by automation (and notably by the introduction of robotics and AI to pinpoint which and how sectors and occupations face employment shifts. This reveals how potential job loss due to automation in “applying” sectors is counterbalanced by job creation in “making” sectors as well in complementary and quaternary, spillover sectors. Finally, we study several macro-level scenarios on employment and find that mankind is facing “the usual structural change” rather than the “end of work”. We provide recommendations on policy instruments that enhance the dynamic efficiency of structural change.

Angelman syndrome with uniparental disomy due to paternal meiosis II nondisjunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyftodimou, J; Karadima, G; Pandelia, E; Vassilopoulos, D; Petersen, M B

1999-06-01

We report a case of Angelman syndrome (AS) with paternal uniparental disomy (pUPD) of chromosome 15. This 6-year-old girl with overgrowth had frequent, but only provoked laughter, was mildly ataxic with limb hypertonia, and had no intelligible speech. She had deep-set eyes, protruding tongue, and prominent chin. The karyotype was normal. DNA analysis with microsatellites from chromosome 15 showed no inheritance of maternal alleles both within and outside the AS critical region. Proximal markers showed reduction to homozygosity of paternal alleles, intermediate markers showed nonreduction, and distal markers reduction, thus suggesting a meiosis II nondisjunction event in the father with two crossovers. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of AS due to meiosis II nondisjunction. We present detailed physical measurements in this patient, adding to the clinical description of the milder phenotype in AS due to pUPD.

A cost-benefit analysis of Wisconsin's screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment program: adding the employer's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Quanbeck, Andrew; Lang, Katharine; Enami, Kohei; Brown, Richard L

2010-02-01

A previous cost-benefit analysis found Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to be cost-beneficial from a societal perspective. This paper develops a cost-benefit model that includes the employer's perspective by considering the costs of absenteeism and impaired presenteeism due to problem drinking. We developed a Monte Carlo simulation model to estimate the costs and benefits of SBIRT implementation to an employer. We first presented the likely costs of problem drinking to a theoretical Wisconsin firm that does not currently provide SBIRT services. We then constructed a cost-benefit model in which the firm funds SBIRT for its employees. The net present value of SBIRT adoption was computed by comparing costs due to problem drinking both with and without the program. When absenteeism and impaired presenteeism costs were considered from the employer's perspective, the net present value of SBIRT adoption was $771 per employee. We concluded that implementing SBIRT is cost-beneficial from the employer's perspective and recommend that Wisconsin employers consider covering SBIRT services for their employees.

PERCEIVED EMPLOYABILITY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS INSOUTH AFRICA. IS IT RELATED TO EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HA Koloba

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The on-going changes in the workplace demand that the current andfuturegeneration of workers should be well trained since their knowledge, skills andpositive attitude are essential to cope with the demands of the modern world. Forthis reason, university students, who are the future generation of the labour force,need to gear themselves up for a tough journey in the prevailing economicconditions. Previous research has revealed that the possession of employabilityskills has the potential to ascertain successful careers for students, as they will bemore employable during their working life. Therefore, this study aimed toinvestigate the relationship between employability skills of university studentsand their perceptions of employability. A quantitative research approach wasadopted. A self-administered questionnairewas distributed among universitystudents at four universities in South Africa and data were analysed from 485participants. Exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the factors.Correlation analysis was used to establish whether there is any relationshipbetween employability skills and perceived employability among universitystudents in South Africa. The majority of students regard themselves aspossessing employability skills. Furthermore, the findings revealed that there is apositive relationship between students’ employability skills and their perceptionsof employability. The conclusion drawn from this finding is that universitystudents, with the appropriate knowledge and skills acquired from different fieldsof study, are likely to have higher self-confidence and may, therefore, influencethe state of the labour market. It is recommended that employability skills shouldbe incorporated into the curriculum in order to enhance employability of students

Employability Skills Valued by Employers as Important for Entry-Level Employees with and without Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Song; Zhang, Dalun; Pacha, Jacqueline

2012-01-01

Individuals with disabilities face persistent challenges in gaining meaningful employment. One of the barriers to successful employment is a lack of employability skills. The purpose of this study was to identify employability skills that employers value as being important and to examine whether employers have different expectations for…

The effect of organisational context variables on employer attitudes toward employability of ex-offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukies, John; Graffam, Joseph; Shinkfield, Alison J

2011-05-01

The authors tested the premise that organisational context variables (i.e., size of organisation, industry type, location, and respondent's position in organisation) had significant effects on employer (N = 596) attitudes toward employability of ex-offenders. They also examined whether organisational context variables had an equivalent effect on employer attitudes to that of job-seeker criminal history and employer personal characteristics (e.g., respondent age and gender). Using linear regression (HLM 6.02a), organisational context variables were shown to have a significant effect on employer attitudes. In addition, organisational context variables had a significantly greater effect on employer attitudes than did employer personal characteristics. However, job-seeker criminal history contributed more to respondent ratings of ex-offender employability than did organisational context variables. The finding that judgements of employability are influenced by organisational context variables has implications for future research relevant to reintegration. Stakeholder attitudes toward the reintegration success of ex-offenders may be generally influenced by context variables.

Employee to employer communication skills: balancing cancer treatment and employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Richard F; Owens, Myra; Bradley, Cathy

2013-02-01

Cancer patients face difficulties in accessing legally mandated benefits and accommodations when they return to the workplace. Poor employer-employee communication inflates these difficulties. Although proven methods to facilitate physician-patient communication exist, these have not been applied to the workplace. Thus, we aimed to assess the feasibility and utility of applying these methods to educate patients about their workplace rights and provide them with communication skills training to aid their conversations with their employers. A DVD was produced to educate patients and facilitate workplace communication. Participants consisted of 28 solid tumor cancer patients (14 women and 14 men) who completed primary cancer treatment in the past 12 months and were employed at the time of diagnosis. Participants watched a communication skills training DVD and completed a telephone interview. The interview elicited information about workplace experiences and evaluation of the DVD training program. The physician-patient communication skills training model utilized was successfully translated to the employer-employee setting. All but one participant found the DVD useful and easy to understand and indicated a high degree of confidence in using the communication skills to help them ask for workplace accommodations. All participants agreed that it would help newly diagnosed patients in discussions with their employers. Our data provides promising preliminary evidence that patient communication skills training can be applied to the workplace setting and is a welcomed aid to newly diagnosed cancer patients in their discussions with employers regarding the impact of treatment on their work performance and needs for accommodations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparisons of receive array interference reduction techniques under erroneous generalized transmit beamforming

KAUST Repository

Radaydeh, Redha Mahmoud

2014-02-01

This paper studies generalized single-stream transmit beamforming employing receive array co-channel interference reduction algorithms under slow and flat fading multiuser wireless systems. The impact of imperfect prediction of channel state information for the desired user spatially uncorrelated transmit channels on the effectiveness of transmit beamforming for different interference reduction techniques is investigated. The case of over-loaded receive array with closely-spaced elements is considered, wherein it can be configured to specified interfering sources. Both dominant interference reduction and adaptive interference reduction techniques for statistically ordered and unordered interferers powers, respectively, are thoroughly studied. The effect of outdated statistical ordering of the interferers powers on the efficiency of dominant interference reduction is studied and then compared against the adaptive interference reduction. For the system models described above, new analytical formulations for the statistics of combined signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio are presented, from which results for conventional maximum ratio transmission and single-antenna best transmit selection can be directly deduced as limiting cases. These results are then utilized to obtain quantitative measures for various performance metrics. They are also used to compare the achieved performance of various configuration models under consideration. © 1972-2012 IEEE.

Gauging the Association of Employability Skills and Being Employable among Students

OpenAIRE

Fayeq Ali Ali

2017-01-01

The current study is to measure the employability skills of students and to assess how employability skills are perceived in higher educations. Three sets of employability skills have been used such as Basic Academic Skills, Personal Qualities and High-Order Thinking. A questionnaire has been developed and distributed among students in universities, Erbil, Kurdistan. Respondents’ opinions were assessed using a Likert scale analysis that shows opinions between two extremes of levels of agreeme...

Reducing Employment Insecurity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence Lebert

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The perception of job insecurity is known to be a stressful condition for employees. Less is known about employment insecurity and the ways employees and their families deal with it. This study investigates whether participation in further training is a strategy that employees adopt to reduce perceived employment insecurity. As participation in further training is often costly and time-consuming, we assume that the family context is of importance for the decision to take part in further training. To take account of possible self-selection, we apply a propensity score matching procedure on longitudinal data from the Swiss Household Panel (2004-2013. Three main findings can be emphasized: first, participation in further training is not a strategy adopted particularly by employees who perceive high employment insecurity as they are less likely to train than their secure counterparts. Second, even though further training is not a strategy that is actively adopted, employees who train subsequently report lower levels of perceived employment insecurity. Third, the family context indeed influences the likelihood to train: partnered employees are more likely to train and preschool-aged children act as a constraint on women’s but enhance men’s participation in further training. Yet, in the context of high perceived employment insecurity, children generally reduce their parents’ likelihood to train as the parents may turn to other strategies that reduce perceived employment insecurity.

Intraoperative hydrostatic reduction of intussusception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chatterjee Uday

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: To find out an easier way of reduction of intussusception during open surgery to avoid unnecessary bowel injury. Materials and Methods: Under general anesthesia, before laparotomy, warm normal saline was infused into the rectum with a Foley catheter and an intravenous drip set maintaining the level of the bottle at 80 cm above the operating table. After opening the abdomen, pressure was applied on the colon filled with normal saline distal to the intussusceptum. The pressure was transmitted to the intussusceptum and the walls of the intussuscipient and caused reduction of intussusception without any injury to the intussuscipient and intussusceptum. This procedure was performed on those patients on whom laparotomy was performed as a primary procedure due to nonavailability of fluoroscopy or ultrasonography. Results: Between August 1998 and July 2005, we had six patients of mean (range age 11 months (7-17 months. In two cases, at laparotomy, the intussusceptions were found to have already reduced. Conclusions: Gentle finger pressure is necessary for reduction of intussusception. This subjective "gentleness" is dependant on experience of the surgeon and varies from person to person. Focal pressure on the intussuscipient and apex of the intussusceptum by the finger during reduction may be more damaging than the diffusely transmitted hydrostatic pressure even by a less-experienced surgeon. This will avoid the needless resection and anastomosis of the intestine on many occasions.

Mortality due to Cardiovascular Diseases in Women and Men in the Five Brazilian Regions, 1980-2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio de Padua Mansur

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Studies have shown different mortalities due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD, ischemic heart disease (IHD and cerebrovascular diseases (CbVD in the five Brazilian regions. Socioeconomic conditions of those regions are frequently used to justify differences in mortality due to those diseases. In addition, studies have shown a reduction in the differences between the mortality rates of the five Brazilian regions. Objective: To update CVD mortality data in women and men in the five Brazilian regions. Methods: Mortality and population data were obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and Ministry of Health. Risk of death was adjusted by use of the direct method, with the 2000 world standard population as reference. We analyzed trends in mortality due to CVD, IHD and CbVD in women and men aged ≥ 30 years in the five Brazilian regions from 1980 to 2012. Results: Mortality due to: 1 CVD: showed reduction in the Northern, West-Central, Southern and Southeastern regions; increase in the Northeastern region; 2 IHD: reduction in the Southeastern and Southern regions; increase in the Northeastern region; and unchanged in the Northern and West-Central regions; 3 CbVD: reduction in the Southern, Southeastern and West-Central regions; increase in the Northeastern region; and unchanged in Northern region. There was also a convergence in mortality trends due to CVD, IHD, and CbVD in the five regions. Conclusion: The West-Central, Northern and Northeastern regions had the worst trends in CVD mortality as compared to the Southeastern and Southern regions. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2016; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0

On-the-fly reduction of open loops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buccioni, Federico; Pozzorini, Stefano; Zoller, Max [Universitaet Zuerich, Physik-Institut, Zurich (Switzerland)

2018-01-15

Building on the open-loop algorithm we introduce a new method for the automated construction of one-loop amplitudes and their reduction to scalar integrals. The key idea is that the factorisation of one-loop integrands in a product of loop segments makes it possible to perform various operations on-the-fly while constructing the integrand. Reducing the integrand on-the-fly, after each segment multiplication, the construction of loop diagrams and their reduction are unified in a single numerical recursion. In this way we entirely avoid objects with high tensor rank, thereby reducing the complexity of the calculations in a drastic way. Thanks to the on-the-fly approach, which is applied also to helicity summation and for the merging of different diagrams, the speed of the original open-loop algorithm can be further augmented in a very significant way. Moreover, addressing spurious singularities of the employed reduction identities by means of simple expansions in rank-two Gram determinants, we achieve a remarkably high level of numerical stability. These features of the new algorithm, which will be made publicly available in a forthcoming release of the OpenLoops program, are particularly attractive for NLO multi-leg and NNLO real-virtual calculations. (orig.)

On-the-fly reduction of open loops

Science.gov (United States)

Buccioni, Federico; Pozzorini, Stefano; Zoller, Max

2018-01-01

Building on the open-loop algorithm we introduce a new method for the automated construction of one-loop amplitudes and their reduction to scalar integrals. The key idea is that the factorisation of one-loop integrands in a product of loop segments makes it possible to perform various operations on-the-fly while constructing the integrand. Reducing the integrand on-the-fly, after each segment multiplication, the construction of loop diagrams and their reduction are unified in a single numerical recursion. In this way we entirely avoid objects with high tensor rank, thereby reducing the complexity of the calculations in a drastic way. Thanks to the on-the-fly approach, which is applied also to helicity summation and for the merging of different diagrams, the speed of the original open-loop algorithm can be further augmented in a very significant way. Moreover, addressing spurious singularities of the employed reduction identities by means of simple expansions in rank-two Gram determinants, we achieve a remarkably high level of numerical stability. These features of the new algorithm, which will be made publicly available in a forthcoming release of the OpenLoops program, are particularly attractive for NLO multi-leg and NNLO real-virtual calculations.

77 FR 76074 - Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO): Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-26

... Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Services' (VETS) core programs and new initiatives... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO): Meeting AGENCY: Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Labor. ACTION: Notice of open meeting...

Comparative Study on the Solid Electrolyte Interface Formation by the Reduction of Alkyl Carbonates in Lithium ion Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haregewoin, Atetegeb Meazah; Leggesse, Ermias Girma; Jiang, Jyh-Chiang; Wang, Fu-Ming; Hwang, Bing-Joe; Lin, Shawn D.

2014-01-01

Mixed alkyl carbonates are widely used as solvent for a various lithium-ion battery applications. Understanding the behavior of each solvent in the mixed system is crucial for controlling the electrolyte composition. In this paper, we report a systematic electrochemical and spectroscopic comparison of the reduction of propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC), and diethyl carbonate (DEC) when used as single (PC), binary (EC/PC, EC/DEC), and ternary (EC/PC/DEC) solvent systems. The reduction products are identified based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) after employing linear sweep voltammetry to certain potential regions and their possible formation mechanisms are discussed. FTIR analyses revealed that the reduction of EC and PC was not considerably influenced by the presence of other alkyl carbonates. However, DEC exhibited a different reduction product when used in EC/DEC and EC/PC/DEC solvent systems. The reduction of EC occurred before that of PC and DEC and produced a passivating surface film that prevented carbon exfoliation caused by PC. Battery performance test, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope is employed to study the surface films formed. The binary EC/DEC solvent system demonstrated more favorable performance, smaller impedance, and higher Li + ion diffusivity than did the other solvent systems used in this study

Does Raising the Early Retirement Age Increase Employment of Older Workers?

Science.gov (United States)

Staubli, Stefan; Zweimüller, Josef

2013-12-01

Two pension reforms in Austria increased the early retirement age (ERA) from 60 to 62 for men and from 55 to 58.25 for women. We find that raising the ERA increased employment by 9.75 percentage points among affected men and by 11 percentage points among affected women. The reforms had large spillover effects on the unemployment insurance program but negligible effects on disability insurance claims. Specifically, unemployment increased by 12.5 percentage points among men and by 11.8 percentage points among women. The employment response was largest among high-wage and healthy workers, while low-wage and less healthy workers either continued to retire early via disability benefits or bridged the gap to the ERA via unemployment benefits. Taking spillover effects and additional tax revenues into account, we find that for a typical birth-year cohort a one year increase in the ERA resulted in a reduction of net government expenditures of 107 million euros for men and of 122 million euros for women.

Employer Child Care Surviving and Thriving: Employer Child Care Trend Report #17

Science.gov (United States)

Neugebauer, Roger

2010-01-01

Today employer child care is accepted as standard benefit for employees and nearly all Fortune 500 companies have gotten involved. The current recession threatened to halt the growth of employer child care as companies consolidated, cut back, and folded. However, in reviewing the status of employer child care for this trend report, it appears that…

Perspectives of employability skills

OpenAIRE

ANNE LOUISE NEWTON

2017-01-01

The study investigated the different perspectives held by young people, employers and policy makers around Employability Skills and it examined how young people learnt these skills. This study draws young peoples’ perspectives into the research around Employability Skills and highlights the way in which social and cultural capital mediate their development. The research points to a model to re-vision employability skills which recognises the many ways in which they are learnt, over time a...

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance: Are Employers Good Agents for Their Employees?

OpenAIRE

Peele, Pamela B.; Lave, Judith R.; Black, Jeanne T.; Evans III, John H.

2000-01-01

Employers in the United States provide many welfare-type benefits, such as life insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, and pensions, to their employees. Employers can be viewed as performing an agency role in purchasing pension, health, and other welfare benefits for their employees. An exploration of their competence in this role as agents for their employees indicates that large employers are very helpful to their employees in this arena. They seem to contribute to individual em...

Employment Composition: A Study of Australian Employment Growth, 2002–2006

OpenAIRE

Jeremy Lawson; Crystal Ossolinski

2010-01-01

This paper uses data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examine whether there was a change in employment rates for people with ‘low employment’ characteristics between 2002 and 2006, which was a period of strong employment growth. In particular, it estimates the relationships between employment and personal and household characteristics using a binomial logit model, with a comparison of the coefficients in 2002 and 2006 providing tentative evidence o...

Employer support for innovative work and employees' job satisfaction and job-related stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Raykov, Milosh

2014-01-01

There are high levels of global and national underemployment, but limited information is available on the impact of this phenomenon on the quality of employees' working lives. This study examines the relations among perceived employer support for creative work, different forms of underemployment and employee quality of life, including job satisfaction, perceived job security and job satisfaction. The study was performed using cross-sectional data from the Canadian 2010 Work and Lifelong Learning Survey (WALL), which included 1,042 randomly selected currently employed participants between the ages of 18 and 64 years of age. The study found a significant inverse association between employer support for innovative work and different forms of underemployment. It also suggested a strong relationship between support for such work and participation in work-related informal learning. The results from this study confirmed the hypothesis that employer support for creative work is significantly associated with the quality of employees' working lives, as manifested through increased job security and job satisfaction. Employees experiencing greater support for workplace creativity report less job-related stress. The present study identified relatively low employer support for creative work and significant differences in the perception of support among managers and workers. The results of this study indicate that employer support for innovative work can mitigate significant underutilization of employee knowledge and skills. Such support can contribute to the reduction of job-related stress, increased job satisfaction and perceived job security. This kind of support can also improve the quality of life of employees and facilitate creativity and overall organizational and social development.

Smaller socioeconomic inequalities in health among women: the role of employment status

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stronks, K.; van de Mheen, H.; van den Bos, J.; Mackenbach, J. P.

1995-01-01

Socioeconomic inequalities in health are smaller among women than among men. In this paper, it is hypothesized that this is due to a gender difference in employment status. We used data from the baseline of a Dutch longitudinal study. The socioeconomic indicators were educational level of the

Separation from supported employment: a retrospective chart review study.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Michael; Targett, Pamela; Wehman, Paul; Cifu, Gabriella; Davis, Jacob

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine job separations from supported employment (SE). The aim was to identify the types and nature of separations and precipitating events leading to the separation. A retrospective chart review methodology was utilized. The study was conducted in a metropolitan area in the Southeast United States by a university-based SE program. Participants were 47 SE clients who had been placed into and separated from 67 jobs. Using a coding form, information regarding the type of separation and issues that preceded the separation were recorded. Data were aggregated using descriptive statistics. The largest number of separations was due to termination, followed by resignation and mutual consent of the employer and employee. The mean number of issues leading to the separation was 2.2, ranging from one to five. Only eight positive issues were found (compared to 116 negative and 20 neutral), the most prevalent being entry into an educational or training program. Common negative issues included poor work performance, attendance and punctuality problems, conflicts with the supervisor, and social and behavioral issues. The findings of this study illustrate the need to address job retention issues during the job development process, finding the most appropriate person-job fit and workplace culture for each client. The findings also support the need for vigilant and regular communication between the SE program and employers to intervene quickly when problems arise. Separation from Supported Employment (SE) SE is an evidence-based employment practice that has been shown effective across multiple disability groups. Studying job separations can provide valuable information for improving service. Locating the best person-job fit, as well as frequent contract with employers, can help prevent unnecessary job loss.

Implementing peak load reduction algorithms for household electrical appliances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dlamini, Ndumiso G.; Cromieres, Fabien

2012-01-01

Considering household appliance automation for reduction of household peak power demand, this study explored aspects of the interaction between household automation technology and human behaviour. Given a programmable household appliance switching system, and user-reported appliance use times, we simulated the load reduction effectiveness of three types of algorithms, which were applied at both the single household level and across all 30 households. All three algorithms effected significant load reductions, while the least-to-highest potential user inconvenience ranking was: coordinating the timing of frequent intermittent loads (algorithm 2); moving period-of-day time-flexible loads to off-peak times (algorithm 1); and applying short-term time delays to avoid high peaks (algorithm 3) (least accommodating). Peak reduction was facilitated by load interruptibility, time of use flexibility and the willingness of users to forgo impulsive appliance use. We conclude that a general factor determining the ability to shift the load due to a particular appliance is the time-buffering between the service delivered and the power demand of an appliance. Time-buffering can be ‘technologically inherent’, due to human habits, or realised by managing user expectations. There are implications for the design of appliances and home automation systems. - Highlights: ► We explored the interaction between appliance automation and human behaviour. ► There is potential for considerable load shifting of household appliances. ► Load shifting for load reduction is eased with increased time buffering. ► Design, human habits and user expectations all influence time buffering. ► Certain automation and appliance design features can facilitate load shifting.

Workplace injuries and risk reduction practices in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Roslinah; Shaharudin, Rafiza; Omar, Azahadi; Yusoff, Fadhli

2012-01-01

This study on workplace injuries and risk reduction practices was part of the Malaysia National Health Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III) conducted in 2006. This cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted to determine the incidence of workplaces injuries and assess the magnitude of some important risk reduction practices among workers. Data were gathered through face-to-face household interviews using a pre-coded questionnaire. Of the 22 880 eligible respondents, 88·2% (20 180) responded. The incidence rate for injuries at the workplace was 4·9 per 100 (95% CI: 4·6-5·2). The overall proportion of workers who had received occupational safety and health (OSH) training before or within 1 month of starting work was 33·6%. Among respondents who perceived that personal protective equipment (PPE) was required at their workplace, only 38·9% (95% CI: 37·8-39·4) were provided with it by their employers. Further studies are urgently needed to identify reasons for and management of the low uptake of risk reduction practices. This issue needs to be addressed to ensure the safety and health of our working population.

Heterogeneous reduction of nitric oxide on synthetic coal chars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. Pevida; A. Arenillas; F. Rubiera; J.J. Pis [Instituto Nacional del Carbon (CSIC), Oviedo (Spain)

2005-12-01

Model compounds, with a controlled heteroatoms content and well-defined functionalities, were used to study the release of nitrogen compounds from char combustion. In the present work, the mechanisms involved in NO-char heterogeneous reduction were studied with a synthetic coal (SC) char as carbon source. Another synthetic char (SN) without any nitrogen in its composition was also employed in these studies. Temperature programmed reduction (TPR) tests with a gas mixture of 400 ppm NO in argon and with isotopically labelled nitric oxide, {sup 15}NO (500 ppm {sup 15}NO in argon), were carried out. The gases produced were quantitatively determined by means of MS and FTIR analysers. Under the conditions of this work the main products of the NO-C reaction were found to be N{sub 2} and CO{sub 2}. The main path of reaction involves the formation of surface nitrogen compounds that afterwards react with nitrogen from the reactive gas to form N{sub 2}. It was observed that fuel-N also participates in the overall heterogeneous reduction reaction, although to a lesser extent.

Dissimilatory nitrate reduction by Aspergillus terreus isolated from the seasonal oxygen minimum zone in the Arabian Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stief, Peter; Fuchs-Ocklenburg, Silvia; Kamp, Anja

2014-01-01

Background: A wealth of microbial eukaryotes is adapted to life in oxygen-deficient marine environments. Evidence is accumulating that some of these eukaryotes survive anoxia by employing dissimilatory nitrate reduction, a strategy that otherwise is widespread in prokaryotes. Here, we report...... the dissimilatory nature of nitrate reduction. Interestingly, An-4 used intracellular nitrate stores (up to 6-8 μmol NO3 - g-1 protein) for dissimilatory nitrate reduction. Conclusions: Our findings expand the short list of microbial eukaryotes that store nitrate intracellularly and carry out dissimilatory nitrate...

Optimal reconfiguration-based dynamic tariff for congestion management and line loss reduction in distribution networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Shaojun; Wu, Qiuwei; Cheng, Lin

2016-01-01

This paper presents an optimal reconfiguration-based dynamic tariff (DT) method for congestion management and line loss reduction in distribution networks with high penetration of electric vehicles. In the proposed DT concept, feeder reconfiguration (FR) is employed through mixed integer programm...

Reduction of reabsorption effects in scintillators by employing solutes with large Stokes shifts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrah, L.A.; Renschler, C.L.

1986-01-01

A radiation or high energy particle responsive system is described useful as a scintillator, and comprising, a first component which interacts with the radiation or high energy particle to emit photons in a certain first wavelength range; and at least one additional solute component which absorbs the photons in the first wavelength range and thereupon emits photons in another wavelength range higher than the first range; the improvement wherein at least one of the components absorbs substantially no photons in the wavelength range in which it emits photons, due to large Stokes shift caused by an excited states intramolecular rearrangement, with the proviso that the component having a large Stokes shift is not methyl salicylate or salicyclic acid

Pollution reduction technology program for small jet aircraft engines: Class T1

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, T. W.; Davis, F. G.; Mongia, H. C.

1977-01-01

Small jet aircraft engines (EPA class T1, turbojet and turbofan engines of less than 35.6 kN thrust) were evaluated with the objective of attaining emissions reduction consistent with performance constraints. Configurations employing the technological advances were screened and developed through full scale rig testing. The most promising approaches in full-scale engine testing were evaluated.

Health and re-employment in a two year follow up of long term unemployed.

Science.gov (United States)

Claussen, B; Bjørndal, A; Hjort, P F

1993-02-01

The aim was to examine re-employment and changes in health during a two year follow up of a representative sample of long term unemployed. This was a cross sectional study and a two year follow up. Health was measured by psychometric testing, Hopkins symptom checklist, General health questionnaire, and medical examination. Health related selection to continuous unemployment and recovery by re-employment was estimated by logistic regression with covariances deduced from the labour market theories of human capital and segmented labour market. Four municipalities in Greenland, southern Norway. Participants were a random sample of 17 to 63 year old people registered as unemployed for more than 12 weeks. In the cross sectional study, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and somatic illness was from four to 10 times higher than in a control group of employed people. In the follow up study, there was considerable health related selection to re-employment. A psychiatric diagnosis was associated with a 70% reduction in chances of obtaining a job. Normal performance on psychometric testing showed a two to three times increased chance of re-employment. Recovery of health following re-employment was less than expected from previous studies. Health related selection to long term unemployment seems to explain a substantial part of the excess mental morbidity among unemployed people. An increased proportion of the long term unemployed will be vocationally handicapped as years pass, putting a heavy burden on social services.

The effects of the Employment Tax Incentive on South African employment

OpenAIRE

Ebrahim, Amina; Leibbrandt, Murray; Ranchhod, Vimal

2017-01-01

South Africa's Employment Tax Incentive, launched in 2014, aimed to address low youth employment by reducing the cost of hiring young workers. We make use of anonymized tax administrative data from the 2012-2015 tax years to examine the effect of the Incentive on youth employment. We match firms claiming the subsidy with similar firms not claiming the subsidy and observe their hiring behaviour before and after the implementation of the policy. We find no statistically significant impact on yo...

Psychological contract in the light of flexible employment: The review of studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorota Żołnierczyk-Zreda

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Changing employment relations between employees and employers due to the increasing employment flexibility have contributed to the development of a new paradigm to analyze these relations based on the concept of psychological contract. This paradigm might be particularly relevant in Poland where the employment flexibility understood as the number of workers with temporary contracts is the highest in Europe. In this paper the concept of psychological contract is presented along with the existing findings related to its range, balance and contract fulfilment vs. contract breach. The results of studies showing the differences in psychological contract of temporary and permanent workers are also presented. The majority of them indicate that psychological contracts of temporary workers are limited in their extent, less balanced and asymmetric (to workers’ disadvantage, as well as more transactional in their nature than those of permanent workers. The temporary workers’ well-being and attitudes towards work and their reaction to psychological contract breach largely depends on their preferences for this type of employment, on their qualifications and on a labor market situation. Med Pr 2016;67(4:529–536

Superhydrophobic and polymer drag reduction in turbulent Taylor-Couette flow

Science.gov (United States)

Rajappan, Anoop; McKinley, Gareth H.

2017-11-01

We use a custom-built Taylor-Couette apparatus (radius ratio η = 0.75) to study frictional drag reduction by dilute polymer solutions and superhydrophobic (SH) surfaces in turbulent flows for 15000 analysis. We also investigate drag reduction by dilute polymer solutions, and show that natural biopolymers from plant mucilage can be an inexpensive and effective alternative to synthetic polymers in drag reduction applications, approaching the same maximum drag reduction asymptote. Finally we explore combinations of the two methods - one arising from wall slip and the other due to changes in turbulence dynamics in the bulk flow - and find that the two effects are not additive; interestingly, the effectiveness of polymer drag reduction is drastically reduced in the presence of an SH coating on the wall. This study was financially supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) through Contract No. 3002453814.

Youth employment in Egypt

OpenAIRE

Eekelen, Willem van; De Luca, Loretta; Ismail, Magwa

2001-01-01

Examines economic and social factors affecting youth employment in Egypt and describes three national programmes for the promotion of youth employment based on human resources development, direct job creation and support in self-employment and enterprise creation. Describes one public-private project in each case.

An investigation of the reduction of carbon dioxide in a silent electric discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Luce, R. S.; Greenough, B. (Editor)

1978-01-01

The reduction of CO2 to O2 and CO in a silent electric discharge was studied. It was found that current alone (in the ionized plasma induced by the silent electric discharge) was reponsible for the CO2 reduction process. Voltage and frequency were important only in so far as they induced current in the plasma. Pressure and temperature were of minimum influence in the process. The large power consumption in the process was recognized as resulting from the low power factor of the reactor vessel which electrically behaved like a capacitor. The power factor was subsequently improved by adding an inductive element to make the reactor vessel capacitance part of a resonant circuit. It was found that the CO2 reduction process was most efficient in terms of power vs reduction rate when a voltage was employed that was only slightly higher than that needed to induce the plasma.

Chitinase Expression Due to Reduction in Fusaric Acid Level in an Antagonistic Trichoderma harzianum S17TH.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Vivek; Bhandari, Pamita; Singh, Bikram; Bhatacharya, Amita; Shanmugam, Veerubommu

2013-06-01

To study the effect of reduction in phytotoxin level on fungal chitinases, antagonistic Trichoderma spp. were screened for their ability to reduce the level of fusaric acid (FA), the phytotoxin produced by Fusarium spp. A T. harzianum isolate S17TH was able to tolerate high levels of FA (up to 500 ppm) but was unable to reduce the toxin to a significant level (non-toxic) added to minimal synthetic broth (MSB). However, the isolate was able to reduce 400 ppm FA in the liquid medium after 7 days to a non-toxic level and displayed similar level of antagonism over the control (without FA). In studies of the effect of the reduction in FA (400 ppm) level on chitinase gene expression in PCR assays, nag1 was significantly repressed but ech42 expression was only slightly repressed. Chitinase activity was either reduced or absent in the extracellular proteins of MSB supplemented with 400 ppm FA, which could be attributed to the effect of residual FA or its breakdown products through unknown mechanisms. Selection of S17TH as a toxin insensitive isolate that could commensurate the negative effect on chitinase activity makes it a potential antagonist against Fusarium spp.

Employment protection

OpenAIRE

Stefano Scarpetta

2014-01-01

Laws on hiring and firing are intended to protect workers from unfair behavior by employers, to counter imperfections in financial markets that limit workers’ ability to insure themselves against job loss, and to preserve firm-specific human capital. But by imposing costs on firms’ adaptation to changes in demand and technology, employment protection legislation may reduce not only job destruction but also job creation, hindering the efficient allocation of labor and productivity growth....

The Netherlands: self-employed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtman, I.L.D.

2009-01-01

This is the national contribution to the CAR on self-employed workers in the Netherlands. In this national contribution information is provided on self-employed workers in relation to (1) legal provisions and social security, (2) recent trends in self-employment with no employees, (3) collective

Factors promoting a successful return to work: from an employer and employee perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakobsen, Klara; Lillefjell, Monica

2014-01-01

Efforts have been made to explain the inability to return to work (RTW) due to employees' chronic musculoskeletal pain. Knowledge of factors facilitating the RTW process is however still limited. Based on the experiences of employees and employers, this study aims to identify factors promoting a successful return process for persons with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The findings from interviews, involving six employees with musculoskeletal pain, and five employers with various work experience, were analysed by Giorgi's phenomenological analysis through four stages. The major themes underlying the employees' comments for a successful RTW were identifying and mobilizing their personal resources, adapting a balanced daily life, and requiring a positive dialogue with family and their employer, while the employers underlined the need for a helpful adjustment at work and how they wanted to become more involved in the rehabilitation process. In conclusion our findings underline the need for extended collaboration between the employees, employer, and rehabilitation staff, and should encourage occupational therapists to direct even more of their expertise towards the situation at the workplace.

Employment relations, flexibility and risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Carsten Strøby

Employment relations literature often distinguishes between social democratic/corporatist models of employment relations and liberal models of employment relations as they are seen as opposite or at least different ways of organizing labor markets. They are often characterized as having very...... different risk profiles in terms of relationships between employees, employers, and the state. Low levels of labor market regulation very often characterize the liberal models of employment relations as we know them from, for instance, the USA and the UK. This means that employment conditions are very often...... insecure and that the burden of unemployment risk mostly lies with the employees rather than the employer. Corporatist – or social democratic – employment relations models are, in contrast to the liberal models, often characterized by stricter regulation of the labor market and by high standards...

Inorganic nitrogen and nitrate reduction in the Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Naqvi, S.W.A.; Qasim, S.Z.

the secondary nitrite maximum seem to be associated with Persian Gulf water. It is suggested that these originate as a result of biological reduction of nitrate (denitrification) due to the prevailing reducing conditions associated with a pronounced depletion...

Socioeconomic and employment status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jeong-Mi; Rhee, Jinnie; Ku, Hyemin; Lee, Eui-Kyung

2012-01-01

This study investigates the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by gender and socio-economic characteristics. It also explores the differences in the employment status between RA patients and the general population without RA in Korea. We analyzed data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV) conducted from 2007 to 2009. Prevalence rates were estimated for female and male patients with RA in terms of age, residence, education, income level, and occupation type. The female respondents aged 45 to 64 were divided into the RA population and the non-RA population in order to compare the employment status between the two groups. The annual physician-diagnosed RA prevalence rate was 1.45%. The prevalence rate was 2.27% for women and 0.62% for men. Individuals with RA had a significantly lower employment rate than individuals without RA (41.7 vs. 68.1%). The main reason for non-employment among RA patients was health-related problems (47.1%). There was statistically significant difference in employment type among the two groups. The experience rates for sick leave and sick-in-bed due to RA were 1.7 and 3.9%, respectively. Middle- and old-aged women accounted for the majority of the Korean RA population, which had a significant lower employment rate compared to the population without RA for both sexes. RA resulted in considerable productivity loss in Korea.

Return to work with chronic pain: employers' and employees' views.

Science.gov (United States)

Wainwright, E; Wainwright, D; Keogh, E; Eccleston, C

2013-10-01

The sickness certification and return to work (RTW) of people with chronic pain are important health and economic issues for employees, employers, taxpayers and the UK government. The 'fit note' and a national educational programme promoting RTW were introduced in 2010 to curb rising rates of sickness absence. To investigate employers' and employees' experiences of managing RTW when someone has taken sick leave for chronic pain and to explore the perceived efficacy of the fit note. A qualitative study, comprising semi-structured interviews with employers who had managed sick leave cases and employees who had experienced sick leave for chronic pain. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and the data analysed using constructivist grounded theory principles. Five themes were elicited. Firstly, frequent enquiry after health status was seen as intrusive by some employees but part of good practice by employers and acknowledging this difference was useful. Secondly, being able to trust employees due to their performance track record was helpful for employers when dealing with complex chronic pain conditions. Thirdly, feeling valued increased employees' motivation to RTW. Fourthly, guidelines about maintaining contact with absent employees were useful if used flexibly. Finally, both parties valued the fit note for its positive language, interrogative format and biomedical authority. The fit note was perceived to be helpful if used in combination with other strategies for managing sick leave and RTW for people with chronic pain. These strategies may be applicable to other fluctuating, long-term conditions with medically unexplained elements.

Social innovation in employment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oeij, P.R.A.; Torre, W. van der; Santoclides, M.E

2017-01-01

This policy brief on Social Innovation of Employment informs on an inventory of challenges and policy recommendations based on the Case Study Report of Employment and on the Second Policy Foresight Workshop of Employment. A ‘paradigm shift’ is needed in the mind-set of policymakers. ‘Traditional’

Immunosensing by luminescence reduction in surface-modified microstructured SU-8

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eravuchira, Pinkie Jacob; Baranowska, Malgorzata; Eckstein, Chris [Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Díaz, Francesc [Departament de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Marcelí Domingo s/n, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Llobet, Eduard; Marsal, Lluis F. [Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007 (Spain); Ferré-Borrull, Josep, E-mail: josep.ferre@urv.cat [Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Elèctrica i Automàtica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avda. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007 (Spain)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • The reduction of photoluminescence of SU-8 upon surface modification is reported. • Micropillar structuring of SU-8 surface results in an increased photoluminescence reduction rate (10% glass, 15% silicon). • Photoluminescence reduction rate can be a transduction parameter for the detection of antibody-antigen binding events. • The proposed sensing mechanism can be used to quantify small concentrations of antibody. • Lower limit of detection (LOD) of 28 μg/ml on silicon substrates and 42 μg/ml on glass substrates was achieved. - Abstract: SU-8, an epoxy based negative photoresist is extensively used as a structural material for the fabrication of microelectro-mechanical systems and in microelectronics technology. However, the possible applications of SU-8 for biosensing have not been explored much, mainly because of the photoluminescence SU-8 possesses in the near-UV and visible wavelength ranges which hinders fluorescent labelling of biorecognition events. In this study we demonstrate that photoluminescence of SU-8 can be employed itself as a sensing transduction parameter to produce a tool for immunosensing: the photoluminescence shows a systematic reduction upon modification of its surface chemistry, and in particular upon attachment of an antigen-antibody (aIgG-IgG) pair. We investigate the relation of the amount of reduction of photoluminescence on planar and microstructured surfaces, and we show that microstructuring leads to a higher reduction than a planar surface. Furthermore, we evaluated the dependence of photoluminescence reduction as a function of analyte concentration to prove that this magnitude can be applied to immunosensing.

How Full is Full Employment? : How Tools and Not Theory Explained Full Employment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodenburg, P.

2016-01-01

The post-war debate on full employment policy was blurred and unclear since the concept of full employment itself was theoretically unclear and un-operational. Unable to theoretically determine the unemployment level of full employment, economists tried to find more empirically based ways to

Employer attractiveness from a generational perspective: Implications for employer branding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Germano Glufke Reis

2016-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aimed to identify the employer attractiveness factors prioritized by different generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. The survey was conducted with a sample of 937 professionals, working in various areas and companies, most of them were managers and had a high education level. The Employer Attractiveness Scale proposed by Berthon et al. (2005 was adopted and the results indicate that, when choosing a company, the generations under study have specific features regarding the attractiveness attributes they prioritize. It was also observed that Generation Y discriminates and ranks such attributes more clearly than the others. Possible implications for employer branding and research limitations are discussed at the end of the article.

Business/Employers Influenza Toolkit

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This podcast promotes the "Make It Your Business To Fight The Flu" toolkit for Businesses and Employers. The toolkit provides information and recommended strategies to help businesses and employers promote the seasonal flu vaccine. Additionally, employers will find flyers, posters, and other materials to post and distribute in the workplace.

The Employment of spatial autoregressive models in predicting demand for natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Jorge Henrique de; Silva, Alexandre Pinto Alves da

2010-01-01

Develop the natural gas network is critical success factor for the distribution company. It is a decision that employs the demand given location 'x' and a future time 't' so that the net allows the best conditions for the return of the capital. In this segment, typical network industry, the spatial infra-structure vision associated to the market allows better evaluation of the business because to mitigate costs and risks. In fact, economic models little developed in order to assess the question of the location, due to its little employment by economists. The objective of this article is to analyze the application of spatial perspective in natural gas demand forecasting and to identify the models that can be employed observing issues of dependency and spatial heterogeneity; as well as the capacity of mapping of variables associated with the problem. (author)

Education, employment, absenteeism, and work disability in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekblom-Kullberg, S; Kautiainen, H; Alha, P; Leirisalo-Repo, M; Julkunen, H

2015-01-01

To study education, employment, absenteeism, and work disability (WD) in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to population controls. The study included 181 women of working age with SLE (mean age 44.0 years, disease duration 12.7 years) and 549 female population controls matched for age living in the same metropolitan area of Helsinki. Data regarding education, employment, absenteeism, and WD in patients and controls were obtained by questionnaire and personal interview. Basic education, vocational, or academic degrees and occupational categories in patients with SLE were similar to those in controls. In total, 62% of the patients were employed, compared to 77% of the controls (p Absenteeism and work disability are, however, 2-3 times more common than in controls. Less than half of the patients were on permanent disability pension due to SLE 20 years after diagnosis of the disease.

Building Professionalism and Employability Skills: Embedding Employer Engagement within First-Year Computing Modules

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Philip; Allen, Angela; Kane, Russell; Anderson, Neil; McGowan, Aidan; Collins, Matthew; Hutchison, Malcolm

2015-01-01

This paper outlines a means of improving the employability skills of first-year university students through a closely integrated model of employer engagement within computer science modules. The outlined approach illustrates how employability skills, including communication, teamwork and time management skills, can be contextualised in a manner…

Institutionalized Employer Collective Action

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibsen, Christian Lyhne; Navrbjerg, Steen Erik

2016-01-01

Recent studies show that employer associations continue to exist in new ways despite internationalisation of the economy, liberalisation of markets and the decline of trade unions. This paradox raises two questions regarding EOs in today’s labour markets: Which employers join employer associations...... and what kind of services do EOs offer employers? This article explores these questions using two comprehensive surveys on EOs in Denmark – a prominent case of coordinated market economies. The main finding of the analyses is that collective activities vis-à-vis trade unions and government are still...

Track 4: basic nuclear science variance reduction for Monte Carlo criticality simulations. 6. Variational Variance Reduction for Monte Carlo Criticality Calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Densmore, Jeffery D.; Larsen, Edward W.

2001-01-01

Recently, it has been shown that the figure of merit (FOM) of Monte Carlo source-detector problems can be enhanced by using a variational rather than a direct functional to estimate the detector response. The direct functional, which is traditionally employed in Monte Carlo simulations, requires an estimate of the solution of the forward problem within the detector region. The variational functional is theoretically more accurate than the direct functional, but it requires estimates of the solutions of the forward and adjoint source-detector problems over the entire phase-space of the problem. In recent work, we have performed Monte Carlo simulations using the variational functional by (a) approximating the adjoint solution deterministically and representing this solution as a function in phase-space and (b) estimating the forward solution using Monte Carlo. We have called this general procedure variational variance reduction (VVR). The VVR method is more computationally expensive per history than traditional Monte Carlo because extra information must be tallied and processed. However, the variational functional yields a more accurate estimate of the detector response. Our simulations have shown that the VVR reduction in variance usually outweighs the increase in cost, resulting in an increased FOM. In recent work on source-detector problems, we have calculated the adjoint solution deterministically and represented this solution as a linear-in-angle, histogram-in-space function. This procedure has several advantages over previous implementations: (a) it requires much less adjoint information to be stored and (b) it is highly efficient for diffusive problems, due to the accurate linear-in-angle representation of the adjoint solution. (Traditional variance-reduction methods perform poorly for diffusive problems.) Here, we extend this VVR method to Monte Carlo criticality calculations, which are often diffusive and difficult for traditional variance-reduction methods

An Evaluation of Recent Evidence on the Employment Effects of Minimum and Subminimum Wages

OpenAIRE

David Card; Lawrence F. Katz; Alan B. Krueger

1993-01-01

We re-examine recent cross-state evidence on the employment effect of the minimum wage. A re-evaluation of the data used in Neumark and Wascher's (1992) study of the minimum wage provides no support for their conclusion that the minimum wage has an adverse effect on teenage employment. Neumark and Wascher's findings are shown to be due to an inadvertent mistake in the definition of their school enrollment variable. In addition, Neumark and Wascher's coverage-weighted relative minimum wage ind...

The mechanism for degrading Orange II based on adsorption and reduction by ion-based nanoparticles synthesized by grape leaf extract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Fang; Yang, Die; Chen, Zuliang; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravendra

2015-01-01

Biomolecules taken from plant extracts have often been used in the single-step synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles (Fe NPs) due to their low cost, environmental safety and sustainable properties. However, the composition of Fe NPs and the degradation mechanism of organic contaminants by them are limited because these are linked to the reactivity of Fe NPs. In this study, Fe NPs synthesized by grape leaf extract served to remove Orange II. Batch experiments showed that more than 92% of Orange II was removed by Fe NPs at high temperature based on adsorption and reduction and confirmed by kinetic studies. To understand the role of Fe NPs in the removal process of azo dye, surface analysis via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed, showing that the Fe NPs were composed of biomolecules, hydrous iron oxides and Fe 0 , thus providing evidence for the adsorption of Orange II onto hydrous iron oxides and its reduction by Fe 0 . Degraded products such as 2-naphthol were identified using LC–MS analysis. A degradation mechanism based on asymmetrical azo bond cleavage for the removal of Orange II was proposed

The mechanism for degrading Orange II based on adsorption and reduction by ion-based nanoparticles synthesized by grape leaf extract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Fang; Yang, Die [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Chen, Zuliang, E-mail: zuliang.chen@unisa.edu.au [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravendra [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia)

2015-10-15

Biomolecules taken from plant extracts have often been used in the single-step synthesis of iron-based nanoparticles (Fe NPs) due to their low cost, environmental safety and sustainable properties. However, the composition of Fe NPs and the degradation mechanism of organic contaminants by them are limited because these are linked to the reactivity of Fe NPs. In this study, Fe NPs synthesized by grape leaf extract served to remove Orange II. Batch experiments showed that more than 92% of Orange II was removed by Fe NPs at high temperature based on adsorption and reduction and confirmed by kinetic studies. To understand the role of Fe NPs in the removal process of azo dye, surface analysis via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed, showing that the Fe NPs were composed of biomolecules, hydrous iron oxides and Fe{sup 0}, thus providing evidence for the adsorption of Orange II onto hydrous iron oxides and its reduction by Fe{sup 0}. Degraded products such as 2-naphthol were identified using LC–MS analysis. A degradation mechanism based on asymmetrical azo bond cleavage for the removal of Orange II was proposed.

Employment and Entrepreneurship. Strategic Orientations in Current Economic and Social Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela NECHITA

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Any free market economy is facing the problem of higher or lower unemployment rates. At a national level, it is important to increase employment opportunities, reduce poverty and promote full participation in society and the economy, and encourage elderly people to remain active on the labor market longer. In addition, financial sustainability is vital to guaranteeing rights and encouraging participation in society and the labor market. Social benefits systems should be centered on ensuring income security in transition periods and on poverty reduction, especially for groups at the highest risk of social exclusion.

Influence of sulfur oxyanions on reductive dehalogenation activities in Desulfomonile tiedjei.

OpenAIRE

Townsend, G T; Suflita, J M

1997-01-01

The inhibition of aryl reductive dehalogenation reactions by sulfur oxyanions has been demonstrated in environmental samples, dehalogenating enrichments, and the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfomonile tiedjei; however, this phenomenon is not well understood. We examined the effects of sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate on reductive dehalogenation in the model microorganism D. tiedjei and found separate mechanisms of inhibition due to these oxyanions under growth versus nongrowth conditions. ...

Employment impacts of energy conservation schemes in the residential sector. Calculation of direct and indirect employment effects using a dedicated input/output simulation approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeeninga, H.; Weber, C.; Maeenpaeae, I.; Rivero Garcia, F.; Wiltshire, V.; Wade, J.

1999-10-01

The relationship between investments in energy efficiency and employment is investigated. The employment effects of several energy conservation schemes implemented in the residential sector are determined by means of a dedicated input/output simulation approach. The employment effects of energy conservation schemes were determined for France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Within the time frame of the project, it was not feasible to perform a comparable analysis for Greece, Ireland and Austria. For Finland, the employment effects of energy auditing schemes were investigated by means of a macro economic simulation model. The main driving force behind the positive employment effect of investment in energy efficiency in the residential sector is the fact that the energy sector has a rather low labour intensity. The resulting shift of expenditures from the energy sector to other sectors with higher labour intensity leads to increased employment. The main mechanisms that determine the net shift in employment resulting from investments in energy conservation are: 1. The employment effect related to the initial investment in energy efficiency; 2. The energy saving effect. Due to lower energy bill, a shift in expenditure pattern will occur from the labour extensive energy sector towards sectors with higher labour intensity, thus inducing a net positive effect on employment; 3. The effects of money transfers between sectors. For example, when the investment is subsidised by the government, money is transferred from the governmental sector to the residential sector; 4. Changes in the total government budget as a result of changes in total tax revenue and expenditures on unemployment benefits. Different financing methods for the investment in energy efficiency are analysed. The initial investment can be financed from the general household consumption budget, by means of a loan, using a subsidy or using private savings. The following input parameters

An indigenous method for closed reduction of pediatric mandibular parasymphysis fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Naresh; Singh, Akhilesh Kumar; Pandey, Arun; Verma, Vishal

2015-01-01

Mandibular fractures in children are very rare as compared to adults due to protected anatomic features of child and less exposure to road traffic accidents. Management becomes complicated due to inherent dynamic nature, instability of mixed dentition and fear of surgery. Conservative management can be done with the help of acrylic cap splints along with circum-mandibular wiring, intermaxillary fixation with eyelet wires, arch wires or open reduction and internal fixation with bio-resorbable plates. Different methods have various pros and cons. The choice of anesthesia is also very crucial sometimes. This case report describes a new method of closed reduction with 18 gauge needle simulated as an arch bar performed under local anaesthesia.

Testing of indoor radon reduction techniques in eastern Pennsylvania: An update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henschel, D.B.; Scott, A.G.

1987-01-01

EPA has installed radon reduction measures in 38 houses in the Reading Prong region of eastern Pennsylvania. All were basement houses with hollow block or poured concrete foundation walls. The reduction approaches tested in most houses involved active soil ventilation, including: suction on the footing drain tile system; suction underneath the concrete slabs, using pipes inserted through the slabs from inside the house; and ventilation of the void network inside hollow block foundation walls. Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) were tested in three houses. The current results confirm that, for the houses tested here, drain tile suction appears consistently able to provide high radon reductions when a complete loop of drain tile exists, often reducing high-radon houses to 4 pCi/l (148 B1/m 3 ) and less. Sub-slab suction (with pipes through the slab) can also provide high reductions if a sufficient number of suction pipes are located properly. Placement of one or more sub-slab suction pipes near each perimeter wall appears in this testing to aid in treating the major soil gas entry routes, although fewer pipes can sometimes give high reductions if conditions are favorable. For effective radon reduction using any active soil ventilation technique, it is important that major wall and slab openings be closed, and that a fan be employed that is capable of developing adequate static pressure

One-electron standard reduction potentials of nitroaromatic and cyclic nitramine explosives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchimiya, Minori; Gorb, Leonid; Isayev, Olexandr; Qasim, Mohammad M.; Leszczynski, Jerzy

2010-01-01

Extensive studies have been conducted in the past decades to predict the environmental abiotic and biotic redox fate of nitroaromatic and nitramine explosives. However, surprisingly little information is available on one-electron standard reduction potentials (E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - )). The E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) is an essential thermodynamic parameter for predicting the rate and extent of reductive transformation for energetic residues. In this study, experimental (linear free energy relationships) and theoretical (ab initio calculation) approaches were employed to determine E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) for nitroaromatic, (caged) cyclic nitramine, and nitroimino explosives that are found in military installations or are emerging contaminants. The results indicate a close agreement between experimental and theoretical E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) and suggest a key trend: E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) value decreases from di- and tri-nitroaromatic (e.g., 2,4-dinitroanisole) to nitramine (e.g., RDX) to nitroimino compound (e.g., nitroguanidine). The observed trend in E o (R-NO 2 /R-NO 2 - ) agrees with reported rate trends for reductive degradation, suggesting a thermodynamic control on the reduction rate under anoxic/suboxic conditions. - Reduction of explosives becomes less thermodynamically favorable as the one-electron standard reduction potential decreases from di- and tri-nitroaromatic, nitramine, to nitroimino compounds.

Employment of security personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

If a company or institution hires personnel of a security service company to protect its premises, this kind of employment does not mean the company carries on temporary employment business. Within the purview of section 99, sub-section 1 of the BetrVG (Works Constitution Act), the security service personnel is not 'employed' in the proper sense even if the security tasks fulfilled by them are done at other times by regular employees of the company or institution. The court decision also decided that the Works Council need not give consent to employment of foreign security personnel. The court decision was taken for settlement of court proceedings commenced by Institute of Plasma Physics in Garching. In his comments, W. Hunold accedes to the court's decision and discusses the underlying reasons of this decision and of a previous ruling in the same matter by putting emphasis on the difference between a contract for services and a contract for work, and a contract for temporary employment. The author also discusses the basic features of an employment contract. (orig./HP) [de

20 CFR 670.545 - How does Job Corps ensure that students receive due process in disciplinary actions?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... receive due process in disciplinary actions? 670.545 Section 670.545 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND... process in disciplinary actions? The center operator must ensure that all students receive due process in disciplinary proceedings according to procedures developed by the Secretary. These procedures must include, at...

A Case Analysis of Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness of Iloilo Province: Basis for A Comprehensive Intervention Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria D. Jurilla

2016-08-01

Full Text Available - This study determined the effectiveness of Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness of Iloilo Province, Philippines in the areas of Dissemination, Implementation, and Resource Utilization and Operation as evaluated by the 390 citizens of the ten (10 selected municipalities from the five (5 Congressional Districts in the Province of Iloilo, Philippines. This descriptive method of research employed researcher-made instruments and random interviews. Descriptive statistics used were the mean and standard deviation while inferential statistics employed Ttest for independent samples and one-way analysis for variance set at .05 level of significances. Findings revealed that Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness of Iloilo Province, Philippines is “more effective” in terms of dissemination, implementation, and resource utilization and operation according to the assessment of the 390 respondents of the ten (10 selected municipalities from the five (5 Congressional Districts when they were grouped as to personal variables. Finally, the findings revealed that three (3 out of ten (10 municipalities were very effective and among the five (5 districts, first district was very effective as to dissemination and resource utilization and operation of their respective Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness Program but as a whole, Iloilo Province was more effective in its Disaster Risk Reduction Preparedness.

Technique for systematic bone reduction for fixed implant-supported prosthesis in the edentulous maxilla.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidra, Avinash S

2015-06-01

Bone reduction for maxillary fixed implant-supported prosthodontic treatment is often necessary to either gain prosthetic space or to conceal the prosthesis-tissue junction in patients with excessive gingival display (gummy smile). Inadequate bone reduction is often a cause of prosthetic failure due to material fractures, poor esthetics, or inability to perform oral hygiene procedures due to unfavorable ridge lap prosthetic contours. Various instruments and techniques are available for bone reduction. It would be helpful to have an accurate and efficient method for bone reduction at the time of surgery and subsequently create a smooth bony platform. This article presents a straightforward technique for systematic bone reduction by transferring the patient's maximum smile line, recorded clinically, to a clear radiographic smile guide for treatment planning using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The patient's smile line and the amount of required bone reduction are transferred clinically by marking bone with a sterile stationery graphite wood pencil at the time of surgery. This technique can help clinicians to accurately achieve the desired bone reduction during surgery, and provide confidence that the diagnostic and treatment planning goals have been achieved. Copyright © 2015 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

28 CFR 54.500 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Employment. 54.500 Section 54.500... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 54.500 Employment. (a) General. (1) No... subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection therefor, whether...

Welfare Effects of Employment Protection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Belot, M.V.K.; Boone, J.; van Ours, J.C.

2002-01-01

Employment protection is often related to costs incurred by the firms when they hire a worker.The stability of the employment relationship, enhanced by employment protection, is also favorable to the productivity of the job.We analyze employment protection focusing on this trade-off between

Contextualising institutional complementarity. : How long-term unemployment depends on active labour market policies, employment protection legislation and the economic climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benda, L; F. Koster (Ferry); R.J. van der Veen (Romke)

2018-01-01

textabstractThis study investigated if and how active labour market policies (ALMPs) and employment protection interact with each other in light of long‐term unemployment reduction. We argue that how well the interaction between both labour market institutions reduces long‐term unemployment depends

Open reduction and internal fixation of patellar fractures with tension band wiring through cannulated screws.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Mudasir; Halwai, Manzoor Ahmad

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness and safety of a relatively new technique of open reduction and internal fixation of displaced transverse patellar fractures with tension band wiring (TBW) through parallel cannulated compression screws. A total of 30 patients with displaced transverse patellar fracture were enrolled in this prospective study. Of the 30 patients, 20 patients had trauma due to fall, 5 due to road traffic accident, 2 due to fall of heavy object on the knee, 2 due to forced flexion of knee, and 1 had fracture due to being beaten. All 30 patients were treated with vertical skin exposure, fracture open reduction, and internal fixation by anterior TBW through 4.0 mm cannulated screws. The postoperative rehabilitation protocol was standardized. The patients were followed postsurgery to evaluate time required for radiographic bone union, knee joint range of motion (ROM), loss of fracture reduction, material failure, and the overall functional result of knee using Bostman scoring. All the fractures healed radiologically, at an average time of 10.7 weeks (range, 8-12 weeks). The average ROM arc was 129.7 degrees (range, 115-140 degrees). No patient had loss of fracture reduction, implant migration, or material failure. The average Bostman score was 28.6 out of 30. Anterior TBW through cannulated screws for displaced transverse fractures is safe and effective alternative treatment. Good functional results and recovery can be expected. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

43 CFR 41.500 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Employment. 41.500 Section 41.500 Public... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 41.500 Employment. (a) General. (1) No... subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection therefor, whether...

6 CFR 17.500 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Employment. 17.500 Section 17.500 Domestic... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 17.500 Employment. (a) General. (1) No... subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection therefore, whether...

40 CFR 5.500 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Employment. 5.500 Section 5.500... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 5.500 Employment. (a) General. (1) No... subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection therefor, whether...

45 CFR 86.51 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Employment. 86.51 Section 86.51 Public Welfare... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 86.51 Employment. (a) General. (1) No... subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection therefor, whether...

14 CFR 1253.500 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Employment. 1253.500 Section 1253.500... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 1253.500 Employment. (a) General. (1..., or be subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection therefor...

Australian dentists: characteristics of those who employ or are willing to employ oral health therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Kempster, C; Luzzi, L; Roberts-Thomson, K

2015-06-01

There has been an increase in the availability of oral health therapists (OHTs) in the oral health workforce in the last decade. The impact these clinicians will have on the oral health of the general public is dependent on access pathways and utilization. This study aimed to profile Australian dentists who employ or are willing to employ OHTs and to explore the degree of association between dentist characteristics and employment decisions. This cross-sectional study used a random sample of Australian dentists (n = 1169) from the Federal Australian Dental Association register in 2009. Participants were sent a postal questionnaire capturing dentist characteristics and oral health practitioner employment information. An adjusted response rate of 55% was obtained. Dentists willing to employ OHTs included non-metropolitan dentists, dentists in multiple surgery practices and those considering practice expansion. Age, gender and sector of practice were not significantly associated with retrospective employment decisions or willingness to employ in the future. Certain characteristics of dentists or of their practice are associated with their history of employment and willingness to employ OHTs. Employment decisions are more commonly related to entrepreneurial aspirations (expressed as a willingness to expand), sector of practice, surgery capacity and regionality over gender and age. Understanding the factors that influence the employment of OHTs is important in enhancing access pathways to the services provided by OHTs. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

Hydraulic Soft Yaw System Load Reduction and Prototype Results

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stubkier, Søren; Pedersen, Henrik C.; Markussen, Kristian

2013-01-01

Introducing a hydraulic soft yaw concept for wind turbines leads to significant load reductions in the wind turbine structure. The soft yaw system operates as a shock absorption system on a car, hence absorbing the loading from turbulent wind conditions instead of leading them into the stiff wind...... turbine structure. Results presented shows fatigue reductions of up to 40% and ultimate load reduction of up to 19%. The ultimate load reduction increases even more when the over load protection system in the hydraulic soft yaw system is introduced and results show how the exact extreme load cut off...... operates. Further it is analyzed how the soft yaw system influence the power production of the turbine. It is shown that the influence is minimal, but at larger yaw errors the effect is possitive. Due to the implemeted functions in the hydraulic soft yaw system such as even load distribution on the pinions...

Copper increases reductive dehalogenation of haloacetamides by zero-valent iron in drinking water: Reduction efficiency and integrated toxicity risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Wenhai; Li, Xin; Bond, Tom; Gao, Naiyun; Bin, Xu; Wang, Qiongfang; Ding, Shunke

2016-12-15

The haloacetamides (HAcAms), an emerging class of nitrogen-containing disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs), are highly cytotoxic and genotoxic, and typically occur in treated drinking waters at low μg/L concentrations. Since many drinking distribution and storage systems contain unlined cast iron and copper pipes, reactions of HAcAms with zero-valent iron (ZVI) and metallic copper (Cu) may play a role in determining their fate. Moreover, ZVI and/or Cu are potentially effective HAcAm treatment technologies in drinking water supply and storage systems. This study reports that ZVI alone reduces trichloroacetamide (TCAcAm) to sequentially form dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm) and then monochloroacetamide (MCAcAm), whereas Cu alone does not impact HAcAm concentrations. The addition of Cu to ZVI significantly improved the removal of HAcAms, relative to ZVI alone. TCAcAm and their reduction products (DCAcAm and MCAcAm) were all decreased to below detection limits at a molar ratio of ZVI/Cu of 1:1 after 24 h reaction (ZVI/TCAcAm = 0.18 M/5.30 μM). TCAcAm reduction increased with the decreasing pH from 8.0 to 5.0, but values from an integrated toxic risk assessment were minimised at pH 7.0, due to limited removal MCAcAm under weak acid conditions (pH = 5.0 and 6.0). Higher temperatures (40 °C) promoted the reductive dehalogenation of HAcAms. Bromine was preferentially removed over chlorine, thus brominated HAcAms were more easily reduced than chlorinated HAcAms by ZVI/Cu. Although tribromoacetamide was more easily reduced than TCAcAm during ZVI/Cu reduction, treatment of tribromoacetamide resulted in a higher integrated toxicity risk than TCAcAm, due to the formation of monobromoacetamide (MBAcAm). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employability Skills Assessment Tool Development

Science.gov (United States)

Rasul, Mohamad Sattar; Rauf, Rose Amnah Abd; Mansor, Azlin Norhaini; Puvanasvaran, A. P.

2012-01-01

Research nationally and internationally found that technical graduates are lacking in employability skills. As employability skills are crucial in outcome-based education, the main goal of this research is to develop an Employability Skill Assessment Tool to help students and lecturers produce competent graduates in employability skills needed by…

1 CFR 500.140 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 1 General Provisions 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Employment. 500.140 Section 500.140 General... ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR EMPLOYMENT POLICY § 500.140 Employment. No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be subjected to discrimination in employment under any...

INCREASING EMPLOYMENT LEVELS THROUGH THE USE OF CREATIVE JOBS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Marie Andreea HORDAU

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper we want to raise awareness of how important is for an economy the existence of creative jobs. In the last years the employment rate has grown in the sector of creative jobs. This research came out due the need of creative jobs contribution to the development of an economy, in particular Romanian economy. In this paper we want to stress on the importance of creative industry and also to propose some solutions for increasing employment in this sectors , being well-known that creative industry is attractive to smart and talented people. Nevertheless, it is important to point out the development of IT as part of creative industry. Not at last, we will take in consideration the role that small and medium enterprises have, the impact of fiscal facilities in the economy and the need for appropriate financial instruments to support this kind of business.

Studies on biological reduction of chromate by Streptomyces griseus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poopal, Ashwini C.; Laxman, R. Seeta

2009-01-01

Chromium is a toxic heavy metal used in various industries and leads to environmental pollution due to improper handling. The most toxic form of chromium Cr(VI) can be converted to less toxic Cr(III) by reduction. Among the actinomycetes tested for chromate reduction, thirteen strains reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(III), of which one strain of Streptomyces griseus (NCIM 2020) was most efficient showing complete reduction within 24 h. The organism was able to use a number of carbon sources as electron donors. Sulphate, nitrate, chloride and carbonate had no effect on chromate reduction during growth while cations such as Cd, Ni, Co and Cu were inhibitory to varying degrees. Chromate reduction was associated with the bacterial cells and sonication was the best method of cell breakage to release the enzyme. The enzyme was constitutive and did not require presence of chromate during growth for expression of activity. Chromate reduction with cell free extract (CFE) was observed without added NADH. However, addition of NAD(P)H resulted in 2-3-fold increase in activity. Chromate reductase showed optimum activity at 28 deg. C and pH 7.

Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiabin; Salihi, Elif Caliskan; Šiller, Lidija

2017-03-01

There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jiabin; Salihi, Elif Caliskan; Šiller, Lidija

2017-01-01

There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. - Highlights: • An environmentally friendly route was reported for the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). • Alanine could reduce GO to rGO (reduced graphene oxide) without using any stabilizer or alcaline medium. • Characterization studies confirmed the successful deoxygenation of GO.

Green reduction of graphene oxide using alanine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jiabin [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Salihi, Elif Caliskan, E-mail: caliskanelif@gmail.com [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Marmara University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, 34668 Istanbul (Turkey); Šiller, Lidija [Newcastle University, School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

2017-03-01

There remains a real need for the easy, eco-friendly and scalable preparation method of graphene due to various potential applications. Chemical reduction is the most versatile method for the large scale production of graphene. Here we report the operating conditions for a one-step, economical and green synthesis method for the reduction of graphene oxide using a biomolecule (alanine). Graphene oxide was produced by the oxidation and exfoliation of natural graphite flake with strong oxidants using Hummers method (Hummers and Offeman, 1958), but the method was revised in our laboratory to set up a safe and environmentally friendly route. The reduction of graphene oxide was investigated using alanine at various operating conditions in order to set up optimum conditions (treatment time, temperature and concentration of the reagent). Samples have been characterized by using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. - Highlights: • An environmentally friendly route was reported for the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). • Alanine could reduce GO to rGO (reduced graphene oxide) without using any stabilizer or alcaline medium. • Characterization studies confirmed the successful deoxygenation of GO.

Maternal Employment: 1979.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Lois Wladis

1979-01-01

Maternal employment is a part of modern family life, a response to changes such as smaller families and more efficient household management. Not only does maternal employment meet parents' needs, but it is a pattern better suited for socializing the child for the adult role s/he will occupy. (Author/GC)

Employment for adults with autism spectrum disorders: A retrospective review of a customized employment approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wehman, Paul; Brooke, Valerie; Brooke, Alissa Molinelli; Ham, Whitney; Schall, Carol; McDonough, Jennifer; Lau, Stephanie; Seward, Hannah; Avellone, Lauren

2016-01-01

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in prevalence of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and those children are now becoming young adults in need of competitive integrated employment (CIE). Customized employment (CE) is one pathway to employment that has been successful for other individuals with developmental disabilities (DD), though research has been very limited on the effectiveness with individuals with ASD. This paper provides a retrospective review of 64 individuals with ASD who came to our program from 2009 to 2014 for supported employment services as referred by the state vocational rehabilitation services agency. Employment specialists engaged in situational assessment, discovery, job development, customized job descriptions, on-site training and support, positive behavioral supports, and job retention techniques. The employment specialists were responsible for tracking their actual time spent working directly with or for the jobseeker with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). All vocational rehabilitation clients with ASD served during this time successfully secured CIE, and maintained their employment with ongoing supports, with intensity of support time decreasing over time. The majority (63/64, 98.4%) of individuals successfully secured CIE through the use of supported employment, in 72 unique employment positions. Of the majority of the individuals who secured employment, 77% (50) individuals indicated that they had never worked before and additional 18% (12) reported having short intermittent histories of employment. Despite this lack of employment experience, in all cases the jobseeker directed the job search and ultimately the job selection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Student employment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacob, Marita; Gerth, Maria; Weiss, Felix

2018-01-01

, according to social origins, in student employment from first-year students through graduating students. We show that inequality in job quality exists and is partly attributable to the need for students from lower social origins to work to finance their studies. We hypothesise that initial inequalities......In this article, we examine social origin differences in employment patterns across different stages of higher education and compare these differences between vocational and academic fields of study. Using data from a large-scale German student survey, we study the development of inequality...

Synthesis of Platinum-Nickel Hydroxide Nanocomposites for Electrocatalytic Reduction of Water

KAUST Repository

Wang, Lei

2016-11-25

Water electrolysis represents a promising solution for storage of renewable but intermittent electrical energy in hydrogen molecules. This technology is however challenged by the lack of efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Here we report on the synthesis of platinum-nickel hydroxide nanocomposites and their electrocatalytic applications for water reduction. An in situ reduction strategy taking advantage of the Ni(II)/Ni(III) redox has been developed to enable and regulate the epitaxial growth of Pt nanocrystals on single-layer Ni(OH)2 nanosheets. The obtained nanocomposites (denoted as Pt@2D-Ni(OH)2) exhibit an improvement factor of 5 in catalytic activity and a reduction of up to 130 mV in overpotential compared to Pt for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A combination of electron microscopy/spectroscopy characterization, electrochemical studies and density functional calculations was employed to uncover the structures of the metal-hydroxide interface and understand the mechanisms of catalytic enhancement.

Synthesis of Platinum-Nickel Hydroxide Nanocomposites for Electrocatalytic Reduction of Water

KAUST Repository

Wang, Lei; Zhu, Yihan; Zeng, Zhenhua; Lin, Chong; Giroux, Michael; Jiang, Lin; Han, Yu; Greeley, Jeffrey; Wang, Chao; Jin, Jian

2016-01-01

Water electrolysis represents a promising solution for storage of renewable but intermittent electrical energy in hydrogen molecules. This technology is however challenged by the lack of efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Here we report on the synthesis of platinum-nickel hydroxide nanocomposites and their electrocatalytic applications for water reduction. An in situ reduction strategy taking advantage of the Ni(II)/Ni(III) redox has been developed to enable and regulate the epitaxial growth of Pt nanocrystals on single-layer Ni(OH)2 nanosheets. The obtained nanocomposites (denoted as Pt@2D-Ni(OH)2) exhibit an improvement factor of 5 in catalytic activity and a reduction of up to 130 mV in overpotential compared to Pt for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). A combination of electron microscopy/spectroscopy characterization, electrochemical studies and density functional calculations was employed to uncover the structures of the metal-hydroxide interface and understand the mechanisms of catalytic enhancement.

Evaluation of Clipping Based Iterative PAPR Reduction Techniques for FBMC Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zsolt Kollár

2014-01-01

to conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM technique. The low ACLR of the transmitted FBMC signal makes it especially favorable in cognitive radio applications, where strict requirements are posed on out-of-band radiation. Large dynamic range resulting in high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR is characteristic of all sorts of multicarrier signals. The advantageous spectral properties of the high-PAPR FBMC signal are significantly degraded if nonlinearities are present in the transceiver chain. Spectral regrowth may appear, causing harmful interference in the neighboring frequency bands. This paper presents novel clipping based PAPR reduction techniques, evaluated and compared by simulations and measurements, with an emphasis on spectral aspects. The paper gives an overall comparison of PAPR reduction techniques, focusing on the reduction of the dynamic range of FBMC signals without increasing out-of-band radiation. An overview is presented on transmitter oriented techniques employing baseband clipping, which can maintain the system performance with a desired bit error rate (BER.

45 CFR 618.500 - Employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Employment. 618.500 Section 618.500 Public Welfare... the Basis of Sex in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 618.500 Employment. (a... benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in employment, or recruitment, consideration, or selection...

Climate change, uncertainty and investment in flood risk reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol, van der T.D.

2015-01-01

Economic analysis of flood risk management strategies has become more complex due to climate change. This thesis investigates the impact of climate change on investment in flood risk reduction, and applies optimisation methods to support identification of optimal flood risk management strategies.

SGLT2 inhibitors: their potential reduction in blood pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Maliha, George; Townsend, Raymond R

2015-01-01

The sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors represent a promising treatment option for diabetes and its common comorbidity, hypertension. Emerging data suggests that the SGLT2 inhibitors provide a meaningful reduction in blood pressure, although the precise mechanism of the blood pressure drop remains incompletely elucidated. Based on current data, the blood pressure reduction is partially due to a combination of diuresis, nephron remodeling, reduction in arterial stiffness, and weight loss. While current trials are underway focusing on cardiovascular endpoints, the SGLT2 inhibitors present a novel treatment modality for diabetes and its associated hypertension as well as an opportunity to elucidate the pathophysiology of hypertension in diabetes. Copyright © 2015 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employment and Regional Inequality in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Patache

2013-08-01

Full Text Available It is no doubt that thinking about inequality plays a part in the judgments and actions of politicians, sociologists, economists and ordinary people, too. This paper examines which factors substantially influenced regional employment. Labour market, employment and unemployment have been the subject of various researches and the labour market object has been subject of dispute. Employment and unemployment are both decomposed and analyzed through separate components (such as: full employment, effective employment, atypical employment, precarious employment, regional/local employment etc., respectively, total unemployment, partial or hidden unemployment, technical and structural one and so on. The specific literature about the regional inequalities considered the income per capita as the most relevant indicator measured by Gini coefficient. Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income or consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. At regional level we studied several indicators that generate regional disparities, and influence employment quality such us: employment rate, tertiary and medium employment, unemployment rate, occupied population in informal sector, employment in primary sector, rural employment, female employment. We developed a scoring based on the deviation from the average of a group of key indicators and devised a map of employment quality resulting from multi-criteria analysis.

Tidal pumping facilitates dissimilatory nitrate reduction in intertidal marshes

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yanling; Hou, Lijun; Liu, Min; Liu, Zhanfei; Li, Xiaofei; Lin, Xianbiao; Yin, Guoyu; Gao, Juan; Yu, Chendi; Wang, Rong; Jiang, Xiaofen

2016-01-01

Intertidal marshes are alternately exposed and submerged due to periodic ebb and flood tides. The tidal cycle is important in controlling the biogeochemical processes of these ecosystems. Intertidal sediments are important hotspots of dissimilatory nitrate reduction and interacting nitrogen cycling microorganisms, but the effect of tides on dissimilatory nitrate reduction, including denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, remains unexplored in these habitats. Here, we use isotope-tracing and molecular approaches simultaneously to show that both nitrate-reduction activities and associated functional bacterial abundances are enhanced at the sediment-tidal water interface and at the tide-induced groundwater fluctuating layer. This pattern suggests that tidal pumping may sustain dissimilatory nitrate reduction in intertidal zones. The tidal effect is supported further by nutrient profiles, fluctuations in nitrogen components over flood-ebb tidal cycles, and tidal simulation experiments. This study demonstrates the importance of tides in regulating the dynamics of dissimilatory nitrate-reducing pathways and thus provides new insights into the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and other elements in intertidal marshes. PMID:26883983

HYBRID SELECTIVE NON-CATALYTIC REDUCTION (SNCR)/SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION (SCR) DEMONSTRATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF NOx FROM BOILER FLUE GASES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jerry B. Urbas

1999-05-01

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Pennsylvania Electric Energy Research Council, (PEERC), New York State Electric and Gas and GPU Generation, Inc. jointly funded a demonstration to determine the capabilities for Hybrid SNCR/SCR (Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction/Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology. The demonstration site was GPU Generation's Seward Unit No.5 (147MW) located in Seward Pennsylvania. The demonstration began in October of 1997 and ended in December 1998. DOE funding was provided through Grant No. DE-FG22-96PC96256 with T. J. Feeley as the Project Manager. EPRI funding was provided through agreements TC4599-001-26999 and TC4599-002-26999 with E. Hughes as the Project Manager. This project demonstrated the operation of the Hybrid SNCR/SCR NO{sub x} control process on a full-scale coal fired utility boiler. The hybrid technology was expected to provide a cost-effective method of reducing NO{sub x} while balancing capital and operation costs. An existing urea based SNCR system was modified with an expanded-duct catalyst to provide increased NO{sub x} reduction efficiency from the SNCR while producing increased ammonia slip levels to the catalyst. The catalyst was sized to reduce the ammonia slip to the air heaters to less than 2 ppm while providing equivalent NO{sub x} reductions. The project goals were to demonstrate hybrid technology is capable of achieving at least a 55% reduction in NO{sub x} emissions while maintaining less than 2ppm ammonia slip to the air heaters, maintain flyash marketability, verify the cost benefit and applicability of Hybrid post combustion technology, and reduce forced outages due to ammonium bisulfate (ABS) fouling of the air heaters. Early system limitations, due to gas temperature stratification, restricted the Hybrid NO{sub x} reduction capabilities to 48% with an ammonia slip of 6.1 mg/Nm{sup 3} (8 ppm) at the catalyst inlet. After resolving the stratification

Boron carbide synthesis by carbothermic reduction of boron oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, A.R.M. de; Paschoal, J.O.A.

1988-01-01

Boron carbide (B 4 C) is a ceramic material of technological applications due to its extreme hardness and high chemical as well as thermal stability. Some parameters of the process for obtaining B 4 C by carbothermic reduction of B 2 O 3 have been determined. The starting powders and the final products have been analysed by chemical, spectrographic and X-ray diffraction methods. The results show that the B 4 C obtained by the carbothermic reduction process is suitable for applications with a definite determination of the free carbon content. (author) [pt

[Psychological contract in the light of flexible employment: The review of studies].

Science.gov (United States)

Żołnierczyk-Zreda, Dorota

Changing employment relations between employees and employers due to the increasing employment flexibility have contributed to the development of a new paradigm to analyze these relations based on the concept of psychological contract. This paradigm might be particularly relevant in Poland where the employment flexibility understood as the number of workers with temporary contracts is the highest in Europe. In this paper the concept of psychological contract is presented along with the existing findings related to its range, balance and contract fulfilment vs. contract breach. The results of studies showing the differences in psychological contract of temporary and permanent workers are also presented. The majority of them indicate that psychological contracts of temporary workers are limited in their extent, less balanced and asymmetric (to workers' disadvantage), as well as more transactional in their nature than those of permanent workers. The temporary workers' well-being and attitudes towards work and their reaction to psychological contract breach largely depends on their preferences for this type of employment, on their qualifications and on a labor market situation. Med Pr 2016;67(4):529-536. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Near-Field Spectral Effects due to Electromagnetic Surface Excitations

OpenAIRE

Shchegrov , Andrei ,; Joulain , Karl; Carminati , Rémi; Greffet , Jean-Jacques

2000-01-01

International audience; We demonstrate theoretically that the spectra of electromagnetic emission of surface systems can display remarkable differences in the near and the far zones. The spectral changes occur due to the loss of evanescent modes and are especially pronounced for systems which support surface waves. PACS numbers: 78.20. – e, 05.40. – a, 44.40. + a, 87.64.Xx Spectroscopy of electromagnetic radiation is perhaps the most powerful exploration tool employed in natural sciences: ast...

How does employment quality relate to health and job satisfaction in Europe? A typological approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Aerden, Karen; Puig-Barrachina, Vanessa; Bosmans, Kim; Vanroelen, Christophe

2016-06-01

The changing nature of employment in recent decades, due to an increased emphasis on flexibility and competitiveness in European labour markets, compels the need to assess the consequences of contemporary employment situations for workers. This article aims to study the relation between the quality of employment and the health and well-being of European workers, using data from the 2010 European Working Conditions Survey. A typology of employment arrangements, mapping out employment quality in the European labour force, is constructed by means of a Latent Class Cluster Analysis. This innovative approach shows that it is possible to condense multiple factors characterising the employment situation into five job types: Standard Employment Relationship-like (SER-like), instrumental, precarious unsustainable, precarious intensive and portfolio jobs. Binary logistic regression analyses show that, controlling for other work quality characteristics, this employment quality typology is related to self-perceived job satisfaction, general health and mental health. Precarious intensive jobs are associated with the worst and SER-like jobs with the best health and well-being situation. The findings presented in this study indicate that, among European wage workers, flexible and de-standardised employment tends to be related to lower job satisfaction, general health and mental health. The quality of employment is thus identified as an important social determinant of health (inequalities) in Europe. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employment status matters: a statewide survey of quality-of-life, prevention behaviors, and absenteeism and presenteeism.

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, James A; Kelly, Kevin M; Burmeister, Leon F; Lozier, Matt J; Amendola, Alison; Lind, David P; KcKeen, Arlinda; Slater, Tom; Hall, Jennifer L; Rohlman, Diane S; Buikema, Brenda S

2014-07-01

To estimate quality-of-life (QoL), primary care, health insurance, prevention behaviors, absenteeism, and presenteeism in a statewide sample of the unemployed, self-employed, and organizationally employed. A statewide survey of 1602 Iowans included items from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention QoL and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey prevention behavior questionnaires used to assess employee well-being; their indicator results are related to World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire-derived absenteeism and presenteeism scores. The unemployed exhibited poorer QoL and prevention behaviors; the self-employed exhibited many better QoL scores due largely to better prevention behaviors than those employed by organizations. Higher QoL measures and more prevention behaviors are associated with lower absenteeism and lower presenteeism. Employment status is related to measures of well-being, which are also associated with absenteeism and presenteeism.

The impact of the crisis on employment and the role of labour market institutions

OpenAIRE

Eichhorst, Werner; Escudero, Verónica; Marx, Paul; Tobin, Steven

2010-01-01

The paper takes a comparative perspective on the labour market impact on G20 and EU countries of the financial and economic crisis that began in 2008. It starts from the observation that the decline in employment and rise in unemployment in relation to output or GDP reductions varies significantly across countries. It examines the impacts from an institutional perspective taking into account different channels of external, internal and wage flexibility determined by both the institutional arr...

Reduction of U(VI) and Toxic Metals by Desulfovibrio Cytochrome C3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wall, Judy D

2013-04-11

The central objective of our proposed research was twofold: 1) to investigate the structure-function relationship of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (now Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20) cytochrome c3 with uranium and 2) to elucidate the mechanism for uranium reduction in vitro and in vivo. Physiological analysis of a mutant of D. desulfuricans with a mutation of the gene encoding the type 1 tetraheme cytochrome c3 had demonstrated that uranium reduction was negatively impacted while sulfate reduction was not if lactate were the electron donor. This was thought to be due to the presence of a branched pathway of electron flow from lactate leading to sulfate reduction. Our experimental plan was to elucidate the structural and mechanistic details of uranium reduction involving cytochrome c3.

Adjoint-based global variance reduction approach for reactor analysis problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Qiong; Abdel-Khalik, Hany S.

2011-01-01

A new variant of a hybrid Monte Carlo-Deterministic approach for simulating particle transport problems is presented and compared to the SCALE FW-CADIS approach. The new approach, denoted by the Subspace approach, optimizes the selection of the weight windows for reactor analysis problems where detailed properties of all fuel assemblies are required everywhere in the reactor core. Like the FW-CADIS approach, the Subspace approach utilizes importance maps obtained from deterministic adjoint models to derive automatic weight-window biasing. In contrast to FW-CADIS, the Subspace approach identifies the correlations between weight window maps to minimize the computational time required for global variance reduction, i.e., when the solution is required everywhere in the phase space. The correlations are employed to reduce the number of maps required to achieve the same level of variance reduction that would be obtained with single-response maps. Numerical experiments, serving as proof of principle, are presented to compare the Subspace and FW-CADIS approaches in terms of the global reduction in standard deviation. (author)

Reduction of oligosaccharide content of soybeans by the action of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-09-10

Sep 10, 2014 ... linked galactose, as in lactose (Storey et al., 1998;. Townsend and Pitchford ... after disorders caused by diarrhoea, antibiotic therapy and radiotherapy. ..... Hence, the reductions may have been due to heat induced hydrolysis ...

Reduction in thermal conductivity of BiSbTe lump

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Kaleem [King Saud University, Sustainable Energy Technologies Center, College of Engineering, PO Box 800, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Wan, C. [Tsinghua University, State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing (China); Al-Eshaikh, M.A.; Kadachi, A.N. [King Saud University, Research Center, College of Engineering, PO Box 800, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

2017-03-15

In this work, systematic investigations on the thermal conductivities of BiSbTe lump, microstructured pristine BiSbTe bulk and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)/BiSbTe bulk nanocomposites were performed. BiSbTe lumps were crushed to form a coarse powder (200 μm) and effect of particle size reduction on the effective thermal conductivity of BiSbTe (200 μm) bulk were analyzed. For further reduction in the conductivity, a two pronged strategy has been employed. First, additional refinement of BiSbTe (200 μm) were performed through ball milling in an inert environment. Second, SWCNTs in 0.75, and 1.0 vol% were distributed uniformly in the fine BiSbTe ball milled powder. The results showed that the effective thermal conductivities decrease with the reduction in the particle size from lump to BiSbTe (200 μm) bulk as well as with the addition of SWCNTs accompanied by further refinement of BiSbTe particles. The significant reduction in thermal conductivities of the lump was achieved for pure BiSbTe (200 μm) bulk and 0.75 vol% of SWCNTs/BiSbTe composite. This can be ascribed to the enhanced phonon scattering by the grain boundaries between the nanostructured BiSbTe particles as well as the interfaces between BiSbTe and the low dimensional carbon nanotubes. (orig.)

Discrete Routh reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalnapurkar, Sameer M; Leok, Melvin; Marsden, Jerrold E; West, Matthew

2006-01-01

This paper develops the theory of Abelian Routh reduction for discrete mechanical systems and applies it to the variational integration of mechanical systems with Abelian symmetry. The reduction of variational Runge-Kutta discretizations is considered, as well as the extent to which symmetry reduction and discretization commute. These reduced methods allow the direct simulation of dynamical features such as relative equilibria and relative periodic orbits that can be obscured or difficult to identify in the unreduced dynamics. The methods are demonstrated for the dynamics of an Earth orbiting satellite with a non-spherical J 2 correction, as well as the double spherical pendulum. The J 2 problem is interesting because in the unreduced picture, geometric phases inherent in the model and those due to numerical discretization can be hard to distinguish, but this issue does not appear in the reduced algorithm, where one can directly observe interesting dynamical structures in the reduced phase space (the cotangent bundle of shape space), in which the geometric phases have been removed. The main feature of the double spherical pendulum example is that it has a non-trivial magnetic term in its reduced symplectic form. Our method is still efficient as it can directly handle the essential non-canonical nature of the symplectic structure. In contrast, a traditional symplectic method for canonical systems could require repeated coordinate changes if one is evoking Darboux' theorem to transform the symplectic structure into canonical form, thereby incurring additional computational cost. Our method allows one to design reduced symplectic integrators in a natural way, despite the non-canonical nature of the symplectic structure

United in Precarious Employment? Employment Precarity of Young Couples in the Netherlands, 1992-2007

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lange, M. de; Wolbers, M.H.J.; Ultee, W.C.

2013-01-01

The trend towards labour market flexibilization in advanced economies since the 1990s is associated with more employment insecurity. This study examines to what extent employment flexibility among young people in the Netherlands is related to employment flexibility or unemployment of the partner,

Quantifying spot size reduction of a 1.8 kA electron beam for flash radiography

Science.gov (United States)

Burris-Mog, T. J.; Moir, D. C.

2018-03-01

The spot size of Axis-I at the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility was reduced by 15.5% by including a small diameter drift tube that acts to aperture the outer diameter of the electron beam. Comparing the measured values to both analytic calculations and results from a particle-in-cell model shows that one-third to one-half of the spot size reduction is due to a drop in beam emittance. We infer that one-half to two-thirds of the spot-size reduction is due to a reduction in beam-target interactions. Sources of emittance growth and the scaling of the final focal spot size with emittance and solenoid aberrations are also presented.

Cerebral infarction due to smoker’s polycythemia

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Kiran Teresa; Westover, M Brandon

2011-01-01

A 65-year-old man presented with fluctuating focal neurological deficits and neuroimaging findings of multiple small cerebral infarctions. His medical investigation revealed a >100 pack/year smoking history, and a haematocrit >60. Subsequent investigations led to a diagnosis of cerebral infarction due to smoker’s polycythemia, the third such case reported in the medical literature. The patient’s neurological deficits resolved completely with subsequent haematocrit reduction. This brief report reviews the differential diagnosis of polycythemia, current knowledge of the mechanisms by which smoker’s polycythemia may lead to ischemic stroke, and recommendations for management. PMID:22675101

Employment and Wage Assimilation of Male First Generation Immigrants in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Husted, Leif; Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Rosholm, Michael

2000-01-01

Labour market assimilation of Danish first generation male immigrants is analysed based on two panel data sets covering the population of immigrants and 10% of the Danish population during 1984-1995. Wages and employment probabilities are estimated jointly in a random effects model which corrects...... for unobserved cohort and individual effects and panel selectivity due to missing wage information. The results show that immigrants assimilate partially to Danes, but the assimilation process differs between refugees and non-refugees.......Labour market assimilation of Danish first generation male immigrants is analysed based on two panel data sets covering the population of immigrants and 10% of the Danish population during 1984-1995. Wages and employment probabilities are estimated jointly in a random effects model which corrects...

Employment and Wage assimilation of Male First Generation Immigrants in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Husted, Leif; Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Rosholm, Michael

Labour market assimilation of Danish first generation male immigrants is analysed based on two panel data sets covering the population of immigrants and 10% of the Danish population during 1984-1995. Wages and employment probabilities are estimated jointly in a random effects model which corrects...... for unobserved cohort and individual effects and panel selectivity due to missing wage information. The results show that immigrants assimilate partially to Danes, but the assimilation process differs between refugees and non-refugees.......Labour market assimilation of Danish first generation male immigrants is analysed based on two panel data sets covering the population of immigrants and 10% of the Danish population during 1984-1995. Wages and employment probabilities are estimated jointly in a random effects model which corrects...

Self-employment and quasi self-employment: a challenge for labour law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westerveld, M.; Zaal, I.

2015-01-01

Over the years the (Dutch) labour market has witnessed a growing number of workers outside the realm of the employment contract. At the end of the past century the number of (in Dutch) ‘self-employed without personnel’ (a.k.a. independent contractor, a.k.a. sole trader) was around one in seventeen

Turboprop Engine Nacelle Optimization for Flight Increased Safety and Pollution Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian DOROBAT

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Commuter airplanes defined in CS-23 as being propeller driven, twin-engine, nineteen seats and maximum certified take-off weight of 8618 Kg had lately a special development due to advantages of turboprop engine compared with piston or jet engines. Nacelle optimization implies a sound and vibrations proof engine frame, engine fuel consumption reduction (through smaller nacelle drag and weight, better lift, better pressure recovery in air induction system, smaller drag of exhaust nozzles, engine cooling and nacelle ventilation more efficient, composite nacelle fairings with noise reduction properties, etc.. Nacelle aerodynamic experimental model, air induction experimental model and other nacelle experimental systems tested independently allow construction efficiency due to minimizing modifications on nacelle assembly and more safety in operation [1].

Employers Roundtable: Employer Supported Child Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Delaware Valley Child Care Council, Philadelphia, PA.

This booklet outlines a number of options available to employers to enable them to better cope with child care issues that they and their employees face. Major options include: (1) flexible work policies, such as flexible scheduling, alternate work places, shorter work weeks, and the consolidating of sick leave, holidays, and vacation time into…

Variational Variance Reduction for Monte Carlo Criticality Calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Densmore, Jeffery D.; Larsen, Edward W.

2001-01-01

A new variational variance reduction (VVR) method for Monte Carlo criticality calculations was developed. This method employs (a) a variational functional that is more accurate than the standard direct functional, (b) a representation of the deterministically obtained adjoint flux that is especially accurate for optically thick problems with high scattering ratios, and (c) estimates of the forward flux obtained by Monte Carlo. The VVR method requires no nonanalog Monte Carlo biasing, but it may be used in conjunction with Monte Carlo biasing schemes. Some results are presented from a class of criticality calculations involving alternating arrays of fuel and moderator regions

Toxic Elements in Food: Occurrence, Binding, and Reduction Approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hajeb, P.; Sloth, Jens Jørgen; Shakibazadeh, Sh

2014-01-01

Toxic elements such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead, sometimes called heavy metals, can diminish mental and central nervous system function; elicit damage to blood composition as well as the kidneys, lungs, and liver; and reduce energy levels. Food is considered one of the main routes...... of their entry into the human body. Numerous studies have been performed to examine the effects of common food processing procedures on the levels of toxic elements in food. While some studies have reported negative effects of processing, several have shown that processing practices may have a positive effect...... on the reduction of toxic elements in foodstuffs. A number of studies have also introduced protocols and suggested chemical agents that reduce the amount of toxic elements in the final food products. In this review, the reported methods employed for the reduction of toxic elements are discussed with particular...

How do employers cope with an ageing workforce?: Views from employers and employees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hendrik P. Van Dalen

2010-06-01

Full Text Available How age-conscious are human resource policies? Using a survey of Dutch employers, we examine how employers deal with the prospect of an ageing work force. We supplement our analysis with an additional survey of Dutch employees to compare human resource policies to practices. Results show that a small minority of employers are taking measures to enhance productivity (training programmes or bring productivity in line with pay (demotion. Personnel policies tend to 'spare' older workers: giving them extra leave, early retirement, or generous employment protection: older workers who perform poorly are allowed to stay, whereas younger workers under similar conditions are dismissed.

Employment and self-employment in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Science.gov (United States)

Zissimopoulos, Julie; Karoly, Lynn A

2010-05-01

We use data from the monthly Current Population Survey to examine the short- and longer-term effects of Hurricane Katrina on the labor market outcomes of prime-age individuals in the most affected states--Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi--and for evacuees in any state. We focus on rates of labor force participation, employment, and unemployment, and we extend prior research by also examining rates of self-employment. With the exception of Mississippi, employment and unemployment one year after the hurricane were at similar rates as the end of 2003. This aggregate pattern of labor market shock and recovery has been observed for other disasters but masks important differences among subgroups. Those evacuated from their residences, even temporarily, were a harder-hit group, and evacuees who had yet to return to their pre-Katrina state up to one year later were hit especially hard; these findings hold even after controlling for differences in observable characteristics. We also find evidence of an important role for self-employment as part of post-disaster labor market recovery, especially for evacuees who did not return. This may result from poor job prospects in the wage and salary sector or new opportunities for starting businesses in the wake of Katrina.

Employment conditions and maternal postpartum mental health: results from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooklin, Amanda R; Canterford, Louise; Strazdins, Lyndall; Nicholson, Jan M

2011-06-01

Maternal postpartum mental health is influenced by a broad range of risk and protective factors including social circumstances. Forty percent of Australian women resume employment in the first year postpartum, yet poor quality employment (without security, control, flexibility or leave) has not been investigated as a potential social determinant of maternal psychological distress. This paper examines whether poor quality jobs are associated with an increased risk of maternal postpartum psychological distress. Data were collected from employed mothers of infants ≤12 months (n = 1,300) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Logistic regression analyses estimated the association between job quality and maternal psychological distress, adjusting for prior depression, social support, quality of partner relationship, adverse life events and sociodemographic characteristics. Only 21% of women reported access to all four optimal job conditions. After adjustment for known risk factors for poor maternal mood, mothers were significantly more likely to report psychological distress (adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.09, 1.77) with each reduction in the number of optimal employment conditions. Interventions for maternal postpartum affective disorders are unlikely to be successful if major risk factors are not addressed. These results provide strong evidence that employment conditions are associated with maternal postpartum mood, and warrant consideration in psychosocial risk assessments and interventions.

Employment strategy of the Russians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Borisovich Toreev

2015-05-01

Full Text Available During the crisis it is especially important to choose a correct employment strategy. Every employee uses an employment strategy, as he/she selects the direction of long-term employment consciously or intuitively. The choice of strategy is determined by a number of factors shaping the person’s attitudes: health, character, upbringing, education, social environment, institutional environment. The employment strategies of the young people newly entering the labor market differ from lab our strategies of workers. Young people do not have such experience and can plan their life “from scratch”. The Soviet specialists, people who started their career in the planned economy, have their own features of employment strategies. The article describes employment strategies of the Russians

Acoustic radiation due to gust-airfoil and blade-vortex interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agarwal, R.K. [Wichita State Univ., KS (United States). National Inst. for Aviation Research

2001-07-01

An accurate and efficient method for computing acoustic radiation due to gust-airfoil and blade-vortex interactions is developed. In these types of problems, sound is generated as a result of interaction between the unsteadiness in the flow and the body. The acoustic governing equations are derived by linearizing the compressible unsteady Euler equations about the steady mean flow. From these equations, the frequency domain acoustic equations are obtained assuming a single frequency disturbance. The equations are solved by employing a multi-stage Runge-Kutta finite-volume time-stepping scheme with a fourth-order compact spatial discretization. In the farfield, both the Giles' nonreflecting boundary condition and the perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary conditions are employed. This report describes the technical approach and shows the results calculated for the interactions. (orig.)

African crop yield reductions due to increasingly unbalanced Nitrogen and Phosphorus consumption

Science.gov (United States)

van der Velde, Marijn; Folberth, Christian; Balkovič, Juraj; Ciais, Philippe; Fritz, Steffen; Janssens, Ivan A.; Obersteiner, Michael; See, Linda; Skalský, Rastislav; Xiong, Wei; Peñuealas, Josep

2014-05-01

The impact of soil nutrient depletion on crop production has been known for decades, but robust assessments of the impact of increasingly unbalanced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application rates on crop production are lacking. Here, we use crop response functions based on 741 FAO maize crop trials and EPIC crop modeling across Africa to examine maize yield deficits resulting from unbalanced N:P applications under low, medium, and high input scenarios, for past (1975), current, and future N:P mass ratios of respectively, 1:0.29, 1:0.15, and 1:0.05. At low N inputs (10 kg/ha), current yield deficits amount to 10% but will increase up to 27% under the assumed future N:P ratio, while at medium N inputs (50 kg N/ha), future yield losses could amount to over 40%. The EPIC crop model was then used to simulate maize yields across Africa. The model results showed relative median future yield reductions at low N inputs of 40%, and 50% at medium and high inputs, albeit with large spatial variability. Dominant low-quality soils such as Ferralsols, which are strongly adsorbing P, and Arenosols with a low nutrient retention capacity, are associated with a strong yield decline, although Arenosols show very variable crop yield losses at low inputs. Optimal N:P ratios, i.e. those where the lowest amount of applied P produces the highest yield (given N input) where calculated with EPIC to be as low as 1:0.5. Finally, we estimated the additional P required given current N inputs, and given N inputs that would allow Africa to close yield gaps (ca. 70%). At current N inputs, P consumption would have to increase 2.3-fold to be optimal, and to increase 11.7-fold to close yield gaps. The P demand to overcome these yield deficits would provide a significant additional pressure on current global extraction of P resources.

Blood pressure reduction due to hemoglobin glycosylation in type 2 diabetic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Cabrales

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Pedro Cabrales1, Miguel A Salazar Vázquez2,3, Beatriz Y Salazar Vázquez3,4, Martha Rodríguez-Morán5, Marcos Intaglietta4, Fernando Guerrero-Romero51La Jolla Bioengineering Institute, La Jolla, California, USA; 2Hospital Regional No. 1, of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Victoria de Durango, Dgo. Mexico; 3Faculty of Medicine and Dept. of Physical Chemistry, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Victoria de Durango, Dgo. Mexico; 4Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; 5Biomedical Research Unit, of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Victoria de Durango, Dgo. MexicoObjective: To test the hypothesis that glycosylation of hemoglobin constitutes a risk factor for hypertension.Methods: A total of 129 relative uniform diabetic subjects (86 women and 42 men were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Exclusion criteria included alcohol consumption, smoking, ischemic heart disease, stroke, neoplasia, renal, hepatic, and chronic inflammatory disease. Systolic and diastolic pressures were recorded in subsequent days and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP was determined. Hemoglobin glycosylation was measured by determining the percentage glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c by means of the automated microparticle enzyme immunoassay test.Results: MAP was found to be independent of the concentration of HbA1c; however, correcting MAP for the variability in hematocrit, to evidence the level of vasoconstriction (or vasodilatation showed that MAP is negatively correlated with the concentration of HbA1c (p for trend <0.05, when patients treated for hypertension are excluded from the analysis. Patients treated for hypertension showed the opposite trend with increasing MAP as HbA1c increased (p for the difference in trends <0.05.Conclusions: Glycosylation per se appears to lead to blood pressure reduction in type 2 diabetic patients untreated for hypertension. Treatment for hypertension may be

Are “voluntary” self-employed better prepared for retirement than “forced” self-employed?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hershey, D.A.; van Dalen, Harry; Conen, Wieteke; Henkens, Kene

2017-01-01

When it comes to financial preparation for retirement, self-employed workers in many European countries face unique challenges not encountered by traditional wage earners. This is particularly true for self-employed workers because many self-employed individuals do not have large-scale access to

Are “Voluntary” Self-Employed Better Prepared for Retirement Than “Forced” Self-Employed?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hershey, D.; van Dalen, H.P.; Conen, W.S.; Henkens, K.

2017-01-01

When it comes to financial preparation for retirement, self-employed workers in many European countries face unique challenges not encountered by traditional wage earners. This is particularly true for self-employed workers because many self-employed individuals do not have large-scale access to

Academics' and Employers' Perceptions about Responsibilities for Employability and Their Initiatives towards Its Development

Science.gov (United States)

Sin, Cristina; Amaral, Alberto

2017-01-01

This paper reports the results of preliminary research into how Portuguese academics and employers perceive the responsibility of different higher education stakeholders-students, teaching staff, higher education institutions, employers, and policy-makers-for developing graduate employability. The study was conducted 8 years after the…

Employ a Mobile Agent for Making a Payment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Wang

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The mobile agent paradigm offers flexibility and autonomy to e-commerce applications. But it is challenging to employ a mobile agent to make a payment due to the security consideration. In this paper, we propose a new agent-assisted secure payment protocol, which is based on SET payment protocol and aims at enabling the dispatched consumer-agent to autonomously sign contracts and make the payment on behalf of the cardholder after having found the best merchant, without the possibility of disclosing any secret to any participant. This is realized by adopting the Signature-Share scheme, and employing a Trusted Third Party (TTP. In the proposed protocol, the principle that each participant knows what is strictly necessary for his/her role is followed as in SET. In addition, mechanisms have been devised for preventing and detecting double payment, overspending and overpayment attacks. Finally the security properties of the proposed protocol are studied analytically. In comparison with other existing models, the proposed protocol is more efficient and can detect more attacks.

Thermal stress, human performance, and physical employment standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Stephen S; Lee, Jason K W; Oksa, Juha

2016-06-01

Many physically demanding occupations in both developed and developing economies involve exposure to extreme thermal environments that can affect work capacity and ultimately health. Thermal extremes may be present in either an outdoor or an indoor work environment, and can be due to a combination of the natural or artificial ambient environment, the rate of metabolic heat generation from physical work, processes specific to the workplace (e.g., steel manufacturing), or through the requirement for protective clothing impairing heat dissipation. Together, thermal exposure can elicit acute impairment of work capacity and also chronic effects on health, greatly contributing to worker health risk and reduced productivity. Surprisingly, in most occupations even in developed economies, there are rarely any standards regarding enforced heat or cold safety for workers. Furthermore, specific physical employment standards or accommodations for thermal stressors are rare, with workers commonly tested under near-perfect conditions. This review surveys the major occupational impact of thermal extremes and existing employment standards, proposing guidelines for improvement and areas for future research.

More of the same? The European Employment Strategy and the normalization of British employment policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triantafillou, Peter

2011-01-01

This article examines the ways in which the European Employment Strategy seeks to govern and further improve the performance of British employment policies. It is argued that by creating an epistemological and normalizing space for the problematization and governing of unemployment in terms...... of activation, the European Employment Strategy contributes to the legitimation of British employment policies. By addressing unemployment as a problem of structural labor market barriers, missing incentives and inadequate employability, the European Employment Strategy serves to reinforce the British...... preference for tackling unemployment through a host of activation and training measures and seeking to get the unemployed into work as fast as possible. Other ways of problematizing and handling unemployment seem excluded by default....

Additional employer and employee obligations of the contract of employment

OpenAIRE

Jankauskaitė, Vaida

2009-01-01

Economic growth since 2001 till 2008 start leaded to higher incomes for both employers and employees, many new jobs were created. The unemployment rate in Lithuania was particularly low, moreover, according to official statistics, nearly half a million people emigrated from Lithuania. Labor market challenges and economic patterns determined the principles of the labor law and the content of the norms, public social and political conditions. Employers, through businesses, noticed that it has b...

Reductions in commuter exposure to volatile organic compounds in Mexico City due to the environmental program ProAire2002-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinohara, Naohide; Ángeles, Felipe; Basaldud, Roberto; Cardenas, Beatriz; Wakamatsu, Shinji

2017-05-01

We investigated commuter exposure to volatile organic compounds in the metropolitan area of Mexico City in 2011 in private car, microbus, bus, metro, metrobus, and trolley bus. A similar survey was conducted in 2002 before initiation of the ProAire2002-2010 program aimed at reducing air pollution. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene were sampled while traveling during the morning rush hour in May 2011. Compared with the 2002 survey, in-vehicle concentrations were substantially lower in 2011, except for formaldehyde in microbuses (35% higher than in 2002). The reductions were 17-42% (except microbuses), 25-44%, 41-61%, 43-61%, 71-79%, 80-91%, and 79-93% for formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene, respectively. These reductions are considered to be the outcome of some of the actions in the ProAire2002-2010 program. In some microbuses, use of liquid petroleum gas may have increased in-vehicle formaldehyde concentrations. The reduction in predicted excess cancer incidence of commuters because of ProAire2002-2010 was estimated to be 1.4 cases/yr. In addition, if every microbus commuter changed their transport mode to bus, metro, or metrobus in the future, the estimated excess cancer incidence of commuters could be further decreased from 6.4 to 0.88-2.2 cases/year.